The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 49 - ORION

"Daniel kidnapped Angquin. He tried to convince Tritteon to exchange her for me. And Vasprey admitted to Daniel blackmailing her into poisoning you and taking the locator and that book."

"What a mess," Rilyin whispered.

"She took the book?" Desraeon snarled.

I held up my hand. "Pharro has it. It's safe."

He let out a relieved breath.

Rilyin pointed to the doors. "Taking into account everything you have now told me, I am very interested to know what sort of plan you have that would lead us down here."

"The Guardians. I believe they'll help us—that they're desperate enough to trust me. And after Desraeon places a block over each of their minds, Daniel's partner will not have power over them."

Rilyin hesitated, eyes narrowing. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. All three FengDohrn, whom you put here, trust you and will be willing to help you, knowing afterward they will have to come back here to face possible execution whether they are innocent or not?"

"I apologize," Desraeon said, shaking his head. "I did not knowingly false advertise when I told you she was intelligent."

I resisted the urge to punch him. I didn't feel like being dropped. "Rude."

He chuckled.

"We already have Daniel in custody. Don't you think they'd see it was in their best interest to make sure he stays that way?"

Rilyin glanced at Desraeon. "There is also the issue that Desraeon is with us. I don't know the extent of their exposure to the Oria scent in their self-control exercises, especially Vialla, who is only fourteen. They could condemn themselves entirely with barely a whiff of his scent."

I'd forgotten about that part. Tritteon had reacted to Desraeon's scent before the Oria had even set foot in the room. It had taken several minutes and a much more compelling distraction for him to take his hand away from his face.

"We'll open the door enough for his scent to get in and observe their reactions before we let any of them out."

Rilyin nodded. "That might work."

He pressed his hand to the wall beside the doors. The white surface glowed brighter and a small, square section slid out of sight, revealing a screen. He pressed his palm to that as well and actual raised symbols appeared.

Rilyin hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Desraeon asked.

Rilyin shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I heard something." He pressed a long series of symbols. There was a soft beep and the doors hissed slowly open and the smell of death rushed out at us.

I thought the burned Kovei smell in the Infirmary was bad. Metallic bile rose in my throat and I pushed hard against Desraeon's chest, toppling out of his arms into the corner below the access screen. I felt hands lift my hair back as I retched and dry heaved for an entire minute.

When my stomach finally quieted, Desraeon picked me back up. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness," he said.

I held my nose and breathed slowly through my mouth. "Yep."

Rilyin pressed his robe over his face as he led the way inside. A thick, curling, dark smoke hung low in the high-ceilinged room. Kovei bodies, blackened and smoking, lay wherever I turned my head.

"How is this possible?" Rilyin breathed, stepping carefully over a body.

"Tritteon mentioned a chemical bomb," I said, my stomach churning again.