by Jaleta Clegg
"I know all that, Lowell. Go on, I can take care of this."
"Are you telling me I'm too old?" He sagged.
"Not yet," she said with a gentle smile, one she'd never show anyone else. "Just tired and hungry and desperately in need of some down time. Go, Grant."
"Yes, Cici." He grinned. "Two can play that game."
"And I can get Shayda to give you a sedative," she said, her grin turning wicked.
"I'm going," Lowell answered, giving in.
Chapter 27
It was weird and awkward being part of the crew but also a passenger. Flying the ship made it worth every uncomfortable moment. She was a real beauty. Surrey loved the ship, like most engineers. My sheer joy at flying her won him over to my side. Alan and Lucius kept their distance, friendly enough, but there was a barrier that I'd never be able to crack, not even if I dumped Vance and signed on as regular crew. I was tempted, but always at the back of my mind was the real reason I was there, playing at my deception.
Iniuri spent a lot of the short flight in his cabin meditating. I spent as much of the flight as I could in the cockpit and the engine room with Surrey. I didn't know if I'd ever have the chance to touch another Archer ship. Vance wasn't allowed into the inner sanctum of the ship's systems. He pretended not to care, but it bothered him. I happily abandoned him. He sat alone in the ship's lounge.
For that day, I wasn't working undercover. I wasn't on stage. I wasn't playing a part. I followed Surrey everywhere he allowed me to and just enjoyed the ship.
We made the shift to normal space. The flight path into Perlion was straight, a priority course. I reluctantly headed the ship into the lane. I didn't want it to end so soon.
I brought the ship down, settling without effort onto the plascrete of the port. I shut down the systems, lingering as long as I dared in the cockpit. I had to make myself get up and leave. I didn't want to pretend anymore. I was tired of the whole game. But it had to be played out. I wasn't done yet.
The port authority sent a groundcar for us. The two other staff, the steward and his assistant that I'd never been introduced to, carried our luggage out and loaded it into the car. Vance escorted me out after Iniuri. The three of us got in. The car pulled smoothly away from the ship. I turned around in my seat, staring out the back window at the ship, not wanting to leave.
"I take it my ship met with your approval?" Iniuri asked me when the port was out of sight and I'd turned back around.
"I never dreamed I'd ever fly an Archer," I admitted. "I saw one once before, clear across the port. They're legends. And yours lives up to every claim ever made about them."
"Maybe I'll give the ship to you as a wedding present," Iniuri said.
I was willing to marry Vance if it meant I got the ship. I would have done almost anything to own that ship. It must have showed on my face. Vance laughed and slid his arm around me.
"I think you just found the ultimate bribe for Dace," he told his father.
I was tempted, but I already owned a ship. And a family. I didn't want Vance and the ship if it meant I had to give up Jasyn and the Phoenix. No matter how tempting an Archer ship was to me, it wasn't enough. I made myself smile at Vance and pretend I was overjoyed to be marrying him.
The fabled skies of Perlion weren't blue that day, they were gray and dripped rain. I leaned back against Vance and watched water run down the windows. I couldn't help yawning.
"Did you sleep at all on the flight?" Vance asked me.
I shook my head.
He chuckled. "You've got the afternoon to rest. You have to be on your toes tonight."
"What are you not telling me?" I asked him, tilting my head back to study him.
"It's the grand reception tonight, one of the reasons we're here," Iniuri informed me. "I was warned of a possible threat to my life tonight."
"Security will be very tight," Vance said. "Did my father give you a present before we left?"
"It's in my pocket." I looked back out the window at the rain shivering at a sudden chill. The words of the anonymous message ran through my mind. Vance wasn't what he pretended to be. He knew who the traitors were. I suspected he had a blaster to match the one weighing my pocket down. Would he use it on his own father? How deeply was he involved? Did I dare confront him? Would it do any good? The real question was how much I could trust him, if at all.
We were given a suite of rooms in the governor's palace. I had my own minisuite attached to the main one. I went into the opulent rooms and locked the doors behind me. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to think. I fell asleep instead.
Knocking at the door woke me. I blinked groggily at the fading daylight coming through the window. It was still raining.
"Dace?" Vance called through the door. "You've got an hour to get ready. Dace?"
"I'm moving."
I caught the murmur of voices on the other side of my door. I had a duty tonight. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ornate ceiling of the room. I didn't want to go. An hour wasn't much time. I got out of bed and started dressing.
The gown Hester had packed for me was long, with a high collar and long sleeves. It was dark blue, with golden glitter woven into the silky cloth. There was a slit up one leg to mid thigh, it wasn't noticeable but it gave me freedom of movement. It made me wonder again how far I could trust Hester. She must have known about the blaster and the threats, I thought as I strapped the gun to my leg. It was accessible but completely hidden.
The shoes that matched the dress were delicate sandals with high heels. I had to practice walking in them to keep from wobbling. I kicked them back off while I did my hair and makeup. Hester had packed a case with nothing but makeup and hair things. I shook my head over it and wished I were back in the life where all I carried was a comb, if that.
I pulled my hair onto my head and let it trail down my neck in a tumble of curls. The look wasn't hard even for me to manage. I pinned a few stray curls into place then spent time painting my face. I was ready in just under an hour.
I opened the door and stepped out into the main room of the suite. Vance was in front of a mirror, pulling his collar straight. He turned to smile.
"It always amazes me how different you can look. That dress needs something. And I have just the thing." He smiled at me as he took a slender case out of his pocket.
"A bribe?" I asked as he handed the case to me.
"An engagement present," he corrected me.
I opened the case. There was a necklace inside, a delicate twisted rope studded with pearls and glittering cut stones in blue and white. Two matching earrings nestled at one end of the box, dangling strands of glittering stones. I stared blankly at the jewelry.
"You don't like them?" Vance asked, hurt in his voice.
"I don't know what to say. I've never owned anything like this before." They had to have cost a fortune.
Vance lifted the necklace out of the box and fastened it around my neck. I felt the weight of it like a collar around my neck. I stared at the buttons on his tunic while he clipped the earrings onto my ears. He lifted my chin when he finished. I looked up into his eyes. I couldn't decipher the emotion that showed there, something between despair and resignation. He smiled and the look faded. I forced myself to smile back.
"They're lovely," Vance whispered. "You are lovely, Dace."
I almost confronted him then, demanding to know the meaning of the note, of his veiled comments. I almost asked him why he'd pulled me into his life. But I didn't.
"They are lovely work," Iniuri said, coming to stand at Vance's shoulder.
I was struck by the similarity in their faces. Iniuri's face was thinner, the bone structure more pronounced. He put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded. I didn't trust myself not to say something I shouldn't at that moment.
Vance offered me his arm. I slid my hand through his elbow. He took it and frowned.
"I almost forgot," he said. "I have someth
ing else for you."
He pulled his hand out of his pocket. Something glittered in his fingers. He held my hand and slid a ring onto my finger. It was gold, set with a delicate array of glittering stones.
"I would have given it to you when I proposed, but the jeweler only finished it right before we left. It's the reason I was late arriving at the ship." Vance smiled.
I stared at the ring on my finger. I was confused. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I blinked rapidly. It was easy to pretend before, when I had no reminders of what I'd agreed to do. Was Vance really planning on marrying me? Was I going to accept? Or was I going to keep playing a game? Where was Tayvis? Why had he walked out on me? Why hadn't he tried to talk to me?
I had to say something. "It's beautiful."
Vance lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my fingers.
I found myself wondering what life would be like if I did marry him.
"They are waiting for us," Iniuri said.
Vance kept my hand laced in his as he led me out of the room.
My shoes clicked on the stone floors of the palace as we walked down halls towards the huge ballroom. My heart kept pace with my footsteps. I was shaking inside. My stomach was in knots. How far would Vance take this charade? Was it really a charade? I stole a glance at him as we reached the entrance to the ballroom. Strains of music and the sound of voices came from inside. Vance caught me looking and smiled. I saw a glimpse of the Vance I'd known on Serrimonia. I could love him, but did I want to? He tucked my hand through his arm, patting it lightly.
"The Speaker to the Council of Worlds," the herald announced.
Iniuri stepped through the door and down the short flight of stairs inside. Vance stepped up to the doorway, pulling me with him.
"The Second Speaker, and his betrothed, Admiral Dace of the Enforcers."
The room hushed. I felt every eye in the room on me. I ignored the sudden clutch of nerves and pretended I was somewhere else. Vance and I walked down the stairs. The sound of conversation gradually rose again.
"His Grace, Maximillius the Fourteenth, heir to the throne of the Empire, and friend," the herald announced.
Attention shifted from me to Max. He came down the stairs behind us. He had a giddy woman on his arm, with brassy red hair and a gown that defied gravity. It was the only way to explain why it didn't fall off. She giggled constantly. Her heels were so high she could barely totter around.
Vance waited for Max to reach us.
"Vance, it's good to see you made it. And you brought Dace with you. How are you?" Max asked me.
"I see you brought Beebee tonight," Vance said.
Beebee giggled and pretended to curtsy. Her dress bobbled. "Vance, it's been just ages." She tottered towards him, losing her balance and falling against him with a giggle. He let go of my hand to catch her. She giggled again as he helped her balance on her shoes. She blew a kiss at him before turning her attention to me.
"I always thought Vance would marry someone taller." She held out a hand to me. Her nails were long and painted a burning green. "I'm Beebee. Pleased to meet you."
"Dace," I answered. I took her hand, I didn't know what else to do.
She pulled me close to her, clutching my hand and arm and leading me off to the refreshment table. She giggled.
"I'm just famished. And I've been dying to meet you. Maxie told me all about you. Isn't he just the cutest thing?" She giggled again, wriggling her free hand at Max.
I risked a glance back. Vance and Max were talking, watching us. The look on Vance's face was amused.
"We're going to be the best friends, I just know it. Ooh, they have those chocolate pastries. Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen?" She plucked up a tiny cake decorated with delicate lavender flowers and waved it at me. "You just have to taste one of these. Millie's here," she said, changing subjects abruptly. "Her dress is just gorgeous. You have to meet her."
She dragged me away from the refreshment table, still clutching the cake in her green talons. She wriggled her way across the floor and into the middle of a group of young women. Most of them squealed and hugged each other in an ecstasy of greeting. When Beebee introduced me I got the same treatment. I smiled and promised I'd get revenge on Vance at the first opportunity. And Max. The two of them were grinning at me.
The next hour was painful. I was questioned by the gaggle of girls. They squealed and gushed over my ring. They may have been my age, physically, but I felt ancient next to them. They squealed and giggled and made comments about anything and everything from the food to the fashion taste of the other women present to who was seeing who and who was who's current boyfriend. I was almost glad when the reception itself was announced. I excused myself and went to stand with Vance and his father. Max was there, too, with several well decorated members of the Patrol. They stood a little distance away, but still part of the lineup.
"Make new friends?" Vance asked me.
"I almost prefer the vicious gossips on Linas-Drias," I said.
"Beebee does have a certain charm," he said. "But the squealing and giggling would drive me crazy."
The purpose of the reception seemed to be to congratulate Vance on being named Second Speaker. At least officially. The real purpose seemed to be the chance to see me paraded publicly for their inspection. I was introduced to everyone. All of them had to shake my hand or kiss my cheek. That lasted about an hour. There was no hint of trouble. The blaster resting against my thigh was a constant reminder that this party wasn't exactly what it appeared. And neither was I.
The line dwindled but we still stayed standing in the middle of the huge room. Music tinkled from the musicians in one corner. The occasional squealing giggle erupted from Beebee and her friends. The other women gathered in little groups that shifted and moved, darting glances at me and making comments behind their hands. It wasn't that different from any of the parties I'd attended on Linas-Drias. I was tired and my feet hurt. I shifted from foot to foot.
"No, you can't leave yet," Vance said quietly in my ear as he put his hand on my back.
"How do you know that's what I was thinking?" I whispered back.
"I don't have to be a mind reader to know that. It's obvious on your face."
"Then I'd better work harder at hiding it," I said and smiled my most gracious smile at him.
He chuckled and shook his head.
"What is it with Beebee and her gang?" I asked. "They aren't the usual attendees for one of these things. Aren't they a bit low on the social ladder?"
"Now you sound like the rest of the women."
"I don't mind, Vance. The change is definitely refreshing. I just can't figure out how they managed to get past the society wardens guarding these affairs."
"Sorry. I was almost beginning to think you were becoming one of them. You play the part well."
"Isn't that what you wanted?" My smile grew teeth.
"I don't think I'd better answer that."
A new group of people advanced on us to shake hands and kiss cheeks. I smiled and played my part. The group moved on, clumping around Iniuri to air grievances and opinions to him.
"Max thought you'd appreciate having some friends your age," Vance said in my ear. "That's why he invited Beebee and the others."
I gave the giggling clump of girls a disbelieving look. "As if I have anything at all in common with them."
I turned to look at Vance. He was smiling, ready to reply. Movement on the balcony behind him caught my eye. My face froze.
"What?" Vance asked, suddenly serious.
"Get your father under cover, now," I said, shoving him to the side. I was certain I'd seen the glint of metal in the man's hand on the balcony.
I was right. He took aim and fired into the crowd. There was a split second of stunned silence. The air smelled of blaster fire. I had my blaster out before the screaming began.
Vance grabbed his father and Max and hustled them into a nearby doorway. I kicked off my shoes and ran for the
stairs to the balcony. Everyone else was running in panic. The man on the balcony fired again. Someone must have been hit. The screaming hit a new level of shrieking.
The gaggle of girls were blocking my way up onto the balcony. I couldn't push through them.
"Move!" I shouted. They took one look at my face and the blaster in my hand and moved.
I ran up the stairs, ducking low as I reached the top. A shot blasted past, taking a chunk out of the railing behind me. I crouched down on the stairs, below the floor of the balcony. The man fired again into the crowd below. There was more screaming.
"Get them out of here!" I shouted at a man gaping up at me. I waved my free hand at the doors under the balcony. The man stared for a second before realization dawned. He started herding people through the doors, out of the way.
I risked a peek over the top stair. The balcony was lined with big pots growing drooping plants that almost touched the ceiling. There wasn't much else to use for cover. I could see the man's foot almost at the other end of the balcony. The rest of him was behind a potted plant, out of my line of sight.
I ducked back down and checked the blaster in my hand. It was fully charged, but it was small enough that I only had three or four shots at this distance. I had to get closer.
I waited, listening for movement. He took another potshot at the people running away. I rolled over the top of the stairs and behind a pot. He clipped off a shot towards me, shattering the pot in front of me. I scrambled forward. He shot again and got my trailing skirt. The smell of singed fabric stung my nostrils.
I crouched behind another pot, waiting. He seemed to be waiting as well. The screaming below was finally fading away. I risked a glance over the railing. The room below was empty. Dishes lay scattered near the food tables. My shoes sat forlornly in the center of the room. Black scorch marks streaked across the floor from the blaster fire.
I heard the man moving. I peered around the edge of the pot and took aim. He stepped out from behind the pots, heading for the door at the far end of the balcony. I fired. The shot went wide. He broke into a run for the door. My second shot caught him in the shoulder. He slammed through the door and was gone. I got up and ran for the door.
