Page 110 of Nyx

“Of course,” Ronan says, and Nyx gives him a sad smile as he returns to my side. He hands me the leaf, and I marvel at the magenta color and the thick, velvety texture of it in my hand.

Aryn sighs and puts his elbows on his knees, resting his forehead in his palms as he shakes his head. “This is a lot to take in. Listen, Xeni, I know I’m repeating myself, but Bash’s research wasliterallycentered around this very thing. If he knew we had something from the other side…” He mimes his head exploding with two hands.

“I’m sorry,” Ronan interjects, giving a voice to everyone’s frustrated curiosity. “Who the fuck is Bash and what do they have to do with this?”

“They don’t know?” Aryn asks, his wide eyes swinging up to Xeni’s as the Cavese shifts uncomfortably.

“Knowwhat?” Ronan demands, and Xeni stares at the ground for a long time.

“Bash was…is…my mate.”

“Wait,” August interjects. “Your mate is stillalive?”

“And apparently, is some sort of expert with the rifts?” I add, because what the fuck?

“That’s not…” His scoff is frustrated as he glares at Aryn. “He’s alive, yes, and he was studying them.”

Sprocket snorts and rolls her eyes again. “Dude, don’t underplay it. Bash was the only human scientist weeverhad working at Ljómur. Leadership discovered this prodigy when he was only like, nineteen? Smartest motherfucker I’ve ever met.”

“Alright,dude,” Xeni snaps. “Yeah, he’s a genius, andyes, he probably has a lot of information that we could use. But he isn’t here now, is he?”

“Whose fault is that?” Sprocket asks, and Xeni snarls, vibrating in his seat like he might launch himself at her. Taryn must think the same thing, because she grabs his wrist and forces his attention to her.

“Could he help?”

“Hecould, yeah, but the minute he knew I was involved he’d tell you all to fuck off.”

“What happened?” August asks, and Xeni chews on the inside of his cheek as he pushes out a long sigh.

“It’s complicated.”

“Where is he now?” Ronan demands.

“Last I heard, he was living in Atlanta.”

“Keeping tabs on him?” Sprocket teases, and Xeni glares at her again.

“Of course I’m fucking keeping tabs on him. Or I was, until we blew my resources into a crater and became fugitives.”

“Could you find him?” Ronan asks, and Xeni shrugs.

“Yeah, probably.” Pain infiltrates his blasé exterior, and I hug Nyx tighter. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be separated from your mate.

“How long has it been since you saw him?” I ask, and his lips pull into a tight line.

“Four years,” he finally answers, staring at the ground as he grinds the toe of his shoe into the dirt. “We haven’t spoken since the day I severed the bond.”