Amber Waves - 26. Chapter 26

ITUMAK

“Find Jason Farin. Bring him to the palace.”
Itumak watched the car fade into the dark of night. Behind him, the plane finally moved, taxiing toward a hanger in the distance. Floodlights kept night at bay, and a chill wind kept thoughts of sleep far away.
Aaron was safe. It had been agonising letting the car leave without him. But his prince had given Itumak a task. He had to obey.
Pulling out his phone, Itumak hurried off the tarmac in case any other planes were landing. He stabbed a button that had been programmed in his phone since he became a guard.
“This is Guard Ulric,” a voice said on the other side.
“This is Guard Itumak. I need the location of Jason Farin’s home.”
While he waited, Itumak hurried into a building. It wasn’t too hard to get directions to the right place — here he was much more recognisable as Prince Aaron’s personal guard. Within minutes, he had a car and someone to drive him. Now he just needed a location.
“34 Sycamore Street. His mate is aerafael. Exercise caution.”
Itumak couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. Exercise caution. He wasn’t kidnapping the neko, just bringing him to the palace. Jason seemed like a reasonable person when they’d met at that cook off. Surely he’d be willing to come without a fuss. If it meant Devyn had to come with him, so be it.
“34 Sycamore Street,” he told the elf soldier.
It was so refreshing to have his orders obeyed without racist bullshit. Itumak sat back as the car sped from the base. His eyes pried open — when had they reached this neighbourhood?
He stared at the houses as they passed. Younger Itumak would have called them mansions. Jason Farin lived in one of these? How could he afford that on a librarian’s pay, even a royal librarian?
The car pulled up to a two storey house. Itumak scanned the front yard, quickly locating the path to the door despite the lack of a porch light.
“There may be a wolf with me when I return,” he warned.
Itumak stepped out of the car. He’d try to convince the two that Devyn’s bipedal form was safer, but time was absolutely of the essence. If that meant there’d be a wolf loose in the back seat, so be it.
He hurried along the path. Flowers bloomed in the dark, their species indistinct. Not that Itumak would recognise them even in the light of day. Still, the Farins’ gardener must be top notch.
The neko hesitated as the path weaved out of sight. The door was right there, orange and blue, but it couldn’t be seen from the street. Itumak was going in without any support. Again.
Was he starting to actually think before acting? Or was this just paranoia caused by a night spent flying through mountains, time spent handcuffed with a gun to his head?
Whatever it was, he had no time for it. Itumak stepped forward, and stabbed his finger into the doorbell.
While he waited, the neko checked his phone. Three in the morning. He grimaced — nothing good ever came of a three o’clock wakeup call.
A wolf door opened. Devyn Farin stuck his head outside. His head twisted in confusion, and he sniffed loudly.
“I need Jason,” Itumak said. “He’s not in trouble. But Prince Aaron needs to speak to him.”
Devyn backed through the door. A moment later, it unlocked, and the naked wolf let Itumak into the house.
“I’ll get him,” Devyn muttered, leaning on a cane as his eyes ran over Itumak’s body.
Itumak found himself doing the same; fuck, the wolf had a nice body. A lean build, chiselled shoulder and arms, a flat stomach that held a perfect v shape ending right at his-
The neko blinked, forcing those thoughts away. He knew Devyn smelled his erection — aerafael always seemed more perceptive in their bipedal forms. Devyn turned away, hobbling down a hall and giving Itumak a full look at his muscular back, his small globes….
Itumak took a deep breath. Get ahold of yourself! He was here on official palace business, not to ogle a mated wolf’s body! Besides, Devyn had to be at least ten years older than him. Was he really going to start salivating at silver foxes? Not that Devyn was that old, but that was still a slippery slope.
A minute passed before Jason appeared in the hall. The marble neko approached Itumak, his tail flicking nervously behind him. Grey sweats covered his lower half, but he either slept like that, or hadn’t bothered pulling a shirt on. It could really go either way — if he didn’t want his mate sucking him off in his sleep, wearing pants was a necessity.
“Relax. I promise you’re not in trouble,” Itumak said gently. “Prince Aaron needs you at the palace, urgently.”
Jason nodded. He motioned back down the hall, where the sound of slamming drawers spoke of a furious search for clothes.
“You can get dressed, but make it fast. And I understand if Devyn has to join us,” Itumak added. “I wouldn’t want to worry him.”
Jason smiled nervously and turned back down the hall. He and Devyn returned after a few short minutes.
“I do have to search you both,” Itumak said, an apologetic smile on his face as he approached Jason. “You understand.”
Jason nodded as Itumak swiftly patted him down. The two weren’t a security risk — far from it, if Jason was trusted enough to be the palace librarian. But Itumak couldn’t take any chances.
His hand patted over something, a heavy key hanging from Jason’s neck. Itumak looked at the librarian, searching for an explanation. Jason mimed putting a crown on his head — the key belonged to the Crown.
He turned on Devyn, carefully running his hands over the wolf’s body to avoid knocking him over. Devyn’s heels seemed sturdy enough, but it was better safe than sorry.
“I’m mated,” the wolf muttered as Itumak’s hands passed over his butt.
“I know,” Itumak said. “This is standard procedure for anyone entering the palace. Just like you checked me before getting your mate.”
He tried to be professional about it, straightening up quickly. But there was no hiding his erection. Betrayed by his body. Shrugging it off, Itumak guided Devyn and Jason out the door, and to the waiting car.

AARON

The teacup shook in his hand. Aaron sipped at the coffee within, grimacing at the strong taste. There was something perverse about drinking coffee from a teacup, and the situation did not escape him But Aaron couldn’t laugh.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever laugh again.
The prince was exhausted. Traumatised. He had seen his best friend, the neko he had known for years, callously hold a gun to someone’s head. Aaron tried to reconcile that image with the neko who was always telling lewd jokes, who had always had time for the other orphans, had always offered Aaron a safe place just as Aaron offered him safety.
He couldn’t. He didn’t know this Itumak. What had happened to the neko he loved?
Itumak had been ready to pull that trigger. He almost had — Aaron remembered the neko’s finger twitching. That elf had been that close to death.
Prince Aaron dropped his coffee. Scrambling to a waste bin, he retched. A sob wracked his body, and he fell beside the basket, curling up on himself. Whatever sedative he’d been given had worn off hours ago, and the delayed effects of his breakdown were in full force now.
He just wanted it all to stop. To go back to the way things were supposed to be. Itumak would be a pilot, flying through the skies he loved so much. And Aaron would be somewhere in Mydara, teaching classes on elven history.
How had the world gone so wrong?
A blanket fell over the elf. He blinked, taking in a neko’s face — his neko’s face. Aaron squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to see that face.
Something tugged at the back of his mind, a thought, a memory. If Itumak was here-
Warm fur rubbed against him. A heavy weight fell into Aaron’s lap, and the elf opened his eyes. Devyn Farin lay across him, offering his support. The wolf nudged his arm until it fell across Devyn’s body.
He sobbed. Aaron couldn’t hold back. Not any more. Pressing his face into the wolf’s fur, the crown prince of Astara wept for a life he would never know, for things he would never unknow.
It would only get worse. He remembered. He needed to get into the restricted section of the library. Why else would Amber tell him to talk to Jason?
Running his arm over his eyes, Aaron stood up. He found Itumak and Jason sitting to the side, looking at him with concern in their eyes. The elf pushed that aside, took a deep breath, buried his emotions once more.
“Jason…” His voice cracked. Aaron cleared his throat, meeting the neko’s eyes. “Mydara has fallen.”
The neko nodded, as though he’d been expecting the words. Why else would he be dragged to the palace in the middle of the night? He pulled out his phone, motioning for Aaron to do the same.
Removing his phone, Aaron frowned as Jason handed his to Itumak. The neko indicated Aaron should do the same.
He hesitated. What if Amber called? No, she wouldn’t call. She had told him to do this; she had to know he wouldn’t have his phone.
Aaron handed it over.
“I’ll try not to download too much porn.” Itumak’s lips barely lifted. Aaron’s didn’t move at all. He couldn’t.
Jason signed to Devyn, who let out a soft whimper.
“Hey Devyn, let’s go for a run,” Itumak suggested. “I haven’t shifted in ages.”
The wolf followed the neko, his tail dragging between his legs. Before he was out of sight, Jason led Aaron to the library.
He pulled out a heavy brass key, and fit it into a lock. Jason mimed locking the door again, and Aaron nodded. He would be locked inside.
The prince took a deep breath, before pushing the door open. Flicking on a light, he stepped inside the room beyond, and the door closed behind him. It clicked. He was trapped.
Aaron looked around in awe. The room was colossal in size — it must have been part of Queen Sila’s enchantment. Books, scrolls, parchment all lined numerous shelves. He had no idea where to begin. Was he supposed to know everything in this place? That was impossible; even as an elf, he’d be dead long before he finished reading half of the books in here.
He breathed a sigh of relief — there was a computer. It had a series of thumb drives right beside it, neatly laid out. That was… somewhat more manageable? As long as the drives weren’t like, an entire terabyte each.
Aaron sat in front of the computer. A small pad sat beside the screen with an image of a thumbprint on it. Cautiously, the elf pressed his thumb over the image.
The screen turned on with a quiet hum. Someone must have put his fingerprints into the system before all of this happened. It spoke volumes about their trust in him. Or their desperation.
“Insert drives in the following order: Red, Blue, Yellow, Magenta.”
Aaron picked up the red thumbdrive, and slipped it into the computer. A single file appeared — Quarian? Like the former librarian’s assistant? Aaron hesitated. Once he clicked this file, he could never go back.
Who was he kidding? He’d passed that point long ago.
The prince clicked the small folder. A document opened, and he began reading.

AMBER

The queen wrapped her cloak tighter. It was the only comfort she would get. Life went on, for others, at least. And she still had responsibilities.
Lord Sarin had been downright irate. Too bad for him. It was his responsibility to set up Aaron’s coronation. And he needed to be fast about it. Captain Darren was busy debriefing Itumak, while the other werewolves handled Devyn Farin.
And Jason Farin was sitting guard over the restricted section.
He scrambled to his feet, face contorting as he fought back a yawn. Amber didn’t blame him; he’d been woken up in the middle of the night. It was nearly noon now. She was honestly just glad he was awake.
She removed her phone, setting it beside him. Opening her cloak, Amber allowed the neko to pat her down, to make sure there was nothing capable of taking notes, recording, or otherwise compromising the security within. Satisfied, Jason slid the key into the lock, and opened the door.
Aaron sat slumped in front of the computer. Quiet snores rumbled from his open mouth, almost echoing in the cavernous room. Amber could see the yellow drive in its slot — he’d gotten further than she expected.
The door locked behind her, and Amber approached her sleeping son. She set a gentle hand on his shoulder, and the elf yelped.
Their eyes locked. And Aaron threw himself into Amber’s arms.
“Gentle,” she murmured. But she squeezed him tightly against her.
Aaron stepped back after a minute, searching. Amber shook her head.
“It’s… it’s bad,” she said. “The doctor said I have three months. But I’ve beaten tough odds before. I promise, I will go down fighting to my last breath.”
“How?”
She could feel the anger in the question, the impotent accusations. Amber sighed, setting a hand on the desk.
“It was aggressive,” she said. “I don’t know how we couldn’t — I couldn’t — feel it. Sometimes it’s asymptomatic, I guess. Or I got complacent, and missed the signs. Before, it was obvious. I hurt. But there was nothing this time. The bone pain was just me ageing. The trouble breathing was just the thinner air in Mydara.” Amber squeezed Aaron’s shoulder. “Don’t be mad at the doctors. This is not common; no one could have seen this coming.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” Aaron whimpered.
“You won’t. Not for a while, at least.” Amber motioned toward the computer. “We have bigger concerns right now. The people of Astara must come first.”
She wished it wasn’t that way. That she could rest, devote herself to healing. Show the doctors that she was strong enough to destroy this disease within her.
“Do you have any questions?”
“We caused the neko plague.” Aaron sat back, wiping his eyes. “We purposefully infected Sarelin… for its cranberry bogs?”
Amber nodded silently. Greed. Hungry for power. The old royals — Queen Erin — held no respect for neko life. They were a means to an end. And it sickened her.
“And Quarian. He did nothing about it?” Aaron demanded. “He’s an immortal, and he’s lived other lives before.”
“His predictions are not certain,” Amber replied. “From what I can understand, every time he changed something in this timeline, the change grew until the world was nothing like before. His last life, there were no werewolves. He was never infected. And humans and elves found other minorities to focus on. Same-gender couplings were made illegal, to feed the ever-growing need for bodies to throw into battle. Mydara and Ceos were constantly at war, and the Astaran government was too weak from skirmishes with the nekos to effectively broker peace between them. Quarian was killed leading a team of medics into the no man’s land between Ceos and Mydara. That was their Neko Rebellion.” Amber stared at her son sternly. “And that timeline no longer exists.”
“He is a temporal mage. Immortal. Why doesn’t he warn us about danger?” Aaron glared at the screen. “Why didn’t he tell us you have cancer again?”
“That, I can only guess at. I asked him about his life before. He was Elias’ lover, once upon a time. And he was a squire of Ceos. He fought in a siege of Riverbend Castle, and Elias was killed in the fighting. Quarian did everything he could to save him. He threw himself back in time, reliving the neko’s death over and over again. Each time it was worse, drawn out, agonising. He realised he couldn’t save Elias, and trying to only led to more pain. So he let him die. A quarrel to the head, the most painless way he could think of.” Amber rubbed at her eye, swiping away a tear before it could fall. “It could be that I was always meant to die from this cancer. Telling us beforehand would only increase my suffering. We cannot know unless we ask him. And if we force him to tell us, we might not like the answer. Sometimes it’s better to let the future remain hidden.”
“But he has changed things already. He brokered a peace between Ceos, Astara, and Mydara through his mating with Paelias,” Aaron argued. “It’s because of him that the Astaran Kingdom exists, and is as large as it is. He showed the Ythin how to use black powder, setting up an industrial revolution nearly five hundred years before he claimed it happened in that other timeline.”
“He acted on knowledge that he had. And those actions made his other knowledge obsolete,” Amber countered. “Any knowledge he holds is no longer valid. If you note, he has no idea what caused the boring on the moon’s surface. He can’t confirm if it was some natural event, or if an alien decided to use the moon for target practice.”
“Why isn’t he under lock and key?”
“Aaron,” Amber scolded sharply. “Think about what you are suggesting. You would lock a man in a dungeon for aeons, just on the off-chance he has some knowledge we could use. You would disgrace his former service to the Crown, service freely offered. He told us of his condition. He lets our scientists draw blood regularly, run tests. It’s because of him that our understanding of magic bloodlines is as advanced as it is.”
“Just like that poison the Red Ghost made is the basis of so many vaccines,” Aaron grumbled. “But he is dangerous. One wrong move, one step in front of a speeding car, and we would no longer exist. The timeline would be reset, and it would be nigh impossible for him to repeat every action that got us to this point, even if he had a mind to.”
“It has been eight hundred years. He has fought in wars, provided aid for the sick and injured. At this point, I think it’s safe enough to trust that Quarian Karis knows what he is doing.” Amber sat on the desk, crossing her arms as she stared the prince down. “Father and I had this discussion many times. Quarian volunteered himself to Father. He came forward of his own volition, after successfully obscuring his existence for centuries. He is our friend, not our foe. We let him remain free, unfettered, asking only that he assures us he is safe. In return, he researches, he uncovers history long thought lost. He helps civilisation grow. Occasionally, he volunteers to be our librarian’s assistant. Never the librarian themself; he has stated he has no desire to make himself a target by holding the key.”
“I don’t like it,” Aaron growled. A moment later, the elf let out a heavy breath. “But you’re right. I could not let a man rot in a cell just to satisfy my own paranoia.”
“Believe me, he scares me too,” Amber said quietly. “And he’s not the largest concern we have. You haven’t looked at the last drive yet.”
Aaron reached for the magenta thumbdrive.
“I don’t want to know any more,” he said. “I’m going to have nightmares from all of this.”
“It is our responsibility to protect our people,” Amber replied. “I wish we could let this all go away, ignore it all. And much of it, we do.” She motioned toward the rows of bookshelves. “But there are some things we have to know, for the good of the realm.” Amber rubbed Aaron’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll look together.”
Aaron nodded. He slipped the next drive into the computer, and clicked.