“No,” I said, low and hard. “I did not come to beg favors or haggle over spoils. I came to lay the groundwork for the Arkhevari to walk openly again. We are tired of the shadows. It is no place for Aelyth.” My voice narrowed, each word a blade. “We lost them once to the Dark Abyss; we will not allow that to happen again.”
His lips tightened. He and I both knew what the return of the Arkhevari would mean. Not just a shift in power, but a threat to the balance of the entire universe. The Galactic Treaty Union, the Pandraxian Empire, andevery faction that thought itself secure would suddenly be forced to reckon with us. Our emergence could ignite a new war for dominance, a struggle Daryus had no interest in provoking.
"We don't want a war, we don't want to upset the balance, that's why I came to you," I assured him.
He nodded, only half convinced. Not that I blamed him. He had an empire to look after; he could not afford to trust a random stranger. I appreciated that he seemed willing to make an effort. It was a start.
If only my mission would be finished now, and I could return to Ella. Her essence called to me. I missed her more than I was willing to admit, even to myself. I could feel energy draining from me. The same energy she had filled whenever I was in her presence. The darker side in me was getting stronger again.
“But there is one more thing,” I said. “Before I return to Nox Eternum, who are the Space Guardians you employ? You mentioned they, too, are soulbinding to the humans.”
Daryus’ face didn’t change much, but there was a faint tightening at the eyes, a man amused by a puzzle. “Mercenaries. Enforcers. Paid hands,” he said, the words like a shrug. “I hire them through their masters, the Ohrur.” He spat the name as if it left a bad taste. “They do what an empire prefers not to dirty its own claws with. They hunt. They secure. They remove problems. Why do you ask?”
“What species are they?” I pressed.
He considered, brows knitting as ifrummaging through memory. Then he shook his head. “I have no idea.” The admission came flat, almost surprised. “They’ve worked for the Ohrur for centuries. No one ever questioned their origins.” He cocked his head. “Odd, isn’t it?”
It should not have surprised me, but it did. His ignorance nagged at the back of my mind in a way I couldn’t dismiss. For a split second, I felt a tug, an impulse to chase this question down before I chased the thing that pulled at my blood. I wanted to return to Ella. Every part of me screamed to go back to her. Instead, something in my soul told me this was important. Deeper. More consequential than seeing Ella right away.She is safe at your palace, I reassured myself. I even did a quick mental check in with Ilythas, who told me that Ella was alright, exploring the library. It eased my mind some. Not like it would have had I been able to contact her, but for some reason, her mind has been blocked to me ever since I left Nox Eternum.
“Odd indeed,” I acknowledged, though the word barely scratched the itch gnawing at the back of my skull.
Daryus’ gaze sharpened, weighing me. “If you need more information about the Space Guardians, my Lord Protector Garth has taken on the task of building a new home for the humans. He is the one who liaises between the Guardians and the Empire.”
I sighed, low and reluctant. Another errand. Another detour. Another burden laid on my shoulders without my consent. Yet the sense that this mattered—more than I could yet see—refused to loosen its grip on me. It was apull I hadn’t felt in eons, a whisper at the edge of instinct I had learned never to ignore.
“Where do I find him?”
“Rottvalen, most likely,” Daryus replied smoothly. “That is where he and his mate are building their outpost. I will comm him and tell him to expect you.”
My jaw tightened. The threads tangled tighter than even I had expected. Daryus rose to his full height, his imperial presence radiating like a storm barely leashed. “I would like to say it was a pleasure meeting you, Arkhevari, but I am not sure your news qualifies as such.”
My lips curled, a shadow of a smile tugging at my mouth. “Then perhaps the next time we speak, Emperor, the news will be better.”
He snorted, sharp and dismissive, but I saw the flicker in his eyes, the smallest measure of respect, predator to predator.
We might be able to work together after all. First, I needed to get to Rottvalen and find out about the Space Guardians. Then I would need to talk to Daryus again about our claim to the same species he was hunting. My brothers deserved to seek their Aelyth out among them. But even then, there would be no peace. Not even close. Like it or not—I looked at Daryus one more time, assessing him, even probing his mind as far as I dared without him knowing—we needed to work together to close the Black Abyss forever. As long as it existed, it was a danger to the entireuniverse.
Ilythas had assured me that Ella was safe in the library. I had to trust that—for now.
Rottvalen first. Ella after.
I left theWings and Titsknowing one thing with absolute certainty: the shadows were shifting, the swarm was stirring, and the Arkhevari would no longer remain in hiding.
We were stepping back into the light. And the universe would tremble for it.
Nythor pacedthe deck like a storm bottled, his hands twitching with every half-step. The fractured gleam in his eyes made my skin crawl.
“So close,” he hissed. “So close, and still blind. Why would the Praetor of War find his Aelyth before I, the Oracle of the Abyss? Why should he—of all of us—be chosen?”
His gaze cut toward me, sharp and hateful, and for a moment, I thought he might tear me apart just for existing. My heart hammered, but I forced myself not to shrink back.
I had to get out.
I had to escape him.
But how?
The ship was his. Even my own body barely obeyed me when he snapped a command. My only hope—my only chance—was Zapharos. If I could reach him.I closed my eyes, focusing hard, pushing with every shred of will I had.Zaph… please. Hear me. It’s me. I need you.
