Page 56 of Zinnia and the Zombie
She was still trying to take it all in as they followed Doren into a lounge draped in hot pink silk. He threw himself gracefully on a divan adorned with jeweled pillows and scowled at Faith again.
“You wanted to talk, so talk.”
Faith had bent down to examine the container of plants and backed into a fur-covered footstool as she straightened. Athtar sighed and pulled her down onto his lap as he sat down in an enormous carved wooden chair. She didn’t even seem to notice, giving Zinnia a thoughtful look.
“Who took you from Earth?”
Before she could answer, Jaxx took a seat on a bench covered in purple velvet and tugged her down next to him. She gave him a quick look, wondering if she should avoid the question, but he nodded at her.
“Jaxx said they were Ithyians. We met on their ship.”
Faith sighed. “Karthajin is trying to shut down the illegal slave trade but he hasn’t been entirely successful.”
“He made it worse when he claimed a human as his First Consort,” Doren drawled. “What did he expect? He made it fashionable.”
“Karthajin is the new Emperor?” Jaxx asked, finally breaking his silence for the first time.
Doren’s gaze sharpened. “He’s been Emperor for almost fifteen years now. You didn’t know?”
“I didn’t even know there was an Emperor,” she said quickly, not liking that speculative gleam. “Emperor of what?”
“Fucking everything,” Athtar muttered. “The Kaisarian Empire claims dominion over all known space.”
“Even the Outer Rim?” Jaxx frowned.
“In theory, yes. As a practical matter, the Royal Fleet doesn’t have a strong presence out there. Which is why I prefer to spend my time there,” Doren added.
“Then you shouldn’t have come pestering my mate.” Athtar was glaring again but Faith shook her head.
“I’m glad you showed up. The research into the Serpent’s Maw has been fascinating.”
The Serpent’s Maw? The Grorn priest had said something about Jaxx being the key to it when he found Jaxx in the plaza. From the sudden tension in Jaxx’s body, he remembered that as well. When he remained silent, she looked at Faith.
“What is the Serpent’s Maw?”
“A fucking legend.”
“Not exactly,” Faith corrected. “It’s a fanciful name for an actual physical location. I’ve established that much. But what’s beyond it? That’s where it becomes difficult to separate legend from reality.”
“The Vault is real,” Doren insisted, his eyes glowing.
“I hope it isn’t,” Faith said quietly.
“Why not?” she asked. “What do you think it contains?”
Faith hesitated for a moment, then sighed.
“The power to create life. Or destroy it.”
Doren broke the sudden silence by calling up a holographic image in the center of the room. The image displayed a long, coiling nebula, stretched across space like a vast, cosmic serpent.
“This,” Doren said, “is the Serpent’s Maw.”
Jaxx tensed again. “I’ve heard of it. A navigational hazard. A death trap.”
“It’s more than that,” Doren said. “According to Grorn religious texts—which I’ve had the dubious pleasure of studying—the Vault contains precursor technology. Technology beyond anything currently known.”
“The Grorn believe the Vault holds the key to their species’ salvation, but they can’t just walk in and take it,” Faith added. “They believe that they need certain biological keys to unlock the Vault.”
