“I know we had to come from this direction because of where we entered the facility. It’s why I went toward the watchtower when I escaped. I didn’t want to go in the direction I knew they had come from in case there were more of them traveling through there.”
“Before you reached the building, what were you doing?” He kept his gaze on hers, willing her to remember, but also mesmerized by the color of her eyes. He found himself focusing on them, taking in each tiny line of color in their depths.
“We traveled for about a day and a half. The land craft flew relatively straight for maybe a fourth of the day before we reached the end of the journey. Before that we were winding along a path that looked flat and worn, but an old worn, like it hadn’t been walked on for some time and small plants were beginning to overtake it. Before that I heard some roaring, but I can’t tell you what it was, maybe machinery, maybe a ship, maybe water on stone, wind in a cave? I couldn’t see much. They had me sitting on the floor of the craft most of the time, but I felt the swaying and heard the roar. I’m not sure before that. When we first landed, I slept hard. They might have given me a tranquilizer before I left the ship.”
“What type of land craft was it?” Payton asked.
“Basic. Open top so I could see the trees and feel the air, but deep so when I sat down I couldn’t look over the sides,” Salena answered.
“We’re near Var territory,” Payton said. “A day and a half of land craft travel would be well across the border. Someone might have seen them traveling through.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Roderic said. “With the production of nef on the rise, the marsh farmers are expanding operations beyond the shadowed marshes.”
“Unfortunately, marsh farmers do not make the most reliable lookouts.” Payton flung her arm around her cousin’s shoulders. “But they do make reliable liquor.”
“Don’t let Prince Falke hear that,” Jaxx warned. “He’ll ban all liquor on the planet if he thinks his baby girl is partying with the farmers.”
“She’s telling stories,” Roderic said, dismissing Payton’s claim. “Payton, you’ve never drank in the marshes.”
Payton snorted.
“What are the shadowed marshes?” Salena asked.
“Essentially swampland,” Jaxx said. “Marshes with trees. I think our ancestors were confused when they first translated the word to the Old Star language.”
“Close enough.” Payton gave a small wave of dismissal. “Our planet. We can call it whatever we want.”
“So marsh farmers are just people who come from the marshlands?” Salena asked.
“Whose families have farmed the marshes for centuries,” Payton corrected.
“We never knew him, but by all accounts, our grandfather was a bit of a…” Roderic paused.
“Slargnot?” Payton offered.
“Yeah, that.” Roderic gave a small laugh. “King Attor commissioned a biological weapon that nearly killed the shadowed marshes and the farmers began to migrate. It’s how my parents met. My mother was an ESC scientist who came to clean up the mess. But that’s old history, and the land has since recovered.”
“Mostly,” Payton mumbled.
“Yeah, mostly,” Roderic agreed.
“Attor was the late Var king,” Grier explained.
“And what is a slargnot?” Salena asked.
“Um, blackhole, waste of air, space cadet,” Roderic tried to explain.
“And insult,” Grier said.
“Someone who might as well be wearing their ass on their head because they’re an idiot,” Payton added.
“Got it,” Salena said.
“The farmers are still a little bitter about it all,” Roderic continued. “They don’t like royals in their business. I guess my point is, if we’re crossing into Var territory here, we need to be on the lookout for the farmers. They’re usually drunk, ornery, and overly protective of their stills. We should avoid them if possible.”
“Want us to airlift you?” Jaxx offered.
“No,” Roderic and Payton answered in unison.
“I don’t think I’d recognize anything from the air,” Salena said.
“Then we walk.” Grier tried to give her an encouraging smile. He’d felt her trembling against his back as they flew and did not want to frighten her unnecessarily by making her go back up.
“Do you think that man I hit will be all right?” Salena asked, her voice lower than before. She focused her eyes on the ground in front of her.
Grier didn’t like that she’d run back to help him. Yes, he liked the fact she cared for him enough to do it, but not that she was put in harm’s way. He was supposed to be the one protecting her. Not the other way around.
“I don’t know, but he was waking up so that is a good sign,” Grier answered. “If they’re smart, they’ll take him to the Federation facility to use the medical booth.”
“Does the Federation have a booth for the citizens to use?” Salena seemed surprised by this.
“Yes, for accidents and such,” Grier said.
“They have to keep up appearances,” Jaxx added.
“Aren’t you worried they’ll report how the beating happened?” Salena’s arm brushed his as she walked unconsciously closer. She instantly righted her course to put distance between them.
“That they were out in the woods past the city borders hunting their shifter neighbors? No, I don’t think they’ll admit to being outside city limits. It’s against the rules.” Grier placed a hand on her shoulder. “You did what you had to. They made their choice. They attacked us.”
“I know.” She nodded. “I don’t regret hitting him, but that doesn’t mean I want his death on my list of sins.”
“You keep a list of your sins?” Payton asked. Grier heard the playful tone in her voice, but she always sounded like that. He sometimes wondered if she took anything seriously, or if life was just one bored joke after another for her.
“It is something my father used to say. At the end, we’re all judged by our list of sins whether they were intentional or not.” Salena rubbed the back of her neck, looking up as she rolled her head to the side.
“I like that,” Jaxx said. “Nice and simple.”
“You wouldn’t think that if everyone was constantly listing their sins to you,” Salena mumbled.
“Yeah, I suppose I wouldn’t.” Jaxx nodded but didn’t turn around to look at her. “That must be a heavy burden and one I do not envy.”
Grier detected there was more to what Jaxx was saying and wondered what his cousin meant by that. When no one elaborated, he asked, “You mean when you interrogate people? Yes, I can see how that would be difficult.”
“What else would she mean?” Jaxx turned around but kept walking in the same direction. He took backward steps, not watching where he was going. He gave Salena a thoughtful look. “Has anything ever surprised you?”
“When it first happened. I can say I was surprised when the village elder told me he’d rather marry his wife’s mother.” Salena wrinkled her nose.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Jaxx said. “I mean, it’s bad, but it’s hardly the worst you could have heard him confess.”
“I was seven years old, and he went into graphic detail as to why. That is how I learned about conception.” Salena’s tone was matter-of-fact, but he saw how her muscles tensed as if ready to ward off what might come her way. He wondered if she fought a memory.
Anger rolled through him as the full meaning of her words sank in—not anger at her, but anger for the childhood she had lived. He grabbed her arm gently and turned her to look at him. Every time he saw her eyes gazing at him, it became harder to pull away from her. He felt the pulsing crystal in his pocket, sending wave after wave of longing into him. Its energy was growing stronger, or perhaps it was all in his mind. Either way, the effects were real.
“What?” Her gaze darted to the side though she didn’t turn her head to look. “Are we being watched? Do you hear someo
ne? Do we need to run?”
“I do not wish to speak ill of your parents,” he stated. The wind appeared to pick up, rustling the leaves. It pushed her scent against him. Everything about her was pure torture.
She arched a brow, confused. “Then…don’t?”
“But it must be said. Why would they send a seven-year-old girl to interrogate an adult male with obviously questionable morals? Wives and children are to be protected and cherished. I would never let my daughter be alone with a man we wished to interrogate.”
“Wow. That’s freaky. You sound exactly like my father,” Payton stated dryly. “Now tell her she needs to dress like a lady.”
Grier realized the other three had stopped to watch them.
“It’s not like they asked me to do it. I just…did it.” Salena shrugged.
Grier loosened his hold on her arms. “You wanted to know about the elders’, um…? I don’t understand.”
“Sure you do, Grier. Stop being insensitive.” Jaxx frowned at him and lifted his hands as if to silently ask what he was doing. “It’s not like she can help it.”
“Help what?” Grier glanced between Salena and Jaxx.
Salena opened her mouth to speak but appeared confused, and in the end said nothing.
“What am I not seeing?” he demanded.
“The obvious,” Payton drawled.
“Gods’ bones, Grier, you do realize she can’t help it, don’t you?” Jaxx asked. “It’s not something to turn on and off like a switch. Certainly you noticed that you have been unable to hold anything back when she is around. If she asks you something directly, you have to answer, no matter how mean or blunt that response may be. If someone else asks you something in her presence, it’s a little easier to resist, but you still feel compelled to tell the truth, and you definitely can’t lie.”
Grier chuckled. “Nice try.”
“Sacred cats, you’re a daft one, Grier,” Payton muttered with a small laugh. “Try telling her a lie.”
“Why would I want to lie to her?” Grier answered the Var princess as he studied Salena’s serious expression. “I have no reason to keep secrets from her. I am meant to be with her.”
“Let’s give them a moment.” Jaxx pulled Roderic and Payton with him down the path only to stop several feet away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t want to cause discord between all of you.”
“You can’t shut off your ability?” Grier asked. “Is that true? Olena said you could pull the truth from people, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t voluntary.”
“I wish I could shut it off.” Her eyes kept moving over his face as if searching for answers. “You really didn’t notice that you had to tell me the truth? People normally realize that within three minutes of talking to me.”
“It never occurred to me to try to lie to you.” Grier hadn’t noticed. He found no reason to keep secrets from her. If the gods used the glowing crystal to tell him he could trust her, then he would do so. They would not lead him astray.
“I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me,” Salena said. “Everyone tries to hide something.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He smiled. “Ask anything. For you, my life is an open book. There are no secrets.”
Her eyes dipped down to his pocket where the crystal was hidden. His breath caught. He was sure she was going to say something about it.
“Federation, drunk farmers, angry citizens.” Salena glanced around at the trees. “Are there any other threats out here?”
Grier heard the sound of voices in the distance. Roderic, Jaxx, and Payton must have heard it too, because they stopped walking and tilted their head in the same direction.
“Yes,” Grier, Roderic, and Jaxx said at the same time.
“Probably.” Payton gestured away from the voices. “We should go this way.”
“What is it?” Salena reached for him. He looked down in surprise and squeezed her fingers lightly to keep her from pulling away.
“Men talking,” Grier said. “We’re going around to avoid them.”
Payton glanced over her shoulder. Seeing their linked hands, she grinned and nodded.
They walked in silence. Grier kept his attention on the muffled sound of talking until it faded. It had been just far enough away that he had not been able to make out any of the words. Whoever was in the forest, he didn’t want to meet up with them.
14
Salena stared up at the sky. The light had softened, but it was still there. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to constant daylight. She missed the safety of darkness. Right now, camping in the woods left them exposed to anyone who might happen by. She’d much rather be hidden.
“Are you sure I can’t fly you somewhere more comfortable?” Grier sat next to her. They’d found a shaded spot where the plant life padded the ground. “We can return to look for the roaring sound you heard in the morning.”
As nice as a bed sounded, it meant she would have to fly two more times.
“The ground is perfect,” she said. It wasn’t a lie. By comparison, it was better than flying.
Payton handed her a thin blanket out of the pack before dropping the bag on the ground by Salena. “This might help.”
Salena nodded in thanks as she took the blanket.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve all been camping.” Roderic smiled, as if caught in his memories. He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Long time.”
Salena could have forced him to elaborate, but she didn’t ask. Roderic pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it next to the bag, followed by his boots.
“Until the morning,” he said as he walked behind a tree. His pants came flying toward her a few moments later, and she knew he was going to spend the night shifted. Salena automatically reached for his clothes and began folding them into a stack.
“You don’t have to do that,” Grier said. “We don’t expect you to pick up after us.”
“I don’t mind. Small tasks give me the feeling of normality.” She glanced up at Payton. “Do you sleep shifted as well?”
“Much more comfortable that way.” Payton tugged at her boots. “People hesitate before messing with a giant sleeping cat, more so than they do a human.”
“Don’t let her scare you,” Jaxx said. He also began to undress. “This forest should be safe and we’ll all be around to listen for danger. If you need us, yell, and we’ll fly—”
“Run,” Payton inserted.
“Fly back,” Jaxx finished.
Salena nodded. When they were alone, she said to Grier, “It’s nice that both kingdoms live in peace together since you’re neighbors.”
“It wasn’t always that way.” He laid his forearm across a bended knee and let his hand suspend between them. He seemed unapologetic in the way he stared at her. The intensity of his eyes caused her to shiver. There was something about this man, a virile, raw power that had tried to consume her from the moment she first saw him by the tents. If life had been different, if she were different, there would have been so many possibilities with Grier. As it was, helping him to find the location of the Federation drop-off was the only thing she could do to earn her passage off the planet. Then she would not be in their debt and the jewels would be returned to Olena.
“I almost forgot.” Salena dug into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the pouch. “Would you give these to Princess Olena for me? I don’t want to forget and take them. I prefer to earn my passage by helping you.” She gave a small laugh. “And I admit, it will be nice to land a few blows to the Federation’s plans.”
“If she gave them to you, she’ll want you to have them.” Grier didn’t try to take the jewels.
Salena placed them in the bag. “I insist. Already the kindness I have been shown is too much. I cannot in good conscience ask for more.”
“How can kindness be too much?” Grier glanced at the bag before turning to her once more. He didn’t appear to care about the
jewels. His fingers moved lazily where they hung in the air as if touching something she couldn’t see.
“I suppose when you’re not used to it, you notice it more and do not wish to take advantage of those giving it.” Salena gave a small shrug. “Ignore that. When I said it, I could hear how self-indulgent I sounded.”
“Has kindness been so rare in your life?” His eyes held concern, but not pity. For that she was grateful.
“My parents were kind, but strict. My sisters were wonderful. We were very close.” She smiled to remember them and would give almost anything to have just a moment back in the clay pits, digging in the ground beside them. “My mother made the most beautiful pottery. She had delicate fingers. My father helped her refine the clay and fire them in the kiln. Then he’d take us to town so we could help him sell the wares to incoming travelers. She was famous for her work, in our little area of the galaxy anyway. After our abilities started emerging, we didn’t go to town as much.”
“Abilities? Your sisters are like you?” he asked.
“Yes, they are—were? I’m honestly not sure what happened to them. I tried to find out but every story I heard did not have a good ending. I fear they are lost forever.” Salena hadn’t talked about her family in a long time, not like this. “Piera can read people by looking at them. She said it was like seeing colors emanating from their body when their emotions or intent was heightened. One look across a crowded room and she could tell you who was nice, mean, mad, evil, happy, scared, anything. There is more to her abilities than that. She sees things, ghost images almost, like shadows showing her things.”
“And your other sister?”
“Fiora is my opposite. I get the truth from people, and she gives the truth to people. She’ll divine things, events, stuff that has yet to happen or has happened, and feels compelled to speak about it. However, we devised a game where instead of just telling whatever it was she knew, she’d say it in riddles, so everyone who tried using her to predict things was always confused and irritated by the end of her telling. When we are by each other, the abilities become more sensitive and are amplified.”
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