"Tell me about your dreams," Queen Lissa began as she made herself comfortable in a soft, curved chair.
I sat opposite her, while Adam and Merrill flanked me on the sofa I'd chosen. Rigo and Gavin chose to stand behind Lissa, while Kiarra took another chair adjacent to my sofa.
"I saw a hooded figure on Bornelus," I began. "I dreamed he stood on the edge of the deep hole where the concrete block had been. He raised his arms and it filled up with dirt—I can't say from where. Then, vines and creepers appeared, to cover the dirt. In the morning, I learned that the hole had been filled and vines and creepers lay over it, just as in my dream."
"Do you think it a prophetic dream? I know you have them at times," Merrill asked Lissa.
"It's possible. I'd say likely," she answered. "Did you get anything from this hooded figure?" she turned back to me.
"I have the idea it's a male, although I can't explain why I think that. It just feels right," I floundered. "I never saw past the hood over most of his face. I dreamed about him again later, and in that dream I saw him speaking to someone on the streets of Gungl. The one he spoke with had his back to me, so I couldn't see who that was, either. I was thinking about that dream during dinner, and wishing I'd seen something more in both of them."
"Do you think this is the one behind all this?" Adam asked.
"I feel that way, although I have no idea how to verify it."
"Tell us about the creatures on Bornelus," Kiarra said.
"Those. Giant worms with scales, huge mouths and nasty teeth," I said. "Travis and Trent were the ones who said they resembled the Ra'Ak—I'd never seen one of those monsters before. Their descriptions fit these, though. If I hadn't had Travis' ranos rifle, we could have been in real trouble, there were so many of them."
"Living underground like earthworms," Kiarra blew out a frustrated breath. "How the hell did they morph into something like that?"
"Here's my question," Lissa interjected. "Do they have a humanoid form, like the Ra'Ak do?"
"There's a question that needs an answer," Rigo said. He wore a grim look as he considered that possibility.
"Did I miss anything?" Kooper walked into the solarium.
"Not much. Randl can fill you in later. Mostly what we have is a conundrum we can't solve at the moment," Lissa told him.
"Is there anything else to discuss?" Kooper asked. "If not, Randl needs his beauty sleep so he can be alert for New Fyris tomorrow."
"We can meet with him later, if new questions crop up," Lissa said, rising from her chair.
"Good. I'll get him back to Le-Ath Veronis." Kooper nodded in my direction. I rose and followed him out of the solarium.
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Sabrina
What were they waiting for? A sign from the heavens or something? I'd all but blatantly offered sex to Travis and Trent, but they were holding back for some reason. Sure, we'd gone for long walks, and had some interesting conversations, but they'd never gone past some great kisses and gentle hugs.
Those kisses promised so much more, but so far, more hadn't shown up. I'd kissed both of them outside my suite door, all but inviting them to spend the night, and they'd carefully seen me inside and shut the door behind them.
I wanted to scream in frustration. Maybe throw a few things.
If Randl were still speaking to me, I'd ask him about it. He'd carefully avoided me lately, and I wondered at that. I wasn't in pain, as he'd noticed the last time we'd really talked—I was frustrated and wanted a male perspective on why two other males were holding back.
It just didn't make sense, and Randl was the only one I'd be willing to discuss this with. I sure couldn't have it out with Travis and Trent—that would be embarrassing, on top of risking my heart if they told me the relationship had cooled on their side of things.
"Fuck." I raked fingers through my hair—I'd left it down for our dinner party, because it looked better with the dress I'd worn.
The dress was meant to convey that I was more than ready to move the relationship forward with the twins. Nothing had come of it, making me doubt myself at every turn.
"When Randl gets back from New Fyris tomorrow, we'll talk," I promised myself. Stalking into the bathroom, I removed the dress and my makeup before going to bed.
Randl
I'd pulled up the image of Phorde Gaster on my comp-vid after climbing into bed for the night. Time to study him more closely.
Quin was right—there was certainly something odd about Gaster. His records indicated that he was born on Tee'Marr, less than a day's travel by starship from Pyrik. Using the passkey, I searched for his birth records in Tee'Marr's databases.
I found information, and a photograph of an infant. Yes, the infant's name was Phorde Gaster, whose age should now be sixty-seven.
What I knew from the baby's photograph was that this Phorde Gaster had died in his early forties.
For more than twenty years, someone else had been posing as Phorde Gaster.
Frantically, I searched through the real Phorde Gaster's records—school, work and so on.
Phorde Gaster's family owned a concrete manufacturing company, which they'd sold around the time of Phorde's death.
The new owner of that company was WildTree Industries.
Quin, are you awake? I sent.
I am, she replied quickly.
I need to see you, I said.
I'll have Wellend come for you, she replied.
Soon enough, the red-winged warlock was inside my suite while I was still shoving boots on my feet. After snatching my comp-vid off the bed, I nodded to Wellend, who transported me to Avii Castle.
Avii Castle
Quin
I'd never thought to search Gaster's birth records, or the records of his family's holdings. On the surface, and to most researchers, Gaster's life was plainly mapped out. His family had sold their business, and Gaster had gone to work for WildTree.
Except that the Phorde Gaster in the baby image wasn't the same person as the supervisor who worked for WildTree. That one I still felt unsure of, and Randl and I knew something was going on with him that we couldn't pinpoint, but it helped a great deal to know this wasn't the original Phorde Gaster.
Randl watched while I rustled my feathers in frustration and studied more photographs from Gaster's school days.
None of those were the same person as the WildTree supervisor visiting New Fyris the following day.
Kooper, we need you, I sent to him. This, I felt, was far too important to wait for the morning.
Randl
"How old?" Kooper lifted an eyebrow at me after studying the images on my comp-vid. Quin had asked him to come, although I'd arrived at the same conclusion she had—that this couldn't wait.
"The real one died at age forty-two, if my vision of him is correct," I said.
"So for twenty-five years or so, an imposter has been posing as him. I see that he's cut ties with his family," Kooper had pulled up information from the Gaster family, and there was enough correspondence between them to indicate the break between them and Phorde.
"This one—it's difficult to tell his age, because of the fog surrounding him," Quin said. "His name is Phorde Gaster—that's what his face and mind tell me. It's just that this Phorde Gaster," she indicated the baby's image from Tee'Marr's records, "Isn't that Phorde Gaster," she tapped the image of the WildTree supervisor. Quin had gone looking for the same information I had, and like me, had come away with nothing useful.
"I'll be going with you tomorrow, instead of Halimel," Kooper growled. "Look, go to bed—you need sleep before going to New Fyris tomorrow. I'll put somebody on this tonight. I want to know when this asshole goes to the bathroom and how big his turds are." Kooper disappeared while Quin and I laughed at his joke.
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Winkler
"This is what we're dealing with," Kooper set a comp-vid in front of me at breakfast the following morning.
I glanced at
the information, taking several moments to re-read parts of it, to make sure I hadn't misread it the first time.
"This is an imposter?" I asked.
"Not only that, but WildTree owns the Gaster family's former business—a concrete manufacturing concern. Now, we figure the whole concrete block/sacrificing party happened roughly twenty or thirty years ago on Bornelus. Three guesses where that concrete came from and two won't be needed." Kooper was angry—I could see that easily enough.
"What about the hooded man that Randl saw in his dream vision?" I asked. I'd been clued in by Lissa the night before.
"An employee, perhaps, or someone pulling bigger strings? Who knows? I'm hoping we can get more information from Gaster when we see him."
"None of this is making the wolf happy," I frowned as I flipped through more information on Kooper's comp-vid.
"The snake wants to strangle the imposter," Kooper hissed. Yeah, the wolf and the snake wanted out.
Either way, I figured Gaster, or the one pretending to be Gaster, would be in Lissa's dungeon before the day was out.
"Do you have anyone working on the WildTree end of things?" I asked.
"All of the BlackWing crew, on every ship. I'm not sure I can trust anyone else with this right now."
"You think they've infiltrated the ASD?"
"Anything's possible."
"Yeah. Sit down, take a deep breath and eat. We'll handle what we can when we get to New Fyris."
Randl
I spent the night at Avii Castle, at Quin's urging. The whole thing was constructed of glass, and it intrigued me greatly.
Making a promise to myself to explore it later, I dressed for our trip to New Fyris and went to breakfast when a servant with multi-colored wings arrived at my suite to guide me to the King's private dining room.
My dreams during the night had been troubling ones—over and over, I'd envisioned meeting Phorde Gaster, the imposter, and when I took his hand, he'd exploded.
Like a loop in my head, the same thing occurred in the dream; until my dream self had taken charge and worked some magic, somehow, sending the imposter's exploding bits to Bornelus, where the concrete block had been.
This—I had no idea what to think of it, other than it had been a nightmare. I'd been terrified in the dream; I know that much. There wasn't any way I'd tell this dream to Queen Lissa—it was an impossibility.
Not that the imposter couldn't do what he'd done—I meant my part of it. Only taking charge of the dream had forced it away from me, and for that, I was grateful. Perhaps I should remember that in the future, if nightmares plagued me again.
"You look troubled," Quin said the moment I took a seat at the breakfast table.
"It's nothing," I waved off her concern.
"I had troubling dreams," she admitted.
"What were they?" I lifted my napkin and dropped it on my lap, as was proper.
"Just a blur of things—like a terrible whirlwind," she said. "It was all I could see."
"Ah." Here was a difference between male and female, I told myself. Quin wasn't afraid to admit her dreams frightened her. I, on the other hand, refused to admit how troubling mine were—because it wouldn't seem manly enough.
Perhaps that was the trouble with Sabrina—she saw Travis and Trent as manly, while I appeared less than they. I didn't have the muscles or the tattoos, wasn't a dragon shapeshifter and certainly couldn't wield two blades at once.
I'd been feeling my way along in self-defense and the defense of others, while they strode right into any fight with no qualms.
They had a mysterious air about them, too, and I—I was an open book, as Morrett would say.
Besides, who'd want the blind man, when others who were whole and perfect were available?
Stop thinking about Sabrina and concentrate on New Fyris, I scolded myself. A plate of food was set in front of me, so I began to eat with determination.
Grand Master's Manor, Harifa Edus
Winkler
"Kooper is bringing Quin and Randl," I said. "We've learned a few things about Phorde Gaster in the last twelve hours or so, and the Director thinks his presence is warranted, to arrest Gaster properly."
"What has he done?" Lukas lifted his jacket off a chair and slipped into it. Fall had come to New Fyris, and the air would be noticeably cooler there.
"Nothing we can really pinpoint, other than he's not really Phorde Gaster."
"An imposter?"
"That's what I hear. The rest is rather complicated—I'll try to fill you in later."
"I'd appreciate that," Lukas huffed. He didn't like being in the dark any better than I did. I'd gotten some information from Kooper in a brief message, but he said to allow him to handle Gaster and crew, and to lend a hand if anybody tried to run.
Lukas and I could take care of that part. "Ready?" I asked.
"Yes."
I folded us to New Fyris.
New Fyris
Quin
Bel Erland had come to place a disguise before Randl and I left Avii Castle with Kooper. Nobody saw my wings except those who could see past the disguise. Randl and Kooper could see my feathers easily.
We landed in Amlis' private study in the castle. It bore great resemblance to the one he'd had when he lived on Siriaa. It didn't hold the best of memories for me. I'd been a lowly servant, then, working as a page for Amlis, because he thought I couldn't speak.
Don't think about the beating, I reminded myself.
Rodrik appeared stone-faced as Amlis rose from his chair to greet us—as he should. I was Queen of the Avii, and deserving of respect. A part of me still wanted to cringe in front of these, and there was no reason for that.
Another part wanted to lash out at them for their willingness to harm someone less than they. "Thank you for coming," Amlis dipped his head to Randl, Kooper and me. "I am having reservations now—as I should have had before."
"My Prince," a servant knocked on Amlis' open door. "Your guests have arrived, as have Grand Master Lukas and Master Winkler."
"Shall we?" Amlis gestured toward the door.
Randl
The difference in Amlis was shocking. Clear-minded and coherent—I'd never seen this Amlis before. Perhaps Quin had healed more than she thought or intended. Regardless, it was more than welcome, and the hate he'd hurled at me during our last meeting was noticeably absent.
He knew better than to look my way more than a few moments at a time, too, as if he were embarrassed by what I might see.
Focus, Randl, I warned myself. An imposter is waiting downstairs.
Mer'bali, Pyrik
Varok
My hand-picked team waited near the venue where Lebbon was scheduled to speak. The election was close, and an assassination now would ensure that O'Tunne won by default.
A crowd had gathered to see the candidate; most still waited their turn to go through security and be led to their seats. Soon enough, the martyrs I'd selected would perform their duty for the Prophet, and we'd be one step closer to our ultimate goal.
Microscopic cameras on clothing would ensure that the Prophet saw the martyrdom for himself. When next he visited, he would praise those who'd died for our cause.
All of us lived for that praise—to be noticed and thanked for our efforts. Patience, I reminded myself, as in my eagerness, I'd begun to stare at the crowd with pleasure, knowing they'd be dead soon and their candidate with them.
"More tea?" A server interrupted my thoughts as I sat at an outside table across the street from the venue.
"Yes, thank you." I even smiled at her while wishing her dead, too.
New Fyris
Randl
Kooper hadn't bothered to disguise himself. We passed through an area of dimness before reaching the square of light from a high window in Amlis' wide, marble-tiled entry.
Phorde Gaster and five others waited there for us, the light shining on them and revealing every flaw in those I could read. Gaster's imposter was still a closed book, and the
fog on him had grown dark and dense.
I stopped short while still within the dimness. Kooper's hand dropped onto my shoulder and Quin stopped beside me. Amlis and Rodrik were behind us, with Winkler and Lukas behind those two.
Something's wrong, Quin sent to all of us.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
And not just here.
Chapter 19
Lee'Qee, Pyrik
V'dar
My mind was fed images from two places; Mer'bali and New Fyris. My soldiers called me Prophet, because I foresaw things. None knew of my beginnings, as it should be.
If Jett Riffler or Kooper Griff could find the slimmest of leads on my existence, they would expend all their efforts to find and destroy me.
As if I couldn't see it coming. I laughed humorlessly, startling two soldiers who stood nearby. Let them worry that I wanted something from them—perhaps their lives. I'd come to Lee'Qee to watch our victory in Mer'bali, never thinking that an opportunity would show itself on Harifa Edus, too.
The vision from New Fyris was dim, as if he stood in shadow, but I knew him. Director Griff was harder to locate than anyone I'd ever hunted before. This was an opportunity too good to miss, and I intended to take full advantage.
Let him come closer, I thought to myself. His death and that of Lebbon would command a feast this day.
I'd employed power to hide Lee'Qee from prying eyes long ago—someone else had done it before me. When I took charge of the forgotten city, only those I allowed knew of its existence.
When the Conclave resumed, I'd have Griff out of the way and Alliance leaders in a single place, waiting for my destruction.
It would bring me a great deal of pleasure to see them die.
Two deaths were on today's agenda. I smiled as a soldier watching the camera feed from the martyrs announced that everything was in place and merely waited for my command.
MindSighted: BlackWing Pirates, Book 1 Page 26
