Out Past the Stars

by K. B. Wagers

  “Are you really?”

  “No. Not unless you’re sorry for being so flippant about your own well-being.”

  I glared up at him, but it didn’t have any heat and I sighed. “I was actually just going for practical. Believe me when I say I wasn’t trying to get myself killed, Zin.” Images of Mia’s vision of me and the feeling of Priam’s limb piercing my chest collided in my brain, making it hard to breathe. For a moment I almost told him everything, but I blinked and the urge passed.

  “I would have run if I could have, but it all happened so fast.”

  “I’m sorry, Hail.”

  I reached for Zin’s hand. “I still have to be empress, hurt or not, and if what Orrin overheard is as important as I think it might be, we don’t have the time to wait for me to recover.”

  “Johar offered to get it out of him.”

  “Oh, ouch.” I laughed. “I want Orrin on our side willingly. I will steal Adora’s supporters from her one at a time if I have to. I would rather do that than kill them all. Even if we know they come back, especially since we know they come back. We don’t want to have this same conversation a decade from now, do we?”

  Zin’s lips curved into an unwilling smile.

  “What?”

  “How is it that Aiz trying to turn you into more of a fighter had the opposite effect?”

  “You know the answer to that better than anyone, Starzin. War’s a terrible, vicious business. Peace is better.” I squeezed his hand and released it as Emmory came back into the med bay with Orrin in tow and Fasé following behind. He released the Farian and the man went to his knees, pressing his head to the floor as Zin shifted to the side.

  It didn’t escape my notice that he was still between me and the Farian.

  “Orrin, get up.”

  Orrin scrambled to his feet, folding his hands together and bowing a second time. “Star of Indrana.”

  I didn’t correct him. Sometimes awe was a very helpful thing. “How are you?”

  “Fine, Your Majesty. Your people are treating me very well.”

  “Good.” I waved him to the chair Emmory pulled from the corner. “Let’s talk about what you know.”

  Orrin swallowed. “I saved the recording. I can show you.”

  Fasé stepped up before Emmory could protest. “You can give me the recording, Orrin, and I will give it to the Star.”

  He swallowed again and then nodded. Fasé took his hand and silence fell on the room for a several heartbeats. Then she blinked and her golden eyes went wide.

  “Hail.”

  “Let me see.” I leaned forward, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, and clasped her hand when she crossed to me.

  “None of this was foreseen, Thyra. I do not understand.”

  We were seeing through Orrin’s eyes. I could feel his fear as he shrank back into the alcove he was hidden in as Priam’s voice echoed in the air.

  “It is fine. The future as seen by Sybil can still be achieved,” Thyra replied. “We are in the final stages. Don’t despair, my darling.”

  “But the batch isn’t ready and the last didn’t come out right.”

  “The previous group is good enough to follow orders and fight. That’s all we need to rid ourselves of Fasé’s troublesome rebellion.”

  “That aberration.” Priam spat the word with venom in his tone. “You should have let me kill her.”

  “It is of no matter. Like the human-Shen just an unexpected result of the experiment. I will handle this, Priam. You do your part. I will not waste our children. Don’t worry about the Star, I will bring her back to our side. I have an offer for her that will give us everything we want. She will not turn from it.”

  More voices sounded out in the hallway and the recording cut off.

  Fasé and I shared a look as we separated. “They have an army,” I whispered. “An army of Farians. That’s what Adora meant by evolution. The Farian Hiervet have been changing you all.”

  “She said batch, Hail. She must be talking about the new Farians who are waiting for souls, but how—” She broke off and grabbed Orrin by the collar, shaking him. “You, what else did you hear?”

  Orrin started and would have fallen out of his chair if she hadn’t had a grip on him. “That was all of it, Mardis, I swear.”

  “Fasé—”

  “Majesty, Thyra is here requesting an audience,” Emmory said.

  “Where’s Aiz?” I sent him a message even as I asked the question. “Fasé, take Orrin back to his cell. Com Johar and have her meet you there. Orrin, I’d suggest you remember anything of even the remotest significance for Fasé here. Johar takes it personally when people refuse to answer questions, understood?”

  “Of course, Star of Indrana.”

  I waited until he’d followed Fasé out of the room before I slid from the bed, ignoring Emmory’s glare. “Not going to let Thyra on this ship, Emmory, even if I hadn’t just watched her confess with my own eyes.”

  “You could tell her to go away.”

  “I could,” I admitted, wincing as I braced myself on the edge of the bed. “But I want to see her face when she gets a look at what Priam did to me.”

  “Majesty, we cannot protect you from her.”

  “Of course you can.” I took Zin’s offered arm. “You’ve kept me safe all this time, Emmory, this is no different. Besides, Aiz just messaged me back that he’ll meet us at the ramp. Thyra won’t try anything with him around.”

  That muscle in Emmory’s jaw twitched again and I hoped I wasn’t going to have to overrule my Ekam again for a while. I was pretty sure I’d used up my stock for the next year. I had another reason for wanting to see Thyra, one I hadn’t yet shared with my Guards. Sybil had sent me a recording of Thyra hearing the news about Priam, and her response had been interesting to say the least.

  “Fine.” He was out the door before I could say another word, and I could hear him on the com calling for the BodyGuards and the Marines to assemble in the cargo bay.

  We made our way from the med bay in silence. I’d realized several steps down the corridor that this wasn’t my greatest idea. I was far more exhausted by what Priam had done to me than I’d realized.

  “Wait a moment, Zin,” I murmured as we hit the cargo bay. “Let me catch my breath.”

  “Hail, what are you doing?” Aiz demanded.

  “Speaking with Thyra. You’re here just in case things go south.” I smiled at his raised eyebrows.

  “It’s not a good idea for you to be up.”

  “Sometimes we have to do things that aren’t necessarily good for us when the future of our people is on the line, don’t we?” That shut him up just like I knew it would. “Okay, Zin, I think I can make it down the ramp without falling over.”

  My focus was entirely on staying upright and not leaning too heavily on Zin. I wanted Thyra to know that Priam had been responsible for injuring me, but I didn’t want to give her the impression I was helpless.

  “Keep an eye on her, Zin,” I murmured. “If I don’t watch my feet I might fall over.”

  “Your Majesty, I could have come to you,” Thyra said as we came to a stop.

  “It’s all right, Thyra. My doctor says the walk is good for me.” That wasn’t what Dr. Vohra was going to say when she realized I was out of bed, but the lie was easy on my tongue.

  “I have medical training, Your Majesty, I could—” Thyra took a step forward but stopped at Emmory’s cleared throat.

  “What did you want?” I asked with a smile.

  “Well, to see how you were.” Thyra tapped her limbs together nervously, unable to hide the fact that she was watching the others around me. “And to speak with you, but this doesn’t seem the best timing.”

  “This is probably the only chance you’re going to get for a while,” I replied. “And I admit you should probably get to the point; it won’t be long before I should sit down again.”

  “Your Majesty, there is no easy way to say this but I was told you were responsible
for Priam’s death.”

  “Priam chose to go with Adora. He was not forced. I confirmed this with my own eyes. However, your information isn’t entirely correct, Thyra. Emmory killed him because Priam was trying to kill me.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “He never would have—”

  “What do you think made this hole in my shoulder?” I asked. I could feel the tension of my BodyGuards rising. “Believe me when I say if I could have talked him down I would have, but Priam made his choice.”

  “I understand, Your Majesty, but—”

  “If you’re about to ask if we really had to, Thyra, I’ll just head you off and say yes. Emmory’s job is to keep me safe. Priam was trying to kill me. No one gets a pass on that.”

  Thyra whipped her gaze to Aiz. “The Cevallas have.”

  I pushed myself fully upright with a snarl, pleased when Thyra took a startled step backward. “The circumstances were vastly different and if you’d like to stay on my good side you’ll never say that again. What passed between me and Aiz on Sparkos was with my consent, is that understood?”

  “Perfectly, Your Majesty.” She dipped her head. “I will take my leave and go mourn for Priam.”

  “You do that.” I watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight before I turned and went back into the Vajrayana. I made it up the ramp and halfway back to medical before my knees gave out on me and I grabbed awkwardly for Zin as I fell.

  “Damn it, Hail.” Emmory caught me on the other side.

  “I’m all right.” I couldn’t hold on with my left arm, and my right was tangled in Zin’s uniform jacket. “Just give me a minute.”

  “You’re going back to medical.”

  “I am. I’d like to do it under my own power if it’s all the same to you.” I glowered at Aiz, who’d followed us but hadn’t spoken. “Not a word from you.”

  He lifted his hands. “I don’t think you need me so I’m going back to quarters.”

  “Aiz,” I called as he started to walk away. “Thank you.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Go lie down, Hail.”

  “Working on it.”

  I did what I could to stay upright as Emmory and Zin escorted me. Through some miracle we made it to my bed before Dr. Vohra, and I leaned back, closing my eyes with a sigh.

  When I opened them again, Emmory was gone. Zin was by the door, his arms crossed over his wide chest and a soft smile on his face.

  “I’m going to have to listen to him rant this evening. I hope it was worth it, Majesty.”

  “Maybe?” I sighed again. “I never know until everything is over with and sometimes not even then. Sybil sent me a recording of Thyra’s reaction to the news of Priam’s death. She wasn’t surprised he was dead.”

  “I wouldn’t have expected her to be,” Zin replied. “If she could pinpoint his location she would have felt it when he died.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re probably right.” I paused, scanning back over the video Sybil had sent me with a frown. “There’s something more there, though. She’s pissed about Priam. She wasn’t expecting this to go down the way it did, and this—”

  “Your Majesty, were you out of your bed?” Dr. Vohra demanded as she came into the room.

  “I had something important to attend to, Maalai.”

  “Nothing is more important than your recovery.”

  I looked at Zin for support, but he lifted his hands with a grin and a shake of his head. I sighed. “You’d think I wasn’t actually the empress around here.”

  24

  The rest of the week saw me under Dr. Vohra’s steely gaze and Emmory backing her order that under no circumstances was I allowed out of med bay. Which left me little to do but worry over the problem of Thyra’s phantom army.

  I’d told the others. Aiz had taken it better than I’d expected, though he didn’t have any additional ideas about what that army could entail. The Farian Hiervet couldn’t manufacture souls out of thin air.

  Or could they? Had Thyra figured out some way to grow Farian souls in the same way she’d figured out how to harvest them?

  I rubbed at the back of my neck, wincing at the soreness that still lingered in my left shoulder. “This normal-healing thing is cowshit.”

  Zin chuckled and patted my hand. “The downtime is good for you.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I grinned. “I’m teasing, mostly. Between you and me I’m getting restless.” I sighed and rubbed at my face. “There’s so much to do.”

  “Let me go talk to Dr. Vohra and see if we can’t get you out of here a little early. I think she’s forgiven you for your earlier escape.”

  “Have I mentioned lately that you’re my favorite?”

  Zin laughed, and I spotted the way he brushed his fingers over Emmory’s as my Ekam joined us.

  “Still mad at me?” I asked.

  “I wasn’t mad. A little grumpy about it, maybe,” he admitted.

  “It had to be done, but you were right. Happy?”

  “You’re not dead. That makes me happy.”

  It was a simple enough response, delivered in Emmory’s solid manner without a trace of flippancy, and it brought tears to my eyes.

  “Are you feeling better, Majesty?” he asked.

  “Immensely.” I smiled at him and held out my hands. “Do I get to leave this Shiva-damned bed?”

  “That’s Dr. Vohra’s call.” But he took my hands and helped me slide out of the bed. “Your vitals are good. I am curious what Aiz will say.”

  “We can go ask him, if you’re needing his approval.”

  Emmory gave me the Look. I grinned.

  “Something to say, Majesty?”

  “No. It’s just nice to have everyone getting along.”

  “We had a conversation.” Emmory’s face didn’t give anything away and before I could ask just what that meant or when the conversation had occurred, Zin returned with Dr. Vohra.

  “An hour,” she said. “Not a second more. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I left medical, Emmory and Zin on either side of me. We walked in silence for a few minutes before I laughed. “Honestly, you two, I’m fine. As brushes with death go that wasn’t even a three.”

  “We’re scaling them now?” Zin asked.

  “I’ll admit my metric is a little skewed, but it’s just automatic at this point. I’d rather talk about how we’re going to handle Thyra and Adaran.”

  “Two more shots from the 201 would do it,” Emmory muttered.

  I was still laughing when we got to Aiz’s quarters and he looked up from the desk, waving me in with a raised eyebrow.

  “You appear to be in better spirits,” he said, standing and pointing to the chair. “Sit.”

  “Bossy.” But I sat, privately grateful for the chance to rest. I’d been up and out of my bed in medical a number of times, but it was more than a little shocking how exhausted the walk from there to Aiz’s quarters had made me.

  Aiz held his hands out and I put mine in them. For a moment there was nothing. Then the familiar electric sensation of his energy skimmed over me.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Fine.” I smiled at his snort. “I really do. A little tired and the shoulder aches, but otherwise I’m okay.”

  “Tell me again what happened?”

  I recounted the incident with Priam, shuddering a little as I remembered the feeling of what had apparently been my soul being pulled out of me. Aiz tightened his fingers around mine and his energy soothed away the discomfort.

  “Do you feel strange? Hearing voices?”

  “No new ones.” I ignored his frown, countering with a bright smile. “Am I cleared?”

  “You’re yourself, that’s for sure.” He let me go, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “As obnoxious as a little sister should be,” he murmured in Shen so low I nearly didn’t catch it.

  “You’re sure?” Emmory asked.

  “Was th
ere a question?” I glanced between them with a frown.

  Aiz shook his head. “A concern. Your Ekam interrupted Priam when he was trying to eat your soul. Sybil said she’s not aware of that ever happening, and the only time I’ve seen it neither the Shen nor the Farian Hiervet survived the encounter.” His smile was tight and I held back the question that wanted to leap to my mouth.

  “I am reasonably sure I’m me. Does this mean you can fix this the rest of the way?” I tipped my head at my shoulder but Aiz shook his head.

  “Dr. Vohra has done good work on you; it’s best to let her continue.”

  “You’re scared of her.”

  “Terrified.” Aiz grinned. “And rightfully so. You should have heard the tongue lashing she gave your Ekam while you were unconscious.”

  “You’d think she’d know by now that nobody has control over me.” I pushed to my feet. “Aiz, I don’t know what game Thyra is playing, but I don’t trust her.”

  “I am glad to hear it. Things will only get more dangerous from here on out. Speaking of which, I had Admiral Amo split the fleet and send a large part of our ships back to a safe planet.”

  “Is that wise? You just said things were more dangerous.”

  “Yes and no,” Aiz said. “I don’t think the Farians will attack, especially without Adora to fan the flames. Her rebellion will falter and die with her gone. I will feel better if the entire fleet isn’t sitting here out in the open.”

  “I don’t blame you for that,” I murmured in agreement.

  “I sent Marcela with the fleet. I’m technically in charge of what’s left.” He dodged my halfhearted swing. “Let’s keep an eye on Thyra; with Priam dead, she’s backed into a corner.”

  “Hai Ram.” I exhaled. “I don’t think it matters if they’re human or Hiervet, backing someone into a corner always has the same result.”

  We made it back to the med bay with two minutes to spare, and forty-eight hours later I’d wheedled Dr. Vohra into releasing me fully into Emmory’s care.

  “She’d never have let me go if she knew how rarely I listen to your orders.” I rolled my shoulder and blew out a breath. “Amazing how easy it was to get dependent on the Farian healing ability. What will it do to us if we have to untangle ourselves from that, Emmy?”