The Iron Altar Series Box Set One: Books 1 to 3

by Casey Lea

  Coldness trickled down Amber’s spine and a different guilt returned. Is the child well? And presentable?

  Falkyn looked up and back in surprise. “Of course.”

  Amber sagged over the back of the throne. It seemed the babe didn’t take after her mother at all. She just hoped that was true of her personality as well as her body. Announce the birth, she advised Falkyn, and share it before the court gossips pre-empt you.

  He grinned in response and gazed around the throne room, beaming at his enthusiastic subjects. He nodded to the Speaker, who was still standing ruler straight by the main door and that official’s staff crashed against the floor. Cracks spread through the ice coating the stone tiles, while silence spread through the crowd.

  The Arck rose to stand on the top step of the throne’s dais and spread his arms wide as if to embrace those watching. “Good news, my people. I invite you to celebrate the birth of my daughter and heir, Princess Harrier.”

  Murmurs spread through the Thousand, while Amber’s heart contracted at Falkyn’s use of his mother’s name. At least she’d be remembered.

  The Arck raised his hand and something approaching silence returned. “I invite you all to the presentation of the Princess at the next night of All Moons. There will be feasts on every kres world.” Polite applause filled the chamber and Falkyn grinned. “Paid for by the throne.”

  Wild clapping returned, amid spontaneous cries of “Harrier” and “Harry”. Amber belatedly realised she was smiling too. The little Princess was already popular and if all of her required presents were set as small donations to charity she would soon become the people’s favourite. Maybe this child had a chance to be everything Goldown might have been, starting with being loved.

  Amber realized she was still smiling, but couldn’t stop. Perhaps this birth was a sign there was hope after all. Maybe, even for Amber. She had powerful friends now, who could become allies. It might somehow be possible to use Trinity to surprise Pierce. The trio certainly had unique abilities.

  No. Amber wiped the grin from her face and any hope for herself from her heart. She’d just tried to escape from that sacrifice and her selfishness had killed billions. She’d never risk that again.

  Amber kept waving and raised her arm higher, as if to counter the sinking of her heart. She clutched her necklace, but it was cold and blunt in her hand. There was no future for her there. She had one year left to live and one last chance to beat Darsey to the Devourer’s altar. She could still do that and everyone here, everyone she loved, would survive. Her arm ached from waving, but she found a more genuine smile, because that was a sacrifice worth making.

  Entangled – Book Three

  1

  Falling for You

  Explosions made the hull groan and Dr Amber Grace clutched her seat as if it were a friendly hand. Her floating chair’s invisible field kept her safely in place, but she couldn’t stop holding on. Space battles had that effect on her.

  The hollow globe of the nest chimed like a bell and the concussion made her wince, despite her shield. Holograms filled the open space of the ship’s control room. They no longer showed the velvet black of space, but a fireworks display that Amber might have enjoyed – at a distance. The flagship shuddered and she shook with it. How could their shields possibly hold?

  Amber clenched the arms of her seat and tried not to swear. It was her fault she was here. She shouldn’t have followed Falkyn to his treaty negotiations on Mermaridia. The Lucks had never been trustworthy, and since the ice plague froze their world they’d become desperate, so it wasn’t a surprise when the last of their ships attacked. What came as a shock was the number of vessels they’d committed to working together. Such cooperation was unprecedented.

  She’d hoped the Lucks wouldn’t be so foolish, at least not all of them, but hope was often misleading. When Falkyn had ordered her to stay safe at home, perhaps she should have obeyed and let him risk himself without her. Sadly it was too late for sanity now. She could only clutch the carved arms of her chair, while the nest shuddered around her. Another explosion thumped outside the hull and slammed her against her energy harness.

  It was ridiculous to flinch, but Amber did. She knew she deserved to die a billion times over and she accepted that, even welcomed it, yet the battle had her adrenaline pumping so hard and hot she felt she was drowning in it. Somehow she needed to stop being so scared. Death was out there, stalking her, but she would meet it bravely.

  Amber floated in one side of the hollow metal sphere that was the control centre of the Harrier and tried to ignore the attack that made the ship rattle and ping like a can being kicked down a street. She had nothing to distract her, because the real work was being done by the dozen kres in front of her.

  Holograms rippled through the open nest, surrounding and dwarfing the crew seated at their weightless consoles. None of the information spread around them looked good. Three mermaridian ships still chased them and- what was that? Amber leaned forward as far as she could. Were those Harvester cull-vessels joining the hunt?

  The explosions became constant, but the crew remained calm and focused. Pride warmed Amber and she realized that over the millennia she’d spent among them, the kres had become her people. She’d miss them at the end of this, her last life. She could sense their minds like a comforting hum, underneath the smash of striking missiles. Her fronds rose from their anchor points behind each ear and the two long slender strands sent comfort to the people around her, despite her fear.

  No one seemed to notice. They were after all rather busy. The faces around her ranged from pale yellow to dark gold in color, but all shared the same fierce concentration. The battle didn’t seem to be going as well as they’d hoped.

  Amber reminded herself that she wasn’t the one in real danger. Falkyn was down below on a hostile world trying to sabotage its shield generator. He was the one truly at risk. She was just here to patch him up if something went wrong.

  There was another crash and acrid smoke wafted through the nest. Perhaps Fal wasn’t the only person at risk after all.

  It didn’t matter. He was more than her ruler, he was her best friend and she wouldn’t abandon him just to stay safe.

  A hard hand gripped Amber’s shoulder and she bit back a cry then sent the male floating beside her a glare instead. Security-Leader Raptor’s face looked as wooden as a worn battering-ram, but he usually had the emotional output of a glacier, so that told her nothing.

  “Are you well?” he shouted over the bombardment and Amber repressed several rude answers.

  “Actually I was sleeping and you woke me. What?”

  “I did advise Arck Falkyn not to accept the Lucks’ invitation to Mermaridia.”

  “You’re a genius,” Amber managed through gritted teeth. “You should be in security.”

  Raptor studied her calmly, not a single crease in his blunt face, and Amber almost felt envy. A roar ripped through the nest and part of a bulkhead came with it, which pushed her the rest of the way into envy. Certain-sure. Definitely envious.

  “Doctor Grace,” he yelled in her face and she bit back a yelp.

  “What?”

  “The Arck ordered me to ensure your safety. Even before his own and I wish to know why. Why should I protect you before all others? Are you and Arck Falkyn lovers?”

  A vibration made the walls shimmy and the ship groan, but Amber hardly noticed. She was suffering a more personal attack, though this type of aggression she could handle. “Raptor, are you interrogating me while the remains of the Harvester fleet try to shoot us down? Because your timing is poor and your understanding of protection questionable.”

  “So it seems. I thought I was supposed to guard the ruler of the Kres Empire, not his Prime Advisor. Why does he show such care for you? Or does he mistrust my abilities?”

  Amber smiled for the first time since the Harrier was attacked. “Your insecurities are showing, Raptor, but don’t be concerned, I’ve seen worse. I can assure you Falkyn
keeps you in high regard.”

  “Then why did he redirect my services to you?”

  ‘Because he keeps me in even higher regard.”

  “Why?”

  A tearing noise from the fullerene hull drowned any spoken response, but Amber found the energy to answer mentally. My charm and good looks? My wit and diplomacy? Who can say? Perhaps I have some hold on him.

  She closed her eyes and her mind, with a telepathic snap designed to give her nosy bodyguard a headache.

  Her reply must have hurt Raptor, but it didn’t stop him. “Why are we even here?” distrust/disgust/fear. “This is no place for the Arck to be.”

  “The invitation to visit the mermaridian Lucks was for Falkyn alone.”

  “Because it was a trap.”

  Amber secretly agreed, but was in no mood to humor her reluctant bodyguard. “One he insisted on springing himself.”

  Raptor leaned close to her face and she closed her eyes. “Why?”

  Why indeed? Amber answered with her mind, so Raptor would feel her honesty. He was bored. He’s not well suited to palace life and part of him still resents being manipulated into ruling. It seems he needs to dance with those demons occasionally.

  Agreed, the spymaster thought back. “But why are you here?”

  Raptor switched from silent words to spoken in an effort to mask his emotions, but Amber could feel how insecure the Leader of the BRP was. Not that sliding from telepathy to speech was unusual. Sending thoughts took a great deal of energy, much like shouting at someone all the time, but Raptor wasn’t lazy or weak. What else was he hiding? The ship shook and she realized her bodyguard’s secrets were a problem for another day.

  I’m the best healer Falkyn has. I’m here to save the Arck if he gets hurt. Amber curled her fronds up behind her ears to stop any further exchange. She had her own secrets and perhaps she wasn’t here just for Fal. She felt strangely driven to see what the ice plague had done to other worlds. The plague she’d released.

  “Guarding the Arck is my job.” Raptor’s fingers tightened on her shoulder, but she kept her eyes shut. Her fronds saw him lean even closer and his breath was hot in her ear. “I’m not some sub-level recruit to be handed around the Court. I’m the Leader of the Bureau for Royal Protection and I will discover whatever claws you have sunk in my Arck and then… then you’ll no longer be safe from me.”

  Amber flicked her fingers in dismissal, but her chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe. She was stuck in the middle of a battle and it seemed her bodyguard was aching to do her harm. Why was life always so messy? She snorted softly. Because it was life and mess was one of its defining characteristics. She was slammed sideways in her seat and it hurt. She screwed her eyes more tightly shut against the pain and sent a thought to Sweep, who was in command of the shuddering ship.

  Can we land yet, Leader? Surely we’ve received enough damage to make a crash look convincing?

  There was no response and Amber’s fronds lifted to track the female in the largest seat of the nest. Sweep was sitting bolt upright and glowed a healthy gold in infra-red. Her fronds swayed back over her shoulders toward Amber, but it seemed the Leader didn’t have strong enough telepathy to answer. Amber’s com cheeped instead, then relayed Sweep’s voice.

  “Planetary defenses are still active, my Lady. If we try to land now we’ll pancake on their shields.”

  Guano. Amber sent back a click of acceptance. The plan was in freefall and she didn’t have any booster rockets for it. Falkyn had landed to meet with the Lucks nearly an hour ago. Their technology had been decimated by the Ice Plague, so he should have traced and disabled the planet’s shield generator by now. Either their hospitality was exceptional, or he was in trouble. He might even be dead, but she pulled her mind back from that precipice. One terrifying experience at a time was enough.

  However, the terror seemed to be easing. The ship swayed and sighed around her, but that was all.

  Amber opened her eyes. The explosions were definitely more distant.

  “Leader Sweep?” she demanded of the blonde female, who this time swung her chair to face Amber.

  Sweep’s face was taut, but her voice remained calm and cut firmly through the more-distant attack. “Something’s shielding us, my Lady. No visual yet, so it’s cloaked, but we’ve got a probe working through that.”

  She broke off when a ripple passed across the hologram of the enemy fleet chasing them. Eight Harvester ships shimmered and then something appeared in front of them.

  There was a shocked stir around the nest and Amber leaned forward, pushing against her safety field. What the hail was that? It flew like a ship and it seemed to have bits of ships tacked onto it, but it looked more like a junkyard in space. A salvo of Harvester missiles exploded behind it, shrugged off by its shield and the random pile of space junk was backlit by a halo of red and gold. It was the most unlikely savior she’d ever seen.

  “Assisting vessel, identify yourself,” Sweep ordered and another visual appeared.

  A male grinned at them, even when his image jerked as more missiles struck. He was fair-haired and light-skinned, with strikingly mismatched eyes of grey and silver, while the same colored fronds uncurled behind his ears.

  “A Beserk,” Sweep said, and an uneasy murmur ran round the nest.

  “Nikareon,” Amber announced for everyone’s information, while their rescuer’s smile curved even higher.

  “My luck must be flowing. It’s my favorite lady to play doctor with. Hey, Amber.”

  “That’s Dr Grace to you,” Sweep said, but Nikareon’s smile never faltered.

  “Not in the bedroom.”

  A response was tart on Amber’s lips, but the Beserk’s grin vanished and his features hardened, dropping into the angles and planes of a cliff face. Something in her chest tightened again, but more fiercely this time. “What do you want, Nik?”

  “You’re welcome, but I’m not actually here to rescue stray kres. I’m looking for another stray, my oldest son. Have you seen Zak?”

  Amber gave a smile she hoped was inscrutable. So that was what the Beserk was chasing, time with his son. If she ever needed help from Nikareon then knowing Zak’s where-as-was could be useful. Unfortunately, she needed to keep the boy’s position secret for now. She hated the noise and potential pain of battle, so being sheltered by the Beserk was a welcome respite, but Falkyn had a plan and she had no desire to stray from it. Pushing the Beserk away was simpler.

  “Don’t chase Zak yet. I can’t help you find him now, because I’m too busy to look out the window,” Amber said and Nikareon’s eyes narrowed as he considered her hint. “I suggest you back off and try some watching of your own.”

  His eyes widened again, both silver-grey with the first hint of battle rage, and she looked away.

  “Aren’t you damsel-in-distress?” he asked.

  Amber smiled again, despite her gritted teeth. “Looks can deceive. Now back off, Beserk. Spend some time getting your nails sharpened, or your teeth filed, or somesuch and finish your business after ours.”

  Nikareon’s smile returned, as brilliant as ever. “You surely don’t need to sharpen your nails, lady. One lick from your tongue would castrate anyone and on that image, I’ll leave.”

  “Not soon enough,” Amber replied, but Nikareon was already gone. Curse the Beserk. He was developing a habit of turning up in her darkest moments and making them worse.

  Another figure floated into her peripheral vision and she shielded her eyes. Raptor was in full armor and each mirrored feather reflected the nest holograms as random flame. What she could see of his face in the clinging helm still looked stolidly calm, but his voice was as harsh as his chainmail. “Will the Beserk be a problem?”

  “Often, but not today. He must be tracking Zak, but he’s smart enough to take the hint and stay back until the battle’s resolved.”

  “Are you certain-sure? I could take pre-emptive action against-”

  “No. That is, no thank you. W
e may not be friends, Raptor, but the Empire needs you, so please don’t attack Nikareon. If there’s anything he does well, it’s violence.”

  “I’ve been known to swing a blade effectively myself, Lady.”

  “I’ve no doubt, but it’s truly not needed. Just leave him alone and let’s follow the plan.” Amber’s final word was lost in a series of crashes, each closer than the last.

  “It seems you’re correct,” Raptor yelled. “The Beserk has withdrawn as you asked and is no longer shielding us.”

  “Wonderful. The sole time he listens to me. Leader Sweep, can we land yet?”

  “No,” the distracted Sweep called back. “The planet’s shield is still up. The Arck needs to bring it down, or we’ll likely all be dead. Nav Senior, pull us out of here.”

  “What?” Amber tried to jump out of her floating seat, but her safety field held her tight. “We can’t leave.”

  Sweep spared her a stare that held as much curiosity as determination. “Arck’s orders, my Lady. If we reach a point where crashing is imminent and the planet’s shield is still up, we have to jump out of the system while we can.”

  “And leave Fal behind?”

  Sweep looked away. “Those are my orders.”

  “And you intend to follow them? To abandon your emperor?”

  Sweep shot her another look and this time a mental pulse of anger came with it. “My orders are clear. Keeping you alive is priority one.”

  Amber opened her mouth to argue, but shut it with a snap. The ship trembled and so did she. If she died before the Devourer returned, then everyone else would die too and Falkyn knew it. She had a duty to stay safe, but the thought of leaving him trapped on Mermaridia made her ache. More importantly, losing Fal threatened the one plan she had to reach the Devourer’s altar. She needed to save the Arck, but how?

  The only answer she could find made Amber shudder once more, but she didn’t hesitate. “Ask Nikareon for help.”