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He shrugs. “So much for chivalry.”
His hands go back into his pockets, and he strolls through ahead of me before flipping on the light. It illuminates a plain white room with a table in the center, two chairs on either side. On the opposite side of the room is another door, though this one is deadbolted shut.
“You’re not going to pull out my chair for me?” I ask as he sits down. “I thought you were all about chivalry.”
Corvus’ eyes flash gold again, then back to pale silver. I don’t fully understand Aelyd eye color, but I know it’s more complex than a mood ring, even if they have some of the same characteristics. Controlled by electrical energy in the brain, their eyes tell a story about their emotions, but it’s basically unreadable without intimate knowledge of the individual you’re talking to.
I do not have intimate knowledge of Corvus.
Not yet, anyway.
I huff out a laugh as I pull out the chair opposite him, dropping my backpack on the floor beside me. Corvus takes his comm off of his wrist and then places it on the table, spreading out his fingers to open a holo screen between us. An image of a silver-skinned Aelyd man appears on the screen—a giant, in fact, with hulking shoulders, a wide face, and piercing jewel-tone eyes.
Without any further ceremony, Corvus jumps into my debrief.
“Your target is Atlas en’Ganivet, head of the Ganivet Family and the ruler of Ganivet Sector,” he says. “You will infiltrate the Ganivet compound as his bride, and you will gain entry to Atlas’ private chambers, at which point you will kill him by whatever means you see fit.”
“He’s huge,” I observe. “I don’t think I can take him head-on.”
“I appreciate your knowledge of your own limits,” Corvus says. “Poison?”
“Gonna need a pretty big dose to take him out.”
Corvus smiles, his teeth sharp and white under his dark lips. It’s a little spooky. A lot sexy. “We can arrange that.”
He moves to a map of the compound, which looks more like a mansion. It’s decadent and laid out with living quarters, a reception hall, a dining room, and even a solarium at the very top.
“So why is it that your organization couldn’t take him out?” I ask. “Credit where credit is due, I’ve heard things about the Ombra Family. You’re good at what you do.”
“That would be because Atlas is—quite literally—untouchable,” Corvus says. “Several assassination attempts in his youth have left him paranoid. Ever since, he has not let a single other person touch him. Even his physicians have to perform exams remotely.”
“And you really think he’s going to letmetouch him?” I ask, skipping past how his physicians can evaluate him without touching him.
“Well, that’s his weak spot, isn’t it?” Corvus says. “The ruling Families require heirs. If Atlas wants to stay in charge, he has to breed. And he can’t exactly do that without letting someone touch him.”
“So how will this work?” I ask. “I just marry him, we go on our honeymoon, and I off him?”
Corvus hums. “I doubt it will be that easy,” he says. “Atlas trusts no one—not even his second-in-command. He’ll likely make you jump through a few hoops before you’re granted access to his person.”
“And what’s the extraction plan?” I ask.
Corvus flicks to another page, showing me a map of the lowest floor of House Ganivet. “I will be posing as a bodyguard inside the house—I’ve been embedded there for months in preparation. Once you’ve done your job, you’ll page me using a signal beacon.”
“I’ll be able to smuggle in tech?” I ask.
“A very small piece of tech,” he says. “Which brings us to the next phase of the debrief.”
“Why do I feel like you’re about to tell me something I don’t want to hear?” I ask.
He smirks. “Take off your clothes.”
CHAPTER TWO
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PENN
I have to do a double-take at that, especially since the way his voice drops when he says it sends a shiver down my spine. My whole body feels warmer all of a sudden, and I school my features so he can’t tell I’m starting to sweat.
