Reality's Plaything 4: Savants Ascendant Read online

One of the rainbow-winged valkyries Bannor had seen earlier sniffed, wings fluttering. She had silver gray hair and large green eyes. “I’ll thank you to not be so proud of it. He was scared to death.” She came forward. Her pale skin glinted in the torchlight. She stared at him with a love that showed through any disguise.

  His eyes widened. “Sarai?”

  She clasped him tight. Even through the thick armor that both of them wore, he could feel her heart beat. “I am sorry, my One. I was so scared. Once we were committed I didn’t dare give it away. They told us the enemy might be watching us at any instant.”

  Bannor put his face next to hers. It didn’t matter what she looked like. He felt the threads of the woman he loved.

  “I must apologize as well,” the gold-haired valkyrie who had impersonated Ryelle said. “This shell game was so we could use the princesses as bait without putting them at risk. We didn’t know what tactics or weaponry the enemy might utilize when they grabbed for them.”

  Bannor looked around. “Where’s Ryelle and Janai? What happened to Dom’Ista, and Matradomma?”

  “I’m Ryelle,” the other rainbow-winged valkyrie said raising her hand, and waving a large single edged blade. He realized she looked like the valkyrie—Megan—the one who impersonated her. They had switched places!

  “Here,” Beia’s twin said. “I’m Janai. I must say, this has been a quite an experience.” She held up the sword she was carrying.

  Bannor blinked. He never questioned the disguise, and the Daergons wouldn’t have either. “That’s a real shaladen.”

  The eldest princess nodded and her body shimmered and returned to its normal shape. “I must say, it is quite satisfying to defend our sovereign territory with my own hands, and not let someone else fight for us.”

  “Agreed,” T’Gor said. He thumped a large two-handed blade on his shoulder. His form shimmered and he took on the appearance of King T’Evagduran.

  “Satisfying is a good word,” Damrosil murmured. She chanted a few words and shrank down to become Kalindinai. She held the battlesword in her fist. “I felt greatly honored to be trusted with such a weapon.” She bowed toward Megan.

  The rainbow winged Valkyrie bowed back. “At the trial, Koass saw into all of your hearts. He told us that any reasonable tactic would be acceptable as long as it served the goal of disarming the Baronian threat.” She looked to Bannor. “This was the best defense we could provide.” She shook her head. “We’re so short handed that it only made sense when Dorian suggested it. Your family would be protected and could assist in the fight…”

  “It’s not over,” Bannor said, rubbing his hand in Sarai’s long gray tresses. He paused, allowing the booms and crashes deeper in the citadel to make his point. He pointed toward the origin of the sounds. “Don’t we have to deal with that?”

  “We do.” Megan agreed. “The Felspars and the rest of the Kriar contingent have them locked down and are waiting for us. T’Gor, get those prisoners out of here before the Daergons decide to get brave.”

  “Ma’am,” A voice echoed from behind Bannor. It sounded like King T’Evagduran, but the Elf leader was in front of him!

  He turned in time to see what looked like King T’Evagduran fade in. With him was what appeared to be Queen Kalindinai.

  His jaw dropped. He glanced to the real King and Queen and back to their mirror images. Even their threads seemed right. Only by extremely close scrutiny of their energies would he have not known they were not the heads of the T’Evagduran family.

  Senalloy stomped her foot. “That’s what happened!” She glanced back and forth between the duplicates and the real people with narrowed eyes. “How did they get out of the vault?”

  “We didn’t,” T’Evagduran’s mirror said, pulling the scepter off his side. The item transformed with a crackle into a black two-handed sword. Smoke and shadows seemed to flicker and sway around the winking edges of the evil-looking serrated blade. “Korvel is the shaladen of stealth. Fortunately, Bannor hasn’t figured out how to see through this.” He swung the sword through a circle and a sheath flared into being around it. He strapped it over his shoulder. Then walked over to the fallen Daergons and began dragging them into a pile.

  “We stayed until you opened the door,” the Queen’s double said, moving to assist her partner. “Then Bannor almost trapped us in there again when he had his little miff and slammed the door.”

  The images of the King and Queen worked efficiently, placing shackles on the Daergons, obviously making sure they wouldn’t cause any trouble when they arrived wherever they were going. “I’d change back for you,” the fake King said as he worked. “But I can’t do that shape changing dross. I have to get Foross to change me back.” He looked up and rubbed his hairless chin. “I’m T’Gor if you didn’t guess.” He rubbed his face again as if contemplating the feel of having smooth cheeks.

  “And I’m Damrosil,” the Queen’s mirror said. “No offense Matradomma, I will be glad to stop feeling so short.”

  “None taken,” Kalindinai said with a grin. “I felt rather like an ogre in your shape.”

  “Let’s go,” T’Gor said. He gestured to one of the Kriar. “Kath, you should go with us, otherwise the Council will scream.”

  The Kriar nodded. He came and stood with the two disguised shaladen warriors. The three of them vanished taking their prisoners with them.

  With the Daergons vanished, Megan let out a breath, obviously relieved that they were gone. “I hope those three have some useful information.” She turned to Janai and pulled Marna’s blue communication crystal off her neck and handed it to the elf lady. Janai accepted it with a nod and put in back behind her ear.

  “So,” Cassin said coming over to Megan, taking her hand and looking up at her. “You knew about the Daergons? We just found out.”

  Megan ran her hand through Cassin’s hair in an obviously familiar gesture. “We didn’t know for sure. Marna called Koass immediately following the attempt on her life, she suspected that the armor the Daergons were using was Karanganoi made and the same that the Baronians were using—she anticipated that if that was true—they might make a move here.”

  “We saw the armor and Daergon prisoners intercepted,” Cassin said. “They never made it to the diagnosis team.”

  “Yes,” Megan said. “To us, that was confirmation. So, Koass charged us with protecting Bannor’s family because he’s currently the only one able to see through the new stealth. When we were discussing how best to do that, Dorian pulled me aside and suggested what we did.”

  “I don’t understand,” Corim said looking at Beia, Arabella, then Megan. “Why wasn’t I told?”

  “If you knew, Bannor would have seen it,” Beia said coming up and clapping him on the shoulder. “You reek at lying worse than you reek at cards.”

  The burly man turned red.

  Bannor studied Sarai, his brow furrowed. “The others switched places with the Shael Dal who played them. Why aren’t you Arabella?”

  “She had special needs,” Arabella said, rubbing a hand in her red hair. “She needed those treatments and we didn’t know how long we’d have to do this. So, Foross picked a shape that could maintain the baby.”

  “I’m Adwena,” she tilted her head. “Not actually her, it’s her shape. She’s Megan’s sister, a Valkur air-maiden.” She touched the sword on her side and looked down at it. “That shaladen is seriously kick arse.”

  “Star? You were fighting—Baronians!”

  “Only a little,” she answered, trying to wheedle out of it.

  Vhina! The baby. He had checked on the baby when he thought he was rescuing Sarai. He stared at Arabella. “Our baby. I saw our baby when I came to you in the hall.”

  Arabella nodded. “Oh yes,” she let out a breath. “It’s a good thing Foross is so thorough.”

  “She was alive. I saw it.” He felt his chest tighten. “What happened when you…???”

  The bard’s brow furrowed. She looked down and rubbed her stom
ach. She blinked at him with dark eyes. “Oh my, yes, that is a—troubling—thought. I don’t think Foross would actually…” She pushed a hand through her hair. She obviously was not sure.

  He didn’t want to think about the implications of how they had so closely simulated his wife and child. He would have to trust the eternals.

  The red-haired woman came to them. “I believe this belongs to you.” She pulled the communication crystal off her neck and handed it to Sarai.

  Sarai took it and returned the device to its place behind her ear.

  Arabella’s shoulder brushed Sarai as she looked up at Bannor. “He loves you a lot.” She rubbed her neck. “I had no idea how big a risk I was taking.”

  “I warned you he might see through it,” Sarai said rubbing a hand against Bannor’s chest.

  Arabella snorted. She turned her head to one side. “I hope you don’t mind that stolen kiss. I rather enjoyed it.”

  “One taste is all you get,” Sarai said with a little growl.

  The red-haired bard bit her lip. “Pity.”

  He nudged Sarai. “I’m standing here you know.”

  She gave him an arch look. “And?”

  He frowned. Some things about Sarai would never change, regardless of whatever form she took. This Adwena she’d taken the shape of, was quite attractive and rather plentiful in her endowments. “So, how long will they be keeping the shaladens?”

  “You jest,” Megan said. “Seeing that display of yours. The T’Evagdurans will remain deputized until this whole thing with the Baronians is resolved.”

  Janai bounced. “That works for me!” She frowned. “I just wish it was a bow.”

  “It can be anything you wish,” Megan said. She gestured and the sword in Janai’s hand became a huge black shadowspar recurve.

  The elf’s amber eyes lit up. “Veeg!” She cheered.

  He touched Sarai’s hair. He liked the feel of it. “How long are you going to stay disguised?”

  “I have to stay this way until Cassandra can make that magic device for me. I’d change to something closer to what I really look like but it has to be done by a master shape changer because I’m pregnant.” She looked to Kalindinai. “Apparently, there’s some risk to the baby unless it’s done with particular care.”

  Kalindinai frowned. “That’s right. You can handle having wings until Foross comes back to change you.”

  Sarai looked back at her wings and fluttered them. She looked up at him with deep green eyes and wiggled her eyebrows. “It’s not so bad. I know you like busty shapes like this.” She pressed up against him with her breasts. “This body feels great. I think it’s even stronger than the one I had in Gladshiem. Together with the shaladen…” She drew another breath. “Yes.” She rubbed her abdomen. “Vhina likes it much better too.”

  “I bet she does.” He sighed. He had almost become accustomed to Sarai’s changing shapes. She certainly was attracted to power. Which, when applied to him, seemed to make no sense. When she first knew him, he was nothing—a hermit living in a cabin. He had no power except what he could hack out with his axes.

  “Let us clean up the rest of this mess,” Megan said.

  “Lady Megan,” King T’Evagduran said.

  The air maiden nodded to him. “Dom’Ista?”

  “That trick you did,” he pointed to Janai’s bow. He indicated the huge sword. “Could you?”

  Megan smiled. Her wings sparkled. Bannor found himself admiring her. “Of course.” She gestured and the sword became a broad, thick-limbed bow. “I apologize that I cannot accommodate arrows.”

  The King bowed at the waist to her. “No need for apologies.” He gestured and a broad quiver of arrows appeared on his back.

  “So,” Kalindinai said, leaning close to Megan. “Am I understanding correctly from what I’ve seen, that these shaladens can become anything their user wants?”

  “Within limits,” the air maiden answered. “Provided you have the will to shape it.”

  Kalindinai raised an eyebrow. As Bannor knew, if there was anything the Queen of Malan had an abundance of—it was will power.

  The Queen focused on the huge battleblade in her fist, eyes narrowing and jaw tightening. She took hold of the blade with her free hand. Blood leaked down the blade from her palm as her knuckles whitened.

  With a chiming sound, sparks whirled around the blade and she seemed to stretch the weapon in her hands. Ripples shot through the surface, making the item scintillate so brightly that Bannor had to squint. The light faded and in the sword’s place was a jeweled war staff. Storms and stars seemed to spin and twist in the gems pulsating down the item’s sides.

  The Queen held the item up, the blood running down her arm had vanished. She smacked the butt of the shaladen on the floor with a crash that shook the hall, leaned her head back and drew a breath. “Yes.” She opened her glowing amber eyes. “Now this is a weapon.”

  Megan raised an eyebrow and nodded in what was apparent admiration for Kalindinai’s ability to shape the shaladen. “Matradomma,” she said with a dip of her head to the Queen. “If you and Dom’Ista would care to lead, we will work together to end this incursion.”

  Queen bowed to Megan. She held her hand out to the King who walked over and took it. Together they stalked up the hallway like the royalty they truly were.

  Bannor watched them walk away with his head tilted. “Sarai, you really do have awesome parents.”

  She kissed him on the cheek and hummed. “My One is awesome too.”

  As the rest of the group rallied together and followed the King and Queen, Senalloy focused a stare at each of the three sisters. “Don’t think that because they gave you those shaladens you can be rousting around every which way. You will stay close where I can keep an eye on you.”

  “Yes, Mother,” Janai said. She gestured and a quiver of black fletched arrows appeared on her back. She wiggled her fingers and an archer’s glove sheathed her pull hand. A touch on her other arm created a string guard. “I’ll stand right by you.”

  Ryelle brushed close to the big silver-haired Baronian. “I was touched to see your sincere concern for our parents.”

  The big woman blinked. She placed a hand carefully on the eldest princess’ shoulder. “I took this post as a job, but it is so much more to me. You are beautiful people and up until recently, I have been surrounded by so much ugliness…” Her voice trailed off.

  Bannor felt a little tug in his heart seeing that Senalloy’s eyes were moist. The elder had been even more concerned than she had let on.

  The large team moved with speed and purpose. Now that Sarai was safe, he wondered how the group on Homeworld was doing. He imagined pretty well. While his nola power coupled with this amazing body made him strong, Wren’s connection to Starholme made her into… what? He didn’t know; something scary. Something the Baronians and Daergons, if they had any sense, should be very afraid of. They would probably soon realize that the intelligence they were trying to get back had already been discovered by other means.

  It would be difficult for the Daergonian coup to affect the Vatraena behind the wall of Shael Dal and first ones that she currently had around her. Daena had asked Marna if she thought going into battle was reckless. The irony was that right now the safest place on Homeworld was probably in the battle with five of the most powerful creatures alive brutalizing anything that came near. He felt fairly certain that the crafty elder had planned it that way from the outset.

  He sighed. They would be okay without him. If they needed him, Wren or Daena would call. Without the necessity to pull him, he wasn’t even sure he could duplicate that feat of teleportation.

  Sarai reached out and laced her fingers with his. She squeezed his hand and looked up into his face. “You know, I could get used to that gold glow in your eyes. It’s different.”

  “Gold?” He hadn’t been near anything reflective. He never wondered how his eyes looked. “Well, you won’t have to get used to it. I can’t keep this body
. It’s too dangerous.”

  She blinked at him, those alien yet familiar green eyes peering through him. “Does it scare you—the power?”

  “Power isn’t scary, Star. What a person—what I might do with it—that’s the scary part.”

  “And what might you do?”

  He frowned at her. “I don’t know. I might go crazy or hurt someone.” He let out a breath. “There’s a terrible temptation and this almost out-of-control sensation…” He let his voice trail off.

  “Yes,” she raised her chin. “That wild on-the-verge feeling—like you might explode any moment. It’s so—liberating.”

  Liberating? How did she equate that sensation with freedom? He didn’t say anything.

  She brushed up against him, her wings fluttering. “Hey.”

  He looked down at her. “Hmmm?”

  Sarai grinned and bit her lip. “Do you get this—like—feeling… Sometimes, I just stand still—”

  He raised an eyebrow. “—and breathe?” he finished.

  Her cheeks colored and she nudged him. “Yes, I’m glad it isn’t just me.”

  “Yes, apparently immortals can have fun with their clothes on and doing absolutely nothing at all.” His brow furrowed. “The idea is both disturbing and ironic at the same time.”

  Sarai snorted. “Right, why couldn’t Hecate have just stayed home and kept herself entertained?”

  The words forced a laugh out of him. His amusement was cut short as they entered a large back hall. He guessed there had to be as many as fifty Baronians and more than a dozen dreadnoughts.

  When Megan had said locked down, she had meant it. At the center of the room was a white semi-transparent sphere that sparked and flashed as angry dreads, blasting spells, and weapons smashed against it.

  A circle of valkyries that included tiny Millicent, red-haired Jhord, and eight others formed a perimeter around the barrier. The winged maidens held flaming spears at the ready, and they stayed alert to places the shield seemed to weaken. The corpses of two dreadnoughts and perhaps twenty regulars lay in riddled heaps just outside the shield as evidence of their vigilance.

  Ten members of the Kriar contingent stood in a rough circle behind the valkyries, red spheres of illumination surrounding their bodies, heavy weapons and blades readied. Between each Kriar binding energies intertwined, forming a confining sphere of interdimensional snarls that was no doubt preventing the intruders from teleporting out of their confinement.