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“Sit down.” He motioned to the row of seats behind her.
Happy to obey, she sank onto the nearest seat. Not surprisingly, they were on a small ship. There were eight seats in all, two seats on each side of a narrow aisle arranged in two rows of four.
“I am Tandor,” the smaller hunter said. “That’s Jobek.”
“Ansley,” she muttered automatically. Her ears were ringing and his courtesy seemed out of place. They had just chased her all over the island, hunting her like prey. Why be polite now?
The big one, Jobek, moved to the front of the ship and shoved her daypack into a compartment on the side wall near the smooth control panel. He lowered himself onto one of the seats and activated the controls with a series of hand motions. Apparently, he was the pilot, but where was he taking her? Was there a larger ship in orbit or could this tiny ship make it all the way back to the Citadel? Were they even going to the Citadel?
She felt a subtle pressure as the ship left the ground, then gradually Ansley’s system normalized. Her stomach settled and the ringing faded from her ears. Would Jobek take her to wherever her friends were being held? If not, what did these two intend to do with her?
As if sensing her gaze on his back, Jobek turned his head sharply and looked at her. The gleam in his night-black gaze warned that there would be consequences for her decision to run. His sculpted cheekbones and the sensual shape of his mouth seemed to contradict the brutal proportions of his body. His skin was the color of rich caramel sauce and there was a faint blue cast to his hair. He was still menacing as hell, but he was also ruggedly handsome.
Tandor sat down across the aisle, drawing her attention away from Jobek. “What were you told about your origins?” His expression was approachable, even compassionate.
Ansley wasn’t fooled by his friendliness. Her interrogation had just begun. “I work with the founders so I know more than the others. Are you from the Citadel or did one of the other planets send you?” The shimmering red flecks in his dark irises seemed to echo the crimson streaks in his hair. Was the effect cosmetic or was the coloring natural? Either way it was intriguing.
Tandor smiled and her heart fluttered. Of her two captors, Tandor appeared more ‘alien.’ His skin was golden, looking as if it had been dusted with a metallic powder. Jobek’s size would turn heads but his features were similar enough to a human’s that no one would think twice about his being on Earth. Tandor’s slashing cheekbones and the exotic slant of his eyes would have people reaching for their phones.
“My background is even more complicated than yours, so let’s stay focused on you,” Tandor redirected, confirming her suspicion that this was an interrogation rather than a friendly conversation. “You mentioned the Citadel. Do you know what you are, what you will eventually be able to do?”
Was there any harm in admitting that she was a conduit? They wouldn’t have journeyed halfway across the galaxy unless they understood who they were chasing. “I’m a conduit. Is that what you’re asking me?”
“Then you realize your power will only activate once you have been claimed by your mates?”
She tensed, eyes widening. Then the strangest combination of fear and excitement twisted through her composure. Jobek was darkly domineering and aggressive, characteristics of a controller. Tandor had an intriguing mystique and was much more personable, characteristics of a source. “Is that why I’m here? Are you going to claim me?”
Ignoring her question, Tandor asked, “Who are the founders? Others have used that term. To whom does it refer?”
“The group of Altorians responsible for bringing me and my friends to Earth,” Ansley told him. Offering basic facts made it seem like she was cooperating even if she had no intention of telling them anything important. “They established Still Water Farm, so we’ve always called them the founders.”
“Are these the founders?” Tandor said something in a language she didn’t understand and a translucent image formed between them.
Was the ship voice-activated or had he told Jobek to trigger the image? The four male founders sat in what looked like a small office. One of them moved and she realized it was a video, maybe even a live stream. The room could be on a ship or it could be in any office complex on Earth. The furniture was unremarkable and there were no obvious sings of advanced technology.
Not sure what she should say, Ansley nodded. “That’s Director Ratan and the others.” Had Neeva and Jayne escaped? What about the counselors? They had probably been put in with the residents because they were all female.
Jobek stood and closed the distance between them, disapproval narrowing his eyes.
“It wasn’t technically a lie,” Tandor said, his expression neutral.
Jobek positioned himself in the aisle, staying back just far enough that he could see her and Tandor. “Omission is still a form of deception.”
They continued to speak English so they clearly wanted her to understand. It didn’t matter if she angered her captors. She was not going to endanger Mistress Neeva to spare herself.
“How many founders are there?” Tandor asked directly.
Disconcerted now, Ansley glanced from Tandor to Jobek and back. Jobek wouldn’t have mentioned omission unless he knew there were other founders. Was it possible that Neeva and Jayne were hiding somewhere on the island?
Jobek rotated her seat to face the aisle then drew her to her feet. He was so tall that she had to tilt her head way back just to see his face. “You do not know us, so I feel it’s only fair to clarify our expectation. When we ask a question, any question, you will answer truthfully and completely. Is that clear?”
Was he a controller or were all the men on Altor condescending jackasses? Not wanting to start a battle of wills, she nodded.
“We require verbal responses and you will refer to Jobek as Commander and me as Sir.” Tandor stood also and moved into the aisle behind her.
Tension mounted, accelerating her pulse. She turned to the side so she could see both men, then kept her tone even, her expression bland. “By what authority do either of you make demands of me? All I know about you is your first names and that you can run really fast.”
“I am Jobek Sanion, executive officer of the hunter shipMadelle. We were contracted to locate you and return you to the Citadel. I am also a master-level controller. As you have likely guessed, Tandor Binzon is my source. As of this moment, we are making an official declaration of courtship.”
