Читать книгу Nexus - Lindsay Cummings, Sasha Alsberg - Страница 14

NOR

Power. She had always had it, but now she was it.

The Mirabel Galaxy bowed to Queen Nor Solis. Its inhabitants worshipped her, and there wasn’t anything that could disrupt what she and her brother had created.

Or so she’d thought.

“What do you mean the Unaffecteds are winning?” Nor hissed at Darai as he stood in front of her in his gray robes. He winced at the venom in her voice. “There’s no war for them to win. Their numbers are few and scattered. Their attacks on us have been pathetic at best.”

Still, the mere mention of the Unaffecteds had her bristling, an unwelcome blight on her morning. No reign was meant to be perfect, if history was told true. But Nor could still imagine it: a galaxy that did not dare, not even a single person, to defy her.

“Look left, please, Majesty,” the makeup artist whispered. Nor tilted her head slightly, and the man brushed a shimmering dust across her cheekbones. “Lovely,” he said, smiling as he dabbed his brush back into the palette. The effect, she knew, looked heavenly, but it did nothing to ease her frustrations.

Nor tried to reach Valen again, but the doorway between their minds was empty, as if he’d backed away from it. He had likely withdrawn to his mind castle, where even she could not travel, exhausted as she was from the past several days.

Valen’s compulsion abilities were far more powerful than Nor’s. She’d known it from the moment she met him in Lunamere. But the constant strain of compelling so many minds at once was taking its toll on him. She saw it in his thinning arms and his emaciated frame, as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and though he smiled often in her presence, it wasn’t quite the same as it had been before.

He’s strong, she reminded herself. He will continue to be strong, because he knows what’s at stake.

And because Nor couldn’t do what Valen did. It was why she’d needed him for this mission of theirs. Nor’s compulsion worked in small, subtle ways. She could get someone to lend her an ear longer than they would have liked. She could ease the tension in a room. But when it came to controlling, to truly holding someone’s mind hostage...only Valen had inherited that strength from their mother’s bloodline. Somehow, Nor had been passed over in that sense.

It had given her a reason to hate her mother for many years—until she’d discovered that Valen existed. Until that moment, in his cell in Lunamere, after so many years of anticipation and training with Darai, when Nor was able to compel Valen not to fear her. To listen to her, and eventually, to understand the truth of his lineage.

She prodded at the mental doorway again, seeking his presence. But she knew he was likely working, as he always was, on continuing their reign. So much for listening to her speech.

It’s worth it, Nor told herself, pushing aside the protective tendencies she felt toward her younger half brother. You must give Valen his space, so he can better serve your cause.

“Are we nearly done?” the producer asked. He stood across the room, his four arms crossed over each other with impatience, and Nor almost commanded Darai to remove him from her presence. But he was good at what he did, having filmed her himself before they’d even left Xen Ptera. He’d created the loops that were even now broadcasting on the feeds across the galaxy, a constant reminder of her presence.

They’d had to prepare much ahead of time, knowing how swiftly the Solis reign was to sweep across the galaxy. Valen’s compulsion did what it needed to do, ensuring that the people obeyed her. But Nor wanted them to love her. To be obsessed with her, incapable of escaping her voice, her name, her image.

So from the moment she’d taken charge, the video loops had begun. Even now, one of them was being displayed down in Veronus, the capital city of Arcardius, far below the estate Nor now called home. The feed was in every glittering shop window, every home and every warm, packed bar where she knew the Arcardian citizens, now her loyal soldiers, proudly proclaimed their adoration for her.

“My art takes time,” the artist said, raising a blue brow as he chose another shade. “You would be wise not to press me.”

Nor smirked at that, and decided she’d keep the artist as her personal attendant from here on out. Not only for his skill in enhancing her beauty, but also for an attitude worthy of her court.

Behind the artist’s intricate pile of braids, another face could be seen.

Zahn.

He stood in the corner of the room, conferring with several of the personal guards he commanded on her behalf. His gaze flickered in her direction for a moment, and he smiled lovingly when his warm, brown eyes met hers. They glowed against his dark skin, familiar and inviting. Nor gave him a small smile in return, her heart warming at the reminder of his presence. Zahn was always there to support her when she needed him the most.

With a sigh, Nor turned her attention back to Darai. Her adviser and honorary uncle wore the trademark frown she’d seen so often of late, further accentuating the scars marking his wise, ancient face. Sweat beaded on his upper lip as he scanned the speech documents he’d prepared for Nor just this morning.

“It’s unfortunate news about the Unaffecteds, Majesty,” Darai said. “But Zahn and I had a meeting with Aclisia just this morning, and she assured us that we are still on course for Phase Two. Construction of Nexus is continuing on schedule, and Aclisia is making considerable progress on her efforts to adapt the Zenith virus for use in the satellite transmission system.” He paused for a moment, then added, “And I feel inclined to remind you that we expected there to be some...” Darai waved a hand, as if searching for an explanation just out of reach. “...some flaws when we unleashed the virus on the galaxy.”

“Yes, yes,” Nor snapped impatiently. “But we never expected these Unaffecteds to have banded together so quickly. It’s been less than a month, and they’ve already shown considerable coordination and strength.”

“Laughable strength, Majesty,” the producer said. When Nor turned to glare at him, he seemed to realize he’d spoken out of turn, and shrank back into the shadows of the room.

Nor looked back to Darai. “We never anticipated that they would have such finesse in the way they’re attacking. It’s as if they’re being led.”

Zahn interjected before Darai could respond. “By whom?” he asked. “A shivering child? Their attacks are pathetic.” He moved to stand behind Nor, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Their attempts are merely a fear tactic, and one that has already been dismissed. We’ve imprisoned all the Unaffecteds we’ve been able to find, and we’ve heightened our security measures at every military base on the capital planets. They won’t find it so easy to resist for much longer.”

Zahn’s touch and reassuring words soothed her somewhat, but not enough to dispel the anxiety Nor found herself feeling more and more every day.

“You look like you’re in pain,” Darai said. “Smile, Nor. This problem will be solved soon.”

“And the problem of Valen?” Nor asked suddenly, thinking again of her brother’s health.

Darai gave a curt nod. “The boy is pushing himself to his limits. But I have seen power like his before. He will endure.”

Nor met her uncle’s gaze. They both knew where Darai had seen such things before. Abilities like Valen’s, like their mother’s, weren’t found among any of the many races that populated Mirabel. No—that power hailed from somewhere else, a place that was as yet out of their reach.

But not for much longer. Not if their plans came to fruition, as Nor hoped.

“What if he doesn’t?” she asked. “We cannot push him so far that we lose him. I won’t do that to my brother, and our mission will fail without him.”

Darai frowned, then turned away to busy himself with something across the room.

Nor sighed and ran her golden prosthetic hand across the dark wood of Cyprian Cortas’s old desk as the makeup artist resumed his work. The old General of Arcardius had been dead for weeks now, thanks to Valen. It was the greatest gift she could have offered her brother, allowing him the honor of murdering the man who’d caused them both so much pain.

As soon as they’d risen to power, Nor and Valen had ordered the servants to clear away the old photographs and family paintings. They’d burned them out on the lawn, the tower of smoke rising high in the sky above the floating mountain estate. All traces of Cyprian Cortas were now gone from Averia—except for the late general’s desk.

That, she’d kept as a reminder to herself. A reminder that she’d made this galaxy hers.

She planned to expand upon that dream, and the Unaffecteds would not stand in her way.

“There is also the matter of the Unaffecteds being incapable of coming out of hiding,” Nor’s uncle said smugly. He signaled the producer to come forward. The man stepped from the shadows, and Darai snatched at one of the man’s four arms, holding it out into the light.

Silver veins spiderwebbed their way across his skin. They were beautiful; like artwork in their own right.

And a perfectly executed side effect of the Zenith virus, generally appearing a few days after the infection fully settled in. Any who were affected practically glowed with it, like moonlight swimming just beneath the surface of their skin.

“That was a clever trick of Aclisia’s,” Nor said, admiring the man’s veins.

She herself did not bear them, nor did Valen or Darai. Their minds were still free, rooted to the cause since the beginning of their time in Mirabel.

Nor looked down at Zahn’s hands, still resting on her shoulders. He, too, lacked the silver veins, for she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was utterly committed to her reign.

And to her happiness.

“The Unaffecteds will have to come out of hiding eventually—to gather supplies, to recruit,” Darai said. “And when they do, they’ll be discovered, captured and made ours.”

Nor nodded, smiling at that.

“Just a bit more, Majesty,” the makeup artist said as he uncapped a tiny pot of Nor’s classic crimson lip stain. Behind him, camera drones bobbed in the air, while attendants perfected the lighting.

It was no wonder Valen wished to hide away from such things. He was content to work in the shadows. But Nor lived for her time to shine beneath the bright lights.

“All done now, Majesty,” the makeup artist said, standing back to admire his work. “You’re a vision, as always.”

He held up a small mirror for Nor, earning another good mark for himself. She scrutinized her reflection carefully. The artist was talented, but even he couldn’t conceal the stress that added a certain darkness to Nor’s expression. Her lips, rouged as always, were beautiful, but she held them in a frown, and she could still faintly see the bite marks she’d created in her sleep. Her eyes, normally vibrant as the stars, looked dimmer than they had in months past. But her hair, thank the Godstars, hadn’t been affected by the stress. It was perfectly curled beneath a crown made of deepest crimson, bits of gold embedded below its sharp points.

“Beautiful,” Nor said, tilting her head this way and that. “Thank you, Tober.”

The man bowed and backed away behind the bright lights. Zahn stepped back as well, allowing Nor to stand from her chair.

“Beautiful indeed,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Nor felt herself glowing in the light of the appreciative look in his eyes as he smiled at her once more before joining Tober.

Nor busied herself with sweeping the wrinkles from the front of her gown as Darai joined her. “The Unaffecteds will bow in fear soon enough,” he said. “Just say the lines we practiced.”

Nor felt a flash of irritation. “I have done this before, Uncle.”

“Back on Xen Ptera, yes. But not like this. Not as the True Queen, wearing her rightful crown,” Darai replied.

Nor smiled with satisfaction, turning toward the screen the newscaster droids had erected so that she could watch herself in real time. That rightful crown glinted atop her head in the bright spotlights, shining like a beacon that would inspire every mind across the galaxy.

“Ready, my dear?” Darai asked. He shuffled away at her nod of dismissal, joining the others behind the lights.

Nor took a deep breath and clasped her hands together in front of her. She stood tall, the crown heavy atop her curls, the weight of it like a promise.

She would not bow to anyone. But everyone would bow to her.

“Cameras rolling in 3...2...1...”

Nor looked ahead at the camera drones bobbing in front of her and began her speech.

“People of Mirabel.” Her voice was steady. Hypnotic, in the way she’d learned to speak to draw their attention. The way her mother had spoken, years ago. It was one of the few memories Nor still had of her—Klaren’s voice carrying out like a melody, beckoning all to join her tune.

Nor saw herself on the screen now, just as the rest of Mirabel surely saw her. Regal. Terrifying. All because of Valen’s compulsion, far stronger than Nor’s ever could be. “I come to you as your queen, asking you to join me in working even harder to build the future we all wish to attain. We must be vigilant in our efforts to complete Nexus, and to root out all those who wish to defy our cause.” She paused momentarily for effect. “With your help, by moon’s end, we will finish the construction of Nexus, and a new era will rise.”

Nexus. It held all of her hopes and dreams for the future.

A massive satellite being built on this very floating mountain, large enough in diameter to rival a small planet. When it was launched into space, it would be the key to everything, sealing her claim on every mind across Mirabel.

And giving her access to the weapons systems on every planet in the galaxy.

It was awe-inspiring, a tremendous creation that would take weeks, still, to build. Resources and ships and workers from all over Mirabel had come together to construct it, and when it was completed...

Nor could already taste her victory.

She could almost see Nexus working already, channeling Valen’s compulsion to the farthest corners of the galaxy. Transmitting the command for all the other capital planets to launch their missiles toward the Void that hovered in space just beyond the outer reaches of the Phelexos System.

To everyone else in Mirabel, the Void was just a swath of darkness, a place where the light of the stars couldn’t reach. But Nor knew better. She knew what lay beyond that Void, just waiting for her to open the door. To blast a hole through that darkness to reveal what was hidden on the other side; the very thing Nor’s mother had spent her entire life failing to reach.

Exonia, Nor thought, the word like a balm to her soul. The galaxy Klaren truly hailed from, a galaxy of people who had spent years suffering the same fate as those on Xen Ptera, trapped in a dying world with no hope of escape.

She would follow in Klaren’s footsteps, but she would not fail like her mother had. With Valen at her side, no matter the cost...they would succeed.

Nor took a deep breath and continued her speech. “I urge you not to falter—”

The screen across from her flickered, then filled with a static so thick that for a moment, Nor lost sight of herself. She paused, waiting impatiently as the newscaster droids scrambled to fix the connection, the producer commanding them about. But the static only worsened. It had never been an issue before, even when they were filming aboard Nor’s ship, hurtling through hyperspace toward Arcardius.

“A momentary lapse in the connection,” the producer said, his four hands worrying at each other. “I’m certain we’ll resolve it shortly, Majesty.”

Annoyance flickered to life in Nor’s chest, a little flash of heat she forced herself to ignore. Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, the static faded. Nor rolled back her shoulders and smiled once more, ready to continue her speech.

But as the image sharpened, Nor realized it wasn’t her on the screen any longer. Her blood went cold at the sight of a massive, shadowed figure emerging from a cloud of darkness.

“What in the hell is that?” The producer’s voice squeaked from behind the bright lights. Nor could hear a commotion, the sound of stomping feet as he shuffled around to get a better look at the main screen, but Nor remained frozen, fixated by the image before her.

Someone had hacked into the live feed.

It should have been impossible, with all the firewalls and security measures they’d put into place just this morning, in light of the Unaffected attacks. Nor’s skin prickled, her body rooted to the spot as she stared at the screen, wishing she could release the command to shut it all down, to banish the beastly figure from her sight.

But when a single blue light illuminated the massive figure’s suit of armor, the words failed her, as if she’d swallowed them whole, along with the lump in her throat.

Nor knew that bloodred armor well.

She’d seen it in her nightmares for years. The spikes protruding from the shoulders, the crimson electric shield covering the soldier’s body. A shield that sent out impassable currents, melting bullets in their tracks and preventing enemy blades from piercing a fatal vein.

This armor had been crafted for the soldiers from New Veda, the fierce giants who’d taken up arms with the Unified Systems against Xen Ptera so many years ago. An ancient and dented red helmet, with smoke stains marring the metal, concealed the soldier’s face from view. Black designs were etched into the armor, a network of lines that looked like a spider’s web.

“What is this?” Darai hissed. All around him, droids scrambled to regain control of the live feed. “Contain this situation, right now, before I...”

His voice trailed off as the soldier spoke.

“This message is for those whose minds still belong to them.”

Sweat moistened Nor’s palms as fear wrapped itself around her throat. Valen, she thought. Valen, where are you?

But the doorway was still empty, her brother beyond her reach.

The soldier’s words sounded robotic. Horrific. They were spoken in a deep male voice that came not from Arachnid himself, but from a spiderlike droid perched upon his shoulder. The droid’s twelve legs, silver and jagged as knives, dug into Arachnid’s armor. Four red lights shone on the center of its body like unblinking eyes.

“You are not alone,” Arachnid said. With each word, the droid’s red eyes flashed and the video feed flickered. Arachnid and the droid turned to pixels, then formed fully again. “Much of the galaxy has fallen to a false queen, but there are still many who have not. To the strong, to those who continue to fight for freedom—I am Arachnid. And I stand as leader for all those who refuse to bow to anyone’s will but our own.”

The droid’s knifelike legs clicked as it flexed and dug deeper into the armor. The entire time, Arachnid stood still. A broad-shouldered demon hidden beneath the color of blood.

“Find me. Together, we will build an army. Together, we will destroy the false queen.”

Arachnid took a step toward the camera, red armor clanking like a battle ax hitting bone, and Nor felt the weight of his invisible stare land on her.

“You cannot compel me, Nor Solis. I know what you plan to do. I know the horrors you will unleash, and I will stop you before it’s too late. Even if I have to drive the killing blade into your chest myself.”

The screen flickered a final time.

Then it faded to black.