by Seven Steps
They sat hugged together in the closet for what seemed like hours before a knock on the front door shattered the silence.
Nadira’s heart pounded, and she braced herself to run.
They’ve come back.
Kiln shook his head. “Stay here.”
“Kiln, please don’t go out there.”
The knocking turned more insistent.
“If it was the mob, I’m sure they wouldn’t knock. I’ll be back, I promise.”
“Kiln,” Nadira threw her arms around his neck, pulled him in for a kiss that felt like her last. A kiss that brought a frown to Kiln’s face.
“I’ll be back, Naddie. It’s probably Enforcers checking to see if we’re alright. Just wait here until I call you, okay?”
Nadira nodded, and wrapped her arms around her knees as Kiln unlocked the door.
“Kiln?”
He turned around.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”
He left.
She heard the front door open.
Voices.
“Empress Nadira.” That voice. She knew that voice. “You can come out now.”
Nadira walked to the front door in time to see Bragnia holding both of Kiln’s hands behind his back.
He stood tall, strong, his height towering over the three Enforcers next to him. The bruises on his face had begun to blacken. They shined under the light of the chandeliers.
“What’s going on?”
“Empress Nadira,” Bragnia said, her gleeful smile reaching all the way to her ears. “Prime Servant Kiln has been charged with participating in a riot. We are taking him in for execution processing.”
Nadira felt sick.
“What? You can’t! He’s been here with me all night. We’ve been locked in the closet.”
“Not according to several Enforcers who saw Kiln with the mob before sneaking back in here only a few moments ago.”
“What? No, that’s not true!”
“Take it up with the Hall of Judgment.”
Kiln looked up at Nadira, his face calm. He yanked his hand from the Enforcers grip, reached out for her, ran a finger down her cheek.
“It’ll be okay, Naddie,” he whispered.
Nadira grabbed onto Kiln’s hand, tried to hold on as the three Enforcers dragged him out the door.
Head high, back straight, he allowed himself to be led away.
Nadira’s world collapsed beneath her. She threw herself at Bragnia.
“Bragnia, please don’t take him!” She cried, pulling on Bragnia’s back.
Bragnia pushed her away. “Don’t add assaulting an Enforcer to your list of infractions, Empress.”
“Bragnia please. Whatever I’ve done to you, I’m sorry. Please don’t take him from me!” Hot, fearful tears slid down Nadira’s cheeks. “I’ll do anything!”
Bragnia didn’t look the least bit moved. “This is what happens when you break the rules, Nadira. You cannot live with immunity anymore.”
“Then take me. Let him go, and take me in. Do what you want to me, but please leave him out of it!”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. My orders come from the top, although I must say I was more than happy to oblige.”
“You know that Kiln had nothing to do with that riot.”
“And if I did?”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“It’s only fair Nadira. You took my life away from me. Now I’m returning the favor. Because of you, I had to leave my home, go to that filthy Habitat Omega. This is all your doing. You think you can get away with anything because you’re rich and have an Ambassador for a mother. Well Nadira, I am going to personally make sure that Kiln is executed, and there is nothing that you, or your mother, can do about it.”
“I will find a way to free him,” Nadira growled. “I will tear this dome to the ground if I have to!”
“Don’t make a scene, Councilwoman. Not when High Council is in flames. Good night, and may your mother be well.”
Bragnia whistled as she jogged up the stairs to the hovercraft.
Nadira heard the engine rev, and, a moment later, the Enforcer ship was airborne. She could just make out the outline of Kiln in the back seat.
She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a chill that came from the loss of him. Her beloved was gone, in route to the Hall of Judgment to be executed. Her stomach flipped. She couldn’t breathe. Her body shook. She felt faint. She wanted to scream, to run, to destroy. She took a step towards the Hall of Judgment, then another, fully intending to run after the ship when she heard a voice on her left.
“Horrifying, isn’t it?”
Nadira looked down her steps. Empress Via, wrapped in a heavy shawl, looked towards the Hall of Judgment.
Nadira’s mind numbly registered color. She followed Via’s gaze, and her mouth dropped. Black smoke and yellow flames tore High Council apart. In the middle of the building, as if it had always been there, were sprayed the words,
FREE US.
She turned back to Via. The old woman’s eyes watched the flames.
“This is what men do. They tear down, and they destroy. Count it as a blessing from the Mother Goddess that he’s gone. He would have only brought more trouble, more pain.” Via turned to her. “My daughter was not so fortunate. She went off with one of them many years ago. I haven’t seen her since.” Via’s cold blue eyes turned pleading, “You have a chance now. Serve your planet, live your life, and whatever you do, don’t follow him. It will only lead to trouble.”
Feeling faint, Nadira ran back into the house, Via’s haunting words following her. She shut the door, leaned against it to keep out the madness of the world.
Why did I come here? I should have stayed in the Outer Ring. How could I have been so foolish. I should have listened to him, and now he’s gone. My reason for breathing is gone.
She let out a sob, her tears running fast down her face.
I’m going to lose him, she thought. No, no, I can’t lose him.
She stumbled to the comm, trying to gather herself enough to breathe, enough to think, enough to speak.
She let out a breath that rattled her chest, her head pounding.
She resisted the urge to lay down on the floor and wish for death. Resisted comming the Hall of Judgment and begging for his life. Refused to comm Arees and give her what she wanted, if she would only help her.
No, none of that will help Kiln.
She allowed herself one more minute of pity before wiping her tears, fixing her hair, and finding the will to go on. She knew who she had to call.
“Comm Grand Empress Marie Lumesta.”
Chapter 14
“Naddie, I’m sorry about Kiln. I really am,” Marie said. “But there’s nothing I can do. I’ve been removed as the Ambassador to Zenith and stripped of my Councilwoman status. I’m just a citizen now. I was notified this evening.”
This can’t be happening, Nadira thought. This can’t be happening.
She watched her mother on the comm in utter disbelief, her brain struggling to process the words that came from her life-givers mouth.
“Who removed you?”
“Apparently, it was at the behest of the High Council.”
“High Council? Was that what the letter was about?”
“No,” Marie’s eyes looked somewhere off screen, “that was just a letter between old friends. It was sometime after that when I got the comm.”
Arees! This is all her doing. First Kiln, now my mother.
Hot rage pumped through Nadira, making her head spin.
“Mother, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Arees told me if I don’t vote for her as the new Council Leader, she’d pull my bill from discovery, but I’m afraid she’s done worse than that. She took Kiln, and now your position as Ambassador.” Fresh tears welled up in Nadira’s eyes. “It’s all my fault. I wish I never came here. I should have listened to you. I should have listen
ed to Kiln. I wish I never came here!”
Nadira broke down, sobbed anew.
“Nadira, don’t say that. You have to be strong. What happened to me was a long time in the making. I was one of the ones who testified against Arees’ mother, and she hates me for it. This just gave her an excuse to get some retribution I guess.”
“I’m out here all alone, and Kiln’s going to be... and you’re...”
A small red light beeped at the bottom of the screen.
“I’m getting a comm. It may be about Kiln.”
“I have a few things to attend to, but I’ll meet you in the Square around mid day. We can have lunch and talk things through.”
“Yes, mother.”
“And Nadira, always remember that I love you. Can you do that?”
“I love you too, mother.”
The screen blanked.
“Answer comm,” Nadira said.
Empress Chee appeared jovial on the screen.
“Hello, Nadira. May your mother be well.”
Nadira took in a hot breath, wiping her tears with her sleeve. She didn’t return the greeting.
“What do you want?” she growled.
“I think that the bigger question is, what do you want? Czarina Arees has asked me to personally apologize for what happened to Kiln and to your mother. She wants me to remind you that their fate is in your hands. We are extending one more invitation to you. Can she count on your vote?”
“Never!”
“Very well. Arees sends her sympathies for Kiln in advance. She is not so sorry, however, about your mother.”
The screen blanked again as Nadira hurled a stream of colorful curses at Empress Chee, Czarina Arees, and general society.
She marched to her room, dried her face, and got dressed. The time for tears was over.
Chapter 15
Eva fought to pull the brush through her curls.
They can colonize an entire planet, but they can’t keep my hair from tangling.
She had given the brush another good yank before she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Empress Eva?” Lex’s voice was deep, gruff. It seemed to rumble through the room.
Through my soul.
She scolded herself for the thought.
What would mother say?
She knew the answer, and continued to tug at her hair.
“Yes, Lex?”
He stepped into the room, and frowned as he watched her yank and pull at her hair.
“I can assist you with your hair if you’d like.”
Eva’s pulse leapt.
I shouldn’t let him touch me again.
She remembered how her mind when wild when she found herself in bed that morning.
Did he carry me in his arms? Did he enjoy it?
Her body grew restless at the thought. She pushed it out of her mind, and returned her focus to the mirror, and to the frizzy mess that her hair had become. It usually took her an hour to tame it. She glanced at the wall comm. She’d only been at it for ten minutes.
Well, I can’t go to High Council looking unkempt, can I? Perhaps he can help me, but only this once, at least until I have more time.
She held the brush out to him.
He gently took it, his eyes scanning her dressing table. Taking a few colored bottles, he misted them each in his palm, and smoothed them through Eva’s hair. His hands moved deeper, massaging her tender scalp.
She felt her body relax under his gentle tutelage.
He next separated her heavy locks into four sections, secured each section with a clip, put the brush onto the dressing table, picked up a wide toothed comb, and, beginning at the ends, gently combed out her curls.
“Empress, you may want to think about sleeping with your hair in two braids. It would cut down on the tangles.”
“Yes, well, I can’t braid.”
“I can braid your hair at night if you wish.”
Don’t let him. It will just lead to trouble, her mind screamed at her.
It was her heart that spoke instead. “If I have the time, and if all of your chores are done, it would be all right, I guess.”
“Are you sure you want to go to High Council today, Empress?”
“Yes, why?”
“Have you watched the news feed this morning?”
“No.”
“There’s been a riot.”
“A riot?”
Eva swiveled in her chair.
“News feed on.”
The wall comm flicked on.
“Fifteen women were killed in last night’s gruesome riots,” the anchor announced. “Their names will be released as soon as the families are notified. We have received word that Czarina Arees is making a statement.”
The camera cut to Czarina Arees on the steps of High Council, Free Us spray painted in drippy black on the wall behind her. Flanking her were Countess Jun-Su, Head Officer Hi-Roc, and the Temple High Priestess.
“Last night, more than one hundred slaves escaped from the Slave Market. After burning down the market, the slaves blazed a path of destruction through the streets of Habitat Alpha Residential, vandalizing and destroying homes. In their wake, fifteen women were murdered, among them eight Councilwomen. All of the slaves involved in the riot have been caught, and we are in the process of executing them.” She paused, looked directly into the camera. “Going forward, any slave found on the streets after dark will be immediately executed, no questions asked. For the safety of our communities, all slaves are required to be micro chipped by the end of the day. Every available Enforcer will be moving through each Habitat to perform the simple procedure. We recommend that all women have their slaves available.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Lex said.
“What doesn’t make sense?”
“Why would a slave break out of the Slave Market and burn it down. Most of the men want to find an owner as soon as possible. Why would they want to riot? What would they gain? If anything, they would get out and run to...”
He shut his mouth quickly, refocusing his attention on her hair.
Before she could ask him what he meant, a red light in the bottom of the screen blinked.
“Accept,” she said.
“Eva, everything’s gone so wrong!”
Nadira stood close to the comm, her eyes blazing.
“Nadira, are you okay? I heard about the riots.”
“She took Kiln. She’s going to execute him.”
“She? She who?”
“Czarina Arees told me I had to vote for her to be the Council Leader. I refused, and now she’s taken Kiln to be executed and she removed my mother from being the Ambassador.”
“Nadira, slow down. How could Arees take Kiln? He was your property. She’d need cause.”
“She said that Kiln was involved in the riots.”
Eva froze.
Then he’s already dead.
She pushed the dark thought from her mind, and focused on her friend.
“Listen to me. If they linked Kiln to the riots, then he’ll be executed soon.”
“I can’t let that happen. There has to be something I can do.”
“Tell Arees you’ll vote for her. Whatever your reasons are for not doing it, they’re not worth it. They’re not worth him. Tell her she has your vote and get him back.”
“It’s too late. She made me the offer again and I refused.”
Eva looked at Lex, then back at the screen. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
“We have to prove that Kiln is innocent. They’ll let him out if he’s innocent.”
“How are we supposed to do that?”
“I’m going to the Head Enforcer. I’m going to explain that Czarina Arees blackmailed me. I’m going to tell her everything. They’ll have to release him if they know the truth.”
“You have to have proof. Hi-Roc won’t believe you without proof.”
Nadira’s eyes opened wide. “I need a feed of the rioters. If I have a feed th
at shows that Kiln was nowhere near that riot, they’ll have to let him out.”
“How can we find that? The Slave Market burned to the ground.”
Lex’s voice came from behind her. “I may have a way.”
Eva’s head whipped around to face him.
He immediately dropped his head.
“My apologies, Empress Eva.” He bowed his head in Nadira’s direction. “May your mother be well, Empress Nadira.”
“What did he say?” Nadira asked. “Who is that? What did he say?”
“Nadira, this is Lex, my new Prime Servant.”
“Lex, please,” Nadira begged. “How do you propose that we get it?”
Lex looked to Eva for permission. When Eva nodded, he looked back to Nadira.
“There are those who keep their own feed of the Slave Market.”
“Who?”
“Have you heard of the Hollow Trade?”
“Yes.”
“I knew of a slave whose master worked there. They have their own security feeds of the Slave Market.”
“Why?”
“To give Empresses a preview of the slaves that will be available the following day, to keep an eye on which slaves are moved where, and, sometimes, to steal slaves that they can get a higher price for in private auctions.”
“And you can get us this feed?” Nadira asked.
“I know of a slave who can, yes.”
“Who? Tell us.”
“His name is Tronic. I don’t know if he will talk to you or not, but he’ll talk to me.”
“What do we do, Lex?” Nadira asked. “I’ll do anything.”
A loud knock echoed through the house.
“Excuse me, Empresses,” Lex bowed, and disappeared from the room.
“I’ll meet you tonight at your house,” Nadira said.
“Don’t do anything crazy, Naddie.”
Nadira didn’t reply, and the screen blanked.
Lex peeked back into the room, his face white.
“Empress,” he said, his voice shaken. “There are two Enforcers here to see you. They say it’s urgent.”