A coldness settled over me. “How long have they known?”

“A few days after he escaped.”

Ice crackled through my heart. The Council knew before I left to meet with Valek and they didn’t bother to warn me.

9

VALEK

Valek’s gaze jumped from Onora to the Commander. Ambrose appeared to be relaxed, unlike his guards who stood behind him with puffed-out chests and stiff backs. They glared at the assassin.

She ignored them as she picked at her food. Onora still wore the dungeon jumpsuit. She’d braided her long brown hair, and her feet were bare. Rough calluses covered her toes and scuff marks scratched her toenails.

“Join us,” the Commander said to Valek.

Onora glanced at him as he sat to the Commander’s right, but she didn’t smirk or gloat. His reaction to her presence flipped between impressed and worried. Had the Commander invited her? Or had she escaped and managed to reach the Commander without encountering anyone?

“Relax, Valek. I stopped your agent...Qamra, is it?...before she could shoot Onora with a dart. I figured since Onora made it that far, she deserved breakfast.”

“I was on my way to see you,” Onora said to Valek. “Unless what you’d told me last night was bullshit?”

The Commander sipped his tea. His eyebrows rose a fraction, inviting Valek to explain.

“Seems this young pup is after my job. I told her if she demonstrates her abilities, shows cunning, resourcefulness, intelligence, and if she proves she is loyal, trustworthy and willing to die for you, then she could have it.”

“And why did you tell her that?” the Commander asked.

“She has plenty of raw talent. Another year of training and she would have beaten me last night. But as I said, there’s more to my job than winning a fight.”

Again, Onora showed remarkable restraint in keeping her emotions under control. If Valek had told Janco he could have won a fight against him, Janco would have jumped on the table and danced a jig.

“Are you thinking about retiring, Valek?”

Was he? He’d been in this business for years. The thought of not having to worry... A nice thought. Of being with Yelena all the time... A wonderful thought. But he wasn’t quite ready. “Not for a while. However, if someone comes along and shows he or she can take my job, I’d be content to let that person have it.”

“Trust is the biggest issue right now,” the Commander said, gazing at the young woman. “Why didn’t you join the military and work your way up through the ranks?”

“Valek didn’t have to go through all that. Why should I?”

“You’ve no idea what Valek did to prove himself,” the Commander snapped. “A protocol has been put into place since I’ve been in charge. I see no reason for you to bypass it.”

A brief flash of fear rippled her calm. Valek remembered a comment she’d made last night about escaping MD-2. “Captain Timmer,” he said.

Onora jerked as if he’d stabbed her with a knife. Her reaction seemed familiar. It reminded him of how Yelena flinched every time she’d heard Reyad’s name. The bastard had raped her and Yelena’d killed him. Saved Valek the trouble of hacking the man into tiny pieces and feeding him to a pack of snow cats.

“Tell me,” he said.

“No. I’ll join the local unit.”

“And challenge me again after the first few training sessions? I think not. Plus it wouldn’t earn you any trust.”

“What can I do to earn your trust?” she asked.

Valek exchanged a look with the Commander. “A series of tests?”

“Do you think she’s worth the effort?” the Commander asked.

He studied the young woman. She had been the first to sneak into the Commander’s apartment, and she knew how to fight. Plenty of potential. Better to keep her close than risk her making another attempt. Perhaps she’d become a valuable member of their team. Stranger things had happened.

“Yes.”

Ambrose dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stood. “I’ll leave it to you, then, Valek.” He left the war room.

“Tests?” Onora twirled a spoon in her left hand, spinning it through her fingers.

“Yes. You’re now an official member of my corps. However, if I find out you haven’t been honest about why you are here, you won’t be locked in the dungeon. You’ll be buried underneath it.”

“An empty threat. You said so yourself—it’s just a matter of time and I’ll beat you.”

“True. But if you double-cross us, you won’t be fighting just me, but the Commander and a couple of my loyal people. You’re good, but not good enough to go against four of us.”

“Not yet.”

Valek smiled. As Janco would say, gotta love the attitude. “And trust goes both ways, Onora. Something happened to you up in MD-2. Something traumatic enough to send you to Hedda. I need to know that and how long ago you started your training. How did you convince Hedda to train you? It’s all part of what needs to be discussed.”

She stilled. “That’s none of your business. I’m here to prove what I can do. My past is not relevant.”

“Your past is what guided you here. It is your motivation, and I need to know everything.”

Onora sprang to her feet. “Why don’t you just prick me with that...poison and make me spill my guts?”

“It’s called goo-goo juice and it’s very effective. Last night you were a criminal. Today you are a new team member. Hard to establish a mutual trust using goo-goo juice.”