Captivated (32 page)

She felt the swell of energy and knew the portal was near. How something like a portal could remain undetected she didn’t quite understand. The air and atmosphere as they approached the promised clearing was blatant, undisguised.

Vincenz held a fist up, indicating they hold in place and she stopped, Julian moving close enough to touch her back, reassuring.

“He’ll go ahead. Wait.” He whispered it into her ear and despite the seriousness of the moment, she shivered.

Vincenz came back into view some minutes later and she let out a breath she’d forgotten she’d been holding.

“Let’s go. There’s troop movement.”

Her heart pounded and she forced herself not to be alarmed. They’d take care of it. She’d follow directions and everything would be fine. That was her mantra as they quickly got to the clearing and into the small transport that had been pushed from the trees just beyond.

It was very small.

She’d do it.

“It’s a short trip,” Julian said quietly as he took her pack and indicated she sit in a nearby jump seat. “Strap in.”

She did, ignoring her shaking hands as Julian stowed their gear and went back up front with Vincenz. They’d handle it and she would hold on.

Closing her eyes as Julian keyed the engines over, she went over the plan again. Over the way she’d find the virus and get rid of it. They’d toyed with the idea of her bringing a sample back. But it wasn’t totally safe. They didn’t know enough to expose those in the Federated Territories to such a danger. The scientist in her wanted to bring it back so she could create a vaccine. Wanted to see what they’d done so she could figure out a way to combat it. But that same scientist knew risks weren’t always worth it. The dangers here were manifold, the possible outcomes ghoulish.

So unless she could figure out how to do it and be as safe as possible, she’d destroy all the stocks of the virus and all the data she could find. After making copies for herself of course, to study when she got back.

Her stomach bottomed out as they entered the portal and began to travel. There wasn’t a whole lot of insulation on these small transports they’d taken through the private portals. As a result it was colder and far louder than the other transports they’d have taken were they using the public portals. There was nothing luxurious about the ship she was in just then, but at least she was there with them.

Minutes later they both came back with her. “We’ll arrive in less than two hours.” Julian pulled his shirt off and handed it her way. “Put this on. It’s lined and you’ll hold heat in better.”

“What about you?”

He rustled in his pack and pulled out another. “I have more than one.” He frowned a moment. “I don’t like it that you haven’t worn any of my shirts since our argument.”

“I’ve got one of your undershirts on. I wear it all the time.” She blushed. “I thought you’d notice.”

He laughed, the frown long gone. “By the time I get that close to your naked tits I’m not noticing if you’re wearing my undershirt or not.”

She unbuckled and stood to put the shirt on beneath her jacket.

Vincenz handed her a protein bar. “We’ve got some quiet down time right now. Eat when you can. Always think about your strength and make sure you can keep it up.”

She unwrapped and took a bite. “Thank you.” She tried not to curl her lip at the taste. Not horrible, but nothing she would seek out on her own if she wasn’t on some dangerous, top secret mission to the very center of the Imperium.

“When this is over, I’ll make you a dinner. All my childhood favorites.” Vincenz sat across from her and took her feet up in his lap as he ate one of the bars himself. “Ellis offered me my father’s job.”

She’d been about to accept his offer of that dinner with gusto when he lobbed out the bit about Ellis. Not that she was surprised.
It made sense. Both that Ellis would ask and that Vincenz would want to chew it over before he said anything.

Julian raised a brow. “He did? And what do you think about that?” He realized he hadn’t ever really taken that into consideration and how silly it had been not to have seen it from the start. Who better to lead the new Imperium after they removed Ciro Fardelle than his son?

“I don’t know what I think. I’ve been working through it for a few days. I still don’t know. There are bound to be people who are highly qualified to take over. I haven’t been here for many years.”

Vincenz was the kind of man more comfortable with praising others than shoving his own praiseworthy events to the fore. He’d be an impressive leader, he was born to it. But then he’d be elsewhere. They’d work it out, no matter what.

Hannah’s gaze met his briefly before she turned back to Vin. “But you know your people. You were trained to lead. They’re bound to feel better about you than someone your father was close to.”

Vincenz shrugged. “He erased me from the public record. Disappeared me. All pictures and paintings with my likeness were destroyed. They may not remember.”

Julian realized that was part of the problem. “And you think they’ll have forgotten you existed.”

Hannah shook her head, her mouth set. “From what I understand of being disappeared, people still keep secret shrines to those they’ve lost. How do you assume they’d remember their cousin or a neighbor, but not the son of their leader who suffered the same fate their own have?”

Julian leaned back and let Hannah do the digging around Vin’s inner fortress. She had a way about her; it was impossible not to admire. Hells, he was wowed by it.

“But I didn’t. Their loved ones were shot in the head and dumped
into a ditch. Or they went into a dungeon and were never heard from again. I’m alive.”

“Yes, you are. So why do you feel guilty about that? You’re alive so you can liberate them at long last, Vincenz. People have long memories. People in repressive regimes especially. I’m not saying you should do it, especially if you don’t want it or don’t think you can do a good job with it. But I’d never forget you. You’re real. Smart. Strong. Utterly capable and you’ve not only received training here, but in the Federation too. You are qualified to do your father’s job, without any doubt.”

Vincenz shifted uncomfortably but said nothing else for some time.

V
incenz stood at the hatch of the transport for a while before he got the courage to open it. Out there was the place of his birth. Was the land he’d learned how to ride, fight, lead on. The people out there were his people in a way he’d tried to forget over the last years. But he never had. They were in his blood.

Hannah leaned forward and kissed his shoulder. No words; she knew they weren’t needed. Just that touch.

“Remember your training,” he said quietly and opened the door to the dark beyond and stepped out, sweeping the area quickly before he gave the all clear. Hannah hopped down and Julian followed, setting the cloaking devices around the transport. They’d developed the device just a short time before. They masked the energy signature of the portal and the ship. Hopefully it was far enough away from the palace that there’d be no need, but being careful was better than getting caught.

They had a three-hour hike. He’d briefed Hannah; she knew they’d need to keep moving and stood at his side, ready.

On the way, as he kept them hugging the long, low ridge ringing the plains where the palace lay, he went over the plans again and again. Trying not to think about the discussion he’d had with Ellis.

Discussion wasn’t really the word. Ellis had brought it up, let him know he believed Vincenz would do a good job, but had left the issue with him to decide.

The air there smelled like it did nowhere else in all the ’Verses. Clean, hot, dry earth. Sand, a little plains grass. Above the sky was brilliant with stars. The moon would rise soon enough and then a short while later the first of the two suns would rise and the day would become hotter and drier. Brighter. Until the zenith of the day when everyone but the heartiest of workers would head inside to break bread and have some ale and wait out the heat.

He wondered what they thought of the place. Wondered if he’d even want to know. Of course he did. They were two of the three most important people in his life. He knew his sister loved Caelinus as much as he did. Missed her terribly, made a promise to himself to speak with her when all this was over to get her opinion on whether or not he should take Roman Lyons up on his offer.

Nothing was simple. If he chose to stay, what would happen to Julian and Hannah? Certainly, Hannah could find plenty of people to help here. But Julian had a life back in the Federated Territories. A career with Phantom Corps. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him to leave that to come here.

And did he want to really?

He knew he didn’t want one of his father’s cronies doing it. He knew he wanted this to be an opportunity for growth and good in the Imperium.

He shoved it from his head. He needed to be sharp for what was to come and dwelling on what ifs just then was stupid and dangerous.

And still he’d ruminated on it, at least in the back of his mind until they came to the spot they needed to stop.

He crouched and they followed. “This is where we head east. Up that hillside there. It’s dusty so be careful not to kick up too much or we could be discovered.”

Both of them nodded. Vincenz caught Julian eying her pack and wanted to laugh. She wasn’t going to let him take it. He caught the same thought flash over Julian’s features as they stood and headed upward.

He hoped the system of caves was still there and breathed a sigh of relief when it was. He led them deeper into the mouth of the cave before he allowed any light. The last thing they needed was to be discovered so close to their goal.

Counting his steps, he found the right depression in the wall and pressed in the appropriate places. Inside, he caught the click of the lock and the whoosh as the door opened inward. “Here we go.”

Hannah took an audible breath. Julian took her hand in his and kissed it.

“I’m all right,” she said, not sounding it.

Vincenz wanted to comfort her, enough that he was able to let go of his own anxiety to realize she needed to do this on her own. So he pushed his needs aside and settled for a quick kiss against her temple once he got them inside.

Once he’d got the door reset, they stood in the cool dark. Alone in the quiet. Each one with their own battle to fight. For some reason that made him feel better.

He clicked the torch on, taking a good look all around. Spider-webs told him no one had been in this passage in years. Perhaps since he took that last trip out of the palace and into freedom.

“Everyone ready?”

She nodded, eyes wide. Julian gave a short tip of his chin and they began, following Vincenz down the long, long passage back to the palace where all this began.

“Is it all right to speak in here?” she asked Julian very quietly.

Of course Vincenz heard her because he was that attuned to her. “Yes. We’re still a considerable distance from the palace. And we’re surrounded by rock. Can’t even be detected by someone standing right above us.”

“Who made these passages?”

“And why doesn’t my father know about them?” Vincenz kept walking, appreciating the distraction. “I only know bits and pieces from my YaYa, my paternal grandmother. Originally, the first Family who held Caelinus was aligned with the Federation. That was many, many generations ago. The family was the Cuomo Family and they held all the ’Verses from here to Silesia. There was a difference of opinion with House Lyons and they declared themselves independent. One of his daughters married a Fardelle and took over what had been a palace, which he constructed into a keep of sorts. He monitored the comings and goings of everyone, especially his family.”

He kept going, on the look out for any other traffic or signs the passage had been discovered or used by anyone recently and found none.

“His wife had these tunnels made as a way to get away from her husband, who tended toward fits of rage. She wanted to be able to go where she wanted whenever she wanted. She passed this down to the next Fardelle wife and so on. My grandmother showed them to my mother, who showed them to Carina. Carina and I were very close and she showed them to me. In the end, it was me who used them to escape and leave the Imperium.”

Hannah was silent for some time. Vincenz knew she was filtering through everything he’d said, most likely drawing conclusions and making predictions because that’s what she did.

“Why didn’t your mother escape?” It was Julian who asked.

“She was brought up to believe her place was at her husband’s side, no matter the cost. They brought her here at a very young age. My grandmother raised her more than her own mother had. And my grandmother may have shown us the passages, but she stayed too.” Bitterness washed through him.

“If she’d have left, who’d have taken care of you and your sister? She stayed to keep you safe. Even after you left.”

He sucked in a quick breath at the truth of that.

“Which isn’t your fault.”

He smiled, though she couldn’t have seen it. Smiled because she knew him so damned well.

“She did what she thought was right. What she was raised to believe. Helping you both get out was her job as a mother and she did it. That was her duty. That she didn’t leave as well, where would she go?”

She could have come to him.

“I suppose you imagine she might have come to you. But would she know that? Would she have the contacts left to get out? And if so, how would she hide her absence from the palace? She’s trapped. Not
because
of you two, but due to circumstances. So she did what she could to make things different. Better. And that is her gift. We can bring her back with us.”

In just a few minutes Hannah had waltzed into his brain and beaten back every single doubt he’d had. Every resentment. And she’d provided a solution.

He took a deep breath and kept going.

* * *

T
hey’d been steadily climbing for some time when they reached a junction in the passage. “We head left here. Each one of these has an outlet in the palace somewhere. As I don’t know exactly how the keep may have changed since Carina escaped, I’m opting for the stables. They’re likely to be unchanged. It’s still early enough that it should be quiet with few people around. We’ll change clothes when we get there.”