My heart pounding, I tried to walk steadily as the guards escorted me up to the flier. It wasn't easy to hide my fear, but I did my best. I didn't want Corvax to know how afraid I was, this was bad enough for him already.

Head high, I shrugged off my captors' hands and pulled myself aboard their vehicle. Unlike the small one I'd piloted into the storm, this was big enough for several passengers to ride in comfort, and the fact that it belonged to a noble showed. Soft, rich leather seats waited for me, and every surface seemed to be gold, carved with intricate designs. The effect was overwhelming and not entirely pleasant.

Ashir followed, sliding into a seat opposite me and smiling. His dress sense matched the flier — ornate and overdone, his black uniform was covered in gold and silver. Strapped to his waist was a sword, and for a moment I considered lunging for it.

Don't be stupid, Gemma. This isn't an action movie and you're not a badass, I told myself firmly, sitting down. We might be alone in here, but that didn't mean Ashir was helpless. He was as muscular as Corvax, and the cold glint in his eyes told me that he was alert for an attack. If I tried something he'd kill me without a second thought.

"Welcome to Clan Perhar, human," he said, speaking slowly and clearly to make sure I understood. That could have been a considerate gesture, but from him it just sounded insulting, as though he thought I was an idiot. I glared at him.

"Don't pretend I'm a guest," I told him, searching carefully for the right words. My vocabulary was much better now, and I wasn't about to let him think of me as some savage. "I'm your prisoner, and no polite lies will make that better."

He laughed, a cold and hollow sound that held no humor at all. "Please don't be foolish, human. You can be my guest and be well treated, until Protector Corvax does as he is told. Or if you insist you can be my prisoner, but the dungeon is a lot less comfortable than the guest room."

I shivered. The word for 'dungeon' wasn't in my vocabulary, but the context made it clear what he meant. Okay, maybe letting him pretend I'm a guest is a better idea than being a prisoner. It's only for a little while, until a ship headed for Earth docks.

Then ship me back to Earth. The thought was crushing — for me, 'home' was where Corvax was not the planet on which I'd been born.

The flier lifted off, accompanied by its escort, and turned north. Leaving behind the Rohar island and everyone I knew on this planet.

"Wine?" my captor offered, seeming unconcerned with my distress. Perhaps he didn't even notice it, but I thought that was unlikely. My fingers gripped the armrests of my seat so tight my knuckles whitened, and I felt myself tremble.

If he didn't see that, it was because he didn't care.

I shook my head at his offer and he shrugged, as though to say 'suit yourself.' Opening a hatch in the floor of the cabin he pulled out a bottle and a glass, each as gaudy and ornate as the flier itself. I found myself hating every gold-plated inch of the Perhar vessel.

The Rohar were rich, too, but their wealth was going into useful things. Corvax's castle was a necessary fortification, as this attack made clear. He used his wealth and power to improve the lives of the people who depended on him. The Perhar clan, on the other hand, seemed to have invested it all in fancy gear for their leaders.

I crossed my arms and stared out to sea, ignoring the offered glass. Part of me hoped for another storm to sweep us away, to dash us on some island somewhere. Not that I wanted to spend time shipwrecked with the Perhar Protector, but it would be darkly amusing to see him try to survive. Somehow I couldn't see this man, with his love of finery, doing nearly as well as Corvax had.

But the weather was calm and clear, and we rode the skies in silence. The oppressive feel of the cabin wore on my nerves, though it didn't seem to trouble Lord Ashir at all. He sipped his wine with a smirk on his face, enjoying his victory.

"What do you think this is going to achieve?" I asked eventually, when the silence became too much to bear. He blinked, seeming almost surprised that I'd spoken.

"My dear lady," Ashir said, waving his glass grandly. "It will win me everything. Once Corvax has married my sister, our clans are linked. Together we'll become the strongest clan on the planet, and soon the rest will have to bow to us. Your Corvax may lack the confidence to use the power control over the skystalk gives him, but I will not be so weak."

I looked at him, appalled. "You don't think the rest of the planet will resist you?"

"How can they? My clan produces most of the food on Crosos already. Given control of the only spaceport, there's no way for the rest to fight the inevitable." Ashir took a deep drink from his glass. "Everyone has to eat, after all."

That's mad, I thought, though I didn't quite dare say as much. Who knew how he'd react? Of course people will resist. He can't be stupid enough to think that they'll just fall in line.

One look at Lord Ashir's smirking face told me that I was overestimating him, though. He was a cunning man, yes, but also someone who'd been raised with the certain knowledge that he was destined to rule. The idea that others might not accept him as their lord seemed to be something he'd never troubled himself with.

The rest of the flight passed in silence, and I stared out of the window rather than look at my captor. Finally, our destination came into view, a far larger island than Rohar. Almost every inch of it was given over to farmland, dotted with small, miserable-looking villages.

Of course we weren't going to land in one of them. On the shore, braced on a great rock, rested the Perhar fortress-palace, and it was spectacular. The walls were engraved with an image of a great battle, the towers were tipped with gold that gleamed in the sunlight, the central keep was clad in white stone and almost blinded me as we descended to it.

The peasants of Perhar might live in poverty, but it wasn't because the lord of the island lacked wealth to display.

Servants ran over, unrolling a red carpet to the door of the flier and opening it. Unlike the friendly servants of Rohar, these were cold-faced men and women who showed no more expression than a robot might. And Lord Ashir didn't even acknowledge them as he stepped out onto the carpet. Nor did he say a word to me. He just assumed I was going to follow, and I didn't have much choice but to comply. Fuming, I pulled myself out of my seat and hopped down after him.

Guards fell in on either side of me as I followed my captor into his castle. While they didn't touch me, there was no escaping the fact that I was a prisoner here. As long as I behaved they might leave me some freedom, but if I stepped out of line those guards looked positively gleeful about the chance to hurt someone.

No wonder Corvax didn't want an alliance with these thugs, I thought as I followed Ashir. He strode through his home, paying no attention to the servants who bowed low as he passed them, leading me to a room filled with fine furniture. Through the window I saw a long drop to the sea below.

"These rooms will be yours while you stay here," Ashir said, gesturing grandly. "I'm sure they'll be comfortable enough, and you'll be well treated. If you have any needs they will be met, if they are reasonable. Just ring for a servant and let them know what you require."

I sat down and instantly regretted it. The chair I'd chosen was a work of art, carved intricately and decorated with gold. Perhaps it would suit a museum, but as something to sit on it was incredibly uncomfortable.

If Ashir noticed my discomfort he didn't think it was worth responding to, and I expected that was going to be the way with everything in this ornate prison. Comfort wasn't the point, showing off my captor's wealth and power was.

"My own rooms are on the far side of that door," he continued when I didn't say anything. "We shall get to know each other rather well, I think."

"I'm not going to be here long enough for that," I said, looking at the door with distaste. I couldn't help noticing that there was no lock on my side of the door. Of course not, that might inconvenience him.

"Come now," he said, a small smug smile on his craggy face. "You aren't stupid, Gemma. Do you really think that I'm going to give up my leverage on Lord Corvax? You'll be my guest for a good long while, and there's no reason we can't be... friendly."

I swallowed nervously, my gaze snapping back to him in shock. He was right, it should have been obvious that he wouldn't keep his word. Not while threatening me gave him a hold on Corvax. Looking around the room again, seeing the walls crowded with art that didn't match, I knew that this man would never give up anything he thought he could make useful.

And I was useful to him.

Crap.

Worse than that, he wanted to be friendly. It wasn't hard to guess what he meant, not when he'd put me into a room adjoining his own. This deal was getting worse and worse, and I wished that I could have told Corvax not to take it. Okay, that would have gotten me killed, but that was still starting to sound better than this.

"You can't seriously think that I'll be interested in you, can you?" I blurted out. It wasn't a smart thing to say, but I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself.

Ashir's face darkened and his eyes narrowed. This was not a man used to being refused. Shrinking back in the uncomfortable chair, I wondered if I'd pushed him too far. But then he smiled unconvincingly and stepped back.

"You are, of course, tired and emotional," he said. "You'll become more reasonable in time, I'm sure. Meanwhile, I have matters to attend to here. Get some rest — the servants will fetch you in time for dinner."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and swept out of the room, leaving me alone with my fears.