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  Bleek probably appreciates that.

  I'm sure he does. I'm worried about all of us, at this point, after today's surprise.

  Do you need Karzac to come—for any of you?

  It's not worth calling out the big healing guns for bruises and shallow cuts. Rajeon's diamond web kept us from getting knocked around by the blast.

  I'd like to see that, actually. Tamp can do something similar, though.

  I'm really glad it's an available option. Look, I have to go. The reception is about to start and Trent, Rajeon, Morrett and I are Zanfield and Perri's guards.

  Keep your eyes open, hon. Somebody is gunning for all of us, now.

  Yeah. We know that for sure.

  Queen's Palace, Kwark

  Zaria

  "They may be going to plan B across the board, now that they've figured out something's wrong," I said, fitting the coronet on my hair, which was piled high on my head.

  "Plan B?"

  "Their first attacks were to discredit us, or those whose places we took, I think. The next attacks are focused on killing or doing harm." I turned to Edden, who stood behind me at a dressing mirror. "And, since they now know we're not the ones they obsessed originally, they're upping their game to get rid of us."

  "If we could find the ones who placed the obsessions," Edden's arms folded around my shoulders, while he leaned in to kiss my bare neck.

  "Honey, I think those three Sirenali women I saw aboard that ship could have something to do with all that. I mean, how easy would it be for a woman to approach someone at a function or something, and let obsession drop out during what looks like a normal conversation?"

  "Not hard at all," he sighed and pulled away from me. "Men will be flattered in many cases, while women will see another woman as non-threatening. Especially if she's passed the guards into the function."

  "Exactly."

  "We can go back to the point where each hub world leader began to stray off course and look for any parties, receptions or large meetings they could have infiltrated."

  "I know." I let my shoulders sag at the thought of endless hours of work.

  "My love, you are weary," Edden observed. "I say we make this event a short one."

  "Suits me," I replied. "Come on, the others are waiting."

  We walked out of the Queen's suite together, joining Bleek, Gerrett, Ilya and Halimel, who stood outside the door.

  "Shall we go find the enormous cake everybody's talking about?" I straightened Bleek's collar. He smiled and leaned down to kiss me.

  SouthStar, Avendor

  First Advisor Haris of Corez

  To provide needed information, and for a semblance of balance if not peace of mind, we were given access to important events on our homeworlds. I'd already witnessed the accusations and imprisonment of the one who'd taken my place, before he was released and the word got out that the accusations were manufactured.

  President Ylisis of Murazal had been shocked by what he'd seen occurring on his home planet only today. If his replacement and those around him hadn't been there and prepared for attempted murder, he'd have died in an unexpected explosion.

  He sat in a chair not far from mine, now, elbows on his knees and eyes not leaving the monitor screen, as if he were afraid to do so.

  Now, Queen Ilise of Kwark watched with us, as her replacement and those of her five husbands made their way to the ballroom for a birthday party. Like Ylisis, her eyes never wandered from the images we watched.

  "This is terrifying," Ilise mumbled. "We know something is about to happen, and all I want to do is shout a warning."

  "I know," Queen Myriae of Galk whispered. "If our replacements are killed, where will that leave us?"

  "Hold onto hope and strengthen your faith that all will be well at the end," Kay and Ashe joined us in the large media room. Ashe spoke; Kay smiled at us.

  Yes, we'd all heard of the reclusive owner of SouthStar Groves on Avendor, in the Campiaan Alliance. I couldn't help thinking that he was much more than most of us imagined in the past.

  As for Kay, she'd somehow taken away the affliction we'd arrived with; Ashe called it obsession. I didn't want to insult our hosts by being too inquisitive; so far, everything they'd done served to keep us safe. Had we been faced with the events taking place on our home planets, surely we would be dead or in prison by now.

  "Look—there's my ballroom," Ilise pointed out breathlessly.

  All of us turned back to the screen. "How does she look exactly like me?" Ilise asked.

  "Move in closer," Ashe commanded. I blinked—the micro-cameras transmitting the images moved in obediently, until they were so close to Ilise's replacement we could see the tiniest diamonds crusting her necklace.

  "Someone's poisoned the food," the replacement Queen told her escorts. "Edden, if you'll make a brief speech, I'll neutralize the drug they've used."

  "Power," Ashe finally responded to Ilise's question. His voice was deeper than normal and held such force that it took my breath away. I jerked my head around to look at him; his eyes had gone dark and stars fell through their depths.

  Chapter 9

  Queen's Palace, Kwark

  Zaria

  "Slow acting poison," I told my bunch as we retired for the night. "Should take effect three hours before sunrise. Now, I'll be interested to see who comes to check on us early."

  "I can set perimeter spells," Ilya offered.

  "Do it, and record images of anybody going in or out of the royal suites. I'll have shields up, too, in case anybody else has ideas to hasten our demise."

  "I'd like to know about that if it happens," Bleek cracked knuckles on all four hands.

  "As would I," Halimel nodded to Bleek. "If the poison hadn't been neutralized, it wouldn't be just us dying from it."

  He was right. Every guest who'd attended had gone home with an invisible Larentii tag, so I'd know if they were attacked further. I'd carefully checked, too; nobody at the party was involved in the poisoning. I'd looked at everyone still working in the kitchen; they hadn't known either.

  I'd look in on the head chef in the morning, and any of his assistants who'd left before the party started. If none of them were involved, then someone with power, personal or paid-for, had placed the poison.

  I was going to find out who that was, but first, I needed rest. More than anything, I wanted to fold away from Kwark and sleep in a safer place. I doubted my rest would be peaceful here—if I got any at all.

  "Go on to bed; we'll take care of things from here," Edden gestured toward my bedroom.

  "Fine. I'll know if anything happens," I reminded him.

  "We know," they chorused.

  Royal Palace, Galk

  Reah

  I stood at the wide window in the Queen's private study, arms crossed tightly over my chest and barely seeing the beautiful, decorative garden outside. I still fretted over the Council meeting the day before, disturbed by the argumentative mood that had taken the Council and divided them almost equally. My vote was the one deciding the entire affair, leaving trade on Galk tariff-free.

  "Half the Council is in a snit; the other half is breathing sighs of relief," Wyatt reported. He'd quietly canvassed the mood of the Council after the bill to place tariffs on trade between fiefdoms failed spectacularly—by a single vote.

  There wasn't any need for those tariffs, and those who'd suggested it knew that. They were only looking to fatten their own coffers, at the expense of others. The end result, of course, was an increase in prices for the regular citizens of Galk, and that would only bring harm to the entire planet.

  After all, if locally made goods cost more than they could pay, they'd have to do without and let the local stuff rot; they couldn't afford to do otherwise. Eventually, it could lead to the shutdown of factories and farms on Galk, and putting citizens out of work.

  That could lead to recession and depression, and, as Galk was a hub world, the infrastructure would be neglected and the spaceport itself fall into r
uin. A hub world in the grip of poverty and chaos meant shipping companies would suffer, and goods normally brought into port here would no longer be transported to satellite worlds.

  Shortages and hardships caused wars, just as Lissa said. Galk didn't need richer nobles. The planet needed more responsible ones, with an eye on the long game rather than the shorter-sighted one of instant gratification.

  Ultimately, Galk could lose its membership in the Alliance, and it could take down many satellite worlds with it.

  Was that the enemy's ultimate goal—to divide and conquer? To leave all of us on our own and battling a hidden threat we couldn't find?

  I hear you, dearest, Nefrigar's voice sounded in my mind. You and the others are now on the front line of that war and must not fail in your quest to stabilize worlds that could bring about a terrible catastrophe.

  You can see the end result if we fail, can't you?

  Yes, dearest.

  I hadn't heard him come in, but Tory's arms settled around me from behind. He knew how upset I was. Don't let this bother you, his words breathed into my mind. We have to stand strong, without calling them all difiks. At least not in public.

  I snorted a laugh and the dark mood was broken.

  Tory moved away, then, taking his warmth and comfort with him. I hadn't realized until then that I'd appreciated his intervention.

  "What's on the agenda for today?" I turned toward Wyatt. "Where's Bel Erland?"

  "Bel Erland is having tea with Rezo Nilus," Wyatt replied.

  "Why aren't we all having tea with Rezo Nilus?" I asked.

  "Because we ah, don't want to show favoritism. Rezo Nilus was the force behind the opposition to the tariffs."

  "And if we hadn't been here, he'd have lost that battle, right?"

  "That's the way I see it."

  "So, we shouldn't have tea with Rezo Nilus." I sighed and turned back to the window.

  "At least not for a few days," Wyatt counseled.

  "Of course. Out of curiosity, why is Bel Erland having tea with Rezo Nilus?"

  "He's worried that Rezo Nilus may be a target for the enemy's obsession. Everybody saw how close the vote was, yesterday. One or two more obsessions will guarantee a re-vote."

  "How many re-votes do they get?" I flung out my hands in frustration.

  "Only uh, one," Wyatt said. "And only when the vote involves all Addularchies and Rezoarchies. It has to be held within four days, with further arguments from both sides beforehand."

  "Can my life get any worse?"

  "I'll order tea." Tory strode toward the door, long legs eating the distance in less than three seconds.

  "Thank goodness for tea," I sighed and slumped a shoulder against the window frame. "We can have a hot drink and dainty cakes while a hub world goes straight to Jufaleh."

  Royal Palace, Kwark

  Zaria

  I dreamed I woke in the middle of the night. I also dreamed that a Larentii sang to me—the song that will make anyone fall asleep. It should have been a Larentii I knew to dream about. Instead, the song held a timbre I'd never heard, and was followed by soft words, saying sleep, little swan.

  Regardless, when Ilya woke me two hours before sunrise on Kwark, it was to let me know that the head chef and the chief steward were the ones who'd attempted to break into the suite.

  Actually, the chief steward had keys to the suite, but, as he had no talent to subvert a powerful warlock's spell, he still couldn't get the doors open.

  Both men were very surprised to find Bleek, Gerrett and Ilya standing behind them as they quietly discussed how to proceed.

  "What should we do with them?" Ilya asked. I paced inside my sitting room while two men, restrained by a warlock's power and unable to move, sat on chairs looking quite guilty.

  "They were duped—for a truckload of credits," I snapped, more at the chef and the steward than at Ilya. "They were led to believe that we'd only suffer indigestion from the additions to the cake, and only to the top layer, which was reserved for me and my husbands."

  "Except that the entire cake was poisoned," Bleek crossed all four arms over his chest and glared at our prisoners.

  "Who did they allow into the kitchen?" Edden asked.

  "Someone who called himself Ethan Looms. Not sure he's the ultimate culprit, though. He may just be a middle man, and someone else paid him."

  Zaria? Travis' voice interrupted.

  Travis? What's wrong? I could tell by the tone of his sending that something was certainly amiss.

  The ah, body in that barrel had Prophet's disease, and now we have three ASD investigators quarantined.

  "Fuck," I said aloud.

  "What's wrong?" Ilya stepped toward me.

  "The barrel that was blown up in the warehouse on Murazal held a body infected by Prophet's disease. Now they have three investigators who are afflicted with the same malady."

  "Do you think we need to?" Edden breathed without finishing the question.

  "Yeah. I think we need to. Shall we take our perpetrators with us? I think they require a lesson or two in what it is they almost accomplished last night. We'll have to put Ethan Looms on the back burner for now."

  "Get up, you're coming with us," Ilya growled at our captives.

  "Who will take their places?" Edden asked.

  "I'll ask around," I said. "On the way to Murazal."

  "That'll take two days," the head chef thought to point out.

  "Oh, I forgot," I retorted, letting my disguises fall. It's amazing how often people's mouths drop open when they're faced with a real Larentii.

  "Well, you drooling son of a reptagator, do you have any other comments?" Ilya pulled the man to his feet. "If not, we'll be there in seconds."

  "We sent all the remaining debris to Tiralia," Opal reported when we arrived at the remains of a former warehouse. It still looked like a pile of rubble, but it wasn't the original pile of rubble. Opal had replaced the tainted stuff.

  "If we need to examine it further, I can Pull it away from there," I said with a sigh. Nearby, the chef and steward stared and blinked at where we were and what we were saying.

  "Those two the ones who tried to kill you?" Kell stepped toward them and showed them his fangs.

  "Yes, but they're only the last ones in that line," I said. "We have to track down the one who paid them, and then the one or ones who paid before that."

  "We can ask Fes to fill in for the cook," Opal looked thoughtful.

  "Fes Desh? You think he would?"

  "If it's not for a long time," Opal replied. "As for the steward, well, Lynx might like a change of scenery."

  "You think you can arrange that?"

  "I think I can. Lynx already said yes."

  "At least something is going right, then," I shook my head. "I'm going now to visit those three in the hospital. Who wants to come with me?"

  "False alarm," the physician declared after a third set of tests came back negative. I'd Changed What Was for three men, when I shouldn't have had to.

  "We're still looking for those responsible," Opal spoke quietly beside me as doors were opened on quarantine wards and three men walked out whole and healthy.

  Opal and Kell had used their positions with the ASD to gain access to the floor in question, and then requested that more tests be run after I'd done what I could for the men infected.

  "They'll be released now, and we'll send them home for a few days," Opal said. "This was a huge scare for them and their families."

  "It was a scare for the entire planet," I grumped. "Thanks for getting Fes and Lynx for me. We have to go. I'll drop our miscreants off somewhere so they can't try to poison anyone else."

  Royal Palace Kitchen, Kwark

  Fes Desh

  "This came for you," a cook's assistant handed an envelope to me. My hand tingled when I accepted the rare paper packet, telling me there was something wrong with it.

  "Come with me," I instructed the assistant, before grabbing him by the collar of his white coat and dr
agging him toward the head chef's office.

  "Who else touched this?" I demanded after shutting the door. The young man's eyes widened at the veiled accusation in my voice.

  Yes, I looked just like his former supervisor, and he was terrified of the man.

  "I—it was delivered by your friend, who dropped by the other day. You know, that uh," he struggled to recall a name. "Athan? Ethan? Yes, Ethan. That friend."

  "Has anyone else in the kitchen touched it?"

  "N-no. Ethan handed it straight to me. He said you'd know why and left."

  Zaria? I sent. We have a problem in the kitchen.

  "He doesn't know anything, and I've neutralized the acid on his skin. Nothing else in the kitchen was affected by it." Zaria sounded weary. She looked weary, too, but I didn't express the obvious.

  She'd let the kitchen assistant go back to work, after Halimel placed compulsion for him to recall only that the envelope was passed to the head chef.

  "We have to find Ethan Looms, and soon," Ilya growled. "If he has more berolic acid, I want that disposed of, too."

  "Then you get to look for him, I think," Zaria said. "Let me know if you need help."

  "I'll go with Ilya," Halimel offered.

  "Good," Zaria waved a hand. "Fes, I just had your duplicate walk into the kitchen and have a heart attack. I'll change your appearance to be your own replacement."

  "I'll make sure the news is distributed, right after the royal physician makes the call and has the body removed," Edden offered.

  "Good. Awesome. What's next on the agenda for me?" Zaria sighed.

  "An afternoon meeting with six ranking members of the Council."

  "Yippee. Bleek, will you come with me?"

  Bleek, I sent, if she so much as wobbles on the way, take her back to her suite and call off the meeting.

  I will, he promised. Be assured of it.