Page 100 of Centaur Bolt

“He’s—he never wanted revenge for what the underlords did?” Vali seemed almost confused.

Triss’s eyes flashed. “For many years, he did. It ate at him, and I think it still does. But Emmanuel convinced him that the best way to fight back, was to help those that fight against them. Which they did by creating armor and weapons.”

The Dragona shook her head. “He’s been here all along.”

The Centaurina nodded. “Our kind—we are not very fertile. Emmanuel and I couldn’t have children of our own. We gave him the name Marcus, and he is my son in every way that matters.” Her gaze narrowed. “But there are those who might still come after him if they knew he was alive. Your father is an underlord?”

Vali’s mouth spasmed. “My fatherwasan underlord. His life was based on greed and the eternal quest for power. And he died for it. As did most of my family.”

Kiko’s mouth opened and then closed again. Which mimicked my own, I was sure. Was Vali’s family’s death the reason for the sadness she always seemed to carry with her? Yet when she’d spoken of her father, the words had undercurrents of disgust. As if there was no love lost, there.

“I am sorry,” Triss offered into the silence.

Vali gave one sharp nod of her chin. “As am I.”

Triss’s stance had relaxed a little, but now she looked to Kiko and me. “It is important that Marcus’s secret stay a secret.”

When we both nodded, Triss spun with surprising grace for someone so large and headed into a smaller side room. A moment later, she re-emerged with a hairbrush. “Centaurs are always shedding.” She sketched a smile. “Doesn’t get more personal than hair.”

The brush contained Marcus’s distinctive, long strands—dark at the roots and shaded to gold at the tips. I pulled out a good sample. But the ring was far too large for even my thumb…

“Here.” Triss undid one of her chains and handed it to me. “Hang it from your neck. That will work.”

I took the chain, but before I could thread the ring on, Kiko said, “Give it to me.” She held out her hand. “And the hair.”

Kiko’s clever fingers quickly knotted them around the curve of the metal ring. She used one strand to tie it back over the hair, firmly binding it to the ring, and then handed it back to me. I slipped it onto the chain and placed it over my neck, tucking it beneath my tee shirt.

The ring hung heavy between my breasts. A reminder of the man who I intended to save.

I looked up into Triss’s eyes. “If I can save him, Triss, I will.” The words rang like a vow.

Her lips trembled. “I know,” she answered.

33

Riley

Triss saw us off at the colony gate.

“I can send you with a guide,” she offered, glancing at the sky. The sun had dropped low, but we still had plenty of time to return to the gate before dark.

“We’re good,” Kiko stated. “I know this place really well.”

The Centaurina didn’t look entirely convinced. “Just don’t linger at the market. The predators come out at night.”

“I’ll make sure we get back before dark,” Vali promised.

We left Triss standing at the gate and wound our way back into Richin and the market. Of course, Kiko being Kiko, she was already assessing timelines and possibilities. In that she perused every male we passed, as well as a few that I wasn’t sure qualified as male.

“Our cover story would be much more convincing if I wasn’t forced to jump the librarian as soon as we got back,” the Satyr stated, her gaze following a slim man that looked entirely too young.

When I said so, she snorted a laugh. “That was a Bimit. He’s an adult, but they just look childlike. Eternal youth is their thing. And he was at least a three.”

I hadn’t looked. Vali shook her head. “We don’t have time for you to feed.”

“We do,” protested Kiko. “And we should make the time. One look at me, and Cara will know I’m still ravenous.”

Ravenous seemed a strong word for someone who was having sex as often as her, but I wasn’t a Satyr. And Cara was an annoyingly intuitive person. Kiko might be right.

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