Kaldean Chronicles: Kaldean Sunset (Book I) Read online

  “Can I offer you anything?”

  “No, thank you.” The Emperor sighed. His chair was far from comfortable. “I don't know how this is done. I've seen it happen, but it's usually a lot different.”

  “What's on your mind?”

  “Well, I like you. I like your company and I like the business relationship that we've developed. I want the people to recognize that relationship, and in order to do that, I'd like to build a personal relationship between our two families.”

  Varossi caught onto the Emperor's eyes and didn't let them go. “Is he a good man, Victor?”

  “Better than I am,” he said with a shrug. “I understand your reluctance, Arturo. It's a big decision, but trust me when I say it's the right decision.”

  “How do I know?”

  “Well, you can sit down and talk with Antoni if you'd like. You can get to know him. Mind you, I'd like things to be completed within the next few months, but you will have that time to make sure that it's the right thing to do.”

  “It's the age difference I'm worried about. He will live so long and s—

  “Lifespan can be extended. We will perform the procedures on everyone, though you and your wife will not live as long.”

  “Of course.”

  “Please, don't you understand what's at stake?”

  Arturo was well aware of the fact that he had an Emperor begging him for the one thing he treasured most in the world. “I don't understand, Victor. Nobody understands. You won't tell anyone what is going on.”

  “It's the Lorian Sisterhood. They created the system, and they've done something to it, something that could kill everyone in the regions where they are located. I have to wrestle control of the system away from them. I believe it's a threat to my sovereignty.” That was the first time he'd told anyone outside his close circle what was happening.

  “Is it a threat?”

  “Most certainly, but if I can keep them from controlling production, which they're begging me to let them handle, then I believe I can stop them from doing any more damage. The problem is they are already telling the people that they want to make the bots themselves, and that I'm not allowing them to do so. If we can handle this affair properly, over time, the people will begin to associate your company with the royal family and we will be able to stake our claim on the manufacturing process.”

  Arturo nodded his head.

  “You will never go without work, and your company will last for thousands of years.”

  “I can't just do this without meeting him.”

  “It will be arranged within the week. Let me get the boy used to the idea. I haven't told him yet. He's headstrong and he might not like it.”

  “Alright. I will keep in contact. I'm working on a stronger design. I'll send over the designs to you within a few days for your approval.”

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter 12: Martyrdom

  “Get off me! Fuck you!” Victor had ahold of his son's ear and was forcibly dragging him to the space folder. His face was blood red. He was going to have the boy cut up into tiny pieces.

  He threw Antoni into the ship. “Don't you ever, ever embarrass me like that again! Do you hear me?”

  “Fuck you,” he spat in his father's face, and the man turned his lip up in disgust at the pungent smell of whiskey.

  The Emperor closed the space between them and pulled his son up by the collar. His face was less than an inch away, so close that breath was pouring over Antoni's face. “Sit down, Antoni, and don't say a fucking word until I tell you to, or so help me god you will visit the interrogators.

  The boy slumped down to the ground when his father let him go and promptly took a seat in the bench at the back of the ship. Magnus was behind the Emperor and took that chance to get into the ship and sit next to the boy.

  “I'll send an escort later for you,” Victor told the Jihadi, who left quickly. Victor sat down next to his son and kept his eyes straight. “There's nothing wrong with loosening your tongue a little bit, but you can't just drink an entire gallon of whiskey and puke all over a noble's bathroom.

  “I didn't drink it all to myself.”

  Victor went silent. “Was it worth it?”

  “No,” he looked like he wanted to cry.

  “There are some things best left alone, you know.” Victor knew that look. “We aren't meant to congregate with the public.”

  “Well, why not?”

  “Because they can be dangerous. They might try and hurt us. They might break our hearts.”

  That struck a chord and the boy shrunk. “Why can't I leave. I just wanna fly around and see things. It's not—everyone my age has a ship. They tell me these amazing stories. Have you traveled.”

  “Yes, and you will too, but only when you're older.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you have things to learn. They don't. Their lives are easy. They might have to work for a living, but they don't have the responsibility you have. You have to carry the galaxy on your shoulders, and it takes a long time to learn that before you can just go traipsing around climbing mountains and trying to get yourself killed. And believe me when I say, Antoni, you will have the chance.”

  “Not yet.”

  “No, and you'd just better get used to it. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I'm bored. I can't talk to people. I can't leave. You're teasing me with these fucking pointless trips. I don't know what to do!”

  Victor found himself sitting in the meeting hall with his father staring down at him. He had taken at least 6 doses of the highly potent hallucinogen vorya, and was beginning to feel like he could fly around the room, but he could still hear his father's voice and what was going on around him.

  He told his father how much he hated staying in the palace, how he wanted to explore and see the galaxy, but the man wouldn't hear it. He never had any patience for his son. He was always dealing with other things. He told the boy that he was to do as he was told and accept the reality of his life.

  Now, Victor understood why things were the way they were. It was too dangerous for Antoni to go out and risk his life. There were too many threats out there. He could get lost in a crowd and wind up dead because of some dissatisfied citizen, or end up marooned in a system on the other side of the Milky Way. This happened, but they couldn't happen to Antoni. He was too important, and if he died, the dynasty would cease to exist. The Lorian Sisterhood would seize their chance and take control as soon as his heart stopped beating.

  Victor had to say the same thing he always said, because that was the truth. “There's a lot at stake.”

  “I don't care.”

  “You will.”

  Chapter 13: Fever Dream

  Antoni slunk down on his bed, vaguely aware of where he was and what he was doing, but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was the water pressing against him, pulling him towards those lips. He'd fall over and they'd float together in a sacred dance, twisting and turning with their bodies intertwined in a sweet embrace.

  He could get lost in her soft brown eyes like chocolate and opium, a heavenly mix of color. Dhana wasn't just a woman. She was the perfect expression of the human form—her shape and movements reflected the power of the cosmos and a star’s ability to inspire.

  Her stories.

  He'd take in every word, compelled by the fantasy as he watched her fingers twirls twirl through her black curls. He should've kissed her. He would kiss her if he ever got the chance again, and he might. Their fathers were doing business together, but she probably wouldn't let him, not after the way he ran away like that. She probably wouldn't even come around him.

  How could he do that to her? Didn't he realize what he'd given up. Just a few minutes with her—it would've been heaven. He could've slipped in the water, and held her close, let her arms wrap around him while the tide carried them wherever they wanted to go. It was like he'd given up freedom and traded it in for the stringent conventions of palace lifestyle. That
's exactly what he'd done, and he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

  It wasn't just lust, though that was certainly there. It was her way of being. She was rough, not dainty like other women. She didn't have a problem speaking openly. He couldn't just sit down with people and have an honest conversation. She took it to another level. She told him exactly how she felt, and she didn't leave anything out. He needed somebody by his side that was going to give him an honest answer. She would keep him grounded.

  He also needed adventure and she could provide that. He should’ve left with her. It wouldn't have mattered whether or not he had nice clothes or servants on call. He could survive on foraging and hunting so long as he got to see what was out there with her by his side. He might be afraid, and it might be terrifying, but she would make it easier.

  He didn't sleep much. He just lay on his back, staring up at the 3D projection of the stars above his bed. He wanted to impose her face on his ceiling so he could look at it all the time, but it wouldn't have been a good idea, because he would just be reminded of the fact that he couldn't be with her. They couldn't cross the divide between classes.

  When morning came and the chime above his bed started going off, he rolled out bed and realized just how sick he was. He could barely think. His head felt like it was being crushed in a vice. Every bit of light and sound assaulted him. He was going to go insane.

  He ran into his closet and used his console to call for a servant. The young man rushed in and waited at the entrance to his closet holding a glass of red liquid.

  “What is that?”

  “Your father had it prepared. He said you would need it.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “No. Please forgive me,” he muttered softly.

  “What?” He was confused.

  “He told me to say that you're an idiot, and that he shouldn't be helping you at all. I'm to make sure you drink the whole thing.”

  Antoni sighed. He had no way of knowing what the liquid was, but his father was forcing him to drink it so he had to. He walked over and grabbed the cup. It was hot, but not too hot. He opened his mouth and prepared himself. The liquid burned like acid. “I'll fucking kill him.”

  “Drink it.” The boy was shaking so badly that he looked like he was about to drop the platter he was holding.

  Antoni tried to ignore the feeling but he couldn't. The unbearable pain burned through his esophagus and burst out his stomach, consuming his organs. He lost his vision, and fell onto the ground with the empty glass in his hand. He couldn’t help it. He started wailing, begging for it to stop, but it didn't. It kept going for what seemed like eternity, until it finally subsided and he could see again.

  He looked up to see the boy cowering the corner, staring at him like he was ready to die. Antoni had a strong urge to go after him and pound his head in. He got up to do it them realized that the pain of hangover was gone. That piece of shit added the acid into a hangover cure.

  “Get Magnus, now!”

  Within two minutes the prince was running down the hallway with his drunken guard closely behind him, ready to slit his father's throat.

  He slammed in the doors to the meeting hall rushed at Victor like a rabid beast with his fists flailing. “Just what the fuck do you think you're doing. Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!” He bashed his father in the head, and the guards approached, but Victor held them at bay.

  He pushed his son to the ground.

  He tried to get up, but Victor was able to hold him back. “Your hangover’s gone isn't it?”

  “You piece of shit!”

  The old man started laughing. “Just sit the fuck down. Put it in there to teach you a lesson. You're fine.”

  “I'll have that shit injected in you every single day when you're on your death bed.”

  “Fine.” He couldn't stop laughing.

  “Fuck you,” Antoni whispered.

  “Shut up and listen to me.” Victor pulled a tablet off the table. “There's something important I want to talk to you about.”

  “What? I'm not going on one of those fucking expeditions.”

  “Not one. Four. That’s why I gave you something for your hangover. I should’ve let you suffer.”

  Antoni moved to get up, but his father’s guards didn’t look like they were going to put up with another attack.

  “First we have to deal with something else. I spoke with Arturo Varossi last night about a very important matter. I want to cement a relationship between our family and their company and in order to do that, I've asked him to allow you to marry his daughter Dhana.”

  Antoni jolted up. He went from wanting to kill his father to wanting to hug him. “Really?” His voice took on a dreamy quality.

  “Sounds like you've met her.”

  The prince wasn't going to tarnish the experience by telling his father about it. “She was at the party last night.”

  “How do you feel about this?” Victor was essentially asking him whether or not he was attracted to her. It was uncomfortable. No boy wants to talk to his father about the girls he likes, especially one as young as Antoni, but he had to answer the question.

  “Can we do it today?”

  Victor laughed. “No. You're not to see her until the ceremony. I mean that. She will be visiting the palace. I don't want you up there,” he pointed at the grate above the table, “staring down her shirt. I don't want you bragging about this. I need you to be respectful. This is a delicate matter. I will also need to sit down with the girl and decide whether or not she's right for you.”

  Antoni nearly shot up, wide-eyed, ready to protest all of his father's potential rejections.

  “I'm sure she's wonderful. I've never met her, but from what I've heard she's a lot like you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Strong willed, intelligent, and fair minded. But none of that matters. What matters is whether or not her father likes you. I want this to go through, honestly, we need this. Arturo doesn't have the same investment in this deal as we do. He's voiced his concerns. He wants to meet you and see if he likes you for his daughter. You know how that can be.”

  “Yeah. I'm fucked.”

  “No, you're not. You just need to act right. This is the kind of guy that wants a respectful man, but one who knows how to fight dirty. That's Arturo. You are all of those things and more.”

  “I don't like him.”

  “He's fake, but in closed quarters you two would get along. I've arranged for you two to meet tonight. I need you ready.”

  “Alright.”

  Antoni only had blurred images of what happened after he left. Dhana. He vaguely remembered vomit streaming out his mouth and Magnus dragging him out of the house. He had fought with his father, but what he remembered most about that time was laying down on his bed thinking about how he'd never get to kiss Dhana. In a series of hysterics and dramatic displays, he fell into a deep depression, but the night was over, and his depression had lifted.

  Now he was faced with the very real possibility that in a few weeks time he would be walking into the audience chamber holding her hand. He'd kiss her in front of the entire kingdom. She'd smile and maybe even tear up.

  She wanted him to leave with her, and he would. He'd have years to roll through the waves and pull her into his arms. They'd kiss on the beach, and run through alien meadows. She'd have hair streaming behind her with the sun on her face. He'd look over every night and see her sleeping beside him. Antoni was moving sliding, twisting and turning through a tempest of emotions, clearly evident by his father's stare and the smile that crept over his lips.

  “I knew it was a girl last night,” the man laughed.

  Antoni almost ran up and stormed out in embarrassment, but they still had business. He just held his head low and avoided his father's giddy smile.

  “We'll have you travel to the Torrant system, where they are testing models to replenish their planets atmosphere. Atmos, their main planet is having problems with global warming
so we built nano bots to release into the atmosphere to rebuild it, and eat up the greenhouse gases.”

  “Is there anything in particular I should be looking for?” Antoni asked. He tried to keep his mind on business, but his stomach was twirling.

  “Respiratory and skin disease. I want to see if the bots are releasing chemicals or any foreign agents at all. They are to work properly, and I want to make sure that they aren't doing anything beyond their original programming. The system should only have control of the movements of the bots, sensors, and the amount of chemicals they are releasing.”

  “Okay. You're reigning it in when possible.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Does the sisterhood know?”

  “They have full access to the system. I've received several messages about it this morning, and they appear to be speaking local leaders, trying to influence them to utilize the system's full capabilities.”

  “Has anyone gone against you?”

  “No, but there's rumors.” Victor got up and started pacing around. He only did this when he was nervous. “If they start working local leaders, they will bypass my efforts, and begin to undermine my authority. Unless I can control the governors, I'm powerless. After that, all I have is my army.”

  “We should launch a campaign to stop that from happening, find ways to make them happy.” It might not be enough, but it was the only thing Antoni could think of.

  “I'm planning a multi-pronged approach. I'll begin researching local issues and work to resolve them in the governor's favor.”

  “How long have they been speaking with local leaders?” Anotni hadn't heard anything about this before, so it must not have been long.

  “A few days, but that's long enough. They've been sending out hordes of priestesses.”

  “What about the other planets? The system is a big priority and has to be addressed.”

  “There are three mining planets. I want to make sure that the robots are handling the operations perfectly without causing health hazards. It's routine, but I want to keep an eye on the governor. He's been asking me to allow the system to search for ore.”