Chains of Loss (12 page)

Derek’s nerve broke, and he withdrew from the dreamworld.  It couldn’t have been a memory.  It was just a nightmare; her brain had been flushing out the traumatic events of the day and accidentally created something horrible beyond belief, something that it would duly purge from her mind before she woke.  She’d probably been about to transition into a good dream.  If he’d turned around, he would’ve probably seen an echo of her father or mother or boyfriend, coming to comfort her.  And if he tried really hard right now maybe he’d wake up in his own bed in New Athens.

She was still broadcasting, too.  It didn’t really matter.  She could go ahead and broadcast alone in her happy dream.  Anyone who got close enough to detect it would have already set off the sensors, so Derek would just wake her up.  He didn’t have to disturb her.  No, no, he was far too busy figuring out the essentials of magic and science.

When it was the proper time, he woke her, and, without delay, took his own turn at sleeping.  The nightmare started in his mind for a moment; he brushed it away and moved on.

***

Friday, October 28, 3481.

Time: Morning. 

Location: Keiths Manor, guest quarters.  City of Kaitopolis.

Lydia had slept on the softest mattress she’d ever encountered, but it hadn’t stopped the nightmares.  Somehow, the dreams relived her rape in a fashion that was more horrible than it had been at the time. 

She’d slept on her stomach to avoid damaging her wings.  In the process of pushing herself up, she accidentally pulled the rope next to the bed.  She quickly gave it a second tug.  The guard who’d introduced her to the room had been very specific; two pulls would bring her a servant, and anything else would bring a squad of guards. 

She didn’t have time to consider the novelty of a servant attending to her; the door opened almost immediately, and a slender young woman curtseyed before entering.  She looked to be about sixteen, with short blonde hair and unblemished brown skin.  Her servant’s dress was finely cut and extremely flattering; in any of the other houses, it might have belonged to a nobleman’s favored daughter.

Lydia couldn’t fight back the question.  “You’re trained, aren’t you?”

The servant girl blushed and curtseyed again.  “Sorry, m’lady; I am not skilled in the arts of pleasing a woman.  If you demand, I will do what I can-”

It was Lydia’s turn to blush as she realized that her nightclothes had fallen open.  She pulled the covers over herself.  “Oh, stop that.  You’re a guard, aren’t you?”

The girl didn’t even slow as she opened up the curtains.  Sunlight streamed in.  “Why, m’lady, why would you think that?”

“You cased the room during the curtsey.” 

“Oh, any servant would do that.  We must look for obvious problems right away, to avoid getting whipped for asking what’s wrong when the table’s on fire.”  She flashed Lydia a smile.

Whipped?  By a member of House Keiths?  Other than Styx, the idea was absurd.  “What’s your name, then?”

“Kailyn, m’lady.”  The girl hefted the fireplace poker and began to rake the coals.

Lydia didn’t have to watch long.  “You’re in the right stance to use that poker like a mace, you’re treating it like it’s weightless and your dress is armored.  You’re not just a guard, you’re a kharai.”

Kailyn grinned at her, then went back to stoking the coals.  “Pssh.  I’m not a guard – not anymore.  That person’s dead.  I’m a humble, happy servant of my Lord Keiths.” 

“So.”  Lydia forced herself to her feet.  “So you were a guard.  How’d you get to work here?”

“It was a retirement present from m’Lord.  I’d done a lot for him, but I’d just gotten too old.  So, a couple years back, he called me into his office and asked if I’d like to work on a special project with him.”  She added a shovelful of coal to the embers, blew on them twice, then straightened and turned.  “Guess which one?”

Lydia rolled her eyes.  “Oh, I wonder.  Were you making plastic?”

“Wiseass.”  Kailyn winked.  “Cute ass, but definitely wise.  No, I was assigned to you because I was in the position you’re in right now.  Seventeen months ago, I became the first official kharai.”

Lydia frowned and opened her mouth, but Kailyn continued.

“You’re a smart girl, so you had to have noticed that word: official.  Lord Keiths is careful with his people; that’s one reason why everyone wants to work for him.  There are some people out there that he’s a lot less careful with.  The
real
first kharai volunteered for the experiment by beating his wife to death.  He wound up looking just like me, but without any of the strength enhancements kharai are famous for now.”  She gave Lydia a vicious grin.  “We were tempted to sell him as a slave, but he knew too much for us to let him go.  We wound up using him in our first experiments with battle seraphs, too.”

Lydia blinked.  “You turned a man…”

“Into a woman.  I didn’t, but you get the drift.”

“How?”

Kailyn laughed.  “Do you know how hard it was to make battle seraphs?  Compared to getting your shoulders and ribs bending so you’ll actually be able to fly, changing a little bit of plumbing is like arm-wrestling an elf.  Anyway, there’s a lot you need to know.”

Kailyn pulled a stool over to the bed and sat down.  “First, since you’re part of this new project, your security clearance has been raised.  You’re not an employee of House Keiths now; you’re a
part
of House Keiths.  You take care of us, we take care of you.  You’re one of us for the rest of your life.  It should go without saying, but it’s important: don’t tell anyone anything that you learn here.  It’ll bring Styx down on you like the howling Fury.  So.  What’s the population of Kaitopolis?”

Lydia shrugged.  “Thousands?”

“About two hundred thousand, just counting the people who live here permanently.  Bump that up by another hundred and fifty or so if you count farmers, scavengers, merchants, and townships in the general area of the city.  It’s hard to get an exact count, but that’s pretty close.  So, now, how many of those people are slaves?”

Lydia shook her head helplessly, and Kailyn continued.  “About eighty thousand.  Ish.  Of that eighty thousand, House Keiths owns about five thousand.  Now, how do slaves view House Keiths?”

That one was easy.  “They love it.”

“Right.  Slaves owned by House Keiths are guaranteed their freedom after twenty years’ service, or less if they’re talented, loyal, et cetera.  Like your father.”

Lydia’s eyes widened.  “
What
?” 

“Your father.  Marcus Reynolds.  Styx provided the house’s file on him; he was purchased by House Keiths thirty-four years ago and assigned to constabulatory duty.  He performed with distinction for six years and was granted his freedom early.  He never told you, did he?”

Lydia shook her head mutely.  Her father had died almost a decade ago, but he had worshiped Lord Keiths. 

“That’s not the whole of our relationship to slaves.  Lord Daniel also set the standard for their treatment.  In short, we treat slaves like people; the other houses have to comply or risk revolt.  Now, I bet you’re wondering what the point of this is?”

Lydia shook her head.  “Daddy was…”

“A slave, yes.  So was I, once, but I’ve been a lot of things.  Anyway, the point is that there are about five thousand slaves in the employ of House Keiths, and somewhere around ten thousand other employees, many of whom worked their way out of slavery in the employ of the House.  Of those fifteen thousand, about two hundred work right here at the Compound.  I want you to understand this and never, ever forget it: everyone who works here got here by being the most trustworthy, loyal, and diligent servants of the House, slave or free.  Over half of us are kharai.  Most of us retired to here after earning our freedom; we’ll probably work here for the rest of our lives.  I, personally, outranked you when I was a member of the Corps. 

“Now I’m a serving girl and bodyguard here.  Understand this: You will show proper respect to everyone here.  You are currently the youngest person employed here – no matter how anyone looks – and everyone in the compound has rank.  The cleaning staff
alone
includes three major heroes of the Coalition and two great engineers – people who’ve saved thousands of lives.  Anyone doing any job here is doing it because they're good at it and enjoy it compared to what they used to do.  Now, you don’t have to salute the cook, but you’d better understand that the second fastest way to get ejected from the House is to be rude to the servants here.  Styx
will
hear about it.  Now, I expect you have some questions; they’re kind of obvious.”

Lydia nodded.  “I’m still trying to get over my father…”  She fixed Kailyn with a stare as a question came to her.  “You said the person you were is dead.  Do you mean, officially?”

“Yup.  Fallen in service of the greater good.”

“Is my father here?  Is he alive?”  Lydia was leaning forward in excitement.  It seemed that everything was possible here…until Kailyn shook her head. 

“I’m sorry, but no.  Although some death notices were false, your father’s wasn’t one of them.  It’s a damn shame, too.  I liked him.”

“You knew him?”

“Oh, and you too.  You grew up well.”

Lydia bit her lip.  She hadn’t known a Kailyn.  “What’s your real name?”

Kailyn winked.  “I like to let people guess at that one.  Next question.” 

“Okay.  How old are you, really?”

The servant girl gave an exaggerated gasp and struck an offended pose, knocking over the stool in her haste to stand.  “Why, how rude!  Seventy-three and a half.”

Lydia giggled.  “And the age change…it works?”

Kailyn nodded.  “I never felt this good.  Never looked half this good either.  Funny thing, too.  It’s been almost two years since the change and I don’t seem to be getting older.”  She righted the stool and sat down, hands on her knees.  Her jovial demeanor had vanished.  “There’s an obvious one that follows the age questions, so I’ll bring it up.  Lady Crimson.”

Events clicked into place in Lydia’s head.  Kailyn had been restored to youth over a year ago.  The matriarch of the House, however…  “Is she really dead?”

“I’m afraid so.  Just a tragic fluke.  The process was ready; we could’ve had her through, but we weren’t sure that it was really safe yet.  None of us knew anything was wrong with her.  I sparred with her just three days before she died; she beat the hell out of me, and she wasn’t even a kharai.  She was supposed to be changed two weeks later.  Sorry.  I’m misting up just thinking about it. 

“Anyway.  Two days later, Lord Daniel issued the order.  Michael – you don’t have to call him lord if you’re not in public, by the way – and Styx both became kharai by the end of the week.  M’lord himself went a few days later.  Since then, he’s been phasing himself out of responsibilities, phasing Michael in.  He doesn't do much anymore, just keeps busy with his projects.  Speaking of, don’t pry into any project you’re not working on.  We’ll let you know if you should know; if you shouldn’t, you won’t.”

“Okay.  Anything else?”

“Sex.”

“Excuse me?”  Lydia flinched and pulled the covers up some more.  She didn’t want to hear about that right now.  Kailyn patted her hand.

“It’s a topic that’s gotta be broached.  I know what happened to you – hell, we all do.  Your presence here isn’t a secret, and neither is the reason behind it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Who the hell would?  ‘Oh, guess what, everyone…!’”  She performed a brief pantomime, hands cupped to her lips in a joyous announcement, then stopped.  “Sorry.  That’s not really helping, is it.  What’s important is that you’re here, and we’re here for you.  I know how some people are, out there.”  She gestured vaguely.  “It happened to you, so it’s your fault.  Shameless woman and all that shit.  Nobody has pity except the clergy, and what can they do?  They’ve never been in your position.  Well, some of us have.  Not me, thank God, but some of the others here know.  And we don’t blame you – no, the bastard in the Styx's basement is the guy we blame.  If you’re pregnant, we’ll find out during the conversion, and you can decide to take it to term or not.  Either way, we’re with you, whatever you want us for, okay?”

“Y-”  Lydia’s voice cracked as her throat constricted.  She tried to nod, but her lip quivered.  Her façade cracked and she was crying.  Kailyn offered her a hug, and she took it.

“Go on.  Let it out.”  Kailyn patted her on the back.  “Trying to get over it without thinking about it at all just makes it worse when something reminds you.  You’ll get through this.  You’re a soldier.  You’re more than a soldier.  You’re a member of House Keiths, greatest house in Kaitopolis.  You’re a kharai.” 

They rocked back and forth for several minutes.  Kailyn broke the silence.  “You won me a bet, by the way.”

“Oh?”  Lydia rubbed her eyes.  The tears had slowed; she actually felt a little bit better.

“Michael assigned me to you, but the way I introduced you to the house was up to me.  I did the serving girl act, and you spotted it just about right away.  Just like I knew you would.  Your father was like that too.  He’d be proud of you.”

“What did you win?”