Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,121

the others here have been incredible, I think they’d do better under the training programs we’ve been figuring out with the Arrows.”

Lucas nodded. “Judd’s really the only one with the kind of skills to teach those of your young with dangerous new abilities, and he can’t handle them all.” Sienna was assisting, but her training differed from Judd’s and a lot of it wasn’t transferable.

“There’s no question of moving William,” Dev clarified, referring to a boy born with the unusual telekinetic gift that made Judd so deadly and so extraordinary at the same time. “Judd can help him in ways no one else can, but the others? I’m going to talk them through the programs we’re developing, give them the choice.”

“What about the reason you moved them here in the first place?”

“We’ve been quietly buying up land in a remote part of New York State,” Dev replied. “It’s secure but large enough that no one will feel penned in. I got the idea from DarkRiver’s Yosemite territory, to be honest—though our area isn’t as large, it’s plenty big enough for humans and Forgotten.” The other man ran a hand through his hair. “I actually wanted to run something by you in terms of our security protocols.”

Lucas listened, gave his opinion, then asked Dev if he’d had a chance to think about the dangerous disintegration of the PsyNet, an issue Sascha had brought up at dinner the previous night. While the Forgotten had no reason to love those in the PsyNet who had once hunted them, Dev and his people understood that the majority of Psy were ordinary people fighting to survive.

The other man had offered to assist Sascha in any way he could.

“I can’t figure it out.” Dev braced his arm on the door, his window down as they reached the foothills of the Sierras. “If the Es are awake and emotion is back in the Net, then it should be healing. The Forgotten didn’t do anything extraordinary when we defected.” His frown was in his voice. “We just stayed what the PsyNet was pre-Silence.”

The two of them talked it through but hadn’t come up with anything new by the time Lucas brought the vehicle to a stop near the den.

• • •

TWENTY minutes later, as he stood waiting for Hawke just outside the White Zone, Dev having already met up with his liaison, Lucas made a note to ask Jon if the teen wanted to join the Forgotten’s new training program. If he did, DarkRiver wouldn’t send him alone; he’d have a pack escort, someone who was his friend as well as being tough enough to protect him.

Not because Lucas didn’t trust Dev, but because Jon was a child of the pack.

His phone beeped right then, with the promised report from Jamie. The senior soldier had written up his conclusions and sent the result over a secure line. Everything had gone according to plan—they’d invaded the target ship without setting off any alarms, then interrogated the captain.

Jamie was certain the man had simply been another cog in the machine.

All he knew was that he had to pick up live cargo at a certain time and place. That time and place would’ve lined up perfectly had the snatch on Naya been successful so I don’t think there’s any question Dorian zeroed in on the right ship. The captain was told he’d receive further instructions for care of the cargo once it was on its way but that he was to set aside a cabin for the time being, a cabin that had been stripped of all small items and was capable of being locked.

He figured it was going to be an animal of some kind, an exotic pet “for some rich asshole.” He swears up and down that he had no idea he’d been hired to transport a kidnapped child. His exact words were: “I don’t do people. People have other people who look for them and some of those other people are fucking scary like you and your friends.”

I tend to believe him.

His record isn’t exactly squeaky clean but he’s never tried anything this ambitious or dangerous. He’s a smuggler, back and forth with low-risk goods most of the time, spiced with the occasional legal job.

He was paid twenty-five grand upfront for the transport. That wasn’t enough to buy his loyalty when his life and livelihood were on the line. BlackSea did us a solid there, threatened to ban him from all the commercial waterways they control and they