Page 47

Chapter

Forty-Seven

Zoran

T he fire crackled in the hearth, casting long shadows across the dark stone walls of my quarters.

Steam billowed around me as I stepped from the bathroom, towel wrapped loosely around my waist. My muscles ached from the mission, but the hot water had helped ease some of the tension.

Not all of it, though. No amount of scalding water could wash away the worry that had settled deep in my bones.

I padded across the thick, plush rug that Noora had insisted on placing in front of the fireplace.

"To make the room less like a military bunker," she'd said.

My gaze drifted across the space that no longer resembled the spartan quarters I'd inhabited for years.

Colorful throw pillows adorned the chairs, blankets in sumptuous fabrics were draped across the foot of the bed, and a vase with fresh flowers sat on a side table.

Before Noora, I'd never understood the need for such things. Now, I couldn't imagine living without them. Or without her.

But even the comforts of my quarters couldn't distract me from the mission that had gone so terribly wrong. I'd been holed up in my office with Vyk and Deklyn since our return, poring over star charts and grid searches, searching for any sign of Tivek and Morgan.

Two days. They'd been missing for two grekking days, 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 h ell,” 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 all the 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 melted against 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.

The door burst open, and Reina fluttered in wearing an acid-green column dress with feathers around the collar that was very nearly an assault on the eyes. Her blue hair was twisted impossibly high, and her bony gray hands were waving frantically in the air.

"They're safe!" she practically shrieked. "They're safe, they're safe!"

Noora stepped forward. "Who's safe, Reina? Slow down."

"Tivek and Morgan!" Reina brandished a small communications device. "I just got a vid call from my former colleague on the Island!"

My heart hammered against my ribs. "The tribute bride space station? They're there?"

Reina nodded so vigorously that I feared for the structural integrity of her neck. "Yes, yes! They're both fine! Well, a little banged up, according to Serge, but nothing serious."

Relief crashed through me with such force that I had to grip the back of a chair to steady myself. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely positively certain!" Reina waved the device again. "Serge saw them himself! He says that the station captain should be contacting you directly, but he assures me they’re safe."

"Will you stop waving me around?" a high-pitched voice complained from the device. "You're making me dizzy!"

I looked at Noora, one eyebrow raised. "Is that the Gatazoid wedding planner?"

"I'd recognize Serge's voice anywhere," Noora confirmed, her lips twitching with suppressed amusement.

"Zoran!" The voice from the device was clearer now. “We found your missing people! One of our security patrols did, actually, but don't worry, they're resting comfortably now."

I straightened, my mind already shifting to action mode. "I need to contact the Island immediately and let the rest of the rescue team know."

Noora nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Go. Reina and I will catch up with Serge."

I paused just long enough to press a quick kiss to her forehead. "Thank you.”

Then I strode from the room, my steps lighter than they had been in days. Tivek and Morgan were alive. They were safe. That was what mattered. Why they hadn’t made the jump and how they'd ended up at the tribute bride station could wait.

For now, I would allow myself a moment of pure, unadulterated relief.