Page 130 of The Edge of Dawn

So she did.

In her current state, she could go anywhere.

That’s when she understood that in certain hands, the krisalix could be a very potent weapon. A scrying device that allowed someone like her to cast her power across a near infinite distance.

An all-seeing eye.

She momentarily lost the thread of Dragek’s presence, but she didn’t panic. Time was different here, that was all.

Then, time ceased to exist.

It should have been terrifying, but it didn’t matter because she’d pinpointed him.

It should have been exhausting, but she was flush with power, filled to the brim with the energy and tension of a bond unfulfilled.

She knew exactly where he was.

She wouldn’t let any harm come to him. If she had to, she would pull his very soul from the embrace of death itself.

In her current state, she was fairly sure she could.

FORTY-TWO

And just like that, Tarak was there, staring Amun down with the coldest look Dragek had ever witnessed from a single individual, and he had known some terrible people in his lifetime.

Himself included.

He kept his hand steady, even though the walls of his mind were collapsing inwards.

Where is she?

If anything’s happened to her, I’ll kill them all.

He wasn’t rational anymore.

All he could do was focus on the tip of his blade, so close to the usurper’s vital artery. He could grant death with a simple flick of his wrist. It would be so quick Amun wouldn’t even know it.

“Amun Kazharan.” Tarak moved until he was in front of the chair, standing beside Dragek.

It was just him.

Kail, Ashrael, and the other one, Enki, were dealing with the rest of the ship.

The air was so thick that Dragek could have sliced through it. He felt Tarak’s aura, controlled as always, filled with icy menace.

Not even the slightest trace of emotion could be felt. No anger, no tension, no impatience.

He was perfectly in charge.

And his presence alone had a quelling effect on Dragek’s growing madness.

“Give me one good reason why Dragek shouldn’t put his blade through your neck right now.”

“Well played,” Amun said, his voice tinged with amused arrogance. “I was expecting a stealth attack, but nothing like this. A Silent One appears out of thin air. He’s a rare one indeed. I know how easily he could do it, but you don’t want to kill me. Trust me on that. Did you think I would invoke your ire without some sort of contingency plan? If I die, so do you—and everyone onboard this ship.”

Still, Tarak radiated nothing. No surprise, no anger, no urgency. Had he already anticipated Amun’s ploy? “What’s in question right now isn’t whether you live or die. It’s obvious you intended to draw us here. You need something from us that your allies can’t provide. There will be no opportunity for you to trigger that kill mechanism of yours, and you know it. I’ll give you one opportunity, Amun Kazharan. My very presence here should be evidence enough of my seriousness. So, now that your vessel is cut off from all outside means of detection and communication, you may speak freely.”

Amun stiffened. It was so very slight that an ordinary observer wouldn’t have noticed, but Dragek’s heightened state of awareness allowed him to notice every minute detail.

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