Releases Friday!
A desperate plan is hatched.
Piras couldn’t move his gaze from the nano’s closeup of Mereta’s face. “Is it me, or does he suddenly look different? Like he was before the Darks?”
The undercurrent of anger and despondency Mereta usually wore had vanished. Only the crease between the secretary-general’s brows betrayed anything besides peace in his aspect. He appeared to again be the spiritual master Piras had known him as.
“That isn’t all. The Dark on him is less…present. Hazier and thinner, somehow.” Lokmi’s tone was awed.
“You’ve never seen this happen to the ridden?”
“Never.”
The nano kept pace as Mereta drifted quickly but serenely through Galactic Council headquarters. When he paused to answer an aide’s question, the sneering quality he’d spoken with since they’d begun their surveillance was gone as well.
Hope uttered a startled noise.
“What is it?” Piras asked.
“The second voice…the Dark’s telepathy. I can’t hear it. It’s just him. Mereta.”
“What the hell is happening?” Kila growled.
“I don’t know. Could he have shaken off the Dark’s influence? Is he in control?” Piras aimed his questions at Hope.
“How would it be possible?” She shrugged helplessly as Mereta continued on his way, appearing to be heading for the exit. “I heard the Dark perfectly well earlier.”
“We need to know about the plot you said it referred to,” Kila said. “It sounded like the All is up to something big.”
“I agree. We have to reach Mereta. We have to talk to him.”
Piras’ clanmates turned from the vid feeds to stare at him. “Talk to him?” Kila spluttered. “He’s ridden by a Dark. You might as well tell the All itself we’re on the planet.”
The Dramok pointed at their subject. “That isn’t the Dark. It’s Mereta. He has command of himself right now. I’d bet a year’s pay on it.”
“You’re betting a hell of a lot more. You’re betting our lives if you think we can walk up to him and have a conversation.” Kila stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“Not to mention roaming the city to reach him. We’d be caught before we got one hundred feet from this building,” Lokmi added.
“We have to try.” Piras insisted. “Look at him. Look! This is the chance we’ve been waiting for.”
“I think Piras is right,” Hope said, though her tone was reluctant. “We came to pull Mereta out. Whatever is going on with the Dark, it’s got to be in our favor.”
“Insanity,” Kila muttered.
Mereta had reached the building’s shuttle bay. A security guard greeted him, and he answered.
“No second voice,” Hope confirmed. She glanced at Piras. “You need to get to him in a private setting. Somewhere no other Darks are present or could happen by.”
“His home. Guards patrol the outside, but they’re never allowed in. None we’ve observed are ridden either.”
“Sure, great. There are still plenty of Darks prowling around between here and there though,” Kila insisted. “How do you propose we get all the way to his house, Piras? It’s miles off.”
Mereta was on the move again, walking faster toward the shuttle they’d learned was his. He was forced to pause as a hovercart laden by bins passed in front of him.
A desperate idea flashed in Piras’ head. He considered it only a bare second. He pulled his com out and clicking Elcoger’s frequency, which would go straight to the Dantovonian’s earpiece. It would keep anyone in his vicinity from hearing Piras’ end of the conversation.
A brief beep responded to let him know Elcoger was listening.
“How would you like to make twice the amount of money we’re paying you?” Piras transmitted.
* * * *
Print version on sale now: print
Ebook releases on August 8. Pre-order now:
Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo
Victories against invasion have been won, but the galaxy may be lost in the end.
There may be no escape from the All’s extermination plans for the dimension. Emperor Clajak has one last card up his sleeve, however: a band of misfit renegade Kalquorians called the Coydidak. Only with their help and an impossible mission to beyond the known reaches of the universe can Kalquor hope to preserve life.
A determined engineer is at the top of the list of Coydidak leader Dramok Rorix’s least favorite humans. She’ll stop at nothing to board his ship for a one-way voyage that’s to last a lifetime. Is ultimate freedom from the empire worth dealing with the beautiful but unrelenting Laughter Lorenz?
As the clock ticks to the end of Dr. Cassidy Hamilton’s pregnancy and potentially life in the dimension, she works feverishly to find a way to destroy the All. A visit from an undiscovered entity brings to light her greatest hope and worst fear. Only time will tell if this new being is friend or foe…but Cassidy’s time and that of her soon-to-be-born child is almost up.
Adventure. Danger. Intrigue. Romance that outburns the sun in any galaxy. It’s all here in the sixth installment of the Dark Empire series.
Print version on sale now: print
Ebook releases on August 8. Pre-order now:
Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo
No comments:
Post a Comment