Chương 209: Chapter 208 - Trust in Tomorrow

Alexander closed the door after the others had filed out, then returned to the couch opposite where Khalida Al-Hashara had remained seated. Between the door and the couch, one thread of his mind settled upon the ring, ready for anything. Electrokinesis fed into his Core, sharpening his senses and boosting his nervous system. Khalida looked every bit the consummate ruler. Hands folded in her lap, posture relaxed, expression composed. But Alexander could see the subtle signs beneath the surface.

The way her fingers pressed slightly too firmly against each other. The measured steadiness of her breathing, controlled rather than natural. The group had spent the past half hour discussing the finer details of the press release, comparing notes, and making sure they were aligned on how things would play out tomorrow. When they were done, the others had left. Talia had glanced at him on the way out, a question in her eyes. He'd given her a small nod. She'd left without a word.

Khalida had known, somehow, that he wanted to speak with her privately. She'd made no move to stand. No polite excuse about other obligations. She'd simply remained where she was, watching the room empty with the calm patience of someone who had been expecting this. She clearly understood that it was a conversation that might go wrong. But she'd waited for him to close the door and return. To Alexander, that signaled a measure of confidence.

And to anyone else, her poise would have been more than enough to back it up. He wasn't anyone else, though. Even without his superpowers, Alexander was capable of noticing the things that others missed. The faint tension in her jaw. The way her gaze tracked him as he crossed the room, not casually but with the precision of someone assessing a potential threat. He settled into the couch and studied her for a moment. She studied him right back.

"I would like to understand your powers," Alexander said, almost casually. Khalida smiled gently.

"If I do not wish to share that information?"

"It will make the rest of this discussion difficult." He paused for a moment.

"More difficult." She nodded.

"Most people believe me to be a simple telepath. Those who are closer to me, or with whom I have had sensitive or challenging dealings with either suspect or know that I'm also a mind reader."

"That's not all, though."

"No." Khalida hesitated.

"I can read people's auras."

"Auras," Alexander repeated, deadpan.

"Right." She smiled.

"It's true. Everyone has something of a cloud about them. I liken it to their intent and desires suffusing the world around them." He nodded.

"Okay, and what does that mean exactly?" Khalida took a few moments before she answered.

"Imagine if everyone you met carried a sign with what they wanted written on it. Just a lot more complicated." Alexander watched her. And waited. She sighed.

"I did not interfere with your mind, Alexander. Granted, I attempted to read your thoughts when we first met. It's something I do to everyone of interest. Both Maximilian and yourself firmly reprimanded me for it."

"That's something I understand. Because I also tend to scan 'interesting' people with my own powers when we meet." Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"Somehow I failed to do so when we met."

"And naturally, you've concluded I manipulated your thoughts."

"It had crossed my mind." Khalida pressed her lips together in annoyance.

"Alexander, have you ever made someone do or not do something as you wanted?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's one of my favorite pastimes."

"Good, then this should be simple." She reached out and grabbed a small bowl of nuts from the refreshments arrayed on the table.

"Have a peanut." Alexander cocked his head.

"No." She rolled her eyes, genuinely annoyed this time.

"Take a damn peanut, Mr. Rooke." He paused at the break in her carefully maintained image of calm control. Then slowly reached for the bowl she was holding at arm's length. She moved the bowl to the side and frowned at him.

"Do you like cats, Alexander?" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He blinked at the weird non sequitur.

"Of course. And dogs. I even tolerate a parrot. And the parrot's owner herself."

"I could tell." She jutted her chin toward him.

"You have cat hair right there on your right shoulder." Alexander glanced down and brushed at his shoulder.

"I don't see it." Khalida placed the bowl down.

"I notice you forgot to take a peanut, Alexander." Alexander turned back to the Sheikha, who, to her credit, did not look smug. He thought about it for a moment.

"You want me to believe that you only distracted me from it? That doesn't explain why I don't remember thinking about it at all." She crossed her legs and smoothed out her clothes.

"Of course it does. Desire begets intent. The subconscious determines the conscious. I can see what you want before you know what you want." She glanced up and shook her head slightly.

"Sort of. How else do you think it is that a woman, not even the eldest nor the first in the line of her family's succession, has maneuvered into a position to rule a city like Dubai?" Alexander tapped a cybernetic finger on the arm of the couch.

"You're asking me to take a lot on faith. To simply accept the explanation offered." Khalida slowly straightened, her bearing becoming reminiscent of the day they'd met.

"That is how it works. Do you think I don't see both the violence and peace warring in your aura, Alexander? Perhaps you believe I underestimate you." She scowled.

"Or maybe you do not see yourself as others do. As a man who has killed hundreds while carrying a destiny in which he slaughters thousands, if not millions." Alexander went still.

"I chose to remain seated, but do not for a second doubt that I imagined the possibility of you murdering me in my favorite room of the palace. Then stuffing my corpse in your… fancy ring, making it my coffin, to hide the evidence." Khalida took an angry breath. Then let it out through her nose.

"You are a scary man, Alexander. So is Maximilian de Castillo, but at least he has the decency to act like a hero." Khalida glared at him across the silence. Nobody, not even he to himself, had ever quite put it in such a perspective. He couldn't even deny the likelihood of being responsible for many more deaths beyond those he already carried. There was no pretense that most of the lives he'd taken did not burden him, but that didn't mean he didn't count them.

Not that he had any intention of the number rising to the millions. Thousands, he could see. Unpleasant as it was. The message hidden in her words wasn't lost on him, either. For their alliance to work, trust had to be mutual. He let go of the ring and allowed himself to relax. Slightly. A few moments later, Alexander puffed out his cheeks, then blew out a breath.

"This is your favorite room? I mean, surely you have a library or a private theatre or something." Khalida continued staring at him, breathing still slightly uneven. Then she snorted, and a moment later doubled over laughing into her hands. Alexander watched her. She didn't even have the decency to giggle delicately like one would expect of someone with her composure and position. Just a full-blown breakdown of all decorum.

He sat there patiently while the ruler of Dubai unloaded tension she'd probably been carrying since the day she signed an agreement with two future Divines. Khalida sat back up and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She sniffed, then cleared her throat.

"I apologize for that." Alexander waved a hand in the air. She wasn't really apologizing about the outburst.

"Don't worry about it. I appreciate the honesty." He paused.

"Why were you trying so hard to stop me from scanning you?" She shrugged.

"I don't know what you're capable of. I only knew you were going to use your powers on me. Sort of."

"Ah." That actually made a surprising amount of sense.

"Why attempt to read my mind, then? That just demands a response." Khalida smiled at him.

"Because either I succeed, which gives me a lot of information. Or your Willpower is strong enough to rebuff the attempt, and then you naturally assume I can do the same and don't bother."

"All I would have done was evaluate your bioelectrical impulses," Alexander admitted.

"It lets me know roughly how powerful people are." Her eyes widened.

"You can see that?" She paused when he nodded.

"That must be useful. I bet nobody sneaks up on you." Then she shrugged.

"Go ahead." Alexander cocked his head.

"Really?"

"Sure." He didn't need to be told twice. His powers flared out across the room, restrained previously out of politeness. They washed over the woman before him. Revealing either the strongest Tier 2 signature he had yet come across, or an early Tier 3.

"I'm stuck at the peak of Tier 2, if you're wondering." He frowned.

"And you were worried about me killing you?"

"I am not a fighter, Alexander." She chuckled.

"Well, not like you and the others. My battles involve politics and negotiation. And the occasional secret." Alexander had a feeling she was downplaying the amount of secrets she dabbled in.

"What do you mean when you say you're stuck?"

"I'm waiting until I can form a domain before I allow my attributes to ascend again." Julia had mentioned something about it back on the Nexus. That raising all attributes past the Tier 3 limit was only a half-step.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because someone let slip that developing your domain before ascending to Tier 3 provides a qualitative difference." She shrugged.

"I don't know for sure that it's true, but I don't want to find out the hard way." He added the question to the ever-growing pile of things to look into. A knock drew their attention.

"Yes?" Khalida called out. A voice came from the other side of the door.

"Your next appointment is here, Sheikha Khalida."

"I'm on my way." She turned back to Alexander.

"Assuming everything is resolved here?" He nodded and stood.

"Thank you for your… patience." Alexander walked out, passing Khalida's aide, who bowed her head politely. He made his way across the palace, taking turns almost at random, while just aiming in the general direction of his friends. As he turned down a long hallway that connected the main palace to an adjacent, smaller palace, he gazed out the windows. That's when it occurred to him. There was nothing left to do. No preparations yet to be made. Because everything was ready.

Tomorrow was the day they would reveal everything they knew. And hopefully not set the world on fire.