Page 124 of Blinding Light

They all smiled, their teeth the only visible part of their faces that wasn’t obscured by white plastic. It cascaded down to their calves and tucked in their black boots, making them look like the butchers they were.

Bekn’s smile vanished in a breath, and his expression morphed into a sinister grimace filled with pent-up fury. “The Imperial family pollutes our planet. They hunt and kill innocent people in the name of power and fame, and we have come together to put a stop to their useless violence. We are Attica.”

Cyprian swallowed. Behind him, Archer whimpered. Cyprian could feel his friend standing close behind him.

Bekn reached for his pocket and pulled out a data chip. “Remember when you had one of those? Before the explosion? From even before you set foot on Helion?” He grinned at the others. “Look at him now. Trying to connect the dots. I’ve told you that things aren’t that complicated. There once was a sad, sad boy with funny, yellow eyes and no parents.” Bekn pouted his lips in faint mockery. Around them, the others snickered. “A naive boy. Searching for his truth. He got lost on deep space until he was taken back from the shadows and guided toward the light. With information.” He cocked his head, grin widening. “Remember how you bought those lists from an anonymous source?” He pressed his thumb onto his own chest, smirking. “Well, technically speaking, you purchased the information from my useless brother Theo. We have the runt search on deep space every day for anything of value. Most of the time, that’s just to give him something to do, but then you came onto our path. And boom…we hit the jackpot.”

“Why me?” Cyprian’s hand reached backward, and he sighed in relief when Archer grabbed his. “How come Theo picked up on me?”

A terrifying howl filled the echoes of the parking.

Helianth.

Cyprian spun around, searching. “Where is he? What are you doing to him?”

“Tut tut, one question at a time,Xander.” Bekn threw the chip up and caught it out with his other hand. “Why you?” He glared at Cyprian. “Whyyou? Have you taken a look in the mirror recently? You have the eyes?—”

“Of a monster,” Cyprian completed his phrase. “Is that how you see me?”

Bekn grinned. “Oh, I take it you have met your biological parents? Yeah. You have the eyes of a monster. You have the same eyes astheyhave. Of those who kill our loved ones. Bloody, degrading fights that take the lives of our parents, oursiblings, and our lovers and snap them in two for the entire world to see. For the entire world to laugh at, to party and drink to, while we are left with our own misery. And you know what,Xander?” He spat. “There came a day I had hadenough. I was fed up with this injustice, with the cruel games of our royals. And so I started digging on deep space. You have no idea of the amount of filth I found. Secret filth.” He pressed a finger into Cyprian’s chest. “Or perhaps you do, since it was you who came sniffing around hidden corners. A foster kid with yellow eyes. An outcast in his own world. Call it my gut feeling, but something about you and your request for information about Helions with yellow eyes and families who had given up on their children was fucking odd. So, when the transaction was completed and those lists you were after were uploaded on your data chip, a nice little virus was too.”

“Virus.” Cyprian’s mind was spinning. “You did that. It wasyouwho exploded that boat…but how?” Cyprian’s eyes darted from Bekn to the rest of his crew, and he shivered. Moargan had blamed Cyprian. He hadn’t been entirely wrong. If he hadn’t been so naive…

Bekn shrugged casually. “Such a little wonder, this track and trace. You only have to install it secretly inside the purchased information. And of course, I couldn’t let you land on Helion with just another surprise, one that became priceless when our Imperial monster claimed you as his. It only took one click on any folder, and all the documents stored on the chip would be erased. And then…boom. Showtime. At any given moment that we chose. Too bad it didn’t wipe out that opulent mansion, but a meager houseboat instead.” That sly smile returned to Bekn’s lips. “But you see? Nothing about your trip to Helion was a coincidence,Xander. Not even my shift that night. I was working on the shuttle because I knew you’d be there.”

“But…” Cyprian sputtered. “How did you know my name?”

“Like a rookie, you hadn’t bothered shielding the identity of your chip,” Black Mohawk supplied, creeping up out of the shadows. Like Bekn, he hadn’t bothered disguising his identity. “You’d named it Xander Devers, and that same, fake name was pulled up to board the spaceship. The data chip confirmed your presence there, and that meant…so were we.”

“The only unfortunate surprise washim. I didn’t know he was going to be on board the spaceship, and I certainly didn’t think he was going to come after you. Well, in the end, it all turned out okay, didn’t it?” The others laughed.

Moargan.

Cyprian clamped his teeth in concentration as he begged through the bond.

I need you. Come to me.

His veins filled with that strange, intense thrumming as he called out to his angel.

His mate.

Cyprian’s insides burned with a yearning so intense it made him feel light-headed. He had traveled through the galaxy to return home and be united with the one who’d been made for him. The Imperial Prince. After years of searching for the truth, he had found it, and with it so much more. And now it would all end here, in this dirty underground parking lot.

“He will come for me,” he heard himself say. His heart ruffled at the words.

Bekn grinned. “Oh, I sure hope he does. What’s better than catching one devil?”

“Catching three,” Black Mohawk supplied. “Runt did a good job.”

“Yes, he has been well trained. Speaking of…” Bekn looked around. “Where did that little roommate of yours go?”

Two Attica members peeled Archer off the wall, yanking his hand out of Cyprian’s.

Archer screamed.

“Leave him out of this!” Cyprian snarled. “He has nothing to do with this! You can’t just hurt innocent people!”

“Perhaps.” Bekn smiled when someone pulled a chain around Archer’s neck and tore on it ruthlessly, spilling choking sounds out of Archer’s throat. The sound cut Cyprian right in the heart.

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