Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress 1)

Dallas lowered his window, and suddenly all that shielded him from the alien was air. And that wasn’t a good thing, since the alien was built like two WWE wrestlers fused together, muscle stacked upon muscle. He’d probably been ordered to kill whoever defied him.

“Do you have invitation?” the guard asked, his voice low, gravelly, and heavily accented.

Before Dallas could utter a single word, I leaned across the seat and flashed my badge. “Open the gate.”

The Ell-Rollis kept his gaze locked on my partner, assuming he was the bigger threat. Unimpressed, the alien crossed his arms over his chest. His expression darkened with disdain. “No invitation. No enter.”

“I understand,” I replied pleasantly. Deceptively. And I did understand. He saw a badge and automatically assumed I was an average cop with no alien jurisdiction. “Maybe this will help.” With a fluid, lightning-fast motion of my wrist, I unsheathed my pyre-gun and leveled it at his face. “Open the gate, or taste fire.”

Pyre-guns caused maximum pain with lethal results, and that was something even a Ell-Rollis could understand, the dumb bastard. These guns were standard issue; they emitted thin talons of fire that exploded upon impact. The wielder controlled just how much fire—just how much pain. Certain alien breeds were impervious to bullets, but I had yet to meet a breed resistant to fire.

Dallas flipped on the cab light, and two glowing circles flooded the front seats, chasing away the darkness. The Ell-Rollis tugged his gaze from Dallas to my gun. He flicked my face a nervous glance. When he saw me, his eyes widened, and his mouth formed a small O. He recoiled three steps back.

“Mia Snow,” he breathed on a horrified gasp.

“That’s right.” My gaze remained as steady as my gun.

“I let you inside, yes?” He tried for an easy, I-only-want-to-please-you chuckle that sounded more like a misfiring pyre-gun. His limbs trembled, and he edged his way toward the guardhouse.

“Stay where you are,” I said, keeping my tone casual. He froze so quickly, I almost laughed. Almost. “I want my friend to open the gate. You blew your chance.” No telling how many alarms the bastard would kick if I allowed him inside his booth.

He swallowed, the action followed by a jerky nod. “Whatever say you.”

Dallas emerged from the sedan, always careful to stay out of my line of fire. He stepped inside the guardhouse, and moments later the thick metal bars blocking our entrance were groaning in protest as they split.

“What’s your name?” I asked the Ell-Rollis.

“I called Bob,” he offered hesitantly.

I rolled my eyes. Why couldn’t he have picked a human name that fit his appearance? Biff? Or Hulk? “Well, Bobby,” I said, “I’m feeling generous tonight.” I holstered my gun, but his expression remained tight with fear. “I’m going to let you live, and in exchange, you’re going to escort me to Lilla en Arr. Understand?”

“Yes, yes. I understand.” The lines of tension finally eased around his mouth. “Mia Snow always keep her word, just as Bob do.”

“For your sake, I hope so.” My gaze remained on Bob, but I spoke my next words to Dallas. “Follow in the car and meet me inside.”

“You got it,” he replied with an easy smile. He always enjoyed watching me, the dainty little flower, intimidate such enormous creatures. Warped humor, if you asked me, but then we all had our quirks.

“You try anything, Bobby,” I said, exiting the sedan, “and I swear to God I’ll use you for target practice.” The predicted snow chose that moment to pour from the sky. In seconds. Thick white flakes fell and swirled around us, descending like glitter inside a water globe.

“I no try nothing.” He shook his head violently, causing his dark brown braids to swing around his temples. “No, no. No try. I your friend.”

Friend, my ass. He’d kill me if I gave him the opportunity. With a tilt of my chin, I motioned him inside the gate. I kept him three strides in front of me. I didn’t trust him at my back, and I didn’t want him at my side.

Cars littered the grounds, all strategically placed for easy departure. One by one, we maneuvered around them, each step taking us closer to Ecstasy. Finally, we stood at the large, intricately carved double doors. Thunderous rock music boomed so loudly, the walls and floor vibrated.

I wiped the snow from my face and wondered at the lack of entrance security. Yes, they had Bob posted at the front gate, but as I’d just proved, he wasn’t insurmountable. I doubted they relied on cameras. Unlicensed surveillance had been restricted years ago because even the average citizen knew how to splice “tamper-resistant” film, and after numerous false claims, the courts had decided to restrict all video usage. This nightclub had never been issued a license. Sure, they could have hidden cameras, but why gamble on the loss of a business over something so trivial?

I wondered again at the reason for only posting one guard. Stupidity on the owner’s part? Or simple cockiness? Or maybe he was just too cheap to spring for more. I voted for all three.

Just get this over with, Mia. I silently palmed my gun and adjusted the control to stun. I’d said I wouldn’t kill him, and I wouldn’t. But I never promised not to immobilize him for a few hours. Hand steady, I aimed at Bob’s back.

As if sensing my intent, he turned and cast me a glance over his shoulder. His expression was comical, really, since he had no nose. His sharp, yellowed teeth were chewing on his bottom lip. I stupidly paused for a second too long, allowing his expression to distract me.

Panicked, he slapped my arm. The gun went flying and skidded across the porch. He dove for it, but only managed to push it farther away. Cursing myself, I jumped onto his back and pressed my fingers against his temples, preventing his fishlike gills from raising and lowering. The action cut off his air supply. He soon forgot all about my gun as oxygen was denied him. He fought me, legs flailing, hands tearing at my fingers. When that didn’t work, he jabbed his elbow into my stomach, and though breath exploded from my lungs and pain rocked me, I held tight.

Finally he went still. His body collapsed, and he thumped to the ground. I jumped to my feet, but remained doubled over as I sucked in a deep, much needed breath. “You’ll thank me later, you bastard.”

Dallas barreled up the stairs, his gun cocked and aimed at Bob as I picked up my own gun and fired a round of stun lasers at the sleeping giant. My hand fell to my side, and I sucked in another round of air.