Page 118 of Decadence

“Scope the building,” Ikriss ordered. “Log every entry point and do a complete internal scan. I want a complete 4D map of that facility and every building that surrounds it. I want to know exactly how many targets we might have to take out. If they have one human captive, there will probably be more.”

“There are. Kainan’s contact confirmed it.”

“The market for human females is running hot, it seems,” Ikriss mused. “We will not let a single one of them leave the face of that planet. Prepare your squadron, Zarken. Inform me as soon as you have completed the scan. If you detect any movement of prisoners out of the facility, you are to intercept them immediately and worry about the collateral later.”

“They’re just begging for death, aren’t they?”

“I doubt they’re truly aware of who they’re dealing with. If they knew, they wouldn’t be behaving so arrogantly. Their Kordolian buyers would have given them falsehoods and unrealistic expectations… and undoubtedly found a way to threaten them from within. Do not forget how good our kind are at using fear to manipulate, even from across the other side of the Universe. We will infiltrate as quietly as possible, but if things do not go to plan, then I do not care how much attention we draw to ourselves. The humans are ours. Failure is not an option.”

“All this for a few human females,” Zarken muttered. “Half the Universe must think we’ve gone mad.”

“Yes,” Ikriss agreed, secretly aware that a certain kind of madness had indeed overtaken him. “Prepare the secure area for our arrival and put all measures in place for an assault and retrieval operation. I will be arriving as soon as possible on the Crurix.”

“Sir!” Zarken snapped to attention, unconsciously falling back into old Imperial habits. If he weren’t one of Ikriss’s battle-hardened, ruthless ex-Second Division warriors, Ikriss might almost think he sounded as excited as a freshly-blooded recruit.

“See you planetside, Zar.” He terminated the comm and looked up at Tarak and Iskar. “I need to borrow Lodan for a little while longer. We are well equipped, but one just never knows with these Old Empire bastards. It is always good to have one of your kind backing us up.”

Tarak nodded, his crimson eyes unreadable. Ikriss had no doubt he was already aware of everything that Zarken had communicated. “Lodan has been assigned elsewhere. Nythian will be available for this mission. Kail has a short break before he goes off-planet again. He is currently on Earth. He will meet you at the target location.”

“Thank you, Tarak.” Out of sheer appreciation, Ikriss made a soft fist-on-chest salute. Having not one, but two First Division warriors at his disposal was a gift from the Goddess. But then his eyes narrowed. “What of Lodan, then?” He shouldn’t ask, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. Lodan had already been stationed on Earth, and it was highly unusual for any warrior to be reassigned mid-post, let alone a First Division warrior.

The First Division soldiers were notorious for their singleminded focus.

“Lodan is working on something else,” was all the General said.

Ikriss shrugged. He knew better than to push his luck. “I’ll report back once I have the humans safely in our possession.” He checked himself as his hand started to rise to his chest in the old military salute.

Iskar gave him a respectful nod.

Tarak followed suit. “May the Goddess lend strength to your sword arm. And…” he inclined his head, “enjoy her, Ikriss. You have more than earned your right to Claim your mate.”

“Oh, I will. Have no doubt about it.” Ikriss flashed his fangs, pride filling his chest as he thought of Sienna; of her delicious scent and luscious curves and her heady presence, which he would never ever grow tired of.

And he would do everything in his power to carve out a piece of the Universe for her, even if it meant grinding their enemies into cosmic dust.

He’d stared the death-god in the face and survived. And there was no way he was going back to Kaiin’s domain any time soon.

He was intact again, and this time he was stronger than before; wiser, and yet perhaps touched with a little of the mating madness.

But that was a good thing.

For Earth’s sake, and for her sake, that was a good thing.

It was so good to be back.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Holy shit.

Sienna couldn’t stop stealing glances at him.

Sometimes she had to pinch herself just to prove that this was actually real and not some crazy fever-dream.

Her very own bad-ass Kordolian warrior was sitting in the pilot’s seat beside her, his expression hard and intensely focused as he piloted his small, sleek, and terrifyingly fast cruiser through Earth’s stratosphere.

When he’d escorted her off the mothership and into the small cruiser—which reminded her somewhat of a high performance Earth hovercar, only a thousand times faster and more powerful—he’d been in some sort of rush. He’d burst into the kitchen to retrieve her; golden eyes blazing, his face like silver thunder, rudely interrupting her salted caramel popcorn eating session with Arin to sweep her away to his waiting cruiser.

She couldn’t even be annoyed about it. Clad in his sleek obsidian combat armor, with his long hair in a high tail—graceful, powerful, whole—he was utterly magnificent.

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