It’s obvious what she’s doing. She’s hedging her bets. She wants to stay on my good side in case I become the next emperor. But I’m sure that’s not her first option — she most of all wants me dead. Or at least she wants my marriage to be found to be fake, which paves the way for Nerox to be emperor. He will be much easier for her to control. Even if he has to marry.
“Of course,” Umbra says, squeezing me. “I will do my best to keep him happy through his duties for the Empire.”
“Yes…” the Empress says. “Are you not worried, Umbra? About becoming empress? I can tell you it’s not as grand as it may look. Indeed my days are filled with worry for both my husband and the Empire. It feels like we’re surrounded by enemies, both here in the capital and in the galaxy. And the empress is at the center of it all. Right next to the emperor, of course. But perhaps you don’t plan to stay here? Perhaps you wish to live on your own planet, which must after all be more comfortable for you?”
“I will live where my husband tells me to live,” Umbra says simply. “I must follow his lead, as a wife.”
I suppress an amused smile. That’s not the Umbra I know. But she’s acting very well.
“Oh?” my mother says, taken aback. Then she collects herself. “Yes, of course you must. As must we all. I do hope there are no more attempts at your lives. I simply could not bear it if anything happened to you two. You will be careful, yes? And not leave thisapartment?” She glides to the door. “Well, I shall prepare for the reception. The venue has been moved, to thwart any assassins planning an attack at the Temple of Casut. It will now take place downstairs, in the Hall of Mirrors.”
Caret’ax opens the door.
The Empress turns. “There will be fireworks as soon as it is dark. I have arranged it especially, to celebrate that we now have a new princess. The various displays will spell out your name, Umbra. In our letters, of course, not the ones you are used to. But perhaps you should learn how to spell it in Khavgrese, so it would be nice if you could pay attention to them. The view should be wonderful from these windows.” She swishes out, and Caret’ax goes out behind her, closing the door.
“She seems very nice,” Umbra says. “We should have offered her something. A drink, perhaps. Or is that not the custom?”
“It is the custom to offer guests something like that,” I tell her, gnashing my teeth. This visit was more than just hedging her bets. Did my mother leave something? Perhaps a venomous beast of some kind? “But she knows that we just arrived and that she can’t expect us to be as hospitable as otherwise.” I start to examine the floor, in case there is an unwanted little visitor just waiting to pounce.
“So nice of her to come and check on us,” Umbra says for the benefit of the possible microphones, raising her eyebrows in an unspoken question. “I feel so much better now. Oh, look at the sunset! It’s magical!”
Indeed the sunset is wonderful, seen from the tower. The sky turns yellow and orange and red, and the houses of the palace take on the same colors. But I can’t relax and enjoy it. When mymother pretends to be kind is when she’s the most dangerous. She’s plotting something, and it may be too late to thwart.
“That is incredible,” Umbra says and points at a structure in the distance. “All those colors, shifting.”
“It’s a bridge being built,” I explain, giving up my search for a deadly critter. “It’s almost finished. It’s going to be nearly as tall as this tower. It’s all metal, and designed to reflect the light from the Khav sunset and sunrise. They are both famous sights throughout the Empire.”
“The bridge is a sight all of its own,” Umbra marvels. “It looks like it moves.”
“It’s well designed,” I agree with a shot of pride. “It doesn’t move at all, but it does appear to be. Even small shifts in the light will make it seem alive. Apparently it’s the same concept as a finely faceted gemstone that reflects the light. My love, let’s sit down. I’ll have refreshments sent up.”
I check the couch for crawling things and place Umbra on it before I call the palace majordomo.
Then I sit down next to her and nuzzle her hair close to her ear. “You’re doing very well. Everyone thinks we’re married.”
Umbra giggles as if I’ve tickled her. “You’re being very naughty— oh, is that the fireworks?” She bounces up and runs to the window. “Look! There’s so much of it!”
I join her by the window. It's not fully dark, but the fireworks display has been made extra spectacular to compensate. The window is soundproof and doesn't let any sound through, but the visual display is overwhelming. Bursts of brilliant emerald and sapphire streak across the twilight sky, exploding intoshimmering patterns that ripple outward like cosmic jellyfish. Fiery orbs of crimson and gold blossom silently. Their intense glow paint fleeting murals on the white city. Each silent detonation illuminates intricate archways and distant spires in a dizzying strobe.
I must admit to myself that it looks incredible, and I feel proud to be able to show it to Umbra.
“There’s someone on the bridge,” Umbra says and points. “They have an even better view than us.”
I squint. “You have sharp eyes— oh dark Dages!”
It’s a black circle with a thin rim of fire that seems to hang still in the air. It’s something I’ve only seen once before — a missile heading straight for me. It’s next to impossible to see against the fireworks display, and if I hadn’t been looking straight at the place it was fired from, I would never have spotted it.
I grab Umbra’s waist, throw her down, and curl up around her. “Missile!”
Our rings suddenly shine so bright that the room becomes like day. As I watch through the floor-to-ceiling window, the missile tumbles in the air until all I see is the rear of its rocket engine. It explodes with a bang, so loud even the armored windows can’t dampen it. Then there’s a hard rattle against the thick glass, as the debris from the explosion is sprayed across it.
“That was a missile,” I say weakly, making sure Umbra stays down. “But it didn’t hit. It exploded in thin air. After it changed direction.”
“It did feel that way,” Umbra says, her voice muffled but Bellatriz able to hear what she said. “I just wanted it gone.”
Caret’ax comes through the door like a meteor and throws himself on top of us. “We’re under attack!”
I can hardly believe what I saw — that missile did a complete turnaround in the air before it exploded harmlessly. “Not anymore, Caret’ax. Umbra dealt with it.”
