Page 17 of Dark Rebel's Mystery

Logically, sacrificing a few thousand to save billions made sense as a cold, rational calculation, but Kian couldn't treat his own family members as mere numbers.

He was still grappling with these impossible dilemmas when Toven finished extracting the names of blackmailed pedophiles from the two Doomers. Kian hadn't been actively listening, but the few names he'd heard and recognized were enough to turn his stomach.

Every new name added to the sickening pile of corruption they'd discovered, but at least it was knowledge they might be able to use.

Kian rose to his feet and turned to leave.

"Wait!" one of the prisoners called after him, sounding desperate even though he tried not to. "What are you intending to do with us?"

Kian pivoted slowly, hands tucked into his pockets.

"As long as you cooperate and we have need of you, you'll live," he said curtly. "Once your usefulness runs out, I'll grant you a swift and painless death, which is more than you deserve. But if I learn that you lied or tried to withhold information, I'll feed you to a bunch of hungry sharks and watch gleefully as they tear you apart. Then I'll let you regenerate and heal, only to toss you back in again and again. I'm quite vindictive when it comes to those who hurt children."

Both Doomers blanched, realizing that he'd meant every word.

Evidently, they were not as dumb as he had once believed, and their leader was an evil, fucking brilliant mastermind.

Navuh had outplayed the clan, orchestrating broader societal collapse while misleading Kian and making him believe that the Brotherhood was strapped for cash and dealing in drugs and trafficking to refill its dwindling coffers.

10

MAX

Once the interrogation was over, Max left the cell along with Kian, Toven, Anandur, and Brundar.

The hallway outside the interrogation room was a nothing-special industrial-looking space, with reproductions of fine art adorning the walls in an effort to soften the look, but right now, it was a breath of fresh air despite the lingering lemony scent of the cleaning solution.

"I need a word with you." Kian motioned for Max to walk with him a few paces away.

"Of course, sir." Max followed, hands reflexively going to his belt and the slight weight of his holster.

Something about Kian's body language when he'd made the request troubled Max. Kian was assertive and decisive, even terse, but his expression was slightly hesitant as if he were uncomfortable with whatever it was he needed to talk to him about.

Toven put a hand on Kian's shoulder. "We'll wait for you in the car."

Kian nodded. "This won't take long." His eyes flicked toward Anandur and Brundar, who both inclined their heads silently before following Toven out. The retreat of their footsteps left a soft echo and then silence returned.

Kian leaned against the concrete wall, crossing one leg over the other, and his intense gaze settled on Max. "How do you like this assignment?"

"I like the promotion, but I don't love dealing with the scum of the Earth. That being said, I assure you I will always do my job to the best of my ability, no matter how unpleasant or difficult it is."

Kian's expression softened, and the tightness around his mouth eased. "I wouldn't have expected anything less, but given that you don't love it, I assume you wouldn't mind a short break from this place. I have a special assignment for you next weekend. I can ask Onegus to appoint someone else in charge while you are gone, or you can choose your own temporary replacement."

Max arched an eyebrow. "No problem. May I ask what the assignment is?"

A thousand possibilities flickered through his mind—guarding one of the twins on a trip somewhere? Or maybe Syssi and Kian were going on a vacation and needed additional guards. He studied Kian's face, searching for clues, but his face didn't reveal anything.

Kian crossed his arms over his chest, exhaling softly. "Jasmine is visiting her father in his hunting cabin to ask him about her mother's death… or rather, her disappearance." Kian paused for a heartbeat, letting that detail sink in. "He was never forthcoming with information regarding how her mother died oreven where she was buried. We have reason to believe that she is still alive and has joined the Kurdish resistance, but we need confirmation that she isn't dead, and the father seems to know more than he's been willing to reveal so far."

Max didn't know what to think about the revelation, so he merely nodded.

"Jasmine doesn't expect him to answer her questions this time, either," Kian said. "She's planning to ambush him in his cabin because he'll be alone out there, and her stepmother won't be around to interfere. Naturally, Ell-rom plans to accompany her, but neither of them can thrall. I need a strong thraller to get into the father's head while Jasmine is questioning him about her missing mother. I also need someone I trust to watch over both of them, but especially Ell-rom. He thinks that he doesn't need protection because no one knows who he is, but given how important he is to my mother, I don't want to take any chances with him."

Max swallowed. He'd never considered thralling to be his strong suit. He could do it, like any other immortal who'd transitioned in his early teens, but he wasn't remarkable at it. Many of his fellow Guardians were better. He also couldn't help his illogical dislike of Jasmine. It wasn't her fault that she bore a striking resemblance to someone from his past who'd driven a wedge between him and his best friend at the time.

If it were anyone other than Jasmine, he would have welcomed a short babysitting assignment. Leaving the dungeon for a day or two was appealing, and a trip to a remote hunting cabin could be nice. But when he pictured Jasmine, with her stunning face and dark cascading hair, all he could see was that ghost from his past.

"I'm not a particularly strong thraller," he tried, hoping the admission might excuse him from the assignment. "I'm average at best, and if Jasmine's father is resistant—which he probably will be, given their history—I might not be good enough to break through his barriers. Perhaps you should choose someone else."

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