Page 8 of Courting Mayhem

“Did you think I would not learn of your Coletti DNA?”

“My DNA is no concern of yours. I am a citizen of the Alliance and I work for General Zan,” I shot back.

“I have terminated your contract with Zan. You now work for me,” Zarek replied.

“What? You can’t do that.”

“I can and I have. Defy me and your fathers will spend the next ten years on a penal colony,” Zarek replied.

One look at the implacable resolve stamped on the Overlord’s face and a cold thread of dread snaked up my back. “General Zan?”

“I will not risk our treaty with the Coletti Empire for one female,” Zan said.

My temper roared to life. “Really? After we captured Tabriz and returned your stolen prototype fighter, you would throw us to the dogs?”

That got the Overlord’s attention. “They are the ones who took down Tabriz?”

“They are,” Zan admitted reluctantly.

Derek walked up and handed me a glass of lemonade. “Are you deliberating trying to provoke Zarek into stunning you and tossing you in the brig?”

“Stun beams don’t work on me.”I drained the lemonade.

Derek’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Good to know and your eyes are glowing again.”

“They do that when I get really angry.”

“If you’re thinking of attacking Zarek, don’t. He’s five times stronger than you,”Derek advised.

“You’ve fought him?”

“I have and it didn’t end well.”

Zarek demanded, “When is the last time Mayhem lost control of her berserker powers like this?”

“When she was ten years old. We were hunting Gulog the Mad, and he got the drop on us. Gulog would have killed us if Mayhem hadn’t stopped him,” Papi Sten answered.

“You took the child with you while you went hunting?”

The note of outrage in Zarek’s voice made me smile. “They tried hiring nannies, but none of them could handle a child with mytalents.” Time to change the subject. I turned to Derek. “Have your people looked for Vrax yet?”

Derrek queried, “Vrax?”

“Shawan’s partner. He has always wanted to get his hands on a Shebu,” I replied.

“They are after the Shebu?” The anger in Zarek’s eyes was a bit terrifying.

“That’s my guess, but hey, what do I know. I’m just a female.”

Papi Sten practically shoved a chocolate bar in my mouth. “Eat.”

Yum. It was the good stuff. Agony exploded in my left shoulder and a cry tore from me. Dropping the chocolate bar, I reached around and felt the hilt of a knife. “Fuck!” With a groan I pulled it out. I could feel the blood gushing down my back. A storybook princess gave me the one-finger salute and fled. Why hadn’t I sensed her? My strength vanished and the world spun dizzily around me.

Derek grabbed me before I could do a face plant and sat me on a table. “Medic!”

I felt Zarek’s power flare.

A woman screamed.

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