by V. St. Clair
The Major narrowed his eyes as though he suddenly recognized her.
“You were dancing with the new Ground-Captain,” he said abruptly. “What’s his name again?”
“Carl?” she had no idea why she phrased it as a question, biting her lip and trying to get control of herself. Why was this Major interested in who Carl danced with? Were the two of them friends or enemies?
If they were friends, this guy would probably know his name…
The Major pursed his lips, apparently appraising her value for a moment longer and then saying, “Come with me.”
“I—what?” Risa blurted out, terrified. “Why?”
The Major looked stunned to have his orders questioned, though his surprise quickly turned to indignation. His expression was hard when he said, “Because I told you to. Now come.” He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her roughly towards him, turning and walking away without releasing her.
Risa stifled a cry of pain and stumbled after him, towed along in his wake as they wove between clusters of people dancing and talking. No one spared them a glance, and she had no idea if it would make things better or worse for her to shout for help.
Worse, definitely, she reconsidered. He was a Major and she was Gifted. No one would question his right to take her anywhere.
But what does he want from me? She thought desperately. She hadn’t been in trouble—that she knew of—and the only thing he had even asked her about was dancing with Carl.
“Where are we going?” she asked, but her voice came out as a gasp and she wasn’t sure whether he could even hear her. If he could, he chose to ignore her, pulling her to a far wall of the room and leading her through the door that Darius’ parents had come through to walk him down the aisle.
The room they had entered was much smaller than she expected. It was barely the size of her bedroom at the Academy, but paneled in a dark, rich wood that made the globes of light along the ceiling seem muted. In another context, she would say the lighting was romantic and added ambience, but standing with an angry Provo-Major made it feel dark and hollow.
The Major finally released her, turning to face her at last and still wearing the same annoyed look on his face. She was too frightened to even think of running, even when he reached into his belt carelessly and extracted a Talent to snap into his right enhancer.
“Risa Vorhees,” his eyes moved rapidly back and forth as though reading something she couldn’t see. “Physical Manipulations Gift, focused around…you can switch places with anyone in your line of sight?” he addressed the last to her, his eyes focusing on hers once more.
“Yes,” she breathed out in terror. Her hands were suddenly freezing and she began rubbing her fingers together in an attempt to warm them, to no effect.
“How do you know the Ground-Captain?”
“We’ve been at the Academy together for years,” she explained, her throat dry. It suddenly occurred to her that if she really had been chased by a Provo-Major who wanted to murder her a few weeks ago, there was a very real possibility it was the one standing in front of her right now.
We’re alone. No one knows I’m in here.
“I thought he was in Deconstruction-Reconstruction.”
Risa blinked back into focus, trying to keep her back to the door to prevent him from cutting off her egress if she chose to run.
“He is—well, was. We’re not encouraged to stay segregated by specialty.”
She thought this was fairly obvious, but it appeared to be new information to the Major. It occurred to her that perhaps the Majors had as little understanding of the Gifted as the Gifted had of them—though in their case it was by choice, since they could easily access any information they wanted.
Hell, he has a Talent that lets him read my biochip without a scanner, she thought bitterly.
“Are you lovers?”
“I…” she had absolutely no idea how to answer that question, not the least of which because it was the last thing she had been expecting this Major to care about.
“Are you slow? It’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, not a math puzzle,” he bit off snappishly, folding his arms in annoyance.
I could run out of the door behind me and start switching places with people until I can escape. There were enough people in the Laurel that it would be difficult for even a Major to trace her through all of them right now.
Instead she said, “No, we’re not.”
The Major inserted a Talent into his left enhancer, brushing his blond hair out of the way to do so. He looked tousled, though he made no effort to smooth his hair back down while his brown eyes scrutinized her.
“I can’t tell if you’re lying. Your body’s responses are all over the place, though largely overshadowed by fear.”
She grimaced and said, “Well, you’re scary.” After a moment of silence elapsed between them she added, “I don’t know why I’m here or what you want from me. I don’t even know your name.”
With a huff of irritation the Major said, “I’m Major Augen. That should be enough.”
All Majors are ‘Major Augen.’ The evasion was not lost on her.
“As for what I want, I’ll get to the point. What is Carl’s endgame?”
“Excuse me?” she asked, not understanding the question.
“Lord, you are simple, aren’t you?” The Major scowled and took a step closer. “I want to know why your friend was so eager to become a Ground-Captain, and more importantly, why he got the job. Does he know Jessamine? Does he have something over her?”
Risa held up her hands in a warding gesture to preserve the space between them, though she knew it would do little good if he was determined to close the distance.
“What? I don’t know—how would he have anything over the Vicereine to blackmail her with?” She avoided answering the question directly, since he seemed to have a Talent equipped that could detect her body signals and would give her away if she lied outright.
She had no idea which Majors were considered trustworthy by Jessamine, but had a strong feeling that this guy wasn’t on the list.
“I’m asking the questions. If he doesn’t know Jessamine, then why was he talking to Darius and Shellina? Why is Reya dancing with him right now?”
Here, Risa felt she could tell the truth without it costing her anything.
“I asked about the Vicerina and Viceregal when we were dancing and he said he just happened to bump into them, and that it was his first time meeting them. I have no idea why the other Major asked him to dance.”
That was true enough.
The dark-eyed Major took a step closer to her. They were barely two feet apart when he said, “Then tell me what your Gifted friend gets out of his gig in the government. What’s in it for him?”
“I really don’t know, other than he gets to have a job that he finds fulfilling,” Risa explained apologetically, her hands still held up in front of her in warding. “Why—do you think something is wrong?”
“I think Jessamine is so determined to make good on her promises to the Gifted and to spite those who would move against her that she is throwing caution to the wind and putting you people in power without being properly vetted. It is my job to protect her, even from herself.”
Risa inhaled deeply and took a step backwards, though the Major moved forward in time with her retreat.
Are the Majors allowed to criticize the Vicereine’s decisions? She had no idea what the true dynamic between the ruling family and the Provo-Major was.
“I don’t know about any of that. All I know is that Carl supports the Integration Initiative and wants to be a part of it.” Her back touched the wall and a spike of fear went through her. How did she let him move her away from the door?
The Major was so close to her now she could feel his breath on her face. Her hands touched the fabric of his shirt, still in a desperate attempt to put some space between them. He raised his own hands and interlocked his fingers with hers, forcing her arms apart and pinning h
er hands against the wall on either side of her head, pushing lightly against her.
For a wild moment Risa thought he was going to kiss her, and she had absolutely no idea what would happen after that. Was he attracted to her? Was he trying to exert control over her? Was he a sadistic bastard who liked to kiss Gifted before he murdered them? None of the options were good.
He stopped two inches short of her face, locking her with the intensity of his brown eyes as he whispered, “Do it. I dare you.”
“Do—do what?” she whispered back, breathless with terror. From this proximity she could see every detail of his face: the freckles over the bridge of his nose, the crease in his forehead from narrowing his eyes at her, the pulse beating excitedly in his throat. His blond hair was still tousled around his enhancers, and his breath smelled vaguely of mint.
“You have wanted to escape me since the moment I brought you in here,” he explained in a voice of deathly calm. “You’re thinking of using your Gift to escape me—of switching our places to disorient me and then losing yourself in the crowd.”
“You can read minds?” she blurted out, horrified by the prospect. If he knew everything she had been thinking this entire time, a whole of people could be in trouble very soon…
He smiled in response, but there was nothing nice in it. If anything it left his expression more cold and cruel than before, void of any human emotion. Void of mercy.
“The punishment for using your Gift on a member of the Provo-Major is quite severe,” he continued pleasantly. “At the very least, I would be able to detain you in a quiet little room where I could question you—at length—with every chemical available to me until I’m satisfied you have told me the whole truth and that you and your friend aren’t plotting against us.”
Before she could even think of what to say in response, the door banged open and a man and a woman stumbled inside, laughing.
Help! Risa thought desperately at them, before realizing with a flood of horror that the man also had enhancers in the side of his head.
“Andro?” The newcomer asked uncertainly, taking in the sight of his colleague leaned suggestively against Risa in a quick blink. “What the hell are you up to? I didn’t realize your tastes ran in that direction.” He gestured at Risa’s emblem. The last thing he seemed to notice about her was her face, and he must have found her unattractive, because he looked almost startled by the sight of her with his friend.
Major Andro released her abruptly and said, “Damn it, Kristoff, you have terrible timing.”
Kristoff seemed to realize he hadn’t stumbled into a romantic tryst, because he waved his smiling lady off with a promise to find her in a moment and stepped inside.
“Trouble with the Gifted?” he asked casually, and while Risa had thought he was intoxicated when he first threw open the door, she now realized he was stone-cold sober.
“A friendly discussion about our new Ground-Captain and his motives,” Andro amended.
Kristoff’s expression brightened in understanding, but was soon eclipsed by a look of concern.
“You haven’t been bothering her, have you?” A moment of silence fell over them, and then Kristoff sighed. “Jessamine wants peace. The last thing she needs is someone to get out of hand at her own wedding.” He motioned Risa towards him and she gladly went. “Come on, I’ll take you back to your friends.”
As much as she hated turning her back on Major Andro, she hurried after Kristoff, feeling an immediate surge of relief when they stepped back into one of the crowded reception halls.
“I hope he didn’t scare you too badly,” Major Kristoff looked down at her, a question on his face.
“I—well I wasn’t sure why I was there, or if I’d done something wrong.”
He shook his head in irritation, continuing to walk beside her.
“Not everyone is thrilled about the Integration Initiative, but we all serve the Vicereine. Try not to hold it against him too much. In his own way, he’s also just trying to keep her safe.”
Except at least one of you is still trying to kill her and the Gifted…
Emboldened by the presence of the crowd, Risa said, “Does Major Andro like going out by himself at night?”
Major Kristoff was so stunned by this question he actually stopped walking, and Risa did the same.
“Why do you ask?”
“He looks familiar. I like to take walks at night sometimes and I thought I might have seen him out before, but maybe it was someone else.” This was as close as she dare come to admitting to a member of the Provo-Major that she was likely hunted by one recently.
Kristoff’s expression cleared instantly and he said, “It’s possible. Andro does like to go into the city on his own at night. He says it clears his head, though I don’t see how all the lights and noise can be calming unless he’s keeping to the quieter areas.”
Risa tried to calm the terrified beating of her heart before it betrayed her and said, “Thank you for escorting me back to the party, Major Augen.”
Kristoff inclined his head into a slight bow and said, “Any time. Now, back to my lady friend.” He winked at her and disappeared into the crowd.
Risa exhaled in relief at being away from the Provo-Major and still alive, though she was sweating profusely and had no desire to continue partying. Running her hands over her eyes in exhaustion, she headed for the nearest exit and decided to call it a night.
She made sure she was surrounded by people for the entire trip back to the Academy, wondering whether the eyes of Major Andro were following her the whole way.
21
Jessamine Elaria
Waking up next to Topher was the happiest Jessamine had ever been.
For a few blissful minutes, the mountain of work she had to do today didn’t matter, nor did the unpleasant memory of her unhappy marriage, or even the assassins that were likely still after her. For those few precious pre-dawn moments, she was content.
Topher snapped awake as though he could sense he was being watched, blinking and looking at her through sleep.
“Damn,” he said abruptly, getting out of bed and pulling his clothing back on, glancing at the clock and then quickening his pace.
“What’s gotten into you?” Jessamine climbed out of bed more slowly, rummaging for a robe to pull on.
“I hadn’t meant to spend the night. People will be waking up soon, and they’ll put two-and-two together if I come stumbling out of your private rooms in my evening finery from last night.”
Jessamine really didn’t care who inferred what about her private relationships anymore. Topher was one luxury she was determined to afford herself, in exchange for everything she gave for her planet and her people every day. Was it so much to ask?
“Do you regret it?”
Topher stopped smoothing his hair in the mirror and turned to face her.
“No. Never. But we probably shouldn’t do it again.”
“Why not? I want to.”
A smile crept up one side of his mouth before he could suppress it, which pleased her.
“I do, too. But maintaining a secret romance right after you married someone else and you’re still establishing your rule seems needlessly risky. My primary concern is keeping you alive long enough to be rid of your enemies.”
“That’s a job with no end. I will always have enemies. My rule will never be secure enough for your comfort. What then?”
Topher frowned.
“I…don’t know,” he admitted. “It just seems like this can only end poorly for both of us.”
“Some of my ancestors were famously promiscuous, and it worked out alright for them,” Jessamine observed.
“Yes, but this isn’t like that, is it?”
“No, it isn’t,” she admitted. There was a difference between casually sleeping around with other men and being in love with one. She didn’t think Darius would appreciate either. And no matter how careful they were, a secret love affair would get out eventually.
�
��What were you going to tell me yesterday in the afternoon? You told me to remind you of your stupidity so you couldn’t weasel out of it later.”
“Oh,” Topher brightened at the change of subject. “I used an emblem from one of the recent murder victims the other day and had another vision.”
“Excuse me?” she demanded, positioning herself between him and the door. “After I told you specifically not to use one without me watching over you?”
“It was an impulse—and I acknowledge the idiocy of it.”
“You think an apology is enough to spare you from my wrath?”
Topher looked at the clock again. “No, but can your wrath wait until after I’ve changed clothing?”
Jessamine scowled and said, “No.”
Topher grimaced. “I’m sorry, Jessa. I did it because I’m still hearing the voice in my head make ominous warnings about something bad. Recently it told me I was too late and ‘she is gone.’ I can’t think of who ‘she’ would be other than you, and I have to do everything I can to understand what the voice is trying to tell me, even if it means taking stupid risks. I won’t let them get you.”
She couldn’t help but be moved by the tortured look on his face.
“At least come to my room and use my emblem if you’re determined to dive into your visions. I don’t want you hidden away in some remote part of the building for days, unconscious or worse while I tear the Augenspire apart trying to find you.”
Topher seemed relieved by the concession, though he said, “I never know if you’re entertaining others, so I’ve avoided your rooms recently. Hanna and Shellina have been here as often as not, and now the Viceregal—”
“I’m not letting him in my rooms,” Jessamine said with venom, startling Topher. “He knows this is a marriage of politics, not passion, and I need to have one safe place where I can control the environment and not have to deal with anyone I don’t want to.”
She would not let him take this place from her, no matter how it looked to other people; on this she was resolute.
“Jessa, I have to—”
