Virgin (30 page)

They had only gone a short distance before Ava realized that Waroun was still holding her hand, surreptitiously touching his sucker tips to her skin. “Tongue getting hard?”

“Yeth, and I won’ be able ta eat anythin’ ith I don’ come.”

“Nice try,” she said, extricating herself from his hold.

Ava was feeling emptier than usual, but the line at the concession stand was mercifully short. With the approval of the others, she ordered the Interplanetary Lunch Special for six, which included drinks and a variety of tasty treats guaranteed to appeal to most palates. She had them toss in a few crackers in case Quinn wanted a break from the sausages.

They were on their way back when Ava was accosted by an Aquerei male whose pale greenish-yellow iridescent skin, filmy peach-colored robe, and lavender tentacles made him look more like a bizarre plant than an aquatic mammal. He said a few totally unintelligible words while gesturing excitedly at Ava’s pendant and then reached toward her with his webbed fingers.

Waroun slapped the man’s hand away. “What
is
it with everyone and that damned necklace?”

The Aquerei bowed and switched over to speaking Stantongue. “Forgive me, but I have never seen such a stone before my very eyes. It is surely the Aquina keystone!”

Ava stood gaping at him, not noticing that she was spilling one of the drinks until the icy brew landed on her foot. “Huh? Who are you anyway?”

The Aquerei made a sound like that of splashing water.

“What?”

He repeated the sound, but then said, “Just call me Joss.”

“Okay, Joss,” Ava said briskly. “Would you mind explaining what in the world you’re talking about?”

Joss spoke reverently, the gaze from his round, yellow eyes riveted on the crystal. “It is said that at the dawn of the New Age when the Aquina stones are gathered together in the temple at Rhashdelfi, the Oracle will speak, and the land and sea people of Aquerei will be united in their purpose at last.”

“Holy shit! Hey, Dax,” Waroun yelled. “Get over here! I think you need to hear this.”

Ava raised a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s funny. I thought the Age of Aquarius dawned a long time ago.”

“That’s not what he said,” Teke pointed out.

“I know that,” Ava said, rolling her eyes. “But it sounds about as preposterous as astrology.”

“What?” Teke exclaimed. “You do not believe in the power that the stars have over us all?”

Ava let out a sardonic snicker. “Oh, please, spare me. I’ve read some of that crap, and trust me, that’s all it is. The stars don’t give a damn what we mere mortals are up to.”

Teke and Diokut appeared slightly miffed. The Aquerei looked as though Ava had just spat on his grandmother’s tomb.

“You were not raised as a believer in the Aquina?”

“Never even heard the word until now,” Ava said. “But I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me.”

“What’s going on?” Dax asked as he and Threldigan approached. “Is this guy bothering you?” Dax might have been naked and unarmed, but he still looked menacing.

“Not really,” Ava replied. “This is Joss, and he thinks my pendant is going to bring about some sort of New Age on Aquerei.”

Threldigan gasped. “Not the Aquina keystone?”

Dax stared at his friend. “You mean you’ve heard of it?”

“Yes, but it’s always referred to as a myth,” Threldigan replied. He glanced at Joss. “It is, isn’t it?”

“Until now, I would have said that also,” Joss replied. “But with the evidence right
there
…” He paused, staring at the stone as though expecting it to perform some miracle. Finally, he tore his eyes away, blinking several times before he could continue. “There were five Aquinas, each one a different color. Four are firmly set in the temple at Rhashdelfi, but the fifth, which I believe you now possess, was lost many years ago. It’s possible that this could be a replica, but—”

Ava lifted the stone and studied it. It was the same elongated aquamarine crystal it had always been. Nothing about it seemed any different—or that unusual. “How can you tell?”

Joss peered closely at Ava. “Have you ever worn it before?”

“Not until recently,” she replied. “To tell you the truth, it didn’t seem appropriate.”

“Has anything about you… changed since you began wearing it—or those around you?”

Ava threw a quick glance at Dax. She was still slightly skeptical about his “spiritual” experience, but when their eyes met, the look he gave her said
“I told you so”
as clearly as if he had spoken the words aloud. “Well, sort of,” she began, “but nothing major. I mean, Dax had some sort of spiritual awakening, but I’m still not sure—”

“You should see her hair when she gets mad or laughs really hard,” Waroun interjected. “It’s calmed down a bit now, but it was in spikes yesterday.”

Joss nodded. “It has begun.”

“What has begun?” Ava demanded. “The New Age of Spiked Hair?”

“No,” Joss replied. “The ancients predicted an era of peace, harmony, and understanding. A time when there would be equality and contentment for all.”

“Yep,” Ava muttered. “It’s the Age of Aquarius all over again.”

“Let me get this straight,” Dax said. “We thought those were the effects of the Aquerei water she’s been drinking since she became a passenger on my ship. Are you saying it’s all because of the stone?”

“Yes,” Joss replied. “Though it may have been compounded by drinking the water.”

“What about the other stones?” Ava asked. “Is anyone wearing them?”

Joss shook his head. “Those stones are merely the completion of the set. This one is the key.”

“You’re saying that as though it’s a certainty.”

“I believe it is,” Joss said firmly.

Ava remained unconvinced. “But you said it was lost. Was it truly lost, or was it stolen?”

“There are many legends associated with the stone,” Joss replied. “Some believe it was taken by those in power to prevent the New Age from becoming a reality. Others contend that it is being hidden until the appropriate moment, at which time the stone will be brought forth and the Oracle will speak. Then there are those who say it was simply lost or stolen. No one really knows.”

Diokut seemed puzzled, frowning at Joss. “But who would want to prevent the New Age? It sounds marvelous to me.”

Joss smiled grimly. “Those who profit from war and strife would not wish for the profound changes that the stones would bring. It would not be the first time such an artifact was destroyed or hidden to preserve the status quo.” He turned again to Ava. “Tell me, how did you come by the stone?”

“It belonged to my father,” Ava replied. “He gave it to my mother before he left her, and then she gave it to me. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any magical powers—at least, not according to my mother.”

“It would have had no effect on her, as she must have been Terran,” Joss said, scrutinizing Ava’s features. “But to one such as you, the wearing of it would bring good fortune.”

“Yeah, right,” Ava scoffed. “Like I’ve been so
very
fortunate in my life.” Then her gaze landed on Dax again. Her sarcasm vanished instantly. “Until recently. Wish I’d known I was supposed to wear it. Things might have gone a little better for me. To be honest, if I could say it had done anything, it brought me bad luck, rather than good.”

Joss nodded. “It must be worn. Many centuries ago, it was passed from family to family. Those whose misfortunes were profound benefitted greatly from it.”

Waroun snickered. “And those people gave it up willingly?”

“That was the greatest gift the stone had to give,” said Joss. “It made the bearer wish for that same good fortune to befall everyone.”

“If it has that effect, then how could it ever be lost or stolen?” Dax asked.

Joss shook his head, setting his tendrils in motion. “That is unknown. The temptation to wear it and enjoy its benefits would be strong for anyone who understood its value.”

“And I had no idea…” Ava’s voice might have gone silent, but her mind was a whirlwind of questions. She didn’t even know where to begin. Had her father given her the pendant because he had hoped she would wear it and enjoy its benefits? Or had he known she would keep it safely in its box until the time for the New Age had passed? Ava was beginning to suspect that her father hadn’t been in favor of the New Age. But if he’d wanted the stone to remain hidden on Rutara, his plan had backfired when she’d left Russ and gone to Luxaria with Lars.

Ava reminded herself that she had never even seen another Aquerei until her arrival on Rhylos. Had both Luxaria and Rutara been chosen for that very reason? Had it all been a plot? Had her father enlisted Russ, or even Lars, to keep her away from Aquerei—or had someone else discovered the secret?

Dax’s question interrupted her thoughts. “So, when is all of this supposed to take place?”

“Very soon,” Joss replied. “And it is said that if the stones are not conjoined at the time of the Great Alignment, it will be another thousand years before another opportunity arises.”

“Talk about missing the fuckin’ boat…” Waroun muttered.

“The planets of the Aquerei system are already nearing that phase,” Joss went on. “After that, the alignment will begin to erode and the time will have passed.”

“A planetary alignment gives us a pretty short window of opportunity,” Dax observed. “We’ll have to hurry.”

Ava gasped. “You actually want to go to Aquerei?”

“Are you kidding?” said Teke. “I think I can speak for us all when I say we wouldn’t miss it for all the goodies on Rhylos!”

“Even that starship you were coveting?”

“Even that,” Teke said.

“This is far more exciting than sausages,” Quinn said. Ava had been so diverted, she hadn’t even noticed his arrival. “Though they were awfully good.”

“You wouldn’t like them if you took them with you,” Waroun pointed out. “If it was something you would normally like, Kots wouldn’t have been serving you those crackers at every meal.” With a firm nod, he added, “He knows everything, Kots does.”

“Maybe he does,” Ava said slowly. “He’s been giving me Aquerei water to drink and clothes that matched the pendant—and were pretty enough that I’d be more inclined to wear it with them. I thought he was matching the fabrics to my eyes, but I could be wrong about that.”

“That hasn’t hurt anything,” Dax said under his breath. “I really do like that color on you.”

“So, what about it, Dax?” Teke said eagerly. “When do we leave for Rhashdelfi?”

Chapter 19

“Now,” Dax replied. “We’re several systems away from Aquerei, so we can’t afford to waste any time.” He was pleased to have the stone’s powers confirmed—it meant that he wasn’t losing his mind—but he still wasn’t sure Ava believed it. He took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Your father left you something very important after all, didn’t he?”

As he spoke, he traced the length of the stone with a fingertip, and instantly his mind was flooded with images—sights and sounds of turmoil and hatred mixed with fear. He saw a world awash with accusations—some demanding the return of the stone, others just as adamant to prevent the change. Children cowered in the shadows while their parents battled in the streets, and others cried laments for the fallen.

Civil war. Was there anything more horrific than neighbors and brothers fighting one another for supremacy? Angry debates between people who all claimed to want the same things, but couldn’t agree on the methods. Stupid, bullheaded people…

“Dax?” He could hear the concern in Ava’s voice and feel the touch of her hand, but his eyes couldn’t see her. Instead, he saw ships firing on transparent strongholds—enormous cathedrals that seemed to be made of glass—their breathtaking structures dissolving into the boiling sea. He saw Ava and the stone shining brightly in the midst of battle while a disembodied voice spoke strange words he didn’t understand. Screams of terror and outrage assaulted his ears, reaching a piercing, wailing note before diminishing into the sounds around him; the babble of conversation, the calls of sea birds, and the crash of waves on the nearby shore.

Dax blinked. Normal sunlight filtered past the vision to become the shapes of people and objects surrounding him. The heat of the sand beneath his feet, the feel of Ava’s hand where it gripped his with calming warmth, and the sight of her lovely eyes all converged to bring him back to the present.

The transition ought to have been painful, but it wasn’t. Dax simply took a deep breath, and the vision was gone, though the memory remained etched upon his mind in great detail. He turned to Joss. “I can see why you have chosen to leave your home, but are you willing to return to the chaos?”

Joss’s hair reflected his change of expression, going from bewildered disorder to the serenity of comprehension in a heartbeat. He nodded sagely. “You have seen our world and know the dangers we face. Tell me, is there a future for us?”

Dax searched his memory, scrutinizing the events he’d witnessed. “I don’t know. I saw the stone and the madness there, but the outcome…”