Page 23 of Decadence

Thank the Goddess she had no inkling of what would have happened to humans if the Empire had decided to take a particular interest in Earth some five or ten revolutions ago.

Ikriss ran his fingers through his longish hair, arranging it so that it concealed his unmistakably Kordolian ears. He studied his holo-reflection again, a little unnerved by his same-yet-different apperance.

Mavrel was right. He could pass as human, albeit a slightly unusual looking one.

But then again, from what he had seen, humans did all kinds of strange things to modify their appearance. They dyed their hair, wore strangely colored garments and outlandish metal jewelry, and even used colored paints and pigment powders on their faces.

So maybe his appearance wouldn’t be so out of the ordinary on Earth, after all.

Sienna would know him straight away, but nobody else would, and that suited his objectives perfectly. See, he didn’t want any potential enemies to know they were around until it was too late.

They’d taken her once. Ikriss clenched his teeth, his fangs grazing against the inside of his lower lip, drawing a hint of bitter blood. If the buyer on Zarhab Groht—a cursed Kordolian—was taking his orders from a Kordolian master, then they would definitely try and steal her away again, just to send a spiteful message to Tarak and Ikriss and the rest of the Darkstar tribe.

They would go to all lengths. He had no doubt about it.

After all, they were Kordolian.

That was just how they were.

Things they viewed as their property—stars, planets, ships, sentient beings, humans—they would raid and claim and plunder and steal back in an endless cycle of increasing viciousness.

The Noble Houses had been doing it to each other for thousands of revolutions.

It was a power play.

With their kind, everything became about power.

Ikriss wasn’t exactly innocent himself, but at least he could exercise his power to keep Sienna and the other females safe.

His temples throbbed with a strange mixture of pain and pleasure as he anticipated seeing her again.

What would she make of him?

Would she be afraid? Annoyed.

Make it work. The General’s words echoed in his mind. He would just have to do everything in his power to convince her otherwise.

His heart began to race.

His breathing quickened.

Mavrel gave him a nervous look. “Is everything to your satisfaction, Sir?”

Ikriss ripped off the eyeglasses and glowered at his own reflection as it went back to normal. Brown skin turned back to silver. His eyes reverted to their natural golden hue. “I look like a damn fool with these on, but you have fulfilled all the objectives of my brief. It is acceptable.”

The tension drained from Mavrel’s delicate features. “Think of it this way,” the tech said, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “Won’t it be rather amusing to walk amongst humans as one of them, listening in on their conversations, finding out what makes them tick?”

“Amusing, or maddening?” Ikriss growled.

“Depends what you make of it, I suppose. They’re a curious bunch.”

“Indeed.” Ikriss folded the eyeglasses and stashed them in his jacket pocket. “Report back to me when you have completed those upgrades.” He could already think of a number of potential uses for Mavrel’s odd little invention. The tech was right. The ability to walk amongst humans or perhaps even other species without being noticed could come in quite handy.

Especially with what he feared was coming.

He hoped he was wrong, but echoes and whispers of war were starting to reach them from far across the Universe.

When the time came, they would be ready.

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