Chapter Twenty
Queen Sa’Mya Lacolil-Epps toured the new palace learning center with Jor’Dan, the head of her guard, and Allehtra, her personal assistant. Allehtra was explaining excitedly that the finishing touches were almost in place and the grand opening was on schedule.
From the corner of her eye she spotted Nolar, a palace staff member, rushing to her. “Your Highness,” he said as he reached her. “Mistress Jess is requesting permission to land.”
Sa’Mya stiffened. Just the thought of Jess made her close her eyes and pinch the skin between her brows.
What has Jess gotten into now?
“What have I done to deserve this?” she asked Allehtra, who stood comfortably at her side. His mass of golden curls was just as unruly as ever. Although he was small in size, his aura and pride made others see him as much taller than he actually was. He beamed in response.
“She’s back so soon?” Jor’Dan asked, raising a questioning brow. Jor’Dan stood three heads taller than her. His black shoulder-length hair fell loose around his face, partially obstructing his Sonis tribal tattoo of a zenoit snake that made its way up his neck and face from under his shirt.
“Maybe she missed us?” Allehtra asked hopefully.
Allehtra was the only one who’d been sad to see Jess leave. He’d still hoped she would return for visits even after Jess yelled, “Bye, bitches!” as she walked the palace halls for the last time.
“I doubt it,” Sa’Mya mumbled. She turned to Nolar and said words she hoped she wouldn’t regret. “Yes, of course.” As Nolar began to leave she called after him, “Is there anyone else with her?”
“No, Your Highness. She is alone.”
Hm, no JB, no Rasha. “Thank you, Nolar. Please make sure her personal quarters are available. I’m sure she will want a place to be alone.”
After a brief nod, Nolar left. Sa’Mya exhaled. Jess.
She wondered if Eva knew Jess was on Laconia.
“We’ll finish the tour later. Something tells me I should assess her mood. It will help me better plan the evening meal. Fish or poison?” Sa’Mya said.
Allehtra clasped his hands together. “Can I come too? I want to welcome her back. I missed her terribly.”
“You’re the only one,” Sa’Mya replied. “But come on, I’m sure I’ll need a buffer.”
It didn’t take long to find Jess. She was en route to her room, engrossed in thought.
“Bitch,” Jess muttered.
“Who’s a bitch?” Allehtra asked as they approached her from behind.
Jess jumped. “Holy hell!” She stared down at Allehtra. “Why the hell are you two sneaking up on me?”
Allehtra looked from side to side then behind his back. “Who? Us?”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Allehtra, you’re a stray pet I can’t seem to get rid of, no matter how hard I try.”
“That’s the same way I feel about you,” Sa’Mya added.
Jess used her hand to shoo Allehtra away. “Psst, go away. You attract flies,” she said, looking at Sa’Mya.
Allehtra tilted his large head. “Flies?”
“I would love to have one decent conversation before I die.” Jess steepled her hands in front of her. “God, if you’re out there, can you please bless these aliens with mastery of the English language? I get so tired of explaining myself. If you love me you’ll do this for me. I’ve lived through some troubling times. I think I deserve this one thing. Otherwise I feel I might snap and kill someone. Amen.”
“Well, Jess, if your attitude is telling, I can expect this visit to be filled with hate? Mockery? Disdain?”
Jess pulled her face into a hard frown. “I’m not in the mood, Sa’Mya. I don’t have time for this.”
“That’s what’s so lovely about being the queen. Everyone here has time for me.” She batted her eyelashes at Jess. “And since you are in my home, it includes you too.”
Jess clunked through the hallway. “I just needed to get away for a little while. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“Not at all.” She met Jess’ fast pace. “I take it you’re running away.”
Jess snorted. “What makes you assume that?”
“It seems to be an odd human trait. Instead of facing your fears, you humans run.”
Jess bristled beside her. “I’m not running away. Fuck, I just didn’t want to stay on Sonis anymore. I thought I would be able to fit in but it didn’t work out.”
“Odd. Eva told me something different.”
Jess balled her fists at her sides. “Eva doesn’t know everything. If she did…” Jess snapped her mouth shut. Her lips formed in a tight line.
“If she did, what?” Sa’Mya prodded.
“Nothing.”
“I’m trying to help you, Jess. But you’re making it very hard.”
“Good Lord, I didn’t ask for your help. Plus don’t you have something else to do besides follow me? Where’s Kane? Shouldn’t you be off trying to make babies or something?”
Allehtra clapped. “One day there will be plenty of royal children.”
Sa’Mya didn’t let the dig bother her. She and Kane had been trying to have a baby since their reunion. The healers had assured them nothing was wrong and it would happen when the time was right.
“He’s on Volrais getting sworn in as the newest Galactic Council member,” Sa’Mya said, beaming with pride. First he was a slave, then a feared space pirate and now her man was a Galactic Council member.
“Oh, I forgot.” Jess looked at her. “I’m happy for him.”
“I know you are,” Sa’Mya said.
Allehtra beamed again. “We all are.”
Despite how Jess felt about her, Sa’Mya knew Jess felt indebted to Kane for not sending her back to the brothel.
Jess stopped and hesitated in front of the door to her old private quarters. “I forgot to ask if my room is still available.”
“Of course.”
Jess’ face softened slightly. “Thank you.”
Sa’Mya dipped her head as a sign of respect. “Thank Allehtra. He had high hopes you would be back.”
Jess let her gaze linger on Allehtra. Jess pretended to dislike him but Sa’Mya knew differently. “Thanks, Allehtra.”
“I kept everything just as you left it,” he said.
Jess wiped at her eyes. She sniffled and cleared her throat. “Now, if you want to stalk outside my door, fine, but I’m not letting you in. I’m tired.” She entered the security code for her door.
“You are such a bitch,” Sa’Mya said as the door swished open.
Jess stepped over the threshold. “At least I’m consistent with it.”
“Whatever, let me know if you need to talk.”
As the door was about to close, Jess stopped it on its track. “For the record, you didn’t kick my ass so stop telling everyone that you did.”
Sa’Mya tilted her head. “That’s not what Eli said. His actual words were, ‘You did a number on Jess’. I had to ask JB what he meant and JB said I beat the shit out of you and I should tell everyone who asked.” Did anyone ask? Sa’Mya thought. Not remembering if they had or not, she shrugged. “Well, I’m not sure if anyone technically asked. I just felt the need to tell everyone who would listen.”
“I want a rematch.”
A slow smile graced Sa’Mya’s lips. “Anytime.” She’d been training with Jor’Dan. Maybe she wouldn’t tell that to Jess until after she beat her butt again.
Jess snorted as she released the door, letting it close.
Jess was Kane’s and JB’s problem and since neither was available, she could at least say she had tried. Albeit not too hard. But at least the effort had been there.
* * * * *
Rasha was relieved when Taio returned. If anyone knew what to do about Jess it was him. Rasha didn’t waste any time in hunting him down in his personal quarters.
“She’s gone.”
Taio had Josanis dangling on his knee and didn’t give Rasha as much as a glance. The child laughed and giggled as Taio bounced him around. “Since I haven’t been blessed with the ability to read minds, I’m going to ask you to elaborate.”
Rasha cradled his aching head. “Jess, she left…went back to Laconia.”
“Yes, Eva told me the story. She left because she thought Marcie was pregnant with your child.”
Rasha frowned, remembering the conversation he’d had with Marcie. He had never thought to hear the words “I’m pregnant” in his lifetime. As she talked about the life they would build together, his heart had sunk deeper and deeper into his chest. Until the realization of losing Jess made it plunge to his stomach.
When Marcie gleefully explained how she had told Jess the news, it had taken all Rasha’s strength not to walk away from Marcie just as Jess had walked away from him.
But he couldn’t. She carried his child.
He would still have been caught up in her lie if it wasn’t for Eva and Ship. They had been the ones who convinced him to make Marcie visit the infirmary.
It was there where he found out Marcie’s deception.
Marcie was not pregnant and had never been.
She’d lied. He had lost Jess over a lie.
“Eva said you were going to talk to Jess. Ask her to come back.”
“I tried but she won’t speak with me. All my transmissions to Laconia have gone unanswered. I’ve even asked Sa’Mya to request that Jess contact me.” Rasha banged his fist on the wall, causing some of the pictures hanging there to fall off. Josanis startled and pulled closer to his father. “I will not beg for any female!”
“Warriors do not beg,” Taio agreed. “You could always demand that she come back.”
I could, couldn’t I? Then he imagined what Jess’ response would be and groaned. “I can’t demand Jess to do anything. She’ll laugh in my face.” Or fire her blaster at him.
Taio sat back. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about human females it is they are strong-willed.”
“She wanted to leave. I couldn’t stop her and I can’t make her return any more than you could have made Eva come back against her will.”
Taio had once tried to make Eva stay on Sonis by telling her she was his slave. The moment he informed her she was free to go, she had done just that. It had taken Taio six lunar rotations to find her and when he did, she had refused to live on Sonis unless her demands were met.
“I could have made Eva stay if I wished for her to,” Taio mumbled.
Rasha shook his head. “I can’t believe I let her walk out of my life without a fight. I need to go after her.”
“And you are sure she wants you to pursue her?”
Rasha ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know but I need to at least try.”
Taio pulled a toy from Josanis’ slobbery mouth. “Maybe you should wait. Give her some time to think things through.”
Rasha stood. “I’m not going to wait any longer to claim my mate.”
“So you are going to beg her?”
“No, I’m going to persuade her.”
“Of course, that sounds so much better.”