“I’m going to go ahead and eat,” I announce, reaching for a bowl of what looks like cheesy potatoes and scooping a big helping onto the plate in front of me. “But don’t let that deter you. Interrogate on.”
Chastain and Commander Galerus both huff out a laugh, and Aeson just shakes his head as I shamelessly execute my plans to vanquish this meal. I’m sure there is some kind of etiquette that I’m breaching here, but they shouldn’t have put food out if they weren’t going to eat it. Especially not in front of someone who’s been starved off and on for the last four months. The blood brokers only gave me meat because they thought it was better for my blood, so there’s not a chance in hell that I’m letting the feast of carbs in front of me go to waste. These Horde bastards can waterboard me for all I care—as long as I get a few bites of these potatoes in me, I’d consider it a win.
“Before you arrived, we were discussing the attack that occurred during your recovery in Lairwood. Do you have any insight to offer about that?” Commander Ventis asks while plucking a few dishes from the table and serving herself.
“Nothing significant,” I tell her as the other commanders all start to fill their plates. “In my experience, blood brokers usually do what they can to stay under the radar. Picking a fight with The Horde is the antithesis of their usual MO. I was as surprised that it was happening as The Horde was.”
“It is unusual for blood brokers to try and take on The Horde. We agree. Perhaps this coven is different, more aggressive?” Commander Zeir muses. “The scion mentioned you called them the Tainted? What can you tell us about this new group you’ve encountered?”
I quickly chew the massive bite of food I just shoveled into my mouth, which is a shame because it’s delicious. This conversation is really going to get in the way of savoring this meal like it deserves.
“That they’re not new.” I take a quick drink of water to wash everything down and note that no one felt the need to check my drink or food for poison like they did at Nixy’s. “That alone should tell you a lot about how careful and calculating they are since they’re not on The Horde’s radar. Initially, we also thought they were an evolution or a branch of blood brokers, but now I’m not so sure.”
“And why is that?” Galerus questions, leaning forward until his elbows are on the table and his fists are tucked under his chin.
“I first heard about the Tainted on a supply run. A merchant was gossiping about a group of sorcai who’d been in the area who smelled like rotten magic. I didn’t think much of it then, just made a note to keep an eye out, and that was that. But as more reports trickled in about this new coven and their stench, a pattern started to form. It just took me a while to see it.”
“Rotten magic?” Commander Drazyn interrupts.
I shrug. “It’s the best way I can explain it. Sometimes they can hide the smell. I’ve also noticed that some Arcs are more sensitive to it than others. Wyverns almost never sense it, but I could always pick out the faintest traces even in a crowd. Today, your Wing caught the scent pretty quickly, so maybe it’s a drake thing,” I tell Aeson, tapping my nose with a finger.
“Wait. Today? You smelled them here in Paragon City…today?” Aeson growls, turning from the table to face Ogdan, the demand for answers clear in the tightening of his fists and the clenching of his jaw.
“Another team is already investigating,” the Burner explains. “We’re pulling everything we can from the feeds in that area and canvassing the businesses and homes in the vicinity. We were unable to track the threat at the time of discovery because we were forced to pursue the Syphon instead.”
Aeson’s head snaps in my direction, and I feel like a kid who just got tattled on and now I’m in big trouble. I send Ogdan a blistering glare.
“Explain,” the commander barks, and something in my chest begins to stir in response to the roiling fury now aimed at me.
“I recognized a male and ran him down. I thought he was one of them, but it turned out he was just paparazzi following us around in hopes of finding a story he could sell.”
“You just…ran him down, in a wyvern borough, instead of letting your guards handle it?” Aeson presses, his tone that eerie kind of calm people use when they’re really pissed.
“In my defense, things happened really fast and I took action, which is something I do when I feel threatened,” I add with a pointed look at all the members of Aeson’s Wing. “And they’reyourguards, not mine.”
A low growl fills the room. The commanders at the table tense and look cautiously over at Aeson, the source of the reverberating displeasure now vibrating the dishes on the table.
“Don’t start with me, Spare, I’m not in the mood,” I snap.
So much for my plan to get all flirty and start winning him over.
Shit.
I’ll have to try again tomorrow.
Frustrated, I tighten my grip on my cutlery and match Aeson’s look of disapproval with one of my own. I need a lecture like he needs a butter knife through the hand. He can try to put me in my place about this, but it’s going to end bloody…probably on both sides.
Challenge suffuses both of our gazes, and tensions slowly mount as we continue to stare at each other.
“I already explained the trust thing, so spare me the dramatics, Noctis.”
One eyebrow twitches as his eyes narrow at me even more. “Dramatics?” he questions imperiously, but there’s a peculiar edge to the fire in his stare that gives me pause.
Is he into this?
I lean forward in my chair, not so far that I look like I’m outright threatening the commander, but enough to flash a little extra skin.
“What else would you call all this growling and snarling, Aeson? Very unbecoming of a commander, let alone a scion, if you ask me.”
