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“Ninety seconds, but yeah.” He blinks at Hagen.
“Fuck. Right, okay. So your guys are good.” Hagen looks at me and then at Eros. “I was hoping we’d have another angle to track the women’s movements.” Hagen cocks his head at me. Neither Eros nor I explicitly said where the women would be taken.
I trust him but not enough to trust the people he brings to me without question. “Who’s your guy?” We’ve had a minute. Eros is right. The only one of our ships that could have sent the destruction missile is the Omicron. The Centauri is heading out or may have already headed out of the Veiled City. But its size holds it back from having the speed the Kraken have. No, that shot came from the Omicron. The same ship Nole is on right now. I pull out my block and text him. Holding two conversations is something I do all the time in my office in Athens.
Nole, what was that? Do you have the human women?
I don’t have anyone.
Cut it out. I was outside the building where they were being held when the attack squad landed. A minute later, the building was obliterated.
Obliterated? That’s being a bit dramatic, isn’t it?
Not really. It’s gone. Along with the cameras and surveillance in the area. Nole. I need to know that Annabelle’s family is doing okay, that the mafia here or the missile didn’t hurt them.
You think Lachlan would ever harm a hair on a female’s head?
No. But then I don’t know him all that well, only what others say about him.
No is right.
So they are on board. It was a statement, not a question.
I’m not confirming or denying that. But you know what Constantine would say.
And that lets me know they are on board. Mother’s youngest mate would say the world’s greatest treasure is the gift of possibility. And mermaids make life possible.
I stare at my block before turning back to the two in the room with me. They’ve gotten really quiet, obviously waiting for me to tell them whom and what I was messaging about. “They’re okay.” I nod to Hagen and give Eros a knowing look. They’re okay if you consider being taken on a ship with five hundred males who haven’t seen a mermaid in a long time as okay. Sure, they’re not mermaids, but ever since the arrival of Annabelle, talk has floated around the city about the possibility of more human women being turned.
“I wouldn’t want to be Lachlan. But maybe I would.” Eros gives one of his infuriating smirks. “The feeding frenzy on the ship will be something that Lachlan is going to have trouble containing.”
I nod. Because I still don’t want to give all the specifics to Hagen. At least, not ones that he doesn’t need. “You have a contact? I should be getting back home. But I don’t want the Kraken getting Marina any more than Eros does.”
“I do.” Hagen opens and downs another protein shake. “He’s... well, no way to be gentle about it. He’s Skyrothasian. Or as they call them, an exmanti. There are a few of them living in the city. He’s my go-to when I need to know something about your kind.”
My index finger pounds on the desk. I’d heard there were Skyrothasians living among the humans. Hell, each of the domes has someone running a business with the humans. Like me. Like the Zaffiros have their jewelry stores and mines. “And you trust him? Our nations aren’t exactly friendly right now.”
“Yeah. In fact, he mentioned there were civilians on both sides of the New Year’s Day battle living in Boston.”
“A Dorian living in the city. No, I don’t think so.”
Eros nods. He’s been quiet. “If you think your contact can help, then yes, let’s get going. I don’t have much time. Rather, Marina doesn’t have much time.”
Hagen stands. “Let’s go then.”
I’m still trying to digest the fact that I messaged Nole this morning and at no time did he say the Omicron was outside of Boston on a mission to capture two humans with the mermaid gene. I’m going to have to have a long talk with my little brother.
I let my eyes flick over Eros’s back. He’s all for taking off to meet Hagen’s contact.
The hallway is blindingly white in contrast to Hagen’s office. Hagen pushes the button for the elevator and crosses his arms over his barrel chest. He gives me a nod and turns the other way. While the ceilings are high here, it’s cool like a cave. I study the male. I can’t help but wonder if Hagen isn’t half giant but rather half something else. Human, most likely. Not troll—his eyes aren’t narrow. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is getting Annabelle’s cousin and aunt back. What matters is me getting back to the Veiled City and finding out who ordered the girls to be taken and who is blowing things up for Glyden. And then back to Athens, back to my job, as soon as possible.
The senior council of Glyden, including several former governors, have worked around the clock since the explosion at the dome; they’re trying to figure out who caused the destruction of our lobby. We haven’t found a single clue. And now this. Someone has ordered the women captured, while another faction wants them dead.
Maybe the exmanti have it right. My world is a tangled mess. Leaving it all behind feels rather tempting.
The crowded street takes me by surprise. In the distance, sirens faintly drone on. We follow Hagen to a waiting car on the other side of the street.
“Where to?” the driver asks.
