by J. J. Green
Olivia stepped out, not looking particularly shamefaced about being called out on her spying. Faye wondered if Stefan was dallying with her. If he was, she pitied her. “I want to have a bath. Please prepare one for me.”
“A bath?” It was an odd time of day for the request, and puzzlement showed on the maid’s face, underlain with suspicion.
“Yes, a bath. Have you suddenly turned deaf, or stupid? After what your master did to me, I want to try to ease my aches. Does that make sense to you?”
Olivia finally looked abashed. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And ask Cook about herbs that help with healing. She may have some in the kitchen.” It would buy her a little more time.
As soon as Olivia left, Faye went out into the garden. She went straight to the spot where she’d seen the firestone, right before Stefan caught her. It was still there, in the exact same place, half-buried in the soft soil of a flower bed. She thanked the stars that her husband hadn’t spotted it. The stone looked as though it had been recently unearthed.
Her hands trembling with haste, Faye took out the bag she’d secreted under her skirt. It contained everything she needed, each item gathered from its individual hiding place. She set down the bottle of ingredients that needed only the final addition of fire to their mix to be transformed into elixir. She made a pile of thin, dry twigs on the stone path, then picked up the stone.
Faye didn’t waste time checking that she wasn’t being watched. She didn’t care anymore. She had this one opportunity to get her children out of that terrible place and she was going to take it. She took out the knife she’d slipped into the bag at breakfast and the fluffy tinder that she’d hoarded for so long. After putting down the ball of fluff, she struck the stone against the steel knife blade.
It took her several tries, but eventually sparks flew onto the tinder. Three or four strikes later, the surface of the tinder glowed and blackened in a few spots. Faye picked up the precious stuff and blew gently on it until it smoked. A slender tongue of flame rose, and she put the ball into the center of the kindling. Crouching close to the ground, her head on one side, she blew steadily into the piled sticks. They caught fire.
Faye place the metal bottle on the little fire. She cursed as she realized she didn’t have any tongs to lift the hot bottle out again. She pulled down the sleeve of her dress to cover her hand. It would have to do.
After brewing elixir all her life and often in front of Stefan when teaching the children how to Cast, Faye knew within a heartbeat how long the mixture needed to warm. When the time was up, she reached into the flames with her covered hand and lifted it out. The thin material of her dress was poor protection from the heat, but Faye mentally blocked the burning pain of her fingers.
Gripping the bottle, she glanced around. She’d been lucky. The garden appeared to be empty.
She would normally allow the elixir to cool. It would be too hot to drink yet, but she couldn’t waste any time. The process had taken so long, Olivia would have filled her bath and already be looking for her. She had only a few minutes at most.
Faye took a sip of the scalding liquid that sent fire down her throat as she swallowed it. First, she would Locate Carina and Send to her. Of all of them, she had the greatest chance of getting away and surviving. She took out the three hairs she’d taken from the splicer and gripped them.
Faye closed her eyes, steadied her breathing and her mind, and Cast Locate.
If she was in the planetary system, Faye’s Cast would mentally take her to her daughter. And when she knew exactly where she was, she could Send. It had been many years since Faye had used Locate. The business dealings of the Sherrerrs rarely required that Cast. Her mind lifted up into the sky and ballooned out over the landscape. She could see/feel the positions of her children directly below her. They were in separate rooms of the mansion, having their lessons.
Faye wrenched her mind from them. The Cast wasn’t working well. It was confusing Carina with her other offspring. It had been so long since she’d seen her eldest child, aside from that glimpse of her from the autocar.
Had she already left the planet? Or maybe she’d gone to another region? It would explain why Faye was having problems finding her. Maybe she should make the Cast wider, though it would need more time and energy than she had. If she couldn’t find Carina within the next few moments, she would have to give up and simply Transport the other children out.
Then she detected a tiny glow in the gray, shady landscape. It was deep within a mountain range. Faye’s mind flew to the spot. The glow strengthened in brightness. It was her. She’d found Carina. She’d found her first-born.
Now to Send. Without opening her eyes and losing her daughter’s position, Faye took another sip of the burning liquid, which seared her tongue and throat once more. She wrote the character in her mind and formulated her message.
“Mother,” a voice exclaimed.
Someone grabbed the bottle from her hand. Faye’s eyes flew open. Parthenia’s tarsul had the elixir in its paw. Parthenia was running down the path toward her, a look of terror on her face.
“You mustn’t,” Parthenia hissed. She took the bottle from her pet and tipped the contents into the soil. Faye knelt before her child, utterly dumbfounded.
“Ma’am,” called Olivia. She appeared. “Ma’am, your bath is ready.”
Olivia didn’t give voice to the suspicion that danced in her eyes. Faye was in a ridiculous position, kneeling on the stone garden path for no reason whatsoever. Parthenia was rigid as she stared at her. Faye got up. “Thank you, Olivia. I’ll be along shortly. I want to speak to Parthenia for a few moments.”
“As you wish, ma’am,” the maid said and left.
“What the hell did you think you were doing?” Faye asked her daughter as soon as Olivia was out of earshot. “Do you want to live under the control of that monster for the rest of your life? You’ve spoiled the only chance I had of getting us out of here.”
“You mustn’t defy Father,” said Parthenia, a tremble in her voice. “You mustn’t. He’ll be very angry.” She spun around and left without another word. Her pet loped along in her wake.
Had Faye not been beyond weeping, she would have wept. But she’d cried a lifetime of tears for her children and herself. She had none left. She could hardly believe she’d come so close to their escape only to be thwarted by her own daughter. Stefan had starved the girl of attention and affection so effectively, he’d turned Parthenia against her. The child would do anything to make her father like her.
But Faye hadn’t given up. The firestone remained where she’d left it, undiscovered. Only Parthenia had seen the remains of the little fire she’d made. Olivia’s view of it had been blocked by her daughter. Faye quickly buried the charred sticks under soil. Although Parthenia had taken her metal canister with her, she could find another somewhere and gather more elixir ingredients.
The next time she had the opportunity, she would Cast again. Eventually, she would succeed.
Olivia was approaching again. Damn the woman.
“Sorry, ma’am, but your bath is getting cold.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Stefan had sent a message that they were all to wait for him before dinner was served as he would be late getting home that night. The dining room as silent as they waited. It was like the wake after a funeral, Faye mused. Only less convivial.
Parthenia was refusing to meet Faye’s gaze. Whether it was out of anger, shame, fear, or another emotion, she couldn’t tell. Her second eldest child had always been difficult to read in that way.
Time passed. The sky through the glass double doors darkened to starry blackness, and still Stefan didn’t arrive.
Darius finally broke the silence. “Mother,” he said, “I’m hungry.”
“I know,” Faye replied. “Father will be home soon, I’m sure. Then dinner will be served. Just be patient a little longer.”
The small child kicked his legs and tapped his knife on his plate.
“Here he cometh,” exclaimed Nahla.
Out in the night sky, the glowing lights of the family shuttle approached. An almost-inaudible sigh of relief sounded in the room. Though she hated the very sight of her husband, Faye’s stomach was empty and aching. She wished he would hurry up.
The family waited another quarter of an hour or so for the shuttle to land and for Stefan to arrive in the dining room. When he did, he seemed in unusually high spirits. He told Nate, who was attending, to be quick. “It’s been a long day and I’m starving. Tell Cook to get that food in here fast, and it better be hot.”
The servants also brought glowing lamps along with that night’s dishes. The room had become gloomy, but to Faye the artificial lights didn’t seem to push back much of the darkness. She wondered what had so invigorated her husband. She feared it was something that would involve them too, or else why had he wanted to gather them all around him?
The food arrived, and the children pounced on it until a sharp rebuke from Stefan made them behave more politely. They helped each other to portions and, when everyone’s plate was full, ate slowly and in silence.
The cook had prepared a thick meat stew heady with spices and served in the upturned shell of the animal the meat had come from. It was an exotic species from the polar region, where the sun only rose for an hour or so per day. Along with the stew, there was a basket of leaves and herbs from the vegetable garden, picked that day. Homegrown, tiny nuts had been stirred into the leaves, and the oil they exuded had lent the foliage a soft sheen and savory flavor. The starch of the meal was supplied by the boiled, dried, and ground roots of a locally grown biennial plant that produced delicate, lilac flowers. Side dishes included pickled crustaceans and flower buds.
Over the years, Faye had gotten used to the food eaten by the locals on that planet, and whatever the family ate, it was always cooked to a rare perfection—the cook had worked at the most expensive restaurants in the capital city of the region. Yet often the meals tasted like cardboard, when she could bring herself to eat more than a few mouthfuls. Despite her hunger, that evening was one of those occasions. The chance to free her children and herself from bondage to her monstrous husband had come within her grasp, only to be snatched away. And by one of the very people she had been trying to help, the second child she had brought to life through pain and blood and deep sorrow.
She found herself chewing mechanically, the food moving around and around her mouth. She forced the mouthful down and took another.
Faye’s thoughts on Stefan were also distracting her. Clearly something important had happened that day and he planned to make some sort of announcement at the end of the meal, or he wouldn’t have made them all wait for him to return. Usually on such nights when he didn’t make it back in time for the evening meal, Faye would be able to slip away to her room and avoid him while he ate alone.
She waited and watched as the family ate. It was almost comical watching them. Stefan was hungry after his long day, which made him eat faster than usual. The children knew they wouldn’t take another mouthful after he was finished, so they were trying to shove the food down their throats as quickly as they could, while at the same time trying to avoid attracting Stefan’s attention and accompanying wrath.
Finally, her husband put down his cutlery and signaled to Nate. Castiel risked another forkful of stew, but the rest of the children’s cutlery clattered to their plates. Darius looked sorrowfully at a lump of ground root he hadn’t managed to eat in time.
The servant who had been waiting just outside the door with the pudding immediately entered. It was Olivia, doubling up on her duties. The strain of holding the heavy dish while she waited for the main meal to be over showed in her sweaty, creased forehead, and Faye was glad. It was a small revenge for the years of spying and betrayal, but she would take it.
Olivia lifted the lid from the dish, drawing a barely audible collective groan from the children. The cook had prepared a mousse made from the sweet flesh of a river fish, tree sap, and tiny black seeds that fizzed on the tongue. The pudding was a favorite of Stefan’s. The children hated it, yet none dared to express their opinion. Like most of the food that evening, Faye took no pleasure in it and didn’t register the taste strongly. She was waiting to hear what Stefan had to tell them and wondering what it would mean for her and the rest of the family.
After slowly eating small portions of their dessert, the children’s torture was over and Nate removed all the dishes while Olivia cleaned the table.
It was late evening. Darius looked as though he might fall asleep at any moment, and the other children were tired and impatient. Even Parthenia, who had watched her father with affection throughout the meal and even eaten all of her pudding, was looking as though she’d had enough. But no one could leave until Stefan gave permission.
“Nate,” he said, “please bring wine, and also something special for the children to drink.”
“Yes, sir.”
Olivia took the hint and got out the rock crystal glasses that were kept for special occasions.
“Have you got some exciting news for us?” Castiel ventured.
“Yessth,” said Nahla, “are we going to have a toastht?”
Nahla rarely spoke around her father as her lisp made him angry, but she clearly felt confident that Stefan’s mood was so good she could risk it. The child was right, for Stefan replied, “A toast is indeed in order, my dear.”
“Ooooh,” exclaimed the little girl. “What’s it about?”
“Have patience, Nahla. Wait until everything is ready.”
Nate entered carrying a tray that bore a bottle of wine from the cellar and a silver jug covered with a soft white cloth. Condensation was forming on the outside of the jug due to the chilled drink the cook had prepared.
A tense excitement filled the room as Nate and Olivia filled the family’s glasses. Faye felt dread enveloping her heart. Whatever it was that Stefan had to announce, she was sure it would not bode well for her children or herself.
Nate and Olivia completed their task and stood to one side, their hands folded in front of them.
“As Castiel and Nahla so astutely observed, I have something important to tell you. The most important members of the clan met today. Naturally, I was invited. We discussed many things, including the ongoing success in our campaign to wrest control of certain areas from the Dirksens and claim this entire galactic sector. Our family has been part of this increase in our strength, and I was delighted to receive personal praise and thanks from Raith Sherrerr himself on that.
“We decided today that the time has come to step up our bid for control. Business and small-time power struggles are useful, but results come slowly and with plenty of backward steps. Now’s the time to press forward with our advantage. So, Faye, children, raise your glasses. The Sherrerrs are going to war!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next morning, Stefan announced over breakfast that they had two hours to pack whatever they wanted to take with them, then they were leaving. He didn’t know when they would be returning to the estate, he said, if ever. The children were in a frenzy as they tried to find treasured items they’d misplaced and fill their bags with their favorite toys and clothes. The choices they were making weren’t particularly well thought out or practical—Oriana was packing for a hot climate, while Ferne was taking his jackets, cardigans and boots—but Faye didn’t bother to say anything. Whatever they lacked, someone would arrange to supply them at their destination.
Faye told Olivia to pack a range of clothes and left the maid to it. She went out into the garden and passed the time walking the paths. Despite her terrible situation and the years she’d spent confined and abused there, she could remember happy times in the garden with the children. There had been times when she’d momentarily forgotten her desperate plight and had taken simple pleasure in the company of her girls and boys, before the shadow of the existence of Stefan and his proud, cruel family had covered her heart again.
Parthenia’s tarsul loped by, crossing Faye’s path. Stefan had told the children they couldn’t bring their pets with them, which had caused many trembling lips and silent tears as they absorbed the news while struggling not to anger their father with their reaction. Faye had wondered at the meaning of the information. It wouldn’t have been much trouble to bring the animals along in a separate autocar or shuttle. Maybe Stefan’s decision had only been a whim, heedless of the effect on his offspring, or a manifestation of his cruelty.
A ripe fruit was hanging down from a vine that looped overhead. Faye reached up and plucked it. The sweet, slightly bitter juice dripped down her chin as she bit through the fuzzy skin.
An arm pressed close around her waist, making her start and drop the fruit. She coughed as the juice went down the wrong way. It was Stefan. He’d snuck up on her from behind while she was lost in reverie. He leaned so close to her ear that his lips brushed it as he said, “I thought I might find you here, Faye. You always did like our garden, didn’t you?”
Faye pulled away from him. “What do you want?”
“Always the cold-hearted bitch, aren’t you?”
“You expect me to be warm toward my rapist?”
“Details, details. You should learn to enjoy it. I certainly do. In fact, I think I prefer it.”
Faye smiled.
“That’s what I like to see,” Stefan said. “I’m glad I could persuade you to come around to my way of thinking. Though, I must say, please continue to scream and fight as you did before. It adds a special frisson.”
“Oh, I wasn’t smiling at the thought of you forcing yourself on me, dear husband. No, I was imaging the pleasure I’ll experience when I see you pay for everything you’ve done to me and all the other evil acts of your life.”
“Enjoy the thought, because a thought is all it will ever be,” Stefan replied. “We Sherrerrs are more powerful than we’ve ever been. It won’t be long before we’ve stamped the Dirksens into the ground. Then, no one will dare stand up to us and we’ll have the richest pickings from every business and trade deal that goes on. And when we’ve secured our hold, we’ll begin our move into the neighboring galactic sectors. What do you think about that?”
