“Broc.” He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “They’ll be fine. They’re all very brave and accomplished warriors. This is what warriors do.”
“I know.” His voice was thin and shaky and he swiped his arm across his face, still facing the other direction.
“You said Commander Nox. Did you mean Indigo’s mate? I think his name is Zilor.” He nodded, but didn’t reply, clearly anxious to depart. “Can you send a message to Indigo for me? Ask if she’ll come see me?” Broc already said he didn’t know what the mission was about, but Indigo would.
“I know where she is,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll go talk to her.”
“Thank you.”
He waved as he hurried away.
Kelsey nibbled at the breakfast offerings as her mind ran wild with speculation. What sort of a mission would require Jakkin, Dakar, and Zilor? Broc was right. Those were some heavy hitters. Yet it was clearly a small mission, likely some sort of stealthy strike. She shivered, suddenly as concerned as the boy.
Indigo showed up an hour or so later. Her sunny disposition was conspicuously absent, so Kelsey got right to the point. “What’s going on? Broc told me Zilor is off with Dakar and Jakkin on some secret mission.”
Indigo laughed. “It’s not very secret if Broc knows about it. Of course the runners do have the advantage of interacting with everyone.”
“Can you tell me what they’re doing, or did Zilor swear you to secrecy.”
One of Indigo’s brows arched, disappearing beneath her wispy, dark blue bangs. “If Jakkin isn’t your mate, why do you care?”
It was a valid question, one Kelsey wasn’t sure she could answer. “I care about him. He knows I do, but I didn’t come here looking for a mate.”
The challenge in Indigo’s expression intensified. “No, you came here to betray us, to screw with our systems and who knows what else.”
Kelsey sighed. She deserved this and a whole lot more. “None of this was what I was expecting. The information I was given was distorted and incomplete.”
“And yet you were still willing to complete the mission after orientation, when you had an accurate picture of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Heat crawled up her neck and tension gathered between her shoulder blades. The accusations were even harder to hear coming from Indigo, her one and only friend among the rebels. How could she defend actions and attitudes that didn’t make sense to her now? “Alyssa and I were both having serious doubts. It’s pretty obvious Solar Warden was responsible for the bombing and I want nothing to do with terrorism. It’s despicable and cowardly.” She sighed, then added, “I’m not sure Alyssa would have been able to go through with it. She fell even faster than I did.”
Gradually, Indigo’s expression softened until she looked more amused than annoyed. “Have you fallen? Are you in love with Jakkin?”
Kelsey closed her eyes, trying to hide from the truth. “He deserves better,” she whispered. “I’m not sure I can…”
“It doesn’t work that way with Rodytes. They can’t marry, or bond with anyone they want, like we can. If they want to start a family—at least with biological children—they have to find a genetic match. You’re his mate, Kelsey, the other half of his soul. There is no one ‘better’ than you for him.”
Tears burned in her throat as she opened her eyes and looked at Indigo. “He’ll never trust me after—everything. And I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t trust me either.”
“Well, he sure as hell can’t if you won’t let him get close to you,” Indigo pointed out, a bit of her vitality returning. “Somehow I don’t think it was Jakkin’s idea to lock you up down here.”
“I provoked him until he did it. I’ve been provoking him since we met.”
Indigo grinned. “Believe it or not that’s part of the pull. Sometimes the pheromones make females combative. She’ll challenge her potential mate, forcing him to prove that he’s strong enough to protect her.”
“I’m not sure I came across that way. Mainly I was just a royal bitch.”
“You didn’t hear it from me,” Indigo spoke in a stage whisper, “but the head of security has orders to take you back to Jakkin’s cabin as soon as you ask to be released.”
Kelsey shook her head. Jakkin should be given a medal of valor for dealing with her. “Now will you tell me about their mission?”
Indigo stepped closer to the energy barrier and lowered her voice. “They’ve gone after Shadow Leader. Alyssa told them where to find him, but last time they tried to capture him they encountered Outcasts. Humans aren’t much of a challenge for the battle born, but Outcasts are a different story.”
“Then why did they take so few men?” Kelsey cried. “A three-man strike team isn’t sufficient to take on Rodyte mercenaries.”
“They’re hoping to bio-stream Martin onto a Phantom without ever leaving the ship. They’re smart, and experienced. If things go sideways, they’ll abort. All three have a lot to live for now. They won’t just throw it away.”
Kelsey laughed. “Are we talking about the same three men? Jakkin, Dakar and Zilor? I don’t know your mate well, but Jakkin is incredibly stubborn, and he lives for this sort of thing. He’ll run headlong into danger every time.”
“I’m trying to stay positive.” Indigo took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Tell the guards you want out, so we can go back to Jakkin’s cabin and make ourselves comfortable. He does have the nicest rooms on the ship after all.”
“Deal.” For the first time in eight days, Kelsey smiled.
Chapter Six
One of the younger Outcasts handed Arton a folded piece of paper, then hurried off without a word. How strange. No one bothered with such primitive forms of communication anymore. He broke the seal and unfolded the message.
Come to my office immediately.
Overlord Razel
A summons from the overlord wasn’t something Arton was used to receiving. Generally Kage pinged him directly if he needed something and their conversations were always casual. This couldn’t be good.
Arton thanked his sparring partner then wiped his face with a small towel the fitness center’s attendant handed him. The Relentless offered many amenities Kage’s old ship did not. The fitness center just happened to be Arton’s favorite.
The message said immediately, so Arton didn’t bother with a shower. Instead, he headed straight for the overlord’s office, also known as the war room.
Could Kage have found out about Rex Dravon and his voyage to Mentok 5? Unlikely, but that would explain the formality.
The door slid open as he approached, so clearly Kage was expecting him. “You summoned me.”
Kage turned from the wall display, hands locked behind his back. Fury was etched into every line on his face. “I’m no stranger to betrayal, but I didn’t expect it from you.”
So much for the pleasantries. “I haven’t betrayed you.”
“Then explain where the Marauder went and tell me who authorized the mission. Last time I checked, ship allocation still required my authorization.”
“You authorized the mission.”
Kage narrowed his gaze, clearly not in the mood for word games. “Explain.”
“You told me to find another way to release battle born magic and you would give the order to leave Earth-space.”
“And.”
“I intend to present a fully realized strategy, and that’s not possible without certain pieces of information. Rex Dravon, aboard the Marauder, is collecting one of those pieces of information.”
“Where did you send him and what does it have to do with releasing battle born magic?” He sounded tired and irritable.
“I sent him to Mentok 5, and I’m dealing with the latent magic issue personally. Rex is investigating possible colonization sites. We can’t very well move on if we don’t know where we’re going.”
“Mentok 5.” The name seemed to calm Kage, and speculation gleamed in his dark gaze. “I’ve wanted i
ntel on those planets for months.”
Arton dared to smile. “I’m aware.” Deciding to push his luck, he hoped to defuse the situation entirely. “If I overstepped my authority, I apologize. I meant no disrespect.”
Kage didn’t let him off quite that easily. “You were being sneaky and you know it.”
“Maybe a little. I was frustrated. I admit it. I hate it when people don’t take my warnings seriously.”
“I took you seriously. I’m just not sure what you want me to do. We can’t leave Earth until we have a way—any way—to unlock battle born magic.”
“That’s what I’m trying to accomplish. And that’s all I’m doing.” He looked into his friend and mentor’s eyes as he added, “I would never betray, or even undermine, you. Not intentionally.”
Kage looked a little ashamed, which pleased Arton. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, but you should have told me what you were doing. Rex gets the supply runs done twice as fast as anyone else. How long will he be gone?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll know more once he updates me in a few days.”
“Keep me in the loop,” Kage stressed. “Technically, I’m your boss, even though neither one of us tends to remember.”
“Yes, Overlord.” Arton smiled again and left the cabin.
* * * * *
Something was horribly wrong. Kelsey knew it as soon as she saw Zilor Nox’s face. She’d been enjoying a long, relaxed visit with Indigo when her mate showed up at Jakkin’s door.
“I was told Indigo is here,” he said in a quiet, tight voice. His handsome features were tense as well. Compassion and worry shadowed his silver-ringed gaze, but he said nothing else.
“What’s wrong?” Kelsey stepped aside and motioned him into the cabin.
Indigo was standing near the sofa where they’d been sitting. Zilor rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m fine, baby. The mission was a success. Martin Wallace is in a detention cell on the Destroyer.”
They kissed, but Kelsey wasn’t fooled by the stall tactic. “But,” she prompted when he finally stepped back.
“But there were complications,” he admitted.
He looked at his wife again and a strange silence followed. It was almost as if… Did the mating bond allow couples to speak telepathically? Feeling Jakkin’s emotions, even for so brief a time, still gave Kelsey tingles when she thought about it. She wasn’t even sure the link was there anymore. She hadn’t felt anything from him in the past eight days.
“Please tell me,” Kelsey urged. “We’re working through some things right now, but I am his mate.”
“You might want to tell him that.” Zilor was usually as good-natured as Indigo. It was unnerving to see him so serious. “Did Indigo tell you about our mission?” She nodded, so he didn’t bother with a review. “Martin was right where Alyssa said he would be. However, he’d reinforced his security. We were anticipating Outcasts and we weren’t disappointed, but there were more than we’d figured and they had some really unusual toys that made our original plan impossible.”
Which meant they’d left the ship and took on the Outcasts face-to-face. “Was Jakkin hurt? Where is he? What about Dakar?” Each unanswered question made her pulse race faster. She couldn’t lose Jakkin now. She’d finally accepted that being his mate might be a good thing. She absolutely could not lose him now!
“Jakkin will recover, but they’re not sure about Dakar.”
Both women gasped, and Kelsey felt guilty because she was relieved it wasn’t the other way around. “Is someone with Alyssa? She must be frantic right now.”
“She’s with his brothers. They’re all on the Intrepid. Dakar is still in surgery.”
“What the hell happened?” Indigo flared. “All three of you were wearing body armor. I thought flexlar is indestructible. That’s what you tell me every time you need to wear your body armor.”
“It is almost indestructible,” he responded. “The Outcasts pummeled them until their armor fractured, and not just in one place. The breaks fanned out like spider webs. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“But Jakkin is okay?” She needed to hear it again. “Where is he now?”
“He’s in a regen unit, but his injuries weren’t as serious as Dakar’s.”
She didn’t think he’d meant it as a reminder. Still, another wave of guilt washed over her. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Is there anything we can do for Alyssa or Dakar’s brothers?”
Indigo moved to her side and wrapped her arm around Kelsey’s shoulders. “Sit down. You’re white as a sheet.”
Kelsey collapsed onto the nearest chair. She hadn’t even realized her legs were shaking until her knees gave out on her. “This can’t be happening. Not again.”
“Again?” Indigo shot Zilor a worried look, then knelt at Kelsey’s side. “Jakkin is going to be fine. You’re not going to lose him.”
“I was a freaking Marine,” she cried, finger-combing her hair back from her face. “I’m no stranger to war. I can’t believe this is upsetting me.”
“It’s different when your mate’s involved,” Zilor told her. He looked at Indigo and his gaze warmed. “Being in love changes everything.”
Being in love. The phrase rang through her mind. Was she in love with Jakkin? She’d fought it every step of the way, but nothing else explained her reaction. “I think I’d feel better if I could see him.” She looked at Zilor, slowly regaining her composure. “Can we go to the Intrepid?”
“It’s not a good idea. If you saw him now, you wouldn’t believe that he’s going to be all right. But he is.”
He sure as hell wasn’t making her feel better. “What does that mean?”
“They were both pretty badly burned. It’s nothing that can’t be regenerated, but it’s not something you need to see.”
Kelsey knew so little about Rodyte technology, but she didn’t think Zilor would lie to her about something this important. Jakkin was fine. He was going to recover. But Alyssa’s mate was still in danger. “You said Dakar is still in surgery. Can’t they just regenerate him too?”
Zilor shook his head, expression tensing up again. “He’s not stable enough for the process to start. Regeneration is thorough. It repairs damaged tissue much more completely than traditional medical procedures, but it takes time. Time Dakar doesn’t have right now.”
Poor Alyssa. As impactful as this had been on Kelsey, it had to have hit Alyssa twice as hard. “I’m not sure Dakar’s brothers are the best company for Alyssa. I’d really like to go to her, or have her brought here. She needs a friend right now, not a soldier.”
“I can’t take you to her,” Zilor said. “This crew is loyal to Jakkin and he told them not to let you leave the ship. I’ll ask Alyssa if she’d like to come here, but I doubt she’ll agree to leave the Intrepid.”
A few minutes of silence followed as Zilor contacted someone aboard the Intrepid. Likely one of the Lux brothers. Then he shook his head and focused on Kelsey. “She’s not budging, but she told Kaden to let you know she’s okay.”
Kelsey accepted defeat. If Jakkin were fighting for his life, she’d want to be as close to him as possible too.
“It’s late,” Indigo said after another quiet pause. “Why don’t you come to the Pavilion and—”
“Jakkin’s crew isn’t going to let her off the ship,” Zilor reminded. “We can stay here if you like, but she’s not going to rest unless she’s alone.”
Indigo sighed, clearly unhappy with her options. “If we head home, will you at least try to get some sleep?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Jakkin’s not the one in danger. I just feel terrible for Alyssa.”
“All right.” Indigo still sounded hesitant. “I’ll check on you first thing in the morning.”
Kelsey didn’t argue and Indigo gave her a quick hug before departing with her mate.
Silence spread through the cabin and Kelsey felt intensely alone. Shadow Leader had been captured. Her cover was blown, the mission an abs
olute failure. So why did she feel relieved?
The answer formed almost as fast as the question. For the first time since Daniel’s death, she had hope.
* * * * *
Kelsey couldn’t remember falling asleep, but something brushed against her cheek, startling her awake. She gasped and opened her eyes to find Jakkin bending over the sofa where she’d lain down the night before.
“Jakkin!” She turned toward him and sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She tried to kiss him, but he slowly unhooked her arms and pulled away.
“We need to talk.” He looked terrible. Purple smudges shadowed his eyes and his movements were stiff and awkward.
“It looks like you need to sleep.” She scooted to the edge of the sofa, but didn’t stand. “We can talk when you feel better.”
“I’ll sleep better if we talk,” he countered.
“All right.” She should have realized it wouldn’t be that easy. Jakkin was the wronged party. It was her responsibility to make things right. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten.”
“In the morning?” He nodded. “Wow. I didn’t think I’d sleep at all, much less through the night and half the morning.” He just stared at her with an intense look on his face, obviously not in the mood for small talk. “What do you want to know?”
He sat in one of the chairs facing the sofa. His posture remained stiff despite his obvious fatigue. “Let’s start at the beginning. Do you work for Solar Warden?”
“I’m not sure Solar Warden exists anymore, but yes I was one of their agents.”
“Did they recruit you or did you find out about them and apply for a position?”
She wasn’t sure what difference that made, but she’d tell him anything he wanted to know. If she wanted to salvage what little remained of their relationship, the rescue had to start with her. “No one on Earth finds out about Solar Warden unless they want to be discovered. There’s all sorts of speculation, conspiracy theories and such, but only the members know the truth.” She hadn’t really answered his question, so she added, “Shadow Leader recruited me.”
Fearless (Battle Born Book 12) Page 10