{Monarch 3}

Xelan paced a circle around Kyle and the three unconscious drones. They followed the goons into a private VIP corner and disabled their nacres. Tameka drained them unconscious, and Pablo laid them out with heavy sedatives. They all said a prayer or two to Elden.

Milling about a room full of soiled couches, Iuo observed, “That bought us ten minutes at the most before someone discovers us.”

Tumu nodded in agreement with the assessment.

Kyle immediately went to work.

Now Xelan paced, sweeping his coat and biting his thumbnail. Tameka spared him a pitying glance that stopped his anxious habit.

“Everything looks fine out here,” Sagan said over the earpiece.

Korac insisted on playing lookout from the dance floor with her, and to Xelan’s recollection, he’d play the part well. But that was far removed from his mind.

Xelan stared at Tameka. Her frown. For the last five minutes of the memory walk, Tameka was frowning, deep in her thoughts. While Xelan liked the intelligence in her eyes behind it, it still bothered him. “What is it?” He almost included her name, but those weren’t safe in public.

Tameka kept the frown as she stared down at Kyle sitting with the unconscious men. “I don’t like this.”

Tumu agreed. “Me neither.”

Iuo shrugged in one muscular movement. “What’s to like?”

Pablo glanced between all of them before nodding at Tameka. “I feel it, too.”

Xelan knelt and looked into Tameka’s sharp eyes. “Tell me.”

She bit her lip before saying, “They have nacres. That’s suspicious on its own. If they have memories of this mysterious plant… Why would Imminent let them keep those—”

Kyle startled on his return and fell back on his hands. “Joint. Joint. I need a joint.”

Pablo shook his head. “No medicinal marijuana in public. You kinda marked the smell as a distinctive trait.”

“Fine. Someone buy me a drink then.” Kyle held out his hand for help up, and Xelan took it as the young Progeny said, “They work there all right. Huge facility with hundreds of these nasty pulsing things behind a wall of nacre glass. Hidden lifts throughout the place will take us right to it. If we can trust them.”

Xelan nodded for Tameka to see.

With little change to her outward appearance, Tameka drained the three drones dead. After a few seconds, Xelan felt recharged and awake at the brush of her power. Tumu and Iuo perked. Pablo’s brown eyes sparkled as he checked on Kyle.

Xelan said, “Practical but callous, we stash these bodies and return to recon. I’m with you. I don’t like this. One group stays in public while another goes with Sagan to investigate. Understood?”

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“I volunteer to stay upstairs with the booze. Iuo, are you with me?” Kyle nudged the Lamian Prince.

Iuo bowed with his head. “Of course.”

“Good. You’re the only one with any real sway around here. Get me something top shelf,” Kyle said while the light evacuated from his forest-green eyes. Just vacuumed off. Story Taker swallowed before saying, “If you could see what was in their heads—the things they’ve done and the people they’ve hurt—”

A tear blinked from Kyle’s lashes before he shook his head as if ridding himself of the images.

Pablo squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s get you a drink, man.”

Tameka squeezed his other one, snapping him out of it. Xelan appreciated they worked out their differences over the last few months. He was especially proud of her for learning to let go and forgive. It was good for morale to bolster the greatest strengths in the outfit. Truth be told, there wasn’t a single person here who wasn’t a strength. Good leaders should always acknowledge that. Despite her impressive ability to hold a grudge, Tameka was learning.

When Kyle reached up and patted her hand, Xelan felt the old wound mend. As the liquor-bound trio left the room, Xelan made sure his respect showed in his smile for Tameka when she turned around.

She returned the expression with warmth in her eyes before looking around and blowing the air from her cheeks. “Right. Bodies.”

Xelan, Tumu, and Tameka spent the next ten minutes hiding the drones, each of them quiet in their own thoughts. Mostly, the Prince of Cinder wanted to arrange some group healing time once they finished Phase II. Any more of this constant grind, and they’d drive good soldiers away.

As they hid the bodies behind a maintenance alcove, Tameka remarked, “The construction of this place is seamless. No joints or frames. It’s amazing.”

Tumu humphed. “Yes. For all that Razor was a monster, he had an affinity for gorgeous architecture.”

“It’s seamless because it was solid once.” As Xelan spoke, the other two turned to him at their work. He elaborated, “Razor programmed nanites to hollow it out—cut it from the wood to create his design. I know because that’s how I dug out the stronghold on Earth, among other hideouts.”

Tameka’s eyes glittered with admiration. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Tumu snorted. “Return a phone call.”

Xelan barked out a laugh and tucked Tameka into his side as he got on the earpiece. “We’re ready, Seamswalker. Kyle said there was a lift behind the burlesque stage. Do you copy?”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n.” Sagan Seamswalked into the VIP room with Korac at her side.

The fair Icarus nodded once to the group. “I can’t tell you how honored I am to walk into this trap with you fine fugitives.”

It chafed Xelan how much he still appreciated Korac’s humor and how easily Xelan fell into it. “You certainly dressed for the occasion.”

Tumu chuffed.

Tameka didn’t get in the way of the compliment. Instead, she asked Korac, “Is there anything you don’t look pretty in?”

“It’s quite the curse.”

Yes. It was. So Korac’s Verse said so. Xelan nearly winced at the thought. Especially as he recalled how many times the Icarean General made the same joking confession over the years. Always embittered. Now Xelan understood why.

Sagan hopped with anticipation, looking exceptionally young in the over-sized tunic. “Ready?”

It made more sense to explore the lower floors, but Sagan understandably struggled with uncharted spaces. Xelan was grateful she recognized the Mon3 tree from her pre-Razor journey across the Vast Collective before the disaster with Gait restricted her travel. Sometime soon, Xelan would chat with her about how she was processing it all.

Entering a room with only the lift, Xelan grinned. “Nice work.” He refrained from calling Sagan Planet Breaker. Instead, he ruffled her hood.

Sagan huffed in exasperation and fixed her hair.

Korac hid a smirk at her expense. It was enough to broaden Xelan’s grin. When Tameka entered, she raised a brow at the scene until she got the joke with a warm shake of her head.

Tumu was all business. “The lift is unguarded. Not exactly what I imagined when Remorse promised to ‘triple security.’”

“This is a trap.” Korac ground the words in his teeth.

Tameka sighed with an unenthused, “Yup.”

Xelan kept his reservations to himself. They were the Shadow. They had each other. And a nifty Seamswalker to help them escape if anything went wrong.

On high alert, they took the lift down to the uncertain below.