A Blue Star Rising

by Cecilia Randell

  “What?” The back of his hand throbbed where she’d scratched him.

  “I’ve got Sarah here at the apartment. Mika was with Petyr a little before he had his last seizure. And he was trying to tell Sarah something about the university and art and—”

  “Slow down. Back up.”

  Blue took a breath, and Forrest could imagine the scene. Her hair would be a little mussed, her eyes a little wide and absent as she gathered her thoughts. Then she started, filling him in on Annaliese’s disappearance, her own suspicions, and Sarah’s identification of Mika.

  “It’s thin,” he said when she finished. Vivi had come up to him and leaned against his leg, offering support.

  “I know.” There was a soft laugh. “I may have panicked.”

  “Just a little.”

  “But the real worry is Annaliese.”

  “Short of plastering her picture all over the university, I don’t know what we could do.”

  “And it’s not like we could just walk up to Mika and ask, ‘Hey, are you the one selling drugs because I’ve got this not-friend who’s missing and we think you’re involved.’”

  Forrest grinned. Damn he loved that humor. “No, but she did ask us out for tomorrow. Maybe we could steer the conversation or she’ll let something slip.”

  “And in the meantime, I’m sure Mo’ata will know how else we can look.”

  “Send me her picture? I can keep an eye out and ask around discretely for a little bit, at least until I need to meet up with Levi.” It was the only thing he could think to do. Investigator he was not. “And, pixie, we’ll get this figured out, okay? Is there anyone else there besides Sarah?”

  “Felix. And Duri.”

  He heaved a sigh of relief. The mercenary was a mess when it came to dealing with his feelings for Blue—though he seemed to be dealing with things better after the blowup with Trevon—but surely he could get the right people looking for the missing girl. And Blue was protected. He wondered how long it would be before she finally put her foot down about the protection detail.

  Maybe he should cancel his plans with Levi. But Blue had Felix with her, which meant she was safe. As much as Forrest wanted the missing girl found, he would be just as useless sitting at the apartment as he would be running this errand.

  And it was something that needed to happen.

  “Good,” he finally said. He hoped he wasn’t making the wrong choice. “Send me that picture. I’ll start asking around. Discretely. I’ll be back at the apartment in about two hours.”

  “M’kay. Love you.”

  Forrest glanced at the screen. She’d hung up before he could reply. Probably didn’t want to hear another round of “I know.” He really should stop doing that, but… every time he said it she laughed.

  “Everything all right?” Matti came up to his side.

  “Yeah. Blue just got some bad news. A friend went missing today, or at least they can’t get a hold of her.” Shadows had lengthened and overtaken the courtyard in the same time he’d been talking to Blue. The gray of the stone buildings had turned to slate, the recessed doorways to pools of ink that could hide who knew what dangers.

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  Forrest’s comm pinged. It was the picture of Annaliese. The girl was somber, with short brown hair and a sag to her shoulders. “Do you know her?”

  Matti cocked his head. “Maybe? I feel like I’ve seen her before, maybe at a gathering? Wish I could be more help.” He pulled out his own comm and nudged it against Forrest’s. “Forward it to me. I’ll ask around. If I hear anything, I’ll send it on to the city guard.”

  “I appreciate it.” Forrest shook the feelings off. He was being overly dramatic. Scratching the back of his hand, he scanned faces as they went by, looking for Mika or Annaliese, or anyone else he recognized.

  There was no one else. And he needed to get going.

  He pulled Vivi’s harness from his bag and crouched, holding it out for her to step into. She did, each movement of her not-so-little paws a study in sulky defiance. “Stop that,” he said. “You’re like a five-year-old who doesn’t want to go to bed, so she takes as long as she can walking up the stairs.” The words were crooned. He couldn’t help it.

  I am going to make the worst father ever, if we ever get there. And I am getting way ahead of myself.

  They hadn’t even talked about things like that yet, and he knew if he brought it up, Blue would go into overwhelm, trying to plan for the eventual perfect time to plan for the eventuality. She was a bulldozer, yes, but the cheerful was a little strained these days.

  She was plowing through everything, though. She’d brought in Levi and was working on Felix. She was waking up before the sun to continue her training and doing even more after school. She was working the data collected for the investigation on top of her own school work—and the school work was what suffered. And she had yet to confront the invitation from her family. It was all going to catch up to her soon.

  Forrest adjusted a strap at Vivi’s shoulder, fastened the harness in place, and stood, the leash wrapped around his wrist. “See you in a couple days. I’ll work on a general design for the glass.”

  “And I’ll see what I can find on the glass itself. They haven’t made it in three-hundred years.”

  “Are we going to have to make our own?” Forrest wasn’t sure if that was eagerness or apprehension that sounded in his voice. Probably both, if his expression was anything like Matti’s.

  “I know someone who can help. But let me see what I can find first.”

  “Right.” Forrest shook his head and set off.

  Levi would be waiting, and this was an errand he was most eager to get to.

  The transport took him to one of the smaller shopping districts, just north of the university. The buildings were stone, like most of the city, but brighter, like they’d just been power-washed or sandblasted clean. The shops were lined with shallow planters that sported colorful blooms even in early winter, and the plexi windows were clear of any splatters or, hell, specks of dust. Shoppers and proprietors both wore clothes made of bright, rich fabrics or delicate lace. Not a pair of jeans in sight. Of course, jeans weren’t the norm in Karran; they were an Earth fashion.

  He felt out of place in his paint-splattered boots, ragged-edged jeans, and plain coat. Then he spotted Levi, still in his Order uniform, on the corner. He, too, looked around like maybe he shouldn’t be there. The relief on the Prizzoli’s face when he spotted Forrest was so pronounced it started a laugh from the younger man.

  “Maybe we should find another shop?” Forrest asked as he approached.

  Levi eyed a middle-aged woman who brushed past him with what looked like a colorful lizard perched on her head. “No. Mo’ata said this was the best shop. I want something… permanent.”

  “You sure?” Forrest had been given a role in the prida, and he intended to do it to the best of his ability. “We do this and show Blue, and if you change your mind later…?”

  Levi jerked his head back. “I will not be changing my mind. I know it is just a ring, and can be easily removed, but it is also a symbol, one she will understand. I would not do this unless I was sure.” He blinked rapidly and looked away. “Before his death, Elder Shinzu once told me to reevaluate my purpose. This point has been long coming, Forrest. I am already bound to her. Now I just acquire a piece of metal to show her that I am.”

  Forrest knew what he meant. But for him this was more than something to show Blue. This was for him as well. He wanted to be able to slip that ring on and say, “Hah! Look at that, world!”

  They turned together and eyed the shop door just behind them. Scrolling gold script proclaimed them to be at Gordian’s, the premier jewelers of Tremmir.

  There were a few patrons scattered through the shop, gazing down into display cases or examining a piece of jewelry in small mirrors scattered through the store. An older gentleman, his suit a somber charcoal, with hair and eyes to match, studied them
for a moment before approaching with a welcoming smile. “Sirs. I am Damon Gordian. How may I help you?”

  Forrest blew out a sigh of relief. He’d half expected to get kicked out of the store. But Mo’ata had sent them to this place for a reason. The proprietor wasn’t a dick.

  “We’re looking for some rings. Um, wedding rings.” Forrest said, exchanging a look with and Levi. “Now that I’m here, I’m not exactly sure how to describe it.”

  The shopkeeper’s smile went from welcoming to wry. “I am not familiar with a ‘wedding ring,’ but I know that a joining can be a nervous experience for any young man, especially if you are taking a less traditional route.” He gestured to a small seating area toward the rear of the shop. “Please, why don’t you come with me, and we will discuss how I may be of assistance in this exciting and, yes, overwhelming time.”

  It took Forrest a moment to wade through all those words. Then his eyes widened. “Oh. We’re not—” He shook his head and gestured to Levi. “No. I need four rings.”

  And now it was the shopkeeper’s turn to stare. “Oh,” he finally said. “Again, I am sure I can accommodate whatever it is you need.”

  Forrest snorted. Oh, this conversation was going to the shitter in a hurry. Vivi chirped up at him, sounding for all the world like she was laughing. Then her eyes went back to tracking all the shiny and reflective toys scattered through this new playroom. Again, he couldn’t be sure if it was his thought or her own. “Behave,” he admonished the cub.

  She grumbled but didn’t go after the yellow jewel that had caught her eye. That it was around the neck of a woman who also wore a spray of feathers on her head made it all the more tempting…

  “I believe we had better explain fully,” Levi interjected. Then he headed for the cushioned chairs Damon had indicated.

  After they’d removed their coats and been seated, Forrest let Levi give the explanations for their relationship with Blue, only jumping in when it came time to describe the tradition of the rings in Earth culture.

  Damon smiled widely. “I believe I understand now. Your wife has a ring to show your love of her and that she is ‘taken,’ but you do not yet. But should she not be here to pick them out?”

  Levi and Forrest exchanged a look. Would Blue have wanted to pick them out? “We had wanted to surprise her, but maybe you’re right,” Forrest said.

  “I do not know if she would have thought to do it for anyone but you,” Levi said to Forrest. “It is only an Earth custom, after all. And if she was unsure of the others’ reactions, she may not have wanted to single you out as the only man receiving a ring.” He turned back to the shop proprietor. “No, we will pick out and order rings today.”

  The man bowed his head in an echo of Padilrian customs. “I will return momentarily with a selection. As you are wanting them to all match, it will need to be a custom order. But we can get the details settled today.”

  Levi inclined his head in a shallow bow from his seat, and Damon hurried off, a slight spring to his step. Forrest just hoped the man didn’t try to sell them the most expensive pieces in the store. He scratched again at the back of his hand.

  “What happened?”

  Forrest finally looked at his hand. A scratch stood out along the back of it, angry red glaring up at him, a faint black spot at the base of the mark. “Mika lost her balance. I caught her hand, but she gripped me wrong. Scratched me with her nails. She must have had something under them from whatever project she was working on. I’ll get it cleaned up when we get home.”

  Levi nodded and didn’t say anything else.

  Forrest tapped his fingers on the edge of the chair’s arm. “When did you know? With Blue, I mean.”

  “Know or decide? They are two different things.”

  “I suppose they are. Both?”

  “I always knew I felt something for her, but I did not allow myself to dwell upon it. I couldn’t. Protectiveness, at least, for the girl I rescued in an alley.” He paused, gaze trained on the curtain through which Damon had disappeared. “I will tell you what I told Blue. I am not sure I understand love or what it is supposed to be. And she responded with something I think is the crux—when you can’t imagine life without the other person.” He focused on Forrest. “I can imagine my life without her, or you or the others. But I do not want to. What I see is empty and colorless, the nightmare of the Prizzoli.

  “So, when did I know? When I stepped away from my brothers in the village and helped Phillip escape. When I trusted her over my own instincts and people. When did I decide? The night before we all left Padilra, when I imagined my life without her, and it was misery.”

  Forrest and Vivi stared at the other man with wide eyes. “Damn. Where did all those words come from?” It was the only thing he could think to say.

  Levi grinned, his teeth flashing white, then sobered. “Blue is convinced that I need more time to decide exactly what I want, despite all we have shared so far and the words we have exchanged. Says I have not experienced enough of the worlds. Says I need time. I think she has not yet realized that some decisions take time, and others…”

  “Are made in an instant.”

  Levi nodded. “Yes, you understand.”

  Damon returned then with a small plexi-topped case. Inside, resting against deep red velvet, was a selection of rings. He pulled a small stand from against the wall and placed the case on top, angling it so Forrest and Levi had a clear view of the contents.

  One in particular caught Forrest’s eye. The band was thick, and set in the middle was a modest-sized stone in a deep red. Along the band were gentle sweeps of curved lines in an abstract zig-zag. Graceful yet still masculine. It called to the artist in him.

  Levi tapped the plexi, right over the one he’d been contemplating. “Is it possible to get something similar but with a slightly smaller blue stone?”

  Forrest tilted his head. Yes, the red stone didn’t overwhelm the band, exactly, but it was a little flashy.

  Damon’s eyes lit up. “I may have just the thing.” Then he was gone, a new spring to his step. When he returned moments later, he held a tray, also lined in velvet, this time a light silver. And in the tray were eight blue stones. “I’ve had these for quite a while now. Sapphires are extremely rare here in Karran. I occasionally get some in from… other places.”

  Forrest grinned at him. “I won’t care if you say what you’re thinking.” “Other places” was, of course, a closed world.

  Damon returned the grin, the expression out of place on that dignified face, then cut his gaze to Levi’s uniform. “Maybe not, but I do have some discretion. Now, these stones were part of a shipment from years ago, but they were too small for the piece that had been commissioned. The fashions right now are a bit… flashier than what I could do with them, so I’ve been holding on to them for something special, sure it would come along.”

  “I’m not sure we’ll need eight,” Forrest said. Damn, he hoped they didn’t eventually need eight. They’d have to find a whole new apartment or a damned estate or something, and then he’d never get any good time with Blue.

  “That is fine,” Damon said, breaking into his musings. “I will sell them to you as a package, at cost of course, and will hold on to the others until you need them. Or decide what you may do with them.” Unlocking the ring case with his thumbprint, he pulled out the ring they’d been looking at and turned it around so the red stone didn’t show. Then, using a pair of tiny grippers he’d pulled from somewhere, he held one of the stones against the band.

  “It works very well. And she will like the pattern, I think,” Levi said with a nod.

  “Do you?” Forrest asked. He knew he did, and Mo’ata and Felix would probably not mind it, even if they didn’t like it, but it occurred to him that Levi was still discovering what he did and didn’t enjoy.

  “Very much so. It reminds me of the mountains and the gentle curve of plains.”

  Forrest tilted his head. He could see that. “Like we said, we’l
l need four.”

  “Very well. I’ll get my assistant to take your finger measurements. I’ll need the other two men to stop in to be sized as well, or if you can get an accurate circumference of both the knuckle and the base of the finger, we can figure it out from there. Whichever works best for everyone.” Damon straightened and took a step away.

  Mo’ata hadn’t given him a limit for this, but it was still something he should clear before anyone started on the order. “Wait,” Forrest said. “Price?” Or was this one of those shops where if you had to ask, you couldn’t afford it.

  Damon gave him an understanding smile. “I will have the assistant bring that as well. We will not begin until we have measurements for the other two gentlemen, so if the cost is not acceptable, simply tell us.”

  Forrest swallowed, feeling about two inches tall despite the man’s smile. “Okay. That will work.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you, Damon.”

  The proprietor of the shop bowed. “You are very welcome, young sir.”

  A few minutes later an older woman, her face round and hair pulled back tightly, bustled up to them. She held out a slip of paper, and Forrest took it, sliding it into his pocket to look at later. Then she measured their fingers, base and knuckle just as Damon had described, scribbling the measurements in a small notebook. After that, she pulled out a small device and scanned their hands.

  “Why both?” Levi asked.

  “Some things are better done the old way. But we use the scan to verify, just in case. Sometimes a ring will need a slight adjustment to slip over the knuckle or a there will be a bend in the finger that is difficult to size correctly.” She tucked the scanner away and flipped her little notebook closed, then fixed her eyes on the two of them. “Bet he said I was his assistant, didn’t he?”

  Vivi cautiously approached the woman, sniffing at her skirts.

  “Uh, yes, ma’am.” Forrest realized this woman was not just an assistant.

  She snorted. “Forty years together, and I’m still his assistant.” She shook her head, but Forrest heard the suppressed amusement. “You get these rings. I told him he’d better make sure you could, so I expect that price to be very reasonable. I’m sure between the four of you, you can cut back a little here and there to do this for your girl.” Then she hmphed, spun, and was gone off to behind the counter.