Page 62 of Dark Chains: First Link
He had so much to tell her.
The collective held the thought without comment, seven minds cradling the eighth's preoccupation with infinite patiencebecause they had learned to accommodate each other's idiosyncrasies.
He needed to see her again, not because the escape was imminent and he needed to prepare her, but because he just wanted to be with her.
23
SYSSI
Kian walked through the front door, set his phone on the kitchen counter, loosened the top button of his shirt, and stood there for a moment with his hands braced on the countertop.
Syssi waited.
He needed a moment to transition from one role to another, from the clan's leader to father and husband. Not that he ever completely embodied one without the other, but he needed to shift gears, and sometimes it wasn't easy.
"Daddy!" Allegra barreled into the kitchen at full speed and wrapped herself around his leg. "Playground!"
Kian looked down at his daughter, and his expression softened. He picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Hello, Princess."
"Playground," she repeated. If her request wasn't immediately granted, Allegra just kept repeating louder and more frequently until she got what she wanted. "Daddy, take me."
"In a minute."
"Now."
"In a minute means soon."
"No soon. Now!"
Syssi took pity on him. "How about we all go to the playground? We can take a nice, relaxing stroll through the village and enjoy the beautiful day."
Her words were directed at Kian, hinting that they could talk on the way.
Allegra considered this proposal with the seriousness it deserved, then nodded and patted Kian's cheek. "Daddy push stowler."
"I'll get it," Syssi said.
Five minutes later, they were heading down the path toward the village square, Allegra riding in the stroller that Daddy was pushing and therefore paying attention to her, which was the entire point.
The afternoon was warm, but not overly so, which it would get to be in a few weeks. A few clan members were out strolling as well, and Kian did his duty and nodded greetings but didn't stop to chat. Thankfully, no one got offended because they knew their leader wasn't the chatty type, and they respected his need to spend time with his family.
"The call went well," Kian said when the path cleared ahead, and there was no one who could overhear them. "In fact, it went better than I expected. They managed to get the phone again despite some hiccups that almost foiled their plan. We agreed on the terms. We told them that we need them to get the chests out and deliver them to us, and in exchange, we provide sanctuaryto everyone they manage to extract, all the necessary resources, and a lab."
Syssi arched a brow. "Seriously? You are going to entrust Khiann's retrieval to these soldiers you know nothing about?"
"No, not seriously. They don't need us to escape, so we just told them that we need them to get the chests to us, so they would have to wait with their plan and not jump the gun. We don't want them escaping and, in doing so, triggering an island-wide lockdown before we get Khiann and his companions out."
"That was smart."
"Of course." He smiled.
"Who is included in everyone?" she asked.
"The scientists, the woman, the eight enhanced soldiers, and whoever else they bring along. Women, children, and anyone else they can get off that island safely. I made it clear that we can't help with the extraction, but whatever they pull off on their end, we'll support on ours."
"How did they take it?" she asked.
He shrugged. "As well as could be expected. They were hoping for more, but they were happy with the terms we offered."
