by Amy Sumida
“But why would he kill the Triari?” Landry asked. “Wouldn't an Alcantan be more interested in hurting the Bleiten?”
I frowned as I remembered those notes I'd found in the lab... the lab that wasn't a Bleiten lab.
“I found Samuel Devlin's notes when I fled that lab,” I murmured.
“Devlin again?” Malik asked. “What's so important about this man?”
“He's the scientist who created the bioweapon that killed the Triari,” I explained. “But he was originally hired to create a bioweapon to kill Bleiten. When the Triari ended their working arrangement, Dr. Devlin began to develop a bioweapon to kill the Triari. We assumed that he'd done so under Bleiten employ, but it appears that we may have been mistaken.”
“Hold on.” Malik held up a hand. “The Triari contracted a human scientist to help them create a bioweapon? I don't know if I can accept that. The Triari would never admit that a human knew more than they.”
“Devlin had made significant strides in his field,” Kyrian said. “But, you're correct; in the end, we broke it off with him. We didn't believe that he was as talented as our own scientists. And he wasn't, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't successful.”
“So, you're saying that not only is there a recipe for making a Triari-targeted bioweapon, there's also one for the Bleiten?” Malik asked.
“Yes, and I have it,” I whispered.
“Excuse me?” Malik gaped at me.
“When I escaped the lab—the lab that I'm fairly certain was yet another deception created by the bank robbers—I found my purse on a table just outside my prison cell. Right beside my purse, there was a safety deposit box with a stack of papers inside it.”
“Dr. Devlin's notes,” Malik concluded.
“Exactly,” I said. “I automatically grabbed them. But, now that I think about it, with the place in such chaos, how was it that my things and those notes were untouched?”
“Awfully convenient,” Kyrian murmured. “As was their proximity to each other.”
“And the notes had 'Bleiten Killer' written in big letters across the first page,” I added. “Someone wanted to make sure I got the message.”
“They were planted there,” Landry concluded. “That whole set-up—the kidnapped women, the lab, and the destruction of it—it was all a show to convince you that the Bleiten were after you while simultaneously providing you with a weapon to defeat them.”
“They thought I'd take those notes straight to the President, and that he would use them to defend Earth against the Bleiten,” I said as I nodded.
“Defend Earth,” Malik huffed. “There's only eight of us here. We aren't attacking Earth.”
“I know that now,” I said gently. “But after the robbery of Dr. Devlin's deposit box, the Bleiten assaulting me on the street, the lab full of purple-eyed prisoners, and then the conversation DHS recorded it was easy for us to believe that the Bleiten were getting ready to wage war on Earth.”
“Someone is framing us again,” Malik said. “It wouldn't be so surprising except that it doesn't appear to be the Triari.”
“Yep; that's a new one,” Kull—another Bleiten soldier—said. “Although, if it's an Alcantan, it's not surprising at all. They were tenacious and devious fuckers. You guys think we were wrong to kill an entire race, but Lord Malik didn't tell you the worst of what they did to us. It was cowardly, evil shit; they targeted our hospitals, family housing, and parks. They even poisoned our drinking water once. I don't regret for one second what the King ordered us to do. I applaud his decision; I only wish he'd made it sooner.”
We all stared at Kull in surprise.
Malik cleared his throat before he said, “Yes; they were vicious, but I don't think there's ever a reason to kill women and children.”
“They killed our women and children,” another Bleiten angrily pointed out.
“So, we repay their evil with our own?” Malik asked scathingly. “Where does that take us?” He glared at his men. “It brings us here; to this foreign planet where the lone survivor of our misdeeds has continued the cycle of hatred and pain.”
“Yes, Sir,” the Bleiten muttered and looked ashamed.
I stared at Malik and thought about how similar his beliefs were to President Colton's, and how every world needed men like them.
“But they made a crucial mistake,” I said into the silence.
“What's that?” Malik softened his expression as he turned toward me.
“They underestimated President Colton,” I said. “He refused to use the bioweapon against your people. Just like you, he doesn't believe in using evil tactics. Instead, he's been trying to get the Triari to leave. There can't be a Bleiten-Triari war without any Triari.”
Malik huffed a laugh. “I like this man; he uses his wits instead of relying only on his might.”
“Perhaps you should meet him,” I mused. “I need to call him and let him know what we've come up with anyway.”
“I'm not much of a diplomat.” Malik frowned pensively. “But for the sake of peace between our people, and for the opportunity to speak against the lies that have been spread about the Bleiten, I will try.”
I found myself smiling at Malik softly. What was this warm, tingling feeling in my chest? I think it was admiration; not just physical admiration, but also intellectual and moral. I was forming a deep respect for a Bleiten warlord. How's that for a cynic?
“Who are you?” I whispered to Malik with wonder.
“He's Lord Malik Starsiene,” Everin said proudly. “The Slayer of Shanistar, the Defender of Harringsgate, and the son of King Lucifer Starsiene the Second.”
“She wasn't asking for my resumé, Everin,” Malik said with a pained expression.
“Still, she should know,” Everin said.
“You're that Malik?” Kyrian asked with shock. “You destroyed the entire barracks of Shanistar.”
“That doesn't sound so impressive.” Davorin scowled from Kyrian to Malik.
“A Triari barracks is about the size of New York,” Kyrian said dryly. “The state, not the city.”
“Oh,” Davorin whispered. “Never mind then.”
“I don't wish to discuss my military career,” Malik muttered.
“Why aren't you a prince?” Landry asked.
“I am a prince,” Malik said grudgingly. “Unlike the Triari”—he cast a derisive glance at Kyrian—“we don't use the title of 'prince' as a military rank, it's reserved for heirs to the throne. But I prefer to use the title I earned.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked in amazement.
“You were a very important mission, Amara,” Malik said softly. “You could have meant eternal life for all of my people. It's why I spent so much time watching you before I made contact. I didn't want to spook you.”
“Sure; that was it,” Davorin huffed.
“Your father must really want the elixir,” I murmured.
“We are a long-lived race, but I think that only makes us crave immortality all the more. So yes; he wants the elixir very badly, but he also wants me to prove myself to our people,” Malik explained. “To be king, I must win the support of the Bleiten. If I'm found unworthy, the opportunity will pass to my brother.”
“That sounds like a hard way to live,” I said.
“It has its difficult moments,” Malik agreed. “But it also has its perks.”
Malik smiled at me in a way that expressed exactly what perk this mission had given him.
“The Bleiten King's name is Lucifer?” Davorin asked; interrupting my moment with Malik. “Does no one else find that funny?”
“Where do you think the myth of the Devil came from?” Kyrian countered. “If you're going to demonize an entire race, you have to start with their leader.”
“That was Lucifer the First,” one of the Bleiten soldiers growled. “And he was a great king.”
“Hey, I'm trying to speak the truth about you,” Kyrian said. “Don't give me a hard time for it.”
&nb
sp; The Bleiten glanced at each other and finally nodded. But I saw it out of the corner of my eye; Malik and I were still staring at each other.
“Amara, why don't you give the President a call,” Landry suggested pointedly.
“Oh!” I exclaimed as I broke eye contact with Malik. “Right.”
I texted President Colton and asked him to contact me at his earliest convenience. My phone rang a few minutes later; while we were all having another round of Penbruth. It took Colton even less time than that to agree to meet with Malik. But we wouldn't be meeting him in the White House. Prince Traegur had finally shown his face but it was only to spout wild accusations against the Bleiten, Kyrian, and myself. Evidently, I had caused a whole heap of trouble by escaping Traegur's clutches.
Colton had been trying to talk Traegur down, but finally had enough of the bullshit and pointedly asked the prince how I had come to be on the Triari battleship in the first place. That had sent Traegur off on a furious round of stammered stories. Obviously, he had left his halo off again.
“What did that bastard say exactly?” I asked.
“Nothing that makes any sense,” Colton said. “He goes back and forth between it being an evil plot of your making, to a Bleiten one, to an inside job by the traitor, Kyrian. It seems that Prince Traegur can't make up his mind on who to hate the most.”
“What will you do?”
“I'm leaving,” Colton said and then laughed. “I'm going to see the Supermarket for the first time, and I'm rather excited about that.”
“You're coming here?” I asked as I looked up at Landry in concern.
My foster father cursed, surged to his feet, and shouted to the bar as a whole, “Sorry, everyone, I'm going to have to clear the bar. The goddamn President is coming!”
Colton laughed. “He sounds charming.”
“That's my father; you'll like him,” I said proudly. “I'll send someone to the gate to meet you, Mr. President.”
“Thank you, Amara,” President Colton said. “And don't worry; I'm not falling for any more Triari tricks.”
“You and me both, Sir,” I said morosely.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The first meeting between a human leader and a Bleiten went well in my opinion.
The Wilds was flooded with secret service agents who inspected every inch of the place before they even allowed President Colton out of the car. Then they took up positions around the bar, gave the all-clear to their buddies outside, and the President was escorted in. A line of agents settled into place in front of The Wilds as the door closed behind the President. Nothing was getting past those men; at least, that's what they thought. The Bleiten eyed the show with amusement and a bit of derision. I couldn't blame them when their prince stood casually waiting with only a handful of men at his side.
“President Matthew Colton, this is Crown Prince Malik Starsiene,” I introduced them; going with Malik's royal title so that President Colton would know exactly who he was dealing with.
Colton's eyes widened as he held a hand out to Malik, “You're King Lucifer's son?”
“King Lucifer the Second's first-born son; yes,” Malik said. “And you're the President who refuses to use evil means to protect his world. It's an honor to meet you. Thank you for being open to learning the truth about my people, and for treating us honorably, even when you believed the worst of us.”
“What good is it to win a war if you lose your soul in the process?” Colton mused. “I withheld the use of the bioweapon for both our sakes. I'm relieved to discover that the Bleiten are not the monsters we've been led to believe they are, but I'm also deeply concerned that the Triari might be the true villains. Especially since they have fifteen battleships stationed above America and refuse to leave.”
“President Colton, I'm not yet convinced of the Triari's guilt as a race,” Kyrian said. “I believe that Prince Traegur has acted on his own; without our king's consent. I was tasked by the King himself to see to Amara's safety. Not once did he tell me to abduct her and abuse her, as Traegur did.”
“He abused you?” Colton asked me in a deadly tone.
“He kept me in a prison cell and took my blood,” I corrected. “I wasn't beaten or anything of the like.”
“But you were about to be,” Davorin growled. “We showed up just in time to stop him.”
“That's true.” I shifted uncomfortably. “But his treatment of me is the least of his offenses. President Colton, Prince Traegur is one of the men who murdered my parents.”
“That fucking bastard!” Colton swore.
I widened my eyes at him.
“I'm sorry for the outburst, but I've had to listen to his lies all morning,” Colton said angrily. “To know that a murderer dared to sit across from me and disparage the good name of the child of his victims, fills me with fury.”
“So, I see,” I murmured. “President Colton, why don't you have a seat?” I waved to the conference table we'd formed by putting a collection of smaller tables together. “There are a few things we'd like to discuss with you.”
“There's more?” Colton asked as he sat.
“You have no idea,” Landry said as he set a human beer down in front of the President.
“Thank you very much.” Colton lifted the bottle in salute to Landry. “I haven't had a beer in a real bar in a very long time. Of course, this is far more than an average bar.”
“I'll be happy to give you a tour of the Supermarket sometime, Mr. President,” I said. “But, for now, we should discuss the person we believe to be behind all this chaos.”
“Amara, maybe you should fetch Devlin's notes; they should probably be destroyed after we inspect them,” Landry suggested. “We'll fill the President in on Gooey Guy while you're gone.”
“Yes; you're right,” I said as I hurried upstairs to my bedroom.
I went straight to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer where I had stashed the notes. There were only socks and nightgowns in it. I pushed the clothes about in confusion and then opened the drawer beside it. It wasn't there either. My heart started to race as I went through each drawer and then searched my entire room. Nothing was out of place except for the notes, and they weren't just misplaced; they were gone.
Then I noticed how my window wasn't shut all the way. There was the smallest gap between the frame and the base—hardly noteworthy under normal conditions—but currently, it was enough to confirm my suspicions.
“Someone's been here,” I whispered.
I opened the window and searched the slanted rooftop below me for any signs of disturbance, but there wasn't so much as a dirty smudge. I shifted to infrared and still saw nothing, but that wasn't surprising; heat tracks don't last long. Then I saw Leo, Lily, and Jason on the street below; they were arguing with the secret service team stationed outside the bar.
“Pardon me,” I called down to the agents.
Everyone looked up at me.
“Those are my friends,” I said to the agents. “They are also imperative to the meeting we're having. Please allow them inside.”
“Yes, Ma'am,” one of the agents said and then opened the door.
Lily waved brightly at me before they all entered The Wilds. I waved back before I closed the window and hurried downstairs; going straight to the newcomers and hugging each of them.
“I'm so glad to see you all,” I exclaimed. “I was worried about you the entire time that I was aboard that ship. They told me that you were released, but I was hardly in a position to believe them.”
“You were imprisoned by aliens and you worried about us?” Jason asked and chuckled. “Amara, you need to get your priorities straight.”
“I knew I would survive,” I said sternly. “But I wasn't certain about the three of you.”
“I think it's sweet,” Lily said. “We were real worried about you too, Mara. We were so relieved when Dav called to say that he had rescued you.”
“Yes, all by himself,” Malik said sarcastically.
&nb
sp; “Watch yourself, Mr. Big and Brooding.” Lily pointed at Malik. “Just because we agreed to work with you, it doesn't mean that any of us trust you.”
“No, why would you?” Malik asked in the same dry tone. “I only risked my life and that of my team to rescue Amara, and now I'm having a meeting with the American President to help him stop whatever criminal is plaguing your city—all simply to improve relations between our races. So, by all means; do not trust me. That would be ridiculous.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
“A smart-ass too, huh?” Lily was nonplussed. “I shouldn't be surprised, you have that look; that ass-look.”
Malik narrowed his eyes at Lily, and she quickly looked away; all of her bravado disappearing beneath the Bleiten death-glare. Malik settled back into his seat with satisfaction and turned toward President Colton. But before they could resume their conversation, I made my announcement.
“The papers are gone.”
“What papers?” Leo asked.
“No way,” Landry said. “No one would dare rob my place. Look again, kid; you must have misplaced them.”
“They're gone, Land,” I said again. “I looked everywhere. And my window was ajar.”
“Agent Allen, do a perimeter check,” Colton said to one of his men.
Allen nodded and hurried outside.
“They didn't leave any tracks,” I reported. “I had a look out the window and saw nothing; no disturbances at all. It was almost as if they'd flown into my bedroom.”
“Entirely possible with a shapeshifter,” Kyrian pointed out.
“Their plan failed,” Malik mused. “And now they have to improvise.”
“Because I refused to use the bioweapon against the Bleiten,” Colton said. “Damn it all! Now, they have the recipe to kill Triari, and one to kill Bleiten.”
“You need to get off the planet,” I said to Malik. “This is feeling less and less about me and more about you every second.”
“I'm not leaving, Amara,” Malik said sternly.
“He's looking for revenge, Malik,” I huffed. “He was probably trying to incite a war between our people; using the Triari and the bioweapon to tilt things in our favor, but with that option out, he'll settle for killing the Bleiten Crown Prince. I know I would if I were him.”
