Page 45 of Taming Chaos

Oh. This was the first time Torin had let slip that he might not be happy about what he’d done. Perhaps Torin the Walking Contradiction didn’t necessarily like the things he was forced to do.

“This way, Master.” Parrus ran to the front, looking at Torin with something akin to reverence. “I have never seen the Bartharrans give way for anybody before, not even my master.”

“It’s all about first impressions,” Torin said dryly. “Who is your master, chichin?”

“He’s called Parrus,” Seph corrected, shooting Torin a pointed look. She didn’t know what chichin meant, but it sounded somewhat derogatory.

Torin shot her a surprised glance. One of his eyebrows rose, and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. “Parrus,” he corrected, emphasizing the Veronian’s name in his refined Kythian accent, “who is your master?”

“Relahek of House Alerak, Sir.”

“Relahek Alerak? That corrupt bastard? Why did he not release you from his service after the Noble Houses were dissolved?”

“We left Kythia before the downfall, Sir. Relahek did not want to relinquish his titles and properties. The Skalreg Va was navigating through Sector One at the time, so Relahek purchased board and passage for what was left of his house and guard.”

Torin’s eyebrows rose. “And you’ve been living here ever since?”

“Yes, Sir. The Master seems to like it here. He has made a long-term arrangement with Captain Ludo.”

“Hm.” Torin looked annoyed, but said nothing.

They turned down a corridor that was more dimly lit than the others. Here, the pale rendered walls turned to stark metal. Small orange lights in sconces cast an unnatural glow across their faces. At the end of the corridor, a pair of wide metal double doors greeted them.

“These are Relahek’s quarters?”

“He occupies the entire rear third of the upper decks, Sir.” The pink markings on Parrus’s face glowed faintly as he looked up at Torin, appearing more hopeful than afraid.

Something had changed. The Veronian was acting as subservient as ever, but he no longer seemed terrified of Torin.

Seph studied the double doors with great curiosity. A handful of odd rune-like characters were imperfectly etched in the dark grey metal, along with a symbol depicting two crossed swords.

Initially, she thought the characters were Kordolian, but on closer inspection, she realized they were something else; something similar, but not quite as refined.

A cold, distant expression crossed Torin’s face. His elegant Kordolian features were a canvas of opposites—capable of conveying warmth one moment and cold menace the next.

A Kordolian. An alien. With alien history and alien enemies and his own ideas about how the Universal Order should be. What Seph wouldn’t give to be able to pick his brains about anything and everything in the Nine Sectors.

She decided to start with the obvious. “I take it you don’t exactly like this Relahek person, Torin?”

Torin’s glare softened ever so slightly as he laid eyes upon her, but his voice was laced with anger. “He is one of those people who believes he is entitled to all the riches of the Universe. Not because he is particularly clever or hardworking or resourceful, but because he was born into a Noble House.” Momentarily distracted, he turned to Parrus. “Is this door keyed to your bio-sig, Parrus?”

The Veronian fished a small cube from a hidden pocket in his grey tunic. “Bartharrans use physical keys.” He pressed the object against a glowing blue cube-shaped hole beside the door.

The doors slid open, revealing a long corridor that led into darkness. Where were the security drones? The identification protocols? The guards?

“That doesn’t seem very secure,” Seph observed.

“There is an internal corridor with a second set of secure doors at the end. Relahek allows his servants to come and go, and the corridor is monitored. He is not afraid because he has guards inside, and the Bartharrans will not bother him because he tells them things.”

“Tells them things?” Torin’s left ear twitched. “What kind of things?”

“I-I do not know. The Bartharrans seem to find his information useful. That’s all I know.”

Torin went very quiet and very still. His brows drew downward and his lips thinned. Sweet stars, he looked formidable. “I’ll ask him myself. Persephone, stay behind me at all times. You too, Parrus.”

Whoever this Relahek person was, he’d seriously pissed Torin off. Seph almost felt sorry for the guy, because she wouldn’t ever want make enemies with Torin.

How fortunate she was to have found him.

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