It’s hard to read emotions on a Toad’s face, but I’m looking at Meelon with a complete focus, aided by the Bond. His lip quivers, and he draws back. “A bluff! You have nothing, Aurelian.”
“Hardly, frogspawn,” scoffs Aelon. “I’ve got twenty-six Orbs loaded up in the Reaver behind me – yeah, the one that’s outside range of your weapons. You can take those Orbs and leave – or you can see if I’ve got reinforcements lurking behind that moon, ready to trap you.”
Meelon says nothing, peering suspiciously through the projection.
Aelon smirks, and I see now why the persona he’d adopted as the infuriatingly cocky captain has served him so well. He’s implacable – the ultimate poker face.
“Your choice, frogspawn. If you want a fight, I’m not about to refuse you - but I’m hardly going to endanger The Instigator when we could solve this with a fair bargain. You shouldn’t risk your life – because, believe me, I’ll come after you personally if you do.”
Meelon’s huge tongue slips out of his mouth, lapping over his lips. My stomach lurches.
Finally, the Toad gurgles:
“Fool! You have already given me everything that I desire. I can have my assault ships pick up that Reaver in moments.”
“You send ships out before we make a deal,” Aelon warns, “and the Reaver Orb-Shifts out. You’ll get nothing – except an ugly death.”
Meelon smiles. A hideous sight. I can see deep into his maw, and I have to look away before my stomach churns. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to see the inside of that huge mouth before he bit my head off.
…and that’s what I’ve heard they do – that the worst of the Toads eat humans alive.
Meelon snorts: “My jammer technology is strong, foolish Aurelian. That Reaver cannot shift.”
“No, it can’t – but it doesn’t need to. It’s far enough away already that you’ll have no ship that can outpace it. At my signal, that Reacher will hightail it out of here until they have enough distance to shift out.”
“An Aurelian fleeing from combat? Hah! Your species is too proud to run. I’d believe that as soon as I’d believe a bloodthirsty killer like you would make deal.”
Meelon’s jowls jiggle disgustingly.
“I know your reputation, Aelon the Merciless. You killed my brother twenty years ago!”
Fuck.
My heart sinks. I’m suddenly nauseous, and I have to stop myself from throwing up. I force the bile back down, but it swirls in my stomach, eager to rise again.
Only the steadiness of the faint auras of my triad calms me. With the comms-link restored to basic power, so too has the Bond disrupting device been cranked off a notch.
The emotions of Aelon and his battle-brothers hasn’t changed with the devastating news. Its as if they know something I don’t.
Aelon snorts: “I’ve killed a lot of Toads, frogspawn. If your brother attacked me, then I put him down with good reason.”
The Toad laughs at Aelon’s audaciousness. His huge belly rolls with his gasping mirth. “You did Meelon a favor. He stole a great deal from me.”
My nausea fades. I suddenly sense that this was all a game. Meelon wants to take the deal. I can feel it deeply. Despite the bluster he’s scared that ‘Aelon the Merciless’ has called in more forces, and he doesn’t want a fight.
But he doesn’t trust Aelon, either – and not without good reason. He knows my Aurelian’s reputation for violence.
Aelon doesn’t budge. He simply sits and waits, saying nothing – letting his offer sink in.
Eventually, Meelon takes the bait.
“Tell me, Aurelian,” he gurgles. “Why do you go from killer to negotiator? The brave Aelon the Merciless would never shy away from a fight – not even a suicidal one.”
The Toad spits the word brave like it’s a curse. Their species is greedy and fearful, a mixture that leads to a vicious cunning. Aelon cocks his head to me. I don’t need him to telepath anything to know what I have to do. I can just feel it.
I step forward, into the Toads view. His head shifts towards me instantly, and I feel his beady eyes staring at me.
“Who is this!”
“My Fated Mate,” Aelon replies. “If you’d come hunting me a week ago, you’d already be dead, frogspawn. Fortunately for you, now I have more to live for than vengeance. I’m giving you one chance – take the deal, or don’t. It’s your choice: Riches, or violence. I’m equally well-versed in providing both.”
The Toad licks his lips as he stares at me. I wish I’d had time to change into something less revealing than this thin slip of a dress. The material barely hides my body – and I hate that this disgusting creature can see me so revealed.
The Toad’s gaze is slimy, and I can almost feel the wetness emanating from him. I know he’d want to use that huge tongue on my body if he had the chance.
“All twenty-six Orbs? Just like that? You’d give up the entire shipment of Orbs rather than fight?”
Orbs grow in power exponentially with size, and the ones we’re offering him are larger than the ones that power a Reaver. It’s a huge haul, and I know this slimy bastard can’t wait to get his warty hands on them.
“All twenty-six,” Aelon nods. “I’m out, frogspawn. I’m retiring.” Then, that smile widens. “You a gambling man, Meelon?”
“I’ll take a winning gamble.”
“Well then, it’s your lucky day. If I hadn’t met my Fated Mate, you’d already be dead. Instead, you’re already rich – if you choose to be.”
Aelon cocks his head to me, and I step out of the Toad’s view. I instantly feel safer, but I still step closer to the reassuring bulk of Vinicus, wanting to feel his proximity. He can’t protect me against the overwhelming firepower of that Toad mothership, but the illusion
