by Brandon Barr
He lifted her chin with a finger and the fiery look he held startled her. Whatever thoughts were smoldering behind those green eyes, they were unreadable, not necessarily born of lust. She clenched her teeth behind closed lips and silently ground out her frustration. Prim cultures bred such strange moral qualms, and the sexual ones were really especially annoying.
She needed to back down. She had pushed him hard again. But it was right—she had to let her humanness show. You never wanted to be so in control you ceased to have faults.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a penitent whisper. “I lost myself in the moment.”
Rueik kissed her softly on the top of her forehead. “I love you.” His eyes almost looked remorseful as he ran a strong hand under her jawline and up the side of her cheek, brushing her ear. “One day, after our missions, I promise, I’ll wed you. You will be mine and I will be yours. We need to be patient.”
Sometimes she wondered if he didn’t have her by the balls, and not the other way around. But he loved her. He said it every time they were alone. And devoted love was far better than mere sex, when it came to getting something from someone.
“I found something for you. Something you’ve been wanting.” She retrieved a small device from a pocket in her uniform.
“Impossible!” said Rueik. “How did you get it?”
“Don’t ask,” she said with a smirk. “Now you can study the physician craft, without waiting another year to get approved. It’s the Physicians’ complete manual. Everything from brain wipes to broken arms. And it lists how to use the different devices.”
Rueik took the screenbook and held it in front of him. “You’re amazing. You know what this means to me. I’m holding a dream in my hands.”
“I know how much you want to make a difference in people’s lives. You’ll make a wonderful Physician, Rueik. And I’ve been busy with other acquisitions today. Good things come in pairs.”
He met her eyes at the hint. “You got the bug in?”
She grinned. “Yes. Three months of searching, and finally I have something.”
She saw the relief on Rueik’s face at her good news.
Together they had been hunting for the killer of the three Emissaries for over three months. The murders had taken place at the Royals’ masquerade ball.
Zoecara suppressed a wistful sigh. It had been fun creating a phantom murder plot so close to the truth that even Rueik was totally blind to the fact that the lips he kissed were the same lips that had delivered the poison to the three dead Emissaries. With wine in their stomachs, it had taken little persuasion to entice each Emissary to accompany her to the Royal garden for a walk outside, leaving the ball. An application of poisoned gloss on her lips, a short kiss, and then she’d held them tight as the exotic hallucinogen deadened them to the numbness spreading through their limbs. It had taken her entire life to build up an acclimation to the toxins, and the hallucinogen made each death its own euphoric thrill.
She stabbed them through the heart the moment they died, just to throw off the authorities. But she knew this wouldn't fool Karience. And that was what she wanted. But for Rueik, there were so many suspects she had thrown at him. Together, they’d narrowed it down to a select few, Prince Damien being the key.
“What did you find?” he asked impatiently. “Did you grid any documents?”
“I did. Three docs with big names. Princess Kyrnae of the Second Quorum. Queen Lani of the Second Quorum, King Drakenhaur of the First Quorum, Prince Damien—no surprise there. And also Chancellor Geraldus, the man I saw in the shadows, but now I have a name to his face. And of course, as we suspected, Detective Slee. Look for yourself.” She gave Rueik a curt smile and from across the room, pulled a screen from under her bed sheets, then handed it to Rueik. “Slee’s being paid a Royal purse to do the dirty work, or as they put it, twist things. There are some other names, but what I find especially interesting is that all five court astronomers seem to be pushing this. And there is a cryptic reference to the foreign contact or just the contact. That leads me to think that somehow they’re in-touch with an upworld, perhaps mercenaries, why else are the astronomers involved?”
She watched his eyes twitch back and forth as he soaked in her lies and filled in the missing pieces.
“A ship,” said Rueik. “Nephitus has the portal on lock. Any upworld has to come from space.”
“I think you’re right. The only question in my mind is…”
He finished her open-ended thought. “Is it from a Beast world?” He met her eyes. “Almost certainly the answer is yes. Killing Guardians is practically their call sign.” His eyes narrowed. “We have to tell Karience. Now that we have—”
“No! Not yet.”
“Why?” Rueik’s eyes were intense.
Zoecara had anticipated this. “I need another week. Maybe two. Look at the second document.”
He flicked his finger across the screen.
“There,” she said. “It mentions two seeds. And then down here,” she read aloud:
Give them time to infiltrate. Information is invaluable. Once the seeds have what they need, then we can move toward eradication. Our contact is adamant we remain patient.
Rueik bit on his lip as he absorbed the full import of what was read. A hunger stirred again in Zoecara for his lips to be on her. He was such a fun pet to play with.
“It’s clear to me who the two seeds are,” said Zoecara. “It’s the young farmers. The Baron’s son has a legitimate history, but his memories get wiped, and then two orphaned farm children with no family, no real contacts, and who have no legitimate reason to be here are chosen for Emissary duty. It’s borderline lazy how bold the Beasts can be.”
Rueik stared hard past her, his jaw tight. The shadows of his face were so attractive when he was tense. “If that’s true, they’re amazing actors. Just like we were warned in training. They seem so normal. Arentiss and I talked to them for a long time. It’s hard to imagine they could be someone else, underneath.”
Zoecara waited, her eyes searching his face, as if their next step was still uncertain and she needed him to help discover it.
“I’ll stay close to them. Be their friend. We have some time according to the letter. They could be here a year or more before they feel they have enough intelligence. But I think we should let Karience know right now. I see no reason to keep her in the dark.”
“I do,” said Zoecara. “We can tell Karience, but only once we get some dirt on them. And…” she let her voice trail off.
“Why wait?”
“Because. I’m not sure there isn’t someone else already inside. I’m not sure ‘the contact’ isn’t a Guardian.”
“One of us?”
“How else are two random, uneducated farmers chosen to be Emissaries? Like I said, it’s lazy. They had to have help to pull that off.”
Rueik shook his head. “The only person who oversaw the selection of new recruits is Karience, and she’s untouchable as far as I’m concerned.”
She wanted to tell him that no one was untouchable, but that wouldn’t be the best direction to lead his thoughts.
“Why did she choose them?” she asked. “There were certainly dozens of more qualified entries.”
She saw her question work just a little at his confidence.
“You see what I mean,” she continued. “I agree with you. Everything I know about Karience tells me she’s a Guardian from heart to soul. Maybe there’s something else going on. Pressure from certain Royals, or maybe from higher up in the Guardian ranks. But then, it’s unwise to dismiss the possibility she’s involved, no matter how unlikely.”
“Alright,” said Rueik. “I’ll keep quiet. In the meantime, I’m going to follow Winter and Aven around like a dog. And you, you’re going to use your bugs and figure out how those two got in here.”
Something else caught fire in his eyes. A spark that was already there. “I have an idea. I could try my hand at some of the Physician arts.”
&nb
sp; “How would that help?” asked Zoecara, skewing her face slightly to hide her interest. What did he think he could do?
“Well, I read a lot about what’s in a Physician’s manual. This screenbook has a lot more than brain wipes in the section on mind. If there is an insider, I could search memory easily enough without anyone knowing, but I need a particular tool a Physician carries.”
“The mind probe?”
“Exactly.”
She waited, finding this aggressive train of thought slightly alarming. Maybe getting him the screenbook was a mistake. This was not the conservative, cautious man she was used to. Still, perhaps this avenue could be used to her advantage, but…how far was he willing to go?
Rueik shook his head. “It would be impossible to get our hands on one, even on the black market…and yet, there is one way. I don’t like it, though.”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. They had a Physician in the tower. Alael. It was a rare opportunity. But she needed to stay in control.
“What would you say if I could get it for you?” she said.
Rueik hesitated. She could see the storm on his face.
“We’re talking about a Beast infiltrating our ranks,” she pressed. “This is bigger than both of us. You brought the idea up because you know the stakes. We have to do what we can in the moment we are in.”
His eyes softened, and he nodded slowly.
She’d never actually get the tool for him, for it wouldn’t do having him look in one of the new Emissary’s minds and find nothing, but she wanted to encourage his fear. Keep him believing in her story. She leaned up against him and brushed her lips against his. She saw the moral and ethical dilemmas still fighting for life behind his green eyes.
To that, she whispered, “It’s right. Stop thinking. Just kiss me.”
CHAPTER 10
WINTER
Aven looked handsome in the white uniform of the Guardians. Winter, on the other hand, had never experienced pants. They rubbed her skin oddly and constrained the movement she would normally have in a dress or skirt. Even the light fabric of the sarong she wore in the field did not feel as awkward.
Winter looked at her brother again and smiled. She saw father in him—especially his eyes and mouth.
“I wonder if we are paid as Emissaries?” asked Aven.
Winter scowled. “I wouldn’t know what to do with coins in my hands.”
“Karience said I could buy a farm,” said Aven. “Now I cannot stop thinking of it.”
When Winter had awoken that morning, she’d been reminded of the morning before, waking in the Baron’s household, the perfumed sheets, the feeling of luxury. She’d felt it all over again, only the sheets had an indistinguishable scent and the bed was not as opulent as the Baron’s. There was something good about this. The Guardians did not live lavishly, but comfortably.
And then she’d seen the view from the window. The sun hadn’t yet broken, but a soft glow illuminated the city as it awaited daybreak. The city was so amazingly large, she had stood there in silent awe. The street below had horse riders, men and women on foot, and an occasional horse carriage. The height of the building they were in was taller than the highest tree she’d ever climbed. At the edge of the window’s frame of sight was what she knew must be the Royal Palisade. Castles upon castles, with rows of towers stretching into the sky like spines on the backs of the sunfish found in farm ponds.
Aven had joined her there, in her room. And they stood there now, gazing at the vast expanse of human activity they had never really known existed.
“Have your feelings changed a little about this place? You seem more cheery than last night.”
“I’m a little more hopeful. If I can have a farm and a family living with the Guardians, I will be happy. Even if they are, in the end, just another form of the Baron, always watching, and controlling. Karience said I could marry and buy property. I intend to.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, brother,” said Winter. “It’s my job to find you a mate, now that our parents are gone.”
He took her hand, contentment bringing a peaceful aura to his face. “I’m going to find someone who can answer more of my questions,” said Aven. “And get some breakfast.” He squeezed her hand. “Coming?”
“Staying. Not hungry.”
Aven put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. She felt stable now that her brother’s mood had changed. When he departed, she stood at the window, but her mind was drawn outward, to Leaf. She felt certain the Maker was listening.
I know you are here, in some way. As close as my next breath. Your child is ready. Take her where you will.
______
AVEN
Aven found his way back to the large room the Guardians had greeted them in. The white walls glowed brightly, lit by overhead strips of light. Four hallways ran off in opposite directions. Each one glowed softly in a different color. Last night Hark had explained that this was the center of the second floor. The Guardian Tower was twelve levels high in the shape of a…the right words formed in his mind with an image…a cylinder. The outer edge of his bedroom, like Winter’s, was curved. Hark had shown him the simple layout by giving him a tour of the sleeping quarters. Aven and Winter’s rooms were in the orange lit hallway. The kitchen was down the red lit hall, on the level above them. Hark had pointed out the lift that moved one up and down the facility.
Aven eyed the square lift door suspiciously where it blended into the strange edgeless room, almost indistinguishable from the wall.
A child’s shrill laughter echoed from the hall lit in blue. Curious, Aven walked toward the sound. Around a bend in the hall stood Hark in a doorway, talking to a woman holding an infant. Ambling about Hark’s legs was a little boy pulling at his loose white uniform pants.
The woman’s eyes turned to Aven as he came near. Her eyes were strange, tilted down at the corners, extenuating a long, darkly freckled face. A glint of intrigue marked her expression as he approached.
“You’re up early,” said Hark. “It’s barely daybreak.”
“Is that early on your world?”
“I’m an asteroid miner, remember. The idea of early and late have no meaning on my world, but here on Loam, they make perfect sense. On an asteroid, you can be eating breakfast, and by the time you finish, you can call the meal dinner. It depends on the size and rotation speed of the rock you’re working on. Different than planets like yours, where you can get a pattern going.”
The woman beside Hark bowed her head to Aven and spoke, but the words were strange.
“Akexi welcomes you,” said Hark.
Aven bowed in return. He hadn’t thought about the VOKK device since he’d awoken that morning. He knew it was working, but didn’t know how.
“Why can I understand your words, but not hers?”
“She speaks a language not yet translated by the VOKK.”
Aven nodded. “So then she can understand me, but I can’t understand her?”
Aven glanced at her face. Her eyes were fixed on the baby in her arms who was starting to squirm.
“She could understand you, and you her, if she had a VOKK. But they’re costly, and only Guardians receive them.”
“So how does it work?” asked Aven. “Am I speaking your language, or are you speaking mine? It feels like you’re speaking mine.”
“Yes. I am speaking yours. But if you were to travel to my asteroid belt, or any chartered world, you could speak and understand their language the moment you arrived. And if you traveled to a world like my Akexi’s, you would pick up on it quickly. That is how the Missionaries learn the language when they arrive on a new world. And if you continue to speak to my wife a little more, you’ll find the VOKK will begin to learn her language on its own. But if I find you’ve become fluent in my wife’s language by the end of a week, I’ll rip that VOKK straight out your brain.” Hark winked. “That’s a joke.”
Aven smiled, but an intriguing question had wrapped around his t
houghts. “Your family lives with you here?”
“That’s right. Wherever I go within the Guardians, that’s where they go. Unless I’m on my mission.”
“Right now I’m on a mission to get some breakfast,” said Aven, smiling down at the boy at Hark’s feet.
“I didn’t finish telling you about our tower.” Hark hefted the little boy into his arms and carried him across the hall, leading Aven back to the center room. “Think of it as a tree with twelve branches. The lower nine branches belong to the Shield Force. We, in the Missionary enclave, get the nicest view from the top three branches. Branch ten is the one we’re on now. It’s our sleeping quarters. Branch eleven of the enclave has the kitchen, recreation room, a library, an exercise facility and at the center is the lounge. The upper level, branch twelve, is where we Missionaries train. And Karience’s office is on that level, too.” He pointed to two buttons on the wall. “Black is up, white is down. Press them and just tell the lift where you want to go.”
Hark pressed the black button. “Kitchen,” he said.
The square portion of wall opened. Inside was a large space that could fit ten or more people.
“Go on,” said Hark. “I already told you where the kitchen was. Down the red lit hallway on the floor above us.”
Aven stepped inside. The door closed, and then almost immediately opened again. He stepped out into a large room like nothing he had seen before. Tall, comfortable chairs and deep sofas were organized around low tables. This was the lounge, as Aven recalled. The room was empty but for Arentiss, who sat on a large cushion hunched over some kind of game. Beside her was a spread of food.
“Hungry? Come, I’ve brought breakfast out from the kitchen.”
Aven took a seat.
“The kitchen is just tables and chairs. I prefer to eat out here. Go ahead, fill your plate.”
“Who prepared this food?” asked Aven.
“The Royals of your world provide cooks around the clock. Whenever you’re hungry, just go into the kitchen and you’ll see a wall display with the current food choices. When you see what you want, just speak it and the cooks will send it up the shaft.”
