Page 26 of Red Demon (Oria #1)

A Man Who Knows His Place

T he summer sun beat down on my sweaty brow as I walked through the garden to Mira’s greenhouse lab. Opening the rickety door of the frosted glass structure for the first time, I was grateful to find it was climate controlled inside.

It was clear that Mira was working off a low budget, despite her father investing plenty of coin into modernizing the governor’s house.

Her lab was a cluttered haven of two tables, a shelf, a tablet, lots of books and stacks of papers, and her little code sequencer running with a low, electronic thrum.

Ash and Mira sat huddled over the tablet, their brows furrowed in exhausted concentration.

Research was not going well.

“Hey Ashes,” I said, the sound echoing off the glass walls. “Who wants mint lemonade?”

Mira glanced up, her frustration tugged away by a smile.

Voids, had she even slept? Asher didn’t look much better. He’d been staying up reading some of Mira’s Mod-Tech books in an effort to help her figure out what she was doing wrong. He’d retested every circuit, coming up empty. That was all he cared to share with me regarding anything to do with Mira.

“Still getting error messages?” I asked, knowing if she wasn’t, she would have told me before the door creaked closed behind me.

“Drowning in them.” Mira rubbed the exhaustion out of her eyes. “Same as the last sample. I’ve isolated some segments of code that don’t throw it, but there are far too many that do. It can’t be right. None of this can be right.”

My stomach churned. “What would it mean if it was right?”

Mira snorted. “It means you should be dead. We’ve already tried pulling your sample three times, same result.”

I let out a shaky breath. “So it’s real, whatever it is.”

“Trust me, it can’t be. Asher? Back me up.”

Asher peeled his eyes away from her. “From what I’ve read, yeah.

The database she connects to can translate code at any level: gene groups, interactions, modulators, even break it down to individual proteins.

At some point, this is all Mira’s expertise,” he said with a blooming smile, “but even I understand you shouldn’t have lethal sequences in your code.

One instance you might survive, not fifty-three. ”

I picked up a vial of clear liquid and studied it. Mira snatched it from my hands and placed it back.

“Maybe the database is wrong?” I said.

“It’s not. The database is the system of record.

All scientific labs can connect to the same one and much of these code sequences, like your lethal one, predates the empire.

There’s been more than enough time to correct a human error.

” She drummed her fingers. “I could model the sequence, but I’d need more equipment.

And besides—I know it doesn’t interact with the SBO virus.

The problem is, nothing in your code does. ”

“Okay fine. Have you run any other samples besides mine and yours to see if your machine is just buggy?”

“No.” She placed the vial back, then met my brother’s gaze. “Ash, may I borrow your blood?”

“If I can be your dance partner again tomorrow, you may bleed me dry,” Asher said, eyes twinkling.

“That might interfere with future dancing,” she laughed, and gathered the supplies. “Or dinner tonight.”

“I won’t wear the century robe this time, I promise.”

“Yes please, even if I’ll admit you’re stunning in it,” Mira said.

“You think so?” Ash said, flustered.

Warm electric lights shone around the polished mahogany table, empty apart from arranged plates, glasses and silver. Soft flutes and string music trilled from the speakers embedded in the walls.

Governor Solonstrong was not a man of imposing stature, but he was a person who stood with his shoulder’s back as if he expected all eyes to be on him.

His black hair was meticulously styled and glossy, and he kept the chin of his handsome brown face high.

Mira sat next to him sipping some coffee, her fresh braid shimmering as she, no doubt, was still thinking through the issues at the lab.

Next to her, Asher, stiff and uncomfortable in the best blue shirt he owned, fidgeted with his napkin.

“I’m grateful you’ve taken an interest in meeting my friends, Father,” Mira said. He’d been explaining the progress of his winery on the Island of Ment, where he hoped to retire one day. Asher and I had very little to contribute to that conversation.

“Of course. It’s important that I meet those who work closely with our elders,” he said, giving Asher a cursory glance before settling on me.

“And to meet those who build such a high percentage of the North Barrack’s weapons.

I know that both of you have been quite busy lately as the empire plans to reopen the Bend. ”

“What?” I said.

Two servers walked in just then, their movements precise as they shifted silver platters from their trays onto the center of the table.

They laid out a steaming bowl of saffron rice and thick brown noodles, colorful curries studded with vibrant vegetables, a roasted duck, and an assortment of flatbreads arranged in a pretty pattern.

The scent of spices filled the air, a mix of Chaeten and Asri culinary influences far more exotic than the staples in our home above the forge.

We didn’t have someone who’d walk around and fill our glasses with wine at home, either.

Asher leaned toward Mira and whispered, “Which ones are vegetarian?”

Governor Solonstrong answered for her. “Ah. There's duck fat in the noodles and the red curry, and best avoid the duck as well.”

Asher grimaced politely. “Thank you, Governor.”

When the governor passed me the duck, I passed it on to Mira, who paused, then set it back in the center after a glance to Ash. The governor frowned.

“You’d mentioned something about the South Bend reopening, Governor?” I asked.

Governor Solonstrong nodded as he sawed through a chunk of crispy meat. “The hope is to open up the Bend in two months: resettling it with a mix of refugees and fresh recruits from the inner empire. I understand Major Mahakal has extended an invitation for you to join his unit toward that purpose?”

It took me a moment to process that. The governor watched me over a glass of wine.

“Yes, Governor. I’m still thinking it over.”

“It would be quite an honor to work alongside a Ghost War veteran. I understand he wants you in his personal squad. Many would kill for such a post.”

I ladled some vegetable curry atop the rice on my plate with all eyes on me, deciding what to say.

“I can just as easily do my part for the Bend and the empire by keeping weapons and tools sharp,” I said. “Asher and Galen hold me to high standards, although Ash has the steadier hand for some of the more intricate work.” I nodded to my brother, who grinned.

The Governor’s features softened as my words sunk in. “A commendable sentiment, young man. You aren’t afraid of hard work, even menial work, and I respect a man who knows his place.” He took a moment to chew his meat. “Humility is a virtue often overlooked these days.”

“Thank you,” I said, uncertain what else to say.

Governor Solonstrong cleared his throat.

“The way I see it, nobility is humility, at its core.” He chuckled.

“Take me, for instance. After years serving Queen Azara in Ea Shadohe, at the heart of the empire, I admit I felt humbled when offered this position. But it was a necessary lesson. Sometimes, we must trust our immortal leaders have a plan, even if the details are unclear to us. After seeing how life is in the wild frontier, I understand now how vital it is that we reopen the Bend, to return our queen’s light to the far corners of the empire.

It is a far more important role than the work I did before, in the capital. ”

“How is it safe to open the Bend if there’s no mod yet to prevent SBO infection?” Mira’s voice was soft, but the challenge was unmistakable.

The Governor waved his fork at her. “Just because the immortals don’t share the plan with us, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. After five years since the last attack, I think we can assume that there are no more rebels with living samples.”

“Then why hasn’t the empire announced that?” Asher asked. “If those soldiers go in and drop dead, what’s the next move? You should be fully aware of contingency plans, at least.”

The governor narrowed his eyes at the challenge.

“Yes, we should plan for emergencies, but it is impossible to plan for each and every crisis.” He waved his wine glass.

“The empire is focused on curtailing Asri rebels and their attacks on tech in Noé, so that will be my focus too, to show I have learned from my mistakes. We must have faith our reincarnated queen knows what she is doing more than a young blacksmith, no? As wonderful as your creations are—stunning.”

I looked to Ash, who frowned at his plate.

Mira had good reasons to feel distant from her father.

It was stupid to assume that the rebels who unleashed the virus that caused the South Bend Outbreak wouldn’t have another sample, for one.

To an Attiq-ka immortal, waiting five years was nothing in their quest to kill Chaeten and our queen.

Besides, the Red Demon was still out there, and I was willing to bet that Solonstrong knew next to nothing about her.

The governor sipped his wine. “Now, my unsolicited advice to young Jesse here is to take Major Mahakal’s offer.

Your reputation precedes you, young man.

Ashmira tells me you can overcome several opponents at once from our local militia, and have never lost a match to anyone from the barracks. Do I have that right?”

“Sorry, no, Governor,” I said, face burning. “I lost to both Major Ryder and Lieutenant Suluku.” I’d lost fighting both the pair at once at a festival after they snuck me my first taste of whiskey, but I already didn’t like where this was going.

“With formal training, you would be perfect,” he rumbled.

“It’s a waste to have you pouring metal when you could be putting those talents to use defending the empire.

And while I respect your humility, it is my role here to ensure the gifts of people under my care do not go to waste.

Do you understand me, Jesse Eirini? If you have a reason to turn Mahakal down, fine, I’ll recommend you to the barrack in Uyr Elderven.

You can accompany Ashmira when she takes her post there. ”

Ash turned to her with a start. “You’re leaving, Mira?”

Her gaze hardened to something glass-shattering when she turned to face her father. “I did not say I’d be accepting that post, Father. I’m leaning toward no.”

My heart thumped in my chest, but I schooled my expression.

His pointed look lingered on Mira. “I have read every report from my brilliant daughter’s schooling through the years.” He turned a whimsical smile to me. “I have a couple framed in my office, in fact, but it seems she needs to take a lesson from you.”

He turned to Mira, his tone hardening to a point.

“Humility, dear daughter. If you care at all for my advice, do not chase honors Queen Azara has taken away from us both. Be grateful for the post you were offered in Uyr Elderven, and if you cannot, secure another before it expires. The longer you stay here with me, the more your reputation will degrade. I invited you here to heal from your disappointment, to give you space to plan a strategic move. I’m less certain this nonsense in the greenhouse is bringing you any closer to that. ”

The governor glared at Ash as well.

Mira sat with her back stiff. “Thank you father, I will reflect on your advice.” Her smile faded in a blink as the governor turned away.

“Excellent,” he said in a neutral tone. “And what beautiful dancing you all have been doing. Every one of you—”

I tried to catch Asher’s tired eyes as the conversation switched to lighter topics, and I made all the usual jokes to keep that banter light, but Ash just stared at his plate with only a few bites torn out of his flatbread.

Mira squeezed his knee under the table and only got a wilted smile for her effort.

On the walk home, I told Ash he was lucky to be the only one who escaped the meal without the governor’s “unsolicited advice.” But instead of a chuckle or even a smile, he just shook his head at me.

“You alright, Ash?”

“Yeah. Just not ready to laugh this one off.” A long exhale. “No sense talking about it.”

There was that silent treatment again. I’d hoped he’d open up if I was quiet back. His fists clenched and unclenched on the walk, while cicadas woke to the night.