Alien Arcana (Starship's Mage Book 4) Read Online Free Page B

aliens left behind.
    “You don’t need my permission, but you have it. And my blessing. Keep me informed.”
    “There’s a weekly courier run already. I’ll send back reports via the Tau Ceti RTA.”
    “Then good luck,” Alexander told him.
    A moment of silence marked the end of the conversation, and Damien sighed. Even now, over a year later, the authority and independence that the Mage-King had bestowed on him was mind-boggling. Hands had to keep the King informed , but they didn’t exactly ask for permission as a rule.
    He still had time left on his slot and he checked his wrist-comp to make sure he had the right numbers and angles for his next transmission. Once he was sure, he channeled power into the runes and around him and spoke aloud.
    “Ardennes RTA, are you receiving?” he asked.
    A moment passed. Then two.
    “This Ardennes RTA; we confirm receipt,” the cheerful voice of the Transceiver Mage on Ardennes replied. Damien had become a Hand on that world. He’d been supposed to be an apprentice, but everything had gone very wrong, and the Hand he’d accompanied had been murdered.
    More importantly right now, however, was that Julia Amiri’s boyfriend was currently running for governor of the planet in an election that was shaping up to be functionally an acclamation, and she’d gone there to “provide moral support” to the ex-professor and ex-rebel turned politician.
    “This is Hand Damien Montgomery. Please record a message for relay to Special Agent Julia Amiri,” he said stiffly, following it up with a string of numbers that would reach her personal wrist comp.
    Another pause.
    “We are standing by to relay, my Lord Montgomery.”
    “Julia, this is Damien,” he said calmly. “This transmission is for your information only; you are not to cut your visit to Ardennes and Riordan short. There has been an incident in the Andala System requiring my specific skills.”
    That was as close as he’d come to talking about being a Rune Wright via a relay. He’d trust the Transceiver Mages to wipe the recording of his time here on Tau Ceti, but anything relayed into the normal datanets was vulnerable.
    The existence of Rune Wrights was classified at the highest level, mostly as Damien himself was the only one they knew of who wasn’t a member of the Royal Family. Surprises were handy.
    “I’ll be traveling with both Marine and Secret Service escorts,” he continued. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you when you return to Tau Ceti, Julia. Tell Mikael good luck from me.”
     

Chapter 4
     
    Mage-Lieutenant Denis Romanov waited outside Major Kennedy’s office patiently. He did everything patiently by nature, something many people found at odds with his lanky build, red hair and bright green eyes. Despite humanity’s diaspora to the stars, certain stereotypes survived—and despite his last name, Denis was from Ireland on Earth and looked it.
    “The Major will see you now,” the burly sergeant who headed the staff section for Duke of Magnificence ’s Marine detachment told him.
    With a grateful nod to the noncommissioned officer, Denis stepped through the door into Major Sherry Kennedy’s office—only to stop immediately as he saw Mage-Captain Kole Jakab sitting in a chair off to the side of the Major’s desk, leaning back and watching him carefully.
    “Sir,” he said crisply, hiding any hesitancy behind protocol. He was familiar with Kennedy’s office, a relatively standard military office aboard a Protectorate warship with a denser-than-normal “I love me” wall of citations and medals.
    The comfortable chair Jakab was sprawled in hadn’t been part of the décor in the past. Neither had the chair in front of the plain metal desk, a far more comfortable seat than the normal one.
    “Get in and sit down, Romanov,” Kennedy barked. The stocky, platinum-blond commander of Duke ’s Marines had a command voice Denis could only hope to one day match.
    “Yes, ma’am.” He took the indicated