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  Though a frisson of panic thrummed through him, Sohm’lan stared back at Valdor as if he had not hit close to a truth. Shaneva’s secrets remained her own.

  “Whatever business my daughter has been wrapped up in; I expect you to be there for her. It is obvious I am being warned away. I will respect the vision, but after knowing what trials you and my sons experienced on your journey here, I can only imagine what is being shrouded from my sight when it comes to my only daughter.”

  “I will protect her with my life,” Sohm’lan promised. It was the only thing he could say that would not break his vow to his waterdaughter.

  Under the table, Mestor took Sohm’lan’s hand, knowing how hard it was for him to keep anything from Valdor.

  “Azaes has come to me with the same concerns,” Valdor continued. “His sight of her is just as hidden. For now, I have forbidden him from asking you two about her.”

  Mestor stopped playing with his fork, looking at his father with a guilty expression.

  “Your Meme and I cannot be there for Shaneva, but I am grateful you two can stand in our place.” Valdor blinked several times. Sohm’lan knew him well enough to know he held back strong emotions. He could only imagine his friend’s struggle.

  Ashari leaned forward, her gaze sharp. “And if you find someone has harmed my daughter—”

  “I will make them regret they still live,” Sohm’lan promised.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Sohm’lan

  * * *

  Later that day, something brushed against his shields. Thinking it was Mestor, he lowered them to find Shaneva on the other side. Her warm laughter flowed over him. “It is good that you and Mestor have been practicing.”

  “My apologies,” He sent as he found an out-of-the-way place where he could concentrate without being obvious. Speaking telepathically and acting like he was not mind-speaking was harder than he thought.

  “I have something to show you, and someone I want you to meet. Can you come to the shore?”

  He calculated how long it would take for Captain Hesperos to send guards to him and then for them to find transportation through the city. Giving her the timeline, he broke contact and used the comm-link to reach Captain Hesperos.

  “Sir?” the captain answered immediately.

  “I am going to meet Princess Shaneva, can you have some Monticore meet me at the ground transport terminal?” He started for his quarters.

  “The team is ready. They have the suite across from yours and Prince Mestor’s.”

  “I can meet them there, then.” After signing off, he contacted Valdor to let him know he would be away from the palace for an unspecified time. Wisely, Valdor did not question him. Mestor wanted to come, but Sohm’lan reminded him that Dr. Solon assured them both that Canry and Zeus would be waking any hour now, and he should be there for them.

  After disrobing, he located his chest harness in his luggage. He made sure it had everything he would need for a long dive, the knives, pouches with nets, and handheld sonars were secured before he buckled it into place around his chest, hips, and thighs. If he had been on Atlainticia, he would have simply walked through the palace in the harness only. But in Haven, he needed to consider the sensibilities of other species who would be unnerved by his lack of clothing. Once the straps of the harness were in place and tightened, he pulled on his coverup.

  When he stepped out of the suite, the steely gazes of twenty Monticore landed on him, their expressions grim. Captain Hesperos greeted him. “I have vetted everyone here. They are aware you are working on something that requires the utmost secrecy. They are also aware Princess Shaneva’s well-being is tied to this project. Yesterday, after we spoke, Emperor Valdor called me and told me to give you whatever assistance you needed in your water project.”

  He should have known, especially after the midday meal, that Valdor would have taken steps to help them. The Monticore could be trusted to keep their vows. Nothing about Zeus’s psionic oddities had been whispered, the guards holding the knowledge that the youngest prince was not as human as he looked close to their chest.

  “No matter what happens in the water, we defend only,” Sohm’lan said, meeting every gaze. “If there is danger, bring Princess Shaneva here to Haven Palace, whether she wants to go or not. There are a water people in Valespia’s oceans and seas. A citiplex is close to shore and they have a reputation for being peaceful, trading daily with the city market using proxies. We know nothing more about them. That is where we are headed.”

  The Monticore gave affirmative hand gestures. Soon enough he was surrounded by the bristling guard that was just this side of menacing, causing the palace guards to take notice and watch warily as they headed to the nearest exit that had public transport. The wait for a vehicle large enough to accommodate their numbers was tedious. Not wanting to lead any of Timsah’s spies directly to Shaneva, Sohm’lan had them dropped at the train station, watching carefully to see if they were followed. The Monticore discouraged a few more as they made their way through the city. The precaution added to their travel time, making them later than he had communicated to Shaneva.

  The shoreline market was packed, and the haggling crowd loud enough that Sohm’lan communicated with the Monticore using the language of the hands. Awnings of brilliant and sometimes garish colors shaded stalls that carried a wide variety of things from trinkets to foods. The peoples of several worlds browsed, slowing him down. Captain Hesperos stayed by his side as they wended their way through the packed street. Sohm’lan had spent all his time in the palace and found Haven city very different, not only in architecture but in the varied faces.

  What he found strange was that the native peoples of Valespia were a minority of those in the crowd. The Minotauri stayed in their hidden city. The newly-returned Fal’Amoric could be seen here and there moving in larges groups from seller to seller, a couple of Valuzial keeping them together. But he thought he would see the Daimoni and Keygan, the people of Galactic Emperors Goth tut de Luuk and Volnah des de Vorn. It was strange that very few of Valespia’s indigenous peoples were represented.

  Once Sohm’lan found an entrance to the beach, the yellow sand was pristine and lacking in people. Did no one swim? Or was it forbidden? A city guard was walking along the wet sand, and they called out to Sohm’lan and his party. Figuring the officer could give him some answers, he moved to meet them.

  “No loitering on the shore during market hours,” the Ryden said pleasantly, though their golden eyes moved from Monticore to Monticore assessing the threat.

  “We are on our way to meet Atlainticia’s Princess Shaneva Vondorian. She is staying in the waters here,” he explained.

  “Vondorian?” The guard detached their data pad from their belt with long, elegant fingers and repeated Shaneva’s name. “Your visit is recorded. If you head that way,” they pointed. Wind pulled strands of their silver hair from the thick braid to cover their eyes. “You will come upon a dwelling where an attendant will house your belongings while you are in the sea. No fighting in the water. No hunting unless you have a permit and you record your catch of fish or wildlife before you take anything back to the city. The attendant will answer any questions you have.”

  “My thanks,” he replied before heading where the guard had indicated.

  The dwelling was carved into the cliff face. A planked walkway stretched out over the clear waters, the waves gently lapping at the shore. Captain Hesperos spoke to the attendant, and Sohm’lan listened with half an ear as he searched the waves for Shaneva, seeing nothing.

  They handed over their robes and the attendant inspected the utility harnesses and attached knives. They gave the same set of rules and included a warning to follow the citiplex laws if they entered the territory.

  The Monticore split up and half walked the planked boardwalk. Sohm’lan and Captain Hesperos went out next with the rest of the Monticore following. He continued to search the waters, sure he could easily make out Shaneva’s dark form. Somet
hing feathered against his shields and he lowered them.

  “Greeting, Waterfather,” she said. “We are at the end of the boardwalk.”

  He passed along the information to the captain that she was not alone.

  “My apologies, getting here took longer than I had anticipated.”

  “I was delayed myself. Did you bring enough Monticore?” she teased but he also heard her aggravation.

  “Anything they see or hear will go no further,” he soothed.

  “I knew I could keep this only so quiet. Hopefully… all will be well. I have to believe that.”

  Ahead, the Monticore had come to the end of the walkway and dove into the water in pairs. Floating nearby, Shaneva waved to Sohm’lan, her black scales glistening. Next to her was a being he had not met before. He could not see what the water hid, only the equine head and upper body treading water with horse hooves. The being’s long, thick neck was covered in turquoise scales next to a mane of midnight blue. Equally bright blue eyes, eerily similar to his own, stared at him.

  Captain Hesperos waited and dove with Sohm’lan. Once in the water, Sohm’lan was surrounded by the Monticore. Ten broke off to join Shaneva and her guest.

  Since she did not immediately dive under, they too stayed above the surface. He embraced her, pressing his forehead against hers. She also casually greeted Captain Hesperos and the Monticore, her fondness for them evident in how she was able to call them by name.

  “No, Captain Hesperos, I have my own guard who are currently below us. You do not need to leave Monticore here with me. I would rather they remain with Warlord Sohm’lan.”

  Captain Hesperos looked as if he wanted to disagree, but one did not, at least publicly, argue with a Vondorian when their mind was made up.

  “Warlord Sohm’lan, this is Arion, son of Poseidon and future teacher of Prince Canry.” It was clear she did not completely trust this tutelary, but she was not hostile. “He has offered his help but before I accept, he needs to understand what he is offering.”

  Arion blew air out of his nose and shook out his mane as if annoyed. Sohm’lan was alarmed that there was another youngling of Poseidon and wondered how many more there were.

  “Princess Shaneva, I have apologized for my delay. I would have relieved Nethus sooner, but I had to make sure my responsibilities on Hhorta were covered.” Arion’s voice was gruff, out of sorts with his sleek form.

  “Hhorta is the Kracciam homeworld,” Captain Hesperos said, looking Arion over sharply. “You are not Kracciam.”

  “I am not,” Arion agreed. “At one time, I counted myself among the Numina, but chose to join some of the remaining Ryo’Pardeep—this era simply calls them Ancients.”

  “We need to leave,” Shaneva interrupted sharply. There was something in Arion’s explanation that she did not want anyone to question, it seemed. “We have a ways to go before we reach our destination.”

  “Where have you been staying?” Sohm’lan asked.

  “Your father sent his staff to find us in the citiplex, Epoptis, and offered us the use of his estate here,” Shaneva answered.

  Before he could delve in the surprising news that his father had a home on Valespia, Shaneva sank below the surface, Arion following close behind, leaving him to flounder in his confusion. As a bard, his father travelled, entertaining on different planets across the galaxy. Perhaps it should not be surprising his parents kept a residence on Valespia, but would it be large enough to house the number of People of the Longing who were on Valespia until Canry sent them back home?

  He sank below the surface of the waves, his nictitating membrane engaging in a blink, keeping the salty water from burning his eyes. The switch from breathing air to water was second nature, and he opened his mouth slightly. His internal intake gills that sat at the back of his mouth next to the top of his throat sucked in water. The exit gills along his upper spine inflated and his scales expanded to accommodate the larger organ in his torso.

  Shaneva flashed a few hand signals and a bed of tall sea plants parted. Fifteen People of the Longing swam to her and created a protective circle between her and the Monticore, silently telling the guards she was theirs to protect. They eyed Arion suspiciously but herded him closer to her.

  The bottom half of Arion’s body was comprised of the long, segmented spines of a seahorse. Sohm’lan could not imagine Arion moving very quickly but was proved wrong as Arion kept pace with Shaneva.

  When he touched Shaneva’s mental shields, she ignored him after giving a quick ‘not now’ gesture.

  They swam for a while and he was hard-pressed to keep up with the People of the Longing. The water cooled as they went deeper, and the pressure enveloped him uncomfortably. They were not so deep that the light from the surface did not filter down, but the terrain was not brightly lit. He had spent weeks travelling in space and his muscles were not used to the strain of a long-distance swim. If he was having trouble, then so were the Monticore. He slowed down. It would do them no good to exhaust themselves to the point they could not return to Haven.

  Shaneva did not notice the growing distance between the two pods. He was both annoyed and concerned. She was usually more conscientious than that and when he was ready to touch his mind to hers again, he sensed a static similar to Alpha speaking to Zeus. Shaneva glanced behind her. She was too far away for him to see her expression, but her telepathy crackled with impatience. “We have no time for sightseeing.”

  He did not know how to mask his disappointment and felt her mental jolt. He used both the language of the hands and telepathy to answer her.

  ::Pardon, Princess Shaneva. We are swimming as quickly as we are able after spending weeks in space. I am not going to push my people so hard that they are too exhausted to defend us from predators or unable to return to shore::

  She did not look at him but addressed Captain Hesperos. ::Please accept my apologies. In my haste I forgot I have the advantage here::

  ::No apologies needed. We will do our best to keep up:: Despite Captain Hesperos’s reassurance, he and the Monticore looked in need of a rest.

  ::We are not far now:: she promised, once again leading the way.

  What was so important that she would push them so? She had said she needed him to see something, and said the same to Arion earlier, but had refused to elaborate. Her inattention and abruptness only made him more certain that this was urgent.

  The lights of the citiplex grew closer. The water was not a murky black but a lighter shade of indigo. The citiplex sat on the edge of a precipice, a crack in the ocean floor. Lights dotted the cliff face, evidence of homes carved into the rock. Above on the ledge, rounded domes and sharp spires lit the seafloor, sparkling against the darker waters as if they were stars in the evening sky. It was an arresting sight.

  Closer was a circle of lights where a group of people hovered along the edges, watching the distance with tense expectation. The buzz of telepathic speech was almost too distracting. A large being noticed their approach and turned to Shaneva. The People of the Longing spread out. Their body language communicating barely contained hostility. Sohm’lan did not think he would like what was going on in the circle.

  Shaneva motioned for him to join her. Captain Hesperos chose four Monticore to remain with them. Sohm’lan was more interested in the waves of energies that came from the group Shaneva approached. The sensation was similar to Canry and Mestor. Did that mean these people had quickened?

  The beings were not Mar’Sani, so they were probably from the nearby citiplex. The one in charge was the brightest, most bedecked being. They took one glance at Princess Shaneva’s circlet and addressed her directly. Unabashedly, Sohm’lan floated closer, opening his mind to hear their conversation, ready if she needed him.

  “Greetings, Your Highness. I am Lelex, the elder of the citiplex, Epoptis. I was overjoyed when I heard Mar’Sani were guests of Triton…” Lelex’s wary gaze glanced over the Monticore and People of the Longing. “Eh… guests of Bard Echo, that is. Y
our visit honors us and we are intrigued by your proposal.” Lelex spread the four red and black tentacles on their upper torso and inclined their head. Sohm’lan translated the conversation for everyone.

  Shaneva returned the gesture, or an approximation of it considering she had only two arms. “I give my thanks, and I wish this visit was under different circumstances. This is Chief Warlord Sohm’lan Myrmidon, and Arion, tutelary to my brother, Prince Canry Vondorian. I have called them to be witnesses.”

  Lelex glanced at Sohm’lan, the six wide tentacles on their back undulating to keep them in place. When the two large appendages on Lelex’s head reached across the three-meter distance to stroke his cheeks, Sohm’lan did not flinch or pull away, though he was uncomfortable with the touch. “Such untapped power in this one. You have chosen your champion well. But what of your cause? No matter how skilled the fighter, if the cause is not just, then no amount of power will win the fight.” Lelex looked to Arion. “Surely the once mighty and beloved Arion has warned you of the consequences.”

  Sohm’lan moved away from Lelex’s touch, glancing at his waterdaughter. He did not like the direction of the conversation. She would answer his questions once they were alone.

  “I brought them here to witness one of the atrocities the Numina commit,” Shaneva quickly answered, her gaze pleading for Sohm’lan to understand before she gave her full attention to Lelex. “No one will be issuing challenges in the gyre circle today.”

  The taste of blood in the water distracted him from the conversation, the tang rolling over the back of his tongue as he breathed. He glanced around, searching for the source. The pulse of immense energy he had been sensing split once he joined the group. A larger source seemed to be coming from a point in the distance, not the people.

  Three, no four figures swam toward them. Two larger beings held a length of what appeared to be rope or cord, towing a third person. The fourth being was small, tiny even, struggling to keep up and Sohm’lan swore he heard the little one crying. Unease crept through him and the Monticore moved restlessly. Captain Hesperos signed swiftly, reminding the guard to do nothing unless Sohm’lan indicated differently.