“Negative.” I shook my head. “We keep trying to reach REI, to no avail. None of our agents or allies were able to pick up any traces of either of them.”
“She lives,” he growled, flashing his teeth as he flicked his tail aggressively. “The ringing has stabilized and dimmed, but she hasn’t met me in our void chamber yet. Only time will tell what happened to my Nova.”
“She is a strong female.” I comforted him, unsure what to say to someone who recently lost his mate. “Knowing my brother, he will find a way to reach her and return her to you safely.”
“That’s one thing I can depend on,” he agreed. “Though I’m not pleased that something is going on in the shadows—my shadows. Qranibei’s crew betrayed me, and I want you to find out why.”
“Yes, Sire.” I nodded. “I will bring you all the information you need.” I flicked my focus to my sister Kaica within our network. Surprisingly, she was still located in Destima’s hospital, instead of in the privacy of the villa. “Any updates on the status—”
“They are stable,” Zirene sighed, closing his intensely lit eyes. “I hope Kaica can gather the team she needs to heal them. When my Nova returns, she will be distraught as it is. I won’t want to have to explain to her why her Favored died on my watch.”
The new Aldawi Sovereign looked tired. The claw marks on his chest were still raw, stripped bare of his dark, striped fur. If he hadn’t been wearing his new uniform, he would appear to be no one of importance. His royal-purple-and-black loincloth matched his elegant cape, both intricately detailed in silver to show off his new rank.
If I were a stranger, I would say his new position suited him, but I knew how little becoming Sovereign had appealed to Zirene. Now he was bound to his throne and would soon start feeling trapped in his prison of a palace. Yet, he would keep telling himself that he made his sacrifice for the betterment of his people. His plan to let Royak lead while Zirene slew any who stood in the empire’s way had failed, and now he was responsible for fixing his predecessor’s mistakes.
The Aldawi Empire’s future was a mystery.
While Zirene was fully capable of leading, Selena’s disappearance would slowly chip away at his sanity, now that we knew how important her proximity was. Once bonded, a Nova was her Shadow’s guiding light, leading him away from darkness.
Who knew when the new Aldawi Sovereign would snap? I did know that I didn’t want to be around when he did.
“Z,” I whispered, placing a hand on his forearm. He flinched at my touch as he opened his intense eyes, locking them on me. “Let us do what we do best. We both know wherever Kaede is, he will fight until his last breath for your Nova. Call it duty, call it love—we all know how hard he fights for her, so there’s no use denying his feelings any longer—my brother will bring her back. If you say she’s alive somewhere in the universe, then have faith that the Stars will return her to you… and her clan. I suspect the Fates harbor great plans for the two of you. Just focus on running your empire and let us support you from the shadows.”
“I hope you’re right, B.” His eyes fell to my hand, covering it with his. “It’s hard to trust anyone within these walls. Someone planned this kidnapping, and I won’t rest until I purge all who dare lay a paw on my Nova and her clan. My enemies wanted change—they got it. Just not in the way they imagined.”
“It’s too late to try and correct our mistakes now,” I replied. “We will be more careful and less arrogant about our abilities. When we discover who is behind this, I will give you the honor.”
“I would expect no less.” He gently squeezed my hand before releasing it. I returned the gesture, interpreting it as a sign that our personal moment between longtime friends had passed. It was time to address him as a squad leader, reporting to my ruler. “I will leave you, Agent Bryeca. Report back with your findings.”
“Yes, Sire.”
I bowed my head and listened to his soft steps drift down the corridor. As soon as they were no more than a whisper to my ears, I raised my head to watch him disappear beyond the sliding doors.
Though he was Sovereign of the most powerful territory within the CEG, he was still the male who rescued my siblings and me, and molded us into the individuals we are today. I respect Zirene dearly even when he doled out harsh criticism because his admonishments only made his compliments that much more appealing.
He was the only father figure in our lives. We had been his best-kept secret while we’d spent the first few years outside the Yaarkins ship studying the galaxy. Zirene was a kind leader, master of our freedom, and protector of our citizenship within the CEG. While at times we wished for more downtime between missions, we never blamed him, for he was always working alongside us. The short time he spent with Selena on Destima was the only vacation he’d taken since I’d met him.
Zirene had always been searching for her—his Nova—all while managing his star system and cleansing the galaxy of the scattered Yaarkins. Just as he had found her and their clan had settled together as a unit, someone stole her away once more.
I sighed, dreading my next task.
Why did it have to be him and not someone else?
< LUO. CONNECT TO K AND ASK FOR A STATUS REPORT. >
< REQUEST SENT. >
< THANK YOU. >
Even though LUO never responded, I still felt the need to thank him. He was a part of me I
