The Queen's Advantage

by Jessie Mihalik

  “Adams will blow the building as soon as he’s clear. We’ll have a very narrow window of opportunity,” I said. “You need to get your soldiers out to provide cover.”

  Gunfire echoed through the speakers and a soldier screamed. “There are two guarding the upper level. One of them shot Marlow. I need backup.”

  More gunfire and cursing followed.

  “They’re on the move!” another voice shouted.

  A peek around the corner showed me two disappearing red blobs and no sign of Adams. Fuck.

  “Everybody out now!” Natalie ordered.

  I hesitated for a heartbeat, then dashed after Adams. Imogen swore and followed. Two soldiers were waiting for us around the first corner. I hit the first and Imogen hit the second. One of them got a shot off, but it went wide. The delay cost us precious seconds, though, and I could no longer see the other soldiers we were chasing.

  The next soldier’s green outline was the only thing that saved them from getting a stun round in the face. “Which way?” I demanded. “And where’s your partner?”

  They didn’t respond, but the muzzle of their combat rifle snapped up. Time slowed. I had nonlethal rounds and that made the decision easy. I fired a split second before they did, except they were using lethal rounds. Imogen, already in motion, took the plasma pulse in her shoulder. She crashed into the wall. The other soldier dropped, stunned.

  “Pierced my armor and got my shoulder,” Imogen gritted out. I scooped her up into a fireman’s carry and after a second’s hesitation, grabbed one of the still twitching legs of the soldier who’d shot at me. Twenty credits said I’d just found Lee, but I’d drag her sorry ass out anyway, if only to figure out if she was working for Adams from the start or if the offered money had won her over.

  “Imogen is down, and one of ours attacked us,” I said over the radio. “I’ve got both, but someone needs to get on Adams now!”

  Footsteps pounded around the corner behind me. I turned, too slow. Natalie dashed up to us, her invisible form outlined in green and gold. “Lee!” she shouted. “Where the fuck is Daniels? His transponder is off.” She shook Lee’s unresponsive form, then stood. “Out now! I’ve got her.”

  The door was in sight when Adams proved that—in this case, at least—he was a man of his word. He detonated the explosives. The explosion flashed bright and tossed me to the ground. The armor protected me from the worst of it, but my head rang and afterimage stars blinded me.

  Fire, smoke, and debris obscured everything. The thermal imaging built into the visor turned my vision red. The door had been in front of me, but now I was sideways on the ground. Disorientation threatened to send me deeper into the brightly burning building.

  “Samara, are you okay?” Imogen asked. I was half on top of her and hadn’t moved.

  “I’m alive,” I said. “You?”

  “Same.”

  Hands pulled me to my feet and helped me pick up Imogen. “The door is straight ahead, five meters,” Natalie said. “Adams didn’t have enough explosives to bring the building down all at once, but it’s weakened and the fire will finish the job. Move, now. And watch your back. I have to help Guerra.”

  I eased out of the door, gun first, but I needn’t have bothered with caution. Adams was long gone.

  Natalie had lost two soldiers in the explosion. Daniels had been found outside the building with a plasma wound, a dead Quint soldier, and supposedly no memory of how either had happened. I’d thought he and Lee had been working with Adams, but the holes in his story made me believe he was actually working for Nikolas—or for someone who wanted Nikolas on the throne.

  Lee had sworn that her armor had malfunctioned. She’d thought we were enemy soldiers and that had been the only reason she’d shot at us. Of course, she’d heard my voice before she’d pulled the trigger, and neither Natalie nor Myra was born yesterday. Both Lee and Daniels were in the brig, awaiting a tribunal hearing.

  I’d questioned them yesterday afternoon, after the attack, but neither had admitted to anything. This morning, Myra reported that Daniels had agreed to talk, but only to Valentin. She had refused to let me change his mind.

  Imogen had spent a few hours in a hospital med chamber. Both Nikolas and Adams had disappeared, and no one knew if Adams still had Nikolas as a hostage. As far as missions went, it was something of a clusterfuck.

  Valentin had tried to keep my involvement quiet, but that had lasted for all of two seconds. Now Kos citizens thought I was a bad queen, a traitor, and incompetent.

  I’d suffered a major setback, but it wasn’t a total loss. We’d captured two of the Quint soldiers. Myra wouldn’t let me question them until Valentin was out of medical, which wouldn’t be until tomorrow at the earliest.

  But he wasn’t sitting idle, even trapped in a med chamber. Yesterday, while we’d been attacking Adams, he’d had Myra question the young domestic affairs analyst who had paid Werner to disrupt my welcome dinner. Her picture was the only one that had matched the sketch.

  Apparently she was so freaked out that she confessed as soon as Myra questioned her. Hannah had ordered her to find someone to cause a scene, not Asmo. It didn’t make Hannah a traitor, not exactly, but it was another data point we could use.

  And data was something I had plenty of, thanks to my information specialists. Last night, they’d come back with some financial irregularities for Lewis, Hannah, and Asmo, so I’d sent them digging deeper. Much to my annoyance, it seemed like Oskar was clean. But Myra was clean, too, so my gut instinct hadn’t been entirely wrong.

  Imogen had once again declined my offer to send her home, both last night and this morning. She trailed behind me as we made our way to Valentin’s office, currently staffed only by his assistant, Lewis. His assistant who was taking money from Hannah Perkins.

  I had the financial link, but now I needed to know the extent of the deal.

  Myra met us outside the door. She had slipped out of medical yesterday afternoon, leaving Luka to watch over Valentin. I hadn’t told her why I needed her presence, but based on her scowl, she’d guessed anyway. She gestured to the door. “Do you want me to come in with you?”

  “No, I think he’ll talk more if it’s just me.” He was also more likely to attack, but both Imogen and I were armed with electroshock pistols in addition to our plasma pistols. All of our weapons were concealed beneath our clothing. “Imogen has a camera, in case the surveillance goes down again.”

  “I’m linked in to the surveillance system, so yell if you need me. I’ve also activated neural link blocking in the whole office. He won’t be able to link out, but neither will you.”

  I nodded and swept into the room. Lewis looked up from his desk. Surprise crossed his face before he smiled. “Queen Rani, it’s good to see you again. How may I help you?”

  He didn’t look like a traitor. He appeared earnest and helpful, and his wholesome appearance made him seem trustworthy. He had worked for Valentin for years, and his betrayal was going to cut deep.

  I fought to keep my expression pleasant as I dropped into the plush chair in front of his desk. “I’m hoping you can help me with some information. Hannah has spoken highly of you.”

  He froze, and his smile faded. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said stiffly.

  “I don’t have time to play coy. She told me about your arrangement and I want in.” Lewis looked like he was going to protest again. I couldn’t give him time to think. “I’m willing to pay double what Hannah’s paying you, but only if I’m the sole recipient.”

  He looked stunned, then leaned forward and hissed, “You want me to turn on an imperial advisor. That’s suicide. She’ll expose me.”

  “She can’t very well expose you without exposing herself, can she? I’m assuming you kept records?”

  “What will you do with the information?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Does it matter? It won’t be traceable back to you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  He thought abou
t it for a second, and then his expression turned greedy. “I’ll do it for triple.”

  “Valentin’s schedule isn’t worth that much to me.” I waved a negligent hand. “I’m sure I can get it from someone else for less.”

  “You can’t,” he boasted. “His guard is fanatically loyal. And perhaps Hannah didn’t tell you, but if you need the emperor to appear somewhere at a certain time, I can make it happen—for an additional fee, of course.”

  Fury pierced through my calm. This man was the reason Commander Adams had been able to capture Valentin in the first place, all those weeks ago. And Lewis hadn’t stopped when he saw the result of his actions. He was the worst kind of traitor.

  “He trusted you, you know,” I said. “Why didn’t you just ask him for help?”

  Lewis blinked at the sudden switch, but then his face contorted in anger. “You conniving bitch.”

  “I don’t think you’re in any position to throw stones.”

  He lunged for something under his desk. I stood and drew my pistol in one smooth motion. Lewis didn’t have time to do more than open his mouth before I shot him point-blank. He slumped in his chair, stunned.

  I circled the desk and pressed an injector of sedative to his neck. Myra could stash him in a cell that prevented linking, but we couldn’t risk him warning Hannah during the trip.

  “He considered you a friend and you betrayed him.” I leaned in close. “You are lucky that we might still need you, or I would not have used stun rounds. Try anything else, and a cell won’t protect you. If you are very, very helpful, then I might look the other way when they release you in a decade or two. If not, I am a patient person, and I hold grudges forever.”

  The sedative took almost a minute to kick in, so he was able to hear every word while the stun round kept him paralyzed. I hoped it made a lasting impression.

  Myra entered the office and stalked toward us. “Tell me it was highly satisfying to shoot him.”

  “It was,” I agreed. “You have about twenty minutes to get him into an isolation cell before the sedative starts to wear off. Did the surveillance video catch everything he said?”

  “Yes. I’ll get him to the cell. I just hope I don’t drop him down the stairs by accident. Where are you going?”

  “As long as he lives, do what you will. I’m going to chat with Valentin’s mother.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Unlike the last time I’d planned to visit Dowager Empress Marguerite Kos, this time I wore my usual clothes—black utility pants and a snug knit shirt. I had a knife tucked in my boot, but I’d left my pistols in my suite. Imogen looked as polished as usual, but I knew she was carrying at least four concealed weapons. She’d become paranoid, and I didn’t blame her.

  I rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Margie swung the door open. She had on a pair of soft, flowing black slacks and a gauzy orange shirt. She looked perfectly put together.

  I’d asked her for a meeting without specifying why, and if she knew why I was here, she didn’t show it. She smiled in greeting and didn’t bat an eye at my unusual clothing choice. “Perfect timing, the food just arrived. I ordered brunch because I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten yet.”

  I tried to bow to her, but she gathered me into a hug. It was so unexpected that I went rigid in surprise, then awkwardly patted her back. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

  “Of course!” She waved me in, then said, “Hello, Imogen. Welcome.”

  I didn’t know where she’d learned my bodyguard’s name, but Imogen’s smile made it clear that it was a happy surprise.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Please, call me Margie. Everyone does. Well, everyone I like.” She winked at us. “Come in, come in. Rina, my guard, is waiting in the breakfast nook. I thought we’d be casual today, if that’s okay with you.”

  “That suits me perfectly,” I said.

  Margie led us through a suite was that similar to mine, only on a much larger scale. The breakfast nook, despite its name, was a room as large as the dining room in my suite. It seemed to be designed for a long table that could seat eight or ten, but instead, a small circular table that seated four was at the far end, near the wall of glass leading to the balcony.

  Place settings for two were laid out. Out near the balcony railing was another table with two more place settings. A beautiful woman with porcelain pale skin and strawberry blond hair sat at the table. She had a plasma pistol in a shoulder holster, so this must be Rina.

  “I’d hoped we could talk in private,” Margie said. “Imogen and Rina can eat on the balcony, where they can see but not hear. But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. We can bring them in if you prefer.”

  I, too, preferred to have this conversation in private, so this setup was ideal. I turned to Imogen. “Do you have any objections to being on the balcony?”

  “May I check it first?”

  When Margie nodded, Imogen stepped through the door. Rina stood and shook her hand. I couldn’t even hear murmurs of their conversation, but then, I didn’t have hearing augments. I wondered how effective the thick thermoplastic was at blocking sound for those with augments.

  Imogen looked around, then came back in. “I don’t have any objections. Thank you for ordering food for me.”

  Margie smiled. “I wasn’t sure what either of you liked, so I ordered a variety of things. I hope you’ll find something you enjoy.”

  “Thank you.” Imogen bowed and retreated to the balcony.

  Margie waved a hand at a delicate silver trolley laden with covered dishes. “I ordered family style. Grab your plate and help yourself.” She demonstrated by doing exactly that.

  I picked a fluffy omelet, some perfectly crisp potatoes, and a vibrant fruit salad. After a moment’s debate, I added a layered pastry filled with chocolate. I bet Eddie and Zita would love to talk shop with the palace chefs.

  I returned to the table, sat down, and tried to figure out how to broach a delicate subject without causing offense. Margie sat down across from me and gave me a shrewd look. “You have questions for me. I have questions for you. We can dance around each other with polite conversation, or we can cut the nonsense and get to the heart of the matter. Which do you prefer?”

  I stared at her for a long second, trying to see exactly how honest she was being. Hopefully, she meant what she said. I asked the second most important question I had. “Which of your sons do you support as emperor?”

  She sucked in a breath, then huffed out a rueful sound. “You don’t pull your punches, do you?”

  Considering I’d wanted to ask her about Nikolas’s father and why she’d cheated on her husband, I thought I was being at least a little tactful. I hoped we’d get to that answer without me having to be so crass as to ask outright.

  “The short answer is that I fully support Valentin. The long answer is very long indeed. Do you have designs on my son?”

  I smiled to see she gave as good as she got. “I like Valentin and enjoy spending time with him, but he comes from generations of royalty while I’m a queen in name only, and barely that. It would never work.” That came out far more bitter than I had intended, so I continued, “I promised him four weeks of my time to try to figure out which of his advisors want him dead. I’m paying that debt.”

  Something flashed across her face, too fast to catch, but she didn’t interrupt. I ate slowly and mulled my next question. “Do you know where Nikolas has been hiding?”

  Stark pain twisted her expression before she smoothed it away. “No.” She sighed. “He is furious with me. I’ve tried to contact him every week since he stormed out, but he’s ignored all of my messages. I’m afraid he is making bad choices. How much has Valentin told you?”

  “He hasn’t told me much. I know that everyone thought Nikolas would be the next emperor until Victor Kos died and left new instructions. Valentin told me the change was made because Nikolas wasn’t Victor’s son.” I said it as gently as possible, but she still flinched
. “It seems no one was particularly happy with the switch, and now people want Valentin dead.”

  “He trusts you far more than you think if he told you that much,” she said quietly. She gazed at me for an eternal minute before seemingly coming to a decision. “I will tell you the whole story, but you must swear to never repeat it, not even to Valentin.”

  “You will have to explain why I can’t tell Valentin before I’ll agree to that promise.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “That is fair. Valentin fiercely protects those he loves, even if doing so is to his detriment. I did not realize the threat against him was so dire until the attacks this week—he never told me, never even hinted at it. If you hadn’t confirmed that you were here to find out who wanted him dead, I might’ve even written the attack off as Rogue rebels, as rumors indicate.”

  “You didn’t know Valentin was being threatened?” I asked skeptically.

  “Oh, I knew the Confederacy wanted him dead and had captured him, and I knew a few families next in line for succession would be happy if he died, but I didn’t know we had active traitors in house. I’ve talked to him several times in the last few days and he hasn’t mentioned it at all. When I asked who he thought was behind the attack, he blamed Quint and deftly changed the subject.”

  I blurted out my first thought. “He’s going to kill me for telling you.”

  Margie chuckled, but she had steel in her tone when she said, “Not if I kill him first for keeping me in the dark, like I’m some useless old woman.”

  “I’m sure that’s not why—”

  She slashed a hand through the air. “My point stands. If you tell Valentin what I’m about to tell you, he will try to fix it, and he’s already in a precarious position. So I’ll have your promise.”

  “I promise I will not repeat it unless absolutely necessary to save your life or Valentin’s.”

  “Or Nikolas’s,” she amended.

  I had no love lost for Valentin’s half-brother, but I nodded my acceptance anyway.

  “Do you know how you can tell when someone is going to keep their word?” she asked. When I shrugged, she said, “They don’t instantly agree to nonspecific, open-ended promises.”