The Legend of Sirra Bruche (Roran Curse Book 1)

by Heidi J. Leavitt

  She was right. It was freezing in the marketplace. There was no wind but even still, Andie’s face stung with cold after only a very few minutes. “Stay in the back,” Orrin warned, waving her behind the counter that divided the front of his booth from his storage area. “If any of the other sellers sees you there will be a lot of questions.” Andie found a corner where she could sit near the back without being seen from the outside yet still hear everything Orrin said from the front. They had arrived early, but by the time Orrin had finished unloading all his crates, other vendors were starting to arrive. Orrin hung the purple flag Andie had given him from the front of his booth and hurried to get his own goods set up and ready for the day.

  “Orrin,” Andie asked, her teeth chattering as she peeked around the counter to see him laying out some cloth, “why do you sell in an open marketplace in the middle of winter? Isn’t there a warehouse or somewhere else indoors that they could hold it?” She rubbed her gloved hands on her arms hoping to chafe some heat back into them.

  Orrin shook his head. “There is an indoor marketplace, the Arcade, but only Gallant or Patrone caste sellers may use it.” Andie bit her lip, afraid she had offended him. She could see by Orrin’s tattoo that he was Negocio caste. It was going to be strange having to take someone’s caste into account. Laeren had worked very hard to make sure caste did not mean anything in Faroi, and it had worked well enough that Andie had never had to worry much about it.

  Orrin saw her discomfiture and continued hastily, “It’s not so bad, Sirra. Not so long ago a Negocio would have had no chance of ever having his own booth at all. It may be cold but I am running my own store. We get a lot of business here too, not just the lower castes. Even Citizens come to our market,” he said proudly.

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured, with another glance in her direction. “When the sun comes we will be warm enough.” Andie accepted his assurances silently and retreated to her corner, trying to stay as warm as she could until full day arrived. If the Armada guy had to go searching through the entire marketplace to find the purple flag she might have a very long wait.

  It was indeed a very long wait.

  She spent almost all morning sitting in the back of Orrin’s storage area among the piles of fabric and mentally practicing her Basic. After her first year in Faroi, Laeren had insisted that she speak Basic to him as much as possible so he could pick it up. She had continued that tradition with Tiran, hoping that she would grow up fluent in both languages. Even still, she spent far, far more time speaking Denicorizen than Basic. Hopefully she would be able to speak to her contact without sounding like a complete idiot.

  It finally warmed up enough to be bearable and she was just beginning to doze off when a voice spoke in heavily accented Denicorizen using the phrase she had been listening for all morning.

  “Could I get change for a single joya?”

  Andie pulled herself up, stifling a groan at her stiff muscles, and quietly crept out the back of the booth. She could hear Orrin grumpily replying that he wasn’t a moneychanger. That was her cue.

  “I can help. I’ve got change for a joya,” she offered casually as she came around the corner of the booth. Suddenly she caught her breath. The lean, sandy-haired figure facing Orrin was incredibly familiar.

  At her words he turned in her direction. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. They stood there for a moment, both of them frozen in shock. “Impossible!” he muttered. Instantly she was sure who he was.

  “Casey!” she cried excitedly, impulsively flinging herself at him. He caught her and held her up, his face still bewildered.

  “Andie? Is it really you?” he croaked. “I don’t . . . it can’t . . . what are you doing here?” he asked in a stunned voice. All of a sudden Andie became aware that Orrin and two other customers were staring openly at them. They were causing a scene, the last thing she should be doing on this mission. She pulled herself together.

  “It really is a small galaxy isn’t it?” she replied lightly, extricating herself from his arms. “Who would have guessed we’d run into each other on Corizen?”

  Casey was still standing motionless in front of her, obviously trying to make sense of the situation. “Come on.” She tugged at his arm. “I’ll buy you lunch, and you can tell me all the news from home.” Finally Casey seemed to come to life, and she led him away from the booth. Casting one covert glance back at Orrin, she saw that he was frowning after them, but his customers had already gone back to browsing through his wares. Hopefully they would just take it as two Citizen acquaintances running into each other. Most likely they didn’t understand a word of the exchange, since Andie had spoken in Basic. Maybe it was even better this way.

  In the main square of the market, Andie bought hot sandwiches and warm cider for both of them. Casey raised an eyebrow as she chatted fluently with the vendor but didn’t say anything. He still seemed very dazed by the whole situation.

  With their food in hand they walked a couple of blocks farther to Waterside Park. Randa had chosen this location for her meeting. It was close and hard to miss, but it was also only for the use of upper castes. The King had graciously accorded Citizens permission to enter the park as well, and Randa thought the path that led among the noisy little brook running the length of the park would be the perfect place for Andie’s discussion with the Armada contact. The park was not very crowded during the winter, and Randa had gleefully remarked that the King wasn’t likely to be expecting a conspiracy to take place right within the Nobles’ own pleasure grounds.

  Not far into the park, Andie found the stream and chose a large boulder nearby to sit on while she finished her sandwich. Casey dropped to the ground next to her, his untasted food still wrapped in his hand.

  “It’s actually pretty good,” Andie encouraged, taking another bite of her sandwich. “It’s not so different from the Camrian roast I had in Omphalos once.” Casey glanced at his food, his brow furrowed.

  “I don’t understand,” he began helplessly. “I thought you were dead. Yet I can’t imagine sitting with a ghost in a park and talking about Denicorizen food.” Andie chuckled a bit.

  “No, if I ever come back from the dead, I imagine it will be to tell you something a little more important.”

  Casey stared at her still mystified. “What are you doing here on Corizen of all places?” he wondered aloud. “Your skiff crashed in Zoria, and everyone was sure you had died! What your family has been through these last nine years!” That sobered Andie instantly. Her poor family.

  “How are they?” she inquired quietly.

  “Physically everyone’s fine,” Casey answered with a shrug. “Jenna’s married to some guy from Terra, but I’m not sure where she’s living now. Your dad was offered a promotion off-planet but your mother refused to leave Zenith.” Andie exhaled heavily. She could only imagine what her accident had done to her mother.

  “She never gave up hope that you were alive,” Casey said in a low voice. “Not even when the Armada finally found what was left of your skiff. That was five years ago, and since there was no sign of your body your mother determined that you were still alive in the forests of Zoria somewhere. Everyone thought she was crazy.”

  “Yet here you are,” Casey finished incredulously. “How did you crash in Zoria but end up on Corizen, Andie? I still can’t believe it!”

  Andie briefly related to him what had happened to her, how her skiff had been shot down and she had been captured and sold to the Denicorizen smugglers. Then she told him of being sold to Jaory, and Randa helping her escape and how she joined the Resistance—but then she thought of Laeren and went silent for a moment.

  Casey’s face had gone red with fury. “They sold you as a slave?”

  “Jaory had put the word out among the smugglers that he wanted to buy a Citizen girl I guess,” Andie speculated idly. She and Randa had long ago pieced that much together. “I
was supposed to be a rare status symbol.” She shuddered at the memories. Casey must have noticed, and he didn’t press her further about it. Instead, he wanted to know why she had never gotten in contact with the Armada before. “They would have come and rescued you by force if necessary,” Casey said emphatically. “You wouldn’t have had to spend another day on this planet.”

  Andie shook her head. “I couldn’t endanger the Resistance. I owe so much to them.”

  “But surely now you will go home? I’ll get in touch with my superiors, and they’ll get you on the next ship to Zenith.”

  “I can’t leave just yet, Casey,” Andie answered after a moment’s deliberation. There was so much that Casey didn’t understand. Part of Andie felt she would be betraying Laeren if she deserted the Resistance now, with the Revolution in full swing. And what of Randa? Could she just leave the woman who had been like her mother and take Tiran away from the grandmother she loved so much? It was out of the question. “But,” she added, “can I send a message to them through you? They do at least need to know that I’m alive and doing well.”

  Casey reluctantly agreed to make sure a message got sent to Andie’s parents, and then Andie turned the conversation to her friend. “What about you, Casey? Obviously you joined the Armada, or I wouldn’t be talking to you. But what else?” Andie inquired with interest.

  “Well,” he hesitated, “I am an Armada officer, just like I always wanted to be. I kind of pulled some family strings to get the assignment here on Corizen,” he admitted sheepishly. “I wanted to really do something different.” Andie laughed at him. Casey’s paternal grandparents were extremely wealthy and influential in the government. His relationship with them was a bit strained, and he had always mocked them for thinking they could buy their way into anything.

  “And you accused me of cheating when I used the family name to get into the Academy,” she chuckled.

  “Well, maybe my talent for Denicorizen landed me this job then,” Casey bantered, sounding just like the boy she had grown up with. Then he grew more sober. “As for the rest, I married Jo just after you disappeared.” The old jealousy flared momentarily, taking Andie by surprise. Then it subsided. They had gone their separate ways and married different people.

  “We divorced years ago,” Casey continued, his eyes on the ground. “We just didn’t have enough to keep us together I guess, and Jo started to see another man. Of course, when I found out I was devastated, and it was pretty much over from there.” His voice sounded tired, and Andie felt so sorry for him. It must have been hard to live through such a breach of trust. He looked up at her, his eyes piercing, but before he could ask about her life, Andie changed the subject again.

  “Well, we’d better get down to business,” Andie suggested. For the next hour they discussed weapons and equipment shipments. They arranged to have them sent straight to Croask, since the Resistance already held that city. According to the plan, Andie would meet with Casey here in Roma anytime they needed replacements.

  When they finally stood, Andie couldn’t bear to have him leave. “Casey, why don’t you come back with me to my apartment? I have so much I want to ask, but we can’t stay here,” she proposed. He agreed, and they set off back into the city. When they reached the apartment door, Andie knocked quietly and answered Randa’s muffled inquiry with their password. Randa pulled open the door, but her welcome to Andie died on her lips as her eyes traveled to Casey. Her brow creased, and she turned her questioning gaze to Andie.

  “Randa, this is Casey Morten,” Andie introduced, switching back to Denicorizen. “He and I were best friends when I was growing up. Casey, this is Miranda Bruche.” Her jaw dropped open, but she quickly got herself under control and offered him a seat. They all sat together in the main living room of the apartment, and Randa immediately demanded, “Did anyone notice you coming in?”

  “There was nobody in the alley, Randa,” Andie reassured guiltily. She could tell from Randa’s brusque manner that she had been a little thoughtless in bringing Casey back to the surveillance headquarters. The last thing they needed was someone getting curious about their home. It was strange enough that so many various people visited the apartment. Not to mention that it would be considered unheard of for a Citizen to be sharing a home with a Denicorizen. So far Andie had only left the apartment hooded and cloaked, but of course Casey was wearing a typical Zenithian winter coat, his pale skin and light hair visible to everyone. Randa shook her head but then turned to Casey. “I am sorry to be so rude,” she apologized. “I am only concerned about our anonymity here. Andie is sometimes too impulsive.” Randa shot a rebuking glare at Andie.

  “Well, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.” Casey grinned at her. “She was impulsive when we were growing up too,” he explained to Randa who returned his smile. She began to relax and immediately slipped into her charming hostess role. She was just starting to ask Casey some questions about himself when they were interrupted by Tiran bounding into the room. “Mommy, Mommy, Gramma cleaned our room, she even got the spiders!” She climbed into Andie’s lap. Casey stared at her, surprised. “You have a daughter?” he asked. Andie nodded without looking at him. “Tiran,” she spoke to her daughter, “this is my friend Mr. Morten. Can you say hello to him?”

  “Hello, Mr. Morten,” she said happily. Andie shot a pleading glance at Randa who took the hint. She whisked Tiran from the room saying, “Honey, let’s go play with your toys and leave your Mommy to talk with her friend.” Casey’s eyes followed Tiran as they left the room, a peculiar look on his face. Andie almost thought it looked like envy.

  “She’s beautiful, Andie. How old is she?” he questioned, turning back to her.

  “Just four and a half years. She’s the light of my life,” Andie responded with pride.

  “And her father?” Casey asked timidly. Andie forced herself to relax before she answered.

  “I married Randa’s son Laeren about seven years ago. He was killed when Tiran was only a year and a half old. She doesn’t even remember him,” she added sadly, mostly to herself.

  Casey fidgeted in his seat, and Andie pulled herself away from her thoughts.

  “I’m sorry, Andie, I didn’t mean to bring up something painful,” he said regretfully, clearly uncomfortable.

  “Oh, don’t apologize, Casey. You couldn’t have possibly known.”

  “You obviously loved him very much,” Casey observed quietly.

  “Laeren and I had several wonderful years together. I’m grateful we at least had that.”

  “I wish I had had at least that. Jo and I were happy for only a short time,” Casey muttered bitterly. Andie’s heart leapt, strangely satisfied by this. After Casey had rejected her, he had not found what he was looking for. Then she smothered the feeling. Where was this coming from? She wasn’t a silly teenager anymore.

  “How did you get together in the first place, Casey?” Andie asked curiously. “I never knew, since we didn’t ever speak after that day in Omphalos.”

  “Jo never told you?” He raised his eyebrows.

  “No. That kind of surprised me. She commed me every so often, but we never really talked about you,” recalled Andie. Casey’s brow creased, but he didn’t say anything more.

  “Casey,” she ventured after a moment of silence. “I never got the chance to apologize for yelling at you that day. I always meant to though.”

  “But you did!” Casey reassured. “When all your things were sent back to your parents, Jenna found your old flipcom. She found a message to me that you had never sent on it and she shared it with me. I can’t tell you how guilty I felt after reading it, since I thought you were dead. Did you really come to Omphalos to tell me you loved me?” he asked in wonder.

  “I did,” Andie admitted frankly. “In fact, Scott himself advised me to do it.”

  “Well, that makes what I said that day even worse!” Casey groaned. “If I
had only known,” he added softly, “I would have never treated you like I did. I was only rude because Jo had warned me that you were playing with us both. That’s why I never commed you after your accident.”

  “What?” Andie exclaimed. “Playing with both you and Scott? Like I was stringing you both along? Where in the world would Jo get that idea? I definitely never said anything like that!”

  Casey closed his eyes momentarily. “Jo,” he growled. “I should have known she would invent something like that. After all, it did seem so out of character for you.”

  “Invent something? You think Jo lied to you? Are you sure there wasn’t some mistake?” asked Andie dubiously. “That doesn’t sound like Jo at all.”

  Casey sighed and reopened his eyes. “You don’t know the grown up Jo. She’s not the same as when we were younger.” He frowned at his hands. “You wouldn’t understand I guess, but it does sound like something she would do.”

  Andie shook her head sadly. “I wonder how different things would have been if we had cleared that up sooner. Not that I would change anything though,” she hastened to add, thinking of Laeren and Tiran. Her cheeks were burning. Was it possible that her feelings for Casey were returning? Andie pushed the thought away. Things were just too different now. She was not the same girl she had been back on Zenith, and Casey had probably changed just as much.

  Just then Randa emerged from the bedroom and quietly joined them in the little sitting room. Andie moved off the couch to give Randa somewhere to sit, but Randa waved her back down. “Tiran is playing with her toys. She’ll be fine for a little while.”