Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

“I’d prefer a business card,” said Eridani. “Step. Back.”

Rigel cleared his throat. “Sure, whatever.” He took a step back. “Look, I don’t have any business cards on me right now, but I’ve got tons of business cards up in my apartment. It overlooks Paradise Jetty, by the way. If you follow me there, I could give you a lot more than my business card.”

A few in his group hooted and whistled.

“Why don’t you go back to your apartment and get what I asked for,” said Eridani, and she held his gaze.

Rigel looked away. “Uh, maybe we can do this some other time. Actually, I just remembered—I ran out of business cards.”

“How unfortunate,” said Eridani. “Perhaps you can come find me when you have some more.” She leaned forward. “Or not?”

“Or not,” he said, and he retreated.

Eleski and Eridani roared and stomped, and the group of freebooters scattered.

Eridani sighed and plopped down on the crates. “You two could’ve been more helpful.”

“You did not require our assistance,” said Katsinki.

At that moment, Gretchen emerged from Rumsey Cove. She talked and laughed with three others as they followed her out. “I can’t believe you called his bluff,” she said. “What did he say?”

“Nothing,” said Roscoe Sweet, an older man with tan skin. He wore an armored uniform with a Kevlar pauldron. A holstered blaster pistol and a sheathed knife hung from his utility belt. “He just pointed to the counter and blinked up a storm.”

“You got brass ones, man. I’ll give you that.” Gretchen pointed at her comrades. “Those are the bodyguards, and that’s the Jo.”

Roscoe’s smile faded somewhat. “All right, then.” As he approached, Eleski and Katsinki rose to their full height, and they growled. “Easy now. I don’t bite.” He looked at Eridani. “You’re the Jo?”

“I am,” said Eridani.

“I’m Roscoe Sweet, and these are my nephews.” He indicated a young man with a ruddy complexion, and another with pale skin. “That’s TJ Sweet, and that’s Ramsey Reese.”

“We’re Roscoe’s Reavers,” said TJ.

“Gretchen tells us you’ve got something fun in the works,” said Roscoe. “If she’s right about what you’re paying, we’re very interested in signing up.”

“If Gretchen vouches for you, then I would welcome you to my crew,” said Eridani. “The lockbox, please.” Eleski passed it her way, and Eridani used her gene key to open it. She counted out half the credit fobs, closed and sealed the lid. She faced Roscoe and offered her upturned hand. “My terms.”

Roscoe dug into one of his belt pouches and produced a small, transparent cube. He moved it over Eridani’s wrist, and a contract faded into visibility above it. Line-by-line, he reviewed the offer. When he had finished, he stepped away to huddle with TJ and Ramsey.

Eridani clasped her arms behind her back.

Soon, Roscoe returned with a smile on his face. “We’ve had a chance to review your terms.” He lobbed his cube and caught it. “We’re in!”

◆◆◆

Gretchen led the team back toward the shuttle dock. They paused in front of the saloon where the heavyset man had tripped Eridani previously. Colorfully painted sea creatures covered the edges of a half-moon signboard that displayed, “The Gilded Reef.” Folding chalkboard stands—set on either side of the entrance—advertised the specials of the day.

“It’s customary for the people involved to toast a new contract,” said Gretchen. She glanced at Eleski and Katsinki. “Towing around a pair of cullthoun matriarchs is going to make that a little tricky, though. Captain, you want me to field this, or would you rather do it?”

Eleski rested her large tentacle upon Eridani’s exposed shoulders, and the contact caused Eridani’s skin to crawl. “What are you doing?” asked Eridani, and she shied away. “Roscoe, TJ, Ramsey—I’m sure there’s a corner somewhere in there that’s dark enough to raise a drink.”

Undeterred, Eleski made contact again. Eridani, wait.

“If you think it’s best, Captain,” said Gretchen.

Something is wrong with Gretchen, thought Eleski, her voice reaching Eridani’s audio nerve as if she were speaking in a whisper.

How are you talking to me? thought Eridani.

I expect you are asking me how I can communicate in this manner, but I insist on explaining later, said Eleski. For now, you must allow Gretchen to accompany our mercenaries inside. You must remain out here with us. It is imperative I speak to you apart from them.

All right, thought Eridani. She smiled politely at Gretchen. “On second thought, it might be best if I remain out here with my bodyguards. The three of us have already been seen together, and I think it would be wise to maintain consistency.”

“You sure?” asked Gretchen.

“I’m sure,” said Eridani. She walked over to an old wooden bench and sat down. Eleski and Katsinki moved to stand on either side of her.

“Thanks, Captain,” said Gretchen. She joined Roscoe and his nephews as they entered the saloon.

Eridani fixed her gaze on Eleski. “What’s up?”

“Gretchen’s convergences have been jumbled, and several of them have been truncated,” said Eleski. “It appears she no longer recognizes either me or my brother for what we truly are. Although she retains memories of Katsinki and I in our human guises, she believes we are human. As to these forms, she believes they are what they appear to be.”

“Maybe it’s a skin thief,” said Eridani.

“She is not,” said Eleski. “My people are capable of many things, but we cannot absorb memories. You will ask me if they have been implanted. They have not been.”

“How can you be sure?”

Eleski’s tentacles gently writhed. “I can just tell. You must trust me.”

“I trust you,” said Eridani. “I’d like know how I heard you in my mind—although I don’t think you could hear me in return.”

“It is simple enough to transmit an electrical signal directly to your audio nerve,” said Katsinki. “We need only to contact your skin directly.”

“As you are not telepathic, you were unable to respond to me using thought alone,” said Eleski. “However, had you responded by thinking with the speech centers of your brain, I would have been able to hear your replies.”

“Interesting,” said Eridani. “That