Clarence clears his throat, “Uh… some uninvited party guests arrived.”
“But what’s so dangerous about that?” Werzo sounds skeptical.
Clarence inhales, “Not the ideal folks we’d want. I’ll explain later… right now, we need to get you out of here.”
“Have you found Pratt and Mae?” I ask.
“Still looking,” Clarence leads us back to the front where we meet up with Salva. He gestures to me, “Please take Fallon back to the East Wing. I’ll look over the others.”
I’m wary of letting go of Reid’s hand. He must be too because the second I take a step, he’s pulling me back to him, locking his fingers to mine.
“Not the time,” Clarence leans over, “she’ll be fine. I promise.”
Still, it takes a few seconds for his grip to loosen and for me to be swept away under Salva’s protected arms. I offer him a last glance, wishing we weren’t separating but there’s nothing either of us can do. With his feet planted firmly, he watches until Salva leads me deep into the tunnel and we disappear from each other completely.
“What’s happening?” I ask.
Silent at first, she offers a short response. “We are still unsure.”
“Who’s Kendal?”
Again, silence.
“Is it that bad?”
She sighs. “He is not the ideal guest for an international gathering.”
“What does that mean?”
She tightens her lips and moves faster—we need to get back now. We hurry the rest of the way in silence until a piercing scream echoes from the other end. Salva takes off at a dead run and though I do my best to keep up with her, I’m still a ways behind. Another scream pierces the air and Salva disappears ahead. I push my legs as fast as possible but with the restriction of my skirt, I’m not able to move as quickly as I need to.
When I reach our room, I freeze immediately.
Salva is positioned to lunge, but keeps still, her orange eyes narrowed on the two figures across the way. It’s the miyon that led Pratt away earlier—Gring, I think. He stands behind her, a knife at her throat as he shifts focus between us. Pratt’s bright eyes are wide and terrified, watching us with a fear I’ve never seen. Right now, at this very second, she knows she’s going to die.
And I believe her.
Chapter Four: A New Friend
“Gring…” Salva steps closer.
“Blood for blood,” he hisses, tossing a tiny pearl-like object at us.
Salva is already dodging for the tunnel but before I’m able to race for the exit behind her, the device explodes into a bright orange cloud, sending us flying. I hit the solid wall behind me and fall to my knees, dizzy with a sharp pain at the back of my head. What was that? I’m throbbing, still trying to figure out what happened when someone pulls me to my feet—it’s Salva. Blinking, I search for Pratt in the disappearing orange cloud, but she’s gone. So is he.
“Oh my God!” Mae rushes into the room. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Salva races past her, back through the tunnel, ordering as she disappears, “You both stay here!”
“They took Pratt,” I manage, holding the wall.
“Who took her?”
“Gring,” I bring my hand to the crown of my head. “What happened with you? Where’s Lolin?”
“Something wasn’t right. He kept trying to lead me back here but I got a vibe…” she glances to the tunnel, then back at me. “I tried bringing him to the chancellor, but he left.”
“When was that?”
“Just a little bit ago… I’ve been looking for the rest of you.”
“They are gone,” Salva rushes back in. “There is a hidden exit up in the tunnel—they have broken out.”
“Where to?”
“I am not sure.”
“Will she be able to breathe?” I ask. The thought of Pratt in his hands turns a knot in my already upset stomach.
Salva hesitates, “They will keep her alive… but not for long. Come with me.” She’s running back through the tunnel, Mae and I on her heels. When we reach the Great Hall, we find it nearly empty, save for Chancellor Keller, Qippert and Sampson conversing on the opposite side, near the North and South Wings. They look up at our approach, Sampson and Qippert flabbergasted at our sudden and disheveled appearance. Chancellor Keller is enraged.
“What has happened?” he makes his way over.
“Musko attack,” Salva pants. “They knew.”
“Perio?”
Salva shakes her head. “Gring. They…” She inhales, anxious about revealing the rest. “They took one of the humans.”
Sampson’s eyes fly to mine, and then Mae.
“Pratt didn’t have her head gear or suit,” I keep the panic from my voice. “How will she survive?”
“I should have known they would try something,” the chancellor shakes his head, strumming his chin, “with the attacks here and on the Southern Waters… so many Mybyncians killed…” his words drift. “I knew they would be angered. But this?”
“Will she survive?” I ask again, angered.
He nods. “They will keep her protected until they get her where they want her.”
“Which is?”
“Their home base—the Musko lair. But no one knows where...”
“Sampson,” I turn to him, “what do we do?”
“Very little,” the despondency is painted on his face. “We promised the queen our visit would be in peace.”
“And it is. They’ve initiated conflict.”
“Fallon…” he exhales, “if we attack any Mybyncians, they’ll lump us together with the Vermix. We’ll only gain an enemy in all this.”
“So what are we supposed to do?” I gasp. “Let her die?”
“Fallon!” Reid rushes to me, Clarence and the other Rogues right behind him. With alarmed, almost angry eyes, Reid holds my face in his hands. “Are you okay?”
“What happened?” Jace asks.
“They’ve taken Pratt.”
“What?” Clarence gasps, looking to Sampson, then Salva. “Where?”
“We don’t know.”
“When?”
“Just now,” Salva answers. “He threw a lillulu.”
“It is like a tiny bomb,” Qippert quickly explains, glancing nervously to Sampson.
“Jesus,” Reid curses, his hands still gripping me. He tilts my head to the side, examining for injuries.
“I’m fine,” I pull back, turning to the chancellor. “What are we going to do about Pratt?”
“I am not sure there is much we can do.”
“Bullshit,” Reid drops his hold on my face, grasping my hand instead. “We’re not doing nothing.”
“Reid…” Sampson starts.
“No. I’m not sitting here while they have her.”
“It’s not that simple,” Sampson shakes his head but looks to Chancellor Keller quickly. “Maybe the queen should be notified.”
“She has retired for the night,” he exhales, quickly running through his options. “I am unable to speak with her. Salva can send word but I doubt anything will be done until morning.”
“It’ll be too late then!” I cry.
“My hands are tied,” the chancellor looks between us, “The best we can hope for is the lair’s location. If we had that…”
“Is there any way to find out?” Mae asks.
“Not that I am aware. The Musko’s lair has eluded us for some time. I can call a quick meeting of my guard, but like I said, I am sure very little can be done before morning.”
“It’s worth a try,” Clarence shrugs.
“Very well,” Chancellor Keller nods, obviously dismissing any good it’ll do. “Fychu, Clarence, Qippert, Salva—will you accompany me?”
“And what about us?” I ask as the five of them start to leave.
“You will return to your quarters,” Qippert says.
“Are you kidding?”
“Fallon,” Clarence clears his throat.
Qippert sighs. “For the time being, you can move to the West—”
“They stay with us,” Reid steps in front of me.
“It is not custom…” Chancellor Keller starts as Reid crosses his arms, standing like a wall between us. He blocks my body with his as Jace, Tucker, Booker and Werzo all step in front of Mae and me, creating one impenetrable shield. The chancellor sighs. “I guess… circumstances being what they are…we can, for this one night, allow a rare exemption…”
“Good,” Reid nods, indicating the tunnel where they arrived. “They’ll room with us tonight.”
Chancellor Keller tries to hide his recoil at the idea but goes along with the compromise. “Very well.” He indicates for the rest to follow him. Sampson and Clarence toss us a please behave look, Qippert and Salva on their heels, all quickly trailing behind the chancellor. Once they’re gone, the boys round on Mae and me, Reid still inspecting me for injuries.
Jace shakes his head. “Geez—are you guys okay?”
“I arrived afterward—Fallon got the brunt of it,” Mae wraps her arms around herself.
“Where were you?” Werzo asks.
“I was trying to find everyone. Lolin wouldn’t let me leave… I tried finding the chancellor… Lolin only left when we came within feet of the queen.”
“She would’ve recognized him,” Tucker nods. “What’d he say?”
Mae looks to me, “Probably the same thing Kendal said to Fallon. Just wanted to know where we were staying.”
“Can’t believe they took Pratt,” Jace shakes his head, running his fingers through his short, yellow hair.
“Wonder why they went after you,” Werzo crosses his arms. “We were all here. All exposed.”
“Females are the bigger slight,” Princess Ariana says from the other end of the hall. Glancing around—a final confirmation she wasn’t followed—she jets towards us and Tucker freezes immediately. When she reaches our group, she frowns. “We are held to a higher importance, so it would be a greater insult and travesty to harm a foreign female,” a great guilt sweeps her face. “I heard what happened—I am so terribly, terribly sorry.”
“How’d you hear?” Werzo narrows his eyes.
“I could not sleep. I begged my attendants for a quick stroll and overheard… well, anyway…” she looks around again, convinced we’re not alone. Satisfied momentarily, she leans in. “They will kill her. Tonight, in fact… but I know where they have taken her.”
“You know where the Musko lair is?” I ask.
“Well—um—yes,” her sage cheeks bloom a deep crimson.
“How do you know?”
“Well… Perio and I… use to be together.”
Tucker flinches. “Who’s Perio?”
“He is the leader of the Muskos.”
“And they are?”
Princess Ariana sighs. “Extreme loyalists. Similar to the Vermix… but, it is not like there is any sort of civil war here. They just take it upon themselves to preserve and protect Mybyncia and her interests.”
“So it’s not organized by the queen?” Reid asks.
“Oh, no…” Princess Ariana shakes her head. “Mybyncia thrives on the ideology of the Arizal—in fact, we are made up mostly of Arizals. That is why Blovid and all of you are welcome here. But, there are some who still believe Mybyncians are more important, and should be put first. So… if there are any ‘non Arizals’ among us… it would be the Muskos.”
“So how do we get Pratt back?” I cross my arms.
The princess looks behind her again, lowering her voice as she leans in. “I can get you there, but you will need defenses.”
“We had them when we arrived,” Reid says.
“They will be in your quarters then, but I doubt they will do much good. I suggest you take our Enidds—they travel better in water.”
“What are they?” Jace asks.
“Similar to your rifles—they hit a target from a distance—but they function in water and air. There are always a few stocked in the visitors’ quarters.”
“Good.”
“Grab them, suit up, and I will take you to my Stancimis, Mimi,” Princess Ariana leads us through the tunnel towards the boys’ quarters. “She will know how to get you there.”
“What about you?” I ask as we reach the room. It’s set up the same as ours, with the wide, circular bed in the middle and on it, the Rogues clothes and suits.
“Me?” Princess Ariana asks as the guys grab their clothes and start redressing into their tee shirt and jeans.
“What if they find out you helped us?” I ask, turning around as they change.
“I guess they will be mad,” she laughs.
“We don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“We are the ones who caused trouble,” a sudden shamefulness emits. “You are guests of ours. Chancellor Keller knows it is likely your friend will be dead in the morning. He has this one night but there is too much at stake.”
“Then why are you helping us?” Mae asks.
“I am an Arizal,” the princess says matter of factly. “No one life is worth more than another.”
“Where are the Enidd’s?” Jace asks once he’s fully clothed in the black suit.
“Under here,” the princess directs him to a pile of devices next to the AKs under the bed. Selecting one, she goes through a quick run-through of its basic functions and use. “Very similar to yours. In fact, I think yours were designed from ours.”
“How?” Reid asks as Jace retrieves them, passing one to each Rogue.
“There have been several visits between our Worlds and galaxies. During some, souvenirs were collected and exchanged.”
“And mine?” I ask, watching the boys handle their new toys.
“In your quarters.”
“You’re going?” Mae asks, surprised.
“Of course,” I head out of the tunnel, the princess following, and matching me with each step.
“It will be dangerous, Fallon.”
“I know.”
“For you,” she tosses me another glance. “It will be dangerous for you. If they see you, they will try to kill you.”
“They’re going to try to kill all of us,” we move through the Great Hall, Mae scurrying after us as a stampede of feet echo in the tunnel behind her. “So what does it matter?”
“You are more of a prize to them. They will want to see you dead first.”
Trying not to wince, I make for the East Wing, and when I reach our quarters, I gather my black suit and clothes. Mae rushes into the room just as I turn my back to the entrance and strip off the shelled bra. I reach for my own when Reid arrives, stopping the other Rogues with a stern command.
“Wait out here.”
Pulling on my shirt, I strip the cobalt skirt next and apply my jeans before stepping into the black suit. Grabbing the headgear next, I finally reach under the bed and retrieve my Enidd. I move for the entrance, finding Reid’s back to the room.
“Let’s go,” I enter the tunnel, the princess and Mae on my heels again. Reid is at my side and the Rogues follow after.
“How many can we expect?” I ask Princess Ariana.
“It is one of Perio’s prouder moments—he has captured a human girl—so he will want to show off. It will probably be the entire Musko population…” she’s thinking. “Perhaps fifty?”
“Shit!” Werzo mumbles.
“Any vulnerabilities?” I ask the princess. “Or advantages?”
“Surprise,” she says. “No one knows where the Musko lair is. They will not expect an attack.”
“But when they show up,” Mae asks, “won’t they know you told us?”
“Perio will know immediately. It does not matter.”
“Why not?”
“He…” she flushes, “…he is still in love with me.”
“Oh…” Mae whispers. “…Are—are you?”
“No,” Princess Ariana is quick to clarify. “That is why we are no longer together. It is his radical view that Mybyncia is the most important of the Three Worlds. I understand the importance of loyalty to one’s home, but I believe in the Way. We all are one people, one World. He never understood this.”
“But he still wants you,” Tucker meets the princess’ eye. “Doesn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“And your mother likes him?”
“She does not particularly favor him, but she has no qualms with his beliefs. I think… sometimes… she might be proud of him.”
“Even after abducting a guest?” I ask.
“My mother wants the best for her people,” she turns to me. “She adheres to the Arizal ideals because it is, above all, a notion of international peace. But she is a slave to her responsibilities and that is the protection and preservation of her home.”
“But she allows the Muskos to exist?” Reid narrows his eyes.
The princess looks at him. “They have never done anything like this.”
“What do you think your mother will do when she finds out?” Jace asks.
“I am not sure…” Princess Ariana frowns, her eyes unfocused on the rocky wall ahead. “If it was Blovid or the Fychu, she might order an immediate execution. But for a human girl…” she finally looks to us, offering an apologetic frown. “…I am not sure.”
“We’re losing time,” Reid moves faster for the Great Hall.
“Mimi will take you up the left bank,” Princess Ariana leads us through the Great Hall and into the tunnel leading back to the Docking Station. “It is where I always entered when he asked me to attend his meetings.”
“Do you miss him?” Tucker mumbles at her side.
“No. It would have never worked. We did not see eye to eye on things...” her thoughts drift, “…on several things.”
“Your mother said you barely escaped earlier,” the Rogue Leader’s voice is raspy.
“Yes—from the Southern Waters.”
“What uh… what happened?”
“The North was already hit, so I was meeting with Sepplia to discuss their defenses. I was there only minutes when the Vermix ambushed the shore.”
“Did you get hurt?”
“No. Qippert grabbed me as they started closing in. He pulled me to safety just in time, but Sepplia…” her voice drops.
Plague of Mybyncia Page 6
