Free Undaunted (Battle Born Book 6) by Cyndi Friberg Page A

technically disarmed. Each could easily grab his weapon again.
    “Have you found a way to unlock our magic?”
    Garin narrowed his gaze on the intruder’s face. Moonlight filtered through the leafy trees, creating an impression of strength and menace, but details were lost in the shadows. His hair was unusually long, well past his shoulders. The front section had been woven into multiple braids, each decorated with some sort of beads. He wore a plain black tunic, belted at the waist and woven leather pants tucked into lace-up boots. He spoke Rodyte like a native, but he looked Bilarrian. Still, there was something about him that seemed familiar. “Who are you?”
    “I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t remember me, but I am disappointed.”
    “That didn’t answer the question.”
    “Neither did you,” the familiar stranger pointed out. “Can you unlock our magic or is that just what you’re attempting to do?”
    “You’re battle born?”
    He grinned, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “You have a really bad habit of answering questions with questions.”
    “I still haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to shoot you. My unwillingness to answer your questions is the least of your concerns.”
    “Fair enough, but watch your back. Quinton wants you back on Rodymia badly.” Giving Garin plenty of space, he moved over to his fallen friend and tried to rouse him.
    “He’ll probably be out for a couple of hours,” Garin warned. “The pulse overloads the central nervous system. It’s effective, and extremely painful, but not damaging.”
    Berlynn suddenly turned in a half circle and picked up her dress with her teeth. Then she darted into the trees.
    “I’ve never seen a shapeshifter before,” the less chatty brigand said. “She’s really something.”
    “She’s really none of your business.” Garin emphasized the warning with a glare. “Take your friend and go.”
    “Then she is your mate.” The chatty one nodded. “I thought so.”
    Suddenly an image materialized in Garin’s mind. He saw a young officer with a cocky smile and shimmering gold phitons. “Dravon? Rex Dravon?”
    The intruder laughed. “So I’m not completely forgettable after all.”
    Garin deactivated his flexblade and slipped it back into the bracket on his thigh. “Last I heard, you were on your way to one of the penal colonies.”
    Dravon shrugged. “Decided I’d rather be an outlaw than a prisoner, which makes infinitely more sense than walking away from your career. You had it all, sir. What made you decide to champion the battle born?”
    “The Venture,” Garin admitted. “ Over nine hundred battle born soldiers died in that explosion and the elite shrugged it off as if it were nothing. They were more concerned with losing the ship than the crew.”
    They lapsed into silence as Garin stared at the stranger before him, trying to find the idealistic officer who had briefly served aboard the Undaunted .
    “Don’t let them leave,” Berlynn called from the darkness, then a moment later she rushed into view, once again human and covered by the flowing dress. “How did you find us?”
    Dravon’s appreciative gaze lingered a moment too long on her willowy form. Garin moved forward with a snarl.
    “Sorry, sir, but that’s one fine-looking female.” His smile was completely unrepentant.
    Technically, Garin didn’t yet have a claim to Berlynn. Already his scent was fading from her skin. He’d have to do something about that as soon as he got rid of their uninvited guests. Which brought his thoughts back to Berlynn’s question. “How did you find us?” Garin prompted.
    “The disadvantage of your energy net is every time a Phantom leaves Lunar Nine, it’s visible for just a second. We locked on to the modulating transponder signal and we’ve been tagging along ever since.”
    Garin grimaced. He’d used the same trick to find a stealth ship not that long ago. It really had been too much to think that the