Last Guard (Psy-Changeling Trinity #5) by Nalini Singh

Payal inclined her head. “A job with a degree of risk.” It was significantly higher paid than general cleaning, but it meant bulky protective gear and a chance of exposure if something went wrong.

“I work at a Rao subsidiary,” he said, and used the back of his hand to wipe off his brow.

“Is there a problem with the cleanup standards?” All of Rao was meant to be following the long-agreed-upon international environmental standards that protected the earth. Psy, changeling, or human, breaches of those laws were punished harshly and could tarnish the Rao name. Even Psy didn’t enjoy living in polluted surroundings.

“What?” His eyes widened. “No, no. I do my work. I do it well.”

“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Which subsidiary do you work at?”

“Raja MedChem.”

“That isn’t one of my companies.” Payal had the name of every major and minor company listed in an internal mental database.

“That’s just it.” Nikhil darted a look toward Canto before shifting his attention back to Payal. “We heard in the lab that you’d sent out a change-of-ownership notice to the entire business, but nothing came to Raja MedChem. We waited and waited, but still nothing.”

He wiped his forehead again. “I’ve been the cleaner there for years. No one considers me a threat. They talk around me … and I heard them talking about just quietly taking over the lab. Changing the documents to make it look like they were always independent.”

I have to admire their ability to seize the day. Canto’s telepathic voice held a growl.

“I appreciate this information,” Payal said, a hot, urgent thought blooming in the back of her mind. Canto. A secret lab.

Fierce exultation in the bond that connected them.





Chapter 47



Our capacity for love may yet save us.

—From The Dying Light by Harissa Mercant (1947)

“I JUST … YOU helped her.” Nikhil’s face softened. “Visha.”

“Visha Ramachandran?”

A jerky nod. “I knew I wasn’t supposed to feel anything—we were meant to be Silent then, but it made me feel good to be around her. I used to work in the small Vara lab then. I heard what he did to her, what you did.” Quick blinking. “I heard that you looked after her.”

“She’s doing well,” Payal told him. “If you wish, I can pass on your details to her, for when she next visits Delhi.”

If hope could be said to have a face, it was this man’s. “Oh, yes, please.” He fumbled with the catch of his satchel. “I have more information.”

Payal.

I’m ready.

Nikhil didn’t notice their alertness, he was so involved with opening his satchel. “I knew we had to be doing something important—your father was our only point of contact in Rao. That meant high-level.”

He pushed his hand in, returned with a sheaf of papers. “I stole this,” he admitted. “Specs of the compounds we make at Raja. The top one is the priority.” Another dive into his bag, as Payal accepted the papers.

“Here, I stole two vials of the newly made batch. I hope you won’t fire me, but I couldn’t work out how else to show you what we did. I thought you’d know.” He held out his palm … on which lay vials that glowed a piercing green.

Payal’s entire world went silent. It has to be tested, she said to Canto with an almost preternatural calm. To make sure it’s what we’re looking for.

Yes. A single gritty word.

“Did … did I do the wrong thing?” Nikhil’s shaky question had her snapping out of her frozen state.

Passing the papers to Canto, she took the vials and slipped them into her pockets. “No, you did exactly the right thing. Now, I need you to tell me everything about Raja MedChem.”

THE small specialized lab was back under Rao control in a matter of hours. The scientists who’d considered rebellion quickly changed their minds once they realized they were known to the Rao successor after all.

Theirs had been a rebellion of opportunity, not passion.

Canto had, by then, wiped all security footage of Nikhil’s actions, so that the man could slip back into his position like nothing had happened. It’d be a temporary one, as once they’d checked they had every detail about the manufacture of the drug, Payal intended to disband the lab and have her medication produced by a small, trusted unit. For now, the Aleines had done an emergency test on the vials Nikhil had appropriated, and confirmed it was her medication, so she’d been able to take a dose.

As for Nikhil, he’d be receiving a serious promotion very soon.

“Reward people who do the right thing,” Ena Mercant said to her when she visited Delhi the day following. “Make it clear by your actions that good work and ethics will get a person further along in your organization than corruption. Blind loyalty can’t be the first yardstick.”

“Blind loyalty?”

“Loyalty is a good thing,” Ena confirmed, “but you want people in your organization who aren’t afraid to challenge you or bring you ideas that break the rules. Your father rewarded only the loyal, and so was surrounded by toadies.

“You want the kind of loyalty you have with Canto—where you know the person will back you, but they remain their own person, willing to stand against you if required. Nurture the strong who are faithful. That is true leadership.”