Unleashed by the Defender: A Kindred Tales Novel

charges against my client must be false,” Imani put in.
“You mean the charges that he murdered his Mistress?” Kat asked.
Imani nodded firmly.
“Exactly. Kindred are biologically incapable of harming a female, so the charges must be faked.”
“Is that what you’re going to argue in court?” Kat asked.
“Along with whatever evidence I’m presented with,” Imani said.
“You’ll get it the first night you’re there,” Sylvan promised. “We have an operative there who’ll get you a file you can use during the pleading.”
“How will I know him?” Imani asked.
“You’ll know him,” Sylvan said. “He’ll approach you and say, ‘Excuse me, Mistress—I think you dropped something.’ Take the file he offers you and use it well. We believe that this Nightwalker Kindred—savage and bestial though he may be—is completely innocent.”
“And a Yonnite jail is no place for an innocent man,” Kat remarked.
“That’s certainly true.” Sylvan sounded grim. “With the help of Councilor Lizabeth and her mate, Lone, we were recently able to see that their worst prison, BleakHall, was shut down. But as I understand it, none of their correctional facilities is exactly progressive.”
“That’s putting it mildly. When I think of some of the awful stories we heard about BleakHall…” Kat broke off with a shiver.
“True.” Sylvan nodded. “We don’t want to leave him in that place any longer than is absolutely necessary. Your job, Councilor Williams, is to gain his freedom and bring him back to his home world, where he can hopefully live the rest of his days in peace.”
“I’ll do it,” Imani promised. “I’ll get him out, Commander Sylvan.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Then since Kat informs me that you’re all packed, you can leave tonight. You’ll be staying at The Luxx—the finest hotel in Opulex, which is the capital city of Yonnie Six.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to put me up in such an expensive place!” Imani protested.
“Oh, yes we did,” Kat said dryly. “Believe me, status matters to the Yonnites. You have to appear as rich and powerful as they are to get anywhere with them.”
“Kat is absolutely right,” Sylvan remarked mildly. “Don’t worry about the bill. The High Council can afford it and we want to be certain you have the best chance possible to free the Nightwalker.”
“Does this guy have a name?” Kat asked, frowning. “We keep talking about him and referring to the kind of Kindred he is but what is he called?”
Imani had wondered the same thing—Kat had taken the question right out of her mouth.
Sylvan frowned.
“You know, I’m not certain of his name. We got this information from our informant in the first place—a secret transmission out of Yonnie Six that a Nightwalker was about to be executed and he had proof that the accused was innocent of the crime he was charged of.” He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling. “That’s all we have for now. I’m sorry, Councilor Williams.”
“That’s all right,” Imani said, lifting her chin. “I’m sure I’ll find out the details from the court documents once I get there. You said they’ll be waiting in my hotel?”
“Yes, just ask at the front desk of the Luxx and they’ll give you a packet,” Sylvan promised. “We’re sending you early so you have time to prepare. The prisoner’s hearing is set a week from now.”
“Perfect.” Imani nodded. “Then I’m ready to go.”
“Excellent.” Sylvan rose and offered her his hand. “Good luck on your quest for justice then, Councilor.”
“Thank you.” Imani smiled and shook hands with the big Kindred, who was her new boss—or would be if this case worked out and the High Council decided to hire her permanently. Soon she would be on her way.
She thought again about her big brother. How Rashaad had been stabbed by another inmate over a can of Coke. His promising young life had been snuffed out so early—so senselessly.
I won’t let that happen to my client, she promised herself firmly. It doesn’t matter that I have to dress in crazy clothes and travel halfway across the galaxy. I’ll see that he goes free no matter what I have to do in order to make it happen!
She had no idea how far and to what extremes that particular vow would take her. If she had, she might not have made it. But by the time she stepped into the ship which was to take her to Yonnie Six, it was too late…

Three
“Hello, my name is Councilor Imani Williams. I believe there’s supposed to be a packet waiting for me?” Imani said politely to the front desk attendant. Well, as politely as she could while keeping a safe distance. Because the front desk attendant appeared to be a very large, pink praying mantis. Imani wasn’t wild about bugs—especially not big ones. So bugs that were bigger than her, were definitely on her Avoid-at-all-costs list.
The mantis attendant twisted its triangular head, the overhead light glinting on its chitinous pink shell, and regarded Imani for a long moment.
“Ah yezz, I wazz told to expect you, Councilor Williamzzz,” it said in a high, buzzing voice. “Welcome to the Luxx. We are pleazzed to host you.”
“Uh, thank you.” Imani nodded gratefully—but still from a safe distance. She had seen a nature show about praying mantises when she was a kid. The way they grabbed their prey and gobbled them down, starting at the head, while the prey were still alive and twitching, was a scene she just couldn’t un-see.
“Let me zzee if I can find that packet for you,” the mantis desk attendant said helpfully. “Hmmm….” It turned to the wall behind and searched through a number of compartments until it found what it was looking for. “Here we are,” it buzzed and extended a thick brown envelope across the desk. “You are in room zzeven zzeventy-five—our penthouzze zzuite. Zzhall I call and attendant to help with your luggage?”
“No thank you,” Imani said quickly. “I don’t have much at all, see?” She held up the pink carry-all cube Kat had packed her miniaturized outfits into along with