As the ship’s siren erupted again, the message screen flickered to life. For a moment, I jolted, thinking it was Queen Gianne, but as the image focused, I realized I was mistaken. This woman had long, curling hair, a paler shade of copper than her sister’s—more strawberry blond than vivid bronze. Her eyes were of the same intense, silver shade, but they didn’t hold the same manic expression that Queen Gianne’s did.

No, this was definitely Queen Brisha.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” she said, her voice clipped and charming. “Navan Idrax, in the flesh.”

Navan frowned in bemusement. Evidently, he hadn’t expected the queen to be so cordial, or half as welcoming as she seemed. “Queen Brisha,” he said formally. “I wish to request an audience with you.”

“Such fortuitous timing, Navan,” she replied with a smile. “You’ve been on my mind an awful lot lately. Indeed, there are several important matters I wish to speak with you about. How excellent that instead of having to track you down myself, you have come to me with open arms!”

There was something eerie about the delight in her tone, and the joy that sparkled in her peculiar eyes. I felt a twist of concern in the pit of my stomach, wondering if I’d have to beat away a queen’s flirtatious advances toward my boyfriend, after everything I had already gone through with his parents and the betrothal.

“So, we may have an audience with you, Your Highness?” Navan asked, uncertainly.

“We?” Queen Brisha replied.

Navan nodded. “I have a… friend with me. I would prefer not to leave her in the ship while we discuss matters.”

She laughed, the sound genuine and oddly sweet. “Of course, the more the merrier! I shall be expecting you in my palace shortly. Follow the coordinates I am sending you, and my guards will escort you to me. I look forward to our meeting,” she said softly. With that, the screen disappeared, Queen Brisha with it.

“So I’m going to be your friend here instead of your slave?” I asked, frowning.

Navan nodded. “I’m tired of putting on that show—I’m hoping we can get away with more on this side of the border.”

I fell quiet, turning my thoughts to the queen’s words, and finding them strange. From what I’d gathered, “the more the merrier” wasn’t exactly Queen Brisha’s motto, and I couldn’t shake the fear I felt at the notion of her and Navan discussing “important matters.” What were these important matters? How could she be so familiar with him?

Following a flashing beacon on the screen, I lowered the ship to the given destination, obeying Navan’s instructions for landing the vessel. With only a minor bump, we reached the ground and parked in a deserted expanse of frosted grass. Around us stretched an endless mountain range, the tips white with snow, along with shimmering, frozen lakes nestled in harsh valleys.

Ahead of us, several armed guards dressed in silver and green emerged from a darkened tunnel in the rockface of a large mountain—along with a tall coldblood woman in a black dress. They all smiled as they approached, and Navan and I moved forward to meet them.

“Welcome to Queen Brisha’s queendom. I am Pandora—I will be your guide throughout your stay here. Anything you need, let me know,” the woman said warmly, her eyes only slightly curious as they glanced over me. “Our queen is most anxious to meet you.”

“Thank you,” Navan replied, still clutching his arm, his hands covered in blood.

She raised her eyebrow. “We should get your injury seen to, though I don’t wish to keep the queen waiting. I’ll send a medic along as soon as I have delivered you to her,” she promised.

She was a striking woman, with broad shoulders and an elegant neck. Her purple-tinted hair was tied up in a ponytail, with golden ornaments woven through her locks. I wondered what they signified, seeing that the majority of the guards wore similar accessories in their hair too. Her sea-green eyes were kind but stern, and I could tell she was the kind of woman nobody would want to mess with.

Navan grimaced. “That would be good,” he said, his palm not quite stemming the flow of blood.

Turning, we followed Pandora into the tunnel, where darkness enveloped us. Flashlights lit up the shadows, casting terrifying figures on the walls as we walked. I shuddered, feeling the cold of the atmosphere clinging to my bones. In our panic to leave, I’d forgotten to pick up my fur coat, and now I was facing the full effects of the Vysanthean weather.

As if reading my mind, Pandora came toward me, brandishing a coat one of the guards had been carrying. It was made of a leathery material, the inside lined with thick, dense fur.

“You’ll need this,” she said, draping it around my shoulders.

“Thank you,” I replied gratefully, wrapping it around myself to keep out the bitter chill.

Five minutes later, the tunnel gave way to a stone walkway that looked out on a glistening city. I gasped in awe at the array of exquisite sandstone buildings that shone with golden tiles. Crystal-encrusted towers glittered in the sunshine, and coldbloods were smiling out in the open piazzas.

The most striking building of all, however, was Queen Brisha’s palace—not quite as striking as Queen Gianne’s fairytale-like home, I had to admit, but still stunning. It rose up like a trident, three minarets forming the prongs. Each one was dusted in crystals and rubies, and the whole structure sparkled like a Christmas ornament. Statues of sculpted coldblood males and females adorned the fortifications, their bodies twisted like dancers, wielding shining weapons and holding various objects in their hands. One held a scale. Another, a book. A third, a flaming torch, the flames real.

Descending a flight of steps, we were led through a series of gardens, with trees and bushes bearing more fruit and flowers than Queen Gianne’s. Here, there were water fountains and ponds with meandering fish, though the fountains had frozen mid-pour, the effect stunning.

After leading us through a grand entrance around the back of the palace, Pandora and her guards walked us the length of an exquisite hallway, the tapestries showing images of Queen Brisha’s people, in various scenes. Some were picking fruit, while others were dancing in one of those beautiful piazzas. Nowhere was Queen Brisha present in the pictures—a stark contrast to the hallways of Queen Gianne’s palace, where her face was everywhere.

Here, I felt like a guest instead of a prisoner, which was a welcome change. Even so, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Even if Queen Brisha seemed amiable enough, she was still a ruling coldblood—not a woman to be trifled with—and I didn't trust her motives for treating us like this. Something was definitely amiss, reminding me of one of Roger’s favorite phrases: “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” I felt sad, thinking about my adopted dad, but I pushed it away—now wasn’t the time for such worries.

I dared a glance at Navan to try to gauge how he was feeling, but the look on his face only escalated my fears. There was worry and regret in his expression, too. I desperately wanted to speak with him, to find out what was on his mind, but with the guards around, I didn’t have a chance. Maybe we would have been better off getting shot down by Queen Gianne after all, instead of entering this strange, unknown territory. A place that was not only new to me, but to Navan too. Even before the planet had been divvied up between the sisters, I got the feeling he hadn’t spent much time in the north.

We paused beside a tall set of golden doors, but were ushered quickly inside. My heart was racing, my nerves on edge—we were about to meet Queen Brisha.

For a moment, however, I forgot my fears, as we found ourselves entering a giant library. It was not what I had expected, having become accustomed to being shoved into throne rooms and dank cells. A soft gasp escaped my throat as I took in the endless stacks of leather-bound books, standing row upon row. In the center of the room was a roaring firepit, with high-backed chairs arranged all around it. There, Queen Brisha was sitting, her nose buried in one of her tomes.

She got up as we neared. Even in this small movement, I was taken aback. Where Queen Gianne wore opulent dresses with expensive adornments, Queen Brisha’s tastes were far less lavish. She wore elegantly tailored black pants, with a silver stripe running down the leg, and a loose-flowing blouse of the same silver shade. A choker adorned her neck, a small cluster of opaleine in the center, but that was the extent of her finery. Even her feet were bare as she walked over the carpet toward us.

“Welcome, honored guests,” she said, holding out her arms. “Pandora, please fetch a medic to see to Navan,” she added, though Pandora was already on her way out the door to do just that.

“Absolutely, Your Highness,” she replied, before disappearing from sight.

“Now, make yourselves comfortable. We have much to discuss,” Queen Brisha said, gesturing to a trio of high-backed chairs by the open firepit. “I thought your friend could use somewhere warm for our meeting. This Vysanthean climate doesn’t agree with her.”

Navan frowned. “No, indeed, Your Highness… though your guard was kind enough to give her a coat to wear,” he said, his tone tense. I figured he shared my sudden fear—does she know what I am?

“Even so, a coat is no match for a good fire—come, warm yourself. Get the Vysanthean chill out of your bones. If you don’t, it’ll stay there for good,” she joked, sitting down in one of the chairs, a look of expectation on her face.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I replied, taking a seat. She was right: the roaring flames’ warmth was a welcome feeling after the bitter cold of the outside world.

“Such a pretty voice!” Queen Brisha remarked. “What are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Riley is an unknown species—we’re still figuring out what she is,” Navan cut in, before I could say a word.

The queen smiled. “You might not know, but she surely does?”

I had to think fast. “Kryptonian,” I said, picking the first planet that came to mind. Thankfully, Earth franchises didn’t reach these parts of the universe.

“Not familiar with it myself. Whereabouts is it?”

“At the far edge of the Drax Sector, Your Highness,” Navan answered, a tiny flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Again, the queen smiled. “Does he always answer for you?” she teased.

“I didn’t know there was a world beyond mine, Your Highness,” I replied anxiously. “So it means very little to me—Navan is better equipped to tell you where I’m from. We are not as advanced as you are. Indeed, it has not been long since we first discovered how to forge metal,” I lied, trying to come up with something convincing.

“Well, this place must be quite the culture shock!” she said.

I nodded. “It does take some getting used to.”

“And how are things run where you hail from? Are there kingdoms, queendoms—who controls things around your neck of the woods?” she asked, her tone genuinely intrigued. I could see a light in her eyes, too, gleaming with curiosity.

I shrugged. “We don’t really have kingdoms anymore, where I come from. Dictatorships aren’t exactly in style,” I said, smiling slightly. Something about this woman lured me into a sense of security, though whether it was a false one or not, only time would tell.

Queen Brisha chuckled with amusement. “How fascinating! What a history you must have.”

Despite myself, I found the woman intriguing. She was almost soft-spoken, with no tinge of paranoia in her voice to sully her words. Everything about her suggested a sharp intelligence… The stacks and stacks of books were a giveaway to the intellect that lay beneath her striking surface.

My mind trailed toward thoughts of Jethro, and what he’d said about wanting to be on Queen Brisha’s side when a civil war inevitably erupted on Vysanthe. Now I understood why she was the obvious choice—she didn’t seem volatile or impulsive like Queen Gianne. She was more cerebral. It explained why she took time to decide whom she allowed into her queendom, carefully considering each case to determine what was best for her people. I was sure there was a hint of paranoia, with her believing outsiders could be spies, but unlike Gianne, this queen didn’t radiate a sense of chaos.

I also realized that, in her eyes, we were defectors. We had come across the border, and, in doing so, sought out her refuge. I remembered Navan telling me that, in order to gain Brisha’s favor, defectors had to offer something exceptionally valuable to her to prove themselves trustworthy beyond all doubt. Would she expect that from us? If so, I had no idea what we could trade. I was sure Navan wasn’t about to try the whole “rebel” charade again with this queen, after it had backfired so badly with Gianne.

“And you, Navan, how does it feel to be back on home soil?” Queen Brisha asked warmly, as if they were old friends who had just met up after a long absence. “I hope you haven’t suddenly gone against the idea of dictatorships?” she teased.

Navan shook his head. “Not yet, Your Highness,” he said, teetering on the edge of sarcasm. “It’s always nice to be on my home planet.”

“And how is your father doing with the search for blood? I would certainly enjoy a taste of that elixir, once it’s complete.” She grinned, catching Navan off guard. I could see the concern on his face.

“How do you—” he began, but she cut him off.

“I have eyes everywhere, Navan. I like to keep ahead of the curve,” she explained kindly, no hint of threat in her voice.

He shrugged. “My father rarely shares his work with me, and I have yet to find a suitable blood for his requirements.”

A glimmer of intrigue crossed Queen Brisha’s face. “Is that so? Very well. At least that gives me a chance to find it first.” She chuckled. “Now, you must be wondering why I’ve asked you here, instead of blowing you out of the sky?”

Navan and I nodded in unison.

“I’m not an unreasonable woman. I like to give chances, where I see potential,” she explained. “And so, I wanted to bring you here, to give you the opportunity to win me over. First, you can begin by telling me what has brought you here to my side of Vysanthe. Second, I’d be very interested to know how my sister is doing, and what she is up to. I trust you won’t mind telling me a few things in return for shelter and safety?”

I glanced at Navan, who looked back at me. It appeared we were standing at a crossroads, with fairly few options ahead of us. We couldn’t leave for Earth without the Asterope—or Queen Gianne’s fleet following us—and we couldn’t remain here without telling Queen Brisha something. The only problem was—did we tell the truth, and risk everything? Or lie, and hope we could get away with it?