Page 77 of Obsidian Prince

Pete and Siobhan had no help to offer her, so she went home again and resumed her search. She stared at the blank wall next to her armchair with her exhausted fourth eyes showing her over and over, images of Alexander bloody on the floor. It was like watching her parents and her older brothers die again and again when she was too young to do anything about it.

She woke to bright sunshine slanting through her big living room picture window that faced west. Afternoon sunshine. She looked at her clocks. It was 4:23. She had slept away most of the crucial day.

The spider seer scrambled to her feet. She called a cab with the smart phone that Alexander gave her. She had to get to his home first and wait for his killer.

She peeked with her fourth eyes to see when the killer would arrive at Alexander's house, and saw that he wouldn't. She saw again a room with a tall window with no glass and Alexander tied to a chair.

Liliana sighed and called Alexander.

When his head and shoulders in his camouflage uniform appeared in the window of the phone, she said, "Changing your path will not stop the assassin."

"So you said, Little Spider, but I wasn't about to simply go home and wait to be killed."

"You could have tried locking your door," Liliana pointed out. "I told you that if you tried to avoid this, it could become far worse."

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose. "Detective Jackson wanted to put me in protective police custody."

Liliana felt strangely warmed by that information. "Detective Jackson listens when I tell her someone's life is in danger. She has been digging up information, trying to catch your killer before he can hurt you."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel safer on my own base, surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers, state of the art security, and with earth and fire at my command. To get to me, this killer will have to get through ten stories of electronic security, booby traps, and other-kin soldiers from my SET unit ready and waiting, including Lieutenant Runningwolf. The detective and three of Fayetteville's finest are here with me as well."

"The more people who stand between you and your murderer, the more people will die. I warned you that you could make it worse. A few of your best soldiers will die now, and Officer West. I like Officer West."

"I've broken my patterns. The detective and I have gone to considerable effort to keep my location secret."

Liliana nodded. "That would seem like a good plan. I have no idea why it won't work. I only know that it won't."

He gave her that twisted shadow of a grin that made a dimple in his cheek. "Sometimes honesty is not very comforting, Little Spider."

Liliana swallowed. She tried to think of something to tell him that was both true and reassuring. "Your influence has expanded since you calmed the Bones Creek forest people. As long as you're within twenty miles of the base, earth and fire will answer you now."

He chuckled. "I considered going somewhere off base, to throw off the attacker. If I’d known that, I might have."

"It would not have helped. It just would have made it harder for me to get to you. It will already be difficult."

"I considered that. Every gate guard on duty today has your description and orders to let you through immediately without question. They won’t require you to pass through any of the scanners. I had them program all the electronic security systems to let you through as well, and to erase any recordings made of you as you pass."

"Thank you. That will help. Stay alive, my prince. I will find a way." Liliana hoped that was not a lie.

Chapter21

Not Alexander

Liliana trustedAlexander’s word that no recording of her would be kept when she entered Fort Liberty, and she was in a hurry. So, she did something slightly terrifying and jogged directly to the front gate of the base only a few blocks from her house.

Camera drones hovered overhead, but when they saw her, they moved on without pausing. The petite spider-kin took a place in the line of slowly moving military vehicles with their imposing silhouettes and gigantic tires. It chafed at her, the time she spent waiting for each vehicle to be inspected, scanned, and the ID of the driver checked.

But she’d entered Fort Liberty improperly before resulting in a blazing headache from a nasty sound weapon, shrapnel in her thigh, and a bullet wound through her side. Bypassing the guards without injury or discovery had taken careful timing and patience. She had none of that now. She stomped on her impatience and her nerves, staring at the many scanners and cameras, telling herself again that Alexander Bennett was a man who kept his word.

She pulled the ID card that had only her name on it. Alexander told her to show it to the gate guards and she would be permitted entrance.

The massive vehicle in front of her pulled forward. It was finally her turn. She held the ID card up in front of her face and stared at her feet while two armed gate guards approached her.

“Lady, you can’t come in through this entrance,” the first man said officiously.

Liliana huddled in on herself and thrust the ID card out more firmly in the faces of the two guards.

He continued without a glance at the card. “This entrance is only for military–”

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