MindSighted: BlackWing Pirates, Book 1 Read online

  "Terrett won't be able to supersede another obsession," I said. "Vrak will remember that he was stopped and questioned. That could affect what he does after he gets to Pyrik."

  "My thinking exactly," Lissa said. "Well, I'm recommending we lock him up and keep this quiet. Maybe we can send a team to Pyrik following the smugglers' ship, and see who shows up to meet them."

  "I like that idea better," I said. "At least Terrett can handle smugglers. Someone who bears such a heavy obsession," I shivered. "V'ili is dead, so he can't be involved."

  "Or so we think," Lissa said. "No," she held up a hand. "He's really dead, but what if this obsession was laid years ago? This man was reported dead nearly twenty years past. Nobody knows where he's been all this time."

  "You're going to give me nightmares," Dena breathed. V'ili had nearly killed her in the past, along with Ardis, her husband, and their baby, Dara.

  Dara was now studying with Jerra under Master Morwin's tutelage. They were barely a year apart and good friends. Dena usually went with me on my visits to SouthStar, so we could spend time with our girls during class breaks.

  "Don't have nightmares just yet," Lissa told Dena. "BlackWing X will go to Pyrik to see whether they can sort this out. I'll have the ship disguised before they arrive."

  That was something Lissa had come up with—a disguise and a legitimate registration for each of the twelve BlackWing ships. All of them were recognized in both Alliances, with different names, of course.

  I found it amusing that Travis and Trent, Lissa's twin sons, were working on gaining their tattoos through their efforts at capturing and shutting down real pirates and their operations.

  Lafe did the tattoos when they were earned; that's how I knew of their progress. For now, their arms were completely covered with dragons; the chest and back tattoos would require extreme bravery to achieve.

  "Will you let me know what they find?" I asked.

  "Of course. In fact, stay in touch with Terrett. I think he should go with them on this mission. We merely need to come up with a legitimate reason for them to go to Pyrik, in case somebody's watching for the ASD to show up in disguise."

  "What about your transport to Pyrik for the Conclave?" Dena asked.

  "No, I've already said I have Larentii transportation," Lissa waved off the idea. "Quin and Justis are scheduled to come with me, since Aviaa is now a sovereign nation," she added. "But," she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Winkler is planning to go with Lukas and Amlis," she tapped her chin. "I think I can fix that up. I'll keep you posted." Lissa disappeared, leaving Dena and me to blink at her abrupt departure.

  Amlis' Castle, New Fyris

  Randl

  I'd seen Winkler before; just not with the new Grand Master of Harifa Edus. I understood that he'd disagreed with the previous Grand Master and didn't associate with him. He'd come to New Fyris with Queen Lissa several times, however.

  He was now acting as Prime Advisor to Grand Master Lukas for the Conclave, until Lukas filled that position. Winkler and Lukas stood together in the castle's vestibule, waiting for Amlis and Rodrik to approach.

  It had taken the usual few moments for my mental images to adjust, but I could see those four; Amlis and Rodrik striding toward the two werewolves who stood, relaxed and ready, to greet the Prince of New Fyris.

  Amlis, his body stiff with unease, shook properly with Lukas and Winkler, before Rodrik invited them to sit in the chairs reserved for honored guests.

  This council meeting—a formality, really, before the trip to Pyrik and the Conclave, was going to be long and uncomfortable.

  "Of course I have to go," I mumbled while Pap and I had dinner together. "I have new clothes coming, and a trunk to put them in, just to be presentable," I added.

  "So." Pap buttered his bread while he considered his words for a moment. "Amlis isn't comfortable around Lukas, then."

  "That's partly my fault—I didn't tell Amlis much about Lukas—or Winkler. Winkler can smell Amlis' hesitance and discomfort. While he's able to ignore it, Lukas finds it unsettling."

  "You need to get away from that—it's poisonous," Pap said.

  "Queen Lissa is sending a ship to transport us, so we won't have to spend the funds to pay for regular transport," I said, changing the subject. "The crew is supposed to provide bodyguards and assistance while we're on Pyrik."

  "Probably some of hers, then," Pap said.

  "I think that, too. I also think she may be worried about this—situation. Winkler's likely told her about Amlis by now, so it may be a way to referee without being obvious about it."

  "Maybe a good idea, then," Pap agreed.

  "I hope it's a good idea. I wish I could talk privately with Rodrik about this, but I fear he'd take it to Amlis, which will only make things worse."

  "Then don't. If Rodrik had any sense, he'd have come to you about it, first."

  "I feel closed in and suffocated, here," I admitted.

  "I know. Finish your dinner, son. When Conclave is over, we'll discuss where you'd like to go and see about making that happen."

  "Thanks, Pap."

  Avii Castle, Le-Ath Veronis

  Quin

  "Are you prepared to see Amlis at Conclave?" Justis asked. He, Bel Erland, Lafe, Berel, Edden and I were having dinner together.

  Edden and Berel would go with Justis and me, along with Ardis, Dena, Wellend and Warlend, who'd act as our guards. Ordin and Gurnil, Master Healer and Master Librarian for the Avii, were also planning to attend.

  I hadn't seen Amlis—or New Fyris—since Siriaa's destruction. Something always prevented it, somehow.

  He and I—there were old wounds between us.

  Rodrik too—he'd opened my back during a beating once, at Amlis' command.

  I'd never really gotten a proper apology from either, and that rankled.

  After all, I was no less than they; I'd come to realize that. At least the laws of the Alliances forbade the punishment of servants by beating them for misdeeds, whether real or imagined.

  The Alliances called that assault, and it was punishable by fines and imprisonment, where appropriate. If it hadn't been against Alliance laws, I imagined it would be the same as it always was with those in Amlis' castle—who punished servants as they saw fit in the past.

  I wondered if those nobles and such who'd made the trek from Siriaa had accepted the idea that none were beneath them, where the law was concerned. I was grateful that Ildevar Wyyld had written the clause of equality into the laws at the beginning, and that the concept was fiercely protected on every Alliance world.

  "Love, you have such a sad expression on your face," Justis reached out to touch my hand.

  "I know," I sighed heavily. "Too many memories, I think."

  "You don't have to see him if you don't want," Bel Erland said.

  "It's all right. It's time, I suppose." I waved away his offer of protection. This Conclave would be for both Alliances, after all, which Bel and his father would attend as King and Crown Prince of Karathia—with a full complement of guards, advisors and assistants following in their wake.

  "Who's coming to represent Avendor?" Berel asked.

  "The President and his staff," I said. "Kay told me. Ashe never participates—probably for obvious reasons."

  "Merrill and Adam are going with the President—they'll talk about logging, both legal and not-so-legal, on some Campiaan Alliance worlds," Bel Erland said. "Some people think the Campiaan Alliance should allow for permits to clear out sections of rain forests. Everybody knows what that can do."

  Merrill was one of Queen Lissa's mates; Bel Erland was her grandson. He'd be in possession of that information if anyone would.

  "There's enough logging happening already, much of it illegally," Edden pointed out. "Those rain forests are considered public property—up to a point. They're listed as national parks and such, open for camping, hiking, wildlife observation and rafting. Cutting down those trees will only damage the ecosystem and render the area unusable a
nd unsafe."

  "It's on the agenda and they'll vote on it," Justis said. "I know how I feel—I can't say how relaxing it feels to fly over endless trees at SouthStar. I'd love to fly across a wilderness area—what better way to see the birds and animals?"

  "Do you think we could take Jerra and Dara sometime?" The thought of taking them on an adventure like that sounded wonderful.

  "I'm sure we'd have to clear it with everyone ahead of time," Justis went back to his food.

  He was right—he'd be visiting royalty and special provisions would have to be made. It made me sigh.

  "What if nobody could see you while you were flying?" Bel Erland suggested, grinning.

  I turned toward Justis, my eyes widening at the thought of it. If we were hidden by a spell or such, we could take the girls over any park we wanted.

  "Something to consider," Justis almost smiled as he cut a chunk of steak and placed it in his mouth.

  "Wellend and Warlend could fly with you, maintaining the shields," Bel Erland suggested.

  "Mmmm," Justis nodded.

  Wellend and Warlend had retained their abilities as warlocks; they'd merely been given red wings and were considered Avii royalty, now, instead of Karathian royalty. Avii dipped their heads respectfully to them, just as they did to Justis, Jerra and me; red wings were magical to them in that respect.

  It was also Wellend and Warlend's due, for long years of faithful service to the Karathian crown and to others—although they were just as royal as anyone they'd served.

  They'd developed a strong friendship with Gurnil and Ordin, and usually shared meals with them.

  As for Farisa, Vorina and Wimla, they only attended certain functions, now that young Liron had grown multi-colored wings. He and I were secret friends, actually; we caught up with one another often in Gurnil's library, where he read as much as he could.

  As promised, on Liron's sixteenth birthday, Daragar had taken both of us to the Larentii Archives, where Liron whooped and pulled several books off shelves to devour.

  Daragar had given him duplicate copies of several things to take with him when he left, too; books that until that moment only existed in the Archives.

  Gurnil had already petitioned for Liron to become an apprentice; Justis had decreed it, at Farisa's dismay.

  She wanted to place the young Avii in the crafting guilds, where he would surely be as unhappy as Dena had been while working as a yellow-wing servant.

  Someday, perhaps, I would ask Zaria for a favor. Liron wanted mindspeech, so he could speak with me at any time.

  I wanted him to have it, too.

  Perhaps Zaria would grant our wish. The last I'd heard of her whereabouts, she'd been with Tampirus, visiting the Sirenali and the Pod'l-morphs on Revalus. I realized, then, that both those races would be present at Conclave—for the first time ever.

  It made me smile. No, the Sirenali had no ruling family as yet; only a Council, comprised of both elected Sirenali and Pod'l-morphs.

  Their small planet was perfect for the Pod'l-morphs; much of it was covered by a rainforest near the equator. A continent that lay northward had been taken by the Sirenali, and their population had grown nicely since the occupation.

  I figured Zaria had much to do with that—with help from a few Larentii, who only smiled when asked about it.

  "Have your new gowns been delivered?" Justis asked, breaking me away from my thoughts.

  "This morning. Don't worry, Dena will make sure the maids pack them properly," I said.

  "I want my Queen to be properly attired," Justis smiled. "There have never been winged attendees at the Combined Alliance Ball."

  "You just want to show off your new dancing skills," I teased.

  "Wellend and Warlend are good teachers," Justis chuckled.

  Justis wanted to go. He'd have no trouble staring down Amlis and Rodrik, if it were necessary.

  I vacillated between the desire to shout at them or withdraw and weep.

  "Randl will come," Bel Erland said. "I think you and he may have many things in common."

  Once again, Bel had read my expression accurately, and had given me something to cling to when I came face-to-face with Amlis again. For now, I wanted to shout at him for past mistakes and an uncaring attitude toward someone who only had his well-being at heart.

  "Things will go as they will," Berel soothed. "We'll be with you, my love. There is no need to worry."

  Chapter 2

  New Fyris

  Randl

  "Transport is here." Rodrik stepped into Amlis' study, where I waited with the Prince. Our bags and trunks were already on the landing pad outside, waiting for the shuttle to arrive.

  I walked behind Amlis and Rodrik through the castle, familiar enough with the structure that I could close my eyes and my mind and still navigate its halls.

  My senses adjusted once we walked through the side entrance and into the sunlight; I felt the sun's warmth before I saw brighter images in my mind. Fumbling in a pocket, I pulled my dark glasses out and fitted them over my eyes.

  It was a precaution, so I didn't burn what I had.

  Once my vision came, I saw the shuttle was a sleek carrier, designed to carry twice our number, with baggage. The engine was strong and sturdy enough to get us past the atmosphere and to the small space station orbiting Harifa Edus.

  I didn't need anyone to tell me that Lukas and his entourage were already aboard; they'd picked him up first.

  Amlis wouldn't be pleased about that.

  Breathing a sigh, I allowed a smiling woman to help me navigate the steps to climb into the shuttle.

  Jayna. Her name was Jayna. She had a disguise shining about her, but I could see past that to the beauty beneath.

  It made me want to ask her why she'd asked for the disguise—someone else provided it because she held no power to do it for herself.

  She was also a member of the ASD.

  Had the crew known that I could ferret out such secrets with my gift, which often felt like a curse? Perhaps that was the reason for the disguise—to fool anyone into thinking she was anything but an ASD agent.

  I kept my mouth shut and that knowledge firmly lodged in my mind. Amlis would only begin to ask why he was being spied upon, when nothing would be further from the actual truth.

  The ship we'd travel on needed a cover—and a reason—for arriving on Pyrik for the upcoming Conclave.

  BlackWing X—that information settled into my mind. I blinked as I turned away from Jayna. A different name was printed on her name tag; I reminded myself to use that name when I addressed her.

  She and others on the ship were involved in the hunt and capture of pirates in Alliance shipping lanes. It sounded like a wonderful life, far away from the insecurities of royalty and the everyday grind of life in a castle. That life limited my journeys to short walks from my home to the castle and then back again—unless I was required to visit Harifa Edus with Amlis.

  Those trips were infrequent, and didn't get me away from the insecurities anyway.

  "It will take a few ticks to reach the space station," Jayna announced as we buckled into our seats. At least I didn't fumble with the straps; it would serve to embarrass me, and that inevitability could wait until later.

  Winkler

  "How goes it?" Travis set a cup of Falchani black on a small table and took the chair opposite mine in the ship's galley. I could smell the strong tea from half a mile away; his grandfather, Dragon, drank it all the time in Lissa's kitchen.

  "Amlis is as insecure as they come, and that's unsettling Lukas," I said, lifting my cup of coffee for a drink. We'd only been underway for three hours and already Lukas was pacing on the exercise deck like a caged wolf.

  "I just checked on Amlis' quarters," Travis nodded. "The blind assistant is attempting to settle Amlis down. I get the idea that Amlis isn't used to space travel, and that only makes his shortcomings worse."

  "Where's Rodrik?" I frowned at Travis.

  "On the exercise deck
, using the rower machine. He's worried that space travel will destroy his arm muscles."

  "Is that upsetting Lukas?"

  "Not for now—they're ignoring one another."

  "Good. I don't need to break up a fight on day one." I drank more coffee.

  "May I join you?"

  Amlis' blind assistant had come, carrying a cup of tea.

  "Of course," Travis pulled out the third chair quickly.

  "I know you're worried about Amlis," he said as he took the seat. I noticed he didn't have to feel his way to do so.

  "I see the vision of everything," he explained. "Although it takes a few seconds. Call it a delay until my surroundings have time to settle into my mind. Randl," he held out a hand to me, exactly where it should be to shake.

  "William Winkler, although everybody calls me Winkler," I took the offered hand.

  "Travis," Travis held out his hand when Randl disengaged and turned toward the Falchani.

  "Ah. I am most pleased to meet you, Travis. Your twin—what is his name?"

  "Trent," Travis grinned. "I didn't realize you'd know that about us."

  "It comes with the visions," Randl shrugged. "Do you know Quin?"

  Travis froze. He did know Quin, just not as well as his father and uncle did.

  "Sorry, didn't mean to pry," Randl apologized. "I was hoping she'd be at the Conclave. I haven't seen her in years and I'd like to speak with her, I think."

  "The Avii Queen will be at the Conclave," I said. Travis visibly relaxed.

  "Good. Very good. I will send a message when we arrive," Randl said and rose from his seat. "Thank you for speaking with me."

  Travis and I watched as Randl strode away.

  This one—he knew more about us, I think, than we knew about him. "I think I'll have a conversation with your mother tonight," I sighed. Travis nodded his agreement.

  Randl

  Three days to Pyrik. My gut rumbled from the tension pouring out of Amlis on the first day.

  Rodrik had escaped, at least, leaving me to deal with the Prince's insecurity. I knew something of Amlis's past—his father had gone mad and his mother appeared to do the same.