by D. N. Leo
He looked back at the house. It was more like a grand mansion than a bunker or a stereotypical space residence. Ciaran smiled to himself. Bran was Irish. It was only natural he’d build such a house to live in.
Ciaran noticed an old robot standing at the corner of the garden and approached it. It hadn’t been operated for a long time. If dust existed in Eudaiz, the machine must have gathered a lot of it. He activated the robot.
The machine came back to life. After humming for a second, it blinked and looked at Ciaran. At first, the monitor on its chest was blank. Then it seemed to reconnect to the current network, and it updated its system.
Text appeared on the monitor on the robot’s chest. “Please verify your access.”
Ciaran pressed his right palm to the control panel.
“Left palm please,” the text stated.
Ciaran pressed his left palm to the control panel.
“Welcome to Sciphil Three’s residence, Ciaran LeBlanc—king-to-be of Eudaiz,” the robot verbalized.
“Is there a surveillance system in this garden? I need to know what happened here before I activated you,” Ciaran said.
“Yes. The data is available in your control room,” the robot said.
Ciaran nodded and turned to go to the house.
“Please accept my condolences about Bran’s death. It was a great loss for Eudaiz,” the robot said.
Ciaran paused and looked at the machine. “You are one smart robot.”
“My name is Robert. I am the first-generation robot that could potentially handle data from the EYE.”
Ciaran glanced around to ensure no one was close by. “I thought you were a garden robot.”
“No. I am the central robot. 245.21YZ ago, Bran deactivated me here because he was in haste to leave for a mission.”
“How long ago?” Ciaran asked, arching an eyebrow.
“My apologies. Converted into Earth time, it has been the equivalent of thirty-three years since he deactivated me.”
“No one has reactivated you since then. How do you know your information is up-to-date?”
“Only a King Sciphil can activate me. You will be King Sciphil in twenty-eight days from now after your coronation. You will have access to the full data of the EYE. My system has been connected to the central databank. It is up-to-date.”
Ciaran hissed audibly. He didn’t know how much intelligence they had here. How much surveillance data would be available and to whom. Attempting to access the EYE system violated multiversal law and would result in a death penalty.
“We are not authorized to access data from the EYE system. I have no intention of building that databank. Neither did Bran,” Ciaran stated as clearly as possible to the robot. He knew the message was being recorded.
“You do not have to worry about surveillance. No one in Eudaiz has the privilege to access King Sciphil’s data in his private residence.”
Ciaran smiled. You’re a robot. You’re allowed to be naive, he thought. “All right, Robert, how many others have lived in this residence?”
“Pierre LeBlanc until 1655. Aedan LeBlanc until 1755. Ealga LeBlanc until 1805. Malachi LeBlanc until 1976. Bran LeBlanc until 2015. Current owner, Ciaran LeBlanc,” the robot narrated the information in a monotone voice.
But every word cut at him like a knife on bone. Generations of his family had been involved in this. And he hadn’t known. His parents had worked their whole life to keep him out of it. To spare him the pain of power and responsibility to people he didn’t know.
Ciaran LeBlanc, King of Eudaiz. Ciaran shook his head. He wasn’t sure how long it would be before he got used to this life. A few months ago, he was a business man, running his family global pharmaceuticals empire out of his London headquarters.
Now he was here, working toward his kingship. There would be a lot to do before his coronation. If claiming the kingship of this universe was easy, there shouldn’t have to be much bloodshed required.
He glanced around. Every brick in this place was soaked with the mystery of his family. The mysterious aura that had followed his family for generations. From Earth to the multiverse. Some people considered his family the most mysterious family on Earth.
Perhaps they were right.
He looked at his hands. There was blood on these hands. He’d killed to get here. But as Bran had said, it took a life to save a life. He didn’t have to be a virtuous king—he only needed to be a just king.
But would he be capable of being a just king? What would it cost him to do the right thing for the citizens of this gigantic universe?
His emotions were his weakness. He was a human, not a robot. And when it came to his family, he would not compromise. Ever. He would do whatever it took to protect them. Everything else came second to that.
Family!
It dawned on him now why Madeline had fainted.
Chapter 4
Madeline was agitated. She needed to tell Ciaran about her precognition. But since Ciaran had found her in the garden, he and the others had made her lie down like a sick puppy. She protested. But then they’d taken a complicated-looking wristwatch off her, and the next thing she knew, she felt as weak as . . . a sick puppy.
At a corner of the room, Ayana Dee, Sciphil Two, and Pete Chandler, Sciphil Nine were talking. They had helped her and Ciaran a lot during the process of coming here. Ayana had been born in Eudaiz. She was as beautiful as an angel. Pete was a British man, recruited later in his life. He was like a kind uncle to Madeline.
Ciaran strode into the hall from a wing of connected corridors. His face was unfathomable—a typical Ciaran expression. He crouched next to her. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m perfectly fine. I’ll feel better if they give me back that wrist unit.”
Ciaran nodded toward Ayana, who was holding the wrist unit. She approached and gave the little machine back to Madeline. As soon as she put it on, waves of energy pumped into her body. She felt like a new person. She sat up, but she wasn’t sure if she should tell Ciaran about the precognition in front of Ayana and Pete.
After all, she and Ciaran had just arrived in this universe. They didn’t know who were friends and who were foes.
“I’ve taken a look around the residence. Everything looks fine. We can stay here. The top priority for us now is to plan Madeline’s officiation as Sciphil One, am I right?” Ciaran asked.
Ayana answered, “Yes, indeed. It is important that she receives her full power in Tower One. Her succession had been authorized and lined up at the precise astronomical time, two days from now. If we fail to officiate her, the power of Tower One will fail—and so will Eudaiz.”
“Understood,” Ciaran said.
“Let me show you the map.” Ayana turned on a floating screen, revealing a map of Eudaiz.
Eudaiz was organized in circles. The towers of power, clearly labeled, stood in a protected area. In the middle was Tower Three, the king tower. The other eight towers were located in a circle surrounding it. They looked like the eight petals of a sunflower.
Ayana pointed to the king tower and said, “This is the core of Eudaiz’s power. It must be protected at all costs. The king has access to all towers. However, each Sciphil has access only to their own tower. So, Madeline, after officiation, you will have full access to Tower One. I have full access to Tower Two. And Pete has access to Tower Nine. Ciaran has access to all.”
Madeline gestured widely. “So, given how important the towers are, security is critical. This universe has more than six hundred billion citizens. This must be a massive area. How can you guarantee security for the towers?”
Ayana smiled. “The tower zone is called the Sciphil zone. No citizens are allowed in there. The area is self-contained and quite small. The security of the Sciphil zone is strict and has never been breached in five hundred years. The towers have no entry point for anyone except the Sciphil of the tower and the king. Within each tower, there are nine round protective layers—they would spin and g
rind any unauthorized individuals into dust if they attempted to trespass.”
Madeline nodded.
Pete pointed to a large circle which wrapping outside of the Sciphil zone. He said, “This is the Sciphil residential area. Each Sciphil has a residence, located as close to his or her respective tower as possible. We are here, at Sciphil Three residence.” He pointed to a dotted line. “The internal capsule is strictly private and secure. It operates only for people with the right access. The capsule terminals are like subway systems in New York or London. So really, within the Sciphil zone and Sciphil residence areas, I wouldn’t worry too much about security.”
Ayana pointed to a larger circle outside the Sciphil residential area. “This is where the six hundred billion citizens live.” The area took up a large area of the map. Ayana continued. “There are eight districts, located in circles in the outer ring here. Each Sciphil governs a district. No citizen has ever been allowed into the Sciphil zone.”
“There are nine Sciphils and eight districts. Who doesn’t have a district to govern?” Ciaran asked.
“You, Ciaran.” Ayana smiled.
Pete laughed. “You have to manage all of the Sciphils and handle important matters such as protecting Eudaiz from our enemies. I think it’s only fair to exempt you from the administrative duties of governing a district.”
“From what I know, the Black Rock is our number one enemy. Is that information accurate?” Ciaran asked.
Pete shook his head. “No. It’s speculative. That universe attacks us all the time because they don’t have much energy or natural resources. Other universes may have attacked Eudaiz before, but not during the five hundred years’ reign or our Sciphil council. There is no guarantee they won’t attack us in the future.”
“Have the Black Rock ever breached our security in the Sciphil zone?” Madeline asked.
“No,” Ayana responded.
Ciaran nodded. “All right. It’s been a long day. I think we should continue this discussion tomorrow.”
“It feels as if a day here has fifty hours,” Madeline said.
Pete smiled. “We don’t use hours. A day here has nine units. Three for the morning, three for the afternoon, and three for the night. Each unit has one hundred slots. At the moment, it is the fiftieth slot of the night. The average person should have at least one unit of sleeping time a day.”
Madeline rolled her eyes. Another set of rules and numbers to remember.
“Thank you, Pete. I’ll be sure we get enough sleep.” Ciaran smiled.
Pete nodded. “Especially you.”
Ciaran arched an eyebrow.
Pete continued, “The battles you engaged in before arriving here have drained you of all of your natural energy. In Eudaiz, energy is everything. It’s life. Eudqi is a special energy for Sciphils. It’s like your blood. However, in your case, you won’t receive full power until after your coronation. So right now, your energy is fragile and very temporary. Be sure you take advantage of the resting time so that your body can recharge what’s used up during the day.”
Ciaran raised a hand in frustration. “What you’re saying is that, at the moment, I don’t have the natural energy to operate my body. And I have to rely on the eudqi—like batteries?”
“Precisely,” Pete smiled.
“So don’t pick a fight,” Madeline laughed.
“We’d better go to sleep now,” Ciaran muttered.
“Not here, I hope,” Ayana said.
“Why not?” Ciaran asked.
“This place has been vacant for more than thirty years. It can’t be comfortable. Madeline has a fully operational Sciphil One residence. You both have full access,” Ayana said.
“Yes, we’ll go to Sciphil One residence later. But I’d like to have a bit of time here with Madeline, if we may,” Ciaran said.
“It’s only for one night. We can manage. If you could stop by again tomorrow and take us to Tower One, it would be greatly appreciated.” Madeline smiled.
Ayana nodded. “Very well then. We will let you have some privacy. It’s been a long day.”
Ayana and Pete left the residence.
Madeline opened her mouth to tell Ciaran about what she had seen in the garden, but before she could say a word, Ciaran had locked his lips with hers. Whenever he engaged in such an intimate act, she was defenseless.
Suddenly, Ciaran glanced toward the side door. “Who’s that?” he shouted and darted toward the door, weapon drawn.
Chapter 5
A short moment later, Ciaran came back in with a grin on his face and a remote control in his hand. “It was a flying surveillance camera. This entire place is serviced by robotic staff. No humans. You can do whatever you want here without anyone gawking . . .”
He continued to speak, but all she could focus on was her sinfully handsome husband. It didn’t matter what he said now. He was safe and sound. That was all that mattered to her. She shuddered recalling the battles they had just been through to get to this universe.
She couldn’t forget the warmth of his blood on her hands. She had been tormented by hopelessness when he was going down and she didn’t know what to do.
But they had left those incidents in the past. And she hoped never to experience that feeling again.
She smiled at him when he said something about the use of technology. She really did mean to tell him about her precognition. But hell, her stomach quivered with lust every time he spoke. She could easily forget the universe and drown in the sight and sound of him.
She still didn’t understand how he could possibly be hers. Called her biased, but her husband had to be the most gorgeous and intelligent man in the cosmos. Six foot three—or maybe even taller. His slender frame made his clothes or whatever he draped himself in look elegant. Beneath the material were the muscles that were disturbingly and distractingly beautiful.
His long, thick black hair almost touched his shoulders, framing the God-given face she loved. His intense gray eyes always seemed look straight into her soul. They twinkled when intrigued, and she loved it when they twinkled because of something she had said. His lips were made for kissing, and to that point, that was exactly what she wanted to do right now.
Ciaran paused at the expression on her face. Then he smiled, and his eyes twinkled. He approached the bench where she sat, brushed his thumb across the dimple on her left cheek.
“My first councillor, what’s on your mind?” he asked and kissed her. Apparently, he didn’t expect an answer.
As much as it embarrassed her, she couldn’t help but let out an audible purr at his kiss and touches. The movement of his hands on her body was heavenly. He knew every curve on her body better than even she did, but he still traced them with his long fingers—those of an artist.
Perhaps he was an artist—an artist in lovemaking. He was so inventive that she couldn’t keep up with him. Every time they made love, it was like the first time. But this was the first time they had been intimate in this strange universe.
She slid her hands underneath his shirt. He knew her body. She knew his. They gave. They took. They moved together in perfect rhythm. A brush of the lips. The heat of a tongue on bare skin. The pressure of fingertips on sensitive spots.
They knew it all.
They had done it all.
But each time, it was a new experience.
And they enjoyed it. Taking each other to the pinnacle of pleasure.
After a while, they lay still until she hopped up and propped herself up on her elbow, glancing around. “Where exactly are we?”
Ciaran chuckled. “I’d call this a broom closet. But with the lack of a broom or other cleaning tools, I’m guessing it’s some kind of storage room. What it’s storing, I have absolutely no idea.”
He kissed her forehead and lifted her chin. “Why are you so reluctant to go to Sciphil One residence? It will be yours soon.”
“I’m not staying with you? If my memory serves me correctly, I’m your wife—so I ought to be wi
th you, staying here.”
“In the broom closet?” he teased.
Madeline played with his hair. “Why are you so reluctant to stay here? It’s yours now.”
Ciaran fingered her dimple again and drew her into his arms. “I need more people around to take care of you.” He kissed her cheek. “You’re pregnant.”
Madeline snorted. “If we keep up this broom closet activity, it will happen soon!”
“You’re already carrying our twins, Madeline—a boy and a girl.”
Madeline stared at her husband, speechless.
Chapter 6
Madeline whirled around, back and forth in the grand hall. She was sure all of the statues, marble columns, and arches were peering down at her, laughing at her confusion.
“You’re making yourself dizzy, Madeline. You fainted in the garden before. I don’t care for it to happen again,” Ciaran said.
“I had a precognition in the garden. That was why I fainted.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Madeline raised her arms in the air in frustration. “I didn’t have a chance, Ciaran! Ayana and Pete were here. We talked about important stuff. Then you came in. Then there was the business in the broom closet. Then you dropped this information bomb on me!” She pointed at her tummy.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re confused.” He pulled her into his arms. “What did you see in your precognition?”
She frowned. She didn’t know what was more important—her precognition or her pregnancy. “You said the machine detected that the children were conceived precisely during the Red Stage of the Daimon Gate? I mean, it’s not like we have sex like rabbits, but we had a lot of it before the Daimon Gate tests.”
Ciaran held back a laugh and nodded. “The EYE scanner detected and reported the information when I visited the Host of the Daimon Gate.”
She looked at him. That visit. The emotion in his eyes was still so raw it stabbed at her heart. He hadn’t had time to heal—if he would ever heal—from that emotional wound. To travel from Earth to Eudaiz and qualify as Sciphils, they’d had to pass the Daimon Gate tests—the most stringent, brutal, and nastiest tests in the cosmos.