The grid snapped off.
Luxi lunged through the grid and plowed straight into Leto’s arms.
Leto grinned down at her. “Scared?”
Luxi stepped out of Leto’s arms as her cheeks heated ferociously. “Who, me?” She stepped to the side.
Amun proceeded through the grid at a far more sedate pace with an amused smile. “Luxi, you shouldn’t torment Leto like that.”
Luxi sucked in a breath. “Torment him?”
Amun shrugged as he stepped between them. “For goodness sake, woman ...” He smiled slyly. “You aren’t even wearing panties.” He pressed his palm on a lighted grid by the door.
Luxi’s mouth fell open and her temper surged in a nice, refreshing rush. “And whose idea was that?”
Amun raised his brows and his smile broadened to a grin. “Why, mine, of course.”
The door opened -- onto sedate pandemonium.
The assembly hall was completely circular, and smaller than Luxi had expected it to be, with triple-tiered amphitheater seating. The curving walls were a soft gold and riddled with doors framed by frosted-glass light fixtures. And uniformed security guards.
The pair of guards by their door each held up a hand-held computational. They scanned their readings, shared a glance, and nodded at Amun.
Amun proceeded down the shallow steps with Luxi and Leto behind him.
Luxi looked up, and up ... The ceiling was a clear dome with an incredible view of the pink, orange, and green swirls of the nearby nebula.
Leto stepped closer. “Great view, huh?”
Luxi had to remember to breathe. “Wow.”
Amun glanced back at them. “Leto used that very word, the first time he saw it.”
Leto scowled. “Did not.”
Amun lifted a brow and grinned as he continued down the steps. “Did so.”
A long, black glass table with twelve chairs occupied the very center of the assembly hall at the lowest level. Diplomats from assorted races in jewel-toned court robes circulated around the table. Robed people of many races and descriptions milled and chatted in the auditorium seats surrounding the center.
Amun was hailed by an older gentleman with a long white braid and midnight blue robes. He smiled as he approached, and bowed. Light gleamed on the iridescent circlet he wore. He was an Imperial lord.
Amun bowed. “Senator Shodu.”
Leto caught Luxi’s hand. “Take a seat in the first row. We’ll come get you when we’re done.”
Luxi tugged at Leto’s sleeve. “Where are you going to be?”
Leto smiled. “Amun gets to sit in one of the big chairs; I get to stand behind him and be menacing.”
Luxi raised a brow at him. “Menacing, huh?” She smiled. Right ... “Sure you can do that?”
Leto stared down his long nose. “Is that a challenge?” His smile sharpened and shadows moved in the depth of his eyes.
Luxi shivered in spite of herself.
Leto nodded. “I thought not.” He turned and strode after Amun.
Luxi sighed and sat in the red velvet fold-down seat by the aisle. “Pest.”
Leto turned back. “I heard that!”
Luxi grinned. “Good!”
Amun lifted his head from his conversation to look at Luxi and then Leto, sternly.
Leto’s expression was a study in innocence as he took up a position a step away from Amun’s right shoulder.
Senator Shodu gestured toward the table and Amun moved to one of the chairs close to the middle.
“It is you! I thought I recognized that hair.”
Luxi turned.
Bel, the violet-eyed lord from the tram, smiled at her as he stepped down the aisle. His pale cream mane was pulled back into a loose tail that fell over the shoulder of his rich gold robes. A lord’s circlet graced his pale brow. “Well, hello.”
His two dark-eyed fems, Orah and Faro, dressed in sleek black skin-suits, grinned from either side. Their slender hands rested comfortably on their hip-slung sword-belts.
Luxi sucked in a sharp breath. Fate and glory, he would show up here! She hastily rose from her seat and bowed. “Honored lord.”
He gave her a formal nod and his full lips curved in a delicate smirk. “So that reprobate cyborg still has you, does he?”
Luxi winced.
Bel blinked and gave her a blinding smile. “Oh, dear, your translator is working properly.”
Luxi flushed. “I had an upgrade.”
Bel laughed and his cheeks flushed pink. “Please accept my apologies for my rudeness.”
Luxi raised her brow and the corner of her lips lifted in half a smile. “I’ll do my best.”
Bel’s brows shot up. “Oh, fatal strike ...”
Amun arrived at Luxi’s side in a rustle of silk. “Lord Belauros.” He nodded and smiled. “Are you propositioning one of my employees again?”
Leto winked at Luxi from behind Amun’s right shoulder.
Bel chuckled softly. “Lord Amun.” He nodded toward Leto. “I’m afraid that I find both of your lovely employees a difficult temptation to resist.” He raised a pale brow. “I’d be more than happy to negotiate a trade agreement; my two for your two for an evening?”
Both fems nodded vigorously, grinning broadly.
Amun glanced up at the nebula-filled ceiling, then back at Bel and smiled. “That is a very enticing offer. However, I have yet to fully explore the ... range of my employees’ skills.” His gaze drifted to Luxi. “Especially that of my newest.”
Luxi’s cheeks heated under Amun’s heavy-lidded and smoldering stare.
“From what I’ve seen so far ...” Bel flashed a smile at Luxi. “... I understand perfectly why you would not be ready to ... share.”
Heat filled Luxi’s cheeks as a visceral memory of the tram ride with Bel watching her and Leto avidly burned through her. She looked away.
Bel chuckled and moved down the steps to Amun’s side. “I would also be more than interested in discussing some of your more esoteric talents. Perhaps privately, over coffee?”
Amun sighed. “Bel, you are incorrigible.” He turned toward the gathering of lords.
Bel nodded and aimed his spectacular smile at Amun. “I do try.”
“You succeed.” Amun walked away, leading Bel and his fems toward the broad table. “But coffee does sound nice ...”
Leto turned back to Luxi. “Be good,” he said in a loud stage whisper, then turned and fell in behind Amun.
Luxi’s mouth fell open. Me? She rolled her eyes and sat down. All around her, other robed members began taking seats in the amphitheater.
At the main negotiation table, Bel took a seat on one end of the table with the senator occupying the other end and Amun taking a chair in the center. Various other lords seated themselves around them, leaving the chair opposite Amun empty.
Luxi was surprised and pleased to discover that she could hear everything they were saying perfectly.
It seemed that Senator Shodu represented the governing republic of one world and Lord Belauros represented the royal house of another. They were discussing the disposition of a pair of colony worlds that wished to open trade, but a third world was pirating the trade routes between them. Representatives from neighboring worlds, also interested in the negotiations, were seated around the table. The representative of the third world in question had yet to appear.
According to what Luxi was overhearing, the third world was not pleased to have a professional telepath as part of the negotiation. Unfortunately, neither the senator nor Lord Bel would hold the conference without Amun to monitor the honesty of the representatives.
Luxi looked up at the brilliant nebula filling the dome overhead and felt her talent stir. Synchronicity was shifting, hard and fast. She opened her mind to her talent and reeled under a lashing hurricane of far-reaching changes that affected everyone in the room. Threads snarled and snapped with world-heavy consequences.
And beneath it, her other, smaller talent began to stir
. The talent that sensed the dead.
Too occupied to worry about ghosts, Luxi gripped the chair’s arms and strained to ride the cresting temporal wave of shifting potential futures. If she could find the center of the storm, the fulcrum, she could figure out what triggered this mess and perhaps sound a warning.
At the table, Amun stood, staring hard at Luxi.
Luxi caught the movement and her talent seized on him. Amun was the center of the storm. Something was about to happen to him -- something fatal.
From a side aisle, a massive man in an exquisitely formal, ship captain’s floor-length frock coat in deep scarlet came striding down the steps. Two well-armed cyborgs in ship’s livery marched at his heels.
They were the other half of the storm. They were going to kill Amun.
Luxi lunged out of her chair. Amun!
Amun held up his hand and shook his head. He turned to Leto and whispered.
Luxi stood before her chair, shaking with the urgency of her vision.
Leto nodded and his gaze narrowed on the approaching trio.
Amun smiled, nodded toward Luxi. Calmly, he moved to a new seat, one closer to the senator and farther from the empty seats in the middle.
Luxi bit her lip. Amun had picked up her frantic warning. Thank the Maker. But the storm of change had not quite died down. Something was still going to happen. It wasn’t over yet.
Chapter Twelve
The scarlet-coated ship’s captain stepped up onto the dais where the representatives were gathered. His two cyborgs stopped at the bottom step directly behind him.
Lord Bel and Senator Shodu exchanged glances and rose from their chairs.
Lord Bel smiled. “I’m glad you could join us, Captain Faraday.”
Captain Faraday folded his arms across his chest and lifted his chin. “I protest negotiating with a telepath present.”
Senator Shodu smiled. “We understand and accept. However, negotiations will not proceed without one.”
Luxi felt the lines of synchronicity shiver with tension. A decision was being made.
Captain Faraday looked around the table at the seated representatives.
Luxi’s fingers dug into the arms of her chair. He’s looking for the telepath. He’s looking for Amun.
Both Lord Bel and the senator remained focused on the captain.
Lord Bel smiled. “With all due respect, would you kindly leave your exceedingly well-armed companions off the floor?”
Captain Faraday scowled. “Why? You have your guards.”
Lord Bel’s smile broadened. “Yes, but as you can see, they are far from marine-augmented.”
Captain Faraday jerked his head toward his guards. They saluted and stepped back.
Bel lifted his hand toward the table. “Thank you. We will begin as soon as you are ready.”
Captain Faraday strode around the table and took Amun’s vacated chair at the back.
A shimmer of energy flashed around the dais. An energy grid had been activated. The negotiation table was sealed from entry or exit. Captain Faraday’s cyborgs would not be able to step up onto the dais.
Luxi swallowed. Nor would anyone else.
Captain Faraday scowled.
Senator Shodu smiled. “A precaution against assassinations. You never know who is seated in the audience.” He waved his hand to indicate the dozens of people seated in the amphitheater.
A light wave of soft laughter erupted from said audience.
Lord Bel and Senator Shodu glanced at Amun, who pretended not to notice.
Captain Faraday caught the glance and focused on Amun.
Luxi’s talent howled as the synchronistic tension broke. Captain Faraday had identified Amun as the telepath.
Amun stared straight at the captain and smiled, no longer bothering to hide. At his shoulder, Leto smiled as well, and succeeded in appearing thoroughly menacing.
Bel lifted a glass to catch the captain’s attention. “When you are ready, Captain Faraday.”
The captain nodded and sighed as he slowly stood.
Luxi’s talent screamed in warning.
Amun glanced at Luxi.
Captain Faraday flicked a knife toward Amun’s heart.
Leto leaned over and caught the blade in his outstretched hand. He grinned at the captain. “Nice try.”
Captain Faraday hissed. “Belmortus?”
Leto’s eyes narrowed, and he smiled. “That’s me.”
Amun smiled thinly. “My personal bodyguard is known for his short temper. I would not try that again.”
Captain Faraday clenched his jaw. “Then I won’t.” He vaulted onto the table toward Amun in a blur of speed, drawing his sword and dagger.
Leto launched onto the tabletop to meet him. His serrated daggers caught the captain’s descending sword and turned the blade. He slashed for the captain’s throat ...
The entire table erupted with furious bodyguards lunging onto the table to join the fight. Papers scattered, delegates scattered, the gathered audience screamed. The captain’s two heavily armored cyborgs shouted, hovering at the edges of the energy field with their blades drawn.
The guards posted at the lift doors charged down the aisles with their swords drawn. The captain’s marine cyborgs turned to engage them with serrated daggers nearly as long as the guards’ swords.
Two guards rushed past Luxi.
And an arm closed tight around Luxi’s throat.
Luxi grabbed onto the choking arm, tugging at the sleeve, and was hauled backwards out of her chair. Her mind battered by the whirling potentials, she barely felt the under-hum of her other talent.
Leto pinned Captain Faraday face down on the table and set the point of his serrated dagger at the base of the captain’s skull. “Move and die.”
Faro, Bel’s fem, slapped restraints on the captain’s wrists.
Luxi gasped for breath and felt the potentials shift -- but not change. Amun was still in danger.
Leto lifted his head, and spotted Luxi being dragged backwards up the stairs. He leapt off the table. “Shut down the grid!”
No, you idiot! Sucking for air, Luxi screamed. “No! It’s not done yet!” She twisted against her captor and dug in her heels. “Amun ...!” She gasped as the arm jerked her off her feet. She stumbled backwards. “Save Amun!”
Amun joined Leto at the grid’s barrier. At their feet, the guards and the marines were knotted in a vicious battle. Blood sprayed and hissed against the grid.
Amun lifted his head. “Shut down the grid!”
“No! Don’t!” Her shouts were cut off by the arm around her throat. Stupid men! She wasn’t in deadly danger -- Amun was! Actually, she wasn’t sure. Amun’s fate was so huge, she couldn’t even sense hers. But, for goodness’ sake, she was only a secretary. The fate of whole worlds rested in Amun’s survival. She didn’t actually matter ... to anybody.
Tears stung her eyes. Fate, she hated crying. She yanked at the arm that held her. She had to warn them, and this moron was interfering with her job! Temper flared and she dug in her heels. “Let go!” She twisted hard around to face her choker and shouted. “I’m busy!”
Her attacker caught her by the wrists. His face was exotic in shape, with pin-straight, short-cropped black hair. His almond-shaped eyes were filled with moving darkness. He smiled. “What a terrible shame.” His voice was a frigid wind that sliced through her mind. “I’m afraid you simply must come with me.”
What? Luxi shivered as her second talent surged within her. Another man with a ghost? She blinked at him; he looked ... odd.
The man wore a plain, high-collared uniform of gray-green with brass buttons and scarlet trim. A short cape lined in scarlet satin fell from his shoulders to the broad red sash knotted around his waist. A plain sheathed sword and an equally plain sheathed knife as long as her forearm were shoved in his sash by his hip. His knee-high-booted feet rested a full inch above the floor.
Great glory! He didn’t have a ghost -- he was a ghost. Ice water flooded he
r veins. She shoved back frantically. “No!”
The ghost twisted her arms brutally behind her, swinging her around to face the lift door at the top of the stairs. “Yes.”
Luxi gasped at the pain in her elbows and shoulders, never mind her wrists. Fate, this ghost is strong! Her arms were close to being dislocated.
“Go.” He shoved her forward and up the stairs at nearly a trot.
Luxi winced as her toes slammed into the steps before she could lift her feet. “Why are you doing this?”
“You have an appointment.”
“An appointment. With who?”
The ghost shoved her tight up against the silver lift door. He pulled her right arm from her back and slammed her palm against the call box. “With Vincent, my host.”
“Vincent?” Oh, shit! She was in the hands of Vincent’s ghost. Temper and terror slammed through Luxi in a potent mix. “Oh, hell no, I don’t!” She bucked in his hold, furious and horrified. “I don’t associate with assholes!”
The lift doors opened.
“How impolite.” He shoved her into the lift.
Luxi didn’t quite slam against the wall, and whirled around. “I am not going anywhere with you!” She charged for the open door.
The ghost caught her around the waist and practically threw her bodily toward the back of the lift. “Yes, you are.”
That time Luxi did slam into the wall. She barely missed knocking her head, but she still had to gasp for breath.
The lift doors closed.
Luxi lunged for the closed door. It was not going to open; she didn’t have the slide key to activate it. “Damn it!” She turned to face the ghost. “You can’t do this!”
“It is done.” The ghost smiled and walked toward her.
Luxi scooted back and away from him. “I don’t have a key, I can’t activate the lift.”
“No need for a key.” Bypassing Luxi completely, the ghost plunged his hand into the menu panel on the door’s right without damaging it in any way. “Electronics respond well to me.” The panel activated and the lift began to proceed. “There, no need for concern.”
Luxi swallowed. No need for concern? Yeah, right! To everyone and everything, the ghost was exactly that -- a ghost. Except to those with Luxi’s strange little talent. To her, the ghost was as solid as flesh and blood. And dangerous. Those phantom blades on his hip would pass through any normal person while leaving only a cold shiver behind, but they were as deadly to her as true steel.
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