by Gwynn White
She sighed. Then she hesitantly, carefully reached for the woman’s light. It met her with an eagerness she hadn’t experienced before. If the woman had a mental shield, she was obviously experienced enough to remove it on demand.
Ember scanned through the woman’s memories. She did have a daughter, but the girl was a teenager. She pushed forward to the less-sure edges of the light, then pulled back with a gasp.
“Your daughter isn’t missing,” Ember said, not bothering to hide the accusation in her voice. “She went off to join the Union. You already knew that.” The full effect of what she’d seen hit her hard. “You’re with the Union too.”
“Keep your voice down,” Amai whispered. “They monitor you day and night. If you look up, you’ll see the cameras.”
Ember had noticed them within minutes of her arrival. “Why did you lie to me?”
“They asked me to investigate a rumor. A powerful flicker, someone who broke a testing machine. It has to be you.”
“So you’re sizing up the competition.”
“No, we’re making you an offer. We want you to join us.”
Ember groaned. “And leave one side to fight for another? How many times do I have to tell you people? I don’t want to be involved in your war. I’m not a weapon, and I’m tired of being used. I just want to get home.”
“To Earth. Yes, we know where you’re from, and we know about your village. Commander Kane recently sent a testing team in. Last I heard they were still there. We can’t keep everyone safe, but we can retrieve your immediate family. Assuming you agree to join us.”
Dai.
Excitement rose in Ember’s chest, but she stamped it down. “And what would be expected of me?”
“We can’t get you out yet. We’ll need you to be a special agent for a while, gathering intelligence and trying to minimize damage to our forces until we can send a unit in to get you. It will probably be a few more days. After that, your specific role will be determined by the Daughter herself.”
“The Daughter? Who’s that?”
“We’ll answer all your questions when we can.” She cut off quickly, then rushed on. “Kane is almost here. Do you agree or not?”
Joining the Union couldn’t possibly be worse than working for the Empire. That much was clear. And if Kane’s team hadn’t found Dai yet, the Union could whisk him away to safety.
Dread formed in her belly at the lack of information, but she ignored it for now. They were offering her everything she wanted. “I’ll join you if you get my dai—I mean my father—somewhere safe. His name is Nicholae. Oh, and my friend Bianca and her son. And husband.”
“I was told immediate family only.”
“Those are my terms. It’s only four people.” She wasn’t sure how Bianca would feel about being torn from her home, but Ember couldn’t risk her friend’s safety, especially when she was so vulnerable. Ember owed her that much.
Footsteps and voices sounded in the corridor.
“I’ll do what I can.” The hatch snapped closed.
Kane’s voice echoed outside her door. He had seen Amai looking through the hatch. They exchanged low voices for a moment.
“You will report to Commander Furough’s office for disciplinary action immediately,” he finally said.
“Yes, sir.”
A click sounded in the door and it slid open. Kane entered alone with a broad grin, as if completely unconcerned about her ability. He strode to the seating area and plopped down into an overstuffed chair.
“Sit,” he said. “I’ve spoken with your village chief, and he had a very interesting story to tell about you. It seems my theory is correct about your gift.”
As always, she folded her arms and remained standing. “Gift? You imply that it was given to me, yet you deny the source. The stars didn’t mean for it to be used in this way. I’m not a killer.”
“I assure you, if you cross me in any way, your village will pay for it. That’s exactly 462 deaths on your head. That’s not including the three gypsy lives you took a few years ago. I suppose you could say the rest are depending on you for their lives now.”
She flinched, her earlier dread weighing heavy in her stomach. He knew everything.
If she escaped with the Union, there was a chance Dai and Bianca would be okay. But was it worth the deaths of everyone else to accomplish it? There was no way the Union would agree to rescue the entire village. It was too dangerous.
Ember felt the hands closing around her throat again.
“Your defiance up till now has been admirable. Foolish, but still admirable. Things are about to change. As my special assistant, you’ll be doing a great service for the emperor. The entire realm, really. Our enemies have done terrible things, committed atrocities you can’t imagine. They’ve destroyed entire worlds full of people without a second glance.”
The Union had destroyed worlds? Of course Kane would see it that way. “Have they murdered a village full of innocent settlers just to make a point?”
“This isn’t about avoiding death, gypsy girl. It’s about choosing who lives—the peaceful cities of our Empire or a group of coldhearted killers.”
“I don’t see why there has to be a choice at all.”
His smile wavered just a bit, then he stood. “Whether you agree with my methods or not, your training begins tomorrow. When you’re ready, we’ll give the emperor a demonstration of your power. If you refuse to cooperate, your village and everyone in it will be burned to the ground. But don’t worry too much. You’ll still have somewhere else to go.” A dark glint entered his eyes.
His words felt like acid to her ears. “That will never happen.”
“We’ll see.”
He made his way to the door. It opened to reveal several anxious guards standing outside. Amai wasn’t there.
The door clicked closed behind him, and Ember was alone once again.
19
Ember spent the rest of the day pacing, and she couldn’t sleep that night. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw home. Soldiers running about, shooting people down and setting buildings on fire. Kane standing there laughing.
Every time a noise outside her door roused her, she sat up and listened for Amai’s voice. Ember had to talk to the woman, tell her she’d changed her mind. Either they agreed to protect the entire village or she wouldn’t cooperate.
To her disappointment, Amai never returned.
A tray of breakfast was shoved through the hatch the next morning, but Ember didn’t eat anything. She sat at the desk, trying every possible combination of passwords and terms. She tried taking a shower, but the hot water just reminded her how far she was from home. Ember even tried talking to the guard outside, but he refused to respond. She touched his inner light and pulled back in disappointment. His defenses were rock hard.
The door opened without warning. Ember stood to face two guards.
“We’re to take you to Commander Kane’s office,” the woman said. It wasn’t Amai. The guard’s companion held out the clamps expectantly.
With a sigh, Ember allowed him to lock them over her wrists. Then they set off.
The corridors looked much the same as in the station—one dizzying hallway after another. The Empire liked things uniform and dreadfully dull, it seemed. They turned several corners, rode a lift upward, and then emerged into a much emptier corridor. They took her directly to the last door, where the woman swiped her wristband and let them in.
Commander Kane sat at a conference table, another man sitting to his right. Ember blinked and stumbled, nearly tripping over her own feet.
Stefan?
He gave her a grim smile, but there was nothing happy in his expression. Stefan seemed resigned more than anything. His eye was discolored as if he’d recently had a black eye, and he moved carefully.
But he was alive.
“Gypsy girl,” Kane said, waving the guards away. “We were just talking about you. Come sit down.”
Ember’s gaze hadn’t left
Stefan. She watched him for any indication of what was happening, but he refused to meet her gaze.
“The emperor was concerned about your loyalties, gypsy girl,” Kane said. “He requested that I ensure you’re to be trusted since you’ll be serving so closely with some of his highest officers. There is only one way to be sure. I believe you two know each other.”
Of course he knew that. There had to be plenty of footage of their evenings together. The Empire would have tracked everything. The only thing she didn’t know was how much Kane had overheard.
Kane motioned to Stefan. “Please.”
Stefan didn’t hesitate. He gestured to the chair across from him. “This will be easier if you sit and relax.”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on, Stefan?” Ember asked, her stomach dropping at his morose expression.
“I’m going to read you.”
Ember shot a glare at the commander, who sat back, looking rather pleased with himself. Then she understood. Kane didn’t care what Ember had chosen to do. All he wanted to know was whether she would really cooperate or not. Even if she committed to him now, she could still turn on him later. This way he would know for certain.
And who better to perform the reading than the one person Ember trusted? It was the perfect way to crush any remaining hope she still held.
“This isn’t necessary,” Ember said, scrambling for her fragile emotional shield once more. If Stefan told Kane she’d been making deals with the Union, it would be the end of the village. She had no doubt Kane would make good on his threats. All of them. She locked her eyes on Stefan. “You promised you would never read me without permission.”
“If I promised that, I shouldn’t have,” was all he said. “Are you going to stand, then?”
Anger sparked inside her, and she strengthened her mental shield against him. How dare he betray her, set aside all they had shared? How had she allowed herself to trust this man? The way he stared at the ground, almost like she was a stranger . . .
Stefan’s features relaxed for a full minute. Ember tried to sense his touch on her light, but she couldn’t feel anything. Just a slight brush on her shield. Was it strong enough to keep him out? She found herself breathing hard, tensed as if ready to spring. She wondered if the door was locked or if she could make an escape right now. But, no, there would be guards outside.
Stefan’s eyes finally focused and he settled his gaze on her. The emotions she read there were complicated. Warmth, a certain ache. Sadness.
And something else. He was giving her a warning look.
He turned to the commander, and then the expression was gone. “I saw her at your side, sir. She loves her people too much to abandon them. She’ll align herself to your will on their behalf.”
Kane nodded, not seeming surprised. “Thank you, Stefan. I’m pleased you made it to combat training. I’m sure your service here will greatly please your parents and the emperor, long may he live.”
“I hope so, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
Stefan walked swiftly out, leaving her alone with the commander.
Ember stared after him.
“The highest families are the most loyal,” the commander said. He clasped his hands together. “Now that we have that settled, it’s time for a little test.”
For some reason, Kane felt it necessary to move them to a large room with a window. He locked the door behind her, sending a chill down her back. She reached out and felt only a few dim lights, all several rooms away. Kane had cleared the surrounding hallways of any guards. So they wouldn’t overhear, perhaps?
Ember’s heart raced as she scanned the room, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. A desk with a screen. Several chairs, most of which were too soft, even if she could throw them any significant distance. Several cupboards set into the opposite wall with keypads. Nothing unusual for an office.
“There now,” Kane said, sitting at his desk. “Let’s see where you are in your training. You will obey my every order with exactness and immediate obedience. Do you understand?”
She eyed the door, half hoping Stefan would break through and say it was all a lie. But she knew that wouldn’t change anything. Stefan had just confirmed what she already knew—her destiny was at Kane’s side.
Her insides twisted at the thought.
“I asked you a question.”
“Yes, sir,” she managed.
“Excellent. Now reach out with your mind and extend outward as far as possible. Feel your shipmates but push farther than that if you can. Tell me how many ships are around us and where they are.”
She closed her eyes, but her body shook too much to focus. She took a deep breath and began to hum, and finally she began to relax. She convinced herself she was somewhere else, far from here. She was home and safe.
“Six,” she finally said, not trying to hide her surprise. She’d never tried to read from any significant distance before. Yet the people in those ships may as well have been right in front of her. Their lights blended together a bit from here, but if she focused enough she could separate them. “Two in front and four behind. And we’re all moving, traveling somewhere together.”
“Good.” He sounded almost giddy now. “Now look for one called the Mandilyn. Tell me about the captain.”
She jumped from ship to ship, then finally settled on the farthest one, a fighter with a crew of forty and several squads of soldiers. This vessel was meant for ground combat. Strange that they’d be so far from a planet.
“Captain Lois Vaughn,” she said. “An older lady with forty years’ experience in battle.” A kind woman, a survivor. She’d joined the military after her son’s death. So much war, so many lives saved and lost at this woman’s hands.
Ember felt her tension give way to relief. The commander didn’t mean to attack Ember, or he would have done it already. He was just helping her extend her reach, probe deeper and farther. She could handle—
“Now extinguish her.”
Ember’s eyes flew open, and her humming stopped. “What?”
“That’s a direct order. Do it now.”
Ember stared at him. Surely he hadn’t just ordered her to murder the woman. “But, sir—”
“You didn’t just say ‘but,’” Kane snapped. “This is what comes of a woman with absolutely no prior military training. When I issue an order, the only appropriate response is ‘Yes, sir.’ Now, I’ll say it one more time. Extinguish the woman you just described.”
His words were a jumble in her frantic mind. She saw herself once more, standing next to this man in the window. Her mother’s death had been a terrible, horrifying accident. That assassin had been self-defense. But this? This was murder. And this wasn’t her, no matter what her future said.
She drew herself together and looked the commander in the eye. “No. I won’t do it.”
His response was unexpected. Rather than leaping up and beating her into submission, he sat quietly. “Very well,” he said, almost sounding bored. Then he stabbed something on the desk screen. “Assistance needed in my office, please.”
“Right away, sir,” Talon’s unmistakable voice said.
“Now where did I put that thing?” Kane muttered to himself, almost as if Ember wasn’t even there. The commander stood and made his way to the cabinets on the far wall. He placed his hand on the security screen, then punched in a code. The door clicked open, and he retrieved a small black bundle as the office door slid open.
Talon stepped inside and saluted. “Sir.”
Kane slammed the cabinet closed and handed Talon the bundle. “Place this on the gypsy girl’s neck, just at the throat. This sensor goes right on the spine.” He shook the object out, letting the circular material hang in his hands. A collar.
Ember stumbled backward as Talon took it. She whirled and leaped for the door, but Talon’s fingers dug into her shoulder and dragged her back. Ember spun around and threw a punch at the taller woman, which Talon easily dodged. Ember
dropped to the ground to break the woman’s contact and sprinted forward, but the lock clicked before she got there. There was no manual unlock button, which meant Kane must be holding a remote of some kind.
She turned, looking for another exit she might have missed, just as something cold clamped onto her neck. The metal rested on her upper spine. Ember tore away just as Talon stepped backward. “Done, sir.”
Kane was back at his desk, fingers flying across his screen as if Ember hadn’t just tried to escape. “Now let’s see if it’s positioned properly.” He tapped a button.
A jolt of fire shot down Ember’s spine. She gasped and arched her back, stumbling backward against the locked door.
“It appears so. Talon, you are dismissed with a reminder as to the nature of your agreement.”
“Discretion as always, Commander.” Talon eyed Ember with a curious frown. “Would you like me to secure her for your safety, sir?”
“She’s no threat now. You may go.”
Talon saluted and strode toward the door, which opened to admit her. Ember moved to follow and was rewarded with another jolt. She watched the door slide shut in front of her as the pain receded.
“You’ve witnessed only the first setting, gypsy girl,” Kane said. “There are more levels to explore if needed.”
She lifted a reluctant hand, letting it hover over the device around her neck. It was soft like fabric, so it moved with her, but lay stiff against the skin of her neck. The moment her finger brushed against it, the collar gave her a little zap.
Kane’s expression was one of forced patience. “The device can’t be disabled, sliced, or dented. Even a single touch can result in dreadful pain, as you’ve just demonstrated. Try to remove it and you’ll be dead in seconds. One of my last inventions before I was raised. I sold the technology to the emperor himself.”
Gritting her teeth, Ember slowly turned to face him. “Torture, then? You’re going to electrocute me until I obey like a good little dog?”
“Torture?” He chuckled. “I prefer the term ‘training.’ Or even better, conditioning. Eventually even the most resistant animals see their place and allow their masters to guide them. Now, let’s start again. Find that captain and extinguish her.” His finger hovered over a small device in his right hand.
