Arton’s cabin felt smaller and less impressive as Lily entered for the second time. Sexual tension crackled between them, but she wasn’t quite ready to give in. She might have spent the past month in his company, but she still knew very little about him. She moved to the sofa and sat, expecting him to choose the chair facing her. Instead, he sat beside her, near but not touching her.

“You go first,” she prompted.

His brow arched and his lips curved but didn’t part. “How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”

“I give you my word. I will tell you whatever you want to know about Jakkin and me.”

He shook his head, jaw clenching stubbornly. “You ask a question, then I’ll ask a question. Even exchange.”

She pressed her lips together with a sigh. “I’m not sure I know enough about your situation to ask the right questions. Fine. I’ll go first.” The story was embarrassing and sad—mainly because it revealed how pathetic she was—but she was far enough from the events now to talk about them without breaking down. “I met Jakkin seven years ago when one of his missions on Earth went horribly wrong. He was injured and broke into my lab, hoping to find medical supplies.”

Arton watched her intently, but said nothing.

“I knew I should call the cops, but he begged me not to. His appearance was disguised, so I didn’t realize he was an alien. I thought he was some sort of spy or maybe special ops on some secret mission.”

His brows bunched up over his nose as his gaze narrowed. “Why not a drug dealer or a well-trained criminal? Why make him brave and noble?”

“He was wearing a belt with all sorts of sophisticated gadgets, and his speech was accented yet formal. He sounded as if he’d learned English from a language professor. There was no way he was a common criminal.”

“So you decided not to involve the authorities.” He stretched out his arm, resting it on the back of the sofa less than an inch from her shoulders.

The move was subtly possessive and utterly transparent. Already he was growing restless, anxious to move on. Well, she wasn’t finished torturing him, and torturing herself. Revisiting this story was a good reminder of why she couldn’t trust her feelings regarding Rodyte males. “I took him back to my apartment and he stayed for three days.”

“Were you lovers?” He found the idea upsetting if the tension in his voice was any indication.

“No. I was more than willing, but he wasn’t interested.”

Arton scoffed. “I don’t believe that. You’re gorgeous. Trust me, he was interested.”

The careless compliment pleased Lily more than she cared to admit. Not being compatible with anyone was hard on the ego. “Well, whatever his motivation, he never touched me.”

She hadn’t meant it as an invitation, but he moved his hand from the sofa to the back of her neck. “How did he explain his departure? Where did he say he was from?”

“He didn’t. I woke up one morning and he was just gone. No note, no explanation, just gone. He never even told me his name.”

His fingers caressed her skin with featherlight touches, sending tingles down her spine. “Were you angry or saddened by his ruthless behavior?”

His phrasing made her smile. “I never thought of it as ruthless, but I suppose it was. He used me without a second thought and I foolishly romanticized the entire episode. He became this man of mystery, pining away for the woman he’d had no choice but to leave behind. The truth was a little less flattering.”

He stopped rubbing and gently squeezed. “Meaning?”

“He didn’t think about me at all until the battle born needed a geneticist. Then he used my attraction to him to recruit me for their cause.”

“How long were you lovers before he found his mate?”

She laughed softly. “I hate to disappoint you, but Jakkin and I were never lovers. He made it clear that our relationship would be completely professional as soon as I agreed to help them.”

“And yet his image lingers in your mind.”

That got her attention. She shifted away from his hand, pivoting her entire body to face him. “How would you know what images linger in my mind? It’s against Rodyte law to scan without permission.”

“Outcasts don’t concern themselves with Rodyte laws.” He lowered his arm, his expression unapologetic. “We live by our code of conduct and no other.”

“The Outcast code of conduct allows for mental invasions?” She wasn’t sure why she was so upset. She’d used every tool at her disposal to spy on him. He just had tools available to him that she didn’t.

“Relax. I barely penetrated your shields. Obviously, I didn’t harm you.”

“That doesn’t excuse it. You violated my trust.” She shot to her feet, wishing she could storm from the room.

“I’m sorry.” He caught her wrist and tried to pull her back down beside him. She stubbornly dug in her heels. “I shouldn’t have scanned you without permission. I will never do so again.”

She wasn’t sure she believed him. She’d had no idea he’d done it the first time, so how would she know if he kept his word? Empowered people were so frustrating.

Releasing a ragged sigh, she returned to the sofa, but put as much space between them as possible.

After a long pause, he asked, “If Jakkin didn’t seduce you, what did he do?”

“The bastard charmed me all over again. I knew we weren’t compatible, and he was holding out for a mate, so we’d never be more than friends. Jakkin can be very likable when he wants to be.”

“Then you watched him court and claim his mate, wishing all the while that it was you.” He shook his head, but she saw compassion not pity in his eyes.

“And don’t forget that’s not where the story ends.” His brows drew together. She’d clearly confused him. “I was kidnapped a second time and forced into a situation even more humiliating than the first. On this world I’m the only female not genetically compatible with one or more of the males. At least on Earth there were lots of others unworthy of being a mate.”

He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. “If you’re ‘unworthy’, so am I.”

She tried to smile and failed. “I appreciate the sentiment, but that doesn’t change the fact that I will never have children of my own now.”

For a long silent moment, he just stared at her. “Is that important to you?”

She’d always wanted children, but she hadn’t made it a priority in her life. She focused on school, then establishing her career, and then one crucial research project after another. “It was more like an item on my bucket list than something I was actively pursuing.” He smiled, so she didn’t explain the reference. “Well, that’s my shameful secret. Now tell me yours.”

He let go of her hand and pressed back into the cushions. “Which one. I have so many.”

He ended the statement with a smile, but she sensed the tension behind his words. No one joined a group of outlaws without burning a few bridges along the way. “Why do you call yourself Heretic?” Maybe if she started with the obvious, she could ease into the darker parts of his past.

“I didn’t choose the title.” He already sounded defensive. This wasn’t good. “I was branded a heretic when I refused to accept the nonsense they were preaching at Harbinger Academy.”

Unadulterated hatred flared in his eyes as he said the word branded. Dread dropped into her stomach like a stone. “Do you mean that literally?” Her throat was so tight she barely got the question out.

He stood and tugged his T-shirt out from inside his jeans, then peeled the garment off over his head. Well-defined muscles rippled with each movement, momentarily distracting her from the images displayed on his smooth skin. Horrified, yet mesmerized, she pushed to her feet and lightly ran her fingers over the deep scar centered above his heart. A Rodyte word had been burned into his flesh in stylized letters. The scar was raised and discolored yet perfectly legible. She shuddered, unable to imagine the pain he must have endured.

“This means heretic?” She knew the answer, but needed to hear him confirm it.

“Yes.” He said nothing more.

“How could they... I’m so sorry.”

He grabbed her wrist and jerked her hand away. “I don’t want your pity.”

“I don’t pity you. You’ve clearly used the pain they inflicted to make you strong. You took the word they meant to shame you and wear it like a badge of honor.”

His fingers relaxed around her wrist, but didn’t let go. “If rejecting the lies they teach makes me a heretic, I accept the title gladly.”

“Someone mentioned a change in the leadership of Harbinger Guild. Are things any better now?”

He shrugged. “I’ve had no contact with anyone associated with Harbinger Guild since I left the academy.”

She moved closer, resting her free hand on his chest. “But you didn’t just leave. You were rescued by the people you claim to hate.” His free arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush with his body. He still held her wrist slightly out to the side. The position made her smile. “Shall we dance?”

“I have a better idea.” He released her wrist and lightly fisted the back of her hair. His head lowered slowly, giving her plenty of time to turn away.

She didn’t. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel the tingling rush that accompanied his other kisses. He excited her, fascinated her, and she was tired of pretending otherwise. Her lips were slightly parted when his mouth settled over hers.

He made a soft, throaty sound as he accepted the invitation. His tongue teased her lips for a moment then pushed deeper, exploring the interior of her mouth. She rubbed her tongue against his, greeted him with open enthusiasm.

Her fingers splayed against his side, but his naked torso was too much of a temptation. She ran her hands over his arms and back, savoring the heat and muscular contours she’d been imagining for weeks. He was glorious, lean and overtly male. She wanted him, wanted passion to burn away reality. And he obviously wanted her. Ever since the battle born arrived on Earth she’d been focused on the greater good rather than her personal happiness. Well, she was ready to be selfish, if only for a while.

They continued to kiss as Arton opened the front seam in her uniform top. The Outcasts had managed to scale their garments for the much smaller bodies of their females, but they didn’t have a molecular pattern for undergarments. As a result, the simple motion bared Lily’s breasts.

He covered one soft mound, giving her a little squeeze before moving on to its twin. His thumb circled her nipple, then lightly rasped the tip, experimenting until he found which movements made her react.

Both nipples were hard and tingly by the time he kissed his way down her neck. She arched helplessly, rubbing her belly against the hard proof of his need for her. He felt amazing and she wanted to explore him, wanted to wrap her fingers around him and take him deep into her body.

“Gods, Lily. You’re so beautiful.” He whispered the words as his lips found one of her nipples. His lips parted and he sucked the beaded tip into his mouth.

She moaned, the firm suction sending need spiraling through her body.

He broke away suddenly and caught her wrist. “Not here.” Half leading, half dragging her behind him, he guided her into the adjoining bedroom. He let go long enough to tug off his boots and socks and unfasten his pants.

Following his lead, she kicked off her shoes and shrugged out of her shirt. Her hands trembled as she reached for the fastener at the front of her pants. Was she really going to do this? He wasn’t a potential mate. This might be nothing more than a one-night stand. The possibility decreased the heat of her passion, threatening to snuff out the flame completely.

He sighed. “If you’re not ready for this, I’ll wait until you are. I don’t want to—”

His eyes rolled back in his head and his body crumpled to the deck at her feet.

Lily let out a startled cry as she knelt at his side. He was breathing, but he was completely unresponsive. Pausing long enough to straighten out the leg twisted up under him, she snatched her top off the floor and ran for the cabin’s main door. She slipped on the shirt, hurriedly reactivating the seam as she went.

Halfway across the living room the tether band engaged, sending pulses of pain all through her body. She screamed, grabbing her head as her knees buckled. Frantically scuttling backward, she managed to reverse course long enough to deactivate the tether. Pain still echoed through her body, but it receded enough to let her think. “Hello! Help!! Medical emergency!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified that no one would hear her.

The outer door slid open and the overlord hustled in. He was bare to the waist as he’d been earlier, but without the cape or munitions harness the display was much more noticeable. Arton’s physique was impressive, while Kage terrified.

“What’s wrong?” He looked around impatiently. “Where’s Arton.”

“In there.” She pointed toward the bedroom. “He’s having some sort of seizure.”

Kage rushed across the room, snatching her off the floor by the upper arm as he went. She barely got her legs beneath her fast enough to keep from being dragged behind him. His massive hand let go just as suddenly as it had closed around her arm. He knelt at Arton’s side and felt for a pulse. Then the overlord spread his fingers wide, not an inch from Arton’s face. Pale blue light erupted from Kage’s palm, casting Arton’s features into high relief. Kage slowly passed his hand over his friend, progressing slowly from head to foot.

Lily stood back and watched in awe as the overlord scanned Arton. “Is he all right?”

Kage looked up and Lily gasped. His dark gaze was now shot through with ribbons of emerald green. And even more astonishing, the colors seemed to swirl, shifting and changing like the crystals inside a kaleidoscope. “He’s having a vision,” he announced casually. “If he’s still out in an hour, yell for me again.”

And just like that the overlord strode from the room, leaving Lily fearful and confused.

The images swirled through Arton’s mind, stimulating his body as well as his intellect. Long strands of opalescent hair slid over a pale white body. Graceful fingers grasped a sleekly muscled back, the pointed nails digging in hard enough to draw blood. The male’s powder-blue hair was short and mussed as if the female had run her fingers through it repeatedly. She straddled his hips, riding him vigorously with an ages old rocking motion. As she tossed back her hair and cried out sharply, Arton was able to see their faces for the first time. They had angular features and wide almond-shaped eyes that shimmered like colorless crystals, slashing cheekbones and nearly pointed chins. They looked like the mythical elves so popular on Earth.

But why was he seeing them?

The female climbed off her lover and slipped on a shiny black robe. “You may go.”

The male looked annoyed and disappointed, but he gathered up his clothing and obeyed.

Thick furs cushioning her feet as she strolled across the cavernous room. Two massive creatures fell into step, one on either side of the willowy female. Arton tensed and trepidation gripped his muscles, making his heart pound. They were the same sort of predators that had attacked their patrol teams, yet they responded to the female as if they were trusted pets. Roughly the size of Earth’s female lions, their shape was largely feline, yet they had no fur. Instead they had thick, grayish-black skin that was armored like a reptile.

She stood before a strange device, her hands extended, palms out. Encased in rough-hewn stones, the inner segments were smooth and glowing. Did the strange stones give off heat? Was that why she reached toward them?

The animal on her left growled and its head snapped toward the door, golden eyes suddenly glowing. The armor plating on its neck stood up, forming a defensive ruff and making it look even more like a weaponized lion.

She spoke a word Arton didn’t understand and the creature lay down, the ruff relaxing against its muscular neck. It propped its huge head on even bigger paws and closed its eyes, but its conical ears rotated slowly, likely scanning for audible signs of danger.

She spoke again, though Arton couldn’t understand her and a different male stepped into the room. This one’s hair was blue as well, but the hue was brighter, more vivid. She turned from the glowing devise and watched her visitor approach.

Must those beasts accompany you night and day? He sent the thought directly to her mind, which allowed Arton to understand him. Arton wasn’t sure why, but telepathic communication seemed to have a common language, at least in his visions.

Most days I prefer karrons to you, she thought with an unapologetic smile. My battle cats are better behaved.

The male didn’t react to her provocation. Instead he thought, If you continue with this recklessness, someone will catch you. It’s forbidden to venture above, and you know it.

The female shrugged, clearly unconcerned. So they catch me. And then what? The Guiding Council is filled with old men and cowards.

I’m on the Guiding Council, he reminded with a glare.

She just smirked. I’m aware.

Well, I wasn’t talking about the council. I was talking about them. If they catch you, you will—

They are invaders! They don’t belong here.

And as abruptly as the vision came to Arton, it disengaged.

He gasped, blinking repeatedly as he waited for his eyes to clear.

“Oh, thank God. Are you all right?” Lily’s worried tone helped him shake away the shadows from his mind. He didn’t want to frighten her, had no idea why the vision had gripped him so suddenly. His muscles protested as he sat up and looked around. Visions always drained his energy, and this one had been particularly vivid. He was on the floor in his bedroom and she was on her knees beside him. “I’m fine, but I need to tell Kage what I saw.”

Using the bed for support, he struggled to his feet. She rushed to his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re shaking. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“The weakness will pass.” To prove his point, he removed his arm and headed for the door on wobbly legs.

She followed him into the living room, looking concerned and a bit afraid. His jeans sagged a bit more with each unsteady step. He realized they were unzipped and quickly righted them. “Sorry about the interruption.” He smiled at her, but she still looked upset. “Why don’t you stay here? I won’t be long.”

“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.” She held up her arm, displaying the tether band. “Besides, I’d really like to hear what you saw.”

“Fair enough,” he muttered and stepped out into the corridor. His legs stopped shaking, but he still felt horribly drained.

“Figured you’d be by.” Kage motioned him inside. The overlord was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, making Arton feel underdressed for a change. “Have a seat,” Kage said to no one in particular. “You look like shit.”

Lily and Arton chose chairs while Kage sat on the sofa, arms spread out to either side.

“Why did you figure I’d be by?” Arton asked as Kage’s comment registered in his sluggish brain.

Kage laughed. “Lily screamed her head off when you went down. I thought you were trying to kill her.”

“I screamed my head off when the tether band engaged,” she corrected. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Another chuckle rumbled through his chest. “She does have some spirit I see. Good. There’s nothing worse than a cowering female.”

“Do you want to hear about my vision or not?” He was honestly too tired to care.

“Always.” Kage banked his amusement, but his dark eyes still gleamed.

“I saw two beings, well, three if you count the very beginning. I hesitate to call them humanoid. They were ethereal and...elfish is the only word that fits.”

“Describe them in more detail.”

“The female had the most extraordinary hair. Down to her knees, and it shimmered with iridescent colors like a fire opal. And her eyes looked like crystal, colorless yet intensely reflective. Both males had blue hair and the strange crystalline eyes. All three were tall and lithe.”

“And what do these colorful elves have to do with us?” The question was tinged with mockery, but Arton didn’t take offense. He would have been skeptical too.

“I wasn’t sure they had anything to do with us until two of the predators that have been attacking our guards appeared at her side.” He gave Kage a moment to absorb the implication. “They’re called karrons, by the way. I’m pretty sure that was their species, not an individual name. She called them her battle cats.” Kage just stared at him, so Arton asked, “How sure are the scout teams that this planet is uninhabited?”

Kage shook his head. “The science teams ran every scan in existence before they recommended this planet. Both Scarlett and Rhett are uninhabited.”

“But Rhett hasn’t always been,” Arton pointed out. “Several of their reports mentioned ruins.”

“Yes, ruins,” Kage stressed. “Crumbling cities from long dead civilizations.” He straightened, rubbing his scruffy chin as he often did when he was deep in thought. Suddenly, he shook his head and said, “It must have been an echo, a psychic memory of the beings that once lived here.”

Arton wasn’t convinced, but he nodded. “I was able to understand part of what they said to each other, and it sure as hells sounded like they were talking about us. She called us ‘invaders’ and insisted that we didn’t belong here.”

“I awarded Torak the Relentless. I’ll have him rerun the scans.”

“The male told her it was forbidden to, how did he put it? Venture above. Do the scans penetrate the surface?”

Kage scooted to the edge of the cushions and rested his forearms on his knees. “They can, but it’s time-consuming and mind-numbingly tedious.”

“Give Torak my apologies, but I think it needs to be done.”

“Understood. I’ll tell him.”

“Thank you.” Arton stood and held out his hand toward Lily.

She stood as well, but slipped her hands into her pockets, her gaze darting toward Kage then away. Her expression was tense and uncertain, not intrigued, so he guided her toward the door with his hand at the small of her back.

The privacy panel slid closed behind them and she shivered. “That man scares me to death.”

He smiled. “He has that effect on a lot of people.” He scanned open his door and they walked inside before she responded.

“But not you. Why aren’t you intimidated by him?”

“I’ve known him forever, long before he was overlord.”

“Really?” Curiosity burned away her unease. “How did you meet?”

He sighed, frustrated by their digression. “Are we really going to do this tonight? I’m exhausted and grumpy.”

“All right.” She didn’t sound pleased, but she let it go. He took her by the hand and led her away from the door. “Is the Relentless a ship?”

“Yes. It’s the flagship, newest and best in our fleet. The warlords were at each other’s throats until Kage reassigned it.”

“Reassigned it?” Her steps lagged as they neared the doorway leading to his bedroom. She tugged her hand out of his as she asked, “Who commanded it before?”

Too tired to confront her hesitation, he just stopped and faced her. “Kage. The Relentless is his pride and joy. It just about killed him to give it up.”

“When he moved to the Viper.” She nodded finally understanding the sequence of events. “Why does the overlord trust this Torak to take care of his pride and joy?”

“Like the ship, Torak Payne is our best and brightest. He was the only real choice.” He took her hand again and continued toward the bedroom. The tension in her arm warned him that the passionate moment was long past. “I really am exhausted. I need sleep, and so do you.”

She motioned toward the sofa. “Can’t we drag it closer to the bedroom?”

He stopped and framed her face with his hands. “I will never touch you in a sexual way unless you welcome the exchange. There is no reason for your fear.”

She lowered her lashes as color erupted on her cheeks. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m not sure I can keep my hands to myself. Can you put a shirt on?”

He’d forgotten he was shirtless. “Of course.” It pleased him that she found him tempting, but he’d meant what he said. He wouldn’t join his body with hers until there was no doubt about her willingness. He moved to the inset dresser and pulled out a clean undershirt.

“Are you considered a warlord?”

He put on the clingy white garment before answering her question. “I’m a sorcerer. Haven’t you heard?” He punctuated the question with a grin.

“Warlords and elves and sorcerers.” She laughed. “Sounds like I’m trapped in a video game.”

“No. You’re just on an alien planet far away from Earth.”

Her smile faded and she walked to the bed and pulled down the covers. “I don’t need the reminder. Evidence is everywhere I look.”

Her feet were bare, but she climbed into bed fully dressed. “You’re going to sleep in your clothes?”

“Yes, and so are you.”

Knowing better than to argue with the determination in her eyes, he just smiled and climbed in beside her. She immediately rolled to her side, facing away from him. He slipped one of his arms under her neck and wrapped the other around her waist. She tensed, but didn’t object.

“Lights to ten percent.” He snuggled in closer and buried his face in her hair. “Rest well,” he whispered.

“You too.”

Despite the temptation in his arms, blissful sleep immediately claimed him.

* * *

ARTON WAS STILL A CHILD when he learned the difference between regular and prophetic dreams. Regular dreams were soft, surreal, and often nonsensical. Prophetic dreams, by comparison, were harsh and intrusive. They always left him feeling invaded and slightly abused. He hadn’t asked for this gift, hadn’t undergone medical procedures to attain it as so many harbingers did. His kind—those born with their powers already active—were known as organic. And their abilities were always vast, and extremely hard to control.

An oppressive weight settled over his body, paralyzing his muscles while opening his mind. He’d learned not to struggle against the feeling, resistance brought horrible pain. Reality faded until he hung suspended in a pitch-black void. No color, no motion, no sound, just an endless blackness. This part could last for hours. It was one of the reasons he tried so hard to summon visions while he was awake, rather than letting them happen spontaneously. When he was awake, his chances of controlling the progression were increased greatly.

A female’s throaty moan penetrated the darkness and his heart began to pound. This was how the other vision started. Would he now learn more about his “elves”? He wanted to know more about them, needed to understand why he’d seen them in the first place. Nothing was more frustrating than a segmented vision with no context or apparent meaning.

The moaning grew louder and Arton sighed. It was not the same voice. This one was pitched higher. She sounded younger.

His body floated down through the blackness. Currents of warm air caressed his bare skin. He was naked, which didn’t surprise him. People were often naked in his visions. He felt the air around him change. It seemed to crackle with electricity.

Suddenly he was hovering over a ship’s cabin. A couple shared pleasure on the narrow bunk. The male was on top, as Rodytes preferred it. He could barely see the female. She clung to the male, arms and legs wrapped around him as he moved with obvious purpose between her thighs.

He didn’t need to see her face to know this was Jillian and Stront. But was this confirmation of the course everyone planned to take, or some sort of warning?

As if hearing his grumbling thought, the vision shifted. Jillian, now fully dressed, wandered through dense trees. “Stront?” Fear twisted her delicate features as she called out for her mate again and again. The leaves were green not turquoise as they were on Rhett. How strange.

“Stront! This isn’t funny. Where are you?” She huddled against one of the trees, looking utterly miserable. “I’m sorry I failed you,” she sobbed. “What did I do wrong?” Hard sobs shook her shoulders and she buried her face in her hands.

Arton woke up with a gasp, confused and shaken. He was sitting up, though he couldn’t remember moving. He looked at Lily. She lay as she’d been all night, curled up on her side. It was amazing that he hadn’t disturbed her. Even so, he was glad she was resting well.

The vision was clearly a warning, but what did he really know? Jillian would fail, that much was clear. Did anything else matter? The couple could still bond naturally. Stront would eventually accept life as it was now.

Arton released a heavy sigh and lay back down. He had to tell them. If they chose to ignore the warning and progress with the transformation, there was nothing else he could do about it. With his course of action solidified, he willed himself back to sleep.