Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (best authors to read .TXT) 📗

actually, with more intrigue, adultery and regicide than any other known planet. It was the last of the governments to have signed a treaty with Solari, but it was a fragile peace, held together only by plea bargains and pay-offs.

Thalos IV loomed before them. The cruiser entered its thick atmosphere, fires flying off the shields. This planet did not have the best reputation, but it had been home once. Though its petty crimes were no match for the sins of the Thalonian royalty, it had a much worse reputation.

Fewer riches, I guess. Layela was surprised to smile at the thought of returning to the one planet she and her sister had spent the most time on. And, for once, she didn’t have to worry about what might be waiting for her.

Although she continued to worry about what was pursuing her, she doubted anyone would find her here, at the fringes of Solarian space. Not for a time, anyway. Maybe she would have enough time to convince Josmere to unlock her vision, so that she could plan her next move.

CHAPTER 15

Still smells the same,” Josmere mumbled as they broke free from the merchants littered around the Veruvian docks. Once landed, the shuttle bay had merely opened with no ceremony, leaving Josmere and Layela with little choice but to exit. Layela supposed it was better to get rid of the shuttle, anyway. The more trails they left to follow, the longer it would take for anyone to find them.

“Meat for sale! Good price!” a man shouted right beside Layela. She attributed most of the smell to his rather green slabs of meat.

The houses boasted two stories at most. The city had grown around the docks, which had been situated at the furthest point from the royal mansion, two hundred years ago. Then the royalty had taken over Thalos III and its new chemically generated atmosphere, and had moved there, abandoning their old royal mansion to the Solarian ambassador. The ambassador had died soon after, prey to a booby-trap. The trap was suspected to have been left there by the brother of the king, who had himself succumbed to a bad batch of wine the previous day.

Relations with Solari had been tense ever since.

“At least it’s not far, right?” Layela said as she sidestepped some running children. Josmere still blocked her nose and kept her head high. A few locals stared openly at her.

Layela guessed it had been a while since they had seen a Berganda in these parts, though many lived here just a few years ago — despite the ramifications of the ether wars — and for centuries before that.

“I never thought I’d come back,” Josmere whispered as she stopped in front of two large gates, ivy clinging to each metal bar.

“Is this it?” Layela asked, looking at the imposing gates. She had never thought that Josmere came from a well-to-do family, but to own so much land in Veruvia, one had to have riches.

Josmere didn’t reply, putting her hand on the gate and closing her eyes for a moment. The old metal shuddered, and the vines shifted, pulling the gates open for them. Layela held her breath. She knew a lot about plants, but never knew these vines to be mobile.

“The longer a plant stays with Berganda,” Josmere offered as way of explanation, “the more sentient it becomes.”

Layela stared at Josmere, and the Berganda gave her a crooked smile before walking through the gates. Seeing Josmere walk away from her, with no one watching her back, Layela felt her knees buckle and her pulse race. She swallowed hard and quickly followed, her breath short and ragged. Sweat broke across her forehead and down her back, despite the temperate day. Perhaps coming to Thalos IV hadn’t been such a great idea.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold then the vines slackened and the doors closed behind them.

Layela stumbled as she caught up with Josmere, intent on ridding her mind of the memories threatening to rampage. “How long do plants have to stay in contact with Berganda before gaining those abilities?” she asked between breaths.

“Too long for you to see it happen in your lifetime,” Josmere answered.

“Oh.”

Josmere smiled. They walked up a small hill, grass and wildflowers spread generously, no path breaking the colours. Layela felt guilty stepping on the generous plants.

“I’ve never seen any of these plants on this world before, and I don’t even recognize most of them,” Layela said, crouching to look more closely at some yellow flowers lined with burgundy. She wished Josmere felt more talkative, but was glad that at least the flowers gave her something on which to concentrate.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Josmere said. Layela stood, following Josmere’s pointing arm. The hill was flat, and only grass covered it. There was no structure there, or at least none that Layela recognized.

“Josmere, what…” she began to ask, but the Berganda motioned for her to join her. Layela did, standing beside her, still seeing nothing. The flowers ended just a step before them.

“Don’t tell me you’ve flipped,” Layela asked softly.

Josmere laughed and took Layela’s hand, pulling her forward as she stepped onto the plain grass. Layela felt something tingle on her skin and her mind reeled.

A second ago, it had been nothing but an empty field, but before her now was a forest a few acres wide. Flowers littered the fields leading to it and even the floor of the forest itself, as though the trees had chosen to let the sunlight through for the deep purple and red blooms. She strained her eyes and, as far as she could see, there was life: flowers, birds, even the leaves danced on a gentle breeze. A brook pooled into a small lake right before the forest, a variety of vivid orange, sunny yellow and unbelievably blue flowers lining its shores.

Layela took a deep breath infused with wild and soft perfumes. She turned to Josmere. The woman looked upon this beauty sadly; even her hair seemed more disturbed than pleased by the gentle