Rout of the Dem-Shyr (The Ascendant Series)

  “I think they’re monitorin’ the progress of the tajeria minin’,” Hope replied.

  Everyone turned and looked at her. Barto, Orran, and Reider all seemed surprised she had spoken. Ty had a feeling that she knew more than all three of the males put together.

  “What do you mean?” he asked her. “I thought all tajeria mining had been stopped because of how dangerous it was.”

  Reider made a buzzing sound with his lips. “That’s what all of us were told. When we got here, we learned the truth. They didn’t stop the mining…they just stopped it in places people knew about.”

  “We’re the lucky ones,” Orran said, his tone subdued. “We escaped.”

  Ty looked around the table. “So, all convicts except the ones who escape are working in a tajeria mine?”

  “That’s the damn truth,” Barto declared. “Orran has the right of it, he does. We are the lucky ones, even if we struggle ta get by day by day. At least we’re not in that death-trap of a mine.”

  This was huge.

  Ty sat back in his chair. If what they were telling him was true—and he had no reason to believe otherwise—then the very basis of Alametria’s economy was a lie.

  Other planets traded valuable resources with Alametria in exchange for what they believed was a rare good. The famed Alametrian Elixir, created with tajeria, was an extremely potent source of energy. Depending on its form, it could do anything from power a space vessel to extend a person’s life. Because the stores of tajeria were limited—well, supposedly limited—the Vawn could command any price they wanted for it.

  On top of that, if other planets found out that Alametria was still rich in tajeria, it would make the planet vulnerable to outside invaders. There were many planets that couldn’t necessarily afford the price of the Elixir. They wouldn’t hesitate to stage an invasion to get their hands on the tajeria by force if they had to.

  Although Barto apparently hadn’t clued in, Ty figured that this was why people were being falsely convicted and sent to the Dark Lands. The mine needed laborers, and with the mining process being so hazardous and a number of people escaping, there had to be a steady need for working bodies.

  Freshies.

  “Ya see the problem with goin’ ta the Vawn even if we could, don’t ya?” Barto asked.

  He did. There was no way something like this was going on outside of the knowledge of the Guardians and Vycor. Had they sanctioned the influencing of innocent Alametrians to get more people mining tajeria?

  “I’m curious why ya weren’t dropped at the mine yerself, Freshy,” Orran said. “‘Twas a death sentence, them dumpin’ ya where they did.”

  “Seems obvious to me,” Reider said. “They didn’t want him to survive.”

  Ty shrugged. “That’s probably true.”

  “Well, it doesn’t much matter ta me why ya were or weren’t dropped at the mine,” Barto said. “If ya want ta stay here with a safe roof over yer head, ya have ta earn yer keep.”

  Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Ty considered his options.

  He could walk away from all of this, head out into the Dark Lands, and die in peace. But something about that option wasn’t quite as alluring as it was even a couple of hours before. Now, he had more of an idea why Vycor had done what he did. Kyr had been getting closer and closer to assuming her full responsibilities as the Ascendant. She had shown compassion towards both the Shelvaks and the V’larians, making it clear that she wouldn’t sanction cheating them if she found out about the mine in the Dark Lands.

  So Vycor had eliminated her.

  And he would die for it.

  Ty’s second option was to head out on his own and try to find his bearings in an unknown environment as he sought a way to bring Vycor down. That would take time that he didn’t want to spare, not to mention possibly killing him in the process.

  His last option was to stay with this questionable group and risk his life every day in order to have food and shelter while he figured out how he could close down the mine and kill Vycor as painfully as possible.

  He went with the third option.

  A thirst for vengeance was all he had left.

  Chapter 25

  Sem pressed Kyr up against the closest wall. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring her like a lover. She froze, all sense of self-preservation flying out of her head.

  And then he was suddenly gone.

  She collapsed against the wall, shaking and struggling for breath. She watched as Gren spun Sem around, his expression murderous. Sem didn’t seem very concerned. He shoved Gren’s hand off of his shoulder and then turned back to Kyr. Before she could object, he dragged her into a tight hug.

  “Sorry about that,” he said against her ear. “The one thing I regretted when I heard that you had died was that I had never kissed you.”

  She couldn’t believe that he was taking her survival in stride like this. Belatedly, it occurred to her that she was still influencing his emotions, which was likely impacting his reaction.

  “It’s okay,” she said, keeping her voice quiet in case the room was being monitored. Through thought, she added, Sem, I can feel Vycor in your mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gren’s posture change. She figured he had intercepted the thought. His influence is strong. I’m using a lot of energy right now to counteract whatever he’s done to you. I want to break that hold and do what I can to prevent it from happening again.

  Sem shrugged. You can do anything you want to me, Ma’jah.

  Even now, he flirted with her.

  Sighing, she lifted her hands to both sides of his face and once again drew upon her abilities. Thinking of how she had dived into Ty’s mind to break the barrier that prevented him from touching her with love, she held Sem’s gaze and did the same thing. She allowed her mind to explore those parts of Sem’s that had been touched by Vycor’s darkness.

  The memory caught her by surprise.

  “Let me go, Vycor!” Sem demanded. He was strapped to a chair. Inquisitors stood on either side of him.

  “But I’m about to give you a great honor, SemDane,” Vycor said, sitting across from Sem. Kyr felt his influence entering Sem’s mind. “Your cousin just killed the Ascendant. I thought you would want to honor Ma’jah’s memory by serving as the head of security for her burial.”

  “Get out of my head, you crazy fuck,” Sem snarled, trying to fight against Vycor’s invasion. “Kyr isn’t dead. Ty would never do that.”

  “Oh, but she is. He killed her with his own two hands.”

  And cruelly, maliciously, Vycor sent Sem a play-by-play of exactly what had happened in the judgment chamber, using his influence to heighten Sem’s feelings. Hatred towards Ty and crippling grief over Kyr’s death had Sem doubled over in the chair. Animal-like sounds left his throat. His emotions stuck him so powerfully that he couldn’t fight Vycor any longer.

  “Nothing would please me more than to have you doing my bidding, SemDane,” Vycor said, leaning forward and yanking Sem’s head back by his hair so he could look into his eyes. “Not only have I defeated your cousin, but now I’ll start destroying his family one person at a time. You’re first.”

  It took an enormous amount of control for Kyr to push past the atrocious memory. Worried that she might encounter more, she cycled her abilities in stronger waves. She eradicated Vycor’s influence one piece at a time, replacing it with shields that she thought would keep anyone from entering Sem’s mind unless he allowed it.

  Once she was done, she freed herself from his mind, easing her influence so he was fully experiencing his own emotions. Dizziness overtook her as they disconnected, making her grab the table for support.

  “God,” Sem said in a choked voice. He blinked rapidly as his head cleared. “Oh my god.”

  He started trembling. Kyr shot a concerned look to Gren, who hurried forward and eased Sem into one of the chairs. She took one of his shaking hands and sat in a chair facing him.

  It’s going to be okay, Sem, she silent
ly reassured him, hating to see him so pale and stricken. Once again, the brutality behind Vycor’s actions staggered her.

  “Oh my god,” he repeated, his voice hoarse. Finally, he seemed to grasp that communicating through thought was a safer option. I can’t believe you’re sitting here right now. What the hell happened, Kyr?

  She spent a few minutes catching him up on the past half-day of her life. Although she knew it would be hard for him, she also shared the memory that she had just touched upon. Vycor had repressed it, not wanting Sem to know his motives. Through her explanation, Sem’s expression ranged from incredulous to furious to desolate.

  I can’t believe Vycor did that to Ty. To us, he thought. His tone was flat, but she felt the deep emotions storming through him. He made me think that my own cousin was a murderer. He had Ty banished. He had him kill you. I’m going to rip his fucking balls off and watch him bleed out. Son of a bitch!

  His anger raged more with each word. She clenched his hand. Hard.

  Sem, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry to toss all of this at you so fast, but we’re running out of time. We need your help.

  It took a moment, but he managed to calm himself enough to think clearly. You know I’ll always help you, Kyr. And now you’ve given me yet another reason. I’m going to clear my family’s name and bring that bastard to justice.

  She opted to latch onto his last statement rather than dwell on the “other reason” he would do anything to help her. It didn’t take being a female Mynder to know how he felt about her.

  Thank you, she thought. The first thing I need to do is get assigned to the Wrym detail working with Vycor. I have to get close to him so that I can get past his unusual mental blocks.

  He frowned. I don’t like it. It’s too risky.

  Kyr gave Gren a warning look when he started to nod. He had said the exact same thing. He shrugged and went back to monitoring the door, but one corner of his mouth lifted.

  Why can’t you just force your way into Vycor’s mind and find out what his plans are? Sem thought. Who cares if he notices? You could get all of the ammunition we need to get Ty back and bury Vycor.

  We’re worried that Vycor has a connection in the Dark Lands, she explained. Someone who might be keeping Ty prisoner. Gren said he would be very surprised if Vycor hadn’t planned something like that ahead of time. I have to agree.

  And you think Vycor would tip off the connection and get Ty killed? Sem gave it a moment of consideration. Okay, you’re probably right. So we have to find out where Ty is so we can rescue him before we accuse Vycor and set him off.

  Exactly.

  I’m still not in love with the idea of you going up against Vycor alone.

  I know. She patted his hand. Gren feels the same way. But I’m the only one who can get through Vycor’s barriers. I have to find out what I’m up against, and that means I have to get near him. Can you get me assigned to his detail?

  Resigned, Sem got to his feet. Yes, but we’re going to have to hurry. The Wrym have been working for a few hours already, even though most people are still slumbering. Vycor usually wakes in fifteen minutes and wants his morning meal served right away.

  Kyr put on her eyeshades as she rose from her seat. Then let’s go to the kitchens.

  Vycor’s usual detail doesn’t include anyone wearing eyeshades, Sem communicated. You’d be better off keeping your head down and only looking at the floor. He’ll be less likely to notice you then.

  She didn’t argue, handing the eyeshades to Gren as she walked past him with Sem in the lead. It was challenging to walk with her head down after so many years of training to comport herself exactly the opposite, but she managed. Soon, they entered a food preparation area. With a quick glance around, Kyr counted at least twenty other Wrym nearby. At least she wouldn’t stick out.

  They approached a female who looked old enough to be Kyr’s mother. She met Sem’s gaze in a forthright way, which surprised Kyr. It told her that this was a seasoned Wrym who was comfortable with her role.

  “Yes, SemDane?” the female asked.

  “Good morn, LylaWrym,” Sem said in a respectful tone. “After discussing the specifics of today’s events with the Advisor, I have a change to make in the detail serving him his morning meal.”

  Lyla snorted. “Again? Who does he have his eye on now?”

  Kyr picked up the Wrym female’s thoughts. She believed that Sem was sending one of the female Wrym to Vycor’s chambers in order for him to have sex with her. Even as that shocking thought hit her, she picked up that the Advisor did this often. She had to struggle not to lift her gaze as Sem turned to her.

  “This is TinaWrym,” Sem said. “She’s new, but eager to please.”

  “I’m sure she is,” Lyla rejoined, her tone conveying her thoughts even without Kyr intercepting them.

  Tina? Kyr thought.

  It’s the first name I thought of, Sem returned. A freshman year crush of mine.

  “The Advisor only wishes to observe Tina today,” he said out loud. “She won’t need to stay behind when the breakfast detail departs his chambers.”

  Even though it wasn’t true, Kyr shivered at the thought of Vycor looking at her with the intent to bed her.

  “Fine,” Lyla said. “I’ll assign Ella to one of our Vawn guests instead. Are there any other changes?”

  “No, thank you. Please carry on.”

  I’ll do what I can to stay nearby, he thought to Kyr as he turned to walk out of the room.

  I will, too, Gren assured her from just outside.

  She appreciated their words, but she also knew what was being unsaid. For the moment, at least, she was on her own. It was a realization that had fear tightening its grip on her resolve.

  But this had to be done to save Ty, she reminded herself. Fear would have to take a back seat. No matter what it cost her, she’d get through this and get to the man she loved.

  Chapter 26

  The jerky meal didn’t take long for them to finish. Ty could only choke down two pieces of the stuff before giving up. He didn’t have an appetite anyway.

  While they were finishing up, Barto shared a few details about what the Harvesters did and how they interacted with the other groups. Ty had already learned most of it from Hope, but he didn’t bother saying as much. Barto reiterated that they scoured the Dark Lands for useful materials to trade for food from the Growers, devices from the Tinkers, or protection offered by the Peace Keepers against the Marauders.

  “Harvestin’s a tough job,” Barto concluded. “Not many are willin’ ta expose themselves ta the poisoned air. But nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained, we say.”

  “Surprised you aren’t suffering any of the side effects freshies usually do when they’re outside as long as you were,” Reider observed, studying Ty carefully.

  Ty glanced down at himself. He was still wearing the black pants and boots he’d been convicted in. His chest was still bare. Although he was smudged with pink dust, he didn’t see any scars or markings outside of the usual thin, scroll-like patterns on his forearms. The sight of those disturbed him so much that he turned his arms over and looked away from them.

  “Ya had burns and lesions over most of yer exposed skin when we found ya,” Barto pointed out. “Guess Hope did a good job of nursin’ ya through it. Ya don’t seem any worse for the wear.”

  “Thank you,” Ty said to Hope, who blushed.

  “Don’t see how she healed ya so thoroughly,” Orran said. “When we get burned by the air, it sticks with us.”

  He pulled back his long sleeve to expose his wrist. An angry red scar marred his skin. Ty realized then that his healing hadn’t all been a result of Hope’s aid. Somehow, he must still have some of his healing abilities.

  But how? The Guardians had stripped him of everything. Hadn’t they?

  He didn’t voice his thoughts to the Harvesters. It wasn’t as though he knew them well after less than an hour with them. He wasn’t about to trust any of them.

  ?
??I’m a quick healer,” he said with a shrug.

  The others exchanged glances, but didn’t say anything. Barto pushed away from the table and stood.

  “Well, we ain’t gonna Harvest anythin’ sittin’ here on our arses,” he said in his booming voice. “We have ta get ya some gear, Freshy. Quick healer or not, ya can’t go outside ta work without the proper equipment. Our first stop will have ta be the Tinkers’. Ya have ta go along so they can get yer proper measurements.”

  “I’ll stay here in case the Growers stop by,” Hope said as she cleared the table. “I’ll make a proper meal this evenin’, providin’ they do.”

  “All right,” Barto agreed. “Orran, give Freshy here yer gear. He won’t fit in anyone else’s. Ya can keep Hope company while we’re gone.”

  Orran frowned, but he didn’t argue. He got up and walked over to the pile of gear, pulling out the pieces that belonged to him. Ty wasn’t thrilled by the idea of wearing something that had last been worn by the sickly male, but he didn’t have much choice.

  “Wait here,” Orran said. “Ya need a shirt ta wear under this.”

  Barto and Reider also approached the pile and began donning their gear. Ty waited until Orran handed him a long-sleeved shirt and put it on. It was tight, but manageable. Within a few minutes, he was completely covered in Orran’s gear.

  “This is yer air canister,” Barto said, holding up the piece of equipment so Ty could see it. “This here is the air level gauge. We’ll get fresh canisters while we’re at the Tinkers’, but this will get ya there with no problem. No matter what ya do, don’t take off yer mask once yer outside. The air will melt yer lungs.”

  Once again, Ty considered the fact that he had been outside and breathing the air, yet he wasn’t feeling any ill-effects now. He definitely still retained his healing abilities. It was curious, but he’d hardly find any answers there.

  “Keep yer cap on, too,” Barto instructed. His voice sounded tinny coming from behind his mask. “It’ll hide yer shorn head and make ya less of a target.”