by Ciara Knight
“Let go, Semara. You are Mandesa Valderak’s young daughter. Tell us what you see,” Gordon said.
I saw my mother cock her head then jerk upright. “Mandesa’s found us,” she said. She motioned me forward and I saw her delicate face, bright blue eyes, and blond hair. She looked just like me.
I let go of the office where my body remained and delved into my former self. My consciousness shrunk into the scared little girl whose heart swelled and body ached to be in her mother’s arms.
“Semara, go with your father. He’ll keep you safe.” She stared at me then my father. Fear oozed from every pore. “She’s found us. Take Semara and hide.”
“Lanena, you have to come with us.”
“No. Mandesa won’t stop until she finds me. She doesn’t know for sure about Semara, only you. Now go.” Mama gave Daddy a shove toward the far wall. As it slid open, she rushed up and hugged me tightly to her. “Never forget, Semara. I love you and your father more than life. It’s very important that no matter what you see or hear, you don’t make a sound. It’s best if you forget what happens.” I watched as she lifted her gaze to Daddy and, with tears streaming down his face, he nodded.
Moments later, the stone wall moved and we entered our blot-hole of a cave. We had practiced escaping many times, but never just Daddy and me. I knew not to whimper or make a sound, no matter what happened. Almost since I was born, my parents had trained me to use my power yet had cautioned me never to expose it to anyone other than them. They’d also warned me about Mother’s sister, Mandesa Valderak, the witch who had started the war just to kill Mama.
Daddy sank to the cave floor and pulled me onto his lap. Pressing his hand to my mouth, I heard his words in my head. “Stay still and remain silent, no matter what you hear. Don’t make your mother’s sacrifice be in vain.”
What did be in vain mean?
Seconds later and before I could ask, I understood the warning for silence as a thump, thump, thump neared Mama, sitting against the stone wall.
“I told you I’d find you. Where’s my intended husband, Lanena?”
You’re insane, Mandesa. Harrison has always been mine.”
“Details, details, just as you’re always saying you didn’t kill Mother.”
“I didn’t. She died in childbirth.”
“Yes. Yours.”
“You’re the one who killed our baby brother as he lay in his crib, Mandesa.”
“Half-brother, now, where is Harrison and that whelp of yours? I want them. Now.”
“Did you really believe I would betray my husband and child to save my life? Really, Mandesa, insane or not, I gave you credit for intelligence.”
Terror filled me. First, I shivered then I started to burn like a fire.
“Calm yourself, my little Semara. If the queen gets us, we’ll both die.”
“Why, Daddy?” He had taught me how to speak with him through our minds. He had a special touch. Leaning back, I tried to wipe his tears away, but they wouldn’t stop. “What’s in vain mean and why are you crying, Daddy?”
Once he explained, I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and shoved it into my mouth so Aunt Mandesa couldn’t hear me sobbing.
“I know my sister. She won’t tell us anything. Take her head.”
Swish
Thump, thump, thump.
“Good-bye, Lanena,” Mandesa cackled.
Chapter Nine
Shock held me immobile, mouth slightly open, eyes unseeing. It wasn’t until Ryder pressed an icy cloth to my forehead that Gordon’s words filtered through, pulling me back to the present.
“Calm down, Semara,” Gordon said. “You nearly went supernova on us. If Ryder hadn’t drawn you back, we might have lost the ship.”
I clutched my aching temples as my heart took flight. Lifting my head, I took in Gordon and Ryder, waiting with baited breath to hear what I’d learned.
Shock sprouted thorns that drew blood from my soul. All these years I’d thought the queen was my mother. I knew I had to speak, but struggled with the words. I dug deep for the one thing my mother, no, the queen had given me, the ability to hide emotion.
“The queen isn’t my mother. My mother was her younger sister and the queen murdered her. My dad was a Neumarian.” My mind swarmed. “All this time, I thought I was that monster’s child. How…?” Confusion and grief took my remaining words away.
Ryder patted the cool cloth to my cheeks.
After a long breath, I tried to continue. “I-I was about three or four when the queen found us. Mother forced my dad to hide with me then sacrificed herself to save us.” As my eyes met Gordon’s, a small smile broke free. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much it means to me, to not be the queen’s daughter.”
A mixture of hope, quickly followed by fear that I wouldn’t be useful and thrown in the brig until we docked, all flooded me. “I’m not a spy. The queen murdered my mother then killed my dad and kidnapped me.” A shudder ripped through me. “I was nothing more than a means to an end, which involved torturing me the entire ten years I lived with her. Her final act prior to my escape was to declare my engagement to the General.”
We all sat silent for a moment as I regained my composure.
Finally, Gordon said, “Did you see anyone else?”
“Did you see my parents?” Ryder tentatively asked.
I knew he tried to redirect my attention for a moment, so I wouldn’t melt the ship, but it was more than that. I hadn’t realized that he, too, wanted to catch a glimpse of his parents. Perhaps our pasts weren’t so different. “No. I’m sorry. Do you think my dad and Mama really knew your parents?”
Ryder rubbed the small of my back. “Don’t know. But Uncle says they were very close friends.”
Gordon clasped his hands in his lap and leaned across the table in front of us. “You’ve done well, Semara.”
“I haven’t learned anything other than when the queen was a young child she was driven by jealousy and killed her infant brother. Then later, she killed my mother because Mama refused to turn over Daddy and me.” I leaned into Ryder. “Wow, it feels right to call Lanena Mama, when it never did with the queen, yet, strange.” I choked on the overwhelming desire to exact retribution on my aunt.
“Did you remember your father’s name or discover anything about him, such as where he is?”
Bells pealed an alarm in my brain. Gordon claimed he needed info about the queen, yet, he seemed more eager to learn about Daddy. Something wasn’t right. I wondered if intuitively I had known to withhold this information, which Raeth, Ryder, and I had known since Old Chicago.
When Mags told us the truth about my dad, she impressed upon us there was a reward for his capture. It was critical we never mention his name. Doing so would assist those seeking him. For now, he was known only as the leader. So, as far as I knew, only the three of us, plus Bendar and Ryder’s uncle, knew the truth. And to keep him alive and safe, it would remain that way.
I glanced at Gordon from beneath my eyelashes. His grim expression worried me. I needed a distraction before Gordon questioned me, Ryder, or God forbid Raeth, further. That meant I had to remind her against saying a word about my dad, carefully, so she didn’t take offense.
Sighing, I allowed myself to cry—something I detested as it showed weakness—then raised my teary gaze to meet Gordon’s impassive one. “No. I don’t know what happened to him. All I saw was that he’d hid and comforted me while the queen murdered her sister, my mother.”
Gordon nodded then faced Ryder. “Take Semara back to her room. We’ll be docking tomorrow. Hopefully, this will buy us some time.” He ambled to the door. “Don’t worry, Semara, I’ll keep you safe.” The door slid shut behind him.
Ryder stared deeply into my eyes, as if to absorb my thoughts, as he lifted a tear from my cheek. “You okay?”
“Yes…no.” I took a long stuttered breath. “Ryder, the queen’s not just power hungry but completely insane. She was even as a child. I thank the stars she
isn’t my mother. My real mother died trying to save my dad and me. She would never have beaten me, hunted me down like a spiderat in search of food, and tried to murder me, not to mention killing so many innocents.”
“Shh. It’s all right. At least you connected with your real mother and discovered the truth about the queen.”
“Even as a toddler, my parents only spoke of her in whispers. She’s evil, Ryder, evil incarnate.”
“You sure you want to continue with this?”
I remained quiet for a moment, searching my soul for the truth. “No. But I have to, even if there is only a slim chance I can learn something to help the rebellion. I owe it to my mother and father.”
“Come.” Ryder took my elbow and helped me from the couch.
My legs wobbled and my knees almost buckled beneath me.
Ryder drew me tight against him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you, always.”
The constant strumming of anger and sorrow faded, replaced by the love of my parents, Ryder, and our friends. “I think I’ve discovered the way to defeat her.”
Ryder waved his hand in front of the console and the door slid open. “What is it?”
“Love and acceptance.” At his arched brow, I realized more explanation was necessary. “When humans, Technos, and Neumarians love and accept one another, we’ll band together and sacrifice ourselves to save each other. We’re family. But because the queen believes this a weakness, she’ll always underestimate our strength and resolve.”
We stepped into the hall and the scent of Gordon’s leather furniture rapidly disappeared, only to be replaced by the stale, metallic odor of the ship. I remained by Ryder’s side as we headed for the corridor of the women’s quarters. “If the queen is my aunt, that means my mother was a techno, too, which explains why the implant works. But my powers come from my Neumarian dad.” Frowning, I paused. “I still can’t figure out why my aunt started the war. However, I think she practices genocide against the Neumarians because my dad chose my mother over her. And she hates me because I’m a reminder of that, not to mention she wants revenge because my dad’s fought to depose her.”
“That makes a lot of sense.”
“She’ll lose. Retribution will be had.”
“Fight for freedom, Semara, not vengeance. Take it from me, all hate does is rot the soul,” Ryder said as he settled me on my bed.
I reached out and grasped his fingers. “Stay with me.”
His gaze darted to the door and I knew he worried about someone finding him here. But we were alone. Raeth had duty on the bridge. “If we lock the door, no one will know.”
“Anyone who has access to the master demagnetizer can unlock it.”
“Tomorrow we’ll be at the ENR headquarters. All this stuff about women and men remaining apart won’t matter. Of course, if I’m in the brig or a jail cell, there’ll be bars between us.”
Ryder crawled onto the bed beside me. Pulling my back tight to his chest, we spooned together. “Don’t ever say that. You’ll never be in a prison. It won’t happen. I’ve saved you from the queen and pirates, do you really believe I’ll ever leave you behind?”
“Not willingly, but you won’t be able to stop them. Even if you could, there’s more going on than we’ve discovered. Bendar told me earlier Dred’s in danger. That means you, Raeth, Bendar, and Penton are also in danger. You can’t protect me unless those we care about are safe.”
“You’re right. The rest of us can disappear, but the trick will be springing Dred.”
“I know. Bendar and Penton said Dred’s not actually in a coma. He’s fine, except for some reason Gordon or someone’s keeping him in a drugged-induced coma. We need to discover the truth and free him before we reach headquarters.”
His arms tensed around me. “We’ve got a big problem, sweetheart. I don’t like it. Though I’ve wanted to join the rebels for years, I’ve gotta strange feeling about a lot of things…and the crew.”
Rolling over, I rested my elbow on the bed, my head on my hand. “So, what are we going to do?”
He settled on his back, laying his head on his crossed arms behind him. “I wish I didn’t have these doubts. We’ve been through so much, we need some downtime, and so do our friends and family. If what Bendar’s said is true, and I believe it is, we’re on our own…again. Once we free Dred and all of us jump ship, we’ll figure out something. Between Dred’s gift and our individual ones, plus the Triune power, they won’t be able to touch us.”
I prayed he was right. Lying back, I listened to the moans of the ship, trying not to worry about tomorrow. “We’ll get through this. We’ve been through worse,” I whispered, willing it to be true. My mind continued to race with thoughts of my mother and father and the realization that a drugged Dred lay in the infirmary, alone. “Hold me.”
He tucked me under his arm and kissed my head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Here I was, hoping our love would be sufficient. As the aroma of starched sheets and Ryder’s mix of engine room, earth, and masculinity worked its way into me, I relaxed and sighed. Right now, we needed rest. Tomorrow, we’d deal with the truth and plan accordingly. Once we docked, I’d either be thrown into prison or we’d be working with the ENR as planned.
Ryder eased from my bed. “I’ll be back. Right now, I’m gonna ditch Mart and the other guys and talk to Bendar about Dred and plan our escape. I’ll return soon,” he said. As Ryder straightened and approached the door, the gong sounded.
A second later, the door slid open and Scab peered in with a tentative smile. “Mart’s looking for ya, Ryder. The captain’s ordered you to her before Mart erupts like one of ’em underwater volcanos.”
“Thanks.” Ryder rubbed my upper arm. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, an’ the captain wants Semara on the bridge.”
My eyes narrowed. “I have tonight off.”
Scab shrugged. “He wants ya there now, an’ I don’t wanta come back here for ya.”
“Right.” I slid from the bed. “I’ll be there as soon as I change.” At Ryder’s smile, I grinned. “See you soon.”
“Count on it.” He reached out and pulled me to him, then leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry. Everything will be set for tomorrow.”
His warm breath caressed my ear, erupting goose bumps down my arms and I met his gaze. “Yes, tomorrow.”
Scab rolled his eyes and left the room with a mumbled, “Hurry up.”
I knew Scab wouldn’t tell on us. As the bearer of that news, he would’ve suffered the brunt of Mart’s wrath.
Ryder kissed my cheek, and once he left with Scab in tow, I waited a few moments. I had no intension of reporting to the bridge, at least not immediately.
After checking that the corridor was clear, I raced to the stairwell that led down to the infirmary. One way or another, I’d discover the truth about Dred before we reached the ENR. I had to be careful though I was sure I could get something out of the medics without them reporting me. Not that it mattered. As soon as Dred awoke, Bendar could get us all safely out of here. Just as with the queen’s ship, he knew every nook and cranny of the Freedom.
Sliding along the cool banister, I softened my step to avoid the loud clank of my boots. Two levels below, I steadied my nerves, lifted my chin, and marched to the infirmary.
“Ye questioning me?” Mart’s voice boomed through the corridor.
I spun on my heel to leave.
“Why can’t we allow this man to wake now? We’ll be at headquarters in the morning,” asked the tenor voice of Thornton, a medic I’d ran into frequently while visiting Dred.
Furious at the duplicity we’d endured, I searched for something to hide behind. Kneeling between the wall and medical cabinet, I settled in to spy. Bendar was right. They had done something to keep him unconscious. Not that I ever doubted him. A prickle of fear scratched at the back of my neck.
“It be exactly why I’ve kept him under. Not lettin�
� the captain ruin his career because of some stupid, prissy princess.”
Prissy? Really?
“And if the ENR council doesn’t trust her, why should we?”
Thornton cleared his throat. “I see your point, Ma’am.”
“Good. This man be a spy for the queen. We know the queen has contacts with the scavengers.”
“So, what’s going to happen to him when we reach home? I thought Gordon was sending him to the hospital.”
“He’ll be too distracted tryin’ to save the princess he won’t notice the guards takin’ the prisoner to the Tower.”
“The Tower?” A wobble in Thornton’s voice suggested a stay in the Tower was anything but a vacation.
“Yes, he be interrogated—”
“You mean tortured.”
“Whatever. Don’t matter how we get intel that’ll help us beat that bitch of a queen. If’n we don’t, she’ll own all of the east.” Mart’s heavy boots approached the open doorway to the infirmary.
Just as I started to move, I heard Mart turn back. “Do it, or me write you up for insubordination and not obeyin’ a superior officer,” she barked.
A second later, her thundering stomps faded into the distance. Leaning my head against the wall, I closed my eyes. My mind reeled from her words. I had to do something. Inform the others, yes. Get help, absolutely. We had to escape. Not just soon but immediately.
Bendar was right. Under Mart’s order, Dred had been drugged into a death-like sleep. Heat curled through me at Mart’s declaration that Dred worked for the queen. He had helped us escape, risking everything. No, there were many things I was uncertain of, but Dred’s loyalty wasn’t one of them.
It’d be tricky getting out of here. Thornton’s soft-soled shoes didn’t indicate where he stood. While, I needed to find the others, stealth was required.
As I eased from my hiding place, Thornton stood one meter away, brandishing a syringe.