SpellBreaker: First Ordinance, Book 4 (27 page)

How did Zaria know what was in the base?

Where had she been—for the past few centuries? Corinne/Zaria. She'd separated her particles on Earth.

Who could have brought her back? There was only one answer, so that was a rhetorical question.

My sister Breanne was the Mighty Heart. Of the original Three/One, only she could
Change What Was
.

Did she also know to alter Corinne's appearance, so she wouldn't be recognized as anything other than a Karathian witch?

I held my breath for several seconds before releasing it.

Quin wasn't what she'd been designed to be.

Zaria was alive and no longer appeared the same as before.

Two small weapons had been positioned against a wealthy, well-equipped army of evil.

They were the rock in David's sling.

Would it be enough to kill the giant?

I had no idea.

Chapter 15

Karathia—Past

Zaria

"Madam cook," the corners of Wellend's mouth curled upward as I set the tray on his desk.

Scattered across it were papers and records; his first day of hearing grievances as the King had arrived. He hadn't come to breakfast, so breakfast had come to him.

"Tea," I set the cup at his elbow, as he liked it. "Protein, to get you through the day," I pointed at the omelet. "The strawberries are just to keep you in a good mood."

"I need to be kept in a good mood?"

"I think Brill can destroy anybody's good mood," I said.

"Brill should go home," Wellend grimaced.

"Not just yet," I said. "Give him an eight-day or so, then send him on his way."

"Do you have a moment?" Wellend surprised me with the question.

"Everyone has a moment for the King," I smiled.

"Good. Sit down," he said. "Tell me, from a cook's perspective, how I should handle this dispute between two warlocks who provide the same spells in their village." He handed a paper to me.

"Are they here now?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm making them wait, because I have no idea how to settle this. They're both of an equal talent, and both get support from their customers."

"I'd like to see them," I said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Q'elindi you've been looking for," I laughed.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Ilya demanded when I appeared inside my tiny bedroom to change clothes.

"Serving the King's breakfast, witnessing a few disputes and then having a conversation with Warlend and Wellend. Don't worry, Bekzi is handling dinner just fine. He's herding those people in the kitchen around, and they're getting out of his way as if they understand he's a dangerous snake," I said.

"Where did that outfit come from?" he asked, crossing arms over his chest.

"I had to alter my cooking garb when I witnessed the first dispute," I sighed, letting the black silk gown drop to the floor.

"I can't believe you made me spar with the captain of the guard," Ilya huffed. "He needs to up his game if he expects to protect anybody—with spells or with weapons."

I stopped halfway through kicking off one black silk flat to stare at Ilya. "I need to see him," I breathed.

"I can arrange that. You haven't kept up with your sparring sessions. Want to go a round with Captain Horel?"

"Only if it's a battle of wits," I kicked off the second shoe before bending down and searching through my small trunk for something suitable to wear in the kitchen.

"He couldn't argue his way out of a game of riddles with a gnat," Ilya huffed.

"Now see—I knew you had a sense of humor hidden away somewhere. You should bring it out more often. I like it," I straightened up and pointed a finger at him.

"You shouldn't go about without clothing very often, it makes my cock hard," he pointed a finger at me.

"Oh, honey, I can fix that," My hips swayed as I walked toward him.

"I sure as hell hope so," he muttered and folded me into a hug.

* * *

I saw Captain Horel the following morning at breakfast. He and Ilya were invited by Warlend to eat with Wellend while they went over plans for the new King's security detail. Warlend, who was also present, winked at me as I filled his cup with tea.

It had only taken a brief glance at Horel to determine that he and Brill were coconspirators with Hegatt.

Easy enough to bring a coup to fruition if you had a spy and the Captain of the King's guards in your pocket, as Hegatt did.

Horel was a high Level-three warlock; Ilya had shown him what a guard should be capable of and barely broke a sweat when they sparred together.

I worried, therefore, that Hegatt would target Ilya, in order to ease his way to killing the King.

My plan was undergoing refinements as a result; there wasn't any way I'd willingly place Ilya in danger. I'd already seen him overcome by treachery and I vowed never to let that happen again.

Horel is in deep with Hegatt, just as Brill is
, I sent to Ilya.
Watch your back every moment with him
, I warned.
If he thinks you'll be a threat to their coup, they'll want you out of the way first
.

Should I thank you for placing my life in danger?

If you want. It's a gift. You don't have to get me anything
, I replied.

Oh, I have something for you, all right
.

Honey, I'll do everything I can to protect your ass. And the rest of you, too
, I said.

Right.

Am I hearing some attitude?
I asked.

Call it whatever you like. You're going to suck me into this coup no matter what, aren't you?

I never said that. In fact, if you want to be absent the day of the coup, feel free.

And make me look like a fucking coward?

Look, you can't be uninvolved if you're here. The entire planet is involved. Unless
, I hesitated.

What?

You know Wallend is going to run at the first sign of trouble, don't you? I figure he'll take his kids and get the hell away, leaving his wife to fight his battle and die in his place. What if Warlend or Wellend sends you to find him?

I can live with that.

Good. I'll try to make that happen.

Don't get too close to them, they're marked for death
, Ilya reminded me.

You have to spoil everything, don't you?

Cabbage, don't cry. Please
.

I walked out of the dining hall after setting down the pot of tea I carried. The other servants could ensure that cups were filled. Ilya had upset me and I wanted to be alone.

* * *

Cloudsong

Quin

Dorgus was angry. As he couldn't see the Orb hovering over Daris' head, he thought her insane.

He was very close to being correct anyway, without the Orb's presence. She'd announced that Deris would be paying a visit, and everyone had to work to make the ruin of a castle presentable for her brother.

She'd gone so far as to call him the King of Karathia.

I wanted to laugh in her face.

Deris knew nothing of what being a King entailed, other than ordering servants to do his bidding and see to his every whim.

His ignorance was much like Daris', who expected to be named Deris' Regent when they took the throne away from Rylend Morphis, Bel's father.

I wasn't sure I'd ever felt such revulsion in my heart before, but that sentiment was growing. Bel, his father and grandfather were dear to me and treated me as family. Whatever it took to keep them safe, I would do.

"Hand me the powder, girl," Dorgus snapped. Vardil's privates were chafing; therefore, Dorgus would see to that and anything else Vardil needed.

It wasn't difficult to feel contempt for both.

The moment I could, I intended get the key away from Yark, who had hidden it away from the others.

He couldn't hide it from me, though. I knew it was kept in a hollowed-out leg of his bedframe. The key to his suite, however, stayed with him at all times. That, ultimately, would be a more difficult task.

* * *

Karathia—Past

Zaria

The obstacle I attempted to deal with as I put soup together for dinner was that of the plans for N'il Mo'erti that Hegatt kept with him. He even slept with the drawings—I'd seen that in Brill's eyes.

Foolish, foolish Hegatt, who had no idea he was watched carefully by a Q'elindi on the other end.

Cabbage, I'm sorry
. A red rose dropped onto the table beside the stove, where I worked. This rose wasn't a long-stemmed beauty from a hothouse. This one was lovely, scent and all, on a short stem with small leaves and a slender twig studded with thorns.

Ilya had employed a spell to round off all the thorns. There would be no pricking of my fingers when I lifted this one to sniff.

Thank you
, I replied, tucking the flower into the breast pocket of my cook's jacket. When he didn't respond, I went back to chopping celery for the soup. As I worked, I wondered who'd designed and built the first N'il Mo'erti, and how they'd communicated with those things in order to get them to do as they asked.

Certainly something to consider
, I thought as I added those plans to my growing list of things to do.

"Smell good," Bekzi carried steaks into the kitchen. He'd gotten them straight from the butcher, who'd brought them to the back gate of the palace. "Good steak, too. We do fine dinner tonight."

"Wellend likes his medium rare," I said. "Warlend a little less done than that."

"We fix with good sauce," Bekzi nodded. "They like."

I couldn't help thinking that in an earlier existence, it would have been Ilya making steaks or the best Italian I'd ever eaten. Now, it was Bekzi who was a master cook. "Honey, how about a kiss?" I said as Bekzi set the crate of wrapped meat on a nearby table.

"You get kiss." He grinned and walked toward me.
You get snake in your bed tonight
, he added mentally as his mouth covered mine.

I broke the kiss when I laughed at his sending.

* * *

"Honey, remind me to get hot and sweaty with you again as soon as possible," I leaned in to give Bekzi a kiss.

"You sleep now," he pulled away to nuzzle my chin. "We have sex again soon," he promised, dropping his head to my collarbone and planting a kiss there. "Breakfast come early. We cook, remember?"

"Yeah. If we survive this, I want a vacation," I grumbled.

"I take. You like," he pulled me close and settled my head on his shoulder.

"Sounds good." I closed my eyes and shifted into a more comfortable position. It did sound good. I just had a shitload of things to do before that could happen.

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis

Lissa

"Of course he can stay here. Master Morwin will be happy to have a pupil again," I said. Bleek and Barc sat inside my private study, Barc kicking his heels, Bleek looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Bleek wanted to go with Caylon and several others to hunt for Quin, but the conditions in some of the areas they intended to visit weren't ideal for a young boy. I'd already sent mindspeech to Morwin; he was on his way. If anyone could calm Barc down, it would be Morwin and the tasks he'd set for the boy.

"I hear you have a pupil in your study," Morwin walked in, smiling.

Barc's eyes grew round at his first sight of an Amterean Dwarf. Morwin's bushy, red eyebrows looked especially bristly today, as if he'd been doing research that delighted him.

One of Morwin's eyebrows lifted as he studied Barc; two of the boy's hands were clasped while the other two fiddled with the pockets in his pants.

"Sir Blevakian," Morwin nodded to Bleek. "Young sir Blevakian," he nodded to Barc. "How much do you know about your home world?" Morwin began.

"I know lots," Barc claimed.

"Ah. Then you know there are giant white cats on the snow-topped peaks of the Kivik Mountain range that are so invisible they can move without leaving tracks?"

"They don't leave tracks? How?" Barc was immediately interested.

"Ah. Well, if you choose to study with me, young one, we will explore all of the Kivik Mountain range, and every other wonder of your home planet." Morwin's eyes gleamed as he considered the information Barc would soak up immediately.

"Pap, I want to stay with Master Morwin," Barc gave his blessing to the arrangement.

"Then you have my permission, and I'll be back as often as possible," Bleek agreed.

Be careful out there
, I cautioned Bleek in mindspeech.
With those machines, I have no idea what could happen next
.

"I will," Bleek acknowledged my sending. "Son, give me a hug. The Queen and Master Morwin will take good care of you while I'm gone."

* * *

BlackWing VII

Berel

Father and I volunteered to go with Kaldill, Caylon, Sal, Bleek, Lafe, Terrett and Yanzi. Those who remained on BlackWing VII had a new objective, now—tracking ships with unscheduled stops. The frightening thing was that once the ASD had begun looking into unscheduled stops for shipments already delivered, they numbered in the thousands across the Alliance.

We desperately needed Quin's help—and Zaria's—to determine whether the crews of those ships had been obsessed. Most ship captains either claimed there was no stop or had a ready excuse.

My concern was that we couldn't believe any of them. That, in turn, increased the heavy load on those investigating. All were concerned about the next mass murder and where it could occur.

That's when Reah, Bel Erland's mother, volunteered to act as Guli in the questioning. She knew the truth from a lie because of her High Demon heritage. I hadn't known there was such a talent until now.

Kooper wanted to question governors and rulers, but was forced to wait (by Alliance Law) until there was sufficient reason to question them.