Page 83 of Courting Mayhem

“I’ll be damned. My sensors never picked up on the tunnel,” Derek walked through the tree.

A prickling sensation crawled over my skin as I trotted after him. A tunnel with sculpted arches stretched out in front of me. Floating globes of light lit our way. I gawked like an awe-struck tourist at the exquisite edifices etched into the walls. Carved rock grottoes displayed art from around the galaxy. This was one hell of a maternity ward.

Zosia showed us an empty birthing chamber. “Each chamber has a pool of seawater filled with hundreds of Kai fish. While in labor, the females lay on a bed of warm sand. When it’s time to expel the child, the females move into the pool. The fish provide nourishment for the mother and her baby.”

Derek surveyed the room.“There’s only one way in or out?”

“Yes. We thought our security systems were impenetrable. In all the millenniums, no one had breached the birthing sanctuary until a year ago. We added extra safety measures thinking it would keep our enemies from gaining entry. We were wrong,”Zosia replied sadly. “They used our own sleeping gas on us.”

It sounded like an inside job from the get-go. I was betting one of their midwives had an ax to grind. “How many pregnant females are you caring for now?”

“Three. Qa’a sent us two of his female enforcers to guard the breeders.”

“Can you show us the chamber you were taken from?”Derek asked.

“This way.”

We followed her down the tunnel.

I frowned as the passageway got darker and darker. What had happened to all the balls of light?

Two wraith-like creatures sprang out of the darkness.

“Stop!” Zosia commanded. “These are my investigators.”

“Show us their sect marks,”A whispery voice demanded.

Goddess, I hoped Derek’s illusion would pass their scrutiny. I retracted my armor and held out my arms.

Cold, clammy tentacles slid over my arms. “The marks are valid.”

The wraiths moved toward Derek.

“Wait! You cannot touch Derek. Females from her clan are considered unclean if they are touched before they’re mated.”

“No one can touch them?”

I didn’t like the suspicion in the enforcer’s voice.“Only their mothers are allowed.”

“Lower your armor female,” the enforcer instructed.

Derek retracted his armor and held out his arms.

I did a mental happy dance as the sect marks were clearly visible through the wicked witch illusion.

Zosia and the enforcers stared at him for a long moment.

An enforcer drifted around Derek. “All the females in her clan resemble this one?”

“Yes. The warts and hooked nose are a sign of great beauty in her culture,” Zosia said quickly.

Derek narrowed his eyes.“Warts?”

“You’re a dead ringer for the wicked witch from Snow White, except you’re wearing pasties on your rather large breasts and a G-string,”I answered on our private link.

The wicked witch bared her rotting teeth in a snarl. “Pasties?”

“Yep, you seem to like the costumes the pleasure house whores wear, so I dressed you in one.”

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