Page 30 of Burning Ice
Moargan grabbed him. “Is it the Dariux, lover?”
“Yes,” Cyprian breathed. “But it’s incredible. It feels alive. Mirel’s part of it now. The network just opened to him.”
The network? Dariux?So many questions, but none came. Mirel could only stare at the glow on his brother’s skin.
“Does it hurt?” Moargan asked.
Cyprian shook his head. “No. But I can feel him. I can feel all of you.” He smiled at Mirel. “You really are here, brother. Even written on my skin. Carved into my heart. It’s good. Right. Where do you live? He can stay with us, right?”
Kylix’s fingers tightened on Mirel’s throat. His other hand closed over the smaller one that still rested on the chain. Heat pricked the air. “He lives with me.”
“With you?” Cyprian’s eyebrows shot up. “You just said you arrested him for a loaf of bread. How long is the penalty for that?”
In the corner, Vandor coughed, uncomfortable.
The man behind the stove chuckled. His eyes held the same molten light as Kylix’s, though something about him felt unsteady, as if he might break at any second.
“Guys?”
They ignored the one who’d spoken from behind the holo screen.
“He’s Cyprian’s brother,” Moargan said.
“He’s officially under arrest by the Luminary,” Kylix replied. “Therefore he falls under my lead.”
“I want him safe.” Cyprian took Mirel’s hand. “Look at that. He’s got marks on his wrists. This animal?—”
“Has gifted Mirel with his Invar suit,” the man behind the stove said. He winked at Mirel. “I don’t think he intends to hurt him that badly.”
“Guys?”
“What are you trying to say?” Cyprian snapped.
“That he’s been taking good care of his prisoner.” Moargan smirked. “Perhaps?—”
Cyprian waved him off. “No. I’m not going to listen to this. He is my brother. Moargan, do something.”
“What do you want me to do? Call my father? You know he doesn’t contradict his favorite cousin.”
“Guys?”
“And he has good reason. I’ve always shown nothing but loyalty to Helion’s safety,” Kylix said. Mirel could hear the triumph in his voice. He had won this round. It filled him with both fear and a strange excitement.
“Won’t you listen, for fuck’s sake!”
All heads turned toward the man behind the two holo screens. His face was drawn tight with concentration, eyes set in a scowl. “Good Light. You’re a bunch of hot-headed idiots. Come and see.”
They moved in unison.
“Look. I’ve got a signal. I think it’s from whoever hacked the east wing of the prison. Do you see that?” The screen filled with shifting shapes and colors. “It’s bouncing through three outer sectors. Whoever’s doing this is clever. They keep mirroring the coordinates.”
“What does that mean, Yure?” Helianth asked.
“That it’s almost impossible to track the origin. Here…watch.” Yure tapped his keyboard. Letters spilled across a new screen. “Someone hacked the prison’s security to free five prisoners. They infected the system with mirroring code so the signal kept bouncing until the software cracked.”
“Do you believe it’s Attica?”
“I’d like to say yes, but without proof we can’t be sure. What’s clear is that only Bekn’s section opened. East wing. The rest stayed sealed. Here—” He pressed another key, data streamingfaster. “I’ve got a location. Hurry, write the coordinates before it vanishes.”
