Page 133 of The Edge of Dawn

“It won’t happen in this age.”

“No. That’s why they’ve searched far and wide to find the tesseract.”

“What is the significance of this… this portal, this tesseract?” The implications made Dragek’s mind spin. Was Amun mad, or was it actually possible to…

“The Fourth Dimension is unlike anything else. It’s the most dangerous thing in the Universe. You should know that already, katach. The Zor weren’t stupid. They had completely forbidden their kind from using it to move through different points in time. But that’s not going to stop your enemies from using it to kill him because right now, they can’t.” His gaze shifted to Tarak. “They think he’s the key to unraveling everything.”

“To travel through time itself…” Dragek couldn’t help but feel skeptical. The whole thing sounded like a madman’s fantasy.

Just to kill Tarak al Akkadian.

But if it was true, then…

What if the man standing beside him had never been allowed to become the powerful monster he was now?

What of him?

What of Jade?

What was the point of it all?

If any of this bothered Tarak, he wasn’t showing it. How could he be so unaffected? “We’ve already conducted a full-scale survey of Duxuth. There’s no evidence of a structure resembling a portal.”

“You think the Zor would just leave that thing out in the open for all to find? Of course, it’s hidden. The High Lords have been searching for this thing for decades. At first, they wanted to use it to bring down my mother, but now, you’re considered the worse of two evils.”

“And you profess you will lead us to this thing. In exchange for what?”

Amun’s sole eye glittered. “At last, we get to the heart of the matter. Fortunately for you, they aren’t going to enact the plan until I arrive. Maybe you can kill them before they send someone through the portal. Actually, you have to; otherwise, everything that’s happened up until this point will cease to exist.”

“What do you want?” Dragek grated, growing impatient with Amun’s know-it-all tone. The bastard was a little too smug with his schemes and his plans, although Dragek didn’t sense any duplicity in his aura.

“I’ll give them to you. The ones that think they can control me. You will wipe every last trace of their existence from the Universe. The humans and the children on this ship—you will ensure their safety at all costs. Bring them into your fold and treat them as your own.”

Dragek’s anger and suspicion turned into shock.

This male… wanted to protect the humans and their offspring?

Was this another trick, or had he been hiding his true intentions all along, even from the ones that were supposed to be his allies?

Still, Tarak didn’t appear to be the least bit surprised. What did it take to actually get this man off-guard?

“And what of you?”

“I would be stupid to think you would trust me just like that. You might even decide to kill me, but at least I know you won’t kill the humans or their children. Not you. Do with me as you will. But you must promise me one other thing.”

“Tell me.”

“There’s a girl—well, almost a woman now—held onboard the Prime Ship. Unfortunately, she believes everything the noble lords tell her. She’s a child of the empire, through and through. But no matter what her state of mind, I want you to take her alive and unharmed.”

“She’s Kordolian?”

“As ever.”

This was news to Dragek. A female child? When the only offspring born in the last few decades had been male?

“Who is she to you?” Tarak asked, exchanging a meaningful look with Kail. Some silent communication passed between them, completely eluding Dragek.

Just focus on the job, he told himself, even though it felt like the Universe was falling apart around him.

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