“And your battle armor.”
My internal radar screamed a warning. I ran out the door and scanned the area.
Jake followed me. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s intent on murder. My gaze locked on a Coletti warrior walking down the corridor. I’d seen the same muddy aura on a homicide suspect. “Him.” I hit him with my freeze ray.
The warrior’s eyes bulged in shock as he struggled to move.
Jake shot me a startled glance. “I don’t sense anything. Are you sure?”
“Yes, and he has friends,” I warned.
An instant later another warrior wearing red coveralls, appeared with a sword in one hand. He swung at Jake.
Jake dodged the blow, pulled his sword and with a deadly upward arc, beheaded the warrior.
The head rolled to a stop at my feet. Ugh. “That’s gotta be the shortest sword fight in history.”
“I am a warlord.” Jake scanned both warriors. “They don’t belong on this ship.”
“Today. You. All. Die,” the immobilized warrior mumbled.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” I jabbed my stun gun into his back and triggered it. He did a nice face plant on the floor. “You’re piss-poor warriors.” I handcuffed him.
Tremendous power filled the corridor as Zarek and the General teleported in.
“Do you sense any more threats?” Zarek demanded.
I quickly scanned the ship. “There’s another one in engineering.”
Zarek grabbed me and poof! We were in the engine room. “Who?”
I pointed to a little dude with an odd-looking device in his hand. “Him.”
The dude laughed. “You can’t stop me. Your psychic powers are useless. We’re taking back our world.”
General Jones and Jake appeared behind the little dude.
“Freeze him,” Jake barked.
I obeyed him.
The little dude’s eyes rolled wildly.
The General hurried over to the little terrorist and carefully removed the device from his hand. “He rigged the warp drive to explode.”
I wiggled in Zarek’s hold. Being this up close and personal with the Overlord was freaking me out. His body thrummed with power.”
Zarek slanted me an amused look and released me.
I pulled my stun gun. “Want me to zap him?”
“That will not be necessary.” Zarek tapped his warrior’s bracelet. “His ring is a cleverly disguised energy nullifying field generator.”
Frowning, I linked with Jake. “What does an energy nullifying field generator do?”
“It keeps us from using our psychic abilities,” Jake answered.
“Huh? It didn’t work on me.”
“Your shaman powers must cancel out its effects,” Zarek said and removed the little dude’s ring. “Hopefully, it’s something Elder Tsosie and you can teach us.”
Relief flooded me. I knew in that moment Zarek wouldn’t harm my father.
“Neither of you were ever in any danger of being harmed. You and your father are part of the Coletti family now. We take care of our own,” Zarek stated.
Alarm flared to life. “But, we’re not Coletti.”
“You soon will be,” Zarek replied and vanished.
A squawk of horror broke from me. “No!”
“It’s time you explained the facts of life to her, Jake.” General Jones picked up the little dude and teleported.
I stomped over to Jake. “You bastard! Your blood did change me.”
“It makes you stronger, harder to kill, and if you’re injured, you’ll heal faster.”
Little bolts of lightning crackled around me. “Does it make me your unwilling mate?”
“It makes you my partner,” Jake responded cautiously.
I bared my teeth in a snarl. “With benefits?”
“Maybe. Down the road. We’ll see how it goes.”
“Touch me and I’ll fry your ass.”
Jake held up his hands. “I think you need some chocolate.”
“Arrrgh! You’re such a jackass.” A tiny lightning bolt zapped his boot.
“Yeow!” Jake jumped back. “The only way we catch the murderer is by working together, or had you forgotten that?”
“It’s the only reason I haven’t incinerated you.”
Father’s voice echoed in my head. “Do not allow your anger to control you.”
I closed my eyes and fought for control. Whether I liked it or not, Jake was now a permanent part of my life and being a raging bitch wasn’t going to help matters. I’d make nice until I figured out a way to stop the bonding process.
Jake let out a martyred sigh. “Still want that shower and some clean clothes?”
“I do, and chocolate would be nice too.”
“Would it now?” Jake eyed me warily and held out his hand. “Truce?”
“Truce.” I placed my hand on his callused palm.
Chapter Five
Poof! We were standing in a room with a large glass shower. Jake pointed to a black tunic, leggings and underwear on a narrow mental bench. “Those are for you to wear. When you’re done, holler and I’ll come get you.”
I nodded.
Jake teleported away.
I stripped down, stepped into the shower and fiddle with the controls.
“Blue to start. Red to stop. Yellow is air dry.” Jake advised.
“Thanks.” I unpinned my bun and allowed my long black hair to tumbled down my back. I tossed the pins in the corner. Hitting the blue button, I sighed in pleasure as jets of hot, pulsating water pounded my stiff muscles. I closed my eyes. It was better than a massage.
“Don’t fall asleep on me. We still have a lot to do.”
My eyes popped open. “Stay out of my head.”
“No can do. Only death can sever our mental link. I can sense when you’re happy, worried, or hurt,” Jake advised.
“That’s how you knew I had been shot.”
“It is. Get a move on it. We’re dining with Zarek and Uncle Saul.”
“Oh yay.” I hit the yellow button. Hell’s tornado spun around me. I let out a yelp and hit the red button. The hurricane of hot air stopped. “That’s one way to get dry.”
I stepped out of the shower and realized my uniform, weapons belt and boots were gone. “What did you do with my stuff?”
“Shrek collected them for safekeeping.”
“I’m never unarmed,” I grumbled.
“Along with the battle armor, you get a weapons upgrade.”
“I want my stun gun back.”
“I’ll retrieve it for you,” Jake promised.
I quickly dressed and to my surprise everything fit perfectly. Rats. My hair pins had vanished in the hurricane. “Got a rubber band or a hair clasp? I need to braid my hair.”
“I have something better.”
“Okay. Did Zarek find out who the three
