Risteard’s Unwilling Empress Read online

  “The only exit plan he’ll have is being dead if I have my way,” Rime replied in a tight voice to Ajaska’s softly spoken thought.

  “So, how is it you have a half human daughter?” Ajaska asked, glancing over his shoulder. “I thought it was forbidden for any member of the Coalition to be on a primitive planet.”

  Rime glared at the back of Ajaska’s head. “It’s a long story,” he snapped. “And a personal one.”

  Ajaska shrugged as they stopped just before the first trap. “When this is over, I’ll buy you a drink and you can tell me it,” he offered. “Make sure you do exactly as I do or I’ll be having that drink by myself.”

  Rime grimaced as he watched Ajaska navigate the stones. “Just keep in mind who just saved your ass,” he said, following. “Oh, and I might warn you I have very expensive tastes.”

  Ajaska broke into a steady jog, now familiar with their path. “Why does that not surprise me?” He muttered, slowing as they approached the next trap.

  *.*.*

  Ristéard focused on the sound of Ricki’s footsteps. He knew what Andras was capable of, after all, they had trained together since they were ten. What he had not expected was his former friend’s deviousness. Now, small things that had happened over the years began to make sense.

  Andras family had been quiet, withdrawn, during their years in captivity, yet Andras had sought him out. There had been two occasions when he had been with Andras when he had almost died. Both times, Andras had been with him, before disappearing. The first time had been when a narrow footbridge made from wood and rope had snapped as he was going across. Andras had been in the lead, but had stopped. He had told Ristéard to go ahead, that he would catch up.

  The bridge had snapped when Ristéard was half way across it. He had managed to grab hold of one of the wooden planks that made up the bridge. He had eventually pulled himself up. The next day, he had returned to look at the bridge, but Andras’ father had already replaced it.

  He stumbled upon the remains of the rope from the bridge several months later. It was obvious one side had been partially cut through. Andras’ father had said that he used part of the rope elsewhere which is why it was cut, but Ristéard knew the man was lying.

  The next time was when they were climbing up one of the rock faces to a higher level. Andras had been ahead of him and went over the ledge before he made it to the top. A large boulder at the top came loose and crashed to the floor of the cavern they were in. If he had not noticed an easier way up the side and shifted his direction, he would have been in line with the boulder and killed. Andras had peered over the side shortly afterwards and joked that he had missed Ristéard by just a few inches.

  Other times washed through him. The issues with the shields the most recent. Andras had been hinting that perhaps Emyr or Harald were to blame. He was the one who suggested that they be reassigned to deal with the unrest in the former councilmen’s zones.

  Andras had also wanted to go with them on this journey, but Ristéard thought he would be better suited finding the traitor who was sabotaging the shields. No wonder Jarmen was having issues finding the problem. Andras could stay one step ahead, by making the issues look random and fixing the issue before Jarmen arrived.

  Touching his leg, Ristéard grimaced at the pain. Ricki had slowed the bleeding, but it would need to be stopped. Sliding the small laser knife out of the sheath at his waist, he pressed the button on the handle to extend the heated blade.

  Looking down, he raised his head just high enough to be able to see the wound. He moved the blade over the area and pressed it against the torn flesh of his thigh. His head fell back against the hard crystal floor as the sickening scent of burning flesh reached him. He stared up at the ceiling, his jaw hurting from the force of keeping any sound from escaping him.

  It took several minutes for the pain to dim to a dull, steady throb instead of the shooting agony it had been. He retracted the blade, keeping it in his hand as he rolled onto his stomach. From his position, he could see Ricki as she carefully walked across the long narrow bridge. Andras followed her, he was mindful to stay back several feet.

  “What now?” Andras’ voice echoed in the chamber.

  Ricki had her back to him. She was gazing up at the massive doors. After several long seconds, she turned to look at Andras.

  “I’m not strong enough to open the doors,” she admitted. “The first Empress must have been pure Glacian. She used ice to expand the locks. It has to be done correctly for the locks to disengage.”

  Ristéard’s jerked when Andras struck Ricki across the face. The blow knocked her back against the doors. Her body slowly slid down them when her knees gave out under her.

  “Wrong answer,” Andras snapped. “I’ve seen what you can do.”

  Ristéard was about to rise when he saw Ricki struggling back to her feet. His hands pressed against the floor to push him up when he felt a presence behind him. Rolling, he stared into a set of familiar blue eyes set in a very unfamiliar face. His eyes flickered to the man kneeling next to the stranger.

  Ajaska’s silver eyes stared back at him with cold determination. The long darts that had been embedded in Marvin and Martin’s necks were clenched in his fist. Ristéard glanced back at where Ricki stood. Her hands were pressed against the door.

  He knew that she would try to open the doors. He worried about what it would do to her. Just the small bursts of ice that she had done had drained her. He feared something of this magnitude would kill her.

  “Ricki,” he whispered in a husky voice. “If she tries to open the doors, it might kill her.”

  “What is she trying to do?” Rime asked.

  “I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with ice,” Ristéard said hoarsely. “We have to stop Andras.”

  “Is there another trap?” Ajaska asked, quietly.

  Ristéard nodded. “Yes,” he replied, bowing his head. “There is a line in the center. We have to stay on it. The bridge will collapse otherwise.”

  Ajaska nodded. “Rime and I will go,” he said, starting to rise.

  Ristéard shook his head. “No,” he said in determination. “I will go. See if you two can wake Marvin and Martin. Don’t let Andras know you are here.”

  Rime looked around. A grim smile curved his lips. He didn’t need to use the crystal bridge, he could make his own with ice.

  “You distract him,” Rime instructed. “I’ll make my own bridge and get across. Ajaska, you try to wake up the Kor d’lurs. I haven’t come this far to lose her now.”

  “Lose her… Who are you?” Ristéard demanded, glaring at the male who was ordering him around.

  Rime turned to look at Ristéard. “My name is Rime. Ricki is my daughter,” he said quietly.

  *.*.*

  Ricki glared at Andras. Her right hand was pressed against her heated cheek. It pulsed from where he had struck her.

  “I’m telling you, I can’t do it,” she said, using the door to help pull her to her feet. “I can make a small amount of ice, but nothing like what it would take to move the locks in the door.”

  Fear flashed through her when he pointed the weapon in his hand at her head. Ricki stared back at him, waiting. They both turned when they heard Ristéard’s harsh voice call out.

  “Andras, don’t,” Ristéard said. “Let her go. She is telling you the truth.”

  Ricki tried to jerk away as Andras shifted. A low cry escaped her when he reached out and pulled her in front of him before he turned to face Ristéard. She bit back another pain filled cry when his fingers tightened on her arm in warning.

  “That’s far enough,” Andras warned. “You are just as resilient as ever, I see.”

  Ristéard’s face froze into a calm mask. “None of your assassins could kill me, what makes you think you can?”

  Andras lifted the weapon in his hand and pressed it against Ricki’s temple. Ricki trembled as she looked back at Ristéard. Her fingers clenched and she could feel the familiar ti
ngle on the tips of them.

  Her eyes narrowed and she glanced down, before raising her eyes to his again. She saw understanding dawn in his eyes before they shifted back to Andras. Her breath caught when she saw him grimace as he stepped off the bridge.

  “I’ll kill her,” Andras bit out in a cold voice. “You know I will.”

  “If you do, then you’ll never get the locks undone,” Ristéard pointed out, knowing he was right.

  Andras took a step back toward the door. “You’re right,” he said, pulling the weapon away from her temple to wave it at Ristéard. “Move…”

  Ricki reacted the second the weapon moved away from her head. Her hand flew up, her palm directed over her shoulder and at Andras face. His loud curse echoed in the chambers as a burst of ice flew into his eyes.

  Ricki darted forward into Ristéard’s arms. The flash of the hot blade leaving Ristéard’s hand flew by her. She turned in time to see it embed in Andras chest at the same time as he fell forward. Her eyes widened at the long shafts of ice protruding from his back.

  Turning dazed eyes to the man walking up from behind Andras, she gazed into eyes the same color as hers. She trembled and backed up as he came closer. Her fingers instinctively searched for Ristéard’s when he wrapped his arm around her waist.

  “Who… Who… are you?” She whispered, staring at the man.

  Rime paused several feet from where Andras’ body lay. Ice still coated his fists. Raising them, she watched as the ice dissolved into a mist. Her head turned and she watched as Ajaska, Marvin, and Martin slowly crossed the bridge.

  “My parents?” She asked, staring at Ajaska.

  “They are fine,” Ajaska assured her.

  The man standing in front of her glanced over at Martin and Marvin. He knew they didn’t realize that he had seen them all those years ago. They were the ones he had originally been hired to bring in. It had taken some serious hunting to find the real criminals behind the slayings on the Service Port. Only when he had proof the two Kor d’lurs were not responsible had the bounty on their heads been revoked.

  “Thank you,” Rime said, nodding his head.

  Martin gave him a reluctant smile. “It is we who should thank you. The least we could do was watch over your daughter,” he replied.

  “The bounty?” Marvin asked.

  “Revoked almost fifteen years ago,” Rime responded.

  Ricki glanced back and forth, frowning. “Wait a minute,” she whispered. “Daughter? Whose daughter?”

  Ristéard’s grip on her tightened when the stranger took a step closer to her. Ricki was thankful for his support even as she worried about his leg. The trembling that had started earlier from the rock climbing blossomed into full blown shakes as shock began to set in.

  “My daughter,” Rime replied in a solemn voice. “You are my daughter, Ricki. Your mother was a human woman I met. She was killed shortly after you were born by some radical humans who suspected I was not from your world. I wasn’t able to save her, but I did find you. I stole you away from them. I wanted to take you with me, but I knew where I was going it would be too dangerous for a baby. I had a lot of enemies at the time that would do anything they could, to get to you. I also had to take into consideration the Coalition, which rules my world. Earth was considered a primitive planet and was considered off-limits, even if I was on assignment. I would have been instructed to eliminate any Earthlings I came into contact with since we did not have the technology at the time to erase the memories of those we came across like we do now.” He paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath as he stared down at her. “I knew you would be different. I needed a place where you would be accepted for who you were,” he explained quietly.

  “What… What is your name?” She asked hesitantly.

  Rime stepped forward, unable to resist touching the daughter he thought he would never see again. His fingers skimmed her soft cheek. She looked very much like the woman he had fallen in love with when he was a young Star Ranger.

  “My name is Rime. I’m Glacian,” he said. “You look just like your mother did when she was your age.”

  Ricki’s eyes filled with tears. She swallowed over the lump in her throat as she stared at the man, the alien, who claimed to be her father. Gripping Ristéard’s hand tightly in hers, she pushed past her grief that her biological mother was dead and she would never know who she was.

  “What was her name? What was my mother’s name?” Ricki asked in a voice thick with emotion.

  Rime smiled down at her. “Ricki,” he told her with a sad smile. “Ricki Strickland. She was from Bentonville, Arkansas.”

  Ricki gave Rime a watery smile. Now she knew who she was. She was Ricki Rose Strickland-Bailey and she was half human and half alien. Turning in Ristéard’s arms, she wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest and cried.

  Chapter 25

  “Are you sure this will work? Ricki asked, looking up at the massive doors. “The prophecy says a woman with blood of ice.”

  “Well, we can always put a wig on him?” Marvin suggested.

  Rime glared at the Kor d’lur who grinned back at him. Ricki just rolled her eyes, thankful that the two brothers had removed Andras’ body from in front of the doors. Of course, the fact that they threw it over the edge of the crevice had been a rather tense moment.

  She grinned when Martin as he ran an imaginary zipper across his lips when Rime turned his intense stare on the other brother. They had been picking on the Glacian for the past hour while they waited for her to finish crying and get herself back under control.

  They had also bandaged Ristéard’s leg while he whispered to her. She smiled up at him when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She had wanted him to rest, but he insisted on seeing what was in the vault.

  “I am the Emperor of Elipdios,” he reminded her gruffly. “This is what my family and countless others have spent centuries searching to find the answer to.”

  “The answer was under your nose all this time,” Ricki reminded him.

  Ristéard released a heavy sigh and nodded. “True, but the key to understand it was not.”

  “Neither was the skill necessary to open the doors,” Ajaska pointed out. “Rime, are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Rime replied, glancing up at the massive doors. “Ricki, explain to me what I need to do again.”

  “Place your hands on the imprint,” she said. “Then, slowly release the ice. It will flow through the narrow tubes that make up the locking system. As it expands, it will release the locks.”

  Rime nodded, glancing up. “Sounds simple enough,” he said quietly.

  Ricki watched as her biological father concentrated. Ice formed, flowing from the tips of his fingers and spreading up the long tubes. As it reached the first set of connected circles it wound around them. The moment it touched the second set, the first set opened. Ricki, Ristéard, Ajaska, Martin, and Marvin all took several steps back to watch the impressive display.

  “It’s a star chart,” Ricki murmured. “Look, see the star systems? And, those look like constellations.”

  Ajaska and Ristéard both released a low curse, while Martin and Marvin stared up at the image with concern. Ricki glanced at the brothers, noting their serious expressions. Her eyes opened wide when the last lock disengaged and the doors began to slowly open. Rime pulled his hands away and stood in front of the doors as they opened inward.

  Ricki gripped Ristéard’s hand tightly in hers as she stepped forward to stand next to him. Her loud gasp echoed through the chamber as the brilliant light of red poured through the doors and surrounded them. She started when she felt Ristéard’s hand pull her forward with him as he started to walk through the doors.

  “What is it?” He breathed, staring at the huge red form that looked suspiciously like a spaceship.

  Martin and Marvin followed behind them. Their eyes glued to the large Crystal Ship. They had seen only one other during their travels. The ship was used to trave
l through space… and time. Not many existed outside of the realm they had briefly visited.

  “It is a living ship,” Martin answered quietly. “It must have been trapped here all this time. The crystals growing and reproducing until it sealed itself in the mountain.”

  “A living ship?” Ristéard asked, walking around the structure. “What... Where did it come from?”

  “My world,” Rime replied in a quiet voice. “Or I should say the world where my people came from originally. It is said my people traveled in such ships, moving through different dimensions. We encountered an unknown species that followed one of the ships back to our galaxy. The species…. There was a great battle and our world was destroyed and with it the crystals that you call Blood Stones. A few scatterings of survivors spread out around the star systems in an effort to escape them. Only Officers of the Star Realm were given a Living Ship to pilot. The First Empress must have been part of the SR. She escaped and hid on Elipdios, but then some of the creatures must have tracked her down. She knew she had to prevent them from obtaining the ship, so she hid it inside the mountain.”

  “How long will it continue to produce crystals?” Ricki asked, walking up to the ship and touching it.

  Rime looked at the ship, then at the crystals forming the walls. It would spread out continuously. He wouldn’t be surprised if the crystals weren’t already forming under the surface of all the mountains in the region.

  “Forever,” Rime replied. “Your technology won’t pick up the crystal if it is covered this deep. You would need someone who could connect with it to get it out of here. The Officers of the Star Realm could physically link with the crystal ships. Each officer was embedded with a Nano-computer in their brain according to the history I’ve read. This technology was abandoned when the last Living Ship was lost. You would need someone capable of doing that to move the ship out of here. Once it is outside and no longer confined, the crystals will reproduce even faster,” Rime replied.