The Queen's Advantage

by Jessie Mihalik

“My gut says he escaped. Even if they were working together at some point, I don’t think Adams would’ve voluntarily let him go. Maybe Nikolas didn’t know who Adams was, other than someone he was told would help ‘reclaim’ his throne, but Adams definitely knew who Nikolas was.”

  “Do you think they were working together?”

  “Nikolas didn’t have a break in his purchase history except for the morning after the attack on you, so he wasn’t a captive for long, if at all. I think Adams used him until he wasn’t useful anymore, then planned to keep him as a bargaining chip. We thwarted that plan when we attacked.”

  Valentin nodded. “I agree. I read Sakimoto’s mission report. We need to speak to Daniels, but I think he helped Nikolas escape. It would’ve saved us all a lot of trouble if he had shot Adams instead of one of his flunkies, but I’m betting he hoped Lee would bag you and they could claim the promised reward. Trying to play both sides.”

  “Will Nikolas come after you on his own? Does he truly want you dead?”

  Valentin slumped back in his chair and stared at the sky. “I found a snippet of video of the team who infiltrated the family wing. Nikolas was not with them. But if he was tortured, he could’ve given them codes that would’ve set off alarms. I think he would like me gone, but doesn’t want to pull the trigger himself.”

  I squeezed his arm. What a terrible truth to learn about the older brother you’d looked up to for so many years. “What will you do now?”

  He straightened in his seat. “I don’t know. Despite Adams’s attempts, we’re both still alive, and we’re about to cut off his money. Since it doesn’t seem like Quint is supporting him directly, losing Hannah’s financing will be a blow, and he’ll be foaming at the mouth for revenge. If I could leak enough information to lead him into a trap, we could end him for good.”

  I considered the angles. “It’s risky. Far better to figure out how Hannah was communicating with him and then use it yourself after shuffling her and Asmo off to an uncomfortable prison cell on a dark, cold planet.”

  “If only it were so easy,” Valentin said with a sigh. “They’ve built up a lot of support, as evidenced by how fast the rumors of my death spread. They might be the only two actively betraying me right now, but they aren’t the only two who would prefer Nikolas. It will have to be handled very carefully and the case must be airtight.”

  “I’m assuming you’re already working on it with the information I sent you earlier?”

  “I am,” he agreed with a cunning smile. “I will take down Asmo first, as he actually made payments for the kill contracts. I know you only agreed to help me find the traitors and that debt is paid, but would you be willing to help me with Asmo anyway?”

  “Well, I had initially planned to stay at least two weeks and Arx has survived without me so far, so I suppose I could find some time in my busy schedule to take down an asshole. And pick out my new ship, of course.” I grinned. I didn’t really expect him to replace Invictia, but I enjoyed teasing him.

  His smile was like dawn breaking after a stormy night. “I already have some ship designs you might like, but the choice is yours. And thank you. Stay as long as you like.”

  “Tell me your plan.”

  He did, and it proved he knew exactly how to play the game.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Before we could deal with Hannah and Asmo, we had to deal with Lee, Daniels, and the two Quint soldiers. Valentin and I met Myra at the brig on the second level below the palace. It looked like someone had taken an old-fashioned stone dungeon and updated the cells with thermoplastic walls rather than bars.

  “You didn’t tell me you had a dungeon,” I murmured.

  Valentin laughed. “Truthfully, I’d forgotten what it looked like, but I used to play down here. You can see why.”

  Myra led us to a small interrogation room. Daniels was already seated inside, handcuffed to the chair. He looked young and nervous. His eyes flicked up to Valentin’s face, then immediately dropped back to the table.

  “I know where Nikolas is,” he said quietly. “Let me go and I’ll tell you.”

  “He’s in a penthouse mid-city,” Valentin said dismissively. Daniels looked up in shocked surprise. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Daniels swallowed. “Lee was working with Hannah Perkins. She thinks Nikolas is the true heir. I don’t care one way or another, but I needed the money. I helped him escape Commander Adams. Please don’t kill me.”

  “Tell us everything you know.”

  It wasn’t much. Lee clearly hadn’t trusted Daniels with important information. He only knew about Hannah because Lee had slipped up a few times and Daniels was observant, if nothing else.

  Myra led him away, still pleading for his life.

  Valentin sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Lee still refuses to talk, but Daniels’s confession will be enough to prosecute her. They’ll both be convicted of treason.”

  Myra returned before I could respond. “It’s better if we question the Quints in their cells,” she said. “Less risk of an incident.” She didn’t exactly look at me, but I knew precisely what she meant. These bastards had attacked us, blown up my ship, and nearly killed Valentin. They deserved what was coming to them.

  The two Quint soldiers were separated, one at each end of the long hall. The first one sneered when he saw me. “How does it feel to be without a ship, bitch?”

  Cold, hard fury made my voice sharp as glass. “Open the cell door.”

  “Absolutely not,” Myra said.

  “Can’t touch me now,” the red-haired man taunted. “I’m a political prisoner. I know my rights.”

  “Funny, there’s no record of you in the system,” Valentin said. “The sergeant major’s report only mentioned the bodies we recovered. Yours was among them. We cremated the remains as per international treaty.”

  A flicker of doubt crossed the man’s face. “You can’t do that.”

  “I can and I did. Talk fast or I’m going to let Queen Rani in there with you.”

  Anticipation carved my smile into a thing of terrifying beauty. Rationally, I hoped he gave us the information we needed. But personally, I hoped he held out and needed to be persuaded.

  The man’s ruddy skin paled until his freckles stood out. He backed away from the thermoplastic. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t attack your ship. You already killed one of the poor bastards who did. And you have Martin, right? Take your anger out on him.”

  Myra didn’t let me into either soldier’s cell, despite the fact that Martin as much as confessed to blowing up my ship. They were political prisoners, and returning them to Quint for prosecution would be a token of goodwill between Kos and Quint.

  I knew it, but I didn’t like it. At least one of the bastards responsible was already dead. And Valentin assured me that he would press the Quint Chairwoman for treason verdicts and capital punishment.

  Valentin dismissed Myra with orders to let him know if anything changed. She eyed him, but didn’t comment. Once she was out of sight, he led me back toward Martin’s cell. “You have thirty seconds. Don’t break him.”

  He stopped out of sight of the cell and handed me the key to the door. He had just delivered a present better than all my holidays combined. He understood my need for vengeance, but trusted that I wouldn’t take it too far.

  He understood me.

  I brushed my lips across his. “Thank you.”

  I hadn’t expected Valentin’s grand plan to require me to put on a gown, go to dinner, and make nice with the people who wanted him dead, but after we returned from the dungeon, I’d done exactly that. The gown was a gorgeous strapless scarlet affair that I adored. And it had certainly eased some of my worries when Valentin had been rendered mute at the sight of it.

  But now, in the glitter of the ballroom, surrounded by fake smiles and suspicious glances, I just wanted tonight to be over with. Successfully.

  Valentin and Margie were both in attendance, as were all of the advisors and Va
lentin’s court. Valentin had escorted me around until a few minutes ago, when he’d quietly excused himself to go talk to a man old enough to be his grandfather.

  Left alone with Imogen, I quietly drifted, playing shiny red bait.

  It did not take Asmo long to find me.

  He had on a light gray suit, and his expression was predatory. “Is it true that you nearly got Valentin’s heir killed?” he asked without preamble.

  “I was trying to rescue the idiot. He nearly got himself killed.” Unlike Lewis, Asmo was a consummate politician. He was unlikely to reveal anything, no matter how I baited him. So I was going for a far more straightforward approach. Both Imogen and I wore hidden cameras. Mine was concealed in the heavy onyx necklace draped across my collarbones.

  His mouth curled into a sly grin. “That’s not what I heard.”

  I took his arm, despite the fact that his touch made my skin crawl. “Speaking of rumors, I heard an interesting one.”

  “Oh? Do tell.”

  I led him to the edge of the room, to an empty little alcove. Imogen stood behind us, both blocking us from view and blocking Asmo’s escape route. She had been less than enthused with this plan, but she was playing her part. When I turned to Asmo, he leaned in with a knowing leer, then frowned when I stepped back.

  Hoping to keep him off balance, I tilted my head to the side and said, “I heard a rumor that a certain shipbuilding company paid for three kill contracts on Emperor Kos.”

  If I hadn’t caught the split-second of shock in his eyes, I would have thought he hadn’t heard me. His expression gave almost nothing away. “You heard lies.”

  “One would hope, but no. I have proof. What I do with that proof remains to be seen.”

  “Good luck proving a lie.” He turned to leave, but Imogen’s plasma pistol changed his mind.

  “Shout for the guards and your downfall will be a lot more public, because they’ve already been informed to arrest you at the slightest provocation. Imogen, too, wouldn’t mind shooting you, so keep your hands visible.”

  He turned back to me with a furious expression. “What is the meaning of this?”

  “I’m giving you a chance to bargain for your life. Privately.”

  “I’m supposed to believe that you would let me go?”

  My smile was not kind. “No. You’ve made your bed. But if you can convince me that you acted alone, I won’t go after your sister and your family. And don’t bother contacting them, they’re already in protective custody.”

  He flinched as the shot landed true. I wasn’t sure that he had an altruistic bone in his body, but he did seem to care about his sister. His mouth twisted into a snarl. “You’re working with Valentin.”

  “Yes.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Everything you have on Hannah Perkins.”

  I’d once again shocked him, but he hid it behind a crafty smile. “What makes you think I know anything about Advisor Perkins?”

  I shrugged. “If that’s how you want to play this, protective custody can turn into real custody in the blink of an eye. And we have more than enough evidence to convict your entire family and execute them as traitors to the Empire. I don’t need you, but you very much need me. I was the one who persuaded Valentin that your knowledge might be worth your life.”

  “I want amnesty for me and my family.”

  “And I want a million credits and universal peace, but we don’t always get what we want. If you acted alone, your family will get amnesty. You will get your life. If you are extremely helpful, that life could include a very posh cell. If not, well, I’m sure you’ve heard the prison horror stories.”

  “You are a cold bitch.”

  My smile was all teeth. “I am the cold bitch who has your sister. You tried to kill someone important to me. Do you really think that I wouldn’t return the favor, given even the slightest cause?”

  “This was all Hannah’s fault. I didn’t want to do it, but she blackmailed me. I shouldn’t have to pay for her treachery.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but instead I kept my expression earnest. “Make your case well enough and perhaps Valentin will agree.”

  “Fine, I will tell you what I know. After I have a signed pardon for my family.”

  “Done.” I led him through a side door. It would look to the room like I’d just left Valentin for his advisor, but it couldn’t be helped. Natalie Sakimoto waited in the service hallway beyond with three additional soldiers.

  While Asmo was still busy scowling at Natalie, I injected him with the same sedative I’d given Lewis. He whirled on me. “We had a deal.”

  “We still do. This is just a little insurance that you’ll make it to your cell without any outside interference.”

  He threw a clumsy punch at me. I caught his fist and squeezed. “You don’t need working hands to talk, so tread lightly.” When he winced in pain, I let go.

  Natalie cuffed him and waited until he wilted to the floor before picking him up. “We’ll get him to his new accommodations, don’t worry,” she said.

  Once they were gone, Imogen turned to me. “Do you think he’ll cooperate?”

  “He will once he realizes he’s out of options. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it, but his sister’s life is an effective lever.”

  “Do you think he has dirt on Hannah?”

  “Yes. I think he’s too smart not to have kept copies of everything.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  I linked Valentin to let him know that the first part of the plan had been successful, then I waited ten minutes before returning to the ballroom. My disappearance hadn’t gone unremarked. Valentin made a point of looking directly at me, then turning and speaking to Margie, giving me his back.

  It was a snub, and not a subtle one. A twitter ran through the crowd as everyone tried to figure out what I’d done with Asmo and why I’d come back alone. Guards were on alert in case Hannah decided to bolt, but Valentin expected her to approach me.

  I was on my second circuit of the room when Hannah’s curiosity got the better of her. She had on a midnight blue dress, and her husband wasn’t with her.

  “What did you do to Asmo?”

  I looked around, as if I expected to see him. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. The entire ballroom saw you leave with him and return alone. Do I need to involve the guards?”

  I let myself imagine that hilarious scenario for a couple seconds and smiled. “I don’t think that’s necessary.” I gave her an appraising look. “In fact, we had a very interesting conversation.”

  Her mouth pinched like she’d bitten into a lemon. “What could you possibly have to discuss?”

  “You, actually. He was quite talkative.”

  She was wily and wasn’t going to go down so easily. “Asmo talks a lot and says little.”

  I laughed. She might be a horrible person, but she had Asmo’s number. “True, but in this case, he has proof to back up his words.”

  “You might have gained Asmo’s support, but you’ve lost Valentin’s. Anything you think you know is worthless.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t need Valentin to achieve my goal.” I turned to leave, and she grabbed my arm.

  Imogen stepped up beside me. “Unhand Queen Rani.”

  “Call off your dog,” Hannah demanded, “and tell me what you want.”

  “I want Adams. He attacked Arx and destroyed my ship.”

  Surprise flashed across her expression before she smoothed it over into a polite mask. “Perhaps I could assist you after all. I have many diplomatic connections. I could send him a message.”

  “Do it, and I’ll forget what Asmo told me. I don’t care about your petty political squabbles. I want the man who hurt my people.”

  She nodded. “Consider it done. Send me the message you want me to pass along, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Her smile looked a lot like victory. She just didn’t know
whose victory she was celebrating.

  Dinner had dragged on forever while Valentin and I had pretended to be at odds. Oskar had outdone himself with sly, snippy comments, and I had never been so glad to see dessert. I’d escaped as soon as was polite and sought refuge in my suite.

  I stripped off my beautiful gown and careful makeup and made my way to Valentin’s suite. But now that I stood outside his door in my pajamas and bare feet, I hesitated. We were supposed to talk, but the last time we’d tried an after dinner talk, I’d jumped him, and then my ship had exploded, so our track record wasn’t exactly great.

  I hadn’t yet knocked, but the door swung open. Valentin also wore pajamas. “It would’ve been more gentlemanly to pretend I didn’t know you were there, to let you decide on your own. But I wanted to tip the scales in my favor.” He grinned. “Is it working?”

  I smiled at him. “Yes.”

  He stepped aside to let me enter, then led me to the living room. Two glasses and a decanter of red wine waited on the end table.

  “I have whisky, too, if you would prefer it.”

  “No, wine is perfect.”

  I accepted a glass and settled on the sofa. This reminded me of the last time we’d tried this, both the good and the bad. Soon, I would need to make plans to salvage Invictia’s remains. The loss broke my heart.

  After Adams had blown up the warehouse and disappeared, Valentin had posted a huge bounty on him. Every hunter in the city would be looking for him, but since he hadn’t been found, we assumed he had already fled off-planet. Maybe we could make it through the evening without anything else blowing up.

  Valentin picked me up, sat down, and tucked me into his lap. His strength reminded me of the muscles hiding under his clothes—and how those muscles had felt under my hands.

  When I remained silent, he quietly asked, “Are you uncomfortable?”

  “No. In fact, I was imagining you naked.”

  He choked on his wine. Good to know I could still surprise him. I set aside both glasses and patted his chest while he caught his breath. He trapped my hand beneath his, pressed against his heart. We were close enough that I could see the dark flecks in his gray eyes.