Good. Very good. After they left last night, I decided to give them more information on the Sythari, regardless. If they were really who they portrayed themselves to be, they might makepowerful allies. Either way, I didn't have much to lose. It was worth a try. But they didn’t need to know that.
I set the plate aside slowly, not in the mood to be the only one eating. “You should know exactly who you’re holding.”
The room quieted immediately. Ashley leaned slightly against the wall while Zapharos’ attention sharpened.
“One of them is High Priest Zevari,” I filled them in. “One of the highest-ranking religious authorities within the Luminous Order.”
“And the other?” Xandros prompted.
“Grand Magistrate Nyxara.”
Even saying his name left a bitter taste in my mouth. I watched the others carefully. None of them reacted to the titles. Of course they didn’t. They still had no real understanding of what the Sythari were. I exhaled slowly.
“Those two are the highest-ranking officiates of the breeding program.”
"Breeding program?" Ella looked sick.
Right. "Let me back up."
“The Sythari weren’t always rulers. They started as traders.” A cold laugh slipped out. “Then slavers. Then eventually, they became an empire wealthy enough to pretend there was a difference between the two.” No one interrupted me now. “They came to Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. Humans were primitive compared to them. Easy to take. Easy to disappear.” Bitterness sharpened every word. “At first, humans were sold across systems because we were rare. An undiscovered species always fetches absurd prices.”
Ashley nodded in commiseration, which made me curious about her story.
“After some time, the Sythari realized some humans carried abilities they couldn’t explain.” My gaze drifted briefly toward Nadine and Ella; this was the part I stopped at yesterday. “Rareones. Some could influence weaker minds. Some saw fragments of the future in dreams or reflections. Some could touch objects and hear echoes left behind in blood or memory.”
The three Arkhevari watched me with piqued interest. Especially Thyros, whom I tried hard to ignore.
“A few,” I continued more quietly, “could survive carrying impossible amounts of knowledge without breaking.
“The Sythari called itthe Gift.” My mouth twisted. “And once they realized how valuable it was, they stopped selling us.”
Understanding slowly spread across several faces.
“They started collecting bloodlines instead,” I summarized flatly. “Tracking ancestry. Pairing specific humans together. Breeding generation after generation, trying to strengthen the abilities.”
Ella looked even more sick now.
“They built the Luminous Order around it. A religion designed to make captivity feel sacred.” Anger pulsed hot beneath my skin. “Girls weren’t prisoners. We were blessed. Honored. Chosen.” I laughed softly again. “Such beautiful words for livestock.”
Thyros’ jaw tightened violently. I felt the shift in him immediately. A wave of danger emanated from him and rolled through the room. It wasn't directed at me.
It was directed atthem. The Sythari.
And stars help me, some traitorous part of me liked that far too much.
“The Order became obsessed with purity,” I continued before the silence stretched too long. “Entire human settlements were harvested from Earth over centuries. Families separated. Children taken. Bloodlines cataloged like property records.” My eyes lifted toward Xandros again. “Zevari and Nyxara inherited that system. Expanded it.” Hatred sharpened my voice into something almost cold enough to cut. “They perfected it.”
Ashley swore softly beneath her breath.
“They’re important,” I continued. “Not politically. Symbolically.” My eyes moved toward Xandros. “If the Sythari realize you’re holding them, they will come.”
Xandros gave one decisive nod. “Let them.”
The simple confidence in his voice almost startled me. He crossed his arms over his massive chest, entirely unmoved by the threat. “I’ve already called for reinforcements,” he continued calmly. “This sector will be secured within the day.”
Ashley looked completely unsurprised by this. Of course she wasn’t. Apparently, this was simply what Pandraxians did when threatened: summon fleets.
“We’re ready,” Xandros finished.
