Order of Swans (The Blue Swan Duology #1)

Chapter 26

26

The sun was high in the sky when the Jeep sputtered. They were out of gas. Kaley rolled to a clearing at the side of the road and turned the engine off. “That’s it.”

Before them was a lot more mountain. As soon as they got out, they realized it was colder than it had been.

“Look,” Sojee said. Through the trees could be seen the snow-covered peak. It looked to be very far away.

“What could be up there?” Kaley asked. “A Swiss chalet? Why would they take Mekos to the top of a mountain?”

“You mean take me ,” Nessa said. “They wanted me, not him. They’re using him to draw me to them.”

“Never would anyone think that you would follow them,” Tanek said softly.

Sojee and Kaley looked at him. He was saying that maybe Mekos was the real object of the kidnapping.

Sojee started removing the supply cases from the back. “Looks like Mekos has wisely kept his mouth shut. They still think he’s the prince.”

“We do look alike,” Nessa said.

They turned to him. Mekos was beautiful; the prince was not.

Sojee tossed a pack at Nessa so hard that he nearly fell. “Put it on.”

“I can’t wear that. My father will—” He saw their glares and shut up.

Once they had the packs on, they started the hike up. Between the altitude and the exertion, breathing was not easy.

It was Nessa who found another jewel. And it was Sojee who saw him slide it into his pocket. The big man didn’t bother asking questions. He said nothing, just picked Nessa up by the ankles and shook him. His pack fell off, then his pockets emptied. There were three jewels in there, six coins and what looked like the foot of a bird. It had red ribbons on it and appeared to be some talisman. Against evil?

Disgusted at the sight, Tanek grabbed the foot, removed the ribbons and buried it.

Sojee asked Nessa where he’d found the stones. “On the trail. They’re from my robe. He shouldn’t have torn them off. They’re valuable and he—”

They turned their backs on him.

“Mekos knows we’re coming after him and he’s leaving a trail.” Tanek pulled the pouch out of his shirt, opened it and Arit came out. She looked tired. “Can you find him? Is Mekos near?” he asked her.

Arit struggled to speak, but nothing came out.

“The altitude is getting to her,” Kaley said.

“I don’t know,” Arit whispered. “My head doesn’t work.”

“See if you can sleep,” Kaley said.

Arit nodded, went back into the bag, and Tanek replaced it inside his shirt.

“We need to find a place to rest for the night,” Tanek said. “The men are lowlanders. They won’t be able to travel in the dark. Besides, there must be predatory animals here.”

Kaley’s eyebrows lifted.

Sojee frowned. “You’re not to adopt any animals from this place no matter how cute they are.”

The way he said it made her nod in agreement.

They hadn’t gone far when the temperature suddenly dropped from cool to freezing. When the first flecks of snow came down, Tanek and Sojee looked at each other over Kaley’s head and seemed to make an agreement.

Nessa said nothing, just turned and headed back down the mountain.

Sojee caught him and started to say something but the snow began falling harder. In the next second, a wind coming down from the top of the mountain blasted them so violently that Kaley was lifted off her feet. Tanek grabbed her arm to keep her anchored to the ground. The noise of the rising wind made it impossible to hear each other.

None of the trees around them were large enough to use as a windbreak. When Kaley was again blown off her feet, Tanek put his arm around her and turned her head into his shoulder. Sojee reached behind him, pulled a rope from his pack and tied Nessa to him. He made sure the knots were strong as Nessa was struggling to go with the wind that was trying to send them back down the mountain.

Kaley, her face hidden against Tanek, couldn’t see much, but when he halted, she heard him shout to Sojee. She wasn’t sure what he said, but he started walking again, his body fighting against the wind. When he turned, she saw a broken sign on the ground. It was anchored by rocks that wobbled in the fierce wind. She couldn’t read the sign as it was in a language she didn’t know, but it seemed to give Tanek new energy and he turned off the main road.

On the smaller trail, the trees gave enough shelter from the wind that Sojee came forward. Kaley saw him shaking his head, then he pointed upward. Tanek nodded.

When they left the side path, Kaley saw where the men were leading. They were to climb up what had to be a goat path. It would be steep and dangerous on any day, but in the fierce wind and thick snow, it seemed impossible.

Tanek looked at Kaley, silently asking if she could do it. What’s the alternative? she wanted to ask, but the wind and the noise were too much for her to do anything but nod.

The path was too narrow for them to go side by side. Tanek stopped behind a tree, removed a thin piece of rope from inside his shirt and tied it around Kaley’s waist. He looked at her in question and when she again nodded, he gave her a quick smile of encouragement.

She smiled back at him, he turned and they started up the slippery, rocky path.

Twice, Kaley nearly fell, but both times, Tanek caught her. Behind them, Sojee half dragged Nessa upward. Kaley couldn’t see much but at one time it looked like Sojee was piggybacking the prince.

After what seemed like hours, Tanek pulled Kaley through an opening of some kind. Sojee and Nessa were close behind them.

It was a cave. The quiet and the lack of wind felt glorious.

Tanek untied Kaley, then opened the pouch to Arit. She flew out and went to Kaley to bury herself in the warmth of her hair.

Sojee released Nessa then directed him toward the far side of the cave. He was scowling in rage and trembling with exertion.

Sojee went to the back of the cave and disappeared into what looked like a second room. They waited in silence. Were animals hiding back there?

Sojee returned quickly, holding an armload of dry wood. Best was his smile. “All clear. How about some dinner?”

Kaley looked at him in gratitude. “Sounds great.” She sat down, leaned back against the stone wall and closed her eyes. Outside, the wind howled, but right now she was safe and almost warm.

Sojee pulled a blue pen from deep in his pocket and held it up to Tanek, who nodded in understanding. He touched the pen to the chip in Tanek’s forearm. “This way, she won’t be able to understand us.” He spoke in a language he knew wasn’t covered by the chip in Kaley’s arm.

“Are you sure? She understands Arit.”

“Recorders can talk to all the Nevers,” Sojee said quickly.

Tanek said, “But she isn’t—” He stopped as that didn’t matter now.

“I’m going to follow them.” Sojee was shoving items that Daln had given them into his pack.

“I should go,” Tanek said. “I’m younger. You can take care of both of them here.”

“I can cover more ground faster. Give me your arm so I can connect us.”

Tanek grunted at the electrical shock that went through him. “Where did you get that pen? I thought yours was stolen.”

Sojee didn’t answer. “I’ll climb until dawn, then I’ll send you the coordinates of where I am. I’ll sleep until you get to me, then we can go to the top together.”

“And what if you find them before that? Will you wait for me for the fight?”

“No,” Sojee said. “I can handle the two cutters.”

“And their eagles?”

“I think maybe your son got rid of them.”

An expression of pride mixed with fear crossed Tanek’s face. “I wish I could go with you.”

“You can’t,” Sojee said. “You cannot leave them here alone, unprotected. Put that animal near the opening. It’ll raise an alarm if anything gets near.” He meant Tibby, who was curled next to Kaley.

Sojee put his hand on Tanek’s shoulder and looked outside. It was dark and the wind was howling. Already, several inches of snow covered the ground. He looked back at Tanek. “What are your intentions toward her? Can I trust you with her?”

Tanek looked offended, but then his expression changed to a look of helplessness. “I asked her to live with me, to help me with the swans and to rebuild the old homestead. She gave no answer.”

“She’s an earthling. She probably thinks you want her to clean the ponds and sweep the floor.”

Tanek laughed at that, but stopped when he saw that Sojee was serious. “She couldn’t possibly think that I—” he began, but Sojee put his head down and went out into the cold.

Tanek stood there for a moment, trying to see into the dark, but there was nothing. Turning, he looked back into the cave. It wasn’t very big and it was obvious that others had been there before. Was it families enjoying their time together?

He went through the opening at the back. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sojee, but he wanted to see it for himself. It was a small room that looked like it may have been man-made. Made during the time when men did something besides cut each other? he wondered.

He touched the chip in his arm, rotating it to turn on a light. The room was about as tall as Sojee was. There was writing on the walls, all of it vulgar, and he was glad that Kaley wouldn’t be able to read it.

The good thing was that there was a large pile of dry wood against the far wall. He gathered an armload and took it to the front. There was enough to keep a fire going all night. Like he knew what to do, Tibby left Kaley and went to the cave entrance. He sniffed the air, then stretched out by the fire. He’d sensed nothing threatening.

Tanek opened the packs that had been dumped on the ground when they’d entered the cave. He could find only two of the swan blankets. Surely, Daln had put in four of them.

An image came to him. When Sojee had repacked his gear, he’d stuffed in one of the blankets. Filled with swan feathers, they were thin, light and magnificently warm. Daln had packed the best quality.

Tanek sat back on his heels. It looked like Sojee had taken two of them—which meant that two of the people left behind would have to share. Matchmaking , he thought, and looked at Kaley.

She was awake and watching him.

“Nice language you two had.” She was being sarcastic as she knew the men hadn’t wanted her to understand them. “I’m female so I’m not allowed in the decision-making?”

Tanek was unperturbed. “I’m male and I’m not allowed in Sojee’s decision-making.”

“Touché.” She became serious. “What’s the plan?”

He told her what Sojee wanted to do.

“Great. He’s to meet those monsters alone.”

“He can do it.” Tanek opened a bag of dried beef and held it out to her.

She held a piece of beef up to the light. “Oh, for a bar of chocolate.”

“What’s that?”

“There are so many things you guys should have brought back from Earth. We have—”

Suddenly, Nessa sat up. “I saw eyes! Four of them. What’s out there? If I’m hurt, my father will have you killed.”

Kaley thought Tanek would snap at the prince, but he didn’t.

“We put you on the far side,” he said gently, “so you’re in the safest place. Kaley and I will be by the entry, and the fierce little tabor is right by the fire. If anything comes in, it will have to go through us first.”

When Tanek turned back to her, he rolled his eyes, letting her know what he really felt about Nessa. She watched the young man stretch out on the cold stone floor. Tanek handed him a blanket, then had to listen to how inadequate it was and how uncomfortable everything was. He returned to Kaley.

“My turn,” she said. “He needs to settle down.”

“Want to borrow my blade?” Tanek muttered.

Kaley opened her backpack and withdrew The Hobbit . Between the rosemary and it being her father’s favorite book, it made her sad. She sat down by Nessa—he didn’t offer to share his blanket—and began to read to him.

Tanek sat down beside her and spread one of the swan blankets over them. Arit went from Kaley to Tanek, and Kaley kept reading.

She read the entire long first chapter before Nessa fell asleep.

“That was grand,” Tanek said softly.

“What are books in Bellis like?”

“We used to have stories on pages but they were deemed too excitable.”

“The people must be kept calm no matter what. Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“But they have the cutting games.”

His face told her that he didn’t understand, either.

When Nessa stirred, Tanek tossed the blanket aside, stood up and held out his hand to Kaley. He nodded toward the other side of the cave, where he’d told Nessa they’d be. Kaley followed him.

“Sojee took two of the blankets, so you and I will have to share.”

Kaley looked solemn. “I promise I won’t molest you.”

Tanek didn’t smile. He swept his hand toward the flattest place and Kaley sat down. He sat by her and put the blanket over them.

To their right, at the edge of the wide opening, was the fire, warm and inviting. Beside it, Tibby was sleeping. Outside, the wind and snow whirled and clashed. In other circumstances, it would have been a cozy scene.

“Sojee told me something strange,” Tanek said. “He said that when I asked you to stay on the homestead with the swans and me, that you had no idea what I meant.”

“You were offering me a place to live and a job. It’s very kind of you.”

He looked surprised. “That is our way of speaking of the future, of forever.”

“Forever? Oh, you mean if I don’t book a ride home and I stay here on Bellis? Something like Garen offered?” When he didn’t answer, she looked at him. His face was serious—and hurt. Her eyes widened. “Are you saying that you were asking me something more personal? Like...?” She hesitated. “Like marriage? As Nessa to the princess?” He was silent. “You mean with a big ceremony where we invite friends and family and vow to be together forever?”

“I don’t know what any of that means.”

“I’d wear a white dress and walk down the aisle holding my father’s arm?”

“I’ve never heard of that. We would clasp hands before witnesses. Or on our own. Either way.”

“That’s a dud. Handshakes. Then what? You do have sex here, don’t you? Or is there some transfer with the illegal blue pen?”

“Do you mean the act that creates children?”

“That’s the one.”

“We have that.”

“You’re laughing at me!”

“I am. Your world seems to have many rules.”

“I guess we do.” She looked at him. “Are you saying that there can’t be sex between you and me because you want to marry me?”

“Yes.”

She paused. “Have you asked other women to do this hand clasping?”

“No!” He sounded shocked that she’d ask that.

“But what about Toki? And the girls Indienne didn’t like?”

He smiled. “I didn’t ask any of them to live with me. There are things that must be considered. I cannot live separate from swans. From any birds.”

She remembered Garen’s words. “It’s about them, isn’t it?” Her voice was rising. “They like me so you want to mate with me. I fulfill some checklist, don’t I?”

“I don’t understand your anger, but I see that you’re displeased with our ways.”

“I apologize. Your offer is kind and generous.” She sighed. “It’s just that I always imagined some grand gesture. Like a prince who loves me so much that he searches the entire kingdom for me. All because of a slipper.”

“An act that causes women to cut their bodies?”

“No, of course not, but yes, I guess so.” She paused. “It’s my fault. I’ve read too many fairy tales. Thank you for your...uh...proposal.” She stretched out on the cold floor. “I think we should get some sleep now.” What an odd place this is , she thought. No romance but lots of fairy tales.

After what they’d been through that day, Kaley fell asleep instantly. She woke when she felt Tibby’s nose on her face. As before, she was snuggled against Tanek. She thought about their talk about marriage and cohabitation. “Likes me for the birds,” she muttered.

She reached out to pat Tibby, but he pulled back. Arit flew to hover above him. Her light was dim and she was motioning for Kaley to follow them.

The moment Kaley moved, Tanek woke up, and his arm tightened around her protectively. Arit turned off her light and Tibby seemed to blend into the rocks. Obviously, they wanted to see Kaley alone.

“Nature,” she said.

Tanek nodded, then turned over.

Kaley stood up, glanced at Nessa, sound asleep, and followed Arit and Tibby to the back of the cave to the second room. She watched as Arit flitted about and seemed to deposit little nuggets of light on the walls.

“You are very smart and of great use,” Kaley said, and Arit flashed a pretty pink light at her. “What do you want me to see?”

Tibby was standing in front of the far wall, staring at it. It was solid rock and she saw nothing of any interest. There was what looked like graffiti on it but she couldn’t read it. She yawned. “That’s a nice wall but—” She broke off because Arit’s light turned a soft shade of lavender, then the color began to grow darker. To Kaley’s astonishment, the light seemed to show a hole in the rock, then it spread in a perfect horizontal line. It stopped, then went down on both sides. It was like water filling a narrow canal. It stopped at the floor.

“Is that a door?” Kaley asked. “Can we open it?”

Arit didn’t speak, but went to the side. There was a flash of red light that showed a small circle. A tiny puff of smoke came out, and the door opened slightly.

“Okay,” Kaley said. “Let’s see what’s in there.” It took both hands to pull the heavy door open.

It took a moment for Arit to light the room and Kaley stared in astonishment. It was a computer room. On Earth it wasn’t unusual, but on Bellis, it was extraordinary.

There were two long wooden tables and a single chair. The tables were loaded with computer equipment, old and obsolete by Earth standards, but at least they existed. There was a radio, an early cell phone, screens, keyboards with an unknown alphabet and piles of old square disks.

What was truly astonishing, even sickening, was that every piece of equipment had been destroyed. It looked like someone had hit each piece with a sledgehammer. Screens were cracked, keyboards smashed. Cords that led to what may have been a generator had been severed.

“An undercover, secret war room,” Kaley said. “They were fighting against the invader of their country. This is horrible.”

Tibby was at the end of the table and looking at something on the floor. He turned to Kaley with wide eyes.

“What is it?”

Arit flew to the end, then hovered there, her tiny face in shock.

Kaley made her way around a disk tower, something she’d seen in her grandfather’s garage, then halted.

Between the table and the wall, slumped on the floor, was a skeleton. It had on the remains of one of the gray jumpsuits that Tanek wore when he was with the swans.

A lifetime on a farm had made Kaley used to life and death so the sight didn’t frighten her. She knelt to look at the poor man. He had on a gold necklace with a round disk on the end. She lifted it and rubbed her thumb across it to see the word engraved on the front. “What does it say?” she whispered, but she thought maybe she knew.

“Haver,” Arit said.

Tears came to Kaley’s eyes. “Tanek’s dear grandfather.”

Arit sat on Kaley’s shoulder. “He loved him.”

“Yes, he did.” She turned the pendant over. A symbol that she’d seen on one of Tanek’s shirts was engraved on the back. “Tanek gave this to him.”

“Yes,” Arit said.

Tibby moved forward, his small body slipping under the skeleton.

“What did you find?” Kaley asked.

Tibby backed out with a little metal case in his mouth and held it out to Kaley.

Inside was a miniature painting of an older woman with a young boy. Kaley held it up to the light. The boy was Tanek and she guessed the woman was Haver’s beloved wife. The two people Haver loved most in the world.

“We have to tell Tanek.” Kaley ran her hand over her face. “His son, the homestead and now this. It’s too much for one person.”

Tibby had moved a few feet away and he was scratching at the floor.

“What is it?” Kaley went to where he was. The floor appeared to be solid stone but she saw a gap in it.

Arit made a bright blue light. Kaley picked up a piece of metal that had once been on a screen, stuck it into the hole and pulled up the flat piece of rock. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

“What is that?” Arit asked.

“A nine millimeter Ruger and four boxes of ammo.”

“I don’t think that’s allowed here.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.” Kaley removed the pistol from the hole. Between the men in her family and Jobi, she’d had experience with firearms. She took it out and checked if it was loaded. No. It seemed to be in good shape. She stood up and put the pistol and bullets in the big front pocket of her sweatshirt.

She looked about the room, then went to the skeleton and gently removed the necklace. When she stood up, she’d reached a decision. “Come on, let’s go. We have to meet Sojee in the morning, then we’ll find Mekos.” She patted the gun in her pocket. “I think this will decide who wins the fight. After Mekos is safe, we’ll tell the men about this and let them handle it.”

Arit nodded. “Tanek will be hurt.”

“Yes, he will be, but at least he’ll have Mekos.” I hope , she thought. After Arit flew out, Kaley started to leave the room, but a shadow by the skeleton drew her attention. She knew what it was: Haver’s ridges. She picked up the hornlike curves, hid them under her shirt, left the cave room and closed the heavy door. Arit extinguished the lights and the three of them went back to the big room.

Kaley put the ridges, the necklace and the little painting deep into her backpack. Nessa was soundly asleep and Tanek opened his eyes as Kaley lay down beside him.

“Better?” he murmured.

She didn’t answer, just moved his hand away from what she had concealed in her pocket. Minutes later, she was in a restless sleep.