Page 51 of Decadence

Where is he? Is he okay? She’d demanded news about Ikriss several times, but the Kordolians hadn’t said a thing.

If the situation wasn’t so dire, she would have given the arrogant silver jerks a piece of her mind.

With a quiet huff, she adjusted the soft fabric of her robe-kimono thingy, pulling it tighter around her body. One of the Kordolians had been considerate enough to pass it to her once they’d boarded the getaway ship. It had taken her chattering teeth and blue lips for them to notice, but at least they had, and for that she was deeply appreciative.

Her hands were still coated in Ikriss’s dried black blood. It clung to her palms and her fingers and it was caked beneath her fingernails.

“Up,” one of her guards barked, his voice cold and filled with terrible urgency. Now that they were securely onboard, he’d removed his dark helm, revealing stern silver features that looked as if they could have been hewn from granite. His pale hair was cropped in a severe military style. He pointed to a strange hovering platform. “Stand here and be quiet. We are going to see the General.”

“General?” she raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were all supposed to be mercenaries now.”

“Quiet,” another guard snapped, tension rolling off his powerful body like heat from the sun. “This is no trivial matter. Do you even understand who you are being granted an audience with? Our General commands the most powerful force the Universe has ever seen. He is the First Warrior of the highest division in our armed forces, and he is the reason you humans are still able to walk free on your own Earth. If I sense even the slightest hint of disrespect, I will—”

“No disrespect.” Sienna quickly raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Just trying to clarify things, that’s all. Am I right in assuming he wants to talk to me about Ikriss?” Will he allow me to see him as soon as it’s possible?

The Kordolian stared at her for a moment, his pale eyebrows drawing together in a quizzical expression. “You are persistent, human, I’ll grant you that. Of course, the wellbeing of our Commander is our highest priority right now. He put himself in harm’s way for you. Do not forget it.”

“How could I?” Sienna retorted, her impatience growing. Don’t presume to know what I’m thinking. You have no idea what I’ve been through.

Unexpectedly, the warrior’s lips curved into a smile. It was a cold, tight smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Let’s go.”

Gingerly, Sienna stepped onto the floating platform alongside the two warriors. She gasped as the damn thing suddenly shot away at great speed, and one of the Kordolians had to place his hand on her shoulder to catch her from falling as they travelled down an endless wide corridor that was lined with half-hidden doorways. They were treated to stiff salutes as they passed various Kordolians on foot.

Mercenaries, my ass.

Sienna didn’t know much about alien politics or empires or military things in general, but it was obvious to even her that this was a massive and highly organized outfit.

To think that she and most other humans really had no idea what these Kordolians were capable of; no idea how vast their organization truly was.

What the hell have I stumbled onto?

And to think Ikriss was one of them to the core, and they’d closed ranks around him hard and fast as soon as he’d been injured.

At last, they came to a very abrupt stop, and she was ordered off the platform and through a wide unravelling door. The Kordolians were silent and solemn now; they tipped their heads and respectfully bumped their chests in a closed-fists salute as the blue light grew brighter, allowing her to see.

Suddenly, Sienna stopped dead in her tracks.

A glowing blue liquid-filled column rose up in front of her; a large tube that was about twice her height. But it wasn’t the sight of the strange alien structure that caused her eyes to widen and her breath to catch in her throat.

It was the figure inside.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

“Ikriss!” she gasped. Without thinking, she ran forward and pressed her palms against the freezing glass, staring at the man who had scared her, intrigued her, thrilled her, mystified her, and saved her… again and again.

Each and every time they’d met, he’d seemed larger than life.

Now he was suspended in a vat of cold liquid, his silver body hooked up to countless obsidian wires and tubes. His limbs were outstretched and motionless. His wild hair drifted lazily around his face, moving this way and that, caught by some unseen current.

His startling golden eyes were closed. She could see his pale lashes, which, surprisingly, were longer than a human’s.

In sleep, he looked eerily beautiful.

Almost.

But there was one glaringly obvious aberration that caused dread to knot in the pit of her belly.

Covering his chest in the place where he’d been stabbed was a black… thing.

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