Keir Read online

  T’rill hesitated, unwilling to trust herself to this stranger.

  “There is nothing to be afraid of,” the Emissary whispered. “There is no benefit to me in harming you.”

  Something in his voice soothed her revulsion and she found herself agreeing.

  Taking a colorless crystal from his clothing, the Emissary raised a hand and darkness filled the room. T’rill gasped as total blackness enclosed her and she stared into the depths of space. A world shone ahead of her as she drifted, haloed by the light of its golden sun. As she moved toward it, the clouds obscuring its surface parted before her and she found herself walking through a sea of red grass beneath a blue sky, on a hillside overlooking a city of delicate turrets and elegant spires. She stopped, puzzled as to why she was here and what relevance it had to Quin. She was alone, with no sign of the Emissary or anyone else, nothing familiar she could identify. There was a strange silence and she stared at the city, eyes skipping from one building to another, seeing no movement, no signs of life.

  A figure emerged from the outskirts and ran through the long grass in desperation, auburn hair blown back by her speed. It was Quin, her face grim as she fled from the city as though pursued. T’rill watched as she raced past, called to her, but Quin seemed oblivious, pausing only once to look back over her shoulder in panic.

  An odd sound filled the air, a high-pitched whine that hurt T’rill’s ears and sent shudders running through the ground. The buildings began to disintegrate into clouds of debris, as if every atom within them had been abruptly parted from its nearest companion. One by one, an unseen force destroyed them all, until fine particles like sand fell against T’rill’s skin.

  Quin gestured brusquely and opened a gateway, vanishing before the obliteration of this world. Like plumes of smoke, the city evaporated into the rising drone. The destruction swept onward through the grasslands, bands of swaying blades dissipating in wisps of scarlet. A violent hissing added to the tortured whine.

  T’rill screamed as the ground disappeared beneath her feet. She fell into the darkness, to land trembling on the floor of her chamber, sobbing in terror. Petrified, she glanced up to find the Emissary staring down at her, the crystal once more in hand.

  “What was that?” she demanded. “What trickery?”

  “No tricks, Your Highness,” he assured her. “That was Ilithlia, my world, many years ago. Quin had it within her power to save it, but she refused. I have sought her ever since, seeking justice. You will give her to me.”

  “Never!” she retorted, shaking her head. “Why would she have done such a thing? How?”

  “How did she free you? How does she travel through time and space?” he countered. “What do you know of her? Think on that, Your Highness, and we will talk again.”

  Darkness once again surrounded the hooded figure, swallowing him up to disappear as mysteriously as he had arrived. The Emissary left her shaking on the floor, tears streaming down her face at the memory of a world destroyed.

  * * * *

  Waiting in the gateway room, Keir fidgeted restlessly in his outfit. The close-fitting white top showed the muscled contours of his torso and left his arms bare up to the shoulders, revealing his tattoos. He rubbed at them in agitation, uncomfortable at having them exposed so blatantly.

  “Stop fussing, Keir,” Quin told him, as if scolding a child. “The planet is tropical. Trust me, you don’t want to be overdressed. Are you ready?”

  He nodded, anxious to be gone and wondering at her snapping impatience. Quin made a brusque gesture at the wall, opening the gateway. Again, he felt the hidden surge of power needed for its creation, then the portal appeared and he took her hand without hesitation as they stepped through. The sudden rush was exhilarating and he found his spirits lifting as they arrived with a bump, free of the rising oppression of Lyagnius. Once more he found himself somewhere strangely other. An alien planet. A fierce thrill flowed through him, and he drew a long breath. It was early evening on this world, and humidly warm, as Quin had warned him. The blue of the sky was streaked with the colors of sunset, the red-gold sun sinking behind them, throwing long shadows. They stood before a building that put the palace of Adalucien to shame with its splendor, twisting up into the sky and reminding him of the convoluted interior of a tall cone shell, broken open to reveal the chambers inside.

  It had a fluid, organic shape to it, as though it had been grown rather than built. Made of a pale, marbled orange material and shot through with threads of different colors–pinks and mauves, greens and blues–it looked as though it were flaming in the scarlet light of the evening sky. There was no regularity to its structure. Numerous pillars of varying thicknesses seemed to have sprung up like trees wherever they had felt they were needed, curving into broad ribs to support the ceilings.

  It was hard to be sure with such an asymmetrical construction but Keir estimated it to be perhaps twenty stories upward, soaring in ever-tapering tiers into the clouds. Terracing curled around the outside of each level, aerial walkways lit by tiny blue-white stars strung like beads. He could see people walking along them and hoped they would not have to travel quite so high.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Quin asked enthusiastically.

  “It is beautiful,” he agreed. “What is it made from?”

  “Coral. A marine creature. They lower a titanium frame into the ocean and the coral colonizes it. When it dies, they lift it into place and grind the surface down to make it smooth. The whole palace took over a hundred years to finish.” Her grin wreathed her face in lines of happiness and he could not help but share her exuberance. “I never get tired of seeing places like this!”

  She led him toward the huge arched entrance at the base of the palace. Figures moved around amongst the pillars but there seemed to be no guard of any kind.

  “The palace stands on top of a mountain,” she explained, apparently picking up his thoughts. “The only way up here is to fly.”

  “They can fly?” Keir’s gaze darted skyward, hoping to see such a sight but Quin’s laughter snatched back his attention.

  “No. They have aircraft.”

  He shrugged his ignorance. The words meant nothing.

  “Machines that can fly like birds,” she explained. “You might see some later. Maybe we can even cadge a scenic trip around the mountain.”

  Fly like a bird? He shivered at the thought. No, he intended to keep his feet firmly on the ground if he could.

  He put out a hand to touch the wall as they passed. It felt cool and perfectly smooth to the touch, with a texture like silk. He noticed spirals and circles embedded in the surfaces–the shells of sea creatures trapped within the coral, their curled shapes revealed by the grinding process. Quin brushed his hand to attract his attention as someone walked toward them with a purposeful air.

  He was humanoid, but not human, his skin made up of delicate, dark-blue scales. Around his eyes and along his nose were bony ridges with a detailed pattern of rainbow colors, running down the sides of his face and following the square jaw-line. Large, pointed ears lay flat against the side of his head, and reptilian eyes, with the pupils vertical slits, sparkled golden-green. He was very slender, stood a head taller than Keir, and wore long white robes which had an iridescent sheen, as if dusted with mother-of-pearl. The elaborate collar formed a high crest around the back of his head, made from a series of silver spines with fabric strung between.

  He approached them with sinuous grace, smiling widely. “Quin!” he cried, his voice deep and resonant, pleasure apparent in his greeting.

  She grinned in return, taking his hands and kissing both cheeks without reservation. “Hello, J’dahzi.”

  “It’s wonderful to see you again, my friend.” His eyes flickered toward Keir. “And you have a new companion?”

  “This is Keirlan de Corizi. Keir, this is J’dahzi, Senior Advisor to the Queen, and a friend.”

  The two men gave each other a measuring stare and a nod of acknowledgment. “The queen has b
een waiting eagerly for you,” J’dahzi continued. “But we must talk later, Quin.”

  He gave her a meaningful stare and she inclined her head in assent. “I look forward to it.”

  “Please follow me.”

  He led them through the myriad twists and turns of the coral palace. They met others on the way, people in ornate robes that shone, their reptilian skins an innumerable range of colors. The two visitors attracted attention wherever they went, but there was no hostility in the stares, only curiosity and the occasional flash of admiration. Quin seemed to be of particular interest. Her white skin and auburn hair made her unique and she reveled in the attention, glowing under the appreciation in so many eyes. For once, Keir found his blue skin acting as camouflage rather than a revelation of his strangeness, matching their guide’s in color. The prospect settled his nerves somewhat.

  J’dahzi led them up gently ascending slopes, and the sounds of people talking and laughing began to echo through the passages. At last the narrow corridor opened onto a huge hall, fully three stories in height with a vaulted ceiling, and far wider than the plaza of Adalucien. Here there was a modicum of symmetry, the ridges that held up the roof forming a congruous flower pattern that radiated across it, running into pillars half buried in the curving walls. More members of J’dahzi’s scaled race and a mixture of people from other worlds crowded the cavernous chamber. Across the center, long tables were set with unfamiliar food and flowers, and from a balconied gallery overlooking the revelers, a band played soft, lilting music.

  J’dahzi bowed and left them, and Quin led Keir down amongst the queen’s guests. He stared avidly, his curiosity growing as he surveyed the hall in wonder. Not only were there the multicolored Metraxians, but also a fair scattering of other aliens. One group of diminutive figures stood below the gallery, delicately child-like, their pale skin mottled with leaf-green veins, the pointed, elfin faces dominated by large, gem-like eyes. They made an odd chittering sound, like crickets singing, which he took to be their native speech.

  J’dahzi stood deep in conversation with another humanoid, its skin textured like tree bark and white tendrils cascading down its back instead of hair. A young couple passed him, inclining their heads in solemn greeting, and he returned the gesture, turning to watch them pass. Their dark-brown faces and feathered crests were identical to Surei’s, although their plumage was as bright and varied as the scales of the Metraxians rather than the medic’s pure white feathers.

  Keir sensed Quin’s amusement and glanced at her questioningly.

  “You’re quiet,” she said, smiling at him.

  Embarrassment warmed his skin. She had noticed him gazing around in wide-eyed wonder like some inexperienced child. “There is much to see.”

  He found himself being stared at blatantly by three saurian women, two of them tall in shades of green, the third much shorter and slimmer, her skin iridescent pink. They were whispering and giggling as they looked at him. He turned away, discomfited, and found Quin laughing behind her hand.

  “I’m sorry,” she chuckled. “You don’t seem flattered.”

  “Should I be?” He found the attention incomprehensible and irritating. “No one in Adalucien ever looked at me like that.”

  “This isn’t Adalucien. Here, the unusual is appreciated.”

  Suspicion prickled down his spine, certain she was testing him in some way. Maybe he should like the attention, as Quin seemed to, but it gave him the eerie sensation of being hunted, looked upon as potential prey. “Is this a lesson for me?” he asked warily.

  Quin laughed. “No. I don’t teach lessons. How does it feel?”

  “You seem to enjoy it,” he said, a hint of accusation in his voice.

  “It’s very pleasing to be thought beautiful, don’t you think?”

  Keir shrugged.

  “They find you very handsome.”

  “They what?” He glanced over his shoulder at the trio of saurian women, his heart racing painfully as he found himself still under their observation.

  Before Quin could pursue the subject, a trilling fanfare announced a new arrival. Everyone turned to face the main entrance, a sudden respectful silence falling as a regal figure descended the steps, moving sensually with a slow swing of her hips. Those nearest bowed deeply and hid their eyes in the appropriate reverences, and she inclined her head in acknowledgment as she passed.

  As well as the high crested collar worn by all the court, a collection of slender silver spires forming a coronet of spikes adorned the regent’s bare head. Her robe opened at the front, held by a single white jewel across her chest. Beneath it a white tunic finished mid-thigh, showing lithe, muscular legs and silver sandals with straps crisscrossing up to the knee. Around her neck she wore a length of large pink pearls, a single tear-drop suspended just above her cleavage, her tunic cut so low as to be almost too revealing. Her pale-green skin gleamed with a golden shimmer, and her slitted eyes shone a brilliant turquoise color, like the sky on a hot summer’s day.

  Even though not of her species, Keir found her attractive. It would seem most of the court shared his view, as there was many a longing or wistful expression as she passed. She met his stunned gaze, imperious and yet provocative, and he dropped his eyes as he had seen others do.

  “Bow,” Quin whispered in his head.

  He did so, knowing that she repeated the obeisance beside him as the queen approached. Her sandaled feet enter his line of vision and a sudden rush of heat scoured his skin, leaving him uncomfortably warm, with his heart pounding.

  “Quin!”

  Her voice was surprisingly deep and dulcet, brimming with welcome. Quin nudged him to rise, but he kept his eyes down, swallowing hard with a mouth gone dry. When he found the courage to lift his gaze, he found that the woman had taken Quin into her arms, bestowing a kiss on her forehead with obvious affection. Short of stature, Quin had to look up at the queen, rendering her more childlike than ever.

  “T’rill.”

  “You haven’t changed one tiny bit, my dear, and yet it’s been years.”

  “You’ve grown up, Your Highness. You look very much the queen you deserve to be.”

  “Thanks to you.” She turned to look at Quin’s companion. “And who is this gorgeous creature?” she asked, reaching out a hand to touch his face.

  “Don’t move!” Quin warned him. “Flinch and you’ve insulted her!”

  Obediently, he froze as a finger stroked his cheek then lifted his chin to further raise his head. He met her gaze steadily, and her scorching look sent thrills through his body as if her fervent scrutiny had stripped him naked before the assembly.

  T’rill smiled slowly, setting his skin on fire. “Is he a gift for me, Quin? Tell me he is!”

  The sultry gaze of her bejeweled eyes rendered him speechless, too stunned to feel anger at her question. Even as he prayed for Quin to rescue him, he found himself wondering whether the delicate scales of her skin covered the whole of her body beneath the white fabric of her clothing, whether they would be soft as the satin feel of her hand on his face, or as hard as the metal they resembled.

  The sound of Quin’s voice tore him from such thoughts, breaking the spell and leaving him rigid with shock at his own reaction. “I’m afraid not, Your Highness, much as I would like to give you such pleasure. This is Keirlan, my companion.”

  Keir trembled, glad that his dark skin hid his blushes.

  The queen sighed and released him. “I envy you, Quin. You always have the most fascinating companions.” She gave Keir a last smoldering look which was interrupted by another trilling fanfare. The queen glanced over her shoulder at the sound. “Ah, family have arrived,” she said irritably. “I must greet them.” She turned back to Quin, lowering her voice. “I have something most urgent to discuss with you, my friend. Will you promise to be my guest overnight and meet me in the morning? I cannot tell you how important this is.”

  “As Your Highness wishes,” Quin murmured, bowing again.

 
T’rill mirrored her gesture and slinked away, hips swaying.

  Quin watched her go. “Everyone seems to need to talk to me urgently,” she mused with a frown. “I wonder what I’ve done now?”

  Keir cleared his throat, dragging his eyes away from the retreating monarch. “You could have warned me,” he said in a hoarse voice, still struggling, with the strange sensations rippling through him, to draw breath fully and ease the pressure within himself.

  Quin gave him a blank stare, before understanding dawned. “Oh, T’rill? No words could prepare you. She has that effect on everyone. That’s why she’s their most powerful queen in three centuries.” She looked at him sharply. “She made quite an impression on you, didn’t she? Although I think it was mutual.”

  Keir could not explain his response to the alien monarch. It had been like the power surge of opening a gate combined with burning at the stake on Adalucien. It took him a moment to register that Quin had spoken again.

  “I said, do you want a drink?” she asked, slowly and concisely.

  “Please!”

  He followed Quin as she led them to a table set with frosted jugs and glasses, watching as she poured him a cup of something blue and full of ice. With a faint smile she handed it to him before filling a second for herself. He sipped it cautiously. Apart from being cold, it had a faintly sweet taste like honey, yet burnt his mouth.

  “What do you think?” Quin asked him.

  He took another experimental mouthful, trying to decide whether he liked it or not. As he did, he noted another pair of eyes staring at them with a hostility he had not yet encountered in any other native of the planet thus far. Fiery red eyes, deep-set in an older face, stared back. They belonged to a male with dark green scales dressed in a close-fitting black one-piece unlike the dress robes of his contemporaries.

  “I think we are being watched,” he said, averting his eyes.

  Following his lead, Quin did not try to look. “Who?”

  “Dark green, red eyes, dressed in black.”

  “Are the eyes ridges gray?”

  He scanned the room, as if looking around generally rather than straight at their observer. “Yes.”