Chapter 5

Dakkan

Itold myself I was glad to have found her. The human female was accounted for. She was alive, although that wouldn't be the case if I'd arrived a few moments later. I'd arrived just in time. Now I faced the task of getting us both out of this place, whatever it was.

"Get in your vessel," I said to her. "I'm going to find us a water source."

She shook her head, sending tight black ringlets of hair moving around her face. Hair was different from Mitran brakas, but appealing in its own way. She had a very pretty face, too. Her skin was golden brown. Her eyes wide and dark. And her lips…hers were the most perfect lips I'd ever seen—full and lush and expressive. Just then, they were pursed in an expression of disagreement. "I should come with you."

I could tell straight off that this female was used to getting her way. She was a physician of high standing on Earth. Likely, she had plenty of people eager to do her bidding. But here, I was in charge. She would learn to listen to me. "No. You will stay here. That is final."

Those lush lips pursed further, flattening to an unhappy line. "What if something happens to you?" she demanded. "How would I know? I wouldn't be able to help you."

Help me? What was she talking about? "Nothing is going to happen to me." I gazed down at her, scowling. "I will scout for a water source and you will stay here with the door locked, so I won't worry about you."

She didn't even blink. She held my gaze as boldly as if she were a warlord herself. "But I would worry about you."

Iwas the one who blinked. No one worried about me. No one had ever worried about me. "Unnecessary," I said in a clipped tone. "As you just saw, I can handle anything out there. Unless you have some hidden combat skills, you are safest inside your vessel." I leaned down close, crowding her a little bit. It wasn't fair, but I needed to show her that she was not in charge. Close up, I could see her eyes widen. Thick fringes of lashes outlined wide, pretty eyes. I could see other things as well. There were enhancements to her that were clearly unnatural. Thin lines of black outlined her eyes. A reddish-pink color had been added to her cheekbones, adding luster to her brown skin. There was also what looked like a stain on her lips. I reached up to her face and ran my thumb over her cheek. The reddish-pink glow did not come off on my thumb. "These colors do not come off?"

Her eyes flashed with irritation. "They're permanent cosmetics. Not that it's any of your business."

"Permanent?" The look was subtle, but undoubtedly there. "Why would you do such a thing to yourself?"

"I'm busy." She threw up her arms and frowned at me. "It was quicker and easier—and painless—to add a little glow and color to my face so I didn't have to put it on every day." I reached up with the intention of touching her eyelid to see if that thin black outline came off, but she slapped my hand away. "Stop it. What do you even care?"

I narrowed my eyes, taking in the evidence right before me—humans, and species like them, were so obsessed with their technological advances, they made permanent alterations to their faces. It was unthinkable. "I don't care," I clarified. "It is strange to me that you chose to do this. You're beautiful. You need no enhancements."

She rocked back on her heels and stared up at me as if she didn't trust my words. "What do you mean by that?"

This female was going to be exhausting if she was going to question every single thing I said. "I meant it exactly the way I said it," I snapped. "But it's your face. Your business."

And it was. I had no business asking her about it. I certainly had no business touching her, although now that I had, I knew the soft feel of her skin. My fingers itched for more.

"That's right." She crossed her arms. "It is."

"So, tell me—do you have combat experience that would be useful out there in that forest?"

"Nice way to change the topic," she muttered. "And no, I have no combat experience. I have put people back together after combat, but I don't think that's what you mean."

"No, it is not." I resisted gloating, but that felt like an unreasonably hard-won battle. "And that settles it. You stay here."

She planted her hands on her hips. "Fine. But if you do get torn up out there, make it back so I can patch you up. I need you alive, Mitran."

No one had ever spoken to me that way before. Ever. Well, perhaps my mother did, before I became the warlord. She had long passed, and no one dared use such a tone with their leader. And yet Sabine glared up at me in defiance. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes narrowed to annoyed slits.

I leaned close again, taking in the scent of her. "I will come back to you," I said in a low voice. "I promise."

"Good." She nodded, maybe a little too vigorously. "See that you do. And if you come across water, try and clean some of that blood off your chest." She flicked her fingers towards the sticky mess in question. "You smell horrible."

I let out a chuckle. The pure audacity of this female was confounding. It was also amusing. Did she not realize how helpless she was? And yet she stood there, giving me orders like a queen.

I nodded, offering a mock bow. "As you wish, your highness."

Her lips twitched, but she pulled open the door of her transport vessel and stepped inside. My gaze fell to her absolutely perfect bottom as it stretched her snug pants. Sweet Skrah, the things I wanted to do to her luscious ass. "I'll be waiting for you here," she said over her shoulder before her expression turn to that of concern. "Dakkan, please be careful out there."

"I will." And I meant that. Despite having recklessly thrust myself into the Raak region, I usually acted with caution. It was a misjudgment I would regret for a long time to come. I turned and stalked out into the jungle, but waited until I heard the click of the door being fastened and I knew Sabine was safe inside, before going too far.

There was something about this female… She was exciting, and not only because she was so horrendously defiant. She had a fire inside of her, and it spoke to a flame inside of me, as well. I headed out into the forest, sniffing the air for the telltale scent of water. It was there. I could almost hear it all around me. Somewhere, I would find it. There would be a river or stream nearby. There had to be. Once our basic needs were met, we could plan our next steps.

And Sabine was right. I did stink. I followed the scent of water to a fresh trickling stream. It was about two thousand steps from her transport vessel. With relief, I sheathed my blade and rested my spear against a nearby tree. I crouched and pulled handfuls of water up, rinsing the creature's blood from me until none remained. Just to be careful, I sniffed the water and tasted it with only my tongue. It held no strange flavors or odors, but I resisted the urge to drink some. I'd boil it first, as there were too many living things in this jungle to trust that it hadn't been contaminated with something.

I dug into my pack and pulled out two empty watertight pouches. I filled them to the brim and sealed the tops before sliding them back into my bag. I was eager to return to Sabine and get the water boiled before nightfall. And to show Sabine that I did not need her to accompany me. That she did not need to worry. Plus, it should please her to know that there was a water source nearby.

As I reached for my spear, however, movement caught my eye, but this time, I was too slow to react. What I had rested my spear against was a viper, blue and perfectly disguised to look like part of the tree. The weight of my spear had pinned it there, but now freed, it lashed out. A lightning-fast strike, so quick I barely saw it, sent a slice of pain down my arm as long, thin fangs sank into my shoulder. It retracted just as fast, before slithering up the tree with a frightened hiss.

Almost instantly I felt a wave of fatigue pull at my limbs. My heart beat faster, but my lungs slowed. I leaned on my spear and began the trek back to the transport. My vision swam with each step, but I would return to Sabine. I would keep my promise. Those were the only things I could think of as I trudged through the forest feeling less well with each step. Fighting for consciousness on a walk that seemed to take forever. Gray haze clouded the edges of my vision. I could hear my lungs rattle as the viper's poison threaded through my body, slowly killing me. Or perhaps, not so slowly. I kept on, feeling as though my boots were being dragged down into the ground. "Sabine," I murmured when I'd reached the last step I could take. My legs gave out. I landed against something hard and hollow as I felt darkness overcome me.