Read Online LEGACY BETRAYED by Rachel Eastwood - Free Book Online Page B

morning report Dyna would give. It was littered in phrases such as “explosive,” and “intriguing,” each one causing a pang to his chest as he’d written it. But this was his job, and he supposed it was all for the best, if it exposed the crown’s corruption by fraternization with the CC.
                  The door shuddered open and Dyna Logan, her chestnut hair wrapped in a beehive of tight braids and her waist cincher a glaring, vinyl lavender, leaned in. “Are my notes ready,” she commanded. It was framed like a question, but it was not.
                  “Yes, Miss Logan.” Liam handed her the sheath, the skeletal outline of the coming report involving “Earl” Kaizen and his own Companion, a Chance for Choicer.
                  But Dyna’s eyes only ticked along its bullets for a second before flitting back to him. “What the hell is this?” she demanded.
    “It’s the story,” Liam answered feebly. “Isn’t it?”
    “We are not running this story,” Dyna insisted.
    Liam swallowed. “Another . . . cover-up?” he asked her, confused. What had they become? Was he only just seeing it now that he’d been promoted from personal assistant to report preparation?
    “It’s not a ‘cover-up,’ darling, don’t be so dramatic,” Dyna replied with an ugly smile. “It’s just . . . business. Now, I don’t have the time to wait for another draft, so never mind. I can wing it.”
    Dyna bustled from the room, and as Liam exited behind her, she pulled the lever from OFF to ON AIR, snatching up her microphone. “Good morning, Icarus. I’m Dyna Logan, your premiere source of breaking Icarus news in these trying times, and I’m delighted to bring you a small ray of sunlight in all the confusion.” Liam crossed the room toward the exit door, but paused to hear what she could possibly have brewed up in this few seconds between the preparation table and her seat. “Yours truly has been nominated by the duke to join his court of six, receiving a new office for public relations.” Liam imperceptibly shook his head, wrenching the door open and stepping out. “This means I’ll be representing the people of Icarus at every court meeting beginning next Monday. Please leave messages with the CIN-3 MAIN bot and let us know–”
                  The door slammed shut behind him. He had to get a break.
                  Liam’s head spun as he marched toward the lift at the end of the hall. The story was huge, and insanely meaningful to the political arena. How could she just smother it like that? For some paltry title in the duke’s court? His stomach was spinning, too. He’d known that the system hadn’t been perfect, of course, but he’d always believed that those imperfections had reason and the public interest behind them.
                  But where was the public interest in this bribery?
                  How could he continue to churn lies for that beast, and maintain his integrity?
                  If his work was truly of so little value that it was thrown into the trash?
                  When the lift arrived at the ground floor, Liam made for the door and didn’t look back.
                  There was only one person he knew who would receive these thoughts openly, and that was Exa Legacy, resident rebel.
     
                  Legacy jolted from where she stood, washing her face beneath the frigid spigot, as the door to her rental shuddered. Dax didn’t normally knock like that.
                  “Hello?” she called meekly.
                  “Exa,” Liam’s familiarly authoritarian tone rang to her. “Let me in.”
                  Legacy grimaced, but she went to the door. As likely as Liam was to lecture her, she knew he was also unlikely to turn her in. He’d had his chances before and not taken them. And if someone – Dax? – had