01-15-2022, 04:24 PM
The warning in Allan’s voice echoed, but the younger man’s defiance was a flicker of an interruption. Nox was occupied with his inner world. Marcus and Jay kept the surrounding area secure. Nikolai was lost in the recesses of his own mind, building out tactics and contingencies. They would need to revert to the surface and any security in place would need immediate redirection. The secrecy, perception and risk involved filtered through Nik’s brain like a sieve. And then there was this accusation and the pyramid of ideas at the forefront of his attention rattled.
His voice was cold but calm even as new considerations were constructed. Neither did he want to alienate Allan’s passion and protectiveness, nor did he want to deal with this distracting disturbance any longer. He pulled Allan aside quickly and narrowed the tone of his voice to a seething whisper, “because he’s had many opportunities to ‘take me out’ and didn’t.”
That he revealed vulnerability at all grated to the bone. Ascendancy was never vulnerable. He was always the god, always right, in all ways powerful. Marcus knew better. Together they skirted as close to death as one could until Jensen pulled them from the brink. Nox was already aware of the times the threads of their lives nearly knotted with the end. Now Allan knew. Carpenter alone was ignorant of the fallibility of his great leader. He hated that he had to say it. Hated that Allan forced him to acknowledge it.
“Now isn’t the time in a lesson on tactics. Go,” he waved away Nox and Jay and headed back the way they came, hopefully with Marcus and Allan following.
His voice was cold but calm even as new considerations were constructed. Neither did he want to alienate Allan’s passion and protectiveness, nor did he want to deal with this distracting disturbance any longer. He pulled Allan aside quickly and narrowed the tone of his voice to a seething whisper, “because he’s had many opportunities to ‘take me out’ and didn’t.”
That he revealed vulnerability at all grated to the bone. Ascendancy was never vulnerable. He was always the god, always right, in all ways powerful. Marcus knew better. Together they skirted as close to death as one could until Jensen pulled them from the brink. Nox was already aware of the times the threads of their lives nearly knotted with the end. Now Allan knew. Carpenter alone was ignorant of the fallibility of his great leader. He hated that he had to say it. Hated that Allan forced him to acknowledge it.
“Now isn’t the time in a lesson on tactics. Go,” he waved away Nox and Jay and headed back the way they came, hopefully with Marcus and Allan following.