Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 18

Adrik frowned as he stared at the image feed projected by an invisible viewing orb in the corner of Ember’s cell. She’d been speaking to him through the surveillance feed in the corner of her cell ever since Obaida had left her. So enthralled with Ember’s one-sided conversation, Adrik immediately dismissed Obaida when the Medicus came to him as Adrik had commanded. Adrik initially intended to tear into Obaida for providing Ember with information about him, but her plea to him had taken precedence. Bracing his arms on the console, Adrik leaned forward and studied her on the viewscreen. He swore he could still smell her even being levels away from her.

“Please,” she breathed, and his chest constricted. Part of him wanted to grant her whatever she desired. But the Commander in him, the logical side, remembered why he’d put her in a cell in the first place. She was distracting him. She was making him feel things that weren’t permitted for a Shadow Titan, things that were out of character for his typically stoic and analytical self. While he was allowed to couple with a female intimately, he wasn’t permitted to mate with anyone other than a shadow female. That had him thinking back to how Pitch had called Ember a shadow female without hesitation. Studying her, Adrik couldn’t deny that her hair and skin were much darker than her sisters. Because of it, he knew her reference to them as sisters was simply out of camaraderie rather than any actual genetic relation. It was similar to how he thought of his own crew. It annoyed him that Pitch had called her a shadow female so effortlessly. It had sparked a flare of hope that Adrik had no business feeling. What was a mate anyway? Just an outlet for sexual desire that didn’t require payment. Inwardly, he huffed, Mate . She’d be an obligation and an annoyance. As for sex, he and his crew indulged in pleasure vessels. The females there knew nothing of Titans other than that they were a prime male species with enough creds for services rendered. The visits required no emotion other than personal gratification. It’d been ideal for them. Though recently, his men hadn’t been as eager as they once had to seek out the ever-expanding vessels. In fact, on the last few trips, Obaida hadn’t left their shuttle at all, even though it hadn’t been his turn to remain behind to guard their ship. Oddly, Adrik himself had even opted out on an occasion or two, not finding as much enjoyment in the encounters as he once had.

Watching Ember now, he narrowed his eyes on her. After her plea, she lifted her chin haughtily as though the single word, “please”, had been a difficult one to get past her plump lips. He grinned, the points of his incisors stabbing into his bottom lip. He also had difficulty asking nicely.

“Tyrate,” he barked, bringing the AI to life in his Command Center.

“Yes, Commander?”

Stalling a moment, Adrik slid his forked tongue over his bottom lip before ultimately deciding. “Unlock cell Zeta-O.”

“Yes, Commander. Unlocking cell Zeta-O on Level Second.”

Adrik leaned closer to the view screen as the sound of a heavy metal clink sounded through the feed.

Instantly, Ember’s attention sliced to the door. He noted that her breathing accelerated as she waited. His attention was fixed on her as she tentatively approached the door before her delicate hand lifted and shoved.

As the door slowly swung open, Ember stayed fixed in her spot. Turning, she glanced at the invisible viewing orb. Her voice was tremulous when she asked, “I-is this a joke? You baiting me?”

Her attention returned to the door, and she stood still so long that Adrik wondered if she’d even exit. Eventually, though, curiosity must have bested her because she stepped forward to push the door open further. She poked her head out of the cell before ducking back inside and backing up until the backs of her legs hit the cot. Hands wringing, she turned and glared at the viewing orb. “Is this so one of your men can shoot me? So, you can lie and say I tried to escape?”

Her accusation had a deep frown claiming his face. If he wanted her dead, she would be. And he certainly wouldn’t need to make any excuses for his men. He didn’t answer to them. He answered to no one aside from their Superior Ruler, Magus, back on Cesca Sol.

“I’ll chance it,” she exclaimed excitedly.

Adrik’s attention stayed on Ember as she slipped out of her cell. He noted how she moved. She was quiet and stealthy. Fluid. She was unaware that Tyrate, the ship's AI, hadn’t been built for the ship but rather built into it. Tyrate was the ship. As such, the AI tracked all movement and interaction. Omniscient, Tyrate was Adrik’s eyes and ears.

“Tyrate,” Adrik barked.

“Yes, Commander?”

“Human female, Ember, is roaming the ship.”

“Yes, Commander. I am aware.”

“I want constant surveillance. Should she breach Level Command or access any weapons stores, lock down the ship.”

“Is she permitted on Level Mega?”

Adrik knew what Tyrate was asking. “Yes,” Adrik responded. “The utensils in the consumption quarters are no threat to my Titans.”

Tyrate had other concerns. “Observation of prisoner Kyan in the med bay suggests that she chose starvation as a means to self-termination. Should we be concerned that the utensils in the consumption quarters could be used for a similar purpose?”

That had Adrik frowning. He knew Ember wouldn’t attempt to kill herself because she felt responsible for the other women. She wouldn’t abandon them. He was sure of it.

“No,” Adrik bit out. Permit full access to Level Mega, Level Second, and Level Med, as well as my quarters only on Level Commander.”

“Understood. The weapon stores, Level Dread, and the entirety of Level Commander, except your personal quarters, will be blocked from prisoner Ember’s access.”

Distracted by thoughts of Level Dread now that Tyrate had mentioned it, Adrik asked, “How are Pitch and his prisoner faring?”

“Prisoner Nova remains sealed in Pitch’s personal quarters. Pitch remains on guard outside his quarters.”

Curious. “How long has he been there?”

“He hasn’t abandoned his post since he placed prisoner Nova in his quarters.”

Adrik straightened, shocked by the revelation. “Show me.”

The feed of Ember slinking through the corridor blinked out, and then the view screen showed Pitch standing just outside the door to his quarters. His hands were lifted and braced on the door. His head was hung low, the top pressed into the door. He looked simultaneously exhausted and barely restrained. Adrik considered checking on him for a moment but then discarded the idea. Pitch had been captured and tortured by humans. He despised the species, but he was a Titan. Titans protected and coveted females above all else. Nova would be safe. The fact that she was the youngest of the women on the ship meant that she heightened all their protective instincts to the maximum, Pitch wasn’t immune to that.

“Show me Vashti,” Adrik commanded. Concerned after Ember’s obvious worry that this sister would be especially challenging.

The feed instantly switched to Kaze’s quarters. Inside, Vashti was pacing quickly, her blonde hair flowing as she stormed from one end of Kaze’s front room to the other. The room was disorderly like she’d attempted to destroy it, but the sparse furnishings didn’t afford the proper result. Still, the sight had Adrik grinning broadly. Kaze’s comparison of Vashti to a Luveskian dragon appeared spot on. He looked forward to razing Kaze later in the Command station, knowing that Vashti was, in fact, challenging Kaze.

Sobering, Adrik ordered, “Tyrate, show me Ember.”

The feed switched back to Ember.

Adrik’s protective instincts kicked into high alert the instant she appeared. Watching her, his jaw clenched at how fascinated he was with her. It made him suspicious. It was just too convenient. He and his three Titans rescuing four females from an unprotected Ziefer ship this far from Beta Huit. The Ziefers shouldn’t have been this far from their typical region. Add to this the fact that Ember looked the way she did. Adrik had been raised believing there would be no female for him. Shadow females were nearly obsolete. Yet, here was Ember. Practically thrown into his lap.

“Tyrate, offer Ember assistance.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Quickly, Adrik tacked on, “And Tyrate, translate any of our units of measure for time and space to language the human will understand.”

Again, Tyrate responded robotically, “Yes, Commander.”

Then over the feed, Adrik watched as Tyrate startled Ember when he boomed into the silent corridor. “Ember. I am Tyrate, the ship’s AI. May I assist you in navigating the ship?”

Ember clutched a hand to her chest and then glared up toward the ceiling. Her next words shocked Adrik to his core.

“Where do I find Chief Commander Adrik?”

She could have asked to be led to the Med Bay to see Kyan. She could have gone to find Nova or Vashti. Instead, she sought him. His distrust of her doubled, and it warred with an inexplicable bolt of excitement that ripped through him knowing he’d be in her presence again shortly.