Marcus began to pace again. Do you think he destroyed the original formula stolen from the safe?
We can hope, but it’s best to consider it still out there. It won’t do us any good to think ourselves in the clear, Ryad said.
Is Nye coming out of his coma? I asked. We needed to question him. See if he saw anything that happened.
He’s showing signs of recovery, but he hasn’t awakened yet. It’s a miracle he survived the fire in the first place.
And you’re certain the fire was started by Dr. Salb?
Ryad placed a paper on my desk. I picked it up and read the report. Chemicals and traces of accelerants were found on his clothes and shoes, under his fingernails, and even in his nostrils. It couldn’t have been placed there by contact with his own murderer.
Are we any closer to finding out who murdered Dr. Salb?
I have a few leads, Your Highness, but we haven’t followed them to completion yet. I hope to have more answers for you on my next report.
I took Ryad’s hands in mine. They felt cold and rough. I could sense the tension in his entire body as he struggled to maintain calm in the situation. I squeezed his hands and looked him in the eyes.
I have placed so much on you and I appreciate your diligence in finding the answers. You have done more than anyone else to set this all to rights. Thank you for your service to Rommader, King Marcus, and myself.
A small shudder of his gratitude flashed across our oath bond and I smiled at him. I would be lost here without you. Thank you for returning home with me. You are beyond worth to me. I reached up and touched his shoulder.
Ryad bowed his head and whispered a thank you. Please excuse me, Your Highness. I will return to my investigation. I’ve informed the nurses to contact you the moment Nye regains consciousness.
I nodded and let go of his hand as he pulled away from me. He turned without a look back and exited the office. I stared at the door for a moment after it closed. I would have fallen completely to pieces without Ryad there to do what was needed. He had replaced Jai as my bodyguard, but there was no way Jai would have been able to run an investigation of this magnitude. I hoped Ryad would solve it quickly and be able to take the rest he so badly needed. Though our oath bond wasn’t anything near what a soul bonding was like, I could still feel his exhaustion. He couldn’t keep up this pace, but I knew the drive within him wouldn’t allow him to rest until it was solved.
I turned to Marcus to find him frowning at me. Before I had a chance to send a thought, Marcus excused himself. I was left in the room by myself, wondering what had just happened.
****
“Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty,” Lady Berkum said when the guard finished checking her for weapons.
“Please be seated.”
She pulled a folder out of her briefcase and slid it across the desk to me. “Master Lecity informed me of your conversation at the banquet. I am glad to know you still feel our trade agreement is in effect.”
“I believe it would be in both our worlds’ best interest to keep it so.”
I wondered if she also believed we had something that allowed the user to disappear. This would be a good time to question her, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.
Lady Berkum looked at the folder then met my eyes. “I was given an offer by someone I don’t know.”
“An offer?”
“It informed me that by cutting off all shipments of zast ore and ardite to you, and instead supplying a larger portion to an as yet undisclosed entity, I would ensure myself power beyond what I currently possess.” She looked at her hand as if inspecting her rings, giving me the impression she could have more stones embedded into her jewelry to indicate a higher status in their government.
My stomach dropped. Without zast, our Space Travel would be vastly hindered. And the formula called for ardite and zast. It couldn’t just be a coincidence. Maybe someone had the formula and was trying to make sure we didn’t succeed in replicating it.
“May I ask why you are sharing this with me? I appreciate your warning and must admit I’m surprised at your information. What do you request of me in return?”
Lady Berkum blinked. “I am not heartless. I do not wish to see your planet go down in ruin. I know you need our materials, and we need yours. I don’t think it would be possible for us to find rodite or yoshida anywhere else. I don’t want to anger you. We need to keep on your good side. And I would be executed immediately if I did anything to jeopardize the shipments of commercial goods from Rommader. Besides, I’m smart enough to know that if I were to advance in power through an outside source, I would not remain in power long.”
“When did you receive this offer?”
“Last night.”
“What would you like to see happen between our two worlds?” I asked.
“I think it best for us to maintain what we have. Without our zast, you would not be able to afford interplanetary Travel. Without your rodite, I’d be banging about, and I much prefer to keep my feet planted on the floor. Zero gravity gives me headaches. And nothing else is as reliable as yoshida. Though I can understand the reason to withhold zast from you, why would they want to prevent me from sending you ardite? Out of all the materials we exchange with each other, what would be the purpose to keep ardite out of the hands of your artisans?”
I looked at the sculpture of the small bird on the corner of the desk. The iridescent shimmers from the ardite made it look like it was lit from the inside. I didn’t know what its purpose was in the formula, but without it, Traveling would be impossible.
I shrugged. “Sounds silly to me. But perhaps they think our sculptors and artists would riot and overrun the government if they didn’t have it to mix with the clay.”
She smiled pleasantly at my attempt at humor. “But your clay would work just as well.”
“Yes, it sufficed us for centuries, but ardite makes it glow so beautifully.”
“It sounds petty and foolish to me, and I’ll have no part of it. You can rest assured we will keep our trade agreement intact. Besides, if I were to change anything without the express permission of Lord Edom, my life would be forfeit when I returned home. I was given the command to make sure nothing disrupted our agreement. He didn’t want to have to come later and work out another arrangement on his own. He’s happy with how things are currently.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I sighed. “It is nice to know something is working as it should.”
Lady Berkum leaned back in her chair. “What have you done to anger others so much?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I can tell you, when I was first sent news of your father’s passing, it didn’t sound like your planet would be in very good hands. But I can see I was mistaken.”
“What were you told in the correspondence, if I may ask?”
Lady Berkum smiled. “It wasn’t the words so much as the implication. And I was expecting to interact with your Grand Council more than with yourself or King Marcus. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised you’ve taken the time to come to us personally and keep us up to date on the investigation. Though it is bothersome I can’t leave when I want to, I understand your reasoning and I admire and respect that. You’ve shown yourself to be highly capable, and I will communicate as much to Lord Edom when I return home.”
“Thank you. It has been a pleasure to work with you while you’ve been here.”
She stood to go, then paused as if she was considering asking something more. I waited patiently wondering if she’d speak.
“I do have one odd question, however.”
I nodded, encouraging her to continue.
“My aide, Master Lecity, was under the impression your planet had discovered something new and exciting. Something that allowed the user to turn invisible?”
I smiled. “As I informed him, there is no such thing, but I agree it would be exciting if such a discovery was made.”
“It all sounds like sm
oke and mirrors. Nothing with a solid foundation.”
Relief poured over me as I realized she didn’t believe it was possible.
Lady Berkum shrugged. “However, there have been so many advances in science in the short time I’ve been alive. Perhaps we will live to see something like that someday.”
I nodded. “Perhaps, but wouldn’t that make you a little nervous? Not knowing who had access to it and was invisible. You could be watched, or stalked, or even assassinated without any protection whatsoever. No, I don’t think it would be a good idea to have something like that.”
Lady Berkum nodded. “True. It would make more trouble than it would be worth. Perhaps it is best to stick with what we know and not look into the fantasies people dream up.”
“I completely agree.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
Hypnosis
“Marcus?” I asked later in our office as he sat on the couch.
“Yes?” He looked up from his tablet.
“How do you recall all the information you’ve read? Do you do anything specific to bring it to mind? Or does it happen naturally because of your Talent?”
Marcus put his tablet on his lap and pursed his lips for a moment. It was a simple action, but it drew my attention immediately and I had to force myself to look at his eyes instead of his lips.
“For me, I think of the information I want, take a few minutes to recall the variety of places I read it or learned anything about it, and search my memory. Most things can come to the forefront of my mind that way. Other times I remember the location I found the information in and can go directly to the source to pull what I need.”
“If I asked you to tell me something you skimmed over once, could you recall it?”
Marcus nodded. “Eventually, but not immediately.”
“Do you think it’s possible for someone without your Talent to remember specifics of a skimmed document?”
“Why?” Marcus leaned forward, resting one arm on the side of the couch.
“I read the formula. I know there are different ingredients. Some from each inhabited planet in our galaxy. I don’t need to know the exact amounts, but if I don’t know what came from each planet, then when I meet with those who are coming to solidify their trade agreements, I won’t be able to see if someone is requesting something they shouldn’t. Or knows more than what they should. Three things came from Rommader. Most of the other planets only had one ingredient. But I’m drawing a blank on which one besides Dempka had two items.”
“You could try to do it by meditation. Or hypnosis.” He leaned back. “Have you ever been hypnotized to help you recall information?”
I shook my head.
“Would you like me to try?”
“What would you do?”
“I need to put you in a state of deep concentration. Where you are still coherent enough you can remember what you read, but be able to let all other thoughts leave your mind.”
I nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
Marcus smiled. “Get comfortable and follow my instructions as I speak.” He stood and motioned for me to sit on the couch he just vacated.
I sat down, feeling the warmth of his body heat remaining in the leather cushions.
“Lay back and relax. Close your eyes and listen to my voice.”
I obeyed, willing to listen to his deep velvety voice speak nonstop. I shifted my skirt to make sure it covered my legs after the bulk of it fell off the front of the couch. My heels interfered with allowing my body to stretch out fully. I kicked them off and wiggled my toes, enjoying the freedom they were given.
The sound of a chair scraping across the hardwood floor reached my ears and I knew he was close to me. The temptation to peek was great, but I kept my eyes closed and listened to his movements. His breath was slow and steady and I tried to match mine to his.
“Now, relax and take a few slow breaths.” He breathed in as an example, counting softly through the inhales and exhales.
A shiver ran across my skin, starting at my neck down the right arm until it rested in my fingertips. Was that something to do with the hypnosis, or was I reacting to being this close and vulnerable next to Marcus? I forced the thoughts of him out of my mind, but as he continued to count softly, the only thing I could think about was his mouth, moving slowly over the words.
His kiss on my hand on various occasions as we interacted these last few weeks gave me sure knowledge of their softness.
I knew they would be gentle and warm on my own and let myself imagine the feel of them pressing against my lips.
I sat up quickly, staring at him in shock. Marcus looked for what had startled me, standing ready to protect me from some unseen danger. I clutched my hand to my heart, trying to still it from the confusing desires. I hoped he couldn’t feel anything from me through our bond. I tried to focus on him, to feel if anything came through the oath bond from him, but he just seemed confused.
“What is it?”
I shook my head. How could I possibly explain that he was the one that frightened me? I wanted him and I couldn’t have him, yet it was my own fault.
“Did you have a vision or dream?” Marcus asked.
I blinked. It wasn’t that, was it? No, I had been fully conscious. I knew it was just my own imagination. I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, Marcus. I don’t know what it was. Perhaps I’m still too keyed up over everything.”
He nodded and sat back down. “Would you like to continue?”
I leaned back on the couch and shifted until I could get comfortable, but my emotions were still in turmoil. As he began again, I forced myself to only hear his words. To not feel a thing tied to the sounds. Soon I felt myself drift into an in-between state I had rarely found myself in before.
Marcus led me through the thoughts, encouraging me to visualize the paper I held as I had read the formula. To remember the sounds in the room at the time, to enhance the smells associated with the paper and the open safe. He walked me through where I’d been sitting as I read the formula. What I had thought when I first realized what the paper contained.
As he continued speaking, the page became clear in my mind. A momentary panic rose in my thoughts, but I allowed the soft cadence of Marcus’s words to bring me back into calmness. I could see the exact ingredients. The amounts, the order, the locations they came from. I read over the words on the paper in my mind.
One thing stood out to me, looking slightly off. I leaned closer in my memory searching for what seemed wrong, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what stood out to me.
I started at the top of the remembered page and searched through the list again and again until it clicked. The measurements were off on two ingredients.
My mind’s eye focused on a third ingredient needed to stabilize them. A memory of a science experiment gone wrong was nearly as vivid as a vision.
A small laboratory just off the classroom my tutors instructed me in had been shut down for weeks after an explosion when I had grabbed the wrong chemical and added it to the solution. If my science tutor hadn’t been quick to recognize the danger, I could have been severely burned.
Why would the formula call for those two ingredients together and be missing the proper stabilizer to make the chemical reaction safe? Surely Dr. Salb and Dr. Nye would know they couldn’t be combined in those quantities. They oversaw my education in the field of science and had drilled into me the importance of the right materials after my explosion.
Why did the formula have those faults in it? Had the scientists given it to my father that way on purpose? Had they put it in as a fail-safe?
I opened my eyes and turned to Marcus. A slow grin spreading across my face. He blinked at me in surprise.
“What?” His eyebrow rose as he watched me relax slightly.
“We might not have the problem we thought we did.”
Chapter Twenty Nine
Point of Loss
Marshal’s eyes were red rimmed and he waver
ed as he stood in front of me. I rushed to him and took his hand, leading him to Marcus’s couch. I paged Marcus to join us, but knew it would take a while before he arrived.
“What’s happened?”
Marshal shook his head. “Delilah.”
“Is she dead?” Speaking the possibility hurt my soul and I prayed the answer was no.
Marshal closed his eyes. “Not yet. I felt her again this morning. I don’t know if she can handle much more of what was done to her. I felt it start an hour ago. I almost passed out from the pain. If I’m feeling that much across our bond, she must be in agony.”
I took Marshal into my arms and hugged him tight. I loved her dearly and cried with him at the thought of someone abusing Delilah so much. She’d acted as my mother for my time on Earth and was such a help to me as my personal aide before and after we Traveled.
“Could you tell anything about her possible location?” I asked when he had control over his emotions enough to speak. It felt as if he was crying for Delilah’s pain as well.
Marshal leaned back against the couch and shook his head. “We can’t communicate anything across the soul bond besides emotions. Our bond doesn’t show me her location. Not like what Jai and Holly seemed to do. I can’t tell anything of what she sees or hears unless it’s enough to bring about an emotional response.”
“Do you know anything about distance?” I asked. “She’s still close by, isn’t she?”
Marshal rubbed his hands across his face, looking like he wanted to pull the pain away from his mind. “I know she’s still on this side of the continent. She could be here in the city, or she could be hundreds of miles away. I only know she’s not gone past the point of loss.”
“Point of loss?” I asked.
“Where we feel like we’ve lost part of ourselves. It’s what we called it.”
No wonder they were so adamant that Jai could not leave Earth after he’d soul bonded with Holly. “We’ll find her. They’ll want her alive. She knows where to find the one thing they need that they can’t get anywhere else.”
Beyond Orion Page 17