by Cheree Alsop
“It should be just through there,” Farlon said, pointing at the door.
The gladiator held out his hand and Redden put the card in it. “Be careful. There might be—”
Kovak pulled open the door and walked through.
“I hate when he does that,” Redden said.
Shouts of surprise turned into gunshots. Fear prickled across Nova’s skin. The Quarians looked out, then froze as if shocked by what they saw.
“Get out there!” she said.
Her command jarred everyone to action. The Quarians dove through the door, one after the other, and came up shooting. McKy followed, then pulled back.
“It’s some sort of huge corridor. There are at least three squads out there!” he said, his eyes wide.
“Where’s Kove?” she demanded.
“I couldn’t see him,” her brother said. “Nova, I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “There’s no time for that. Let’s get out there and save his skin the way he’s saving ours.”
McKy nodded and yanked the door open. He hesitated, then disappeared through it.
The heavy gunfire made Nova’s heartbeat thunder in her ears. She was already breathing hard and hadn’t stepped into the battle yet. She checked her guns and reminded herself of what Kovak had told Jashu Blu what felt like ages ago. “Breathe and squeeze. I’ve got this.”
She pulled open the door and dropped immediately to one knee as several bullets peppered the frame where she had been standing.
“Nova, roll!” McKy called out.
She spotted her brother kneeling behind a shelf a few feet away. She dove into an awkward roll and ended up beside him.
“I’m really going to have to practice that,” she said.
“You will if you stick around him.”
Nova rolled her eyes before peeking out from behind the shelf. The huge corridor had chairs on either side of the hall along with rows of shelves, several of which had been pulled over by Kovak and the Quarians for cover. The three of them were a few rows up returning shot for shot with the soldiers who surrounded what she assumed was the Sergeant’s door. Several bodies showed where bullets had struck true, but there were just too many of them. Nova had to admit that as much as Anaya irritated her, the girl wasn’t stupid. She knew Kovak would be back for her one way or another. She wondered if his sister guessed Kovak’s new orders.
She glanced back over the shelves, then ducked down at the shots that were fired.
“This is taking too long,” she said. “What if they called for backup?”
“What do you recommend?” McKy snapped. “Rush it like your boyfriend? They’re only a few feet ahead of us.”
Nova bit back the response she was dying to make. Instead, she ran back for the door.
“Nova, where are you going?” McKy shouted.
Bullets answered. Nova dove through the door and slammed it shut behind it.
“Remind me to thank McKy for calling their attention to me,” she muttered angrily.
She pushed to her feet and ran back up the stairs. The soldiers Kovak had already slain didn’t carry more than standard-issue weapons; unfortunately, grenades weren’t one of them. She had seen a fire extinguisher on their way down. It would have to do.
“What are you doing?” McKy demanded when she dove through the door much more gracefully this time.
“Cover me,” Nova replied.
Her brother gritted his teeth and fired down the corridor. As soon as the soldiers ducked out of sight, Nova threw the fire extinguisher with all her strength and called out, “Redden, catch!”
The Quarian turned and managed to juggle the heavy extinguisher between two hands. He then chucked it toward the door.
Farlon followed the object with his guns and shot it as soon as it hit the floor. The fire extinguisher exploded, sending black powder into the air. Darkness filled the room. The sound of Kovak unsheathing his knives was followed by screams and stray gunshots. Nova ducked when one flew close enough to her ear for her to hear the whine of the bullet flying past.
Silence filled the corridor.
“Kove?” she called out.
His voice replied in the musky darkness, “The one benefit of being nearly blind is knowing what to do when the lights go out.”
“Nice,” Redden said. “Did you take care of them all?”
“Do you even have to ask?” Farlon said wryly.
Nova coughed at the dust that clogged her throat.
“This way,” Kovak called out.
He shoved open a door and light filtered through to guide Nova’s steps.
McKy grabbed her shoulder. “I’ve got you,” he said.
She shook clear of his grasp and stalked forward. His footsteps followed behind her.
Nova paused at the sight of Kove with his gun pointed at who she could only guess was his sister. She stood in the middle of a sparsely furnished room. Her short-cropped hair was the same color as her brother’s, and she had matching dark eyes that seethed with emotion. She held Kovak’s gaze as he walked around her, his gun aimed at her head with just enough distance between them that she had no chance of gaining control of it.
“That was a nice welcome party,” the gladiator was saying. “Thanks for making me feel right at home.”
“I hope you enjoyed it,” Anaya replied flatly. “I sent out the big guns.”
Kovak’s eyes narrowed. “They missed.”
“What about you?” his sister asked.
Kovak watched her closely. “What about me?”
“Are you going to miss?”
The challenge glittered in her eyes. She lowered to her knees and laced her fingers behind her head. “Don’t miss, Ovie,” she said in a mocking voice.
Kovak walked up to her and pressed the gun to her forehead. He glared down at her. “Do you want me to do this, Ny? Really?”
Her eyes narrowed and she spoke through clenched teeth to say, “I’m screwed either way. Do it.”
Kovak stared down at her without removing the gun.
“Do it, Kove,” she practically shouted.
The gladiator’s finger tightened on the trigger. Nova felt glued to the ground, unable to move or blink or turn her head away from the ugly scene that was evolving in front of her. He wouldn’t do it, would he? Would he see it as the only way to protect her? Could he really destroy the last vestige of family that he had?
“Ovie, pull the trigger,” Anaya yelled.
Kovak withdrew the gun. Before Anaya could say anything, Kovak walked around behind her and pressed the gun to the back of her head.
“You sure about this?” he asked quietly.
Anaya’s eyes closed. In her expression for the first time, Nova read fear. Her heart went out to the Smiren. They had to have been close to the same age. She couldn’t imagine all the young woman had gone through, but by the anger in her eyes, it had been plenty. Was she really ready to throw it all away?
“Do it,” Anaya whispered.
Her words seemed to take something from the gladiator. A sigh escaped him and his shoulders slumped. His hand tightened.
Nova wanted to yell, to charge at him, to do anything to stop what was about to happen, but she was powerless to do more than just watch.
“It could have been different,” Kovak said, his words barely audible.
“Another time, another place,” Anaya replied. Her voice cracked when she said, “Just do it.”
The muscles in Kovak’s arm bulged. Anaya’s eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her lips were pressed together so hard they were colorless.
Nova’s heart clenched in her chest. “Kovak,” she said, his name escaping in a plea.
Kovak flipped the gun and slammed the butt of it against the back of his sister’s head. The crack sounded sharply around the room before Anaya slumped motionlessly to the ground.
The gladiator lifted his head and his eyes found Nova’s. There were questions in them, curiosity tinged with sadness.
“Did
you think I would kill her?” he asked quietly.
Nova couldn’t come up with a reply.
McKy saved her the effort.
“I did. You should have. Don’t you want to be a lord?” he demanded.
“Would you shoot your own sister for a title?” Kovak asked.
Tension hung in the air between them. McKy didn’t answer for a split-second too long.
“McKy!” Nova said, appalled.
He put his hands up. “I’m just kidding! Of course I would choose you over a title.” He shrugged. “I’m just saying I don’t know if Kovak should choose Anaya over his title. That’s different.”
Nova crossed her arms. “How?”
“Well, you haven’t tried to kill me,” McKy pointed out.
Nova drew her gun and pointed it at his chest. It was a brash move. Her finger was to the side of the trigger, a mere scare tactic, but she was tired of being underestimated by him.
“Whoa!” he said. “I’d kill Anaya for sure. She’s a bad influence on you!”
Nova glanced at Kovak. There was the hint of a smile ghosting about the Smiren’s mouth. A slight, answering smile touched hers and she lowered her gun.
“There. See! I knew you didn’t mean it,” McKy said, his voice tight.
Redden walked past him. Nova heard the Quarian whisper, “Are you sure you didn’t just pee yourself a little? Give the girl the respect she deserves.”
His words warmed Nova as she followed the others back to the ship.
Chapter Nine
KOVE
I paced from one end of the hallway to the other.
“You know what they’re going to do to. It’s inevitable,” Redden said again.
“It’s not inevitable,” McKy replied. “Besides, she deserves it.”
“Nobody deserves it,” Nova said.
“But he had to turn her in to get his title and to protect the secrets of the Accord Systems,” McKy shot back. “He’s doing what’s right.”
I shoved the door open.
“Where are you going?” Nova asked.
“You know where I’m going,” I replied shortly.
Redden’s grin was unmistakable when he jogged up to my other side. “It’s because McKy said letting them torture her was right, wasn’t it? He’s like the opposite of your conscience.”
I snorted, but the Quarian was right. When McKy put it in such blatant terms, I had only one path to follow.
“That’s not true,” McKy argued from behind us. “She made her choice. She deserves to face the consequences of her actions.”
But it was the consequences of my actions that haunted me. Not killing Anaya had been easy. Turning her over when we reached the House had been much harder. The fact that I was walking the hallways without protest or being flanked by Lords and Ladies clamoring for my head was sobering.
I reached for the handle of the door at the end of the hall.
Redden grabbed my arm before I could pull it open.
“You know what this means, right?” his gaze was serious. “Your title will be gone and you’ll be hunted again.”
I threw him a smile. “It was a boring title anyway.”
A laugh escaped him. “You’ve had it for about twelve minutes.”
“Long enough,” I replied.
I pulled the door open. Four Lords and two Ladies in white and gold turned.
“What are you doing here?” Lord Talius demanded.
“What are you doing here?” I replied levelly.
The sight of the bloody knife in his hand didn’t bode well for his life expectancy.
He lifted the weapon casually. “We are just interrogating our prisoner,” he said with a humored grin. “We need to know what she told the Godking.”
I looked past him to Anaya’s tear-filled eyes. The gag in her mouth made my blood boil. I grabbed the knife from his hand and in one spin, almost completely severed his head from his shoulders. The bloody mess slumped to the floor, leaving those around me in a stunned silence.
“What did you do?” Lady Deava asked.
I gave her a cold look. “Imparting justice, my Lady. Any man who would interrogate a woman while keeping a gag in her mouth so she is unable to answer the questions he asks deserves to lose his head.” I twirled the knife through my fingers and asked, “Should the same apply to those who willingly look on while the interrogation takes place?” I glanced behind me. “What do you say, Redden?”
The Quarian’s gaze went from mine to the bleeding gashes down my sister’s arms and along her collar bones.
“It should apply,” Lord Fay said levelly.
I kept the surprise I felt from showing on my face. I had completely expected the Quarian to talk me out of it. He was the rational one who was supposed to argue me out of killing people. Yet his steady gaze held mind. “It should apply,” he repeated.
I gave a single nod. The Quarian motioned for Nova and McKy to leave the room. Farlon waited near the door. When I met his eyes, he nodded as well, his expression grim. He waited for Nova, McKy, and Redden to leave, then pulled the door shut. I was left in the room with the Lords and Ladies for company.
I turned to face them.
“Don’t even think about it,” an older Lord spat. “She’s a traitor! We’re sure she told Malivok our secrets.”
I stooped and wiped the knife on Talius’ shirt before rising to face the Lord. “And what secrets are those?”
He sputtered, his tentacled beard swinging back and forth. “Things you will never know, you…you…Smiren scum!”
“That’s Lord Smiren Scum to you,” I corrected. “And thank you for making this easier.”
I stabbed him beneath the rib cage, angling the knife upward to strike his heart. He fell to the ground, his argument dead on his lips.
The other two Lords drew the swords from the belts at their sides.
“That’s more like it,” I said with a humorless smile. “Come on then.”
They glanced at each other, then attacked in a whirl of blades. Their steps were in sync, like a dance. They held their thin swords delicately, as if hoping to kill me with finesse and style. Unfortunately for them, killing had nothing to do with finesse and style.
I caught the sword hand of one when he attempted to lop off my head. I spun and stabbed him neatly beneath the arm, turned his body with my shoulder, and used his sword to impale his friend straight through the throat. Their expressions of surprise when they fell to the floor froze on their faces in death.
I bowed to the Ladies. I had killed plenty of women warriors in the arena; there were many who far surpassed the men in both savagery and talent in battle. But that didn’t mean I took their lives lightly. No matter what was said about the Smiren gladiator, I was known for being chivalrous when a chance came to give a woman a fair pass.
Both of the Ladies quickly backed up.
“Did either of you stand up for this Smiren while she was being interrogated in such a cruel and heartless manner?” I asked in a polite tone.
I waited patiently as they looked at each other.
The Lady on the right glanced at Lady Deava with fear in her gaze before she turned back to me. “I-I did, my Lord.”
My heart rose slightly. “What did you say?”
Emboldened by my encouragement, she said, “I told Lord Talius that he was breaking the rules.”
I motioned for her to expound.
She looked at Lady Deava again before saying, “I told him the Smiren shouldn’t be in the House because she wasn’t a Lady.”
The inkling of hope I had harbored vanished. “You felt like she shouldn’t be here because she wasn’t a Lady, not because cutting someone with a knife while they’re unable to even defend themselves shows a complete lack of humanity?”
Her eyebrows pulled together and she looked at Anaya. Up to this point, my sister hadn’t said a word. I could feel her watching me, but refused to break my attention from the Ladies. If I saw the tears that stained my sister’s
face once again, the weak hold I had on my control would vanish. The entire House would be at risk if that happened.
“I-I guess I didn’t think I could stop them,” she admitted.
“And what about you?” I asked Lady Deava. “You’re the one who came up with the idea for me to free the spy in order to gain my title and rid myself of the price on my head.”
“I did,” Lady Deava said. Her control impressed me. While she was paler than I remembered, she stood firm and didn’t waver beneath my intense glare. Instead, her chin lifted. “I felt like it was a worthy mission. I was under the impression, though, that upon finding out the spy had become a turncoat, that you were ordered to kill her.”
“She’s my sister,” I replied.
The woman went from pale to ghostly white. “I-I had no idea,” she said. “I apologize.”
I studied her carefully. Though she still didn’t lower her gaze from mine, I swore I saw a glimpse of true sorrow in the woman’s eyes for our current situation.
I let out a breath. “I’ll allow you to leave on one condition.”
“Anything,” the first woman said.
Lady Deava gave her a disgusted look, then asked, “What condition is that?”
“That you denounce the House,” I told her.
Her eyes widened. “I can’t do that.”
I motioned toward Anaya. “Yet you can stand by while someone, anyone, is treated so cruelly in the name of Parliament? I’ve been on the other side of interrogations. Fair or not, there are lines crossed when humanity turns into something dark and terrible.” My gaze met Anaya’s; the emotions that flitted through my sister’s eyes rushed too quickly for me to read. I looked back at the women. “Believe me when I say that line was crossed tonight. Leave here and denounce the House or join your fallen Lords.”
The first woman gave a low curtsy without hesitation. “I denounce the House and any affiliation I have to it.” She looked up at me through lowered lashes. “May I leave now?”
I gave a single nod. The woman scrambled upright and took off through the far set of doors. I turned my attention to Lady Deava.