by S. E. Smith
She blinked when she felt Ristéard warm hand brushing the loose strands of her hair back from her cheek. He held up the flask of water to her lips, holding it for her. Only when she pulled back did he lower it.
“Have I told you how proud I am of you?” He murmured tenderly. “You've tackled these task with the same determination as you did when you climbed that tree to get away from me.”
A dry laugh escaped Ricki as she remembered that night not so long ago. So much had changed, she thought wearily. Gone was her neat, orderly little world. Thinking back on it, her entire life had been turned upside down from the moment they left Earth.
“If you were to ask me a year ago if I thought I would end up living on another planet, I would have laughed at you,” she said with a weak smile. “If you were to ask me if I thought I would end up being mistaken as a prophesized Empress saving a dying world and traversing through a maze filled with deadly traps, I would have pointed you to the nearest mental hospital.”
“And if you were to tell me that I would fall in love with a beautiful alien who takes my breath away with her beauty and courage, I would never have believed it either,” Ristéard said, caressing her flushed cheek with the back of his hand. “It just goes to prove you never know what will happen in the future.”
“Unless you are an fortune-telling Empress from another world,” Ricki chuckled. She looked over where Marvin and Martin were quietly talking. “Where do they come from?”
Ristéard glanced at the brothers and shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think anyone does. The only thing known about the Kor d’lurs are their natural curiosity about the worlds around them. They are a highly advanced species is all I can tell you.”
Ricki shook her head and took a bite of the power bar. “If the people of Earth knew that there were really aliens out in the star systems, they would probably freak out,” she observed. “Especially if they found out that they had actually visited Earth and that there were still some there.”
“Yes, from what I’ve heard, they did not handle it very well,” he agreed.
Ricki slowly turned her head and looked at him with a shrewd, assessing stare. Leaning forward, she touched his arm. A dark frown creased her brow when he tried to avoid her eyes.
“What are you not telling me?” She demanded.
Ristéard shifted uncomfortably before he released a sigh. “You know that Elipdios has recently joined the Alliance council, correct?” He asked.
“I think I’ve heard that mentioned a few times. Ajaska is part of the Alliance Council as well, isn’t he?” She asked.
“Yes,” he replied. “I have only had a few reports, many of them weeks or months old. My priority has been trying to find a solution to the problems on my world, not others. The only reason I joined with the Alliance was in the hopes that additional help and resources could be provided to find a solution to the radiation destroying Elipdios, and for potential places for my people to relocate.”
“Okay, I understand your reasoning to join the Alliance, but what does that have to do with Earth?” Ricki asked in exasperation.
Ristéard looked at Ricki. “Your world has been sending out signals for close to a century. It was decided by the Alliance that they had reached a level of advancement to be contacted,” he said slowly.
Ricki was silent for several long minutes as she thought of what he was telling her. She knew about all the satellites and probes that had been sent out. Still, she honestly didn’t think that anyone really expected an answer. Her troubled eyes rose to his and she saw the truth in them.
“First contact,” she whispered. “How… How did the people of Earth take it?”
Ristéard released a long breath and sighed. “About as well as you would imagine. The Alliance sends in an advance group of warriors known as the Trivators. They will soon have the Earth back under control. They are there to establish calm, but I must admit that I do not envy them their task.”
Ricki nodded, stunned to think of what the Earth must look like now. Something told her that she and the other members of the circus were much better off than if they had been back home. She slowly finished the power bar, even though she was no longer hungry.
*.*.*
It took another hour to finally get to the last section before the vault. She wiped a dirty hand across her cheek. The path had been littered with large sections of fallen crystal. Sadao had been right, the entire mountain was made from the Blood Stones. It seemed the deeper they traveled into the mountain, the denser and brighter the crystal grew.
“I need to rest for a minute,” she admitted, sinking wearily down on a large section of the crystal.
Ristéard handed her the flask of water that he had replenished at an underground stream they had crossed shortly after they started on this last leg of their journey. Sitting down next to her, he nodded to Marvin and Martin when they announced they would like to analyze a section of the crystal that looked slightly different than the rest.
“What is the next trap?” Ristéard asked, taking the flask from her outstretched hand and drinking deeply from it. “It is the last one, correct?”
Ricki knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say which is why she avoided mentioning it. She nervously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Across a thin bridge of crystal was the huge doors leading to the vault. Her eyes roamed over it, taking in each minute detail.
She opened her mouth to respond when she heard a noise behind her. Turning, she rose in surprise. Her hand instinctively moved to Ristéard in warning.
“What is the next trap?” A familiar voice asked with a crooked grin. “You didn’t write down how to get past it.”
Ristéard turned slowly, his face stiffening and his gaze cooling. He ignored the pain of betrayal as he stared back at the figure standing behind them. His eyes flickered to where Marvin and Martin lay unconscious on the floor of the large chamber. Long darts containing what he suspected was a powerful sedative protruded from their necks.
“Why?” He demanded, looking back at the man he considered his brother. “Why, Andras? Why would you betray me? Why would you betray your world?”
*.*.*
Andras looked coldly back at Ristéard. The why was easy to answer. He wanted enough wealth to leave this miserable, dying world. His family had made a fortune from the Blood Stones before he was born. The problem came from his uncle. Alcolsis had been jealous of the wealth his grandfather and father had amassed over the decades. A falling out between his grandfather and Alcolsis had made him an outcast. Andras hadn’t minded. Even as a boy, he recognized the difference between the way his family lived and that of the others in his village.
What his father hadn’t realized was that Alcolsis would build an even greater wealth, by gathering followers who listened to his lies. His uncle had risen quickly, quietly killing those who resisted him, while building a steady following of those who believed in his empty promises.
Andras had been ten when Alcolsis had returned to the village of his birth. He had gleefully killed his grandfather and cast Andras’ family into the underground city with the others that resisted him. It had taken years for Andras to understand why his uncle just didn’t kill them. Alcolsis knew that breaking the will of the resistance lay in breaking the men, women, and children. You could not do that in death. Death made them a martyr.
“I’ve hated this world my entire life,” Andras said, pointing the weapon in his hand at Ristéard. “It was dying, so why should I care one way or the other how fast?”
Ristéard started to step in front of Ricki, but stopped when Andras shook his head. His eyes flickered to Marvin and Martin, hoping that the Kor d’lurs bodies wouldn’t be affected by whatever drug had been used.
“Do you really expect to get away with this?” Ristéard demanded in a low voice. “Others will know what you have done. I know what you have done. For that alone, I will kill you.”
Andras laughed and shook his head
. “I did a little research before I came down here,” he explained. “Those two are practically impossible to kill, but they can be drugged as long as you take them by surprise. By the time they wake, the four of you will be trapped inside this chamber, buried just like the treasure hidden in the vault. The treasure that will be my ticket off this world.”
“Lyna and the others will stop you,” Ricki said angrily.
Andras shook his head again. “I’m afraid that my followers have imprisoned them, along with your parents in the city above. I must remember to thank the Kassian Ambassador for giving me the key to getting to you. Of course, it helped when I threatened to kill your parents.”
“You bastard,” Ricki snarled, trying to break free when Ristéard grabbed her as she stepped forward. “You are a horrible, horrible excuse for a man.”
Andras amused laughter echoed in the large chamber. “I believe I’ve heard you say the same about Ristéard,” he chuckled before growing serious. “I don’t have time for your temper tantrums, Empress. What is the key to getting pass the tenth trap and opening the vault?”
Andras watched as Ricki’s face twisted into a mask of rage. He had been expecting this type of resistance from her, which is why he hadn’t knocked Ristéard out. He figured he would need to use his former ‘friend’ to encourage the human female to do what he wanted her to do.
“Go to hell,” Ricki hissed, clenching her fists at her side.
Andras watched warily as ice coated her fingertips. “I wouldn’t,” he warned, not pausing as he fired a shot into Ristéard’s leg.
Ricki cried out when she felt Ristéard stumbled backwards from the force of the blast. She twisted and caught him as he started to fall. Pain glittered in his eyes and in the tightness of his jaw, but he didn’t make a sound as she helped him to the ground. Blood was pooling at an alarming rate under his upper thigh. A dark, scorched area peeled the cloth of his trousers back.
“Ristéard,” Ricki whispered, frantically trying to stem the Blood flow. Tears of frustration blinded her when she realized that she wasn’t strong enough to tear the material of her shirt. “I need to stop the Blood.”
“Don’t,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “You have to escape.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she whispered, closing her eyes and placing her hand over the wound.
A pulse of ice shot from her palm into the wound. The ice hardened, freezing the Blood. She opened her eyes when she felt Ristéard’s hand wrap around her wrist to stop her.
“Don’t,” he ordered, realizing he was already too late when she swayed. “You haven’t drunk enough water.”
“I’m okay,” she insisted, reaching up to brush her fingers against his cheek. She froze when she felt Andras behind her. “Don’t!” She warned, swiveling to look up at him.
“The next shot will be to his stomach,” Andras informed her coldly. “It can take hours to die from such a wound without medical help.”
Ricki rose to her feet, ignoring her trembling limbs. Her fists clenched again. She was too drained to form any ice. Her body was dehydrated from their journey and her lack of appetite. The little water she had drunk wasn’t enough to replenish her.
“Please,” she begged, glancing back at where Ristéard lay with his eyes closed. “He needs medical attention.”
Andras laughed harshly. “As you can see, that isn’t available. It won’t matter anyway,” he said. “Now, the tenth trap. How do we get past it and open the vault?”
Ricki drew in a deep breath. Her eyes flickered to the narrow, crystal bridge in front of the massive doors to the vault. Drawing in a deep breath, she knew she would have to go along with Andras until she could find a way to stop him.
“The bridge is part of it,” she whispered. There is a line down the center. You have to stay on it.”
Andras nodded, staring at her. “Then, I suggest you lead the way,” he said. “I’ll follow. And, Ricki…” He paused, waiting to make sure she understood exactly what he was about to say. “I learned from Ristéard the best way to take my time killing someone. Once I’m done with him, I’ll start on you.”
He watched as her throat worked up and down. The small nod of acknowledgement was the only other response she gave him. Turning on her heel, she walked toward the bridge.
*.*.*
A lone figure stood in the shadows watching as almost two dozen men held those in the center room locked down. He had followed the group, picking up on the transmission between them. His eyes searched the area for two specific men. A frown creased his brow when he didn’t see them. Instead, he focused on the two small figures that had been brought to the front.
His lips tightened when he saw one of the mercenaries raise a weapon and point it at the tiny woman’s head. His fingers curled in an effort to keep from reacting too soon. He couldn’t help them, if he was captured as well. He had traveled a long way to find what he was looking for and wasn’t about to risk losing it.
He recognized the tall Kassisan standing off to the side. He had minor interactions with him from time to time over the past year. The huge male shrugged off the hands restraining him and held up a piece of paper. Whatever was on it, it appeared to satisfy the mercenary because after he looked at it, the male turned on his heel and walked away.
A menacing smile curved Rime’s face. Slipping into the shadows he worked his way through the empty carts littering the main marketplace. He needed to speak with the Kassisan.
*.*.*
“You shouldn’t have given him the paper,” Nema fretted, winding her hands together. “What if he hurts Ricki? Oh, Walter, what if he hurts our baby girl?”
Walter pulled his trembling wife into his arms and held her tightly against his body. He cursed the fact that she would be able to feel him shaking as well. When Andras had threatened to kill Nema, it had scared the life out of him.
“They are way ahead of him,” Walter said soothingly. “Plus, she has Marvin and Martin. There is no way anyone can hurt those two.”
“Nema, why don’t you sit and rest,” Ajaska suggested. “Walter, is right. Ricki has the two Kor d’lurs. They are very protective of her.”
“So am I,” a voice behind them stated coldly. “Who is he and why is he after my daughter?”
Ajaska shifted to the side. He had caught a glimpse of the Glacian as he slipped into the lower chamber. He recognized Rime’s huge shape almost immediately.
“Your… Your… Who in the hell are you? And who is your daughter?” Walter stuttered, glaring suspiciously at the tall man with the eerily familiar blue eyes.
“Ambassador Rime, from the Glacian star system,” Rime replied. “Ricki is my daughter. I have been looking for her ever since the Coalition agreed with the Alliance about contacting Earth. I tried to get there before the Trivators arrived, but I didn’t make it. By the time I arrived, Earth had turned into a war zone.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Walter asked, glaring back and forth between Ajaska and Rime. “Why are you saying Earth is a war zone?”
Ajaska grimaced and cast an apologetic glance at Walter and Nema. “I meant to tell you about that,” he said with a sigh. “But, now is not the time.” He turned to Rime. “Can you get some of those weapons that Lyna and the others use?”
“Of course,” Rime replied, starting to turn. He paused when Nema stepped forward and touched his arm.
“Is it true?” She asked quietly, searching his cold, hard face. “Are you Ricki’s biological father?”
Rime’s gaze focused on the soft brown eyes staring up at him. He had made the right decision twenty-four years ago to leave Ricki with the two tiny humans. His throat tightened when he thought of the danger she was in. If he wasn’t careful, he might never get to meet her.
“Yes,” he replied in a curt voice. “I’ll return shortly. Do you know where the bastard was going?”
A cold, hard look came into Ajaska’s eyes and he nodded. “I’ll come with you,” he said. “You’ll ne
ed my help to get through the traps set up. We’ll need to get to him before he reached the fifth one, I haven’t been through it or the others.” He turned and looked down at Sadao’s pale face. Andras had struck the man in his broken arm when he tried to protect Walter and Nema. “Watch over them,” he ordered.
“Always,” Sadao replied, struggling to stand up. “Ajaska…”
Ajaska paused in the shadows of a large cart. “Yes?”
“If Ristéard doesn’t kill Andras, make sure you do,” Sadao said in a cold voice. “What he has done deserves no less.”
Ajaska stood still for a fraction of a second longer before he nodded. Turning, he followed Rime. The former Star Ranger moved in the shadows as if he was one of them. Ajaska decided it might not hurt to do a little more research on the Glacians. They were a very talented bunch to have on his side.
Chapter 24
Ajaska nodded to Lyna. He and Rime had worked their way around until they found where two of Andras’ men were holding the Keeper and her guards. Rime’s silent elimination of the men reaffirmed his conclusion that he needed to have a serious talk with the Glacian.
“How do you do that?” He asked under his breath. “The ice thing.”
Rime’s lips curved up at the corner. “It’s genetic,” he replied.
“Well, damn,” Ajaska muttered in disappointment, using one of the new words he had learned from his human friends. Turning, he looked at Lyna. “Can you and your guards take care of the others?”
Lyna twirled the staff in her hands. Her chin lifted as she glared back at him. From the cold smile on her face, it didn’t look like she would have any trouble.
“The male, Andras, claimed to be friends of the Empress,” Lyna replied stiffly. “I will not believe so easily next time.”
“Let’s go,” Rime growled. “The longer we take, the farther ahead Andras will be.”
Ajaska nodded. The two of them slipped through the narrow area, once again using the structures scattered about as cover. The few men that Andras had brought were not covering the lower areas. It was obvious that Andras considered the men expendable. What concerned him was that the male must have another exit plan.