Assassin Mine by Cynthia Sax Page A

place could be real.” Sabria frowned, dismayed at his
lack of hope. “We won’t know unless we search for it. We might have days or
even weeks, before my brother comes for me and—”
    “Your brother isn’t taking you from me.” Darius rolled onto
his back, pulling her over top of him, his grasp on her secure. “You’re my breeder.”
    He’s keeping me. Sabria stared across the room at the
undecorated wall. “How will you keep me? Drecks don’t have breeders.”
She doused the hope flickering to life inside her heart. “You said that.”
    “I’ll find a way,” Darius muttered into her hair, his body
radiating comforting heat. Sabria parted her lips, questions flooding her mind.
“Sleep,” he ordered.
    I can’t possibly sleep, not now. She closed her eyes. He’s keeping me. That must mean he cares for me. It must. Darkness
descended, her thoughts slowing, stilling, stopping.

Chapter Five
     
    Darius sat on the edge of the bed, watching Sabria, his
little human female sleeping soundly, trusting him to protect her. He pushed a
long strand of black hair away from her parted lips, the tendril curling around
his finger, embracing him, a Dreck , a disposable being worthy of only
high-risk assignments—killing heavily guarded Federation officials and
exploring deep space.
    Perhaps they found a place where they’re accepted, where Drecks are equals and there are no wars or killing. They have families, breeders they
love and protect and offspring of their own, and they’re happy…
    Is such a place possible? Darius dressed quietly, not
wishing to wake Sabria, her body requiring sleep to recover. He winced as the
leather slid over the scratches on his back, his breeder having marked him as
thoroughly as he had marked her.
    As he passed the chamber control panel, he tapped the
surface, locking Sabria inside. Not that this precaution will stop her. Darius scowled, remembering how she’d hurt herself escaping from the chair,
trying to run from him.
    He stomped along the brightly lit corridor, scanning the
space, spotting not a single shadow in which an assassin could hide. The floor
bots and ceiling-mounted weapons stilled, recognizing him.
    I’ll have to kill to keep Sabria. Darius entered the
bridge. The viewscreen remained open, stars scattered across the blackness of
space, his ship on a direct course to Balazoid . She believes her
brother will come from her and the Balazoid council won’t allow a lowly Dreck to claim a breeder. Fuck. This is impossible.
    Darius filled the captain’s chair, the leather worn, the
seat formed to his body, fitting him as perfectly as Sabria did. “Time to
arrival?”
    “Three days, fifteen hours, twenty-two minutes and
thirty-five seconds,” the ship recited, its male voice curt and robotic.
    Three days. He opened a view of his chamber. Sabria’s
naked body sprawled on the bed, her beautiful face soft with sleep. “Ship, give
the occupant of my chambers the same corridor access as myself,” he instructed,
fearful the floor bots might target his overly trusting and woefully unarmed
female.
    “Corridor access granted.”
    “Are we being followed?” How long before I have to kill
her beloved brother?
    “Negative, Captain.” Ship eased his concerns.
    “Good.” Darius’ shoulders lowered. “Reduce speed.” I
can’t return to Balazoid . They’ll take her from me. What are my other
options? He laid his weapons on the console. “Ship, compare the
characteristics of all Drecks reported dead within the last five years,
searching for similarities.” He meticulously cleaned his daggers, polishing the
blades until they shone and inspecting them for weakness, the ritual calming
him, the steps ordering his thoughts.
    “Process completed, Captain.”
    “Report,” Darius ordered, feeling foolish for believing in
Sabria’s wild theory. There’s nowhere Drecks are equal and happy.
We’re alone.
    “One hundred percent are deceased. Eighty-two percent were
reported