Page 37 of Fate of Draga

“Report,” Kaiden demanded.

Turning to see most of their warriors still standing, Varan checked their location.

They’d gotten deep into the factory. Almost to the other end based on his readout. Sweat dripped down his spine as he tapped his gauntlet to double check the map.

“Bottom floor is clear,” the second scout reported. The other hadn’t survived long after being skewered. “No movement from upstairs so far. Their command center for this place is on the second floor though. If I were to hazard a guess, any remaining Neprijat are holed in there.”

Nash grunted his agreement with that assessment. “And no doubt the door on the command center can withstand most blasts.”

Kaiden considered that. “We’ll sweep the top floor as one, and then work on breaching the command center. Maybe we’ll get lucky this time.”

In a factory that was supposed to be abandoned? Varan highly doubted they’d get lucky, but he kept his mouth shut. Kaiden was leading this mission.

Varan studied everything he could see as the smoke started to clear. What was worth hiding from their own people?

What had they been trying to accomplish?

He fell in line with the others, shoulder pressed to Nash’s as they kept their eyes open, weapons at the ready. Varan would never forget the interrogation with the Neprijat right before the battle for Hai.

It wasn’t the way the Neprijat looked or even the fanaticism that made everyone else so uncomfortable. It was the way the male had responded to Adelina. It was how he spoke with her, practically straining toward her.

Trying to get her tounderstandsomething.

It had been the same with Drozer.

What he’d said to her made absolutely no sense – not when compared to how they followed their king blindly. Were they not all monsters then? Did they not wish to conquer and rape and feast upon others?

Slowly they took the stairs, making sure there was enough room for wings and rifles. The Neprijat were wicked fast and skilled even when they weren’t trained as full warriors.

What was it that the Neprijat people wanted? All they’d ever heard were the demands from their king.

The warriors attacking them though…

Was that blind allegiance or perhaps, were they being forced?

They slit their own throats rather than accept imprisonment. Perhaps it wasn’t their fate as a prisoner of war that incited them, but fear. What could possibly be worse?

Varan’s stomach clenched as his mind shied away from the possible answers.

Regardless he needed to look into it. It might just give them an edge in the next confrontation.

They cleared the second floor in a sweeping pattern that took them through the factory quickly and quietly. The smoke still lingered, to their benefit.

As they passed the factory’s command center, Kaiden signaled for two to stand guard at the door and two more across from them at each entry point to the hall while they covered the rest of the building.

Nothing.

There really hadn’t been many Neprijat. But more than there should have been for a place that was supposedly abandoned.

Varan watched as Nash and Kaiden gave each other a nod. Then Nash went forward with Kaiden behind him. The two working seamlessly together gave Varan hope, and more relief than he would ever admit to anyone. Even Adelina.

He’d been worried about the next battle. If they couldn’t find a way to work as one, it would put their queen and mate in danger. She refused to stay out of the fight. This meant her legion had to be nothing less than perfection.

And seeing the way they worked together here, now…Varan’s suspicions were confirmed.

Their mate bond to Adelina did indeed allow them to sense one another if they looked. But they weren’t looking. Battle didn’t allow for such things. They were relying on instinct alone. Instinct and training.

Varan knew without using his eyes where the other two were, what they were doing, and what they were seeing.

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