Marked Prince: A Qurilixen World Novel (Qurilixen Lords Book 2)

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “And you think it starts here?” Yevgen frowned. “My system is—”

  “No.” Fiora kept hold of Jaxx, knowing she would have to let go of him again soon. “I only see the event, not the cause. I need you to show me who might be most likely to blow up the city. I need to narrow down who I’m reading.”

  “Are there any troublemakers you think might do something like this?” Salena asked Yevgen.

  “Besides the usual?” Yevgen slowly slid back toward them. “Let me check my database.”

  “When is this supposed to happen?” Payton asked Fiora.

  “I’m not sure. There’s so much information. We’re here trying to narrow it down.” Fiora felt emotionally drained from the moments she’d already seen.

  “Has anyone been vocal about ending the city?” Jaxx asked.

  “That narrows it down to about three-fourths of the population,” Yevgen answered. “And I guarantee the rest of them think it.”

  “Anyone who seems capable of killing?” Salena asked.

  “Everyone is capable in the right circumstance,” Fiora answered.

  “You’re a dark one, aren’t you?” Yevgen chuckled. “I like you.”

  “I’ve been warned that negativity is a side effect of seeing so much.” Fiora glanced at Jaxx. “Though I don’t feel that way when I’m with you. Your presence eases me. You give me hope.”

  “Ah, that’s so sweet,” Payton told her friend, teasing him a little. “I’m happy for you, Jaxx.”

  “Any threats?” Salena prompted, trying to get the conversation back on track. Fiora realized that Yevgen’s resistance to answering her sister was frustrating Salena greatly.

  “And you’re always in a hurry,” Yevgen told Salena, arching a brow toward his screen. “I’ve been monitoring a lot of activity. I’m not sure any of it is what you’re looking for. He placed his hands on a small console beside the monitors. A series of paused videos appeared on the screens to show faces.

  “Who is that woman?” Fiora pointed at the redhead that had tried to rescue her from Jaxx.

  “Justina,” Payton said.

  “She tends to have her ear to the mud in this town. I’ve been trying to recruit her, but you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to lure women into my fortress,” Yevgen answered. “She’s been warning citizens about a thief that’s terrorizing the Federation and threatening to pull their wrath down on the city. I’ve heard rumors but am close to concluding that it is only a local myth at this point.”

  “It’s not her. I had a vision of her face melting off during the blast.” Fiora tried not to picture the images she referenced. “But maybe the thief caused this.”

  “I agree. Justina doesn’t come off as a killer. She’s more likely to get herself killed with that mouth of hers.” Payton frowned. “Who else?”

  Fiora pointed toward the man in the yellow shirt. “It’s not him, and it’s not any of the vendors I saw in the marketplace. They’ll be hit by falling debris from an explosion.”

  Justina, Yellow Shirt, and a few more images disappeared from the batch as he took her at her word.

  “How do you find all this footage?” Fiora asked. “I didn’t see any cameras or recording droids in the area.”

  “Yevgen knows everything that happens in the city,” Payton patted his arm. “He’s my go-to guy.”

  “Careful with the flattery, princess. You already know I’m in love with you,” Yevgen said.

  Payton laughed. “You say that to all the single women.”

  “True.” Yevgen nodded. “I do fall for a pretty face.”

  The screens flashed to show a variety of women before flickering back to their original images.

  “Who else is capable?” Salena asked.

  “This man is accident prone,” Yevgen said. A young man with torn clothing began moving on a monitor. He leaned against a building and it instantly began to shake. Within moments it collapsed, falling into the building next to it, only to knock the second building over, and then a third and fourth. The scene changed to show the same man tripping on a warped plank to launch a woman with a fruit basket into the mud. Next it showed the man reaching for a torch without looking directly at it and knocking the flames over to set a tent on fire. “If anyone was to accidentally stumble onto an antiquated nuclear reactor to destroy a city, this is the Cysgod who’ll do it.”

  “I’m not sure clumsy equals destroyer of worlds,” Grier said.

  “We should focus on intentional acts.” Fiora didn’t want to create more suspects. She needed to narrow them down. “We have to start somewhere. If we start including accidents, then I’ll be forced to read everyone in the city.”

  Fiora leaned against Jaxx and closed her eyes. She felt the steady heartbeat in his chest. She wished the world would disappear and leave her alone with him. That’s all she wanted—a simple life away from crowds.

  “What about those Cysgodians we came across in the forest? The ones who want to,” Salena frowned and glanced at Grier, “um, to dine on shifters.”

  “Ew.” Fiora wrinkled her nose in disgust and tried not to gag.

  “Raimon, Partha, Bharath, X,” Yevgen said.

  “Yes, those men,” Salena turned toward Fiora and added, “They attacked us in the forest so we know they venture out of the city. Maybe they’re trying to plan an escape—or something—and want to use the explosion as a distraction.”

  “I am watching them,” Yevgen said. “They lack the focus to be considered a serious large-scale threat. They’re harmless unless you’re alone with them.”

  “What about the Doyen?” Payton gestured toward the picture of a man in a black cloak.

  Fiora frowned and leaned closer. “He looks familiar. I think I’ve seen him in some of the timelines.”

  Her arms stretched behind her as Jaxx kept a hold of her hand.

  “It’s like looking at a blurry dream. I can just about see it, but…” Fiora frowned.

  “Play the recordings you have of him,” Salena suggested. “It might help focus the timeline for her.”

  The recording showed the man standing in front of what sounded like a mob of people, though they were not part of the image.

  “The key is not the blue sun.” Rage dripped from Doyen’s words. “That is merely a distraction they hang in the sky to hide the truth. If anything, it’s hurting us with its poison. We are dying, our lives shortened, our children’s future corrupted and stolen by the greed of others. The Federation caused the virus and then pretended to save us as they took over our dead planet. They moved us here, into this valley of disrepair. Now, why is it our shifter neighbors live five times—no, ten times longer than a Cysgodian man? They breathe the same air, and they feel the same sun, yet they do not suffer the loss that we do. They eat while we starve. They fly free as we are trapped in this city of rust.”

  The sound cut out but the image of Doyen kept going, thrusting his arms the air in a silenced yell.

  “Fiora? Does he sound familiar?” Salena asked.

  “Yes?” Fiora still couldn’t exactly place him.

  “…survival of our people depends upon action.” Doyen’s voice returned with the sound of cheers distorting his words. It became clear by the shouts that the crowd were his followers. “No one wants to go to war, but if we do not fight, we will die. They delivered us to this battle!”

  “I don’t know—” Fiora began.

  “Shh, watch,” Salena nodded toward the screen.

  “If it’s not the sun, if it’s not the air, if it’s not the dirt we all walk on, what is it? What is the key?” Doyen held up both arms as if to make himself appear taller.

  “Blood,” the crowd shouted.

  “It’s in the blood!” Doyen incited his followers as he leaned his head back to yell his hate.

  “Blood, blood, blood,” the crowd chanted.

  Yevgen stopped the recording. Doyen was frozen with his fist pumped into the air.

  “I’d say we have a strong contende
r,” Grier said, breaking the silence in the room.

  “Fiora?” Jaxx asked.

  “I think someone harboring that much hatred in his heart would definitely be on the list of possibilities.” Fiora didn’t need to see the man’s future to know it would not end well for a lot of people. “I have never come across an extremist group like that who were destined for a happy ending. Usually it’s mass murder, mass suicide, or both.”

  “Yevgen, where can we find Doyen?” Payton asked.

  “I’ll see what I can discover,” Yevgen’s screens began blinking through cityscapes.

  “Can you show me an aerial view of the city? From the direction of the watchtower?” Fiora asked.

  The images she requested appeared. She studied it before pointing to a central area near the cliff beneath the Federation building. “Which one of these people we’ve talked about is in this area? When we were in the sky, I think the blast started somewhere around here.”

  “Doyen,” Yevgen and Payton answered at the same time.

  “Sounds like we have a winner,” Salena said.

  “I don’t like the idea of you going near that man,” Jaxx said.

  “I agree,” Grier added.

  “I would also have to advise against it,” Yevgen said, still searching the city. “Doyen is surrounded by loyal followers. By their doctrine, they will kill any shifter on sight and do not have kind regard for women.”

  “I don’t have to be face to face with him. Just get me in the vicinity. The closer I am, the easier it is to focus, but I shouldn’t have to talk to him.” Fiora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Dread rolled through her.

  “What is it?” Salena touched her arm.

  “I’m scared. I know I’m not going to like what I see.” Fiora opened her eyes to find they were all staring at her.

  Jaxx pulled her against his chest and wrapped her in his arms. “At any time you say the word, I’ll fly you out of here.”

  “We can try to find another way,” Grier said.

  “Whatever you need,” Salena added.

  Payton and Yevgen stayed quiet.

  It was tempting, oh-so-tempting.

  For a second, she let herself have the fantasy of running away.

  Then she remembered falling, and that one memory tightened her stomach and brought her back to the anxiety of the present.

  She let Jaxx hold her a few seconds longer before pulling away from his chest to face everyone. “This thing that I can do. I know Salena calls it a gift. I’ve often called it a curse. But whatever it is, for the first time in my life, I get to decide how to use it.” She looked up at Jaxx. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”

  Jaxx touched her cheek. “I love you. Whatever you decide, I support you.”

  She placed her hand over his. “If I can choose to do one good thing with my life, then I can think of nothing more important than trying to save all these people. If I don’t try then how can I live with myself? There has to be a reason I am the way I am. Maybe this is that reason. Fates are drawn out in timelines I see. They’re hard to change but they can change. This has to be my fate. Maybe, if I could have seen my own timeline, I would have changed something and missed this opportunity.”

  Fiora moved her hand to Jaxx’s cheek.

  “I might have missed you,” she whispered, not caring that everyone watched them. This was one truth she wasn’t embarrassed to say. “I love you, Jaxx.”

  He kissed her lightly. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”

  “He’s outside the eatery near the south cliffside,” Yevgen said.

  “I know where that is. It’s near the blast zone you mentioned.” Payton patted Yevgen on the shoulder. “I’ll show them and come back to finish our discussion.”

  “Until then, sweet princess,” Yevgen said.

  Payton winked at him. To Fiora, she said, “You’re in charge. You tell me when you’re ready.”

  “Now,” Fiora answered. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll be done.”

  “What if it isn’t Doyen?” Salena asked.

  “Then come back and we’ll search for the next target.” Yevgen pointed to the space behind the monitors. “I’ll pull out the extra cots. It’ll be just like an overnight party.”

  15

  The last place Jaxx wanted to take his wife was deeper into Shelter City. It took everything in him not to let the dragon take over and fly her away. He wanted to protect her from the evil she was sure to see in a man like Doyen’s head. Each time she read a future, he saw the emotional toll it took on her. He saw the dullness fill her eyes, watched as she unconsciously rubbed her temple and the back of her neck, and the smear of blood staining her skin from her nosebleeds.

  Payton’s guidance took them through the city toward the cliffside under the Federation building. The cat-shifter princess moved as if she belonged in the city streets. She acted like the locals, navigating with ease, never hesitating, not making eye contact for too long.

  “How much time does she spend here?” Fiora walked next to Jaxx. Grier and Salena followed behind them, and Payton took the lead several paces ahead. The smaller groups would draw less notice, and if one stumbled into trouble, two others could help.

  “Who? Payton?” Jaxx gave a small laugh, trying to keep the mood as light as possible for Fiora. He didn’t want her picking up on his worry. She had enough of her own. “Probably more than she should.”

  “She appears as if she is extremely familiar with the city,” Fiora added.

  “Her father commands the Var armies. He’s all about keeping his little girl safe. He would hate it if he knew she snuck into the city,” Jaxx said, thinking of Prince Falke of the Var.

  “I have the distinct impression that none of the shifter elders would like the fact any of us are here, except maybe your parents. Well, maybe not like, but not hate,” she answered.

  “True.” Jaxx scanned the crowd for threats. For the most part, it was city business as usual.

  A father—at least he hoped it was a father figure—dragged two children behind him on a small cart. The small boy cried and sniffled. The older girl looked annoyed with him. Neither seemed in danger.

  Fiora must have noticed them as well because she pulled her hand from his. He glanced down, seeing her staring at the cart. Her eyes widened, and she turned her head away from them, gasping for breath.

  Jaxx instantly grabbed her hand to stop it. “Maybe don’t look at things until we’re done with Doyen.”

  He wanted to say, Stop letting go of me if it’s going to cause you pain. I will gladly hold you forever.

  “Rocks,” she whispered. “The explosion causes the rocks to fall here. Just when I saw all the ways these people die…” She took a deep, shaky breath. “Explosion, fire, ash, murder, poisoning, starvation, and now a rockfall caused by the blast. Jaxx, I have to stop this from happening. I have to, but what if I fail? What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t find the cause?”

  “We have to. You are not in this alone, and this does not fall only on your head to solve. We are in this together.” He pulled her closer to him and hated the way her shoulders trembled.

  What they were doing went against every dragon instinct he had. For that matter, it went against his instincts as a man too. But Fiora was a strong woman, and he owed it to her not to dishonor that strength by ignoring her wishes.

  “I love you, Fiora,” Jaxx whispered. “More than anything I have ever loved in my life.”

  She glanced up at him and the shaking stopped. “And I love you.”

  “We should mate,” he said before the thought fully formed in his brain.

  Jaxx glanced around. This was not the most romantic place for such a proposal—in the middle of a Federation city on the way to read the future of a psychopathic murderer.

  “Here?” She gave him a quizzical expression. “You want to have sex here, now? I guess—”

  “Mate, marry me, wed,” he corrected.

&nb
sp; “Oh,” Fiora laughed. “For a second I thought you meant… Well, actually, if we could work out the logistics of it, I’d say yes. I’ll always say yes to the proposal of sex with you but I’m fairly sure you know that.”

  Jaxx knew she couldn’t help her blunt honesty, but he didn’t mind it. There should only be honesty between them.

  “Everything all right?” Salena joined them, worried. “Why have you stopped?”

  “Jaxx and I are going to be married,” Fiora said, smiling. She hadn’t given him a direct answer until that moment.

  “I figured as much. But why are you discussing that now?” Salena asked. “It’s not like you can do this now. Jaxx, I thought Grace had your marriage crystal.”

  “She does,” Jaxx said. “But just like I don’t need a crystal to tell me who I am meant to be with, I don’t need its permission to marry my heart.”

  “Agreed, but maybe it can be discussed later?” Salena insisted. “I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to.”

  “Life is short and things need to be said,” Fiora told her sister. “What if I don’t come back from this? Of course we want to know where we stand with each other before going into danger.” She then glanced at Jaxx. “If I don’t come back from this, I want you to be happy and never blame yourself for anything that—”

  “Salena is right,” Jaxx cut her off. “We should focus on the task at hand. I’m not losing you today so there is no reason to discuss that.”

  What had he just been thinking about her honesty? This was not something he wanted to hear or even consider as a possibility. Once a dragon chose his mate, there was no one else for him. If he lost her, he would spend the rest of his life pining for his lost heart. He’d seen dragon-shifters who had fallen to such a horrible fate. They were strange creatures, broken and sad, waiting for a death that took it’s time coming. When the planet had been at war—shifters against shifters—they were often the ones to volunteer for the most dangerous missions as if they hoped the gods would end their suffering.

  “What is it?” Fiora asked. “What are you thinking?”

  “It’s not important right now,” Jaxx answered.