by Lili Zander
I lift my hand. “In the Diary of the Unknown Explorer,” I reply. “The inhabitants of Old Earth were looking for new planets to resettle in, but the Shayde controlled all of Aertos.”
She smiles at me. “Good,” she says. “We all know what happened next. Jomar Hafsson welcomed our ancestors to their world. He could have enslaved the humans, but instead, they struck a deal. The Shayde agreed to let them settle in their worlds in exchange for blood. Thus, was born the blood tax.”
On Old Earth, humans based their currency on precious metals. In the Empire of Shayde, everything is tied to blood. If you’re O-positive, the tax is three pints a month. Nobody can afford to give that from their bodies, and so we work for it.
“I’ve always wondered about the treaty,” Ma Kaila muses. “The humans were on refugee ships, fleeing their dying home planet. The Shayde dominated the entire galaxy of Aertos. Why strike a deal? Why not just take what you want by force?”
Huh. She’s right. I can’t picture the Overlord acting in such a way. Maybe Jomar Hafsson was that rarest of rare creatures—an honorable Shayde.
Ma Kaila moves on to her next point. “However,” she says, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “Old Earth historians have always suspected that the Shayde knew about humans much earlier. Humans have written about vampyrs since the eighteenth century.”
I sit up. Next to me, Joanna Placzek raises her hand, a skeptical look on her face. “That’s impossible. Humans didn’t discover the existence of other sentient species until the Great Resettlement.”
“You’re right, Joanna,” Ma Kaila says, nodding her head in agreement. “Be that as it may, there’s little doubt that the ancient humans were writing about the Shayde. The vampires in the Old Earth literature were unnaturally pale. They slept during the day and walked at night. They drank blood. The coincidences are too many to be mere chance.”
Weird. “The vampyrs that the ancients wrote about,” I ask Ma Kaila. “Did they rule over the humans?”
She shakes her head. “In the beginning, the literature referred to the Shayde as something to be afraid of,” she says. “There’s an ancient manuscript called Dracula. It speaks of a dangerous vampyr that was killed by the humans. But over the years, the discourse changed. By the twenty-first century, the vampyrs were viewed as desirable sexual partners.”
They were? I think of the handful of Shayde I’ve seen. Overlord Zimmer on the vids. Boss Egilsson, who owns the mines, and makes a handful of appearances every year. Then there’s the half-crazed vampyr that bit me earlier today.
If there’s one thing the men have in common, it’s their total lack of hotness.
Joanna raises her eyebrow. “Desirable sexual partners? Because of the bite?”
Ma Kaila shrugs. “I don’t know why,” she replies. “And it is possible we aren’t interpreting the documents correctly. They say that the vampyrs can be killed with silver, a naturally occurring mineral that was only found on Old Earth. Given what we know about Shayde physiology, that seems unlikely. The ancients also believed the Shayde were repelled by garlic.”
Joanna grins. “That seems reasonable,” she quips. “When Hamed eats garlic, I tend to give him a wide berth.”
Ma Kaila shakes her head at our laughter. She’s taught this class for many years, and she’s probably heard this joke more times than she can count. “If we can get back to our studies,” she says, her tone stern, “I’d appreciate it. Knowledge is power. Somewhere in this material is a clue about why the Shayde don’t want humans to study it.”
She’s right. I don’t care much about the larger Shayde Empire and about what happens in the rest of the galaxy, but this corner of Aertos is my home. Things have been getting particularly bad in the last three years. Overlord Zimmer’s dungeons are full. Crime on the streets is out of control, and the enforcers don’t seem to care. The only two things that seem to matter are the boarium we mine and the blood we give.
Joanna stops me after class. “Raven. Wait up.”
I stop winding my scarf around my neck. “What’s going on?”
She frowns at my outfit. “It’s cold outside. What did you do with your cloak?”
“I forgot it this dusk,” I lie. “I was running late.”
Unlike me, Joanna is B-positive. For her, the tax is only one pint. Half of that, she can give from her own body. She lives in Sector 10, and her parents are both bitten. She’s rich, and her parents work for the Shayde. At first, I was inclined to be distrustful of her, then I learned that she has a brother in the re-education camps.
“Hmm.” She doesn’t look like she believes me. “I have a spare. I’ll bring it to the next class.”
“Thank you, sister.”
She waves away my gratitude. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Are you going to take part in the tournament? The choosing is on FifthDay.”
“Me?” I stare at her, wondering if she’s seen the mark on my neck. “I’m not bitten. Besides, you need Shayde sponsors to participate. Who do you think is going to sponsor an O-positive from Glacis?”
She bites her lip. “You learned to survive in the camps,” she says softly. “You’d do well.” She doesn’t meet my gaze. “They’re allowed to watch the tournament. The residents of Glacis, I mean. To see you on the holos would give them hope.”
I take a deep breath. That’s what this is about. The camps are brutal, and only one in three survive. The only thing that helped me make it was the need to avenge my parents.
Joanna’s brother Michal has a five-year sentence. She’s concerned he’s losing the will to stay alive.
“The prize is a lifetime waiver of the blood tax,” she adds. “And an all-expenses-paid trip to Starra.”
Get to Starra. Find Ivar Karlsson. He will protect you.
I can’t let Joanna pin her hopes on me. The last thing I need is to draw attention to myself. “I’m sorry, sister. I cannot take part.”
Her face falls, and her expression turns bleak. “I understand. See you next week, Raven.”
Her fight is not mine, but that still doesn’t stop me from feeling like an asshole all the way home.
4
Zeke
I’ve never trusted the Jarl, and I’m not about to start now. The man is clearly hiding crucial details about this mission from us, and I intend to find out what they are.
We have another four hours before we have to be at the shuttle dock. That’s time enough. First, though, I look at Saber and Nero. “The last time I went into a mission feeling like I was missing something,” I tell them, “was a disaster.”
“Rothis,” Nero says grimly. “We all know that was Jarl Harek’s doing. He set us up for failure.”
Yes. The Jarl likes to treat us as if we’re pieces in the ancient human game of chess, but I’ve been his pawn once, and that was enough. “I’m not letting it happen again. I need to talk to an old friend.”
“Who?” Saber asks.
I’ve fought with these men for ten years. I know them. They’re not slavishly devoted to hierarchy. They can be trusted to keep an open mind. I hope. “His name is Adam Masev,” I reply. “He’s human.”
Nero lifts an eyebrow. “A human informant? That’s unusual.”
“Saber?” I prompt.
The captain rolls his eyes. “You should know better than to assume I’m prejudiced, Zeke,” he says. “I don’t care if he’s human. As long as you trust him.”
“Implicitly.” Adam saved my life once, a long time ago, when he didn’t have to. “Okay. Let’s go to Gaia.”
“Gaia?” Nero’s eyes go wide. “I thought the human dwelling was a myth. You know where it is?”
My role in this team is to know everything. “It’s a real place.” I’m already moving toward the elevators that lead to the lower levels of the capital. “Gentlemen, we’re headed to the deeps.”
A dome covers most of the land mass of Starra, shielding us from the yellow rays of the sun. Inside the dome are giant buildings, eac
h two thousand levels high. Every tenth level has a walkway that connects it to its neighboring towers. Of course, because this is Starra, the levels are tied to your position in Shayde society.
The Empress and the rest of the Shayde council occupy the highest level. Jarl Harek lives ten levels below the Empress. Saber, whose ancestors were powerful Jarls, has a home on Level 1820. Nero and I, who have no such pedigree, have apartments on Level 1600. The bitten humans live on the lower levels, and beneath them, the humans without gifts. The lower you go, the more dangerous it is, and nobody, neither Shayde nor human, ever ventures below Level 500.
We get in, and I hit the button for Level 310. “Interesting,” Saber murmurs. “Should we stop for more weapons?”
Nero chuckles. “Come on, Captain,” he says. “Live a little. A good gunfight is like sex. Heart-pounding and exhilarating.”
Saber rolls his eyes. “A good gunfight is like sex?” he repeats. “You need to find more restful women, buddy. Not ones that want to rob you, kill you, or be bitten by you.”
I listen to the two of them banter as we head to the deeps. When the elevator lurches to a stop, I hold out my hand. “Don’t say or do something stupid,” I warn Nero. “And Captain, I know you outrank me, but I suggest you follow my lead here.”
“What do you mean, don’t do something stupid?” Nero sounds outraged as we exit the elevator into darkness. The lack of light doesn’t bother us—Shayde can see perfectly well in the dark—but is clearly intended to intimidate humans. “When the hell have I ever done something stupid?”
Saber’s lips twitch. “All the time, Nero,” he says cheerfully. “You have a regretful tendency to attack first and ask questions later.”
“And that’s why we’re all still alive,” Nero replies with a smirk. “Or have you idiots forgotten who pulled you out of Rothis?”
At the mention of Rothis, we fall silent. The three of us had made it out, but others hadn’t. Not for lack of trying. Nero had almost lost a leg in that hellhole. Saber had been so badly injured that we’d had to resort to black-market O-negative. Unfortunately, the blood had been tainted, and he’d almost died. We’d been holed in a foxhole, alone, wary, unsure of who to trust. Five months after that failed mission, we’re all still haunted by the memories. That’s why we’re heading to Gaia.
We make our way through the abandoned level, traversing walkway after walkway, heading due west. Saber, who has a better sense of direction than I do, figures out our destination as we near it. “We’re going to Frostbloom?”
I nod. “Almost there.” I can hear the hubbub of conversation now as we near Gaia. Nero’s hand tightens on his weapon, and I shake my head. “Put it away,” I tell him. “There’s no danger here. It’s a market. Pull your hoods up. The humans will flee if they see the Shayde.”
I push open the door. Saber stiffens in surprise, and Nero’s mouth falls open as they take in the large, brightly lit night market. Colorful pennants hang from the rafters. The smell of human food is everywhere—ginger, garlic, chili, and mint. Human children dart to and fro, weaving their way through the crowds. Stalls sell clothing, vegetables, fruits, seaweed, fish, meat, and more.
“Whoa.” Nero’s voice is soft. “I had no idea this was here.”
“Most Shayde aren’t concerned with the affairs of humans,” I reply dryly. “Come. Adam’s the guy with the noodle stand. Let’s go talk to him.”
“So you’re the captain.” Adam surveys Saber thoughtfully and then turns to Nero. “And you’re the wild card.”
Showing a restraint that I didn’t think he had, Nero refuses to rise to the bait. “Drink?” Adam continues. “We don’t have many vampyr visitors here, but I keep a pint or two in reserve.”
“No thanks,” Saber says tightly. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? You trust Zeke, but you don’t trust Nero and me. The real question is, are you going to respect Zeke’s judgment?”
“No bullshit. I like that.” He waves us to a seat. “You will forgive my hesitation. The authorities don’t like large gatherings of humans. If they were to locate Gaia…”
“They’d raze it to the ground. Of course, that’s the reason you’re located in Frostbloom. It’s one of the few towers that connects outside the dome.”
“Great.” I roll my eyes at the two of them. “You’ve taken the measure of each other. Can we get to the point?”
Adam grins. “Sorry, my friend. Old habits die hard.” His smile fades. “As with everything Shayde, there are wheels within wheels. What do you know of Boarus 4?”
“Mining colony in the Courus system,” Saber replies promptly. “One of thirteen planets that produce boarium.”
“That’s the essence,” Adam agrees. “Here’s what isn’t public knowledge. Every year, the output from the mines decreases. At the rate we’re going, we’ll run out of boarium in less than ten years. And then…”
“No more spaceflight,” Nero says.
“No more fast spaceflight,” I correct Nero. Right now, we can journey between Boarus 4 and Starra in twenty-four hours because of our ability to warp space and time. But we use boarium to stabilize the warp. Without it, we can still travel, but it’ll be the old way, on giant colony ships at the speed of light. Boarus 4 won’t be a day’s trip anymore. It’ll be five years. “So the colony’s important to the Empire.”
“Vital. The Empress has spent the last twenty years conquering the stars. As long as the military victories keep coming, she can hold onto power. Without boarium, her armies can’t travel. If that happens, the council will overthrow her.”
The words are close to treasonous, but Saber just nods. “Boarus 4 is administered by Overlord Klaus Zimmer,” Adam adds. “Jarl Klaus is a canny politician. He sends the Empress her boarium, but in the meanwhile, he’s also working with her enemies.”
“You’re talking about treason,” Nero says coldly. “Can you prove it?”
Adam laughs. “I’m human, my Lord Shayde. A humble noodle-seller. Even if I did have proof, who’s going to listen to me?”
“Continue,” Saber says, leaning forward. “Where does Levitan fit into this? Why does he want us to go to Boarus 4?”
“This is conjecture,” Adam says carefully. “But it is believed that Levitan is one of those plotting to overthrow the Empress. In the remote ice deserts of Boarus 4, they’ve been working on a weapon, something that can control the Shayde.”
For the first time, I’m skeptical. This is all sounding rather far-fetched. “What kind of weapon?”
“I don’t know. Ottar Thistle was mixed up in it. He got out. Maybe he told the girl something. Levitan certainly seems to think she’s a threat.”
“If he’s developing a weapon, he can’t risk the Empress finding out,” Saber notes. “Empress Astrid is not the forgiving sort. She’ll personally plunge a stake into Levitan’s heart.”
Nero frowns. “So we’re Levitan’s clean-up crew?”
I exchange a glance with Saber and Nero. We have our orders, and we must obey them, but I want no part of this mission. “What else do we need to know about Boarus 4, Adam?”
He grimaces. “It’s a miserable, cheerless place,” he says. “Most of the human population is O-positive. They spend all their time working in the mines to pay the three-pint-a-month blood tax. If they can’t pay, they end up in Zimmer’s dungeons.”
I look up. “Three pints a month? That’s not right. That’s more than double what it should be.”
Adam shrugs. “The Overlord skims off the top,” he says. “The Empress knows, but she won’t intervene as long as her supply of the metal isn’t interrupted. Who cares about the plight of some humans, after all. We’re as good as slaves.”
“That’s not true.” Saber’s voice is stiff. “It was a Hafsson who made the original deal. Human blood has always nourished the Shayde better than any other food source, and the humans had so much of it to spare. It was an even trade. We gave them shelter in exchange for blood.”
Adam’s ex
pression is cold. “Well, that ideal has long been perverted, hasn’t it?” he says bitterly. “Humans kneel to the Shayde. Like it or not, the vampyrs are our masters. When they are benevolent, we live well. When they are harsh, we pay the price.”
Saber opens his mouth to protest and then closes it. “I don’t like it,” he says. “But you have a point.”
We have some thinking to do. I get up and embrace my friend. “Thank you, Adam. I appreciate your help.”
The three of us walk back in silence. It’s not until we’re in the elevator that Saber speaks. “You planted a bug in Levitan’s office, didn’t you?”
He knows me well. “Of course.”
“Will the range extend to Boarus 4?”
I make a scoffing sound. “Do I look like an amateur? I’ll be able to tap into the signal anywhere in Aertos.”
A half-smile plays about on his lips. “Good. Let’s go to Boarus 4 then. I want to see for myself what’s going on.”
5
Raven
The enforcers come during the day. I hear the baying of the dogs and the shrill screams of terrified people, and I cower in my pod and pray to the Great Spirit that they stay out of Sector 23.
All day long, I wait for someone to bang on my door. Over and over, I see the blue rays strike the Shayde. I see him fall to his knees. I see him try to scramble away, try to save himself.
But there’s nowhere to run.
Get to Starra. Find Ivar Karlsson. He will protect you.
As if it’s easy to get to Starra. Travel between planets is reserved for the rich. It costs two hundred pints to buy passage on an off-world ship. If I’m very frugal, I save twenty pints each month. At the rate I’m going, it’ll take me one hundred months, nearly eight-and-a-half years to be able to afford to leave.
