The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 7.5

Ford was tired and headachy when he left his quarters, so he didn't sense Malvarak's presence on the control deck until he nearly ran into him. "Ah. I trust you rested well?" he said.

"Yes, thank you, Majesty. And you?"

"Tolerably. I will be glad to touch a planet's surface again. Are we nearly there?"

"We are approaching orbit. Are you sure you want to go down, Your Majesty? We hardly have a proper security detail for you."

"Kesta wants to see it, and I want to go with her," Ford replied. "Otherwise it's hardly worth our trouble to have come here, is it?"

"But she must be leaning toward staying with you," Malvarak smirked. "Or was that a good-bye?"

"What passes between us is not your concern," Ford snapped. "Do not trouble me with your thoughts on the subject unless you want me to go in and remove them myself. It will not be a pleasant process!"

"There is no need to descend to threats, Your Majesty. I merely meant to assuage any...concern you might feel on the matter."

"When I want your reassurance, I will ask for it."

Malvarak bowed. "Do you wish to take the controls, Your Majesty?"

"Yes." Ford took over the main console and checked the readouts. A few moments later he moved the ship smoothly into orbit, and shortly thereafter Sabrina appeared on the control deck. Ford was tired enough that her disguise as Kestabriani was not as strong as before; Malvarak looked at her lighter hair and darker complexion with narrowed eyes but did not comment.

"Ready, my dear?" Ford asked, offering her his arm. She took it, and they went into the transport capsule. "Malvarak, hold the ship in orbit until we return."

"I would rather come with you to personally ensure your safety," Malvarak said.

"And I would rather have you stay with the ship," Ford retorted.

"An escort will meet you when you arrive," Malvarak said, bowing to the inevitable.

"Thank you," Ford said, closing the capsule door. When he opened it again, it was to a lovely vista of amber grasslands, with a copse of small reddish trees in the distance.

"It's beautiful," Sabrina said, taking a deep breath. "It almost smells like Earth."

Ford was looking around with more purpose. "I wonder where our escort is?"

"I hope they get permanently lost," Sabrina said firmly. "Let's walk."

They set off through the tall grass, which whispered around them. After a moment, Ford said, "You're not still angry with me, I hope?"

"I realize you didn't set out to make me relive that," she replied slowly. "But if you ever have occasion to rummage through my memories again, I'd appreciate it if you'd avoid the ones I have locked away."

"It wasn't working. I needed something with strong emotional resonance."

"So you thought it'd be a good idea to make me relive Rayland's murder?"

"Ssh!" Ford hissed, looking around. "I wish you'd let your guard down so we didn't have to speak aloud."

"I'm not letting you back in my head ever again, if I can help it." Sabrina set her jaw, still looking straight ahead. She swallowed, then said in a softer voice, "Aside from how traumatic it was for me, I always hoped Scotty would never know how horrible it was. If that worked at all, I no longer have even that comfort."

"We'd better hope it worked, or Scotty will have much bigger problems than a new memory," Ford reminded her grimly.  "Malvarak has a plan for me, and he must have some means for controlling or perhaps submerging my true personality. He has to realize the Pharon crystal resonance will wear off eventually. If we don't defeat him before we're ensconced in Reissian space, we may well end up causing a war."