“The entire building is carved from one piece of Vakan stone,” Will said. “Stone on our planet is a rare thing, Preda. It has to be dredged up from the bedrock of the ocean floor. This place was built generations ago under one of the greatest Vozian rulers to ever live. They named it Hakkan. Translated to English, it means ‘Heart Stone.’” Will hesitated slightly before continuing. “Part of it was destroyed the night you left Vaka. Its hollow space serves as a reminder. We have not attempted to repair it or to rebuild.”
Preda could see that space as the Feria banked around the other side of Hakkan. A large hollow space existed in the middle of the intertwining red stone. The ground there was stark white in contrast. Preda looked at Will and said, “It should be a garden.”
Will looked at her with a sad expression. “The ground there won’t grow anything. We have tried to replace the ground with new soil, and still nothing will take root. Whatever is there turns white and dies.”
Preda looked at the space and knew why. Her parents’ deaths had left a scar in the Heart Stone.
56
An enormous crowd had gathered outside the gates of Hakkan and were waiting for the doors of the Feria to open again. Most of the crew and occupants had already left the ship. Those few left now stood together before the doors and waited to set foot on the planet.
Laney stood next to Jim with Preda and Will at the front of their group. Tamron and Al had left earlier with Macera Vank. They were serving as her personal honor guard. It was befitting the Earth proverb to keep one’s enemies closer. Ukra stood off to the side. She was her usual obsequious self and practically genuflected at every turn. Laney shook her head and ignored her. She concentrated on Preda’s back in front of her.
Laney had just spent the better part of an hour with Preda in her rooms. They had gone over every piece of clothing in Preda’s not inconsiderable wardrobe to find something suitable for this occasion. Preda had thrown out practically every fancy gown in there. She had said they should all be given to someone else. Laney had sighed in frustration, and they had finally settled on a shimmering, flowing green gown. It wasn’t fancy enough for Laney, but it still seemed too much for Preda’s comfort.
Looking at the Vozia now, Laney realized the dress was actually perfect. It matched her shining green eyes exactly. Preda was standing with her long black hair drawn back in a loose tie, and her back was perfectly straight. The only thing not regal about her in this moment was the black one-eared alley cat she had insisted upon carrying with her.
Laney smiled when she thought about the potential Vakan reaction to the furry alien creature. Little did they know that Laney herself was an alien. She was the first human to set foot on Vaka since they had originally been brought over ages before. She thought about that and felt her stomach turn in knots. Jim seemed to sense her discomfort and squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Artem had said she would be more than fine to breathe the air, but it did nothing to diminish the nervousness she felt when the doors started to open and let Vakan air into the ship. Artem had told her the air was very similar in composition to Earth’s. The percentage of oxygen was 32 percent, which was more than the 21 percent enjoyed on Earth. Laney still felt herself tremble when she took her first deep breath. She smiled slightly as she realized the air tasted sweet. It smelled like the ocean—only sharper. There was no salt.
They stepped forward and saw the crowd open up before them seemingly without end. It extended well into the city, and a deafening roar greeted them. Laney could feel it in her bones. Jim fidgeted nervously next to her, and Ukra was wringing her hands. Preda and her watchdog, however, looked as if they were made of stone as they stepped calmly out into the light.
Preda’s dress caught in the wind, and just how perfect it was for this moment once again struck Laney. No one for miles could mistake the green-eyed Vozia—even from a great distance. The group walked out onto the ground in front of Hakkan, and Preda stood with her arms out and eyes closed. She breathed deeply. Fiver had clambered onto her shoulder. The cheering crowd only grew louder. The entire city’s foundation rumbled beneath their feet.
After what seemed like minutes, Preda finally opened her eyes and threw her hand in the air for silence. The response was immediate. It felt to Laney as if the entire planet stood still with bated breath and waited to hear what Preda would say.
They had spoken just before leaving, and she had asked Preda what she was going to say to address the crowd. Preda had shaken her head. Even the Vozia hadn’t known what she was going to say. Tamron had told them it didn’t need to be much. The official coronation ceremony would be the following day. He had then mumbled about having to teach Preda the words to the song and walked away.
Laney watched now in a silence that made this moment feel like suspended animation. Even the wind died down, and Preda lowered her arms. Then she did something unexpected. She started to hum a lullaby. It was soft at first, but then her voice broke through it. It was the song Laney had been told Preda had been humming when she had walked into the caves of Deception Island. It was her coronation song.
No one had taught her the words. They were Vakan words, but Preda knew them all the same. Her voice was flawless as she poured her entire being into the song. Laney felt her vision blur at the edges. There was only that song with its haunting melody, and it filled her entire being. The words were simple and meant only one thing. She was binding her life to the Vakan people—her life for theirs.
57
Tamron Kait stood next to Macera Vank and watched as Preda started to sing. The Feria was swirling next to her as if it was drinking in radiation. His throat felt tight as he listened to the words no one had taught her. He knew that wasn’t true, though. Preda’s mother had sung those words to her as an infant. He wondered how she could possibly remember them.
Tamron wasn’t the only Vakan in the crowd overcome with emotion. Nearly everyone listening was moved to tears by the time Preda had finished—everyone except Macera Vank. She watched Preda with hatred in her eyes. The woman had still been careful not to speak in front of them, but Tamron suspected she still had her tongue.
His suspicions were confirmed when Preda finished. Macera started screaming. “Lies!” she yelled in a voice hoarse from lack of use.
Tamron wrapped her in his arms and pulled Macera away from the crowd before it could turn on her in the form of a mob.
“The Vozia lies!” she continued to rant. “She will manipulate you. She will manipulate all of you!”
Macera kicked and screamed to get free of Tamron’s grip. Tamron had just managed to subdue her when the crowd around him rushed forward on top of them. Al fought them off with one arm, but Macera slipped from Tamron’s grasp. She and the rest of the Vank contingent ran for cover. Tamron growled as he threw more than one spectator aside and tried to pursue Macera in vain. It was too late. She had bolted toward the inner city and was already lost in its shadows.
He looked up at Preda in time to see his son ushering her into Hakkan. The other three followed closely on his heels. His Kait soldiers closed the gates behind them. At least they were safe. He assessed his surroundings and saw the rest of the crowd was moving slowly but reluctantly back toward the city.
Tamron gave the signal for his remaining soldiers to move out toward the city as well. They were to report back to him on any word of Macera’s whereabouts but take no action. He then moved back toward Hakkan and found Percin Vank just as he was getting into a cable car.
“I expect you’ll let us know if she shows up at your house,” Tamron said to him before Percin could shut the door. It was not a request.
Percin nodded seriously. “Of course, Tamron. I’ll see you tomorrow at the coronation.”
Tamron exchanged a glance with Al, and the two moved toward Hakkan to check on the palace’s internal situation. He was eager to evaluate and inspect the Kait soldiers who had been left
behind to hold the fort.
Tamron kept his face stern as he inspected the barracks and security detail. He felt a deep swell of pride as he looked them over, but they could never know that. Al could tell them what good jobs they had been doing later. It was Tamron’s job to never be satisfied.
The palace soldiers had lined up outside the barracks in the training yard along the side of Hakkan. These soldiers had been chosen specifically to guard the palace in Tamron’s absence. It was still a particularly high-risk location for attack, even when there wasn’t a Vozia residing in it. The soldiers had been outfitted in licre since Tamron had been gone.
He flicked at the metal plating on the shoulder of one particularly nervous Landi. Tamron thought he remembered this boy as being especially promising—for a Landi. It looked as if he had filled out since then. Tamron tried to keep the smile off his face when he noted the boy was still quivering in his boots.
Once at the end of the rows of men and women, Tamron turned to Al and proclaimed, “They still need work.”
With that he left Al to order them to clean up and report back to their active guard posts. He immediately moved to report to the supplies depot. The first order of business was to get suited with one of those licre-laced uniforms. The second was to find Preda. She should be recovered enough to go over the details of what she would say tomorrow. There would be no more surprises from that girl if Tamron could help it.
58
Preda felt slightly dizzy but was otherwise fine. Laney joked that it must be all that oxygen they weren’t used to. Preda knew it was that ridiculous singing display she had performed outside of Heart Stone. She had never sung anything before in her life—not even in the shower. It must have sounded awful. She was pretty sure no one would be honest with her if it had been, though. Will only laughed when she asked him about it.
He brought her to yet another set of opulent rooms and had told her this was going to be her new permanent home. Fiver didn’t seem to mind. He had settled in comfortably on a fancy divan across from her. The most amazing thing about the rooms was the balcony next to her bed. She was at least three stories high in one branch of the stone tentacles. The balcony opened up before the green ocean. It was breathtaking.
Preda looked around at her friends in her sitting room and noticed Ukra standing in the corner. She was looking at her feet as usual. The girl was just as nervous as she had been the day Preda took her in under her protection. No amount of gentle coaxing seemed to calm her. Preda started to stand to walk over to her, and both Jim and Will moved to help her. She scoffed and waved them off. “I won’t fall,” she said and then paused. “Again.”
There would be a large bruise on her knee from where she had walked into the table in her room earlier. The bruise on her ego was slightly bigger.
“Ukra,” Preda said and walked toward her. “Do you have family you would like to stay with while on Vaka? You are more than welcome to stay with me if you like.”
Talking to Ukra was like talking to a wounded animal sometimes.
“I think I would like to stay here,” Ukra said. “If that’s OK with you, of course,” she quickly added.
Preda smiled. “Of course it’s OK with me.”
Preda reached out her hand to take Ukra’s and lead her over to where the others were sitting. Ukra shook her head at Preda’s proffered hand and stammered, “I feel tired. May I go find a room?”
Preda nodded, and Will got up and asked one of the guards standing in the hall to take Ukra to her room. Shortly after Preda sat down again, a knock at the door came. Foxy and Al came in and sat down in uniforms that looked as if they had shiny metal overlays.
Jim noticed and asked, “Is that licre?”
Al nodded. “It’s just as light as the old uniform.”
Jim whistled in appreciation and looked at Will. “We have to go get some of those uniforms, Will.”
He nodded and said to Preda, “I’m going to go visit the barracks and get outfitted. You’ll be all right here with Tamron and Al?”
Preda laughed a little. “I think we can lengthen the leash. I’ve been training anyway. Remember?” She winked at Jim.
The two left, and Preda was stuck with the others, going over exactly what she should say at the ceremony the next day. Apparently she had already ruined it by singing the song early, and Foxy was not going to tolerate off-script antics tomorrow. Preda had no idea where she got the words, but strangely she knew exactly what they meant.
As the lecture from Tamron continued, Laney and Al interjected occasionally with tidbits here and there. They spoke and rehearsed well into the evening and had dinner in Preda’s rooms. She had not been surprised to find that one of her rooms was a dining room. When Jim and Will returned, Preda was exhausted and asked if she could go to bed.
Jim laughed at her. “The Vozia is asking us if she can go to bed!”
He shook his head and left. Will was the last to leave. “I’ll be right next door if you need me—just like on the Feria.”
Preda nodded. “I’ll be all right.”
As he was shutting the door behind him, Will turned. “Preda?”
“Yes?”
“What you did today…the singing. That was the most amazing thing I have ever heard in my entire life.”
He shut the door before she could reply.
That night Preda didn’t dream of floating in space. She dreamed she was a black featherless bird flying in the middle of white birds over a green glistening ocean. She could feel the cool, sweet air lift and carry her effortlessly through the clouds. Suddenly the air felt hot, and she looked down to see the ocean was on fire.
The people burning below were no longer strangers as they had been in her previous dreams. They had faces. They were the Vakans she knew. This time when Preda hit the water, it was because she intentionally dived straight into the fire. She left the white birds behind.
Preda bolted upright in bed and gasped for air. Fiver was hissing and growling on the bed next to her. As she caught her breath, she coughed involuntarily and realized the smell of smoke was not coming from her dream. The room was full of smoke, and the air felt hot.
Preda threw the covers off and grabbed Fiver. She ran to the door leading out into the hallway, and the handle felt hot to the touch. Smoke was curling under the doorway, and she knew that way was not an option. The only other way out was the balcony.
59
Will woke up to the feeling of panic and then relief. Preda was having nightmares again. He considered going over to make sure she didn’t need anything, but dismissed the idea as he always did. That would be an invasion of her privacy.
He tossed the blanket off himself. His room felt particularly warm, and he decided to get up and open the window next to his bed. The ocean breeze instantly made him feel cooler. Just as he was about to get back in bed, a noise off to his left made him look toward Preda’s balcony. It was approximately fifty feet away from his own window. Preda was standing on her balcony in her robe with the cat in her arms.
Something was wrong. He was instantly awake and felt her rising panic. Before he could yell for her, she did something incredibly uncharacteristic. She leaned over the railing and lowered the cat as far as she could before letting him drop into the bushes below. The cat appeared unharmed after his fall. Then Preda hiked up her robe to make the jump herself. Will yelled for her at the top of his lungs, and she stopped. She looked at him. “Will! There’s a fire!”
He told her to stay still, and then ducked back into his own room. He noticed the smoke and rising temperature. It was coming from the hallway. He couldn’t get to her except from the outside. He ducked his head back outside and yelled, “Preda, don’t move!”
Will cursed while he furiously grabbed the bedcovers and tied them to a table anchored underneath the large windowsill. He had no time to test it. He just swung out of the window. He
belatedly realized a shirt would have been nice as his body slammed into the rough stone from the momentum of his jump. Will had no time to feel the scrapes, and he dropped down to the end of the blanket. He dropped down the rest of the way, landing hard and rolled quickly to his feet. He ran over to stand underneath Preda’s balcony. The cat was frantically pacing in circles on the ground underneath. Will held his arms out and yelled to her. “Preda, jump with your feet out.”
Will later considered what kind of bravery and trust that must have required on her part, because Preda didn’t hesitate. She jumped with her feet pointing outward, and Will caught her, falling backwards with her momentum. Preda stumbled to her feet and scooped Fiver up in her arms, with Will not far behind.
They looked back up at the Heart Stone and saw that the flames were now visible from the balcony itself. The fire had quickly spread into her room.
“We have to get everyone out,” she yelled. “Isn’t there a fire alarm?”
Will shook his head. Because of Vaka’s inherent humidity and the predominance of metal structures with very little electricity used within buildings, fires were rare and never spontaneous.
Preda growled something under her breath about changing that policy and ran toward the ocean. She put the cat down along the way, but Fiver followed on her heels. Will wanted to run inside to help, but he had to stay with Preda. This was intentional, and whoever had done it had likely planned to smoke the Vozia out.
When he caught up to her, Preda was standing at the edge of the island overlooking the ocean. Her eyes were practically glowing green in the moonlight, and the wind was blowing her hair in every direction. She was staring intently at a spot in the water. She looked insane.
Will was anxiously looking back at Hakkan and could see some people making their way out of the building, but screams could still be heard from inside. The soldiers in the barracks were waking up now and running toward the flames with buckets in hands. Suddenly from behind Will, Preda lifted her arms and started screaming.
Preda's Voice (Guardians of Vaka Book 1) Page 23
