Read Online BlackWing: First Ordinance, Book 3 by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online
Authors: Connie Suttle
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grateful it was only the two of us in training—no others had come to watch. I was also grateful that he didn't belittle me when I failed to deliver a proper blow; perhaps sureness and confidence would come as I perfected my skills.
When the session was over, I bowed to him as was proper, and thanked him for his instruction.
I hadn't wept once, and I was grateful for that.
* * *
"How it go?" Yanzi grinned at me when I arrived in our suite.
"It was all right," I shrugged. "He didn't yell."
"Glad," he nodded. "Need bath now?"
"Yes." My answer was short and emphatic.
"Queen send clothes—you have much to wear," his grin widened. "Terrett in closet, looking at yours and his."
"Terrett has new clothes?" I was more excited for him, I think.
"Yes. Much. Get clean. Then you see."
Terrett was dressed casually in new clothing when we left our suite for lunch. He looked quite fine and I told him so. I received a smile and a swift hug for my observances.
Terrett and I weren't the only ones with something new to wear—Justis wore a ring and wrist cuff I'd never seen before. I blinked for a moment while information soaked into my mind—both items were spelled to protect him.
I was grateful to those who'd supplied that protection. I had no idea what we might face in our hunt for Cayetes; therefore, any protection offered I would gladly accept.
Salidar, Kooper Griff and several others joined us at the Queen's table. Kooper had information from several agents, all of whom supplied possible sightings or evidence of Cayetes.
"He can't have been in all those places—those span star systems and several are within an Alliance—either Campiaan or Reth," Salidar pointed out. "He hasn't been seen on an Alliance world in decades. He sends his flunkies to do the dirty work on Alliance worlds."
"He has warlocks at his disposal," Queen Lissa observed. "Although you're right about some of these—he'd have to bend time to appear there on the dates given."
"At least we know that's out of the question," Bel said. "A warlock can do a lot, but bending time has never been one of our given talents."
"You don't know how happy I am about that," Lissa smiled at her grandson. He grinned back at her.
"This is the one I'm worried about," Kooper said, pointing at a dot on the vid-map hovering over the table. "Bodies have been disappearing regularly."
"Where?" Lissa asked.
"Vic'Law," Kooper replied. "It started recently, and coincides with Cayetes' disappearance on Vogeffa I."
"Perhaps you should make arrangements, then," Lissa stood and moved around the table. Kooper tapped his comp-vid to enlarge the hovering image. "Vic'Law applied to join the Campiaan Alliance six years ago. Their application was rejected."
"A good sign that they're harboring the criminal element. Perhaps one of Cayetes' friends offered to conceal him."
"I suppose that's possible," Lissa agreed. "Whatever the reason, I can't get a lock on what's going on. That spells Sirenali involvement to me. No offense, Terrett."
Terrett shook his head, telling her silently that he'd not taken offense. He knew as well as anyone what might be accomplished by a Sirenali—employed or enslaved—by a criminal.
"I can be ready to go in an hour," Kaldill said. "Kooper, do you have a place for us to stay?"
"I can sort something out," Kooper nodded. "If you're ready to leave in two hours, I think I can have accommodations for you by then."
We'd received our marching orders, as Queen Lissa put it. I hoped Vic'Law was more hospitable than Gungl had been.
* * *
Lissa
"I hope we're circumventing the Orb, here," I said. I couldn't help pacing, although Karzac asked me to sit beside him on the end of my bed.
"Whether you are or not, I'm sure it will make its presence known eventually."
"Yeah." I sat beside him, then. He accommodated my unspoken request and pulled me close. "We haven't told them everything yet—in case the Orb shows up and tosses them elsewhere the moment they get to
When the session was over, I bowed to him as was proper, and thanked him for his instruction.
I hadn't wept once, and I was grateful for that.
* * *
"How it go?" Yanzi grinned at me when I arrived in our suite.
"It was all right," I shrugged. "He didn't yell."
"Glad," he nodded. "Need bath now?"
"Yes." My answer was short and emphatic.
"Queen send clothes—you have much to wear," his grin widened. "Terrett in closet, looking at yours and his."
"Terrett has new clothes?" I was more excited for him, I think.
"Yes. Much. Get clean. Then you see."
Terrett was dressed casually in new clothing when we left our suite for lunch. He looked quite fine and I told him so. I received a smile and a swift hug for my observances.
Terrett and I weren't the only ones with something new to wear—Justis wore a ring and wrist cuff I'd never seen before. I blinked for a moment while information soaked into my mind—both items were spelled to protect him.
I was grateful to those who'd supplied that protection. I had no idea what we might face in our hunt for Cayetes; therefore, any protection offered I would gladly accept.
Salidar, Kooper Griff and several others joined us at the Queen's table. Kooper had information from several agents, all of whom supplied possible sightings or evidence of Cayetes.
"He can't have been in all those places—those span star systems and several are within an Alliance—either Campiaan or Reth," Salidar pointed out. "He hasn't been seen on an Alliance world in decades. He sends his flunkies to do the dirty work on Alliance worlds."
"He has warlocks at his disposal," Queen Lissa observed. "Although you're right about some of these—he'd have to bend time to appear there on the dates given."
"At least we know that's out of the question," Bel said. "A warlock can do a lot, but bending time has never been one of our given talents."
"You don't know how happy I am about that," Lissa smiled at her grandson. He grinned back at her.
"This is the one I'm worried about," Kooper said, pointing at a dot on the vid-map hovering over the table. "Bodies have been disappearing regularly."
"Where?" Lissa asked.
"Vic'Law," Kooper replied. "It started recently, and coincides with Cayetes' disappearance on Vogeffa I."
"Perhaps you should make arrangements, then," Lissa stood and moved around the table. Kooper tapped his comp-vid to enlarge the hovering image. "Vic'Law applied to join the Campiaan Alliance six years ago. Their application was rejected."
"A good sign that they're harboring the criminal element. Perhaps one of Cayetes' friends offered to conceal him."
"I suppose that's possible," Lissa agreed. "Whatever the reason, I can't get a lock on what's going on. That spells Sirenali involvement to me. No offense, Terrett."
Terrett shook his head, telling her silently that he'd not taken offense. He knew as well as anyone what might be accomplished by a Sirenali—employed or enslaved—by a criminal.
"I can be ready to go in an hour," Kaldill said. "Kooper, do you have a place for us to stay?"
"I can sort something out," Kooper nodded. "If you're ready to leave in two hours, I think I can have accommodations for you by then."
We'd received our marching orders, as Queen Lissa put it. I hoped Vic'Law was more hospitable than Gungl had been.
* * *
Lissa
"I hope we're circumventing the Orb, here," I said. I couldn't help pacing, although Karzac asked me to sit beside him on the end of my bed.
"Whether you are or not, I'm sure it will make its presence known eventually."
"Yeah." I sat beside him, then. He accommodated my unspoken request and pulled me close. "We haven't told them everything yet—in case the Orb shows up and tosses them elsewhere the moment they get to
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