In front of them stood a tall and gangly man with retreating hair. His nose was fair and pointed, but his mouth twisted as if he permanently smelled shit.
“I will waste you, scum,” Killian said.
It was the first thing that came to mind, but it was the truth. Given the right amount of push, Killian would have ended him in less than a second. The only thing holding him back was the frail smile that cut through the lower side of his face. He was familiar, and he had a gleam in his eyes that spelled out his end. This man was his own worst enemy and not in the way the alphas were used to.
“You’re not in a position to be negotiating,” the man said. “Plus, I think you and I have more in common than you want to admit.”
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean? I’m an Ouroboros, through and through. Doesn’t matter if most of my pack leaders have been eradicated or imprisoned,” Killian growled. “Doesn’t matter if I no longer have a home. I have a family. You’re another shill for the government, and that means my whole being stands against you, in body and soul. Long live the New Republic, until I cut your throat.”
“I’m not here to fight,” Severin sneered. “I’m here to make magic. To bring things together. To make sure the world connects properly. I know, you must think I’m the devil. In a sense, I am, but I offer you more than hell.”
There was an odd shortcoming to the man, as if he quite couldn’t compete, but Killian forced himself to put it aside. He was dressed as a commander, and that meant he held a great deal of power. Physique and outer strength meant nothing in this new world.
Still, Killian was restless and ready to start an ambush if that was what needed to happen. “Two more seconds, and I’ll decorate your body with beautiful silver bullets. Start talking,” he said.
“Specialist Helen Kurtfield, please report to division three for cleanup.”
“Poor Helen. She’s been cleaning up the bodies for months now,” Severin said.
Killian felt his heart drop, and he nearly vomited again with aversion to the musky smell of death and seed. At once, it all began to sink in. It had been years since they’d escaped the war-ravaged fields, and the barracks that housed his fellow pack-soldiers was long gone. Nothing could take away his past, but he was a different man, a changed man.
Eyes suddenly widening with excitement, the decorated leader stepped away from the aim of their rifles. Instead, he stood with them and breathed in the fragrant air with almost violent satisfaction. “My name is Severin. By now, the truth behind your heroic escape has sunk in. You have been set up.”
Killian’s hand shook so much that he had to hide it behind his back and let the rifle dangle at his side. Through his great anger came only weakness and disappointment. There would be no family without Rae, and now the journey seemed fraught with peril.
“It was you who detonated the prison,” Killian said.
Severin giggled and kept his eyes on the men below them. “You know, I almost vetoed this place. I thought it a crude display of excess, a way for Ruby to boast of her power over the men,” he said. “But, as you know, when Ruby is set on an idea, she tends to get her way.”
“You are an insufferable little man, aren’t you?” Lucas asked.
“The Cathedral does not exist. I left the information with the guard to lead you here, and you came scurrying as any other cockroaches would. Only had to pay him a few coins for that. You can get anything you want with a little money and some charm,” he said. “But this is our time to bond over someone special. I just came from Rae’s quarters. She’s such a polite doll, isn’t she?”
“Instead of boasting, you should keep your real intentions on display. Why keep us alive when you could surely have us dead?” Vash asked.
“Well, I won’t lie to you. Eventually, the queen will have to be killed,” he said. Before they could lunge at him, he hurried his words. “But not for some time. Unfortunately, this tired population of betas needs more than death and tragedy to keep them satisfied. It wouldn’t be wise of me to murder the queen before she has given the speech to the New Republic, but, after some time, her death will need to be carried out.”
Killian scoffed at the man. “You’re going to use us as scapegoats.”
“Tell the public we are the queen’s killers. Captors from the Ouroboros days. It’s an easy sell,” Lucas said.
“That isn’t quite my plan.”
Severin paused and glanced down the long passageway. From the top of the pyramid of muck and mechanically pumped alpha slaves, a specialist wearing a white lab coat ran with absolute haste, her clothes stained with blood and other bodily fluids. Her arms flailed, giving the impression of a wild goose. Although her face was not visible, she was also familiar.
“We are both playing on the house’s dime. You need me to see her. I need you for reasons I do not wish to reveal.” Severin stepped deep into the mud, splashing some on their ankles. “Come, follow. We need to talk.”
As they walked through the rows of prisoners, Killian recognized some of the men’s tattoos. Some were Ouroboros traders from the region they were stationed in, but some came from other armies, most likely too small for them to know about. Killian quickly understood what Severin was showing them. If they didn’t play
their cards right, this could become their fate. The stakes were not just high. They fucking sucked.
“Now, I personally know this type of pointless torture shouldn’t exist in any modern society, but it’s not as painful as it seems. It starts out as a very pleasurable experience for most males,” Severin said.
“I’m not fucking a tube,” Lucas said.
Severin bent and laughed. “I don’t expect you to. You are some of the last alphas left. You will be used for other reasons.”
Lucas released the metal toothpick from his mouth. “So, if we follow you, we won’t end up here?”