by F. F. John
No longer as angry as she was a second ago, she faces me, a pitying smile on her lips. “Invier, I’m tired of trying to convince you that I love you. Someday, you’ll realize the people who get the farthest in this life of ours are those who have learned to interpret those shades of gray I mentioned earlier. I’m one of them, and you’re clearly not.”
“And I never want to be,” I retort. Neith, the girl I have loved since the first day I saw her, is no longer the girl I knew. The girl I met that day is gone. I’ve been too blind to see it.
I think back to our first meeting. She’d glowered at all the shoes presented by the shopping assistants. Then I spoke to her. A stupid joke that fell flat on my ears but somehow, made her grin and my heart was hers. “I rather focus on the important things in life not what others think.”
“Oh, you’re so perfect, aren’t you, Invier?” Despite the anger displayed by her raised shoulders, she sounds calm. “You who haven’t given Adela an answer to her offer? You’re considering it, aren’t you?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” I question with raised hands. “Since my love wasn’t enough for you, shouldn’t I also want some of your wealth? Nome above all, right? How else can I make these last few days count for something?”
I never knew I could be so harsh. Particularly to Neith. It’s a bitter experience for me.
Raised eyebrows and an audibly sharp intake of air registers her surprise at my words. She stares at me, the hazel-gray of her eyes shrouded by the clouds overhead, then she takes off through the flower tunnel.
Chapter Forty-Four
Neith
Jumbled thoughts jostle as my feet slap the ground and it doesn’t matter that I’m blinded by my tears. I’ve got to get away from … him. How could he say those things to me? My heart tightens and I struggle to fill my lungs.
Wiping tears, I’m relieved to arrive at the main mansion that houses Father’s living quarters, that is until I look in a window. Soldiers in Cyra green tramp through a ground-floor hallway and I flatten onto the grass. After several moments pass, I take a cautious peek. The soldiers have continued down the hall. With their backs to the window, I creep to the side of the building and squat to avoid being seen. Carefully making my way, I reach a door and pry it open. Luckily, no one is about when I dash up the staff stairway.
This used to be a favorite shortcut of mine when Bel and I played hide and seek as children. Today, it enables me to avoid the exposed grand staircase. I rush to Father’s office on the second floor relieved to find the hallway empty.
“Did you hear that?” A voice says from behind me. It sounded as if the person had rocks in his mouth. I take a quick glimpse as I hurry along the hall but there’s nobody there. If I stay out in the open for too long, the intruders will come around the corner and find me.
The office doors usually open once anyone was four feet away. However, with the ongoing emergency situation, I’ll have to get right up to the door for its security sensors to recognize me.
Unfortunately, when I arrive at the door, it remains closed.
“I’ll check this hallway. You do that one.” The voice says and my heart shoots into a frenzy. Frantically, I wave my hand in front of the panel on the wall but a red light blinks and a message scrolls across the screen. My personal tracker should have opened the door.
“Place your thumb on the screen.”
I do as instructed, but the door remains sealed. Eventually, a green light blinks and is followed by a new message.
“Look directly at the screen.”
The click of boots is close but I don’t bother to check.
The green light blinks again and I can’t stay still. These security measures will get me captured by Mehrdad’s soldiers.
“State the following words: There’s No Place Like Home.”
My suspicion piques. Is this a joke? If I speak, those men might hear me. I’ve had enough and tap on the door as gently as possible. If I’m lucky, Aina is near. The sound of the approaching stranger isn’t far.
“Aina,” I whisper. “You better let me in right this minute.”
Nothing happens.
“Aina.” A little louder this time. “I swear, I’ll shred you to scrap metal.”
The doors separate as I lean forward to knock again and tumble into the narthex.
“Gotcha!” Aina says with too much gusto. Her body glows in the darkened room. Was this one of the AI’s stupid tricks?
“Shut the door and only open for Titan Nabo Reffour.” I order, opting to focus on the current threat. Remembering that I left others on the rounds, I add, “The door can also be opened for Belema Mezan and Adela Seltan.” Invier can stay out.
Aina’s smile falters. “Is something wrong, Scioness?”
“Shouldn’t you know?”
“Apologies, Scioness. I’ve been powered down on a charge cycle.”
“Well, we’re under attack by the Cyras. Locate my father immediately.”
The light radiating from Aina’s body dims as she processes my request. “I cannot find your daddy on the property.”
I prickle at the ‘daddy’ reference but temper my irritation. Now is not the time.
“Fine, send a message to him wherever he is and let him know what’s going on.”
Aina’s side dims. “I have no record of your daddy leaving the estate at any point today.”
“Then, where is he?”
“I don’t have the information necessary to answer that question.”
A chunk of my hair falls into my face as I pace.
With all the evening’s activities, my top knot has come undone. I wrap it into a messy bun, my brain scrambling to put order to everything that’s happened. My feet come to a halt as I realize I can’t wait to find Father. I’ve got to do something. But what?
“Aina, does my father have tech of some sort that could stop the attackers?”
She considers my question, her lights dimming.
“No. There are however a number of options available in this situation.”
“Such as?”
“I can inform the Council of the attack. The closest aid will come from the Damils in approximately twenty-five minutes. I can—”
“There’s no time for that. Open his office.”
Rounding the desk, I say, “Give me a two-dimensional view of the property. Show me how many intruders are here.”
The image displays on Father’s desk and it’s not pretty. Nome Cyra’s soldiers, marked as green dots, outnumber our white dotted forces three to one. How did that happen and shouldn’t we have safeguards for such attacks?
For the first time in my life, I wish we had a larger army. The size of our forces has never been something I ever thought about. For years, Father has refused to increase the number of guards, insisting we don’t need them. There was never any reason to challenge his position. After all, I’ve never heard of a nome being attacked in my lifetime. But, after listening to Adela’s confession, his reluctance to acquire more soldiers at the Synod makes sense. Given the animosity with Titan Cyra, he’d never want our money to go to Cyra’s coffers. Never feed your enemy unless you plan to starve them later.
“Show me where Sohr is.”
After a few seconds, the office AI answers, “Landen Sohr cannot be located at this time.”
First my father, now our head of security. Where are they? A sad idea comes to mind. Could they be dead?
My mouth dries at the prospect. No matter my issues with Father, and there are many, I can’t imagine him not being here. My body goes tense. Am I ready to be Titane and lead Nome Reffour? I’d have Portan by my side, for sure, but would that be enough?
“Scioness Reffour, the door is being approached by Scion Mehrdad Cyra. He is accompanied by—”
Pushing my concerns from my mind, I snap, “Keep them out.”
Aina walks out and the office doors close with a soft click behind her. Focus, Neith! I have to do something. But what? I stare at the screen and watch
the white dots lessen as the green dots move across the property. Wiping my hands on my jumpsuit, an idea blossoms. I’ll have all remaining personnel defend this building. It contains Father’s office, our family’s heirlooms, and other important items. I must do my best to protect my family’s future. Nome above all.
My mind made up, my fingers are close to a button on the table when Aina’s voice stops me. “Scioness Reffour?”
The hairs on the back of my neck rise. “What is it?”
“Scion Cyra has entered the narthex. He insists on speaking to you.”
“How did that happen?” The security protocol I created should have kept out everyone out other than Father, Sohr, Bel, Adela, and myself.
“Show me the narthex,” I say and the screen changes from a two-dimensional layout of the estate to an image of the narthex. Mehrdad calmly brandishes a gun. My stomach twists like damp fabric being wrung out.
“Enlarge image.”
Three men and a woman handle large guns. All are pointed at the heads of Bel, Adela, Portan and Invier.
Chapter Forty-Five
Invier
“Why is it so dark in here?” Mehrdad yells.
A female AI robot strolls over from a corner of the room. Brunette hair is pulled behind her head and she speaks with her hands when she says, “Titan Reffour designed the narthex to be a dark room, Scion Cyra.”
If not for the panel of soft, white lights running vertically from her ears, I’d think she was human. She has on white pants and a shirt. Her shirt is sleeveless, making room for the lights, which travel the length of her arms in a straight line, ending in the nail on her middle fingers.
“I don’t care what Nabo Reffour likes, he’s no longer in charge.” Mehrdad’s voice echoes loudly, though that could be because of the concussion. He waves his gun and I duck instinctively. To my right, Portan doesn’t shrink from the gun’s path. Instead, he keeps his head high, a sneer plastered on his face.
“And you think that gun gives you control boy?” The old man asks but Mehrdad doesn’t bother to respond. The only reaction is a brief narrowing of his eyes at Portan.
He paces from one side of the room to the other. “I need better lighting in here!”
The room brightens, sending agony to the space behind my eyes. All I want is to go home and sleep in my own bed. The cold steel of a firearm at the crown of my head reminds me my wishes won’t come to pass any time soon.
It was our attempt to stop Neith from leaving that got us caught. Bel took off running behind her first then there was a gunshot. All I could think was that someone had shot Neith. Adela raced out through the flower tunnel and I followed at a slower pace. I was welcomed by Mehrdad and several gun barrels.
“Connect me to Neith Reffour.” He tells the female AI before banging the butt of his gun on a table running the length of the left wall. The gun clips the table’s edge, shaving splinter onto the black floor.
“Good evening, Scion Cyra.” Neith sounds calm, not betraying any fear.
“Ah, it’s wonderful to hear your lovely voice.” Mehrdad’s pupils scoot to the room’s ceiling. “Can you see me?”
“Perfectly.”
“I need you to come out.” His voice is brusque.
Portan huffs loudly. “You will do no such thing, young lady.” Like me, he’s covered in gray dust.
After overhearing that he died in the Participant’s building when it collapsed, Adela, Bel and I were astounded when one of Mehrdad’s soldiers dragged him into the mansion. The old man apparently pulled himself out of the rubble only to be captured while sneaking into Neith’s house.
Mehrdad barely glimpses at him, bringing his gun down on the table. Once more, splinters scuttle to the floor.
“Apologies, Scion Cyra. I can’t do that.” There’s a pregnant pause.
“I don’t think you understand, Scioness.” Mehrdad hops onto the desk, his legs dangling. “If you don’t hurry your pretty self out here, one of these people will die.”
“Again, I must apologize, my estate is overrun by soldiers. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”
Mehrdad gets off the desk and fires at the black double doors. The bullets must ricochet into the AI as it topples to the floor. Its lights flicker momentarily until they darken. An osmite-enforced door. Of course.
“Look at that.” He studies the fallen machine. “You leave me no choice, Scioness Reffour.” He gestures to one of his soldiers and thunder claps at my right ear.
At first, I think I’ve been shot because something wet sprays onto my face. I wipe off a section and gawk at my blood-covered hand. Bile rises to my throat. Bel whimpers somewhere to my right. Portan no longer kneels between us. He’s on the floor and a red halo surrounds his head. I collapse onto the feet of the gun-wielder behind me. With the sleeves of my shirt, I wipe off as much of the blood from my face as I can. The soldier grabs my collar and yanks me back onto my shaking knees.
“I hope you now realize I mean business, Scioness,” Mehrdad says, his inflection cold. “If you don’t walk through that door in the next sixty seconds, I’m going to shoot another one of these fine people.”
He strides over to Portan’s body and bends over to observe it closely. “I’ve wanted to kill him since day one.”
I close my eyes and wish this is all some part of a virt construct. That somehow, the bloody streaks in Portan’s hair aren’t real and the body beside me will disappear. Sadly, it’s still there when I look at it. Bel’s teary eyes are on the lifeless body. Beyond her is Adela, whose gaze is straight ahead as if nothing happened.
“Who’s going to die next?” Mehrdad straightens and our eyes meet. Dad’s voice is clear—“Don’t show fear.” I don’t flinch under his gaze and he moves on.
He twirls his gun on his index finger. It’s smaller than those carried by his soldiers and yet, it’s metallic gleam is a reminder to me that even a tiny gun can do great damage. My eyes return to Portan.
“Adela Seltan. You usually have something witty to say. Why so silent?” He towers over her.
Silent as a stone, she continues to peer ahead.
“Nothing?” He ceases his twirling and kneels so that he’s almost eye level with her. “There’s no love lost between us, so I know you won’t mind if I shoot you next. Right?”
That prompts a chuckle. “Don’t you mean if you let one of your paid thugs do the shooting? We all know you don’t have the guts.”
Mehrdad strikes her and she crumples to the floor. She soon collects herself, wiping blood off her lips.
“Get that bitch to her feet.”
A soldier pulls her up and she elbows him in the face. He clutches his bleeding nose. His wayward stumbling sends crimson droplets all over the floor.
Our captor laughs.
“Your sixty seconds are over, Scioness,” he says, leveling his gun at Adela. “It’s time for this one to die.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Neith
My mouth lies open in a silent scream. That’s all I can manage as I watch Portan’s blood pool around him. Even with the doors between us, I can somehow smell the metallic scent it releases.
His killer is out there ranting about killing Adela but I don’t care. I grip the edge of Father’s table and wish I could turn back time so I could have saved Portan. He was like a father to me. I think back to our many moments together. Some were funny, others weren’t but no matter what, everything about him was comfortable, was familiar was … family. No matter the putdown from Father, he always had the utmost confidence in me. And now, Mehrdad has taken him away from me.
“Why are you doing this?”
Invier’s grim voice cuts my trance short. He’s walking toward Mehrdad.
“What do you plan to gain from any of this?” Invier is a few paces from Mehrdad and crosses his arms. Specks of red dot his forehead and cheeks. Pain jabs at my chest as I know that blood came from someone I cared for.
Invier steps in between Mehrda
d and Adela. The lack of space for his outstretched arm forces Mehrdad to lower his gun. I want to scream. This is no time to be a hero. And, definitely not for Adela’s sake. She, of all people, doesn’t deserve it. If Invier was doing this for Bel, that would be a different situation. At the moment, she’s slumped on the floor and blood pumps out of her side. Was she shot? Calling all remaining soldiers to this building might not be enough to save her at the rate she’s losing her life essence.
Nevertheless, I tap a red button beneath Father’s table. It should summon all guards. Once this building is back under our control, I can get Bel some medical help and figure out what to do next.