Abendau's Heir (The Inheritance Trilogy Book 1) (23 page)

“He’s known all this time she could get to him,” said Sonly, eventually. Tears started to form in her eyes, mostly from anger.
Why the hell didn’t he tell us?

Eevan slammed his hand against the wall, making her jump. “The stupid bastard.”

Lichio shook his head. “It’s not that. He’d worried you’d put a security detail on him. Silom
begged
me to let him stay at base so he could be with him. He knew Kare wouldn’t risk anyone else– that he thought too many people had already died around him.
Damn
him
.”

“Calm down, Lichio,” Rjala said. “This isn’t your fault, or Silom’s. A security detail isn’t what we should be focusing on. How the hell have they got into the base? He shouldn’t need security here– it
is
secure.”

Sonly shivered with shock. “Kare’s the one who decided to take the risk, Lich.”

Rjala interrupted. “And if…
when
… he gets back, he’ll face me about it. Eevan, this doesn’t change anything; continue the search of the port.”

Sonly sat– she didn’t know how long–
and watched the search in silence, tears pricking her. She grew numb, the word Omendegon circling her thoughts.

Someone knelt in front of her and she turned her eyes to them, but it took a moment to realise it was Eevan. She slumped against Lichio, his arm encircling her shoulders. Eevan looked at Lichio and gave a small shake of his head before turning his attention to Sonly.

“We’ve searched every ship,” he said, gently. “He’s not on any of them. We have to guess they got him out as soon as they took him. I think you have to assume he’s gone, Sonly.”

He’s gone
. The words ricocheted. She turned her head to Lichio, looking up at his face. It was so blurred that, but for the blond hair, he could have been anyone.

“What next?” asked Lichio.

“We’ll alert the spy network at Abendau, and hope they can tell us if he turns up.” Eevan turned to Sonly. “You’ll have to get in touch with Michael; he’s the only one with access to them.”

“Okay.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “If he does get taken to Abendau, we move. We’ll have to.”

Eevan patted her knee, awkwardly. “It’ll be hard for you if he is taken. I’m sorry.” He sounded almost human.

“Does Silom know?” she asked. “Someone should tell him.”

“His ship is due to land,” said Lichio. "I've asked him to report to me."

“Thank you. I’m going to my room,” she said. If the base was to be moved, she had preparations to carry out. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but staying here, waiting for news that could never be good, would be even worse.

“Do you want me to come?” asked Lichio.

“No, wait for Silom; he shouldn’t hear it from a stranger.”

“At least let me send someone with you,” he said.

She was too tired to fight about it. Plus, the thought of returning to the apartment on her own made her shiver again. The last time she’
d been there, Kare had been with her, vibrant and alive and kissing her, and she knew the moment she walked in, the memory would hit her. She nodded, and Lichio waved a soldier over to them.

“Will! Go with Sonly,” said Lichio.

Sonly followed the soldier out, stepping round the search teams without thinking. They reached the apartment and Will led her to the sofa.

“Sit there– I’ll get the lights on.”

Sonly nodded her thanks and closed her eyes. She didn’t open them when she heard a soft noise behind her. “Thanks, Will,” she said. There was no response and she looked round. He wasn’t there, and the apartment was still in darkness. “Will!”

There was no reply. She got up and recoiled in horror as a hole appeared where she’d been sitting, the padding from the sofa expelled into the air in a soft puff. She dived to the floor and pulled out her firearm. She lay, trying to quieten her breath, not sure where the shot had come from. The apartment was silent. She got up, keeping low and quiet, and moved towards the alarm point. A shot grazed her leg, making her slip and cry out.

She rolled onto her side as her attacker stepped out of the bedroom. He was dressed in a dark uniform, his face masked. She raised her gun, but he had already taken aim. Her breath froze as he fired. The bullet came at her and she tried to roll but it was too fast. It touched her chest, and stalled, as if stopped–

She looked up to see a new figure, framed in the door to the corridor. Her attacker’s focus moved to the newcomer and she took her chance, crawling to the panic button and hitting it. Its shrill alarm filled the small chamber.

There was a yell and the framed figure in the doorway reeled back, shot. She knew who it had to be.

“No!” She got to her feet, planting them as she’d been taught at basic.

Taking aim at her attacker, she clicked off the safety, ready to fire. Before she could, the man fell to the floor, blood spraying from his neck. Something touched her foot, and she shrieked when she looked down and saw the dull shine of his lifeless eyes. She bit the scream back, and kicked the head away.

“You okay?” asked a rasping voice, barely audible over the alarm.

“Kare?” She knew it was him, that it had to be him, but still couldn’t quite believe it. She could see where her attacker’s head had rolled to– he’d
killed
him.

“’s– me.” He slumped to the floor, making her forget about the dead man. She ran and knelt beside him, horrified at the amount of blood spreading out and out. His shirt was soaked. She pulled it up, supporting his weight, and saw the huge exit wound in his back. He cried out at the pain.

“It’s okay, I have you.” She put her hand against the wound, trying to stanch the blood, but it flooded into her palm and down her arm, soaking into the thin material of her cardigan. The sound of footsteps running made her look up to see Silom and Lichio and a small squad of soldiers.

“It won’t stop bleeding! Help me: it’s everywhere.”

Silom pulled his shirt off and pressed it against the wound.

“Get the medics!” he told Lichio. Quickly, Silom’s shirt soaked through and he glanced desperately at Sonly. “This isn’t good. He can heal the wound, but he can’t make blood.”

He slapped Kare, and got a small murmur in response.

“Kare, you need to close the wound quicker. You’re losing blood.” He slapped Kare a little harder. “Now, Kare.” He glanced round. “Someone get some towels from the bathroom. And get the alarm off!”

Silom lifted his shirt away and looked at the wound.

“Good lad,” Silom said. “Keep going, get it closed, then we’ll get you sorted.”

Sonly, with Kare still slumped against her, looked at Silom, and he nodded slightly. “It’s closing. Keep going, another bit and you’re there.”

Someone handed Sonly a towel and Silom took his shirt away, throwing it to the side. She pressed the towel to the wound. Silom was right, the bleeding had slowed. Kare’s eyes flickered slightly. His face was very pale, and sweat beaded across his forehead. The alarms stopped, but the silence seemed just as loud.

“What’s wrong with his hand?” asked Silom.

Sonly glanced down; she had been so focused on the gun wound, she hadn’t noticed more blood running down his hand.

“Oh, lord,” she said, “his finger.”

She could see, now, that his little finger had been excised, a thin thread of blood running from the wound. The knucklebone was visible, white through the blood crusted around the joint. She was still looking at it and trying to think what it meant when the medics pushed her aside. They lifted Kare onto a stretcher bed and began to work with him. Silom moved to the side to let them work, his mouth drawn down, his hands clenched.

“Silom, I’m sorry,” she said. “This should never have happened. Not on the base.” And she’d be damned sure someone found out how and why, and made sure it couldn’t happen again.

He shook his head. “Sounds to me like my cousin had plenty of warning.”

The paramedics lifted the stretcher, their faces impassive.

“I should have insisted I stay and watch his back,” Silom said.

Lichio came up to them, his face shocked. He looked around the apartment, at the blood covering the wall and carpet, and the headless corpse on the floor.

“What happened?” he asked, but Sonly didn’t respond. She clutched her arms, trying to stop shivering.

Silom stepped forward and looked at the body. “I assume Kare happened,” he said. “That’s new: he’s never done that before.” He sounded off-hand, but he was pale and shocked. Kare, it seemed, had talents he’d never shown anyone.

“Kare? Kare can decapitate people?” Lichio’s voice was high, and his eyes flitted between Sonly and Silom.

“Apparently,” Silom said.

“He beheaded someone,” protested Lichio, his voice rising.

“I know. You might want to think about that the next time you roll in late or hungover.”

In another circumstance, Sonly might have laughed, but not tonight, with danger touching them all, even in her calm apartment in the centre of the Banned base, where it should be safe.

“Hell,” Lichio said, sombre and shocked. “We’ll get someone in to clear up." He tapped Sonly's shoulder. "Don’t go into the bathroom– Will’s in there.”

“Is he…?” asked Sonly. Lichio shook his head, and she started to shiver again.

Silom walked to the door of the apartment. “I’m going to the hospital.” He looked down at Sonly’s leg. “You should come too, get that looked at.”

Lichio stepped forward. “You two go on. I’ll liaise with Rjala and Eevan– they need to find out who our headless friend is and if he’s on his own.”

Sonly walked beside Silom. His bare chest and arms were smeared with blood, and he looked as shocked as she felt.

“How does he do it?” It would better to keep Silom talking and busy. “The healing?”

“I don’t know,” Silom said. “I’m not even sure he knows. He’ll tell us, if we ask, that he just moved a part of his mind. It’s one thing he’s never worked out– where his power came from. Ealyn didn’t know anything about his background, nor did my mum.” He paused for a moment. “Kare’s tried everything to find out– he said it was important to know, that his worked differently from anyone else’s, but he couldn’t.”

“There are other psychers,” she said. “He’s not unique.”

Silom glanced sideways at her. “Know any others who can take the head off an attacker?” She shook her head. “Thought not.”

He opened a door and Sonly stepped outside. The jungle was starting to come alive, the caw of a parrot breaking the silence, a streak of light visible in the sky. The lights from the hospital block shone out against the darkness.

“Why is it so important he finds out? I mean, he knows his mother blended two powerful psychers– isn’t that enough?”

Silom paused before saying. “He’s frightened he won’t always be able to control his powers. That they’ll get too strong, take him over.”

The image of the headless body flashed before her. Kare did that–
it was hard to believe. She’d been kissing him earlier, had wanted him to stay, and it turned out he could have killed her as easily as kiss her. The thought made her stomach turn over, like she was ill. She took a sly, sideways glance at Silom. He was able to handle it, so why couldn’t she?

“Silom, I like him,” she said. It felt odd, admitting to it. Normally she kept feelings to herself, too well trained by her father to allow anything that could be used against her be known openly.

“That’s good. He’s a nice guy.”

“But, how do I handle it?” They reached the hospital and Sonly palmed the door pad, waiting for it to recognise her and admit them. “How do you?”

Silom pushed the door open and looked at her sideways. “Are you serious about him?”

“I’d like to be,” she said. “But I need to know I can deal with what he can do.”

Silom looked her up and down, before he nodded. “Okay, the first thing you have to know is he will always have a sense of how you’re feeling. He calls it his buzz, and can’t turn it off. So if you’re sad, he’ll know it; if you’re in a good mood, he’ll pick it up. I tell myself it’s not knowing my thoughts, it’s just like being with someone who’s very tuned in.”

“How do I hide anything from him?” She couldn’t imagine how it would feel, to be with someone who had no regard for the privacy she’d worked so hard to cultivate in the midst of a teeming base. Something of her uncertainty must have shown, because Silom gave a vigorous shake of his head.

“Not like that. He won’t read your mind. I’ve never, ever known him to. Well, once when he was about eight, he tried to change Mum’s mind about something. She sensed him, gave him the dressing down from hell– she had a bit of a temper– and he’s never done it since.”

The base entrance opened and the trolley pushed past them. Kare was pale, almost the colour of the sheet, and unmoving. A mask was over his mouth, but even so, his chest rose and fell with the shallowest of breaths. Everything they were talking about, what Kare could or couldn’t do, might not matter. She’d spent months pussyfooting around him, following protocol and keeping her distance. She’d been an idiot. She trembled and Silom’s hand reached out and took her elbow, giving her support. They fell into place behind the medics and followed them to the ward. Silom pushed forward and spoke to the doctors, but Sonly hung back; there was no point in crowding the doctors. She brought her hand to her throat as she watched, knowing it was an excuse. She wasn’t going forward because she didn’t want to claim him as hers.

Silom walked back. “Do you want a coffee? They’re going to give him a transfusion, and it’ll take a while.”

“A transfusion? So he’ll be all right?”

Silom paused. “He’s stable. They had to stop on the way over, and…. ”

“And what?” she asked, her heart beating too fast, making her dizzy and sick.

“They had to resuscitate him.”

Her heart skipped a beat, fluttering in her chest, making her gulp against the eerie feeling. “I thought it was nearly impossible to kill a psycher.” But she knew the truth. The bullet had ripped through his skin; his blood had run into Silom’s shirt, covered her cardigan. That wasn’t someone who was immortal.