Queen of Swords (22 page)

Chapter Twenty Seven

Ophelia forced back tears, knowing they would only complicate matters. Besides, there was only so much air in the pod, and she had no idea how long it would take before Kristian’s crony picked her up. Closing her eyes made it easier to forget that only a thin strip of metal separated her from the perfect blackness of space.

Pulling her stolen shirt higher around her face, she inhaled deeply, bringing the scent of Boone into her lungs. He might never forgive her, but this was unavoidable. Kristian had her parents. Even under normal circumstances, Ophelia would be terrified for them, but the knowledge that the prince had aligned himself with Sanctify…

Those bastards kept a very special ritual for those who betrayed them. And now Papa was within their reach. She pressed a hand to her mouth and prayed this asshole would get her quickly.

The pod shuddered. She half feared it was the
Dutchman
, returned to scoop her up, but she caught sight of a red hull through the miniscule window of the pod and her heart sank. There were only a handful of ships who wore that color and, with her luck, this was the
Harpy Queen
.

When the pod hatch opened to reveal a familiar pale face, broken only by dark eyes, it was everything Ophelia could do not to attack. Ladydamned albino bitch. “What in the seven hells are you doing here?”

The albino shook her head. “You damned idiot. What were you thinking, jumping in an escape pod at the prince’s go-to?” She motioned to the hulking brutes on either side of her, the raw, animalistic features of their faces only emphasized by their apelike noses and huge tusks. “Get her into the secure cabin. Do not harm her unless she’s difficult.” She turned back to Ophelia. “And you won’t be difficult, will you?”

“No,” Ophelia bit out. Any other time in her life, she would have attacked then and damned with the consequences. But it wasn’t only her life on the line. It was Boone’s and her parents’ and her baby’s. Hells, she was carrying a freaking village on her shoulders.

She took in the Abura-Sumashi flanking Sadie. The males each grabbed one of her arms in a bruising grip and dragged her out of the shuttle port and into the lift. The thing was barely large enough for the four of them, forcing Ophelia to get very up close and personal with the bigger one’s armpit. Stinky didn’t even begin to cover it. She gagged, stepping back, which only brought her too close to the other one, whose hair was more purple than red.

“What’s your problem?” the albino snapped.

“I’m going to be sick.”

“Godsdamnit!” Sadie danced back, but there was nowhere to go. Ophelia vomited all over her pale leather boots.

One of the men picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The bouncing did nothing to calm her stomach—it actually made it worse. She wasn’t able to stop dry heaving until he tossed her onto a bunk. By the time Ophelia sat up, he was gone and the palm lock shone a glaring red.

She took the time to regain her breath before sliding off the bed and looking around the room. There was one bunk, a link, a toilet, and little else. The link surprised her until she examined it. All outgoing calls were monitored through the larger system. Though it was much more complex than either
Psyche
’s
or
the
Dutchman
’s, she could have cracked it if she were so inclined. But, really, who would she call? Her parents were Kristian’s captives. Boone probably hated her and, even if he didn’t, she couldn’t let him know her plans. The cards had spoken, demanding her silence. Now it was left to the Lady to see how the rest of this played out.

All Ophelia knew was Kristian had to die, and she would do her damndest to make sure it was her hand holding the blade.

She pulled her cards from the waistband of her pants. They felt naked without the box, but she couldn’t very well hide something that size on her. Shuffling them brought her less peace than she would have liked, which seemed to be a running trend these days. Ophelia closed her eyes, tipped her head back, and focused on letting her worries go, one at a time. With the delicacy of falling snow, the Lady’s peace settled over her soul.

Everything would work out for the greater good.

It wasn’t a particularly comforting thought. Just because the greater good benefitted didn’t mean the individual did. In fact, it was usually the individuals’ suffering that paved the way for peace.

The card lay face up in front of her despite Ophelia having no memory of setting it there. She sat for a long time, studying the spiraling pattern of the cards coming apart, their perfect yellow offset by the violet storm clouds in the background.

The Tower.

“Well, that’s promising.” She didn’t want to look at it anymore, didn’t want the reminder that this journey required sacrifice of the greatest kind. There might be a happy ending lurking in the future, but at what price?

Ophelia bit her lip, the pain bringing her completely out of her trance. She grabbed the card and shoved it into the deck. It would be nice to have a freaking reading not thick with warnings and doomsday scenarios. Something to offer hope beyond survival. Shaking her head, she slipped the deck back into the bag. Happy endings, indeed. She was getting soft.

The link pinged, its screen going fuzzy as she got off the bed. For half a second, she hoped it would be Boone, but the desire was a ridiculous one. Boone didn’t know where she was, let alone how to contact her—even if he did, she doubted he would want to. Still, it damaged something inside her when the screen cleared to reveal Kristian lounging on an overstuffed couch. And he wasn’t alone.

There was a girl draped over him, her head in his lap, curly blonde hair obscuring her face. And there was no mistaking the motion of her head.

Ophelia dug her fingers into her palm, forcing herself to keep silent when all she wanted to do was scream her rage to the heavens. The only thing stopping her was knowing how much Kristian would enjoy her pain—that and the fact she would be the one to kill him. She wrapped the knowledge around her heart, warming the icy shards lodged there until she was sure she could speak without giving him what he wanted. “Kristian.”

“You have amazing control.” The only indication of the girl’s presence was the slightest breathiness in his voice.

There would be bloody half-moons on her palms by the end of this conversation. “Did you want something?”

“Only to make sure you were following instructions like a good little Diviner.” He watched her face closely, probably looking for any weakness he could exploit. Well, he wouldn’t find any.

“I’m here.” It was a fight to keep the tension from her body and affect a relaxed pose. “You didn’t tell me the albino bitch was in your employ.”

“No, I didn’t.” Kristian jerked and the girl gave a muffled shriek, but his hands on the back of her head kept her in place. Throughout it all, his eyes never left Ophelia’s face.

She couldn’t hold it any longer. Her stomach lurched and she lunged for the bathroom, barely getting to the toilet in time to dry heave until she thought her head would explode, his laughter echoing in her ears. Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, Ophelia walked back to the main room on shaky legs. Kristian’s smile told her all she needed to know.

Her effort to be controlled hadn’t worked. Go figure.

“Good to know you enjoyed my preview. Next time it will be your mother.” The call disconnected, leaving static before even that disappeared.

Ophelia sank to the floor, her body finally giving over to the shakes. Her hands left bloody prints on the floor and she turned them over, staring at the wounds her nails had made. Killing Kristian was too good, too easy. She was going to make him pay. Before she was through, he would beg for death.

…

Boone paced the captain’s cabin, adrenaline flowing as if he were in a fight for his life. Hells, maybe he was. “Find her, Jenny.”

The intercom crackled as Jenny moved on the other end of the connection. “I can’t. That’s what I keep telling you. She disabled the tracking device on the pod. She could be anywhere by now.”

“No, she couldn’t. They don’t have engines, they float. Backtrack. She’ll be right where we left her.” She had to be. Any other alternative was beyond comprehension.

Jenny groaned. “We have and she’s not. Face it, big brother, she took off and there was someone there to scoop her up.”

“No.” That would mean she betrayed him, that everything between them was a lie.

“Yes.” Another sigh. “And we’re running low on fuel. We have to make this jump and get back to Valneci.”

“We can’t. She’s out there somewhere, and the air supply won’t last long enough for us to go and come back. Godsdamnit.” Boone stopped, bracing his hands on the wall. He was being irrational, was looking for an excuse. In reality, there was no upstanding reason Ophelia would take an escape pod. She knew someone was coming along to pick her up. He had to get a grip. There were people who actually needed him. “Get us to Valneci.”

“Will do.” The intercom clicked off.

Boone started for the bed, veering away when all it did was remind him of the last time they were together. It had been a good-bye, he realized. Ophelia never would have shown that kind of vulnerability if she were going to stick around. “Damn it.”

It didn’t make sense. There was no reason for her to leave. If she wanted to go home, all she had to do was ask—she
knew
that. And where else would she go?

Thinking back over the last two days, there were only two times she was alone—both when she called home. It was after the last time that he found her crying on the floor, looking so lost and terrified. If he’d been thinking beyond comforting her, he would have realized nothing her parents said could make her look like that. Even though he only knew them through the information supplied in his packet, he was sure of it. So what else happened?

He crossed to the link and examined it. Minor tech wasn’t his forte. Luckily, they had someone on the ship who had the skills necessary. Taking a deep breath, Boone went in search of Shadrach.

Ten minutes later they were both elbow-deep in tech crap. Shadrach’s hands moved slowly through the words because Boone wasn’t as adept at reading sign language as Jenny.
This thing is a mess. Everything’s too damn new.

“You can tell her that when we’re done here.”

Shad grimaced. He pulled out a wad of wires and unconnected several, hooking them up to the portable link he’d brought in when Boone explained what he wanted.

“I want the call placed five hours ago.”

Shad’s fingers flew over the gadget, finally bringing up a holo. They couldn’t see Ophelia, only the screen she’d seen, but they could hear her.

Boone rocked back on his heels when he saw Kristian. “
No.
” The more he heard, the worse it got. When Kristian pulled Ophelia’s mother into the shot, he felt physically ill. There was no way Ophelia could resist something like this, not with the bait so perfectly laid out. Even knowing it was a trap wouldn’t stop her. “Gods, no.”

They listened as Kristian laid out his instructions. Shadrach’s tanned skin went gray.
This is bad. He’s going to use her to draw you in
.

“Maybe.” Or maybe he was using her as a bargaining chip in his deal with Sanctify. Having two Diviners and a deserter were quite the prize. “He can’t know about the child.”

If he does…
Shadrach shuddered, hands going limp for a moment before he shook himself.
He’s going to cut her to pieces, starting with the baby
.

Boone’s sight dimmed alarmingly before he got control. “Not really helping here, Shad.”

Sorry.
Shadrach started unhooking the link, replacing everything in the wall.
What are you going to do?

“What else can I do? I’m going after her.”

Chapter Twenty Eight

None of the food they brought would stay down. Ophelia stopped eating altogether after two days. Better to be hungry than to be sick. It was a crappy plan, but it was her only real option. She twisted her hair up and stared at herself in the mirror. The circles were back, darker than before, and, overall, she looked like shit. Fantastic.

The sound of the door to her room opening had her sliding the small mirror beneath her pillow, despite knowing Sadie had seen it. Oh well. It wasn’t as if she could shatter it to use for a weapon. And, even as good as she was, Ophelia couldn’t take on a ship full of Abura-Sumashi.

The albino crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door. “You know, the first few times you puked, I thought you were making yourself do it.”

Ophelia clenched her fists, wincing when the move sent spasms of pain shooting through her injured palms. “I am.” These people couldn’t know she was pregnant or they would tell Kristian, and then she would lose whatever bargaining tools she had. Right now, she was pretty sure he didn’t want to kill her. He wanted her for bait. But if he thought she was a threat—and carrying Boone’s child would definitely make her a threat—he wouldn’t hesitate to remove it.

Pushing off the door, the albino crossed the room in two dainty steps. “Bullshit.” She reached out, faster than even Ophelia’s
Tyche
reflexes could follow, and stabbed her arm with a med-stick.

Ophelia cursed when she caught sight of the sign on the side—a Ladydamned pregnancy test—and threw herself at the other woman. The albino ducked beneath her swing and jabbed her in the solar plexus. Ophelia staggered back, collapsing on the bed as she tried to relearn how to breathe. Damn, that bitch was fast.

Sadie looked at the med-stick and cursed. “You godsdamned fool. What in the hells were you thinking?”

“Getting pregnant?” Ophelia wheezed. “The shots make me sick and the implants don’t work.”

The look the albino sent her would have made a rational person run for their lives. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Why are you delivering yourself to the prince? You aren’t dumb enough to think he’ll let you live once he finds out.”

Ophelia pushed herself up on her elbows. “Well, Sadie, I expect it’s none of your Ladydamned business.”

“The Lady’s business?” Sadie’s gaze sharpened. “If you’re here on the whim of the Lady, then that’s a different thing altogether.”

For all their warring ways, the Abura-Sumashi were one of the few species in the known universe who completely respected any kind of religious faith they encountered. Their twin gods commanded religious tolerance even as they pressed for extreme violence and sacrifices.

Still, Ophelia wasn’t about to throw her lot in with some two-bit mercenary, even if she had a connection with Boone.
Especially
if she had a connection with Boone. “I’m a Diviner.” Which meant everything and nothing, depending on who one asked.

Sadie’s eyes lit with understanding. “I see. Well, then, it’s as I said before. That’s a different thing altogether. I don’t suppose Boone knows you’re here?”

Ophelia shook her head. There was no harm in the albino knowing, and if she was in a chatty mood, Ophelia might as well take advantage of it. “Why are you working for the prince?”

“Credits are good. Leash is loose. I don’t have to kill anybody.” Sadie shrugged. “It’s the ideal job.”

“I thought you were Boone’s friend.”

“I am, which is why I’m giving you one last chance to back out.” Sadie met Ophelia’s gaze, her dark eyes alight with something like concern. “I don’t give a flying fuck if you want to kill yourself. Hells, I’d happily end you myself. But this isn’t only your life, Diviner.” Her eyes flickered to Ophelia’s stomach. “I don’t want Boone hurt.”

“Yeah, that’s why you aligned yourself with his freaking enemy. Real convincing.”

“You know nothing.” Sadie dropped the med-stick in the recycler. “You won’t reconsider?”

“No.” Ophelia was meant to do this—there wasn’t room for doubt in her mind. She didn’t like the risk involved, but she couldn’t deny the Lady’s will any more than she could deny fate. The small ball of peace resting in her chest was enough to reassure her she was on the right path.

“So be it. We jump in ten, reach Hansarda in twelve hours.”

“Then what?” A silly question, but it slipped past Ophelia’s lips all the same. Guess she wasn’t completely without trepidation.

“Then you meet the prince. Come on—let’s get you strapped in.”

The ship was easily twice the size of the
Dutchman
, something she’d known just from being in the cargo area. Now, finally getting the chance to look around, Ophelia had to stifle a surge of envy. the
Harpy Queen
was beautiful, everything she wanted in a ship. The crew cabins occupied the third level, while the second was reserved for a med bay, cafeteria, and rec room. The top level narrowed to encompass the bridge, which was where they headed.

The lift doors opened to reveal more Abura-Sumashi than Ophelia had ever seen in one place. They tended to contract out with mercenaries or as muscle for merchants, but that was generally on a singular basis. Not like this. There were two sitting in chairs before the control board, one running navigation, one a copilot. Another two were strapped into the seats lining the back wall, preparing for the jump. Sadie pointed to the chair between them, giving Ophelia a significant look when she balked, recognizing the giant and purple-haired ones from before. The message was clear:
Go over there of your own power or be bound.
Ophelia headed for the seat.

She breathed carefully through her mouth as she got within smelling distance. Now was not the time for her stomach to start acting up. It wasn’t as if she had anything in it, but she didn’t want to show any more weakness than necessary. Abura-Sumashi were predators to the core. There was no telling what they’d do if she went belly up.

The big one smelled a bit better than last time. Not good, but still a massive improvement. She glanced up at him. Even by his people’s standards, he was one ugly son of a gun. When he caught her looking, he grinned, dual strings of saliva running down his tusks. Ophelia took the time to give him a feral grin to show she wasn’t afraid before turning to look at the other. He was damn near pretty, even with the tusks. They were each capped with three jeweled rings, and his hair was swept back into tousled waves that had to be styled.

He nodded at her. “I be Liev. This ugly ’un is me brother Efim.”

“I see.” Against all odds, Ophelia felt a smile pull at the edges of her lips. She’d obviously lost her Ladyforsaken mind. “And I suppose you’re the pretty brother.”

“Nah.” Liev jerked his head at the Abura-Sumashi sitting at the navigation station. “That’d be me younger brother, Sava.”

Sava was something to look at, even with his broken right tusk. If anything, the asymmetry it caused only added to the appeal of his dark face, contrasting sharply with his vibrant red hair and green eyes. He wasn’t quite attractive by most human standards, a little too harsh, too feral looking, as if he could jump into violence at the slightest provocation. Since he was Abura-Sumashi, it wasn’t a false pretense. She thought he was gorgeous.

Liev laughed at the look on her face. “If’n you be interested, he hasn’t a problem with poking humanoids.”

Not long ago—and in different circumstances—she might have considered it. No longer. “He’s awful pretty, but I’m not interested.”

“Taken, are ya?”

“Something like that.” There was no way she was going into the intricacies of her non-relationship with Boone right now. Hells, she didn’t even know what was going on, or if it would last through her taking off.

Liev chortled. Before he could continue the conversation, Sadie’s voice cut across the room. “We jump in five, four, three, two…now.”

Ophelia braced for it, but there was no way to defend against the cold that immediately took up residence in her chest. She grabbed her harness, digging in her fingers in an effort to pull herself out of the spiraling pain. But she couldn’t fight this, didn’t have any way from stopping the ice working its way south, toward her stomach. Heart in her throat, she pulled up her legs in an effort to keep that vital part of her body warm. It didn’t help. Her legs were just as cold as the rest of her.

Then she was engulfed in warmth. It wasn’t enough to quell the frozen tissue inside her, but it slowed the ice’s spreading. Ophelia held her breath, as if by not inhaling she could keep the coldness away.

They skimmed out of the warp point with barely a lurch, hitting straight space. Ophelia opened her eyes, not sure when she closed them, to find herself wrapped up in two pairs of dark arms. She blinked, pushing them away. Efim grinned at her, unbuckling his harness. He licked his lips and strode from the bridge.

Liev held on a moment longer, chafing her arms with his big hands. He looked worried, which was the only reason she tolerated it. That, and the fact he was warm and she couldn’t stop shivering. Ophelia wasn’t sure how to respond to this unexpected kindness, so she went with her mother’s manners. “Thanks.” Mama would have been able to put it more eloquently, but there it was.

“This is’na good, lady.” He looked over as Sadie walked up. “She’s a breeding.”

“I know. But she won’t back down and we need the credits.”

“Sadie-sweet—”

“No.” Sadie slashed her hand through the air. “We’re not talking about this now. Come on, Diviner.”

Liev had to help her unhook because her hands were still shaking so much, but Ophelia got to her feet all on her own. And, if she stumbled a little, neither of them mentioned it. As she followed Sadie back to the lift, she had to wonder if she’d been dropped in an alt universe. This was just too bizarre. Sadie was being downright civil even though Ophelia had thrown up on two pairs of her ridiculously expensive boots and kicked the shit out of her back on Psrida. Then again, she was delivering Ophelia to certain death. That had to help smooth things over.

But Liev was another story altogether. Once they were alone on the lift, Ophelia forced down her pride and asked. “Why did he help me?”

“Our people hold females highly. Even bitches like you.”

There was the albino attitude she expected. This Ophelia could deal with. “If that’s true, then why do they let a little thing like you jump all over the universe by herself?”

Sadie flashed a smile that nearly had Ophelia taking a step back. Those teeth looked sharp enough to rip out her throat. “I can take care of myself.”

“Funny, I keep telling people that same thing, and no one believes me.”

“Appearances are deceiving.” The albino’s gaze skated over Ophelia. “Especially where a Diviner is concerned. My people never forgot that, even if it temporarily slipped my mind.”

“Weren’t expecting the sucker punch, were you?”

“You fight with no honor.” Sadie grinned unexpectedly. “I like that.”

Ah hells. This was definitely an alt universe. There was no other explanation for Ophelia actually liking the damn albino.