Kyl wove the cruiser through the cityscape of Terminus as finely as a seamstress wielding a needle, and Dina asked no more questions, busying herself instead with taking in her surroundings. It was an old city, he’d told her, straddled upon a river, girdled by desert. Sturdy granite buildings—some flat-roofed, others domed, and still others sprouting spires of every size and shape—lined the streets, many of them shielded from the thoroughfare traffic by high stone walls. Brightly colored tiles in copper-red, ocher, and azure framed the doors and windows of many of the larger structures, and some brandished roof gardens or gilded cupolas.
Soon they left the city for the desert. Agile, swift, and with a snug, enclosed cockpit, the cruiser sliced through the heated air currents with the ease of a sharp blade through fat. Dusk laminated the horizon with thin layers of color pressed tightly together—cobalt, spring green, pink, sulphur, and crimson.
They skimmed over a huge dune field, where the wind had formed massive parabolic dunes, their long, trailing arms caught and anchored by vegetation. Except for the plant life, it reminded her of the desert on Exodus, but she tried not to dredge up those memories. Exodus meant Rayn, and she couldn’t bear to think about Rayn. She’d lost Rayn.
The passing of but a few moments more saw the vice of night sky drive the color completely below the horizon, leaving only a glow behind to remind Dina of the glory of the day, but all she could think about was the darkness of the unknown before them.
A life-and-death battle was looming. She felt it as surely as Kyl did. Kyl had spoken of destiny, but what if Kyl’s vision of his destiny was wrong? What if his true destiny was to die in the upcoming conflict? She’d lost Rayn. Was she about to lose Kyl as well?
Chapter Fourteen
Homecoming
THE SUN GOD berthed at the Eruthros spacedock.
“You know, cousin,” said Sage, “it’s been almost five years since I’ve been here, yet it still feels like a homecoming. I used to have a good friend who worked here at the dock. As soon as I can, I’ll make some inquiries to see if he’s still here.”
The journey was at an end, but Rayn felt little excitement at his cousin’s words. Rayn felt no sense of homecoming, and foreboding and urgency ate at him like an infection. To make matters worse, there was one delay after another in their clearance to shuttle to the surface.
“It’s partly our own fault. I dare say it’s been a long time since a diplomatic ship’s docked here,” said Sage when Rayn started to pace the waiting area.
“Our paperwork’s in order. Salhjon assured me it would be.”
Sage nodded. “Oh, I’m sure it is. To the letter. But you have to remember that in a place like this, ‘official’ is harder to deal with than ‘unofficial.’ Besides, I’ve a feeling the delays are more because of Dhagaz than us. ISD ships are rare here. I’ll wager right now the gossip is flying at the speed of light. Every space rat on the ground’ll be scurrying for a hole to hide in.”
It wasn’t what Rayn wanted to hear. “All the more reason we need to get to Terminus. I want to find Kylariz before he goes to ground.”
Sage sighed. “I’ll go talk to Salhjon. Maybe he can throw some of his ample weight around.”
He left the waiting area, leaving Rayn alone with his impatience. Before he goes to ground. Rayn hadn’t exactly planned just how he would deal with Kylariz if he found him. Thanks to Dhagaz, Rayn had a pretty good idea of what the Roven’s power consisted of, and he knew he was no match for Kylariz. Rayn carried no weapon with him except a rez gun, believing his mind to be more effective in incapacitating an enemy than any manmade device. He knew of no human race with mental powers greater than that of the dens, but even as well-traveled as he was, he’d never come up against something like this. Up until now he hadn’t allowed himself to consider that he could die trying to save Dina. He considered it now. He thought about his brother’s doubts of him. You’re weak, Ryol had said. Passive.
Sage returned a half hour later. “Good news, cousin. The Ambassador put in a call on our behalf. I think he did it more to exert his influence than to help us, but we’re to be cleared immediately. And I spoke to my friend in Port Operations. The Tisiphone is here, Rayn.”
“And Kylariz?”
“Rhoan Sandjan came in alone with the ship, but there’s a good chance Kylariz came in on another ship. My friend is going to do some checking. He should have an answer by the time we reach the surface.”
Dina was here. He knew it. And he was willing to bet his life Kylariz was here, too. A calm suddenly came over him, and all the stew and sweat lifted like a yoke removed from his shoulders. He no longer worried about finding Dina or his ability to defeat the Roven. His brother was wrong. He hadn’t come halfway across the galaxy to fail. He put a hand on Sage’s arm. Thank you, cousin.
They were on the ground shortly thereafter, a private shuttle having carried Rayn, Sage, Ambassador Salhjon and the doctor to the surface. Captain Kharth of the Sun God and his engineer had preferred to stay with the ship for the time being.
Salhjon preened and puffed out his chest like a strutting gamecock. “I’ve taken the liberty of requesting we be booked into the city’s finest establishment. I’ve also arranged a meeting for tomorrow with Commander Dhagaz and the Eruthran Administrator. I’ve been promised the full cooperation of all local officials. We’ll have these raiders rounded up in no time. What say you, D’anthara?”
Sage caught his eye. Smile and nod, cousin, with as much humble grace and sincerity as you can muster.
Rayn had already had the same idea. “A sound plan, Ambassador. We thank you again for your influence.”
True to the ambassador’s word, two hours later they were ensconced in a private suite in the Eidolon, the inn Sage claimed was the epitome of hostelries. This was it—the moment Rayn had been waiting for. Separating himself from Sage, he sat alone in one of the suite’s sleeping chambers with the door closed and lights off. He relaxed, cleared his mind, and let his etheric self take over. He left his body and ordinary senses behind and slipped inside his second skin, a non-physical body comprised of millions of invisible bubbles sensitive to the highest vibrations in the universe. He stretched his etheric body over the city, feeling for the touch of Dina’s energy.
Nothing. He didn’t despair, but expanded his subtle skin and secondary senses beyond the city, pushing farther and farther across the land in all directions. And he touched her. It was as though her skin had rubbed against his, and he shivered as violently as if his physical body had been stroked. He lingered for a moment, allowing his etheric senses the pleasure of her touch. The tingling sensation, as treasured as a first kiss, brought him the first true joy he’d felt in months. Reluctantly, he let his ethereal body shrink like a deflating balloon until he was back in his physical body. He wondered if Dina had also felt the touch. There was a chance she wasn’t as in tune with her nonphysical being as she’d been on Exodus.
He opened the door, and both his gaze and mind met Sage’s. “She’s here. Dina’s here. I felt her—she’s not only alive, but well.”
Sage embraced him. “That’s wonderful, cousin. Is she here in the city?”
“No, she’s west of the city.”
Sage released him and raised his brows. “Desert.”
Rayn shook his head. Distance was meaningless in etheric journeys and hard to gauge. “She isn’t on the outskirts of the city. She might be hundreds of decbars away.”
Sage’s face brightened. “Triplicity.”
“Triplicity. The dead city you told me about?”
“It used to be a dead city. Now it’s a playground of sorts for the wealthy, which around here means the more successful members of the criminal element. I never had the money to be able to restore one of Triplicity’s crumbling palaces.”
“But the Roven . . .”
Sage finished h
is thought. “. . . most certainly would.”
“Can you make arrangements with one of your friends for a cruiser? I want to leave within the hour.”
“Within the hour? Don’t you think it prudent we wait for more information? We don’t even know yet if the Roven is here.”
“Dina’s here. That means he’s here. My only edge on Dhagaz right now is that I know where Dina is. If we wait, that edge is gone. Besides, Salhjon might be content to spend the evening eating his way through the city’s finest restaurants, but I don’t think Dhagaz will. He’s hungry, but not for food. I don’t think we’ll be the only ones absent tomorrow from Salhjon’s meeting.”
Sage winked. “I’ll have a cruiser here in half an hour.”
Chapter Fifteen
Crossroads
THE SILENCE between herself and Kyl engulfed Dina as thoroughly as the dark did the cruiser. Soon, though, lights appeared ahead of them. Like stars, they blazed a roadmap through the black of night. Like the beacons of Aeternus, she thought, remembering Exodus in spite of her resolution not to.
“Welcome to Triplicity, Hellfire. In her youth, there was no city more glorious than this. She was the queen of the desert, a jewel that shone in a lackluster world. Trade flourished, and money flowed as freely and abundantly as the water in the riverbeds.”
There was a softness in his voice, a reverence she’d heard only when he spoke of either the stars or Sandy. She briefly wondered if he would ever speak of her in that tone. But as they approached, the lights showed buildings largely in ruins.
“Is it a ghost town?”
“When the mines closed and the Synergy pulled its resources out, the criminal element took over. Rival crime lords destroyed much of the city. When the rivers dried up, even they moved out. The city was deserted for centuries. Now a few of us call it home again.” His voice had gone from soft to sad, and she wondered how he could care so much for a city that had to have been long dead by the time he was born.
The streets became increasingly narrow and twisted.
“This is the River Maze. The city changed much through the ages, but the one thing that remained was that everyone wanted to be near the rivers. So the buildings got higher and closer together, and the streets became almost non-existent. But don’t worry. We’re going no deeper.”
He slowed the cruiser to a hover in front of an estate at the edge of a wide dry channel she assumed had once been one of the coveted rivers. She couldn’t see all of the structure in the dark, but the floodlights along the façade that faced the street showed a large metal door and a smaller service entrance built into a white stone wall. The doors were bronze, surrounded by colorful mosaic tiles inlaid in the stone. Kyl keyed a pad on the console, and the larger door slid open, revealing a well-lit vehicle bay. It was roomy, but contained only a few small transports. He settled the cruiser next to a hovercraft and powered off the machine.
“Home, Dina.”
Home. She sounded the word in her mind over and over, but she failed to dredge up any feeling of hominess in the stone walls.
Kyl showed her around the attached living quarters. The rooms were almost palatial in size, richly furnished in an eclectic style. “I’ll have fresh food delivered tomorrow morning. In the meantime, there’s vacuum-packed food and plenty to drink. Help yourself to anything you find.”
But Dina cared little for the grand surroundings, not even the spacious bathing area or bedroom fit for a king. She thought about the tiny room she’d shared with Kyl in Paradise. Though plain and simple, that room held sweet memories of a time when she thought she could mean more to him than a mistress—or a mere crew member. He obviously felt her mood, for after showing her around, he left her to her own devices, choosing to sleep elsewhere.
She lay awake for hours, waiting for Kyl to come to her, but he didn’t. When exhaustion finally claimed her, she dreamt of the jewels in the desert. She floated over an ancient dry sea and saw delicate ribbons of white sand, sculpted by time and wind. She saw the city of Aeternus, each building more beautiful than the next—mirrored glass, colored glass, polished metal, and angles everywhere to catch the light. She felt a part of the city—a jewel full of fire and passion and dreams. But the dream shifted, and suddenly the city was a ghost town. She felt as deserted as the empty buildings, as unwanted as a jewel no longer proudly worn, but kept hidden away in a covered box. She awoke with a start, but the room was as dark as her dream.
KYL COULDN’T SLEEP. He had everything he’d been striving for. He had Sandy, the Tisiphone, and the riches of Vaizya’s cargo. He had Dhagaz very nearly in his sights, and the attainment of the goal he’d pursued so long was so close he could taste it. But he didn’t have Dina, and without her, everything else seemed meaningless.
Her joy upon their arrival had faded, and while he was glad she’d insisted on coming with him to Triplicity, she’d remained remote ever since. She’d displayed no interest in anything she’d seen or in anything he’d told her. He’d watched her eyes, hoping to see reflected in them the same feelings he had—a respect for all things eternal that like the desert, his home, and his heart, had persevered over time. He’d hoped she’d grasp first-hand how the Syn’s mismanagement of Eruthros had led to the destruction of a beautiful world, but she saw none of it. He’d listened to all her unspoken words, of which there’d been more than usual, but had heard no songs of the future. He’d even have welcomed the probings of her inquisitive mind. On Ror her mind had been continually stabbing at his, displaying curiosity and a desire to truly know him. But on Eruthros her mind had been as silent as her tongue.
How could she believe he didn’t want her as deeply as one being could want another? No promises, no commitments. Just . . . an offering. Something freely given, with nothing demanded in return. Like your stories. That’s what I need from you. That’s what she’d told him she wanted. Hadn’t he given her what she’d asked for? He’d give her this house and the lion’s share of his wealth. He’d battle any foe to keep her safe. He’d give her his body and every part of his being. Except one thing. He wouldn’t give her his secret. Not even Axial had had that.
Sleep didn’t come, but the morning did, and with it, a call from Sandy.
“News, Alec, and lots of it. The Revanche just docked with Duguerra at the helm.”
Kyl closed his eyes. At last. “How many men does he have?”
“Just his crew. No soldiers. But that’s not all. Two ships followed the Revanche in. Vaizya Repere came in on the White Lady, and get this—a diplomatic ship called the Sun God just pulled in.”
Kyl laughed. “Sun God? There’s mortal arrogance for you.”
“Perhaps just the conceit of diplomats. The Sun God has a Glacian registration, but there’s a rumor that two of the ambassadors on board are B’haratan. The dock’s in absolute chaos, and the city’s awash with scuttlebutt. I’m trying to find out more, but it’s hard to know what’s bald and what’s blather.”
B’haratan ambassadors? Duguerra and Vaizya were expected, but the news of the diplomatic ship was a surprise. Was the appearance of B’haratans a coincidence? No, it couldn’t be. The dens frequently came to Eruthros—outlaws looking to take advantage of the opportunities—but he’d never heard of B’haratan officials coming here. He’d taken the call from Sandy in private, and now he was glad he had. If Dina found out about the diplomatic ship, he’d lose her for sure.
“Sandy, I’m returning to Terminus. I want to hear firsthand about these B’haratans. I’ll leave Dina here. In the meantime, find out what you can and call me back with any news. I’ll be leaving here within the hour.”
“Done, brother.”
He disconnected the call and sighed. He hadn’t anticipated leaving Dina. She wouldn’t take the news well.
She didn’t. He found her in the solarium and sat down next to her on a long divan. Gray circles shadowed
her eyes, mirroring their color, and he wondered if she’d slept at all last night.
“Sandy just called. Dhagaz has arrived and so has Vaizya Repere. I’m going back to Terminus to hear the news for myself, but I won’t be gone long—a few hours at the most.”
“No! Kyl, take me back with you. Don’t leave me here alone in this awful place.”
He was gratified to know that his presence was preferable even to a palatial mansion, but he couldn’t allow it. He couldn’t dig up the dirt on the B’haratan arrivals with her perceptive telepathic mind nearby. He shook his head. “I won’t be gone long. There’s plenty of food, and in an emergency there’s a hovercraft in the bay, as well as a skimmer. I’ll leave you the key codes.”
“You’re not coming back, are you? You’re going to fight Dhagaz in Terminus. All this was just a ploy to get me out of the way, wasn’t it? Damn you!” She raised her hand to slap him, and he did nothing to stop her. The sting to his face was nothing compared to the pain of losing her. In spite of her desire to accompany him on his errand, every move he’d made since leaving Ror had seemed to take her a step away from him, and he feared this was the final move that would put her out of his reach forever. In desperation he grasped the offending arm with one hand, the back of her head with his other hand, and pulled her to him. She struggled, trying to yank her arm away from him, but his strength easily overcame her efforts, and she collapsed against his chest in surrender, releasing the tears she’d been holding.
“Dina, if I could give you my soul, I would,” he whispered, and her tears flowed even harder. He bent his head and kissed her mouth, tasting the salty tears on her lips. She returned the kiss, and for that his heart rejoiced. He released her and brushed his thumb across her cheek to wipe away the wet tracks. “I have to go. Come with me to the bay.”
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