Page 114 of Elas

Guards surround the group, standing menacingly with their arms crossed or hands on the hilt of their swords. There’s another Nu’vak, though he isn’t nearly as big as Elas. Three others appear to be the same species, with pale green skin and wide jaws. Blunt horns jut off their foreheads for a few inches before rounding off.

Elas parks the vehicle and snags my attention as he steps out of the SUV. He walks with a confident, cocky swagger that’s at odds with the soft, relaxed way he is with me. He strolls without a care in the world, and it breaks my heart to know just how skilled he is at masking his pain.

Everyone tenses as he approaches. His chin juts into the air and his long braids fall down his back. He’s posturing, making himself bigger even though he’s the tallest person there. The group collectively relaxes as he speaks, and the black scaly one in scrubs steps forward to accept the wax-sealed envelope Elas carries.

The leader, then, or at least the highest ranking present.

My eyes linger on him as he examines the seal before tearing open the envelope and removing the papers. Hetakes his time reading, and it’s nothing more than a power play.

Finally, he refolds the paper and stuffs it back in the envelope. The Curtiphan’s long arm reaches over, half a second ahead of him as he thrusts the paperwork in her direction. She files it into a thick leather binder, then hands over something small that he snatches from her grip. Throughout the exchange, he never even looks at her.

Fantastic, he’s an asshole.

They continue to speak, and his eyes dart to the SUV a few times. I’m not sure if he can see me through the sun’s reflection on the windshield, but it feels like he’s staring straight at me. Sweat builds on my palms as I smooth them over my thighs, and my heart races. Images flash through my mind of Elas being tossed to the ground and dragged away, and dread clenches at my stomach.

Maybe Ronan was right, and my motives were selfish. My delusions that this might be a foolproof plan, thatanyof this would be simple, shatter into a million pieces. The danger I’ve created for Elas hits me with the force of a battering ram.

There will be no forgiveness for a deserter.

No mercy.

They’ll kill him, likely in front of me, and then they’ll—

My spiral is interrupted as Elas turns and strolls back to the SUV with that same calm confidence. He climbs in, careful not to pay me too much attention under their watchful eyes. We drive through the gates, and the clank of them closing behind us is like a gunshot in the tense space.

He circles the perimeter of the building, and I know I should concentrate on my surroundings, but my pulse hasn’t recovered. Weak strobes of light flash in my vision, thudding in time with my hammering heart. “They were expecting us,” Elas says once we’re far enough away. “Commander Khors sent word over in advance.”

“They didn’t suspect anything? What about the time we spent at the village?”

“It’s not unreasonable to spend several days scouting a camp as big as that one, and Khors knew I might venture off to follow a lead when he tasked me with tracking Ronan. Plus, I outrank everyone in that group.”

“Who oversees the base?”

“That’s a good question,” he mutters. “They just referred to them as Commander.”

“That’s… weird.”

Elas teeters his head back and forth. “Not really. It’s common to be addressed by your rank, especially one of power. Combine that with the secretive nature of this place and it fits.”

“Will you get to meet them while we’re here?”

He nods. “Gale, the Lu’mite—”

“Uh, the what?” I interrupt, and he chuckles.

“The one I was speaking to with black scales. He’s the head scientist here, and I’ve asked him to arrange a meeting. They’re giving us a tour of the compound tonight while there’s still light.” Elas scrubs his hand over his chin as he grimaces. “I told them I’m responsible for making sure you adapt and cooperate. They’ve agreed to let me stay for a few days to ensure you won’t be a problem.”

“And if I am? A problem?”

He pushes an abrupt sigh from his nose. “My orders from Khors are to eliminate potential problems. Please, August,” he finally glances at me as we pull around the buildings to a large, open parking area. “I ambeggingyou, don’t give me a reason to disobey those orders. Not here. Not in front of them.”

A row of vans and utility trucks is parked back here, along with one enormous transfer vehicle. A giant cab stretches the length of the opposite side, hitched to an enclosed trailer that must be close to thirty feet long. Three gas pumps sit at the far end of the lot, flanked by two soldiers who watch our every move.

It feels like there are eyes everywhere, but I can’t tell if it’s instinct or paranoia making me sense their stares.

“I’ll behave,” I promise. “I won’t do anything to risk you, Elas.”

“Good boy,” he teases, and I manage a weak smile as he parks the vehicle. “Let me lead. Do nothing for yourself, not even open your door. It needs to look like you are fully obedient.”

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