by S. J. West
“No,” I say with absolute authority. “You will take us to him now. The matter I need to discuss with him can’t wait.”
The guard looks uneasy by my demand, but he soon nods in agreement.
The guards teleport us to a veranda in the palace overlooking the city. There we find Lorcan sitting alone at a glass table eating his brunch and watching the latest newsfeed.
He’s dressed in a simple silky, white robe, and his hair looks wet from a recent bath.
Lorcan looks up from the newsfeed being displayed on his tabletop and automatically focuses on me. For a split second, I see fear enter his eyes. I simply smile tight lipped at him.
Lorcan turns the news off and sits back in his chair as he gives me his full attention.
“And to what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit, Empress Anna?” Lorcan says snidely.
“We need access to your surveillance systems over Finland,” I tell him bluntly, seeing no reason to waste time about what I want from him.
Lorcan looks puzzled by my odd request.
“What could be in Finland that would be of interest to you?” he asks.
“That’s really none of your business,” I say, not wanting him to know my son’s life was on the line. Apparently, Baal and Mammon didn’t include Lorcan in their little plan. Since he wasn’t a Prince of Hell, I suppose they didn’t consider him worthy enough to consult. “Just give me access to what I need, Lorcan, and we won’t have a problem with one another.”
“My people might not approve of me handing over their security to the ruler of another cloud city,” Lorcan begins to argue.
Wrong move.
I phase over to Lorcan, my hands automatically ignite into blue flames as I rest my hands on his shoulders with the pads of my thumbs pressing into the base of his throat.
His guards rush over, drawing their swords.
“Back away you fools!” Lorcan yells at them. “I can handle this.”
The guards back off, and I lower my head towards Lorcan.
“Do we really need to go through all of this again?” I ask Lorcan quietly. My intention isn’t to disgrace him any more than I already have in front of his people. I simply don’t have the time or the tolerance to play diplomatically. “I can kill you with one thought, so don’t test my patience right now, Lorcan, because I don’t have much left. Just do as I say, and you get to live for a little while longer.”
I release my hold on him and stand back to see if I’ll need to kill the Emperor of Stratus this day.
Lorcan clears his throat and looks over to his guards.
“Take Empress Anna to Command. Tell General Stewart to allow her full access to our security feeds.”
“Actually, I need my friend to be given that access,” I say looking over at Travis. “He knows what to look for.”
“Whatever,” Lorcan says off-handedly, rubbing the base of his neck. “Can I ask what it is you’re searching for?”
“You can ask,” I say. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you. It’s none of your concern.”
“Are the two of you going to my sister’s wedding today?” Lorcan asks, looking between Malcolm and me. “If you are, please let her know that I’ll be thinking about her.”
“Why would I do that?” I ask Lorcan, wondering if he has completely lost his mind. “I have no intention of ruining her day with a message from you.”
“She could have been Empress of Stratus, you know,” Lorcan says with a smirk. “Instead she chooses to marry a petty thief. What sense does that make?”
“It makes all the sense in the world,” Malcolm answers. “Kyna loves Brutus. If you were capable of feeling that emotion, you would understand.”
“I can love,” Lorcan says defensively. “I love myself quite a lot.”
“And you just made my point for me,” Malcolm says with a roll of his eyes.
I look over at the guard who seems to be in charge. “We’re ready to go to Stratus Command. The mission we’re on is extremely important.”
The guard automatically teleports us to the command room of Stratus security. There are no windows or doors in the stark grey walls surrounding us. Men and women sit in elevated, staggered rows at computer terminals. The holographic displays in front of them show various live feeds of the citizens of Stratus as they lead their normal, everyday lives.
“What’s the meaning of this breach in protocol, Corporeal Glas?” I hear a man bark in an agitated voice.
I look up one set of stairs and see a red haired man dressed in the black formal attire of the Stratus Imperial Army. As he descends the steps towards us, I can’t help but notice his familiar green eyes and distinctive red hair. It’s a color I’ve only seen on one other person. There’s no doubt in my mind who this man is, Kyna’s real father. I remember Desmond telling me that most of the people of Stratus assumed Kyna’s mother had an affair with one of the Army’s high-ranking generals. This man’s resemblance to Kyna was extraordinary and could in no way be simple coincidence. As he approaches us, I can see that even his pale white skin is a perfect match to hers.
“General Stewart,” the guard who acted as our escort says saluting the other man, “Emperor Lorcan requests that these people have full access to our security surveillance.”
“Does he now?” General Stewart says, looking between Malcolm and me, completely ignoring Travis for the moment. “And just why does our great Emperor deem such a thing necessary?” General Stewart’s use of the word 'great' was said with extreme disdain.
“Uh,” the guard says, looking unsure what the answer should be. “I’m afraid you would have to ask him that, sir. I’m simply following the order I was given.”
General Stewart looks up at Malcolm, and I see his stern expression soften as a small smile stretches his lips.
“It’s been a long time Overlord Devereaux,” General Stewart says, holding out a hand to Malcolm.
Malcolm shakes the other man’s hand. “Too long, Barclay. How have you kept your sanity with Lorcan in power?”
“It hasn’t been easy,” Barclay replies with a deep sigh. “I almost killed the little bastard when he wanted to marry Kyna, but,” Barclay looks over at me with amusement in his green eyes, “Empress Anna here did better than that. She completely shamed him in front of his own people. Perhaps not as effective as killing him but certainly entertaining to watch. Now, why do the two of you need access to our surveillance system?”
Malcolm tilts his head at Barclay and takes him off to the side a distance away. We don’t need someone loyal to Lorcan reporting back to him. As I watch Malcolm speak to Kyna’s real father, I wonder if she knows what his actual relationship to her is. It’s obvious to me from the way he mentioned Kyna so informally that he knows she’s his daughter. But the resemblance between them was so strong, anyone could figure that fact out just by looking at them.
It doesn’t take long for Malcolm to explain things, and Barclay waste no time. He walks over to one of the terminals closest to him.
“Leave and find something else to do,” Barclay says to the man working at the workstation. The man quickly stands and walks off. Barclay sits down and types something into the interface. I assume it’s probably his own personal security code to override the system. Barclay then looks over at Travis. “Boy, come over here and use this terminal. You now have full access to all of Stratus’ surveillance systems. If you need anything else, just ask for it.”
Travis walks over and immediately sits down to get to work.
Malcolm walks back over to me.
“How long do you think it will take him?” I ask Malcolm.
“It’s still going to take some time,” Malcolm says. “A facial recognition scan is the easiest to run first, but it will take a while. There’s no guarantee Lucas is even out in the open for it to work. He can run a thermal scan to find children around Lucas’ size on the islands, but that will only narrow it down so far. We’re going to have to be patient, my love. If B
aal has any suspicion at all that we know where Lucas is, he will have moved him by now anyway.”
“Are the two of you going to Kyna’s wedding?” Barclay asks as he comes to stand in front of us again.
“Yes,” I tell him. “We’re going. Are you?”
Barclay shakes his head. “No. I don’t want to intrude on her happy day.”
“Does she know who you are?” I ask out of curiosity.
“I’m sure she does,” Barclay says, not having to ask what I mean by my question. “We’ve never discussed it openly, but she’s a bright lass. I have no doubt she’s figured it out by now.”
“Barclay,” Malcolm says, “if Travis comes across any information we need to be informed about, could you send someone you trust to my home in New Orleans to deliver the news? And if we’re not there, we’ll be at the wedding.”
“I’ll bring the information myself if it’s that important,” Barclay tells us. “Don’t worry. If we find him, the two of you will be the first to know.”
“Even if he ends up not finding anything, we need to know,” Malcolm tells him. “We have people out there searching now. If there’s no sign of him, we need to inform them so they don’t waste any more of their time.”
“You have my word that I’ll get the information to you as quickly as possible.”
“We’ll be in Alto within the next hour,” Malcolm says. “We have a meeting after the wedding that we have to keep. It might even help end this search of ours and return our son to us, at least that’s the hope. We’ll let you know how it turns out. But, right now, we have to explore every avenue open to us until we get him back.”
“I completely understand. I would do no less for my own child.”
I look over at Travis and see that he’s completely absorbed in the task we’ve given him. I don’t want to bother him with a simple goodbye. Though, I do silently wish our friend all the luck in the world in finding our son.
“If you happen to have a chance to speak with Kyna today,” Barclay says to us, “please tell her that I send my best wishes and hope this Brutus fellow makes her happy.”
“He makes her very happy,” I reassure Barclay. “No man could love her more than him, except for maybe her real father.”
Barclay smiles wanly at my statement. “Good luck in your meeting today. I hope it turns out the way you want it to.”
“Me too,” I say, knowing if it doesn’t, I may lose the tenuous control I have maintaining my sanity.
Chapter 11
When we return home, Linn is already dressed for the wedding. She takes charge of preparing me for it the moment I appear.
“We only have thirty minutes to get you ready,” she says in a rush. “Kyna sent a dress over a little while ago for you to wear.”
I thought this was a strange thing for Kyna to do until I saw the dress.
Linn had it laid out on the bed in our bedroom waiting for me.
The dress had two parts. The first part is a simple floor length, sleeveless dress made of a coral colored chiffon. The second part is a finely tailored cap sleeved jacket made of a thicker material of the same color. The jacket had a stylish asymmetrical high-collar.
“This note came with it,” Linn says, handing me a small envelope with my name on the front.
I quickly open the envelope and read the letter inside.
I thought you would want to bring your sword to the wedding. The jacket will help camouflage it. Good luck today!
Kyna
“She probably just didn’t want you to scare away her other guests,” Malcolm says with a soft chuckle as he reads the note over my shoulder.
“She’s a very smart woman,” I reply.
“Let me know when you’re dressed,” Linn says to me over her shoulder as she walks out the bedroom door. “I’ll help you with your hair.”
“Thank you, Linn.”
I watch Linn walk out and know why she offered to style my hair for me. If these were normal times, Millie would have been the one to do my hair. I had never been very good at it. The most I did was brush it out for everyday wear. I preferred to keep it straight and unfettered with accessories, but polite society expected a certain ostentatiousness from their rulers. I, of course, was no exception to this rule of fashion.
Malcolm dresses in his black collarless suit while I put on the dress Kyna sent. We waste no time getting ready because there simply isn’t any time to squander.
While Linn brushes my hair up into a tight ponytail, Malcolm excuses himself from the room to see if Daniel has received any news from the others.
“You’re holding up really well under the circumstances,” Linn tells me as she winds my hair around the center of the ponytail she just made to construct a bun.
“I don’t feel like I am,” I confess. “I feel like I’m on the verge of losing my mind.”
“Well, you hide it very well,” Linn praises. “I’m not sure I could look so composed if Bai or one of the boys were ever kidnapped. I think it would drive me completely mad.”
“Do you know about Lucas’ gift?” I ask Linn, unsure just how far her knowledge about my family reaches.
“His ability to see into the future?” Linn asks.
“Yes,” I say, relieved that she already knows about it. “He said Malcolm and I would have twins one day, Liam and Lilliana.”
“Oh my. I couldn’t imagine having two babies at once,” Linn says with a small shake of her head. “One at a time was plenty for me.”
“What does it feel like to be pregnant?”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s very hard on your body. But, it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll have in your life. To feel a small life move inside you and know that your body created it, well, it truly is a miracle.”
I look at myself in the mirror and reach a hand up to the black necklace Malcolm gave me on our wedding night to prevent me from becoming pregnant.
“I can’t wait to have the twins,” I tell Linn, feeling my heart swell with love for two little people I don’t even know yet. “I want Malcolm and me to finally be able to start our lives together. After I return the seals to Heaven, I’ll be able to concentrate on giving Lucas the brother and sister he wants. I’ll also be able to help Gladson more in our little social rebellion to revolutionize how the cloud cities treat the down-worlders. There’s so much more I want to do with my life, Linn.”
“And you’ll do it all splendidly,” she encourages me. “It only takes one strong voice to change the world. We all believe you are that voice, Anna. Daniel and I have the utmost faith in your ability to force the cloud cities to alter the way things are done.”
“Thank you. I think I needed to hear that right about now.”
“Never doubt yourself,” Linn tells me fiercely. “That’s how you let others win over you. If you are confident in your beliefs, other people will see your strength and want to follow you. I think people just need to be woken up, Anna. They’ve spent years simply doing what they are told and not thinking for themselves. I know I was that way before Daniel and I married. He was the one who showed me how to give back to the world. That’s why we started the orphanage. We wanted to help those who couldn’t help themselves. You’re doing the same thing, just on a much grander scale.”
“Right now, I’m just focusing on getting Millie and Lucas back,” I confess. “They’re all I can think about.”
“You’ll get them back today,” Linn says confidently. “Even if the others can’t find Lucas on their own, you’ll meet with Baal and Mammon and get them back.”
“I just hope nothing goes wrong,” I say, remembering how wrong things went with Belphagor. I didn’t need to lose control like that again. I needed to stay focused and not let my anger get the best of me.
Just as Linn puts the finishing touches on my hair, Malcolm strides into the room. I can tell just by the look on his face that there isn’t any news about Lucas’ whereabouts. So, I don’t even bother to ask.
&nb
sp; Linn leaves the room to find Daniel and Bai so they can phase over to the wedding ahead of us. Malcolm helps me put the baldric and sword on my back. The jacket designed to go with the dress proves to be excellent camouflage for the sword. If someone looked closely, he or she could still see the hilt peeking out over my shoulders, but I didn’t intend to get that close to any of the other guests.
“Do you feel ready?” Malcolm asks me as I turn to face him while adjusting the collar of the jacket.
“I don’t think it matters if I do or not,” I say. “I just want to get our family back as soon as we can.”
“The search isn’t going well,” he tells me. “But I guess you already assumed that.”
“I knew it when you walked back into the room,” I admit. “We knew it was a long shot, but we had to try.”
“Just promise me that we stay together today,” Malcolm says. “Don’t go off and try to face them by yourself.”
“I won’t,” I promise, walking up to Malcolm and wrapping one arm around his, twining the fingers of our hands together. “I need your strength to help me get through this.”
“Well, I’m glad to know that finally sunk into that thick head of yours,” Malcolm says with a half-smile.
“Finally, yes,” I agree. I take in a deep breath and ask, “Ready?”
“One second,” Malcolm says before walking over to his closet and grabbing his black cane with the silver wolf head and wings.
“I hope you don’t need the sword that’s inside that thing today,” I say as Malcolm walks back to me.
“Better prepared than sorry later,” he replies, looping his free arm around mine. “Now I’m ready.”
I phase us directly to Alto.
Bianca has tastefully decorated the throne room with pale shades of pink roses mixed in with white ones. The four freestanding granite columns, where the thrones were sitting yesterday, are draped with yards of sheer white silk and ringed in the middle by a thick arrangement of pink and white roses. Hanging in the center of the columns are three rose gold and crystal chandeliers. Guests are just beginning to filter through the rows of chairs situated in front of the altar. I know the chairs aren’t actually real. They’re simply individual force fields in the shape of chairs. Once the ceremony is over, the energy generating them will be shut off leaving an empty space for the reception to take place in.
