The room comes back into focus as Ren plops my ass on the table near the star map, just as the rest of the males and Naya come rushing through the door.
“Sol, contact your spies near Fen and Nico. Confirm both males are dead.”
His eyes widen. “Dead, Acia?”
“No one outside of Elias’s group and our own knew of his current whereabouts. I granted approval for him to return to a previously used position while he explored the lead we provided him—a suspected lab near the Valduric Pass.”
Nexx slams his hands on the table, curling them into fists. “You believe the Inokine and the humans obtained the information from Fen and Nico? But how? They would not have known of your most recent instructions.”
Sol pales. “Before they opted to avenge Injari and Urina at the Cuelling, Nico and Fen both assisted me in cataloging the males’ reported locations. Now I understand why you believe them to be dead. After we breached their facility and took Xen, the Universal Community would not risk keeping them alive.”
A deep growl tears from Orion’s throat as he grips the chair in front of him. “Fuck! What are we to do, Acia?”
“We will continue our path. I need to meditate. Rivan, Nexx, Tor: run down the list, contact each clan. Tell them to abandon their positions and use the newest destination they have secured. Ragar, pull the weapons and prepare them. We will not dawdle. Once we have our enemies within our reach, we need to act quickly. Ensure we are prepared on all fronts. Tao, check the ship’s security measures and work out a plan of defense with Naya. We will require all our males in this battle, and I will not allow for our females to be left vulnerable.”
I perk up in my chair. “What about me?”
Ren strides over to cup my face. “Inform the other females what has occurred.”
“And if they wish to do something to help?”
“Then Nayanthiana will accommodate them in any way she can.” He runs a thumb across my lips. “What is it that you need, my Aciana?”
I rub my eyes to clear my head, and an ache flares to life in my chest. A child…
“I want you to make them bleed.”
Ren’s pupils widen, blotting out all hint of crystal blue. “For you, and for my people. They will beg for death.”
Chapter Thirty
Jayla
My gaze follows the curve of Ren’s ass as he pounds his fists into Ragar’s face. The tightly bunched muscles of his back twist as he ducks, gliding around his opponent’s jab. Normally, the sight of him covered in sweat and half-naked would have me all kinds of ready to throw him down, but not today. Equal parts anticipation and dread, the collective atmosphere this morning is anything but pleasant. It’s downright depressing.
A child has died. One of their most precious gifts, children are elevated to the highest extreme, and no one knows how to deal with the loss. It’s never happened before. Not only that, they also lost a leader. One of their stronger males.
They’ve been sparring for hours. Each male laying into the next with a lethal ferocity I’ve only seen them reserve for battle. So much rage and anger. And they’re all a bloody mess.
Ren’s energy is dark, and no matter how many times he and Ragar bring each other to their knees, he can’t sate the misery inside him.
The females are in mourning. They all joined together clutching their young. Even Injari came downstairs to participate in the death ritual. My heart broke watching the tears stream down their faces.
The nail on my thumb is gnawed down to a sad little nub by the time Ren stops beating on Ragar and takes a breather. With little else to do, I’ve rearranged his weapons bag a hundred times. The male can single handedly destroy an army, but I’m nervous he’s going to interrogate a human? Even with me there in his head the whole time?
Ridiculous. I’m annoying myself.
The facts are staring me right in the face, and it makes me incredibly unsettled. Before, the Illusians seemed untouchable. So superior in every way, I never once doubted we would all survive and get through this once we found the source and snuffed it out. But now? I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me, and I’m floundering to catch my breath.
If they could get to a child and kill a high-ranking male…
What does that mean for the rest of us?
Ren’s growl brings me out of my thoughts. He storms toward me, shoving Illusian males out of the way. Heat radiates off his slick skin as he barges into my space and scoops me up, then plops me onto his lap. He grabs my face and presses his hot mouth to mine.
“You question your safety—” I try to open my mouth, and he silences me with another kiss, then continues. “I am the strongest of my kind. Born and bred with a lethality that is unmatched. I will find the trash that has orchestrated my people’s suffering and the fucks who carried it out, and they will crumble beneath my fingers. Do not fear those that stand against us. It is they who should cower under the strength of our resilience and drive. They will suffer. Bleed for what they have done. And I will not have you unfocused and unsure of our path. We will find our justice. And you will sit on a throne made from their bones if it pleases you.”
An errant chill runs down my spine at the thought of him literally stacking up dead bodies and expecting me to sit on them.
That’s a hard pass for me.
The intensity of his gaze smothers all rising humor, and I choose my words carefully, knowing he’s about to combust. “I’d never doubt you. I’m just worried and sad, that’s all. Tell me again why you don’t want me coming with you to meet the guy Sol’s contacts found?”
“If the male has information we can utilize, obtaining his ship requires only two males. Any more and too much attention could be drawn. Are you not satisfied to be present in my mind?”
The knot in the strap securing one of his weapons to his side is driving me nuts. It’s too loose, and no matter how many times I try to re-tie it, I’m unsatisfied. Ren squeezes my hands to stop my fidgeting.
“I know. I just…I hate that I won’t physically be there with you.”
Ren studies my face, his gaze lingering on my frown lines. “Your worry is unnecessary. And atypical of your normal response.” He tips my chin up, forcing me to look up. “As I have told you before, nothing can keep me from you.”
“Fuck, I know. I’m just feeling extra dramatic for some reason. Ignore me. I hate that I’ll be stuck here, unable to help…”
He presses his lips to mine, tracing his tongue along the seam, then cocks a brow. “You are impossible to ignore. Your desire for vengeance is intoxicating. Come.”
Placing me on my feet, Ren pulls me toward the sweaty, bare chested Illusians. The males stop fighting and split as I pass through the center of the group.
What the hell is he doing?
Arranging my hands and curling them into fists, he positions them in front of me like Naya did during the females’ private training.
The males watch curiously as Ren extends his arm. “I have put off thoughts of your training, not wanting to acknowledge the possibility of our failure to protect you. You are my Aciana, my mate, and if I am willing to give my life for you, I must be willing to allow you to fight for your own.”
Ren scans the room, gaze lingering on each male. “Gather your females. It is time we offer them a choice. Be protected or allow them to participate in defending themselves.”
Holy shit. It’s one thing for me to take the females aside and have Naya teach them. But for Ren to declare it as part of the males’ responsibility…
Every female from this day forward will get a choice, and no one can hide behind tradition as a reason to deny them.
Ren
Seventeen males armed with nothing more than burn blasters come and go, loading the ordered supplies while their ship captains and the rest of their crews travel down the air tubes in search of entertainment.
Of the four ships currently docked, at least two are Universal Community sponsored, but neither are easily identif
ied. No markings display their ownership, but the structure, the angle of the ship’s nose is a dead giveaway. Cocky pricks. Prideful enough to assume they can hide in plain sight.
A Dicottian male exits his vessel, unaware of my presence. I sit within killing reach, and yet, the male is so concerned with what is being pedaled at the station’s core, he does not notice. It is not only this male, but others, as well. They exude a frivolity I cannot comprehend. Armed, they travel in large groups to and from their vessel, but still, they do not look over their shoulders. Do not assign another male to keep watch. Most are so inebriated they do not even register their surroundings.
Or that death is near.
“Don’t kill anyone yet. You haven’t even met with the guy.”
I have only a vague description of the human male I am to intercept. Brown hair. Green eyes. His exterior is of no consequence. Only fools rely on their sense of sight to identify their enemies. Those who truly wish to hide hold their sins deep beneath the surface. The stink of guilt cannot be washed away, and this place is fucking saturated.
Remaining in the shadows, I tug the overcoat concealing my skin tight and seamlessly blend in with the group of ten males making their way down the air tubes toward the station’s interior.
Fidgeting hands draw my attention. A thin human cowers at a table in the back, hood drawn in an attempt to conceal his face. His mind... I cannot feel it.
According to Sol’s reports he is expecting a member of the underground who is capable of providing him with documentation for a new identity. With enough currency, anything can be bought, including the loyalty of the spies Sol prefers to use.
The black of his hood shifts as he raises his gaze, zeroing in on my superior form. His muscles tense in preparation to run. Pathetic. Too quickly for him to follow, I lunge, withdrawing my blade and embedding it in the table next to him. Time is of the essence, and I have no desire to give chase.
Nostrils flared wide, likely scenting the human’s terror, the Dicottian male I spotted while entering shifts two seats away. Most of the other patrons pay no mind, once again oblivious to the threat in their wake.
White stains the human male’s knuckles as he clutches the sides of the table. I may not be able to read his mind. But the set of his shoulders and the sweat forming on his brow give away his indecision.
His voice trembles. “Fuck. I should have known better. I’m such an idiot. No one escapes. Not after they put this shit in my head… He slams his palm against his forehead. I remain quiet, letting him speak. “So, what did that prick Braxick pay you to kill me?”
A growl rattles in my chest at the vile insinuation.
“Choose your words carefully, human. I do not work for filth. Tell me what you know of him or precede him in death.”
The table rattles as a green-scaled female employee places a large drink in front of the male. He swallows hard, staring at the liquid, then picks it up and brings it to his lips. Irritation tightens my jaw as he drains the glass, and I fight the urge to withdraw my blade and relieve him of his head.
Inconsiderate prick.
“I only know what I’ve seen. He’s ancient as fuck, but he looks like he’s thirty. And the things he orders…it isn’t right. I just want to get out. I didn’t sign up for this shit. All I wanted to do was get enough money to get a place on Trist, but when I started delivering to that freak show—”
His voice stutters and fades as I squeeze his throat in warning.
The male talks too much.
“What type of deliveries?”
“Last month included shit you’d use to torture someone, along with baby toys, and a ton of other sketchy stuff. Other suppliers have…disappeared when they asked questions before. I just want to get away from him. My next delivery is later today, and I can’t stand to look at them.”
“Who?” I snarl.
“Calm down or you’re going to kill him. You have to keep him talking…”
“The people—things—they force to work for them. Shackled like slaves. It’s sick, man. I know I wasn’t supposed to look, but I couldn’t help myself. Women and children…it’s not right. And no one will do anything about it because the place doesn’t really exist. I tried to request re-assignment, but Braxick’s goons threatened me.”
Red fills my gaze, and my field of vision sharpens. Babes. Blood. They are all going to die.
The male startles at the sound of Sol’s tablet slapping against the table. “Record everything you know. Security measures, coordinates, routines, documentation needed to access the facility. Everything.”
The male shakes his head. “I can’t. There’s a new algorithm every day. A new key. A new passcode. It syncs automatically with my currency implant…”
“Offer him an exchange. You know Sol can create a new identity for him. He helps us, comes along so we can breach the lab, and then we have Sol give him what he wants.”
“I do not trust him.”
“Yeah. Well neither do I, but the only way we’re getting in that place is with someone on the inside.”
My vision narrows, and I clench my fists to control my rage. He remains still, eyes locked on me. Jayla is right. It does not matter how strong and fierce we are if we are unable to breach the compound. We know nothing of the exterior defense system, and if it is similar to the schematics Sol discovered in the Universal Community archives, then our vessel’s shield will not withstand their weapons.
“You will come with us. Assist us in breaching the compound, then once we have successfully eliminated our enemies, you will be given the documentation you desire.”
His brows rise. “You could really do that? Give me a new identity? One they can’t trace and find me?”
The urge to rip off his face is almost too much, and I clench my jaw trying to tamp down my irritation. Does this male think I speak empty words as a form of entertainment?
“Don’t kill him. Seriously, he sounds like he’s going to go for it.”
“Yes. If you comply with our requests.”
The male rubs his face then looks over his shoulder. “All right. Meet me here in six hours. Bring as many of your guys as you can.” His throat bobs. “You’re going to need them.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jayla
He’s staring at her. The long scar snaking around his neck is more pronounced in the kitchen lights. Leandra can act as hard as she wants, but there’s a pure fear in her eyes she can’t hide.
Neither can I. This really sucks.
Their conversation is inaudible—Ragar’s tone so low only she can hear. But the expression on her face says it all. She’s telling him to go, but she doesn’t mean a damn word of what she’s saying. Baby hormones or not, the girl is an emotional mess. She’s sick, so exhausted she’s barely able to keep herself awake, and yet, she’s sitting there with a clenched jaw and a straight spine threatening to kick his ass if he doesn’t join me and the other males infiltrating Braxick’s lab.
She stiffens as he cups her face, and by God, her lip quivers like she’s about to break, but she doesn’t. Choosing instead to stand on her own and pad toward me, leaving Ragar there to huff and glare at the wall.
The chair legs scrape against the floor as she sags into the chair next to mine. I reach forward and squeeze her arm. “Any luck?”
She shrugs. “He says he’ll go, but then the next second he swears on his honor never to leave my side, so who knows?” Leandra swallows hard, slapping her hand over her mouth like she’s trying to stop herself from vomiting.
“You all right, girl? I thought with all the fluids and rest, the nausea would have given you a break.”
“Fuck no. I’m miserable. But for some strange reason, totally happy about it.” I cock a brow, and she rolls her eyes. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”
“You’re not happy with the barfing, but with the reason behind it. I get it.”
Leandra turns away, glancing once more at Ragar. The sound of her leg rubbing against
the table as she bounces it up and down is all I hear before she exhales and nervously wipes her hands on her pants. “You’ll watch out for him, right?”
I snort. “You’re asking me to watch out for Ragar? He’s a bonified killing machine. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
She groans. “I know it’s dumb, but just promise me, all right?”
The hint of tears in her eyes competes with the giant bags underneath them, and I can’t help but feel for her. I’m going nuts just sitting here waiting for Ren. I can’t even imagine how it would feel to stay put while he fights against the very people that led us all to cross paths.
“Hey.” I pull her into a side hug. “Stop worrying.”
Leandra laughs. “Oh, and don’t let him bring back any trophies, all right? Severed head doesn’t really go with our décor.”
Ren
I repeat the sequence in my head, calculating our risks and estimating our chances of success. “Again.”
“There is no other data available, Acia. We either attempt an advance on our own, or we offset the risks and trust the human. Either way, we are going in mostly blind.”
The table shakes underneath my fists. “And the compound cannot be breached from any other entry point.”
Sol shakes his head. “There is only one way in, Acia.”
Our lack of information is infuriating. The humans already attempted to use the Haug against us. Their attempt to access our bond failed, but their intent was made clear. They desire to control us and will use any means necessary to advance their cause.
Outside of my own, there is only one mind strong enough to subdue our enemies—that of my mate. And together, we will bring them to their knees.
The decision weighs heavy on my shoulders. She is strong—as ferocious and as determined as the most elite Illusian warrior—but she has a unique softness that puts her at risk.
I will not be without her.
“Then we will take it. Fuck the human. If he turns against us, he dies. “
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