Page 75 of Shattered Silence

Whoosh. The viscous blue liquid in the stasis tank was refreshingly cold as Enki plunged into it, welcoming the sudden absence of chatter as liquid filled his ears.

With great effort, he pushed all thought from his mind; well, almost all. He couldn’t stop thinking of his mate and the parting look she’d given him.

Trust, concern, hope.

You had better not fuck this up, soldier.

Once this was done, he vowed that he would give Layla anything she desired.

Closing his eyes, he dropped his guard a fraction, allowing the passenger in his mind to come to the fore. Is this the one request you have of me, Tharian?

Yes.

I did not give you permission to use my body back there, as I slept. I did not give you permission to speak with my mate. Really, he was angry at himself for putting Layla in such a precarious position, but somehow, his human had understood exactly what was required.

She’d spoken with the Tharian, and now they were here.

She is exactly what you need, the Tharian replied, sounding not in the least bit remorseful. Will you just trust me for once and do this thing, warrior? You promised me you would grant one favor, and this is it. The sooner I am out of your head, the better.

Agreed. Enki’s impatience grew. After putting up with the intrusive presence for so long, he was on the verge of being rid of her, and that moment couldn’t come too soon. What do you need me to do?

Take both her hands in yours. Touch your forehead to hers. Then… this is the hardest part, you will have to relinquish control to me.

Relinquish? In that small, secret part of him that never saw the light of the stars, the word elicited a spark of fear.

Your mind is like a fortress, Kordolian. I am trapped in one of the outer citadels, forced to pace back and forth within a confined space, and every time I try to scale the inner walls, you shoot me down in a barrage of plasma fire and lock me away. If you do that to me while I am trying to enter my host, it will never work. You need to let me in so I can get out.

Three of my brothers are waiting outside. If you try anything stupid with my body, they won’t hesitate to restrain you, and it will not be pleasant.

Oh, I know. It is deadly serious. Even the Emperor himself has graced us with his presence. I am not so stupid as to try and defy your people. I know all too well what your kind are capable of.

Emperor? You are mistaken. The Empire is finished.

The Tharian chuckled. He may not think of himself as such, but really, who do you think rules in Vionn’s stead?

I am not interested in your analysis, Tharian. Let us get on with this.

Agreed.

Through the clear blue liquid, Enki could see the face of the human—the so-called host. In death, her sightless dark eyes were wide open. He took her long-fingered hands into his and felt nothing; only the cold, dead flesh of a corpse.

Such a morbid thing.

He thought of Layla, reminding himself that she was only a few steps away, and that he would see her soon.

In truth, he was also doing this for her, because she needed a mate who was not half-insane and constantly hearing voices inside his head.

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead against the dead human’s, wondering how in Kaiin’s Hells he had gotten to this point. A human lover. An incorporeal alien inside his head. A challenge laid out before him—to relinquish control.

Possibly one of the hardest things he’d done in his entire life.

Why was it so difficult?

Because of his training—of what he was? Or perhaps it had something to do with the memories that were locked up inside him. Zharek had warned him that those memories might surface over time.

Pain-in-the-ass.

He was a warrior, not a fucking mystic.

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