Circumstellar (17 page)

“C
ome forward, girl. I want to see your face. Plumbarco, put her down.”

The lead grip that was keeping me levitating above the floor instantly unwound, allowing my body to drop the few feet to the floor like a brick. My feet hit the floor hard, causing me to take a few stumbling steps forwards in order to save face – figuratively and literally. After successfully managing to steady myself, I straightened up and turned around to send my lummox captor the most hateful look I could imagine.

I was almost positive I’d seen this guy before. It was back a few years ago. Yeah, that’s right. This guy was famous. He was a heavyweight champion! Oh, no, wait. That was a pro-wrestler. It was an easy mistake to make. Plumbarco was a lumberjack – a mountain of a man with a rugged, masculine face and a jaw like a cinder block. His black hair was cropped short and slicked back, and the light from his sapphire eyes almost seemed to glint maliciously as he locked his gaze on me. When it came to armor, it appeared the man was one to keep things simple. Dark blue-gray pants, greaves, and chest plate, all heavily scarred and ingrained with gashes. It seemed Plumbarco wasn’t one to turn the other cheek. Hell, he was probably the one starting the fights.

I crinkled my nose and sent him my favorite middle finger salute, which only seemed to tickle his amusement. As he chuckled at me, I spun on my heel and started making my way around the room. To my disappointment, the sound of heavy footsteps and sniggering followed close behind. I traversed around the edge of the rug trying to keep a safe distance away from the foreboding non-comfy chair in the center of the room, just in case whatever was sitting there was hungry. I glanced out of the open wall again, trying to use the spectacular sight to distract me from my nerves. Coming to the center of the view, I stopped to take in one last look, and then I turned around
. Here goes nothing
.

“You truly are
Uturik’s child,” she said upon seeing me.

A bizarre, intense feeling of pride swept through me, though I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. I couldn’t even remember the man, and I certainly didn’t hold any pointless familial feelings of affection for him. In fact, this was the first time I had even heard his name. And yet, there it was, bold and
unwaving. Trying to shake off the unwelcome feeling, I took in my enemy for the first time.

Looking at her, I recalled the mural molded onto the great metal door at the entrance of this room: a mighty queen, or perhaps, a terrifying goddess. Orange eyes glowed in the center of her elegant face. It held no warmth or humor, and may as well have been carved from the marble of her throne. The
visage was topped by a crown of long, straight, and fine golden hair. Her clothes would have made any Roman empress pitch a hissy fit with envy. Royal purple cloth flowed down the length of her body, the upper half covered by the most intricately decorated golden armor. It was as if the whole piece was made from thousands of feathers. Glancing at her hands settled on the arms of the throne, I noted her nails were long, like golden painted talons. Beside her sat a glittering statue in the figure of man – the Orion Keystone. I looked back up, knowing full well she was studying me, too. Her pale face tilted upwards, and she stared down her nose at me with those sharp orange eyes. A hawk staring down its prey.

“And you must be this
Aureliel everyone keeps going on about,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and confident. Surrounded by the enemy though I was, showing fear was not an option.

“It is a natural thing for lesser beings to praise the greatness of their superiors. Tell me, Ingrid
Fairheit, what tales do the dirt’s feeble children spread of great Lady Aureliel?”

“Well, praise isn’t exactly the word I would use for it. I mean, I really don’t think I’ve heard anything good about you at all. Maybe I should keep it to myself. I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

A throaty growl resonated behind me and Plumbarco snarled, “You stupid . . .” The sound of metal shifting put me on guard, but before I could turn around, Lady Aureliel raised her hand.

“That won’t be necessary, my dearest
Plumbarco,” she said, her words affectionate, but her voice cold and unyielding. “Defiance and poor judgment run deep in this one’s blood. I will excuse her rudeness for now.”

Plumbarco
grumbled something to himself and, I assumed, went back to standing like a watchful troll.

“That’s awfully generous of you,” I commented, sarcasm heavy on my tongue. “Kind of goes against your track record, though, doesn’t it?”

Lady Aureliel fixed me with a baleful stare and asked, “What is this nonsense you dare speak to me with?”

“Oh, come on,” I pushed. “You know what I’m talking about. How you
deal with
‘defiance and poor judgment.’”

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes burning into my vision. “
That
,” she hissed, “is none of your concern.”

A stray thought occurred to me then.
Perhaps. Perhaps she was right. Maybe that wasn’t any of my concern. It’s not like I remembered anything from back then. I didn’t know anything about her or about . . . him. Just that he was my father. He was only
my
father
. One that was taken from me . . . and Mom.

“The hell it isn’t,” I argued back, shaking off the odd feeling of wanting to agree with her. “He was my old man, and you couldn’t handle the truth.”

“Your words are foolish, girl. Do not speak of things you do not understand.” Her voice was quiet, deadly. I was venturing in dangerous territory here. When did I ever let that stop me?

“Understand? What’s to understand?” I countered. “I know all about it. He dumped you!
All for a human. You couldn’t handle it! You couldn’t handle being kicked aside!”

“That’s enough, human
– ”

“You’re just an old, bitter ex-girlfriend
– ”

Lady
Aureliel shot up so fast all I could make out was a blur of purple and gold. She glared at me with complete loathing, her face distorting into a mask of fury. She took in a deep breath and screeched at me, “
I was his wife
!”

I paused and took a step back.
What?
I didn’t know that. I thought . . . I thought she was just some other woman. Not his
wife.
But that would make my mother –

“
Uturik betrayed me! He left me for that disgusting mud whore! He grew soft living with those humans. He forgot his place and his goal, but no matter. Uturik is gone, and it’s up to me to reclaim what is ours. For thousands of years, our kind has wallowed in this hole. Uturik forgot what he promised. The heavens belong to me! It’s my right, and you know it! It’s what I deserve!”

A sharp, stinging pain washed over me, starting at the base of my back. It wound its way up my spine, coiling like a spiked chain all the way up my neck. When it reached the back of my head, for a fleeting second my mind . . . my thoughts . . . all blinked together in a jumbled mess with the pain. And then it vanished. I blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what just happened, if it had happened at all. But I couldn’t seem to grasp it. Every time I tried to think about what happened my mind glazed over, and the memory faded into nothing. There was only one thought that seemed to pierce through the fog of my mind, strong and constant:
She’s right.

But . . . but . . . I struggled in desperation, pushing against the enclosing white, trying to hold onto anything blinking in front of me. But . . .
she’s right
. Then why did it feel so wrong. It can’t be.
She’s right.
She can’t be.
She’s right. She’s right. She’s right.
The words echoed in a continuous cycle, filling every crevice of my brain, until there was only . . .
she’s right
.

And yet, there was something else. Tiny – almost invisible – it flickered valiantly against the onslaught of . . . of . . .
she’s right
. I reached out, grabbing onto it and focusing on it so hard my whole body tensed.
She’s right
. It was so warm. And the more I pushed myself into it, the bigger it got.
She’s . . . she’s. . .
I gave everything in my being over to it, letting it consume me and the fog.
She’s not right
, a voice whispered to me.
She’s not right, Ingrid.
Sweet and gentle – I knew it so, so well.

Warmth washed over me, and for the first time in my life, I was filled with what I could only describe as absolute peace. There was no worry, no stress, and no enemies – just calm. When it subsided, I was left with a strange sense of longing. And I could think. My thoughts were once again my own.

“No,” I breathed, gradually regaining my sense of things. “No, it’s not your right. I know what the humans did to the Ankida was wrong. What my father did to you was wrong as well,” I confessed, dutiful sympathy driving me to say it. “He was a scumbag. But that doesn’t give you the right to try and invade the Human World.”

Lady
Aureliel surveyed me with what I could only guess as unwelcomed interest. She peered at me in thought before settling back down into her throne.

“I see,” she commented, regaining her composure. “It must be that girl. You are one of the cursed warriors are you not, Ingrid
Fairheit? Legend speaks of them, of their connection to the stones and to the
Neti
.”

That little statement was enough to make me forget her totally ignoring my comments about invading the Human World and change gears. “You mean the Locksmith?” I jumped forwards.
“Where’s Lesia?” I demanded.

“She’s been here the whole time, ignorant human.
Cupraius, my love, if you could be so kind,” she ordered.

“Of course, my Lady.”

I watched as the man in copper armor moved from behind the marble throne to the side of the room where one of the large curtains hung. He reached into the curtain, and with a sharp tug, pulled it to the side. My heart pounded in my chest at the sight that was revealed. Gagged and chained to a heavy stone slab was my best friend. She wiggled and tugged against her bonds, and when she looked towards me, I could see her soft brown eyes light up with fear.

“
Lesia!” I called and made to run to her, only to be grabbed roughly from behind.

“Now, Ingrid
Fairheit, it’s time to repay my kindness for letting you into my grand tower,” Lady Aureliel announced, frigid being too warm a word to describe her. “It’s time for you to help me find the location of the Gate.”

M
y arms ached with horrible agony in the bruising grip, and I worked hard to suppress the wince that was threatening to betray my pain. I wouldn’t give them the benefit of seeing me squirm. I wouldn’t let them make Lesia watch me cry. I had to be strong for her.

“You see, the
Neti
hasn’t been very forthcoming about the location of the Gate despite our most
gracious
hospitality. It seems she needs a little more incentive,” Lady Aureliel said, narrowing her eyes. “Plumbarco.”

The pressure on my arms increased to drastic proportions, pulverizing force crushing into the bone. I tried with all my might to suppress the loud
yelp
that was unhinging in my throat. The only saving grace was the lack of blood flow steadily making my arms become numb.

“You can do better than that, my soldier.”

“Yes, Lady,” Plumbarco replied, letting out a low chuckled. “How’s this?” He slid his hand down the length of my arm until he reached my wrist. His massive hand wrapped around it, his touch deceptively gentle. And then he squeezed. I couldn’t hold back any longer. A sharp cry pierced through the air, far too high and shrill to be mine – but it was. My bones creaked under the hold, gritting and scraping against each other. The veins in my wrist twisted and burst. He gave the limb a quick jerk, a dull
pop
sounding from the flesh.

His hold on my wrist loosened, and I sagged forward
s, panting hard. Muffled cries echoed through the large room. I looked up at Lesia as she struggled in vain against her bonds. Tears poured down her face and blood seeped down her arms. Her glassy eyes met mine and she struggled harder, refusing to give up.

“I think our honored guest is finally ready to divulge her secrets.” Lady
Aureliel indicated over to Cupraius, who moved forwards and harshly ripped the gag from Lesia’s face. Angry, red blisters marred the corners of her mouth, but still she spoke.

“Please,” she begged, “please, don’t do this. I’ve already told you I don’t know where the Gate is. I haven’t found it. Please, let Ingrid go. Don’t hurt her anymore. Please, I beg of you. Hurt me instead!”

“A wish I will be happy to grant, retched dirt breeder,” Aureliel snapped. “You will tell me where the Gate is! I know you know the location! Tell me!”

“She already told you.” I panted, the throbbing in my wrist doing nothing for my mood. “What
are you, deaf? Dumb bitch.”

Whack!

I think I was in the air, albeit momentarily. The side of my face ignited in a flurry of agony, followed by the rest of my body as I crashed into the ground and rolled in a tangle of limps. My vision blurred past the point of severe, white stars dancing brilliantly across the floor. I could feel the beautiful black of unconsciousness creeping for me, and if it wasn’t for the distant sound of Lesia screaming my name, I would have welcomed its comforting embrace.

“How unfort
unate,” I heard above me. “She can’t be tortured if she’s dead, Plumbarco.”

“Sorry, Lady.”

A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I shifted up on my arms, spitting the warm liquid out at Lady Aureliel’s feet. I looked up at her sitting so high in that marble throne. She looked down at me disgusted, her face still tilted up despite the fact I was at her feet.

“You know,” I gritted out. “You shouldn’t look down on people so much. I’ve got a pretty good view of your throat from down here.”

“It matters not, child. Your father couldn’t reach me,” she replied in a whisper. “A lowly half-breed in the dirt could never hope to reach a star.” She raised her leg, a golden heel poised above my head. “Get away from me.”

Crash!

Metal smashing against stone tore through the air, and confusion and surprise manifested on every face in the room, except for one.

“That’s enough,
Aureliel, or is torturing young women all you can aspire to these days?” Emba’s voice mused from behind the marble throne.

I took advantage of the open situation and rolled away a safe distance from
Aureliel’s feet. I could see her now, strolling confidently away from the door and around the purple rug. Emba made it about halfway before a figure in black stepped forwards to block her path.

Farron
stood in front of her like an iron statue, threatening and uncompromising. The corners of her mouth twitched, sliding downwards ever so slightly. The longer she looked at him, the more the smug expression or her face looked all the more forced.

“You aren’t welcome here,”
Farron warned. “Leave, now.”

“I can’t do that,” she retorted. “I’m surprised you can.”

“Stand down, Farron,” Aureliel ordered, interjecting herself into the conversation. “She poses no threat to me, my love. She’s nothing but a silly girl who struggles to accept her place and let go of foolish
desires
.”

With aggression,
Emba pushed past Farron, stomping her way in front of the throne. “Is that so?” she asked, livid fire burning in her voice. “Then how come I’ve managed to slip right under your nose all this time? How come I managed to steal
this
,” she thrust out the Therion Stone, “from your guards?”

A loud, shrieking laughter erupted in the room, joined by a dark chuckle and an obnoxious guffaw. I must have missed the joke, because
Agentina, Coppertone, and the Plumber were all highly delighted with themselves. They were laughing at her. Farron and Aureliel, however, stayed perfectly composed.

“Oh,
Emba,” Aureliel said in mock sympathy, “did you really believe you could steal the keystone on your own? Did you really think it would fall so easily into your hands had I not willed it so?”

To her credit,
Emba did a damn sight better job at hiding her surprise than I did. All I could do was lay there, slack jawed at what Aureliel said. You had to be kidding me. This whole thing had been some kind of trap? I lay back, exhausted. This was it. We walked right into her stupid den, just like she wanted. And now all I’m going to get to see before I die are these shitty rafters and weird blue –

I looked away at that instant, hoping nobody saw my strange reaction. I turned back to the conversation, trying to play cool.

“I knew you would seek her out,” Aureliel added, glancing over at me. “I suppose, in a way, Uturik’s disgrace has worked out favorably for me. I can accomplish every wish that has haunted me these past long years.”

“Don’t!”
Emba growled. “Don’t you dare speak of him! You don’t have the right!”

“I have every right, you witless pawn. I was everything to him! You are nothing, and you will die like nothing,”
Aureliel bit out. “But it is a shame. You did have a knack for accomplishing exactly what I wanted.”

It happened then: a soft
whooshing
noise followed by a metallic
clink
. Every eye in the room turned and focused on one thing. In one of the torches by the throne, the end of a stick poked out, feathers lining the end.

“
Just promise me you’ll close your eyes if you see one of these fly into anything hot.
”
And close my eyes I did, just in time for a bright flare to light up the room.