“We need to kill her, now,” Kai said again. “No more games. No more waiting. Tahlia, where do we find them?”
The woman in black shook her head. “We can't kill her right now. We need to ask Nikolai what he wants to do.”
“I don't care what he wants,” was the abrupt dismissal. “They've just attacked the Tianzu. Once I report this to my leader, they'll all be killed. Tell me where to find them. Where's their base?”
Tahlia had to think carefully before she chose her response. She wanted Sierra dead more than anything, but an unauthorised attack would not sit well with the strange and sporadic Nikolai. He had warned on several occasions to only kill when ordered to. “I can't say,” she finally said.
He rose slowly and marched across to her, almost pressing his face against hers. “These people are dangerous, Tahlia. And Nikolai is no leader. He orders us to attack the others, but then not to harm them. What's the purpose of issuing such a command? Tell me.”
She frowned, uncertain what to say. While she swore allegiance to Nikolai, she hardly felt any solidarity working underneath him. “I don't know,” she admitted.
Kai shook his head, frustrated. “It's all a game to him. Can't you see what he's doing? He's using you all to keep White Shadow at bay, but he secretly has no intention of killing anyone. If you keep this up, you'll all die. He's playing a dangerous game with these warriors and the lives of the Athenian people.” He walked back across the room and crouched by Hana's side. “We need to stop the others. I don't care what Nikolai wants—tonight I was prepared to kill.”
Tahlia gasped. “Did you try to kill Skye?”
He nodded. “Of course. They all need to die. They're a threat to humanity.”
Her jaw dropped upon hearing the revelation. “If you harm Skye, Nikolai will kill you.”
Hana glared at Tahlia with vengeful eyes. “I doubt that.”
The confidence of the Tianzu came as a surprise to Tahlia, especially when Hana was foolish enough to let her guard down. “I think you underestimate Nikolai. He's the most dangerous person you will ever meet.”
Hana stared back at her. “He's not more powerful than the Tianzu.”
Kai turned to his wife. “We need to find them,” he said. He purposely said it in Shizugo so Tahlia wouldn't understand.
“Of course,” Hana replied in her native tongue. “This clan is a far bigger threat than Raien realised.”
“I don't understand why he'd order for us to eliminate only one of our enemies per day. None of it makes sense.”
“What are you talking about?” Tahlia asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
Kai stepped forward again. “Tell us where to find White Shadow,” he said in Alexan, changing the subject to the more pressing matter.
“I already told you, I can't,” Tahlia defended, aggravated by his repeated demand.
“If we don't stop them, they'll kill innocent civilians. Is that what you want?”
“If you condone taking innocent lives, then you're an enemy of the Tianzu too,” Hana added.
“I'm not your enemy,” Tahlia said. “But I can't tell you where to find them. You'll need to ask Nikolai.” She stared back at them, wondering if they would turn on her.
“Why do you serve Black Dawn?” Kai asked. “Do you actually agree with their cause?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “I agree with Nikolai's view on peace.”
“His peace involves killing anyone who stands in his way,” Hana hissed. “Don't be a fool and think that he won't kill you if he needs to.”
Tahlia frowned, confused by the conversation. “But you want to kill White Shadow.”
“It's not the same,” Kai said, his tone serious. “We kill to protect our clan and innocent people. Nikolai kills to protect himself.”
Silence filled the room. Kai and Hana glared at Tahlia, waiting for her to speak, but she kept her mouth closed. She was reluctant to preach Nikolai's credo too proudly and unintentionally instigate a skirmish with the duo.
“Perhaps you could join the Tianzu,” Kai suggested. “We'll happily eliminate Sierra for you. All we ask is that you disclose her whereabouts, and that you devote yourself to a life of protecting others.”
Tahlia's jaw dropped. The offer took her by surprise. She was desperate to rid herself of the threat of Sierra, but Nikolai had told her repeatedly not to trust a word the Tianzu said. “I'm sorry—I can't.”
Kai stared back at her with a smirk. “Very well.”
The room fell silent once again. Tahlia looked into the eyes of Kai and Hana, wondering if their offer was indeed a genuine one. “We should return to the villa,” she suggested, wanting to put the events of the evening behind her. “Nikolai will want to know where we are.”
“Yes, we should update him on our attack of the others. I'll tell him that we tried to kill Skye.”
Tahlia's eyes widened with fear. “Please don't. I told you—he's far more powerful than you think.”
Kai grinned. “And the Tianzu are far more powerful than you think.”
Thirty-five
Nikolai paced back and forth in his suite impatiently, staring down at the vacant beach below. Every few moments or so he would glare at the time on his wrist comm.
“Where are they?” he asked himself, his voice lacking any genuine worry. “I can sense that they're still in the city. Surely nothing has happened to them; I can sense Skye and the others heading south.”
Sabina, Aurelius, and Night all ignored him. They watched on as his paranoia increased.
“What are they up to?” Nikolai asked aloud. “And where's Daye? I can't sense him anywhere. Is he meeting with his Tianzu comrade again?”
“If you're concerned for Tahlia,” Night interrupted, “why don't you transport yourself back into the city and ask them what's taking so long?”
Nikolai raised an eyebrow. “I think not, Night. I don't take orders from the likes of you.” He stopped pacing and stood in his usual spot by the window. “Besides, I'm not necessarily concerned for Tahlia's well-being. I just don't like to think that she's conspiring against me with the Tianzu.”
Night sniggered from his spot on Nikolai's chaise. “Stop complaining.”
Nikolai growled as he spun around and looked down at the lazy Night. “I don't understand how many times I need to ask you to stop lying on my chaise! You've completely ruined it now! I can smell it from here.” He gritted his teeth as he tried to think of a way to remove Night from the furniture without coming into physical contact with him.
The arrival of Tahlia, Kai, and Hana took the room by surprise. She transported the three of them to the centre of the suite.
“That took far too long!” Nikolai shouted. “I told you to return to base at once!”
“Sorry,” Tahlia said. “Marion shot Hana.”
Hana showed the scar to him, substantiating the excuse.
Nikolai stared down at the dark mark on her abdomen. “Twice in one day,” he said, sounding almost as though he admired the wound Sierra had inflicted. “I daresay that she's becoming a better marksman by the hour. And it serves you right for disobeying me anyway.”
“You need to kill her, right now,” Kai warned, furious that his wife almost died in front of him. “She's far too dangerous.”
“I will be doing nothing of the sort. I have no qualms with the woman,” he responded, not appreciating being given orders by his lowly subordinate.
“But she's a threat to this organisation. Isn't that what your credo is—to kill anyone who stands in your way?”
Nikolai beamed. “To an extent, absolutely. But she's not an idealistic warrior. I assume that she merely attacked you out of defence. I'm sure her mind could be just as easily moulded to suit Black Dawn's ideals.”
“I agree with Kai,” Tahlia said. “She's not going to stop until I'm dead. We can't wait around for her to hunt us all down one by one.”
Nikolai let out a short laugh. “Well, wouldn't that be a pity?” he asked sarcastic
ally. “But unfortunately, it doesn't fit in with my plan.” He began to pace around the room again. “We're going to wait until Archibald is sworn into office. Once I feel he's safe enough, we'll move on and begin the next stage. How does that sit with you all?”
Hana exchanged a curious glance with her husband. “What next stage?” she asked, probing for information.
“Oh, the next stage is a rather grandiose one. Something tells me that you'll find it to be somewhat enthralling.” He glared at them with sinister eye sockets.
“We need to kill that woman,” Kai repeated. “We need to kill all of them right now. They're a threat.”
Nikolai stood tall, unopposed. “I heard you the first time. And as I advised you a moment ago, I'll be giving no such order tonight. My priority is Archibald's safety.”
Tahlia turned her head to Kai and Hana; both of them stood with clenched fists.
“But you just ordered us to go into the city and kill them,” Tahlia said, siding with her unlikely Tianzu allies.
“Indeed I did. But the day is now over. I'll reassess the situation in the morning.”
“You need to kill them now, or our arrangement will be terminated,” Hana warned. “We'll return to Shizudera, and you'll be left to guard your president yourself.”
A sly smile crept across Nikolai's face. He was pleased with the threat. “Interesting. This whole time I thought you were mindless soldiers who only took orders from your superiors back on the mainland, but perhaps you can think for yourselves after all. That being said, however, your threat is meaningless to me, and I cordially reject it.”
Kai turned and grabbed the door handle to the bedroom, where he believed Archie rested. “You need to kill the others, or you won't have a president,” he cautioned.
Nikolai's face fell, his mood shifting in an instant. “I see,” he muttered. “Well, then I thank you for showing me your true allegiance. But I'm afraid I must inform you that you've cornered yourself in this instance.” In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of Kai, towering over the shorter man.
“The president is not here,” he continued. “You've proven me correct in that I'm not to trust any of the Tianzu. And even if he were in there, you'd never harm an innocent civilian, as that is your highest law. Furthermore, you forgot that I can read your intent, and I knew that you'd never follow through with such an empty threat. So perhaps you should think twice before showing off your weaknesses.”
Kai stared up at him and smirked. He had been instructed by his Tianzu leaders to gather as much information on Black Dawn as he could to prove how much of a credible threat Nikolai was. In this moment, Kai knew that Nikolai was now the largest threat the Tianzu had faced in decades. “The reason why we were so late returning here tonight is because I tried to kill your friend Skye.”
Silence fell among the group. Several moments passed before anyone moved. Nikolai grabbed Kai roughly by his shirt and threw him against the wall. Instinctively, Hana held her arms up, ready to come to her husband's aid and absorb Nikolai's energy, only to be stopped by the cool metal of the dagger that Sabina held to her throat. Aurelius grabbed Hana's arms and held them pinned.
The door opened slowly as Daye walked in. His jaw dropped when he saw the sight of his two fellow Tianzu being restrained in front of him.
“The lazy vagabond returns!” Nikolai exclaimed, dropping Kai back to the floor and marching over to the newcomer. “And just what took you so long to return here?” he demanded.
“I had to walk,” the peaceful man responded simply, unsure what to make of the strange situation.
“Perhaps. Or perhaps you were busy liaising with your friend from the city earlier. Raien is his name, is it not?”
He made no attempt to respond to the question.
Nikolai turned around and stared at Kai and Hana with a grin. “I can sense your confusion. Is it because you're wondering how it is that I know Raien's name?” He'd overheard the word 'Raien' mentioned a few times during the past few months, but only in passing, and it was usually nothing above a whisper. He kept this information to himself however, hoping that the Tianzu would be foolish enough to reveal more secrets in the same manner. Aside from the name of another Tianzu though, he'd uncovered little else.
“Where are you, Daye?” Nikolai asked, eyeing him up and down. “I can sense that you're not really here. Why would you only send an apparition of yourself? Do you not feel safe enough to house your physical self here?”
“Not quite,” Daye said.
“I see,” Nikolai laughed. “And why the change of heart? You were physically present here earlier today.”
Daye looked back at him and said nothing.
Nikolai placed his hands on his hips. “Well, it's nice to know that the three of you don't trust Black Dawn. All the more reason for Black Dawn not to trust the Tianzu.” He turned and surveyed the room. “Anyone who dares to harm Skye or Ren in any way will be killed,” he asserted loudly, changing the subject to a more pressing matter.
Kai and Hana glared back at the man with dark eyes. “You're quickly becoming an enemy of the Tianzu,” Kai warned, unimpressed by Nikolai's disparaging behaviour and attitude. The pair remained resilient, knowing they were outnumbered in the room. They'd have to wait and endure the antics of the dangerous man for at least another day or two. Raien earlier mentioned that he may order them to return home after the inauguration.
Nikolai sniggered. “Thank you for the reminder, but frankly, I don't care for the Tianzu,” he dismissed. “Now, it's beginning to get rather late. We should all retire. It has been a long and laborious day, and I imagine tomorrow is set to be an eventful one as well.”
Sabina and Aurelius filed out of the room silently. Kai shot Nikolai a final defiant glance before following the others out of the room. Hana and Daye left too, each walking down the corridor toward their respective living quarters.
“You there,” Nikolai said, pointing to Night, “don't even think about staying inside the villa tonight.”
Night smirked. “Offended you, have I?”
“Yes—your odour offends me. There'll be a lot of staff stationed here tomorrow. I can't risk having to evacuate the building due to your stench.”
“A pity,” Night said, feigning sadness, “I was looking forward to a peaceful sleep.”
“You don't need the comfort. Now, out,” he raised a finger and pointed to the door.
“As you wish.” Night's body cracked as he limped out of the suite.
Tahlia looked to her superior once the room was empty. “Should I retrieve the president? Or should I leave him in the bunker?”
Nikolai stroked his chin. “Leaving him in there for the night is tempting. It's what he deserves, after all. But I suppose I should allow him to have a good night's rest.” He glanced at his comm one last time. “The inauguration looms. I'll need him to be ready.”
Tahlia closed the door to the suite once Night had vanished down the hallway. “You know, the Tianzu are right. We should kill Marion.”
Nikolai groaned. “Not you too. Do I not deserve a moment of peace in my own home?” He strode across to his armchair and sat comfortably in it. He grabbed a glass from the table beside him and half filled it with whiskey. “Why is it that I spend every second of every day tending to the needs of you people?”
Tahlia shot him a disgusted look. “That's enough, Nikolai,” she said, the words escaping her mouth before she could consider what she was saying. “If you want to run this country, you need to be prepared for these things.” She flinched for a brief moment, wondering how Nikolai would react to what she said. She didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did, but nor was she willing to take it back.
Tahlia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Nikolai smile.
“Right you are,” he said. “If I truly am to consider myself the leader of a nation, I suppose I'll need to be able to handle the demands of everyone.” He took a sip from his glass. “As for your first suggestion though, the an
swer is no. I won't be giving the order to kill Marion.”
Tahlia squeezed her eyes shut, the answer hardly surprising her. “Well, at least stop provoking the Tianzu then.”
Nikolai laughed. “I hardly consider them a threat. They act like such a virtuous clan, but in actuality they're nothing more than a rabble of people who have squandered their chances of enlightenment.” He rose and stood by the window, staring down at the dark beach and ocean below. “And once the president is sworn into office, and is safe, I'll see to it that every one of the Tianzu is dead.”
Kai sat on his small bed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“You shouldn't have threatened to kill the president,” Hana said. “It made us look weak.”
“I know,” he sighed. “It was a mistake.” He turned his attention to Daye, whose illusion stood in the corner of the room. “Did you meet with Raien again?”
Daye nodded. “I did. He said he may go to Nikolai's penthouse tomorrow to look for information.”
Kai shook his head. “He's not going to find anything there. He's wasting his time. What did he say about eliminating White Shadow?”
Daye's body tensed; he was always reluctant to discuss such a delicate topic. “The orders remain unchanged at this point.”
Kai bit his lip and paced around the windowless room. It was tiny; one of the smallest in the villa, yet it somehow housed all three of the Tianzu. It was no secret that Nikolai did not think very highly of their existence.
“What is Raien thinking?” Kai muttered, no longer able to keep his feelings to himself.
“His strategy is not very effective,” Hana agreed. “We could have easily eliminated two of White Shadow earlier, but Raien insists on killing them one at a time.”
Kai stood by the door and held his ear to it, ensuring that no one was listening. “It's not in our ways to defy our leader, but I'm not quite certain what Raien is trying to achieve by doing this.”
“We should meet with him tomorrow. If we tell him we were attacked, he might amend the order so that we can eliminate White Shadow immediately, and in its entirety.”
Kai and Hana froze as they heard footsteps along the carpet outside. The shengxian were able to hear what would usually be inaudible to most.
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 19
