were at least two new Covenant proselytizers out there we need to keep our eyes on.”
“Fine,” Shyrah said sharply before quickly turning on a heel to leave. She stopped herself at the door, clenching the frame enough to turn her knuckles white, and glanced back to him. “You know I didn’t really want to kill him.”
Kronn smiled tiredly. “I know.”
She nodded and walked away. Kronn let the silence linger a moment before turning to Corin. “I wonder if you do.”
The younger man shrugged. “You know how Shy is with gangsters, slavers especially.”
“Yes,” Kronn replied softly. The Asurans had saved both Corin and Shyrah from the Valerian Syndicate a few years ago, and it might have been the most ruthless and powerful slaver gang on Argoa. Shyrah had been owned by one of their crime bosses since she was barely a teenager, and she had a tendency to see his face superimposed on everyone they went after.
“She knew how valuable his information could have been,” Corin said. “Honestly she probably only did it because of you.”
Kronn pursed his lips at the thought. Beren had been shifting his aim towards Kronn when she had fired. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter—what’s done is done. For now we need to focus on the Incubus. I want him to feel welcome.”
“I’m sure Sara can get on his good side. She’s fit in well with everyone here—well, almost everyone.”
Kronn grinned at the addendum. “Shyrah has her reasons, and they’re sensible enough. The very idea of a fallen angel is like a contradiction in terms.”
“Only if you believe they are what the Covenant says they are—which I know most of us don’t,” Corin pointed out. “Take your pick from any other theory and a defector makes plenty of sense.”
There were probably a thousand different theories about Angels, from some type of freakish mutation to genetically engineered super-humans. Though really, to call any of those “theories” was to insult the scientific term. He had more data on Angels than any other scientist on the planet outside of the Covenant, and he could dismiss ninety-five percent of them on supposition alone.
What he couldn’t do was explain them. Not precisely, anyway.
“Whatever they may or not be, she’s helped us too much to ignore, and I think deep down Shy knows that,” Kronn said. “But when you’ve been betrayed enough in your life, it’s difficult to trust even the good things.”
“I know, I just…” Corin bit at his lip and turned away. “I just wish they’d get along better is all.”
“Give it time,” Kronn told him sagely.
The younger man stood up. “Well, I just hope this guy is the man we need. What do you think?”
“Sariel seems convinced.”
“Or just desperate.”
Kronn suppressed a frown. He knew the others had sensed the Angel’s growing discomfort over the months, particularly in the last few weeks. Rumors about what exactly was causing it were starting to spread, but they weren’t even close. No one knew except for him, and for now it had to remain that way. He trusted most of his people implicitly, but there was just too much at risk to take any chances.
He just had to hope this Incubus was indeed the miracle cure they all hoped him to be.
Chapter Four
Avrick wrinkled his nose as the ramp extended from their shuttle out to the over-sized docking hub. The smell wasn’t any different than the port on Fauress or even the ones in Louvette. The mottled stench of engine grease, burned thruster casings, and fifty different solvents all swirled together in what he imagined was probably the single most uniform aroma anywhere on Argoa. For some reason he found it less tolerable than the pain ritual and did his best to cover his face with his sleeve.
“Given how highly the Faithless talk of this place, you’d expect to sail in on a river of gold and be greeted by a dozen maidens bearing flowers,” Vaelen commented wryly as he hopped off the ramp onto the
“Fine,” Shyrah said sharply before quickly turning on a heel to leave. She stopped herself at the door, clenching the frame enough to turn her knuckles white, and glanced back to him. “You know I didn’t really want to kill him.”
Kronn smiled tiredly. “I know.”
She nodded and walked away. Kronn let the silence linger a moment before turning to Corin. “I wonder if you do.”
The younger man shrugged. “You know how Shy is with gangsters, slavers especially.”
“Yes,” Kronn replied softly. The Asurans had saved both Corin and Shyrah from the Valerian Syndicate a few years ago, and it might have been the most ruthless and powerful slaver gang on Argoa. Shyrah had been owned by one of their crime bosses since she was barely a teenager, and she had a tendency to see his face superimposed on everyone they went after.
“She knew how valuable his information could have been,” Corin said. “Honestly she probably only did it because of you.”
Kronn pursed his lips at the thought. Beren had been shifting his aim towards Kronn when she had fired. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter—what’s done is done. For now we need to focus on the Incubus. I want him to feel welcome.”
“I’m sure Sara can get on his good side. She’s fit in well with everyone here—well, almost everyone.”
Kronn grinned at the addendum. “Shyrah has her reasons, and they’re sensible enough. The very idea of a fallen angel is like a contradiction in terms.”
“Only if you believe they are what the Covenant says they are—which I know most of us don’t,” Corin pointed out. “Take your pick from any other theory and a defector makes plenty of sense.”
There were probably a thousand different theories about Angels, from some type of freakish mutation to genetically engineered super-humans. Though really, to call any of those “theories” was to insult the scientific term. He had more data on Angels than any other scientist on the planet outside of the Covenant, and he could dismiss ninety-five percent of them on supposition alone.
What he couldn’t do was explain them. Not precisely, anyway.
“Whatever they may or not be, she’s helped us too much to ignore, and I think deep down Shy knows that,” Kronn said. “But when you’ve been betrayed enough in your life, it’s difficult to trust even the good things.”
“I know, I just…” Corin bit at his lip and turned away. “I just wish they’d get along better is all.”
“Give it time,” Kronn told him sagely.
The younger man stood up. “Well, I just hope this guy is the man we need. What do you think?”
“Sariel seems convinced.”
“Or just desperate.”
Kronn suppressed a frown. He knew the others had sensed the Angel’s growing discomfort over the months, particularly in the last few weeks. Rumors about what exactly was causing it were starting to spread, but they weren’t even close. No one knew except for him, and for now it had to remain that way. He trusted most of his people implicitly, but there was just too much at risk to take any chances.
He just had to hope this Incubus was indeed the miracle cure they all hoped him to be.
Chapter Four
Avrick wrinkled his nose as the ramp extended from their shuttle out to the over-sized docking hub. The smell wasn’t any different than the port on Fauress or even the ones in Louvette. The mottled stench of engine grease, burned thruster casings, and fifty different solvents all swirled together in what he imagined was probably the single most uniform aroma anywhere on Argoa. For some reason he found it less tolerable than the pain ritual and did his best to cover his face with his sleeve.
“Given how highly the Faithless talk of this place, you’d expect to sail in on a river of gold and be greeted by a dozen maidens bearing flowers,” Vaelen commented wryly as he hopped off the ramp onto the
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