Maid in Stone (Tales of the Citadel Book 59) Read online

  Ki opened her eyes and sat up. “That was always going to be the result.”

  “Yeah, but now, he isn’t too happy with me. He is convinced you are dead.” Doo-linth sighed.

  “Did you recruit him?” Kiala got off the metal rack and twisted and turned, the scent of blood surrounded her. “And did you bring me clean clothing?”

  “He has locked himself into the base and is not speaking to anyone. As for the other, you can refresh yourself in the staff changing area. The staff here have been slightly stunned. They won’t look at features for the next hour. I have a suit for you when you are clean.”

  “Great. Which way to the showers?”

  Ki followed Doo-linth’s directions and found the staff showers. Once her clothing was discarded and the water was running clear, she used the air dryer to make it possible for her to put on the small packet of clothing that the recruiter was holding out for her.

  The moment that Ki unfurled the packet, she saw the bodysuit of a specialist. Reinforced segments would make the fabric form fitting and other portions expanded to cover her more ample assets. She was being dressed like a member of the Citadel.

  The recruiter was standing with her back to Ki, and when she finally had the suit in place, she cleared her throat. “This is a little more than I normally show to the public.”

  “I am glad it fits so well. Our next stop is the Guardians’ headquarters.”

  Ki groaned. “Of course. Can we at least get something to eat? I have been dead for quite a few hours.”

  “I will get you some snacks from the commissary. Come on.”

  Ki chuckled and followed Doo-linth. The hospital was quite large, and no one paid them any mind.

  Ki’s skin was a lighter tone than those of the locals, but it was Doo-linth that should have caught a lot of attention.

  “So, you are invisible?”

  The recruiter turned and smiled as they walked. “I am merely unremarkable. It is a side effect of my body chemistry. I am coloured brilliantly, but no one remembers it. At least they remember me once they have spoken to me. I know of a Citadel member who is forgotten once she passes you.”

  “You remember her.”

  “I was taught about her before we met. After we spoke, she gave me the primer that would allow memory. It is a painful effort for her, so I appreciate that she thought me worthy.”

  “It sounds awkward. I just have folks pass me by because they think I am part of the scenery.”

  “Difficult, but you can revert to a form that is more social.”

  Kiala blinked. “Huh. You were right. I can learn a few things from the Citadel.”

  Doo-linth was still laughing when they finished at the commissary and left the hospital for their transport. Kiala ate her snacks.

  “So, why are we going to the base?”

  “You need to convince the flying wonder that you are not dead.”

  Ki paused and gave her a look. “I have to convince him? How?”

  “Figure it out. We have clearance to enter their airspace and will be there within the hour.” Doo-linth lifted off and directed their craft into the traffic stream.

  Ki scowled and finished eating, drinking the tea she had gotten at the hospital. She had to come up with a plan.

  The landing protocols were complicated, but when they were on the ground, Ki had the perfect icebreaker.

  Four surly Guardians came out to greet them, and she walked up to the stunning man with the silvery grey wings. “Hello.”

  “You are dead. I saw—the news vids—the pictures—the blood.”

  She smiled brightly and patted him on the cheek. “Very vivid, I am sure. You can show me the pictures that freaked you out and I will explain what was going through my mind at the time. First, I have to ask you one thing.”

  He frowned. “What?”

  “Where is your bathroom? I wasn’t really allowed to drink anything while I waited in the morgue, so I made up for it when we were on the way here.”

  His drawn and shocked face twisted, and a slight smile crept over his clearly cut lips. “This way, Specialist.”

  “Thank you.”

  Her mother would be horrified, but her dad would be proud that she was able to achieve her goal of jostling him out of his miasma in a few sentences.

  Once she had used the facilities inside the base, she finished tidying up and finger combing her hair into a loose braid. Feeling a little better and very relieved, she headed out into the hall where Luzor waited.

  “Ah, hello. I am guessing you have questions?”

  “Yes. How are you alive? How did you recover?”

  She started to walk back toward the common area. “I was never injured. Blood packets were strapped to my back, and I actually bounced on impact before settling in my dead position.”

  “But, how?”

  “Ah, tissue manipulation. I thicken the surface of my skin into a very dense and nearly stone-structured appearance. I get heavier and my body is basically a rock. I could have done a direct dive into the ground and been fine.”

  “So, why did you do it?”

  “I was asked to find a way to have women stop chucking themselves off buildings. This was the fastest way. You now have a reputation for not catching strange women outside of an emergency situation. There you go, less jumpers.”

  Luzor stared at her before muttering, “You couldn’t have told me that?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I was pressed for time. Being chatty wasn’t an option.”

  He frowned. “What?”

  “I was falling. I needed to concentrate for the moment I hit the ground.”

  He grabbed her arm. “So, you mean to say you actually did die?”

  “No. I suffered a lightly bruising landing from four feet above the ground. Knocked the wind out of me but made for a very accurate splaying of my limbs.”

  He tightened his grip on her, and he hauled her to the vid display in the common room. He let her go, and his fingers jabbed through the light emission control panel. Images of her, wide eyed and bloody, chalky skin and unmoving, filled the screen.

  “That is how I saw you. I had no idea that you could survive it. I have spent the last twelve hours thinking that my inaction killed you!”

  Ki looked him over. “That was the plan. It had to look like you were drawing the line with an alien. I was the safest target. The women would hesitate to drop out of the sky and you would be free to attend your other assignments.”

  Luzor scowled. “My reputation as a Guardian is ruined.”

  “No, just your reputation as a leading man in their fantasies.”

  He gave her a dark look. “You have a heart of stone.”

  She leaned in and patted his chest with her right hand. “No, Guardian, that is my skin.” She altered her skin and watched his eyes widen as he registered the change in temperature at the contact point.

  “Specialist, are you molesting the Guardian?” Doo-linth’s voice was amused.

  “No. I am merely making a point.” She resumed her normal skin texture and smiled tightly. “Guardian, I apologize if you were upset by being called cold and unfeeling. I get it all the time. I am used to it already. I had not thought that it would make such a difference to you.”

  A Guardian who was wearing a charcoal suit a shade darker than his skin was standing next to Doo-linth. “He is so used to everyone loving him that the idea that he has engendered contempt is beyond him. It hurts his soul.”

  “Ah. That makes sense, I suppose. That is the kind of man who would have women flinging themselves off buildings on the off chance that he would catch them.” She glanced at the Guardian in question.

  Luzor looked confused and then embarrassed. “I am not as bad as that.”

  She shrugged. “Not for me to say. Recruiter, when do we leave?”

  Doo-linth grinned, “Don’t you want to have a look around? It isn’t often you will be able to see an actual Guardian base.”

  Ki shrugged again.
“It is a building. Nothing exciting or fancy about a building.”

  The two Guardians in the room looked offended. The one next to Doo-linth said, “We have all the advanced tech for working out that you could want. Any talent can get the stress testing they need here.”

  Ki crossed her arms, which obviously brought the male attention to the fit of her suit. She sighed and remained in her position. “What can you do to me?”

  The man next to the recruiter grinned, but the winged idiot behind her flexed his wings, creating a wall at her back.

  Doo-linth chuckled. “Well, that sounds like a challenge, but only try her with one mechanism... in case it breaks.”

  The men both laughed at that, and despite knowing what she had told him about her skin, Luzor set her up in a machine designed to test how much pressure she could withstand.

  Standing with her arms raised above her while the plate came down was boring, but the moment that it made contact, she pushed back.

  It was fun to feel the push of tons of weight on her and her body revelled in getting resistant but flexible enough to move the pressure from one cell to the next. It was a rolling cascade of energy that turned her skin black and shiny. It was a new look. Normally, she didn’t need to get stronger than granite.

  Doo-linth finally called out, “It is time to leave, Kiala. Please, finish up and we can go.”

  Ki pushed upward and rolled her shoulders. The machine buckled and metal squealed. The pressure plate went loose and floppy, so she stepped out from under it. “Ready when you are, Doo-linth.”

  The Guardians had all gathered to watch, so Ki walked past them, and at the recruiter’s side, they left the base.

  In their transport, Ki asked the question, “What was that actually about?”

  Doo-linth grinned as the took off, “I was proving a point. The Guardians in this sector believe that the Citadel is for feeble intellectuals. I do believe that you just proved them wrong.”

  Ki rolled her eyes and watched the countryside whiz past as they returned to the spaceport. There were other planets to see and more Guardians to impress. It seemed she had just found her calling because laughter was welling up at the thought. She hadn’t felt this much anticipation in years.

  Chapter Five

  Kiala finished her lecture with a smile, “And that is why even the talented are not sure of their capabilities until they are tested. Have a good day and enjoy your other orientation courses.”

  The black and scarlet robes with the gold piping were heavy, but she wore them out of her class and out to the administrator’s offices.

  Six months had flown by, and her time at Citadel Hurato had been enjoyable as well as profitable. The contract was up in two days, and she had been summoned to the administrator’s office for a meeting.

  The damp air surrounded her when she entered the office and the amphibious administrator gave her a toothy grin. “Master Navo, thank you for joining me. Tea?”

  Ki smiled and inclined her head. “Yes, please, Administrator Tal.”

  The service rose from a side table, a candle lit, and the pot began to heat.

  “Now, while we wait, I know that your initial contract with the Citadel is nearly up. I have a request to make of you.”

  Ki sat politely. “Another contract?”

  “Sort of. I would like you to act as both a recruiter and a Guardian on Thanlossit.”

  “What?” Kiala watched as the water boiled and the tea simmered within it. When it was done, a full cup floated toward her.

  “We are trying a pilot program, so to speak. I have faith in your ability to survive in any situation, but we need a base for you to operate from and for you to do your research. Do you think you would be interested in the post?”

  She thought about it and sipped the minty brew. “There are presumably Guardians on Thanlossit?”

  “Yes, three. They recently had a retirement, which left an opening. We sent a proposal, and they accepted, provided that it was you who was posted. I don’t know why, but once we put your current stats forward, they offered the Citadel a large stipend for your services.”

  “That’s odd. How long would the new contract be?”

  “They would not accept less than two years, so that would be the stipulation.”

  Kiala thought about it while she sipped the tea. When the cup was nearly empty, the pot flew to her side and refilled it.

  “Think as long as you like. I will meditate and you can wake me when you have an answer.” Tal pushed back from its desk and assumed a pose of serenity with its limbs on its sitting platform and two of its six eyes closed.

  The river of blue and green hair swirled around the squat form of Administrator Tal. It was an abnormality for its species and the combination of three genetic patterns had caused it to be a fertile hermaphrodite with telekinetic and pyrokinetic abilities. It was an odd combination for a swamp-born species.

  Tal had overcome societal stigma, abandonment, and tremendous physical restriction to become one of the most powerful beings on Hurato. It had been a harrowing journey, but Tal had made it.

  Ki turned her mind to Tal’s use of the word it to describe its physical being. Three fertile eggs had combined into one creature. To hear Tal tell it, the identifier pointed out that it was the only one. It wasn’t a they. There was only one conscious mind. It was simply it. The only one.

  Ki wasn’t the only one of her kind. She was strong, but she had family, friends, and a society that knew what she was and applauded her for it. She used to think her lack of normal upbringing was a gaping hole in her personal structure, but six months with beings like Tal had given her a much wider perspective.

  If she could bring that perspective to recruiting and assist folks in reaching their full potential, it would definitely be rewarding.

  She sipped her tea and set the cup back in the saucer with a click. Tal’s eyes opened.

  “Your decision?”

  “A few questions.”

  “Proceed.”

  “Do I have to send all candidates to this Citadel?”

  Tal smiled. “No. Find the one that suits them, or start a small counselling service there. The key is that you help them learn what they are and what they can do.”

  “Do I have to give the Guardians back, or can I keep them as pets? You know how much I love playing with them.”

  Tal chuckled. “You can keep them for the length of the contract. At that point, you will have to renegotiate.”

  “Fine. Sign me up. I will head out there as soon as I get the orders.”

  A projection hovered in the air near her seat.

  “Sign it and you can start packing. The Guardians need you as soon as you can get there. Do you have a problem using your talent actively?”

  “No. I used to do in on a daily basis. This won’t be any trouble at all.” She rose to her feet and bowed, touching three fingers to her forehead. “Thank you for this opportunity, Administrator Tal.”

  “Thank you for taking it. This is a window of possibilities for the Citadel in Nyal space. I hope it is the start of good things.”

  Ki pressed her fingers to the edge of the projection, her fingerprints appeared on the document and the image was saved. “Okay, I will get packed. I hope to see you when I return.”

  “Have a good journey to your new posting, Master Navo.”

  She smiled and nodded at Tal as she headed for the door.

  New assignment. This was going to be interesting. She wondered if they were flying out or if she was going to them.

  Well, her parents were alerted, her bags were packed, and her ride was going to arrive within the hour. She was ready to leave. A message was on its way to Doo-linth, and when she was in the area, she would swing by.

  They had had a fun first few months, proving the recruiting path of the Citadel to contain actual, strong, physical talents. The proof usually involved destroying something at the Guardian bases, so they should have caught on if they communicated with the o
ther bases at all. It seemed that they didn’t.

  She slung her bags over her shoulders and headed out of her wing of the Masters’ quarters. Twelve masters were on her pod, and when she left it, it didn’t fill her with regret or wistfulness nearly as much as leaving all those bases did. Finally, there were beings that she was on an even footing with, and she really wanted to play.

  It took all her willpower not to rub her hands together in anticipation as she made her way to the departure zone.

  She nodded to a few of her students on the pathways and took a long look around the very flat and open Hurata base.

  Wide spokes and tangles of pathways filled the area as the base connected with the open sea. Many water-breathing and amphibious species called Citadel Hurata home.

  It was an interesting structure filled with fascinating people, but she was finally being given a chance to take action instead of waiting for an attack. She wouldn’t miss it if she could actually do something for once instead of being a wall between the vulnerable and death. It was not a bad place to be, but she wanted the authorization to smash the one who wished to do harm. Being raised by assassins, she was well versed in life and death, and she had been on the side of life for a very long time. She longed to do some damage.

  Thanlossit was dangerous, savage, had minimal law enforcement, and their Guardians had been installed for less than six months. It was the perfect wild and hostile environment that she craved. The first step to her freedom happened to be arriving as she lifted her gaze to the sky.

  Her bags dropped from her shoulders when she got a look at her pilot. “Son of a bitch.”

  Luzor turned in the pilot’s seat, his wings tucked up behind it. “I didn’t get that.”

  She blinked and then sighed when she realized that she had been speaking in assassin’s code. She tended to default when she was cursing someone’s soul, so having it casually slip out was surprising.

  “Funny seeing you again. How has your love life been?”

  He gave her a black look. “You can stow your bags in the bin to your left. Don’t bump into Mertwin.”