Void Born

by R. J. Metcalf

  As if she could find the words. She scoffed and buried her face in her hands. Maybe it’d be better to talk to Krista first.

  “Was this morning with Francene really that bad?” Zak pushed himself up and crossed the spacious patio to join her at the table. He frowned. “You’ve been tense ever since.”

  Jade stared at him and tried not to stammer. “She, uh, suggested something today, and it’s been…” She hesitated, looking away from his soft eyes, trying to remember why it was such a bad idea. How could she consider Weston when she had Zak right here? “I can’t go along with it, even though part of me is tempted.”

  Zak’s black eyebrows rose and he leaned back, settling into the chair. “Now I’m curious.”

  She winced. This wasn’t going the way she’d meant for it to go. Whales. She hadn’t meant for this to even come up! First things first. “I think I need to be queen.”

  It was as if a mask fell over Zak’s face. All lines of interest smoothed, the glimmer in his eyes faded, and the slight tilt of his lips flattened. “Oh?”

  “Like I said before, I need to step up. Protect our people.” Jade sat straight, her voice earnest. “I need to protect your family and you. I have the power to do that, if I only agree to take it.”

  “And to have that, you will have to marry Weston. And have his heirs. And give up all your dreams,” Zak stated flatly. He crossed his arms, eyes shuttered and brow lowered. “Are you really ready for that?”

  “Bleeding Void, Zak, let me finish,” Jade snapped. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, and she rubbed at her forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m still processing everything. Let me just talk it out?”

  He nodded, his lips pressed shut.

  “What has me so jumbled right now is what Francene suggested earlier. I told her no, but it’s stuck in my head now.” Jade bit her lip, aware of her cheeks warming from her blush. She looked past Zak, keeping her gaze firmly on the garden beyond. “I could marry Weston.” Just saying it aloud, to Zak, made her stomach churn. She forged on, grimacing. “And—this is Francene’s suggestion—I could have you as a paramour.” She didn’t look directly at him, but she caught his jaw drop and snap back together. “I told her no, of course. Whomever I marry, it’s all or nothing. I can’t do that to you; make you share me, that is.”

  Zak said nothing, but his mask had dropped, betraying his emotions as they flitted by. Surprise. Disgust. Jealousy. Then a small smirk of pride, and a tender sorrow.

  “So.” He crossed his ankle over his knee as he watched her. “What’s the plan now? Especially if you plan to be queen?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I can’t abandon Doldra, not if I’m all they have for hope of leadership right now.” She licked her lips and shot him a shy smile, allowing herself a selfish moment to drink in the sight of him. Layered in blacks and blues, his clothing did nothing to hide his broad shoulders or the biceps that she’d admired countless times before while she watched him train on the Sapphire deck. “I want you. I need you.”

  Zak was out of his chair before she even finished speaking. One long stride, and he was by her side, tugging her to her feet. His hands slid up her sleeves, leaving a warm trail on her skin that tingled like the static before an electric storm. The green of his eyes had darkened, the hunger in them leaving her breathless. He kissed her, heedless of anyone who might be passing by in the hall behind them. His lips moved against hers, hungry, possessive, claiming her mouth and imprinting every cell with the need for him. She clutched at his shirt, as if she could pull him closer than he already was. When she’d molded her body to his, she didn’t know. She didn’t care. All she wanted, all she needed, was here.

  He walked backwards, keeping a hand against her lower back, keeping her pressed against him. A moment later he broke the kiss, just long enough to sit back on the divan and pull her down with him. She pushed her hands through his thick hair and melted into him as her lips met his again.

  Seconds turned into uncounted minutes, until the need for air combined with the pounding in her heart and the heat in her core demanded a break. She pulled away just enough to look at Zak. He regarded her with half-lidded eyes, his lips swollen and a lazy grin curling the edges of his mouth. Her heart pounded even as she relaxed, her body nearly boneless. This had to be the best she’d felt emotionally in months. She rocked forward to give him a quick peck before scrunching down to settle her head over his chest.

  Somehow she’d ended up essentially lying on him, her legs between his, his arms around her. Odds were good her dress was wrinkled beyond all belief, and, if she, the princess of Doldra, were seen in it, all shehalla would be raised. But right now, she really didn’t care if anyone were to see them like this. He was her choice. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. He always had been. She just had to find a way to make it work.

  “So. Love.” Zak’s chest rumbled under her ear, and she stifled a giggle. She settled her hands under her chin to look at him, and she grinned at his mussed-up hair. He narrowed his eyes at her amusement, but continued. “What are we going to do? Because, whether you want to or not, whether you think of it this way or not, it is our problem.” He slid his hand down the back of her blouse, toying with loose strands of her hair. She shivered. His fingers twined with hers, and he lifted them to his mouth, kissing each digit. “You aren’t facing this alone. And we need to have a plan.”

  All the fears, all the tension that had melted away, made a half-hearted attempt to return, but Jade squelched them. “Brandon won’t take up the throne, and Everett will always view me as a threat. Queen Violet doesn’t hold sufficient power over Doldra now that the citizens there know I’m alive.” She frowned. “I could not marry, at all? Say I’m neutral to all the land?”

  “Not marry?” Zak’s words sounded strangled.

  “Well, not in the public eye!” She laughed at his scandalized expression. “We could still marry, in secret.”

  “Because, of course, we’re somehow going to be able to hide if kids come into play.”

  A thrill ran through her at his casual mention of children. She’d barely thought that far ahead—no, that was a lie. She’d already wondered if their kids would have black hair or red, his deep umber skin or her pale tone. But she’d never admit to that aloud. She wrinkled her nose at him. “True. That would be pretty hard to keep secret.”

  Zak snorted as he ruffled her hair affectionately. “Slight understatement.”

  “Fine. Do you have any great ideas?” A muscle in her back twanged, and she regretfully braced against the side of the divan to pull herself to sitting upright. Zak followed the motion, keeping her side pressed into his, and their hands intertwined. She smoothed her wrinkled skirt and fought to keep her blush down.

  “Run away?” He shook his head even as he said it. “But that doesn’t take care of Doldra.” A soundless snarl curled his lip. “It would be much easier if Brandon took on the mantle he’s supposed to wear.” Zak’s voice lowered. “Or if Everett weren’t in the portrait. But there’s nothing we can do about either of them.”

  “So we’re still at stalling tactics?” Jade shivered despite the warmth still radiating from her body. “And we hope that Weston means it when he says he won’t let it get to the actual ceremony?”

  Zak nodded grimly. “I think so.” His eyes met hers, and he lifted her hand, pressing a kiss against it as he held her gaze. “And if something were to happen, and you two were to wed, I’d get you out of there before the end of the day. I swear it.”

  Jade leaned her head against his shoulder, soaking in his calm certainty.

  “I nearly forgot,” Zak reached for one of the pouches on his belt. He pulled something out and motioned for her to put out her hand. A smirk pulled on his lips as he slowly opened his fingers, letting a silver chain pool in her palm. He followed the chain with his fingers, momentarily eclipsing her hand, then he pulled back, revealing the wrench charm from Ben—but now it was more. Tiny diamonds studded the edges and slightly larger
rubies filled the inside of the tool. “Now it’s princess-style,” Zak stated, his face neutral, though his voice betrayed his amused excitement.

  A giggle burst out of Jade even as her eyes misted. She’d had the necklace for a short time, but it already meant enough to her that losing it for the few days hurt. How had Zak gotten this done so quickly? And had he spent his life savings on the gems? She rubbed her thumb against the texture charm. “How—”

  “My secret.” Zak kissed her forehead, and instead of the raging fire from earlier, this kiss settled her nerves, filling her with the steady warmth of a hearth. “But now it’s fitting for a mechanic who also happens to be a princess, and now she can wear it as she should.” Tenderness filled his eyes, and he gave her a gentle smile. “If I haven’t been clear before, hear me now: I’m staying by your side, whether you be a mechanic or a princess.”

  “I—Thank you.” Jade fumbled to clasp the necklace, and Zak brushed her hair aside to help. She touched the metal and laughed. “This is perfect.”

  “You’re welcome.” Zak leaned back in the divan, settling his arm around her shoulders. “Just remember, we’re taking this one day at a time. And Finn’s group will take care of the hunt for Victor and Lucio. We can survive this.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Ben

  Ben squirmed, tugging at the bright blue robe that he’d been forced to change into upon arrival to the castle in Camort. The loose sleeves and mid-calf length didn’t bother him as much as the fact that the robe wrapped in front of his body and was tied shut with a single sash. The oval-shaped room he waited in with the entire Phoenix crew was pleasantly warm despite their lightweight garb, but it was still draftier than Ben was used to. And if it came down to a fight, things would get awkward very quickly. Maybe the design is purposeful, he reflected as he shifted the fabric over his knees. For anyone accustomed to armor, this is shockingly flimsy.

  Not that there’d be any indication of a fight breaking out. Corporal Adonis had been polite and professional on the Phoenix while they’d flown to the city, and he’d been gracious enough to explain what to expect before it happened: registering at the record office, genders being separated for a brief time to get cleaned up and changed into garb appropriate for meeting the emperor, everyone waiting together before going in to meet Ezran, and everyone leaving all weapons and jewelry behind for the meeting.

  Because—as Adonis had reminded them a few times—they weren’t prisoners, and they were allowed to keep their swords with them for now, should they so choose. But any and all foreign items had to be left behind while they were with Ezran. No exceptions.

  Ben traced the outline of his dog tags under his robe as he waited with the rest of the Phoenix crew in the nose-twitching floral scented holding room they’d been sent to. What could he say or do about his necklace? What if one of the Elph somehow recognized it from beyond the Void? He clenched the metal. If only Adonis had mentioned this while they were still onboard the Phoenix, then Ben could’ve left it there. But there was nowhere he could stash it now.

  Raine had seen it before, as had Finn, and a few others that Ben had sparred with. Most seemed content with the generic “family heirloom” excuse, but they weren’t suspicious of his motives. Nor did they suspect him of being party to killing multiple villagers. Let alone someone involved in the probable renewal of a bloodstone.

  Raine’s posture next to him gave the impression that she was relaxed, but after training with her over the last several weeks, he could tell that this was not her languid, settled breathing. No, this was tight, controlled, steady breathing meant to keep oxygen in the muscles in case of a battle. Utterly soundless.

  She wasn’t the only tense one in the room. Geist paced a small stretch of the room while Roska muttered over his rabbit’s foot, and Maggie twisted a ring on her hand. Beyond them, more crew members talked quietly amongst themselves while Schultz checked on the various injuries that some had received during their battle with the dragons.

  Brandon sat across from Ben, bowed over, his hair, freed from its typical short ponytail, falling in his eyes. He rubbed his thumb over his sheathed crimson sword, his shoulders twitching in apparent agitation.

  “You doing okay there?” Ben asked

  Brandon’s hands stopped fidgeting, and he became still as a statue. “Lucio escaped.”

  “And it’s not your fault,” Finn reminded simply from Brandon’s side. He opened his eyes and looked at the depressed prince. “You left the duel to save a child. That was a worthy thing.”

  “But now Lucio has what he needs to take down the barrier!” Brandon exclaimed, dropping his sword to let it lean against his inner thigh where his robe gaped open. Raine uttered a small noise and twitched her head to Ben, closing her eyes. Brandon tugged the fabric back in place as he continued. “And we have no idea where he is, or when he’ll get to a keystone.” He waved a blue-sleeved arm in the direction of the door, nearly smacking Roska in the chest. “For all we know, the barrier is falling right now!”

  “That is a possibility,” Finn admitted slowly, as if the words pained him. “But there’s nothing to be done about it while we’re here.” He gestured at the robes they all wore. “This is where we are now, and that’s that. What you did? You saved a life. And you acted like a leader whose concern was his people. That is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  Brandon rubbed his hand against his neck and shook his head. “Maybe so. But the fact remains that Lucio escaped.”

  Finn nodded, his eyes serious. “We’ll need to talk to Emperor Ezran about what can be done to protect Madrilla Island, and then we need to warn as many others as possible.” Finn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “My notes got left on the airship, but there is one spark of good news for you: Ann and I were able to work on a bit more of Jaxton’s notes, and we’re both fairly confident that only two control bracelets were made for you. So if we can find the second one—”

  “They’re both gone.” Brandon breathed out, countless emotions warring on his face. Hope. Disbelief. Shock. “Kadar had one, and Jaxton had the other. Both were destroyed.” His hands shook. “Are you saying I’m free?”

  “As far as we could tell.” Finn smiled. “Yes, you’re free.”

  At that moment, a female Elph in an elegant knee-length tan robe walked in, and Ben narrowed his eyes at the brown pants visible under the loose garment. The woman inclined her head. “Emperor Ezran will see you now. All must remove weapons, jewelry, and anything non-biological.”

  “And we have your word that these will stay close by and will be returned after we meet the emperor?” Brandon asked, his voice tense, but calm. He ran a hand over his crimson sword.

  “Of course, sir.” A small smile warmed their escort’s brown eyes. “You are not criminals, after all. This is a standard safety precaution.”

  Brandon’s jaw worked as he slowly set his sword down on the bench. He glanced up at Finn. “You’ll keep an eye on me?”

  Finn nodded. “We’ll make sure you don’t go too far.”

  “Thank you.” Brandon lingered over the weapon, his fingers touching the metal, unaware or uncaring of the Elph’s scrutiny at his reluctance.

  Finn slid his black lodestone ring off his finger, setting it on the bench by him with the same amount of enthusiasm as Brandon with his sword. I guess I need to do the same. Ben pulled the necklace over his head and let it drop just under his sword in the attempt to subtly hide it.

  “What will you say if they ask about it?” Raine whispered under her breath as she stood, leaving her leather-bound sword on the bench. She grimaced at the soft sandals that had been provided before slipping them on. “I miss my boots.”

  “The truth. It’s a unique family heirloom,” Ben muttered back, watching Serena, one of the Phoenix’s dragon hunters, caress her daggers before parting with them. She turned away from her weapons with a grimace. “Nothing wrong with that.” He glanced at Raine’s bare calves as she used her foot to slide
his slippers to him. “It feels weird to not have all our normal gear on. I don’t like it.”

  “Does it make you feel off-balance and vulnerable?” Raine offered. “Because if so, that’s probably what they’re going for.”

  “They succeeded.”

  “Please, follow me.” Their escort lifted a hand, gesturing out the door.

  Finn stood, affecting a limp, and Brandon put an arm around him as support. Finn looked up at the lady. “Tell me, dear, is it far?”

  “Oh no, sir.” The Elph smiled. “Just a few rooms away.”

  Finn and Brandon exchanged looks before Finn nodded and they filed out of the room, the hallway echoing the aide’s boot clicks and the light shuffling sound of slippers over tile. Rebecca and Michael, her husband, followed closely behind the escort, with the rest of the crew filling in the gaps. Raine closed in behind Finn, and Ben stayed at her side.

  “I don’t want them to know who I am,” Brandon said lowly.

  Finn nodded. “I understand. They won’t learn who you are from any of us,” he glanced over his shoulder at Raine, and then Ben. “Right?”

  Ben and Raine murmured their assent as they entered the audience chamber for Emperor Ezran. Massive pillars surrounded the circular room, supporting wide arches that cut into the tiled ceiling. Even with the slippers, their entrance was quiet, almost muted. Ben tried a little skip to check the sound, but he couldn’t hear it.

  Raine noticed his confusion, and she leaned sideways, her long, straight hair brushing his arm. “My lut is on sound-absorbing stones in the floor.” She tapped her sandal against a white pattern in the floor. “I’d guess that if they have these here, maybe they have sound magnification stones by his seat.”

  Mute the common people so the emperor could speak? In one regard, it could be considered logical, but in another regard, it didn’t feel like it boded well for their group. Would this emperor even listen to them? Or would he assume he knew best? Would he let them go? Keep them under his eye? Nothing in the Elphs’ actions had given any indication that they were the type to just slit newcomers’ throats while they slept, but Ben had heard some pretty bad stories of the unfriendliness of the Elph. What was this Elph emperor like?