"Why are you talking about that scum?"
Nykyrian looked up to see Ryn approaching them. Ryn's red hair was a shade darker than Darling's, but his eyes were an identical shade of blue.
"We were discussing ways to kill him," Rachol muttered before guzzling his glass of water.
Ryn shook his head at him. "So how's my renegade brother?" he asked Nykyrian, taking a seat.
Knowing Darling wouldn't want his brother, who couldn't help him anyway, informed about his condition, Nykyrian lied. "He's fine."
"Good." Ryn took a seat and handed Nykyrian a copy of the Probekein's latest contract on Kiara's life. "That hasn't been posted yet," he said, adjusting the voluminous yards of his imperial robes. "All I could find out was Biardi told Emperor Abenbi to burn in a very uncom fortable position for a long time. Abenbi refuses to call the contract off, even if Biardi gives him the surata."
"I could've learned that through a terminal," Rachol smirked.
Ryn frowned at Nykyrian. "What did you do to put him in such a hostile mood?" he asked, then continued before an answer could be given. "Abenbi also wants the weapon to go after the Fremick territory. He feels since they're his neighbor, they should be part of his territories. I really wish you guys would put a stop to him."
"Pay our fee." Rachol glared.
Ryn returned the gesture. "That's all I know," he said in an irritated voice. "I hope it helped."
At Rachol's scoff, Ryn faced Nykyrian. "You should keep him on a leash."
Nykyrian barely had time to grab Rachol's arm before his fist made contact with the ambassador's chin. "Calm down!" he snapped.
Grudgingly, Rachol retook his seat.
"Your information did help," Nykyrian said, shaking Ryn's hand before the ambassador took his leave.
"We waited all this time for that?" Rachol sneered.
Nykyrian jerked the papers off the table. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Rachol came to his feet. "You slept with her last night! I waited up half the night hoping you would come back downstairs. But you didn't."
Nykyrian sighed. "I know where I spent the night."
Rachol's eyes narrowed. "When she betrays us, just remember I warned you."
Nykyrian clenched his teeth, tempted to send Rachol flying. "How could I forget, since you'll no doubt remind m e every day of my life."
Rachol stared at him and from the clenched fists he kept at his side, Nykyrian knew he wanted to knock his head from his shoulders.
"It's your funeral," Rachol said before gathering up his papers and leaving the room.
With Rachol's dire warnings echoing in his head, Nykyrian made his way slowly to his ship. Maybe Rachol was right. Things had been going too good. His life never went smoothly. Just when things seemed to improve, something always happened to mess it up.
Nykyrian climbed aboard his ship. He sat in the leather seat, thinking. His thumb played across the shifter. A bad feeling crept along his spine.
Checking his power and fuel levels, Nykyrian didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Still the feeling of trouble to come persisted. If he had learned anything in his life, it was to always trust his instincts and now those instincts were buzzing loudly in alarm.
Something awful was definitely going to happen.
Eleven
Nykyrian, Darling and Hauk stood in the main room of Nykyrian's house. Nykyrian continued to doubt his sanity in allowing Kiara to go to Tondara with them. If only she hadn't pleaded with those big amber eyes, he might have been able to stand fast and make her stay behind. But dammit, he couldn't.
"Your advice didn't help," Hauk said darkly, eyeing the stairs.
Nykyrian turned around to see Kiara descending. As he had requested, she pulled her hair severely back from her face and left it in a thick ponytail to trail down her back in soft ringlets. The old, ragged battlesuit that added inches to her waist, didn't deter from her beauty in the least.
"What else can we do?" Darling asked, looking at Nykyrian as if he knew the answer.
"Put something over her head," Hauk suggested.
Kiara's face flushed bright pink. "Why don't you wear something over your head, you big— "
"That's it," Nykyrian said, interrupting her before she said something to enrage Hauk.
"Keep her m ad!"
Kiara stared in confusion as Nykyrian dashed past her, up the stairs and returned with a thick, padded leather jacket. "I already look like a shuttle-craft," she said with a pout. "If I wear this, I'll look like I weigh three times my size."
Nykyrian winked. "That's the idea."
Kiara pursed her lips, no longer sure if she should go with them. When Darling had told her what type of club it was, her curiosity had gotten the best of her.