Category: Science Fiction Books

This scene from Forged in Fire is from the viewpoint of Joss, a master telepath and weapons designer, creating everything from smart bullets to cannon on starships.  Joss has positioned herself well above the fray, able to see everyone. What a telepath can see, they can control—up to a point. Pietas is facing off with his father, attempting to reason with the madman. There is no love lost between the narcissistic Mahikos and any living creature. Including the tribe of sentient panthers who had shown up and taken sides with Pietas. After Mahikos killed their alpha and the panther revived, the immortal animals made the man their sworn enemy.

The fight going on now between Pietas and Mahikos has escalated; Mahikos is threatening to set fire to the lifepods cradling their people. Near Joss, the mortal Six, Pietas's new friend, with bow and arrow ready, is tracking every move Mahikos makes.

Not exactly a party...

Joss stayed at Six's side as he tracked Mahikos.

The man swore with eloquent profanity. "Is it always like this?"

"No. They don't usually get along this well."

At that, Six swung his gaze toward her, his astonishment plain. After a moment, he blinked. "Are you serious? Wow, if this is the ap Lorectics getting along, I don't want to see them fighting." He recovered himself and returned to his quarry.

"If you stick around, you'll have no choice. Before the peace talks, they'd avoided each other for almost a century, but a new Council got voted in and they elected Pietas as Chancellor. That made Mahikos Chancellor Emeritus. By common vote, Dessy had been runner up, so she's Second-in-Command. That meant they had to work together every day. There's non-stop arguing. Gets old, believe me."

"I come from a feisty family myself. Someone's always on the outs. If we so much as had a birthday party where the police didn't show up, it was a miracle." He gave a soft chuckle. "Well, this fight's about to get even more interesting."

"How?"

"Above left. By the trees."

She shielded her eyes. "What do you..." She gasped. "Oh, no!"

Against the bright dawn, a ridge of black revealed the silhouettes of over a dozen huge black cats.

This scene from Forged in Fire is from the viewpoint of Joss, an on-again-off-again lover of Pietas. Joss is a master telepath and a weapons designer, creating everything from smart bullets to cannon on starships. She taught Pietas about weapons, helping to hone him into a formidable warrior. As this scene begins, Mahikos, Pietas's father, is threatening to set fire to a unit of cryogenic life pods. In all of Ultra history, no Ultra has ever killed another by fire. It's the only death they can't come back from. Pietas is facing off with his father, attempting to reason with him. Joss has positioned herself well above the fray, able to see everyone. What a telepath can see, they can control—up to a point.

Some telepath you are...

A sound to the left put Joss on alert. She hadn't hidden, but she hadn't been standing in the open either. She crept back along the canyon wall, waiting to see who might reveal himself. Had to be one of the men. All the women were in sight. She counted the male members of the Council.

All present. Then who...?

Beside a cluster of brush, Six eased onto the cliff edge. On one knee, he rested a fist against the ground and leaned out to take in the action below. A breeze tousled his dark hair. In profile, he had a strong chin and firm mouth. Lean, muscled body. The smile so quick to show around Pietas was missing up here. Six was all soldier. He might be a beta to Pietas, but on his own, he was alpha.

Interesting.

Then again, wherever and whenever Pietas showed up, he became the alpha almost by default. Everyone deferred to him. He didn't have to take control. People gave it to him.

Except Mahikos. Which always led to fireworks, and now—this.

Joss remained still, keeping Six in sight. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be with Pietas? What was this human up to? And why could she not read him?

Six pulled off his pack. After opening the flap, he reached inside and withdrew something. He'd turned enough for her not to be able to see. He shifted position and raised his hands, revealing a handmade weapon. Six nocked an arrow and drew back the small hunting bow. Excellent form. In a tournament, he'd win points. He might even be deadly against a human, but at this distance and with the size of the bow, he'd do nothing more than annoy an Ultra.

Although, if the point was distraction, that bow might be more than enough. It depended on how many arrows he was prepared to waste.

"Joss." Six didn't take his focus off Mahikos. "You can come out. I won't bite."

She showed herself. "Neither will I."

He never took his gaze off the target. "Good."

He said it as if the single word gave him great pleasure, the way Pietas always did, but she decided not to mention that. "Why are you up here?"

"Waiting for a signal. Pi sent me to cover him." He steadied his hand. "Although I suspect it was more to keep me out of harm's way and make me feel useful. No offense, but he doesn't trust Mahikos."

"No one with any intelligence trusts Mahikos."

"He was Chancellor. How did that happen?"

"Mahikos? Because people are afraid of him. There's an old saying, 'better the demon you know' and Mahikos is the people's favorite untrustworthy demon. Although Pietas is thousands of times better than his father, he's their second favorite. Father and son leapfrog the office. Now and then a token representative gets elected instead."

"Token?"

"Me. Half dozen others. Helia. Although when she's in office, it might as well be Mahikos because she does whatever he tells her to do."

Six gave a slow nod. "Gathered that."

"Did you?"

"Doesn't take eyes to see she and Pi adore each other. Walking across this world with him, I heard so many stories about her I thought I'd known her half my life." Six shifted position, tracking Mahikos. "It's just as obvious that Mahikos abuses her and she loathes him."

"That is not true! They've been married since— You're wrong."

He snorted. "Some telepath you are."

"Excuse me, but being a telepath doesn't mean I know everyone's business. Helia and Mahikos both have strong shields. And," she added, "I have ethics."

Six lowered the bow and looked straight at her. "If you can't see how badly he treats her, you haven't been paying attention, telepath or not."

"You are dead wrong. Helia and I are best friends. I'd be the first to know if what you say were true." He couldn't be correct. Could he? Instead of firing off another retort, she turned her attention to the ongoing fracas.

Pietas remained implacable, standing in one spot, arms folded, watching. To his left, Dessy mimicked his stance. To his right stood Helia, stroking her cat. Members of the Council spread out and took up defensive positions behind them.

Mahikos screamed an obscenity and waved the torch.