Page 12

Horek

I don’t like the haunted look in Quinn’s eyes. Of course hearing the news of a death would disturb most people, but her reaction felt personal. Perhaps she is one of those people who feels loss deeply.

“Set up a perimeter around the building until further notice.” I turn to the male standing inside the door. “I want check-ins at every half tick. Monitor the security system and triple check all entry points.”

“Yes, Commander.”

I jerk my chin and head for the palace. The incident still needs to be dealt with. Vornak was called to the scene and had the deceased male transported to the medical facility. Once his family has been notified, I’m sure Alik will have a remembrance ceremony for him. My top priority is to find the person responsible. It could only have been the rebels. The machinery sabotage fits with their tactics. Besides, no one else has any reason to cause the chaos. Except this time, they’ve gone too far. A male died.

Guards patrol the streets, and a somberness hangs over Preska. Already signs of mourning are being displayed. Wreaths of flowers hang on doors, and black bands are wrapped around biceps. The last few Bohnari we’ve lost have been to the mating fever, but it’s been many moons since.

The palace is also in a state of mourning. Only the barest murmur of voices drift through the air. I pass the banquet room, where staff clean up the debris left behind by the explosion. Tables have already been cleared off and wiped down. The musicians have packed up their instruments and departed. Not a single piece of evidence remains that there had been a welcome party for the human brides.

With a sigh, I continue on to Alik’s wing and stop at the throne room. To my surprise, it’s empty. I expected both my cousin and aunt to be waiting for me. When they don’t appear after a short time, I go searching. I pause outside my cousin’s door and rap on it.

“Enter.”

I’ve never heard Alik so fatigued. I step inside and close the door behind me. He sits at his desk staring out the window, although I’m not sure he’s truly seeing anything. The patterns on the skin along his shoulders is faded, and weariness pours off him. His shoulders sag like he’s carrying far more than just the weight of this planet and its people on them.

“I’ve spoken to Konek’s father.” Even Alik’s voice is rough. “My mother will go sit with him tomorrow.”

“Where is she?” Her complete absence is a bit of a surprise.

“In her rooms. Grieving.”

I incline my head. Queen Veroneek cares deeply for our people. To have one’s life cut short in such a way is probably quite difficult for her to deal with. “I’ll find out who did this.”

Alik blows out a harsh breath. “We both know who did it. The godsforsaken rebels.”

There’s no point in arguing when he’s right. What I need to know, though, is why? All this time, no matter what they’ve done, it’s never ended with any Bohnari hurt. What changed? “They’ll pay for Konek’s death. All of them, but especially Janik.”

Alik turns his gaze to me. “Yes, he will.”

I let our vow sit between us a moment longer. “Did you find out why he was in the mine in the first place? It was supposed to be closed for the banquet.”

“According to Merik, they were at Warik’s getting a drink when Konek got a transmission on his comm unit. It was an automated message that one of the machines was malfunctioning. He went to find out what was going on.”

“Do we know who the transmission really came from?” We have some of the best tech people on this side of the galaxy. They had to have found something.

“Not yet, but Lorik’s working on it.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow and see what he’s found out.”

Alik dips his head. “I take it you escorted the females safely back to their homes?”

“Yes. I’ve also assigned extra patrols to the city as well as their building, just in case.” Not the I suspect they’re in any type of danger. Then again, I also never expected the rebels would escalate their resistance to include murder.

“My mother said you danced with one of the females.”

“A momentary lapse in judgment.”

“Was it?” Alik raises that imperious brow again.

It has to be. Even if Quinn felt far too good in my arms. “Of course. We are alike in our disinterest in finding a bride. I was merely curious to learn what the females were like. They are, after all, residents of Preska as well as the mothers of our next generation. Besides, as Commander of Bohna’s guards, it’s important I know each of our citizens.”

“Yet you spent the entire rest of the evening seated at the high table staring at one female in particular. It wasn’t until this Quinn was about to dance with Bannik once again that you stepped in.” His smirk appears and Alik looks far too pleased with himself.

Damn my aunt and her gossiping.

“We’re not here to talk about a single dance I had. It’s the rebels and what we’re going to do about them after tonight’s incident.”

My cousin’s lips flatten into displeasure. “There isn’t much more to be said tonight. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. We’ll have plenty of time then to devise a plan to finally flush Janik out and deal with the rebels once and for all. I have let their treasonous behavior remain unchecked for too long. Perhaps a large bounty leading to his capture will motivate people to talk.”

“I’ll do some strategizing when I return to the barracks and meet you back here in the morning to go over ideas.” Sleep always eludes me at times like these.

Alik dips his head and I stride out of his rooms to make my way to my own. That’s just one more reason a bride isn’t for me. What kind of male would I be to ask a female to live in the small suite where I dwell within the barracks? A bride deserves her own home with a garden and several rooms for a growing family. That life isn’t for me. I just have to keep reminding myself.

I go out of my way to patrol past the females’ building myself. I am Commander of the prince’s guards, and it’s my duty to ensure their safety. My gaze lingers on the windows I’m unable to see through as I pass. Have Quinn and her friends returned to their rooms? Or are they even now gathered in the common area discussing the evening and the males they met and may have danced with before the night turned to shit?

I shake off this feeling and increase my pace to the barracks. All’s quiet inside. Which is as it should be. The guards under my command should either be sleeping or at their posts. I lay my palm on the bioscanner outside my door, and it slides open with a near-silent swoosh .

The interior lights automatically turn on, and I step inside the place I’ve made my home since I was promoted to Commander. The living space is bare of no more than a sofa and table. To the left is a spotless kitchen area that doesn’t get used. I move into my sleeping room and have my shirt pulled over my head before I cross the threshold.

This room is nearly as barren as the seating area. What sense is there in having an overabundance of things when I spend so little time here? A bed and a place to sit are the only things I truly need. I can’t help but compare my suite to the ones where the females reside. They are about the same size, but I’m curious what sort of personal touches the humans might put in theirs.

I’d been more than ready to leave my mother’s home when I reached adulthood. Everything about it is ostentatious. She is, after all, sister of a queen and daughter of one of the high lords of the Bohnari council. My mother didn’t want any of our people to forget who she was and where she came from. I was never comfortable in her home. It had been worse when my father was alive.

I discard my shirt into the cleanser and add my pants to it before stepping into the hygiene room. Once inside the cleansing stall, water already set at the perfect temperature sprays from above. I quickly wash up and wrap a warmed towel around my hips. Today has been long, and I expect the night to be even longer.

Scattered across my desk are various books on battle strategy, weaponry, and the history of the Bohnari people. Nearly every piece of information I would ever need access to is available in digital form. With a few key strokes, I could have it all at my fingertips. Except I enjoy the tangible feel of the parchment beneath my fingers. It’s why I’m one of the few people who keeps a small library in my suite.

I sit and pick up one of the strategy books to flip through. Every single one of these has been read more than once. A few of them more than a handful of times. My mentor stressed how important knowledge is. Because knowledge is power. With it, a person can do almost anything.

Time stretches and I reach for the next book and the next. My comm goes off and I startle. Faint signs of dawn appear through the single window. I stifle a yawn and quickly put on a clean pair of loose trousers. Alik won’t be up for some time which means I can get some training in before we meet.

The training building is empty, although a few of the doors to the simulation rooms show they’re occupied. I find a vacant one and scroll through the list of simulations. Frustration has been building all night and I have a lot of excess rage to get out. I pick a level five difficulty, grab several weapons from their racks, and walk into the room.