Snow and the Shadows (Once Upon a Harem Book 2)

by Cara Carnes

12

  Snow

  Something was wrong. I looked around the bathing pool Ashan and Ren grudgingly left me alone in and wondered what I’d missed while I rested. Once again, I’d expended too much energy because I didn’t fully understand how to wield the power I pulled from the Well. My Shadows hadn’t commented, which was my first clue something was amiss.

  Then they refused to leave me alone. No one was allowed in the room with me unless two of them were there.

  Zelig and Slade were barking orders, expediting repairs to the vessel. They wanted to be away from Meridian Station.

  Marden. Worry filled me whenever I saw him. He’d studiously avoided me since I woke. I sensed confusion and regret in his aura though. I felt many of his spirits around me within the psychic plane. Their presence only heightened my concern because their unease was palpable.

  Which was why I’d liberated myself from the Shadows who’d become an important part of my routine. I needed a moment to myself to assess what all this meant. And what I should do. Why didn’t they trust me with what concerned them?

  The cleansing chambers on Meridian Station were based on ancient Avaru customs. Lava rocks heated pockets of vapors expelled by hissing vipers from Skeron. The steam beaded along my skin as I removed my covering and stretched out on a narrow surface positioned above a pocket of heated vapors. I hadn’t been naked around so many since I was a child. I found it disconcerting.

  Insecurity and guilt kept my attention within the room. Servants flitted back and forth, knelt beside each surface. Scrubbing dead skin, rubbing ointments and lotions on whomever they served.

  How many bodies had I helped my mother scrub on Skeron? Eyes shut, I willed the memories away. Recalling my childhood as a slave wouldn’t help.

  “I am Neera. Relax and I will tend you.” The young girl’s hand trembled as she picked up a brush and began scrubbing my left arm.

  I fanned my aura outward, flexed against hers. Fear. No, terror. “Are you safe on this station, Neera?”

  “Why would you ask, mistress?” The young girl’s pale blue skin turned yellow. A pulsating white interspersed in ribbons beneath her opaque skin. I didn’t know what species she was. It didn’t matter. She was terrified.

  “Forgive me. I sense your fear. If you are at risk, we can help.”

  “I am safe. The Avaru saved me and my people from the Crunans. They…” Fat, purple tears rolled down the girl’s face. “They destroyed my planet. Killed my kin.”

  “They destroyed mine too,” I whispered. I crawled off the surface and wrapped a covering around myself. I sat beside her on the narrow ledge. “My mother’s world. She was enslaved.”

  “That was to be my fate,” Neera said. “The Avaru warriors arrived, boarded the Crunan cargo vessel I was in. I have been here ever since. I work four shifts every seven cycles for my room and food.” She held up her wrist. “And I have credit, more than I could ever use.”

  I smiled, sensing the euphoria in her aura.

  “You are happy.”

  “Yes, mistress. I have many friends I met in something Nikki calls school. We are taught many things from many cultures.” Neera’s voice rose, her eyes widened.

  Nikki Warren. She and her mate Xan had done much for the young girl. “I know you are happy, but I sense your fear. Why?”

  “I cannot say. It would upset Nikki and her Avaru mates.”

  “Why would it upset them?” I grabbed a covering from beside me and wrapped it around myself.

  Red replaced the yellow in the young girl’s hue. She huddled in my arms. Teary eyes studied me. “I am what Nikki calls a snoop. She gets upset when I listen to things people say.”

  “And you heard something that scares you?”

  The girl nodded.

  “Then perhaps we should speak to Nikki and her mates so you may tell them.”

  “No, mistress. No. I cannot. She will get upset.” The yellow returned, brighter than before.

  I held the girl close. Cool air rushed in as the door to the cleansing area opened.

  “What occurs here?” Xan’s voice boomed within the confined area. He remained at the entry, but Nikki charged forward.

  The young girl pulsated yellow so bright it blinded me. I fanned my energy outward, feeding her calm even though my pulse quickened. Until I figured out what was going on, she was my charge, mine to protect. A presence pressed against my psychic plane. I relaxed into the contact.

  What is wrong, female?

  Snow. My name is Snow, Marden.

  What is wrong?

  There is a girl. She is scared. I do not know why.

  The connection ended abruptly, but I wasn’t worried. Marden wasn’t the polite Shadow. I glared at Nikki as she approached. “Stay back.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” Nikki crouched. “Neera, what is wrong?”

  The girl burrowed into me, into the calming energy I fed her. The yellow along her opaque skin lightened.

  “You are safe,” I assured her. “No one will hurt you.”

  “We would never harm Neera or any of the Chion. They are under Avaru protection,” Xan warned.

  I looked up at Nikki. “I think our little Neera heard something that frightened her. She does not want to displease either of you.”

  Nikki crouched on the other side of the little girl, ran a hand along her cheek. “We will never be displeased with you, Neera. Was what you heard important?”

  The girl nodded. Sniffled. Purple tears trekked down her face.

  “Then why don’t you come and whisper it to me, like you did the last time. I will tell Xan if it’s something he needs to handle. Molden is on patrol with our warriors.”

  The girl looked up at me, then scurried into Nikki’s lap. She wrapped around the female, limbs around her torso and waist. Frantic words spilled from her, but I didn’t understand the words. The woman paled. Xan growled. Footsteps pounded from outside. Auras struck mine, wrapped tight as my Shadows appeared.

  “Snow,” Ren said. He was the first at my side.

  Marden and Slade held Xan against the wall. The others forced the other stragglers within the room out. Avaru warriors appeared, but no guns were drawn when Xan ordered them to stand down.

  “Get Gamal. Scour this outpost and find him,” Nikki thundered.

  Several soldiers fled the room. Gamal?

  “What did he do?” Marden growled. “My spirits warned me he was no good. You should have listened.”

  The yellow brightened on Neera’s skin. I stood, went to Marden and pressed against his side until he was forced to wrap an arm around me.

  “Do not be frightened of my grouchy warrior. He growls a lot when he’s worried and frightened. He doesn’t want anything to happen to me, or you.”

  The girl broke away from Nikki and scampered forward. Green replaced the yellow as she peered up at me and a still Marden. She tugged on his leg until he crouched beside her.

  “You do not like Gamal,” she said.

  “No, I do not.”

  “Me either. He is nice around Mistress Nikki and Xan, but he’s mean and angry all the time. He talks bad about everybody into the Well, tells it things about the outpost and all my friends. Xan and Molden carry me on their shoulders, make their warriors do it too. Gamal hates them.”

  Xan prowled forward, knelt beside the young girl. “Tell me what he said to frighten you, little one.”

  “Mama told me stories of Tezan, the lost Well. She said someone bright and beautiful would come and save us all. Gamal was shouting into the Well, saying Snow was a false prophet and would ruin everything, all his plans.” The girl wiped her face on Xan’s shirt. The Avaru warrior smiled and held her close.

  “When did you hear this?” Nikki asked.

  “Before slumber. He said the time to strike was upon us.” The girl pulsated yellow. “The mean voice in the Well said they would arrive before the next slumber and destroy the Meridian Outpost and seize the false Summoner. She said her entire fleet would
come.”

  The entire fleet? Surely the young girl heard wrong.

  Xan rose with the girl wrapped around him. He turned to the other warriors. “Contact Molden. Get his vessels fanned out in attack formation. Call for support from Avaru. Tell them the Crunan Skeron fleets are inbound.”

  “We cannot know that is who he summoned,” Nikki argued.

  “Who else would dare attack us?” Xan asked.

  “I’ll contact Rotera, get assistance inbound. Perhaps they can cut a portion of the fleet off.”

  “And you believe the Roteran Council will suddenly assist the war effort though they’ve remained on the sidelines?” Xan asked.

  “I’ll contact my brother, get our fleets closer,” Nikki said.

  War had found the Meridian Highway. Ren and Ashan stood behind me. I reached for them both. What now?

  “They’ll know our objective is Tezan,” Zelig said. “We must leave now.”

  “You’re still going,” Xan said.

  “Yes. It is the quickest way to defeat Queen Vilma,” Dacian said.

  “How will going to a ravaged planet help anyone?” Nikki asked. “It’s time you explain what you are doing here and how she’s involved.”

  The woman pointed at me. I blinked beneath the anger.

  “We’ve put a lot of people in harm’s way by allowing you to remain here. Had I known the entire Crunan Skeron fleet would descend on us because of you, I would’ve killed you myself,” Nikki said.

  Marden and Slade growled. Xan moved between them and his mate.

  “We deserve answers, Shadows,” Xan said.

  “We believe Snow to be the foretold Omega. She is a royal Tezan descendant and daughter of the Skeron king,” Dacian said. “Gamal refuted our beliefs, but clearly he has another plan he did not share.”

  “The Omega.” Xan paled. He leaned down and set Neera down. “Go find the others. We’ll be with you soon.”

  Silence descended as the young girl ran out. I wanted to ask what the plan was, but none around me seemed receptive to conversation.

  “Gamal arrived at the station two solar cycles ago, shortly before Molden and I did. We sought assistance rescuing our commander from a prison planet deep within the Meridian. Nikki was our only hope. Gamal arrived the day we did, severely wounded. He told us he’d been in hiding from the Crunan Empire, that he was a lone survivor of the royal Tezan court.” Xan’s voice lowered. “Molden never believed him, said a healer would never have abandoned a dying Tezan royal.”

  “He claimed a child was born of the Tezan royals, a full-blooded newborn who was taken to the Gypsy Nebulae and slipstreamed to safety,” Slade said. “What do you know of this?”

  “There were rumors when the planet fell, but it was a long time ago. We were youths in training back then. It was twenty-three solar cycles ago,” Xan said. “But, it was rumored the king had a lover, a true love from a less-lineaged royal line. He married the true Tezan queen out of duty but maintained his affair with the true love. The daughter is from that union, not the royal one.”

  “And yet no one has looked for this supposed full-blooded royal heir?” Ashan asked.

  A full-blooded heir? A sister?

  No. Wait. No relation at all. She was born of a different mother, the true love of the Tezan king.

  Still more royal than me. More Tezan than me.

  She was the true Summoner, not me.

  “She is no heir, not to the throne, not to the Well. Tezan power came from the Queen’s line, not the king.” Xan flexed his fists. “I will have some people brought forward who may verify what I say, if you wish. But we do not have time to speak of the past when the entire Crunan Skeron fleet may descend on this location any moment. Tell me what your intent is so we can help.”

  “We are taking Snow to Tezan so she may lay claim to the Summoner’s Wells as the true conduit, the Omega.” Varik’s voice boomed within the space with a finality and certainty I didn’t feel.

  “We cannot prove I am the Omega, or even a royal,” I argued.

  “Even Gamal admitted you looked just like the Tezan queen, your mother,” Xan said. “It is the only thing I heard before I left the room.”

  “Tezan is still a great distance away, even if we use the forbidden slipstream,” Nikki said. Zelig’s brows furrowed. “Xan, Molden, and I sealed off the slipstream to Tezan. It shoots straight into Crunan controlled space and was a gaping security issue.”

  Dacian had shown me star maps of the territories so I could understand where we were. I honestly had no clue. We’d started off in Skeron territory, then entered Roteran and were now in a lawless area protected by the Avaru, who controlled a large region of space near here. It was complicated.

  Tezan was on the edges of a section of space Crunan claimed after destroying my mother’s planet. Crunan and Skeron controlled regions far away from there. Queen Vilma intended to use her newly obtained areas on the other side of Avaru and Roteran space to squeeze the two large areas into submission. She’d spent the past twenty-three solar cycles pillaging and destroying the smaller pockets of species between her true quarry and her. By all accounts, she’d succeeded and only Avaru and Rotera remained.

  “Come, if you still wish to contact the Roteran Council, now is the time.” Xan motioned toward the door. “Otherwise, we’d best depart for Tezan.”

  “We?” Slade asked.

  “A few of our vessels will offer escort. We’ll open the slipstream when we are near.”

  “What if the fleet is on the other side, ready to enter?” I asked. “Is that possible? Could they be poised to attack? Can they enter from their side and spew out here?”

  “No. Avaru technology has both sides locked down,” Xan said. “They cannot use the stream.”

  I didn’t understand how my going to Tezan would help. So, what if I was the true conduit, an Omega foretold? I had no empire. No home. No fleet. I had seven Roteran Shadows risking their lives to keep me safe.

  “Let us do both. We will get underway. We will contact the Roteran Council from my vessel.” Zelig put a protective arm around me.

  Awareness tingled through me at the contact. It was one of the first times he’d touched me. I looked up at him, tumbled into the intensity within his golden-flecked gaze.

  “Are you ready, little warrior?”

  Little warrior. I smiled but admitted the truth. “I am not sure.”

  Zelig

  * * *

  Four Avaru attack vessels fanned out alongside Zelig’s ship. He looked around the room at his squadron as Snow fidgeted in her chair. Nervousness struck his aura. The female was frightened, unsure what would unfold when they contacted the Roteran Council. Although he wanted to offer her assurance, he didn’t know what would come either.

  They’d remained out of the war more than twenty solar cycles. Entire civilizations had fallen, millions had died. Rotera could have saved many had they sided with the Avaru and the other civilizations. Zelig hoped it wasn’t too late.

  Nikki Warren sat between Xan and another Avaru, Molden. The two warriors were fiercely protective of the female who reminded Zelig a lot of Snow. Both women wore more weapons than any of the men present. It made the spirits within Zelig proud. His mate was a worthy warrior, one who already proved herself in battle on The Paradox.

  The holo-image rose from the table. A room with seven Roterans sitting atop a large, raised platform fell into view. Their faces appeared as separate images to the side. The Roteran Council.

  Shadow Admiral Zarx stood before them. His voice boomed through the projection. “I stand before you today on behalf of Commander Zelig’s squadron, who has an urgent plea for you to consider.”

  “Go ahead,” one of the councilmen ordered.

  “We have located the Tezan Omega, the rightful conduit for the Summoner’s Well. We are en route to Tezan, but an unforeseen problem has arisen. A Tezan loyal to Queen Vilma and her newly increased fleet have given our coordinates to the Crunan Skeron fleet. They
are inbound and intend to annihilate the Meridian Outpost.”

  “And how is this our concern?”

  “The Meridian Outpost and the Avaru who protect it have long held the line between the Roteran Empire and the Intergalactic War. The time to weigh in and neutralize the enemy is upon us,” Zelig said.

  “And you think you are qualified to make that determination. A lone commander of a Shadow squadron should command the Roteran Empire’s entire fleet?”

  “Someone has to,” Slade said.

  “We have read the reports you provided on the female. While a few of us agree she could be the prophesied Omega, others consider here the byproduct of a Tezan whore impregnated by the Skeron king. Millions like her have already died. Why should we risk our people, our empire, for a slave?” Condescension hung with the voice. Zelig tightened.

  As Shadows, they’d sacrificed the right to a normal life within the Roteran worlds. While he sometimes mourned the loss of a so-called typical Roteran existence, moments like this made him glad he was not under the thumb of the Roteran Council. In many ways, they were no better than Queen Vilma and her Crunan. Oppression dominated within deep space. Entire empires rose by crushing other species.

  Snow stood beside him. Hands fisted, she glared at the projection. Anger seeped from her aura, strong and purer than Roteran steel.

  “This slave would place herself between the Crunan Skeron fleet and your people because my Shadow warriors deem your Roteran world worth salvaging.” Her voice was low, calm despite the rage wafting from her in thick waves.

  Ashan reached for her, but she pushed his hand away.

  “You have no voice here, female. Sit.” The Roteran Councilman waved his hand, as if dismissing a bug.

  Anger distorted Zelig’s vision as he growled. Admiral Zarx shifted restlessly before the council as if sensing the shifting emotions within the Shadow squadron far away from the Roteran worlds.

  “I do not pretend to understand how seven warriors as loyal and worthy as the ones around me came out of a world with such arrogant, pompous leadership, but I assure you I do have a voice in this discussion, a far more important one than yours will ever be.” Snow’s voice rose. Power drifted within the room, thinned the air.