Asarlai Wars 1: Warrior Wench by Marie Andreas Read Free Book Online Page A

before opening her eyes.
    Terel glanced at the recently shut door, then to Vas and slowly arched her left brow. Vas held up her hand at the other woman. “Whatever you’re thinking of saying, don’t say it. I need to get us all on track and get my damn ship back.” She waved a finger when Terel took a breath to argue. “No, nothing.”
    “I have no idea what is lurking in your psyche, and I’m sure I don’t want to know. I just wanted to tell you Gosta and I have synthesized the treatment that should eventually chase the remaining poison out. The fact that no one has survived a poisoning from a drell longer than a minute after activation actually gave us a number of options.” From the look on her thin face, she hadn’t intended to say that at all. She’d clearly picked up on whatever Vas was trying to ignore between Deven and herself.
    Vas frowned, but refused to be embarrassed at the implication. She’d never reacted to Deven in a sexual manner. Never mind his looks and charm, he was a telepath and a crewmember. Which violated the only two requirements she held fast to for lovers—not an esper and not a member of her crew.
    However, that changed when she first saw him in the casino tonight. Nothing extreme, just an awareness of him that hadn’t been there before.
    It scared the hell out of her.
    However, even Terel’s status as her best friend didn’t entitle her to that information. Shaking the contraband thoughts out of her head, she turned back to the issue at hand. “Give it to me and let’s move on.”
    Terel’s eyes danced as she came forward with one hand held behind her back. “It’s not one treatment. We’ll have to give you injections for the next few days to get your system cleaned out and back to normal.” She pulled her arm forward as if presenting a great medical discovery. “With this.” The weapon she held up had to be longer than an infantry fighter’s sword.
    “What do you mean—injections? What the hell is that thing?” Vas tried crawling to the end of her bed, but gave up when she figured Terel could reach her before she could move far enough. “Where is the hypo spray? Why more than one? Nothing needs more than one.”
    Terel’s grin went feral enough for Vas to rack her brain for anything antagonistic she’d done to the doc lately. She winced when a few items came to mind.
    “This is called a needle. It’s what our ancestors used to inject things into a body. I need something more invasive than a hypospray. It must be multiple times because it won’t stay in your system without constant boosters.” Terel held up the needle to Gosta. “Isn’t it great? I read about these in bio-med school. Never thought I’d get to use one. Luckily, I bought a few from a local midwife as souvenirs.”
    Vas flung herself off the bed and hit the floor on all fours. “You’ve never used one of those things? What if you do it wrong?” She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her pillow to brandish at the advancing doctor. However, her grip was so weak it tumbled out of her hands.
    “I do know what I’m doing.” Terel stopped in front of her and folded her arms. “Do I tell you how to run your ship? What about the Company? No? How about you let me do my job and I’ll keep letting you do yours.” She grabbed Vas’s arm and swabbed a section of skin. “I won’t say this won’t hurt; it will. But nothing compared to what you’re used to on a battlefield.”
    Gosta picked that moment to drop a book. Terel stabbed Vas with the wicked needle at the same second.
    Terel nodded toward Gosta who bowed, his double-jointed knees lending a unique flair to the old-fashioned move. Both of them headed toward the door. “You’ll feel the effects soon. However, you need to sleep. You should be ready to board our new ship in the morning. Being as you lost our old one.”
    “I didn’t lose it, damn it,” Vas said around a huge yawn. “Waitaminute, what is in that stuff?” Her eyes were