Sturgis Santiago, Elder Head of the Clan Zamora, still in his robes, entered his private library, switched on the lights, rounded his desk and sat down in his dark brown leather high-backed chair. He turned on his desktop lamp, switched on the monitor for the security cameras, looked at each screen for a few moments then turned his attention to his desktop computer. He was about to log in when a piece of paper on his desk caught his attention. He looked at it then picked it up very slowly and read it. He looked up as if he were staring out in the vastness of space, then slowly put the note back down on his desk. His office doors slowly began to close which made him look up and furrow his eyebrows but the slightly camouflaged figure revealed sitting in a chair behind the doors straightened them. He expression gave way to recognition.
"Ms. Malikov." Sturgis greeted.
"Mr. Santiago." Kenzi replied. Sturgis leaned back into his chair.
"If I recall, the last time I saw you was when I hosted the Invernell gathering years ago."
"When the last time should have been at your son's own funeral." Kenzi replied. Sturgis took in a deep breath and exhaled, looked down at the note again then back at Kenzi.
"This…piece of paper is a good, old-fashioned Presidium assassination order. I presume you placed it here on my desk?"
"I did."
"I wonder why a human would be delivering an assassination order issued by the Presidium?" Sturgis asked. Kenzi said nothing.
"Unless, the rumors about you are true, that you are no longer human." Sturgis poked. Kenzi still said nothing.
"I ask again why is a human delivering a Presidium assassination order?"
"As an Agent of the Presidium, it is my duty to carry out the directives of the Parliament of Fae."
"You, a human, are an Agent of the Presidium?" Sturgis said surprised.
"In the flesh." Kenzi replied. Sturgis thought for a moment.
"That is both unbelievable and an abomination." Sturgis said.
"And you, dear sir, are a traitor to the Realm."
"And how does any of that concern you?"
"It concerns Bo and that of the Ruling Family hence it concerns me."
"Of course…Bo." Sturgis said. "May I ask what is the basis for the assassination order?"
"The Athenaeum." Kenzi replied. Sturgis lowered his head.
"I was wondering how soon after Her Majesty's visit that would all come to the forefront. And with Rainer's reappearance years ago it was only a matter of time before the sins of war would come back to haunt this family." Sturgis said as studied the piece of paper again.
"You mean the sins of the father." Kenzi replied. Sturgis looked back up.
"I was hoping when the Athenaeum was discovered in Engelram's collection the details would slip away into the cracks of history and Engelram would forever take the fall." Sturgis said.
"You were hoping that the Athenaeum was discovered? That implies…" Kenzi started.
"That it was intentionally placed there. Yes, it was. By me." Sturgis finished. He looked intently at Kenzi.
"Several hundred years ago, I stole into Engelram's collection and hid it away. As I'm sure you know, unless one knows what to look for it's just another book in a pile. I was counting on the vastness of Engelram's collection to obscure it from discovery, forever perhaps. It was only until Engelram's dealings with the relic, and the attack on the Queen's life that I knew it was only a matter of time."
"That time has arrived." Kenzi replied. Sturgis's eyes narrowed.
"The Ms. Malikov I met when my son first introduced you to me is certainly not the one who sits before me now."
"Time changes all." Kenzi said as she raised a Seracon weapon and deployed it. Sturgis's eyes narrowed.
"Time is supposed to heal all wounds, not further them."
"This is not about me. This is about you facing the consequences of your decisions."
"Is this how you intend to prove yourself to the Presidium by murdering for them?"
"Your father should have thought of that before making his choices." Kenzi replied.
"Then allow me to be even more precise. Is this how you honor Hale's memory? By assassinating his father?"
"I will admit that concerned me…until tonight when you reminded me how so utterly selfish and mean-spirited you are. Attempting to throw his memory into my face in efforts to curry sympathy when you didn't even care to bother to show up for his funeral. You made a mistake there, Sturgis Santiago; invoking Hale's name doesn't weaken my resolve, it only serves to strengthen it." Kenzi replied. Sturgis raised his head slightly.
"What about my daughter, Val? Will she be safe?" Sturgis asked.
"My concern is you." Kenzi replied then raised the Seracon weapon, the tip of it glowed a reddish energy. "By order of the Parliament of Fae, you are hereby…" Kenzi started.
"Before you pull the trigger I have information that I believe would be beneficial to the Realm." Sturgis said.
"And what information is that?" Kenzi asked. Seracon weapon still raised.
"The attack on The Regnant was but a tip on the iceberg. There is also an attack on the Realm itself." Sturgis replied. Kenzi lowered her weapon slightly. Sturgis's eyes narrowed.
"I see that got your attention." Sturgis said with a hint of victory.
"What is this attack on the Realm itself?" Kenzi asked.
"There have been forces working steadily not only to usurp the Blood King but also forces to usurp The Regnant."
"That is not news."
"The methodology may be. It is two-prong: The first is the recovery of the Athenaeum and the relic."
"And the second?"
"In order to build one's strength, one must first diminish the strength of the enemy." Sturgis replied. That statement caused Kenzi to recall a conversation she overheard during half-time at the Juggerbol game she attended with Antony.
"A toxin?" Kenzi whispered.
"I see that you may very well be aware." Stugis said with a slight smile.
"Tell me!" Kenzi demanded.
"Let's just say I am not the only Elder the Blood King and The Regnant should be worried about." Sturgis replied.
Then Sturgis suddenly gripped his chest, like he was having a heart attack. Kenzi shot up out of her chair. Sturgis leaned forward, looked at Kenzi and then his chest exploded, the contents of which spewed all over the room. Kenzi quickly recovered from the initial shock of chest spatter, looked around quickly then ran to the nearest window and scanned the tree line. She saw nothing until she saw some bushes move. Kenzi opened the window and jumped through and ran into the bushes in pursuit. She could hear branches breaking ahead of her as she went. Finally, she came up to an open field with the burgeoning light of dawn beaming down on it and saw someone just cross the field and head into the second set of bushes. Kenzi exhaled hard then turned around and headed back to the house. When she arrived back in Sturgis's office she was met by Dakari, Ian and Gunnar standing over Sturgis's dead body.
"You?" Dakari asked.
"No. Someone else." Kenzi answered.
"Who?" Ian asked.
"Don't know, but we need to get to Val!" Kenzi replied.
"Who?" Gunnar asked.
"Val Santiago! It's his daughter! We need to make sure she's safe from whomever did this." Kenzi replied.
"Okay." Ian replied. Kenzi pulled out a communications device and set it on the desk.
"Call Dyson!" Kenzi said. The air shimmered and Dyson's face appeared.
"Kenzi?" Dyson prompted.
"Sturgis is dead!" Kenzi said.
"Kenzi…." Dyson started
"Not by me! Someone else! But I fear Val Santiago may be next! We need to find her and fast!"
"I'm on it!" Dyson said and hung up.
"What all happened here?" Dakari asked.
"I'll explain later, but let's get out of here and find Val before it's too late!" Kenzi replied.
