The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 7.3

Malvarak was debating whether to risk the Emperor's wrath by interrupting to remind him that they were overdue for departure when he emerged from the living quarters. "We may leave now," he said.

"Where to, Your Majesty?"

"The first planet on the list. She wants to see it, to decide."

"Very well, Your Majesty. But we must not linger there. We cannot afford to be seen."

"I know that!" he snapped. "Do as I say, and stop quibbling with everything I decide!"

Malvarak bowed his head, concealing his expression of triumph. The Emperor bore every sign of a guilty conscience. It was too much to hope that he had been able to erase Sabrina entirely, but she would not be a problem again. Not until it was too late, anyway. "The coordinates have been entered, Your Majesty."

"Very well." Ford took the controls himself, though Rudolf was standing by, and expertly piloted the ship out of orbit before opening the Way.

"Your touch is improving," Malvarak noted, pleased. "Does Your Majesty plan to travel once we are settled in with the Reissians? It would be a shame to let your piloting skills fade with disuse."

"I do not ever want to be confined again," Ford said grimly. Then his expression lightened as Kestabriani entered the control deck, wearing a simple blue dress that set off her green eyes. A string of blue gems woven through her braids gave luster to her dull brown hair. She kept her eyes downcast as she came to stand beside Ford, who reached out and took her hand. "How are you, my dear? Rested?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied softly.

Malvarak bowed slightly in her direction. "I'm pleased to see you well again, my lady."

She risked a quick glance at him. "I thank you for your concern for my health," she murmured.

Ford let go of her hand and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her close. "Would you like to see where we're going, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord."

He pulled up a star chart on the viewscreen. "Right there," he said, pointing.

"I thought you would have a picture of the land," she pouted. "This means nothing to me."

He grinned at her and gave her waist a squeeze, nuzzling at her ear. She giggled and squirmed against him, then caught sight of Malvarak out of the corner of her eye and stiffened. Ford looked over at Malvarak in irritation. "Perhaps you'd like to go and rest," he suggested.

Malvarak yawned lazily. "What an excellent idea, Your Majesty. Thank you."

Not until they heard the door to his room slide closed behind him did Sabrina dare step away from Ford. He grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes in amusement. "You're a better actress than I remember," he whispered.

"Speak only when spoken to and have absolutely no original ideas. What could be easier?"

"For you that's quite a stretch." His fingers were already moving on the control board. "Are you sure we don't want to make a run for it? The Reissian ship is just in tow right now—I'm certain I could get us away cleanly."

"Malvarak has to have thought of that. He's got to have a contingency plan. I don't want to find out what it is. Let's just play along until we can get help."

"I think you're giving him too much credit. I can keep him out of our way."

"Only by wielding Pharon crystal energy again. I just got you back. I don't want you to become the Emperor again."

"Too much of a brat for you to handle, eh?"

Sabrina shook her head at him. "You are not going to trick me into criticizing your behavior so you can hold it against me later."

"You're so cute when you're paranoid."

"Do you think he's asleep yet?" she said softly, glancing toward the living quarters.

Ford concentrated for a moment; she could feel him push slightly with his mind. "He is now."

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Using this power doesn't necessarily deprive me of my identity," he replied, frowning at the control board.

"What's the matter? Why is it taking so long?"

"Long-range communications have been disabled."

"What?"

Ford stepped back from the control board, his knuckles whitening as his hands clenched into fists. "He's been messing with my ship!"

"What about the distress beacon?"

"The Reissians would pick it up. Unless you've changed your mind about ditching them?"

She shivered. "I wish I thought we could. Plan B, then? You leave me on this planet, and I'll call for help from there."

"No. They made a point of telling me there are Reissian operatives on all the planets they picked. You'd be followed."

"And killed." She shivered again, rubbing at her arms.

Ford grabbed her into a suffocating hug. "I'm not going to let them hurt you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you."

With her arms pinned against his chest, all she could do was say, "I know. I know. But what are we going to do? Is there some way Rudolf could help?"

"I didn't give him any long-range capabilities. The power source would have been too clumsy. I can set him to repairing the communications array, though." Ford turned to face the little android. "Rudolf. Run a diagnostic on the communications system and make any repairs indicated. Do not tell anyone what you are doing, and do not let Malvarak see you at work."

"Yes, Master." Rudolf turned to work on the backup console.

"That may be a bit much for him to handle," Ford said.

"We have to at least try," Sabrina said. "Could you, um, let go of me now?"

"Sorry."

She gave him a reassuring smile as she answered the query in his head. "No, you weren't always this excitable. Don't worry about it. You drove me nuts sometimes being enigmatic."

"That's all done with, I imagine, since you've been in my head."

"I don't claim to have understood what I've found there," Sabrina informed him with mock solemnity.

"Good. I'd hate to think I was at a disadvantage." He frowned. "There's no distance to links—I'm remembering that correctly, yes?"

"Yes. Mara and Tirqwin have been known to chat with half the galaxy between them."

"Then I wonder if I could contact someone that way."

"It would probably have to be someone you already share an affinity with," Sabrina said, remembering what he'd said about his telepathic sense on Pharo. "But not Mara. The resonance dissonance would be extreme."

"For all Miahns, I would think." He frowned. "What about your brother? He's not Miahn, and not fully Wayfarer. And I have sort of an affinity with him, from all that time I spent helping you sort out his memories."

"Maybe we could work together," Sabrina said, clasping her hands in excitement. "Let's try."

He grinned at her and held out his hand, which she took. "Come on. This is going to require some deep concentration, and it'll be tiring. Let's do it in bed. It'll add verisimilitude to our cover."

"Oh, I don't know. I think the Emperor's the instant gratification type. He probably wouldn't bother getting out of his seat."

"Ooo, I love it when you're naughty," he chuckled.