Page 7 of Splintered Shadow
“We are capable of walking. It is best not to disturb the karu.” This was a deception, though the creatures nested in the temple complex. Distressing the karu invited misfortune. Vekele was not a superstitious male, but if Luca questioned his reasoning, he would admit to not wanting to upset the sacred creatures, just in case.
He had enough misfortune for a lifetime.
In truth, he did not want to see the landing site, any part of it. The scorch marks and blood were long gone after twenty years, but they remained fresh in his mind.
Once the ship landed, his karu settled on his shoulder. Talons dug into the feather mantle on his shoulders, but he felt the sharp pang in his skin.
Anticipation zipped through him. Vekele could not say why. Yes, as they arrived on Miria, it became apparent that an anomaly had occurred. Strange energy signatures lingered.
Not a bit of space dust on a sensor, then.
But investigating a genuine anomaly could not explain why he felt as if he were on the cusp of some great change. The last time he felt this way had been the choosing ceremony when he reached the age of ten.
His parents had acted strangely in the weeks leading up to the event. Baris had taken the same journey to Miria, made an offering of salt and blood, and bonded with a karu. It was a rite of passage taken by every member of the Shadowmark family.
On the day, an uneasiness permeated the atmosphere. What was normally a celebration on a child’s tenth birthday was done three days early and in secrecy.
His parents had worn empty smiles, poorly hiding their worry. It was a dangerous time to leave the safety of the capital, though young Vekele did not understand this at the time. He worried he would not be chosen and feared disappointing his parents.
As it happened, Vekele did not have to worry about his parents’ disappointment.
The karu nipped his ear, drawing his attention to the present.
“I need to be mindful,” he said, raising a hand to stroke the karu’s head. She leaned into his touch, cooing softly.
Despite their worry, they brought him to the temple. Baris had been chosen almost as soon as he set foot in the temple. A karu swooped down and started chattering, as if asking Baris what took him so long. They knew the same would be true with Vekele. With an embrace, his mother told him to be quick and that they would wait for him outside.
He had not been quick.
He kneeled at the ancient altar, made the offering, and waited.
And waited.
The light vanished, and he waited through the freezing hours of night. Doubt crept in. The ceremony lasted until dawn, but his family had always been chosen. The only member of the royal family not to be chosen was Rasat the Cruel, a prince so reviled that his image had been removed from the archives. Young Vekele had researched all this to ease his worries.
It had not worked. Rather than be ignorant of the ceremony, of the history that tied his family to the symbiotic relationship with the karu, of the parasite that tied them together, he had found the forbidden family history that no one spoke of.
As the night stretched on, Vekele knew his name would be stricken from the family histories. He was nothing but a source of shame, which was far too heavy a burden for a child.
His fears had been for naught. In the moments before dawn, his karu arrived. Ancient and massive, she landed on his back, knocking him down to the ground. Chirping happily, she immediately preened his hair, like an untidy child.
When he emerged from the temple, he discovered the slaughtered remains of his parents and their guard.
While they waited, exposed outside the safety of the palace, his uncle seized the opportunity and the crown. Baris and Vekele had been imprisoned at the remote estate for “their safety” until Baris was old enough to rule. Until then, their uncle acted as regent.
Rage still burned inside him for the cruelty and the betrayal.
Vekele shook away old memories. They helped no one.
The karu flexed her wings and dug her talons into his shoulder before launching herself into the sky. She soared, her cries in the wind, and headed for the top of the central temple.
“The life form is on the move,” Luca said, gesturing with a scanner in hand.
Kenth drew her weapon. “Approach silently,” she said, motioning for Luca to move ahead. “Stay back, Your Highness.”
Vekele’s temper ruffled at the female’s command but held his tongue. Kenth was the captain of the royal guard, and Vekele was no longer a commanding officer.
Focus on the mission. He would have time enough to brood over all he lost in the last year.
