Knotted Read online

  Growling, he got to his feet. “Devnin!”

  “Yes, Skorin?”

  “Do we have a mission?”

  “No. We have the night off. Uadon is communing with the rock and Pleska is staring into the sky and watching night butterflies.”

  Skorin scowled.

  Devnin said carefully, “Why don’t you put in an appearance at the ball?”

  Skorin let his shadow free and lifted him up toward the ceiling. “Repeat that?”

  Uadon came in. “We have a mission.”

  Skorin dropped his second in command. They sprang into action and got into their suits. Once they were geared up and Devnin was behind the controls, Uadon handed out their missions.

  In a brilliant example of bad taste, armed men in body armour had stolen a member of the nobility from a local benefit.

  Skorin had a sick feeling. “Who was the noble?”

  They checked the file and all went quiet until Devnin said, “Lady Nakkua.”

  Skorin shook his head and crossed his fingers. “Please let it be my mother or aunt Cressina.”

  They put their faceplates into position and headed for the ballroom. If they needed to track, it had to be from the point of origin.

  Count and Countess Nakkua were waiting for them in the ballroom. A few of the guests had been beaten and they were clumping together in little frightened groups.

  Walking Darkness approached his family. “Count and Countess Nakkua, are you all right?”

  His mother nodded but looked furious. “They took my daughter-in-law. I require you to return her to me.”

  His father was busy stroking his wife’s shoulder. “If you don’t, Akadeel will go in search of her. The girl is special and new to Irudan. To be hauled off for the podders to try and get an accelerated crop isn’t fair to her. We would ask that the Guardians retrieve her before they can damage her in any way.

  Walking Darkness nodded his head. “We will find her. Rock Wall will hold you all in until we return.”

  Uadon barricaded up all doors and windows while they went looking for a witness.

  Pleska called nocturnal insects and spoke with one, asking for tracking assistance. In exchange for a grape, the scorpion agreed to lead them to the hatch that the podders had taken.

  Devnin chuckled. “I don’t know how I feel about your bribing informants.”

  Pleska snorted, and they followed the direction of the insect’s tracking until they were in the garden and the upturned soil gave them a clear direction into the ground.

  * * * *

  Rowen was tired of being shoved. “I don’t understand what you want.”

  One of the grubby young men pushed her further down the tunnels. “We have a sick plant and we need you to heal it.”

  “Why didn’t you apply to the greenhouse?” She had an idea of what was going on, but she was going to play stupid as long as she could. If she could slow the process, someone might come to help.

  “The greenhouse isn’t a suitable environment for this baby. We love her and we don’t want to let her out of our sight.”

  That told her that there was a distinct emotional element around the plant she was heading toward. Emotional attachments to plants were dangerous when you needed something from them, and these young men were dangerous.

  She wrinkled her nose. The young men also hadn’t bathed recently and the tunnel they marched her through was soft mud instead of polished stone.

  She had shucked her first high-heeled shoe when they entered the tunnel and the second one twenty minutes later.

  Her feet were only too happy to be on soft soil instead of in the torturous shoes. The scent of tree and vine was getting thicker in the air as she stumbled along.

  The narrow tunnel opened suddenly and she gasped at what she saw. Two dozen young folk were lying on the ground, licking at some bright yellow pods.

  The tree that produced that pod was the centre of the cavern.

  It had low, gnarled roots that protruded above the ground, an ashy grey trunk and glossy leaves that were losing their gloss. The pods that were carefully collected were splotchy but that colouration was unnatural. She could tell that this was a tree in distress.

  They shoved her forward and she tripped on the edge of her gown, landing hard on her arm.

  She hissed and rolled over, examining the gash in her skin.

  “Get up and fix it.”

  Rowen looked at the two young men with their large pupils and fists clenched. She slowly got to her feet and stumbled to the tree. She leaned against it and closed her eyes. “How long has it been sick?”

  They shook their heads. “We don’t know. The buzz lasts less and less now.”

  Rowen winced and turned to touch the tree. She heard the sound of a weapon warming up.

  “If you hurt the tree, we will kill you.”

  Rowen winced and pressed her palms to the bark, blood streaming down her arm to puddle at the roots. Her pain must have gotten through, because the tree began to sway. The pods tightened and regained their yellow colour. The leaves began to shine, and to Rowen’s shock, vines crept around her to lift her upward into the spreading fingers of the branches.

  She heard cries of distress and new voices that were not stunned and strung out. She tried to look through the branches, but she was cocooned safely in vines, leaves and wood. This plant wanted to protect her. It was nice that she had someone to stand between her and danger, as it took some of the loneliness away.

  There was a fight in the room before all fell silent.

  “Lady Nakkua?”

  She shifted, a little lightheaded. “In the tree. It pulled me up here and I can’t get down.”

  To her surprise, tendrils of darkness came up into the tree and carefully eased her protection away before lifting her and bringing her softly down into the arms of a man in body armour. “Hello.”

  “You are wounded?”

  She chuckled and leaned against him. “Yes. I fell and my kind has too many blood-carrying systems on the surface and thin skin. It is a sucky survival mechanism.”

  “You are Lady Nakkua?”

  She smiled and yawned in his arms. “That is what they tell me. I prefer to be just Rowen.”

  “You repair plants?”

  “I heal and encourage plants. It is a compulsion more than a talent. Irudan is heaven.”

  He was carrying her through the tunnels and his hands were very careful.

  She was surprised by his next question. “Where is your husband?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably doing something important or something.”

  “Why wouldn’t he be there?”

  She opened her eyes a slit and looked at the empty faceplate. “Ask his parents.”

  He chuckled. “He might have his reasons.”

  “He probably does. I don’t care. I am enjoying the plants.” Blackness fought her mind for supremacy and she fought back.

  With a short upward hike, they broke the surface again and the air was clear of dirt and filled with night-blooming flowers.

  Another man came up to them and spoke quickly to the one holding her. She was dazed enough to notice the burnished orange of the other man’s uniform.

  “Fire Fall says that your wound needs to be cauterized. It does not seem to be clotting.”

  She nodded. “That sounds right. I feel like I am draining away.”

  He knelt on the ground and lowered her while the other male examined the slash down her arm.

  “Hello, Lady Nakkua. I am Fire Fall and I will be causing you pain today.”

  “Go for it.” She dug her free hand into the turf and held on while Fire Fall examined her wound before he drew a line of fire down her skin.

  She gasped, arched and passed out, only to wake up seconds later to scream her head off.

  * * * *

  With a med kit over his shoulder and Lady Nakkua in his arms, he gestured for
Uadon to remove the block from the manor.

  Walking Darkness headed toward the count and countess. “We have found her. She was battered and injured but she will survive. Where can I put her?”

  Countess Akadeel gave the woman a pitying look. “Her room is in the manor at the top of the stairs on the left. The gold suite.”

  He nodded and walked the short distance to the manor, and from there, toward the stairs that he had pelted down as a child.

  His wife weighed no more than a feather and her skin was chalky. Fire Fall had given him a list of medical treatments and they all began with getting her out of her gown.

  Walking Darkness set her on her bed and removed his gloves and helmet. He turned her gently and opened her gown and the undergarments that let the strapless creation hang so perfectly on her. Her feet were stained with soil and he smiled at the clue she had left them at the split path of the tunnels. Two shoes had sped up their retrieval.

  He went to the lav and brought back a basin and towels. With care, he wiped the blood off her skin before moving on to the dirt. Her body was a map of the evening and he kicked himself for not being there with her. They may have a marriage of convenience, but she didn’t need to be alone.

  Once she was clean, he administered the supplemental shots for blood production and he covered her with a sheet. He couldn’t do anything about the mud and leaves in her hair. The bots would take care of the sheets in the morning. Once the medical attention was finished, he looked around.

  His mother’s touch was everywhere. The gowns in the wardrobe were definitely her choices, as were the deadly shoes. He suspected that if his wife had a choice, it would have been gardening boots all the time.

  There was something odd leaning against the wall and he peeled back the fabric cover. She hadn’t been shopping for interior design items. His parents had only set up her accounts that morning.

  He leaned back in surprise at the image on the canvas. Seeing his own body occupied with that of his proxy wife was a bit of a surprise. He crouched in front of the image and analyzed the curve of her shoulder, the expression on his face. He knew the portrait style as well. Guardians all over the Imperium had been lining up to get their image under Rhoda’s brush. It seemed that she had offered this portrait to Rowen the moment she had agreed to the match.

  He ran his finger over the curve of her lips on the image. If he had seen this first, tonight might not have happened.

  She stirred and hissed on the bed. He was at her side in a moment, holding her down and murmuring softly. “Easy, miss. You have had quite the evening.”

  She struggled against the pain. “Who are you?”

  “Walking Darkness. A Guardian of Irudan. We had to find you in the tunnels. It was not an easy thing and you were injured. Your wound was healed, but it took fire to stop the bleeding so you will have to head to the medical centre in the morning to remove the blisters. For tonight, you are safe in your rooms.”

  She looked up at him with dazed eyes in a leaf green that surprised him. There were stars around her pupils, and she focussed on him with difficulty. “Thank you, Guardian. Is the tree all right?”

  He smiled. “It will be returned to the research area and the podders will have to move to their next sprout.”

  “How many are there?” She tried to sit up but he held her down.

  “It is not your concern. We will deal with them as they appear.”

  “How did they know who I am and what I am doing? The only people who know are the academics and the tunnel had to have been crafted the moment I arrived.” She lifted her left arm and hissed. “Nasty.”

  “The healers can remove the mark.”

  “I am more concerned with the blisters rupturing while I am at work tomorrow. Scars don’t bother me.”

  He tried to look casual. “I am certain your husband objects.”

  She snorted. “He is doing whatever he is doing and I am doing whatever I am doing. The two need never meet. I would rather be useful than worrying about my appearance to please someone else. Lady Akadeel is the exception. She is scary.” She smiled at him, belying her statement.

  He had to admire her aplomb. Without thinking about it, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was like kissing a flower petal spiked with heat.

  She froze in shock and then tensed, lifting her good arm. The blow that she administered to his jaw was unexpected and knocked him off the bed and to the floor.

  Rowen sat up and glared at him. “I may have been a damsel in distress and you my knight in armour, but I am not going to go any further than thank you. I am married by whatever means and manner. Feel free to show yourself out.”

  He fought the urge to grin. He was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it. “As you wish, Lady Nakkua, but I will see you again. There is the matter of the deposition that you must make for the peacekeepers. I will see you tomorrow or later today. Get some rest, Lady Nakkua, it has been lovely meeting you.”

  Chapter Six

  The moment she asked about where to find medical treatment for the burn scar, Lady Akadeel was summoned.

  Rowen sat in a corner with the waitresses milling around and bringing her cup after cup of tea. Rowen had braided her hair into a thick cable that rested on her left breast and her standard gardening gear was her preferred clothing choice of the day.

  It wasn’t Lady Akadeel that came through the door. Two hooded Guardians, one in black and one in shades of flames, came to her.

  “Lady Nakkua, we are here to escort you to a healer.”

  The one in flames bowed. “My apologies for the scarring, but it is my only party trick. Fire Fall, at your service. You might remember my companion Walking Darkness from last evening?”

  She twisted her lips and inclined her head. “I seem to recall his medical attention and I am delighted to see him again.”

  Walking Darkness bowed. “If you are ready, Lady Nakkua?”

  She rose to her feet and waved her bruised right hand. “Show me the way and I will follow.”

  Fire Fall stood next to her while Walking Darkness led the way. “I thought you only suffered a gash last night.”

  “Ah, I must have hit my hand on something during the events of the evening.” She smiled and shrugged innocently.

  “Right. Please, this way.”

  They walked with her out and down to the tubes. The private tube pod was waiting, and the moment that they stepped into it and settled, it slipped onto the track and they were zipping through the darkness.

  She sat between the two Guardians with her fingers laced together.

  Walking Darkness lifted her hand. “How did you do this?”

  “I must have hit a rock last night.” She flicked her gaze toward his face.

  His eyes widened. “My jaw did that?”

  Fire Fall leaned over and chuckled. “You hit him?”

  “I have no idea what I hit. I woke up with the bruise.”

  Fire Fall whipped out a data pad. “What species are you again?”

  She looked at him with surprise. “Terran. Why?”

  “I have got to get myself a Terran. The Irudan women are far too caught up with the hero business. I want a woman who will put me in my place when I get out of line.”

  Rowen laughed. “Seriously?”

  “Of course. Once you gain the status of Guardian and are on a few news vids, the women of the Irudan come flocking to you at every public gathering in search of a husband. Even if they don’t know who you are, they know what you are and that causes weird situations. Walking Darkness can tell you about some of the scrapes he has been in. Women hide in the oddest places when they see him and try to catch a glimpse of his face or other bits.”

  “What good would that do?”

  “If they could confirm his identity, they could force him into marriage. Blackmail.”

  “Wow. Why does it matter?” Rowen kept her attention on Fire Fall. She could almost feel Walking Dark
ness’s gaze on her.

  “Family is everything here on Irudan. Being an unwed Guardian is a social disparity. The older you get, the more folk watch you. Once a Guardian is married, they no longer have a reason to hide themselves. It is a peculiar situation. A wife makes them unattractive to the opposite sex.”

  “I see. Well, that explains why a Guardian would do it, but with your knowledge of the Irudan, why would an ordinary man do it?” Rowen waited for the answer, but their pod came to a halt and was lifted from the tracks.

  Fire Fall lifted her by her elbow and helped her leave the pod. Walking Darkness didn’t say a word and his hands were clenched.

  They walked her through the open underground spaces and to a very elegant medical facility.

  The receptionist smiled brightly at the two Guardians. Rowen smirked that she was finally invisible. Her height had always made moving in society awkward, but here, she was average in most ways aside from skin tone.

  Walking Darkness stepped forward. “Lady Nakkua has an appointment with Healer Wyfin.”

  The receptionist leaned forward and pressed her breasts together in invitation. Rowen was amazed at the blatant move. The woman didn’t know anything about Walking Darkness aside from his status as a Guardian. At least Rowen knew that he was a helluva kisser.

  The receptionist inhaled sharply. “The healer is occupied. Perhaps we could have a chat while she waits?”

  Walking Darkness sent a tendril of shadows over to the com unit and his voice became harsh. “Call him.”

  The receptionist sat back and she pouted.

  Leaving Walking Darkness to negotiate her time with a healer, she caressed the plant on the edge of the countertop. With Fire Fall at her heels, she wandered through the waiting room, ignoring the other patients. She encouraged all the plants she touched until a young man came up to her.

  “Are you in much pain, miss?”

  “As much as can be expected.”