The Queen's Advantage

by Jessie Mihalik

  “Thank you,” Finlay murmured when I rejoined him. “Wade’s working through some stuff. Not a bad kid, but not too bright right now.”

  At the bar, Finlay jerked his head at the two people sitting at the end, and they grumbled but gave up their seats. He let me pick my seat and I chose the one where I could sit with my back to the wall. The bartender poured two glasses of dark beer and set them in front of us.

  I raised my glass. “Cheers.”

  Finlay echoed the toast and took a long drink. I sipped my own beer. After the whisky earlier, I needed to pace myself.

  “So what brings you to Koan?” Finlay asked.

  “Business.”

  “You wouldn’t have anything to do with that little fireworks show earlier, would you?” His tone was decidedly less friendly.

  “No.” I didn’t elaborate, but I didn’t pretend ignorance, either. The local net was wild with speculation about who could’ve been behind the attack.

  “Good.”

  “Does anyone know who’s responsible?” I asked. When he slanted a sharp glance at me, I shrugged. “Gotta make money somewhere, and I’ve got some free time on my hands.”

  “Every hunter in the city is going to be after the Rogue rebels. If they’re smart, they’ve cleared out.”

  Evidently that rumor wasn’t going to die on its own.

  The door opened and Luka stepped inside, followed by a slightly shorter man in a long, deeply hooded coat that obscured his face. The new bouncer didn’t bother to approach them. Luka swept his gaze around the room without stopping on me, but I was positive he knew exactly where I was.

  Luka made his way to the bar, and the other man disappeared into the crowd, his movement oddly familiar. The build was right. I narrowed my eyes. Surely Valentin wouldn’t. Still, I watched Luka while I tried to spot the other man.

  Finlay followed my gaze. “That one’s trouble,” he warned.

  “Looks like my kind of trouble,” I murmured, just to see what he’d say.

  “Only if you like ’em big and dumb.”

  I grinned at him. “You just described the perfect man.”

  Finlay threw his head back and laughed. He clapped me on the shoulder. “You got a name, Lady Mystery?”

  “Dahlia,” I said.

  He lifted his glass. “It’s always my pleasure to meet a beautiful woman.”

  We spent half an hour talking about inconsequential things. I kept an eye out for the hooded stranger and didn’t find him, but I did occasionally see Luka working his way through the crowd, beer in hand. Finlay told me about the bar—he’d owned it for over fifteen years and had come up with the concept of a bar with a completely dark interior during a night of drinking with friends. They’d told him it wouldn’t work and he’d set out to prove them wrong.

  He had. In the time that I’d been here, I’d seen one rando wander in without being able to see, and the bouncer had quickly escorted him out of the building. Everyone else, from the bartender to the patrons, had augmented vision or lenses like mine that let them see in the dark. With mercenary clientele, augments weren’t unusual and the concept was interesting enough to draw a crowd.

  Eventually the conversation worked its way back to me. He looked me over, but his gaze was more professional curiosity than personal interest. “What sort of business are you in?”

  “Hunting. Retrieval. Cleaning. I do whatever needs to be done.”

  “So you were serious earlier? You’re going to hunt the rebels.”

  “Yes.” I leaned closer and he bent my way. In a low voice, I said, “But I don’t think it’s rebels at all. At least not Rogue rebels.”

  His gaze sharpened, as if he were trying to see under my hat. “What makes you think that?” he asked quietly.

  “Intuition.”

  “Bah,” he scoffed with a wave. “You haven’t been alive long enough to develop intuition. Come back when you’re my age.”

  I smiled into my second beer. Finlay glanced at me again and a frown creased his forehead when I remained silent.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me I’m wrong?” he finally asked.

  “Would it do any good?”

  He chuckled quietly. “Maybe you have intuition after all. Who do you think is behind the attack?”

  “I’ll tell you, but only if we’re working together. I’ll do an eighty-twenty split of any bounty the attackers bring in if your information leads me to them.”

  “Sixty-forty.”

  “You really do think I was born yesterday.”

  “How do I know you won’t just take the money and disappear?”

  I stared at him for a long moment, weighing my options. I hadn’t seen Luka in a while, and I didn’t see him now. I’d rather he not get confirmation of my past, though if he dug deep enough, he’d find the connections anyway.

  Finally, I pulled a black, square card from one of my inside coat pockets. A rosette of an eight-pointed dahlia was embossed on the front in glittering gold. On the back was the address of a secure digital dropbox.

  Finlay’s eyes widened and he snatched the card from my hand before surreptitiously looking around to see if anyone was paying attention. “What are you doing?” he hissed. “Everyone knows the Golden Dahlia retired years ago. If she catches you impersonating her, she’ll do more than kill you.”

  “Semi-retired,” I said. When he still looked skeptical, I said, “Check the address. It hasn’t changed. Send me a message.”

  His expression went distant as he accessed the net.

  I opened the dropbox. Because the address hadn’t changed, I still got messages, I just ignored most of them.

  When the message came through, I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to pay you ten thousand credits to let me know where the imposter is, but nice try.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.” He said it quietly, drawing out the syllables. “Why are you here?”

  “Business, as I said. Business that you can help me with.”

  “I didn’t expect you to be so tiny,” he said. “Did you really—”

  I cut him off. “No one ever does, and yes, probably. Now, do we have an agreement?”

  He shook himself. “Fine. Seventy-thirty, but that’s as low as I’ll go.”

  “Deal.” It was the standard split I’d been aiming for from the beginning. I held out my hand and we shook on it.

  There was a new wariness to him now. Finlay hadn’t become a successful businessman by being stupid, and my reputation proceeded me. It’d been blown a bit out of proportion, as all rumors were, but there was enough truth in it that he was right to be cautious.

  “Who do you think it is?” he asked.

  I kept my voice low. The background music and ambient conversation would mask us from all but the most sensitive hearing augments. “I have reason to believe it’s Quint, either military or mercenary. Have you heard anything about a new crew in town?”

  “New crews turn up constantly in Koan,” he said. “Though not too many from the Confederacy. I haven’t heard anything specific, but I’ll put out some feelers, see what my people can find. Should I use this address?” He patted the pocket where he’d put my card.

  “Yes. I believe they’re being led by an older man with reddish-brown hair, graying at the temples. He may or may not be going by Adams. And have your people be careful. I don’t think this crew much cares about collateral damage.”

  “My people know how to stay invisible.”

  That’s what I was counting on and why I’d wanted to visit the bars in the first place. His network would be far better than one woman futilely scouring the city. Of course, that information highway worked both ways. In the unlikely event that someone was looking for the Golden Dahlia in Koan, I’d just given Finlay the perfect setup.

  I drained the last of my beer. “Thanks for the drink. Keep me posted on what you find.”

  He shook his head in wonder. “Never thought I’d see the day that you darkened my door, but I’m g
lad you did. I’ll send the word tonight for my people to keep their eyes open. It was a pleasure, Lady Mystery.”

  I exited the bar and made my way back to our rendezvous point. I took a circuitous route to ensure I wasn’t being followed, then added another two blocks when I thought I caught sight of the edge of a long coat. When I looped back, the alley was empty. Twenty minutes later, Luka approached from the opposite direction.

  “Is Valentin out tonight?” I asked.

  Luka frowned and glanced around, looking for his wayward charge. “He’s not supposed to be. Why?”

  “I saw someone who seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Learn anything?”

  “Everyone is talking about the attack. The Rogue rebel rumor is spreading here, too. You and Finlay looked cozy.”

  “He’s going to ask around, see if he hears anything about a crew that doesn’t belong.”

  “Out of the goodness of his heart?” Luka managed to convey his skepticism without altering his tone.

  I laughed quietly. “No, because I promised him thirty percent of the bounty. I hope Valentin doesn’t mind paying up.”

  We went to BlackHeart next. The crowd was rougher, noisier, and looking for trouble. Luka got in a brawl with two young men too stupid to recognize the threat he presented. He laid them out with a single punch each, but then he was quickly tossed out.

  I wasn’t much more successful. While I didn’t exactly get in a fistfight, I planted a fair number of elbows in kidneys and other soft tissues. No one I talked to had enough connections to find the team we were searching for. And while everyone was talking about the attack, no one seemed to have any information other than what the news outlets were reporting.

  Jack’s was moderately better. Luka didn’t get thrown out, and he contacted some people who promised to keep an eye out for a cut of the bounty. I talked to Jack, the owner, briefly, but he was more interested in getting in my pants than earning credits. His attention didn’t stray above my chest long enough for me to determine if he had an information network or not, so that was a failure.

  All of my hopes rested on Finlay because I didn’t know how good Luka’s contacts actually were.

  I’d kept an eye out, but I hadn’t spotted the man in the coat again.

  The sky was starting to lighten by the time we returned to the palace. We entered through a smaller side tunnel that seemed suspiciously like a secret passageway, albeit one with five locked doors along its length. “Why not use the tunnel we used before?” I asked.

  “Palace staff are arriving for the day.”

  “Ah.” It would definitely look bad for a foreign queen to be caught sneaking in with Valentin’s closest guard. I needed to sleep before I had lunch with Margie or she’d wrangle every secret from my exhausted brain.

  Luka escorted me to the door of my suite. “Do you want me to check your rooms?” he asked.

  “No, thank you. And thank you for going with me tonight.”

  He nodded silently and turned for Valentin’s suite. So much for our bonding time.

  I let myself into the suite. Imogen stood from the sofa and looked me over.

  “Any injuries?”

  “No. But you missed Luka in action. Two dumbasses decided he was a good target.”

  “Is he hurt?” She sounded concerned.

  “He might’ve bruised his knuckles on their faces. Otherwise, no.”

  She grinned. “Was it beautiful? I sparred with him in the gym. He moves like liquid.”

  “It was beautiful,” I agreed before changing the subject. “We’re having lunch with the dowager empress today. Before that, I’d like to go talk to Myra Shah and get her insight on the advisors. I’m going to grab a couple of hours of sleep. Please be ready to leave by ten. You’re on your own for breakfast.”

  “I’ll survive, somehow,” she said, her voice desert dry. “I’m glad you’re back in one piece. Sleep well.”

  “Thank you.”

  I was stripping out of my gear when Valentin linked to me. Luka just got back. Are you okay?

  Valentin was in his suite, as expected, not out on the streets of Koan, unprotected. Relief burned through me, and I realized I’d been worried for him.

  Yes, just tired, I replied. We didn’t get anything definite, but we have a couple of leads. Now I’m going to crash for a few hours. Then I’m planning to go see Myra Shah before lunch with your mom. Come find me after lunch?

  Of course. Sleep well. I’m glad you’re safe.

  Warmth bloomed in a gentle wave. The knife-sharp pain and rage I felt every time I thought about Invictia eased, just a bit. When I’d lost my ship, I’d lost a piece of me, but I was still alive to fight, and I had friends who cared. Valentin cared. And while I loved our explosive chemistry, I craved that caring just as much. I longed for someone to stand by my side, to know all of me and love me anyway. Deep in my secret heart, I hoped it would be Valentin.

  My fury and sorrow were still there, but now they were tempered with patience and care and hope. I would weather this storm as I had all that came before.

  And then I would rain hell on whoever was responsible.

  Chapter Twelve

  I’d gotten three and a half hours of sleep. It wasn’t enough, and now I stared stupidly at my wardrobe, unable to decide what to wear. I wanted to go see Invictia before I ambushed Myra in her office, then I had a lunch scheduled with the dowager empress. I wouldn’t have time to change.

  Margie had been nice enough last night, but she was also effortlessly elegant in a way I could never hope to match. So should I attempt a poor copy of it by wearing one of my day dresses, as Stella had called them, or just go for comfort with slacks and a blouse?

  I’d asked Valentin for advice. His completely useless response had been “be yourself,” as if I had lunch with empresses every day. To make matters worse, I didn’t know if I was walking into a friendly chat or a polite interrogation.

  I couldn’t very well poke around Invictia’s wreckage in a dress, so that narrowed my choices. Done with indecisiveness, I pulled out a pair of slim charcoal slacks and a deep teal, tunic-length blouse. It limited my weapon options, but taking weapons to lunch with the former empress was probably a faux pas anyway. I put on my ankle boots and checked myself in the mirror. I looked good enough.

  I met Imogen in the living room. She had opted for black slacks and a white shirt. A black jacket was draped over the back of the sofa, which would cover her shoulder holster. She was going for a very professional look today.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “As ready as I’m going to be.”

  “Are you worried about Myra or the empress?”

  “Why not both?” I asked with a smile.

  She grinned. “You’ll do fine. They both seemed to like you.”

  I hoped that held true this morning.

  “Are you armed?” Imogen asked.

  “I have a short knife tucked in my pocket, but I don’t have any guns. Think I should change that?”

  “I have two. If it comes down to it, you can have one of them,” Imogen said. “Both ladies might take it better if you didn’t show up armed.”

  “Did you think we’d be fighting off an army today or are you always this prepared?”

  Imogen smirked. “With you, one never knows.”

  I laughed at the well-deserved hit. “I’m glad that the biggest drama in Arx right now is who is going to win the cooking competition.”

  “Heard about that, did you?” Imogen chuckled. “I’ve got ten credits on Zita. Like taking candy from babies.”

  We shared a grin.

  I linked Valentin as we left the suite. He accepted and immediately asked, Is everything okay? It was like he thought I got into trouble on a regular basis or something.

  Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know that I’m heading out to the spaceport, then I’m going to go talk to Myra. She’s not expecting me, but I want to get her opinion on a few of the advisors. After that, I
have lunch with your mom.

  Do you want me to go with you to visit your ship?

  I did, desperately, but the spaceport was public and I needed to keep it together. I couldn’t let the attackers see just how big of a wound they’d left. And going alone sent its own message, one that could be easily misinterpreted as Valentin withdrawing his support.

  Thank you, the offer means a lot to me, but I need to go alone.

  You’re taking Imogen?

  I am, and she’s already informed me that she has two guns.

  Good. I’m also sending a security team to keep an eye on things. Also, there was a hit on the image recognition algorithm. A woman that looks eerily similar to the sketch of Werner’s contact works for the domestic affairs department as a junior analyst.

  Isn’t that Asmo’s department?

  It is.

  Well, wasn’t that interesting. Are you bringing her in?

  Not yet, he said. The query isn’t finished, so I don’t want to tip our hand too early in case there are more matches.

  I understood his caution, but I itched to act now. Keep me posted.

  Will do. I’m in my private office today. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll see you after lunch.

  I thanked him and cut the connection. I was very tempted to head to his suite, just to see him as I passed by, but it sounded like he was working. Maybe I would see if I could steal him away for the afternoon once I was done with my obligations.

  Or maybe he would like to go with me to pick up a junior analyst who wanted me gone.

  We took the elevator down to the ground floor, went through two sets of locked doors, and finally came out in the palace’s main atrium. It was open all the way to the distant glass roof and decorated in ornate carved stone and gilded plaster. This was the main entrance to the palace, designed to flaunt the wealth and power of the Kos Empire—and it did.

  A dozen people stood looking around in awe, part of a tour group, and a dozen more hurried toward the various hallways leading off the main chamber. A man and a woman in Imperial Guard uniforms casually patrolled the space.