He gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “Put on boots. We will talk on way to training field. On the way to the training field.”
Moments later they stepped out onto the paved corridor that ran in front of the guest quarters, Garfield on their heels. What would happen when Phillip was more stable? Would he be moved? If he was going to be here for the rest of his life, wouldn’t they want to have him in a more permanent area? Or maybe they simply didn’t want him among the general population until he had been separated from the crystal or cleansed or something.
What would happen to her? Would she be here forever? Would they actually let her go when Phillip was stable? The wording on the final agreement was ambiguous, but it was at least better than the “you have to stay forever” that had first been told to her. Though it was really the same sentiment, wasn’t it? Just in political-agreement speak.
“Stop thinking, Blue.” Levi’s words broke into the circles of her thoughts. “A solution will be found, and you will be able to go home.” He spoke slowly but clearly. “I have spoken to the Chief Elder. Your presence is just... insurance.”
She glanced at him sharply. Despite his words, his tone was anything but reassuring. “You are already home.” If there was some resentment in that statement, she couldn’t be blamed. He was home, where he wanted to be. Her life had been hijacked.
“Yes.” His strides lengthened, and she had to hurry to keep up.
Well, good going to me. You managed to piss off the un-piss-off-able one.
Blue kept her silence as they made their way down the main corridor of the guest area. It was fairly deserted, with the occasional guard on a corner. The guards assigned to accompany Phillip weren’t in evidence. He must have been in one of his sessions with the elders. She did catch a glimpse of Trevon hanging back about twenty feet. He wasn’t being particularly subtle about following them.
They came up to an intersection. Another building, the same one-story-motel configuration as where she was housed, stretched out across from them. A Prizzoli exited, pulling the door shut behind him. At least, she thought it was a Prizzoli. His skin was lighter, more of a bronze, and though his clothing was cut in the same way as Levi’s, the colors were muted greens, browns, and ochres. His dark hair was braided, and feathers—or maybe it was leaves—were tied here and there. He whistled, and an animal came out to stand next to him.
It was a dog... sort of. Its limbs were long—too long for its body—with a mantle of fur over its shoulders. And it was green. In fact, it matched the plains they’d passed through on the way to the village and that currently surrounded them.
Garfield let out an inquiring chirp, and the hound’s head twisted to them. Levi stopped.
The other Prizzoli turned to face them. She couldn’t read his expression from across the street, but a definite tension filled the air, a weight that was palpable. The man and hound both held their heads high, surveying her. Garfield let out another inquiring chirp, though she did not get any warning from his thoughts, only curiosity.
After what was probably only a few seconds, but felt like much longer, the man bowed his head, turned, and strode off, the hound at his side. Garfield started forward, his curiosity stronger.
“Wait.” Blue sent both the word and the sentiment to the cub, hoping he would listen to her. He paused in the middle of the corridor and twisted back to face her, trilling an inquiry. “Maybe later, if they are still here, okay?” She spoke as if he could understand her. He probably did. He trotted over to her, his short tail held high. He let out another trill and looked at Levi, a hint of impatience overlaying the curiosity.
Well, if Garfield said so...
“Training fields?” Blue said.
Levi tore his gaze from the retreating back of the other Prizzoli and nodded. They continued on, turning left at the intersection.
Needing to think about something, anything, except her own situation, Blue started in with her questions. “So, what was that all about? And what is the deal with no toilet paper? Of course, now that I think on it, it’s probably stranger that there even was toilet paper on Karran than it is that there is none here…”
Levi slowed slightly, allowing her to easily keep pace. “The man was a member of the Forank Troop. They are very good hunters from the... south. He must be an—” Levi cut off, frustration leaking into his tone. He switched to Common. “He is an advance scout. He is here to secure quarters for his troop and prepare for their arrival. In fact,” his tone turned musing, “the Pora troop should have taken over a couple of months ago. But the Kalder are still here. Not all are happy with the change in the pattern.”
They exited the visitor area, and the difference was immediate. More people, taller buildings. The doors each had a distinct symbol on it, some large and ornate. Here and there, windows bore areas of colorful, mirrored glass, reflecting rainbows of color onto the stone walls. A light breeze carried a simple melody, a woman singing as she worked, maybe.
Overall, it was a peaceful place, a lovely prison. It was probably exactly what Phillip needed.
A woman passed them, hurrying to a tall building on the corner. A cough wracked her, and she stopped, bent over until the attack subsided. Her jacket hung on her, her shoulders stooped within the fabric. She pulled in a shallow breath and let it out slowly. Levi and Blue passed her just as she opened the door to the building. Men and women sat in rows against the wall, some with injuries, others pale, coughing, or curled in their seats.
“Hospital?” Blue asked.
Levi steered her to the right at the next intersection. “Yes. They are busy right now.”
“Is that usual?” She looked over her shoulder at the building. It was one of the only ones with no windows. In fact, the only one she had seen with a similar construction was the elders’.
“It happen. Happens. Sickness always comes in...” He skimmed his hand through the air.
“Waves?” Blue guessed.
He nodded.
A few minutes later they reached an open area that was fenced off on all four sides and further separated into different activities—the same one they’d passed through the night before, though they were approaching from a different direction. Groups of Prizzoli, many dressed in the coats of the guards, were working with staves, knifes, and mini-crossbows. Mental note: figure out what to call mini-crossbows.
One group, clad only in shirts and loose pants, stood in a grid, moving together, flowing from one position to another. An older guard walked among them, correcting a hand here and foot there, and once he actually grabbed a guard’s knee and shoulder and pushed, twisting the man into something that didn’t look possible. When the guard took his stance again, though, there was a difference, a poise he hadn’t had, that Blue only realized had been missing now that it was there.
It was fascinating and different from the krav maga lessons she had taken. “Is that what we’re doing?” she asked, pointing.
“Yes. It is the kiti. We will do this for now. Everyday. Maybe more.” He indicated the area where people were working with knives. “When I am done with cleansing, I try—I will try to get more time to work with you, within my own duties.”
Right. Levi had duties, now that he was home. Better learn to let go. He wasn’t ever yours, Blue. She would keep beating herself over the head until it finally sank in. He wasn’t hers. Nor was Felix. They had been pretending for the sake of their hunt for Phillip. She hadn’t even kissed either one, nor did she know if they were even remotely interested in making something real of it. And why are you thinking of this now? Rein it in.
Levi gestured her toward a corner of the kiti practice area. Removing his coat and placing it over a short bench, he revealed a loose shirt like those the other guards wore. Next he pulled off his boots and indicated she should do the same. Garfield perched on the edge of the bench and studied the proceedings.
Standing across from her, he assumed an easy stance, feet apart, knees slightly bent, and arms by his sides. “N
ow,” he said. “Follow me.”
Blue tried. She really did. She had a feeling she looked a bit like a stork that suffered from epilepsy, but she tried. At one point she was able to shut out the whispers and looks that were surely directed their way.
Levi fell into the movements easily. He started with simply showing her, allowing her to follow along behind him. Then he faced her and mirrored the movements. A pattern emerged. Twice he stopped to correct her, but for the most part he simply let her be.
When the sun was overhead, a low tone rang out. The guards currently in the training areas gathered their belongings and left, heading deeper into the village. New guards entered and dispersed to the various areas.
Levi, too, headed for his coat and boots, so Blue did the same. Slipping on her boots, she enjoyed the comfortable silence. Working with Levi really had allowed her mind to still. There were still things to figure out and to make sense of, but they were no longer chasing themselves like manic squirrels. One thought did remain at the forefront.
“So, about that toilet paper.”
Levi smiled. “I will show you how to use the bathroom.”
She glared up at him. “Not what I meant.” Then she noticed the lift of his brow, the tilt of his head. “Are you teasing me?” Felix and Forrest were rubbing off on everyone, it seemed.
“Yes,” he said, grinning at her for a half second before his face fell into stoic lines.
Chapter 7
FELIX
Felix kept his gaze focused on the wood in his hands. His “guide” hovering nearby, he leaned against the stone of the front wall of the guest dining hall. The building was on the border between the guest quarter of the village and the more populated market square.
The shape was coming slowly. He wanted to get it just right. A piquet cub, barely the width of his palm, with a fierce snarl, claws extended, crouched to spring. He wanted to capture the paradox of fluffy and deadly.
A new group of Prizzoli filtered from the dining hall, gathering in the street ten or so feet from Felix. He flicked his eyes to them, capturing the scene in a glance before placing his attention once again on his fingers.
He hadn’t seen these particular men yet, though that didn’t mean much. Prizzoli from various troops had begun to slowly filter into the village. Adding these to his mental list to flag for the videos, he made another cut with his knife, a small curl of wood shavings joining its fellows at his feet. The Prizzoli moved on, talking low amongst themselves as they headed deeper into the village.
Frustration had him blowing out a short breath, and he paused in his carving. The Prizzoli didn’t have much wood, and the few pieces he’d convinced his guide to procure for him should not be wasted. He’d completed two so far. One was smaller than this—a nightbird, wings unfurled—the other a quorin bearing a distinct resemblance to Blue’s Beast, which he had given to her two nights before.
He’d used the disruptor on the surveillance. It was foolish to use it for such a reason when the more they were used the more likely the Prizzoli were to figure out something was going on. But three days into the new routine he had needed to do something for Blue. Now that she had a way to keep up with the rest of the group, she had been diligent about checking in and sending messages, questions, and thoughts. Some of these he didn’t understand, and he suspected Zeynar’s translation program had yet to catch up with the idiomatic and slang phrases of her region on Earth.
One of them had stuck in his mind, though. Something about a fish in a bowl, but then there was a side note about a magnifying lens. Then the last line. I know you’re not far, but I miss you guys.
The vague promises from the Chief Elder that they could visit Blue, even under supervision, or join her in her training with Levi had not come to fruition. They had tried a few times, but when they were turned away, Mo’ata had deemed it best not to push too hard, at least not until they had gathered more pieces of the puzzle, as Blue had put it in one of her messages.
Felix smiled, recalling her reaction when he had gone to her window and left his newest creation. Creeping farther into the fields outside the guest quarters, he had taken a position that would allow him to still see her face, but remain well hidden. Then he’d sent her a message, separate from the group.
Check your window.
He’d felt a moment of trepidation. What was he doing? A man didn’t leave gifts for a woman unless they were family or he was courting her. And a carving of a mount? Not the most romantic. It was a bad gift.
Then she had come to the window. He could see her silhouetted against the golden light of her room. She’d retrieved the carving, rotating it in her hands and running her fingers over it as a smile bloomed on her face. Then she’d wiped her cheeks, and his chest had tightened. Had he made her cry? But she was still smiling. She’d left the window, and a few seconds later his comm had pinged.
It’s perfect. And you’re sneaky. Thank you.
His assigned guide shifted and straightened. Felix’s attention sharpened, though he didn’t look up from his carving, as three elders crossed from the market quarter into the guest quarter. The crimson robes of the Chief Elder stood out, even among the colorful clothing of the other Prizzoli, and her uncovered white hair shone like a beacon. She moved well for a person of such advanced age.
Felix let them pass, beginning the detailing on the piquet’s fur. He wanted to depict the pattern accurately. Garfield—a strange name—had a faint spot just between his eyes and another on his left paw that were missing on Vivi. It would be tricky; he had to get the depth just right or the spots would appear as holes and not simple markings.
When the elders reached the next intersection, he brushed off some stray wood dust, folded his knife, and pocketed both it and the carving. He would finish it later. Pushing away from the dining hall, he started down the street, heading to his rooms. If that took him in the same direction as the elders, well…
His “guide” followed behind, and Felix had to appreciate the irony of that. They were no longer even trying to appear as other than they were—guards. Watchdogs.
Jailors.
At the intersection, he paused, looking both ways, and spotted the elders as they crossed into the residential area. A large building, their version of the healers, stood in the distance. The bright robes of the elders disappeared inside.
It was the first time he had seen them among the people, even on their collected surveillance videos. Blue had relayed what Levi had told her, that there had been more illness than usual. Part of the puzzle? He filed the observation away and continued on.
BLUE
Blue groaned, leaned back in her seat, and stretched her arms over her head, trying to loosen the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders. Her comm sat on the table before her, the symbols blurring and running together. A half-eaten plate of meat, bread, and beige pasty stuff—which wasn’t bad—sat to one side. Garfield lounged on the bed, his paws up in the air. An occasional grumble came from his direction, and his thoughts were filled with gentle drowsiness and images of the hopping bugs that gathered at night. They were not small and cute, and Blue had found more than one in the bed.
In the bed, on the pillow, in her boots, in the shower, under her chair, in her chair.
At least the cubs are doing well.
She’d taken to leaving the window cracked, allowing Garfield to come and go as he pleased. He stayed with her a majority of the time, but she knew not all the bugs she had found had made their way into her room by accident.
It had been five days. Five days. Five horrible days filled with... nothing. Well, not nothing. There was the time she spent on the training field with Levi and Phillip’s visits—the highlight and low-point of each day. Other than that…
She was bored. Her own thoughts and worries could only keep her busy for so long. Those had kept her occupied the first day. Then she had gotten the first round of surveillance footage from the cameras and a message from Trevon.
Happy sortin
g. Your turn now. Let me know if you find anything interesting.
She suspected he was testing her. There was no way the man would leave it all on her, would trust her to find… whatever it was they needed to find. He was surely combing through himself, as were the others. Which was fine with her; the more eyes on it the better.
Despite there not being much to find, Blue had found herself glued to the screen. She had even neglected the language program Mo’ata had given her, though she really did need to tackle that as well. She had at least remembered to have the tablet there with her and a notebook with some quick scribbles so anyone checking on her would see them and assume she was doing exactly what she had told the elders she would be doing.
She realized that the brief lessons she’d received hadn’t covered even half of the basics of the Prizzoli culture. Though reserved around her and the other guys, when alone among themselves, they were animated and bright and conversations involved wide gestures and emphatic movements. Rarely was a child caught on the footage, but whenever one appeared, there were several adults accompanying it. Celebrations with music and dancing popped up every few days, and she could see no reason for them other than a sheer need to express themselves. From what she had observed, the men were in charge of day-to-day operations, though the Chief Elder was a woman. The women handled the households, cooking and cleaning. She suspected there was more to it than that, but she could only go off of what she could see.
After the fourth day, the footage had gotten routine enough she only skimmed. There were a few incidents she flagged for Trevon to review, specifically altercations between what she thought were different troops of the Prizzoli. Levi’s comment had alerted her, and now she saw it. Not everyone was pleased with the decision to suspend the guard replacements and troop rotations. Or at least they weren’t happy about something. That wasn’t all she had flagged, but again, she wasn’t sure what was useful. She’d counted twelve people entering the hospital-like building and only seven leaving. One man, his arm wrapped in a cloth that blood was quickly soaking through, had to be carried in.
For a Pixie in Blue (The Adventures of Blue Faust Book 4) Page 9