Blood Double (God Wars #1)(53)

"Waiting for someone, Hawer?" Drake and Drew stepped from behind the vampire, who snapped restraining cuffs on Skel's wrists.

Skel worked to keep his breaths even and his thoughts positive. The ride to the space station remained, after all.

"We're not going to the space station," Drew said. Skel shrieked as he was jerked away from Le-Ath Veronis and dumped in the midst of a field of tall grass.

"You figured somebody would come save you," Drake pointed out as he removed Skel's cuffs. "We couldn't get to that information and we haven't discovered why that is, but we're not keeping you from your appointment because of it."

"What appointment?" Skel turned in a circle as he backed away from the Falchani twins. The vampire jailer hadn't been transported with him, and he wondered at that.

"An appointment with Plovel, here," Drew snickered.

"What?" Skel breathed as another man appeared before him.

"Plovel. That's me. Used to be an investigator on Bardelus," Plovel breathed softly. "Now, I'm something else."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Skel demanded.

"This." Plovel turned from humanoid to Black Ra'Ak in a blink, his ebon scales gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight on Evensun. "Come," he hissed around a multitude of teeth.

*

"Get Hawer transported?" Gavin asked as Drake and Drew took their places at the table in the royal dining hall.

"Oh, yeah," Drew nodded, accepting a drink from a waiting comesuli.

"He won't last long," Gavin muttered.

"Oh, he's gone already," Drake replied, accepting a drink identical to his brother's.

*

Fasil Bow waited. Ildevar Wyyld was hosting the King of Serendaan, who'd brought three of his wives, his Grand Minister and several servants bearing gifts for Ildevar's palace. Fasil had worked his way into the contingent of servants by eliminating the original servant and carrying a rug on his shoulder to hide his face afterward. His goal was to come within laser pistol range of Deonus Wyyld.

After that, the Reth Alliance would be leaderless—Fasil had no doubt that the Grand Alliance would turn on each other in an attempt to take Ildevar's place. Should one prove victorious, plans were likely already laid to take care of that one as well. The line of servants moved ahead of him. Fasil shifted the rug on his shoulder and stepped forward.

*

Breanne's Journal

I stood on a street corner in Casino City, rubbing my forehead. There was no sign of Erithia, I had a headache and still the images from earlier in the day insisted on playing out in my mind. What was really troubling, though? I couldn't get Ildevar Wyyld out of my head, either. Trajan's boss yelling was immediately followed by Ildevar Wyyld's image, like a horrid loop playing through my brain. Then, the yelling stopped, replaced by a continuous loop of Ildevar Wyyld's image, with a fear-filled, terrifying scream. What else was I supposed to do? I folded space.

*

"Glorious One, I bring gifts to honor you and your support of our world," the King of Serendaan offered respect to Ildevar Wyyld, who'd welcomed the King into the grand hall.

Ildevar, dressed in robes of cream and gold, nodded to the King of Serendaan and his three wives before stepping aside to allow six servants to come forward, each carrying a gift made exclusively on Serendaan. Wine, fruit, cheeses, two elaborately carved boxes and best of all, a Serendaan carpet, were brought forward.

Ildevar waited patiently, but the carpet was the thing he looked forward to eagerly. Only the best was ever made for the King, and it would be lovely beyond price, there was no doubt. Except—what was this? The servant bearing the carpet dropped his burden and pulled out—Ildevar slammed a shield in place as the servant fired a hidden weapon.

*

Breanne's Journal

All five of the Serendaan King's servants died attempting to protect Ildevar Wyyld, whose shield still held, thankfully. The crazed man who'd killed the others kept firing his weapon anyway, while the King and his wives cowered against a nearby wall.

The scene was chaotic—the attacker appeared to have a single purpose, only turning aside when three of Ildevar's guards raced in. Two of those fell before one managed to superficially wound the assassin, who then turned his weapon on the guard who'd hit him. The guard died quickly.

More guards rushed in from a nearby hallway, but were reluctant to fire. I realized something quickly—they weren't shooting because the King and his wives were around the corner and in the line of fire. It was why the first three had gone down so easily—they'd done their best not to hit the royal contingent from Serendaan.

Did I know I might do it? The Larentii could. My arm glowed as I held it out. The assassin hadn't seen me—I'd landed behind him. I might have splattered a bit of him at first before perfecting the art of releasing particles, but after his head exploded, the rest of him turned to sparks and floated peacefully away.

*

"I tell you I only saw a shining woman. That's all I saw," Ildevar snapped at Norian. "Willem believes this attempt was tied to Skel Hawer. He says he only saw it after the assassin's death."

"Then who was it? Who tried to kill you?" Norian wasn't happy and his hair was disheveled from raking it too many times with his fingers. Ildevar, who'd depended on Norian to keep him guarded, had been attacked because Norian had been sidetracked to Campiaa instead of finding a replacement for Skel Hawer.