Broken Dawn
Page 30
Dagon grinned. “Yes, we do.”
The hesitance left her voice, replaced by a smile. “Good. Now if you really want to put my mind at ease, you’ll all answer Hell yes, we do the next time I ask you that.” She cleared her throat. “Okay. Here we go. Do you guys, by any chance, curse or use foul language when you’re upset?”
“Hell yes, we do,” every male on the bridge chorused.
She laughed in delight, then grunted in pain once more. “Thanks, guys. I needed that, even though it hurt.”
Dagon frowned. “How are you? How are your injuries?”
“Still there, still annoying, but I’ve had worse,” she said, a shrug in her voice. “Do the Lasarans know I’m out here?”
“Yes.”
Heavy silence ensued.
He frowned. “Did you not want me to tell them?”
“No. It isn’t that. It’s…” She sighed. And for the first time since waking, she sounded hesitant and unsure. “Did they by any chance mention Seth? Does he know I’m out here?”
“They did not mention anyone by that name. Was he on the ship with you?”
“No. He’s back on Earth.”
“Is he your male?” For some reason, the notion unsettled him.
“My male?”
“Are you bound to him?” He sought the correct English word. “Are you married?”
“To Seth?” Amusement entered her voice. “No. I’m not married. Seth is… my commanding officer, I guess you’d say. But he’s also a father figure to me.”
“Ah.”
“I lost my own father a long time ago. When Seth found me, I was in a really bad place. And he… saved me. I owe him everything. He took me in, gave me a family, gave me a purpose.” Her voice thickened. “I can’t believe I’ve failed him like this.”
She had behaved with bravery and honor. “You haven’t failed him.”
“Yes, I have. He trusted me to keep my people safe. He trusted me to protect them. And I failed to do that.”
“You got them to the escape pods. That’s all you could’ve done.”
“What’s worse is I’m probably going to die before you reach me, so I’m even going to fail to bring the assholes who did this to justice.”
Dagon took his seat. He didn’t want to lie to her. Even with her astonishing ability to conserve oxygen, she would still likely be dead within a few days. “Should that happen, I will seek vengeance for you.”
“Thank you.”
Quiet fell.
“The next time you talk with the Lasarans, would you please ask them not to say anything to Seth about me?”
“You do not wish him to know you survived?” He and Barus shared a frown. “Surely he will not blame you if you are the only survivor from Earth. You did everything you could to save your friends.”
“That’s the thing,” she said, voice solemn. “He won’t blame me. He’ll blame himself. That’s just how he is. He’s going to blame himself for putting us at risk, for putting us in this position, for agreeing to let us leave Earth. And if he thinks I died out here alone, in pain, while floating in space for days or weeks, waiting to be rescued… it will tear him up inside. He’ll never forgive himself. And I don’t want that. So I’d rather the Lasarans just tell him you’re all still searching for survivors. That way if I don’t make it until you reach me, you can just say I died in the initial attack. A quick death. No suffering.”
Dagon could find no response.
“You still there?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You seem like a real stand-up guy.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Honorable. You seem like an honorable man. I mean, you wouldn’t still be heading my way otherwise. And I doubt lying comes easily to you. I’m sorry if this is a lot to ask, but please think about it, okay? If I die, I die. Seth doesn’t need to torture himself imagining a long, drawn-out death. So please ask the Lasarans not to mention me beyond saying you’re still searching for me. He doesn’t need to know the rest.”
Her words made Dagon’s chest ache. “I will do as you ask.”
“Thank you.” Her words soughed out like a sigh of relief. “If I ever get to meet you in person, I’m going to give you a big hug.”
He smiled. “I’ll look forward to that.”
She chuckled again, the sound ending abruptly in a grunt of pain.
Barus’s frown deepened. “How bad are her injuries?” he asked softly in Segonian.
Dagon shook his head. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me.”
“What’s wrong?” Eliana asked. “Are hugs and public displays of affection forbidden in your culture? I know the Lasarans are pretty strict about that sort of thing.”
“No,” Dagon assured her. “Even if they were, I would still look forward to receiving yours.”
“Good. One hug coming right up.”
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank fans of the Immortal Guardians series who expressed their curiosity about female Immortal Guardians who weren’t part of the North Carolina crew. Many of you—in social media comments, messages, and emails—have wondered what their existence is like since female Immortal Guardians are so rare. Broken Dawn gave me an opportunity to show you firsthand while I brought you a story I’ve wanted to tell for quite some time. It also allowed me to give you a glimpse of some of the inner workings of the Network and as-of-yet unseen ways its employees aid Immortal Guardians.
I would also like to thank Crystal. I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t know what I’d do without you. I want to send a huge thank you, too, to my awesome Street Team. I appreciate your support so much and love shooting the breeze with you and sharing exclusive news. Another big thank you goes to the members of my Dianne Duvall Books Group on Facebook. I’m so glad I started that group. It’s such a fun, positive place to hang out. And you always make me smile and laugh. If you enjoy my books but haven’t joined the group yet, we’d love to see you there.
As always, I want to thank the bloggers and reviewers who help spread the word about each new release. And I want to thank all of the wonderful readers who delve into my ebooks, audiobooks, and paperbacks. I have always had a vivid imagination and wanted to share it with others. You’ve made living my dream possible. Thank you so much. I hope your dreams will come true as well.
More thanks go to Anne Victory, who is always a joy to work with, as well as the proofreader, formatter, and other behind-the-scenes individuals who helped me bring you Broken Dawn. Thank you, Chrissy, for yet another fabulous cover. And, of course, I’d like to thank my friends online who make me laugh and smile so often. You rock!
About the Author
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the acclaimed Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, the Aldebarian Alliance sci-fi romance series, and The Gifted Ones medieval and time-travel romance series. Audible chose her Immortal Guardians audiobook Awaken the Darkness, as one of the Top 5 Best Paranormal Romances of 2018. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.
Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in her books.
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit www.DianneDuvall.com. You can also connect with Dianne online:
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