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  “My… mission?” I asked, confused. “I don't…”

  She took an ominous step toward me, towering over me easily. “Don't waste my time with denials and falsehoods, you filthy little spy. Who do you report to? The Mana? The Krote? Some other race? Are you even really human, or were you simply altered to look, sound, and smell like one? If you tell me now, I can promise that your lifelong incarceration will be served in relatively comfortable conditions to reflect your cooperation. If you continue to hide your true purpose here, however, you will be tortured at great length, you will eventually talk, and death will be the only reward left for me to offer you.”

  Suddenly, a horrible pain flared through my head, sharp enough to make me cry out and press my fingertips to my temples. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. Not just agony, but a strange pushing and tearing sensation – as though hands wrapped in rusty barbed wire were rummaging around roughly in my brain, ripping it apart, looking for something buried inside.

  She smirked, her eyes never leaving mine. Her lips didn't move, but somehow, I could hear her voice in my head: Your mental defenses are more impressive than I'd have given you credit for. One more piece of evidence to convince me you're not really an Earthling. But no matter who you are or where you came from, it's a grave mistake to believe you can keep your secrets from me for long.

  The pain was becoming excruciating, unbearable. The room span around me, and I felt a thin trickle of blood from my nose…

  “Torqa, that's enough!”

  We both turned to the doorway, where Akzun stood with his arms folded.

  “It will be enough,” the one called Torqa snarled, “when she tells me what I need to know.”

  “I told you that Carly would be my responsibility, not yours. I believe I was quite clear about that, just as I was clear in assigning you to root out any traitors within our own ranks. Now get to it, Torqa, before your unwillingness to follow orders costs you your position… or worse.”

  Torqa drew herself up to her full height and stomped out of the room.

  I let out a sigh of relief, and Akzun entered, looking me over admiringly. “You look ravishing, Carly. Are the clothes acceptable to you?”

  “Yes, thank you. Who was that?”

  “Torqa is my Supreme Advisor.”

  “Yeah? So what's her problem with me?” I asked. “What did I ever do to her?”

  He gave me a calculating smile. “Not a thing, I'm sure. We're simply having a difference of opinion these days, she and I. The dreary realities of politics, I'm afraid. Nothing to concern yourself with. She wouldn't dare harm you, no matter what she said.”

  “Well, that's good to know, at least.”

  I turned to look out the window. Far below us, there were colorful city lights shining and twinkling. If I listened closely enough, I could even hear faint echoes of exotic music, what sounded like delicate flutes and pattering drum beats.

  “Your planet's pretty at night,” I said.

  Akzun smiled. “Then it's a good thing our nights tend to last eighteen hours. As lovely as it appears from up here, I can assure you it's even more captivating when observed at the ground level. Perhaps you will allow me to show you around?”

  “Sure, why not?” I was trying to sound breezy, but the exchange with Torqa had left me extremely unsettled. He said she wouldn't hurt me.

  I wasn't so sure.

  8

  Akzun

  Less than an hour later, Carly and I were strolling through Kor Püskla, the capital city of Valkred. A battalion of bodyguards walked in perfect formation around us, their ceremonial spears held high, their telepathy-dampening helmets fixed tightly to their brows, their expressions unreadable.

  I wondered: Could the men and women charged with protecting me be the same ones who were involved in the betrayal of the treaty and the destruction of the Aquavor?

  More than anything, I wanted to find the traitors in our ranks and bring them to justice. I couldn't wait to look them in the eyes, to put my hands around their throats and hear them beg for mercy that would not come. They would pay dearly for their transgressions, and for doubting the leadership of their Blood Ruler.

  Meanwhile, Carly walked arm in arm with me, taking in the sights. She looked impressed, which pleased me immensely. It was almost as though I were enjoying Kor Püskla anew through her eyes – the chains of glowing red lanterns strung between the buildings’ doorways, the rich smells and sizzles of vendors grilling rapta meat skewers and sugared vespis blooms, the folk songs and lively tunes of the street musicians, the Ven'Truu dancers spinning and leaping as the crowd applauded.

  How I wanted Carly. It was all I could do to keep from staring at the throbbing arteries in her neck and licking my lips – but I didn't want to frighten her, not anymore. Even so, just being so close to her was driving me mad with desire. But for her blood… or something more?

  I still couldn't be sure.

  “This place is so beautiful,” Carly said, awestruck.

  “I'm gratified to hear that you think so.”

  “I guess before we left the castle, you had your guards clear away all the poor and homeless from the streets for my benefit, huh?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Certainly not. What you see on these streets now is exactly what you'd see here at any other time. Valkred is entirely free of poverty and homelessness. Our people occupy various social and economic statuses, naturally, based on the careers and lifestyles they choose to pursue. But here on my home world, no one who is willing to contribute to our society ever goes without the food and artificial blood they need to sustain themselves. No one is ever without a roof over their heads, or clothes to protect themselves from the elements. No illness goes untreated. As Blood Ruler, my primary objective – other than protecting Valkred from those who would do us harm – is to ensure that every citizen is well taken care of, with no exceptions. It's a duty I take seriously. And, I might add, a fairly easy thing to implement and maintain.”

  Carly let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, says you. On Earth, it seems pretty goddamn impossible. My world is full of people whose needs are ignored by those in power, who scrape and starve and struggle every day just to survive.”

  “Yes, I know all about the way things are done on Earth,” I smirked. “The obstacle to this way of life on your planet, Carly, is that those in power have no desire whatsoever to see it put into practice. They could easily eliminate all hunger, poverty, and illness, without any real sacrifice to their own luxury and comfort. They simply choose not to. Because in the end, the rich who rule your world do not count their wealth in terms of how much money and property they have, but how little others have by comparison. That thrill, that rush of superiority, is so paramount to them that they cling to it beyond all reason. Their lack of compassion or empathy makes them feel powerful. Their ability to sneer at those with less, to pity them, or to ignore them completely is an addiction… one they've always been in the grip of, one they have no intention of overcoming.”

  Carly's eyes widened. “You know a lot about where I come from. Is that why you know English? Do all the other members of the Valkred speak English, too?”

  “No, not all. In fact, among my people, it's quite rare. Torqa and my brother Zark can speak it, as well as some of my guards, only because their job is to advise and protect me. Valkred's dealings with Earthlings have been limited, for the most part, but it's a necessity for those in my position to understand the languages of all we have diplomatic relations with.”

  “Whoa, whoa, hang on: diplomatic relations? You mean to tell me that you've visited our planet, you've got an official relationship with the people who run it… and I had to find out aliens existed by being fucking abducted by one? How can that be possible? How could they keep a secret like that from most of the people on Earth? Why would they? And for that matter, with so many extraterrestrial empires armed with, I don't know, laser blasters and ships that can travel faster than light, how come none of you have e
ver just gone ahead and colonized us?”

  I laughed. “So many questions. The simple answer is this: Long ago, the most powerful empires in the galaxy learned of the existence of Earth, and vice versa. We suspected that any attempt to conquer your world would be a difficult and costly endeavor… and more than that, we did not relish the idea of fighting amongst ourselves for such a negligible prize, especially since you humans had already managed to poison and destroy so many of your natural resources. As a result, we came to a sort of understanding – an accord, signed and agreed upon by all of our worlds. We would not invade your planet, we would keep our existence a secret from your lower economic classes, and in exchange, we were granted permission to periodically poach members of those classes to be used as slaves.”

  “So what you're saying is, our leaders totally sold out us poor people in order to stay on your good side.” Carly sighed. “Screwed over by the super-rich once again. Why am I surprised? Well, no, I guess it's a little surprising, given that you just told me how proud you are of eradicating this sort of inequality on your own world… and here you are, perpetuating that same system on ours. Kind of hypocritical, don't you think?”

  I raised my eyebrows. “It is not for us to fly around the galaxy imposing our own systems of governance on other species.”

  “No, you just scoop up a handful of them now and then and make them your slaves.”

  “There are many men like Nos in the Valkred empire, whose businesses rely almost entirely on slaves. Despite my own opinions on the matter, my responsibility is to the well-being of my people, including the well-being of their businesses. What other leaders do with their own people is not for me to judge.” Although now, talking with Carly and getting to see her intelligence, her curiosity, her fire up close, I was almost tempted to reconsider this. “Now perhaps it might be best if you changed the subject.”

  “Okay,” she replied gamely. “Tell me this, then: If your people are so into the concept of minding your own business, then what's the deal with the Mana? Are they those fish-looking guys you were talking to in the bar before you bought me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And based on what Torqa said earlier, I'm assuming you're at war with them?”

  “We were. I suppose, for the moment, we still are.”

  “Why? What is it you're fighting about?”

  I took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to explain. “Centuries ago, races like mine and the Mana were far more warlike… concerned with endless expansion, subjugating other species and claiming their resources as our own. That was how our empires were initially forged.”

  As we passed a tall statue in the town square, I pointed it out to her. It depicted a Valkredian with a serene expression, his wings outstretched, a pile of discarded weapons and armor at his feet. It was my favorite landmark, the one I found myself visiting the most often when I had the opportunity to explore at leisure.

  Carly admired the statue, and I continued my store. “Then, Kochak the Second ascended to the throne. He inspired the Valkred to evolve beyond our desire for battle and conquest. To concentrate on improving upon what we had already built, rather than simply thirsting for more. We embraced peace, and for over three hundred years, the Valkred empire was a paradise.”

  I paused. The memory of the former Blood Ruler was still a difficult one for me, especially when his noble visage was looking down on us from a nearby pedestal.

  “Kochak was… a mentor to me, especially after my father died,” I went on. “More than anyone, he molded me into the man I am today. I served him faithfully for half a century as his trusted guard and advisor, just as Torqa serves me now. When he passed away, I was chosen to ascend to the throne in order to continue his good works. Unfortunately, during that time, the leader of the Mana was a brutish warlord named K'buuda. He decided that his people could not prosper in peace… that the only way to thrive, to keep his people united, was to return to the old ways of expansion and conquest. I suppose we seemed like the easiest target for them. So we went back to war, this time in the name of self-preservation.”

  Carly appeared to be thinking this over carefully. “So that day in the bar, you were trying to negotiate a treaty with them, is that it? And now some of your ships have blown up one of theirs, and the war's back on?”

  I nodded.

  “I'm so sorry,” she said. “And I'm sorry about your father. Mine's dead, too… he had a heart attack when I was just a kid. I didn't have a mentor to look up to after that, but I can only imagine that losing Kochak would have been almost as hard for you.”

  Before I could respond, a short, scruffy-looking Valkredian stepped out from behind the statue. He wore a long cloak which seemed to bulge oddly in the upper body, and his shifty red eyes burned with hatred. I immediately sensed that he meant me harm, and I wasn't the only one – my guards closed in around me protectively, brandishing their weapons.

  “Halt!” one of the guards ordered. “Come no closer!”

  The Valkredian spat on the ground derisively, his eyes still locked on mine. As the others standing around him recoiled apprehensively, he threw his draped cloak aside – revealing rows of explosive charges clipped to his chest and waist. The bombs were beeping faintly, their red indicator lights blinking urgently.

  “Death to the Mana!” he screeched hysterically. “Death to all who choose appeasement over victory!”

  I folded my body and wings around Carly without hesitation, shielding her as the charges went off. Most of the impact was soaked up by the ranks of armored guards surrounding us, but the explosion was still enough to rattle my teeth and make my ears ring.

  “Are you all right?” I asked Carly immediately, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her face.

  She nodded. She was clearly shaken up, but she didn't appear to be injured or in shock. Seeing the fear in her eyes, the soot on her cheek, was enough to make me glad the Valkredian was already dead, yet made me wish I could raise him back to life only to rip him limb from limb all over again.

  Then Carly glanced behind me, and her eyes widened. “Akzun!”

  I followed her gaze. The treasonous Valkredian's remains were charred and smoking, scattered in the street. Thankfully, it looked like most of the bystanders had been far enough away from the blast to avoid serious injury – I saw a few minor cuts and burns, but nothing catastrophic.

  Then I saw the statue of Kochak, and I was seized with a horrible realization.

  The suicide bomber's goal hadn't been to kill me, or Carly, or any of the people on the street. No, his true intended target had been the statue all along – the very symbol of the turning point when Valkred transitioned from a warlike empire to a peaceful one. He'd sacrificed his life to bring it down.

  And based on the large section of the pedestal that was blown away – and the way Kochak was tottering and leaning to one side – it seemed as though he had succeeded.

  As the statue started to fall, I saw a small boy standing beneath it, frozen in terror.

  No. This could not happen. I would not allow the actions of some depraved zealot to endanger the life of an innocent child.

  I pushed Carly into the arms of one of my guards and darted between the rest before they could stop me, lunging at the boy and throwing him to the ground a safe distance from the statue just as it came crashing down. Kochak shattered into a hundred pieces, the remnants of his proud face skittering across the pavement and landing in front of me.

  “It's all right,” I whispered to the trembling child, cradling him. “You're safe now. Your Blood Ruler will never allow any harm to come to you.”

  The boy nodded, and his mother took him from me, holding him tightly and rocking him back and forth. I stood up, brushing the debris from my tunic and returning to Carly. “Come. Let us return to the Stronghold at once.”

  “Probably a good idea,” she agreed, trembling.

  The guards escorted us back to the castle. When the doors were securely shut behind us, I
put a hand on Carly's arm, hoping to calm her.

  “I'm so sorry you had to witness such an unfortunate display,” I said sadly. “This was not how I had hoped we'd spend our evening together, or how I’d hoped you’d be introduced to Valkred. Would you like me to fly you up to your bedchamber?”

  “Thanks for asking this time, instead of just grabbing me,” she replied. She was trying to sound flippant, but I could hear the faint quivering in her voice. “Yes, I'd like that. Thank you.”

  I picked her up tenderly, unfurling my wings and flying us up to the highest tower. Instead of setting her down when we reached the platform, I carried her the rest of the way to her bed and placed her in it gently. She didn't seem to mind. I was glad; after the shock of violence coming so close to her earlier, I couldn’t seem to stop touching her, ensuring that she was unharmed.

  “Tell me,” she said quietly, “are all the members of your race able to… you know, read minds? Communicate telepathically, like Torqa did?”

  I nodded slowly.

  “And do you suspect I'm some kind of spy, like she does? I mean, if you really want to know for sure, why don't you just read my mind and find out for yourself?”

  “Doing such a thing without so much as a by-your-leave seemed impolite.” It didn’t escape me that when I’d first claimed Carly from Nos, I hadn’t cared much for politeness – but things were somehow changed, now. I didn’t want Carly to fear me; I wanted Carly to want me.

  She sat up in bed, putting her hand over mine. The feeling sent tingles all through my body. “I'm giving you permission. I won't fight it. I'll open my mind up to you, and you can find out whatever you need to.”

  “Very well,” I said, concentrating.