Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“That’s how it goes sometimes.” Sylvan smiled. “The Goddess works in mysterious ways.”
“So she does.” V nodded. “Well, we’ll see you tomorrow morning. Now I’d better go help Penelope pack up her artifacts.”
“We’ll see you in the VIP lounge,” Sylvan said and the viewscreen went blank.
V sat there for a moment, staring at the dark viewscreen and musing that he never would have believed it was possible to have such a cordial conversation with an old foe. Sylvan sounded serious when he had offered to repay the price of the Eye. And he had actually brought in troops to clear out the cult on Yown Alpha.
Maybe it was time to rethink his position on the Kindred, V mused. But then he remembered how his mother had been abandoned and frowned. Sylvan might be decent enough, but that didn’t mean they all were.
He had wounds too deep to be healed with a few minutes of light chitchat.
Sighing, he got up and checked the safe, making certain the Eye was secure. He had put it in a black velvet bag, both to protect it and to keep it from looking at him. It was painted to appear like it was looking at you no matter where you stood which was fucking creepy. There was also a feeling about it—you felt like something dark was crouching in the back of your mind whenever you touched it.
Which was why V preferred not to touch the fucking thing.
V looked at it briefly and then put it back in the bag.
“Getting rid of you tomorrow and good fucking riddance,” he informed it and locked the safe. He checked the lock twice to be sure and then a third time because that stupid Eye made him paranoid, and then finally left, locking the ship behind him.
He would be damn glad not to have it anymore—fucking thing creeped him the hell out.
Chapter 111
“I didn’t even know that Hell’s Gate had a VIP lounge,” Penny remarked, yawning, as they docked in the elite section of the Spaceport.
“Yeah, not many people go there. It’s a ridiculous amount of credit for a few luxuries,” Vrex remarked as he finished the docking procedure.
“Well, I’m sure not everybody has a ship as luxurious as yours,” she pointed out, unbuckling her seat harness and standing up to stretch. “That minor lordling you won it from must have been really upset when he lost.”
“Nah—his Sire could buy him five more just like it.” V’rex got up as well. “C’mon, baby—I’m sure Commander Sylvan is already waiting.”
“Oh—don’t forget the Eye,” Penny said quickly. “I want to be sure to give it to him first thing—I hate that awful thing.”
“You and me both. Here.” V’rex pulled out the black velvet bag, which he had gotten out of the safe earlier. “You give it to him. It was your mission to get it in the first place, after all,” he added when Penny tried to give it back. “So you get to give it to him, sweetheart.”
Penny smiled and nodded, though even holding the bag with the Eye of Ten’gu in it made the short hairs on the backs of her arms stand up.
“Ugh, I hate this thing,” she said, holding it away from her body as they walked through the airlock and into the lounge. “It gives me such a bad feeling!”
“Same here. But we’ll be rid of it soon and Commander Sylvan can deal with it,” V’rex said. “Speaking of which—look, there he is now.”
He pointed at the far end of the luxurious VIP lounge which reminded Penny a little bit of a high-class airport terminal. The floors were a highly polished black marble and there was plush gray leather furniture scattered around as well as some food and entertainment kiosks that looked to be selling very high-end goods. And standing at the far end of the opulent space was the Head of the Kindred High Council along with several other Kindred Warriors.
“Commander Sylvan?” she called and the tall Blood Kindred turned to smile at them.
“Ah, Penelope!” he exclaimed, coming towards them with his hands held out. They met in the middle of the large oval lounge and he shook Penny warmly by the hand. “And Warrior, V’rex—it’s good to meet you as a friend instead of an adversary,” he added, turning to offer V’rex a warrior’s clasp.
After a moment, V’rex took the offered arm and nodded at him.
“It’s…good to see you too,” he said, sounding as though the words of friendship were foreign to him. For a male used to being at odds with the whole world, Penny could bet that they were.
“We brought you the Eye,” she said to Sylvan. She wanted to give it to him at once, but the Kindred Commander only nodded.
“Yes, thank you. But before any of that, I have someone who very much wants to meet V’rex.”