ask.
“You have the remaining four?”
“I do. We separated them after the first went missing and hid them around Aratta. I brought two with me.”
“You’re not normally so ineffective,” Akkadi said. “How did you lose one?”
“Believe it or not, there’s a war going on down here, too,” Urik snapped. “I’m fighting off your people, the Ishta and half the humans here, who have gone completely rabid from disease.”
“I’ve given you ample –”
“I know. I do nothing for you, Akkadi. What I do is for your mother.”
Akkadi’s jaw clenched. The idea of the half-human warrior before him even mentioning his mother made him want to eliminate him from the planet.
“I understand,” he forced himself to say. “My mother does not provide you with the shards and weapons your rebellion needs to survive down here.”
“Understood. You want to see your humans or not?”
“Bring them in.”
Urik left the room then returned shortly with two humans in black clothing. Akkadi took them in with a critical gaze. They looked unsettled but healthy enough. The male human was young enough for any of Akkadi’s sisters, tall and muscular, his skin a fascinating shade of caramel. The woman was much older than the human in his quarters, closer to his mother’s age. She might do for his eldest cousin, who was ten years older than he. Disappointed not to find another, better-behaved Mandy, he waved them away. Urik led them out and returned a moment later.
“Keep them safe,” Akkadi said. “I’ll send for them when I have medallions made.”
“How long will that be?” Urik asked.
“As long as it takes.”
Urik mumbled a curse. Akkadi sensed his cousin’s stress and realized he was the one being emotionally unreasonable. No matter what Akkadi felt for Urik, his cousin was protecting people important to Akkadi’s family out of love for Akkadi’s mother and respect for his Naki-cousins. Urik performed his duty for purely emotional reasons, but he still did it.
“I’ll have one in about two days,” Akkadi added in a quieter tone. “We are experiencing a shard shortage I am working hard to remedy. My mother is grateful for your help.”
Urik’s features softened. He nodded briskly.
“About the fifth. I think we can find her,” Urik said.
“I found her. Again,” Akkadi replied. “She’s safe on the station. I had one medallion ready.”
Urik studied him. “Akkadi, if you don’t want her, I do.”
“Your kind –”
“My kind serves yours voluntarily. That can change.”
“Not if you want to survive, it won’t.”
“Dealing with you makes me want to take my chances on my own,” Urik said firmly.
“A purely human statement,” Akkadi said, irritated to hear a similar misguided declaration of independence twice in one day. He couldn’t help thinking the beautiful purebred human in his quarters was more suited to a man like Urik than a Naki prince. The idea furthered his anger for reasons he didn’t fully understand.
“I’ve got my own duty to perform,” Urik said in a clipped voice. “My offer is on the table. If you don’t want her, I’ll take her. She deserves better than to become some sort of breeding machine for your kind.”
“She will be treated like a Naki princess,” Akkadi said coldly. “Assuming she can adapt.”
“Well, if she can’t become an emotionless bastard like you, send her here with the rest of us flawed humans,” Urik said and spun on his heel. He headed towards the door, calling over his shoulder as he went. “Give your mother my regards.”
“Farewell, Urik.”
The warrior strode from the room, as dissatisfied as Akkadi was. Akkadi left the underground facility and returned to his ship. His interactions with Urik usually left him frustrated but this time, he was flat out angry. It had something to do with Mandy, maybe the idea of her returning to the war torn planet where surviving the day was the most she’d ever hope for. He didn’t
“You have the remaining four?”
“I do. We separated them after the first went missing and hid them around Aratta. I brought two with me.”
“You’re not normally so ineffective,” Akkadi said. “How did you lose one?”
“Believe it or not, there’s a war going on down here, too,” Urik snapped. “I’m fighting off your people, the Ishta and half the humans here, who have gone completely rabid from disease.”
“I’ve given you ample –”
“I know. I do nothing for you, Akkadi. What I do is for your mother.”
Akkadi’s jaw clenched. The idea of the half-human warrior before him even mentioning his mother made him want to eliminate him from the planet.
“I understand,” he forced himself to say. “My mother does not provide you with the shards and weapons your rebellion needs to survive down here.”
“Understood. You want to see your humans or not?”
“Bring them in.”
Urik left the room then returned shortly with two humans in black clothing. Akkadi took them in with a critical gaze. They looked unsettled but healthy enough. The male human was young enough for any of Akkadi’s sisters, tall and muscular, his skin a fascinating shade of caramel. The woman was much older than the human in his quarters, closer to his mother’s age. She might do for his eldest cousin, who was ten years older than he. Disappointed not to find another, better-behaved Mandy, he waved them away. Urik led them out and returned a moment later.
“Keep them safe,” Akkadi said. “I’ll send for them when I have medallions made.”
“How long will that be?” Urik asked.
“As long as it takes.”
Urik mumbled a curse. Akkadi sensed his cousin’s stress and realized he was the one being emotionally unreasonable. No matter what Akkadi felt for Urik, his cousin was protecting people important to Akkadi’s family out of love for Akkadi’s mother and respect for his Naki-cousins. Urik performed his duty for purely emotional reasons, but he still did it.
“I’ll have one in about two days,” Akkadi added in a quieter tone. “We are experiencing a shard shortage I am working hard to remedy. My mother is grateful for your help.”
Urik’s features softened. He nodded briskly.
“About the fifth. I think we can find her,” Urik said.
“I found her. Again,” Akkadi replied. “She’s safe on the station. I had one medallion ready.”
Urik studied him. “Akkadi, if you don’t want her, I do.”
“Your kind –”
“My kind serves yours voluntarily. That can change.”
“Not if you want to survive, it won’t.”
“Dealing with you makes me want to take my chances on my own,” Urik said firmly.
“A purely human statement,” Akkadi said, irritated to hear a similar misguided declaration of independence twice in one day. He couldn’t help thinking the beautiful purebred human in his quarters was more suited to a man like Urik than a Naki prince. The idea furthered his anger for reasons he didn’t fully understand.
“I’ve got my own duty to perform,” Urik said in a clipped voice. “My offer is on the table. If you don’t want her, I’ll take her. She deserves better than to become some sort of breeding machine for your kind.”
“She will be treated like a Naki princess,” Akkadi said coldly. “Assuming she can adapt.”
“Well, if she can’t become an emotionless bastard like you, send her here with the rest of us flawed humans,” Urik said and spun on his heel. He headed towards the door, calling over his shoulder as he went. “Give your mother my regards.”
“Farewell, Urik.”
The warrior strode from the room, as dissatisfied as Akkadi was. Akkadi left the underground facility and returned to his ship. His interactions with Urik usually left him frustrated but this time, he was flat out angry. It had something to do with Mandy, maybe the idea of her returning to the war torn planet where surviving the day was the most she’d ever hope for. He didn’t
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