by J. J. Green
Carina fought the urge to push him away from her, violently.
“Perhaps I misjudged you,” he said. “I’d thought you were going to be as difficult and uncooperative as your mother, and I would be forced to exert the same level of control as I had to with her. Not without enjoying a certain amount of pleasure, I have to confess. But if you’re of a different mind, I see no reason why we couldn’t work together to rise to a preeminent, if not primary, position within the clan. Together. You couldn’t do it alone as that idiot Calvaley suggested, but if we joined forces we could be a formidable couple, you and I.”
“You seem to be forgetting something,” Carina said. “You’re already married. To my mother.”
“Yes, but not for much longer. Didn’t she tell you?”
“Tell me what?” An icy steel vice fastened around Carina’s heart. What did Stefan mean? He must have heard about her mother’s illness, but she was going to get better. “I know she’s sick but… ”
“Yes, she’s very ill. The stupid woman. What possessed her to stop taking her preventative, I’ll never know. The doctor informed me it was too late for her to receive treatment. She only has a week or two left.”
“What?” Carina’s legs gave way. She collapsed into her seat.
“So she didn’t tell you.”
“She told me she was going to start treatment and that she would be okay,” Carina replied, shock entirely disarming her.
“No, that isn’t the case.” Stefan was looking down at her impassively. “I don’t know why your mother would want to mislead you on something so important, yet she has. Odd. Anyway, after a respectable period of mourning, we will marry. Think on it, Carina. You could repeat your mother’s unhappy experience or you could be more agreeable and enjoy your life. Though I would, of course, expect to father another brood on you. Our marriage will give our children legitimacy. Those mage powers are too useful to waste.”
Stefan’s words barely registered with Carina, disgusting though they were. Why had her mother lied to her? Why had she given her false hope? She was adrift. She held her head as if it might halt the spinning of her mind. Her mother was going to die after all, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
“Stand,” a voice said.
Carina looked up into the expressionless face of a guard. Stefan had gone. The briefing room was almost empty. Minutes must have passed without her noticing.
Numbly, Carina rose to her feet. She’d been assigned two guards to return her to her quarters. This time, both of them were male. As she glanced at the other guard, she froze. It was Bryce. His eyebrows flicked up as an almost-unnoticeable acknowledgment.
“Move,” the other guard said, motioning her toward the door. When she reached it, he went in front of her as they walked down the corridor. Bryce was behind her. Carina glanced over her shoulder a few times as they went along, but she didn’t dare risk speaking to him while the other guard could overhear her.
They took her back to her family’s living quarters. The place remained quiet and dark, her mother and siblings still sleeping. The two guards escorted her inside the door, then left.
Carina stood motionless in the entrance area, still reeling from the news that her mother was going to die. Moments later, the door opened again and Bryce slipped inside. He closed the door.
“I told the other guard I had a message I’d forgotten to give you,” he said. “I can only stay a few seconds.”
“What the hell are you even doing here?” Carina asked.
“I saw what happened at the departure area at the spaceport. No one did a thing as the Sherrerr guards dragged you away, and neither could I. Not then. But I found out where you’d been taken. When I heard it was the flagship, I joined up.”
“Yes, but why? What about your parents? They must be waiting for you. You said you were going to run a branch of their business.”
“Why? I’m here to rescue you of course.”
“What?!”
“You rescued me from the Sherrerrs’ mountain stronghold. Now it’s my turn to help you out.”
“I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. How do you propose to do that? You’re going to get yourself killed, and probably me too. Stay away, Bryce. I’ve got a handle on this.”
“Hmmm, yeah, looks like it. Let me help you.”
“No. Don’t you see? I can’t trust you. Mages can’t afford to trust non-mages, or this is how they end up. I helped you because I felt sorry for you, but that’s it. My connection to you is over. Please do me the courtesy of leaving me and my family alone. I have to do this by myself. It’s the only way.”
“You think I can’t be trusted?” Bryce exclaimed, trying to keep his voice low. “Carina, everyone on the ship knows what’s going on in your step family. You think I’m like Stefan Sherrerr and I’m going to rape and torture you to make you do what I want?”
“No, but...” Yes. That’s exactly what she thought. It didn’t matter how nice her friend was. Knowing her would turn him into her mother’s husband one day. “The knowledge of what I can do would change you. You think it wouldn’t, but it would. It’s natural. That’s why mages always have to live in secret and keep their powers hidden. You might not understand but that’s the way it is.”
For the first time since Carina had known him, anger flashed in Bryce’s eyes. “You know what your problem is? You want to help others, but you won’t let anyone help you. You’ve got so used to living in fear it’s damaged your judgment of people. Not everyone is your enemy. We aren’t all like Stefan Sherrer.”
“I’m sorry, Bryce. I can’t take the risk of trusting anyone else. I have to do this myself.”
“You think that’s the answer? How has that worked out for you so far? How did it work out for your mother?”
At the mention of her mother, the memory of the recent news flashed into Carina’s mind. Sobs welled up in her chest and her eyes filled with tears.
Bryce’s expression softened. “I’m sorry,” he said, mistaking the cause of her distress. “I have to go. But I’ll be around. I’m here to help you, Carina. Don’t forget that. I’m not out to hurt you.”
He left. Carina sank to the floor, her grief washing over her.
Chapter Forty
The Sherrerr flagship was a hive of activity as the crew prepared for the attack. After successfully invading Cestrarth, destroying the Dirksens’ main shipyard would be a hammer blow that would resound across the entire galactic sector. The Sherrerrs’ enemies would struggle long and hard to regain their military strength after such a defeat.
Carina was also busy preparing her brothers and sisters. She avoided her mother, which wasn’t difficult as her illness confined the woman to her room. The morning following the briefing meeting on the Dirksens’ shipyard attack, Carina had coldly told her mother that she knew she had lied to her about her illness.
Her mother had touched her arm and gone to speak, but Carina had walked away. She couldn’t bear to listen to the woman’s explanation of her deceit. She didn’t want to hear any more lies. Her feelings were beyond anger and hurt. As far as their relationship was concerned, she was in a place she didn’t think she would ever be able to leave. Unable to understand why her mother would treat her so badly after their many years of separation, she tried to avoid even thinking about the subject. The tension in their relationship was intolerable and a distraction from her work.
When they made their escape, she would take her mother with them so that she could die in peace, free at last. She deserved that. But she wasn’t the person Carina had imagined her to be, and she didn’t think her mother had really loved her as much as she thought she did. The whole thing was so confusing and hurtful, Carina simply had no idea how to deal with it.
Since her mother had proven herself untrustworthy, Carina didn’t tell her about the escape plan. Neither could she trust her siblings with the secret. Darius was too young and not in control of himself, and she didn’t know Parthenia or the ot
hers well enough to feel confident confiding in them. As for Castiel and Nahla, she wasn’t even sure they wanted to escape or whether she should bring them along. As Sherrerrs who weren’t also mages, they would probably fare best if they remained with the family, providing they weren’t suspected of conniving in the escape. Carina was particularly averse to bringing along Castiel, who gave off the same nasty vibe as his father.
The first Casting lesson was hard. Carina and the four children with mage abilities sat on the floor in a circle. Four guards had rifles constantly trained on them. The children were accustomed to the set up, but Carina was not. She wished that the effects of Casting were instantaneous. If that had been the case, she could have taken out the guards within seconds and maybe even taken control of the entire ship.
The first thing Carina discovered about her siblings’ Casting ability was that she was correct in her guess that her mother had taught the children badly. Only Parthenia had any real proficiency in simple Casts like Transport, Locate, and Split, and Carina had a feeling that it was in spite of, not due to, her mother’s teaching. When she realized the children had noticed her disappointment in their skills, she had them practice Enthralling each other, which lightened the mood.
As the lesson progressed, Castiel and Nahla stopped their playing and watched. Carina guessed that Castiel was probably bitter and jealous that most of his brothers and sisters had a very special ability, but she didn’t know what to do to make him feel better. She couldn’t confer mage powers upon him. You were either born with it or you weren’t. Nahla sat with him, mimicking his sour looks.
Darius was joyful about being taught by her, though his age made him like a puppy, willing but excitable. Oriana and Ferne were steady and industrious. Parthenia had an almost pathological need to do things perfectly the first time.
Carina taught the children for two hours before stopping for the day. Casting, even small Casts, was mentally tiring. She felt she’d done as much as she could to sharpen her sisters’ and brothers’ skills, and she’d gotten to know them all a little better as mages. Parthenia’s Casts were steady, exact, and reliable. Darius’s Casts were the most powerful, but he was unpredictable. One moment he would Cast quickly and effectively, another moment he wouldn’t be able to Cast at all. Oriana’s and Ferne’s Casts were weaker than the others’ but they didn’t display Darius’ momentary lapses in ability.
At the end of the session, when the children left the circle and Carina began to tidy up, Darius crawled over on all fours. Carina sat down to speak to him, and he climbed into her lap and rested his head on her shoulder. “Why are you sad, Carina?”
“Am I sad? What makes you say that?”
“I can feel it.”
Carina had been expecting her brother to say she had a sad face or something similar. It seemed a strange remark from the little boy, and one that reminded her of something Nai Nai had once told her. “You can?”
“I know how everyone is feeling.”
Wow. “That must be uncomfortable for you sometimes.”
His little brown-haired head nodded like the most ancient and wise sage. “It is.”
Carina recalled her grandmother had told her about mages who felt others’ emotions, but she couldn’t remember exactly what the old woman had said.
“I’m sorry you’re sad about things,” Darius went on. “Mother is always sad too.”
“I guess she must be. She’s very sick.”
“I know.”
Did Darius know how close their mother was to death? Was it Carina’s responsibility to tell him? She hugged the child. “I am sad, but having you around makes me feel better.”
“I know that too,” he said as he hugged her back.
***
The next day, Carina moved on to her siblings’ preparation sessions. Nightfall was fast-burning its way to the Dirksens’ shipyard. Other Sherrerr ships were also on their way there, ready to defend their flagship as it maneuvered the Sherrerrs’ secret weapons close enough to Cast. Stefan had told Carina they would be within range to make the final approach within seventy-six hours.
Her plan on what exactly she would do after they’d accomplished their mission wasn’t clear. She was hoping for a lapse in concentration from their guards in the excited aftermath of victory. They would have elixir on hand. All they would need was a few moments. She hoped she could cause enough disruption to get her mother and the children to a shuttle and off the ship. After that, the debris field would make them hard to detect.
But first they had to destroy the shipyard.
“You can all Cast Fire, right?” Carina asked. When her brothers and sisters nodded, she said, “That’s great.” Fire was one of the first Casts she’d learned. All the essential survival Casts were taught first. She’d hoped her mother had stuck to that custom. “So if you can already Cast Fire, what we’re going to concentrate on now is distance. What’s the farthest you’ve ever Cast?”
“I’ve Cast from our estate to the capital on Ithiya,” Parthenia replied. “Mother said it wasn’t possible to Cast any farther than that.”
Castiel was present again. He lay on his stomach, resting his head on his hands, watching with hooded eyes. Acutely conscious that he would probably report whatever she told them to his father, Carina to tried frame her words to avoid directly contradicting her mother. “Actually, I might be able to teach you to Cast even farther. What do you think about that?”
“That would be wonderful, Carina,” Darius replied, his gaze adoring.
Parthenia and the other two nodded.
“Okay,” said Carina. “We’re going to start practicing Casting really far today. You know how to use coordinates, right? I arranged for small tanks of fuel to be sent to these locations.” She showed them the figures on an interface. “In a few days, we’ll be helping in the war against the Dirksens by Casting Fire into their fuel stores at their shipyard.”
Ferne’s eyes grew wide. “Whoa,” he breathed.
“Yeah,” Carina said. “Boom. My point is, the Dirksens’ tanks are going to be a lot bigger than the canisters we have to practice on. They’ll be easier to hit. Our challenge with the canisters is going to be hitting them at a distance. I don’t expect you to succeed at first. I want you to know that because I don’t want you to feel discouraged if you miss. What I’m asking you to do is hard, but we have plenty of time to practice, and on the day it should be easier.”
“How do we know if we hit?” Oriana asked.
“The ship’s scanners will pick up the explosion. The bridge will comm us.”
“Bet I hit it first,” Ferne said, his face alive with excitement.
“That would be cool, but this isn’t a competition,” said Carina.
Under the watchful gaze of their four guards, the children began to practice. The task wasn’t easy even for Carina. She’d seldom had a reason to Cast at great distances. Without being able to see the effect of the Cast, the practice was either ineffective or highly dangerous.
Carina took a sip of elixir, closed her eyes, and made the Cast. Just as she was beginning to wonder if she was going to embarrass herself in front of her siblings, and be forced to inform Stefan that her plan wasn’t going to work, she hit the fuel tank. She felt the Cast strike home, then a few seconds later the confirmation came through the ship’s comm.
After an internal Phew!, Carina said to her sisters and brothers, “Now it’s your turn. Who’s first?”
Ferne’s hand flew into the air.
Chapter Forty-One
Stefan had sent guards to bring Carina to him. She was disappointed to see that Bryce wasn’t one of them. In spite of their argument the last time they’d met, his familiar face would have been a welcome sight. On top of all her other problems, Carina was feeling anxious. After two days of trying, she hadn’t been able to teach any of the children how to Cast the distances required to blow up the Dirksen shipyard.
That had to be why Stefan wanted to speak to her. Castiel must h
ave reported their lack of progress. She didn’t particularly care about Stefan’s anger—she’d agreed to help in the attack on the Dirksen shipyard for her own benefit, not his—but she hated the idea of being alone with him. She gave an involuntary shudder as she went along. He’d made his sexual intentions clear and she couldn’t stomach the idea. Externally, the man wasn’t unpleasant. Internally, he was barely human.
The guards took her into a small office. When neither of them left, Carina relaxed a little. She doubted he would want to try anything serious in front of two onlookers, even loyal Sherrerr guards. Her earlier attack must have made him frightened to be alone with her. Good.
Her mother’s husband was sitting at a desk, looking unusually haggard. The strain of worrying about fulfilling his promise seemed to be getting to him. That was also good.
“Sit down,” he said as she went in.
She sat opposite him and the guards took positions on each side of the doorway. Carina estimated she could get over the desk to Stefan before they had time to react. She might even be able to kill him before they killed her. She fought her desire to avenge her father’s death and her mother’s torture. It would be a pointless victory while her siblings remained held in captivity.
She gazed at the man levelly, waiting for him to speak.
“I hear you haven’t been successful in teaching the children how to Cast at great distances.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Really?”
“I haven’t been successful yet.”
“Don’t play with me, Carina. You know how important it is that the children and yourself make the Cast successfully. Are you going to be able to do it or not?”
“Make the Cast or teach the children?”
“Both, you idiot!” Stefan half-rose to his feet and leaned over the desk, pressing his fists into the surface.
His inner self showed most strongly when he was angry, Carina noted. His face had contorted with such fury he looked like a demon. She looked up at him coolly. “I will make the Cast. As to my sisters and brothers, I think they can do it.”
