Page 3 of Pact with the Alien Devil

“We had arranged to purchase them through other channels.” Korvan’s gaze dropped to the package again. “Then someone decided to cut us out of the deal.”

“Well, that someone wasn’t me.” I held out the package. “Here. Take it. I want nothing to do with this.”

He reached for it, his gray fingers nearly brushing mine when a flash of movement caught my eye.

Miggs, darting back through a side door, pistol raised.

“Watch out!” I shoved Korvan aside as plasma fire scorched the air where he’d been standing. The package tumbled from my grasp as I dove behind the bar.

More shots rang out. Glass shattered. Someone screamed.

I drew my blaster, risking a glance over the bar top.

Miggs was fleeing again, this time with the package tucked under his arm. The Vinduthi soldiers had taken cover, returning fire, as patrons scattered.

Korvan, however, moved with astonishing speed. He vaulted over an upturned table and tackled Miggs to the ground. The package skidded across the floor, coming to rest near me.

I grabbed it and considered my options.

I could run. In the chaos, I might make it back to theStarfallbefore they caught me. But then what? The Vinduthi never stopped hunting their prey.

Or I could turn the package over to Korvan and hope he was feeling generous enough to let me live.

Neither option appealed.

A third choice presented itself as I spotted the service entrance behind the bar. Unlike the main exits, which would be the first places the Vinduthi would watch, the maintenance tunnels beyond were a maze known only to station workers and smugglers who'd paid good money for that knowledge. If I could lose myself in the station's infrastructure, I'd have access to docking bays they wouldn't think to monitor.

“Don’t even think about it.”

I turned to find Korvan standing behind me, having circled around during my deliberation. His eyes bore into mine, and something in my chest fluttered—fear, I told myself.

“The package,” he held out his hand. “Now.”

I clutched it tighter. “And then what? You kill me for knowing too much?”

“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be talking.” His gaze swept over me, assessing. “You have skills we could use. Your reputation precedes you—the smuggler who can slip past any security system.”

“That’s just a rumor.”

“Is it?” He stepped closer, and I backed against the bar. The warmth radiating from his body was unlike anything I’d felt from a human.

“The Caraxis Blockade had triple-layered scanners. Yet you passed through undetected with a hold full of contraband.”

I fought, and lost, the war against the snark. “Lucky day.”

“Skill,” he corrected. “The kind the Fangs value.”

Somewhere in the bar, Miggs groaned. I realized Korvan’s soldiers had him pinned to the floor.

“What are you suggesting?” I asked, my fingers tightening around the package.

“A deal.” Korvan’s voice dropped lower, meant only for my ears. “Work for me. One month of service in exchange for your life.”

I laughed. “That’s not much of a choice.”

“It’s the only one you have.” His gaze bored through me, and something passed between us—a current of understanding, or maybe just the recognition of two predators sizing each other up.

“You’re resourceful, Iria Jann. Prove your worth, and you may find the Fangs to be generous allies.”

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