Page 138 of The Edge of Dawn

For who else could work such a miracle, weaving light into the very fabric of his darkened soul?

He would do anything to protect her Universe.

FORTY-FOUR

Dragek and Tarak stood at the edge of the lake, looking out across the dark, calm surface.

It was cold enough to solidify most liquids, but for some reason, the water here wasn’t frozen over.

Dragek reached out with his ka’qui and peered through the water.

“Anything interesting?” Tarak asked. He’d replaced the sword he’d given Dragek with a shorter one and added a long, powerful-looking gun to his arsenal.

Dragek was surprised at how comfortable he’d gotten with Tarak. He hadn’t expected the former general to be so reasonable. His calm, no-nonsense demeanor was like a salve for Dragek’s internal state of chaos.

He got the feeling Tarak would back him up no matter what.

Powerful and abundant, seeking release, his energy surged forward. He used it like an extension of his physical body, like touch, feeling across the depths of the lake, over its deep, rocky, undulating surface.

“There’s energy at the deepest point. Particles of light emanating from a discrete source. There’s a platform and a tunnel that rises into a cavernous, air-filled space. There are two submerged individuals guarding the entrance and several more inside the cave. I can’t make out the exact number. A dozen, perhaps. And there are unknown structures inside. I suspect they are the mechanism for the portal.”

“They aren’t expecting us at all,” Tarak observed. “Otherwise, they would have put a proper perimeter guard on. It seems Amun has done us a real favor.”

“Hm.” Dragek cast his senses out across the surrounding landscape. A snow-topped, curving mountain range surrounded the lake. The general’s forces were hidden somewhere in that bleak, icy landscape, heavily cloaked and ready to go on the offensive if anyone should threaten their position.

Duxuth’s climate was pleasant. Familiar. It reminded him so much of Kythia.

He wasn’t homesick, though.

The only memories he had of the Dark Planet were bleak.

And now…

Everything was about to come full circle.

“Between the two of us, we should be able to handle them,” Tarak said quietly. “I’ll take care of the guards on the outside. You shoot through and activate your qim. Go into the cave. Take out as many of them as you can. I won’t be far behind.

“You make it sound so simple,” Dragek said wryly.

“I can assure you, it is. I’ve accounted for every single member of the Kordolian Imperial Military, even those who didn’t come over to our side. No warrior amongst them could pose a threat to us. However, there are a number of Silent Ones that are unaccounted for. I don’t believe any of them are as proficient as you or Ashrael, though.”

“Individually, no.” Dragek was fairly certain he was amongst the elite, second only to Ashrael. And with the Mating Fever running rife through his body, enhancing his ka’qui to unheard-of levels, he might even be stronger than Ashrael. “But if they were to come at us in formation, that might present a problem.”

“They won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Ashrael has scanned the area. He’ll cover the perimeter around the lake and up into the mountains, taking care of any potential approach. We already have one in captivity—the one he caught onboard the Caelix III. Unless there’s another that’s capable of using qim like you and he do.”

“We can’t be certain.”

“If anything unexpected happens, I’m certain you’ll be able to handle it.” Tarak’s voice grew taut with anticipation. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time to spare. Follow me. Let’s make this quick and silent.”

“Fine.” Dragek watched as the man who once held the highest position in the Kordolian Imperial Miltiaries activated his nanite armor-helm and dove into the dark water, disappearing without a trace.

Without missing a beat, Dragek followed.

He slipped into the frigid water, immediately comforted by the cold and the silence.

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