Blood Double

by Connie Suttle

  "It doesn't matter; she's not a Q'elindi, I'm certain of it. She has strong mind-reading ability or something. Perhaps some empathic talent as well. A Q'elindi would not stand there and cower as this one does. And she wears no veil. All the Q'elindis wore veils unless they wanted to read someone. Otherwise, the gift was too painful to baldly face everyone like that," Wylend Arden was certain in his judgment.

  I didn't point out that he'd made some very great mistakes in his past, along with a stumblingly terrible misjudgment that cost him love. Briefly, I thought about telling him it would take centuries before anyone would come to love him. I didn't.

  "I'm sure you know best," I said and turned to Erland. "I'd like to go back to Le-Ath Veronis now."

  "Are you sure you don't want a meal first?" he asked. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to say please give me decent food—vegetarian food—that tasted good and nourished me. I didn't. Shaking my head, I carefully examined the Queen's shoes that covered my feet. I wanted to get away from Wylend Arden and his only son as quickly as possible. Sighing deeply, Erland Morphis transported me home.

  * * *

  "I know you had your hopes up, but there's little chance she has any Karathian blood. You know as well as I that our warlocks never visit Earth. It holds no appeal," Wylend accepted a glass of wine from a servant.

  "I can't read her," Griffin shrugged. "But there's little chance she's anything other than a talented empath."

  "It would have been so useful to have a Q'elindi in my court," Rylend murmured. "Still, I may borrow her from time to time; Teeg has already benefitted from her talent."

  "Then do that. Borrow her. There's no need to support her in any way, after all. She's a new vampire and not allowed to take money for her services. A true Q'elindi always came at a great price."

  * * *

  "Boss?" Trajan stared at Ashe as Ashe studied his surroundings. "Why are we here?" Trajan continued.

  "We have to put up a shield, but we have to make it so it's not apparent," Ashe murmured. "Nobody here can fold in and out, so that's a blessing. We'll have to do damage control, though, if anybody who can fold space tries to get onto the planet."

  "You think Harifa Edus will be attacked." Trajan sighed as he studied the open field surrounding them. A forest lay in the distance, and Trajan knew it held deer and game in plenty, and was a favorite hunting ground on any full moon.

  "I don't think, Traje. I know."

  "Then we have to do it," Trajan nodded. "How close will they have to get before they know it's shielded?"

  "Very close. This is delicate business, and I can't leave any evidence behind that I was here."

  "Then let's get to it. How long will this take?"

  "About ten days. At the least. I have to build this, layer by layer, and make it look like somebody else had a hand in building it."

  "Subtle. I like it."

  "Yeah. Me, too." Ashe flashed a wide grin in Trajan's direction. "It'll be worth it, too. Too bad I won't get to see their faces—if they have a face, that is, when it's discovered."

  "Boss, I think you just scared holy heck out of me."

  "I hope it scares holy heck out of the one or ones looking to destroy it."

  "I guess we can't help the others, can we?"

  "No. It's a punch in the gut, but this is the best we can do."

  "Gotcha." Trajan hunched his shoulders and stared at the grass beneath his feet.

  Chapter 7

  Breanne's Journal

  "Don't take it as an insult," Erland Morphis said as he dropped me off outside the Queen's suite. "It was only a guess on my part."

  "Don't worry, I've dealt with worse disappointments," I informed him. "I know the intent behind his words."

  "If you don't mind my asking, what was the intent?"

  "Are you sure you want to know?"

  "I've taken some blows in my life. I hope I can handle it."

  "He didn't know. He has little knowledge and is afraid to show ignorance."

  "I know that about him—I've known him all my life," Erland nodded. "He hates to show any weakness."

  "Yeah. I expect you do know that," I nodded. "And we won't go into how that cost him the love of his life, or how Griffin's agreement with his father cost him his son."

  "You saw all that, in such a short amount of time?" Erland blinked in astonishment.

  "It's like speed-reading. Have you ever read a physical book, with pages?"

  "Yes. I'm more than six thousand years old."

  "True. Well, imagine that each person I see is a book, and that someone is flipping the pages—as fast as they can be flipped, so the book can be read. I can read that book faster than any pages can be flipped. It's a curse." I turned toward the Queen's door. "The Queen trusts you," I said, my back turned to Erland. "More than she trusts anyone. She knows you'll listen without passing judgment."

  "How can you know that? You haven't met her."

  "I've seen high resolution photographs of the Queen. Sometimes I can read those, just as easily as the real person. And I can read high definition images on a vid-screen or a comp-vid. It isn't hard. Goodnight, Lord Morphis."

  "That's a little frightening, that talent you have, Breanne. Do you have a last name?"

  "I don't have a true last name. My adopted name was Hayworth. I hated it."

  "Then I'll stay with Breanne."

  "Thank you."

  "Good night, then."

  "Good night, Lord Morphis."

  * * *

  Breanne's Journal

  Cheedas caught me in the kitchen, filching blood substitute. I walked past him, my arms filled with bottles and refused to look at his face as he glared. He was vampire. I was vampire. It might be interesting to see if I might stuff him in the garbage chute before he could get away from me. I almost snickered as I stalked away from him.

  My snicker cost me later, but it was worth it at the moment.

  * * *

  "Get up." I thought Gavin would toss me out of bed before I had time to open my eyes. I wanted to ask if his sire had treated him so badly. I didn't. I'd heard rumors that Aurelius was a sire's sire, and everyone trusted him. Surely he hadn't raised Gavin to be so cruel.

  "You'll be inspecting the desalination plant offshore today. Try not to fuck it up." A field trip was planned to consume my day. I did my best to dress appropriately.

  * * *

  "Is this plant large enough to handle the demand?" I asked the manager later. "For Casino City?"

  "We supply Casino City, but we often have problems with the pipes going to the other cities. Those have to be repaired constantly. Some of them haven't been replaced since they were laid," the manager was almost shouting to be heard over the din of whining machinery. "Casino City didn't exist in the beginning, so this plant could handle everything. Then Casino City was built, and the demand kept growing. We can barely keep up."

  I had a comp-vid in my hand, tapping in information and researching other items. Gavin stood by, being his usual, surly self. I wanted to smack him. That wouldn't do. "What about the plant that supplies the light side—what about it?" I asked.

  "They have an easier job there—the city is smaller and they get fewer visitors."

  "What would it take to run water two hundred miles from there—do you think they could supply Sun City and Casino City too?"

  "Easily," the manager nodded as we bent over water usage tables on my comp-vid.

  "Then we'll see about running extra pipe, that way you can concentrate on replacing pipes and worn-out machinery," I said. I knew the comesuli farms got water from snowmelt in the northern mountains of Le-Ath Veronis—their water supply wasn't brought from the ocean. I could tap into the newly developed rainy-day fund, too, to accomplish the needed repairs.

  "My Queen, as always, you are working for your people," the manager bowed and smiled.

  "Thank you," I nodded to him, mentally making a note to pass that message along to the real Queen. Whenever she decided to make an app
earance, that is.

  "We must go," Gavin said, pulling me away. The employees waved and smiled at me as we walked out of the facility and loaded into the hovercar waiting on the pad. I settled into the back seat, Gavin opposite me. He was angry. It wasn't necessary to tell me why he was angry, but he felt compelled to do so anyway, while the driver lifted the car off the pad and flew us toward Lissia.

  "You will never be the Queen," Gavin hissed between clenched teeth, his normally dark eyes turning blood-red. It wouldn't do a bit of good to remind him that I had no choice but to do as I was told. Someone else had made my face look like Lissa's. Someone else—usually Gavin—was parading me about as the Queen. I wanted to tell him where he could stuff it. I didn't.

  When we arrived, we were greeted by Teeg San Gerxon and Stellan's older brother, Astralan. Campiaa was on my schedule for the rest of the day. Joy.

  * * *

  "He's worse if Reah's gone," Celestan confided as I watched Teeg pace inside his study. "I have to pass messages from Stell, since Gavin says he can't communicate with you," he added, offering a quick grin. "Stell says if you need something, to let me or G know."

  "G?"

  "Galaxsan. It's simpler to call him G."

  "I see."

  "Need anything? Food? Something to drink?"

  "Both would be nice."

  Celestan must have sent mindspeech. Before long a tray of food came, all of it vegetarian. Teeg didn't say anything as I sat down and lifted a fork, but I ate as he showed me vid image after vid image of faces, all of whom he suspected of conspiracy. Most were petty criminals of some kind. Three had contacts on Theele and were certainly involved in the conspiracy to kill Ferdik and Teeg.

  "Their main goal was to kill you," I said, sipping the fruit punch I'd been served. "And there's some sort of obsession there, just as there was with Eddle Cree. They didn't have contact with Eddle, but they knew of him," I said. "This means that plans for your assassination may have been connected to the plans to kill Ildevar Wyyld. Has anyone notified him, yet?"

  "Norian has someone on Wyyld, and they've been instructed to beef up security for the Founder of the Reth Alliance."

  "I think you should check on that yourself," I said. "I don't trust anyone in this."

  "Norian trusts his people."

  I'd had contact with the fists of one of those people whom Norian Keef trusted, and I questioned his judgment. I didn't say anything to Teeg, however. He could believe that lie if he wanted. Too many people around me were more than willing to believe lies when the truth not only stood in front of them, it was frantically waving its arms, trying to get their attention.

  It was very late before I'd gone through all the images Teeg presented. Astralan transported me to Le-Ath Veronis after I'd finished. That's when I found the extent of Cheedas' perfidy—blood substitute had been dumped all over the rug, the bedding and puddled on the tiles of the bathroom floor. I learned the blood-red concoction didn't come out of white carpet easily, either. And then, when I attempted to wash the bedding, I found the door to the kitchen laundry locked against me.

  Could I have broken the lock? Perhaps. But they'd done this specifically to keep me out. I would have to find another way to wash clothing, and I still had no bedding on the bed.

  Leaving the sheets by the door for them to find the next morning, I went in search of the linen closet. Hauling sheets, pillowcases and a fresh blanket off shelves, I checked to see if the linen closet had locks on the doors. It didn't. Would they deliberately install locks so I couldn't have clean bedding? I would wait to see.

  * * *

  Belen of the Nameless Ones had come to Harifa Edus. It lay in the path of swirling death, and he was unsure how to protect the planet. He felt the shields immediately, however, and had he been corporeal, he'd have nodded his approval at the elaborate construction.

  Not many might realize how intricately the multitude of shields had been woven together, and neither he nor any of the others might get past them. The Mighty Hand had accomplished this, and to most outsiders unused to his work, they would think it a collaboration between many of the powerful instead of one of the Three.

  Belen considered sending his appreciation to the Mighty Hand, when the power made its presence known and trapped him before he could devise an escape.

  * * *

  "Her eyes are the same?" Kalenegar, whom no Larentii had seen for millennia studied Pheligar, who worked as Archivist and Liaison to the Saa Thalarr. Kalenegar's eyes had been cobalt blue from birth, and that differed from the bright, sky-blue eye color of any other Larentii.

  His hair, too, had always been a deep red. While any Larentii could change his hair color if he chose, none did so unless they disguised themselves. Kalenegar had always kept his appearance the same. He also stood out, but that was to be expected. What the five Wise Ones could do together, Kalenegar could do alone.

  "Yes. I was much surprised to see it," Pheligar admitted. "And she displays many of the talents, Vhirilaszh."

  "I will see this for myself, then, very soon. I know the Vhanaraszh has been foretold, but I did not expect her now."

  "Do they ever come when you expect them?" Ferrigar, Kalenegar's father, interrupted.

  "Father, I have little time and less patience for teaching. If she is the Vhanaraszh, it is my hope that she will already know much. This way I can give only a minimum of instruction. She can operate on her own afterward. If she had been born Larentii, I would have no need to teach." Kalenegar handed his father a hard stare.

  "My child, I did not realize how much my curse might affect the race. Once it was pronounced, I learned I could not reverse it. Things are coming around, now, but we still have few females. It is no surprise that the Vhanaraszh was born to another race."

  "My sister is dead because of your anger, Father, and my brother likely separated his particles because of your indifference."

  "Child, did you come here to learn of the Vhanaraszh or to torture me?"

  "A bit of both, Father. I will be the judge of this woman—I will decide whether she is the Vhanaraszh."

  "Will you let me or Pheligar know?"

  "I will let the Liaison know. Good-bye, Father." Kalenegar folded away.

  * * *

  "Increase security around Deonus Wyyld's palace," Norian Keef paced inside his palace study. "I have informed the Founder, but it never hurts to watch his back carefully," Norian added.

  Skel Hawer, who'd had his name and credentials changed to Shel Kawn, sat inside Norian's opulent study. As Ildevar Wyyld's heir, Norian was accorded finer rooms at Ildevar's palace. "I understand, Director," Skel nodded. "The security teams will be briefed and personnel increased to protect Deonus Wyyld."

  "See to it—I'm depending on you to protect his life," Norian sighed. "Meanwhile, I must travel to Campiaa and speak with Teeg San Gerxon regarding the threat to his life. If there's a conspiracy here, I want to kill it before it has time to take root."

  "Of course, Director," Skel agreed.

  * * *

  "My love, he will never suspect," Skel gloated. "I am glad now that you did not inform me of your plans before. I passed the detection tests with no trouble, and that fool, Norian Keef, has now placed me in charge of Wyyld's security. It could not have been better orchestrated."

  "It was difficult, fooling you for such a short time, my darling, but it was time my double dropped away—it works to our advantage that all believe me dead. Rathik took pleasure in destroying my pretender, did he not? His nose told him all along that she was not me, and he informed me on many occasions that he hated that she wore my face." Erithia Cordan smiled at Skel's image on her comp-vid.

  "I believe he did take a great deal of pleasure from the act," Skel agreed.

  "Is he safe, my darling?" Erithia asked.

  "Yes. We've managed to place him outside both Alliances, and he is comfortable. I will bring him in when the time comes to destroy Ildevar Wyyld."

  "As I'd hoped," Erithia smiled
prettily at Skel. "I wish you were with me, now. What fun we might have. Instead, I must meet with those I have here, and devise a plan to kill the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis. It is a terrible shame that we were thwarted in our first attempt to take Teeg San Gerxon."

  "We will have other opportunities, my love, do not fret," Skel reassured Erithia. "I believe Rathik may be working on those plans with those who are with him."

  "I am saddened that Nall is hunted, now. Theele was the perfect place for him to launch an assassination attempt. I know not how he was discovered. There is not a more discreet plotter in either Alliance."

  "Nall has been relocated and is now working with Rathik, my dearest. Do not fear."

  "I rely so much on you; please assure me you are not tiring yourself."

  "Erithia, do not concern yourself, I am fine," Skel replied. "All will be well. When we finish with our plot, both Alliances will be in our grasp while Karathia and Kifirin become isolated worlds. Neither will come after us—they have survived in isolation in the past and we have no need of them, anyway. All will be as you desire, love." Skel nodded to Erithia and terminated the communication.

  "Of course it will be as I desire," Erithia hissed when the screen went blank.

  * * *

  Breanne's Journal

  An entire week went by, while Gavin divided my time between Council meetings and handing me off to Teeg, who forced me to either look through images of suspects on a comp-vid or kept me by his side while he met with this ambassador or that president or despot. It seemed the Campiaan Alliance had more despots than the Reth Alliance, but I wasn't about to point that out to Teeg.

  Sadly, too, he kept Stellan away from me, just as his asshole father ordered. Neither Teeg nor Gavin were real, stand-up guys to me—they were heavily into punishment if somebody didn't do exactly as they wanted. Honestly, I had no idea how Lissa put up with either of them—I would have banged them on the head with a skillet and then claimed amnesia later.

  Even my off-days were taken up, thanks to Teeg San Gerxon and the Council, and I was falling farther and farther behind on the requests coming in from the comesuli. I got little sleep as a result, and was more than thankful that Flavio put in a standing order for coffee during every Council meeting. The kitchen staff was afraid to sabotage it since a high-ranking Council member placed the order, but they served it to me with anger in their eyes. While that might not concern most people, it concerned me a great deal.