by Tenaya Jayne
"This doesn't look like the work of the insurgents."
Kindel shook his head in agreement. "This looks personal. Or the work of someone crazed. I guess we'll know soon enough. If they strike again… How hard do you want to pursue this? I mean, just between you and me, you were going to sentence Zefyre to death anyway, right?"
Forest sighed and stood up. "Don't prey on my weaknesses, Kindel."
"I'm sorry, that was out of line. It's just that we've lost Redge. And there are new reports of deaths and disappearances by the insurgents every day."
Forest paced a few times behind her desk. "It feels strange… My whole job is strange."
Kindel raised an eyebrow but didn't ask her what she meant.
"Did you know Zefyre was my aunt?"
"No. I didn't…um, I'm sorry?"
Forest snorted. "I'm not trying to be obtuse. I'm just thinking out loud."
"Well, can you save your feminine conundrums for Syrus and speak plain and bluntly to me?"
She rubbed her temple and smirked. "I'm not sure I can manage that today. My mind's all over the place." She paced a few more times. "I'd feel a lot better about everything if Rahaxeris was back… Has the insurgent that was caught at the Onyx Castle been transferred over here yet?"
"Yes. Last night. Are you planning to question him yourself?"
"I'm considering it. Stop looking at me like that. So, I'm not the most skilled interrogator. I still want to see if he'll talk to me. I want to watch him speak. I want to see his eyes and movements. I want to hear from one of them what Copernicus is like."
"Do you want me to send in the boys to break him down a bit before you make your attempt?"
Forest pursed her lips. "No. I don't think…"
A knock sounded on the door, and Ena stuck her head in. "Sorry to interrupt. Someone named Merick is out here, says he knows you. I told him you were busy, and he needed to make an appointment, but he insisted it's urgent. Should I send him away?"
"Merick?"
Ena nodded her head.
"No, don't send him away. Just give me a minute."
"Yes, ma'am." Ena closed the door.
"Is Merick an old friend of yours?" Kindel asked.
"More of a friend of a friend. If he doesn't take up much of my time, I'll need you back before lunch. And since I've been blacklisted from the Onyx castle, for my own safety, please send word to Zeren that I need to see him."
Kindel inclined his head and left the office.
For one terrible moment, Forest imagined the only reason Merick would be here to talk to her was because something bad had happened at the Fair. All the time she'd spent at the Fair in the past hadn't matured a real friendship between her and Merick, even though she'd known him as long as she'd known Tek. She didn't have anything against him; they neither gelled nor repelled each other.
As he came in, she immediately noted the desperation in his eyes.
"I'm sorry for coming here like this, Forest. But there's no one else who can help me."
"What's happened? Have the insurgents—"
"No. No, nothing like that."
Forest exhaled, relieved.
"It's Netriet."
"Netriet? I didn't know you knew her. She disappeared from my house well over a year ago. Where is she?"
"I wish I knew… That's why I'm here. I think something terrible has happened to her."
"Why do you think that?"
"She's found her life mate."
"Well, that's wonderful."
"No!" Merick exploded. "It's awful! It like some kind of bogus trick. And I think he's hurt her."
"Life mates don't hurt each other."
"He's a Rune-dy! She said his name is Baal."
Forest raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"I don't even think it's possible. I mean they're like incapable, or eunuchs, or something."
"If that were the case, I wouldn't exist. But I know Baal. He sort of works with me some of the time. He hasn't said a word about finding life mate bliss. But why are you so tied into knots about this? What makes this urgent?"
"She's in danger."
"How?"
Merick looked down and pressed his hands to the sides of his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" he muttered.
"Merick, what?"
"Netriet killed Zefyre. She confessed it to me, two days ago."
Forest narrowed her eyes at him, trying to process what he said. "It was revenge…Baal must have taken her there... He seemed very interested that I had Zefyre and Lush on house arrest…" Forest crossed her arms over her chest, scrutinizing him closely. "You obviously care about her, Merick. Why have you betrayed her confidence?"
"Because she'll be safer in jail than with him. I need help finding her. She was at the Fair, and then she was gone, taken right from under my nose. Taken from my bed."
Forest leaned back in her chair. "Taken from your bed? That's interesting. How are you able to have an affair with a mated woman?"
"It's not really an affair, not technically, but that's exactly what I mean… She's not really mated to him. He's using her for something. It's a trick. He's already operated on her."
"What?" Forest was on her feet. "What do you mean operated?"
"She's got this new arm, it's robotic, or something."
Forest cursed under her breath. "When the cat is away, the mice will play."
"Huh?"
"Earth saying. Never mind. All right, I'll help you find her. Not just because she's now a murder suspect, but because I think you're right, and there's more here than what meets the eye. Baal's not going to be that easy to find, wherever he's got her tucked away. Rune-dy can open portals at will. Luckily for us, portals can be tracked."
"How?"
"I'm sure my ogre friend, Merhl, can trace it. I'll send for him and meet you at the Fair. Baal took her from your tent?"
"Yeah."
"Then that's where we start."
As soon as Merick left, Forest strapped on her new sword and scabbard. But she needed more than that to feel she had any edge over Baal if it came to violence. Opening the safe in her desk drawer, she pulled out the only gun she'd ever brought into Regia. She still firmly believed guns and Regia should not mix, and she'd contemplated getting rid of it many times. But a tickle in her gut told her she needed every advantage she could give herself. The only reason she didn't want to bring a group with her was her desire to keep Netriet's dignity intact, if she could.
****
Forest and Merick stood back and watched Merhl work. Merick held still, but Forest could feel the waves of unrest rolling off him. Merhl walked in a circle around the tent's room, his hand outstretched, his fingers spread. Merhl combed through the air, making his circle smaller and smaller.
"Ah, there it is," he said. He pulled on the invisible thread and examined it closely, his face dragging in concentration.
"Powerful individual who created this, Forest. No doubt about that. But it's sloppy work. He must have been in a hurry. It's a good thing you brought me here now, the signature is almost gone."
"But you can still trace it, right?" Merick demanded, his composure slipping.
Merhl didn't answer. He continued to look at what they couldn't see, his frown deepening. "I can re-open it, but I have to break the Strata to do it. To catch a stronger thread."
"You have to what?" Forest asked.
Merhl smiled at her. "Don't worry, patching the Strata will be easy when I'm done."
"I've never heard of what you're talking about," Merick said.
"Layers. The layers of our world. You two can't see them or change them. All you can do is travel through them on roads others make for you. Ogres make roads. Ogres see the layers."
Forest smiled at the look on Merick's face. "I know what you're thinking. That you've known many ogres in your life and none have ever said anything like this."
"Yeah," Merick admitted.
"There's no ogre in Regia to match Merhl."
"Wait," Merick said, moving forward. He opened the trunk at the end of his bed and fished out a handful of throwing stars and a wicked-looking dagger. He resumed his place next to Forest, tucking his weapons into his clothing.
Forest watched him with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. "Watch yourself, Merick. I don't want to have to arrest you when this is over."
He returned her gaze defiantly and smirked. "You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do."
Forest shrugged. "All right, Merhl, I'll use my ring to get us back. You don't have to wait around."
"My lady is heading into danger. I am going too."
"Oh, no, Merhl. You don't need to do that. I'm sure that—"
"I'm going, or I won't open anything for you."
"We're wasting time," Merck said through his teeth.
"All right. Fine. Let's get this over with."
Merhl smiled, raising both of his hands to shoulder height. "You might want to cover your ears. Breaking the Strata will be loud."
Forest and Merick covered their ears.
Merhl pressed on the air with palms. Forest could almost see the invisible layer bow in, almost. A ripple went out around his hands. He took a deep breath and drew one fingernail in a long jagged line. Forest and Merick cringed at the sound and pressed their hands harder on their ears. It was like glass scratching. Then Merhl reared back and punched the center of the line he’d just drawn. Terrible high-pitched shattering that simultaneously sounded like screaming filled the tent. They were pushed backward by the gust of wind coming from the transparent hole.
Merhl reached in, grasped something, and pulled it back. He shook the end of the thread and wound it once around his hand. Black smoke erupted from the thread. Merhl unwound it, shook it again, and pulled the portal open.
"Hurry!" he shouted to them.
Forest and Merick charged in, and Merhl followed. It was the first time Forest had run through a portal. The whole thing shook like a rope bridge over a ravine, falling into nothingness right behind their feet. She rolled as she hit the ground. Merick was less fortunate, having Merhl come down on his foot as he tumbled out. The portal shook violently and split into thirds before turning to smoke.
Forest drew her sword, looking at her surroundings. It seemed empty. The three of them moved together, back-to-back without speaking.
"Someone left a while ago," Merhl said quietly. "A portal was opened over there. Maybe an hour ago."
"Then we follow it," Merick said.
"Wait. We search every inch of this place first."
"But there's no one here," Merick argued. "There's nothing but this room."
"You're wrong," Merhl said. "Look closer. This place has many secrets."
"Baal?" Forest called out. "Are you here?" Her voice bounced around the domed cave.
Merick grabbed Forest by the forearm. "Did you hear that?"
"I hear crying," Merhl said. "She's here."
"Netriet!" Merick shouted. "Where are you?"
Her voice was muffled, barely audible. They all moved forward, searching.
"Here!" Merhl called from behind a wall of shelves. "There's a door."
Forest and Merick fell in behind Merhl, their weapons raised as Merhl forced open the black door. Shock didn't begin to cover it. Of all the things any of them imagined they would find, this was so far beyond the pale. Forest could only imagine the level of humiliation Netriet felt.
"Merick," Netriet sobbed as she covered herself with the fur pelt. "You found me."
He ran at the cage and began prying at the door. "It's locked. Help me!" he shouted at Forest and Merhl.
Merhl moved forward, but Forest stood back, her sword raised, keeping watch on the main room from the doorway. The door came open easily under Merhl's hands.
Merick reached in to Netriet, but she shrank back from him, shaking her head, and crying. "I can't. He collared me. I don't know if I can leave the cage. It might kill me."
"What do we do?"
"We can't do anything until we know the parameters of the order he put on the collar."
Merick looked desperately at Merhl. "Can't you do anything?"
Merhl pushed Merick to the side and reached into the cage. Netriet held out her black hand to him and showed him the collar. He ran his long fingers over the stone as it swirled black and grey. "It's engaged. I can't do anything. I could remove it if I were a wizard."
"Then let's cut off that arm," Merick suggested.
Netriet pulled her arm back against her body. "No! I've already lost an arm to that thing. I'm not giving up this one."
"Too many unknowns," Forest said. "Baal might have thought of that. Plus, none of us even knows where the devil that arm came from anyway. It's out of our depth."
"So what do we do?" Merick demanded.
"We wait for the blackguard to return."
"Well, we can unchain her other hand, right?"
"Cruel as it may seem, I think it's best to leave her as she is, in case the order on the collar is affected by that as well," Forest said.
"Come on, I don't think—"
"She's right," Netriet said.
Merick looked at Forest. The pain of leaving Netriet as she was seized in his eyes. "I'm going to kill him, Forest."
"Calm down. We have to get him to remove the collar before anything can befall him. Then, your claim on his life steps on my jurisdiction. And no offense, as passionate as you are, I'm not sure you're up to the challenge of killing Baal."
Merick pulled his shoulders back and sniffed at her. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
Forest shrugged and turned her attention back to the main room. He was in love. She got it. She just didn't want to see him die. They waited in silence for a while. Merhl moved out of the small space and walked around the main room, looking at things and feeling the air. After a few minutes, Forest noticed both Merick and Netriet staring at her sword.
Forest smiled and answered the questions they hadn't yet asked. "Self-healing glass from the Obsidian Mountain infused with Syrus' power."
"It's beautiful," Netriet said.
"It's scary," Merick added.
"Damn straight," Forest agreed.
A crackling noise alerted them to the portal before it opened. Baal sauntered out of it. His relaxed expression turned to surprise and fear. He turned on his heel and darted back to the portal that still hung open. Merhl brought his hand down over it like a Karate chop, closing it. Baal raised his hand to open another portal, but Merhl grabbed him in a bear hug, pinning his arms to his sides.
Baal began spluttering out questions. "How did you get in here? How dare you? Let me go!"
Forest and Merick came forward. Merick began shouting curses and orders at Baal. Forest thrust her sword under Baal's chin. He observed the blade closely, apprehension filling his face. He looked Forest in the eyes, completely ignoring Merick's shouting.
"What do you think you're doing, Forest?"
"We're here for Netriet, and we're not leaving without her. You're going to remove the collar and unchain her, fifty shades."
"Netriet is my mate. What we do in the privacy of our home is our business."
"She's not your mate!" Merick shouted.
Baal looked at Merick and smiled sweetly. "I see you. I can see everything about you, you washed up cripple. When I'm finished with Netriet, you're welcome to what remains of her, not that there will be much, if anything, left."
Merick slammed his elbow into Baal's jaw causing his head to jerk to the side and his chin to tap the edge of Forest's blade. He hissed in pain through gritted teeth as blood gushed from the wound and ran down his neck.
Baal's eyes turned murderously back on Forest. "You'd better hope that doesn't leave a scar."
Netriet whimpered in the background, drawing everybody's attention back on her. For
est pulled her sword back and pointed the tip right under Baal's left eye.
"Here's what's going to happen, Baal. We are all going in there together. You're going to remove the collar, and then we'll be on our way."
"And if I don't? What are you going to do then, Forest?"
Forest smiled. "I'm going to step back and become very interested in a crack on the wall while Merick kills you."
Baal raised one eyebrow and smirked at her. "I'm impressed. This is the first time I've seen you have any of your father's ruthlessness… All right, all right, back your attack dogs off. I'll turn the little wench loose. I've really no use or interest in her anymore."
Merhl didn't let go of Baal. Instead, he carried him into the other room, keeping his arms pinned to his sides.
"I need my hands to remove the collar," Baal said irritably.
"He only needs one," Netriet contradicted.
Merhl dropped Baal to his feet, keeping a firm grasp on his left wrist, while Forest and Merick stood at his sides, both of them holding their blades at the ready. Baal reached and grabbed Netriet's black hand. His eyes quickly darted from side to side, and Forest got a bad feeling in her gut. It was possible he could give the collar the order to kill Netriet.
Still holding her sword with one hand, she pulled out the 9 mm from her waistband, cocked it, and shoved the barrel behind Baal's ear.
"Don't get cute," she warned.
Baal cringed a fraction away from the metal of the gun. He wrapped his hand around the collar and closed his eyes. The metal spikes slid back into the ring with a clink, and Baal pulled the collar off her finger. He quickly tucked the collar into the folds of his robe.
"I don't think so, Baal. Give me that," Forest ordered.
"So now you're going to rob me, too?" His voice grew petulant.
Forest nodded to Merick, who plucked the collar out of Baal's robe. Merhl recaptured Baal's free hand and took him back into the main room. Netriet sighed in relief as she flexed her fingers.
Merick looked at Forest. "Could you give us a minute alone? I'm sure I can handle the chain on her wrist on my own."
She nodded and put her 9 mm back into her waistband. "Just a minute. We need to wrap this up quickly before Baal thinks of something."
Forest walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
