“Yes, Kassius.”
I let go of Silas before I dug my nails into his skin. My breath quickened as I faced Halo again, desperate. “Where is she? You were about to tell me before Silas showed up. Halo,where?”
“I won’t tell you,” Halo muttered, not looking at us.
The sound of the sharp impact registered in my mind as Halo’s face snapped viciously to the side. A bright red mark from Silas’s hand burned on his cheek, and a tiny whimper escaped his lips.
My body acted instinctively. I snatched Silas’s wrist in a deathgrip.
“What are you doing?” I snarled.
Anger and confusion clouded Silas’s eyes. “Captain, I’m - I’m punishing this omega!”
My heart raced. The sight of Silas abusing my former mate sent rage searing to the surface of my buried memories. Despite all my anger and frustration towards Halo, seeing him get smacked across the face was too much for me to handle.
I threw Silas’s wrist with a growl. “Don’t do it again.”
There was a wary flash in Silas’s eyes. “Captain, I thought you no longer had feelings for the omega.”
“I don’t!” I snarled. Halo flinched. My voice echoed throughout the cabin, and I realized how loud I’d been. In a quieter voice, I repeated, “I don’t. But you don’t need to hit him. That won’t get the information we need out of him.”
Silas shrugged like he didn’t agree, but also didn’t want to argue with his captain. “Fine. Then might I suggest you think of another way?” He threw the bread into the far corner, away from Halo. Then in a quiet mutter, he added, “I know you don’t agree, but tortureiseffective.”
He wasn’t quiet enough. Halo let out a tiny, choked sound at Silas’s words.
“No,” I stated firmly. “That’s an order.”
Silas set his mouth. He pulled me to the side, out of earshot. “Tell me straight, Captain Kassius. You’re still on board with the Knights, aren’t you?”
I paused. Silas’s eyes widened slightly at my hesitation.
“Sir?” he asked.
I raised a hand for his silence and growled, “Yes, Silas. Give me a damn minute. I don’t know where you’ve been for the past four centuries, but I’ve been alone with my thoughts the whole time. Memories get muddied.”
Silas nodded like he understood. “I see. Shall I refresh you, then?” he offered.
I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Maybe. Yes. Sorry. I’m confused and tired. I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s like all the time passed for nothing.”
Silas paused, then put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. “I understand, Captain. I’m sorry for my insolence. I didn’t realize how difficult it’s been for you.”
I nodded and opened my eyes again, just wishing he would explain everything already.
“Here’s the quick rundown,” Silas began. “After the omega disappeared, none of us knew what to do. You, Captain, were the one who suggested he might have escaped with his magic. Travelled through time.”
My head began to ache. There was too much I didn’t remember. “I did?”
“Yes. At first we thought it was ridiculous, or that you might have been lying to protect him. But it made sense. We looked all over and couldn’t find a trace of him, or the child.”
“Time travel?” I repeated, my head throbbing even more. “That’s insane.”
“It shouldn’t be possible. Not for anyone else.” Silas narrowed his eyes. “But the omega, he’s… He’s more powerful than we thought.”
I turned to glance at Halo over my shoulder. The gaunt young man in chains who seemed like he could barely lift a finger -hewas the most powerful mage of all time. But right now, he was nothing. A pathetic shell of his former self.
Silas continued. “In any case, we made preparations. We knew he wouldn’t go far from his precious barrier.”
“What do you mean by preparations?”
