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  A long hot shower and a lot of scrubbing, and soon Banok was getting dressed up. At least Druid formalwear wasn't uncomfortable. Given their once more combative roles it was loose and designed to fight in.

  When Cleo met him for dinner it was in a stunning back dress that left one of her shoulders bare, the other covered with a silver depiction of a jaguar on a prowl.

  "Nice," Banok said.

  "Cleaned up nice yourself."

  "There anything I need to lie about?" Banok asked.

  Cleo took his arm and gave him a wry smile. "They built my ship, Banok. My very well-meaning and controlling parents built my ship. By now I'm sure they've cracked the logs and know everything I've been up to since my last visit. We're thieves and killers, why hide it?"

  Why indeed.

  Dinner wound up far more intimate than Banok was expecting. While he wasn't really expecting a great hall, it wouldn't have surprised him. Instead it was just him, Cleo and her parents around a small table.

  Cleo's mother, Hela, had that same predatory posture as her father, and was just as well armed.

  They'd barely started appetizers before her father moved right onto business.

  "So, Orcs," Eoman said.

  "What he means to say is, thank you for saving our daughter," Hela said to Banok.

  "Yes, yes. You have the friendship of the pack. Orcs," Eoman said.

  "I barely saw them before a building fell on me," Cleo said.

  "I killed two. Big, strong, well-equipped. Smarter than the legends say," Banok said.

  "We will repair your ship, and see you resupplied, but you should try to be on your way quickly," Hela said.

  Cleo glanced between her parents. "It isn't like the two of you to be afraid. I thought with trouble chasing me I'd have a fight on my hands to leave."

  Eoman glanced over at Hela. "It isn't that we fear the trouble you've brought with you. Trouble is already here. We've lost three ships in the past week."

  Cleo paused, a bit of food halfway to her lips before she set it down. "That isn't enough for you to be acting like this."

  "The Queen of the White Mountain was assassinated yesterday. There have been whispers, others turning up dead," Hela said.

  "You sought a refuge here, but you haven't found one," Eoman said.

  "I'll help. I'm good at solving puzzles," Cleo said.

  "Not half as good at sniffing out spies as some of your cousins, and you know it. We know what you stumbled into. We didn't know to keep your arrival a secret, and now it is too late to make it one. You know how the pups talk," Eoman said.

  Cleo glanced down towards her plate, silent.

  Banok thought he understood her a little more in that moment. As eager as she was to run away from home, she was eager to come back to it too. It must have been nice for her to know that whatever dangers she found herself in, there was always some place safe with a family who would welcome her.

  "Pity the assassin stupid enough to come for us," Banok said.

  Cleo flashed him a smile, brief but sincere. "How long for my ship?"

  "I've crews working nonstop. They say it will take two days," Eoman said.

  Banok vowed to stick close to Cleo for that time. If they weren't safe here, it was important they watch out for each other.

  The rest of the meal passed more companionably. Banok counted twenty-three distinct types of meat. Wealth was nice.

  14

  Given their recent fights for their lives, it seemed strange to have some free time, but until the Catspaw was repaired that was exactly what they were doing.

  They found themselves having a picnic. The park was anything but open to the public. Located on top of the towers of the city, it was exclusive and small. Despite its size it had some truly massive trees, a waterfall, and even a small stream.

  Cleo was wearing a sundress, the polka dots in some ways mirroring her spots. Nyx had gone for a green dress, in sharp contrast to her mechanic's outfit or heavy armor. For Banok it was druid robes, not quite as casual as the others, but his closets were filled with nothing else. It was understandable. Druids that traveled on business tended to stick to the look.

  "This is nice," Banok said.

  "Too fake, I never liked it," Cleo said, grabbing the picket basket from Banok's hand and setting it down. Drawing out a checkered cloth, she spread it over the grass.

  It might be artificial, but that didn't mean it was fake. Banok could feel the faint pulse of lifeforce from the trees, the grass. There were even bugs, although not so many as that they might interfere with picnics. After so long aboard a starship it was nice to feel such things again.

  Cleo settled down on the rug and Banok joined her as Nyx buzzed around their heads.

  "I like it. I think there are bees! It has been a long time since I punched a bee," Nyx said cheerfully.

  "No flamethrower?" Banok asked.

  "You know how often I get to win a fistfight? Not very! But I can totally take a bee! I mean, it isn't fair, they don't even have fists, but those are the best kind of fights," Nyx said, before zipping off towards one of the nearby trees.

  Cleo squinted after her. "Should I be worried?"

  Banok leaned over to grab a bottle of wine from the basket. "For the bees, probably. How you doing? Last night looked like it shook you."

  "They were actually worried. It surprised me. It is rare for wolves to be cautious. I was supposed to be one of them, you know," Cleo said, bringing out several neatly wrapped sandwiches.

  "Figured, you said that usually you chose your spirit. Did you have one all picked out? Or did your parents?" Banok asked, popping the wine. Pulling out glasses, he poured them each some.

  "Parents. Velesparia, the black wolf. She's a strategist, a finisher who loves being the one who goes for the throat," Cleo said, and shook her head, lifting her wine and taking a large gulp.

  "That would have suited you," Banok said, taking a sip too. It was exquisite, of course it was exquisite.

  Cleo laughed and glanced down. "Kind of becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, you know. Ever since I was a little girl I was training to host her. Learning strategy, learning to do the hard things without flinching."

  Off in the distance Banok could see Nyx surrounded by swarming bees. She seemed to be winning.

  "I can't tell if you resent that or not," Banok said.

  Cleo shrugged. "I don't know either. It made me strong, has kept me alive. Hard to regret either of those. What about you? Did you always know you were going to be a druid?"

  "Hardly," Banok said, shaking his head. "Grew up on a dying colony. One of those worlds that shouldn't have been settled until another century of terraforming, but a bunch of idiot assholes thought they'd get an early start."

  "A Tender came visiting? You said you used to be one," Cleo said.

  "Yes, me and my friends thought we'd rob the fool of her ship. Didn't quite work out like we expected. I wound up with three broken ribs and a long flight back with her to see someone better at healing," Banok said with a chuckle.

  "Yet you stayed?" Cleo asked.

  "Oh, I was young and tough, and so full of myself. I'd never had my ass handed to me like that. Course I stayed, I wanted her to teach me everything she knew. Uma Torildor, I wound up apprenticing under her," Banok said, unwrapping a sandwich and taking a bite. All meat, not even any cheese.

  Cleo was about to say something but paused, angling her head to the side and an expression of worry flickering across her face. "Hear that?"

  Banok didn't hear a thing except for the faint sounds of the waterfall.

  "Whatever has you on edge, I'm not hearing it," Banok said.

  "The perimeter screen. It ... buzzes. Kind of annoying," Cleo said, still frowning. Cleo hit her comm, "Nyx, get back here."

  The park must have a defensive perimeter. It made sense considering the sort of people that used it. Whatever sounds it made were outside of Banok's range of hearing, but Cleo's senses were sharper than his because of the
jaguar spirit.

  "I didn't bring any weapons," Banok said as he rose to his feet, extending his senses outward.

  Cleo reached into the picnic basket, pushing aside food and a bottom panel to pull out a pistol.

  Nyx rejoined them, flying a circuit around their heads, chased by a swarm of bees. "Little busy here, boss lady."

  "The security grid is down," Cleo said.

  There were groups of densely packed life signs, closing on the park.

  "Loaded shuttles approaching," Banok said.

  Nyx zoomed away from the bees, tapping furiously at the tiny comm on her wrist. "Maintenance channels down. Emergency channels down."

  "Got an emergency exit?" Banok asked.

  They'd been dropped off by shuttle, but their ride had already departed.

  "I always have an emergency exit. Servant entrance, built into the rocks around the waterfall," Cleo said, taking off at a run.

  Banok followed. Nyx and the bees pursuing her did the same.

  With a whirr a shuttle touched down in a clearing in the park, the hatch opening. At least it wasn't Orcs. Humans, though spirit-touched. Their eyes pools of black and exposed skin showing patchwork scales in shades of brown and green. They were dressed in light armor and carrying rifles.

  Cleo glanced back and cursed. They reached the waterfall and her hands explored the rocks, flipping aside a panel and flicking the switch beneath.

  "Take it they're not friends?" Banok asked.

  "Serpents. They don't get along with anyone, but coming after me risks a war. Their guns fire poison darts. Don't get hit," Cleo said.

  A second shuttle landed, more of the serpents disembarking.

  A woman with brilliant green and yellow scales and cascading black hair stepped forward. Unlike the others she was holding no weapon. She was almost heartbreakingly beautiful, and radiated danger.

  "We just want the druid, Princess. You and your other companion will be free to go once we have him," the woman said.

  The spirit in her was strong.

  "I didn't know the jade viper had a new host," Cleo said.

  "You've been away from home. I'm Deana, and you don't need to die," Deana said.

  The serpents behind Deana aimed their rifles.

  Cleo hit the switch again, nothing happened.

  Cleo aimed her pistol at Deana's head, "You want another replacement? I don't let my people go."

  "And I don't let a target get away. I'm told he won't be harmed, not that I really care." Deana wore a broad smile which showed pointed fangs glistening ominously.

  "We don't have a way out," Banok said.

  "Smart man," Deana said.

  "Not happening, Banok. You don't get to sacrifice yourself twice in a row on my behalf," Cleo said.

  Banok wasn't considering it casually. Even if he drew on his well there were just too many of them. It was a mystery why they'd want him, but one he'd have to figure out later.

  "Idiots," Nyx muttered as she buzzed overhead. "South side. I'll catch you." Then without a further word the fairy charged the serpents. It couldn't quite be said that she was alone—the bees following in her wake.

  Cleo grabbed Banok's wrists and pulled him behind her as she took off at a run.

  Darts peppered the rocks behind them.

  "Bees!" Nyx shouted as she dove down behind Deana's spine. The serpent leader flailed as a swarm of buzzing insects surrounded her.

  "This isn't a good idea when they were jamming our frequencies," Banok said.

  "I only keep company with the best," Cleo said, breathless as she ran ahead of him. Ahead the park ended abruptly in sky, the edge of the building. Cleo didn't even slow as she reached the edge and leapt over.

  If she was going to die, it wasn't going to be alone. Banok followed her, stomach dropping as he began to fall.

  Seconds later he fell hard on top of Cleo, their descent abruptly stopped by the padded walls the Catspaw's airlock. Seconds later Nyx was plowing into his back. A good hundred bees were the next to pile on.

  15

  Taking the pain away from a dozen bee stings probably cost Banok another few days of life somewhere down the line. Judging from Cleo's expression every time she moved, it was a trade that was well worth it.

  As soon as they boarded the Catspaw, Cleo ordered them out of the system. Her parents wouldn't be happy, and the ship wasn't fully repaired or restocked, but she didn't want to bring any more trouble to her parents' door. Banok couldn't blame her for that.

  They'd gathered in the ship's salon where Cleo was already busy soothing her aches with whiskey.

  "So you have to have some idea why they'd want you?" Cleo asked.

  That was the question. Banok had been thinking it over, trying to figure that out.

  "The only thing I can think of is the amulet," Banok said.

  "It's destroyed. Even if they thought it wasn't, they'd know you haven't got it. Why go after you?"

  "I touched it, used it, however briefly. I'm the only person alive who has," Banok said.

  Cleo frowned at that, absently scratching at one of her stings before wincing. "Does that make a difference?"

  "Whoever wanted that amulet wanted access to the power connected to it. That power isn't destroyed, even if the amulet is. They might be hoping some channel still exists in me and they can pry it open."

  "So, we're back on to getting you to the Council," Cleo said, taking another swig of whiskey before slamming her glass down. Pulling a tablet from the far end of the bar, she tapped keys and brought up a holographic star chart.

  "The Azure Way is going to be the best-defended route there," Banok said.

  Cleo tapped away, highlighting the route. "A trade route with regular patrols from three different kingdoms. Normally I'd agree, but I did mention to you how Orc ships seemed to be trying to isolate them? I'm marking major sightings in red."

  Red blooms appeared on the map. A massive one cut through a section of the Azure Way.

  Cleo frowned and leaned back to study the map, "We could cut along the Weylon border, but that would bring us straight into the middle of a warzone."

  "I'd rather dodge warships not flown by Orcs," Banok said.

  "I'd rather not dodge any. Just how repaired are we?" Cleo asked Nyx.

  Nyx was sitting on the edge of a glass of water, feet dangling within as she leaned back.

  "Your people did a pretty good job. I mean not as good as I would have, but you know, not bad for people not me. We've got engines, we've got fuel, we've got life support," Nyx said.

  "Guns and defensive systems?" Cleo asked.

  "We aren't going to win a shootout against a warship," Banok said.

  "But we might win one against pirates. There are routes we could try that," Cleo said.

  "We have weapons, but they only replaced half our energy regulators. We can do a few shots, but then we'll need a long cooldown if we don't want to blow them," Nyx said.

  Cleo drummed her fingers on the table for a moment and then grinned. It was the grin she reserved for big trouble.

  Soft spots allowed for rapid transit between stars. When and where they existed, they were largely considered public resources, and woe to those who didn't treat them as such.

  The Empire of Galnyx didn't share that opinion.

  A massive construct surrounded the soft spot, a heavy wire framework studded with weaponry that allowed access only through a single, long channel. Gates controlled entry, two on either end of the channel. One was always sealed, allowing the regulation of traffic.

  It had made what was once a popular trade route a far less used one, the fees for access through the lock being exorbitant.

  If one wanted to escape attention this wasn't the place to do it, but so far the Orcs had paid only scant attention to this route.

  That only meant so much. It hadn't been the Orcs really pursuing them. Clearly other forces were at work throughout space, eager to get a hold of them.

  Everyone gathered on the
bridge.

  "You sure about this?" Banok asked.

  "No," Cleo said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "My research on this one is years out of date—for a job that never wound up happening. I was confident then, but we've no way of knowing what might have changed."

  They were holding back, watching vessels traverse one at a time into the lock.

  "Cleo is almost as smart as I am. An idiot like you wouldn't understand," Nyx said. "Besides, this one totally depends on me and we all know how my plans always work out."

  "You just say that because you didn't get stung last time," Banok said.

  "If you'd spent your time productively punching bees instead of looking all wide-eyed at Cleo they'd have respected you too," Nyx said.

  "Oh, I could start punching something now," Banok said.

  Patrol cruisers criss-crossed before the lock, with merchant vessels waiting as the gate on this side began to close.

  Cleo tapped the display before her and a clock began ticking down.

  Nyx said, "Like you could hit me. Slow, slow, slow. I mean not just mentally, that goes without saying, but rather, slow in every single possible way."

  "Cleo ..." Banok said.

  "You two can have your boxing match later. We'll sell tickets," Cleo said, with her eyes never leaving the ticking clock.

  The gate had almost fully shut when she tapped controls again, triggering a program she'd already entered into the system.

  The Catspaw shook as the engines went from idle to full emergency power, maneuvering jets angled backward and firing as well to provide them just that tiny bit of extra thrust.

  The Catspaw was a fast ship normally. With the engines going like this it would have taken a dedicated racing craft to catch up to them. The patrol craft certainly weren't going to do so, and as the gun emplacements opened up their shots all went wide. Their calibration wasn't anticipating a ship moving this fast—it was outside of their parameters. So far, so good.

  They squeezed through the gate just before the gap narrowed impossibly behind them.

  In the channel a long row of merchant ships sat, waiting for the gate on the other side to open. The Catspaw squeezed past them at full speed, heading for the opposite gate.