Tiva Boon: Heir of Abennelp (Tiva Boon Series Book 2)

by Jenn Nixon

  Knowing many would die, perhaps even some by her own hand brought her no happiness. This time, however, she would not let the darkness of anger take her back to that cold place inside her mind. If she allowed herself to slaughter blindly she was no better than the Rebels. She was the queen, and she would show compassion, just as Harer had done.

  Neola and Adam ventured off into the Finto home to find some PCD’s for Wixx’s group, while Wirto was busy studying the hopters. Razzil and Tinbo seemed to be enjoying a deep conversation and Gessin was leading a group in a training exercise. Everything was falling into place.

  The morning was full of strategic talks and positioning. Tiva didn’t even bring up the fact that she’d made her decision about informing the populace. Adam deserved to know first. She was through hiding, and the more she thought about it during the night and after the suns rose, the more she realized that it was the right decision.

  Once word of an heir spread through the provinces the Rebels would want nothing more than to find and destroy her. But as long as she kept her identity hidden from those outside the sect, she felt safe.

  Tiva finally took the time to look through the records of all those lost during the last several cycles. So many names she knew, so many of them had seen her induction ceremony. Others she knew from Cenii province. She continued through the logs finding the names of her friends and family who died during the Great War. Skky, Lola, Tespor, and her uncle, all watching now from the Eternal Lands. She kept her composure until she saw Litru’s name on the screen. The memory of his virtual projection in the portrait hall filled her mind. It all flooded back and the pain cut deep, but she refused to let it come to the surface. She needed to Calm, if she were to be of sound body and mind to fight the Rebels; she had to find some peace.

  As the others gathered in the mess to discuss the day’s events and enjoy a quiet meal while they still had the chance, Tiva slipped out of the base and made her way toward Te. She visited with him for a while, talking to him as she had done long ago, and he listened as always, comforting, and supporting her in his branches. The suns dipped below the tree line and Tiva knew she had to return soon, so she weaved through the forest to the pond. The water was tepid, tended by the suns, the first sign of the Warming. Without another thought, she removed her clothes and dove in, letting the liquid wash away her worries.

  Spirits of this world, hear me.

  Spirits help me calm.

  Take away the troubles of my mind and body.

  Spirits free me of my troubles and keep me calm.

  When her head broke through the surface, she saw a silhouette in her line of vision moving through the trees. Leaping up onto the bank, she reached for her sword only to hear a soft chuckle vibrate through the forest.

  “Didn’t mean to startle you, Tiva,” Adam said as he came into the clearing.

  “I was Calming, my guard was down,” she answered, wringing the water from her hair.

  He approached her, picked her clothes up, and smiled wickedly.

  “As much as I would like to do what you are thinking about, my love, we still have work to do.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Can’t help myself, you’re a vision, Tiva.”

  Blushing, she took her tunic and pulled it on before taking her pants.

  “I was worried about you, no one knew where you were.”

  “How did you find me then?”

  “Cala heard you doing your ritual thing.” He fastened her top and brushed a wet lock of hair from her cheek. “You okay?”

  “Yes, I am fine,” she replied and attached her sword to her side. “I was reading through the logs of all those who perished since the Rebels started their incursion.”

  “I’m sorry,” he squeezed her hand tenderly.

  “Thank you.” She met his eyes then looked toward the direction of the base. “Has anything new come to light?”

  “Nope, Wirto’s group still hasn’t checked in. He said he was going to wait until daybreak before he contacted them. Neola sent out three groups with weapons and medical supplies to some wet-land…”

  “Whettland,” she corrected.

  “Yeah, and Wixx and the boys are having target practice with Harai’s boys. Now it’s just a game of waiting, though I’d much rather storm the castle myself.”

  “It may come to that, Adam. I just want to ensure everyone on our side has the means to protect themselves and the people of their province. A surprise strike against the Rebels might be worth it, but not yet.”

  “I know, I just hate waiting.”

  “Tiva, Adam!” Neola shouted from the edge of the Finto’s land and Tiva could just make out her waving furiously. “Come quickly.”

  Sighing, she glanced at Adam, who was already holding onto her. He smiled and his wings expanded and took them into the air before soaring quickly toward the base. Landing softly, Tiva squeezed his hand once then ran into the base following the Vicar who was already several steps ahead. “What has happened, Neola.”

  “There’s been an attack in Obadan province, another noble family has vanished,” she replied between deep breaths. “I sense something is happening, Tiva. Wirto and the others are have gathered…” She led them through the meeting hall and into one of the back rooms. Wixx, Gessin, Harai, Razzil and Wirto were present along with a few others from each group. Wirto approached, his eyes tired and worried.

  “I fear I have bad news, my queen.”

  “What is it?”

  “They know you are here, the last Royal Guardian…the Rebels are rounding up all the noble families they can find, looking for you.”

  “How the hell do they know she’s here?” Adam grunted and his eyes flashed orange.

  “Tiva was the only guardian who survived; they knew that thanks to Pethor. Besides, who else would come here?” Neola offered.

  Wixx turned to the captain. “Did your men contact you yet?”

  “No, but word has come in from other provinces. The Rebels are on the move again,” Wirto responded and turned back to Tiva. “They know the locations of most of our bases, we have only a few we’ve been able to keep safe. I think we should leave this area immediately.”

  “Why? We have all of our weapons here, the strongest of our forces are here,” Razzil replied and shook his head. “We should stand our ground here…”

  Gessin turned to him. “I agree, we have enough fire power in this area to take on any army.”

  “Tiva,” Neola walked up to her and took her hand. “When we learned Pethor was going after you, I did everything I could to get you that message. Any reminder of the royals or guardians is a stain they need to erase if they’re going to succeed in ruling the people.”

  “Do they know she’s the heir?” Adam raised his voice.

  “Doubtful,” Wirto said.

  “You are assuming…” Wixx grinned toothily. “I’d offer to send out my men to scout your land, but we would be easily spotted and probably frighten many of your people.”

  “I think we should split up anyway. We have to warn the other groups, and if we do it through the communications channel we risk being overheard.” Harai glanced up at Wixx then to Tiva. “Whether or not they know you’re the king’s daughter, they know you’re here, Tiva, and they know you’re a threat now. A former Royal Guardian returning with eight technically advanced ships against their Bujeni friends? Pethor captured you from the Union, he knew the kind of friends you had, why do you think he sent Uucorian bounty hunters to find you?”

  Tiva studied each of their faces then looked toward Adam, he was angry and ready to fight. She knew she didn’t have the right words to appease everyone, but it was a risk she’d have to take. They needed to act, quickly, at least to save the other nobles from the same fate as Mirta’s family.

  “Whether or not they know I am the heir matters little, I am perceived as a threat. We all are. While I do not believe they have any fire power to match what we have, we must remain cautious.” Tiva paced slightly th
en turned back to the attentive group. “Wirto, I need you to coordinate your teams and send them out to all the sects with this new information immediately. No one is to use site-to-site communications until we have secured the channels. Neola and Harai that will be your task for now, make sure the PCD’s are encrypted and untraceable. Wixx, I will need your men to help extract the nobles from the provinces. I will assign each of your teams a Loyalist captain, this way they can see we are working together. When you find the nobles, escort them to the nearest hidden base, by then we should be able to communicate freely.

  “All other available Loyalists should head to the perimeter of the Yaan. This province has been lucky in the past and has seen little conflict, I have changed that with my presence.” Tiva looked out the window to see people scurrying back and forth between hovers, ships, and the base. They were true soldiers, readying their equipment before receiving orders. “Once I am sure all our sections are secure and ready, I will give the Rebels what they want…”

  “Tiva,” Adam said softly. “What are you planning?”

  “An offensive strike, that will be our task while the others tend to the rest,” she replied and turned to meet his gaze then looked at the others. “After your people are on their way, report back here so we can plan.”

  Everyone bobbed their heads in agreement, several saluted, and the majority of them rushed out to do as ordered. Razzil and Adam stayed behind. She was still lost in thought when the former Legionnaire rested his hand on her shoulder. “I can be of use as well, Lady Boon.”

  “Oh, yes, Razzil,” she replied awkwardly. “I am sorry, my mind is in a hundred places.”

  “I can only imagine what you are going through. Tell me, how may I serve you?”

  “Go through the database and get the location of all the nobles. Make sure Wixx’s men do not leave without that information. Then I would like you to ask Gessin to teach you and several others how to use the hopters. It is an advantage the Rebels will not see coming.”

  Razzil bowed his head and saluted before rushing out and leaving Adam and Tiva alone. Moving away from the window, she searched through a large chest on the opposite side of the room. She pulled a few very old parchment maps and laid them on the floor. Adam walked over and watched. Piecing them together was simple enough, but the maps covered most of the free space in the room. Tiva studied them for a moment before bending down for a closer look.

  “Need me and Cala to do anything, m’lady?”

  “Not yet, I need to think for a moment.”

  “Want to let me in on what you’re thinking about?” he asked, kneeling beside her and looking at the maps.

  “There are three main roads that lead to Degort. All of them are guarded by Rebels, but not as heavily as usual if forces are scattered about the provinces looking for the nobles.” She glanced to him, he nodded, and she pointed to a spot on the far side of the map. “This is our location, the province further northeast of Degort is Quintor and the one next to it is Hentor where the Bujeni ships are. That is our focus aside from the capital. We will find all the answers we need in Hentor.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Not completely, but my instincts tell me I will learn the truth there.”

  “Wait…are you thinking about going there?”

  “Eventually,” she answered.

  “Oh, okay.” He stood up and looked out the window. “They have good team work, I’m glad they all made friends quickly.”

  “I agree, though it was easy because we all have something in common.”

  “You?” he responded with a smile.

  “No,” she blushed and shook her head. “Peace, Adam. We all strive for peace.”

  “Yeah, that, too.” He paused for a moment then offered her a hand and helped her up from the ground. “Listen, I’ve been doing some thinking. I’m going to take a quick glance around tonight and get a feel for the land. Maps are fine, but I can’t get a sense of direction without seeing it for myself.”

  “Are you sure that is wise?”

  “Probably not, but I don’t always do things the easy way.” He smirked. “You know that, besides I’ll be high up enough so they’ll think I’m a bird or something.”

  She smiled slightly. “Abennelp does not have birds as large as you, my love.”

  He shrugged and wrapped his arms and wings around her. “I’m not worried about it, but if you are, you can come with me.”

  “No, you need to be nimble if someone spots you. I would just weigh you down.”

  “You don’t weigh me down, Tiva. I’ll need a guide anyway, I might get lost.” He grinned and kissed her cheek. “When it gets dark, we’ll scope out the province here and if you say it looks safe we’ll venture out further, how’s that?”

  “Very well,” she answered and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “How long would it take you to get to Hentor from here?”

  He glanced down at the maps. “Not sure, maybe a half a day with breaks, why?”

  “Oh, it only took my father and me a few hours to get there in the hovercraft from Degort.”

  “I’m fast, but not that fast.” Adam chuckled and lifted her chin. “We better get back to planning because I’d much rather hold you all night and we have work to do.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  The others returned after Adam and Tiva had already planned where they thought everyone would best fit under the circumstances. As it stood, the communications were safe and the reconnaissance teams were already on their way to find the noble families. Harai and Wirto were very vocal about their own ideas for strategy against the enemy and Neola was still adamant about Tiva staying near the base. She didn’t want to worry her friend, but she was not accustomed to being watched so closely.

  As the last glimpse of sunlight faded from the sky, the group moved to the mess hall to eat and continue their conversations.

  With Wixx’s people, the Loyalists, along with Harai and her men, Tiva guessed they had half the force the Rebels had. Their advanced weapons, ship technology and the unique perspective of the group was enough to bring her some comfort. Her friends had ideas that no one on Abennelp would ever consider and they had insight into wars that even she did not fully understand.

  The majority decided and agreed to a Loyalist strike once the nobles were safe and everyone was in position. Once the sections reported back, Tiva, Adam and the others would lead the largest group to Degort and attack the palace. Razzil surmised it would take at least four or five days before they were ready.

  During the meal, one of the other captains brought word from Wirto’s team in Degort. The scout verified the rumors of Tiva’s return, though there was no mention of her being the heir to the throne. The Rebels were nervous upon hearing a Royal Guardian was leading the Loyalists. Tiva knew she couldn’t keep her identity hidden any longer and ordered each of her friends to begin informing the sections who she really was and her purpose in returning. They had five days to recruit as many people as they could and if the truth gave her people hope, it was worth the risk.

  Despite protest from both Neola and Adam, Tiva gave her orders and excused herself from the mess hall. She was trying her best to act like a leader. Harer had grace and knowledge, Tiva was relying on instinct and partial information. Sighing, she continued walking away from the building thinking of Harer and her father. She missed them both dearly and prayed to the spirits that she could make them proud. Longing for guidance was an understatement. Her own insecurities had to be set aside, otherwise, she was putting everyone at risk.

  When she paused, Tiva drew in a deep breath seeing her old home a few feet away. Neola and the other Loyalists had done their best to protect the guardian homes. Logically they were excellent places to run a resistance group as many guardians had weapons and goods of the highest quality. Slowly, she approached the front entrance, her eyes studying the exterior. Some of the windows were broken and the door was lopsided, but still closed. Several of the family crests were missing, but
as she walked around the house saw that the ones near her room were still intact. She could barely see inside the kitchen window, so she pushed the back door and glanced inside.

  The room was ordered, but dusty. Entering the living area, the furniture was gone, replaced by chairs and tables. She glanced to the wall, and was surprised to see her father’s portrait staring back at her. The frame was broken and the canvas ripped, but his piercing violet eyes and loving face were still there watching over the home as they always had. She longed to feel something, seeing him staring back at her, but nothing came. Frowning, she turned away and made for the staircase. As she walked up, she noticed several marks on the walls where pictures of her family had been.

  Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Tiva glanced toward her room first but decided to visit the others instead. Each room was almost the same as it was when she left. The majority of the knickknacks and personal items were gone, but the larger pieces remained. When she neared her own room, she hesitated and felt a shiver run up her spine. Pushing the door ajar, she entered and immediately noticed the crystal doll her father had given her on her eleventh Remembrance. She walked over to the hutch and picked it up again willing herself to feel something.

  “I figured you would come here eventually, I thought it best to leave out a few things hoping they would bring you comfort,” Neola said softly from behind. “We haven’t had time to put everything else back, but most of the unbroken items are in the garret.”

  “Thank you, my friend.” Tiva walked to her window and parted the drapes. “I never expected to return home, nor see this house standing. I always figured the Rebels would destroy any sign of the royals and guardians.”

  “We couldn’t let that happen.” She approached and placed her hand on Tiva’s shoulder. “We’ve done as you asked, the sections know the truth.”

  “What response did you get?”

  “Most are confused about the situation itself, but overjoyed that an heir lives.”

  “It will not take long for word to spread. I hope the populace is as accepting as those still loyal.”