Page 111 of Akur

Diana huffed a small laugh. “Yce keeps surveillance of all the Restitution’s leading minds. Mine. Yours. Your brothers and all of his unit.” She shifted slightly, her smile growing warmer. “After what happened on the Restitution’s base, we got word you’d left on a ship with E’lot.”

“And I found you…” Yce tilted his head. “But not him.”

Glancing up, she could see Akur’s jaw clench.

They hadn’t had time to speak about what happened to his friendorhers. E’lot, Meredith, that silent woman, and that strange Arois guy were still trapped on that horrid planet.

“You need to rest,” Diana suddenly said, glancing between her and Akur. Their disheveled state must be obvious—clothes torn and dirty. The bandages. The wounds. “We’ve prepared quarters for you both.”

“We don’t have time—” Akur started, but Yce raised a hand, the lightning beneath his skin pulsing stronger.

“A few moments to collect yourselves won’t change anything,” the Arois said softly. “And what we need to discuss…” His gaze shifted to her and all the hairs along her arms stood on end. There was a tickling sensation in her head. She could almost feel him there, hovering just above her brain but not making contact. “It requires clear minds.”

Alaina touched her arm. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room. We have fresh clothes waiting.”

She hesitated, glancing at Akur. He nodded slightly, his hand brushing her lower back one last time before letting her go. “Take all the time you need, bright eyes. I’ll meet you on the observation deck.”

V’Alen stepped forward. “I will show Akur to his quarters.”

As they separated, Alaina led Constance through the pristine corridors of the Elysium. The ship was unlike anything she’d ever seen—even the Restitution base seemed primitive in comparison. The walls seemed to glow with an inner light, similar to Yce’s skin.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Alaina said, noticing her wonder. “Arois technology.”

Her gaze scanned around as they continued on. “Just…who are they?”

Alaina shrugged. “I wish I knew. Turns out, we humans are really far behind on…well, everything.”

They reached a door that slid open silently at their approach. Inside was a spacious room with a large viewport. Clean clothes were laid out on a bed. Leather. Like Diana’s.

“The shower is through there,” Alaina gestured to another door. “Take your time.”

Constance nodded, but as she moved toward the bathroom, Alaina caught her arm.

“Constance…” Alaina’s voice was tight. “What happened to you out there?Wherewere you? We searched everywhere.”

Looking at her friend, it felt like she’d shifted realities. Everything that happened in the past few days felt like a horrible dream. “We were…on a planet. With them.” She swallowed hard. “We were on a planet with the Tasqals.”

“The Tasqals?” Alaina’s voice hardened, her hand tightening slightly.

“They have a world, Alaina.” Constance swallowed hard. “And they have plans. Plans for some orb. We found out exactly what they’re going to do.”

Alaina’s face went pale before she nodded. “Get cleaned up. We need to tell the others about this.” She stepped back, composing herself. “I’ll wait outside.”

The shower was heavenly—hot and cleansing. Constance stood underit until her skin turned pink, trying to wash away the memory of the Tasqal citadel, the grime of the tunnels and those horrible creatures they fought. The stench of death and decay.

When she emerged, Alaina was waiting, as promised. They walked in silence to the observation deck, where the others had already gathered. The room was circular, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing the vast expanse of space. Seating was arranged in a semicircle, and in the center stood a holographic display currently showing star charts.

Akur was there, cleaned and changed as well, wearing a fresh tunic and trouse. For a moment, she could only stare at him. He didn’t look like a male that had died and resurrected. As a matter of fact, he looked exactly like the proud male she’d seen walking around the Restitution base before it all went to shit. And there was that glint in his eye again. The one when he was thinking about bloodshed and murder.

“I sensed your distress,” Yce was saying, his voice almost quiet. “But the signal was…strange. I could not locate you. It wasn’t until you crossed some kind of threshold that I could lock on to you precisely.”

Akur eased back in his seat, gaze sliding to her immediately. He didn’t even have to beckon. Her feet took her over to him as he pulled out the seat for her by his side.

“It’s a planet that exists on no star chart,” he said as she sat. “Hidden. I only found it because of her.”

He gestured to her, and Constance realized they were all looking at her now.

“Their base?” Yce asked.

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