Pyo’s shoulders heaved with a deep exhalation. “I’ve contacted the IA to alert them to the situation. You finally going to make me stop being the big bad around here? Been waiting for you to take the job you actually came here for. It’s only luck we haven’t really needed a proper head of security until now.”
“I came here to assume the position.”
“Good. Leave me in peace with my work.” He gestured to the stacks of datafiles around his desk. “Bout time.” He lifted his eyes back to S’samph’s. “Keep your fists clean though. You understand me? I don’t want to have to explain to Myla why her brother’s missing a few wing flaps. Even if he deserves it.”
“I understand how these protocols work. He will be punished another way?”
“That’s not really up to me. The IA has protocols for situations like this. Most likely, he’ll be sent to a facility and then released. They’ll also fine his family.” Pyo made a series of exasperated whistling noises. “Which of course means we’ll have to go hassle Myla’s sires and hope they throw some credits our way.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Well, as acting head of security, I suppose that would be up to you.” Pyo made a nonchalant gesture with one dark wingtip. “You’ll do what you think is appropriate.”
“I will.” S’samph’s tail curled upward toward his shoulders as he acknowledged both the words and the subtext. It was time to put his original training to use, no more hiding behind acres of vela beans. No one even liked vela beans. Even most livestock rejected them. They were one of the most useless crops anyone could grow. If things went as he hoped, he and Eleri would be far too busy to think about farming at all.
“He’s in the cell?”
“Last I checked.” Pyo pointed to a door around the corner, and S’samph took this as his cue to leave. He tamped down his anger before stepping over the threshold. Kyrot weren’t usually a violent species, but iridescence stole all good sense. S’samph stood on the other side of the bars. Minio’s wings droopedbehind him as he refused to look up. Much like latil’e used their tails and frills to communicate, kyrot could be best understood through their wing posture. Although, much like humans, their faces were expressive as well. He realized that in order to do his job, he’d have to learn how to read other species, something he’d been neglecting up to this point.
“What are you doing here?” Minio finally asked.
“I want to understand why you attacked Eleri at the clinic.”
“She’s been the talk of the town lately, hasn’t she?” The kyrot male made a strange scoffing noise and began to pace the minimal length of his cell. “You don’t deserve her, you know.”
“I don’t,” S’samph was quick to respond. “But she has chosen me, and I take that responsibility seriously.” He leaned his weight against the wall adjacent to the cell. “We’re not here to talk about my mate. We’re here to discuss your actions so I can give a proper accounting to the IA agent.”
“Get me some iridescence and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” Minio’s wings twitched at odd intervals, and S’samph was certain if he could catch sight of the male’s eyes, they would be silver-ringed. It was a small mercy Latilla had been destroyed before the drug had spread its roots. No doubt it would have wreaked similar havoc there as it had on every other planet plagued by its presence.
“I don’t have access to iridescence, and even if I did, I wouldn’t get it for you.”
“My sister can get it. Let her come visit me.”
S’samph folded his arms. Interrogation hadn’t been a part of his job description when he was part of the military. S’kasia had spent much more time working with the intelligence branch of the forces, but he wouldn’t want her anywhere near this unstable male.
“No.”
“Then we’re at an impasse, latil’e.”
S’samph shrugged. He wouldn’t get angry or threaten violence as it would only justify any retaliatory behavior on Minio’s part. “If you do not want to talk to me, I cannot make you. But it will complicate things when the IA agent arrives.”
“You think I’ve any interest in making your life easier? Look, my sister promised me I could marry that human bitch and restore my place in our family hierarchy. She’s not anything special, but she was unattached until you decided to pull your tail out of your cloaca.”
S’samph’s resolve to stay calm was crumbling by the moment. “Tell me why you think Eleri would have restored your place in your family hierarchy?”
“Do you bury your head in the dirt?” Minio made a humorless shrilling noise. “I thought everyone knew I’d been exiled here for being unable to kick my unfortunate drug habit.”
“That part of the story is known,” S’samph confirmed.
“My kin said if I could keep myself clean and find a respectable mate, they’d restore my place in the karst hierarchy. Eleri was barely passable for even that purpose.”
S’samph knew the other male was trying to incite his anger, and he was a scale’s width away from succeeding. But he knew the sooner he could finish this encounter and get the information he needed for his statement to the IA, the sooner he could get away from this pathetic excuse for a lifeform and back to Eleri.
“Is there anything else?”
“Anything else I’d like to say to you? No. Enjoy your piece of human ass.” The words were crass and meant to rile his baser instincts. It took all of S’samph’s self control to prevent himself from smacking a fist into the bars of the cell. He took a step back, steadying himself with the knowledge that Eleri would be waiting for him at the clinic whenever he left here. He’d learned what he needed to know. It would be enough to incriminate Minio under IA jurisdiction. The weight of his new role was heavier than he’d anticipated, but it was something he felt much more confidence with than he ever had tilling the stubborn dirt of his field. At least he could do more to keep Eleri and everyone else safe. If he had any say in things, keeping iridescence out of Laurus would be a top priority. He didn’t want his mate in a similar situation ever again.
CHAPTER 24
