Page 130 of Decadence

Boom! His plasma gun roared.

The flames died. Didn’t they know that Kordolian armor was impervious to this kind of low-heat attack?

A body fell from above, bouncing off the railings, landing with a gruesome thud on the hard steps below.

Ikriss and his trio ignored it as they raced up the steps, taking them three at a time. A small army of Syndicate soldiers rushed in from some side-door, firing wildly.

In this confined space, their aim was terribly off, and even when they found their targets, human electric-fire and bullets were no match for Callidum exo-armor.

Ikriss provided cover-fire from behind, picking them off one-by-one as his men advanced, their dark blades flashing in close quarters.

Human blood sprayed across walls and floors, leaving vicious swirls of crimson.

Ikriss’s anger evaporated. He embraced the void; the feeling of cold nothingness that descended upon him whenever he went into battle.

After the storm of the Mating Fever, it was an unwelcome relief.

But it was better this way.

He would not make hotheaded mistakes.

And thank the Goddess she would never have to see him like this.

At last, the final attacker died, a wisp of a cry evaporating on his lips. They reached the top of the stairs, where a red light was flashing. The metal door that led to the outside was locked, but Gryke made short work of it with a blast of plasma.

“Stealth is clearly not your priority right now,” Kail grumbled through the comm. “Down the corridor, to your right. They’re on the move. I’m already on the roof. That’s where they’re going. I don’t speak much street Earthian, but from what I can gather, a transport’s on the way. Get into formation and get yourself four clean headshots. I can take the remaining two. Have Mak ready and waiting above us with the evacuation pods. We’ll be gone before they even understand what has happened. Tch. Foolish humans. They should know better by now.”

“Humans will never lie down and accept total oppression. They might appear weak on the surface, but fighting is in their blood.”

“Hm. Your mate taught you that, did she?”

Ikriss snorted softly as he followed his team down the wide corridor, which cut through a series of wide glass-walled rooms furnished with chairs and tables and lush green plants. Warm electric light suffused the rooms, which looked out over the sprawling settlement below.

The spaces were completely deserted.

Under the cover of darkness, the city beyond was surprisingly beautiful; a glittering network of many-hued lights that appeared startlingly intense to his sensitive Kordolian eyes.

It occurred to him that Sienna might enjoy this place, with its spectacular hillsides and wide beaches and the vast, glittering ocean beyond. He might bring her here sometime—when he was in a different mindset.

At the mere thought of her, his horn-buds started to ache again.

Focus.

This was important to her.

He took a deep breath, trying to quell the wisp of madness that threatened to grow inside him.

Again.

Not yet. Not now. There will be time for this later.

Fucking focus.

He caught the sound of voices and footfalls. The scent of humans drifted toward him.

Lukin and his six emerged from a side door, shadows of death trailing behind them. They said nothing as they filed in behind Ikriss.

The Second Division were closing in on their prey.

---