Duplicitous: The Leordian Chronicles Read online

  "Let us return to the UTF headquarters and mourn this day," I finished, helping Grimaldi to his feet.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Velareedra, of the UTF

  Upon returning to the UTF headquarters in New York, we were greeted by Leaha and Ethan. Leaha rushed to my side, embracing me, and checked to see if I had been injured.

  "Regali gave his life that I might yet live," I said, fighting back the tears. "And Seles," I began but was interrupted by Leaha.

  "I know Vel, I saw the entire thing from a street camera. That was a horrific battle," she interrupted, brushing her fingers through my hair as I wept with my head on her chest.

  "The loss of Regali is a crushing blow," Ethan interjected. "However, because of his sacrifice, you were able to save Seles, and the doctors expect that she will recover fully, in time," he said, trying to console me alongside his wife.

  "My Queen," Grimaldi said from behind me. "I'd like to go to Regali's body and say a prayer if that's okay with you."

  I turned to Grimaldi who was clearly fighting back his own tears.

  "Of course, go to him," I said.

  Grimaldi bowed and walked out of the room to pay his respects to our fallen brother.

  "Vel, come with me," Leaha said, taking my hand. "I'm going to get her cleaned up," she said to Ethan, who nodded.

  "I'm going to lead a team to the site and recover the spell blade and any weapons left behind; I have been ordered to hold a press conference to explain away today's events. Thankfully, President Burke was able to issue a terroristic threat evacuation order for the surrounding area, so I doubt we'll have much explaining to do, other than damages," he replied somberly, as he walked out of the room.

  "He seems to shoulder a lot of responsibility," I said to Leaha, as she led me out of the room.

  "He does," she said, continuing to walk. "He takes the threat that Astiel, and those who follow him, very seriously. There are human terrorist groups plotting against this country at all times, so once the casters arrived and began attacking, it was relatively easy to explain away as terror attacks. He and the leaders in the UTF believe that it is for the best to keep the public unaware of the caster threat," she said, turning into a room on the left.

  The room we entered was a bedroom. The walls were a soothing hue of pale blue and the floors a neutral gray tile. There was a large bed covered in rich blue fabrics and a few other pieces of dark wood furniture to compliment the bed. There was a vanity attached with a toilet and an oversized bath tub.

  "I ordered clothes for you, which should be arriving later today," she said, facing me with a smile. "You were amazing today, Vel. What happened to Regali wasn't your fault, and had you not been there, we would have lost Seles and Grimaldi as well. Take a bath and get some rest; I'll come get you when dinner is ready," Leaha said with a subdued smile, as she hugged my neck then left the room.

  To say that I was glad to get out of the tight clothes Mary had given me would be an understatement. Luckily, the doctors had shown me how to use the automatic water levers that filled the bath in this world, and so I drew a bath and laid down in the giant tub, waiting for it to fill and soak my sorrows away. After a long, warm bath, I dried myself off, and I walked into the bedroom area. A stack of new clothes awaited me on the bed. The clothing Leaha had brought was much more to my liking than my previously borrowed garb. The pants were a soft silky black material that hugged at the waist then fell loosely down my legs. The blouse was a vibrant green knit, that was fitted at the top to enhance my cleavage while still providing plenty of coverage. I was relieved to see that she thought to bring boots, with a sensible heel to compliment the outfit.

  After dressing myself, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

  "Come in," I said as I brushed my hair.

  "Am I interrupting?" Ethan asked, opening the door and walking into the room.

  "No, I replied," somewhat surprised to see Ethan.

  "Leaha sent me rather than coming herself because she is personally preparing a dish that she says will remind you of home," he said, staring at the ceiling. "I apologize if I came at a bad time, Leaha told me you may not be decent," he said, blushing.

  "I found the clothes Leaha left on the bed, I'm decent," I said with a chuckle, realizing he was staring at the ceiling because I may have been naked. In our world, there was little distinction between men and women other than for mating purposes, so there was no reason to feel bashful about a naked body. Both men and women engaged in the hunt and fought during times of war. In fact, many women were born with more innate Ether than men. Apparently, that wasn’t the case here, though.

  "I'm glad you found them," Ethan sighed, as he dropped his eyes to me. "I will wait outside while you finish preparing for dinner. Come out when you are ready, and I will escort you to the lounge," he said, walking outside, closing the door behind him.

  I finished brushing my hair and arranged it in a simple braid and walked out, following Ethan to the lounge. When we arrived, Ethan and I were joined by Grimaldi, Leaha, and a dozen UTF agents. Leaha and one of the agents carried numerous steaming platters of food to the table. The platters held various different foods, one which Ethan explained was a meat called steak, along with a baked potato, which I much preferred to the mashed variety we had eaten previously. There was also a green stick shaped vegetable called asparagus. Before being seated, Leaha brought me a second dish with a meat paste, which she explained consisted of beef and pork ground together and wrapped in an edible tube. The people of this world called it sausage, but in our world, we had a similar meal which used meat from game beasts, and we called it Biknar. I smiled as Leaha took her seat, knowing that she had gone out of her way to make this sausage, especially for me to help make me feel at home.

  "This looks wonderful, Leaha," I said, bowing my head to the chef.

  "Thank you, Vel," she said, smiling at me, and then Ethan as she took his hand.

  We enjoyed our meal, mostly in silence. Regali's death loomed over the room, and no one wanted to be the first to bring it up, or perhaps no one could without breaking down, myself included. After the meal, the agents present began to clean up the dinner mess, and Grimaldi excused himself, this time to go to Seles's side.

  "I would like to show you something," Leaha said, standing with Ethan. "Unless you're too tired," she said, considerately.

  "No, I'm fine," I said though I could easily fall asleep.

  Rather than exiting the door which leads to the hallway, Leaha and Ethan moved to the far side of the room, touching the wall, revealing a hidden elevator. I was becoming used to the secret passages within the UTF headquarters and followed as the doors opened. I could feel the elevator rise higher and higher, and I knew that we were ascending. When the doors opened, my suspicions proved correct, and we walked out onto the rooftop. As we approached the edge of the building, surrounded by a large railing, I noticed we were very high in the sky. The architecture of this world was amazing; many buildings seeming to reach the clouds themselves.

  "Look here, Vel," Leaha said, walking to the edge of the building, leaning against the railing.

  I followed her, somewhat hesitantly. The height of the building brought forth a fear inside of me that I had never experienced, and I was apprehensive about leaning on the railing.

  "The railing is quite secure, Vel. Just don't look down," Leaha chuckled, seeing me hesitate.

  "Okay," I responded, grabbing the railing, immediately looking down.

  I felt sick, and I immediately looked up to try and regain a sense of calm.

  "Everyone always looks down," Ethan chuckled, walking next to Leaha, grabbing the railing.

  They shared an innocent laugh at my expense as I recomposed myself.

  "Without looking down, look out across this city, Vel," Leaha asked of me.

  I looked down, slowly, until I was able to see the city. The sun had set and the city lights shined brightly as if a smaller sun were present within the city itself.

/>   "This is why I fight alongside the UTF," Leaha said. "Any world that can create something this beautiful has to be worth saving, don't you agree, Vel?" She asked, turning to me.

  She knew I would agree, I understood what was at stake with Astiel here.

  "I will join you here, and fight together with the UTF, Leaha," I proclaimed.

  I could see her face light up as I said the words she so desperately wanted to hear.

  "There's something I haven't told you, Leaha," I said, backing away from the railing. "When I fought Jaleen at the hospital, he told me that he had been planted in Leordia City, from the time I was little, by a group called the Dark Council," I explained. "Frede also mentioned them and he told me that he had been ordered to kill Regali, Seles, and Grimaldi to destroy those close to me," I concluded.

  "To be honest, Vel, we've received reports of a group calling themselves the Dark Council, but we always assumed it was something Astiel conjured up to throw us off his trail and make it seem like there was another enemy to worry about," Leaha said deeply in thought.

  "I don't know much about them, but according to Jaleen, they were responsible for my father's death, and have agents everywhere. Frede told me that Astiel has no control over them, and they seem to have even greater reach than he does," I said, concerned.

  "Well, now that we know they actually exist, we will have to take precautions when dealing with caster events. If this Dark Council is able to oppose Astiel, they must be very powerful," Ethan said, joining in as we walked to the elevator.

  After a quick ride down the elevator, Ethan and Leaha walked me to my room, explaining they would send for me in the morning to brief me on the rescue operation at the hospital. I hoped for news on Lucas, but they hadn't found his body in the rubble, I could only assume no news was good news. I undressed, leaving only my undergarments on, and laid on the bed, which was far more comfortable than the bed at the hospital, and quickly drifted to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Lucas Lives

  I awoke the next morning to a knock at the door, after which, I stood up from the bed, frantically searching for my clothes.

  "One minute," I said, as I quickly got dressed.

  Moments later, I opened the door to find Ethan waiting with his back turned to the door.

  "Leaha sent me to let you know that breakfast will be ready soon, and to escort you to the lounge," he said, still facing the opposite direction.

  I smiled, realizing that for the second time, Ethan came prepared to escort me with the assumption I may answer the door nude. I could only imagine how his interactions with Leaha had gone when they first met. She must have quickly conditioned him to expect such behavior.

  "I am already dressed, Ethan," I chuckled, opening the door wide to allow him in. "I need to brush my hair still, but please come in," I walked into the bathroom and quickly arranged my hair in a messy bun. Satisfied that my unruly waves were under control, or as much as they would be for the day, I gave it a spritz of this product called hair spray Leaha had advised me to try.

  "All set?" Ethan asked as he rose from the chair he had seated himself in after entering my chambers.

  "As ready as I will ever be. So, does Leaha cook meals often?" I asked as I put on my boots.

  “Sort of. What I mean is that this is a new development, a hobby that she picked up after becoming pregnant. Actually, until a few months ago, she was an active member of our mission team," he explained. "She is a great asset to our team, on the field, or here at headquarters," Ethan was beaming, clearly drifting into his own thoughts.

  I finished lacing up my boots, and I moved to the doorway where Ethan stood. Ethan held out his arm to the hall, allowing me to exit first, closing the door behind him as we walked toward the lounge.

  "Have you received any news on Lucas?" I asked as we walked along the twisted hallway.

  "Actually," Ethan began, stopping at the door to the lounge, turning to face me. "The team we had in place, comprised of both state and local police, finished searching through the rubble about an hour ago. They cleared the scene, and Lucas Wright wasn't among the living or the dead. He hasn't been seen at all," he concluded, opening the door to the lounge, holding it for me to pass through.

  I was relieved to hear that the man whom I had first met upon arriving in this world, who had been so kind to me, wasn't found among those poor lives lost to Jaleen's assault at the hospital. I entered the lounge, and I took a seat at the large table where Grimaldi and a dozen UTF agents waited. I could tell by the bags under Grimaldi's eye's that he hadn't slept well, if at all, and I could see his sorrow written across his face. Grimaldi, despite being a jester, was very invested in our men, including his fellow captains. He often put himself in the line of fire to protect his men and often would jest about how it was unintentional, though we all knew better.

  "How is Seles's recovery coming?" I asked, attempting to grab Grimaldi's attention.

  "She is recovering well,” he replied, facing me. "The medical technology of this world is impressive. She is recovering within a tube of nanites, which are machines so small that they can't be seen. She was placed into a coma, which is like a sleep you can't be awakened from, to allow the nanites to flow through her bloodstream and repair damages to bones and tissue at a microscopic level," he explained, knowing I didn't truly understand what he meant.

  "So, when will she wake from this sleep?" I asked, concerned.

  "They will wake her once her bones have been repaired, and her wounds have mended. She's the lucky one, she'll awaken as good as new," Grimaldi lowered his face, obviously thinking about Regali.

  "We'll hold Regali's Berf in two days, at noon," Leaha stated, as she walked to the table, plates in hand. Leaha and the other agents assisting her in the kitchen served plates for everyone; after which, she led us in a prayer for those who had fallen before we ate.

  "Eggs and ham, with some cheese, melted over the top, and bacon on the side seems to be universal, doesn't it Majesty," Grimaldi commented, smiling for the first time since the battle.

  "It would seem the only thing missing is the Frugela Juice to go with it, but milk is a fine substitute that I had never considered," I replied, smiling back at him.

  Though we ate together as we had the night before, this meal was mostly silent, each unsure of what to say.

  "Leaha, thank you so much for preparing such a wonderful meal," I proclaimed, after finishing my breakfast.

  "You're welcome, majesty," she replied softly, finishing her own meal.

  "If it is no trouble, I would like to make a trip to Portronic Headquarters and speak to Lucas's father, if possible?” I asked.

  "It's no trouble at all, Vel. In fact, I haven't gotten out in a while, so I would love to join you if you'll have me!" she said, excitedly.

  "Absolutely!" I agreed, rising from the table. "Will you be joining us as well, Ethan?" I asked, turning to Ethan.

  "Not this trip," Ethan said, gathering his and Leaha's plates. "Leaha is a great guide, and she can even drive! I have a load of paperwork to complete, but you're in great hands." Ethan put the plates down momentarily and helped Leaha to her feet before taking the dishes to the kitchen for washing.

  "What about you, Grimaldi?" I asked, turning to my captain.

  "No, but thank you, My queen," He answered, his previously somber voice returning. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to stay with Seles for now," He stated, bowing before me, awaiting my answer.

  "That's fine, Grimaldi, please make sure she recovers well, my friend." I gave his shoulder a light squeeze to show I understood his pain.

  Grimaldi walked alongside Ethan, discussing the events of the day before. Leaha took my hand, directing me to the elevator behind us.

  "Let's go to the garage, Vel," she said, placing her hand on the wall, causing the elevator to appear.

  We entered the elevator, though this time, I could feel the elevator descend. When the doors opened, we were in a space filled with cars, very
much like the one that I had entered with Lucas at the hospital. She walked to a car, far more modest in appearance than the one Lucas drove and pushed a button on her keys. The car made a beep sound, and the lights flashed, indicating the doors had unlocked.

  "So the seal is a door," I spoke that realization out loud, chuckling to myself and thinking of how silly I must have sounded to Lucas.

  I opened the door, and I sat inside the car as Leaha turned it on. It amazed me that she could operate this machine, and as she backed out, she gently brushed the car beside us, and I knew that I was in for a much different ride than before. By the time we arrived at Portronic's Headquarters, I was experiencing a type of sickness I had never known. Leaha described it as motion sickness, explaining it was common for people in cars; I didn't have the heart to tell her that I hadn't felt it while driving with Lucas. It occurred to me as we parked, that it may be better to utilize the portal technology to travel from now on.

  Upon entering Portronic, I was amazed by the sight. The building rose to the clouds and seemed to be mostly made of a smoky colored glass. The entryway was huge and had a white and gray marble colored tile and plush seating throughout the lobby. Thousands of people were visible through the glass walls that allowed a clear view of numerous offices and conference rooms. Leaha walked to a woman at a desk and began to speak to her, returning shortly with a frustrated expression.

  "These people advised Ethan that Professor Wright, Lucas's Father, would be here when we arrived, but it appears he has been called away on urgent business," Leaha said, walking to the wall behind me, sitting in one of the chairs.

  "Will he be returning soon?" I asked, taking a seat beside her.

  "They won't give me an exact time frame, but she said that he should be back today at some point," She grumbled, pulling a device which appeared to be a small monitor from her satchel.

  "You carry a hand sized monitor in your satchel?" I asked, watching her press the screen with her fingertip.

  "While we wait for Professor Wright, perhaps I should catch you up on the terminology of this world," she chuckled, putting the device back into her satchel.