The Balance (The Stone's Blade Book 2)

by Allynn Riggs

  Renloret spoke first. “He’s in a coma.”

  “Like I was when I first arrived,” Ani added.

  “I don’t think I want to visit Teramar. Half the people there seem to be in comas,” Layson muttered, bringing smiles to Renloret’s and Ani’s faces. Ani was reminded of Mroz’s comment about not wanting to stay on Teramar because of the behavior of a few people.

  “How did it happen?” the ever-practical Diani asked.

  Renloret took up the narrative. “After Taryn agreed to help us find the twin, his plan was for us to split up to make the search go faster. One particular person’s behavior was suspicious enough that Taryn met with him the evening Ani and I read S’Hendale’s journal and discovered the identity of the twin. We decided to wait until morning to give him the news.”

  Ani jumped in. “He wasn’t at work and neither he nor the man he went to interview had been seen since that eve’s meeting. We traced his location to the capital city, where we discovered he’d been kidnapped after the interviewee injected him with another of the coma devices. He was being tortured while under the influence of the device. We were able to rescue him with some assistance from a family friend.”

  “Didn’t he have parents?” Layson asked. Once again, Ani was pleasantly surprised the younger Singer cared about the personal side of the situation.

  “Yes, Gelwood and Melli Avere. As far as we know, neither of them knows that Taryn is not their genetic child.” Raised eyebrows and skeptical looks greeted this statement. “It’s too long a story to go into at the moment. What is important is that Taryn is The Balance. We brought him here to save the Anyala Stone. What happens afterward is unknown because you did not read the rest of the song.” She wanted to get back to the task the Singers had been asked to do but had not completed.

  Both Singers flinched at her accusing tone. Ani didn’t care. Hadn’t they been asked to find and read the entire piece to prepare them for what was to come? How could they assume the meaning of a prophecy when only the first part was read? Were they that naive? But by their own admission, they hadn’t even attempted to find the book, assuming the remembered verse given to them by Renloret was all that was needed. So now they weren’t prepared. And now Ani and Renloret did not have the information they were hoping for before meeting with Taryn to tell him who he really was and what he was destined to do. Ani turned her back on them, rolling her eyes at Renloret. Kela grumbled in her mind as well, echoing Ani’s frustrations.

  She turned back to look each Singer in the eye and pointed at Kela. “Even Kela understands how entrenched Lrakiran society is. If Taryn is supposed to be the first male Stone Singer, it’s not me who’s going to tell everyone. It’s you two. And you’re going to tell them my grandmother, Selabec, tried to murder the Anyala Stone!”

  When protests began bubbling forth from the two Singers, Ani held up her hand to still them. “After Taryn saves the Stone, we will fashion a single statement to inform the Lrakiran people — together. Nothing is to be released until we all understand the prophecies within the first song.” She stopped and tipped her head to Renloret. “And there are multiple prophecies, right?”

  “There was something about the number seven and a reunion,” he replied. “I certainly don’t understand those parts. We should read the whole thing, and preferably before Taryn is out of surgery. I’ll assume his recovery will be rapid because of the blade healing.”

  “Another blade healing?” Diani shook her head.

  “Yes, Renloret and I performed it to heal the injuries inflicted on Taryn while he was in the coma. The surgeon was told. He wants me, in particular, to be in the recovery room. So we best be about the business of gathering the information we need to explain this to my brother.” She walked to the door, which slid open, and allowed a smile at the Singers as Kela took a muzzle full of gold fabric in his teeth and tugged Diani out of her seat.

  A shout from an attendant running down the hall stopped them. He pointed at Ani and waved at her to follow him. He babbled something in Lrakiran. Ani remembered she was no longer in the conference room with a mechanical translator, but she heard the surgeon’s name somewhere amongst the sounds.

  Renloret touched her on the shoulder. “He says your brother is being moved to recovery and Doctor Sholoret wants you there. They don’t know exactly how long he will be under. The attendant will take you to him. Oh, take Kela so Taryn will have two familiar faces in the room.”

  Ani realized he was able to switch languages in the same breath and his Northern was getting smoother every time he spoke, though his accent still revealed that he was not a native speaker. She wondered if she would be able to do as well if she decided to have a bio-teacher installed.

  Kela barked. Thank Renloret for thinking of that. I most certainly want to be there when you tell Taryn he’s an alien. Maybe that’s how he will figure out he’s your brother. He’s intelligent enough. Kela’s snicker brought a smile to Ani’s lips.

  “All right, let’s meet in the Stone Chamber when we get together again, and bring the book when you find it. Okay?” Ani nodded to the pair of Singers, placed a quick cheek-side kiss on Renloret without a thought, and hurried after the attendant.

  Stunned by the freely given kiss, Renloret could barely inhale. Too many things were happening. Life was not as ordered as he wanted it to be. Why couldn’t he just be a pilot? Would there ever be a time when he could tell her how he felt? Once again, circumstances were forcing Renloret to suppress his attraction to the green-eyed girl so he could focus on the most pressing exigencies. He frowned. Now what were those exigencies? Rubbing his temple, he headed toward one of the chairs in the hospital lobby and slumped into it.

  He looked up to find that both Singers were standing in front of him.

  “Told her what?” he mumbled. Which Singer asked? It didn’t matter.

  “That you love her.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Now that sounded like Diani. He ran both hands through his hair. The tiny ridge where Ani had stitched his scalp together after the crash made him smile briefly. How could such a small act as a kiss on the cheek throw him so far out of the blade ring?

  “How can I, with more important things always needing attention?” Anger and frustration at himself for not taking the initiative and just saying it aloud in her presence bubbled through his words. “We’ve only known each other for … what … barely three moon-cycles? And she was in a coma for almost a third of the time. She’s been through too much change to expect her to take me on, at least at the moment.”

  Singer Layson leaned close to stare directly into his heart. “You underestimate her, Renloret. She is far stronger than you believe, and from her expressions and tone of voice when you are around, it is clear that she loves you.”

  “And you know this how?”

  A smile crossed her lips. “The Kita Stone told me.”

  Diani stepped up behind Layson, adding a supportive smile. “Be at peace, Renloret. There will be time to tell her which side of the blade your heart is on. Now, we should follow through with her request and find the book.” Diani pointed to the hospital’s front door with a dip of her chin.

  Kela laughed in Ani’s head.

  What’s so funny?

  You don’t even realize what you did, do you? Kela’s tone was smug. Ani didn’t like it when he thought he knew everything.

  She asked anyway. What did I do? The attendant was almost running down the hall in his urgency to get Ani to the recovery room before Taryn woke. He stopped at a door, slapped a hand to the entrance pad, and disappeared into the room.

  You kissed him.

  “I did not,” she said aloud. Had she? Even if she had, why had she? She peeked into the room, not really seeing anything because her mind was reviewing what had just happened. Ani ran her tongue over her lips. She tasted Renloret, and the distraction in the alley came rushing back.

  Kela snickered. Granted, it was only on the cheek, but i
t was a kiss in front of others.

  “Oh, hells of Teramar.” A blush darkened her neck and face. How would she explain? Was it a careless mistake or an unconscious need to let him know how she felt?

  You’ll have to make time to discuss it with him — after Taryn saves the rock. Kela trotted over to the bed where the attendant stood, his hand holding a small disk to Taryn’s bare chest.

  The attendant smiled at Ani, pointed to a rolling chair, and then stepped out of the way. Following his hand motions, she scooted the chair close, sat down, and enfolded one of Taryn’s hands in both of hers. His chest rose and fell evenly as if he slept.

  How am I going to explain all this, Kela?

  You’ll find the words. His muzzle wedged under her arm.

  But how is he going to react when he finds out our mother gave him up because she assumed I was the only one needed — that he was extra?

  Melli and Gelwood needed him. He is not an extra to them. You’ve known each other your whole lives, Ani. He won’t act any differently toward you. He already knows your heart belongs to Renloret.

  She started to laugh but couldn’t. Had her attempt at misdirection in the alley revealed her true feelings? The truth, she realized, was in her desire to be back in the alley, kissing Renloret, not here holding Taryn’s hand.

  A squeezing pressure on her hands brought her back to the recovery room on Lrakira.

  “Am I sick?” Taryn’s voice crackled with dryness. “Got any water?”

  The attendant silently came forward with a small glass of water and again retreated into the corner. Ani was fairly confident he did not understand Northern but was just paying attention to his patient.

  Ani held the glass to Taryn’s lips. He swallowed once then grasped the glass on his own and raised his body up to drink from it.

  “I’m not an invalid, Ani.” His blue eyes were bright with no sign of the trauma his body had been put through. He downed the rest of the water.

  “Obviously not,” Ani replied. She took the glass from him and sat back in her chair. Crossing her arms, she studied him as he looked about the room. His eyes stayed on the attendant momentarily and moved on just before it became apparent he was scrutinizing everything. He was probably wishing for his notepad.

  “Don’t get too attached to the place. You’ll probably be excused by the end of the day.”

  He cleared his throat. “How long have I been in the hospital?”

  “Actually, not too long.” She wondered if he would feel the difference in time and location before she told him what had happened over the past ten days. She was pleased that the larger ship meant a faster travel time.

  His perusal of the room completed, he touched his upper right shoulder, his fingers rubbing across the tiny indentation beneath the fabric of the wispy gown that all hospitals seemed to think was appropriate no matter the planet. “What kind of throwing blade did he use?”

  “We’re not exactly sure. We were hoping you would know.” Outside of the sketches and research reports she had read, she had no idea what the weapon might have looked like, though she was positive the coma device had not entered his body through a hollow sliver blade, as had been used on her. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Well, you know me, I’m always looking for the reasons behind people’s behavior. And Doctor Treyder seemed quite surprised to see you — stunned, really. He kept staring at you the whole time we were in his office, like you were a ghost. I couldn’t tell if he was just uncomfortable, nervous, or maybe even a bit intimidated by your presence. Didn’t you hear the tremor in his voice?”

  Ani shook her head. Had her desire to get her mother’s notes overridden her usual observations?

  “Well, I thought he would be more forthcoming without you around, so I arranged a solo interview. Plus, I thought he might show me some of his newest designs. My father always had praise for his handiwork. Father couldn’t figure out why Treyder had left a couple of years ago and yet asked to return only a month after you had left for Lrakira. Some of the other scientists who returned had mentioned him grumbling about your mother’s death being too soon for him to show her his new invention. They assumed he thought it might have saved her in some way. He also expressed disapproval of your uncle’s …”

  “Defection to Southern?”

  Taryn shrugged with a crooked grin. “You said it, I didn’t.” He sat straighter. “Listen, Ani. There are definitely some bad feelings between Treyder and your uncle, and Treyder considers Reslo a coward for running to Southern after your mother’s funeral. Treyder also said he’d tried to balance the sword with Reslo by using you instead of your mother to test that coma device. I was surprised he admitted accosting you.”

  She clucked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “He’s even crazier than Stubin Dalkey. At least Dalkey died knowing he was correct about aliens being on Teramar. Isul Treyder killed Dalkey because he wanted to put me in a coma and feared Dalkey would ruin that plan by killing me.”

  Taryn leaned forward. “I don’t think he planned on killing Dalkey, only distracting him. That light beam weapon is so far beyond even his capabilities that I believe he didn’t know it could kill. He was considering using it as a distraction device that would allow our armies to get closer to Southern’s forces so he could use the upgraded coma delivery system he was designing. Ani, I think he got that light beam weapon from someone else, maybe even another alien.”

  “Another alien? What do you mean by that?”

  Kela whined. He pushed his head under Taryn’s hand, which immediately began to massage the base of his ears. Remember Yenne saying Treyder was married to one of the original Lrakiran research team? Maybe she told him some things before she died.

  You’re right. He may be on to something here, but it’s a bit off topic, isn’t it? She really just wanted to focus on one problem at a time.

  Take notes now and remember to read them later.

  She gently swatted at Kela’s head, but the canine ducked away from her hand in time to remain unscathed.

  “Has anyone considered someone didn’t want the Lrakiran people to survive the plague and was hoping to take over those crystal stones once the Lrakiran people were gone?” Taryn asked.

  Ani looked at the attendant. He was sitting with his hands folded, unperturbed by the patient’s speculations. Taryn followed her glance, but he immediately refocused on her, dismissing the attendant.

  “Well? Those rocks are priceless, right? They could be sold for a lot of money and …” Taryn frowned. He stared at the nonreactive man in the corner. “Does he understand Northern?”

  Finally.

  Kela’s flat comment brought a smile to Ani’s lips. She shook her head. “No.” She waited as Taryn again examined the room. It would be more fun for her and better for him if he figured this out on his own. She reminded herself that her brother was more open-minded than she had been and would probably be delighted he was on a different planet. In fact, being on another planet would most likely be easier for him to understand than the fact that he was her twin and had been living a lie of sorts for the past twenty-five years.

  A laughing agreement came from Kela. The canine nuzzled Taryn’s hand again, for he had stopped rubbing the base of the dog’s ear. How long do you think it will take?

  Shrugging, she answered silently. Not as long as some people expect. She watched the expressions dance across her brother’s face. Each time she thought of Taryn as her brother it got more comfortable. Her past feelings for him seemed to be sorting themselves out, making more sense. She realized she was finally coming to terms with their altered status.

  Kela made a low rumble in his throat. She looked down at him and received a wink. She returned it.

  “Ani?” Taryn’s voice was a whisper.

  “Yes?”

  “You won’t laugh at me, will you?”

  “No.”

  “We’re not on Southern soil, are we?”

  “No.” She couldn’t hi
de the smile any longer.

  “All the hells, girl, why didn’t you tell me right off?” His expression was endearingly hurt.

  “It was more fun this way.” She couldn’t help it.

  “Fun? You think this is fun? How long were you going to …? Hells, girl …”

  Ani realized he was getting angry. The attendant had stood up and looked ready to interfere in any altercation. She waved him off, confident she could handle the coming wrestling match.

  Taryn jabbed her in the shoulder. She flinched but grabbed his wrist as he tried to administer a second punch. They glared at each other for a full four breaths before Taryn wrenched his hand from her grasp and turned his gaze to the floor. The expected fisticuffs did not happen. Perhaps they were too old for that childish method of resolving disagreements between them. Hiding her disappointment, she allowed Taryn to work through his thoughts.

  “Lrakira?” Taryn finally whispered as he looked up at her.

  She nodded.

  “Renloret?”

  “Hopefully, he’s at the library looking for a book that should have answers we need.”

  Taryn swung his legs to the side of the bed, keeping the sheets across his lap. “Shower? Clothes?”

  Ani pointed at the small privacy chamber. “All you need is on the shelves.” Taryn wrapped the sheet securely and padded into the chamber, slamming the door closed. She could hear him talking to himself. Was he still angry? She couldn’t tell.

  Well, that was fun. Kela’s mental voice sounded disappointed.

  Shut up.

  I was expecting something a bit more melodramatic — like vomiting and a rousing fight with the attendant.

  “I said shut your muzzle, Kela.” She did not want to be reminded of her reaction when she figured out she was on another planet.

  My muzzle has nothing to do with my talking. He managed to dodge the pillow she threw.

  “Ani?” Running water barely softened Taryn’s voice.

  “Yeah?” She moved the chair to be closer to the door.