Miriya kept out of the way of Lucien’s staff as they began the arduous task of scrubbing blood off the patio tiles, though she waited by the pool until Lucien Winter returned. Lucien was considered one of America’s most eligible bachelors. Less well known was his friendship with Danyael Sabre, though a friendship of that caliber should have made the gossip columns. In view of Danyael’s extreme reclusiveness, she supposed she should not have been surprised that it did not.
She looked up as Lucien approached. He was good-looking, as most in vitros were; his dark hair was slicked back from a face set in grim lines. No question, he was considering banishing her from his property.
Miriya stepped forward and introduced herself with a faint smile. “I’m Miriya. I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Her grin widened slightly. She had always wanted to say that.
Lucien’s stern expression did not waver.
She continued. “Actually, I represent the Mutant Affairs Council, and you may be aware that we’ve issued a recall on all mutants in the D.C. area.”
“Recall?” Lucien echoed. “Why do you refer to your kind as if they’re defective products?”
Lucien defended mutants instinctively, Miriya realized with surprise. Good for him. Lucky for Danyael. She shrugged. “Many people consider us defective products, but I digress. When Danyael did not respond to the recall, I was sent to investigate and bring him in.”
“Dead or alive?”
“Alive, preferably, but dead was an option for me too.” She waved her hand toward the corpse of the abomination. “I realize now that the situation is more complex than we had originally anticipated. I have been assigned to assist in any way I can to resolve this.”
“Resolve what, exactly?” Lucien yanked his fingers through his hair. “There’s a gene war breaking out in D.C., monsters are roaming my neighborhood, and my best friend shares a face with the most wanted man in the world. Which one of those problems did you want to tackle first?”
Miriya laughed. “Why don’t you fill me in on what happened?”
“Why don’t you just pick through my mind for the details?” he challenged.
She tilted her head to one side, assessing him. “You don’t like what I did to Danyael. I acknowledge that I was wrong and hasty, and I will apologize to him. I am a telepath, and I won’t apologize for using short cuts that are available to me. Power is power, whether it comes from the genetic lottery or from extreme wealth. Like it or not, you and I are more alike than you would prefer to admit.” Miriya smiled again. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you, Lucien Winter.”