Page 74 of The Edge of Dawn

“Have you mastered all twelve?” A tendril of fear escaped with her curiosity, and Dragek hated that she was still like this. What did he have to do to make her understand that he wouldn’t ever harm her?

“Not by choice,” he said, forcing his voice to soften despite all the terribleness that came with his truth. “But yes.”

“Oh.” A mixture of conflicting emotions crossed her features, too quickly for him to decipher and too human for him to ever understand.

“Jade, I am no threat to you. The forces that used to control me are long gone. The master I serve now is the most powerful ally humankind will ever have, and even if I didn’t serve him, I would have no desire to harm anyone who doesn’t deserve to be harmed.”

“So why did you come here, then? Unannounced, without permission. Can you understand why I’m a little uneasy right now?” She rotated her ankle, turning her injured foot.

“Hm.” Dragek silently cursed Zyara for not giving Jade the precious medical nanites. She would be feeling extra vulnerable right now. She was incapacitated, barely able to hobble around without assistance.

And that was his doing.

He’d smashed her body up, and even though it had been completely and utterly necessary at the time, he couldn’t help but feel remorse.

He’d lied. He’d already hurt her, hadn’t he?

She was the first individual he’d ever regretted harming, and he knew beyond the Dark Star’s shadow that he wouldn’t do it ever again. She was here now—safe. This was how it was meant to be. And he would play his part and follow Tarak’s orders because he knew their enemies wouldn’t hesitate to put her kind in restraints and use them for their own callous designs.

Just like the Mistress had done to him.

Strange. He hadn’t realized he would develop these so-called morals so quickly.

Perhaps her influence was rubbing off on him.

“I didn’t think you’d be afraid of me,” he said at last. “After all that has occurred, you should know. But I can understand why. I was simply passing by, and I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be away for some time—in case you were left wondering.”

Actually, it had occurred to him that there was a small chance he might not survive this mission.

There was always that chance. Always had been, always would be. In his past life, he’d come close to death more than once.

He might not be so lucky to survive this time, especially when Tarak was planning on sending him through a fucking wormhole.

That’s why he wanted to see her again before he left.

Just in case…

“Where are you going, Dragek?” And now her voice was filled with the most confounding thing—concern.

For him.

His arousal intensified, but its urgency was tempered with unexpected tenderness. “A retrieval mission. Far from here.”

“Will it be… dangerous?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. But I’m good at what I do.”

“I got the feeling you were. What exactly is it that you do again?”

“I…” Kill. “Fight.”

“You’re a professional warrior, then? A soldier?”

Assassin.

“Something like that.”

“Well, I appreciate you coming to tell me because I’ll be waiting for you to come back. Be safe, okay? I fully expect to see you again, Dragek.”

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