Transcender Trilogy Complete Box Set

by Vicky Savage

  “You think that might actually happen?”

  “It is a slim possibility. LeGare will send only his most trusted men, and I doubt IUGA would use agents in actual combat. But should you discover an imposter among your guard, make certain the others restrain him immediately. Accuse him of high treason or of threatening you—something to get him shackled right away.”

  “I will, but an automaton? Do they restrain him like they would a regular man?”

  “If he cannot be restrained the normal way, remember all automatons employed by IUGA have one point of extreme vulnerability, a manufacturing weakness, if you will. A nerve center of sorts exists at the base of the back of the neck.” He turns around and places his hand on the spot. “A hard blow to this site will immediately disable the subject. Recovery is not possible without a complete reboot.”

  “Okay, got it, a hard blow to the back of the neck.”

  “By the way,” he says, with his back still toward me, “another way to identify IUGA agents is by this small tattoo on the inside of the right earlobe.” He folds back his right lobe, and I see a small gray mark.

  “It looks like a miniature barcode,” I say squinting.

  “Yes, for inventory control. But I suspect if you are close enough to see it, you may already be in peril. Use the glasses.”

  “I will. Thanks. So, I guess we won’t see each other again until we meet up in Arumel?”

  He places a fatherly hand on my shoulder. “That is correct, my dear. Will you be all right?”

  “Well, I’m not happy about it, obviously. But I suppose I’ll be all right ... someday.”

  We hug each other warmly.

  “Bon chance, old girl.” He picks up the bag and leaves.

  I toss Ralston’s glasses into a small carved tray on top of my desk and take a sheet of my stationery from the top drawer. After scribbling a hasty note and placing the queen’s seal on it, I fold it and tuck it in my pocket. My jewelry chest stands open, and I rummage through the contents until I find what I’m looking for—a simple gold ring with a modest square cut ruby. I slip it on my finger and lock the chest securely.

  The back stairway is nearly deserted as I hurry down to the Skorplings’ nursery. Katie’s inside, fastening the last of the buttons on Ethel’s new dress.

  “You look beautiful,” I say to Ethel. “Come here.” She crawls into my arms and gives me a fuzzy hug.

  “Jay weh-ing,” she says.

  “Yep, the wedding’s today. Fred come here, let me look at you.”

  Fred climbs onto my shoulder. His gold embroidered, satin suit is a perfect match for Ethel’s tiny dress.

  “Jay,” he coos and immediately tugs at my hair.

  Katie curtseys. “May I help you with something, ma’am?”

  “Hi Katie. I wanted to see these guys, and I need a word with you, also.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she says, shyly glancing at the floor.

  I hug Ethel and kiss her furry head. “You know I love you very much, but go and play for a bit.” The moment I set her down she scoots across the floor to her playhouse.

  Fred topples from my shoulder into my arms, taking Ethel’s place. “Ball, ball,” he says.

  “Katie will play ball with you in a minute. Give me a big hug.”

  His arms circle my neck, and he bestows a small wet kiss on my cheek.

  “I love you, buddy. Now run and play.” He hops down and races straight for his ball. He flings it against the wall and bounces up and down with glee.

  Taking Katie’s elbow, I steer her away from the Skorplings. “Listen Katie, I need you to do something for me. You must stay inside the nursery with Ethel and Fred until the wedding is over. Understand? No matter what kind of commotion you hear outside, stay put and keep the door locked.”

  Her thin brows draw together. “But the wedding …?”

  “I know. I’m sorry you won’t be able to attend, but I have a reward for you for keeping the Skorplings inside.” I slide the ruby ring from my finger and hold it out for her.

  She pales and takes two steps backwards. “Oh no, Your Majesty. I couldn’t. People will think I stole it.”

  “No they won’t. I’ve taken care of that. See?” I pull out the note and hand it to her.

  She opens the folded paper and reads out loud. “To whom it may concern: I have ordered Katie to stay with the Skorplings in the nursery until the wedding ceremony is over. In recognition of her excellent service, I have made a gift to her of my ruby ring. Jaden Victoria Hanover Beckett, Queen of Domerica.”

  Her eyes grow large, and I shove the ring at her again. This time she takes it and drops it and the note into the pocket of her apron. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re most welcome. Just keep the Skorplings here as I’ve asked, and you’ll have earned that ring.”

  She nods vigorously.

  “Love you guys,” I say, blowing kisses to Fred and Ethel.

  “Lock this door behind me,” I tell Katie.

  “Yes, ma’am.” She curtseys deeply.

  The hallway’s crawling with harried servants as I make my way to the kitchen, keeping my head down. Most of them don’t notice me, but a few drop a quick bow or curtsey my way and then continue on with their appointed tasks.

  Leaning around the door of the noisy kitchen, I snatch two pommeras from a bowl on the sideboard and head out the back door to the stables.

  A few stable boys are busily polishing the queen’s carriage. I slip around them to Gabriel’s stall in the rear.

  “Hi boy,” I say, running my hand along his sleek coat. “Brought you a treat.” I flatten my hand and offer him a pommera. Gabriel pulls it into his mouth with his soft lips. “One more,” I say when he finishes the first.

  “I’m going to miss you so much.” I rub his forehead and the spot between his eyes. “Father will take good care of you. I promise.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I breathe in his earthy scent. How I wish I could ride him one last time, but I’d be late for the royal breakfast. So I kiss his nose and rush out of the stables, tears burning my eyes.

  FIFTEEN

  The back stairway is deserted as I jog up the steps two at a time, hoping Ryder will be waiting for me. I’m disappointed to find my room empty. Emotionally, I’m prepared for my confrontation with Gilbert and Jean Louis, but it feels like pure Red Bull running in my veins instead of blood. I can’t sit for more than a few seconds, so I pace up and down my balcony while I wait.

  After thirty minutes or so, Ryder bursts through the door, out of breath but smiling. “Time to go, love,” he says. “All is in place. I believe you will be pleased.”

  We walk hand in hand to the private dining room on the first floor where the breakfast is scheduled to take place.

  A lavish buffet is laid out on a sideboard at the head of the room, and the table has been set with the finest royal china and crystal. Four white-gloved butlers stand at attention, ready to serve the guests.

  “Where are the men?” I ask quietly as a bead of cold sweat snakes down my back.

  Ryder tilts his head toward a side door. I open it and peek inside. The large adjoining room is crammed with dozens of Royal Guardsmen armed to the hilt. The men bow when they see me. I smile and salute the captain, then quietly reclose the door.

  “Nice,” I say.

  “All you need do is signal me, and I will bring them in,” Ryder tells me.

  “Perfect. Once everyone arrives, we should be good to go.” I pour myself a cup of tea and take my place at the head of the table.

  The first guests to arrive are Duke Ferdinand and his sister, already dressed in their wedding finery. Ryder and I welcome them in. As a butler is seating them, Prince Gilbert and Prince Jean Louis arrive. They’ve brought along their elderly uncle, the Grand Duke of something or other. While this is unexpected, it’s not a problem. I greet them and invite them to be seated. The doors are closed behind them.

  After everyone is
settled at the table, I stand.

  “Good morning to you all,” I say, smiling. “Thank you for joining Chief Blackthorn and me on this most momentous day. I have a few words to say before we eat.”

  I turn to the side of the table where the princes are seated. “Prince Gilbert, Prince Jean Louis, and monsieur Grand Duke, I wish to inform you that you are all under arrest.” I nod to Ryder. He opens the door for the Guardsmen who quickly file into the room and surround the table.

  Prince Gilbert leaps up from his chair. “This is outrageous! You have no authority to arrest us. This is nothing short of an act of war against Dome Noir.”

  “Sit down, Gilbert.” I glare at him.

  He doesn’t budge. “I shall not be seated. I demand you call off your guards at once.”

  “You’re hardly in a position to demand anything,” I say. “Sit down and shut up or I’ll have you bound to that chair and gagged.”

  He grudgingly sits.

  “If I may continue, you are all charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Domerica, conspiracy to murder the queen as well as other members of the royal family, and a whole host of other high crimes and misdemeanors which will be read to you in their entirety once you are locked away in Wall’s Edge Prison.”

  “That’s absurd,” Gilbert says, though he remains seated. “Who has spread these lies against us? We wish to confront our accusers.”

  “Spare us the theatrics, Gilbert. We know all about your plans to attack the palace today. In fact, your soldiers are riding into a trap as we speak. Unfortunately, you will not be able to witness it because you’ll be miles away inside a prison cell. Your soldiers will either surrender to me or face certain death.”

  I turn to the Duke and Duchess. “Ferdinand, I’m sorry to place you in the middle of this, but here you are, and I have no choice but to insist that you pick a side. You may either swear your allegiance and that of Cupola de Vita to Domerica right now, or you will be placed under arrest and removed to Wall’s Edge Prison along with these vipers.”

  Ferdinand stands. “Your Majesty, I will gladly pledge my allegiance and that of Cupola de Vita to Queen Jaden of Domerica. I give you my word that King Rafael will honor this pledge.” He bows grandly, and for the first time since arriving in Domerica, he smiles at me.

  “Thank you, Ferdinand. What about Duchess Isabella?”

  He holds out a hand for his sister, and she rises demurely. “I too pledge my allegiance to Queen Jaden of Domerica, Your Majesty,” she says softly and makes a small curtsey.

  “All right then.” I face the princes and their uncle. “Gentlemen, please stand and remove your coats.”

  None of them makes a move to rise.

  “Guards,” I say.

  The captain signals, and the Guardsmen nearest the princes draw their swords threateningly. The old Grand Duke rises with dignity and removes his coat. Turning to his nephews he says, “Gilbert! Jean Louis! C’est fini. Stand and take your punishment like men.”

  They both rise warily and shuck off their coats. On the captain’s order, Royal Guardsmen place black hooded robes on each of the men and shackle their wrists behind them. All three are gagged and the black hoods are pulled low over their faces. Guardsmen surround the prisoners on all sides and usher them through the back door to a waiting carriage.

  “Make haste,” Ryder says to the captain. “Report back to the queen as soon as they are secured inside the prison.”

  “Yes sir,” he salutes and quickly departs.

  Ryder turns, grinning, and gathers me up into a fierce embrace. “That was most satisfying,” he says triumphantly. “I must leave you now to join my men. Promise me you will be safe.”

  “I promise.” I raise my face to his, and he kisses me softly. But I wrap my arms around his neck and bring him in closer. This will be our last kiss, and I want to be able to remember it … forever.

  He crushes me against his hard chest. I feel his heart racing. His moist lips are like warm honey on mine. Every ounce of love I hold inside me flows through my kiss and into him.

  “I love you desperately,” I whisper hoarsely.

  “And I you, with all my heart,” he says, eyes shining. “This will soon be over, and we shall be free to live and love in peace.”

  Then he’s gone...

  A dense, black emptiness shrouds me so completely that nothing can penetrate it—no thought, no sound, no vision. I feel nothing inside but the throbbing chasm of what I’ve just lost. I wrap my arms around my middle just before my knees give way, and I crumble to the floor.

  The anxious cries and gentle hands of worried servants register vaguely in my brain, but I’ve nothing to give in response. Then Patrick Stillwater’s clear voice breaks through the fog, and his strong arms lift me from the rug.

  “We must get you to safety, Your Majesty.”

  He discreetly carries me up the back stairway to my room, while I cling to his neck and weep into his leather armor. Gently placing me in one of the armchairs facing the fireplace, he kneels beside me.

  “What may I do for you, ma’am?”

  I sniff back my tears and swallow hard. “I’m all right now. Thank you for your kindness.”

  My unchecked emotions quickly turn into anger with myself for falling apart like some freakin’ damsel in distress. “Where’s my sword, Patrick?” I straighten my clothes in an attempt to recover some dignity. “Update me on what’s happening outside.”

  He strides to the corner of the sitting room and gathers up my sword. “Guests have been arriving for the past hour or so,” he says.

  I take the katana and strap it to my side.

  “They are being seated as we speak. Once the fighting begins, they will be ushered to the Grand Ballroom inside the palace. The Enclave and Unicoi armies are in place, and we’ve been informed that the Dome Noir soldiers are on the move. Their arrival is expected within the next hour.”

  “Where are the other men? Please check on the guard that’s supposed to be posted around my room, and find out why they’re not here yet.”

  “I cannot leave you alone, Your Majesty.”

  “Well then, send somebody else to check. We can’t just sit around and wait. They should be here by now. Maybe something’s gone wrong.”

  He appears reluctant, but I’ve given him an order. “Lock the door behind me. I shan’t be long,” he says.

  Once Patrick is out of the room, I hurry to my jewelry chest and remove the polycom from its hiding place. It takes some fiddling before I figure out how to set it to vibrate mode. Then I shove it in the pocket of my riding pants. Next, I take out the black velvet pouch containing the pentagram key to the tower room and tuck it my other pocket.

  As I’m locking up the chest, Patrick returns with several additional Royal Guards.

  “General LeGare made some last minute adjustments to the palace detail,” he says. “Ten Guardsmen were arrested this morning on charges of spying. More men had to be assigned to guard the brig, necessitating further changes, but additional reinforcements will be here shortly.”

  Damn! Last minute changes aren’t good. Anything could impact our plan.

  “All right, we’ll just have to make do until then,” I say. “Take care of things down here while I run up to the tower room to get a better view of the grounds. Maybe we can see something from up there.”

  After Patrick stations the additional guards in various spots around my rooms, he follows me to my closet. I climb up through the hatch in the ceiling, and he clambers up the ladder behind me, his sword banging against the side rail. After we emerge inside the tiny storage room below the tower, I shove aside the rolling rack of dresses concealing a small wooden door, and use the pentagram key to unlock it.

  An electric lantern sits on the bottom step where I left it. I switch it on to light the steep staircase. We make our way up the steps and emerge into the brilliant light of the glassed-in tower room, the highest point in the palace.

  The wedding guests
being seated in the Grand Arboretum are clearly visible from here. In the adjoining gardens, servants work to arrange vases of flowers, gigantic ice sculptures, and dozens of silver platters of food on mile long tables.

  I scan the woods to the east and west for traces of the hidden armies. Nothing is visible to the naked eye. Sliding open the top drawer of the Bombay chest, I take out a small telescope and a pair of opera glasses the princess had placed there.

  “See if you can spot either our guys or the bad guys.” I give the telescope to Patrick, and he moves along the bank of windows surveying the countryside.