Page 186 of Love & Heart Braking

I guess we’d move there. Though what would happen to our apartments? He loved the Durita community.

“We’ll figure it out.” He pressed a kiss to my temple, reading my mind.

The tension in my shoulders eased.

Tiqlig looked at him. “Detective Vincori. Your quest for answers about your father were known to the twelve for several months before the wedding. I would like to offer you what information I have on the matter.”

I peered up at Devereaux who’d gone entirely still.

He replied, “I want to hear everything.”

“It isn’t much,” Tiqlig said apologetically. “The oldest generation of the twelve tended to keep much to themselves. I do know that your father came across Shade not long after initial tests were started.”

Devereaux had already put together as much.

“Being that the main side effect of Shade is anger, the twelve decided that to best cover their tracks, they would test the initial batches on berserkers.”

I covered my mouth. Austin swore.

“That’s sick!” Soleil exclaimed as Bain growled.

The blood had left Devereaux’s face altogether. “Abitaverus. They put it in Abitaverus.”

The drug that was meant to calm his line down and prevent their outbursts?

My stomach churned, and I couldn’t recall feeling more nauseous in my life.

The earth guardian drew another folder from his case. “There’s more. I gained access to my father’s office last night. Going through the contents will take some time, but this was filed under A and the word Abitaverus, as you’ve correctly guessed.” He passed the file to Devereaux. “They’re still putting Shade in the drug to this day. The consumption of Abitaverus has increased every year for fifteen years.”

“They succeeded in creating an addiction.” I couldn’t believe this.

Devereaux stared at the file, and I wrapped an arm around his waist. The twelve had used his type as test subjects for fifteen years. They’d played on the fear other descendants usually felt around the type. They’d driven berserkers into hiding, forcing them to stick to each other and exist apart from other descendants.

My berserker was only okay because he lost control at the right time.

Maybe shaking with anger wasn’t normal for my type, yet it was happening now. Fury filled every part of me. How ironic that after we’d won this battle, I’d never wanted to tear the twelve limb from limb more. I felt murderous. Children like Devereaux had been spoon-fed that drug by their desperate parents for fifteen years.

If I ever got a hold of Mistress Cineres, I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t try to kill her. And I just wasn’t a violent person.

“How do I help them?” Devereaux said, and my heart broke at the pained sorrow in his voice. I’d never heard him so helpless.

Tiqlig said, “We need to bring this information to everyone’s attention, but not before we’ve brought healers together and have a plan. We don’t want panic. The addictions will need to be seared away. One healing elemental I consulted said that the treatments would need to be done carefully, but a full recovery would be possible. I’d like to offer the Ventrams’ estate to house those who require help.”

That was something. I gripped Devereaux’s arm. “We’ll help them. We won’t stop until everyone is okay again.”

He nodded after a beat. When he lifted his head, I saw my berserker already forming plans. “Thank you, Tiqlig.”

The earth guardian bowed slightly. “Thank your father, Detective Vincori, and thank your determination for digging up answers. Without either, knowledge of these atrocities might have slipped through our fingers and never been found.”

“Furoras,” I said. “Furoras was his name.”

“The Furoras Wing of Recovery,” Xix declared.

Everyone stopped to look at the sphinx. While much of what he’d said in the past was cryptic and purposefully designed to be so, these words weren’t.

Tiqlig smiled. “Yes, I like that.”

He didn’t exactly have a choice. The sphinx had already spoken.

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