Chapter Forty-Four
Kyan
‘YOU LOST HER,’ THE MESSENGER SAID ONCE KYAN HAD STRODE across the great marble floors of St George’s Hall.
The subtlest of varnishes shifted over their face when they moved. From the way their head tilted slightly at his tone they immediately had more personality.
As if they were a real person who wasn’t using their true face.
Kyan knew how much the Wake kept from him. No doubt there were lies at every fork in this road. But this?
‘You’ve been watching?’ Kyan asked, like he didn’t already know.
He allowed a hint of real rage into his words, already vibrating with the need to return to Nicole and the others and make sure they were all right.
It wasn’t just that he’d had to watch her run from him; had to chase her in the first place.
But every iota of his body wanted to be close and on alert in case that other Empyreal went back.
The Messenger’s expression didn’t change, staring over Kyan’s shoulder, unfazed. ‘If you’re losing your objectivity, perhaps we would have been better putting Logan on the mission.’
‘Don’t push me,’ he snarled, cold unease twisting in his stomach. ‘I know what I’m doing.’
‘And yet, you don’t have her.’
Kyan smiled without humour. ‘The target was more capable than expected.’
Nicole.
After she’d ‘escaped’ him, he had followed at a distance.
He was supposed to have lost her, but he couldn’t leave her to run into the night alone after that scream.
So he’d tracked her to watch, hidden, as the fight unfolded.
It had nearly killed him. Intervening would have exposed them all if Callum’s Influence didn’t hold.
So he’d crumbled the edge of a brick wall to dust, keeping his grip on that instead of wrapping his hands around the assassin’s throat.
The Empyreal had drawn Callum’s blood.
He’d seen his best friend bloodied before. But only when he wanted to be. Only when he was being purposefully lazy or provocative. Which meant whoever the Wake had sent after Remi was more than dangerous.
What could they do to Nicole? Her siblings?
It was unacceptable.
He’d tracked it back to St George’s Hall in the hopes he could find out who it was.
But the Empyreal had disappeared.
‘Let me do this my way. Tonight I was masked so she didn’t see my face. Let me try another tack and get close to her.’
There was a beat of silence, and then, ‘Inadvisable.’
Inadvisable. Right. Because they didn’t want Nicole to show him the truth like she had in Estwood.
‘If she’s her mother’s daughter she’ll be on high alert and that woman was an expert at avoiding Empyreals, why wouldn’t the target be? I need her to be open, not expecting another masked assassin. I’ll introduce myself, get close and try to bring her in. Give me a month or two, I can—’
I can help her get the fuck away from you forever.
‘One week.’
A harsh laugh covered his shock. ‘It was hard enough for me to even find her—’
‘How did you? On so little information?’
He bared his teeth in a smile. ‘I’m your best hunter, remember? But even for me, a week isn’t enough time to build this kind of trust. If you want the answers she has, I’m going to need longer.’
‘Then you have two.’
His teeth clamped together. That wouldn’t give him anywhere near enough time to get the last two artefacts, find the Druid, and figure out how to sever the oath that kept him bound to the Wake.
‘A contingent of Empyreals will be gathered if more force is necessary.’
‘No,’ Kyan said, that cold inside melting with a heightened, dangerous fury. ‘I’ll deal with it.’
A new possibility struck him: a way to figure out one aspect of the greater mystery here, one thing that had been haunting him since he’d realised Nicole was right.
‘I want an audience before I bring her in.’
The Messenger’s eyes moved then, drifting to him in an uncanny show of intelligence. ‘An audience with whom?’
‘The heads of this organisation. I was one of the first Empyreals you brought into the fold. I’ve been your steadfast hunter for the majority of my life. I don’t see why I shouldn’t get to finally meet those who run it.’
‘What if you’ve met them already?’
Surprise almost wiped his mind clean. Were they speaking the truth? Or was this a ploy to throw him off?
‘Then you won’t object to my meeting them again.’
He was in no mood to play mind games tonight, but that was what he’d have to do to keep Nicole and her family clear for a little while longer.
As long as he was standing, he’d keep her safe; keep a shred of hope that this would all be dismantled so something better could rise up in its place.
‘What else went on tonight?’ Kyan asked. ‘I saw another Empyreal.’
A pause. ‘It’s none of your concern.’
‘If it affects my target while she’s in the city it is.’
The Messenger paused. ‘Last night a Siren almost decimated the cathedral.’
He let his brow crumple in concern. ‘Was anyone killed?’
‘No, but a Siren of that power cannot be allowed to roam unchecked. Not only could they expose us to humans, but they’re a danger to other supernaturals. They must be brought in and trained. We assumed they may attend local Siren establishments, and we were right. This is a matter of security.’
Bullshit.
‘Were they apprehended or are they still at large?’
‘That is confidential information.’
Kyan laughed bitterly. ‘Fine.’ He turned to stalk back out. ‘I expect a meeting in two weeks.’
There was no answer. But as he strode into the midnight city, their conversation still rang in his ears like a death bell.
Two weeks.