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‘You don’t know the half of it, let me spill the tea!’

The synth bot slowed and lounged against a bulkhead, as if this was a casual gossip hour, not a high-level betrayal reveal.

His smug, polished face flickered with static for a heartbeat, then settled into something resembling glee.

‘Oh, darling. You’re going to love this one,’ he purred. ‘Your beloved Ice Queen was the one who welcomed my builders when they first slithered into the Wildlight. They needed a human to broker the deal. Eugene, original recipe, tried. Failed spectacularly. Honestly, tragic. I wouldn’t trust that soft loaf with a toaster, let alone interstellar espionage.’

‘So Helena stepped in,’ Savvine said flatly.

‘And stepped up. She orchestrated the whole takedown plan. Took the reins like the cold-blooded genius she is. But here’s the kicker, she’s livid you’ve tangled yourself up with Alexandr Roman, your lover.’

Savvine’s chest tightened. ‘Is that right?’ she echoed.

Eugene waggled his brows. ‘She loathes that he is amostro. A shifter. An abomination in her eyes. You’ve sullied your precious Bianchi bloodline. It’s deliciously scandalous.’

‘What exactly are you and Helena trying to achieve?’

‘Dominance,’ Eugene said, as if it were obvious. ‘She wants control of the flotilla. I’m helping her get it. And when she takes the throne, yes, I said throne, we’re going full empress vibes, I’ll be right there, whispering in her ear.’

Savvine’s fists clenched. ‘What of Signet?’

‘Oh, they’re just a stepping stone. We’ll use their most powerful asset, a gift they received from the Sable Riders, to annihilate themselves. Then we sweep in, clean house, and voila. Power vacuum filled. Isn’t it poetic?’ He winked. ‘She builds her empire on the ashes of the Riders. That woman gives sovereign energy to her core.’

Savvine’s breath hitched. ‘So this was never just about destabilizing Signet. It was always about the Riders.’

‘Naam.’ Eugene’s eyes glittered with malicious pride. ‘Who better to strike first than the ones who hold real power in Pegasi? Remove them, and you control everything before you even arrive.’

Savvine arched a brow. ‘What about me? What does Helena want done with me?’

Eugene sighed dramatically. ‘Well. She did suggest I toss you into a blackhole for fraternizing with the enemy. Said you were a disgrace. A liability. Not to worry, I told her I’d make it quick. I’m nothing if not considerate.’ He flashed a saccharine smile. ‘Sorry, not sorry.’

Savvine didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Her heart slammed against her ribs

‘In the meantime, you ache for your warrior, and your warlord burns for you, doesn’t he? How sweet. I plan to exploit that.’

‘You won’t break him.’

‘Nada,’ Eugene said, pressing a panel. A door whooshed open. ‘But I can bend him.’

He shoved her inside.

The chamber was enormous and circular, wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed the yawning black of space. TheEternafloated far in the distance, a marbled pearl in the ink.

A throne-like chair awaited her.

It pulsed with energy.

She backed away. ‘You’re insane.’

‘I’m focused,’ he said. ‘Soon, your knight will arrive. Chaos will erupt. And Alexandr-Alexandr Roman must choose between duty, loyalty, and love.’

He smiled without humor.

‘I wonder which one he’ll betray first.’

He strapped her wrists and ankles to the sleek, metallic interrogation chair with energy shackles that locked with a hiss and a pulse of cold chill, binding her to the seat.

Eugene stepped back and clapped his hands, grinning like a showman. ‘Seeing you again warms my core. What do you say, darling, another round of Russian roulette?’