by John Corwin
The moment we stepped into the corridor outside the main hold, Adam and Shelton rounded the corner from the ramps, running at full speed. They skidded to a stop when they saw us following Eor and brought their staffs to bear.
I stood behind Eor and held up my hands, motioning desperately for my friends to put down their staffs before the gem sorter grew suspicious. "We stopped the pirates and saved the sorters," I said, clueing them into the new reality that we'd just saved the ship instead of hijacking it.
"Oh, great." Shelton quickly holstered his staff and slapped Adam on the wrist so he'd do the same. "What now?"
"We're going to speak with Illaena." I cleared my throat. "This is Eor."
"The nosy pair." Eor huffed again. "I suppose you'll be bothering everyone with your ceaseless questions again."
"Are we really that bad?" Adam asked.
"We sorters prefer keep to ourselves," Eor replied tartly. "Now, come." He went up the spiraling ramp and we followed.
"That dude's got a stick up his ass," Shelton said in English. "What happened in there?"
I explained quietly in our mother tongue. Eor frowned and looked back at us but didn't ask for a translation. Maybe he figured we spoke some strange land-lubber language. When we reached the top deck, I expected the crew to shout and charge the moment they saw us, but Illaena faced away from us at the rear of the ship, staring at the sea of clouds, while the rest of the crew steered the ship.
She stiffened as our footsteps approached and turned to see Eor and the rest of us. Much to my surprise, relief flooded her eyes. "You escaped the enemy?"
"If by enemy, you mean the land dwellers who held us hostage," Eor said. "This boy intervened and rescued us, then explained that you forbid anyone from coming into the sorting room." He narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "An explanation is in order, captain."
Illaena stiffened and once again assumed her reserved rigid exterior. "After you were taken hostage, one of the enemy soldiers informed me that if I refused to do as told, they would kill you. I saw no way to free you without great loss of life."
"Those are Brightling Empire soldiers," Elyssa said. "How did they sneak onboard without anyone noticing?"
"I suspect they were part of the group delivering supplies into the hold," Illaena said. "It's also possible they were inside some of the crates."
"However they did it, they took me and my people unaware." Eor's face darkened. "They forced us to look for bloodstones."
I hoped for a revelation about bloodstones from Illaena, but she left me hanging and maintained a stony expression.
"Is this why you refused to take us to Voltis?" Elyssa asked.
"No, but it is why I confined you to quarters." Illaena pursed her lips. "How did you escape?"
"That's not important," I said quickly. "What I'd like to know is what use bloodstones are to the Brightlings."
"I cannot say," Illaena replied. "We are instructed to discard any that we come across and forbidden from inquiring about them."
"Who would know?" I asked.
"Perhaps the Muhala Kajeen." She shifted to Eor. "Where are the enemy land dwellers now?"
"Locked in the vault," he said. "What will we do with them?"
"Interrogate them," Illaena said.
"I have some good spells for that," Adam said. "If you'd like, we can find out what they were up to."
Elyssa glared at the captain. "Or do you plan to lock us back in a room again?"
Illaena scowled. "I have not decided what to do with you." She touched the gem on her collar and waited for a response. When none came, she tapped it again. "Why are my fighters not responding?"
"Uh, they're kind of asleep," Elyssa said. "There was something in the wine that you got from Guinesea."
Illaena's eyes flashed with alarm. "Are they dead?"
"No, just snoozing," I said. "When we escaped our room we went to the galley for food and heard them talking about something being in the wine."
"We heard them passing out and ran inside to see if they were alive," Elyssa said. "One of your other fighters saw us doing that, and we had to knock her out because we didn't want you knowing we'd escaped."
Illaena scowled, but appeared to buy our story. "You escaped, found my fighters unconscious, but what pointed you to the sorting room?"
"Your fighters talked about how you forbid anyone from going to the sorting room and questioned why the ship wasn't headed for the Muhala Kajeen for the blessing of the first haul." I gave her a moment to absorb the information and continued. "That was when we went below to investigate."
"What an interesting maiden voyage this has been," Eor said wryly. "A breached hull, a dragon attack, a platoon of pirates, and a gallant rescue by prisoners."
"Agreed," Illaena said. "What troubles me the most is that the intruders are soldiers of the Brightling Empire."
"Kaelissa has broken the neutrality accord with the Mzodi," I said. "You should notify the Muahala Kajeen so she can warn other vessels passing through Brightling territories."
"Did you really speak with Xalara about us?" Elyssa asked, using the Muhala Kajeen's name.
Illaena shook her head. "No. The Muhala Kajeen is grateful for your assistance defeating Cephus and ending the dragon incursions. While she would never ally the Mzodi with either of the land dweller empires, she would not ban you from our ships."
"Does that mean we can go to Voltis?" I asked.
Eor's eyes flashed with excitement. "Voltis? We have finally won approval to explore the great unknown?"
Illaena's jaw tightened. "I think it a fool's errand, but I will speak with Xalara."
"Like, right now?" I said, pointing down at the deck to indicate I wanted to hear the conversation with my own ears.
"I will confer with her in my cabin." She pointed at me and Elyssa. "You two may accompany me inside."
"What about us?" Shelton said. "I promise we won't look at your aether charts."
"Wait here with Eor," Illaena said. "We will return shortly."
"I pray for good news." Eor rubbed his hands together vigorously. "Can you imagine the gems inside the Voltis Maelstrom? It is a gem sorter's dream come true!"
Elyssa and I followed Illaena down a level and into a large cabin. A wide crystal table occupied the center and a cloud bed nestled against the hull in the back where crystal windows provided a breathtaking view of the sky. A shelf held an assortment of devices, most of them embedded with aether stones.
Staring out the back window, I switched to incubus vision. Invisible aether phased into view, small clouds of it floating past, and tiny lines threading through the crystal structure of the ship. But what I really wanted to see flowed behind and around us, carrying us in its current—a river of brilliant aether.
I switched back to normal vision and looked expectantly at Illaena. "Well?"
The captain tapped the communication gem on her collar. A chime responded. "This is Illaena. I would speak with Xalara."
"One moment, please," said a cheery female voice.
Seconds later, Illaena's gem projected the image of a tall woman with long brown hair woven in tight braids. A strong Italian-styled nose hung over a wide mouth with lips a shade too thin, and between cheeks a little too high for my tastes. Xalara resembled my inner vision of an Amazon warrior, though her dark eyes softened her harder features.
The Muhala Kajeen smiled warmly. "How goes the maiden voyage, Illaena?"
"Not well," the captain replied. "We suffered a breached hull deep in the northern vortexes and fought off a dragon."
Xalara's smiled faded. "A usual affair these days."
"My story grows worse," Illaena said. "We stopped in Guinesea for repairs but unbeknownst to me, were boarded by land dwellers of the Brightling Empire. After we set off to rendezvous with Justin Slade and his companions, a soldier named Racha came to me in the night and told me our gem sorters would be executed if we did not do as they said."
Xalara's eyes flashed a
nd the kind leader was gone, replaced by a warrior princess. "How dare they! What were their demands?"
"Bloodstones," Illaena said.
Xalara's jaw worked back and forth. "How could they possibly know to seek bloodstones?"
"Do you know what they are?" I asked.
She blinked as if noticing me for the first time. "Greetings, Justin Slade. Illaena did not reveal your presence to me until now."
"Apologies, Xalara." Illaena bowed. "I meant to tell you at once, but the story of this voyage tainted my manners."
"All is forgiven," Xalara said and nodded at me. "To answer your question, bloodstones were once used for their healing properties, but another use for them was discovered during the reign of King Thussor, great grandson of Ussor."
The name conjured images of the ancient Seraphim I knew as Fjoeruss. Kaelissa had hinted he might actually be one of the original Seraphim, Ussor, and that he might also be my mega-great grand-pappy.
"And that is?" I asked.
"When channeled a certain way, the bloodstone links the conscious minds of one individual to another." Xalara shivered. "The initiator can then force the subject to obey her will."
Elyssa gasped. "Mind control?"
"Insidious," Illaena said.
Xalara shook her head sadly. "The Fallen, Gallifer, Sithain, and Purah, discovered this perverted use of bloodstones. They stole Thussor's mind and nearly destroyed the empire."
I probably shouldn't have changed subjects but my nerd side kicked in. "You mean to tell me there are fallen angels?"
"The Fallen were the children of the original bloodlines who forsook their lineage and took their own names," Xalara said. "Shunned by society, they left Azoris and vanished for centuries, only to reappear with their plot to destroy the empire."
"Are they still alive?" I asked.
"Perhaps." Xalara shook her head. "In the early days of the Mzodi, the first Muhala Kajeen forbade the harvesting of bloodstones and required their immediate disposal should they be found."
"Kaelissa must be behind the kidnapping of your sorters," I said.
Illaena and Xalara frowned.
"Why would Kaelissa have anything to do with this?" Illaena asked. "We have traded fairly with her for years, taking her unwanted daughters in exchange for gems."
"Because she's the new Brightling Empress," Elyssa said. "She was probably alive during Thussor's reign, and I'll bet she knows what the bloodstones can do."
"Hot damn," I murmured. "Kaelissa is out to take over the world with mind control." I suddenly knew why she was going to Voltis.
Chapter 13
Elyssa's eyes widened with realization. "You think—"
"Yeah." Things suddenly made a lot more sense. "Eor seems to think Voltis is a great place to fish for gems."
"It is the largest, most intense maelstrom in the realm," Xalara said.
"Which means more bloodstones for the harvesting," Elyssa said. "Kaelissa's secret weapon is mind control!"
"And it'll give her all the edge she needs to take over this realm and the next." I blew out a long breath. "This is even worse than I thought."
"Maybe that's how she became Empress so fast," Elyssa said. "Maybe Arturo is already brainwashed."
"Maybe, maybe not." I shifted to Xalara. "How many bloodstones typically turn up in a haul?"
"None," Illaena answered. "That is because you can only find them in the core of the most violent maelstroms. On the rare occasion we discover a bloodstone in our normal haul, it is because it was ejected from the core."
Xalara's eyes narrowed. "You mean to say those soldiers forced you to fish the core?"
Illaena nodded. "I only took them to the fringes."
"And your people netted one bloodstone," I said. "Racha wanted three."
"Why does she want three?" Elyssa said. "If they plan to fish more from Voltis, why not go straight there instead?"
As usual, Elyssa had a point. I took a figurative step back and wondered what Racha would do if she had three bloodstones. That was when it occurred to me she was just a thug. "Kaelissa wants three. That number is too specific to be some number she plucked at random."
"Obviously she wishes to control the minds of three people," Illaena said.
Xalara tapped a finger on her chin. "She already controls the Brightling throne. Who else must she tether to her will?"
"Maybe she wants to control the new leaders of the Darkling government once they elect another Trivectus." Elyssa's gaze seemed to turn inward for a moment. "Three bloodstones for three leaders."
I took another step back. "Are bloodstones a stepping stone, or her end game? The Brightlings have no way to fish Voltis without Mzodi ships, right?"
"That is correct," Xalara said. "They have no ships of their own."
"If Bloodstones are her endgame, I think she would've taken the Falcheen straight to Voltis instead of fishing the northern vortexes." I tapped a finger on my chin. "If bloodstones are a means to reach her endgame, then there's something else we're missing."
"In other words, there's something else in Voltis she's after," Elyssa said.
I nodded.
"Regardless of her intentions," Xalara said, "I will not stand idly by and let this breach of neutrality go unchallenged."
Illaena's eyes sparked with worry. "What are you saying, Muhala Kajeen?"
"The Xanda is in port in Zbura," Xalara said. "I will ask Captain Nin to speak with our official contacts there and lodge a complaint."
"Do you really think a complaint will do any good?" Elyssa said.
"Sadly, no." Worry clouded Xalara's face. "But I must exhaust all diplomatic means at our disposal before discontinuing trade with the Brightling Empire."
I'd really hoped she might go a step further and ally with us, but this was at least a step in the right direction for our cause. "Xalara, I believe answers to Kaelissa's plan lie within Voltis."
Xalara's eyes snapped to me. "Our ancestors journeyed into Voltis thousands of years ago. The great exploration ship, Zhnosh, sought to map every corner of the realm. When they returned from within Voltis, more than half the crew lost, the first Muhala Kajeen declared it a forbidden zone."
"What was inside?" I asked.
Xalara shook her head. "They never reached the core before they turned back."
My heart sank. Kaelissa had to know something we didn't. There might be more to Voltis than bloodstones. "What if the king of all bloodstones is in the core and allows Kaelissa to mind control everyone at once?"
"I pray to god that's a figment over your overactive imagination," Elyssa said.
All I knew was that we had to convince Xalara that passage to Voltis was a matter of life and death for the entire realm. "Elyssa, show her the map."
Elyssa set her phone on the table and projected the map with the Brightling troop concentrations in southern Cabala. In Eden it would be about a hundred miles east of Los Angeles, but in Seraphina, it was right on the coast since the land mass was smaller. Elyssa had drawn dashed lines to indicate possible troop movements, some leading into Voltis, others dipping southwest to head straight for Tarissa.
"Commander Borathen believes the Brightlings are gathering troops to invade Voltis." I traced a finger along the red line. "Elyssa and I found messages from Primarion Arturo, leader of the Brightling archangels, that indicate there is something in Voltis that will allow the Brightlings to control this realm."
Elyssa switched to the video she'd recorded of the messages.
"Inside Voltis," Xalara murmured. "What could possibly exist at the core?"
"Perhaps Kaelissa is simply mad," Illaena said. "There is nothing in Voltis but death. I have read the history and know it to be true. Let the insane Brightlings dash their army upon the fire and ice that awaits."
"This might be a stupid question," Elyssa said, "but why haven't the land dwellers built ships like yours?"
"They have tried," Illaena said proudly, "but they lack the proper gems and techniques to m
ake them work."
"And if they ever tried to capture one of our ships, we can remotely destroy them," Xalara said.
"So you could preserve your monopoly on gem harvesting." I brushed an index finger across the top the other. "Shame on you."
"It would seem there is more to Voltis than what we know," Xalara said. "Kaelissa is one of the oldest Seraphim alive. Perhaps she knows the secrets hidden in the core. What she seeks may pose a threat to us all." She turned to Illaena. "I authorize an expedition inside the maelstrom."
The captain's eyes went wide. "We will be destroyed!"
Xalara shook her head. "The crew of the original expedition made a map."
Illaena blinked. "Why is there no mention of this in the history?"
"Because Voltis is a forbidden zone," Xalara said. "Why would we make public a map that might encourage rogues?"
Illaena didn't have a reply for that.
"The map, of course, does not go all the way to the center since the Znosh turned back." Xalara pursed her lips. "I know the loss of your first command weighs heavily, Illaena. If this is too much, I will find another captain."
"No." Illaena stiffened and her chin tilted up. "This time I will not fail."
Elyssa's troubled gaze met mine.
"You used to be a captain of another ship?" I asked.
"That is none of your concern, Minister Slade." Xalara smiled as if to soften her words. "Now, leave us so I may confer with my captain."
I nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Xalara."
"Do not thank me for a suicide mission," she replied. "May the streams carry you swift and safe to the heart of the storm."
I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I muttered a diplomatic, "Uh, thanks."
Elyssa gathered her arcphone and we left the cabin. Shelton, Adam, and Eor practically ran up to us, eyes eager.
"Will I finally see Voltis?" Eor asked. "If I could harvest but one gem from her stormy heart, I would die a happy seraph."
"Voltis, here we come," I said.
And lo, there was much rejoicing that day. Eor pranced and capered like a lunatic in celebration while the rest of us wondered if we should call a medic or an insane asylum.
Eager though I was to get to the bottom of the mystery, I hoped Illaena's captaining skills were up to the task. Knowing that she'd lost a ship before didn't exactly inspire confidence.