Which is pretty unusual. Dragonbee bots are some of the worst. They sting, they bite, and they are notorious for infiltrating stations and ships and messing up their programs with the little puffs of poison they shoot out their asses. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s why they were created. Stealth sabotage. We don’t even allow them on Harem. Nothing good ever came out of something so small.
Which just makes me think this Mighty Minions place is even more fucked up than it appears. Probably has some hidden agenda if it allows dragonbee bots to live here.
“How you getting along?” Dicker says, answering my call.
“Found an engineer.”
“Good. I won the kitchen. So when you pick up the water—”
“No,” I say. “Forget the kitchen. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. I want to be out of here as quick as possible. Send me directions to pick up the water generator.”
Dicker sighs. “Fine. And sent. Let me know when you’re headed my way so I can have the right circuits shut down.”
“Cool. Later.”
I turn back to Delphi and find her standing directly behind me. “We good?” she asks.
“We’re good.” My wristband bleeps the directions and I open a holo map to guide us to the right sector. “We need to stop by Fire Mountain to grab some parts first.”
“Cool,” she says, her little dragonbee buzzing up near her ear.
“Where did you get that thing, anyway?” I say, pointing to the bot.
“Oh, this is Flicka. She’s been my partner pretty much my whole life. Can’t even remember a time when she wasn’t buzzing in my ear. But don’t worry, she doesn’t bite. Much.”
I raise one eyebrow at Delphi.
“Kidding.” She laughs. “She bites a lot. Just don’t touch her and you’re fine.”
“Great,” I say. “Just my luck.” I pan my hand in the direction the map is telling me to go and say, “After you.”
“So where were you headed before you got stuck on Mighty Minions?” Delphi asks.
“Outer Highway.”
“Oooooo. You’re an outlaw. Should I be scared?”
“Yes,” I say.
Which only makes her laugh. “But where were you headed on the highway? There’s not much out there.”
“Just some business I have to take care of.”
“Gotcha,” she says. “No more questions.”
She is cute. I’ll give her that. Even dressed up in that Mighty Minions getup. But there’s something off about this girl. And that bot on her shoulder just proves it. Had it her whole life? What kind of parent gives a child a dragonbee bot?
But then I look around me. Thousands of parents bring their kids to this station of evil for vacation, so maybe the wider world is more fucked up than I ever realized?
Dicker’s map takes us over the Mighty River of Death, through the Mighty Boss Castle of Demons, and under the Mighty Mountain of Fire.
And the whole time the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of leaving here in a few hours.
There’s something inside me. Something telling me to get to the biogenetic lab as quick as possible. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in danger on this station.
And it’s got nothing to do with Mighty Boss or his disturbing holo minions.
CHAPTER SIX – DELPHI
He’s quiet as I lead the way through the resort and it’s starting to make me nervous. Flicka gently reminded me when we set off that he didn’t mention that he needed to pick up a water generator, so I goofed up and he might be suspicious.
So I kept my mouth shut after that.
But I can’t help but look over my shoulder to study him every chance I get. He’s very handsome. I already know he’s Akeelian but his deep violet eyes are a dead giveaway that he’s more than just your average two-cocked alpha male. Akeelians have all sorts of colored eyes, just like Cygnian princesses, but the ones with violet eyes are the breeders. Genetically engineered males who should be able to breed with their Cygnian soulmate and actually produce offspring the natural way.
At least this is what I’ve learned second-hand from the Loathsome One.
Which gets me thinking… he could be my soulmate. I’m one of the special ones who were engineered to breed.
But he’s not. Because I’d have known the moment we locked eyes. And one touch from him would make me light up like the sun.
None of that happened. And it’s not because I have exceptional skills at controlling my glow—though I do.
It’s because we’re not fated.
I’m pretty sure the Loathsome One already knew that. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s counting on Jimmy being her fated mate. That’s why she wants him so bad. If she could breed with him and get pregnant then she’d automatically become a power player in the big Cygnian-Akeelian war that’s brewing.
But that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. Jimmy’s kind of a good catch. He’s rich for one. Very rich. I know he’s part owner of Harem Station and that place makes billions of credits a month. And he’s rugged. Square jaw with just the right amount of stubble on it. Hard muscles underneath his tight black shirt. Big hands and nice, thick, light-brown hair that hangs over his eyes and makes him look both mysterious and dangerous at the same time.