Beneath a Trojan Moon Read Online Free Page A

grabbed the edge of the table. It tipped slightly and the orb rolled off onto the rug. Relda grabbed it, twisted, and threw it like a champion VelocityBall player.
    Her awkward position meant her throw lacked power. But there was nothing wrong with her aim.
    The heavy crystal smacked into Maz’s head, knocking him sideways.
    Relda jumped up. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, but something else was also stirring. She pressed a hand to her belly, willing herself to stay calm. “Leave now and I won’t hurt you.”
    Maz’s eyes were narrowed to tiny slits and blood oozed sullenly down the side of his face.
    The aquatic straightened, his gaze wary. “We just want the Moon.”
    “It’s not here. And even if it was, I still wouldn’t give it to you. Now leave.”
    “We aren’t going anywhere without the artifact. It’s worth millions of e-creds and our employer...dislikes it when he doesn’t get what he wants.”
    “Last chance.” She kept her tone breezy, but her heart was hammering. She couldn’t risk using too much of her power. It had been a long time since unleashed the full force of it, and her lack of training left her…unstable. Trying to scare these two might lead to her wiping out the entire market. Or worse.
    The aquatic lunged forward. Relda raised a hand and the aquatic stopped like he’d hit an electro-fence. He shook his head, blinking rapidly. As he realized he couldn’t move, panic bloomed in his large eyes.
    Power sang through Relda’s blood, a long forgotten pleasure.
    Slowly, he raised his fist. And slammed it into his own face.
    She released her hold on him and he crumpled to the floor.
    Maz swore. “You won’t use you mind tricks on me.” He swung, his open palm slamming into her cheek.
    The blow made her eyes water and her head ring.
    She saw the man raise his hand again, a rotten grin on his face. He held something in his hand—a glowing blue ion blade.
    Relda hit him with a mental blast. With a high, thin scream, he dropped the blade. He clamped his hands over his eyes and scuttled backward.
    She ran out the front of the tent. Deputy Westin spun to face her, looking shocked.
    Relda dragged in air. “They—”
    The aquatic charged out of the tent, clutching an energy weapon, and shot the blond deputy in the chest. Westin fell backward, blue electricity covering his body.
    Swallowing a cry, Relda ran.
    She flew through the alleys of the market. Vendors called out hellos but Relda didn’t stop to laugh, chat or flirt, as she usually did. She couldn’t risk stopping. Any of them could become targets for the men chasing her.
    She had to get to a less populated area of the market. Her mind raced. She needed to come up with a plan to eliminate the men. She couldn’t let them get the Moon and she wouldn’t let them hurt anyone else. She thought of poor Deputy Westin.
    A right turn took her down another alleyway lined with wooden stalls. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the aquatic charging along behind her. She didn’t see Maz, but he wouldn’t be far away. She quickly ducked down another, quieter alley and then through an empty stall and into the adjacent alley. It was less crowded here and she forced herself to slow down.
    With a quick jerk, she whipped off her coin belt and dropped it. Next, she grabbed the red scarf around her waist and tied it over her hair. Just act like a tourist checking out the wares. She paused by a store filled with colorful jewelry, fingering a bright citrine necklace.
    The neighboring stalls were stocked with food—the cloned packaged variety as well as freshly grown—clothing, art, weapons. You name it, you could find it somewhere on Souk. And if it wasn’t in the market, the narrow, shadowed alleys behind the open-air market hid the stores of the gray market. There, less legal things could be found…for the right price.
    She loved it here on Souk. Had made a little place for herself, even if she hadn’t let anyone get too close. It would hurt