Assassin

by Cyndi Friberg

“Intruder alert!” screamed another.

  Without explanation, the overlord flew from his quarters and headed for the command center. “Go check on detention!” He waved Torrin toward the elevator.

  Torrin took Arrista by the hand and sprinted down the corridor. She ran for all she was worth, struggling to keep up with him. Frantically scanning open his door, he pushed her inside the relative safety of their cabin.

  “You are not leaving me here,” she objected.

  “Yes, I am,” he said just as vehemently. He flew into the bedroom and retrieved his gun belt from its hook in the closet. He generally wore it every time he left the cabin, but coming armed to a dinner with the overlord had seemed rude. He paused long enough to kiss her. “Promise me you’ll stay here, where I know you’re safe.”

  She didn’t look happy but said, “I promise.”

  He made sure the door locked as he left, then continued down the hallway at breakneck speed. The elevator took too long to arrive, so he ran to the stairs and descended to deck two. The alarm had been silenced by the time he reached detention, but pandemonium surrounded him the instant he turned down the final corridor.

  A blast of energy arched precariously close to his head, so he ducked as he ran. Angry shouts echoed off the walls, both Rodyte and Sarronti. At least he presumed it was Sarronti because his language circuits failed to translate the words.

  He pressed his back against the wall and amplified his senses. The acrid stench of ozone reached him first, then a muffled scream. He ducked his head around the corner and snapped a mental freeze-frame of the adjacent corridor so he could close his eyes and analyze the image.

  A lone Outcast crouched in the doorway to the detention cells, bravely determined to hold off the elves. There were five, maybe six Sarronti arranged in the corridor opposite the Outcast.

  Covering his advance with a barrage of pulses from both his blasters, Torrin ran to the aid of the other Outcast. “Where the hells is everyone?” There should have been four people stationed in the area, two inside the observation booth and two in the corridor.

  “Fuck if I know!” The guard’s hands were shaking so badly, he could barely hold his weapon.

  Torrin pushed the rattled soldier behind him. “Just breathe for a minute. I’ve got this.” Then he focused on the elves. The defensive position was easier to maintain. He just blasted each elf as they attempted to advance. A red-haired Sarronti was particularly bold, but the others were easy to dissuade. One well-placed shot, and each retreated to a safer position.

  Suddenly a volley of shots erupted on Torrin’s right, and he smiled. Back up just arrived. Torak and four of his warriors ran down the hallway, screaming like savages. The elves turned around and ran, tripping over each other in their haste to evade the new threat.

  “It’s over,” Torrin said to the guard. “Are you all right?”

  “They singed my arm, but that’s all.”

  “They didn’t get Farlo Alonov, did they?” Torrin thought it prudent to ask.

  “Of course not.” The guard sounded indignant. “Where the hells are Sonters and Melfurt? We were short a man tonight, but they both should have been here.”

  Torrin cringed, suspecting he knew the answer. “Go get that arm looked at. I’ll cover things until we figure out what happened to the others.”

  Torrin went inside and checked the cells before he allowed himself to relax. Farlo Alonov watched him silently, so Torrin said, “Your comrades failed. Guess you’re stuck with us for a while longer.”

  The petulant elf muttered a curse, then turned away.

  Kage entered a few minutes later, followed by Torak, minus his men.

  “They can’t out shoot us, but they can sure as hells run,” Torak muttered. “My team is still searching, but we lost them in the trees.”

  “Two of our guards are unaccounted for,” Torrin told them.

  “Sonters and Melfurt,” Kage supplied, confirming Torrin’s suspicions. “We found Melfurt’s body, but Sonters is in the wind.”

  “Then Sonters is the Shadow,” Torak deduced.

  Kage nodded. “He transferred to detention from security, so it would have been easy for him to drop the shields and jam communications, giving the elves an opening.”

  “The Shadow sought out the skills it needed to complete its mission just like Arrista said.” Torak shook his head. “This is bad.”

  The overlord sounded just as discouraged. “I didn’t want to believe it could happen, but here we are.”

  “Did Sonters kill Melfurt?” Torak sounded especially grim. “They’ve been friends for years.”

  “Sonters died the second that bitch flipped the switch,” Kage insisted. “The creature that did this might look like Sonters, but the man we knew is gone. We all have to remember that.”

  “Understood.” Torak started to leave, then turned back around. “I’m the only one on the Relentless who has even set foot on this planet. I wasn’t bitten by a karron, so there is no way we could be surprised by a Shadow agent. Shall I take our problem child home with me?”

  “Excellent idea.” Kage looked at Farlo and grinned. “Let’s see Daddy rescue you from outer space, you worthless piece of shit.”

  Farlo just glared at him.

  They put the struggling Sarronti in magnetic restraints, then Torak departed with his reluctant guest.

  “That won’t keep the older Alonov from taking it out on us,” Torrin warned. “He’ll strike again and again until he gets what he wants.”

  “Maybe. And maybe the Guiding Council will remove him from office and open negotiations with us.”

  Torrin hoped Kage was right, but no one struck harder than an enraged parent.

  The original guard returned a short time later, arm freshly bandaged. The detention cells were now empty, so Kage sent the guard to his quarters to recuperate, then led Torrin from the detention level. “Ask your mate if—”

  “I haven’t actually claimed her yet. She could still refuse me.”

  Kage chuckled. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you now. She’s not going anywhere.”

  Torrin agreed but didn’t want to take anything for granted. Arrista was too important to him. “Ask her what?”

  “If Certice could get a message to Isolaund’s brother. Didn’t Arrista say he’s on the Guiding Council?”

  “I think he’s high councilor,” Torrin mused.

  “Even better. If the battle cat can communicate with him, it could be our best chance of contacting him directly.”

  “I’ve thought the same thing about Merella, Arrista’s sister,” Torrin explained. “But I’m not sure where Merella’s loyalties lie. She probably took Arrista’s place, so she might warn the bitch instead.”

  “Well, after today, we know Certice is on our side. Let’s stick with the cat.”

  Torrin nodded. “I’ll ask Arrista about it.”

  They took an elevator back to deck one, and Kage waved goodbye as they reached Torrin’s cabin.

  “Sir?”

  Kage looked back with a frown. “Are you ever going to call me Kage?”

  “Unlikely,” he admitted with a smile.

  “What do you need?”

  Torrin glanced longingly at his door, then looked at the overlord. “This isn’t over. The Sarronti will be back, with or without the help of a Shadow agent. If they can’t get onto the Wheel again, they’ll attack us in the forest. There is no way they’ll back down now.”

  “I know.” Kage sighed, then added, “Help me get a message to the brother. It really is our best chance of avoiding another war.”

  Chapter Eight

  Heart thumping wildly in her breast, Arrista tried the door for the second time. Where the hells was Torrin?!

  Come, Mistress Arrrrsta. We need you. Mama needs you now!

  The telepathic call began a few minutes ago and grew more urgent each time it repeated. Arrista wasn’t sure if it was Wenny or Luppa or both, but something terrible was going on in the enclosu
re, and she’d promised to stay inside the godsdamn room! The Sarronti considered verbal agreement a contract, so breaking one's word held the same penalties.

  Torrin, something is seriously wrong with the cubs. I must leave. Meet me out at the enclosure as soon as possible. She tried the message twice, but received no response. Was she out of his range, or was he unable to answer because of the original crisis?

  “Shit!” She couldn’t wait around to find out. Certice and the cubs were in trouble. “Computer record message to activate upon Torrin’s return.” Thank the gods Torrin had taught her this trick a few days ago.

  “Ready.”

  “Torrin, the cubs are in trouble. I had to go. Meet me at the enclosure as soon as you get this message.” She paused, then said, “End message.”

  “Message recorded successfully.”

  “Computer, open main door.”

  “That command requires primary occupant’s authorization.”

  Damn it. She hadn’t expected it to work but lost nothing by trying.

  She moved toward the wall bordering the hallway and drew energy into her center. This was hard to do when she was calm, and right now she was completely wired. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

  Mistress, hurry. The cry sounded plaintive now, almost hopeless.

  Gathering emotions around her like armor, Arrista gradually released her physical body and flowed through the wall. Her love for the cubs made her strong. Torrin’s belief in her gave her courage. And her love for him fed her determination to succeed so she’d return to him safely. The sensations built, expanding, then contracting, only to expand again. Tingles gave way to profound pressure, then tingling again. She gasped loudly as her body reformed in the hallway. She stubbornly ignored the pain and took off running.

  The sun had set, so the path from the Wheel to the enclosure was dark and narrow, but she knew the trail well. Angry voices reach her first, and she belatedly realized she didn’t have a weapon. This is why Torrin didn’t want her near a battle. She didn’t know what the hells she was doing!

  Determined not to be totally useless, she spotted a stout branch just long enough to make a swingable club. She picked up the branch and ran the rest of the way toward the enclosure. She paused at the edge of the trees, quickly assessing the situation.

  The terrified cubs huddled together in one corner of the enclosure. They were barely visible in the moonlight. Another dark shape, larger than the cubs, crouched on the outside of the fence. Was that Certice? Arrista couldn’t see well enough to decide, but it made sense that she would be near her offspring.

  Two figures stood facing each other in the clearing between the enclosure and the barracks. Isolaund’s back was to her, but Arrista recognized her voice. General Alonov gestured angrily, and his voice rose. “Move aside, or I’ll come through you!”

  “Certice is mine,” Isolaund shouted. “I will discipline her.”

  “Discipline?” he scoffed. “She warned them, betraying us both! She dies for this. The only question is if you die too.”

  Isolaund stood her ground, hands on her hips, head thrown back as she stared up at the much taller male. Her silvery hair rippled in the wind, the strands reaching her knees when not in a flurry about her. “I will deal with Certice. As you said, she betrayed us. Her life is forfeit.”

  Arrista’s heart lurched painfully, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Isolaund couldn’t mean it. She loved Certice.

  “Then get out of my way.” He ground out the threat as if his teeth were clenched.

  Certice spun around and growled, teeth flashing in the moonlight, armor fully flared. Her back was to her cubs now, but her body was positioned between them and their enemies like a living shield.

  “She is mine.” Isolaund’s voice was stronger now, more insistent. “I will do it.”

  “I want proof.”

  Isolaund’s voice shook as she said, “You’ll have it.”

  He hesitated, clearly not sure whether to believe her or not. “You have one hour, then I come for you!” He turned sharply and stomped away into the darkness.

  Holding tightly to her makeshift club, Arrista skirted the enclosure and emerged from the trees near the corner where the cubs lay separated from their mother by the fence. Certice whipped her head around as Arrista approach, but all she did was whine, then resume her defensive position in front of the cubs.

  Arrista positioned herself in front of Certice as Isolaund neared. Taking a deep breath, Arrista squared her shoulders and looked her ex-mistress right in the eyes. “I will not let you kill her.”

  Isolaund laughed, but it sounded hollow and sad. “You’re going to bash my head in with a stick.”

  “If I must.” She held the branch up at shoulder level, ready to swing if Isolaund left her no other option.

  “Where is all this bravado coming from? You must enjoy playing whore to the barbarians.”

  Anger and resentment surged through Arrista. She clenched her teeth and clutched the branch so tightly, her knuckles ached. “The only one I’ve ever played whore for is you.”

  Isolaund’s brows arched, then her eyes narrowed. “You will toss the branch aside and return with me now. Playtime is over.” Her voice snapped with authority, and she obviously expected to be obeyed.

  “The compulsion is gone, Isolaund.” It felt so damn good not to use her title. Arrista fought back a smile. “You no longer control me. I will never obey you again!”

  She actually looked surprised. “Well, that’s unfortunate. I don’t suppose you’ll tell me how you managed it?”

  Arrista ignored the question and said firmly, “Leave right now. I will not ask again.”

  Certice moved to Arrista’s side and reinforced the directive with a menacing growl.

  Isolaund rolled her eyes. “I’m not intimidated by your...stick.”

  “How about my guns?” Torrin stepped out of the shadows, both his blasters targeting Isolaund.

  Isolaund tossed back her cloak and widened her stance. She spread her arms out to either side of her body, and her hands began to glow as she said, “Bring it on, barbarian.”

  Before Torrin could react to the provocation, others emerged from the darkness. First Sara and Xorran, then Lily and a man with white-blond hair. More than likely her mate, Arton, the harbinger.

  Xorran and Arton, both armed as well, flanked Torrin as their mates walked over to Arrista. Tears burned in the back of her throat. It felt so good to be supported and protected, rather than used.

  “You’re a little outnumbered, bitch,” Torrin snapped. “Still want to play?”

  Isolaund lowered her arms with a frustrated snarl. “Another time, then.” And she briskly walked into the forest, head held high.

  Arrista turned around and knelt beside Certice, who was completely focused on her cubs again. “She’s gone. Your cubs are safe, and so are you.” She reached out but stopped just short of touching the armored battle cat, unsure of her reaction.

  It’s not safe yet. You must kill the Shadow. Without waiting for Arrista to reply, Certice got up and walked to the gate. Open, please.

  Sara obliged her, much to the consternation of the males.

  “Did we just adopt a full-grown battle cat?” Xorran asked, disbelief evident in every syllable.

  “She has nowhere else to go,” Sara objected.

  “If it wasn’t for Certice, we would have been blindsided by the Sarronti,” Arrista pointed out. “She is the only reason we know anything about the Shadow agents.” When no one argued, she asked, “Is he or she in custody?”

  “We know who he is, but he’s still at large,” Torrin told her. “We have to clear this with Kage.” He motioned toward Certice and her cubs.

  “I just updated him, and he reluctantly agreed,” the harbinger said. “Certice can stay.”

  “The cubs warned Sara about what was going on, but how did you two know?” It was probably rude to ask, but Arrista was feeling particularly brav
e after facing off with her ex-mistress.

  “I heard the cubs as well,” Arton told her. “Strong emotions always amplify telepathic communication.”

  Good to know. “Isolaund will be back, likely with Alonov. How do we protect them then?”

  “I’ll ask Kage to post guards around the enclosure,” Torrin told her. “Nothing will happen to your cats.”

  The other two couples returned to the Wheel long before Torrin was able to convince Arrista to leave. He told her about the attempted rescue and Torak’s clever idea of taking Farlo Alonov up to the Relentless. Arrista still insisted on staying until the guards arrived but finally ran out of excuses.

  “Are you sure they’ll be all right?” She sighed as he led her away from the enclosure.

  “They’ll be fine. Kage has engineers looking at ways to expand the shields to include the barracks, which will also protect the enclosure.”

  “But the Sarronti strike team got through the shield tonight,” she pointed out.

  “They didn’t get through it,” he stressed. “Sonters, the Shadow agent, took down a section and let them in. He also blocked communications which made it harder to respond to what was going on. We’ll make damn sure that doesn’t happen again.”

  “Like Certice said, no one is safe until they’re found.”

  “‘They’re?’ We’re pretty sure there is just one.”

  She shook her head. “It’s really unlikely that Certice managed to bite a person who had the exact skills needed to pull off the raid. You said Sonters is the Shadow agent. Was he bitten by a battle cat?”

  Torrin sighed. “It happened so fast, I didn’t think to ask.”

  “Can you ask Kage now?”

  “Sure. Hold on.” He lapsed into silence as he spoke with the overlord mind to mind, or actually com-bot to com-bot.

  Her com-bots weren’t networked with the others yet, so she couldn’t hear the conversation. However, his expression grew darker and darker, telling her she was right.

  “Damn it.” His expression cleared as he came back into the moment. “Sonters wasn’t bitten, so how the hells did he get infected?”

  “Shadow lenitas are like any other nanotechnology. They can be injected, ingested or absorbed through any mucus membrane. They are self-powered and self-replicating. That’s why they’re so dangerous.”