Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,115
open area in the forest, where Naya, Keenan, and Noor were playing with Cruz. The older boy was good-natured about the younger children’s enthusiasm; nothing about him betrayed that he was a telepath of cardinal-level power, his eyes near-black with unexpected flickers of dark gold rather than night sky. Because Cruz was one of the Forgotten, not Psy.
As Lucas watched, Cruz went to say something to Sascha before he smiled and returned to the field of play. Lucas’s mate was standing with Katya and Ashaya, the three women having a quiet discussion. Dev’s wife and Ashaya had once been scientists in a lab controlled by Ming LeBon. Both had helped children even when they couldn’t fashion an escape for those children, and both had paid a price for that help. While Lucas didn’t know Katya as well as he did Ashaya, he had a soft spot for her.
Katya, in turn, had a giant one for Noor and Keenan, the bond between them formed out of bleak despair that had been transformed into incandescent joy.
His and Dev’s current conversation, however, had nothing to do with either the children, the Forgotten hidden in DarkRiver and SnowDancer, or Cruz. It involved a Forgotten teenager who Lucas had claimed as part of his pack.
“I’ve confirmed the rumors your Rats first picked up,” Dev said to him, the golden brown skin of his face all harsh lines. “There’s a bounty out on Jon. Five million to anyone who can capture him alive.”
Lucas’s claws pricked at his skin. When the Rats reported the rumor over a month earlier, he’d immediately gotten in touch with Dev. Both because the Forgotten had made it a point to infiltrate networks that might pose a threat to their people and because if someone was after Jon, it was possible he or she—or they—would also attempt to snatch other Forgotten children.
Such abduction attempts had already occurred more than once.
“Our message wasn’t an empty threat,” he said in a tone that held the panther’s harsh rage. “Anyone hurts or tries to hurt or take one of DarkRiver’s young, and they’ll die by claws and teeth.”
“You haven’t heard the best part.” Dev’s voice was both approving and amused.
Lucas went to answer, was distracted when Cruz came running over.
“I forgot my juice,” the boy said, his face hot from exertion.
Dev picked it up off the picnic blanket Sascha had brought, on which she’d placed snacks and drinks for the children. “Here you go,” he said, bumping fists with the eleven-and-a-half-year-old. “Don’t let those three”—a nod at where a ferocious and tiny black panther was pretending to bite Keenan while Noor tried to tackle him—“give you too much trouble.”
Cruz rolled his eyes after taking a drink. “They’re babies.” A put-upon sigh. “But I better play with them so they don’t get bored.”
Lucas’s lips curved as Cruz ran back to enthusiastically join in whatever game it was the three DarkRiver cubs and one Forgotten boy had thought up. “Kid’s looking much better,” he said to Dev. “Sascha says his shields are phenomenal.” Lucas’s mate was the one who’d helped create those shields, Dev having asked for her help after discovering that Cruz had no shields of his own, his mind naked to the world.
“She gave him the base.” Dev slid his hands into the pockets of his black pants. “And fuck she’s good, Lucas. The more we study Cruz’s shields, the more we realize what she built, and it’s extraordinary.”
Lucas’s panther stretched out in pride inside him. “Yes,” he agreed. “But I can tell she’s pleased with the progress he’s made on his own.” That checkup was part of the reason Dev and Katya had made this trip.
“He’s a tough kid.” The pride was Dev’s this time. “Resilient doesn’t come close to describing it.” The other man was quiet for a moment before adding, “He’s still mourning his mom and dad, but he’s not dwelling on the horrific way he was diagnosed as schizophrenic and drugged. The nightmares are all but gone.”
Lucas knew it wasn’t only Cruz’s resilience that had permitted the boy to heal; it was the fact that he was surrounded by a shield of love and fierce protectiveness. Cruz had the air of a child who knew nothing could get to him. A lot of that fell at the feet of Katya Haas and Devraj Santos. Which brought Lucas back around to the protection of the children in his care.