by Anna Carven
I know that place like the back of my hand. I will be gone before they can even comprehend what has happened.
What’s going to happen?
I can’t say, and it’s not for you to worry about.
“Ashrael,” she growled, growing restless. She didn’t like this at all. Her disquiet was partly driven by fear. What if…
What if you don’t come back to me? She blurted the thought before she even realized she’d put it into mindspeech.
“I have to come back to you,” he assured her. “Trust me, my love, you are more necessary to me than breathing.”
Do not worry, he said, his voice a gentle whisper in her mind. Our bond is stronger than ever. You will be able to reach me even from here. I’m not leaving you.
“Better not be,” she murmured as he gently grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. “I’ll come for you if you do anything stupid.” She closed her eyes and tried something Elgon had explained to her in theory. She gathered her ka’qui, harnessing her energy and concentrating it into a long, narrow shape. Then she used it like a whip, curling it around Ashrael’s waist, drawing him towards her.
“Ah,” he exclaimed, his voice full of approval, “you have started to learn qwacha.” He leaned into her as she slid the tendril of energy up and down his body, snaking it beneath his robes, feeling him. He practically purred with pleasure.
“Qwacha?”
“Adding density to the ka’qui. Moving it as if it were an extension of your own body. Even the Mistress cannot do it. I certainly can’t.”
“And here I thought you were the expert when it came to this kind of thing.”
“My abilities are limited mostly to sensory functions, and to what I can do within myself. Second sight, speed, strength, invisibility, sensing the intentions of others, and qim. I can’t read thoughts, and I can’t move or manipulate the ka’qui so well. They destroyed my sight at birth to enhance my senses, and they sealed many of my channels, leaving me with only the talents they deemed necessary for a killer to possess. They wanted me dangerous, but not too dangerous. They wanted me controlled, but not too controlled.”
“Oh, Ash…” She kissed his cheek, sorrow welling up inside her. Although he spoke of these things as if they were no big deal, she ached at the thought of Ashrael being forced into a life of terrible servitude. How he hadn’t ended up a complete sociopath was a miracle in itself.
“Don’t you ever feel sorry for me,” he whispered, bringing his lips to hers. He kissed her gently, tasting her, teasing her. “I don’t deserve it.”
“Oh, shut up,” she retorted, bringing the long tendril of her invisible energy up to his neck. She slid it along his shoulders, curling it around his chest and neck. “If I want to care about you, then I will. I can’t help it if the thought of you suffering makes me sad.”
“Only you would care so much for a wretch like me.”
“Likewise.” She exerted just a little more pressure, applying downwards force, testing him. She smirked as the surprised expression on his face turned to amusement. He grinned, his fangs flashing in the dim starlit room.
They were alone in the viewing port, and the silence was blissful.
“Are you trying to say something, my love?”
“Just testing.”
“You are not yet strong enough to do that, although you have improved immensely.” His voice was loaded with approval. “But there are easier ways to bring me to my knees.”
“Oh yeah?”
“All you have to do is ask.”
She withdrew her ka’qui then, because her concentration was beginning to waver, and she couldn’t hold the vine-like form for too long. “Ask?”
He dropped to his knees, unleashing his ka’qui, which was normally tightly controlled. She’d seen him do strange things with it; there were times when he could make himself almost invisible in a room full of people. Sometimes she swore he did it just for kicks, startling his fellow Kordolians when he abruptly dropped his intricate cloaking.
But he never hid from her. He couldn’t. She would always be able to find him through the bond.
Ashrael tucked his thumbs under the flexible waistband of her loose trousers, pressing his lips to the skin below her navel. “Ask.”
“Then I’m asking,” she whispered, her voice quivering. She lost control of her ka’qui completely as lust rose within her, consuming her thoughts.
He planted slow, wet kisses on her skin, pulling down her trousers so that they pooled around her ankles. Her panties were next to fall, leaving her bare-assed and shivering slightly in the cool air.
Goosebumps rose all over her skin. Her pussy throbbed with sudden overwhelming need. She placed her hands on his head, tracing over his beautiful, intricate braids, running her fingers down his temples, over his pointed ears, across his sculpted cheekbones.
She loved how alien and exotic he looked. His appearance told no lies; there was no way he could be mistaken for anything else but a fast, deadly, silent predator.
Ask, he insisted, cupping her ass with his large hands. He inhaled deeply, his kisses trailing just a little bit lower until he reached the soft tuft of hair between her legs.
His tongue darted out, cheekily tracing the sensitive skin above her clit, but avoiding that deliciously charged area for now.
“I’m asking you, Ash.”
What do you want?
“I want you to…” She closed her eyes.
Hmm?
“Ohh,” she moaned, as he briefly denied her what she needed most. “Please, Ash.”
His tongue darted out, finding her tender nub. Noa whimpered as a jolt of pleasure shot through her body and down her legs, making her quiver.
This is what you like, isn’t it?
Cheeky, impossible man.
“Yes,” she sighed, her breaths becoming shallow. “Please.”
Again?
She nodded furiously, her fingers twining with his braids as he sucked gently on her clit.
Her world exploded into bliss. “Oh, fuck,” she sighed, her brain going into sensory overload. Because she could feel his energy rippling all over her, and it was full of satisfaction and need. She could feel his arousal, and it was making her even more horny.
Yes, he agreed, pleasuring her again and again until she could take it no more. Her ka’qui escaped her, radiating throughout the room, swirling wildly as he ran the tip of his warm tongue over her tender flesh.
She was shaking all over, and she was definitely no longer cold. Her skin was slick with sweat, her breaths came in tiny, whimpering gasps, and her knees were threatening to give way.
I can’t take it anymore. Please, Ash.
What do you want?
Please, she begged. I want to…
He slid his finger into her pussy and fucked her gently with it as he drew his tongue across her clit. He held her on the edge between arousal and climax, denying her what she craved most. Noa moaned in frustration and pleasure.
“I want to do this,” he growled, and before she knew what was going on, he had withdrawn, risen to his feet, and pulled her into his arms, and they were moving in a blur. She found herself pressed up against the cold, hard surface of the viewing port, looking out towards the stars.
Ashrael’s body was wrapped around hers, and somewhere between there and here, he’d discarded his dark Kordolian robes and become naked.
“I ran out of patience,” he whispered, his voice sinfully dark and velvety like molten chocolate. He pressed her against the window, his strong hand encircling her neck from behind as he entered her, lifting her slightly with his artificially enhanced arm. His cock was there, sliding up inside her, parting the moist folds of her pussy as he took her, possessing her completely, consuming her mind, body, and soul as he fucked her. His thrusts grew wilder, his movements more savage, his lovemaking filled with reckless abandon.
Noa pressed her hands against the window, her hot breath steaming the transparent surface as she stared out at the stars, becomi
ng lost in Ashrael and the Universe as their energies merged.
And when they came, their voices joining in a perfect primal harmony, the stars seemed to blur and shift and reset themselves again, and their bond, as powerful as it was, grew just that little bit stronger.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I feel sick,” Noa said as Ashrael ran his fingers through her hair. She wasn’t entirely sure of the exact numbers - she had no concept of time anymore - but it had probably been months since they’d left Earth, and her wavy mahogany colored hair had grown out nicely, reaching the nape of her neck.
He loved playing with her dark strands, often twisting them into impossibly complicated braids that he then undid, brushing them out with his fingers until there was no trace of his original handiwork.
“You are not well?” he asked, radiating concern. He placed his hands over hers. “In what way?”
“There’s a strange pressure in my head. It’s like having a migraine, only it’s not painful. It’s as if…” she struggled to find the right words to describe exactly what she was feeling. “It’s like I’m standing inside a vacuum, and the only thing stopping my brain from being sucked out and dispersed is my skull.”
“Have you spoken to Elgon about this?” Ashrael’s voice was sharp with worry.
“I have,” she admitted, squeezing his hand. “He said it’s definitely something to do with the ka’qui, but he’s not entirely sure what it could be. He told me that sometimes funny things happen when people with the talent get close to Kythia. The Dark Planet has some kind of innate power of its own.” She turned and studied his face in fascination, wondering if he was a throwback to some ancient, powerful line. After all, he was different to the other Kordolians, both in appearance and ability. “He said that’s the reason the Zor came to your planet in ancient times and enslaved the Kordolian race.”
“That’s a common and fanciful myth,” Ashrael said, “but I’m not interested in ancient history right now. The Kordolians are slaves no more, and the Zor were wiped out long before you or I ever breathed. If you are getting sick, then…” He shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice. “I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you.”
“Hang on.” Noa held up a hand, closing her eyes. “The feeling was there, and now it’s gone. It comes and goes. It’s unpredictable.”
“You should have told me first,” he scolded, placing his hands on her temples.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. I was hoping it would pass, but the closer we get to Kythia, the worse it becomes. I think Elgon’s onto something.”
“I will tell Akkadian to turn around,” Ashrael said. “If being nearer to Kythia is making you sick, then we must veer away.”
Noa shook her head. “You can’t turn back an entire battle cruiser just because of me. I’ll go to the medical bay and get myself checked out. I just wanted you to know first. Maybe it’s just because of all the turning and backtracking we’ve done lately. Maybe I have some weird version of motion sickness.”
Silence had woven a strange path through the Sector One, a winding, convoluted, secretive path that avoided any sign of civilization.
According to Ashrael, the ship was cloaked, invisible to all but those who really knew how to look for it. That was all he knew. When she’d asked him to try and comprehend the General’s flight plans, he’d simply shrugged and told her it was all part of the plan.
“You think he tells me anything? I know as much as you do,” was all he’d said, and she knew by his aura that he was telling the truth.
Lying wasn’t a big part of Kordolian culture, at least not amongst these warriors.
“Make sure you get it checked,” Ashrael growled, his dark eyes burning as he considered her carefully. She felt a familiar ripple as he scanned her with his second sight. “We will go now. I will accompany you.” He spun her around and Noa came face-to-face with his distractingly bare chest. Like most Kordolians, he was tall, and the top of her head came to about the level of his jawline. He’d just come from a sparring session, and he wore his dark training pants and nothing else.
Her thoughts instantly turned lustful and she forced herself back to reality. His serious expression helped. He was not going to let her get away with not being seen.
He spirited her out of her chambers and led her down the corridor, just as the weird sensation struck Noa again. This time, it was accompanied by his probing mental touch.
“It’s a ka’qui thing,” he agreed, his black eyes widening in surprise. “When it happens, try and put your barriers up. Try it now.”
She closed her eyes and concentrated, visualizing her barriers the way Elgon had taught her. What worked for her was to picture herself standing in a box made of glass. It signified that she was present in the moment, but she wasn’t vulnerable to outside interference.
To her surprise, it seemed to work. The weird sensation of pressure faded, and when she looked up, she saw Ashrael staring down at her, worry etched onto his face.
“You were right,” she murmured, focusing on him once again. It took concentration to hold the barriers in place, but she was a lot better at multitasking now than she had been a few months ago. “That seemed to work, at least for now.”
“Good. But you will still get yourself examined and scanned. I will not take any chances with you, my love.”
“I’m sure it’s noth-” Nothing serious, she was about to say, but Ashrael put a finger to her lips.
“No nothings, no buts. I am taking you now.” Before she could protest, before she even realized what was happening, he lifted her into his arms, sweeping down the corridor towards the medical bay.
“I can still walk,” she protested meekly, even though she was rather enjoying the sensation of being held tightly in his arms. “It’s just a headache. I’m not an invalid, Ash.”
“Hm,” he agreed, but he didn’t let her down. Instead, he increased his speed, whipping past a startled officer as they descended into the dark depths of the ship.
It was a bit like being on a hypercoaster ride, although Noa wasn’t afraid. There was no way Ashrael would make a mis-step or put her in danger. He was inhumanly fast and sure-footed in the darkness, and she closed her eyes, tightening her grip around his neck and losing herself in silence and motion.
After losing faith in everything, she had somehow learned to trust again. Trust had been delivered to her in the form of a quiet assassin who had darkness woven into his being. She was under no illusions about him; he was capable of doing terrible things, but he would never, ever hurt her.
Perhaps the Universe had known what it was doing when it thrust them together in the desert in the most unlikely of circumstances, and perhaps the curse SynCorp had inflicted on her had turned out to be the greatest blessing in disguise.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ashrael left Noa sleeping, slipping out of their bed without making a noise. He kissed her softly on the cheek, taking care not to wake her before stealing a moment to study her face, marveling at the way her features had become so serene in sleep. To his relief, the medical examination had revealed nothing but an old scar on her brain, the result of past Human meddling, and her symptoms seemed to have abated for now.
Once again, he resolved to kill those Humans who were responsible for her suffering.
Good bye, my love, he whispered, but she didn’t stir. It was better this way. He would only cause her unnecessary angst if he bothered her with a long and drawn-out farewell. Besides, they would still be able to communicate through their bond, which become long and deep and powerful over the course of their trip through the Nine Sectors. With Silence floating within transport-distance of Kythia, there was no way he would lose contact with her.
And anyway, he would be back soon.
He made his way towards his original quarters, a decidedly cramped and less spacious affair than hers. His room was situated closer to where the military rank-and-file of the ship l
ived.
Clearly, the General hadn’t thought it necessary to afford him any special treatment. He had been free to visit Noa in his spare time, but he’d been expected to eat and sleep with the rest of them, just like any ordinary soldier.
But he had trained only with the soldiers of the First Division, who had all been ridiculously eager to take him on. With their accelerated healing and enhanced physical abilities, they were best equipped to match a killer of his speed and strength.
Ashrael entered his room and located the items he needed. They were close enough to Kythia now; he could feel the pull of his home planet, and it wasn’t because of gravity.
The Dark Planet had always emitted a strange magnetic energy. Sometimes, he felt as if there was a sentient core hidden underneath its icy surface. At other times, there was nothing but silence, reminding him that Kythia was just a big old lump of frozen rock.
With luck, he could reach the surface, complete his mission, and return to Noa before she awoke. Assassinations were Generally swift and straightforward affairs if one managed to evade detection, and the best assassinations were those where one encountered the least resistance, or no resistance at all.
He unsealed the wrapped package on his bedtable, producing a soft, flexible skinsuit. Its pale, seamless fabric absorbed the darkness, reflecting its surroundings.
Ashrael shed his robes and dressed, pulling the skinsuit over his lean body. He ran his ka’qui over it and felt his energy settling into the finely woven saladin fibers.
The skinsuit was made of a fabric that was conducive to ka’qui. It was an incredibly expensive and rare item, for the saladin fibers were found only on a planet called Mugon-Ta, a jungle world where they harvested the material from tiny but extremely venomous insects, each creature producing only a microscopic amount.
How Akkadian had managed to obtain the rare fabric required to make the suit was beyond him.
The suit went up to his neck, forming a hood that covered the back of his head, concealing his hair but leaving his face uncovered. Every other part of him was covered now, from his feet to his hands to his head. Ashrael slipped on a pair of soft boots made from a similar but more durable material. Then, he began to assemble his arsenal.
