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The females both nodded, but neither commented.
Cylex had guarded both Raina and Cara before Cara had bonded with her mates. No one knew of his feelings for Raina, but they considered him a trusted member of their household. He was honored to be included in the briefing and he would not rest until Raina was safe again.
“The security here is impressive.” Cylex had to focus on facts or he would start smashing things. “How was the abduction accomplished?”
“I was hoping you could answer that question for us.” Zevon activated a holo-display with a wave of his hand. A quarter-scale image of Raina’s bedroom appeared above the large, oblong table. Raina was lying on her back in bed. There was no sound, but she was obviously masturbating.
“This is private,” Cara objected. “Why was it recorded?”
“Our abilities make us targets,” Flora reminded as she wiped away the last of her tears. “Raina is the biggest target of all now that we have both found our mates.”
A shadow appeared on the wall across from Raina’s bed. Cylex thought it was a trick of the dimness until a figureFlowedthrough the opening. His hands folded into fists as Cylex saw the intruder’s face.Kern. This was all they needed. “Why did no one react to his entry? How often is this recording checked?”
Zevon motioned to the recording and activated sound.
“Sorry to interrupt, pet,” Kern mocked. “I don’t have much time.”
Raina gasped as she sat, quickly pulling her hand out from between her legs. She turned her head and inhaled deeply, likely meaning to scream.
“Be silent,” Kern ordered.
From that moment on Raina didn’t make a sound. She fought like a wild thing, but it did no good.
“Do not struggle or I will punish you severely when we get to my ship.”
Fuck. Cylex shook his head. The situation had just gone from bad to worse.
Silence descended, tense and contemplative. The females were likely in shock, but Cylex was planning another rescue mission.
“He threatened to punish her,” Cara finally broke the silence. “Has Jevara promised Raina to her abductor?”
Cylex shook his head. “Unlikely.”
“You don’t seem surprised by what’s on the recording,” Zevon commented, his gaze fixed on Cylex. “Have you seen these abilities before? It’s not just the teleporting. He was controlling her with his voice.”
“Answer my question and then I will answer yours,” Cylex insisted. “Why did no one come running the second he appeared?”
“Pylek supervises the high security apartments. His shift ended and his replacement arrived. The door was locked from the inside but Pylek didn’t respond. His partner shot open the door and found him slumped over his control console.” Zevon explained, his tone cold and filled with conflict. “There was no sign of a struggle and no apparent cause of death. He was just no longer alive. No alarms were triggered at any time. Did that creature simply walk through the wall andtellPylek to stop breathing?”
“I don’t know, sir. There are a number of possibilities.” Cylex knew the hostility wasn’t directed at him, but he felt defensive all the same. He had been a Torretian spy until he switched sides a few months ago. He was a hybrid, just like Kern. And they didn’t just know each other. They had once been close friends. In fact, Kern, Cylex, and Jevara had all attended the premier military prep school, Seyzon Academy.
“He was inside the security booth,” Tov pointed out. “Why didn’t he deactivate the recording? It is almost as if he wanted us to see him, to know how easily he bested our security.”
“It’s a godsdamn message,” Zevon agreed, his tone deepening into a menacing growl. “He knew we wouldn’t discover the vid until long after he was gone. So how the fuck did he get into those rooms?”
“The gift is called Flowing,” Cylex told him. “It is relatively common on Pyron, but as you know the Pyronese seldom leave their planet. What Kern does with his voice, now that is extremely rare. He is not even sure where the ability comes from.”
“Kern?” Flora came alive, wiggling out of her mates’ embrace. “You know this… creature?”
“His full name is Kernciteg Yarro,” Cylex told her. “Most call him Kern. We met in our teens.”
Flora’s gaze grew wild, as if she were holding on to her composure by a thread. “Where will he take her? Does this make things better or worse?”
Answering the second question served no real purpose, so he answered the first. “Kern works for Jevara. He is doubtlessly acting on the emperor’s behalf.”
“Are they on their way to Torret, or would Jevara stash her somewhere else?” Flora asked.
“Jevara is not clever enough to hide her somewhere else,” Cara sneered. Her mates were attempting to comfort her as well, but she was too agitated to appreciate their efforts.
