Awakening Defiance: (The Saoirse Saga Book 2)

by Teagan Kearney

  Rial lay on his back, his face turned toward her and his arm stretched out across the pillows as if he was reaching for her. The rhythmic in and out of his breath soothed her. He looked defenseless, his eyelashes a thick charcoal shadow resting on the curve of his smooth cheeks.

  For an instant, she softened, before throwing back the covers and slipping out of the room, wincing as the doors slid shut. She looked for the liquor bottle, but it was nowhere in sight. She touched the cool glass of the window, watching the flutter of insects’ iridescent wings as the tiny creatures were drawn to the glow of the garden lamps.

  Goddess, give me a sign. She pictured the golden four-armed patron of srilao adherents, one hand held up in blessing, the second in warning, a sword in the third, and the fourth positioned to administer a death blow. Kia’s people weren’t religious, but they were practical. Whether you believed you were an atom or a spirit soul, an acknowledgment that there were greater powers operating in the universe was sensible. Gods and goddesses personified those powers, and a prayer and an offering cost little and granted comfort to those who were suffering.

  She finally faced the question that had been niggling away at her peace of mind. Should she accept Rial’s offer? Considered in the cold light of the night, she’d be a fool not to. To the external eye, she was already in a position of influence, had the Heir’s ear, and basked in the reflection of his power. The reality was very different. Behind the front they showed to the world, what they had was an awkward, prickly relationship where he explained nothing and she resented everything.

  His admonition to come to terms with her situation held true, and right there, that was the crux of the matter. Some part of her, some deep inner core of herself, was even now refusing to accept what was happening and screaming no, no, no, as it had done since her life changed. She’d accepted the atrocities of the mines, thrown herself into the specialist training for the Chenjerai, and nobody would deny living in a palace was a luxury. Yet, whereas before they’d controlled her body, here, Rial was asking for more—he wanted her surrender.

  Be logical, she told herself. She was trapped, and it didn’t look as if he was going to let her go either, thanks to the cursed nanobots. What were her options? Continue fighting him, making both their lives miserable, or at least give him proper consideration. In Sestris, if a high-ranking, good-looking young man approached her father and asked about the prospect of a partnership with her, she wouldn’t have dismissed him without due deliberation. She would have gone out with him a few times and decided to explore the relationship or not. If they continued, what happened next was up to the couple. Sometimes the attraction fizzled out; other times the pair cemented their partnership in a legal ceremony.

  Rial had drugged her, proclaimed she was his consort because she’d slept in his bed—not quite the standard courting process, but he had ceded her the balance of power when he said how intimate or platonic the relationship would be was up to her.

  Two of the iridescent winged creatures fluttered close to the window. To Kia’s eyes, they were dancing with each other. One flew up, the other followed. Next, the second flew down, and the first became the pursuer. They repeated this pattern before flitting away into the invisible garden beyond the lights. Taking turns to advance and retreat—wasn’t that the game of courtship? She heard the soft glide of the door opening. Was this the Goddess’s answer?

  “Can’t sleep?” Rial padded over and stood beside her, looking out at the night.

  “No. How are you feeling?”

  He steered her over to the couch. “Better. Is there anything in particular bothering you?”

  The least she could do was be honest with him. “Yes, you bother me. Why me? Are you hoping we’ll have nanobot babies?”

  He burst out laughing. “Nanobot babies, oh, Kia, if that was what I wanted, a sample of your blood, an egg from your ovaries, and the laboratory would be sufficient.”

  “Don’t laugh at me. I’m serious. Since the minute we met, I lost control of my life.”

  “You lost that when the emperor decided to take possession of your planet’s resources.”

  “But it doesn’t feel like that. I chose the mines, and I could have chosen to die at any time there.” She'd seen desperate men and women charge the guards, knowing they’d be shot.

  “And now you have a chance to do something. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

  “In theory, yes. In practice, it seems I have no choice. I can hardly think for myself anymore because you’re crowding everything else out.”

  “Your father took me to one of your srilao contests when I visited him about five years ago. Even at that point your talents and skills marked you as gifted. He even asked if I thought you’d make it as a Chenjerai. That was when he asked me to watch out for you and his family if events didn’t turn out as we planned, and I made him a promise.”

  Kia didn’t recollect the occasion. There had been too many competitions. Srilao had been her life. That and the desire to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an Elector. A few more years and he would have begun training her. That future no longer existed.

  “You won’t ever forget your life before, but now is what counts.” He took her hand, held it between his, lifted it, and brought her fingers to his lips. “The situation is what it is, and as far as you are concerned, I wouldn’t change anything. Kia, you have become important to me. It’s not the nanobots, and it’s not lust—that I’ve experienced as a result of my father’s comprehensive education. I don’t understand how or why, but I feel restless unless you are close and safe. All I ask of you is that you allow me to protect you. Come,” he drew her to her feet and guided her into the bedroom. Tossing the pillows to the floor, he drew the covers over her.

  Kia didn’t protest, she felt calmer. He’d listened, and that offered hope.

  He lay down, his arm came around her waist, and he pulled her close.

  She stiffened, her heartbeat speeding up.

  “Shh, relax. How often do I have to tell you, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want? I will not rape you. This isn’t about sex. Please, Kia, it eases me to hold you.”

  This was the moment. Should she advance or retreat? She lay, tensed, waiting to see if he made another move.

  “Please.”

  The last word was whispered so softly she barely caught the plea in his voice. One muscle at a time, she relaxed. She would trust him to keep his pledge, and perhaps a little détente in the hostilities might not be a bad thing.

  Chapter Five: Djem

  Kia woke, snug and safe. “Mmm…” she sighed. She shifted against the warm chest. Warm chest? She squinted through narrowed eyes at the smooth golden skin inches away. Somehow, during the night, she’d twisted around and ended up in Rial’s arms.

  He opened his eyes, regarded her, did the same calculation she had, and his brown-gold eyes twinkled. Before she could react, he’d rolled her over onto her back, his body pinning her underneath him, propped his elbows either side of her and smiled down at her. He bent and nuzzled her neck.

  Kia’s breathing quickened as images of Oloran pushing her face into the pillow, punching her in the head and in the kidneys, threatening her and about to rape her resurfaced. A creeping paralyzing dread crawled out of a drear, colorless place in her mind. Rial wasn’t Oloran, but somehow that made no difference, and she lay stiff and rigid underneath him.

  “Kia? What is it?” He drew back, but she stared fixedly at the ceiling. He rolled off her. “It’s okay, Kia. I remember those bruises on your face, but he’s dead. I promise he can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe."

  She nodded.

  “I’m going for a shower.”

  The second he entered the bathroom, she was out of the bedroom, fleeing along the corridor to her own room.

  By the time she arrived in the dining hall for breakfast, the earlier disturbing memories had faded. She hadn’t thought of the incident with Oloran as her life had taken more than one
dramatic turn since that moment. Even when she remembered the mines, that episode was something she’d veered away from, not willing to revisit the harrowing experience.

  Rial informed his guards of the next day’s early departure and gave them the day off.

  The Chenjerai had been grounded in Xarunta during the trials for new members, and Rial’s news lifted their spirits. The group was clearly eager for a change.

  When Rial put a pancake topped with spiced fruit on her plate, she recognized he was being kind and, after last night, his attention seemed less of an issue.

  “Change into something casual, and be out at the landing field in ten minutes,” he told her as the dining hall emptied.

  When she looked bewildered, he chuckled.

  “You forgot? I said we’d visit Djem today as your visit the other evening was a disappointment, and I want you to have a better experience of the capital.”

  Of course, she’d forgotten, she’d been too busy picking him up off the floor and acting as his nursemaid. “Okay.”

  She’d noticed half a dozen outfits in her closet that Cheydii or maybe Shaba had thoughtfully donated; and ten minutes later, wearing a red long sleeved tunic and pants, along with Nagavi and his sidekicks, Cheydii, and Annen, all dressed in civvies, they boarded a flit and set off.

  This flyer was as sleek as last night’s, but it was smaller and faster. Kia was in the co-pilot’s seat with a bird's-eye view of the land below.

  Rial flew the craft low, giving her a chance to admire Xarunta’s pretty countryside. The boundary of Rial’s estate was well-defined as the lush green forested hills and valleys merged into patterned fields of ripening grain, sprinkled with diminutive homesteads and increasingly larger settlements as they flew closer to Djem.

  Kia gasped as they entered the capital. The city was a jewel that sparkled as much in the sunlight as it had at nighttime, and the rainbows refracting off the prisms and high arched crystal walkways crisscrossing the metropolis blazed with shimmering, kaleidoscopic color. “It’s… it’s beautiful.”

  “Yes,” said Rial. “My father likes pretty things.”

  She glanced at him, and his expression revealed little, but she was learning that when he made these comments, there was a world of meaning left unsaid.

  He pointed, and she saw a shuttle, needle-sized from this distance, lift off into the pale blue sky. “Tomorrow, that’s us.”

  A quiver of anticipation ran through her. Emankora.

  Before long, Rial brought the flit down, and they parked in a busy flitport.

  “Isn’t it dangerous going into town with such little protection?” She indicated Nagavi and the other two. “I mean, won’t people recognize you?”

  He grinned, his expression that of a naughty boy about to eat the cookies he’s stolen, as he climbed into the rear of the flyer.

  Annen handed him a thin piece of transparent material.

  Rial smoothed the substance over his face, stretching the edges as far as his hairline, where it melded into his skin. As she watched, his features transformed, his nose widening, his lips shrinking and lines appearing around his eyes and mouth that minutes before hadn’t existed.

  Annen spritzed Rial’s hair with an acrid-smelling liquid, and instead of gold-brown, his hair was a dull mousy color.

  If she hadn’t witnessed the change, she wouldn’t have believed this nondescript stranger standing in front of her was Rial.

  “Come on,” he told her. “Your turn.”

  “I don’t need that. Nobody knows who I am.”

  “Are you forgetting your dance? Plus, all the emperor’s protectors saw your face last night. You can imagine when you show up on any one of the millions of sekcams throughout the city, this,” he waved a hand at his face, “won’t fool anyone. My father is unaware of this technology. It was a gift from a friend. Now come here or you return with Cheydii. Which is it to be?”

  “Oh, for galaxy’s sake,” she griped, but came through and let him settle the slippery odorless material over her face, resisting the urge to slap his hands away when his fingers lingered overlong smoothing it over her cheeks.

  Cheydii handed him a wig and a small mirror.

  Kia had to laugh at herself with a narrow pointy nose and chin and plain brown hair. “You’re uglier.”

  “Are you ready to see Djem?” He grinned.

  She laughed, feeling a sense of fun that had been absent from her life for far too long.

  Today she walked the streets of the center of the Nadil-Kuradi Empire and discovered it was as entrancing as she’d imagined. Every square had fountains where delicate sprays of faintly scented water cooled the sun-heated air, filling it with the sweet fragrance of flowers, little oases with lovers embracing, and children laughing as the spray wetted their hot eager faces. People crammed the walkways, rushing or dawdling through their lives.

  Rial draped his arm around her shoulder as they strolled. She made no protest and couldn’t decide if he was being affectionate or wanted to be able to grab her quick if she tried to run. He took her to a rooftop restaurant, where a waiter seated them at a table in a secluded corner shaded by large giant red-leaved plants. Musicians played in the background, a muted, strange, yet pleasant composition. He ordered lunch. “A single bite from each is all you need,” he said, as she stared aghast at the vast array of dishes the waiters brought. “What we don’t eat will feed the workers’ families and isn’t wasted.”

  Kia couldn’t decide if he was showing off or trying to please her. He’d been brought up with great wealth and privilege and a strange emotional barrenness from those who should have loved him. She gave him the benefit of the doubt. “Where’s Nagavi and the others?” she asked. “I can’t believe they’ve let you out of their sight.”

  “They haven’t. They’re good at their job. In his youth, Nagavi was the best bounty hunter on his planet. He can track from the minutest of clues, and whoever he’s tracking will never see them coming.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good.” She hoped he wasn’t giving her a warning and would have to remember that detail when they got to Emankora if she was to make a successful escape. Today was a pleasant excursion, but she would make a run for it if the opportunity arose when they reached her home planet.

  Last night she’d decided to seriously consider Rial’s offer. This morning, she was rebellious. It was too much of a change from her default position of resisting him to accept the single option he presented her with. The choice and decision had been his, not hers. Not that he wasn’t suitable, or attractive… she banished the sneaking traitorous image of his smooth golden chest that she’d woken to that morning and wondered if she had the nerve to play two games. She’d been taught that honor was an admirable quality, highly esteemed in Sestrian culture, and srilao had reinforced this idea. Making Rial believe her feelings for him were real while preparing to take advantage of any chance to escape lay on her conscience like an undigested meal, heavy and troublesome, but… what choice did she have?

  After lunch, he hailed a flit for hire and gave the automatic driver their destination.

  She liked the Old Town with its narrow walkways, street stalls, and lively atmosphere. It differed from the shiny affluent part of Djem she’d seen earlier. No perfumed fountains, no crystal walkways, and people’s clothes were less decorative and more serviceable—as worn by working men and women.

  Rial took her hand as they walked.

  “Are we children?” she raised an eyebrow and inspected their entwined hands.

  “Look,” he inclined his head at an elderly couple walking in a similar manner a little way ahead of them. “Xaruntians are not ashamed or embarrassed by affection.” He glanced sideways at her, smiling as he teased her.

  Kia’s parents had loved each other deeply, but public displays of affection were frowned upon in Sestris. She’d never seen her parents touch each other when they were outside of their home even if, when they were inside, they often couldn’t keep their hands off e
ach other. “Whatever pleases you, master,” she retorted and winced. It had all been going well. She wished her mouth would occasionally check with her brain before it spewed whatever inane comment came to mind.

  “Ooh, that hurts. Especially when I’m making such an effort to be nice to you.”

  She gave the tiniest inward sigh of relief. “And I appreciate it.” Oddly enough the words didn’t stick in her throat.

  He looked surprised at her response. “Here, this is the place.”

  She followed him into a small shop, the bell jangling dissonantly as he opened the door. It took a minute to adapt to the dim light, and she found herself in a musty-smelling, cramped room whose walls were covered in shelves lined with objects she didn’t recognize. “What’s inside those containers?” She pointed at the shelves.

  “Those are old books, most of which are original copies, made of actual materials. The owner deals in ancient artifacts, especially rare books.”

  Kia had seen a few rare manuscripts, shown to her by a srilao teacher, filled with hand-drawn diagrams of holds and throws, but there were rows of these objects. The methods of producing these relics were almost forgotten except in a few isolated planets.

  “How may I help you?” A young man, with a pale complexion and red-rimmed eyes that indicated he spent most of his life looking through the goods he sold, appeared.

  “I’m here to collect a book. My name is Lair.”

  “Ah, yes, we have the volume. It was a little tricky to locate, but my father managed to track down the single copy available this side of the galaxy. One minute.” He vanished into the depths of the shop, returning with a neatly wrapped package. “Thank you for your custom. We are here to serve.”

  Rial slid the thin package into his jacket’s inside pocket. “There’s a tea shop nearby that sells the most exquisite pastries, and afterward we leave. Have you enjoyed Djem?”

  “Yes, I liked walking the streets like a normal person.”