Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2 (2 page)

Some were calling for direct word from the High President.
Dorthil dispatched troops to shut down news agencies.

They'd learn soon enough who was in charge.

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis

Kooper Griff, Director of the ASD, dropped a file on Renée
Coffin's desk. She'd only worked for Queen Lissa as an assistant for a few
months, but filled a much-needed gap in the growing necessity for technical
assistance and public relations. She worked well with Lissa's other assistants,
Grant and Heathe, which was also a plus in the Queen's eyes.

"What is this?" Renée tapped the file while studying
Kooper. She could scent the shapeshifter in him and knew, through Lissa, that
he was a deadly lion snake when he turned. Ildevar Wyyld, Founder of the Reth Alliance,
couldn't have picked a better ASD Director, in Renée's opinion.

"Information for the Queen when she gets back. I don't
feel comfortable putting this on a comp-vid. That's why it's on paper,"
Kooper sighed.

"That's not good," Renée shook her head. "I'll
put this in her file—the one she looks at first."

"Good. Where is she, by the way? I wasn't informed that
she'd left."

"Ildevar Wyyld asked for a meeting. She went to Wyyld II
last night," Renée said. "An emergency of some sort."

"I wonder if the two events are connected," Kooper
muttered before turning to leave.

"I'll make sure she reads this right away," Renée
called after Kooper. He raised a hand, letting her know he'd heard.

"Rainy, your sire is here," Heathe's voice sounded
on Renée's comp-vid. Heathe used the nickname he and Grant had given her. Renée
was four-and-a-half years a vampire and Montrose, her sire, had come to check
on her. He did so twice a week, although Lissa informed him four months earlier
that Renée was capable of working on her own.

Renée didn't mind; a few vampire lessons notwithstanding, she
liked her vampire sire.

Very much
.

* * *

Kondar

"Dorthil should have thought twice before tossing me in here
with you," Firth Quel murmured as he worked on the locking device holding
them inside the abandoned underground bunker. "I designed these locks
myself."

"Dorthil has never bothered with research, you know that,"
Edden Charkisul agreed. "At least he failed to install vid-cams here. That
proves he moved hastily. He doesn't have enough of the troops to back him. He
may have a riot on his hands already."

"The populace is unarmed," Melis Norwal, Edden's
Chief of Security, pointed out. "What will they do when Dorthil attempts
to shut down the news agencies with armed troops?"

"I'm hoping that the troops will side with their friends
and family, some of whom may work for those news agencies," Edden huffed. "We
have to get out of here, and we have to stay alive. Dorthil may find at least three
of the five Presidents standing against him. Especially when he starts shutting
down their sources of information."

"Where do you wish to go? We must stay hidden until it is
safe," Melis reminded the High President.

"I wish we could fly to the Avii. It is my hope they'd
take us in. I can call troops from there—we still have a fleet between there
and Yokaru."

"Then we need an airchopper or a ship," Melis nodded
agreement.

"Or allies with those things," Hadris Jem observed.

"Hush, I hear something," Firth whispered.

"May the gods be merciful," Edden breathed and
pulled Berel behind his back to protect the boy.

* * *

Wyyld II

"They died of radiation poisoning?" Queen Lissa
examined the images Ildevar provided.

"When there was no source of such on their planet to
begin with. I've had forensic specialists working on these bodies the moment
radiation poisoning was verified in the autopsies."

"Did they find anything?" Lissa, Vampire Queen of
Le-Ath Veronis, asked.

"Something frightening," Ildevar sighed. "I
believe it may have been left behind by one of the Hidden."

"They're all dead," Lissa began.

"Their works may not be dead," Ildevar responded. "This,
if my fears are correct, could destroy everything."

"I need to speak with my sister," Lissa muttered
angrily.

"I wouldn't mind being included in that conversation.
Kaldill, too, has expressed interest." Ildevar named the King of the
Elves, who resided in a hidden section of Wyyld II.

"Fine. If I can find her, I'll let you know."

"Finding the Mighty can be difficult, even in the best of
times," Ildevar agreed. "If I find her first, I will send a message."

* * *

Kondar

"Stay calm," Edden breathed as the door swung
inward. Jhak stepped inside the bunker, a weapon slung over his shoulder. Three
others with weapons walked in behind him.

Berel gripped his father's arm.
Would they perish at the
hands of a trusted guard?

"We've come to get you out of here," Jhak said
softly. "You have to come now—there is rioting in the streets. The people now
believe you dead and Dorthil has commanded the troops following him to fire on
anyone who attempts to oppose his takeover."

"But you," Edden hissed accusingly.

"I know. They threatened my family. They're outside—in
the airchopper. We can make it to Aviaa if we leave now."

"If Dorthil's troops don't shoot us from the sky, first,"
Melis muttered and held out his hand to take Jhak's weapon. "Follow me,
High President. We'll get you safely away."

* * *

Fyris

Vhrist

"I hear my sister sailed away last night. Tell me she
sailed for Lironis," Tamblin demanded.

Rath refused to cower before the King. "That was her
plan, my King," Rath lied. "If she does not arrive in Lironis in
three days, I suspect treason."

"I suspect treason already," Tamblin snapped. "My
son went with her, did he not?"

"She did not wish to travel without him. She trusts none
of the guards—not after that filth," Rath jerked his head toward Yevil, "attempted
to murder her." Yevil, released from prison, stood at the King's right
hand. Tamblin held up a hand to keep Yevil from speaking.

"Remember you are in the presence of the King,"
Tamblin thundered. "Yevil is my trusted advisor."

"And the one who arranged to kill your firstborn,"
Rath hissed. "Everyone knows it—except you. Timblor died for nothing,
because Yevil wanted it thus. He desires all our deaths—do you not realize
that?"

"What could he gain from such a desire?" Tamblin's
voice became cold. "He is a citizen of Fyris, just as you are."

"Yet murders happen in Fyris every day—for no good
reason," Rath replied.

"I weary of this conversation," Tamblin waved a
hand. "I will imprison you for a moon-turn—long enough for Omina to reach
Lironis and send word of her arrival back to me. If Amlis does not return with
that message, I will declare him an enemy to the crown. If my son fails to
return, I will see you die and launch my ships on the same day."

"As you will it, my King," Rath offered an insincere
bow. Two guards came forward and escorted him from the King's presence.

* * *

Avii Castle

Quin

"At least you're looking me in the eye, now," Amlis
said as I approached him.

"You have no standing, here," I said evenly. "Neither
do I, as far as the King is concerned. If you harm me, however, you will be
most sorry, I assure you."

The Orb floated behind me, which troubled Amlis, I could tell.
Rodrik stood not far away, wishing for the sword he always carried. Justis had
it, now.

Both men stood on the terrace outside the Library—the others
were bathing or sleeping in the rooms they'd been assigned. "What is that
thing?" Rodrik whispered. He'd never seen such—the Orb floated on its
own—with a will of its own.

"They call it the Orb, but it lives in some way, I think,"
I shrugged. "It is the reason I survived my first few moments here."

"They wanted to kill you, didn't they?" Amlis asked.

"They tried twice. The Orb threw them back both times. In
the past, it gave counsel to their King and Queen—the ones your father
murdered—with Yevil's help and the weapon he carried."

"Why do we have no writings on it?" Amlis went on,
watching the Orb closely.

"Would you believe such?" I shrugged.

"Unlikely—without seeing the truth of it. Just as seeing
the blue giant last night convinced me."

"He doesn't live on Siriaa," I said. "I do not
know where his home is—we've never discussed it."

"What do you mean?" Rodrik exploded. "Siriaa is
all there is."

"I've heard tales of many worlds outside our own,"
Gurnil responded as he walked up beside me. "I have no proof—except the
Larentii, of course. Daragar is not the first of that race to visit us. They
only come to Aviaa, too, which I find puzzling. Quin, the King wishes to see
you this morning. These others he will deal with later."

"I should change," I sighed, brushing a hand over
the yellow top and trousers I wore.

"Wear green," Gurnil urged. "Justis will arrive
shortly to escort you."

* * *

I knew Gurnil—and Ordin—had the idea that dressing me in green
might convince the King to place me in the Healer's Guild. It was a good plan,
except I had no green wings. Jurris was consistent in his prejudices—I
understood that easily enough.

I had no idea why Jurris wanted to see me, except to absently
pat my head and send me back to cleaning Justis' quarters. Surprisingly enough,
the Orb followed as I dressed and waited for Justis to collect me.

* * *

"What will they do with us?" Rodrik whispered after
Gurnil and Quin disappeared inside the Library.

"I doubt they'll kill us," Amlis snorted. "They
could have done that before—when Camryn and Elabeth died."

"That doesn't keep them from tossing us into an airless
dungeon," Rodrik pointed out. "Or from keeping us there until we die."

"How is Beatris taking this?" Amlis asked.

"She's sleeping," Rodrik mumbled. "I won't
disturb her with this worry, yet."

"Mother, too," Amlis agreed. "Although I can
barely see the faintest of scars after Quin healed her, she is tired—likely
from blood loss."

"Fen, too. I wish we'd known these things while
Finder—Quin—was still in Lironis."

"Would we have been any better than we were?" Amlis
asked.

"I know not," Rodrik shook his head. "We'd be
dead without her intervention—several times over. You heard her—she said she
has no standing here; we share the same circumstances."

"We are exiles, Rod. My father will make sure of that,"
Amlis replied.

"We are homeless," Wolter nodded as he and Deeds
approached. "That makes you no less a Prince," he lowered his head
briefly to Amlis. "I worry greatly for those we left behind."

* * *

Quin

"Do you wish to fly to my brother's terrace?" Justis
asked. He'd knocked on my door after having a brief conversation with Gurnil in
Gurnil's study.

"If that is what you want," I agreed. "I have
only flown once—when the Orb instructed me to do so last night."

"The Orb did much instructing last evening," Justis
agreed. He wanted to smile; he didn't. I knew then that the Orb had directed him
to deliver Halthea's death. He had no idea what his brother might do as a
result, which left both of us in confusion.

So many questions bubbled up—questions I refused to ask. Why
had the Orb spoken to Justis and not Jurris? It could easily have warned Jurris
away from Halthea's attack. Gurnil and Ordin had also received messages.

Perhaps only the Orb had those answers and I dared not ask it.
"Come then, we will test your wings a second time," Justis nodded to
me. "Gurnil and Ordin will also come."

That's when I knew the King's Council had been summoned. I
would have to face all of them.

* * *

I think I would have been lost in the pleasure of flight if I
hadn't been summoned by the King of the Avii. Instead, the short flight was
plagued by my fears as to what the King planned to do with me.

Justis had told him only that morning that Halthea was his
half-sister. It was a secret perhaps Jurris shouldn't have heard. Justis had
his reasons, but as I knew it, too, that placed me in danger. I wished then
that I'd never bothered to speak in the first place. None ever worried that I'd
spill secrets, then.

* * *

Kondar

"What is this?" Edden stared through the airchopper's
window.

"Your escort, High President," Jhak replied.

At least fifty airchoppers surrounded them and now flew in a protective
formation. "We need this much of an escort? I believed we'd be escaping in
secret. Or at least I hoped as much," Melis grumbled. "What if we're
attacked?"

"I'm getting information now," one of the pilots tapped
his headset and turned to reassure Edden. "The military is now refusing to
obey Dorthil's orders. Two newsvid facilities were destroyed and employees died
while transmitting information. The moment the people realized Dorthil intended
to kill them, they took to the streets. Word is that Dorthil is now fleeing
toward Sector Two, which offered asylum. Welcome back, High President."

"Where are we going, then?" Edden asked.

"To the Council," the pilot replied. "It seems
they've already sent for the fleet outside Yokaru; it will arrive in three
days."

"Will you relay a message, then?" Edden asked.

"Of course, High President."

"Ask that three ships remain outside Avii Castle. I know
ours attacked them last night. I need to repair that damage if I can. Tell them
to send messages that the coup is over and there will be no further attacks."

"Yes, High President."