Page 11 of Dark Rebel's Mystery

"I know her well." The immortal smiled. "She was my sister-in-law when my first husband was still alive." The female extended her hand. "I'm Vivian, Parker's mom."

Rob felt terrible about discussing Parker within earshot of his mother without knowing who she was. "It's nice to meet you, Vivian, and thank you for the recommendation."

"You are most welcome. You could take your parents to Safe Haven for a spiritual retreat or a paranormal one if she's into those kinds of things. It would provide the perfect cover for talking to your mother privately and for Eleanor to ensure that the conversation stays between you."

"That's a great idea," Margo said. "Mom could use one of those retreats to unwind. She's always so stressed."

6

KIAN

As Kian stepped out of the plush interior of the elevator behind Toven, he was greeted by the slightly moist tang of the stone blocks that composed the walls of the keep underground, the sharp bite of cleaning solution that had been used on the floor, and a lingering, almost palpable scent of despair.

The concrete floor under his boots might have been polished to a shine, but he could almost see the footprints of the evildoers who had been brought here.

Was it his imagination conjuring the foreboding ambiance, or was there something more to it? A warning, perhaps?

He'd walked down this same wide corridor many times before, and it had usually smelled faintly of air freshener and echoed with the hum of fluorescent lights, but even when it had housed Igor, it hadn't felt so grim. This time, though, the air entering his nostrils contained a residue of darkness from the many vile and twisted individuals the dungeon currently held, humans and immortals alike.

He should be glad that they had captured so many, or at least happy for the young victims they had freed from torture and eventual death, but he felt no satisfaction. It was just a drop in a vast, roiling figurative bucket of depravity, one he wished he could fling into the empty void of outer space so it would never touch Earth again.

A world without predators. Wouldn't that be something?

He chuckled softly at the thought, a faint sound echoing in the wide corridor. One could dream.

It reminded him of what Syssi had confided—her own fantasies about banishing all monsters to where they could never harm another innocent soul.

"What's amusing you?" Toven asked, glancing back to look for what Kian could have possibly found humorous in the keep's dungeon.

"My own imagination," Kian said with a half-smile. "I was fantasizing about ejecting all the monsters off into space. I will never understand how anyone can hurt children for their own sick, twisted pleasure."

Toven's gaze flickered across Kian's face before he nodded in agreement. "I don't care what anyone does in private as long as it is between consenting adults with no one getting seriously injured." He snorted, shaking his head. "Although, to be frank, is a seventeen or an eighteen-year-old really an adult? Their bodies might be sexually mature, but their brains are not. I think the age of consent should be at least twenty-one."

Kian cast him an amused sidelong look. "I agree, but people who are that age will not. I was nineteen when I married my first wife, and I was convinced that I was mature enough to be a husbandand a father." The memory still stung nearly two millennia after the fact.

He'd made a mistake, and even though things had worked out in the end, his daughter, his own flesh and blood, had grown up with a stepfather caring for her, and so had his grandchildren and their children and so on. Eventually, the last one of his descendants had died childless, and that was the end of that line.

Toven arched a brow. "I didn't know you were married before. I assume she was a human?"

Kian nodded. "My mother tried to convince me not to do it, but you know how the young are. We think we know everything. Needless to say, it didn't end well."

"I bet." Toven offered him a small, sad smile. "Perhaps you can tell me about it some other time."

They continued down a hallway lined with thick metal doors until they reached the Guardians' station, which was situated in one of the more spacious converted cells. Plush-looking chairs had replaced the standard-issue cots, and a large console of monitors glowed with the silent feed from security cameras mounted in the occupied cells.

Max, who had been perched on a chair near the monitors, rose to greet them. The Guardian lacked his usual easy smile. "The prisoners are ready for you," he said. "Lightly sedated, as you requested."

"Thank you." Kian settled in one of the chairs, motioning for Toven to join him. "While we are waiting for Anandur and Brundar to arrive with the coffees, I would like to get a look at the Doomers." He tilted his head toward the array of monitors. "Can you tell me who is who?"

"Of course." Max motioned for the Guardian to monitor the screens and move them aside. "We relocated them to the interrogation cell." He tapped the top-left screen, the image flickering with a live feed of a cell, part of which was sectioned by bars. "I debated whether to bring them out one at a time or together but ultimately decided on bringing them both. They're behind bars and sedated. They don’t burn as quickly through the new sedative Bridget developed." He turned to Toven. "Do you prefer to separate them for questioning?"

"I don't mind them being together," Toven said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I just need to know their names so I can address them individually. Otherwise, my commands will affect anyone within hearing distance." He turned to Kian. "Do you have your compulsion filtering earpieces with you?"

"I do." Kian patted his pocket. "And the Guardians never leave home without them."

"Good." Toven seemed to relax. "That will make my job easier." He turned to Max. "Please, continue."

Max nodded and pointed at the monitor. "The one with the long beard calls himself Don, and the other one calls himself Nox. Those are the names on their fake documents, too. I didn't press them to reveal their real names. You can probably compel them to give them up."

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