Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

I leave Kimba sleeping,even though her exhaustion settles deep in my bones.

The sky is bright. No sign of a storm on the horizon… not even a cloud to obscure the moons that are still out in the pink haze of the morning.

I climb all the way upstairs before I turn on the news feed for the city. Even though I should pay attention to it regularly, I let it slip from my routine far too often.

Today, however, I want to know what the news is saying about the cavrinskh attacks… if they've started to figure that out at all.

It's loud enough I don't want it to wake Kimba. The man asleep on the couch behind me though…

Kilo has a strange aura around him. I've gotten used to it when other people are around—it's what tells me they can't see him—I didn't realize it happened when he slept.

The man slowly wakes up, and I ignore him as he finds his way back to consciousness.

The news is a constant drone, but it might give me time to clear out my head and rattle free anything that might have gotten caught back there.

Automated reports scroll across the bottom of screens. Weather predictions for the next three days. Their reporting is a little different than the ones coming from the device in the far corner of the war room, but there's nothing on our readouts that will affect anyone but those of us up here.

Storms rolling in on the lower plains might give more water than anyone actually needs…

"You're up early," Kilo says as he opens the fridge. "I thought bonded men stayed in bed until mid day, if not longer."

"You have an outpost you could have waited at if you thought that was true."

"I could have, but I didn't know. And look at that, it's only been three hours since I got here. So, we both lucked out. You get to hear what I have to say. I get to go home and not have to come back."

"What did you find out?"

"Firstly, your contact is very rude. He would not see me, or even take a call. Secondly, the guys I've been able to pick out as working for the Company? They're spooked. I mean, I would be too if I found out monsters were hunting the people I associate with. Oh wait… monsters do hunt us."

He chuckles and scrubs a hand over his head.

"So you've hit a dead end?" I guess.

"No, I've found an opportunity."

I don't like the way he smiles.

"They're losing people left and right. It's time to start recruiting again."

"No," I say.

"You haven't even heard my pitch."

"I don't have to. I will not authorize you going in and attempting to infiltrate them."

He mutters under his breath. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Kilo." I make him look at me. "Do not go looking for trouble."

He salutes me and leaves without actually promising me anything.

I'll deal with him later. He's not going to do anything today except go home and go back to sleep.

The news feed pulls up footage of Margot's. Lights blaze on the tall white walls, the parking lot is packed. There's nothing out of the ordinary.

Reading out a rote brief, the reporter provides her viewership with an update.

"The man who caused the damage last week that resulted in the outage at Margot's has been ordered to pay for the repairs required and attend mandatory therapy. According to the reports we've received, he has elected to pay the wages of every employee who was affected. But sources tell me that wasn't necessary, as Margot's employees were already compensated by the owner and many received tips from fans, even though they weren't able to visit."

She segues into a commentary on a new zurgle cafe that has opened downtown and I'm about to flip away when she grimaces.

"In less cuddly news, I'm afraid I must inform you of a death in Shiga Heights."

She says more, but I don't hear it.

My blood runs cold as I stare at the face of the dead man.

Kimba shakes my arm—

I didn't even realize she was holding it.

She blinks up at me, face pale. "What's wrong?"

He's stopped.

Frozen.

It's like someone hit the pause button.

Gaze locked on the wall screen.

When the dread that's on his face flushed through our bond, I moved without thinking. And now, when I turn to look at what's caught his attention, I'm glad I understand their language.

It's why I know that the man on the screen is dead, and that the fact he was murdered isn't the only reason he's being featured. He doesn't fit the pattern of the Company men who've died.

Mada Klen isn't a name I recognize, but it's clear D does.

"Who was he?"

D pulls in a long breath, shakes his head, and some of the warmth returns between us.

"He was a member of the council with Luthiel and I. One of the ones I know—I knew— who was never going to be okay with dropping that bomb."

The reporter offers her condolences and mentions the possible connection with other murders.

D stares at the picture. I know what he's waiting for.

They haven't said how he died.

I watch him a moment more before I leave him, still keeping an eye on him through the bond. I go to the closest console and tap through the string of commands required to shift the screen from the Zone databases to the nexus. I read as I close up the pants I'd barely gotten on before I'd raced upstairs.

"Mada was found in his office, with an antique Earth letter opener through his eye."

Nothing indicated there was a cavrinskh involved. But the article linked the other deaths the reporter referenced.

I open the larger article and two more faces enlarge on the screen next to Mada.

Three new deaths.

Nothing links them except for the length of time between their deaths—a few days—and the way that D looks at them now that he's joined me.

"More council members?"

He nods.

"Also on your side of the vote?"

"We were split five to four."

"One of them was killed the night I was supposed to try to kill you." I take a deep breath so I don't shiver. "This was always about you and the monsters. It wasn't about my past at all. I was just a bit of luck. An easy way to get to you."

I step aside as he pulls up another name. "Ganfrey's still alive—or they haven't found his body yet."

"They've gotten it down to a two-four imbalance. They don't have to kill him."

"Unless they know Luthiel isn't actually on their side. He'll tie any vote as long as the two of us are alive. And a tied vote is an automatic failure."

He puts through a call to Richter and Trench, and I read through Ganfrey's information as he fills the two brothers in.

The only other remaining member of the council who doesn't want to eradicate a species lives on the close end of town. He's unmated. He doesn't even have an application in with the Agency—

"I'm going to go warn him."

"We are going to go." I correct him as I go to the closet and pull my boots out. "Don't even think about trying to leave me behind."

"Of course not." He holds out a long-sleeved shirt, made of the same fabric as the suits they wear when they go out hunting monsters. "Put this on."

As far as I know, it's the equivalent of a bullet-proof vest.

I pull it on, yank my normal shirt back over top, and he hands me a gun. "You know how to use that?"

"It's been a while, but yes."

"Good. Let"s hope you don't have to."