Chapter 27

Luke

The room got quiet. Everyone knew that this is what they had been working toward. Ending Alexandrian rule was the reason that they had come to Illyria in the first place.

"How exactly do you think that we can accomplish this?" I asked. Since we arrived I'd discovered that Erix had an almost-mythical reputation as War Leader and I was curious what he had in mind.

"Well, I have a few ideas," Erix responded with a small smirk, "But I am open to any thoughts that you may have."

"We want to help, but we need to know what we're getting into. I'm not going to waste the lives of the men and women who have fought so hard and come so far to escape Alexandria's rule. I—" Elex's rant was interrupted by a piercing noise that rang through the room accompanied by a strange vibration.

"That's an Omada alert," Erix announced. "Who the hell is getting an Omada alert?"

Everyone except Erix began fumbling with their cell phones. Helios and Elex both shook their head at my questioning stare.

"It's—it's me, sir," Rhuyin said, holding his phone up.

Erix's lips tightened in disapproval. "What the fuck are you doing getting an Omada alert? Aren't you two Bonded?"

"It's…complicated," I said.

Rhu was staring at the text message he'd received. The shock that reverberated through the bond between us had me reaching out and placing my hand on his arm as he sat frozen, his gaze fixed reading the display on his phone, his face ashen.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's— goddess, how could I have been so stupid?" Rhu exclaimed as he brought his fist down on the table, his knuckles going white around the phone he held in his other hand. "It's—Omada just assigned me a mission."

"A mission?" I asked, looking back and forth between Rhu and Erix. "But you're Bonded now! How can they send you on a mission?"

"I submitted the status change this morning. It must not have been processed yet…" he said, his voice trailing off. He looked at me and swallowed hard. "Everything just happened so fast between us, I completely lost track of the fact that I'd never told Commander O'Fallon that I needed to resign from Omada until last night. I sent the communique but…" he gestured at his phone helplessly.

"Do you know what the mission is?"

"No, not yet it. It just says that I need to report to the Omada headquarters immediately."

"They can't force you to go! Not now, right?" Elex demanded looking from Rhuyin to Erix.

"I've never liked the concept of Omada, but even as War Leader, there are limits to my authority," Erix said, his face grim.

Rhuyin shook his head and ran his fingers through his inky black hair.

"Once a mission has been assigned, that's it. No backing out. They told me that the day I signed up. I just… I‘ve been so happy…" he glanced at me, the devastation apparent in his gaze.

I reached out and took Rhuyin's hand in his own, gripping it tight.

"Me, too," I said, eliciting a small smile from my Bonded. "And no way in hell am I giving you up. So what happens now?"

"I don't know for sure, since I've never done this before. Normally, I get my orders sent to me through my Commander. I haven't received any from Omada before. It just says I need to report to the headquarters."

We, I signed. Rhu looked at me dubiously, as if he was unsure if I was using the correct sign.

"We." Elex echoed out loud, pointing from his right shoulder to his left, copying my sign. Rhu just looked at us in shock as Helios copied the movements.

We know what we're saying. We're going with you. There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself, I signed.

I can't let you do that! You aren't even Illyrian military. You haven't had any training, Rhu responded, his hands shaking.

"I disagree," I replied, switching to speaking aloud, having reached the limit of my sign language knowledge. "We've spent most of the last ten years training to use our magic in battle. I can't think of a better way to use it than to fight Alexandria."

"I can't risk you. How could I ask that of you?" Rhu demanded, one hand reaching out to cup my face. His thumb traced my skin tenderly.

"You're not asking, I'm offering. Insisting, actually," I said, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. No way was I letting my sexy fox out of my sight.

Bossy, Rhu signed.

"You know it," I responded with a grin.

"And he's not even the worst of them…" Helios added, grinning at his Bonded. I blushed because I wasn't used to most people understanding me when I signed. Elex punched Hel's shoulder, but Hel just grinned at him before leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Whatever it is, we'll do it together," I said. Elex and Helios nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to help, also," Allard added.

"This is touching and all, but I have plans for you," Erix said, pointing at Allard.

"Me?" The older man seemed genuinely shocked. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of plans?"

A wicked grin spread across Erix face.

"Oh, you'll see," he said.

***

The Omada headquarters was not what I had expected. It was bright. Almost too bright. There were a variety of plants and flowers everywhere and it was more than a little overwhelming. Rhu and Hel both seemed particularly bothered by them as both began sneezing as soon as we arrived.

"You guys okay?" I asked after about the third time Rhu sneezed.

"Yeah," he said as he snagged a tissue from a box on the table in the waiting area then pushed the box over to Elex who handed it to Hel. Elex had covered his hair with a cap with a long bill that he kept low to cover his face.

"Something about these flowers just messes with my sense of smell."

We were only there a few minutes before a man came out of one of the hallways leading into the complex. He spotted Rhu and walked over to him, touching him on the shoulder.

As soon as he saw him, Rhu was on his feet and saluting.

"Dekaneas Katastrofis," he said.

"Commander O'Fallon," Rhu acknowledged.

"Come with me."

When we all stood a frown appeared on O'Fallon's face.

"Who are you?" O'Fallon demanded.

"We're—" I began.

"We're his family," Elex surprised me by growling.

O'Fallon's eyebrow shot up as he took in our motley crew.

"It's—a long story, sir," Rhu said.

"I look forward to hearing it," O'Fallon responded crisply.

He led us down a hallway to a conference room. My respect for the man increased when I noticed he made sure he was seated directly opposite of Rhu. It made me believe he was already aware of Rhu's hearing issues.

After we were all seated he began flipping through pages on an e-reader.

"I thought we had discussed this, Katastrofis. You told me you didn't have any family."

"I didn't, sir," Rhu responded, a flush spreading across his face. "This is all new."

O'Fallon harrumphed as he looked at us. His eyes caught on Helios and recognition seemed to spark and his gaze turned thoughtful.

"You're Asimenios, right?" he asked.

Hel nodded.

"Yes, sir. Helios Asimenios. I've been on—special assignment—for the War Leader."

"I've heard. You're the one we have to thank for the influx of Mageia," he responded.

"I was in the right place at the right time, sir," Hel responded modestly.

O'Fallon's gaze ran around the room.

"Who are your other friends, Katastrofis?"

"This is Luke Alexus," Rhu began. "My Bonded."

O'Fallon's eyebrows almost climbed to his hairline in surprise this time.

"When did that happen?" he asked.

"Just a few days ago," Rhu began, but O'Fallon waved him off.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that you've been assigned a mission," he said. "And as I told you, once assigned, there is no backing out."

"I understand, sir, and I am prepared to do my duty."

There was a warm, tingly feeling in my chest as I watched my Bonded interact with his superior. All I could sense from him was a sense of determination to do what needed to be done, and I was so proud of him.

"This is a classified mission, Katastrofis. I can't share it with your family."

His words startled me. Family. I had a family. Other than Dagan, I'd never had anyone I considered family before, except maybe Dagan.

"You can," Elex interrupted. "If we plan on being a part of that mission team."

O'Fallon's eyes narrowed as he began to object and I saw Rhu straighten, his hands signing an emphatic No way.

Yes, way,I responded.

The worry in his eyes had turned their color a deep green. I knew he was going to fight me on this, but there was no way I was letting him go without me.

I can't let you do that!he signed.

I don't think you can stop me, I replied. Where you go, I go.

"I think more detailed introductions may be in order," O'Fallon said.

"Commander O'Fallon, as I said, this is my Bonded. Next to him is his brother, Elex Lapydes. He and Hel are Bonded." Rhu replied, obviously torn between fighting with me and answering O'Fallon's question.

"This is highly irregular—" O'Fallon began but his phone rang at just that moment.

"Excuse me, I thought that was on silent," O'Fallon went to turn his phone off, then looked at the display and paled slightly. Without another word to us he answered the phone.

"O'Fallon," he said in clipped tones. He listened for a moment before saying. "Sir. Yes, sir, I—Yes sir. Understood."

He hung up the phone and turned back to us.

"That…was the War Leader. He has directed me to include all of you in the mission briefing and has designated that we should plan to include all of you in the extraction," he said. He turned his gaze on Rhu. "I don't like being told how to run my missions, Katastrofis. Even by the War Leader."

"Understood, sir," Rhu responded.

"Even if, by including us, we significantly improve your chance of success?" Elex asked.

Something in his tone must have caught O'Fallon's attention, because he turned his gaze on Elex, his eyes flicking from my brother to his phone in puzzlement.

"Can you take your hat off?" he asked, then added a belated "…please?"

Elex saw me watching and winked at me, grinned and slowly slipped the cap from his head.

"…you— you're—" O'Fallon glanced at his phone, then back to Elex as if trying to figure out how he might have gotten a call from the War Leader while he was in the conference room.

"I am not your War Leader," Elex responded. "I'm his brother. We're twins."

O'Fallon nodded thoughtfully, then looked at the rest of us.

"Any other surprises I should be aware of?"

I grimaced.

"Well, I'm a Tesseris Mageia. I…am also known as Lucien Alexus, former Prince of Alexandria," I sighed, emphasizing the former.

"Of course you are," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "The goddess is laughing her ass off at me right now, isn't she? How about you? King of Nova Roma, maybe?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at Elex.

"Well, actually—" Elex began, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as O'Fallon's jaw began to drop. "No, but I am Luke's brother as well, and also a Tesseris Mageia."

"That might actually be helpful," O'Fallon responded thoughtfully, quiet for a moment. "Fine. Let's get on with this," he said finally. "The War Leader has instructed me to include you all in the mission planning."

With a gesture the lights in the room dimmed and a holographic image of a person appeared. It was a man in their late forties or early fifties.

"This is—"

"Jozel," Elex and I said at the same time.

"Yes. Jozel Stergiou. You know him?" O'Fallon asked in surprise.

"We met them. Him. Once," I answered cooly. Jozel had not been especially helpful when we had been at the House of Eros.

"Jozel Stergiou was once the Chief Medical Officer of Alexandria. Approximately ten years ago, he and his spouse attempted to flee Alexandria with their daughter. They were captured and it was widely advertised that they had been executed."

"Jozel was alive as of a few months ago," I said. Jozel had been one of the eunuchs who had tended to Elex and I after the Calling at the House of Eros. O'Fallon nodded. The memory of those days made a small tremor run through my body.

"He and his family were instrumental in the creation of the DNA test that has been used to identify Somas at an early age. His great-grandfather created the original test. His grandfather and father developed the injection that has been used to mimic the symptoms of the Shaking Fever that has killed millions of Soma children in Alexandrian-controlled territories."

The thought of the thousands of children who had been killed for no other reason than a few strands of DNA made my stomach roil. I noticed both Rhuyin and Elex's fists clench at his words. Elex's youngest sister had been a victim of the supposed-Shaking Fever, and it had been the same thing that had stolen Rhuyin's hearing.

"Maybe you should let him rot," my brother growled.

O'Fallon eyed him. "Maybe, but we need him. Our contact has shared that Jozel has, not only an antidote, but essentially a vaccine to the Shaking Sickness that would protect a whole new generation of Somas from being killed."

"If we can show the world that Jozel isn't dead, and he provides testimony about what his family's been doing over the last hundred years, we may be able to convince Nova Roma and Greece to renege on their treaties with Alexandria."

Luke nodded thoughtfully.

"It might work. The monarch of Nova Roma lost their twin boys last year to the Shaking Fever. If it was really because they would have been Somas, it could essentially be considered an assassination. Additionally, Greece will not take kindly to proof that their children have been murdered, either."

"The last time I saw him, he was a eunuch in the House of Eros," I said.

"We have an agent who has been working to convince Jozel to defect. We believe Stergiou is now willing to join us, but we will need to get both him and our agent out of Alexandria."

"Who is your agent?" Hel asked, suspicion thick in his voice.

"His name is Kyris Asimenios," O'Fallon responded. "Your father."

Shocked silence followed.

"Kyris was captured several years ago in the same attack that killed your mother," the commander said. "We were able to make contact with him, but by that point he had connected with Stergiou. He had already seen the potential of flipping the man. We wanted to get him out, but he refused."

"You never told me he was alive," Hel said, his body tense with the rage that seemed to be coursing through him. "I thought my father was dead for ten years."

O'Fallon sighed. "I know. For many years we had thought he had been killed in the same attack that killed your mother. Then we got wind that he had been made a eunuch and was being held in one of their goddamn Houses."

"B-but everyone ignored us when we said we needed to rescue him," Hel began. I knew my brother's Bonded had to be shaken. I'd never seen him stutter before.

"We didn't ignore you. Kyris and Jozel have been rotated amongst a number of Houses over the last ten years. His medical skills have made him valuable. We didn't know which House he and Stergiou were currently at. The information you provided helped us pinpoint their location and we were able to get another agent in to meet with them."

"Why is this an Omada mission, Commander?" Rhu asked.

"Because we have never successfully liberated a high value target from the heart of Alexandria before," he responded. "Previous attempts—well, let's just say, I would be not want to be taken alive."

The room was silent. Elex and I had witnessed the King's cruelty before. We knew exactly what he was capable of.

"So your plan was to send in one Soma, and hope that he would somehow be able to get Jozel out?" I asked. "That seems like a pretty thin strand to hang your hopes on."

"There is a team that will be helping him get into Alexandria. He won't be completely alone, but that's essentially what Omada is. We are the shot in the dark. We'll have one chance at this. If we can rescue Stergiou and your father, we might have a chance to bring public opinion in Nova Roma and Greece against the Alexandrians."

"We won't let him go alone. Two Tesseris Mageia should help improve the odds significantly," I said. "If anyone can get them out of the heart of Alexandria, it will be us."

"I don't know that Omada will be willing to risk even one Tesseris Mageia, let alone two," Erix pointed out.

"Good thing we aren't going to give them a choice," I responded.