Bethany Anne switched to video. “What’s the issue?”
Mahi’ appeared exasperated. “My brother has closed off travel between the inner and outer rings. We can’t get to you.”
Bethany Anne took the news in her stride. “Fuckdamned son of a dry-humping pustule hustler! Okay, change of plan. Mahi’, find somewhere you won’t look out of place talking to us. We’re going in without you.”
Citadel, Inner Ring
John lined up the faint green crosshairs in his sights with the center of the garrison’s doors and opened the comm to the Bakas. “You all good?”
“We are in position,” Li’Orin confirmed.
He received an ear-bursting crackle from Da’Mahin.
John shifted the weight of his portable puck launcher and lined up a second time. “Asshole. Now, remember, these are your people. Try not to kill them all.”
Da’Mahin grunted. “You’re not serious?”
John cracked a grin. “Fuck, no! They’re the bad guys, so kill ‘em all. On my signal.” He pressed the activation switch. There was a short, sharp shock when the recoil kicked the launcher back into the hollow of his shoulder. “Mother—”
The rest was cut off by the explosion.
John dropped the launcher and put a hand to his shoulder to feel around the joint. He cursed again when he found the protrusion. Healed already.
He turned away from the carnage below and looked around the rooftop for something to fit his purpose.
The crumbling wall he’d been using for cover wasn’t going to cut it. Besides, it was getting pretty hairy on the inside of the wall. Looked like they needed his assistance, dislocated shoulder or not.
John checked the map to see who was nearest. “Eric, you busy?”
“Uh-huh,” Eric replied. “’Sup?”
John leaned back a little as he descended the stairs at a fast run. “Puck launcher has a little more kickback than Jean warned me about.”
Eric caught his meaning. “You can’t heal it?”
John vaulted a fallen log. “Healed out of place. Finish up and get over here.”
Bethany Anne and Michael walked straight up the stairs to the entrance on the second tier when they reached the Kurtherian-built ziggurat.
“My brother has saved himself only an ounce of pain for sparing the palace our grandfather built,” Mahi’ swore as they arrived. “This monstrosity wasn’t here when I left.”
“It won’t be here when I leave,” Bethany Anne promised. She cursed the drag skipping through the Etheric in battle armor would cause and walked in past the guards instead. It’s not the most dramatic entrance, is it?
Michael chuckled beside her. We’ll tear their heads clean from their bodies, but that’s about as much remodeling as we’re prepared to do.
Bethany Anne snickered. I told you, I’m not leaving this ugly fucking building standing. She identified the order to the chaos around them. Everyone is going through that arch. Wanna bet I can get through without touching a single Baka?
Michael swept a hand toward the crowded archway. I’m not going to take that bet.
Bethany Anne stuck her tongue out at him. Spoilsport. Suit yourself. She slipped away and ran for the archway. Six steps later, she hit the wall and kept running.
Michael rolled his eyes and walked after Bethany Anne as she reached the apex of her arc and used the wall as a springboard to complete her maneuver.
The Bakas parted fast enough when he sent a bolt of fear ahead of him.
You aren’t in the most playful mood today. Bethany Anne bumped him with her hip, ignoring the grunt she received for her effort. You know it wouldn’t hurt to take the stick out of your ass once in a while. Cut loose.
Michael wondered briefly if meeting the sun would have been the better choice after all. Immolation couldn’t be that painful, could it?
Bethany Anne hadn’t waited.
Michael kept one eye on Bethany Anne’s back as she led the way—his other eye and all of his senses on the unknowns in the public space as always.
They remained on the edges and followed the steady flow of the crowd until they came to the guarded staircase that the Bakas clustered around the base were all so eager to ascend.
Michael indicated a balcony above the stairs. What do you think?
Bethany Anne grinned. I think it’s a damn shame I can’t watch you climb.
Is this equality now? Michael asked as they continued their progress into the upper level. Objectification all around? Are men cuts of meat to be drooled over?
Pretty much, Bethany Anne returned, not buying his feigned outrage for a moment. What’s that old line about protesting too much? Besides, a really good cut of meat is something to be admired. Don’t you always say that?
Michael had no argument. Dammit. I do. But I wasn’t referring to the woman I love when I was talking about my preference for a juicy rump.
Are you saying my ass is fat? Bethany Anne felt around until she located Michael’s arm and punched him hard. I knew you were being too fucking nice about all those extra appetizers. You bastard. There’s a special hell for husbands like you. It’s called the couch.
Are we getting close? Michael inquired innocently. I hear voices.
Bethany Anne narrowed her eyes. That’s your conscience tearing you a new one for saying I’ve got a fat ass. Or, we found the throne room.
I’m going to hazard that it’s the latter since I said no such thing. Michael tilted his head. Sounds like quite the party.
“I hear my brother,” Mahi’ cut in. “Show me his traitor’s face, my Empress. Let me see what inviting in corruption has done to him over these long years.”
Bethany Anne paused to peer through the entrance at the throne room. “I see your evil twin, Mahi’.” Her lip curled when she saw Lu’Trein miss his mouth with his drink and turn to accept a morsel of food from the attendant next to the throne without so much as an attempt to clean himself up. “Who the fuck has been feeding that delusional nut-kick the happy juice?”
Michael strode past Bethany Anne. “Not just Lu’Trein. There are no dangers to us here.”
“No Kurtherians, either,” Bethany Anne stated with disappointment. Apart from the fully-armored guard at the usurper’s side, all of the slack-eyed, jelly-limbed Bakas around him were quite clearly under the influence of something.
She pointed out the flat sheen of red in their eyes that spoke to nanocyte activity. “I’d bet they were all completely hammered if we didn’t know better.”
Mahi’ frowned. “Are you saying Lu’Trein is being controlled?”
Bethany Anne couldn’t answer that. “Even if he is under his master’s control, he agreed to it in the first place. He’s no innocent.”
Michael glanced at the decadence in the throne room, at the courtiers lolling around the room with less than a care in the world. “This place reminds me of Italy during the Renaissance.”
Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow as Lu’Trein rose from his throne. “You like their artwork?”
Michael shrugged. “I don’t dislike it. However, I was referring to the sluggish elites I see living in luxury while regular Bakas are treated like mushrooms.” He indicated an open door near the throne. “I’m going to investigate.”
Mahi’ looked devastated to Bethany Anne’s eyes. “Whatever a mushroom is, it cannot be a happy creature. This disgusts me. Our people were never this.”
“A mushroom is a fungus humans eat,” Bethany Anne explained absentmindedly, her attention on Lu’Trein’s wobbly progress across the throne room. “We keep them in the dark and feed them shit.”
Mahi’ gagged. “I think I will be more observant the next time you invite me to dinner. What is my brother doing?”
Lu’Trein ambled jerkily toward the pool with his attendants in tow, stopping here and there to rest against whatever surface was closest.
Bethany Anne couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. “The head slug is getting into the pool. Looks like being
hand-fed worked up a sweat. Baby needs some help to wash his fur.”
“I cannot get used to seeing two things at once,” Mahi’ admitted. “The overlay is blurry.”
Bethany Anne almost blew their cover then and there when she saw the manacle scars on the attendants’ wrists. “I don’t remember you telling me that slavery was a thing here, Mahi’.”
Mahi’ growled. “It is not. Are you telling me my brother is keeping people against their will?”
Michael spoke up. “Don’t react. He’ll get his as soon as we locate his master.”
“Which is what I’m about to do.” Bethany Anne took Michael’s advice and suppressed her anger to save it for the real enemy. “None of us are going to do a thing until we know for sure that the Kurtherian is here. We’ll see you at Bor’Dane’s house, Mahi’.”
There was silence a moment before Mahi’ replied, “Very well, my Empress. But Lu’Trein’s time is coming.”
Bethany Anne wasn’t disagreeing. But if her friend’s brother was the victim of an unwilling timeshare arrangement in his own body, she got the first bite of the cherry.
You’re going to be disappointed, TOM told her somewhat hesitantly. Lu’Trein isn’t hosting a thing except for nanocytes.
Aw, fucksticks. Bethany Anne relayed the information to Michael, then opened the comm to the team leaders and gave the codeword for a stand-down before shutting it all down to concentrate on TOM and Lu’Trein. How do his nanocytes compare to mine?
TOM grumbled something unfathomable, followed by more math she had “somehow” skipped out on learning in her long life.
Bethany Anne waved a hand. Put it in terms I can understand without three to six years’ study.
Fine, TOM conceded. His are better, but you’ve had longer to manipulate yours into what fits your needs. It’s like comparing a brand new racing Pod to a fishing skiff that’s been bootstrapped up to a battleship with nothing but duct tape and elbow grease.
Bethany Anne huffed. What is it with the backhanded compliments today?
I don’t understand? TOM argued. The battleship is obviously the better choice. It has survived and adapted to become unbeatable. Those Pods look good, but they’re designed to fly to pieces and eject the pilot on impact.
How does that help me right now?
It doesn’t? TOM regretted his next words before they’d left his mind. Fight or flight is your friend in this case.
Fuck fight or flight. Bethany Anne clenched her hands into fists. This bitch comes in fight and fight harder. If you wanted a runner, you should have started a race instead of a fucking war.
It was TOM’s turn to take umbrage. I came to warn you about the war, remember?
Bethany Anne decided she had bigger fish to fry than the lodger in her spine. She opened the comm once again and spoke to the expedition as a whole. “Everyone, fall back to Bor’Dane’s house for the night.”
“We’re already on our way,” John reported. “The garrison is down. What about the Kurtherian? Any sign?”
Bethany Anne’s eyes flared. “No. The shit-sucking fuck-knuckle isn’t here.”
John shook his head in sympathy. “Bad luck. See you at the house. Be safe.”
Citadel, Middle Ring, Bor’Dane’s Land
Mahi’ and Kel’Len were last to arrive at the safe house in the middle ring, along with Peter and six of his Guardians.
She nodded her apologies to Bethany Anne as they entered the main house. “I didn’t think we’d make it past the last gate. We only made it here because we bumped into Peter’s team. The Guardians used the rooftops to cross.”
Bethany Anne waved her off with a smile. “Don’t sweat it. We all had some challenges getting here. Your brothers will be glad to see you. Li’Orin picked up an injury or two during the garrison takedown.”
Mahi’ frowned, concern overtaking her fatigue. “Where is he?”
“In a bedroom on the first floor,” Bethany Anne directed.
Mahi’ left the Empress and Michael to their conversation and dashed upstairs to find her brothers.
Her first sight upon entering the bedroom was Li’Orin lying bloody in the bed, propped up by pillows. “Let me through!”
Mahi’ crossed the room in three steps, shouldering her way past Da’Mahin to get to the side of the bed and get a closer look at her injured brother. “What happened?”
Da’Mahin puffed out his chest. “He fought well.”
Peter answered around the sterile med-pack sachets clamped between his teeth. “He got stabbed a few times, is all. Nothing that’s gonna scar.”
“Of course, they will scar,” Li’Orin argued proudly. “Look at this!” He poked at the loose flap of skin under his eye with a guttural curse. “I’m lucky it wasn’t my eye. It will make a good tale.”
Peter shook his head. “Just watch and see.”
John leaned closer. “I haven’t seen these in action yet.”
Mahi’ joined John and Da’Mahin in observing Peter apply a series of clear patches to her younger brother’s wounds.
He placed the first over the flap of skin under Li’Orin’s eye and gently pressed it down to form a seal around the wound.
Da’Mahin growled in surprise when the patch melted into Li’Orin's cheek, leaving no sign of the deep gash that had been there a moment before. “How does that work?”
Peter turned his head to the group. “One-time use instant healing, the latest in medpatches. Bethany Anne had them developed, knowing you guys aren’t invincible.”
Da’Mahin was speechless for a moment. “That was a great kindness.”
John dipped his head at the injured-but-grinning Baka. “Nah, he earned it fair and square. Kid took one for the team. I see that as a reason to let him skip the consequences.”
Li’Orin gently probed his healed cheek. “No scars? How will I back up the story of the battle?”
Peter patted him on the chest to place the final medpatch. “That’s what video is for, Grasshopper.”
16
Qu’Baka, Citadel, Inner Ring, Safe House
Morning saw the upper floor of the safe house bustling with activity.
Bor’Dane, an aging male with reddish fur, met Bethany Anne and Mahi’ out front as arranged the night before to take them on a tour of his property.
Mahi’ touched foreheads with Bor’Dane in greeting. “What’s new since I was last here?”
Bor’Dane laughed, capturing Mahi's face in his hands. “Too much to stand around talking about. We have a long walk ahead of us. There will be plenty of time to discuss the last fourteen years.” He turned to Bethany Anne and bowed from the waist, his hands held out. “My Empress. It is an honor to have you in my home.”
Bethany Anne accepted Bor’Dane’s offered hands. “The honor is mine. I appreciate you allowing us to turn your home into a temporary base.”
Bor’Dane rumbled deep in his chest. “Another pleasure, I assure you. Whatever I can do to remove my nephew from power is the least of my duty. It broke my heart to send my family away. It has been harder to watch the decline of our people since that time and be powerless to prevent it.”
Bethany Anne felt for his predicament. “Why didn’t you leave with Mahi’ and the others?” she asked gently. “Devon hasn’t been a picnic for them, but at least you would have been together.”
Mahi’ answered for him. “Bor’Dane gave up his chance to leave. He stayed and smoothed our escape, risked everything to get Tu’Reigd and me to safety after Lu’Trein killed Fi’ and took over.” She looked into the distance, her eyes shining. “I cannot forget that night. Not ever. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”
Bor’Dane snorted. “Yes, and I have had to listen to the insufferable shitsplat complain about it at every opportunity since. It’s about time someone came along who can give him the good beating he’s needed his whole life.”
Bethany Anne slipped her arm through Bor’Dane's and patted his hand. “You and I are going to get along just fine.
How about that tour?”
Bor’Dane nodded and led them away from the house toward the farmland surrounding them. “Of course, my Empress.”
Bethany Anne sighed inwardly. By now she knew arguing titles was a waste of breath. If it made people happy, she was resigned to it. “You’ll have to tell me how you managed to keep your land in the power grab.”
“I was surprised to see you still control this land,” Mahi' admitted, her gaze on the distant border. “Much more to see that you expanded it.”
Bor’Dane flashed a grin, flourishing his free hand to indicate the Bakas all around them. “This is one of the few places Lu’Trein doesn’t control. He won’t touch me unless he wants my people at his door. They protect me, as I do them.”
Bethany Anne smiled at a group of tiny Bakas who had gathered outside the main house to stare at her. “I can imagine Trey being that small. Cute.”
Bor’Dane shot a curious glance at Bethany Anne. “Trey?”
“Tu’Reigd chooses to go by ‘Trey’ these days.” Mahi’ rumbled with laughter at Bor’Dane’s confusion. “The planet we live on is home to many species, who mostly coexist peacefully. His close friends are Bethany Anne’s two children and a Yollin.”
Bor’Dane lifted his hands. “I remember you as a child. Willful, always with your sticky fingers where they shouldn’t be. Where is ‘Trey?’ I have not seen him among my guests.”
“He is safe,” Mahi’ assured her uncle. “Almost grown. It goes too quickly.”
Bethany Anne chuckled at the joke. “You’re telling me.” She let her gaze wander as they walked Bor’Dane’s grounds. “How many people live on your land?”
“Permanently?” Bor’Dane bobbed his head while he did the calculations. “Twenty thousand, give or take. I own a full third of the middle ring, plus some of the inner ring. I employ another twenty-five thousand from the outer ring, but I can’t house everyone, you know? I do what I can to keep the prisons empty.”
“I get that,” Mahi' agreed. “As does our Empress, I’m sure.”
Enter Into Valhalla Page 16