by Dianne Keep
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Wind rocked the uppermost lookout tower of the arena. Bree swallowed her breakfast again. Bayan held her hand tighter than a noose. She touched the Honor chain and glanced at him. His face told her that he was just as good at pretending as Khrisk. Where had these boys been trained, because she could use some lessons. Catching her gaze, he swooped his lips to her gloved hand.
Should she feel something? Could she persuade herself to feel love for him? They were going to be married in four days. Nothing came to her.
The entire city of Stav was in attendance, shouting for Rysa’s young men. The candidates massed in the center of the stadium between the metallic healing boxes. A few wore attire befitting a three-day trial in the hostile wilderness among man-eating beasts, but most dressed in tattered clothes. The Resh presented Khrisk and Bayan with a set of double swords, a quiver of arrows and a bow, and two laser pistols. The people cheered, even the poorer candidates that had only their hands for weapons.
Bayan squeezed her hand and lifted it into the air. The people cheered at something Osling said. Her brain shut off. She didn’t want to be here. Every nerve revolted at sending innocent people to their deaths for no reason. Especially when the new energy source could prevent war.
Stringed instruments sang the national song and the Rysans beat their fists against their chests. Torrents of voices covered her, but Bree couldn’t remember the words and had no desire to repeat phrases like, “My life for the Resh,” or “Bestow strength upon our great ruler.” She’d rather let her breakfast reappear in a puddle at Osling’s feet.
Still, she smiled at Ehre and then at Fara, who looked at her curiously. Ryne’s pale face disturbed her. Her power itched to heal him.
At the end of the song, Khrisk and Bayan raised joined hands into the sky. The people below imitated the gesture, as did the guards next to her. Soon, the people chanted, “For Rysa!” over and over. Even Osling and Ryne joined in.
An alarm pealed, and the arena silenced.
Khrisk hugged her and kissed her cheeks. His eyes spoke a hundred words she wished he’d say aloud. Her body ached to hold onto him, to keep him safe beside her. Khrisk turned and kissed Karra Elissa, and she was allowed to touch his cheek tenderly and whisper something in his ear. Had he told her he was leaving too?
Bayan embraced Bree and planted a kiss on her lips for five seconds. She waited to feel something, because if she could, she might find a way to feign love for him. He leaned closer. His stiff leather collar scratched her cheek.
He whispered, “Don’t wear the worry on your face or people will suspect you think I can’t fight.”
Her hands settled on his chest. “Be safe.” He was strong and warm, but not Khrisk.
He smiled and turned to embrace his mother and father. Everyone in the crowd turned to someone and hugged them, saying words of encouragement, and kissing each other. The candidates filed into a block formation and the armored soldiers fired air cannons.
Khrisk followed Bayan down the rickety stairs. Bree begged in silence for one last look. Khrisk didn’t turn.
She watched until he reached the landing. Then she went to the ledge. Khrisk and Bayan were the first ones out of the arena. They went to the boundary of wire fences and waited beside the soldiers guarding the entrance to the wilds.
The crowds of candidates walked out behind their Zeirs.
Osling shouted, “Begin!”
Thousands of footsteps thundered as the men moved out. The arena shook. Khrisk and Bayan vanished in the rising dust.
The men dispersed into groups at the end of the fencing. Some went straight, others to the sides. Bree watched until the last young man left the protection of the metal boundary, then she grabbed the nearest scope and searched for the blue circle on Bayan’s back.
It took her five minutes to locate him trotting alongside a much better camouflaged Khrisk. They headed toward the stream close to the hills. They’d have fire and water. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Purple light blocked Bree’s view. She released the scope. “Do we wait here until we hear word of them?” Most of the other family members had to go back to work, but the first-tier families were settled in the arena with their servants.
Ehre pointed to men and women dressed in yellow, waiting at the boundary. “We go back to the palace and work on the devices from yesterday. Messengers will inform us if anything happens. Osling has watchers for Khrisk and Bayan, and the hired scouts constantly follow the first-tier families’ heirs.”
Bree hadn’t seen any yellow coats following Khrisk and Bayan. “Does anyone ever decide to flee Rysa? Just leave and go to another country?” Cold spread over Bree’s back.
“My people are proud to prove themselves worthy to serve,” Osling said from behind.
His icy stare gnawed through her flesh until it touched her bones. She shuddered. How could he hate her and need her at the same time? How could he take her memories, keep her here, and force her to marry his son? Rage churned in the pit of her stomach, but it had nowhere to go.
She wouldn’t leave the dying thanum production workers.
She would speak the words they expected from her. She would play her part for now. “Forgive me my stupid thoughts. Of course, the people are eager to show their strengths and be measured in survival. What great country wouldn’t follow your example?”
Her pretty speech chipped at the coolness hovering in the air. Ehre nudged her. Bree curtsied as the Resh and Rishi exited the observatory tower.
Ehre said, “I’ll see you in my workrooms soon.” She gave Keir Ryne a small curtsy and followed after Osling.
Keir Ryne was looking in the direction Bree had last seen Khrisk. Patting his chest, he turned and gave her the same crooked smile that turned her to mush when it was on Khrisk’s face. “He’ll be fine. I was proud when he ranked first four years ago. He’s accomplished more than I could have hoped. Received a command. Trained his men well.”
“Rescued a Seyh from the enemy,” Bree added.
“Yes.” Ryne drew a ragged breath. “Though, I think, I’d not count it as something I’m proud of.”
A sliver of power tingled down her arms to her fingers. She could see death holding him close. “You wish I had stayed in Anthea?”
“I’m happy to have you here. To see you makes my heart glad. But there are other things I wish for. My boy will make it right.” He swayed and clutched the railing. “If we are meant to bring our world out of darkness, we’ll have to do better than we are right now.”
A web of fire ignited under Bree’s skin. Khrisk said he was leaving. Did Ryne know it? “The thanum is the darkness.” That made sense from what she’d seen at the hospital and on Fara. A thought came and went before she could catch it.
“Yes.” Ryne’s eyes closed. “You heard we found another source, but we haven’t figured out a way to control it.”
“Wild things like to stay wild.” Wind shoved her to the side. The walkway creaked. “Should we go down?”
He took her hands. “You’re right. We all know it.”
“Right about what?” Her ears rang from the fire thrashing in her veins. She watched Ryne wince.
“Many things. And I’m sure if we could spend our days talking, I would learn more from you than all my mentors managed to teach me.”
“If I had my memories, I could learn more from me.” With Khrisk out of sight, the ache returned to her heart. A piece of her was missing, and all she wanted was to be reunited with it. “If you hear anything, will you send a message to Ehre’s workrooms?” She touched Bayan’s Honor chain because Khrisk had given her nothing.
“Of course.” Ryne held tight to her hand as they traversed the narrow steps down to the arena floor.
Keir Ryne escorted Bree through the city and inside the palace. The halls were empty again. “Where is everyone?” Bree asked. “I thought they’d be here.”
“Most families return to work or wait in
the third-tier inns and public houses. You’ll see very few people here until the Ranking ends. And then everyone will come to celebrate and mourn.”
“Everyone?”
“All people are invited onto the palace grounds at the closure of the Ranking. Cook and the staff are half mad with the preparations.”
They passed the research hall, empty. No Seyhs roamed about either. The eerie quiet pressed against Bree like a living thing.
At the landing before Ehre’s floor, Ryne pressed her hand. “Keep Khrisk in your thoughts. All will be as it should be soon.”
“How is that?” Ryne must not know Khrisk wasn’t coming home after the Ranking.
“Some things aren’t meant to last.” He turned to walk down the stairs and stopped. “Whatever happens, know that I tried to make it right.”
Bree nodded and watched him until he disappeared at the landing. So like Khrisk. Same height and build. Her loneliness grew as her quad shuffled back into formation for the ten steps it took to reach the door to Ehre’s rooms.
Shane knocked on the door.
“Oh, just open it. She’s expecting me.” Bree reached around him and twisted the knob.
Four researchers all dressed in gray crowded around Ehre, her purple alhor covered them like mist. Ehre held a new object up, examining it.
“I know what that is,” Bree said, and they all looked at her. “It’s a data storage device called a teme.”
“How do you know?” asked Ehre.
“I found a picture of it the other day when I went through all those books.” Bree picked through the pile of books on the table. “Here.” Flipping the pages of the volume, she found the picture she was looking for. “It says it’s easy to use. Plug into a wall, pocket, or other handheld processor to retrieve or upload new information. Can store up to ten thousand mets. Whatever those are.”
She brought the book to the other table. “Is it marked? It should have a U and T intersecting somewhere on it to show it was made in Utan.” She took the teme from Ehre. “There it is.” Pointing to the stamp, she held it up so the researchers could see. “Do we have any operational processors in the palace?”
The researchers clustered together.
“What do they have to discuss?” Bree involuntarily bounced on her heels. “They either know or they don’t.”
“They’re discussing whether or not they should show you.” Ehre swiped the teme. “We don’t know what’s on it.”
“You already knew what it was.” Somehow, this did and didn’t surprise Bree. “And they did too?”
“We’ve read the same books you have.” Ehre smiled. “I just wanted to know if you knew.”
“What?” If the researchers were discussing whether or not to show her more relics, then there was an active wall, pocket, or handheld processor somewhere in the palace. Meaning they could power relics without her. She had been a fool. What else were they hiding?
Ask, the other girl nudged.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bree couldn’t keep the tremor from her voice. “Can you power the relics with the thanum?” Did they think she wouldn’t figure it out, or were they hoping she would?
“I had to see how much you retained from your memory wipe,” said Ehre, blinking. “And we can’t power the relics with thanum. We made copies of some of the more useful devices.”
Bree’s chest constricted. They’d been testing her. Messing with her head more like. Khrisk knew about the comm disk. He knew!
They’ve lied to us from the beginning. Play along.
The girl was right. She would play along. “Okay. I guess that makes sense. It’s probably something terribly boring like weather data or genealogy lists for the first-tier families.” Bree twiddled her thumbs and counted the seconds. “Does the palace have access to power?”
Ehre chewed her thumbnail, eyeing the researchers. “The palace and city have limited power. After Rishi Fara caught the thanum illness, Resh Osling cut back on the usage. Tubes from the energy production units run underground into generators that transfer the power into wires that run certain essential machines.”
“What’s essential?” Bree thought of the large drainage pipes right outside the city walls. Those were probably the cases for the energy tubes leading into Stav.
“Are you really asking?” Ehre rolled her eyes.
“Weapons,” Bree murmured.
“Exactly,” said Ehre. “But the new source is clean and will work with relics and our own machines. We’re all hoping it will balance out and become stable.”
A tall, dark-haired researcher, who could probably be Ehre’s great-grandmother, stepped forward from the group. “We think she should come with us to the lower levels.”
“I think we should ask the Resh before we make the assumption he’d allow it.” Ehre went to the door and said something to Shane. Closing the door, Ehre said, “We’ll know in a few minutes.”
They probably used the comm disks. Bree laughed at herself. She’d been so stupid.
The researchers nodded in unison and studied the book with the description of the teme like they’d never seen it before. Great actors. Like Khrisk. Like Bayan. Probably like everyone else in Stav. No one was ever honest around her.
Bree walked around the table, straining to hear their mumbled words, and tried not to think about Khrisk. She desperately wanted to know if he was safe, despite the lies. There was something real about him that she couldn’t deny.
What was he doing? Was Bayan a burden? Would they have shelter for the night? Of course, Khrisk would find shelter. He’d spent three months in the wilderness on a mission for Osling. But she hated not knowing.
Her eyes locked on the comm disks. Two were toward the edge of the table. If everyone was so familiar with the technology, she could sneak a few for her own use.
With a quick flourish, she scooped the disks into her coat pockets. They beeped in unison. Pressing the buttons, she glanced to see if anyone had heard. No one paid attention to her. The disks bulged in the form-fitting fabric, so she unzipped the jacket a little and looked at her reflection in the window. Less noticeable.
Heat chased under her skin as Ehre glanced her way.
For a moment, Bree considered returning the disks to the table. She shouldn’t steal relics. But what if she could get one to Khrisk? Then she wouldn’t have to wait for a messenger to notify the family that he was injured, or worse, dead. And she could help him if he needed her.
She was the only person who could activate them for any amount of time since the thanum didn’t work on the genuine relics. “When did the communicators stop working after I left yesterday?”
“After about an hour,” Ehre said.
How could she make the energy last longer? Or should she find a set that was powered by thanum? The barracks probably had more than a few sets. The disks would be something Rysa would duplicate for the army.
We wouldn’t be able to get in unnoticed, the girl advised.
Right. Stealing it was.
Bree sat down at the table and flipped through a book. If she did manage to get the comm disk to work for any length of time, she’d have to get someone to take a disk to Khrisk.
“Can I go to the arena after we are finished? I’d like to look through the scopes and see if I can spot Bayan.” They’d expect her to ask about him. Maybe she could throw a tantrum or something. No. Ehre would just have Gallie put her to sleep.
Ehre shrugged. “First, we need to know if you will be allowed to visit the lower levels. Then I can ask the Resh if you can leave the palace. If we don’t need you for something else.”
Bree nodded. The Resh might believe her excuse and let her go, but from the look on Ehre’s face, it might be better to ask Fara to accompany her. Maybe Fara had a messenger that could sneak the comm disk to Khrisk, if they could find him.
Bree scanned the pile of objects on the table. She picked up a device with a shiny black screen. It was about the size of a book, only it didn’t open.
<
br /> Her fingers tapped the screen. It blinked to life, showing three circles inside one another spinning. Just like her pendants on the necklace and bracelet Fara gave her. “Whoa. Is this one of those handhelds?”
“It is,” a grandmotherly researcher said. She came closer.
The handheld chimed and a box flashed on the screen. Bree recognized the lettering. It asked for a pass code. “Has anyone used this before?”
A man with graying hair tapped the bottom of the screen and another box popped up with blocks of letters. The box flashed again. “Hmm.” He typed in several different variations of letters. “Looks like we’ll have to take it downstairs.” He plucked it from her hand and the handheld shut off. “Interesting.” He handed it back to her.
The screen blinked on. He took it. The screen went black. He did this several times before Ehre came over and plucked the handheld from his hands. “Enough. It turns on and shuts off.”
“But.” His looked at Bree with greedy eyes.
“I said enough.” Ehre alhor covered him.
“Yes, Superior.” He bowed and scuttled over to the other researchers.
They mumbled among themselves, peering at Bree every now and again. Bree flipped through a book and found several similar relics. She still couldn’t believe they all knew about the relics. Why had they asked her to activate them when they had perfectly good replicas that ran on thanum?
The chair at the energy production unit came to mind. And a distant idea of something small and metal. Rods, maybe? She held them in her hands. Bree opened several books. She’d seen the rods before and thought nothing of them.
Look at that book, the girl said.
Bree spotted the red book.
She opened it and found the picture. “Ehre, have you got a set of these in the lower levels?”
“What’s she asking about?” Another researcher came over and stepped back. “Is she supposed to see that?”
Ehre looked at the picture. “It’s in one of the approved books, isn’t it?” She took the book. “No, we don’t have any powering rods. What would we use it for?” Ehre’s left eye twitched.
