Consort (Beyond Ontariese 6) (13 page)

She stood and embraced him as if they
were old friends.

“
I can’t be gone long or
I’ll be missed.” He straddled the bench, putting his back to the
security camera mounted on a nearby light pole. His broad back also
blocked her from view as she sat on the bench in front of him. “I
sent you a detailed message this morning. There’s not much more to
tell.”

All the message had done was recap
what she already knew, except for revealing that Indric had moved
his mistress and the boy into the palace. She hadn’t yet shared
that tidbit with Eagin. He was sure to come unhinged.

If Ametto’s time was limited, she
wouldn’t bother reviewing what he’d already told her. Instead, she
said, “Eagin didn’t come right out and say it but he must have
someone on your team. That’s the only way the shooter could have
gotten as close as he did.”

“
He does and I know who it
is.”

She wasn’t surprised by the news. It
had taken months of focused effort to recruit Ametto. He was one of
the best, which was why she’d been so determined to have him. His
loyalty had seemed unshakable and she’d been ready to abandon her
plan when she’d stumbled upon his weakness and exploited it to the
fullest.

“
The attack was a horrible
miscalculation,” she said. “Eagin will be useless to me if the
people turn against him. I can’t imagine what he was
thinking.”

“
Eagin doesn’t think.”
Ametto’s voice was deep and rumbly, perfectly matching his
intimidating appearance. “That’s his problem. He’s impulsive and
emotional and dangerous. Don’t underestimate him.”

“
Have you tracked down the
shooter?”

“
Nearly. Knowing who hired
him narrowed the list considerably, but Indric’s investigators
aren’t far behind.”

“
They cannot be allowed to
question him.” She gave Ametto a meaningful look and he responded
with a stiff nod. It was Ametto’s nature to protect, but he
possessed the skills to destroy just as easily.

“
Once I’m sure, I’ll take
care of it.”

Satisfied with his answer, she moved
on. “Why is no one talking about the attack, or the fact that
Indric has moved a woman and her son into the palace? I expected
this place to be buzzing with gossip and speculation by
now.”

“
King Indric is liked and
respected by his people and his staff. He asked that things be kept
quiet, so for the most part people are keeping his secret. Word
will eventually spread beyond the palace walls, but gossip travels
a little more slowly when the subject is popular.”

She couldn’t imagine being so well
respected that her subjects would feel protective of her. The
thought drew her mind inward and filled her with frustration and
regret. Why had Indric been so indifferent to her? A match between
their regions would have been perfect in so many ways.

“
May I see her tonight?
I’ve done everything you asked.”

Ametto’s tense question snapped her
out of her momentary gloom. “You may see her once the shooter is
silenced. And leave the body where it’s sure to be found. I want to
watch Eagin squirm.”

“
Understood.”

* * * * *

“
Let’s go see if the boys
have returned from the stables,” Cinarra suggested with a smile.
“Betaul will be thrilled to see you.”

“
You’re avoiding the
question, just like Indric did.” Krysta glared at her playfully.
“All I want is a simple yes or no. Are you and Indric
lovers?”

“
No.”

“
But you’d like to
be?”

Cinarra laughed. “You requested one
answer and I gave it. The rest is none of your
business.”

“
But, Mom, he’s Drakkin’s
best friend. Bilarrians are so…mysterious. And the only thing more
arrogant than a Bilarrian is a
royal
Bilarrian. You can’t seriously
be thinking about becoming his—mistress? Consort? Has he asked you
to join with him or just hop into bed?”

She took Krysta’s hand and led her
from the study. This was Indric’s private domain. There were likely
members of his staff lurking behind every door. “Let’s get some
air. You look as if you could use it.”

Krysta didn’t argue and they made
their way through the maze of corridors and out into the private
courtyard.

“
Wow.” Krysta stopped to
smell a bright orange blossom on one of the manicured bushes. “This
is beautiful. Now stop stalling and tell me what’s going on. All I
know about Indric is his reputation. I had no idea you two had
grown so close.”

“
First of all, it’s King
Indric,” Cinarra cautioned. “Don’t pick up my bad habit of thinking
of him as a man. He’s a Bilarrian king and neither of us can forget
it.” She started strolling along the wide stone path and Krysta
fell in step beside her.

“
All you’d have to do is
step out of the shadows and you would be a queen. You are his
social equal and you can’t let
him
forget it.”

“
We’re still working to
define our relationship, but we will not let social expectations
determine what we mean to each other.”

“
What do you mean to each
other? Do you love him?”

They’d reached the pond and Cinarra
watched the colorful fish glide beneath the glass clear water as
she considered the question. “I think I could love him if I allow
myself to be that vulnerable. You above all people understand why
it’s hard for me to trust.”

“
How often have you seen
King Indric since Lord Drakkin brought you here?”

“
Every few weeks, more
since he came out of mourning for his father. We’ve been friends
for years, but circumstances have kept us apart. This is the first
time he’s been free to express his feelings for me.”

Krysta looked at her silently for a
moment, clearly bothered by something. “I thought he was
married.”

“
He has outlived three
consorts. Talya was the most recent and she passed beyond almost
five years ago.”

“
Years.” Krysta chuckled.
“They’re called cycles in this sector. You need to lose the Earth
lingo.”

“
Actually they’re
season
cycles on Bilarri
and
solar
cycles
on Ontariese. Which do you prefer I adopt?”

“
You’re right. A rose by
any other name…” Quoting one of Earth’s literary masters unraveled
Krysta’s argument and they both laughed. “I’m sorry you had to live
through another terror, but I’m really glad Indric asked me
here.”

“
Me too. It’s such a treat
to see you in person.”

“
So give me a crash course
in Bilarri. My only real interaction with Bilarrians has been Lord
Drakkin and somehow I don’t think he’s an example of Bilarri’s
average Joe.”

“
Hardly.” They were both
wearing stylish yet uncomfortable heels, so she looked around for
somewhere to sit. Krysta motioned to the same bench Cinarra had
shared with Indric the night before and heat unfurled with in
Cinarra’s belly. She’d run away like a frightened rabbit and he’d
patiently pursued. When Charlotte had hinted that she’d become
Indric’s prey once he decided to have her, she hadn’t imagined
anything so tender.

“
Bilarri to Cinarra.”
Krysta waved her hand in front of Cinarra’s face, drawing her back
to the present. “Where’d you go?”

“
Sorry. This has all
happened so quickly, I’m still reeling.” They settled on the bench
and Krysta kicked off her shoes. Cinarra had to reach down and
unbuckle her sandals, but she was soon barefoot too. “Okay, one
crash course in all things Bilarrian coming up. The planet is
divided into four regions and each region has its own king. Each
region also honors a different element and elects a guild master.
The San Adrin deserts honors Air.”

“
Kings are born, while
guild masters are elected?” As usual Krysta latched on to a random
detail as opposed to absorbing the overall picture.

Cinarra refused to be frustrated by
her daughter’s inquisitiveness. “Yes and authority passes from
father to son.”

“
Typical.” Krysta rolled
her eyes. “Do the kings answer to the guild masters or is it the
other way around?”

“
Depends who you ask.”
Cinarra chuckled. “The guild masters claim to be the ultimate power
in each region, but so do the kings. The regions run smoothest when
the king works with the guild master and vice versa, but such is
not always the case.”

“
Does Indric get along with
the master of air guild?”

“
He is simply called Master
Air and yes, Indric works well with him.” Cinarra tried not to let
Krysta’s questions draw her too far off course. There was still a
lot to explain. “Because each region’s abilities flow from a
different element, the gifts are unique from region to
region.”

“
I know King Indric used
his voice to calm you,” Krysta prompted. “What else can he
do?”

“
As I said, San Adrin
honors Air. This allows them to literally command the wind, but it
also gives them control over anything that travels upon it, like
thoughts and emotions.”

“
So they’re empathic and
able to manipulate minds? No wonder Bilarrians are unimpressed with
Ontarian Mystics.”

“
Their abilities are most
powerful when they’re on Bilarri and have ready access to their
element, but most are able to store up energy and use their skills
off world. Each skill set is different and always depends on the
person’s willingness to work for control. Manipulating energy is
like any other task; it requires effort and practice. Only the most
powerful followers of Air are able to ride the wind or
flash.”

“
Teleport?”

“
That’s an Ontarian term,”
Cinarra pointed out.

“
But Lord Drakkin flashes
all over the galaxy. What element does Hautell honor?”

“
Hautell honors earth or
rock, but Lord Drakkin trained with guild masters from all four
regions. Like Betaul, he is one of a kind.”

“
Indric hinted that he can
regenerate like Drakkin. Do you know how old he is?”

“
Indric or Drakkin?”
Cinarra smiled. Her daughter had a tendency to ramble. Cinarra
would have to maintain control of the conversation or they’d be
here all day.

“
I meant Indric, but that’s
an interesting point. Do you know how old Drakkin is?”

“
Indric mentioned one day
in passing that they’d been friends for twelve centuries. I about
fell out of my chair when I realized he meant it literally. They
aren’t technically immortal. They will eventually weaken and die,
but they’re both immune to disease and can heal most wounds so fast
they don’t even bleed. Regeneration seems to be more prominent in
the royal bloodlines rather than being anchored in any one
region.”

“
That’s likely how the
royal families originally took power.”

“
I’d never thought about it
that way, but it makes sense.” Sometimes being detail oriented had
its benefits. “Drakkin was King of Hautell when Indric was sent to
foster with him, so Indric would have been in his early teens. I
don’t know how old Drakkin was at the time.”

“
Well, that settles it.
King Indric is too damn old for you.” Krysta laughed.

“
Actually, I’m glad. We
both look younger than we are. It’s something we have in
common.”

“
But if he continues to
regenerate and you age, how long will that be true?”

Cinarra couldn’t quite hold back her
smile. The pros and cons of her secret had been simmering inside
her ever since Indric declared his feelings for her. “Longer than
you might think,” she whispered. She really needed to talk this out
with someone and it would likely take Indric a few days to process
the surprises they’d heaped upon him earlier.

“
Meaning?”

She scooted closer to her
daughter and lowered her voice. “Ontarians only live a century or
so, but
Rodytes
live much longer.”

It took Krysta a moment to make the
connection then she covered her mouth with her hand. “I thought
your eyes had been surgically altered.” She shook her head as if to
dispel the disturbing possibility. They all thought of Rodytes as
the enemy. This is why so few knew the truth about the Mystic’s
origins. “What the hell was a Rodyte doing among Ontarian Mystics?
Wait a minute. How was she able to pass herself off as a Mystic?
Rodytes don’t have those sorts of abilities.”

“
This one did. Drakkin knew
she was Rodyte as soon as he started to repair her body, but there
was no other choice if they were going to save me. Then Charlotte
tried to contact her next of kin and realized that her profile was
manipulated. She was a fabrication, a phantom. That’s why I’ve
always called her the Mystic. We have no idea who she really
was.”

“
Other than a Rodyte spy?”
Krysta took another moment to digest the facts then shook her head
again. “Wow. I didn’t see this coming. Does your soon-to-be-lover
know about this?”