while you wait.”
My power spills from the tips of my fingers, wrapping itself around my arms and down my legs. The ferocity of it, fueled by my worry for Castien, has my hair floating about my shoulders, and I’m sure my eyes would be silver if they could change.
“You are going to take me to him,” I say. “That is not a request; it is a demand. Please don’t tell me no or I will find him without your assistance. Even if that means I have to incapacitate you first.”
Alrok taps the watch on his wrist. “Give me the last known coordinates to the commander’s whereabouts.” After a moment, he jerks his chin, indicating which direction we should go.
“Thank you,” I say, resisting the urge to make a mad dash even though I have no idea what our destination is. My need to see Castien alive is nearly suffocating me.
“When offered a choice, I will always steer clear of incapacitation,” Volron says with a wink.
“I wouldn’t mind, as long as it’s after a good fucking.” Alrok shrugs. “At least I could die happy.”
Volron grins at me. “Did the commander warn you that Darkbloods are a licentious lot?”
“Believe me,” I say, rolling my eyes, “that is no surprise to me considering my time with Castien.”
The males both chuckle, but the sound halts as soon as we climb into the transport. I sit on one side of the sphere, while they take up the seats opposite me. Thankfully, they don’t speak the entire ride, allowing me to catalog my thoughts.
I love Castien, and I want to tell him that. Almost desperately. I don’t know what the future holds, but I need him in mine. As if I were a true Koraxian female, I am mated to Castien, and I have no desire to be without him. So I pray to every deity I can think of, hoping one of them hears me.
I thrum my fingers against my thigh the entire ride, almost losing my mind at being stationary, so when the door slides open, I’m the first to exit, nearly flying from the sphere. Alrok and Volron are quick to flank me, and together we break into a light jog. Each step heightens my sense of anxiety but also that of anticipation. The not knowing is hell, but when Alrok assures me we are close, I’m almost scared to find out what’s behind the metal walls where Castien is being held.
My powers hover around me like a thunderous cloud right before it releases a torrential rain, and my gaze sharpens, my focus going into overdrive.
Alrok stays me with a hand and immediately retracts it when he makes contact, cursing under his breath. “Ouch! Damn it.” He clenches his fist as he narrows his gaze at me. “These droids are dangerous, so please let us protect you.”
I raise a brow and snatch the blade resting on his hip. “Very well, but you’ll have to do it while I’m fighting because I’m not going to stand back and watch.”
Volron plucks a knife from his belt and hands it to me. When Alrok frowns, Volron shrugs. “We can’t stop her, so we might as well equip her.” Then he takes two more weapons in hand, giving Alrok a nod. “Let’s do this.”
As soon as Alrok is able to bypass the building’s security and the doors open, everything goes dim for me, as if a gray haze has clouded my vision. The only thing I can see are the androids, their bright silver bodies gleaming as they race in our direction. I send one of my knives soaring across the room, and it hits the mark, embedding itself into the machine’s core, or heart. It falls to the ground as I swivel my head, hoping for a glimpse of Castien.
When I find him imprisoned and unmoving, the haze from before goes black. All around me are sounds of battle, but I’m vaguely aware of them as I scream his name, my anguish darker than any abyss. His body jerks, and I suck in a breath, relief making me dizzy. But then I’m tossing another knife at a nearby droid, my aim true and deadly. Wanting nothing more than to get to Castien, I sprint toward the fallen machine and rip my knife from its chest only to have to immediately release it again.
Volron takes up a position in front of me, and my legs shake as I struggle to stay still now that I’m weaponless and