Page 57 of Into The Rift

“Now!” Niko called out and I pulled up the disruptor and began to shoot. In my head, I counted off the whines and then the percussions, “one, two, three, four,” and kept firing one after another as the weapon heated up in my hand.

Niko began throwing his explosives into the crowd and the screaming began in earnest. It seemed like the whole world was ablaze.

Suddenly, Niko was beside me and taking my arm to lead me back to Itaka’s closet. He thrust me inside and slammed the door behind us, then he began tearing up the rug on the floor.

I was too amazed to ask what he was doing, and just watched him working. He got a huge patch torn up and revealed a large panel in the floor. I expected more ammunition or explosives, but instead there was a gaping hole beneath the floor with a ladder leading downward into it.

He went down first, pulling me behind him. We seemed to go a long way down before I felt the ground under my feet. “Wait here!” he yelled and surged back up the ladder.

I had a bad moment of panic then, thinking he meant to go back to the fight and leave me there, but he only slammed a trap door closed and locked it. Then he was back beside me. “Let’s go. Follow me closely and don’t fall behind.”

“I won’t.”

He gave me one hard kiss and then began leading me through a dark, close passage, the only light coming from the communicator in his hand. We walked for what seemed like half a mile in the stifling darkness until we came to a bend in the tunnel. He set one of the black devices down by the wall and took my arm to hurry me along.

We walked on farther until I saw another ladder leading up to the surface.

“We’ll climb here,” Niko said.

“But where does this take us? Is it safe?”

“Yes. This comes out in the home of Lord Miaas. You met him earlier this evening.”

“Oh, your late father’s friend.”

“Yes. He’s my friend too, and he’ll give us shelter.”

Niko climbed up quickly and to my surprise, the trap door opened easily. He climbed out and turned to extend his hand and lift me out beside him. He got out his communicator device and punched some buttons for a while, and then I heard a muffled explosion under our feet and the floor trembled.

“You exploded that device?”

“Yes. To block the tunnel.”

We had come out into a large room, and I turned to see Lord Miaas, fully dressed and standing by the door, gazing at us.

“Good idea,” he said, “I’d hoped you’d make it out and come here. Quickly, there’s no time to waste. They may be checking all the homes in the area. I have to get you to the safe room for now until it’s all right to move again. They’ll already be on the way to seize your ship.”

“Linnius directed the attack.”

“Oh yes. He came to watch the festivities apparently, with the excuse that he was overseeing your defense. In reality, he wanted to watch you die.”

“How did he explain the sudden attack to the witnesses then?”

“Rogue soldiers with displaced loyalty to him, who considered you a threat to the emperor took matters in their own hands. That’s the last I heard. Most of them are dead and can’t defend themselves against his lies.”

“You’ll be all right in the safe room for now, but then you need to make yourself scarce in this city. At least for the time being. Linnius will talk against you in the coming days, as it’s obvious he feels threatened by you. Are you sure you truly have no interest in being the next emperor?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then we’ll have to get you away somewhere safe and let the commotion die down. It’s better for you and your new mate to be elsewhere far away from here for now.”

New mate? It was the first time I hadn’t been called his hostage. And Niko didn’t deny it? I hadn’t heard myself referred to in such a way. There certainly had been no ceremony, and Niko hadn’t spoken of it either, though the gods knew I’d been thoroughly compromised. Still, this man must be mistaken.

Still half dazed by all that had happened in such a short span of time, I allowed Niko to take my arm and lead me up to the room Lord Miaas had spoken of. It was behind both a curtain and a bookcase that hid the doorway—more or less a secret room. Niko pushed inside and urged me in too before he turned back to speak to Miaas. I trailed over to collapse on the side of the bed, feeling completely drained.

A few minutes later, Niko came over to take me in his arms. “Are you all right? I assure you we’re safe for now.”

“I think I’m all right, but what are we going to do?”

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