your thinking.”
“What’s that?” Morgan asked. Of the three, he seemed the least perturbed, though his eyes were still fixed on her gun.
“You failed to notice that I don’t like being lied to. It makes me uncomfortable.” She smiled at them. “And as you know, I can hold a grudge for a very, very long time, given a good enough reason.” She stared long and hard at Ragnar until he looked away.
“So,” Athenais continued, “Let’s start from the beginning. The room is sealed. The only way you’re getting out of here free men is if you convince me to help you. If you don’t, I am pressing SEND.” She hefted the com unit, the little green button clearly visible under her thumb.
Ragnar glanced at his brother. “Attie, we—”
“Stop,” Athenais interrupted. “For the rest of this interview, you will either address me as Captain or you will be shot.”
Ragnar bristled and went silent.
Morgan smoothly took the lead. “Captain Owlborne, this is the best chance you’re ever going to get to undo everything your father has done.”
“Do I look like a crusader to you?” Athenais asked. “I’m a pirate. I break the law for money. If I helped you, I’d have to pay my crew’s wages myself. I’d end up losing money.”
“You just said money doesn’t matter to you,” Paul said from against the wall.
“I said that it was useless to me,” she said, flashing him a smile. “I never said it didn’t matter.”
“You’re nothing more than a hoarder, then,” Ragnar said.
Athenais beamed at him. “This hoarder can always find more places to tuck away six million credits.”
“Athenais,” Morgan said, “What do you want from us? We already showed you our underbellies. We trusted you.”
“And I trusted Ragnar,” Athenais said. “When all along, he was really only using me.”
“I was not!”
Athenais looked at him.
“I wasn’t ,” Ragnar insisted.
Morgan spoke again. “It seems to me, Ragnar, that you owe her an apology.” His voice held a note of command in it. Hearing that, Athenais examined the big man more closely. Aside from the thick brown beard swathing his face, he had the general look of a grizzly bear. All shoulders and torso.
“So if they’re both shifters, who the hell are you?” Athenais demanded.
“Their father,” Morgan said.
Athenais gave Ragnar a piercing glare, “Odd, since he said he and Paul were the only two.”
“He did that for my protection, of course,” Morgan said. “But since I’d be found out just as soon as you turned us in, there’s no use pretending anymore.”
Athenais was interested despite herself. “So you’re their father? Do they have a mother? Or did you impregnate yourself?”
“Att—” Ragnar choked off his words, his face turning red. “Captain. That’s hardly important right now.”
Athenais glanced down at the Phoenix. “Well, seeing how I’m holding the gun, I get to decide what’s important, don’t I, sweetie?”
Like a frog suffocating on his own tongue, Ragnar managed, “We’re here to talk about destroying the Millennium Potion, Captain. Not my father’s sex life.”
“We’re here to talk about whatever I damn well want to talk about,” Athenais snapped. She glanced at Morgan. “How old are you?”
“Two thousand.”
She lifted a brow. “A little long-lived for a shifter, aren’t you?”
“I’m old for my kind,” Morgan replied placidly.
Athenais gave him a long look. “So are you male or female?”
“Technically, I am neither.”
“A hermaphrodite, then? You screw yourself?” She grinned as both Paul and Ragnar gave her horrified, open-jawed stares.
“We’re off subject,” Morgan said calmly.
Athenais made an exasperated sound. “What is it with you guys? Can’t you just answer the question?” She glanced at Paul and Ragnar, waiting. “Oh, come on!”
They gave her flat
“What’s that?” Morgan asked. Of the three, he seemed the least perturbed, though his eyes were still fixed on her gun.
“You failed to notice that I don’t like being lied to. It makes me uncomfortable.” She smiled at them. “And as you know, I can hold a grudge for a very, very long time, given a good enough reason.” She stared long and hard at Ragnar until he looked away.
“So,” Athenais continued, “Let’s start from the beginning. The room is sealed. The only way you’re getting out of here free men is if you convince me to help you. If you don’t, I am pressing SEND.” She hefted the com unit, the little green button clearly visible under her thumb.
Ragnar glanced at his brother. “Attie, we—”
“Stop,” Athenais interrupted. “For the rest of this interview, you will either address me as Captain or you will be shot.”
Ragnar bristled and went silent.
Morgan smoothly took the lead. “Captain Owlborne, this is the best chance you’re ever going to get to undo everything your father has done.”
“Do I look like a crusader to you?” Athenais asked. “I’m a pirate. I break the law for money. If I helped you, I’d have to pay my crew’s wages myself. I’d end up losing money.”
“You just said money doesn’t matter to you,” Paul said from against the wall.
“I said that it was useless to me,” she said, flashing him a smile. “I never said it didn’t matter.”
“You’re nothing more than a hoarder, then,” Ragnar said.
Athenais beamed at him. “This hoarder can always find more places to tuck away six million credits.”
“Athenais,” Morgan said, “What do you want from us? We already showed you our underbellies. We trusted you.”
“And I trusted Ragnar,” Athenais said. “When all along, he was really only using me.”
“I was not!”
Athenais looked at him.
“I wasn’t ,” Ragnar insisted.
Morgan spoke again. “It seems to me, Ragnar, that you owe her an apology.” His voice held a note of command in it. Hearing that, Athenais examined the big man more closely. Aside from the thick brown beard swathing his face, he had the general look of a grizzly bear. All shoulders and torso.
“So if they’re both shifters, who the hell are you?” Athenais demanded.
“Their father,” Morgan said.
Athenais gave Ragnar a piercing glare, “Odd, since he said he and Paul were the only two.”
“He did that for my protection, of course,” Morgan said. “But since I’d be found out just as soon as you turned us in, there’s no use pretending anymore.”
Athenais was interested despite herself. “So you’re their father? Do they have a mother? Or did you impregnate yourself?”
“Att—” Ragnar choked off his words, his face turning red. “Captain. That’s hardly important right now.”
Athenais glanced down at the Phoenix. “Well, seeing how I’m holding the gun, I get to decide what’s important, don’t I, sweetie?”
Like a frog suffocating on his own tongue, Ragnar managed, “We’re here to talk about destroying the Millennium Potion, Captain. Not my father’s sex life.”
“We’re here to talk about whatever I damn well want to talk about,” Athenais snapped. She glanced at Morgan. “How old are you?”
“Two thousand.”
She lifted a brow. “A little long-lived for a shifter, aren’t you?”
“I’m old for my kind,” Morgan replied placidly.
Athenais gave him a long look. “So are you male or female?”
“Technically, I am neither.”
“A hermaphrodite, then? You screw yourself?” She grinned as both Paul and Ragnar gave her horrified, open-jawed stares.
“We’re off subject,” Morgan said calmly.
Athenais made an exasperated sound. “What is it with you guys? Can’t you just answer the question?” She glanced at Paul and Ragnar, waiting. “Oh, come on!”
They gave her flat
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