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“Sadly, you are collateral damage in this war. If we had more time, we could have gone slower and avoided unnecessary casualties. But your ascension is only six weeks away, and Zerien’s will occur a few months after that. I do not hate you, Keran Xeldar. Quite the opposite. I have studied you ever since the first talks between our people began. You’re a good man. But you also embrace the Korletheans and share Zerien’s views. The Oracles have confirmed that in all the scenarios where a Xeldar rules, the Korletheans live. Therefore, you cannot be allowed to reign.”
“So you choose the Guldans instead? They are far worse than anything you could fear from the Korletheans!” I exclaimed.
Deimos waved a dismissive hand as if I’d said something silly. “Guldans are easily controlled. And soon, pureblood Braxians will fully be as well. Then all will be as it should.”
“You know that won’t work, right?” I retorted, wondering when this elite agent had lost his mind and fallen deep into this miasma of delusion.
He tilted his head to the side and looked at me as ifIwas the one speaking irrationally. “It alreadyisworking. And now, thanks to you, I not only get the most concentrated form of the serum, but I also have pureblood subjects to test it on. You’ve eliminated the one risk factor that remained in our plan, which was whether purebloods would respond to the serum the same way hybrids did. For this, I am grateful to you.”
I silenced the sense of dread rising deep within. “Where are the hybrids? What have you done with them?”
“Relax, Jakar. They are fine. In fact, you saved the handful of hybrids that were still to be sacrificed to the cause,” Deimos said tauntingly.
I frowned. “How?”
“By having those Veredians heal them, of course. We were milking those who were the most damaged from their difficult life on Braxia. Those who would never have a normal life from their wounds or who had the least to offer in the greater scheme of things. But you’ve made them pristine again. Their performance in training has skyrocketed. Plus, why settle for hybrids when I now have plenty of purebloods? And if it’s your mate you worry about, there’s no need. I’m keeping her out of trouble.”
“If you harm her—” I hissed.
“Relax!” he ordered, this time in a much harsher tone. “Wedo notharm females. It only happened in the past because of the experiments the Korletheans performed on us. But we’re in control now.”
“And yet, hereyouare experimenting onusto achieve the future you covet. How are you better?” I retorted.
His face closed, and he stiffened. “It’s not the same. And it will be for a short time, with no permanent side effects, unlike what the Korletheans did to us. Once Braxia has a new ruler, that our alliances are solidified, and a new order has been established, your people will be more than happy to continue on with things as they are. There won’t be any additional need for this. The effects are temporary anyway.”
I almost argued with him. Once people got a taste of power and control over others, they tended to become addicted and refused to relinquish them. But there was no point trying to reason with this fanatic. For now, all I could do was gather as much information as I could.
“Fine. You have me right where you wanted, and your plan appears to be moving exactly the way you hoped,” I conceded. “So you have no need of Dawn. As you claim you don’t harm women, let her go. You know keeping her hostage has to be causing her distress.”
Deimos took on that sorry expression again that was seriously starting to piss me off. “I can’t do that. I already promised her to another.”
My stomach dropped, and I felt my blood drain from my face as I stared at him in shock. A murderous rage rose within me as the image of Dawn submitting to Vintor under the Sarenian’s compulsion flashed before my eyes. That entitled son of a krillik would likely stop at nothing to get what she denied him.
“That’s rape!” I shouted.
“No! It’s nothing like that!” Deimos said, raising both of his hands in an appeasing gesture. “He will not touch her without her full consent, this I promise. I understand how upsetting this is for you. Dawn and you are soulmates. It took me but a second to see that you two are Attuned and that your souls vibrate in perfect harmony.”
My heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. And yet, they didn’t shock me. A part of me had known, had felt the deep connection from the moment I laid eyes on her. My chest warmed with affection and a powerful wave of possessiveness… almost instantly squashed by fury that this vermin would dare try to take her from me.
“Dawn will not suffer. I will make her forget you. As neither of you are in love yet, it will be easier,” Deimos continued, sounding pleased with himself. “The other male may not be her soulmate but theyareAttuned. Had you not entered the picture, theywouldhave married and lived very happily together. He’s crazy about her.”
My blood turned to ice as understanding dawned on me.
“Ancestors,” I breathed out, horrified. “It’s Jaek?!”
Deimos smiled smugly. “See? Even you, who does not have the power to see souls like we do, noticed the chemistry between them.”
“He wouldneverconsent to this,” I snarled, remembering how he had stood up for Dawn when Vintor had disrespected her at the meeting. “He’d never voluntarily trick her into being with him.”
The way Deimos raised an eyebrow implying ‘are you sure?’ hit a nerve. I prided myself in being a good judge of character. Despite all that he had endured, Jaek struck me as honorable.
“Love and hate can drive people to unexpected extremes,” Deimos said casually. “Purebloods made Jaek’s life a living nightmare that left him disabled and disfigured… until you had him patched up a few days ago. But he still had decades for his hatred to fester. Don’t you think it’s an odd coincidence that he should be a biochemist?”
My gorge rose as shock, horror, and disbelief crashed over me. This couldn’t be true. And yet… During the meeting with me, many of the hybrids had shown justified aggression and resentment for what they had endured. Vintor had been the most belligerent, the one I wouldn’t have doubted might be in on this. But Jaek? He had been among the few rational ones.
Have I so utterly misread him?
A device beeping next to Orin’s stretcher spared me from responding—not that my brain could form an appropriate response for what inexplicably struck me as a personal betrayal. Jaek didn’t own me anything, quite the opposite. But he had stirred a protective, big brother sentiment in me.
