Imperious Realm: Reign of the North Forest Book 1 Read online

  The adult innkeeper waved him over, only to offer disappointment.

  “Sarah found out we were brewing nectar and put a stop to it.” Milo placed a glass of clear liquid in front of him, a few minced leaves floating on the surface. He had a receding hairline and a cleft chin, and his apron was stretched over his round belly. “The rest of these gentlemen are in the hard stage of withdrawal. She told the inspector something about nectar being just for medicine. Technically, it is—but it’s also half my revenue.”

  “You’re just giving her rough competition.” Erek sniffed his drink. He had been looking forward to the adrenalin rush from the nectar, and this bitter drink wasn’t what he had in mind when he had arrived.

  “If only we had more adult riders. But the more kids, the less unnecessary trips. That healer is a pain for business owners and she’s going to be a pain for the rest of them. I’m not sure these kids want to start their new lives on the wrong foot.”

  Erek chuckled. “Where am I working first?”

  Milo gestured his head toward a corner where a group of Antisenents were laughing rowdily, near one of Erek’s adult associates who was dining with his wife. Wiping the granite countertop with a bar rag and nodding to someone from across the room, Milo took out clean glasses to fill. “You might be interested to know that Raynor’s kid is here. I can’t tell them apart from here but Claudius says it’s the weirder one.” He jerked his head. “My two o’clock.”

  Erek snuck a peek. The Antisenent was sitting in a corner booth, but the seat across from him was empty, a dead giveaway. “No, it’s Kale.”

  “He likes his steak well done.” The waiter, Claudius, came around the bar to refill Kale’s carafe as Milo chuckled. The lanky adult had a clean-shaven face, and his hair was smoothed back into a low ponytail. “Why he would ruin a good cut of meat like that is beyond me.”

  Erek was only half listening. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”

  “Not sure.” Milo looked to the waiter, who shrugged. “He might be wanting to disown his family.”

  Erek didn’t know Kale well. Raynor had dangerous ideas, and Drimys was vocal in supporting him, shadowing and learning from his father with eerie accuracy. Kale wasn’t so outspoken. In fact, Erek had barely heard Kale speak more than a few words. He knew Kale was involved in his father’s affairs, but Erek could never read him.

  Milo pointed toward the corner of the ceiling and said in a low voice to Claudius, “I thought we just cleaned the kitchen.”

  “We did.”

  “I see two flies up there. When you’re done, go back and check the kitchen. Customers won’t like this.”

  Foregoing the raucous group in the corner for the time being, Erek approached Kale’s booth as Claudius cleared his plate away. Kale resumed scribbling equations in a book; he was studying to become an engineer.

  “Good evening. Is this seat taken?” Kale nodded his consent, and Erek sat opposite him on the leather seat. “I don’t usually see you around here.”

  “The steak is particularly good. I don’t come in as often as I would like. Congratulations on today’s victory.”

  “It’s not a victory until the dwellers’ suffering ends.”

  A hint of a smile crossed Kale’s face. “What do you want?”

  The boy was clearly uninterested in chitchat. Erek relinquished all niceties and moved to the point. “I want to know why you’re here.”

  “As I said, I enjoy the steak.”

  “You must. By your empty booth, you certainly aren’t here for the company. Everyone knows I come here regularly. Are you here to scope out the enemy?”

  “Are you that insecure?” Kale bookmarked his page with a pen. “Tell me, does it seem strange to you that we have ten-metre high walls? That the dwellers have all the land they could want and yet we’re the oppressors?”

  “It depends on which side of the wall you think you’re on. It’s human nature to oppress others. It’s how our ancestors were abandoned here in the first place. We developed the technology to combat Earth, yet we’re planning to use it against our own. The dwellers wished to live peacefully, so naturally they were targeted.” Enjoying the minor dent he had made in Kale’s composure, Erek raised his glass to his lips. “Yes, I’m aware of Eiyesa’s weapons and of the work being done to increase that weaponry. After Earth’s last crumbling defeat, one would be naïve to think that Eiyesa wouldn’t continue to expand its defenses.”

  A shadow crossed Kale’s face, and Erek continued. “Don’t look at me like that. Whether or not you confirm it is irrelevant. Every once in a while, a leader comes along whose paranoia is tenfold, probably as common as the idiot on Earth who thinks it’s time to visit us again. I know of the weaponry, and I have my reasons for not sharing that information.”

  Kale tapped the table surface with his fingers. “Our ancestors were Earth’s prisoners. I can only imagine the skill of manipulation carried through to future generations.”

  “My interest is still the wellbeing of the dwellers.”

  “As is mine,” Kale replied, ignoring Erek’s chuckle. “You don’t believe me.”

  “I’ve spent years opposing your government,” Erek retorted. “I’ve never seen you act on behalf of the forest folk.”

  “You haven’t been watching closely enough. I’m not ignorant of what the future holds. Our adult population is dying, and the rest of us are condemned to living out our lives in our young bodies. If I were ten years older, I might feel differently. As it is, I can’t even reach the top shelf of my closet without using a chair.”

  Erek laughed again, showing a line of perfectly straight teeth. “Life is difficult for a Mesidisian.”

  “Do not underestimate my empathy for the dwellers,” Kale hissed, his nostrils flaring. “They have suffered more than all Mesidisians combined over our existence on this planet.”

  Erek put down his glass and seriously considered Kale for the first time. His reaction seemed genuine. Now, Erek really wanted to know why he was here.

  Kale continued, “I can confirm no one knows the underlying cause of the virus and why it’s affecting adults and children in the ways it is. There’s no cure or even hope of a cure—and that includes the South Forest. Do you really think that I want to spend the rest of eternity fighting the dwellers and diminishing a fixed Eiyesan population in the process? If one were to eliminate all those one dislikes, it would be a small and miserable existence.”

  Erek shrugged his agreement. “Your family doesn’t think so.”

  “My father will be dead soon.” Kale was matter-of-fact. “You’ll be dead soon. It’s only a matter of time before the virus hits you both. Drimys alone, I can handle.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “For you to keep a lookout for the signs. There are ways to foil their plans without exposing my involvement. You’re smart enough to know what to do when you see it. Don’t contact me.”

  Erek was wary at this sudden confidence. “We’re friends? Just like that?”

  Kale stood, picked up his book, and fished in his pockets. He tossed coins onto the table, enough to also cover Erek’s drink. “I’m not your enemy, Erek, but I’m also not your friend. Enjoy your evening.”

  ***

  Niobe gratefully accepted Erek’s absence, sitting next to Sergen on his bed and instructing him as he practiced his equations. He was allowed only a few possessions, namely his animals hidden under the bed and the few books on top of the wooden chest in the corner. The drapes were pulled, and the only light source was the lantern next to his bed. Sergen wrote in his notebook on top of the blankets. He showed his mother his answer.

  “Good. Spell it out, please.”

  Sergen looked at her skeptically.

  “How do I know you know what the answer means?” she teased. “Spell it out.”

  Sergen rolled his eyes. He wrote in his notebook again.

  “Good boy. You’re so smart.”

  He shook his head. At her confused expression, he scrawled dumb mute.

  “No,” she said, her heart aching. “You’re not dumb at all.”

  He tapped the insult with the tip of his pen, nodding. He gestured at his fingers then near his ear where Erek had last left his mark.

  “He just…” Niobe wanted to be careful to not justify his actions, though she had done so in the past. Sergen may not have uttered a word in months, but his gaze spoke volumes. “How he treats you has nothing to do with you. It’s not your fault.”

  Sergen shrugged. She knew he was asking the reason.

  “Some people are so angry with the world that they feel they have to take it out on others.” Niobe struggled with the answer. “I know it’s hard to see because we don’t go outside a lot, but there’s always good in people.”

  He shook his head.

  “No?”

  Sergen pointed at himself.

  “I see goodness in you. I think you’re a wonderful, kind, sweet person.” Sergen countered her disagreement by vehemently shaking his head again. “Then what about me?” she asked, smiling playfully.

  Sergen nodded and pointed above her heart. She smiled.

  “Thank you. It’s hard to see the good when someone is mean to you, but we all make choices. Your father wasn’t born that way. He chose to become the person he is.”

  He shrugged again.

  “I don’t know why.” Her tears pooled as she hugged him, careful to protect the injured side of her face. The old feeling of failure resurfaced, her embrace meaning nothing since she was never able to truly protect her son. “I’m so sorry.”

  Sergen buried his face in her shoulder and tightened his arms around her. When she pulled away, he gently wiped her tears with his fingers. Niobe sniffled. As terrible as things were, her boy always managed to lift her spirits.

  “Do you want me to read to you?”

  He signed his excitement and reached to the night table for a large book with a worn cover and tattered edges, Robin Hood: The Mighty King of Thieves. He curled easily into her embrace, and Niobe read just six pages before his head drooped and she felt his body relax. She tucked him into his covers and kissed his forehead, then waited for a while at his bedside, watching him sleep.

  ***

  Sergen awoke with a start. He had been in a deep sleep, so it took him a few moments to understand where he was. Something was wrong.

  Cautiously, he crawled out of bed. Rubbing the weariness from his eyes, he listened at his closed bedroom door. His father forbade him from leaving his room at night, so Sergen waited, unsure what to do. He opened the door as quietly as he could.

  Noises were coming from downstairs. Sergen had barely reached the stairs when there was a loud crash. Dread filled him. Holding the banister, he ran down, barefoot, and stopped short of the last few steps.

  The lantern was broken on the floor, its chemical and glass pieces scattered. His parents were in the living room near the fireplace they used in the winter season, facing away from him. Erek was forcibly holding Niobe’s arm behind her back and hissing in her ear. He was saying the terrible words again, the ones Niobe thought Sergen didn’t know.

  Erek threw her to the floor. She missed the edge of a table corner and turned, catching her breath as she glimpsed Sergen on the landing. Following her gaze, Erek’s face contorted in an ugly rage. Sergen whimpered as he took a step backwards, fumbling on the stairs.

  “Go upstairs, Sergen!” Niobe yelled. He tripped and fell backward. “Go!”

  Changing his focus to the smaller prey, Erek moved toward the boy. Sergen’s gaze was on his father but in his periphery, he saw his mother shoot out her foot to kick Erek hard in the leg. He swore and turned back to her.

  Sergen took advantage of the precious few seconds to clamber up the stairs and into the relative safety of his bedroom. His door had no lock, so he positioned a chair underneath the doorknob like his mother had taught him. Crying, he crawled into his closet and put his back against the wall and his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the battle downstairs. After awhile he shifted his hands, desperately wanting to know if his mother was okay, but there was more thudding, more shouting from below.

  Niobe couldn’t coax him out of his room until late the following morning.

  3 Secrets

  461 Years After Arrival

  Iberis flashed a light into Sergen’s eyes, both of the pupils dilating normally. The healer went through his entire examination and even brought out the gift of a new book, but Sergen refused to acknowledge his presence. Throughout their interaction, the boy stared blankly ahead until Iberis happened to touch his shoulder, making him flinch. Iberis glanced at Niobe, who sat in an armchair with a troubled look on her face. She nodded.

  He unbuttoned Sergen’s shirt to find a painful-looking contusion on the boy’s shoulder. Pulling down the sleeve revealed a deep purple bruise spanning his arm and shoulder blade. He examined the wound with his scanner then sprayed a mist of diluted yamnaberry petals over the bruising. Iberis treated most of his patients in the Healing Centre, but he made sure to keep a variety of treatments in his bag when he came to this house. He offered Sergen a small glass of pain medicine, an opaque liquid with tiny bubbles breaking the surface.

  “It’ll help.” Sergen shook his head, and Iberis repeated himself with voice and sign language.

  Sergen looked at him accusingly, and Iberis cringed under the child’s gaze. He had no excuse for failing Sergen by allowing him and Niobe to be subjected to Erek’s brutality. He could barely bring himself to look the boy in the eye.

  Sergen drank the medicine without further prompting and left the room, disappearing up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door. Niobe looked away, her eyes teary as she bit nervously at her thumbnail.

  “If Sergen’s hurt, then you definitely are.”

  Niobe had been hiding her other hand in the flow of her skirt. Iberis sanitized his hands, donned new gloves, and undid the hastily wrapped bandages. When he pulled back the gauze, blood oozed from the jagged wound. Her injury might have been from glass, but nothing seemed out of place in the room. The conflict must have occurred recently, and elsewhere in the house.

  “He’s mad at me.” Niobe had a whistle in her speech from the teeth Erek had knocked out some time ago. Iberis cleaned the wound with the swabs from his bag. She was broken, and her misery seeped into his chest like a poisoned arrow. “He’s terrified of him, but he keeps trying to intervene. He’s just a child. He doesn’t stand a chance.”

  Moving cautiously, Iberis pinched the wound closed with his thumb and index finger as he held his healer’s gun, caulking the cut with gel and waiting for the seal to take effect. “It’s getting worse.”

  “He tries to protect me. My baby, he’s tired of living like this. Sometimes I feel like he gets in the way on purpose.”

  “He learned that from you. He’s trying to protect you like you protect him. He does it because he loves you.”

  “I’m a terrible mother.” Niobe sobbed as Iberis struggled to understand her speech. “I’m supposed to protect him. He shouldn’t have to live like this.”

  Iberis wrapped the wound in gauze. He was usually speedy on something so simple as a cut, but he felt so desolate that his hands moved sluggishly. Erek tended to get angry when Niobe received full treatment for her injuries, so he was careful to provide healing that just met her basic needs. He thought about how difficult her life must have been in the years Sergen was quarantined at the Healing Centre. She used to visit her son regularly, and although most people never saw any outward signs of abuse, it was Iberis who noticed her painful movement and convinced her to be treated for her injuries. The healer tried to keep Sergen in the relative safety of the Healing Centre as long as he could, but Erek had resented the loss of control. He pulled Sergen from the Healing Centre at his earliest opportunity.

  Iberis was so slow in treating her wound that Niobe had pulled herself together by the time he finished.

  “Where else?” he enquired. At her hesitation, he added, “Be honest with me.”

  He treated the bruises on her waist and lower ribs. When he was finished, he fastened her blouse. Niobe said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask how you’re doing.”

  “No, don’t apologize.” He snapped off his gloves and formed them into a ball, tossing them carelessly into his open bag. “I’m around death so much, but I feel like I don’t comprehend it at all now. Nothing about this stupid virus makes sense.”

  He followed Niobe’s gaze to the blinking light of the electronic syringe that held the drops of Sergen’s blood.

  “I didn’t hear it.” He held it at eye level, studying it thoughtfully. “These results aren’t right. His hormone level is lower than it should be.”

  “Sergen’s growing. You said yourself he’s older than the others.”

  “He’s older, but I don’t think he’s growing anymore.”

  “Don’t say that!” Her tone was sharp and she set her lips in a furious scowl, reminding him of Sergen just a few minutes earlier. “Run the test again. Run it again!”

  “It’s not just this test. I’ve been studying my past examinations of him and checking him for ASDS.”

  Niobe paced the room, placing a hand behind her neck and muttering something. “No. You said he was growing. And I’m not ill.”

  “Children don’t experience respiratory symptoms when becoming Antisenent so they’re less likely to transmit ASDS to others.” Iberis shrugged helplessly. “How he got it while you, me, and Erek haven’t—I don’t know. Maybe we passed it along before we could contract it ourselves.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Hearing the panic in her voice, he realised his mistake too late. He had casually mentioned Sergen’s lack of growth without a thought as to how she would react to the information. “I’m sorry—”

  “No, I don’t believe you!” she exclaimed shrilly, tears flowing again. “I won’t.”