10. Max
10
MAX
O nce the interrogation was over, Max left the cell along with Kian, Toven, Anandur, and Brundar.
The hallway outside the interrogation room was a nothing-special industrial-looking space, with reproductions of fine art adorning the walls in an effort to soften the look, but right now, it was a breath of fresh air despite the lingering lemony scent of the cleaning solution.
"I need a word with you." Kian motioned for Max to walk with him a few paces away.
"Of course, sir." Max followed, hands reflexively going to his belt and the slight weight of his holster.
Something about Kian's body language when he'd made the request troubled Max. Kian was assertive and decisive, even terse, but his expression was slightly hesitant as if he were uncomfortable with whatever it was he needed to talk to him about.
Toven put a hand on Kian's shoulder. "We'll wait for you in the car."
Kian nodded. "This won't take long." His eyes flicked toward Anandur and Brundar, who both inclined their heads silently before following Toven out. The retreat of their footsteps left a soft echo and then silence returned.
Kian leaned against the concrete wall, crossing one leg over the other, and his intense gaze settled on Max. "How do you like this assignment?"
"I like the promotion, but I don't love dealing with the scum of the Earth. That being said, I assure you I will always do my job to the best of my ability, no matter how unpleasant or difficult it is."
Kian's expression softened, and the tightness around his mouth eased. "I wouldn't have expected anything less, but given that you don't love it, I assume you wouldn't mind a short break from this place. I have a special assignment for you next weekend. I can ask Onegus to appoint someone else in charge while you are gone, or you can choose your own temporary replacement."
Max arched an eyebrow. "No problem. May I ask what the assignment is?"
A thousand possibilities flickered through his mind—guarding one of the twins on a trip somewhere? Or maybe Syssi and Kian were going on a vacation and needed additional guards. He studied Kian's face, searching for clues, but his face didn't reveal anything.
Kian crossed his arms over his chest, exhaling softly. "Jasmine is visiting her father in his hunting cabin to ask him about her mother's death… or rather, her disappearance." Kian paused for a heartbeat, letting that detail sink in. "He was never forthcoming with information regarding how her mother died or even where she was buried. We have reason to believe that she is still alive and has joined the Kurdish resistance, but we need confirmation that she isn't dead, and the father seems to know more than he's been willing to reveal so far."
Max didn't know what to think about the revelation, so he merely nodded.
"Jasmine doesn't expect him to answer her questions this time, either," Kian said. "She's planning to ambush him in his cabin because he'll be alone out there, and her stepmother won't be around to interfere. Naturally, Ell-rom plans to accompany her, but neither of them can thrall. I need a strong thraller to get into the father's head while Jasmine is questioning him about her missing mother. I also need someone I trust to watch over both of them, but especially Ell-rom. He thinks that he doesn't need protection because no one knows who he is, but given how important he is to my mother, I don't want to take any chances with him."
Max swallowed. He'd never considered thralling to be his strong suit. He could do it, like any other immortal who'd transitioned in his early teens, but he wasn't remarkable at it. Many of his fellow Guardians were better. He also couldn't help his illogical dislike of Jasmine. It wasn't her fault that she bore a striking resemblance to someone from his past who'd driven a wedge between him and his best friend at the time.
If it were anyone other than Jasmine, he would have welcomed a short babysitting assignment. Leaving the dungeon for a day or two was appealing, and a trip to a remote hunting cabin could be nice. But when he pictured Jasmine, with her stunning face and dark cascading hair, all he could see was that ghost from his past.
"I'm not a particularly strong thraller," he tried, hoping the admission might excuse him from the assignment. "I'm average at best, and if Jasmine's father is resistant—which he probably will be, given their history—I might not be good enough to break through his barriers. Perhaps you should choose someone else."
"It's possible that he'll be difficult," Kian conceded, "and on top of his reluctance to discuss his former wife, he's also Russian. From experience, we know that Russians are typically more suspicious by nature than other nationalities and that skepticism makes them harder to thrall."
Max let out a low breath of relief, ready to pounce on that angle. "Then I'm certainly not strong enough. Brundar, on the other hand, can break through most people. Maybe he should go. I'll gladly take his place as your bodyguard for that weekend."
Kian gave him a small sympathetic smile. "Normally, I would agree with you," he said, "but there's one more factor I didn't share with you yet." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Syssi insists that you need to be the one accompanying Jasmine and Ell-rom, and I know better than to argue with Syssi's gut feelings."
Max's breath caught in his throat. If Syssi's visions or gut feelings were pointing a finger at him, his assignment wasn't negotiable. "Did Syssi see me in a vision doing something important?" Max asked.
Kian shook his head. "It was simply a gut feeling. But with Syssi, a gut feeling is as good as a prediction. I'm aware of your dislike of Jasmine, but I'm sure you can keep it bottled up for one day. She's happily mated to Ell-rom, so it's not like you are expected to charm her. Polite will do."
Max pressed his lips into a thin line. Kian's request, especially when backed by Syssi's intuition, was more like an edict. Even if Max had confessed to loving his current duties, Kian would still have sent him with Jasmine.
The knowledge that no measure of protest would change the outcome felt both frustrating and freeing.
At least he knew where he stood.
Besides, there were some obvious upsides to the assignment beyond getting a break from the damn dungeon.
Given that Jasmine was mated to Annani's half-brother, she was considered part of the clan's royal family, and it would be smart of him to work on improving his relationship with her.
This mission provided the perfect opportunity to atone for the way he'd treated Jasmine when they had first met. He'd been unfriendly, and she had been gracious despite his stinky attitude. Perhaps this was his chance to redeem himself.
"I'll do my best to be not only cordial but also friendly," he promised Kian. "The truth is that I don't actually have anything against Jasmine. She seems like a genuinely nice person, and she's obviously talented—an excellent singer. Her resemblance to someone who wronged me a long time ago shouldn't affect how I feel about her and certainly not how I behave around her."
"That's very wise of you." Kian pushed away from the wall. "Especially given that her mate might not appreciate you being rude to the female he adores." He delivered the sentence with a smile, but Max heard the underlying warning loud and clear.
"I'll do my best, sir. I know how much the Clan Mother cares about her brother and how important his happiness and safety are to her. Which brings me to my next question: am I going to be the only Guardian accompanying them?" He suspected he wouldn't be, but he wanted clarity.
"I'd likely send another Guardian who's a stronger thraller." Kian rolled his shoulders. "Brundar is a good choice, and since I don't have any plans outside the village for the weekend, I don't really need to bother with a replacement bodyguard."
Max silently berated himself. He'd been the one who mentioned Brundar, and now the prospect of spending a weekend with the man loomed in front of him. Brundar was probably the best Guardian on the force, but he had the personality of a block of ice.
"I can suggest a couple more Guardians who are strong thrallers," Max offered, hoping to remedy the situation. Perhaps naming some alternatives could lead to a better fit and possibly lighten the environment.
"Please do," Kian said, stepping closer. He reached out and gave Max a hearty clap on the back, which Max accepted with a nod. The friendly gesture was as much a dismissal as it was encouragement. "Text the names to me when you get a chance."
"Will do, sir."
As Kian turned to head for the exit, Max stayed put for an extra beat, leaning against the wall himself. Taking one last deep breath, he pushed off from the wall and started toward the Guardians' station.
He reminded himself that loyalty and performance were more important than his personal preferences. If this was what needed to be done because Syssi's intuition pointed at him, then so be it. He would do the best job he could.