Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

smiled. "On my planet, in ancient times, humans searched for a mysterious religious artifact of that name. They believed it held the secrets to the foundations of their religious beliefs."
    Rhys nodded. "Was it ever found? This Holy Grail?"
    "No," Von chuckled. Then he sighed. "But I have found mine. Sin is everything I have searched for."
    Rhys frowned at first, but remembering his role in this undercover hell, he smiled. Not that it mattered. Von wasn't watching him. He was leaning over the intercom. Pressing a button to his chosen staff, he ordered, "I want Sin moved to the containment room in Sector Seven."
    The voice of the warden came back through the intercom. "Yes, sir."
    Rhys turned to look at Von and asked, "You're moving him?" He tried to look unconcerned.
    Von raised an eyebrow at him, at his question, and Rhys knew he was walking a fine line.
    "Yes," Von replied coldly. "We've been inducing his transformations internally, yes?"
    Rhys nodded. The mere thought of what Sin had been put through made him cringe, how his body was chemically going through the changes without physically morphing. "Yes. His body has gone through all chemical reactions to transmogrify, without the physical changes."
    Von nodded. "Now I want to see him change."
    Rhys couldn't hide his surprise. "You want to allow him to physically change?"
    "Only in the containment chamber," Von explained. "I'm sure it will hold him. Anyway, the vents will be closed, only to release oxygen and whatever gaseous stimulants it will take to induce his physical changes. It's completely sealed."
    Rhys nodded thoughtfully. He didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't like Von to change his strategies on a whim. He knew the man was becoming annoyed at the lack of results, and he worried what this meant for Sin.
    Von said, "I've seen him change twice. I want to see what else he is capable of." Then he stood, indicating the discussion was over. "I want him sedated for the move."
    Rhys took that as an order, so he took Alexis with him, one of the four other undercover agents, and they went in to prep Sin for the move. Rhys knew Sin would be hazy, and he knew the change of environment would be frightening for him.
    Rhys wanted to reassure him. He wanted to protect him, keep him safe. He didn't really know why, but there was something about this Dychiiop that spoke to him.
    He and Alexis went into Sin's room, and while Alexis readied the sedative, Rhys looked over the creature he was drawn to.
    Sin was restrained, as he had been for the last two months, with electric pulse cuffs with his arms raised above his head. His head was bowed; he was exhausted. Rhys told him he was being sedated and moved, that he'd be put into a room with thick glass walls. He told him not to hurt himself against the walls, that there wasn't a creature in the galaxy who could break through them. Rhys told him he would be unrestrained and free to change forms. He explained there would be no more injections, but there would be gas pumped into the room instead. He told him not to be scared.
    Then Rhys did something he was forbidden to do.
    He touched Sin.
    Rhys cupped Sin's face and lifted his head. And for the first time, their eyes met.
    And there was no air in the room. Rhys' knees almost buckled, and both men gasped.
    Nothing else in the universe mattered.
    "Oh my God," Alexis gasped beside them, having realized what had just happened. She quickly administered the sedative and grabbed a stunned Rhys' arm, pulling him away from Sin just as Von and his two biggest wardens walked into the room.
    Von and his men took Sin into the containment room in Sector Seven and were kept busy enough not to notice Rhys' absence. Alexis called an emergency meeting with all four undercover agents in the facility.
    When the two other agents, Tuuqi and Cavon, snuck into Alexis' private quarters, they found an agitated Rhys leaning with his hands against the wall and his head bowed, trying to catch his breath.
    Tuuqi looked from Rhys to Alexis. "What's wrong?"
    Alexis stood up, concerned. "We need to finish this job. Whatever we have on Von needs to be enough. This operation needs to be wrapped up."
    "What happened?"
    "Sin," Alexis told them. "The Dychiiop in Sector Seven?"
    Both agents nodded.
    "We need to get him out," Rhys interrupted, snapping at them. "Now!"
    Alexis put her hand up to stop him, then she turned back to her fellow agents. "We went into his room to sedate him, Von wanted him relocated to