council members were a surprise to him. Councilor Cramer led the warriors on Phaeton Two, while Councilor Krilis was based on Phaeton Prime, due to his advanced years.
“I’m unsure,” he said quietly, even as he noted the change in body language of their prisoner as they were approached by Kaine and the others with him. “Stay close.”
“10-4.” Nova moved closer without crowding him or his prisoner; her arms stayed raised with the blaster pointed.
Knowing his wife was more than capable of handling herself, Axis focused on the elder council member who’d barked at them from across the bay. Nearing ninety, the elder councilor member wore robes befitting his station but still fashioned his hair into warrior braids. The bright-white braids combined with his outfit reminded Axis of the elves from the hobbit movies Poppy and Pixie had insisted he watch.
Krilis, an elder who had been on the council the longest, was one of the more powerful skrammon in their society. His years of service to their race on their war fleets had earned him a certain amount of reverence, his battle record near flawless. In fact, Axis himself had once considered the councilor an idol as he’d trained for his own place within their skrammon ranks. His view of the elder councilor had changed not long after he’d realized the Phaeton was against the progress needed for their race to survive.
Krilis wasn’t anti-human, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was pro-human. From what Axis had been able to gather, Krilis viewed them more as a necessary evil. The elder agreed they needed humans but made his displeasure with the Pact known. The details regarding his objections were kept behind council doors, but overall, everyone knew his opinion. Most had expected the elder to defect with the other Verge that wanted no part of the negotiations with the humans, but the old skrammon surprised everyone when he ended up staying. He’d not changed his viewpoint, as far as Axis could tell, but he had quieted down when it came to publicly opposing the Bridal Pact.
“Councilor Krilis.” Giving the elder councilor a short bow, he also greeted the others who were with him. When he’d sent word to Kaine on One, the transmission had been short and sweet. The report had simply said that he was heading back with not only a traitor to question but also one of the females he’d managed to rescue.
“I asked you a question!” the elder Phaeton blustered, shaking a finger his direction as if Axis were a young warrior in training who needed correcting. He stomped forward until he was mere inches away before he yelled again. “Answer me now!”
“Who the fuck are you?”
Axis winced at Nova’s interruption, wishing for a split second that it had been his imagination but knowing it wasn’t. She’d warned him earlier she was on the edge when it came to putting up with anyone’s bullshit, which was one of the reasons why she’d made sure Bosch knew she was prepared to shoot first if needed.
Nova bumped him in the side as if she didn’t realize she already had his attention—as well as the attention of everyone else. “Who’s this douche?”
“Indigo is going to love her,” Paine whispered to Rowe, his voice low but not low enough for all of them to hear. Axis couldn’t stop from smiling, despite the elder practically spitting in his face.
Everyone would love his bride. She was perfect.
“Excuse me?” Krilis gasped, the shrillness of his voice making most around them cringe.
“I think it’s time I stepped in,” Kaine interrupted, physically stepping between the two parties before a melee erupted within the hangar, and away from the others watching with their mouths open. “Councilor Krilis, this is my master interrogator Axis and the female he rescued from Euphoria.”
“My wife,” Axis broke in, unable to keep the announcement from springing forth seeing so many appraising looks upon his bride from the bystanders.
“Your wife?” Kaine parroted back, his eyes moving back and forth between Axis and Nova.
“His wife?” Krilis echoed. His voice hit an even higher octave than it had mere moments before.
“His wife,” Nova repeated, a frown crossing on her face as she continued to watch Krilis. With the blaster aimed at Bosch’s back with one hand, she propped the other on her hip and stared him down. “Now, we’re back to who the fuck you are.”
“How dare—”
Nova’s sharp crack of laughter stopped Councilor Krilis’s tirade in its tracks. The sound stunned every single Phaeton around them into