Carnevale and Subterfuge

by Selena Illyria

  “To the Spanish Steps. Make it quick.” Diego paid the robotic gondolier with a few credits and sat back against a pile of cushions. The robot’s silver head nodded and pushed off from the dock. Guttering candles waved to and fro. Their flames were somewhat dimmed in the early morning light.

  Diego wished Anarrae could see this with him. The sky was stained a berry blue, deep purple, and dark rose as the sun rose slowly in the sky. Stars could still be seen sparkling despite the rise of the day. Tilting his head back, Diego watched the undersides of a bridge pass by overhead. The ancient buildings, with their peeling paint and fading facades, rushed by. Waves rocked against the side of the boat and Diego felt at peace.

  This was the time he loved the most on the planet that held his heart. He closed his eyes and relished the ride. It would be a long time before he would experience this again. If all went according to plan, after this weekend he would not be returning to Zero Branco—at least not for quite a while.

  “We’ve arrived.” The gondolier called out. Diego opened his eyes and let out a breath. With ease, he rose up and leaped off the gondola to the dock. He wound his way through the empty, narrow, cobblestone streets until he found himself at a large silver gate before a terra cotta mansion. He took out a small knife from his boot and pricked his finger with the sharp tip. He held the digit over a small bowl and squeezed the tip. A small drop of blood fell and a whirling sound began. After a second, a green light began blinking and the click of a lock sounded.

  He pushed open the silver gate and made his way into a small courtyard with a fountain in the middle, its basin dry and filled with leaves. The garden around it, by comparison, was very well kept. Diego rolled his eyes, shook his head, and made his way for the front door. He reached into his pocket, extracted a small key and inserted into the lock. There was no need to ring the bell. He doubted the butler would let him in so he let himself in and made his way into the front hall.

  “Where have you been? Mother has been worried. Were you out conning those idiots of the ton? Come on, we can’t wait for you.” His younger brother Roberto came out of a side door and grabbed Diego’s hand. With strength he didn’t know his brother had, Diego was pulled up a grand staircase to the second floor and down the corridor to the end of the hall.

  Despite Roberto’s urgings for him to go inside the darkened room, Diego couldn’t. He was assailed by too many memories of being brought into the room to face his stern, strict father.

  “Come on, she’s waiting for us,” Roberto said. “The doctor can’t proceed without us.”

  With a deep breath, Diego steeled himself for what he was about to see and made his way into the room. He was confronted by the sickly image of his mother, sitting up in her oversize bed, nearly obscured by the massive pillows surrounding her. Her skin was almost translucent. Diego could actually see the highway of veins under the flesh. She had become thin, virtually skin and bones. It was a difficult sight to behold. The once vibrant woman who ruled her house with an iron fist in a velvet glove seemed so weak and frail. Yet the hard stare she gave Diego made him stand up a bit straighter. The look transported Diego back to when he was a child, guilty for eating cookies before dinnertime or breaking some expensive vase. Despite the outer shell, his mother was still the same woman he had feared and revered.

  “Diego, good of you to show up. Now, the reason why you’re here… You and I both know that I’m sick—very sick—and may not be long for this Universe. Your brother has taken care of everything else but I need you to carry out one last request. I know you are a con artist. I understand why you went that route, and you didn’t disappointment me in the least.” Pride shone in her eyes. “I am actually proud of you. Stick it to those ton bastards.” A smile ghosted her lips before she continued. Diego’s mother had always hated society, coming from such a humble background. “Now, for my last request of you, I need you to deliver this message to the ambassador going to Veritas 10.”

  She reached over and handed Diego a heavy envelope embossed with writing on the front in a language he couldn’t read.

  “It’s more than just delivering the message,” she continued. “You must become one of his entourage and protect him. He will be using the Hades’ Helmet as transportation and security. Captain Drogan will be hard to convince, so you must be spot on. It is very important that the ambassador get to Veritas 10. You must do this for me.”

  A weight settled on Diego’s shoulders and conflict rose in his mind. He didn’t like the position he was being put in. On the one hand, he would get to see Anarrae again, and even work with her; on the other, he would be deceiving her. There was no way he could go in looking the way he did. Frustration rose within him, presenting itself outwardly in the form of a growl. Diego turned away from the bed and began to pace.

  “Problem, brother?” Roberto asked.

  Diego ignored him as he tried to think of what to do. It would take months to get to Veritas 10. He doubted he would be able to stay away from Ana for even an hour. The memory of her curled up in his bed, head on his pillow with her face relaxed in sleep, surfaced in his mind. His body tightened as warmth swept through him in a gentle caress, heating his skin, hardening his cock.

  “Diego?” his mother said.

  Clenching his jaw he turned back to her. Just one look at her pale face, death with its hand on her shoulder, made him want to run far away. The con was about fun, playing Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to himself or a few deserving souls who wouldn’t squander the wealth he offered. He only took what he needed, not too much, just enough to rub in the humiliation. Death was now a factor into the equation. The con wasn’t fun. It was now a job.

  “There is a con involved, but you’ll understand it once you get to Veritas 10,” his mother said.

  “You’re asking me to expose myself or risk getting caught.”

  “It will be worth it, I assure you. This is very important to me. The ambassador…is important to me.” Her words were low, almost a whisper; her features had softened. There was a look in her eyes, an almost intent gaze that made Diego look away. It was the visage a lover had when she thought of her beloved.

  Diego’s mind turned to Anarrae. If he were to pursue her, would his face hold that same look? He shook his head.

  “Everything you need to know will be told to you once you reach Veritas 10,” his mother continued. “I wouldn’t ask you to take the risk if there weren’t any rewards in it. I promise you, it will be worth it. Will you do this favor for me?”

  Diego knew the answer he had to give. He pushed his other complication aside. “I’ll take it. You better be alive when I finish my job, understand? I want to talk to you when this is all over.”

  “You know me. I can’t let things go. I will fight as long as I have strength and if I need to I will implant my brain in an AI. Will that do?”

  “No need to go to all that trouble for me. Just don’t die and I’ll be good.” He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. Anarrae took a backseat to this mission from his mother. As much as he was intrigued with his latest lover, he just couldn’t allow himself to get distracted by anything else. If he did interact with Anarrae on the ship while doing his duty, he would have to keep it to pleasantries despite the warmth still pulsing in his body. Duty was at war with sexual desire.

  “Just in case, Roberto will go with you. He is already employed by the ambassador. Roberto will cover all your needs and get you the proper paperwork. I suggest you gather your things and get ready to leave at the end of the weekend. Go back to that young lady you pulled.”

  Diego stumbled back, shocked that his mother knew about Anarrae.

  “I know everything you do. Your AI tells me all.” She smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement.

  Diego growled and looked down at his wrist. His AI remained silent. The small screen remained black, as if she was hiding.

  “I’ll deal with her later. You remain alive. I have to go now.” He nodded his head at his mother a
nd left the room.

  Roberto rushed after him. “Diego, where are you going? I need to talk to you. We need to discuss this assignment.”

  Diego turned and faced his brother, pale green eyes clashing with gray. “Later. We’ll talk before I go. First I have to deal with Anarrae.”

  “But—”

  “Go on. Go be the responsible brother. Take care of our mother until we go. I have to talk to Ana before I let her go. Let me do this.”

  Roberto looked conflicted. His younger brother had always wavered between two masters, his father and his mother. Now it was Diego and duty.

  “I promise. Before we go on this mission we’ll talk, get things right. After all, you’re in my world now.” He placed a hand on Roberto’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. A piece of his heart fell away. This was the first time in months that he and his brother had had a full conversation. Now that Diego had the time, he took in the sight of his brother. There were dark circles under his eyes and his face had thinned, his cheeks were so prominent they could cut something. Roberto wasn’t taking care of himself. The evidence before Diego made his stomach turn and his heart stutter in its rhythm.

  “Robbie, go out and do something fun. We’re going to have months where all we know is the role we’ll be stuck in. I don’t know what this con is that Mother is talking of, but I do know I have a job to do and so do you. Before we go, you should have fun. Pull a lovely woman, fuck until dawn, and then meet me at Nostalgia Café so we can discuss this mission. I’ll meet you for lunch tomorrow. We have one more day of weekend left. Let me enjoy spending it with Anarrae.”

  Diego was caught off guard by what he had just done. He had never mentioned a lover before. Ever. When he was younger, he didn’t tell his mother or brother about any of his girlfriends for fear his father would hear about her, seek her out and humiliate her.

  “She must be really special for you to want to be with her so badly,” said Roberto. “I see light in your eyes, brother. You let down your guard. I shouldn’t keep you. You’ve never had it easy, protecting me and Mother from father. Go have fun. Fai attenzione.” Roberto stepped away and went back to their mother’s room. The door closed softly behind him.

  “Anche tu, fratello,” Diego murmured before leaving the house. He took another gondola home. On the way back, he resisted the urge to peek in the envelope his mother had given him. If one didn’t have all the knowledge for the job, one could not prepare for problems. He trusted his mother, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t a con at all, just a way to protect her old lover.

  When the gondola arrived near Diego’s home he jumped ashore. He was about to leave when the gondolier called out to him. In his hand, he held a Rose Ametista.

  “For the lady in your life. It is meant to bring good luck.” The robot gave him an awkward smile. Its silver lips were crooked as it tried to convey the human emotion of happiness, but fell short. The machine’s bright red eyes, unblinking, bore into Diego, almost as if it was willing him to take the proffered flowers. Diego couldn’t ignore that. He doubted the gesture was a genuine attempt to get him in good with his lady. The bot was probably low on credits and needed something to make up the difference.

  Robots didn’t have rights like AIs, since they couldn’t prove self-preservation or whatever humans and aliens were using as the test for sentient life. Sadness tugged at Diego’s heart. He dug into his pocket, took out a handful of credits, and poured the silver disks into the robot’s hand while taking the slightly wilted roses with the other.

  “Sir, this is too much. No, non ce la faccio piu.” The bot tried to give back half of what Diego had given him.

  Diego shook his head. “Take it, my friend. You work too hard for this city. You don’t get as much recognition as your AI brethren. Take it. Consider it a tip for a job well done.”

  Diego turned away, ignoring the protests of the robot and headed for his flat. He was just about to unlock his door when he heard voices, one male and one Ana’s. He pressed his ear to the door and listened.

  “Yes, sir, the weekend is going well. Um, yes, this is, um, an inn I’m at. The hotel wasn’t as safe as I thought,” Ana said.

  “Do I need to make a report?” the male voice asked.

  “No, no sir. Just a glitch in the security system. Nothing to worry about. I just felt it would be better to stay at an inn. I lost my GPS and didn’t think to report my change of lodgings.” Embarrassment colored her tone and Diego felt bad. Her captain was probably taking her to task for not checking in.

  “Well, make sure you’re at the transport pad to take you back to the ship. The ambassador’s people will be there as well. His guards will take him up to the ship in a separate vessel for privacy reasons.” The annoyance in the man’s voice was evident.

  Diego held back a chuckle. Government officials had to have special rules applied to them. Privacy meant the ambassador was either pressing his privileges, being a pain in the ass, or had something important to discuss with someone and didn’t want to be overheard. More often than not it was the former rather than the latter.

  “Yes, sir,” Ana replied.

  “Good. Drogan out.”

  The room fell silent and then the sound of footsteps could be heard moving around the room. Diego absorbed the information he had just overheard. He filed it away to ruminate on later. All he wanted to do now was concentrate on Ana and their time together. Tomorrow would be a rush for the both of them, their last day together. He would have to meet his brother and she would be getting ready to leave the planet. A sense of sadness rose up within him. Their time was so short. So much was in the way. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her.

  With a deep breath he unlocked the door and went into his flat to find her wrapped in nothing but a towel, hair wet from his shower. Ana’s face was slick, shiny with moisture, free of makeup. She looked younger, more innocent, and he cursed himself for what he was about to do. If he was found out, she would be horrified. Although she had no clue as to what he looked like, something in her memory would undoubtedly be triggered and she would know.

  Worst case scenario, she would be charged with accessory to perpetrate fraud, lose her job, and maybe face jail time depending on the severity of what his mother was asking of him. Best case scenario, things could be smoothed out quickly. Diego doubted that that would happen. Nothing was ever smoothed out quickly.

  “What’s wrong? You look troubled.” Ana was looking at him now, dark brown eyes filled with concern.

  He was taken aback at how easily she had read him even with the mask on. Perhaps it was true; perhaps he had let his guard down. Diego made his way into the room and kicked the door closed behind him. With a great flourish he bowed low and presented her the flowers.

  “Wilted, I know, but their beauty reminded me of you.” He winced at the cheesiness of what he had just uttered. Anarrae wasn’t some stupid girl of the upper class, easily bowled over by silly compliments and stupid lines, and yet, in that moment, he was treating her like one of his marks. Which, in a way, she was.

  As soon as this weekend was over they wouldn’t be lovers. They would be strangers again. Sadness rose and Diego wanted to push that away and make her focus on him.

  “I’m sorry. That was a very stupid thing to say. I’m new to this wooing thing,” he said. Both statements were true.

  Anarrae ducked her head as if embarrassed. “Is that what this is, wooing? I thought this was just for fun.”

  “Can’t there be a bit of romance even if this weekend is supposed to be fun?” Diego walked over and sat down next to her on the bed.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not used to this either,” she said.

  “Used to what, tesoro?”

  “I don’t get noticed a lot and when I do, it’s not for romance,” she said.

  “Why not?” The thought that any man would pass her by irritated him. What kind of men was she hanging around with?

  Ana fiddled with a loose thread at t
he end of her towel. She didn’t look at him as she spoke next. “I’m not the most attractive woman and I don’t go out much. I usually stay in my rooms and read or something. I guess I’m too boring for most men.”

  There was heartbreak in her tone that made Diego ache for her.

  “I know what it’s like,” he said. “I understand the loneliness. My life doesn’t allow for attachments or for trust to develop. Your life of just spending time in your room reading sounds wonderful. A bit of peace. Me, I wouldn’t know that. Always have to be one step ahead of the law.” The words tumbled past his lips unchecked and he groaned inwardly. She’d breached his defenses and all she had was talk. Anarrae Lavender was a very dangerous woman. He had to put distance between them, and yet, sitting next to her, he didn’t want to pull away.

  “Why do you do it? Why do you continue to be a conman?” Ana shifted beside Diego. Her eyes held questions and Diego wanted to answer her, yearned to just let go and tell her everything about himself and his childhood. For one shining moment he entertained the thought of being with her on that ship, relaxing, cuddling with her in bed while she read, holding her close while they slept. Goddess, that vision of what might be was so seductive.

  Diego changed the subject hoping she’d get the hint. “Why did you become an officer on a starship? Isn’t that lonely too? Not much room on a ship. Sort of claustrophobic I would imagine.”

  The urge was still there. It hung between them but Diego refused to act on it. He just couldn’t reach out and yank the wall down between them; if he did his life would go to hell. He was a criminal, for Goddess’s sake. She deserved better.

  “I wanted adventure,” Ana said. “And I’m from a military family. Serving on a starship is in the blood. Besides it’s not all that claustrophobic. There are the fantasy suites.” A small smiled played on her lips and Diego envied that. He wanted to be the reason she was smiling.