Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1) (40 page)

“Perhaps you didn’t understand me.” Nicoli spoke slowly and distinctly. “Touch her again - in any way - and I’ll kill you. Do. You. Understand?”

It took great discipline to hold his anger in check and not carry through with his threat this instant. When he was certain that his point had been understood, he slowly released his grip, remaining alert to any sudden movements the older man might make.

The High Counsel glared first at Nicoli and then at Angel, before walking to the door. There he stopped and turned back to Nicoli.

“We have found the Harvesters and I will deal with them. Your services, and your presence, are no longer needed.”

After the High Counsel left, Nicoli went to Angel’s side. “Are you all right?”

She gave him a sad kind of smile. “You seem to be asking me that a lot lately.”

He smiled and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her forehead, liking how the blond roots were finally growing in and wondered what she’d look like as a blonde.

“He caught me off guard,” Angel said, interrupting his thoughts. “Then it was like I was a kid again and I couldn’t think straight.”

Nicoli knelt beside the bed, pulling her into his arms and letting her head rest against his shoulder. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”

“You couldn’t have known he would do that. He’s been so different lately. I thought he had changed. You know, softened with the years.” She sighed. “I guess he was just using you.” She lifted her head so she could look into his face. “We can’t trust him, you know that.”

“I know,” he agreed.

“I’m afraid you made an enemy of him. He’s not going to want you to be my husband anymore.”

Nicoli saw her lips tremble and his anger with the High Counsel tripled. “Let’s go back to the palace, get Yanur and my mother and leave.”

Nicoli shook his head. This wasn’t over as far as he was concerned. “I can’t. The Harvester threat can’t be eliminated until we discover their leader. I’m sorry,
Kiera
but I can't leave yet.”

Angel sighed. “I knew you’d say that.”

He smiled and stood. “I have an idea. Why don’t you come to the bridge and keep me company?”

Chapter 26

At the palace, Damon walked into Brother Joh’nan’s room and found his friend sitting in a chair, staring out the window into the pitch-black night sky.

“You’ve heard the news?” Damon knew he had when Brother Joh’nan didn’t even acknowledge his presence. “You haven’t given up have you? Because we can rebuild the transfer unit. It’s true that much of the equipment was destroyed, but I’ve already contacted Wright and told him to start acquiring replacement parts.”

Brother Joh’nan finally turned from the window to look up questioningly. “Wright?”

Damon felt another stab of concern. “Our courier.”

Joh’nan's brows furrowed, adding to Damon's growing concern.

"Joh'nan - are you all right?"

Joh'nan waved his hand nonchalantly in the air. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. My mind grows fuzzy from time to time, but then it passes. Wright, of course. I remember him."

The admission did little to comfort Damon. Joh’nan was the most intelligent man he’d ever known. He'd found a way to save their people, but was paying the price for the discovery with his life. If they moved up their plans to take over the Coronadian government, there might still be a chance to save him.

He walked over to put his hand on Joh’nan’s shoulder. “We’ll rebuild the unit and you can transfer into a new body. But Joh’nan, we must first eliminate those standing in our way. Now. We are out of time.”

“Always so anxious, my friend. Everything comes in good time.” Joh’nan smiled and laid his hand on top of Damon's. “It might please you to know that I've found a solution to our problem.”

Damon’s shock was immediate and he bent closer so he could see into Joh’nan’s face. “You have? What?”

“Oh, yes. I found it buried in the ancient laws. A contest of sorts. It requires the endorsement of a Quorum, but I don’t see that as being a problem.”

“What about the High Counsel? Can he stop it?”

Joh’nan seemed to consider the question. “He could, but he won’t. I don’t know what game the High Counsel has been playing, but I assure you that he has no intention of allowing Colonel Romanof to be his Counsel-elect.”

Damon pulled an extra chair over, turning it so he could sit facing the other man. “Tell me more.”

“Should we succeed, the House of Scyphor, and all the power that goes with it, will be ours."

Damon noted Joh'nan's hesitation. "But?"

"This plan is not without considerable risk to one of us.”

Damon considered this. “Is there no other way?"

Joh’nan shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Then we will do what must be done and hope the cost is not too great."

* * * * *

It was the middle of the night when Brother Damon returned to his room after secretly meeting with the individual high officials of the House of Scyphor. Their ignorance of life off Coronado and elsewhere in the universe was exceeded only by their paranoia over what havoc an off-worlder such as Colonel Romanof might cause should he become High Counsel. A few carefully phrased suggestions that played on their paranoia was all it took to secure their endorsement of his plan.

Now, sitting on the edge of his bed, too wired to sleep, he considered his next move. When the knock came at his door, he welcomed the interruption, knowing who stood on the other side of the door even before he opened it, and so the smile he pasted on his face was not altogether false.

“Victor, oh I have missed you.” Sorrah threw herself into his arms, sighing into his mouth as her lips met his.

He returned her kiss with an enthusiasm that still amazed him because he hadn't expected to find such pleasure with a woman.

Sorrah pulled away just enough to look into his face. “Tell me again,” she whispered.

He smiled indulgently. “I love you as I have loved no other woman.” He took perverse pleasure in the truth of his words.

“How much longer must we wait?”

Though he felt his body responding to hers, he didn’t pretend to misunderstand what she meant. “Not much longer now, I promise.”

She rewarded his answer by rubbing her body against his. “Good. When you are High Counsel, I will be the perfect High Consort for you. I will see to all of your needs.” She pressed her lips to his, suggesting just how she might see to his needs. When she pulled back, she seemed almost shy.

“What is it?”

“Do you think I could have my very own maid?”

“Of course.” Brother Damon laughed for her benefit and felt a slight twinge of guilt flutter through him. He would miss Sorrah after he killed her. She had been both dedicated and loyal in fulfilling her duties to him. That kind of loyalty was hard enough to find, much less replace.

An’jel would not be as cooperative a consort, nor as blindly loyal. She had spent too many years away and had grown independent as a result. Such independence could threaten his plans and while everything he did was for the good of his people, Brother Damon couldn’t help but wonder if there might be something - or someone - he could keep for himself.

Taking her by the hand, he led Sorrah to his bed. With gentleness born of familiarity, Victor removed her clothes until she stood before him in her feminine perfection. She was indeed lovely and he took pleasure both in the sight of her and his own body’s reaction.

He devoted the next several hours to their lovemaking, not stopping until they were both well satisfied. Afterwards, he held her in his arms.

“Sorrah, my love," he whispered after they'd both been quiet for several minutes. "Are you awake?”

“No.”

He smiled and kissed the top of her head where it rested on his chest. “I wish we could spend the night together, but I have things yet to be done tonight.”

She tipped her head back so she could look at him. “What could be so important that it can’t wait until the morning?”

He touched the tip of her nose with his forefinger in a playful gesture. “Your future as High Consort, unless of course you wish to continue being a maid?”

She smiled and gave a sigh of pretend indulgence. “Well, I suppose if you must go.”

It was his turn to smile. “Actually, it is
you
who must go. Back to your room.” He threw back the covers and got out of bed. His clothes lay in a pile on the floor and he bent to retrieve his pants. Sorrah took her time climbing out of bed.

After he finished putting on his shirt, Brother Damon walked over to his desk and picked up the small vial he had placed there earlier.

“I want you to take this vial," he said, carrying it to her. "At breakfast tomorrow, put four drops into Colonel Romanof’s morning drink – without him knowing, of course. Will you do that for me?”

She took the vial and looked at it suspiciously. When she looked up at him, he saw the doubt and concern reflected in her eyes.

“If you don’t wish to do it, I will understand,” he said, reaching to take back the vial.

She clutched it tighter and moved away from him. “No, it’s just that, well. I’ve never killed anyone.”

Victor offered his most tender smile and cupped her cheek with his hand. “Do you think so little of me, my love? These drops will do nothing more than make the Colonel tired.”

“Really?” Her voice sounded hopeful.

"It's only a little something to make him ill."

Seeming satisfied with his explanation, she tucked the vial into the pocket of her skirt and walked with him to the door. Before he let her leave, he made sure to kiss her farewell with a thoroughness that put the look of love back in her gaze and a smile on her face.

Closing the door after her, he leaned back against it, thinking how easy it had been to convince her. If everything else continued to go this well, Colonel Romanof would soon be dead.

* * * * *

Angel woke to a loud crashing noise.

“Angel!” Her mother shouted from the open doorway. “Something’s happened. You have to wake up.”

In one movement, Angel flung back the bed covers and jumped out of bed, forgetting her ankle in her haste. She gasped at the twinge of pain that shot through her. Yanur had healed the worst of her injury with his Reparator, but the muscle was still tender.

Her mother looked at her in alarm. "Angel, you're hurt."

"I'm fine.” She waved her mother’s concern aside. “What's the matter?” She looked around the room for what had caused her mother's alarm.

“It’s Nicoli.”

“Is he okay? Has something happened to him?” Angel looked at the bed, remembering how he'd laid beside her until she’d fallen asleep.

Her mother rushed to the closet and rummaged through it, pulling out a change of clothes and tossing them to her. “Yes and yes. Hurry and put these on. Oh here, let me help you.”

“Mother, please.” Angel tried to control her frustration as her mother helped her into her clothes. “What’s going on?”

“Your Grandfather has called for a Quorum.”

Angel paused in the process of buttoning her shirt. “A Quorum? Now?”

Her hand fell to her side, the buttons on her shirt forgotten as she considered this new information. A Quorum was only called for extremely important matters.

She glanced out the window. "It doesn't make sense. The first sun hasn't even risen. Are you sure?”

As her thoughts raced, her mother finished buttoning her shirt.

“Yes. One of the maids told me.” The shirt finished, her mother looked at her, a grave expression on her face. “Gil’rhen summoned Nicoli to appear.”

“Oh God.” That couldn’t be good. “I need to be there.”

“Of course.”

Angel didn’t bother to put on shoes. She slipped her arm around her mother’s shoulders and together, they made their way through the halls to the High Counsel’s chambers.

The doors were closed when they arrived, but Angel no longer bowed to ceremony. She opened the doors and hobbled in.

Eight high officials from the House of Scyphor sat, four on either side of her grandfather. Victor stood before the group on the right, wearing his formal attire. He stood, head bent in quiet conversation with Pualson, a smug expression on his face.