Vankara (Book 1)

by S. J. West

  “Are the two of you seriously suggesting that I do nothing?” I didn’t see any reason to hide my growing agitation. “This is my daughter we’re talking about! You want me to just let her remain in the hands of a mad man? To not do everything within my power to bring her home safely?”

  “I don’t think that is what we’re saying at all,” Inara’s father said in a voice meant to bring a sense of calm to the situation. “We would simply advise you to view all of your options first. As her mother and as parents ourselves,” his eyes briefly flicked toward Inara, “we understand how much you want Dena back unharmed. We’re simply suggesting you not give into his demands too readily. There may be other options we can explore.”

  Intellectually, I knew what they were saying was true. It would set a bad precedent if I gave into people who would extort the crown by using an innocent to get what they wanted. But Dena’s life hung in the balance between doing what was right and doing whatever was necessary to ensure her safe return. I couldn’t risk losing her. Vankara needed her. I needed her.

  “I think we can all agree,” Gabriel said. “That Bellas will more than likely want a private audience with the Queen. Since he knows he’ll be arrested if he comes here, I think we can also assume he’ll try to arrange a meeting away from the palace at a place and a time of his choosing.”

  “If he does,” Isabelle said, her eyes narrowed in thought, “I may have an idea on how we can capture him and bring the princess home safely. Would anyone happen to have some coins on them?”

  The Royal Sage’s idea turned out to be fairly simple and agreeable to all present. She enchanted the thirty silver coins Thaddeus Irondale had on him and gave me one.

  “After you have Dena,” Isabelle told me, placing the warm coin into my hand. “You need to hold this coin in the palm of your hand and say the words ‘invado amicus’.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked. “What will happen?”

  “Loosely translated it means ‘Enter friends’. It will be the spells cue to activate. After you say those words, whoever is holding one of the other coins will automatically be transported to your location.”

  “What if the situation is more life threatening than we can imagine?” I asked. “Is there a way to enchant it to bring me and whoever is touching me back to the palace safely?”

  “Hmm,” Isabelle thought about that for a moment and slowly nodded. “Yes, I believe I can do that.” She held her hand out to me. I dropped the coin back into her palm.

  “And you’re positive this will work?” Fallon questioned, picking up one of the coins from my desk and examining it with an undisguised expression of doubt.

  “Test it if you don’t believe me,” Isabelle challenged even though I could tell she was completely confident in her spell casting abilities.

  She handed my coin back to me after casting another spell on it just as Fallon made his way out of the study and into the hallway.

  “Now if you need to return to the palace simply say ‘domus’,” she instructed. “It will transport you directly into this room.”

  After I saw Fallon close the study door behind him, I looked down at the silver coin embossed with the first king of Vankara’s head and closed my fingers around it.

  “Invado amicus,” I whispered.

  I felt a heavy weight press against my chest pushing me backwards even before I saw Fallon appear right on top of me. Endowed with lightning reflexes, Fallon immediately grabbed me around the waist with his arms and pulled me in towards him to keep me from making a disgraceful heap of royal purple silk on the floor.

  It was the first time the two of us had ever been so close to one another. Only now did I notice his eyes were a dark blue, the color of the night’s sky when the moon hides behind a cloud. He was breathing hard washing my senses with the scent of him. He smelled of evergreen mint, a favorite candy of mine my mother and I used to make as a special treat during the long winter months in Peony.

  “Sorry, your majesty.” As Fallon’s eyes stared into mine, the tense expression I had become so used to seeing on his face softened. There was even a hint of a smile at one corner of his lips.

  “You can let go of me now, Marshall Fallon,” I said, gently pulling myself away from him, suddenly feeling the moment was becoming far to intimate. “Thank you for catching me.”

  Fallon hesitated for a moment before letting me out of his arms. When I returned my attention to the others in the room, I noticed they had all taken in the scene with differing points of view. Inara was grinning at me with a delicate eyebrow of interest raised in my direction. Aleksander had his arms crossed in front of him with a brooding look of displeasure on his face and poor Isabelle’s cheeks were flaming red from embarrassment.

  “I should have added a proximity incantation on the coins,” she said. “Otherwise your rescue party will be falling on top of one another. I’m so sorry, your majesty. If you’ll just give me your coin, I’ll fix the problem.”

  After Isabelle adjusted the spell on the coins, we had nothing else to do but wait for Adam Bellas to make his next move. I was just thankful we had a plan which satisfied everyone’s needs. It was the first time I felt hopeful we could indeed rescue Dena and incarcerate Bellas all at the same time.

  Fallon took the remaining coins from the study and deposited them into one of the front pockets of his coat.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” he said to us. “I’ll take these coins to some of the guards and warn them to be prepared for the teleportation to happen at anytime. I’ll return as quickly as I can.”

  About half an hour later, Fallon strolled back into the study, but he wasn’t alone. Following in behind him was a male automaton. It was dressed in a simple pair of brown paints with a brown tweed jacket over a white shirt and a brown derby hat perched securely on his head.

  “We have a messenger from Adam Bellas,” Fallon announced.

  The automaton walked straight into the study and did not stop until he was standing in front of my desk.

  “Greetings, Queen Emma,” it said in a soft, gentle voice, one you would imagine a kindly old grandfather having. “Your presence is requested by my Master. If you would kindly follow me, I will take you to your daughter. You are not allowed to bring anyone but Mr. Thomas Gaines. If you do not comply with my requests, my Master makes the most sincere promise you will never see your daughter again.”

  The threat was made so pleasantly, it took a moment for it to sink in.

  I stood from my chair.

  “Have Thomas brought to the front of the palace, Marshall.” I looked into the black, emotionless eyes of the automaton. “I’m ready.”

  “Please follow me,” the automaton did an about face and headed back out the study door.

  “Wait a minute,” Fallon said to the machine, but it appeared once set in motion to complete its task, the automaton wasn’t allowed to stop.

  Seeing this, I rushed from behind the desk, pushing past everyone to follow the machine into the hallway. I vaguely heard Fallon tell the guards standing outside the study door to fetch Thomas.

  “Emma, wait a second,” Fallon said from the doorway. I couldn’t risk stopping and losing sight of the automaton. While keeping the brusque pace set by the Bellas’s messenger, I glanced in Fallon’s direction as he jogged into place by my side. He was undoing the buttons on his coat. In a matter of seconds he had it undone and shrugged off his shoulders.

  “Take this,” he told me handing me his leather jacket. “It’s cold outside and there’s no telling where this thing is taking you.”

  “Thank you, Marshall.” I took the offered coat slightly caught off guard by his uncharacteristic show of caring for my welfare. Outside the entrance to the palace, a multitude of guards were standing around an odd iron coach.

  The carriage was led by two mechanical horses made of iron. On top of the passenger compartment was a intricately designed sphere which reminded me of a spider’s web. Within the sphere was a ball of some mate
rial which glowed scarlet and seemed to hang in the air with no discernable means of suspension.

  “Stand aside!” Fallon ordered gruffly. Without any hesitation, the guards obstructing our path scrambled to get out of the way.

  The automaton never slackened his stride and took the driver’s seat at the front of the coach taking up the reins to the iron horses. Fallon unlatched the door of the carriage and held his hand out to me to help me inside just as two guards drug a startled Thomas Gaines out of the palace.

  “I don’t like this,” Fallon whispered to me, mirroring my own thoughts.

  “I’ll be fine,” I replied in an attempt to reassure him and myself.

  As Thomas was about to enter in after me, Fallon grabbed the man’s arm roughly and forced the traitor in our midst to look at him.

  “If you let anything happen to her, you’ll have me to answer to.” The vehemence in Fallon’s voice sent chills up my spine even though the threat wasn’t directed at me.

  Thomas simply nodded his head in recognition that he had heard Fallon’s warning.

  Thomas climbed into the interior of the coach and Fallon latched the door closed behind him as he sat in the seat directly across from me. The coach lurched into motion.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I looked over at Thomas’ dejected form and could tell he truly was contrite for the messy situation he had played a major role in, but his apology simply didn’t matter to me.

  “I could care less whether or not you’re sorry for what you’ve done,” I told him, not attempting to hide the contempt I felt for him. “I can never forgive you for endangering Dena’s life, no matter how just you thought your actions were.”

  “You have to believe me,” he begged, the strain of being labeled a traitor digging even deeper into the lines on his face. “I had no idea he would do something like this!”

  “I do believe you,” I told him. “But it doesn’t change the fact you betrayed me. You betrayed my trust, Thomas. It’s not something you can earn back. You’ll have to stand trial for the treason you’ve committed.”

  “But if I’m found guilty, they’ll lock me up in Gromstrand for the rest of my life,” he protested.

  “It’s a better alternative than what I had in mind for you earlier this evening,” I reminded him.

  “Would you really have done that to me? To my family? After all the years of service I’ve given to the Vankars?” He asked as if I were the one who was betraying him.

  “You had information I needed. I would have done whatever it took to get it out of you,” even I was surprised by the coldness in my voice.

  “You’ve changed, my Queen.” His words brought me up short.

  “I do what I have to do,” I replied. “You should never underestimate the lengths a mother will go to for her child. If I have to kill a hundred men with my bare hands to find her, I suggest you run as far from me as your legs will carry you.”

  Thomas was silent after that. I suppose he decided it was better to not test my dwindling patience with him any further. Spending the rest of his life in Gromstrand seemed like a small price to pay for his actions. If I found Dena physically harmed in anyway, I would make sure those responsible paid in kind. I would be hard pressed to find any sort of forgiveness in my heart for any of them.

  Chapter 10

  I barely had time to wonder where our autonomous driver was taking us before I heard the distinct clank of metal grinding against metal come from the top of the coach. I could only assume it was the large webbed globe above our heads spinning. The whirring sound grew louder and louder until it formed a high pitched note I felt sure would shatter any glass within a hundred yard radius of us. Thomas and I both covered our ears with our hands but that action only muffled the noise a fraction. When I looked over at Thomas, the fear I saw in his eyes told me he had about as much of an idea as I on what was happening.

  At the crescendo of the deafening noise, there was a loud clap, similar to thunder but more concise, less drawn out. A blue, blinding incandescent light filled the coach but only for a few seconds, like it was simply passing by not having time to stay for further evaluation. Afterwards, complete silence filled the iron box we sat in causing me to wonder if I had gone deaf. A second later I heard the distinctive clip clop of the iron horse’s hooves on the cobblestone pavement outside.

  “Any idea what that was all about?” I asked Thomas as we both cautiously lowered our hands from our ears.

  “No, your majesty,” he said with a shake of his head, eyes wide in uncertainty. “I couldn’t even hazard a guess.”

  We sat in silence for what had to be ten minutes before the carriage finally came to a stop. The latch to the coach door was turned from the outside and swung open. It was only then I noticed the door had no interior handle. It could only be opened from the outside.

  Our automaton driver stuck his derby covered head inside.

  “If you would please exit the coach and follow me,” he said before standing back to allow us room to do as he instructed.

  Thomas was the first to step out of the coach and lent me his hand as I tried to maneuver my body and petticoat ladened dress out of the small hatch door. It seemed like getting in had been a lot simpler than getting out was proving to be.

  As I stepped out onto the street, I had a vague sense of déjà vu. Within seconds, I knew exactly where we were. It was the same cobblestone street I had lived on as April Pew. I quickly looked up the street of brownstone and iron homes around us. The Pew’s home was located only a couple of houses down from where we stood. The lights were on in most of the rooms and I saw a shadowy figure pass by one of the third story windows. It was the same room I had once occupied as April Pew.

  “This way please,” our escort instructed as he headed up the steps to the home in front of us.

  As soon as we entered the dwelling, I could smell the faint aroma of shortbread cookies baking, presumably back in the kitchen. The home was laid out just like the Pew home had been. The entryway led off to a drawing room. A set of stairs was built against the left wall leading up to the second floor where the dining area should be. The third floor would be the location of at least four bedrooms.

  The automaton walked straight into the drawing room and announced, “The Queen is here to see you, Master.”

  As I walked into the room, I saw a tall man with tousled pitch black hair leave his post by the fireplace and walk towards me. He was younger than I expected, somewhere in his mid twenties. His black hair was cut short and closely cropped to his head. A pair of comforting green eyes complemented a friendly, open face which I would have considered handsome at any other time if it wasn’t for the fact this was the man who was holding my daughter hostage. As he approached me, his eyes narrowed on me for a fraction of a second, as if he saw something about me which surprised him. He quickly recovered and stood in front of me with one of his hands held out as if this were a congenial meeting.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Queen Emma.”

  I looked down at his hand observing it like I would a viper in the wild, keeping my arms stiffly at my sides. Bellas lowered his hand seeming to understand I wasn’t about to pretend things were normal between us and go through the pretentious motions of societal pleasantries.

  “Where is my daughter?” I demanded.

  “She’s perfectly safe,” he said with an inclination of his head, trying his best to assure me with words of Dena’s well being. “I promise you I had no intentions to ever harming her. I just didn’t see any other way to make this meeting happen.”

  “No intention of harming her?” I asked incredulously. “What do you call abducting her in front of hundreds of people and then sending this machine,” I said pointing to the automaton now standing beside Bellas, “with a message that if I didn’t come I would never see my daughter again!”

  Bellas held his hands up as if he could deflect my ire with the palm of his hands. “Please, I know things look b
ad but I honestly didn’t know of another way to gain an audience with you. I tried to go through the formal channels but it wasn’t working. Parliament would never allow you to meet with me, even if you wanted to. They consider me a radical extremist.”

  “And you don’t consider kidnapping the next Queen of Vankara an extreme act?” I asked.

  A corner of Bellas’ mouth lifted in a sardonic grin. “Yes, it was a bit on the extreme side, I admit. But, my desperation led me to do what I felt I had to do. I hope you can come to understand that in time.”

  “Well you have your audience,” I said irately. “Let’s get this over with so I can take my leave of you and take Dena home.”

  “Of course,” Bellas indicated with a hand I should sit on one of the settees set up in front of the fireplace. He took a seat on the settee opposite me.

  Thomas stood looking between the two of us and finally decided to sit beside Bellas. I shouldn’t have expected anything else. I was completely on my own.

  “I was informed you figured out Thomas’ involvement in my plan,” Bellas said to me. “That’s why I requested he come with you.”

  “It wasn’t very hard to put the pieces together,” I answered.

  Bellas looked at Thomas. “I’m sorry, my friend. I never thought your part in this would be discovered.”

  “There’s no reason for you to be sorry,” Thomas told him. “I knew what I was getting into when I joined the Plague-bringers. I still feel what we’re trying to do is important.”

  Bellas looked back to me. “First I would like to thank you for coming,” he said. “I realize it may seem like you had no other choice but you did. I would have returned Dena and Emily to you by morning if you had refused to meet with me. As I’ve said, I never had any intention of harming either one of them.”