Page 47 of Blinding Light

Aviel pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can always check again.”

“What’s so important about this chip anyway?” Yure asked. “Cyprian has already told you the truth of who he is and why he has come here.”

“Maybe because Theo found that chip under Cyprian’s mattress? You put stuff there you don’t want people to find. ” Aviel snarked. “Not to mention how Moargan had him trembling to get his precious chip back when Theo was caught.” Aviel sounded excited. His blood craved violence as well.

“He’s gentle,” Moargan said. He stopped pacing. “He didn’t want another guy to suffer because of his secrets.”

“Secrets.” Aviel’s eyes twinkled. “That’s exactly the right word. Your Royal Consort has secrets. And we fuckinglovethem.”

“Perhaps it was Theo who lied and erased the documents after all?” Moargan asked instead.

Aviel waved him off. “No offense, but getting access to those folders was hard. I doubt Theo would know how to do that in thetwo hours he had that chip in his possession. No, you’ve got to face it, Moargan. Cyprian has secrets. And I might just have a theory, so sit down and hear me out.” He grinned when both Yure and Moargan did as he said, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Turning around, Aviel wrapped his hands behind his back. “So, I was raised by my uncle and aunt, came to Helion as a teenager after they passed, and have been Yure’s housemate since.”

Moargan held up his hand. “Why are you telling me this? I already know everything about your background.”

“I'm telling you this because it’s a lie.” Aviel held his gaze, and his golden eyes flashed. “Some parts are true. I did grow up in Omadus, but I wasn’t raised by my uncle and aunt. I grew up in foster care.”

The room filled with an uncomfortable silence.

“I moved to Helion after I’d seen it in a picture. The urge to be here was so strong that it became all-consuming. Ihadto be here. So, I did the unthinkable. I robbed a store, stole the safe and the bank chip. The next day I arrived on Helion. Much like Cyprian, I falsified my name. I was only a teenager, but I managed to find a cleaning job in one of the laboratories. One day Zimeon paid a visit to the facility, and that’s how we met. As your father’s right hand and co-director of the Dariux project, he recognized me as one of them immediately. As one ofyou.”

“That’s when we met,” Moargan murmured. He remembered how Zimeon had placed Aviel together to be Yure’s, Moargan’s best friend and new roommate. “You were so timid. So different from now. I’d forgotten.”

“I had to, thank you very much,” Aviel snorted. “But think about it. Here comes Cyprian. He’s from off-planet and in search of his biological parents. He has yellow eyes.”

Moargan licked his dry lips. “Do you think he is Dariux?”

“People can have yellow eyes and not be Dariux,” Yure said.

“Sure,” Aviel shrugged. “I’m not saying he is.”

“He doesn’t have night vision and doesn’t seem to crave violence,” Moargan hummed, remembering that first night.

“I didn’t either, at first. I don’t know, Moargan. I’m just saying, this could be a theory. You should go and see your father and Zimeon. Perhaps they can tell you more.”

“That’s what I told him, but he’s stubborn,” Yure threw in.

“How were they sure you were Dariux? Back then?”

“In the laboratory, I stumbled across a patient who lost it on me. He was a lot stronger than I was, and I panicked. And my eyes…”

Aviel’s gaze lit up and a crooked smile spread on his face. “Half an hour later, I sat in Zimeon’s hovercar on my way to your father. And the rest is history.”

They sat in silence as they all recalled the past.

“So, we don’t know if Cyprian is Dariux, but we will let him meet your father,” Yure decided. “That doesn’t explain the importance—or thelackof importance—of this empty chip.”

“Give me some more time to play with it,” Aviel eyed the chip thoughtfully. “See what I can find.”

“We should keep an eye on Theo as well,” Yure added. “If he lied to us about having removed the documents, we need to know. When does he go to Helianth?”

“Soon,” Moargan said. “Hopefully this weekend.” His multi-slate dinged with a message. “What the fuck?”

“What’s going on?” Yure asked.

“He left the house about an hour ago.” Moargan looked up, amethyst eyes flashing with annoyance. “He's lingering in a dodgy neighborhood in the capital. He insisted that he didn't need a ride. Those fools let him.”

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