The Pursual: Book 1 of The Nome Chronicles

by F. F. John

  “Portan often counseled me against a union with the Seltans.” He joins me, rubbing his mustache. He sounds far away when he says, “I also had my doubts.”

  Good old, Portan. He knew better. I hear his wise words again. Doubt leads to fear. Fear leads to costly mistakes. “Then, why go ahead with all this?”

  “When you mentioned you wanted a Pursual, I realized it would be the perfect cover to crush my enemies. You have no idea of the different ways Goran and his minions have tried to destroy us over the years.” His palms curl into fists and for a moment, it looks like he’ll punch the glass. “And after what they did to your mother … they all had it coming.”

  I know I should chastise him for his decisions, but I’m tired. The adrenaline that kept me going thus far, is starting to wear off.

  “How do we keep the Council from destroying us?”

  “Mehrdad has given us a gift with this attack of his. We can blame him for the untimely death of Loic and James when he passes on. We’ll pin Erhart’s death on the rebels.”

  “Father,” I say with an exasperated sigh and draw upon my already low reserves of patience. “You can’t be so cavalier about this. You’ve had people killed, which is punishable under the Pact.” Turning to face him, I continue, “you also lied to me and used my Pursual as a means to your end, making me an accomplice.”

  “I’m not the only one who lied, Neith.” He gives me a lopsided grin. “You think I don’t know that the Pursual was all about the Floran boy? Or, that he had no idea he’d be participating?”

  I suck in a sharp breath. I always wondered but now I know. Father knows of my scheme. “I … I…”

  His smile grows larger and he rests a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m proud of you for taking control of both situations and skewing them to your advantage. I’m also relieved and proud you kept yourself safe and held Mehrdad back for as long as you did.” His face falls. “Sadly, Portan paid the price of that delay with his life.”

  My head lowers at the thought of my nome’s late master but he lifts it with his index finger to my chin. “He would give his life for you over and over again. He knew I had to go into the tunnels to activate the Phalanx soldiers.”

  Thoughts whip at dizzying speed but one solidifies for consideration. If Portan knew about the soldiers, then he must have been aware they violated the Pact. He always taught me to honor and obey the Pact. It was second to my loyalty to family.

  “I store the soldiers there and Sohr came with me to switch them on.”

  “What do you mean stored? And how does one switch on a soldier?”

  “The Phalanx are AI units, like Aina. I kept them in the underground tunnels and had to go turn them on.”

  My knees weaken. “They’re …” My mouth refuses to work but my mind registers the thought nonetheless. I crumple into Father’s chair and hold my head in my hands. AI? More units like Aina, but deadly?

  When my command of speech returns, I ask, “You created an army of AI soldiers and you’re not worried about the other nomes crushing us to bits?” Each word is spoken in a higher octave than the last.

  “That won’t happen.”

  “How can you be certain?” I shake my head. “If the nomes stood in the way of letting my mother get an experimental cure, why do you think they’d allow this?”

  At the mention of my mother, his features tighten. “Nobody will support the Cyras after this attack and we’ll be seen as victims deserving of leeway. And when we seek clemency for Mehrdad, Goran will look even worse. None of his friends on the Council will support him. No matter how much money or threats of scandal Mehrdad thought would work.”

  “How can you be so sure, Father?”

  “Trust me, everyone will want their own Phalanx units after what happened tonight. And, they’ll buy from us.”

  “But, the Pact says no army -”

  “No, Neith. It states no human army and the Phalanx are nothing more than machines, just like the many we use on any given day.”

  His self-assured attitude does little to sway me. Instead, new concerns swirl. What other dangerous risks has he taken?

  “Fine but I need to tell you something.” I face him. “There was a point earlier, where I couldn’t reach you. I thought … I thought you were dead and it made me realize that there’s so much to learn so I can follow in the footsteps of the great Titans and Titanes who came before me. You and I … we’ve got to work together not against each other for the benefit of our nome.”

  My demand falls into a quiet void where my heart thunders as I watch him study me.

  The last time I was this direct with Father was the day I convinced him a Pursual would be better than a typical pairing ceremony. He’d been resistant initially but after I made my case, he’d agreed with me. Things might not have worked out as I planned, yet that experience of swaying him my way is one I rely on now. Besides, he always says, “If you don’t speak for yourself, someone else will.”

  My stomach lurches when he blows out some air. He’s going to tell me no. I ignore the doubt and jut out my chin. A few minutes ago, he spoke of being proud of me for taking control. Hopefully, he’ll feel the same way now.

  The silence stretches longer than I’m comfortable with and just as words tickle up my throat, he finally says, “Agreed.”

  Registering my surprise, he explains, “Like I said, I respect how you crafted this idea of a Pursual to get what you wanted. You also forced your will on Invier making him participate without his agreement. And, you handled yourself perfectly tonight, making Mehrdad agree to our terms.”

  So, that’s the key to Father? Make a good argument that caters to his ego in some way and stand your ground. I file the information away for another day.

  “We, however, have to deal with a few more things, Neith. Who else was with you when Adela revealed my plans?”

  “Bel and Invier.” The change of topic douses my excitement. This can’t be good.

  He rubs his mustache and worry lines spread across on his forehead. “Bel won’t be a problem. She’s your sister and would never do anything to hurt you,” he murmurs. “Invier, on the other hand, could be a problem. From what I know, he’s too principled for his own good. You’ll have to let me know whether we can trust him with this secret. If not, your little friend will be a problem for both of us.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Invier

  I’m dozing when Neith hauls me into the hallway. I let her lead me down the stairs and out of the building. This trip is much better than when Mehrdad and his gun-toting soldiers marched me in like a prisoner.

  My thoughts veer to the cold muzzle of his gun on my hand and the terror that slashed through me at the time. The pain that followed spurred me to fight for my life. I truly believed I was going to die and that I’d never see Neith or my family again. I shudder in the cold night’s air as she comes to a stop by what used to be a water fountain. Half of the structure is gone and water no longer spouts.

  “Please forgive me for the things I said to you earlier,” I say. “I love you and shouldn’t have been so cruel.”

  Her reaction isn’t what I’d expected. She offers no sweet words in return but paces before me, rubbing her arms.

  “Neith? Are you listening to me?” I sit on the edge of what remains of the water fountain.

  “I’ve got to get you out of here.”

  “Why?” I ask but once again, I get no answer.

  Watching her prance back and forth makes me uneasy. “Remember, I had a slight concussion. You shouldn’t make me dizzy.” I make my voice light and carefree though worry simmers close by. She shouldn’t be so tense. Mehrdad has been captured. His forces have been stopped.

  The moon slides out from behind low-hanging clouds and her features shine under the soft glaze. Today has been a tough day for both of us, but it’s been worse for her. I dumped her, then her estate was under attack. The shooting of her best friend and murder of her nome’s master followed. I
’m sure my injury doesn’t help things.

  “I’m sorry about Portan and I’m sure your friend Bel will be fine.” I’m especially proud that I finally remember her best friend’s name. “Come here,” I call to her but she shakes her head. She also stops moving and I’m thankful. My head truly felt funny.

  “Father’s going to have you killed and I can’t have that.”

  “Wait, what?” I spring to my feet. “Why does your father want me dead?”

  “He’s worried you’ll expose his plot to kill the scions.” She plunks onto the fountain’s edge next to me. “I can’t lose anyone else I love today.”

  Her father wants me dead! After everything I’ve been through?

  She lets out an exasperated whimper. “If I’d known things would end like this, I would never have had a Pursual.” The words are thick with regret. “I would have insisted he give his blessing for us to be together. You would never have been in this situation. And Portan would still be alive.”

  A hard silence settles between us and I consider how different things could have been if other choices were made. What if I hadn’t been so adamant about not participating in the Pursual? What if I’d been more understanding of the constraints on Neith and worked with her to convince her father? In that quiet, I realize it’s not too late to turn this Pursual into something positive.

  I pull her to her feet and return the way we came.

  “What are you doing, Invier?”

  “We’re going back to your father’s office.”

  She pulls her hand from mine. “Why?”

  A plan forms in my head and I don’t waste any time to explain. Lumbering up the main stairs to Titan Reffour’s office, I take the stairs two at a time. The anti-pain medication I received has been wonderful. I wouldn’t be able to move or think this swiftly if I were still locked in a whirlwind of pain. Neith struggles to keep up. “Invier, please wait.”

  The doors to the office don’t open until Neith gets closer and I walk in.

  “Scion Floran—” The robot says, but I don’t slow.

  “It’s okay, Aina,” Neith says behind me.

  Her father is studying a map on his table’s screen with Sohr hovering by his right shoulder.

  His head snaps up. “Yes?”

  My wits fail me.

  “Yes?” Neith’s father repeats and both he and Sohr watch me steadily.

  “Titan Reffour, I wish for your permission to marry Neith.”

  “And, why would I do that?”

  His question floors me. I’m not sure what I expected him to say but this wasn’t it. In my head, the worst he could have said would have been no, but to throw a question back at me … I wasn’t prepared for that.

  “I asked you a question, Scion.” His voice is cold and I can barely think. I sense Neith behind me and even though she’s near, I feel alone.

  Titan Reffour returns his gaze to the screen. “Stop wasting my time. Leave my office.”

  His rejection is resoundingly final and it’s like a thick door slammed in my face. My eyes fall to the floor and I turn towards the door, avoiding Neith. I take three steps and stop. There’s no way I can walk out of here. Not like this. Mine might be the lowest nome of them all but that’s no reason for this man or anyone else to speak down to me. I won’t abide this.

  Whipping around, I say, “We love each other and want to be together. Our happiness shouldn’t be up to you or the nomes. She will be a capable leader for your family and I will be just as capable by her side …”

  A cold chuckle emanates from his lips and the words were left on my lips shrivel and die. He’s still looking at his screen when he says, “My daughter has proven herself to be a worthy successor to our empire. But, you by her side …” His index finger swipes, “that will never happen.”

  My heart stops. “Why am I not good enough for her? If I’d won the Pursual—”

  “You still wouldn’t be good enough and I would never have let you win.” He relaxes into his seat. “The man who ends up by my daughter’s side must be feared and respected. He cannot be weak and you are weak. Look how easily you were manipulated into the competition. How easily you were herded along with the other participants to go to Ghitu. How quickly you flew into a rage with that idiot, Ika. The list of your failures is long. And your family’s pitiful rank has little to do with it.”

  “Father!” Neith sounds broken but not as broken as me. I become disjointed as his words pummel me mercilessly. Do people think I’m a weakling?

  “There’s historic precedent of pairings and marriages between lower-ranked scions and high-ranked women. And at this rate, Invier has the highest points in the competition. If we end things here, he’d be the Paladin and well deserving of my hand …” She prattles on with reasons to be with me.

  “Neith, he’s not good enough for you,” her father says.

  She balls her hands into fists, the knuckles whitening. “But he is, can’t you see? Those things you claim were failures weren’t! He fought Ika to protect me! Had he not gone to Ghitu with the others, you’d find him to be fainthearted. And, he stayed in the competition because he loved me. He could have refused to because it wasn’t something he believed in, but he sacrificed what he believed in to make me happy. How can you turn that into a bad thing?”

  Her support warms my heart but her arguments do little to sway her father whose golden eyes pierce into mine before he looks me up and down.

  “There’s little benefit to a partnership with his family.” His voice lowers but it has an edge to it.

  “I don’t have to sacrifice love for power, Father!”

  “Yes, you do. You should know by now that you can never have both. Look what happened when you tried.”

  As much as I hate to agree with her father, he does have a point. Neith’s attempt to keep me while holding onto the perks of her position have been a disaster.

  “I don’t care! I’m allowed to be with who I want,” Neith retorts.

  “Only if you’re a scioness and you won’t be if I disown you. You’ll have your love and not much else. Is that what you want?”

  His threat mutes Neith and she glares across the room at him, who looks back at her impassively.

  Her eyes are wet and the rest of her features are tinged with anger. The emotion slowly dissolves into pity. Pity for me? Or, pity for herself, what with having been with someone whose position and status isn’t commensurate to hers?

  Perhaps I deserve this. Maybe I’m not good enough for her. No, I can’t think this way. I can’t have these doubts. Not now. On its own accord, my hand reaches out for hers and she takes it. A tear slides down her cheek.

  “Come with me.”

  Her lips part but no sound comes forth.

  “Please, Neith. Let’s get out of here.” I tug at her. “There has to be somewhere we can start anew, away from the burden of who we are and what we know.”

  She bites her lower lip. “How would that work, Invier? We need his permission and if you give me a little time, I can get him to see things our way,” she whispers.

  “We don’t need anyone’s permission. We can make this work with or without him.”

  “We’d have nothing if my father chooses to be uncooperative.” She comes into me, her tone low. “Be patient. I know how to fix this”

  “Neith.” My shoulders slump. This can’t be happening.

  After a lengthy pause, she says, “Trust me. I’ll make it work. Let’s go.” She takes my hand and angles us toward the door.

  I pull her to a stop. “We’re leaving?”

  She lifts herself on her toes to kiss me. “We’ve got to hurry.”

  “Neith!” Her father’s voice thunders behind us.

  Chapter Fifty

  Invier

  We sprint across the grounds making our way past crippled buildings and bodies. She doesn’t pause for anything and I keep up as best as I can. We pass her home, which seems to have no damage and go to the back. A gleaming white ai
rship waits and I break into a wide smile. We’re leaving to start a life together. A life we have chosen for ourselves. This ship isn’t one I recognize.

  “Did you get a new airship?”

  “752419772419.”

  That prompts the door to slide upwards.

  “It’s Bel’s ship and yes, I have my own access code,” she says.

  “That’s a long code to remember.”

  “Not really.” We walk in and lights switch on automatically. “It’s both our birthdays combined.”