THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

someone else, someone like his twin brother who would have used it to lead. G’ortian abilities were too unknown, too unpredictable to be used by a warrior.
    Rayen asked, “Are you going to give Tony a real chance to tell his side of what happened today?”
    That again? “What is it you think he can explain about escaping that’s not obvious? At least, to everyone else but you.”
    “I told you. Maybe he had no choice and was taken as a hostage.”  Her words were given in an even tone, but there was nothing easygoing about the snap of her dark eyes.
    “If your friend was taken hostage then the decision will be simple.”
    Rayen’s body relaxed, the combative edge leaving her gaze and tone. “Good. I was worried you’d just find him guilty no matter what.”
    He hated to destroy Rayen’s moment of relief, but she had misunderstood him. “If your friend was taken hostage, Mathias won’t have to make any decision, because the TecKnati do not take hostages. If the scout does not recognize your friend, he will assume Tony is a TecKnati traitor who has gained unauthorized access to the Sphere and kill him.”
    Rayen looked away, her face schooled to reveal nothing when she turned to him again. “Having Tony end up dead would suit you just fine, wouldn’t it?”
    She made him sound heartless. He hadn’t ordered her friend’s death. Yet. What would she do in his place? “I only told you the truth.”
    “Then here’s the truth, too. I hope Tony did manage to escape on his own, because I don’t want him to die. He’s not a traitor or anything else, and hasn’t harmed any of you.”
    “He is a–”
    “TecKnati. I get it. You hate TecKnati and you think Tony is one therefore you’re justified in hating him.”
    When she put it that way, the correlation sounded completely irrational, but he’d already figured out that she had a way with words. A skill he had never developed.
    With no better argument, he waved a hand at her. “I don’t play word games.”
    She moved so quickly he couldn’t get up before she towered over him, an avenging angel with her hands gripping each corner of the chair back at his shoulders, locking him into place. Yes, he could shove her across the room. She’d sworn to not use her powers against him, but he was bigger, and physically, he was stronger, and he had kinetic powers she didn’t know about yet, though that gift was still evolving. The bottom line was that he didn’t want to harm her.
    On the other hand, maybe she’d like a little sparring match. Talking to her might be easier if he let her work off some of that bottled-up fury.
    She leaned her head down. “Word games? I’m not playing games with someone’s life. You can’t just declare someone an enemy without reason. As a leader, you’re expected to be fair and consider all possibilities.” 
    What had been fair about killing MystiK children?
    “Mathias is the leader. I’m his sword arm.”  He angled his head back, trying not to be distracted by the sizzle of her emotions roiling through the air. “Regardless, do not think to tell me my duty. Every person here is my responsibility. And every one here has been harmed by TecKnatis. Do not dare to tell me how to handle the travesties committed by our enemy. Crimes they must be punished for.”
    “I’d understand your punishing a crime committed here, but you blame Tony for crimes he hasn’t committed. That’s wrong!”
    He lifted a hand to cup her face and stopped himself, folding all his fingers until only his index finger stood. “Here’s what’s wrong–TecKnati using their advanced technology to commit heinous crimes with no chance of being caught.”
    “So anyone you merely suspect of being TecKnati is held accountable?”  Rayen’s low voice bubbled with fierce determination. “How’s that right? Or fair?”
    “You want to talk fair? They murdered Jornn, my twin brother and sent his body home for my mother to see his bowels hanging out and a triangle hole where his heart had once been.”  Callan grabbed the sides of his chair in death grips and pushed up into her face. “They tortured him, brutalizing every inch of his body except his face. TecKnati wanted that to be my mother’s last vision of her oldest son.”
    Rayen stared open mouth then dropped her head, her shoulders easing, her voice lowered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”
    He hadn’t meant to talk about Jornn. He’d kept that pain locked behind a strong wall,