Page 38 of Shattered Silence

Feeling self-conscious, Layla jumped off the seat and quickly pulled on the grey uniform, tugging it over her leggings. It swamped her, the sleeves and legs flopping past her hands and feet.

All the while, Enki stared at her, his expression unreadable, looking like the Empire’s dark enforcer in that sharply tailored uniform. As intimidating as he looked, she had to admit the outfit suited him terribly well, even if it was a little tight around the shoulders.

He and the late Pradon were of a similar size, except Enki was broader in the shoulders and narrower in the waist.

Lean, powerful, and perfectly proportioned.

He had the body of a natural fighter, and he moved like a great big fucking hunting cat.

And stars, he was handsome.

Really, who the hell was this guy?

Enki made a soft sound of disapproval in his throat. “You can’t move properly like that.”

Before she realized what he was doing, Enki dropped to one knee and quickly slashed the long cuffs of her trousers with a short, slender blade that appeared out of nowhere. He rose in a single fluid motion and did the same with her sleeves, making a neat cut across the dark fabric that left her with the perfect length. Being space-age Kordolian super-fabric, the material didn’t fray or tear or look jagged. There was no need for hemming. She was left with a baggy and rather comfortable garment that allowed for surprising ease of movement.

And it covered her boobs.

There was that.

As Enki let go of her wrists, his thumbs brushed against Layla’s palms. That simple gesture blew her mind, because it was careful and precise and yet gentle, sending a pleasant shudder down her spine.

“Better,” he said, seeming mighty pleased with his handiwork. “You need boots, too. We will pick some up on the way out.”

“So we’re just going to walk right on out of here and nobody’s going to notice? Isn’t there some sort of security monitoring or surveillance?”

“It is a vast ship. The sylth can detect intruders by their biosig, but I am not one, and you would have been marked and processed when you entered.”

Not an intruder… now she was beyond confused.

As they moved back into the big chamber where the stasis tanks were, Layla’s thoughts went round and round, but she couldn’t make sense of Enki’s words. All she could do was follow him, because he’d done nothing but good things for her so far.

He’d killed the soldiers, healed her, found her clothes, and most importantly, he’d come for her.

No matter how severe and scary and violent and Kordolian he might be, he’d kept his word.

“Wait.” Enki bent down and retrieved a pair of long boots from one of the fallen soldiers, inspecting them carefully before handing them to her. “They might be a little big—”

“Perfect. I have big feet. Apparently, that’s why I’m a good swimmer.” She sniffed dramatically, making a mocking face. “Do Kordolians get foot rot like humans? Not that it really matters. I’ve walked through enough crap and gunk already.” Layla didn’t really know why she was babbling like an idiot. Maybe it was because it was the only way for her to hold onto her sanity while she put on a dead man’s boots next to the other man she’d just killed, while the dead women from the Malachi looked on from their glowing blue tanks, their eyes blank and half-open.

I’m sorry. I have to leave you now.

A pang of sadness hit her right in the chest. She’d barely known the women, but they were her fellow humans, and when they’d boarded the Malachi, they’d probably just been trying to do the same as her—escape.

Everybody who left Earth had their reasons.

She turned to Enki, wriggling her feet inside the repurposed boots, which were surprisingly comfy. “These are fine. I’m ready to—”

But Enki wasn’t paying any attention to her. He was staring at the women in the tanks, a blank look on his face. He was as still as a statue; it was as if he’d been hypnotized.

And his eyes… they were no longer amber.

They were a vivid shade of green, the color of emeralds, and they glowed.

Layla had never seen glowing eyes on any creature before. Enki’s sudden transformation made her skin crawl, because he looked so unnatural, like something out of an old paranormal horror movie.

“Enki,” she said softly. “Are you all right?”

---