While I did my best to look all tuckered out, Reynard straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. “Of course. She’ll be living with you?”
“Yes, and working at the Terpsichore to earn her keep.”
I was? News to me. But I didn’t think it was the time to argue. And at the moment, I was busy worrying about Peri. She was watching Marcus’s arm where it rested on my shoulders and emoting a great deal of resentment.
Friend, I sent her. But you’re my favorite.
She gurgled happily and her feathers settled. Silly creature. And now that I thought about it, why hadn’t she resented it when Reynard touched me?
“Just one more question, if you will, and then you may go.” Reynard’s voice yanked my attention away from Peri and focused it on him. Marcus nodded his consent and Reynard continued.
“She said her father was a weapons master. Whom did he work for?”
Marcus smiled. “He was teacher to Lowden, chief of the Bashalde.”
“He was that August?” Reynard’s gaze swung to me, a speculative look on his face. “I hadn’t realized he had a child.”
“Very few know. Echo was born shortly after August and his wife vanished into the desert.”
“I see. Then you’ll be pleased to know that Lowden and the Bashalde will arrive here tomorrow for the yearly gathering to renew their treaty with the king. I’m sure he’ll want to honor the daughter of his old teacher.”
Me, Miss Happy-To-Be-a-GEP, suddenly had a past so convoluted it would confuse a Natural. I decided that silence was the better part of valor and looked to Marcus for a response.
“I’ll see to it that she’s introduced,” he told Reynard.
“They’ll camp outside the city as usual, and the gathering will begin on the day after tomorrow. It would be my pleasure to escort both of you.”
“And it will be our honor to accept.” Marcus gave a slight bow. “Now, we really should be going.”
Reynard went to the door and opened it, then spoke to the soldier waiting in the hall. “Escort them out of the castle, please, and then return here.”
“Yes, Commander.” He held out my cloak and pouch. “These were found outside near where Furgan was felled.”
Reynard took them and turned to me. “Yours?”
I nodded. “I dropped them while fleeing your men.” And there was no doubt in my mind they’d been thoroughly searched. Good thing I’d finished off that Zip Bar.
Moving away from Marcus, I draped the cloak over my arm and settled the pouch strap on my shoulder before calling Peri to roost. “Thank you for your hospitality, Commander. The meal was much appreciated.”
“You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing you dance.”
What? Hold the phone, here. Who said anything about dancing? “Lillith, what in Zin’s name is he talking about?”
“Marcus’s tavern. It’s named after Terpsichore, the goddess of dance.”
Now wasn’t this just dandy? I go from being a respected employee of the Department of Protocol, to a job I’m horrible at with the Bureau of Alien Affairs, and abruptly I’m demoted yet again. Only this time I get to be a glorified stripper. Whoopee. What was next? Cleaning outdoor toilets? By hand? Without a shovel?
Sure I’d danced in my previous job, but that was different. Mostly because I’d always had a partner and hadn’t been dancing alone to entertain large groups of men. That dancing had been personal recreation, even if it was part of the job.
In lieu of addressing Reynard’s comment, I moved into the hall, Marcus beside me. Reynard followed us as far as the doorway and then paused, his gaze on Marcus.
“I’ll be watching, Kent.”
Again Marcus gave him a short bow. “I would expect nothing less, Commander.” He took my arm and steered me down the hall behind our escort. When we were almost to the end of the passage, I looked over my shoulder.
Reynard was still watching, his manly form limned in the light spilling from his room. Was he really staring at the sway of my hips? A thrill tingled through my stomach and shot straight to my chest. Before I thought about the consequences, I lifted my hand and sent him a small good-bye wave.
He returned it right before we went to the left and I lost sight of him. I faced forward again just as Lillith spoke to me.
“Marcus said to tell you that if you have questions, ask them through me. He says it’s not safe to speak aloud until you’re in his home.”
“Great. Ask him what Reynard meant by that last statement.”
There was a pause before she responded. “The commander is either attracted to you, or suspicious. Marcus thinks it’s a bit of both. There’s also a third reason. As I mentioned before, men here outnumber the women by a good margin, so in their culture women are protected at all costs. Rape and abuse are almost unheard of, and the penalty for either is a very painful death. It’s a matter not only of honor, but of preserving a rare and precious commodity necessary for the continuation of their race. By confirming your story and taking you in, Marcus has declared himself your guardian, and it’s an unusual arrangement considering you aren’t related to him. The commander was serving notice that he wouldn’t tolerate any licentious behavior toward you on Marcus’s part. In other words, he’s decided its part of his duty to make sure you’re protected, even from your guardian.”
Well, that certainly gave me the warm snuggies. All except the suspicious part. I’d have to be real careful around Reynard. And I had no doubt I’d see him again soon.
Another thought occurred to me as the soldier led us to an outside door. “What if this August person shows up alive and well, and denies I’m his daughter?”
“He won’t. Marcus was on the original exploration team that discovered Madrea, and has been here ever since. He came to know August well. The man died nearly a cycle ago. After he left Lowden’s service, he wed a Bashalde woman and had a daughter. Enough people knew about her, including Lowden, that the commander can verify the information. What no one but Marcus knows is that the child died of a fever when she was five cycles old, along with her mother. After that, August became even more reclusive. Marcus was his only contact with people, and only because Marcus insisted on taking him supplies, so the story will stand up.”
“He came up with all this on the spur of the moment?” By now, we were outside and Marcus was heading down a dark street leading toward the front of the castle, our escort left behind at the castle. Peri abandoned my shoulder and flitted busily from flower to flower.
There was another pause before Lillith answered. “No, he says Dr. Daniels contacted him about you several days ago. He had time to consider all aspects of your cover, and this was the one he settled on as most believable, especially since he knows you only recently finished your combat training.”
I arched a brow as we turned down another street. “What does that have to do with my cover story?”
“He knows how agents are trained. It was only a matter of time before you reacted violently to something or someone the way you did the commander. Women on this world aren’t trained to fight. August’s daughter would probably be the one exception. Apparently, he wasn’t too fond of rules.”
“Okay, Marcus is obviously a genius.” From the corners of my eyes, I saw him smile.
“He thanks you, and says you’ve reached his home.”
Taking my arm again, he steered me up a rock walkway to a door bordered on both sides with flowers, opened it, and ushered me inside. Peri zipped in right before he closed the door, and then she began to explore the dark house. When I opened my mouth to speak, he put a finger to his lips and moved to a small chest resting on a shelf. Its wooden sides were adorned with stones, and he pushed one of them in like it was an on/off button.
“There, we can talk now.”
Outside the window the moon was full, and in its bluish light I eyed the chest with interest. Other than its ornate style there was nothing unusual about it. “What did you do?”
“Activa
ted the motion detectors I’ve placed strategically around the yard. If anyone gets close enough to overhear our conversation, a light on the box will blink.”
He moved around the room, lifting opaque covers from transparent containers. Immediately, a soft white-gold glow filled the interior of the house.
Curious about the sunstones, I moved closer to a lamp and studied it while we continued our conversation. “Aren’t you afraid someone will discover the motion detectors?” The glow made it difficult to be certain, but it looked like the container was full of shinning pebbles. Gingerly, I touched it with one finger, surprised to find it cool even though I’d read about the phenomenon in the data files.
“Since the bases look like ordinary rocks and most people on this world haven’t a clue what technology can do, no.”
He took two glasses from beside the chest and poured wine while I abandoned the sunstones and looked around the room. It was good sized and contained both a sitting area and kitchen. There was a large fireplace in one wall and several wooden chairs with padded seats facing it, a low table between them.
On the other side of the room there was a table with four chairs and lots of shelving for food and dishes. In the back, two doors led to other rooms and a third outside. All in all it looked snug and cozy.
“Sit.” Marcus gestured toward a chair as he handed me one of the glasses. “I’ll show you your room after we chat. It’s small, I’m afraid, but should do for now. The privy is out back.”
I stared at him suspiciously as I deposited my bag and cloak near the door and took a seat. “I don’t have to clean it out, do I?”
“The privy?” He chuckled as he took the other seat. “No. It’s not up to Alpha Centauri standards, I’m sure, but the Madreans do have rudimentary plumbing. Basic hygiene is all that’s called for since I hire a housekeeper for the rest of the cleaning. The Terpsichore has its own kitchens and a wonderful cook, so I rarely eat at home.”
“That’s good. The housekeeper, I mean.” I took a sip of wine. Not bad for a domestic. “Where is your tavern?”
Peri landed on the mantel and began examining the items displayed there.
“It’s the big building on the other side of this house. Normally, it would be lit up and busy, but since the king ordered everyone to stay inside we closed for the night.”
I leaned back in the chair, relaxing completely for the first time since Lillith had dumped me on this planet. “Do you know why he issued the order?”
He rolled his glass between his hands. “I imagine it had something to do with the ship that landed behind the castle.”
“Lillith said three men and two young girls debarked, and that one of the girls appeared to be drugged.”
A frown marred his previously friendly face and I suddenly realized he could be a very dangerous man if crossed.
“Braxus.” He nearly spit the word.
“I beg your pardon? Who or what is Braxus? There was no mention of anyone by that name in the files.”
“He’s the king’s brother. I’m not surprised the Federation doesn’t know about him. I suspect most Madreans have forgotten he exists. He was born with a skeletal deformity and prefers to stay out of sight and work behind the scenes. For the last month, though, ships have been landing on a regular basis. Since the king eschews all things Federation as well as any technology that requires an energy source other than human or animal power, I knew it had to be Braxus’s doing. In spite of his appearance, the man is extremely intelligent and spends most of his time reading. So usually the king allows black marketeers to bring in books for his brother. Normally that only happens once every few months, and yet lately, the rate of landings has increased drastically. I know something is going on, but haven’t been able to find out what.”
He lifted a hand to rub his forehead. “Now that I know about the Sumantti, there’s only one conclusion I can reach. Braxus has the crystal and he’s bringing in female children with psi ability to try and use it.”
When my heart started pounding in reaction, I knew he’d hit the nail on the head. I didn’t even need to ask why the man was using children. The answer was obvious. Children would be easier to control than an adult female with psi abilities.
“They’ll die,” I blurted out. “Anyone who tries to use the stone without first being prepared by the crystals will die. Oh, Zin. There’s no telling how many he’s already killed if numerous ships have been arriving. Why is the king allowing him to do this?”
“That’s something we’ll have to find out.” Marcus’s face was downright grim. “I think it’s time we discussed your mission. Dr. Daniels gave me the pertinent parts, but I’d like to hear what you know about the Sumantti.”
I snorted. “That should take all of two seconds.” After I repeated everything Kiera Smith had told me, and explained about the Imadei, he nodded.
“You have no idea how to use the Imadei?”
“No, not even a tiny clue. I’ve tried holding it and concentrating, but so far that hasn’t worked.”
“May I see it?”
Oddly enough, I was reluctant to take it out. Since that seemed rather silly, I shrugged. “Sure.” I tugged the stone from under my top, slid the chain over my head, and held it in my palm where he could see it.
I expected him to reach for the stone, but he didn’t. He leaned over the chair arm and gazed into the inky depths for what seemed liked ten minutes. And the longer he stared, the more my head ached.
Abruptly, I couldn’t take any more. I curled my fingers around the Imadei, hiding it from his view, and with the other hand massaged my temple.
Marcus blinked like a man coming out of a trance, and then frowned. “Put it back on and never let anyone see it again. And if you value your life, don’t allow it to be touched unless you trust the person implicitly. For better or worse, the stone is linked to you now, and until you learn to control it, rough handling of the Imadei could either kill you or destroy your mind.”
I stared at him as my headache eased. “How do you know that?”
“When you’ve lived as long as I have, you pick things up here and there.”
Abruptly, my internal radar went on high alert. “Exactly how old are you?”
“Six hundred and twenty-eight cycles.”
My mouth gaped and I had trouble forming a sentence for a second. “You’re a super GEP.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Not on the same level as Kiera Smith, or you, apparently. But Gertz wasn’t the first to experiment with GEP DNA. He just took it further than most.”
If he was that old, how long could I expect to live? My brain spun even though I was still in shock. “What are your abilities?”
“Extremely good health and a long life.”
“No psi abilities?”
“None whatsoever.” He hesitated and then shrugged. “What I have is an innate skill at deductive reasoning and all those years of experience to draw from. Sometimes that’s enough for intuitive leaps in logic that others might miss. But there’s one thing I know that doesn’t have to be guessed at. Braxus has to be stopped, and you’re the only one who can do it.”
So much for not cleaning out the privy. Because if solving this problem depended on me alone, we were up to our eyeballs in shit with no shovel in sight.
CHAPTER 5
The first rays of sunlight stabbed my tightly closed eyelids with knife-like precision, and with a groan I pulled my pillow over my head. Just ten more minutes would do me, or even five. But there was no getting around the fact that I was awake and suddenly conscious of a feeling of dread that blanketed me for no apparent reason.
Until I remembered where I was and the conversation I’d had with Marcus the night before.
With a sigh, I tossed the pillow aside and sat up, blinking at my surroundings. The room was smaller than my quarters on board Lillith, with just enough space for a single bed and a chest. The one window was wide open, panes of wood-framed glass pulled back against the plaster of
aged yellow walls to allow perfume-laden air to circulate.
It kind of freaked me out, knowing there was no barrier between me and the wild bugs sneaking around outside. I’d lain awake for hours staring at the window, trying to make sure they weren’t about to jump me. And yes, I knew they were there during the day, too, but I was awake and ready for them then, not asleep and vulnerable.
Peri was nowhere in sight, but without even concentrating I could feel her satisfaction as she gathered nectar. For such a small creature she sure spent a lot of time eating. But then, I guess it took a lot of flowers to supply enough food to sustain her. On Madrea she’d hit the jackpot. There were flowers everywhere.
Rubbing my eyes, I swung my legs off the bed and then reached for my cloak. I needed a shower and I didn’t want to put on my last outfit until I’d had one. The cloak would keep me from shocking the neighbors witless when I traipsed across the yard to the privy. Clutching my bag in one hand and holding the cloak tightly closed with the other, I left my room.
There were snores coming from the other side of the house as I tiptoed through to the back door, and I envied Marcus the ability to sleep late. Of course, his room didn’t have the sun shining through a window at this Zin-awful hour, either.
I wasn’t the first person up, though. Already the scent of cooking wafted from the large stone building next door, and I could hear the chatter of voices mixed with the clatter of pots and pans.
Although I’d made a trip to the privy the night before, it had been dark and the small sunstone lamp I’d carried hadn’t illuminated much more than the crushed stone path. This morning I took a better look around.
Marcus’s home and business were separated by a white wooden fence lined with flowers. Both yards were neat and clean, but where his home yard contained only the privy, there was a building with three doors at the back of the business, and another, even longer, two-story building with numerous doors situated at the back of the lot.