Page 10 of Legacy of Chaos

Almost two decades with DART, and she still hated the freakishly beautiful broad-leaf plant outside Kynan’s office. Watered with blood and fed bits of raw flesh, its crimson and black stalks vibrated as she approached, its lacy leaves rattling whispers that sounded like voices. The thing sensed what those nearby were thinking, serving as an early warning system. If anyone intended to harm Kynan, the plant would screech like a banshee.

Since she wasn’t planning to kill her boss, the plant merely said things like “angry” and “sad.”

What an asshole.

She glared at the stupid bush as she walked past and heard Kynan’s voice call out as she reached his open doorway.

“Come on in.” He waved her over, and she took a seat across from him. “Thanks for coming.”

He said it like she’d had a choice. “No problem. What’s this about?”

“A couple of things.” He braced his elbows on the surface of his polished oak desk and leaned forward. “First, how are you doing? You didn’t take any time off after…”

After Shanea was gunned down in cold blood in this very building.

It had been barely a month since The Aegis murdered Shan, and Cyan still wasn’t dealing well. Heck, she wasn’t dealingat all. She’d buried herself in work, unwilling to return to the apartment they’d shared except for essentials.

Shan had been in the process of moving out, but she hadn’t boxed up everything yet, and the reminders lying around their place ripped Cyan open, refreshing the pain every time she saw them.

“I’m fine.”

Kynan nodded as if he bought it. “Xoei told me you’ve been sleeping here for weeks.”

“That little snitch.” Cyan clenched her fist as if it were wrapped around her lab assistant’s neck.

“Cyan,” Kynan said gently, “I know how close you and Shan were. And I know how you felt about Draven too. You lost your best friends, and I don’t think you’re dealing.”

“You don’t know anything,” Cyan snapped. He was right, but she wasn’t ready to hear the truth. She was too angry, too hurt, and too stubborn. But Kynan was also her boss, and she shouldn’t go off like that. Exhausted and frustrated with herself, she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want to talk about it.”

“I get it,” he said. “But DART has people you can talk to if you need to, okay?”

“Thank you.” She forced a smile to assure her boss that everything was hunky-dory. “Why else am I here?”

He shoved a packet of papers across the surface of his desk. “These are some design ideas and notes about a weapon StryTech will be working on for us.”

The very mention of StryTech put a knot in her gut. She’d be happy to see that place burn to the ground—and its CEO with it.

Although a new weapon would be nice.

Curious, she pulled the papers over and scanned the diagrams and notes. “So, this new weapon…looks like a device that would allow anyone to capture souls.”

“Exactly. We wouldn’t be limited to only having Logan and a handful of his people doing it. Anyone who popped one of those projectiles into a demon before it died would be able to capture its spirit.”

That was fucking awesome. A huge advantage for Team Good. She flipped the page. Blinked in surprise.

“Wait.” She held up the packet of papers and peered more closely at a sketch and specs of a microprocessor. “This weapon would also have a guidance system?”

He nodded. “It could be programmed to seek out the demon closest to death.”

“Wow. That’s innovative. So, again, why am I here?”

Kynan leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his flat abs. “Because I don’t want this to be like everything else we get from StryTech.”

Ah. “You mean hampered by its rules and accountable to the Almighty Stryke?”

“Exactly. I’m sending you to work on their team.”

She inhaled sharply. Managed a hoarse, “What?”

---