Chapter Fifty-One
As iAm rushed down the hallway with his Dunkin’ donuts, some weird sense of being pursued dogged him, even though there was no one and nothing behind him. When he got to his private residence, he entered the code and shoved with his hip.
“Hey, I know you said you didn’t want any—”
He skidded to a halt. His shellan wasn’t where he’d left her, staring off into space on the black sofa, like her head was somewhere in the stars. Literally.
“Okay,” he muttered. “Next stop.”
He was just turning away when he saw the fan of paperwork on the kitchen table. The documents were legal sized, and had most certainly not been there when he’d left. Walking over, he frowned and looked at the title page.
It was a contract for the purchase and sale of real estate. Dated today.
And the name on the seller line was Ton Shisbe.
“What the… hell?” With a feeling of utter disassociation, iAm flipped to the back and looked at the last page. “Fuck.”
Spinning around, he raced out, tearing for the stairs up to the Constellation Room so fast, the damp-soled boots on his feet skidded around the corners.
On the way, he passed by all kinds of courtiers, playing pinball with the purple robes, and he was so alarmed, he couldn’t even bother to try to look calm.
Yet for some reason, as he arrived at the door into the dome, he pulled up short and held his breath. He was utterly silent as he slipped into the yawning glass space.
“—what you did,” Catra said from down at the chart room. “You fabricated the reading. You lied, t’On. You lied about everything.”
iAm crept forward, trying to keep his inhales as quiet as he could.
“You honestly think any of this matters,” the Tretary spat. “These fucking charts. This land. This way of life.”
“Yes, I do—who the hell are you?”
The laughter that answered his shellan was right on the edge of crazy. But when t’On answered, he was back in control.
“You do not have to worry about that—”
Catra’s scream shot iAm forward, and he bolted directly across the white circle on the floor. As he jumped through the open jambs of the chart room, the horrific sight of his shellan clutching her stomach tore through him as if he were the one who’d been stabbed.
“Catra!” he yelled.
The Tretary turned, the knife in his right hand bloody, the old-fashioned gun in his left cocked and ready to go.
“Two birds, one stone,” the male said.
And then he shot iAm directly in the chest.
As iAm reeled backwards, the coffee tray he hadn’t realized he still had with him went flying, the lids popping off, the hot liquids going everywhere. He banged into one of the walls of chart boxes, and then slid down to rest beside his beloved, who was sprawled across the black glossy floor.
His heart rate went out of control, and he suddenly couldn’t breathe.
All he could do was reach out and take his shellan’s cold, clammy hand. As her straining eyes sought his own, he realized with horror that the prophecy was coming true. They were both dead… even though Denne was not mating a madman.
The destruction of everything happening just as it was foretold.
The Tretary came over. “Can you believe the Queen just accused me of lying? Well, yes, I ‘fixed’ a few things, but in the end, it’s true. You two do die.”
t’On lowered himself onto his haunches and looked back and forth between them. “I’ll let you in on some other secrets.”
He leaned in and dropped his voice. “Your daughter doesn’t make it out of this alive, either. Oops. Did I just spoil the real ending for you?”
“Gonna… kill you…” Catra snarled.
“No, you’re not. That’s not your destiny, I’m afraid.
And Dennesha was never going to mate me.
That was just a lie to create chaos and buy myself time, so I could arrange for my own destiny.
Oh, and did I not mention that my predecessor was my first kill?
You always remember your first above all others, although Your Majesties are going to stick out in my mind. ”
t’On’s black eyes rose to the shelves. “The stars were right all along. No one is surviving, at least not here. This way of life is done. The modern world has taken over, and if you don’t participate in it, embrace what it requires, find a new way…
well, then it’s just a matter of time before you get claimed by it.
What’s the saying? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
And I’d much rather be looking forward into the future than drowning in the past. In this, you all and I are actually aligned, my stellar acting job to the contrary. ”
The male got back to his feet. “And yes, I did sell this land. But it was never going to get me enough, not for the style in which I intend on living. Fortunately, I have been cultivating another source of funds, and everything is coming to a head at just the right time.”
t’On walked over to the exit and laughed.
“Almost like it’s been written in the stars.”
His expression settled into a nasty hatred. “I’ll let the others live and find their way as they do when the humans come and take over. Not your daughter, though. She’s dangerous, that one. I think she’s the type who will hold a grudge about all this.”
He glanced over his shoulder, across the arching, glass expanse.
“And really, who needs to worry about that,” the male said as he turned away and closed the door.
iAm groaned and tried to take out his phone. He didn’t make it.
“Catra,” he whispered hoarsely. “Hang on, stay with me.”
When there was no response, he tried to squeeze her palm, but he had no strength in his own hand.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he heard heavy footfalls pounding inside of the dome. Undoubtedly, t’On had thought better of leaving anyone breathing.
He was coming back to finish the job.