Chapter 7 #2
Moargan straightened. “So Helion was never the end point.”
“No. Just the stop.”
Kylix leaned forward, forearms braced on his knees. “The shuttle’s last signal placed it near Helion’s Breaking Storm.”
Moargan frowned. “That’s not a landing zone.”
“No,” Helianth said. “If it had gone into the Storm, none of them would’ve survived.”
Kylix’s mouth hardened. “Which means whoever took it knew exactly what they were doing. They were all listed as labor transfers from Düren.”
“Ouch. Düren. Horrible place to grow up.” Aviel yanked Theo’s throat back with a fist in his curls, making him squirm. “Right?”
“I don’t know,” Theo wheezed.
“You’re hurting him,” Daven snapped. Good Light, how he hated Aviel. The arrogant, unhinged prick was no blood, but he was still one of them, one of the rare gifted men Helion had pulled into the family orbit years ago.
“I’m not. Am I?” Aviel pulled Theo close, brushing his mouth over the shell of Theo’s ear.
Theo flushed, shaking his head as he looked down at his feet.
Aviel chuckled. “See?”
Helianth coughed. “Anyway, what we do know is that we’re not dealing with one but potentially two crime organizations, both now on Helion soil. Concordant and Attica.”
“Attica is Helion-born,” Kylix said. “They’re a rebel faction. Their whole purpose is to bring down the Imperial family.”
“Yeah, well, Yure is still trying to establish contact with Bekn. If Attica is truly involved, we’ll know soon enough what they want.”
“If they are involved?” Daven snorted, eyes still locked on Aviel. “Come on. All you have to do is ask his pet. Theo’s Bekn Zaid’s younger brother, and Bekn is the one running Attica.”
Theo let out a whimper. Something smelled like burned skin, and Daven felt a brief stab of guilt. That sick bastard might make him pay for it later. Still, he wouldn’t look away. Pride kept his chin up.
“That’s enough,” Milanov barked. “If things were easy, we would have solved them by now. But things are never as they seem, and there isn’t a more dangerous enemy than one who is unpredictable.
So far, Attica has proved to be just that.
Which means we need to support each other.
Kylix, you will have your interrogation as soon as our patient is fit enough.
When he is, Zimeon will give you the green light. ”
“Is he eating?” Daven hadn’t heard Cyprian step into the room. Moargan’s consort lingered near the doorway, soft-eyed and careful as ever. “Ryneth, I mean. He looked frightened.”
Moargan’s consort was sweet and careful, but he’d found the one subject that could throw Daven off balance.
“He’s fine,” Daven lied. “He’s stable.”
Aviel’s mouth curved. “I heard he’s good-looking. If he’s half as pretty as this one, Daven, I might ask Milanov for a second pet.”
Something in Daven turned savage at the thought. His air flared and the oxygen between them vanished. A concussive wave slammed Aviel into the wall hard enough to rattle the sideboard.
“Don’t joke about who was handed to me,” Daven snarled. “Not you.”
Aviel choked as he clawed for air. When he looked up, the brown in his eyes was already bleeding into molten gold.
Daven watched the fire gather in his gaze and felt the air sharpen around his own fists. Bring it on.
He was ready for a fight. Anything to get rid of this maddening humming under his skin.
But before Aviel could unleash his fire, Theo jerked against the chain and slammed his palm into the wall hard enough to make the room jump.
“Stop!” The gold chain rattled. His skin had gone gray as he clutched at his chest. “Please. Stop.”
Aviel blinked, his usual cruel smirk replaced by worry. Then he unchained Theo from the wall and scooped him up into his arms. “We’ll come and say hi to Ryneth another time.”
Daven and the others watched them leave in silent bafflement.
“All right. To be continued, I guess.” Moargan glanced at Cyprian. “Happy?”
“Stop it,” Cyprian murmured. “Does he know yet where he is?”
Daven shrugged. “More or less.”
Kylix leaned forward, jaw tight. “All the prisoners were dosed with the same Attica compound we’ve been pulling out of the lower wards for weeks.
That’s what makes this dangerous. We know Concordant took the shuttle.
The question is Attica. Did they help, or are they just supplying them?
My men are already running every security feed on Helion.
If a single Attica mask shows up on a camera, we’ll have them. ”
The room fell silent, the words hitting their mark.
If Concordant and Attica were working together, Helion didn’t have one enemy. It had two. And that meant no one on the planet was safe.
Daven fisted his hands, anger awakening the storm in him. Whatever hell Ryneth had been through had ended the moment he’d been brought here. Anyone who had laid a hand on him would answer for it.
Ryneth was under Daven’s protection now.
“All right.” He placed his empty glass on the table with a thud and straightened his collar. “Thank you for showing up to see the patient. I’ll let you know when Sleeping Beauty wakes up.”
He left the others there and headed straight for the medical wing.
Ryneth was awake.
Those silver eyes locked onto him the moment he stepped through the door. His hand tightened in the sheets like he was already bracing for another fight.
A dark thrill moved through Daven. Good. Let the static come for him. Let Ryneth fight. Let him lose.
It was time Ryneth started acting like the man in his care. And Good Light, Daven hoped he’d snarl. He wanted him furious. He wanted him fighting. Then he would make him yield.
Soon enough, they always did.