Xandros was already through, and I heard him growl. I hurried in…
The cage was empty, and the key to the lock lay on the floor.
It wasn’t alone. Kurt lay there with the loose-limbed sprawl of someone dead. But when Xandros buried his fingers in the human’s shirt and lifted him off the ground, he groaned.
Semi-conscious, then. Soon to be dead, judging by the look on Xandros’s face. The Drake shook Kurt, hard. When his eyes blearily blinked open, Xandros pushed his face right into the human’s.
And unleashed the stare.
“What have you done?” he hissed.
The neck of the human’s shirt was tight around his throat, and there was the sudden, sharp scent of urine.
Not water. While the Drake stare had reduced me to dampness of another sort, Kurt simply peed himself.
I put a hand on Xandros’s arm—it was like touching steel.
“Put him down before you cut off his air completely,” I suggested.
Xandros snarled. “Ishouldcut it off completely.”
“Not until we know what’s going on.”
The Drake grunted, but he lowered Kurt to the floor. The human’s gaze rolled to me. “I did what needed to be done,” he muttered sullenly.
“Where is Senaik?” Xandros demanded.
Kurt glared at him. “I don’t know. He promised that he’d fix this. When I let him out, he clobbered me.” His voice rose in outrage.
“You fucking idiot!” I accused. I was so angry I could kill him myself.
Kurt’s face contorted. “You’re the one who farked this up. These Drakes are criminals, being taken to the Nirzks for trial.”
Xandros snarled. “Senaik told you that?”
“Yeah. He said he’d bring someone back to fix the ship. But when I let him out, he attacked me.”
I was so angry I shook. On the stupidity level, Kurt was king. I turned away from him, to the Drake. “What will Senaik do?”
“He will go to the Nirzks.” Xandros was breathing hard and his eyes were glowing sapphire. Kurt had backed a few steps away, finally sensing his life might actually be hanging in the balance. When theDrake struck like a snake and snagged Kurt’s shirt again, the human yelped and flailed.
Xandros tossed Kurt into the cage, rewound the chains, and snapped on the lock. I bent to retrieve the key off the floor.
“Hey! I’m not the farking criminal here,” Kurt protested.
“Did you tell Senaik where Zyair and Rhodes went?” Xandros’s voice had dropped.
“He needed to know.”
“How long?” Xandros snarled. “How long has Senaik been gone?”
Kurt frowned. “How would I know? He knocked me out. But I’m glad he’s gone to get help. You’recriminals.” He spat the last word.
“They aren’t criminals. But you truly are an idiot,” I snapped. “Senaik is in the wrong, here.”
“You would believe that. I know you screwed one of them.” His gaze moved to Xandros. “Did you screw him too? Didn’t know you had such a thing for animals.”
How did he know about Zyair? And Xandros? He was poking a hornet’s nest with a very big stick. Xandros grabbed the bars, his lips pulled back from sharp teeth.
