“Those bastards took Nate.”
Baikal frowned. “Who’s Nate?”
“Isn’t that your boyfriend?” Rabbit asked, elbowing Kal afterward. “You heard all about this from the others a few weeks ago.”
“Right. So that’s why you’ve been slacking lately,” Baikal said to Kaz.
“I have not.” He’d kept up with his Brumal tasks as per usual.
“I couldn’t reach you all day.”
“That’s because he was handcuffed to his bed,” Yuze called. He and Berga came rushing into the room then, but Kaz didn’t turn to acknowledge them.
His infuriating cousin quirked a brow. “Excuse me?”
“Lovers spat,” Kazimir shrugged like it was no big deal even though, on the inside, he was still raging over it. “We’ll get through it.”
“Not if he’s dead. They’re after whoever murdered their comrade,” Berga stated. “If they took Nate, that means they either think he’s the one responsible, or they think he knows who is. They’ll torture him until he confesses to one or the other.”
“Or dies in the process,” Yuze added bitterly.
“Nate isn’t one of us,” Baikal reminded them all.
“He’s mine,” Kaz growled, “which makes him one of us. The same way Rabbit is now one of us.”
“That isn’t the same,” he disagreed. “Rabbit is my Possessio. He has a station and position in the Brumal.”
“Nate’s my Onus,” Kaz retaliated, and for a moment afterward, the silence was actually deafening. “Good Light,what?”
“Your…That’s a joke, right?Younamed an Onus?” Yuze asked incredulously.
Baikal glanced over Kazimir’s shoulder toward Berga. “Did he?”
“I was not made aware,” Berga replied, but he didn’t sound as shocked as the others.
“Flix knows,” Kaz lied.
“Convenient, since he still isn’t back from his vacation,” Baikal drawled, clearly not believing him.
Kazimir cursed. “Damn it, Nate is going to be! That should mean the same.”
“An Onus is a serious deal.”
“No fucking shit.” This was an epic waste of time. Kaz had been planning on waiting until New Year's to bring it up to Nate. He’d wanted to make it special and take the chance to explain tohim exactly what being an Onus meant and how important of a position it was to the Brumal.
The Dominus had a Possessio, while the members of his Satellite were allowed to name an Onus as their significant other. Only someone intended as a life partner was given the honor, especially when it meant they were considered a member of the Brumal from there on out. Typically, an Onus was already another member of the organization; it wasn’t often that a stranger was brought in, since most of them were too cautious and paranoid about outsiders.
“You’ve been together for a month,” Baikal said.
“One month and two weeks,” he corrected. “And does that matter? You knew Rabbit was the one after one night.”
“Hey,” Yuze stepped forward, staring down at his multi-slate, “They’ve got something. Looks like Pious’s people got permission from the Imperial family to linger.”
“Call Kelevra,” Baikal ordered.
“Not him,” he shook his head. “The Heir Imperial. She gave the order. They explained they were looking for a murderer and told her that Pious had ordered them to search.”
“So, if we interfere, we’re risking instigating a war with both the Imperial family and the Ancient,” Berga translated.
