"I still have these," he growled, allowing his vampire claws to slide out.
"Nobody here is going to accept that," Drake pointed out the obvious. "The Warlord could order your death because of it."
"Then I will hide claws behind a blade in each hand," he snapped. "Problem solved."
"We've arrived just in time for a massive battle," I reminded both. "The enemy will attack just as the army rises for the day."
"Who wins?" Gavin demanded.
"Falchan, but the Warlord and his General are killed, along with two-thirds of the troops. Falchani history refers to it as the Battle of Dry River."
"So, whoever put us here is counting on our deaths, too?"
"Probably," Drake scowled at Gavin's conclusion. "This battle will last most of the day; those attacking us have been drugged and are crazed and formidable because of it. That means they won't feel the blows as they would in a normal fight. Kill with your first strike, if possible."
"Go for the head, then," Gavin slid his claws out to their full length and studied them. "Where and when we are, I suppose we are no longer members of the Hierarchy. This disturbs me greatly."
"Right there with you, dude," Drake agreed.
Capitol Square, Murazal
Nissa
"We're two years in the future," Toff pulled me into an alcove behind a crumbling, looted restaurant. Trik slid in behind me; there was a riot going on in the street adjacent to our location.
"How did we get here?" I hissed. Someone shouted obscenities at the rumbling crowd in the streets, before a shriek forced me to cringe against Toff.
We'd learned quickly that we couldn't fold space, because we'd tried after being set down at the back of the seething riot going on. It was all we could do to escape through the crush of bodies and the anger radiating off them.
In two years, not only were there food shortages, but the Presidency and the State House had failed and crime had run rampant.
"It doesn't matter how we got here—how do we get away?" Trik pulled one of my hands into his and held it against his chest.
"You can't reason with a mob," Toff informed us. "I think that's what the shriek was about. I heard someone trying to convince the crowd to join together. They're only interested in their own survival at this point."
"Can we still cast a spell?" Trik asked. Beneath my hand, I could feel the rapid beating of his heart, and realized it matched mine.
"One way to find out," Toff replied grimly. "I'll try an invisibility spell. Maybe we can get out that way."
"I smell smoke," I quavered. "They're setting fire to the buildings around us."
"It'll be all right," Trik soothed as fire bloomed with a roar and smoke poured into the sky overhead. "Look—Toff just disappeared."
"Thank the Mighty," I breathed while Trik and I cast invisibility spells for ourselves and began to run through the maze of alleys and rubble to escape the angry throng.
State House Gardens, Corez
Vik
"What just happened? My comp-vid shows that we're seven years in the future," Denevik shoved the device back in his pocket.
The gardens were overgrown behind the State House, and a closer inspection revealed that windows were broken or missing from the back of the building. Toward the front, half the building had collapsed. A fog-like haze hung about the place, too. "Smells musty—like a tomb," I muttered.
"Are those rocket blasts, or did something else cause all this damage?" Denevik focused on the rubble spilling from the building's sides, like a disemboweled beast.
"I don't think anybody lives there, now," I sighed. I didn't add what we were both thinking—how had we been tossed into the future? It made no sense. Meerius? I sent.
The spirit of Corez is dying, Meerius replied, his sending mournful. She has been attacked and is suffering—I do not know how. I am having difficulty trying to reach any of the others.
Has that happened before? That a world spirit sickened enough to die?
Never. We have always survived in some way. This is more than tragic. What can we do?
I don't know, but I think we need to get to the bottom of this.
"Denevik," I spoke aloud. "I think we have work to do."
"What work? And where?" he demanded.
"No idea, but I'd bet Zanfield's trillions it isn't here." Turning, I stalked toward the gateway into the gardens, smoke drifting from my nostrils. The garden wall had also been damaged, much like the building behind me. Somebody, somewhere, would explain to me what had happened.
I just had to find them, first.
Royal Palace, Kwark
Rylend Morphis
Teeg and I landed in the Queen's study together; if we hadn't, we might have attacked one another in that ghostly place.
At least it was ghostly now—four years in the future. We'd discovered that by Looking; our ability to fold space had been negated in some way.
"You think you can charge this thing?" Teeg handed a comp-vid to me. It had a layer of dust on it that indicated nobody else had touched it for at least six months.
"Only way to find out is to try," I shrugged, taking the device and calling up the power to give the solar battery a boost.
Seconds later, the screen illuminated. "Here you go—good luck on cracking the safety protocols to get into it."
"Leave that to the engineer in the room," he grumped before tapping through a set of symbols.
"I thought you went through architectural training."
"That was before engineering school."
"Right."
I realized we were badgering one another to get around the elephant in the room, as Mom always said. The elephant of course, was how the hell we'd been pulled away and slammed into the future—one that didn't resemble anything of the past we'd just left.
And why Kwark? It made no sense at all.
In the past, Dad was probably going crazy, because I'd disappeared right in front of him. That would ensure Mom would be notified nanoseconds later and she'd freak, too.
And then double-freak when she found out Teeg was also missing.
"Here we go," Teeg grimaced as he pulled up information on the comp-vid. "This isn't good." He thumbed through section after section, image after image. "Civil war," he lifted his gaze to mine. "Famine. Outbreaks of unknown diseases."
"The apocalypse? Fuck," I breathed.
"Sure looks like it," Teeg went back to scrolling through the comp-vid. "Here's my question—what are we supposed to do now? We can't fold space and we never could bend time."
"I think we ought to get to the bottom of this," I said. "If we do manage to get back to our own time, at least we'll know what's coming. Maybe we can stop it, then."
"Or, maybe the enemy brought us here to die. Have you considered that?"
"Dude, I'm not going to give up until I am dead. Now, are you coming with me, or are you staying here and waiting to keel over?"
"Lead the way," Teeg gestured with a hand. "I'm not sure we'll be able to find anything at all, but you're now in charge of that."
"Right." I strode toward the doorway; the door was hanging off its hinges, as if pulled away by a giant hand. I wasn't going to think about that right now.
Definitely not.
Royal Palace, Galk
Rajeon Dare
Most of the palace was rubble. Morrett and I stood at the crumbling edge of the throne room, looking down at what used to be the ornate, front steps of the ancient building.
"Five years," Morrett shook his head. "This happened five years from when we were taken."
"You know that how?" I frowned at him.
"I Looked. It's a skill Zaria gave me."
"How did this happen? Did your skill tell you that, too?"
"It's hidden. I couldn't get to it. I wish we had a comp-vid."
"Can't help you there. Normally I carry one, but the dress uniform didn't have a suitable pocket."
"Same here." Morrett shook his head at the devastation sur
rounding us. "How can something of this magnitude happen so quickly?" he added.
"I've seen worlds fall in far less time," I sighed. "Can you get us away from here?" I knew Morrett could fold space.
"I cannot fold space; I've already tried."
"That's—unnerving," I said.
"Can you still transform? Your vines can get us down there if you can," he pointed to the open ground around the cracked marble steps.
"Let me see." In seconds, I had become a thick, ropy vine, without thorns. I didn't wish to puncture my companion in any way, so I built a seat to carry him, then grew downward until I touched dry grass.
That's when I learned how dead Galk actually was.
It was as if the soul of the planet had died, leaving nothing living behind.
Chapter 14
Royal Palace, Kwark
Zaria
My dreams were filled with love and comfort. I had no idea how or why, but I leaned into them when they came—a silent reassurance that all was not lost.
When I awoke the doubts always crowded in, but Valegar, who was just as bereft as I, stayed busy with the problems at hand.
The biggest of those, obviously, was finding D'slay and removing him from the playing board. The disappearances of so many others had to be dealt with, too, but even the strongest among us couldn't find them by Looking. That meant interference of some kind, and I disliked that a great deal.
Lissa, who'd had mates and children disappear, was tough on the outside, falling apart on the inside. I imagined that Roff, Toff's father, was quietly crumbling back on Le-Ath Veronis.
As for Morrett and Rajeon, I was very concerned, and couldn't imagine why they'd been taken when they had little connection to any of the others.
Except for you and Randl, a small voice informed me. Randl had approached Rajeon, even before this mission was offered. They'd reached some sort of understanding regarding Randl's mission to destroy the Prophet.
Somehow, all this tied together, and we were at a loss to connect the puzzle pieces into a whole picture.
"Dearest, are you well?" Valegar came and wrapped his arms about me as I stared blankly at the artfully arranged sculpture outside a window.
"I don't know," I breathed, feeling hopelessly lost. "I feel numb most of the time."
"As do I." He settled his chin atop my head and held me close. "My dreams say not to worry," he went on. "But those fade in the light of waking."
"I know," I whispered. "Sometimes, it's just—too much."
"It is difficult to take on the pain of others, is it not, when you are also suffering?"
"I think that is an accurate assessment."
"If only there were the tiniest of clues to inform us," he buried his face in my hair.
"I worry that they're swallowed up in bone dust, and are suffering," I said, as the first tear slid down a cheek. "Morrett has already been through so much, as has Vik and Rajeon. Trik, too, and Toff."
"If our child survives, will he also be damaged?"
At Val's question, I sobbed. This was what I'd been trying to avoid—thinking about the baby. How could anyone do this? It defied reason. Only once before had someone attempted to take Larentii children, and the Larentii race had arisen and destroyed an entire world because of it.
"Does he know how much we love him?" My voice quavering, I shuddered against Val, who was also weeping.
State House, Corez
Lissa
"Of course I wish to go. I cannot trust any of you to find anything, including Prime Minister Fallah's murderer." Rigo, now masquerading as Second Advisor Doril, snapped at Chief Milli.
Doril wasn't known for his steady temperament or reluctance to speak his mind. Rigo was now able to vent his frustrations against those he considered foolish or out of their depth.
We'd already been to the crime scene shortly after it happened, but had been called back to the State House to make a statement regarding the incident. Therefore, he and I had invited ourselves to the initial investigation of the crime scene at First Advisor Haris' country manor. Chief Milli tried to tell us we weren't needed. Chief Farram, who stood nearby, grasped Milli's arm and pulled her away from Rigo's wrath.
"I'll make arrangements for transportation," Assistant Director Parak intervened before Winkler could growl the order. At least Parak wasn't as offensive as the other two and was actually helpful most of the time. I wondered how much trouble it would be to send Milli to the Records and Reports unit and put Parak in her place. I had no doubts that he could do her job better than she could, with both eyes shut.
"We'll ride in a second vehicle, with Assistant Director Parak," Rigo informed Milli, his voice stiff and formal. "Please arrange it, Assistant Director," Rigo nodded at Parak.
"Of course, Second Advisor." Parak tapped on his comp-vid for a few seconds. "The vehicles will be waiting out front in ten," he said, shutting off his device. "Is there anything else you need, Second Advisor?"
"No. Thank you, Parak. We will meet you at the door at the appointed time. Until then, I have something to attend to."
Winkler, who stood nearby, acting as Second Advisor Miko, fell in behind Rigo as he headed for the door. I followed Winkler into the hallway, and then went on until we reached Doril's private office, a few doors down.
"Fucking hells," Winkler growled once the door was shut behind us. "Milli and Faram would argue with a leafing tree in the springtime."
"They'd probably fine it for growing leaves without permission," I agreed.
"Exactly my point," Winkler grumped. "Thank you for getting us a second vehicle," he told Rigo. "Parak is decent. The other two decidedly not. Even their scent offends me, now."
"Honey, we have to play nice in public," I reminded him. "The media will probably be there, waiting for us."
"Too bad they don't realize that Haris is alive and well on Avendor. I'd like to see how Ashe treats them when they show up and make demands."
"I think they'd likely find themselves on a deserted planet somewhere, with no way to get off," I said. "He isn't in the best of moods since everybody disappeared. Ashe says that he, Charles and Bree have Looked for the missing and haven't come away with even the smallest clue."
"If Wisdom found anything, would he tell us?" Rigo lifted an eyebrow. "If he finds any usefulness in the disappearances?"
"Good question. I don't have an answer," I shook my head. "We have to go or we won't get away ahead of Milli and Faram."
"Let's go, then."
"You say it was more like an earthquake, rather than an explosion?" Parak tapped notes on his comp-vid after Rigo questioned one of Haris' servants.
"I thought it was, because I've been in an earthquake before," the woman replied. "The others haven't, so I felt I ought to say what I think."
"Good observation," Rigo told her. "I don't feel a bomb can be ruled out completely, but the evidence certainly supports your view."
"Thank you for listening," the woman replied. "The local police discounted everything I told them."
"It will not be discounted now. We will also go over any recorded images that can be found of the incident. What troubles me most is the disappearances during the event."
"I worry about the First Advisor. He is a reasonable man and the best employer I've ever had. All of us are now concerned about losing our jobs, since the First Advisor's son is in the military off-world."
"That is understandable," I broke into the conversation. "If you do find yourself unemployed, contact this code," I handed her a small card. "Someone will get back with you."
"Thank you." The woman brushed moisture from her cheeks. "If you need to ask more questions, I'll be here as long as they let me stay."
Renee, I sent to my scheduling assistant on Le-Ath Veronis. If we get a message from Cloudea Yonde on Corez in the future, find a job for her, all right? We'll pay travel expenses if she accepts the offer.
On it, Renee replied promptly.
You've already arranged to hire her
, haven't you? Winkler hid a smile.
You know it.
Cloudea nodded to me as she rose to walk out of the interrogation tent. She'd already talked to Milli and Faram. They'd dismissed her theory, too. No wonder we didn't have Fallah's murderer in jail, yet.
Quinnie Bee, I sent, will you pull up recent images of Anila Milli and Chok Faram? Take a look and tell me what you see in them.
I'll get back to you shortly, Quin replied. I ah, haven't heard from Mom. Is she okay?
Honey, I think she and Val need some time to grieve. They have no idea what happened to their child, and that has to be more than awful for them.
I understand. Thank you for telling me.
"That's the last of the witnesses," Parak shut off his comp-vid. "Shall we examine the damage to the home and surrounding grounds?"
"Yes, definitely," Rigo stood and stretched. The chairs we'd been given weren't the most comfortable, and the tent fabric had flapped in a brisk breeze the whole time we'd sat there, asking questions for nearly three hours.
My guess was we'd gotten more answers and taken better notes that the ones who were in charge of the investigation.
My thoughts were confirmed when we exited the tent, only to find Milli and Faram clumped together with several members of their team across the lawn, drinking tea and having casual conversation.
None of that conversation had anything to do with why we'd come here; Rigo, Winkler and I could hear it clearly from where we stood, although they imagined we couldn't hear anything from that distance.
Winkler growled when Milli referred to Rigo as a hard-assed number-cruncher.
"Is something wrong?" Parak asked.
"Nothing for you to worry about," I told him. "We've done our job—that's all that's necessary. Let's go examine the house and grounds. Take images with your comp-vid, Assistant Director, and send those and your notes to me when we get back."
"For the Second Advisor's files?"
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