Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1)

by Popp, Robin T.

  The High Counsel continued to talk, but Angel tuned him out. She needed to think of a plan, a way out of this mess. There was no doubt in her mind now that Victor was the Harvester leader. Just as there was no doubt in her mind that he would find some way to cheat in tomorrow’s fight. She and Nicoli had hoped the leader would expose himself, but he'd outmaneuvered them.

  When the Quorum adjourned, Angel’s mind still puzzled over possibilities. Silently, she joined Nicoli, her mother and Yanur as they left the chamber.

  No one spoke as they made their way to Yanur’s room. When Nicoli helped Angel to a chair, she surfaced from her thoughts, glanced up and for the first time, noticed Yanur’s face. The old man seemed suddenly years older. His haunted eyes and grim expression reminded her of her mother’s face so many years ago when Angel’s father faced The Challenge. Then, as now, it was a matter of honor to appear but Angel didn’t see much value in honor if you weren’t around to enjoy it.

  Yanur moved to the corner of the room where he took his small black bag from the closet. Carrying it to Angel, he knelt before her, opened the bag and removed the Reparator. When he activated the beam and ran it across her ankle, she felt the tingling that accompanied the regeneration of healthy cells and watched in amazement as the swelling subsided and the colorful bruising slowly turned to a healthy glow.

  "Thank you," she said as Yanur switched off the machine.

  He held it suspended in the air and Angel found she couldn’t look away. The Reparator had saved Nicoli’s life once before. Why couldn’t they use it again? She tore her gaze from the Reparator to look at Yanur. As if he read her thoughts, he shook his head.

  “To the death,” he whispered.

  “Once a person is dead, it will not bring them back to life.” She quoted his words, spoken outside the space station, each syllable a death knell.

  Yanur nodded and turned to place the Reparator back in his bag. Angel saw the single tear escape his eye to roll down his cheek and knew its twin coursed down her own.

  When she felt Nicoli's hand on her shoulder, she looked up.

  "We should try to get a few more hours of sleep," he said, drawing her to her feet.

  “We’ll talk later,” he said to Yanur.

  The older man nodded and Nicoli led Angel out into the corridor. As they walked along the corridor to their bedroom, Angel’s thoughts turned once again to the fight. The weight of her misery made her head seem too heavy to hold up and beside her, Nicoli’s silence was deafening.

  Once they reached their room, Angel confronted him.

  “How can you act like nothing is happening?”

  With that calm, unhurried air so typical of him, he faced her. “How would you have me act?”

  “I don’t know.” She threw her arms up in the air as she paced toward him. “Get mad, slam something around. Yell. Do something.”

  “Why?”

  Exasperated, she stopped mid-stride and stared. “Tomorrow, you’re going to fight Victor.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “It’s a fight to the death.”

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “Damn it, Nicoli. One of you isn’t going to survive.”

  “You’re worried about Victor?”

  “Aargh!” She yelled. The man was impossible. “Of course I’m not worried about Victor. I’m worried about you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Angel stared at him in disbelief. “Do you really want to die so very much that the possibility of it doesn’t bother you?”

  “I will not forfeit the fight and leave you to face Victor and your grandfather alone.”

  “We could leave – you, me, Yanur and my mother.”

  Nicoli shook his head. “Running away is not the answer.”

  “Sometimes it is. You know as well as I do that Victor is going to cheat to win.”

  “Probably.”

  “So what will you do?”

  He didn’t even pause to consider his answer. “I won’t cheat.”

  Angel let her head fall forward in defeat. “Death before dishonor,” she mumbled. She raised her head and pinned him under her stare. “Well, you know what Nicoli? Good only triumphs over evil in the storybooks – not in real life.”

  “I’ll be fine.” He moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She let him lead her to the bed to sit beside him.

  “I pray to God that you are fine, but I'm afraid for you.” Angel stroked her hand along his cheek. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. I’ve already lost too many people I love. If I lost you too…”

  She kissed him then. Kissed him as if it were their last kiss, conveying in action the feelings she was too afraid to put into words. It was the desperate kiss of a starving woman and Nicoli returned it with equal fervor.

  Somehow they ended up stretched out in bed, naked, pressed against each other. She basked in the feel of his hard chest rubbing her breasts, their legs intertwined and hands clasping each other’s heads as lips devoured lips and tongues danced with each other.

  Angel wanted this moment to last forever.

  “Nicoli,” she pleaded, pulling her head away as she grasped for one last small thread of sanity to hold on to. “Stop.”

  “Why? You want this as much as I do.”

  “You’re right, but we have to plan what to do tomorrow."

  “SShhh,” Nicoli placed a finger to her lips. “My Kiera – my heart - just for tonight,” he whispered, “let there be no tomorrow.”

  He kissed her again and the thread snapped, leaving her wanting only to feel him inside her.

  He didn’t make her wait, taking her in strokes so fast and powerful, all she could do was hold on until they both found their release.

  The second time they made love, they took their time, and the reward was no less satisfying.

  Afterwards, bathed in the afterglow of such loving, Angel settled herself against Nicoli’s side, her head resting on his chest. Never before had she felt so cherished and safe. As the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep, she smiled to herself. She had spent her entire life running from her grandfather and the arranged, loveless marriage he would force on her. She had wanted more from life. She had wanted to find true love - and she had.

  “I love you, Nicoli,” she whispered into the darkness. “You’re the only one I’ll ever love.”

  Her declaration met with silence. Perhaps he was already asleep and hadn’t heard her.

  Or maybe, a small part of her brain chimed in just before she fell asleep, he’d heard but didn’t feel the same.

  Nicoli didn’t consider himself a coward, but nothing scared him more than the four simple words Angel had uttered. “I love you, Nicoli.”

  At first, his heart had leapt for joy, then a lifetime of conditioning kicked in and he shut the door on his emotion. He couldn’t afford to love anyone because of his job, because of the kind of person he was. The old arguments slipped easily into place. Angel could do so much better, he had no right to keep her. To hell with the Althusian laws. Hadn’t he broken enough of them already in his life? What was the real reason he wouldn’t divorce Angel?

  The answer to that question kept him awake the rest of the night. When the first ray of light peeked past the window curtain, Nicoli eased himself from Angel’s arms and left the warmth of their bed.

  As quickly and quietly as he could, he dressed. There was much to be done today and he shouldn't have stayed up so late, making love to Angel. But oh, it had been worth it. If he died today, it would still have been worth every second he’d spent with her.

  Nicoli left the room and headed for the kitchen, intent on dealing with adversity on a full stomach. To his surprise, Sorrah was already up and preparing the morning breakfast.

  “Good morning,” she said as he walked in. “You’re up early.”

  “Big day.”

  She smiled, a friendly smile that lacked the seductive innuendoes of their ea
rlier encounters. “So I heard.” She waved at the various foods cooking on the stove. “Are you hungry? Sit down. I’ll fix you something.”

  Nicoli looked around, on the verge of refusing her. Hunger warred with his desire to be alone with his thoughts.

  “You’ll need your strength today,” she reminded.

  “Okay.” A table sat in the middle of the kitchen and he started around it, about to take a spot on the far side when she stopped him.

  “No, no. Sit here.” Sorrah laid a plate on the side closest to her. It seemed curious to him, but before he could ask, Sorrah was already explaining. “It’s just easier to be able to turn around and hand you the food, that’s all.”

  Nicoli took the seat she indicated and she began to fill his plate with eggs and meats. She placed a bowl of fruit in front of him. “Would you like some wineberry juice or coffee?”

  “Coffee, thanks.”

  Nicoli ate a forkful of eggs and was glad he’d opted to eat. As he ate, he noticed Sorrah’s reflection in the side of the fruit bowl. He saw her take a mug from the cabinet and then glance over her shoulder at him. Something about the way she moved made him suspicious, so he pretended to be absorbed in his food, all the while keeping an eye on her movements through her reflection. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a small vial. Then her hands disappeared in front of her. But Nicoli had no doubt that she had just slipped something into his drink.

  She turned and set the drink on the table. “If it’s not warm enough, I can heat it.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” He pushed away from the table and stood up. “I’ll take it with me.”

  He left the kitchen, mug in hand and made straight for Yanur’s room. He knocked on the door, then pushed it open, not waiting for Yanur’s invitation.

  “Yanur, are you – oh, I’m sorry. Please excuse me.” Suppressing a smile, Nicoli quickly backed out the room and shut the door. Yanur and Katrina looked as if they had spent the night much in the same way he and Angel had, only apparently they had slept longer.

  Scuffling noises came from within the room and then a few minutes later, a sheepish looking Yanur opened the door.

  “You can come in now.”

  Nicoli walked in and found Katrina standing on the far side of the bed, dressed but with an embarrassed flush staining her cheeks. She’d made an attempt to comb her hair, which was more than he could say for Yanur, who looked like he’d never seen a brush in his life.

  “I’m sorry, Katrina. I didn’t mean to barge in.” Nicoli was at a loss for the right words. In all the years he’d been with Yanur, he couldn’t ever remember catching his friend in bed with a woman. That this particular woman happened to be his mother-in-law, made the situation that much more uncomfortable. “I, uh, I didn’t know.” He let his words trail off.

  Katrina seemed to relax when she saw how flustered he was. “It’s all right, Colonel.”

  “Nicoli, please. Or Alex. Yanur always calls me Alex.”

  “Alex, then.” She smiled when she said it and walked over to stand by Yanur, who took her hand in his and held it.

  “I didn’t mean to sleep so long, Alex,” Yanur said, then looked at the mug in Nicoli’s hand. “Is that for me?”

  “No.” Nicoli walked over to the potted plant in the corner and emptied the contents into the dirt. “It’s been doctored, with what exactly, I don’t know. I didn’t care to find out.”

  “You two probably have things you need to discuss,” Katrina said. “I should be going.”

  Almost shyly, she kissed Yanur and started for the door. She stopped when she came even with Nicoli, placing her hand lightly on his arm. “I wish there was something I could say to convince you not to fight, but I know I can’t. It is a matter of honor for you, and I understand that. I want you to know how much I appreciate your taking care of my daughter, and bringing her back to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better son-in-law and I’m so glad you’re a part of my family.”

  She raised herself on tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek and when she pulled away, Nicoli saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears. Something strange and mysterious clutched at his heart like an iron band.

  He heard her sigh deeply before giving him a smile. “Please be careful this afternoon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll see if I can sneak in and out of my room before that horrid woman finds me and insists on giving me one of her massages.” She turned her head to give Yanur a parting smile and then walked out of the room.

  “Horrid woman?” Nicoli asked, perplexed.

  “Sorrah.” Yanur said as if that were explanation enough.

  “Interesting.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes. Sorrah’s the one who doctored my drink, not fifteen minutes ago.”

  “Didn’t you say you thought she and Victor were close? This is his doing, I’m sure.”

  Nicoli smiled. “Won’t he be surprised when he discovers his little ploy didn’t work?”

  “Should we do something about Sorrah?”

  “No. If we do, Victor will know he didn’t succeed and he’ll try something else. We’re better off this way.”

  Yanur looked down, suddenly too interested in his feet or the floor. “There is another option.”

  With a sense of déjà vu, Nicoli shook his head. “I will not forfeit the fight.”

  Yanur heaved a heavy sigh. “I know.”

  “I wanted to ask you a favor.”

  Yanur’s eyebrow shot up. “Of course, anything.”

  Nicoli took his time, not exactly sure how to ask. “Should something go wrong this afternoon and I don’t make it, will you take Angel away from here? I need to know she’ll be safe if I’m not around to protect her.”

  Yanur stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time.

  “Will you do that for me?” Nicoli pressed.

  “Of course, Alex. You know I will.” Yanur crossed the room to stand in front of him. “Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you? Because I am, you know.”

  Nicoli gave a half-hearted smile. “Thanks. You’ve always been there for me. You’ve been both a father and a friend. I appreciate it.”

  “You’ve been a good son, Alex.”

  The two men exchanged awkward hugs before Nicoli walked out, leaving Yanur to stare at the door, a puzzled expression on his face. Over the years, he’d watched Alex face death many times, but never before had Alex seemed so worried over the possibility of his own death.

  Preoccupied by these thoughts, Yanur retrieved his black bag and left his room.

  Chapter 28

  “Care for some company?”

  Angel skipped another small stone across the lake before looking up. “Do you remember when we used to come here as kids? I used to get so frustrated because I could never make my stones skip as far as yours.”

  Rianol smiled. “I see you’ve been practicing.”

  Angel managed a small smile. “Anytime I found myself near a lake, I always skipped a few stones across it. Over the years, it just sort of developed into a habit. Now it helps me think.”

  “Is that why you came here? To think?”

  “Partly.” She let her fingers brush against the grass along the bank where she sat. “And to get away for a while.”

  “Would you like for me to leave?” He offered.

  “No, actually I think I’d like the company.” She patted the ground beside her in invitation for him to sit.

  Rianol gave the ground a speculative look. “Maybe we could take a walk instead?”

  Angel smiled. “What? Now you don't like dirt? I remember getting in trouble after coming home covered in mud because you said it would be more fun if we slid down the muddy side of the bank into the water.” She studied him to see if her mild teasing had the desired effect. He still looked determined to walk. “You’re sure you don’t want to sit and toss stones?”

  “I’m sure.” He stretched out his hand to help her up.

  “Thanks.” She brush
ed off her clothes and then together, they began to stroll along the path circling the lake.

  “I would have thought you’d be with your husband.”

  Angel felt the same stab of disappointment she had felt when she awakened earlier to find Nicoli gone. “He’s off preparing for the fight. I...I didn’t want to get in his way.” She still wondered if he’d heard her confession last night, if that had anything to do with why he sneaked out. “But I also couldn’t sit around in the room and watch the clock until noon, so I came here.”

  She turned to study him. Buried beneath the man’s face, she saw traces of the boy he once was. Today, his face appeared more gaunt than usual.

  “How are you doing?”

  He looked surprised that she would ask. “Me?”

  “Yeah. This can’t be easy. After all, Victor’s your friend.”

  “Well, um, yes. I’ve known Victor a long time.” He looked at her with uncertainty. “I have a great deal of respect for Colonel Romanof as well. This whole thing,” he waved his hand in the air. “It’s unfortunate.”

  “Today, one of us is going to lose someone very close. It’s more than unfortunate. It’s asinine.” She let her breath out in a sigh of resignation. “And I don’t know how to stop it.”

  “The Colonel doesn’t strike me as the kind to forfeit a fight.”

  “No, you’re right. He’s not. What about Victor? Do you think if I went to him, he’d call it off?” She knew he wouldn’t, not if he were the Harvester leader as she suspected, but she wanted to hear Rianol’s thoughts.

  Rianol shook his head. “No. Even if Victor decided to forfeit, there’d always be someone else. The High Counsel, for as long as he continues to live, will see to it that Colonel Romanof meets with a continual string of challengers. No matter how good he is, he can’t beat them all. Sooner or later, one of them will win and you’ll find yourself with a new husband – and no say in the matter.”

  Angel shuddered and gave a shaky laugh. “Are you trying to cheer me up, because if you are, I want to tell you – you suck at it.”

  Rianol stared at her in shock, then burst out laughing. “You are full of surprises. Life with you would never be dull, that’s for sure.” He took her hand in his and pulled her to a stop so he could face her. “The Colonel is a lucky man.”