Daughter of Discord (Star Mage Saga Book 1)

by J. J. Green

  Nate input the destination and the car set off. He had been with the family for many years, and Faye had sometimes suspected that he didn’t approve of what went on in the household, but of course he couldn’t say or do anything about it. The only people who worked for the Sherrerrs were either foolish or had little to nothing left to lose. Faye suspected Nate belonged to the latter category. Everyone knew that though the working conditions were good, employment with the Sherrerrs was a life sentence. Only idiots or those who didn’t have another way of feeding themselves or their family asked for a job.

  In silence, Faye and Parthenia sat together as the car drove smoothly toward the town. Faye wished there was a way she could speak to her daughter out of earshot of the servants, but she might as well have wished for the moon. She wanted to reassure her daughter that she would do everything in her power to protect her from her predatory father, weak though her power was. Perhaps it was best that she could say nothing.

  Nate turned around and asked for confirmation of the textile merchant’s shop he had input into the autocar.

  “Yes, that’s the one,” Faye replied. “Do you remember it, Parthenia? I think we went there last year.”

  “Yes, I remember, Mother. Will you be taking some fabric too?”

  “No, I won’t. This trip is for you.”

  “That’s right. Father didn’t say you could, did he?”

  Parthenia’s face was half-turned away as she spoke, and Faye thought she saw an odd expression flit across it. An intense emotion had affected her daughter. If Darius had been there he would have picked up on it immediately, but Faye didn’t possess his powers. She only knew that her daughter was feeling something deeply.

  “That’s right,” Faye replied. “This day is all for you.”

  Parthenia nodded, not removing her gaze from the wide, dusty plain outside. She didn’t seem particularly happy about the trip. Faye guessed that perhaps the meaning of her father’s actions was weighing heavily on the child after all. She reached over and took her daughter’s hand, and the two sat hand in hand all the way into town until the autocar stopped outside the textile store.

  The general public were in the process of leaving the store. The owner was shooing them out the door, concern in his eyes as the Sherrerr car drew up and parked. A few pedestrians gazed curiously into the tinted windows, unable to see the occupants. Faye waited until the textile merchant had chased them off before leaving the car and going into the store.

  She always felt bad about taking things from the town’s shopkeepers, but she had to. What was more, she had to take the best of what they had to offer. Stefan had been brought up in luxury and had an eye for quality. He would be angry if they returned with anything second best.

  Parthenia had gone over to look at a bolt of thick, rich purple fabric. Faye joined her and ran her hand down the material. It had a faint sheen.

  “A very good choice, mistress,” said the textile merchant. “That’s a rare one. Comes from offplanet. Made from a plant that won’t grow here. That’s its natural color. Can you tell?”

  Faye looked closely at the material. Its color was indeed a little uneven and not a single block of one shade, indicating the material hadn’t been dyed in a factory somewhere. “It’s very beautiful,” she said to the store owner and then to her daughter, “It would suit you, Parthenia.” She was speaking the truth. Parthenia had inherited her olive skin and dark hair and the deep purple complemented her coloring.

  “Okay,” Parthenia said. “I’ll take this one. What else would you recommend?” she asked the merchant.

  Nate, who had entered the shop with them while the other servant remained with the car, lifted up the entire bolt of material and took it out. Faye saw him placing it inside the roof box, ready to take to the dressmaker. It was a seemingly innocuous act, yet it was odd. The textile merchant would normally send over the fabric himself. That was how they’d always done it before. Was it possible that Nate intended to give her and Parthenia a small break from their constant surveillance?

  The merchant was busily showing her daughter a crimson fabric that would also look good on her. Faye went to the shop window and looked out into the street. Two small crowds had gathered on each side, a respectful distance away.

  “I have a new previewer, if mistress would like to try it,” the textile merchant was saying to Parthenia.

  “I guess so,” she replied with little enthusiasm.

  The man escorted her into a back room. Faye could hear him explaining the instructions to Parthenia. The machine would allow her daughter to see herself in any of the fabrics and styles she selected. For a moment, Faye was alone in the shop.

  Then the owner returned. “Can I interest you in anything today, ma’am?”

  “No, thanks. We’re only picking up things for my daughter.” Her heart began to race. Did she dare ask him what was on her mind? She had to take the chance. It would be the only one she would get. “I guess you must have heard about my son’s kidnapping.”

  “Oh yes, of course. It was terrible, terrible news. Everyone was so relieved when he was returned home. I trust the young master is well?”

  “Yes, he’s very well, thanks. But… ” Faye took a deep breath. “The person who brought him back… I didn’t have the opportunity to thank her. I wanted to give her a reward. Is she still in town?”

  “Do you mean the owner of the merc company, mistress? No. She left immediately after the young master was returned.”

  “No, not her. I meant the young soldier who brought him back to our estate.”

  “Oh, the merc,” said the merchant. “Yes, she stuck around for quite a while. No one seemed to know why. But she’s gone now. Got into a fight with… ” He blanched and swallowed. “She was highly disrespectful toward some employees of Mr. Sherrerr, ma’am. After they beat her thoroughly for it, she left town.”

  Relief and sadness intermingled in Faye. Though she was pleased that her eldest daughter was out of immediate danger, she was also sad to hear she’d suffered at the hands of her husband’s men.

  “Though oddly enough, she left a part of herself behind,” the merchant went on. He had the look of someone with a juicy piece of gossip.

  Faye gave him the prompt he was seeking. “What do you mean?”

  “Well...” The man edged closer. Outside, Nate was leaning one elbow on the roof of the autocar and chatting with William, who was sitting inside. “The altercation the soldier interfered with involved a splicer, ma’am,” said the merchant. “Although your husband’s men beat her in the end, of course, she put up a very good fight. The splicer grabbed some of her hair, and he’s planning on selling her code for conception treatment.”

  “He’s what?” Faye exclaimed. “He’s going to use her code to engineer embryos? Surely that isn’t legal.”

  The man made a dismissive gesture. “We don’t tend to pay a lot of attention to what is and isn’t legal around here, ma’am.” He made a face that said, As you know too well.

  It was a good point. Faye was, after all, stealing from the man’s shop. “What splicer was it?” she asked.

  “He’s just over the way, ma’am, but I hope you won’t tell him it was me who informed you. I was only chatting. I didn’t know you would take it further.”

  “Don’t worry,” Faye replied. “I’m not going to have him prosecuted, but I would like to talk to him.”

  Parthenia came out of the back room. “I’ll take those three.” She pointed at the red fabric she’d been looking at earlier and two others, a green and a velvety black. “Do you think that’s enough, Mother?”

  “Yes, I think so. We have to go to the dressmaker next. But I have another errand to run first. Would you mind waiting here for me for a few minutes?”

  Parthenia looked shocked. Doing anything other than exactly what they were supposed to do while in town was strictly forbidden. In front of the textile merchant, however, she could say nothing. “Okay, Mother. I’ll wait.”


  Faye had no choice. If the splicer had Carina’s code, whatever child he helped create would be a mage. The child’s ability would be traced back to her daughter, and Carina’s freedom and possibly her life would be forfeit. No doubt Stefan would make Faye pay dearly for an impromptu visit to the splicer, but it would be worth it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The news of what Faye had done arrived at the estate before she did. Stefan was waiting for them on the steps.

  “What’s Father doing?” Parthenia asked as soon as she saw him. “Why is he standing there?”

  “I’m not sure,” Faye replied, though she knew exactly why.

  The autocar drew up and they got out. Faye stared unflinching into her husband’s eyes, not disguising her hatred. She’d already defied him. Whatever punishment he had in store, she would suffer it whatever she did.

  “Go inside, Parthenia,” Stefan said quietly. “Dinner will be served in a moment. Your mother and I will be eating alone.”

  Her daughter’s gaze flicked between them before she obediently did as her father instructed. As soon as she’d gone into the dining room, Stefan gripped Faye painfully around her upper arm and pushed her ahead of him. He took her to the rear of the house to an open door that, despite her earlier bravery, made her quail. It had been years since she’d passed through that door and gone down the steps into the cellar.

  The cellar was where she’d spent her first few months in the Sherrerr mansion, tethered to the walls, beaten and raped day in and day out. For months, she’d remained defiant, refusing to give up her secrets, until Stefan had finally broken her by preying on her love for Kris. She’d told him everything on the foolish hope that it would save Kris’ life. Even then, she hadn’t understood how truly depraved and evil Stefan was. Even then, she’d imagined he would keep his word. Right up until that final moment…

  Faye gasped and shook her head, holding onto the door frame. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Not so courageous are you now, my darling?” Stefan thrust his shoulder against her back, forcing her through.

  She stumbled and fell down the steps, hitting her head at the bottom. The next thing she knew, Stefan was hauling her to her feet and pushing her into a cell. Restraints were fixed to the walls, and he slammed her wrists and ankles into them before marching back to the door and closing it.

  “Think you can defy me and get away with it, you bitch?” he yelled. He grabbed her face and pushed her head against the wall. He ground his lips into hers, pressing the weight of his body against her. When he pulled away, Faye felt a trickle of blood run down her chin.

  “Why did you go to the splicer? What did you want from him?”

  Faye turned away her head.

  “Never mind. I’ll find out soon enough. The man may have packed up his business and left town, but my men are on his tail. They’ll soon catch him and he’ll tell me whatever I need to know.” Stefan began pacing up and down the cell, his rage working higher. “I tried, Faye. I tried so hard with you. Those things I had to do in the beginning were unfortunate, but they were necessary. Afterward, if you had only allowed yourself to move on, everything could have been perfect between us. I wanted it to be perfect. But you were too stubborn and unforgiving. I hate it that you bring out this side of me. I hate it that you make me do this to you. But it’s the only way. It’s the only way to make you understand that you must obey!”

  “It isn’t me who does this to you, Stefan,” Faye said. “You like to think you’re wonderful, don’t you? You think that giving me and our children this luxurious lifestyle means something. That all you ask of me, all I do for you when I Cast, is just payment for all you give me. But this life doesn’t mean a thing because I didn’t choose it. You treat us like your slaves or your playthings. But we’re people, with feelings and opinions of our own, though they might as well not exist for all the notice you take of them. You use us and control us, and when we don’t do as we’re told, you throw a tantrum like a five year old. Only you’re a grown man. A grown man who’s evil and out of control. I don’t do this to you, Stefan. This is who you are.”

  He ran up to her and punched her in the stomach. Pain radiated up, and Faye slumped against the restraints. Her mouth flooded with saliva. She vomited, and the vomit ran down her dress.

  Stefan curled his lip in disgust. “You’re revolting. Do you know that? Look at yourself.” He grabbed the neckline of her dress and ripped it from her. Then he tore away her underclothes until she was naked. If he noticed the bruises her disease had created on her body, he didn’t seem to think anything of them.

  Stefan kissed her roughly again and undid his belt.

  ***

  When Stefan had finally exhausted himself by taking out his anger on her, he undid the restraints. Faye collapsed to the floor of the cell. She lay still, waiting for him to leave. But he hadn’t quite finished. He squatted down, grabbed her hair, and lifted up her head so that he could look her in the eyes.

  “I haven’t decided what I’ll do with you yet. I may tell the children you’ve taken ill and are being treated at a clinic for a couple of days. Perhaps I’ll allow you to resume your role within the household. I’m sure you still have some skills to impart to our offspring. I hope tonight’s lesson will encourage you to give up those final secrets. On the other hand, I may just leave you here. The room is soundproofed. No one will hear you, and none of the servants will dare to interfere with your slow, agonizing demise.”

  He abruptly let go of her head and her skull hit the cold flagstones. Stefan stood and straightened his clothes. “In a way, this is so unfortunate. I sometimes wonder how different things might have been if only you had listened to reason in the very beginning. Imagine the life you could have led if you had consented willingly to join my clan. You would have been adored—no—worshipped for your powers. A far greater Sherrerr than myself would have claimed you as his own and there would have been nothing I could have done about it. And, floating high on the success afforded by your abilities, the Sherrerrs would have risen above all our competitors.

  “But you chose a different path. Everything you’ve given me has been in tiny, niggardly doses, won at great effort. You made me work so hard for it all, Faye. Why? What was the point? So that you could end up back here again, where we began our time together? Such a shame. What a wasted opportunity.” He went to the door. “But, never mind. I got what I wanted in the end. And you know what, my dear? When you say that this is who I really am, I think you may have a point.”

  He smiled and left.

  After several minutes, when she was sure he wouldn’t be back for a while, Faye slowly moved into a sitting position. She probed inside her mouth with her tongue, working it up between her swollen gums and her teeth. The hairs she’d demanded from the splicer were still there. Three long, black strands of Carina’s hair. All she needed was elixir. If she could only get that, she could Cast. She would Cast Locate to find out where Carina was. If she was still on the planet, she would Cast Send and tell her to leave.

  Then, if she had enough elixir, she would Transport all her children far, far away. Perhaps she could Transport them to a remote place where they could escape recapture by the Sherrerrs.

  And then she would kill Stefan.

  Chapter Seventeen

  From where she was standing, Carina could see the ridge that she and Bryce had peeked over when they were watching the Sherrer stronghold. It was white with snow against a cloudy white sky and obscured further by grayish snowflakes swirling down. She would have given a lot to be up there again and not freezing her toes off working for the Sherrerrs.

  She’d only just made it through Basic, receiving the dubious reward of recruitment into the Sherrerr forces. Still bearing the marks of her beating, Carina had been put to work at the lowest tier of the clan’s military wing.

  It was a bizarre conclusion to her and Bryce’s effort to reconn the Sherrerr stronghold. As she stood on sentry duty on the fortress shuttle pad, Cari
na struggled to wrap her head around it. If the clan hadn’t been undertaking their massive recruitment drive, she doubted the two of them would have been so lucky. As it was, she guessed their youth and lack of any military equipment had counted in their favor. If Raynott, the officer who had overseen Carina’s interrogation, didn’t really believe their story, she probably thought they were young and poor enough to quickly switch allegiance on the promise of a job, shelter, and a steady supply of food.

  Which wasn’t so far from the truth. Carina had no loyalty to the Dirksens. They had mercilessly tortured the little boy she had rescued. However, neither did she bear any love for the Sherrerrs. As far as she was concerned, both clans were as bad as the other. The sooner she could escape her accidental employment and go offplanet—preferably outsystem—the better.

  She had only one problem: Bryce. She couldn’t bring herself to escape and leave him behind. She wasn’t sure how long he could survive without the medication that kept his disease under control but it certainly wasn’t forever. The Sherrerrs would probably work him until he was too sick to go on and then put him outside the gates. Carina knew that if she left without him, she would always have his fate on her conscience. All she had to do was find him and Cast Transport to get them both out of there.

  The only information about Bryce she’d managed to glean was that he’d been put to work dealing with slops and garbage somewhere in the bowels of the fortress. There could be no sneaking off during her long work hours to visit that area—she was certain that Raynott had given the order that she was to be closely watched—and when she wasn’t working, she wasn’t allowed to visit the men’s quarters. Male and female soldiers were kept strictly segregated during their brief hours of downtime. She could only hope to find him while he was working and she wasn’t.

  The moment she found Bryce and they were alone together, they would be gone.

  New recruits were arriving at the fortress every day. Carina had realized that her guess that the Sherrerrs were developing a new weapon had been incorrect. The stronghold was for military training. No one said so, but there could only be one conclusion drawn from the fast, large increase in numbers of troops: the Sherrerrs were preparing for a conflict of some kind. Perhaps they were expecting an attack, but it seemed from the training that they were planning an assault.