Within Ash and Stardust

by Chani Lynn Feener

  When he neared the creature, it blinked slowly, opening its dark red eyes to meet his gaze before stretching a bit and then instantly going back to sleep.

  He clucked his tongue. “Well, I feel wholly dismissed.”

  Delaney laughed and sidestepped so she was in front of one of the more awake luxvias instead, watching as it used its claws to climb up the side of a small tilted branch. A few had been added to each enclosure for that very purpose.

  “We don’t have felines on this planet, but I recalled that these looked somewhat similar. Is that accurate?” he asked, worried he’d said something wrong when she gave him an odd look.

  “Why were you looking for something feline?”

  “When we first met,” he reminded her, “you expressed an interest in cats.”

  Her eyes widened. “I … That’s true. I do like cats.” She cleared her throat. “And these do sort of look like tiny ones. Just, you know, with thorn antlers and shimmery fur and four ears instead of two.”

  “So,” he drawled, “nothing like an Earth cat at all, actually.”

  “Not even a little.” She laughed and reached over to rest a hand on his arm. “But these are really cool, and I’m glad you got to see them for the first time on your birthday, since you’re so interested in animals, too.”

  “I’m what?” Now he was the one confused.

  “You know.” She waved absently at him with her free hand, her attention already back on the luxvias. “All those creature statues and figurines you’ve got at Inkwell. They’re, like, the only items other than books you have in your room, Trystan.”

  She’d only ever been in his private room once, and it hadn’t been for very long. He’d known she was looking around, but he hadn’t considered that she’d actually been paying attention to his things. Sadly, with how casually she’d just spoken about it, he got the feeling neither had she.

  He was about to point that out when a laugh on the other side of the room had her looking for the source.

  A Vakar woman was showing her young daughter one of the luxvias, her green-and-gold uniform making it clear that she was a Teller, probably off duty just in time to take her child to the festival, but not change her clothes.

  “Trystan.” Delaney’s voice had lowered, and he glanced back at her quickly to find she was still distracted by the mother and daughter. “Those kids outside … they were too young to have been old enough to remember the war, right?”

  “That’s probably true,” he said, instantly knowing where she was going with this. Why it’d bothered her.

  “Yet they were afraid of that Kint Teller. Really afraid.”

  He sighed, eased a step closer to her. “I’m sure they’ve heard stories, from their parents or from friends. We haven’t been at peace for long; you know that.”

  “Are Kint children just as afraid of the Vakar?”

  “I’m honestly not sure,” he was forced to admit. The only child he’d been around was Dom, and aside from his one visit to the palace, he’d been kept away from most Vakar people. “That bothers you?”

  “Doesn’t it bother you?” she asked. “You’ve got a peace treaty, but everyone is still afraid of everyone else.”

  “It’ll take time to overcome the past,” he said. “And unfortunately, we haven’t had the best rulers around to help with that. My father is hardly a comforting figurehead, as you’ve witnessed firsthand.”

  “Magnus wasn’t much better in that regard,” she replied.

  “No, he wasn’t.”

  She was quiet for a long moment, watching right up until the mother and daughter finally pulled away from the cages and disappeared through the exit at the other end of the room.

  “Delaney—” Trystan reached for her, but she seemed to snap out of it just before his hand could make contact, spinning away so she could walk backward toward the door the pair had just gone through.

  “It’s your birthday,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “Let’s go have fun. Knowing you, you have an entire itinerary planed out, so we should get moving. What did you want to see next?”

  He wanted to press her on what had just happened, on the cause of her sudden change in mood, but she was still smiling at him, clearly trying hard to appear excited about all this. He couldn’t bring himself to ruin that for her. Later, if the opportunity arose, he’d ask then, but for now, if she wanted to forget about whatever had been troubling her, he could go along with that.

  “Actually,” he said, following her, the two of them turning toward the door once he’d reached her, “there’s this festival dessert I’ve always wanted to try.”

  She laughed, the sound loud and unforced, catching him off guard with how real it was. “Of course there is.”

  Delaney shoved the tarp opening to the side, exposing the bustling festival grounds once more, and then reached back with her free hand to take his. Because she was already turned away, she missed his shocked expression, which only grew when she tugged him out of the tent, keeping their palms tightly pressed together.

  “Which way?” she asked once they were standing among the crowd again, tilting her head in every direction as if she’d figure it out on her own. When it took him too long to respond, she glanced at him and quirked a brow.

  The look snapped him out of it, and he cleared his throat, glancing around their surroundings now as well. After a moment, however, he was forced to confess, “I don’t know.”

  “Well then.” She tugged him to the left, taking off at a brisk pace. “Guess we’re just going to have to walk around until we find it.”

  CHAPTER 20

  The Rex had agreed to the meeting with Tilda, but had insisted it be today, despite the fact that she’d only made the call yesterday. When she’d tried to set the meeting place, he’d firmly demanded that he come to her in Vakar.

  They were scheduled to meet at the palace in just under three hours, so Delaney and the others were on their way to Carnage Castle. To avoid the risk of flying past the Rex’s ship while headed there, they’d had to take a detour, extending their trip by a good seventy minutes or so.

  Which shouldn’t have been too much of a problem, as Trystan had assured them that Ruckus’s ship was faster than the Rex’s preferred mode of transportation. Once he’d described how flashy his father’s model was, it’d made sense. Of course the Rex’s ego wouldn’t allow him to arrive anywhere in a dull metal craft like the Ander’s, no matter how much faster said craft would get him to his destination.

  No, instead he’d had a ship custom-made with chrome paint, flashing blue lights on the descending ramp, and the Kint symbol painted in navy on the side. Pretty much the opposite of discreet, but then, that seemed in character as well.

  He was the Rex. He wouldn’t expect anyone to dare attack him, in the sky or otherwise.

  They’d timed it so they’d arrive near Carnage Castle only five minutes or so after the Rex had gotten to the Vakar palace. If Trystan was correct, his father should have taken most of the Tellers along with him. They’d act more as a show of strength than in any guard capacity—the Rex was apparently physically capable of defending himself. Either way, that worked in their favor. Fewer of them at the castle meant an easier time sneaking through it; they’d chosen to dress in Kint colors to appear less conspicuous if spotted, though the hope was to avoid it.

  Delaney took a glance around the room at the others. They were packed in front of the ship. Ruckus was currently leaning over Fawna, giving instructions. Gibus was seated in front of a separate computer panel, doing something with a row of keys and buttons Delaney couldn’t follow, and the Zane was by the entrance.

  He had a shoulder propped against the open archway, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned his head slightly when Julius and Verus approached from behind, walking up the ramp, but he didn’t bother turning to look at them.

  Even though Ruckus had many other loyal Tellers, they’d opted to only bring two—Julius and Verus—and had left Shellus with
the Basilissa. If something were to go wrong, he’d been instructed to contact them immediately. It wasn’t a very strong fail-safe, but it was the best they could do. Especially under such short notice.

  Delaney glanced at Ruckus. They’d caught each other’s eye once or twice already, and each time had been awkward. She just wasn’t sure what to say, or how to act around him, especially not on a crowded ship. It was hard to tell if he was having the same problem, or merely keeping his distance.

  Sanzie, who was standing off to the side with her, tightened the strap of her pack, cinching it at her waist with a huff. The entire time, her face remained impassive.

  Delaney sort of envied that about her. That her poker face was so good. She’d been struggling to contain her own tumultuous emotions. Ruckus had barely spoken two words to her, and Trystan had been busy listing all the possible places the Rex could be hiding the device.

  Trystan’s distraction was something she should actually be grateful for, since she’d been trying so hard not to think about his birthday.

  The festival yesterday had been an amazing experience, and aside from a few uncomfortable moments, she’d actually had a lot of fun. With Trystan, specifically. Which wasn’t something she wanted, or had the time, to dwell on. Especially since she hadn’t been able to shake the fear she’d seen in those Vakar children.

  Of course she’d known about the unrest between Xenith’s people, but hearing about it and seeing it firsthand were completely different. Watching those kids, scared simply because that Teller was Kint, had made her realize that stopping the Rex wasn’t the end-all to Xenith’s problems. There was still so much trust to build between the kingdoms, laws and rules and compromises to iron out. How long would all of that take?

  More important … Could she really sneak off knowing the kind of mess she’d be leaving behind?

  “We never got the chance to speak, Lissa,” Sanzie said then, breaking through the quiet and pulling Delaney from her thoughts.

  Delaney sighed. “Why didn’t you just tell me about you and Ruckus?”

  “I didn’t think it was my place.”

  “We’re friends, aren’t we?” She wasn’t sure when exactly she’d started viewing the Sworn as such, and not just as Trystan’s second-in-command, but she did.

  “I…” For a moment Sanzie looked taken aback, then she licked her lips and nodded. “Yes. I would like for us to be.”

  “Good.” Delaney smiled, but before she could say anything else, the Sutter leaped up from his chair.

  “Finished!” Gibus exclaimed. In his hands was a black metal band, which he brought over and passed to the Zane. “I’ve programmed it to your specifications. This should allow you easier access to the mainframe computer.”

  “Should is not a comforting word, Sutter.” Trystan inspected the band, flipping back and forth the clear glass piece that attached to one end. He brought it up to his head, securing the two ends around the tops of his ears. When he flipped the glass panel again, it was directly over his right eye. He pressed at a spot directly behind his ear, and a row of lights lit up on the inside of the glass.

  “What exactly does that thing do?” Delaney asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She moved closer, watching as the lights changed and fuzzy images took their place.

  “Hey!” Fawna yelled from her seat. “Get out of my systems, Zane!”

  Trystan didn’t reply, merely tapped the same spot a second time, shutting the band off. The lights disappeared and he shifted the glass off to the side. “Everything seems to be in working order.”

  “Seems is sort of like should,” Gibus said. “Don’t you think?”

  “The gorud connects remotely to computer systems and devices nearby,” Sanzie began explaining, much to Delaney’s relief. “He can control it by interfacing his fitting with it first, allowing him to communicate with it.”

  “We’re approaching Carnage now,” Ruckus told them, coming up on her side. Then he turned to Sanzie. “You have the recorder?”

  “Right here.” She patted the straps of her bag.

  The plan was to split up into two teams once they got to the castle, in the hopes that one of them could successfully discover the location of Clean Slate. One team would follow Gibus to its last known location, while the other would go with Trystan to search areas he thought his father might hide something.

  A member of each team would carry a video recorder, no bigger than an iPhone back home, so that they could record what they found. Once they’d all reconvened on the ship, and were safe, they’d broadcast the footage across Kint.

  “For this to work,” Ruckus reminded them, “we need unwavering proof. It can’t just be a video of some strange-looking machine that we claim has the ability to wipe people’s minds. Gibus said there were test subjects—search through the computers for footage. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for anything that looks like it can connect the Rex to the Tars.”

  They’d agreed that finding and destroying the device was their top priority—they couldn’t let the Rex keep something so dangerous—but that finding proof to use against him, and ultimately to prevent him from rebuilding the device, was also important. If they could just get their hands on something, whether it be legitimate evidence on the Clean Slate project, or on his involvement with the Tars, that was all they’d need.

  Having convinced herself this would work as much as she was able, Delaney relaxed her shoulders and took a deep, calming breath. She could do this; they all could. Her gaze trailed to the left, landing on the Ander.

  And once it was done, she could finally figure the rest out.

  “My men on the ground have the side hangar secured,” Trystan said. “We should be able to land undetected.”

  “There’s that word again.” Gibus wagged his finger until the Zane shot a glare at him. Then he immediately dropped his hand and suddenly became interested in a speck of dirt on his shoe.

  “Don’t linger,” Trystan called over to Fawna. “As soon as we’re off, get the ship back in the air. You remember where I instructed you to land? That’s the only safe location. My Tellers will keep others from stumbling upon you. With any luck, we’ll be able to take a few cars once we have what we need, and then meet you there within two hours. Three, at most.”

  “I know where to go,” Fawna confirmed. “You should all prepare for landing. We’re about to be over the castle … now.”

  She kept the ship as steady as possible, but they wavered on their feet anyway. Delaney ended up bumping into Ruckus, who grabbed her, stilling her against his side. As soon as the ship evened out again, he let her go and stepped away.

  It stung, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on boy drama.

  The ground shook once more as the ship landed, the engine roaring loudly before dying down to a soft purr filling the air. Fawna flicked a few controls, activating the cameras on the outside of the craft so they could take a look at the hangar first.

  “All clear,” she announced a second later. “You guys better get to the loading bay. I don’t want to rely on Trystan’s contacts being able to keep us under the radar for long.”

  They began departing, heading down the ramp quickly and then through the corridors. Sanzie was the only one who hesitated, glancing back over Delaney toward where Fawna still sat, prepared to fly back out.

  “Be careful,” she stated.

  Fawna seemed surprised for a moment, only able to nod silently.

  It must have been enough, because the Sworn left. She didn’t explain as Delaney followed her down to meet with the others.

  As soon as they turned the corner and entered, Ruckus reached out and pressed his palm to the panel at the side of the doors. They opened and a staircase formed, leading down into a hangar.

  The one back in Inkwell and Vakar had been larger, Delaney noted as she descended the steps. Which made sense. Trystan had planned on having them enter here because there was less space for his Tellers on the inside to keep covered. He had peopl
e messing with security camera feeds, as well as the detection systems on the roof of the castle.

  Julius was the last to exit the ship, and as soon as his booted feet touched the ground, the stairs caved in on themselves and retracted. The ship didn’t linger, lifting back into the air once they were all clear.

  They’d decided who would go with whom before leaving Vakar. Since Gibus and Trystan each had to lead their own search party, the rest of them had to be divvied up accordingly. The Zane had refused to go anywhere without Delaney, and despite the fact that he wasn’t really speaking to her, Ruckus had said the same. Verus was joining them.

  That left Sanzie, Julius, and a Kint Teller who Trystan claimed they could trust. Seeing as how the Teller was one of the ones who’d helped keep them hidden when Fawna had flown the ship in, that seemed legitimate.

  Still, when someone suddenly entered the hangar, Delaney acted on instinct. She pushed Trystan out of the way and had her fritz in hand and aimed at the intruder before anyone else had even noticed his arrival.

  “Hold,” Trystan ordered, gripping her shoulder.

  She lowered her weapon, watching the Kint Teller as he approached.

  His hair was a darker shade of blond than the Zane’s, and a little longer. When he was close enough for her to make out his eyes, she noted they were an odd olive green rimmed in fuchsia. He was wearing the traditional long-sleeved Kint uniform, like the rest of them.

  “Zane.” He angled his head toward Delaney, making a partial bow. “Lissa. The others are still in position. I’ve been informed that they’ll only be able to keep the cameras in this room occupied for another seven minutes before detection that they’ve been tampered with becomes a high risk.”

  “This is Warran,” Trystan said. Then to the Teller: “You’ll be on Sanzie’s team.”

  “Sworn.” Warran nodded at Sanzie. “It’s good to see you again.”