SpellBreaker: First Ordinance, Book 4 (28 page)

I'd suggested going to the journalists, feeding them enough information that they carried messages to the population on their world, saying if the politician or ruler of their planet had nothing to hide, they'd welcome the questioning in order to prove their innocence and calm the population.

That plan was implemented quickly. Nobody wanted another massacre, due to hidden poison in their drinking water.

We had a ship of our own, but I believed it to be merely a place for us to sleep and eat, as so many aboard smaller, sleeker BlackWing IX held the ability to fold space.

All of us could mindspeak, and I was more than grateful. Kaldill had carried a glass sphere with two of Quin's black feathers with him when he came on-board. Yanzi said the feathers should be helpful in locating Quin, unless there was too much interference from an unnamed source.

It didn't take much to make the leap; Liron's name was on my mind. He'd created the Orb, which seemed to rule Quin's life. Too many times, it had flung her from one place to another, so the others and I blamed it for Quin's endangerment.

Had we anything from the Orb itself, I believe Kaldill would have hunted it, too, with less than altruistic intentions.

Had I Kaldill's power, I would have considered the same thing.

"We'll get her back," Father spoke softly at my side. "Both of them."

My father, after my mother's death following my birth, had never considered another companion.

Until he'd seen Zaria.

I wanted him to be happy, and Zaria would be the best of all companions for him. In my mind, I could see Father attending state functions with Zaria at his side. The two of them together would be a formidable pair where politics and politicians were concerned.

I realized that family gatherings would be a joy, with Zaria and Quin with us. And, with their other mates, all of whom Father and I liked, it could be even better. I wanted those dinners. Those outings and gatherings.

More than anything.

Those things would help the ache in our hearts—the one caused by the loss of Siriaa. As ill and crippled as it had become before its destruction, we still loved and missed it. It would always be home to us, and one to which we could never return.

We only had our memories, tear-washed and dimming as they were.

* * *

"Where we go first?" Yanzi turned to Kaldill, who'd set the glass-enclosed feathers aloft and allowed them to float near his seat on the small ship's bridge.

"Goor-Phin. She was there—I can feel it. We must orient ourselves and search from there."

"Very well," Caylon nodded. "Prepare yourselves, I'll fold space with the ship immediately."

* * *

I never knew of the capabilities Kaldill showed us, once we arrived at the Jordeh Plantation. While the rest of us followed him at a distance, he held Quin's feathers in his left hand while holding the right hand aloft. With fingers widespread, light glowed from his right hand as power was employed.

All about him, images of walls rose. Ghostly furniture appeared atop fine rugs and flagstone floors. When apparitions peopled the spectral spaces, I gasped softly.

None we recognized occupied the kitchen, so Kaldill moved on. Through room after pale and wavering room we wandered, while Kaldill carefully examined every person.

We found Daris Arden occupying what was surely the master's suite. She paced and mouthed words we couldn't hear. Kaldill, with a nod, moved on to the next suite, and the ones after that, until we reached the back of the house.

There, we found Vardil Cayetes and another. I only knew it was Vardil because Kaldill named him. His countenance was much different from the last description I'd read of him.

"In disguise," Caylon whispered softly beside me.

"His valet and assistant, Dorgus," Kaldill spoke softly as he named the second person. All of us stopped still when another walked into the room.

No, the image wasn't one we recognized.

Kaldill stopped breathing for a moment.

Then he cursed—in Elvish.

I didn't know the language, but I understood his tone.

The one who'd walked in—she had irregular features at best, and moved with an awkward gait.

"It changed her," Caylon whispered.

"No," I responded, turning back to the young woman. She looked nothing like my Quin.

"Do not let appearances affect your feelings; this is temporary, to throw us off," Kaldill spoke in Alliance common once more. "This is the one we seek. Memorize her face—you must know it well if you see it again."

* * *

Karathia—Past

Zaria

"What's that?" Ilya settled on the side of my bed.

"Just some papers I borrowed," I said. "I was hoping I could get information off them, but no such luck." I refolded the pages and dropped them on the nightstand.

"Want company?"

"Of course I do."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He began removing his boots.

"How are the horses?"

"They're fine. Horel is a pain in the ass."

"He's just bitter because he's not the elite warrior he thought he was."

"He's bitter because he's a horse's ass." Ilya grunted as one boot came off in a slow whoosh.

"Honey, don't insult horses like that," I complained. "Call him what comes
out
of a horse's ass. You know—the stuff flies like so much?"

"Are you saying he's a pile of horseshit?"

"Pretty much."

"It's a good thing I have your bedroom shielded. He's probably attempting to listen in."

"That poor, misguided pile of horseshit," I shook my head as Ilya dropped the second boot on the floor and reached for the buttons on his pants.

"He's not poor. I believe Hegatt has him well-supplied in the money department. You should see his tack and the-um, jewelry he wears."

"I didn't see any jewelry," I began.

"It's not where most can see," Ilya lifted an eyebrow as he stood to drop his trousers.

"Does he have a cock ring?" I gasped.

"It's not a cock ring as cock rings go. It's more like a large piercing. He probably did it to show everybody how high his tolerance for pain is—and to impress the ladies, of course."

"I see," I said, although I wanted to gag. Horel wasn't anybody I'd ever want to bed; I didn't care if his large piercing item was covered in gold and jewels. I figured the only women who'd jump in bed with him were after their own gain or glory.

"Jewelry can only get you so far," Ilya's back muscles rippled as he lifted his shirt over his head.

"Oh, yeah," I whispered, running my hands over those same muscles. "Tell all your Falchani instructors that I really, really like these," I said.

"What, no compliments for me?" He shifted so he was facing me.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Oh, top to bottom, bottom to top," he grinned.

"Love this," I touched his mouth.

"That's good enough." He grasped my wrist in his hand, kissed my palm and then lowered me to the bed. "Plenty good enough," he mumbled against my mouth.

* * *

Cloudsong

Quin

I ducked back into a doorway; Yark suspected he was being followed. That wasn't good for me—especially if he determined
who
was following him. I had no desire to come to Daris' attention; the witch could kill me if she wanted and the Orb allowed it.

I dropped down and made myself as small as possible as Yark's footsteps doubled back. He intended to find the one following behind. Gripping my knees to stop my hands from trembling, I waited for the sturdy, unsympathetic Yark to find my hiding place.

"Oy. Yark. You're needed in her majesty's meeting room," someone called out.

Closing my eyes in silent gratitude, I listened for Yark's footsteps to recede.

Rising on unsteady legs, I peered around the corner to make sure the hallway was clear before venturing out again.

Most of the ancient, crumbling structure was dark at night; if Cloudsong hadn't been a planet pulled back from the brink of death at some point in its existence, I imagined it would be overrun with mice, rats and other animals seeking shelter.

As it was, I'd seen nothing of the sort, including insects. While that was a blessing for Janis, who'd imagined fighting off an army of ants and roaches, there was nothing to invade her food supply.

She kept it tightly sealed in its containers anyway.

What if I wasn't able to save any of them?

What was the Orb's intentions where she and the other servants conscripted by Daris were concerned? Did it intend to let them die—or perhaps bring their deaths?

I understood now that it intended all worlds to die. Deris had servants already on Karathia. Why would anyone bother to transport these when the time came to move there?

I had too many questions and no obvious answers. Yark still held the key I needed. At least on Goor-Phin, the Sirenali had living jungles to run to. Here, there was no safe place to run, once I freed them.

My hope, therefore, lay in those I'd been forced to leave behind. I knew they were searching for me. They wouldn't give up, either, until they found me—alive or dead. I prayed that Kaldill or one of the others would see through the disguise forced upon me by the Orb, else I could die alongside Daris and those who followed or aligned themselves with her and Deris.

A dark chamber beckoned as I slipped from doorway to doorway, hoping not to be seen as I made my way toward the kitchen. It had lights, after all; Daris was forced to fill dark, cracked wall globes with spelled illumination.

Except for bedchambers and suites, nothing else was lit at night. A wise criminal would have left everything else dark so nobody would notice their presence.

In Daris' case, she was too lazy. I knew she was used to being served by others all her life; therefore, she expected someone to do her bidding at all times.

Except when she wielded her power to kill or injure. Deris and she both enjoyed
that
.

Making my way into the empty chamber as carefully as I could, I moved toward the center. In the dimmest of starlight shining through an empty roof, I barely made out what looked to be evidence of fires or blasts scattered throughout.

What had happened here?

It looked to be a place where a battle was fought. Where many had died.

Was that their remains covering the floor in darker patches? All about me, I felt a hush, as if the sky were listening.
Help me
, I pleaded silently, forgetting for a moment that my mindspeech no longer worked.

* * *

BlackWing VII

Terrett

Long before the Alliances had developed technology of any kind, the Elf King lived. I doubted I would ever be privy to the Elf King's power, had he and I not been mated to the same woman.

A three-dimensional map hovered above Kaldill's head as he released Quin's feathers.

Instead of floating to the floor, as anyone would expect, they floated upward. I blinked. One went immediately to where we'd seen Quin last—Jaledis. The smaller, more fragile feather hesitated as it searched Kaldill's image, as the areas about it grew in size. I felt as if we were seeing through a focusing glass, as the images became larger and clearer to the eye.

Until it stopped, and the images about it exploded into seeming life.

"Cloudsong," Caylon muttered softly at my back. "Fucking, forsaken Cloudsong."

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis

Lissa

"There are concealment spells all about the old castle," Kooper barked as he strode angrily through the halls of my palace. As vampire, I could easily keep up with him. Others, not vampire, had a difficult time keeping pace with the angry Director of the ASD.

"The Orb is in charge, now," I reminded him as we made our way toward my study. "It could kill all of them and set those machines free to prey on anything."

"Don't remind me," he hissed and made the turn into my study.

Poor Renée, who stood beside Grant and Heathe outside my study door, remained silent but wore an expression of fear.

I sent mindspeech to Montrose; she'd need his steady hand through this, I imagined. My concern was that Kooper, in the interest of the greater good, would be tempted to blast the whole planet apart—with Quin still on it.

The Orb could shield the machines and still get away with them.

"We can't do anything to Cloudsong without the permission of its Queen," Merrill appeared and spoke level-headed truth.

"Reah," I breathed and slumped bonelessly onto my desk chair.

Chapter 16

Karathia—Past

Zaria

I watched Horel and Brill, waiting for any sign of Hegatt's impending attack upon the palace.

I could see in both that they'd visited Hegatt for the past three nights in a row, when they imagined everyone else to be asleep or otherwise occupied.

Marid had completed the ring Hegatt requested, and it was the same one I'd seen in the base of the coffin in Lissa's dungeon.

Essentially, it was a poorly constructed piece of jewelry, but to someone who held power, it was designed as a weapon. Yes, Grey House had been the first to perfect protection spells for objects worn by royalty. Anyone who wasn't authorized would be killed if another took the object and attempted to wear it.

Many crowns across both Alliances were protected in that way.

Marid didn't have the skill or the level of talent Grey House's K'Shoufa jewelers and craftsmen held. This ring could kill anyone who wore it.

Of course, Marid wasn't even aware of the flaws in his design. He'd handed it to Hegatt with a smile while Horel, Brill and Helsa looked on.

Hegatt's plan was to let Helsa wear it first, as Deris' Regent.

The fog surrounding the actual events of the coup was clearing away, revealing painful truths none had recorded.

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis

Lissa

"Quin could die, and you'd still be no better off," Reah pointed a finger at Kooper. "We don't know what the Orb has planned. Admit that, at least."