Page 177 of Stars in Umbra
Rina’s ponytail was loose and fraying, and a slight tremor ran through her arms as she held fast to Mo’s hand with both of hers.
At their flank, Mirage shimmered in a glittering suit.
She appeared just long enough to offer Kainan a silent nod of confirmation before glimmering away.
Most likely to conduct any mop-ups on the incident and shut down any chat about it under classified files.
The fire pit’s warm glow cast dancing shadows across the rooftop.
The children were now tucked into bed, their sugar highs from the birthday cake fading into quiet dreams.
What remained was the core of their family: just the Riders and their partners and wives, lounging close to the flames,drinks in hand, their voices hushed by the serenity of a good night.
The Riders rose as one: Kainan, Kage, Zane, Xion, and Ki’Remi.
Without question, they closed in, their arms wrapping around the returning trio, grounding them and guiding them to the circle of warmth.
There were no immediate greetings, no frantic questions; just presence and care.
The women surged in next, taking hold of Rina and fussing over her.
Eventually, the group pulled apart, and Kainan took the lead, his hands crossed over his chest. ‘Brother,’ he grunted, ‘tell us everything.’
Mo drew in a ragged breath, the words coming from the pit of him, from somewhere still raw with fury and shame.
‘We managed to avert disaster, brothers, but it camefokkin’ close. Caidan hot-wired a bomber with thermonuclear explosives and aimed it at Eden II. It almost made it. He also snatched Rina and tried to make me watch it burn with her inside.’
A current of palpable tension rippled through the group.
Zane stiffened, his jaw clenched. Kage exhaled, and Ki’Remi went still.
‘Lucian Makori was his sidekick.’
At this, Selene blanched, and Kainan slid a hand around her waist, lips to her temple.
‘I thought he disappeared into some backwater,’ Selene whispered, a dark emotion in her eyes.
‘He became Thrall’s lackey and they planned to use Mo to assassinate you all in revenge for Dunia, and then when that failed, the bomber became Plan B.’
Rina crossed the small space to her best friend and hugged her. ‘Lucian is gone, forever. Thrall killed him to get rid of him as a loose end.’
‘Fokkme,’ Selene cursed.
‘Caidan is also DOA,’ Mo rasped, his timbre hardened with a cold finality, but his demise was personal for me. He used me like a blade. He placed a neural node in my brain, bent my will without my knowing, so that I slaughtered targets without memory, a slave to his evil commands. I almost lost Rina, and myself, and I came close to failing you all.’
‘Talk about divine justice,’ Kage murmured.
Mo’s eyes flicked over the Riders, meeting each of their gazes in turn; the men he bled with, and worked for, who embraced him in their fold, and also who he just about betrayed.
In his regard was a raw, bruised emotion and a genuine remorse.
‘Once again, I am sorry,’ he muttered.
Kainan stepped forward and dragged him into a firm, grounding embrace. ‘The second you found out, you made amends. That’s all that matters, Mo. We’ve all danced with darkness. What counts is how and where you step into the light.’
Zane clapped him hard on the back.
Kage crushed him in a hug that lifted him off his feet.
