Balance (The Neumarian Chronicles) (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-
Six

Entering the barn, shock struck me dumb. I’d never seen the like.
A sleek, black, wing-shaped vessel stood in solitary splendor. With the exception of the fuselage’s rounded glass windshield, it looked like the entire craft was made from a single piece of metal. From the gasps, and oohs-and-ahs of my fellow pilots, they were just as stunned and awed.

Only when one of them asked, w
here’d our ships gone, did I realize they weren’t there.

Helvetia held her hand out straight, palm down. It began to glow blue. The floor next to the right wall slid away
, disappearing under the floor where Father’s plane stood.

We moved to the edge and looked down. Beneath us were our ships.

Helvetia glanced at the sky. “You must leave now before Queen Valderak’s scouts discover your presence.”

Stairs lowered behind the wing, as if to illuminate a welcome. I
climbed into the cockpit and discovered a letter resting on the pilot’s seat. I quickly read it. “Ryder, take the co-pilot seat. The rest of you get settled. Everyone’s to buckle up and put one of those on,” I said, pointing to head gear that looked similar to pictures of Roman soldier helmets I’d seen in books. Each one had a faceplate and a type of mask with a hose that fit over our mouths and noses.

I rechecked the letter. “Snap the end of the hose into the opening beside you. It provides oxygen
while were in the air and allows us to talk.” As each crew member followed my instructions, I took in their appearance. “You look like giant bugs,” I snorted.

Ryder glanced back at them and grinned. “And so will you in a few minutes
,” he said as he finished buckling in. “Let’s go.”

I handed
him the letter. “I think I understand Father’s instructions, but to be safe, guide me through the steps.” Sliding into my seat, I buckled into the five-point safety harness, slipped on the helmet then hooked the hose into the oxygen.

After Ryder and I completed the necessary
takeoff checks and turned on the engines, I lifted my hand before the windshield, raised my index finger, and made a series of circles.

Helvetia nodded and motioned a man forward.
He locked something around the front wheel then stepped back. Holding a device, with a wand sticking out of it, he pointed at the wheel. We slowly rolled out of the faux barn and continued to the base of the mountain. Gradually, we turned until we faced the valley opening.

The man raced to us, recovered his attachment, and returned to his position ten meters forward and to the side. Raising his arm, he made circles, dropped to his knees, and pointed to the end of the valley.

I nudged the throttle while Ryder pressed a series of buttons. Within seconds, we lifted off the ground and shot up into the air. Leveling at altitude—thirteen thousand meters—I banked the plane, pushed the throttle forward, and the plane silently rocketed toward the RP. In our shuttles, it would have taken four hours to cover almost six hundred kilometers. In Father’s plane, it had taken under an hour before I started our descent, preparing to land. “We’re landing in ten,” I told the crew members, speaking into my facemask, my voice sounding raspy and deeper than normal.

Feeling the mental link with my father strengthen as our distance decreased,
I reached out to him.
We’re on approach. Where do we land?

Follow the lights
.

Minutes later, f
licking torches guided us down and into the side of a mountain that closed as soon as we cleared the opening. Once we had the craft locked down, we climbed out and stretched.

I spotted
Raeth, with Penton by her side, wave from across the hanger. They maneuvered through the hustling of ground crew to reach us.

Penton
clasped Ryder’s shoulders. “Thank God, you got here. The council’s waiting to talk with the Triune.”

“What’re they doing here?” I snarled.

“They aren’t here.” Before I could respond, he pointed to a shuttle. “We’re going there in that. To bring you up to date, the queen’s agreed to a cease-fire. But if Ryder and Raeth aren’t in the air by morning, she’s warned she’ll hit us with more assassins.”

Penton side-stepped one of the ground crew
, moving closer to Raeth, but she moved around to the other side of me without a glance at him.

Confused by their behavior,
I looked between them. “Does she know about this location?”

Penton watched Raeth for a moment
, his eyes soft and sad, but she kept her gaze straight ahead. “No, she doesn’t. We’ll be with the general in the new council’s HQ. She thinks those of us who survived will all be there. Ryder and Raeth will leave from UE at oh-dark-thirty.”

I knew he liked that plan about as much as I did.
“Any news on the nukes?”

“N-no. We c
-can’t c-confirm they’ve reached Acadia.”

Penton
shoved his hands in his pockets. “Let’s talk while we walk.” His voice dropped to just above a whisper. “The emperor’s been overthrown and it’s a mess over there. As for the nukes, our spies report they haven’t seen any evidence of them in Acadia or anywhere in Asia.”

“W-we th-think it was a bluff.”

“Well, that’s some good news at least.” Releasing Ryder’s hand, I fell back and walked beside Raeth. “Hey, you. What’s going on?”

Raeth shrugged. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“You and Penton. Usually whenever you two are near one another, you’re either touching in some way or hanging on every word the other one says. But you haven’t even looked at him since we arrived. So, what’s going on?”

“It
’s private.”

“Private?
Hey, I’m your best friend, remember?” I pulled her into a one-armed hug. “Tell me. Maybe I can help.”

She lowered her eyes and stared
at her hands. “He won’t marry me.”

“
What? That doesn’t make sense. He loves you.”

Raeth
shrugged. “W-won’t make me a widow. Says w-we should w-wait until the war ends. He th-thinks he’s gonna die.”

I tried to find the right words
, but I knew from experience nothing would make her feel better. “I’m sorry, Raeth.”

She stopped dead in her tracks.
Behind us, two people grumbled as they swerved around us. “It’s th-that stupid prophecy. Th-thinks it’s his destiny to die.”

“No. It
isn’t. I never believed it was and after Father and I talked, now I know it for fact. It isn’t Penton. Because I lived, events have changed. We’re no longer sure the prophecy will even be fulfilled.” Though deep in my soul, I knew there’d be many deaths. “I can talk to him if you want.”

“
No. I’m just gonna m-make sure he survives th-then tell the fool he doesn’t deserve m-me.”

I’d never seen Raeth so
furious. Her sweet, giving nature had disappeared, replaced by an outraged girlfriend.

Minutes later, we boarded the shuttle and flew out over the middle of the Channel, headed for UE.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Two by two, we entered the council’s war room. Scanning the attendants, I spotted some of the council members we’d met after the battle at the Tower, the ventriloquist and Camilia, the woman who could change her appearance.

Without thinking, the four of us separated. Ryder and I took the two seats to the right of Father, while Raeth and Penton occupied the ones on his left.

Remember, never say anything aloud what you don’t wish the council to know. Even the walls have ears. For our stay, I will function as a bridge so the five of us can communicate privately. There is much to discuss prior to Raeth’s and Ryder’s departure
.

Acting as if we hadn’t just spoken, Father tipped his head in greeting to us and faced the council. “Semara, glad to see you made it. Each council member has
just given me his or her list of Neumarians.” He passed me his halo pad.
Ready.

Yes
. We’d planned how to manage the council in minute detail. Here was hoping they stayed true to form.

I scanned the data. “Did everyone protect these names, and not share them with one another as agreed?”

At all their affirmations, McCormick flicked us a derisive look. “Now that you have joined us, can we settle on the attack plan?”

Father arched an eyebrow.
“My team,” he motioned to us, “and I will review the information you have provided and create a battle plan. All information will be compartmentalized and provided on a need-to-know basis.”

McCormick
stood so abruptly his chair toppled over. “If you want me to risk my troops, I’m going to be involved.”

Disappointment flashed across Father’s face, disappearing almost instantly. “Never doubt we
appreciate your willingness to support the rebellion. However, due to recent events, I pray you’ll pardon my lack of enthusiasm at sharing information and plans prior to action. Your walls have ears.”

Ridgecroft’s eyes hardened and his mouth narrowed.
“Are you implying—”

“That critical information
has been leaked? That lives have been unnecessarily lost? Yes.”

While the rest of the council sat in stunned silence, McCormick roared, “You malign us with your lies!”

Father kept his expression neutral as he said, “The bombing of the Arc was perpetrated by the human representative of UE. Over the intervening months, we’ve dealt with more of Mandesa’s spies, who came to us vetted by UE.”

Father nodded to me and I shoved clean halo pads across the table to each council member,
their sole contents pictures of the spies, their bios, and documentation of the treachery. “And here’s the proof.”

I watched each member as they viewed the data. Ridgecroft turned ashen and looked nauseous. The reactions of the rest were identical—shock, horror, outrage, each of them staring at Ridgecroft.

“Councilman Ridgecroft, do you have something you want to share?” one councilman asked.

Ridgecroft’s gaze skittered around the table, like a rabbit trapped by a wolf. “They were former bodyguards. They left my service at last year’s attack on us, saying they wished to take their families to safety.”

The human next to him stood, glaring down at him. “How many on your list are still alive?” At Ridgecroft’s blank stare, the man snorted. “Unsure? That’s a problem, isn’t it?”

Father passed me Ridgecroft’s list and I groaned. The first five, all captains, were our saboteurs.
I don’t understand. I thought our attackers were human.

They were. But they each have family members married to Neumarians in Acadia
.

That explains everything
. Do you want me to handle this
? At Father’s mental affirmation, I looked at the crushed councilman. “I know you’ve always put your people ahead of yourself. You trusted those sworn to protect you. And why not, they’d saved your life many times. But any names they’ve given you aren’t trustworthy. When we background-checked the traitors, our agents reported their Neumarian family members were taken from UE on Mandesa’s orders. They now wear slave collars and work in the Mining Territory.”

Ridgecroft covered his face, shaking his head, his disbelief and grief mirrored on the rest of the council’s faces. Even McCormick looked ill.

Father squeezed my hand.
You did well. They finally understand
. “Keeping the plan on a need-to-know basis is the safest way. It protects you, those you love, and helps maintain the secrecy needed. We cannot afford any leakage. We must do everything within our power to protect the Triune.”

The human councilman beside Ridgecroft took his seat again. “We, the queen, and the people know the Triune is
our only hope at freedom. And you, General Bellator, have proven yourself to be worthy of leadership and our trust. I put before the council that we agree with General Bellator. He, the Triune, and their weapons genius should plan our battle in private.”

Except for McCormick, all of the members unanimously agreed.
“Here, here,” they cried.

As they quieted, McCormick
snarled, “I am the council’s military leader. I have the right to approve all planning.”

Father’s hard gaze locked with his.
“Not true. As military leaders, we sit on the council to provide guidance and assistance as needed. However, we are
not
members of the council. We abide by their rulings. And with their unanimous vote, they have declared their agreement with my plan.” He stood, walked over to McCormick, and clapped his hand on the other man’s shoulder.
Don’t make a sound, any of you
. With those words, Father telepathically linked us with McCormick.
We have known each other since the crib. You know it’s for the best. Protecting the Triune and winning this never-ending war is more important than our pride. Never fear, you and your brave troops will be central to our victory. Once the plan’s in place, I will share your part. But be warned, do not tell anyone—including those who serve under you—the reason for your actions
.

McCormick nodded and grasped my father’s forearm, swearing his agreement and allegiance as one Neumarian warrior to another.

As I stood to take each council members list of Neumarians, Camilia scooted her chair backed from the table. “We will leave you to your planning.” She handed me her list, but didn’t leave. Instead, she touched two fingers to her heart and waited while I did the same, then we pressed them together in a Neumarian greeting. “Though not in body, we go with you in spirit. May the gods protect you.”

“You honor us,” I replied.
I took each member’s parchment list as they passed me then waited for the bottleneck at the door to clear. When it did, Penton nodded and also left.

As he shut the door
behind him, Father created a mental bridge between us.

I thought Penton was staying, and from the vote, so did the council
, I said.

He’s already been
briefed. For now, it’s just the four of us
.

Raeth eyed the door.
I don’t th-think Councilman Ridgecroft’s t-trustworthy
.

Ryder leaned on the table.
If his reaction was an act, he’s in the wrong profession
.

Leaning back in his chair,
Father clasped his hands behind his head.
I’ve known Ridgecroft for years. His face shows everything. Plus, while he wasn’t aware of it, I was in his mind
.

I shuffled through the parchment lists, stacking and restacking them. S
omeone on the inside had to orchestrate the abductions of the families.

H
e’ll be found. I suspect every council member’s instituted a covert investigation of their staff and families as we speak. For now, it isn’t our problem. We’ve done as much as we can
.

Ryder grimaced.
What about Uncle? How is he?

Father rubbed his bristled
chin.
He left the Mining territory last week and he and his troops arrived unnoticed in Acadia East a few days ago. They’ve joined the inhabitants of the refugee camp
.

Ryder’s eyes widened.
How did they cross the wasteland? Spiderats and semechtepdes eat anything that moves. And the queen—I mean, Mandesa has the increased surveillance of the area.

Scavengers provided transport
.

Go Dred
, I said, a grin spreading across my face.

Ryder straightened
, his body shifting to fit in the small chairs.
Why was the underground city abandoned
?

The venaworm—a
small insect produced during the last war—destroyed their horticulture
, Father explained.
They believe one of Mandesa’s spies somehow slipped pass the guards and dumped thousands of them among the plants. They’re tiny and detection’s so difficult they usually aren’t found until crops are lost.

They lost all of their crops
? I asked, my voice trembling in fury.

Yes. They couldn’t risk the untouched
vegetation. Venaworms secrete a venomous slime. Fallon’s helping evacuate the last remaining inhabitants
. Father looked at Raeth then Ryder.
Before we go further, you need to understand that I’m blocking all memory of this conversation. That way Mandesa’s best scientists and Neumarian toadies won’t be able to break into your thoughts.

Fists clenched, Ryder growled,
Then how can we carry out our part?

I’ll touch your minds and say a trigger word. Once you remember, get out fast. Someone known to you will help
.

They both nodded
as their answers echoed in my head
. Understood.

Frowning, I asked,
With what weapons?

Pen
ton. That’s the reason he left
. Father kept his gaze on Raeth and Ryder.
He’ll arrive before you two. By the time you roll down the streets of Acadia, weapons and people will be in position
.

Ryder scratched his brow
.
Are any of them able to fight? Or will they be nothing more than cannon fodder
?

Sighing,
Father leaned forward.
It’s true they haven’t been trained to fight as soldiers
.
However, they’ve survived the queen’s rule through force of will and they want freedom. They’ll man the streets, welcoming you. They work in the city, yet go unnoticed. The young ones will wander around in groups of three. One of them will be a telepathic Neumarian, reporting everything they see or hear.

My father’s words brought memories of
the dream I had to the forefront of my thoughts. As though it had already happened, I remembered the crowds welcoming my husband and his sister, Mandesa’s military, her hidden ships, and the hundreds of assassins lying in wait. Through gritted teeth, I shared all my seemingly prophetic dreams with the others.
While they may show the future, it isn’t fixed. Only Mandesa’s plans are. It’s up to us to turn that knowledge to our advantage.
We need both defensive and offensive plans.