Shattered Soul

by Angela Verdenius

  The bouncers were hard-eyed and built with a lot of muscle. Unimpressed, they looked her up and down in turn.

  The tavern was silent now, every eye on the trio at the bar.

  Wow, fourteen years did make a lot of difference in regards to respect. In the outskirts of the Outlaw Sector that wasn’t a good thing. Time to reinforce a few things, such as Reeka warriors weren’t to be messed with.

  Stepping away from the bar, she stood with legs slightly spread, balancing her weight evenly. She arched one brow coolly. “Got a problem?”

  “Not if you move along quietly.”

  “Well, then we do have a problem.”

  One of them started forward. “Right, you asked for it.”

  She met him full force, one fist punching hard to his gut, sending him jack-knifing forward. As he came down, she slammed her knee into his jaw and sent him snapping back to land on the floor in an unconscious heap.

  She crooked her finger at the other bouncer.

  Lips curling back to reveal morobto revestly missing teeth, he pulled a heavy stick from his belt.

  “Ohhh!” She shuddered. “I am so scared.”

  A trickle of laughter went around the room.

  “You’d want to be, bitch,” he snarled. “You’re not the legend you once were.”

  “Dearie me. You’ve forgotten so soon. Time to remedy that.”

  “You take him on, Reeka!” Someone in the crowd yelled. “Show him that the legend still lives!”

  Time to trot the legend out.

  The bouncer came swinging low, intent on cracking into her knees.

  She swung around on one foot, lifting her other leg and feeling the heavy stick skim past her. Her spin was fast enough that as she came around, her knee smashed directly into the face of the bouncer as he lunged past her.

  Blood spattered out and he fell to one knee, skidding on the floor as he clasped his hand to his broken nose. “You bitch!” he gasped.

  “No.” Coming up behind him, Ceri bent down and grabbed a handful of his hair. Pulling his head back, she looked down into his bloodied face and said softly, “I’m Ceri of the Reekas, and I want a little information.”

  For the first time, she saw a flicker in his eyes, a little flame of fear, and she smiled.

  He fought down his fear. “I’ll kill you!”

  Rolling her eyes in disgust, Ceri stood upright, slammed her boot into his back and shoved him down on the floor, pinning his struggling body easily with her weight. Looking around the silent room, she saw the grins, but she knew this wasn’t the end of it.

  A Reeka was back in their midst after fourteen years. The older men and women looked at her with remembered respect, but the younger ones didn’t know her and they were keen to test the legend of the Reeka.

  “Don’t be a fool,” she said mildly as a young man with an eye patch started to circle her.

  Three more fell into step with him, surrounding her.

  “You might be able to take on one man at a time, Reeka,” the young man sneered. “But how about four of us?”

  “Sure.” She shrugged.

  And exploded into action.

  Reaching down, she hauled the bouncer to his feet and hurled him at two of the circling men. Grabbing the stick from his hand as he went flying, she turned and flung it hard, not waiting to see it smash into the third youth’s mouth.

  Yanking a long-bladed dagger from his belt, the young man ran straight for her. The light gleamed from the deadly blade as it arced through the air.

  Ceri met him head on, catching his wrist with one hand, swinging around and dropping to one knee. He sailed over her head, but as soon as he hit the floor, she caught his ankle and dragged him back towards the bar.

  He was kicking out, twisting onto his back and brandishing the dagger as his friend with the bloodied mouth got to his feet and swayed.

  Kicking the dagger from his hand, Ceri slammed her boot into his gut, knocking the breath from him.

  The bloody-mouthed youth came at her.

  He really was a fool.

  Reaching back with one hand, she waited until he was almost upon her, and theSuher, ann she tightened her grip on the bottle at her back and swung it up, over, and down onto his head with force. The bottle shattered and the youth dropped like a stone.

  The two youths had struggled out from under the groaning bouncer and both came at her, their intent to pin her against the bar plain to see.

  Time to stop playing nice.

  Snatching up the knife that had dropped at her feet, she flicked it once in the air, caught the handle, and waited the few seconds it took for the first youth to almost slam into her.

  Catching his wrist, she was prepared for his other fist that came lashing for her chin. Jerking back her head, she spun, pulling the youth partly around with her. Slamming his hand back against the bar, she plunged the dagger through his palm, pinning him to the bar in one easy move.

  He screamed and fainted.

  They just didn’t make tough youths like they used to.

  The other youth was at her back within seconds, she could feel his hot breath on her shoulder, and without a qualm she slammed her head back against his. While he was still dazed, she stepped sideways while reaching back, her hand grabbing the back of his head as she bent her knees and slid sideways once more to slam his face into the bar.

  While he was still stunned, she grabbed the back of his shirt and pants, picked him up with barely a grunt, and threw him across the bar.

  Lifting her gaze to the dirty mirror behind the bar, she scanned the faces of the watchers.

  The older patrons grinned, the younger ones looked at her with a new respect.

  She said quietly, “I’m after some information.”

  A murmur swept the room, and then one woman stepped forward. Older, wiser, she was a tavern whore. Walking behind the bar, she poured a mug of ale for herself and quirked a brow questioningly at Ceri.

  “Berry juice,” Ceri replied.

  She studied the woman while she poured the drink and pushed it across the bar. Middle-aged, she still retained the good looks of her younger days. Her upswept hair was threaded with grey, but her eyes were sharp.

  “Mina,” the woman said, and drank deeply of the ale.

  “Ceri.” Ceri took a sip of the berry juice. It was delicious.

  Mina looked at the youth still pinned to the bar. “He looks messy.”

  “Easily fixed.” Reaching out, Ceri grabbed the dagger and yanked it from his palm.

  With a whimper, he slid down to the floor.

  “Susie.” Mina looked over Ceri’s shoulder. “Better bandage his hand up. Don’t want him to bleed to death on the floor.”

  In the mirror Ceri saw the tavern patrons return to their chatter, many of them sending speculative glances her way. Talk would travel and it wouldn’t be long before word spread that a Reeka was back in the area, looking for information and ready to handle problems very roughly.

  Returning her attention to Mina, she waited.

  “Been awhile since a Reeka passed through here,” Mina stated.

  “So it seems.”

  “I remember those days. What’s a Reeka doing here now? You’re pardoned, you’re supposed to be living in the Lawful Sector now.”

  Ceri looked at her.

  Mina dropped her gaze. “Your business, huh?”

  “I’m looking for some answers.”

  “Right.” Mina glanced back up, a slight flush on her pale cheeks.

  “Have you heard of a Reeka named Rani?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe not recently, but anytime in the last fourteen years?”

  Mina shook her head.

  “Heard anything unusual happening?”

  Mina grinned. “In the Outlaw Sector, honey, there’re a lot of unusual happenings.”

  “Such as snap freezing?”

  “Snap freezing?”

  “People snap frozen. Or someone found frozen.”

&
nbsp; She scratched her head. “No. Sorry.”

  “Is there anyone here who can help me?”

  “I doubt it, but if I hear of anyone I’ll let you know.”

  Dead end. Not surprising. It seemed like it was the best she could hope for. Turning back to face the room, Ceri scanned the faces once more, wondering if she’d recognize someone. Anyone from the past. Not one face did she know.

  Pushing away from the bar, she stepped over the unconscious youths and bouncers and strode outside. There was more than one tavern in the settlement, and she made her way to the second one.

  Word had spread and this time there was no trouble, but neither were there any answers. The third and fourth taverns were the same.

  Coming out of the last one, she paused in the shadows with her back against the wall and acknowledged that if she went to every tavern in the Outlaw Sector looking for information, she could be searching for years. But there were other ways. Other avenues.

  Fourteen years might have passed but she doubted that everything had changed. There were still places and people she could contact.

  If they still lived.

  Crap.

  Stepping down off the veranda, she headed back to the docking bay. Habit kept her to the shadows and seeing as how she’d made some new enemies it was a good habit to keep.

  As she approached the hunters’ ship she noticed a figure leaning back against the ship. He blended in with the sleek lines but an awareness of his presence prickled through her. She’d know that stocky build anywhere, the quietness that seemed to surround him as though the man had his own space and no one entered it.

  As she came to a stop before him, Abra looked calmly up at her. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Just asking a few questions.”

  “And re-establishing yourself.”

  “That was the fun bit. It came before business.”

  He didn’t answer but she caught the glitter of his eyes in the moonlight as he studied her. It almost felt as though he were seeing straight through her, something that not many men or women had been able to do.

  It was unsettling. And unwelcome.

  “Got a problem with that?” she asked tartly.

  “I’ve got a problem with having to talk the peacekeepers out of trying to arrest you for disturbthe for diing the peace.”

  “Ah. I wondered why they didn’t show up.”

  “Let’s just say that’s one favour a friend doesn’t owe me anymore.”

  Ceri leaned against the ship. “You called in a favour for me?”

  “Someone had to. You went off and beat up some bouncers. Beating up bouncers is against the law.”

  “True.”

  He tilted his head, his braid sliding across his shoulder. “Did you find out anything?”

  “No.” Damn it.

  “Finding out anything about your sister warrior is going to be almost impossible.”

  “I won’t give up.” Straightening, she glared down at him. “I never give up on those I love.”

  He was silent for several seconds before he said quietly, “We leave in ten minutes.”

  “What’s the next port of call?”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “Ylan. I want to see the cave.”

  “Right.” Abra stayed in the shadows.

  Sometimes the man was too hard to read. She went past him and into the ship, and met Vane in the corridor to the cabins.

  “Heard you beat up some innocents,” Vane said.

  “I couldn’t help myself. I like the sight of blood.” Looking down at the young man, she gave a nasty grin. “Nothing like a little blood to make my day.”

  “Like spilling the blood of those trying to keep the peace?”

  “The bouncers?”

  “They’d be the ones I’m talking about.”

  “I kicked their arses.” Leaning down, she looked him right in the eyes. “What do you say to that?”

  “Strike one for you?”

  She couldn’t help it. A laugh broke free.

  “Good God,” Vane said. “It laughs as well.”

  “You amuse me, little hunter.” Patting him on the head, she turned and continued down the corridor.

  “Not so much of the little,” she heard Vane mutter indignantly.

  Retiring to her cabin, Ceri waited until the ship had lifted into space before she had a shower and laid down to wait for the ships’ occupants to settle for the night. Several hours passed before she got up and crept quietly down the corridor.

  Entering the control cabin, she sat in front of the viscomm and switched it on. Within seconds she’d locked into a private channel. When it remained unanswered, she wondered if perhaps the man to whom the channel went had died after all.

  She was just about to give up and try someone else when the screen flared to life and a man with a shock of red hair and an eye patch on his right eye looked at her. Surprise flashed across his thin face, and then he grinned widely.

  “Well, hell!” He laughed. “Ceri?”

  “It’s me, Cisco.”

  “Shit, we thought you’d died years ago!”

  “Surprise.”

  “What happened? You just disappeared. Poof!” Cisco snapped his fingers. “Like that.”

  “I had things to do.” Leaning her elbow on the console, Ceri marvelled at how the once-youthful informer was now a man.

  He obviously thought the same thing. “You haven’t aged at all.”

  “Good genes.”

  Shit, you must be in your forties but you don’t look a day older than you did when I met you.”

  “Like I said, good genes.” She kept her gaze steady. “I need your help.”

  Immediately a crafty look crossed Cisco’s face. “How much?”

  “Put it this way. You help me, your arse stays in one piece.”

  “You won’t hurt me. You’re no longer an outlaw. Your kind are biddable, lawful people now.” He smirked.

  She smiled slowly. “And I’m not in the Lawful Sector, so I can break your bones and no one will squeal for help. Except you. Which you won’t get.”

  He stared at her for several seconds, then gave a laugh. “Just kidding, Ceri. Of course I’ll help you.”

  “Good. I’m wanting information on Rani.”

  “Rani? Your sister? Hey, she disappeared years ago with you. You must know where...” Cisco’s voice trailed away.

  “Have you heard anything?” Ceri’s voice hardened.

  “Uh, no. No, I haven’t.”

  “Have you heard of a cave that snap freezes?”

  “Snap freezes?” He looked bewildered. “No.”

  “Then I want you to find out for me if there’s been any rumours, past or present, about my sister.”

  “Well, sure, I can try - ”

  “Don’t try, Cisco. Do it.”

  “Hey, it won’t be easy.” At the look on her face, he held up his hands. “Fine. No worries. I can do it.”

  “I’ll be in contact.”

  “I can contact you if you give me your - ”

  “I’ll contact you.”

  “Right. Fine.” He grinned at her and she saw he was missing a couple of teeth. “It’s good to see a Reeka back in the Outlaw Sector. Life was always more fun when the Reekas lived here.”

  She cut communications and leaned back in the chair. Cisco was an informer and a gatherer of news. If anyone could find out anything, it would be him.

  Rolling her shoulders, she stood and headed back to bed.

  Her dreams were bad, filled with half formed figures and the sound of screams. Faintly, in the distance, came the smell of rot.

  ~ * ~

  Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

  From beneath the shelter of the ship, Fredrico watched Rani. Her long ponytail flew in the wind as she tipped her face up to the elements. The rocky outcrop she stood upon didn’t seem stable but she showed no fear.

  The warrior had shown no fear since that day on the dais in T
he Overlord’s presence, and even that hadn’t been fear. More like loathing and shock. She refused to eat on the dais and The Overlord didn’t force her. He knew how far to push a person.

  Fredrico didn’t eat on the dka eat on ais much, either, for the sickening parody playing out in the great hall below didn’t do much for his appetite. Used to it he might be, but it wasn’t to his taste.

  “Is she sensing anything?” he asked Phemar.

  “I don’t know.” The dark mystic sounded frustrated. “I’m not privy to her emotions.”

  Lucky Rani. Fredrico studied her. Lightning flashed through the sky, cracking dangerously close to where she stood. She didn’t flinch. The two space pirates flanking her took a step back and in the distance a barely discernable, monstrous shape stretched and arched its thick neck. In the clouds was the outline of giant horns.

  Rani turned her head from side to side slowly and even from where he stood Fredrico could sense her intentness. The warrior was sensing something.

  The flight had been an experiment to see if she could sense anything while away from the fortress. They’d only been flying for two hours before her relaxed slouch in the control cabin chair had left her and she’d snapped upright, her gaze darting around. When she’d ordered them to land the ship, he’d done so without question.

  Now they stood in the shelter of the ship on a barren piece of rock while she stood perilously close to the edge and tried to track what her senses were clamouring about.

  She looked at once a lonely, yet forceful figure. Fredrico admitted he found her fascinating but then again, after his bleak years she was like a breath of fresh air.

  Perched on a rock nearby Veknor watched her in silence, his thoughts kept to himself as usual. Just as he kept a little distance between himself and Phemar as he usually did.

  Finally Rani turned and started walking back, the space pirates falling in behind her. “Something is out there,” she said.

  Phemar looked from her to the empty grey expanse of rocky mountain and bleak valleys sprawled out around them. “What?”

  “Something dark. Strange.” She looked at him closely.

  “Is it The Darknen?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like us.”

  “What do you feel?” He took a step closer.

  “Darkness. Rage. Fear.” She shook her head. “Something is building.”