by Edward Lake
“Have you obtained any new leads on the spy?”
“No, sir. But my men are working on it. When they find something, I will report to you immediately.”
“Your time is running out, Vault. Find the mole, or you will suffer grave consequences.”
He bowed. “Understood, My Priest.”
Steam from the bathing room surrounded me. Yelps from Turk echoed around the room. From the sounds of it, Declan was doing his best to calm the boy, but it was no use. After their bath, my servants dressed them in the traditional white and gold garb that most men on Sodus wore.
Looking them over, I couldn’t help but smile. “Bless the Lord, you two look incredible.” I waved the maids away and instructed them to stand by the door. I checked my soldiers and made sure they were keeping a close eye on my guests. I carefully walked over to Declan and the boy and led them to the sofa on the other side of the room. “Please, have a seat.”
Declan sat down with his younger brother, gawking at me. “You must think I’m a fool.”
I sat next to them and bent forward. “Why would you say such a thing?”
He grumbled. “Where is Zena?”
I stayed silent for a moment, staring at him, my eyes wavering. I looked away and leaned back, placing my hands on my lap. “Let me ask you something, Declan.” I looked back at him. “Do you understand your place in the galaxy?”
Breathing hard through his nose, he pointed at me. “Tell me where she is. Now!”
I wanted to slay him for talking to me like this. But I had to remain calm. “You clearly don’t know your place in the galaxy. If I didn’t need your help in saving Zena, you’d be dead by now.”
“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve suffered for long enough.” He wrapped his arm around his brother and pulled him close. “Kill us. Mark our backs with a hundred lashes. It doesn’t matter. We’re ready for your worst.”
Turk pulled away from his brother. “No! Everything has gotten worse since Zena left! Make it stop so we can go home!”
Declan grabbed the boy and firmly held him in his arms. “I promise, little brother. Everything is going to be okay.”
I stood up and strode around the sofa. “Don’t lie to the boy. Your sister has made a mess of things, and unless she turns herself in, the rest of you will be staying here with us.”
“Enough, Saros! Where is she?”
I threw my hands up. “I wish I knew. That is why I have brought you here.”
He sneered. “Surely a man like you can find a slave.”
Once more, I fought back my urge to hurt him. “Do you believe in God, young man?”
“Certainly. And I believe God will punish you for all the harm you’ve caused to my family and countless others.”
I stopped and looked down at him. “So you blame me for your life of misery?”
“Yes, I do.”
I wagged a condemning finger at him. “God selected you for servitude. For you are the lowly man.”
“Another lie created by Abe. The man who wrote that trash you read every day.”
I was so close to slapping him, a burning sensation touched my hand. I couldn’t believe he would dare speak ill of Abe.
Declan stood up and stepped to me. Without delay, the soldiers on standby lifted their guns and aimed red dots at his head.
I quickly raised my hand and glanced at them. “Stand down!”
Turk jumped up and shielded his brother. Declan pointed at me, spit sputtering from his mouth as he yelled. “You and your ancestors are the scum of the galaxy! You took what was once holy and pure and turned it into a criminal organization.” His eyes reddened as he spat at my robe. “You’re not a priest! You’re a tyrant dressed in a fancy cloak.”
“My Priest! Shall we shoot this man?” one of my men shouted.
I calmly waved them off. “No.” I turned my back on Declan and marched to the door. “Your hatred of me is flawed. I pray that you learn the truth before it’s too late.”
5
Agnes
One call to Vin Naas was all it took to get the information I needed. Petra Ezra, or Grandma Petra, as the others called her, was the old woman who looked after the little ones. Lydia was the girl’s name, Zena’s younger sister. Her two brothers, Declan and Turk, were being overseen by my husband.
Once the grandmother and the girl were cleaned up and dressed in decent clothing, I had my servants bring them a nice meal. Lydia looked unrecognizable in the pretty white dress I had found for her. It was almost hard to believe she was formerly a tiny, filth-covered caged animal on the North Star.
The little girl seemed eager to devour her plate of meats and vegetables. But Petra slapped her hand when she tried to take a bite. “Not a crumb, you hear me!”
I stepped closer and stared at the old woman. “She’s probably very hungry, Madam Petra. Please, let her eat.”
She grabbed Lydia’s arm and pulled her away. “We’ll starve before we take food from the family who killed her father!”
Valter Ezra, a slave fighter from the North Star, was listed in Naas’s report on the Ezra family. He died years ago in a slave fight. I had sympathy for the girl, but that did not change my desire to kill Zena. She had taken my daughter from me. No matter how long it took, the Saros Dynasty would have its revenge.
“But Grandma! I’m hungry!” the girl cried, holding her stomach.
The old woman pointed a stern finger at her. “Listen to me, young one! These people are trying to kill Zena. We will not take anything from them.” She glanced at her gown and began to rip it off. She pulled and yanked at the silky material, then simply undressed. Before she had a chance to undress Lydia, I ordered my soldiers to take her away and escort her to another guest room.
“No, Lydia!” she screamed and reached out to the girl. “Don’t take anything from them! You hear me! Take nothing from them!”
My soldiers closed the doors, blocking Petra’s screams. I turned around and faced Lydia. She was still holding her stomach, shaking. She stood there for a moment, staring at the plate of food on the table in the center of the room.
“Go on, child. Eat.”
The girl squeezed her tummy and trembled. “But Grandma said I should not take anything from you.”
I walked over to her and knelt. “Lydia, my husband and I brought you here to help you. Your grandmother may think of us as bad people, but I promise you, we’re not.”
She sank to her knees and rocked back and forth. “No! I can’t!”
“You could die if you don’t eat. You are too young to die, dear. Please, go have a seat at the table and eat.”
She looked up, her eyes puffy. Within seconds, tears leaked down her face. “My stomach hurts!”
I quickly found one of my servants and snapped my fingers. “Get the plate and bring it to her.”
The maid hurried to the table and grabbed the plate. She trotted over to me and Lydia and set the plate down in front of the girl. I reached down and scooted the plate closer to her. She breathed in the aroma and let out a tender sigh. Soon after, her mouth watered, and her lips quivered.
“Lydia, please…eat.” I set my hand on her back and rubbed up and down.
Finally, she reached out to the plate and snatched a slab of meat. She took a big bite and moaned, and within a minute or two, the entire plate was empty. Lydia crumpled to the floor and caressed her stomach. She cried out and begged me to bring her grandmother back.
But I figured it would nearly be impossible to entice Petra. She was too old and set in her ways. But Lydia was young and impressionable. With enough time, I believed she could be manipulated, and she would eventually turn against Zena and the rest of her family.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to have your grandmother around you at this time. She’s trying to keep food away from you. Your body needs food, Lydia. I’ll look after you for a few days. Maybe then it will be safe to bring your grandmother back.”
I helped her off the floor and carried her
to the bed. I carefully set her down and tucked her in. Her eyes seem so mystified, like the feeling of lying in a bed for the first time was a shock to her system. For me, it reminded me of Sadie when she was young. All it took was a warm blanket and a sweet song, and she was out within seconds.
I had to dig deep into my memory to find a song for Lydia. “Nighty, nighty, sleep tight, my darling…the stars shine bright and God brings a new dawning. Nighty, nighty, Starlight sleeps tonight. Nighty, nighty, Starlight sleeps tonight. A brand new day awaits us soon, so before we sleep we pray, we look up high and see the moon and God sends us grace. Nighty, nighty, Starlight sleeps tonight. Nighty, nighty, Starlight sleeps tonight.”
Lydia slowly faded into a quiet slumber. I bent down and kissed her brow. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” I stood up and walked to my servants. “When she wakes, tend to her.”
The maid gave me a bow. “Yes, Madam Saros.”
I left the room and headed to the top floor. Down the hall, I found Linus standing outside our door with his hands held behind his back.
I ambled to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Is everything okay?”
He exhaled and turned to me. He set his hands on my hips and pulled me close. “No.” He looked down and shook his head. “I wanted to kill him, my love. I wanted his blood on my hands.”
I reached up and touched his face. “You can’t let Declan get to you, dear. We need him alive. We need all the Ezras alive.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s why I left. Had I stayed in that room and listened to him say one more disrespectful thing about me, or our family, or Abe, I would have had my men shoot him dead.”
I had a feeling this would happen. Linus was too sensitive. He had always been that way. That is why I needed to take over, so that he could focus on his priesthood. “I’ll handle Declan Ezra. And the others. You worry about Commander Vault. Make sure he finds the spy. Or kill him if he fails.”
The next day, at dawn, I gathered toys for Lydia and Turk. Old toys that had been locked away. Most of them were mechanical, windup things that made silly noises and sang songs. But there were still a few old-fashioned ones mixed in with the collection. Plastic dolls and stuffed furry animals—things I once played with when I was a young child.
I had my servants bring Turk to Lydia’s room. The boy was upset, yelling and screaming, crying for his older brother. The rambunctious noise woke Lydia. She crawled out of bed and rubbed her eyes.
I knelt in front of Turk and showed him a big smile. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re going to bring you back to Declan very soon. We just need to talk to him and your grandmother alone.”
Turk’s head sank. “He said not to believe anything you say!”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course he would say something like that. And you know what?”
To my surprise, the boy looked up and gave me his full attention.
“It’s because he loves you very much, Turk. And right now he doesn’t trust me or my husband. Because he thinks we are bad people, trying to get back at your sister Zena.” I made a pouty face. “But that’s not true.” I lowered my head a bit, looking into the boy’s eyes. “You see, Zena took our daughter from us. My husband and I are trying to get her back.”
“Don’t believe her, Turk!” Lydia said from behind me. She ran to him and covered his ears. “Grandma Petra told me not to believe you, too.”
I gave the little girl a nod. “Yes, dear. I know. And I understand. You’re her family, and she loves you. But she is wrong about us. Declan is wrong about us, too.” I smiled. “Listen, I bet you two are hungry.” I snapped my fingers at my maids. In a hurry, they brought a tray of premade treats from the dining hall.
It was rather amusing to see the confused looks on their faces. It was as if Turk and Lydia had never seen food like this. I carefully set the tray on the floor and pushed it towards them. “Go on, children. Eat.” I stood up and stepped back. “Leave them in peace to do as they please.”
My servants quickly left the room. I followed them out and closed the door. When I locked the door, I stood there for a moment and listened. In no time at all, I heard them gobbling the treats.
“Madam Saros? Is everything okay?” a servant said.
I beamed from ear to ear. “Yes.” I spun around and waved the maids away. “Go back to your stations.”
Once the hallway cleared, I stood there and stared at my reflection in the shiny gold walls. No matter how long it takes, Zena will suffer. She will endure slow, painful suffering, until we are satisfied. Then she will die. I couldn’t wait to see it, and as the days went by, my desire for revenge grew stronger.
Finally, I exhaled and ambled down the hallway. Then, out of nowhere, Linus appeared from around the corner and marched to me. “There you are, darling. Are you ready for the sermon?”
“Oh yes, the sermon.”
He stared at me, his expression concerned. “Are you okay?”
I smiled and took his hand. “Yes, my love.”
We strolled down the passageway in silence for a short while, glancing at each other. His eyes looked uneasy, bouncing around in his head like money chips falling down a flight of stairs. I sensed he wanted Zena to suffer as much as I did. Still, I was eager to share the details of my plot. “I think we should rethink our plan.”
He bent his head down. “I’m listening.”
I sighed and stopped for a moment. I faced Linus and grabbed his other hand. “I want Zena dead. But I want to do it another way.”
He seemed confused, his eyes blinking and shifting. “I don’t understand.”
“I want someone in her family to kill her. Perhaps the boy or the girl.”
Linus let go of me and crossed his arms. He checked his left, then his right, then looked back at me. “That will never happen. Not in a million years.”
“If we kill Zena…Turk and Lydia will hate us forever.” Sadie’s face flashed before my eyes. “I want a second chance, Linus.” I stopped walking and turned my back to him. “We’ll find a way to get rid of Declan and the grandmother. After that, we can raise the young Ezras as our own.”
I spun around, expecting to see Linus enraged. Yet he showed me a wicked grin. “I like it, Agnes.” He set his hands on my hips and pulled me close. He bent his head down and gave me a tender kiss. “I love you, dear.”
I swung my hair to the side and giggled like a young woman as he rocked me from side to side. “I love you, too.”
Suddenly, my husband’s reporter, Vin Naas, called to him from his communications device. “Linus, you’re going to be late for your sermon.”
My husband gave me a look that said we would have to finish the conversation later. It was time to spread the word of God.
Part 3
Zena’s Fight
6
Zena
When Jax told me he had proof that my family was alive and safe, a burning pain touched my chest. Inside the cold, deserted building Ada had brought me to, I paced around the fire, hoping he was telling me the truth. If I failed to save them, I feared I may go mad. My family was all I had in the galaxy. Without them, I was nothing.
Finally, once Jax landed on Cato with Evander, Taft and the others, he entered the building and found me. “Have you adjusted to the cold?”
“No small talk, Jax!” I checked his hands and under his arms, hoping he had something to show me. “Where’s the proof? You said you had proof that my family is safe.”
“I do. It’s on my ship.”
Evander and Taft emerged from the shadows and walked to me. “Hey, Zena,” Taft said. “You okay?”
“No. But I will be, as soon as Jax shows me the proof!”
He threw his hands up. “All right, all right. Follow me to my ship.”
Evander touched my shoulder as I marched past him. “Don’t worry, Zena. He’s telling the truth.”
All at once, a weight was lifted, and the pain in my chest lessened. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Jax led me to th
e ship and took me to the control panel. He wasted no time and turned the screen on. Video of Turk and Lydia appeared, and all I could do was smile. I touched my chest and took a deep breath. They were dressed in white, and they sat on the floor inside an elegant room, playing with figurines and gadgets.
I shook my head at the screen. “I don’t understand. Where are they?”
“Our rebel spy has given me access to the surveillance system on Station Four.” He switched to another camera. This one showed Declan and Grandma standing in another elegant room, engaged in what looked like a lively conversation.
My hands trembled as I glared at the screen. The realization of seeing my family on Station Four with Saros made me feel like I had already lost. The fear of going on without them crept into my mind, like a nagging pain that would never subside. Flashes of red sparked in my eyes as I stared at the footage of my family. No matter how things turned out, I hoped I would have a chance to kill Saros—slowly—so that I could savor his death.
“That monster has them. I couldn’t keep them safe! They should be here, with me.”
“Zena…stop persecuting yourself. They’re not dead.” He pointed a spirited finger at the screen. “In fact, this is great news for you. Because I suspect the High Priest will attempt to use them as bait to lure you into a trap.” He shrugged. “That’s what I would do if I was him. So prepare yourself for that possibility—be ready to take them back.”
Jax made sense, yet all I could do was sweat and fret, pacing from left to right, wishing I could jump through the screen and be with them. I figured there was a good chance I may never see them in person again. I could die before we reached Sodus. Or Saros might kill them before I arrived. Declan, if only you could see me. If only we could talk. I missed him so much. I missed Grandma and the little ones, too.
“Can you switch back to Turk and Lydia?”
Jax pressed a few buttons, and the screen went back to my brother and sister. “You’re lucky, Zena.”
