Bianca D'Arc (10 page)

When they landed on a pad near the top of a towering
temple, the two novitiates accompanied them inside while the others
remained behind. A few smiled at Della as she took Alex’s hand and
walked beside him. The men were more cautious of Alex, but then, he
hadn’t had the time to get to know any of them over a hand of cards
the way Della had. It was good to know she had champions—or at
least acquaintances—among the jit’suku soldiers, in case anything
went wrong.

The path into the temple was winding and long. They
climbed upward until they came to a chamber near the top of the
massive structure. The door opened and Alex was escorted inside by
the two novitiates, Della at his side.

There was a circle of light in the center of the
chamber and he could just make out long, curved tables with seats
placed behind them all around the chamber. Men sat in the seats,
watching him from the dark. Only his Enhanced senses allowed him to
perceive them. He’d bet good money that Della couldn’t see them at
all.

When she would have accompanied him to the center of
the room, one of the novitiates held her back. Gently, the other
man took her arm, guiding her to stand with him, slightly behind
Alex, near the back of the room. Good, she was out of the line of
fire. Now he just had to reason with these men, pass their tests
and keep Della safe. No sweat.

So then why was he sweating?

Alex willed himself to calm. Nerves would only
hinder his performance. As he had many times before, he consciously
slowed his breathing, taking in everything around him. There could
be no surprises. He wouldn’t allow himself to be taken off
guard.

“
Who stands before us?”

Chapter Nine

Theos had prepared him for this. He knew what to
say.

“
I am Alexander Hambly, son of
Theos.”

That last bit definitely caused a stir.

“
Theos has no children. Can you or
Brother Theos explain the circumstances of your existence?” Alex
could see the speaker. He was sitting at the center table. Alex met
his eyes and saw the man shift in his seat, no doubt surprised by
Alex’s perception.

Theos stepped to the edge of the circle of light,
from his position at the side of the room. Alex had seen him there
in the shadows. He wasn’t surprised.

“
Alexander was born human. His DNA
has since undergone a radical change. My DNA was used to modify his
own, so much so that he is genetically my son.”

The Council of priests looked angry at this
news.

“
You have been wronged, Brother
Theos. I assume this was done against your will,” the High Priest
asked.

“
And without my knowledge or
permission,” Theos agreed. “However, I have meditated on the matter
and believe Alexander is not to blame. He had no notion of what
kind of modification was made to him and would never have known
except that he had to receive medical treatment on my
ship.”

“
Is this true?” The question was
clearly addressed to Alex.

“
I never realized the
modifications that were made to my genetic structure came from the
jit’suku. I assumed they were human in origin. I don’t think
anybody else knows except perhaps the scientists who did this to
me.”

“
There is no possibility you are
made with the express intent of interfering with the imperial
succession?” The High Priest fixed him with an unflinching stare
which Alex returned.

“
I don’t see how. From what Father
Theos has told me, nobody in my galaxy knew who he was during the
time he believes his DNA samples were secured.”

“
Brother Theos?” The High Priest
sought the ex-emperor’s assurances.

“
To my knowledge, nobody in their
galaxy ever knew of my travels there,” Theos confirmed. “I was a
very young man and traveled under a false identity that was never
breached. There were, however, several occasions where my DNA might
have been procured from my blood.”

“
You engaged in
battle?”

“
A few fistfights,” Theos
confirmed as if such things were no big deal. “Not enough to draw
too much attention to my differences from humans, I thought.
Apparently I was wrong. Someone noticed and someone went to the
trouble of collecting spilled blood and harvesting my genetic
material.”

The Council seemed to settle down at Theos’s words.
They still looked at Alex suspiciously, however.

“
Then you do not wish to press
charges against this man?” the High Priest asked
formally.

“
No. I do not wish to press
charges. In fact, I would like to acknowledge his genetic relation
to me formally before this Council.” That started the councilors
murmuring among themselves. Theos forged on, ignoring their
reaction. “Further, I request that he be tested for the
novitiate.”

“
You’ve got to be joking.” One
councilor on the far left side of the semi-circular table spoke
aloud.

“
I am not.” The harshness of the
emperor he had been was in Theos’s tone. All fell quiet within the
Council chamber. “I want Alexander Hambly to be formally recognized
as a novitiate of the Zenai. Then I want him to perform the
ceremony of renunciation for himself, all his heirs and all those
who may have been made like him. With the power of the novitiate
behind him, there can be no doubt of his veracity.”

Silence fell like a curtain as the councilors
thought over Theos’s plan. At length, the High Priest spoke
again.

“
We will test him. Farther than
that, we cannot go until he has proven himself, or not.”

“
That is fair.” Theos stepped back
out of the light, leaving Alex alone in the center of the
room.

“
The test will begin now,” the
High Priest intoned. That was all the warning Alex had.

The next moment, fists were flying in his direction
as other men who had been standing around the perimeter of the room
sprang into action. Alex blocked and parried, avoiding every blow
with grace, skill, and ease. And the attacks kept coming. Alex
called on all his Enhanced abilities to run circles around those
who would have happily knocked his block off.

It was actually easier than Alex had expected. He
hadn’t realized just how much of an edge his Enhancements gave him
until this moment. He was in the zone. Nothing could touch him.

“
Enough!” The High Priest’s voice
shattered the moment.

Alex relaxed into a ready stance until all his
adversaries were accounted for. There were nine of them arrayed
around him in a circle. All nine were breathing hard and Alex
hadn’t even broken a sweat.

The High Priest stood and came around the table.
Alex’s eyes followed his progress.

“
You can see me?” the man
asked.

“
I can.”

“
Interesting. How many councilors
sit to my right?”

“
Four. Two with beards, two clean
shaven.” He figured he might as well show off a little. Theos
already knew about his Enhanced senses. He could see the surprise
on the councilors’ faces. His arrow had struck its mark.

The High Priest stood in front of Alex and bowed.
Alex returned the gesture. In the blink of an eye, the battle was
engaged.

This man was an opponent to be reckoned with. He
tested Alex’s mettle and pushed him to his limits. Alex enjoyed the
challenge. He hadn’t been put through his paces like this since the
last time he’d sparred with one of his fellow Enhanced soldiers.
Only another Enhanced warrior could really keep up with him.

Even this High Priest was no match for Alex’s speed.
Eventually the match drew to a close. Neither had won. Neither had
lost. It had been a test. An exploration that seemed to satisfy the
High Priest. He bowed and returned to his seat.

“
The candidate passes the tests of
strength, skill and speed.” The High Priest’s words had the ring of
authority and Alex knew he was halfway home. Theos had told him
what to expect but couldn’t predict what form the next test would
take. It was different for each candidate.

“
Before we move on,” one of the
bearded councilors spoke, drawing attention. “I would like to know
what it is we have just witnessed. I have never, in all my years,
seen anything like that display. Have you studied our fighting
forms long, candidate Alex?”

“
With respect, I studied human
forms of the martial arts since my youth, and continued when I
became a soldier. I have honed those skills over the years and am
now retired from the battlefield. As you probably saw, they are
very similar to the jit’suku fighting form, but not exactly the
same.”

“
And how long have you studied our
fighting form?” the councilor insisted.

“
Only the time it took to get
from
Madhatter Station
to Solaris Prime. Father Theos taught me aboard his
ship.”

Gasps sounded from some of the watchers but the
others were more circumspect. “Were you always this fast?” the
councilor continued his questioning.

“
No, sir. My speed, agility,
strength and other senses improved after the genetic manipulation
experiments concluded. Whatever they did to my DNA made me as I am
now.”

Murmurs sounded around the periphery of the room.
Alex could hear them, though he was certain others couldn’t. His
vision and hearing had also been augmented by Enhancement.

“
It is clear the candidate exceeds
the requirements in the physical areas,” the High Priest spoke once
more, taking the reins of the proceedings. “What remains to be seen
is if he meets the spiritual requirements.”

That sounded ominous. Theos had warned Alex to be
ready for anything. The High Priest had a multitude of rabbits he
could pull out of his hat for this test. There had been no way to
prepare for all the possibilities.

“
Have you always followed the
Goddess?”

Dangerous ground already. Alex breathed deep, hoping
to center himself.

“
No, sir. I was raised with the
idea of a male deity. Since meeting Father Theos and learning
jit’suku ways, I have come to see the merit of the Goddess.” He was
losing them. He could see the rejection of his answer on their
faces. He had to do something quick. “Moreover, since meeting
Della, I have come to value the Goddess in the way She works
through my mate.”

“
Strange words,” one of the other
councilors said. “Would you care to elaborate?”

Theos had counseled Alex to talk freely of Della and
her gift. He’d said it would hold great weight with these men.

“
My lady is a seer, born of a long
line of clairvoyants. It was her vision that warned of the
assassination attempt on Tren. It was her foresight that put us in
the right place to be of help that day. She has saved many lives in
her time. I’ve seen her do it. I believe in her, and she believes
in the Goddess. Della’s power comes from the Goddess, or so she has
told me many times. And Della would know.”

Alex broke protocol to meet Della’s gaze across the
circle of light that separated them. Stars, how he loved her.

“
Is Della your true mate?” The
councilor’s voice came to Alex as if from far away.

“
I believe she is.” Alex held her
gaze, wanting so much to be able to keep her with him forever. “I
love her with all my heart.”

Della’s perfect mouth opened in a tiny O of surprise
as tears welled in her eyes. He saw her mouth move and heard her
small whisper. It was enough to make his heart burst with joy as
she spoke for his Enhanced ears alone.

“
I love you too, Alex.”

“
Bring the Lady Della forward.”
The High Priest spoke as if from very far away.

Della walked toward Alex, gliding to his side like
magnets of opposite polarity being drawn together. She took his
hand when she reached the center of the light. They were in this
together now.

As he gazed into her eyes, he saw her pupils dilate
in a way he recognized. He’d seen it before. She was going into a
vision. Of all the times for it to strike!

Alex caught her as she swayed.

“
What’s wrong with her?” one of
the men asked, concerned.

“
It’s okay. She’s having a vision.
It’s strong...” Alex trailed off as Della’s eyes unfocused and her
mouth opened.

Her body straightened abruptly and he felt a shock
like electricity flow through her. He let her go when she seemed
able to stand on her own, but stood ready to catch her if she
fell.

“
Alex Hambly is what you will be.
In him you see the future of your race,” she said. Only it wasn’t
Della’s voice. It was amplified somehow as if two voices spoke
instead of one. “He is My chosen champion. My novitiate. What he
does not know of Me, his mate will teach him. Together they will
usher in a new age for all. An age of unity and peace. They are but
the first. It will take many years, great heartache, and much work
on both sides of this struggle, but this is My will. Do you
understand, Paeter? Elios, Tolgrith, Mumsa, Fargil, Tarda, Bemphil,
Argo and Theos.” She looked at each man in turn as she spoke their
names. “You all serve Me well. Serve Me in this.”

“
I understand, dearest Lady.” The
High Priest seemed near tears as he looked not at Della, but at the
light that had formed above her in the high dome of the ceiling.
The voice came from Della’s lips, but it also came from the light
above them. Alex hadn’t realized it before. He’d only had eyes for
Della.