Chapter 321: Blank
Narissa looked more offended by her own hands than frightened of Arik.
That probably helped her.
She stood beneath the narrow gold lighting of the extraction corridor with both wrists still secured in front of her. Her pale work jacket had been pulled crooked during the arrest, one sleeve bunched above her elbow, while two imperial guards remained behind her.
Liam stood beside Arik.
Very deliberately beside him.
Arik had apparently decided physical contact was now a security measure. One hand rested at Liam’s lower back, warm and immovable.
Narissa looked at Liam’s golden eyes once.
Then again.
Her expression suggested she had several questions and enough survival instinct not to ask any of them.
"I don’t know why I pushed you."
Arik’s hand tightened.
Liam glanced up at him before returning his attention to Narissa.
"You remember doing it?"
"Yes." Narissa swallowed. "I remember walking behind you. You were talking about the conduit layout. I remember reaching the door."
She frowned.
"And then I pushed you."
"Why?"
"That is the problem." Her voice sharpened with frustration. "There is nothing between those two things."
Severin stepped away from the wall.
His dark field uniform carried no decoration beyond the insignia at his collar, and unlike everyone else in the corridor, he had barely reacted to Liam’s new eyes.
"Nothing emotionally?"
Narissa shook her head.
"I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t thinking about hurting him." She looked directly at Liam. "I like working for you."
"That is reassuring."
Arik gave him a look.
Liam ignored it.
Narissa continued. "I saw the door. Then my hand was against your back. The next thing I remember clearly is everyone shouting."
Severin studied her.
"I can verify it."
Narissa’s face lost some color.
Liam knew what Severin meant.
Arik did too.
"You agree?" Arik asked her.
Narissa hesitated only briefly before nodding.
"Yes."
Severin approached and stopped in front of her.
"Do not resist."
His eyes darkened.
The change was subtle, nothing like sovereign ether flooding a room. The corridor simply seemed to grow quieter as Severin’s ability settled over Narissa.
Her shoulders stiffened.
Then relaxed.
Severin closed his eyes.
Seconds passed.
Liam watched with considerable interest until Arik’s thumb pressed firmly against his back.
He glanced sideways.
"I’m standing still."
"For now."
Severin opened his eyes.
Narissa blinked several times and drew a sharp breath.
"Well?" Arik asked.
"There was no intention."
The tension in the corridor changed.
Severin looked toward the maintenance room.
"She remembers approaching the door. She remembers Liam in front of her. Then there is a blank."
"How long?"
"Less than a second." Severin’s expression hardened. "There is no command that I can detect. No foreign thought. No altered memory constructed afterward. Her consciousness simply stops participating."
Liam frowned.
"Her body moved without her?"
"Essentially."
Narissa looked deeply unhappy with that description.
"So I am not possessed?"
"I did not say that."
Her unhappiness increased.
Liam considered the problem instead.
The door had opened for him.
Narissa had pushed him through it without deciding to.
The Trial had recognized him as its creator.
That was sufficiently suspicious without inventing additional conspiracies.
"Release her."
Arik looked down at him.
Liam lifted a brow. "Severin just confirmed she didn’t deliberately throw me into an ancient ether mechanism."
"That sentence does not improve my opinion of the situation."
"It improves mine."
Arik’s gaze moved to Narissa.
Severin gave a slight nod.
After several seconds, Arik gestured to the guards, and the restraints opened.
Narissa immediately rubbed her wrists.
Liam smiled.
"Good."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"I wasn’t looking forward to replacing you."
Narissa’s mouth opened and closed, her expression beyond words.
Severin looked away, possibly to hide amusement.
Arik stared at Liam in disbelief.
"You disappeared into the Trial."
"Yes."
"She pushed you."
"Apparently against her will."
"And your primary concern is retaining a competent assistant?"
"They are difficult to find."
Narissa straightened slightly.
"Thank you?"
"You’re welcome."
Arik closed his eyes.
Something shifted behind them through the bond.
Arik had spent months accepting the older life as part of himself. That had been considerably easier when Goliath’s contributions consisted of military instincts, engineering knowledge, and occasional contempt for modern administration.
It was becoming less convenient now.
Goliath had taken the Trial.
Enki had created it.
Then Enki had fallen in love with him.
And apparently, when Goliath decided death was an unacceptable obstacle and engineered his way toward another life beyond the Gate, Enki had helped him get there.
Which eventually resulted in Liam being born through Felix’s bloodline after his ancient soul used Felix as transportation.
Arik was beginning to regret several of Goliath’s decisions.
Possibly most of them.
He looked down at Liam.
Golden eyes met his.
His mate.
The same soul that had apparently found his once before and then helped him commit an act of metaphysical irresponsibility significant enough to inconvenience them now.
Arik exhaled.
"We are leaving."
Liam blinked. "But Narissa—"
"Is cleared."
"The door—"
"Will remain sealed."
"Severin should examine—"
"Severin will examine everything."
Severin nodded once.
Arik placed his hand firmly around Liam’s waist and turned him toward the lift.
Liam allowed himself to be moved for approximately five steps.
"Where are we going?"
"Our rooms."
"Why?"
Arik pressed the lift control.
The dark doors opened.
He guided Liam inside before answering.
"Because you disappeared for long enough to discover that you created the Trial, previously fell in love with me, assisted my reincarnation, escaped through Felix, and somehow returned with golden eyes."
Liam considered the summary as the doors closed.
"When you put it together like that, it sounds excessive."
"It is excessive."
The lift began climbing through the palace.
Arik turned toward him.
For the first time since Liam had stepped back through the golden passage, they were alone.
Arik caught Liam’s face between both hands and kissed him.
Liam made a surprised sound against his mouth before immediately leaning into him.
The kiss was not careful.
Arik had spent too long staring at an empty room while the bond told him Liam existed somewhere he could not reach. Now Liam was warm beneath his hands, his long hair tangled around Arik’s fingers, his mouth familiar despite the impossible gold staring back at him when they separated.
Arik touched his forehead to Liam’s.
"You are going to tell me everything."
Liam’s hands settled against his chest.
"Everything?"
"From the moment that door closed."
A smile slowly appeared.
Arik immediately distrusted it.
"There was a being inside."
"I know enough about your expression to understand that sentence is going to cause me problems."
"It was wearing my face."
Arik stared at him.
The lift continued upward.
Liam’s smile widened.
"And it was extremely irritating."
Arik kissed him again before the explanation could become worse.