Veil of Shadows (Book 2 of The Empire of Bones Saga)

by Terry Mixon

  Which was ridiculous, of course. Kelsey was more than capable of supporting her own weight. And the weight of any medical equipment that she happened to be holding at any given time. Which was probably the point. At least if she was sitting, any accidents wouldn’t be too large in scale.

  Her second restriction was that Kelsey ate often and in quantity. She wouldn’t get any argument from the Princess on that. Kelsey was hungry all the time. Lily said it had to do with her boosted metabolism. Kelsey wasn’t certain why a bunch of artificial implants required her to eat like a horse, but it was obviously true.

  That was going to take some getting used to. Kelsey was a very small woman, but now she was eating more than most marines. Male marines.

  She’d just finished devouring an embarrassingly large breakfast when Elise came to pick her up. The Pentagaran noblewoman eyed the plates on the table with a smile as she sat down. “Were you a little hungry this morning?”

  “You could say that. It’s humiliating.”

  “Why is it humiliating?”

  “People watch me eating with an expression like they can’t believe it.”

  Elise laughed. “If your diet is the most exciting thing people talk about, you’re lucky. People will adjust. Don’t worry about what they think.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Kelsey muttered. “You don’t have all this junk inside you. I’m just like one of those Pale Ones.”

  The Crown Princess’ eyes flashed. “You. Are. Not. Don’t even think that. You have the same kind of implants as any number of old Empire citizens, so if you have to compare yourself to anyone, make it them. Admittedly, most people in the old Empire probably didn’t have as significant an enhancement as you have, but if that sprawling civilization didn’t see it as a shameful thing, neither should you.”

  Elise waved a hand at the other people in the cafeteria. “Times are changing. With the rediscovery of this technology, how many of these people do you think will eventually end up with some kind of implant?”

  Kelsey shook her head. “I can’t imagine any of them would do that, given the choice.”

  “You’d be wrong. Yes, the idea of the Pale Ones terrifies anyone in their right mind, but taking a quantum leap toward restoring the old Empire excites them, too. Not as a political unit, but as a reality. It’s hard for you to see the opportunity that your implants represent, but I can see them. Lord Captain Mertz can see them. Even my father can see them.”

  Kelsey shook her head in denial. “Why would anyone choose to do that to themselves?”

  Elise poured herself a cup of coffee from the insulated container on the table. “Do you suppose the old Empire would’ve had widespread implants in the Fleet unless they made a difference? It must’ve given them some significant advantage, don’t you think?”

  “And a very specific and powerful disadvantage when the rebellion started.”

  “True, but if the Pale Ones capture us, we get implanted anyway. We don’t have a whole lot to lose at this point. The Empire has already fallen. Am I advocating that everybody rush out and get implants the first moment they possibly can? No.

  “But as they see you adjusting to your new circumstances, people will start volunteering. People that see the advantages of being able to interface directly with advanced equipment. And with each brave soul, you’ll become more the norm than the exception. Don’t worry about how people perceive you. Whatever they think now, they won’t be thinking it in a few years.”

  Kelsey mulled over Elise’s words as she finished her coffee. Everything the other woman said made sense, but that didn’t make it easy to accept. Yet what choice did Kelsey have? She was going to be this way, whether she liked it or not. She might as well set a good example.

  “I still think everyone expects me to look like a cow in a month,” Kelsey grumbled. She eyed the grav chair sitting beside the table. She’d gotten out of it to sit in a real chair while she ate. Now she had to get back in it. Doctor’s orders. At least they’d reinstalled the controls. She sighed and got into the chair.

  Elise stood. “The cars are waiting around front and your half-brother is somewhere close by. My father invited the both of you to visit the Parliament building. They aren’t in session right now, but the architecture is amazing. You’ll have a good time. I promise.”

  Kelsey nudged her chair to follow the Crown Princess out of the cafeteria. “Exactly what role does Parliament play in your monarchy? Do you have a Prime Minister? We have the Senate at home for our nobles and the Commons for the elected representatives. No Prime Minister, though.”

  “We don’t have a Prime Minister, either,” Elise said. “There are a number of ministers, though. We don’t have any nobles outside the Royal Family. The Baron who founded the monarchy after the fall decided it would be best if the people had a voice. So, Parliament considers prospective laws and sends the ones they like to my father. If he disagrees, two thirds of them can overrule him. They’re also responsible for the Royal budget.”

  “Doesn’t that cause a lot of friction?”

  She shrugged. “At times. There are always various factions at figurative war with one another. I’m sure you have that and more at home. We at least have an ongoing war to keep everyone moving in the same direction.”

  They exited the hospital and a wall of sound overwhelmed Kelsey. It took every ounce of her willpower to keep from clapping her hands over her ears. People were screaming. Lots of people.

  It took a moment for her to process what she was seeing. People filled the street. Her presence seemed to set off a roar of approval. Like when someone scored at a sporting event. Only louder. Much louder.

  The unexpected sight—and sound—of them froze her in place. What were they doing? Were they going to attack her?

  Elise put her hand on Kelsey’s shoulder. “Breathe. Smile. Wave at them. They’re here because of you.”

  Kelsey smiled and waved while she considered retreating into the hospital.

  The crowd went nuts. She’d only thought their volume was impressive before. She expected them to burst through the security cordon, but they just waved signs and flags. And screamed their heads off with excitement. At least her auditory implants were scaling the volume back down to something reasonable.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, hoping Elise could hear her.

  “Have you ever heard that an adventure was something terrible that happened to someone else far away? Well, you’ve been on an adventure and you saved them all from a fate literally worse than death.”

  Kelsey stared at the Pentagaran Princess. “I did not! I stuck my head into a hornets’ nest and was lucky enough to survive the experience. Jared saved them. All the people on Athena saved them. I almost got everyone killed. If they knew what I was, they’d be terrified.”

  Elise narrowed her eyes, her public smile never faltering. “Stop it. They don’t know and by the time they do, they won’t care. Mark my words. Now, let’s get out of here.”

  Rather than the grav limo that she’d traveled in the first time Kelsey visited, Elise had brought a rather fancy grav van. It had windows just like a regular vehicle, but the rear a space between the seats for Kelsey’s grav chair. Additional Royal Guards stood near other waiting grav vehicles.

  Standing beside the van were Senior Sergeant Talbot and several other marines. They wore pressed fatigues and had pistols at their hips. It looked like she had her own escort.

  She pulled up beside him. “Don’t you clean up nice, Senior Sergeant Talbot?”

  In fact, he looked better than good. Talbot was already a ruggedly handsome man, but the uniform added an extra dash. She had to admit that their shared experiences had drawn them much closer over the last week and made her much more aware of him as a man. Part of her wished class and age didn’t separate them so much, because she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better still.

  Even if that meant he ran the risk of her father exiling him to Thule.

  Ah well,
some things were not meant to be. Talbot would never see her as anything other than his Emperor’s daughter. And a thorn in his side that had almost gotten him killed.

  He grinned at her. “That’s what they tell me, Princess. How are you feeling?”

  She suppressed the way his smile made her melt a little inside. “I’m ready to get out of this chair. I don’t suppose you’d consider helping me escape, would you? A quick getaway from all these people with needles?”

  He looked sympathetic, but shook his head. “Sorry Princess, but I have my orders. The Crown Princess has her people to watch out for her, and we’re going to watch out for you. And Captain Mertz, of course.”

  She looked around for her half-brother, but didn’t see him. “Forgive me, but this doesn’t seem to be the most dangerous place I’ve ever been. It seems downright peaceful compared to the other vacation spots I’ve seen recently. I’m certain that the Royal Guards will make sure I’m not injured in some random event.”

  He looked mulish. “I’m sure they would, but it’s not their duty. It’s ours. I’m certain Pentagar is a very orderly place, all things considered, but the Princess wouldn’t have her own guards if there wasn’t a reason.”

  Kelsey raised her eyebrow at Elise. “Do you have a reason for them?”

  Elise nodded. “Certainly. First, there’s tradition. The Royal Family doesn’t go anywhere without a guard. At least not unless they can slip away when no one is looking. It’s not so much that we expect trouble or have enemies. It’s more like having an armed military, they don’t go around looking for trouble, but when it finds them, they’re ready for it. No one has assassinated a member of the Royal Family since the founding of the Monarchy. I think we’re probably pretty safe, but it’s still best to go with tradition.”

  “The Terran Empire has that tradition too,” Talbot added. “The Imperial Family is watched over at all times. Admittedly, it’s sometimes very low key, but that doesn’t mean that the guards aren’t there. And since none of them came along on this trip, it’s up to the marines to fill that need.”

  Kelsey felt a little exasperated. “You didn’t do that on Athena.”

  “No,” he said patiently. “There wasn’t any need. Not with Fleet personnel around you all the time. Though honestly, we should’ve assigned a couple of marines to escort you. Chalk that mistake up to inexperience on our part.”

  She sighed. “You weren’t doing this in the hospital.”

  “Just because you didn’t see us in the hospital doesn’t mean we weren’t there. We had a couple of people standing by just out of sight. There’s no reason to intrude on your privacy if we’re not out in public. Ah, here comes Captain Mertz.”

  Kelsey turned in her chair and saw her half-brother walking out of the hospital.

  He smiled and waved as the crowd roared again. Jared reacted to them as though this had been happening all his life. He stopped beside Kelsey’s chair. “Sorry I’m late. Doctor Stone had some last-minute instructions for me.”

  Kelsey sighed. “Now what? Is she going to have me tied to the chair?”

  “She just wanted me to be an outside observer on how your implants react to external stimuli. Her words, not mine. So if something unusual happens, be sure and let me know.”

  “I’ll be certain you’re the second to know.”

  Elise took charge and saw everybody into their respective vehicles. Talbot and one of his marines sat in front of Kelsey. Elise took the seat to her left and Jared sat on her right.

  The driver made certain to come at the Parliament building with an eye to the view. Kelsey had to admit it was a gorgeous piece of architecture. Tall, carved columns of stone held up a massive façade filled with carvings out of Terran mythology. She had to admit that she didn’t know all of the people represented there. She’d have to see if there was a handout to explain who everyone was.

  The grav vehicles landed in front of the building and disgorged their passengers. A number of policemen kept what looked like tourists at bay as the Royal party entered the building. Kelsey imagined the Parliament building was a major tourist attraction.

  The foyer continued the theme from outside. Polished granite floors gleamed in every direction, and walls shaped from molded plaster flanked them on every side. Paintings and statuary filled every niche. Tour groups wandered through the areas that Kelsey could see, admiring the artwork and the architecture.

  The Crown Princess gestured toward a wide set of stairs leading to the second level. “We’ll go up one level and take a peek down into the main chamber. Then we’ll make the circuit and stop if anything catches your eye. This building has some of the most important pieces of artwork in the Kingdom. Kelsey, if you look behind the Speaker’s podium, you’ll see another of Master Vestor’s carvings. I’m looking forward to seeing Lord Captain Mertz’s reaction to it.”

  Kelsey smiled at Jared’s raised eyebrow. “You’re going to love this. If it’s anything like the grand piece I saw last week, it’s the most amazing piece of art you’ll ever see.”

  Her grav chair went up the stairs without any problem. The second level looked very much like the first, except that there were no tour groups.

  “I took the liberty of having the second level closed off in advance of our arrival,” Elise said. “My father and I thought it would be less distracting for everyone. Speaking of which, there he is.”

  A pair of heavy wooden doors opened in front of them. His Majesty, King Raymond Orison, came through them with his guards at his heels. He smiled widely as the men with him closed the doors, no doubt so they could examine the carvings on them at some point. “Kelsey! You’re looking splendid! I’m so pleased to see you up and about, so to speak.”

  He turned his attention to Jared, extending his hand. “Lord Captain Mertz, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you. I was beginning to think I’d have to travel into orbit to make your acquaintance. On behalf of my people, you have my deepest gratitude. Through your actions, and those of your people, the threat of a Pale Ones invasion seems remote for the first time in our collective lives. The Kingdom is deeply in your debt.”

  Jared looked a little embarrassed, but not intimidated. Kelsey supposed that being the bastard son of an Emperor might make one immune to intimidation by social status.

  “Your Majesty. I only did what anyone else would’ve done. Circumstances just worked out to a favorable outcome.”

  Raymond clapped his hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Be that as it may, you’re quite the hero to us. Come. Let me show you the Parliamentary chamber. We’re quite proud of it.”

  The entire group began moving towards the double doors. The sound of conversation and steps on the stone floor caused Kelsey to glance to the left. It appeared as though the police hadn’t blocked off all the tour groups because one was coming towards them. The tour guide was pointing out a painting on the wall and beginning to recite its history while a dozen people spread out to see it better.

  Elise said something to one of the Royal Guards and he began walking towards the group, no doubt to send them back downstairs.

  He’d only taken a few steps when something caught Kelsey’s eye. At first, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong, but suddenly her ocular implants kicked into action. An overlay began making red highlights on the people in front of her. A few at first, then quickly all of them. They were heavily armed.

  Kelsey began moving before she even consciously realized what she was seeing, heading for the double doors in front of her. “It’s an ambush! Run!”

  The world seemed to slow to a crawl and an ice-cold chill ran through her blood. She’d never felt anything like it before.

  No, she’d felt something exactly like this before, when she’d fought the Pale Ones after she’d been implanted.

  The people around her were still turning their heads, their hands reaching for weapons while she dodged between their suddenly slow bodies. She grabbed Raymond with one hand and Elise with the other, effortlessly pulli
ng them along in her wake. She knew that she’d unbalanced them, but she had to get them out of harm’s way before the shooting started. She felt Jared only starting to follow them.

  Without checking, she instinctively knew that the governors on her strength had switched off, so she was unsurprised when she hit the doors with her shoulder and they flew inward. The armed men on the other side, however, were quite surprised. It looked as though the fake tour group was not the only ambush she’d just ruined.

  Her implants rapidly tallied six people lying in wait on the upper deck of the Parliamentary chamber even as a storm of gunshots began behind her. A thick wooden door to the face inconvenienced one of the new ambushers. The man standing directly in front of Kelsey was bringing a pistol up to fire, but he hadn’t been ready for her intrusion. His hand moved with syrupy slowness.

  Kelsey’s hands moved with lightning speed, which was somewhat of a surprise since she hadn’t instructed them to move at all. Her left hand grabbed his wrist with a crunch that she knew meant broken bones and yanked him forward so that his face met her open hand with an impact that made her wince.

  He was already falling backwards, unconscious or dead, as she rounded on the man next to him. She positioned herself between the attackers and King Raymond.

  One man almost had his gun lined up on Kelsey. A quick step forward brought her into range to plant her foot between his legs with every ounce of strength she could manage. He flew backward with enough force to take down the man behind him.

  Jared interposed himself between the furthest man on the right and Elise. The two men struggled for control of the attacker’s pistol. It looked as though her half-brother had the situation under enough control for her to deal with the other threats still in the room.

  She’d almost reached the last man when he pulled the trigger on his gun. The shot was loud, but not as loud as Kelsey expected. A mild burning sensation ran along the back of her right arm as she ducked under his aim and drove her left fist into his crotch. Whatever was in control of her body certainly knew how to hurt a guy. The man didn’t even scream as he collapsed.