You have only scratched the surface of your power.
Only scratched the surface? He’d used it to kill. And the collateral damage in the process—his blood ran cold whenever he thought of it.
With training, your finesse will improve. And there is no progress without sacrifice.
Nikolai didn’t want training, or to hone this talent. He wanted to go back to wandering the Kalahari with Ngubi.
But that was never going to happen.
He cast his attention back through the forest. The two that followed shone with a blue and green energy that was distinctly female and impossible to miss. But there were only two. The third had vanished, and it worried him. Where had she gone? He couldn’t find her.
Nikolai sensed something else, too. There was no longer any doubt that they were kin to him. There was a sense of rightness, of belonging. Even though they were coming to take him, and he knew it.
It is time for you to embrace who and what you are.
His mind snapped back,just what the hell is that?
Perditor.
The word sent ice up Nikolai’s spine.Is that another word for monster?
Your power lies with darkness,the voice repeated.There is no shame in that, only purpose.
Darkness. Shame. Sacrifice. Death. No wonder the Watchers were after him.
You no longer need to run from them. Let them teach you who you are. Then you will be ready.
Nikolai stopped moving.Ready for what?
Ready for me.
Heart pounding, Nikolai pushed the voice away and continued into the darkness.
20
Lucas crept up on the house.
It sat on the town’s outer fringes, and like its neighbors, it was an odd little place. Rather than right angles and a rectangular construction, the homes featured curved contours resembling domes. Even the windows were round. Most seemed to feature a large main floor and a smaller upper story.
He reached out to touch the walls—they appeared to be created from pounded clay. Moss grew over most of the exterior and covered the roof. His fingers came away damp.
His quick foray up the back alleys had revealed a night wandering population comprised of only two or three races, confirming that this town was part of a virgin culture. As such, Aria and he couldn’t hope to just walk into it. In order to infiltrate and get the information they required, they needed to blend.
In contrast to pushing through an insect-infested swamp, blending into a society was something he was quite skilled at. He slapped a bug off his face before leaning forward to peer through the window.
Nothing but darkness within.
Aria watched him, only partially hidden behind a small shed. He waved her back. The last thing he needed was some resident peering out during a bathroom break and spotting a Dragona hiding out near the woodshed.
When he carefully checked it, the back door was barred, as was the front. But this round window had been pushed wide open to let in the cooler night air.
Lucas risked another peek—it opened into a food preparation area that, at the moment seemed deserted. With any luck, the residents would be sound asleep and no one suffered from a weak bladder or the midnight munchies . He reached in through and gently tapped on the wall.
He waited. No toothy guardian beast manifested itself.
Lucas grabbed hold of the sill and boosted himself inside, landing with catlike grace in a crouch on the floor. Where he froze, listening.
Only silence greeted him. He took a deep breath and drifted on bare feet through the kitchen, snagging a piece of fruit from a bowl as he passed by.
