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

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Most injuries occur because someone is moving too quickly or too close to another guest,” Cori said promptly. “Try not to push off of surfaces too quickly, and if you get caught on an obstacle, don’t panic. Calmly reorient yourself and pull away if you can. As for other guests, I would suggest doing your best not to get too close, as the most injuries have occurred when they’ve run into one another.”

  “Right, then. No following Lilith to tease her,” Emily said, sounding a little disappointed as she let out a heavy sigh of regret.

  “Not if you don’t want to hurt me,” Lilith agreed, her lips trying to quirk into a smile, and she couldn’t quite resist the urge.

  “That’s an excellent idea,” Cori said, and led the two of them into the room.

  Once inside, they found themselves surrounded by racks of padded helmets, gloves, vests, shoes, and more. There was also a series of lockers on one side of the room, and Cori pointed at them.

  “Those are for your shoes as well as anything you don’t want to take with you, and you can take the keys, as they specifically designed to not easily injure someone in flight,” the woman explained. “It’s generally recommended that you leave jewelry, purses, or things of that nature behind. We can’t be held liable for the safety of things you drop.”

  “Understandable,” Lilith murmured, nodding slightly, though she hesitated as she thought about her necklace. She didn’t want to leave the ankh behind, which made her debate about different options.

  While Lilith was thinking, Emily pulled off her shoes, sticking them in an empty locker, then put her keys in a tray with her purse before shoving them in as well. Lilith made up her mind and just slipped the necklace inside her shirt before buttoning it up a little further to keep the necklace from escaping easily. Then she followed Emily’s example, though Lilith did have a few more things to put away than she did.

  After that they put on the padding, which was thicker than Lilith had expected it to be, though it didn’t interfere with her movements too much. She checked to see how much it’d let her bend and twist, just to make sure she knew what she could do, then nodded, glancing at Emily.

  “Alright, this seems like it’ll be interesting,” Lilith said, finishing pinning her hair up so the helmet would secure it in place. “Do you have any other advice for us?”

  “Try not to get too tense, and remember that unless you have flight powers, once you push off an object you’re not going to be able to stop easily,” Cori told them, grinning slightly as she added. “The only reason you can stop at all is because of the air jets. If you angle your body right, you can maneuver or even create drag to slow you down or stop. It isn’t easy, though.”

  “Well, that sounds like a challenge!” Emily said, her eyes glittering as she looked at Lilith. “Last one to manage to hold position in mid-air has to buy dinner?”

  “I was going to buy dinner anyway,” Lilith retorted, then grinned. “You’re on, though. I think we’re ready, Cori.”

  “Alright,” the woman said, her smile wider now. “And that’s a far saner contest than I’ve heard some people suggest. Some of the worst injuries have occurred when they were racing.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Emily said, smiling widely at her. “I know better, though. I’ve never tried this, and I don’t want to put my head through any walls.”

  “It wouldn’t be a good look, no,” Lilith said, and nodded to Cori.

  Cori led them out as Emily jabbed her elbow into Lilith’s side, though it didn’t hurt with the padding in place. It took a minute for them to get to the entryway, and Lilith looked down, a bit more intrigued now.

  There was a net below the entrance, one which was above an enormous fan that was covered by a grate. Likely to keep anyone from putting a hand or foot into it, Lilith suspected. She could see other nets on the way up as well, most of them folded against the walls, and she nodded to them.

  “What’s going on with the nets?” Lilith asked.

  “They’re set up so that if we lose power, they extend to catch anyone who was in-flight,” Cori replied immediately. “The gravity-reduction systems have multiple backups, as well as battery backups to be safe, but if all of those fail the nets should ensure the safety of any guests.”

  “Ah, excellent,” Lilith said, though she did wonder how they worked, if they only extended when the building lost power. It didn’t really matter, but she was curious. She glanced at Emily and asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, “Who goes first? You, since I have some flight experience?”

  “Sure!” Emily replied, glancing at Cori as she asked. “Do I just jump in?”

  “I’d suggest stepping inside, since it’ll take a moment for the fan to get you moving.” Cori said.

  Emily nodded, stepping into the shaft, which caused a few stray hairs to go flying upward, and she exclaimed, “Catch me if you can!”

  With that she began to float, then zipped upward, gathering speed over several seconds as she laughed. Lilith watched her go, then raised an eyebrow, murmuring. “I think some of the safety instructions went in one ear and out the other.”

  “Unfortunately, common,” Cori told Lilith, then nodded. “Looks like she’s out of the way, so you should be safe to go. Good flying and have fun!”

  “Thank you,” Lilith told the young woman sincerely, then took a careful step inside the skyrail.

  The first thing Lilith noticed was the blast of air rushing by her face, like she’d stepped over a massive blowdryer, though one that wasn’t blowing hot air. Warm air, but not hot. The second thing that she noticed was how her stomach and… well, no, how everything inside her suddenly shifted upward a bit, as the effects of gravity weakened on her. Lilith wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Not that she had long to contemplate it.

  Lilith lifted off the ground a moment later, and she was suddenly not okay with it, as it felt like she’d lost all sense of control. She resisted the urge to start flailing about to regain control, though, instead breathing in deeply, and focused on what she’d heard worked for controlling flight when in the skyrail, shifting her weight forward to give the air a larger surface to work against.

  Of course, that was when she began to spin instead, and Lilith yelped, careening off a wall as she heard Emily laughing above her. Lilith was very glad she had the padding on.

  “That was fun!” Emily said, practically dancing down the hallway, and Lilith followed, a bit more gingerly. “I thought it’d be a lot harder to get used to than that, but it was amazing!”

  “Whatever you say,” Lilith replied, moving a good deal more gingerly. “It appears that both of our expectations were off the mark, though. It was… startling to me. I don’t think that I care for the skyrail. Interesting to watch, but exceedingly unpleasant to experience.”

  “Why do you say that?” Emily asked, pausing curiously. “I mean, you managed to hold position sooner than I did, even if you didn’t look happy about it.”

  “It was…” Lilith paused, trying to figure out what she’d been feeling, and after a moment she shrugged, continuing. “I felt like I was constantly standing on a tightrope. If I slipped up even slightly, I went completely out of control, and that made me want to panic. No, I didn’t panic, but my stomach feels like it collapsed in on itself. I just was constantly stressed the entire time, and… and that wasn’t enjoyable.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” Emily said, looking at Lilith in dismay. “I thought, well… you were doing so good in there! I guess I shouldn’t have suggested this, then.”

  “I’m not blaming you, Emily. I didn’t know that it was going to have that sort of effect on me until I was in the air,” Lilith quickly assured her, guilt washing over her at dampening Emily’s mood. “I agreed with you about trying it, but it just didn’t quite work out. At least, not the way I expected it to work out.”

  “I… well… okay, if you say so,” Emily said, looking so crestfallen that Lilith winced, her guilt growing even stronger. She really hadn’t wanted to u
pset Emily.

  “Emily, it’s okay,” Lilith told her, hesitating before she laid a hand on the heroine’s shoulder, smiling in a way she hoped was reassuring. “Did you know you’d enjoy that beforehand?”

  “Um, no?” Emily asked, blinking a couple of times as she looked back at Lilith.

  “Then how could we have known how I’d react to it?” Lilith asked, her smile widening.

  “True enough!” Emily replied, a smile returning to her face, which sent a surge of warmth and relief through Lilith. “In that case, what do you want for dinner?”

  “Mm… I’m not sure. Probably something a little lighter since my stomach isn’t quite settled,” Lilith murmured, considering for several seconds, then arched an eyebrow. “Do you know anyplace that does nice salads? The type with chicken strips or the like.”

  “Of course! I know exactly where to go!” Emily exclaimed, and enthusiastically took Lilith’s hand, practically dragging her down the corridor as other mallgoers watched. Lilith chuckled, but let Emily guide her. She wasn’t going to object under these circumstances, and if Emily knew where to go, so much the better.

  Now she just had to hope she could figure out what she wanted.

  Chapter 21

  Tuesday, December 2nd, 2031

  Downtown Paragon City

  “So… is there a particular reason for the restaurant you chose?” Lilith asked, and Gina immediately looked at Rachel. Her friend traitorously avoided her gaze… or at least focused on driving, which Gina had to admit was at least a decent excuse to avoid her gaze. It didn’t explain why Rachel wasn’t talking, though.

  Resigned to being abandoned by Rachel, Gina decided to try to play coy, though she doubted it’d work.

  “Oh? Is there something about it that seems familiar?” Gina asked innocently, and she saw a faint smile play across Rachel’s lips. Definitely a traitor, she decided.

  “Let me think back for a moment… ah, yes. I first met Rachel when I was eating alone at another restaurant in this chain, and it was the second time that you and I met. At least in civilian identities in all cases,” Lilith said, giving Gina a level look from the back seat. “I hardly think that this is an accident, which is why I asked if there was a particular reason for choosing the restaurant.”

  “To be perfectly fair, part of the reason we chose it is that we do like Chinese food, and you seemed to like it. Also, unlike some of the other ones you might have gone to, this one has a few private rooms people can request for some privacy,” Rachel said at last, pulling into a parking spot carefully, then putting the car into park. She turned, craning her neck to look at Lilith since she was directly behind Rachel. “There is another reason, admittedly, but I don’t think you’ll object to it.”

  “And what might that be?” Lilith asked, unbuckling her seatbelt, but she paused when Gina didn’t move to get out, or Rachel for that matter. Gina appreciated it, since her mood had grown a bit sober.

  “It’s sort of… symbolic, really. But we want to show a willingness to start over,” Gina replied nervously, looking down as she fidgeted, taking a deep breath, then admitted. “Our conversation with Daemonia brought a few things into focus, namely how badly we’ve treated you in some ways. You’ve constantly been patient and there for us, yet we’ve been… we haven’t been there for you. I’m really, really sorry about that.”

  “We’re sorry about that,” Rachel said firmly, then paused and sighed, slumping toward the steering wheel. “I know it’s a little late, but… will you forgive us?”

  “Now you’re really being silly,” Lilith replied tartly. “Of course I forgive you! That part was never in doubt, not with how much of an arrogant, sadistic jerk Amber is. She delighted in hurting all of us, so if anyone’s at fault, it’s her.”

  Relief hit Gina like a tidal wave, and she slumped over as the tension she was feeling relaxed significantly, and she could see how Rachel looked like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  “If that’s the case, then—” Gina began, only to cut herself short when Lilith raised a finger to interrupt.

  “I’m forgiving you, yes, but I haven’t decided what I’m going to do going forward where relationships are concerned,” Lilith told her, causing Gina’s stomach to tighten slightly. Lilith’s green eyes were glittering in the dying light of the day, and she smiled slightly more as she continued. “Much like you had things come into perspective, I’ve had time to think and start determining what I want to do. It was so easy to start falling into the trap of doing what everyone else considers ‘appropriate,’ and doing it just because it’s expected. I don’t want to do that, though. I want to have the life that I want. And that means taking my time and thinking about what I want to do when it comes to all of you. I refuse to be unfair to Emily and Tania, or to you two.”

  “I… think that’s fair,” Rachel said, looking at Gina as she smiled wryly. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to get shoved aside just because someone else showed up out of the blue.”

  Gina’s emotions were busy doing acrobatics, as they suffered from the rapid progression from anxiety, to happiness, to worry and a bit of jealousy… but after a few seconds they settled back on relief. Relief that she had a chance, and her confidence began to cautiously return. Sure, she wasn’t happy that others were being given a chance, and Archon was particularly lovely, but Gina couldn’t help the thought that if it came to a competition of personality and appearance, she wouldn’t lose to almost anyone. Besides, she knew Lilith well.

  “Yeah, and if you’re giving us a chance, at least I know that I have time to show you why you should stick with us,” Gina said, finally unbuckling her seatbelt and grinning back at Lilith. “Even if I do think that the scuba date would’ve been more fun than this.”

  “I don’t have the training for that, and I think the odds of someone ambushing us on the trip there are far too high,” Lilith said, smiling as she got out of the car. “There’s been too much of that lately.”

  “We could teleport, you know. And training is something which can be arranged,” Rachel suggested, following them out of the car. Once the doors were shut, the car chirped softly as she locked it. “I know it’s less than fifty miles, which means Gina could get us there easily enough.”

  “A possibility,” Lilith admitted after a moment, looking more thoughtful now. “That would be significantly better than someone taking shots at my car again. I’m getting tired of having to replace my car, it’s annoying. The flying tank is becoming more and more tempting.”

  “What, and make yourself an ideal target for a missile launcher?” Gina teased, prompting Lilith to make a rude noise.

  “I can dream, can’t I?” Lilith asked plaintively.

  “Dreaming is fine, just remember that there are practical constraints sometimes,” Rachel said, smiling a little wider as she nodded toward the building. “Shall we? We’re attracting a bit of attention, and I give it no more than two minutes before we’re mobbed.”

  Gina glanced at the crowds of city-dwellers, some of them in nicer clothing than she was in, all of them looking in their direction. She’d almost forgotten the effect that Lilith had on other people, and she couldn’t help a slight grimace.

  “Being overly optimistic, aren’t you?” Gina asked rhetorically. “Let’s go. I’d rather not have to teleport us inside to get away from them.”

  Lilith simply laughed and started to walk, her pace carefully measured to not quite outpace Gina or Rachel, and Gina quickly followed her.

  “I think you two need to relax slightly,” Lilith said, shrugging. “This is normal. So… I’m planning to have the bulgogi steak. What about you?”

  “Wait, bulgogi?” Gina asked, the comment distracting her. “Isn’t that Korean, not Chinese?”

  “It’s on the menu,” Lilith replied mildly. “I don’t question what food they choose to put there, and it looked good to me.”

  “Yes, well… I didn’t check the menu, so I’ll decide once I’ve had a cha
nce to look at it,” Rachel interjected, glancing at Gina in amusement as she added, “I just hope that they haven’t taken mongolian beef off the menu, or we may be in for an open rebellion.”

  “They wouldn’t!” Gina protested, her eyes going huge as horror descended on her. “That’s half the reason I wanted to come here!”

  Lilith laughed as Gina sped up, making a beeline for a board with the menu just outside the doors. If the mongolian beef was gone, she was going to be so frustrated.

  Fortunately for all of them, she found it in a couple of seconds, and Gina relaxed slightly. It seemed that she wouldn’t be tempted to become a supervillain after all.

  Chapter 22

  Thursday, December 4th, 2031

  Arrogance, Low Earth Orbit

  “Mistress, I have localized a Destruction Corps attack force approaching New York City,” Circe reported. “They are led by a previously-unknown class of battleship. It is currently undetected by the defenders.”

  “Truly? Is the battleship a threat?” Amber asked curiously, prompting a snort from one of her clones.

  “Maybe to the other tub toys,” the clone said, prompting Amber to flip her off. Even if she agreed with the sentiment.

  “It appears to be utilizing some form of energy armament, which means that it could potentially strike orbital targets. I cannot say whether it would have the precision tracking to be a threat to one of your vessels, or how much energy might bleed off due to the atmosphere,” Circe replied immediately. “The only ship within range for it to potentially engage, or able to engage it, is A Bigger Hammer.”

  “Ah, I understand,” Amber murmured, debating for a moment, then shrugged. “Keep track of them, I want to see what they’re doing before I decide what to do… though it is tempting to use the ship for target practice. In the meantime, send Lilith my message.”