Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen

Author:Essa Hansen [HANSEN, ESSA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2020-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 28

ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Five Casthen parted the crowd. The man in the lead had a confident, swaggering gait and a tall, broad-shouldered, slim-waisted build that was unmistakable even with the featureless blue mask covering his face and even if he hadn’t said, “Leave, sentinels, he’s here with me,” at which the Dynast group shuffled and muttered among themselves. Groups were harder to coerce, it seemed. Threi’s shoulders contorted at the hesitation, and he twisted to face them, having to repeat the order with intent and gravitas, “Leave,” before the sentinels peeled off like clouds facing a gale.

“Cartographers.” Threi recovered with a dashing bow. “I’ll take it from here.”

Maul’s face scrunched, considering, then he grunted and turned to leave. Lyli wore a relieved and loving expression. She bowed then followed Maul. Lucky for Threi: two species he had an easier time convincing.

Threi turned a circle to the rest of the mixed passager crowd. “All of you can leave now too— show’s over.” A third of them loved him enough to obey. He yanked off his mask and peered around the crowd with a gentle “Go,” and convinced the next third to drain out the atrium exits. Snarl wrinkles stacked across the bridge of his nose. He nodded to his Casthen crew, who bullied out the remainder of the crowd.

Caiden rubbed his kicked jaw and straightened. His morphcoat leather thickened, ready for a fight. “What a good soldier you are, able to eliminate a threat in moments. Not perfect, though, are you?”

Threi swiveled to face him, simmering. “Not yet.”

“Why are you here?”

“I came to see Abriss’s statement, because who doesn’t want to watch a leader so plain and uncharismatic charm an entire crowd?” Threi dragged his hand through dark curls.

The other armored Casthen fidgeted, hands near glaves.

“And you,” Caiden said, “so handsome and charming, struggle to dismiss that same crowd.” Aggravating the Enforcer wasn’t a smart move, but Caiden was in a tetchy mood.

Threi donned an artful smile. “A shame, the falsification of your memory jog.”

“That was you.”

“Not I. Çydanza sees quashing rogue errors as a game. The result of your survival— incrimination— was an error she swiftly corrected.”

“Really? She seems less real to me every day. Yet you benefit directly.”

The others shuffled at his hostility, but Threi laughed. “True. Now you’ve gained absolutely nothing from the memory jog except trauma that will hound you the rest of your life.” The man glanced among his crew. “Return to the ship. The Paraborn and I need to talk.”

They took no extra urging to obey.

When they’d left earshot, Threi said, “I twirl around my finger three keys: your liberation from horror, your route to the Casthen Harvest, and the secret to killing Çydanza at last.”

Pulled hard by those promises, Caiden closed his eyes. The brand of the Casthen afterimage still hung there. The nightmares were a permanent brand, one he couldn’t replace as easily as skin and bone. He said, “Tell me your plan, start to finish.”

“Sorry, pup, can’t do that. Mind, memories, and information are more powerful currency than you know.

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