Premonition
The New Dawn: Book 7
Valerie J. Mikles
Contents
The story so far
The Crew
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
THANK YOU
THE QINALI VIRUS
Also by Valerie J. Mikles
About the Author
Dedicated to my queer sci-fi community.
The story so far
#1 The Disappeared – Oriana’s crew becomes the target of the Terranan Guard after a former Disappeared, Amanda Gray, escapes her Elysian prison and resurfaces. The Elysians, once believed to be non-corporeal spirits, reveal their physical form as disgraced Guard, Diana Solvere, leverages their power to pursue Amanda across the expanse of outer space. In the fight for their lives, Oriana loses their pilot, Corey, and the ship crashes far from home.
#2 Sequestered – Sky and Hawk join the crew when Oriana makes a mad escape from Rocan, a dying city in desperate need of Oriana’s resources, both technological and … human. In exchange for Hawk’s help, Captain Danny Matthews promises he will help search for medicine to save Hawk’s people.
#3 Trade Circle – While exploring the ruins of an ancient city, Danny and Saskia fall victim to a disease called Havara Pytr, the Jaws of the Ancestors. Sky reaches out to the nomadic tribes in the area and invites a heap of new trouble when her spirit-carrier nature is revealed. Although Oriana’s crew is offered the medicine, the demanded price of Sky’s life is too high, and they rush to save her.
#4 Hybrid – Oriana arrives in Boone expecting a technologically advanced civilization only to find a ghost town. The sole survivors of the destruction are two human-spirit hybrids, Kerris and Liza. Realizing that Hawk is a hybrid as well, Liza becomes convinced Hawk can teach her how to undo the destruction of Boone. When a nearby tribe realizes that Liza may be able to resurrect their lost family members, they force her to try, and trigger an even worse destruction.
#5 The Gray Market – Danny and Tray learn that their mother once had a business of capturing hybrids and selling their powers. In their absence from Quin, Lois Ketlin has risen to power by stealing their mother’s technique, and she is determined to destroy the Matthews brothers in the process. In the aftermath of Ketlin’s defeat, Morrigan and Chase join the crew to escape the city and start their lives fresh.
#6 The Confluence – While in the process of saving Sky, the crew uncovers Deivon Parker’s plot to break into the realm of the half-breeds using a modified artificial gravity source called the Confluence. When the crew realizes this special stone could punch a hole between the physical and spirit realms, and possibly destroy the solar system, they bring down the entire government to stop him.
The Crew
Danny Matthews – After his stepfather rejected him, he moved to Terrana, only to be caught in a Revolution. After the Revolution, he became part of a Citizens’ Channel, transporting refugees from Terrana to Aquia. At many points, he found himself captured, interrogated, and abused by the Terranan Guard. He became captain of Oriana after reuniting with his estranged brother, Tray.
Tray Matthews – He comes from wealth, but grew up not knowing he had a brother. After a falling out with his father and a messy divorce, he went seeking family and has been clinging to his brother ever since. Tray recently found out that he has a son, and they finally reunited on his return to Quin, but disagreements with his ex-wife may yet tear them apart.
Saskia Serevi – A former Terranan Guard, Saskia joined Oriana’s crew “three captains ago” after a paralyzing injury drove her from service. She was recruited by General Santos, and he still believes them friends. She takes the mantle of the stoic warrior, but also nominal mechanic and medic. She and Tray have a blooming romantic relationship.
Amanda Gray – A former Disappeared, she died in captivity multiple times, and she’s learned that her lost memories can never be restored. She has a strong connection to the spirit realm, and has recently discovered that she can echo the powers of hybrids. She also suffers schizophrenia, and she often has difficulty parsing her spirit-world insights from her delusions.
Douglas “Hawk” Hwan – Hawk is an engineer whose aptitude for machines comes from a hybrid nature. He’s learned that he can unlock doors, jam weapons, and turn electrical devices off and on with the power of his mind. He worries about his children growing up with untapped hybrid abilities, but feels like he can’t go home without medicine for his people.
Sky – A spirit-carrier, she has no ability to communicate with the Seer that possesses her. She has lived her life as a traveler because she fears if she stays in one place too long, Spirit will find a way to kill her and jump into a new host. Although over a hundred years old, Spirit keeps her looking young.
Dr. Morrigan Zenzele – After Lois Ketlin killed her parents, Morrigan used drugs to escape her pain. Lois, the reigning drug lord of Quin, tainted her supply, and she would have died had Tray Matthews not arrived in dire need of a doctor. Morrigan killed Lois with the very drugs that were meant to kill her, and she joined Oriana’s crew as a doctor because she is no longer allowed to practice medicine in Quin.
Chase DuPlessis –Chase met Danny five years ago when they designed and built the Bobsled together. His passion for building and fixing ships drew him to Kemah to help with Oriana’s repairs. When he discovered his fiancé was pregnant with another man’s baby, he joined Oriana’s crew to escape the pain. On Terrana, he suffered a debilitating injury to his dominant hand, and has limited dexterity.
1
The streets of Nola were bustling, the music rising, the vibrant multi-colored banners glittering in the evening light. The air smelled of perfumes, pheromones, and alcohol, the scent getting thicker as Festival-time approached. Prince Corin Toulane hated Festival.
“Corin, you look like a walking tapestry in these robes. I don’t think this style will catch on,” his friend Judith said. She greeted him by the Palace gate with a friendly swat on the arm, causing the beads on his sleeve to rattle. As Prince of Textiles, he enjoyed watching the fashion trends he created sweep through the city, but his Festival robe was one-of-a-kind. After his first Festival, he went around collecting the fallen beads and gems, and decided to make a robe that captured the spirit of the event. He’d been adding to it for two years now. The left sleeve was purple and gold, the right green and silver. The reds went down the back, creating an ombre effect.
“I’m hoping it makes me unapproachable,” he grinned, kissing her on the cheek. He and Judith had been friends since childhood. She had come of age for Festival a year befor
e him and seemed to love the energy of it. Her purple, blue, and pink robe was shorter than his, cinched at the waist, and adorned with rhinestones and sapphires. The spray-on dyes in her hair matched the three colors of the dress, creating a marble pattern when swept into an up-do.
“I’m taking you to a new venue opened by the Prince of Metallurgy. It’s smaller. More intimate,” she said, clasping both her hands around his.
“I’m following you,” he said.
When she smiled, the Festival lights caught the glitter on her lips. Before he came of age, he used to help his father plan for Festival. He loved choosing the color themes and designs. Then he’d attended one. The city-wide party was little more than an attempt to bolster the population through drunken copulation. The realization had killed the magic of the event. Now he dreaded seeing the Festival banners fly. He stuck close to Judith and prayed for the night to end quickly.
“I had to make reservations two weeks in advance. Final selection was by lottery.”
“Lottery,” Corin huffed. “They see the name Toulane and there’s nothing random about that selection.”
As the son of the town magistrates, Corin was accustomed to selective treatment, especially for solicitations to Festival venues. Corin had trained hard to achieve his rank, but his appointment to the office of Prince meant next to nothing, because he lived in his parents’ shadows.
“Small venue,” she said. “No one is there for show. No one is making fake conversation.”
“It’s fake as long as it’s Festival,” he said, pulling a bottle from his side pocket and taking a sip. He kept a bottle of non-fermented pomegranate juice handy because he didn’t like losing his mind to the aphrodisiac-laced Festival wine. To others, it looked like he was drinking.
“You know who gets to skip Festival?” she asked. “Your sister. Get me pregnant and—”
“You know who doesn’t get to skip? My sister’s husband,” Corin interrupted. “If I get you pregnant again, who am I going to spend my night with next Festival? I couldn’t get through this without you.”
Judith giggled and kissed the back of his hand, leaving a trace of glitter on his skin. He felt their inevitable future—one day, he’d have children with her. There was no one else he loved. And he wished he loved her as more than a friend.
“Try this,” Judith said, producing a pinky-sized purple vial from her cleavage. “It’s Kan. It’s a new one.”
Corin sighed. Festival drugs were called recreational, but they were far more than that. They didn’t lower inhibition between couples; they fueled lust. Last year, he and Judith had tried Etna, and Corin couldn’t remember anything after that first drop. Judith got pregnant and then miscarried a few weeks later. The loss was devastating, and no amount of Etna could make him forget that pain.
“You don’t have to,” she said, tucking the vial away. She slid her hand up the sleeve of his robe to rub his arm.
“What’s it do?” he asked.
“No fertility enhancers, pheromones, or mood-shifters. It heightens your sense of touch,” she grinned, her hand sliding farther into his robe and across his back. Festival robes were designed to double as a covering in the event of public sex.
“Sniff, mix, drop?” he asked, checking her eyes for permission before sliding his fingers down the front of her dress for the vial.
“Drop,” she said.
Corin unscrewed the lid and let a single drop fall on his tongue. A tingle spread through his body, the warmth pooling where Judith’s hand touched his skin. But it didn’t set his body aflame or make him feel out of control. He felt content and comfortable.
“I’ll have some more of that,” he decided, unscrewing the cap again.
“At the party,” Judith promised, taking the vial from him and tucking it away again. “I’m saving a drop for Alyssa.”
Corin pressed his lips together. Alyssa had joined them at Festival before, but she was interested in Judith, not Corin. At Festival, same-sex coupling was taboo, but Alyssa and Judith could get away with it as long as he was there. Corin would rather the women kiss each other than him, so he didn’t complain.
Judith kissed his cheek, and he shivered at the heightened sensation. The Kan didn’t just amplify physical sensation, it amplified his hesitance. His nostrils burned, too.
“Do you smell that?” he asked, pushing her hand out from under his robe.
“Yes,” Judith whispered, her eyes darting about. Then she pointed to a plume of black smoke rising into the dome not half a block away. “Fire!”
Corin swore and ran toward the smoke. Flames rose from the third story of a metal and wood manor. Someone inside threw themselves against the window but was unable to break the moon-slate reinforced glass.
“Call for help,” Corin told Judith, searching for a way to get to the upper levels. There was a faded outline where the escape ladder should have been bolted on.
“Who? Everyone is at Festival!” Judith cried.
“Anyone can haul water!” Corin said. This was the venue he and Judith had been heading toward. They would have been trapped inside!
A uniformed officer came around the building, his jacket pulled up to shield his nose and mouth from the smoke. Corin recognized him from the Palace.
“Officer Belgard!” he called.
Belgard’s eyes widened and he dropped the jacket, looking from Corin to the building. “How did you get out?” he snapped.
“I was never in,” Corin said. “The escape ladder is gone from this side. Is there one around back?”
Belgard looked up at the building, his cheeks twitching, his expression unreadable. “No. They’ll burn,” he said, seeming disconnected from the tragedy of his words.
“We need a ladder—”
“We will do nothing. The venue is filled with Fotri. Good riddance,” Belgard spat, the numbness giving way to vitriol.
Corin’s jaw dropped, his blood boiling. Fotri was a name for people who chose same sex partners. People like Alyssa and Judith. Even Corin’s mother expressed anti-Fotri sentiments.
Suddenly, Corin felt a club bash him across the shoulders and he fell to his knees, stunned. Belgard grabbed him by the robe, dragging him toward the burning building.
“What are you doing?” Corin cried.
“You wanted a way in. Burn with your Fotri friends,” Belgard growled.
“But I’m not—” Corin began. Even if he were Fotri, that didn’t justify Belgard throwing him into a burning building! Pulling a canister from his robes, he sprayed the Festival drug in Belgard’s face, disorienting the man so he could break free.
The people trying to escape the upper level could not crack the glass. Corin needed a ladder and a hammer. If he were in the textile district, he’d know exactly where to go.
“Judith!” Corin called.
Someone jumped on his back and clamped a hand over his mouth, hissing at him to be quiet.
“It’s a good thing you were late,” Alyssa growled, sliding off of him. Her exposed skin was smeared with soot. “Come on!” she said, dragging him away from the fire. She hopped on one leg, favoring an injured foot.
“What? No!” Corin cried, jerking away from her. He quickly shrugged out of his robe and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. “How did you get out?”
“I was on the balcony. Suddenly, all the locks clicked, and I couldn’t get back in,” Alyssa said. “Festival robes do not make reliable escape ropes, but at least... there’s no way in, Corin.”
“We have to try. We can’t leave them to die,” Corin stammered, pointing to the sealed building. The smoke had to be getting out somehow.
“A service officer just killed a house full of Fotri,” Alyssa hissed. “There was no random lottery, Corin. That fire was meant for us.”
She sprayed something in his face, stunning him the way he’d stunned Belgard, then she shoved a pill in his mouth and forced him to swallow. She was getting him out whether he wanted to go or not.
2
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the damp, green fields outside of Nola. Mold grew up the sides of the low, stone fences that covered the countryside for miles. The sheep were grazing in the highlands, soon to be herded downhill for shearing. The town went about its business of producing more wool than food and the Council of Princes met again to fruitlessly discuss methods of protecting the sheep from hungry vagrants.
The mountain springs fed rivers that threaded the plains and circled Nola. The Lilac River had eroded the foundation at the eastern wall of the dome, but the air outside was pure enough, and the Nolans had built a boardwalk and canopy taking a part of the river into their protected city. The glass canopy filtered the sunlight, keeping the walking path cool, and making the river look purple. The boardwalk paced the river for nearly three miles, and every half mile a pier went out into the river. It was a popular jogging path, and the Prince of Wildlife worked hard to keep the larger predators from entering the river along the protected walkway. The gators always seemed to find a way in.
Premonition: A Space Opera Adventure Series (The New Dawn Book 7) Page 1
