Chapter Forty-One

Despite Zafir’s concerns regarding the Abyss Father worshippers, the next month and a half passed without incident. My team and I continued our duties throughout the city, picking up or snuffing out various criminals based on the severity of their crimes. Rel continued to train me in Syldrari martial arts, even though my patrols in the Syldrari Sector had been suspended so I could work in significantly more boring areas.

In addition to having my patrols shifted to another sector, Zafir had effectively uninstalled Syldran from my chip—much to my dismay and Rel’s fury. However, after some conversation I couldn’t understand, Rel had begrudgingly agreed with Zafir’s reasoning.

Aside from that…everything seemed mostly normal. Though, every now and then I caught Rel with any number of odd looks on his face while he watched me. Half of them I could guess what he was thinking, but the rest I couldn’t. It was as if Syldrari had a broader range of emotions and therefore had expressions and mannerisms to match; and I suspected that was precisely it.

The ones I could guess at, though…were confliction and admiration in varying amounts of opposition. I was curious as to why either feeling was on the table, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, either. And I was sure I wouldn’t get an answer even if I did ask.

Everyone had been more tightlipped since my encounter with the cult. They were all on high alert, yet always told me to relax. Take a breather. Enjoy my ‘me time.’ Yet, I hadn’t gotten to go to the Syldrari Sector at all. Rel had taken it upon himself to fetch ludrán for me but had deigned my consumption too high—so now I had to ration out my treats.

To top it all off, I hadn’t heard a peep about attacks on government facilities from any group. Jysel, Citomy, and the cult were all utterly silent. No more threats, no talk or even rumors of movement. Nothing. The citizens throughout the city had already forgotten there were any threats in the first place.

I glanced at my door begrudgingly when I heard a faint knock. “Come in.”

Zafir walked in with a folder under one arm and a platter balanced on his other hand. On the platter was an arrangement of both human and Syldrari snacks I liked, as well as a pot of tea and two cups.

“I figured a peace offering was in order since the topic I’ve come to discuss isn’t exactly one of the ones you’ve been wanting me to touch on,” Zafir remarked, taking a seat on a chair nearby.

“Peace offering? I’m not that bad—but snacks are good.” I put my book aside and leaned over to snatch one up. “So, what nonsense landed in our lap this time?”

“Progress—with the murder attempts.” Zafir opened the folder and showed me what looked to be photo taken of a slide via microscope. So helpful. “The suspects have been narrowed down, but Crowe’s hit a wall. He can’t directly question people within Imperator Julien’s inner circle without risking his own position.

“The person responsible is one of the purists in the Imperator’s inner circle, which leaves us at somewhat of an impasse on the investigation. Unless he does something that is directly against the Imperator’s wishes—and is caught doing so—we can’t press that route any further.”

“What are we going to focus on instead, then?” I frowned at him.

“Much…Crowe wants you to look over the aftermath of the—highly classified—attacks on the military facilities and determine which group is responsible.” Zafir placed five folders beside me. “He isn’t willing to send you to the sites themselves because they’re hazardous. However, he seems to think you’ll be able to discern the attackers from the images here.”

“You disagree?” I challenged him, watching as his eyes widened and he recoiled slightly.

“I…think you are intelligent, Elara, but you are still quite ignorant about…ah…” Zafir hesitated, looking like he expected some manner of retaliation from me.

I let out a soft sigh at the nervous man. “Zafir, that isn’t what I meant. You’re right that I’m ignorant regarding many things, especially when it comes to Syldrari culture.

“I was trying to imply that I think the different groups we’re dealing with would have rather distinct styles. Jysel, for example, I’m sure he performs one of two ways; either he tries his damnedest to distinguish himself separately from Citomy, or he tries to copy her exactly as to make it easier to frame her. Citomy, I’m guessing, does nothing herself and instead sends her husbands to do it. The cult…well, they’re the wild card to me. I know the least about them, and I’d rather not think they’re comparable to a human cult.”

“It’s been a long day.” Zafir slumped in his seat and shook his head faintly.

“You have seemed rather busy lately despite the lull in activity,” I remarked, leaning forward to peer at him. “Are you doing alright?”

“I cannot disclose—” Zafir stopped and gave me an odd look. “Did you…just ask if I’m alright?”

“Is that so strange?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Ah…yes. For someone in your position , it is quite odd,” Zafir answered, making a show of shaking off his woes and sinking into his usual facade. “As the doctor here, I should be asking you —”

“And who takes care of the doctors?” I interrupted, flapping a hand at him. Though, I got the point. He didn’t expect someone with a queen’s ability to…care. “Look, I’m a person too and I can empathize. Working too much will make the quality—and you—suffer. I’m just saying don’t make yourself sick. You normal humans are so prone to stress-induced illnesses…”

“When you put it like that…” Zafir smiled and shook his head, then adjusted his glasses. “I will try to rest more. After all, I have you…all, relying on me.”

“Mhm. So, let me worry about these images for now, while you go take a break. Maybe get some tea and a snack, or something.”

I tilted my head, debating if ordering him to pay more attention to selfcare would be stepping over a line I shouldn’t cross. After all, I was trying to not use my queen power. But I also wanted Zafir to stop pushing himself so hard.

“Make sure you follow your own advice.” Zafir shot me a small smile as he passed by. “I will let you know if any new work comes up for you.”

I watched him leave my room, then turned my attention to the stack of documents I needed to look through—and my snacks. When I opened the first folder, I frowned. The installation looked desolate, there were no signs of struggle, battle, or…anything. It looked more like it had been abandoned for a few years.

Setting my drink aside, I worked through each folder, my confusion growing. Finally, I hopped off the bed, dressed myself in a Syldrari leggings and a cropped shirt, and left my room in search of Zafir.

“Already?” Zafir questioned when I swung the door of his office open.

“You sure these are the right pictures?” I asked, receiving a perplexed look in response. “There’s no sign that there’s been activity in any of these places for years, let alone invasion or conflict.”

I handed the files to Zafir who, after a moment, called for Amara to join us. After a few minutes, she arrived and started looking over the pictures as well, her face contorting into a small frown.

“This is not what the facilities look like. These aren’t even the right era architecture,” Amara stated after a moment. “Someone gave you the wrong pictures, Zafir.”

“Who compiled these reports for Crowe?” I looked over at Zafir, watching as he frowned and shook his head. “Amara, can you spot anything that would tell us what facilities these images came from?”

“They’re all the same one,” Amara muttered, laying out multiple images. She took a moment to arrange them as she liked before speaking again, “Database says these are from an abandoned facility at the location of the first Resonance Incident…”

“And?” Zafir prompted, suddenly looking much more interested.

“Uh…it’s all classified, but the facility is supposedly still running.” Amara frowned deeper and shook her head. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say whoever gave these to Crowe is a problem. Someone could be trying to lay a trap for Elara and her team by showing this place. Everything is powered and running, but it looks like no personnel have been there since just after the Incident.”

“In which case, investigation is off-limits.” Zafir shot me a warning glance, then looked back down at the images. “Elara, you’re to forget you saw these. We will handle investigations into who these came from. For now—”

Zafir’s communicator chimed and he let out an aggravated sigh before picking it up and taking on his usual facade when talking with his superiors. The one that made me want to slap him. He shot me a knowing glance before turning his back to us and continued listening to whoever was on the end. When he was done, his shoulders slumped, and he turned to look at me. “There’s been a disturbance reported in the Syldrari Sector by Rel’s cafe. You’re to go investigate as Lethe…I will send Calder and Nikolai with you, I think Maelor will be too tactless, Aisu and Diana are busy.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Wait, but it’s daytime. I thought—”

“Our superiors have spoken,” Zafir muttered bitterly. “If you must reveal your connection to the military, you have my leave to. It’s only a matter of time before the cult begins spreading word of how you escaped them.”

“But if I go as Lethe—”

“You know I can’t change your orders.” Zafir glanced away in discomfort. “Please just…go, before this disturbance gets out of hand.”

* * *

“This isn’t going to go over well,” Calder remarked, leaning back against the wall of our transport.

“Where do we enter from in this situation?” Nikolai frowned. “No skybikes, just a small transport, we’re too obviously military like this.”

“I think that’s the point. Right, Elara?” Erik spoke up from the pilot’s seat. “You were given leave to reveal the military connection so you took it. Right?”

“We’re going to walk in the front door, so to speak,” I stated flatly. “We received no information as to what this disturbance is, aside from ‘deal with it.’ So, we’re going to walk right in and do our damn job in the open for once.”

“Which the Syldrari will appreciate, even if they dislike the military, because you’re being openly honest. Right?” Erik nodded, keeping his eyes on the skies. “I’ll let you down by the main thoroughfare, just a few minutes’ walk from the cafe. Holler if you need extraction.”

The moment we stepped foot off the transport, a Syldrari approached me with concern on her face. “This…this isn’t a good time. The Abyss Father worshippers—”

“Then this is the perfect time to stop any altercations from getting out of hand. Where did they go?”

She hesitated before pointing in the direction of Rel’s cafe and mumbling something about being careful there. I led Calder and Nikolai down the street, keeping my head held high and my stature straight as we walked by worried Syldrari.

The closer we got to Rel’s, the more commotion I heard. By the time we were in view, a familiar Syldrari man in a long trench coat was sent flying out of the establishment by what I could only describe as a pulse of power. The sound reverberated low throughout all metal nearby, making the world tremble.

The man in the tentacle motif coat slid across the ground on his back, coming to a stop several feet from me. Calder and Nikolai tensed as I continued walking toward the man, eyeing him. Yet…something seemed off about his height. He appeared shorter.

The hood of his coat had fallen to reveal a handsome face with skin the color of chocolate. His hair was black and cut at an asymmetrical angle, and he had similarly asymmetrical horns—his left was longer than the right.

He coughed a few times as if regaining his breath, before opening startling green eyes—which were focused on Rel’s establishment. “My king, I meant no offense! I—”

“Syldrari have kings now?” I asked, watching as the cultist froze. He tilted his head back and his eyes went wide when he spotted me, his lips parting. I sighed and placed a hand on one hip. “You just had to go and make a scene during broad daylight.”

“What… Lethe , get away from him,” Rel ordered as he came stalking out of the cafe, his sleeves rolled up and a murderous glint in his eyes. “This utter imbecile —”

“It’s true then that you’ve given yourself to the humans?” The cultist looked like he was about to cry as he looked at me, of all things. “A queen, such as yourself, would turn your back on—”

“Did he just say she’s a queen…?” Whispers rippled through the onlookers.

“Whether I have had queen genetics grafted into my cellular structure remains to be seen,” I stated flatly, taking another step toward the surprisingly upset and very pretty Syldrari. “However, I am tired of people questioning my decision to live . Would it have been better if I had been sold to brothels or for spare parts instead? Perhaps you would prefer that I’d been turned into a mindless slave, instead of finding my own path to navigate through this nightmare of a planet?

“Or, perhaps—”

Dark, gooey vines erupted from around the Syldrari and I retaliated with my lightning, bursting each one before summoning my own well of dark, glowing sludge around him. Unfortunately, fear was not the response he had.

“You’re—” A shockwave of energy emanated from Rel, a streak of light piercing the cultist’s skull. He fell to the ground at my feet as Rel stalked his way over, stopping beside me.

When Rel spoke, it was in a low hiss, “What are they thinking, sending you here like this?”

“Yes well, lack of options for me to choose from and all that,” I muttered bitterly. “I should take him in—”

“This is Clan V’shir’s jurisdiction and a Syldrari matter— I will handle this.” Rel gave me a warning look, then glanced toward the murmuring civilians making their way toward us. He let out a small sigh. “What are your orders?”

“We’re to guard your cafe for the remainder of the evening in case more ‘bogeys’ show up, sir,” Calder answered formally, earning an odd look from Rel. In response, Calder motioned at the visor he wore and continued, “HQ is worried more will come, and want us to lend our ‘expertise.’ They won’t take no for an answer.”

“I tried,” Nikolai offered, motioning to his data pad.

“Stealing the freedom of…a queen and…” the cultist mumbled groggily, already beginning to wake up. Rel’s heel connected with the side of the Syldrari’s head, knocking him back out. Then, Rel reached down and pulled the man’s arm over one shoulder, hauling him upright.

“Come inside.” Was all Rel said before turning and dragging his captive back into the cafe. Aldiner and Ciheri closed the doors behind us, shut the curtains, then proceeded to help restrain the cultist.

“Why did he call you ‘my king?’” Nikolai questioned flatly.

“Old legends of Lun’iri with the power of queens—they would translate to ‘prince’ or ‘king’ in your language,” Rel muttered bitterly. “He’s convinced that Jysel and I are such individuals because we haven’t been ‘defeated’ by Lethe—and wishes for us to join him rather than be culled if anyone ‘finds out.’”

“What do you mean culled ?” I demanded sharply, turning to face Rel. He looked taken aback by my tone and started to raise his hands as if to placate me. “Rel, what the hell is going on?”

“People like him believe Lun’iri throughout the ages have been killed the moment their power was discovered, or that they were enslaved by a queen through some other method,” Rel answered, running his fingers back through his hair. “There are rumors that this is why the Abyss Father and some others left Syldra society behind. “‘Princes’ were still weaker than queens, but more powerful than everyone else. Queens saw them as competitors and threats instead of allies or protection. As such—”

“Why are you…telling a queen this…” the cultist muttered.

“Look.” I grabbed the cultist by his chin and made him look at me. “I don’t want to be a queen. Having power over people isn’t something I want, but if I’m stuck with it—then I’ll do my damnedest to not use it unless I must, or if it can save someone. I don’t have a choice what power I was born with or given, and I don’t have a choice in who I serve. All I can do is try not to become the same sort of utter cunt Citomy and the other queens are.” I paused and glanced toward Rel. “No offense.”

“None taken. Your words are less harsh than I would have used in Syldran,” Rel stated, amused, before turning his gaze to the cultist. “Must you dirty your hands by touching this trash?”

“Rel, he’s still one of you. He may have pissed me off, but there’s a reason he’s on this planet and stirring up trouble. I want to know why.” I studied the cultist’s face, unable to read his expression until it turned to one of fire.

“Then just compel me to speak,” he challenged, straining against his restraints.

“No.” I let go of his face and straightened. “Listen to me or don’t, I don’t care. This isn’t my jurisdiction and you aren’t my problem. I have plenty of other shit to worry about.”

“…she is serious?” The cultist muttered under his breath.

“You know as well as I do that she is.” Rel grabbed the back of the cultist’s chair and dragged it toward an adjacent room. “Having no training to control her power and using it to manipulate others are two vastly different things.

“Ciheri, get them a drink while they wait. Aldiner, go inform the other Elders what is going on, and that I want this kept quiet.”

“I’m not done talking to ‘Subject Zero’ yet,” the cultist snapped. I narrowed my eyes behind my visor and stalked over to the pair. “Treating Syldrari like lab rats…the nerve . Then, capturing queens, and…”

“…Subject Zero?” Rel inquired, glancing my way, then at the set of my mouth. “I take it he isn’t wrong. This means…you were the first?”

“ That , I wouldn’t know. That’s just what they were calling me when I woke up after the Resonance Incident.” I shook my head slightly. “They implied I was the only one who didn’t succumb to and become trapped in the state of kuhir-dal. That said, I’ve effectively been a prisoner for the past five years or so. They kept me in isolation. Books were my company, but they always chose what I was allowed to read.”

“Elara, you should bind him,” Rel stated flatly. “We won’t get any information from him otherwise.”

“What? Absolutely not.” I stared at him in disbelief. “I am not binding anyone to me. Like him or dislike him, I refuse to use my power to ‘get my way.’ My curiosity can be satisfied later in a healthier manner.”

“He’ll never comply,” Rel argued, narrowing his eyes at me. “The worst that could happen is that his clan submits to you, and you have a trove of forbidden knowledge at your fingertips. At best, you can leverage your possession of them to buy yourself safety on Syldra and extraction from this planet.”

“No.” I crossed my arms, watching as the bound man flinched, then his expression loosened, and his eyes ticked back and forth as if he was trying to comprehend something. “The only way I’m binding someone is by accident, if it’s the only way to save someone, or if I’m forced.”

“She…” the cultist murmured, astounded.

“Do you believe her now?” Rel smirked, but it was quickly replaced with a frown when he noticed just how stunned the cultist was.

“She…is not from Syldra, is she?” The cultist murmured. “Subject Zero’s file…let’s see…”

“You’re responsible for the pictures we received of the abandoned installation near the first Incident site,” I remarked, narrowing my eyes and the cultist. He looked up, surprised, and his whole appearance glitched briefly.

“You received our message? Then why are you still…” the cultist’s voice seemed to split, a much deeper one reverberating beneath the younger one. A voice that made Rel freeze, his skin going pale and his glow shifting to a dim grey.

“There was no message. Only pictures.” I narrowed my eyes when the cultist slumped, and his expression became sorrowful. “Who am I speaking to?”

The deep voice took over again, as did the rich brown skinned appearance. “A vessel. Eager to prove himself…but a touch too emotional for this manner of work. Return him to me.”

“How about you say please ?” I pressed my fingers to my temples. “The lack of manners with people as of late…”

“I am disinclined to say ‘please’ to a traitorous queen. Shouldn’t you be working to free yourself and the other captured queens?” The voice maintained a calm tone, and smirked at the glance I shot him.

“I try to operate on a baseline of respect and interpersonal decency ,” I motioned with my hands as I spoke. “You…are quickly dropping below that threshold.”

“Lethe can’t act if she wants to survive. She may not be in a physical cage anymore but she is just as trapped as the other queens!” Rel snarled, grabbing the Lun’iri by the front of his coat. Then, an icy calmness came over him. “If you want your vessel back, then you will make a deal with me.”

“I will entertain it.”

“The humans have reconstructed a resonance weapon out of damaged and incorrect parts,” Rel began, causing the captive to go a shade paler and begin listening intently. “If they fire it, every living being on this planet and in orbit will die. The humans, however, are confident they built it properly. They are keeping it trained on the Syldrari Sector so that they may fire it at the slightest sign of danger—or to send a message to my mother. Citomy.

“Neither you nor Jysel can free more queens from this planet while the humans are cocky and watching. Lethe can’t be freed and returned to whomever her people are. This planet has become the most dangerous place for any Syldrari to be—and we cannot leave.”

“…unless something is done about that weapon, and it is in quite literally everyone’s interests to do so.” The cultist released a sigh, then looked to me. “The humans haven’t realized what you are yet?”

“As far as any of us are aware, the Resonance Incident caused human and Syldrari genetic material to fuse and…” I stopped talking and motioned loosely with my hands in a shrug.

“That is the version you’ve been fed?” The cultist sighed and shook his head, before looking at me with a piercing stare—one that didn’t match the emotional vessel we’d been talking to. No, that stare was more akin to the Lun’iri I’d run from weeks ago. “I apologize for this vessel’s accusations and my suspicions. You, too, are a victim of human greed…yet I sense there is more to it. Rel ?”

“I do not have the full picture either, nor do I answer to you.” Rel crossed his arms over his chest. “My concern is the safety of Clan V’shir, and of Lethe. Either you agree to my terms for your vessel’s release, or you do not.”

“If we can do something about the weapon, we will. Otherwise, as you said, saving the captives will not be possible.” The cultist shot Rel a bored look. “You are a smart lun. I suggest you concoct your own escape plans for when the weapon is destroyed—and I recommend you don’t simply go crying to your mother.”

“Lun?” I murmured curiously, watching the now-fuming Rel.

“Lun’iri means ‘man,’ therefore ‘lun’…” The cultist smiled innocently at Rel. “Ah, I see. You are that creature’s firstborn, my mistake. I had heard you and your brother were working to escape her tyranny… You didn’t make it far.”

“Yes, well, considering she thinks she has the right to sell them even now…” I trailed off into a scoff. Just thinking about that woman made me want to hit things.

“You should have accepted,” Rel muttered as he worked on untying the cultist. “With you, at least, we would maintain our freedom.”

“You have that much faith in Elara’s character?” The cultist remarked, earning a sharp look from Rel. “Please. We have just as many plants inside the empire as anyone else—perhaps more. Did you think calling her by her codename would be sufficient?”

“Ugh… Yes. I trust Elara and have been given no reason not to. Even if she may not come from Syldra, she has proven herself to be a better and more trustworthy ally than most people I’ve met.” Rel took a step back and crossed his arms once he had finished freeing the cultist.

“You aren’t going to arrest this vessel?” The cultist shifted to look at me.

“This isn’t my jurisdiction. So long as you don’t do anything to harm the people here or start conflict…” In lieu of glaring, I let my words hang in the air for a moment. “My job is to keep the peace. That’s it. Whether it requires inaction, an arrest, or removal of your head is up to you.”

“She is very…us, in her punishments,” Rel added amusedly. “I suggest you look into the rapists who were put on display in another sector.”

“That was your work?” The cultist eyed me for a moment. “I will not promise that we aren’t your enemy. We will free the trapped and the enslaved…but we desire no part of the queens’ machinations.”

“Then don’t give them a reason to stay?” I rolled my eyes behind my visor. “ I don’t want to deal with them either, unless it involves…” I felt the feral stir, and dark blue-black liquid with faintly glowing flecks started to ooze up between the floorboards around me. “You know what, never mind. I should be returning to ‘guard duty.’”

The cultist asked something in Syldran as I walked past them, receiving a short answer from Rel. There was a shaky intake of breath, and I found myself cursing Zafir’s decision to uninstall Syldran from my chip.

“Uh…” Nikolai inched back from me when I leaned back against the bar. “I’ll…go post up at the door.”

“Me too.” Calder promptly knocked back the remainder of his drink and followed Nikolai outside.

That obvious, huh … I let out a small sigh, then glanced to my right in surprise when I felt two arms around my shoulders and a cheek against my head.

“It’s okay to be frustrated.” Ciheri gave me a light squeeze and rubbed my upper arm. “I think, were I in your shoes, I’d have torn down most of the empire looking for answers by now. I admire your patience.”

“Is it patience?” I let out a small sigh as Ciheri released me and he perched on a seat beside me.

“In a sense. You’re biding your time, waiting for when you can act. That is a form of patience.” Ciheri shot me a calming smile. “Besides, patience is more likely to get your answers. Right?”

He had a point there, but I remained silent, watching as Rel escorted the cultist into the room and toward the front door.

“You can see me, can’t you?” The cultist stopped, turning his head slightly, though I couldn’t quite make out his expression. “The master behind the puppet.”

“Perhaps? What do you see, Ciheri?” I looked to my right at him, watching as he frowned.

“Monochromatic noise . Unless, he is white, black, and grey?” Ciheri murmured, and Rel nodded his agreement. Then, Ciheri motioned toward a TV that was currently off. “It’s like looking at someone who stepped out of one of those old black and white films the humans have in their museums, yet the edges are…wrong.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What? No. When he isn’t flickering between appearances, he has black hair, skin the color of…I suppose chocolate. Sort of. His eyes are the brightest peridot green I think I’ve ever seen. And—”

“Enough,” Rel interjected. “We see him as he wishes us to see him. Nothing more. Such are the forbidden arts. Don’t dwell on it.”

The cultist’s mouth pulled into an amused smile, and he shot me one last glance before leaving the cafe. Once he was gone, Rel walked over to me with a serious expression on his face.

“What?” I asked tiredly. “You’re not going to answer any of my questions, so why bother looking at me like that?”

Rel’s hand lifted up to my face and cupped it as he leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine. His eyes fluttered shut, and he simply stood there like that for a moment, his glow shifting from a rich, pale pink to a vibrant sapphire blue. “Thank you, for being you .”

“Um?” I gave him a perplexed look, then remembered he couldn’t any of my goddamn expression aside from my mouth. “What—?”

Ciheri cleared his throat, his translucent white skin tinged blue. “Rel, what are we going to do about business for the rest of the day? Since that imbecile let it slip that ‘Lethe’ is a queen…”

Rel took a step back and opened his eyes, releasing a small sigh before looking to Ciheri. “We will play along with her ‘may have been grafted with foreign genetics’ theory. After all, it is true. Just not in the way she wishes it were, perhaps.”

“Yes, well, I’m not supposed to be asking questions or dwelling on implications…and thinking I’m a queen-turned-human will do nothing but make me dwell on things and ask endless questions.” I pushed away from the counter and started to walk toward the front door. “I should get started on the whole ‘guard duty’ thing.”

“No.” Rel caught me by the arm and pulled me aside. “You’re staying inside where we can keep an eye on you and quell any questioning parties.”

“That’s…” I hesitated but relented after studying his firm-yet-pleading expression. “Alright. But it’s probably best I don’t talk, since everyone in this sector can hear through the modulator…”

“We can see who you are, as well.” Rel ran a hand back through his hair. “But…my clan will understand the reason for your lack of speech. Let us handle any visitors who may not be so understanding. Alright?”

“Mhm…okay.” I nodded and let Rel lead me to a section of the room where he thought I should play guard.

Once I’d leaned back against a wall, Ciheri inched over to me again, and whispered, “He didn’t really want you to bind that Lun’iri, you know. He was trying to prove that you’re trustworthy. I think that’s why he thanked you for being you.”

“That person’s reactions to me are what’s bothering me…” I murmured, thinking back to the encounter from several weeks ago. “It wasn’t the same person. The one with the deep voice sounded right, but the ‘vessel’…”

“One of the forbidden arts allows a stronger individual to superimpose themselves over a willing vessel,” Rel informed me as he walked over, a drink in hand—which he offered me. “However, what you see or hear is still whatever identity they want you to think they have. While it’s possible you saw his true face, it is unlikely. Such cults are too cautious for that.”

“A cult, hmm…” Ciheri glanced at Rel. “Are we sure that’s what they are?”

“If you have suspicions, then do some digging,” Rel suggested, motioning toward the stairs that led to their apartments. “You can use the computer in my room to access the Syldra network and research known cults—past and present. I haven’t had the time.”

“Will that help?” Ciheri asked, looking between me and Rel.

“Ciheri, if it’s what you want to do…” I paused, struggling to find a way to word what I wanted to say.

Rel chuckled and looked at the puzzled Ciheri. “She wants to know but doesn’t want to accidentally compel you into doing something you’d rather not do. Follow your instincts, Ciheri. If you wish to assist, then do so in whichever way you see fit—unless it would put you in danger.”

“Yeah, no infiltration crap!” Aldiner declared as he returned, pointing a finger at Ciheri. “I’ll help Rel with the cafe today, don’t worry about it.”

True face, or a mask? Does it matter? I wondered absentmindedly. Then, I glanced in Rel’s direction as he walked off toward the bar. He looked unnerved by my description of that person. Maybe I should do some digging of my own. Historical and prominent figures related to the Abyss Father, perhaps?

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