Dragon Pearl(64)

Well, if he was going to be that way about it . . . “Fine,” I said. A shiver went down my back. I hadn’t taken on fox shape for years, because Mom disapproved of it so much. But I wasn’t ashamed of it.

I closed my eyes, telling myself that if Hwan wanted to shoot me, he would have done it by now. Besides, he’d have to turn off the force shield before he could zap me, and he hadn’t, because that might give me a chance to escape.

Magic swirled around me as my bones changed and my flesh condensed into a fur-covered shape I immediately felt at home in, even if I rarely used it. Smells became sharper, the cold of the deck beneath my paws more acute. I sat back on my haunches and twitched my whiskers as I looked up at the captain.

As odd as it was being a fox on a starship, it couldn’t be any odder than being a dragon or a dokkaebi or, well, a tiger. I refused to grovel on my belly. He might be a predator among predators, but I came from a long line of foxes. He hadn’t defeated me yet.

I paced in a circle to show off my fine red pelt and white-tipped tail, then reared up and returned to my human shape. “All right,” I said, “now you have proof that I’m a gumiho. What are you going to do about it?”

“I could use your assistance,” he said quietly, even though no one else was in sight. “I know where the Dragon Pearl is hidden, but the ghosts of the Fourth Colony guard their treasure ferociously.”

Either he didn’t realize I’d broken into his quarters, or he was hoping to trick me into thinking he didn’t know. I knew better than to give myself away, however. “What does that have to do with me?” I asked, playing along.

“Your Charm could persuade the ghosts to allow us to approach the Dragon Pearl,” he said.

“That’s probably true,” I said, “but what guarantee do you have that I won’t turn them against you?”

“Do you trust yourself to pilot a shuttle, or a starship?” he asked coolly. “Your shape-shifting is impressive, but from talking with your brother, I know you can’t change yourself into a ship—not one that can go anywhere useful. And it’s not just a matter of transportation, either. Do you want to capture the Pearl only to become a target for every bandit and mercenary in the galaxy? You might be able to impersonate me”—his eyes lit up with an unexpected mixture of humor and malice—“but are you going to gamble that you can successfully captain a battle cruiser against mercenary and pirate attacks?”

I scowled at him, but he had a point. Even though I learned fast, there were limits to my knowledge. “One question, then,” I said. “What happened to my brother?”

His teeth gleamed in a not-smile. I imagined them lengthening into sharp points, even though they remained eerily human. “I’d originally hoped to work with him,” Hwan said. “Unfortunately, your brother proved to be less than cooperative. I trust you won’t repeat his error.”

Outrage choked me. It took a couple moments before I was able to speak. “Where is he?”

Hwan shrugged. “I’ve stowed him where you’ll never find him. And that’s where he’ll stay for the rest of his life unless you cooperate with me.”

I lunged at the force shield that separated me from him, too angry to care that it was a terrible idea. Sure enough, it sizzled when I hit it. A burning sensation surged through my body, and I was surprised that I didn’t smell smoke or the stink of charred flesh. My limbs convulsed. I had just enough presence of mind to tumble sideways rather than continue to batter the shield.

“I see you take after him,” Hwan said, very dryly. “You won’t reconsider?”

I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn’t cry from the pain. No way was I going to give Hwan the satisfaction. “If you imprisoned my brother,” I gasped out, “how do I know you won’t do the same to me?”

A memory nagged at me: Hwan’s sword in his office, the scent of my brother upon the hilt, suggesting a secret they had shared. What kind of game had they played at? But it was too hard to think through the searing pain.

“Little gumiho,” Hwan said, and I bristled. “Do you really think you hold a winning hand right now?”

I opened my eyes long enough to shoot a glare at him, although it wasn’t very impressive, because I was curled up on the floor.

“You should accept my offer before my patience wears thin,” Hwan said, “or your brother suffers any longer.”

If he wanted my cooperation, that was exactly the wrong thing for him to say. “Forget it.”

“You’re going to have to learn to control that temper,” Hwan said, as if I was going to listen to him like he was a teacher. “Very well. I’ll leave you until you come to your senses. The guards have ways of making that happen sooner rather than later.”

With that, Hwan turned his back and strode out of the brig.

I listened to his footsteps and cursed myself for not taking the deal, if only to get me out of there. I couldn’t bring myself to shout after him, though, not even when the stakes were so high.

I’d just have to escape some other way.





Despite my shaky limbs and the agony running through my body, I dragged myself up onto the bunk. Falling asleep took forever, partly because of the pain, partly because of the bright light. I shielded my eyes with my forearm, but that didn’t help as much as I’d hoped. Keeping my arm bent at that angle was its own special form of torment, because hitting the force shield had done something to all my muscles. I kept tossing and turning, hoping for a more comfortable position, until I finally drifted off.