Chapter 22
Omari Haru
The train ride was tolerable.
Ruben, naturally, had a private car that allowed him to ride separately from all the commoners.
They rode for three hours, Adrian positioning his body so he had to look at Ruben as little as possible.
The only way Haru could find to amuse himself was to tell extravagant stories about his supposed exploits around the globe with his beloved Mitso at his side.
It became a game to see how red he could make Adrian’s face before the man was in danger of exploding and breaking character to strangle Haru.
While it was amusing, it was also likely that he wouldn’t be permitted to have sex with Adrian for some time, as his mate was very good at holding a grudge.
From the train station in Milway, they were ushered to a large, plush SUV with two rows of back seats, allowing them to stretch out comfortably.
A driver, who could have also doubled as a bodyguard, met them, adding to the security that already accompanied them on the train.
Both bodyguards were stout-chested, broad-shouldered men trained to see everything with a dead-eye stare but appear as if they were deaf to the conversations of their boss.
“You know,” Ruben drawled not long after they were on the road.
He turned sideways in his seat to gaze at where Haru sat with Adrian dutifully leaning against him.
“I find it interesting that you don’t travel with an entourage of bodyguards.
Especially considering the number of dangerous cities you claim to have visited.
Someone of your wealth and power should spend more time protecting your safety. ”
Haru chuckled and picked up Adrian’s hand.
He took his time placing delicate kisses along Adrian’s battle-roughened knuckles.
“I find it amusing that you think I do not.” He glanced up at Ruben with hooded eyes and a wicked smirk tilted up one corner of his mouth.
Adrian rested his head on Haru’s shoulder, a matching smile spreading across his face.
“My lovely Mitso is trained in many forms of combat and is quite lethal with anything possessing a sharp edge. He doesn’t mind poisons either.”
“The slow, organ-melting ones are the best,” Adrian whispered with a giggle.
“It’s how we first met, actually. Someone had attempted to kill me, but Mitso leaped in, knives flashing with that adorable laugh, and gutted the man like a trout.
He covered his body in my would-be attacker’s blood and presented himself to me like that, promising to kill anyone who dared to cross me.
” Haru lifted his free hand and cupped the bottom of Adrian’s hard jaw, tipping his face so that their noses brushed.
“How could I not fall in love? My bloodthirsty little minx.”
From the corner of Haru’s eye, he saw Ruben shudder and pale. Yes, that was a much better attitude. He needed to fear Adrian. The man at his side was far more than a simple piece of arm candy. He was deadly, and Haru loved it.
Ruben didn’t engage in much more conversation after that, preferring to face forward and tap away on his tablet.
The town of Milway wasn’t much to see. It reminded Haru of Voxmore with its quaint shops and narrow streets.
Yet, there weren’t many people walking about as they passed through.
However, that was likely because of the storm that was brewing up from nothing.
When they arrived at the train station, it had been a pleasant summer day with bright-blue skies and rising temperatures.
Yet, within minutes of getting into the car, massive dark clouds poured across the sky, blotting out the sun.
Harsh, icy winds hammered the sides of the vehicle as if trying to shove it across the road.
There was even the persistent tap tap tap of freezing rain pelting the car.
Adrian frowned and leaned to stare out the window on his right and then across Haru to gaze out the other window.
They’d left Milway behind and hurried down a clean stretch of highway where towering trees crowded close.
All signs of civilization disappeared, and the early afternoon melted into near nightfall with only their headlights to pierce the gloom.
“This storm came on fast,” Adrian murmured, speaking just above a whisper, likely so Haru could hear him above the howl of the wind. His voice dropped even lower as he put added emphasis on “Too fast.”
Haru’s eyes darted to the black skies and flashes of lightning that were growing in intensity and frequency.
The farther they traveled in this direction, the more the storm worsened.
It gave him hope that they were about to locate the missing prince of Caspagir, but if he was conjuring up this storm through his connection to the god Kaes, it was likely that something bad was happening.
“How much farther to our destination?” Haru demanded.
“Another twenty to thirty minutes, sir,” the driver replied through what sounded like clenched teeth.
As he spoke, Haru could feel the vehicle slow while the wind and rain lashed the car, creating a gray wall in front of them that the headlights could not pierce.
Over thirty minutes was now more likely, but there was nothing they could do about it.
The driver could not go any faster without risking their lives, and he didn’t want to endanger Adrian more than necessary.
The minutes ticked by, and Haru watched as Adrian turned a small throwing knife around with his deft fingers.
When they were only a few miles from the facility, the storm began to quiet and roll away.
The flashes of lightning grew less frequent, and the deafening boom of thunder turned to low grumbles.
“What the hell!” Ruben bellowed as they came upon a long, gray, two-story building with slender windows set back against a dark, thick forest. Black smoke billowed out from one corner while trees surrounding the buildings were burning, possibly from lightning strikes.
There were other scorch marks on the building and in the pavement of the parking lot.
It looked as if the epicenter of the storm had been this building, and it had paid the price.
“Who are those people? They don’t appear to be employees,” Adrian pointed at ragged, thin people slipping from the building and running into the forest. A mixture of relief and terror was etched on their faces.
“Test subjects,” Ruben growled. His meaty fist balled up, his knuckles cracking. “Clearly, the storm knocked out the power, and the guards were careless in their duty, allowing people to escape.”
“We need to get inside and assess the damage. Discover what is left of your efforts.” Haru had barely spoken when he threw open the door and clambered out with Adrian close on his heels. Ruben gasped and sputtered, but the sounds were lost to the wind and the last of the rumbles of thunder.
“If Shey’s not alive, I swear to fuck I’m killing everyone here,” Adrian snarled under his breath.
Haru nodded. His thoughts were the same.
They’d already witnessed the horrors of Voxmore’s facility, and this one looked like more of the same, though more technologically advanced.
Between the deep pockets of the villains behind this endeavor and the limitless evil of the mastermind, there was no telling how many more facilities like this dotted Damardor.
They charged inside to see white walls splashed with blood.
Lights flickered, leaving the hallways shrouded in darkness.
Here and there, the bodies of armored guards still slumped on the floor.
Blood, burnt ozone, and smoke lingered in the air, tickling Haru’s nose.
Yes, Shey had been here. He could feel it in his bones.
This was the work of the prince. He’d fought alongside him, knew his quick and precise style.
“Halt! Identify yourself!” A guard barked at them. His automatic weapon was lifted, half concealing his face as he took aim at Adrian.
Haru clenched his teeth. The bastard dared to threaten Adrian’s life. Haru was going to rip his throat out and leave his corpse with the rest of his comrades.
“Enough! Stand aside!” Ruben puffed and blustered behind them. “These are my guests here to inspect the facility. What the hell happened?” He elbowed his way past Haru and crowded the guard. Ruben’s face had gone from pale to flushed. Sweat speckled his forehead.
“Um…we’re still trying to figure that out, sir. Um…”
“Still trying to figure it out?” Ruben raged, his body vibrating as if he were a time bomb ready to go off. “Where is Yasmine? I left her to manage this place. What the hell has she been doing?”
“She’s in the command center, sir. Lightning struck the building several times, knocking out the security system. Some prisoners escaped. But before that…there was a phenomenon.”
Ruben looked as though he were about to rip off the guard’s head with his bare hands, but he stopped cold at those last words. “What kind of phenomenon?”
Haru also froze, and Adrian’s hand shot between them to grasp Haru’s arm. His fingers tightened, biting almost painfully into flesh. Was this Shey? Had he been pushed too far and revealed his abilities?
“Mass hallucination. Like…like everyone slipped into a nightmare. It began when we were aggressively questioning a woman.”
Air left Adrian in a rush, and Haru watched the muscles jump in his jaw as if he were grinding his teeth. Aggressively questioning? No, they were torturing her.
“Where is she now? Did she escape?” Ruben demanded. His voice trembled, and he reached out to grab the guard. “I must see her now.”
The guard winced and stumbled a step back. His face grew pale, and he lowered his gaze. “She-she’s dead, sir.”
“What?” Ruben raised his fists as if to beat the other man, but stopped himself and let out a frustrated growl. “Useless! All of you are useless!” Ruben continued down the hallway, and Haru was quick to follow with Adrian at his side.