Dylan grunted. “I think he can look after himself.”
He parted with Dylan at the looming bulk of the Trakis Four and headed to the lake. He took one of the boats and crossed the small body of water, tying up on the other side. The first thing he noticed was the large number of soldiers about the area. They’d been out searching for Destiny, now they must have been replaced by the drones. The skin of his back prickled.
There were guards in the large hallway, and he recognized the man who had been out with Destiny. Silas Wynch, Kinross’s second-in-command, although not in any formal sense of the word. Milo crossed to him.
“How is Mr. Kinross?” he asked.
The other man’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “I spoke with Captain Sekongo earlier. He said Kinross was indisposed.”
“He’s fine.”
Hmm. The man wasn’t very chatty. “There seem to be a lot of…soldiers around.”
“So?”
“I’m just curious. I wasn’t aware there was a military presence on any of the ships other than the Trakis One.”
Another shrug. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
“What would you know about?”
“That you and your friend ask a lot of questions.”
“Is that a problem?”
“It depends what you do with the answers. But there’s no place for going your own way on Trakis Four. We work as a team.”
“It’s my way or the highway,” Milo murmured.
Amusement flashed in the other man’s eyes. “Something like that.”
“Well, give my regards to Kinross.”
“I will.”
He turned to go. It was unlikely he was going to get into the tunnels from this direction tonight. Were they suspicious? Likely they were suspicious about everything. Instead, he would find the route back from Destiny’s end of the tunnels. Maybe they needed to spend some time mapping out the place.
But when he left the castle, he was aware of someone following him, and they weren’t trying to hide. Maybe Wynch was sending him a message.
We’re watching you.
His tail followed him back to the shuttle, two men in the green uniforms of Kinross’s private army. Dylan wasn’t there; he must have already gone back to Destiny. Milo should have felt happier about that. He didn’t.
He sat in the doorway of the shuttle and raised a hand at his watchers. Looked like they were in place for the duration.
Heading back inside, he got a bowl of water and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of it. Scrying was a method he had often used successfully on Earth when he’d wanted a glimpse of some possible future. He wasn’t sure how it would work here, but it was worth a try. Swirling his finger in the water, he concentrated, trying to see what was to come.
But although the water darkened, went opaque, it refused to give up any secrets.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I am hungry, feed me; I am bored, amuse me.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Destiny decided that she wasn’t going to think about Milo right now. She wanted him too much, and she couldn’t see clearly. But his hands and his mouth had felt so good.
Concentrate on something else.
While she didn’t want to be fickle, she actually found it quite easy to not think about him once she started reading. The books were fascinating. Spaceships were just as interesting as romance, and she soon lost herself in the world of quantum physics. And power drives, solar and wind power. The books included the engineering specs for the Trakis fleet. The life support, the power supplies, speeds…the controls.
She came to the end of the book and studied the console in front of her. While obviously this ship was much smaller than the Trakis ships, she suspected that they functioned on the same principles. Whoever had left this ship behind was humanoid. Who had they been? What had happened to them?
Maybe she would find a ship’s log.
There was a big red button in the center of the console. She bit her lip.
Should I?
She was still staring at the button, her hand reaching out slowly…
What’s the worst that could happen?
Her mind flooded with a whole lot of possibilities. She inched a little closer, then went still as someone called out to her.
Dylan this time.
It was probably for the best; she wasn’t ready to face Milo again just yet. He wanted her, she was sure of it, but he was wary, so she had to find a way to let him know he could have her, and she wouldn’t be a nuisance—she hoped. She knew what she wanted; she just wasn’t sure how to