Lilith had more access to the umbrose than any other human had ever been given. Some humans saw this as an enviable position. Stacia knew that it was incredibly stressful for Lilith, who’d sent her some information to try to explain a bit more about their natures and culture. Even Lilith was kept in the dark about many things, which left the documentation sketchy on details to the point that it raised more questions than it answered.
The umbrose were primitive in their behavior and technology, though their strength far outmatched anything human, including those humans who’d been cybernetically enhanced. Even the Peace Keepers, who’d all been cyborgs with varying percentages of machine enhancement based on their rank and duties, found it difficult to defeat an umbrose in fair combat. Armed Peace Keepers hadn’t been able to stop Ranove from escaping the prison facility where he and Lilith had met.
Stacia pondered the implications of such overpowering strength in regards to her own safety and that of the two other humans she felt responsible for. She feared what might happen if she somehow offended the prince. She had a bad habit of speaking her mind no matter the consequences. Her mouth had gotten her into trouble before, and diplomacy wasn’t her strong point. Her presence here was madness. She still didn’t know why Balfor had requested her, of all people, to be part of these negotiations, and that question raised red flags in itself.
The transport pilot’s announcement that they were approaching Sanctuary interrupted her thoughts.
“Let’s take a look at the lay of the land.” Deon ran his fingers over a sensor that activated holo-screens inside the windowless transport. The screens took up one wall of the transport and displayed video feed from the cameras attached to the exterior of the vehicle.
A massive mountain dominated the images. It loomed so high that the top was cut off from view, but Stacia already knew it was actually an extinct volcano. There would be a huge caldera—several kilometers in diameter—at the snow-covered peak. But it wasn’t the mountain itself that amazed her. As the transport approached the mountain and flew around it, a cavern opening came into view. From what Stacia could see of the inside of it, many round, terraced buildings in cream-colored stone rose up like stalagmites from the cavern floor. Since it was twilight—the time they’d been allowed to approach the city—any other details were too difficult to make out in the deepening shadows of the cavern.
She released a nervous breath. “Looks a lot bigger than I expected.” She’d seen some pretty amazing things during her time with the Commemoro, but never had she experienced this sense of being completely awed and out of place.
Deon nodded, his lips tight. “Like going into the mouth of the beast. Am I the only one who thinks those buildings look like teeth?”
Candace laughed. “You two are worrying over nothing. We’ve been formally invited here. Whatever else they are, the umbrose possess a strong code of honor. They’re not going to attack us without provocation.”
Deon glanced at Candace and then looked back at the screens. “Right. Which makes me wonder what counts as provocation.”
Shaking her head at Deon, Candace patted Stacia’s hand on the armrest. “Listen, there’s no need to be concerned. I have faith that we’ll be fine while we’re within the city, as long as we follow the rules of conduct laid out for us.” She eyed Stacia’s high-collared tunic and pantsuit—formal business-wear—her tightly wound bun of pale-blond hair, and the complete absence of makeup on the part of her face visible above her breather mask. “They may request that we dress in a fashion more familiar to them, but even that can be refused if you’re not comfortable with it. After all, we came here to negotiate, not integrate into their society.”
“Why are you so confident?” Stacia asked. “Have you been around the umbrose before?”
The weak smile that crossed Candace’s face seemed forced. Then her smile brightened as she spoke in a light, carefree tone. “Not personally, no. But I know the umbrose are rigid about their rules and codes. Rarely do they deviate, which means we can usually predict their behavior and adjust our own accordingly.”
Stacia still wasn’t convinced. “But we don’t know all their rules and codes.” She’d encountered umbrose before, but that had been in combat. Fortunately, they’d been on her side at the time. What she’d seen made her certain she wouldn’t make it out of Sanctuary alive if they attacked, even if she had a compliment of fully-armed cyborg guards.
“We don’t need to know them all.” Candace shrugged. “Just those that apply to us. Those were provided with the documents your friend sent to you. I’m sure you’ll have time to review them again before we meet with the prince.”
Before Stacia could reply, the transport pilot’s voice came over the intercom again, announcing that they’d been given permission to land. On the screens, they saw a squad of umbrose flying out to meet the hovering transport to escort it back to a landing pad built out of wood at the edge of the cavern entrance. As intimidating as the umbrose were on the ground, they were amazing in the air. They maneuvered as if flying was as effortless as breathing for them. Some members of the umbrose escort were armed with spears, but their body language was unthreatening.
Stacia tried to relax, but as the transport descended to the landing pad, adrenaline pumped into her veins as it always had before she’d gone into combat.
*****
Stacia followed Gideon off the transport ramp. Lilith rushed up to throw her arms around her. “It’s so good to see you in person,” she said, her voice muffled against Stacia’s shoulder.
Though it was strange to have physical contact with another person after so long spent alone, Stacia returned the hug. It felt good, and she wondered if she’d been making a mistake isolating herself as she had during the last two years. “I’m glad to see you too. I’ve missed you. Comm-links just aren’t the same.”
Lilith stepped back and looked Stacia over. She didn’t bristle at Lilith’s frank assessment like she did when most people perused her appearance. “You look good, Stace. You know that right?”
Stacia shrugged. “I lost a couple of pounds.” She didn’t add that it had been from worrying about this trip.
Before Lilith could reply, Candace stepped up to introduce herself, which made Stacia realize how rude she’d been in the wake of her happy reunion with her best friend. As Candace went on to introduce Gideon and offer a host of polite inanities that Stacia didn’t usually bother with, Stacia looked around. Enough time had passed during their landing and debarkation that it was now approaching full night. Even in the dim light, she saw the umbrose guards standing on the platform close to the cavern entrance. Their stances were alert, but they remained non-threatening. She relaxed a little, taking deep breaths to calm her feeling of anxiety over being surrounded on the umbrose’s home turf.
Lilith gestured for them to follow her to their quarters. The rooms were in the first building within the cavern, close to the transport pad. A host of glowing blue-green quartz spears and tiles cast oddly-tinted shadows on the pale spires that stretched off into the distant darkness of the cavern.
Lilith had already explained the lights to her. They were emitted by a fungus the umbrose called adura harac that attached itself to quartz and fed on the stone. The umbrose farmed the fungus, among many other things. Because the bioluminescent fungus used nothing but quartz for energy, it was one of the many things DI wanted to trade for.
Primitive they might be, but as far as I can tell, the umbrose still have the upper hand in these trade negotiations. They wanted very little from the humans, mostly just labor, although there were a few plants that grew only in the domes that the umbrose had expressed interest in trading for. Recalling the list, Stacia chuckled. The java and chocolate beans were probably Lilith’s idea.
Lilith showed Candace and Deon to their rooms on the first floor of the spire. The rooms, and the corridor, were well-lighted while they passed through it, but she explained that the corridor would be dark soon since the umbrose prefer
red little to no light. After seeing them settled, she led Stacia to her room. Like the other two rooms, it was lit by regular solar-battery powered lamps. There were wall sconces in her room, but they were all dark.
“Why is the lighting different in our rooms?” Stacia asked when she and Lilith were alone.
Lilith removed her veil with a relieved sigh. “It’s a concession to humans for this particular visit. Unlike the umbrose, we can’t adjust the brightness of the adura harac, so unless you want it to glow in your face all night long, you need a different kind of lamp.”
“But you said the corridors would be dark. How do the umbrose darken the adura harac?”
A regretful expression crossed Lilith’s face. “I’m sorry, Stace. I can’t talk about that sort of thing. Not even to you.”
“No problem. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble.” She already knew that Lilith walked a fine line in her dealings between humans and umbrose. She would never want to encourage her friend to do something that would get her in trouble with her lover and the other umbrose. It was a curiosity, nothing more, and Stacia could ignore it.
Lilith waved her hand at Stacia’s breather mask. “I know that’s the style nowadays in DC, but I want to see your face.”
Stacia lifted her hands to her mask straps, but hesitated. “Are you certain there isn’t any death fungus here?”
“The conditions aren’t ideal this close to Sanctuary. Besides, we’re a long way from the jungle. Infected animals wouldn’t make it this far before spreading the spores.” She pointed to her own uncovered face. “I’ve been here two years and never had an issue. I trust the umbrose when they say the fungus doesn’t exist here.”
In that case, it was foolish to be reluctant. Lilith had already seen her many times on comm-links, but she still felt self-conscious as she removed her mask.
Lilith studied her scars with curiosity rather than revulsion. What had been less obvious on the holographic images was quite clear in person: the discoloration of the skin graft, the shininess of the ridge of tissue that went from beneath her right ear to the corner of her lip, which was tilted forever up by scar tissue. Her lower lip had been rebuilt, as most of it had been torn off along with her jaw, so it was also a different color than her upper lip, although she’d had it tattooed and the artist had done his best to match the shade. The discoloration was subtle now, but Stacia still saw it whenever she looked in a mirror. Another scar bisected her chin, where surgeons had cut away the ragged tissue to sew on the new muscle, nerves, and skin after reconstructing her jaw from metalline. Stacia waited for the final verdict.
“I’ll admit, the scars are pretty noticeable.” Lilith tapped her own firm chin, unmarred by anything other than the very faintest cleft. “But Stacia, you are still beautiful, even if you don’t believe me. The scars give your face character.”
Stacia snorted. “Oh please! Stop trying to be so damned positive about all of this.” She turned her back on Lilith. “It sucks! My face will never be the same. That’s why I stopped having surgeries. They can’t make me look like… me!” Tears built in her eyes, and she ruthlessly squelched them. “I don’t recognize this face in the mirror.”
Lilith sighed. “Look, Stace, you and I were never that different, you know. We both always lacked self-confidence. You just faked it better. I don’t know how to make you believe in yourself again. The things you’ve accomplished, what you’ve been through and survived, if all that isn’t enough to convince you of how amazing you are, I don’t know what is.”
She wanted to take Lilith’s words to heart. She’d heard similar things from her therapist, but coming from Lilith, they meant more. Lilith had known the woman Stacia had been before. Before her torture at the hands of the Peace Keepers, before Jack’s betrayal, before her father’s horrible death and the fact that he died believing she was a prisoner, and before the horrifying agony of having part of her face torn away.
Of course, everything Stacia had been through had been a result of her own foolish actions. She’d nearly gotten herself and Lilith killed. They’d both been through the nine hells because of her. All because she wanted to prove to everyone that she had more substance, that she wasn’t just a pretty, spoiled rich girl. That was why she’d joined the Commemoro in the first place. That was why she took such risks, and in the end, she’d proved nothing to herself.
“Stacia!” Lilith’s sharp voice snapped her out of her reverie as a hard hand gripped her shoulder.
She turned to look at her friend, realizing she’d been so focused inward she hadn’t even heard Lilith approach her. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking.”
Lilith’s worried frown faded. “That’s your problem! You think too much. You need to get out and do something.”
Stacia smoothed her tunic and then stopped herself, recognizing it as one of her nervous habits that Lilith would notice. “That’s what I’m here for. To do something.”
Lilith squeezed her shoulder for a moment before dropping her hand back to her side. “Well, if there was ever a place to distract you from your own problems, Sanctuary is it. I just hope you don’t feel overwhelmed by it or by the umbrose.”
“I can’t believe you managed to deal with this place, and the people, all alone.”
A radiant smile transformed Lilith’s face from attractive to stunning. “I wasn’t alone. I had Ranove to help me. And you have me to help you.”
Stacia’s mouth twisted in a half-smile, the expression pulling on the scar tissue. “I’m going to need that much help?”
“Nothing you can’t handle, my friend. Lucky for you, Prince Balfor is feeling magnanimous. He’s granted permission for me to give you a tour of the city and a couple of days of rest before negotiations begin.”
Stacia sighed with relief. “I’m still not sure how to do this whole diplomacy thing. Good to know I’ll have a couple of days before I have to meet him.”
“Well….”
Stacia eyed Lilith’s suddenly uncomfortable expression. “What is it?”
“You’re going to meet him tomorrow evening, so you have almost a day.”
“I thought you said….”
Lilith wouldn’t meet Stacia’s eyes. “The prince wants to meet you before negotiations. He’s requested your presence tomorrow evening at an event planned for your arrival.”
“Lil, what aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s just that… Balfor is a little unpredictable. I want you to be very prepared before you meet him.” Her eyes met Stacia’s. “I also don’t know why he has such an interest in you personally, and,” she glanced around the brightly-lit room as if the shadows in the corners could hear her, “I don’t feel entirely comfortable about it.”
The hair rose on the back of Stacia’s neck. “Are you saying I’m in danger?” she asked in a whisper so soft that Lilith had to lean close to hear it.
Lilith shook her head. “No. Not like that. The umbrose are honorable. He wouldn’t harm you without a reason. It’s just….” She blew out a breath of frustration. “I don’t know what I’m saying, and I’m scaring you for nothing.”
“O… kay.”
“Really, Stace. I’m just being my overanxious self.” She grinned. “I do love it here. Sometimes I feel like an outsider, but this city is amazing.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve it.”
“Thanks. So do you.” She hugged Stacia briefly before stepping back a couple of steps. “I’d better go and let you rest. Besides, Ranove is waiting for me.” An anticipatory smile tilted her lips.
Stacia smiled, too. “Yes, don’t leave a man like that waiting. I certainly wouldn’t.” It was said almost with her old attitude.
“You know, there’s quite a few handsome, muscular males….”
Stacia laughed and waved her away. “I’m still trying to figure out how to relate to humans again. An umbrose would be more than I can handle.”
Lilith giggled as she turned to go, casting one last comment over
her shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know about more than you can handle, but definitely pushing the limits.”
Chapter 5
Stacia was up early the following morning. She didn’t sleep much anymore unless she took a sleeping pill. At least this time, it was pleasant dreams, rather than nightmares, that chased her into wakefulness long before her wrist communicator chimed an alarm.
There was a mirror in the room, framed by what looked like black marble with gold veins in it. It was a beautiful decoration, and fit in well with the subtle luxury of the rest of the guest chamber.
For the first time in two years, she stood in front of the mirror fully nude to study herself. The changes in her body were not as dramatic as those to her face, but she still looked significantly different than she had before the mission that’d changed her so drastically. She’d once been a very slender, athletic woman, with small, compact breasts, well-toned arms, stomach and thighs. Her arms were getting their tone back, but there was certainly more weight on her body. The bulk of it clustered at her hips and butt, giving her curves she might have appreciated, if her once-flat stomach wasn’t also affected. Her abdomen now had a distinct curve to it and two scars that slashed down on each side of her navel where full-thickness grafts had been taken to rebuild her face.
The doctors had told her some of the changes to her weight would be permanent, or at the very least difficult to shift. So even though she fully intended to regain her previous level of activity now that she’d healed, she would always struggle with the new weight that came as a side effect of the many medications—some experimental—that she’d been given.
Turning away from the mirror, she dug through her suitcase and shook her head at the options she’d packed to wear. Everything was business-like, bland, over-sized, and designed to conceal her. By the time Lilith knocked on her door a half hour later, Stacia still stood in nothing but a lacy white pair of panties and a matching bandeau. She pulled her nightrobe back over herself and called for Lilith to enter.
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