provoked into it. Unless you’re telling me in a subtle way that you’re truly a sociopath, and I just don’t know it.”
I let out a small laugh. “No, I can assure you I’m nothing like Levi. I would much rather kill them in a fair fight, if I have to kill them at all.”
Desmond chuckles. “That’s what I thought, lass.”
Desmond looks over at the pot making his coffee. Dark brown water is now percolating up into the glass bubble on the lid. He stands from his chair, takes the pot from the stove and brings it over to the table. After grabbing three cups from a top cupboard, he sets them down in front of us and pours us each a cup of coffee.
“ Do you happen to have any sugar?” I ask, never having acquired a taste for black coffee without something sweet added in to it.
“ You might as well have asked if I had any gold spun from straw lying around the house,” Desmond says with a good natured grin. “Sugar is a precious commodity down here. As it is, I have to dry out my coffee grounds after I make a pot so I can reuse them a few times.”
“ I knew the Hallorans were stingy with their down-worlders,” I say, “but is Stratus really worse than Cirrus?”
“ You heard about the ‘accident’ right?” Desmond asks me.
“ Yes,” I say. “Auggie had to come for the double funeral of the emperor and empress of Stratus. It was a tragedy unheard of among the royals.”
“ It wasn’t an accident,” Desmond informs me. “I don’t have any proof, but I can tell you that Lorcan Halloran orchestrated his parents’ untimely demise so he could assume the throne before they changed the law.”
“ Changed the law?” I ask. “Which law?”
“ That only a male heir can ascend to the throne. They wanted to make it so that the eldest child would be the one to take control. I think they both knew Lorcan is off his blooming rocker.”
“ Too bad they weren’t able to do it before they died,” I say. “His older sister is definitely more stable than Lorcan is. The few times I’ve met her I always felt comfortable around her.”
“ Kyna Halloran is a rare jewel,” Desmond agrees. “How she came from the loins of that family is beyond me. Though, most everyone assumes her mother had an affair with the general of their army. He has the same flaming red hair and green eyes as she does. Plus, she's never displayed the same greed and selfishness of her parents or her brother. Speaking of Kyna,” Desmond looks over at Jered, “have you been to see Brutus yet?”
Jered shakes his head. “No, not yet. You’re the first one we came to see. Why do you ask?”
Desmond holds up an index finger and tilts it as if telling us to wait just a moment. He runs up the stairs to the second level and returns posthaste with a small tin box.
He hands the box to Jered and says, “Give this to Brutus and tell him he owes me one.”
Jered flips the lid of the box open and looks inside. “A neural memo?”
“ It’s the last message Kyna sent thanking me for what I’m doing down here.”
Jered still looks puzzled. “And why would Brutus need such a thing?”
“ Because our friend thinks he’s found his soul mate.”
“ His soul mate?” I ask, finding this bit of news interesting. “How does he know? When did he see her?”
“ He saw her at your coronation,” Desmond says while he walks to the back door and opens it. He reaches down beside it, and I hear the rattle of a chain and the distinctive creak of something metallic being opened. Desmond soon brings in a basket containing a few perishable items of food. I assume he’s left them out to keep them cold since I see no evidence of a preserver in his home. Among the items in the basket are a dozen eggs with tan shells.
“ Did Kyna see Brutus?” Jered asks, sounding intrigued by this new development as well.
Desmond shakes his head. “No. He was going to introduce himself at the reception, but since we weren’t able to attend, he missed his
I let out a small laugh. “No, I can assure you I’m nothing like Levi. I would much rather kill them in a fair fight, if I have to kill them at all.”
Desmond chuckles. “That’s what I thought, lass.”
Desmond looks over at the pot making his coffee. Dark brown water is now percolating up into the glass bubble on the lid. He stands from his chair, takes the pot from the stove and brings it over to the table. After grabbing three cups from a top cupboard, he sets them down in front of us and pours us each a cup of coffee.
“ Do you happen to have any sugar?” I ask, never having acquired a taste for black coffee without something sweet added in to it.
“ You might as well have asked if I had any gold spun from straw lying around the house,” Desmond says with a good natured grin. “Sugar is a precious commodity down here. As it is, I have to dry out my coffee grounds after I make a pot so I can reuse them a few times.”
“ I knew the Hallorans were stingy with their down-worlders,” I say, “but is Stratus really worse than Cirrus?”
“ You heard about the ‘accident’ right?” Desmond asks me.
“ Yes,” I say. “Auggie had to come for the double funeral of the emperor and empress of Stratus. It was a tragedy unheard of among the royals.”
“ It wasn’t an accident,” Desmond informs me. “I don’t have any proof, but I can tell you that Lorcan Halloran orchestrated his parents’ untimely demise so he could assume the throne before they changed the law.”
“ Changed the law?” I ask. “Which law?”
“ That only a male heir can ascend to the throne. They wanted to make it so that the eldest child would be the one to take control. I think they both knew Lorcan is off his blooming rocker.”
“ Too bad they weren’t able to do it before they died,” I say. “His older sister is definitely more stable than Lorcan is. The few times I’ve met her I always felt comfortable around her.”
“ Kyna Halloran is a rare jewel,” Desmond agrees. “How she came from the loins of that family is beyond me. Though, most everyone assumes her mother had an affair with the general of their army. He has the same flaming red hair and green eyes as she does. Plus, she's never displayed the same greed and selfishness of her parents or her brother. Speaking of Kyna,” Desmond looks over at Jered, “have you been to see Brutus yet?”
Jered shakes his head. “No, not yet. You’re the first one we came to see. Why do you ask?”
Desmond holds up an index finger and tilts it as if telling us to wait just a moment. He runs up the stairs to the second level and returns posthaste with a small tin box.
He hands the box to Jered and says, “Give this to Brutus and tell him he owes me one.”
Jered flips the lid of the box open and looks inside. “A neural memo?”
“ It’s the last message Kyna sent thanking me for what I’m doing down here.”
Jered still looks puzzled. “And why would Brutus need such a thing?”
“ Because our friend thinks he’s found his soul mate.”
“ His soul mate?” I ask, finding this bit of news interesting. “How does he know? When did he see her?”
“ He saw her at your coronation,” Desmond says while he walks to the back door and opens it. He reaches down beside it, and I hear the rattle of a chain and the distinctive creak of something metallic being opened. Desmond soon brings in a basket containing a few perishable items of food. I assume he’s left them out to keep them cold since I see no evidence of a preserver in his home. Among the items in the basket are a dozen eggs with tan shells.
“ Did Kyna see Brutus?” Jered asks, sounding intrigued by this new development as well.
Desmond shakes his head. “No. He was going to introduce himself at the reception, but since we weren’t able to attend, he missed his
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