Page 70 of Polestar
“You don’t want cooperation.You want everyone to kiss your ass.”
“Same thing.”She smiled.
“No, it isn’t.Is that why you had Havard marked with a control sigil?Because he wouldn’t kiss your ass?And Aksel too?Did he finally see how corrosive you truly are?How many others?”
The smile fell from her face.“Aksel?I would never—what are you talking about?Where is he?”
Her heart pounded harder with each second as his silence stretched.
Aksel had been on the ship that was seized, overseeing its journey to its distribution port.
Her ears rang as her head swam.
He escaped with the other crew members and just hadn’t reported in yet.
Her fingers slid over the cellphone in her pocket.She drew a steadying breath.Any time now, he’d message her he was in the clear and returning soon.
But how could Magnus know Aksel had been onthatship?How much did he know about the sigils?
“Who are your new friends, Ulla?Who have you let into Barentia?”
He’s fishing for the Organization.
Is that why he was really here?
What else does he know?
“When were you supposed to get married, Magnus?Or did you drag that useless human here for nothing?”
He glared at her.
“She didn’t get far,” Ulla smirked.
Magnus growled, rising to his feet.“Where is she?”
“Where is Aksel?”
“He’s lying unconscious, under the care of GPSA medics.Where is Ana?”
“Care?” She stepped toward Magnus.
“Ana.”
“Picked up by some friends of mine.”
Magnus’ eyes narrowed as he stepped toward Ulla, growling louder, despite the pull of the chains.
She stepped back toward the door, fear rippling throughout her body.
“Are these friends the same friends that marked Aksel with a sigil and beat him so badly he had to crawl into a control room panel to escape them?”
Pain bloomed in Ulla’s chest as her lungs constricted.
Polar bear shifters never, ever crawled.
And certainly not Aksel…
Not Aksel.
