Sophie brought over a tray bearing two delicate glass cups and a small, enameled teapot, along with a jar of honey glowing liquid amber in the low light.She settled close enough to Pierre that he caught a whisper of vanilla and jasmine perfume mixing with the clean scent of her skin.The leather sectional creaked as she tucked one leg beneath her, catlike, and cradled her cup as if her hands were cold.
“Tell me more about the Yam Khûmk?n,” she said, her voice carrying an edge of urgency.“I need to know all I can about the organization Connor’s the leader of.”
Pierre opened his leather satchel to remove his tablet.The screen bloomed to life, revealing a curated digital folder.“What I found explains why Hawaiian royal artifacts would appeal to the splinter group you described.”
Sophie shifted closer for a better view.Her proximity was distracting as Pierre opened the file of his digital evidence: historical texts, organizational charts that looked like twisted family trees, photos of ancient Thai manuscripts.
“It took me hours to find anything substantial,” he said.“But eventually I discovered a cache of documents on the Thai government website, buried in their historical archives.The Yam Khûmk?n began in the 14th century as an elite guard for the Thai royal family—think of them as a cross between Secret Service and a ninja CIA.Their recruitment process, protocols, and training methods are all highly guarded secrets.”
“This much Connor told me.”Sophie said.“The remote jungle compound where he lives is ancient.It’s their main training facility.”
“Yes.But here’s what he might not have shared.”Pierre used his fingertips to zoom in on a genealogical chart that resembled a spider’s web.“They never stopped being loyal to the Thai royal line.For generations, they were the shadow protectors of the throne, specializing in assassination, espionage, and eliminating threats before they materialized.Over time, they transformed into something resembling a cult.”
Sophie frowned.“I threw that word at Connor more than once because it seemed like one to me.Cult how, exactly?”
“They believe in a sacred power—sakti—that flows through royal bloodlines and their possessions like an invisible current.”Pierre pulled up a document dense with references.“The organization is always led by a Master, someone who’s supposedly achieved enlightenment through combat and ritual.Members train from childhood in martial arts, philosophy, and what we might call mysticism.”
“You’re describing warrior monks,” Sophie’s curls had escaped their pins, framing her face.“To think I knew Connor before he got mixed up with them.He ascended fast within their ranks.”
“Yes.His position with them is highly unusual.And, not only are they something of a cult ...they’re also an organized crime syndicate.”Pierre’s fingers flew across the tablet, pulling up information he’d harvested from encrypted forums.“Data I found on the dark web shows that, though Thailand as a whole has moved away from poppy cultivation, the Yam Khûmk?n maintains hidden fields.Much of their financial power comes from heroin production and distribution networks that span the Pacific.”
He pulled up another document—a grainy scan of a report from a French intelligence officer in 1960s Indochina.The paper looked water-damaged, the ink faded but still legible.“Here’s what’s most relevant to our current investigation.According to multiple sources, the organization teaches that power can be transferred between objects and people.Royal artifacts don’t just represent authority—they contain it, store it like batteries.And there are rumors ...”He hesitated.
Sophie raised her eyes to his.“Tell me.”
“There are rumors of ritual cannibalism.Consuming the flesh of defeated enemies to capture their strength.”
Sophie’s expression remained carefully neutral, but she stood abruptly, still cradling her teacup with both hands.She paced, her bare feet silent on the dense carpet, her lithe form graceful.
He cleared his throat; it must be devastating to know that her lover was this shady organization’s current Master.“I know it sounds insane, but multiple sources mention cannibalism.Always in the context of defeating a powerful opponent.The ritual supposedly transfers the vanquished enemy’s power to the victor.”
“Connor certainly never mentioned it.”Sophie set her teacup on the tray with deliberate precision.“I’m having a hard time imagining him participating in something like that.”
“Maybe the faction Connor represents has modernized, moved away from old practices.Could be why this more radical group is breaking away—they want a return to past traditions.”Pierre attended to his tablet, spreading out more records with practiced gestures.“Here’s something more.Look at the pattern.Every major Thai antiquities dealer has ties to certain families.Families that trace back to known Yam Khûmk?n lineages and connections.It’s a kind of hidden network, a shadow economy.”
Sophie returned to sit beside him.He could feel tension and warmth radiating from her.“They keep their antiquities close.In-house, if you will.”
“Yes.It seems to be part of how they preserve their beliefs, and their obsession with royalty and sacred power.”Pierre pulled Sophie’s manila folder closer, tapping the photos of Hawaiian artifacts.“Now think about what Hawaiianali‘ipieces represent.Manamade physical.Power you can hold, wear, possess.This belief aligns with that of the Yam Khûmk?n.”
“The feather capes,” Sophie breathed.“Worn by kings.Made from birds that no longer exist.”
“Andlei niho palaoa—the hook pendants worn only by royalty.Also, war weapons that killed rivals and supposedly absorbed theirmana.To the Yam Khûmk?n, these items wouldn’t just be artifacts.They’d be considered spiritual batteries, charged with royal authority.”
Sophie swore softly in Thai.He wished he understood what she was saying, but her tone conveyed enough.
Pierre continued.“If this is an old guard faction trying to overthrow Connor and seize control, they’ll want every piece of transferable power they can acquire.The Bishop Museum’s collection would be like a spiritual arsenal to them.”
Sophie leaned in, peering at the tablet; her bare arm brushed his sleeve.“Pierre, this research is incredible.How did you find all this?”
“I can’t take all the credit; I had help.A colleague in Paris who specializes in Southeast Asian secret societies.He’s been tracking Yam Khûmk?n references for years.”He gestured at the spread of digital documents.“They’ve been hiding in plain sight, using global trade and their shadow network to move power—both literal and figurative—for generations.”
Sophie leaned back against the couch.Pierre did too.
“This is not a group you want to have as an enemy,” Sophie murmured.
“No.But you didn’t choose any of this,” Pierre said.
“I did choose Connor, though.And he brought the Yam Khûmk?n to my doorstep.”
