Page 114 of Xerxes Ascendant
And who would care for Sarah and Robby? Without being able to earn credits for his family...
“I was thinking a few years,” Omicron said to Theta’s approving nods and the shrivelling of Akira’s heart. “The boy needs to fully appreciate how unacceptable his actions are.”
“And we need to be seen to come down hard on those who cross us,” Tau said wearily, slumping back down into his seat and drawing a hand across his face. “We let this slide because it’s a friend, and suddenly the whole of Xerxes thinks they can defy the Coterie.”
A...friend.
The word seemed odd. Out of place. Were the other Masters Akira’s friends?
If they had been once, they weren’t anymore. They hated him now, hated him for turning on them when the real traitor was in their midst and smirking at him.
“Perhaps we equivalate the sentence to the period of time he held a seat on this Coterie,” Theta suggested smoothly to the others, all traces of wounded victim having disappeared now Akira had been found definitively guilty by their peers. “Five years, was it not?” He tsked. “What awaste.”
“For you,” Akira muttered. He imagined it was Theta’s biggest regret, sponsoring his former employee for his Mastery. Perhaps he’d hoped to have another House Master in his pocket, but the time of Akira offering blind obedience to Theta was long over.
Fucking grand words for someone doing exactly that once more.
The others were all glaring at him from their side of the table. “Come here, Akira,” Theta said. He held out his hand expectantly, palm turned not upwards in friendship, but down to the floor. As though inviting him to be petted like an animal.
“If I were you, I’d be crawling over here sharpish, boy,” Master Omicron snarled at Akira, and then redirected his next words to the man at his side. “You’d be well within your entitlement to have him slithering to you on his belly and begging to kiss your feet.”
Theta’s mouth twitched with amusement. “There’ll be time enough for that. Nowcome, Akira. Or do you wish to add more years to your sentence?”
It was then that Kyle burst through the door.
1. Check inventory counts for Sectors 3-5, Level B and report any discrepancies in excess of 0.5%.
2. Reorganise and label damaged goods section.
3. Verify that all outgoing shipments for the day have correct paperwork attached.
4. Escort Runic Engineer to the second processor relay for maintenance.
(Chris, can you get Jenna to double-check the incoming distribution logs? Last week’s mix-up nearly cost us a client)
-Task list assigned to Chris Nguyen, Warehouse Logistics, Night Shift
CHAPTER 34
Kyle
The security guard frisking the manager of House Epsilon had made a mistake.
And that was choosing to turn up to work today.
“Hurry,please,” Kyle hissed for the third time, unable to bear how slowly the man was sliding his hands down his arms. If Kyle worked at such a sedate pace in his own job, his clients would expire of old age before he got them off.
“Stay still, sir,” was all the guard said in response. Kyle stared intently at the closed door ahead of him, needing to be on the other side of ityesterdaybut knowing that if he surged forward before he passed the Coterie’s security checks, he’d never make it at all.
“Do you want me to strip off?” he offered desperately. “Then you’ll know I’m not hiding any damn weapons!”
In the locked glass case to his left rested Akira’s gun and a scattering of other knives and firearms. The Coterie members might make a habit of walking around armed, but Kyle had nothing but his runepad on him. How long did it take to verify that?
“You’re clear.”
The words were more welcome to his ears than any of his beloved pre-apocalypse songs. He darted towards the door, leaving Master Rho and the others to the sluggish attentions of security, and shoved it open without knocking.
Kyle’s heart sank at the sight of his Akira standing defiant and alone against a roomful of treacherous and misguided Coterie Masters. The man’s head was held high, his jaw set in dismissive, proud disdain, but Kyle could see beyond all that to the naked emotion in his eyes that told of how terrified Akira really was. How vulnerable.
