Web of Truth (Cadicle #4): An Epic Space Opera Series

by DuBoff, Amy

  Facing the darkness in her past was the greatest obstacle Saera had left to overcome. It was the driving force behind the visit to Earth and something Saera needed to handle by herself. She was never weak or helpless, but she had felt that way in the past. Now, there was no arguing her power. Yet, he saw how she quaked in Lucas’ presence. If she could break free of the mental barriers that made her question her inner strength, then she would be ready to be a full Agent.

  There was no way to get a good line of sight into the second story window, but Wil could observe from a distance. He found a hollow in the bushes next to the house and dove in. He bundled his jacket around himself and sighed. Spying—especially on a loved one—felt wrong.

  Wil cast aside the feeling and cleared his mind. He detached his consciousness from himself, seeking Saera’s presence. Extending himself toward her, he hovered just out of view from her mind but able to listen in—to observe the encounter and assure that her demons were put to rest, and also to make sure that she wasn’t in harm’s way.

  He waited for her revelation. She can overcome these ties holding her back. She can cut free.

  * * *

  Saera stomped into her old bedroom, fury consuming her mind. He needs to pay.

  Lucas swaggered through the door after her and she slammed the door shut. He playfully reached out for her. “Couldn’t wait to get alone with—”

  Before he could finish, Saera locked him in a telekinetic vice, lifting him off the ground. He gasped, unable to speak and barely able to breathe.

  She removed her tinted glasses, her glowing green eyes locked on his terrified face. “Like I said, some things have changed.”

  “Your eyes—” he choked.

  Tears stung Saera. “You may have been able to take advantage of me before, but not now. What you did was sick and wrong. You had no right, and I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

  He trembled in her telekinetic grasp. “Freak,” he stammered through panting breaths.

  She grinned with the promise of sweet vengeance. “You’re lucky I’ve learned some restraint.” She stabbed a telepathic spire into his mind, branching it into tendrils that burrowed to the depths of his subconscious. He was powerless to resist her.

  With control of Lucas’ mind, Saera dove beneath his fear and confusion, searching for the memories of what he had done to her. Never again would he be able to take pleasure in reliving the experience or have any sense of closeness with her. She wished she could take away those thoughts from all the others who had pained her, but he would have to do. A symbol for her wrong turns. He was the first—and if the past could not be fully undone, facing just this one person would grant her the chance to write a new beginning.

  She found the memories and rended them clear from Lucas’ mind, not bothering to replace the experiences. He would just have a hole there, always feeling like he’d forgotten something but never knowing what.

  Still, that wasn’t enough. She could alter past perception, yet the future remained a blank slate. I could make him never want to touch another woman, or feel pain any time he thinks of love. Except, she couldn’t bring herself to afflict him for life. What he had done as a teenager shouldn’t define him forever going forward, even though his present self hardly seemed any better. The best course wasn’t punishment, but rather a chance at redemption. To help shape him into the person he hadn’t been able to become on his own.

  She latched onto his subconscious, preparing to imprint a new moral code to guide him. “You will never force anyone to do anything against their will.”

  “I will never force anyone to do anything against their will,” Lucas repeated, hanging limp in the air.

  “And you will respect others for who they are, and never try to control or possess.”

  “I will always respect,” Lucas said.

  Saera nodded. “Now, you’re going to leave this house and forget we ever had this little chat.”

  “I understand,” Lucas murmured in his suggestible daze.

  She removed the telepathic tendril’s from Lucas’ mind and brought him back down to his feet. She restored her tinted glasses.

  He swayed, unsteady. After a moment, he looked at her with confusion. “What were we talking about?”

  “You were just saying how much you miss your mom and how you are going to bring her some flowers.”

  Lucas’ brow furrowed. “Oh.” He reached for the door handle. “Wait, have I been in here before?”

  Saera shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Huh.” He opened the door and entered the hallway, still unsteady on his feet. He supported himself with the bannister on his way down the stairs. Once on the ground floor, he called to Daniel, “I’m going to head out now.”

  Daniel walked over from the living room. “Already?”

  “Yeah. I have somewhere else to be.” Lucas opened the front door just as Wil was stepping up onto the porch. “Later.” Lucas brushed past Wil and hurried to his car.

  Daniel shrugged it off and went to grab another drink.

  Wil came back inside the house and raised an eyebrow at Saera. “What happened?”

  “Let’s just say I laid down a new law,” Saera replied with a coy smirk, her greatest weight finally lifted from her. “Now, it’s time for dinner.”

  “Sounds great,” Wil replied with a smile. “And, I was thinking maybe we should stay down here for an extra day or two.”

  “Don’t say that where they might overhear!” Saera hissed.

  “No, not here,” Wil replied. “Anywhere in the world—it’ll practically take minutes to get anywhere in the shuttle. Any fantasies you wanted to live out?”

  Saera thought for a moment. “I had always dreamed about visiting the Austrian Alps.”

  Wil nodded. “Okay, then that’s what we’ll do.”

  “Are you sure? I know you have a lot going on right now.”

  “I don’t think we’ll get much of a honeymoon. We should take some time while we can, since we’re already away.”

  Saera lit up with the prospect of the extra time together outside the TSS. “Then I guess we’re going to Austria. But first, dinner.”

  “It’s a date.” Wil took her hand and examined her. “You seem a lot more comfortable here all of a sudden.”

  There was no doubt about it—she did feel different. A burden was lifted. “I think I found that perspective I needed.”

  CHAPTER 19

  The low rumble of the shuttle’s engine subsided as the view outside turned to starscape.

  Saera relaxed back in her seat. “I’m glad to be going home.”

  Wil set the shuttle on an autopilot course to the TSS spaceport behind the moon. “Was the trip… healing?”

  “Yes, it was.” Saera crossed her arms. “I do finally feel some closure.”

  “Then why do you still seem upset?”

  Because I wished I’d done so many things differently. “Reliving the past is difficult.”

  “Our histories led us here. And I couldn’t be happier that the path led me to you.”

  A touching sentiment, but it wasn’t quite enough to break Saera from her dark introspection. “With the Priesthood involved, I’m pretty sure that would have happened regardless.”

  “True. But bad experiences shape us as much—or more—than the good. Knowing what I’ll need to face in a few years, I wouldn’t trade getting kidnapped or shot for any happier memory.”

  Saera frowned. Even in my worst times, my life was never in danger. “I’m not sure how applicable my past traumas are to the war.”

  “Really?” Wil eyed her. “Didn’t you learn something about yourself over the last couple days?”

  “I have a thing for schnitzel?”

  Wil laughed. “Before that.”

  Saera thought about it. “I’m stronger than any of them now. I’m in control.”

  “It’s the same in the war,” Wil replied. “We control our fate. We’ll win as long as we believe in our
selves.”

  He makes it sound so easy. “Do you really feel that way?”

  “I have to.”

  There wasn’t any other choice, she realized. To have doubts would only undermine Wil’s ability to achieve the best possible outcome. And she couldn’t have doubts, either—about herself, or Wil, or anything they were trying to do.

  They sat in silence for the rest of the brief shuttle ride, taking in the view of their home from afar. The moon seemed so quiet and peaceful—calling to her with the promise of a return to comfort and familiarity.

  As soon as the shuttle docked alongside the other transport crafts at the spaceport, Saera unbuckled her harness and rose. She took Wil’s hand when he was done powering down the flight systems. “Thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “Taking me on that trip. It was just what I needed.”

  Wil pulled her in for a hug between the two pilot chairs. “I’m glad it was beneficial for you.”

  She nodded. “I feel… lighter.”

  “Despite all that schnitzel?” Wil grinned.

  Saera pulled back from the hug, rolling her eyes. “It was really good!”

  “I’ll say! How many—”

  “Anyway,” she cut him off, “don’t we have some sort of work to get back to now?”

  Wil laughed. “Yes, we do.” He stepped to the back of the shuttle to grab his travel backpack.

  Saera picked up hers, as well. “I guess I’ll get caught up on my email before dinner.”

  “First, we have a stop to make,” Wil said as he opened the shuttle door. He led her to the transports down to the surface of the moon, and entered the central elevator back into Headquarters.

  Saera was surprised to see that Wil selected Level 1 as the destination. There was no reason to stop by Medical. Maybe he needed to get something from his desk in his office along the Command wing—not that he used the space for much beyond one-on-one check-ins with his men. She pondered the potential reasons for the stop on the rest of the ride.

  All possibilities were immediately thrown out when they exited the elevator and headed straight for the High Commander’s office.

  “I can head down to my quarters if you need to meet with Banks,” Saera said.

  “Join me,” Wil replied.

  “All right.”

  He opened the door to the High Commander’s office for her. Inside, Banks and Cris were waiting.

  What is this? Saera looked to Wil, questioning.

  “Hi, Saera,” Banks greeted. “Please, come in.”

  “Hello, sir.” Saera took a hesitant step into the office. Is this about me?

  Cris smiled. “Sorry for the ambush. Let us explain.”

  Wil closed the office door and went to stand by his father and Banks. “A few weeks ago, we determined that you were eligible for graduation—minus one last piece: your internship.”

  “Given the complexities of your position here within the TSS, we felt a different approach for your internship was in order,” Cris explained.

  “Wait…” Is that what the trip was?

  Banks activated a holographic projection on his desk. It was predominantly text, and looked to be formatted like a mission brief. “Wil advised us that your greatest inhibitions were related to your past conflicts on Earth. So, we structured an internship around facing those issues.”

  Saera’s mouth went dry. “Were you spying on me the whole time?”

  “No,” Wil hastily assured her. “It was a private matter for you to face yourself. I provided an objective report of events—just the minimum for documentation purposes—which Agent Wincowski verified. There’s nothing about the nature of the conversations.”

  Saera crossed her arms. “I don’t appreciate being misled.”

  “And I hated putting you in that position,” Wil said. “But I couldn’t have you go away for months. This seemed like the best solution.” He continued telepathically, “They don’t know about any of what you went through, I promise.”

  Saera nodded. “So...”

  “So,” Cris continued, “the report indicates that you met the parameters to complete your internship. That means that you have fulfilled all of the requirements for graduation.”

  “Graduation?” To an Agent? Already?

  Wil smiled. “That’s right.”

  Graduating to Agent—so many things had been tied to that elusive “when.” Saera was speechless.

  “Congratulations,” Banks told her with a nod like a proud father.

  “I’m really graduating?”

  Cris nodded. “Just a handful of final formalities, including the CR exam. We can make it official within two weeks.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Saera murmured, still stunned.

  “We’ll let you go celebrate,” Cris said. “I’ll be in touch about the remaining administrative items.”

  “Thank you.”

  Wil bowed his head to his father and Banks and then headed for the door with Saera.

  “I can’t believe it,” Saera said as soon as the office door was closed. “I thought it would be at least another year before graduation.” This is all happening so fast...

  Wil tilted his head. “I thought you’d be happier.”

  Saera took a deep breath. “It’ll take some time to sink in. That’s all.”

  Wil smiled. “You know what else it means?”

  “Hmm?”

  “We can finally get married.”

  Saera looked up at him. “It feels like that happened a long time ago.”

  “I know what you mean. But still…”

  Saera smiled. “It’ll be nice to make it official.”

  They walked in silence for a minute. “I’m sorry again about the whole internship thing,” Wil said.

  “Don’t be. It was exactly what an internship should be.” Not what I would have chosen, but exactly what I needed.

  “So no hard feelings?”

  Saera took Wil’s hand. “Never.”

  * * *

  “I feel old,” Cris announced to his wife.

  “No you’re not,” she replied. “Because that would make me old, too, and I’m not ready to think about myself that way.”

  “Our son is about to get married. How did that happen?”

  Kate groaned. “Okay, now I do feel old.”

  “I know we were about the same age as them, but somehow it was different.”

  “It’s this bomaxed life experience—always puts things in perspective,” Kate replied. “We were naive babies then.”

  “But they aren’t.”

  Kate nodded. “No. I’m not sure if they’re lucky or not for knowing what they’re getting into.”

  Cris placed his hands on his wife’s waist. “I still would have married you, even knowing what I do now.”

  “Me too.” She kissed him.

  “I wonder if we’ll be able to make it through an event on Tararia without a fight breaking out…”

  Kate laughed. “Let’s not start the crazy-talk just yet.” She plopped down on the couch.

  Cris reclined next to her. “I suppose we’ll have to be on our best behavior.”

  “Yes, but we’ll also have the chance to assess our contacts.”

  She did bring up a fair point. All of the friends and family across the network of Tararian nobility would be gathered in one place. “Except allegiance comes in many shades. We’ll never know who might turn at the critical moment.”

  “We do have advantages when it comes to gauging such things,” Kate pointed out.

  “You’re not suggesting spying inside our friends’ minds, are you?” Though it is tempting.

  “Just gleaning, like we so often do.”

  “It’s a fine line. Maybe we should just go all-in and plant a command to follow our lead.”

  Kate sighed. “Obviously we can’t do that.”

  But it would be so easy… Erase our problems. “They couldn’t stop us.”

  “But they would find out. The Priest
hood has its ways.” Kate repositioned on the couch. “No, we need to do this properly, with old-fashioned persuasion. We need to make the others truly believe.”

  “Enduring change.”

  His wife nodded. “That’s why we’re playing the long game.”

  “That also gives the Priesthood time to prepare.”

  “Doesn’t matter. We can’t be stopped.”

  Cris smiled, always encouraged by Kate’s enthusiasm. “Our families will never see it coming.”

  Kate grinned back. “They’ll have to join us or get out of the way.”

  “Well, we’ll see where we stand. I’m up for the challenge.”

  * * *

  For once, Banks’ check-in with the Priesthood brought purely good news. “Saera passed her internship. She’ll graduate next month.”

  The Priest nodded. “Excellent, so their official union is forthcoming.”

  “Yes, this was the remaining hurdle. I haven’t heard the date for the wedding—if one has been set—but within the next several months, I’m sure.”

  “Extra security that can’t come soon enough. If anything happens to him, either because of the Aesir or during the war, we’ll need the precedence set to turn to the Archive.”

  If he doesn’t make it back from the Aesir’s test, then we might not have a future at all. Banks suppressed the thought; Wil failing wasn’t an option. “Saera is aware of her duty, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

  “The line must continue.”

  “And it will. But first, the war must end.”

  The Priest’s eyes narrowed. “Do not forget our long-term objectives.”

  Never. But ours are not entirely the same. “The sense of duty within the Sietinen line is strong. You will have the heir you seek.”

  “I don’t suppose we could convince them to have a child now,” the Priest pondered.

  “Not a chance,” Banks replied right away. “They have enough to think about with the war ahead. And besides, it would be highly suspicious to suggest they divide their attention in any way.”

  “But if she—”

  “He needs her,” Banks cut in. “The moral support she offers is far more valuable than saving a couple of years on your timeline.”

  The Priest nodded. “Very well. But keep her safe.”

  That’s one instruction I don’t need. “Of course.”