Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

“And people call me pedantic?” Mike smiled as he watched Nimbus speaking cheerfully with Shona. He cinched his utility belt and checked the clasps that secured his bandolier to his vest. “Let’s go.”

Casey took the lead, guiding her team quickly through the starport’s unpopulated halls. Groundskeeper robots followed them at a distance, sweeping and scrubbing away all signs of their passage. A black sky bus awaited them as they stepped out under the mantle of twilight.

A well-dressed, older gentleman leaned into view from the cockpit. Thick, silver muttonchops jutted from his jaw. “You’re Captain Cartwright?”

“I am,” said Casey.

“Hop in.” He tilted his cap, and the doors unfolded. “Lord Blösch is expecting you.” Casey led her team aboard, and the vessel soon lifted off. They soared high over the city proper, past Edenbridge Palace, and the market district beyond. Far below them, thick smog obscured the slums and landfills.

In time, they approached a vast dome. Large pentagons composed the shell, forming an enormous, hemispherical fullerene. One of segments receded, and the sky bus descended toward the gap.

Inside, they beheld an expansive community with tree-lined streets and rolling hills, each one crowned with a mansion estate. Projected upon the dome’s interior, an image of the sun shined overhead, and artificially generated, fluffy white clouds scudded by. Inhabitants zipped along manicured walkways, standing atop personal transportation disks as they hovered just off the ground.

Soon, the vessel touched down on a broad landing tower that sprouted from the luxurious, detached garage of a palatial home. As Casey and her crew descended the stairs, several figures approached on foot from the mansion’s main entrance.

“We’ve got company,” said Casey, and she retrieved her binoculars. Peering through them, she counted five individuals, all of them human: a sharply dressed, mostly bald man with a crown of blonde hair, a well-groomed woman also with blonde hair, and identical towheaded twin boys. Nathaniel Knox followed a few paces behind. He wore a constable’s cap and uniform, and he took a pull on his cigarette.

“He’s got a local beat cop for a bodyguard,” said Casey. “But the guy’s keeping his distance.” She lowered her binoculars and snapped a picture of Nathaniel. “April, I want you to run this guy’s profile and do a quick dive if it’s safe. I smell a binary.”

“I’ll let you know what I find,” said April. She took Casey’s phone and initiated a profile search based on a closeup of Nathaniel’s face. Looking away, she closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to drift toward Nathaniel. Fear sliced the air as he recognized Orin and Casey. A gentle green haze lingered between him and Lord Blösch’s family.

Opening her eyes, April spoke quietly as their hosts drew nearer. “Whoever he is, he’s terrified, and he almost instantly recognized you and Orin. My guess is someone has a bounty out on him. He has genuine affection for and a desire to protect Lord Blösch’s family—especially the wife—but not the lord himself. If you’re getting ‘sordid’ from my implications, that’s because it’s intended.”

“What a dirtbag,” said Casey. “Did you get anything we can use?”

April shook her head. “There wasn’t enough time, but I’ll keep listening.” She flashed Casey her phone. “The search is still running.”

“Pay Lord Blösch a visit too, if you can,” whispered Casey.

“I’ll try,” said April.

They both brightened as Florin stepped close and grinned. “This is wonderful! The mighty bounty hunter and star marshal-errant, Officer Casey Cartwright! And at her side, the peerless master of gravity himself—Skyler Stern, the Rhyondan Rampart! I’m Florin Blösch of the Galactic Parliament. This is my lovely wife, Andrea, and these are our two boys: Erwin and Othmar. They insisted on meeting you in person, Mr. Stern.” Glancing behind him, he waved Nathaniel closer. “And this suddenly shy fellow is Constable Nathaniel Knox. He’s been such a big help to everyone here on Sunset Beach. Why, ever since he arrived, crime rates are at an all-time low. I don’t know how he does it.”

“Constable Knox,” said Casey, and she shook his gloved hand. Discreetly, April entered his name into the search parameters. “What’s your secret?”

“It’s no secret,” said Nathaniel. “Community outreach works wonders.”

“If you ever have a minute to discuss, I’d love to hear about it,” said Casey. “Lord Blösch, did you get a chance to read my report and review the footage?”

“Yes, I did.” Florin’s smile faded. “Officer Cartwright, I assure you there’s been some mistake. Furthermore, I do not appreciate you making outlandish claims! No one on Trionides has reported any contact with an unknown alien species. If you ask me, it looks rather like an animagenic—and a very simple one at that.”

“I’m going to guess that means you didn’t bother checking your transmission towers for anything unusual,” said Casey.

“Even if I had the authority to go rooting around in the towers—which I don’t—it could take years to review even a single day’s worth of traffic!” Florin squared his jaw. “If you insist on wasting people’s time, subpoena the carriers. They’re the ones with the records, not me.”

“Perhaps you can help us with something else then,” said Casey. “About three weeks ago, one of my people had an exchange with an ent-maiden out this way. It’s unusual to encounter any of the beocrann outside the Forest of Worlds, and they usually make an impression wherever they go. Any chance you’ve heard something about one of them passing through?”

Florin looked disgusted. “You must be referring to Ellylle Fenmore, that nasty prime minister they installed last year. I had a most unpleasant conversation with her. She is a zealot! She has no business being in politics. As to her whereabouts, her shuttle is still docked, so it’s reasonable to assume she’s still here somewhere. I do not know where, so don’t ask.”

Casey chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it. If I may, why did you invite us here?”

Florin’s grin returned. “My boys wanted to meet the Rhyondan Rampart in person, of course! I said this not three minutes ago. Maybe you should’ve