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  Then Alan slammed the doors shut, leaving Robin alone to ponder his words. They echoed in his head and, it seemed to him, the room around him.

  Chapter 13

  Prisoners

  Later that night, Robin woke with jerk. Breathing hard, like he had just finished a long run, he looked around his room. He fell back against the pillow and inhaled deeply, trying to slow his racing heart.

  For a time, he simply lay there, holding his bracelet over his heart. The dream flashed through his mind, as it had the night before, and the night before that.

  He was in his armor, surrounded by attacking enemies. In the distance, he saw his father looking out at him.

  No matter how many enemies Robin fought and dispatched, four new ones took their place.

  Slowly but surely, he drew closer and closer to his father despite their growing numbers. Yet piece by piece, his armor was stripped from him until all he had left was a single plasma saber.

  As Robin dispatched another enemy, he leapt over a large crevasse. Around him, others fell into the darkness below. With arms and legs pumping, he soared through the air before coming down on the other side with a roll.

  Regaining his feet, he raced forward. Whenever an obstacle appeared, he leapt, slid under, rolled, or powered through it. Finally it seemed like nothing was in his way to reach and save his father.

  Then he realized that despite how fast he was running, things around him were slowing down. An invisible force was pulling him back.

  “Dad!” he yelled, reaching for his father. “Dad, take my hand!”

  His father slowly looked from Robin’s hand to his face but made no move to take it.

  “DAD!” he screamed again.

  Then he was yanked back off his feet, and only darkness surrounded him.

  The light of the crystal pulsed a fraction faster beneath the cloth that covered it. Alan’s words reverberated through his mind. He reviewed the events of the past few days over and over. Still cursing himself over losing Freya, he briefly allowed his thoughts to drift back to his father. Then, as he struggled unsuccessfully to sleep on the softest, most comfortable bed ever, he tried to stop his memories from going deeper.

  The next morning, Robin walked down the hall after his nearly sleepless night. He rounded the corner but paused when a familiar scent filled his nose. Sniffing, he looked left and then right. His eyes rested on a set of gilded doors. For a second, he wondered what to do.

  Steeling himself, he walked over and knocked on the door.

  “Enter,” Marian’s voice replied.

  He took a breath and did just that.

  As he closed the door behind him, he saw her enter the living room area from a side room, her dress swishing as she moved, a book in hand. “Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, fingering her necklace.

  After eyeing the simple cheap knotted metal bobble, he dismissed it. Thinking a child made it for her.

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “But I believe I owe you something.”

  Clearly startled, she jutted her chin back and frowned at him. “What do you owe me?” she asked, still fingering her necklace.

  “An apology,” he admitted, and her frown deepened. “Since the auction when you… bought me…” he began, and he saw her lips twitch as he stepped further into the room, “I guess you could say I haven’t been the most gracious of guests…to my fellow prisoners.” He ran his hand along a sofa as he walked.

  At first, Marian didn’t respond. Then she murmured, “Come with me.” She nodded toward her balcony doors.

  Following her outside, Robin watched her lean against the marble railing.

  “Tell me, Ryuu,” she said, “what do you see?” She nodded at the land before them.

  It was his turn to frown as he moved forward. “I see mountains, prairie, forests, herds of animals, small villages in the distance,” he said, walking forward to stand beside her.

  She kept her eyes on the scene before her. “I see all that you see,” she said softly. “But I also see the two billion people on this planet. And the fact that all their lives rest in my hands.”

  For a second, he looked at her in confusion. Then he nodded in understanding. “Meaning if you—”

  “If I or any member of my family resist the Black Dragon in any way,” she said, interrupting him, “they will pay the price. And make no mistake, they would be slaughtered without mercy.”

  Breathing deeply, she shook her head. “This planet is nothing more than a gilded cage…”

  She looked up at the palace in disgust. “This palace is nothing more than its lock… And my family is the key.”

  She sighed and looked out over the land again. “It’s been like this since the last knight fell defending my family, after the other heirs were hidden. My father, Richard, always said the people are suffering because of us. So we must do what we must do to make their lives as pleasant as possible. Like the tradition my great-grandfather started…”

  She looked at him with a smile. “Of course, that particular tradition is one I enjoy quite well.”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Rotating the people in and out of the palace when my…guardians are away,” she answered with a grin.

  “Which explains the many families I kept running into,” Robin said.

  “Well…” she said with a shrug. “My great-grandfather thought it was a waste to have so many empty rooms.”

  Chuckling, Robin shook his head. “And it just goes to show how big an apology I owe you.”

  Marian leaned her elbow against the railing and shook her head.

  “Forget about it,” she said reassuringly. “I actually would have been surprised and suspicious if you hadn’t acted the way you did.”

  He chuckled again, but her face turned somber.

  “Ryuu…” she said, slowly placing her hand on his shoulder. “If I had known about your sister, I would have done everything I could to keep

  the two of you together. After all…” She gazed out over the prairie. “I also want my family safe.”

  Nodding in thanks, Robin lowered his eyes.

  “Freya wouldn’t have come,” he said after a moment. “Not without Tekmet.”

  “Tekmet?” Marian asked, frowning. Then she nodded. “The Anubis,” she said.

  “As far as I know, he’s the only father she’s known in a long time,” he explained. “My father—”

  But then his voice broke and he found that he couldn’t continue.

  “Ryuu?” Marian asked. He could hear the concern in her voice. “Is everything alright?”

  Robin stepped back from the railing. “It’s nothing.”

  “Robin,” she said. She shook her head. “Please, we both know that it’s not nothing. Tell me.”

  He repeated firmly, “It’s nothing!”

  This time she slowly nodded. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said, stepping back. “Remember. I’m here if you need me…for anything, even if it’s just a friendly ear to listen. Go or stay, it’s your choice.”

  For a second, Robin remained where he was. Then he shifted his feet and walked across the balcony. He paused halfway and turned back

  toward her.

  “I have two questions. One. When do you plan to rotate me out of the palace and the room I’m in now?”

  Smiling, she faced him, lightly clapping her hands. “When I can think of a place where you can learn and apply a trade,” she answered. “And the second?”

  “You’re not going to get in trouble because I found those listening bugs, are you?” he asked.

  She frowned in confusion. “Listening bugs?” she said in a slow voice. “What bugs?”

  “The ones in my rooms, both here and on the ship,” he said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

  She just stared at him, wide-eyed. “You…you found bugs?”

  He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “You didn’t know?”

  Slowly she looked away. “I know th
at the Black Dragon keeps an eye on me when it’s away…”

  For a second she was silent. Then she looked at him again, fingering her necklace.

  “Maybe you could show me how to find them. It would be nice to have some privacy.”

  Robin placed his arm across his chest and bowed. Then he headed back toward his room, his mind racing.

  Chapter 14

  Prophecies

  For almost two weeks, Robin remained at Marian’s palace. Each night when he finally found sleep, his nightmare returned. He frequently woke out of breath in the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest. As these unsettled nights added up, he became more and more depressed.

  Each morning, the servants left his food on a small table, he was too despondent to eat. He spent his days wandering aimlessly around the palace, haunted by his recent shortcomings. Despite all his talents, he had been unable to prevent the death of his father; he had been unable to save his sister.

  During his wanderings, he saw wide-eyed children watching him from corners. They scampered off each time he got near. He didn’t speak with anyone, and he didn’t see Marian again.

  Near the end of the second week, after another restless night, he stood outside on his balcony, leaning against the railing. He heard his doors open behind him. Assuming that it was a servant delivering his breakfast, he muttered, “Just leave it and go.”

  Robin expected to hear the door shut again, but he did not. He turned back into the room and said, “Is there something else you—”

  Then he froze. It was Marian. She was sitting in a chair, dressed in a pair of pants and a long coat that brushed the floor on either side of her. Her elbows rested on the armrests, and the tips of some of her fingers touched while others were crossed. One leg rested on her knee. Her booted foot bobbed up and down.

  “Actually, yes,” she said, looking over her fingertips. “There is something I need. I’ve been told that for almost a week you’ve been sending food back untouched.”

  She lowered her foot and leaned forward, eying him. “Why aren’t you eating?”

  “It’s nothing you have to worry about,” he said, coming into the room. “I can go for three weeks without food and sleep.”

  “Yes, you don’t have to tell me about your biology,” Marian said. “To say it’s impressive is an understatement.”

  However, she looked concerned as Robin paced back and forth in front of her. “

  She said, “Despite what was said at the auction, you and your sister were not made to be slaves. You were born to be survivors.”

  Frowning, he turned to face her and snapped, “Yet with everything I can do, I couldn’t stop it! I couldn’t stop any of it!”

  For a moment, silence rang in the room. Then Marian rose to her feet.

  “I don’t know everything that happened to you, Robin, but I’m sorry for what happened at the auction. I want you to know I will do all I can to get Freya and Tekmet back for you. But you won’t do her any good if you lose your strength.”

  Marian turned and whipped the cloth cover off a platter of food on the table.

  “You can either keep moping about or take a stand,” she said. “It’s up to you. Just let me know when you’re through sulking; I have something for you to do.”

  As she left the room, Robin watched her go. For a long moment he simply stared at the closed double doors. Then he plucked some food from the platter and popped it in his mouth.

  Later in the day, Robin met briefly with Marian again. She gave him a list of items to retrieve from the city. For the rest of the week he went to and fro, collecting things she said she needed.

  Often, he would come back with sweets or small toys for the children he thought would brighten their days. Soon it was commonplace for children to surround him, rifling through his pockets for hidden treats.

  However, each time Robin went into the city, he noticed a group of well-muscled men watching him. One had a shiny bald head; the other had a short crop of dark hair. Without his training, he might have missed their observations. He had to admit that they were good. He wondered who they worked for and what their intentions could be.

  One day, after returning from the city, Robin stood surrounded by a laughing horde in the courtyard set into the roof behind the tower. He held his arms raised high, laughing with the children as they searched him for loot. They gave a collective moan of disappointment when they found none.

  Lowering his arms, Robin regarded the children around him.

  “Hey, why all the long faces?” he asked, squatting down to their eye level.

  “You didn’t bring us anything,” one little girl said with a pout.

  “Ahh,” he said sadly. Dramatically, he caressed her cheek. “But then…” he added, with a quick flick of his wrist across her ear, “you never know what might appear!”

  The girl’s eyes nearly popped out of her head in wonder when she saw the candy he held.

  The next thing he knew, he was knocked to the ground when the kids tackled him, renewing their search, and he laughed. When they finally allowed him to sit up and thanked him for the treasures, he smiled.

  Robin felt eyes on him and noticed Marian watching from a balcony. He gave her a small wave. She shrank back a little but then returned the gesture with fluttering fingers. Seconds later, she disappeared from sight.

  Leaving the children after promising to play more sky hockey with some later, he walked to her room. She was sitting on one of her sofas, reading.

  “You’re spoiling those children rotten,” she commented, not looking up.

  “And I thought you wanted me to bring them a little joy.” He leaned his back against her bookcase.

  “I’m not complaining,” she said. She shut off her book and looked at him. “Yet I can see that even bringing those children happiness or being useful doesn’t mend the wounds you hide.”

  She sighed heavily and placed her book on the table. “I need you to go out again tomorrow,” she said.

  “Yes, milady,” he said, with a light bow.

  “Please don’t,” she said. She slowly faced him and fingered her necklace. “Balwin is coming the day after tomorrow.”

  “What!” Robin said.

  He thought, What can this mean? If the Black Dragon has any knowledge of me and my friends, Balwin will know by now. Has Balwin discovered that I am a knight?

  Marian interrupted his thoughts.

  “I want you to stay out of sight until he’s gone,” she said. “For the time being, you will have to sleep in the servants’ quarters. Almost everyone here will be doing the same. When he is gone, you can return to your rooms.”

  Robin’s brain raced at hyperspeed. If Balwin has found out I am a knight, Freya’s life might be in jeopardy as well.

  “Ryuu.”

  Blinking, Robin looked at her again. “Sorry.”

  For a second she eyed him. “It’s all right, you have a lot on your mind. But remember—you have to stay out of sight during dinner. I am hoping to use that time to bargain for Freya and Tekmet.”

  “And you’re afraid I might hinder your style?”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s because you humiliated Balwin back at the auction. He might want to even the score.”

  The next day Robin was back in the market, picking up additional items that Marian had requested. He was gathering some things for the children when he glanced over and saw the same men discreetly watching him.

  Despite the covert looks from these men, he continued to run his errands. A few moments later, a glittering crystal caught his eye. It belonged to an elderly woman, who was wearing loose clothes, a frilly headscarf, and fingerless gloves. In a mystical voice, she called out to the crowd from her booth.

  “Come ask the question of Madam Verinous!” She waved her hands. “For Madam Verinous knows all. You there…”

  Robin paused, looking at her.

  “Your aura: it is strong and powerful.”

  She fluttered the fingers of on
e hand at him; the other hand covered her eyes.

  “Great troubles rage around you.”

  Chuckling, Robin shook his head. “I bet you say that to all the guys.”

  He bowed with a sweep of his arm. “And though I might wish to spend this day flirting with you, I must be off.” He turned to leave.

  “Great troubles,” she repeated. “Especially for a sister.”

  Robin froze. Slowly he turned back to her, frowning.

  In the same mystic voice, she chanted, “One who was lost, then found…only to be lost again.”

  Robin felt like his head would explode in anger. He slowly approached and leaned against the booth.

  “Lady,” he growled, “I know everyone needs to make a living. But you’re—as they say—treading on thin ice. That is information you could get from anyone in the palace.”

  Unfazed, she waved her hands over the crystal and gazed into its depths.

  She said, “A brother you have yet to find…a father who is no more…a mother who loved you so, who for your protection had to leave the three of you…”

  She slowly looked up, and he stared into her piercing, sightless eyes.

  Then she said, “You are among the first of a new generation of ancient guardians.”

  Taken aback, Robin blanched.

  “Who are you? How do you know these things?” he demanded in a whisper.

  Smiling, she spread her arms wide. “I am Madam Verinous! I know all,” she said dramatically. She waved her hands again over the crystal.

  “The path before you is a dark and dangerous one. It is unclear whether you have the strength to survive… Dark forces that have engulfed the known worlds will rise to overwhelm you. But if you stand united, you may find part of what you seek—in the ancient temple of the gods.”

  She sank back into her chair.

  “Now go…” she ordered. Then her voice dropped to a whisper. “Remember my words, Son.”

  Rooted to the spot, Robin stared at her, her words echoing in his mind. But before he could ask any more questions or even confirm what he had just heard, she dismissed him with a wave of her hands. Shaking his head slowly, he straightened and walked away.