Tales from the Void: A Space Fantasy Anthology

by Chris Fox

  He dutifully hopped down from his seat but then realized he couldn’t do as she directed. He held up his thick-gloved hands to her.

  “I’m sorry,” Carina said. “You sit down. I’ll do it.”

  She got out of bed and, hopping on one leg, she pulled back her bed curtains to the wall, checking that the room was entirely empty and the door was closed.

  She returned to her bed, settled herself once more, and looked into the child’s eyes.

  “Darius, please tell me what you meant by what you said. How do you think we got to the roof?”

  The little boy rolled his eyes. “I already told you. You cast. You drank some elixir, and you closed your eyes, and I guess you thought of the right picture, because after you told me to hold your hand, we went to the roof together. I know that’s what happened because I’ve done it before. I wished so many times I could do that when the bad people were hurting me. Only I didn’t have any elixir.”

  The boy’s chin trembled and his eyes swam with tears. Carina reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder.

  “You can cast too?” she asked.

  Darius nodded, teardrops running down his cheeks. Then suddenly he stopped crying and turned pale. “You aren’t going to hurt me, are you? Mother told me I mustn’t ever tell anyone what we can do. But you rescued me, and you seem so nice. I thought it would be okay to tell you because you’re a mage too, so you know the secret already. You are going to take me back to Mother, right? You aren’t going to keep me and do bad things to me like the other people did, are you?”

  “No one’s going to hurt you, Darius,” Carina said, “and yes, we are going to take you back home. But you and I have to keep this secret between us. Do you understand? You can’t tell anyone else what we can do or say anything about casting except when we’re alone. Nothing at all. You were very strong and brave to not give any secrets away to the people who hurt you. Can you keep quiet for a little longer? It’s very important.”

  “Sure I can.” Darius smiled. “I get it. No one else here knows you’re a mage. I can keep your secret as well as mine.”

  Smart kid. “Thank you.” Carina squeezed the boy’s shoulder.

  Her head was swimming with the implications of what the child had said. She had many questions for him but she didn’t know where to start.

  “Darius, is everyone in your family a mage?”

  “Mother can cast, and Parthenia, Odell, and Ferne. Castiel and Nahla can’t, though, and they hate it,” he added, somewhat gleefully.

  “Are these people your brothers and sisters?”

  “Yep.”

  “You have five? That’s quite a lot. And are you the youngest?”

  Darius nodded. He didn’t look too happy about his position in the family hierarchy.

  “How about your father?” Carina asked. “Can he cast too?”

  At the mention of his father, the little boy’s face clouded over. “No, he can’t.” His lips thinned to a line and he looked angry. Since his father was clearly a sore subject, Carina decided not to continue on that line of questioning. Something else was puzzling her anyway.

  “Do you remember how you were kidnapped?” She was wondering how it was that, if Darius had mages in his family, the Dirksens had succeeded in capturing him.

  The little boy’s face clouded further and his cheeks flushed. His eyes filled with tears again. “It was my fault. I was naughty. Mother told me I must never leave the garden.” His voice became singsong as he mimicked his mother and wagged a finger at an imaginary Darius. Carina bit back a smile at the adorable imitation.

  “She told me that bad people would take me, and she wouldn’t be able to get me back because she couldn’t give away our secret. But I so wanted to know what was outside. I wanted to see the city and all the different people, and no one would take me. I made a hole in the garden wall and I went out. I was stupid. Outside, everything was boring. There was hardly anyone around, and no trees or flowers or anything like that. I walked away from the house. I was trying to find the city. Not long after, bad people found me. They took me away just like Mother said they would.” His head hung low.

  “Darius, it’s okay,” said Carina. “It isn’t your fault. Everyone does stupid things every once in a while. You’re very little. What happened is the fault of the people who kidnapped you. Besides, we’re taking you home now, and you’ll see your mother and all your brothers and sisters again. Aren’t you glad?”

  The child’s easy smile quickly returned. “I’m very glad! I can’t wait to see them! Except Castiel. I’m not happy that I’ll see him. He always teases me. Or...maybe I’m a little bit happy that I’ll see him.” He finished in a rush, his eyes shining.

  Carina was deeply interested in finding out more about the mage members of the Sherrerr family. It sounded like the boy’s mother had married a non-mage and had passed on her ability to only some of her children. She wanted to know if there were any more mages among the Sherrerrs, and if they were part of the ancient family or newcomers, but she also wanted to distract Darius from the whole subject.

  Now that he knew he was safe, the boy’s resolve to keep the family secret had obviously weakened. He’d already brought it up with her, only afterward thinking of the possible consequences. She needed to divert his young mind to other things.

  Carina asked Darius to tell her about his home, and a wellspring of information gushed forth from the child’s lips. He told her about his bedroom—he had his own and so did all his brothers and sisters—from which he could see the city. He said he hadn’t realized how far it was. He also told her about the garden that surrounded the house, which was full of trees as tall as the house, and lawns where he and his siblings played, and fountains and pools where they cooled down when they were too hot.

  The children all had pets they could ride and that would fetch things for them. He described the animals, but Carina didn’t recognize any. The pets would climb trees to bring the children fruit when it was ripe. Each child also had his or her own private tutor, who would teach them mathematics, reading, family history, leadership, charm, oration, deportment, and other subjects they would need to run Sherrerr businesses when they grew up. Only Mother taught them to cast, the boy said.

  Carina steered him from the subject of mages again with more questions about his lessons, though the boy clearly thought that was the least interesting aspect of his home life. She noted the comment about casting tuition being left to his mother, however, and filed it away for later reflection.

  Darius was in the middle of a delightful impression of his tutor lecturing him about dignity when the doctor returned. “You two aren’t still talking? And why are your bed curtains open, Lin? Back to bed with you, young man. That’s plenty of chatting for today. The more rest you get, the quicker that gel will work. Come on, off you go.” He shooed the little boy back to his own bed.

  The child went happily, and Carina also felt better for their conversation. It had lightened the dark shadow that Speidel’s death had thrown over her heart.

  Whether or not Tarsalan had changed her mind about disbanding the Black Dogs now that they’d fulfilled the assignment, Carina’s time with them was over. She knew she wouldn’t be able to remain where her memories of the older man were so strong.

  Before, she’d had no idea what she could do or where she would go, but Darius’ revelation had opened possibilities that Carina could never have imagined.

  15

  Carina’s heart beat fast as, holding Darius’ hand, she walked with him from the city toward the Sherrerr estate. Behind them, Tarsalan waited and watched in the shade of a tree at the city outskirts. The Sherrerrs had insisted on a simple handover, much to Tarsalan’s apparent chagrin, judging from the bitter tone she used when she informed Carina. Perhaps she’d hoped for a chance to meet members of the powerful clan—an ‘in’ to the exclusive Sherrerr world.

  If an introduction wasn’t on the cards, the Black Dogs owner wasn’t going to put hersel
f in any danger by performing the handover. She’d noted the boy’s attachment to Carina, however, and had ordered her to accompany him.

  Despite the risk that the Dirksens might launch another attempt to capture the child, Carina wouldn’t have had it any other way. This was her chance at a glimpse of Darius’ mother, who might be able to tell her much about their mage clan. Carina also clung to a sliver of hope that the woman would be interested in meeting her too, once she heard what Darius had to say.

  The Sherrerrs had told Tarsalan they would be watching while Carina brought the boy to them. Did they fear a trick? Carina didn’t know. She was only uncomfortably aware of distant eyes on them as they went along. She also felt vulnerable out of her armor and with her face uncovered, as the Sherrerrs had requested. But it couldn’t be helped.

  They were nearly halfway down the dusty, empty road that led to the vast Sherrerr mansion, having walked around eight hundred meters, when Carina glanced down at Darius and remembered that the child’s feet were bare. His toes had healed up, though his toenails hadn’t yet regrown, but Duchess carried no child-sized shoes and Tarsalan had clearly been so eager to return the child she’d been in too much of a rush to do anything about it.

  “Don’t your feet hurt?” she asked him.

  “Only a little.”

  “Let me see.”

  Carina squatted down to look at the soles of Darius’ feet. Sure enough, as she’d suspected they were red and blistering. He wasn’t a child accustomed to going barefoot.

  “Darius,” she said, “why didn’t you say you were in pain?”

  “It doesn’t hurt much, and we only have a little way to go now.”

  Carina tutted. “Hop onto my back.” She turned away from the boy and as he climbed onto her, she tucked his legs under her arms. The strange, misshapen shadow of the two of them stretched out long. It was nearing sunset, and the insect life that proliferated in that region had started up its twilight song. Razor-backed beetles the size of small cats crawled out of holes and rubbed their legs along their serrated backs.

  Feeling the boy’s body tense at the sight of one of the beetles flying across their path, Carina reassured him. “Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you.” At least, she was pretty sure they wouldn’t. A local had told her they were harmless.

  The tall, wide, metallic gates of the Sherrerr estate drew nearer. Carina adjusted the child’s weight on her back. She felt no strain carrying him but the movement eased her nerves a little. She scanned the high, blank wall, which glowed yellow in the rays of the setting sun. It was smooth and solid, unmarked by windows or patrolling guards along the top.

  Darius wriggled. “Can you go faster, Carina? We’re nearly there. I bet Mother is waiting for me at the gatehouse.”

  “I’m sorry. They told us I had to walk slowly. But it won’t be long now.”

  They had only another couple hundred meters or so to go. Carina turned and looked back to where Tarsalan waited under the tree. The woman was barely visible in its shadow, but she hadn’t left. She would wait until she saw the handover take place, she’d said, before returning to the ship. She wouldn’t hang around for Carina, who had left Duchess for the last time, having said all her goodbyes.

  Parting from Stevenson had been particularly hard, and she had the impression that he felt the same, but it couldn’t be helped. Her life lay in another direction now, no matter what happened when she returned the Sherrerrs’ child.

  A clanking sound came from the gate, piercing the insect drone that surrounded them. They were less than a hundred meters from their destination. A small door at the base of the gate opened, and an armed guard came out.

  “Stop,” he called. “Wait there.”

  Carina did as he asked. The guard’s armor was entirely black, as was his visor. She couldn’t make out the man’s face at all as he approached. She felt Darius stiffen.

  When the Sherrerr guard was twenty meters away he said, “Put the boy down.”

  Carina squatted down, expecting Darius to slide off her back, but he didn’t. He clung tighter.

  “You have to get down, Darius. This man’s going to take you home.”

  The boy buried his face in the back of her neck. Reaching awkwardly around, she gently extracted him from her back and set him on his feet. His head was down and he crossed his arms defensively in front.

  “What’s wrong?” Carina asked him. “Don’t you want to see your family again?”

  He nodded but didn’t raise his head. The guard had reached them, and Darius turned away from him, presenting the man with his hunched over back.

  “Come with me, Darius,” the guard said, holding out a black-gloved hand.

  The boy made a grunt of refusal.

  The guard sighed with exasperation. “Give me your hand, master. You must come with me.”

  Darius repeated his grunt, adding, “I want Carina to come too. She’s a—”

  “I can’t come with you,” Carina interrupted before the dreaded word could leave the boy’s lips. “That wasn’t in the instructions, remember?”

  The guard’s blank visor turned in her direction, and she could feel the man’s curious gaze burning into her.

  “Please?” Darius asked, lifting his head, his eyes pleading.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t. But do you remember what we talked about?”

  “Oh yes! I forgot.” The returned memory lit up the boy’s eyes. “Okay, I’ll come with you,” he said to the guard. Still refusing to take the man’s hand, Darius skipped off, heading for home. The guard quickly followed him.

  Carina stood and watched Darius the whole way. When he reached the small door, he turned around and gave her a wave. She waved back, smiling at the young boy’s happy face. Then the door closed and he was gone.

  She looked toward the spot where Tarsalan was waiting and just made out the figure of the woman leaving.

  Hugging herself, Carina began what she feared might be a long wait. She went to the side of the road and sat down next to a small boulder. She didn’t know how long it would take for Darius to tell his mother about her. She’d made him promise to wait until he was alone with her, and that could take a while. The Sherrerrs would probably want to have the boy medically assessed after the joyful reunion, and who knew what else.

  Carina passed the time watching the large bugs sing their song and perform their mating dance. She’d been to many worlds in the two years she’d spent as a merc and seen many strange sights. The giant beetles were another to add to her list. She relaxed against the boulder and watched the night’s first stars appear.

  So many suns, so many planets, she mused. Life in so many varieties, sapient and non-sapient, vicious and peaceful and everything in between. In her eighteen years, she’d seen both so much and so little of it. Was one of those stars the sun that shone on the home planet of her clan? Maybe one day she would find it and mages could return from their exile and live together again without fear.

  The temperature was dropping fast now that the sun had set. Carina shivered and rubbed her upper arms. The wall to the Sherrerr estate was now dark gray, unlit by any external lights. From within the compound arose a glow that had to come from lights within the gardens Darius had told Carina about. She imagined the lush grounds, with their trees, shrubs, flowers, and fountains, and the little boy playing happily within them, safely home again.

  Darius, have you spoken to your mother yet? Have you told her about me?

  The night wore on, and Carina grew colder. The beetles retired to their underground burrows, and silence fell except for the occasional animal noises she couldn’t identify in the darkness. In the city, movement in the streets diminished. Carina began to think about where she might sleep that night. She had held a faint hope that it might be within the Sherrerr mansion, though that was looking increasingly unlikely.

  She was tired and stiff with cold, and her dreams of companionship with other mages were rapidly fading. It was so dark, she could barely see the road
. The Sherrerr estate walls had become black and forbidding. The garden lights had gone out.

  It was time for Carina to leave.

  She stood and stretched her aching muscles. Finding the road by feeling with her feet as much as by sight, she began her return to the city. She had her wages from Tarsalan—any bonus for rescuing Darius noticeably absent. She should be able to find a hostel that was still open and a hot dinner. And then...she would think about that the next day.

  It was at that moment that she missed Speidel the most. What wouldn’t she have given for a word of advice from the older man?

  The clank of the Sherrerr gate door opening sounded behind her. Carina paused and turned, her defeated heart lifting in hope. Through the gloom, she spotted a guard walking toward her. Was it the same one who had escorted Darius inside? She couldn’t tell.

  “You,” said the guard. “What’s your name?”

  “Carina Lin.”

  “Here, this is for you.”

  He held out a pouch about the size of a large man’s fist. She took it and pulled it open, but in the darkness she couldn’t see what was inside.

  The guard had already turned to leave.

  “Excuse me,” Carina said. “Do you have a light I can borrow?”

  The man hesitated.

  “Please?”

  His black visor remained enigmatic, but the guard pulled a small flashlight from his belt, turned it on, and handed it to her.

  Carina shone the light into the pouch. A handful of glinting gems were the first items she recognized. They looked valuable. She drew in a breath. The objects that had made her gasp were less impressive than the gems: a tiny transparent box of metal filings, a vial of water, a small container of dust, a firestone, and a bundle of wood splinters tied with a thread: the base ingredients of elixir. They were a sign that whoever had sent the pouch knew what she was.

  The guard was shifting impatiently. Carina went to hand his flashlight back when its beam caught another item. This one made her knees go weak. It was a simple, almost valueless item, meaningless to an outsider, but to Carina, it meant everything. It was a pebble, polished to a fine shine to bring out its beautiful colors. It was exactly the kind of pebble her grandmother used to sell for a living.