Rout of the Dem-Shyr (The Ascendant Series) (20 page)

“God,” Sem said in a choked voice. He blinked rapidly as his head cleared. “Oh my god.”

He started trembling. Kyr shot a concerned look to Gren, who hurried forward and eased Sem into one of the chairs. She took one of his shaking hands and sat in a chair facing him.

It’s going to be okay, Sem
, she silently reassured him, hating to see him so pale and stricken. Once again, the brutality behind Vycor’s actions staggered her.

“Oh my god,” he repeated, his voice hoarse. Finally, he seemed to grasp that communicating through thought was a safer option.
I can’t believe you’re sitting here right now. What the hell happened, Kyr?

She spent a few minutes catching him up on the past half-day of her life. Although she knew it would be hard for him, she also shared the memory that she had just touched upon. Vycor had repressed it, not wanting Sem to know his motives. Through her explanation, Sem’s expression ranged from incredulous to furious to desolate.

I can’t believe Vycor did that to Ty. To
us
,
he thought. His tone was flat, but she felt the deep emotions storming through him
. He made me think that my own cousin was a murderer. He had Ty banished.
He had him kill you.
I’m going to rip his fucking balls off and watch him bleed out. Son of a bitch!

His anger raged more with each word. She clenched his hand. Hard.

Sem, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry to toss all of this at you so fast, but we’re running out of time. We need your help.

It took a moment, but he managed to calm himself enough to think clearly.
You know I’ll always help you, Kyr. And now you’ve given me yet another reason. I’m going to clear my family’s name and bring that bastard to justice.

She opted to latch onto his last statement rather than dwell on the “other reason” he would do anything to help her. It didn’t take being a female Mynder to know how he felt about her.

Thank you
, she thought.
The first thing I need to do is get assigned to the Wrym detail working with Vycor. I have to get close to him so that I can get past his unusual mental blocks
.

He frowned.
I don’t like it. It’s too risky.

Kyr gave Gren a warning look when he started to nod. He had said the exact same thing. He shrugged and went back to monitoring the door, but one corner of his mouth lifted.

Why can’t you just force your way into Vycor’s mind and find out what his plans are?
Sem thought.
Who cares if he notices? You could get all of the ammunition we need to get Ty back and bury Vycor.

We’re worried that Vycor has a connection in the Dark Lands,
she explained.
Someone who might be keeping Ty prisoner. Gren said he would be very surprised if Vycor hadn’t planned something like that ahead of time. I have to agree.

And you think Vycor would tip off the connection and get Ty killed?
Sem gave it a moment of consideration.
Okay, you’re probably right. So we have to find out where Ty is so we can rescue him before we accuse Vycor and set him off.

Exactly.

I’m still not in love with the idea of you going up against Vycor alone.

I know.
She patted his hand.
Gren feels the same way. But I’m the only one who can get through Vycor’s barriers. I have to find out what I’m up against, and that means I have to get near him. Can you get me assigned to his detail?

Resigned, Sem got to his feet.
Yes, but we’re going to have to hurry. The Wrym have been working for a few hours already, even though most people are still slumbering. Vycor usually wakes in fifteen minutes and wants his morning meal served right away.

Kyr put on her eyeshades as she rose from her seat.
Then let’s go to the kitchens.

Vycor’s usual detail doesn’t include anyone wearing eyeshades,
Sem communicated.
You’d be better off keeping your head down and only looking at the floor. He’ll be less likely to notice you then.

She didn’t argue, handing the eyeshades to Gren as she walked past him with Sem in the lead. It was challenging to walk with her head down after so many years of training to comport herself exactly the opposite, but she managed. Soon, they entered a food preparation area. With a quick glance around, Kyr counted at least twenty other Wrym nearby. At least she wouldn’t stick out.

They approached a female who looked old enough to be Kyr’s mother. She met Sem’s gaze in a forthright way, which surprised Kyr. It told her that this was a seasoned Wrym who was comfortable with her role.

“Yes, SemDane?” the female asked.

“Good morn, LylaWrym,” Sem said in a respectful tone. “After discussing the specifics of today’s events with the Advisor, I have a change to make in the detail serving him his morning meal.”

Lyla snorted. “Again? Who does he have his eye on now?”

Kyr picked up the Wrym female’s thoughts. She believed that Sem was sending one of the female Wrym to Vycor’s chambers in order for him to have sex with her. Even as that shocking thought hit her, she picked up that the Advisor did this often. She had to struggle not to lift her gaze as Sem turned to her.

“This is TinaWrym,” Sem said. “She’s new, but eager to please.”

“I’m sure she is,” Lyla rejoined, her tone conveying her thoughts even without Kyr intercepting them.

Tina?
Kyr thought.

It’s the first name I thought of
, Sem returned.
A freshman year crush of mine
.

“The Advisor only wishes to observe Tina today,” he said out loud. “She won’t need to stay behind when the breakfast detail departs his chambers.”

Even though it wasn’t true, Kyr shivered at the thought of Vycor looking at her with the intent to bed her.

“Fine,” Lyla said. “I’ll assign Ella to one of our Vawn guests instead. Are there any other changes?”

“No, thank you. Please carry on.”

I’ll do what I can to stay nearby
, he thought to Kyr as he turned to walk out of the room.

I will, too
, Gren assured her from just outside.

She appreciated their words, but she also knew what was being unsaid. For the moment, at least, she was on her own. It was a realization that had fear tightening its grip on her resolve.

But this had to be done to save Ty, she reminded herself. Fear would have to take a back seat. No matter what it cost her, she’d get through this and get to the man she loved.

Chapter 26

The jerky meal didn’t take long for them to finish. Ty could only choke down two pieces of the stuff before giving up. He didn’t have an appetite anyway.

While they were finishing up, Barto shared a few details about what the Harvesters did and how they interacted with the other groups. Ty had already learned most of it from Hope, but he didn’t bother saying as much. Barto reiterated that they scoured the Dark Lands for useful materials to trade for food from the Growers, devices from the Tinkers, or protection offered by the Peace Keepers against the Marauders.

“Harvestin’s a tough job,” Barto concluded. “Not many are willin’ ta expose themselves ta the poisoned air. But nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained, we say.”

“Surprised you aren’t suffering any of the side effects freshies usually do when they’re outside as long as you were,” Reider observed, studying Ty carefully.

Ty glanced down at himself. He was still wearing the black pants and boots he’d been convicted in. His chest was still bare. Although he was smudged with pink dust, he didn’t see any scars or markings outside of the usual thin, scroll-like patterns on his forearms. The sight of those disturbed him so much that he turned his arms over and looked away from them.

“Ya had burns and lesions over most of yer exposed skin when we found ya,” Barto pointed out. “Guess Hope did a good job of nursin’ ya through it. Ya don’t seem any worse for the wear.”

“Thank you,” Ty said to Hope, who blushed.

“Don’t see how she healed ya so thoroughly,” Orran said. “When we get burned by the air, it sticks with us.”

He pulled back his long sleeve to expose his wrist. An angry red scar marred his skin. Ty realized then that his healing hadn’t all been a result of Hope’s aid. Somehow, he must still have some of his healing abilities.

But how? The Guardians had stripped him of everything. Hadn’t they?

He didn’t voice his thoughts to the Harvesters. It wasn’t as though he knew them well after less than an hour with them. He wasn’t about to trust any of them.

“I’m a quick healer,” he said with a shrug.

The others exchanged glances, but didn’t say anything. Barto pushed away from the table and stood.

“Well, we ain’t gonna Harvest anythin’ sittin’ here on our arses,” he said in his booming voice. “We have ta get ya some gear, Freshy. Quick healer or not, ya can’t go outside ta work without the proper equipment. Our first stop will have ta be the Tinkers’. Ya have ta go along so they can get yer proper measurements.”

“I’ll stay here in case the Growers stop by,” Hope said as she cleared the table. “I’ll make a proper meal this evenin’, providin’ they do.”

“All right,” Barto agreed. “Orran, give Freshy here yer gear. He won’t fit in anyone else’s. Ya can keep Hope company while we’re gone.”

Orran frowned, but he didn’t argue. He got up and walked over to the pile of gear, pulling out the pieces that belonged to him. Ty wasn’t thrilled by the idea of wearing something that had last been worn by the sickly male, but he didn’t have much choice.

“Wait here,” Orran said. “Ya need a shirt ta wear under this.”

Barto and Reider also approached the pile and began donning their gear. Ty waited until Orran handed him a long-sleeved shirt and put it on. It was tight, but manageable. Within a few minutes, he was completely covered in Orran’s gear.

“This is yer air canister,” Barto said, holding up the piece of equipment so Ty could see it. “This here is the air level gauge. We’ll get fresh canisters while we’re at the Tinkers’, but this will get ya there with no problem. No matter what ya do, don’t take off yer mask once yer outside. The air will melt yer lungs.”

Once again, Ty considered the fact that he had been outside and breathing the air, yet he wasn’t feeling any ill-effects now. He definitely still retained his healing abilities. It was curious, but he’d hardly find any answers there.

“Keep yer cap on, too,” Barto instructed. His voice sounded tinny coming from behind his mask. “It’ll hide yer shorn head and make ya less of a target.”

Ty nodded. Barto handed him a bag with some items that Ty assumed would be used to trade. Then they headed out the door.

The small room they entered appeared to be some kind of decontamination chamber. Ty guessed it was used to get the Harvesters as clear of poison as possible before they entered the dwelling. Barto opened a locked cabinet and pulled out several weapons that made Ty’s eyebrows lift.

Projectile weapons.

He took the outlawed weapon when Barto handed it to him. He stared at it with a mix of morbid curiosity and repulsion. Although projectile weapons had been banned across Alametria for many years, he had been trained on using and defending against them so that he was prepared on those planets that still used them. He knew what they could do to another person.

How had the Harvesters gotten these? The weapons were unlike any traditional ones he had studied. These had been pieced together from several different weapons.

Hopefully it wouldn’t blow up in his hands.

Barto and Reider turned on the air-flow from their canisters, so Ty did the same. A strong metallic smell almost made him gag, but he fought through it. He followed the other males as they stepped out of that chamber and into yet another one. This one was open to the elements on one side. Ty understood why when he saw the converted rover awaiting them. Like the weapons, the rover was a mash-up of parts from many different types of space craft and aerial vehicles.

“The Tinkers make things like these weapons and vehicles with the goods we Harvest,” Reider explained through his mask. “The talented ones can make just about anything you could imagine.”

Ty stored the information as he joined Reider on the rover’s open-air deck. Seats along either side allowed them to sit facing out, their weapons at the ready. Ty wasn’t sure what he might have to use the weapon for, but he’d figure it out.

Once they were in position, Barto started the rover’s tajeria-powered engine. It lifted a few feet off the ground. Ty wondered if the tajeria was a remnant from the pre-AI days or if the Harvesters had come by it some other way, like from the mine.

“Stand with Reider, Freshy,” Barto commanded. “Keep that weapon at the ready. Marauders can be anywhere. Don’t hesitate ta shoot any of ‘em. They won’t show any mercy ta you.”

The rover shot forward before Ty could respond. He tightened his grip on his weapon and adjusted his weight to maintain his balance. The goggles he was wearing limited his vision, making him want to tear them off. Instead, he moved his head around to compensate.

He could hardly grasp the state of the environment they sped through. Although he knew about the AI revolution and knew about the devastation it caused, the reality was shocking. What had once been cheerful dwellings, statuesque buildings, and beautiful monuments now lay in rubble. The entire landscape was coated in pink, the air thick with deadly chemicals. He didn’t see any living vegetation or water sources along their route. Instead, he saw skeletons. Bones of people and animals littered the destruction like gruesome accent pieces.

This really was a death sentence.

Motion to his right distracted him from his thoughts. He spotted two males—well, he assumed they were males, but they were fully covered—in the midst of a fist fight. Uncertain of the threat they posed, he glanced at Reider, who shook his head.

Ty was bothered by the youth’s cold expression. No one Reider’s age should have to live like this. Ty couldn’t help but wonder how the younger male had ended up there.