Did they forget to cuff me? I’m not restrained, so I jump up and hurry to the walls. I do a circuit of the room, but there’s no door. Or, if there is one, I can’t find it.
“Guys!” I call out to my Alphas.
Only silence greets me. Where are they? Why do I feel like there’s something blocking our connection?
“Kyte, Jeren, Ceredes!” I call again.
Nothing.
I hurry to the window and stare out at the stars. The enormous ship extends so far that I can’t see where it ends and space begins. No familiar planets appear, nothing that I could use to somehow figure out where I am.
“Onin.” I whirl. “Where are you?” The initial shock of waking up in Sentient hands is fading a little, and I remember the reason I’m here. Onin betrayed me. Of all the shady characters at the Academy, the spy turned out to be the one I trusted all along.
“Welcome.” The wall seems to rearrange and Warverian strides in.
I throw up a barrier, the power inside me alive and well.
He strides to the edge, his gaze locked with mine. “I intended to have you here much sooner, of course. But there were complications.”
Two Sentients drag Onin into the room, his face battered and blood all over his white shirt.
“Let him go!” I add spikes to my barrier and push it toward Warverian.
“I’m afraid the traitor has reached his maximum usefulness. No point keeping him around. After all, we can’t trust him, and neither can you.”
“I said let him go.” My barrier crackles, and a spike shoots toward Warverian’s face.
Another barrier pops up right in front of him, dulling mine, overcoming it and wrapping me in a bubble of purple light.
“What is this?” I try to push my power out, to reform my own wall, but it shatters against the thick purple one.
“I’m glad your powers have advanced.” He peers at me and motions toward Onin with his mechanical arm. “Bring him.”
“What are you doing?” A cold trickle of fear rolls down my spine as they drag Onin over, his body limp and a groan escaping his busted lips. “Stop.”
“He’s the one who brought you here.” Warverian grips him by the throat and dangles him in the air. “He betrayed you, and you want to spare him?”
“You will die,” Onin spits at Warverian.
He finally turns to Onin. “I remember your Alpha. He was strong. You two were helping aid wounded fleet soldiers.” He taps the metal side of his head. “I wasn’t there, but it’s all here, recorded by one of our legions. I can access the entire hive, and I can see your Alpha, the way his body crumpled under the weight of Sentient firepower, the way he screamed in agony.” Warverian closes his eyes as if he’s savoring the sound. And then a gut-wrenching cry emanates from his mouth, but the voice doesn’t belong to him. It’s a recording.
I drop to my knees, a wave of nausea coursing through me.
“Tarinion.” Onin’s face drains of color except the blood that mars his skin. “No.” He gasps.
“Did you hear that last part? It was a death rattle.” Warverian grins.
“Leave him alone!” I bang on the purple wall, but it doesn’t give. And worse, each time I touch it, it sends a tremor through me.
“We killed your lover, and now you’ve betrayed his memory by serving us.” Warverian laughs. “And for what? A child?” Warverian’s mechanical claw closes around Onin’s throat tighter and tighter. “I know about your son, and I will find him. When I do, I’ll rip him apart the same way we did you and your mate.”
“Onin!” I scream as Warverian’s grip squeezes tighter, blood oozing between his metal fingers. All I can do is scream and beat on the purple wall as Onin struggles then goes still, his eyes still open as Warverian crushes the life from him.
When he drops the body and turns toward me, I claw at the barrier and throw everything I have against it. “I’ll kill you!”
“My feisty Omega. I can’t wait to get my hands on you.” He leers at me. “No circle can withstand what I’m going to do to you. Those Alphas will be forgotten, and you will worship me as the male who was made for you.”
“Never.” I bare my teeth. “I’ll kill you first.”
