by Carven, Anna
Sensing the dangerous aura that radiated from the Kordolian, Sienna froze, feeling both indignant and a little wary. The greeting from Emmett hadn’t been anything out of the ordinary—for humans, anyway. It was a greeting between friends who had known each other for a very long time—and who shared not a single shred of sexual attraction between them.
She would never betray Ikriss. To her, the thought was just absurd. He was too intense; too Ikriss.
He had engulfed her completely.
How could she ever consider anyone but him?
This was just a miscommunication; a human versus Kordolian thing.
“Zarken,” she said slowly, cautiously. “There’s something you need to understand about humans. Just because I’m friends with a guy, doesn’t mean I’m interested in him… in a, uh, mating kind of way. Sometimes, we hug and kiss as a sign of friendship. There are different ways to hug and kiss and be affectionate. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re being intimate.”
The warrior’s expression didn’t change one whit. Clearly, he wasn’t convinced.
A wave of frustration rose up inside Sienna. Ikriss was out there on some dangerous mission to retrieve her friend, and this Kordolian was acting like a dick.
She didn’t have time for this shit. If the Kordolians were so intent on coming to Earth and seducing human women, then they were going to have to wrap their heads around a few things, otherwise someone would end up giving someone else the wrong look and accidentally spark off a war.
“Look,” she huffed, putting her hands on her hips and staring right back at the warrior, who loomed over her threateningly. “I’m not going to change the way I do things just because of your over-the-top Kordolian male possessiveness. The fact of the matter is, some of my friends just so happen to be male, and one of the ways humans greet each other is through physical touch. That doesn’t mean I’m going to betray Ikriss in any way, shape, or form. I would never. He’s mine, and I know he’s not so dumb that he’d go ballistic over something so trivial.” Anger bled into her voice. She thrust her jaw forward and glared at Zarken, growing more and more infuriated that he would even insinuate that she could ever do anything to hurt Ikriss.
It was just a misunderstanding, but still…
It got under her skin.
Zarken treated her to a little more of his stone-cold glare… but then the ice in his eyes started to melt, and his expression softened. It was almost imperceptible, but she’d been around Kordolians enough to be able to pick it. “A cultural misunderstanding,” he grunted, taking a step back. “Huh. Fortunately for you, and most fortunately for him, I believe you.”
“Even if she was available, I wouldn’t be interested in her anyway,” Emmett said quietly.
“What do you mean?” Zarken said, equally quiet, but a lot more menacing.
“I’m not into chicks.”
“Chicks?”
“Women. Females. XX. Not my type,” said Emmett lightly as he turned and retrieved his almost-finished macchiato. He took a long sip and set down the small cup, shooting the big warrior a challenging look.
“Ah,” said Zarken, and all of a sudden his expression changed. It was as if a light bulb had gone on inside his head.
“Upsetting the natives already, I see, Zar,” boomed a deep voice from beyond the entrance. A heartbeat later, another big red-eyed Kordolian appeared.
This one wore the same close-fitting black armor as Ikriss and Zarken, only his was slightly different; a little more seamless and organic looking. A pair of massive sword hilts emerged from behind, giving him the vibe of some sort of bad-ass medieval fantasy character.
“Nythian,” Zarken grunted. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, since Ikriss’s mate apparently has some nano-fraction of some ancient gene that supposedly makes some of our kind better than others, and since she’s been targeted once by a Silent One—and survived—she qualifies for first-rank security when the Commander himself isn’t around. That consists of only me or one of nine other individuals… and Ashrael.”
Sienna looked the big, imposing warrior up and down. He was smiling, but he reeked of danger. “You’re like the General,” she said flatly. She didn’t really know why she got that vibe from him. Maybe it was the way he moved; the way he seemed to log every little detail and movement in the room, even as he focused entirely on her with laser-like intensity. “Same squad, or group, or whatever.”
Nythian tapped the side of his head with his finger. “You’re very perceptive, human, and gutsy to stand up to a mean old war-varhund like Zarken. I’m betting you’ll get along well with my mate.”
“You have a…?”
“Yep, I’m his mate,” said a woman from beyond the doorway. Moments later, the speaker appeared, striding purposefully into the room. She was tall and athletic, with regal features and piercing brown eyes and cropped tightly coiled hair. A curious smattering of blue scales glittered on her cheeks, contrasting with her deep brown skin.
She looked like a woman in her element; confident, composed, and powerful. She was impossibly beautiful. As she reached Sienna, she held out her hand, which was encased in a soft black leather glove. “Hello, Sienna. I’m Alexis.”
“Nythian’s mate.” Sienna took her hand. Alexis’s handshake was firm, and it tingled a little. “I’m starting to get the feeling there are a lot more of you than I’d thought.”
“Well, we number in the double digits now, so that’s a good thing. I’m pretty new too, so I thought I’d come down with Ny to make sure they didn’t go overboard with the Kordolian-ness.”
Sienna laughed; she couldn’t help it. She could just imagine Ikriss acting very Kordolian about a number of things that might piss him off.
She shook Alexis’s hand vigorously. “You sound like the voice of reason around here. Welcome to the Fortress.”
“See what I mean? I’m sure it wasn’t necessary to create a five-mile exclusion zone around your restaurant, but they went and did it anyway, just because they could.”
“F-five miles?” The blood drained from Sienna’s face. “But… you mean nobody can get in right now?” She thought of all the workers and ordinary people that lived in tiny apartments on the Lower East Side.”You mean they’ve locked out a whole bunch of people? In the middle of winter?”
“Security comes first,” Zarken growled. “The Federation has made temporary arrangements for the affected Citizens. We will allow them to return when we deem it safe—and when they have been thoroughly screened.”
“I think that process can start a lot sooner,” Alexis argued. “Like, right now. There are people who clearly have nothing to do with this, and we can’t keep them locked out of their homes forever. It’s simple enough to do an ID check and get them to log their movements through their Links so they can be tracked as they move in and out of the safe zone. Your techs have the AI and the datapower to do it, I’m sure.”
The way Zarken looked at Alexis, one might think she was asking him to cut off his big right toe. “Perhaps I will present your suggestion to my superiors,” he said gruffly. “But first we wait. Nothing happens until Commander Ikriss returns. You should be grateful, human. Thank the stars of fortune that he is on your side.”
“Oh, I am extremely thankful for all of you, believe me,” Alexis said sweetly, giving Sienna a wink.
Sienna stared at the human, wondering how she could be so at-ease amongst these fierce, domineering warriors. “How do you know all this stuff?”
“I used to be a cop,” Alexis shrugged.
“For some reason, I get the feeling that I want to work really hard to get into your good books,” Emmett said lightly, turning toward Alexis. “And I don’t mean to stereotype cops or anything, but do you want some coffee and donuts? I made the donuts myself from Sienna’s secret dough master recipe. And the coffee’s the best in the district, if I say so myself.”
Alexis laughed. She took a deep breath. “How can I say no to that when your kitc
hen smells this good?”
A little of the tension evaporated.
Both Kordolians were staring at the humans as if they were a completely alien species that they’d never encountered before.
“I don’t know you people enjoy that smell,” Nythian muttered. “Me and Zarken are going outside for some fresh air. Give you all a little time to talk about your human business.”
“Much appreciated.” Sienna gave the Kordolian a gracious nod.
As the warriors silently exited the room, Emmett glanced at Sienna. “So your, uh, man’s gone to get Eva?”
She nodded, pride and trepidation coursing through her. “He has.”
“And these guys are here to protect us—well, mostly you—and contain the fallout… and keep this place in lockdown for however long because of, um, assassins?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh. That’s nice.” Emmett ran a hand through his thick hair and let out an exasperated laugh.
That’s when Cleo emerged from the back corridor, bleary-eyed and yawning, her hair arranged in neat twists. Immediately, her gaze locked onto Sienna. “Oh. Hey.” She didn’t say another word. She just rushed up to Sienna and pulled her into a tight bear-hug.
“H-hey,” Sienna wheezed. The girl was strong. “I’m back. Everything’s going to be fine. They’re going to get Eva right now.”
“Oh, thank the stars. I’ve been beside myself worrying about her… and you, of course.” Her eyes narrowed. “And what about your, erm, apprentice?”
“They did Kordolian stuff on him. He’s totally fine.”
“I’m glad. I take it he’s one of the good guys.”
“He is.” Sometimes. Her insides clenched. How was she supposed to explain to Cleo that Ikriss was also pure sin wrapped up in decadence?
Maybe later. When everything was calm again.
“So. Kordolians, huh?” Cleo said, her voice bone-dry.
“Kordolians,” Sienna sighed. “Don’t worry. We got the good ones.”
“If those are the good ones, then I’d hate to see what the actual baddies are capable of.”
Sienna could only nod as unease snaked through the pit of her belly.
Despite all of Ikriss’s reassurances, why did she feel a little afraid all of a sudden?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ikriss flew alone in the Crurix, guiding his heavily cloaked craft over the densely populated metropolis the humans called Rio de Janeiro, or just Rio.
The city was a curious mixture of old and new. Tall, glistening towers adorned with bright light-signs rose alongside older dwellings made of the most basic and primitive kinds of materials—just stone, metal, and wood.
In the streets below, humans buzzed up and down in small wheeled craft called cars. Some were on foot. Others rode on strange two-wheeled electric-powered vehicles, swerving through backed-up traffic. They seemed to travel without any sense of order, merging at random, cutting each other off, almost colliding…
It was maddening to watch.
The way humans organized their civilization reminded him of a dozen other planets he’d visited during his time as a Military Intelligence Officer.
Some societies seemed very tolerant of chaos and disruption; it was almost as if they needed it to exist.
Humans were one of those societies.
He banked and eased into his descent, flanked by the medium-sized cruiser, Mhyndin, which carried ten out of twelve former Second Division warriors.
He would be number eleven.
And the twelfth, Zarken, had stayed behind to oversee the security around Sienna’s building. With both Nythian and Zarken and two full squadrons of elite-level warriors guarding the safe zone, and three small stealth cruisers carrying out cloaked aerial surveillance, he was confident that no-one—Silent One or not—was going to breach their defenses again.
If he wasn’t able to be by her side, the only ones he would trust to guard her were the First Division—or Ashrael.
Nobody else.
He knew her well enough by now too know that she would chafe at his restrictions; at being constantly guarded and watched, but this was his world now, and because of some small trick of fate, she had become one of the most sought-after targets in the Universe.
He would not let them take her from him.
Not now, not ever.
And eventually, they would find and destroy those who sought her.
He would paint the stars with their blood.
As he neared their destination, Ikriss took note of the terrain below.
Rio was a jungle metropolis, ringed by verdant undulating hills that occasionally gave way to stark flashes of hard, precipitous rock. He saw tall buildings crowding along a curved sandy beach, as if they were all jostling to be closest to the sea. But land was only finite, and the mass of human-built structures eventually spilled through an opening in the steep hill ranges, stretching inland.
That was where they were going.
Inland.
To a place nestled against the hills, where the so-called Syndicate had a large facility; a tower with an adjoining flight platform that was just wide enough to accept the most basic kind of spacecraft—including human transports and long-range Ephrenian smuggler craft.
Apparently, the Federation’s flight surveillance systems sometimes ‘accidentally’ missed flights entering and exiting from this particular location.
That wouldn’t be happening anymore.
Not under his watch.
His comm activated. “It is infernally hot in this place. Why can’t humans choose to carry out their illicit activities in one of their ice-environments for once?” Kail grumbled, sounding like his usual cheerful self. “I have scaled the outer walls twice and found three different access points we can use. The data has been sent to the sylth for viewing. This will not be a difficult infiltration. They think they are warriors, but their defenses are flimsy. Tch. If that is all the support the Krael can summon from afar, then they will lose.”
Ikriss had to concede that to one such as Kail, practically anything would look flimsy. “I will divide the squad. We will take the first two access points. You take the third.”
“Naturally,” Kail drawled, a hint of relish in his voice.
Everyone knew that Kail did not work well with others. In situations like this, it was better to give him a wide berth.
“We’ll leave the ships hovering above the building, in case a rapid extraction is needed. As a precaution, Zyara is on the Mhyndin. We do not know what condition the females will be in.”
“No,” Kail said ominously. “And if they have harmed or killed any innocents, they will die.” His voice grew deep and resonant, sending a strange tingle down the back of Ikriss’s spine. For he knew that Kail was a temanjin; a hunter who had the uncanny ability to tell the truth each and every time, even when it had not yet come to pass.
Someone was going to die; he felt it in his bones.
Why were hands and his cursed horn-buds tingling all of a sudden? He’d shaved his horns again before he’d left Silence. He’d applied an extra layer of the skin patch gel, which contained a powerful growth suppressant.
But his horn-buds were breaking through again, and they were exquisitely painful to the touch.
Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. At least his helm still fit, although it wouldn’t be long before his horns grew so much that it would become excruciating to wear.
No matter; he would worry about that later. Right now, he had a mission to execute.
It wasn’t even a particularly difficult mission. In the old Imperial times, stealing a group of alien slaves from their captors would have been fairly routine, only they would have sent the slaves to Kythia, where they would be divided up and given to the Noble Houses.
But for Ikriss, this mission had become incredibly important. These were Sienna’s people.
One of them was her friend.
And this was his chance to prove himself t
o her; to prove to her that he was no longer a creature of the Old Empire.
He opened comms with the Mhyndin. “Makhel, follow my descent and remain stationary above the extraction point. No cover fire unless I give the all-clear. This is going to be a delicate retrieval.”
“Human females and all that,” the pilot grunted. “I got the idea. Don’t worry, boss. Believe it or not, I know how to be cautious.”
Ikriss snorted. “No plasma strafing unless I give you the all-clear.”
“Disappointing, but I’ll play.”
“Cool your trigger finger, Mak,” Ikriss warned as the Crurix’s holo showed him an image of their target destination. “If we have to take them down, it will be by blade and sniper-grade precision. Not a single captive is to be harmed.”
“Understood,” Makhel snapped, accepting Ikriss’s order without question.
Ikriss grunted in approval and concentrated on his landing destination.
There it was; a walled compound set against a backdrop of thick jungle and rocky peaks. Half of the compound jutted out into a densely populated area of small ramshackle structures. Most of them appeared to be poorly constructed, with narrow footways and streets winding between a hotchpotch of asymmetrical roofs.
The compound itself was equally as wide as the area of human settlement. In the center was a high rectangular tower that had walls made of dark reflective glass. Because of their affinity for light, humans tended to use the fragile material for exterior walls, of all things. He brought up the map of the building that Kail had so kindly provided and quickly memorized the entry points and internal structure.
Kail was right, of course. The tower’s defenses were not very sophisticated. Perhaps these humans were not used to being challenged on their own territory.
As his cruiser descended, Ikriss reduced its velocity, heading for a paved clearing at the edge of the wall that appeared to be used for parking their strange wheeled land-vehicles.
He stopped and set the Crurix to hover mode, its powerful antigrav thrusters holding it in prefect suspension high above the compound. Noise-dampening suppressors meant it would not be detected by human ears. Advanced cloaking technology meant it was invisible to all but the most highly trained Kordolian eyes.
