“The mistress will come with me.”
DRIOK
Igo to flame again, but a hand covers my mouth, and it stops me.
“Nev you, Driok,” a voice rasps in my ear. “You could never manage the art of being subtle.”
I wrench myself free and turn to face Dalox.
“What the nev…” I grab the warlord’s arm. “Dalox?”
“What, you didn’t think I left Vorostor, did you?” He gives me a lopsided grin.
“How?” I’m still stunned, almost too stunned.
“Not here,” Dalox growls. “Too many.”
“My mate.” I turn towards the booth.
“You brought your female?”
“I wasn’t going to leave her,” I growl at him, before retracing my steps to where I left Maggie.
The booth is empty.
“Nev,” Dalox says, joining me.
My heart pounds blood through my veins, my shift so close to the surface, I could easily lose it completely, regardless of the devastation it will wreak in this place.
Maggie is gone.
“I shouldn’t have brought her,” I growl under my breath. “I had everything set up so she could stay safe in orbit.”
“But she told you to get some intel first,” Dalox rumbles next to me. “At least one of you has some sense.”
I have my hand around his throat before I can even think what I’m doing.
“It was an error which could get her killed, and don’t think I won’t do the same to you.”
“I’d like to see you try, Lord Driok.” Dalox gazes at me evenly, but behind his eyes is a fire which burns and which I know will easily see my demise.
My fellow warlords might have thought Dante was the unhinged one. They are wrong. Of all the Sarkarnii warlords I share a planet with, Dalox is the one I would never cross.
And I still don’t know why he’s here or where my mate is.
“I have to find her.” I release him and slam my way out of the building into the street.
It’s busier than ever. More bodies means the chances of seeing a small human, covered in clothing which looks like everyone else’s and is the color of the dust of this planetoid is vanishingly small.
“Nev,” I roar.
No one even looks.
“Do you really want the Ulep to come for you too?” Dalox slams a hand on my shoulder.
I try to shake him off, but he is immovable on this occasion.
“Ineedmy mate.”
