The Zagrath’s expression was one of cold fury. “In the last Vandar conflict, the one in which you decimated our fleet, my older brother was an admiral.” Spittle flew from his lips. “An admiral your hordes killed.”
“Kolt wasn’t even fighting then, so you can keep your vengeance to yourself,” Skye snapped.
I leveled a gaze at him, a surge of fury bubbling up within me. “Your brother would have been trying just as hard to kill my Vandar brothers. You do not have my sympathy.”
“I never asked for it,” the man said through clenched teeth.
“And you will not get mercy either,” I said. “Killing the enemy is honorable, especially one who has taken you captive. I assure you I have killed for less.”
I knew I spoke the truth. I could not remember specific battles or death blows, but flashes of violent fights darted through my mind. I was a battle chief of the Vandar, and I was both lethal and brutal in dispensing justice.
Something akin to worry skittered across the Zagrath’s face, but he quickly schooled his expression. “We will not fight you, Vandar.” He flicked his fingers toward the transport’s console. “Do as you wish.”
My mental debate was brief. It would be simpler and safer to bind them than to force them out an airlock in such a small vessel. I motioned with my blaster. “Stand, but do it slowly. Any sudden moves and I shoot.”
Both Zagrath did as I ordered, but the elder one kept his gaze locked on Skye as he rose from his seat.
“Turn,” I barked, keeping my weapon trained on them as they obeyed.
I produced the steel zip ties I’d snagged in the storage closet and handed them to Skye. “Tie their hands.”
My tone was harder than I’d expected it to be, but she did as I asked without question. I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze or even glance her way as she yanked their wriststogether and looped the metal ties around them, tugging hard to fasten them.
I knew I should not let the Zagrath’s words get to me. It was precisely what he wanted. It was always what his kind wanted—to sow division and foster hate and suspicion. But Skye hadn’t denied what he’d said. He had told her to get close to me. It was information I already possessed, but there was a small part of me that wondered if I’d been too trusting.
Had I let my hunger for her cloud my better judgment? Had I forgotten the belief that now seemed to taunt me? Had I broken my own unwavering rule not to trust humans?
Had I fallen for a woman who would be my downfall?
Chapter
Forty-Two
Skye
Nothing had changed since the few minutes earlier when Kolt had kissed me deeply in the storage closet, but everything felt different. He felt different.
It was what the Zagrath said that had changed things. I felt like shooting him in the back, even though he was complying with Kolt’s orders. Would the world really be worse off with one fewer Imperial officer?
“Definitely not,” I said under my breath, catching a confused look from the pilot as I tested the tightness of the zip ties holding his wrists together.
I gave his arms an unnecessarily rough yank and glowered at him, hoping I looked fierce enough that he would thinktwice about testing me. At the moment, I was angry enough to be very dangerous.
“They’re secure,” I said, not bothering to look at Kolt. I knew he wouldn’t return my gaze, and now I was too irritated to care.
He didn’t really believe the word of a Zagrath, did he? I’d said that I hadn’t intended to do what the Zagrath had tasked me to do. That should be enough, shouldn’t it? Or were we really back to him not trusting me?
If it wasn’t the most unsurprising thing in the world for guys to believe each other over women, I didn’t know what was. I was instantly reminded why I’d never rushed into a relationship with a man.
“You can’t trust the fuckers,” I whispered to myself.
Well, that did it. That finally gained me a glance from the Vandar.
“What?” he asked, one brow cocked.
I almost shrank under his severe look, but I straightened and leveled what I hoped was an equally intense glare at him. “You can’t trust them. They’re Zagrath.”
He held my gaze for a beat, his eyes holding questions and confusion. Then he nodded. “Right.”
