Page 50 of Decadence

What is this feeling?

Ikriss’s hands clenched into fists. His claws were out. They dug into the hard skin of his palms, drawing blood—and more pain.

“Steady…” the General said in the background, but Ikriss hardly heard him.

He needed her. To see her; to inhale her sweet scent, to consume her.

But what the fuck could he do when he was like this?

Ikriss took a deep breath and…

Nothing.

Suddenly, he couldn’t breathe. He tried, but he just… couldn’t. The muscles of his chest refused to move. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He felt like he was drowning.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

“And there goes your diaphragm,” Zharek said, his voice so calm it made Ikriss want to put his fist through the bastard’s throat. “How interesting. That was fast. I didn’t expect—”

“Zharek,” Tarak snapped, growing impatient. “Do your fucking job.”

“Yes, yes, I’m on it. Relax, Commander. You can’t breathe now, so I’m going to have my machines do the breathing for you…”

Something strange and prickly crept up his chest, his neck, his jaw, changing shape, molding to his form as it encircled his mouth and nose.

Ikriss knew what this was.

Semi-sentient machines, controlled by the Sylth and Zharek. Writhing, flexible metal. A piece of the ship’s mysterious soul, burrowing into his living flesh.

He knew he shouldn’t be afraid, but the panic came anyway, invading every last shred of his consciousness.

“Do not fear, ‘Kris.” Tarak rumbled in the background. “He will fix this.”

Gently-but-forcefully, the machine pushed its dark tentacles between his lips.

“Sorry, Commander,” Zharek said, although his tone of voice was anything but apologetic. “You will survive this. I’m just going to have to make you into a monster for a little while. Here comes the sedation.” If Ikriss weren’t in so much fucking agony right now, he would almost think the Zharek sounded gleeful.

Ikriss’s vision grew dark. He lost his mind. He flailed and fought desperately against the surging darkness…

But in the end, it swallowed him whole.

Chapter Fourteen

The journey from Earth seemed to take a lot longer this time. As soon as they entered cold, silent space, the Kordolians took her to a small chamber at the rear of the ship and pointed her toward a pod-thing containing a nest of soft blankets that were surprisingly warm. They gave her water and something to eat—hard, gelatinous bars that smelled like a cross between dried fish stock and seaweed.

Feeling slightly queasy, she turned down the bars and tucked herself into the sheets, just wanting to shut off her brain for a moment.

Exhaustion overtook her, and the next thing she knew, she was out like a fucking light.

When she woke again, they’d already reached their destination. This time, they didn’t take her to the comfortably appointed quarters she’d been confined to on her last visit. Instead, they entered through a cavernous docking bay that was dark and empty and majestically eerie, marching her down a ramp and past rows of sleek black ships that were identical to the one she’d arrived on.

The light was so dim that at first she could hardly make out the hulking shapes, but her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, seeking the comfort of the strange blinking blue lights that dotted the walls.

After being immersed in the loud, bustling, in-your-face light show that was New York, the silence was all the more startling… and disorienting.

In fact, Sienna didn’t even know if she was on the same ship as last time. Everything looked the same—dark corridors, pitch-black walls, eerie blue lights, curving architecture, solemn-faced Kordolians marching past—but it was all too alien and weird and confusing, and nobody would answer her goddamn questions.

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