Ever So Madly (5 page)

Chapter Eleven

Madden

My last class was intergalactic trade, and ten minutes in I wanted to scream. Not because I didn’t understand the material, but because it was elitist, skewed, and downright false in most parts. The professor wore a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows. He looked like a relic out of a twentieth-century book. He wore glasses that projected images to the large screen as he talked.

Hornsbee explained trade only from an Akillie point of view. I was sure the other large faction, the Jok House, would have a much different story about it. But on Harden we saw it from the outside. Our planet was fought over for its valuable resources putting us at odds with both houses. But the Emperor controlled all and had put us in the protection of Akillie, making everyone in need of Ore beholden to them. Some, myself included, felt the Emperor played favorites to increase conflict between the great houses. If they were at odds with each other, they would never rise up against him.

I was pulled out of my musing by a nudge to my shoulder. My gut filled with nervous excitement. Had she followed me? I’d taken my seat in the back row having had a feeling this class would infuriate me. But when I looked behind me a figure stood in the shadows. No one else seemed to have noticed. He was too large to be Jocelynn. I started to turn back, but the figure held out a micro disk to me. I frowned and took the thing from him. He stepped further back into the shadows, backing toward the door. I watched him slip out and looked around again. Not a single person had even turned.

Glancing down at the silver disk in my hand, I wondered if it was a message from J. I slid it into my comm, and the screen glowed dimly, blades flying in from the edges to form a red star in the center. My eyes went wide, but the image faded leaving a scrawling message in a handwritten script.

Madden,

Changes start with individuals standing opposed to tyranny. It takes bright minds infused in all levels of government. We stand against the Emperor and his cruel division of power. As a Harden you know of the oppression we face. But even inside the bleakest oppression, at the darkest hour, dawn draws near. Come see the light we have to offer with the Red Stars

Intidafa.

I reread the message three times. Why me? The question settled in my mind. I was smart, but would I ever be in a position to effect real change like they talked about? I had to have a skill they desired. There had always been whispers of them on my home planet, but they only recruited people they could use. Holding this disk could get me bounced back to Harden. Going to this meeting could be seen as treason to the House of Akillie. But I knew from rumor alone a Red Star invitation was a one-time thing. It was a band of honor on Harden to be invited into their ranks. If turned down once they wouldn’t ask again. Collecting masses of supporters was never their means. They didn’t instill hate or act as terrorists. The whispers said they had real plans to take down the Emperor.

But no one knew enough about them to be sure. For all I knew it could be a completely different tactic. I wanted to go. I wanted to know what all of the hush was about. When the map flashed on the screen I committed it to memory and shut off my comm. I had no doubt if they could get something like this into my hands it would be wiped remotely from afar. I shoved it in my bag and sat at the edge of my seat waiting for the lecture to finish. I needed to get a wrist comm, like the locals used. It would go a long way to me not losing it.

I shot up the moment it was done, heading back to my room to change. I felt like an idiot as I stared at the few things hanging in my closet, mostly old tees with metal tech logos. I pulled on a black one and some jeans. Sneaking around was not my strong suit. At six foot three, I couldn’t hide anywhere. Besides, people stared at me anyway because of my otherworldly features.

I left my room and took off toward the less traveled parts of the city where the map began. I followed the imprint in my mind, knowing it was the long way around to a building in the heart of the abandoned city. I could have taken a more direct route from memory alone, but I figured this was some sort of test. If I really thought about it the route was probably meant to suss out any tail I might have. There was none. I was too boring to draw the attention of anyone past the excitement of my proclaimed genius the first few days. I was old news. I guessed they wanted me to come alone, not that I had anyone to tell. Colton would have been the only one, and well, he was light years away and wasn’t speaking to me.

The sun was low in the horizon when I had left, and by the time I neared the meeting place all trace of natural light had vanished. The worn streets glowed with the illuminating bricks used on all public streets here, giving me enough light to find my way and see the aging structures around me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling there were eyes on me. I scanned the buildings, but there was no one. It felt like I was walking into a trap.

It looked like I was in a warehouse district, long abandoned. I took the final turn into a dead-end and frowned. What the hell?

Walking to the end of the street I searched the buildings on both sides, finding no doors or even a window. It hit me—most people don’t look up when searching, so I scanned the walls. They stretched five or six stories into the sky, windowless, and without a means of entrance into the buildings.

Fear cut through me. I could be executed from a rooftop. This could have been a set-up.

I slid my communicator from my pocket and checked it. Five minutes until meeting time. I spun in a slow circle again looking for anything I might have missed. It had to be a false trail or a decoy because there was nothing here.

The full circle brought me back to the brick wall at the end of the alley, and where the bottom once met the ground now stood a staircase down.

I took a tentative step toward it, and there, imprinted on each was a tiny red star. My stomach flipped as I stepped down onto the first one then the next. An iron door stood at the end, and I knocked, unsure what to do next. The door swung open instantly, and I was swept into blackness.

Chapter Twelve

Jocelynn

“Jocelynn.” The Baron’s voice rang out, drawing me from my thoughts.

“Yes, sir?” I straightened in my chair, keeping my hands folded in my lap as I looked over at him. Etiquette dictated all my actions at such events, but the gestures and movements were so ingrained it was harder for me to break protocol at this point than to abide by its strict rules.

“Wasn’t it lovely to have the daughter of Lord Arbor here for the opening ceremony?” He fixed me in a hard stare. His eyes were the color of mine, deep blue, but his hair was black. Gray streaked away from his temples, and down into his full beard. It was impossible to deny the Akillie blood held strong genes. He would have been a handsome man, except for his harsh eyes, which instilled fear in most of his subjects as well as advisers. Some argued a good ruler needed such things to impose order. I knew I lacked such hardness.

“Yes, Aubrey has been all kindness and pleasantries.” I nodded at the girl sitting next to my brother.

She smiled over at me. “I look forward to the weeks we will spend at your winter palace, Baron.” She inclined her head at him.

The Baron cast a look at my brother sitting between Aubrey and me. Jacob leaned back in his chair with his arms thrown over the sides, defying protocol. He held a large glass of fire whiskey, and I knew he was on his way to getting drunk. He’d hardly spoken two words to her all night, despite her constant chattering to us both, and I’d been forced to pick up the slack. I knew why he did it, and my heart went out to him, but I felt bad for her. She seemed a bit dense and airheaded, but she was nice enough and beautiful. She stood five feet ten inches tall, towering over me, and her dark tendrils of curls fell to her butt. She was rail thin and the perfect arm piece for the younger son of the Baron, plus her father ruled over a planet currently in Jok control.

Angling to get it out from under the House of Jok’s thumb and into Akillie hands would mean more wealth and power. Their main export was liquid crystal. They had perfected a technique to make it into display screens on large space craft.

We might have had control over Ore, the most valuable element in the universe, but they had the tech for time-folding giving them better access to trade and exploration. The marriage would bind the planet to Akillie, thus gaining us substantial resources and of course, pissing off Jok.

“We look forward to the official visit from your father.” The Baron turned back to a conversation happening on the other side of the large table.

“So, Jacob, I’ve been told you play quite the game of Quad.”

He grunted.

I blew out a breath and wiped my fingers on my napkin, glancing over at the clock. We’d had six courses. Dessert was being served. Before long Jacob would excuse himself and then soon after, I could do the same, feigning exhaustion. But the key was him leaving.

“He is getting fat from all the whiskey, and I doubt he could hope to keep up anymore.” I shot him a look, getting my point across.

He set down his tumbler and straightened in his seat. “I still attend all the same training sessions you do.”

“You’ve been slacking.” I shrugged.

“A wager then?” he snapped.

“Are you challenging me?” I smiled at Aubrey and nearly squealed in delight at Jacob’s sudden turnaround.

“I am.” He made eyes at her then looked back at me. It was one of his biggest talents. He could make anyone fall at his feet with his charm. I’d never possessed the particular skill.

“Can I come?” Aubrey looked giddy.

Jacob shrugged one shoulder. “If you would like.”

“Then it’s settled, you two must compete when we are all at your winter palace.”

I was pretty sure she bounced in her chair.

Jacob shot me a look. I cracked a smile. Poor girl was way too simple to hold his attention even if she’d had the parts between her thighs he preferred. Servants came around carrying trays of dessert, which Jacob and I both waved off. He narrowed his eyes at me, refilling his glass of whiskey.

“New diet?”

“Whatever would I need a diet for, brother mine?”

He looked me over before pushing back from the table. “I must beg your leave, Aubrey, I think the fowl isn’t sitting right.”

She clambered to her feet in a ladylike manner which impressed me. “Are you ill?”

“Maybe.” He put on the most faux frown I think I’ve ever seen him wear before going on. “Maybe I should beg off our breakfast engagement.”

I scoffed, and he growled under his breath. Sick was code for he didn’t want to leave his bed for breakfast as there would be better company between his sheets.

She set her hand on his shoulder. “Let me bring breakfast to you. I would feel better if I could check on you in the morning.”

I could feel the internal groan radiating off my brother. “That would be lovely.” He patted her hand on his arm then broke away, making a hasty exit.

My gaze flickered to the communicator on my wrist, twenty minutes until I had to meet Madden. It would take me at least that long to change and get out to the square. I grabbed a slice of pie from a passing tray and set it in front of me, because I needed a distraction. There was a chance he wouldn’t wait for me. The minutes ticked by and at five minutes to, after making polite conversation with Aubrey for the longest fifteen minutes of my life, I rose to my feet.

“Sir, I have an early morning training course. Please excuse me.”

The Baron studied me. “And your brother, where did he pinch off to?”

I swallowed. “He was ill, sir.”

“Code for he went to find more amusing debauchery than the striking female I have placed before him.” He scoffed, stroking his fingers over his graying beard.

I remained silent. It was better not to lie to the Baron’s face, nor would I admit the truth of where I knew my brother had gone. If he was caught in bed with a man, the Baron would have to do something about it. Right now it was ignored for the most part, which I think suited everyone.

“Go if you must. I have no further need for you here.”

It was the kindest dismissal I was going to get. I gave a slight bow and forced myself to walk calmly out of the place. I broke into a run when I reached the hall, skidding around the corners in heels.

I slipped into my room and yanked off my dress, tossing it into a pile in the corner.

I dug through the clothes on the floor, picking up a pair of leathers before pulling them on.

A skin tight green tank went over the corset I didn’t have time to try to get myself out of. The top of the black lace corset peeked out over the top of the tank, creating a nice image. I looked at my hair in the glass, and it was still beautifully sculpted and pinned up from dinner. It wasn’t worth fussing over either.

Late by a few minutes, I ran from my room heading out the back way, toward the fountain in the square. The outside air was cold as we were heading into fall. Brisk wind pulled at my cloak as I wrapped it tighter around myself. I had grabbed the red one, the house color, and wished I’d commissioned a black one like my brother had. Another thing to put on the list if I was determined to keep up this sneaking around.

The sky was covered in a low cloud layer, blocking out the six moons usually illuminating the night. I could make out the shade of the fountain from far off as I approached the abandoned square, but there was no figure in sight. I checked my comm again. It was ten past. Maybe he’d left.

I couldn’t stay out here long. The color of my cloak would draw unwanted attention.