WhiteWing

by Connie Suttle

  Kay had come, too, to witness the Avii prejudice against outsiders.

  I was thankful the Sirenali hadn't been brought to this meeting; they'd have thought their old torturers had arisen to make them suffer anew.

  Terrett stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders as Gurnil and Ordin presented my case. I was shaking too badly to do it for myself. Lafe was nearby, sending mindspeech now and then to comfort me as another guild master presented his case against those who needed help.

  Even with offers from SouthStar to provide assistance in the way of funds and other necessities, the guild masters were sure that the disruption of their lives by these strangers wasn't worth the risk—they could be criminals, or turn into criminals.

  The guild masters had met before the King's Council, and decided the case before any argument was given on behalf of the Sirenali.

  "Don't worry, I expected as much," Ashe appeared next to me. I blinked up at him. Had he been there all along?

  "Yes," he answered my unspoken question, while Farisa kept railing at Justis against those who needed our help. "They can't see or hear me—only you and Kay have that privilege at the moment. It's strange, actually, that people who believe in the gods can't seem to believe that those same gods may be watching them in moments like these."

  "Do you think some of them still believe in Liron?"

  "Perhaps. That no longer matters. What matters is when they deliberately choose to mistreat another, who has done nothing to them."

  "One of my lost feathers is growing back dark," I confessed and dropped my eyes to stare at the floor. I have no idea why that erupted from my lips, although it had concerned me ever since I'd noticed it.

  "It is not growing back dark, Quin. It is growing back red—as will your other feathers. It is a gift—from the Guardian of the Avii."

  Ashe disappeared as I dropped to my knees and wept with joy. Lafe and Terrett were beside me immediately. The others there imagined I wept for the Sirenali. I had—and would—weep for them. For now, I wept for myself.

  * * *

  Cloudsong, Seven Years Past

  Zaria

  I'd searched the ASD records to arrive at this date and time.

  Marid of Belancour, already suffering from poison sickness (as was the planet beneath his feet), shouted at his eldest son, Morid.

  Terrett huddled in a corner of the abandoned castle ruins, waiting for Marid to finish what he was doing.

  A large crate, filled with leaking containment spheres, stood at the center of the broken stone floor.

  Those spheres were the cache Marid would hide—the ones he intended to return to, in order to continue selling the filth.

  Lining the top of the box were the bones from an entire Sirenali skeleton.

  "Father, the ASD is here," Morid hissed. "Give yourself up and beg for leniency. Surrendering to them is preferable to capture, torture and death at Cayetes' hand."

  "Surrender yourself. I don't intend to hand myself over to the ASD or those criminals," Marid snapped. "I have another place to go and plans to carry out. I care not what you and the rest of my family do."

  "They are weary of running from the ASD, and even more weary of looking for Cayetes' thugs at every turn," Morid said. "They have no guilt in this matter."

  "But you do," Marid's eyes narrowed. "Do you wish to die at the Vampire Queen's hands? She hates us still, you know."

  "If you'd been honest at the beginning," Morid pointed out.

  "Faugh, what would that have gotten us? We'd be dead."

  "Cloudsong might have lived." Morid swept a hand out to encompass the husk of what Cloudsong had become, due to his father's incompetence and interference.

  "How was I to know the bastard warlock would tap the core?"

  "Give up, Father. Ask for mercy from the Founder, then. It will keep Cayetes away."

  "He believes everything that witch tells him. She was a witch, you know, before she was vampire. That's why her son sits the throne of Karathia."

  "We don't have time to discuss lineage," Morid complained. "They are getting close. They've already tripped my two outer sensing spells."

  I realized at that moment that I had little time. Marid was about to leave and take the containment spheres with him. Taking a deep breath, I did what I'd come to do.

  "Then stay and face their justice," Marid said. "I'm leaving. Come, Geng," Marid motioned for Terrett to follow him while pulling a leather bag into his arms. "Good luck, Son. I hope you live past sundown."

  Marid, the crate and Terrett disappeared.

  As did I.

  * * *

  Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis

  Lissa

  "You rescued us." A kidnap victim sat beside me on the swing in the arboretum.

  "I only followed up on someone else's lead," I said. "Two who were with me paid the price for your freedom."

  "Odgun of Mildenis," he held out a hand. I took it. "Does the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis often involve herself in rescue efforts?" he asked as we shook. "I've never heard of such. Most leaders I know send someone else."

  "I do when it's necessary," I said. "It's not often necessary, nowadays."

  "Most of us had given up hope," he said.

  "I know."

  "I thank you for allowing us to communicate with our families. We all understand how this rescue must be kept secret, as our kidnapper still lives."

  "I'm hoping that won't be for much longer," I said. "Until then, we can't leak this information."

  "I'm grateful for everything you've done. My family says that you were able to remove half my wealth and hand it back to them, all while pretending it had been stolen by pirates."

  "That's true," I smiled at him. "Your kidnapper has focused his anger on them—and a few others, I imagine. He's not the forgiving type, either."

  "I know that well enough," Ogdun snorted. "We watched several of our fellow victims die because of it."

  "I know. We've notified their families—discreetly, of course.

  "I'm sorry about those two deaths. Who were they? Soldiers from your guard, perhaps?"

  "Distant relatives," I sighed.

  "My condolences for your loss, Lady."

  * * *

  Command Ship Slayer, Destroyer Class

  V'ili

  "Order him to speak the truth," spittle flew from Vardil's mouth as I gripped the navigator's uniform in my fist, my eyes locking with his.

  "No," the navigator whined. He knew the damage my obsession would do.

  "Speak. The. Truth," I hissed at him.

  "Paricos I has been destroyed," he parroted the message received from the one remaining sat-bot. "Our spy-bot tapped into the nearest Alliance Science Vessel and confirms."

  I let him drop to the floor, where he lay in a heap.

  "Weir," Vardil's eyes were hard as he gazed at me. "I don't know how, but he's behind this."

  "It must have been by accident," I said. "We were invisible to any who came looking."

  "Accident or betrayal, I no longer care," Vardil snapped. "Weir will receive a taste of his own medicine. How close are we to Paricos II?"

  "We will be within firing range in a few moments," the ship's captain replied.

  "Get me as close as you can; I wish to see his compound blown to bits before the rest of the planet follows."

  "What about," I began.

  "My friend, you offered something of yourself to create those clones. Scientists we can find and pay. I regret the additional pain, but it must be done."

  "I will endure it," I said. "I wish to see Paricos II die."

  * * *

  Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis

  Lissa

  "You mean Weir finally got off his ass and started the war?" I asked.

  "I got word from Dragon to that effect," Tony acknowledged. "Here, we have a camera placed on the ramparts if you want to see," Tony placed a comp-vid on my desk. "You can zoom in and out, or move the camera with," he reached in to touch the button.r />
  "I know how," I slapped his hand. "Wow, Dragon and my boys are doing damage."

  "Let me see," Tony came around my desk to watch as five dragons flew over Weir's army, blowing fire and crisping everything in their path.

  "There's Kordevik," Tony pointed off to the side. Kory was busy tossing a vehicle at a line of other vehicles. It exploded when it hit and began to burn, causing others it had landed on to explode and burn, too.

  "What's Lexsi doing?" I gripped the comp-vid in both hands.

  "She's sucking up the fire," Tony said. "I don't believe it. Wouldn't it be better to just let those things burn—oh my God."

  Lexsi had released her fire, burning everything within a quarter-mile radius.

  "That's my granddaughter," I said proudly.

  "Wait," I whispered and stood immediately.

  "No!" I shouted as my skin itched and burned so badly I wanted to claw it from my body. The screen had gone from clear to gray and then black.

  Paricos II had just been destroyed.

  * * *

  Command Ship Slayer, Destroyer Class

  V'ili

  "Fire again," Vardil chortled.

  "What?" I said.

  The envelope just dropped in my lap—from nothing. My name was clearly written on the front.

  Someone would die for playing this joke. I clawed the envelope open and withdrew the message.

  Are you familiar with Liffel's Proverb? the message read.

  "Liffel's Proverb?" I said aloud.

  "Oh, it's that stupid saying about things going wrong," Vardil waved away my concern. "I said fire again," he demanded.

  The crew fired our ranos cannon. What was left of Paricos II blew up.

  And outward.

  "Get us out of here," I shouted.

  Chapter 18

  Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis

  Lissa

  When I lifted my head from my desk after spending the last fifteen minutes crying my eyes out, I found Bree, Charles and Ashe sitting together on my sofa.

  "There will be a ceremony at SouthStar in three days," Ashe said.

  "But," I begged Bree with my eyes to make this right.

  To bring everybody back.

  "Not my job," she said.

  I wanted to strangle her.

  "Three days," Ashe repeated. "Bring Devarr with you, and any others who wish to come. Trace will transport your party."

  All three disappeared.

  * * *

  Avii Castle, Avendor

  Quin

  "The reports say that Cayetes and V'ili are dead, but I won't believe it until I see a body," Justis fumed.

  He was angry.

  Extremely angry.

  Many of those lost on Paricos II were his friends—and mine.

  Lissa lost mates, children and grandchildren. Ilya was gone. Kooper was gone. Bleek—gone. We hadn't told Barc yet—the pain was too raw.

  "The ceremony is tomorrow," Justis turned away from the view off his balcony and frowned at me.

  "I know. Justis?"

  "What?"

  "Do you think Zaria was there with them? At the end?"

  "I don't know." Justis turned back to his view of the river and countless groves of gishi trees.

  What will we do without them? I sent.

  I don't know.

  * * *

  Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis

  Lissa

  "Ready?" Trace appeared in the library, where my group waited. Gavril and Ry stood at my side. If somebody wanted to thin the ranks of my mates and relatives, they'd done a spectacular job.

  Devarr was nearby, looking guilty as hell.

  Perhaps he should.

  Hulce's device had no doubt allowed Cayetes to bring his fleet to Carek Prime without anyone knowing.

  Word had it that Cayetes and V'ili were dead.

  If they weren't, I was prepared to hunt them myself, to make them pay for their sins.

  I was ready to sharpen my claws and go after them.

  The envelope dropped from above and landed on my head before floating to the floor.

  Zaria.

  Trace, who watched as it fell, lifted an eyebrow as I leaned down to snatch the note from the Serendaan carpet at my feet.

  With a slightly extended claw, I slit the envelope open.

  Smile, Mom, the message read. All is not lost.

  Travis and Trent.

  * * *

  BlackWing VIII

  Captain Meric

  "There soon," Nenzi, the helmsman of BlackWing I, informed me. I was coming to appreciate his abbreviated speech. We'd been traveling for three days—from wherever it was we'd been flung to when Paricos II exploded.

  "How it feel to be legit?" Nenzi's voice came through clearly on the com.

  "I feel like a free man—for the first time in my life," I replied.

  "That good. Turn new page. We fight together, now."

  "Has anyone seen Zaria?" I asked.

  She'd gotten me out of Weir's clutches. Without her help, I'd be dead.

  "Not see. Not know where."

  "That's too bad. I wanted to thank her."

  "You and others."

  He was right. There at the last, just as things began to disintegrate around us, all eight of the BlackWing ships had been packed full with Tamp's army from the surface, and the ships flung to the far reaches of the universe.

  Three days at our best speed it took, to get where Nenzi led us.

  "Where are we going? I've never been in this part of space before," I said.

  "Avendor. You see. May not want to leave," he chuckled.

  "Where the gishi fruit is grown?"

  "Yes. Kifirin grows other. Avendor first."

  "Good enough," I leaned back in my chair and relaxed for the first time in days. I hoped the gishi fruit was in season. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted—next to freedom.

  * * *

  Avii Castle, Avendor

  Lissa

  Trace dropped us in the huge bowl at the center of Avii Castle. Still clutching the note in my hands, I looked about me. "Those are new," Corent made his way through my crowd to stand beside me.

  Trust him to notice the new gardens and groves within the bowl while I was distracted.

  This note—did it mean? I slapped it against my palm in irritation. I wanted answers and I wanted them now.

  "All the Avii have been commanded to come," Bree appeared at my side. "They'll be here in a few."

  I guess if you could fly in from wherever you were, it wasn't such a big deal. No crowds would be jostling along in hallways or down steps to get to the bowl.

  "What is this?" I held the note in front of Bree's face.

  "Looks like an envelope."

  An impish grin lit her face—I'd seldom seen her smile before.

  "You know what I meant," I said. Hell, she could read everything about me in a single glance.

  "It's Hope. Love. Strength. Wisdom. Guardianship."

  "Here they come," Charles appeared beside Bree and placed an arm around her.

  He meant the Avii. Wings of all colors filled the air as they flew in and landed. I noticed—for the first time, perhaps—that the wing colors tended to band together on the ground.

  Front and center was Farisa and the other Brown Wings. The Black Wings that remained waited near the base of the castle—Justis would enter from there with Quin. Gurnil and Ordin arrived together; Blue Wing and Green Wing—their friendship had been long and loyal.

  Yellow Wings had left their chores and kitchen duties behind to attend. Their talk and whispers filled the bowl.

  "What kind of ceremony is this?" I asked, frowning at my sister.

  "You'll see," Ashe arrived with Kay at his side. "We only need the Avii King and Queen to arrive."

  * * *

  Quin

  "Are you ready, my love?" Justis asked.

  A Yellow Wing had helped me dress that morning—I wasn't feeling well, although a visit from Ordi
n and Kevis assured me that the baby was fine.

  "You look beautiful," Justis assured me. I didn't feel beautiful. My clothes were, but I felt like a fraud in them.

  Instead of attending the ceremony, I wished to go to the tent hospital and visit the Sirenali.

  I felt as if I could help them, which in turn might serve to make me feel less helpless in the face of recent events.

  They are waiting on your arrival, dearest. Mindspeech came from Daragar. Until then, I hadn't known he was coming.

  Many Larentii are here, he replied, as if reading my thoughts. Nefrigar is holding young Barc, and Valegar is holding Liron, so they will see and hear everything.

  We're coming. I couldn't keep the weariness and depression from my mindspeech.

  I'm bringing her, Justis' mindspeech informed Daragar and me. Until then, I hadn't realized he'd been included in Daragar's messages.

  For a brief moment, as Justis lifted me in his arms, I recalled the first time he'd carried me.

  Then, I'd had little in the way of feathers.

  With the molting, I felt almost the same way.

  "I love you," I told Justis as he made me comfortable in his embrace. "I've loved you since the first time you carried me."

  "I felt as if you belonged in my arms even then, my love." Justis kissed me.

  Come on, time's wasting, a familiar voice entered my head. My eyes, which had closed with the kiss, flew open and I gazed in wonder at Justis, who'd obviously heard the same thing.

  A happy sob escaped—Bleek was alive.

  * * *

  Lissa

  The moment Justis and Quin arrived, a flower-covered dais rose from the grass at Justis' feet. He carried Quin up three steps and settled her on one of two ornate chairs that appeared from nothing.

  Ashe, Bree and Charles had planned this carefully—that was evident.

  The volume of conversation at my back suddenly increased. I turned quickly, to see that the crowd of Avii was parting—much like a sea of feathers might.

  Like the others around me, I couldn't hold back a gasp. Kiarra, Adam and Merrill came as the giant unicorn, gryphon and snow leopard they could become. Dragon, his sons and grandsons strode in behind them, leading what looked to be a procession.

  Behind them came Ilya, Rigo, Halimel, Bleek, Turtle, Flyer and the others who'd volunteered to go to Paricos II.

  By that time, tears were running down my cheeks—happy tears. As they came closer, Drake and Drew winked at me.