Rayne's Return (Hearts of ICARUS Book 3)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “How do you know what they’re doing?” she asked instead. “Can you read their minds?”

  “No, thank the Creators,” Wolef replied. “I just have extremely good hearing, which is a mixed blessing in places like this. In this case, however, I was not displeased to overhear the one called Weeble give an order for you to be moved tomorrow.”

  “Weeble? Who is that?”

  “Weeble is by far the most dangerous being I’ve ever had the misfortune to come into contact with. He is frightfully cunning, and almost supernaturally intelligent. He is also, in my opinion, completely and irredeemably insane. I advise you to never, ever underestimate him.”

  If Rayne’s body had been capable of movement, she would have shuddered from the warning in Wolef’s tone. “I won’t, Wolef. I promise.”

  “Excellent,” Wolef replied. “Now then, do we have a deal?”

  “A deal?”

  “Yes, a deal,” Wolef said. “I will aid you in escaping the Facility. In exchange, you will come back and destroy it.”

  “Don’t you want me to free you first?”

  “I’m afraid it’s far too late for that. The only freedom I can possibly attain is death.”

  “You want me to destroy this place with you still in it?”

  “Yes, that is exactly what I want. Will you agree?”

  “Yes, Wolef,” she said, wondering why she felt like crying. “If that is what you want, then I swear to do all in my power to fulfill my end of our bargain.”

  Chapter 3

  Rayne’s eyes flew open and her body jerked so hard she nearly fell off the bed. She froze in surprise when Ari’s face suddenly appeared above her, his long black hair brushing her cheek before he pushed it back out of the way. Her heart was racing and her breath was coming in short, rapid pants, making her dizzy. She forced herself to take long deep breaths and after a few moments the dizziness retreated.

  “Bad dream?” he asked sitting back down in the chair beside the bed once she began to breathe normally. She nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I don’t remember it,” she whispered, the shadowy images fading as she spoke. “Is it morning?”

  Ari glanced at the device on his wrist that, among other things, displayed the time. “Yes, it is, though it’s very early.”

  Rayne placed her elbows on the mattress and started to push herself up. Before she had a chance to exert much effort Ari was there again, helping her into a sitting position.

  “Thank you.”

  “Would you like some breakfast?”

  “I think I better stick to broth and tea,” she said wistfully.

  “How about I get the broth and tea, and anything else I see that might be easy on the stomach?”

  “Thanks, Ari,” she whispered. “I’d like that.”

  “No problem,” he said. “I won’t be long.”

  She watched him leave, then nodded to Landor and Con who were standing at a table on the far side of the room, staring at her. They nodded back and bent over the table to continue their discussion in voices too low for her to catch. Con shook his head at something Landor said, his brow creased over serious eyes. She shifted her gaze to Landor, who stood twisting a ring on the forefinger of his left hand, the muscles in his arms bulging with every movement, stretching the quarter sleeves of his dark blue t-shirt to their limit. She frowned, wondering why they seemed so familiar to her when she couldn’t remember having seen them since her early teens.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that there were a few things she wanted to do before Ari returned with breakfast. She pushed the blanket off and slid her legs over the edge of the bed very slowly until she was standing. The back of the gigantic t-shirt she was wearing caught behind her for a moment, then came free, falling to below her knees.

  “Where are you going?” Landor asked, startling her so badly that she jumped.

  “Rayne?”

  “Bathroom,” she whispered calmly, as though she hadn’t just overreacted and nearly fallen on her face.

  Before she knew it Landor was in front of her, and then she was in his arms. “I can walk,” she said, though she wasn’t sure whether or not that was true. She didn’t know if the weakness she felt in every muscle and joint was due to traveling through time, or something she’d done before traveling through time that she couldn’t remember yet. She just knew that moving took a lot of effort.

  “You need to conserve what little energy you have,” Landor said. He set her on her feet in the bathroom, hovering close until he was as sure as he could be that she wouldn’t fall over. “Is there anything you need?”

  “A toothbrush?” she asked hopefully. He opened a drawer, selected a disposable brush from a tray of them, and placed it on the counter in front of her.

  “While you were sleeping we wove a shield around you,” he said, watching her try to open the brush’s wrapper. “You can’t be transported unless we remove the shield first. You should be safe alone for a few minutes.”

  Rayne’s relief was so great that she had to drop the toothbrush and grab onto the counter to keep herself upright when her knees started to buckle. “Thank you,” she whispered, a little ashamed of herself for being so afraid, especially since she couldn’t remember what it was she was afraid of. When she was steady again she checked her shield, relieved to find it in place even though she’d forgotten to check it when she woke up.

  “If you need anything, just call out,” he said, picking up the toothbrush and removing the wrapper for her. “At least one of us will remain right outside the door.”

  “I can’t call out,” she reminded him, dropping her eyes to the sink in front of her. “I can only whisper.”

  “Then knock on the wall or the counter, or clap your hands,” he said. “Anything you can think of to make noise.”

  “Of course, I should have thought of that.” She hated that she needed so much help, but she was grateful for it. “I really appreciate all that you’re doing for me, especially since you barely know me. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as my parents can come and get me.”

  “Let’s discuss that later, all right?”

  “Um…sure,” she replied, uncertain what he meant since there wasn’t really anything to discuss.

  “Make noise when you’re finished and I’ll carry you back.”

  “I will,” she agreed. Landor stared at her for a moment, then turned and left, closing the door behind him. She frowned after him, wondering what he’d been thinking as he stared at her, then she blushed. She didn’t know what she looked like, exactly, but she did know that she was too thin and had no hair, so he probably hadn’t been admiring her beauty.

  She dropped her eyes to the bathroom counter and gathered her nerve. After a few moments she gritted her teeth, and looked up at the long mirror over the sink for the first time since entering the bathroom. She’d been prepared for it to be bad, but not so bad that she didn’t recognize herself.

  The first, and most shocking thing she noticed was how thin she was. She’d known she was too thin, but not this thin. Not skeletally thin. It took her a few moments to absorb the initial shock of that and look beyond it. When she did, she almost wished she hadn’t looked at all.

  Her cheeks were sunken, there were deep, bruise colored hollows under her eyes, her skin was chalky, and the whites of her eyes had an unhealthy yellow tinge. Her lips were pale, rough, and peeling, her bald head made her ears look enormous and, just slightly less shocking than her thinness, she had scars and scabs everywhere she looked. Some were straight, even lines, some were jagged, and still others looked like gouges, as though chunks of her flesh had been removed.

  She’d seen the marks on her hands, wrists, and arms the night before, but now she saw several on her throat, face and head, and when she pulled the neck of the t-shirt aside she saw more on her shoulders. She released the t-shirt, deciding that she’d seen quite enough. She picked up the toothbrush and turned on the faucet with shaking hands.

/>   How had the Bearen-Hirus even known it was me lying on the mesa last night? she wondered. Sudden tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was alive and, judging from her appearance, she thought that might be something of an achievement in itself.

  She looked back down, avoiding her reflection as she finished brushing her teeth and washed up. She looked longingly at the deep bathtub and the gleaming shower stall, but her stomach growled again, reminding her that food was higher on the list than bathing at the moment. Once she got back to the Ugaztun she could spend all day in the tub if she wanted.

  By the time Landor carried her to the bed and set her down amongst a stack of pillows, she felt weak and tired, but in firm control of her emotions. When she was settled, Ari put a tray over her lap that held broth, tea, scrambled eggs, a bagel, and several tiny dishes holding condiments. Her stomach growled so loudly at the sight of the food that she blushed.

  “Thank you, Ari, this is wonderful,” she said, reaching for the fork and stabbing a chunk of egg. She put it in her mouth and chewed. It was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted.

  “I remembered a few things,” she said, stabbing another bite of egg. She paused before putting it in her mouth. “You guys aren’t eating?”

  “We already ate,” Landor said. “You go ahead.” She nodded and took another bite.

  “What did you remember?” Con asked.

  “I have to leave here as soon as possible,” she said. “I have to go to that place I wrote on the shift, and I have to get there in eight days.”

  “Buhell III C,” Con said.

  “Yes, that’s it,” she said, setting the fork down and reaching for the tea. “Did you find it?”

  “I did,” he replied. “I also found out why it sounded familiar to me. About eighteen years ago a man named Eric Kick stowed away on the Falcoran’s ship, the Eyrie. He attacked and nearly killed Faith Falcoran. Exhibiting a level of restraint that I can’t even imagine, the Falcorans didn’t kill him. Instead, they stranded him alone on Buhell-III C, which is a small moon with no sentient life, but a large number of dangerous animals.”

  “I remember reading about that, now that you mention it,” Landor said. “It’s on the other side of Known Space, isn’t it? Near Onddo?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Con replied.

  “Oh no,” Rayne whispered, her face draining of all color.

  “What is it?” Landor asked.

  “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re about three weeks away from the jump point that would take us to Onddo. It’ll be impossible to reach Buhell in eight days.”

  “Not any more,” Con assured her quickly. “Arima Faith found a new jump point from here to Earth right after they arrived for the wedding. From Earth it will take four more jumps to reach Onddo, and from there to Buhell is just a couple of days.”

  “So, it’s possible to get there in eight days?”

  “Yes, easily,” Con assured her. “Six days should do it. Maybe five if we don’t get hung up waiting in jump lines.”

  “The clock is already ticking,” Landor said. “We’ll have to leave as soon as possible.”

  “We?” she asked in surprise.

  “Yes, we,” Landor replied. “We’ll take you wherever you need to go, and help you with whatever you need to do.”

  Rayne frowned, wondering why the very suggestion made her feel anxious and tense. “That’s very kind of you, and I appreciate the offer, but my parents will help me with whatever comes next.”

  “Of course your parents can join us, if that’s what you wish,” he said.

  “What about ICARUS?”

  “ICARUS?” Landor asked blankly.

  “This is an ICARUS ship, isn’t it?”

  “No, it’s not,” Landor replied. “The Armadura is owned by Clan Bearen. We accept assignments from ICARUS when our security expertise is needed, but we are not under contract with them, nor do we have any obligations to them, or anyone else, at this time.”

  “I think I remember Nica saying that you were going to assist the Khun with setting up planetary security for Garza.”

  “We’ve already submitted our detailed recommendations, and we supervised the installation of the first level of security before the wedding. It will not be difficult for others to step in and finish carrying out the plan.”

  Rayne sighed. Landor seemed to have an answer for everything, leaving her no choice but to tell him something else she’d remembered, but had intended to keep to herself. “I don’t remember why I have to go there, or what I have to do. But I do know that it’ll be dangerous. Very dangerous. There’s no reason for you to risk your lives to accompany an unknown person for an unknown cause. I’m truly grateful for all that you’ve done for me, but you don’t have to do any more.”

  “Nonetheless, we will remain with you.”

  Rayne didn’t understand why he was so set on this and, for that matter, why she was so set against it. She was missing something, but what? She studied Landor for a long moment, then turned to see the same guarded expressions on Ari’s face, and then Con’s. She thought about their behavior since finding her on the mesa; their attentiveness, their worry, their tension, and some of the things they’d said. And she thought about her own reaction to their scent, her unquestioning trust of them and, lastly, her horror at the thought of them being in danger.

  She shook her head at herself, surprised that she hadn’t figured it out before. Even taking her current weakness into account, it should have been obvious to her. “I’m your berezi, aren’t I?”

  They stared at each other, then her, but this time she couldn’t decipher the expressions on their faces. After a pause that lasted a few beats too long, Landor answered. “Yes, you are.”

  “Why didn’t you want me to know?” she asked even as one hand rose half way to her head. She remembered her reflection in the bathroom mirror and, suddenly feeling unspeakably sad, she let her hand fall back to her lap.

  Not wanting them to know how she felt, she checked her shield to make sure it hadn’t slipped, then stilled, realizing that she’d been keeping her shield up since shortly after arriving in this time. Before this moment, there’d been no reason for her to think that the Bearen-Hirus could feel her emotions. So why had she hidden them?

  “With everything else you’re trying to deal with right now, we didn’t think the time was right,” Landor said, answering the question she’d momentarily forgotten she’d asked.

  “This is why you want to take me to Buhell, isn’t it?”

  “Not entirely,” Landor said. “Even if you weren’t our berezi, we wouldn’t simply turn our backs on you and walk away.”

  “We would not have had you find out this way,” Con said, his brow creased more deeply than usual. “But, now that you do know, it certainly makes this situation easier.”

  “Does it?”

  “Of course,” he said, surprised. “You must understand now why we can’t let you go to Buhell without us.”

  There were so many thoughts racing through Rayne’s mind that she couldn’t seem to latch on to any one of them. She pressed her fingers against her temples and closed her eyes. It didn’t help.

  “Rayne,” Landor said, then waited for her to look up at him. “You don’t have to say or do anything. We didn’t tell you about this because we didn’t want you to worry about it right now, and that hadn’t changed. When you regain your health and strength, then we’ll revisit this subject. Agreed?”

  Rayne stared into his eyes for a long moment, but all she saw was honest concern. She took a slow breath and nodded. Landor smiled at her but he didn’t like the ashy color of her skin or the guarded withdrawal in her eyes. “You said that you remembered a couple of things,” he said, changing the subject.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I remembered that the BS after Buhell stands for Blind Sight.”

  “Blind Sight?” Con asked, frowning again. “The old Xanti technology?”

  “I suppose.”
/>   “What about it?”

  “Whatever ship takes me to Buhell will need it.”

  “Do you know why Blind Sight is needed?” Landor asked.

  “No,” she replied. “I just know that without Blind Sight, there’s no point in going at all. Is there no way to get one?”

  For one brief moment Landor was relieved by the thought that Rayne wouldn’t be able to return to Buhell because they didn’t have Blind Sight, and getting one would be impossible. Then Con spoke.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I think we can get one. I’ll go down to Garza and speak with Khurda about it.”

  “Khurda?” she asked.

  “One of the Khun,” he replied. “He knows more about Blind Sight than anyone I’ve ever heard of. I think he’ll be able to help us with this.”

  “In addition to keeping Rayne’s presence secret, we should also keep any plans we make to ourselves,” Landor said, letting go of his momentary hope. “You’ll need to find a way to convince Khurda to help us without telling him why we need it.”

  “Khurda is a good man,” Con said. “As long as I can assure him that there’s no impending threat to his people, he’ll respect my need for secrecy without becoming offended or inappropriately curious.”

  “Be very careful that no one overhears you,” Rayne warned. “They have spies everywhere. If they get even a hint of my presence here, in this time, or of a ship heading in their direction, they’ll move the Facility and we’ll never find it.”

  “Who are they, what’s the Facility, and what sort of spies do they have?” Con asked. Rayne blinked in surprise at the rapid fire questions, unconsciously leaning away from him and into the pillows behind her before shrugging helplessly.

  Landor shot a look at Con that was unnecessary since he’d already realized his mistake and regretted it. Landor turned his attention back to Rayne. “Why won’t we find this Facility if it moves?” he asked, trying one question instead of three.