by Anna Zaires
Sending another mental query, Korum reached out to the communication device he’d made for her – what she called her wristwatch-bracelet. To his surprise and growing disquiet, he couldn’t connect to it at all; it was as if there was only emptiness where digital signals should’ve been.
Something was wrong.
Korum knew it with sudden certainty. Raising his hand, he stared down at his palm, his eyes following the tiny pulses of light playing underneath his skin. It was a way for him to concentrate, to utilize specific mental pathways that were more complex than those required for basic daily tasks.
This particular path was not something he’d used in recent weeks, not since the Resistance was defeated. Mia didn’t know about this either, and Korum wasn’t planning to tell her. There was no need; he’d stopped using the device to monitor her activities. The only reason why it was still on her is because the process for removing it was fairly complicated – and because he liked the idea of having it there for emergencies.
Keeping his eyes glued to his palm, Korum sent a deep probe, activating the tiny recording device hidden underneath Mia’s left earlobe. It would allow him to hear everything in her vicinity and, more importantly, to check on her vital signs.
As soon as the device came on, some of the tension left his muscles. She was okay, her heartbeat strong and her breathing steady.
And yet . . . Korum frowned, listening carefully. Everything was quiet – too quiet. If she was still working, she should’ve been moving around, talking to whomever had delayed her. Instead, it was as if she was asleep right now.
Asleep . . . or unconscious.
As soon as he thought of the second possibility, he knew he was on the right track. But why would she be unconscious? This didn’t make any sense. And was that . . . ? He listened again. Were those someone else’s movements he was hearing around her?
His unease morphed into full-blown worry.
Getting up, Korum strode swiftly to the wall and exited the house. Pausing for a few seconds, he sent a mental command to have a transport pod created with all possible speed. While the nanomachines did their job, he reached deep into the recording device’s archives. All the recorders he designed worked like that; even when they weren’t activated to broadcast in real time, they were still collecting data and storing it internally.
It took a second, and then he was accessing the recorder’s memories, scanning through them to find the right spot. He started with the exact moment when Mia sent him her message. Instead of listening to the recording at normal speed, he had his computer create an instant transcript, which he then read in a few seconds.
And as Korum understood what he was reading, every cell in his body filled with volcanic fury.
He couldn’t even begin to process the magnitude of the betrayal – nor the sheer evil that was about to be unleashed by a man he’d considered a friend for the past two thousand years. And Mia . . . No, he couldn’t think about it. Not now, at least. If they were all to survive, he needed to focus, to control his rage and pain.
Utilizing every ounce of willpower he possessed, Korum reached for the coolly rational side of himself and began to analyze the best way to handle the situation.
* * *
Saret watched impatiently as Korum finally left the house and created the transport pod. Now his nemesis would come looking for Mia, hopefully with minimal – if any – suspicions.
Of course, it would never do to underestimate him. The bastard always had some nasty surprises for those who did. Still, Korum had no reason to think anything sinister was going on, and he would certainly never expect Saret to try to kill him.
It was unfortunate that Mia had come across those files today. Saret had always known that someone could snoop around and figure out that Saur hadn’t been quite as knowledgeable about memory erasure as he’d been portrayed to be. Saret should’ve moved the files, but everyone in the lab knew better than to access other people’s work without Saret’s explicit permission.
Everyone, except one human girl, as it turned out.
Then again, maybe on some level, Saret had wanted her to find out. He’d enjoyed explaining his plan to her and watching the emotions on her expressive little face. She hadn’t understood fully, of course, still too caught up in Korum’s web to think clearly.
It had made him angry, what she’d said about not being attracted to him. She’d been lying, of course, trying to goad him into doing something stupid. He was a Krinar male in his prime; he knew full well that human women desired him. And she would want him too; he had made sure of that.
He would be gentle with her at first, not like Korum had been when they met. Saret had seen some of the recordings from the beginning of their relationship at the trial, and it had made him angry, the way his nemesis had handled her then. Saret would make a better cheren, he was certain of that.
Now where was Korum?
Frowning, Saret looked at the image again. It appeared his enemy was in no hurry. Instead of flying to the lab, Korum was standing next to the ship and leisurely chatting with some Krinar woman Saret had never seen before. He was almost . . . flirting with her? Fucking bastard, already cheating on Mia.
Well, no matter, Korum would get here soon enough. And when he did, he would be in for a nice little surprise.
Unbeknownst to all, Saret had spent the past several years building a high-tech fortress within the lab. All Krinar buildings were durable, meant to withstand anything from a nuclear blast to a volcanic eruption. His lab, however, went a step further: the walls were weaponized – designed to kill anyone who tried to enter once Saret activated the protection mode. They were also impenetrable by any form of nanotechnology because Saret had installed the same shields that served as the Centers’ defenses.
It hadn’t been easy, doing this. Weapons were not something that the general population had easy access to, especially specialized nano-weapons like those embedded in his walls. Saret had been forced to call in a lot of favors and spend a sizable chunk of his personal fortune to get everything set up exactly as he wanted it. It had cost him even more to keep everything a secret.
Now, however, it would all pay off. In another couple of days, the nano-weapon that he planned to use in the Centers would be ready. The dispersion devices with the nanocytes had already been planted in all the key human cities.
All he needed now was patience.
Another ten minutes, and Saret was losing what remained of that patience. What the hell was taking Korum so long? Had Saret underestimated his enemy’s attachment to the girl? It looked like the bastard was still flirting with that woman. There he was now, laughing and touching her arm. What the fuck? Whatever happened to his obsession with Mia? Had she been just a toy for him all along?
As soon as the thought occurred to Saret, he dismissed it. No, something was up. He was suddenly certain of it.
Was his enemy playing him for a fool? Was he even now being fed a false image? There was no way to tell; the figures Saret was watching looked completely real. But, as Saret knew full well, looks could be deceiving.
He had to face the possibility that Korum had figured out something was going on.
Moving swiftly, Saret armed himself and put on a protective shield that wrapped around his entire body. The lab walls were still his best defense, and he had every intention of confronting his nemesis here, where Saret had the home advantage. He felt no fear, though his pulse spiked in anticipation of the upcoming fight.
Glancing at Mia, Saret made sure that she was still unconscious, lying restrained on the medical float. She might wake up soon, and he was hoping to have all the unpleasantness over with before that happened.
Ignoring the adrenaline rushing through his veins, Saret sat down next to her and stroked her arm, marveling at the smoothness of her pale skin. She looked so pretty, with her dark lashes fanning across her cheeks and that soft mouth slightly parted. What was that human children’s story? Sleeping Beauty? Actually, she looke
d more like Snow White, Saret decided, with her milky complexion and dark hair.
Leaning down, he kissed her lips, brushing them lightly with his tongue. As he’d suspected, she was delicious; just that tiny taste was enough to make him hard. If he had more time, he would’ve taken her right then and there, unconscious or not.
But he didn’t have more time. He needed to stay focused. One way or another, Korum would be here soon.
Getting up, Saret walked over to the image again. By now, he was almost certain it was fake.
Where was Korum?
Saret began to pace, too agitated to sit down again.
When it all began two minutes later, he didn’t even notice at first.
A low humming sound was his first warning that something was wrong. The noise seemed to fill the air, gradually increasing in volume until it was almost a roar to his sensitive Krinar hearing.
Then the walls began to melt. Saret had never seen anything like it before: the material designed to withstand a nuclear blast seemed to liquefy from the top down, as if the building was made of wax.
Now Saret tasted fear. Sharp and acidic, it pooled low in his stomach. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to be safe here, in his carefully constructed fortress . . . but he wasn’t. Saret didn’t know of any weapon that could do this – that could penetrate the same shields that protected the colonies – but his eyes didn’t lie. The walls were literally melting around him.
There was only one thing left to do: retreat and live to fight another day. For a second, Saret considered taking Mia with him, but she would slow him down and he couldn’t take that risk. He would have to come back for her.
Casting one last look at the unconscious girl on the float, Saret activated the emergency escape chute and disappeared through the building floor.
Chapter 7
“I want him found. By any means necessary. Do you understand me?” Korum was aware that his voice sounded sharp, but he could no longer contain the icy rage coursing through his veins.
Alir, the leader of the guardians, nodded. “We’ll bring him to you,” he promised, his black eyes cold and expressionless.
“Good,” Korum said curtly.
Turning around, he stalked toward the back of the room, where Ellet was sitting beside Mia and running diagnostic tests.
At his approach, the Krinar woman looked up, signs of strain evident on her beautiful face. “She should regain consciousness soon,” she said softly. “But, Korum, I’m afraid the damage has been done.”
“What are you saying?” He didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t accept that possibility.
“I’m afraid the scan is showing signs of trauma consistent with a memory loss. I’m so sorry –”
“No. You must be wrong.” His fists clenched so hard his nails entered his skin, drawing blood. “There must be something we can do –”
“I’ll look into it,” Ellet said, rising from her sitting position. “But this type of erasure tends to be irreversible, I’m afraid.”
Korum took a step forward. “I don’t want you to look into this, Ellet,” he said evenly. “I fucking want you to drop whatever else you’re doing and bring her memory back.”
Ellet frowned. “You know I’ll do my best –”
“Do better than that.” Korum knew he wasn’t being rational, but he didn’t care. He had never felt this way before – so savagely murderous. He wanted to tear Saret apart, to rip him up piece by piece and hear him scream in agony. He wanted to eviscerate the man he’d once regarded as a friend and bathe in his blood, like the ancients used to do with their enemies.
Underneath the swirling rage and bitterness at the betrayal, guilt – heavy and terrible – sat uncomfortably on Korum’s shoulders. Mia had been hurt – hurt because of him. Because he’d failed to protect her from the monster in their midst. Because he’d been far too trusting. If it hadn’t been for him, she would’ve never had that internship, would’ve never been exposed to Saret’s sick cravings.
If he hadn’t brought her to Lenkarda, she would’ve never been in harm’s way.
How could Korum not have seen it earlier? How could he not have sensed that kind of hatred? His greatest enemy had turned out to be one of his closest friends – and he hadn’t known until it was too late.
And now he could see pity on Ellet’s face. She knew how he felt about Mia and could probably guess at his mental state right now. “I will, Korum,” she said soothingly. “I promise you, I’ll do everything possible to help.”
Korum took a deep, calming breath. It wasn’t Ellet’s fault his friend had turned out to be the worst psychopath in modern Krinar history. “Thanks,” he said quietly.
Ellet smiled, looking relieved. “You can take her home now, if you’d like. She’ll wake up naturally in a few hours, and it might as well be at your house. The fewer of us she has to deal with at first, the better.”
Korum nodded. “Of course.” Bending down over Mia’s float, he carefully picked her up, cradling her gently against his chest. She was so light, so fragile in his arms. The realization that she could’ve been killed today was like poison in his veins, burning him from the inside.
Saret would pay for what he did to her – for what he planned to do to them all. Korum would make sure of that.
* * *
Mia let out a small huffing sound and wrinkled her nose, one slim hand coming up to brush a dark curl off her cheek. Her eyes were still closed for now, although it was obvious she was starting to regain consciousness.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Korum watched her slowly wake up, unable to tear his eyes away. Logically, he knew she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but it didn’t matter. To him, she was perfect. He loved everything about her; each and every part of her delicate little body turned him on. Even now, as she lay there in her pale pink dress, he had to fight the urge to touch her, to bring her closer to him and bury himself deep inside her.
The unsettling mixture of lust and tenderness she evoked in him was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Like many Krinar, Korum had always regarded sex as a fun recreational activity. Most of his prior relationships had been casual affairs, similar to the fling he’d had with Ellet a few years ago. He liked women and he enjoyed their company outside of the bedroom as well, but he had never wanted to be with one on a permanent basis – had never felt the urge to claim one as his own.
Until Mia.
For some reason, this human girl appealed to his darkest, most primitive instincts. The way he felt about her went beyond sexual desire, beyond a craving for her tender flesh. What he really wanted was to possess her completely, to have her be his in every possible way.
It was not an unknown phenomenon among the Krinar. In ancient times, Krinar males needed to hunt and to protect their territory – and they were far more likely to do an effective job if they were strongly attached to their mates. It had been a simple evolutionary adaptation at the time – a male’s obsessive fixation on one specific female. Deeper than lust, stronger than love, it was a powerful combination of the two that ensured a man would give up his life to protect his woman and their offspring.
Over the years, as Krinar society became more civilized, that kind of attachment became less important to the species’ survival, and the genetic tendency toward it weakened over time. It still happened, of course, but it was a fairly rare occurrence in modern times – which was why Korum hadn’t realized what was going on when he first met Mia.
He hadn’t understood at first why he was feeling that way. All he’d known was that he wanted her – and that he had to have her. Even her initial reluctance hadn’t been enough to deter him; if anything, her wariness had intrigued him, triggering the predatory instincts he normally managed to suppress.
He had never pursued someone like that before, had never been less than considerate of a woman’s wishes, but with Mia, he had been ruthless. He’d gone after her with all the intensity in his nature, disre
garding all notions of right and wrong. In less than a week, he’d gotten what he wanted: Mia in his bed, in his apartment – his to take whenever he wanted.
It had taken him far longer to earn her love.
To this day, he couldn’t help the anger that stirred in his stomach when he thought about her involvement with the Resistance. Rationally, he knew he couldn’t blame her for fighting back, for not trusting him in the beginning. She was a mere child in comparison to him; he should’ve been more cognizant of her fears, should’ve patiently seduced her instead of forcing her into the relationship. Perhaps then she wouldn’t have believed the fighters’ lies, wouldn’t have betrayed him the way she did.
But he hadn’t been patient. The strength of his emotions had caught him off-guard, blinding him to everything but the need to have her. What had begun as a sexual obsession had quickly become something much deeper, and Korum hadn’t known how to cope with that. He’d acted out of hurt and anger, using her against the Resistance as punishment for spying on him, when he should’ve simply explained everything to her, made her understand his intentions.
The fact that she loved him now was a miracle – one that he was grateful for every day. And if she didn’t remember him when she woke up, then he would use that as an opportunity for a new beginning, as a way to make amends for what happened before.
One way or another, Mia would love him again.
The alternative was unthinkable.
Finally, her eyelids fluttered open. She blinked, looking confused, then stared at him in open-mouthed shock.
Gently stroking her arm, Korum smiled. “Hello, my darling,” he said, purposefully injecting a soothing note into his voice. What he really wanted was to hug her to him, but that would frighten her if she had indeed lost her memory and he was now a stranger to her.