WhiteWing

by Connie Suttle

  We'd found a spy, just as I'd expected. Rigo and two of his underlings had already gone through this one's quarters, finding nothing incriminating there—not even a comp-vid.

  That meant he had such things hidden elsewhere. Rigo and I were determined to discover that hiding place, although in my experience, it was likely protected by security devices set to explode if someone were to tamper with it.

  "It's too bad Quin couldn't tell us where his hiding place is," Rigo said. "Can't really fault his work, either."

  "He has a stake in keeping his employment, never forget that," I said.

  "True enough," Rigo agreed.

  "I think he won't go back to his hiding place unless he actually has something to report," I mused.

  "You're right. Let me communicate with Lissa. Perhaps she'll agree to feed him false information, now."

  "I'd like to grab him and let you place compulsion," I said.

  "Yes, but Quin says he's obsessed. Compulsion won't compete with that."

  "Well, that sucks, as Lissa says."

  "I'd bet everything I have that he knows where those kidnap victims are, or what happened to them, if they're no longer alive."

  "I imagine it would be a coup if we could bring them or their remains home," I observed.

  "We're back to feeding him false information, then following him to a stashed comp-vid somewhere."

  "I say we contact Lissa now."

  "Agreed."

  * * *

  Le-Ath Veronis

  Skyf

  Nobody knew anything, and I found that more than strange. People always gossip. I'd worked with the crew long enough that I'd become one of them, even going out for drinks after a shift.

  Alcohol loosens tongues well enough, in most cases.

  Those I worked with really didn't know anything, or they'd had compulsion placed by one of the Queen's fucking vampires. That I could believe easily enough.

  That's why I shoveled concrete debris from a cell as if I were happy enough to do it. Dark stains covered some of the debris; the pirates seeking the black-winged woman had died near this cell.

  I recalled that had V'ili not gotten away so quickly when the guns began firing, it would be his blood I was scooping up in a shovel.

  "What's this?" Something chinked when I scooted the shovel beneath another load. Bending down, I searched through the rust-colored concrete to see what made the unfamiliar sound.

  A chain—or so I though when I lifted it up. Instead, I found it was a bracelet, the type some men wore. The initials on the top of the name plate meant nothing to me. On the underside of the nameplate, however, was pure gold.

  Made in Bastell was stamped there.

  Bastell.

  A large city on Carek Prime.

  One of our pirates had forgotten to remove the bracelet his sweetheart had given him.

  They weren't pirates, I realized then. Cayetes had offered the King of Carek Prime a refund if he could bring the black-winged woman to him.

  Devarr had sent some of his, to do that very thing.

  They had the technology Cayetes sought.

  It would be up to him whether he dealt directly with Carek Prime to buy the technology, or merely went in to take it for his own. Either way, I doubted it would go well for Devarr.

  * * *

  Queen's Palace

  Lissa

  "Sure—give the bastard false information," I waved a hand. Connegar, Reemagar and I had been out all day, placing spheres. I was tired and ready for food and bed when Rigo and Perdil showed up at my door.

  "Tiessa, I know you are tired," Rigo dipped his head. "I will have something sent from the kitchen. Perdil and I will deal with this."

  "Thank you," I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "It's—so nerve-wracking to place those spheres, honey."

  "My love, stop fretting and get in bed," Perdil coaxed. "You can have your meal there."

  "That sounds like heaven," I dropped my hand and gazed at Perdil. "Thanks for the suggestion."

  They left shortly afterward, allowing me to climb into bed and wait for my dinner to arrive.

  * * *

  Perdil

  "What do you mean, he walked off the job?" Rigo's hand gripped the foreman's shirt. The man was terrified of what an angry vampire might do to him.

  "He did. The two he was working with said he dropped his shovel and walked out. They thought at first he was headed for the toilet, but when he didn't return after two hours, they came to me." His voice quavered as he spoke, but Rigo and I knew he spoke the truth.

  "How long ago?" The evening shift was about to end; we'd sought the foreman to deliver Rigo's false information.

  Had our spy learned he was being watched?

  Or was it something else?

  "Four hours." The foreman rubbed his throat when Rigo let him go. He understood the dangers of a vampire's claws, it seems.

  "Damnation," Rigo muttered. "Tell no one of this. I want any vid-images available, before and after he left. Immediately."

  "Right away." The foreman almost stumbled, he turned so quickly to do Rigo's bidding.

  He's probably off the planet already, Rigo sent mindspeech.

  I didn't reply—it was exactly what I was thinking.

  * * *

  Lissa

  I'd been asleep for almost an hour.

  Almost.

  Gavin was at the door this time, with Rigo and Perdil.

  "What in the name of the zucchini god do you want now?" I asked. I had bed head, on top of being tired and cranky.

  "Our spy escaped before we could give him false information," Perdil began.

  "He found out we knew about him?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

  "I don't think that's it, Tiessa," Rigo said. "We have images from security cameras. You need to see this."

  I was ushered into my office, where Kooper waited. He looked almost as cranky as I was, which meant he'd been dragged from his sleep, too.

  "He found something," Kooper said and ran the footage on his comp-vid for me to see.

  The spy had found something, all right. "Get Lenk," I snapped. "I want him to explain this. If what I'm thinking is correct, we need to put an envoy together and get to Carek Prime now."

  * * *

  "Noris," Lenk sighed after seeing close-ups of the bracelet the spy had uncovered. "Newly-engaged. I told all of them to leave their personal items behind."

  "This will send Cayetes straight to Carek Prime," I said. Adrenalin had kicked in and I was almost vibrating from it.

  "Devarr will refuse," Lenk said.

  "Devarr has no defense against the likes of Vardil Cayetes," I hissed. "Get dressed. You're going back to Carek Prime. Pray that you get there before Vardil and V'ili do."

  * * *

  "Edden, this requires the best diplomacy ever," I said. I'd sent mindspeech to Trajan the moment Captain Lenk left my office. Trajan managed to get Edden and Berel Charkisul into my office in record time.

  "Pap, Devarr is an isolationist," Berel said. "Even with the threat of Cayetes showing up on his doorstep, he may still refuse to listen to us."

  "That's why I want Rigo to go with you," I said. "If compulsion is necessary, well, Devarr attacked us, remember? We're still rebuilding the detention facility because he sent a dozen of his men here. You can pick the rest of your envoy."

  "I'd like a warlock to be with us," Edden confessed. "I'd choose Ilya, but he is needed elsewhere."

  I studied Edden for several seconds, while names ran through my mind.

  Until it settled on two.

  They were more than well-versed on diplomacy.

  Their credentials were practically flawless.

  Somewhere, far in the past, we were related.

  "I'll ask Wellend and Warlend," I said. "With those two, you'll have power and diplomacy skills."

  "I ask for two or three of Director Griff's agents," Berel added after agreeing on my choice of warlocks.

  "I'll send that m
essage along. You need to be ready to go in half an hour."

  "Lady, we are ready now," Edden replied.

  * * *

  King's Palace, Carek Prime

  Devarr

  I will remember this night as long as my life lasts.

  It began as any other recent night—up late enough, working through budget cuts to ensure the planet could get by on what we now had to support ourselves. I cursed the poison that afflicted our world; many had died from it and more were sick.

  While the small sphere appeared to be working, it occurred to Hulce and some of my other scientists that perhaps we hadn't buried it deeply enough. We'd imagined that the depth of a grave would be sufficient.

  In other words, the sphere was effectively drawing the poison toward the surface instead of away from it. That, in turn was killing trees and vegetation as the poison traveled toward the sphere.

  A meeting was scheduled in the morning, to determine whether we should stay the course or dig deeper. The necessity of moving everything away from the burial spot was moot.

  The booming noise that woke me was only the beginning, although I and my guards didn't realize it at the time.

  The palace was under attack.

  Sixteen of my guards and servants died, I was quick to learn, their bodies either hacked or blown apart by rifles or small explosives. The ones who'd attacked us disappeared quickly, once my remaining guards began to fire back.

  We'd thought we'd successfully defended ourselves, and the new captain of the guard was pulling in troops to guard against further attacks upon my palace.

  Until we began to count the dead.

  Three of ours were missing. I ordered that my advisors be called after that, to alert them to potential danger.

  That's when the full extent of our troubles became clear.

  Hulce and half his laboratory had been taken away; the rest of his quarters was reduced to shambles after a swift, merciless search.

  My advisors arrived quickly, rubbing sleep from their eyes and asking servants for tea to widen their eyes and wake their minds. I had no idea who'd arrived to kidnap my chief scientist, but it terrified me that he'd been the apparent target.

  When Captain Lenk, whom we'd presumed dead, arrived with an envoy from the Reth Alliance, he brought with him the worst news of all.

  * * *

  King's Palace, Carek Prime

  Berel

  Devarr, King of Carek Prime, listened to Rigo's explanation, his eyes red from lack of sleep and unshed tears.

  Many of his palace guards were dead, their blood spattered across the wide, marble foyer leading into the throne room.

  Bodies had been removed, but it would take time and much work to eradicate the blood.

  The evil the universes held had come knocking at Devarr's door, leaving its bloody handprints behind. What was worse, however, was the kidnapping of the scientist who'd invented the security devices.

  Vardil Cayetes now held one of the deadliest weapons I'd ever seen.

  "This is the image we had of Cayetes' spy, when he found the bracelet belonging to one of yours."

  "I imagine it was stamped with the place it was made," Devarr's Chief Counsel muttered.

  "All my men were instructed to leave such behind," Lenk said. "All followed my instructions, except Noris. That bracelet was his—a gift from his intended."

  "You are sure Hulce is in Cayetes' hands?" Devarr locked gazes with Rigo.

  "Most assuredly," Rigo replied. "I will allow Captain Lenk to describe to you the events that led up to the deaths of his men, and the involvement of V'ili, Vardil Cayetes' right hand, who invaded the ASD Criminal Detention Facility to take the same thing—the black-winged woman."

  * * *

  Paricos II

  Revis' Rock

  Ilya

  King Rylend relayed the information to me regarding Cayetes' attack on Carek Prime and the abduction of the one who'd designed the security devices.

  Until then, I hadn't known the true origin of those devices.

  Zaria did.

  "It was to keep him as safe as she could," Kay said, setting a cup of tea in front of me.

  "All it took was one small thing to betray Carek Prime," I said. "Rylend says it was a bloodbath when Devarr's guards attempted to fight off Cayetes' men."

  "No doubt they were in and out quickly," Dragon set his own cup of Falchani black on the table beside me and took a seat. "I received mindspeech from Lissa," he said. "Saying much the same, I imagine."

  "Can things get any worse?" Bleek arrived at the breakfast table, a cup of tea in one hand, a plate covered by an enormous omelet in another. "Zaria is locked up in her room and refuses to come out."

  "This is a terrible setback," Hal joined us. "Rigo is on Carek Prime with Edden and Berel Charkisul and a few others, explaining things to Devarr."

  "Zaria keeps saying there is a delicate balance to all this," Kay pointed out. "I believe her. This may have upset too many things."

  "All we need is for that bastard Cayetes to be able to fly in while concealed by those devices, to kill us all," Bleek grumbled as he cut into his omelet.

  * * *

  Carek Prime

  Wellend

  Father and I took precautions with Hulce's lab, placing spells about it so it would be protected inside and out—against any power wielder who didn't have permission to be there.

  He and I stayed close, too. Zaria had contacted us. Someone else is blackmailing Hulce, she'd said. I expect them to show up eventually, and figure out what happened.

  Will it not mean that they merely won't get what they want? Father sent.

  It may escalate the war, she replied.

  Father and I exchanged glances. Do you need more time? I asked.

  I won't get it, no matter how this plays out.

  * * *

  Weir's Compound

  Arna

  "I had my strongest shields up, and they still fired on me for asking questions," Laan explained to Weir. "Hulce's laboratory is destroyed and the rumor is that Cayetes has kidnapped him and stolen his work. I barely escaped with my life."

  Weir's jaw worked; I'd never seen him so angry before. I was angry, too; this was a terrible setback. We were counting on those devices; they gave us a great advantage against Cayetes.

  The devices we'd ordered Hulce to make were now in the hands of the enemy. "This is unacceptable," I huffed.

  "There's something else Cayetes wants," Weir snarled as I turned to leave. "He's not known for letting grudges go, either. Laan, we have preparations to make."

  "What do you intend to do?" I narrowed my eyes at Weir.

  "You told me yourself he wants the black-winged woman. We're about to show him we have her."

  "But," I said.

  "A bargain, to even the odds?" Laan asked.

  "Sure. Or to lure Cayetes in so we can destroy him."

  "Why does he want that woman? The bitch and that four-armed behemoth never explained that," I pointed out.

  "Likely because she runs those pirate ships and has something he wants back," Weir said. "He wants her quite badly, if he's offering that much for her. The reward specifically says he wants her alive."

  "I'll leave you to it," I said and started for the door.

  "Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all—to go after the black-haired bitch," Weir spoke to my back. "She has information we need on the black-winged woman; I'd bet on it. You have permission to take one of our devices and two warlocks. Laan stays here and works on our decoy," he was quick to add. "Make sure she's alive when you bring her back."

  I stiffened and stopped walking for a moment.

  Alive?

  We'd see about that.

  * * *

  Zaria

  "I think things just went from bad to worse," I said.

  "They're coming?" Ilya asked. He and I stood on a rampart of Tamp's new stronghold and watched the sea wash Jagged Bay to the south.

  "Because of what h
appened on Carek Prime, Weir wants to play an ace he's holding against Cayetes. He wants me alive. Arna still wants me dead. There's no reason both objectives can't be satisfied—with a bit of cooperation."

  "You are not going to Weir," Ilya snapped.

  "I don't intend to go to Weir. Arna doesn't want me to go to Weir, either. She wants me dead."

  "Why does Weir want you alive?"

  "Because he wants to know why Cayetes is looking for Quin. He plans to have one of his warlocks do a disguise on a servant and present her to Cayetes as Quin. No doubt he plans to threaten her life in the message he sends."

  "What does he hope to gain?"

  "A trade, maybe?" I turned to Ilya. "Cayetes has the inventor of the security devices and the batch he manufactured for Weir. Perhaps a few of those devices could be offered in exchange for the black-winged woman?"

  Ilya's dark hair was windblown in the constant breeze this close to the bay. Dark eyes, filled with concern, watched me carefully. He disliked this plan I'd concocted.

  I disliked it, too.

  Nevertheless, I had to play this out until the end. Too many things—and lives—depended on it. Even outside on the ramparts, ghosts crowded about us. Some had never heard of Paricos II during their lifetime. Here they were anyway, hovering about me as if I could answer the riddle of their deaths.

  * * *

  Avii Castle, Avendor

  Quin

  I was beginning to see the supply of saving spheres inside the hidden room as more than a finite source.

  They could become the most precious of finite sources.

  What would happen when we ran out? Would we run out of worlds that needed them, too? Zaria and I imagined we'd have enough.

  That was before some were stolen, and even more worlds became poisoned through Marid and Vardil's greed and treachery.

  How many more would learn that poison spheres had been sold upon their world, and then allowed to leak? I wanted to curse Marid's lack of skill as a wizard, but that would be a useless endeavor.

  I stood on the terrace outside the library; it was a sanctuary from the looks and furtive whisperings going on inside the rest of it. Justis found me there, flying up from below and settling nearby before folding his wings and walking toward me.