Diamond Star (65 page)

The man sang in Iotic, his voice soaring. On the dais in the center of the amphitheater, a woman with silver-streaked hair and a giant man with gold skin--the Ruby Pharaoh and Imperator--stood together, watching the screen as the man sang:
I'm no golden hero in the blazing skies, I'm no fair-haired genius hiding in disguise.

And even farther across the stars, in the largest empire ever known to humanity, the Trader Aristos gathered in the Amphitheater of Providence to rule their glittering, brutal empire, tier upon tier of them, all the same, with shimmering black hair and carnelian eyes. Their emperor stood on a balcony, his hands planted on the railing. As one, they watched the giant screen where a young prince shouted in Highton:

I'll never kneel
Beneath your Highton stare
I'm here and I'm real
Your living nightmare.

XXVIII: Sunrise Eyes

Mac had never seen Fitz McLane this drained. The general sat in the large chair behind his desk and rubbed his eyes, then dropped his arm.

"Hannah Loughten will join the conference from Australia," Fitz said. "Via a holo link."

Mac nodded. They were fortunate the President of the Allied Worlds was here on Earth, but she would have linked in from anywhere. "Does she want Del deported?"

"She hasn't said." Fitz leaned back in his chair. "That's moot, anyway. When Del can travel, Imperator Skolia will pull him out of here faster than a starship can invert. We'll be lucky if the Skolians don't sever all relations with us."

"I'm not so sure," Mac said. "I've never seen Staver Aunchild so grimly pleased. His people resent our dealing with Aristos." Dryly he said, "I wouldn't be surprised if they think Del should be canonized."

Fitz gave him a sour look. "His family are the ones we have to deal with. Let's just say my conversations with Imperator Skolia have been less than friendly."

Mac could imagine too well. "Which of them will be in the conference?"

"The Imperator," Fitz said. "The Ruby Pharaoh. The First Councilor of their Assembly. Queen Roca, Del's mother. Naaj Majda, the General of the Pharaoh's Army." He paused, squinting at a display on his desk. "And some person named Chaniece."

Mac sat up straighter. "Chaniece is Del's twin sister."

"Oh, great," Fitz said. "Just great. Another hothead."

Mac smiled. "She's the opposite, Fitz. They probably asked her to join the link because she may be the only person alive who can consistently calm Del down."

"I hope so." Fitz restlessly smoothed his sleeve. It was telling of how rough his night had been, that the self-ironing uniform could no longer stay military-sharp. "How is Del this morning?"

"He was asleep when I checked with Doctor Chandler at the hospital." Mac would never forget how Del had collapsed after the concert. "He was in pretty bad shape."

"I saw the report." Fitz's grimace heightened the dark circles under his eyes. "Tarex did all that to him?"

Mac's anger surged. "He beat the crap out of Del, whipped the skin off his back, and gave him neural shocks all over his upper body." It was no wonder Del had exploded last night.

Now they had to deal with the fallout of that three-minute blast.

Del didn't want to leave his room at the base. To say he dreaded the upcoming conference was like saying he had slept a little in cryo.

Although his body still ached, he felt much better than yesterday, when he had escaped Tarex. Physically. Emotionally he wasn't ready for anything. But he had to face the consequences of his concert. He, General McLane, and Mac would link into the conference from here in Annapolis. President Loughten would connect from Australia, and Del's family from the Orbiter, except for Chaniece, who would use a console in their home on Lyshriol. As the eldest member of the Ruby Dynasty on Lyshriol, she was now head of the family there, in charge of their holdings and the Valdoria branch of the royal family.

Today Del dressed far more conservatively than usual, grey slacks and a white dress shirt with diamond cufflinks, the type of clothes his family wanted him to wear. He stood in the middle of his living room, looking at nothing. He had seen no one but Doctor Chandler since he woke up this morning. But no matter what happened, he didn't regret what he had done. Whether or not anyone had heard,
truly
heard, what he had sung, he didn't know. But it was out there.

Del craved his bliss-node. He wanted nothing more than to submerge in the forgiving euphoria of his dreams. The agitation he felt when he went more than a few hours with a session had plagued him all morning. How he would make it through the long days without it, he didn't know, but make it he would, because he had sworn to stop. The joy it offered was false, an escape that drained his life and his music.

Doctor Chandler was helping, giving him neural blockers that eased his need. But nothing took it away. The hunger always lurked in his mind. Yet no matter how difficult it became, he would keep the vow he had made to himself. No more would he waste his life in the counterfeit promises of a bliss that had never truly existed.

A chime came from his door. Del tensed. He had put off leaving for so long, someone had come looking for him.

"Claude, who's outside my room?" Del asked.

"Mac and Ricki," his EI said.

"Oh. Okay." His shoulders relaxed a bit. "Let them in."

As soon as the door shimmered away, Mac strode inside. "How are you?" He came over to Del, then stopped, blinking. "Good Lord. You look like a Ruby prince."

Del smiled. "Well, that's a coincidence."

Ricki came in more slowly. She spoke in a subdued voice. "You carry it well."

"Hi." Del wanted her to hurry over to him, pull him into her arms, say how happy she was to see him. She did none of those things. She did come closer, though.

"Are you nervous, babe?" she asked.

"I guess so." If only she would--what? Act like she loved him? Once he had told Mac he was incapable of loving a woman. So much had changed since then, but even as an empath, he couldn't tell where he stood with her. Either she didn't know herself or else she hid it so deep, he couldn't pick it up.

"You'll be all right," Mac told him.

Del just looked at him. They both knew it wasn't true.

The door chimed again.

"Guess it doesn't matter if I'm ready." Del's attempt to laugh sounded forced. "Claude, who is that?"

"I don't know," his EI answered. "I don't recognize the woman or the guards."

Huh. It couldn't be Tyra or Anne. It seemed odd McLane would send someone Claude didn't know, but they couldn't be here if the general hadn't approved their presence. "Let them in."

The door vanished--and left a luminous woman framed in the archway. Silken hair poured over her shoulders, streaked gold from the sun and pale lavender underneath. Her eyes were large and violet, framed by glimmering lashes. She had on a dress, blue and soft, its skirt brushing her knees, its bodice snug. She looked like an angel come to Earth.

"
Chaniece?
" Del's native language burst out of him though he hadn't spoken it in over a year. "Is it you?"

She smiled at him. "I hope so." She stood with two large guards, undoubtedly Jagernauts. "May I come in?"

"Yes! Of course." He sped over and drew her inside. "How did you get to Earth?"

"I took a ship, silly." She glanced at Ricki, at Mac, then at Ricki. Hesitating, she said, "I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"No! Never." Del touched her cheek, then dropped his arm, self-conscious.

Her smile turned radiant. "I listened to
Starlight
on the trip here." Her face gentled, so familiar, the curve of her cheek, the delicate arch of her brows. "I do so like it, Del."

A flush spread through him. He put his palms on her arms, and she tensed, the easy camaraderie of their youth gone. Then he thought,
To hell with that
and pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank you for coming," he whispered.

She put her arms around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder. "I wanted to before. Kelric said it wasn't safe."

"He was right."

"We thought it better if the boys stayed home."

Del drew away so he could look at her face. "I'll see them as soon as I get back."

Someone cleared his throat. Del turned to see Mac and Ricki watching them. Mac looked as if someone had dropped a brick on his head. Ricki was angry, but also . . . scared? Why?

Del brought Chaniece forward. It felt unreal to have her here. Impossible. Incredible. He spoke in the style of the Imperial Court, first in Iotic, then English. "Chaniece, may I present Michael Tyler, my personal manager, and Erica Varento, my producer at Prime-Nova."

Mac bowed to Chaniece and spoke in Iotic. "It is an honor, Your Highness."

"My greetings," Chaniece said softly.

Ricki should have bowed, but Del doubted she knew anything about court protocols. She returned Chaniece's curious look with a cold stare and spoke in English. "Hello."

Del translated, substituting "It's an honor to meet you" for "hello." He didn't fool Chaniece. Her curiosity bubbled around his mind.

She's lovely,
Chaniece thought.

She puts together my anthologies.

Kelric said you have a girlfriend.

Del averted his gaze.

Ricki spoke coolly. "You seem to know each other well. Was that your native language?"

Del looked up, feeling so awkward. He wasn't prepared for this. "Yes. That's right."

Mac spoke to Chaniece in Iotic. "We'll have a translation program for you at the conference."

She inclined her head. "Thank you."

A hum came from Mac's wrist comm. When he touched it, Cameron's voice came out. "We're ready. Are you with Del?"

"He's right here," Mac said. "We'll be right down."

"All right," Cameron said. "Out."

Glancing at Chaniece, Del tilted his head toward her guards, who were standing back.
Two of them?

Apparently one isn't enough,
Chaniece thought wryly. An image of Tyra came into her mind.

That's because I kept ditching her. You're far better behaved.

You've done more than misbehaved.

The concert was something I had to do.

A sense of steel came into her thoughts.
I'm glad you did.

Del suddenly felt lighter. He could handle censure from the rest of his family, but not her disapproval.

Tarex has a lot to answer for,
she thought.

But he won't! The bastard left Earth right after my concert.

Del, that was good. It's why Staver's people could smuggle his provider off Earth.

She escaped? That's wonderful!

She has asked for Skolian asylum. Kelric is expediting the process.

At least some good came out of this.

Mac was watching them, waiting. When Del met his gaze, the older man spoke quietly. "We should go."

"All right. " Del turned to Ricki, uncertain what to do with her icy hostility. "Would you--you could wait for me. Here."

"I have to go to work," she said, as distant as if they were kilometers apart. "Deal with the mess from last night."

Del winced. "I guess Prime-Nova won't be offering me a new contract." After so many struggles to climb his way to the top, he had lost it all in one day.

Her chill thawed a bit. "I'm sorry, babe." She started to reach for him, then glanced at Chaniece. Her expression cooled and she dropped her arm.

Del didn't know what to say. He never knew how to tell a lover about Chaniece, so he ended up saying nothing, afraid of offending someone. He also felt Ricki's conviction that she would soon lose him back to his world. He didn't want this distance that separated them.

Something loosened in Del, a rusty lock on his emotions. Taking Ricki's hand, he drew her forward. "I'll see you tonight?"

She remained stiff in his arms. "I'm sure you'll be busy."

He leaned down and kissed her ear. "She's my sister, love."

"Oh!" Ricki drew away, her face startled. "Oh."

Del stroked her hair back from her face. "I'll comm you tonight?"

She started to respond, stopped, then said, "Zachary will be asking about you."

"You can tell him who I am. Last night blew off the cover." He kissed her again, hoping it wasn't the last time.

Then he left with Mac and Chaniece, headed for what felt like sentencing.

The techs fastened Mac into a virt suit, which linked him to the Kyle gateway provided by the Skolians. And just like that, he was standing in the virtual conference room. It had no furniture except gold chairs at a gold table on transparent columns.

Fitz McLane appeared next to Mac, by a chair at the table. He stood tall and broad-shouldered in his dress uniform, every bit a five-star general, the only one among the Allied military.

Across the table, one person rippled into view: General Naaj Majda. They had all agreed to the Harrison Protocols, which meant they didn't alter their appearances. Majda was an unusually tall woman with a regal face. Black hair streaked by grey swept back from her forehead, and the force of her personality came through even in a simulation. It was hard to believe Del had almost been betrothed to this woman's sister. Then again, if Del had worked the same spells on her that he did on most women, he could have turned even one of these formidable Amazons into putty.

A voice announced them by name. Mac heard it in English, but translator codes would give it in Iotic for the Skolians. They nodded to one another and took their seats, Fitz and Mac on one side and Majda on the other.

The air blurred near the end of the table and coalesced into two people. Del and Chaniece. They stood side by side, luminous and golden, oblivious to their own beauty, and everyone else in the room became drab in comparison. Across the table, their mother appeared, as golden as her children.

The EI spoke: "Her Majesty, Roca Skolia, Foreign Affairs Councilor to the Assembly; His Royal Highness, Prince Del-Kurj Valdoria Skolia; Her Royal Highness, Princess Chaniece Lyhalia Valdoria Skolia."