Noble Lies

by Lyneal Jenkins

  She grinned. ‘That’s easy. Though I didn’t hear it while we trained but many years later while invading one of their compounds.’

  Nearly everyone in the room leant forwards in interest, practically salivating at that little tidbit of information. They couldn’t have gotten much intelligence from their captives if they didn’t know that the Siis had compounds.

  Eris addressed to the Prime Minister. ‘He wants to purge the planet of all humans.’ She peered around everyone in the room before her eyes settled on the screen once more. ‘And to be honest, he will likely succeed.’

  Angry and scared murmurs erupted around the room.

  I raised my voice to be heard. ‘Cleas is as sick and twisted as he is crazy.’ I went on to detail some of the horrific things I had experienced in Cleas’s mind, paying particular attention to what he did with the humans after they died. If that didn’t convince them that they had a huge problem, then nothing would.

  When I finished, stunned silence filled the room. Some looked sick, some looked scared. All of them looked angry. Good.

  The General spoke first, his voice husky with emotion. ‘You said that you have information about his plans?’

  I nodded. ‘Cleas and Damien have infiltrated not only this government, but from I can gather, every powerful government around the world. I don’t know the names of the people who have been compromised, but I am willing to see a sketch artist. That should allow you to deal with the situation.’

  Fresh angry whispers forced me to pause. It wouldn’t harm to give them a little time to reflect. Once the murmurs died down, I indicated to where Maria sat with her mouth agape, probably wondering how Damien could have caused so much trouble already. ‘I am sure that Maria, along with the help of your own witches, will be able to confirm that they are compromised.’ When she nodded, I continued. ‘Cleas plans to hit all the world leaders in one go, so if you do have any meetings like that planned, I suggest you cancel them.’

  ‘That makes sense,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘Not the attack, but the remark that creature said to me when we were cornered, about how it was too soon for me.’

  Eris didn’t seem bothered at Cleas being called a creature. She and Adam, along with everyone else in the room, looked at the Prime Minister in question.

  A woman gasped from the corner, her mousy brown hair pulled into a tight bun, her camouflage uniform pristinely pressed. ‘The G20 summit. He would have access to all the world leaders in one place.’

  Several people nodded in agreement.

  The Prime Minister looked at me. ‘It can only be that. Can you tell us any more about it, for example, why they want us all?’

  I shook my head. ‘Not about that, but I can tell you a little about what he plans for the rest of us.’

  Everyone perked up, some leaning towards me in anticipation, while others sat back in their seat, their body language relaxed while their eyes fixated on me. Even Eris fell quiet with no sign of her usual smirk.

  I took a steady breath, uneasy under all the scrutiny. ‘Firstly, he has all intentions of eradicating the human race within the next ten years.’

  Some people gasped, many of them blanched, only the Prime Minister and a couple of the men around the table moved to anger, either by clenching their fists, with faces drawn tight, or with verbal outrage, the latter filled with choice words my mother would have baulked at.

  I raised my voice to be heard over the angry murmurs. ‘I don’t know what he wants with the world leaders, but one thing I know for sure about Cleas is that he enjoys creating fear.’ I glanced at Eris and she nodded in agreement. ‘If I had to make an educated guess, then I would say that the death of all major world leaders in one go would create fear. A lot of fear.’ A few people around the room nodded in agreement, so I continued. ‘He then plans to take out the power. Again, I don’t know how for sure, but I saw something that looked like small rockets or bombs.’ I leant forwards, aiming to transmit my worry. ‘I saw lots of them. Hundreds, if not more.’

  The Prime Minister called for someone named Paige, his voice urgent. He demanded she get the U.S. President on the line and for her to contact someone named Baldwin.

  I paused while he shouted his orders, aware that my time was short. The President would just have to wait. Surely he would want to know the full story first.

  The Prime Minister turned back to me. ‘Carry on.’

  ‘He then plans to go after the cities, levelling them. He hopes that the ensuing chaos will reduce the population further, leaving less work for his people.’

  Eris piqued up, her tone far too satisfied. ‘I told you that you needed us.’

  ‘I haven’t finished.’ I turned to her. ‘After the human race is no longer a problem, Cleas plans to turn his focus onto Vakros.’

  Eris laughed. She felt so safe and secure about the safety of the Siis.

  Adam leant forwards, past Maria, to see me. ‘Do you know the strength of his army?’

  I shook my head. ‘I do know that he has many priests willing to follow him, many of them who have tired of Vakros’s rule.

  The Prime Minister cleared his throat. ‘I was under the impression that Vakros was more powerful than this Cleas.’

  I nodded. ‘He is, but the priests following Cleas are also powerful. Eris, could several high priests working together beat Vakros?’

  She nodded and stared ahead, frowning.

  I continued. ‘After Vakros is dead, he will attack Malachi.’

  Eris’s head snapped back to me in disbelief.

  ‘There is something else you should all know.’ I kept my eyes on Eris. ‘Vakros is half Siis and half human, and this is the reason Cleas and many others have turned against him.’

  Noise erupted in the room as most of them stated their disbelief and shock. Everyone except Eris. I glared at her, willing her to look in my direction, but she continued to stare into the distance as if she hadn’t heard what I’d said. I’d been right; she already knew of Vakros’s heritage. Damn her and her secrets.

  The General shouted for everyone to be quiet. Even then, it took a stern look from him to make some of them fall silent.

  ‘Ms. Martin,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘Do you have any clue how to beat this Cleas and his men?’

  I nodded. ‘Yes, but I suspect none of you are going to like it.’ I took a deep breath. ‘You have no choice but to all work together—humans, Siis, witches and Damiq.

  The room erupted in noise that even the shouts of the General couldn’t halt for over a minute. I saw rather than heard the Prime Minister saying he needed to go. I couldn’t have that just yet.

  ‘Prime Minister?’ I shouted, quietening the last of the talking. ‘One more thing.’ I stared at him, determined to have my say. ‘The Defence Minister might have encouraged you to involve me in the press conference, but you were prepared for the Siis.’ I stared at him, waiting for his response, not a hundred per cent sure I was right, but sure enough to confront him.

  His eyes shuttered, his expression bland. ‘Why would you say that?’

  ‘Your receptionists were armed. You had soldiers on hand. And when the Siis first approached, I heard what you said, about it being too soon.’ The more I spoke, the more confident I became. ‘You made sure your family were safe and then you used me as bait to draw Cleas out.’ He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. ‘Think carefully before you lie to me. You have seen what I can do. I will be a lot more useful as an ally than I will be as an enemy.’

  He studied me for a moment and sighed. ‘You have to understand, Ms. Martin. The interest the Siis have in you gave us an opportunity we would otherwise not have had. If we had captured Cleas, we’d have had a chance to retake the daku mine. We really need that metal, Ms. Martin. The whole world needs us to have it.’ He stared at me directly, daring me to challenge his decision to risk my life against the safety of the whole world. Doug might have come up with the idea of involving me in the press conference, but the Prime Mini
ster had willingly gone along with it.

  ‘Never use me like that again,’ I said. ‘Next time, you tell me the truth and ask for my help. Do you understand?’

  He nodded. ‘As you wish.’ The words were automatic with no hint of truth. He would do the same again if needed.

  ‘One more thing,’ I said before he left. I took a moment to squash the rising rage, wishing that I didn’t have to form alliances with them, that I could embrace my fury and deal with the man who haunted my dreams. ‘That soldier who waterboarded me, I never want to see him again. Because if I do, then I will kill him. Do you understand?’

  ‘You have to understand, Ms. Martin, Captain—’

  Captain? He’d been a lieutenant before. ‘I don’t need to understand. If you want my cooperation, he stays out of my way. This is non-negotiable.’ I watched him in silence as he figured out how to respond. My stomach churned with rage. The man had tortured me, and they’d given him a promotion.

  He nodded once, a sharp, military-like clipped movement before disconnecting the call. He would lose no sleep over how they had used me, as Tabert had said, they believed their deception to be noble. As if they could even begin to understand the meaning of the word.

  As people filed out of the room, Adam asked if I wanted to return to the Damiq.

  ‘Not yet.’ I kept my eyes on Eris. ‘Can we have the room for a moment, please?’ I glanced at the guards, indicating that I also meant them. They glanced at Eris and Adam and looked forwards, not moving. ‘For God’s sake!’ I glared at them. ‘There’s not a thing you can do if we do try something, so leave.’

  The General collected a small pile of files off the table. ‘Station yourselves outside the door, men.’ He waited for the guards to leave, nodded in our direction and followed them out.

  I met Maria’s eyes, ready for her complaints. ‘You too.’

  She scowled. ‘Why do I have to go?’

  ‘Because Eris and I need to talk.’

  Maria grumbled under her breath as she followed Adam, slamming the door behind her.

  Eris perched on the edge of the table with her arms crossed.

  I studied her, trying to find a glimpse of remorse or anything that suggested she wasn’t okay with all the deception. ‘Well?’

  ‘Well what?’ She inspected her perfect nails as if looking for dirt.

  ‘Don’t play the fool. You can either tell me, or they can. But either way, I will find out what you are hiding from me about why I am like this.’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘You survive one battle with Cleas, and you think you are invincible.’

  I shook my head. ‘I think you won’t kill me. I also think that you need me, or at least want what I can do.’

  ‘You think a lot.’

  I growled through my teeth. She was impossible. ‘No more games, Eris. If you want me to help in your war, I need to know what you know.’

  She sighed. ‘I don’t know what the big deal is, it won’t help you.’

  ‘But it might help the government.’

  ‘Maybe, maybe not.’

  ‘Eris! Work with me on this, please. I must have earnt some respect by fending Cleas off?’

  She studied me before she smiled, her eyes bright with amusement. ‘Fine. I know that you carry a certain gene, as does Adam. It somehow makes you compatible, hence you were able to conceive.’

  I had expected as such by the way she went after my brother. I clenched my teeth, biting back my anger. It wasn’t the time to go into that right now, not with the mammoth task ahead of me.

  ‘Why can’t the government know about it?’

  ‘Because your people are children. They will do something stupid like create a gene therapy, then there will be loads of you running around attempting to steal our shi.’ She leant towards me and grinned. ‘It’s hard enough keeping you alive.’

  ‘So Vakros is like me?’

  She watched me with indecision in her eyes as if deciding whether to tell me what she knew. I glared at her, daring her to hold the information back from me.

  She sighed in resignation. ‘If only. We wouldn’t have these problems if he were. His parents had the same gene you and Adam do. As with your child, his father was Siis and his mother human.’

  My child wasn’t the first of her kind. I glared at her. ‘How has no one told me this?’

  She shrugged. ‘Not many people know. I wasn’t sure until a few months back.’

  ‘Vakros is more powerful than Malachi?’

  She sighed again. ‘Vakros has unique gifts, a strength that no Siis has encountered before. Some say he could beat Malachi but…’

  ‘You don’t think so?’

  She shrugged again and said nothing.

  ‘Do you think my child will be able to beat Vakros?’

  ‘Maybe.’ She grinned. ‘If we can keep you alive long enough to give birth.’

  That Siis wanted me because my child would be the weapon to would take Vakros down? ‘Does Adam know?’ If Adam knew something about our child and hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t be able to trust him. My throat tightened. He couldn’t know. That would be too unfair.

  She shook her head. ‘Not about Vakros. I informed him about the similar chromosomes while you were in a coma.’

  I exhaled with enough force to flutter my hair, only then realising that I’d been holding my breath. I spent a moment getting my thoughts together, trying to hide my relief. I failed miserably under Eris’s watchful gaze. ‘Before the next meeting starts, I want to know why you brought me here in the first place.’ I had a good idea, but again, couldn’t be sure. If I told her what I suspected, she would likely deny it just to be awkward. She needed to be ready for what I would say in the next meeting. She had to be open to my suggestion of peace among the races.

  ‘I want the location of the daku line.’ She had that bored look to her again, one that I found easy to see right through.

  I met her eyes. Seeing the amusement in them, I resisted the urge to slap her. ‘How has no one killed you yet?’

  She laughed. ‘No one can.’

  I wouldn’t be diverted, not this time. ‘Why bring me here with you?’

  She shrugged. ‘I thought having a human might help.’

  ‘Try again.’

  ‘You seemed like you needed a trip out.’

  ‘Now you aren’t even trying to come up with a good excuse.’

  She grinned. ‘I wanted company for the journey.’ She waggled her finger at me like a teacher chastising a small child. ‘I didn’t give you permission to come this time. What were you thinking going on live television?’

  ‘I wasn’t thinking. I was making sure the people I care about are safe.’

  ‘Yet in doing so, you endangered not only yourself but the child too.’

  I touched my stomach and guilt filled my chest like a heavy stone. I still found it hard to accept a mere eighteen days had passed, that I still carried the child. My child. My daughter. Elinor. I glared at Eris, wishing I could burn her with my eyes. ‘I had no choice.’

  ‘Of course you had a choice. You are pregnant now. You have responsibilities. The time for stupid acts of misguided bravery needs to be a thing of the past.’

  ‘You think I want this?’ I stepped towards her, my fists clenched. ‘You think I want to bring a child into a world that probably won’t exist in a few years?’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Are you done?’

  ‘Go to hell!’ I stormed from the room, slamming the door closed behind me. I stalked down the corridor, in the direction of the hospital room. I needed more answers from Eris, but I wouldn’t get them if my rage gained control and I challenged her. I needed to remain calm, not just for me and my child, but for all of humanity. I could already feel the dark edge of a low. I would ride the storm as I always did, even though this time would be so much worse. My brain had too much ammunition. It didn’t matter. I couldn’t let my demon control my mood. I needed to be steady. I needed to be prepared. Against every ins
tinct I had, I needed to be a leader.

  We were so screwed.

  Adam waited for me outside the door.

  I glowered at him. ‘I need to go outside.’

  He nodded and lead me towards the main entrance, with the good sense to know that speaking would infuriate me further.

  After zipping my coat up, I stepped into the bitterly cold wind and delved my hands into the deep pockets. A single soldier stood out the front smoking. When he saw us, he stubbed his half-smoked cigarette out and hurried inside. My job would be hard as trust remained in short supply.

  When we rounded the corner, we nearly collided with three men, all wearing chef’s whites with a blue and white checked apron. They pushed three large chrome carts that carried the scent of food.

  We followed them to the Damiq camp. Maybe things wouldn’t be as hard as I feared. It had only been a few weeks since the Damiq had been kept in cages and now they were being fed and housed in tents. Maybe peace was an achievable target. Maybe I wasn’t flogging a dead horse.

  Or maybe I had completely lost my mind.

  The three men left the carts at the front of the camp and hurried back the way they had come, their eyes scanning the area as if they expected an attack. They had obviously drawn the short straw by bringing the food outside.

  One of the Damiq noticed the carts and shouted to let everyone know food had arrived before he, and three others, dragged the trays of food out, ready to serve to the others. A line formed, everyone chatting, some light laughter, even some good-hearted shoving. How long had this been their routine? Long enough for them to relax, with little fear of the nearby soldiers.

  I spotted Nicolai near one of the tents talking to Parker, not yet queuing. I headed straight for them with Adam in tow.

  Nicolai greeted me with a warm smile before telling Parker to join the queue. Once Parker left, Nicolai offered me to join him in his tent. I followed, glad to be out of the biting wind. I paused inside the flap, my skin prickling with the unexpected heat. Alongside the military green tents given, there were also roll mats, sleeping bags and a small, gas heater. I held my hands before it, warming my skin.