by Gail Koger
That was fast.
“Geepa. Geepa.” Cason held up his arms.
Pepe danced around his boots. “Geepa.”
Trayon rolled his eyes and picked them up.
“Geep.” Adoz chirped as he landed on his shoulder.
With a sigh, Trayon asked, “What have you discovered?”
Since Chiara was still shaking badly, I quickly filled him in.
His tentacles stood out from his head as he studied the vid. “They must have harvested Epsilon’s algae and genetically altered it.”
“Which is Giovanni’s specialty,” I added.
Trayon’s lips drew back in a feral snarl. “He has much to answer for. Were you able to get a look at the Rodan scientist, Chiara?”
“My cage was near the viewscreen. I will never forget the expression of avarice on his face when he saw us.”
I flashed her a picture of the Rodan I had seen injecting Adam. “Is that the Rodan scientist you saw?”
“Yes, and there was a human with strange white hair on another viewscreen.”
“Now we have solid proof Giovanni is a fucking traitor.” I didn’t like the raw note of pain in my voice. Taking a deep breath, I asked, “Did they discuss what they were hoping to accomplish with this hybrid Eugleanophyta?”
“According to the scientist, the drug would turn their prey into mindless puppets which they could easily herd onto their slaughter ships,” Chiara replied. “They are angry Zarek and his allies wiped out the Tai-Kok and destroyed all their bases.”
“The Rodan Emperor’s treaty with the Tai-Kok cost them over ten million soldiers and four thousand ships,” Trayon inserted.
I smiled gleefully. “Aw and they just lost seven more.”
“The Rodan commander also complained they had to buy more and more inferior food from Threll. What happens when they learn the Yagga’s base has been destroyed? Will they attack my home again?” Chiara asked.
Trayon rubbed her head soothingly. “Zarek contacted your Queen Mother and she is allowing his warbirds to patrol your planetary system.”
“Does the Queen Mother know I am safe?”
“I am not sure Zarek told her you had been rescued, but I will check for you.”
“Thank you and could you find out if the Overlord received word about my mother?” The anxiety in Chiara’s voice was heartbreaking.
“I will ask him at the war council.”
I perked up. “War council?”
“Females are not allowed to attend,” Trayon stated.
“And why not?”
“Over a thousand years ago, a female who attended a war council started a conflict between two clans that lasted eight hundred years. They have been banned since.”
“Like it was her fault? The idiot males were the ones suffering from testosterone poisoning not her.”
Fixing a stern frown on his face, Trayon stated, “A valid point, but you cannot attend.”
“Fine but answer me one question.”
“If I can.”
“Why don’t the Rodan raise cattle and chickens like humans do?”
“Their warrior’s code does not allow them to farm,” Trayon answered.
“But slaughtering people is okay?”
“According to their God, other lifeforms are inferior and only suitable for eating,” Trayon said.
“Why didn’t they eat the Tai-Kok then?”
“A discussion for another time.” Trayon put Pepe and Cason in the crib. “The children should not see this.”
“Me not child,” Pepe protested.
I borrowed Trayon’s stern expression. “Maybe not, but you don’t need to see more bad things.”
Pepe’s tail drooped. “Me watch many die.”
“I promise you Giovanni will pay for what he did to you and the others,” I assured him.
“Ax.” Cason hugged Pepe.
Aw. They were best buddies already.
Chiara wrapped around my arm. “I will stay.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am.”
I exchanged concerned glances with Trayon.
With a grimaced he tapped the command console. “We received this intelligence vid from Admiral Zan, our liaison with the Alliance.”
My jaw dropped as I watch four females with pointy elf ears and silver hair attacking each other like rabid wolves. “I thought Farin females were delicate and timid.”
“Most are. The Rodan used them as test subjects. Their new mind control drug had some unexpected side effects.”
I winced as the violence escalated and quickly covered Chiara’s eyes. “I’ll say. That’s about as far away from mindless puppets as you can get.”
“The blood tests the Alliance ran on their corpses showed the drug drove them into a psychotic rage. Even as they were dying, they continued to fight,” Trayon replied.
“If the Rodan ate the tainted flesh, would it not affect them equally?” Chiara wanted to know.
I chewed on my lower lip. “They’re either immune or they have the antidote.”
“I must inform my father.” Trayon typed a transmission code into the comm-link.
An elderly Askole in gold battle armor appeared on the viewscreen. His merciless gaze surveyed us. “Must all Jones females be so small?”
Trayon slid a finger along my tattoo. “Size doesn’t matter. Jia has the heart of a warrior.”
“For her bride price, I expect nothing less.”
From Sariel’s tone, he wasn’t happy with Trayon’s decision. I gave him the stink eye and grabbed Cason as he tried to climb out of the crib.
“That is the Rodan child you adopted?” Sariel studied Cason with something approaching abhorrence.
Okay, enough was enough. No one dissed my family. I caught Pepe as he leaped from the crib. “The child’s name is Cason and he’s not like the other Rodan. The Draconic is Adoz, Pepe’s a unique, one of a kind being, and the Shani is called Chiara. Without her help, I could have never blown up the Rodan ships.”
Cason reached for the screen. “Geepa. Wiggles.”
Sariel’s tentacles knotted.
“I have started Cason’s conversion. He is legally my son, High Commander. Jia was also responsible for the destruction of Threll,” Trayon said calmly.
The skeptical expression on my father-in-law’s face had me seeing red. I looked him square in the eye. “I’ll admit I didn’t do it alone. Loki and Ivan helped bring down the Yagga.”
“I have reviewed the vids. Your actions are those of a Jones female,” Sariel conceded.
I frowned. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
“Her father is Derek Jones,” Trayon added.
Sariel inclined his head. “A capable warrior.”
Before I said something I would regret, I nudged Trayon. “Tell him about the hybrid Eugleanophyta.”
Trayon transmitted the Alliance vid and gave Sariel a detailed account of what we had learned.
“I will inform Zarek.” The screen went black.
I blinked. That was a little abrupt. “I don’t think your father likes me.”
“He had picked out a suitable mate for me. All I needed to do was agree.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Wania’s only interest in me was my rank and possessions.”
“Having your own ship is pretty cool.”
“I own a fleet of merchant ships, several planets and a space station.”
A quick review of my new memories and my jaw dropped. He made Midas look like a pauper. “Oh. Wow. Keeping Cason in blood worms won’t be a problem.”
“It will not.” Trayon’s mouth covered mine in a long, voracious kiss. “Go change. You meet your father in an hour.”
My stomach clenched. “That soon, huh?”
“He will love you as I do.”
“You keep saying that, but I’m not so sure.”
Trayon caressed the side of my face. “You worry too much.”
“Or not enough.”
“Me have harness,” Pepe barked excitedly.
Cason clapped his hands. “Ax.”
Adoz let out a mournful chirp.
Trayon produced a copper band with clan marking on it and fastened it around Adoz’s neck. “You are now a member of my clan.”
Adoz preened.
“Aren’t you a handsome boy.” I stroked his head.
Adoz tweeted happily.
“Only the Queen Mother and honored warriors are allowed to wear jewelry,” Chiara said sadly.
“You are an honored warrior. Your actions saved us all,” Trayon said.
Chiara lifted her head proudly. “I am a warrior.”
“Yes, you are. Because of you, our family is safe and those Rodan monsters will never slaughter another soul.”
A shudder shook Chiara and she looked up at me solemnly. “I give you my oath that I will serve you and Father Trayon until the Rodan have been vanquished.”
“Oh, cara, you don’t have to do that. You should discuss it with your mother first.”
“If she still lives.”
“I accept your pledge,” Trayon replied formally.
The note of satisfaction in his voice had me worried. Zarek had been trying for years to capture a Shani. How would he feel about Chiara working for the Askole? On our private link, I warned Trayon, “Don’t forget she’s a kid and part of our family. She’s not a new weapon you can play with.”
“I will protect her with my life.” There was a gleam of amusement in Trayon’s eyes.
“You think this is funny?”
“I am one of the most feared warriors in the galaxy. No one would dare disobey my orders, but you. You defied me, challenged me to combat and would have given your life to protect the children. You are a fascinating female.”
“I knew I should have done my hysterical bimbo act,” I groused.
Trayon gave me his alarming grin. “It would not have worked. You escaped Zarek. A petka could not have accomplished that feat.”
“What can I say. I’ve had a lot of experience in evading the Polizia.” I turned my attention to kids. “Let’s see what kind of goodies Father Trayon brought you.”
“I expect you on the bridge in twenty minutes,” Trayon said and whoosh, he was gone. Along with Adoz.
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. Piece of cake. What could go wrong?”
The doors swished open and in crawled Bey with the evil twins. “You need to watch them. I am needed on the bridge.”
The kids jumped off his back and ran over to the food processor.
“No! No! No! You can’t leave them here. I have to be on the bridge in twenty minutes.”
Totally ignoring me, Bey skittered out the door.
“Hey! I’m meeting my father for the first time!” I ran after him. “Come back here you eight-legged freak!”
Bey gave me the Tabor version of the one finger salute.
I tackled him to the floor.
The crazy spider jumped up and I was suddenly riding him like a rodeo bronco. “Yee-haw!”
He tore up the wall. I lost my grip and crashed to the floor.
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
The ass had webbed me to the floor. “That was a mistake.”
Bey crawled on top of me and black fangs erupted through his fur. “You are a foolish petka.”
I froze when he nipped at my neck. “Foolish? Maybe. Helpless no.” I zapped him.
Bey convulsed, toppled off me and his legs curled into a ball.
Cazzo! Had I killed him? I struggled against the webbing. The nasty spider had done a thorough job of gluing me to the floor. “Trayon! I need a medic.”
“Who is injured?”
“I think I killed Bey.”
Whoosh! Trayon was standing over me. “What happened?”
“Ah. Well, we had a little disagreement. He webbed me. I zapped him and here we are.”
Soval zoomed up, took one look at Bey, and ran his scanner over him.
“Is he dead?” He sure looked dead.
“No, merely stunned,” Soval replied.
“Oh. That’s good.” Until he woke up. Then there would be hell to pay.
A loud crash sounded from inside. “I have a feeling the evil twins are into the blood worms again.”
“As do I. Do not go anywhere.” Trayon stepped into our quarters.
“Har. Har.” Who knew my big, bad had a sense of humor?
A tall, gray-haired human male in armor appeared in the hallway. His eyebrows rose when he spotted me. “You have to be Jia.”
“I am. Got a knife?”
He grinned and pulled a dagger. “I do.”
“Can you cut me free before the eight-legged freak wakes up?”
“I can.” His gaze roved over me like he was committing me to memory.
Once look into his goldish-green eyes and it just hit me. He was my father. I studied him eagerly. He wore his hair military style and was a total badass in his battle armor. Holy Mother! My dad had dimples just like me. He was everything I could have hoped for. “You’re…? Are you Derek Jones?”
“I am.”
“God, I can’t believe it. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time.”
“If I had known Viola was pregnant, I would have done everything I could to find you.”
The regret on my father’s face brought tears to my eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. My birth records were falsified, and I was placed in Saint Michael’s Home for Lost Sheep. An orphanage that catered to children with special talents.”
My father gently touched my cheek. “If Salvatore Genovese wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for what he did to you.”
“It’s okay, Dad. They taught me survival skills I needed when the Tai-Kok came.”
His face lit up. “Dad, huh?”
“Would you prefer father or pops or papa or pappy?”
Dad laughed. “Dad’s fine.”
Bey twitched.
“Merda! Cut me loose, Dad.”
Kneeling, he hacked at the sticky webbing. “Bey’s bad temper is legendary.”
“Color me surprised. Instead of a thank you for rescuing LeeLee and LooLoo, the jerk compared me to a frightened petka.”
“He did the same to Kaylee.”
“Seriously?”
Zarek teleported in and stared at Bey for a long moment. “I have been summoned to deal with the Tabor problem, but it seems you have it under control.”
Trayon bellowed his war cry.
“Or not.” As Zarek entered our quarters, a bowl of blood worms whizzed by his head.
An army of cleaning bots scurried down the corridor. “That’s not a good sign.”
Dad helped me up. “No, it isn’t. How about we catch up over some Merlot and chocolate cake?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Eleven
I felt an instant connection to my father. I glossed over my life as a thief, the horrors of the Tai-Kok invasion, Adam’s abduction and how I became Trayon’s mate. “Enough about me. How did you meet my mother?”
Dad grinned. “Viola picked my pocket.”
My mother had been a thief too? “Did you get your wallet back?”
“Darlin’, I’m a cop, what do you think?”
“I think she led you on a merry chase.”
“Yes, she did, but I caught her and found out the hard way she was highly skilled with a knife.” Dad tapped his side. “I still have the scar.”
“She stabbed you!”
“More like a deep cut. I’ve been in a few knife fights and I quickly disarmed her,” Dad replied.
“I bet that pissed her off.”
My father threw back his head and roared with laughter. “She turned into a wild cat; biting and clawing me. But she was a little thing like you, I pinned her down until she wore herself out.”
I gaped at him. “How in the world did yo
u end up in bed with a woman who tried to kill you?”
“Charm.” He winked at me.
“Charm?”
“Yes, ma’am. It works every time.” He smiled, revealing his dimples. “And I took her dancing.”
Holy Jesus! My father was a lady’s man. “That’s it?”
“No. She showed me Rome. We ate. We talked. We made love. It was the best week of my life.”
“Your affair only lasted a week?”
“A week from the day we met, Viola vanished. I scoured the city, but it was like she had never existed. I returned to the States and hired a private investigator to continue the search.”
“Did you go back to Rome?”
Dad’s mouth hardened into a grim line. “I hunted for Viola until the Tai-Kok came.”
“I wish you had found her.” I placed my hand over his.
His fingers curled around mine. “Me too.”
“Do I have any half-brothers or sisters?”
Dad’s eyes darkened with pain. “No. Voila was the love of my life. I never married.”
“Salvatore Genovese had ties to the Dragos clan. Viola might have been one of his thieves,” I said in a feeble attempt to solve the mystery of her disappearance.
“Which would explain how you ended up at Saint Michael’s Home for Lost Sheep.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Had my mother been fleeing Salvatore’s enforcers when the avalanche hit?
The mess hall doors swished open and Bey scurried in.
My alone time with Dad had just come to a screeching halt. Zzzzzt! A glowing green energy ball formed on my left palm. “Behave or I’ll put you to sleep again.”
He stopped. “I have come to apologize.”
“You have?” Consider me surprised.
“LeeLee and LooLoo are terrors. They get into everything. They throw tantrums. The only way to keep them out of mischief is to web them to the wall. I cannot get them to obey me, but they listen to you. I only wanted a little peace.”
“I feel your pain, but they’re babies who have been through a lot. We don’t know what they saw on Threll or how the Rodan treated them. You need to show the evil twins some love and then web them to the wall.” I patted the table. “Would a bowl of mealie worms help?”
Bey hopped up on the table. “It would.”
“I’ll get them,” Dad said and walked over to the food processor.
