Izanami put a hand on her hip and flashed a sharp grin. “About as ready as you are to get inside and find the Coke bar.”
Bethany Anne kissed Alexis and Gabriel on the head as they passed her, pulling Gabriel down to catch his. “You two had better be on your best behavior tonight.”
“Ugh,” Gabriel grumped, wiping the kiss away. “We know what we have to do. Straight to the outdoor arena, and stay within sight of our guards at all times.”
“We’ll be fine,” Michael assured Bethany Anne, stepping onto the ramp to sweep the area. “Come along, children. Izanami, after you.”
Izanami exited the Pod ahead of Michael and the twins. They walked over to where Barnabas and Akio stood in the pool of light that shone through the great glass doors.
Izanami ignored the attention she was drawing from the line of attendees.
>>I’m catching all the photos and video before they’re uploaded,<< ADAM reported. >>Nothing is getting through.<<
You’re archiving it all, right? Bethany Anne listened in on the conversation between Michael and “Baba Yaga” as they entered the Hexagon, repressing her unasked-for instinct to spill blood at the sight of her husband with another woman by his side.
>>Of course,<< ADAM replied, ignoring the momentary spike in Bethany Anne’s blood pressure. >>The historical records don’t populate themselves, you know.<<
Barnabas bowed deeply to Izanami as she, Michael, and the children arrived at the softly-lit entrance. “Good to see the rumors of your death were exaggerated.”
Izanami winked as she strode by. “Only barely.”
Bethany Anne waited until she was satisfied they were safely inside, then stepped into the Etheric to get to her holding position without being spotted by any of the partygoers.
She exited the Etheric in the upper-tier box usually reserved for the light-sensitive. The barrier over the solid half-balcony appeared to be tinted from the outside while affording the occupants an unobstructed view of the sand below.
Exploration of the cooler by the balcony revealed three chilled cans of caffeinated sugary goodness. Bethany Anne popped her Coke open and smoothed out her jacket before taking a seat to watch the arrivals to the gala.
The time to be seen would come soon enough.
In the meantime, this was like watching some Devon version of the red carpet at the Oscars.
Bethany Anne heard Gabriel nearby, talking to Trey. The boys passed the door to her balcony, chatting in low voices as they headed down to the arena.
She was pleased with the way Gabriel and Trey had bonded over their commonalities. It wasn’t easy growing up in any high-status family, but they had been more isolated than most. Their shared love of dead languages was a little weird, but as hobbies a pair of teenaged boys could be drawn to, that wasn’t the worst.
The boys left the stairs and met up with Alexis and K’aia almost immediately under the balcony.
Bethany Anne watched them go, then let her gaze wander over the arena while the last of the guests arrived. She couldn’t resist a smile when she spotted Nathan and Ekaterina taking advantage of the dancefloor, then Scott and Cheryl Lynn doing the same.
Cheryl Lynn’s adult children watched in horror, and Eric and Darryl filmed every excruciating move for future blackmail material.
Kael-ven and Kiel had found their way to Michael’s group to join the conversation over by the straw-roofed hut serving as a wet bar.
William, Marcus, and Bobcat propped up the other end of the bar, clearly in their element. Bethany Anne grinned at the picture they made, gathered around Eve like kindergarteners at storytime, with Marcus scribbling down everything she was telling them on beer-dampened napkins.
Peter, Stephen, and Grim held court at the table by the bar. They gestured animatedly, attempting to tell Jacqueline, Sabine, Mark, and the redheaded girl from Nickie’s crew some tall tale while Tabitha, Lillian, and Gabrielle heckled them from the next table. Jean and John sat side by side in the middle of the bar, holding hands with their heads touching.
Bethany Anne wished this night could have been just about them. So many of her loved ones in one place—it was almost unheard of these days. It had been too long since they had last made the opportunity to come together.
All too soon they would scatter to their far-flung corners of the Empire-she-definitely-wasn’t-calling-an-empire, and then fuck knew how long it would be before they had a chance to be together again.
Bethany Anne snickered at the slapped-ass look on Da’Mahin’s face when he was relieved of his weapons at the door by Akio. He was followed by Kel’Len, his mate, and two of his warriors.
Kel’Len gestured angrily at Da’Mahin and split off to head into the crowd without him. The three males swerved toward Mahi’ with their shoulders swinging aggressively.
Heads up, she warned Michael. Asshole patrol coming in hot at your three o’clock.
The children caught her eye. Gabriel was animated about something. Bethany Anne focused her hearing to catch the end of their conversation, then regretted her lack of the power to reverse time when she overheard K’aia crushing on Kael-ven—not something she needed to know about.
She felt less guilty when she also heard Trey having doubts about his worth.
Bethany Anne spoke directly into the young Baka’s mind. Your mother has dealt for too long with your tendencies to jump in before thinking by herself. The goodness in your heart was going to get you both killed before you had a chance to lead your people home.
Nothing hurts as much as facing the truth, Trey conceded. This is a huge responsibility, but I can carry it.
Bethany Anne was impressed by Trey’s ability to admit to his faults and work on them. It’s not a fault to be curious, she told him gently. However, it is time to grow up.
She added Alexis, Gabriel, and K’aia to the mental link. Make your way over, children. We are about to begin.
Bethany Anne switched her link to connect to Izanami as the AI mounted the raised platform in the center of the arena with Michael and Mahi’ a step behind her. You’re doing great.
Simulating your whole range of movement is tiresome, Izanami complained good-naturedly. Do you know how much you talk with your hands?
Just a little longer, Bethany Anne told her.
Mahi’ moved to stand a half-step behind Izanami and to the left, while Michael covered her right. It was clear to Bethany Anne without reading a single mind that many of the Bakas were less than happy to be there, and even less so to see Mahi’ defer to Baba Yaga.
“What is this?” Da’Mahin called, shoving recklessly through Ricole’s interns. He was halted in his tracks by John and Eric, who blocked his way. “Apologies,” he told the young females immediately. “My question stands. Sister, why are you bowing to humans?”
A murmur went around; apparently, a number of the attendees agreed with him. Bethany Anne noted who was in which camp with interest.
Mahi’Takar raised her hands. “Silence! I am no Baka’s sister tonight. I am your frost-damned ruler, and if you challenge me one more time, I will wipe this arena with the remains of your body. Am I clear, Da’Mahin?” She swept a hand toward Izanami. “And it is not Baba Yaga I defer to. One human alone commands my allegiance, as she should yours. Our Empress.” She paused to make room for her next words. “Listen well, because those who do not will find themselves stranded on Devon forever.”
“You would trust our only hope to an Empress who abandoned us?” Da’Mahin looked around nervously, his confidence returning quickly enough when he didn’t drop dead immediately. “The Empress is not here, sister. She left, never to return. How do we know this isn’t a human plot to murder our Tu’Reigd and claim their technology malfunctioned?”
Bethany Anne had heard enough. She hopped onto the balcony and drew on the Etheric. The light dipped as she passed through the barrier, momentarily overloading the arena’s power supply, and the temperature throughout the arena dropped considerably.
The
people below looked up at the flash of light above their heads.
Bethany Anne stepped again, sending a healthy wave of fear out ahead of herself to remind everyone what her displeasure felt like.
A murmur of shock rippled through the guests when Bethany Anne walked out of the Etheric onto the platform. “I abandoned no one. Neither am I required to justify myself. Tu’Reigd will be enhanced, at no cost to him or to your people.”
Da’Mahin took an involuntary step backward, stumbling as the reality of Bethany Anne’s presence hit home. “My Empress. I…didn’t realize. I apologize.”
Bethany Anne felt something give. “Drop the shit and quit your groveling. My actions since having Baba Yaga take over this planet have spoken clearly about my intentions. Peace by whatever means I find necessary.” She pinned Da’Mahin with an accusatory finger. “All you had to do was get along. Follow the mediation set out. Was it too much for you? Did you need something simpler, perhaps?”
She swept a finger over the Devonians of influence who had been invited tonight as a warning to place their support where it was needed—with the people instead of their own account balances. “You. Do not think you have escaped my notice. The Bakas are not the only ones at fault. Everyone opposing this alliance is working to gain nothing but the fall of this planet, and the Federation after it. Your days of petty disputes and power-grabbing are over.”
Bethany Anne smiled internally when low groans went through everyone backing Da’Mahin’s faction. A shift toward sense occurred among the warriors, merchants, and traders who carried so much weight in the wider communities outside the cities.
She showed the Devonians a different aspect. The one that reminded them why they’d left the Empire in the first place. “It’s a new day on Devon, and I have far too many goals to realize to hold anybody’s hand through it. You pride yourselves on your honor, and on your accountability to no one but yourselves? Fine. Devon is a meritocracy. You get what you earn, no more, no less. Contribute or leave. This time the only option for departure is on a prison transport headed for the Federation, so choose wisely.”
Someone snorted derisively, thinking they were safely hidden in the crowd. They were disabused of the notion when the people around moved away, exposing the knock-kneed Torcellan. She held up her hands as her head dipped between her shoulders. “I’m sorry!”
Bethany Anne pressed her lips together at the Torcellan’s cringing. “Get a grip. I’m not going to waste my energy. You can fill the first berth.” She flourished a hand, activating Tabitha’s beefed-up holodisplay.
The air around the platform was instantly filled with innumerable tiny camera feeds. First, the windows showed First City in all its degenerate glory, then they exploded upward and outward in number, scattering the open air above the arena with views of everywhere across Devon.
Bethany Anne gave the attendees a few moments to take in the scale of the camera coverage, then clicked her fingers to make it vanish. “This is my planet, and I say dumbasses who work against the greater good don’t get to participate in the military effort about to go down on Qu’Baka.”
Alexis and Gabriel shared glances.
What does that mean for us? Gabriel asked distractedly.
I don’t think it means anything, Alexis replied, similarly caught up in reading their mother’s subtext. We’re going with Mom and Dad to Qu’Baka, so we’re going to miss any drama that goes down here.
Trey was too focused on Bethany Anne to notice anything else, and K’aia had her eyes on the crowd, as always.
“We are allies,” Bethany Anne continued, her tone leaving no room to mistake her words as a request for compliance. “We will learn to trust each other based on the bonds we make through blood and mutual sacrifice. If Tu’Reigd dies, so will my own children, since they will be undergoing the same training program.” She dismissed the reaction from both sides with another impatient wave of her hand. “The process is completely safe. There will be no deaths. No assassination attempts. Nothing. When the process is complete, the children will be adults at the peak of their physical abilities, and will have completed a thorough education in leadership, as well as military training.”
Gabriel and Trey bumped fists, ignoring the girls’ protests.
“Does anyone have any issue with this?” Bethany Anne asked. “Because now is the time to speak up and leave Devon with my blessing. I warn you, I will not be so gracious if I have to revisit the subject again.” She smiled and spread her arms wide when nobody spoke up. “Perfect. Then I wish you all a great evening.” She stepped down from the platform and walked into the crowd, looking forward to the next part of her evening.
6
Devon, The Interdiction, QSD Baba Yaga, Top Deck
Twinkling lights overhead lit billowing, gauzy fabric fixed to the walls and ceiling above six tables set in an open rectangle.
With the gala over, it was time for the real celebration. The tables were set for a banquet, with every seat reserved for someone Bethany Anne cared about. They piled in straight from the transports and stepped into a tiny pocket of the universe that was just for them.
The children found their table easily, drawn by Izanami’s glowing avatar. Tonight, the AI looked more angelic, white-robed and barefoot with her hair swinging free at her hips.
Bethany Anne ran her fingers over the crisp linen tablecloth as she made her way to her seat. Eve had done wonders. She was waylaid many times before she reached the head of the table, her heart brimming.
Michael brushed Bethany Anne’s cheek with his lips as he attended to her chair. He took his seat beside her and smiled as he looked out on the festivities. “This is good for the soul.”
“I know, right?” Bethany Anne covered his hand with hers briefly on her way to snag a Coke from the ice bucket holding six glass bottles. “The difference between this and the gala earlier is that every raised voice here is one I’m glad to hear, and there’s food to be shared.”
“Which I need to attend to shortly,” Michael told her, his gaze becoming speculative as it wandered from John to Nathan.
Bethany Anne snickered softly, feeling the testosterone level in the air rise. She knew the guys had something going on, but her mind was, frankly, elsewhere. She was with her family, her children—all of their children—and her friends. She would never stop, would never surrender until the day came when they could live like this all the time.
It was everything.
Melancholy stole over Bethany Anne as she counted the empty spaces around the room that were filled by ghosts. There were always going to be those who couldn’t make it, whether because duty prevented it, or because their fight was done.
Bethany Anne pushed the grief away. She had lived long enough to know that the only way to honor their sacrifices was to live and celebrate that gift to its fullest at every opportunity.
She sat back in her chair and took her time with her Coke, soaking up the ambiance while the chairs on either side of her were unoccupied. It seemed to her that the room held everyone, all of her people who had strived to get here for the gala as though it were pilgrimage’s end.
Tabitha’s voice carried over the hubbub. She was offended by something, unsurprisingly. Stephen ducked fast enough to avoid being hit, Barnabas complained about getting trampled, and the beat went on.
Bethany Anne was distracted momentarily by Michael leaving the room until she spotted the mountain lion following him with the tip of her tail twitching hungrily.
There was a brief moment of feminine resignation. Jean met Bethany Anne’s eyes with a tiny shake of her head, which was mirrored by Ekaterina when John and then Nathan slipped out after them.
Bethany Anne lifted a shoulder. In contemplative terms, she and the other women were completely aware that the guys had some kind of honor thing going when it came to the uber-manly pursuit of cooking meat.
Theoretically, Bethany Anne fully supported her husband’s dedication to retaining his title of Protein Burner Sup
reme. Marriage was a compromise, after all, even when it was between two people who had never deigned to compromise in the all the years they’d lived between them.
Especially then.
It was just that, well, she usually held a more…esoteric kind of role. One that didn’t require her happy acquiescence to the lingering aroma of charred animal as an outstanding feature of her brand new home.
Bethany Anne smiled. It was a support she offered in much the same way Michael supported her personal dedication to utilizing her love of fashion as a tool of leadership. Which was to say, she chose to ignore it completely until she was presented with infallible evidence and the requirement to be pleased with his efforts.
It looked like the ladies were getting involved tonight, whether they liked it or not.
Bethany Anne observed Mahi’, noting the soft slope to the regent’s shoulders as she watched Gabriel and Alexis telling some story or another to the group of various assembled “cousins,” with some help from Trey and K’aia.
Mahi’ smiled at Bethany Anne, nodded minutely, and continued her conversation with Kael-ven and Kiel.
Near the speakers appeared to be the place to be for everyone between the equivalent ages of twelve to twenty-one.
Bethany Anne sent Alexis and Gabriel warm thoughts. The peace she, Tabitha, and Mahi’ had worked to bring between their two peoples was merely a placeholder to tide them over until the next generation was ready to lead the way in unison. She appreciated her children’s efforts to include the Bakas despite the sparkling lure of long-unseen family.
The twins returned her love without breaking from their tale.
Tom spoke up. Time was that Nickie would have had them filling everyone’s jacket pockets with shaving foam.
Don’t tempt fate. Bethany Anne didn’t see Nickie leaving the corner sofa she and Rickie had claimed, everyone else forgotten as they talked. Do you think they’re cute? Or a two-party fuckup waiting to happen? I can’t make up my mind.
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