Warrior's Pain (Cadi Warriors Book 4)(21)

Wily manx.

Cyprian wasn’t fooled, and yet he found himself amused and just as enthralled as the rest of the crowd. He admired the very things, that were also disconcerting about the female. Riley didn’t collapse in a distraught puddle. Somehow, she owned the situation instead. Being combative hadn’t worked earlier, so now she was being alluring instead. Cyprian wasn’t sure what the female hoped to accomplish, but he didn’t doubt she had a plan. That intrigued and disturbed him in the same breath.

“You might have more competition than we expected, come auction time,” Vintor commented over the loud music.

Cyprian’s plan to purchase Riley and Exo was starting to look ambitious. The interest Riley was attracting, was driving her price up by the minute.

Riley’s eyes pinned his, as the song changed. Cyprian’s eyes widened. He thought her dancing was seductive before. He was wrong. Not even in the privacy of the bedchamber had he witnessed a female do the things Riley was doing now.



Riley

“There are a few species you need to avoid,” Hoda said as she led Riley toward the stage. “See that soft bodied species.”

Hoda pointed to a giant worm that looked like a pale, skinny version of Jabba the Hutt. It had tiny arms and a ton of wavy little cilia that moved it across the floor.

“I see it.”

“The Ubi, are parasites. See how everyone steers clear of it. Their long, hooked tongue will latch onto you, pump you full of a paralytic that liquifies your guts. Then it’ll suck you dry.”

“Thanks,” Riley replied.

“Also, don’t get too close to the Cimex. They aren’t as nasty as the Ubi, but their pincer automatically closes on anything in their grasp, and their spiked tails are poisonous. “

Riley glanced at the humanoid scorpion.

“Why are you being so kind to me?” Riley asked suspiciously.

“I make a percentage of the commission you earn,” Hoda replied.

Ah, so it’s not out of the goodness of your slimy heart.

“What about that dude over there?”

“Which one?”

“The giant mother fucker with his bones on the outside of his skin.” Riley pointed.

The armor-plated behemoth looked like a tank. He was as large as the red demons and looked just as fierce.

“He’s an Osivoire. They’re a fierce species, but we don’t see them much here. He shouldn’t cause you any trouble.”

“And them.”

Riley nodded to the red demons at one of the tables. Since Hoda was being so forth coming with information, she decided to take the opportunity to learn about Spawn. Riley didn’t like the idea that Ion and June, were on a planet full of demons, who frequented slave auctions.

“This is their first time on Distraho. So, I couldn’t say. The report says they are Cadi. They brought chattel for one of the auctions,” Hoda commented.

It may be their first time here, but they’re just as despicable as the rest of this lot.

Riley’s temper started to rise to a dangerous level, as she thought about what might be happening to her friends. She quickly had to push down her anger, before she did something foolish to ruin her arrangement. She felt like Jekyll and Hyde with the way her emotions vacillated.

Damn implant.

They reached the foot of the stage, and Riley was about to head up the steps when Hoda stopped her. Riley looked at the hand on her arm, resisting the urge to tug free.

“The Overseer is intrigued with you,” Hoda said. “So much so, he delayed my reprimand, for allowing harm to come to your companion. Now go see if you can make enough credits for him to forget it entirely.”

Uh, okay. Riley nodded. She wasn’t sure, but it sounded like Hoda was thanking her, in some backhanded way. You’re welcome, I guess.

Riley enjoyed dancing at the clubs back home, but she’d never intentionally been the center of attention. She didn’t mind being stared at. Her hair, piercings and tattoos tended to attract attention, though that’ not why she got them. Now she just had to channel those years of garnering unintended attention, into her performance. It was imperative that she succeed. The Overseer, Cuttles, had yet to give her back her necklace. He wanted to see proof that her scheme would work first.

Riley put on her game face as she jumped onto the stage and began dancing to some old school GNR. The song seemed appropriate. She was trapped like an animal, in an alien jungle, where anything could be had for a price. She let Slash’s strident guitar fuel her fervor as she strutted in front of the patrons.

Her eyes landed on one of the red demons, leaning against the nearby bar. It was Spawn. He was smirking at her, with one brow arced, and his massive tattooed arms folded over his bare chest.