by Raine Thomas
That’s not true, Ty thought, once again stepping towards Kyr and touching her arm, this time more gently. Vycor is the one who influenced her to attack you.
Well, I made his job a lot easier.
Lingering guilt over her behavior so many years ago had her turning away as Gren swept Scarlyt close for a quick kiss. It shamed Kyr that her obnoxious attitude towards Scarlyt back then had been fairly typical for her. She had recently begun remembering more of her past, memories that had been suppressed when she was sent off-planet to learn the life lessons that were deemed too harsh and negative to learn on Alametria.
How ironic, she mused now, that the harshest and most deadly life lessons she’d ever learned had recently occurred right here on her so-called “enlightened” home planet.
“You fought well, Kyr,” Gren said. He seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil, which told her he was deliberately giving her privacy in her thoughts. “Next time, make sure you’re aware of a possible ambush.”
“Indeed,” she murmured, her gaze shifting between Ty and Scarlyt. She couldn’t read anything in either of their expressions.
“Let’s go get cleaned up and have something to eat,” Ty said, taking her by the hand and starting in the direction of the door leading to their temporary home.
“You can join us for food when you’re ready, Ra’jah,” Gren offered. “We’ll get something brought in.”
Kyr found herself smiling over Gren’s use of Ty’s new title as her amanti. He liked to use it at random times because he knew how uncomfortable it made Ty. Indeed, Ty’s hand tensed the slightest bit around hers. Glancing back, she caught Gren’s gaze. He gave her one of his roguish winks, and she knew he had said it to bring her out of her faltering mood.
“Thanks, Gren,” she said. “We’ll do that.”
Ty led her to the chamber that they had resided in since shortly after they became unexpected guests of the Peace Keepers nearly twenty nightfalls before. It never ceased to amaze her what Scarlyt and her band of female warriors had accomplished out here in the cursed Dark Lands. Through bartering, scavenging, and winning skirmishes against MalakDane’s Marauders, the Peace Keepers had established a habitable and secure home buried deep within a large series of caverns beneath the Dark Lands. They had food, clothing, armor, weaponry, and basic furnishings, as well as air filtration and water filtration, two things vital to surviving in the harsh environment.
In part because they knew to use water sparingly and in part because they enjoyed it, Kyr and Ty took a quick shower together before changing from their practice armor into more serviceable clothes. Kyr didn’t give much thought to the simple brown pants and white long-sleeved shirt she pulled on. She had gotten used to the coarse, unadorned clothing available to Outcasts, and only rarely found herself comparing it to the fine garb she had been used to at the Vawn palace.
That passing thought had her thinking about Vycor and her parents. The Advisor and Guardians were essentially ruling at the palace in her absence while most of the planet believed she was dead. Vycor and Shaya, who had been conducting an illicit affair right under her father’s nose, could be doing any number of horrible things on the other side of the barrier separating the Dark Lands from the rest of the planet, but Kyr was powerless to stop them.
We’ll get through the protections, Kyr, Ty thought, stepping closer to her and caressing her cheek.
She leaned into his touch. How? We’ve been trying for so long. Nothing seems to work.
Don’t get discouraged. We’ve made good use of this time, haven’t we?
He was right, of course. It had taken them longer than anticipated to gather support on this side of the protections. Outcasts were scattered all over the Dark Lands. Those who weren’t being held prisoner in Vycor’s mine weren’t exactly eager to reveal themselves to strangers, and even if they did, they weren’t enthused over the idea of going up against the palace. Seeing as how it was Vycor and his Inquisitors who had gotten most of them cast out in the first place, Kyr understood their reluctance.
She and Ty had decided not to reveal their true identities to Outcasts in an effort to keep news of her survival a secret, so getting support was even more difficult. They were making headway, though. It was nice to know they had some allies now.
We’ll find a way to get through, Ty vowed, running his thumb lightly over her lower lip.
The caress made her forget about her troubles. Her gaze moved to his mouth, which turned up at the corners. He leaned down, and she rose on her toes to meet him halfway.
Geez. Can’t I ever pop in without you two pawing each other?
Kyr returned to the flats of her feet as Sem’s thought broke through the moment. She frowned as she met Ty’s gaze. They weren’t due to “chat” with Sem yet that day.
This couldn’t wait, Sem explained. I just got back from spying on another rendezvous between Shaya and Vycor.
Kyr’s eyes widened as she grasped Ty’s forearm. Her worry over Sem was bad enough when he was merely pretending to still be under Vycor’s influence so he could gather intel from within the palace. But this…
Sem, Ty thought warningly. We told you not to risk that.
Yeah, yeah. I was getting bored. I haven’t gotten you any new useful information in days. I had to do something.
Ty sighed. What did you find out?
The V’larians are still on Alametria.
Kyr’s brow wrinkled in puzzlement. She felt Ty’s concern, too. The V’larian ambassadors, Telad and Ravina, had gone back to their planet before Ty was banished to the Dark Lands.
I figured since you mentioned seeing some V’larian weaponry and supplies out there in the Dark Lands that you’d want to know, Sem conveyed.
Why would the V’larians return here so soon? Kyr wondered.
That’s the thing, Sem replied. I don’t think they ever left.
Chapter 3
As soon as they closed the connection with Sem, Ty and Kyr headed over to the chambers that Gren shared with Scarlyt. Ty figured that Gren already knew what they’d just learned. Not long ago, he and Kyr had used their combined abilities to join with Gren’s mind in the same way that they were joined with Sem so that they could hear each other over long distances. They had wanted to be sure they could remain in touch when Ty and Kyr broke through the protections and headed towards the palace while Gren and Scarlyt rescued the Alametrians being held prisoner in the Dark Lands’ tajeria mine, a plan that had yet to be realized.
Kyr’s continued worry flowed through Ty. He glanced down at the top of her head as they walked, reaching over and stroking the hair that she had changed to light orange-red before leaving the palace. When her gaze lifted to his, it wasn’t her usual light star-blue eyes he met, but disguised sapphire blue ones. He, too, had used the Tinker-made implements provided by Scarlyt so he could disguise himself. Rather than his dark blonde hair and silver eyes, he now blended in with most Alametrian males with brown hair and brown eyes. Like Kyr, he had altered the shape of his facial features to enhance the disguise.
He knew that many of Scarlyt’s Peace Keepers suspected who they really were, though. Some of them had seen him and Kyr before they implemented the disguises. Although most of the planet believed that Kyr was dead and that he had killed her, word was beginning to spread that she was alive and well. They couldn’t control the gossip. The best they could hope was that news of Kyr’s survival didn’t get back to the palace before they were ready.
His thoughts turned as they knocked on the door to Scarlyt’s chambers. Gren sent them a silent signal to enter, so Ty reached for the door handle and walked in first, instinctively scanning for any signs of trouble before Kyr followed him inside. Although he was her amanti and not her bodyguard now, he would always protect her.
She took his hand and joined him on one of the couches in Scarlyt’s lounging area. Gren and Scarlyt were also seated. A small spread of food was set on the table between the couches.
I’ve tasted everything,
Gren conveyed, meaning the food was all safe to eat.
Ty nodded in thanks. “Did you catch Sem’s update?” he asked as he reached for a plate and began piling food on it.
“Yeah,” Gren replied, catching Scarlyt’s gaze. “I just finished updating Scarlyt. We’re trying to figure out what the ambassadors are still doing at the palace. Do you think Vycor is holding them prisoner?”
“Why would he do that?” Kyr asked, absently taking one of the biscuits from the plate Ty held out to her. “Telad and Ravina were treated like honored guests while I was at the palace. If Vycor intended to harm them or take them prisoner, wouldn’t he have done it right after we all returned from Earth?”
“The V’larians are our allies,” Gren pointed out. “Vycor wouldn’t have had much reason to interrogate them after Ty did. His motives would have been questioned by the Vawn council.”
Kyr’s brow creased in thought. “He could have said he wanted more in-depth questioning of the ambassadors since they happened to be near Earth right when the Shelvaks found me. We’ve all thought that was strange from the beginning.”
“Considering everything Gren told me about what has happened since your return,” Scarlyt said, “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out Vycor had a role in that Earth situation. Maybe the V’larians found out about it and Vycor decided to silence them.”
Ty considered that as he finished a cup of filtered water. It seemed to play into the Advisor’s deceitful wheelhouse. “If that’s true, maybe he intended for the V’larians to be found dead in such a way that blame could be cast on Kyr or someone close to her. We all know he intended to rise to power one way or another.”
“Then why did he wait?” Gren asked. “The ambassadors supposedly left days before Vycor enacted his plan against the two of you. If he took them out then, why not raise the alarm?”
“He might have been waiting for the right time and circumstances,” Kyr supposed. “Shaya was poisoned almost immediately after the meeting with the ambassadors. Vycor was probably distracted by that.”
Ty noticed that she was merely tearing apart the biscuit she held and not eating it. She had lost entirely too much weight as it was. Taking the biscuit, he placed it on the plate and spooned some of the burberry preserves on top of it. He knew she loved anything made with burberries.
But they’re so rare out here, she thought as he held the biscuit out to her. We should save that for others to eat.
Eat it for me. Please.
Sighing, she took the biscuit and ate a bite. He squeezed her shoulder in gratitude, trying not to think about how delicate her bones felt beneath his touch. It didn’t seem to matter how much of the barely tolerable food options available in the Dark Lands he coerced her to eat. She still seemed much too thin and fragile.
I was able to defeat Gren today, wasn’t I? she asked, glancing at him. I’m stronger than I look.
His mind started to turn towards his dream, but he forced it not to. You don’t have to remind me of that, he thought instead.
She took another bite of the biscuit and gifted him with a small smile. Both of them realized they were drifting from the conversation and looked back at Gren and Scarlyt. The pair was eating in silence, used to Kyr and Ty being in their own little world.
“Sorry,” Kyr mumbled around the biscuit.
Gren shrugged it off and glanced at Ty. “If Vycor did take the V’larian ambassadors prisoner, how does that tie in with the V’larian supplies and weaponry you saw when you were Malak’s prisoner?”
“I have no idea,” Ty replied. “I’m not sure those two things necessarily go together.”
“What if Vycor negotiated with the V’larians for the items you saw?” Scarlyt asked. “Don’t we provide them with tajeria?”
Ty nodded. “Yes. The V’larians rely on our Elixir to provide them health benefits. Their atmosphere has been growing more toxic, so they need more Elixir.”
“Maybe Shaya and Vycor decided to up the price,” Kyr mused. “Instead of just the jewels, textiles, and food products we normally get from the V’larians, they asked for the weapons and whatever else is being stored out here.”
“And why is it stored out here anyway?” Gren asked in his deep, gravelly voice. “If Vycor is stockpiling these things, wouldn’t he want easy access to them?”
“We would have found them during one of our regular scans of the palace,” Ty said. “He couldn’t risk it. Besides, we know Vycor has connections out here, at least at the mine. The guards know what’s happening. I suspect he could get to the V’larian items easily enough.”
Gren and Scarlyt nodded. Just a few days ago, word had reached them from two of Scarlyt’s most trusted Peace Keepers, Jenna and D’arl, who were currently undercover inside the mine. They had found another store of V’larian weaponry. They suspected it was meant to be used in the event there was ever an uprising inside the mine, but no one knew for sure.
“Then what are the rest of the V’larian supplies intended for?” Scarlyt wondered. “And why is he waiting?”
They all sat in silence for a minute, mulling over the information at their disposal. Ty knew they didn’t have enough pieces of information to answer with any confidence, though.
“I think we’re going to need Sem to do a little more investigating,” Gren said at last.
Ty’s first instinct was to argue. He was worried enough about his cousin as it was. Sem tended to act first and think things through later. It had always gotten him in trouble when they were growing up. And with the dream he’d been having…
He stopped himself again.
Kyr reached over and took his hand, sending him comforting thoughts. She shared his general concerns about Sem, but she also knew that Sem was currently their only link inside the palace. They needed him, and they needed information.
“I agree,” he said finally, forcing himself to use logic and not emotion. “Sem is our best bet to try and fill in the missing pieces.”
“I’d prefer to get those answers sooner rather than later,” Scarlyt said. “I’ve got good people risking their necks right now. I figured you’d be at the palace by now with Vycor’s head roasting on a spit.”
Ty couldn’t be offended by the woman’s plain words. The truth was, they had all imagined things progressing more swiftly than this. Their initial plan had Ty and Kyr using their joined abilities to break through the protections, then driving a vessel through the megais to the palace. They would use the most powerful source of energy on their planet, the Gift of the Yen-Ki, to fuel their journey. They would head to the palace, reveal themselves, and use their abilities to defeat Vycor.
But as Kyr had pointed out earlier, they couldn’t figure out how to get through the protections. No matter how much energy they exhausted trying to defeat the mental power of the Mynders generating the protections, they hadn’t been able to do it. It not only frustrated them, it made them seriously doubt that they could defeat Vycor with his enhanced mental abilities and Mynder guards. Ty was certain that this, in part, was fueling his nightmares.
“We’ve come close to getting through,” Kyr said in response to Scarlyt’s statement. “I’ve sensed it. It’s like there’s one piece that isn’t clicking.”
After another minute of silence, Gren cleared his throat. He scratched the top of his ear and said, “Maybe you should plan to, uh…you know. Before.”
Even Scarlyt looked confused. “Spit it out, Gren.”
Heaving a sigh, Gren waved a hand and said, “They should try having sex out by the protections.” He met Ty’s baffled gaze. “The two of you need to do whatever it was you did right after we rescued you from Malak. The power you generated…”
Scarlyt tilted her head with a thoughtful expression. “He’s right. You two nearly blew this place to rubble.”
Heat touched the back of Ty’s neck, so he reached up to rub at it. “I’m not so sure—”
“Gren’s right,” Kyr said, surprising all of them. “It was the most power we�
�ve ever generated. I may not understand it, but I’m not opposed to using it to our advantage. We’ve got to try.”
Ty’s personal reservations faded in the face of her determination. “All right,” he said. “Then we’ll give it a try.”
Chapter 4
They waited two nightfalls before making the attempt. Ty wanted to make sure Kyr was rested enough, which meant refraining from any defense lessons and keeping their minds as free and unburdened as possible. It also meant plying her with an infused broth Scarlyt told him would give Kyr nutrients she was missing from the questionable food supplies available to Outcasts. The broth was usually reserved for those who were ill, which Ty figured was suitable enough for restoring Kyr’s energy.
He also decided that he and Kyr should refrain from intimacy until they made the attempt to get through the protections. Assuming this theory of Gren’s held water, it made sense that restoring all of their energy would help the effort be more successful.
Of course, he considered himself an idiot every time he touched Kyr after making that decision.
As the sun rose on the third day after they crafted their plan, Ty did one last systems check on the land skimmer he and Kyr would use to make the journey. This would be the first time they attempted breaking through the protections without anyone else present. He refused to have an audience while he and Kyr did something so personal and private. No argument issued by either Gren or Sem would sway him. It was this, or they found some other way.
“I still think you’re taking an unnecessary risk,” Gren grumbled, stepping beside him as he examined the left engine.
“I know,” Ty replied. “And since I’d feel the same way if I was in your shoes, I can’t argue. But I feel like this is the right thing to do.”
“I know you do. I can read you well enough now. You’ve almost convinced me that this isn’t just lunacy.”