CHAPTERONE
IGID
* * *
I’m deep inside the guts of theShadewhen I get the comm from Rovos to come to the compound for a meeting.
Wiping my hands on a rag, I make my way to where the crew is already gathered around the bar in the kitchen. With a nod to Anna, I slide onto the stool beside her, then tip my head to the rest of my crew and their mates. Bela slides a glass of my favorite drink,Todella-Vahva,down the bar to me, and I salute her with it before tipping it back and draining it in a single shot.
“I want to finalize the plan to go to the auction house. I’m just waiting—” Rovos swings his head to the side. “Oh good, we’re all here now.”
I turn in my seat to see Brox striding toward us. His eyes land on mine, and his lips curl up at the corners as he tosses his dark hair over his shoulder.
“Nice of you to join us, Fabio,” Anna snorts, and Bela bursts into a peal of giggles as Brox takes the seat across from me.
Great, now I’m stuck looking at his smug face for the rest of this meeting. Which isbad, I remind my rapidly increasing pulse.
“All right,” Rovos begins. “I know I don’t need to tell you that time is critical if we have any hope of finding the stolen women.” His gaze lands on me. “Igid, how soon can you and theShadebe ready?”
“We can be ready by tomorrow,” I say, sitting up straighter.
“Good.” Rovos turns his attention to the seat across from me. “You and Brox will be tasked with going to the auction house and finding out what you can about the buyers.”
“What?” I jump to my feet, practically tipping my stool over because I couldn’t have heard him right. “But he’s—he’s just a pup!”
I don’t miss the way Brox’s cocky grin falters, and instead I force myself to ignore the way it makes my stomach twinge. He’s young, but he’s not exactly a pup. Not to mention that he has already proven himself to be a worthy pilot and an asset to our crew when he helped us rescue Treto from Volethos.
“You two are the only choices we have,” Rovos reminds me. He doesn’t need to addsince we lost Sone.
Gnashing my teeth together, I look down the bar at the rest of my crew. Anna, Rovos, Bela, and Treto look back at me. Their faces are drawn and serious.
Slowly, I sit back down.
Treto and Bela are newly mated and still recovering from everything they went through to get that way. And Rovos and Anna have their hands full with helping Deja and Xan turn the compound on Pamia into our new home base. So, logically, that leaves this mission up to Brox and me.
“Fine. We’ll be ready by sundown tomorrow,” I promise. My eyes flick to Brox to find his smirk firmly back in place.
“Any questions?” Rovos asks.
“Just one.” Brox’s thick brows knit tightly over his eyes. “What is aFabio?”
Anna and Bela burst into laughter. The sound is infectious, and soon all of us are giggling along with them.
CHAPTERTWO
IGID
* * *
I’m loading up the ingredients for thereplicatorwhen the sound of stomping feet comes up behind me. Jerking my chin over my shoulder, I watch as Anna storms into the galley, only to come to a sudden stop.
“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be in here.”
Lifting an eyebrow, I wonder if she meansherein the galley orhereon theShadeas I wait for her to explain. Because she will. Anna isn’t the type to leave anyone guessing.Oversharing, I think she calls it.
With a loud huff, she crosses the room and throws open one of the cabinets. “Damn. I thought you always kept a bottle of that noxious whiskey hidden in here?”
My other eyebrow rises with the first. “Since when do you drinkTodella-Vahva?”
