Chapter Fifteen: Cards on the Table

FIFTEEN

“Can I talk to Darren?” Roan sat to the side as everyone recovered from the fight. Taoya he could trust, the big man had that instinctive feel about him. Darren was the brains though. Roan didn’t think Taoya or Moira was dumb, but Darren was trained to be a commander type. Someone who kept the groups working and grinding in at peak efficiency.

“Will they trust me? I did just kill Craig. That might make them nervous. Just get up and go do it. This is too dangerous to keep hidden. Especially if I have to kill another one and they find out. It’ll make everyone suspicious.” Roan made up his mind and walked over to Darren and his small knot of fighters.

“Need to tell you something,” Roan whispered, trying to keep his voice low.

“Speak then. No secrets among us,” Darren said instantly, waving at his teammates.

“Alright. I got all of Craig’s credits and a bonus from it on top of it. Twenty credits bonus for killing him,” Roan replied, keeping his face flat. Stunned silence met his proclamation as Darren blinked twice.

“Shit.” Darren’s proclamation was met by grimaces as everyone understood the implications.

“I think I know why nobody has managed to conquer this tower. Unlimited power at a cost, but don’t worry, you can kill your way into money,” one of the group members said. Roan glanced at the man and admired that he was able to piece it together again.

“Trust. Trust in each other and our goal. We clear the tower and stop the drain,” Darren said looking over his group with a serious expression.

“How do we trust anyone else though?” the same guy asked, looking at Roan specifically. Darren turned and stared at Roan, eyes looking through him. There was a glint of something in his eyes, a hint of the same wild energy that surrounded Taoya when he was charged up.

“Roan, are you an honest man?” Darren asked. Roan pursed his lips and thought as fast as he could, staring at the hints of power in the man’s eyes.

“When it benefits me,” Roan finally admitted. There, in Darren’s pupil, something had glittered, like a spark. If he hadn’t been paying attention he would have missed it.

“Can he tell if someone is telling the truth? Or is it beyond that? There’s too many variables, just be honest and ride it out.” The thought reassured him, that and with how exhausted they were, along with sitting down, he could likely beat them in a fight. As long as Taoya didn’t get up and charged in time.

“Are you a psychopath?” Darren asked.

“No. I am a survivor and am willing to do what’s needed to survive.” Darren blinked once and then nodded slowly.

“Will you kill other climbers to harvest their wealth?”

“No.” Roan spoke honestly. Slaughtering his fellow climbers for wealth was stupid and short sighted. He had no doubt there were others out there who would do it, but he wouldn’t.

“He’s truthful enough. He won’t go around and start harvesting all of us,” Darren said. The entire group relaxed instantly.

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“Would you be willing to tell me what your bloodline power is?” Roan asked.