Nassir felt so ill it was all she could do not to vomit. Lack of food and sleep, combined with an adrenaline drop had her feeling light-headed and nauseous. She opened her eyes and looked over at where Zoey leaned against the side of the shuttle, her forehead puckered into a frown. Her furry companion lay next to her, a guard on each side. Nassir was on her own across the shuttle.

It made her feel unwanted. Alone.

She nearly laughed. Wasn’t that exactly what she was?

Yes. But for some reason, this was the most alone she’d felt since her parents died.

Zoey sighed. “I’m in such trouble.”

“Yes, you are,” the blond guard said to her, his irritation clear. “Why must you involve yourself in things that are none of your business? Now we have all been arrested. Who knows how long it will be until someone finds out where we are. Do you know what could happen to us in that time? We will be separated from you, we will not be able to guard you which is our primary objective. How do you think the Emperor will react? Our only job was to protect you and we have failed due to your inability to cease talking. Foolish female.”

While Nassir agreed that Zoey was reckless and that she shouldn’t have interfered, she didn’t like the way the other male spoke to her or how she shrunk in on herself. Suddenly, Boris leapt over Zoey, shoving the other male back. He growled at the other guard menacingly.

The other male held up his hands. “Now, Boris, I was not threatening her.”

“Boris, it’s okay.” Zoey reached up and grabbed hold of his arm. “He’s not saying anything that’s not true. I could have handled that so much better. Like an Empress. I should have channeled Liula. Now what would the old…” she looked hastily over at the blond warrior… “um, woman have done?”

The blond warrior scowled at Zoey and Boris growled again. Nassir shivered at the threatening sound. It was bad enough when she drew his cold glare, if he started making those sorts of noises at her then she was pretty certain she’d faint from fear. His purple gaze narrowed in anger. Thick muscle rippled under his dark skin. His long black hair was pulled back from his arresting face, falling down his back. Earlier, under the sunlight, she had caught hints of purple and blue in its black depths.

“Perhaps you should tell them you are the Empress of Zerconia when we reach the Royal Guardsmen headquarters,” Nassir suggested, trying to ignore the deep throbbing in her hand. All she wanted was some pain inhibitors, sleep, food, and a bath. Was it really so much to ask for?

The guardsmen hadn’t been gentle when they’d locked these cuffs around her, and she’d nearly fainted as red-hot agony had shot its way through her wrist. It had only just started to dull.

“They probably won’t believe me.”

Boris had pushed Zoey into a corner of the shuttle, far away from the blond warrior. Her pet was pressed up against her other side.

“Few would,” the blond one muttered.

He was really starting to annoy her.

Zoey gave her a smile, but Nassir could tell it was forced. And the dark one, Boris, she had to remember to call him Boris, was so tense he looked close to exploding. His stern gaze missed nothing as it roamed the shuttle

“You obviously don’t like me, Zillion. Why don’t you just tell me what it is about me that so offends you.”

“This is not about like or dislike, foolish human.”

Nassir’s eyes widened and she tensed. Either this male was challenged intellectually or he had no sense of self-preservation, but he would be best to stop insulting Zoey. While the dark one had not moved, it was more than obvious he was growing incensed. His gaze had not moved from the blond warrior.

“This is about who is fit to rule our planet and it is obvious you are not. You are impetuous, rash, lacking in grace, and worst of all, you are human. You are not fit to be our Empress.”

“Wow, Zillion, tell me how you really feel. Don’t hold back.”

Nassir did not believe he had held back. Or if he had, then she did not think they needed to hear the rest. But she didn’t look at Zillion or Zoey, no her gaze was set on the most dangerous creature in the room.

The dark one.

She could sense the menace rolling off him, and if Zillion couldn’t, then he was a bad choice of guard for Zoey as well as a horrid person.

“Don’t worry, Zillion, as soon as we’re out of this situation, I’ll be certain to make sure you’re never on my guard duty again.”

“Good. I have more important things to do than follow you around as you aimlessly shop. A proper Empress would be meeting with the King of Maalika and fulfilling her royal duties.”

Nassir moved her gaze to Zoey, feeling sorry for the other woman who looked pale and stressed.

“I apologize that you became mixed up in my mess, Empress,” she said quietly. “If I had just given that awful man my locket this could have been avoided.”

Zoey’s gaze softened. “Call me Zoey. He was a jerk. You weren’t giving him anything. Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted.”

“Will the Emperor not be angry?”

Zoey seemed the least likely empress Nassir had ever encountered and she had met a few. But then, Nassir wasn’t a typical princess, was she? Not many princesses were homeless, hungry. And now she had been arrested. Perhaps she could begin a new trend. Somehow, she did not believe it would take off.

“You should have just walked away,” Nassir said quietly.

Zoey gave a half-laugh. “Walk away? Me? Not in my vocab, babe.”

She didn’t know why Zoey was calling her a small child, but she did not question her. Right now, that was the least of her worries. What would happen once they got to the Royal Guardsman headquarters? How could she make certain that Zoey and her guards weren’t arrested?

“I didn’t seriously expect them to arrest us, though. Putting cuffs on Giz was kind of over-kill. What are these for? Children?” Zoey pointed to the small cuffs locked around her pet’s paws.

“I believe they had a problem with goblins at one time. They have small wrists,” Nassir explained.

“Goblins? Seriously?” Zoey looked startled then sighed. “Never learned about goblins during my Alien Studies classes.”

Zillion made a disparaging noise in his throat, and Boris narrowed his gaze. Nassir tensed, uncertain what she would do, if anything. The blond warrior didn’t even look at the dark one. Did he not sense the fury aimed his way?

Zoey reached up and grabbed Boris’s arm, her skin pale against his. “It’s not worth it. Not now,” she whispered.

Not now?

If Nassir was the blond warrior then she would be watching her back.

“I’m glad we found you again, Nassir,” Zoey told her. “I’ve been worried about you.”

She had? Nassir gave her a startled look. Even though Zoey had been kind to her, she hadn’t really expected the other female to give her much thought.

Zoey smiled. “I wish you hadn’t run off that night. It doesn’t look like you’ve been having an easy time of it. Have you been eating?”

Nassir felt herself blush with embarrassment, aware of how terrible she looked.

“From the smell of her, it appears she has forgotten to bathe,” Zillion stated, giving her a disgusted look. She shrank down before she realized that was exactly what he wanted. And while she was not a princess anymore, she once had been. She straightened her shoulders and gave him her best haughty look of disdain.

“At least I have not forgotten my manners.”

A stain of red filled the warrior’s cheeks and he glared at her angrily.

Probably not the best move, Nassir.

As the shuttle came to a jarring stop, Nassir bit back a cry of pain. She had her legs curled up to her chest, cradling her sore wrist between her stomach and her thighs, but she still couldn’t stop her wrist from jolting.

“Well. Seems like we’re here.” Zoey smiled. “Time to join the party, boys and girls.”

“Foolish human,” Zillion muttered.

Boris snarled.