Tracking Royals

Tracking Royals
Trix’s POV…

The 3D printer finally dinged.

I looked up from the console and stared at the machine for a few seconds. I had been waiting for that sound for hours, watching code after code compile, dissolve, rebuild and stabilize until the pathogen finally became something more than an idea. Now it was ready.

I walked over to the printer and opened the containment compartment. A small test tube sat inside, held securely between two mechanical arms. I picked it up carefully. The fluid inside was completely transparent. It looked harmless. That was what made it terrifying.

There was nothing about it that suggested it could destroy anything. No color. No smoke. No visible reaction. Just a clear liquid containing a biological sequence specifically designed to shut Abigail's cells down. I carried it over to my microscope. Nyx sat on the counter nearby, watching me.

I placed a tiny drop onto a slide and secured it beneath the lens. Then I activated the scanner. The microscopic image appeared across the monitor. I began running comparisons. One pathogen. Then another. Then another.

I checked its stability against every biological sequence I had available. The results kept coming back positive. Stable. Adaptive. Resistant. Deadly.

I smiled faintly. "It works."

Nyx purred. I looked at the test tube again. "This is the thing that could undo what I created."

Nyx tilted her head. I felt bad already and sat down next to her.

"I know. It's horrible. I created Abigail because I wanted to build something powerful. I thought I could control it. I thought I understood everything."

I looked at the transparent liquid. "But I didn't."

Nyx purred again.

"I wonder when the right time will come."

I wasn't talking about the pathogen anymore. I was talking about Abigail. The child I had helped bring into existence. The child who could become a false bridge. The child who could destroy everything. I had already seen what the future might look like. I couldn't allow it to happen. Then I felt it. A pulse. Strong. Fast. Multiple movements.

I froze. My senses immediately expanded through the palace. I could see through walls. Guards were moving. Lots of them. Imperial soldiers were coming out of their barracks. The military was mobilizing. I stood. "What is going on?"

I focused harder. More soldiers. More weapons. More activity. Something was happening. I quickly placed the pathogen inside a secure compartment and locked it. Then I grabbed my cloak and left the lab. I needed answers. I moved toward the assembly room, but I didn't make it very far. Two guards stepped into my path.

"I need to speak with the Emperor."

"Princess, you're not permitted inside."

"What is happening?"

They said nothing. "I asked you a question."

Still nothing. I looked beyond them. The entire corridor was crawling with soldiers. I couldn't get through. I disappeared. Invisible. I walked straight past them. Nobody noticed.

I followed the sound of voices until I reached another corridor where several guards were talking. I stopped beside the wall and listened.

"How far ahead is the tracking team?"

"Not far."

"What about the prince?"

"They've got him."

My heart jumped. Jarox.

"What about the Emperor?"

"He's leaving soon."

"Where?"

"To find the prince."

I stepped closer. "He's being tracked. They won't have trouble finding him."

I immediately became visible again once I was far enough away. My mind raced. Tracked? How?

I hurried back to my lab. The moment I entered, I went straight to the scanner. I stepped inside. "Full-body scan."

The machine activated. A blue light swept over me. Then another. The system began analyzing my entire body. I waited. Then the results appeared.

NANO-TRACKING DEVICES DETECTED.

I stared at the screen. "What?"

The scanner highlighted several tiny points. Most of them were concentrated around my palm. I zoomed in. Tiny. Almost invisible. Nanites. My stomach dropped.

"The dinner."

It suddenly made sense. The strange dinner. The way Feran had insisted we eat. The way he hadn't wanted us asking questions. The utensils. He had put the trackers in the utensils.

I clenched my fists. "That bastard."

If Jarox had eaten from those utensils too, then he was being tracked. And if he was going to the secret lab… I didn't even want to finish the thought. I rushed to my communications console.

"Come on, Jarox."

I opened a channel. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing. "Pick up."

There was no response. I immediately switched channels and called the secret lab. The connection opened. Morgan appeared on the screen. "Trix?"

"Has Jarox arrived?"

She frowned. "No."

I froze. "What?"

"He hasn't—"

I ended the call. I didn't have time. If Jarox hadn't reached them yet, then there was still a chance. But if he was already on his way… I had to move. Now.

I grabbed my cloak and secured it around myself. The palace was still crawling with soldiers, but that worked in my favor. Everyone was watching everyone else. Nobody was watching me. I slipped out through a side passage and made my way toward the outer grounds. I stayed hidden near the edge of the palace. Minutes later, the gates opened. Feran emerged. A small elite force accompanied him. They moved quickly toward the city. I watched them disappear into the distance.

My father was hunting Jarox. And he had a tracker inside his body. I waited another few seconds. Then I stepped out. Invisible. I walked straight through the palace gates. Nobody saw me.

Once I was safely beyond the grounds, I became visible again. I looked toward the distant city. Jarox would be heading toward the lab. Feran would be heading toward Jarox. And if the two paths crossed anywhere near that wreck… Abigail would be exposed.

I tightened my cloak around myself. "No."

I started moving. I had to reach the lab first. I had to warn Jarox. Because if Feran found him before I did, everything we'd been trying to protect could collapse tonight.

And Abigail—the false bridge—would be right at the center of it.