Page 9 of Courting Mayhem

Papi Sten plucked the knife out of my hand and smelled it. “It’s poisoned with Torpor venom. She must be an assassin working for the Shadow Thieves Guild. They offered five million credits to anyone who kills Mayhem and brings them her head.”

The Overlord frowned. “Torpor venom can be fatal. Tilt her head back Derek.”

“Wait! Someone needs to go after the princess,” I gasped.

“The assassin has been dealt with.” Derek wrapped a big arm around me and angled my head back against his chest.

Biting his wrist, Zarek forced my mouth open, and his warm, coppery blood ran into my mouth. “Swallow.”

I swallowed and swallowed and swallowed. I tried to pull free of Derek’s grip, but he was too damn strong.

“More,” Zarek commanded.

I drank and drank. Just when I thought I would puke it all back up, he released me. “That should counteract the poison.”

Warmth seeped into my stomach and began to spread throughout my body, easing my dizziness and the stabbing pain in my shoulder. The rumors were true. Their blood did have healing qualities.

Zarek licked his wound and the bleeding stopped. “Take Mayhem back to my ship and have Shrek check her over.”

“Yes, my lord.” Derek tightened his grip and poof. There was a flash of black and we appeared in a sick bay. I looked around the spotless room. Six top-of-the-line regen tubes lined the back wall. There were four examining tables with all sorts of gadgets to ensure a sterile operating field and enhanced diagnostics.

A soothing voice asked, “How may I assist you?”

“Mayhem was stabbed with a knife coated in Torpor venom. Zarek gave her some of his blood to counteract it.” Derek placed me on an examining table.

The medic walked over to us, and my jaw dropped. He had green skin, tubular ears, and exotic features. He looked like the ogre in my favorite vid. Except he was a lot smaller. “Your name is Shrek?”

“It is.” Shrek ran a medical scanner over me. “There are still traces of the poison in your mate’s blood.” He pressed an injector again my neck and triggered it. “This will neutralize it.”

“Ouch!” I glared at Shrek. “He’snotmy mate.”

“Thank the Lord,” Derek said.

Shrek gave a slight bow. “My pardon. I need you to remove your shirt Mayhem.”

“Why?”

“I need to close your wounds.”

Ballock’s balls. Since I was braless that wasn’t going to happen. “It’s not necessary. I have accelerated healing and what’s another scar or two,” I replied and slid off the table.

Derek seized a handful of my shirt and yanked me back. “Are you always this obstinate? Get on the fucking table.”

I kicked Derek’s feet out from under him and smiled as he hit the floor hard. “Don’t touch me, old man. Ever.”

He vaulted to his feet. “You little brat.”

I dropped into a combat stance. “Bring it.”

Shrek jabbed me in the neck with a pressure injector.

“Hey! What…?” My legs buckled and I crumpled to the floor. Fuck! I couldn’t move.

“I have given you a tranquilizer. You seem to be overwrought.” Shrek picked me up and placed me on the examining table. “You know fighting is prohibited in my sick bay, Derek.”

“I apologize. The little she-demon brings out the worst in me.”

“I can see that.” Shrek quickly cut my shirt away. “But the child was only trying to protect her modesty.”

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