Within Ash and Stardust

by Chani Lynn Feener

  Fawna and Sanzie had already started on this, working while the rest of them tried to figure out how to help the Zane.

  “Depends on what kind of ship he took,” Ruckus answered. “I didn’t get a great look at the model. K-20 series, that’s all I know for sure.”

  “Could have taken a K-24 ship,” one of the Tellers suggested. She thought his name might have been Julius, but she hadn’t been paying much attention when they’d been introduced. “They’re fast, but inconspicuous.”

  “He needed to be there by tonight,” she reminded them.

  “If he’d taken a K-26, he could be there now, depending on what time he left,” one of the other Tellers, Shellus, told her.

  Great. Basically they had no idea where Trystan might be, and no way of getting ahold of him to warn him. Why did it always feel like she was juggling the aliens around her? Trying to find one, or save another? Why couldn’t they all just stay put and get along and—

  She cut that train of thought, realizing how stupid she sounded. And how ridiculous she was presently being. Trystan was a big boy. He could more than take care of himself, and freaking out about what might happen wasn’t going to be useful to anyone. She’d just gotten Tilda to agree to help them, which meant there were about a dozen other things they could be discussing right now.

  But the Zane was still more important than any of it.

  She sighed, ignoring how doing so drew Ruckus’s attention, and closed her eyes. Tipping her head back, she gave herself a moment to think and calm her racing heart.

  “How positive are we the Rex knows the truth?” Julius asked, and though he was directing the question to Tilda and Ruckus, Delaney replied.

  “Pretty positive. If someone from Carnage had the information, they had to have gathered it from a source who’d already delivered the news to the Rex. He found out somehow. Had probably sent another team after the Rue before Trystan even called him.”

  It would be just like the Rex, to lie to his son and give him a false sense of security. Of course he’d let Trystan believe that he was willing to wait a day before seeing him.

  “Rantan might have had some protocol to follow that we weren’t aware of,” Ruckus said. “Something we missed.”

  “Either way, the Rex knows, which means Trystan is walking into a trap.” She paused. “Or is already in the middle of one.”

  Delaney glanced out the window and saw that it was late in the afternoon, nearing dark. By the time Tilda had tracked down these three Tellers, and filled them in, so much time had passed. A whole day, gone, and they had little to show for it and another issue to add to the growing list of things she wanted to scream about.

  “If he can find proof to expose his father,” Ruckus pointed out, “his risk will be worth it.”

  “And if he doesn’t?” Tilda posed the question everyone was thinking. When no one immediately said anything, she set a pointed look on Delaney. “As much as you dislike it, there’s nothing we can do until we hear from either the Zane, or his father. Our best option is to proceed with what we do know to be fact. We need to find a link between the Rex and the Tars.

  * * *

  “I CAN HAVE the research delivered to you, back in the rooms,” Tilda continued, pulling open a drawer to remove a shing. She fiddled with it for a moment and then turned it around and held it out toward Delaney. “If you could press your palm to the center, please.”

  She frowned, but did as asked, holding her hand there until the device beeped. She watched as the Basilissa clicked away at the screen for a few more seconds, and then took it once Tilda passed it back over.

  “I trust the Ander can teach you how to use it,” Tilda said, and waved at Ruckus. “It’s fairly simple. The digital research files should be sent to you within the next fifteen minutes. I’m not sure if you’ll find anything useful, but you might. I’ll have the Tellers here retrieve any paper documents in the Ander’s office. Go over them, and we can reconvene tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to reach the Zane, as well as attempt to gather more information myself.”

  “If you were the Rex,” Delaney prompted, “how would you do it? He knows Olena is dead, and therefore his hold over Vakar is in jeopardy. If you were him, how would you ensure you didn’t lose control?”

  Tilda stared at her a moment and then pulled back. There was a glimmer in her eyes that briefly reminded Delaney of the look Trystan got when he was scheming.

  It wasn’t like she’d gone into this trusting the Basilissa—she hadn’t. After everything that had happened during her time here, Delaney knew better. But she was counting on Tilda’s anger over Olena, and her pride at wanting to keep her kingdom, to override any negative emotions she may or may not feel toward Delaney herself. Negative emotions she didn’t even have a reason to feel, considering it was partially her fault Delaney had been pulled into this in the first place.

  “He’s yet to contact me directly about my daughter’s death,” she began. “My best guess is he’s preparing a lie, coming up with a way to put the news to me where the blame is placed solely on an outside force. Initially, I would have said you, but seeing as how everyone seems to believe you died out there as well, it’s probably going to be the Ander. Turn me against my own, promise to help me get justice for my daughter…” She lifted a single delicate shoulder. “That’s how I would do it, in any case. We’ll have to wait and see how the Rex chooses to handle it.”

  “Do you think we’ll be waiting long?”

  “There’s really no way to tell.”

  “If we don’t hear from him soon, you’ll have to reach out to him. We can’t stay in the dark forever,” Ruckus said, causing the Basilissa to lift a brow.

  “Oh, will I?” She clearly wasn’t pleased.

  Delaney jumped in before things could get ugly. “Yes. We don’t have time for postulating. We’re all on the same team here.”

  “But some of us still hold higher stations than others,” Tilda reminded them coolly. “Don’t forget how this all ends, Miss Grace.”

  Ruckus sent her a questioning look, but she pretended not to notice. When and how she told him about the deal she made was her business. It was a decision she got to make. The Basilissa couldn’t take that from her.

  So, instead of clarifying, she crossed her arms and turned to the three Tellers who still hovered on the sidelines, quietly watching.

  “You two are going to get the rest of the files, while Julius helps us go through the digital information.”

  “I’ll let Fawna know to send any information she retrieves from our allies to my shing,” Ruckus said. “I think it’s best that she still remain with the ship.”

  “Already planning another speedy exit, Ander?” Tilda canted her head, watching him coyly.

  The reaction was a bit surprising to Delaney. Could the Basilissa be upset that he’d chosen to go on his denzeration last minute? It made sense. He’d been the only one capable of controlling her daughter—for the most part—and he’d left to follow Delaney to Earth.

  “Just trying to be prepared, Basilissa,” he replied curtly.

  “To get the Lissa away, should anything happen.”

  It wasn’t a question, but he answered anyway, straight-faced and pointedly. “Yes. She’s my top priority. If a threat were to arise, I’d do everything in my power, limited as that may be considering I’m only an Ander, to get her to safety.”

  “Hmm.” It was impossible to tell if Tilda was annoyed by that statement. She wasn’t pleased, in any case. “How times have changed.”

  CHAPTER 16

  They’d parked the ship in the hangar, not bothering with subtlety since they were in an unmarked vessel that couldn’t be traced back to him.

  Of course, if his father’s spies did take the time to investigate, it’d be simple enough for them to discover Trystan as he strolled through the palace with the Sutter close on his heels. They’d been met at the doors by a set of Vakar Tellers who’d taken one look at him a
nd bowed their heads.

  His father must not have labeled him a traitor yet, since they’d taken him to the Basilissa without hesitation once he’d ordered it. He’d been counting on the Rex being reluctant to admit his own son had betrayed him.

  Tilda was in the middle of a meal, seated at the long table, in the same room where they’d once had breakfast with Delaney. Only, this time she was alone.

  Trystan glanced at the empty place mats in front of all the other chairs, unable to stop the stray thought that it was sort of sad. Dwelling on that meant dealing with the fact he’d had a hand in her misery, so he dashed those thoughts away and straightened his spine.

  “Where’s Delaney?”

  The Basilissa lifted a brow at his tone, slowly easing the utensil she’d been eating with down onto the table.

  “She’s currently unavailable, searching for information with the Ander,” Tilda said.

  He was in no mood for this.

  “Let me make myself perfectly clear,” he growled threateningly. “If you do not bring me to her right now, I’m—”

  The doors at the left opened suddenly and there she was.

  Trystan was already moving toward her before she’d even fully entered the room, sweeping her up into his arms. He pulled her off to the side, out of the way of the others still entering, so he could inspect her, make sure she was whole and unharmed.

  Her hair was still that muddy brown, and she appeared to be exhausted, but aside from that, she seemed all right.

  Relief hit him so hard, he actually forgot himself and exhaled, tightening his hold on her and urging her back against him in another embrace. He’d been so afraid that Tilda had done something to her, or that his father had somehow managed to, had already plotted out a dozen ways to get revenge if that had been the case.

  “Trystan—”

  “Wait.” He sent the plea through their fittings, refusing to budge when she went to pull away. “Just a moment longer. I need this.”

  It looked like she might argue, but then she settled against him, resting her cheek on his chest and bringing her arms up around his waist. With a sigh, she practically melted into him, and he would have done anything to keep her there.

  So of course the Ander had to ruin it by greeting the Sutter. Loudly.

  At the sound of Gibus’s name, Delaney’s head whipped up, and she separated from him enough to glance around his body. Her eyes went wide and she broke out in a massive grin, which at first had another flare of jealousy going off inside him. Until she rested her smile on him.

  “You found Gibus.” She sounded so happy, it was infectious.

  He smirked at her. “Rescued him from an evil king and everything,” he joked. “If my knowledge of Earth lore is accurate, that’s the type of thing princesses go for.”

  She laughed, pushing up onto her toes and planting a chaste kiss to his cheek so quickly, he couldn’t mask his surprise. Not that she noticed. As soon as her feet hit the ground once more, she was off, rushing to the Sutter. Gibus caught her when she leaped at him, and she laughed again.

  Trystan was so busy watching her interact with Gibus, he didn’t notice Ruckus moving up to him until he was practically at his side.

  “You saved Gibus.” The Ander took a breath and then held out his hand. “Thank you.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue, to say that he hadn’t done it for him. To make another snide remark, and attempt to put him in his place. But something stopped him, and instead of saying anything at all, Trystan found himself accepting, pressing his palm quickly against Ruckus’s. They both pulled back as soon as it was done, clearing their throats uncomfortably.

  A quick glance around showed no one had seen the exchange, at least.

  “Have I missed much?” Trystan asked a second later, once the silence between them had grown too uncomfortable to withstand.

  “Only absolutely nothing,” Ruckus told him with a chuckle, and it was such a Delaney-like thing to say, Trystan was forced to look back at him. “We’ve been combing through everything we have on the Tars, all the communications we’ve managed to intercept over the years, et cetera, but so far none of it implicates the Rex. What about you? Did you find anything useful? Aside from the Sutter, of course.”

  “As it turns out,” Trystan said, lifting his voice a bit so that he could draw the attention of the rest of the room, “the Sutter can help speed things up for us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Delaney pulled away from Gibus, dragging him after her as she moved closer to Trystan. She either didn’t notice that Tilda was moving over as well, or didn’t care. Whatever had taken place between the two of them in Trystan’s absence, obviously she didn’t fear for her life where the Basilissa was concerned.

  “My father’s apparently been working on some type of new technology,” Trystan explained. “He had Gibus helping him.”

  “I tried not to,” Gibus stated, “sincerely. It was difficult, however. The Kints have some … very interesting methods of torture I’d rather not revisit.” He shivered, forcing a half smile at Delaney when she touched his elbow comfortingly. “It isn’t really ‘new,’ not to the Rex. He’s got research going back years. Once I studied the progress they had made, the solution became fairly simple. It was impossible not to let on that I’d developed a theory.”

  Ruckus frowned. “A theory about what? You were only with them for a few days. How did you manage to solve something in that short of time that they couldn’t?”

  “I’m brilliant.” Gibus even went so far as to roll his eyes.

  “Get to the point, Sutter,” Trystan ordered tersely. They’d had this conversation already, and he wasn’t interested in hearing the other man boast again. All he really wanted to do was sweep Delaney away, somewhere they could be alone. He wanted to know what she’d been doing, what had happened in his absence. If she really was all right or if she was just saying that in the presence of the Basilissa.

  “The Rex knows he’s been slowly but surely losing the loyalty of his people to the Zane,” he began. “Since publicly choosing a human as his betrothed, this became even more apparent.”

  “The Kint like that I’m not one of them?” Delaney frowned.

  “Not exactly. They like that his willingness to bind himself to you, a human, implies he’s serious about wanting to avoid war. They’ve taken it as proof that Trystan won’t rule the same way his father has been. Obviously, this was the exact opposite reaction he’d expected, and the Rex took notice of this. His solution was to restart development on the Clean Slate project.”

  “Which is?” Ruckus waved a hand, clearly losing patience now as well.

  “A device that can completely wipe away a person’s memory. It’ll leave basic knowledge, like how to count, or how to shoot a fritz, what your name is … but actual memories of your life or your childhood, what you had for breakfast? That stuff gets erased.”

  There was complete horrified silence for a moment, and then Delaney asked, “How is that even possible?”

  “Our fittings.” Gibus tapped the back of his neck where the device was inserted.

  “They’re already programmed to interface with the brain,” Ruckus mumbled, just loud enough for them to all hear as he worked it out in his mind. “They open passageways so we can communicate telepathically.”

  “Exactly!” He snapped his fingers.

  “But they only allow you to send messages,” Delaney said. “You can’t poke around somebody’s brain with it.”

  “See, here’s the thing,” Gibus told them. “The Kints have a prototype in which you can. A person has to be hooked up to it, their fitting connected to the machine. Our brains are basically just computers: We have preprogrammed functions and controls. Clean Slate translates all our internal data and displays it on a computer monitor. After that, it’s as simple as copy and delete.”

  “Simple, huh?” Delaney quirked a brow, not bothering to mask her disgust.

  “Okay,” he conced
ed, nodding, “it’s a bit more complex, but there’s no point in my getting technical. You won’t understand anyway. You aren’t Sutters.”

  “As mentioned,” Tilda spoke up, “you were only with him a short time. He couldn’t have tested it on many people in such a small period. Correct?”

  “Yes,” Gibus agreed. “They were very close to completion on the machine by the time I was brought there. Because of that, it was an easily solved problem for me, so testing began the same night. Only about fifty initially joined the program. The first dozen or so died during experimentation. After that, there weren’t many volunteers left.”

  “Be honest,” Trystan said. “How many of them were really volunteers to begin with?”

  Gibus glanced at his feet. “I did what I could to refuse to help. I didn’t want to do it. The science behind the device was brilliant, but the results … all those people…”

  “How many?” Ruckus asked. “How many people made it out?”

  “We only had six subjects considered successful. They were taken away after I did a checkup. I don’t know where they are, or what’s being done to them.”

  “He can’t just expect to go around erasing people’s minds without anyone noticing,” Delaney pointed out.

  “I don’t think he intends to,” Gibus said. “My guess is he’d use it more sporadically, on the people who truly stood in the way of his goal.”

  “Seizing complete control of Xenith.” Tilda sighed. “He plans to use this on me.”

  “That seems most likely,” Trystan told them, “considering he knows that Olena is dead.”

  “What about Delaney? Does he know about her?” Ruckus asked.

  Gibus shook his head before Trystan could answer. “He thinks she’s dead.”

  Ruckus thought it over and then glanced at Trystan, catching his gaze. “You believe that?”

  He’d been playing with that since leaving Carnage, wondering the same thing. Knowing the cost if he was wrong. “He’s arrogant. Enough to believe Delaney must be dead in order for me to rebel against him the way I have. He probably thinks that both she and Olena died out there.”