Chapter 11

ELEVEN

When he came to, they were already inside a ship. Reclining in a high-backed chair, Dragek didn't need to open his eyes to know that Ashrael was beside him.

Impatience coursed through him. As he'd left her, he'd sensed one of the humans approaching.

Should have killed them both.

But it was too late for that now. All they could do was try to get to her before the humans did.

He'd beaten them badly. They would be out for revenge. They would want to hurt her.

The thought of her being harmed by the likes of them …

It triggered a strange reaction inside his cold, black heart.

Fury.

The intensity of it surprised him.

"I take it you know where she is, then?" Ashrael's cool voice infiltrated his consciousness, pulling him back to reality.

The Silent One stood across from him, unfazed as always, his arms folded, his stance relaxed.

" You're efficient," Dragek growled, mildly irritated that he'd been dragged onto this vessel without his awareness. It was difficult to tolerate such helplessness at the hands of another. But he also knew Ashrael would never dishonorably take advantage of him. It just wasn't his way. "She's in a dry, arid place. In a deep hole underground. Near something the humans call Coober Pedy. "

At the mention of the name, a holo along the wall activated. Dragek made sense of the symbols through his ka'qui sense, perceiving the display as a constellation of energies.

The ship's Sylth had already picked up on the coordinates. Obviously, the Darkstar Mercenaries had integrated a detailed map of the human version of Earth into their navigation systems.

"She's underground, in a deep hole cut into the surface of the earth. There's a pale four-wheeled vehicle at the entrance."

He wasn't surprised when the Sylth instantaneously narrowed down the coordinates based on his description. There was a slight rush, and then the ship rose into the air.

"It isn't far from here at all," Ashrael said mildly. "Interesting. In fact, it appears we've arrived."

"Already?" Dragek's impatience morphed into dark, seething tension. He craved violence.

And the promise of seeing her in the flesh was fuelling that feeling because he couldn't stand the thought of some pathetic human minions trying to steal her away.

Why? What is she to you?

He sensed the departure of kinetic energy from the ship; the sudden stillness as it came to a stop, landing seamlessly on the planet's arid crust.

Ashrael gave him a knowing look. "Go."

Something appeared in his hand. A metal canister. He tossed it to Dragek.

He snatched it out of the air. "What's this?"

"Nano-coating. For your skin. You aren't properly dressed, and the ultraviolet here is harsh. It'll burn you to a crisp if you don't protect yourself."

"I didn't realize you could be so thoughtful, katach ."

The Silent One bared his fangs. "I choose when to be. The Universe has changed. So have I. You'd better do the same if you want to survive in this new order."

Dragek said nothing. He wasn't an idiot. The time he'd spent locked inside his own body under the control of the Mistress had taught him many things.

The first was that nothing was ever as it seemed.

The second was that he was constantly surprising himself. He might be a killer, but he was capable of much more than they could ever have understood.

And his new masters were the only ones that seemed to get that.

He rose to his feet and rolled his neck, teasing out his minor aches and pains.

"Do you know how to use it?" Ashrael nodded at the small metal tube in his hand.

"No."

"Press it against your bare skin—anywhere will do—and push the release button."

Dragek placed the tip against his chest. "As long as this thing isn't going to kill me."

"Idiot. If I wanted you dead, you would be already."

"You don't need to remind me." The subtle fact of Ashrael's supremacy grated on his nerves. He would do everything in his power to surpass him.

He pressed the release button.

A faint tingle danced across his skin, spreading to every exposed inch of his body.

"An invisible layer of nanoscopic ultraviolet blockers," Ashrael said dryly. "Courtesy of Darkstar's original medic."

"This would have been useful on Bartharra," Dragek muttered under his breath, knowing Ashrael could hear. "Or any other infernal desert planet. Why didn't they think of it sooner?"

A soft laugh escaped the Silent One. "Our old masters weren't so considerate. Now, go. Before your little human gets truly hurt."

"She isn't my human."

"Hm." For some reason, Ashrael's mild response irritated him all the more.

"Just me, then? You aren't going to come?"

"Why would I need to?"

Instantly, Dragek understood the ridiculousness of his question.

"Go, katach. The only thing that could possibly work against you now is time."

As he exited the ship and walked out into the blazing sunlight, it occurred to Dragek that Ashrael hadn't given him a weapon.

But then again, the Silent One knew him all too well. They were forged from the same stuff, after all.