by Lili Zander
Two hours later, I knock on my father’s door.
He’s not expecting me. He might not even be at home. With only six thousand inhabitants, Ashara is a small city by Zorahn standards, but it’s a prosperous one. There are multiple taverns in each tower. Eateries offering delicacies from all over the galaxy, with ingredients flown in on Adrashian cloakships. There are theaters and gaming halls and arenas. A thousand forms of distraction.
I could have asked Cax to announce me. I could have asked him if my father had bonded with another. If he had, I don’t think I would blame him. The exile is permanent. Maybe it’s best to forget about the past and move on.
Would he have a youngling? Someone to replace the son he left behind on the Homeworld?
Before I can lift my hand to knock again, the door slides open. My father stands in front of me. His hair is more gray than brown, and his face is wrinkled, but his smile… His smile is exactly as I remember, wide and open. “Son,” he says. “I’ve been hoping to see you.”
“We couldn’t communicate,” he explains over steaming cups of civa. “But I could still keep track of my family. We have access to the ThoughtVaults here. When you worked for the Spymaster, your name didn’t come up very much, of course, but once you joined the Zoraken, I started seeing mentions of you.” He smiles sadly. “And I’ve always been able to track your mother through her work. A techmage helped me access her research.”
“I don’t think she’s ever stopped missing you.” I swallow hard. “I don’t think I ever stopped missing you. So much time lost, and for what?”
“Is that how a loyal Zoraken talks?”
Oh, right. I have to tell him my big news. “I’m Draekon. A few days ago, I saw a woman and transformed into a dragon.”
My revelation is not the bombshell I expect it to be. “Your mother developed blockers for you? She was always a brilliant scientist.” For an instant, his expression is sad. “Did she ever take another bondmate?”
“No.” I hesitate and then ask the question anyway. “Did you?”
He shakes his head. “I was lucky, Hurux,” he says. “Your mother was the love of my life. There’s no one else that could ever come close. I have my memories, and they’re enough.” He smiles at me. “But enough of that. Tell me about your mate and your pair-bond.”
I fill him in on all the news, as much as I’m able. I leave out news of the traitor and the sabotaged shields, but I tell him about Brunox’s secret labs.
Once again, he looks unsurprised. “A lot of the exiles here don’t follow the news from the High Empire,” he says. “They’re angry, and they’re bitter, and they want nothing to do with the Homeworld. But for anyone paying attention, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.” He leans forward and refills my cup of civa. “But as scandalous as that is, Brunox will be annihilated and the High Empire thrown into chaos if the real truth ever came out.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. “The real truth?”
He nods somberly. “Every year, the testing finds a dozen people, give or take, with the Draekon mutation. This year, they found two thousand.”
“The outbreak, yes. The scientists are trying to hush it up, but news of it is everywhere.”
“Why do you think it happened?”
“I don’t know.” I give him a searching look. “But you do.”
“The Crimson Citadel’s dirtiest secret,” he replies. “One that less than a handful people in the High Empire know. Every single Zorahn carries the Draekon mutation in them.”
I sit up. “What?”
He nods. “You look surprised,” he says. “You shouldn’t be. A thousand years ago, the scientists were far more arrogant in their beliefs. The Draekons were the superior species, and so they modified their own genomes to emulate them.”
My head is swimming. “Pretend I’m not a scientist,” I say. “Pretend I’m a dumb soldier.”
He chuckles. “Duly noted. Simply put, they inserted Draekon characteristics into every Zorahn.”
“Why?”
“They built the Draekons with superior strength. Superior speed. They wanted some of it.”
I search for ways to rebut his argument. “But the Draekons mate in trios,” I argue. “And the Zorahn do not.”
“Agreed,” he says. “Like I said, the Draekon gene is dormant in the vast majority of the Zorahn. By exiling those that had an active Draekon mutation, the High Empire was taking steps to eradicate us. After three to four generations of vigilance, almost no one with an active Draekon mutation should have been found in the general population.”
“There’s a but in here somewhere.”
“There is indeed. Someone found a way to activate the gene.”
Shock runs through me. “What are you saying?”
“I’ve never told anyone this. But back in the Homeworld, I researched Draekon genomes in my spare time,” he says. “I kept running into roadblocks, but I was young and stubborn, and I was determined to earn the White Robes. I kept pushing. Eventually, I hacked into Brunox’s ThoughtVault and learned the secret he’d been keeping.” His lips curl into a bitter smile. “They came for me that same night. I guess I should count myself lucky that I’m still alive.” He chuckles. “And I’m lucky Ashara is hidden. Brunox would have never put me here had he known about its existence.”
I’m still stuck on his earlier statement. “They activated you?”
“Yes. And, if we circle back to the two thousand newly discovered Draekons, we can now draw some obvious conclusions.”
My father sounds like a teacher instructing a particularly obtuse student. “A mass activation of the Draekon mutation. A deliberate mass activation.”
“Yes.” He nods approvingly. “Exactly.”
“But why?”
He shrugs. “Ah, that’s a question for you, not me. You’re the spy. You probably can figure out who would gain by doing something like this, and who would lose. All I know is that if the citizens of the High Empire found out what the scientists have concealed from them, there would be rioting in the street. Billions of people would die.”
He’s right.
According to my father, a handful of scientists in the Citadel know.
Not my mother, of that I am sure. My mother loved my father deeply. If she’d found out the truth, she’d have done something about it.
But Raiht’vi is Brunox’s daughter. Lennox’s bondmate-to-be. She would have to know.
They’re never going to let her stay on Trion VI, and they’re never going to let her go free. She knows too much. They will destroy Ashara to get her back, or, if it comes down to it, to kill her.
The High Empire has no other choice.
And now more than ever, we must do the right thing. We must stop them.
21
Cax
As soon as the funeral’s done, I pull Korum aside. “The person that killed Silu thinks they wiped all the evidence,” I tell him grimly.
“That’s because they did wipe all the evidence, Commander Cax,” he says, his voice dull and lifeless. “I spent all of last night searching for something, anything…”
Silu’s soul might have returned to the universe, but mine has not, and I ache to avenge my friend. It’s the least I can do. If the situation was flipped, I know that Silu wouldn’t rest until my killer was caught. “They don’t know that.”
It takes him a few seconds to catch on. His expression brightens. “Ah. A trap.”
“Indeed.” We make a quick plan, and then I head back to Nixmi Tower to put it in motion.
I’m talking to a couple of technicians about their plans for a better fuel source when my communicator crackles to life. “Commander Cax,” Korum says, sounding breathless and excited. “I’ve found something.”
Korum’s a pretty good actor.
“That’s not very helpful,” I comment dryly. “What exactly are you talking about?”
“I’ve found what Lieutenant Commander Silu was searching for.” There’s a
n edge of impatience in his voice. Absolutely brilliant.
“You did? Where are you right now?”
“In the Control Center.”
Of course he’s not there. After what happened to Silu, I’d be damned if I’m going to risk Korum’s life as well. Thankfully, the Adrashian is a technical genius. Anyone listening to him and tracing his signal will think he’s in the Control Center, but he’s not.
He’s also rigged the Control Center’s doors. The moment someone enters the room, the doors will shut behind them, and… trapped.
“I’m just finishing up here in Nixmi Tower,” I tell Korum. “I’ll be there as soon as I’m done.”
I give Silu’s killer thirty minutes, and then make my way to the Control Center. As I walk, I rehearse all the things I’m going to say to Senator Ulle. I relive every painful moment of Silu’s last few minutes. The healers finally arriving when it was too late. Trying their best to resuscitate her and falling short. Failing.
I relive the moment I saw her body on the funeral bier. She’d looked like she was sleeping, like she could wake up at any moment, give me a sarcastic look, and tell me to stop being a fool about Bryce. I should have listened to your advice, Silu. Right from the start.
Ulle will pay. I will throw the full might of the law at her.
My hands are shaking as I walk up to the Control Center. I hold my access band up to the sensor, and the door slides open.
But it’s not Senator Ulle who’s trapped inside.
It’s the other Draekon senator. The one I thought was the more reasonable of the two. The one who always seemed on my side.
Sarfax.
He’s got a weapon, but so do I. He lifts to fire, but I’m faster. My reflexes have been honed by hours of practice and training, and I have rage on my side.
I shoot, aiming for the hand holding the gun. Bright blue blood spurts everywhere and the weapon goes flying out of his grasp. He screams in agony and falls to the floor.
Silu was a warrior. This is who killed her? His very existence dishonors her memory.
“Why?” I stand over him, my weapon aimed at his head. “Why did you turn traitor?”
He bares his teeth in a feral smile. “Go to hell.”
I shoot his other hand, calm and vicious. “As you know, the Control Center is soundproof. Nobody will hear you scream in here. I’ll only repeat my question once. Why did you turn traitor?”
He glares at me, and then his defiance crumbles. “The High Empire wants Raiht’vi,” he says. “You would have never surrendered her to them. I had to act to protect us.”
“You protected us by lowering Ashara’s shields and letting the High Empire’s fighters attack?”
“It was meant to be a distraction,” he breathes, cradling his bleeding arms against his chest. “In the tumult, I was to grab Raiht’vi and leave the city. You weren’t in Ashara. The plan should have worked.”
I gaze down at him. “You stupid fool,” I say without inflection. “Do you think I’d leave my city unprotected? Do you think I’d leave Ashara for an instant if Silu weren’t more than capable of running it?” My voice starts to shake. “She was my hand-picked successor. My second-in-command. In every way, she was better than me. And you murdered her in cold blood.”
He cowers into himself. “Are you going to kill me?”
Caeron, I want to. It takes all the self-restraint I possess not to lay hands on him. All I can see is Silu’s blood seeping out of her body. All I can hear is her labored breathing. The rattle in her chest as she faded away. The crackle of the funeral bier blazing into flame.
Bryce wouldn’t want you to.
My mate is sunshine and light, and if I execute Sarfax, I cross an inviolate line. This act, I cannot return from.
“Sarfax und Komax ab Ashara, you killed Lieutenant Commander Silu. You lowered the protective shields of our city, exposing us to the High Empire. For your crimes, you will be stripped of your title and your office. You will be imprisoned until you face trial.”
His face contorts with hatred. “It’s too late, you fool. You think you can match wits with Ru’vi, Spymaster of the High Empire? She knows you hold Raiht’vi captive. She knows the human women are on their way here. If she doesn’t get what she wants, she has the power to obliterate the entire planet.”
I activate my comm and summon security. This conversation is over. I have nothing more to say to Sarfax.
I’ve only just got back to my office when Senator Ulle storms in. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she says, getting the pleasantries out of the way in one curt sentence. “Silu will be missed.”
She pulls up a chair and sits down. “Commander Cax, I’ve just discovered that the exiles and the humans are on their way to Ashara. On your orders. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“How dare you?” She almost rises out of her chair, her hands clenched into fists. “The fate of the exiles and the humans is a decision for the Senate. You had no right to do this.”
“The Senate.” I laugh in her face. “Do you know who I just arrested for the crime of treason? Do you know who lowered our shields? Who killed Silu?”
Her eyes narrow. “Who?”
“Sarfax. Senator Sarfax, to be precise. Don’t you dare tell me about what the Senate might or might not do.”
She inhales sharply. “No,” she whispers in shock. “Why would he do such a thing?”
“He thinks the High Empire is going to blow the planet up. He decided unilaterally to surrender Raiht’vi to the Zorahn.”
She’s fast regaining her composure. “He’s not the only one to act unilaterally. You shouldn’t have ordered the exiles and the humans here. You don’t have the right.”
“You’re wrong. I have every right to intervene. Felicity Rollins is having a difficult pregnancy. Her youngling could be at risk. In the case of mortal harm, I always have the right to act.” I lean back in my chair. “Additionally, when Ashara is in a state of emergency, as it is now, the Senate has no decision-making authority. By our charter, I am the person in charge.”
“You’re still exceeding your authority,” she says flatly. “That charter was meant for battle-related decisions. This isn’t one of them.”
She’s right. Pirvat, the chief counsel, had warned me that I was on shaky ground. “The Senate isn’t going to be happy with you,” he’d said. “They might bring you up on charges.”
“That’s your opinion,” I tell Ulle now. “And with all due respect, Senator Ulle, I don’t care. Our shields were compromised, and my second-in-command was murdered. The High Empire’s soldiers have landed on the prison planet on Adrashian cloakships that somehow got through the asteroid belt, even though the only people who should know the route are citizens of Ashara. I just discovered that Senator Sarfax was a traitor. The concerns of the Senate are the least important thing on my list.”
Ulle fixes me with a piercing look. “If I bring this to the Tribunal, they will rule against you.”
She’s right. Pirvat warned me this might happen. I’d accepted the risk and acted anyway. “War is on our doorstep, Senator. But if you want to go to the Tribunal, I cannot stop you.”
But then, the situation becomes Ulle’s fault. If she succeeds, she’s a hero. If not, she’s the person responsible for the destruction of Ashara, a city that has stood intact for more than a thousand years.
Is she truly ready to be in charge?
No.
I feel the instant she caves. Ulle’s a canny politician, and it’s a lot easier to criticize me than to do my job. “Fine. I stay away from the Tribunal, and I let you have free rein to do what you need to do. On one condition.”
“Which is?”
She rises to her feet. “The charter of the city was drawn up for a reason, Commander Cax. Checks and balances cannot be swept aside when they’re inconvenient to you. That way lies dictatorship. That way lies the failings of the High Empire. When the immediate threat is over, for the good of Ashara, I w
ant your resignation.”
I stare at her. As much as I dislike Ulle, I have an uneasy feeling she’s right.
I bent the law to bring the exiles and the humans to my city. There will be a reckoning. There will be a price to pay.
“Yes.” I bow my head in agreement. “I will do as you ask.”
As much as that hurts, I can’t let myself get distracted now. I have to stay focused, because Sarfax was right. The moment the High Empire finds out that we have no intention of turning Raiht’vi over to them, there’s absolutely nothing to stop them from blowing us out of the sky.
I desperately need an edge.
22
Bryce
Tonight’s going to be my last night with Cax and Hurux.
Hopefully, it’s just temporary. Hopefully, things return to normal soon.
Except I can’t see how that’s going to happen. The High Empire isn’t going to just go away. They might give up on getting us back, but they’re not going to cave on Raiht’vi.
The future is bewildering and confusing. When I think about what might happen, my head starts to spin, and it’s hard not to sink into despair.
For tonight, I’m going to focus on the present. I’m going to savor the moment. Since I won’t have Cax and Hurux in my bed in the near future, I intend to make tonight count. I’m going to make a ton of memories to jill off to.
Hurux gets back before Cax does, and something’s clearly on his mind. “Did you meet your dad?”
He smiles. “It went great.”
I told you so. I refrain from the urge to say that out loud. “What’s bothering you then?”
“My father told me something unexpected.”
“Want to talk about it?”
He brushes a kiss across my lips. “Tomorrow,” he breathes. “Tonight, I have other things in mind.”
“I like the way you think.”
The two of us grab a drink. Hurux tells me stories about the places he’s traveled to, and I tell him about Earth. Cax gets back when I’m about halfway through my glass of sarinth liquor. “We found the traitor,” he says.