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“He’s not coming back, Xhin. We’re on our own. Can’t you see that?” one of the warriors asked.

“No, I don’t see that. There were more than twenty warriors who swore allegiance to Mir’ Ahn! I saw it!”

“We all saw it, but swearing allegiance in the face of sure death is a whole other thing! Where are they now? They’re not sitting in this moldy, dank basement with us! They’re out there, pretending they know nothing about it! And Mir’ Ahn is with them, or he’s left us all to our fates the moment he saw it all fall apart and he’s already made his getaway!”

~~~

Mir’ Ahn stood on top of a packing crate, looking out over the endless darkness surrounding the traders’ vessel he’d managed to barter a last minute ride on. He didn’t even know for sure where the vessel was going, just that it had multiple stops among the space ports spread across the multiverse. Surely he’d find favorable accommodations on one of them while he took thetime to determine his next move. Anything was preferable to waiting for vengeance from the royal family after the operation he’d so carefully planned had been blundered by the idiots he’d trusted to make it a success. The moment he’d realized it was hopeless and there was no chance of recovery, he’d run, leaving them behind to deal with the fall out. At some point they’d confess all and his name would be targeted. Possibly his sister as well, since it had been her key he’d stolen to get Xhin’s idiot female into the youngling’s nursery. But neither of those two things mattered to him. He wouldn’t be there to face any kind of punishment, and his sister was as stupid as they came. He still couldn’t believe she swore her allegiance to the royal family and willfully supported their destruction of eons of traditions. He almost hoped she was blamed for his treachery.

He looked down at the long, rough cloak he wore over his uniform, hastily purchased from the stall of one of the market vendors awake and cooking over his open fire before dawn, for the breakfast crowd that would hopefully stop to spend their money at his stall after the suns came up. Though he still had his uniform, his boots had been hastily cast aside and his bare feet were now wearing thonged sandals. No protection at all, but he’d had no choice other than getting rid of any indication that he was part of the Cruestaci military. The old man bartering for the cloak and sandals hadn’t seemed to care. All he’d wanted was money. They’d quickly made a deal and he’d promised to dispose of the boots in his fire as soon as he was finished cooking. Shaking his head at what he’d been reduced to, he stepped down and looked around the dozens and dozens more crates packed into the hold with him. Surely there was something more than a roughly made cloak and a pair of sandals in one of them. He’d never get any respect or cooperation dressed like a peasant with no more than the clothes on his back. These people were traders with no true place to call home. They just traveled from one planet to another selling and trading goods before moving on to the next place. There was no telling what he’d find packed away for resale in these crates. “Might as well start with this one,” hesaid dejectedly, forcing the top off the closest crate and beginning to dig through its contents.

~~~

Mirilla opened her door and looked both ways up and down the servants’ hallway. When no one was there, she hurried down the hallway to the linen closet used by all the servants when they needed fresh linens for their own beds, and once inside she felt along the length of shelved wall until a slight seam beneath her fingertips let her know she’d found what she was looking for. She pressed at the seam until it popped open, giving her access to a slender handle. She pulled the handle and the wall eased away from a stone framework behind it. Mirilla stepped through the opening in the framework and paused only long enough to pull the shelved wall closed to conceal her use of the secret exit.

The one thing that came along with being Head of Staff for so many years was the knowledge of the locations of all the secret exits of the palace. No matter where you were, there was an emergency exit nearby. It was just that most weren’t aware they existed. She did, though, and this one would get her out of the building without being seen, so she could confront her brother. Fifteen minutes later she was stepping through the gates of the barracks in search of her brother. She kept the hood of the cape she wore pulled down over her head and face.

“Can I help you, female?” the guard at the gate asked.

“I’m looking for Mir’ Ahn. Is he here?” she asked.

“Who are you?”

Mirilla stumbled over her words, she was flustered at finding out her brother was gone. “I, um, I’ve been sent from the palace.”

“For what reason?” the guard pressed.

“They want to question him,” Mirilla said,her voice a little less confident.

The guard shook his head. “We’d like that opportunity as well,” the guard said.

“Do you have any idea where he’s gone?” Mirilla asked.

“No. But I’m sure that he’s hunting those who attacked the Sire’s family.”

“Oh! Well, that’s good, then, right? He’ll be back.”

“We believe so.”

“When did he leave?” she asked, hoping that maybe the guard was right.

“You ask a lot of questions for one who hasn’t identified themselves yet.”

“I’m Mirilla,” she said.

“That means nothing to me. What is your purpose in the palace?”

“I’m a maid. I don’t suppose I could have access to his room,” she said.

“Are you aware of what has taken place in the palace? We are high alert and limiting access to all areas.”

“Yes, I am aware. I just thought to leave a message in his room in case he returned.”

“He will return. Mir’ Ahn and those with him. We know they are hunting the traitors who attacked our Sire.”

“Do you know that?”

“They are Cruestaci warriors. There is no other excuse for their absence from the palace.”

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