Page 17 of Souls of Steel
“Anything is possible, when Grand Chimeras are involved, Ms. Renard,” Knox replied in my stead. “And chess is the least interesting game they play.”
“Unrefined mutt,”Typhon hissed. “Chess is very interesting. One of these days…”
I tuned out his familiar rant. It wasn’t the first time Typhon took offense at Cerberus’s less intellectual interests and it wouldn’t be the last. And I had no doubt that it was Cerberus he was talking about, not Knox, which made my previous plan even more urgent.
“In any case, today must’ve been tough for you, Ms. Renard. Why don’t you go take a bath and rest? Once we get to the academy, you won’t have a lot of private space or time to relax.”
I snapped my fingers and one of my attendants approached. “Robert, take Ms. Renard to a guest room and make sure she has everything she needs for the flight. Prepare a bath and a meal.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Robert replied. “Of course.”
Selene looked like she had a lot of questions and didn’t want to go with Robert. Just the same, she didn’t protest. “Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. I look forward to the time we’ll spend together at the academy.”
If she had known about my previous thoughts, she wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic. But she’d find out, in time. I wouldn’t enlighten her, not yet, not today.
As soon as she was gone, I gestured for Knox to follow me. We walked in silence through the corridors of the Venom. Together, we made our way to my personal quarters, where I knew we wouldn’t be disturbed and where we’d be safe from prying eyes.
The moment we were behind closed doors, he grabbed my arm and shoved me against the wall. He crushed his lips to mine so hard I tasted blood. My body responded to his almost hostile need for me and I kissed him back just as savagely.
“I want you,” he growled against my mouth. “I want you so much.”
His almost desperate tone reminded me why I’d brought him here and why I’d been so concerned about him in the first place. I buried my hands in his hair and pulled him away from me. “Do you really? Or do you want her, and I’m just a replacement?”
The words were brutal, but honest. That was our vow, the vow we shared with August and Pollux. We’d promised to always be honest, to drop our masks when we were with one another. We were the only ones who understood the burden a chimera tamer carried and that was why Selene Renard’s presence would throw us all into chaos.
He froze, staring at me like he’d just received a tachyon blast to the chest. For a few seconds, he didn’t even blink. His pupils flickered red, the power of Tartarus dangerously intense inside him.
“It’s not like that,” he finally said, slumping against me. “I just… I don’t know what I’m doing, Brendan. This is crazy.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. “Sphinx made her choice and we have to accept it. Besides, it’s not so bad. Selene might be a woman, but she seems nice enough.”
“You know as well as I do that’s not the problem,” Knox replied. “I’d have preferred it if she hadn’t been nice.”
We sat down together on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. The lights in my chambers pulsed rhythmically, the photon emissions almost mocking me.“We can always find another way,”Typhon hissed.“She doesn’t have to come close to our brood if she’s so dangerous.”
I considered Typhon’s advice and a worm of an idea wriggled at the back of my mind. Selene Renard looked forward to her time at Chimera Academy, did she? Well, I’d make sure she didn’t enjoy it very much. Before the week was up, she’d be begging to go back to her home, to where she belonged. And my fellow Chimera Warriors and I would not be in any danger.
Selene was officially a tamer and she had the support of a Grand Chimera. I respected that, so I couldn’t hurt her. But there were other ways, other methods that would chase her off without physically harming her.
“Don’t worry, Knox,” I said. “Our brood will be safe. Always.”
He must’ve heard the underlining danger in my voice, because he tensed. When he looked at me again, his eyes were sharp, clear, and yet, full of predatory intent. “What do you need me to do?”
Above us, the lights flickered as tachyon particles emerged from his hands. “Don’t be so impatient,” I said, smirking. “Once we have our prey into our lair, we’ll act. Until then, we wait.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied.
This time, when he kissed me, I kissed him back. If we both still remembered another pair of lips, we didn’t mention it.
Selene was the forbidden fruit and we wouldn’t lay a finger on her. Her presence could jeopardize everything we had worked for. As the leader of our unit, I had to make sure she left the academy, no matter what my stubborn instincts insisted.
Tamers of the Nymphs
Selene
Tartarus Base was located exactly 53.670 miles from Earth, on what had been an artificial asteroid belonging to the Sun-Dwellers. To this day, I was unsure how it had been claimed by our forces and stabilized in Earth’s orbit. I hoped to find out now that it would be my home.
My journey on Prince Brendan’s vessel, the Venom, left me discombobulated and wary, so much so that I welcomed the distraction. I was even happier that, once we landed, I could reunite with my Sphinx.
