11. NINE

nine

Kira tugged at the skirt of the floor length coat she wore, trying to decide if her outfit was a form of punishment.

Designed to showcase Roake’s colors, the coat was a midnight blue with an even darker blue embroidery overlaid on top. The neckline was more revealing than Kira was used to, plunging into a deep vee that ended just above the intricate silver belt she wore around her waist. The vee’s opening was held closed by silver clasps of the same design as the belt.

The coat had a slit in front that came all the way up to the buckle, and when she moved others would catch a glimpse of the skin-tight pants she wore as well as the luxurious pair of calf-high boots.

Overall, the effect was stunning. Particularly when coupled with her burgundy-colored hair left to float loose and untamed around her shoulders.

If only Kira didn’t feel like a pretty doll dressed up for a visit to the guillotine.

Her outfit was a hint as to what was coming. These weren’t the kind of clothes you wore for a walk from one place to another.

No, this outfit was meant to be seen. Armor similar to what she’d worn into battle.

A presence registered as Kira became aware she wasn’t alone in the room. Her hand dropped from where it had been resting against the ribs that had been broken.

Eyes the color of a storm tracked the movement, his face expressionless.

“Nothing to say?” Kira asked.

Too late she caught the faint signs of strain. The micro expressions that as good as announced the state he was in.

It wasn’t until Graydon exploded forward that Kira became aware.

By then, he was already on her. One hand spearing into the hair at the back of her head as he picked her up with the other.

His hand cupped her ass as her legs closed around his waist. She was suddenly glad for that split coat.

He walked her backward, stopping once she touched the cool surface of the mirror. The entire time Graydon devoured her.

Kira didn’t resist, even tilting her head to allow him better access.

A hungry growl rumbled in his chest as Graydon pressed against her, fitting his hard length against her core.

Kira barely registered the lack of synth armor between them, too lost in passion to know anything but him.

Graydon’s lips left hers as her head leaned against the mirror.

Kira panted as he kissed his way down her neck, lingering on a spot that he knew drove her crazy.

A soft moan left her as he nibbled there.

It was only when his hand landed on her naked breast that Kira realized that somehow the fastenings of the vee had come free, and the belt had long been discarded.

The coat hung loose around her, leaving her upper half bare except for her arms.

There was something erotic about being half clothed as Graydon’s gaze burned into her, holding a possessive desire Kira found tantalizing.

Graydon stared at her like she was a feast and he had spent his existence in starvation.

Kira was no less captivated. Her gaze ran over the strong lines of his upper chest and arms. The tapered line of his waist.

Even through the thin clothes he wore, she could feel the rigid definitions of his muscles. The power that said he could crush her easily.

It was an irresistible lure that Kira didn’t even try to thwart.

She leaned forward at the same time Graydon reached for her.

They froze as someone close by cleared their throat.

“Don’t mind me. I’m not looking. Just thought you two would like to know that you’re about to have company,” Jin said in a cheerful voice.

Graydon’s body stilled against Kira’s, his previous passion vanishing as he rested his forehead against hers. “Now I know why my ancestors banned his kind.”

Kira’s smile was a surprise as she lifted her head to give him one last soft kiss. “They were missing out.”

Graydon’s chest rumbled with a chuckle as he let her legs drop. He turned her toward the mirror in a quick motion.

Kira’s disheveled reflection greeted her. Hair tousled. A strip of bare skin on display.

There was something sensual in the way Graydon’s gaze held hers, his body dwarfing her own as he reached around her to fasten the clasps that would hold her jacket together.

Kira made no move to take over, knowing Graydon needed this.

His hands slowed as he reached the top clasp.

“Graydon?” Kira asked in question when he didn’t move for a long second.

Graydon closed his arms around her shoulders, pressing her back to his front in a hug. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder.

Kira clasped his wrist, not resisting as he simply held her. They didn’t speak, allowing the moments to flit past. Each of their presences acted as a balm against the close call they’d had.

They could have lost each other.

It was horrifying to think it could be that easy.

If Joule had been a little slower with the ki shield or Kira had landed wrong when Jarek’s attack threw her into the ship, that would have been the end.

No more them. No more Kira.

“I couldn’t do anything,” Graydon whispered against her shoulder as his grip tightened.

Kira made no attempt to shrug off his hold, needing the comfort as much as he did.

Sometimes the depth of emotion she felt for him frightened her. The knowledge that she was purposely leaving herself vulnerable where he was concerned.

Kira dropped a kiss onto his muscular forearm. “How bad is this?”

Graydon nuzzled her shoulder one more time before his arms loosened and he took a step back. “I’m not going to lie. The situation is delicate.”

Kira bent and swiped her belt off the ground, clasping it around her waist as she turned toward him.

“Furthermore, my authority is limited.” There was a self-deprecating look on Graydon’s face as if the admission stung.

It made her wonder what part of this situation she wasn’t understanding.

Kira’s eyes narrowed. “There’s something you’re hiding from me.”

Graydon touched his chest in mock hurt before flashing a smile that made her stomach tremble. “Cheva nier, you know me so well.”

Kira’s glance was wry. “That’s what happens when you make a practice of studying someone and their habits.”

A hint of playfulness entered Graydon’s expression. “I didn’t realize you were so fascinated with me.”

“I wouldn’t let it go to your head,” Kira advised. “I study everyone who might become an issue.”

“I find the fact you consider me dangerous enough to be wary of highly flattering.”

Kira scowled. “Who said anything about me being wary?”

A teasing look settled on Graydon’s face. “You would only take precautions if you thought I was a threat. I’m gratified to know I’ve made such a good impression.”

Kira stared at Graydon like she thought he’d lost his mind. “Most people would feel sad to know their lover considered them dangerous.”

Graydon leaned forward. “Those people are not Tuann.”

Kira placed one finger on his chest and pushed him away. “I think another sparring session is in order.”

Maybe it would remind him of how painful such a mindset could be.

Graydon’s eyes went half-lidded with desire. “I would enjoy that.”

Of course, he would. Graydon saw those bouts as a form of foreplay. How could she forget that?

If she was being truthful, she found them no less enjoyable.

It was so rare to find someone who matched her in every way. She didn’t have to hold back with Graydon. He could take her worst and return the favor.

There was something appealing in knowing she could give him every part of herself. The good. The bad. And the vicious.

Kira took a tiny step back in retreat. If they weren’t careful, they’d end up right back where they just were. Kira half naked and Graydon looking at her like she was his salvation.

It was hard enough resisting temptation the first time around.

A knock sounded at the door, snapping the brewing tension.

“Thank God. A distraction,” Kira said with a bit of relief.

A husky chuckle followed Kira to the door.

She opened it to find several people on the other side. She dismissed the presence of the lackeys, focusing on the person in the middle. The one in charge.

Wearing robes like that of Jarek’s, the woman was tall and had a poise that Kira envied.

Unlike Jarek, who could be considered an ice prince, this woman had a certain amount of warmth in her manner. Approachable in a way Jarek wasn’t.

The lines around her eyes and mouth suggested she was someone who spent more time smiling than frowning. Her hair was a mass of frizzy corkscrew curls that were even more untamed than Kira’s.

Tension entered her posture as the woman caught sight of Graydon at Kira’s shoulder.

“My lord, how unexpected. I wasn’t aware you and the lady were such close acquaintances.”

Although the woman managed to maintain her smile, there was a note of strain that hadn’t been there previously. She wasn’t easy about Graydon’s presence and didn’t hide that fact as well as she likely should have.

Graydon didn’t help matters, a faint hint of challenge in his stare. “Is that a problem?”

The woman brightened; a fake smile plastered over her face. “No problem at all. I will let my superiors know you will be attending the trial.”

“Trial?”

Whose trial? Hers?

Kira shot Graydon an irritated frown. Did he not think this was something he should have led with?

“I apologize for my distraction.” The woman dipped her chin in a respectful nod, pretending not to see their exchange. “My name is Cora, inquisitor of the second order and a direct subordinate to Eurus, the emperor’s Face of Justice. Your presence is requested in the Hall of Determination. If you’d allow me, I’ll be your escort.”

How would Cora react if Kira refused? If she said no, she didn’t require an escort?

The temptation to do exactly that was damn near irresistible. The entertainment value alone might even make it worth the trouble such an action would bring down on her head.

“Kiirrraaaa,” Jin sang in their comms, dragging her name out. “I know what you’re thinking, but don’t you dare. You heard the mountain. The situation is ‘delicate.’ Don’t go making it worse.”

Kira hated to admit it as she looked at the two figures flanking Cora, but Jin may have a point. Cora’s companions were oshota. Probably dispatched to accompany her in the event Kira took it into her head to cause chaos.

Too bad. Rebelling against the status quo might have been exactly what she needed. A way to stretch her muscles after a week spent bed bound.

Graydon’s touch landed on the small of Kira’s back, distracting her. “It will be fine. I am here.”

Kira gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him. Maybe if he’d made that claim before he mentioned he might not be able to help it would be different.

Graydon bent his head toward hers. “Trust me.”

Kira concealed her shiver as his breath whispered across the sensitive skin of her ear.

When he put it like that, how could she not?

For him, she’d try. A little.

“Sure. Why not? Escort away.”

Kira took a step forward only to be halted as Cora held up a hand with a regretful expression.

“Pardon me, Roake’s heir, but the summons is not just for you.”

Kira regarded her blankly.

“Your ‘friend’ is also invited.”

“What friend?” Kira asked, making a show of glancing at the empty room behind her and then up at Graydon as if to share her confusion.

His eyebrow twitched up as if to say he was as lost as her.

Mentally, Kira gave his acting ability a thumbs up.

There was a patronizing look in Cora’s eyes that said she wasn’t falling for it. “I speak of the one who has been hiding out of sight since our arrival.”

Would you look at that?

Cora could sense Jin’s presence. Mentally, Kira elevated her status from possible threat to a definite one.

“Ah. That friend.”

Kira had hoped to keep Jin out of this. Guess she was destined to fail from the beginning.

“Jin.”

Kira didn’t take her eyes off the three in front of her as Jin revealed himself, his engines whirring as he joined Kira and Graydon in the doorway. Kira caught the faint tightening in the faces of the oshota before they schooled their expressions back to neutrality.

“Finally, someone on this planet recognizes my greatness,” Jin grumbled. “It’s a refreshing change after Luatha and Roake.”

“I’m not sure that’s what they’re going for,” Kira responded.

Cora showed no outward reaction to Jin’s presence as she met Kira’s gaze with a faint smile. “Shall we?”

Kira grunted. Like she had a choice in the matter.

They moved through the empty hallways of the palace, their passage the only thing to disturb the quiet solitude. It was an imposing place. The hallways immense and the ceilings high. Masterpieces decorated the walls between the tall windows that allowed shafts of sunlight to play along the floor.

It was a monument to the emperor’s power, the beauty concealing hidden dangers. Fitting considering its owner’s personality.

“What can you tell me about what I’m about to face?” Kira asked, not bothering to lower her voice.

There was no point. Tuann hearing was better than a human’s. The oshota and Cora would be able to hear her no matter how low she whispered.

“Eurus, another of the emperor’s Faces, has been called to preside over this matter,” Graydon said.

“Will he be a problem?” Kira asked, recognizing the name from Cora’s introduction.

“Not necessarily. Eurus has an inflexible personality, but he is firmly on the side of justice.”

Kira wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing for them as her gaze drifted to where Jin floated beside her, humming softly to himself. She couldn’t argue that Jin’s existence violated the Tuann’s taboo. At the same time, he was nothing like their stories depicted.

Either side could hold more weight with the emperor’s Justice.

“Alexander?” Jin said in surprise.

Kira looked up to find the path blocked by a tall man wearing a pair of wire-frame glasses that seemed out of place with the outfit he was wearing. Like Kira, his attire was more on the formal side. His hair styled back from his face, showcasing the sharp planes of his features.

Apprehension spread across Cora’s face as her back straightened. “I’m afraid you cannot be here.”

“It’s amazing how often I keep hearing that,” Alexander said before focusing on Kira and Jin. “I’m your representation when we enter that room.”

Kira frowned as she looked up at Graydon. “Is this also your doing?”

“Impressed?”

Kira grimaced. “That’s not the word I would use.”

Confused? Suspicious? Distrustful? All concepts that worked so much better to convey what she was feeling right now.

Alexander had never bothered to hide his disapproval of Kira and her choices. It was out of character for him to stand up now to defend her.

Graydon shrugged his massive shoulders. “He looked bored, so I thought I’d give him something to do.”

“How did you manage to convince him?” Kira asked.

Kira was no Selene. There was no love lost between them. She was pretty sure if she were ever drowning, he wouldn’t toss her a life preserver. Instead, he’d watch from the shoreline to make sure she didn’t drag any of the forty-three down with her.

That was the kind of man he was.

“We don’t need him,” Jin argued. “I’m enough.”

Alexander smirked, seeming genuinely amused. “Oh? If that were true, you would never have fallen into Roake’s trap. Tell me again how I’m unnecessary.”

A growl came from Jin as the artwork around them shook.

“He has a point,” Kira interjected before Jin could fling any loose items in the vicinity at Alexander’s head.

“Kira,” Jin whined.

“He’s more familiar with Tuann law than either of us.”

He’d demonstrated as much with how he’d handled Selene’s situation. If Selene hadn’t disrupted his efforts, he would have emerged victorious.

Kira hated to admit it, but in a situation like this Alexander was a handy person to have at her side.

“This is not—“ Cora started.

Alexander ignored the woman as he gave Graydon his attention. “I received the information you sent me. It should be enough for our purposes.”

Kira looked between the two.

“I exercised my authority as the emperor’s Face to procure the station feed and forwarded it to Alexander,” Graydon said, anticipating her question.

Kira patted him on the shoulder, absentmindedly. “Good job.”

The rest of her attention was on Finn who stood off to the side of the door Kira suspected was their end destination. His attention was on the ground, the gloomy aura that hung around him hard to miss.

“Where are you going?” Alexander asked as Kira moved toward Finn.

“There’s something I need to do.”

Cora followed Kira. “I am afraid I must insist you leave your oshota out here.”

“You can insist all you want. Doesn’t mean I’ll listen. Last time I trusted one of your lot to act honorably I paid the price. That won’t happen again.”

Kira left Cora behind, reaching Finn seconds later and stopping in front of him. He avoided looking at her, staring past her with a set expression.

A perfect, emotionless robot.

Well, damn.

Quillon hadn’t been exaggerating. She wasn’t the only one who’d walked away from the crash and subsequent confrontation with injuries. Though Finn’s were the sort that were invisible to the eye.

It made them no less dangerous, however.

Kira moved to his side, putting her back to the wall and leaning against it as she watched Alexander and the others file inside the room.

Graydon paused, shooting her a look that asked if she needed help.

She shook her head at him.

She did this. It was up to her to fix it.

“I wasn’t at your father’s side when he died. He’d ordered me and the others to help defend the fortress,” Finn said into the resulting silence. “Then he felt the attack on your mother and raced to her side, not giving us a chance to follow.”

Kira paused, not entirely surprised at the statement. She’d suspected as much from the few hints that had been dropped.

“He was like you. Brave. Foolhardy. He didn’t think he could be defeated,” Finn confessed. “When he died—the way he died—I was angry for a long time. At myself. At him. After I recovered, I promised myself that I would never let someone I protect die ever again. I think that’s the reason I chose Brianne for my next sword. A part of me knew she wasn’t the person she presented herself as, but I didn’t care because she wasn’t going to throw herself headfirst into danger. That ended in a disaster of an entirely different nature.”

“And then Graydon assigned you to me.”

Of all the shitty luck. Kira didn’t know whether to sympathize or laugh.

“And then he assigned me to you,” Finn agreed. “Someone who wasn’t like my second sword at all. Someone who I would be proud to serve. Someone even more foolhardy and death-seeking than my first sword.”

Kira supposed she deserved that.

“Did you agree to be my oshota as atonement?”

“That was part of it,” Finn admitted.

Kira let out a sigh as she looked up at the details on the ceiling. Architecture had never been part of her knowledge base, so she didn’t have the words to describe the features to someone else. All she knew was that the design was complicated—and beautiful.

“I was very young the first time I saw someone die,” Kira confessed. “I was the one who killed them.”

If they were going to play bare their souls, it was only fair Finn received a piece of information of equal value to what he revealed.

“It’s not my first memory—or the second.” Kira thought about it. “Maybe the third. But I remember everything about that moment. They were one of us. One of the Tuann’s lost children.”

Kira kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling as Finn’s shock colored the air between them.

“Is that why there is tension between you and the other two?” Finn asked in a hushed voice.

Kira gave a humorless laugh. “No. They have their own fair share of blood on their hands. All any of us cared about was surviving back then—though why we were fighting to stay alive, I have no idea.”

Those days had been dark. Hope a word that held no meaning.

It would have been easier to give in. Some did.

Kira pushed off the wall and faced Finn. “To be honest, I’m tired of being the one to survive. I have no intention of outliving you.”

Or Graydon or anyone else for that matter, Kira finished silently.

Kira poked Finn’s face, hoping to alleviate the devastation she saw there. “Don’t look like that. I’m not going to rush into death just yet. I intend to live a healthy, happy life now that Quillon says I’m on the mend.”

She just thought he should know.

Kira headed for the door. “Coming?”

Finn didn’t move. “Jin says you treat me like one of your Curs.”

Did she? Perhaps she did.

She sent a sidelong glance at Finn, studying him for a long moment. “I do see a little of them in you.”

It was a quiet resemblance.

Mostly about their perseverance. Their ability to take the hits and keep on going. To not bow even when circumstances seemed insurmountable.

The Curs had that; Finn did too.

“Should I be honored?” Finn asked.

“I think so. My Curs were among the best people I’ve ever known.”

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have hurt so much when she lost them.

Jin lowered from the ceiling where he’d been hovering as Kira approached the door.

“Don’t think we’re not going to have a talk later,” Kira told Jin.

“I just told him a truth he needed to hear.” An arch tone entered his voice. “Or do you disagree that you treat him like you once did the others?”

Kira didn’t speak as she entered the room, finding herself the center of attention almost immediately. She hovered at the top of a set of steps that descended to the main floor below. Tiered seating stretched in a semi-circle to either side of her.

Kira hesitated for a moment before she descended the stairs, those below turning to watch her approach.

At their center was a man Kira had never met that she suspected was the much talked about Eurus. The emperor’s Face of Justice.

He looked like something out of a painting. One that featured a vampire. A count maybe.

The red of his hair offset the paleness of his face. The long locks were tied back, exposing the pointed tips of his ears and making his red eyes more prominent.

Though he didn’t wear the synth armor of an oshota, something whispered that he was no less dangerous in his own way. The collar of his black jacket was held closed by a large bronze broach at his throat, the design of which was similar to the one Jarek had worn the first time Kira had met him.

Before him stood several people, Harlow and Jarek among them. Both turned to watch Kira’s approach.

Her footsteps paused as she caught sight of Jarek’s face. It was mottled with bruises. Blues and blacks giving way to purples, yellows, and green.

He looked like he’d taken a beating. A single-sided one.

“Did I do that?” Kira asked.

It was possible.

She didn’t remember doing it, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’d lost memories while in primus form. It was one of the reasons the form was so dangerous. Kira’s control had gotten better since the first time she’d assumed the form but there were exceptions.

If she was unconscious or injured so badly her mind retreated, it would leave the primus fully in control. Like a battleship on auto pilot.

“Not you.” Finn nodded at her uncle.

“Harlow?”

She couldn’t believe it. Her uncle wouldn’t attack a representative of the empire. No matter how much the man deserved it.

“You didn’t see what you looked like.” There was a haunted look in Finn’s eyes as memories surfaced. “He was most unhappy about your injuries.”

Apparently, he’d taken that unhappiness out on Jarek.

Though why those injuries were still in the process of healing rather than already gone was another question Kira had. There was no doubt in her mind that the emperor had healers at his call who could make those bruises disappear in an instant.

Just look at Kira.

She’d been damaged beyond belief with multiple broken bones and lacerated organs. Yet here she stood a week later, almost fully healed.

Her gaze drifted to the dais waiting on the side of the room. Torvald sat on a throne; his chin propped on his hand. Graydon beside him.

Then again, maybe she didn’t need to wonder why Jarek had been forced to let his injuries heal naturally.

It was a punishment. A subtle one.

Reaching the floor, Kira swept her gaze over the rest of those assembled. Makon and another person from Roake she didn’t recognize stood behind Harlow.

The stranger regarded Kira with interest. “Is this the heir everyone is talking about?”

There was a playful look on the man’s face, reminding Kira of Graydon. That same cockiness and charm.

“Yes, Caius,” Makon answered as he sent a respectful nod Kira’s way.

The stranger didn’t say anything else as Alexander fell into step beside her, crossing the last few feet at her side.

Kira examined Eurus, finding him a hard one to read. Like the rest of the emperor’s Faces, he seemed to have perfected the art of maintaining a blank expression.

Despite that, Kira thought she caught a spark of interest in his red eyes as he looked at Alexander.

“I’m almost glad Jarek attacked you,” Jin said through their comms. “I didn’t get to see Alexander in action last time. This should be good.”

Kira nodded in agreement.

Alexander was a force to be reckoned with, even managing to get the best of Yukina. Jarek should be child’s play.

Kira studied the inquisitor, finding the former arrogance missing. His manner subdued. She wouldn’t go so far as to say he seemed regretful, but there was definitely something different.

“It is surprising to find a member of your line here,” Eurus said, addressing Alexander. “They tend to prefer more physical pursuits.”

“Then I can only count myself lucky to have grown up not suffocated by tradition. Such a situation would have been untenable,” Alexander returned.

Eurus made a small sound in the back of his throat, his expression showing more interest than before.

Kira didn’t move as his red-eyed gaze shifted to her, holding still as he examined her with that same detached curiosity.

“So, you are the ones to have led my inquisitor into such turmoil.” Eurus’s head tilted as he studied her and Jin. “My inquisitor is rarely impetuous, but I can see now his reasons for acting the way he did.”

Kira tensed, Harlow’s hand landing on her shoulder a second later.

“Do not react,” Harlow warned in a low voice.

“I know,” Kira responded.

And she did know.

Violence or a smart-ass reply would only hurt their position.

She was grateful for her restraint when she looked up to find Eurus’s speculative gaze on her.

“Attacking an inquisitor in the course of his duties is a violation of our laws,” Jarek interjected. “Roake’s heir set off Ta Sa’Riel’s defense network when she attempted to smuggle a plant that could have had a catastrophic effect on our ecosystem. Her companion shares many characteristics of a soul bound, yet when an oshota attempted to grant it the mercy of a release she intervened.”

That was a poetic way of describing murder.

“I recommend her name be withdrawn from the list of those nominated to participate in the coming adva ka,“ Jarek finished.

What was this? Did she hear that right?

The only person who could have added her name from Roake was Harlow, and he’d made no secret of how much he disapproved of her fast tracking her path to complete autonomy. He thought she should wait until she was fully healed and had a better handle on her ki.

Kira had disagreed.

“Her actions have demonstrated a lack of control and maturity that are concerning,” Jarek continued, unaware of the stir his words had caused.

Kira looked up at Harlow in question.

If she’d hoped for answers, she wasn’t going to find them in his expressionless features.

“Furthermore, I recommend the machine be taken into custody and destroyed,” Jarek finished.

It took effort but Kira managed to avoid reacting to the provocation, clenching her teeth as she remained quiet and still.

“Let’s take this in order, shall we?” Alexander reached into his jacket, withdrawing a tablet. He hit several buttons before an image of the space station appeared. “First, this is footage that proves the bog’s hag was placed on Kira’s ship without her knowledge.”

Alexander stopped the video, highlighting an image of the Wanderer’s hull that had no sign of the plant as the ship’s engines came online.

Several seconds later a crowd moved across the screen. One of their members knelt by Kira’s ship to touch a glass cylinder to its side.

Once finished, the man looked around before rising and swaggering away.

Seconds later a ship nearly clipped the Wanderer as it cut in front of her ship on its way out.

“As you can see, Kira is not responsible for placing the bog’s hag on her ship’s hull. She’s innocent. The responsibility for that lies with this man.” Alexander zoomed in when the crowd thinned, showing where the seed had attached to the ship’s hull, tiny vines already spreading along the gray metal.

“I cross checked it with the time stamp of our proximity alerts,” Jin said through their comms. “The timing fits.”

How convenient that a ship nearly collided with Kira’s at the exact moment when the bog’s hag was being placed.

Somehow, she didn’t think that was a coincidence.

It was a well thought sleight of hand. Distract her with a near collision so she’d attribute any alert to the more obvious explanation.

Kira had fallen for it too.

Eurus looked over at Graydon. “Have your people identified the culprit?”

“They have. He belongs to House Ithor. A minor House on the outskirts of the Talut sector. From what his House members claim, he was a fringe member that few knew well,” Graydon said. “I sent people to pick him up as soon as we had a name.”

Eurus’s gaze shifted to the empty seats beyond Graydon. “And? Where is he?”

“Dead,” Graydon answered. “Someone ripped out his heart.”