The Complete Razia Series, page 20
She crossed the tile floor, illuminated by the candelabras near the pictures and Leveman's Vortex, which seemed to follow her through the house. Off to the right of the room was another hall, this one leading to the kitchens. Much like the rest of the ghostly house, they were empty, but she could see giant ovens and pantries stocked with food, just waiting to be prepared for the party tomorrow.
She continued on her midnight stroll, until she found herself in front of a large metal door, with a glowing red keypad. She stood in front of it for a moment, wondering if it would be a better idea to turn around and go back to bed. Instead, she reached up and pressed the buttons, the soft tones of the keys combining into a familiar, comforting melody.
With a small click, the door unlatched and she pushed it open, revealing nothing but darkness. Her fingers searched along the wall until they slid over the light switch, illuminating a long staircase and a man hastily scribbling in a black, leather-bound journal.
"You're late," he said simply.
"I'm sorry."
"Lock the door, Lyssandra, I swear to the Great Creator," he muttered, without looking up.
She turned around and locked the door behind her, and walked down the stairs. The lab was filled with machines and books, and the walls were covered in chalkboards, with hastily scribbled notes and mathematical equations all over them. His desk, though, was the center of his universe, covered with stacks of papers and maps, though there was always a little space for his journals.
He didn't speak to her as she took her spot at her own table, textbooks about Deep Space Exploration that she wouldn't get to until she was three or four years into the Academy. He was focused on the journal in front of him and the scraps of paper from observations about Leveman's Vortex he was trying to parlay into another discovery.
"Quit staring at me and get to work," he barked, his back still turned to her.
"I finished this book already," Lyssa said, before realizing, "I graduated from the Academy two years ago."
"Yet you still can't remember to lock the door behind you." He grunted, turning the page. "Look and see what you've brought."
Lyssa turned to look behind her and was up in a flash, as three unwelcome guests came strutting down the stairs. Mrs. Dr. Sostas Peate, wearing her finest afternoon dress, followed by Priest Helmsley in his floor-length frock, and Sera, who trailed farther behind, in a simple sky blue dress.
"M-Mother," she whispered, turning to look for protection from her father, but finding him gone. In fact, the lab was devoid of most of his things—save for the scraps of paper on the desks and her books on the table. Lyssa turned to face the three of them, her heart beating out of her chest.
"So this is where the two of you have been hiding, hm?" Helmsley said, glancing about the room. "Filthy in here."
"Lyssandra, it's been three months," Sera said. "We're concerned about him. Where has he gone?"
"I don't know," Lyssa said, for what felt like the hundredth time. "He just left one morning and he hasn't called, and—"
"This is pointless," Mrs. Dr. Sostas Peate said, giving her a look. "She's nothing but a liar. Jukin is searching for him, I know that he will help—"
"He didn't!" Lyssa cried, feeling a firm hand on her shoulder and a cold barrel against her temple.
Her mother was staring at her through a video screen, looking rather unimpressed with her predicament.
"You see, Lyssandra, this is what happens when you lie. The Great Creator does not reward bad little girls. He punishes them."
"Mother," Lyssa whimpered. "Mother, please. He's gonna kill me."
"Then perhaps you should call your father and see if he'll come for you."
Lyssa sucked in a loud breath. "M-mother…"
"I hate that it has come to this, but you've persisted in your lies and now you have to face the consequences. Call your father. I'm sure he will be obliged to pay whatever ransom this…miscreant is asking for."
Hot tears rolled down Lyssa's face. "Mother, I swear I don't know where he is. He just left and—"
"Then I suggest you find him."
She stood in front of the dais and the Arch of Eron, her father nowhere to be found.
"You see, child?" Helmsley said, standing above her. "There are consequences for your actions."
"But I didn't do anything wrong," she cried, falling to her knees. "I've never done anything wrong."
She watched a tear fall to the ground—then, as if it were melting the floor itself, it fell straight through. The floor grew warm and sulfur filled her nostrils.
"Oh, but child, you have been wrong since the day you were born," Helmsley continued. The ground around her began to crumble and fall into a river of fire beneath her.
She looked up at Helmsley, petrified, but found it wasn't him—it was Sostas.
"You were supposed to be good."
"I tried!" Lyssa sobbed. "I tried to be good! Please! Please…please don't leave me…"
He paused and turned to look at her once more, his brown eyes staring directly into hers. "I have no use for a rotten soul."
And with that, she felt the ground give way beneath her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"No!"
She shot upright, her whole body shaking.
It took her a moment to remember where she was—to recognize she wasn't falling to her death. She covered her eyes with her sweaty hands, taking deep, gulping breaths to try to calm her thumping heart. The entire dream had been so real.
"Lyss?" Vel said, poking his head in. "Are you okay? I heard screaming."
"Fine," she said, unable to look at him.
"You look white as a sheet." He smirked. "You didn't dream about another cliff, did ya?"
"No," she whispered, heading straight into the bathroom to splash water on her face. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Well, you missed breakfast," Vel said, proffering a napkin. "Brought you a biscuit."
"Why was breakfast so damned early?"
"Duh," Vel said, looking at her through the mirror. To Lyssa's stumped reaction, he replied, "We have Temple this morning."
"Oh," Lyssa said, shades of her dream coming back to her. "Enjoy."
"Thought you might like to go."
"Why?" Lyssa grunted, wiping her face.
"Because it seems to me you could use some time to reflect," Vel said, as she took the biscuit from him.
"I don't need to reflect on anything," Lyssa said, brushing past him. "I've been to a Helmsley sermon before. All he does is take whatever's pissed Mother off that week and turn it into an hour-long diatribe."
"That's not true at all." Vel sighed. "He has very insightful and thoughtful presentations about how we can look at ourselves and make sure we're doing what is required to ascend to heaven—"
"Oh, well," Lyssa said, pulling on a clean shirt. "Maybe it's just when I attend that he spends the whole time not-so-subtly hinting about how terrible I am."
"Or maybe, his words ring so close to home that you can't help but feel like he's talking about you."
"No, I actually think Mother tells him to target me."
"Come with me. I'm going to prove you wrong."
"Fine," Lyssa said, slipping her mini-computer into her pocket. If anything, she could do some bounty hunting while she was stuck in there.
The sun was already hot, as evidenced by the waving fans blowing air into the faces of women in at least ten different layers of dress, between petticoats, slips, and the intricate outer dress. Each one gave her a disapproving (perhaps jealous) look as she waltzed by in her wrinkled pants and wrinkled shirt.
The Temple at the Manor was the very first building constructed on the planet. The spot was chosen because Leveman's Vortex was visible through the giant open window during the entire sermon, providing real incentive for the attendees to pay attention. The Vortex caught Lyssa's eye as she walked into the chapel, the rows of pews already filled with people milling about. Vel pulled her into the center of an empty pew near the front.
"No, I'd rather not be so close," Lyssa said.
"Nonsense, this is the best spot to see the Vortex."
"I've seen it enough," she muttered, helplessly looking around.
Her gaze danced across the murals painted on the walls, depictions of ancient travelers to the Vortex who'd tried to use trickery to get around the soul weighing. Mercurious stood behind his younger, more pious brother during the treacherous journey through Lethe, until his brother passed beyond the arch. Rongo used magic to transform himself into a child, but his soul was weighed just the same. Others that Lyssa couldn't remember lined the rest of the wall, each making it far enough to the soul weighing.
All of them had the same fate—falling into Plegethon, the terrible river of fire.
Just like her.
Lyssa's attention was drawn from the murals as Priest Helmsley came to the podium, shuffling about papers. Right next to him came Mrs. Dr. Sostas Peate, dressed in her very best temple outfit, exquisite green silk and a giant hat. She sat in her ordinate chair next to Priest Helmsley and darted her small eyes out across the audience.
Lyssa watched with dread as they landed squarely on her and a smug smile grew on her face. She tutted to Helmsley, who leaned over to her. His gaze rose until it met hers, and he reshuffled his papers, nodding.
"Good morning, all," he said, his voice echoing in the suddenly quiet temple.
"Good morning," a chorus of voices responded back.
"Blessed be our matriarch on this anniversary of the day her soul left the Great Vortex," he said, looking out in the crowd. "Blessings to the beautiful family she has created in her years since, a family that has dedicated themselves to the Great Creator and serving piously in His vision."
"Here we go," Lyssa muttered.
"Oh stop," Vel said, nudging her. "Not everything is about you."
"But some among us," he said, "some among us have strayed from the teachings of the scriptures. Some of us are living lives of falsehoods, of evil purpose. And no evil is more vile than that of perpetrating lies—especially to those who love us most of all."
Lyssa turned and gave Vel a pointed look. He intentionally ignored her, a forced happy look on his face.
"There is no shortcut to eternal bliss," Helmsley said, his eyes continuing to sweep over in Lyssa's general area. "Mercurious found this to be true. We recall how he followed behind his brother—his pious, good brother, who lived a life we could all envy—through the white fields of Lethe to Eron's Arch."
Lyssa nudged Vel. "Oh, is that supposed to be a dig at you? You haven't been living a very pious life lately—"
"Shut up. I love this story."
"You know how it ends," Lyssa said, looking at the man falling to his death in a fiery river.
"You know, you could at least try to be a little bit respectful."
"The both of you had better quiet down or I will make you be quiet!" Sera snapped from in front of them.
Lyssa responded by sticking her tongue out.
"You are such a child," Sera muttered before turning around.
"Mercurious," Helmsley continued, "thought he'd outsmarted the Great Creator, as he'd crossed the white fields of Lethe, and could even see the Arch of Eron—touch it almost. The moment his brother's soul passed beyond…"
"He fell to his doom into Plegethon," Lyssa muttered, as Helmsley boomed across the audience.
Her mini-computer buzzed. Looking around, she quietly pulled it out, looking at the missed video call she'd received from Sage. Knowing he would continue to bug her, she sent him a message:
Can't talk. What do you want?
After a few moments, he responded: Where ya been?
She looked around to see if anyone was watching her—they were all paying rapt attention to Helmsley's detailed story about how this Moronious or whatever-his-name-was burned for all eternity.
She turned back to her mini-computer and responded: Got dragged to Manor. Why?
She waited for a moment then received another message from him.
The Manor-Manor? As in your Mother's house? As in the place you swore you would never go to again?
She pursed her lips, annoyed. Yes, the Manor. What do you want?
You turned in the top bounty then disappeared from radar. Thought you'd strut around, seeing as your bounty just went up another 5M.
She switched applications to look at her bounty profile:
17) (No last name listed), Razia
Wanted For
Engagement in piracy, bounty hunting, kidnapping, aggravated assault, resisting arrest
Reward
15,000,500C
Known Aliases
None
Known
Accomplices
Tauron Ball, Sage Teon
Pirate Web Affiliation
Dissident
A smile grew on her face. This was it! This was the kind of thing she was looking for. Turn in a bounty, see an immediate increase in hers. Finally, people were—
"Quit looking at that thing in Temple," Vel said.
Lyssa made a face at him and turned back to her messages:
Dissident was sooo happy Journot was captured.
Lyssa frowned, typing back: He told me I'd embarrassed the web, said he regretted taking me off probation.
Bullshit. I've never seen him so happy. But you know him—he's too stubborn to admit when he's wrong.
Lyssa bit her lip and replied: Meaning what?
She waited with bated breath for his response:
Meaning he knows you're a damned good bounty hunter.
"Yes!" she hissed, louder than she'd meant to.
Helmsley, in the middle of describing the horrible pain that comes with burning in an eternal hellfire, stared at her with his mouth open. Mrs. Dr. Sostas Peate looked about ready to slaughter her.
Vel, on the other hand, simply plucked the mini-computer out of her hand and tucked it under his arm, smiling back at the two of them, as if the problem were now solved.
Lyssa sat back with her arms folded across her chest, but couldn't bring herself to be upset.
Dissident thought Razia was a good bounty hunter. And it was only a matter of time before she proved it to the rest of them.
***
2) Hardrict, Cree
Wanted For
Engagement in piracy, bounty hunting, hijacking, grand larceny
Reward
47,589,524C
Known Aliases
Bobby Kayden, Farrell Tadeusz, Brooks Henry, Knox Camron
Known
Accomplices
Finn Widemann, Warren Reiley, Bandit Scout, Kae Glenn
Pirate Web
Affiliation
Contestant
3) Loeb, Jarvis
Wanted For
Engagement in piracy, bounty hunting, hijacking, grand larceny
Reward
45,746,852C
Known Aliases
Arlo Gavigan, Robert Lee, Levon Gere, Roman Gibson
Known
Accomplices
Sebastian Wheldon, Terrell Willis, Kassian McCarrell, Axel Kayse
Pirate Web
Affiliation
Protestor
4) Lee, Linro
Wanted For
Engagement in piracy, bounty hunting, hijacking, grand larceny
Reward
41,054,500C
Known Aliases
Ed Maxwell, Libertad Lark, Mika Castro, Joseph Cavanaugh
Known
Accomplices
Royden Relleck, Enzo Rossi, James Rock
Pirate Web
Affiliation
Contestant
She scrolled through the different bounty profiles of the top ten—eager to take her pick of any of them. After rescuing her mini-computer from the clutches of Vel, who would only relent once Helmsley had completed his long-winded sermon, she'd trotted out into the intricately designed gardens of the Manor. She'd found herself a shady tree far away from the screaming spawn of her siblings, near one of the many artificial ponds dotting the landscape. She'd been there for what seemed like hours, enjoying the nice breeze and the occasional bird that landed on the lake.
"Here you are!" Vel said behind her. He plopped down next to her, wearing his running clothes and shoes, and sucked down his water. "I've been looking for you all afternoon."
"Why didn't you get me if you were going for a run?" Lyssa pouted.
"'Cause you disappeared after Temple," Vel said, his breath labored. "I've been running all over the place looking for you. Tried your ship, tried Father's lab—"
"It was unlocked?" Lyssa said, eyebrows raised, remembering her dream again. She couldn't figure out why it kept popping into the forefront of her mind, but it was starting to get old.
"No," Vel said, shaking his head. "But I knocked on the door for a few minutes before I realized you weren't in there."
"Nobody knows the code," Lyssa mumbled.
Vel sighed, sitting back against the tree and resting. "Beautiful day," he panted.
"Yup," Lyssa said, looking out into the pond. "So apparently Dissident was actually happy that I had captured Journot."
"What?" Vel said, looking over at her. "Really?"
"That's what Sage said," Lyssa said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"That's awesome," Vel said, gently nudging her.
"It's a relief, to be honest," Lyssa said, looking down at her mini-computer. "I was starting to question myself there…"
"Well," Vel said, looking at her curiously. "You can't actually think that the Great Creator wants you to be a bounty hunter, can you?"
Lyssa looked up sharply, but not because she was angry at Vel. Yet again, she was reminded of her dream, and what Sostas had said to her right before she woke up.
