Queen of Swords (23 page)

Chapter Twenty Nine

Landing in Valneci should have filled Boone with relief. There were no fires blazing, no riots shattering the peace of the town. They beat Sanctify there.

Instead, all he could think about was getting back into space again and going after his Diviner. Stubborn hellcat. If she’d come to him, they could have talked about it, come up with a plan.

He shook his head as he followed Jenny down the hatch. Who was he kidding? If she’d come to him with her plan, he would have locked her up and gone after Kristian himself. Which would have gotten her family killed for sure. And the sick thing was that a small part of Boone was willing to sacrifice her entire family rather than see her or their baby hurt. It might not be the dominant part of him, but the feeling was there.

He paused at the bottom of the ladder, letting the stark beauty of Valneci roll over him. It wasn’t home, but he loved it here all the same. The rolling gray hills, backed by black woods. The near-white sky, covered with dark gray clouds. The complete lack of color. Thinking about it now, it was odd that he felt so comfortable, considering his intense dislike of white, but there was nothing plain about this place. The huts the Necians lived in, made from the same black wood as the distant forest, were covered with a lifetime’s worth of knickknacks. They started collecting them as soon as they were born and, when they moved into a hut of their own, took their personal ones with them. Boone always found the practice fascinating, especially since the huts were easily broken down and rolled up into packs. It was similar to what some of Hansarda’s tribes did with weaving.

“Boone.” Jenny smacked his arm. “Ki’lain just called. She said to get our asses home in time for dinner.”

There was no way in hells the gentle Necian had said any such thing, but Boone followed Jenny anyways. He was hungry and it was considered more than passingly rude to be late for meals. Boone brushed past her. “Then stop chatting and let’s go.”

She muttered something uncomplimentary under her breath and turned, keeping pace with him. “Locking Gee up was a mistake.”

Glancing back to find Cole and the rest of the crew following at a distance, Boone sighed. “No, it’s not. He can’t be trusted.”

“He’s been my copilot for years, Boone.
Years
.”

They’d been over this multiple times in the last few days, but Jenny couldn’t seem to get it through her thick skull that she couldn’t save Gee. “Kristian has Marcy. He can’t be trusted.”

“We can help him. He knows that. That’s why he told us.”

“No. He told us because Ophelia caught him. Not because he trusted us to help.” Which was why he was still locked up. If he’d come to Boone or Jenny, told them what was going on, they might have been able to help. Instead, he’d betrayed them. “This conversation is over.”

“Damn it.” Jenny hit him in the shoulder, hard enough that he had to take a step back to absorb the blow. “I’m not your little cat to be bossed around. Gee is my copilot. You don’t have a say.”

“Do not test me.”

“I’m your sister—that growly voice doesn’t work on me.” Jenny flexed her hands, as if she were thinking about punching him. Boone didn’t want it to come to that. He loved his sister, but he wouldn’t hesitate to knock her on her ass. Not with so much at stake.

“Now is not the time,” Cole said, slipping between them and breaking the staring contest they had going.

“No.” Jenny tensed further. Shit. She’d obviously been pushed too far and was going to attack. “No, you will not play boys’ club with me. I’m not being hysterical, I’m being rational.”

“Now Jenny,” Cole started.

That did it. Jenny gave a screech, twisted her bracelet, and then her hands were encased in metal. She swung on the Beshmaiite, knocking him on his ass and following him to the ground. But she didn’t stop there, her fists sending tufts of fur spraying across the ground with every hit.

Boone dove, toppling her off Cole before she could do permanent damage. He shoved her face into the ground and pinned her arms to her sides with his knees. “Stop it.”

“Phrump Yrew.”

“Jenny.” He smacked the back of her head, giving her another mouthful of charcoal-color dirt. “Enough. You’ve proved your point. You’re worried and you have the biggest prick of all. We’ll get them out.” Boone hoped and prayed he wasn’t lying to his little sister. He waited for a long moment, seeing if she’d fight back. Instead, Jenny went still. Boone slipped off her, jumping back when she sat up.

Jenny wiped at the dark smudges on her face. “You’re an asshole.”

“Runs in the family.”

She nodded, smoothing back her hair. Then she climbed to her feet and strode down the road, leaving them staring after her. Cole huffed, his fur smoothing out in a wave, and turned his head to spit out a gob of blood. “There is not much time.”

“I know.” Boone brushed off his now-filthy pants. “But we don’t have a choice. Gee can’t go free. Not yet.” Maybe not ever. He’d put them all in danger—Boone couldn’t just pat him on the head and let him serve on
Psyche
again. But Jenny was also right—
Psyche
wasn’t his. He couldn’t make executive decisions about her crew and ship.

But he could kill Gee now, before he left the
Dutchman
.

Boone let his worries about Gee temporarily slip away. He didn’t have to make a decision yet, and right now he needed to figure out how to get to Kristian before his half brother got to Ophelia.

Jenny was already seated at the low wooden table when they walked through the door. Ki’lain took one look at Cole and shooed him off to get cleaned up. She tsked Boone and slapped his hand when he reached for a plate. “Sit, sit, sit. I’ll bring it.”

The bowl she set in front of them looked like the worst kind of mush. Boone knew better. What Valneci lacked in color, it made up for in taste. He took a bite and sighed as the spicy-sweet flavors exploded over his tongue. “Perfect, as always, Ki’lain.”

She blushed to the very top of her pasty mushroom-shaped head. “Many thanks, Mesire Boone.” Ki’lain turned and waddled toward the door.

“Wait. Ki’lain, Sanctify has our location and there’s a damn good chance they’re going to show up in force. I need you to spread the word and get everyone ready to evacuate.” Gods only knew where they would go, but he couldn’t leave them here to be slaughtered.

“No, Mesire Boone.”

His runaway thoughts stumbled to a halt. “Excuse me, what?”

“No.” She straightened, her mushroomed head wobbling ever so slightly. “We will not run from human monsters. We will stand and protect Mesire’s people as well.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” How would these gentle people stand against a group so well versed in murder? Damn it, he was supposed to protect them and his people—not the other way around.

“You did not, Mesire.” She clasped her hands together in the Valnecian gesture of respect and left the room.

Was no one going to listen to him anymore? Boone finished off his food, brooding and watching Jenny from the corner of his eye. “I want you to stay,” he finally said.

Jenny pushed her bowl away. “I know you’re not stupid enough to be saying that to me.”

“Jenny—”

“No.” She shot to her feet. “You don’t get to play protective older brother, not now. I have almost as much riding on this as you do.”

“Which is why I need you here. If something happens to me—”

“Godsdamnit Boone! When you say shit like that, I want to shoot you myself. Stop playing the noble soul. We’re going to Hansarda, and we’re going to play dirty.” When he opened his mouth she slapped a hand on the table. “No, don’t you dare say it. This is not a battle. Hells, it never would have been a battle. It’s going to be a slaughter. We are going to sneak in there and kill that monster, to the hells with your honor.”

He sat back and waited. When she just stared at him, chest heaving, Boone said, “Are you done?”

“That depends. Are you going to wise up?”

Gods save him from family. “If you’d listen before you threw a hissy fit, you’d know I have no intention of fighting fair.” Not with Ophelia on the line. No, with her in danger, Boone would not hesitate to break every single one of his rules. It wasn’t a comfortable thought.

“Well, then.” Jenny dropped back into her seat. “But it changes nothing. I’m coming with you.”

Like hell she was. He took a deep breath. “I need you here.”

“Boone—”

“Think about this for a second, Jenny. Sanctify is coming
here
, to Valneci, where every single one of our refugees is. What do you think will happen if they’re left undefended?”

She opened her mouth, closed it, and slammed her hand on the table. “I hate it when you talk sense at me. I suppose you have a plan?”

“I can get
Psyche
dirtside without being seen, and two of our spies will meet myself and a small group at the north gate.”

“There is no north gate.”

“That you know about.”

“Bo-oo-one.” There she went, stretching his name into three syllables again. “You’ve been keeping secrets.”

“Let’s just hope Kristian is too occupied to set a guard there since it hasn’t been used in years and no one is supposed to know it exists.” He rolled his shoulders, the scars running up his back giving a twinge at the movement. “He’ll be holed up with one of his harem, so I should have the element of surprise.”

“Should.” Jenny gave him a skeptical look. “There’s a large margin of error on
should
, big brother.”

“It’s the best chance we have. I can’t leave her with him.” He’d already planned on killing his older brother, but Ophelia’s captivity only upped the ante. It was time for Kristian to meet the stake.

Chapter Thirty

Hansarda was exactly what Ophelia expected. Lots of sand, a sky unbroken by clouds, and a sun that felt like it was searing off her skin. She didn’t know how these people stood it. The thought of staying here for a prolonged period of time made her shudder. The albino glanced over from the other side of the open hatch. “It will be over soon.”

“I know.” One way or another, the end was coming. She stroked the slight bulge on her hip where her cards were. They said she would bring Kristian to Justice, and the only kind of justice Ophelia knew was the killing kind. She couldn’t allow doubt to worm its way into her mind and make her weak. The fate of far more than herself hung in the balance.

She smiled at her melodramatic thoughts. “Let’s get this over with.”

Sadie shook her head. “You’re insane, Diviner.”

“People keep telling me that.” Guards, dressed in odd lightweight tunics, gathered at the bottom of the ramp. Waiting for her. “I guess this is where I get off.”

The albino nodded. “You know, it’s not too late to back out. Just punch me and we can get you out of here.”

Ophelia had been hearing variations of this ever since she and Sadie reached their understanding. “My answer is the same as before. I need to be here.”

Movement near the doors to the castle caught their attention. Four men detached themselves from the shadows, though how they’d hidden at all was a miracle considering their brilliant white robes. Sanctify.

“Impossible,” Sadie whispered. She grabbed Ophelia’s arm. “Back in the ship. Now.”

It was all she wanted to do, faced with these men who had hate written across their faces. But she had a mission and she’d be damned before she let someone else die for her cowardice. Shaking herself out of Sadie’s grip, she said, “No. I’m here on the Lady’s business.”

Sadie gave her a long look. “So be it.” The albino cupped her elbow and escorted Ophelia down the plank. “Back off, boys. You don’t get her until I get confirmation of my payment.”

A dark-haired man with a red sash tied around his waist stepped forward. He handed over a data pad. A few flicks of her fingers and Sadie nodded. “Good. Pleasure doing business.” She turned and walked back into the ship without a backward glance. Despite knowing she chose this, Ophelia felt a tiny stab of betrayal at the loss of a potential ally. Obviously the heat was getting to her.

Shielding her eyes with a hand, Ophelia pasted a grin on her face. “So what’s the plan?”

One of the men in white shouldered through the guards. “Infidel.” He spat on her face. “You will die for your sins.”

Ophelia reached up and slowly wiped her face, her gaze never leaving his. “And you’ll die for what you just did.”

The Hansardian guards shoved the man back. “I don’t care what pact you’ve made with the prince, you will not mistreat her while she’s under our care.”

The man smiled, his expression bloodthirsty. “She won’t be for long.”

“Well, she is at this moment.” The guards closed in on either side of her. “Come on, then.”

They crossed the open ground to the castle. And it really was a castle, just like out of a fantasy vid. The guard didn’t give Ophelia a chance to get a closer look at the place before he dragged her through a side door. The hallway was all exposed stones and red, lots and lots of red. It made Ophelia think of Death’s Door, which, in turn, made her think of Boone. It’d been two days, but it felt like an eternity. Which wasn’t really surprising. Ophelia had known jumping back into bed with him would be a mistake.

In doing so, she’d gone and lost her heart.

The guard stopped suddenly. Ophelia kept walking, and he yanked her back to his side. She started to curse, but the words died before they could breach her lips. The man standing just out of reach was the one who haunted her nightmares last night. He was just as golden in real life as he was in their link conversations, just as unreal looking. Too pretty, too perfect. She looked forward to cutting that almost feminine face to pieces.

The Hansardian guards went to their knees, and the one holding onto her tried to take her down as well. Like hell. Ophelia grabbed his wrist, using pressure points to force him to let her go. She turned back to find amusement written across Kristian’s face. “I don’t bow to anyone.”

Neither did Sanctify, apparently. The bastards had trailed behind her and now stood, arms cross at their chests, watching.

“So I see.” A sick little smile twisted the edges of the prince’s lips. “Your mother doesn’t feel the same way.”

It was only years of control that kept Ophelia from going for his throat then and there. Well, that and the fact she was surrounded by armed guards with only her bracelet as a weapon. Just one knife against so many men was suicidal odds, and suicide wasn’t in her genetic makeup. “I’m here. Let my family go. Safely.”

He stepped forward, circling around her with a feline grace. Or she would have thought so if she hadn’t seen a Beshmaiite move. “You know, I do like the pale coloring of your mother, but you are downright striking.” He laughed when she slapped away his wandering hand. “And so full of fire. I will enjoy breaking you.”

“Yeah, yeah. You and every other asshole I’ve dated.” Ophelia waited until he was in front of her again to say, “Didn’t work then, won’t work now.”

“We shall see.”

“Now?” The sooner they were alone, the sooner she could end this.

Kristian smiled again, sending chills through her. “No, little Diviner, not now. We simply must wait for the guests of honor.”

Guests? Ophelia swallowed, her throat devastatingly dry. “And who are our guests of honor?”

“You don’t know?” He reached out and ran his fingers through the hair near her face. A small part of Ophelia’s mind, distant from this all, made a note to chop the tainted locks off. “I understand they are ancient enemies of your species or some such nonsense.”

There was only one group who would qualify, but… “Sanctify is already here.”

“Yes, well.” He gave a cheery wave to the glowering men down the hallway. “For the prize of two Diviners and a traitor, the big players are coming out. The High Priest of Ba’al is scheduled to arrive in the morning.”

A band compressed Ophelia’s chest until stars danced across her vision. “You’re joking.”

“Hardly. You, my little Diviner, are going to ensure I have the full strength of Sanctify at my back. With that kind of power, who can stand in my way?”

…

“You can’t leave me here.”

Boone grasped at the last tendrils of patience. “I can and I will. I’m not discussing this anymore.”

Jenny made a noise halfway between a scream and a war cry. “No. Just no!”

“Jenny, I know you don’t take direction well and, most of the time, I’m content to let you go your own way. But not now, not in this. I need you here.”

She laughed mirthlessly. “I can take care of myself, old boy. Better than you, in fact.”

“I know.”

“And—” She blinked. “What?”

If he’d known agreeing with her would stop her rant in its tracks, Boone would have done it earlier. He rubbed his face, battling the exhaustion threatening to topple him. They needed to take off in six hours, barely long enough to get the ship restocked for the trip. It would be a short one, since Valneci was a quick warp point away from Hansarda. He desperately needed a nap, but he couldn’t do
that
until Jenny was sorted out.

“I know you’re capable, Jenny. You’re a damned genius with the knife and laser. But this is going to be a suicide mission. I can’t risk you, but, more than that, I can’t risk Hansarda. If I’m gone, you’re the last one capable of standing against Kristian.”

Tears welled in his sister’s eyes. She blinked them away, offering a sassy smile. “Jeez. You give me a compliment, and I get blubbery. Fine, fine. Just go. I’ll hold down the fort, or whatever.” Her smile dropped away as if it never existed. “But if you die, I’m going to hunt your ass through the seven levels of hell.”

Thank the gods she was agreeing to stay. Boone pulled her into a hug. “Who said I’m not going to the heavens?”

“Please.” Jenny snorted. “Be safe.”

It was something he couldn’t promise, as much as he wanted to. There was no telling how this would end, no telling if he was going to be shot out of the sky before he got within range of Hansarda. Boone let go of Jenny, ruffling her hair as he took a step back. “I’ll see what I can do.”

She eyed him. “Go get some sleep. You look half dead.”

“There’s still—”

“Tell me you’re not about to list all the things that need doing?” She waited while Boone fought against the urge to do just that. “No? I can take care of it. Go sleep.”

There wasn’t anyone else he’d let handle this job. Hells, he probably wouldn’t leave it up to Jenny if only because she had the nasty tendency to surprise him. But he was exhausted, and she was right—he wouldn’t be much use to anyone if he didn’t get some sleep. “No extras. Just juice her up, restock the laser cartridges, and that’s it.”

Jenny batted her eyes at him. “Of course. Whatever you say.”

Boone wasn’t going to win this so he cut his losses. “I’m going to crash now.”

“Sweet dreams.”

Somehow, he thought they’d be more like nightmares.