To his surprise, Brooke didn’t tell him – again – that he was acting like a dickhead. She just screwed up her mouth a little as if she was deciding what to say, or whether to speak at all. But luckily for her, her dilemma was solved by the sound of the sickbay door opening, and both she and Rhys turned to see his boss, Robb Lockwood, and his mentor since he’d been in the academy, James Eyre, standing in the doorway.
Rhys swallowed. He guessed hehadjust almost died, but still, the situation had to be pretty serious if RobbandJames were here now – they really weren’t supposed to have any contact with each other while he was suspended and the investigation into his conduct was ongoing. But, for whatever reason, here they were.
Hopefully I’m not in any more trouble than I already was,Rhys thought, as he looked back and forth between the two of them, taking in their grave faces.
“Rhys. Seems like you pulled through all right, then,” Robb said.
Rhys swallowed. Robb’s voice was cool and he didn’t sound particularly happy or relieved to see Rhys alive, but then, that was just his style, Rhys guessed.
“Yeah. Fit as a fiddle,” he muttered.
Your tone is very churlish when speaking to your superiors,his griffin informed him, as if Rhys reallyneededto be informed. For all their wild ways, griffinsdidhave a pretty strong sense of hierarchy, and the griffin was quite shocked at the way Rhys often resented being told what to do.
It was different when the griffin was the one who wanted to disobey orders, of course. Rhys had never quite been able to get the griffin to explain that one to his satisfaction. Something about how it wasn’t disobedience when it was the griffin acting up, because the griffin itself wasn’t employed by the Agency. It was all very convenient.
In any case, right now, Robb wasn’t really someone Rhys wanted to see. He hadn’t seemed to listen at all to his explanations about what had gone wrong on the mission, and hadn’t spoken in his favor at the hearing.
That’s what loyalty gets you, I suppose,Rhys thought, doing his best to keep his scowl off his face, though he was aware he wasn’t exactly succeeding.
Still, Robb, true to his nature, didn’t seem to notice it or care.
“I was concerned when I heard what happened,” James broke in. “Wyvern venom is no joke – I thought for sure we were going to lose you.” He winced, looking pained. “I admit, I know I shouldn’t have favorites amongst my former students, but I did always think you were promising, Rhys. I was worried.”
Rhys had to stop himself from raising an eyebrow. True, he’d always considered James a good mentor, who’d been actively involved in helping him after he’d graduated and had started hiscareer with the Agency. But James hadn’t had much to say in his favor at the suspension hearing either – and yet, here he was, acting all concerned.
Don’t be such a dick,he chided himself.If they didn’t speak up, it was because they need to seem impartial. Who knows what they’re doing behind the scenes?
“How’re you feeling?” Robb asked, as together, he and James crossed the room to stand by Rhys’s bedside.
“Can’t complain,” Rhys said with a shrug, and winced as the movement pulled on his still unhealed shoulder.
The wyvern venom,he thought.
Suddenly, the urgency of earlier came flooding back to him. He had to tell Robb about what had happened, no matter how much he was currently in the doghouse.
“Listen, boss,” Rhys said, sitting up a little straighter on the bed and turning to Robb. “The guys who attacked me – before they did that, they were clearly scouting for agents they might be able to compromise. They approached me in a café, saying some shit about how if I’d get them some classified information, they’d make me a job offer. I dunno who they’re working for or what exactly they want –”
“Yes. We know,” James interrupted him smoothly. “And we know they’re from Hargreaves.”
Rhys blinked.
Hargreaves.
That made sense.
Rhys felt his face twisting into a snarl even at the sound of the name. Hargreaves Incorporated were mercenaries – though they preferred the termprivate security.
And they were very well known to him. Even if Hargreaves hadn’t caused an awful lot of trouble by supplying private armies and weapons shipments to whoever had enough cash to pay for them, he had apersonalscore to settle with them too.
After all, they’d tortured his brother Hector while trying to get their hands on his daughter, Ruby – who, as an alicorn, had been born with the power to control minds and actions, though she was now no longer capable of such things. They’d paid a massive amount of money for the egg she’d hatched out of, in the hope of raising her to be their tool, and to force people to do their bidding. If Hector and his mate, Myrtle, hadn’t been able to rescue Ruby, then Rhys shuddered to think what might have happened.
But why would they come afterme, then?he wondered. They had to know, with his history, that he’d refuse their offer – otherwise, what kind of shithouse brother and uncle would he be?
Though maybe they just assumed I’d be blinded by money,Rhys thought, remembering what Hector had told him about the time he’d been captured by them – the woman who’d tortured him, Cecelia, had just seemed to expect that he’d roll over if the price was right.
But then, maybe most people did, Rhys thought with a sneer.
“Well, if you know that, then why aren’t you going after them?” Rhys barked, knowing he was just being belligerent now, but unable to stop himself.
