Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling 14)

She saw his point. “So, what are you going to do about it?” Aden always did something; that was who he was.

Glancing at her, he began to speak, laying out what he’d come up with over the past week of silent thinking. By the time he was done, Zaira knew that Aden’s name would one day be written in history books, connected to a pivotal event that had forever changed the world.

“Let’s do it,” she said, her hand linked to his. “I’ll watch your back.”

His eyes met hers, his mind entwined with her own. “I know.”

Chapter 82

BEFORE INITIATING THE plan that had grown inside him strand by strand, Aden spoke to his senior people, even his parents. The latter remained leery of contact with “outsiders,” as they termed anyone beyond the squad, but they agreed with his viewpoint. As a result, he now stood in the communications hub of Central Command.

On the viewscreens in front of him were the faces of the Ruling Coalition, but one also showed that of Lucas Hunter. The DarkRiver alpha had been nominated by multiple changeling groups, including SnowDancer, to represent changelings at this first meeting.

Aden had been surprised the alphas had agreed to have anyone represent them as a group—they tended to be laws unto themselves. He’d heard Judd say that alphas “did not play well together.” However, it appeared the changelings had set up an informal data network some time past, for much the same reasons as the ones that had led Aden here today, though the changeling network was limited to the packs.

On the screen next to Lucas was Devraj Santos, representative of the Forgotten; beside him, Bowen Knight for the Alliance. Another human—a silver-haired woman named Lizbeth Schäfer—was on the second-to-last screen. She was the head of a large humanitarian group that had provided major assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the Pure Psy bombings; the group had also helped when the Net infection had driven so many Psy mad, leaving people of all three races traumatized.

While human, Schäfer did not ally herself or the organization she represented, Hope Light, to any one race, despite the fact that the membership was largely human with a scattering of changelings. Hope Light’s motto was to assist where assistance was necessary and, post-Silence, they worked in close contact with the empaths. It was Ivy who’d suggested the organization be included in this meeting.

“She represents people who don’t trust anyone else,” Ivy had said. “Her group on its own is also a quiet but powerful force.”

On the final screen was Miane Levèque. Technically, since Lucas was in attendance, she didn’t need to be here, but Lucas himself had asked she attend. “BlackSea is unique,” he’d said to Aden. “The fact that they cover the globe means they have a viewpoint other changelings don’t.”

Meeting the eyes of each of the attendees in turn, Aden began to speak. “It appears a group called the Consortium has come together to fill what they view as a void created by the fall of the Council and of Silence. The membership is composed of Psy, humans, and changelings.”

Several people frowned but no one interrupted him as he shared the data the squad had been able to extract from the shooter Zaira had taken down, as well as the CEO still in their custody. “BlackSea has given me leave to share the fact that six of their people—five adults and a child—were abducted by this Consortium.”

What Miane had been insistent he not share with everyone was that at least twenty-one more of her people remained among the missing. With no current knowledge of their situation, she didn’t want to risk spooking their captors.

“Better to let the Consortium believe we haven’t noticed the vanishings,” the BlackSea alpha had said, her voice dark as the depths of the ocean that was her home. “Let the bastards think we’re satisfied with the rescue of Persephone, Olivia, and the two other captives. It’ll keep them from looking over their shoulders, make them complacent.”

It was a sound approach. Even if it hadn’t been, Aden wouldn’t have overridden her decision—such arrogance would create a fatal fracture in what he was trying to build. “I believe the water changelings were abducted and abused into compliance because BlackSea’s people have the ability to covertly infiltrate territories across the world.”

Miane’s lips were a thin line, her eyes chips of obsidian rather than the translucent hazel he’d seen during less emotionally fraught moments, but she held her silence.

“Others, including owners of small businesses, have been coerced into the conspiracy without knowing who it was they served.” Hashri Smith was a broken man, his business crumbling around him now that his powerful “allies” had discarded him. “The Consortium believes the world is fertile for chaos and sly destruction.”

“In their minds,” Ivy added, her voice clear and passionate, “the Psy are already in a state of chaos because of the fall of Silence and the ensuing hiccups as we try to forge a new path into the future. They want to push changelings and humans into the same state.” A curl of her hair escaped her ponytail to kiss her cheek as she met his gaze again. “Is that a good summation, Aden?”

“Yes. All indications are that the Consortium is behind the incidents we’ve all logged that attempt to set one group against another.”

Lucas’s green eyes glinted panther-bright. “Identify them and we’d be happy to help you take out the trash.”

“I agree with Hunter,” Krychek said from his Moscow home. “We need to tear this organization to pieces before it ever takes root.”