{Enki}

Silence was home.

All around her, monoliths of white stone reached for the terraformed sky. The imposing casings housed tome after tome of Tritan and Aegis history. Floral thyme carpeted the ground in fragrant white drifts. Chrome waterfalls poured into reflecting pools throughout the stacks. Overseers whispered overhead, scanning for intruders in Pil alloy shells. Black clouds swirled against the saphiric, artificial atmosphere. A storm loomed over the continent containing the Pantheon.

Her father brought Silence here many times in her childhood. She never once recalled unsettled weather here. Father said it was to protect the volumes from rain. As the ancient Icarean female gazed at the storm, she almost heard his deep voice amid the white stone. It filled her with peace.

Almost.

An azure pulse rippled across Silence’s dark gray skin.

Abresson, plain Tritan of average human height with indigo skin, flashed the white scars hidden beneath his robes when he gestured wildly at the sky. He reasserted, for the thirtieth time, “There is no way Rayne can affect the weather in Enki. It is monitored and controlled.”

Smith “humphed” in response from his station by the Progeny King’s side.

The young woman slept in a glass coffin filled with her own blood, aptly named the Martyr Complex. To prevent the detonation of her Weapon and to supply Celindria with samples, they connected plumbing to the exsanguination mechanism. Every hour on the hour, golden razors drilled into Rayne’s back, pumped nutrients and sedatives into her while draining her of her blood.

Silence ordered Lucas and Smith to guard her. The Icarus hid more than he let on behind those molten gold eyes. After his arrival in Enki, he stopped with the impeccable dress and donned a suit so pitch black and perfectly crafted it looked seamless. An abyss melted over his attractive build. Shorter than Silence, Lucas still carried himself with confidence and purpose. Diplomatic and sincere, he easily infiltrated the Shadow. Perhaps more than he’d intended. Now a depth was cast in his gaze.

Lucas was lost.

Ever since the human defected, Smith sported a telling smile, but what that smile told, Silence had yet to discover. Medium build dressed in combat gear, medium brown hair in a stylish cut, and medium brown eyes lined in kohl. Smith was handsome but not gorgeous, so he blended well into a crowd. Soldier and spy, the perfect assassin, and an agent of Imminent.

Silence suspected Smith of placing his bet on the Shadow. Specifically on King Rayne.

“I warned you not to underestimate her, Abresson.” Lucas liked to provoke the Tritan. By the way he leaned against a column that flanked the Martyr Complex, he appeared casual, but Silence noticed the tension in his muscles. Like a coil waiting to spring, Lucas wanted a fight.

Now this was because he either disliked the short Tritan which Silence commiserated, or because regret wormed its way inside and made a nest in the golden-eyed Icarus’ heart.

Smith, still with that smile, looked between the Icarus and the Tritan before winking at Silence. Apparently, he noticed as well. He shifted at the ready, where he sat against another column opposite of Lucas.

Abresson showed tremendous restraint when he ignored the provocation and simply approached the Martyr Complex on its dais. He traced the gold filigree in a way neither Silence nor Lucas could. Icarean nacres reacted negatively to gold.

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“Her beauty isn’t written on her bone structure. Nor her muscles and curves.” The Tritan also enjoyed toying with Lucas and Smith, two men who spent so much time as Rayne’s guard. “The sleeping King’s biorhythms sing in perfect harmony to the Probability Matrix. All Probabilities lead to her. In tears. Alone and afraid.”

Smith watched him, but not like an Imminent soldier. No. The human’s eyes sparked as he peered at Abresson like he wondered what the Tritan’s skin tasted like.

This was entirely too much tension for a room filled with warriors supposedly fighting on the same side.

Not at all like the Shadow who treated each other and Silence like family.

Sat on a bone-white throne, Silence glimpsed her confident reflection in a nearby waterfall. Gray skin and mid-length black hair with a blue stripe that bisected her bangs. Full lips softened the severity of her high cheekbones. When she smiled, which wasn’t much lately, all her white teeth showed. The absence of the expression drained the light from her gunmetal gray eyes. But that’s not what caught her attention.

Finally.

Clothes that fit her. Her asymmetrical skirt clung to her hips, covering one leg and revealing the other. The top was a slash of material that covered diagonally across her breasts and one shoulder. Barefoot, of course. Icarean warpaint contoured every striation of her muscles and completed the ensemble.

Once upon a time, Elden insisted on painting her skin before battle. It was one of few ways he showed affection for his estranged bride—

“I come bearing news of the Shadow.” Although the voice came from Karter’s mouth as she approached, the words were from Remorse.

Para walked alongside her from the conduit, presenting something in her hand.

The men straightened and gave their attention to the Valkyrie. All except Abresson. He kept his gaze on Rayne’s unconscious body. Silence’s skin pinched when not even naked Icarean females could divert Abresson from his obsession with the young King.

At the first opportunity, Silence would kill him.

Remorse forced Para to kneel before the throne. How like a small-minded creature to assume displays of submission meant anything to Silence. “Stand.”

Lucas took the device from Para’s hand. After examining it, he proclaimed, “It’s an audio recording. Would you like me to play it, Mother?”

“Please—”

“I wouldn’t recommend that around Rayne.” Karter sounded firm with Remorse’s commanding tone. “It’s a Verse. Korac’s. He uploaded it to the entire Vast Collective, and they’ve distributed copies of Nox’s Verse. Something we weren’t aware existed.”

Silence kept the knowledge from her gaze and noted that both Smith and Lucas also hid their awareness. All the Shadow knew of Nox’s illegal Verse.

Rayne slayed Silence’s grandson. Celindria said her descendant deceived him, manipulated his feelings for her, and usurped Cinder’s mantle from him.

Over the last two months, Silence stared at the Martyr Complex and thought on the matter. One element made little sense. If this girl was capable of such vile deception, why would the Shadow follow her? Why would Kyle—

The knife in her heart twisted until Silence almost gasped.

Too much. She must avoid thinking of the two men who never left her thoughts. The two men she betrayed, for all intents and purposes, but one day, history would understand. “Locate and obtain a copy of Nox’s Verse. I care little for Enki’s reputation or your Tribunal, Remorse. I care only for shifting the paradigm. Has the release of this information impacted the Probability Matrix?”

Remorse shook Karter’s head. “We still can’t see events beyond Rayne’s destruction.”

“And the artifacts?”

“All stagnant. Not one indicator reacts to this Probability with any foreknowledge. We travel blindly.” After answering, Para spared a glance over her shoulder at Rayne. “Uncertain for the first time.”

Karter grinned.

Abresson copied the expression.

Smith’s knowing smile broadened.

Only Lucas gazed down at the trapped King with caution in his eyes.

Silence thought more like him. This wasn’t the chaos she sought. This was someone’s calculated pandemonium, and only the Shadow could sort it out.

Kyle entered her thoughts once more, and Silence hoped he survived the Tantamount Abresson set earlier on Lukemore. With that in mind, she ordered, “Abresson, join the Valkyrie to retrieve Nox’s Verse. And Remorse? Be sure to dress them so they blend into the crowd.”

“Yes, Mother.” The indigo Tritan pulled the naked bodies of both Icarean females against him with an arm around each as they exited to the conduit. “I promise to behave myself.”

As they left, Lucas caught Silence’s glance. They shared a brief transaction in perfect understanding.

“Ahem.” Smith slipped the device containing Korac’s Verse from Lucas’ hand. “Mind if I…?”

All three of them looked at Rayne.

Silence took a moment to consider her options. Yes. This one caused the most trouble, and in choosing it, this strained trio stood little chance of surviving. What would the Shadow do?

“Play it.”

“With pleasure.”