Reclaiming Mystique (SpaceStalker Saga Book 2) (32 page)

“There is,” Naria said nodding. She joined Jace and reached for his hand, openly giving him the support he needed. “If you open your senses, Mikhel, you’ll see it.”

But Mikhel shook his head. “I trust Jace. I don’t need to see it until we’re there.”

“Fine,” Jace said. “Let’s go then. Castor, you have your orders.” Jace looked to his Second and satisfied with what he saw, he turned to the others. “Mikhel and I should be gone no more than twelve hours. We need to get a layout of the grounds around the kingdom palace, to see how the people there fare. If you don’t hear from us then, call in the Dark Worlders,” Jace said.

Then he turned to Naria and his expression softened. She looked so calm and yet worried about him, he thought. Her beautiful violet eyes looked like dark pools that he could easily drown in. He cupped her cheek and bent to kiss her softly.

“Please be careful, Jace,” Naria said as she stared at him. “Remember, you’re only going to look around. We’re going to help you win the battle.”

Jace turned to see his crew nodding their heads and he smiled. He leaned down for another kiss and before the familiar heat could draw him in, he broke it and moved away.

“We’ll be back soon, trust me,” Jace said grinning. Then he nodded to Koneru and in a blink of an eye Jace and Mikhel vanished from the
SpaceStalker
.

Jace couldn’t see for a moment, his senses inundated with greetings and longing from Mystique, the living planet of the Psi. He distantly heard Mikhel curse aloud in wonder but said nothing as he felt the living world around him.

Jace’s vision returned to him and he blinked at the bright glare of vibrant colors around them. Recalling a hidden spot where he’d liked to play as a young boy, Jace had programmed those coordinates into the transformitter. Now he and Mikhel stood in a lush grotto filled with lush blue foliage and a purple stream filled with water dwelling plants and animals.

“By Fentra, look at that,” Mikhel said reverently as he stared at the large trees towering over them.

“Yes, they’re very old,” Jace said smiling, his eyes glowing as he felt welcomed home.

“Truly,” Mikhel said as he tenderly stroked the dark brown bark of one of the massive trees. His eyes glowed a bright blue as he felt the awesome lifeforce of the ancient tree.

Jace looked up at the sky, content to see the broad band of pink, lavender and blue that had always beckoned his sister to paint. Feeling a tug at his heartstrings over her unknown fate, Jace tried to release his emotional attachments and look at Mystique as a stranger would.

A feeling of life and energy consumed the planet, abundant not only in the vegetation and wildlife surrounding them, but in the very air that one breathed. Even now Jace could sense Mystique touching at Mikhel, wondering about this strange new creature a Psi had invited to the planet.

Jace watched as Mikhel closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the wonders of Jace’s world with ease.

Jace smiled and forced himself to concentrate on his mission. He tapped into Mystique’s special senses and asked about the Psi and the dark ones residing here. The planet shied from thoughts of the Cazeth but happily shared its feelings about the Psi.

“They live here, still,” Jace said softly, his mind drifting with the consciousness he still thought with.

“Who, your people?” Mikhel asked.

“Yes. Follow me and stay very silent,” Jace answered. The two men moved on feathered feet through a dense jungle of tropical plants and flowers, climbing over the thick roots of trees in what felt like hours.

Jace moved swiftly, knowing that Mikhel stood close to his back. They continued to walk until Jace found the break he for which he searched. A small passage between two large rocks led into a black corridor. Jace somehow managed to squeeze himself through and only through sheer body manipulation did Mikhel do the same.

“By the Goddess,” Mikhel swore softly as he ducked his head. “Is there no better way in?”

“No. This leads to a secret tunnel into the inner kingdom,” Jace said quietly. The two men walked over soft sand wet in patches due to the dripping of water overhead. The passage widened considerably the more they walked and Jace heard Mikhel sigh with relief.

Curbing a grin, Jace moved quickly towards the first exit he came to. He popped his head out quickly and seeing no one around, jumped out. He waited until Mikhel joined him and using his sense, Jace felt for a near unoccupied dwelling. Seeing a small cottage ahead of him, he motioned Mikhel forwards and the two men stole into the small house.

Looking around, Jace quickly grabbed two robes. He tossed one to Mikhel and donned the other himself. He pulled the hood up and ordered Mikhel to do the same.

“What type of material is this?” Mikhel asked curiously.

“It’s native to Mystique. We have a steady crop of tropical plant that makes unusually soft strands of material our weavers sew to make our clothing. I haven’t felt Mystique fabric in a very long time,” Jace said quietly, fingering the smooth material over his hands. He sighed and sat for a moment.

“Mikhel, we are now on the outskirts of the palace grounds. The royal house of Zescha stands in the center of this kingdom, a mighty stone fortress where Orsan and his minions no doubt are quartered. I will say it’s odd that we haven’t encountered anyone yet, but let’s hope our luck holds.”

Mikhel nodded, listening closely.

“Good. You’re a decent height for a Psi, somewhat tall but then so am I. Just say nothing and clear your mind of any thoughts but what I showed you yesterday. And don’t forget to twitch that kernel of darkness Naria gave you.”

Mikhel nodded. “Jace,” he paused. “The Cazeth, what are they really like?”

“They look like men but the minute you near them you know they are anything but. They have a darkness that pervades their very being. Trust me, they look like nothing you’ve ever seen before, to include your time on Dark World.”

Mikhel frowned but said nothing, merely waited for Jace to continue.

“I need to find some of my people. If we could only find one to tell us of all that has past, we might get lucky. That is, if we can find anyone in this village,” Jace said with confusion.

He reached out with his senses, careful to use a minimum of his power so as not to attract the Cazeth. Memories of what they had done to him years ago before he had escaped rose to the surface of his mind and he had to forcefully shove aside the memories.

As Jace searched with his mind, he felt no one around him of any sentience. He shook his head and motioned for Mikhel to follow him. They moved quietly through the empty streets, curious to find no one lingering during this period of day.

“There should be hundreds of Psi walking and doing their normal routine of life here,” Jace said harshly. “I can’t feel where they’ve gone.”

“Perhaps in there?” Mikhel jerked a hand towards the large gates of the keep that loomed over head.

“Let’s keep moving and hope that we find someone,” Jace said.

Jace and Mikhel wandered around the town for another hour. They passed cottages that used to be filled with families, saw carts empty of villager wares and trading goods.

And all the cottages they studied seemed as if they’d only been recently vacated. Puzzled, Jace shook his head. “Let’s move to the keep,” he said softly.

He and Mikhel slowly approached the entrance of the keep up wide steps. Jace felt something niggling at the back of his neck and stopped.

“Mikhel, I need you to wait for me in the miller’s vacant cottage. Something about this doesn’t feel right.”

“The miller?”

“Yes. He’s got a back door to his cottage that leads directly out into the trees, should something wrong come to pass.”

Mikhel nodded. “I’ll wait there. And I agree, my instincts are shouting that something foul awaits us there,” he said, pointing towards the keep’s entranceway.

Mikhel turned but caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could take another step a large man with wings hovered above Jace and him. It studied them curiously, not able to see more than the disguising hoods and cloaks they wore. Jace felt pressure on his mind and could only hope that neither he nor Mikhel gave anything away.

The creature prodded at them with a large rod and Mikhel turned to follow Jace into the keep. As he walked, Jace wondered that the winged creature didn’t look as horrific as he’d remembered. Perhaps in his youth and in the traumatic seizure of his kingdom, he had overdramatized the Cazeth in his mind.

The winged creature chortled and made a series of clicks and whistles to draw the attention of others. Several more winged men approached and Jace thought uneasily that none of them actually resembled the nightmares from his dreams.

Oh, he could see a semblance of the Cazeth in the wings and dark eyes of the creatures, but the winged men had various shades of skin and hair color. And their wings were of a purple color, vice the dark red Jace remembered.

Suddenly the winged mass parted to reveal another figure, one that made Jace’s hair stand on end. Jace heard Mikhel gasp and knew that this creature was indeed a Cazeth.

“What are they doing here?” the creature’s voice echoed in many tongues around the stone of the hallway where Jace and Mikhel now stood. Whistles and clicks answered the creature and he stared in distaste at the hovering males flying around him.

Suddenly the mass of flying men fell as one in a cube of ice, their faces and bodies frozen and shattered beneath the Cazeth.

“Pretty.” The Cazeth chortled and turned its empty gaze on Jace. “And how pretty are you?” it asked.

Jace felt his insides begin to burn as he realized the Cazeth meant to kill him. Without thought, Jace fired a mental blast into the creature’s mind, wounding it with the surprise and force of his attack.

“Go, Mikhel,” Jace said quietly and felt Mikhel move like a blur of light. Suddenly the Cazeth fell under Mikhel’s large blade and Jace finished the creature by obliterating its mind.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Mikhel said as he wiped the dark sludge of death off of his blade.

“Now they know,” Jace said worriedly. He felt a thousand shrieks pierce his skull, could see that Mikhel felt it too as the large man clenched his teeth and held his hands over his ears. “We have to move.”

Jace quickly leapt over the fallen bodies before him and ran towards a narrow corridor leading to the twin towers. He continued to move quickly, mentally dodging spells as they were cast at him in rapid succession. He used his mind to shield both he and Mikhel and felt the bombardment of energy seething against him.

But Jace had been training for years for such an event and he continued to deflect the evil thrust at them. He and Mikhel climbed the towers with ease and closed themselves in a main room at the top of the stairs.

“This was my room,” Jace said, breathing heavily. His mind continued to stand strong against the tentative blasts aimed his way. Jace knew the barrage had been intended to weaken and not harm him, testing to see just how strong an adversary he would prove to be. The Cazeth were noting if not able tacticians.

Jace looked around at the stone walls now devoid of any reminder of the royal house of Zescha. Instead the room lay empty, dust and emptiness surrounding them. Jace shook his head against his memories. But he could hear his mother and father calling for him, could recall his rambunctious sister pestering him to help her with some sick animal or another.

“Jace?” Mikhel asked tentatively. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Jace said. The memories continued to bombard him however. And Jace could no longer be sure whether he had control over his mind. He flexed the careful hold he had kept over his inner powers and allowed some to build his shields. Suddenly his homesick memories faded and Jace grimaced at the powers Orsan retained.

“Orsan knows I’m here,” Jace said quietly.

Mikhel looked startled, his blue eyes dimming as a natural wariness stole over the large hunter.

“He wants me,” Jace said with conviction. Jace had felt Orsan’s sick touch just a few moments past, had felt the evil laughter drifting towards him, inviting him to partake in just a taste of madness. “Mikhel, you need to go and get help.” Jace suddenly projected an image of the palace layout into Mikhel’s mind. “Take that and use what I’ve left in the study on board ship. And plan on an attack as soon as the Dark Worlders can arrive on the planet.”

“I don’t think—”

“Don’t think! Just do it, Mikhel. Or this will all be for naught,” Jace’s eyes glowed with vibrant colors as he stared into Mikhel’s blue gaze. “And one other thing, without being captured, try to find out where all of the people here went. I’ve got to know,” Jace added.

Then he shoved Mikhel into a hidden section in the tower and fled the room. Jace purposefully sought the hoard of evil, following the dark taint through the castle until he entered his father’s great room, the heart and soul of the palace and of the kingdom.

There he found several Cazeth hovering in the air, waiting for him. And on the throne sat Orsan.

The years had left virtually no mark on the monster. His skin still had that dead, otherworldly aura, white and crisp as if dried of all life. Large black voids filled Orsan’s eye holes, an entreaty to look causing Jace to purposefully focus on the rest of the Cazeth’s physical attributes. The creature lazed about on the throne, his long legs encased in a foreign black material, his feet exposed and showcasing long black talons for toenails.

Orsan smiled as he stared at Jace and Jace knew that the Cazeth knew exactly who he looked at. The Cazeth’s wings suddenly appeared as the creature sat forward, those massive stretches of blood-red skin stretching fully in the evil creature’s pleasure at having the missing prodigal son returned.

“Jace Arel.” Orsan’s full voice echoed throughout the room. Odd resonants filtered through the air striking a discord as the noise reached Jace’s ears. “We have longed for this moment for a very long time,” Orsan said with a smile, his teeth very sharp and wicked against the blackness of his mouth.

The other Cazeth in the large hall began to flutter, more streaming through the room until Jace thought he recognized most of the creatures that had tormented him a decade past. All but one remained in the room chattering at him. Jace only hoped that the other had died. He meant to make good his sacrifice so that Mikhel could return to the
SpaceStalker
with vital information. Jace only prayed he would have the strength to give Mikhel the time he needed.