“Mikros prinkipus,”I whispered, icy darkness spreading through my veins. “He got that from Aurelius.”
Rhu placed his hand on my back and the warmth penetrated even the chill that flooded through me when I heard those words.
“We finally have the advantage,” Rhu said. “He doesn’t know we know.”
I wrapped my arms around the still-crying Naya, anger burning in the pit of my stomach over how Aurelius had used this girl’s grief to get her to do his dirty work.
“We need to talk to Erix,” I said.
Chapter 29
Rhuyin
Being in the presence of the War Leader, despite the fact that he and Elex looked so much alike, made my stomach clench. This was the man responsible for the defense of my country and my Commander in Chief.
“So you are confessing this why, exactly?” he demanded of Naya.
We sat in his conference room. Elex had gone to him immediately and demanded to meet. I didn’t know what words had been exchanged between the brothers, but both of them had seemed angry when they stalked into room. Erix’s face had remained expressionless throughout her confession.
“Because—I couldn’t Bond with Tik without him knowing what I’d done,” she said, her face pale but her eyes brightened when she looked at her Bonded. “I realized I screwed up as soon as it was done, but I didn’t know how to tell anyone.”
Tik just squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“Did you think Bonding with a Mageia was going to save you from punishment?” he demanded, his expression stern.
“No, sir,” she whispered.
“No, that was my idea,” Tik surprised us all by speaking. “I’ve been reading up on Illyrian law. You can’t execute one part of a Bonded pair. So if you want to execute her, you’d have to ex—execute me, too.”
“Tik?” Elex exclaimed in surprise, but the young Mageia just continued staring at Erix defiantly.
“Look, we were going to get Bonded no matter what. We both knew we were right for each other from the moment we touched,” the young man said, glaring at Erix. “I just moved the timing up. Alexandria needs Mageia too badly to lose even one. Andif you try and take Naya away from me—you’ll have a hell of a lot more to worry about than some fucked up buildings.”
I almost gasped at the boy’s defiant exchange with the War Leader. No one spoke to Polemos like that.
Erix stared at the boy for a long while before a small smile formed on his lips.
“Well, with Naya Bonded, she wouldn’t be subject to capital punishment,” he said. “That wouldn’t be fair to her Bonded, who is innocent, however devious he may be.”
I couldn’t help but gasp a little when he mentioned capital punishment.
“They’re just kids,” I said, my voice trailing off with a belated, “Sir. She was manipulated and used by someone far older and more experienced. Kopanos is an asshole and master manipulator.”
“That’s your senior officer you’re referring to,” Erix said, his turning his glacial blue gaze on me.
“He’s a senior officer who enjoys torturing and tormenting anyone he thinks is weaker than he is,” I responded. “I have no doubt that he targeted Naya from the start.”
Erix stared at her for long moments, his eyes empty of emotion. Something seemed to stir in their depths after a while and he finally sighed and glanced away from us, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“We can discuss your punishment later, Naya. I agree that there were…mitigating circumstances in your situation. For now, I need to figure out what to do with the information you’ve given me.”
Erix got to his feet and began pacing the room, as if the energy inside him needed some kind of outlet.
“You still need to complete your mission for Omada,” he said, nodding at me. “We need Stergiou’s testimony.”
He looked at each of us in turn.
“This goes no further than this room. You do not speak of this toanyone,”he insisted. Everyone nodded in agreement.
