SpellBreaker: First Ordinance, Book 4 (10 page)

"Then I'll see to Quin and Jayna," Sal said and stepped away.

"Now, then," Caylon said. "One of the things that advanced students learn is the art of mockery. The talent can often distract the enemy, depending upon the effectiveness of the derision involved."

"Yes, but," I said.

"But what?"

"Doesn't it normally entail that the one doing the mockery is at least skilled enough to hold his or her own with his or her opponent?" I asked.

"Under normal circumstances."

"You know I can see anything in just about anybody, including their weaknesses?"

"I understand that."

"If I insult someone, it will make them all the more determined to kill me," I said.

"What would you do if you faced an enemy at this moment?" Caylon asked.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"How much of an enemy he was."

"Who is the worst enemy you can think of?"

"Alive or dead?"

"Alive."

"Deris and Daris," I said.

"What would you do if they stood in front of you?"

"Kill them."

"No words beforehand?"

"Honey," I let my shoulders sag, "those two have given up any right to keep their lives. They would die as quickly as I can make them dead."

"You have no questions for them?"

"Did you forget who I am? I can see everything in their faces. There's no need to waste time asking for information."

"Then apply that talent to what I wish to teach you."

"What?"

"Go ahead. Turn off your filter and see everything in me that I want you to know about hand-to-hand combat. Then I'll test your knowledge."

"Knowing and doing are two different things," I pointed out.

"Then how do you know you can kill Deris and Daris before they can kill you?"

"You want to test me? Or is this your version of the verbal mockery mentioned earlier?"

"You're far too quick for me," Caylon snarled.

"Oh, look, your misogyny is showing," I snapped back. "Better tuck that back in before your mate sees it."

"Keep my mate out of this."

"Seriously?" I
Pulled
in four wooden practice blades, thumping two of them against his chest. "Come on; flatten me like you want to."

"Aren't you afraid I might bruise that fragile skin?"

"Ooh, now the claws come out," I said. "Big, bad Caylon wants a piece of me. Come on, panther-man, get your licks in before your daughter's born." I shook a wooden sword at him.

"What?" Both wooden blades dropped from his hands as he gaped at me.

"She's pregnant. Your mate," I snapped. "This is why she couldn't perform the healing for the Grey House wizard, so Quin and I had to do it. The baby is yours—a daughter. Better hide that misogyny good, dude."

"That secret was not yours to give," Valegar suddenly stood beside me. "His mate was waiting to tell him."

I blinked up at Valegar for two seconds, tops, before I dropped bonelessly to the floor.

* * *

Quin

"I asked for it," Caylon waved a hand. It was now six hours later; he'd spent most of that time with his mate, Cleo, who was pregnant, just as Zaria said. "I wanted to goad Zaria; instead, it blew up in my face."

"I suppose it isn't the best idea to bait the Q'elindi," Sal handed Caylon a cup of Falchani black tea.

"No. Cleo wasn't as upset as I thought she'd be, but still it rankles to hear it from a near-stranger."

"Was what she said true—about the misogyny?" I asked.

"I do have misgivings, as often as not," Caylon mumbled. "When a female refuses to explore her full potential," he hesitated.

"And I suppose you don't feel the same about the males not living up to their potential?"

"I know how lopsided this sounds," Caylon admitted. "I was born in a time when all able-bodied males served in the Warlord's army. Females had the right to choose whether they fought."

"Yet many of those males washed out, did they not?" I was beginning to see what Zaria had known all along. Caylon had a weakness.

"Yes."

"Yet you still considered the women as less than they?"

"Because they didn't try, or weren't forced to try," Caylon insisted.

"If Zaria were here, I believe she would point out the additional hardship any woman faces who chooses to fight alongside the men. Not least of that is the general contempt and sexual references tossed about by the males."

"I'm aware—more so now than before."

"Zaria handed your ass to you, I believe Queen Lissa would say. I would also tell you this—that women serve in their own ways. I suggest you adjust your attitude and beliefs to accommodate that truth."

"I'll take that under advisement." Caylon disappeared.

"He's old school," Sal said, sitting across from me and sipping his own cup of Falchani black. "He needed a bit of updating. He just got it in a way he never saw coming."

* * *

Zaria

"My love, please stop pacing and tell me what's wrong," Valegar begged.

"How long?" I whirled to face him.

"Father and I guessed the moment Daragar brought news of a Q'elindi. When he revealed your image, we were sure."

"Right."

"Lara'Kayan, I didn't intend to upset you."

"Well, I didn't intend to upset you, either. So there." I hugged myself and went back to pacing.

"I know." His voice had gone soft. Gentle.

"I made you suffer," I admitted. "I can't tell you how sorry I am about that."

"Have you not suffered, too?"

"It doesn't matter if I suffer. I deserve it."

"Dearest, you saved so many. Never tell me you deserve to suffer again. Come here, now; I will massage your neck and sing to you."

I hesitated. "Come," he said and held his arms open. I was in them in seconds while he trilled the Larentii love song reserved for his mate.

* * *

Bel Erland

I stood beside Lafe as we watched the ASD remove bodies from the freighter. Some—only minutia remained. They'd been nearest the door, and were blown apart by the raiding party.

I imagined shipping prices going up across the universe, because shipments weren't arriving as scheduled, creating shortages. Freight companies would be forced to hire additional security, feed and house them on-board the ship while displacing cargo to do it and that would either cut into profits or raise prices on the cargo in question.

"We've had word," Caylon appeared beside me. "An entire ASD training unit is dead on one of Gribak's moons. They consumed food packs containing drakus seed. Kooper wants Zaria and Quin to come—in case they can see anything in the dead."

"How many?" I turned toward Caylon. His face was set in a grim mask.

"More than three hundred. A training exercise meant to teach them how to survive under minimal conditions and no atmosphere."

"Fifty died here," I nodded at frozen blood spattered across the inside of the cargo hold. "Quin wanted to come with me. I really dislike the idea of her seeing this—it will upset her."

"Nobody needs to see this." Caylon shook his head. "This was a slaughter, not a real fight."

"Yeah."

"I have no words." Zaria appeared with Valegar right behind her. Both studied the grisly evidence of the attack—on floors, walls and equipment.

"Kooper wants you and Quin to go to Gribak's third moon to see the dead there," Caylon said.

"Then we'll go," Zaria said. "At least those won't be bloody, like these poor souls."

Valegar's hands were on Zaria's shoulders—he'd shortened his height to better suit hers. I understood he was feeding her energy; she didn't like this mess any more than the rest of us did.

"I will take you," Valegar offered. "When you are ready."

"Zaria?" Ilya now appeared next to Valegar.

"Ilya, this is awful," she sighed. "So many, hoping someone would come."

"Do you know what that feels like?" Caylon asked.

Zaria turned to him. "Better than you think," she said. "I know you understand it, too."

Caylon almost took a step backward. Few knew his history, and that he'd officially perished after watching all his men die around him from an overwhelming attack by Falchan's enemies.

Zaria had seen that in him. If he hadn't attacked her as he had, she'd probably show even more sympathy.

What just happened?
Ilya sent.

I'll explain later
, I said.

* * *

Zaria

Caylon remained silent, but behind his enigmatic, dark gaze, he was thinking. Much of his mortal life, he'd measured those he knew by their fighting skills. During that time, he'd never taken a mate. He'd had sex with those who took his money and nothing else.

He'd reluctantly accepted Cleo as his mate after his placement with the Saa Thalarr. Caylon Black was coming to realize that fighting skills were only a small part of the whole picture, where others were concerned.

For now, he disliked me for pointing out his weakness. Something in me didn't want his daughter to see it in him if she chose a path other than that of the warrior. Perhaps he would call a truce between us.

Eventually.

Kooper Griff strode onto the ship, then. Caylon nodded to the Director of the ASD. "When will Quin and Zaria be ready?" he asked.

"You can ask me directly," I said. "I'm ready, now. I'm sure Quin can be, too."

Kooper turned toward me, then. His brows furrowed as he considered my statement.

I
didn't sign up with the ASD or Caylon Black
, I pointed out in mindspeech.
My job is to protect Quin and Bel Erland
.
I'm happy to assist both of you, but I can answer for myself, thanks
.

My apologies, Q'elindi
, he returned.
Caylon and I—we're used to giving orders.

Understood. I'm used to making my own decisions
.

I see that. Will you ask Quin if she's ready?

Already on it. Terrett, Lafe and Berel wish to come as well. They're ready
, I replied.

* * *

Quin

Ilya and Zaria stayed close as we surveyed the temporary facility erected by the trainees on Gribak's moon. They'd built it before consuming food packs laced with drakus seed, in quantities sufficient to kill them.

Bodies lay in groups around tables—it hadn't taken long for the seed to do its destruction. Remnants of the food packs had already been removed—for testing as well as safety purposes. Only the bodies, portable equipment and other supplies remained.

"Can you see anything?" Caylon asked. He addressed Zaria and me.

"The food packs were replaced without their knowledge," I turned to Caylon. "None of these," I swept out a hand, "had anything to do with this."

"Are you sorting through ASD employees?" Zaria asked. "In case one or more have been compromised?"

"Like the bank employees?" Kooper interrupted.

"Yes," I said. "Which ones would have access to the information on training missions and such?"

"We have a department for that," Kooper nodded. "I can take you when we're finished here."

"I'd very much like to meet them," Zaria hissed.

* * *

Valegar had to hold Zaria back. I think she was angry enough to destroy the two culprits we found. These hadn't been obsessed by any Sirenali—they'd accepted money to sell information to an intermediary.  More than three hundred ASD trainees died as a result of their greed.

"Pargun is a well-known information broker," Kooper raked fingers through his hair as he described the intermediary in question. Zaria sat in a corner of Kooper's study, arms crossed tightly and refusing to look at Kooper. "He hasn't been high on our radar—until now."

"Now we know where some of the money the Arden twins have stolen is going," I said. Pargun had paid the two employees Kooper had in custody half a million Alliance credits for what they'd handed over.

Neither Zaria nor I knew whether Pargun was obsessed—we'd have to see him to determine it. Kooper had all available agents tracking leads on Pargun's whereabouts, but my guess was that he was cozy enough with the Arden twins and protected by Sirenali by now. Bel Erland had already scryed and
Looked;
Pargun couldn't be found anywhere.

* * *

Vardil Cayetes' Compound

Dorgus

The Lyristolyi drug worked for Master Cayetes—up to a point. His mind wandered much of the time and very little intelligible conversation could be had.

Deris and Daris promised they wouldn't harm him, as long as I played Vardil's part with his vast empire.

Yes, they'd performed a spell to make me look like Master Vardil's latest incarnation. I sounded like him, too. And, as I knew Vardil so well, I could mimic him in every way.

Every day, I searched diligently for a way to get away from them—a means in which I could save Vardil and myself from their machinations. Nobody knew I was standing in Vardil's shoes and making his decisions—except those two infernal Karathians, who made constant threats.

Had Vardil known they had their own agenda, he'd never have employed them. Others had offered their services; only these two had named a lower price, provided they be employed together.

I cursed the day they became Vardil's servants. Now, they were the masters.

"Dorgus! Stop daydreaming and send the messages," Deris hissed. Taking a breath and lifting the comp-vid from Vardil's desk with shaking fingers, I began to tap the messages he'd dictated.

* * *

New Fyris

Morrett

My dreams invaded the waking world when Nefrigar, Chief Archivist of the Larentii Archives, appeared in Prince Amlis' library.

He must have understood my joy, as his eyes brightened and he smiled
. Greetings,
he sent to me. I
understand that you retain memories of Corinnelar, when others have failed to do so.

Is that true? That none recall her? She saved me and gave me this,
I gestured toward the shelves of books lining the Prince's library.