I feel my pulse spike. “Your rank is revoked. You’re removed from command. You’ll serve under the Nine’s oversight, and answer to any terms they impose.”
Ellex closes his eyes and nods. “I understand.”
A silence deepens. The dossier’s hologram hums its final cadence. I feel the weight shift: we accepted a test, we passed, we held ourselves accountable.
Later,after the meeting ends, I find Aebon in the balcony corridor. Neon glow seeping from the windows.
He’s alone, arms crossed. The aftermath of betrayal weighs on him. But he turns as I approach. “You did well.”
My chest tightens, but I exhale. “We did well.”
He steps closer, pressing the small of my back—grounding me. I lean into his warmth, listening to the city’s pulse below.
He whispers, thumb brushing my jaw. “You’re not my shadow.”
I tilt my face up. “Nor do I stand behind you.”
He gathers me into his arms. “You’re beside me. Equal in every storm.”
The violet breeze drifts between us. I breathe deep, tasting determination and love.
The Nine challenged us—and we answered on our own terms.
This night, I proved that I am not just Aebon’s ally. I am his equal—a force he cannot sacrifice, cannot sideline, and will not overshadow.
We hold each other in the silent glow.
And beneath it, we stand, unforgiving and united.
CHAPTER 27
AEBON REXX
Isit at the edge of my massive black strategic table, fingers drumming the obsidian surface. The Sanctum is silent except for the distant hum of Goldwin’s night pulse—hovercars, pulse-chatter, neon sighs. Even in victory, the city trembles beneath us. A comm-alert blinks insistently. I tap it.
Aebon’s face appears in the golden-grey glow of the holo-screen, his expression closed-off until I speak.
“Goh’Vak,” he says after a long pause. The name hisses between us like a cobra’s warning. “He’s resurfaced.”
My eyes narrow. In the low ceiling lights, the silhouette of his bone spurs cuts jagged angles. My chest tightens. Goh’Vak—the Reaper brother he rebelled from, the old warlord who chose scorched-earth over empire-building. I remember stories: destruction for the sake of ruin, no legacy, no loyalty—only annihilation.
He speaks again: “He’s taken Nar’Vosk remnants, using them as a foothold. He’s publishing manifestos, declaring himself Reaper Unbound. Public challenge. Insult to the Sect and to me.”
I can taste metal in my own mouth. “Reaper tradition demands duel.” My voice is low, resonant through the table’s edge. “He’s asking for blood.”
A brief flicker of iron pride appears in Aebon’s red eyes. “Then he’ll get it.”
The remainder of the Sec council drifts away, giving me and Aebon isolation. I rise, muscles tense. Dust motes swirl in late-night shafts of neon and violet flame.
“Let me accompany you,” I say. “He’s not just Aebon’s past—he’ll try to betraythis,our Sect,you.I need to be there.”
He stares for long seconds. I see his myriad emotions: protectiveness, fear, pride—like a storm. He exhales. “You’ll stay here.”
My breath flares. “I won’t.”
“Stay.”
I bow my head. “Yes.”
