Rise

by May Sage

  Great. They weren’t being rude, they just thought she’d be happy to sleep in a fridge.

  Lena had made a bee-line for the comforter on her large, plush bed, but guess what? It was made of something similar to satin. Soft, pretty and pretty useless.

  Fuck.

  Is the shower likely to have hot water?

  The probability is twenty-nine percent.

  Pro or con?

  Con. While hot water and baths are appreciated, they aren’t considered a necessity.

  She tried it nonetheless; turned out, Chip was right as always. Damn. This was not funny.

  She found an ultracomputer on the floor, next to the door, and sat down against it. Systems such as this regulated the oxygen levels, the gravity, and other important stuff and in this world or the next, that meant it used up a lot of energy. Energy equaled heat.

  Lena sat down, her back against the moderately warm door, wrapped the silky comforter around her shoulders and tried to go to sleep.

  Jaycn

  The house was occupied.

  Lena wasn’t wasteful, she would have turned all of the lights off before leaving; not to mention that she rarely had more than one or two on.

  Right now, all of the lights on the second floor were on, and Jaycn could see some shadows obscuring the library’s window.

  “Is she usually entertaining guests?”

  Oh, hell.

  If Calden asked him, it meant that he knew Jaycn visited Lena on a regular basis.

  “Do you truly believe I wouldn’t have noticed?” his cousin said, a smile on his lips.

  Calden wasn’t pointing his blaster or his sword at him, which meant that he also knew that while Jaycn had forged a strong relationship with Lena Smith, it was entirely platonic.

  Not that he hadn’t been tempted. In addition to a desirable appearance, Lena was blessed with wit and charms by the bucket-load. However, she was Calden’s – end of story; or so he told himself on a regular basis.

  Jaycn had guessed Calden might have known where he spent his holidays, but neither of them had broached the subject until now.

  “I haven’t…”

  Calden silenced him by shaking his head.

  “You might as well. I can’t afford to state a claim on her.”

  What the hell?

  Jaycn had assumed that Calden hadn’t attempted to court Lena because he relished his singlehood, or because he thought the girl too young for him. She’d been seventeen when they met; now, she was twenty-five.

  But in his mind, the Emperor was always going to end up begging for a bond, and sooner rather than later. With the Trials for the Empress position approaching, he couldn’t exactly afford the luxury of time.

  “I’ve asked a question, cousin.”

  They were so going back to that conversation, but now wasn’t the time; they needed to get off that planet as soon as possible.

  “She rarely has guests.”

  Calden nodded, before taking another blaster, and hiding it inside his jacket.

  As Jaycn was still pathetically dragging behind, Calden offered to walk in first.

  He broke a window and jumped in without momentum or support, making Jaycn roll his eyes in the process. Show off.

  Following him took a bit more effort; he had to use the window frame to manage it.

  It wasn’t his fault. Jaycn was a normal Klint – he’d actually been born, from one of the rare breeders still alive, which meant that his genetics had been the luck of the draw. He couldn’t really complain with what he’d ended up with, but Calden was another thing altogether. There were dozens of award-winning genetic expertise involved in his conception and annoyingly, it showed.

  As they’d managed to get in without incident, Jaycn took the lead, taking them to the kitchen first, and then, to Lena’s bedroom.

  Jaycn knew where it was, but he’d never stepped inside. He took in the space; it was tidy-ish and comfortable – warm reds and golds, plush throws and cushions. He averted his eyes, pretending not to see Calden take one pillow and bringing it to his nose.

  It was a little bit creepy, but also strangely charming. Proofs that Calden wasn’t made of stone were hard to come by.

  “No cat.”

  The fur-ball was generally either eating or sleeping, so the two rooms they’d visited had been the best bets, but Mr. Pepper was a no show.

  “Damn. I was hoping to avoid that. He’s in the library.”

  There was no other option; the cat didn’t do the outside thing at all.

  “Which is a problem because…”

  “Because it’s lit up right now, and I’ve seen some movements.”

  Typical. The stupid animal was such a cuddle whore he’d probably rolled over and purred at a legion of armed men ready to kill his mistress.

  Calden didn’t seem disturbed by that revelation. To be accurate, the man actually smiled.

  Was everyone around him insane?

  “Come on, admit it: you could use a punching bag right now.”

  Sure, however fighting humans was problematic, because a little bitch-slap could cause serious damage to the puny earthen mammals and they weren’t supposed to kill them, according to the treaty.

  “If they are here to harm Lena, one of our Elites, they have broken the treaty,” Calden announced, probably reading his mind.

  It was bad-mannered, but Jaycn wasn’t certain Calden could help it.

  The golden microchip fitted on his temple was approximately one gazillion times more powerful than any other – it was the Emperor’s system. It could reach out to seek the truth in any male’s mind, which came in handy when a scumbag was trying to mess with them, but it was pretty damn annoying when daydreaming about naked girls during interstellar negotiations.

  Jaycn knew how to close his mind; it was just an awful lot of effort to keep his shields up all the time. Generally, he only made use of it when he was thinking about Lena naked. Self-preservation and all.

  “Ok. Let’s go punch some humans, then.”

  Turned out, they only had the pleasure of punching two.

  The guards in front of the library weren’t a lot of fun; they were on the floor after a single hit.

  Calden pushed the door open, and raised an eyebrow at the six blaster guns pointed straight at his chest.

  And that was why Jaycn wasn’t into stupid romantic gestures. He sure as hell hoped Calden would eventually get laid for his effort.

  Calden

  The weapons were effective, the latest model of laser blasters created by the empire. The fact that they were currently in the grasp of half a dozen shaking human hands meant that their inkling had been valid. They had a traitor in their ranks.

  He’d leave one of them alive, and the man would talk.

  Calden walked forward and the six human practically pissed themselves.

  His gaze went to a plush seat, where a seventh male sat, caressing a small, soft-looking feline.

  “No, no. No need for such unpleasantness,” the male said, with a wave of his hand.

  His tone held authority, and there wasn’t one ounce of fear in his voice.

  Obeying his command, the six humans lowered their weapons and stood at the ready.

  “After all, we’re all family here, are we not?”

  The cat meowed when the human rose, and scamper off towards the door. Great. They’d have to chase him down again after dealing with the Dissenters.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Jaycn said politely, advancing to stand between Calden and the blasters.

  His cousin was a brave, loyal soul. He’d have to remember that next time he wanted to kill him after seeing him interact with Lena Smith.

  “We haven’t,” the man replied. “Although I’ve heard about you both. But I dirgess. Let us talk of important things. Am I right to assume that my daughter is currently on orbit in your Anterra, and safe from harm?”

  Shit.

  Her father. He should have known; the unfaltering eyes h
ad been familiar.

  Calden was at a loss. In other circumstances, he would have had to charm the man, offering some sort of contract, but he wasn’t after Lena.

  He couldn’t be.

  Yet, he couldn’t help feeling some deference towards the human, which meant that he couldn’t threaten, torture or interrogate anyone here.

  “She’s safe,” Jaycn replied. “From your men.”

  Ah, yes. There had been the little fact that Lena’s father was apparently a Dissenter.

  And a high-ranking one at that.

  If he’d been Jaycn, he would have described the situation as mindfucking.

  “Easy, boy. It wasn’t my men.”

  That, he could believe. The obvious target had been Alek – they’d attacked his quarters, first, and no one had stopped Calden’s retreat.

  That large, cold human with salt and paper hair and numerous scars was probably a lot of things, but a coward wasn’t one of them; and who went for younglings, save from cowards?

  “I’ve heard they were after the boy,” he said, his gaze dropping on Calden. “Is he alright?”

  He nodded, still trying to make that man out.

  Ultimately, only one thing mattered right now. Was he a friend, or an enemy?

  “Good. Tell my girl I will find them and rip their throats out for even trying to touch him.”

  With that, he tilted his head, and his men followed him out of the room.

  Ok. Friends, then.

  When the front door closed behind him, Jaycn breathed out in relief, obviously intimidated.

  The human might have been a hundred years younger than either of them, but there was something bestial in his stance, so Calden couldn’t blame his cousin.

  “That explains so much about Lena,” he said.

  Perhaps, but it also opened up a lot of questions.

  He’d immediately reached out for Lena’s file, when the man had half-introduced himself, believing he might have recalled the information incorrectly, but his microchip had revealed exactly what he’d thought.

  Lena Smith, daughter of Anna and John Smith, was supposed to be an orphan.

  “Come on, cousin. We have a cat to catch.”

  Jaycn

  Jaycn tried very hard to prevent himself from laughing each time he glanced towards Calden, but come on, it was hilarious.

  The scratches would fade soon, but right now, they were visible on his forearms and face; he was also bleeding a little.

  Jaycn couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen Calden’s blue blood spilt; it had probably involved a dozen opponents against his bare knuckles or something of the sort.

  But they were nothing to the almighty Mr. Pepper.

  “How come that beast is content next to you!” Calden exploded.

  Jaycn could have made him feel better by explaining that the fussy cat was actually a nightmare whenever he felt like it… but nah. Sulky Calden was a sight he relished in too much to surrender just yet.

  “A beast, he called you,” Jaycn whispered to Mr. Pepper, who turned on his back, presented his neck and started purring.

  To be frank, Jaycn had never been fond of the animal until then, but damn, when he turned on the charm, he was cute.

  He found himself stroking the long white fur.

  They’d finally made it back, and Calden all but jumped to his feet, grumbling all the way to Lena’s quarters.

  He opened the door and immediately moved to let Jaycn walk in first.

  That is, until his gaze fell down on the floor.

  Jaycn followed it and clasped the fist which wasn’t carrying Mr. Pepper.

  The only thing that made him feel better about the vision in front of his eyes was the certainty that someone was going to suffer because of it.

  Lena was blue. While it might not have been as problematic for a Klint, it wasn’t a natural state for humans. Her lips had turned a dark purple, and while he could see puffs of air coming out of her mouth, attesting that her system was still somewhat operational, she wasn’t in good shape.

  Calden had clearly ordered his crew to give her the very best care, so a head was going to roll down. And Jaycn – who generally kept Calden in check, reasoning with him when his cousin was too severe – was going to stand, watch and clap his hands.

  Lena

  She recalled falling from a high bar at ten, perhaps eleven years of age. She’d broken her wrist, sprained her ankle, and it had hurt like hell.

  The pain she was under right now was nothing like that. Instead of fire, she was tortured with ice; a million frosty needles pricking her limbs, until she finally managed to fall asleep.

  When she woke up, she was still in pain, but she was also panicking. Drowning. She was drowning. At least, there was water all around her and she couldn’t get out.

  It took a while to gather that she could actually breathe, for some reason.

  Feeling something foreign there, she touched her nose, finding a device plugged into her nostrils. Yurk. Ok. She wasn’t dying, but she still needed a way to get out of there.

  She was in a bubble, completely closed, and the presence which had murmured things in her mind for close to a decade was conspicuously absent. She touched the side of her skull; someone had taken Chip.

  When Jaycn had first brought the microcomputer to her, he’d told her most people removed it at night and in the shower, but some didn’t feel the need to; she hadn’t, so she’d never detached it.

  Ever.

  Lena wondered if it was similar to an addiction, because she definitely felt like she was missing something, like she needed it.

  All of the sudden and without warning, a trap opened at the bottom of her bubble, draining the water – it was too small to get out through it, though.

  Sensing a presence, she lifted her eyes and glared. Automatic reaction.

  Calden looked better than usual, the asshole. He wasn’t in his formal clothes; instead, he wore a simple long-sleeve shirt, and some dark pants. If it wasn’t for the royal blue mane around his shoulders, he would have looked like any gym bum on off day.

  He was watching her, which brought the fact that she was butt naked to her attention. What was worse yet? He didn’t seem impressed, or bothered, or anything.

  She really couldn’t stand his guts.

  “Your clothes are on the bed,” he said curtly. “This room will be at an adequate temperature.”

  And with that, he was gone. Her sphere opened up as soon as he’d left the threshold.

  She got up on shaky legs, so weak she wondered how long she’d been in her cocoon.

  As promised, she found her running clothes, cleaned and folded, but she didn’t reach out for them at first; no, she went for Chip.

  Ok, that was definitely bordering on addiction.

  Perhaps. However, there’s no detrimental effect, was Chip’s response to that.

  Oh well, then, no harm.

  Wanna tell me what happened to me?

  Shock thermal. You’ve been rehabilitating in plasma.

  She was so kicking Calden’s imperial derriere for it.

  I don’t believe this is necessary. According to the ship’s log, three soldiers have been suspended pending investigation, for failure to see to your needs.

  That had her speechless for a little while. Ok, they hadn’t been thinking, obviously, but were they actually getting punished for it? After all, she could have gone for help; her reluctance to show any weakness in front of Calden was the principal reason for her predicament.

  She was thinking through ways to fix that particular mess, amongst the pile of messes her life had become, when an unexpected noise distracted her from it all.

  She’d just taken it in when a grumpy ball of white fur proceeded to jump on her lap, put its paws on her boobs and knead the fuck out of them while head-butting her chin.

  Mr. Pepper was not happy about being left behind.

  “Missed you too baby boy,” she swore, before giving him a rough, messy scra
tch everywhere.

  “Father went to retrieve him, although he is likely to lie and pretend it was uncle Jaycn’s idea.”

  That came from her door; the boy held himself still and straight, just like his father. His purple hair – a perfect blend between her red and Calden’s blue mane – had just been cut shorter than usual, and from his uniform, he was on his way back from his daily training.

  The boy was awkward around her and to be frank, so was she.

  He was her kid, and there was no doubt in her mind that she loved him, from day one. Hell, from day minus ten. She’d still been pregnant when she’d begged Jaycn to give her some news from time to time. She’d believed she’d never see her child after giving birth.

  But she’d seen him at least once a year, without fail.

  Calden called regular meetings with the Klint presence on Earth and each time, she was summoned, as part of the Klint Elite.

  The first time had been two seasons after Alek’s birth. She’d made it to the meeting room, but Calden had been waiting in front of it, their son in his arm.

  It might as well have been yesterday; she’d never forget the little hands, the crazy curls, and Calden’s breathtaking smile when he’d been cooing some nonsense in their son’s ear.

  Then he’d lifted his head, looked at her, and for the first – and last – time, instead of blanking out on her, his smile grew bigger. He’d passed Alek to her, and wordlessly indicated another room, where she’d been allowed to take him.

  Yeah, she was still getting teary every time she recalled that.

  There had been pictures at first, sent every month; and then, Jaycn had started to bring him down for the occasional weekend.

  So, she’d seen him grow up, but their meetings had been too sparse to know what it meant to be a mother. To him, she was probably a family friend, a nanny, at most.

  She hadn’t known at first, of course, but later, Chip had been helpful in realizing that this wasn’t the way it usually went. Not for emperors, at least.

  If he’d followed tradition, Calden would have made her an Elite of his household, his personal breeder – although, as she’d obviously managed one child, she’d have no obligation to do the nitty-gritty with him. Not that she’d had, the first time around; Alek had been conceived in vitro.