“I’m not sure.” Lexie stayed close to Alyssa’s side. “Why do you ask?”
“I need to see him.”
“That’s not a good idea right now,” Lexie asserted. “Wait until you know for sure that Dakar is going to be all right. You need a distraction, but your father is not it.”
She didn’t argue. Dakar was her top priority, but she would confront her father.
They went to Lianty’s Cafe, the only place on Lunar Nine where they could get coffee. The restaurant was small, casual, and only opened for breakfast and lunch. Alyssa wrapped both hands around the warm mug and inhaled the familiar smell. “Why are the Outcasts helping Solar Warden? They already have better technology than anything found on Earth. It doesn’t make sense.”
“We don’t know that,” Lexie said softly, then took a sip of her coffee. “The Evonti created the cave under the hydroponics lab. They also left behind some sort of portal. We don’t know what else they have given or promised the governments of Earth.”
“What sort of portal?” She knew Lexie was trying to keep her distracted so she’d stopped worrying about Dakar, but she’d also piqued her interest. Alyssa’s research into her father’s secrets had led to information about the cave, but this was the first she’d heard about a portal.
Lexie shrugged, obviously downplaying the importance of the topic. “The scientists were just starting to investigate it when a very wise friend told us to destroy the portal and seal up the cave. Apparently, the Evonti have a very bad reputation in other star systems.” Suddenly Lexie’s eyes narrowed and she set her coffee mug down. “Have you ever seen one?”
“An Evonti?”
Lexie nodded.
“No. I’ve just heard about them.”
“Me too. Everyone is dying to know more about them. How long have they been helping your father?”
“They don’t help my father specifically. He runs a couple of programs that have benefited from their technology.” She took another sip of coffee then set her mug down as well. “Where did they take him? I really do need to see him, eventually.”
“Hold on. I’ll find out.” She averted her gaze for a minute then said, “He’s on the Destroyer, so one of the men will have to take you, preferably an officer.”
“But I’m mated now. I no longer require an escort.”
“This has to do with safety, not being female. The entire ship is considered high security.”
“All right.” She sighed and picked up her mug. “Guess I’ll get some more coffee.”
“Wait.” She held up her hand, paused, then said, “Kaden just comed me. We need to get back to the Intrepid. Dakar’s out of surgery.”
They ran for the ship, Alyssa slightly ahead. “Did he say anything else?” she called over her shoulder.
“No. Just go!”
She ran faster. They bottlenecked at the security checkpoint as they were getting on to the ship.
“It’s an emergency! General Lux sent for us,” Lexie shouted, and one of the guards waved them through.
By the time they reached the waiting room, they were both out of breath and antsy.
“Well? Is he going to be okay?” Lexie demanded before Alyssa could recover enough to speak.
“Yes,” Kaden said happily, then swept her into his arms. He looked at Alyssa over Lexie’s head. “He’s stable, finally. They’re moving him to the regen unit now. In just a few minutes, they’ll let us see him, but we have to go in one at a time.”
Knowing how worried she was, the men let Alyssa go first. She followed a medic into the clinic, but Dr. Mintell was waiting beside the regen unit so the medic didn’t accompany her into the adjacent room. The doctor greeted her with a smile and motioned toward the rectangular machine. The unit enclosed Dakar completely and was shaped too much like a coffin for Alyssa’s peace of mind.
“The regeneration will be done in stages,” he told her. “It’s easier on the patient if we repair one system at a time.”
She nodded then peered through the small window in the side of the regen unit. Dakar lay on his back, dark hair spread around him. His face was pale and burns still marred his neck and cheeks. She leaned in so she could see lower, then gasped. A ragged, gaping wound still distorted his chest.
“Why in God’s name didn’t you sew him up?” She turned her angry, accusatory gaze on Dr. Mintell.
“Sutures would have interfered with regeneration. I assure you, Mistress Lux, we’ve done everything possible to ensure his complete recovery.”
Mistress Lux? Did he simply not know her last name, or had word of Dakar’s claim spread already? “Sorry. I’m just upset.”
“Understandably so.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Do you have any other questions? I have other patients.”
“How long will this part take?”
“At least six hours, likely longer. This would be a good time to get some rest.”
As if she could sleep right now. It didn’t matter. Dakar’s brothers were waiting for their turn to verify his condition. She needed to get moving. “Thank you. I’ll get out of your way.”
She left the clinic and started to return to the Pavilion when angry voices drew her attention back to the waiting area. Too curious to ignore the disruption, she crept down the corridor toward the open doorway.
“Are they faked? Where in hells’ outer ring did Solar Warden find these?”
That was definitely Sedrik, but the next voice was so emotion roughened she didn’t recognize the speaker until she looked into the room.
“It doesn’t matter where they got the recordings,” Raylon said. “I’m not sure we can talk our way out of this trap.”
Lexie spotted Alyssa and moved to the doorway, a datapad clutched in one hand.
“What’s going on?” Alyssa asked the friendly reporter.
“More Solar Warden propaganda. It’s really bad this time.” Lexie passed her the datapad without further explanation.
Alyssa activated the video paused on the display. Chelsea came on screen and Alyssa fought back a groan. Why wouldn’t this manipulative bitch just go away!
“Chelsea again. Thanks for caring enough to click.” Her artificial smile made Alyssa cringe. Couldn’t everyone see through her disingenuous façade? “Some really horrible things are being said about me online.” No surprise there. The slut was charging a small fortune for people to download sex videos she’d recorded without the knowledge of her partners. “Thankfully a brave battle born soldier risked his life to send me this file. If you won’t believe what I tell you, maybe you’ll believe your own eyes.”
Chelsea’s smug face faded away and a treatment room in a hospital or clinic came into view. A young female lay on the bed writhing in pain. She screamed and screamed as her face and body gradually contorted, slowly morphing from her natural form into a grotesque perversion of her original shape.
“What is this?” She looked from Lexie to the men and back. “Has the file been authenticated? Please tell me this is a fake.”
“The recording is real, but it’s old. And we had nothing to do with the experiment that created this result,” Raylon explained. “This has to be one of Sevrin Keire’s victims?”
“Sevrin Keire? Indigo told us Quinton Keire is the ruler you deposed. Are they related?”
Raylon nodded. “Sevrin was Quinton’s niece. Have you heard of the Shadow Assassins?”
She nodded, still stunned and horrified by the recording. “I don’t know much about them, but I’ve heard the name.”
“These experiments were the reason they hunted down and ultimately killed Sevrin Keire. We had no idea the recording existed and we don’t know how Solar Warden ended up with it.”
“Can’t we prove—”
“That poor woman’s name is Rebecca Dayton.” The recording resumed. Alyssa hadn’t realized there was more. “She was imprisoned during the same time as my captivity. They kept their victims
separated, but we found ways of communicating with each other.” Chelsea’s eyes welled up with tears and her bottom lip trembled. “I’ll never forgive myself for not finding a way to save her.”
The recording ended and Alyssa shook her head, unsure what to say. Chelsea’s misrepresentation was appalling, but the image was real. That poor woman had died in agony. And how many other human females had lost their lives because of the Rodyte quest for magic?
“What do we do?” Kaden asked quietly. The compounding conflicts were clearly taking a toll on the dynamic Rodyte. Today was the first time Alyssa had spent any time with either of Dakar’s brothers and they both seemed loyal and caring. Kaden especially so toward his mate, Lexie.
“I don’t know,” Raylon admitted. “Rebecca Dayton is a real person, but she disappeared six weeks ago. She can’t be the female in that recording.”
“Disappeared?” Lexie perked up, latching on to a possibility Alyssa didn’t yet see. “Was her body ever found?”
Again Raylon shook his head. “According to the report I dug up, her parents and many others believe she’s still alive. They say she’s running from an abusive ex-husband. One of the detectives even noted that he had serious suspicions that the mom knew where she was.”
Lexie’s expression animated even farther. “If we can find Rebecca Dayton, alive and well, we prove Chelsea is full of shit.”
“That’s a big if,” Raylon told her.
“People are hardest to locate when they don’t want to be found,” Sedrik pointed out. “Maybe we can lure her out into the open by explaining why we want her so badly.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Raylon agreed.
A long pause followed as everyone milled over the development.
Alyssa was so relieved that Dakar was doing better that she felt washed out, but she wasn’t quite ready to take a break. She moved to Raylon, forcing herself to face her fears. “Governor Lasenger.”
He smiled and waved away the formality. “We’re well beyond titles. Raylon, please.”
She nodded. Everyone else in the room was on a first name basis. Why should they be any different? “I’d really like to see my father. There are some things I need to say to him and many questions he needs to answer. Can you please arrange that for me?”
“As a matter of fact, I was headed there next. Chandar has been questioning him.”
“Chandar, your wife?”
He nodded. “As you’re aware a soul bond is deeper than marriage, but it’s as close as they get on Earth.”
He sounded playful rather than smug, so she didn’t take offense. “Why is your mate questioning Shadow Leader?”
“My mate is a harbinger. Do you know what that means?”
“They were mentioned during orientation, but I thought their gifts were prophetic. What does prophesy have to do with Martin Wallace?”
“Chandar was born with her abilities and she’s very powerful. One of her skills is discerning the truth. She doesn’t like to scan people’s minds, but when it’s important I can usually talk her into it.”
She smiled. “I bet you can.”
He motioned to the corridor behind her. “Shall we go?”
Chapter Thirteen
“I told you everything I know,” Martin was saying as Alyssa entered one of the interrogation rooms aboard the Destroyer. The massive gunship was part penal facility, part battering ram. Lunar Nine had grown so busy that the larger ships now stayed in orbit and people were shuttled back and forth, or occasionally bio-streamed. “I arrange financing for the programs. That is all.”
He was separated from Chandar by some sort of force field. The barrier was transparent, but Alyssa could sense the energy, feel it crackling in the air. They each had a chair on their side of the divider, but neither chose to sit. Chandar turned her head as her mate ushered Alyssa into the room.
Raylon didn’t embrace her or even smile. He was all business now. “This is—”
“My faithless whore of a daughter has come to gloat,” Martin sneered.
Alyssa ignored him, as did the couple. Chandar nodded once, a regal greeting fit for a queen. “Harbingers must avoid unnecessary physical contact. Please, don’t think me rude. It’s nice to meet you, Alyssa.”
“Same here, Chandar.” It felt a little presumptuous to use her first name, but that was how Chandar addressed her. The harbinger was stunning. There was no other way to describe her. Well, ethereal and elegant worked too. Silver-blonde hair flowed down her back in rippling waves and silver rings shimmered in her blue eyes. She definitely belonged somewhere in Middle Earth.
“I can’t stay, angel.” Raylon’s voice changed when he spoke to his mate. It became hushed and caressing, and obvious devotion rolled ten years off his harsh features. “I just stopped by to see if you needed anything.”
Chandar looked at Martin then shook her head. “I need Shadow Leader to stop wasting my time. He still claims to know nothing about the programs he commands.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Alyssa stated without rancor. “Nothing goes on that he doesn’t approve or at least know about. Unless one of his commanders acts without permission, of course.” She allowed the insinuation to sink in before adding, “That does happen from time to time.”
Raylon moved closer to the barrier. He didn’t raise his voice, but his expression hardened, as did his tone. “Start talking or I’ll put you in restraints and let my lovely mate strip the information from your mind. Not only is the process excruciating, it can’t be done without significant damage. I’ll be back in an hour to see what you decide.” Without another word to anyone, Raylon left.
Alyssa stepped to the position he just vacated, her gaze fixed on Martin. “She knows when you’re lying. Did she tell you that?”
He scoffed under his breath. “I don’t believe in magic.”
“Test me,” Chandar offered. “Tell me two truths and a lie, and I’ll tell you which is which.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s a drinking game. Do you have a bottle of whiskey tucked under that dress?”
“My mate hovers near death because of you.” Alyssa was tired of pretending to be civil. What she really wanted was to deactivate the barrier and beat the living shit out of her father.
“He’s still alive? I’m shocked.” But he sure as hell didn’t sound relieved. “I didn’t think anyone could survive the hit he took. His sidekick wasn’t in much better shape, from the looks of him. Guess my deal with that barbarian finally paid off.”
Ignoring the provocation with much effort, Alyssa focused on what she needed to accomplish. She wasn’t a violent person, despite her momentary surge of anger. But Shadow Leader would surrender his secrets before she was through with him. “Let’s start there. What’s your ‘deal’ with Kage Razel? Why are the Outcasts helping you?”
“The Outcasts aren’t interested in joining another war, but they are interested in your little elixir.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The battle born control the transformation protocol. If the Outcasts want access to the program, Kage shouldn’t have betrayed us.”
“Us?” His laugh was abrupt and bitter. “I didn’t realize you were battle born.”
“My mate is, which makes me part of the rebellion.”
Stay on track. Chandar cautioned. You’ve got him talking. That’s more than I could do.
Her voice slipped into Alyssa’s mind, light and ethereal like mist. She wasn’t sure if the harbinger could hear her, but she thought, Sorry. He has always been good at twisting my words.
“What did you promise them?” She went for a direct hit instead of bandying words.
“I didn’t promise them anything. I’m just the go-between.”
A shiver dropped down her spine. “The Evonti.” Of course. She should have realized this before. “The Evonti are going to unlock their magic?” When he didn’t confirm or repute her conclusion, she pressed on. “Why do the Outcasts need their magic released? Don’t they all have powers already?�
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He just glared at her in rebellious silence.
Keep going. Chandar urged. He might not be saying anything, but his angry thoughts have plenty to share.
Which meant Chandar was reading his mind and she was doing it so skillfully that Martin had no idea. Alyssa was very glad she was on the same side as the harbinger.
Using what she knew to be true and combining it with what she suspected, she rattled off every question that came to mind. “Do the Evonti know you’ve made promises on their behalf? Are you going to be in trouble when they find out?”
Anger flashed through his gaze, but he said nothing.
“And speaking of the Evonti… How many are still on Earth, or do they all zap back and forth using the portals?” She caught the tiny widening of his eyes. “Ahh, you didn’t realize I knew about the portals.” And it had only just occurred to her that there was more than one, but his reaction was telling. “How many of the portals are still operational? Or hadn’t the Evonti told you there was more than one?”
“This is boring,” he muttered. “Can we play another game?”
Ask him how he contacts them. You’re right. It has something to do with the portals.
“Are the portals your only way of contacting them, or do they have an email address?”
“Your sarcasm is as pointless as these questions.” He moved to the chair, but stood behind it rather than sitting down.
Ask him how long it’s been since he saw one. The question about them still being on Earth made him very uncomfortable, but I’m not sure why.
“When is the last time you actually saw an Evonti?” She paused, giving Chandar time to assess his reaction. “Is it possible they’ve moved on?”
“Wishful thinking?” he mocked. “If she’s going to scramble my mind anyway, why do I have to listen to you?”
This sort of scanning is not harmful. If I go deeper, it will be.
After nearly losing Dakar, she wasn’t sure she cared.
You care. No daughter wants her father’s death on her conscience.
She knew Chandar was right. If Alyssa’s actions resulted in her father’s death, she would never forgive herself. Still, this man had cost her so much, shaped her past and personality in countless ways. And he’d done it all with an indifferent shrug and a disdainful curl of his upper lip. Well, it ended today. She was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her. There was no reason to ever look back.
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