“Guess so.”
And with that, Nykyrian left him alone.
Jinx pulled out his reader that The League didn’t know he had and put in the chip.
He winced as he saw the footage that would have had him arrested and executed. “How could I have been so fucking stupid?”
Jinx knew better.
He also knew why.
Emotions. Never let your emotions rule your actions.
How many times had that been drilled into him?
If not for Nykyrian and his unnamed friend . . .
He didn’t want to think about that. So he pulled the chip out, crushed in under his boot.
Then swallowed it.
By the time he shit it out, it’d be utterly destroyed and no one would ever know about it. Provided Nykyrian wasn’t lying and there were no more copies.
God, how he hated trusting someone.
Anyone.
You trust Sav.
But only some days and not with everything.
Had Nykyrian wanted you dead, he could have done it and taken a rank advancement.
Turning him in would have bought the kid a lot of favor with their command. Instead, Nyk had warned him and covered his tracks.
Guess I have a friend, after all.
Nykyrian pulled out his secure link that he kept completely secret. “Yeah, he took it.”
Syn let out a heavy sigh. “You sure you can trust him?”
“No.”
“Then why did you open yourself up for that kind of trouble?”
“What’s he going to do? Kill me?”
Jinx wouldn’t be the first to try. His own mother had left him for dead.
Huwin had tried to kill him almost every day since the sick son-of-a-bitch had adopted him.
If there was one thing Nykyrian understood, it was survival. What he didn’t comprehend was kindness.
Mercy.
“I still don’t know why he saved her.”
Syn snorted. “I guess the same reason I saved you. We’re all fucking idiots with a death wish.”
Maybe.
“So,” Syn continued, “Do I tell Jedi where to find Shadowborne?”
“No. I have a feeling he’ll find them . . . if he wants to. Otherwise, he’s in enough shit. I don’t want to endanger him for something as trivial as gratitude.”
“Gratitude isn’t trivial.”
“Maybe, but it’s not worth getting him killed to express it. Kind of defeats the purpose.”
Syn laughed. “That’s true and I have to say that you assholes have one fucked up life.”
Nykyrian couldn’t agree more. And as he saw another officer approaching, he tensed. “Gotta go.” He cut the transmission and quickly hid his link.
If he was caught with an unauthorized device of any sort, they’d execute him. And while he was damn good at fighting, this assassin not only outranked him . . .
He was a full-blooded Andarion.
Being a half-blood, he was well-aware of their strength and abilities.
That was without League training.
While Nykyrian might be damn good, they were usually better. And he was a lot younger than the male approaching him.
So, he respectfully saluted. “Sir!”
“At ease.”
Nykyrian removed his sunglasses and quickly stood with his feet apart and his hands clasped behind his back.
“Do you know me?” the Andarion asked.
“No, sir.”
Since he continued to wear his sunglasses, Nykyrian had no way to read him. Not that it would have mattered. They were all well-schooled on how to keep all emotions concealed.
It was also why only lower ranking assassins had to remove their sunglasses in the presence of their senior ranks. Which had always pissed him off as it gave their higher officers a handy excuse if they wanted to attack anyone below their station for no reason.
I was disrespected by his expression. Or, they rolled their eyes.
Though they really didn’t have to list a reason as any higher up could assault them at random without any punishment.
The only thing that saved them was, if an upper assassin began shit, they were free to fight back.
And if they killed them, it was an automatic promotion. That alone kept most seniors from attacking the lower ranks they saw as competition.
So, when the Andarion removed his sunglasses, it shocked Nykyrian.
“Name’s Savage.”
Okay . . .
He waited for the commander to continue.
“I’m curious, Quiakides. If you hate your father so much, why did you save his life?”
Knowing he probably should keep his mouth shut, he answered with the single truth. “I deserve the right to kill him. I’ve earned it. No one else is going to take that from me.”
Savage actually choked. “Damn . . . you are one cold-blooded motherfucker.”
“I have enough Andarion in me that I crave the day when I can feel his blood sliding through my fingers.”
Savage nodded. “I feel your pain, little brother. But you know what Andarions say about revenge?”
“Pleitylent yhatte ghyspyłte ynya skiłia vâkani, útan pleitylent acao bauett hyacæ yweliani drexen eist.” Blood vengeance spilled hot burns to the bone, but blood vengeance served cold soothes even the most battered of souls.
His answer must have amused Savage, who coughed to cover his laughter. “I was actually thinking more along the lines of, Beware the sword of vengeance, for its blade is just as sharp on the back as it is the front. Lacking all sight, it doesn’t see what it hits, nor feel the pain that it causes. It tastes every bit of the blood it draws, and it cries more, more, more. For once started, its appetite becomes insatiable. So think you twice before you grasp that hilt, and find your hand locked to a fate that is as likely to strike the one who wields it as the one it’s meant to lay low.”
“That might mean something if I cared about living.”
Savage inclined his head to him. “Then I have a proposition for you.”
“That is?”
“There’s a group of us who want to see The League demolished. We’ve had enough of being their caged lorinas, sent out to kill without consent or choice. You interested?”
“Absolutely.”
Savage handed him a card. “That’s my number. I’ll let you know whenever we have a meeting. But you betray us, and we’ll have no mercy on you.”
“I don’t betray anyone who doesn’t deserve it.”
He inclined his head and put his sunglasses back on, then turned to leave.
Nykyrian stopped him. “Can I ask one question?”
“You can ask.”
“Is Shadowborne a member of your group?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“If he isn’t, you might want to think about it. He seems like a decent guy.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Huwin wants him dead. If he were an animal, Huwin wouldn’t bother. It’s the humanity in Shadowborne that scares him.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Eve sighed as she waited for customs to clear her. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” She glared at Jedi who stood by her side.
“Relax. It’s legit cargo.”
Why did she doubt that?
Because the Tavali never have legit cargo.