Edge of Eon: Eon Warriors #1

by Hacket, Anna

  The blue rope slithered around the rock, forming a loop.

  “Nice work.” She grinned at him. And for a moment, he was distracted.

  That smile lit up her face, smoothing some of the hard edges life had put on her features. Keeping his arm tight around her, he heaved on the rope.

  His muscles strained. Gritting his teeth, he pulled them slowly toward the side, his muscles trembling with the effort. When they were close enough, he shoved her toward the edge.

  “Go, Eve.”

  Her face set, she gripped the rope. He heaved her toward it and she climbed along it, finally pulling herself over the edge of the quicksand and onto firm ground.

  Davion sank deeper into the sand. His muscles burned, and tiredness washed over him.

  “Come on, warrior.”

  Eve stood, planted her feet, and gripped the rope. She started pulling on it, reeling him in to the side.

  A moment later, Davion dredged up enough energy to drag himself out. They both collapsed on the firm sand.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “You, too.”

  He wanted to do nothing more than lie there and rest, but it wasn’t safe. “Come on. The healing station is close.”

  “Right. Just as long as sand monsters or some other nasty thing doesn’t eat us before then.”

  His lips twitched.

  She smiled. “I saw that, mighty War Commander Thann-Eon. You almost laughed.”

  “Come on, Earth warrior.”

  Staggering together, arms around each other, they managed to get upright and headed in the right direction. They circled around another dune and Eve gave an excited cry.

  Davion lifted his head, and spotted the tiny pool of water with a tree beside it.

  “Oasis.” Eve rushed forward toward it, but she’d clearly learned. She stopped well back from the water’s edge, staring into the cool, blue-green pond.

  “Is it safe?” she asked. “The water isn’t poisonous, or home to flesh-eating aliens, or something?”

  He looked at his screen, running a quick scan. Now, he smiled. “The water is safe.”

  “Race you, warrior.” She broke into a sprint.

  A second later, Davion found himself following her across the sand. As they got closer to the small pool, Eve began to strip off her suit.

  By Ston’s sword. His steps faltered. She shed the suit, near naked as she closed the distance to the water. She was all long, golden limbs and slender curves. And a strength that was all too irresistible.

  He watched her race into the water, splashing and laughing.

  He couldn’t breathe.

  * * *

  Eve was happy as hell to get her suit off. She stood up in the water, splashing it against her. She was clad only in simple black panties, and as the cool, refreshing water slid over her, she moaned. It was so good.

  “Get in here, warrior.” She splashed more water on her neck and turned her head.

  Oh. Oh, hell.

  Davion had retracted his armor and pulled his shirt off. His gaze was on her, though. His face was unreadable as always, but his gaze was burning hot. It dipped down to her bare breasts.

  Okay, maybe in her mad rush to get clean and cool, she hadn’t thought this all through.

  Then she got distracted. His hands were at the fastenings of his trousers.

  She swallowed. Her gaze moved over him, down his muscled chest, his unbelievable abs. Heat flaring in her cheeks, she ducked down into the water.

  Jeez, Eve. She felt like a damn teenager. Don’t lust after the alien war commander you abducted. Repeat. Don’t lust after the alien war commander you abducted.

  She rose out of the water, careful to keep one arm crossed over her chest. Of course, she couldn’t stop herself from looking at him again. He was partly turned away from her, and this time she took in the expanse of bronze skin and the hard muscles of his back. He had a few intriguing scars, as well.

  The man was unreal. Built like a dream. Or a dark, dirty fantasy.

  And now, all he was wearing was tight, black, boxer-style underwear. Shit.

  She dropped back into the water and floated onto her back. She was clean and alive. She needed to focus on that.

  Davion moved into the water and she heard him splashing. She also imagined him washing that huge, muscular body of his. They stayed silent, floating together in the pool.

  “I’d hoped to have the chance to swim while I was here,” he murmured.

  Eve turned her head. “A nice change from misty, starship showers.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So you sometimes do things for pleasure.”

  His gaze met hers. “Sometimes.”

  She swallowed. “Well, we have a saying on Earth. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Or in this case, Davion a dull boy.”

  “My work is important and keeps me busy.”

  She made a scoffing sound.

  “Warriors enter the Military Academy at ten. I was raised to protect my empire and its people.”

  She rolled in the water. “Ten? You start your training so young?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Do you take time off?”

  “Okay, well, not a lot.” And she’d had nothing but time the last five months.

  “I didn’t think so.” His tone was dry.

  She moved her hands through the water. “But when I do, I visit with my sisters on Earth. One lives in Tokyo, in a country called Japan. I love the place. It’s where my grandmother came from.” Eve had loved her Grandmother Kimiko so damn much. She’d loved to tell the story about how she’d fallen in love with a handsome American soldier and had Eve’s mother.

  “And when I have time off, I come to hunter planets like this one.”

  Eve rolled her eyes. “You need lessons on what relaxing means, warrior.”

  “Hungry?” Davion asked.

  “Starving.”

  She heard him move toward the edge and, with a shaky sigh, she followed.

  Water dripping down his skin, he moved to a solid, dome-shaped, metal box resting at the base of the tree. He pressed his palm against it and it slid open with a hiss.

  Inside was food, water, and supplies. He handed her some soft fabric—an Eon-sized shirt, she realized—and she used it to dry off, before she slipped it on. Next, he handed her some small packages.

  “Energy-rich nutrition packs. I can’t promise they’ll taste that great to a Terran palate.”

  Eve tore the first packet open. “I don’t care if it tastes like dust, I’m starving.”

  She took a bite. Then she paused. “Oh, my God.” The stuff tasted amazing. Even better than the bar he’d given her earlier. It was rich, smooth, and sweet. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted!”

  As she munched on it, she surreptitiously watched Davion pull on some clean clothes. They looked almost identical to the ones he’d been wearing. Clearly, high fashion wasn’t a thing in the Eon military.

  “So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

  He sat, opening his own pack of food. “We head for the next comm station. Make it as far as we can before nightfall. If we can make it to a rest station for the night, it would be best. It will have safe shelter. Otherwise, we’ll need to find our own shelter.”

  She nodded. “How long until the biome changes again?”

  “My best guess is a few hours. Before nightfall, but it’s set to be unpredictable.”

  They ate in companionable silence. The desert heat soon had them dry, and Eve was almost sorry to slide back into her spacesuit. But she knew the suit would give her more protection from the elements and any surprise attacks.

  They packed the food into their backpacks. Davion handed her an Eon blaster, and showed her how to use it. She also took a small, ornate blade out of the healing station.

  “That’s it?” she asked.

  “Until we find a weapons cache.”

  She slid the heavy Eon blaster into the holster where her StrikeFire blaster usually sa
t. She thought longingly of her weapon, lost back near the ruined comm station. She sheathed the knife on her belt.

  It was time to head off. A part of Eve didn’t want to leave the tiny oasis. It was like a little calm in the storm.

  But before she knew it, they were trudging through the sand again, scanning the skies for the Kantos.

  And the ground for any new hazards.

  “You really put all your warriors through this?” She studied his rugged face.

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t believe this planet is synthetic.” She hated the place, but it was still amazing. “It can make any sort of biome or surroundings?”

  “Yes.”

  “Amazing.” The Space Corps had synthesizers on the fleet’s ships—to make food, parts, clothes. The devices had started their lives as 3D printers on Earth years ago, used to make simple parts and tools. But over time, the technology had increased and improved so they could make just about anything. Still, the Eon had outdone them. This entire planet was a giant synthesizer on steroids.

  Within another hour, they were both hot and sweaty again. Yep, Eve hated this planet with the heat of a thousand burning suns. She paused to shift the backpack on her shoulders, and saw something move in the sand.

  With a shriek, she jerked back. “Snake!” She launched herself into Davion’s arms.

  The scaly, sinuous creature hissed, half buried in the sand. It shot her what appeared to be an indignant look, then slithered off.

  “You’re afraid of snakes?” Davion’s eyebrows rose and his arms tightened on her.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll dive into a fight with the Kantos without blinking, you’ll sneak onto a heavily-armed Eon warship and abduct a war commander, but you’re afraid of a small animal?”

  She sniffed and wriggled until he let her down. “A slithery, icky, and no-doubt poisonous animal.”

  This time, Davion laughed. He threw his handsome head back, and laughed hard. It was a gorgeous sound, and Eve found herself staring at him, drinking him in.

  Shaking his head, he nudged her onward.

  Well, she was glad she could provide him with some comic relief. “So, you were supposed to have a week off?”

  “My first in a long time.”

  She felt a smidge of remorse. “Well, sorry about messing that up. You know, if the fate of an entire planet wasn’t on the line, we wouldn’t have kidnapped you.”

  He turned his head. “But it isn’t just about your planet, is it? Your sisters?”

  She nodded. “Lara and Wren. Do you have siblings?”

  Davion shook his head. “Procreation is the field of Eon scientists. They select genetic material from the healthiest, smartest Eon. Children are assigned to Eon who apply to start families. My parents only selected me.”

  “Seriously? You make super babies and people adopt them.”

  “Yes. Eon fertility is a tricky thing. Our helian regulates it, and only mated pairs are fertile. But over the last few decades, the rate of mating has dropped, and so natural conception has declined.”

  “Hmm. Any idea why?”

  He shook his head. “To combat the problem, the scientists started the breeding program. In fact, my parents are key Eon scientists.”

  “Science for the win. Is that why you warriors all look so similar?”

  “Partly. There is more diversity in the regular Eon population, but the dominant features that make a good warrior means most warriors look alike.” He paused. “Do you look like your sisters?”

  “Yep. My older sister Lara and I could be twins. My younger sister Wren has curly hair and way more curves, which she complains about a lot.”

  “You’re close to your sisters.”

  “Yes. They drive me crazy sometimes, but I love them.”

  “Your parents?”

  Eve tried not to stiffen. “My father is dead.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It was in an early confrontation with the Kantos.”

  “The Kantos have spilled a lot of blood.” He paused. “And your mother?”

  Eve pulled in a breath. “Isn’t really worthy of the title. She kind of lost it after my father died.”

  “She didn’t care for you and your sisters?” he asked quietly.

  “No. She lost herself in a bottle. The last thing she said to me was in a message, telling me I was a disgrace.” Eve shook her head at the old anger. Her mom had never taken the time to ask Eve what the hell had happened. This was a topic she really didn’t want to discuss. “You said the Kantos have spilled a lot of blood. And they want more. You’re okay with them annihilating Earth?”

  “I never said that.”

  Eve saw the sympathy on his face. She nodded. “But you don’t speak for all of the Eon. It was your king who declared that there would be no contact with Earth.”

  “We have a new king now.”

  “Really?” She hadn’t known that. This could be a good thing.

  “And you snuck onto his warship and abducted his war commander.”

  Eve wrinkled her nose. “Not by choice.” Okay, maybe the new king wasn’t going to be a huge fan. “So, tell me about the Eon homeworlds?”

  “The first world is Eon. It was created to be the capital of the empire, and is home to our greatest industries and institutions. The other three core worlds are Jad, Felis, and Ath. They were the homes of our first warriors, Ston, Alqin, and Eshar. Ston and Alqin were brothers, and Eshar was Alqin’s mate. They were the first to bond successfully with the helian symbionts. They created the Eon Empire.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing history.”

  “Our planets have temperate climates. Eon and Jad are mountainous, filled with lakes of all colors. Felis and Ath are more verdant, with jungles and forests.”

  Eve smiled. She’d joined the Corps to explore, to see new worlds. “They sound amazing.”

  “I’d like to show them to you one day. I think you’d like them, Eve Traynor.”

  They looked at each other for a long moment, and she felt the connection between them like a tangible thing. Her chest tightened.

  Suddenly, the ground started vibrating. A chime sounded on Davion’s wrist.

  Eve looked toward the setting sun.

  “Biome change,” Davion said grimly.

  Eve straightened. “Well, bring it on. I’m hoping for a pretty beach, gentle waves, and some palm trees.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Snow. Really?” Eve threw an arm up in the air. “Have I told you how much I hate this planet?”

  Davion listened to Eve with a smile, the ground still shaking through the biome change.

  Snow started drifting down all around them, and beneath them, the ground heaved. Davion pulled her back until she was pressed to his front.

  In front of them, they watched mountains spear up into the sky. Eve gasped, her hands gripping his arms. Her fingers brushed near his symbiont and he felt it pulse.

  He frowned. Strange that it responded to her.

  Eve gasped again and he looked up. Sand flowed away through cracks in the ground. And more snow continued to fall.

  Finally, the shaking stopped.

  “Holy hell.” Eve arched her head back.

  Above, clouds churned over fierce, rugged mountains. The snow was falling fast and the temperature was dropping.

  “Let’s go, Earth warrior.”

  Her nose wrinkled and they set off through the snow. “I really would have preferred a beach.”

  Despite her complaints, she trekked tirelessly. The terrain grew rugged, and it wasn’t long before they were sinking knee-deep in snow.

  “A sadist designed this place,” she muttered.

  “It wasn’t intended for pleasure or fun.”

  “No shit. How much farther to the rest station?”

  “An hour, unless the snow gets worse.” He looked at the sky. “There’s a storm coming in.”

  The clouds churned, getting darker and darker. The trees around
them were all a deep, dark green, with some red foliage.

  As they continued on, Davion felt a skitter across his senses. Nothing moved in the snow-covered surroundings, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

  Eve sensed it as well. He saw the way she looked around, her shoulders tense. They moved in closer together. Somewhere in the distance, a creature let out a long howl.

  Her steps slowed.

  “What?” he asked quietly.

  “I’m not sure.” She scanned around. “You sense it, right?”

  “Yes. But I can’t see or hear anything. Only a feeling.” Davion reached out again with his enhanced senses. There was no sign of anything. “We have to keep moving.”

  They passed through a line of trees, and Eve stopped again.

  “There.” She pointed.

  Davion spotted strange marks in the snow. They moved closer. The markings were small and there were a lot of them.

  “Footprints?” She frowned, as she crouched beside them.

  “No creature that I know of.” He circled around the markings. “But Hunter7 can generate some unique wildlife.”

  Thwap.

  Thwap.

  Something enclosed around Davion, squeezing him, and he was whipped up into the air.

  Cren. A net had closed around him, his arms trapped at his sides. And the net was still squeezing tighter.

  He turned his head as far as he could. The net was made of some sticky, black, web-like substance. He was hovering well above the ground.

  “Davion!”

  He managed to look down. Eve had avoided her net, which was hanging empty beside his. She had her blaster in hand.

  “Hang on,” she said.

  The net squeezed tighter, digging into his skin. He gritted his teeth, pain spiking through him.

  He watched Eve climb a neighboring tree. She grabbed the lower branches, pulled herself up lithely, then started to climb. When she came level with him, her intense gaze landed on him.

  “Two shakes and I’ll have you free.” Her muscles bunched, and she launched herself at him.

  She hit the net, sending it swinging. She clung on, her face not far from his.

  Then, over her shoulder, he spotted lights bobbing through the trees. He frowned. Someone was headed in their direction.