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“Damien,” she drew a quick breath, “I think I was given this opportunity to live again because I have unfinished business.”
He cocked his head, attempting to decipher. Cimil had brought her back to be at his side. “What business?”
“I died before I could tell the world what SBP was up to. Today, I changed that.”
Damien’s heart leapt from his stomach and onto the floor. Facedown. Pounding its fists. “What did you do, Sky?” he growled.
“I published the final article with the receipts. It included every document, piece of video, the human victims’ testimonies, cell phone records, and even geo-location tracking that lines up with every claim in the report.”
“You-you told the world that there is a secret organization trafficking humans and supernatural creatures for the sole purpose of growing immortal bodies?”
Sky nodded.
Damien unleashed a laugh so loud that it rattled his own eardrums.
“What the hell’s so funny?” Sky scowled.
“No one will believe you.”
“I can name twenty things off the top of my head that no one would’ve believed ten or twenty years ago. Make it a million things if you go back one thousand years. But eventually, Damien, the truth comes out. Earth isn’t flat. Men aren’t gods—even if I could be persuaded to worship the right one—and women shouldn’t be shoved into mud huts during their moon cycles. The world evolves. And when this world becomes enlightened enough to accept that humans aren’t at the top of the food chain, and there is more than one realm, they’ll look back at my article and know that I was telling the truth. Except, I put your name on it.”
“My name is on the article?”
She nodded, her mouth twisting to one side.
“Why the hell would you do that? You are putting me, MF, Pet, Gorgonzolina, and Bonbon at risk.”
“But you said no one will believe me,” she snapped back.
Damien rubbed his brow. He did not need another mess right now.
He gestured toward the sitting area by the window, overlooking the city below. “Please.”
Sky went over and took a seat. He sat across from her, taking a moment to cool down. He did not want to lose his patience with her or fight. Not when he missed her so much.
Damien muted his temper. “Sky, no one will believe you except the people who know it’s the truth. And they won’t be pleased you’re going public—especially the part about trafficking women.” The governor’s deceased brother had founded SBP, but from what Damien could tell, their circle of powerful friends and the governor himself were all in on it. These were not nice people.
“Good, because I started this entire thing to save them. Whether they’re taken and used for sex or ultimately end up in an SBP lab to have their souls sucked from their bodies against their will and implanted into one of these,” she pointed to herself, “it’s vile and needs to stop.”
“I agree, Sky.” In fact, he admired her determination to get the truth out there. It was the reason he’d felt instantly attracted when they met. “But what I do not understand is why you published under my name.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be happy about it, but the world thinks I’m dead, and I couldn’t have Governor Newbery and his buddies thinking it was my sister Amelia’s doing. They’d immediately suspect her if I didn’t put your name on it.”
“Then why not use an alias?” he asked.
“Because for anyone to believe a word of it, the report had to come from a real person. And who better than a deadly, immortal tailor who was once an assassin and now works for a dangerous goddess.”
“If I had to choose between Amelia or myself as a target, I would make the same decision; however, if I were truly after justice, I would rely on this.” He tapped the side of his head. “I have destroyed far more villains by outsmarting them than I ever did with a sword.”
“You used a sword to kill people?”
“It’s quiet. Doesn’t draw attention.” He shrugged. “And if you want to take down SBP, you must do the same. You must become one of them, Sky. You must work for the people at the top.”
“What?”
“You died,” he said. “Now you have a new body, a new face, and, with my help, a new identity, too. We can cater your résumé and background to appeal to the governor himself. And after you have earned his trust, you can collect all the information you need to take him down. Quietly. Discreetly. For good.”’
Her green eyes flickered with mischief. “What if I don’t want quiet? What if I want him to have to face the world for exploiting those poor women?”
