The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 29 - ORION

The guard—Ryan Gava—stood at a salute as we approached. I nodded my permission to let Daniel know we had arrived and Gava knocked on their door.

"I think you should wait out here," I whispered to Pharro. "I don't trust him."

"Ambassador Vonlinn is a friend. I will converse with him while you talk with Mr. Onra. Alright?"

I nodded, and then shook my head. "Wouldn't Tritteon still insist you wait out here?"

"No. He trusts my skills and knows what I am capable of. We would not have had the Breakfast otherwise." He paused and a Veehm rose around us, a shield solidifying. "Have his commands been lifted or are you still—"

"They vanished the moment the Breakfast was over. Why do you think I vomited?"

"I just needed to be sure. You were quite terrifying back there."

I frowned. "You do realize I—"

Someone knocked against his shield.

The shield dropped.

"Pharro, my dear friend," a voice said behind us.

Daniel's charge stood in the doorway, a huge smile on his friendly, bearded face. Ambassador Vonlinn was a good half a foot taller than Pharro. He had kind gray eyes, short, wavy, grayish blond hair and he wore a velvety black suit with a silvery gray scarf.

"It's been quite the exciting morning, hasn't it?" Vonlinn said.

Pharro brushed past me and embraced the man. "It was not even my top ten."

Vonlinn let out a deep, pleasant laugh. "Oh, to be you."

Pharro chuckled.

Vonlinn glanced past him to me and I gave him a slight bow.

"I could've sworn you were taller," he said, looking me up and down as he stroked his short, silvery-blond beard. "And more menacing. You aren't as formidable up close."

I folded my arms. I didn't feel as fearless as before, but I could still recall the feeling of superiority. "I'm here to speak with Daniel."

"Ah, yes." He looked at Pharro. "It's refreshing to see I'm not the only one here who has discovered the superiority of the weaponized Zourr over the FengDohrn." He turned and motioned us to follow. "Let's take this inside. The complimentary bar is excellent."

We followed him to a large sitting area with two black couches and a thick gray armchair all facing a huge fireplace. A glass countertop stood in the far corner covered in fancy crystal bottles in an assortment of sizes and varying colors of liquid.

"Where is Daniel?" I wondered to Lexicon.

As if in response to my question, he appeared in the doorway of the next room and beckoned me to join him.

The unease returned, but I pushed it down. Pharro and Vonlinn were already deep in conversation, looking like they were about to enjoy a plethora of drinks together. They wouldn't miss me. And if Pharro did, he knew why I had come in the first place.

"We'll let the kids play alone," Daniel said, closing the door behind me.

My unease escalated.

"It isn't locked. Calm down," I ordered myself. I searched for those feelings of fearlessness, feigning calm while I looked around the room. We were standing in a high-ceilinged office, every inch of wall covered by bookshelves and a black desk stood in the middle of the floor with eight clawed legs, the room lit by a hundred or so small orbs hovering from the middle of the ceiling in the shape of a chandelier.

"It is quaint," Daniel said, perching himself on the edge of the desk.

I eyed his hands. "What are the gloves for?"

He stretched his fingers, and winced. "Burned them."

I frowned. "When did you have time to do that?"

He shrugged. "My skin doesn't always withstand the heat of the more powerful Veehms."

I tucked my hands half under the wavy folds of my skirt to hide my nervous fist clenching. I couldn't believe how unnerving it was to hear him admit that so carelessly. It was as if the short period of feeling close to nothing had caused me to forget how to regulate my emotions completely.

"So, it was you."

He held my gaze without blinking, a pained look coming over his face. "That wasn't a question, was it?"

I didn't reply.

He nodded. "I saved your life, yes."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, Vonlinn, Gonreem, and His Highness have been friends since they were children, and he would have been very upset with me if I hadn't intervened. Second, there were three of them. Something drastic needed to happen for any of them to stop. Regrettably, that was the only answer I could come up with in that moment." He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned toward me. "And thirdly, I wanted you to know that I am your ally. I want your trust."

"Why now? The same thing happened yesterday, and you did nothing."

He lowered his gaze. "Gauwin and Seth were my friends. I was in shock." He shook his head, blowing out a breath. "I mean, Seth had already been acting off. I'm sure the stress of his upcoming ordeal didn't help. But Gauwin—she has always been a hard-ass, but she was always loyal to Tritteon to a fault."

Heat burned in my hands. "Wasn't Callen your friend?"

He ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"He didn't have to die," I hissed. "I could've handled it myself. If you hadn't interfered, he would've simply been knocked aside with the other two."

He took a seat on the edge of the desk. "Maybe. But the risk of them turning on the other Royals was too great. If I hadn't done it, Aeryn and Vialla and all three Sponsors wouldn't have given up so easily."

My com buzzed—one long one. I didn't recognize the signal. It happened again. Long, drawn out, and urgent. I answered it.

"Where are you?" Tritteon said before I could say anything.

"I—"

"Never mind. Just get up here."

"Can it wait?"

He didn't answer. There was a beep, followed by silence. He hung up on me.

"I have been friends with Tritteon for a few years now. He has always been that charming."

I ignored him and shoved the com back in my pocket and nodded a goodbye. "We will probably talk again."

Daniel smiled, the first pleasant one I had seen so far, and bowed his head slightly. "I look forward to that."

I swept back into the main room. "Tritteon needs us back," I said, crossing to the door.

"That was quick," Vonlinn said.

Pharro set down his drink, almost hesitating, as if he could see something on my face he didn't like.

I rolled my eyes and held open the door.

"Thank you for having us," Pharro bowed to Vonlinn.

"Of course," Vonlinn returned the bow. "I expect you will return soon so we can finish our conversation?"

"Will do," Pharro said, and quickly followed me out.

He said nothing as we made our way to a portal door and stepped through, but I felt him hesitate in the doorway.

I looked back, but he waved me on wordlessly, like he knew what was coming and didn't want to feel obligated to put a stop to it.

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