by Jade Waltz
Contents
Prologue
1. Bryeca
2. Bryeca
3. Qraniebi
4. Bryeca
5. Qraniebi
6. Qraniebi
7. Bryeca
8. Bryeca
9. Qraniebi
10. Bryeca
11. Bryeca
Author’s Note:
About the Author
Project: F5
Project: Adapt
Project Universe Timeline:
Jade Waltz
Copyright © 2020 Jade Waltz
Develop is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
All rights reserved.
Published by: Jade Waltz
First Edition: August 2020
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-952420-01-6
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952420-06-1
“Even when things are dark, a light will find a way.”
Prologue
Bryeca
Five years ago…
The music welcomed me as I entered my favorite establishment on the CEG space station.
Another completed mission.
Another failure.
The Yaarkins were resourceful, using their connections with the black market of the galaxy to support their cause.
What're credits when they made empty promises to anyone willing to listen? For the right price, they could sell you a night with any demi-human from their collection to whatever you pleased.
It sickened me whenever I came across a ship's auction catalog, seeing what product they had to offer aboard.
Demi-humans were sorted by what species they were spliced with and all of their physical attributes. Rarely were there any other species listed, unless they were part of their experiments.
No matter how many of their ships we've tracked down and seized control of, our target remained out of our grasp.
Would she be forever elusive, her presence only in my master's dreams? If it weren’t for Kaede discovering the master list, I would’ve continued believing that this was a fool’s mission, and we were chasing some fantasy.
But no, it was real—she was real.
I looked at her file every day as I wondered how many of the demi-human experiments we could save before the Yaarkins did something drastic.
For all of their sakes, I pray that the Stars will protect them—or give them a quick pain-free death.
A shiver passed through me as haunting memories from my past life aboard my Yaarkins experiment ship dared to resurface.
Hissing, I slammed down into my usual spot, annoyed by my sudden fragility.
Now wasn’t the time for me to second guess myself, just because our first missions as a squad had failed to inquire 5313-3F. There were over five thousand demi-humans registered on the master list across—only the Stars knew—how many ships within the galaxy. I would have to be blessed by the Fates and Stars themselves if we had found her right away.
I didn’t miss how Z battled with his frustration during our debriefing, nor did I enjoy the feeling of failing him yet again.
Sighing, I worked the table’s display menu, searching for something different than my usual order.
The problem? Whether it was my mood or wanting change, none of my usual items appeared appetizing.
Perhaps coming here was a mistake after all; there was nothing to celebrate during my recreational time, not when there were still thousands of innocents being tortured, somewhere hidden in space.
Staring at my favorite drink’s product listing, I crossed my arms and thought about if I really wanted to order something, or if I should just return to my private apartment suite.
“How about an exotic drink for a gorgeous female?” a male with a melodic singsong voice asked, boldly placing a curved glass filled to the brim with a bubbly rainbow liquid. “I've never seen you here before. Is this your first time?”
Instinctively, my hand hovered over my hidden dagger tucked underneath my sleeve and eyed the newcomer.
There were only three types of fools that dared to approach me unannounced—the drunks who didn’t know better, the egoistical fools who believed they could beat me, and those who dared to take me home.
Between the offering on the table and the cocky smirk on this Quaww’s face, he was the latter. No male Quaww had ever shown interest in a female unless they were trying to recruit them for his flock.
“What if it was?” I asked, eying the bold male. “Would you be fine with me thanking you for the drink with no hidden agenda? Or by me asking this will make you believe that I owe you something?”
A quick scan from REI labeled him as orange, one step above the yellow neutral citizens due to him being a Quaww, the archenemy of the Aldawi. He wasn’t a threat—yet—but I needed to keep an eye to him.
Unlike the rest of the attendees within the crowd, this Quaww didn’t hide himself with the shadows, dressed in bright colors instead of typical dark hooded robes. No, this male’s demeanor demanded attention from all around him.
His large magnificent wings were like a blue and green cape; their gold details sparkled in the flashing club’s lights. Surprisingly, he didn’t have any jewelry around golden taloned feet, showing his rank within his territory.
This meant he was trying to start a flock with me as his first target.
One thing he had going for him as he wasn’t unattractive.
The way his thicker shoulder feathers cascaded down his chest in shades of blues, green, and gold were gorgeous. I could tell he spent a lot of time pruning himself with the way there wasn’t a loose or misplaced feather anywhere on his toned body.
Too bad, his choice of attire wasn’t something I would call appealing.
I knew Quaww was typically flamboyant in nature, but a bright neon green bandoleer crisscrossing his chest and attached to a neon blue loincloth wasn’t something I would wear in a place like this, especially with the mirror-like buttons. A club full of mercenaries and merchants looking to score a deal wasn’t a place to stick out.
And that was precisely what he was doing.
“You don’t owe me anything.” He winked. “But if you want to pay me, I would accept your name.”
Rolling my eyes, I groaned.
“Are you seriously using that line?” I yanked out my dagger, flipping it in the air and catching it. “Do you happen to know who I am?”
“I was hoping mine soon enough,” he purred, sounding more like a series of chirps, as his pale green eyes darkened. “Tell me what I have to do for you to earn your name. There is no point in denying, for the Stars have led you into my life, so let me know what I need to make you mine,” he begged, as he dared to take a step closer. “Do I need to dance for you to show you that I am worthy of you?”
“Dance?”
I heard about the Quaww and their mating dances, but to perform one to me without knowing my name was pretty far-fetched. There had to be a hidden agenda.
Sending a quick message to my squad, I eyed the rest of the club.
Nothing seemed amiss amongst the dancers, workers, and those hoping to score a deal.
“Yes, a dance.” He nodded, opening his wings wide as if he was putting them on display for me to judge.
Sheathing my dagger, I stood, already ove
r the route this conversation was going.
“I don’t think you understand,” I said, not missing the face of defeat and rejection upon his face.
Why must I always be the bad guy?
Gritting my teeth, I plopped down, knowing that I will soon regret my decision.
“Fine, show me your dance,” I mumbled, picking up the rainbow drink to inspect it, only for REI to determine it was clear of anything nefarious. “But, I only promise you my name, nothing else.”
“That is all I ask for.” He beamed, expanding his wings to their maximum reach.
A chorus of protests from those trying to walk around him died down as soon as they noticed what he was doing.
This male Quaww performed as if he was fluid bending to the wind; his graceful spins reminded me of the pinwheel seeds as they fell from some of the exotic trees around the moon base. Every time he turned, his eyes would lock and hold onto mine as if he was dedicating his dance to me, letting everyone know that he wanted no other.
Slowly, he came to an end as he folded his wings around me, closing us from the world.
Oddly, I wasn’t scared, nor was I annoyed by his intimate gesture, for I had never had experienced something like it before—nor was there a male that dared to get this close to me.
“Your name?” he asked, his eyes begging me to answer.
Tilting my head to the side, I studied him for a moment.
“How about you tell me yours and why you want my name so bad?”
“I am Qraniebi,” he announced, flicking his gaze to my hair. “And as soon as I saw you sitting here all alone, I knew I needed to learn everything about you. Something about the way the crown of feathers frames your gorgeous long black hair called to me. I have never seen someone like you before. What species are you?”
Those four words ruined the moment he had worked hard to earn.
He must’ve seen my whole demeanor shift because he instantly retracted his wings, folding them tightly behind his body as he stared at me, confused.
“I can’t tell you that,” I said, standing as disappointment laced my voice. “I will give you my name, but nothing else.”
“What did I do?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I am Agent B. I hope we never face each other across the enemy line.”
I turned and walked quickly away, ignoring his calls for me to wait.
It wasn’t his fault that, for the first time in my life, I dared to allow another to show interest in me.
The universe was filled with betrayals and secrets. There was no room for love without pain—no matter how much I wished it wasn’t so.
One
Bryeca
I had failed once again.
Somehow, my siblings and I had missed something, and our mistakes had triggered the chain of events that would forever change the Aldawi Empire.
My brother Kaede was missing. His personal AI, REI, had disconnected from our private network without warning. No matter how many times my sisters and I sent our AIs to search for REI, they found not a trace. Distance wasn’t a problem for our AIs; we had traveled to the most distant parts of the galaxy before and always remained within our family’s network. Kaede’s sudden disappearance alarmed me.
I refused to believe my brother was dead.
He was too stubborn a male, all wrapped up in his pride and quest for honor. No matter how much of a pain in the breast he was, I wouldn’t wish anything ill upon him.
We all shared the same mother—sort of. She had been one of the first generation’s altered humans, and the Yaarkins had harvested her eggs to create us. Only the six of us survived the cybernetic enhancements. We were infused with nanobots and spliced with six lucky males, then implanted into an artificial womb to mature.
The six of us never had a family in the traditional sense because we were isolated from the other demi-humans, tried and tested against gladiators only to be thrown back onto the medical table for further enhancement.
Until our masters, the Yaarkins, could no longer control us.
They submerged us in a Cryopod, locked away until they found a solution to their new problem. Before they were able to create a solution, my master swooped in searching for his destined—and found the six of us instead.
My siblings and I swore our loyalty to him alone, the price we paid for our freedom and security.
Now the male I’d sworn to serve stood between him and me.
“Agent Bryeca,” Sovereign Zirene announced. The amethyst eyes boring into mine reflected his voice, both seeming darker than usual. “Before you interrogate our criminal, I want to know if you’ve heard any word from your brother.”
Suppressing the shiver that threatened to overcome me, I reminded myself that it wasn’t solely me he was angry with, but all those who had failed him. During times like this, I wish Kaede was here to face the brunt of Zirene’s anger.
“Negative.” I shook my head. “We keep trying to reach REI, to no avail. None of our agents or allies were able to pick up any traces of either of them.”
“She lives,” he growled, flashing his teeth as he flicked his tail aggressively. “The ringing has stabilized and dimmed, but she hasn’t met me in our void chamber yet. Only time will tell what happened to my Nova.”
“She is a strong female.” I comforted him, unsure what to say to someone who recently lost his mate. “Knowing my brother, he will find a way to reach her and return her to you safely.”
“That’s one thing I can depend on,” he agreed. “Though I’m not pleased that something is going on in the shadows—my shadows. Qranibei’s crew betrayed me, and I want you to find out why.”
“Yes, Sire.” I nodded. “I will bring you all the information you need.” I flicked my focus to my sister Kaica within our network. Surprisingly, she was still located in Destima’s hospital, instead of in the privacy of the villa. “Any updates on the status—”
“They are stable,” Zirene sighed, closing his intensely lit eyes. “I hope Kaica can gather the team she needs to heal them. When my Nova returns, she will be distraught as it is. I won’t want to have to explain to her why her Favored died on my watch.”
The new Aldawi Sovereign looked tired. The claw marks on his chest were still raw, stripped bare of his dark, striped fur. If he hadn’t been wearing his new uniform, he would appear to be no one of importance. His royal-purple-and-black loincloth matched his elegant cape, both intricately detailed in silver to show off his new rank.
If I were a stranger, I would say his new position suited him, but I knew how little becoming Sovereign had appealed to Zirene. Now he was bound to his throne and would soon start feeling trapped in his prison of a palace. Yet, he would keep telling himself that he made his sacrifice for the betterment of his people. His plan to let Royak lead while Zirene slew any who stood in the empire’s way had failed, and now he was responsible for fixing his predecessor’s mistakes.
The Aldawi Empire’s future was a mystery.
While Zirene was fully capable of leading, Selena’s disappearance would slowly chip away at his sanity, now that we knew how important her proximity was. Once bonded, a Nova was her Shadow’s guiding light, leading him away from darkness.
Who knew when the new Aldawi Sovereign would snap? I did know that I didn’t want to be around when he did.
“Z,” I whispered, placing a hand on his forearm. He flinched at my touch as he opened his intense eyes, locking them on me. “Let us do what we do best. We both know wherever Kaede is, he will fight until his last breath for your Nova. Call it duty, call it love—we all know how hard he fights for her, so there’s no use denying his feelings any longer—my brother will bring her back. If you say she’s alive somewhere in the universe, then have faith that the Stars will return her to you… and her clan. I suspect the Fates harbor great plans for the two of you. Just focus on running your empire and let us support you from the shadows.”
“I hope you’re right, B.” His eyes fell to my hand, cove
ring it with his. “It’s hard to trust anyone within these walls. Someone planned this kidnapping, and I won’t rest until I purge all who dare lay a paw on my Nova and her clan. My enemies wanted change—they got it. Just not in the way they imagined.”
“It’s too late to try and correct our mistakes now,” I replied. “We will be more careful and less arrogant about our abilities. When we discover who is behind this, I will give you the honor.”
“I would expect no less.” He gently squeezed my hand before releasing it. I returned the gesture, interpreting it as a sign that our personal moment between longtime friends had passed. It was time to address him as a squad leader, reporting to my ruler. “I will leave you, Agent Bryeca. Report back with your findings.”
“Yes, Sire.”
I bowed my head and listened to his soft steps drift down the corridor. As soon as they were no more than a whisper to my ears, I raised my head to watch him disappear beyond the sliding doors.
Though he was Sovereign of the most powerful territory within the CEG, he was still the male who rescued my siblings and me, and molded us into the individuals we are today. I respect Zirene dearly even when he doled out harsh criticism because his admonishments only made his compliments that much more appealing.
He was the only father figure in our lives. We had been his best-kept secret while we’d spent the first few years outside the Yaarkins ship studying the galaxy. Zirene was a kind leader, master of our freedom, and protector of our citizenship within the CEG. While at times we wished for more downtime between missions, we never blamed him, for he was always working alongside us. The short time he spent with Selena on Destima was the only vacation he’d taken since I’d met him.