Present Day - Grypheem
The room smelled of ink, bookshelves lining the walls and forming a crossed-shaped layout that allowed access from multiple sides.
A single mahogany table in the center that Maverick sat at, tapping his foot as he flipped through the book before him.
Maverick had been in this castle for just over twelve hours, and he had already found their library. Already begun to question everything about this country. There were so many pieces and parts that made literally no fucking sense.
If they were devoted to the cherished, why allow people to be created in labs?
Why notpushsharing the Cherished instead of hiding them away?
Why did they originally send so many to Violencia?
Why were Cherished revered and also seemingly imprisoned in the same breath?
“This country is filled with poison.”
Maverick flinched. The words hadn’t startled him, it was the fact that Oleks was speaking at all. He cut his eyes to the man that lingered on the other side of a large oak bookshelf, just out of sight, but he had sensed his presence.
Oleks moved as if he weren’t walking, but gliding. The progression was liquid and silent, until he stood on the other side of the table looking down at the book in Maverick’s hands.
“They’re sent to Violencia. It’s part of theircoming-of-agehere,” Oleks continued. “But what those books might not tell you:they don’t always leave Violencia.”
Maverick had determined as much. “They’re what ruined Violencia. I can see the patterns.” Maverick flipped another page and his blood chilled. “How did they go unnoticed?”
I recognize this man.
Oleks inclined his head. “The elected Head Official of Violencia. The one with more power than he should have. Of course he would be part of the Luscinia royalty. Bribery and money goes a long way.”
Maverick found the section with more photos. The title was:
Men Who Left and Didn’t Return
He flipped through the pages rapidly, his eyes whipping all around.
Officials. Guards. Other places in the Government. Leaders of the Facilities.
The man who killed his brother.
He slammed the book shut, looking up at Oleks. “We never stood a chance. A country of men who grew up without women,coming to ours. Fucking it up and trying to make it their own. Forcing their way into leadership, hiding their own stain on our country. An endless cycle of systemic abuse. And anyone who questioned it, anyone who defied it were locked up and killed.”
The Factions never stood a chance. They didn’t even know who they were fighting.
“They didn’t try, they successfully made it their own,” Oleks corrected, his eyes whipped around before leaning forward. “There’s more to it.” He spun around, grabbing a book off a shelf and slipping it into the coat he wore, offering a finger to his lips.
Maverick was barely able to catch the title.
Herbal teas.
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further. Rustling came from behind him and Maverick jumped up, spinning around immediately on guard. He knew Ivan was lurking, and he had deemed to obtain a small blade that he palmed now, but then he caught sight of the newcomer.
He could not control the way his heart beat up his throat. The way his entire world shifted and brightened.
“There you are!” Raven quirked, her full lips glancing around the space, her head poking out from around a bookshelf, her button nose scrunched in amusement. “I guess it’s no surprise to find you here. But I didn’t think you would be together,” Levi shifted behind her, moving into view, his arms were folded across his chest as he stayed alert, his eyes skipping left and right.
Oleks floated forward first, wrapping himself around Raven, leaning into her and rubbing his cheek against hers.
For some reason, it didn’t bother Maverick. He had a begrudging respect for Oleks. He felt a synergy with him.
