Assassin

by Cyndi Friberg

  “They each have a specific meaning. Well, in the beginning they did. Tattoos can be addictive.” He added with a laugh. “The first few commemorated important events or fallen brothers. Toward the end, I was simply hooked on the process and the result.”

  She paused to enjoy the display. There was very little color, but each image was intricately detailed and unique. And the sculpted body on which they had been created didn’t hurt the aesthetic either. She licked her lips and let her gaze roam.

  “Keep looking at me like that, and we won’t get any sleep tonight.”

  Her eyebrows arched at the playful threat. “You said I could look whenever I wanted.”

  “You can. Just don’t expect me to ignore the invitation in your eyes.”

  She raised her gaze to his and smiled. “Invitations aren’t meant to be ignored. They’re meant to be accepted.”

  ARRISTA SPENT THE FOLLOWING morning with Sara and the cubs. The day was warm but cloudy, which made it easier for Arrista to remain outdoors. Sara was practicing the signals and voice commands that Arrista had taught her by issuing them to the cubs. Neither Wenny nor Luppa would ever see battle—a fact that secretly pleased Arrista—but the maneuvers were good exercise.

  “There is a snap in the wrist at the end.” Arrista demonstrated, and both cubs immediately reversed direction.

  Sara shook her head. “I’m not sure why that one is eluding me, but they understand all the others.”

  “You’re doing very well.”

  Sara laughed. “That makes it sound like you’re training me right along with the cubs.”

  Unable to stop thinking about the night before, Arrista lapsed into silence. The cubs looked to Sara for the next command. When it didn’t come, Wenny batted her paw at Luppa. The smaller cub lunged at her sister, and both went tumbling across the grass. Typical. Their antics made Arrista smile.

  “I guess they’ve lost patience with my fumbling.” Sara watched them play for a few moments, then turned back to Arrista. “You’re rather quiet and dreamy this morning. Is your distraction good or bad?”

  “Good.” She glanced at the human as heat crawled across her cheeks. “Torrin is courting me.”

  Sara smiled broadly. “I’m glad. He’s clearly in love with you. Are you going to accept his claim?”

  “I’m still deciding, but there is no denying our attraction.”

  “He scared the crap out of me the first time I saw him, but I’m warming up to him now.”

  “Torrin can be intense,” Arrista agreed, but she found the quality exciting, not intimidating. “The one who frightened me was Overlord Razel.”

  Sara nodded, but a motion in the distance drew her attention.

  Following the direction of the human’s stare, Arrista watched Certice emerge from the forest. Her dark gray armor lay flat against her body, and her stride was unhurried, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  Mama! Wenny’s happy cry echoed through Arrista’s mind. The cub leapt over Luppa and ran toward Certice. Luppa followed close behind.

  Expecting Lady Isolaund to emerge as well, Arrista’s heart flipped over in her chest. She watched the tree line, but Certice appeared to be alone.

  May I enter? Certice sounded remarkably tentative, which was unlike the fiercest of all battle cats.

  “Are you alone?” Sara asked as she moved to Arrista’s side.

  I am, and the mistress does not know where I went. I would like to see my cubs.

  She could “see” them through the fence, but sight was not a karron’s primary sense. She would need to smell them to determine if they were healthy and being cared for appropriately. Was that all this was? Had she come to verify the wellbeing of her offspring?

  Without waiting for Sara’s permission, Arrista moved to the gate and let Certice into the enclosure. The karron stalked over to her cubs and lay down. Then she licked and nuzzled each in turn, her mind shut off from Arrista and Sara. The site was so loving and tender that Arrista could not look away.

  “Why is she here?” Sara whispered urgently. “If the guards notice her, they’ll shoot.”

  With a sigh, Arrista dragged her eyes away from the cats and looked around. The perimeter guards rotated by four times every hour, and they had just passed the habitat. It was more likely the workers erecting the barracks would notice the adult cat lying among her young, but as of that moment no one had reacted. “I don’t know why she’s here.”

  Apparently hearing them, Certice stood and walked over to where they were standing. The mistress has surrendered her strength to that despicable male. She is no longer worthy to lead my pride.

  The “despicable male” was no doubt General Alonov, but that hadn’t really explain why she’d come.

  Karron thinking was precise and literal, so Arrista asked, “What would you like us to do?”

  Tell the males there is a Shadow in their midst, perhaps more than one by now.

  Arrista gasped. Shadow lenitas must be injected. How did the mistress accomplish that?

  Through my bite, Certice explained. Warn them, before it is too late.

  She returned to the cubs for another brief moment of affection, then moved to the gate with obvious expectation. Sara let Certice out, and the battle cat ran back into the woods.

  Arrista watched the cubs closely. The last time Wenny saw her mother, the cub went into a deep depression. “Are you okay, Wenny?”

  The larger cub looked up, bright blue eyes shining, and tilted her head. Wenny good. Mama come back soon.

  Arrista wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she was thrilled that the visit hadn’t upset the cub.

  Sara looked at her, clearly shocked by what had just taken place. “What is a Shadow? Could this be some sort of trap?”

  Arrista shook her head. “Certice gains nothing by coming here. As you said, she could have been shot. I need to speak with the overlord.”

  “I’ll come with you.” They left the enclosure and headed for the Wheel, steps quick and light. “What did Certice mean? What’s a Shadow?”

  “I’ll explain everything when we find the overlord.”

  Kage wasn’t in the war room, but the males there told Arrista he was in the shuttle lot. Arrista didn’t know where the shuttle lot was, but Sara did. The human took the lead as they made their way to the wide open field scattered with a variety of spaceships. Arrista was distracted by the vessels, so Sara spotted the overlord, along with Torak, the warlord, Torrin, and Sara’s mate, a tracker named Xorran.

  “Why are these ships so much smaller than the Viper?” Arrista’s steps lagged as they approached the shuttle in front of which the males had gathered. She had been introduced to each male, but Torrin was the only one she knew well.

  “These are short-range vessels,” Sara explained. “All the ships in the Wheel are meant for much longer missions. Or they were before they became part of our home.”

  Arrista looked at the human, feeling slightly feisty. “This will not remain your home unless you come to an understanding with the Sarronti.”

  “I know, and so does Kage. Some of his men want to fight it out, but Kage is remarkably sensible for an overlord.”

  Arrista’s impression had been much the same, once she got beyond her initial intimidation.

  The males stopped talking as the females approached. Kage noticed them first, or maybe he sensed them. Ever since he’d severed the compulsion’s hold on Arrista’s mind, she’d wondered about the full extent of his powers. He had to be stronger than Lady Isolaund to destroy something she created, which meant he was frighteningly powerful.

  “What can we do for you, ladies?” Kage asked.

  Torrin moved to Arrista’s side before she could answer. “Are you all right? You look...shaken.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “We’re both fine, but Certice was just here.”

  “Certice? As in Isolaund’s favorite battle cat?” Xorran rushed to his mate, apparently needing visual conformation before
he’d believe Arrista’s claim that Sara was all right.

  “Was the creature alone?” the burly warlord wanted to know. He was half a head taller than the other two males and even more muscular. His short blond hair was also unique among the predominantly dark-haired Outcasts.

  Arrista didn’t know more than Torak’s name and title, but he was frequently with the overlord, so he must be trustworthy and dependable. Kage definitely didn’t seem like the type to tolerate fools, or betrayal of any kind. “Certice was alone, and according to her, Lady Isolaund is unaware of her visit,” she told him.

  “Do you believe her?” Kage asked.

  The question surprised her. Torrin was the only one who’d ever asked her opinion. Occasionally she was a source of information, but no one in the world below gave a damn about what she thought or how she felt. “I do. She clearly wanted to see her cubs, but that was not the primary reason she risked her life to come here.”

  “Why did she come?” Xorran asked. He’d wrapped his arm around Sara and pulled her close against his side.

  Arrista noticed the pose with a pang of envy. Would Torrin ever feel comfortable enough to display his affection publicly? Did she want him to be that familiar? The Sarronti were cool and calm, seldom revealing their emotions except in private. But she barely felt Sarronti anymore.

  She shook away the distracting thoughts and said, “Certice wanted me to warn you, or rather Overlord Razel, that there is a Shadow among his men.”

  “A Shadow?” Kage asked. “I’m not familiar with that term.”

  She hadn’t expected him to be. The Sarronti closely guarded their secrets, and Shadow agents worked best when no one realized they were there. “The Sarronti have tiny devices known as lenitas. I’m not sure about the Rodyte equivalent, but humans would call them nanites or nanobots.”

  Kage crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Go on.”

  “There are many types of these devices and most perform beneficial, even crucial, tasks. Shadow lenitas are different. They are similar to the compulsion Lady Isolaund used on me.”

  “What does that mean exactly?” Torak wanted to know.

  There was no easy way to put this, no way to soften the blow. “Once activated, the lenitas quickly network and reproduce. The host gradually succumbs to their influence until the host becomes a living puppet, controlled by someone else.”

  Kage’s handsome features twisted into a scowl. “I presume that ‘someone’ is Isolaund?”

  “Yes. Once the Shadow lenitas take over, Lady Isolaund will control the agent, or agents, entirely. They will have no choice but to do whatever they are told.”

  “There could be more than one?” Torak sounded dubious, but she wasn’t sure where his disbelief was focused. Did he not believe her words or that what she described was possible?

  “Shadow lenitas are highly intelligent, and they can pass from one host to another,” she warned. “If a specific skill is required to fulfill a mission, they will seek out a host with that skillset and infect them.”

  “Did Certice tell you who had been infected?” Kage asked in a calm, authoritative voice. No wonder these males followed him. He was unflappable.

  Arrista shook her head. “The first was infected through a karron’s bite. That will give you a place to start.”

  “How many were bitten by the battle cats?” Torak asked the overlord.

  Kage thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll have to check with Dr. Foran, but I believe six.”

  “Wasn’t Lily one of them?” Xorran asked and Sara gasped.

  “She was bitten,” Sara said. “I remember her talking about it.”

  Kage looked at Arrista. “You said one or more of my men was infected.”

  “Figure of speak,” she told him with an apologetic smile. “Anyone who was bitten is now a suspect.”

  “Arton would sense it if anything was wrong with Lily,” Sara objected. “Their link is even more intimate than a mating bond.”

  “I’ll ask him about it,” Kage assured. “Let him know of the potential danger.”

  “We should gather the others,” Torak advised. “Maybe temporarily detain them.”

  The overlord shook his head. “The only way to find out who was infected is to let Isolaund flip the switch. I’ll give you the list of bite victims. I want continual surveillance on all of them, but they cannot know they’re being watched.”

  Torak nodded, then paused. “What about Lily? Arton will sense anyone I assign to her.”

  “I’ll worry about Lily. You arrange the rest.”

  “Consider it done.”

  The warlord strode off across the shuttle lot and Arrista exhaled. At least they took her seriously. She hadn’t been sure they would.

  “Thank you for the warning,” Kage said, his dark eyes bright and assessing. “Do you know why Certice turned on Isolaund? I had the impression they were inseparable.”

  “Karrons respect strength and courage above all else. Certice told me Lady Isolaund had surrendered her power to General Alonov, whom Certice detests, so Lady Isolaund was no longer worthy to lead the pride.”

  “Hmm,” was his only response as he turned to Torrin. “The modifications look great. Thanks for your help with this. The engineers were stumped. Without you, they would still be running in circles.”

  “Anytime.” Torrin glanced at her, the hint of a smile lifting one corner of his mouth.

  THE NEXT FEW DAYS FLEW by in a flurry of activity and tension. Torrin and Arrista stayed busy during the day, each devoted to their given tasks. Arrista worked with the cubs and mentored Sara in their care and development. Knowledge about the karrons was the only thing Lady Isolaund had given Arrista that she still appreciated.

  Torrin helped out wherever he was needed. Most of the ships in the Outcast fleet had been built by the Rodytes, but many had been retrofitted with systems traded with—or stolen from—other planets. Torrin’s specialty was bridging the gap between dissimilar technologies. His enhanced brain and decades of exposure to a variety of other societies gave him a unique perspective on such things. Besides, he could network directly with many computers and search out answers from inside the actual system.

  Their nights were spent together, not just sharing pleasure, but talking for hours or just enjoying each other’s company. They both tried to soak up the peace but knew it was temporary. Something was about to happen. They could feel it, sense it, and were anxious for it to begin.

  On the third night after Certice’s visit, the overlord invited them to dinner in his private quarters. It wasn’t unusual. Kage frequently dined with members of his high command or groups of workers he wished to know better. Torrin learned quickly that Kage was no ordinary overlord. He led by example and genuinely cared about those he commanded.

  “Every time he summons us, I feel like I’m in trouble,” Arrista said softly as they waited for Kage to activate the door to his quarters.

  “Tonight wasn’t a summons. It was an invitation.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Same thing with a male like Kage.”

  Torrin arched his brows. “Kage? What happened to ‘overlord’?”

  “He keeps insisting I drop the title, so I decided to oblige him.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “Just remember where you belong.”

  “That was never in doubt, my love.”

  His heart gave a ridiculous leap at the endearment. They’d yet to speak of love, but her affection for him grew with each day they spent together. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, and feel it in her touch. His little elf was starting to love him. Which was a damn good thing, because he was madly in love with her.

  He lowered his head for another kiss, but the door slid open and she quickly wiggled out of his embrace.

  “Welcome.” Kage motioned them inside, his gaze ever watchful. “Torak is going to be a bit late, so I haven’t ordered the food yet. He said wait twenty minutes and then eat wit
hout him.”

  “Is it something I can help him resolve?” Torrin asked.

  “I don’t think so. Dillert picked up some sort of interference, said it was messing with communication and the shields. Torak was going to see if he could help run down the source before it became serious. Thanks to your lovely mate, everyone is on edge today.”

  Torrin was about to point out that she had yet to accept his claim, when Arrista reacted.

  “Everyone should be on edge,” she objected. “It might keep them alive when the Sarronti come. And they will come. I guarantee it.”

  “Relax,” Kage said. “I agree with you. Remaining alert and vigilant isn’t a bad thing when faced with certain danger.”

  She sighed a bit too loudly. “Do you honestly believe the danger is certain?”

  He looked right into her eyes as he said, “Absolutely.”

  “Then you’re more confident than I,” she admitted. “The first day, I jumped at every unfamiliar sound. I spent day two wondering about Certice’s true motivation. Today, I don’t know what to think. I can’t shake the feeling that something is going to happen, but I’m no longer sure it has anything to do with a Shadow agent.”

  He flashed the charming smile he reserved for pretty females. “If it helps at all, Arton senses it too.”

  “The Harbinger?”

  Kage just nodded, but Torrin had to ask her, “When did you meet Arton?” He must have stopped by the habitat with Lily. But why hadn’t Arrista mentioned the meeting?

  “I’ve never actually met him. Lady Isolaund was dream sharing with him. I only know what little she was able to glean from the visions.”

  “We’ll have to do something about that,” Kage said. “I suspect you’ll have some interesting conversations.”

  “I would like—” A shrill alarm interrupted the rest of her sentence, and her eyes flew open wide. “What is that?” She pressed her hands over her ears, looking as if she were in pain.

  Kage ran to his workstation and brought the computer out of hibernation. “Report!”

  “Security breach,” one voice cried.