Crais (22 page)

“Abby knows that animal.” Brace interrupted Quarn to point out a pair of
burbers. The large bear cross moose creatures were eating berries off some low-lying shrubs.

I shivered
, thinking back, before closing my fist and punching Brace solidly. He grinned, picking up my annoyance.

“That’s for pretending you were a First Worlder and letting me think we were going to be
eaten by that animal.” I narrowed my eyes. “I was scared enough to pee myself.”

Brace and Quarn both laughed.

“I’d say you deserved that.” Quarn shifted his head to grin at me.

“That little girly punch.
I’d have thought you were more annoyed than that.” Brace shrugged. “Guess that’s the best you have.”

He laughed
, capturing my leg as I lifted it to stomp his foot hard. “I’m just kidding. You’re one of the toughest people I know, regardless of sex. You’re fearless.”

“She always has been, since she was a small child.” Quarn’s tone was warm. “Aribella was the one who’d fight the bullies, chase the Gangers and stand up to her horrible matron.”

Leaning forward, Brace immediately encouraged Quarn to describe these events in my life. As he spoke, I realized that my guardian had been there for so much more than I’d ever known.

He faced me, his hard features softening.
“Despite the fact she drove me crazy with her recklessness, Aribella is one of the most courageous people I’ve ever known. She’s faced down more danger than I’d have liked in her eighteen years.”

I tried to protest,
needing them to know how afraid and confused I often was.

Quarn shot me a strange look
, before turning back to the road. “I think you misunderstand what true courage is; it is not being unafraid. It’s knowing heart-wrenching and debilitating fear and not letting that stop you from doing what needs to be done. From living your life despite the hardships you face. That was what you always did, Aribella, what made me the most proud of you. You faced your fears and the unknown on Earth every day, and lived as much as you could.”

Tears pricked at my eyes
. I swallowed down the lump which had formed in my throat. Quarn had spoken in his usual rough style but his words warmed my heart and I knew I would cherish this moment forever. Brace pulled me closer; I rested my head against his hard chest. We all stayed silent for the rest of the journey.

There were several check points to make it through. Quarn’s presence limited the interrogations but we were still delayed each time. Finally we reached the massive stone walls that surrounded the castle. I was wide eyed trying to take in everything
that was inside them. The castle could be seen in the far distance, at the end of the road we were on. The land inside the walls was massive, containing landscaped green grass, scattered trees, a pond, stables and riding paths. There were smaller buildings strewn around the monstrosity that was the castle. Everything was made with a combination of wood and stone.

As we drove up into the shadows of the large structure, I got a very clear picture of both the beauty and horror before me. It was clearly ancient, the materials showing wear and age, the stone casting scenes of
a gothic design complete with high gargoyles. And yet there were these amazing stained glass windows depicting beautiful and colorful scenes, along with twisting vines of purple flowers that softened the gray stone.

Quarn drove us under a
n archway which led to an underground bunker filled with vehicles. Pulling into a spare space, he exited the car, waiting for us to do the same. My eyes continued to drift upwards to the high stone ceilings. The entire structure fascinated me. Despite the cold stone, it felt like home, like I’d lived here before, which was the strangest sensation.

“Welcome to the royal castle.” Quarn
shifted around the vehicles, leading us to a set of stairs. “Stay on guard and trust no one. I’m yet to figure out what it is but there’s something dangerous going on here.”

I shivered at his final ominous message.

The stairs led us into a small stone circular room
. It looked like a foyer or something. There were shelves for hats, cubicles for shoes and a rack that held a few thick coats. I wondered if they were just for show. In all the time I’d been on First World, I’d never had much need for warm clothing.

“Do you have cold seasons on First World?” I asked
. I knew it snowed at my cabin but what about on the rest of this world.

Quarn nodded. “Yes
, it will start to get cold in the next few months. Nothing like the iciness of New York, but a definite change in climate.”

Brace marched beside me, matching his longer stride to fit my much shorter ones. “There
’s a continent here which is always covered in snow. Close to the star sky cabin. We should go there one day, I can take you boarding.” His eyes lit up and I could see this was a sport he enjoyed.

“I’m guessing there
’re a lot of places in the seven worlds you’ve explored,” I started slowly. “Hopefully one day we’ll have the time to explore them all.”

I felt a little disappointed that we wouldn’t experience all these things for the first time together, but it was always a bonus to have a
knowledgeable guide.

Red, no matter the experiences I
’ve had in the past, they weren’t with you. Don’t you know that makes it all a first time for me? I see everything differently now; you’ve changed my perspective and my life.

It always felt intimate hearing his words in my mind. It was so private. Neither of us had said
‘I love you’ since the night he returned. Sometimes it felt as if it was harder to follow up and say it for the second time.

It’s not just that, Red, it’s that those three words seem insignificant to the feelings I have. The words that
would be strong enough just don’t seem to exist in any current language.
He took a deep breath.
Takeshia lalina aroona quisd.

The beautiful words flowed through me, touching a place deep down inside.

What does it mean?
I asked.

It is from the Walkers
’ origin language. There is no literal translation, but something along the lines of ‘more than my life, more than all of the worlds, for all eternity’.

I nodded, those damn tears lingering again.

I feel the same.

Leaning down from his lofty height
, he pressed his warm lips to mine. It was a brief but tantalizing kiss.

“Sorry to interrupt what I’m sure is a very important
moment.” Quarn’s dry sense of humor was in full force. “But we’re about to enter the Emperor’s chambers. Lucas wants to see you.”

Great
. This was going to be interesting.

We continued to follow Quarn through the rooms. I loved the interior of the castle. The furniture was modern, but with ancient tapestries and art work displayed on the walls. I’d always been a fan of the mix of old and new, especially if you found that fine line where it blended without clashing.

Two men, dressed in a uniform of red and black, with large brass decals on each shoulder and matching buttons down their coats, opened a double set of wooden doors. We stepped through into a massive room and I recognized it immediately. The room from my dream long ago, it was a throne room, and the details were eerily similar; well, minus the crying First Worlders that had been in the dream. There were two chairs at the end of the rectangular room. Lucas was sitting on the larger and more ornate one. The back rose up over his head, glinting in the light from the massive jewels imbedded throughout.

As we approached, Lucas
stood, his expression somber. For the first time he was not dressed in his standard slacks and button-down shirt. I would describe his normal attire as before-the-downfall-rich-playboy, but now he wore a loose-fitting white robe, threaded through with gold. He looked older, or maybe it was that he finally wore a mantle of responsibility.

“It’s nice of you to visit, Abby.” He moved forward to take my hand, ignoring the others. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

I pulled my hand free, but kept my smile warm. “Are you talking about the assassination attempt, or is there something more?”

“Unfortunately, there is more.” The skin around his icy blue eyes tightened. “It’s
... father.” His voice broke.

Quarn’s head spun around
. He’d been chatting to one of the nearby guards. He strode back to stand in our circle.

“
What happened to the Emperor? Don’t tell me ...” He trailed off, seeming unable to finish his sentence.

Lucas shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes before he pushed it back. “The stress was too much for him
. It allowed the disease to take hold and he was not strong enough to fight any longer.” His voice broke, pain echoing.

“Oh
, my god, Lucas, I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t help myself, stepping forward so I could wrap my arms around him.

He pulled me closer, burying his head into my shoulder
. I patted his back a few times; the longer we stood there the more awkward I felt. I couldn’t tell if he was crying, but when he finally pulled back his face was dry. Brace stood an arm’s length from me. I caught his eye and while he didn’t look happy he hadn’t ripped us apart yet so he was dealing. It wasn’t until I stepped further back that I saw how black his eyes were. Okay, maybe he wasn’t exactly dealing well.

“So what happens now?” I asked.

“Emperor Christian will be granted his full week of farewell ceremonies,” Quarn answered when Lucas seemed unable. “And then Lucas will be inaugurated as the next ruler of First World.”

“The
council is already here. They’re meeting now to discuss the details. Will you come along?” Lucas asked, his voice low. “I would appreciate your support.”

How were we supposed to say no to that
?

We walked out of the
magnificent chamber, following the somber soon-to-be Emperor of this world.

“There are
eight major lands on First World. We are a much smaller planet than Earth,” Quarn explained to me as we walked. “There’s a mayoral head that presides over a small council in each province.”

Brace had explained this to us before, but
not in any great detail. It was important to pay attention to the information before we stepped into the room. Politics were tricky at the best of times.

“They’re all here now, but their council members won’t be in the room
, just the heads,” Lucas added.

“
Okay, pay attention,” Quarn started. “The northern areas are Lans province governed by Mayor Rhys Johansson, and Sydes province governed by Mayor Jet Siston. To the east are Crosster province governed by Mayor Lettie Sancho and Freshnile province governed by Mayor Annette Sare. To the west are Ander lands governed by Mayor Chenille Sarotaga, and West Havenbrook governed by Mayor Jarns Lansdown. And lastly the cold lands, Artica, governed by Mayor Den Carbo.”

Even with
my Walker memory I was going to struggle keeping them all straight.

“And then there is my province, Jana
,” Lucas said. “I reside in and rule over this and technically all of First World. Decisions must be run through all councils and then I have final veto.”

“But the most powerful
aspect of First World’s ruling body is how it allows its people the chance to weigh in on all. They respect their freedoms and give them the chance to dictate their laws.” Brace sounded impressed. “This is unparalleled in all of the worlds here.”

“Sounds messy to me
,” I said as we paused before a wooden door.

Earthlings could never have reached a universal decision on laws; their wants and needs were too diverse.

“Mayor Johansson was the one you told me about long ago
, right?” I spoke in a side whisper to Brace.

He nodded. “Yes,
I don’t know why but I sense he’s not to be trusted. He gives me the same off-vibe as Que.” He raised his brows. “Which should tell you all you need to know about Johansson.”

Great! Que was arrogant, egomaniacal, tyrannical and a sociopath.
This was going to be fun.

“
I’m about to create a bit of an uproar so prepare yourself,” Lucas said as he put both hands on the heavy door and pushed it open.

The door swung inward,
soundless on its hinges.

The room fell silent, a variety of faces turning to
inspect our interruption. There were more than seven people present. Each of the mayors had an assistant, although it wasn’t hard to tell which were the leaders. They were dressed in similar robes to Lucas and had brass-colored name plates in front of them. I guess I didn’t need a superior memory after all.

“Nice of you to join us, Lucas
,” a robust man drawled.

He
was squat for a First Worlder, and a little overweight. Both characteristics were unusual. His short hair was a dirty blond, his eyes a watery blue. I wasn’t surprised to glance down and find Johannson on his name plate. He was thoroughly unappealing in both looks and personality.

I examined the rest of the members
. There were three female and four male mayors. Besides Johansson, they all looked typical of this planet. Tall, thin and in their thirties, their hair color and facial features varied but the rest was the same.

“Why have you brought strangers into these private meetings?” A red
-haired woman, with a name tag that read Sancho, stood to face us. She was pretty in a bland, ‘forget her face the moment you saw it’ kind of way. Her hair was a golden red, a million shades away from the blood-red of mine. “We have events to plan and laws to discuss.” She tossed her hair back, her expression haughty. “Private things, Lucas.”

He pinned her to the spot with his eyes
. Her features seemed to freeze as she caught sight of her future Emperor’s expression. Even I was impressed. Lucas looked strong, capable and angry as hell.

“Don’t for one second forget who you are talking to
. I am no longer the errand boy for my father or his placeholder in these discussions. I will be the Emperor, the final law is mine and you better respect that or get the hell out.”

Shock
ed silence echoed through the room. I could already tell that with the Emperor’s death they’d thought Lucas would be easy to manipulate. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. He seemed more than ready to step up to his new position.

Well, that was unexpected.
Brace chuckled.
Like I told you long ago, Lucas was not the person I’d have chosen to lead a book club meeting, let alone First world.

Don’t underestimate him, Brace
. There’s a strength in Lucas. He hides it well, but I’ve seen it.

He shook his head.
The strength is not in Lucas; it’s you. You’ve changed him. It could be said that a good woman can make a better man. He wants to be a better man for you.

I examined the blond leader before me. Brace was right
: he had changed and he might finally be ready for his new role.

What about you?
I teased Brace.

He reached out a hand
to engulf mine.
Red, you’ve been the biggest pain-in-the-ass I’ve ever known. But without you my life wasn’t worth shit. You’re the reason I get up every day, the reason I fight and the reason I give a damn and don’t let all the worlds destroy themselves.

I laughed out loud
. Everyone in the room looked at me like I was crazy, before turning away and continuing to argue with each other.

You say the sweetest things
,
I said as Lucas pulled out chairs, gesturing for us to sit around the large circular table.

It was easy to sum up the next two hours of my life
– yawn. Yep, that just about covered everything. I knew after they’d spent twenty minutes arguing over the color of the Emperor’s robes for the farewell ceremony and the position of his royal pendant that no juicy information was coming out of this meeting. I might have dozed off for a while near the end, although I don’t think anyone noticed.

If you discount the snoring.
Brace had a huge grin on his face.

I d
id not snore.
I was pretty sure I hadn’t.

It felt like days later we were f
inally free. Everyone exited the room. Apparently they’d be back the same time the next day.

“So what did you think, Abby?” Lucas fell into step next to me.

“Really interesting,” I said, purely out of politeness. “It’s a shame I can’t make it for tomorrow’s session.”

“You were snoring
,” he said drily.

Brace’s laughter echoed through the stone hall.

I glared at them both as I pushed my hair back.

“I guess politics
are not my forte. Luckily, they don’t have to be.”