The Savage King

by Michelle M. Pillow

  At the Agency, she’d been given a sense of purpose. It was a job in which her self-reliance came in handy. She was a survivor. That’s what her folder said. Ulyssa Payne, survivor. She still wasn’t sure what that meant, except that she was tough and could get through anything. With the Agency, she got to travel. She could make a difference. She didn’t have to share anything. The only drawback was she was still a number—Agent 596.

  “I can get through anything,” Ulyssa said to herself, pushing from the bed with renewed purpose. “And I can get through this. I will get through this. It’s just another assignment. Another day, another space credit in my bank account.”

  She stalked to the closet to change. Sliding on her pants and shirt, she went to the bathroom to clean her teeth with the hand-held mouth sanitizer. Next, she pulled her hair back into a bun to get it out of her face. Satisfied that she looked ready to work, she said, “Siren, tell me where to find King Kirill.”

  30

  Ulyssa followed Siren’s directions through the maze halls until she heard the loud murmur of a crowd. It only took a second for her to realize the hall was gathered together to dine. The clink of utensils on plates was unmistakable. Ulyssa slowed as she neared the opened hall doors. She’d never been to this part of the castle. Slowly, she came to the narrow slit that edged along the side, between the door and wall, where she could see into the hall without being seen.

  Looking in over the banquet hall of soldiers, she craned her neck searching for Kirill. It didn’t take her long to find him in the seat of honor at the head table. She froze, her breath sticking in her throat. Unable to move, she saw Kirill next to the woman, Linzi. His rich laughter rang over the hall at something she said, pouring down over Ulyssa like a rain cloud to further dampen her soul.

  Ulyssa’s lips trembled. She imagined there’d be invitation in Kirill’s dark eyes when he gazed at the woman, the way he looked when he wanted her. Kirill had never taken her to this hall. He’d never even asked if she’d like to go, and here he was, sitting and laughing with another woman for all to see. It was too much. Breathing heavily, she covered her mouth and forced down a wave of nausea. In public he always acted ashamed of her, like she was a humiliation.

  Ulyssa looked down at her body and for the first time she felt the oppression of feminine doubt. Was she so misshapen? Was she...ugly? Fat? Frowning, she poked at the slight roundness of her stomach. She had been lax in her training, but she hadn’t necessarily been eating more. There wasn’t such a big a change as to make a difference in her overall appearance. Maybe it was her hair. Kirill often stared at it. Perhaps it was an odd color for their kind. Maybe he thought it was ugly.

  Hearing footsteps, she backtracked and slipped into a little inlet to hide. Two guards walked by, but she was too preoccupied to hear what they said. Then, as she watched, one turned to the wall and pressed his fingers to the circular pattern. Automatically, her eyes memorized the sequence. The wall opened and the guard pressed his hand to the screen that showed, not stopping in his conversation.

  Vaguely, she heard Siren’s voice say, “Trillon, off duty.”

  The guards kept talking as they walked away, one mentioning he was going home. The wall closed. Looking around, Ulyssa sneaked forward and pressed the same sequence. The wall shifted and opened. She glanced around before reaching in to the computer. She was familiar with the system. It was an older mainframe, but one she could easily hack if she had the right codes. Typing with a fury, she skirted around the computer’s basic security protocols, using the programmer’s back door. Then, finding her name on a security list, she simply deleted it. Removing her hand as she heard more footsteps, she ran back to her inlet. The computer wall didn’t close.

  She held her breath and watched as a guard walked by, heading in the same direction as the others. He stopped and glanced around when he saw the open wall. Then, cursing his fellow Var for their laziness, he reached in and pressed a button. The wall slid shut and he moved on.

  Ulyssa relaxed. She clung to the numbness she awoke with. Telling herself it was a good thing she’d seen Kirill and Linzi together, she burned the image in her mind. It would keep her strong. Taking a deep breath, and hoping the reprogramming worked, she jogged down the hall in the same direction as the guards. After a minute of searching, she got lucky and found the front entrance to the palace.

  Because Siren had sensors within the palace, there were no guards at the front entrance. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the gate. No alarm sounded. She was free.

  The Var city outside the palace was a bustling maze of earthen streets and large rectangular homes, whose walls and foundations were constructed of fired bricks held together by mortar. Many of the homes were two stories high with flat roofs. The grand design indicated that most of the Var population prospered.

  Ulyssa saw a few people walking along the top of their houses. For the most part, they didn’t even glance in her direction as she passed. There weren’t many windows that she could see, but that served to her advantage as she slipped further away from the palace.

  A few of the homes had a courtyard where she could hear the sound of young boys playing. Clay pots set outside doorsteps, some with flowers and other native plants. The streets were clean and orderly. Beautiful woven rugs hung outside in the sun, drying on lines. There was less intricate tile work than inside the palace, but the city was lovely nonetheless.

  Thinking of the Var palace, Ulyssa glanced back over her shoulder and gasped. It stood tall against the blue-green sky. Square turrets reached high, commanding the heavens over the city. It was magnificent. Her gaze automatically roamed, trying to detect which part would have been Kirill’s home. Realizing what she was doing, she stiffened, turned her back, and didn’t look at it again.

  No one stopped her as she made her journey north, though she did get a few curious glances. She knew the dragon-shifters were to the north of the Var. If she were going to have any chance of finding the biological weapons, it would be with Draig Princess Nadja’s help. With a plan forming in her brain, Ulyssa reached the forest, amazed that she’d actually escaped so easily.

  31

  Kirill looked at Falke, his eyes weary, before turning to go to the balcony wall. They were alone in the royal office. Pushing a button, the wall slid to the side to show the surrounding countryside. He took a deep breath, as his gaze automatically slid over the distance searching for his runaway mistress.

  “I take it there is no news of her?” Kirill asked solemnly. He knew the answer. He’d read it in Falke’s rigid face. Ulyssa was definitely gone. She’d left him without a word. If not for Linzi explaining what the human flu was to him, he’d have thought something horrific happened to her, like turning to dust. Though thoroughly unpleasant, the flu didn’t sound as tragic as Ulyssa made it out to be.

  “Yes, my lord,” Falke responded.

  “Her information had been wiped from the computer security. I’ve reloaded her DNA, but she’s not in the palace.” Kirill turned. Falke saw the rawness of his pain. Kirill had not slept the night before, hadn’t stopped pacing and searching since the moment he realized she had left him.

  He’d stayed in the banquet hall a long time, making a great show of laughing and talking to Linzi and Taura. Musicians had been called to play. Wine had been poured in abundance while they celebrated nothing in particular. Kirill enjoyed his home and his people, but when he’d looked to his side, he didn’t enjoy the fact that Ulyssa wasn’t by him enjoying it as well.

  He’d gone back home late in the evening to discover her missing. At first he thought she was playing a game. Then, when he didn’t find her hiding from him, he’d asked Siren to locate her. A dull ache had settled in his chest, making him feel weak and helpless. It had yet to leave him. By the time they discovered the computer had been tampered with, several hours had passed since her possible escape.

  “Did she say anything to you?” Kirill asked his brother. He knew she’d grown fond of Falke thou
gh he was sure he didn’t know what caused such an odd friendship. Falke was hardly a man people took to lightly.

  Falke’s expression softened, revealing he knew how difficult it was for the proud king to ask such a question. Ever one to take charge, he said, “Let us gather our intelligence. What happened yesterday?”

  “I gave her communicator back to her. She called her Uncle Frank.” Kirill answered. He quickly relayed the entire conversation, knowing Falke could be trusted. He left out his own reactions to her words, except to say, “I could sense she was lying about the engagement.”

  “It’s code,” Falke stated flatly. His lips pulled into a firm line.

  “Code?” Kirill asked. “How can you be sure?”

  “Lady Ulyssa has no uncle or grandmother.” Falke frowned. “Has she told you nothing of herself? Have you not spoken?”

  Kirill took a deep breath. She’d never shared anything with him, no matter how gently he’d asked her. It was as if she hadn’t wanted anything personal between them. To hear that Falke knew more about her personal life than he did sting bitterly.

  “I apologize,” Falke stated, lifting his chin. “It is not my place to question it. Lady Ulyssa is an orphan.”

  Kirill didn’t understand the term.

  “It is a New Earth word for a person without family. Her parents died in a space shuttle accident.”

  “How do you know this is true?” Kirill inquired, doing his best to hold his emotion back. But the truth was he was worried, terrified. She’d been ill when he last saw her, so pale and fragile. She’d been shaking terribly, and he could just imagine the harm that would befall her in the forest.

  “It’s the truth. I would’ve detected the lie.” Falke paused, waiting for Kirill’s nod to continue. “You say she spoke falsely about the engagement right after asking you for privacy. It’s easy to assume engagement is code for something else. I doubt there was even a shipwreck. If someone knew that there was a possible war brewing between the Var and Draig, they’d know we’d never ask the Draig princes about a shipwreck on their land. We wouldn’t trust them enough to believe them either way.”

  Kirill nodded. “I always thought it strange that she could understand the Var tongue but not speak it.”

  “And she’s been trained in weaponry, though not extensively to the sword or knife. Her reactions are honed.” Falke nodded in silent approval of her skill.

  “And she is intelligent,” Kirill responded. Just thinking about her made his gut ache. He wanted her back. He wanted her in his home, waiting for him, safe, sound, so he didn’t have to worry about her. And he wanted her there now. Keeping his voice even, he continued, “Her mind is sharp. I only have to tell or show her something one time before she understands it. But, the question remains, who is she? Why is she here?”

  “A spy?” Falke offered. “An assassin?”

  “If she’s an assassin, she’d have acted before now,” Kirill dismissed.

  “What if...” Falke paused, looking slightly uncomfortable.

  “What?”

  “What if the Draig sent her? What if she was meant to kill you and failed?” Falke cleared his throat. “What if she couldn’t go through with it?”

  “I might not know her past, brother, but I didn’t feel murder in her. She’s not an assassin.” Kirill turned his back on Falke and leaned his head to the window. His eyes searched the distance.

  “Spy?” Falke asked.

  Kirill knew Falke didn’t want to give up his suspicions that the Draig were behind her presence, but for some reason he couldn’t lay voice to, he just didn’t believe it. Suddenly, an idea struck him. “King Attor.”

  Falke frowned.

  “Our father kidnaped her in the forest, or at least he could have. Lyssa mentioned something about blond warriors. It could have been King Attor’s personal guard. In the last several years, he never went anywhere without them. Find the mountain lions and ask them if and where they found her.”

  For the first time since finding her gone, Kirill felt like he had a plan of action, at least the beginnings of one. If he could find her old campsite, and then maybe he could find her. If he found her, he’d drag her back by the roots of her hair and throw her into the prison. Even if he had to chain her up, he’d make certain she never left him again. No matter how much she protested, he would make her stay. He had no choice. He simply couldn’t live without her.

  32

  Ulyssa was tired. Her skin and clothes were covered in dried sweat and mud. Not knowing whether or not Kirill would try to come after her, she knew it was best to mask her scent with the smell of the forest. If he did come, more than likely it would be out of pride and not because he missed her. She thought of Linzi and grimaced.

  Several days had passed since she’d walked out of the palace. She’d been traveling by foot during that time, avoiding passersby as she tried to find her campsite. Only allowing herself an hour’s sleep at a time, she’d jogged toward the northern borders until her legs felt like jelly, and she could see the tall red mountain of the Draig palace in the distance. Then, turning east, she slowly backtracked to the campground near where the Galaxy Brides’ ship had landed. From there she was able to navigate toward her old campsite.

  When Ulyssa found her campsite, the cloaking device was turned off. It looked as if a wild animal had chewed through the wires in the back. Luckily, her backpack was still inside the collapsed tent, and she was able to salvage a pack of freeze dried mineral compound. They tasted gross, but after living on a handful of berries since leaving the palace, she was more than happy to swallow down the dark brown wafers.

  Pulling out her backup communicator, she programmed it to call the Agency. It didn’t take long for the old woman’s voice to answer, “Hello?”

  “Agent 596.”

  “Report,” came the operator.

  “Ulyssa 596, codename Gena, Qurilixen,” she answered quickly, glancing around uneasily into the shadowed light of the surrounding forest.

  “We’ve been anticipating your call, patching through a secure line to the director.”

  Ulyssa waited as a series of clicks sounded on the communicator. She searched through her bag with one hand, not willing to be caught without a weapon again.

  “Ulyssa?”

  Ulyssa let loose a long sigh, “Frank, I’m here. I can’t talk long, but right now we’re secure. I want to get moving again, but I had to let you know what’s going on.”

  “Is it true? Doc Aleksander stored biological weapons on that planet?” Franklin’s voice was tense.

  “I think so. I found a trade agreement with the old king of the Var at the Var palace where I was,” she paused before stating diplomatically, “undercover. I don’t know how much or where it’s at or if it’s even here for sure.”

  “Damn it! That’s not a lot to go on, agent. We need to know what we are up against.” Franklin paused and she could tell he was worried about her. “Listen, why don’t you come back? I’ll find you transportation. You’re not trained for this. We need to send down a science team. There’s nothing more you can do.”

  “I can’t leave. I have a plan. Nadja Aleksander is married to a Draig prince, the rivals to the Var. I’m going to make contact with her, see what she knows. I’m hoping she’ll help us.” Ulyssa frowned, glancing around the forest. The hairs on her neck stood on end. Very carefully, and quietly, she said, “To be safe, I’d send a containment crew in case this gets out. No one should get off this planet alive.”

  “Agent—damn it. Ulyssa, listen to me. If this thing blows, a doctor won’t... We can’t bring you back.”

  “I know, Frank, I know. If it blows, leave me here to die with the rest.” Ulyssa swallowed, terrified about the prospect of dying on Qurilixen. If the weapon were released, she wouldn’t have an antidote.

  “I have a team of specialists on their way. They should be there in less than a week. I want you to concentrate on finding transport off that planet. There is nothing more you ca
n do.”

  “No, Frank, you’re wrong. I can at least try. And what if the weapon’s released before they get here? I can’t spend a week waiting. I have to do something.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I’m staying. I can’t let these people die,” Ulyssa stated. She steeled her nerves and repeated, “I’m staying, and I’ll find that weapon. You’re wrong. Saving innocent lives is exactly what I’m trained for.”

  “But—”

  “No, if it goes off make sure you blow up any ship trying to leave including one I may be on. The risk is too great to the rest of the galaxy. I—I don’t know what we’re up against. Besides, no one should leave, including me. I might already be contaminated.”

  “Damn it,” Franklin swore only to follow the curse with a long string of other ones. Ulyssa smiled at that, drawing a strange feeling of comfort knowing he felt as helpless as she did. “Fine, proceed with your plan. And you be careful, that’s an order.”

  A twinge rolled over Ulyssa’s spine, and she knew she wasn’t alone. There was more she wanted to say to him just in case she never spoke to him again, but there was no time. Reaching into her bag, she felt for a weapon. Keeping her tone light, she said absently, “Gotta go, Frank. Out.”

  “Agent—”

  Franklin’s voice was cut off as she pressed the button, ending the transmission. Without turning around, she called, “I know you’re there. Make yourself known.”

  A light chuckle was her answer.

  Turning around, she saw Falke. He nodded his head in friendly approval though his expression was guarded. “I wondered how long it was going to take you to feel me.”