Valdjan Read online

  Valdjan held his head and groaned while they descended in the elevator. All of the portal travel was compounding, making him feel sicker each time.

  Once they were back in his quarters and had closed the door behind them, Elberos turned to him. “Lord Rilien never would have questioned the general like that! You need to learn subtlety. The general did tell us what we needed to know. His reaction said it all.”

  “I know it did, but I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted proof!”

  “We don’t need the general’s word as proof. Anyone who knows the generals and reads this list will recognize it, as he did.”

  Valdjan nodded in agreement. “The generals who are making the malevolent magical creatures have more aggressive personalities. Sadistic even. We have a saying on my world that says, ‘People tend to take after their rulers.’”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ithyll

  “D

  id he pass?” Ithyll put her hands on her hips and glanced askance at Paradiso.

  The bird gestured to the timer, which was still glowing. “I guess not. When he passes, the crystal will tell you.”

  She glanced down, crestfallen. “But that has to be the answer.”

  Paradiso cocked his head to the side, giving her a look that said she shouldn’t ask silly questions. “He might have part of the answer, but it isn’t the whole answer. He has to keep looking.”

  “Perhaps you are correct,” she replied reluctantly, her eyes going back to the test.

  Elberos was talking to Valdjan. “But it doesn’t say why. Why didn’t all of the planets create magical creatures? And why did those creatures follow the personalities of the generals?”

  She watched as Valdjan ran a hand through his hair in a familiar gesture. She could almost see his mind begin to work on the new aspect of the problem.

  Paradiso nodded. “Exactly. They’re on the right path—they just need to pursue it.”

  They were getting closer to the answer, she could feel it. And she hoped he would pass the test, and not because it meant she’d be free. She found that she, too, wanted to know the answer.

  Sometime over the past few hours, she’d begun to admire the cyborg for how well he was doing in the test, despite being completely out of his element.

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  Her face flushed hot. “Why are you asking? He’s a candidate in the tests.”

  “But you like him anyway. I can tell.”

  “No!” she protested much too loudly, turning even redder. “And even if I did like him, he’s a mountain man—a Siirtian. And a cyborg.”

  “I never would have taken you for an elitist.” He clicked his beak in disapproval.

  “I’m not . . .” There was a beat of silence. “That isn’t what I mean, anyway. He’s attractive, he’s just . . .”

  “Different?” Paradiso asked, and she could have sworn he was smiling.

  She nodded. “We’re nothing alike.”

  He came to her, his sharp nails clicking against the stone floor, and wrapped a wing around her gently. “There’s nothing wrong with liking him. He obviously has merit, or he wouldn’t have been allowed to take the tests or gotten this far. Why don’t you give him a chance? Maybe he’s more like you than you think.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Valdjan

  Valdjan was still glaring up at the ceiling after Elberos finished talking, cursing elves in general.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m just . . . thinking,” he groused. “Who could we talk to about this theory? Maybe learn more?”

  “Lord Rilien.” Elberos’s voice was thick with sarcasm.

  “Obviously. Besides him.”

  Elberos looked cautiously at the door and lowered his voice. “Well, we might ask Elbereth.”

  “Who is that?”

  The elf looked startled. “The queen?” His eyes narrowed. “How can you not know the queen? Didn’t you learn anything about us before you came here? Perhaps do a little research?”

  Had Valdjan known this was where he would end up, which he hadn’t, he might have thought to gather information. Or at least ask the guardian what she knew. Not that he could tell the elf that, since he thought Valdjan was there specifically to help with this problem. “I didn’t have access to that type of data. And if you elves hadn’t made such a mess in the first place, I wouldn’t have to be here.”

  Elberos harrumphed. “Well, if you hadn’t found me, you’d have been chopped up ages ago.”

  “I don’t know, even in Rilien’s body I seem to remember having a better sword arm than you did.” Valdjan retorted.

  “I could have taken you before you even had a weapon.”

  As they glared at each other, a new respect for Elberos settled inside Valdjan. The elf had trusted him despite the weird situation and was trying his best to solve the mystery that none of the other elves seemed to care about. “Let’s not argue, Elberos. We have a mission, and you and I are the only ones trying to complete it. Why don’t you tell me about your queen?”

  Elberos remained stiff for a few more moments, his golden eyes narrowing angrily. Then he relented, uncrossing his arms. “Well, she is extremely smart, and gifted in the ways of both magic and science. I believe if anyone can help us, she can.”

  Valdjan headed for the door. “All right, let’s go.”

  “Stop!” Elberos shouted from behind, halting him. “You are not . . . yourself.” The elf walked past him to the door. “Let me find her and bring her back. Wait here.”

  “You must be joking,” Valdjan said affronted. “I’ve already visited three worlds.”

  Elberos rolled his eyes. “And you’ve done so well fitting in. To see the queen, we have to get past the royal guard, and that is very, very different.” The elf stood his ground. “I’m not joking. You might look like Lord Rilien, but you aren’t him. You don’t even walk like an elf.” He sighed. “Getting to the queen requires a . . . delicacy, which you don’t have. I don’t want to screw this up.”

  Valdjan glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the LINK device on his wrist. The time might give him a chance to go through Rilien’s files and learn everything he could about the elves. “Fine,” he conceded angrily, crossing his arms.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Elberos promised. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  The warning was more like a command, and it irritated him.

  When the elf was gone, Valdjan pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. “I hope he hurries. I don’t know how much time I have left.”

  There was no answer, so he sat and turned on the LINK device. Once it was open, he began to read. The device must be linked to a mainframe somewhere because the files he could access were nearly unlimited. He wished he could connect himself directly, but contented himself with reading the files as quickly as he could.

  Over the next few hours, he read about their magic, technology, and the crystals.

  Just as he was about to open a file on the portals, the LINK flashed the time, and Valdjan froze. He had only three hours left.

  There was no more time for him to sit waiting.

  Closing out of the research files, he scrolled until he found the event calendar, found the queen wasn’t due to appear at any events, and then searched for the station floor plans. The royal residences were in the green quadrant, level three, which was almost clear across the station from where he was.

  Still, it was probably his best bet at finding her.

  Striding to the door, he offered a quiet apology, then opened it and stepped into the hall. Going quickly to the elevator, he searched for the appropriate button. There were buttons on all sides, and after seeing the plans, he realized they corresponded with the layout of the station. There were four quadrants: white, yellow, green, and black. Each of the four doors of the elevator were painted in those colors.

  He went to the green door and pushed the button for level three. This time the elevator c
ontinued until it slowly moved sideways and then forward until the green doors were directly in front of him.

  Exiting the elevator, he found himself in a large, circular foyer facing three doors with two guards bracketing each one.

  “Lord Rilien. Why are you here?” the guard on the right demanded. “And why are you wearing armor?”

  Valdjan straightened. “I’ve been investigating the magical creatures and have information. I need to see the queen.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “Um, no.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “But I think I know what’s causing the changes, and it’s very important that I speak with her immediately.”

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll need an appointment.”

  “There isn’t time for that.” Valdjan tried to think of an explanation that didn’t involve the test or revealing details of the future. “The mutations are increasing in hostility, and we have to stop it now.”

  The guard rolled his eyes. “Get back on the elevator and go back the way you came.”

  That was unacceptable. He had to convince these guys to let him in. He took a few steps forward, and as he moved, the guards shifted with him so they blocked the door. “Would you please at least ask her? It’s very important.”

  “We have rules for a reason. You can’t come here armed and expect to see Her Majesty.”

  The guard had dropped his title. Even he knew that wasn’t a good thing.

  “We will kill you if we have to,” the one on the left said, speaking for the first time.

  Valdjan reached for his sword. “If I best you in combat, will you let me see her?”

  The one on the left snorted. “This isn’t a game, Rilien. If I don’t kill you, he will. Or the next set of guards.”

  He drew his sword anyway, and the guard was on him so fast he barely had time to block the strike.

  Valdjan knew all the moves, could have easily countered in his own body, but Lord Rilien was obviously not an experienced swordsman. His muscles weren’t trained for combat.

  The guard quickly backed him against the elevator. “That was a good show for an old elf, especially one who had never seen combat. What do you really want?”

  Just then, the center door opened.

  “Stop!” a strong, determined voice commanded, a second before a regal elf who could only be the queen walked into the hallway. Her stately dress preceded her, and the elaborate, jeweled circlet on her forehead signaled her status.

  Queen Elbereth addressed the guards. “I will hear Lord Rilien now.”

  Then her golden eyes landed on him, making him feel like every inch of the intruder he was.

  “Follow me.”

  The guards had gone back to their former positions as if nothing had happened.

  “Yes, Your Grace.” Valdjan bowed his head and then followed her through the door.

  The queen led him down a long corridor that opened into a room almost completely made of glass. Valdjan took in a breath, terrified of whatever vertigo or stomach-twisting reaction he was about to have, and only barely refrained from reaching for something to steady himself.

  The queen gestured to a sofa where Elberos was already seated. The elf glared at him, but Valdjan refused to drop his eyes. He would not apologize for not sitting idly as his time ticked away. But Elberos didn’t know about his timeline.

  The queen sat in a chair facing them. “I apologize for the delay in seeing you. I hear you have information for me.”

  Elberos’s tone was calm and respectful. “We are looking into the matter of the magical creatures.”

  Her brows rose. “Really?” Then she glanced at Valdjan. “I assume that’s why Lord Rilien is here.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.” Elberos bowed his head. “I—we were hoping you would look at this paper.”

  The queen took the offered document, scanning the page rapidly. “What are these two columns?”

  “These are the planets with benevolent magical creatures and their generals.” The elf pointed to the column on the left. “And on the right are the planets with malevolent magical creatures and their generals.”

  Her mouth opened in shock, and she covered it quickly with her hand. “This can’t be right.”

  “It is, my lady,” Valdjan affirmed.

  The queen dropped the paper, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. “Why didn’t anyone see this before?” she asked no one in particular before dropping her attention back to the list. “But why is this happening?”

  “We were hoping you could help us with that.” Valdjan thought about it for a moment. “We think it has to do with the crystals and the generals’ energy, doesn’t it? Where are the crystals located on each planet?”

  The queen shifted in dismay. “Right next to the generals’ quarters. We built the compounds that way for security.” She looked frazzled for the first time. “So, those crystals must be broadcasting their energy.”

  “Or maybe the generals were using the power of the crystals in a negative way,” Elberos added. “That would change their energy.”

  “We need to get this information to my mate immediately. Good work, Elberos.”

  “It was Lord Rilien’s idea to do further investigation.” Elberos gestured to Valdjan. “But that isn’t all we needed to speak with you about. There’s a problem with the data,” Elberos admitted, clenching his hands.

  “What problem? It looks rather clear to me,” she stated, her voice dry.

  “Well, there is another list, but this one is from planets without any magical creatures at all.” Elberos handed her another document. “I finished this list just now, because I wanted to compare them.”

  “I see your problem. There are . . . aggressive and nonaggressive generals on both lists.” She put the paper down and looked toward the ceiling. “So, the question is, why did some planets make magical creatures and other planets didn’t?”

  Elberos gave him a sidelong glance as he handed the queen file this time. “I told you she was brilliant.”

  “Flattery doesn’t work on me, Elberos, even if you are my favorite brother.”

  Valdjan started. Elberos was the queen’s brother? Silently, he let his eyes dance between them, taking in and comparing each of their features. The similarities were there, many of which could only be explained by genetics.

  Elberos gave her a quick hug. “And you’re my favorite and smartest sister.”

  “I’m your only sister,” she said drily but beamed at him anyway.

  Valdjan could see the same dry wit, and the love they shared as siblings. For a moment, he missed Simban.

  “Look at these files, Elberos! So orderly! Someday, you will be a great scientist. Like Rilien over there is supposed to be.” She shot him a glance over her shoulder.

  Valdjan had enough good sense to wait until she turned back before he rolled his eyes.

  Elberos saw the eye roll and cleared his throat. “First, we examined the planets and found nothing. Then we examined the stars. We found that every planet with magical creatures had a binary system. But many of the planets without magical creatures also have binary systems.”

  He continued to talk, explaining all the different possible causes we’d already crossed off the list. The queen followed along, nodding where appropriate as she flipped through the papers. She was roughly halfway through when she held up a hand.

  “Each one of the planets with magical creatures has a brown or white dwarf star as one of their suns. They give off a powerful radiation, which could alter the effects that the crystals have on the indigenous species. It would explain the penetrating nature of the energy and the magic to change the creatures.”

  Elberos nodded his agreement.

  She paused. “I will pass on the information that we believe the star frequency and the magic worked together to amplify aggressive tendencies and passed them on to the creatures while the others amplified their less aggressive tendencies.” She rose. “Well-done, gentlemen. This gives us rea
son to look into the different systems and the people we have in charge of them. I’ll brief my husband on this at once.”

  She beamed up at her brother before turning her smile on Valdjan.

  Even Elberos gave him a smile.

  And then they faded away.

  In the state between worlds, Valdjan was full of elation and disbelief.

  I passed the test!

  His body began to reappear, and the sensation of coming back into existence was strange. He forced it away as he saw that Ithyll stood there, beaming at him.

  “You passed the test! I can’t believe you figured it out!” She rushed up to him and put her arms around him in a brief hug.

  “Me either.” He inhaled her feminine scent, fresh flowers and tea, putting one arm around her and reaching for the table to steady himself with the other. Between taking the test and using the portals, he felt as though he weren’t quite in his body, and her pressing so close to him was creating a heady feeling that made it difficult to regain his bearings.

  He was still trying to find his footing enough to pull away from her embrace when a golden sword materialized and hung in the air inches from where he was braced. Its make was obviously elven.

  “Whoa.” He’d never seen the like. It was so beautiful he was almost afraid to touch it.

  “I think that’s your prize,” she said excitedly. “Take it.”

  Joy filled him as he let go of the table and grabbed the sword. He held it up in front of him, admiring its beauty. It was an amazing weapon. Light, beautiful, and perfectly balanced in his trembling hand.

  When the sword didn’t disappear, reality began to sink in. He’d passed the first test. He hadn’t realized until that moment how afraid he’d been that he wouldn’t succeed. But he finally understood how much it mattered to their world that he got the crystals. Not just to defeat the Ardaks, but to make sure that they weren’t used for the wrong reasons.

  At this moment, the future of the crystals depended on him.