Page 82 of Courting Mayhem

“Butterflies with a taste for blood,”Derek answered.

A horde of fanged, blue butterflies descended on us and tried to chew through our armor. “Persistent buggers,” I said, knocking them off my faceplate.

“Zap them,” Derek ordered.

“You want me to stun them?”

An irritated note in his voice, Derek instructed,“Hit the lightning icon on your bracelet.”

“Lose the attitude. You haven’t shown me how all these gadgets work.” I tapped the icon and energy crackled around me turning the butterflies into crispy critters. Wow! Take about handy.

A ghostly hand stroked my cheek. “My apologies. I forgot how outdated your old armor was.”

“General Zan was supposed to get us new armor, but never did. Now we know why.”I looked around. “Where is our hostess?”

“Good questions.” Derek did a long-range scan. “Unbelievable. The Katanic home world is nothing but jungle and filled with the deadliest predators found in the galaxy.”

“They do like to hunt.” I stepped over to examine a cabbage-like flower and my boots sank ankle-deep in soft, fecund mud. I quickly stepped back onto the circle of rock. “Any signs of cities?”

“The only sign of civilization is on three igneous basalt plateaus rising several thousand feet from the jungle floor. There appears to be some type of dwellings carved out of the rock, but they’re shielded.”

“What do the Katanics call their home world?”

“What Shall Remain Nameless,” Zosia answered. She was in her human form.

Call me snoopy. “Where is Qa’a?”

“Males are not allowed in the breeding sanctuary.”

“Not even the fathers?”Derek wanted to know.

Zosia’s snakes peered at him. “No. They tend to get violent when their females are in pain, and they kept trying to tell the Doula how to do her job. So they were banned.”

“That does narrows down our suspect pool. How many females normally stay at the sanctuary year around,”I asked.

“Arya, our head Doula, and eight others.”

Derek stomped on ared, long-legged spider.“Were you able to locate Arya?”

“No, but she has not left What Shall Remain Nameless.”

I gestured at the rainforest. “Could Arya survive in the jungle?”

“Not for long. She is not an experienced hunter.”

“Someone is helping her,”Derek said grimly.

“Yes. Qa’a believes it is Opve who wishes to be Supreme Leader, but he is not strong enough to defeat even you, War Commander,”Zosia replied.

I heard Derek’s huff of amusement in my head. I didn’t think she meant to insult him, but it was a backhanded compliment.

“Opve is a cunning trickster and Arya will do anything to become Empress.”

“And that’s how Mallox got his foot in the door.”I ducked a flying snake.

Zosia nodded.“Follow me.”

I gaped as she disappeared into a tree.

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