With the push of a button the medbay door slid silently open. Calmisa stood in the doorway, arms crossed, and watched the man thrash against his chains like a wild animal. Her eyes widened for a second before relaxing back to normal. She took a step into the room, the sound of her shoes on the metal floor drawing his eyes to her and halting his thrashing. His stare sent a chill through her but she moved closer anyways, arms still crossed over her chest. His vibrant green eyes practically glowed as he glared at her, “Let me go now or you’ll regret it.”

  With her lips curling into a smile, Calmisa took a seat on the foot of the bed, “And how are you going to make me regret it?” she asked, tilting her head, dark green eyes open innocently wide.

  Once again like a wild animal, the man snarled. When that didn’t get a reaction out of her, he snapped, “at least tell me where my fucking cat is.”

  Calmy, Calmisa looked back at Io who had followed her in and now stood a few feet away, fingers laced behind his head. “Unchain him.” Io jolted forward, hands coming apart and hanging by his head in confusion, a few strands of his shoulder length strawberry blonde hair clinging to his fingers. At the same time Io and the man said, “huh?”

  Calmisa narrowed her eyes, keeping the man’s suspicious glare in her periphery, “don’t question orders. Unchain him.”

  Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, Io approached the man. As Io got closer to the man, the man strained against the cuffs on his ankles to try and kick Calmisa, though he couldn’t quite reach her, “hey, why didn’t you answer my question? Where’s my fucking cat?”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Calmisa watched Io unlock the man’s cuffs, “don’t worry, he’s fine. I’ll let you see him soon, so long as you cooperate.”

  “I don’t think you understand how this is going to work.” The second the man was free he bolted upright, reaching one hand out for Calmisa and the other to the metal plate strapped to his forehead. Io jumped back, the balls of his feet sliding across the metal floors, his uniform jacket fluttering slightly as he unsheathed his sword and shouted, “Princess, watch out!”

  But the man froze, his fingers hovering a few inches from Calmisa’s face. Only his vibrant green eyes moved, flitting back and forth, widening with panic. Io slowly straightened out of his fighting stance, his sword drifting down until it pointed at the floor, “You chipped him? When the fuck did you chip him? Where did you even get a chip?”

  Calmisa tucked her loose blonde curls behind her ears and smiled to cover her relieved exhale, “It’s Kathan’s. I had Koki remove it ages ago.”

  “You what?” Io sheathed his sword aggressively and took a step toward Calmisa, “What if someone found out? Kathan and Koki would be executed immediately!”

  Raising her eyebrows, Calmisa leaned forward and rested her chin in her palm, “Oh? Since when do you care about stuff like that? I was under the impression that you ‘didn’t give a shit.'”

  Io crossed his arms, scowling, “If you had him chipped, then why did you need me here playing bodyguard?”

  “Well I wasn’t quite sure it would work, considering what I saw him do.”

  “Now that you know it works can I go on my break?”

  “No.”

  Io threw his head back and groaned loudly. Ignoring him, Calmisa stood, turned to the man, and folded her hands behind her back, “Blink twice if you’re willing to negotiate now.”

  For a few heartbeats the man just glared while Calmisa held his gaze unwaveringly. Then, slowly, he blinked twice.

  Calmisa tilted her chin up, eyes narrowing as her lips curled into a smirk, “Good dog.”