“Can’t get much worse than cold-blooded killers, surely,” Dathan said.
Zayn rubbed his chin. “They recycle dead bodies.”
He saw his family trade confused glances.
“What?” Niklas asked.
Zayn launched into an explanation of what they’d found in the secret Guild lab. Eos gasped, Lala made gagging noises, and his brothers both wore fierce frowns.
“This is unbelievable,” Nik said.
“That’s not all. Ria is…was…shit—” he still couldn’t believe it “—Vik’s body was used to create Ria.”
“Oh, God,” Eos said.
“Fucking bastards.” Dathan pulled his wife close.
“Jesus,” was all Nik added.
Zayn looked back toward the cabins. “She’s messed up by all of this.”
“That’s understandable.” Eos set a hand on Zayn’s shoulder. “You must be, too. You believed she was Viktoria all along.”
“Not as messed up as I thought. I don’t know when it happened, but I see Ria now. I know Ria.” He ran a hand through his hair, grasping for the right words. “I cared deeply for Vik but killing her…all my guilt…in my memory I’d turned her into this perfect shining paragon. But that’s not who she was. She was a woman, a hell of a pilot, my friend, and if I had to go back, I’d help her again in exactly the same way. I’ll always miss her. But she’s gone, I’ve accepted that.”
“Does Ria know how you feel?” Dathan said quietly.
“Not yet. She needs some time.”
Eos shifted. “No, I think it’s exactly what she needs to hear. And she needs to not be alone right now.”
“You think?” He wanted to be there for her. To hold her.
“Go get her,” Lala said cheerfully.
Zayn shot to his feet and strode toward the cabins.
A shower hadn’t madeRia feel much better. She felt itchy and restless, like she was going to crawl out of her skin. By the dagger, it wasn’t even her skin.
Wrapped only in a towel, she dropped onto the edge of the narrow bunk and stared at nothing.
When the door clicked open, she knew it was Zayn even before he sat down beside her.
“I don’t know what to say to you,” he said.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
He turned a little, and she felt his gaze on her.
“I’m here for you, Ria.” He touched her bare shoulder, his fingers the lightest caress.
She shrugged the touch away and stood. “Here for me or Vik?”
“You aren’t Vik. D’aarn made that clear.”
“What if there’s a way to reverse the regeneration procedure?” Did he wish she was Vik? That he could have her back. Ria couldn’t bear being a stand-in.
“Vik’s dead.” His voice was flat.
