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I meet Atlas’ gaze. He sighs. “As of today,” he says. “Twenty six earth years, five months and three days. In, uh, human time.”
Penn’s mouth falls open. “You never said anything.”
“Well, why you were here was never a secret,” Atlas says. “I think we kept how dire the situation was to ourselves because we didn’t want to scare humanity off, but we do have other means to reproduce. Just not with the Gift.”
“Right,” I say. “So you can see why I decided to help.”
“Okay,” she replies. “So you know where they are now?”
“No. They were there, and then someone told the Diavolos where they were,” I reply. “You understand, your friend…their child…there’s a hell of a bounty on them.”
“Yes,” Atlas says. “So, you see, there’s an incentive to keep her alive.”
“Until she has the baby.”
“I don’t think that’ll be the last baby the Diavolos will want out of her,” I say softly.
Penn’s eyes fill with tears. “We have to get her out. If she’s still alive…”
“She’s still alive. They have every incentive to keep her alive,” I say, hoping my best sounds more reassuring to her than it does to me.
“That might be worse. Don’t you see how that might be worse?” Penn says, raking her hands through her hair. This is the most scared I’ve ever seen her. I wish I could say something reassuring or constructive, but I can’t. She’s right. The longer Layla is a prisoner for, the worse things will be for her. “So if they took her, did they take her baby daddy too?”
“Zaire? No,” I tell her. “They tried to kill him. He was seriously wounded, he almost died, but he managed to escape. He’s been updating me as he tracks her whereabouts, but he hasn’t had the resources to go in and get her.”
“And now?” Penn asks, her voice practically breaking.
“Now House en’Ganivet stands with Zaire en’Diavolo,” Atlas says. “And we’re going to do everything in our power to get her and her child back. Safe and sound.”
Penn straightens a little. “Okay. We need to hurry. So what’s the plan?”
I clear my throat, my mind instantly going to Corvus, who’s still bound in the dungeon. “Yeah,” I reply. “So, about that…”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
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CORVUS
I’m fucked in a better way than I thought I was.
Yeah, I’m still in a dungeon, but I’m currently basking in the afterglow of getting great head, and I’m not tied up anymore. The guards watch me nervously from outside, confident that I’m about to pull something on them and escape.
But I don’t plan on doing that…because I’m ready to give up on the Diavolos.
Since I was a child, I’ve never been good enough for my Family. My Gift wasn’t that powerful, or I wasn’t a great fighter, or a strong negotiator. It was alwayssomething, and now I realize that I’ve been a fool.
And I’ve realized something else: that maybe the Ganivets could be my family. Not just in title…but a real family.
I’ve observed Atlas for months, and he’s a man of dignity. Keon is the opposite, but he’s smarter than he makes himself out to be—which is calculated, I’m sure. And Penn is sharp, skilled, and strong-willed.
Centuries ago, Aelyds operated as clans, all centered around one powerful female.
Maybe we could be that to Penn.
Keon leaves me for the night after he’s finished with me, and I get a little bit of sleep in my cot. I’m filthy now, first from my hike with Penn, and now from my stay in the dungeon—and my liaison with Keon. I keep expecting them to come back and talk to me about my offer, but I suppose they have other things going on.
That’s okay. I can wait.
