by J. J. Green
“I was wondering,” Bryce said, “if Castiel can Cast, why didn’t he just put you in a locked room the minute he saw you?”
“Because I had elixir with me and I would have Cast my way out again. He needed to get the elixir off of me first. Besides, I think he’s playing a longer game. He wants all of us, not only me and Parthenia. Then he can play head of the mage family, just like his dad. Maybe he’s hoping I’ll bring everyone along the next time.”
Darius returned and Carina moved again to let him back into his seat.
“Did you figure out how we’re going to get Parthenia?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Carina replied.
“I wish we had a star racer,” said Darius. “Then it would be easy.”
Carina didn’t think that rescuing their sister was going to be easy at all, star racer or not. But Darius’ suggestion had given her an idea. Maybe she’d been focusing too heavily on Castiel’s mage power and not enough on what he couldn’t do. Her brother had no military experience, and Langley and the other Dirksens probably wouldn’t suspect that she might try to extract her sister with brute force. An armed attack would take them by surprise. But how could she buy weapons? That was a big problem.
“What’s wrong?” Darius asked.
“I thought I had an idea but I realized it won’t work,” Carina said. “It would cost a lot of money that we don’t have.”
“We could work for it,” said Bryce. “Or maybe I could ask my parents for some.”
“Both of those would take too long,” said Carina. “We have to get Parthenia out soon. If we wait weeks or months they might move her somewhere else, even offplanet. My plan would require a lot of cash and we would need it fast, like in the next few days.”
Carina’s eyes widened and she sat up straight.
“You thought of an idea,” Darius exclaimed. He clapped his hands. “Yay! We’re going to get Parthenia.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The Mech Battle company secretary didn’t take Carina seriously. The woman looked her up and down before saying, “Sorry, we’re all booked up for the next few months. Come back later.”
“I’m an ex-merc,” Carina said. “I’ve used mechs before.”
“Sorry,” the secretary replied. “That wouldn’t make us any less booked up even if I believed you.”
“Please,” Carina pleaded. “Give me a chance. I would put on a really good show.”
“Look,” the secretary replied. “I’m trying to do you a favor. Find another way to earn a fast buck, okay? Because if you go in that pit, you aren’t coming out alive.”
As she spoke a door behind her slid open and a heavily muscled, very hairy man walked out into the lobby.
“Mech fighting is for people like this great lunk” the secretary said. “It isn’t for young women.”
The man grinned at being called a “lunk.” “Another idiot kid wants to fight?” he asked the secretary, not making eye contact with Carina.
“Yeah,” she replied. “You finished for the day?”
“Yep,” the lunk replied. “Off to get this scar taken out.” He showed the woman a broad, angry, fresh scar running from his shoulder down his back. “I like to leave them a while to impress the girls, but this one’s a pain in the ass. Restricts movement in my arm.”
“Call that a scar?” Carina asked. “That’s nothing. Take a look at these.” She turned and lifted her top over her back. During her time as a merc she’d gotten into plenty of scrapes where the cheap armor provided by the company hadn’t been adequate protection. Shipboard medical facilities didn’t cover scar removal and Carina never wanted to go to splicers planetside. She guessed that mage abilities were in her genetic code and she didn’t want anyone getting their hands on hers if she could help it.
From the silence behind her, she guessed that the secretary and the lunk were suitably impressed. She lowered her top and turned to face them. “What do you say?” she said to the secretary.
The woman glanced at the Mech Battle fighter, whose eyebrows were raised. She pointed toward an old cargo mech that stood in the corner of the room. “If you can operate that, I’ll put your name down. Don’t get excited though. The boss has the final say.”
Carina went over to the ancient machine. It was even older than the outdated models that she’d worked with during her time on her company’s ship, Duchess. Stepping backward and upward into the mech’s center, she sought out the feet and hand controls. The front shield lowered automatically, also giving her access to the eye-tracking controls. She was locked in and ready to go.
She walked the mech forward. Its response time was slow, each leg moving as much as a quarter second after she activated it. Carina hoped that the models they used for fighting the battles weren’t similarly sluggish.
Odd mechanical parts were piled in the middle of the floor. Carina guessed that she was supposed to demonstrate that she could pick them up and manipulate them. But she needed to do something much showier and more memorable if she were to be picked to fight.
She walked the mech past the pile and approached the secretary’s desk, the hiss, clunk, hiss, clunk of the mech’s legs loud in her ears. The secretary looked alarmed. “No, no, no,” she exclaimed. “Go back there. Move those things around.”
Carina continued on her original track. The secretary jumped up and backed against the wall. But it wasn’t her Carina wanted.
The lunk was standing behind the desk, his hands on his hips, smiling broadly. Carina guessed he must be impressed. She was about to impress him further. She reached forward with the mech’s pincers. At the last second, the man realized what she was about to do and he tried to jump out of the way. He was too late.
Carina grabbed him around his biceps. She held him firmly enough that he wouldn’t slip but delicately enough not to hurt him. When she had a good grip on his biceps, she used the mech’s second set of pincers to grab his thighs.
“Whoaaaaa,” the lunk exclaimed, chuckling. “Take it easy, girl.”
She lifted him up, then turned him horizontal so that he was parallel with the ceiling.
“Oh my stars,” the secretary wailed. “Put him down!”
Carina spun the man around once. Then, as he was roaring with laughter, she spun him around a second time. Then she lowered him to his previous position behind the desk. As soon as she’d released him, he doubled over, slapping the desk and laughing too hard to speak. Carina walked the mech back to the wall and climbed out of it.
The secretary had been crouching against the wall while all this had been going on. She stood and straightened her clothes. “Well, that was quite the demonstration,” she said as she returned to her desk. “You didn’t need to go quite that far. I would have put your name down anyway.” She opened her interface. “What is it?”
“Tamira… Lan,” Carina replied.
“Can I see your ID?”
“Oh. I don’t have any.”
“Ah,” said the secretary. “That could be a problem.”
“Give her a chance,” said the lunk. “You know half the IDs you see in here are fake. The boss will love her.”
“Hmm… Okay, Tamira—”
“Call me Tammy.”
“Tammy. The owner will be here at five, a couple of hours before the show starts. If you come back then, perhaps he’ll give you a shot.”
“Tonight?” Carina asked.
“No. Definitely not tonight. But he might find you something within the next few days.”
Carina’s disappointment must have shown.
“It’s the best I can do,” said the secretary. “Take it or leave it.”
Without a large sum of money, Carina’s plan to attack the Dirksen estate military-style would never work. She needed a hover vessel, weapons, and ammunition at the very least. Ideally, she would like smoke grenades and other accessories that would make the rescue attempt easier. Winning a Mech Battle was the only way she knew that she could obtain the necessary funds quic
kly.
She hoped that a few days wouldn’t make too much of a difference to Parthenia, and that Langley wouldn’t move her sister someplace else. Then it occurred to Carina that the waiting time would allow her and Bryce to earn more money, which they could then bet on her winning her fight.
Of course, there was the small detail of her winning to consider. That wasn’t guaranteed at all. She’d never actually fought in any mech, let alone the monsters used for the Mech Battles. But what the secretary offered was better than any alternative she knew. “I’ll take it. I’ll be back later.”
Bryce was waiting for her outside. “They turned you down, right?”
“What? Of course not. They were practically begging me to fight, and tonight. I had to put them off for a few days. We need to earn some money and make some arrangements.”
They walked down the long road through the lot that led into the city. The last time Carina had walked that road she hadn’t thought she would ever be back that way, and least of all that she would be fighting in a Mech Battle.
“They turned you down at first, though,” Bryce said, “didn’t they?”
“Yeah. I had to show off a bit to persuade them.”
“I thought so. Where to next?”
“Wait a minute.” Carina took out a flask of elixir, sipped a little, and then Sent to Oriana. After checking that the children were okay in their hotel room, Carina said to Bryce, “We have to see about those arrangements.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Langley Dirksen had given Parthenia an exquisite dress to wear to the soiree. Somehow the woman had known exactly the most flattering colors, style, and fitting. Though Parthenia felt embarrassed to admit it as she gazed at herself in a mirror, she had never looked so beautiful. Mixed in with her embarrassment was a large portion of guilt.
She knew she shouldn’t have agreed to meet Langley Dirksen’s relations, friends, and business associates at the informal party. She felt sure that Carina wouldn’t have agreed to it in her position. Yet Parthenia had feared what might happen if she said no. When Langley had asked her, Parthenia had noticed the woman’s expression turn rigid as she waited for an answer, then relax when she had reluctantly said yes.
She’d only acquiesced because she was worried what Castiel might do to her if she didn’t, or—what was even worse—what he might do to Nahla. Her brother had already caught on that Parthenia was frightened that he would hurt her little sister and, like his father before him, he wouldn’t be slow to exploit the fact. Castiel had been watching from the corner of the room when Langley Dirksen had made her request and he’d smiled when Parthenia nodded.
A familiar feeling of suffocation was sinking over her. Though it was only her second day in the mansion, Parthenia was beginning to feel very much at home. So many things contributed to the sensation: luxurious surroundings, servants, expensive, perfectly cooked meals and polite, well-mannered behavior expected at all times. Most influential of all to her, however, was Castiel’s presence. Like a brooding malevolence, he seemed to be around her wherever she went, watching and judging, ready to pounce when she stepped out of line. Just like their father.
She hated how she was so used to the environment that it felt comfortable to her. She didn’t know how she could ever break out of it. She didn’t dare to try. Perhaps she didn’t want to try. If she failed in her attempt she might lose all hope.
Don’t give up hope, Carina had said. But she hadn’t said when she would be back, or how she would help Parthenia escape. A constant guard meant that Carina couldn’t Transport in and Transport out with her. And the Dirksen estate was probably heavily defended. What chance did Carina stand against the might of the Dirksens? She was only one person and their siblings were too young to be of much help.
On the other hand, Carina had managed to escape from the Sherrerrs, Parthenia had to admit. If her sister could do that, maybe she could defeat the Dirksens too. Parthenia would try not to give up hope.
In the meantime, she would go along with whatever Langley Dirksen wanted. It would keep Castiel happy and hopefully prevent him from hurting Nahla as a coercion tactic. It shouldn’t be too hard. All her life, Parthenia had been wearing pretty dresses and smiling nicely to keep everyone happy. Another short period of the same wouldn’t hurt her.
***
When Parthenia arrived at the party downstairs, Langley Dirksen’s guests all turned to look at her. They seemed apprehensive, almost afraid of what she might do or say. Parthenia could feel herself blush in response to all the attention. She hovered in the doorway, tempted to turn around and go back to her suite.
“Come in, dear,” Langley called from across the room. She was sitting with a group of women who all wore fantastical hairstyles. Langley rose and swept across the room to take Parthenia’s arm. “You look stunning,” she whispered in Parthenia’s ear as she guided her through the groups of partygoers, who were returning to their conversations now that Parthenia had made her entrance.
Parthenia experienced the same guilty thrill she’d felt when she’d looked at herself in the mirror in her bedroom. Her feelings were in turmoil. Her younger mage sisters and brothers were probably struggling to survive, even if Carina had found them as Parthenia hoped. Yet here she was, wearing beautiful clothes and going to parties. It wasn’t what she’d chosen, yet she hadn’t refused to participate either.
She caught sight of a pair of dark eyes through the crowd and inwardly flinched. Castiel was there, watching her. He was wearing a suit and looking much older than his years. He gave her a wink and turned away to speak to someone in his group. It was as though he knew exactly how she felt and the knowledge of her discomfort and inner conflict pleased him. Parthenia wondered if Castiel was like Darius: able to pick up on the emotions of those around him, no matter how hard they tried to hide them.
The women in Langley’s group were gazing at her as Langley brought her over. Like Langley, they all had a slightly greedy look, though none displayed even an ounce of extra fat. They had all probably been at a splicer’s that day, having their bodies refined to perfection for the party.
“Everyone,” said Langley, “this is Parthenia, the very special young woman I was telling you about.”
“Lovely to meet you, Parthenia,” said a woman whose hair rose up from her head in a perfect spiral. “Effy, move along, dear,” she said to another woman sitting on the sofa. “Make room for Parthenia.”
Effy shifted across the sofa, leaving a space for one more person. Parthenia sank down, a sudden desire to escape overwhelming her. She wanted to sink right into the furniture and away from these predatory women. The spiral-haired woman handed Parthenia a bowl that contained iced treats. The bowl itself was also icy, refrigerated by the table it had been sitting on.
“Try one,” the woman said. “They’re delicious.” She was staring at Parthenia intensely, almost angrily, though Parthenia couldn’t figure out why. It was the first time they’d met. She took a treat and ate it, grateful that it melted and slipped down her throat easily. Her mouth was as dry as a bone.
“I have very big plans in store for Parthenia,” Langley said. “Very big. We’re going to work closely together, aren’t we, my dear? I imagine that she’ll become like a daughter to me.”
Parthenia coughed.
“How exciting,” Effy said. “Parthenia, I heard you only just arrived on Ostillon. What do you think of the place so far?”
“Oh, it seems nice,” Parthenia said. It was all she could think to say. Most of her time on Ostillon had been spent running and hiding. It wasn’t like she’d taken a tour of the place.
“I love it here,” Effy enthused, continuing as if she hadn’t heard what Parthenia had said. “It’s so quaint! So many ancient customs are still alive. Like hunting. Have any of you been hunting?” she asked the group generally.
The spiral-haired woman rolled her eyes. “We’ve all been hunting, as you know perfectly well. Personally, I didn’t care for it. Riding thos
e animals—what are they called? Horses, I believe—it left me unable to even walk. I had to have deep muscle therapy from my splicer to feel normal again.”
“Mmm… Deep muscle therapy from your splicer,” said a dark-haired woman who hadn’t spoken before. “Now that’s something I wouldn’t say no to.”
“Er, excuse me,” Langley said. “We have a young lady present, don’t forget.”
“Oh don’t be silly,” the dark-haired woman said, “I’m sure she knows a thing or two about what I mean.”
Parthenia sank deeper into her seat.
“Mother,” a voice said.
Parthenia looked up to see a lanky young man standing to one side of the group of women. Her chest tightened as she recognized him. He’d been in her suite the previous night when Carina had tried to rescue her.
“Reyes,” Langley said. “I’m so glad you’ve come down to join us this time.”
“As Parthenia’s here, I thought I should,” Reyes replied. “She’ll get bored talking to all you old folk.”
This brought cries of outrage from the women. “Huh, old,” Effy huffed.
“He’s just teasing you,” said Langley. “But he has a point. Reyes, why don’t you take Parthenia for a walk outside? It’s getting stuffy in here and, yes, we old folk are very boring.”
Reyes held out his hand to Parthenia and she felt obliged to take it. He helped her up then led her to the open double doors at the back of the room.
Outside, the air was cool and refreshing. Parthenia had been riddled with tension but she felt some of it slip away, despite the fact that Langley’s son had tried to grab Carina before she escaped.
“You were upstairs in my room last night,” Parthenia said. “My sister seemed to know you.”
“Yeah, I spent some time with Carina over the last few days,” Reyes said. “She’s a cool person but she’s misguided.”
“How is she misguided?” Parthenia asked.
