She looked lost. Preda got up and hugged her. When she sat back down, Preda felt herself smiling. “It’s as if I get to bring a piece of Earth with me. You’re my first real human friend, and I get to keep you.”
“We’re friends?” Laney asked. She sounded a little bewildered.
Preda laughed. “Of course. Only a friend would clean your room for you…I think.”
“Oh no. I actually let a Vozia clean my room.” Laney put her hand over her mouth.
It was Will’s turn to laugh. “I don’t think you had a choice in the matter,” he said.
“That’s right,” Preda said with a smile. Then she turned to Will. “Do I get advisers?”
“You get whatever you want,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Then Laney is my new and only human adviser,” Preda said triumphantly. “I want you by my side during council meetings from now on.”
Laney looked stunned. “Me?”
Will was smiling. Preda was pretty sure this was not how it was supposed to be done, but she didn’t care. Having Laney by her side felt right. The girl had no guile. When they left, Preda told Laney to be ready for the meeting tomorrow. Laney looked as though she took the new responsibility very seriously.
When they were walking down the hall and away from Laney’s room with Fiver in tow, Will said, “That was nicely done, Preda.”
Preda smiled. The compliment made her feel warm—especially since Will was someone of few words. She felt a blush creeping up her neck, and quickly changed the subject. “Can we go see Al now?” she asked.
Will laughed. “You’re asking me for permission?” He looked at her as if she was some sort of puzzle he couldn’t figure out. “You just made someone a council member without asking anybody.”
“I’m still getting the hang of this,” she said seriously.
44
Will felt Preda’s anxiety heighten when they approached Al’s room. She hadn’t seen him yet, and he knew she felt no small amount of responsibility for his missing appendage. Every time Will had seen the older Kait, no one discussed it. They spoke as if it had never happened. The only acknowledgment had been when Al thanked Will for carrying him to the Feria on his back.
Will knocked and entered first. Preda was close behind him. She started crying as soon as she saw Al, and ran toward the bed. Al practically engulfed her in his left arm. It was the opposite of the scene Will had just witnessed between Preda and Laney. This time, the big, scruffy Kait with a missing arm was the consoler. Will tried to breathe against the onslaught of emotions coming off her. Fiver jumped and curled up next to Al’s right side in his customary position in the most comfortable spot in the room. After a moment Preda started humming “Moon River.” It was both haunting and beautiful.
When Preda looked up at Al after she had finished, her face spoke volumes about the admiration she held for him. Will thought about how Al had been her witness when she was young and silent. He had rescued her at the airport in Florida and had likely been the first person to show her any sort of compassion in life. For all intents and purposes, he was the father Preda had never had.
Will’s own father was standing on the opposite side of the room. Tamron looked as if he wanted to join in and comfort Preda as well. He didn’t, though. In typical Tamron style, he cleared his throat and said, “Glad you’re here, Preda. We were just discussing your training.”
“Training?” Preda asked.
“Yes,” Tamron answered. He was all business now. “We will be spending the better part of six months on this ship. If you are to continue to show the kind of backbone you displayed at the council meeting today, I would prefer it if you could physically defend yourself as soon as possible.” He looked at Will then. “If your guardian approves.”
Will nodded. He couldn’t agree with his father more.
Al spoke up and said, “Now the only thing to confirm is who will train you.”
“Should it be Will?” Preda asked.
Will was about to say he could do it, but his father’s look stopped him short. Will thought for a moment and said, “I could not, Preda. My position as a guardian dictates that I can’t bring harm to you in any capacity. This is unacceptable if you are to truly learn how to fight.”
Tamron nodded his silent agreement. “It needs to be someone we trust who has been trained on Shey.”
Will came to the obvious conclusion first. “It has to be Jim.”
Both Al and Tamron nodded.
“Jim?” asked Preda.
“He’s a Landi, but he’s one of the most meticulous combatants I’ve ever known,” Will said. “He approaches training like a mechanic.”
Just as he finished speaking, Jim walked into the room as if he had been summoned. Clearly, Tamron had asked him beforehand to join them. When Jim was standing next to him, Will continued, “He’s no Kait, but he’ll do.”
“I’ll do what?” he asked with a grin.
“You’re going to teach our Preda how to fight,” Al said seriously.
Jim immediately took a step back as if he had walked into a viper’s nest. “I’m not going to do that,” he said. “Nothing personal, Preda,” he continued after seeing her slightly hurt expression. “It’s just that…well…you’re a Vozia, and I might have to hit you, and that’s definitely not happening.”
“It’s not a choice,” Tamron said. “This is an order.”
Jim looked defeated.
“It’s OK,” Preda chimed in. “If Jim can’t help me learn how to defend myself, then I will just have to learn how to run faster. I can work on my cardio. I’m too short and clumsy to fight anyway.”
If it hadn’t been for the slight smile forming on her lips, Will might have thought she was serious. Jim looked horrified. “That’s not playing fair, Preda,” he said pathetically.
She smiled and shrugged. Although she hadn’t spoken for the majority of her young life, Preda had still managed to master the art of being facetious. Then again, Will thought, maybe that is an ability all females are born with.
After Jim reluctantly agreed, he sulked off to the side for the rest of the conversation. They decided training would start the next day before the continuation of the council meeting. Preda spent the next couple of hours grilling the four on the history behind the outer islands and trade restrictions in place on Vaka.
They ate dinner in Al’s room. Will noted that Fiver ate at least a quarter of Preda’s meal. The Kait were careful to answer Preda’s questions in an unbiased, purely factual manner. She could read between the lines, though, and soon developed a sense for the hostility she had witnessed earlier. Vaka was not infallible after all. They shared common ancestors with the same war-prone human beings now occupying Earth.
The Soundless were an extremist group that completely denied the Vozias’ right to existence—never mind the right to govern. The families were also not completely harmonious. There was an unspoken class system that had been insidiously cultivated over centuries and existed not only between the families but also within them.
The Vank considered themselves second only to the Vozia. Their intelligence had made them the clear choice for leadership in the beginning, but in Will’s mind it was now just a watered-down name that men and women claimed as birthrights. Al was very careful not to express any opinion of his own.
Even among the Vank, however, the people who had made their homes on the outskirts of society were less valuable than Ceren. These were people whose individual families had chosen to live on small structures surrounded by nothing but water. It made them reliant upon some of the resources found only within the major populated cities. Their low numbers also made them ideal agricultural producers. There were hundreds of tiny island empires out there. Many had been built and not charted or mapped.
When the Soundless staged an attack on Vozia City, Preda’s family had been murdered a
t night. Many guardians had died. Preda’s parents had charged Al and Tamron with a mission just hours beforehand to leave on the Feria. The Vozia had gotten word of the imminent attack and refused to leave the city and their people. They could, however, save the life of one. Al’s face grew dark when he described how Tamron felt the death of Preda’s mother light-years away.
Preda looked at Tamron with tears in her eyes. Tamron refused to look up. Will felt for the first time what it must have been like for his father. His bond to Preda was newly formed, but he could not even fathom the strength it would take to leave her to die without him. Al didn’t mention it, but Will’s own mother had also perished in that fight.
Al continued the narrative without emotion. The attack on the main city had apparently originated from a large shipment of produce from one of the outer islands. The ship was supposed to contain mostly klaf. The Soundless abused this substance in particular.
There was some speculation from the Vank that the stimulant caused them to have accelerated cell mutations. It was a possible explanation for why those without tongues could still communicate without any obvious sign language. They were speaking telepathically.
Will favored the theory that all Vakans were capable of communicating in this way, but speaking had made it unnecessary for the skill to develop. What was Preda’s voice if not a form of psychic manipulation? They had to be receptive to it for it to work. Preda broke Will out of his thoughts. “So,” she said, “after a shipment from an outer island brought the enemy in, the distrust and separation from the islanders must have hardened.”
“That,” Al replied, “is how the true segregation was brought about. The distrust and separation had already been present.”
Since then martial law had prevented the free exchange of goods to and from the outer islands. Although many believed the segregation should still exist, the majority of Vakans believed in reuniting with their distant family members.
“The base of operations for the Soundless is still in an unknown location,” Al continued. “We believe they operate in cells and have integrated themselves throughout the outer islands but the main islands as well.”
Preda nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you,” she said. “This information has helped me better understand what happened at the meeting today.”
They walked back to their rooms, and Will stayed close. Preda was completely lost in thought while they walked. Will held the door to her rooms open for her and her ever-present feline shadow. She mumbled, “Good night.”
He wasn’t sure she even heard his reply, though.
45
Preda hesitated again, and Jim made her pay for it this time. He deftly swept her feet out from underneath her and spun around just in time to catch her head before it slammed into the ground. It didn’t prevent her rib cage from taking a hit, though, and she spent the next twenty seconds trying not to breathe until the pain subsided. Will, who had been sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, was by her side in an instant. She waved him off and smiled at Jim. He looked as if he was going to vomit.
“Thank you for that,” she said when she could breathe again. “I won’t hesitate again.”
“Preda,” Will started, “maybe we should stop for the day.”
Preda shook her head and backed up. She took the fighter’s stance Jim had taught her that morning. She was ready to go again. They were in an enormous empty gym, and at least a quarter-mile track surrounded it.
The interior space where the three were standing had a lightly padded floor for sparring. Will had decided hand-to-hand combat was likely the most useful skill she could learn first, given her height. Preda knew height wasn’t her only issue. She could barely be trusted to walk on uneven flooring.
Preda also felt out of shape and resolved to return to the gym after the council meeting to run the track. She was out of breath and could feel sweat dripping down her back. Jim looked as if he had barely broken a sweat, and he had taken her down twelve times so far this morning. Fiver had watched from atop a bench off to the side. He looked quite bored.
Jim shook his head and mouthed a silent apology in Will’s direction. Preda felt a quick burst of annoyance over Will’s overprotection. She was determined to be able to handle herself better. She thought about how she had left him alone in the caves to fight off an oncoming horde of Soundless. She came at Jim with a fury she didn’t know she had.
Jim wasn’t prepared for her, and she landed a blow in his midsection with her right fist. He grunted in surprise and quickly sidestepped her. He came back at her from behind. His kick landed across her left side, and she cried out as the sudden pain erupted from her still-healing stab wound. Will was once again instantly by her side and caught her in his arms as she folded.
Jim knelt down beside her with concern and worry etched on his face. “Preda, I’m so sorry. I forgot.” He stood and paced away with his hands grabbing the sides of his hair. “I knew this would happen. I knew I should have stood my ground. So what if they demoted me? I don’t care. I’m not doing this anymore.”
Preda stood slowly with Will’s help. The pain was subsiding, and it felt as if no permanent damage had been done. She was a little unsteady but smiling. Jim looked at her incredulously.
“I actually hit you,” Preda exclaimed.
It had felt good up until the return kick, but she should have been on guard for that. She wouldn’t leave her left side open again. Jim and Will were both looking at her in disbelief now.
“Let’s go again,” she said, and she grinned from ear to ear.
After that Jim did not hold back, and it was not the last hit she took that morning. When Preda walked into the council meeting, she felt as if her muscles were on fire. She knew she would be covered with bruises later. Will had looked as if he was in worse pain every time Jim made contact. It strengthened her resolve not to get hit the next time, and not to make the same mistake twice.
Every person in the chamber stood when Preda entered, and they waited to sit until she had taken her seat. She knew she must have looked odd walking in with a cat on her heels and her hair still damp from showering. She smiled when she saw Laney standing on the other side of the room. The girl stood next to Al, who was finally recovered enough to join the council. He nodded at her in greeting. Preda took her seat and decided to start the meeting herself this time rather than watch silently.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” she started. She figured she couldn’t go wrong with being polite. “I would like you all to welcome the newest member of this council, Laney Ceren.”
She indicated Laney with her hand, and the girl immediately bowed and blushed from ear to ear. An older Vank member, whom Preda recognized as Percin based on Will’s description, cleared his throat, and she acknowledged him with a nod.
“Forgive me if I have missed something, but what do you mean, ‘newest council member’?” asked Percin.
Preda understood the implication that she had gone above the heads of the council. Disapproval laced his overly polite tone. She returned his gaze sweetly. “Yes. Well, it has become clear to me that many of you have personal advisers who have no clear qualifications aside from your trust in them and their opinions. Laney is the daughter of the late council members Karn and Alis. She has been groomed for such a position from a very young age, and I believe it was the will of her parents that she have a voice on this council.”
Preda held Percin’s gaze until he broke eye contact with her. After that she addressed the room. “Does anyone else have any words of welcome for our newest council member?”
Frak stood up with a smile. “Welcome, Laney Ceren. I would be delighted to help you get acquainted with our procedures and protocols later if you would like.”
He bowed gracefully, and Laney turned an even brighter shade of red. Preda begrudgingly smiled her gratitude, and Frak returned the smile with a wink. It was so quick, she was not
sure she had actually seen it. She shook her head slightly and, looking at Lacey, nodded at a seat beside her. Will pulled a chair out for her, and Laney sat quickly. Clearly, she was hoping to no longer be the center of attention.
Artem nodded at Preda, who nodded back her permission for him to speak. It was a clear difference from the way the meeting had run the day before. They no longer spoke out of turn, and they looked to Preda to orchestrate the discussion.
“I would like to return to the possibility of opening trade routes for the outer islands,” Artem began.
Frak stood to speak before Artem had even finished his sentence. Preda noted that he had a habit of doing that. Frak looked directly at Preda and said, “I would like to have the chance to state my specific reasons for objecting to this proposal.”
Preda sensed that Frak was used to getting what he wanted from the fairer sex. His face was incredibly handsome, but there was something off about him that she couldn’t identify. She decided that just because he had welcomed Laney to the council, she would not let him override Artem. “I would like to hear both sides of the argument before reaching a decision,” Preda said, and she indicated to Artem that he should continue.
Frak looked confused before sitting back down. Not only had Preda subtly favored Artem, but she had said in not so many words that she intended to be the one who made the final decision about the trade routes. Preda was not sure if this was how her parents had run the council, but she thought it was what they needed at the moment. This was war, after all.
Artem seemed grateful but not smug as he spoke. He carefully outlined all the socioeconomic benefits of opening trade. It was clear he had calculated all the possible scenarios and outcomes. The opportunities for financial stimulus were seemingly endless, given the sheer number of handcrafted islands that had popped up since trade had been closed.
The benefits did seem to outweigh the risks. The only obvious risk to decreasing security on the mainland was allowing Soundless cells greater opportunities to get to Preda. If it would benefit her people, Preda thought she should take the personal risk. It was amazing how easy it had been to consider Vakans her people. She had still never even set foot on the planet.
Preda's Voice (Guardians of Vaka Book 1) Page 18