Chapter 70
Killian sent a quick text to Ender, with a question about his current task, mindlessly typing away as he waited for a reply. But when thirty minutes had passed without the Gorgon responding, followed by Cyrus ignoring him too, he pushed up from his desk and quickly left the Intelligence Center.
Heading up the lift, he entered Ender’s house, a place he was swiftly considering his home.
After failing to find Ender, Cyrus, and Soren, along with everyone else that happened to live there, he gave up on his task, and somehow ended up plopped down on the grass next to Zenny, playing with the chickens.
“You know it was only after coming here that I realized how nice they can be.” Zenny giggled as a black hen nuzzled against him.
The Cupid hugged her, and while she fluffed up a bit, she didn’t do a thing to hurt him. But then the chickens all seemed to be well behaved when Zenny was in the room. Well, at the very least, they were never aggressive towards the kid.
Killian laughed. “I think it depends on the person, if they are nice or not. How’s school going?”
“Okay…I guess.” The Cupid wrinkled his nose. “Is math really that necessary?”
“If you intend to function as an adult at some point, then yes?” He smiled when the kid just flopped back with a distressed groan.
Zenny was adorable. He still stared sometimes, but as he had gotten to know him, in the weeks they’d been there, he was coming to understand the look in his eyes. Yearning… He didn’t fully understand what it meant, and in what context, but…he didn’t think it was a bad thing.
Killian had also realized he wasn’t the only one Zenny stared at like that. Cyrus and Ender were also included…and with the kid being a Cupid, he couldn’t help but wonder what that meant. He possibly had to keep pushing down his excitement at what it could mean.
He was… He was confused…conflicted even. He loved Cyrus, and to be honest, before everything happened with Ender, when it was just the two of them, it wasn’t like he’d ever felt like something was missing in their relationship.
Yet, now…whenever he thought about them possibly walking away, even if it was many years from now, he felt sick, like he would lose something that belonged in his life.
Ender, regardless of other things, felt like he belonged with them.
And oddly, Zenny…felt like he belonged too—which was a whole other fucking mess.
Zenny was a child, and it wasn’t like he could just decide on his own to claim him as his kid. Killian didn’t even like children! Okay, he liked them well enough…but…
Fuck, he was feeling protective and possessive of the Cupid, and he swore, if those fucking triplets didn’t stop trying to lure him into their home, he would—UGH!
Kore…it was that Elemental’s fault! The bastard had been in space for so long that at least two of the three were out searching for another person to collect!
“You’re thinkin’ mighty hard there, Killian.”
Killian blinked, before booping the kid, who had sat back up, on the nose, and laughing, “‘Thinkin’ mighty hard’?”
Zenny winked. “Thought I’d try it out since Ender likes using it so much.”
“I fear your language teacher is going to go after Ender if you start talking like that, grammar and all.”
The Cupid groaned. “She’s just jealous she doesn’t have his accent.”
“I’m sure.”
He glanced towards the door when Quill walked in.
Eyeing the tall Fate, he nodded towards the chickens, as he asked, “Happen to know where their owner is? Or anyone, for that matter? I noticed quite a few people were missing, Cyrus included.”
Quill’s brow rose. “You…don’t know?”
“Know what?”
The Fate’s face scrunched a bit. “I really don’t think I should be the one to tell you.”
“Oh?” he said cheerfully. “That’s too bad. As I really think you should. And I assure you, it’ll be much more pleasant for you if you do it willingly.”
“I think that was a threat,” Zenny snickered.
“Oh, it definitely was.” He ruffled the Cupid’s hair.
Quill gulped. “Uhh…”
They were just driving into the desert to meet up with a dangerous criminal in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. What could possibly go wrong?! Cyrus thought with heavy sarcasm.
He eyed the building they were approaching. Almost factory-sized, the white dome-shaped structure was one that likely could be easily put up and torn down. Around it were about a dozen vehicles of all kinds, and closer to the building still, from the front, he saw at least ten guards.
Ten very armed guards, but then, so was everyone in the SUV, including him. As likely were those in the five SUVs following behind theirs. All the weapons were illegal, of course, as there was no way anyone there would ever pass a background check—aside from himself.
There were a total of eight people in the vehicle, with Soren in the front passenger seat, him and Ender in the front bucket seats, with two additional rows behind them.
Cyrus rubbed at his eyes, the coolness of the Shadow Shell bothering them.
But then, they’d been driving for at least three hours.
As disguises went, he certainly was both impressed and…
irritated. He for sure didn’t look like himself, aside from the height, but he had to say, he would have preferred to not look like a preppy, blond-haired, blue eyed, bare faced, white college frat boy, who was at most in his early twenties.
Mainly, as he had dealt with individuals who looked exactly like this, and had faced one too many angry, entitled mothers, who didn’t seem to understand the Bureau was a workplace and a government agency, not a daycare.
Everyone else hadn’t even attempted to disguise themselves, but then, they were in the middle of nowhere, in an area he knew for sure had something set up to project false satellite images. Cyrus was also the only one who had anything to worry about if recognized.
“Make sure to put drops in next time. The shells can dry out your eyes,” Ender mused, before wrinkling his nose as he continued to eye him, and blurting, “Who the fuck picked your shell?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“Arco likely grabbed one at random,” Soren drawled.
“Well then, I guess it’s time to inform Arco’s ass that they better meet up with Boo and get that shit marked and sorted, because unless there is a damn good reason, they sure as shit shouldn’t be turning my tallest Baby Daddy into a fucking white boy!”
“I’ll let them know,” the Harpy grunted.
There were multiple parts of what Ender had just said that had made him happy. Then again, Ender claiming him in any way always seemed to excite him just a bit. But also… “Boo?”
“Casper ‘Boo’ Bluemont, the Shadow Dweller that invented and created the Perm Shadow Shells,” Ender informed him.
“Ah…”
The conversation lulled when they reached the building and parked. No one said a word as they got out and were approached by a single armed guard. Two of the other vehicles emptied and joined their group, putting their total at twenty-four, while the other three stayed inside.
Without a word, the man nodded for them to follow.
Cyrus’ gaze flicked around to the faces of those on the other side, as he walked only a step behind Ender, while they were led silently into the building. Once inside, they walked through detectors that checked them for devices and more.
On the side they entered, it was pretty empty, aside from the pillars, and some random wooden crates that were lying about. But at the midway point, there was a single desk set up, with two plush chairs on either side of it.
A slimy, black-haired Cryptid with pale skin, that he instantly recognized as Jurosso Condi, was currently occupying one of those chairs. And stationed around behind him, a small distance away, were at least thirty armed guards.
Half of the people with them spread out, with some placing themselves near the door, while the rest, like himself, stayed with Ender as they walked over to the table.
Cyrus let the veil drop, and lines formed around the room even before they reached the man.
He wasn’t surprised to find the very center green thread lined with black.
With individuals who were always on the edge of decisions that could get them killed, it was usually what you would find.
It didn’t mean the Cryptid would die soon, but it was always an option.
“My, my, my, you certainly have changed since the last time I set eyes on you, Ender,” Jurosso drawled slowly as Cyrus pulled the chair out for Ender, and the Gorgon carefully sat down.
He held back the urge to growl at the interest he saw sparking in the man’s eyes, as the Cerberus practically caressed Ender’s pregnant belly with his gaze. Standing behind him to his right, while being careful not to tense, Cyrus rested his left hand covertly on the Gorgon’s back.
“Time can do that. But let’s not drag this out, Jurosso, you know why I’m here,” Ender stated, his voice neutral.
“Oh, I know perfectly well why you are here. But there's no harm catching up, is there?” The man’s gaze flicked down briefly, before it slipped to Cyrus. “And who might this be?”
“New bodyguard,” Ender grunted.
“Awfully close for someone new.”
Yeah, they definitely should have come up with a way for him to notify Ender that would raise less red flags than this.
The Gorgon scoffed, “The newer they are, the jumpier and more unsure of my abilities. Abilities you are well aware of. Now, enough of your nonsense, I’m a busy man, with very little free time.”
If the situation wasn’t so fucking dangerous, considering how many times Ender would end up sitting around playing with his chickens during the day, Cyrus likely would have laughed at that.
Completely ignoring what was said, Jurosso, with a small smirk, asked, “How far along are you?”