“You know who he is.” My voice was breathless, shaky. “My twin. The messenger.”
The hand on my chest twitched—the only outward sign that my words had affected Jayden. It slid upwards, cupping my neck in much the same way that I held his. His fingers tightened fractionally, his eyes narrowing.
“I’m a good ally,” he said, standing and forcing my hand to lose its grip. Instead of releasing me, he only squeezed harder, turning me suddenly so that he could crowd me against the counter. His entire person radiated malice. “But I’m an even better enemy. Trust me on that. If you want to keep me as an ally, you’ll never ask me about him again, do you understand?”
I tried to pry free from the fingers around my neck, refusing to answer him. He bent, placing his forehead against mine. My thoughts were suddenly very crowded, as though herded to the surface and stirred into agitation. There was a sudden swelling feeling in my head, like it was about to explode, and I groaned in pain.
“Oh, Wonderkid,” Jayden sighed, “don’t make me show you. Don’t make me threaten you any more than I have to. I will help you. As much as I can. But there are some lines that I can’t cross—more lives depend on it than yours or mine.”
It was too much. The heaviness inside my head. I dipped into a strained nod, and he immediately backed away from me. He sat back on his stool, turned toward me as though willing to pick up our conversation exactly where we had left off. His expression was even exactly the same: a polite mix of playful amusement and veiled curiosity.
It was beyond frightening.
I didn’t consciously sit back down. It was more like I stumbled backwards and the stool caught me.
“Whose side are you on, Jayden?”
“My own.”
“Why do you want me to trade places with Silas?”
“You’re one of my own.”
“Because you’re a test subject too?”
He nodded, his features hard—all emotion once again drained from his eyes. “I believe in Weston’s vision, even though I don’t support his methods. Above everything, he just wants to secure a future for our people. He’s a violent, sadistic bastard, but he’s our greatest hope right now because nobody else would even dare to do the things that he has done. Things that needed to be done, whether we’d like to admit it or not.”
“You think you can champion the Zev people?”
“I think we all can. You, me, and… well… at least one of the others. Your twin is too far gone. He’s demonstrated again and again that he will betray anyone who stands in his path: and his brand of betrayal won’t just affect one person. It will affect us all.”
I wanted to ask for names, for specifics, but his vicious reaction to the mention of my twin warned me away from the topic. Still, I couldn’t help but prod just a little bit.
“Is that why you won’t say anything about him? Because he’s blackmailed you just like he’s blackmailed me?”
He said nothing, but something in his face hardened, and I hastened to continue talking before I angered him again.
“Do you know why Weston is so opposed to his sons having an Atmá?” I asked the question cautiously, curious as to whether Jayden was aware of my current status as the Voda Heir.
Jayden turned pensive, and as hard as I watched him, I couldn’t see a spark of anything more in his expression.
“Of course I know,” he admitted quietly. “And I can see from your expression that you do too. Why do you think I’m the only test subject in the Klovoda? And the youngest agent to be promoted into the Klovoda at that. Why do you think Weston keeps me so close?” He tapped his temple. “Not even Dominic knew. It’s a secret that Weston has kept well-guarded. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to his grave without ever revealing it.”
“But Silas knew?”
His eyes refocused, and I watched as he pulled himself from the tangle of his own thoughts. He smiled, barely, and rubbed a finger over his chin. “Yes,” he decided. “It seems he did. Silas is the one person who seems to be able to match my gift for collecting secrets. I use my power, and he uses his computer. It’s impressive, really.”