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  “That was why you wanted to take charge of them,” Six accused him. “To keep them from outing your Feel-crime.”

  “Well, maybe,” Two purred. “Or it could just be that I’m an animal lover.” He laughed.

  Yipper was still staring at him, his brown eyes wide.

  “But I thought only those with pure Kindred DNA were having problems,” the little Tolleg said. “You are mostly Scorparian and Depax. I oversaw your DNA mixture myself. Yes I did, yes I did.”

  “Well you thought wrong, my dear Tolleg. It turns out that it isn’t just the DNA but the way the implant reacts with it,” Two snapped. “At any rate, don’t worry—I’m not angry at you. I don’t get angry, as far as I can tell. And I am not made happy by the things which seem to make other Feel-criminals happy either.”

  “I know what makes you happy,” Six said hoarsely. “Killing. I always wondered why you didn’t relinquish your place on the Purge Squad when you rose high enough in the rubric to quit it.”

  “I’m afraid you have found me out.” Two smirked. “But then, I have found you out too. You and your plans to abandon glorious Zeaga 4 and blow up your ship to make it appear you’d had a little accident on the way home. Don’t worry though—I’m going to save you some time. I’m going to see that the ‘accident’ happens right here and now.”

  His finger tightened on the trigger.

  “No!” Six lunged forward, unable to sit passively and watch any longer. But Two dodged nimbly backwards, dragging Mei-Li with him and put the metal rolling cart with the emotion blocker syringe between them.

  “Ah-ah-ah, I think not, Six,” he purred, smiling wide enough to show every metal tooth in his head.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Six begged. His fingers itched to yank Mei-Li out of harm’s way but he couldn’t reach her before Two pulled the trigger. Oh Gods, I can’t reach her…can’t help her… A feeling of helplessness spread over him—an awful feeling that was somehow familiar.

  Two looked at him speculatively.

  “You really care for this little Earth female, don’t you? Personally I don’t understand the appeal. She is too small and weak to be useful in any way. But I suppose you have your reasons.”

  “Just let her go,” Six growled. “Let her go and we will journey to her planet so that you will never have to see us again.”

  “An interesting proposition,” Two said musingly. “But I think I might be coming to pay that little planet a visit rather soon.” He grinned evilly. “And I might bring just a few guests if you don’t mind. Like a battalion of war ships. They do tend to make a conquest so much easier.”

  “What?” Mei-Li and Six said at the same time.

  “I didn’t know Earth was the planet slated for conquest,” Six growled.

  “No, One didn’t tell you because he suspected you were beginning to have feelings for this little female.” Two nodded at Mei-Li. “It turns out he was right. But yes, Earth has been slated for conquest for ages now.”

  “But why pick such an out of the way place?” Six demanded. “It’s not even in our galaxy.”

  “It never would have come to our attention without your help my dear Six. A Kindred in the leadership of the Mother Ship became aware that you were Dream Sharing with your little female and he struck a bargain with One—help in conquering the Earth in return for all its natural resources and organic inhabitants. Rather a good deal, don’t you think?”

  “The Earth doesn’t belong to anyone on the Mother Ship—they can’t make a deal like that!” Mei-Li said indignantly. “Besides, I know some of the people in charge—especially Commander Sylvan. He would never—”

  “Well he did—or someone in authority did. I haven’t had time to go through all of One’s memory cache yet but I intend to do that on the way to Earth.” Two grinned. “Tell me, Six, why do you think you were sent to claim your ‘bride’ in the first place?”

  “Why?” Six demanded.

  “To sow unrest between the people of Earth and the only ones who could possibly protect them—the Kindred of the Mother Ship.” Two laughed delightedly. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t figure that out for yourselves? No?” He looked back and forth between them and then shrugged. “Well, well, I suppose that Earth saying about love being blind must be correct. Such a strange emotion—another one I have never experienced. Frankly, I rather doubt I ever will.”

  “I don’t understand,” Mei-Li said. “Why would the Kindred of the Mother Ship want to declare war on Earth?”

  “No, no, my dear—they wanted the Earth to declare war on them. If Earth strikes first, the rank and file warriors will be much more inclined to welcome our ‘help’ when we Dark Kindred show up on the scene. Do you see?”

  “I see that you’re a complete bastard. You leave my planet alone.” Mei-Li’s voice trembled. “We like our emotions—we want to keep them.”

  “Of course you do—haven’t I just said I’m a big fan of feeling myself? Unfortunately the Collective can’t allow it. Just as I can’t allow you and Six to keep feeling for each other.”

  Two put down his weapon and picked up the syringe filled with dark blue liquid so quickly his hand was only a blur. He motioned to Six. “You’ve been a very naughty warrior, Six. Letting yourself have all kinds of emotions and feelings for this little female. Maybe it’s time to remedy that right now.”

  Six felt a sick churning in the pit of his stomach.

  “Very well,” he said in a low voice. “If you want to punish someone, punish me. Use the injection on me—only let Mei-Li go.”

  “My, such self-sacrifice.” Two clicked his long, thin tongue against his metal teeth. “It almost makes me feel bad for what I’m about to do. Almost.”

  “Just let her go.” Six held out one arm in supplication, ready for the needle. “Go on, do it.”

  “Please,” Mei-Li whispered. There were tears running down her pale cheeks that twisted his heart. “Please don’t. Six—I don’t want you to lose your feelings again. I don’t want you to forget that you care!”

  “You know what, my dear?” Two said, smiling at her. “Neither do I. Which is why I will not be injecting your paramour with this lovely emotion blocker our good friend Yipper has concocted.”

  “You won’t?” Mei-Li sounded hopeful but Six knew better than to hope. “You promise?”

  “I promise,” Two purred.

  Before Six could reach her, he flipped the long, sharp needle around and stabbed it into her neck.

  “NO!” Six roared, rushing forward. But Two had already pushed the dark blue liquid into her blood stream.

  Mei-Li gagged and fell to her knees, the hypodermic still protruding from her neck. Her back arched and she clawed at the air—then she collapsed.

  Six rushed to her and yanked the needle out but she was limp in his arms. Panic flooded him. “Help me, Yipper!”

  The little Tolleg came forward at once and began patting Mei-Li’s cheeks.

  “Will she be all right?” Six demanded.

  “I don’t know, I don’t know. She’s gotten a dose large enough for a warrior—for someone three times more massive than she is. Help me get her to the exam table, Six—I’ll do what I can for her.”

  Six lifted her small body which felt as light as a leaf in his arms. Mei-Li seemed to be barely breathing and her eyes were rolled up in her head, unseeing. He laid her gently on the exam table and then turned to Two.

  At the sight of the other male standing there smirking and obviously enjoying the pain and distress he had caused, rage filled Six, white-hot and molten.

  “You bastard,” he said thickly, reaching for Two. All he wanted to do was wrap his fingers around that scrawny neck and choke until the other male was dead.

  “Ah-ah-ah…” Two waved the vaporizer at him and then pointed it at Mei-Li. “She might still live…or I can blow her to wet, red mist right now if you like.”

  “I’ll kill you,” Six promised. “And I’ll do it very…fucking…slowly.”

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