“She won’t get caught,” Justin said firmly. “She’s been thinking about this. She’s got a plan, and we’ll see her back in the RUNA. That being said . . . life will be a lot easier for her when she gets back, even if she’s victorious, if you come out telling our government that you authorized her actions. They’ll spin a cover story for the media, but she’ll still have a lot to answer for behind closed doors.”
“I’ll have a lot to answer for,” protested Lucian. “I’m not consul yet, Justin. I don’t know why you think I have the power I do.”
“Because your star’s going to be so high after we sort out this mess that there’s no way you won’t be consul. And no matter how many regulations have been trampled on, no government official’s going to punish you for helping one soldier who’s responsible for a heartwarming victory. No one will come after you when you’ve got that much public love. They’ll grumble, and that’s it.”
“A consul leads the senate and upholds the law.” Lucian sighed.
“You’re basically telling me I can throw all that away if I’m popular enough.”
“Pretty much.”
Lucian sighed again. “Then we’d better go tell the others what to expect.”
Justin had to give his friend credit. Lucian might have needed a fair amount of convincing, but by the time he pulled himself together and called the other Gemmans for an impromptu meeting, it was as though Lucian had personally orchestrated everything from the very beginning. He did a fair amount of editing himself, smoothing out some of the parts where he’d clearly been in the dark, in order to inspire confidence for the plan. He stood by Mae, leaving out the part about her niece, and insisting her actions had been on his orders. He made everything sound easy, so much so that Justin almost wanted to let go of his own doubts and forget that there were actually a million things that could go horribly wrong.
Atticus, their diplomat, had the biggest problem with it. “This is a disaster,” he exclaimed. “There’s no way this can end well! We’ll start a war.”
“If what you say is true, they’re already trying to,” said George, who seemed to be taking the proposed conspiracy personally. “Why wait to catch their hackers in a sting? I saw we start dropping bombs as soon as we get home.”
“Because we need proof,” said Lucian patiently. “We need to find out how much they know and how much they learned from that
Gemman defector—what was his name?”
“Cowlitz,” said Justin.
George actually looked impressed. “I’ve heard of him. He was pretty high up on the tech side. Had no idea he ended up here. Me, I’d go to South America.”
That outside verification of Cowlitz’s history soothed Atticus a little, but it was clear his mind was still spinning with all the potential diplomatic fallout. “It’s going to be very hard getting that Arcadian woman back in with us.”
“We’re going back in with the same number of women we left with,” said Lucian. “So long as we can keep them away from her for the rest of this trip, there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Atticus groaned. “We’ve got a long two days ahead of us.”
The group finally dispersed to get what sleep they could, and Val caught Justin’s attention before he retired to his room. “You and the good senator painted us a very rosy picture back there,” she said softly.
“How much of it was true?”
“All of it,” Justin assured her. “We’re going to return to the RUNA as heroes, uncovering international plots and freeing young girls. Hope Dag’s finally ready to make an honest woman of you because you’re going to be hip deep in suitors after this.”
Val rolled her eyes. “And you’re hip deep in bullshit. Both of you. How much trouble is Mae in?”
“None, not so long as she succeeds.”
“Succeeds in getting a group of girls through a hostile country and through a highly protected border, you mean?”
“Yes.” Justin started to turn away, and Val pulled him back.
“I’m serious,” she said. “Please tell me Mae has more to go on than a wish and a prayer.”
“A prayer? I never took you for a religious woman, Val.”
“After what you guys told us?” Val shook her head. “I just might have to become one if it’s the only way to get us out of this mess.”
Back in his room, Justin was spared any awkwardness with Hannah since she’d already fallen asleep curled up on the floor. Or at least, he assumed she was asleep. It was hard to say, with all the concealing clothing. He would’ve let her have the bed if given the option, but without it, he gladly sunk into the covers, fully dressed, and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Too much physical and mental exertion, not to mention the Exerzol crash, sent his body to a much-needed slumber . . . that unfortunately only lasted a few hours.
He knew what was happening, as soon as the shouts outside woke him up. Hannah, sitting bolt upright, did as well. “It’s okay,” he told her, hoping it was the truth. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“They’ll find me,” she whispered. “There’s nowhere to go.”
“You’re going with us.” Justin made a half-hearted attempted to smooth his wrinkled shirt, then wondered why he was bothering. A few seconds later, a Gemman knocked at the door, and he found one of the praetorians there.
“They’re searching the entire compound,” she said, face grim.
“One of the concubines is missing.” He assumed there were Arcadians within listening distance.
“We’ll be right out,” Justin replied. He took Hannah’s gloved hand and squeezed it. “It’ll be okay.”
In the guesthouse’s common area, the other Gemmans were congregating by gender, and Justin led Hannah to a spot beside Val before joining the men. The Cloistered attire was useful for a lot of things, he decided, because he was pretty sure Hannah had a terrible poker face. Concealed as she was, all she had to do was stay quiet and still and hope that no one thought to have her reveal herself.
“What’s going on?” he asked, stifling a yawn.
“They lost one of their women and want to make sure she didn’t wind up in any of our beds,” said George.
Carl strode in, overhearing the comment. “We didn’t lose anyone. She was taken.”
“Or she ran away,” said a smirking Jasper, following behind his father. “I always told you she was an insubordinate bitch.”
“She was taken,” Carl repeated, though it was clear even he didn’t really believe that wholeheartedly. “None of my women would run away.” He glanced over the Gemmans to make sure they were all accounted for and then directed his sons to search the bedrooms. The young men took to it with relish, turning over bed and chairs, possibly hoping to find some sort of illicit treasures hidden away. Justin noticed Carl giving quiet directions to Walter, and a moment later, the young man disappeared into one of the bathrooms, presumably to search the emergency escape tunnel they didn’t think the Gemmans knew about.
After an hour, they declared the building Hannah-free, and Carl stormed out muttering, “I’ll kill her.” Apparently he was having to face the reality that she might very well have run away. It would’ve been far easier on the ego to accept abduction, Justin supposed.
None of the Gemmans slept well after that, and things grew increasingly weird the next morning when a messenger came from the temple demanding to know everyone’s whereabouts the previous night.
Justin was the only one who’d been out, but he had Hansen as an alibi for part of the time and had apparently checked back in at Carl’s during whatever timeframe was of concern to the messenger. At first, Justin wondered if they were under suspicion for the salon raid, but something in the messenger’s manner made Justin think this inquiry stemmed from a different matter altogether. Whatever it was, he was never enlightened, and the messenger left without finding any answers.
Justin and his companions soon found themselves falling into the long two days that Atticus had warned about. Hannah’s disappearance was a personal problem for the family, one they spoke little of to the Gemmans, though it poisoned the atmosphere for the rest of the stay. Of course, Justin knew he and his party wouldn’t have been all that comfortable regardless, what with their complicity in the matter. The Gemman men continued the scheduled diplomatic events, and the women went on with their mix of chores and regulated outings, except for Hannah who, posing as Mae, was excused from the former. She wanted to stay behind and hide in the room during the women’s outings too, but Justin pointed out that wouldn’t be in character with Mae, plus he wanted to minimize any chance of someone speaking to her alone.
Meanwhile, arrangements were made on both sides for the Arcadian diplomatic group to return home with them, and Hansen visited once to brief Justin on the public details, confirming that all was in order. When they had a private moment, the Arcadian man also let Justin know that all was well with his handpicked group of delegates and that those left behind were still keeping the faith to Odin.
What have I done? Justin wondered after Hansen left. What have I gotten these people into, only to abandon them?
You did good work, but don’t think they’ll flounder without you, chided Magnus. All-father has been connecting with his followers long before you came along. There will be other priests, other dreams.
Hansen also reported that no one suspected a set-up was taking place and that Cowlitz’s men were still going to attempt their disabling of the media stream. Lucian looked relieved when Justin relayed that, meaning the senator was on track to get his public accolades when the plot was revealed. The other half of Lucian’s hoped-for fame, Mae’s rescue, remained shrouded in mystery, and all they could hope for was that no news was good news. When Justin tentatively asked Carl about the raided salon one day, the Arcadian simply shook his head and said,
“Looks like they got away with it.”
The day before the Gemmans were scheduled to return home,
Justin asked the ravens something that had been on his mind for a while: You’d tell me if you knew which deity was helping Mae, wouldn’t you?
If All-father allowed us, said Magnus.
What’s that mean? asked Justin. You do know and aren’t telling me?
No, we don’t know, and that’s why we aren’t telling you.
Justin wasn’t sure he could buy it. Or maybe you’re not telling me because the goddess helping her is an ally of Odin’s, and this is all terribly convenient for you guys and part of some set up?
That would be very convenient, said Horatio. Which ally do you think it is?
You know which one. Freya. Freya’s a fertility goddess known for her amber necklace. Mae’s being helped by an amber knife sacred to a fertility goddess.
Amber’s important for half of European religions, Horatio argued.
Go look it up on the media stream when you’re home—if it’s still there.
I just can’t shake the feeling I’m being played, Justin said.
Well, if you are, then it’s not by us. We didn’t send the knife. We don’t even have opposable thumbs.
That was true. He and Mae had never figured out where that knife had come from, and Justin supposed that would provide the first set of answers. A human servant was needed to use the Gemman postal system. His initial suspect, Callista, denied involvement, and her patron goddess was more about magic and moonlight than amber and fertility.
Odin and the ravens had talked about Mae being crowned in flowers since before Justin met her, and it made sense they’d be referring to a fertility goddess in their own pantheon.
Somehow, despite all the complications tormenting him internally and externally, Justin survived those long two days. On that third morning, his party packed up and made their farewells to Carl’s family.
The cloud of Hannah’s disappearance still hung over everyone, but Carl’s initial swagger and pride at hosting important foreigners was still going strong. And really, for those not privy to the dark underside of it all, the trip had been a stunning success. Quiet Phil had managed to work on a favorable trade negotiation, and Lucian had endeared himself to the Arcadian president, who promised to further open lines of communication. Along with touring Divinia, they’d made a number of day trips to other important sites and cities, ultimately accomplishing what no Gemman in history had.
“Now if we can just make it out alive,” Atticus muttered to Justin, as they boarded the bus that would take them back to the border. Justin was pretty sure the diplomat was going to start drinking heavily once they were back on their native soil, and honestly, Justin couldn’t blame him.
The Arcadian delegation coming back with them took separate transportation, no doubt to receive their last, covert orders. Lucian and Atticus had been in contact with the Gemman government, gaining permission for the group’s ostensible purpose: Arcadians visiting and sharing their culture. Lucian hadn’t dared communicate any hint of knowledge of the conspiracy while in Arcadia, but he’d assured Justin that once they were safely within the RUNA’s borders, they’d make sure the hackers were set up and discovered quickly.
“We don’t want them sitting around, gathering more data,” Lucian had said. “We’ll act like we’re going along with the cultural exchange and conveniently set them up in locations most accessible to the media stream’s way stations. Once they take the bait, and we get your defector friends to testify about the plan, this’ll be a done deal.” Lucian had then paused to give Justin a long, level look. “And they really are your friends. That Hansen guy adores you. How’d you pull that off?”