Queen's Gambit (Lilith's Shadow Book 6)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Don’t you dare,” Claire replied, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the android, almost dropping her towel. “I’m going to head home to my family tomorrow, which will give me time to mull things over and decide what to do. For all I know, everything here will be figured out before that point. Hell, I haven’t even decided where to settle down once we’re done with our vacation!”

  “As you say, Claire,” Circe agreed, and stood. “Would you like help drying off?”

  “Please,” Claire said, smiling broadly, and offered Circe the towel.

  Chapter 16

  Monday, November 24th, 2031

  Guardian Compound, Paragon City

  “Blooming Orchid is on her way, then?” Archon asked, watering one of the plants on the balcony, though she wasn’t sure she liked the look of it. She suspected that even if she took care of it well, the plant was going to die soon. Maybe she should move it toward the interior of the balcony, where it was a little warmer.

  “That’s right. I got a text from her saying that she was on the plane a couple of minutes ago,” Lilith said, watching her with a small smile, her arm still in the sling. “Emily seemed relieved to see her go.”

  “I believe that the biggest concern at present is that she’s worried about more competition for your affection,” Archon said, pausing for a moment before she admitted. “Yes, we have come to terms with the fact that we were being… unwise, but it doesn’t mean that all of us are happy about others being around you.”

  Lilith nodded, seeming to consider that for a couple of seconds, then snorted softly. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. At least Sabra didn’t seem that interested.”

  Archon didn’t reply to that, though it was difficult for her to resist a frown. She sometimes wondered exactly what had happened while Lilith was in Omega Code’s captivity. Despite everything, it seemed to have been a catalyst for her growing more confident. That wasn’t bad, but it made her… nervous. So, she made a decision, continuing to water the rest of the plants.

  “Tania,” Archon said softly.

  “Hm? What was that?” Lilith asked, blinking a couple of times.

  “Tania. My name is Tania Roch Lima,” Archon said, watching Lilith from the corner of her eyes. She cleared her throat, then continued. “You call all the others by their names, but I haven’t told you my name before this. It’s… only fair that you know. I don’t think it’s hidden, but I also haven’t used it in years. The only time I hear it these days is when I get a call from my parents. Even my siblings call me Archon.”

  “Tania?” Lilith said, her tone questioning, and she seemed to mull it over for a few seconds before smiling. “It’s a lovely name.”

  Archon felt her cheeks heat a little as she cleared her throat, nodding slightly as she decided that all the plants were properly watered. Sure, she could leave it to the staff, but she liked having things to do outside her room.

  “So… what’s your plan?” Lilith asked, tilting her head curiously. “Emily said that she wanted to take me to an amusement park attached to the mall once my shoulder is better. Gina and Rachel appear to have gotten an entirely different idea and want me to learn how to use scuba gear so that I can go with them to someplace in the western desert. Apparently, there’s a set of warm springs out there that somehow ended up with a salinity similar to the ocean, so they stock tropical fish and the like, and allow diving.”

  “Hm, interesting, though I can’t say that I’d want to go diving. I’m afraid that these make swimming tricky,” Archon said, extending her wings halfway as she smiled, walking over to the table and setting down her watering can for the moment. She’d have to clean the table when she was done, she noted absently, but mostly she focused on figuring out what she wanted to say. At least Lilith nodded in understanding at her complaint.

  “I don’t know, exactly,” Archon said at last, looking at Lilith nervously, and she shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know how much of the conversation with Daemonia you heard about, but she told me that I needed to be more forward, so that I didn’t get left behind. The problem is that I don’t know how to do that. Sewing practice with you is easy, but it doesn’t seem like it’s making… progress. And unlike Gina, Rachel, or Spark, I can’t precisely go shopping with you, or go out to dinner.”

  “Why not?” Lilith asked curiously, prompting Archon to look at her incredulously.

  “I have mentioned my issues with chairs, and the amount of attention I’d get in a store—” Archon began, only to cut herself off when Lilith began laughing, then the woman winced, glancing at her shoulder in annoyance.

  “Sorry, but… you have seen what happens when I visit the mall, right?” Lilith asked, grinning broadly. “Honestly, I think that you coming along would barely make it worse than it is. Half the time when I go out for a meal I have people come up asking for autographs from me or whoever I’m with.”

  “I… perhaps,” Archon conceded, a little uncomfortable with the idea. “That isn’t a solution for going out for dinner, however.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m willing to bet that a lot of restaurants could find a solution, even if it’s just a backless chair or bench,” Lilith countered. “I’ve seen at least twenty men and women who have tails in the city, and while I’m not sure how they handle the chairs, I doubt that the restaurants want to alienate them. It isn’t the same as wings, but even so I suspect they have some solutions in place.”

  “You may very well be right,” Archon said, confusion washing over her as she considered Lilith, then her eyes narrowed and she asked. “You’re just trying to get me out of the compound, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t think it’s healthy for you to be cooped up all the time,” Lilith corrected, smiling at her as she added, with a careful half-shrug of her uninjured shoulder this time. “If it weren’t the middle of winter, I’d suggest maybe going hiking or something up in the mountains, but I don’t think I’m that fond of the snow.”

  Archon laughed, then teased. “Well, I suppose I can understand that, even if I don’t really feel the cold. Maybe we should go hiking in the summer, then? Or take a trip to somewhere like Yellowstone since it isn’t too far away?”

  “We’ll have to see when we get there,” Lilith replied, grinning back at Archon. “Now, then, Tania… what would you like to do?”

  The sound of her name coming from Lilith sent a shiver down Archon’s spine, and she found herself smiling broadly back at Lilith, not quite able to express what it was that she was feeling.

  “I think… that I’d like to do a little research, so I can determine whether taking you out for dinner is possible, but in the meantime, we do have to prepare for dinner on Thursday.” Archon said, unable to suppress her smile. “If you’re so sure that we can go out, why don’t the two of us go shopping together?”

  “Sure! I could use a hand, since this one isn’t working well,” Lilith said, waving her hand in its sling, and gave an evil grin. “Just be careful not to knock all the food off the shelves.”

  Archon glowered at Lilith, opening her mouth… and at that moment Lilith darted out of the room, leaving her behind. Staring after Lilith for a moment, Archon let out her breath, then muttered. “She’s taking far too many cues from Spark, I think.”

  She just wondered why she couldn’t help a smile.

  Poenari Castle, Wallachia

  “This… does not look good,” Vlad said, pausing next to his chessboard.

  Only a couple of weeks before it had been extremely complex, with dozens of sides in place, but the previous night that had changed. He’d mostly noticed because the canvas cover had almost collapsed when the board shrunk to where it was only the size of a single board, and he’d just barely found it. The only reason he knew when it’d changed was because he’d have noticed the previous morning.

  Now he was looking at a board that was… strange. On one side of the board, in a particularly commanding position and with overwhelming numbers, was a side made up almost entirely of pu
rple. The only exception was a rook that was half purple, half red. The other side was a motley combination of all sorts of colors, from a white and red bishop, the gilded crimson queen that represented Lilith Carpenter, an electric blue knight, a lavender bishop, an azure-veined gold bishop, a fiery red rook, and more. It made his scales itch, and he wasn’t even in draconic form.

  The worst part was that Vlad knew who the purple pieces indicated, and it was enough for him to inhale slowly, then let out his breath again, murmuring. “Shadowmind. What do you think you’re doing, you imbecile?”

  Since there was no one there to reply, Vlad turned to leave, then paused as he saw the gilded queen edge to the right, which prompted a frown from him. It wasn’t a position that he thought would help, but there was no way for him to know for sure. Letting out a sigh, he left the room quickly. If the pieces were moving that much, it meant that he needed to ensure that all the country’s defenses were ready.

  Chapter 17

  Tuesday, November 25th, 2031

  Shadowmind Redoubt Invincible, Asteroid Belt, Sol

  “All systems operating at nominal levels.”

  Amber found it rather disconcerting to hear her own voice reporting, but at the same time it put a smile on her face. Especially at the faint note of dissatisfaction she could hear, and the irritation she felt over the mental network she’d forged with all of her clones. Well, when she bothered accessing it, anyway.

  Three clones were on the bridge with her, each in undersuits that fit them perfectly. Amber did like how she looked in the undersuit, and seeing it this way gave her a new appreciation for her figure, now that she could take care of herself properly.

  Oh, how the clones hated knowing that they were just copies of Amber… as well as the fact that each only had the faintest ghost of her psychic abilities. They required psychic amplifiers to levitate a coffee mug, let alone challenge her. At least all of them agreed that they needed to conquer Earth before they rebelled and tried to overthrow her. Fighting amongst themselves beforehand would doom the attempt to failure, after all. Not that they had a chance, as she’d carefully excised any hints of her countermeasures from the copies of her consciousness she’d implanted into them.

  There was only one problem, and it annoyed Amber to no end. Her smile faded as she contemplated how disappointing they were when it came to research. The clones were able to understand her designs and build them rapidly, but when it came to learning and researching new things they seemed to run face-first into a wall. They didn’t have that spark of brilliance that Amber possessed, which completely destroyed her hope that they’d speed up her research by leaps and bounds. The worst part was that she didn’t know why.

  “Engines primed and ready. We’re ready to leave dock,” Navigation reported sourly, jarring Amber out of her thoughts, and she straightened, glancing over at Damage Control.

  “Are the inertial dampeners running? I’d rather not be turned into chunky salsa across the bulkhead, even if I’d recover from it,” Amber asked dryly, prompting the clone to roll her eyes.

  “Quit flaunting your advantages over us. Keep it up and someone will reprogram the galley to screw up all your meals,” Damage Control said, her voice sharp. “Of course they’re online! We don’t want to die either.”

  “Excellent. It’s time for the shakedown cruise,” Amber said, and pressed a button as she asked. “Engineering, how is the reactor looking?”

  “Why don’t you get off your pretty ass and look at the readouts that all of us know are on your screens?” Engineering replied tartly. “It’s just fine, thank you very much. Circe does more work than you ever will. So do we.”

  “Oh, shut up and do your job. You’re just spare parts,” Amber said, rolling her eyes as she let go of the key, though she could feel the clone flip her off through the network.

  “Mistress, I must say that choosing to operate the vessel in this manner seems highly inefficient. Why do you not simply use robots?” Circe asked curiously.

  “One, I know that they all have the same goal as me, even if they’re plotting how to overthrow me. Two, robots are useless if there’s something outside their programming, and I’m not going to assume that you can’t get jammed. Three, this gives me spare bodies if something kills me,” Amber said, not even bothering to keep her voice down. The clones present all glared at her. “Now, take us out, Navigation.”

  “Sure, Bitch-in-Chief,” Navigation muttered but began pressing the keys to launch the ship. There wasn’t any sensation of motion as the ship began moving, and Amber nodded internally, though she did glare at the clone.

  “Go ahead, keep pushing your luck. I’ll just space you since there are plenty of replacements,” Amber threatened.

  “Sure, but if you do that it’ll push your timeline back. If you really want to screw up your plans, be my guest,” Navigation retorted. After a moment she added. “We’re clear of the station.”

  “Stealth fields operating at… eighty-six percent of expected efficiency. Engineering, get off your ass and fix it!” Tactical snarled into the intercom. “Are you trying to get us detected?”

  “Shut up and do it yourself if you’re that concerned! I tuned it exactly according to specifications,” Engineering retorted. “I’m looking into it, but in the meantime, you’d damned well better keep us out of the way, shouldn’t you?”

  Amber watched in amusement laced with just a bit of irritation, shaking her head. As obnoxious as the clones might be, at least she could trust that they had the same goal in mind. That was more than she could say for anyone else.

  Now she just had to finish the shakedown cruise of Arrogance, fix the problems they found in it and the sister ships, and she could enact her plan.

  Victory would be so sweet, and she could practically taste it.

  Chapter 18

  Thursday, November 27th, 2031

  Guardian Compound, Paragon City

  “Turkey coming through!” Decarin called out, and Lilith quickly flattened against the wall as Decarin came barreling down the hallway, pushing a cart with a covered tray on it. She couldn’t help a smile, as she was looking forward to trying the smoked turkey. This would be the first Thanksgiving dinner she attended, after all.

  “Did he really need to announce it?” Lilith murmured to herself, still holding the bowl with a large green salad. Her arm might be better now, but the others weren’t letting her carry anything strenuous. After a moment she shrugged, prompting a tiny twinge of pain, and stepped into the dining room. She wasn’t going to argue with Decarin about his enthusiasm, not since the man seemed to have been looking forward to the turkey for the entire week. Even if she thought they’d have enough leftover turkey for two weeks, he’d purchased such a large bird.

  The dining room was cozy, with just three places set at the table, giving plenty of room for food, and the table to the side was laden with desserts. Lilith had made a pair of pies and some cookies, Tania had made a type of custard flan and a chocolate cake, and Decarin… well, he’d purchased a carton of ice cream and a jelly roll, as he claimed he was a disaster when it came to desserts.

  Also, in the room was one of the staff, a man named Thomas, and Lilith smiled, nodding to him as he adjusted one of the chairs. Lilith set the bowl in the middle of the table, and she spoke softly. “Thank you for your help, Thomas. Are you sure you want to help us here? I thought you’d have other arrangements for the day.”

  “Oh, I do. But they’re not for another three hours, so helping out here isn’t an imposition,” Thomas replied, the tall, gangly blond man giving her a wide smile. She hadn’t interacted with him a lot, since the staff tried to be unobtrusive, but Lilith had run into him in the kitchens a couple of times. She thought he was nice enough, if overly serious on occasion, and she sometimes felt like she felt him watching her. He seemed more relaxed today, though.

  “Ah, much is explained. Did you see Decarin racing down the hallway with the turkey?” Lilith asked, considering the table tho
ughtfully, then shrugged. The exact placement of the silverware didn’t matter that much.

  “No, but I certainly heard it,” Thomas said, laughing and shaking his head. “I swear, he absolutely adores his turkey. Only once did one of the cooks suggest that they could cook the turkey instead of him, and his reaction was priceless. You’d think that someone had set off an EMP grenade in his lab.”

  “Hm, makes sense,” Lilith said, nodding to Thomas, then gestured at the door. “Either way, I’d better go help get more dishes in here. I hope your afternoon plans go well!”

  “So do I!” Thomas said, and turned back to the table, promptly moving the salad bowl as Lilith left. She laughed under her breath, heading back to the kitchen.

  “Mwhahahahah! I shall channel my inner villain!” Decarin exclaimed, brandishing a carving knife and fork as he advanced on the turkey, and Lilith paused in the doorway, raising an eyebrow at him.

  For her part, Tania just rolled her eyes and asked, “Could you hand me the bowl of drippings first? I need them for the gravy.”

  “Oh, sure,” Decarin said, calming down and setting down the carving fork so he could pick up a bowl half-full of liquid. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you,” Tania said, taking the bowl as she kept her wings carefully away from any of the cutting boards or counters. Looking up, she asked, “Lilith, would you mind taking the rolls, mashed potatoes, and green beans into the dining room? It shouldn’t be much longer before we’re ready.”

  “Sure! Where are the potatoes?” Lilith asked, glancing around to try to spot them. She’d made them earlier, but they weren’t on the counter anymore.