“Whatever it was, it was big. Veylo said it would have the power to end all the realms. Sounded like the next Morarke. I just don’t get how someone can work to create something so destructive and be proud of it, especially after all we went through during the war.”
“You’re sure he wasn’t talking about the Christ?”
“I’m sure. Janka said it was more powerful than that.”
“More powerful?” Dedrus knew Veylo was irrational, but it seemed absurd of him to believe that Veylo could challenge the greatest minds the Almighty had ever created—the ones responsible for developing the Christ.
Kinzer nodded. “It’s like he’s trying to outdo the Almighty.”
“That sounds like Veylo. Mad with irrational, wild, impatient ambition. You have any idea how close he is to finishing it?”
“Close. Very close. I didn’t have a lot of pull with the Raze. I just supplied them with bogus intel from the Leader about our underground operations. Veylo never let me in on his secrets. He’d tell Janka things here and there, but kept him at arm’s length, so I’m sure that he was never going to tell me shit. Janka was in charge of properties. Veylo needed a lot of space, a lot of land for whatever he was working on. He also helped set up a lot of operations that worked to transport materials between realms.”
“You think he’s transporting heavenly minerals to Earth?”
“Definitely.”
“Why didn’t we just take that to the Council? Veylo would have been executed immediately.”
“The Leader wanted us to find outwhatVeylo was working on. If we exposed him too early, someone else could have just picked up where he left off, and we’d never have a chance to stop them.”
“What do you think it is?”
“No clue. Janka was having a hard time figuring it out. I think Veylo tried to confuse him about it. He went on all these wild goose chases. Initially, he thought the Almighty had charged Veylo with the Christ.”
“No. No way,” Dedrus said. “The Almighty wanted him back in Heaven, but He’d be insane to give him that much power.”
“Later, Janka suspected that Veylo was trying to rework the Morarkes. Evidently, some of the materials he was transporting were Morarke corpses.”
“And?”
“Another dead end. Veylo was dismantling them entirely. Janka never figured out what he was up to. Janka would think he was onto something one day, and the next, he’d reach a dead end. He’d tell me about them, though. That’s what surprised me when you guys mentioned that he’d told you about the Antichrist. Janka told me all the pieces he was working on with Veylo, but never anything about that.”
“He probably just wanted to make sure Veylo wouldn’t be able to torture it out of you.”
“You’re right. If he’d said anything to me about it, and they’d…done what they did, I would’ve told. I’m not proud of that. But when it came down to it, Janka’s life mattered more to me than all of creation. I would’ve told. Janka knew that.”
That was what Dedrus loved. That passion. It wasn’t intelligent. It wasn’t reasonable. It was what it was, and it was beautiful.
“What about the guy who outed you?” Dedrus asked. “You have any idea who it is?”
“I don't, but when I find him, I swear to our fucking Leader, I'll—” Choking on his words, Kinzer rested the sword on his lap and pressed his hands against his now-trembling face.
Dedrus scooted across the couch, wrapped his arm around him, as he’d wanted to do all along.
You’re horrible, he chastised himself.You know why you’re doing this. Don’t.
Another part of him wanted to be there for Kinzer. He wanted to ease his pain, to provide him with some relief from the horror he'd experienced at the hands of the Raze.
Kinzer threw his arms around Dedrus, squeezing tight. His body quivered.
Dedrus wanted to feel Kinzer’s lips on his, to taste his delicious immortal flavor. He wanted to feel Kinzer’s cock inside him, filling him, as he had on so many of the nights they’d spent together.
It isn’t right.
Kinzer pulled away, freeing Dedrus of his guilt. He sniffled and wiped the back of his hand across his nose.
“Sorry,” Kinzer said. “It's just…”
