Page 114 of Kingdom of Tomorrow
Well, well. Getting my hands on that chip shot to the top of my to-do list.
“Cyrus.”
The soft entreaty slowed our pace, allowing a beautiful woman to step in front of us.
“Nova,” he replied with zero inflection.
Ah. Nova Soti. The ex. She wore a slinky white dress that molded to her hourglass figure.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She kissed his unscarred cheek, near the corner of his mouth. “I’ve missed you.”
“Arden, this is Countess Soti’s daughter,” he said, drawing me closer. “Nova, this is my girlfriend, Arden.”
Just as he’d understood my request for help, I understood his. Petting his chest, I rested my head on his shoulder. “Nice to meet you. I wish we had time to chat, but my Cyrus is taking me for some air. Shall we, sugar bear?”
“Yes, kitten, we shall.”
Her mouth formed a small O as we maneuvered around her.
“I did good,” I said, giving myself an evaluation.
His answering half grin suggested I’d earned extra credit. He steered me into a hallway guarded by two armed soldiers. They allowed us passage, and we sailed by without incident.
We stopped at a locked entrance that required a palm scan to enter. He pushed open the door, revealing a spacious office with a shockingly plain desk. Supplies were organized in rows of three on the surface. The only decoration was a portrait of Tagin Dolion himself, decked out in his uniform. No files were out and about, ready for a quick glance. Bet the computer dock activated only with his chip.
The scent of cigar smoke and whiskey thickened when we reached the sitting area in back, where a worn sofa and coffee table waited. A highly frequented area, no doubt.
Towering double doors led to a balcony, as promised. Interesting. The king had a perfect view of the Rock.
“The office is available to me and my guest only.” Cyrus opened the balcony doors, allowing cool fresh air to wisp inside. “There are no voice recorders here, but there are multiple cameras hidden throughout, and they are being monitored by several viscounts.”
Well, of course there were hidden cameras. “We’ll find a way.” Because we must.
“Notwe.You.Now is probably a good time to tell you that your dress renders you invisible to cameras.”
I squealed a little and threw my arms around his shoulders to hug him. Although. “Won’t my invisibility rouse suspicions?”
“Not necessarily. The people my father deals with wear the same material all the time.”
So, the higher-ups. Those who might have something to hide. “You always think of everything.”
“I’m going to sit on the couch and pretend you’re sitting with me.” He kissed my brow, awakening a deeper ache in me, then strode to the couch, as if he still led me about, and sat. He fiddled with the band around his wrist, then pretended to wind his arm around my shoulders. “You have five minutes. Look anywhere. I won’t stop you.”
“But you watched him store the chip.”
“Yes, and telling you where it is violates a vow I made.”
“But covering for me while I search doesn’t?” Wait. Cyrus had taught me to break into the guy’s drawers. Therefore, it stood to reason it occupied a drawer. Duh! Except. “The camera feed will show drawers opening on their own. Someone will understand what’s happening.”
The look he gave me.Lady, please.“Do I always think of everything or not?”
In other words, keep trusting him. I sighed, and leaped into action, using different pieces of my special jewelry to open locks without leaving a smidge of evidence.
“Three minutes,” Cyrus piped up.
I riffled through the contents of a drawer at a swifter clip. A digital reader without a chip. A loaded handgun. A box of ammo. A tin of candies only the upper class could afford. Guess the king had a sweet tooth.
“You could help, you know,” I grumbled.
