Starfall: A Starstruck Novel (32 page)

Still holding hands, we walked through through the archway to Diamond Street.
 

“Your bike is soaked.”
 

Rigel shrugged. “No biggie. This hour with you was totally worth a wet seat.”
 

Notice how we’re still not hearing more than we want to?
 

Yep,
he replied.
But we should try one last time, make sure no baddies are nearby.

Standing next to his bike, hand in hand, we reached out again. This time it only took me a couple of minutes to find Aunt Theresa again after sifting through the wash of emotions between here and there. Some were happy, some were sad or upset, but none seemed to be plotting nefarious deeds. Aunt Theresa, on the other hand, was getting distinctly impatient—probably because I was going to be late starting my Saturday chores.

“Yep, definitely time to go,” I said, releasing Rigel’s hand. “Did you pick that up, too?”

“Yeah. Is that how it always feels when you…”
sense other people’s emotions?
he finished silently as an older couple walked past us into the arboretum.

“Only if I focus.”

“Focus any time you see a stranger then, okay? Promise?”

“I will. Promise.” Going up on my toes, I gave him a last, quick kiss, then turned toward home.

I’ll bet our telepathy range will be better than ever now,
he sent as he passed me on his bike with a wave and a smile.
 

He was right. We kept thinking to each other the whole time I was walking and he was biking. I got home a few minutes before he did, still able to hear him. After apologizing to Aunt Theresa for being gone longer than I’d expected and getting started on the bathroom, I reached out to Rigel again.
Can you still hear me?

I can! And…I’m home! Just got here. This is beyond awesome.

Totally! Should we tell your parents?

We discussed that and other things the whole time I was scrubbing out the tub and toilet, then off and on for the rest of the day, when we didn’t need to pay attention to anyone else. Rigel was right. It
was
beyond awesome.

*
   
*
   
*

At ten minutes till eight, I headed to the O’Garas’ house, again with my overnight bag since tonight’s meeting would probably go even later than the first one.

“Mind you’re a good guest,” Aunt Theresa cautioned, like she always did. “Pick up after yourself, offer to help around the house and don’t forget to say thank you.”

“I know. I will. G’night, Aunt Theresa. G’night, Uncle Louie.”

“Nearly everyone is already here, Excellency,” Mrs. O’Gara greeted me when I arrived. “Quinn has taken Sean and Molly to a movie.” The last two meetings, they’d been home and Mr. O had sat in, though he hadn’t participated.
 

“Better than them being stuck in their rooms, since we have so much to talk about tonight.”

“We do indeed.”
 

I knew she meant my “ill-advised” decision to get back together with Rigel, but suspected the Council would disapprove of some other items on my agenda every bit as much. Shaking off the subservient attitude I had to assume around Aunt Theresa, I lifted my chin and preceded Mrs. O into the living room.
 

The two other local members of the Council, Breann and Malcolm, rose and bowed at my entrance. So did Kyna’s and Nara’s projected holograms—incredibly solid-looking, but without
brath
or emotions I could sense, since they were actually in Washington, D.C. They were still bowing, right fists over their hearts, when Connor’s hologram beamed in from Denver.
 

Once he’d bowed, I sat down and the others followed my example. (I always assumed the holographic ones were on actual chairs elsewhere, though it looked remarkably like they were sitting on ones here in the living room).

“As you all know, we have a lot of business to cover tonight,” I began before anyone else could speak. “First, Nara, I want to personally thank you for returning to the Council. It means a lot to me—as did your resignation and the reason for it.”

Though the Royals all shifted uncomfortably, little Nara smiled and bobbed her head. “It is my great honor, Excellency. My allegiance is yours. Always.”
 

“This still leaves us a member short.” I looked around at the others, most of whose expressions were guarded, as were the emotions of those physically present. “So you’ll be happy to know I’ve found someone both suitable and willing to serve by taking his father’s place on this Council.”

“What? You wish to appoint Van Stuart?” Connor exclaimed, frowning.
 

“I already have. Which is completely within my authority,” I reminded them all as their surprise became tinged with disapproval. “Just last week you stressed the need for a decent communication system to connect the new
Echtran
settlements popping up around the world. You were worried because we have so few qualified Informatics Scientists on Earth, and because that person would need such a high level of security clearance. Appointing Van Stuart to this Council solves all those problems at once.”

I held my breath, waiting, while my words sank in. One by one, heads started to nod, though some with obvious reluctance. Kyna was the first to speak.

“Yes, Excellency, I agree that Van will be a valuable addition. Through Shim, I’ve come to know him fairly well over the years and his loyalty and ethics are above reproach. As the person who originally designed the current MARSTAR system, his skills will serve us well in creating a more robust communication network to accommodate Earth’s growing
Echtran
population.”

Nara nodded enthusiastically, as though she were only just restraining herself from clapping. “Indeed! Van is the next best thing to Shim himself, now that Shim’s serving in an even more important capacity in Nuath.”

“I can’t deny that this would resolve a few of our current problems, Excellency.” Breann smiled thinly, then glanced around at the other Royals. “Do you not think so?”

“I suppose there is something to be said for maintaining a balance on the Council, as you so strenuously pointed out last week, Excellency,” Malcolm admitted.
 

When Mrs. O and Connor finally murmured their grudging agreement, I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Great! I’ve invited Mr. Stuart to join us here shortly, so he can be brought up to speed on everything. Meanwhile, we can move on to other matters.”

“Such as this news of you resuming a relationship with Rigel Stuart?” Malcolm said before I could continue. “We may have agreed to his father’s appointment, but I thought surely you understood that pursuing even a fleeting teen romance with a non-Royal could have a detrimental effect on—”

 
“Yes, I’m well aware that most of you consider it politically
inconvenient
for Rigel and me to be together, just as you found it politically
convenient
to turn a blind eye to Nuathan law and agree to his memory being erased. Luckily, that memory erasure turned out to be temporary.”

“What?” Kyna spoke sharply. “Are you saying that Rigel Stuart’s memory is returning already? How is that possible?”

Second only to Shim in both age and bearing, Kyna had always intimidated me a little, but now I looked her directly in the eye. “It was possible because of our
graell
bond, something all of you have done your best to ignore from the start. When Rigel and I are together, when we touch, we have always had a healing effect on each other. In this case, it healed his memory.”

Kyna still frowned. “While I did not sanction his memory erasure, Excellency, I was disappointed to learn you had informed Rigel of the Grentl’s existence despite your sworn word. It was that breach which persuaded my Royal colleagues to disregard Nuathan law on this matter.”

The Royals all began to murmur and nod, so I continued quickly. “I did try my best to keep the Grentl a secret from Rigel, since you forced me to promise. But he knew I was hiding something and, as my Bodyguard, I felt he needed to know. So once we were on our way to Mars, I finally told him, knowing he’d never, ever tell anyone else. Which he didn’t.”

“Excellency, are you implying that you now intend to share
all
official business, classified or not, with Rigel Stuart?” Connor was visibly indignant, as were the other Royals.

I debated with myself for a moment, then nodded. “I don’t have much choice. One aspect of our bond is a mental link—sharing thoughts with each other. That made it incredibly hard to keep such a big secret from Rigel for three whole months. I never want to have to do that again.”

“Really?” Nara squeaked excitedly. “You actually have the legendary telepathic link? Can you—?”

“Not now, Nara,” Kyna snapped, then turned back to me. “We appreciate you sharing this with us, Excellency, but you can’t deny it’s a definite security risk. If Rigel Stuart should actually remember
everything—”

“He does. Everything.” Abruptly, I decided I was done fudging. “Just as if his memory had never been erased.” The Royals acted so shocked, I decided to attempt a test. “Obviously, that’s news you didn’t want to hear. Is that why you threatened his parents? So they wouldn’t help him get his memory back?”

As I voiced that accusation, I focused, hard, on the emotions of the Council members in the room with me and the expressions of the holographic ones. I didn’t detect any guilt, though. Just surprise and confusion.
 

“Threatened?” Breann echoed, frowning. “The Stuarts have been threatened? By whom?”

“That’s what I want to know,” I replied. “An anonymous note was left for Dr. Stuart at the hospital where she works, saying it would be
dangerous
for Rigel to remember too much, or to spend too much time with me. Exactly what some of you have been saying.”

Malcolm gave a little huff. “Dangerous, yes, in the sense of a security breach, but we certainly never implied we would take any sort of physical action against the Stuart family. I would hope something so cowardly as an anonymous note would be beneath any of us, no matter our views.”

“I wanted to believe that, too, and I’m glad to have it confirmed. But
somebody
left that note. Maybe Gordon Nolan? He was in on the original plot to erase Rigel’s memory and now he seems to have gone into hiding. I’d like Allister Adair questioned about that by someone who’ll know for sure whether he’s telling the truth.” I looked at Mrs. O’Gara.

“If…if that’s your wish, Excellency, though I told you I’ve spoken with my brother and—”

“But not in person. I did, just a few weeks ago, and he was awfully evasive when I asked him about Gordon. It’s also possible whoever left that note had something to do with the man who attacked me last week. Maybe even the attack in Ireland last spring, before I left for Mars. You never did figure out who was behind that.”

“Indeed,” Kyna said decisively. “Whoever is responsible must be found and stopped before he can again threaten the Sovereign or anyone else. Allister has proven himself capable of duplicity in the past, as has Gordon Nolan, in that matter of the hacked security feed aboard the
Quintessence,
an act of near-treason that could have resulted in Nuath’s destruction, had it delayed the Sovereign’s Acclamation any longer.”

Though she clearly wasn’t happy about it, Mrs. O nodded. “Very well. I’ll fly to Dun Cloch tomorrow and do my best to persuade Allister to reveal Gordon’s whereabouts—if he actually knows. I’ll message you with whatever I discover.”
 

I thanked her and prepared to move on to the next item, but Malcolm wasn’t ready to let the matter of Rigel and me go yet.
 

“Excellency, surely you don’t mean to make your relationship with young Stuart public, with no regard for how that might affect our people’s trust in your judgment? What of our traditions? What of your destined Consort?”

“Tradition isn’t the same thing as destiny,” I told him. “Sean knows Rigel and I are bonded and that we’re together again. If
he’s
okay with it, why should anyone else care?”

Malcolm turned to Mrs. O. “Is this true? Your son is willing to step aside in favor of this non-Royal upstart?”

“He, ah, does seem surprisingly resigned to the idea.” Mrs. O was radiating
way
more resentment than I’d sensed from Sean about it. “While I believe the old traditions have value, the rest of my family appears not to agree.” She sounded bitter and I suddenly realized
this
must be why she wanted them all out of the house tonight.

“I don’t like it,” Malcolm persisted. “You are still young, Excellency, but—”

“You’re not required to like it,” I said bluntly. “All I require is that you cooperate to keep Rigel and the Stuarts safe from any other disgruntled
Echtrans
who may not be above threats or attacks.”

He frowned but didn’t dare argue any further, which was my goal.
 

Mrs. O was still working to subdue her mother-outrage on Sean’s behalf when the doorbell rang. She jumped to her feet.
 

“That will be Van, I presume? You were quite right, Excellency, to anticipate this meeting going late. Informing him of everything he will need to know as a Council member will take quite some time.”

Three hours later, Mr. Stuart was finally able to assure us he had a reasonable grasp of all of the issues. The news about the Grentl’s existence had thrown him for a loop, but he’d overcome his initial shock more quickly than, say, Nels Murdoch had. What would take longer for him to get over, I suspected, was the full story of how Rigel’s memory came to be erased. I could sense his disappointment in people he’d formerly regarded as heroes.

I could also sense his gratitude when I insisted (over Council protest) that he was free to share everything he’d learned with his wife. I didn’t mention the Stuarts’ telepathic link, since that wasn’t my secret to share, instead stressing the unfairness of Dr. Stuart being the only one in their family not in the know.