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K ylix stood outside the enormous front door of the Green Mansion in his usual black cape.

“Cousin.” Moargan stepped outside of the hover car. “I’m glad to see you’re well.” Climbing up the stairs, they stood and faced each other. “I was worried about you.”

“Thank you.” His stoic family member did little but nod in acknowledgment, his tragically handsome face blank as he swept around and walked back inside the house.

But still…Moargan knew better than to ignore the tiny crack in Kylix’s demeanor.

Kylix hadn’t always been like this. There had been a time that they’d played together with their other cousins. But somewhere around his fifteenth birthday—Moargan had been twelve at the time—Kylix had changed. Instead of going out and creating chaos on the streets as he and Helianth did, his cousin had retreated into his own space. Had found comfort in the cold, rather than the warmth.

Kylix had become a machine. Professional. Always in control. Impersonal. The only moments Moargan had seen a flush on his cousin’s skin, a sparkle in those inky-black eyes, was when he let one of his officers please him during Aureates . Most of the time he stayed hidden behind the glass doors.

Today Kylix’s skin was alabaster white. Where possible, he looked even more distant, keeping his black cape as a blanket to shield himself from the rest of the world. And even though he owned his own place, the Luminary had brought him back to the home Moargan had grown up in.

“I was surprised to find your father gone,” Kylix commented as they made their way to his father’s office.

“Yeah.” They settled down on the couches. Refreshments were brought, and judging by the blanket that was still sprawled onto his seat, Kylix must have slept before welcoming Moargan in. “He left me a message early this morning to say that he went back to the hospital.” To say he was surprised when Yure had confirmed that Milanov had left the moment he’d passed his three-hour ‘break’ to go to the hospital, was an understatement.

“For your mom?”

Moargan let out a long breath. “Yeah,” he said again. “She’s—Father believes her Dariux is trying to connect with us.”

Kylix slumped back onto his seat, his eyes glassy from fatigue. “I’m so sorry about Helianth.” His voice broke. Moargan felt his own chest tighten at the sight. He hadn’t seen this much emotion from his cousin in a very long time. “He’s my cousin, my responsibility .”

“We are all responsible,” Moargan corrected. “I won’t let you carry that weight by yourself.”

Kylix grimaced but didn’t respond.

“Can you remember what happened?” Moargan asked.

“We were exhausted,” Kylix cleared his throat, voice sounding strained. “We’d been on the road for a while. Helianth was down. This case really did a number on him. There was nothing but dead ends. I told him we had to end the mission, head back, go back to the drawing table, and rethink our strategy and possible suspects.” Kylix looked away, but Moargan didn’t miss the look of guilt in those charcoal irises.

“Then what?”

“I was angry. Despite everything, it felt like a failure. Your father had permitted Helianth to leave on this mission, and I wanted him to succeed. When we realized there was nothing out there for us, I just wanted to go home and lick my wounds, I guess. I felt exhausted. When one of the guys handed me a candy, I didn’t think anything of it. I could use the sugar.”

Candy. Moargan’s heart rate sped up. “Then what?”

Kylix pushed a hand through his black hair and blew out a breath. “Then nothing. I woke up, alone and confused. My head was pounding like a motherfucker and I had no idea where I was. Helianth…he was gone.”

“They had taken him.”

Kylix looked back at him, black eyes filled with a forlorn look. He nodded. “They had drugged me.” He grabbed a handful of blue wrappers and showed Moargan. “And took your brother.”

“Yes. We did some tests while you slept. It appeared the drugs were made of kayde mixed with narcotics.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Cyprian was also drugged,” Moargan snatched one of the blue wrappers. Before his cousin could ask any questions, “but the candy he was given had a pink wrapper. Judging from the length of his intoxication, I take it they weren’t as strong as yours.” He turned to Vandor, who stood by the door as usual. “Did we bring in the Luminary guard who handed him the candy?”

“I questioned him myself,” Vandor replied. His hands carried bloodstains. “He sticks to the same story. He was given candy on campus by a guy who was in class with him. Luminary is already out to arrest the student. ”

“Was it Theo?”

Vandor shook his head and eyed his multi-slate. “No. We are searching for Landn Jefrey.”

Moargan frowned. The name didn’t ring any bells. “Show me an image.”

Vandor marched forward and showed him an image on his multi-slate. The broody-looking guy with a black mohawk welcomed him.

“Hmm. I don’t know him, but Cyprian mentioned him. Have him picked up. We’ll talk to him ourselves.”

“Does Cyprian know who gave him the candy?” Kylix asked.

“Yes. Theo.”

“Theo?” His cousin blinked. “That little fucker. Turns out he’s got character after all. Well, if it’s revenge he’s looking for, he can get it.” He got up, staggering to the door before Moargan realized what was going on. Vandor’s face twisted in horror because the Essential was surely about to crash.

“Kylix, no.” Moargan was out of his seat in less than a second, supporting his cousin back to the couch and sitting down next to him. He didn’t mention the lonely tear that rolled down his cousin’s cheek.

Kylix leaned back and shut his eyes, closing off that look of pain. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I will never forgive myself if something has happened to him. He is my protege, my family. And I promised to protect him. I need to find him.”

“And we will,” Moargan said with more confidence than he felt. “We’re connecting the dots. Theo’s involved, that much is certain.”

“Luminary is on their way to pick him up,” Vandor confirmed.

“Good, though I don’t think he’s a killer. So, what’s the link we’re looking for?”

Kylix licked his dry lips, shaking his head. “I don’t know. But one thing's for sure. We underestimated them—this was personal. For too long, we believed there to be a serial killer on our streets who randomly killed foreign individuals living on Helio. But this was political and there are no coincidences. It’s all connected. I didn’t want to see it, so perhaps it is I who failed.”

“You didn’t fail, cousin,” Moargan growled.

“Think about it,” Kylix continued, ignoring him. He still carried so much guilt in his eyes. “The theft. The explosion. It’s all part of a bigger plan. Attica is not one killer. It’s a group of people who operate like revolutionaries.” His lips tipped up. “The fucking idiots.”

Moargan contemplated that new piece of information. “We’re looking at a bunch of violent idiots who carry enough hate to want to throw their entire nation.”

“I don’t know such people.” Kylix’s eyes fluttered, visibly fighting against his sleep. At least his wit was returning.

“Aside from those who get thrown in mental hospitals or chewed up in the arena?” Moargan chuckled cruelly, chest warming when he caught Kylix’s smug grin. Even in his current state, he was proud of what he was. “I mean, just look at you, cousin. You wear the casual arrogance of an Essential.”

“I’m glad you’re here, but don’t push it,” Kylix grumbled, but they both chuckled.

“I know, I know. It’s hard to accept that not everyone loves us.” Moargan’s gaze narrowed when his palm lit up through the bond.

The knock on the door startled him. Kylix’s bodyguard, Silas, came in. “All the information on Theo Zaid.”

Kylix hummed. His eyes started drooping. “Did they bring him in yet? Read it out for me.”

While Silas ticked off the most important things on their suspect—chemistry student at the Helion Academy, one sibling, father employed by the Helion mining, and mother a housewife— Moargan’s multi-slate dinged. He expected it to be his father or Cyprian.

“Moargan.” It was Aviel. Sounding unusually distressed as he fought with a string of words.

“Calm down,” Moargan snapped at this friend. “Take a deep breath and tell me what the hell’s going on.”

“You’re not going to believe this,” Aviel finally managed.

“Trust me, today I feel like things can only get worse,” Moargan muttered.

“Believe what ?” Kylix asked. The dark glare in his eyes was slowly returning as he sat back on the couch, Silas draped half over him.

“The drawing,” Aviel exclaimed, his excited voice buzzing through the room. “It called to me. And now I’m standing here, and it’s all?—”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Moargan snarled. “What drawing?”

“The drawing in your sleeping quarters.”

“What the hell were you doing there?”

“It wasn’t like?—”

Kylix held up a hand and the room fell quiet. “Calm the fuck down, both of you. Aviel, which drawing are you talking about?”

“Cyprian’s.”

The name was enough to have Moargan’s stomach tighten.

“So, I'm in the kitchen, cooking,” Aviel began.

Kylix rolled his eyes.

“And then I hear this noise. This…weird buzz. Like whispers in the dark, countless voices murmuring in secrecy. It came from—from my own head. Searching for me. I can’t explain.”

“I think you’re doing a pretty solid job,” Moargan deadpanned. “Continue.”

“It felt like they were searching for me. Wanting me to find them. I searched around the house, then when I walked toward your side, it got stronger. And then, when I finally opened the door to Cyprian’s… room …there it was.”

Kylix huffed impatiently. Now that the drugs were dissolving in his system, he was slowly turning back to his usual, stoic self. “ What was? Come on, man, stop talking in riddles.”

“The drawing is awful,” Aviel whispered. “I swear, it’s vibrating. He’s drawn this dark room. There are chains on the floor, and someone sits kneeling, hunched forward, hands tied behind their back. Like a prisoner. But it’s like I know him.” Aviel sucked in a deep breath.

Moargan’s skin crawled with awareness. When he met his cousin’s eyes, Kylix’s eyes flashed a blue-black.

“Helianth,” Aviel whispered. “Good light, it’s him. Cyprian has drawn him.”

“How can you be sure?” Moargan’s voice wasn’t more than a rasp.

“I feel it. Cyprian did that. Cyprian—he has opened the connection. Your father was right. I feel Norma. With my hand on the drawing, I feel her force. She’s fighting, Moargan. And Cyprian…he has accepted the inevitable.” Aviel sounded in awe.

“Tell me what you see,” Moargan ordered, his voice thick with emotion. He thought of the dark room Cyprian had drawn and had to fight the bile that rose in his throat. He hadn’t seen those same signs.

“I see stairs. So many of them. And hovercars. It’s some kind of indoor parking.”

“Not indoor.” Kylix stood, leaning heavily against Silas, a fiery glower on his face. “But there’s a large one underground at the port. The old hovercar parking from the city.”

“The port?” Moargan grumbled as he stood too. “The fool.” His palm warmed, the bond tugging at him. A low growl pulsated in Moargan’s chest, and spilled past his lips in a warning, making the others look up. “It’s Cyprian. He’s in trouble.”

Cyprian, who had told him he needed to be at the port. The beautiful, brave, fool. His one and only. Cyprian had accepted the inevitable and was facing his truth. And now Cyprian needed him. Moargan felt it with every nerve-ending coming to life. With every hair that rose on his skin.

He ran for the door. He hadn’t lied. Moargan would tear the world apart for his mate. For his true love.