“Are you saying that you all somehow played a form of matchmaker for me and Cheri?” I glanced from them to Cheri, then laughed. “Fuck, then we owe you one, don’t we?”

  The man simply waved his hand. “Following orders. And I could see how Cheri would be mad—steps were taken that caused her capture. But… all for the best, yes?”

  Cheri pursed her lips, rubbed her teddy bear, and nodded.

  “Good, then… Let us get down to business.” Brundal gestured to a table that he opened up to reveal some refreshments of assorted fruits and water. I was glad to partake. “You see, we’ve been expecting you, but didn’t know exactly when. Others have come, and we weren’t sure, and since the Rendrion wasn’t with them, we thought probably not. But this one chose you to prepare you for arrival.”

  “But Hadrian sent it, right? Or left it for us, I mean.”

  “Not exactly. Rendrion are ancient beings, from long before our time of colonizing these planets. I believe they have a connection to the universe on an ethereal level none of us can understand.”

  My gaze turned to meet that of Cheshire and I grimaced. “Guess we shouldn’t call you ‘Cheshire,’ then?”

  Cheshire looked at me, positive energy flowing my way to put me at ease. I supposed that was his way of saying it was okay.

  “I don’t understand,” I admitted. “All of this… I’m not following how it helps you.”

  “We serve the Rendrion, in a sense. And they work with Hadrian.” Brundal grinned, taking a big bite of a diamond-shaped fruit that oozed blue juice onto his lips. “Since he has told us this is the way, and the Rendrion agree. But there’s more than that—Hadrian believes you have the power, Ezra Faldron. In a way, you could say you’ve been chosen.”

  “Chosen to…?”

  “To destroy the evil that plagues Theramuse. The one the Cult of Hermite follows and hopes to access by opening a gateway.”

  My doubts were heavy, the first thought being that I was speaking with a cult of cat worshippers. Not that there was anything wrong with cats, but… this was weird. Then again, Cheshire was badass, and these people were helping us.

  “Fine,” I said. “Assuming all of this—”

  “You’re not listening to him, are you?” Cheri blurted out. “I mean, fuck that! We’re not going up against the cult, or not… not against their god.”

  “And why not?”

  “It’s… I…” She frowned, looking with exasperation to Erupa for help.

  “Don’t look at me,” Erupa said, hand on one of her pistols. “I look forward to all this. Or at least finding out if it’s all bullshit. Either way, sounds fun.”

  “No!” Cheri countered. “I’m the one who’s supposed to think crazy shit sounds fun. But taking on a god? Come on!”

  “You don’t… actually believe it’s a god, do you?” Tink fluttered over, small at first as she was observing, but going large now. “Holy shit, you do, don’t you?”

  “No. Shut up.”

  “Fuck,” I said, rubbing my chin and sensing Cheri’s defensive emotions. “Don’t you think you being part of the cult is something you should’ve mentioned?”

  “I’m not part of—fuck! Fine, I used to be.” Cheri ran her hand over her left shoulder, as if there was a memory there she was trying to wipe away. “But that was a small part of my life. A fleeting moment.”

  “Damn it, Cheri.” I had my hand at my temple now, trying to process this. “You realize the implications here—on the one hand, how much easier this will be. You know the ins and outs, right? But on the other—”

  “I won’t help,” she said, arms folded over her chest.

  “Oh. I was going to say you’re a bit of a risk factor, but… No, you can’t ‘not help.’ That’s bullshit.”

  “Gotta agree with Ezra on this one,” Tink said, while Erupa and Mer looked from me to Cheri as if watching a movie.

  Brundal, I noticed, was moving around the room. As steel flashed, I realized why, but he was already lunging at Cheri before I could do anything about it. Thanks to my martial arts training and enhanced speed, I managed a side-step into a side-kick that sent him flying into the side of the tent. His head hit the post and he collapsed with a groan, knife clattering away.

  “None of that,” I said, hand on my pistol as he started to rise.

  “I… I don’t understand.” He pushed himself to a kneeling position, hands where I could see them. “You brought a worshipper here?”

  My eyes moved back to Cheri, and I cocked my head, waiting for her explanation.

  Frowning, she took a step back, as if considering making a break for it. But when her gaze met mine, she melted and ran to me, throwing her arms around my waist and leaning her head against my chest as she spoke. “I was looking for a way to make the voices stop. They were the ones who encouraged me to listen, told me I would be the one to bring their savior to their doorstep. The one who would release their god from captivity, to set him upon the world of evildoers. And… you’re here.” She pulled back to look up at me. “Don’t you see… you’re here!”

  “Fuck me,” Erupa said, all smiles gone from the room.

  “Cheri,” I took her by the shoulders, holding her so I could stare into her eyes, crouching slightly so we were level, “please listen to me when I say that everything you just said is bullshit.”

  Dammit, I knew she was a bit whacky, but this? The tears in her eyes didn’t help, and when her emotions started screaming about betrayal and disgust, I couldn’t help but feel my chest clenching, bile in my mouth as my stomach churned.

  “How do we get past this?” I asked.

  Brundal growled at that, but then balked at the sight of Cheshire approaching, circling Cheri’s leg with tails moving, weaving around it. “I don’t… understand,” he uttered, barely a whisper.

  “Maybe,” Mer stepped forward, caution in her eyes but aura beaming with confidence, “we move past this by embracing it.”

  “Explain,” I replied.

  “It’s clear that Cheshire trusts Cheri, and it’s not like you can say otherwise. She’d probably slaughter a village of children and you’d still take her in your arms.”

  “An exaggeration.” Even as the words left my lips, I had to wonder—would I hate her for something so horrible? Yes. Would I still… love her? Could love ever truly vanish? Fuck, was this love? It sure as hell felt like it.

  “I’d never do that,” Cheri said, the voices clearly talking to her if her eyes darting about was any indication.

  “Of course not.” I kissed her forehead.

  “You were saying?” Brundal asked of Mer.

  “They want Ezra to release their god, and we want to infiltrate them, stop them from channeling some third-party invasion force, right?” Mer asked.

  “That was my understanding,” I replied.

  “Well, this all seems to work out, then.”

  “You want to use me?” Cheri asked, hurt spreading across her expression.

  “Not use you. What Mer’s suggesting makes sense—if they somehow think we can help release their god, and if doing so is what gives us access to this third-party invasion force, then we’re all working together, really.”

  “Sure, until stopping the invasion means killing this god,” Brundal interjected.

  Cheri stiffened at that, eyes going back to me.

  “Cheri,” I said, hand moving along the small of her back, “you know what we are, who we fight for, now. I would assume this isn’t a hard call for you.”

  “I wish that were true,” she said, releasing me and moving toward the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  Cheri paused, turned back, and shrugged. “I have nowhere else to go, really. But… I need a breath of air.”

  At least once she had exited, Brundal calmed down. He stood, still clearly troubled, and gestured back to his layout of food. “We have had some issues with the worshippers in the past. I hope you can forgive my outburst.”

  I shrugged. “All of this is… different. Rather than standing around talking about it, I’d rather get moving.”

  “Understood. And, in that case, I think it’s time to meet your guide.”

  “Guide?”

  “Of course.” Brundal cleared his throat and motioned to someone behind me. “To show you the way, give you the lay of the land… warn you when there’s an enemy nearby.”

  “Couldn’t you just give me a map?” I countered. “The rest can be figured out.”

  “Forget that, Ez,” Mer said, although I didn’t know where she got the idea to shorten my name like that from. I didn’t like it but found it cute that she was taking this new level of familiarity with me.

  “What?” I asked, not hiding my irritation.

  “We’re hiring her.”

  “Hiring…?” I turned, losing track of what I was saying at the sight of this beauty. Walking toward us was a woman with skin equally as dark as Brundal’s, hair a bright violet, and eyes to match. All around her, lines of violet waved in the air like heat on the desert sand.

  “And you are…?” I asked.

  “Hinru,” she replied, eyeing me, the others, and then turning a disapproving gaze toward Brundal. “This is them?”

  “It is.”

  With a sigh, she nodded, ran her hands along the purple gown she wore like a kimono, and then held one up in salute. “I am here to guide you on your quest.”

  “It’s not a…” I frowned, turning back to Brundal. “I mean, this is all very much appreciated, but we don’t know you. You say you’re connected with Hadrian, and maybe that’s all true, but taking one of yours with us seems like a leap of faith.”

  “We can’t mess this up,” Mer said, looking distressed.

  Before I had a chance to respond, alarm bells went off in the form of the cat’s emotional messages.

  “What’s going on?” I asked our host, then turned to Cheri back at the doorway.

  “Incoming,” Cheri said, turning back out again. Calling over her shoulder, she added, “Lilly says there’re a lot of ‘em. Bounty hunters.”

  I charged outside with my team, ready for action, our new hosts behind us. Sure enough, several screamers were coming in for a landing, along with some of the bounty hunter ships I had studied over the years. We prepared to fire, but Cheri held out a hand at the same time as Cheshire sent out a soothing push.

  “Hold your fire,” I commanded, confused by their warnings.

  The ships didn’t attack, though, and moments later had landed, their ramps opening to reveal the hunters I assumed they belonged to.

  First was Mad Mouth, who I had assumed to be dead long ago. We had crossed paths in my early hunting days, but only in that he told me to always shoot before the other guy. Good piece of advice, when it came to staying alive. He had his name from the way half of his mouth drooped, but also because of the way he’d go off on anyone who got in his way. That is, if he didn’t shoot them first. His team came behind him, every man of them wearing the same vests and long coats as him. All in black. Fucking stereotypes.

  Next came Bonder from her ship. There weren’t as many women bounty hunters as men, much to the chagrin of the men who were into that type. To make it worse, they couldn’t have gotten with Bonder if they’d begged, because she was all about the pussy. My guess was that the two women who followed, each carrying badass rifles, were her lovers.

  Optical and Peg Leg came at last. Optical wore a goofy smile that was amplified by the way he wore his monocle—rumor had it, more for the quirkiness of it than anything. I was pretty sure the monocle gave him some sort of power, or tied into his power, but had nothing to back that up, yet. Peg Leg came from the world of pirating, so the story went. But I’d had a sit down with him once, back when we were both going after an Andromida bounty—The Blue Lady at the time. He’d taken the leg off and massaged his nub while telling me all about losing it in a mining accident, but he let the pirate story live and breed to add to his reputation.

  Peg Leg was the most familiar with me, so it came as no surprise when he looked me in the eye, laughed, and then hobbled over with arms spread wide.

  “I fucking had a dream it would be you!” Peg Leg said, clutching me in a bear hug before stepping back and looking me up and down. “Couldn’t believe it when one of the precogs called it in, but hell, here you are!”

  “Damn good to see you,” I said, chuckling, still very much aware of the other three and their entourages. “Weird to hear you’ve been dreaming about me, and… precog? What now?”

  “Ah, some supers that the Gold Reapers have on lockdown, letting them know who’s coming and going.” He motioned to the other three and made quick introductions, as if that was necessary.

  “And what are you doing with this lot?” Optical asked, adjusting his monocle and eyeing Brundal.

  “Hiring a guide,” I replied, and Brundal gave me a nod, stepping back. He was telling me he trusted me to finish this, to fulfill his quest, I guess you could say. Problem was, my head was swimming with the idea that I would play such a big role in all of this.

  Regardless, I was clearly being pushed that way and was sure it would all come about in whatever way the universe had in store for me.

  “And you all?” I asked. “My welcome party?”

  “Pretty much,” Bonder said, eyeing my team with lust. “Had you been anyone on the naughty list, we would’ve killed you. But Ezra Faldron, the legend? Shit.”

  Apparently, they hadn’t had a chance to check in with Maji yet, or they would have put me on this so-called naughty list. I’d take it while I could.

  “Come on, Ezra!” Mad Mouth shouted, motioning me on. “We’ve got a fucking party going on at the water hole. See what’s what, eh? Bounty’s about to go live—and this time, the Gold Reapers are holding back info on the target. Apparently, they’re looking into something, debating the size of the purse, even putting teams together. Going to be huge.”

  I laughed to cover my nervousness at what he’d just said, gave him a nod, and motioned my team along with our new guide to the ship. Sounded like the Gold Reapers were about to call me in, declaring war on the Citadel. If that was so, we were in prime position to get an early attack in, but also a prime place to have our throats slit.

  “Am I still needed?” Hinru asked.

  Mer nodded enthusiastically, causing me to laugh. “It couldn’t hurt.”

  With a glance back to her people, Hinru followed us out of there, to the ship.

  Tink did a double step to catch up with me and leaned in to whisper, “You sure we have room for more on the team?”

  “The ship’s large enough.”

  “Sure, but I mean… you.” She blushed. “Are you able to keep up with all of our needs?”

  Erupa glanced back at this, curiosity flowing from her.

  “Wait, you…” I laughed. “You think that her coming with means… No! By Oram, just because she’s on the ship doesn’t mean I have to fuck her.”

  “Or that I would let you,” Hinru called back.

  Damn. Apparently, I’d said that too loud.

  “Well, as long as that’s off the table…” Tink winked my way, then walked faster, catching up to Cheri and Mer.

  “That was embarrassing,” Erupa noted with a humored grin. “But not so important, considering…”

  “The hunters?” I asked. “Yeah, I’m not sure what to think of this.”

  “What are your empath powers saying? Nothing to worry about?”

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t seem like it, no. And neither Cheshire nor Cheri had warnings, either, so we seem good. For now.”

  “For now.”

  108

  Parties among bounty hunters can get out of hand, fast, especially when attendees start placing bounties on each other for the fun of it. For example, we hadn’t even arrived and Peg Leg had sent over a contract for the monocle.

  “I say we take it,” Cheri said with a grin, clearly trying to just ignore the issue we faced with her having belonged to the Cult of Hermite at one point, and not fully swearing them off.

  “The monocle?” I shook my head. “Let them have their games. We’re here for work.”

  “That so?” Erupa asked. “Because I’m pretty sure I overheard one of them offering a bid to the other if they could steal one of my horns. To be clear, they try it, I’m killing every one of those motherfuckers.”

  “I’ll be right there at your side,” I insisted. “As much as they do what they do, I’m not part of that, which means neither are you. Even when I was one of them—legitimately, I was on the side of the law. You know this.”

  “You mean you were boring?” Cheri arched an eyebrow.

  “Wow, coming from the cultist,” Tink countered.

  “Wait, you had no problem with me hearing voices and being all Psychobitch, but the minute you find out I have religion, you jump all over me?”

  “Have religion?” I asked. “It’s that serious?”

  “No. Fuck, no. But… kind of.”

  “I have no problem with you having religion,” Tink replied. “But when it’s in regard to a cult from some backwater planet… this particular cult, no less…? Yes, then I have a problem.”

  “No freedom of religion stuff?” Mer asked. “Is that not a thing?”

  “A relic of Earth,” I explained. “In the Oram system, there pretty much isn’t religion. Even the temple is less about religion, and more about finding that inner sense of self and harnessing one’s powers. There are cults, groups that arise around certain very powerful supers, worshipping them as gods.”

  “Or, in this case, around some other force,” Erupa added.

  “Right.”

  “Hey, I left, didn’t I?” Cheri said, although I had to frown at that. It wasn’t like her leaving did much to change how she felt, clearly.

  “Regardless,” I said, hoping to be done with the topic for the time being, “try to behave yourselves out there. Yeah?”