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Lady Grace turned away from the sense of bitter loss pervading the nest and wafted toward the link with her second-in-command, Sparrow. She beckoned with a finger to gather her clustered acolytes closer and in that relative privacy, her fronds shared unexpected horror.

  Are we where I think? Sparrow pulsed back and Grace replied at once.

  Indeed.

  A cursed place.

  For always. Space has been damaged here, past all repair. That must be how Wing managed to enter this system.

  The BGP Senior wafted closer to his leader, bringing his emotions with him, to discretely share them only with her. Returning here, I feel so...

  Grace sighed softly at the projected feeling, but her mental response was sharper. Sad? You feel sad? This is the site of two feedings, the culling of two entire civilisations. It’s drakking tragic. Her mind softened as she pushed agony aside, stamped it down on top of guilt and instead shared happier memories with Sparrow. They both saw a more welcome vision from her past, undulating fields of flowers, waving between gold and cream forests that were thick with blossom. Do you think it can still be so lovely?

  Sparrow smiled sadly, but then his face froze and his fronds abruptly stiffened. Dear one, can this be fate? Is returning here after so many lifetimes a sign? Should we tell our latest children the truth? Tell them all?

  Grace's fronds bristled in response, their thin strands scratching past each other. You think we should admit to being immortal? To lying to them, while living in disguise among them? To making body after body?

  Sparrow paused to consider his response. Perhaps we should admit to that and more.

  Grace grimaced, despite the discomfort when it pulled her face into even deeper folds. Not my favorite plan. Admitting that my actions doomed them all, long before they were born, carries more than a sting.

  Such was not your intent, but see where we are. Back at Talisman and all by chance?

  Grace looked again at the images filling the nest, but the circling planets faded when memory took her. The memory. The memory from her first life that always followed her into each new body. She felt the pain of being stabbed and then loss and overwhelming fear.

  I was selfish, Sparrow and we've all paid for that. I've no wish to confess further. I would if needed, but these youngsters should never have to know that death is coming for them. And what would we say anyway? Tell them we’re not kres at all? That we’re ancient beings, reborn many times in an effort to stop the evil that hunts them? That we’ve spent millennia scrabbling to defeat the Devourer?

  Sparrow frowned gently back. Not scrabbling, dear sister. We were close last time.

  Grace clenched her teeth to hold back a bitter laugh. Close? Tell the seventy-two billion dead how close we were. Grief/ loss/ shame.

  They shared the burden silently, until Sparrow lifted a translucent hand. It fluttered like an insect to land on Grace’s arm. Let me help further. You should distract the Devourer while I lie on the altar-

  No. Never. My mistake made that monster and I must be the one to mend it. I have no option, brother. The sacrifice must be mine.

  Sparrow’s fingers tightened on Grace’s arm, but his grip was no heavier than a gold chain. He made a last attempt to persuade her anyway.

  But is confession not a temptation, love? Isn't that why you're so harsh with the children? To keep them distant and so resist it?

  The old lady gave a grating laugh at that insight. You know me well. But the confession I want is not for myself. I need to be cold, even cruel, or I would rage at them. Rage, Sparrow. Yell at them to obey me, warn them that time is running out and spread fear and fear and more fear-

  Lady Grace broke off when she remembered where they were and her head jerked up to look around, even as Sparrow draped a comforting arm across her shoulders.

  However, the distant crew remained oblivious to the elderly couple’s exchange. Grace found the energy to lift her face into a wry smile. Being old was drakkingly inconvenient, but at least it made you invisible to the young. And that was what she needed to stay. Invisible. Hidden and waiting so that when evil returned, she could finally defeat it.

  45

  License to Kill