Page 65 of Stealing Jia

“Go.”

My arms full of kids, I stomped out. Men were thoughtless jerks.

Chirping loudly, Adoz streaked down the corridor.

It was a good thing Trayon had programmed the doors to admit him. A glittering blue light suddenly engulfed me and the kids. “Trayon!”

He linked with me.“Your tendency to be kidnapped is becoming tiresome.”

“Like it’s my fault?” If he had been standing next to me, I would have whacked him. My molecules abruptly stopped whizzing about. The light faded and we were standing on an ice-cold platform. I quickly checked the kids over. “Are you able to port us back to the ship, Chiara?”

“Yes, Mother Jia.”

“Get ready.”

“Hold,”Trayon interjected. “See what Lilkee wants.”

“Sure. Why not. Maybe we can exchange recipes too.” My gaze settled on the tall, stick thin Coletti female standing at the transporter controls. Her pointy metal hat, crimson breastplate and screaming red body suit were so bright they hurt my eyes. Her makeup made her look like a homicidal clown. Had she done that on purpose? Or was she a brick short of a full load?

“Give me the Shani,”Lilkee demanded imperiously.

“No.” I shifted Pepe and Cason to my left arm and plucked a thermite grenade off my weapons belt. “Your son Waewae has been captured. If you’re smart, you’ll surrender.”

“My son is too powerful to be captured by primitives like you.”

“Well, this primitive took him down and Zarek is tearing your son’s mind apart as we speak,”I replied.

Her tone one of icy contempt she snapped, “Zarek is not strong enough to break through my son’s mental shields.”

“Keep her talking. We can’t get a fix on you,”Trayon ordered.

“Yes, my lord.” I gave Lilkee an exaggerated eye roll.“I thought your makeup was a clever disguise, but you really are a clown. A very stupid one.”

Her mouth working like a stranded guppy’s, Lilkee gaped at me for a moment, then bawled, “I am the Empress of the Legionnaires and a Coletti princess. No one speaks to me in such a manner. Now bow down to me.”

“No.”I held up the grenade. “I’m giving you one last chance to surrender, or things are going to get messy.”

“You will regret your insolence. My mind is a thousand times stronger than yours. I will enjoy your screams as I destroy your feeble brain,” Lilkee snarled.

Pepe bared his fangs at her. “Me stronger than you.”

“Impossible!”Lilkee stomped her foot.

“He’s telling the truth. You’re a psychic dud,”I added scornfully.

She drew herself up proudly. “My powers exceed Zarek’s and soon all of you will be begging for mercy.”

A tickling sensation crawled over my shields and I grinned at her. “That’s all you’ve got?”

Lilkee blinked in disbelief. “Why aren’t you screaming?”

“It’s like this, princess. Neither you nor your son have any power. You’ll never be Zarek’s equal. Whoever told you that was lying to you. Big time.”

“Port,”Trayon ordered.

Lilkee pulled out a laser pistol.“Now you die.”

“Get us out of here Chiara.”I tossed Lilkee the grenade. “Catch.”

---