by Lisa Lace
He planted his heels on the ground. The bells on his headgear jingled as he came to a stop. “Tell the truth, human. You’re not a Magnum client, are you?”
“Excuse me, sir?” I managed to get an empty smile on my mouth again, frantically looking around the empty living room and kitchen for help. “What makes you say that?”
“You do not have to lie to me.” He pushed up his spectacles. The Urwanian shared Axl’s warm golden eyes and prominent jawline. One difference was that age had padded his face. The dark bags under his weary eyes made him appear older than I suspected he was.
I tensed up in my seat, nails piercing the cushion underneath me. “Who do you think I am?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Axl’s lover.”
“Axl’s what now?” I chuckled nervously, wondering if I should run out of the room.
“It seems that Axl has exotic taste, eh, my love?” He wasn’t talking to me. Axl’s father absently rubbed the crystal amulet around his neck. “Speaking of Axl, do you have any idea where he is? Last night was the first time he brought a female home.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a surprise.”
“What are your intentions with him?” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “My wife wants to know.”
“I’m not sure what you mean. There’s nothing between us.”
“Hold on, Miss. Onya is speaking.” He held up a hand and turned his head sideways, nodding to an invisible partner. “Go on, my love.”
I bowed my head, waiting patiently as the Urwanian gazed off into the distance. Soon he stopped nodding his head, and a look of emptiness overtook his eyes. He blinked and looked at me as if he were seeing me for the first time.
“She’s gone. I can’t hear her anymore.”
At a loss for words, I looked back at him in sympathy. I wondered if I should hug him. He twirled the amulet between his fingertips and stared out the window. Before I could open my mouth, his helplessness turned into distress.
“She was just here!” He squeezed the amulet in his hand while sputtering. “You heard her, didn’t you? I can’t lose her again.”
“Hey, it’s okay. I heard her.” I approached him with my hands up, kneeling down next to him. “Axl, where are you?”
“Not Axl!” He snapped, striking the armrest with a fist. “He’s no good. He calls himself an acquirer but refuses to search for something taken from me.”
I tried to change the subject to anything else, pointing to the flat, beeping box attached to the side of his helmet. “Is that a G-12 spirit detector? That’s one of the rarest models around. It looks top-of-the-line, too.”
For a few suspenseful seconds, the grooves on his forehead became deeper as he sized me up. Finally, he cracked a small, subtle smile.
“Yes, it is. You have an accurate eye.”
“Fascinating.” I pulled up Axl’s stool and rested my chin on my hands. “I thought they were no longer in production.”
“You’re correct. I happen to know a lot about tracking systems.” He leaned toward me, offering me a closer look at the device. “I have connections – a friend of mine was able to get one made especially for me. How is it that you know so much about spirit finders?”
“I’m nowhere near an expert, by any means. I dabble in gadgetry and tinker with electronics from time to time. Nothing special, mostly just rewiring. You’d be surprised what you can fix when you open something and look inside.” I fetched my headgear from the back of the front door. “I have something similar, but it’s not as fancy as yours.”
“Marvelous!” Axl’s father edged closer. “Did you make this yourself?”
“Yes, I did.” I strapped on my helmet. “I tried for months to find one with the options I wanted, but couldn’t find anything on the market. I decided to make one that would meet my needs.”
“I did the same thing.” He pushed his magnifying spectacles over his eyes, inspecting the features on my headgear.
“It has a computerized visor, a loupe, and a headlamp.” I pressed a button, and a foldable cup holder popped out, along with an extendable straw. “I can even keep myself hydrated.”
“Ingenious!”
“Thank you. I like to think so.”
Axl entered through the back door, slowing his pace as he joined us in the parlor. We must have looked like a couple of maniacs to him. I could hear multiple gadgets on our headgear banging noisily. Axl wiped off the sweat on his forehead. “It seems like you two are getting along.”
“I’m just getting to know your lovely lady friend.” Axl’s father gave an obvious wink. “I hope you continue to work with Christine for a long time.”
“You don’t have to be disgusting about it.” Axl and I exchanged an embarrassed glance at each other before looking away and clearing our throats. “I’m going to have to cut this short. Christine and I must get going. Our ride is waiting for us.”
I unbuckled some straps and rose to my feet, tucking my headgear under my arm. “It was nice meeting you, sir.”
“There’s stew on the stove if you get hungry, Moiru. Don’t wait up for me.”
I sidled past Axl as he held open the door, feeling a ripple of embarrassment in my stomach.
“Akuza has already been transported back to your ship. All our belongings have been loaded onto the vessel as well. Magnum is at the palace. We will meet them there directly.”
“Already? Why didn’t you come and get me? I could have helped you.”
“It’s fine.” Axl shrugged, heading toward the dense woods behind his house. “You seemed to be sleeping peacefully. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I see.” I walked alongside him, twisting the skin on my elbow. “Thanks for handling everything.”
“Don’t mention it.” Axl glanced at me, rubbing the back of his neck. “I appreciate what you did with my father back there. I haven’t seen him smile like that in years.”
“It wasn’t a problem at all,” I answered him honestly. “I enjoyed talking to him.” We continued down the rocky path in silence. “He had a lot to say. Your father tells me that I’m the first girl you’ve ever brought home.”
“You are.” Axl hefted himself over a boulder. “I usually go back to their place.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what I imagined at all. I pulled myself up the rock and joined him on the other side, shrugging. “Cool.”
We stared straight ahead, enjoying the lull in conversation without feeling required to fill it with empty words.
“You know, he wasn’t always like that. He used to work in space traffic control. He did it for his entire life. He was intelligent and hard-working.”
“What happened?”
“He lost his wife and was never the same. My mother was a sergeant in the Urwanian army. She died during a Makroid raid when I was twenty-one. Her death could have been prevented if it were not for the Imperial Court’s unfathomable stupidity. Soon after, he became paranoid and abandoned any sense of a social life. He hasn’t been out of the house in over a decade.”
“I see.” Axl looked smaller after his confession. I bit my lip. “Listen, this might not mean much coming from me, but for what it’s worth, I think your patience for your father is honorable. I don’t know if I would have it in me.”
“You would. You might not know it yet, but you would. I’m only fulfilling my duty as his son.” Axl brushed off my compliment and turned at a marked tree trunk. “Let’s go this way.”
We started toward the clearing, where my ship rested next to a tree stump.
“Hey, about last night...” I began, sucking in my cheeks.
“What about it?”
“I’m sorry that I jumped on you like that.” I touched the back of my ear and tried to ignore the amused look on his face. “It was inappropriate of me, and it won’t happen again.”
“If you say so.” Axl grinned and patted the side of my ship. “Come on. They’re expecting us at the palace.”
“Are you doing
okay over there?”
I jammed my thumbs behind the straps of my backpack as we walked down the carpeted corridor. Akuza was the picture of misery. Dirt spotted his clothes, and his disheveled hair looked greasier than ever, almost as if a tornado had blown past him.
“Mm.” He didn’t look up from his wrists.
“Less talking, more walking.” Axl’s voice sounded scolding as he overtook us and pulled open one of the glossy wooden doors. “Get inside.”
As we entered the imperial conference room, I thought I might be able to touch the frost hanging in the air. A sleek, doughnut-shaped table rested in the middle of the immaculate white room, surrounded by a circle of crewmen and Empress Angkora. All eyes looked in our direction.
What I didn’t expect to see was a hologram projected onto the inner ring of the table. It was the enormous, floating head of a pudgy-faced Makroid with slicked back, silvery hair and a malicious-looking beard with a curled tip. He stared at us with icy gray eyes. They were so light that they appeared almost clear.
“Father!” Akuza yowled and fell to his knees. “I want to go home!”
Lord Silas looked coldly at his son. Akuza shifted uneasily next to me. Did he know if his father wanted him back or not? The Empress finally shattered the silence.
“Well, we definitely have him. What do you think? Do we have a deal?”
“I suppose we do,” the hologram boomed, tearing jaundiced eyes off his son. “The exchange will take place tomorrow morning. You will receive the coordinates within the hour.”
“Confirmed.” The rippling hologram vanished in the blink of an eye.
“What kind of a deal did you make?” Axl stepped forward with a frown on his face.
“Lord Silas has agreed to return all of the kysum. He will also withdraw all Makroid forces from Urwanian ground in exchange for the restitution of his son.”
“Are you sure he’s not trying to double-cross us?” Axl’s chest swelled. “He doesn’t seem authentic. And Akuza already knows about the pillar’s existence.”
“Please, I promise.” Akuza stuttered and his eyes started to well up with tears again. “I won’t breathe a word about the pillar. No one will know.”
The Empress raised her chin as she regarded Akuza reflectively, gold makeup glittering under the light.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to believe this guy.” Axl brushed a hand across his nose. “Right now he will say anything to save himself. We won’t have any leverage if we release him.”
“Our hands are tied. All we can do is pray Lord Silas holds true to his word.”
“That’s not all we can do! We don’t have to turn over his son!”
“I have given you an order.” The Empress spoke softly, but I could see her jaw begin to tighten. “Don’t forget your place, acquirer. You may proceed to the throne room where we will pay you and fulfill the contract. I thank you for following through on your word. We no longer require your services.”
With a gruff shake of his head, Axl ended the stare-down and turned to his squad.
“What are you looking at? You heard the Empress. Let’s move.”
Chapter Twenty-One
CHRISTINE
I had not felt this self-conscious since I was a teenager. Civilians and tourists alike rarely entered the royal grounds. Any pictures taken outside the main gates had the ever-present specter of frowning troops in the background. Somehow I found myself in the throne room of the legendary Urwanian palace. Now that I was in the presence of royalty, I had forgotten everything I knew about this planet. Should I curtsy or bow? Axl was my only reference. I copied his stance, standing with hands behind my back.
Empress Angkora sat on a magnificent throne wearing a gorgeous white gown with gold trimmings. Her skirt had a mosaic of colors painted by hand. The throne was a fantastic sight. Artisans had carved Zamoan gods and goddesses into the back. A handmaiden, servant, and pair of Urwanian soldiers hovered around the throne, looking straight ahead at no one in particular.
“Ms. Blackwood.” The Empress peered down at me, extending open palms. I glanced at Axl and he gave me a nod of encouragement. I walked toward the Urwanian seal engraved on the foot of the white marble steps in front of the throne and stood in its center.
“On behalf of the Urwanian Imperial Palace and all our citizens, we would like to thank you for helping to ensure the safe return of a pillar of Galzen.” The Empress looked to her right admiringly where the glimmering pillar sat on a pedestal.
“Of course.” I twisted the silver band on my finger. It was one of the props Axl and I had picked up at the wedding venue’s gift shop.
“The Department of Justice has informed me that you attempted to contact us a few weeks ago to verify Magnum’s identity. We couldn’t answer you because of the backlog of calls after the attacks. For that, we apologize.”
“It was completely understandable, given the situation.” I forced a smile, feeling uneasy being thrust into the spotlight. “I’m just glad it’s back in the right hands.”
“I understand you and Magnum have come to an agreement and will be sharing the reward money.”
“That is correct, your eminence.”
“I hope you will forgive the shortness of our exchange, but I am needed elsewhere, and I want to make sure you get your payment. Keoni?”
The servant shuffled to the back of the room and returned with a credit transfer machine. “Christine and Axl, you may approach the throne.”
We climbed the steps together. When our hands accidentally brushed, I felt my stomach flutter, and I ran my tongue along the back of my teeth. “After you,” Axl grunted, stepping aside.
I slipped my hand through the opening of the hollow cube and positioned my wrist over the scanning bed. The Empress held her hand above a glass board while the handmaiden’s fingers entered the transaction. When the machine beeped, she held out the chip in her palm over the scanner. The cube around my wrist flashed green.
“The transaction is complete. You may step aside.”
I mumbled a quick thanks and stepped back. As Axl took his turn, choosing to use the Magnum company card, the computer in my backpack chirped. I pulled it out from the side pocket. My heart swelled at the bank notification on the screen.
I opened the notification to give myself a chance to bask in the glory. Even though I knew it was coming, it took everything I had to prevent myself from swooping my arm under the soldier next to me and prancing around him in delight. The amount of money was enough to refurbish my ship multiple times over.
The most satisfying thing of all was that I could reimburse Aunt Meredith for every bit of my college tuition. Once that debt was taken care of, I would feel less guilty about cutting her out of my life.
“I suppose this concludes our contract.” The Empress rose from the throne. “Thank you both again for bringing back the pillar.”
“You’re welcome.” I reached forward to shake her hand.
The Empress stopped me. “Before you leave, Ms. Blackwood, a question has been at the back of my mind, and I was hoping you could answer it for me. How did you come into possession of the pillar?”
“It was a brilliant stroke of luck, I guess. I found it in a junkyard in Echiles.”
“In Echiles, you say?” The Empress parted her lips in astonishment. “I wonder how it could have ended up there. There’s a saying. That who chances upon these pillars is the Chosen One, the soul of a warrior and a symbol of hope, destined for greatness.”
“We don’t have that saying on Earth.”
“It’s a prophecy in the Sacred Scrolls,” Axl said from behind me.
“I see.” I still didn’t follow them but decided to be polite and nod along, anyway.
“All the best to you moving forward. May Zamos be with you. You are welcome to leave.”
As Axl and I prepared to go, a general in a decorated uniform and a flat-top hat entered the throne room.
“Boy, am I glad that’s finally over.” I glance
d at Axl quickly.
“For us? Yes, it’s over.” Axl looked thoughtful. “The rest of Urwan now sits in the calm before the storm, thanks to the Empress and her court of jesters.”
I knew what he meant. Akuza could swear up and down that he would never talk, but at the end of the day, there was nothing to stop him once he returned to his father’s side. On the other hand, this wasn’t my battle. I wondered what Axl wanted to do now that he had finished his business with the pillar.
“I guess everything’s settled. We should head back to Earth, don’t you think?”
“Why would we go back there? Do you have another woman waiting for you or something?”
“Not exactly. But we’re still married, and you want an annulment.”
“Oh, right.” I fought back the blush emanating from my cheeks and waved a weak hand. “I knew that. I was just testing you.”
“Ms. Blackwood!”
Axl and I stopped at the Empress’ urgent cry. We were only three steps away from the main door. Empress Angkora rose from the throne and marched down the steps to meet us.
“We have a situation.” The Empress spoke without hesitation. “General Wasid has informed me that Akuza refuses to board the ship without you.”
“Which one of us is you?”
The general stared into my face. “Christine, Akuza has been continually insisting on your presence, but he will not explain why. He says that the only way he will keep the pillar secret is if you come with us to Makroi and are present at the exchange.”
“I have no desire to be part of this transaction.”
The Empress interjected herself into the conversation. “To keep the exchange as smooth as possible, we would like to invite you to take him up on his request as our guest. We will compensate you for the trouble, of course. Will one hundred thousand credits be a sufficient amount?”
“This is an outrageous request, even for you,” Axl growled as he glared at the Empress. “It is one thing to dismiss logic and lead a military party into a trap. It is quite another to put an innocent’s life in danger. What if something happens to her? Do you want EarthGov after you?”
