I closed my eyes, imagining how smug he’d look if he were here. Arms spread wide, that insufferable grin, basking in his own genius like a cat in a sunbeam. I couldn’t help it. The smallest smile tugged at my lips.

  “He was right.”

  Pearl’s arms tightened protectively around Lucas, her fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket, and her eyes shifted toward me. “Who?”

  I leaned back against the sofa’s sagging cushions, which groaned softly under my weight. Stupid vest. “Riker. He’s—”

  “Dangerous,” Lucas cut in before I could finish with his laced with an edge. That old protective instinct he never quite got rid of. “I hope you’re not in contact with him,” he added, brows knitting together.

  A flicker of movement on the big display above us interrupted my reply. Darius appeared on the main feed, approaching the front door. Even through the small lens, he radiated caution. His steps were measured, his eyes sweeping the surroundings, never fully turning his back.

  Pearl didn’t even sit up. She just shifted one hand to the bizarre half-dome keyboard resting on the arm of the sofa, her personal Frankenstein’s monster of keys, holographic touchpads, and jury-rigged metal switches. She tapped a sequence without looking.

  Somewhere near the entrance, the heavy locking mechanism hissed sharply. The same hiss from when she let me in, I realized. A pressurized release system. Darius paused, waiting just outside, clearly not trusting the situation to be as calm as it looked.

  I smirked and glanced back at Lucas. “Well, who do you think sponsored Rime-Con? Paid for the stream rights? And is bankrolling that upcoming movie?”

  Lucas blinked. “You?” he guessed. “No, wait—” He rose, twisting to reach for Pearl’s tablet balanced precariously on a stack of old VR gear beside the couch.

  His movement earned a quiet grunt from Pearl, who refused to fully let him go. Still, Lucas managed to pull the tablet into his lap, tapping quickly. His brow furrowed deeper as he scrolled. The soft blue glow of the screen lit up the sharp line of his jaw. “Co-production credits with... wait. You co-own it?”

  I shrugged, burrowing deeper into the sofa’s warmth. The material smelled faintly of old energy drinks, electronics, and something vaguely floral, probably from where Pearl’s stole it from. Wouldn’t count on her buying it, even with cash.

  “I don’t care about the paperwork. Riker’s taking care of things on my end. That’s what matters.”

  The door hissed again, the sound quieter this time.

  Darius must have decided it was finally safe, because the monitors showed him stepping inside, one hand resting casually, but ready, near his sidearm.

  Lucas sighed, letting the tablet drop to the couch with a soft thud. He slid his arms around Pearl, hugging her close again.

  His eyes didn’t leave mine.

  “He’s dangerous.”

  I met his stare evenly. “When you’re facing dangerous people…” My fingers absently traced a seam on the sofa cushion, the fabric rough beneath my touch. “…you need dangerous allies.”

  “Wise words,” Darius said, stepping fully into the room. His boots made a dull thunk on the concrete, and even with his usual stone-faced expression, I caught a crack of surprise in his eyes as he took everything in.

  The messy sprawl of tech. The makeshift security hub. The ridiculous fridge glowing softly, like some neon temple to caffeine addiction. And the three of us huddled in a fortress that looked equal parts hacker’s paradise and a hideout.

  “Have I walked into a teen hangout,” he muttered, voice dry as the cracked concrete beneath our feet, “or what?”

  I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my mouth. “I think they want your help, Darius.” I gestured toward Lucas, who was still half-curled on the sofa with Pearl practically welded to his side.

  Pearl didn’t loosen her grip. If anything, she clung tighter, as if Darius’s sheer size might bulldoze the room’s fragile safety. She kept her face composed, brows pinched, mouth a line of defiance, but I could read the fear under the frown. I’d felt it myself too many times not to recognize it. This was probably the first time she’d ever faced a threat in the real world, not a server room or a virtual battlefield.

  “You’re the expert here, right?” I added.

  Darius didn’t answer right away. His eyes swept the room again, slow and methodical. His gaze landed on the bank of monitors, cycling feeds from every camera Pearl had wired up, all color-coded and cataloged. The largest screen still showed Tom standing watch outside, his posture straight but tense. No one had told him to stop. Good man.

  “Yes,” Darius finally said, his voice like gravel. He nodded at the monitors. “Impressive. All of this.”

  Pearl’s chin lifted slightly, trying not to look pleased. But the stiffness in her shoulders betrayed the adrenaline still running hot through her system. She said nothing. Just hugged Lucas tighter. One of her hands was trembling slightly against his jacket, and Lucas instinctively covered it with his own.

  “I don’t think we’ve met?” Lucas said, offering Darius a tired, sheepish smile. “I’m Lucas. The mysterious hacker responsible for breaching Reilon.”

  Darius’s mouth twitched. “Yeah,” he said, a rare chuckle escaping. “Remember that op. You’re good people. Dumb decisions. Good heart.” Lucas looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended. “Need time to pack things up?” Darius asked, glancing around at the shelves, the cables… everything.

  The sheer amount of gear in here could fund a small startup.

  Pearl perked up immediately. “Yes,” she piped. Her voice was softer now, almost shy. “An hour. Two. The expensive things…” She glanced at Lucas nervously, then back at Darius. “Can we use one of the vans? We... we can’t carry this much on bikes.”

  Her confidence had slipped now that the adrenaline was burning out.

  “Yes, kid,” Darius said, his tone softening in a way that felt like a warm blanket draped over a cold argument.

  “Not a kid!” Pearl huffed, springing to her feet in one swift motion. The sudden shift startled Lucas, who grabbed the edge of the sofa to steady himself.

  Pearl planted herself in front of Darius, arms crossed. Her face was fierce, but the slight pink in her cheeks betrayed the nerves still bubbling under the surface. “I could’ve taken you from a distance!” she declared. “I don’t know how you found us, but I could have! Sniper turrets, hacking points, you wouldn’t have seen it coming.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Darius backed up slightly, raising both hands in surrender. “Hey, hey. Easy.” His mouth curved in what might’ve been respect. “Yes. You could’ve. Good job.”

  Pearl blinked.

  That clearly wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting. The fierce mask faltered for just a second. She shifted her weight awkwardly, then turned back toward us, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands like a shield.

  Ah, fellow user of a hoodie guard!

  I stifled a giggle. Tried to, anyway. Lucas noticed and nudged my leg with his knee, mouthing to stop it. But I could tell even he was trying not to smile. “Okay,” I said, rolling my shoulders to shake off the last bit of tension. “Fun as this reunion is, the reason I’m here. The reason I came looking for you both. is because I need to find the Children of Gaia.”

  Pearl blinked, the fierce bravado slipping away entirely. For the first time since I’d arrived, her eyes held more confusion than suspicion. “Children of Gaia? Why?”

  “They might be able to fix my situation. I need to find them. Fast.”

  Pearl frowned, lips pressing into a thin line. Then she shrugged with a surprising lack of drama. “Greenguard building. They don’t hide it. It’s on their public page.”

  “She’s right!” Jerry’s voice practically shouted in my ear. “How could I miss that?”

  I kept my expression neutral, still refusing to answer him out loud. Talking to myself in front of everyone was the last line between the eccentric leader and needs a padded room.

  Instead, I blinked at Pearl. “Just like that?”

  Pearl nodded and, without ceremony, grabbed a worn cardboard box from under the table. She flipped open the lid and started dumping the tech into it. Cables, drives, a few old holo projectors that looked like they belonged in a museum.

  No hesitation. Pure efficiency.

  “Why?” Lucas asked, his brow furrowed as he hovered nearby, unsure how to help.

  “Long story. Involving Damon, a god, and death.” I forced a weak laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. Lucas’s eyes narrowed, his protective instincts kicking in again. I waved a hand before he could start lecturing me. “Worry about your death first,” I said. “Then we can talk about mine.”

  From the corner of my eye, I noticed Darius had gone still. He was watching me quietly, arms folded across his chest. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t make any dramatic proclamations. He just nodded once and turned to leave, boots silent against the cracked floor.

  Without a word.

  The door hissed softly as it closed behind him.

  We all stared after him for a moment. Even Pearl paused her frantic packing to glance toward the door. The hum of the monitors filled the quiet. Lucas cleared his throat, awkward but genuine. “Okay. Charlie. Still... you owning the company? Insane.”

  “Be safe first,” I replied with a smile. “I don’t know where they’ll take you, but take care. I think I need to reach this... Greenguard?”

  “It is exciting,” Jerry offered cheerfully.

  “Not now.” I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling.

  Pearl tossed a keyboard at Lucas, who caught it smoothly and added it to the growing pile of gear. I exhaled. The room already felt less tense, more like the strange, chaotic home it had clearly been for a while. But I couldn’t linger.

  “I think I’ll leave you to it,” I said, stepping back.

  Pearl glanced up, biting her lip. Then, without warning, she hopped up and threw her arms around me. The embrace was surprisingly tight. She smelled faintly of circuit grease and lavender, which somehow made sense.

  “Thank you for helping,” she whispered into my shoulder. “And sorry for shooting you. I...”

  “You’re protective. Not trusting. I get it,” I whispered back, patting her. Her grip tightened for a second. “Take care of yourself.” She pulled back and smiled, small but sincere. I nodded toward Lucas. “Take care of him, too. He can’t take care of himself.”

  Pearl snorted, wiping at her eyes. “What an understatement.” Lucas looked like he wanted to protest, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

  I walked back toward the command van, the cool night air sharp against my skin. “Okay, Jerry. Go.”

  He didn’t hesitate. “It’s very interesting. They messed up! Their page is listed to not register on search engines. So even though they describe themselves as the Children of Gaia, they—”

  “Nobody noticed it?” I interrupted, frowning. “Not Riker, not you, not anyone?” My heels echoed softly against the cracked pavement. Over time, I grew used to the sound and now it would be weird if there wasn’t the clap-clap sound with each of my step. “They said they’re elusive. I imagined some shady underground organization, not...” I gestured vaguely toward the skyline. “... a company’s website not even hiding in plain sight.”

  “Not indexed. Hard to find,” Jerry offered helpfully. “Nobody would expect such a rookie mistake. Everyone looked deeper, back-channels, encrypted forums, darknet leads. But Gaia is a common keyword. They slipped under the radar.” He paused. “And their page openly says they’re saviors of humanity visited by a god.”

  “Visited by a god.” I repeated slowly, mind still turning that over as I approached the command van. Before I could reach the door, it swung open and Lola practically launched herself at me, arms flinging around my neck.

  “Hello Lola!” I gasped, steadying both of us as she clung tight.

  “You got shot,” she whispered into my ear. “She shot you!”

  I gulped. “It was... a friendly shot?” I pointed at the small dent on my vest, but she was hugging me, so she couldn’t see.

  Gesture counts, right?

  Lola pulled back just enough to frown at me, her brows knitting together like I’d just confessed to adopting a pet dragon. “I... fine. If you’re okay with it.” She shook her head, that stubborn worry fading into a smile. “Today is like a dream. So much excitement!”

  “You liked it?” I asked, leading her toward the van’s door, still mildly in disbelief.

  “I want to be a queen-maker,” she said, straight-faced. Then, after a moment, her cheeks pinked, and she added shyly, “But Bond girl? That’s another dream.”

  I laughed and mentally added keep Lola away from Riker forever to my ever-growing list of disasters-in-progress.

  Inside, Darius was already waiting, arms crossed, one brow raised. “Where to now?” he asked. “Or can we finally talk about my company?”

  As I slid into the seat beside Lola, I felt a bead of sweat form at my temple.

  Breaking into Pearl’s paranoid den?

  Easy.

  Facing paperwork?

  Dear Saevrin.

  “I found where I need to go!” I turned to Lola, ignoring Darius completely and pivoting the conversation with the grace of a seasoned deflector. “It’s Greenguard. We could—”

  “There’s an appointment slot available.” Jerry cut in smoothly. “Event: Prayer to the God. Tomorrow morning. Still open.”

  I blinked. “I mean... I’m booked for tomorrow morning, then.”

  “Done.” Jerry chimed.

  “Booked?” Lola’s eyebrows shot up, full of polite suspicion.

  “It’s... weird. Long story.” I waved it off like I wasn’t mentally bracing for whatever fresh insanity Prayer to the God would entail.

  “Do not ignore me,” Darius rumbled, crossing his arms. His voice had that patient-but-done vibe I usually heard from Patrick’s kicking out drunk regulars at closing time. “You own Tallor Vanguard. What do you intend to do with it?”

  Ah. Right. That little detail. I turned toward Lola like a drowning person spotting land. “Help?”

  She smiled shyly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Lady, if you employ me officially as your steward, I can take care of the administrative duties.”

  My relief was so strong I could’ve hugged her. Darius twitched noticeably when she called me Lady. His jaw tightened like he was trying not to comment.

  One problem solved. Lola for the win! I grinned. “Of course! Steward Lola. That has a nice ring to it.” Then I turned back to Darius and waved a hand vaguely, like royalty addressing a very persistent petition. “But in general... do what you think is best?”

  Darius stared at me like I’d just dropped a grenade in his lap. His stern mask cracked, confusion slipping through. “Best? That’s not how this works.” He unfolded his arms and started counting off on his fingers. “Do you want preferential security contracts with friendly corps? Priority security details for specific properties? A ban on working with competitors?”

  His voice sharpened. “The old management forced all of that. Tied us up in restrictive exclusivity agreements. Used us to leverage market influence.” His fingers curled into a fist. “I was the original founder. They bought me out. And then they forced my company to do things I hated.”

  His gaze pinned me, intense but honest. “So when you say do what you think is best... does that mean I have the authority to undo those contracts? Rebuild it like it used to be?”

  I swallowed, glancing at Lola for backup. She nodded slightly, eyes soft but firm. Right. Leadership. The thing I kept accidentally doing. “Yeah.” I nodded. “Yes. Full authority. I don’t want to micromanage. I just want it running well. Take care of the people first.”

  Darius stared at me a second longer, searching my face for any hint of a catch. Any hidden clauses. When he found none, his shoulders eased just a little. “Understood.”

  And for the first time, his voice didn’t sound like he was talking to a reckless client. It sounded like respect.

  “Now, can you get us to a little café? I need to show Lola how great Roberto’s sister is!”