by Ciara Knight
A vent clanked then opened. At the sight of Bendar’s tiny feet dangling from the ventilation shaft, a true smile broke free and I felt some of my tension recede. My surrogate father always seemed to know when I truly needed him.
With a push off the shaft’s rim, he dropped onto the bed and sat beside me. His arms wrapped around me, one hand stroking my hair while the other patted my back. “Okay?”
I couldn’t speak. What if I lose control and my tears start flowing? They might never stop.
No. I was warrior, a leader, not a weak child. If I wept, it would be for my comrades and loved ones. Not out of self-pity.
Shame filled me at my sniffle. “I’ll be fine, Bendar. I just need to remember who I am and who I can trust.”
“Reunion not go well?” Bendar asked.
“As well as can be expected, given his only interest in me is as part of the Triune. He’s General Harrison Bellator, leader of the Neumarian Rebellion, not my father.”
Bendar pulled back and cupped my face. “Loves you. Know does. Hurts.”
“Have you talked to him, seen how cold and distant he is? If not, prepare yourself. Because I’m right. But it’s okay, because once Ryder, Raeth and I win this war, we’ll create our own Resort Territory.”
At his frown, I chuckled. “Yes, I know there’s no Resort Territory. It was an implanted memory you created. But that doesn’t mean we can’t create one for ourselves. I know I was angry when you told me the truth, but thank you for those beautiful memories. They were my escape from the queen’s brutality and kept me sane.”
He released me. “Good. Was worried.”
“Tell me everything. How are Dred and Raeth?”
“Good. Weak. Need time.”
I motioned to my surroundings and snorted. “Well, it looks like time is one thing I have a lot of. I’m not sure how long they’ll keep me here, maybe until they need my gifts.”
“No. Father—”
“Doesn’t matter. Our friends back in the Mining Territory do. They’re relying on us to end the war and free them. If we don’t have a plan in place, get organized, and have allies at the ready, we won’t succeed.”
“Good. Once you—”
Hearing an uproar outside my cell, a thread of unease wove through me.
Please don’t let it be Ryder. The man’s idea of protecting me might land him in the next cell.
With a nod, I shoved off the bed and stood as Bendar jumped, catching the metal rim of the vent. Before he could haul himself inside and escape, the door hit the wall, startling him. He lost his grip, hit the mattress, and bounced.
It wasn’t Ryder, but Father. No, not Father. Harrison.
The tall autocrat eyed the vent then Bendar sprawled on the bed. “Still sneaking about, I see.”
I moved in front of Bendar, blocking Harrison’s view of him. “Nothing will ever keep him from me. He’s a great and loving father,” I said tonelessly.
“Semara!” Bendar hissed.
“Don’t worry, Bendar. I’m not upset with you or Semara.” He focused his glacial gaze on me. “However, that young man of yours—”
“His name’s Ryder Arteres.” At the mention of Ryder’s last name, Harrison started. “Queen Mandesa murdered his parents. I believe you knew them. She enslaved both Raeth and Ryder, but they accomplished what you never did, never even tried. They freed me and saved me from certain death.”
The only indication my words affected him was the rise and fall of a lump in his throat.
“I need your help. Ryder’s used his gift. At present, three guards are ill. He’ll take out all of them if he doesn’t see you within five minutes. Let’s go.”
I didn’t move. That was Ryder. He wanted me free, so he threatened to drain the Neumarian rebellion of their life force. “He takes staying by my side very seriously.” I glanced at a shell-shocked Bendar and sat. “Sorry, I can’t leave yet. I haven’t been cleared.”
Harrison’s brows drew together, creating a deep furrow. “You’ve been cleared. I was on my way to release you when Ryder made his move.”
“Good one, wasn’t it,” I said, grinning.
“Excellent. And one we’ll make good use of. Now, get up and move. The team I’ve assembled for you is waiting. I believe you’ll agree with me that meeting them prior to your departure for Upper Europe would prove helpful, possibly even valuable.”
“Then you don’t think I’m a spy for the queen?”
“I never did. You were the one worried about that.” Harrison pivoted and faced the exit, then glanced back at me. “Oh, before I forget, you didn’t melt the tracker in your brain. You reduced it to atoms. Excellent job.”
“What if I still had it in me?”
“We’ve been working on its removal for years and still weren’t confident we’d succeed without damaging you. Looks like your gift and abilities are unique.”
Standing, I moved toward him. “How did you know I didn’t melt it? Have you been scanning me while I’ve been in this room?”
Harrison pointed to the guard who had escorted me to the interrogation room. “No, he did. His gift allows me to sense the faintest trace of a device.”
That’s why we took the long stairs, so he could scan me.
“I take it your communicator is the one supplied by Ryder’s uncle.” Harrison inquired.
“Yes.”
Why had they shoved me into an interrogation room then? The guard had already scanned me. “Why—” I clamped my mouth shut as we stepped onto a lift and jerked free of Harrison’s hand on my elbow. “If you already knew there wasn’t a tracker, why’d you question me?”
“Because your mind is filled with questions. At least some of them had to be answered. Otherwise, they would block our ability to work as a cohesive team.”
“Forgive me, I forgot. I’m not your daughter, but the means by which you’ll free all Neumarians. Don’t worry, General Bellator, I know my place.” I wanted to grab him and shake him, ask why he didn’t love me. Why I wasn’t good enough to be his daughter.
I froze as his voice whispered in my mind, you will always be my daughter. Rather than answer or make a fool of myself by throwing what was sure to be seen as a temper tantrum, I remained silent and began mentally singing every song I knew.
We exited the lift, with a minute to spare, and I walked into Ryder’s arms. “You all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for springing me.” At my grin, he winked. Arms looped, we entered a large atrium. Light hitting the glass roof created a rainbow effect throughout the building. We walked passed unending rows of vegetation. They reminded me of the Mining Territory’s hidden underground hydroponics garden. After so much death, the scent of life gave me hope.
“You know what’s up?” he asked against my ear.
“Not really. It seems we’re part of a team. Ready to bring the UE Council to its knees, free all Neumarians, and toss the queen into the wastebasket of history.”
“Tomorrow, today you’re going to eat and get some much needed rest.”
“Not before I see Raeth and Dred. Where are they?”
“H-here.” Raeth stepped in front of us with Penton and Dred flanking her.
I clutched Raeth tight against me. The sister of my heart lived and I never wanted to let her go again. “I was so worried about you.” When she stepped back, I gave Dred a playful punch on the shoulder. “And you gave us a scare.”
Laughing, he scooped me into a strong embrace. While he’d lost some muscle tone due to his coma, he was still stronger than anyone I knew.
“Wasn’t happy when I found ye left me.” He lowered me to the floor. From the twinkle in his eyes, I knew he’d forgiven me.
“I’m glad Captain Gordon kept his promise and helped you escape.”
Frowning, Dred’s hands tightened on my shoulders. “Capt’n didn’t rescue me. Thornton did. Ended up in place they say in whispers, the Tower.”
The thought that Gordon had betrayed us hurt worse
than when spiderat venom had burned its way through my body. “What happened?”
“He got caught by the guards. Sacrificed himself.” Dred tipped his chin to his chest and rubbed his rough hands together. “No man suffers for me. Ye know I can’t leave a debt.”
I clasped his forearm in a Neumarian promise. “Thornton will be rescued.”
His fingers spread and squeezed my forearm in response.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. He isn’t our mission,” Harrison barked.
“He’s an ally and a trusted friend. We,” I motioned to the six of us, including Bendar, “do not leave our allies behind.”
“We cannot afford to make one man, who isn’t a Neumarian, a priority in these times.”
“Who he be?” Dred snarled.
“He’s General Bellator, my biological father.” Ignoring Dred’s questioning gaze at this latest news, I faced Harrison and said, “If not in these times, then when?” I grabbed Ryder’s hand and marched toward an archway.
Within a few steps, Harrison blocked us. “Where are you going?”
“To bed.”
His face reddened and a small vein throbbed at his temple. “Not with him.”
“It’s okay, Semara,” Ryder hissed.
“Now you want to be a father? You don’t care if I’m beaten, caged, tortured, and hunted like a dog, as long as I don’t sleep with the man I love? Please.” I knew I sounded like an angry child, but I was too tired to care. Yet conversely, I wanted desperately to hear a fatherly response.
“I need Ryder to review the ships with my men. Penton’s been debriefed what weapons are in the UE arsenal.” He rested his hand on Bendar. “You’ll also have my old friend’s help, Ryder.”
A maelstrom of fury leaked from me, rising the temperature by several degrees. “If they work, I work.”
“What can you do?”
“For now, I melt and manipulate metal. But my abilities are changing, growing.”
“So I’ve heard, but what do you know about weaponry, engines, science, combat plans, rescue, technology, or, and this is critical, ingress and egress from the Tower?”
Ryder’s grip tightened on my hand. “She’s a quick study, intuitive. She flew a plane with no experience. She seared her hands pressing the console of a scout ship to keep flying. She’s been pierced by the claw of a spiderat and lived. She’s faced scavengers in the Wasteland and battled the queen on Acadia Beach, sending the witch running. And at the time, she thought the queen was her mother. So, what can Semara do? Anything and everything we need.”
Raeth slid her arm around my elbow. “We n-need her.”
From behind me, Dred said, “Me agree. Triune merged powers and saved Ryder from hangin’. Saw it with me own eyes.”
I released Ryder’s hand. “It’s okay, for now. General Harrison is right.”
“No, he’s not.” Ryder turned me to him, brushed my hair from my eyes, and cupped my cheek. “I don’t know what’s going’ on between you two, but you can help.”
Harrison tapped his ear. “I’ll be right there. I’m heading for the war room. Join me there when you’re ready, Semara.” As he marched through a row of tall greens and disappeared, everyone except Ryder disappeared in his wake.
“Something isn’t right, Semara. Don’t know what, but something’s going on. And before you say anything, that man loves you.”
Eyes stinging with unshed tears of hope, I started to avert my gaze, but Ryder captured my face. “Don’t you go hiding from me behind that wall. Give him time. We’ll figure this out. And you best remember, I love you. You’re my heart and soul,” he murmured against my lips just before he covered them. Each time we kissed, an electric current arced between us and my legs turned to mush.
His strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me onto my toes and devouring my mouth. My body longed for his touch, craved for us to vanish and not reappear for days.
“Semara, Ryder, Dred, to the war room. Immediately!” Harrison’s voice boomed over a speaker.”
Fingers twined, we raced to the war room, arriving a second before Dred. “What’s happened?”
“My second-in-command’s been captured, and he has valuable information. He’s slated for execution. We need to get him before the queen’s recovery team arrives and takes him into custody.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“The Tower.”
“I hate that hole,” Dred muttered.
Thin-lipped, I nodded. “I understand why you need Dred, but what can we bring to the rescue?”
“You know him.”
Ryder stiffened. “Who?”
“The man’s my childhood friend, your Uncle Fallon.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The last few hours in the war room had been spent working out the details of our mission. Arguments erupted several times, only to be squashed by the general, who obviously commanded his people with ease.
Many looked to him as an idol of strength and a leader among men. Only when he announced a break did anyone dare look to the door.
Brow furrowed, Ryder paced. Not even the boisterous conversations or the aroma of fresh coffee pulled him from his thoughts.
Major Stevens pushed by, his usual snarl plastered on his face. I wanted to ask him what his problem was, but at this point I assumed he just didn’t trust me. Despite being released from my cell, I still lived in a prison of judgment, feared by others.
Raeth slid her hand into Penton’s. I winked at her as he rubbed her back and received a weak smile in return. Then Penton settled her in a chair. Grinning, Bendar hopped up on one at the center of the long table. I almost laughed aloud, watching Dred as he eyed the mismatched, cracked leather chairs and backed away. If the poor man sat in one, it’d collapse under his size. His almost seven foot height was matched by muscles, ready to rip the seams of his clothing even in his weakened state.
Moving to his side, I hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Thank goodness you’re okay and with us. My heart aches for your mom.”
Dred tipped his head. “Thank ye. I’m glad you’re well, too, Pretty Face.”
“I’m not a princess. The queen isn’t my mother.”
“How long did they knock me out for? Ye dad is the ENR leader, and ye were raised to be a princess. But you’re really Neumarian and now part of the ENR?”
“That’s about it,” I said with a chuckle, then reached out and touched Ryder’s arm, halting his ceaseless motion. I gave him a small shove and we headed for the massive table in the center of the room.
Once seated, I braced myself as he leaned forward, placed his elbows on the table, and glared at Harrison. I knew what was coming. I’d heard the same refrain since we’d entered the room. I hoped this time, the general would respond.
“I’m asking again, and this time you’d best answer. How’d my uncle get captured? He was well hidden below ground in the Mining Territory. Were any others taken? Killed?” At the edge in Ryder’s voice, my eyes widened and mouth fell open when the room dropped ten degrees.
Harrison nodded to Major Stevens, sitting at a control panel.
Major Stevens flipped a switch then crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Ready, sir.” His dark eyes narrowed on Harrison with more venom than admiration. Obviously my presence in the war room didn’t sit well with all his chief officers.
The largest screen in the middle of the wall flickered twice before a tan, pierced, and tattooed man appeared.
Dred bolted from his chair, knocking it onto the floor. “Malvek?” Ye be dead.” His eyes narrowed at the realization the man who had tried to kill the Triune and him was alive.
“So, you thought me, boy. Ye take me people from me and try to murder me, yet here I am helpin’ ye out of a bind. Guess ye should have made sure ye finished the job.”
I shivered. He’d had that same look when he announced Ryder’s execution. I grabbed Harrison’s wrist and tugged. “He works for the queen. Don’t trust him,” I hissed.
“I don’t.”
Dred marched to the panel with Malvek. “If ye go near me family—”
Malvek laughed. “No need to get in an uproar. Ye family be safe. Life is a little grander with the ENR. Gots meself a ship again, since ye stole mine and got it blown up.”
Dred leaned on a table in front of the console.
Crack.
A deep crevice formed down the middle of the table. “Ye murdered me mom. If I find ye, I’ll slit ye throat. I don’t care which side ye claiming to be on.”
Malvek snorted. “Ye can try me, boy, but ye seem worse for wear. Heard the ENR want’s ye in the Tower.” Malvek ran his finger under his nose and sniffled. “Ah, there be me sweet bride to be.”
Ryder blocked Malvek’s view of me. “Not happening, Malvek.”
“Ah, I see where ye muscles went, Dred. The boy’s been trainin’. No need to worry there, boy, I be looking at a more lucrative match.”
Harrison swiveled to the screen. “Enough getting reacquainted. If you want your gold, Malvek, start talking. How did the queen capture Fallon?”
“Ah, ye see I might’ve something to do with that.” He must have seen the thunderous expression on everyone’s faces in the room because he held out his hands in supplication. “It were out of the goodness of me heart I thought I’d share with the ENR.”
Harrison’s face blanked. He walked up to the panel, every action controlled. And while I knew he didn’t have Ryder’s gift, I’d swear the room dropped to arctic temperatures. “Are you telling me that my people intercepted communication between you and the queen?”
Malvek smacked his lips and shrugged. “Don’t much matter now, do it? The ENR took ’em and throwed ’em in the Tower. So, we still gots our deal, right?”
Harrison nodded.
I’d always felt alone and saw the world as disconnected, yet here was my father, the deposed leader of the Scavengers, and the Triune, having a meeting. And we were all still alive. Perhaps the world wasn’t as big as I’d once thought it to be.
