The Balance (The Stone's Blade Book 2)

by Allynn Riggs

  Yantel pushed her toward the door. “Now go before I can figure out why I should arrest you.”

  With Renloret on her heels, she made a swift exit. She would have to make amends to Melli and Gelwood later.

  Before the star runner left Teramar, Renloret stopped at the canyon crash site to retrieve the two stasis bags. The bodies of Kiver and Sharnel were secured in separate units next to Taryn’s and the star runner, once again camouflaged against visual detection, bolted from the planet’s atmosphere.

  A brief message outlining the successful completion of the assignment with some complications was sent ahead to the waiting cruiser. Commander Chenakainet’s demand to know the identity of the twin had been ignored, along with a request for explanation about the complicating circumstances. As far as Ani was concerned, her father could wait a few more hours to learn that he had a son and not another daughter, and the full account of what had happened would take some time.

  A grin from Renloret as he flipped off the communication switch in the middle of Chenakainet’s third attempt to get the identity of the twin elicited a sharp guffaw from Ani as she stopped pacing and flopped into the copilot’s seat.

  “He’s known about the twin for a few seconds less than me and he can’t wait until we dock?” Her tone was harsh. “I’ve known Taryn as my best friend since birth, and Chenakainet probably barely remembers him because Taryn and I were only five when he left. I’m trying to figure out which one of us should be more upset. Hells, Renloret, I considered marrying Taryn.”

  Was the reason she turned down Taryn’s proposal because she subconsciously sensed that they were related? It didn’t seem likely, though she had to admit that she had always been closer to him that anyone else besides her mother. Thanking all the gods, three parents, and an uncle for their influence on a pair of teenagers and young adults, Ani let loose a relieved sigh that Taryn and she had, together, decided to remain celibate, though breaking that celibacy had crossed their minds on occasion. Ani remembered one particular night they had come terribly close. She shook her head in wonder. How was it that both of them had felt it wasn’t quite right? Was their attraction to each other more about the fact they were twins than anything romantic? Was that why they never consummated the relationship?

  They often seemed to know what the other was going to say or do. How many times had one or the other of them said or done exactly what was needed in a way that seemed more than usually intuitive? Was this how being a twin was supposed to feel? Would this newly discovered connection help Taryn come to terms with the change in their relationship?

  Kela laid his head across her thigh and she rubbed the base of his ears. Will he be embarrassed to be around me? Will he be disgusted?

  He should know his heritage so he can decide who he truly is.

  I am not sure of my own identity, Kela. Am I Ani Chenak, first female blade ring champion of Teramar’s northern continent, or Anyala Chenakainet of Lrakira, Singer of the Anyala Stone?

  Why not both?

  Her laugh was not the happy sort. She waved off Renloret’s look of concern but decided to explain at least a bit. “Kela and I are discussing the identity problem my twin and I are going to be dealing with. We’ll need time to adjust our understanding of who we are, how we define family, and even what we consider to be alien.”

  Thankfully, the pilot nodded and did not press her for details. She considered kissing him. That would distract him — and her. Kela groaned heavily, letting her know his thoughts on her thoughts. Ani ruffled his fur and pushed him away. Evidently, he didn’t have a sense of humor. She considered the action and possible consequences, especially in light of the kiss in the alley, which had almost gotten out of her control. Yes, kissing him would be distracting and fun, but not a good idea this time.

  “Let me know when we’ve docked.” Ani said. “I want to be alone until then, okay?”

  “I can put it on autopilot, if you want to talk,” Renloret said.

  Oh, she wanted to do more than talk. She felt the blush heat up her face at her totally inappropriate thoughts. “Not yet. I need time alone. Kela, stay here and don’t try to listen.” She felt him slide the privacy barrier into place. She sent a thankful note to him before it fully closed and then she headed back to the long-sleep compartments. It was safer for her to be with the comatose and dead. She needed to be away from Renloret’s presence so she could focus on the dramatic changes that had disrupted her life.

  After leaning against the compartment holding her brother for a few minutes, Ani slid down to sit on the floor. She firmly pushed away thoughts of everyone except Taryn, tipped her head back, and closed her eyes. Scenes of the last twenty years rolled across her memory: the barefoot hunts for the gold and red amphibians native to Mineral Creek; the blade training sessions that had often ended in sibling-like shouting matches and scuffles, especially when they were young; even the locker incident during which Ani and everyone else discovered her claustrophobia. Now she tried to laugh at the bloody nose she’d given Taryn after being released from the locker, another sibling-like squabble. Then there were the late night study sessions while preparing to enter the universities. No, she didn’t want to think about those, especially with what she knew now, because some had ended badly … uncomfortably. More than anything else, she feared that in gaining a brother, she might have lost her best friend.

  To keep the tears at bay she eased into thinking about the situation, not the emotions. Pragmatism would serve her best. Ani shifted gears and began planning.

  There was most likely going to be an uproar when the identity of the twin was announced. The biggest hullabaloo would be over the fact that her twin was male, not female as everyone — everyone — was expecting. Perhaps the history book in Awarna’s library would be helpful to have on hand before the news leaked out. She should ask Renloret to send a message to the librarians to locate it and have it ready for them when they landed. The Singers, at least Layson and Diani, could read it beforehand, and then they might have answers to the many questions that kept erupting and interrupting her thoughts. Plus, it would give them something to do besides worry. In theory, the book might help them figure out the prophecy and come to the conclusion that the twin was male. Perhaps they were already looking into the details of the prophecy by now.

  She also had to plan how to handle Yenne Chenakainet — her father. Even after more than two weeks, she was uncomfortable about the idea of him being her father because he was hardly ten years older than her. Her last childhood memories of him were in a smoke-filled hallway, kissing her mother on the cheek before taking boxes of files from her and disappearing down the staircase. Ani paused in mid-thought. It seemed important to understand her last impression of her parents together.

  Long forgotten words and images came forward. Yenne had said he would return with help if S’Hendale couldn’t get to the ship in time. He wanted to take Ani, but S’Hendale said no and handed him a second box. Ani remembered that in the stress of the moment, her father had pronounced her mother’s name in what she thought of as the Southern way, not the blended soft way of Northern. The tone of their hurried conversation carried so much love, though Ani now knew that they had spoken Lrakiran to one another. They had kissed again before her mother pushed him toward the stairway door. The face she saw in this memory was the face of Yenne Chenakainet — the same ebony skin, well-shaped nose, brown-black eyes, and wide high cheeks she saw each time she looked at the commander. Even her memories confirmed that he was her father, and until that moment, she had not realized it. How was she going to handle this new awareness and tell him he had a son, not a second daughter?

  The memories began to flood back to her, unbidden. She made no attempt to stop them. After her mother had pushed Yenne to the stairway, she had picked up Ani and had run back into her lab to gather the remaining box of files. They had made it partway back to the stairway, Ani holding tight to her mother’s hand, when Ani had been yanked away from her mother by a ma
n. Ani now knew he had been a much younger Stubin Dalkey. The stranglehold of his arm around her waist had pushed all the air out of her lungs. She had struggled to breathe, even while kicking and scratching at the man’s chest. Her mother had screamed, dropping the box, the papers scattering. Another blast of explosives rocked the building. People were running toward the exit, past the trio in the middle of the corridor. Ani remembered the blood on sleeves and faces of her parents’ friends and coworkers, and she remembered someone practically dragging another man whose leg was terribly mangled — Gelwood.

  Her mother’s pleading words to Dalkey to just let the child go to her father had been answered with near hysterics by the man crushing Ani’s five-year-old body to his chest. Her mother had relented and followed the man out the exit. Once outside, Ani saw her mother look at the mountaintop and smile. Dalkey had followed her gaze and loosed his grip on Ani as a flash of light erupted at the peak. In the present, Ani sucked in her breath at this memory. She, too, had seen the star runner her father piloted breach the trees before the camouflaging had engaged.

  Ani had run to her mother, trying to hide from the smoke of the burning building and the sound of the walls crashing in as they surrendered to the fire. Leaving Stubin Dalkey staring at the mountain rather than the wreckage of the research center, Shendahl had taken her daughter into a firm hug and whispered, “I will keep you safe and make you strong. He will come back for you. You are The Blood and The Balance, my sweet Anyala. You will save our people and the Stone.”

  The memory of those words took Ani’s breath away. Even in that terrible moment, her mother had believed Ani was both The Blood and The Balance. Shendahl had made a mistake. She misunderstood the prophecy by thinking only a female would be able to save the Stone, and when she gave birth to twins and one was male, she assumed the girl was both The Blood and The Balance. By assuming this, Shendahl had felt safe in giving her son to Melli and Gelwood. Shendahl would then be able to focus on her daughter while being assured her son had parents who loved him without reserve. Plus, there was the added advantages of seeing her son every day and knowing she had brought joy to her best friend.

  Ani shook her head. How had her mother been strong enough to keep the secret, even from Melli, and even after Ani and Taryn had hinted they wanted to get married?

  She began remembering snippets of gentle lectures about not marrying lifelong best friends, the hints that it would be better to find a man who did not come from the same small town and that potential life partners were more likely to live outside Star Valley. One conversation came rushing to the forefront of her memory. Her mother had been making dinner after the last regional blade competition prior to the continental championships.

  “You know Taryn too well, Ani. He makes a good pairs partner, but he’s starting to protect you in the ring. If you’re not careful, both of you will find that your skills are suffering because you rarely work with others. Try to spice up your acquaintances. What about the young man from Zocanel Province? He was definitely interested in you at the regionals. He attended all your matches.”

  At the time Ani had almost gagged. Oh, sure, she had noticed him. He was good-looking enough to draw the eyes of most of the women — though not near the number that hung around Taryn like long-tailed sippers around a bouquet. Kursal Ceri had been a presumptuous fool, but she hadn’t told anyone then and wasn’t about to tell anyone now how he’d tried to accost her in the training room right before the championship round. It had been his folly. After a brief scuffle and a blade at his throat, he’d confessed to being instructed to connect with her and slip some kind of numbing drug into her water. He claimed it would only slow her reaction time so her opponent would be guaranteed a win.

  Ani sat up with a jolt. Something was beginning to make sense. Ceri had said his sponsor, a politician, had bet heavily on her losing. To make sure the competition ended in his favor, he had ordered the young man to collect a small package of powder from a doctor to dump into her water. She had been irate and had tied and gagged him before placing him inside one of the lockers with a statement to the effect that, if she lost, it would be in a fair and worthy fight and she would not allow anyone to demean her or her opponent in such a manner. Ani had been determined to win or lose on her own skills. She had decided to tell no one to avoid sullying the competition.

  This new memory suddenly became more important than how her mother had kept the relationship between Taryn and Ani a secret. Wasn’t Doctor Treyder tightly connected to a politician and hadn’t the doctor been the one who used a poison to slow her reactions in the cavern so he could implant his coma machine? The likelihood the two incidents were related was extremely high.

  But she was not on Teramar anymore so she really couldn’t do anything about it until she and Taryn returned from Lrakira. And she had no doubt that they would return. She would have to remember this bit of information because it might provide the link between Treyder and the senator. In the meantime, she would have to trust the Star Valley Sheriff Department and the Saedi City police to do everything possible. Her only concern about the investigation was that Renloret might have been too thorough in absconding with as much information as possible and there wouldn’t be enough evidence left to propel an investigation. She thought about her last look at the laboratory. How many papers or files had remained? She had not paid any attention to that. Renloret had not been able to bring all the computers or files, and there were surely samples of Taryn’s blood and saliva on the floor and near the drain. She hoped the Saedi City police could get there before Treyder or his assistant could get it cleaned up. In any case, Ani figured that the Lrakiran scientists could make copies of everything and she and Taryn could take them back to Teramar as evidence.

  And when she and Taryn returned, Melli and Gelwood would know that Taryn was healthy and safe. Then when things had settled down, Taryn could decide how much to tell them. But she wondered what life would look like if Taryn’s true identity was revealed. Ani was not sure. She worried about what would unfold once the Anyala Stone was healed. Were there other prophecies yet to come?

  A long sigh pushed past her lips. She could not speculate what was to come, but she could manage the moment. Ani stood and saluted her brother’s unmoving form. “I think I understand our mother’s reasons, however mistaken they were, and I am beginning to see that Teramar has almost as many problems as Lrakira. If you save the Stone, perhaps we can solve a few other mysteries. I believe the Stones have answers, or at least clues, to those mysteries. They certainly seem to know more than two worlds of people.”

  She stared at the compartment containing the stasis bag, wishing Taryn were by her side with his little notebook. She needed him and his sheriff’s mind. “Let’s get you to Lrakira, dear brother, and begin the unraveling of this tangling so we can see things straight and true.” She leaned close and kissed the compartment’s covering. “I just need to talk to our father first.”

  During the short walk to the bridge, she composed her side of the coming conversation. Once there, she slid into the seat next to Renloret. “How much longer ’til we settle into the landing bay?”

  “About twenty minutes. I requested a medical team to meet us. Do you want me to run interference?”

  She reached for the communication switch. “Already have a plan to distract Yenne while you explain to the doctors about Taryn.” She reached for the communication switch.

  “I need to speak with Commander Chenakainet, please.”

  “This is Chenakainet.”

  So, he was more than just monitoring the communications from the star runner — he was in the seat. She smiled. “Is there any alcohol on the ship?” She ignored Renloret’s questioning look though it probably mirrored her father’s expression.

  “Um, yes,” Yenne said.

  “Get a flask or whatever container it comes in and meet me in the flight debriefing room outside the landing bay. What I need to tell you should be said in person and in private.” />
  She waited almost three breaths before he responded.

  “Done. How far out are you?”

  “Renloret said fewer than twenty Teramaran minutes.”

  “Good. Oh, I heard the request for a medical team. Is she —”

  “I’d rather wait on that topic until after I talk with you. I’m fairly sure my twin will be fine. I will see you in the debriefing room.” She snapped the switch before he could wheedle out more information, sat back in the chair, and let out a noisy breath. Now all she had to do was wait.

  “Ason?” The incredulity in his voice brought a wry smile to Ani’s lips. She nodded and poured two fingers of liquor into the fist-sized glass in front of him. Without hesitation, he tossed down the contents, swallowing with only the barest cough.

  Ani sniffed at hers and took a tentative sip, then chuckled. “Almost as good as your twenty-year-old vaquin.” She raised her glass in salute and took a hefty swallow. Nodding his thanks, he pushed the empty glass forward and she refilled.

  “When we found out that Taryn was my twin, Renloret’s toast was to the Stones, sending them to the hells of Teramar for not telling us outright that the twin was male,” Ani said.

  “Well, here’s to the Singers whose ignorance of their own teachings brought about the near extinction of our people.” This time Yenne sipped the liquor. “So, how did you discover his identity?”

  “Do you remember the mother’s journal Melli gave Mother?”

  Yenne nodded. “She wrote in it almost daily. She said that you would need to read it at some point to understand what being a mother was like.” He paused. “I honored her privacy and never attempted to read it. Where did you find it?”