The walking, talking cuttlefish said they gave you a language implant. What the hell else did they do while you were knocked out? Focus, scatter brain.
Riley looked down at herself. She was buck naked, strapped to a freaking exam table. Riley took stock of all her parts. Everything was intact, but it felt like every inch of her had been worked over.
“Let me go, you bastards,” she yelled as she futilely began to struggle against her restraints.
“You said you gave the female the mood moderator, to control these violent outbursts,” the reptile hissed. “We told you these beings are aggressive, despite their size.”
Riley looked past Cuttles to see two of the reptiles. She stared menacingly into the speaker’s beady yellow eyes.
“Release me and I’ll show you aggressive,” she taunted.
What the hell is wrong with you? Keep your damn mouth shut, Riley railed at herself.
She should’ve been paralyzed in fear, but Riley couldn’t get past her seething anger at the fucked-up twist her life had taken. This was leaps and bounds worse than when she’d woken up in the New Earth colony.
“It would seem the mood moderator is having an unexpected effect. The female is responding adversely to the hormones being released,” Cuttles replied to the overgrown iguana.
Their dosing me. That’s why I can’t get it together.
“Good job, assholes. That’s what you get when you fuck with people.” Riley bit her lip to repress the remaining caustic comments that were about to spew out.
“Silence.” The reptile stomped forward and hissed in her face.
Riley bit her lip harder. The last thing she needed was to piss these people off further. God only knew what they’d do to her next.
“Its effects will wear off in time,” Cuttles replied, sounding unconcerned.
“If this affects her value, I’ll be very displeased,” the scaly, green flesh merchant countered.
“Jyk, it is doubtful this will affect her value. We will still be placing her in the exotics division of the sale. Since this species has never come up for auction, and her breeding genetics are recessive, I’m certain she will be well received. The auction catalog has already brought in an unprecedented crowd,” Cuttles replied. “You are a valued seller and patron. My apologies for this unforeseen reaction. We are clearly not familiar with her biology.”
Riley closed her eyes. They’d messed with her head and were auctioning her off. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.
“Jyk, the Cadi are requesting the location of the auction,” the other reptile said to his companion.
“Fine. Send it. Make sure Mave understands what our fee is for holding and transporting their Toufik. If he doesn’t like it, we’ll happily confiscate his chattel,” Jyk replied. “We are leaving.”
“I will see that you and your arriving guests have complimentary suites in light of this unforeseen complication,” Cuttles said with a wave of a tentacle.
I’m not the only one they brought here. Riley frowned as she listened. She didn’t know who the Cadi or Toufik were, and didn’t really care. I just want to know where Exo is? Jesus, I hope he’s okay.
Riley mean mugged the scaly bastards as they left. She wanted to claw out their beady eyes, or rip off their tails.
They’d probably just grow back, she growled under her breath.
Riley turned her attention back to Cuttles. The squid creature was studying her critically, so she stared pointedly back. The creature was dressed in a silver and white ornate robe, its tentacle feet sticking out at the bottom. At the sides of its balloon head were two valves. It was little more than an overgrown octopus, minus the water.
“Shouldn’t you be scuttling about a cesspool somewhere?” Riley snarked.
“Female, I realize your hormones are challenging you, but I would advise you to control your outbursts.”
“I might be able to do that if I weren’t strapped naked to a table at a slave auction. You want to get on my good side? Give me my clothes, and take me to my friend.”
“You will share a cell with your exotic companion. When I leave, you will be released. You will find your coverings on the bench by the wall.” Cuttles pointed a tentacle across the room, then shuffled out.
Riley felt a twinge of relief at the mention of her exotic companion. She hoped Cuttles was referring to Exo.
The instant the straps across her body retracted, Riley scrambled off the cold exam table. She hustled over to the bench and found her clothes. She’d never gotten dressed so fast in her life. She wished she had more than the sleeveless black dress and knee-high leather boots, but it was better than being naked.