Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

she hoped cut him to the bone and drew herself up.
    The line between reality and fantasy had blurred several months ago, as far as she was concerned, and so she went with Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, that most mangled of songs in karaoke bars around the world.
    It had the benefit of being operatic in parts, and she wanted to give maximum value here. Wouldn't want to disappoint.
    She launched into it, glad she'd been singing almost as much as she'd been exercising since she'd been taken. It had been both a comfort and a way to cope and her voice had never been better, although she wasn't going to win a reality TV talent show any time soon.
    She held the big Grih's gaze as she sang, ignoring everyone else around her. Her resentment at being ordered to do this changed to surprise as she saw him jolt as she began, and then go very still, his eyes wide. She'd almost say he was enraptured, but it was her singing, not Enya. It didn't make sense.
    She left out the middle verses, begging to be let go——it sounded awful without a couple of people carrying their various parts——and segued into the final, bittersweet verse.
    As the last note faded, absolute silence settled on the crowd like a blanket of fresh powder snow.
    At last, her big Grih stirred to life. “Who will help us protect this music-maker?” He spoke quietly, not needing to raise his voice.
    She didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't the wave of Grih stepping forward to join them, settling themselves in a crowd between her and her attacker.
    Every single Grihan came, she realized, until the only people left on the other side of the hold were the rock man and his three companions and the high-browed, thick-chested aliens.
    “That was inspired.”
    Imogen turned. The woman who'd murmured the words, not to her but to the big Grihan, was about the same height as herself, with a beautiful dusky gold skin tone. She moved slender hands in Imogen's direction and Imogen saw a thumb and three fingers on each. When she noticed Imogen looking at her, she smiled, and Imogen had to force herself not to flinch.
    Her teeth were small but tapered to a sharp point at the ends.
    She watched Imogen out of dark brown eyes, which, like the tall, insect-like soldiers that had taken up a defensive position next to the captain and Pren earlier, had no white around them.
    There were five others with her behind the protective barricade, a mix of the races that were spread through the hold, so whatever was going on here, it wasn't along racial lines.
    Most of the Grih who'd joined them jostled to catch a glimpse of her and she found she didn't have the capacity for her usual blank expression, she knew her astonishment at their behavior must be plain on her face.
    She fumbled mentally to work harder and faster, to get some idea of what was happening.
    The Grihan in charge seemed to have known she could sing. He had obviously been gambling on swaying the other prisoners to come and help him. And that meant he knew a lot more about her than she did about him. And surely, that was impossible?
    The sheer mix of aliens overturned the idea she'd built up of how things worked from observing the Tecran. Especially after all the muttering about the Grih she'd heard from her Tecran guards. She'd had the sense this world was very much delineated by racial groups.
    Although, now she looked properly, she couldn't see a single Tecran amongst the prisoners. It occurred to her that if the Krik had dealt with every Tecran they'd come across the way Toloco had dealt with her guards, that would make a twisted kind of sense. They weren't here because they were all dead.
    It looked like the enemies of her enemy were legion.
    The Grihan leader didn't turn at the golden woman's words, but he did address those who'd joined them. “I am Captain Kalor of Grih Battle Center, assigned to the United Council Investigative Unit, and I thank you for your help.”
    Imogen tried to work out what he was talking about,