Decadence: Darkstar Mercenaries Book 4

by Carven, Anna

  It was the figure inside.

  Her hand flew to her mouth.

  “Ikriss!” she gasped. Without thinking, she ran forward and pressed her palms against the freezing glass, staring at the man who had scared her, intrigued her, thrilled her, mystified her, and saved her… again and again.

  Each and every time they’d met, he’d seemed larger than life.

  Now he was suspended in a vat of cold liquid, his silver body hooked up to countless obsidian wires and tubes. His limbs were outstretched and motionless. His wild hair drifted lazily around his face, moving this way and that, caught by some unseen current.

  His startling golden eyes were closed. She could see his pale lashes, which, surprisingly, were longer than a human’s.

  In sleep, he looked eerily beautiful.

  Almost.

  But there was one glaringly obvious aberration that caused dread to knot in the pit of her belly.

  Covering his chest in the place where he’d been stabbed was a black… thing.

  What is… that?

  A strange, nightmarish machine stretched from his collarbone to the bottom of his ribcage, completely covering the left side of his chest. It was made from dull obsidian metal that molded perfectly to his body, and to her naked eye, it appeared to be welded to his smooth silver skin. Slender black tubes swayed in the fluid like tentacles, creeping across his body, along his chest, and up his neck. At his jawline, they coalesced to form a mask that covered the lower part of his face, presumably delivering oxygen to his lungs.

  It struck her that he was perfectly naked. Unable to help herself, she studied his body in mute fascination.

  Stripped of his dark uniform, the chiseled perfection that had always been hinted at was now undeniable. His torso and limbs were perfectly honed; muscular and without even a trace of fat. A curious constellation of scars decorated his body; some were nasty and jagged, while others appeared to be deliberately etched in intricate patterns.

  As she stared at his big, graceful hands, she realized that long black claws extended from his fingertips, curving menacingly.

  With his luminous silver skin and wild hair and scar-marked body; with the black metal implants burrowing beneath his skin and stretching across his face, he looked like some sort of dark alien techno-god in the midst of a centuries-long slumber.

  Sienna shuddered. As much as she appreciated Ikriss’s protectiveness and relished his intensity, she couldn’t help the strange tumult of emotions that coursed through her.

  She felt fascination and sadness and worry and arousal and unease, all at the same time. The sight of the dark metal tentacle-things triggered a primal fight-or-flight reaction similar to what she might experience if she came across a dangerous spider or a venomous snake.

  Her palms became clammy.

  Her heart hammered.

  Fragments of memories flashed through her mind; of a faceless Ephrenian torturer and the feeling of crushing hopelessness and blinding pain.

  She became acutely aware of her humanness; more so than ever before.

  But how could she waste time feeling sorry for herself when Ikriss was in such a bad way?

  Ruthlessly, viciously, she pushed the awful feeling away, putting it into a tiny box at the back of her mind; separating it from her consciousness.

  You can not afford to get caught up in this crap right now.

  “He is a proud Aikun male.” A deep voice reverberated from behind, making her jump. “Those of us who follow the ways of the Lost Tribes do not welcome such interference in nature’s will, but he has served the Empire for long enough that he is used to it by now, and he would much rather live than die. Still, he would not wish for you to see him like this; chained to this machine against his will.”

  She whirled around. “Then why did you bring me here?” Anger surged through her. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. She was angry at them on Ikriss’s behalf—for ignoring his wishes. She was angry at her own helplessness.

  “Well, you asked to see him, did you not?” The speaker raised a silvery eyebrow.

  Sienna opened her mouth… and then closed it again, swallowing her words as she took stock of the Kordolian that stood before her.

  Her brusque guards had retreated into the background. Semi-invisible, they watched impassively from the shadows.

  Sienna found herself face-to-face with yet another Kordolian male. This one possessed crimson eyes and hard features. He wore nothing to distinguish himself from the others; no markings, no insignia, just a simple black robe over loose trousers.

  And yet somehow, she knew he was the boss of this entire fucking operation. The so-called General.

  Just like Ikriss, he radiated quiet power. A strange sensation washed over her; she got a weird urge to salute or bow or do something to acknowledge his authority. Why did she get the feeling this guy could either crush her like a cockroach or make her the most protected species in the entire fucking universe?

  “You’re him,” she blurted.

  “Indeed,” the alien rumbled, a trace of amusement in his voice. “And you are the one that has caused my commander all this trouble.”

  “It wasn’t by choice.”

  “These sorts of things rarely are.”

  “What’s going to happen now? Will he…?”

  “Survive? Of course he will. He is as hard a fighter as any of us. Death has stalked him many times before. Having said that, he would have almost certainly died if not for my medic and his arcane skill with machines.”

  A deep sigh escaped Sienna’s lips. “So he’ll live. I’m relieved. But will there be any long-term effects?”

  “You are wondering if he will be incapacitated in any way; if he will suffer.” The General studied her, his expression unreadable.

  “I wouldn’t want that.” She couldn’t help but feel that this was all her fault, somehow. After all, the attacker had come for her, not him… right?

  “Even my medic cannot predict what will happen after the surgery is complete. But Zharek will do his best to restore Ikriss to his peak function, and I have great confidence in his abilities.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze drawn to Ikriss’s suspended silver form. “Why did this happen? The attack… everything… I’m not special. I’m no different from billions of other humans on Earth.”

  “Hm.” He was still looking at her with those unnerving crimson eyes. “That, human, is a very pertinent question. Why were you singled out? It could have been a simple revenge strike, or there may be something else.”

  “But you don’t know what that something is yet, do you?”

  “We will. Especially now that you are ours.”

  Heat spread through her cheeks. Her body grew warm all over. She shifted from one foot to the other as a terrible feeling of restlessness coursed through her.

  You are ours.

  Half of her wanted to fight. The other half wanted to surrender.

  And the presence of all these big, intimidating alien males around her was scrambling her damn thoughts.

  “Ikriss has seen more of the Universe than you or even I,” the General continued, spearing her with his gaze. “He is not the sort to make decisions rashly, even when he is driven by forces that are outside his control. He would never dishonor you, Sienna Adamo.”

  “I… I kind of got that impression already.”

  “He will be not be pleased that I brought you here to see him like this, but I wanted you to understand.”

  “Understand what, exactly?”

  “Firstly, that we have enemies, and they will strike in vicious and unexpected ways, because they are Kordolian, and we have inflicted great humiliation upon them. Secondly, that we are not all-powerful. On the contrary. We are fallible, but we will use every weapon at our disposal, and we will fight to the death to protect what is ours. Thirdly, that he, Ikriss, my friend and comrade whom I hold in the highest esteem, put his life in jeopardy without a second thought… for you.”
/>   Dozens of questions flitted through her mind. Her first instinct was to go on the defensive, but she swallowed the words and forced herself to stare back at the fearsome Kordolian. “That’s twice that I owe him my life now.”

  “You do not owe him anything. He would be the very first to remind you of that. What I need to know, human, is whether you are open to a future that takes you many galaxies away from what you have always known.”

  Sienna blinked in confusion. Take me many galaxies away? What is he talking about? I can’t leave Earth. Not after I’ve worked so damn hard to create something out of nothing.

  What the fuck is so special about me?

  Her instinct was to rage against all of it, but something made her stop.

  For some reason, she recalled Riana and the intimidating Kordolian male she’d declared to be her partner. On the transport back to Earth, Sienna had witnessed the most astonishing thing.

  A look.

  A tiny softening of the warrior’s cold expression; so subtle she could easily have missed it. It had happened when he’d looked at Riana, and Sienna found herself wondering how it was possible that these strange, fierce aliens could ever feel tenderness toward humans in the first place.

  A penny dropped loudly in her head. “He didn’t come to find me on Earth because he wanted to investigate. He could have ordered any of his men to do that for him. He wanted…”

  “You.”

  “That’s too fast,” she whispered, shaking her head. What the hell? How could he even decide something like that?

  The Kordolian’s eyes narrowed. “Believe me, you would not be having such doubts if he’d had his way. But now we are faced with an unexpected reality. My commander will survive the surgery, but without you, he may not survive that which comes after.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “He has been hit by the Mating Fever, Sienna. Ever since his body recognized yours, he has been in a state of heightened arousal. The longer he remains unsated, the worse the symptoms become. The headaches intensify. The hunger grows unbearable. The aggression destroys all rational thought. He will heal faster. His senses are heightened to the point that every loud and high-pitched sound becomes excruciating torture. If left to burn for too long, the fever will drive him to madness. His metabolism will accelerate even further. There is a chance he could die.”

  Shocked and horrified, she shook her head slowly. “T-that doesn’t even make sense. Why would such a process even exist?”

  The General offered a minuscule shrug. “In more savage times, it clearly conferred some sort of survival advantage upon our species. Now, perhaps it has saved us again. If not for the Mating Fever, I never would have set my sights upon Earth.”

  He’s had it too? Sienna couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of human could be a match for this intimidating creature.

  “On this rare occasion, the Mating Fever might prove to be a lifesaver for Ikriss. He has lost his heart and his lungs and his major vessels. He is still fighting the remnants of a deadly toxin. My medic will give him new organs… but even with the aid of nanites, they may not take unless his healing is significantly boosted. That is why Zharek will manipulate his biology and accelerate the Mating Fever.”

  “To make him heal faster. But from what you’re telling me, that will be dangerous, won’t it?”

  “It is his only chance at life. Ikriss is a warrior; an exceptionally skilled one. The demands of combat placed upon his body cannot be satisfied by machines. Without a true heart, his lifespan would be significantly shortened. And I know him. He would rather die than live an incomplete existence. He would risk death to be able to protect you.”

  She thought she understood. “It’s all or nothing for you Kordolians, isn’t it?”

  The General smiled, baring his fangs. “Perhaps you understand us better than you might think.”

  “So… this Mating Fever. How do you cure it?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  A quiver of excitement snaked between her thighs. She resisted the urge to squirm. “We are… supposed to… er, mate?”

  “Precisely. That is why I have brought you here. To see the male who will claim you as his. To understand.” A knot formed between the General’s pale eyebrows as he frowned, looking slightly pained. “The circumstances are not ideal. I know what human females expect. I have some experience with your culture, your rituals. And rest assured, I do not believe in forced mating any more than you or even my very own mate, but I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my Commander survives.” His crimson eyes became hard and cold like glittering garnets, and suddenly Sienna realized how truly powerless she was.

  There was nowhere to run.

  Nowhere to hide.

  These Kordolians had marked her, and her life would never be the same again.

  And then there was Ikriss.

  A man—no, alien—that she barely knew.

  She stared up at the glowing blue tank; at those awful black wires and tubes. They half-encased the Kordolian in a dark, sinister caress, transforming him into something not-quite-natural; a creature of metal and flesh.

  She stared up his elegant features, which, for whatever reason, looked slightly strained.

  She stared up into burning eyes.

  Eyes that were fixed only upon her.

  Heat mingled with silent fury in those golden depths.

  What?

  H-he’s awake, she tried to blurt, but her lips weren’t moving.

  Inside the tank, his silver hands rose, his obsidian claws fully extended. Ikriss kicked and flailed, his powerful body twisting in the blue liquid, generating a flurry of bubbles.

  He tore at the tubes and wires, ripping them out of his body.

  The General swore softly under his breath as he started to move. “Zharek,” he snapped.

  For the first time, Sienna noticed the long-haired medic standing in the far corner. His attention was intensely fixated upon a floating holo-display showing an array of complicated blue Kordolian characters.

  “He is supposed to be sedated,” the medic growled. “That dose should be more than sufficient to keep him under. But now he’s pulled out the drug-line, and—”

  The General didn’t allow the medic to finish. Moving so fast he became a blur, he leapt up and pulled himself over the edge of the tank, plunging into the viscous blue liquid. The two Kordolians tussled in slow-motion; frantically and yet somehow graceful. Tubes and wires twisted about. Muscles flexed. Bubbles shimmered and wobbled as they rose slowly to the surface.

  A fight in slow-motion.

  It was completely surreal.

  Transfixed, Sienna found herself walking back to the tank. She hardly noticed when the two Kordolian guards fell into step beside her.

  After what felt like an eternity, the General got his arm around Ikriss’s neck. But instead of forcing him to remain in the tank, he kicked hard, pulling Ikriss to the surface.

  The commander looked around, his movements growing more and more frantic.

  But the General held him tightly.

  Golden eyes darted around, desperately searching…

  And then they locked onto hers.

  “I’m here,” she said softly, unable to stop the tremor that ran through her voice. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

  That was the truth, because she couldn’t go anywhere, and right now, she didn’t want to.

  Impossibly, Ikriss went still.

  With the lower half of his face hidden behind the breathing mask, his eyes stood out even more, burning into her with startling intensity.

  Nobody had ever looked at her that way before.

  In that moment, Sienna understood that she held some sort of power over him.

  That blew her mind.

  Slowly, deliberately, Ikriss pushed the General away. To her surprise, the big Kordolian acquiesced, releasing Ikriss from his powerful grasp, his loose robes swirling about in the tank.

&nbs
p; Ikriss pointed toward the surface.

  The General nodded.

  He’s coming out?

  “I don’t think that is a good idea,” muttered the medic in an irritated tone of voice, shaking his head. “But what can I do against the likes of them?” He stared at the General and the Commander in dismay.

  Ikriss reached up and tore the clear mask from his face. He pulled away the dark wires and tubes, removing one from his throat, and several more that had actually burrowed beneath his skin. Air escaped from his mouth in an ephemeral plume of bubbles.

  He kicked his legs, shooting up toward the surface.

  “Tch. So stubborn. They all are.” Zharek muttered, sharing a wry look with Sienna. “But then again, they wouldn’t have gotten to where they are now if they weren’t. No need to worry. His vitals are stable for now. The machines will keep him alive. Our kind can tolerate the absence of oxygen for a little longer than you humans.”

  A powerful silver arm reached over the edge of the tank, and suddenly Ikriss was pulling himself over and dropping to the floor in a swift, fluid motion. As he dropped to the floor, he became a blur of silver and obsidian, liquid pooling around his bare feet.

  The General followed shortly afterwards, shrugging his sodden robes from his shoulders to reveal his impressive wet torso.

  Zharek spoke sharply to the General in Kordolian.

  “No. I trust my commander implicitly,” the General said in Universal, speaking slowly and clearly, apparently for her benefit alone. “In any case, nothing can happen. Do you forget? I am right here.”

  But Sienna hardly glanced at him. She only had eyes for the Kordolian in front of her; the one approaching her on silent feet with one arm outstretched.

  Fear swirled in her chest as she remembered what the General had told her about the Mating Fever and its dangerous effects, but she held firm, sensing that it was important that she didn’t recoil from him.

  A naked, glistening, half-machine Kordolian, looming in front of her, so close now that she could reach out and touch him.

  So she did, pressing her bare fingers against the thing that kept him alive; the seamless black machine that had taken the place of his heart.