“No,” he agrees, the glint in his eyes boding trouble. “A hull breach is the last thing you need on your honeymoon.” His smirk widens. “If you have any questions about human anatomy, I’m here for you.”
Asshole.
“Let me guess,” Kadir says, aiming an uppercut my way. “You volunteered for this mission so Dariux wouldn’t ask me. You do realize I’m capable of making my own decisions about these things?”
I dance out of his way. We circle each other and I search for an opening. I land a blow on Kadir’s shoulder, but foolishly leave myself open for a hook to my jaw. Kadir pounces on the mistake. I snap my head back, and his blow glances off my jaw.
My ears ring. I shake my head ruefully, and Kadir grins at me. “Too slow, Danek. Slacking off on the training, are you?”
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint your fans.”
His attention wavers for a second as he turns to look, and I throw a right hook. He sways back, just catching himself before he stumbles. “Too distracted, Kadir,” I rebuke. “Slacking off on the training?”
Alice, who is sitting on the ground in a corner of the exercise yard, grimaces in sympathy. Kadir just laughs. “Nicely done.”
Our friendly bout is a far cry from the fights of old. When the Supreme Mother’s minions trained us, we were forced to hurt each other. They called it training, but it wasn’t. It was pain, and if I didn’t inflict it on my brothers, the rathr would dig deeper into me.
I don’t miss the old days. None of us do. The relentless drive for war, the constant battles, the screams of the dead and dying—I would leave all of those things behind in the past.
There’s just one loose end. First.
Mirak debriefed us after Hetov. First is convinced that he, First of the Draekons, is destined to be High Emperor. He believes he carries the Supreme Mother’s genes, and that gives him license to sit on the Crystal Throne.
Before her death, the Supreme Mother had planned to use us to carve a path to the throne. Her plan was diabolical. She would incite a civil war within the Empire by convincing the Draekons to rebel, and while everyone was distracted with that, she planned to use us to cut a swath through the High Emperor’s elite guards.
And I’d served as her unwitting tool. I’d convinced the Draekons that they needed to fight the tyranny of the High Empire. I made them believe that we were more than just soldiers. That we deserved the things the Zorahn preciously guarded—a life of our own, family, a home, a chance at happiness.
But it had ended in disaster. The uprising had failed. The Draekons had been captured and killed. The Supreme Mother knew the time of judgment was upon her. She had fled, taking with her the six Draekons of the Crimson Force, her greatest creations. But she hadn’t managed to escape. She died when the High Navy fired on her ship.
We had, however, survived. Locked in stasis, we’d been forgotten for a thousand years. Then, when we’d been awoken by Tarish, there was a new mission. A new rebellion. Of course. Everything changes, and everything stays the same.
“I didn’t do it for you,” I lie, snapping back to avoid his fist. “I’m bored. Getting restless. Can’t stay around here forever.”
“Hmm.” He ducks out of the way of my counterattack. “Why do I not believe you?”
A movement distracts me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Naomi emerge from the building, clad in a short pink shirt that barely covers her midriff, and tight grey pants that embrace the curve of her ass. Her shoulder-length blonde hair is tied back in her typical short braid. She sees Alice and gives her a cheerful wave.
Thwack. The blow lands squarely in my midriff, knocking the air out of me. Kadir gives me a smug grin. “I pulled my punch, you know. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your new bondmate.”
I straighten with a groan. “Not you too. Isn’t it enough that I had to listen to Ruhan this morning?”
“Caeron, no.” He holds his hands up. “Alice and I are agog with curiosity. Come on. I’ll buy you a drink while you tell me how this came about.”
Naomi and Alice jog in the direction of the compound gate. I gaze after their departing backs with a frown. “Are they going outside?”
“Yup. They’re going to run on the banks of the lake.”
“And you’re not going along with them?”
He tilts his head to one side. “Let me see,” he muses. “I will tell my small but extremely fierce mate that I need to accompany her because I don’t think she can’t take care of herself. You’ve met Alice. How do you think that conversation will go down?”
Valid point. I still don’t like it. If something were to happen to them…
“You’re telling me you’re not concerned?” I know I’m being paranoid, but none of us is safe, not when First is still alive, hatching one lunatic plan after another.
“We discussed my concerns,” he admits. “Alice pointed out that First could hardly land on Bestea without the Rebellion noticing. There was an argument. Well, many arguments. We agreed to a compromise. Ruhan has tracker drones on them.”
“Armed tracker drones?”
“Of course.” He raises an eyebrow. “Your concern for Alice is touching. Or is it concern for Naomi Knoll?”
“I believe you said something about buying me a drink,” I reply, dodging his question. “Let’s go.”
Most of our food on the base is synthesized, but there are also five commissaries scattered around the grounds where real food and drink are served. Kadir and I end up in the one on the top floor of my building.
Kadir sets two glasses of cold beer on the table and sits down. “I hear Naomi is coming with you to Noturn. How did that happen?”
“Dariux came up with the
