Page 47 of Loving the Alien Spy

Pain flashes within the darkness of his eyes, but he dips his chin. “If that is what you need, then I will provide it. However much you ask for, I will give you. No matter what it is. Your happiness means everything to me, Lindsey.” Carrik rises and stares down at me for another few seconds. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I’m asking anyway. Please do not tell anyone who I truly am. Not yet. Not until this is over.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turns and walks out the door, closing it softly behind him.

“Fuck.” I lower my legs to the floor and find my comm unit. Devon’s the first one I reach out to. “Hey, could you come over as soon as possible, please?”

I’ll keep Carrik’s secret, but I need my friends.

Chapter 23

Carrik

Leaving Lindsey the day before had been hard, but I swore to give her the space and time she asked for. It is the least I can do after causing her the hurt I did. The rest of my evening had been spent sequestered in my room in the barracks. It was best if I avoided the other guards and the questions they would have undoubtedly asked if word had somehow gotten out that there were now two House of Deqan brothers in the city.

Except, there’s no avoiding them this morning as I make my way to the palace. Based on the number of other pedestrians ambling in the streets and the fact that I am met with questioning glances and whispered conversations behind hands, it is clear the information is out. Especially as Bannik’s and my own name are lobbed around with frequency.

A new guard is stationed at the bottom of the lift that will take me to the palace grounds. He steps aside for me to enter the lift, and within moments, I reach the palace level and make my way across the grounds and courtyard, where two more guards wait.One of them is Tarrik. He breaks away from his colleague and meets me a short distance from the main entrance.

“I will lead you to the throne room.”

With Tarrik two steps in front of me, I keep my gaze straight ahead, although I maintain full awareness of my surroundings. We arrive at the throne room without incident. Unlike the last time he guided me here, he doesn’t attempt to converse with me. There is no mention of Ryvik or that he will be seeking an audience with me some time in the near future. Tarrik knocks on the door, and a voice calls out to enter.

I have visited this room more often in the last seven days than I have in the last seven anums. Like yesterday, the others present are Janik, Horek, and Bannik. The queen and Mak are the only ones absent. My brother glares, and it is clear nothing has changed since we saw each other last.

“Rumors are swirling around the barracks already,” Horek says, breaking the heavy silence.

“Such as?” It could be many things.

“It is as you suspected,” the commander announces. “That Carrik is here to attempt to reconcile with Bannik. That it wasn’t just Bannik who had been a rebel spy, but that you two were working together, and Carrik is here because Bannik exposed him. My favorite is that one of you is a clone sent by the Kovarians to infiltrate us and destroy us from within.”

The Kovarians were in the middle of a trade agreement with the Bohnari when Mohneek alleged that King Danik had been under the influence of the mating fever and took her by force. Considering he was on Kovari at the time—personally seeing tothe trade negotiations—it’s impossible he was the perpetrator of that crime.

It became obvious during my time in the rebel camp that whatever happened to the female is the cause of her madness. I believe someone did violate her, but it could not have been our king. My father had been on Kovari at the same time the king was there, so I know it’s not possible.

“There will always be stories.” They are often more believable than the truth.

“Have you been approached by anyone?” Horek asks.

“No. After I spoke with Lindsey, I returned to my room at the barracks and didn’t leave. I requested my meals be delivered. However, when I entered the building, I crossed paths with Senior Officer Arvik, who treated me with the usual amount of hatred he directs my way.”

Bannik glances at me. “I don’t blame him. His father and sister were two of the crew members manning the transport shuttle to Santeeka who were killed during the rebel attack.”

I jolt. “How do you know that?”

My brother scoffs. “Because despite Arvik being one of my senior officers, he and I were somewhat friends. He had discussed with me his worries about his family and how often the rebels targeted the transport shuttles with sabotage. I knew they had been scheduled to work that day.”

No wonder Arvik hated Bannik—in turn, me—for being a rebel spy. Not only did he assume my brother betrayed the crown, but he also betrayed their friendship. Even though Bannik was not the spy in question, I suspect his superior officer can’t separatethe fact that we’re brothers, no matter that Bannik hates me as well.

“I am sorry he blames you for my actions.”

Bannik sneers. “I do not want your apologies. Our whole lives, you have done nothing but betray me time and time again. Don’t waste your words. They mean nothing to me.”

As if my brother’s disdain doesn’t bother me, I turn to Janik and Horek. “If we are going to get Ryvik to make contact again, then he needs to know for sure it was the person he knew as Bannik he was telling our family secrets to. It needs to be made perfectly clear that I was truly part of the rebellion. That perhaps my ‘loyalty’ to the crown can be swayed once more in Mohneek’s direction.”

“You’re working on the assumption Ryvik is still following her and Orvak,” Horek states.

“The mocking way he spoke of loyalty leads me to believehisloyalty continues to lie with them, yes.”

Janik clasps his wrist at the base of his spine and crosses the room to stare out one of the many windows onto the city below.