by Lara LaRue
“I’m mixed. You’ve rescued me twice, but you also caused me a lot of awkwardness. I’m here to do a job, Dekkir.” She frowned at the way I held the odd bandage against my arm. “Here, your whole hand’s covering it. It needs more exposure to air to work.”
She took the bandage in her little hands and pressed it against my skin, holding it by the edges. The stinging intensified and then became a sharp tingle. I held very still, delighting in that small gesture of kindness. The blood drizzling from beneath the edge of the opaque cloth slowed then stopped.
“Just helping put us even.” Her voice was so much gentler now that it gave me hope. “Look. I know some of our problem is culture clash. I also know some of it you may not even be able to help. But what you don’t get is how strange all this is to me and why it bothers me.”
“I don’t understand. Do humans not mate by instinct?”
Grace sighed. “I’m afraid our instincts have atrophied. We never know who’s a good match for us. We make mistakes, we get with the wrong people, and we get abused . . .” She hesitated. “Some people, mostly men, feel like women owe them something for turning them on and get violent when rejected. Or they simply rape us.”
Understanding dawned, horrifying me. “Someone tried this with you.”
“Yes. More than one.”
I drew a deep breath. “It is true you and I do not understand each other very well. But understand that I would rather never touch you again than hurt you. I have frightened you without meaning to, but I am not like these beasts you describe. I will do whatever I must to prove to you I am a man of honor.”
She swallowed, and I saw the relief on her face—and the tears in her eyes. “I’m starting to see that,” she said softly, not removing her hands from my arm. The tingling in my flesh there wasn’t all from the bandage anymore, and I swallowed, suppressing the urge to embrace her.
“I will fight these urges and give you time to make your own choice about me.” The craving would never leave me—but I was stronger than my instinct. I would not give her reason to fear me again.
“Thank you,” she murmured, and her expression grew even kinder.
Perhaps I was the most fortunate of men and could somehow win her over eventually. But in the meantime, I couldn’t help but move closer to her as she kept her hands on my arm. She lowered her eyelids but still kept her face tilted up toward me. I hesitated, enchanted by that soft little smile . . . and then bent down to kiss her.
She shivered as our lips brushed, but she didn’t pull away from me. I felt my heart leap as I reached to take her in my arms.
Booted feet ran up behind me. “War Chief!”
Scowling in frustration, I turned to see one of the hall guards skidding to a stop and bowing. “What is it?” I demanded.
His voice cracked with panic. “Dorin has been poisoned! We found him unconscious on his throne!”
“What? How?” Now my heart was pounding for a different reason entirely.
“He is delirious and keeps mumbling about being stung by a metal insect.”
“A metal insect?” I exchanged glances with Grace as her eyes widened.
“The seers are convening to investigate.” The guard stared at her with a suspiciousness I did not like. “Only humans are capable of creating such devices.”
I stiffened. “What are you saying?”
He bowed apologetically, but his voice stayed firm. “This woman is our main suspect. She is to be taken into custody immediately.”
CHAPTER 5 /GRACE
“The human, Grace, is confused as to why she is here,” a female voice, low and fluting, commented.
“That is inaccurate. The human is aware of our legal customs, thanks to the counsel of her promised mate, War Chief Dekkir. Her confusion is moral in nature, not factual.” This voice was male, deep and raspy.
The first speaker, a woman in a gray cloak that looked like embroidered doeskin, frowned slightly. “Correction. The human is confused as to how she could have become involved in a situation like this. Her training, occupation, and mission goals have nothing to do with sabotage, murder, or the attempted destabilization of our government.”
Yeah, no kidding. I sat numbly in the blackened wood examination chair, clenching tense fingers in the slick white fabric of my jumpsuit sleeve. I had been in that small, lamp-lit room for about an hour, surrounded by a circle of six figures in pale robes and various colors of elaborately decorated leather cloaks. The Lyran seers looked typical of their species: tall, athletic, pale in coloring, their skin and hair ranging from light bronze to literally white. Their eyes were uniformly golden, like owls’ eyes, and their pupils glowed when the light hit them. They towered over me—small, black, and curvy, with long, relaxed black hair that had gone frizzy in the planet’s persistent humidity, so I contrasted with them even more sharply than most humans. Their hoods were pulled up, and some of them were veiled as well. They looked more suited to a religious ritual than a court interrogation.
When Dekkir had told me I was going to an inquest into the attempted murder of Planet Lyra’s High Chieftain Dorin, I had expected the seers to be something like lawyers. But as I sat there listening to them comment on things I had not spoken aloud, I realized seers were more like psychics out of Greek mythology. It almost seems like they’re reading my mind.
One of the speakers, the one who kept correcting the others for accuracy, stepped forward just slightly. He was very tall, even for a Lyran, but unusually thin. His long face smirked down at me from the shadow of his deep-blue hood. “That is exactly what we’re doing, human. Hiding anything from us is pointless, so it would be best for you to remain honest.”
Holy crap. I stared at him. His smirk widened slightly, and he stepped back into place.
Gray Cloak continued tiredly. “The human was not aware before now of the verified existence of telepathy, empathy, and prescience. Apparently, human society still largely denies the possibility. She’s extremely confused by our use of our abilities.”
Blue Cloak gave a single nod. “That is understandable under the circumstances. Please continue.”
Did the doctor know about this? He mentioned a possibility of psychic connections in passing when he was talking about Dekkir involuntarily imprinting on me as his mate. But he never got this specific. And it’s a huge omission. Was he worried I’d report their psychic powers back to Command?
The chief science officer had spent years on Lyra before me, prior to his promotion. He was our only real source of information on the world and its people, and I knew him for being cautious and thoughtful. My immediate superior, Damon Norcross, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly known for ethics or professionalism and sought fame and commendations like an addict sought drugs.
Maybe Dr. Stirling was worried about what Norcross would do if he discovered this. I’d hesitate to tell him myself, even if the Lyrans hadn’t taken away my communicator.
“The subject notes that her predecessor did not report on our abilities to his superiors. She seems inclined to follow his lead.” Gray Cloak sounded mildly surprised—and pleased.
“Good. It is best the humans continue to underestimate us. Continue.” The approval in Blue Cloak’s voice shocked and gratified me. It scared me that they could sense my thoughts . . . except their ability to do that could be a fast track to proving my innocence. These people weren’t looking for a convenient scapegoat. They were looking for the truth.
“The subject is extremely alarmed by the attack on our high chieftain. She was not part of any plan to harm him. However, I feel a great deal of uncertainty and guilt from her.” Gray Cloak tilted her head slightly. “Is it possible she is a pawn of another in this matter?”
A third figure in a dark-green cloak and veil spoke up, voice feminine but low and smoky. “Even she is beginning to contemplate that possibility, uncomfortable as it is.”
It was true. My mission was supposed to be completely benign: studying Lyran culture and making overtures toward a trade alliance.
Their unspoiled planet was rich in resources depleted Earth needed desperately. But just as I had gotten over some initial problems in relating to the Lyrans, a silver metal insect had flown into the high chieftain’s throne room and poisoned him with its hypodermic stinger.
Just hearing the description, I knew the thing in question was an assassination drone. They had been used in several Earth wars over the last twenty years. Someone on the Earth base on Lyra’s third moon had just used one to try and kill Lyra’s planetary leader. I, as the only human on the planet, had been left to take the fall. I was just fortunate the Lyran government wasn’t satisfied with a mere convenient target.
Gray Cloak smoothed the front of her robe. “She wonders if one of her fellow humans decided to deliberately leave her to face the consequences of this assassination attempt or whether they simply did not care that she would.”
This is really unnerving.
“The lack of any criminal intent in your case has saved your life.” Blue Cloak addressed me directly for a moment. “It also corroborates the war chief’s claims about you. However, your presence here coincides with the attempted murder, which was clearly committed by a human among your company. We must determine whether you were involved in any way whatsoever. After that, we will decide how to deal with you and how to deal with the rest of the humans.”
I nodded mutely. No point in talking much if they were reading my currently racing mind. This is not good at all. If the high chieftain dies, the Lyrans will definitely not sign any kind of treaty with us. And the worst thing is whoever is behind this is very likely sabotaging the peace process on purpose. Maybe they want to have an excuse to use Earth Command’s bombers and attack drones.
As I sat there listening to them discuss what was going on in my head and its implications for my future, my thoughts turned back to Dekkir. The one they referred to as war chief had pledged himself to me, claiming I was his ideal mate. According to Dr. Stirling, he was responding to some kind of pheromone signal and had imprinted on me as a result, like the world’s biggest, beefiest baby duckling. Considering we were from two entirely different species, I had no idea how he could have recognized me as his mate. But here we were.
When Dekkir first imprinted on me, I had taken it wrong. He was a dominant type, in a way that sometimes really annoyed me, no matter how much sex appeal he had. He had outright announced to the high chieftain and the entire court that we were to be married, before I even knew what was going on. It had taken a lot for me to forgive him for that, even after I found out he couldn’t really help his sudden attachment. Fortunately for me, he was the type of guy who was willing to earn what he wanted, and he had backed off when I expressed my discomfort.
He was also the type of guy who stood up for me immediately when I had been accused of conspiring to kill the high chieftain that afternoon. He was putting his own reputation on the line to protect me from any serious consequences. Considering he was next in line to become high chieftain himself, it was a serious risk to take.
He had prevented the guards from taking me away and imprisoning me. Instead, he took charge of me and kept me in his chambers. Right now, I owed a lot of my safety to his strength and position and to his devotion to me. I was sure a good number of Lyrans wanted me dead right now, and thanks to Dekkir, they wouldn’t have a chance at me. Even though I could not return the feelings prompted by his imprinting, right now, I truly wished he were with me.
“Let me ask you something,” Blue Cloak queried in a hard tone. “If you were left to yourself, how would you react to this situation?”
I took a deep breath. “There’s only one person at our moon base that I feel comfortable contacting about this. He is my predecessor and our chief science officer, Dr. John Stirling. He would not want this assassination plan to succeed, if he knew of it. I certainly don’t believe he is the one behind it. Because he has such a comprehensive medical background, I think he would stand a good chance of knowing what the poison is and how to treat it.”
“So your primary concern is curing our high chieftain? Despite the fact you would be defying your own superiors?” Blue Cloak’s head tilted slightly in curiosity. “Interesting. However, we cannot indulge the suggestion because of two issues. One, I am aware, Lady Grace, that conversations made on your communications devices can be spied upon. Two, although John Stirling has never caused trouble during his stays here, we still do not know what his connection is with those who have committed this crime.”
“Grace is innocent in intent. However, her arrival coincided too closely with the attack for us to discount the connection. So the question is, did she assist the would-be assassins without knowing it?” Gray Cloak’s expression was very thoughtful as she gazed at me.
I felt my heart start beating fast. The idea that I had been used by one of my superiors to help incite a war infuriated me. Was it possible? I went back over the few hours I had been on Lyra before the assassination attempt: my crash landing, Dekkir rescuing me, the brief audience with the high chieftain, the argument with Dekkir, filing my report with Command, an attack by a swarm of giant insects, Dekkir rescuing me again . . . The drone must have gone after Dorin during the insect attack, which means if I did something, it happened before that . . . Wait.
I swallowed. “When I had my audience with the high chieftain, I was overdue to give a report to my superiors. They had asked me to record images of Lyra to go with my reports. I took one of High Chieftain Dorin while he was sitting on his throne.”
A rustle went through the assembled seers, and my fists clenched in outrage. Someone used me, dammit. Many of the drones operated on visual recognition to find their targets. Without my photograph, it might not have been able to find Dorin.
My lips trembled as I glared at the stone floor. How could I have been so stupid? I had trusted Command, forgetting even if there was no larger agenda to cause problems on Lyra, every organization had its troublemakers. It wasn’t even my fault—I should have been able to trust them. But I still felt like a fool for doing so.
“I see,” Blue Cloak said icily. I clenched my teeth behind my lips and sat silent; after a few moments, he surprised me by chuckling. “It’s become clear you have been used as a pawn by those truly responsible. As a result, we will continue to retain your communications device and other electronics until we know for certain we can trust you. In addition, you will assist us in finding a cure for High Chieftain Dorin.”
I looked up at him in surprise. Dekkir and Dr. Stirling had both mentioned the Lyrans preferred that those accused of crimes work off their sentence in service of those they had wronged, but I had wondered if they would go the normal route with me. After all, I was an alien to them. It was almost a relief to hear I would be permitted to do something to correct my mistake. “How may I do that?”
“That will be determined after we take our findings to the chiefs’ council, which is meeting now to discuss their portion of this inquest.”
I swallowed. Dekkir was at that meeting, defending me to the others. He was putting his reputation at risk for my sake, despite the fact his affections for me went largely unrequited. We had come close to kissing before my arrest, but that was it. That didn’t stop him from protecting me time and again.
The possibility of Command itself having mandated this assassination left me torn in half inside. Justice in this case fell firmly on the side of the Lyrans, whose leader had been attacked without provocation. Nor did I plan to answer Dekkir’s sacrifices with betrayal. Yet Earth Command was my home and my people. What was I supposed to think if they were suddenly committing unprovoked murder and fomenting planetary war? It doesn’t matter. I’ll damn well do the right thing either way, no matter what it costs me.
“If there’s something I can do to help save the high chieftain’s life, I’ll do it. Tell the chiefs that.” I had many reasons to help now; it wasn’t just about guilt or honor. The high chieftain was also Dekkir’s father.
I looked around and saw the
seers nodding approvingly. At least I had managed to prove to someone around here that I meant them no harm. I only hoped Dekkir too was finding success. I wasn’t in love with him, but I didn’t want him dealing with any more trouble because of me.
CHAPTER 6 / DEKKIR
“The girl is being used,” I stated calmly in Lyran as I stood facing the assembled chiefs. I stared around at them, fists on hips, standing at the base of my father’s empty throne. “She came here in good faith. I’m absolutely certain she had no part in this assassination attempt.”
“How can you be so sure?” The lank-haired, slightly chubby speaker, Brax, was chief of Twelvetrees, half a day’s flight from Highfort. “We are aware you have a certain . . . bias.”
“Be that as it may, the fact we are mated also means I can tell when she is lying to me. Grace was as shocked as I was to learn of the assassination attempt. She submitted to examination by the seers without protest. I am certain they will find her innocent, or as close to it as possible given her associations.”
The assembled chiefs muttered together; several heads nodded. I glanced back at my questioner. Brax fancied himself a rival of mine and was always picking at any perceived vulnerability—and always failing. The suspicions against Grace apparently looked to him like a prime opportunity. But I had spent decades earning the respect of the council, while he had inherited his position from his father barely two years ago. And I had faith in Grace. Fate would not have mated me to some craven backstabber.
“About her associations,” Chief Reela of far-off Stonemountain mused, tucking one of her gold ringlets behind her ear. “Are you suggesting she is being used by her own people?”
“That is exactly what I am saying, and that is why I agreed to have her communications device taken away from her. Without the influence of her superiors, I have no doubt she will come to prove her trustworthiness to all of us.”
Brax stroked his chin. “Still, someone on that base is indeed our enemy. That leaves your mate with divided loyalties.”
