“You know, Colonel...Nicoli. May I call you Nicoli? I have followed my granddaughter’s movements for years. I’m sure she’s told you much about me. Some of it is even true. But despite what she thinks, I do care what happens to her. In my own way, I have tried to protect her. And for that reason, I’m telling you this. I am a man who wields a great deal of power on this planet and I am not above using that power should I discover that An’jel was forced into this marriage. Now you may think that is hypocritical of me, as I intended to force her into a marriage of my choosing, but that is my right as her grandfather and her ruler.”
Nicoli set his empty glass on a nearby table. He didn’t appear the least bit intimidated. His gaze was clear and steady as he met Gil’rhen’s eyes. “I would never dishonor Angel in any way.” His eyes and expression took on a look of cold steel. “And I would never allow anyone to bring her harm.”
The two continued to assess one another, each taking the other’s measure. Then Gil’rhen nodded. He liked what he saw in this young warrior. He had a rare intelligence coupled with the strength to back it up. A valuable trait to have in an ally.
Not so good to have in one’s enemy.
“As we are clearing the air, I must tell you that I had intended to select my own successor to the High Counsel position. Sadly, my daughter’s second husband died in the war shortly after they were married. There was a third, but he died under suspicious circumstances in his own bed. As did the fourth. After that, well, let’s just say no one was willing to risk their life by marrying my daughter – even if it meant becoming High Counsel. I gave up trying to marry her off and resigned myself to the knowledge that my successor would have to be the man who married my granddaughter. I never expected that person to be an off-worlder.” He paused. “I don’t mind telling you that I don’t think the High Counsel should be an off-worlder.”
Nicoli nodded. “I did not marry your granddaughter so I could rule your House. I’m not interested in becoming the High Counsel.”
“Good. But we do still have one small problem. In order for the line of succession to stay in my family, the next ruler must be married to my granddaughter.”
“We don’t have a problem.
You
have a problem,” Nicoli countered, his voice unyielding. “Because Althusians mate for life.”
Gil’rhen nodded his understanding. Nicoli had passed the second test and it was a shame, because what he’d told Nicoli was the truth, but he would address that problem later.
“Let us deal with one unpleasantness at a time.” He forced his tone to sound lighter. “I will not allow these Harvesters to infiltrate my planet. They must be eliminated. If one or more of them has infiltrated my home, as you suspect, then naming you as my successor has threatened their plans. At some point, they will act. You must be ready.”
“Rest assured, High Counsel. I will be ready - for
all
attempts on my life.”
Chapter 20
Angel woke up late the next morning feeling tired. It had taken her a long time the night before to fall asleep. She’d returned from her mother’s room to find Nicoli waiting up for her. Neither had spoken as Nicoli laid a pallet of blankets on the floor, where he planned to sleep. She’d waited a long time to see if he would change his mind about joining her in bed, hoping he might at least try. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to, she’d tossed and turned for hours wondering why that upset her.
Now she looked across the room. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, targeting the empty pallet on the floor with its rays. Nicoli had awakened early, before dawn and while she’d pretended to sleep, he’d moved quietly about the room getting dressed. Just before leaving, he’d come to stand by the bed. He’d looked down at her for so long she felt certain he’d known she was awake. He’d turned and walked out without saying a word.
He had gone with her grandfather to search for Harvesters and she found it irritating that he hadn’t invited her to go along. Apparently, she was good enough to fight Free Rebels in open space, but not to hunt Harvesters on her home planet.
Thinking about it only made her angry, so she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. It had been so long since she’d showered with real water that she stood under the warm spray longer than she realized. By the time she emerged, her skin was wrinkled, but she felt better.
As she dressed, she wondered what Nicoli thought she was supposed to do all day. Sit around and wait for him to return from his great adventure? Or maybe he thought she’d seek out the other women and help them prepare food, mend clothes or something equally boring.
No thank you
.
She left her room and made her way through the halls of the palace. When Angel reached her mother’s room, Yanur was already there. The two were deeply immersed in conversation and barely acknowledged her arrival. Feeling like an intruder, she turned to leave and caught sight of an object leaning against the far corner.
“Is that Father’s warring blade?” She walked over to the weapon and picked it up. It was lighter than she remembered, but then, she was no longer a child.
“Yes,” her mother answered. “I could never bear to give it away.”
Gripping the handle with both hands, Angel raised the weapon and assumed the ready stance her father had taught her. The blade’s dull gleam reflected years of nonuse and the once razor-sharp center blade felt blunt when she ran a finger along the sword’s length in a feather-light touch. Memories of afternoons practicing with her father flooded her mind.
“I think he would want you to have it,” her mother said, causing Angel to look toward her.
“Really?”
Her mother smiled and nodded. “Be careful.”
“Thank you.” She looked back at the blade as an idea formed. “If you two are okay, I think I’ll go.” The older couple didn’t seem to notice when she slipped from the room.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later, she sat in the courtyard, enjoying the sun’s warmth on her back, rubbing the blades of her father's weapon with a polishing cloth. She was lost in memories of her times with him when a shadow fell across her.
“You should be careful. One wrong move and you might accidentally cut off one of those very lovely fingers.”
Her hands stilled as she cocked her head to look up at Victor. “I know what I’m doing.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is that right?”
“Yes, it is. Though I appreciate your concern,” she said in a voice that let him know she didn’t appreciate anything. “Don’t let me keep you from going.”
The smile never left his face. “Not a problem.” He walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.
He looked prepared to sit all day and Angel worked to keep the irritation from showing on her face. “What happened? You draw the short straw?”
His confused expression told her that he’d never heard the expression. “It’s an old Earth game of chance where everyone draws a single piece of straw from a bale of hay. The one with the shortest straw loses.” She nodded to him. “Someone had to make sure I didn’t run away again and you drew the short straw.”
The light of understanding clicked on, but the smile he gave her was far from embarrassed. It was almost suggestive. “I cheated.”
That didn’t make sense to her. “Why?”
“I couldn’t leave to chance the opportunity to spend all day in the pleasure of your company. So I arranged for Rianol and Pualson to be busy.”
“After last night, I wouldn’t think you’d want to be anywhere near me.”
He smiled. “I don’t hold a grudge. Besides, a man always appreciates the chance to spend time with an attractive woman, even when he has no hope of winning her for himself.”
Angel laughed and felt the weight of her problems with her grandfather and Nicoli lift slightly from her shoulders. The man could be charming. He could also be a Harvester, she reminded herself. After all, who better to influence the decisions of the High Counsel than his Counsel-elect? Former Counsel-elect, she amended. If he was a Harvester, losing the position might make him very dangerous. Maybe she should do a little investigative work herself.
“I don’t suppose you know how to use one of these?” She asked, mock innocence lacing her words.
He pretended offense. “My dear An’jel, I’ll have you know that I am quite accomplished in the use of the warring blade.”
“Care to go a few bouts on the practice field?"
“Me? Practice against a woman?”
“Try not to think of me as a woman.”
“Impossible.” He winked at her as he rose from the bench. “But now that you mention it, there
are
a couple of moves I’d like to show you.”
* * * * *
Nicoli steered his small borrowed craft to the landing site on the far side of the High Counsel’s palace. He had mixed feelings about the day’s outing. He and Gil’rhen had visited the four nearest villages and not found a single trace of repossessed Harvesters.
It wasn’t that he expected there to be a sign posted at the colony entrance that read “Harvesters Welcomed,” but he thought he would have found something. There were too many generations of ingrained cultural norms to overcome for the Harvesters to blend easily into an existing community, but neither he nor Gil’rhen had noticed anything unusual. Either the Harvesters weren’t there or they were doing one hell of a job blending in.
Neither thought comforted Nicoli.
After securing the ship and seeing Gil’rhen safely to his office, Nicoli made his excuses and went in search of Angel. He frowned, knowing how mad she must have been to discover he’d left without her. He'd already placed her life in danger too many times on this mission. He wasn’t about to again.
“Angel?” He called, walking into their room. It was empty. He crossed to the bathroom, the thought of catching her coming out of the shower too good to pass up. “Angel, are you in here?” No response.
He was growing worried. Had he made a mistake, thinking her safe inside the palace? He walked across the room, imagining the worst when a movement outside the window caught his eye. Turning to take a better look, he felt his mood sour and his blood pressure rise.
Angel was in the back of the courtyard with Victor and though they both had warring blades drawn, it was obvious they weren’t fighting. Even as he watched, Victor lowered his weapon to the ground and moved to stand behind Angel. He wrapped his arms around her, letting his hands cover hers on the hilt of the weapon. Then, moving as one, they lifted the blade to sweep the air in an arc.
The scene bore an air of intimacy that had Nicoli gritting his teeth. It seemed much too long a time before Angel, face smiling, stepped out of the other man’s embrace. Her laughter floated to him across the distance, the sound of it surprising.
He’d never made her laugh. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd ever heard her laugh.
It was a depressing thought that quickly turned to an anger aimed equally at Victor, for making open advances toward his wife, and Angel, for seeming so receptive to those advances.
He left the room, his long strides taking him quickly to the courtyard as his thoughts turned to how he would handle the situation before him.
“Colonel Romanof.”
He didn’t hear the servant until she stepped into his path, blocking his way. “Sorrah, isn’t it?” He struggled to keep the irritation from his voice.
“Yes. I didn’t think you’d noticed me.”
He stared at her, amazed. The serving girl had practically thrown herself at him this morning at breakfast and now she blocked his path. How could he not have noticed? Somehow taking his silence as encouragement, she smiled and took a step closer.
“Was there something you wanted?” He stared past her to the outside courtyard entrance for some sign of Angel and Victor beyond. The maid’s hand on his arm brought his attention back to her. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I will take care of you.” From her tone he knew she wasn’t offering to fix his meals. Stepping closer, she laid the palms of her hands against his chest.
Irritation warred with manners. He could hardly push the woman aside. While he debated how to rid himself of her, she took advantage of his silence, taking that last step that brought their bodies into contact.
“How can she satisfy you when you don’t even sleep together?” She smiled at his confused look. “I cleaned your room this morning and saw the pallet on the floor.”
“We had a fight. That’s all.” He shrugged, hoping to appear nonchalant, but the movement rubbed her against him and he froze.
Misunderstanding his reaction, she grew bolder. Her arms stole about his neck as she leaned up to whisper in his ear. “I know what a man needs.”