by Cheree Alsop
“Yet you still followed me,” I replied quietly, indicating the pictures on the walls.
She lifted her chin. “Your story was a little more interesting than mine.”
“A spy of the Accord Systems who turned coat to become Godking Malivok’s right hand commander, then kills him to save the Universe, not to mention her brother? I have a feeling that’s a pretty interesting tale,” I said. I kept to myself our father’s comment that he had set her up in order to lure me to his pyramid.
She cracked a smile. “I guess there is a bit of a story there.”
She gathered up the papers and books and shoved them into a bag near the desk. I didn’t miss the fact that she left all of the pictures but a small one near the door. A quick glance before she put it in her bag showed a young Smiren boy with his arm around a younger Smiren girl. Both had their mother’s dark eyes and mischievous smile. I remembered the warmth of the rocks beneath my bare feet. It had been a day full of sunshine and laughter, one of the few I could recall from our youth.
Anaya didn’t look back when we left the small room. I wondered at the hidden location of it. It was obvious by the tattered appearance of the other hallways we walked through to get back to the ship that nobody else used them. My heart went out to Anaya at the fact that she had made her own escape in such a crazy place; the fact that she had spent the time learning about me and following my life wasn’t lost on me.
I glanced at the short-haired, fiery girl at my side. How could I help her overcome the darkness inside of her at everything she had gone through?
That’s not your job.
But she’s my sister. I owe it to her to show her the best of the ‘Verse.
Do you really? Who gave you this position? What are you drawing on anyway, your slaughter of soldiers, other gladiators, or Centari troops? Are you really the right choice to show her anything other than the darkest side of life?
“Kovak?”
I looked up at Junquit’s voice. “Yes?”
“We’re on with Parliament,” she said from the end of the hall. She hesitated, then continued with, “They’re asking for you.”
A sigh escaped me. “Maybe we should just stay here,” I said to Anaya.
She shook her head. “It’s your fault you got involved with the House. Go reap your rewards, Lord Sunder.”
“Ten minutes of being a Lord and I’m never going to live it down,” I replied.
“That’s right,” my sister said. “Go get what you deserve.”
“Maybe I should have let the pyramid explode,” I said.
Anaya gave a laugh that surprised us both. Her cheeks reddened. “I haven’t had anything to laugh about in quite some time.”
“Stay aboard the SevenWolf,” Junquit told her as she fell in with us. “It’s a wild ride and there’s always someone to laugh at.” She paused, then said, “I think that came out wrong.”
I took a few more steps before I realized Anaya hadn’t followed. I turned to see her standing in the middle of the hallway with a strange expression on her face.
“Ny, what is it?” I asked.
“Is that really an invitation?” Her gaze was guarded.
I glanced at Junquit. The pilot gave me her cheerful grin.
“Of course,” I said. I looked back at the Smiren girl for whom I had never stopped searching. “You’re my sister, I’m the ship’s bodyguard, so you’re automatically a crewmate if you want it.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “Are you sure that’s how it works?”
Junquit spoke up before I could. “You really think we can deny the bodyguard anything? He’s saved all of our lives at least once. If he says you’re crew, you’re crew.”
I gave Anaya my most winning smile. “You’re crew.”
A mixture of a smile and tears warred in her eyes. Junquit saved her any embarrassment by skipping over to my sister and slipping an arm through hers. “Come with me, Ny. I’m going to show you to your new quarters.”
Anaya shot me an amazed look as she allowed the pilot to lead her past. “I have quarters?” she repeated.
“The SevenWolf has been outfitted with some of the finest luxuries Count Loreandian could find. Trust me when I say you’ll be more than comfortable,” Junquit reassured her.
A thought struck me. “Don’t let Kaj set her room welcome message,” I called after them as they turned the next corner.
Their footsteps didn’t even slow. I smiled at the assurance that Anaya was in very good hands.
“What’s that smile for?”
The voice enveloped me in a balm more comforting than the richest skull beetle. I turned and wrapped my arms around Nova. Her beautiful aroma, a light mixture safikden petals and the scent that was all her own, wafted around me in a heady, tantalizing wave I could get lost in forever. I pulled her closer.
“Things are going right in a way that’s terrifying.”
She looked up at me with a smile and repeated, “Terrifying?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I’m waiting for the shatter.”
Her eyebrows rose. “The shatter?”
I nodded. “In the Bacarian System when the storms would come, the clouds struck each other with massive booms that shook the ground.”
“Sounds scary,” she said, drawing closer as she looked up at me.
I smoothed a strand of hair from her cheek. “The boom wasn’t the scary part. It’s what happened when the boom struck the ground. Something within the sound created the shatter, a wave of roiling energy that froze everything in its path. At the next boom, they would shatter into a million pieces. I’ve seen trees, animals, buildings, and even a few gladiators lost when they didn’t have the sense to come inside before the shatter.”
“So was the Godking the boom?” she asked.
That made me think, searching through all that had happened.
In the silence, she said, “Two opposing forces fighting for your place in the ‘Verse? That sounds like a boom to me.”
Her insight made me smile. “It does to me, too.”
Her head tipped to one side and she said, “After the boom comes the force that freezes everything in its wake, destroying all opposition, clearing the path for new life, right?” At my nod, she concluded, “What if you’re the shatter?”
My breath caught. I stared down at the woman in my arms, her words swirling around in my mind. “I’m the shatter?” I repeated. The absurdity of the thought struck a chord in me. “I like that.”
“You guys coming?” Junquit shouted from down the next hall. “Parliament is still expecting to talk to you, and you know they don’t like waiting!”
Nova slipped her hand into mine. “Ready for this?” I asked her.
She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed me on the lips. When she pulled away, she said, “With the shatter at my side? I’m ready for anything.” She grinned. “That makes me the boom!”
I chuckled as we walked together up the hall. “I think that sounded cooler in your mind.”
“Probably,” she said. “But it’s going to stick. I’ll make sure of it.”
“What’s going to stick?” Redden asked when he joined us at the ramp to the SevenWolf.
“The boom and shatter,” Nova replied lightly.
Redden shot me a questioning look.
“Don’t ask,” I advised.
He shook his head. “I don’t dare. You two may be spending too much time together.”
Nova squeezed my fingers. “Just the way we like it.”
“Gross,” Farlon said from the hull. “Way too mushy, Captain and, well, Captain.”
“That could get confusing,” Redden said as he followed us to the bridge.
“Yeah, one of you should choose a different title, and I’m not suggesting it’s Kove. That one’s stuck in my head forever,” Farlon said.
We entered the bridge to find Junquit and Jashu Blu sitting in an uncomfortable silence with several people I had never met before on the screen.
“
Thank you, Countess, for gracing us with your presence,” a woman with writhing purple and silver hair said.
“Thank you for your patience, Lady Frissa,” Nova replied. “I am honored to be graced with your time.”
“We have a few matters to discuss,” Lady Frissa continued. She held out her hand and papers were set in it. It took her a moment to shuffle through them.
Nova sat in the Captain’s chair. I took the Second’s seat beside her.
“Captain Boom,” I whispered.
“Captain Shatter,” she whispered back.
Junquit shot us a strange look. “You two are weird.”
We both laughed.
“I’m glad to find you in a cheerful mood,” the woman on the screen said. “Because we would like to request that Kovak Sunder accept a new title for the Accord Systems.”
I immediately shook my head. “I was a Lord for long enough.”
Lady Frissa glanced at the paper she held. “Eleven minutes and five seconds, to be exact.”
“Like I said,” I replied, keeping my tone level. “Long enough.”
She put her papers down. “Given the enormity of the threat you eliminated for the sake of the Accord Systems, we have created a new title for you and your crew.”
I glanced at Nova. “They aren’t my crew, they’re Nova’s.”
“They’re now the Knights of the Accords,” Lady Frissa replied. “Comrades to Kovak Sunder, Protector of the Accords.”
Jashu Blu let out a gasp of awe. Junquit and Redden exchanged wide-eyed looks.
“I’m going to be a knight?” Jashu Blu said with a squeak of shock.
“I could be a knight,” Redden said.
“Protector of the Accords,” Nova told me. “It suits you.”
I hesitated and turned back to Lady Frissa. “The Accords haven’t been exactly welcoming.”
“An oversight we are remedying,” she replied. “Trust me when I say that the corruption in the House has been eliminated and anyone with ties to Malivok the Godking will be escorted to a system far beyond our boundaries.”
“But Lady Saa’s family,” Nova began.
Lady Frissa gave a noble nod. “They are safe. She’ll be pardoned with them, but her place in Parliament will be reduced.” She speared me with a straight look. “You are not giving me an answer, Kovak Sunder.”
I held her gaze. “You’re asking me to dedicate my life to protecting a system that hasn’t shown me any loyalty.”
Her eyes glittered knowingly. “We don’t ask for your dedication lightly, Kovak. There are systems in need and no one else we can send.”
That caught my attention. “I’m listening.”
Chapter Fourteen
NOVA
“Count McKy Loreander, do you vow to mine, protect, transport, and sell the surplus of Andenite from the Malivok Pyramid honorably and fairly?”
“I do,” McKy said with a humble bow.
“Then our business is concluded here,” Lady Frissa said. “I am happy to see Evia safe and in full control of our Accord Systems’ most precious commodity once more.”
She held out her hand and McKy shook it. “Thank you for your time, Count.” She held her hand out to Nova as well. “And you, Countess. Your bravery is inspiring.”
“Thank you,” Nova replied.
Lady Frissa gave her a warm smile. “I’ll bet it’s nice to settle down in Evia again now that your adventures have passed. It is absolutely lovely here.” She looked at the red rocks that surrounded the Loreandian Palace and then her gaze moved to the black sand beaches with the green waves of the sea lapping the sunlit shore. A sigh of contentment escaped the Lady when she turned back to Nova. “Perhaps you’ll find a Lord ready to strengthen the Loreandian System even more? Of course, with such a stronghold, you may be vying for my position.”
Nova shook her head quickly. “Oh, no, Lady Frissa. I would never—” She paused when she caught the twinkle in the woman’s eyes. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
Lady Frissa gave a dramatic sigh. “As fun as being the new mouthpiece of Parliament is, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
That brought a surprised laugh from Nova. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lady Frissa smiled. “You do that.” She paused, then said, “How’s that handsome Smiren doing? You two definitely had enough chemistry to make me jealous.”
Nova felt a blush color her cheeks. “You saw that?”
Lady Frissa tucked a strand of her writhing purple and silver hair behind her ear. “The way he looked at you? I could watch that a million times over.” She glanced at McKy who was busy discussing something with one of his men. Seeing that he was preoccupied, the woman leaned in to say, “Being in my position is quite intimidating for most men. None would dare joke with me the way your gladiator does with you. Don’t let something like that slip between your fingers.”
“I-I won’t,” Nova said, caught off guard.
Lady Frissa straightened and said with a warm smile, “Take care of yourself, Nova. The Universe could use more women like you.”
“And you,” Nova replied.
The woman turned away with a flourish and made her way through the arches toward the royal landing bay. Four ladies in white and armed guards in Parliament gold flanked her. Each held a screen that represented another of the Parliament members who had requested to be present, though not in person, for the official inauguration of McKy and Nova to Count and Countess of the Loreandian System. Fortunately, the screens had been turned off for her final conversation with Lady Frissa.
Nova stood in a circle of sunlight as she watched after the Parliament representative. The weather had been so beautiful that Nova had been the one to suggest holding the formal ceremony in one of the palace’s gardens. She felt at peace once more surrounded by the beautiful red rocks of her home planet, but something was missing.
Nova hesitated, then ran to catch up with Lady Frissa in a very unladylike manner.
“Lady Frissa?”
The woman turned slightly but didn’t stop walking. “Yes, Countess?”
With the woman’s attention on her, Nova searched for something else to say other than what she really wanted to. “You said nobody has seen Lady Winden?”
Lady Frissa shook her head. “There has been no sign of her since the battle to protect Evia. We’ve checked footage from all the ships. Our only guess is that she escaped on one of the Godking’s.” Reading the concern in Nova’s expression, she set a hand on the Cadonian’s arm. “Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to find both her and Lord Briofe. You will be the first to know if we hear of anything.”
“Thank you,” Nova said, her throat tight.
Lady Frissa lowered her hand. “I doubt they would dare come back here. You should be safe on Evia for as long as you choose to stay.” The woman gave her a knowing wink. “But if I had seen the things you did on your last travels, I would be hard pressed to keep my feet on the ground. Your brother has things taken care of. Perhaps you deserve another adventure?” She lowered her voice and said, “From what I’ve seen, true drifters don’t stay for long in one place before they feel the urge to journey again.”
“Drifters?” Nova said, caught off-guard. “Where did you hear that?”
Lady Frissa shrugged. “Here and there. One is told certain things when in my position.”
Nova glanced back at McKy. The only time she had ever felt so torn was when she commanded the SevenWolf to lift off from Akrul and leave Kovak behind. She had a few regrets in her life, but that moment had been the strongest by far. It had nothing to do with McKy, Evia, the Loreandian System, or her father, and everything in the ‘Verse to do with the gladiator who was preparing to jump across the Universe and out of her life, possibly forever.
“Your brother seems to have things under control,” Lady Frissa repeated quietly. The woman moved closer to her shoulder, her tone warm. “He did fight valiantly to protect Evia. I have every confidence that he wi
ll do whatever it takes to control the Andenite distribution and see to it that your people are cared for.”
Nova nodded. “He’s seems to take being the Count of our system in stride.”
Lady Frissa’s voice was assured when she said, “He has the makings of a great leader. I have every faith in him to follow in your father’s footsteps.” She gave a soft sigh. “It’s too bad you won’t have much to do here. You’re an excellent leader with a good head on your shoulders. Pity you’re settling to be a second on a planet that only needs a first.”
Nova gave the woman a straight look. “What are you saying?”
Lady Frissa rolled her eyes. “Are you really going to make me spell it out for you, Countess?” She tipped her head. “Why don’t I show you the Loreandian landing bay? It’s quite accommodating for a variety of ships, including one with your interests at heart.”
Nova’s chest tightened, but she kept her emotions from showing on her face when she said, “He’s long gone on his mission by now, and I’ve no idea where you sent him.”
Lady Frissa lifted a shoulder and said lightly, “The mission is far from the Accords, but from what I heard, the SevenWolf had some electrical damage and was delayed with repairs. Something about fiests that chewed through some wiring.” Her eyes twinkled when she said, “They were still working on it when we landed. I can only imagine they are just finishing up the repairs as we speak.”
Stunned at what the woman was implying, Nova felt glued to the ground where she stood.
Lady Frissa slipped her arm through Nova’s. “Come, my dear. I shall show you the simplicity of Parliament commissioned ships; you’ll be ready to escape in no time in something a bit more luxurious, or so I’m told.”
Nova walked beside her with numb legs. “My father spent a lot of time updating the SevenWolf.”
“I’ve heard,” Lady Frissa said. “Your mother and I used to lament about our men and the ladies they truly held dear.”
