“I agree with you, but what in the world do you want me to do? I can talk with the Presidents, no problem, but other than that, I don’t know how I can be of any assistance.”
“Help me bring him in.”
Gideon threw up his hands. “Impossible.”
“Impossible or ill-advised?”
“Both.”
Lake’s fingers brushed the embroidered AS on the right shoulder of his uniform. “What if it wasn’t impossible? Would you help then? You and I have always looked out for each other.”
He tilted his head as if to scold her, but his words didn’t match the action. “If I do this, then you will owe me, right?”
“I suppose that is an accurate assumption. What will you be requiring in return?” she asked. Gideon was well-learned in the art of negotiation.
“First, tell me your ideas about getting Rath inside and let me decide if it’s a viable option,” he bargained.
“All I need is a way into the Fresh Smoker tunnels and their water source. That’s it.”
“It’s a closed system. As in, no access from the outside. How would that help bring Rath to the inside of the Complex?”
Lake lifted a hand to the glass, and with her index finger’s nail, cut a hole the size of an apple in the wall. “Remember I told you a Mage needs only two energies to access their power: the Stars and the Oceans.”
“Fascinating.” He pressed his face to the opening and felt the vast difference in temperature between the Complex and Lorn.
“If you can take me to water, I can create an even bigger breach and get my grandson inside. He is with his nanny in a pod, a fourth of a mile away from the Complex. Aldous and I have created a cloaking spell which makes them undetectable. She will be watching for my sign in the sky, revealing my location.”
“Sounds logical enough, but I can’t take you past a restricted area, not even if I wanted to. There’s cameras in the hallways, in the public areas, even in the access tunnels to the Fresh Smokers.” Gideon furrowed his brow, skeptical.
“Blink.”
“What?”
“Just blink,” she repeated.
He did as she asked, startled when she vanished. “Lake? Where are you?”
Silence.
“Lake?”
“Yes?” She appeared only inches from his face and stared in his eyes, realizing their color for the first time. Green with splashes of gold. “I’m here.”
“If I help you get Rath inside the Complex, you have to go on a date with me.”
“A date?” She inched back.
“You know, where two people go out to eat, maybe dancing, traditionally concluding with a good night kiss if things go well.”
“Human and Mage copulation is forbidden by my people.”
Gideon wrinkled his brow. “I wasn’t suggesting copulation, though it’s very telling that your mind went there first. I said a kiss and only if we both enjoy the evening.”
“I don’t think a date is such a good idea.”
“Well, then Rath and his nanny will wander the desert of Lorn in their little pod for the next few years, I guess.”
“Fine,” Lake conceded, despite better judgment. “One date. Only after Rath is safely with his father and we have doctors lined up to see him.”
“Deal.”
“Though I shouldn’t agree to spend time in a personal manner with a Human I hardly know.” Her tone was flippant, lighthearted.
He laughed. “Are you kidding? We know a lot about each other.”
“We talk once a year.”
“For hours at a time. Sometimes the entire day. Tell me you don’t look forward to our conversations?”
“As much as a Mage can relish communication with a Human, I suppose.”
Gideon took a step closer in the proverbial waltz they’d been dancing throughout their conversation. “Do you know how crazy this coy attitude makes me?”
Before she could answer, her communication device chirped. “Majesty? The Emperor King is here to see you.”
“Send him in,” Lake said.
“Does Aldous know I’m here?” Gideon whispered.
“No. But he’s about to.”
Chapter Three
“What the hell?” Aldous stormed inside, aware of the Human before he entered the room. He smelled the spice and musk of what they called cologne reeking on everything the man touched. Including his mother. Immediately, Aldous pinned the perpetrator to the ground.
“You’ve put your hands on the Dowager Queen of the Mages. On Famiil, the penalty is death for inappropriate contact with a member of the Imperial Family. Since we are here in the Complex, I will speak with the heads of the Intra and arrange for you to be jailed for the duration of your stay,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
“That’s… going… to… be… a challenge,” Gideon managed to say despite the arm cutting off his oxygen supply.
“Aldous, son.” Lake tugged at his clothes. “He’s here to help us. He works for the Climintra. It’s Gideon Stone. Remember him from several—”
“I know who he is, Mother,” Aldous cut in, releasing his hold. He’d only just realized who the man was in that moment, but he had too much pride to admit otherwise. “I just want to know why he’s here in your suite and how a Human is going to help anything. In case you’ve forgotten, it was a Human who murdered your husband.”
Lake sighed. “I will always remember the way your father died, Aldous. I relive it every single day, but in case you’ve forgotten, this man, this Human, spared my life. He disobeyed orders. That’s the only reason I’m here today. Because of him.”
“So you’ve said.”
“Am I in the habit of deceiving you?”
“No. Never,” he relented. His mother had never lied to him, and judging by her aura and the sincerity in her voice, she wasn’t now. Nonetheless, knowing she’d been alone with a Human was disgusting. “So how is Gideon Stone going to help us?”
For the next half hour, Aldous listened as Lake told him her plan. He had to admit it was a good one. Gideon and his position within the Climintra may be useful. Yet Aldous refused to hide his happiness when the Human received a call to leave.
“You could’ve at least pretended you weren’t glad to see him go.” Lake gestured to the door, giving Aldous an admonishing scowl.
“Oh, I can guarantee Gideon didn’t give a damn about my reaction. His beady green eyes were focused on you. Lewd, vulgar thoughts were rattling around in his head, Mother. If we’d been on Famiil, I would’ve reached up his nose and yanked every piece of that disgusting Human brain out onto the floor.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“He touched you.”
Giving a flip of her wrist, she disregarded his outburst. “My hands, yes. Nothing inappropriate in my book.”
“I don’t believe you are the best judge of what’s right or wrong in this situation,” Aldous countered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said, Mother. Your judgment is clouded because you harbor some sort of adoration for this mortal. I see it, I sense it. You are always free to do as you want, but remember, Humans took my father from me. They tore our family apart. Robbed my son of his grandfather and the Mages of the best leader they’ve ever known. Gideon is one of them. Deep inside, he’s ruthless and vicious with an unrivaled bloodlust. You will never convince me otherwise.”
“I won’t try. You are as stubborn as your father when you get something in your mind and I love you for it.”
She tousled his hair as if he were a little boy. Normally, Aldous found it endearing, but today it pissed him off. Ignoring her comment, he walked to the bar in her room and poured himself a glass of clear liquid that smelled like whiskey.
“In the day we’ve been here, Torrun has compiled a list of Meta doctors who’d be willing to assess Rath. He’s even found a few who specialize in alternative treatment.” Aldous swirled the drink around in his mouth before s
wallowing. “Bioresonant therapists, moxibustionists. Therapies we don’t have access to on Famiil.”
“Wonderful news. They’ve all signed the confidentiality contract?
“And accepted the money. Twenty-thousand Seldova Coins to study Rath’s illness and thirty-thousand more to the one who finds a cure.” Aldous clicked his tongue.
“Excellent. What about the Humans? Has he had much luck with them?”
Rolling his eyes, he cursed Gideon under his breath. Humans again. “Do you honestly think their minuscule, fatuous brains are superior to what we are capable of? They have no special powers, no gifts beyond learned intellect.”
“I thought when we discussed coming to the Complex, you’d said you’d give Human medicine a chance? What happened?” She crossed her arms.
“In the short time I’ve been here, they’ve already proven how daft they are. One of them dropped my luggage, spilling the contents on the dirty ground, and another stumbled into my path, nearly knocking me down. Clumsy, stupid oafs.” Aldous refused to mention the other Human, the one with crimson hair that he’d seen earlier when they arrived. She might be an exception to the rule, but he’d be willing to place a money bet she had Meta blood somewhere in her genes. Humans weren’t allowed to be that lovely.
“What they lack in intelligence and gracefulness perhaps they have in tenacity?” Lake suggested.
“You sound like Barnum Ravenwood.” Aldous couldn’t resist the comparison, despite not wanting to converse about his father.
“Well, I didn’t spend seventeen-thousand-six-hundred-eleven years with him and not learn a thing or two. He wouldn’t want you to be so calloused, son. You know he was a peaceful, loving man, curious about Humans and their place in the world. In our world.”
Growing weary of conversations about Humans, he moved to leave, but not before a peck to her cheek. “Tell me when you and Gideon plan to retrieve Rath.”
“Tomorrow evening. Part of his job is to take a nightly patrol once a week.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Mother, for arranging this for Rath.”
“Even if the arrangements made are with a Human?” she teased.
“Even if.”
Desiring time alone, Aldous went to the Forest dome, seeking solace in the night sky. He lifted his hands and centered himself, allowing the electromagnetic energy to restore him. Though counterfeit, the Stars and Moon could easily pass for authentic to the untrained eye. Aldous could sense the falsehood, yet in the absence of the real thing, it was a nice replacement. At his core, he was connected to the Stars and the Oceans. Two deities presided over their race, and over everything in their world: Thalassa, the Goddess of the Oceans, and Polaris, the God of the Stars. Each Mage had a proclivity to one, and for Aldous, it was Polaris and his constellations. Deep inside each person resided a True North, steady bearings for the path ahead. For centuries, Aldous had searched for this illusive direction. For home. When his son came into his life, he experienced a joy he didn’t know possible, yet something was still missing, and he had no idea where to find it. Now that Rath was sick with no cure in sight, Aldous could feel hope slipping through his fingers. His faith waned.
A rustling in the pines broke his concentration. “Who’s there?”
“I’m sorry,” a soft voice said, stepping from the trees.
Aldous’ breath hitched in his throat. The woman with the crimson hair. Moonlight framed her face with soft, blue glow giving her the appearance of an ethereal being, and her eyes—almond-shaped and expressive—shone like sapphires. He was certain he’d never seen a more resplendent sight.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. This is a bigger place than I expected and I wandered off my path.”
“Easy to do, especially in an unfamiliar place.” He couldn’t remove his eyes from her face. Consciously, Aldous tried to look away but couldn’t. Inhaling, he caught her scent on the wind. White rose and cedarwood with hints of jasmine. She was unmistakably Human, but for the briefest of moments, that didn’t matter to Aldous. For what seemed like an eternity, even to a Mage, they stood in silence, their gazes filled with an intensity Aldous had never known and wasn’t sure if he ever would again.
“Have a good night.” She shuffled her feet as if she expected him to ask her to stay, but fear stilled his tongue and she vanished into the wooded blackness.
Chapter Four
Returning to her apartment, True couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. She had no need to be, but her heart still hammered in her chest, and she still cringed, disgusted with her lack of communication with the strange Mage. She didn’t even ask his name, but judging by his unconventional dress in a long midnight blue robe made of crushed velvet that was definitely not Complex approved, she assumed he was a part of the Imperial Family the guard had mentioned. There was only one way to find out.
She snatched her mini-tab from the bedside table and stated a command. “Search for Mage Imperial family.”
“The Mage Imperial family consist of the Honorable, Imperial, Undisputed, Emperor King of all Magick Aldous Elesse Ravenwood. His son, the Sovereign, Esteemed, Worthy Crown Prince, Rath Barnum Ravenwood. And Aldous’ mother, the venerable and magnificent Dowager Queen: the Lady, Lake Lorien Ravenwood.”
True watched their holograms materialize before her. Aldous was the man who kept staring at her! He was more handsome up close than he was far away—not that he was unattractive at a distance—but up close True could appreciate the thick silver and black mane and light-colored eyes. Noticing that his mother could be mistaken for his sister or maybe even his wife, she asked, “How do Mages age?”
“Mages do not age past the phase where they attain their highest powers. The amount of silver in a Mages’ hair determines their level of magickal expertise.”
“Who is the most powerful Mage alive today?” she asked.
“Lake Ravenwood is the most powerful Mage alive.”
If Lake was more powerful, True thought it odd that Aldous was in charge. “Are the Mages a patriarchal society?”
“No. The Mages may be led by male or female.”
“Did Lake Ravenwood abdicate?”
“Yes. After the death of her husband, Barnum, Lake Ravenwood stepped down in favor of her son, Aldous, who assumed power.”
Despite being alone, True glanced from side to side, embarrassed by her cyber stalking. “Can you tell me a brief history of Aldous Ravenwood?”
“Aldous Ravenwood is ten-thousand-five-hundred-four. He is the only child of Barnum and Lake and he has one son, Rath. Aldous began his reign after his mother abdicated. He is well liked among his people and his favorite pastime is star-gazing.”
“Who is Rath’s mother?”
“Rath Ravenwood’s mother is unknown.”
True scrunched her nose. That was odd. Touching the link for current news, she clicked on a story about Rath and a sickness.
“The four-year-old Imperial Prince has been hospitalized for a second time in the past year with a respiratory illness. No cure has been found.”
“A respiratory illness?” she repeated. “Tell me symptoms.”
“Shortness of breath, generalized weakness, weight loss, chronic cough.”
Similarities existed between the Demon female True had treated earlier in the day. Could they be sick with the same ailment? It was possible, but she couldn’t understand how. All the inhabitants of the Complex were given a full physical screening to confirm they had no communicable diseases. Whatever the Demon had, she contracted it from the inside. The most startling and mysterious part of the case was the purple fluid collected from her lungs. True had verified it was an anomaly for Demons and she wondered, did Rath have a lung fluid sample?
Logging into the medical section of her mini-tab which gave her higher authorization, she tried to bring up the boy’s medical records.
“Access denied. Code required.”
True typed in her physician identification number.
“Access denied. Code requ
ired.”
“Dammit. Oh, well.” Revisiting the screen with Aldous’ information, a hologram of the him and his son appeared. True would remember Rath Ravenwood.
Lake frowned at the sight of Gideon’s bruised neck. She hadn’t realized how hard Aldous had pinned him the night before. Would her son ever resign his hatred against humans? Could he see that, fundamentally, they were like him? Strong moral code. Guided by love. Kind and hardworking. At least, Gideon displayed those characteristics, and she knew he couldn’t be the only one.
“Will you let me heal you before we go?” she asked.
“It’s not necessary. Just a little bruise.”
“Half of your neck is a colorful mixture of blue, purple, and green. It has to hurt.” Boldly, she extended her hand and placed it on his neck. “Relax.”
He tensed. “Sorry. I’m… it’s… I’m…”
“Quiet,” she whispered, her words soft and soothing. When his muscles loosened, she sent a bolt of light through her fingers. “There. No more pain. You should be on the mend.”
“I feel wonderful.” Gideon inched closer. “Better than ever.”
“Aldous is here,” she said, tilting her head towards the door.
“He is?” He’d not heard a knock or the chirp of her communication device.
True North (The Complex Book 0) Page 2