I didn’t know if it was a physical property of the metal that allowed for its stealth or just technology, but I was invisible for all intents and purposes. Keeping to the walls and corners, anywhere the shadows were long, I followed VELMA’s route to the hangar. I skirted the enormous hall and its dozens of occupants who gathered in groups scattered throughout the chamber, stepping with silent purpose.
When VELMA explained that my fellow humans were safe on Ikthe and that interplanetary travel was not only possible but frequent, my elation couldn’t be contained, and in spite of gnawing pain that pulsed over my skin every few minutes, and cursed memories I tried to banish, I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt.
But then Raxthezana’s urgent pleading that I get to his ship had broken the reverie, and now I wondered where he was. I was halfway across the chamber. I kept looking back at the doorway from which I entered, hoping to spy his dark armor, but no. He would use his stealth mode, too. Was he already here, then? Tracking my progress?
Biting my lip, I traced the shadows with my eyes, trying to see irregularities or inconsistencies suggesting shielded armor.
Dammit.
Where was he?
A group of three women in ornate dresses chatted quietly about three and a half meters away from me, but my external mic was off, so they shouldn’t hear me if I asked VELMA. Terror at being caught paralyzed me, though. Suppressing the memories, I steeled my mind against them and spoke. “VELMA, where is Raxthezana?”
“He is otherwise engaged and told me to ensure that you reach his ship unharmed.”
Frowning, I paused.
“Is he planning on joining me?” I asked.
“He did not share all of his plans with me, but indications suggest not,” she said.
“He saved my life,” I said, though VELMA already knew that.
“Affirmative.”
“The Ikma Scabmal Kama is evil incarnate,” I said. “She’ll go ballistic if she finds out he rescued me.” And gave me this armor.
“She is unpredictable at best,” VELMA said. “Diagnostics reveal healed injuries numbering in the hundreds in your body systems. Your assessment is not outside the realm of possibility.”
Heartbeat accelerating, I felt the adrenalin dump even as I turned to retrace my steps.
“I know I gave you your gift of understatement,” I said. “But you’ve honed it into a finely tuned instrument.”
“What do you mean, ADVISOR?” VELMA asked.
“She’ll bloody kill him if I don’t find him in time,” I said. “Give me the fastest route to him now.”
“Complying.”
I sprinted, not caring if the room occupants saw waving plant fronds or swaying tapestries in my invisible wake.
Clearing the opening between the hall and corridor, I scanned the alcove where I’d last seen him and raced along the wall following the path marked inside my helmet screen. Why hadn’t he just come with me? It was his ship. Why did I care if he didn’t? And furthermore, why was I running deeper into the fortress and straight into the taloned grip of the bloodthirsty Queen?
I didn’t know Raxthezana and yet he’d risked himself extracting me from hell. As terrified as I was to see her in real life again, I would try to return the favor if I could.
“Silence is advisable on your approach,” VELMA said in my ear as she showed me the closing distance overlaying my view. “Two guards, Raxthezana, and the Queen are in this room.”
Slowing to a stop, I tiptoed to the entryway and peered inside.
The sight of her stole my breath and cramped my gut in a painful squeeze until I threatened to black out.
“Vital signs indicate trauma response,” VELMA said. “Do you require assistance?”
“No,” I said between gritted teeth and forced my gaze to Raxthezana where he stood proud and serene in the face of insanity and cruelty.
Fixing my gaze on him, I listened to her voice and forced the bile back down my throat.
“Do you think I am a lackwit?” she said, tilting her head.
A deep groove creased Raxthezana’s forehead, but he didn’t reply.
“I would be a fool to unleash you on Ikthe once more,” she said. “But perhaps a leash is all I need.” She turned to one of the guards. “Bring me the prisoner found in the War Room.”
I gasped and pressed against the exterior wall; the guard would pass within centimeters of me. I wondered where the War Room was and what prisoner she wanted to see, but as I focused on breathing, my thoughts rolled. Hadn’t I heard the Queen or one of the maikshel refer to that place I was held in? What had they called it?
Peeking into the room again, I saw that she’d risen from the throne and had approached Raxthezana.
“I smell your anxiety,” she said and stepped nearer, though she remained on the dais. “You only smelt of hubris until I mentioned my prisoner. Why is that?”
“My Queen holds all power over our lives,” Raxthezana said. “I fear how you choose to wield it.” Even as he tried to appear respectful, his bearing was proud and fearless, and my heart lurched.
She smirked.
“Very prettily stated, but your anxiety is only a fraction of what it will be when I collar you with the entrails of our common enemy,” she said.
War Room.
Entrails.
The drumming of heavy boots bouncing off the stone walls as the guard returned with news. I knew what he would report.
That the prisoner was no longer bound and waiting to die.
Tremors ripped through me, but I forced myself to slide into the room on the guard’s tail.
The guard ran to the dais and knelt before raising his head to meet the Queen’s questioning gaze.
“The War Room is empty, Ancient One,” he said. “The bonds were severed.”
The Ikma Scabmal Kama said nothing, but stared at Raxthezana as she drew closer, holding her hand out to the guard so she could step down. I hadn’t noticed before, but she looked sickly and weak, with sagging skin and hollow eyes, and moved with difficulty, as if in pain. A headache speared the center of my brain. She had seemed immortal when she tortured me, larger than life and possessed of preternatural power. But here, she moved like an old woman.
“You knew,” she said in Raxthezana’s face, her voice filled with venom. “But how could you know?” Her black eyes flicked to the other guard but returned to my rescuer’s face. “I have done with these games,” she hissed. “I do not have time for mysteries and intrigues, traitors and aliens!”
The strike came out of nowhere. For a second, the Queen was hunched and haggard, and the next thing I saw, she was hitting him full force with the hilt of a purple blade. “Dump him in the dungeons and set up the fortress sight-capture,” the Ikma Scabmal Kama commanded her guards and turned to limp away.
Where I would have screamed, I was mute, and when I would have fled, I sprinted to Raxthezana’s side, shoving the Queen out of my way so hard, she fell and smacked her head against the corner of the dais.
Ignoring her groans, I focused on my warrior. I needed to get him out of here. He’d collapsed where he stood.
The guards approached, but they couldn’t see me. And no one was going to touch him on my watch.
I lifted Raxthezana’s heavy helmet then swung it into the first guard’s face, clocking him just under the chin. Before he hit the ground, my roundhouse kick to the other guard’s head knocked him out as well, and they tumbled together with the clatter of dropped weapons and keys.
I stepped toward the fallen Queen but remembered Raxthezana. Sitting up, he took his helmet from my hand with a frown and slammed it back on his head. Then he cloaked, and I couldn’t see him.
“VELMA, we need to get out of here now,” I said. Spotting the purplish glint, I saw her knife on the ground.
I knew that goddamn dagger. Checking to see if the Queen was still on the ground, I picked it up and stowed it in a panel reserved for the purpose.
“Here is a map to the hangar,” VELMA said. “I’ve created a diversion and am powering up the ship.”
I didn’t know what the diversion was, but her confidence inspired hope. We ran like hell to the hangar.
Part of me wanted to stomp on the Ikma’s head where she lay, but getting out of the fortress came first.
Before I realized it, we were in the great hall, boots slapping against the stone floor and lungs bellowing air in and out, a distant part of my mind marveling that I could take out two guards and my tormentor in a matter of minutes, and then I was through the giant doors leading to the hangar, and VELMA had lit the image of Raxthezana’s ship with a glowing marker. Its ramp was down and waiting, and I raced up it with ease, Raxthezana right behind me.
“Get you to a seat!” he yelled and pointed while strapping himself in the pilot’s chair. I only now noticed my heaving chest and odd crackling sounds emitting from various parts of my armor. That’s when the pain hit, and I blacked out.
***I knew this place. It was an aerie. Without ever having stepped foot outside of it, I knew it was a stronghold carved into the side of a tall mountain but somehow also steeped in trees, and its peacefulness welcomed birds and breeze, mist and memories.
Calmed, I stood near the hearth but looked toward the view, and that’s when he appeared, as if he’d flown and landed inside, like a giant eagle.
But his attention was drawn by someone I couldn’t see, and I saw his face flush dark with anger, and then that horrible weapon in his hands tumbled to the floor, and I could remember every gleaming dart and slice it had made in my body.
Frowning, I considered that something had occurred, and my body was my own again. Restored. Redeemed.
But I couldn’t remember how.
I looked down and saw powerful armor. I smiled.
Waves of wracking pain crawled across my skin, inside my skin, and I clenched my jaw. Pathways in my brain insisted that pain was to be endured, was never-ending, was my identity, and was to be hidden. But it was too hard. I couldn’t do it. I failed, and in the failing, I wasn’t worthy of him.
That must be why he was crying.