Free Bloodbound: A space/fantasy F/F romance (Sparkbound Book 2) by CR Barlow Page A

know, when I danced for the elves, they'd offer me a week's worth of wages to touch it? Clothed, no less."
    "I wouldn't know about that. I'm not really an ass girl."
    "Don't I know that." Lolita's hands began moving to her breasts, but at Ingrid's narrowed eyes, she stopped. She cleared her throat. "Sorry. So where to next? I think we've stayed here too long already. Harper will be sending Ashley after us again soon, if he hasn't already. I would very much prefer not having to face off with her again. I would hate for you to hate me because I was forced to maim or kill your friend."
    "Like you could. Ashley is a highly decorated elite member of Earth Force and—"
    "And the only reason she was able to capture me the first time was because you were with her, all hopped up on manticore venom to counteract my magic. She wouldn't stand a chance against me without a witch on her side. And with you here, she'd have to get a pretty powerful volunteer in order to stand a chance."
    It was true. As much as Ingrid wanted to deny it, Lolita was a powerful witch. There was a reason she had been posted into a healing outpost on Pluto, where Ingrid had met her. Where they had become involved and eventually…
    No . She wasn't thinking about that, not right now. Ingrid pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need more manticore venom. My supply is getting low. I've had to cut back on my doses, and it's affecting me."
    "I can tell. Look, Ginny—"
    "Don't call me Ginny, please." She used to like it when Lolita called her Ginny. It made her insides squirm and her face glow. But after everything that had happened, it just made her feel guilty.
    There could be nothing between the two of them, and it was best if she didn't give Lolita any false hope.
    Lolita sucked her lower lip between her teeth and nodded. "Ingrid. You need to just let yourself ride out the manticore withdrawals. I know it's hard, but you'll feel better once it's over. Besides that, your magic is unpredictable when you're on the venom. If you stop taking it, we can get a baseline of what you are actually capable of, and you won't have to rely on it."
    "I'm not strong enough to kill Jorgensen without it."
    "You are . You just aren't allowing yourself to see that. Gi—Ingrid. Please."
    Ingrid pressed her hands to her temples. This was one thing that she didn't want to talk about. There was no negotiating. She needed the venom to kill Jorgenson. And she was going to kill Jorgenson. That was all there was to it.
    Lolita reached out, lightly touching her shoulder. "I promised you that I would help you kill Jorgensen. And I will. I am helping you train, I'm helping you evade Harper. Hell, I'm even stealing ships for you."
    "Because you didn't do anything illegal before."
    Lolita sighed, but she still smiled, amused at some memory or other. "Yes, okay. Stealing ships isn't that big of a deal. But what I am trying to say is that you are not in a good space right now. Let the manticore venom go, stop being reliant on it, and you will grow stronger. You will have a better chance—"
    "We can't go to Venus." Ingrid straightened, pushing past Lolita as she headed for the water dispenser. "Even though it's the only place in the system where we can legally buy manticore venom, it'll take us too close to Earth, and Ashley will be looking for me to return there. So we'll have to go to Uranus and harvest the venom ourselves."
    "It's illegal—"
    "We're both fugitives. You're a wanted terrorist, I helped you escape custody. What's a little manticore poaching compared to that? It's not like manticores are an endangered species. It's only illegal because Harper controls half the system, and he's afraid of magic-users."
    "It's dangerous."
    "So are we. Now are you going to help me or not?"
    Lolita sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt, so I'll help you. On one condition."
    "What?"
    Lolita brushed Ingrid's cheek briefly, making her shiver.
    For a brief second, she thought the blonde was going to kiss her.