by Bevan Greer
“Yes. The legendary and nonexistent Cazeth invaded my lands and ravaged my people. They made slaves of everyone save myself and my sister,” Jace said, closing his eyes at the memories.
He could see his blond haired sister cursing their captors, could see her fall under a strong mental blast of fire that consumed her body until Jace could see nothing but that hated Orsan grinning down at him, mocking his helplessness.
Jace opened his eyes and ignored the pain consuming him. Instead he found Naria’s soft purple gaze holding him, seeking to give him a measure’s peace. “I escaped. And I planned. For over a decade I have been building my strength and looking for answers to defeat this hated enemy.” His gaze turned to Naria and he smiled, his eyes dark with hatred as he thought of his enemy.
“And I have finally found an ally that can help me to defeat them,” Jace said quietly. All eyes turned to Naria as he continued. “Naria and Carinna are sisters. They are half demons from Dark World, and my invited guests on board this ship.”
Instead of looking surprised, his crew merely nodded.
“Told you,” Koneru said to Mikhel and waited while the Fenturi grumbled, placing a few beks in his palm.
“You knew?” Naria asked in confusion.
“Knew you weren’t from Seven, and that’s a fact,” Castor muttered. “But there’s more, Jace,” Castor urged him to continue. That said, everyone again turned to Jace.
“Yes, well,” Jace felt uncomfortable. “Naria and Carinna are Dark Worlders, rather, were Dark Worlders,” he said and received a gratified smile for his thoughtful words. “And I am a Psi.”
Naria and Castor already knew, but the rest of his audience stared at him in awe. Jace paced feeling like a creature at a zoo, something to be stared at and even frightened of.
“A Psi?” Mikhel scoffed and leaned back against the wall. “Prove it.”
Castor frowned but Jace smiled. Trust Mikhel to demand proof. Jace stared at Mikhel and blinked as he saw some of Mikhel’s earlier memories of the night before. Jace thrust the memories back into Mikhel’s mind’s eye, holding them there while he spoke into Mikhel’s mind quietly.
“Holy five Hels!” Mikhel swore and straightened in astonishment. “How did you do that?”
“That would have been my question,” Jace answered him sardonically. “Five women, Mikhel? Really…”
Mikhel flushed. “That’s not the point. How could you not have told us that you are a Psi?”
Jace shrugged. “You didn’t need to know before. But now, well, I’m set on this course of action that must be taken. Mystique is falling,” he began, only to be interrupted this time by Koneru.
“Mystique? That planet does not exist,” he said emphatically.
“No? Tell it to my people the Psi,” Jace replied.
“Thirteen Nearworlds?” Koneru shook his head.
“Really?” Naria asked. “On Dark World we know much of the System and its inhabitants. But even I did not know that Mystique was real.”
“It’s real enough,” Jace said grimly. “And has been under Cazeth control for ten years. Orsan, that miserable slime, has my people in his clutches.”
“Orsan?” Naria asked weakly. “You did say Orsan, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Jace answered warily.
“He escaped from Dark World many years ago,” Carinna answered him. “He in fact killed the Lord of the prison, enabling our father to take over.”
“Your father?” Jace asked and stared from Carinna to Naria, seeing the apologetic look in Naria’s eyes.
“Lord Demise,” Carinna said, looking from Naria to Jace. “I thought you knew.”
The others stared at Naria and Carinna in amazement, Mikhel the only one appearing confused.
“Lord Demise is your father?” Jace asked through clenched teeth. Hadn’t Naria agreed to tell him the truth from now on?
“Yes,” Naria sighed. “And I have to tell you, Jace, that if you want to defeat the Cazeth, having Father on your side definitely wouldn’t hurt.” At her words a cacophony of ‘no’s’ burst out.
“Absolutely not,” Castor denied.
“No way in hel,” Koneru said at the same time.
“Over my dead body,” came a growl from Nesham.
“Naria.” Jace gave her a look that promised they would speak more later. “Gentlemen,” Jace said loudly to recapture his crews’ attention. “The reason I have finally explained all of this to you is that the time is at hand to stop the Cazeth. I can’t, in good conscience, take any of you with me.”
He held up a hand to stop Castor’s immediate protest.
“No, I won’t take you men into a battle where it is almost a fact that many of you will die.”
“By the Stars, you can’t stop me,” Castor said baring his teeth.
“Nor me,” Koneru stood suddenly, hulking over Jace.
“I’m not giving up a good fight.” Nesham shook his head.
“And you’ve no one better in a fight than me,” Mikhel added, ignoring the frowns thrown his way. “Well, it’s true,” he said humbly. “Besides, Jace. You owe me for not killing you when I had you prisoner on Fentra.”
“That’s planet Fenby now, you Fenturi rebel,” Castor said glaring at Mikhel.
“The point is,” Jace bellowed. “I don’t want to see any of you hurt at my expense.”
“Jace,” Naria said suddenly. “They are your family. Surely you wouldn’t abandon Castor or Koneru if they needed you. And look at what you did for Mikhel,” she said softly.
“What does she mean?” Mikhel asked.
Jace flushed and the crew stared at him in awed surprise. “That’s not the point,” he grumbled.
“That’s exactly the point,” Castor interrupted. “And that’s why I won’t let you go into battle without me.”
“The same goes for the rest of us,” Koneru added in a deep voice.
Jace closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Don’t think about it, Jace,” Naria warned. “You won’t manipulate anyone’s mind while I’m here,” she said firmly.
The others stared in astonishment at Jace, then smiled as Naria’s words penetrated.
“Stars, you can really do that can’t you?” Nesham asked sounding impressed.
“Okay,” Jace said, shaking his head. “Fine. But I warned you what was coming,” he said and left the room in a hurried stride.
Everyone watched him leave and stood for a moment in silence, pondering everything they had been told.
“Naria,” Castor said finally, “tell us about the Cazeth, everything you told our young hotheaded captain.”
-16-
“My lord, the party has returned,” Ceck said quietly to Lord Demise.
Devel Keep Krital stared suspiciously at the two in silent conference but said nothing. Master had expressly forbidden him to attempt an overthrow of Demise while this hunt continued, an order Demise was no doubt aware of.
“Ah, Krital, you seem so uncomfortable,” Demise said smoothly, his dark eyes flashing in humor and suppressed excitement. It wouldn’t do to have Krital learning of his daughter’s whereabouts. He waved Ceck away. I’ll join you for a full report as soon as I lose this devel. He watched as Ceck bowed and left the room.
“I would rather be visiting the lovely Xeche or even one of your irresistible daughters than standing here with you,” Krital smiled, the bite of his insult clear. Demise clenched his teeth. As if a demon would ever lie willingly with a devel!
“Yes, well, Ceck has brought me some news,” Demise began slowly. “Apparently the SpaceStalker has been seen in the vicinity of Yanvi,” Demise said blandly. Actually, the ship had passed Yanvi a few days past and had only now left Vembi. But keeping Krital occupied might give him a chance to confront his daughter sooner than later.
“Yanvi, you say?” Krital asked quickly, his eyes staring holes into Demise’s carefully constructed front.
“Yes, but nothing to get our hopes up abou
t just yet.”
“You’ve sent your demons to Yanvi, haven’t you?” Krital asked in furious tone.
“No, not exactly,” Demise said allowing a hint of unease to show in his eyes. He flashed it very briefly. No need to let Krital know it was all an act.
“Master will hear about this,” Krital said coldly and fled the room, his large cape swirling like the red anger in his eyes swirled in the dark abyss of his emotions.
Demise sighed his relief as Krital finally left. He hastened into his private chambers only to find Ceck pacing in frustration, waiting for him.
“My lord,” Ceck said in relief as Demise entered. “They are not far from Vembi. If we move hastily we can intercept them before they land on another world again.”
“Do we know where they are headed?” Demise asked.
Ceck shook his head. “No, my lord. We only know that both Carinna and Naria are on board and apparently not harmed.” Ceck coughed into his large claw and looked at the floor.
“Ceck?”
“Apparently Carinna has taken up with a Fenturi.”
“An Offworlder?” Demise asked in astonishment. He recalled that his daughter had dallied with an Incubus not a few years past and had been pleased. But to mate with an Offworlder? Then his fears grew as he thought of Naria.
“We are not sure of Naria, sire.”
“Come,” Demise said darkly, his wings fluttering and shaking with displeasure as they left the chamber. “I go with you on this next venture.”
Naria sighed as she rolled over on the bed to find it empty. Jace had been avoiding everyone since he’d explained his grand plan the night prior. She could feel in her growing heart that though he dearly wanted the companionship and the support of his crew, he feared losing them to the Cazeth, and with good reason.
The Cazeth, though shaped like men, had black voids where their eyes should have been and red wings of flame. They saw nothing save the potential disorder and chaos that they might cause around them. They had been spawned in Wern, the chaos moon of Dark World. And for a time after they had escaped Wern, they had been successfully imprisoned on Lysst.
Then Orsan had joined them on Lysst and days later the small party of Cazeth had disappeared, lost in space. Hundreds of Searchers had been sent to bring them back. And yet those that returned saw nothing of them. Other lost Searchers had been presumed dead, for no Dark Worlder could live long separated from Dark World. The planet protested its inhabitants’ departures, creating a longing so intense that death would indeed be preferable to a life without Dark World.
Yet the pull did not affect all of its natives, true blood or not. Carinna and Naria, for example, had no urge to return. And the Cazeth, in their thirst for power and dominion, had settled on Mystique in contentment.
Naria wondered how Jace had been so patient as to spend the past ten years building his strength in preparation for a coming battle. She frowned. As strong as he no doubt was, he might be able to defeat Orsan alone. But with the other Cazeth present? He would not be able to defeat all of them.
An idea had been forming in her mind for some time since she had learned of Jace’s plan to fight the Cazeth. However, she knew it would take every ounce of courage she possessed to go through with it. She sighed and thought about her life, and about Jace.
She had not known him long, but the time she had spent with him had been magical. Perhaps she confused the glorious feeling of freedom with her feelings for him? She shook her head. No. Her feelings for Jace had nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with that elusive feeling of love that she had been searching for her entire life.
He cared for her, accepted her, even as he had been imprisoned and tortured by her father. She grimaced at the thought of that conversation. He had not yet approached her about her slight lapse in explaining her connection to Lord Demise.
Naria placed her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling in Jace’s room. What to do… She could ignore Jace’s plight and go with him into sure death, spending her remaining time in this life as happy as she could be at his side. Or, she could relinquish her freedom and do something that might save his people and ensure his victory, and his life.
She felt her eyes pool at thoughts of losing Jace to the Cazeth. And at the same time, she acknowledged that she had never really had Jace to lose him. Whereas she felt sure that she loved him, he had never said or given her any reason to suspect that he felt such feelings for her.
Naria sniffled and wiped at her tears. Feeling sorry for herself would not help Jace or his crew. And what of Carinna, she asked herself? Her sister had not been this happy in her entire life. Naria had seen the loving looks her sister shot Nesham, had seen the Fenturi return them to her sister as often.
That made her smile. Carinna might not have wanted to admit it, but Dark World didn’t suit her. Nesham, however, did. Naria could envision Carinna with child, Nesham loving and laughing with her on a mystical planet. Naria blinked, the vision so real that for a moment she had thought it the truth.
No, she couldn’t abandon her sister’s future now. Naria grimaced. If only she could have said one final good-bye to Jace, had one final moment to love him. But he needed space, she knew.
She quickly dressed in her old clothing, grimacing at the black cloak and dress she donned. Then she concentrated and became a Wraith. She floated through the doors and headed towards the shuttle. She noted everyone sitting together in the galley save Jace and Koneru. She found Koneru sitting in the control room, Jace sitting by himself in his study, pondering the stars.
As she entered through the closed door, she watched him sadly. She loved him more than she thought possible and would miss him terribly. But she could help him. He had given her a wonderful time free of the darkness of her world. She could do no less than give him that same light of freedom.
He turned and stilled, sensing her presence so she quickly left. Then she sailed down the corridor and down the stairs. She glided into the shuttle and quickly released the craft into space. Once away from the SpaceStalker, she shut off all communications and shot quickly away from the ship.
Father, she broadcast loudly. I am here.
“Jace?” Koneru said urgently at his doorway. Jace turned and studied the Rovi with a small frown. He had been vaguely uneasy lately. “The shuttle’s gone.”
“What?” Jace asked in surprise, not expecting to hear that.
“And I can’t find a trace of Naria on board.”
Jace jumped to action, running to his room on winged feet. He cursed upon entering and hurriedly joined the others sitting in the galley. No one looked upset and Carinna seemed oblivious to anything as she listened to Nesham and Mikhel speaking about the Fenturi.
“Carinna?” Jace asked harshly. She turned her startled gaze to him and everyone fell silent. “Where is your sister?”
“She’s,” Carinna paused and looked inward. “Oh, Stars!” she said and stood quickly. “She’s left the ship!”
“But why? What’s she after?” Nesham asked in confusion.
“Oh, no,” Carinna said fearfully, her gaze drawn to Jace’s worried face. “She’s called for Father.”
“What does she think she’s doing?” Jace cursed and shouted. “She doesn’t want to return to Dark World, does she?”
Castor suddenly spoke. “Jace? She did mention yesterday that her father could help you with the Cazeth.”
“Aye, she did,” Mikhel murmured.
Then Carinna cringed as she heard what Jace did. She stared at him in astonishment before she explained to everyone, “Father is here and he’s got Naria. And he’s not happy,” she said in a soft voice before she burst into tears.
Nesham gathered her into his arms to comfort her while Jace glared out the window of the galley into the darkness of space. He stormed out of the room with Castor and Koneru hard on his heels. He entered the control room and immediately set to track the shuttle.
“Well, Captain? What now?” Castor asked,
his arms crossed as he regarded Jace.
“Now we find that dark haired demon so I can shake this nonsense out of her,” Jace muttered angrily.
Koneru nodded. “Right.”
“Naria.” Lord Demise shook his head as he stared at Naria. She could see his relief replaced quickly with anger. She grimaced as she saw his wings flare, taking up most of the space inside the small shuttle. Behind him stood Ceck and two other Thirst demons. They looked uncomfortable but Naria didn’t feel any sympathy for them. They should have stayed on Dark World and let her be free.
“Father,” Naria said softly and looked away from his angry gaze to stare at the floor. The dark ship he and the demons had been traveling in lay docked to the shuttle. He had appeared just moments after she had broadcast her message, surprising her with his rapid response.
“I am very disappointed in you, Naria,” he said with a glare. “Ceck, take the others back to the ship. I need have a few words with Naria,” he ordered. Once the ship had cleared, he turned seething black eyes back on Naria.
“You seem no worse for wear,” he said softly. Then his eyes flared with flames and Naria backed away warily. He grabbed hold of her arms in his large claws, clutching her to him tightly.
Surprised, Naria felt him hug her to his chest before he set her apart from him. By the Stars, she thought, he had been worried!
“Don’t ever do that again, Naria,” he said as he paced in front of her. “Not only did you take hundreds of years from life, but you have Master very displeased with you and your sister.”
Naria swallowed audibly. Master was a creature to be feared. She had met him but once and once had been enough.
“Now where is your sister? And more to the point, why and how did you leave? Were you captured? Or did you, as is thought, help those Offworlders,” he said in distaste, “escape?”
“Father,” Naria began, running a weary hand through her thick hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just don’t belong on Dark World.”
