CHAPTER 12
“You cut a hole in the wall of my storage room!” Marcus roared.
I winced, and then continued calmly putting on my bracelets, watching him from the corner of my eye as I stood in the main room of the house. “You don’t have to yell. Bim will think we’re being attacked.”
“You cut a hole in the wall of my storage room,” he said through clenched teeth.
At least he didn’t rattle the windows this time.
Carefully, I reached over and patted his arm. “It’s for the best. When you see how much time it will save, you’ll thank me.”
“I had kegs of ale stored against that wall. Now you’ve cut my storage space down by a fourth of what it was.”
Pausing, I tilted my head to study him. “You didn’t go into the storage room, did you? You just saw the opening from the common room.” With a put-upon huff, I propped my hands on my hips. “If you’d bothered to look, you’d have noticed I rearranged your stock so that it’s not only more efficient, you have twice the storage space you had before. Furthermore, if you put a man inside to fill the mugs, which, I might add, are now within reach of anyone standing behind the counter in the opening, it will speed up the flow of the servers. Everyone else loves it, including Treya.” I glared at him.
“Fine!” He threw his hands up. “I’ll go look at the storage room.” Stomping every step, he went through the back door, letting it slam behind him.
By the time he came back, much subdued, I’d finished getting ready for our meeting with the king. “Well?”
“You were right. It’s much better.” He looked at me curiously. “How do you do it? How do you know exactly where to put everything to make the most use of a space?”
“It’s no big mystery.” I shrugged. “The image of how it should look just pops into my head, like a diagram, all nice and neat.”
An inscrutable look crossed his face. “So you always know just what’s right for a space.”
“I guess you could put it that way.”
“Rather like the commander knows what’s right or wrong when someone speaks to him.”
Surprised, I nodded slowly. I’d never made the connection before. “Lillith did say our brains operated on the same electrical frequency. I guess this proves it. The only difference is he focuses on people, I focus on spaces.”
“Did you think I was lying?” the ship asked.
“No, I’d simply never considered how it might affect us.”
“Given your upbringings, I suppose it’s natural that you use this talent differently,” Marcus mused.
“What do you mean?” I asked him, watching Peri attempt to get a spare bangle bracelet over her head.
“Well, you were created for the Department of Protocol, so you were taught to organize events. And that included the spaces they were held in. In the commander’s case, he was alone at an extremely young age. His very survival depended on his ability to judge the people he encountered, figure out whom he could trust and whom he couldn’t.”
“That makes sense.” I took the bangle bracelet away from Peri and picked up one made from a slender chain. Looping it around her neck twice, I fastened it and stood back to survey the effect while she happily preened. It was still loose, but at least it wouldn’t impede her wings. “There, you look gorgeous. Definitely fit to visit the king.”
“And if I don’t get changed, you two will be the only ones allowed into the royal dining room,” Marcus said, vanishing into his room.
When he was gone, Peri waddled across the table, looked me in the eye, and sent me an image of herself holding a stick of makeup.
“No,” I hastily told her. “Not a fragging chance. Dragon birds do not wear makeup. You don’t need it,” I added, hoping to head off a trend. “You’re beautiful just like you are. I should be so lucky.”
Impatiently, I blew at the lock of hair that insisted on hanging over my left eye. It seemed like the harder I tried to do something with the mop, the worse it got. I’d finally given up entirely and just let it do what it wanted.
At least Treya had loaned me a dressier outfit for the night. It wasn’t as elaborate as the costumes used for performing, but it was a beautiful shade of sapphire blue, adorned with golden chains at the waistband. There were even matching sandals and a velvety cloak to go with it.
“How do I look?” I asked the dragon bird, and then blinked in surprise when she sent me an image of myself glowing like I’d swallowed a sun. “That good, huh?” I chuckled.
Kiera had told me that Peri would pick up my emotions and broadcast hers, but lately it seemed the exchange had gone way beyond emotions. The fact that Peri answered a question with an appropriate image boded well for future communications on a higher level.
“Are you two finished admiring yourselves?” Lillith asked. “The commander just left the castle and is headed your way.”
“Right on time, as usual,” Marcus said, carrying his boots as he came back into the main room.
I couldn’t help staring at my “guardian.” “Zin, Marcus. No wonder so many women are in lust with you. If you dressed like that more often they’d be falling at your feet.”
His tight pants were made from a fine, chocolate-brown material that delineated the long muscles of his legs. The boots he pulled on were a darker, shinier brown and came to his knees. His shirt was a light, silky tan, set off by a jeweled belt holding an ornamental short sword. The colors set off the silver-threaded blond hair that had been pulled into a queue and tied with a matching ribbon.
An attractive flush tinted his cheeks at my words. “It’s hard to dress like this when I do manual labor most of the day. Besides, there aren’t that many women in ‘lust’ with me.”
I shot him a wicked grin. “I’ve been here a week and I can already name two. Maybe I should be your guardian.” I took a simple offensive stance, arms raised to strike. “I’m pretty sure I could take Leddy. Cammi seemed a little more determined, though.”
“I can defend my own honor, thank you.” Marcus chuckled as I straightened. “You’re certainly in a good mood tonight.”
“Of course I am. I get to have dinner in a castle with a king, escorted by the two most handsome men on the planet.”
“And maybe get closer to the Sumantti?” he asked shrewdly.
“That, too,” I told him. “I really need to get a better idea of the way the castle is laid out, plus, get a lock on as many people’s DNA as possible. If I can’t search the place in my corporeal body, maybe I can do it in ghost form.”
“You know, you can always ask the commander to help you with the layout.”
“I could.” Sobered, I shook my head. “But it would put him in an untenable position, Marcus. He’s already compromised his loyalty to the king by not telling him the truth about me. I don’t want to push him any more than necessary. It may come down to that to save the girls, and if it does, I’ll use him. But until we reach that point, I won’t force him to choose between me and the king more than he already has.”
Before he could respond, there was a brief tap on the front door, and Bim opened it to allow Reynard entry. One glimpse of him and my knees went weak; my heart gave one hard knock and then started hammering at a rate it had never achieved before. I forgot all about how good Marcus looked or that he was even in the room.
Reynard was dressed in black from top to bottom, the silk shirt clinging to a well-defined chest and snuggled lovingly against his flat stomach. The sleeves were long and full, cinched tightly at his wrists.
His slim waist was encircled by a wide silver belt studded with blue stones the same shade as his eyes. Attached to the belt hung a silver scabbard containing a sword that wasn’t the least bit ornamental.
An ornate medallion holding the same kind of blue stone hung from a silver chain around his neck. It looked official, and I suspected it was the formal badge of his office.
Peri saved me from making a complete idiot of myself by strutting across the table, chortling proudly as she fluffed her feathers, tilting her head from side to side, all to better display her necklace.
With a grin that highlighted his dimple, Reynard bowed to her. “How magnificent you look tonight, my lady. The king will be most impressed. As he will be when he sees your beautiful mistress.”
The look he sent me simmered with heat as he extended an arm. “May I have the privilege of escorting you?”
“Of course.” After donning my cloak, I wrapped my hand around his muscled arm as Peri settled on my shoulder. The commander and Marcus greeted each other and then we exited through the front door.
And I came to a screeching stop, causing Peri to scramble for purchase.
Bim was holding the reins of three gigantic animals. At least, they looked gigantic to me. They shifted, snorted, and tossed their heads until their gear jingled.
Immediately, I released Reynard’s arm and took two quick steps in reverse until my back was pressed to the door. Unaware of my sudden terror, Marcus continued on, stopping to talk with Bim.
“What’s wrong?” Lillith asked. “They’re just horses.”
“I know what they are,” I told her, my voice shaking while Reynard turned toward me, concern on his expressive face. “And I’m not getting on one of those evil beasts.”
“They aren’t evil, Echo,” Reynard told me, and I realized I’d been speaking aloud. “They’re animals, with no concept of right or wrong.”
“Then why are they looking at me as though they want to see how I taste?” I asked him.
Lillith’s snort mimicked those of the horses. “Even if they bit you, you’d heal instantly.”
“Yeah, well, knowing that in theory and experiencing it in actuality are two different things. Besides, it would still hurt even if it didn’t kill me, and my instincts are telling me that if I get on that creature’s back, I’ll die. Not to mention, I have no idea how to steer the things, or where the brakes are. I don’t even own a fragging PTV. The tubes or the public beltways have always served just fine to get me where I’m going.”
“A PTV?” Reynard asked.
“Personal transportation vehicle,” I explained.
“You’ll ride with me,” Reynard decided abruptly. He held out a hand. “I swear, I’ll let no harm come to you.”
Well, schite. Now I had no choice in the matter unless I wanted to insult him.
Reluctantly, I put my hand in his and let him lead me closer to the monstrous beasts. Lillith must have repeated the conversation to Marcus, because he calmly mounted the reddish-brown animal, and took the reins of the gray. “I’ll lead this one.”
“Thank you.” Reynard nodded to him and then patted the huge black horse we’d stopped next to on the neck. “This is Arrow. I raised him from a foal and saw to his training myself.”
The inky-black animal turned his head and stared at me, his mouth making chewing motions on the metal bar between his teeth.
“Bite me, and so help me Zin, I’ll break your nose,” I muttered at him. “Believe me, I’m a lot stronger than I look.”
The threat seemed to leave him supremely unconcerned.
“He’s merely curious,” Reynard told me. “Your scent is unfamiliar to him.”
Without another word, he scooped me up, put his foot in the stirrup, and suddenly we were on top of Arrow’s broad back, me in front of Reynard. Frantically I clutched him, burying my face against his neck as the animal began to move.
With an indignant squawk, Peri squirmed out from between us, deciding it was better to fly than get squashed.
Reynard’s right arm came around me, holding me securely against his body. Beneath me, I could feel the shift of muscles as he used his legs to control the horse.
“Are we there yet?” I mumbled against his warm, clean skin.
“No.” His head lowered until his lips brushed my ear. “And I’m thinking of taking the longer way, if it will keep you in my arms like this.”
I was still melting when, from our right, Marcus cleared his throat. “Nice evening, isn’t it? Lots of people out enjoying the weather.”
“Marcus says if you don’t stop, you’re going to be engaged to the commander before you reach the castle,” Lillith told me. “As your guardian he will personally see to it.”
This guardian thing was turning out to be a real pain in the butt. With a sigh, I gathered my courage and forced myself to sit up straighter, barely suppressing a gasp when I saw how far away the ground looked.
Gripping the commander’s arms, I glanced around and realized why Marcus was so concerned. The sun was barely down, but enough light remained to show me the people who had stopped along the road to gape at us.
Lifting my chin, I schooled my features into a serene expression and gazed straight between the horse’s ears. If I could fake being an agent, I could fake being calm, even though my heart was still pounding.
Faster than I would have thought possible, we reached the front of the castle. A man ran forward and took the reins Reynard handed him, then held the horse while we alit. I was tempted to fall down and kiss the ground, but managed to restrain the urge. Instead, I took a closer look at my surroundings.
Since I’d avoided the front of the castle on my first attempt to get inside, I’d only seen it from a distance. The porch made a half circle abutting the stone building, and it was so big that twenty men lying stretched out wouldn’t reach from one end to the other.
Ten wide marble steps followed the entire length of the arc, and ten marble columns supported the roof.
Thanks to large sunstone lamps attached to each side of every column and adorning the walls on both sides of the huge double doors, the area was lit up like the Federation Council during a five-day filibuster.
Every inch of marble was stark white shot through with veins of clear quartz crystals. The only spots of color came from the many-hued flowers filling round marble planters that flanked each pillar and weighted the air with scent.
Reynard took my hand and led me up the stairs to the doors, Marcus and Peri following. The doors were made of solid wood, and so big I had no idea how the liveried men next to them would get them open.
Easily, as it turned out. One of the men gave the commander a brisk three-fingered salute and then gripped a handle. Without a sound, one of the massive doors swung outward. Not until then did I notice the slight indentation of a tack in the marble floor where weight-bearing rollers could glide, making moving the door effortless. Apparently Politaus feared no enemy attack.
But then why should he? The only other people on Madrea were the Bashalde and they seemed content with their nomadic existence. And as I’d learned early on, his soldiers were more than capable of stopping the random intruder.
Tucking the information away, I followed Reynard inside. The hall was as wide as both doors, and the sound of music and voices drifted from just ahead. Peri bounced with excitement as she landed on my shoulder and then bobbed her head in time to the melody.
Reynard smiled down at me as we walked, Marcus close beside us. “Nervous?”
“Not in the least, now that I’m off that animal. I’m used to events like this. But I have to tell you, I’d prefer to walk home afterwards.”
“Arrow will be devastated.” His smile remained in place as he ushered me forward, so I knew he was teasing. “He doesn’t often get the chance to carry such a beautiful lady.”
“I’m sure he’ll get over it,” I told him wryly. We’d stopped in the entryway of a great hall filled with people, and the murmur of conversation died as they saw us. A quick scan told me I was the only female present dressed in the Bashalde manner, so I wasn’t sure if they were staring at me or Peri, or simply because I was with the commander. Maybe it was all of the above.
Ignoring them, I took a longer look, checking for anyone who might be Braxus. If he was there, I couldn’t pick him out. All I saw was a sea of faces turned in our direction, sparkling lights, and walls adorned with colorful tapestries.
At one end of the hall, men and women wearing the drab, modest clothing that was normal in Bastion City mingled with men who were obviously Bashalde. To my surprise, there were equal numbers of commoners and merchants mixed in with what seemed to be the gentry.
The other half of the room was set with long tables punctuated with floral arrangements between white dishes edged in gold. From numerous doors behind them wafted the delicious scent of roasting meat and spices.
Directly across from where we stood, the hall was divided by a dais holding a large, hand-carved wooden chair. The man occupying the seat was probably the only one in the room who hadn’t immediately stopped what he was doing to stare at us. Instead, he leaned over the arm, talking earnestly to Jancen, who stood beside him, head tilted as he listened intently to whatever the man was saying.
King Politaus. I recognized him immediately from the first vid I’d watched of Madrea. Tonight he was dressed in a flattering green-gold combination that went well with his coloring, his belt set with emeralds and topaz. A slim gold band that sat low on his head was the only sign of his station.
I noted all this in only a second or two while Peri launched into the air, circling us as Reynard’s hands went to my shoulders to remove my cloak and give it to the waiting doorman. Her antics drew the attention of those on the dais, and Jancen smiled as he looked over and motioned for us to join him.
When we started forward, the voices resumed, louder now, but I ignored them, my focus on the dais as Peri resumed her favorite seat. Another few steps and surely I’d be close enough to lock on to the king’s DNA. And because I was paying more attention this time, I felt it when it happened.
It was a bit like catching a pleasant scent and then having it settle in your memory, forever linked with the first time you encountered it. From now on, I’d be able to lock on and visit the king no matter where he might be. Unfortunately, I was close enough to touch him before it happened.
There was one step ascending to the dais, and the king stood as we reached it. Keeping his hand on the small of my back, Reynard gave a short bow. “Your Highness, may I present Echo, daughter of arms master August and cousin to Jancen?”
“Your Royal Highness.” I executed a deep curtsey, holding it until I felt a strange hand on my arm, lifting me erect.
“Please, there’s no need to be so formal.” His voice was rich and kind, and filled with humor, surprising me yet again. “Especially since I feel as if I know you already. Not only have you turned my usually stoic commander’s head, Jancen can’t stop singing your praises.”
“Thank you, sire.” I graced him with my most brilliant smile. “I’ve heard much about you also.”
“Oh?” His brows arched in an invitation to continue. “You’ve aroused my curiosity.”
“Well.” I paused for effect. “The commander considers you his friend as well as his monarch. His faith in you is unshakable. He says you’re kind, wise, and fair.”
Politaus nodded. “Reynard is like a brother to me. I would expect nothing less.” Briefly, his eyes clouded and I wondered if he was thinking of Braxus. But the expression was fleeting before he wiped it away. “And who else has spoken of me?”
“Jancen,” I promptly replied. “He says you’re a pigheaded, stubborn old woman for not allowing the Federation access to Madrea.”
Jancen winked at me as the king threw his head back and roared with laughter, drawing stares from all over the hall. “Oh, my. I can certainly see why the commander is enamored of you, my dear. He always has valued direct speech. As do I. You remind me of your father in that respect. August was never one to withhold his opinion, whether solicited or not. Will you and your party sit with me at supper and tell me your views on the topic of the Federation?”
Talk about irony. “We’d be happy to, sire. Have you met my guardian, Marcus Kent?”
“I have.” He turned to Marcus with a friendly slap on his shoulder. “Kent. Why has it been so long since you’ve accepted an invitation to join me for supper?”
Marcus gave him a short bow. “My apologies, sire. I’ve only recently returned from an extended trip to restock my wine.”
Interest sparked in the king’s eyes. “Did you visit that small winery in the hill country this time?”
“I did.” Marcus smiled. “And as you requested, two barrels of their red now reside in your cellar.”
“Excellent, excellent!” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, and then glanced at Jancen. “You’ll want to try this wine, old friend. It’s extraordinary. I’ll have some brought up to go with our meal.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Jancen told him. As the king’s attention went back to Marcus, the older man moved closer to me.
“How are you today? The last time I saw you, you were unconscious.”
“I’m perfectly fine, I promise.” I patted him on the arm. “It was just a reaction to the events of the day.”
His gaze turned shrewd as he leaned down next to my ear. “I would have thought August’s daughter would be made of sterner stuff than to faint over a failed attempt on her person.”
Uh-oh. I swallowed hard. This old man saw way too much.
“Caught me,” I whispered to him, noting that Reynard came to attention at Jancen’s words and stepped nearer, one hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. Even Peri went still. I didn’t dare tell him about the Daughter Stone, so once again I was being forced to tell half-truths.
“Honestly? I faked it because I didn’t want to meet Chief Lowden right then.”
“Why not?”
I checked to make sure the king was still involved with Marcus and no one else was close enough to overhear, then lowered my voice even more. “Because the man who threw the knife at me went into Chief Lowden’s tent.”
He reeled back a step, and I steadied him with a hand on his arm before he could draw unwanted attention. “But why would one of Lowden’s men want to hurt you?”
“I don’t know. And without more information it wasn’t prudent to throw myself into a situation I was uncertain about.”
“Well, I certainly can.” He almost vibrated with indignation. “You can be sure I’ll get to the bottom of this as soon as I return to camp.”
Alarm streaked through me. I liked Jancen. No way did I want him in the middle of whatever was going on with Lowden.
“No, please, for my sake, stay out of it. Let me handle this my own way.”
He stared at me intently for a moment. “There’s more to this than you want me to know, isn’t there?”
I let my head dip in a slight nod. “Yes.”
A sigh lifted his chest. “When it’s over, will you tell me everything?”
Again, I nodded. “Yes.”
“Then I’ll have your promise that if you get in trouble you’ll come to me.”
“I promise.”
He hesitated. “There’s one more thing. Zeller, Lowden’s cousin and ambassador to the court is here tonight. He’s been watching you closely since you arrived. I thought his interest was because he found you attractive, but now I have to wonder. I’ve never trusted him,” he added.
My first instinct was to turn and look for the man, but I restrained myself. There was a slim possibility his faction thought I was the type that swooned at the first sign of danger. If that was the case, I wanted them to stay deluded. At the least, I didn’t want him to know I was suspicious of Lowden.
“Thank you for the warning,” I told Jancen just as the king’s attention focused back on us.
He smiled expansively as he waved us away. “Reynard, why don’t you introduce Echo around? I’m sure there are many here who would love to meet her. Kent can stay here and keep me company until supper.”
Peri had stayed quiet throughout the entire meeting with the king, but she perked up as Reynard led me from the dais, ruffling her feathers as she peered around to see if anyone was admiring her.
“That was interesting,” I told Reynard. “The king was nothing like I expected him to be.”
Keeping a hand on my arm, he smiled as we paused a few feet from the crowd. “What did you expect?”
“A lecher. Lillith said he’d probably grab my—rear.”
The ship snorted in my ear. “He knows the commander has already staked a claim on you. That’s why he didn’t grab your ass. And you need to be more careful. Another few minutes and you’d have spilled your life story to Jancen.”
“Since you’d be so much better at this than I am, would you like to trade places?” I subvocalized. “Oh, wait. You might have problems getting into the outfit.” I let out a dramatic sigh. “Guess you’ll just have to let me do this my way.”
“There’s no need to get huffy about it,” she replied.
Reynard arched a brow at me. “What is she saying?”
“How did you know I was talking to my ship?” I asked.
“Because you always get this look in your eyes, like you’re doing battle, when she talks to you.”
“Oh.” I thought about that, then decided he was probably right. “She didn’t say anything important. But I do have a question. Why isn’t Politaus married? I’d think it would be important for him to produce an heir.”
He nodded, a lock of dark chocolate hair falling over his forehead. “It is important. But men outnumber our women three to one. Finding a suitable female to marry isn’t easy, even for a king.” He glanced back toward the dais. “Fortunately, arrangements have been made with one of the northern families who have a daughter of marriageable age, and the wedding will take place in eight months. She’s a handsome girl with a good heart. She’ll be the perfect wife for Politaus and provide him with many children.”
Another thought occurred to me. “What would happen if Politaus were to die before he had an heir? Who would take the throne then?”
The commander’s face was without expression when he answered. “Braxus would be our only alternative. At least until we could choose someone more fit to rule.”
I glanced back at the dais, suddenly very, very worried. “Reynard, I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but you might want to seriously consider assigning more guards to the king. I’ve got a really bad feeling about Braxus.”
“Duly noted,” he said, his eyes going grim. “Especially if he has the Daughter Stone.”