Fawks (Dragons of Kratak Book 4) by Ruth Anne Scott (22)

Veshna

“Is everything ready?” I asked.

Kalmor nodded absently, his eyes fixed on the bank of vid-monitors before us. Because Jendrish had not yet restored the biosystems to everybody, we had to rely on antiquated technology to track the progress of the mission.

“Our agents inside the palace have placed monitoring devices in key locations,” Kalmor said. “We should be able to see and hear everything.”

“Good,” I replied.

Kalmor turned to me. “Does your father know of this plan?”

I looked over at him in near disbelief that Kalmor would question me. Especially on this night – the night of our triumph. I knew my father cast a long shadow and despite his many faults and flaws, he still had the respect from many people. Or perhaps they feared him. He was a temperamental man, given to fits of rage and violence. He had been known to thrash people for disagreeing with him.

But I never suspected that Kalmor was one of those people who quaked at the mere mention of his name. Still, once our plan came together, once we had claimed victory, I knew that Kalmor would see where the power truly resided and would fall into line. Or perhaps I would need to re-think my command structure. I needed strong men. Men of iron and steel. Men who would not cower in the face of adversaries. And most of all, I needed men who would follow me without question or hesitation.

But for now, I needed Kalmor. I would decide what to ultimately do with him later.

I snorted. “Of course not,” I said. “He thinks small. His grand idea was to take control of the palace, arrest Jendrish, and lock him up for the rest of his life.”

Kalmor looked at me evenly. “There is still time to pull the plug on this plan and go that way,” he said. “If that was your desire.”

I felt my anger rising, but as always, did my best to rein it in. “My desire is to see this plan through to the end and see the usurper dead,” I said. “My desire is to restore order and bring Optorio back to the way it should be. The only way to do that is to kill Jendrish and place our man upon the throne.”

Kalmor nodded and looked away. “As you wish.”

“If you are having doubts about what we're doing,” I snapped. “Now is the time to voice your concerns.”

He still refused to meet my eyes, remaining focused on the monitors. “Not doubts,” he said. “You know I am with you to the end. My – concern – is your father. Should he ever get out – ”

“He will never see the outside of that prison complex,” I said. “That much I can guarantee. Once our work here is done and we've secured the throne, I will deal with my father. You need not fear him.”

He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming to be considering his words. “The one thing about your plan that I don't understand is, if we're going through all of the trouble to assassinate Jendrish, why do you not take that opportunity to take the throne for yourself? Why put somebody else there?”

I nodded, understanding. Perhaps, that was why he did not seem entirely sold on my plan – he didn't fully grasp it. I supposed that maybe I had kept some bits of information too closely guarded. It was necessary when planning something as risky as an assassination. I did not trust people to begin with – especially when I deemed those people to be inferior.

Still, if I was going to trust Kalmor to be my second in command when this was over, I needed to trust him with a little more information than I was currently doling out.

“The reason we're doing all of this to put somebody else on the throne, is because when I ascend to the throne, I want it to be permanent,” I said. “I refuse to be seen as a usurper. We saw what happened when Bazarok's brother tried to seize the throne through violence.”

Kalmor nodded. “Many viewed him as an illegitimate king.”

“Correct,” I replied. “But by putting somebody on the throne who is – sympathetic – to our views and is willing to bend to our will, we have a layer of insulation. Many will view him as illegitimate, of course. There will be some resistance. But that will allow me the time necessary to build up my political power and support behind the scenes. I will be the voice of reason within the Congress, and when the time comes, I will seek to depose our puppet on the throne. And when that happens, the people will naturally turn to me. That way, when I take the throne, it will be with the full support of the people and the Congress. No bloodshed. No violence. And no opposition. Just a smooth and seamless transition of power.”

A broad smile spread across Kalmor's face. He finally understood my intentions and saw the complete picture of my plan.

“That is very smart. Very strategic,” he said.

“Sometimes, it's necessary to play the long game,” I said. “Coups may bring immediate relief, but they also create tension and distrust. That breeds resentment and eventually, chaos – which ultimately leads to another coup. If I can peacefully transfer power, with the backing of the people, Congress, and the Guard, we stand a much better chance of succeeding in the long term.”

Kalmor looked at me as if he had a newfound respect. Part of me wanted to shake my head and roll my eyes. The other part of me simply wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. All of this was going to be much easier with Kalmor on the same page with me.

“Now,” I said. “Are our assets in place? Is everything ready?”

Clearing his throat, Kalmor nodded. “Everything is in position.”

“And you trust the men you tasked with this job?”

He nodded again. “These are good men,” he said. “Willing to give their lives for the cause.”

“That's good,” I replied. “I hope not, simply because we need good men on our side, but they may have to.”

“They're ready.”

I looked at the monitors and waited. Everything was in motion and if everything went according to plan, it wouldn't be too long before Optorio had a new ruler. It was but one step in the plan. I was a patient man and was willing to bide my time as I let the long game play out.

Mostly because, I knew that in the end, it would be worth it.

Chapter Eight

Jendrish

“It's almost time,” Vink said.

I sighed. “Don't remind me.”

Riley squeezed my hand and gave me a smile. “I know you're not crazy about all of this pomp and circumstance – ”

“That's a bit of an understatement,” I said and gave her a rueful grin.

“But sometimes you have to let the people have their traditions,” she continued. “They need those things that are familiar and comfortable.”

“And Optorio has been in such upheaval for so long now,” Vink added, “that the stabilizing influence of a king everybody is behind, and the – tradition – of his coronation, will be a welcome relief.”

I sighed again. “I feel like an idiot.”

We were standing in a room off of the main throne room, where the coronation ceremony would take place. I shifted in the uncomfortable outfit I was being forced to wear. If I'd had my way, there would be no ceremony. I certainly didn't need one. But it was something that was out of my hands – which, if I was to be king, didn't seem quite right. As the ruler of this world, I should have some say in things – or so I'd thought. A thousand different people had planned this event, and all of them stressed the importance of it – an importance I still failed to see.

I looked at myself in the mirror, at the fancy white cloak draped over my red and black ceremonial armor. I looked like somebody who pretended to be a soldier – without actually being one. Somebody who was playing at being something they were not. As I looked at myself, I realized that maybe, I really was that. That maybe, I was simply an imposter. A pretender to the throne. Somebody who was neither qualified, nor cut out to rule an entire world.

“I know that look,” Vink said. “And don't you dare even begin thinking that.”

“You don't know what I'm thinking,” I grumbled.

“I think he does,” Riley added. “And he's right. Stop thinking you're not worthy of this. Stop thinking that you're not the right man for this job. Because you are.”

Vink nodded. “You absolutely are,” he said as a wide smile crossed his face. “Your Majesty.”

I turned on him and growled. “Don't you dare start with that garbage,” I said. “I've told you a hundred times already – ”

Vink's laughter was as loud as it was long. Riley, of course, joined in. And I stood there, feeling the heat blooming in my face.

“He really makes it too easy,” Riley said between fits of laughter.

“Indeed he does,” Vink said.

“Keep this up,” I said. “And my first act as king will be to have you two loaded up into a ship and shot into the nearest black hole.”

That only made them laugh all the harder. All I could do was shake my head, though I had to admit that I may have cracked a smile. Eventually, the laughter tapered off and they stood before me, both giving me warm smiles, expressions on their faces I couldn't quite make out.

“What is it?” I asked.

Vink reached out and clapped me on the shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I just want to say that I'm proud of you. Proud of serving you,” he said. “And I will be proud to serve you until my dying day.”

Riley nodded and then stood on her tip toes and planted a soft kiss on my cheeks. “I'm proud of you too,” she said. “I know you're going to do great things.”

What I felt in that moment was indescribable. I feared that I would let them both down. But I also felt a fiery determination not to. I honestly had no idea what sort of king I was going to make. I was a soldier. I'd never been anything more, nor anything less. All I could hope for in that moment was to be up to the task before me.

I gave them both a grateful smile. “Thank you both for being here,” he said. “There is nobody I would rather have by my side than the both of you.”

We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment when the bells in the bell tower outside began to chime.

“It's time,” Vink said.

“I'll see you after,” Riley added.

It was strange. I'd never gotten butterflies before going into battle – and yet, as I prepared to walk through a room where I wasn't facing certain death, my stomach was churning and my heart was thundering within my chest.

“Let's get this over with,” I said.

~ooo000ooo~

The throne room was packed with people. And yet, the murmured conversations were so low, I could barely hear them. It was so quiet within the throne room that I could clearly hear the music being played by the group of musicians positioned near the rear of the hall.

As I strode down the aisle that cut through the middle of the room – Vink on one side of me, his right hand man, Turneh on the other – I discretely scanned the faces in the crowd. Part of me was searching out threats – it was the trained soldier in me – and the other part of me was simply looking at the faces of the people. Some of them I knew, most I didn't. And all of them looked back at me with a sort of curiosity on their faces.

As I looked at the crowd, I couldn't help but again wonder what sort of king I was going to make. Would I be good? Would I be just? Would I be incompetent? And would I do more harm than good for the people of Optorio? Would I leave this world worse off than when I found it?

I had no answers to the questions. Only time would tell. And as I strode down the aisle, I vowed to myself at that moment, that I would leave Optorio a better place. I would give it back to the people. And I would do everything within my power to make them proud – to justify the pride Riley and Vink already had in me.

The music swelled to a crescendo and then faded away as I mounted the steps to the throne. Our Chief Magister stood there waiting. His robes were purple, trimmed with black – much like his hair – and he was a portly but good natured man. He'd been a friend of my father's, so I'd known him since I was a kid. He was a good man and I was glad that it would be him overseeing the coronation.

The Magister gave me a small smile and a wink as I stood before him. A child with the same shade of hair – likely, the Magister's son – stood off to the side with the crown of my new office resting upon a plush, black velvet pillow.

Nobody in the room spoke and the air was absent the buzz of conversation one would expect of such a large gathering. In Earth parlance, you could hear a pin drop. I shot a quick look up at the seats in the gallery and spotted Riley sitting alone. A couple of Vink's men guarded the entrance to the area where she sat, but other than that, she was alone. It really drove home the point she'd been trying to make the other day – that she had no friends here. That she really was – alone. I vowed that was something I would change. I never wanted Riley to feel like she had nobody.

“Optorions,” the Magister intoned. “We gather today to crown our new king. A man I've known for most of his life. A good man. A man who will return Optorio to its former greatness.”

Polite applause rippled through the crowd. These people didn't know me. I wasn't from one of our world's leading families. My father had been a diplomat and I was a soldier. We weren't one of Optorio's most well-connected or glamorous families.

As the Magister spoke, I stole another glance out at the crowd. I wanted to believe that most were willing to give me a chance. Most wanted me to succeed. Most believed I was the right man to help turn Optorio around? I had to believe that. Otherwise, what was I doing there in the first place? Why had I agreed to take the throne?

Insecurity and uncertainty weren't things I allowed myself to feel very often. But in that moment, both were rampaging through my body in equal measures. Vink looked at me, giving me a small smile and a nod of the head. As if he could read my thoughts. He probably could.

“And so, it is with great confidence in the man he is and the king he will be – ” the Magister intoned.

It was then that I heard gasps and muffled shrieks coming from the people behind me. I turned to see four men wearing masks, all well armed and armored emerge from the crowd. Vink and Turneh were already moving, putting themselves between me and the gunmen.

“Jendrish, down!” Vink screamed. “Now!”

The gunmen opened fire and that seemed to break the stunned paralysis of the crowd. Pandemonium erupted as the crowd screamed as one, their voices echoing around the hall. I saw them turning and running, pushing past one another as everybody scrambled for the exits.

It seemed that everything was in slow motion as I watched blue lasers burst from the barrel of their guns and headed straight toward me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and it pressed me down, buckling me at the knees. I hit the hard steps of the dais and felt a thick, heavy body land on top of me, driving the breath from my lungs. Craning my neck, I saw Vink and Turneh return fire, their green lasers lancing out toward the gunmen.

All around me was sheer chaos as the crowd pushed and jostled each other, desperately trying to get away from the gunfire. It was as loud as any battlefield I'd ever been on. I watched as Vink's fire hit their targets, the bodies two of the gunmen jerking before falling to the ground. Turneh took a shot to his leg and dropped, screaming in pain as his blue blood spilled out onto the stairs.

Vink calmly turned and opened fire on the other two gunmen. His shots went high and wide, but he kept on firing. I saw other soldiers – Vink's men – struggling to get through the thick crush of bodies fighting to get free of the throne room. In that moment, I was kicking myself. Vink had wanted to station additional guards near the dais, but I'd said no. I refused to believe that anything like this could happen.

I'd been stupid. So, so, stupid. And now, people were dying because of my naivete.

Vink kept firing as the gunmen turned on him. My breathing was labored and ragged and there was a searing pain in my body, but I remained focused on the battle playing out in front of me. Vink's men finally managed to free themselves and were rushing toward the gunmen, opening fire as they did so. I watched as green lasers cut through them, their screams of pain audible above the shouting of the panicked crowd.

And then I saw Vink's body spasm as he took a shot. I couldn't see where he'd been hit, but I watched in horror as he fell to the ground. I tried to free myself from the weight on top of me. Craning my neck, I saw that it was the Magister. I looked at the wound in his neck, saw the blue blood pouring out of him, and knew that he was dead.

“Vink!” I called.

I watched as some of the other Guardsmen stood over the bodies of the gunmen, while others rushed over to us. They tended to Turneh, another dropping to a knee beside Vink, his expression grim, while another pair of men helped pull me out from under the body of the Magister.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty?” one of them asked me, his expression one of concern.

I looked at him and opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it again. I surveyed the room, looked at all of the bodies, and shook my head. I looked down at Vink, saw his eyes flutter and felt an immediate surge of gratefulness. He was alive.

“Vink,” I said, my voice thick. “Is he okay?”

“I don't know, Majesty,” the soldier said. “He took a bad wound. We need to get him to the hospital.”

“We need to get you there as well, Your Majesty,” said the Guardsman on the other side of me.

“I – I'm okay,” I protested. “I need to – ”

“You're not okay, Majesty,” he insisted. “You are wounded. You need to get to the hospital as well.”

I looked down and saw the hole in the armor I'd been wearing. I saw blue blood – my blood – pouring from the hole. I was puzzled, not realizing I'd even been shot. I hadn't felt it.

“So, that's the pain I felt,” I said lamely. “I don't even recall being hit.”

As if acknowledging it gave it permission to hurt, a searing bolt of pain tore through my entire body. I gritted my teeth, but couldn't completely contain the growl of pain that escaped me.

“We'll get you to a doctor, Majesty.”

I barely heard him and was dimly aware of the two Guardsmen carrying me out of the hall. As the sunlight of the day hit my face, I felt a wave of dizziness accompanying the pain.

And then my whole world went black.

Chapter Nine

Riley

Jendrish had been back home for the last two weeks – after spending two weeks in the hospital. But it was like he'd never come home at all. He wasn't the same man. Not by a long shot. He was still in pain at times, although he never complained – but then, he wasn't saying much of anything anymore.

Most days, he sat in a chair out on the balcony by himself. He refused to see anybody. He barely even acknowledged that I was there. I had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. He just sat outside, staring out at the ocean below.

Which was where I found him that morning.

“Jendrish,” I said, as I stepped out onto the balcony, carrying a tray of food. “I've brought you breakfast.”

I set the tray down on the small table next to him and uncovered it. Though the food arrayed on the dishes looked strange, it smelled heavenly. But Jendrish didn't seem to notice. Or care. It had been the same routine since he'd come home – I'd bring him food and try to engage him, and he'd ignore everything.

I sat down in the chair beside him. “I spoke to your doctors,” I said. “They said you will make a full recovery. Nothing vital was damaged during the attack. They said your body will naturally heal itself.”

Nothing.

“They also said that although Vink's injuries were serious, that he was going to recover as well,” I said. “It's just going to take a little time, but he'll be back on his feet again.”

Still nothing.

“It's a beautiful day out,” I said. “Maybe we can go for a walk down on the beach?”

I sighed. If he even heard me, he gave no indication of it. I was growing frustrated. Angry. I wanted and needed him back. Optorio needed him back. But he simply sat there day after day in sullen silence. I'd been trying to tiptoe around him. I'd been walking on eggshells as he recovered from his wounds. What happened had been terrible.

But it happened. It was over. He'd survived. And now, it was time to get on with living. It was time to get on with finding out who did this and put a stop to it. I looked at him as he simply stared vacantly out at the ocean, not reacting to my voice – or to anything.

“Jendrish, this has to stop,” I finally said. “There are people depending on you. You need to snap yourself out of this.”

The waves crashing upon the shore below was the only sound that filled the air between us. I didn't know what it was going to take to snap him out of his funk, but I needed to figure out what it was. And soon.

“Do you think Vink would want to see you like this?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Do you think this is why he very nearly gave his life for you? So you could sit here and pout?”

I watched as he clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. He was angry. Good. That was good. At least he was feeling something. Although, honestly, I was more than a little surprised. After two weeks of non-responsiveness, I had sort of come to expect that he'd continue to ignore me. So, when I saw the first stirrings of a reaction from him, I wasn't sure what to do at first.

Slowly, he turned his head and looked at me – the first time he'd looked at me in two weeks. I could see the anger in his eyes. And though ordinarily, that might have hurt my feelings, in that moment, it didn't. I knew most of his anger wasn't directed at me. Oh, he was going to take it out on me, but I was willing to take one for the team. As long as it snapped him out of his near catatonic stupor, I was willing to endure his anger for a little while.

Optorio needed him. I needed him.

“Don't you dare use Vink's name,” he hissed. “You don't even know – ”

“Know what? That he's lying in a hospital bed because he believes in you enough to put himself in harm's way?” I asked. “How do you think he'd feel knowing you're sitting out here brooding – and have been for the last two weeks?”

“Somebody tried to kill me,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “And they very nearly killed Vink to get to me. How am I supposed to feel?”

“Pissed off,” I said. “You should be angry about it.”

“Good, because I am.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“What am I supposed to do about it, Riley?” he asked.

“Something, Jendrish,” I shouted. “Anything. Pull your head out of your ass and do something. Get off of this balcony. Track down the people responsible for the attack and do something about it.”

Jendrish looked at me, his eyes slightly widened, as if he were shocked I'd dare speak to him the way I was. But, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. If I had to shock him out of his stupor, I was going to do it.

“It's so easy for you to sit there and criticize me,” he said. “It's not your blood being spilled.”

“You're right, it's not my blood,” I said. “But I would spill it if it meant I was defending what I loved. One thing I can tell you is that if I survived an attack like that, I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting on my ass moping about it.”

Jendrish winced a bit, but he got to his feet and stared me down, his eyes blazing with anger. “Who do you think you are?”

“I'm the woman who's supposed to be your wife, Jendrish,” I snapped back.

He looked at me a long moment, the anger not abating in the least. “Yeah, maybe we should re-think that.”

I felt like he'd slapped me across the face. Those six little words had driven the air out of my lungs. I looked at him, feeling my head spinning.

“You don't mean that,” I said.

“Don't I?” he replied. “You said to do something. Maybe this is me doing something. Maybe I'm finally realizing that bringing you here was a mistake.”

“Jendrish, you don't mean that.”

“Maybe I do,” he said. “Perhaps I've allowed myself to become too complacent. My senses and instincts too dulled. Maybe if I'd been on top of my game, I would have seen the attack coming. Maybe I wouldn't have been hurt. Maybe Vink – ”

I took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Listen to yourself, Jendrish,” I said. “You're not making any sense. How does what we have impact – ”

“And what do we have?” he asked.

“Love,” I said. “We have love.”

He snorted. “We barely know each other,” he said and shook his head. “This was a mistake. A big mistake.”

He pulled his hand away from me and turned to walk back into our chambers. I ran after him, grabbing his arm and turning him to face me. Though my head was still spinning in stunned disbelief, my anger was also rising. I'd expected to bear the brunt of his hurt and frustration, but I'd never expected – this.

“You know that's not true, you son of a bitch,” I hissed. “You know what we have is good. What we have is right.”

“I don't know anything anymore,” he said, sounding deflated. “The only thing I do know for certain is that I must get my house in order. I have a lot of work to do here.”

“Then let me help you,” I said. “We're in this together, Jendrish.”

He looked at me a long moment and I thought that perhaps, finally I was getting through to him. That he would see what he was doing and pull back from it. But those hopes were dashed a second later when he shook his head.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I can't. We can't do this.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm going to arrange to have you transported back to Earth,” he said. “I can't have you here any longer.”

“Jendrish – ”

He shook his head again. “No, I'm sorry,” he said. “I will have you transported home as soon as possible.”

With that, he turned and left our chambers. And my whole world collapsed around me.

~ooo000ooo~

When he'd said as soon as possible, he hadn't been kidding. Jendrish's Guardsmen had come early the next morning to escort me to the hangar where my transport back to Earth was waiting. As I boarded the ship, I felt my heart shattering into a million tiny pieces. I couldn't believe this was happening.

I hadn't had the chance to say goodbye to Ynora before I was forced to leave. But as I looked out the window of the ship, I saw her standing in the hangar. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she held her stomach like she was going to be sick. I understood the feeling all too well.

Pressing my hand to the window, I mouthed the word “goodbye” to her as my own tears began to fall.

“Please make sure your safety harness is on,” said the Guardsman who sat across the aisle from me.

“Do I really need a babysitter?” I asked. “Did he really think I was going to take over the ship and refuse to leave?”

The Guardsman looked at me, his expression completely neutral. “Just following orders.”

I shook my head. It was bad enough that Jendrish was kicking me off of his planet and out of his life. I didn't need somebody watching me all the way home.

The ship rumbled to life and it wasn't long before we were rocketing through the sky and entering the darkness of space. As I looked at the stars all around us, I couldn't stop the tears from falling. How was I supposed to go back to a normal life after all of this? How was I supposed to feel like I fit in with people back on Earth knowing this was out here? After seeing what I'd seen?

I wasn't even back yet and I already knew Earth was going to feel too small. And I was going to feel far more out of place than I already did.

One of the pilots was coming down the aisle toward the rear of the ship. But just as he was about to pass me and my shadow, he pulled something from his belt. I didn't have time to react, let alone say anything, when a red laser burst from the small weapon in his hand. The laser hit the Guardsman in the chest and blew a hole into him. I watched as blue blood poured from the wound and pooled in his lap. He was quite obviously, dead.

The pilot turned to me, the weapon still in his hand. I felt my eyes grow wide and my heart start to thunder in my chest.

“We won't be having any problems with you,” he said. “Will we?”

I shook my head quickly and after pointing it at me a moment longer, the man nodded and tucked the weapon back into his belt. He took off his helmet and I found myself staring at a man I didn't know. He had the typical Optorion features – the smooth, almost translucent skin. He had long black hair, shot through with silver that fell very near to his waist. He wasn't an exceptionally large man, but he looked trim. Fit. Somebody I might not be able to beat in a physical concentration.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

He sighed and sat down on the arm of the chair on the aisle across from me, studying me for a long moment.

“Well, my name is Veshna,” he finally said. “And I'm going to need some help dealing with Jendrish. That's where you come in.”

I wasn't sure how I knew, but it came into my head that I was looking at the man who'd masterminded the assassination attempt.

“You tried to kill him,” I said.

He nodded and gave me a small smile. “And now that I have you, I'm going to finish this.”

Book 6 – The Future King

Chapter One

Jendrish

Morning dawned and I hadn't slept a wink the night before. I watched the Optorion sun rise over the ocean, setting off a blaze of colors on the surface of the deep red waters. I leaned against the railing of the balcony and breathed in the salty air.

Usually, the sight and scent of the ocean could soothe me. Could calm my frayed nerves. But it wasn't doing anything for me in that moment. Riley used to say that it never appeared that I felt anything. That I had no emotion. She teased me about being a robot. But the truth of the matter is that Optorions felt things very keenly. We just aren't expressive about it. Unlike humans, we tended to keep our feelings inside and avoid all outward displays of emotion. We were just more controlled and less demonstrative.

But I felt things. I felt them very deeply. And as I stood there, on that balcony, staring out at the ocean, I was feeling Riley's absence very keenly. Very deeply.

I had sent her away. Packed her up and sent her back to Earth. It had been a difficult, painful decision to come to, but ultimately, I believed it was the correct one. It was the only one I could have made, given the circumstances.

Touching the spot where I'd been shot still drew a wince from me, but it was getting better. I was getting stronger. My body was healing and soon enough, I'd be one hundred percent again. And when I was, the people who'd attacked me – the people who'd very nearly killed Vink, and did kill a number of other people – were going to be brought to heel. They were going to be made to pay.

I'd sent Riley away because I did not want her to be witness to that. I did not want her to see my bloodlust and need for vengeance.

But most of all, I'd sent her away because I feared for her. I feared for her safety. For her life. I couldn't even protect myself at my own coronation. How could I protect her here in the palace? Sooner or later, my would-be assassins would return and the last thing I wanted was for Riley to be caught in the crossfire.

Unless I got to them first.

I feared it would be a vicious and bloody campaign to root out the rebels and bring them to justice, but it was going to have to be done. More Optorion blood would have to be spilled if I hoped to win – and maintain – the peace.

“I've brought your breakfast, Your Majesty.”

I turned at the sound of the voice to find Ynora standing in the doorway, bearing a tray full of food. I gave her a small smile. She stepped across the balcony and set the tray down on the table next to my favorite chair. Everything smelled magnificent and for the first time in days – perhaps even weeks – I was ravenous.

“Thank you, Ynora,” I said as I sat down in the chair.

“My pleasure, Your Maje – ”

I held up a hand. “Please, it's Jendrish. Just Jendrish,” I said. “There is no need for all of this Majesty stuff.”

She avoided my gaze. “It would be improper, I fear, given my station.”

I looked up at her. “Your station?”

“Yes, Majesty,” she said. “I am but a servant in the palace.”

I shook my head. “You are a valued member of this household, Ynora,” I said. “And I am sorry if I've ever made you feel otherwise. I truly appreciate all you do for me around here. And I'm also sorry if I don't express that very well either.”

Her smile was small, but genuine. “You are not like the other Royals I've served here in the palace.”

“Because I'm not Royalty,” I said, my voice still somewhat thick. “I'm just a soldier who got stuck into a position unexpectedly. I'm just trying to do a good job on behalf of all the people.”

“And I believe you will do just that.”

I cocked my head and looked at her. “Do you?” I asked. “Truly believe that.”

She nodded. “I do.”

“Why do you believe that?”

For the first time, she looked at me, her eyes haunting and yet – filled with hope. It was a look I savored. It heartened me greatly to know that other people believed in me. Even when I did not believe in myself.

“Thank you, Ynora.”

She smiled. “You two were a lot alike, you know,” she said. “You and Riley.”

“How so?”

“She was much like you,” she replied. “She did not care for formalities or a person's station. She judged a person by the content of their character. Not by what they did or what they had.”

I nodded and smiled. “That sounds like her.”

“And she too, hated to be called by a formal title,” Ynora said. “She insisted that I call her Riley.”

My laugh was soft and nostalgic. It had been only a couple of days, but I missed her tremendously. Ynora gave me a small curtsey and turned to leave, but I stopped her.

“You two were close,” I said, not a question.

She nodded. “We were,” she replied. “I miss her a great deal.”

“Was she happy here?”

Ynora opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated and remained silent for a moment.

“Was she, Ynora? I would really like to know.”

“May I speak freely, Your Maj – ”

I cocked my head at her and she gave me a small smile.

“Jendrish,” she corrected herself. “May I speak freely, Jendrish?”

“You’re very free to speak your mind, Ynora,” I said. “In fact, I would prefer it if you did.”

She shifted her feet and looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her. She was clearly, still uncomfortable with the idea of being so – familiar – with a king and speaking her mind. That was something she was going to have to get used to though. I wasn't a typical king. And if I ever turned into one, I would hope that Vink put me down himself.

“She struggled here,” she admitted. “She felt alone much of the time. Lonely.”

I nodded. “She mentioned it, but it didn't seem like a large problem. She said she would handle it.”

Ynora was wringing her hands nervously. “With all due respect, what would you expect her to say in that situation? That she was not okay?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again. I did not know how to respond to that question. My hope was that she would have felt comfortable enough with me to give voice to her concerns.

“Riley feared that you had enough on your plate without adding her own troubles to your pile,” Ynora said. “She told me that she would find a way to deal with it. But she wished that you had spent more time with her. She knew that you are a busy man, what with a world to run, but all she wanted was to spend time with you.”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “I wish I had spent more time with her, to be honest.”

“Then why did you not?” she pressed. “You are the king. Surely, you could have delegated some of your responsibilities to others.”

“Because I don't want to be the kind of king who pushes his work and responsibilities off onto others.”

She laughed. “I tend to believe that the kitchens will run just fine without your guidance. Or that the janitorial crew can function without your insights.”

I gave her a small smile and looked away, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks once more.

“I suppose I can be a bit – overbearing – at times?”

Ynora nodded. “Indeed.”

“I am just trying to feel my way through this, Ynora,” I said. “I do not really know what I am doing.”

“Then don't try to do everything,” she said. “Trust those around you to do the jobs you can't. Give them more responsibilities. Empower them to have a say. If you truly want Optorio to flourish, let the people you surround yourself with help you.”

She was not much older than I was, but she had a wisdom that was well beyond her years. I had not spent much time talking to Ynora, and now I was sorry that I had not. She was very intelligent, very well spoken, and had a fiery spirit. I could see why she and Riley had bonded the way they had.

“Perhaps, I need to start doing that,” I said.

“One thing I can tell you with certainty, is that she loves you,” Ynora said. “Very truly and very deeply. The love she carries for you is something I hope to find one day for myself. And she was looking forward to the future with you.”

The stabbing pain of guilt cut through me. I knew she cared for me as I cared for her. Sending her away had been one of the most difficult things I'd ever done. But it had to be done.

“I was faced with a difficult choice,” I said. “I made what I believed was the best decision.”

She stood silent for a moment and I could tell that there was something on her mind. Something she wanted to say or a question she wanted an answer to.

“What is it?” I asked. “What is on your mind?”

“I – I would just like to know why you sent Riley away,” she asked. “It's obvious to me that you cared for her every bit as much as she cared about you. I just don't understand why you sent her away.”

I debated with myself about how honest to be with her. After all, it was my personal business. It was a decision I had to make and that fell upon my shoulders – nobody else's. Still, Riley and Ynora were close and there was a small voice whispering in the back of my mind that argued she deserved the respect of some answers – which gave me the answer I needed.

“It's not because I did not love her,” I said. “I did. I still do. It's because I love her that I sent her away.”

“Forgive me for being thick, but that doesn't make sense to me.”

“I just watched my oldest and dearest friend nearly die,” I said. “I was wounded myself. I watched several other people murdered right before my very eyes. And that was at my own coronation. If I couldn't keep order, keep people safe there, how could I expect that I could keep them safe elsewhere? I sent Riley away because I don't want anything to happen to her. I don't want her being hurt or killed on my account. If somebody is going to attempt to take my life again – and I have every suspicion that they will – I don't want Riley in the way of that.”

Ynora nodded, but I could tell she wasn't satisfied. “But shouldn't she have had some say in that? I don't mean to speak out of turn, but it seems to me that if you two love each other, have thrown your lots in together, then she should have had some say in the decision. If she felt like risking her life by being with you was worth it, shouldn't that have been her right? I imagine that you would expect the same consideration, right?”

I leaned back and ran my hand through my hair. I hadn't considered things in quite that light before. It was an angle I hadn't seen. Ultimately, she was probably right. And in an ideal world, I would have asked Riley how she felt about things. But we weren't living in an ideal world. We were living in a world where people were trying to kill me. And until that threat was over, the decisions about how to best handle it fell to me. That was my duty. My responsibility.

“Vink almost died on my account,” I said, my voice soft. “I could not bear it if Riley had been hurt or killed because of me.”

Ynora opened her mouth to argue, but I raised my hand to stop her from speaking.

“I understand your argument. And I don't disagree with it. You've given me a lot to think about as I hadn't considered that viewpoint before,” I said. “But like I said earlier, I am still just figuring this out as I go along. And that seemed to be the best – and only – way I could ensure that Riley remained safe.”

Ynora looked at me a long moment before nodding. I knew she didn't like my answer, but it was all I had to offer her at the moment. She excused herself and left my chambers. I looked down at the tray and suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore.

Standing up, I walked to the railing and looked out at the ocean. Perhaps, when this was all settled and we had a true peace on Optorio, I would travel to Earth and find Riley. Explain myself to her – and hope that she was willing to take me back. Maybe one day, we could be together again.

But until that day, I made the best decisions I could. And I deemed it best to keep her safe by removing her from the equation. It pained me terribly, but I cared for her too much to watch her die. It was the best decision I could have made. And I intended to keep telling myself that until I believed it.

Chapter Two

Veshna

I was a cautious man. I considered things carefully and thoroughly and rarely left anything to chance. I had known going into our assassination attempt that there was a possibility – if not a probability – of failure. But, it was a chance I'd had to take. It would have been ideal for us to be done with Jendrish with one, clean shot.

But life, very seldom, was ideal.

Which was why I'd had a backup plan in mind. If I couldn't kill Jendrish and be done with it at the coronation, I knew I would need a secondary plan. If he survived the assassination attempt, getting close to him again was going to be all but impossible. He would be on guard for it. Even worse, the Royal Guard would be watching for another attack. Waiting for it.

Which meant that I would have to find another avenue of attack. One that would hurt him every bit as much as I wanted him to be hurt – except that it wouldn't require a drop of his blood to be spilled.

I looked back at the human woman I had bound in the back of the transport ship. Riley, they said her name was. Jendrish's human whore. I supposed that physically, she was an attractive woman. I had seen a number of human women that my father had imported and had always been surprised by their physical similarities to Optorions. They were similar and yet different in the many ways that mattered.

Still, it wasn't entirely difficult to see why an attractive human woman like this one might tempt men like my father, Jendrish, and even Bazarok, to indulge themselves in what I considered to be a rather – peculiar taste. Though, for me, I would never find alien women attractive enough to forgo the sheer beauty and grace of an Optorion woman. I believed in keeping ourselves – and our bloodlines – pure. Clean. Optorion.

I had heard plenty of rumors that scientists, working under the orders of Jendrish himself, had been developing a way that he and this human could produce a child. A child of mixed blood. Impure blood. An heir to Jendrish's throne.

It was an idea that had made my blood boil. It disgusted me thoroughly and completely. The idea that a child not of pure Optorion blood – a mutant – could one day sit upon the throne of our world, had enraged me. I had vowed that I would never allow that to happen – or I would die trying to prevent it. Optorio should be ruled by Optorions only. Our bloodlines should be pure. Clean. Untainted.

As I looked at the woman in the back of the transport, I felt nothing but disgust and contempt for her. She glared at me with hatred in her eyes. But lurking just beneath the surface of that rage, I could see something else – fear. The woman was putting on a brave face, but deep down she was terrified. I could see it. I could smell it. And it was intoxicating.

It was going to give me great pleasure to kill her. Though, it was going to give me even greater pleasure to force Jendrish to watch me kill her – right before I killed him.

With our assassination attempt a failure, I would never get another shot at him. But given that I had his whore, I could force him to come to me – on my terms, in my place of choosing. At which point, I would kill him and enact my own plans.

It wasn't perfect and it wasn't ideal. But again, life was seldom ideal and you had to take what you were handed and make something of it.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

I gave her a small smile. “I am the man who is going to force Jendrish to watch me kill you right before I kill him.”

“Why are you doing this?”

I turned and looked at the pilot. “Why are we doing this, Pykor?”

“We are doing this to make Optorio great again,” he said. “For Optorions.”

His expression was grim. Earnest. He was a true believer in our cause. I appreciated men like him. And honestly, wish I had more like him. Many more. Too many people were willing to embrace change. Diversity. Too many people had been poisoned with the idea that accepting aliens within our society was a good thing.

But I was a student of history – not just on Optorio, but the history of many other planets in our system. I had seen all too well what embracing change and diversity did to a society. I had seen the effect aliens had on a society and their culture. Violence. Death. A complete whitewashing of the native culture in the name of acceptance and tolerance.

I would not let that happen to Optorio. Not so long as I drew breath.

I turned and looked at the woman. “Did you really think I would allow you to taint my world? That I would allow you to sully the Optorion throne?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea who you are or what you want,” she said. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

I shrugged. “It matters not,” I said. “All you really need to know is that you are providing me with a very powerful chip to use against Jendrish. That, and you are going to die. As will he.”

She struggled against her bonds, but the sonic shackles held her fast. She wasn't going anywhere. Unlike Optorion women, this one was feisty. Fierce. I had no doubts that if she'd been able to, she would have attacked me. Optorion women were above that. They had an elegance and charm no human woman could ever hope to achieve.

“We'll be touching down in a moment, sir,” Pykor said.

I nodded. Good. Now that I had her, I was anxious to figure out what to do with her. The opportunity to snatch her had come suddenly and without warning. I knew that having her in my possession would prove incredibly beneficial and important, but I hadn't yet developed a thorough plan about how best to use her.

But I would figure it out. I was good at seeing the bigger picture, figuring things out and putting together devastating strategies. That was my gift. It always had been.

“Jendrish is going to find me,” she said. “And he's going to kill you.”

I shrugged. “Perhaps,” I replied. “I cannot see the future and do not know how it will all play out. But one thing I do know is that he will never intentionally put you in harm's way, Riley. He will hesitate if your life is in danger – like say, if I am holding a blade to your throat. I will not hesitate, Riley. When he does, when he gives me an opening, I will seize the opportunity and kill him. I promise you that.”

Chapter Three

“Why did you not tell me?” Kalmor asked.

We were walking down the corridor toward one of the underground rooms my father had built in secret. He'd used them to indulge his strange – and disturbingly twisted – fantasies and desires and keep them from the family. He never counted on my persistence or ingenuity when it came to gathering information.

The more I learned about my father though – about who he really was – the more disgusted I became. That he could not only condone – but actively participate – in mating with aliens was something I could not understand. Something I did not want to understand. It was filthy. Disgusting. And not the way of a true Optorion man.

But for now, the underground rooms served a purpose. They were actually quite helpful. I'd had Pykor take the human to one and lock her in. There she would stay until the rest of the details of my plan could be worked out.

Kalmor was angry. I had no doubt that he felt slighted by being left out of the planning. It was as if he felt entitled to know everything I was planning or doing. Eventually, I was going to have to disabuse him of the notion that he was privy to all of my plans. But that time was not now.

“This opportunity came up suddenly,” I said. “I had to act quickly.”

“What opportunity do you see in this?” he asked. “Our goal is to take the usurper off the throne once and for all.”

We entered the room I used for our strategy meetings. I'd had a table and chairs set up along with our computers, communication, and surveillance equipment. It was my war room. And I had no illusions – I felt that we were at war. We were fighting for our way of life. For the very soul of our world. There was no way I would let somebody like Jendrish come in and change everything that made Optorio exceptional.

“And the human will help us accomplish our goals, Kalmor.”

“I fail to see how.”

We sat down across from each other at the table. He was not happy. Like my father, I feared that Kalmor thought too small. Didn't have the vision to think big and think unconventionally. Sometimes, you had to have the adaptability to do that. It was a quality I needed in my second in command and I was beginning to fear that Kalmor simply did not possess it.

I sighed. “Because according to our agents in the palace, Jendrish is very fond of the human,” I couldn't keep the look of distaste from crossing my face. “They say he – loves her.”

An inscrutable expression crossed Kalmor's face and he nodded. I thought he was finally starting to get it. To see the bigger picture. I loathed the fact that it took us a while to get there, however. I did not enjoy being questioned – especially by my subordinates.

“So, you're thinking that you can use her to force him to abdicate the throne, yes?”

I shook my head. Clearly, he wasn't seeing the bigger picture. “No, I am thinking that we can use her to force him to do exactly as we wish – including giving his life to save her. Given that our assassination attempt failed, I highly doubt we are going to get another chance to get so close to him. We must adjust and adapt. We must alter our tactics.”

Kalmor leaned back in his seat and nodded. “Do you believe he would?” he asked. “Do you believe the reports that he loves the human?”

“I have no reason not to,” I replied. “But either way, whether he does or does not, we have lost nothing by taking her. If he does not choose to comply, we dispose of her. If he does, then we have him right where we want him.”

“And so, what are you thinking then?” Kalmor asked. “What are your plans?”

I shook my head. “I have not worked that out yet,” I said. “As I said before, this opportunity came up suddenly and I had to act.”

Kalmor cocked his head, an expression crossing his face like a thought had just occurred to him. “Why was she on an interstellar transport? Where was he sending her?”

“From what I've been told, he was sending her home,” I replied. “Back to Earth.”

“If he loves her, why would he do that?”

I shook my head. “I am not certain of that,” I admitted. “If I were forced to guess, I would say it was to protect her.”

“From what?” he asked. “Given the failed attempt on his life, he will double the guards around himself. And if he feels for her the way your agents suggest he does, he will triple them. Sending her away does not make sense to me.”

It was something I had given some thought to since I first learned that he was sending her away. It did not make much sense to me at first either. But the more thought I gave it, the more I came to one inescapable conclusion.

“Because he is going to war,” I said. “He has terrible things planned. I believe he is going to make it his mission to hunt those of us who had a hand in the attempt on his life down and destroy us. He wants to keep her away from all of that. Keep her safe.”

A dark look crossed Kalmor's face. It was as if he hadn't considered the backlash of what we'd done before. Surely, he had to know we would face Jendrish's retribution for what we'd done. If he hadn't, he lacked even more vision than I had previously thought. Which was disturbing.

“Taking the human gives us a cushion,” I said. “It protects us from the worst of his wrath. He is not going to want to declare all out war with her caught in the middle.”

Kalmor nodded. “That makes sense.”

“It will also give us the leverage we need to lure him out,” I said. “Away from his guards.”

“Surely, they will not allow him to leave, unprotected,” he replied. “He will know it is a trap.”

“I'm sure he will. Which is why I need a little time to think this through. I must determine the best use of this chip we are now holding.”

I leaned back in my seat and sighed. I was tired and was not thinking clearly. I needed to get some food and some rest. And to immerse myself in the sea. Once I was functioning normally, I would be able to decide what to do with what I believed, was our good fortune.

The human was a valuable asset. And she was going to help us bring down the usurper – whether she wanted to or not.

Chapter Four

Riley

The man shoved me roughly into the cell and slammed the door. I rushed over and reached for the handle when I heard a beeping noise followed by what sounded like locks slamming into place. I was surprised they had such low-tech locks when everything else on this planet was so technologically advanced.

The room was stark white and had walls that seemed to glow with a dim light within. It chased away most of the shadows, but the room was still murky. A blanket and a couple of pillows had been tossed into one corner – presumably so I could make myself at home. Which meant that I was likely going to be there a while.

I sat down in the corner and pulled the blanket up and over me, covering myself with it like a cloak so that only my face stuck out. It was a childish gesture, but I wasn't feeling much like an adult at the moment. I felt weak. Powerless. I had no idea what I was going to do or how I was going to get out of this.

Hell, I had no idea who the guy was who'd grabbed me. Or what he wanted. My first thought was that he was another trafficker. He had snatched me to force me into the alien sex trade. It was how I'd come to Optorio in the first place – which immediately brought to mind how I'd met Jendrish.

He'd been so brave. So gallant. He'd saved my life. He'd saved the lives of a lot of women that day, actually. Everything that had happened since then went by in a blur. Most days, I still couldn't believe that I was living on an alien world – or that I'd fallen in love with one of them. But it had happened. It was all real.

A tear rolled down my cheek and I scrubbed it away, irritated with myself.

“Crying isn't going to solve anything,” I said. “Pull yourself together.”

I needed to think. I needed to figure out what was happening – and figure out how I was going to get out of this. But all I wanted to do was sleep. I felt weary. Exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to lay down, close my eyes, and sleep until this nightmare I was living went away.

Except that it wasn't a nightmare. It was all too real. And I had a feeling that I had to do something because my life was hanging in the balance. I stood up, letting the blanket fall to the ground at my feet. The room was windowless and had just the one door, but I wanted to be thorough. Maybe I was missing something. Some secret way of getting out of the room.

I walked around the room, staring at the stark white walls, but saw nothing at first. Then I noticed that there was a small, square outline in the wall next to the door. A keypad that controlled the lock, perhaps? Though, I didn't get my hopes up. If somebody was going to go to all the trouble of kidnapping me, I had my doubts that they would throw me in a cell with a lock on the inside that I could use to escape.

“Probably too easy,” I muttered.

Still, I was going to be thorough. Logical. Calm. It was the only way I was going to survive this. I ran my fingertips along the outline of what looked like a panel of some sort. Not finding a way to open it, I placed my palm in the middle, ready to push it. But just as I laid my hand on it, it glowed a bright white and the panel slid down, revealing a gray pad that had several buttons on it.

“No way,” I said to myself, feeling a surge of hope.

I pressed the first button and heard a whirring noise behind me. I spun around, my heart thundering in my chest, to find a panel in the wall sliding aside as what looked like a bed slid out of the opening. I pressed the rest of the buttons, my hope fading each time some other amenity – a toilet or a sink – emerged from the walls.

It was a prison cell, nothing more and nothing less.

I growled in frustration and slammed my hand against the wall. Walking back over, I grabbed up the pillows and blanket, tossing them on the bed before sitting down, pressing my back against the wall, and swaddling myself in the blanket once more. I wasn't going anywhere.

If I was going to get out of this, I was going to have to fight my way out. Or at least, be clever enough to slip out and way somehow.

I leaned my head back against the wall, wishing and praying that Jendrish would find me. Rescue me like he had before. But I wasn't sure that he even knew I was missing. He hadn't come to see me off. He'd stuck me on a ship and had apparently washed his hands of me. I had no idea why he'd done it. Why he'd decided to send me back to Earth.

I thought he loved me. As the tears rolled down my cheeks I realized how stupid I'd been. So naïve. I'd sworn that I was done chasing after men until I could do it on my own terms. But then Jendrish had come into my life and everything changed. He'd turned my entire world – and my heart – upside down.

And then he'd cast me aside like I was nothing to him.

What had happened? What had changed? Why had he suddenly decided that I was no longer what he wanted. That I was no longer who he wanted to spend his life with? We had just been talking about marriage and children. Everything had seemed so positive and so – wonderful. It had been like a fairy tale.

“Maybe that's the problem, stupid,” I said to myself. “Fairy tales aren't real.”

No, real life didn't always come with happy endings. In fact, in my experience, life never had happy endings. It was one long string of misery that, if you were lucky – really lucky – had a few moments of happiness mixed in with all of the pain.

And clearly, I was not one of the really lucky ones.

Wrapped up tightly in my blanket, I laid down on my side and let the tears flow. There was no point in stopping them anymore. I was alone. I was probably going to die. Who would care if I cried my eyes out?

I sobbed and sobbed until the darkness of sleep overtook me.

Chapter Five

Jendrish

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

I looked down at Vink and smiled. His color was coming back and he was able to sit up in bed, which were good signs. The doctors had assured me that he was going to make a full recovery from his wounds. But they'd been extensive and it was going to take a little time.

I had been concerned about his safety as he recovered, so I had moved him into the palace. He didn't like it, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't another attack while he was unprotected. The last thing I wanted was for him to come under fire again when he was not yet fully healed.

His eyes fluttered open and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Watching your back is not the most fun I have ever had in my life.”

I gave him a rueful smile. “No, I imagine it is not,” I said. “I am sorry, my friend.”

He looked at me, his expression serious. “You understand that this is not your fault,” he said. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

I shrugged. “If it hadn't been for – ”

“Nonsense,” he cut me off. “You act as if you shot me yourself. You did not. So let us not waste any more time dwelling on it. Instead, let us figure out how to proceed.”

“We are not proceeding anywhere just yet,” I said. “Your one job right now is to heal. To get healthy again. I will need you.”

“I am fine, Jendrish,” he said. “The only thing that will help me heal is to get out of this bed.”

“The doctors say you aren't ready for that yet.”

He snorted and shook his head. “They are too cautious. I know my body better than they do. I know when I am healed.”

He started to rise, so I put my hand on his chest and gently pushed him back against the pillows. “I know you do, old friend,” I said. “Then do this for me. Take another day. Maybe two. Get some more rest and treatment. I will feel better about it.”

He looked at me for a long moment before nodding grudgingly. “If it will make you feel better, so be it.”

I nodded, thankful I was not forced to call the doctor to sedate him. Vink believed himself to be indestructible. There were times I believed he was. But he had limits, as did we all. He was not particularly good at knowing what his limits were. Either that, or he just chose to ignore them. Knowing Vink as I did, I suspected it was the latter. He took his job very seriously – which was one reason I was so glad to have him as my right hand.

“Where is Riley?” he asked. “I have not seen her.”

I shuffled my feet and looked away. I knew that he was tremendously fond of Riley – and she of him. I wasn't sure how to tell him what I'd done.

“Jendrish?”

I finally looked at him and saw the curiosity in his eyes – but I also saw something else in them. I was relatively certain he already knew the answer to the question.

“Why?” he asked.

I sighed. “I feared for her safety.”

He shook his head. “That's ridiculous, Jendrish. We could have protected her well enough here. You know that.”

“Perhaps,” I said. “But with what we have to do, I could not be sure of it. I did not want to put her in harm's way.”

“What we have to do?”

I nodded. “We're going to war, Vink,” I said. “We allowed ourselves to be lulled into complacency. A false sense of security. We thought we'd beaten the rebels and had taken the fight out of them. We were wrong. Very wrong. And as a result, twelve Optorion citizens are now dead. And you were nearly killed.”

His mouth compressed into a tight line and he clenched his jaw. He knew I was right and I could tell he was anxious to get back onto his feet. He took the fact that the rebels had attempted an assassination during the coronation ceremony personally. Very personally.

“It is not your fault, Vink,” I said. “Do not put this on your shoulders.”

“Security was my charge,” he said. “I faile – ”

“No,” I interrupted him. “You did not fail. We have a problem with moles within the palace. Spies. The first thing we are going to do is root them out. From there, we are going to hunt the rest of them down. We will need to be ruthless.”

“We will be what we need to be,” he said. “What Optorio needs us to be.”

I nodded. “Indeed. I expect quite the fight,” I said. “Now, do you understand why I sent Riley away?”

He gave me a small, sad grin. “I think you are more concerned with her seeing the ruthless, warrior side of your personality than you are with her safety.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Perhaps. When I'm at war, I feel like a different person. I feel like a savage,” I said.

“The important question you have to ask yourself is – do you love her?”

I answered without hesitating. “I do. I want to spend my life with her. Raise a family together.”

“Then what are you afraid of?” he asked. “Because to me, it looks like you're simply scared. Scared of what, I have no idea.”

I thought for a moment and then lowered my eyes. “Maybe you are right. Perhaps I didn't want her to see that. I want her to see the real me. The man beneath that savage.”

“It's all part of who you are, Jendrish,” he replied. “You may be able to accentuate the side you want others to see, but that does not mean you can cut out the other side. It's always there, underneath the surface.”

I sighed again. “This is true,” I replied. “But we can create the conditions for that other side of me to not be necessary. Right now, it's necessary.”

“It is. It is very necessary,” he said. “We must be as ruthless as our enemies. But when all of this is over, and we have created the right, peaceful conditions, you are going to go find that woman. She is good for you, Jendrish. She makes you a better man.”

I nodded. “She does that indeed,” I put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Rest easy, my friend. I will be back later. And maybe I'll even bring your dinner with me.”

Chapter Six

Vink was right. Riley did make me a better man. I knew that she did. And it wasn't because I didn't love her that I sent her away. I was, as Vink said, afraid that she would see me, see that other side of my personality, and be repulsed. I wanted vengeance. I wanted blood. There was a rage, deep and abiding, burning in my belly and I was going to do some very bad things.

I had to. Had to make an example of these rebels and snuff out their movement once and for all. That was going to require plenty of bloodshed, I already knew. And I didn't want to expose Riley to that. I wanted her to see me as the man she'd gotten to know. I didn't want her to see that other side of me.

I looked up and found myself standing at the transport hangars. It hadn't been my intended destination – but then, I was simply wandering, lost in thought and hadn't had a real destination in mind. As I watched the hustle and bustle on the flight deck and watched one of the transports lift gracefully off the ground before zooming off into the sky, I realized why I was there.

Clearing my throat, I crossed the flight deck and made my way over to the officer in charge. When I stepped into his office, he looked up – and did a double take. He almost knocked over his drink and fell out of his chair in his scramble to get to his feet.

When he finally managed to get himself on even footing, he snapped a quick salute. “Your Majesty,” he said. “Forgive me, I – ”

I gave him a soft, gentle laugh. “Relax Blyn,” I said. “You don't need to be so formal. It's just me.”

He gave me a grin. “Yeah, and you're the king.”

I shook my head and leaned against the doorway. Blyn was an old friend from my days with the Guard. He'd refused to serve in one of the Regents' militias, believing they were corrupt and not serving the interests of Optorio. He'd scratched out a living doing odd jobs, but hadn't been in great shape when I found him. He was a good man and a good friend. So, as we restructured our government, I'd put him to work, finding a job that utilized his talents. He was efficient, organized, and was a natural leader of men.

I shrugged. “I'm just Jendrish.”

“Then you won't mind if I take a seat,” he grinned.

I motioned to his chair. “I wouldn't have minded it if you hadn't stood up to begin with,” I said. “You could have killed yourself. And I'm going to need men like you when we go after the rebels.”

He smiled and I saw the light in his eyes. Like Vink, Blyn enjoyed a good fight. He said he liked what he was doing well enough, but I knew that being out on the hunt – rather than scheduling and directing all of the traffic on the flight deck – was what he yearned to do. He was a Guardsman to the very core of him. Just like Vink.

He seated himself behind his desk again and looked up at me. “So, what can I do for you?”

I cleared my throat. “I actually wanted to see if that transport the other day made it to its destination?”

He gave me a look that said I was an idiot. “You're going to need to be more specific than that,” he said. “You see how many shuttles we have running in and out of here?”

I gave him a rueful grin. “It was the shuttle with the special cargo I asked you to keep confidential,” I said and looked around to be sure we were alone. “The shuttle transporting Riley back to Earth.”

He nodded and looked at me apologetically. “Right. Of course. I should have known.”

“If it's no trouble, that is,” I said. “I know you're busy.”

He waved me off. “Thesa,” he said, talking to his own biosystem. “I need information.”

He routed his biosystem feed into the communication speaker on his desk. “Of course,” his biosystem replied. “What information do you require?”

“Status of transport number three twelve omicron eight,” he said. “Please display flight tracking visually.”

“Coming right up,” the computer voice said.

I watched as an image sprang from the unit on his desk. It showed me a three dimensional view of Optorio in light blue. A line of red began where we were and appeared to be heading toward the atmosphere. Riley's shuttle. A moment later though, the red line of ascent just – stopped.

I cocked my head. “What happened?”

Blyn looked at it curiously. “I don't know,” he said. “Thesa, I need you to display full flight tracking. I need to see the entire route.”

“That is the entire route. At least, what we have access to,” the voice said.

“What we have access to?” Blyn asked. “What does that mean?”

I could see something akin to concern crossing his features as he looked at the visual display.

“It appears that the flight tracking beacon was tampered with,” the biosystem replied. “It was deactivated. Likely destroyed.”

I felt a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. “What do you mean deactivated?” I asked. “Did the shuttle go down?”

“Unlikely,” the biosystem said. “It is more likely that somebody was attempting to disguise their flight path to prevent it from being tracked.”

“Why would they do that?” Blyn asked.

The knot in my stomach twisted painfully. “Because they have Riley,” I said. “They took her.”

“Who did?”

“The rebels,” I said, my rage deepening and growing in intensity. “They took her to get to me. They couldn't kill me, so they're striking out elsewhere.”

Blyn looked at me, a stricken expression on his face. “I – I'm sorry, Jendrish. I didn't know.”

I shook my head. “You could not have known. It is not your fault,” I said. “Who was the pilot on the shuttle.”

“Pykor,” he said. “I assigned Pykor to it because I thought he could be trusted.”

“Like a lot of things lately, we were wrong,” I said.

I turned and walked out of the office, my rage threatening to consume me – and anybody who got in my way. I would rip this world apart looking for Riley. I was going to find her – and punish those who had taken her. I would punish them severely.

Chapter Seven

Riley

I heard a faint chime that was followed by the sound of the locks on the door disengaging. A moment later, it slid to the side and revealed the man who had abducted me. He stepped inside and pressed a button on the small control panel I'd discovered. A bench slid out from the wall and he took a seat.

He was a tall man – taller than most of the Optorions I'd met. He was thin and severe looking – all angles and points. His long dark hair was shot through with silver and his eyes were a violet color – a shade that would have been pretty had they not been in such a harsh looking face.

I sat up on the bed and pressed my back against the wall, pulling the blanket up around my shoulders and stared at him, trying to convey my level of contempt with just my gaze. He gave me a small, condescending smile and remained silent – just stared at me.

“Do you try to be this creepy?” I asked. “Or does it come naturally to you.”

“I do not know what the word creepy means, but judging by your tone, I would say that you are attempting to insult me,” he replied.

“Wow. Creepy and smart too,” I said. “Color me impressed.”

He let out a small, dry laugh that set my nerves on edge like the sound of nails on a chalkboard. “You have fire. Spirit,” he said. “I like that. And I can see why Jendrish is so fond of you.”

“Who are you?”

He cleared his throat and looked at me. “Yes, well, forgive my lack of manners,” he said. “My name is Veshna.”

“That's great,” I snapped. “But who in the hell are you? What do you want with me?”

“That is a little more complicated to answer,” he replied. “Suffice it to say, you are a valuable piece of leverage.”

“I'm not a piece of leverage,” I hissed. “And when Jendrish finds you, he's going to kill you for what you've done.”

He spread his hands out wide. “And what have I done?” he asked. “Have you been mistreated?”

“You kidnapped me.”

“Only to ensure that Jendrish does not kill me or mine,” he replied evenly. “I am holding you in the interest of having an open and honest discourse with him.”

I looked at the man and he seemed sincere enough. But then, I wasn't familiar enough with Optorions to know when they were lying. Humans always had tells. Nervous twitches, a glance away – there was always some visual cue when they were lying. But Optorions – whom I found notorious for their lack of expression and emotion – were something else entirely. He could have been lying – and probably was – and I would be none the wiser.

But it was true enough that I had not been harmed nor mistreated. Other than being stuck in a cell with no way out, anyway.

“And what is it you want to have an open and honest dialogue about exactly?” I asked.

“About him abdicating the throne,” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And leaving the rule of Optorio to those who truly care about its future.”

“And you don't think Jendrish cares about Optorio's future?”

A small, predatory smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “If he did, he wouldn't allow aliens to influence his decision making.”

I scoffed at him. It was still difficult to think of myself as an – alien. But here on Optorio, that's exactly what I was.

“I'm not influencing anything,” I replied. “And if – ”

“Optorio is for Optorions,” he snapped. “Humans or other life forms have no place here.”

I smirked at him. “So, that's what this is really all about,” I said. “You're a racist. Or rather, a species-ist, I suppose.”

“If that's how you need to think of me, then yes,” he said. “I suppose I am. But I would ask you this – how would you feel if I began to influence how your world was run? What would you think if I began encouraging your leader to create special rules and laws for me?”

“And is that what you think I'm doing?” I asked. “Tell me then, what special rules has he implemented? What special laws has he enacted on my behalf?”

“It's only a matter of time,” the man replied. “Once you get to feeling more – comfortable.”

I laughed and shook my head. “So you're not just a species-ist, you're a paranoid conspiracy theorist too. Charming.”

A dark look crossed his face. I was getting under his skin. Though, I did not know if that was a good or a bad thing at this point. I didn't know this man. Didn't know what he was capable of. But then, I figured that I was as good as dead anyway. Something in my gut told me that he was going to kill me – whether he and Jendrish had a conversation or not.

“You were behind the assassination attempt at the coronation, weren't you?”

He shrugged. “It was poorly executed,” he said. “We did the best we could with what we had. Which, to be honest, wasn't much. It wasn't my men. If it had been, your precious Jendrish would have been lying in a pool of his own blood.”

I looked at him and there was a cold, cruel glint in his eye. It was at that moment I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his intent was to use me to lure Jendrish into a trap. He wasn't interested in a conversation about governance of this world. He was going to kill Jendrish and then he was going to kill me. That was exactly how this was all going to play out.

And there was no way in hell I was going to help him do it. Even if it pissed him off and he killed me, I was not going to help him kill Jendrish.

“Tell me why he was sending you back to Earth,” the man said.

“What makes you think he was sending me?” I asked. “What makes you think I wasn't feeling a little homesick and just wanted to go visit some friends and family?”

He gave me a toothy grin. The kind of grin that said he was privy to information he shouldn't have been.

“I have it on good authority that Jendrish was sending you back to Earth,” he said. “I want to know why.”

“And I want to know why people are obsessed with the Kardashians,” I said. “I suppose we're both just going to have to live with not knowing the answer to something, huh?”

The man sighed and slipped a long knife with a wicked looking curved blade from his boot. He didn't point it at me or laugh maniacally as he waved it in my face. He simply sat there, not looking at me and spun the blade around in his hand – which made it all the more creepy and threatening.

“Let me ask you again,” he said, his voice soft. “Why were you going back to Earth?”

I didn't think he would actually kill me. I got the impression that he needed me too much for that. But I also had no doubt that he could cause me an inordinate amount of pain. I hadn't been mistreated to that point, but I was getting the idea that status could change in a heartbeat – and would if I didn't cooperate.

But there was no way in hell I was going to cooperate. Which left me with one option – lie. Make it appear as if I am cooperating. If nothing else, it might spare me a little bit of pain. But then an idea started to form in my head. I thought that perhaps I could spare myself some pain – and take away the man's leverage at the same time.

I sighed and did my best to look upset. “Because Jendrish is sending me away,” I said. “He's done with me.”

He finally raised his eyes to meet mine. “Done with you?”

I did my best to hold is gaze and appear convincing. “He said that he didn't want to be with me anymore.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

He looked at me evenly – probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth or not. If he determined that I was telling the truth, he knew that it would damage his leverage. If Jendrish truly was done with me, he might not be as willing to make a deal with this creep. And he knew it.

“I've been told that the two of you were very much in love,” he said.

“Were. Past tense.”

“What changed?”

I shrugged. “Ask him.”

He nodded slowly. “I plan on it.”

Without another word, he stood up and left the room, the door sliding shut and locking behind him. I suddenly felt a stab of fear in my heart for Jendrish. There was something deeply unsettling about that man – Veshna. And I got the distinct impression that he saw it as his mission – maybe his sacred duty – to kill Jendrish and take the throne of Optorio for himself.

I was still really upset with him, but I didn't want to see any harm to Jendrish. My heart broke just thinking of something happening to him. I loved him still, and was going to help save him. Just as he'd saved me before. I wasn't sure how or what I could do at that moment, but I was going to figure something out.

I wasn't going to let that man hurt him.

Chapter Eight

Jendrish

“Ozul,” I said, calling up my AI biosystem. “Give me the names of every employee in the palace with connections to one of the Regents. I'm going to need you to dig as deep as you can on this one.”

“Accessing information,” Ozul said through the comm speaker. I needed to hear the voice rather than have the voice in my head. I was already having enough trouble keeping my thoughts in order.

I sat in my war room inside the palace trying to get some answers. I was feeling sick to my stomach. And I was feeling a dark rage the likes of which I'd never felt before. They had Riley. I was having a hard time focusing and keeping my head straight knowing that she was in enemy hands. I loved her and would never forgive myself if something happened to her.

“You know that they aren't going to hurt her, don't you?”

I looked up to find Vink standing in the doorway, a lopsided grin on his face.

“What are you doing out of bed?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I gave it another day as you asked.”

I grinned and nodded. Though I did not like to see him still moving around so gingerly, I had to admit that I was glad to see him up and about. Even more glad to have him by my side once more. Vink moved into the war room and took a seat at the table across from me.

“I've already had my biosystem run that,” he said. “We have twenty-seven employees in the palace who have ties to the Regents. Worked on their household staff. Low level stuff.”

I nodded. “Cancel information request, Ozul.”

“Information request canceled.”

“No family ties?”

Vink shook his head. “I ran deep background and found nothing out of the ordinary.”

“We'll still need to question the twenty-seven,” I said. “Very thoroughly.”

“I already have men on it,” he replied. “Men I trust.”

I nodded. If Vink vouched for them, that was good enough for me. “Sounds like you've been busy instead of resting like I asked.”

He shrugged. “I expended minimal effort,” he said. “I'm healed and ready. Believe me.”

“Okay then,” I said. “I'm glad to have you back, my friend. We have work to do.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my eyes. I was exhausted.

“When was the last time you got some sleep?” Vink asked.

I shrugged. “I haven't been able to sleep since they took Riley.”

“I understand,” he said. “But you're not going to do her any good if you're so worn out you can't think straight.”

“I have to get her back, Vink,” I said. “If anything happens to her – ”

“Nothing will happen to her,” he said. “They need her to get to you.”

I nodded. “They know we'll be coming after them and they're going to use her as leverage. I've already thought about that.”

“The trouble is, we don't know who they are just yet.”

“And I don't know how to go about finding out,” I admitted. “If none of the employees we're questioning know anything – ”

Vink cocked his head as if he'd suddenly thought of something. “I think we're looking at this the wrong way.”

“What do you mean?”

“We should continue questioning the employees, certainly. We have to be thorough,” he said. “But we should also be looking at the employees we can't question.”

“The employees we can't question?”

He nodded. “The men who tried to assassinate you. The dead ones,” he said. “We should be looking at their ties to the Regents.”

It had not even occurred to me. I shook my head, feeling completely incompetent. Inadequate to the task at hand. If I had not thought of something so simple, how could I be trusted to make decisions for an entire planet? I mentally slapped myself. Now was not the time. First things first. And the first order of business was to get Riley back. I could debate about my worthiness to rule once we had accomplished that.

“What would I do without you, Vink?”

“Not nearly half as well as you're doing already,” he shot back.

“That is true,” I said. “Ozul, new search – ”

Ozul spoke, but it was not what I was expecting. “You have an incoming transmission from the prison complex. Do you wish to take the transmission?”

I looked at Vink. A transmission from the prison? Who would be contacting me from there?

“Put the transmission on screen, Ozul.”

The large monitor at the front of the room blinked to life. On the screen was the face of a man I'd never wanted to see again. He was the cause of the disease that had infected our world. The cause of so much suffering and deprivation. He was a man I should have had executed already.

“Varnu,” I said, my voice cold and emotionless. “What do you want?”

“And a good day to you too, your Majesty.”

He spat the word with as much disgust and contempt as he could muster – which didn't improve my mood any.

“Is there something you want, Varnu?”

“I don't suppose you would consider better accommodations?” he said. “The food in here is dreadful and my bed is a little too lumpy for my liking.”

I looked at Vink, feeling my anger surging. He motioned for me to calm down. I could see that he was curious. As was I. That Varnu would contact me out of the blue like this – and knowing how I felt about him – was an oddity. He obviously had something to say. Something he wanted to share – or at least, something he wanted to lord over me. And Vink was right in wanting to let him play it out. But that didn't stop my irritation from bleeding out.

“Speak your mind,” I said. “Or I will end this transmission.”

“No, you won't.”

“Oh? And why would I not?”

“Because you want to hear what I have to say,” he chuckled. “I know you're curious. You are many things, Jendrish. But stupid is not one of them. I know you know I would not contact you like this unless I had something to say.”

“Then say it and let us be done with this.”

He shook his head. “No. You will come to me,” he said. “You will come to the prison complex so we can have a discussion. Face to face.”

“That is not going to happen,” Vink said.

“If it does not, then you will never know what I know,” he replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “And the blood of your pet human will be on your hands.”

The mention of Riley set my heart racing and my anxiety into overdrive. “What do you know of Riley?”

“Come to the prison complex and let us talk about this like men,” he said. “I will be waiting.”

The screen went blank as he cut off the transmission. My hands rested on the top of the table but were balled into fists. I felt the familiar shooting pain in my head that I tended to get when I was under enormous strain. I took a deep breath and tried to relax my whole body.

“Jendrish,” Vink said. “I'm telling you this as a friend. Go rest. Go immerse yourself in the sea. Recharge your spirit.”

“We have to get to the prison,” I replied. “I can't afford not to. More specifically, Riley can't afford for me not to.”

“It can wait for a few hours,” he said. “They aren't going to do anything to her. Not yet. You have time. But you must take care of yourself if you hope to take care of her.”

There was wisdom in his words, I knew. But I was having a hard time pushing my rage aside and letting that wisdom in.

“Take two hours,” Vink said. “Immerse yourself. Rest. Get something to eat. You need to be fresh, focused, and ready.”

I looked at him as I continued trying to control my rage. But he was right and I knew it. Grudgingly, I nodded.

“Good,” he said and appeared to relax. “I will be going to the prison with you. I will meet you back here in two hours.”

“Two hours.”

Chapter Nine

We were rocketing toward the prison complex. Vink was piloting our shuttle with a deft, yet daring touch. He had been right. A couple of hours in the seawater pool in my chambers had done wonders for my body, mind, and spirit. I felt like a new man. And I was ready. Ready to get this over with and get Riley back.

“He's going to try and bait you,” Vink said. “Don't let him.”

“I'm under control, Vink,” I said. “I am feeling better. Much better. You were right to tell me to take some time. My thinking and focus are much sharper.”

He looked over at me for a long moment before nodding. “Good. I'm very glad to hear that,” he said. “Because he is going to test you.”

“I expect that he will,” I replied. “And I'm ready for it.”

Vink set the shuttle down on the landing pad outside of the prison. Once he'd powered down, we got out and headed inside. The guards all took a knee and bowed their heads as we passed. That was something I would never get used to – and it was something I really wished people would stop. I wasn't comfortable with that level of deference.

“Your Majesty,” came a voice from behind us.

We stopped and turned around to find Borlan, the man in charge of the prison. He was a man I knew – or was at least acquainted with. He had been a Guardsman at one time, though I did not serve directly with him. But I recall that I had always gotten a good impression of him.

“Jendrish,” I said. “Just call me Jendrish. Please.”

“Very well,” he replied stiffly. “I have Varnu situated in one of our conference rooms. He is wearing sonic shackles on his hands and feet to minimize the threat to your life.”

“Excellent,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Would you like an armed escort?” he asked.

I shook my head and looked over at Vink. “I brought my own. Thank you again.”

We turned and walked down the corridor, turning left instead of right at the end. I looked into the small windows set into the doors that we passed, but I did not see Varnu. Not until we reached the door at the end of the corridor. Peering through the window, I saw Varnu sitting at the table, his hands folded on top of it, and a smug look on his face.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, I opened the door and we stepped inside. Varnu looked up at us and smiled. He hadn’t been doing well for himself in prison. He'd lost a lot of weight – he looked gaunt and malnourished. And his eyes had lost some of that maniacal gleam that used to be in them. He looked like a beaten man – for the most part. As he looked at us though, I realized that beaten or not, he was a man with a card to play who was determined to play it to his full advantage.

Vink and I moved silently across the room and took a seat at the table opposite of him. He looked at us, his expression growing more condescending and smug by the moment.

“So good of you to come, gentlemen,” he said, nodding his head at me. “Especially you, your Majesty.”

“Let us get to business,” I said. “Neither of us can stand the other, so let us not pretend we can. Why did you call us here?”

“First, my demands,” he said.

“Demands?”

He nodded. “This is a negotiation, Majesty,” he said. “You have something I want – namely, the power to grant my freedom. And I have something you want – information about the human. Riley is her name?”

“So, what is it you want?” Vink asked.

“My life,” he said. “My freedom.”

“Your freedom,” I said. “You expect us to free you?”

He shrugged. “Yes. Yes I do.”

“That's not going to happen,” Vink said.

“I did not ask you to be here,” he snapped. “I do not negotiate with servants.”

I slammed my fist down on the table top, making him jump. He turned his attention back to me.

“You will show some respect for Vink,” I said. “He is no servant. And he is a better man than you could ever hope to be.”

Varnu cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. “It matters not. He does not have the power to grant me what I wish. Only you have that. So, as I was saying, I want my freedom. My assets, and a shuttle so I can leave this world.”

I looked over at Vink. If he had information that would help me get Riley back, it might be a price I was willing to pay. But I could see by the look in Vink's eyes that he was urging me to be cautious. Skeptical.

“And I have your assurance that if we free you, you will leave Optorio,” I said. “And never return. Ever.”

He nodded. “I have no desire to remain here as long as you are on the throne,” he said. “Let's just say our views on how to best rule our world are not compatible.”

“And just so you understand,” Vink added, “if you return to Optorio, I will kill you myself.”

His laugh was dry. Brittle. “I would kill myself before I returned here.”

“The information you have must be good,” I said.

“It's very good,” he replied. “Very, very good.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” Vink asked.

“Do not release me until you have checked it out,” he shrugged. “I am not playing a game with you. If I remain here, I am a dead man anyway. You both know that I best serve my own interests, so I have no reason to lie to you – especially, if my life and my freedom are hanging in the balance.”

That was true. Varnu was many things – and self serving was at the top of the list. If he was offering information to get Riley back in exchange for his freedom and was content that our arrangement would be contingent on his information panning out, I had to give it more credence than I normally would.

“Do we have a deal?” he asked.

I looked at Vink who looked conflicted. Ultimately though, he gave a slight nod of his head. He knew as well as I did that it was the best offer we were going to get. If Varnu could give us the identity of the rebels, we could bring this all to a close quickly and get on with re-building our world – and building the peace within it.

“We have a deal,” I said.

“Excellent,” he replied. “I'd hoped you would be a reasonable man.”

“What is your information?” Vink asked.

“The man you are looking for, the man who orchestrated the attempt on your life, as well as the abduction of your pet human,” he started, “is – my son. Veshna.”

I cocked my head and looked at him. I was stunned that he would give up his own flesh and blood. Especially if that flesh and blood was trying to kill me to secure his own foothold in the power structure of Optorio.

“Your son?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes, my son.”

“And you expect us to believe that you would just give him up like that?” Vink asked.

Varnu shrugged. “He is dead to me,” he replied casually. “I learned that he betrayed me – and had plans in place to kill me. Why would I not give him up?”

“How did you learn that?” I asked.

“That information was not part of our deal,” he said. “Suffice it to say, I have that information on good authority.”

Vink looked at me, the skepticism on his face plain as day. Varnu sighed audibly.

“As I said before, I am not asking you to release me until you have the information checked out and confirmed,” he said. “Once you do, I require my assets and a shuttle – as agreed upon.”

I hated the man, but it was a deal I could live with. Especially if it meant getting Riley back where she belonged – with me.

I stood and Vink followed suit. “We will let you know once we have your information confirmed.”

“I look forward to it,” he replied as he leaned back in his seat. “And I look even more forward to my release.”

“We will see,” I said as we turned and left the room.

Chapter Ten

We were fortunate – Optorio's twin moons were obscured by a thick cloud cover. The night was dark and murky, making it much easier to move about unobserved. Vink led the column of twelve Guardsmen through the inky darkness toward Varnu’s estate.

Vink motioned for us to activate our starlight goggles as we approached the house, making the darkness as bright as day.

“I see no guards,” he whispered into his comm unit.

“I don't know that they have any,” I replied. “After their assets were seized, the family was forced to scale down. I don't think they can afford a private army anymore.”

“All the better for us.”

I nodded. A large decorative gate of iron surrounded the estate. It was decorative and yet, served a purpose – it kept people out. The bars of the fence had been electrified and would likely hurt you pretty bad if you touched them.

“It's quiet,” Vink said. “I don't like how quiet it is.”

“Maybe we are catching a break,” I replied. “After everything we have endured, it might be nice.”

“Yeah, I'm not counting on that.”

He pulled a small black box from his belt and punched in a couple of keys. “The electrified fence has been neutralized,” he said. “Let's proceed. Single file through the gates. Stay sharp.”

We approached the house and one of the men moved ahead of the column and quickly pulled open the gate. Vink was first through and I was second. The rest of our squad followed behind. Things were going smoothly. Easily. Which, as much as I tried to deny it, sent a wave of unease through me.

And of course, right on cue, that was when chaos erupted.

Lights attached to the roof of the estate flared to life. They were as bright as the afternoon sun – which made it highly incompatible with our starlight goggles. The bright lights flared into our goggles, temporarily blinding us all – not to mention sending bolts of pain shooting through our eyes and our heads.

The men grunted in pain and I watched as everybody tore the goggles from their heads and threw them to the ground. They groaned as their eyes adjusted to the light. But as they stood there, trying to orient themselves, I watched an sonic fence rise up from the ground and pen them all in. It took a moment for it to register, but they quickly realized they'd been trapped. They were stuck in the middle of the sonic fence with no way out. With no way to help me.

“Vink,” I called.

He had already seen what happened and was scanning the area surrounding us. “His father tipped him off,” he snarled. “Told him we were coming.”

“Actually, he did not,” came a voice from the shadows on the porch of the house.

A man stepped into the light – Veshna. And he was holding Riley by the arm, a curved knife held to her throat. She looked at me and immediately burst into tears. Veshna shook her roughly but pulled her tighter against his body.

“Drop your weapons,” he called.

I looked over at Vink who looked enraged. But he threw his weapon to the ground in disgust. With an angry sigh, I followed suit. I looked back at our squad, still penned in by the sonic fence. They all looked frustrated. Angry. But they could do nothing. They were trapped.

And though no fence held me in place, I too, was trapped. I was as impotent to help Riley in that moment as our squad was.

“How did you know we were coming if not for your father?” I asked.

Veshna laughed. “I have many friends in many places,” he said. “I learned that you visited him at the prison today. It doesn't take a genius to put that puzzle together.”

“Let her go,” I said. “She has nothing to do with any of this.”

“Oh, I disagree,” he replied. “She is my leverage.”

Vink growled and looked over at me. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't risk Riley's life by doing something stupid. I had to let this play out.

“What is it you want, Veshna?” I asked.

“Not very much, really,” he replied. “I want you to step down and vacate the throne.”

“What, you think you should be on it?” Vink scoffed.

Veshna shook his head. “No, not me. I won't be taking the throne.”

“Then who?” I asked.

“It's not your concern,” he snapped. “I am going to do you a kindness and allow you to leave Optorio – with your human whore – if you vow to never return. All you need to do is abdicate. In public.”

“Oh, is that all?” Vink asked. “Not asking for much, are you?”

“It's either that, or we prolong this bloody conflict between us,” he said. “And you never see your precious human again. At least, not alive.”

“Don't you dare do it, Jendrish,” Riley called. “Don't you even think about it.”

“I just have this sneaking suspicion,” I said, “that if I agree to your demands, my shuttle will have some sort of accident before I ever clear the atmosphere.”

A small smile touched Veshna's lips. It was as if he couldn't help himself. It was as if he thought this was his crowning moment of glory and he needed to gloat about it.

“I suppose this leaves us at a bit of a stalemate, does it not?” I asked. “I'm not going up in a shuttle just to have you shoot us down.”

“And I can't leave you alive,” he replied.

“Then what are we going to do about this?” I asked. “You kill her, I'm going to kill you. And if you kill me, Vink is going to kill you. Nobody is going to win in any scenario here, Veshna. So what are you going to do?”

“There is one way to settle this,” Vink said.

I looked over at him and cocked my head. “What are you talking about?”

“It's one of the old ways,” he said. “A practice that hasn't been used in a long, long time. But one that Optorions of old used to settle disputes.”

“And what is that practice?” Veshna asked.

“Trial by combat,” Vink replied.

I nodded. “One on one. No interference from anybody. Only one survives,” I said. “It certainly would clear up all of the lingering issues here.”

Veshna was tall and had some length on me, but I believed that my training as a Guardsman would negate that advantage. A one on one fight might actually be the best solution to our problem.

“No, Jendrish,” Riley yelled. “You can't.”

“What do you say, Veshna,” I called. “Are you willing to fight me man to man?”

A look of anger crossed his face. “Why would I not be? Do you think I'm afraid of you?”

I gave him a soft laugh. “I think you've been afraid of a lot of people for a long time.”

“Do not speak as if you know me,” he spat. “You do not.”

He was growing angrier by the moment – which was something that worked to my advantage. I needed him to not just keep his focus on me, but to also direct all of that anger my way as well. I wanted him good and mad. I wanted him to fight me.

“I don't need to know you to know the type of man you are,” I said.

“He's not going to fight you,” Vink said. “Too much of a coward.”

With a growl, Veshna pushed Riley to the ground and strode down the steps. He stalked across the compound until he was standing almost nose to nose with me. He was angry. Enraged. Which was good. Very good.

“Trial by combat,” he sneered. “Only one will survive this.”

I nodded. “Only one. You kill me, the throne is yours.”

I stole a quick glance over at Vink who looked at me with a small measure of concern. I was putting myself in harm's way and he did not like it. But under the circumstances, there really was no choice. He unsheathed the sword on his hip and took a step back. I took the sword from the sheath on my back and stood before him, a small burst of excitement flowing through me.

“Jendrish please,” Riley said. “Don't do this.”

Vink had moved over and had his arm around her shoulders, guiding her back toward the fence. She was clear of the fighting and was going to be kept safe.

“Free my men,” I said.

“And let them kill me?” he asked. “I think not.”

“Put them outside the gates and put the electrical field back up,” I said. “I will order them to stay outside no matter what happens. They will not harm you. You have my word.”

He looked at me a long moment and then finally nodded. “Fine.”

“Vink” I called over my shoulder without taking my eyes off of Veshna. “Get everybody out on the other side of that fence. And do not come in here no matter what happens. Do you understand?”

There was a long pause before Vink finally answered me. “Understood.”

“Jendrish,” Riley called out. “Don't do this.”

I shut it out and focused on the task at hand. I had to kill Veshna or be killed myself. As I readied myself, movement on the porch drew my attention. Out of the shadows stepped a large, brawny man with a look of pure contempt on his face.

“I said no interference,” I replied. “I controlled mine, now you control yours.”

Veshna looked back over his shoulder and nodded. “No interference Kalmor,” he said. “No matter what happens.”

The big man nodded and remained standing where he was.

“I don't know about you,” Veshna said. “But I'm getting a little bit of an excited rush here.”

I gave him a small, half-smile. “That makes two of us.”

“Are you ready?” Veshna asked.

I nodded. “I'm ready.”

Without warning, Veshna came running in, bringing his sword down in murderous arc. I got my own sword up just in time to deflect that blow. Steel clashed against steel and I felt the vibration all the way up my arms. Veshna, though tall and lanky, apparently had some power in his arms.

With the sound of our swords ringing together still echoing out into the night, I lashed out with my foot and caught him in a midsection. I had driven the air from his lungs and he doubled over, gasping. I quickly moved to press my advantage, bringing my own sword down, hoping it would be one killing blow.

But I had no such luck. He sidestepped my slice and came tearing back in, slashing and stabbing. I was in a frenzy, parrying blows from every angle possible. Veshna was an accomplished swordsman and he was a lot stronger than he looked. I had my hands full, to say the least.

Veshna sliced and I wasn't fast enough. The blade of his sword sliced into my midsection, drawing a pained grunt from me. I was vaguely aware of the sound of Riley shrieking – it sounded like she was light years away though.

I felt the blood flowing from the wound, making my stomach area slick with it. I winced as I moved. It wasn't a particularly deep cut, but it hurt. He came at me again and I was able to deflect the blows – but just barely.

I thrust the tip of my sword and it bit into his upper arm fairly deep. His blood flowed and he grunted in pain, but lashed out with that curved knife that seemed to have magically appeared in his hand. The blade of that curved knife cut across my forearm, laying it open. I took a step back as he advanced and then disaster struck.

I felt something under my foot a split second before my ankle turned and I went down on my back. Hard. The air was driven from my lungs as I hit the hard packed earth beneath me. As I looked up at the stars overhead, I realized that I was done. That I had lost the fight and was about to die. I didn't like it, but as a soldier, I'd made my peace with death a long time ago. My biggest regret was not being able to tell Riley I loved her one last time.

Veshna entered my field of vision. He was looking down at me with a cruel smile upon his lips. This was it. I was about to die.

“I can't begin to tell you how satisfying this is for me,” he said. “I am going to savor every last second of your life. And I'll spend eternity thrilled with the knowledge that my will won out”

I heard Riley and Vink shouting for me. They were both nearly hysterical. I did my best to shut the noise out.

“Time to die,” Veshna spat. “Your Majesty.

I watched as he raised his sword over his head, intending to bring it down point first into my body. But as I lay there watching, something burst from his chest. A spray of blood rained down on me and Veshna's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates.

He looked down at the blade of the sword that was protruding from his chest and then at me, his mouth forming a perfect “0”. and then the blade was yanked free and Veshna's body fell to the ground. Limp. Lifeless. His eyes wide open but staring at nothing, fixed in the permanent glaze of death.

The man who'd been standing on the porch – Varnu’s man – stood there with his sword in his hand. He looked at me, his expression was one that said he did what he had to do – but he wasn't even remotely close to being happy about it.

The man reached down, and helped me up. I winced in pain at the wounds on my arm and midsection. I looked at the man and shook my head.

“Why did you do it?”

“Let's just say, I did not share Veshna's vision of the world,” he said. “I have a woman. She's from Praxias Four. And according to Veshna, she should probably be killed. Wasn't worthy of life. So I've been feeding his father information for a long while, hoping that this day would eventually come.”

“And here we are,” I said.

He nodded. “And here we are,” he replied. “Now get out of here. Go and build a better society.”

I did as I was told and got out of there. Now that Veshna was gone and the rebellion was over, we had a world to build.

Chapter Eleven

Riley

We sat on the balcony off our bedchamber, looking out over the red waters of the sea. Together, with the man I loved, we sat there, holding one another and listening to the gentle waves rolling in to the shore. I'd never grow tired of this view. It was so different and so much more amazing than anything I'd experienced before. It was relaxing – which was what we needed after everything we'd been through.

“I'm sorry,” he said softly, his face nuzzled against the crook of my neck as we lounged on a hammock together. “I never should have sent you away.”

I was still a little hurt by him sending me away like he had. But considering the fact that he'd saved my life – again -- I was working on getting over that.

Jendrish took in a deep breath, as if he was breathing me in. My hair fell over his face, hiding him from view, so I pushed it aside, eager to look at him. That was another view I'd never grow tired of, his beauty was something of legend, and he was mine. We were together. He loved me. And I loved him.

Jendrish continued. “I sent you away because I was scared for your well-being, Riley. None of this should have happened, but I did it to keep you safe. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if something had happened to you.”

My body tensed up and I gritted my teeth. I knew that he'd wanted to keep me safe. But he had no right to make that decision for me.

“It was wrong, Jendrish. I'm a grown woman. And whether you realize it or not, I have a right to make my own decisions – and you took that away from me. Can you see why I'm pissed?”

He nodded. “It wasn't the right choice,” he said. “I see it now. I just didn't – I'm just not used to this. As a soldier, things were different. I didn't have so many things to consider or deal with – such as the feelings of those I care about. I only wanted to protect you.”

“But do you know why it wasn't the right choice?” I pressed on. “Not just because I got kidnapped -- but because it wasn't your choice to make.”

Jendrish didn't say anything, which caused me to pull away from him. I sat upright and tried to be distant from him – or as distant as I could be while still sharing a hammock with him. I was on the verge of getting up when he grabbed my hand in his and kissed the palm lightly.

“I understand that now,” he said. “It's just – I not only wanted to protect you, but I was afraid of you seeing that animalistic, savage side of me that war brings out. I didn't want you to judge me harshly because I was – a savage. You've never seen that side of me before, and I feared – ”

“Feared what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Feared that you wouldn't love me anymore if you saw what I was capable of doing.”

“Oh, so it wasn't just for my safety then, huh?”

I put my feet down on the ground, climbing free from the hammock. Jendrish followed as I paced back and forth across the balcony.

“I'm sorry, Riley.”

“You keep saying that, but I don't know if you know why you should be sorry,” I said. “Do you realize every man I've ever been with has made me feel like I'm just a stupid girl, incapable of making my own decisions? I thought you were different, Jendrish. I thought you respected me, knew I was smart and capable. And I thought you knew better than to think our feelings for one another were so shallow that I could stop caring for you that easily?”

The light in his eyes were gone. I could see shame all over his face as he literally begged me for forgiveness. I was mad – and rightfully so. But I couldn't deny that seeing him in so much pain killed me. It hurt me on a deep, spiritual level. I never wanted to be the cause of pain for him.

And so, I closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and staring deep into those eyes. I kissed him – just a chaste peck to remind him that even though I was mad at him, I still cared for him.

He seemed relieved.

“I've never cared for someone the way I care for you, Riley,” he said. “I've also never known a human before, as I've told you. And with you, things are just so – different.”

“This is what being in a relationship is like, Jendrish. Sometimes I'm not going to be too happy with you, but it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. Sometimes, you just need to listen to me,” I said.

“I will from now on.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, always and forever.”

“Forever is a long time, you know,” I said, a sheepish smile on my face. “You sure you're up to that sort of commitment?”

Jendrish's eyes twinkled for the first time since we'd started talking, and as he stared down at me, it literally took my breath away. To see him staring at me like I was the most amazing woman in the entire world – maybe even in the entire universe – that was a look I'd never seen in a man's eyes before. He was truly in love with me, despite my stubborn, independent nature.

He may have screwed up, but in that moment, I knew Jendrish was different than any man I'd been with. Unlike my ex, he didn't want to break that independent nature in me. He just didn't understand it as well as I'd have liked. But he admired it. He loved it, even. And he was never going to try and quash it.

And that was something I could see myself living with.

“Yes, Riley. Forever. I am more than ready for that sort of commitment. I want to spend forever with you. I want to have a family with you. Maybe it won't be conventional, but it will be ours. And I want it all. I want you to be my queen – always and forever.”

Jendrish continued, before I could speak, “Of course, only if you still want that,” he stammered quickly. “I'd be foolish to assume anything – ”

“Hush, you,” I said, smiling wide. “Yes, yes, I want all of that too. I want to spend forever with you.”

Jendrish kissed me, his lips pressed to mine as he ran his hands through my hair.

“Sounds like we're going to have a royal wedding then,” he said, a smile on his lips.

“Sounds like it,” I purred.

My entire body – inside and out – was warm and fuzzy at the prospect of marrying this man and one day, potentially having his children. But whether the scientists were able to figure out and technology worked or not, we'd find a way to build a family together.

I had no doubt about that.

EPILOGUE

The doctor looked over my scans and chart, as my hand rested on my belly. My other hand was firmly in Jendrish's. I was biting my lip and trying to remember to breathe as I stared down at my growing tummy.

Thanks to the doctors and scientists, we were able to get pregnant – the first human to be impregnated by an alien. But things had been rough. This wasn't an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination, and we were at the doctor's office there, to see if a normal delivery was possible – as well as to make sure the baby was forming properly.

“Well, we will want to continue monitoring you carefully, of course,” the doctor said, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose.

He never smiled, but there was a hint of one. Surely, he was going to give us some good news, right?

“Yes, of course,” I said, rubbing my belly. “But so far, so good, right? We're continuing to see healthy development?”

I was putting words in the doctor's mouth, words I so badly needed to hear. Jendrish squeezed my hand, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from the doctor.

“As far as I can see, everything is fine. Better than fine, actually,” the doctor said. “The baby is a bit small – but the development is perfect, actually. We should be able to schedule you for delivery within two weeks.”

My entire body shook as I broke down in sobs. Happy tears flowed down my cheeks as I thought about this child inside of me. So many people told us it would be impossible, that we shouldn't even bother. And for awhile, I believed them. I thought we'd have to adopt -- like Baz and Paige – and I was fine with that. But once the technology became available, I knew I wanted to be one of the first to try it out.

There was something about having Jendrish's actual child that I wanted more than anything. Because having a baby with the man I loved would only make our lives even more perfect.

“Thank you,” I gushed. Jendrish was holding me, kissing my head.

“This is amazing,” he said. “I'm really going to be a father. I honestly did not think we would ever see this day.”

“Two more weeks, my love. Two more weeks.”

“Two more weeks is nothing,” he said. “Yet, it feels like forever.”

I had to agree with him about that. I just wanted to hold our child in my arms, to look down upon their sweet face and to know it was real. Because it still felt like a dream. Even with months and months of tests, hospital stays, even minor surgeries, I honestly wasn't sure it would work.

And still, two weeks. What if something went wrong in that time?

“We're going to have twenty-four hour care available to you,” the doctor said. “From now until the birth.”

I nodded, I'd be willing to agree to anything, as long as my child was safe. Hook me up to even more machines, whatever they needed from me.

“Would you like to know the gender of your child?”

My eyes grew wide as I stared at Jendrish. Up until now, we never even discussed the gender because we were afraid to jinx ourselves. I wasn't sure he wanted to know, but I did. I wanted to prepare the nursery for our son or daughter, so I hoped Jendrish felt the same way.

“Of course,” we said at the same time, laughing together once we realized we'd accidentally spoken in unison.

“You're having a boy,” the doctor said. “A future king in the making.”

I closed my eyes and whispered to myself, “A boy.... we're having a son...”

I was giving Jendrish a son, an heir. Our world's future leader. I'd have the responsibility of raising him right, making sure he was a good leader, a strong, fair, and moral one that made the right decisions for his people.

What a huge responsibility for someone who was once nothing more than a waitress at a shitty diner.

Now, my life was so much more.

So much more than I ever dreamed it would be.

As I opened my eyes, Jendrish kissed my hand. “A boy. Did you hear that, Riley? We're going to have a son?”

His eyes were filled with tears, as were mine.

We embraced, hugging each other tight as the baby inside me kicked, letting us both know he was there, that he was alive.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Jendrish said. “We are going to have a family.”

“Everything is more than okay,” I whispered. “Everything is perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

THE END

Optorio Chronicles Box Set III – The Alien Mates

Book 1 – The Alien Mates

Chapter One

Hatare

“You must be so excited,” my sister practically squealed.

“Excited about what?” I asked.

“Just a few more days until your eighteenth birth year, of course,” she said. “And after that, you're off to the Academy.”

I rolled my eyes. Excited was about the last thing I was at the moment. The Academy was simply a euphemism for a brainwashing center for young women. It was where Unduthian girls, on their eighteenth birth year, were sent to be trained in the ways of being a proper wife and mate to a wealthy, successful Unduthian man.

In other words, it's where they sent us to be programmed to be faithful servants – in and out of the bedroom – to whatever disgusting pig of a man they decided would be a good, beneficial match for us. It was a barbaric custom and one I vowed I would never be a part of.

But with my eighteenth birth year quickly approaching, my time was running short – and I had yet to convince my mother and father that sending me to the Academy would be the death of me. Like anything else, they called me too headstrong, too stubborn, and of course, my personal favorite, too dramatic.

To them – and to my younger sister, Pysh – it was romantic. An honor. A rite of passage. To me, it was the end of free thought and free will. It was the beginning enslavement of my body, mind, and spirit.

But Pysh was young – she was still just twelve – and had romantic notions about what life really was like. She didn't know any better. And she was still too young for me to open her eyes to it. I feared though, that she would grow so indoctrinated by Unduthian customs and traditions, that her eyes would never truly be open, and that she would willingly accept a life of vile servitude.

“Well?” Pysh demanded. “Aren't you excited? How can you not be screaming and jumping around? I know I will be when I get this close to my eighteenth birth year!”

“Oh, it's tough,” I deadpanned. “Believe me. I'm having a really hard time controlling myself.”

Pysh looked at me and cocked her head. “You don't seem all that excited, Hatare. Why not? Is it not what every Unduthian girl dreams of?”

I sighed. “I suppose so, yes.”

“Then why don't you seem all that happy or excited?”

I looked at her and gave her a small smile. I couldn't draw her into my own issues. She was too young to comprehend what I was thinking and feeling. And my path wasn't necessarily her path. Maybe she was perfectly happy with going to the Academy and living out her life in the service of whoever they thought would be the most beneficial match for her.

But if I had it my way, the Academy would not exist and we would all be free to live our own lives as we saw fit. We would be free to fall in love with whomever we wished. And most of all, we would be free to just be ourselves and be happy.

Was that really too much to desire?

“I'm sorry, Pysh,” I said. “I guess I'm just tired.”

Her smile grew wider. “Have you been having trouble sleeping because you're so excited?”

My smile was weak and forced. “Yeah, probably something like that.”

The bell on my bedchamber door sounded, and my mother stepping inside a moment later. “Good morning, daughters,” she said. “Hatare, it's time for your fitting.”

It was a struggle to not roll my eyes, but I somehow managed. My mother was excited enough about this event for the both of us. My mother and father were hosting a party to honor my eighteenth birth year. They called it a celebration of me, but I knew better. This party was nothing more than an elaborate way for them to parade me around in front of all potential suitors. The elite of Kinray would all be in attendance, and would get a chance to examine me closely – without actually appearing to do so.

After the party, my father would get down to the business of auctioning me off to the highest bidder. He would speak with all of the men who were interested in making a pairing and see who made the most lucrative, beneficial offer.

It was an entirely degrading affair. And it showed me that my worth to my family was determined solely by how much wealth or prestige I would garner.

“I'm really not feeling all that well, mother,” I said. “And I'm tired.”

“Hatare has not been sleeping well,” Pysh chimed in. “She's too excited for her birth year celebration.”

My mother gave me a smile. “Come, Hatare,” she said. “You can take some rest after your fitting.”

I sighed. “I'm not really feeling up to it, mother.”

Her expression grew stern. “Hatare, your birth year celebration is in days,” she said. “And because you have not made the time to get fitted for your gown on your own, I've had to make the arrangements for you. Now, stand up and come with me.”

I sighed again. I knew that if I refused, she'd have my father's personal guard come in and drag me to my fitting. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of Pysh, I got to my feet. I remained silent as I stepped out of my bedchamber and followed my mother down the hall.

“Really, Hatare,” she said. “I don't know why you're so resistant to this whole affair. You'd think we were sending you to be executed or something.”

That was essentially what they were doing, in fact. Forcing me to marry somebody I didn't know, let alone love, was akin to death. Surely, a little piece of my soul would die every day until there was nothing left inside of me. I could see that in my mother's eyes sometimes.

Oh, she played the role of the perfect Unduthian wife and mother to perfection. But there were times – not often, but once in a while – where I could see behind that carefully constructed mask. And what I saw was heartbreaking. There was no passion in her eyes. No fire. No spark of life. Sometimes she just looked dead inside.

And there was no way I would let myself suffer a similar fate. I just wouldn't. I would take my own life first.

We arrived at the room where my fitting was to take place. My mother stood beside the open door, an impatient expression on her face. Not meeting her eyes, I walked into the room. The door slid closed behind us with a whoosh and with the push of a button – courtesy of my mother, of course – it clicked into place with the solid sound of finality. I obviously wasn't getting out of that place until this was all over.

With another sigh, I walked over to where the seamstress and her assistants were buzzing about.

Chapter Two

“Such a pretty girl,” my seamstress Tayna beamed.

She held up several swatches of fabric, oohing and aahing with each one. I looked at myself in the mirror as she tried to match a fabric to me. Personally, I didn't care. I just wanted this over with.

“What do you think about this?” Tayna asked.

It was a light red color and the fabric itself sparkled beneath the lights. If I were invested in this process, I would have said no. My skin tone was a light blue, my hair, a darker blue – I thought the color of the fabric contrasted too much and looked gaudy. But then, if I wore something like that – and looked that horrible – perhaps no eligible men invited to this farce would look at me twice.

“I like it,” I said.

Tayna looked over at my mother, who was sitting in a chair near the window, silently observing.

“No,” she said. “The fabric clashes with her skin and looks gaudy. Next.”

I rolled my eyes. “If you're going to pick it out for me anyway, why do I even need to be here? You seem to be doing just fine without me.”

“Mind your manners, Hatare,” my mother said. “Goodness. I'll be glad when you go off to the Academy. Hopefully, they can teach you some manners.”

“If by manners, you mean sucking all of the life and passion out of me, you will probably get your wish.”

“Hatare!” my mother stood and stamped her foot on the floor. “What has gotten into you? Why are you so – so – rebellious all of the sudden?”

“It's not so all of the sudden, mother,” I said. “And I'm not thrilled about the idea of being auctioned off this way.”

In the mirror, I caught Tayna's eyes and saw her stifling a smile of her own and I got the feeling she felt the way I did. She gave me a quick wink before holding up the next bolt of fabric. It was a deep, rich purple – and I had to say, that I quite liked it. I thought it accented my skin and hair tones very nicely. In fact, I thought with a dress made of that color and cloth, I might even look – pretty.

“That one,” my mother said, still clearly annoyed. “That's the color. Now, I want you to put together your five bestselling designs, alter them enough to make them unique, and then send me the image file. I'll make the decision myself. I'm just ready for this to be over, already.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Tayna said.

My mother stormed out of the room muttering to herself, leaving me with Tayna.

“Less than half an hour,” she said. “Quite impressive. Most girls can't get their mothers to rush out for at least forty-five minutes.”

I looked at her. “S – so there are others?” I asked. “Who feel the way I do?”

She nodded. “Quite a few. Far more than you'd think.”

I looked at Tayna and smiled, but didn't say anything. It was comforting to know though, that I was not alone in my thoughts or feelings. The question was – what to do about it.

Chapter Three

Byr

“Hey, it's time to knock off,” Tryn said as he shut down his machine.

I looked over at him and nodded, flipping off my machine as well. We worked in the factory, assembling – well, whatever the government tells us to assemble. We've been known to manufacture and assemble appliances, vehicles, even weapons from time to time. The government placed orders and it was our job to fill them.

They paid us the meagerest of wages and expected the highest quality work. And if we failed to deliver, they would threaten to revoke our contracts and place them with another factory. None of the men in the factory could afford to lose the contracts, and so we worked hard for our slave wages.

It was a hard existence, but it was the only existence we knew. It wasn't like we'd been fortunate enough to have been born into the wealthy elite who inhabited Kinray. We were the dregs of Unduthian society, living on the edges of the capital, getting nothing more than scraps – and never noticed until something went wrong.

The machines powered down and a relative quiet descended over the factory. At least, until the next shift arrived. I dropped my gloves and helmet on my machine before walking out of the factory with Tryn. The sun had already set and the first of our three moons was already rising.

“You want to go over and get some food?” Tryn asked.

I shook my head. “Can't. My mother needs my help tonight.”

Tryn gave me a tight smile and nodded. He understood my situation and why I had become such a recluse over the last few months. My father had died unexpectedly, leaving my mother – who was already in poor health – to care for me and my two younger siblings. My little sister Gynta and my little brother Hopa were a handful and I – as the new head of our household – had no choice but to help care for them. It wasn't like my mother could bring in much in her condition.

“How is she doing?” he asked.

I shrugged. “About as well as can be expected, I suppose,” I replied. “The disease is going into her heart. Honestly, I don't know how long she has left.”

Tryn looked at me, his expression serious. “What will you do then?”

I sighed. It was a question I'd asked myself a million times. We had no other family and I honestly didn't know if I could handle caring for two small children on my own. And it wasn't like there was much chance for somebody in the lower classes of Unduthian society – like me – to move up and better myself or my station.

I just shook my head, feeling completely overwhelmed and depressed. “I don't know,” I said. “I really don't.”

Tryn gave my shoulder a companionable squeeze. “You know I'll do whatever I can to help you.”

I gave him a weak smile. “And I appreciate that. More than you know.”

He nodded. “Then I will see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow then.”

I watched Tryn walk toward the marketplace in the center of our village. It was the place where anything could be had for a price. It was where we got our food, drink and whatever supplies we needed to survive. There was always somebody there who seemed able to get anything we needed.

It wasn't technically sanctioned by the Council, and could be considered an illegal underground market, but they tended to overlook it. Mostly because they just didn't care to deal with us unless they absolutely had to.

The elites who lived in Kinray considered themselves above us. They saw themselves as our betters. And they treated us accordingly. Our only value to them was based in how productive we could be for them. What we could provide for them. Other than that, all of us living on the outer edges of Kinray could be wiped out and they wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it.

I walked into the small, rundown place we called a home. It was a three-room home, built mostly of stone and spare timber. My father hadn't been much of a craftsman, but he'd done the best he could. And it kept the worst of the chill out at night, so I couldn't complain all that much. I knew we had it better than some of the others in our village.

“Byr, is that you?” my mother called from her room.

“Yes, mother,” I said, dropping my bag down on the table in the main room. “How are you feeling?”

I stepped into her room and stepped to her bedside, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at me, her skin looking ashen and her once vibrant silver hair now looking dull and almost as lifeless as her eyes. But she gave me a smile.

“I'm fine, my sweet boy,” she said. “Don't you waste any time worrying about me.”

My mother was always fine. She didn't complain about her illness, not even when it got really bad. It broke my heart to see her so weak and frail. But there was nothing I could do to help her. Even if we'd had the money for the proper treatments, the doctors said the disease was too far advanced and there was nothing they could do.

“I used the last of our rations to make some soup for dinner,” she said. “Will you be able to get more tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Of course,” I said. “I'll be sure to get them tomorrow afternoon.”

The Council wanted to make sure we believed they cared about us by giving us rations of food once a week. Some vegetables, meats, breads – some of it stale and rotten. I was convinced that it was simply leftover scraps from the tables of the upper class.

But, it was better than nothing. I'd become pretty efficient at stretching those rations and making something edible out of them.

“Let me get you a bowl of soup, mother.”

She shook her head. “I'm not feeling well enough to eat right now,” she said. “Maybe I'll have you fix me something later.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

The fact that she refused to eat told me that we didn't have much in the pot. My mother always made sure that her children ate first – even at the expense of her own growling stomach. I gave her a small smile.

“Get some rest, mother.”

She nodded and closed her eyes as I turned and made my way back into the main room. Moving over to the pot hanging above the fire, I ladled some soup into bowls and set them on the table. I grabbed some crusty bread from the box and put it on plates.

“Gynta, Hopa, time to eat,” I called.

The door to the room in back opened and they shuffled out to the table, casting a despondent look at our mother as they passed by her room. They were good kids and did all they could to not cause our mother any undue stress. They knew she was in poor health and that she likely wouldn't be with us much longer, but they did their best to keep her spirits up.

It hurt me to see them not acting like normal kids their age. They should be running around, playing, and laughing. But they were quiet, taking such care to not disturb our mother, and acted so much – older. They were both just ten years old, but they'd lived a hard life already. Had seen and experienced too much – things children their age shouldn't.

“Aren't you eating with us, Byr?” Gynta asked.

I gave her a small smile as I looked into the pot. There was enough left for one bowl – a bowl my mother was going to have.

I shook my head. “I'm fine, Gynta,” I lied. “I ate something at work earlier. You go ahead and eat up.”

They both looked at me like they knew I was lying – but of course, were unable to do anything about it. Instead, they sullenly dug into their meals.

“Hey, tomorrow is rations day,” I said, forcing some cheer into my voice. “If you're good, maybe I can make you a sweet cake for dessert.”

Their faces brightened and they smiled at me. “Really?” Hopa asked.

I nodded. “Really.”

I was glad to see them smile, to give them one bright moment in this otherwise bleak existence. I sighed and grabbed my book – education wasn't given to us on the outer edges, but I'd made a point of trying to educate myself. And I was making sure that Gynta and Hopa were being educated as well.

“Mother, I'll be out back for a bit,” I called. “You two can just leave your dishes when you're done. I'll take care of them. Be sure to get your studies in after dinner though. I'll be in to check on you.”

They both nodded, their eyes still aglow with the promise of sweetcakes tomorrow. Giving them a smile, I went out back and lit a torch so I could see. Sitting on an old crate I used as a chair, I opened my book – and then closed it again a moment later.

I looked to the brightly lit buildings of Kinray. With my stomach growling, I wondered what kind of wonderful and elaborate meals the people were eating. I wondered how many of them were suffering from some debilitating disease because they couldn't manage to get the proper care.

And I couldn't help but be bitter and angry about it.

I stood there, looking at the lights of the capital and felt the hatred burning within me. And it was a deep, abiding hatred of Unduth's elite.

Chapter Four

Hatare

“It's your big day!” Pysh's voice was loud and chirping.

She jumped up onto my bed and bounced around, jostling me – and bothering me. The sun had barely crested the horizon and light was just beginning to fill my bedchamber. It was the day of my eighteenth birth year celebration. The knot in my stomach constricted painfully and I felt nauseous just thinking about it.

“It's early, Pysh,” I said. “Let me sleep a while longer.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “Mother wants you to get up and begin getting ready.”

“The celebration isn't for hours yet,” I groaned.

“No, but I want everything about you done perfectly,” my mother's voice filled the room.

I sat up in bed to find my mother standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest, a stern look upon her face. It was very early and yet, she was already dressed and perfectly put together. Of course. That was my mother – the perfect Unduthian wife.

The type of soulless automaton she thought I should be.

“Pysh, give me some time with mom, okay?”

My little sister stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. “Okay,” she said sullenly.

“Don't worry,” I said. “We'll have plenty of time together today.”

Her face brightened up and she skipped out of the room. My mother stepped inside and allowed the door to slide closed behind her. She looked at me with a curious expression. I'd practiced this little speech in my head a million times already. I was nervous about it – mostly because I had an idea how it would be received. But I had to try. It was my last-ditch effort to avoid the Academy. If this failed...

“What is it, Hatare?”

I pulled one of my pillows to my breast and held it there. “I want to cancel the celebration, Mother,” I said. “I have no desire to go to the Academy.”

She looked at me, completely dumbfounded. “Where is this coming from, Hatare?” she asked. “It used to be all you talked about. I remember you telling me just how excited you –”

“I was also Pysh's age,” I interrupted her. “I didn't know any better. But my eyes are open now and I do not want to go to the Academy, nor do I wish to be matched with and married to somebody I do not know.”

Her expression grew dark and her lips compressed into a tight line. “This is not up for debate, Hatare. This is the custom and tradition of the Unduthian people. It has been for centuries. It is how we thrive as a people, Hatare, and –”

“But that is not what I want for my life, Mother,” I nearly shouted.

She looked at me, shocked, like I'd slapped her across the face. I'd never raised my voice to my mother before, but this was as serious as it got. This was my life, we were talking about. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Perhaps not,” came another voice. “But this is your duty to your family.”

I turned and found my father standing in the doorway, his expression dark and angry. He glowered at me and there was that instinctual part of me that wanted to cower and cringe. My father was the undisputed head of our household. His word was law. He ruled with an iron fist and he suffered no fools.

But this was my life. I tried to control my thundering heart and resist the urge to give in to him – as I always did. As all of the women in this house always did. He was a large man, his skin a darker shade of blue than mine and his hair was long and violet. White markings surrounded his eyes and when he was angry, they seemed to add to his foreboding appearance. He was tall, thick shoulder and thick chested. He was a brute of a man. But he was more than that. He was clever. Intelligent. Calculating. He didn't rely on his physical nature to beat you – he simply outthought you.

My mother stood off to the side, her hands folded in front of her, and her eyes lowered to the ground. Now that my father was here, her role in this was over, and she was merely a spectator. Weak. She was so weak. It disgusted me.

“Father,” I said. “I'm sure that Unduthian society will survive without me. I'm sure there are far more suitable gir –”

“This is not up for discussion, Hatare,” he growled. “You know very well what a good pairing means for this family.”

“Yes, yes,” I snapped. “It means more wealth, power, and prestige for this family. It means we climb further up the social ladder.”

“Would you rather have lived on the outer edges with the rest of the scraps?” my father's voice was low and menacing. “Because I did not hear you complain about this lifestyle growing up, Hatare.”

“Perhaps the problem is, you did not bother to listen then, Father.”

My father's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. He balled his hands into fists at his sides and glared at me.

“I really do not care for this sudden defiance in you, Hatare,” he said. “That sort of attitude could prevent you from finding a suitable match – and do you know what that would mean for our family?”

“Don't worry, Father,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “I'm sure they'll beat any trace of life and personality from me at the Academy. They'll make me a perfect, docile little drone like Mother here.”

My mother choked back a sob and shook her head. But my father closed the distance between us in a heartbeat. I heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh before I could even process the fact that he'd slapped me. My cheek burned bright with pain and tears welled in my eyes. I held my hand to my cheek and looked at my father. I couldn't believe that he'd slapped me.

His face had grown darker and the markings around his eyes seemed to glow, the anger in his face more than clear.

He pointed a finger at me. “You will change this attitude of yours,” he said. “You will be a polite, civilized young woman at your birth year celebration. And you will make a good impression on your potential matches. You will do your duty to this family. Do you understand me?”

I looked at him, my eyes narrowed and hatred flowing through my veins. “Do I have any choice in the matter, Father?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again. Shaking his head, he turned and walked away, my mother following three steps behind him with her head lowered. The door to my bedchamber closed with a whoosh. I pushed a button on the table next to my bed, locking the door. I was done with everybody.

We were hours away from the celebration. From my enslavement. My final gambit had failed. My words had fallen upon deaf ears. Part of me knew that it would, but I'd held out some small shred of hope that my parents would see me as their daughter – not just as a commodity they could use to further the family agenda.

But that hope was now forever dashed. I now knew that my only value to my family – my mother and my father – was as a chip to climb the social ladder of Unduth.

The question was, what was I going to do about it?

Chapter Five

I sat at the dressing table in my bedchamber, staring at myself in the mirror. My face was grim and there was no sparkle in my eyes. The markings around my eyes were dull, lifeless – just the way I felt. The sun had set, the first of our three moons was already in the sky, and the second was just cresting the horizon. Which meant that I had less than an hour until the celebration.

Which meant, I had less than an hour to decide what I was going to do.

I'd been showered, groomed, plucked, powdered, and made to look like a proper Unduthian lady. I looked like a younger version of my mother. And I wasn't happy about it. Not in the slightest bit. I didn't want to be a programmed, indoctrinated robot that had no independent thought or feeling. I didn't want to be the sort of woman Unduthian society deemed “proper.”

I wanted to be me. Nothing more and nothing less. I wanted to be free to be who I was, to set my own goals, and chase my own dreams. I wanted to live my life the way I saw fit. The way I'd constructed it. I wanted to succeed or fail on my own – not live in some carefully crafted bubble where all of my needs were met, but where I was expected to be perfect. To be what others deemed to be civilized. To be subservient. To be compliant. To be tamed.

If forced to live that life, I might as well be dead.

The chime sounded on my door. With a sigh, I hit the button to unlock it. The door slid inside with a whoosh and Arbul, the house maid stepped through. She looked at me with kindness in her eyes and a gentle smile on her lips. She was only a few years older than I was, and had always been a good friend to me.

“Your mother asked me to tell you that it's time to begin getting ready,” she said. “Your guests will be arriving soon.”

I closed the door and locked it with the push of a button. The tall doors that led to the balcony over my bedchamber stood open, allowing a cool breeze to filter through. Arbul moved closer and sat down next to me. She was my trusted confidant – a rare thing in this household where everything I did or said was reported back to my parents in the hopes of currying favor. But Arbul had always been kind, genuine, sincere, and best of all, discrete.

I looked at my friend. “If you had the opportunity, would you let yourself be shipped off the Academy?”

Because she was born among the lower class in Kinray, Arbul was not allowed to go to the Academy. She had no real opportunity to advance in her life or better herself according to Unduthian social structure. She simply had to be happy with being a servant in the homes of one of the elite. It was an injustice and inequality that never failed to make my blood boil.

She gave me a small smile. “There is a part of me that would, yes,” she said. “If only for the stability and for the fact that I would want for nothing.”

I nodded. I could understand that. Growing up with nothing – sometimes even less than that – I could see the appeal of having your every need met. I could understand the seductiveness of it. And I couldn't blame her for feeling that way.

“But the bigger part of me,” she went on, “would reject it. The only good thing that comes from being of the lower class is that I am free. Free to think what I want, be who I am – I have a freedom that somebody in your position will never know. And that makes me sad for you, Hatare.”

I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She was a beautiful woman. She had the same light blue skin that I did. The markings around her eyes – though, different from my own as each Unduthian’s markings were unique – were white and glowed or dimmed with her emotions. Just like my own. Her hair was a soft red, but was long and silky. Much like my own.

The only thing that made us different was luck of the draw. I'd been fortunate to be born into the class I had been born into. But Arbul hadn't been that fortunate. And because of that stroke of fortune – or misfortune, depending on how you viewed it – she was stuck in a life of servitude.

“I can't do this, Arbul,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I won't.”

She squeezed my hand in return. “Then what will you do?”

I sighed and looked at the dagger sitting on the edge of my dressing table. The lights in the room glinted off the sharp blade. I saw Arbul looking at the blade and then back at me, her eyes growing wide.

“No, Hatare,” she said, her voice urgent. “Put that thought out of your head right now. You cannot do that. I will not allow it.”

My laugh was dry and rueful. “And how could you stop me?”

She sighed. “I would have no choice but to tell your parents that you are attempting to take your own life.”

I looked at her, stunned and upset. “Why would you do that? Why would you turn me in like that?”

Her eyes were wet with tears as she looked at me “Because it is better for you to be alive and upset with me, than it is for you to be dead and gone forever.”

I sighed and shook my head as Arbul reached over and took the dagger off the table. She tucked it into folds of her apron and looked at me, daring me to challenge her. I didn't. It wasn't like I didn't have other blades in my room anyway – though my mother and father would have skinned me for having them in the first place.

Women on Unduth – the upper class, at least – were forbidden to learn to fight. The men who controlled our world felt it wasn't proper. That women should never sully their hands with gun or blade. We were forbidden to learn to defend ourselves – after all, that was the role of our man.

But I'd found somebody as disgusted by the rules of Unduthian culture as I was. Lutl, was his name. He was a member of my father's personal guard. And he'd risked his life to train me – far out in the countryside where nobody would find us. But for the last few years, he'd taught me how to fight, how to use a variety of weapons, and how to defend myself.

It was an education I would forever be thankful for.

“I have no other choice, Arbul,” I said. “I can't live like that. I won't.”

“There are always choices,” she replied.

“Name one.”

She looked deeply into my eyes, making sure that she had my full attention. “You can leave,” she said. “Run, Hatare. Run far away.”

I gave her a small smile. “You know that my father's guard will come after me,” I said. “If I run, it would damage the good name of this family. And he can't have that. So you know they'd come.”

“That's why you should run far away, Hatare,” she said. “To another planet. Find a place in another world to build your own life – the life you want.”

I shook my head. “If only it were that easy.”

She gave my hand a sharper squeeze. “It is that easy,” she said. “You have a little bit of time. Pack a bag but travel light. And then go.”

I looked at her and began to mull the possibilities for the first time. Could I run? Could I get away? Was leaving and starting a new life somewhere else a real possibility?

“This is not the way,” Arbul said, patting her apron where she'd put the dagger. “Go, Hatare. Find the life you dream of. It's out there. You just need to escape this cage.”

I sat there a moment longer and decided that maybe she was right. I hadn't been keen on dying anyway. But running away, starting a new life somewhere – on another planet perhaps – had a strong appeal for me. It hadn't even occurred to me before, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I looked up at her and nodded.

“I will,” I said. “I'll leave.”

A smile spread across her face and Arbul heaved a sigh. “Good. It pleases me to hear that,” she said. “More than you know. When will you go?”

“Now,” I replied. “I don't think I'll have a moment's peace after tonight as they'll be busy preparing me for the Academy.”

“You have such little time,” she said. “If you're going to go now, you need to leave, Hatare.”

I nodded and stood up, pulling her to her feet. I looked into her eyes and planted a soft kiss on each cheek before pulling her into a tight embrace. The markings around her eyes glowed softly – her sadness evident.

“You are a great friend, Arbul,” I said, fighting back my own tears. “Better than I deserve. I don't know when or if I'll be able to contact –”

She nodded, giving me a sad smile. “I know. For both of our safety, it's probably best you don't contact me. Not for a while, at least,” she said. “It will be enough for me to know that you are out there. Alive. Now, you must go.”

Arbul stepped back from me and dabbed at her eyes. She gave me one last smile before heading to the door. I unlocked it and let her go, closing and locking it again after she'd gone. I quickly moved about my room, gathering up some clothes and other items I thought I'd need, stuffing it all into a shoulder pack.

I didn't have much time. They would be coming to look for me soon enough when I didn't come down for the celebration. I had to make every minute count.

Slinging my pack over my shoulders, I moved to the balcony outside my bedchamber – and to the secret route to the ground floor I'd used for years – a tree that was very close by. I took one last look around the room. I looked at the dress hanging on the door to my closet. It was a beautiful dress. Tayna had created something magical. And in another life – if I were another person – perhaps I would have put it on willingly. Happily.

But this wasn't another life and I wasn't another person.

I had one life to live and I was going to live it. For me.

Chapter Six

Gravus

We sped toward our location in the armored transport. I checked my weapons again and then looked to the men on the transport with me.

“Double check your weapons, men,” I growled. “We're not expecting resistance, but we want to be ready just in case.”

The men in my guard were elite. They were the most highly trained and deadliest fighting force on Optorio. It's why we could command such a steep price. We did some contract work – at a deeply discounted price – for the government, mostly to keep in their good graces. But we made most of our money, contracting out to some of the wealthy families of Unduth.

At the moment, we were on a job for the government. A series of bombs had been detonated in the city. The members of Kinray's government were apoplectic and wanted these rebels brought to justice – which meant, shot dead in the street. There had been rumors and rumblings about a growing insurgency. Some said it was coming from the scraps on the outer edges.

Personally, I didn't think they had the heart or stomach for a fight. No, if there were a growing insurgency, I would have bet on it coming from one of the prominent families within Kinray, looking to climb up that ladder and perhaps, enhance their own prestige.

With those people, that's what it was all about – wealth, power, and prestige. They were a nest of vipers, that was certain. I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. They were always plotting and scheming.

It was the benefit of being in my position – I didn't have to play politics. I could simply do the job I'd been hired to do without passion or allegiance.

“We're here, General,” said Tok, my most trusted advisor and right hand man.

The transport hovered for a moment before setting down. A second later, the back ramp opened, flooding the compartment with light. The men were down the ramp and in formation in the blink of an eye. I stepped out of the transport with Tok at my side and took my head at the position of the column. We walked through the gates of the factory, weapons at the ready, as all eyes turned to us.

Conversations stopped, machinery was powered down, and the workers all openly stared at us with fear in their eyes. It never failed to amuse me – whenever we showed up, even people who hadn't done a thing wrong, looked guilty.

“What is this about?” said a man, who ran up to me, blocking my way.

Tok called the column to a halt and then turned to the man – Ult, the factory foreman, by his identification.

“Ult,” I said, “We are here on the business of the Unduthian government.”

“And what business is that, then?” Ult asked.

I handed him the orders we'd been given. He scanned the document but didn't appear to comprehend it.

“As you might have heard, there have been a series of bombings in Kinray over the last couple of weeks,” I said. “We have reliable intelligence that has identified some of those responsible. And some of them work in your factory. Now, if you will get out of our way, we need to round them up, for I assure you, if any of them have gotten away while I've had to stand here and explain myself to you, your name will be added to that list.”

Ult stepped out of my way, a terrified and yet apologetic look on his face. These scraps were pathetic. So easy to intimidate – yet another reason I didn't think the rebellion had originated out here. These people jumped out of their skin of you yelled “boo” loud enough.

But, for whatever reason, the government had put together this list of suspects and it was my job to bring them in – or shoot them, if the resisted. I tend to think the powers that be hoped we'd shoot them down regardless. There was less bureaucratic red tape to deal with in regard to the dead, than there was with a living prisoner.

“Photos and identification have been uploaded into your visors,” Tok said. “Spread out and find the suspects. Bring them back here to the yard.”

My men spread out and moved quickly into the factory. I heard a lot of shouting and general commotion coming from the floor, but then the sound of a few shots quieted everything down. There were probably a couple of dead factory workers in there, but they should have complied. It wasn't like the government was going to care anyway – they were scraps. They didn't really count.

A few minutes later, eight men were brought out of the factory by my men. They were lined up and then forced down onto their knees. The other men in the factory had all come out and were watching what was happening with a grim curiosity.

The eight men looked up at me with varying degrees of fear on their faces. They were all young – I wouldn't have put the oldest past his twenty-first birth year. It made me skeptical as to whether or not any of these men – boys, really – were involved with the bombings or this insurgency at all, as the government claimed.

But then, it wasn't my job to worry about the optics or the political fallout of it all. My job was simply to do what I was paid to do. And in this case, I was paid to exterminate a threat to the Unduthian elite.

Chapter Seven

Byr

My heart was thundering in my chest when they forced us out of the factory at rifle point. When the lined us up, forced us to our knees, and stood behind us, I thought it might explode in my chest right then and there.

“What is going on?” I whispered to Tryn.

He shook his head, his eyes wide, and the markings around his eyes glowing bright – probably as bright as mine. He was as scared as I was. And why wouldn't we be? We'd done nothing wrong and yet, were being rounded up by government soldiers and treated like common criminals.

I watched the man standing in front of us. He wore black and white armor that covered most of his body. I didn't recognize the insignia on his shoulder. His skin had a darker blue hue to it and his hair was blacker than night, pulled back into a tight tail. His eye markings were a vivid red and glowed, reflecting his anger.

He looked at us, an imperious expression upon his face. “My name is General Gravus,” he said. “And I have been tasked with solving a problem for the Unduthian government.”

“W – What sort of problem?” a man named Poj asked.

A small, cynical smile played on Gravus' lips. “Some of you may know that recently, there has been a series of bombings in Kinray.”

I looked around at the men on the ground with me. All of them looked terrified – and like they had no idea what was going on. And I didn't doubt their sincerity. None of the men I worked with were bombers or murderers.

“The government believes that there is an insurgency forming,” he said, his voice booming in the silence of the factory. “And as you can imagine, they have a vested interest in curtailing this seditious activity before it begins. I am here –”

“What does that have to do with us though?” Poj asked, his voice colored with irritation.

I wanted to stop him from speaking. Wanted to tell him to warn him that he was out of line and was going to get himself into trouble. But I didn't dare speak, lest I bring Gravus' wrath down upon me. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to myself. I hated the Unduthian government as much as anybody and though I didn't know about the bombings and had no hand in them, I certainly wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.

But I couldn't say any of that. I had to think of my family.

Gravus stepped forward, a condescending smile on his face. “What is your name?”

“P – Poj,” he said, sounding a little more uncertain than he had a moment ago.

“Well, Poj,” Gravus said. “Let me tell you what this has to do with you –”

Gravus suddenly reared back and kicked Poj in the face. From where I was at the other end of the line, I heard the sickening crack, watched Poj's head snap backward, and saw the spray of dark blue blood and teeth. Poj fell hard onto his back and was still. I didn't know if he was dead or just out cold.

“Now,” Gravus said. “If anybody thinks to interrupt me again, I will not be so kind. Consider that a fair warning.”

I lowered my head, not wanting to make eye contact with the man. I just wanted him to say what he needed to say and be done with it. I wanted to create as few waves as possible so that they would get back into their transport and get out of there.

“Now,” Gravus continued. “As I was saying, the Unduthian government has a keen interest in curtailing these seditious activities. And we have reliable intelligence that you eight are members of this insurgency – perhaps, you're even the bombers yourselves.”

A collective gasp and a string of denials came from the other men in line. I simply kept my head down and said nothing. Knowing that Gravus thought we were the bombers or part of some insurgency tightened the knot in my stomach painfully. I'd thought he was going to deliver a warning and be on his way – now, I feared that he had something else in mind entirely.

And it did not bode well for any of us.

“Silence!” Gravus' voice thundered.

Everybody fell silent. There was a thick, nearly suffocating tension in the air about us – and an expectation of violence. The energy that saturated the air around us felt much like thick, dark clouds in the sky just before the storm broke.

“Of course, I expect you all to deny your involvement with this insurgency,” he boomed. “So, the question becomes, how do I parcel out who is telling me the truth and who is lying to me? How can I pick the traitor or traitors out of this group with any certainty?”

We all exchanged looks and shrugs. How could we prove we weren't part of this insurgency? I knew I wasn't – and I was relatively certain nobody else was either – but how could I make this man believe me? How could I prove my innocence?

“The answer, of course,” Gravus said after a minute, “is that you can't. There is no way I can believe any of you. I have no doubt you scraps would lie to my face.”

The knot in my stomach cinched itself down even tighter. I did not like the way this was going. I was growing terrified of where it was going, in fact. I didn't see a good outcome for any of us. And the cruel little smile on his face told me that I was right to be scared.

“So, let me tell you what is going to happen,” Gravus intoned. “Under the authority granted to me by the Unduthian government, I am charging all eight of you with treason and sedition. Those are offenses that carry a death sentence – a sentence I will be carrying out immediately.”

A stream of angry voices came from behind us – the men in our factory. The men from our village. Our family. Our friends. Gravus nodded to the man on his left who stepped behind us and raised his weapon. I couldn't bear to watch, but I heard him fire his weapon several times – which was quickly followed by an eerie silence that descended over the crowd behind us.

“Let that be a warning to you,” Gravus said. “Disrupt or interfere again and you too will be charged with treason and sedition and will be executed on the spot.”

I snuck a look over my shoulder and at the men of our village. Their heads were lowered, their eyes downcast. Everyone looked defeated – which snuffed out any small shred of hope left in my heart.

I was going to die.

And I knelt there, in the dirt of the factory yard, unable to move. Barely able to breathe. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Couldn't understand how I'd gotten caught up in this mess. I wasn't part of any insurgency. I wasn't responsible in any way, shape, or form for bombings inside Kinray. I'd never even been into the city before.

I needed to stand up. I needed to say something. I needed to declare my innocence. I hadn't done anything, I didn't deserve to die. I tried to move but found that I couldn't. I couldn't speak. All I could do was look up at the man who was ordering my death and blink stupidly.

“Now, if nobody else has any objections – or an expressed desire to join the condemned – I will discharge my duty. By the authority of the Unduthian government, you are all sentenced to death for treason and sedition.”

Time seemed to move in slow motion. Gravus nodded to the armored and armed men behind us. I heard them all take a step forward, listened to the sound of their weapons charging. It would be a matter of moments before my life was snuffed out. What was going to happen to my mother? To Gynta? To Hopa? How would they survive without me there to care for them?

The air around us was charged and tense. I was in the final moments of my life and I knew it. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, unable to muster up the strength to fight my fate. It seemed that all I was capable of doing was to simply accept it.

“Take aim,” Gravus commanded.

I gritted my teeth and ducked my head – as if that was going to make any difference. The sound of shouting, scared voices filled the air around me. A moment later, I was blown forward, landing on my face. The smell of smoke and something I couldn't identify filled the air around me. The world was suddenly filled with shouting, screaming, and gunfire.

I was lightheaded and my forehead pained me. Putting my hand to my head, I came away with something warm and sticky on it. Looking at my hand, I saw the dark blue of blood – my blood. What was happening?

I struggled to get to my knees and looked around. The world looked like it was on fire. Smoke billowed from a crater behind the line of Gravus' men – most of whom were lying motionless on the ground, their armor torn to shreds. Dead. They were all dead.

I looked around, dizzy, my vision blurry and a high-pitched ringing in my head. All around me, men from the factory were running, terror stamped upon their faces. I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me. Looking up, I found myself staring into Tryn's face, not knowing what was happening.

“Byr,” he called, his voice sounding as if it were miles away. “We have to go. Now. Get up. We have to go.”

My head was fuzzy and I didn't know what was happening. There was part of my brain that told me I needed to get up. I needed to run. But another part was telling me I just needed to lie down and sleep for a while. That everything would be okay.

Tryn hauled me to my feet and helped me out of the factory yard. He led me through the village and to the forest beyond it. Not knowing what else to do, I let him take me there. We walked for what felt like hours, but in my state, it may have been mere minutes, who was to say? Eventually, he sat me down beside a small brook and then dropped onto the grass next to me. He lay back, his breathing ragged and labored.

“Take some water,” he said.

I nodded absently and leaned over the bank, scooping the cold water into my mouth, letting it soothe my parched throat. I used both of my hands to splash water on my face and rub it on the back of my neck. Slowly, that ringing in my ears stopped and the dizziness I'd been experiencing began to abate. I sat back on the grass and let my head continue to clear up.

“You okay?” Tryn asked me.

I nodded my head. “I think so,” I replied. “Thanks for pulling me out of there.”

“You would have done the same for me.”

I ran my hand over my face, wincing at the pain from the cut on my forehead. “What happened?”

Tryn rolled over and scooped some of the water from the brook into his mouth. He drank for a little while, looking as if he hadn't had liquid in quite some time. Finally, he splashed some water on his face and sat up on the grass beside me.

“Right before those soldiers executed us, a bomb went off,” Tryn explained.

“A bomb? Where did a bomb come from?”

He shook his head. “I don't know. I didn't even see it, but somebody threw a bag that landed just behind those soldiers,” he said. “When it exploded, they took the brunt of it. Not sure any of them survived. A couple of the guys they had on the ground with us didn't.”

I rubbed the sides of my head, feeling a terrible ache coming on. I was still trying to piece everything together in my own mind. If somebody had thrown a bomb, that meant that some of the men in the factory – the men in our village – did belong to this insurgency Gravus spoke of.

“Did that General Gravus survive the blast?” I asked.

“I think so,” Tryn replied. “But I don't know for sure.”

Thoughts were beginning to take shape in my mind now that I was able to think a little more clearly. If Gravus was alive – and believed that the insurgency was within our village, that meant –

“Tryn, we have to get home,” my heart thundered and panic colored my voice.

He looked at me, confused. “What's the matter?”

“They already know who we are,” I said. “If he thinks we're part of this insurgency and he's alive, who do you think he's going to target next?”

He looked at me, his expression blank, as if he wasn't understanding what I was worried about. Perhaps he still wasn't thinking clearly after the bomb blast.

“Our families, Tryn,” I said. “If they can't get us directly, they'll take or kill our families.”

His eyes widened in surprise and I watched as the color in his face blanched, while his eye markings glowed bright with his anxiety.

We jumped to our feet and hurried back toward the village. I was still a little bit woozy, but was running as fast as I could. Hoping against all hope that I was wrong and that Gravus wouldn't turn his attention to our families.

Chapter Eight

Gravus

I touched my cheek and looked down at my fingers. The dark blue of my blood stained the tips of my gloves. I felt my anger simmering, threatening to explode into a full-blown rage. When the bomb went off, I'd taken a piece of shrapnel across the cheek and it had sliced me open.

I'd been lucky. It could have been worse. Much worse.

Tok tended to my wound, using a sonic suture to close the wound. He applied a little salve to it when he was finished.

“You shouldn't even have a scar once it finishes healing, General.”

“Thank you, Tok,” I replied. “Were you wounded?”

He shook his head. “No, I was fortunate to avoid the shrapnel.”

I nodded. “That's good,” I replied. “I'm glad you were unhurt.”

“Thank you, General.”

The transport glided along at a quick pace. After the bombing, all of the factory workers had scattered. And because so many of my men had been killed in the blast, there wasn't much I could do to stop them. I'd called for reinforcements and now it was time to take the gloves off.

I'd underestimated the scraps. I thought they had neither the spine nor the fortitude to actually be part of this burgeoning insurgency. I'd clearly been wrong about that. I would have to send a team to investigate the bombing at the factory later, but I had a feeling that the explosives used to kill my men would prove to be the same that were used in the Kinray bombings.

I didn't like being wrong about something like that. I didn't like that at all. But there was nothing I could do about that now. All that was left to do was take the fight to those who'd killed my men.

“We're at the village proper,” Tok reported.

“Very well,” I replied. “Make sure the troops receive their instructions as well as the list of targets. Let's move out.”

“Yes, sir.”

I turned to the ramp as it descended while Tok relayed all of the information to the visors in the helmets of the men. I wanted this operation to be swift and smooth. And any resistance was going to be met with brutal force.

I was done playing around.

By the time I'd made my way down the ramp, my men were already fanned out and were kicking in doors. If I couldn't get the insurgents themselves, I was going to take their families. Perhaps then, they'd see the gravity of the situation and turn themselves in – unless they wanted to see their loved ones hang.

“You can't do this,” an older man screamed as he was being hauled toward me. “You can't do this. I have rights. You can't do this.”

The two guards dropped him to his knees in front of me. He looked at me with wide eyes, his eye markings glowing bright with his anxiety.

“Please, I have rights,” he said. “You can't do this to me. You can't do this to any of us.”

I gave him a dry, rueful laugh. “You and those here in your village are scraps,” I said. “You have no rights. I can do anything I wish to any of you. And there is nobody that is going to speak up for you.”

The sound of women crying and children shouting filled the air. It was a cacophony that was making my head ache and I wanted to be out of there was quickly as I could. I hated being among such squalor. It just somehow made me feel unclean myself. I was looking forward to being done there so I could return home and take a scalding hot shower to get the stink of these scraps off of me.

The man looked at me and I could see the hatred burning in his eyes.

“Your son is named Tryn, is it not?” I asked.

His eyes grew wide. “What do you want with my boy? He's done nothing.”

“That's actually not true, I'm afraid,” I said. “Your son was involved in a bombing at the factory not half an hour ago. A bombing that killed many of my men.”

He shook his head. “Impossible. My boy wouldn't be involved with anything like –”

“Furthermore,” I interrupted the older man, “your son is involved with an insurgency responsible for a series of bombings in Kinray.”

“No, not poss –”

“Where is your son?” I demanded.

“He's not here.”

I leaned down, closer to the man's face. “Where is he?”

He shook his head. “I don't know. Please. I don't know.”

I stood up again and sighed. I watched as my men loaded the targeted family members into transports and slammed the doors shut, awaiting my word.

I looked back at the man on the ground. “One more time,” I said. “Where is your son?”

He looked back at me and I could see the fear mixed with the hatred in his eyes. “I do not know where he is.”

I sighed. “And if you did know,” I asked. “Would you tell me?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation.

“I thought not.”

I pulled the gun from the holster on my belt, put the barrel against his forehead, and pulled the trigger. The laser burned straight through the man's head in the blink of an eye, leaving a smoking hole in the front, and a blast of blue blood and dark matter behind him. The man's lifeless body slumped backward, his eyes wide open and fixed on the sky above.

“Load up the rest of the scraps,” I said. “And get them out of here.”

“Right away.”

When the scraps had all been loaded, I climbed back into my own transport and ordered the driver to head back for Kinray. The insurgents would come for their families. And when they did, we would be ready. I would not underestimate them again.