“Well…” V nodded reluctantly. “I guess that makes sense. What else were you gonna do with them? Though I hate like all the Seven Hells that the ‘Glorious Leader’ got away. That bastard is the one who started it all!”
“Yes, I know.” Sylvan nodded. “We are still looking for him, but he seems to have disappeared.”
“Well, we were more successful in our hunt down here on Yown Beta,” V informed him.
“The Eye of Ten’gu?” Sylvan sounded hopeful.
“It’s locked away in my safe right here aboard my ship,” V told him. “And we were careful to keep it out of direct sunlight when we brought it out of the mountain, so I guess it’s still ‘asleep,’ if that makes you feel better.”
“It does.” Sylvan nodded in relief. “Thank you, V’rex—you’ve done us a great service.
“You might not be so happy when you find out how much I paid for it,” V told him. “Penelope and I had to barter for it with the Chieftain of the local tribe and it was not cheap.”
“Whatever you paid, I will be happy to repay you,” Sylvan said gravely. “No price is too great to destroy the Eye before it awakens and causes the death and destruction that are foretold.”
“I don’t know about death and destruction, but whatever’s inside it, it’s an evil fucker,” V growled. “The local Chieftain’s wife was wearing it as a necklace and it was messing with her fertility.”
“The force that created the Eye hates all life,” Sylvan remarked. “Unless it is evil life he created himself.”
“Yeah, I know about the Cruel Father,” V said, nodding. “My Sire used to tell me stories about him to scare me right before bed.”
“Speaking of your heritage…” Sylvan began and then stopped.
“Yes? What about it?” V asked, frowning.
But the Kindred Commander was shaking his head.
“I’d rather speak to you about it in person, if you don’t mind. Can you and Penelope meet me in the Hell’s Gate VIP lounge?”
“Sure.” V shrugged. “Don’t much go there. It’s a lot of money to pay just to park your ship in a fancier part of the station.”
“It’s a secure area,” Sylvan pointed out. “Which I prefer for the transfer of the Eye of Ten’gu.”
“Oh, right.” V nodded. “I understand. Sure, we can meet you—just tell me when.”
“Tomorrow morning at o-eight hundred hours,” Sylvan told him. “We should be done mopping up the mess on Yown Alpha by then.”
“We’ll be there,” V told him. “Penelope is going to be so excited to see you again. She’s found about a thousand ancient Kindred artifacts she wants to show you.”
“Has she?” Sylvan’s face lightened. “That’s fascinating! We weren’t sure from the ancient scrolls if our ancestors lived under Mount Ra’gar or if it was simply the place where they chose to hide the Eye.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure they lived here,” V said. “Penelope has found all kinds of things. From pots and pans to…well, I’ll let her tell you about it—she’s the archeologist, after all,” he ended.
“And an excellent one at that. We will always be grateful to her—and to you—for your service in securing the Eye,” Sylvan said seriously.
“You’re welcome.” V smiled. “I ought to thank you for sending her. I didn’t even know I was looking for my mate until I saw her.”
“That’s how it goes sometimes.” Sylvan smiled. “The Goddess works in mysterious ways.”
“So she does.” V nodded. “Well, we’ll see you tomorrow morning. Now I’d better go help Penelope pack up her artifacts.”
“We’ll see you in the VIP lounge,” Sylvan said and the viewscreen went blank.
V sat there for a moment, staring at the dark viewscreen and musing that he never would have believed it was possible to have such a cordial conversation with an old foe. Sylvan sounded serious when he had offered to repay the price of the Eye. And he had actually brought in troops to clear out the cult on Yown Alpha.
Maybe it was time to rethink his position on the Kindred, V mused. But then he remembered how his mother had been abandoned and frowned. Sylvan might be decent enough, but that didn’t mean they all were.
He had wounds too deep to be healed with a few minutes of light chitchat.
Sighing, he got up and checked the safe, making certain the Eye was secure. He had put it in a black velvet bag, both to protect it and to keep it from looking at him. It was painted to appear like it was looking at you no matter where you stood which was fucking creepy. There was also a feeling about it—you felt like something dark was crouching in the back of your mind whenever you touched it.
Which was why V preferred not to touch the fucking thing.
V looked at it briefly and then put it back in the bag.
“Getting rid of you tomorrow and good fucking riddance,” he informed it and locked the safe. He checked the lock twice to be sure and then a third time because that stupid Eye made him paranoid, and then finally left, locking the ship behind him.
He would be damn glad not to have it anymore—fucking thing creeped him the hell out.
Chapter 111
“I didn’t even know that Hell’s Gate had a VIP lounge,” Penny remarked, yawning, as they docked in the elite section of the Spaceport.
“Yeah, not many people go there. It’s a ridiculous amount of credit for a few luxuries,” Vrex remarked as he finished the docking procedure.
“Well, I’m sure not everybody has a ship as luxurious as yours,” she pointed out, unbuckling her seat harness and standing up to stretch. “That minor lordling you won it from must have been really upset when he lost.”
“Nah—his Sire could buy him five more just like it.” V’rex got up as well. “C’mon, baby—I’m sure Commander Sylvan is already waiting.”
“Oh—don’t forget the Eye,” Penny said quickly. “I want to be sure to give it
