Page 43 of The Syphon King

The sound of water in the bathroom sent him in the opposite direction. He was not strong enough to resist her in every situation. Not after he’d drawn darkness and had to neutralize. He went to his office and called Thakx.

“I need an update, brother.” He looked at the time, marveling at the late hour.

“Already sent them to your email,” he said.

“I’ll call you if I have questions,” Zodak said, hanging up and shutting the door. Back at the computer, he pulled up his email and opened the images Thakx sent, scanning the details. He dialed Thakx again, getting his chuckle upon answering.

“That was quick.”

“What am I seeing?”

“You’re seeing that the nanobots took out the trash all night and you should be feeling like you need to go to the Voltorium to have a dump.”

Zodak’s hope soared at this news. “How can we know how much was removed?”

“I was talking to the team about that. Having her come in for daily scans might be the least invasive measure for now. But there’s still theissue of knowing whether we’re even seeing where it’s stored or if this is some kind of overflow.”

Zodak considered that. “If I draw from her daily and there’s nothing showing then...”

“It would seem safe to assume there’s nothing left if the overflow is empty.”

“Seem.”

“Without being able to observe the actual source, it’s a good guess. And if we’re right about this being the overflow of this containment, then we havenoidea how long siphoning at this rate could take without knowing how much is there.”

That reminded him. “I need to test a siphon of a sexual nature and measure it against the amount collected last night.”

“Smart idea. Then we’ll look at the data after. In fact, given what happened last time, I would suggest you report for a full panel of scans to accurately assess the results.”

“I’ll call you then,” Zodak said, wanting to get off the phone and check on her too. “When should she come for scans?”

“First thing.”

“I’ll bring her after a late breakfast.”

“I’ll let staff know you’re coming. I need to meet with the Kings. Seems the Marsh giga-chad is close to crackingRukem’s dreamscape and we’re about to hear all about it.”

“Take notes for me,” Zodak said, wanting to remain updated on other critical family-related concerns.

“You got it, King Sucks-A-Lot.”

Zodak’s chuckle came unbidden, making him think of Seer. He needed to touch base with his newest sibling. “Thank you for everything, Brother.”

“I guess you know how good I am with heartfelt dramatics.”

He laughed again. “Yes, I do. You suck-a-lot at it.”

Zodak grinned at how much his brother liked that. “One hundred percent. LaterLoverboy.”

He hung up, musing over that term. Loverboy. It was an odd combination of words being aimed at him. But considering what he intended to do with Zeen, it was one he wasn’t vehemently opposed to bearing. But if he didn’t take theutmostcare to not get entangled in that exchange, he’d become something else. Something possibly dangerous.

“Morning.”

Zodak angled his head toward the door, his muscles locking up as her voice entered everypart of him. Silky. Like her womanhood. “How did you sleep Zeen?” he asked, keeping his voice as low as he could.

“Like I died and went to heaven.”

Power and need filled her words, standing him up, commanding him. He remembered he didn’t need to close his gates as he made his way to her, right as the darkness he’d siphoned hit him with outrageous hungers. He paused his steps, her tiny frame now a raging fire blocking his path. “I’m bringing you in for scans this morning after you eat.”

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