Dark Princess: Shadows (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance #89)

22. Kian

22

KIAN

K ian hadn't expected to be excited about the prospect of meeting with Turner. He only got the strategist involved when something major was happening and his expertise was needed, and he missed the guy's cold, analytical mind. A mind not swayed by emotions.

There were downsides to Turner's emotional detachment, but they were too few to mention and by no means had any impact on his brilliance.

As he waited for the coffees to be delivered and Turner to arrive, Kian's thoughts drifted to Ell-rom and his newly discovered ability. The power to kill with a thought was both terrifying and awe-inspiring, and he knew Turner would find ways not only to test it but also to use it. He hadn't planned on sharing the information with the guy, but he trusted Turner implicitly, and the same was true for Bridget, with whom he would no doubt share the information.

Mates did not keep secrets from each other.

He thought of Sari's joke about the assassinations she had in mind, wondering again if there had been a hint of truth behind her words. The world of international politics was full of threats, both overt and hidden, and taking out key players could bring peace and stability to the world.

On the other hand, there was the undeniable fact of unforeseen consequences. Taking out a bad player without guaranteeing that his successor was any better was foolish. It was like playing whack-a-mole, and it had been done too many times to count. Sometimes, it was better to leave a mostly bad player in power as long as he kept even worse ones from taking over, especially when everyone knew who would suffer the most.

In those hellholes, it was always the women.

It boiled Kian's blood to witness women's complete dehumanization.

But what would taking out the leaders achieve?

Nothing.

More of the same would take their place, and the female population would remain in shackles for the crime of being born into the utterly devalued gender.

Kian shook his head, banishing the disturbing thoughts.

The only thing the clan could do was continue driving innovation forward while promoting their core values of equality irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or origin, and assigning merit based solely on strength of character, ability, and tenacity. By spreading these ideals as far and wide as possible, they would hopefully inspire other societies to follow, creating ripples of change that would gradually transform the world.

It wasn't a quick solution, but it was the only sustainable one.

A knock at the door pulled Kian from his musings. "Enter," he called out.

Shai walked in with a cardboard tray and a paper bag. "It's only me." He walked over and deposited his purchases on the conference table. "Is there something I should be aware of that necessitates Turner's expertise?"

"You know everything that I do." Kian walked over to the conference table and took one of the paper cups. "I just haven't spoken with Turner in a while, and I thought this would be a good opportunity. We need to locate good human hosts for the gods' trackers, and if he can help us with that, it would save us the trouble."

"I see." Shai released a relieved breath. "I thought some new threat was on the horizon."

"I'm sure there is." Kian removed the cover and took a sip of his soy cappuccino. "And I don't mean the Eternal King. Something is always brewing whether we are aware of it or not."

Shai nodded. "Ain't that the truth." He walked toward the door.

When he opened it, Turner was on its other side with his hand raised, poised to knock.

"Now, that's service. The door opens even before I get to knock on it."

"I aim to please." Shai moved aside, letting the strategist pass by him.

Turner strode in, his eyes zeroing in on the coffee and the paper bag next to it.

"Thank you, Shai," he said as he took a seat next to Kian.

"You are most welcome." Shai dipped his head before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

Turner opened the paper bag first, pulled out a Danish, and only then removed the remaining coffee cup from the cardboard tray. "So, what do you need my help with this time?"

"I need mercenaries," Kian said without preamble. "Three of them. Young, healthy, with a love for travel and lots of discretion."

Turner's eyebrows rose. "That's an interesting shopping list. May I ask what you need them for?"

"To take the gods' place in the search for the missing pods so that Aru, Negal, and Dagor will be free to join their mates in the village, and by taking the gods' place, I mean to host their trackers. As long as the gods have the trackers in them, I can't risk them joining us here even though their commander and everyone else on that ship are rebels. They need to maintain the charade and report to the Eternal King, and we don't want them to have anything to report that can lead to us. We need to send those men on a very long trip, naturally, all expenses paid."

Turner nodded. "I can find a few candidates who fit the bill and would be thrilled to fill the position with no questions asked. Ex-special forces. Good men who need some time off to clear their heads."

"Perfect," Kian said. "How soon can you have dossiers on potential candidates?"

Turner tore off a piece of the Danish. "I'll have Brian make some calls and verify a few things. I should have a list for you in three days or so."

"Brian is your assistant, and I know that you trust him, but he can't know what we need these men for."

Turner regarded him with a small smile. "I will tell him only what he needs to know. All I will tell him is that three operatives need to follow a certain trek for a long-term operation."

Kian nodded. "Excellent. Are you going to interview them, or just give us their contact information?"

"That's up to you. I don't mind interviewing them for you." Turner stuffed the piece of Danish in his mouth.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

"Of course. I'm always at your service."

As Turner washed down the pastry with his coffee, Kian considered sharing the information about Ell-rom, but he decided to save it for another day.