Page 71

Two days. They'd been missing for twogrekkingdays, and we had nothing.

I sank down onto the edge of the bed, running a hand through my damp hair. Tivek was more resourceful than most knew, but even he had limits. No amount of stealth and subterfuge would help him if he was lost in space.

Not to mention the fact that he was with a cadet. My gut twisted as I thought of the brilliant but relatively inexperienced strategist. The thought of them being captured by the Kronock or floating dead in space made bile tease the back of my throat.

And then there was Earth to consider. The delicate alliance was already strained. How would they react when they learned we'd lost one of their cadets? The governments there were looking for any excuse to break with us, even though they still needed our protection more than they realized.

“Grekking hell,” I muttered, clenching my fists as I paced around the room.

The door swung open without warning, and I instinctively reached for a weapon that wasn't there. But it was only Noora, her dark eyes widening slightly at the sight of me.

"You're finally out of that office," she said, her soft voice a welcome balm to my frayed nerves. "I was beginning to think I'd have to drag you out myself."

"I needed to coordinate the search efforts," I said, my voice rougher than I'd intended.

Noora approached, her long gossamer dress whispering across the floor. "I know why you did it, but wearing yourself down won't bring them back any faster."

"We still don't know where their ship jumped to. The tracking beacons aren't responding. It's as if they've vanished completely."

She interlocked her fingers with mine and squeezed. “If anyone can survive on his wits alone, it's Tivek.”

I turned to study her face, searching for hidden meaning beneath her words. Sometimes I wondered just how much Noora knew about my adjunct. I'd never told her about his true role in the Shadows, yet there were moments when she seemed to understand more than she should. My wife had always been perceptive. Sometimes I thought dangerously so.

"Deklyn's requested all available Inferno Force ships to join the search.” I unwound my hand from hers, as I moved to retrieve fresh clothing and let my towel drop.

Noora's gaze followed me, and I felt a flicker of satisfaction at the appreciation in her eyes. Even though we were not technically newlyweds anymore, she still looked at me like she wanted to tackle me to the bed.

“They'll find them.”

I pulled on my undergarments and then my uniform pants. "We've sent transmissions on every frequency we can access without alerting the Kronock. We've dispatched scouts to allthe emergency rendezvous points." I shook my head, frustration boiling up. "But there's too much space, too many variables."

"Tivek is smart," Noora reminded me. "He will know how to survive.”

I growled as I pulled my shirt over my head. "And it's not just Tivek. He has the cadet with him. Morgan is..." I searched for the right words. "She's capable, but she's still young."

"She's also an Assassin," Noora pointed out. "From what I've heard, she's one of the most promising Strategy cadets in years."

I paused, button halfway through its hole. "How do you know that?"

Noora's smile was enigmatic. "I talk to people, Zoran. It's amazing what you can learn when you listen."

I grunted, unable to argue with that, but wondering if maybe she should be a Shadow. Finishing with my shirt, I turned to face her fully. "The longer they're missing, the less likely it is that we'll find them. And if Earth learns we've lost one of their cadets…”

“We won’t lose her,” Noora said firmly before she crossed to where I was standing, placing her hands on my chest. "I've missed you, Admiral.”

I pulled her into my arms, burying my face in her hair and breathing in her familiar scent. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I've been neglecting you."

"You've been doing your job," she corrected, tilting her face up to mine. "But now that you're here..."

Now that I was here indeed. I captured her lips with mine, feeling some of the tension drain from my body as she meltedagainst me. For just a moment, the weight of my responsibilities lightened, replaced by the heat of her embrace.

Noora's arms wound around my neck, her body pressing closer, and I was just beginning to lose myself in the kiss when a frantic knocking shattered the moment.

I sighed, resting my forehead against hers. "That might be Deklyn or Vyk with news."

The knocking came again, more insistent this time.

"Enter," I called, stepping slightly away from Noora but keeping one arm around her waist.