by S. L. Morgan
“Agreed,” Harrison said as they entered the courtyard. “However, your encounter with Simone this morning proves that this hasn’t been as challenging as you make it out to be.”
Levi pulled on his greatcoat. “Think what you’d like,” he said, hoisting himself on Areion’s back.
Harrison arched a brow at Levi before bringing his attention to Javian. “Thank you, Javian.”
“Be safe,” Javian responded as the men heeled their horses and left the palace courtyard.
Areion and Saracen traveled at a strong speed, given the treacherous weather conditions. Even though the horses were moving at a brisk pace, the blizzard and deep snow were starting to slow them down.
“Come on, Areion,” Levi called out to his stallion. “I have seen you handle much worse conditions than this.” He laughed, remembering the journey into the Arsediean Galaxy.
“Quit giving that stallion a hard time,” Harrison responded. “He was trained rigorously before entering that galaxy.”
Unexpectedly, both horses stopped, prompting Levi and Harrison to exchange concerned glances.
“Areion, get on!” Levi said, heeling his horse.
Areion reared up on hind legs in response, and Levi could feel every strong muscle in his stallion tense.
“I believe our stallions are questioning what we are talking about,” Harrison said as he patted Saracen’s shoulder. “Hey boy, why don’t you and Areion stay out of your master’s business and focus on getting us into town? We are speaking of a dream that Levi had.”
As Levi continued to fight Areion, he finally dismounted the disgruntled animal. “Talking to these stallions is not going to help us. They are sensing something different about us, and we must gain their confidence again.”
Harrison sighed and dismounted Saracen. He gripped the horse’s reins under his chin, “How do you suppose we do that? I am not getting stuck out here in the middle of nowhere because my horse has recently acquired trust issues.”
“Areion, settle,” Levi called out as he placed both hands on each side of Areion’s face. He looked deeply into Areion’s fierce, golden eyes. “Our only shot at this is to open our thoughts and memories up to them so they might see why we have changed and understand what has occurred to bring us to this time period.”
Areion tried to jerk free, but Levi’s firm grip prevented it. He opened his thoughts about everything that took place and inwardly hoped the horse would accept them. Within minutes, Levi felt his stallion relax and nudge him in the chest.
Levi grinned and gave Areion a sturdy pat on his neck. “That’s my boy,” he said as he hoisted himself up into the saddle. He looked down to find Harrison watching Levi as if he’d lost his mind.
“What?” Levi responded. “Set his mind at ease so that we can be on our way.”
Harrison looked at Areion. “I will never understand you and that beast. I am not having a mental conversation with this stallion. He will either accept me, or I will find a new one,” Harrison said threateningly to Saracen.
The horse reared back and thrust his front foot into Harrison’s chest, sending him to the ground. As Harrison tried to roll out of the attack, Saracen’s massive hoof was on his chest, pinning him to the ground.
“Areion, talk to this horse before I do something I may regret.”
“I do not believe you are in a position to do anything to that horse.” He laughed. “Now, on top of reassuring your horse that he can be comfortable with you, I believe you should also apologize.”
Harrison placed both hands around Saracen’s hoof and sighed. “Bring your stubborn face to mine. It would appear as though you require a little bit of coddling.”
After a silent moment, Saracen released his hold on Harrison. Harrison sprung up and eyed his stallion. “Let this be the last time we ever do this, old man,” he warned as he mounted his horse.
“Can we be on our way?” Levi said with humor in his voice.
“Lose the smile, and yes, let us resume our mission.” He tightened his rein. “Get on it, boy. We need to make up for lost time,” he ordered his stallion.
They arrived in the snow-covered city of Casititor close to half an hour after the mishap with their horses. The snow in the streets was so deep and the snow was falling so heavily that there were hardly any people around.
“This should make it easy to spy on Visor,” Harrison said as he glanced around the empty streets.
“Let us dismount and hide our horses here,” Levi returned. “We can begin our search for that criminal in this area.”
Both men dismounted and tied their horses off to a tree located in an isolated alleyway. They stepped through the snow, which came halfway up their knee-high boots, carefully studying all of their surroundings.
“Where was this idiot last spotted?” Harrison asked in a low voice.
“In a tavern up this street.”
“Kent’s Tavern? Isn’t that super. How exactly are we supposed to listen in on that man’s conversation unnoticed? That place is a closet.”
“Have you lost your skill already?” Levi returned. “We use the back entrance and proceed from there. I believe we can conceal ourselves in the back room and listen in on the conversation from that point. Believe it or not, the weather might be to our advantage. Most families will be inside their homes. Perhaps the tavern will not be as crowded as it usually is.”
They quietly stepped into the back entrance of the tavern, only to find themselves face to face with the owner. His grave expression instantly changed to that of utter shock when he noticed it was Levi and Harrison who had entered.
“Maj—”
Harrison quickly covered the man’s mouth. “Mr. Kent,” he whispered. “Forgive me, but we must have you lower your voice.”
Mr. Kent nodded in confusion. Harrison removed his hand from the man’s mouth and grinned. “We are here on official Guardian business, and no one can know we are here,” Harrison whispered.
“What can I do to be of assistance?”
“Has Mr. Sterlington been here today?” Levi asked.
“He has. I believe the weather has kept him and his two visitors indoors for most of the morning. They are still here,” Mr. Kent answered.
Harrison walked over to the entryway that led into the main area of the tavern and turned back to Levi with a somber expression.
“What is it?” Levi whispered.
“We should have been wise enough to remember—” He stopped himself and looked at Mr. Kent. “Sir, if you would be so kind to give us our privacy.”
“Yes, forgive me. I will be helping my wife polish our glasses. Business is quite slow today.”
After Mr. Kent had walked into the main room, Harrison looked at Levi. “Prather!” he grumbled. “How is it that we forgot about that man, too?”
“He wasn’t involved in the first betrayal of Pemdas, or at least we didn’t believe him to be,” Levi returned. “Is Visor with them?”
Harrison nodded.
“Are there any other patrons?”
“An older man, but he is sitting in conversation with Mrs. Kent at the counter.”
“Very well, let us see if we can tune his voice out and hone in on the conversation of those men.”
As Harrison and Levi knelt down, they remained quiet, hoping to hear the men’s conversation.
Levi exhaled and closed his eyes. The clattering of glasses was drowning all voices out. He focused intently, forcing his mind to remove the sounds of the glasses, and after a few seconds, the sound of Magnus Sterlington’s voice became clear.
“You both argue like two-year-olds,” Sterlington said with a laugh. He lowered his voice. “As I said before, the empress has a healthy donation coming to the city soon. It should have been today, but this blizzard has prevented it.”
“What are your plans once you receive the money?” Mark Prather asked.
“There are a few who have elected to inform the emperor of my taking this money and utilizing it for my
own advances. I want them to disappear, and believe me, I am willing to pay a high price for that to happen.”
“Done,” Michael Visor returned. “Now, we have a proposition for you.”
“Oh?” Sterlington responded. “What would that be?”
“We require the use of your daughters in order to speak with the Ciatron,” Michael Visor returned.
“WHAT?” Sterlington shouted, forcing Levi and Harrison to grip their foreheads. “Place my daughters in danger with our sworn enemy? Why would you make such a bizarre request?”
“The Key,” Mark Prather responded. “She is in Pemdas and resides at Pasidian.”
Sterlington sighed. “Most are aware of that, but you have not answered my question.”
“Emperor Navarre has ordered her to remain in Pemdas because his idiot son and nephew who were charged to guard her somehow alerted the Ciatron and gave them reason to believe she is The Key. She has been replaced with a clone, and I want to leverage this information and inform the Ciatron. They may hate Pemdas, but I am confident that when they learn that we don’t approve of our emperor, they will take my offer and trust our cause,” Michael returned.
Levi’s jaw tightened in anger as he continued to listen in.
“You are a foolish child. Are you willing to risk your lives in hopes that the Ciatron will trust you?”
“Listen, Sterlington, I will forgive your words because they only prove you to be a coward. If you want our help destroying those who are plotting against you, then you will allow us to use Annalisa and Suzanna to help persuade the Ciatron not to kill us, and ultimately trust our word.”
“I can have others get rid of those who are out to ruin my career. I will not allow my daughters to be a part of your suicide mission.”
“Perhaps if I inform the emperor myself of what you have been doing with all of his lovely wife’s charitable donations, you would be convinced to help us.”
“I can have you disappear before you leave my town,” Sterlington snarled. “Both of you! Do not threaten me.”
The door to the tavern opened, halting the conversation. Levi glanced into the room and swallowed hard when he saw Brandon walk into the room and join the three men at the table.
“Brandon, please join us,” Michael Visor spoke up. “What news have you?”
“The Ciatron continue to watch the clone, but Julian is smart, and he keeps them distracted well.”
“A relief to know they are still interested in the clone being The Key,” Mark Prather said.
“Sterlington?” Brandon asked with concern. “Is there something I should be aware of? You look as though you are ready to kill someone.”
“Who is in on this plan?” Sterlington asked.
“It is only us,” Michael responded.
“What exactly is your cause, Visor?”
“We want to rule Pemdas, and we will rule Pemdas,” Michael returned. “That will be the agreement we make with the Ciatron. They will help us turn the emperor over to the Council, and once they extract the map from the girl’s mind, we will all have the power of the stone together.”
The screech of a chair alerted Levi to someone standing up from the table. “Gentlemen, this has been a pointless discussion, and one I plan to keep to myself. I do not trust any of your motives; therefore, I will have men watching your every move should you decide to inform the emperor of my personal agenda.”
“Get out of here, Sterlington,” Michael said with disgust. “You are not worth the trouble.”
The door to the tavern slammed shut, announcing Sterlington’s exit from the location.
“I may be wrong, but Magnus isn’t willing to—”
“No,” Michael interrupted. “We should have known the coward would be useless to us.”
“Without those women, I fear the Ciatron will only view us as a threat,” Mark Prather said.
“Just let me think for a moment.”
“I believe I have news you both would delight in,” Brandon said.
“Please, enlighten us, because right now, I must form a new plan,” Michael grumbled.
“Once I was able to rid myself of Julian’s presence when we returned to the palace, I encountered our commander’s daughter. She is quite disturbed by Miss Bryant being in the palace.”
Michael sighed. “Simone, or Catherine?”
“Simone.”
“Ha,” Michael laughed. “Exactly how upset is that crazy woman?”
“Upset enough, and perhaps crazy enough, to go along with our plans to meet with the Ciatron,” Brandon answered. “She never told me exactly why she was so upset, but the fierceness of her eyes told me more. I believe if she could deliver Miss Bryant to the Ciatron herself, she would.”
“Why would she be upset about Miss Bryant living in the palace?” Mark Prather asked.
“I believe it is jealousy. Miss Bryant is quite attractive, and I would not be surprised if Harrison or Levi made advances toward her that Simone noticed.”
Michael chuckled softly. “Harrison, most definitely. But Levi? No. That haughty fool won’t allow any woman in his imperial presence. He will likely die a miserable bachelor.” Michael sighed. “But even if Simone caught Harrison making advances toward Miss Bryant, I cannot imagine it would fuel Simone’s anger.”
“Then what would?” Brandon asked.
The room fell quiet.
“It must be Levi,” Michael finally stated. “That woman is obsessed with him. Something must have occurred between Levi and Miss Bryant that she did not like.”
“Whatever has sparked her hatred is not important,” Mark Prather returned. “What is important is that we find a way to fuel that hatred and we use her to approach the Ciatron. It would be even more convincing because she is the commander’s daughter.”
“Yes!” Michael said confidently. “Brandon, how long is your reprieve from Earth?”
“We leave before sunrise.”
“Will this give you enough time to convince Simone to make up an excuse to visit the town for a day or so? Perhaps mention that I am quite fond of her and I am very unhappy that she is troubled by Miss Bryant’s presence at Pasidian.”
“I will find the proper words to persuade her to meet with you; however, she is unable to leave the palace due to the weather.”
“If she’s determined enough, she will,” Mark Prather added.
“Very well, I will make plans to stay at the Raxton Inn in the Sandari Kingdom. Have her meet me there. I will convince her, and we will make our plans to go to Ciatris at that time.”
Levi looked over at a somber Harrison and nodded. Together, both men stood and exited the tavern. They said nothing until they arrived at their horses.
“It looks like we have been wrong about Simone instigating this entire betrayal,” Harrison said. “It has been those three idiots the entire time.”
“And the plot thickens,” Levi answered.
Chapter Thirty
Reece sat in a lively conversation in the sitting room that afternoon and ignored the dark gazes being directed at her from across the room. Oddly enough, Simone kept silent throughout breakfast that morning and lunch earlier in the afternoon. No words were spoken as the young women interacted throughout the day, just the same icy glares. It was a bit unnerving, and it made Reece wonder if Simone had already begun plotting against her.
“Ladies!” a deep voice boomed from behind Reece.
Reece turned to identify to whom this new voice belonged. The man stood confidently in the doorway with a broad smile that highlighted his bronze eyes.
This has to be Julian. Nobody mentioned he was a giant, Reece thought as she observed King Hamilton’s only son.
His shoulder-length hair was the same auburn as Angeline’s, although it was not quite so curly, and it was tied neatly back out of his face. He stood almost a head taller than any other man in the room, with broad shoulders and massive arms. He looked like the epitome of a warrior.
He gallantly crossed the
room, ignoring where Simone, Catherine, and Lillian sat watching him with speculation. Reece didn’t fail to notice Harrison’s sister, Lillian, blush and divert her eyes as he walked past them.
“Brother!” Angeline cheerfully said as she stood and embraced him tightly. He spun her around and kissed her forehead as he placed her feet back on the ground. Angeline giggled as she hugged her brother again. “It feels like it has been forever since I have seen you.”
“I am only here for a short while. I had plans to remain in the command center for the day until I was informed that you decided to join Lizzy at the palace.” He glanced around at the women sitting on the sofas by the fireplace. “I am going to take a wild guess and say that I believe you might have imposed yourself on the Oxleys to ease your curiosity of Miss Bryant?”
Angeline playfully nudged her older brother. “I did not impose myself. It was actually Harrison’s idea to have me help keep Miss Bryant company.” Angeline looked over at Reece. “Miss Bryant, please meet my brother, Julian.”
Reece stood and smiled at Julian, studying his humored expression. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Julian took Reece’s hand and kissed the air over her knuckles. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bryant. I must say that after guarding your clone so closely, I feel as though I already know you.”
“Please, call me Reece.” She smiled. “I’ve wondered how that was working out. Have my friends noticed that it’s not really me?”
Julian cocked his head to the side. “Your friends have not noticed any changes at all. The clone not only has your identical features, but it has your memories and mannerisms as well.”
“The concept of the clone still baffles me.”
“And it would most likely frighten you if you were to make its acquaintance.” Julian laughed.
“Brother, sit, please.” Angeline motioned toward an empty chair. “We could use some good humor. Are there any stories you wish to share with us from Earth?”
