Guarding the Goddess Read online

  You must project calm and confidence at all times, no matter what you are feeling yourself. If you feel calm, the people will be calm as well.

  She’d said it so often that Ellina knew it by heart. It was the way Grandmamma had ruled for years and it was the way Ellina intended to rule now.

  In fact, her grandmother had been Potentate much longer than many in their line. That was because Ellina’s mother, shortly after being crowned, had been assassinated along with her father. Whereupon her grandmother—while still grieving the death of her only daughter—had been forced to resume the crown in order to keep her people and planet from falling into chaos.

  No, no—don’t think about that right now! Don’t think about assassination! Ellina told herself desperately. Of all times for that old fear to resurface, this was surely the worst. It’s all right—you’ll be all right, she told herself firmly, stealing a glance at Ty, who was striding along beside and slightly behind her. The big Kindred was scanning the cheering crowd alertly, one hand on his blaster and the other at the small of her back.

  Ellina was grateful for the small touch which no one else could see. She could feel the warmth of Ty’s hand even through the heavy brocade of her golden, jewel-encrusted gown. It was steadying—a reminder that her faithful bodyguard would keep her safe, no matter what occurred.

  But nothing’s going to happen, Ellina told herself firmly. Nothing, because the people love me. Just look at them cheer! Surely none of them out there want to hurt me.

  Unless there was another radical from the Southern Continent who wanted her dead, just as there had been at the Feast of All Feelings at her coronation, that was.

  Once again, Ellina had to work to push the worry out of her mind. If there was someone who meant her harm, Ty would deal with them—he would keep her safe. And in the meantime, all she had to do was keep waving and smiling and making the people love her…

  Which was exactly what she did. And all was well until they reached the end of the parade route and mounted the high platform erected there, just for this moment.

  At this point, Ellina was supposed to stand tall, so all the common people who might have missed her during the Grand Procession could get a good look at her. It was also a chance for a short rest. (This was mostly for the nobles, who weren’t used to walking so far, especially in their stylish high-heeled shoes which were more for show than for any practical use.)

  After the rest, Ellina and the nobles and guards would descend the platform to where the musicians and dancers were still playing and they would all move on back to the Palace.

  As Ellina took a moment to surreptitiously slip off her shoes—she thought no one would notice under the hem of the heavy gold gown—and press her bare feet to the cool wood of the platform, a little girl ran forward.

  “Potentate! Potentate!” she shouted as she ran and Ellina saw she had a huge armful of vivid orange and pink blossoms clutched in her arms.

  At first, Ellina wasn’t sure who it was but then she recognized the little girl from the Holy Mists the night before. Tutti—that was her name.

  Tutti had obviously squirmed through the barricades which held back the crowds and dashed through the musicians and dancers to take the steps of the platform two at a time. Having made it that far, now she was trying to get past the guards on the outer edge of Ellina’s coterie.

  The guards, for their part, weren’t going to allow it but then Ellina heard the High Priest calling instructions from his position down on the ground. He had elected to stay with the musicians and dancers for some reason, instead of mounting the platform to take his rightful place in front of the noblemen who were consort candidates.

  “No, no,” he yelled up at the guards. “Let her in—let the little girl in! And let all the people see it.”

  “Wait,” Ty said sharply when the guards looked to him for confirmation. “Let me check her first.”

  He left Ellina’s side for a moment and went to check Tutti over. He paid special attention to her armful of flowers but once he had apparently satisfied himself that everything was all right, he had the guards open a path so she could run straight to Ellina.

  “Oh, Potentate!” the little girl gasped breathlessly, when she got to Ellina. “I told you—didn’t I tell you—that I would bring you these flowers?”

  She handed the huge armful of blossoms to Ellina who took them from her and smiled. She was well aware of why the High Priest had wanted to allow this—the sweet little girl with the bouquet of blossoms almost bigger than she was made a charming picture when paired with the new Potentate. Still, Ellina wasn’t jaded enough not to enjoy the simple, honest gesture Tutti was making. Stooping down, she gave the little girl a hug.

  “Thank you, Tutti,” she said, smiling. “You’re very sweet to bring them to me. But won’t your grandmother be worried?”

  “No, she’s okay—I left her back behind the barricade,” Tutti said, grinning. “So do you like them? The flowers?”

  “They’re beautiful,” Ellina said sincerely. “In fact, I think these are the prettiest—”

  But just then a shout from below her made her look up.

  One of the court fools was dancing on the steps. He was dressed in colorful rags and laughing, putting on a show for the crowd who were all eagerly watching the show on the platform. The musicians, seeing what he was doing, began playing a lively jig and the fool danced lightly up the steps until he was almost at the top. Then he pulled out some balls and started to juggle.

  The scene was charming, if somewhat unexpected, Ellina thought. Tutti clapped her hands and laughed and even the guards seemed amused. The nobles were distracted too and momentarily stopped jockeying for position around her.

  “Who is that fool?” Ellina heard one of them ask another. “He’s quite a funny fellow but I don’t believe I’ve seen him before.”

  “Because you haven’t been to Court recently. I think he’s part of a traveling troupe of performers,” was the answer. “They came to court just yesterday and were so amusing they were asked to join the Grand Promenade.”

  The one person who didn’t seem a bit amused, however, was Ty.

  “Who authorized this?” he growled, moving to make room between Ellina and the top step, where the fool was dancing and juggling for the crowd. “This wasn’t part of the program! You!” he shouted at the fool. “Who told you to do this?”

  “Ugh—that Kindred bodyguard of the Potentate’s is such a kill-joy,” a familiar voice muttered. Turning her head, Ellina saw that it was Hennessy Tolland, talking to Jennor Peebles, another of the nobles. “He’s unbearably entitled too! Thinks he can do anything he likes just because he guards the Potentate.”

  “If you ask me, off-worlders shouldn’t be allowed at Court at all,” Jennor replied snobbishly.

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Hennessy sniffed. “And believe me, when I am consort, it’s going to be my first order of business to keep any foreigners out of our Court and off our world.”

  Ellina opened her mouth to tell him that he would never be consort…but that was when the first explosion happened.

  Twenty-Four

  Something’s wrong—I know it is! There’s something off here.

  Ty’s instincts—on high alert for the entire parade—were now screaming at him as he made his way towards the laughing, dancing, juggling fool.

  “Hey!” he shouted at the fool. “What’s going on here—who sent you?”

  Still laughing, the fool turned towards him and lobbed one of the colorful balls he’d been juggling straight at Ty’s head.

  Only juggling balls didn’t normally have blinking lights on them, did they? Lights that started out green and then turned red in mid-air.

  It’s a bomb! A Goddess-damned matter incendiary! If it touches anything before it blows, the explosion will be twenty times as great!

  Ty’s body was acting before the thought even finished flashing through his mind. Years of instinct and training took over and he rai