Chapter 25
Mirilla strode into the drinkery imitating the walk of the captain of the vessel she was on, to the best of her ability. She wore black breeches. A black shirt, heavy black boots, and a heavy black cloak. Her hair was slicked back and she’d smeared dirt over her face to try to make it look less feminine. She kept the cloak pulled down over her face, and wore a blaster at her side. The dagger An’ Der had given her was hidden deep within the pocket of the trousers she wore.
She attracted a little attention as she entered, but not as much as if she’d advertised it that she was female. Being Cruestaci meant that she was about the same size as an average human male, so it wasn’t as if she was tiny and obviously female. Her features, though, and her mannerisms were soft, and that was what she worked so hard at hiding.
“What’ll it be?” the barkeep asked.
“Looking for a male named Mir’ Ahn. Tall, pale orange kind of color to his hair and eyes. Insolent.” She wanted to smile at her ability to pull off the voice she’d mastered back on the vessel. Her voice was scratchy and raspy, and gruff. She’d managed to hide any hint of her naturally feminine voice. The captain had told her that she sounded like a male who’d survived having his throat cut.
“Haven’t seen anyone like that. Even if I had, information costs around here.”
“I’m not paying you to tell me that you haven’t seen him. If you have, give me a reason to believe you and I might make it worth your while. Then again, I might not,” she snapped out.
The barkeep regarded her for a few moments, then shook his head. “Nobody like that has been in here.”
Mirilla turned and walked out of the drinkery, fairly certain that they hadn’t seen Mir’ Ahn. She walked down the street, looking for the next establishment, prepared to repeat her act at as many establishments as she could find. The seedier side of the space ports was her goal, since she had no doubt that Mir’ Ahn would frequent them first.
~~~
“She is not responsible for all that has occurred,” Eula said. “Mirilla wouldn’t do anything to harm any of us.”
“I’m aware of your stance on the subject. In light of the things we’ve learned about her brother being missing, and now her, I’m inclined to believe you. But it is possible they were working together. She seems to have slipped away as stealthily as he did,” Quin said.
“She slipped away because she felt it was her only choice. She didn’t take her credits so that we couldn’t track her,” Eula exclaimed.
“Because she was planning on hiding,” Quin said.
“No, because she knew you thought she was guilty. If you stopped her from leaving, and still didn’t believe her, there would be no one to clear her name. She’s attempting to do it herself.”
“Exactly,” Ba Re’ said.
Quin shot him a look that said do not jump on me about this, too. “You’re supposed to be helping with security and standing — quietly — inside our residence.”
Ba Re’ lifted one shoulder in a half shrug as he scowled and rolled his eyes.
Quin shook his head, wondering again why the friend he’d always been able to count on had been replaced with a real life replica of his pain-in-the-ass brother. “As I was saying, why wouldn’t she take her credits to aid in her escape?”
“Because she doesn’t want anything we may not believe she’s deserving of. Including the credits we paid her. She wants nothing she hasn’t earned herself,” Eula explained .
“She’d have to be a very proud female to leave her credits behind just to make a point,” Quin grumbled.
“She’s not the first proud individual that I’m associated with, and quite fond of despite it,” Eula snapped.
Ba Re’ snickered.
“I am not so proud that I’d behave in a self-defeating manner,” Quin said.
Vivian cleared her throat, and looked away— obviously.
“What are you implying? That I am that proud?” Quin demanded.
“It’s not beyond you,” Vivian said.
“I don’t think it was meant to be self-defeating. She was hurt and didn’t want them because what they once represented to her, now mean nothing,” Eula said.
Quin pinched the bridge of his nose, as he usually did when dealing with Rokai. “So, Bart’s female is missing, and she left her credits behind. She’s also the Steward’s sister, and he’s been missing since before the attack on Alexandrus. He had access to her room, and could very well have been responsible for the missing passkey. And the metalsmith has stated that the Steward is missing and upon further questioning admitted that the Steward could either be on the side of the hunted or the hunting.”
“Exactly,” Eula agreed.
“What does all that tell you?” Vivian asked.
“The only thing I get out of that without a doubt is that the metalworker has been exposed to something that makes him less than sure of the Steward’s loyalty. Otherwise he’d have stated firmly that he was on the side of those doing the hunting. What it implies to me is that Mir’ Ahn is guilty and left his sister behind to clean up his mess, however that may happen.”
“If one is inclined to believe that Mir’ Ahn is guilty, clearly they are not in this together or he’d have taken Mirilla with him,” Vivian said.
“It does make sense. But it is still possible he is hunting down those who tried to harm Alexandrus,” Quin said.
“Do you honestly believe that?” Eula scoffed .
“It doesn’t matter what I think. I have to consider the facts,” Quin answered.
“You were ready to crucify Mirilla, but you give Mir’ Ahn the benefit of the doubt,” Eula exclaimed.
Quin’s expression tightened, a clear indication that he was not proud of his behavior and liked even less being called to task on it. “I reacted emotionally. I should have given all parties the benefit of the doubt. I did not. All I could think of was my son or my Ehlealah lying dead in the very place they should have been most safe.”
“Where do we go from here?” Eula asked her son.
“One thing at a time, mother,” Quin said as he lifted his hand to activate his communications implant as it beeped in his ear. “What?!” he barked.
“We’ve found them,” Jhan said.
“Where?! How many?!” Quin demanded.
“One of the old houses just outside of the palace perimeter. I remember years ago when several males used to live here. It was falling down then. Even worse now. We’ve got twenty three here, and a female. The female and two of the males are showing evidence of a physical altercation.”
“Who is their leader?”
“I don’t know yet. No one is speaking willfully. Kol’s team is doing a final search of the structure. I’m hoping somebody out here moves so I can shoot them now!” Jhan answered, bellowing the last sentence.
Quin chuckled. “Are you sure they heard you? Because we did.”
“Probably,” Jhan answered. “Once they’re all secure, we’re bringing them back and locking them in the holding cells in the barracks. I’d love to help question them, if that’s okay with you.”
“I’ll welcome your expertise in that phase,” Quin said. “Did they give any resistance?”
“Some did, we subdued them. But our teams already had instruction not to kill, or damage any of them so that we could determine which were directly involved. ”
Quin’s snarl filled the room. “After we learn what we can from those wearing the signs of physical combat, they will die.”
“Without a doubt,” Jhan agreed.
“Kron’s team is still searching as well?” Quin asked.
“Yes. He’s aware of those we’ve located and is continuing his search grid to rule out any more,” Jhan answered. “I’m thinking of using the largest training room for questioning. It does wonders to break some of the hardest among a group of offenders if they see their cohorts going through their own inquisition.
“Agreed. I will meet you at the garrison,” Quin answered. He ended the communication and met the questioning looks of everyone still standing around him.
“How many have they found?” Vivian asked.
“Twenty-three so far. Three of them show the marks of an altercation. And one is a female.”
“It’s them,” Vivian said.
Quin pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “We are making our home safe again, my Ehlealah. There will be no more reason to fear.”
“I know you’ll keep us safe.”
“We will confirm that Mirilla was not involved as well. We will send teams to search for her.”
“Bart has already left. His retrieval teams are searching for her, and for Mir’ Ahn,” Eula said.
“When?” Quin demanded, surprised that no one told him Bart was leaving.
“Almost the moment we learned Mirilla was gone and that Mir’ Ahn was missing as well.”
“Does he even know Mir’ Ahn?” Quin asked.
“No, but he knows Mirilla. And that is the individual he is most focused on finding,” Eula said.
“I’ll send him a description. Better yet, I’ll forward him an electronic photo of the male. But it will have to wait. I need to be there when Jhan brings in those we think are responsible .
“Mir’ Ahn can’t be that hard to identify. If you know Mirilla, imagine her in male form and there you have Mir’ Ahn,” Eula said.
“That’s correct,” Quin agreed. He soundly kissed Vivian. Smacked a kiss on his mother’s cheek and strode toward the front door. “I have work to prepare for.”
Quin opened the door but paused and looked back at Vivian and his mother. “This is the beginning of the end of the unrest, but it is not settled. Do not let your guard down yet.”
Eula nodded.
“Be safe, my love,” Vivian said.
Quin walked through the door and pulled it closed behind himself. He hesitated long enough to look at each of the guards assigned to his home. Seeing Vor among them gave him a stronger sense of security than he’d had since Zahn was injured.
“They will be safe, Sire,” Vor vowed with a growl.
Kail, Asl, and Var don all agreed heartily.
“I have no doubt they will be perfectly safe under your watch.” Quin slammed his arm over his chest to vow his loyalty to them, then purposefully strode away as his own guards, now reduced to two as he’d sent the others to assist elsewhere, silently fell into step behind him, careful to leave him a comfortable distance between himself and them.
~~~
Au'revele opened her eyes and slowly raised her head. Blinking to clear away the sleep from her eyes, she sat up, stretching her aching back as she realized what had awakened her. The fingertips softly stroking across her hand, continued non-stop as she finally put two and two together and looked into Zahn’s eyes as she grasped his hand in hers.
“You’re awake! Really awake!” she exclaimed.
“You look terrible,” he stated matter-of-factly, his voice croaking from not being used for a few days .
“I’ve slept here, leaning on the edge of your bed for three days! Of course I look terrible!” Au'revele snapped.
“You should have gone home and gotten some rest,” Zahn said.
“There was nothing that could make me go home and leave you here alone. So I stayed. Forgive me for not looking my best!”
Zahn smiled at her and tightened his grip on her hand before tugging her closer to him. “It is important to me that my female takes care of herself, especially when I cannot.”
Leaning close to him, Au'revele glared at him haughtily. “I’m not your female.”
“Yes, you are. You stayed at my side. You’ve been my voice when I couldn’t — don’t deny it, I heard you telling the doctors what would and wouldn’t be done. And you are the only female that can make me rejoice just as quickly as you frustrate me.”
“That doesn’t make me your female. It just means that I understand you better than you think.”
Zahn smirked and tugged her closer until her upper body was leaning over him, her lips hovering just shy of his. He pulled on her just enough to have her balance shift and her lips met his. Tightening his muscles, he lifted himself just a hair closer so he could press his lips forcefully against hers. He seized her lips with his kiss, letting her know with just one simple kiss that there was no room for doubt. He pulled back from her just a little, nipping at her lower lip one last time as he let his body fall back against his pillows.
“Are you sure you’re finished hating me? You can’t have it both ways, you know. And you’ve made such a show of it, I’m not sure you’re ready to let it go.”
“I never hated you. Just the idea of you. Made me angry you could elicit such an unconscious response from me. Always swore I’d never have a mate. And then I couldn’t think of anything but taking you as my mate.”
“You could have gotten away from me by staying on the ship,” she said, still leaning over him as he absentmindedly held her hand in his and stroked her forearm .
He smiled softly. “I stated my intention to accompany Sirena Vivian to Cruestace the moment I heard you were to be nanny to her youngling.”
“Then you spent every single moment of every day since growling at me,” Au'revele said, shaking her head as she laughed.
“I couldn’t give in too easily.”
Zahn looked around the hospital room and scowled at all the monitors. “They really thought I’d die? I am not that weak.”
“Do you remember anything of your condition?” she asked.
His smile was almost blinding as he remembered fighting. “I fought valiantly! And with no weapon!”
“You almost died, Zahn. You were in the healing chamber for almost an entire day, then you’ve been lying here recovering for two more days.”
“Someone had to avenge the attack on my female, and on our new Sire. It fell to me,” he said tiredly.
“I was fine. Just a little bruised, not seriously injured.”
“You could have been, but Li'Don said you were well. That was when I stopped fighting. And that is the last thing I remember until I woke to find you here. Every time I woke, you were here.”
Zahn’s eyes closed and he took a deep relaxing breath.
“You should rest some more.”
“I have done nothing but rest. I am needed. Sirena Vivian is without her full guard.”
“Vor has arrived. He came to visit you. He said to tell you that he is here to fill your position until you’re healed enough to return to it.”
Zahn grinned. “Vor is a fine male. Strong, stubborn. Not easily swayed in any direction he doesn’t choose for himself, until he found his female. Since then, he even stepped away from guarding our Sirena. He is another reason that I remained determined not to take a mate.”
“Remind me to thank him,” Au'revele said.
Zahn smiled at her. “Then I allowed myself to watch you, learn about you. And I fought harder. And with every step away from you, I wanted you more. You are strong, Au'revele. You are kind and humble and beautiful,” he said, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek for one brief second. “You are mine.”
“I’ll consider your claim while you continue to heal. For now, I’ll go get the physicians. They will want to know you are awake. They’ll need to examine you thoroughly.”
“Consider all you wish, you’re mine.”
Au'revele leaned over him and quickly pecked a kiss to his lips. “Perhaps.” She moved away from his bed, pausing when he refused to release his hold on her wrist until he finally let go. She walked to the door, but just as she stepped through it, Zahn spoke.
“Ehlealah?”
She looked back at him.
“Are you coming back with the physicians?”
“I am. But I’ve promised to let Vor know when you wake. I’ll let Rel know — he’s standing guard outside medical with Yaghn — so he can get a message to Vor. Your friends have been as worried as I’ve been.”
“Don’t be away too long. I don’t think they’d allow me to go look for you without a fight. I’m not ready for another fight quite yet.”
Au'revele smiled at him. “I won’t be long.”