Page 400 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘Tan. Drink nice things. I might fuck you in the water.’

A bubble of laughter bursts into a tiny snort between kisses, and Kade winds himself nearer, presses all of himself against the man he loves, fingers slipping into his hair to play.

‘Might?’

‘If you’re lucky.’

‘How dare you? Don’t you know I’m First Captain of Iron Star?’

Lachlan whispers, ‘You don’t scare me, Cascade.’

The nickname does something to Kade he can’t quantify, drives him to kiss harder, deeper, need catching fire in his blood.

He wants to tangle himself in Lachlan so he can’t go away.

‘Promise me we’ll go together. Promise.’

‘I promise.’

Kade breaks the kiss, slides down onto his knees, keeping Lachlan pressed against the wall with one hand.

‘I’ll hold you to that, Bodyguard.’

‘I know you will, baby,’ Lachlan murmurs from above, pupils blown with adoration and a dozen other things too lovely to name as Kade unzips his pants. ‘You always do.’

✴

‘You and Riley must stay safe above all else,’ Lee tells him, flexing her hands. Beautiful, razor-sharp claws atop fingernails bound by a silver skeleton glove. Kade wishes he could see them in action.

‘You’re the one leaving the Tower.’

‘I am notoriously hard to kill.’ He hands her a blade, which she stows and then looks at him. ‘What a tall thing you are,’ she comments with offhand fondness before her focus sharpens. ‘You must promise me something.’

‘Anything.’

‘Guard your brother tonight.’

‘I always do. Why?’

‘He has expanded High Command, placed you above every division and spent the better part of today putting his house in order.’

‘He’s preparing for an attack.’

‘Or perhaps he is making mansions of now.’

‘Would that be so bad?’

Lee touches his cheek, green eyes reading him deeply.

‘I never worry for you, darling boy. You are so capable, so bright. We have always been family, you and I, even without the names. Riley, despite all my attempts to give him anything resembling that, has never let me in. Only you. You’re the one he trusts. Stay with him.’

‘I will,’ Kade promises.

‘Good. When I return, everything will be different.’

Lee steps away to leave with her team through the tunnels before they’re sealed completely. Kade watches her go, then heads up to the fifth floor and the room assigned to Vasily among the High Command quarters.

Inside, Vasily is sitting cross-legged in the centre of his bed, surrounded by journals he gave to Kade. Dozens of faces stare out from photographs stuck onto the inner pages. Some are colourless and blurred at the edges, others rendered in fading sepia. The oldest are not photographs at all but painted miniatures, charcoal studies and small, meticulous portraits removed from frames.