Page 104 of Sky Song
Cricket worried about the same thing. “What are we going to do?”
Paloma shrugged. “There’s only one thing we can do, short of killing Sulys and dumping his body in the lake.” Seeing Cricket’s stricken expression, Paloma sighed. “Since when did you stop getting jokes?”
“Since you all started kidding about killing others like it’s the most hilarious thing. Ha-ha.” She threw her hands up.
“Take it easy. No more dark humor around Miss Joyless Scaredy Cat.”
“I’m not joyless,” Cricket mumbled.
“Whatever. But Lyle and Ren - they can’t come here anymore. It’s too risky.”
Cricket agreed. She didn’t like it, but she also knew Paloma was right. They couldn’t afford detection.
“Hey, there’s something else I wanted to tell you,” Paloma called out when Cricket turned to go. “It’s been on my mind ever since you mentioned it, and I finally looked it up.”
Slowly, she turned back to Paloma. “You looked what up?”
“That medicine you said Lyle was on?”
“What about it?”
Paloma’s eyes were bottomless. “Cricket, did you know that detrozanine was used in some alien prisons to keep violent inmates docile?”
Cricket held her breath, unsure how much she should share with Paloma. “Prisons?”
“Yes. I’m not lying, I can show you my research. Many years ago, it was popular in military and law enforcement circles to achieve obedience and control in males who were hard to manage. The side effects, though, are… hard to overcome. Even the hardy species like Rix can’t tolerate it long-term.”
“What happens to them, exactly?”
“I’m not a medic,” Paloma replied with irritation. “Damage to the nervous system? Changes to their body chemistry? Bad stuff.”
Cricket felt tight and shivery inside. “Can they die from it?”
“Absolutely. Otherwise, why is it banned? But that isn't my point.” Paloma came over and took Cricket’s hands in hers. “If your Lyle isn’t lying, and if detrozanine is what he’s really on, then he’s been a really, really bad boy.”
Cricket took a deep unsteady breath. “Lyle isn’t dangerous,” she said with a quiet but utterly false conviction. “If nothing else, the drug made him so.”
And that was exactly the point.
But what Paloma said about the effects of the banned drug filled her with cold fear.
Chapter 13
“I have all the time in the world today, thanks to Dr. Ragberg. What are we up to this morning? Breaking into a supply room? Hijacking a rider? Picking a fight with a demonic-looking red-skinned jock with muscles sprouting out of his brain?”
“Remember, sky song, big muscles don’t always equal bravery or strength.”
“No, but I bet they help.”
He smiled, showing off his amber teeth with a gap in the front. “Sometimes.”
As before, he’d come in during the night, and was there when she awoke. Her basic door lock seemed to present no obstacle to him whatsoever.
He stretched, a delicious sight. His long arms reached all the way to her standard-height ceiling, the fingers with claw-tipped blue nails grazing the pale-peach surface gently. To think of it, she hated the ceiling’s overly sweet color. She loved the sight of his thick inner arms.
“Let’s take a walk in the park,” he said.
She blinked at him, coming out of the thrall of observing his body. “What?”
