Indentured (Book 2 of the Dana Halliday series)

MENNU. THE ARENA. THE CHAMPIONS.

A second screen dropped from the ceiling, larger than the one on which Adrian appeared and at an angle to his. While Kez was fussing at his help and ignoring us for the moment, I studied my cousin. I realized he was seated in an unfamiliar room, a bland industrial looking space with the occasional shadow moving about behind him. It wasn't Serendipity, nor did I think it was anywhere on Maggie B. It had a shippy look to it.

"I'm sorry, D," he said. "Please don't do this."

"Save it." I replied more bravely than I felt. I twitched my head at Flynt, who had scooted away from me and was staring stonily at the blank screen. "I'm not doing this for you."

"Appreciated," Adrian said, although he also looked a little hurt. "But you don't know what you're getting into."

"Possibly because no one explained fully." I tasted only a pinch of shame at his guilty face. "Anyway, Ade, I wouldn't be of any help to you as far as getting Flynt out. But maybe he can help you." I swallowed. "You can try to rescue me, can't you?"

"Of course I will, love." He drew a deep sigh. "Already promised your fool dog you'd be back soon."

I managed a wan smile. "Don't forget to feed her."

Kez's bulky shadow fell onto us. The lights were dimming. "How did you know I have a Fenn female on board?" he asked Flynt, seeming genuinely curious.

Flynt rolled his eyes up at the Sturv. "Her scent, of course."

"Of course. You are such...animals."

My friend shrugged. "Unlike the Sturv, we kill only out of necessity. There is no bloodsport on my world."

"Ah, but that's what I mean. You lack the, the complexity needed to appreciate killing for sport." Kez spread his stubby hands in a what-can-you-do gesture. He smiled at me. "Earthers are slightly more advanced, are they not?"

"You've never been to California." On the other hand, I wondered what he would think of my former place of residence, full of hunters and hillbillies as it was.

Kez pursed his lips and strode away. I wondered what he was waiting for, and what he was going to shock me with next.  I turned back to Flynt.

"Her scent?  Even with all the other smells around here?" I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised; he'd tracked me and the Bruttar with his nose on the Port of Sard, a crowded, dirty compost heap compared to the Det Ge Ler.

He nodded, looking deeply troubled. "I haven't been around my own species for a long time. I noticed right away."

My heart jumped a little. "You don't think it could be your mom, do you?"

Flynt laughed a bit, though his expression didn't really change. "No, she's my age at the most, probably younger. And very ill at ease, though I can certainly understand that."

"You can tell all that from someone's scent?"

"Generally. A healer could tell you even more." He spoke in a low voice. "I can sense her presence. Not clearly, but...loudly."

"Oh."

There was a flurry of activity near the doors, which slipped open to let in a flood of people, gargantuan, non-Earther people. 

I slid closer to Flynt, and he rubbed his cheek on my shoulder like a cat. "Thank you, Dana. But you don't need to do this."

"He wants to kill you."

"I'm hard to kill."

"Apparently." There were heavy footsteps from behind, and I turned to see one of the enormous beings towering over us.