She wiped the weapon clean of blood so she could set it into her largest portable scanner for evaluation.
One of the maids asked, “Shall we begin packing your clothing, my lady?”
“Yes. We’re leaving within the hour.” She didn’t bother suppressing a sigh of regret. She’d planned to spend days shopping, not just an hour or two. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to explore any of the famous sites she’d heard so much about. Even if she couldn’t have garnered an invitation into the Forbidden City, she could have at least seen the famous walls barring entry to the Son of Heaven’s domain.
Information began streaming across the screen of her datapad. As she’d suspected, a small transistor was embedded in the heart of the star, emitting a steady, charged pulse that had been deliberately keyed to resist the magnetic field of her shield. Fascinating on one hand, yet troubling on the other. If assassins in Zijin had managed to create a device able to outsmart her shield, then surely the Queen’s Runners had as well.
She needed to adjust her magnetic signature to resist such an attack. Perhaps a variable transistor very much like theirs, cycling through a random series of charges. That would make it much more difficult for them to key into her shield again. Even better if she could encrypt that transistor so no one could hack into it again.
“Um, Charlie?” For once, Gil managed to sound awed. She hadn’t heard that tone from her handsome sheriff since the first time he’d witnessed the finery she typically wore beneath her gown.
She turned around to see a stranger in their room. Finely dressed in heavily embroidered, vibrant red silks, the man had to be a very high-up official. Fine lines framed his eyes, giving him a distinguished look, though it was hard to decide his age. She stood and folded her hands together at her waist, awaiting an introduction.
“Honored lady.” The man bowed very low. “I am Prince Gong. His Majesty sends his most sincere apologies that your visit to Zijin has been met with such violence. As a token of his deep regret, he extends an invitation to your party to visit Xuanyuan so he can speak to you in person.”
Prince Gong was the Tongzhi Emperor’s uncle, which made him at least thirty years of age. Many people thought he should have been put on the throne, instead of the much-younger and often-sickly son of the last Emperor, though the boy’s mother had a great deal to do with keeping him in power. Two ladies ruled behind the throne, often together, but rumors said more often than not the Dowager Empresses Cixi and Ci’an might not be working together amicably to keep their son on the throne. In a land where the men had ruled as the Supreme Son of Heaven for countless generations, Cixi in particular wielded an astonishing amount of power.
She met Sig’s gaze and tipped her head subtly at their guest. He took the ancient coin from his pocket and flipped it in a flying arc toward Prince Gong, who caught it easily. “After we found this on the assassins in the square, you can imagine why we might be reluctant to accept such an invitation.”
Prince Gong’s face remained smooth and his eyes were veiled, but Charlie suspected by the slight tightening of his mouth that he was surprised, or very frustrated, that they’d managed to find the coin implicating their supposed hosts. “His Majesty gives his word that he will personally find the guilty party and see they’re punished for attempting to kill the lady.”
“What I want to know,” Sig drawled out in his famous silky, privileged manner that’d won him the nickname Lord Regret, “is who has access to commission Imperial assassins?”
Prince Gong allowed emotion to flash across his face and he tossed the coin back at Sig in a hard line. “Anyone in the royal family.”
Sig snagged the coin just as effortlessly, but the message had been clear. Prince Gong was not pleased with his relatives.
“Some would not care to have such an infamous personage anywhere near our system, for fear of drawing Britannia’s wrath, which is a weak excuse when the Emperor has closed our ports to them in the first place. Others would not care to have such a talented scientist exploring the secret realm of Xuanyuan. And yet others couldn’t stomach the thought of a lady of such individual power entering their domain for fear of losing esteem. Yet the Emperor himself expresses his wish to meet the lady and personally guarantees her safety if you choose to enter Xuanyuan.”
Certainly Charlotte had longed for an invitation to go where few Zijin, let alone an outsider, had ever gone. Even the manner of access to the Forbidden City was cast in shadows and secrecy. City wasn’t exactly the correct word because Xuanyuan was a separate planet. An entire planet reserved just for the Emperor’s household.
She could only imagine what Majel would do with an entire planet to herself. The intricate and detailed security she’d impose. Charlotte couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. If I enter Xuanyuan knowing someone beyond wishes me dead, then it’s highly probable I won’t ever be allowed to leave until their wish is granted. I might as well waltz into the Tower of Londonium and declare I’m home.
“His Majesty personally guarantees your safety,” Prince Gong reiterated. “Which is why I haven’t referred to your true name, my lady. We don’t know who listens, yes? Hoeng Gong is nowhere near as secure as Xuanyuan itself. When you wish to leave, you will be escorted safely back to this inn at once, or even to your ship, if that’s your desire.”
“That’s all very well and good, sir,” Charlotte replied, “but what if the Emperor is assassinated before we can leave? With Lord Regret’s presence made common knowledge, I can almost guarantee that at least one of the Emperor’s enemies will decide to take action. How could they not take advantage of the opportunity, with the galaxy’s most famous assassin readily available? Therefore this personal promise ensuring our safety could very well be worthless. Lord Regret is very good at what he does, Your Highness.”
Prince Gong recoiled, his face ashen. “Don’t…don’t speak of such blasphemy. No one would wish His Majesty harm.”
Charlotte sat back down at her table and refreshed her cup of tea. With an arched brow, she held the pot up, offering to fill him a cup as well. She was surprised when he inclined his head and moved to join her. When he lifted the cup to his mouth, his hands trembled.
Interesting. Surely, out of everyone in Zijin, Prince Gong had the most to gain if the Tongzhi Emperor died. The people would want him on the Dragon Throne before they’d accept either Cixi or Ci’an, no matter what honored titles they held now. For two thousand years, only men had ruled Zijin. No matter how powerful Cixi had become as the Emperor’s mother, she wouldn’t be able to change so many generations of tradition overnight.
So either Prince Gong was truly a man of honor and sincerely horrified at the thought of his nephew’s death, or he was an extremely good actor.
“You have the galaxy’s most infamous assassin in port, along with a legendary personage. If your politics were complicated before, be prepared for them to worsen once the contracts are offered.”
Prince Gong took another sip. The tea had returned his color and his hands no longer trembled. As she’d always believed, a cup of tea could improve just about any situation.
“You think one of my family will contact Lord Regret to assassinate someone?”
She smiled. “Count on it. The question isn’t if, but how many. And whom, of course, they may wish to eliminate. We’ve seen that my back has already been identified as a target. Whom else would they find it convenient to kill, if not the Emperor himself?”
“There are many possibilities,” he admitted, but kept his face expressionless, as though determined to hide as many of the Imperial Family’s skeletons as possible. “And who is this other man with you? Someone just as infamous and dangerous?”
Gil grinned and rocked back on his heels, his thumbs hooked in his belt loops. “Aw, shucks, I’m just a sheriff from Americus.”
Some of the rawness humming beneath Sig’s skin was soothed by watching Lady Wyre in her element. Gracious and witty, no one could manipulate a situation like she
could. The idea of entering the secret city beyond the gates—Imperial guarantees or not—made Sig’s palms sweat, but he had no doubt of her answer. Her curiosity would eat her alive until she finally unraveled the secrets they tried so hard to keep from the rest of the galaxy.
Masters was doing an admirable job of playing the colonial bumpkin, though Sig couldn’t tell if the Prince was buying it or not. They’d need as much surprise on their side as possible to make sure she exited Xuanyuan alive and well. If the Imperials were fooled into ignoring the sheriff as a threat, they might gain enough of an edge to escape whatever waited ahead.
Of course, he couldn’t deny that some of his dark mood was lightened at the mere prospect of a contract on the horizon. If multiple ones came in, as she threatened, all the better. If I accept one…or all of them…what will she truly think? Can I come to her bed with fresh blood on my hands?
His stomach twisted so hard at the thought that he caught his breath. It was just a soft sound, not even a groan, but she heard it, her head tipping his direction slightly, though her conversation never wavered.
“I accept His Majesty’s invitation—” she held up a hand to halt the prince’s response, “—with a few caveats. My men must be allowed to accompany me at all times.”
“That’s acceptable, as long as they don’t enter the inner palaces where only women are allowed. Unless your men are also eunuchs?”
Her lips twitched. “No, thankfully, they’re intact. If the opportunity arises where I need to enter those palaces, we’ll discuss my options then. We must be allowed to leave at any time, not just Xuanyuan but the entire Zijin system.”
“Of course. His Majesty has already iterated his desire to return you safely whenever you’re ready to leave and will provide a written order allowing you to leave as you wish without harassment or threat.”
“What assurances is His Majesty willing to provide in the case that Britannian warships arrive?”
Prince Gong didn’t twitch a single muscle, but he radiated sudden intensity. Although he hadn’t made any threats, Sig moved his hand closer to the knife on his hip. That was a dangerous look indeed. “Who says Britannian warships might arrive?”
“Not might, Your Highness, but when. His Majesty threw down an outright challenge to Queen Majel. Perhaps in his youth he didn’t know that such a challenge will only fuel her determination to sweep away every last vestige of resistance you might attempt to throw up to halt her advance. She is coming. I’d rather not be here when she arrives, and I certainly don’t want to risk getting stranded in your Forbidden City when her warships fill your airspace.”
“We have ways of protecting all of Zijin, my lady.”
“I’m sure you do, Your Highness, but you’ve never had to protect them from Queen Majel.”
Prince Gong stood and inclined his head, as though to say this interview was finished. “If you come inside Xuanyuan, you’ll see how we would prevent such an invasion.”
Ah, but the man knew exactly the right words to say to lure Charlie into accepting the Emperor’s invitation.
“I look forward to seeing everything you can demonstrate for me.”
The prince bowed lower to Charlie and inclined his head politely at both the men as he left. “I look forward to escorting you myself. The Emperor would greatly enjoy it if you would dine with him tomorrow evening.”
She waited until the door shut behind him before turning to Sig and Gil. “How can we protect ourselves? Assuming, of course, that they force us to enter the Forbidden City weaponless. I have plenty of shields and similar toys, but they already know about them and have found a way to bypass my protections.”
Sig opened his mouth but his caller buzzed in an inner pocket, stilling his words. He met Charlie’s gaze.
Softly, she whispered, “Work beckons.”
He nodded, his throat tightening beneath the hypnotic power of her dark, gleaming eyes.
“Go do what you do best, Sig. We’ll continue to discuss a plan of action once you’re finished.”
Tension strained his shoulders and neck, but he strode as casually toward the door as possible. How many questions would she ask about the contract? He hadn’t killed since bringing her with him, committing their lives together. Despite the anxiety bubbling in his stomach, he couldn’t deny the quickened heartbeat and surge of adrenaline already sharpening his senses. I live for killing.
I just hope she can live with that.
“I don’t like it.” Gil tried to keep his voice even, without the sharpness of his concern, but she knew him well enough to see his dismay.
She spared a gentle smile for him but then turned her attention to the electronics she’d been studying before the prince’s arrival. “I know, dearest, yet I must go. Besides, you know what that call meant. Sig is surely accepting a contract at this very moment. We can’t leave until his business is done.”
“Must? No one says you must. We could be out of this system and on our way to a safer destination within the hour.” He sat across from her, watching her fingers dance over the datapad. Her forehead bore the familiar wrinkle of concentration, and her eyes sparked with excitement. Refusing to concede defeat, he leaned toward her, pitching his voice lower and softer. She would hear him. She claimed to always keep one ear tuned to him and one to Sig, no matter how fascinating her discoveries. “Someone here has already tried to assassinate you and Britannia’s on their way. We must be gone as quickly as possible.”
“I refuse to keep running, Gil.” She didn’t look up from her work. “I’ve taken a stand against Majel. She knows what I’m capable of.”
“Yes, but her current crew of scientists must have been working madly to counteract your last demonstration.”
“As have I.”
“But you’re one person against how many, sweetheart? How many scientists does she have at MIGS?”
She sniffed her disapproval. In Queen Majel’s determination to defeat Francia, no matter the cost, she’d given the Military Intelligence and Galaxy Sciences Division carte blanche to create as many weapons and new technologies as possible. The more people who died—as quickly as possible—the better. With countless people of immense intelligence working feverishly to invent the next great weapon of mass destruction for Britannia, how could she possibly think to keep up with their technological advances?
“I have an advantage that they do not.”
She didn’t look up at him, and he hadn’t spoken aloud. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
Smiling down at her work, she picked up a small tool and removed a panel in the center of the star. “Surely I know you well by now, my protective sheriff. Of course you’re worried about my well-being, but I must admit disappointment that you doubt my ability to keep up with a handful of mad scientists employed by Queen Majel for the sole purpose of warping my own original technology.”
He barely managed not to splutter. “I never doubt you, Charlotte.”
“I didn’t share all of my secrets, dearest. In fact, I shared very little with Majel’s cronies. I concede that they have managed to do some revolting things, far beyond what I ever intended, but the underlying signature and structure of even those nanobot weapons are mine. Mine, Gil. Which means if I can get a sample from that Razari woman I spoke to today, I’m quite sure that I’ll be able to reprogram an antidote, so to speak.”
She slipped on a pair of goggles and poked around in the heart of the star for a few moments. Then she looked up at him with a brilliant smile, his heart swelled up in his chest so much he feared his rib cage couldn’t hold it. Even if her eyes bulged oddly beneath the magnifying lens.
“Crude but fascinating. With this chip—” she held up the tool, and by squinting, he could make out a small square of metal on the tip, “—they created an electronic pulse that cycles through frequencies automatically while the star’s in the air, until it finds a match, so that by the time it reaches its target, the weapon can break through shield devices.” She tipped
her head grudgingly to the side. “My mistake was in using the first frequency, the most obvious choice, when I created my shield. I shan’t make that mistake again. In fact, I rather like the idea of cycling through frequencies myself, making it even harder for anyone to hack into my shields ever again. However, whoever created this missed the mark entirely in the size and programming capability of this chip. It’s so large. I’m surprised the assassin was able to aim with much accuracy at all. Sig would have my hide if I gave him such a weapon burdened with technology that inhibited its natural usage. I wonder…”
The fire in her eyes and the fever in her voice aroused him like nothing else in this world, even if her excitement wasn’t for him. Not yet.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box they’d purchased at the shop hours ago and laid it on the table. He didn’t say anything, but merely played with the twine, turning the box over and over, running his fingers along its edges.
Though he didn’t look directly at her, he saw her remove the goggles and carefully set her tools aside. With the natural and easy grace she’d once used to command a ballroom, she glided over to stand beside him. “Since we’re not fleeing to our ship just yet, I suppose we have time for some other experiments.” As she’d done in the shop, she pressed against his arm and side, letting him feel her curves against him. But this time, his lower position in the seat gave him an advantageous view of her breasts, lifted and shaped by her corset.
She trailed a hand along a meandering path down his chest toward the bulge threatening to tear its way through his trousers. Laughing softly in his ear, she pressed her palm against his cock. “Very impressive, darling. Maybe you should have gotten the next size up in rings, because I have a feeling it’s going to be very, very tight.”
Chapter Five
Lord Regret's Price: A Jane Austen Space Opera, Book 3 Page 4
