Page 71 of Splintered Shadow
“That was not my order or my guards. They were imposters,” Kenth said.
“A hostile force infiltrated the palace, the royal guards—” Anger flooded his voice. Pitch gave an agitated croak, full of frustration.
“You will have my resignation once we locate and retrieve the king,” she said.
“How is Barismissing? He is the one person in the entire kingdom who cannot vanish.”
“The king’s signature has not left the palace, but I have been unable to reach him with the communication network. We have been locked out and no longer have control of the palace.” Kenth spoke in such a brusque manner, Sarah wondered if this sort of thing happened every day.
Perhaps it did. Wasn’t that what Vekele warned her about? His family played at murder and intrigue like it was a common family game night occurrence.
“If the king no longer lives…” Kenth said, her voice trailing off with meaning.
“Then I am king,” Vekele responded. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. Pitch gave a mournful croak. “Let us discuss this inside. My mate requires sustenance.”
Sarah didn’t know if her stomach could tolerate a meal, but she followed Vekele and the others onto the ship. Ghost continued to guard her, but he did not growl. His snaps were reserved for those who strayed too close to them.
“This is familiar,” she said. She wasn’t sure what she had expected from the spaceship, maybe something like a miniature flying palace, all gold ornaments, and lush interiors. The ship was stark. Amber light strips along the wall softened the utilitarian gray interior. The space felt clean but impersonal.
“It is what I used to transport you from Miria to Summerhall,” Vekele said, striding down a corridor.
“This is the king’s personal ship,” Luca said, pride in his voice. “It has the most advanced engine in the fleet, capable of jumping hundreds of lightyears. We have cabin space for a large crew and guests, but it can operate with a minimal crew. There is a full-service galley capable of entertaining the finest guests—”
“Enough,” Vekele snapped. “It is a very nice ship. We are all suitably impressed.”
In the full-service galley, Vekele made breakfast while Kenth apprised him of the situation. Injuries: many. Fatalities: six, not as many as would be expected. A small explosive device disabled the power. A gas canister had been deployed just as someone with a karu symbiote cloaked the room in darkness. Considering the size of the room, multiple people were involved in creating the utter darkness that added to the panic and confusion. In the chaos, the assailants captured the king, attempted to take Sarah, and tried their best to kill Vekele.
By the time Kenth had been transported to a medical facility, the palace command codes had been changed, isolating the king with his captors.
Vekele set a bowl of porridge in front of Sarah. It wasn’t great, but it tasted better than the chewy bars from the emergency kit.
“This is the work of the Starshades,” he said.
“Why would the family attempt to assassinate you and abduct the king days before the wedding?” Luca asked. “That makes no sense.”
“It is obvious. It is in their interest to remove me and my mate before we can produce a child with a claim to the throne.”
Sarah stared down into her bowl of porridge, a blush burning fiercely on her cheeks. They hadn’t discussed children, but they sure did all the things to make one. If they could. Could they?
She glanced at Vekele like he could answer that.
“They have every intention of keeping the king alive long enough to produce an heir. Once they have their heir, the king will meet with an unfortunate accident,” Vekele said, his tone implying that anyone should understand the situation.
“Surely they can’t expect the king to go through with the wedding now,” Sarah said.
“They could coerce him. Convince him it is better to be their captive than whatever destruction they threaten,” Vekele answered.
Sarah couldn’t imagine what scenario would convince a king to marry the person who plotted the assassination of his brother and sister-in-law days before the wedding. She felt a certain kind of way about it, considering she was the nearly assassinated sister-in-law.
“Like bombing a city?” It was the worst thing she could think of.
“To spare innocent lives, yes,” he said.
Sarah had only met Baris once in private. The other few times were in front of an audience. She did not know him at all, but that sounded like the man she met in the gardens at Summerhall.
“It is Lady Cassana,” Kenth said. “She has access to the palace, knowledge of the security systems, its weaknesses…” Her lips twisted like the words left a bad taste in her mouth. “And the habits of the guards. She has had years to study the palace layout and find the best route to smuggle in her mercenaries.”
“She has no access codes,” Vekele replied.
