Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1)

by Popp, Robin T.

  "Mr. Zimmers," Dante began pleasantly, still stroking the big cat. "Please, come in.” He gestured with his free hand to indicate that Mr. Zimmers should stand before him.

  "I thank you for bringing Priestess Eemin to me. We will be working together for the next little while, to our mutual benefit.”

  "You're welcome, Mr. Dante. I knew," Mr. Zimmers shot her another glance, "I mean, I'd hoped, um, well... glad I could help.” His words trailed off and he fell silent.

  The smile on Dante's face grew cooler. "Yes, well...there is one other matter I wish to discuss with you. Tell me - the shipment you delivered to Kathgar for me, did you encounter any problems?"

  "No, Mr. Dante.” Mr. Zimmers spoke in a carefully controlled tone of voice. "The trip went smoothly."

  "That's good to hear. And the shipment of stones was delivered in full?"

  "Yes, Mr. Dante. I delivered it myself."

  It suddenly occurred to Phoenix that Dante was testing her as much as he was testing Mr. Zimmers. He wanted to know if the little man was lying, so she turned her head to study him. She watched the way he played with his hands and never fully looked Dante in the face. She noticed the rapid blinking of his eyes and the way he leaned back, trying to put as much distance has he could between Dante and himself without actually stepping back.

  Everything about him reeked of duplicity; it didn't take a full Xenobian Priestess to know the man was lying. Phoenix felt certain that Dante knew that as well as she did, but she shook her head anyway.

  Dante gestured to Marcus, who led the two guards from the room. The door closed after them with an ominous click that echoed in the quiet.

  Dante seemed satisfied to let the silence go uninterrupted while Mr. Zimmers shifted his weight back and forth from one foot to the other.

  After several long minutes, the door to the room reopened and Marcus walked in. Behind him followed the two guards carrying something between them, though what it was, Phoenix couldn't see. The men stepped into the pit, between Dante and Mr. Zimmers, and let the item slide to the floor.

  "What the hell?” Mr. Zimmers jumped back, almost tripping over his own feet.

  "Oh m--," Phoenix gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth and nose as she pushed herself back into her chair. She turned her head so she wouldn’t see the dead man's torso, but the acrid stench of rotting flesh assaulted her senses, forcing her to breathe in shallow gasps. Never before had she been exposed to anything so horrific and she fought the bile rising in her throat. She tried to keep her eyes averted from the sight, but morbid curiosity won out.

  The man, whoever he was, had obviously suffered a gruesome death, judging from the raw stubs where arms and legs had once been attached.

  The panther stood on all fours, a soft, deep growl vibrating in its throat, its tail twitching.

  "Sh-sh-sh," Dante soothed the beast, seemingly unaffected. "Mr. Zimmers, do you recognize him?"

  The little man looked confused. Out of the corner of her eye, Phoenix saw him take a closer look.

  "No, I don't. I mean, it's hard to tell."

  "Rogers," Dante said in a voice that sounded tight. "His name was Rogers. He was one of my men. Kathgar's people intercepted him on a recent flight. Apparently they were not happy with the shipment of gemstones they received; the shipment you delivered."

  Even without empathic powers, Phoenix felt the level of tension in the room rise a notch. Unable to turn away, she watched the interplay between the two men.

  "I don't understand. I delivered the stones.” His tone wavered.

  "It seems that while they paid for one hundred stones, they received only ninety-nine. As I personally placed the stones in the bag, I know that I did not short the count. Someone is lying - is it you? Or Kathgar?"

  Phoenix knew Mr. Zimmers had realized her purpose there when he shot her a desperate look. His face grew pale and his breathing became rapid.

  Finally, he spoke, his voice almost a whisper. "It was a very small stone.” His eyes darted back and forth between Phoenix, Dante and Marcus, as if wondering where in the room he might find an ally. He turned to Dante. "Please, Your Eminence. I’m sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I didn't think anyone would notice."

  “I’m sure Rogers will understand.” Dante’s tone dripped with sarcasm. "I made a deal with Kathgar, Mr. Zimmers," he continued in precise, well enunciated words. "In this business, we live, and die, by the deals we make."

  Phoenix saw raw fear leech the color from Mr. Zimmers' face.

  "Please, Mr. Dante. I'll give the stone back."

  Dante seemed to consider. "You still have it?"

  Mr. Zimmers cast a nervous glance at the door. "Yes, yes. I could go get it now, if you want."

  "Marcus will accompany you.” Dante gestured for Marcus to step forward. "To ensure there are no further misunderstandings."

  "Oh, thank you, Your Benevolence.”

  At Dante's dismissive nod, Marcus escorted Mr. Zimmers from the room. Unbidden, an image formed in Phoenix's mind of the landing pad's rail-free walkway and the long fall to the surface below. She shuddered, shaking off the image. She was being fanciful. Dante would not kill Mr. Zimmers over something as minor as a missing gemstone. Would he?

  Dante pointed to the dead man's remains and the two guards came forward. They lifted the torso between them with no outward sign that the task, the odor, or the sight bothered them, and carried it from the room. Phoenix felt the aftermath of the emotionally charged session in the ebb of her own energy level and slumped back in her seat.

  Dante gave her a studied look and she held her breath. Finally he nodded and smiled. "You did well today, Priestess. I apologize for the unpleasantness; you should not have had to see that. You must be fatigued."

  Was there something more to his statement than the surface-level show of concern? Unsure how to respond, she said nothing.

  "I will have a room prepared for you. In the meantime, I would be honored to have you join me for the evening meal."

  He then pushed a button on the table beside him and almost immediately, an elderly woman appeared.

  "Please have a room prepared for Priestess Eemin. She will be staying with us for awhile. A suite I think, perhaps along the inner corridor, and let Cook know there will be two for dinner this evening."

  The elderly woman nodded and left.

  "Tomorrow, I will give you a tour of my city and then I have several business meetings that I would like for you to attend. Will that be acceptable?"

  His tone suggested that the question was merely a courtesy. Her attendance at the meetings was part of their agreement. She couldn't refuse, not if she wanted to find her father. So she smiled and nodded.

  "Good." Dante rose gracefully to his feet, offering her a hand. Standing, she noticed that he stood not much taller than she. As the panther rose beside them, Dante gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

  She preceded him out of his audience chamber and then allowed him to escort her down a hall until they reached a private dining room. A table already laden with food stood at the center and Phoenix eyed it, amazed she could feel hungry after seeing the corpse. Beside Dante, the panther seemed to grow agitated and Phoenix wondered if it might be hungry, too. If so, would the cat prefer its meal cooked?

  Or raw and still fighting for her life?

  Walking to the far side of the table, she put distance between herself and the animal. She was relieved when a man appeared to lead the panther away.

  Dinner was surprisingly enjoyable. Dante made for an interesting dinner companion, entertaining her with stories of his travels throughout the galaxy, telling her of places she had only read about in the e-journals. Afterwards, he showed her to the room where she would be sleeping. As he'd requested, it was an internal room and therefore had no windows, but it was by far the most luxurious suite she'd ever stayed in. Her feet sank into the plush carpet and the crisp, homeland-quality linens on the bed beckoned to her weary body.

  "I hope you will find these
accommodations comfortable. As you can see, your bag has already been delivered from Mr. Zimmers' ship. If you need anything, you have simply to press the intercom and ask."

  Phoenix looked around, suddenly very ready to spend a little time alone. "Thank you, Mr. Dante. I'm sure I'll be fine."

  "In that case, I will leave you. For your own protection, I suggest you lock your door. Our cloud city can be a dangerous place. I will have Marcus come for you in the morning. Breakfast is served at oh-eight-hundred sharp."

  With that, he turned and left her alone. After locking the door as suggested, Phoenix began unpacking.

  Twenty minutes later, she had washed and changed into her nightshirt. Though the session with Dante and Mr. Zimmers had been stressful and tiring, Phoenix found she was too restless to sleep. There was a vid-screen with an assortment of entertainment discs, so she climbed into bed and watched a movie, hoping to unwind. After an hour or so, she turned everything off and closed her eyes.

  Though she was bone tired and the bed felt luxurious, sleep eluded her. Dozens of images flooded her mind, from Dante and his panther, to Mr. Zimmers and the dead man's body.

  Ironically, though these images were troubling, it was the memory of a tall, dangerous looking man with short unruly blond hair and penetrating deep golden brown eyes that kept her awake.

  Where was he now?

  And why did she care?

  Other Books by Robin T. Popp

  www.robintpopp.com

  The Night Slayer Series

  Out of the Night

  Seduced by the Night

  Tempted by the Night

  Lord of the Night

  The Immortals Series

  The Darkening

  The Haunting

  The Reckoning