Page 61 of The Dreamer and the Deep Space Warrior
“If you kill an innocent native that did not make contact with you first, you will be violating a whole other set of Authority laws,” Exxo said. “You are being reckless.”
Exxo had been steadily reprimanding him the entire way to the male’s dwelling.
Ved pointedly ignored him until the AI blasted a raucously loud and long beep that caused his ears to ring.
“I know what I’m doing,” Ved snarled.
“Why do you enlist my services, exactly? You never listen to me. I told you to kill the human female, you did not listen. I told you not to tell her information, you did not listen. I told you that under absolutely no circumstance should you touch her and leave your scent all over her. You did not listen. I should have allowed your vessel to be torn asunderas we entered the atmosphere for as much as you appreciate me.”Exxo sniffed indignantly before going silent altogether.
Finally.
Ved traversed the streets of Cinder as if he’d been there before. After the number of seedy planets and metropolises he’d been to in his lifetime, the human city was no different. It wasn’t the worst place by far, but still there were people who walked or creeped around at night. There was no advertising for fighting dens and pleasure houses, but he was surprised to find such places existed at all in Isobel’s world of extreme constrictions and strange customs.
His mind wandered to her. They agreed on one night, but the vow had tasted strange on his lips. When he’d left her sleeping in her chamber, something gnawed at him.
But taking anything beyond this one night was a vulnerability. A weakness.
He couldn’t give anyone the pieces of himself that could be forged into a weapon against him.
When he lay bleeding out on that fateful night fifty-six cycles ago, he’d sworn that if he survived, he’d never be weak again. He purged his frailty like a sickness. Pulled it from his bones, lashed it from his mind. He made himself into a honed weapon, impenetrable armor, a vault with no entry.
The enemy clans wouldn’t hesitate to use her against him, to try to divide his clan. Not to mention that she was a distraction. Whatever strange emotions had grown for her, he needed to swiftly cut them out.
Which was why, in a matter of hours, he’d be back in space, leaving her behind for good.
He had to.
A dark and brutish part of himself had considered stealing her away, though. Nevskol the Authority and anyone else who would stand in his way.
But she had a family that cared for her, and as long as he took care of this dishonorable male that had harmed her, she would be safe in her lavender fields with her books.
He’d think of her like that. Of the way she read books out loud, creating a different voice for each character. How she was curious and intelligent, soft and gentle. He’d remember her tinged in pink after she felt she embarrassed herself, and how she’d called his name while finding release.
But eventually, he would need to forget her entirely. He’d known it even as he spent the hour after she’d fallen asleep committing her to memory. He couldn’t afford his focus to be fractured, didn’t have time to deal with any desire beyond destroying Clan Rax and any other enemy that wished to come against Cleave.
When finally he found himself on the male’s street, he pushed any thoughts of Isobel down.
Richard’s dwelling was unlike Isobel’s. It sat close to other structures on an open road. Here people didn’t roam or walk around drunkenly. Though a quick thermal scan revealed some dwellings had humans already stirring, no one moved within Richard’s.
In fact, there were only two other humans inside. Both were asleep on a lower floor. From what he knew of such humans, they should have multiple people living with them and tending to their household. Isobel’s family employed numerous staff, and she’d told him each of their roles.
Interesting.
Finding the door locked, Ved worked quickly with a small tool until it pulled open. He slippedinside.
He didn’t know what he was expecting, but a nearly empty place wasn’t it. Isobel’s home had something in every room. Cushioned seating areas, long tables, dark wood cabinets, grand bookshelves, strange art hanging on the walls. Richard’s home looked as if Kroids had been there and ransacked all of his goods.
The space was so empty that Ved had to ascend the stairs slowly so as not to allow his footsteps to echo.
The floor where Richard’s quarters were suffered the same strange emptiness. Ved could tell where objects had been recently moved, dust having not yet collected in the empty space.
Isobel made it seem as if her intended was some station above her and her brother. But the lack of amenities in his home said otherwise. Even Xaal were materialistic to an extent and would find the male lacking. And Isobel would be expected to move from her family home to this Richard’s?
Ved gritted his teeth. Not only had the damned male dared to touch her and speak recklessly to her, but it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to provide for her needs, either. Where were the books? The flowers?
Death was the only punishment for such offenses.
Richard’s bedroom door was unlocked. Still cloaked, Ved pushed it open soundlessly.
