Criass hissed and shoved her at the plate.She sucked in a sharp breath and stepped onto it.A beam scanned her, pausing across her pelvis, breasts, and head.Not once did it linger on her feet.A man pressed a device to her neck, pinching her arm to hold her still.The spike of a needle made her wince.Her neck didn’t burn like he’d injected something into her.When he moved away, she glanced at him to confirm he’d taken a blood sample.
“We need a baseline,” he said, his voice soft.
She stiffened, shocked to find some kindness.But she didn’t thank him, when doing so might get him into trouble.Nice Guy slunk away to insert the blood-filled vial into a machine squatting on the counter.
Criass rattled off in a language she didn’t understand, prodding her waist in the process.She could guess she was fatter than he’d expected, and sure, she had added on a few pounds since moving to Demeter.But the idiot didn’t know that a single pound on a five-foot-four woman looked like five.She harrumphed, folding her arms across her chest.The glower she leveled on him had no impact.He tapped away on his tablet with far too much enthusiasm.The man derived joy from torture.She raised her gaze to the tiled ceiling.Lord, please, if You’re listening.Give this man a heart.Let him sob into his beer, or whatever the hell yellow aliens drink.
“Excellent.”He chortled.“Climb onto the table.”
She shoved out her chin in defiance, not once glancing at the straps.
“You either get on by yourself, or I have someone do it for you.”He gripped his tablet to his chest.His black eyes twinkled like tourmaline.The realization that he hoped she’d resist energized her.
“May I remove my boots?”She didn’t wait for his answer and marched to a disused corner of the room.There she toed off her boots, bending to tuck the blade deep inside.
As short as she was, Nice Guy had to help her onto the table anyway.Gentle pulls stretched her limbs in place for him to fasten the straps on.She bit her inner cheek to silence the protests that jammed in her throat.Complaining would do nothing to help her escape.Spreading her legs when she wore no underwear inflamed her cheeks.She lay there, unable to move and vulnerable, but thankfully, the long, white robe covered her.
A ceiling tile above her head slid aside, revealing a gap to the floor above.An egg-shaped thing shot out on a hydraulic arm.It swooped down, flipped open to reveal a bright light, then ran over her from toes to head.She frowned.What was the point of two scans?Sure, standing on a plate might be like a scale, but what had the white beam done?The egg blinked, changing from white to ultraviolet.She shut her eyes just in case.Some stations had such mist sprays for sterilization, especially on those closest to mining colonies.
But when the warmth cooled, she peeked.The egg glowed red—infrared?She stiffened, so glad she’d removed her boots.The scan couldn’t penetrate metal, but a dark-shaped dagger might have shown.Into the silence, her stomach gurgled.
Nice-guy gasped and hovered his hand above her torso.
“That’s normal,” she said.“I’m hungry.”
“We are done,” Criass snapped, spinning on a heel to storm out of the room.“Test her blood,” he called.
“I am sorry, female.Food is not a priority.If you die, the Yithians will bring another.”Nice Guy’s lips curled down in what looked like distaste.His unibrow mirrored the movement.
“My name’s Wren,” she said, meeting his gaze, hoping a personal detail might gain her an ally.“What about water?”There’d been stories over the years of people living on nothing but water for twenty-four months.The sheer idea of it twisted her gut.
“I…” He glanced over his shoulder at the sealed door.“Let me see what I can do.”
“Thank you,” she said, a wealth of gratitude summoning the sting of tears.
Then he left her…lying there.
She gaped at the door.What the hell?
And worse, splayed out like a spatchcock chicken, her nose began to itch.
Chapter Seven
Cyloblinkedatthemessage from Malo.“Detour to Mascroba?When females are in danger, and we are this close?”
“What is it?”Olin asked, raising his gaze from the mini war table set to the side of the comm.
“We are to sneak into yet another facility and steal a Durn.”The insanity of the command irritated him.Cylo gritted his teeth, wishing he could decline the assignment.
“Should take an hour at the most.”Olin tapped the 3D holographic of Yithia and zoomed into the mother city.“Ah, Tias has shared the location.It is near the throne room.Slipping in undetected might be challenging.”
Intrigued despite his frustration, Cylo studied the model.“What if we came up from below?”He ran his finger along the path they should take.“That chasm runs deep, does it not?”
Olin hummed.“Indeed, if the kuta could make less noise.”
“Then let us travel deeper.”
“What?And have the Durn plummet to us?”Olin chuckled.“Endangering such a rarity would not be well accepted.”