DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER LI

– M A K A Y L A –

"I cannot believe your father has not yet made a public statement to the inner sectors." Velron murmured as we walked slowly down the open marble floor. This room once held dancers and string quartets. It once held Champagne and an Underworld leader lurking behind a crimson mask... I snapped my thoughts back to the present.

Back to Velron and his fitted navy suit with the silver trim showing his respect to the Silver Sun. His neatly arranged chestnut hair and clean shaven jaw. I left my guard at the doors and they did not bother to trail within earshot, he was cleared the moment he entered the lobby.

He raised an eyebrow at me when I didn't respond for moments.

"I think he has been more occupied with keeping a war from erupting in the outer sectors lately... my return is not much of an affair to him." I noted with humour entering my voice. I suppose it would have been bitter if I cared for his sentiment–if I didn't see a monster now.

Velron nodded carefully at this. "We have seen the live feeds. Fires, deaths, Imperial weapons in the wrong hands–"

"I suppose any hands are the wrong hands in guerilla warfare." I dropped him a sly smirk, tying his own words to him. "Would you not agree?"

His face flushed slightly before he cleared his throat and composed his words. "I– well I agree, the violence–" I chuckled and he paused his attempt to morally compass us.

"I only tease you, Velron. Truly, we are not at the edge of a political knife now. Speak your mind to me because I have no reservations that I will do so with you today." I told him plainly as I turned us down an archway and sunlight shone through the windows coating the marble in gold.

He smiled more broadly now at me dropping me a nod. "Who could blame me?" He responded wryly, "Last we spoke I almost had a man gutted and an evening 'sabotaged'."

I laughed and shook my head, a few strands of my blonde hair played down my cheek. I took him in more seriously and he watched me in return. I wasn't sure what he searched for in me but his earnest expression never wavered.

"Why did you accept my invitation?" I asked suddenly.

But he did not flinch, he almost seemed prepared for it.

"Believe it or not I think you and I have a lot more in common than you think, Makayla." I felt the frown form on my brow but he paused out walk and watched me.

I stopped with him at a respectful distance. "I know the burden and tirelessness being under the shadow of a powerful man. I know every waking moment is a show–a performance for others. I also know that I too would want an escape, if the opportunity presented itself." He said with heavy implication.

My body stiffened slightly. How much did he know and what gossips had spread to him... did he know I sought out of the outer Sectors? That I stayed willingly. I turned my head over my shoulder, checking the placement of guards remaining at the far edges of the stone walls.

Then I turned to him and watched his eyes closely. They were alight in the daytime sun, a brighter forest green.

"I don't know what you heard, or what you think now–"

"You misunderstand, Makayla." He spoke over me calmly. Intently.

"A life of success, does not always mean sky towers and evening galas. I think you, out of anyone knows this to be true. I think the moment you stepped in front of the Emperor that night and shielded a man picking up glass from no fault of his own–a man not from our world..." well that was a very accurate description. But I didn't fill him in on how the waiter worked for a certain criminal overlord.