His Fire Maiden (13 page)

Violette wasn’t military, but since her father was a general he’d taught her how to access basic military files. Anything too highly encrypted would have needed bio-signatures of some kind.

It took a moment, but she was able to figure out a basic password that allowed her mid-level access. “It’s not much, just facility maintenance records. Since the prisoners were in stone, there were no feeding schedules, exercise hours, or anything else to note. I can get you some names, but no crimes. There is an old incident report for a couple of the guards who had an argument that ended in punches. Most of it is inventory supplies and requisition requests. I’m sorry. I know you wanted something fantastic to expose this place, but there’s…” Violette paused as she scrolled through the work orders and memos to the earliest ones. The first file had her father’s military identification number on it. “My father.”

“What does it say?” Dev leaned over to look at the holographic screen. She felt his heat against her neck. She turned to him, seeing his cheek near her lips.

“It’s a personnel file.” Violette didn’t open it.

Dev looked at her. His mouth was close to hers. She felt his breath on her lips. The warm caress was intimate, and she breathed him inside of her.

“Open it,” he said. “You’re here for the truth.”

She nodded and turned to the screen. The file had a picture of her father as a young man. He looked different out of uniform. His clothes matched those of the broken prisoners. The image turned, showing first his front and then a profile view of his upper body.

“Jack Stephans, Florencia Moon Coalition lead informant for sector five, status active, trusted,” Violette read. She scrolled down the file, coming to a later entry. “Recommended for a high honor for his role in securing the Fifth Moon, as well as his work in subduing the rebel leaders hiding there. All rebellion has been terminated. Promotion: Ice Complex Five Warden. New file, classified.” She frowned. “He never told me he was a warden.”

That would mean the general did know what happened here, at least enough of it. It also meant Josselyn had told the truth.
Jack Stephans, Florencia Moon Coalition lead informant for sector five.
He was the Federation’s inside man to what had happened here. Why else would they have promoted a mere local spy to warden so quickly unless he proved in some great way he could be trusted? She thought about the broken statues, posed in fear. Her father was a monster.

“I don’t think he was the warden when the statues were broken,” Dev said, as if that would be a comfort.

Violette’s heartbeat quickened, and she tried to keep her composure.

Rick appeared at the door. “Anything?”

Dev shook his head in denial. “She’s in, but there’s nothing useful.”

“I’ll copy it anyway for Lucien to go through.” Jackson pushed past Rick and withdrew an information transfer disc from his snowsuit. He laid it on the computer mainframe. The holographic screen appeared to be sucked into the disc before returning to normal. Jackson slid the disc back into his pocket. “Temperature is dropping outside. We need to leave if we’re going to scavenge what we can from the castle. Josselyn knows where all the real treasure is hidden. If you’re done here, let’s get moving. I don’t want to become another one of this moon’s human icicles.”

“
H
oly space balls
, I forgot how cold this place was,” Rick said, falling into stride next to Dev.

“I can’t feel my space balls,” Lucien complained, holding his lower stomach.

“That’s cause you don’t have any balls,” Viktor answered.

“More balls than you do,” Lucien argued.

“I’ll show you how big my—” Viktor retorted.

“I will slap you both,” Dev said calmly. The brothers stopped fighting and gave Dev a sheepish look, which he in turned ignored. Dev looked at the indicator on his wrist. “It wasn’t this cold last time we were here.” Touching Violette’s arm to get her attention, he inquired, “Are you doing all right? You’re not too cold?”

“My balls are fine, thank you,” Violette answered with a smirk. Lucien and Viktor snorted with laughter. Before Dev could say anything, she quickly amended, “I’m good. Let’s just keep moving.”

Dev thought about joking back but didn’t want to encourage the brothers. Usually, he’d be worried about Rick, but there was something about this place that made the pilot unusually somber.

Dev admired Violette’s strength. The last four days spent with her in his bed had been as close to perfection as any man could hope for. Attraction wasn’t the problem. It was everything else in their lives weighing down on them.

“It’s strange, right? Nothing has changed since we’ve been here. I mean, look, those are our footsteps,” Lucien pointed at the ground, “and there is where Josselyn’s feet dragged as we brought her back to the ship.” He gave a short laugh. “Sorry about that. We didn’t intend to almost drop you.”

Josselyn paused to look at where he indicated. Dev knew this journey was painful for the woman. It had to be. They had all seen the torment she’d gone through after they freed her. He wished there was a way to show that anguish to Violette so that she might understand. Then again, he wished there was a way to show Josselyn how much Violette was hurting after the death of her father. Violette was like him in the sense they both hid their emotions from others. Perhaps that is why he understood her better than most. Or perhaps she’d let her guard down just enough when they were alone to allow him to peek inside.

The homestead had been built in a style far removed from Federation standards. A security wall circled the inner village and medieval castle. Jackson led the group through the main gate. Evan and Josselyn huddled together as they followed closely behind Jackson. Rick had cut the rusted metal lock on their first visit so getting inside was much more efficient this time around. A trail of prints led them under a second lower wall’s arch. Dark spires and round towers were built into the walls, with walkways along the top sections.

“Look at those plants,” Violette pointed out. Dev nodded. Grass shard stuck up from the ground like shiny narrow blades. “And those homes.”

“They’re called cottages,” Josselyn answered, not turning to look back at her sister. “Our mother was the reigning lady, and she knew all the people who lived in the village. She would visit the cottages and make sure the people had everything they needed. She loved children and celebrated every new village birth. No one had a bad word to say about her. Everyone loved her. She was a true lady in body and spirit—delicate, charitable, kind, sheltered.”

Dev watched Violette’s face carefully. He saw the eagerness she tried to hide. When she looked around the village, it was as if her eyes couldn’t take in what she was seeing before moving to the next object. She had no memory of her mother, and this was the closest she would ever come.

“Ignore the cottages and outbuildings,” Josselyn said when Viktor began to stray off course. “Everything you’ll want to salvage will be inside the castle.”

Violette stopped walking and looked up. Gentle white puffs of air left her parted lips. The frozen castle loomed over the surrounding village. A sheen of ice preserved the stone beneath.

“Why were you held prisoner out here?” Violette asked. “It makes no sense as to why they’d—”

“Shh,” Rick commanded. He raised his hand. Everyone turned their attention toward him. He lifted a life sign scanner they had acquired from a “technically” abandoned, locked, hidden ESC cargo crate on a remote planet. Jackson walked over to the pilot to look at the device. Rick scanned for lifeforms in the distance.

Dev stepped protectively closer to Violette. Very quietly, he said, “They imprisoned Josselyn in one of the towers. She was too heavy to move, so they left her. That fact probably saved her life. When the other prisoners were broken, she was left unharmed.” He pointed to the tallest tower where they’d found her. “She was up there.”

Rick hit the device several times. “False alarm. It’s not picking up anything now. The temperature must be causing it to glitch.”

“Atmospheric reading still normal,” Dev said. “But the temperature has dropped a few degrees. Let’s keep moving.”

As they neared the castle’s front door, he detected the crushed area where Lucien and Viktor had gotten into a fight next to the sad frozen remains of some small hairy creature. He braced his weight against the door and pushed hard, bouncing his shoulder until the ice seam gluing it shut broke free.

“Let’s get to work. Coms stay on,” Dev ordered. Jackson had given him the lead on this part of the mission since he’d be with Josselyn and Violette the whole time and needed the authority to make judgment calls for the group if anything when wrong. “Stay in pairs and follow the maps Josselyn drew for you. Try to find the personal items she requested, otherwise, take the most valuable and transportable. Check in at each stop. Expandable crates are in your packs. Don’t load them too heavy. We still have to drag them down to meet the ship if it’s too cold for the hover attachments to work.”

A soft light came through narrow windows from outside to illuminate the entryway. When everyone had entered, Dev pushed the door closed.

Rick turned on the castle power. Flickering light flooded the inside from torch-shaped fixtures on the walls. “You heard the man, let’s get to work.”

Lucien and Viktor took off in one direction. Jackson and Rick went in another.

“I don’t suppose we can find me a girlfriend this time,” Lucien’s soft voice came through the coms as they walked away. “Statue girl turned out all right for Evan.”

“Sure, rocket boy, we can try defrosting that dog-creature outside. I think you might have a chance with it,” Viktor answered.

“I’m not listening to this,” Jackson’s voice interrupted. “Dev, please, can we leave com-links on, but not open?”

“Fine,” Dev stated. “Turn off the open channel, but leave them on. Be careful. It might look sturdy, but there is no telling the damage weather and time have done to this structure, especially in the timber-enforced sections. If you get your asses trapped under rubble, I might not dig them out.”

“
I
want
to show you something.” Josselyn nodded that Violette should follow her. The groups had split up to explore the castle, but Dev and Evan kept the sisters together. Violette knew what they were trying to do. It was clear Evan wanted them to bond, and Dev wanted to make sure she didn’t try to attack Josselyn. As an independent woman, babysitters annoyed her, but then, she had threatened to kill her sister on several occasions, so their concern was probably warranted.

Strange personal items filled the abandoned castle, and decorations hung as they had for over a hundred years. Time had stopped in this place, and Violette again had the feeling she was trespassing in someone else’s memory. Josselyn led the group to a large dining hall. Tables were lined up in even rows on the stone floor. Dinnerware was set out as if a meal had been interrupted. Whatever food would have been on them looked long disintegrated. Josselyn took a couple of the plates and goblets and handed them to her husband. Evan pulled out an oversized expandable crate and put the items inside. She noticed carvings that reminded her of the wooden door to her father’s office.

A cylinder fireplace was in the middle of the room. Violette would have loved to start it. Maybe then feeling would come back to her fingertips. There were more torch fixtures to light the way. Banners covered parts of the walls in large woven strips.

“That tapestry,” Josselyn told Evan. The large cloth had men and animals sewn onto it. The men lifted swords over their heads in battle. “It was my father’s favorite. Try to be careful with it. I can’t believe the material lasted in this weather.”

Dev moved to help Evan retrieve the tapestry. Josselyn tossed a few small items in the crate. They made clanking noises as they landed against the side of the container.

Violette stood very still and didn’t touch anything. What right did she have to these things? Her father had left this property to Josselyn. The day he gave her the scar, he’d told her,
“The land I spoke of does not belong to you. You will never see it. You would not want it.”

This land, this strange fairytale countryside covered in ice, and the castle in the center of it all, was not hers. The general had never wanted her to see it. Or was it he never wanted her to learn the truth of what it represented? If she hadn’t found that holo-box as a child, would he have ever told her that Josselyn existed? It seemed rather obvious now that secrets had been buried here. She knew the Federation’s ways well enough to know this was not how things were normally done. Her father was very wrong about one thing. Violette did want this. She wanted everything this place represented, everything she had not had in childhood.

“What did you want to show me?” Violette asked.

“Over here.” Josselyn crossed the room to the far side. She stopped and looked up at a banner and said, “the Craven family crest,” before reading the inscribed words, “
Ago pugna quod intereo per veneration
.”

“I’ve seen it,” Violette answered somewhat defensively. It was one of the few things she had known about this place. “Honor above all else.”

“Live, fight, and die with honor,” Josselyn corrected, before she pointed at a large portrait. “That’s our mother.”

The likeness of a beautiful woman stared out over the hall. The paint was dull and faded, but that did not take away from the sereneness of her expression. Her dark brown hair was pulled to the top of her head, immaculately placed. The square neckline of her gown showcased a jeweled necklace. The dress had two parts to it. The red overtunic was edged with cream lace. The full sleeves only hung to the elbows. The younger version of their mother looked like Josselyn, especially around the eyes.

“She smelled like honey with a hint of lavender,” Josselyn said. “She was a good, gentle woman with a heart big enough for the whole galaxy. We protected her from the rebellion’s affairs. She never knew Jack’s part in it.” Josselyn placed a hand on her sister’s arm and drew Violette’s attention to her. “When I almost died from the thawing process, or died and came back, whatever you’d like to call what happened after you saw me in the general’s office, I had a vision of my family. They were here, in this room. In the vision, my mother told me about you. I don’t know what you believe happens when we die, but I know I will come back here and be with my family.”

Violette’s gaze traveled a few feet to the next portrait. Her mother was there with her first husband, a very young Josselyn, and four boys. The children were grinning and mischievous while the parents gazed lovingly at each other.

“What are their names?” Violette studied the boys who would have been her half-brothers.

“Jonathan, Peter, Ralphe, and Rainier,” Josselyn replied. “They died the day I was imprisoned, as did my father, Lord Craven.”

“She’s beautiful and so young.” Violette stared up at their mother. “I saw holographic images of her, but she didn’t look like that.” She looked down to study her cold hands. “Your mother doesn’t have the hollowness in her expression that mine did.”

“She is our mother—” Josselyn began.

“No.” Violette turned her eyes back up. “That woman did not have me. My mother was some shell of that woman. If given a choice, Lady Craven would never have become pregnant with me. Because if I accept what my father did here, then I have to admit that I was a mistake. He tricked our mother into marrying him and into having me.”

“No, she wasn’t like that,” Josselyn protested. “She loved all her children. I’m sure that hollowness that you’re describing was the loss she felt after losing so many of us.”

And when it came to me, she couldn’t be a parent again, so she chose death,
Violette thought.

“In my vision she told me of you,” Josselyn continued. “She said you were a good soul, troubled but one who would find your way to us eventually. I know she regretted that she couldn’t be the mother that she was to the rest of us. I know she loved you.”

“It’s a pleasant thought, but I don’t believe in that kind of afterlife. When I die, there will be no reason for my spirit to be transported here.” Violette placed her hand over her long scar. The padding of the snowsuit kept her from feeling it. Somehow, looking at the happiness of Josselyn’s family, the world they had lived in, the love shining in their faces, she had no more doubts. “I’ve tried so hard to believe what I’ve been told my entire life, but none of the holographic photos I’ve seen of my parents showed her looking at my father like that. She did not love my father. I shouldn’t have been born. None of this should have happened. Whatever the Federation wanted with this place was so unimportant they let it all die. And my father? Why else would a general in the Federation try so hard to prove he was a good man unless he was desperately attempting to atone for something?”

“I just wanted you to see her, how she was, I didn’t mean to make you feel—” Josselyn tried to explain.

“You should take those,” Violette said, indicating the portraits. “I’d think you’d want to keep them.”

Dev and Evan had put the tapestry into the crate and walked toward them. Hearing Violette’s words, they automatically moved to grab the portraits.

“We’re at the top of the tall tower,” Lucien’s voice came over the com-link. “Items located. Loading now.”

“Good,” Dev answered.

They heard footsteps nearby. Evan and Rick shared a look.

“I thought the others were searching the towers first and then working their way down,” Josselyn said.

Dev reached for his com. “Jackson, Rick, check in.” He paused, before repeating, “Jackson, Rick, check in.”

There was no answer.

“Jackson, Rick, what the hell is going on?” Evan demanded into his com.

“What’s happening?” Lucien’s voice answered. “We can’t hear their answer.”

“Jackson, Rick, report in now,” Dev commanded.

“Where do you—” Evan began.

“I don’t think Jackson and Rick are up to talking at the moment,” a harsh voice echoed from the doorway behind them. “They’re indisposed, disposed, indisposed? I can never remember which is the right word.”

“
Sacre
,” Violette swore under her breath at the unexpected sound.

“
Sacrelue
,” Josselyn whispered the antiquated version of the curse at the same time.

Gil nodded toward Violette in terse greeting. He lifted a small cylindrical device. Dev and Evan gasped in unison as the coms in their ears made electrical popping noises. The men instantly pulled the broken units away from their face and dropped them on the floor.

The Angelion’s torn wing had been bound so only one slightly lifted as he came forward. He held a blaster pointed at them. Violette pushed in front of Dev, who in turn tried to grab her arm to pull her back behind him. She dodged his grasp.

“Gil, what are you doing here?” Violette lifted her hands to keep the others behind her as she dealt with her crewman.

“I could ask you the same thing,” the man responded. “Doesn’t exactly appear that you’re here unwillingly.”

“How did you know where to find us?” she asked.

“I placed a tracking device on their ship while it was docked on Quazer,” Gil said. “We would have come for you sooner, but I was preoccupied with my medically induced coma.”

“I assure you a rescue is not necessary. I need you to let Jackson and Rick go,” Violette commanded.

Gil kept his gun trained on them as he walked over to the crate. He reached inside and picked up a goblet. Angrily, he threw it. The cup clanged along the stone floor. “What in the space blasts is this crap? We come to liberate you only to find you shopping for home décor?”

“Who is here with you?” Violette demanded. Gil was clearly not in his right mind. If he were he’d have obeyed her order to stand down. “Jo wouldn’t slither into this weather, so I’m guessing he’s still on the ship. Ghost doesn’t care enough to get his hands dirty. So that leaves Isaac.”

“Isaac,” Gil said conversationally. “You want to greet the captain?”

“I don’t have a captain.” Isaac entered the room behind Gil. “I thought I did, but she joined another crew while still owing us space credits.”

“Then why are you here?” Violette felt Dev’s hand on her shoulder. He tried to pull her gently back. She held her ground. “The last payment to the ship hasn’t processed. You get paid when I get paid, same deal as always.”

“I don’t trust those in league with a Bevlon,” Gil sneered. He pointed his gun directly at her. “His time is up. Move aside.”

“You have to use a gun?” Dev laughed mockingly. “Trust an Angelion to be too scared for a real fight. Afraid I’ll rip the other wing?”

“Dev, I don’t think you’re helping,” Violette muttered between clenched teeth. She held her hand to her side, trying to gesture him back. “Gil, I get your age old family feud, but Isaac? You’re better than this. Why take up Gil’s cause? You know he’s never going to return your feel—”

“You think I’m here because of Gil’s feud with the Bevlon?” Isaac rubbed his blue forehead at the base of his horn. “You lost my loyalty the moment you abandoned your duty.” He pointed at Josselyn. “There she is, Captain, kill her. Family honor demands it. That is still the plan, isn’t it?”

“Things are more complicated,” Violette said.

“No, they’re not.” Isaac trained his gun on Josselyn. “She killed your father. The details are just noise. You humans muddle everything with emotions. It’s quite simple where I’m standing. If you can’t avenge your father, then why would you feel loyalty to avenge your crew? Your breed of human cowardice cannot be trusted. At least, Gil carries on the fight of his people. I have nothing against the Bevlons, but I respect his loyalty to his people and in my loyalty to my crewman I’ll help him as I was willing to help you.”

“Don’t you dare question my authority—” Violette began.

“You promised,” Josselyn interrupted loudly.

Violette turned in surprise to look at her sister.

“You promised if I showed you where the jewels were you’d let my brothers go,” Josselyn continued.

Violette arched a brow in confusion. She glanced up at the family picture. All of Josselyn’s brothers were dead.

“Josselyn,” Evan began.

“Jewels?” Isaac repeated. The interest in his voice was unmistakable. His gun arm relaxed some.

Violette saw the look on Josselyn’s face and slowly nodded. She took several steps away Dev and the others. Her foot crunched Dev’s discarded communicator on the floor. Hardening her tone, she said, “I told you it was complicated. I had this under control but since you space cadets are insisting on doing this the hard way…” She let her voice trail off as she moved to join Gil and Isaac. “Hand me a gun so we can finish this.”

Gil eyed her suspiciously. “We’ll keep the guns.”

“You don’t trust me? You saw the jewels she gave us to pay for her ride to Rifflen. We’re talking an entire treasury full of the stuff. Why else would I come to this icehole of a settlement?” Violette pretended to be exasperated with them. In reality, she was terrified. Before she was just one of the guys, floating around space earning a living. Now she had something to lose—a sister, a man she loved. Why didn’t she tell Dev she loved him? Seeing a gun pointed at them, knowing Jackson and Rick might already be dead, made their situation all the more terrifying. If it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have been in this situation.

“Where are these jewels?” Isaac asked.

Good. Greed. Violette could work with greed.

“I’ll show you,” Dev said, making a move to go forward.

“Nice try, demon,” Gil said. “Step back and out of the snowsuit.”

“Gil, that isn’t necessary,” Violette said. “Lock them up. We’ll keep them as leverage if Josselyn doesn’t behave.”

“You, too, out of the snowsuit,” Gil ordered Evan. When the men didn’t comply, he held the gun toward Violette’s head. Her eyes met his, pleading with him not to obey. The temperatures were too low for him to survive long without protection. “Do it, or I kill her.”

Dev glared and shrugged out of his snowsuit. When he stood in the skintight underclothes, he tossed the snowsuit toward Gil’s feet. Evan did the same.