Page 28 of Elas

He’s hungover and half-asleep, and I have places to be.

“No one for you to worry about, doc. Get some more rest and drink your fucking water.”

“Yes, sir,” he mutters, already drifting back to sleep as I shake my head and storm into the bathroom, needing a cold shower before I put on my uniform.

“Name?” A Ramves female flashes me a sharp-toothed grin, her dark brown hair pulled into a bun. I cock my brow, unsure if it’s a horrible attempt at a friendly smile or if she’s trying to be intimidating.

“Elas. I was summoned.”

“Ah, yes. Please take a seat, and the commander will be with you shortly.”

I nod my thanks, exceedingly curious and disappointed that she didn’t call the new commander by name. Whoever it is either knows me or knowsofme, though I don’t have the first guess who it might be.

A row of chairs lines the wall, and I drop into one directly in front of the door. The leather of my armor creaks softly as my foot kicks underneath me, eager to get this—whatever this is—out of the way. As much as I needed to separate myself from August to clear my mind, I’m antsy to return home. Last night’s decision to drink so heavily wasn’t the smartest, and I’m not in the mood to do anything but lounge around today.

Minutes tick by, and I cross and uncross my legs a few times before putting my feet flat on the ground. My elbows dig into my knees as my head drops into my palms. Fucking hells, I could sleep like this, but I force my eyes to stay open. Underneath my boots, the floor is polished concrete, much like it is in every building on base.

Everywhere you look, it’s the same. It’sbeenthe same for decades, one day blurring into the next until the past few weeks. Now that sense of normalcy has been pulled out from underneath me, and my universe has flipped on its axis.

In a matter of days, I discovered the prophecy was true, and that Ronan had met his mate. Then the prison break led to my oldest and closest friend leaving, and I’m struggling with the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to him.

And now August has become a permanent fixture in my life, and the confusing things I’m beginning to feel about him are messing me up even worse.

Physically, nothing has changed, but everything is so different.

“Officer Elas?” My head snaps up at the Ramves female's voice, and her impatient tone makes me wonder if she called my name once already. “The Commander will see you now.” I nod to her again as I rap on the door, waiting for the customary grunt of acknowledgement before I turn the knob and walk inside.

My stomach bottoms out, dropping to my feet with a lurch. The top of a pale green head looks down at the desktop, scratching a note in sloppy handwriting.

“Sir?”

The head tilts up to meet my gaze, but it’s not Bravis like I originally thought. It’s another equally familiar face—one I haven’t seen in a lifetime.

“Ah, Elas,” Khors says with a broad smile, standing in greeting as I glance down at his chest. Four stripes decorate his uniform, and it yanks me out of my stupor. I snap toattention, my arms rigid at my sides as he looks me up and down. “I forgot what a giant motherfucker you are. Come on now, none of that. We’re old friends.”

Friendsisn’t the term I would use to describe our relationship. This is the person who made my formative years in the military a living hell. Memories flash through my mind of the times I’d best him in the training ring, only for him to retaliate with cheap shots to my back or below the belt. The way we’d brawl until one of us was bleeding, or until Bravis ripped us apart and tossed us both into isolation.

Time has colored those years of rivalry into something rosy pink for him, if his smile is any indication.

“I appreciate that, sir,” I say, careful to keep my voice neutral. “I wasn’t aware a new commander had been appointed until I received your summons. It’s good to see a familiar face.” The bullshit leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, but I ease into a practiced, amiable smile.

“Yes, thank the gods I was available after my uncle’s misfortune.”

That information sinks in with an invisible sense of satisfaction. Back then, I suspected there was a familial connection between Bravis and Khors. He got away with too much in training, and his shitty performance was excused far too often. His daily fuck ups would have resulted in days of punishment for any of us, but not him.

Repercussions rolled right off his back, and now I know why.

“We were devastated to hear what happened to him.” We weren’t. “It was such a tragedy to lose a formidableleader.” It wasn’t. “His presence will be greatly missed.” It won’t.

“Yes, yes, it was truly awful,” he says, but the words come out as practiced and insincere, with zero inflection or emotion behind them. Moving on from his awful display of mourning, he claps his hands and rubs them together. “Right. That’s why I’ve called you here.”

“Sir?”

“I’ve been catching up on the official paperwork, and I just can’t make sense of what actually happened. The fire, yes, that’s obvious, but… no one knowswhyBravis was at that location. The reports state the structure burned to the ground, but there’s no explanation to how it started. A random, rundown house that hadn’t been inhabited for ages shouldn’t be a fire risk. And then there’s the other question.”

His eyes move to mine, a deep green that reflects the overhead lights as he studies me. When the silence becomes uncomfortable, I ask, “Other question, sir?”

“Hmm?” He’s pulled from whatever had invaded his train of thought, and his attention sears into me once more. “Yes. Ronan.” My heart slams against my ribcage as I force myself not to react, steadying my breaths and refusing to fidget as he leans forward. “You and Officer Ronan are old friends, aren’t you?”

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