Page 53 of Dark Voyage Matters of the Mind

Glancing around the room, Dagor looked for hidden cameras or listening devices, but he knew better than to trust his eyes. The spy drones his team used were so small that even someone with his superior eyesight could miss them.

Supposedly, the ship had been commissioned by the clan, so Kian should know every security measure that was installed in every room.

"Is it safe to talk in here?" he asked.

The guy nodded. "There are no listening devices in here. The monitoring equipment is sending information to Bridget, but she can't hear what's being said in here."

Dagor released a relieved breath. "I didn't give Frankie the transfusion, but I think I should. I don't want to risk her taking a turn for the worse."

Kian shook his head. "It's no longer an emergency, and now that Bridget knows the precise extent of Frankie's injuries, she would know that something was up when Frankie healed too fast. I can't justify the exposure."

Dagor wanted to point out that it wasn't Kian's decision and that he had no say in what Dagor did with his blood, but he was well aware of the delicate diplomatic position they were in.

Antagonizing their host was a bad move.

He needed to convince him.

"I don't want to take any chances with Frankie's life. Aru or I can handle the doctor. We can thrall her and make her believe the wound wasn't as severe as she thought."

Kian shook his head. "Bridget is not stupid. Frankie's wound might mend completely, and that kind of miraculous healing of a human can't be explained away, which means it can't be thralled away either. The only way to do that would be to erase the entire incident from her mind and from the minds of everyone who was there and saw Frankie get shot."

Was it possible to perform such a massive mind wipe? Perhaps if Aru and Negal joined the effort, the three of them could do that. Hell, they could even thrall Kian to forget that it was ever an issue.

But again, subterfuge wouldn't help them in the long run and might undermine all the work they had done so far.

As Dagor's gaze shifted back to Frankie, he was torn between his desperate need to ensure her safety and the potential consequences of his actions.

"Maybe we should look at this as an opportunity," Aru said. "Maybe we should tell the doctor the truth. Bridget is a trusted member of the council, and one of your top advisors. Is it really necessary to keep this secret from her?"

"It is." Kian's brows furrowed. "It's for her own protection. If she doesn't know, she can't be forced to reveal the information under torture." He shifted his gaze to Frankie, and his expression softened. "It's not that I don't empathize with you, Dagor. I do, and I wish my answer could be different, but revealing this secret to anyone is too risky."

"There are pros and cons," Aru said. "And personally, I believe that the pros outweigh the cons. I'm not advocating making this common knowledge, but in my opinion, your council members should know."

Kian shook his head again. "Once they know about it, they might tell their mates even if I have them vow to keep it to themselves. It's very difficult to keep secrets between bonded mates. I would have to have all of them compelled to silence."

"Then do it," Aru said. "Your mother is a powerful compeller, and so is Toven. Either of them could ensure that none of the council members would reveal the secret even under torture."

"You are forgetting the elephant in the room." Kian leveled his gaze at Dagor. "The transfusion might trigger Frankie's transition. I've spoken with Toven, and apparently, he gave Mia small transfusions for weeks before she started her transition, so perhaps her body needs to be fully healed first, and perhaps the venom is still a necessary component, but if I were you, I would still get her consent first."

Dagor arched a brow. "Even if she was dying?"

"Except that. But Frankie is stable, and she should be waking up soon. When she does, ask her."

Dagor nodded. "I will. What about the doctor?"

Kian sighed. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. I need to discuss sharing the information with the council members with my mother and Toven."

Frankie

The smell was the first thing that clued Frankie in to where she was, and the second was the soft hum of equipment in the background with the occasional beep.

She still remembered those smells and sounds all too vividly from when Mia's heart had given out. She and Margo had spent too many days to count in the hospital, anxious and distraught as their best friend had fought for her life.

Frankie wished never to see the inside of a hospital again, but that was where she was now, and she'd better open her eyes and take a look.

Easier said than done.

Her eyelids fluttered open for a moment and then closed again, refusing her command. With a herculean effort she forced them to obey, and at first, everything seemed like one big blur to her until her vision managed to focus and piece together her surroundings. She was either in a private hospital room or back in the clinic aboard the Silver Swan.