I can't believe I'm doing this.

"Step onto this platform here, please," the Celestial Mates representative says, gesturing to a low, circular surface.

"Okay," I say, doing as she said.

I've second guessed myself a million times in the short time between agreeing to my match and stepping into this room.

But what are my other options?

I'm all for fighting for what I believe in, but my death will have no positive impact. They will make it look like an unfortunate accident or health issue and the powers that be will get their way as they always do. I’m angry and frustrated that this is what it has come to. That in the end, I lose even though I'm in the right.

But it isn't like I've ever had rose colored glasses on. When you're the daughter of a single mother, you learn real quick that the world isn't a nice place. And when she passed away much too young because of the pollutants that are killing the planet, cancer eating away her life...I never had the chance for even a pair of pink corrective lenses.

"This may feel strange for a moment," the representative warns. "You will be making two stops before you reach Alva. One in our ship orbiting Earth and one in our ship orbiting Alva. Also, I must warn you, I am told the teleportation does leave one somewhat disoriented. But we have only ever lost one person, so I assure you it is quite safe!"

Huh?

"Wait—what? You've lost-"

I blink and there’s an odd, pulling sensation in the pit of my stomach and then I'm definitely not on Earth anymore. Actually, Earth is in one of the windows ahead of me.

Wow.

I glance over there are ‘people’. Shaking my head, I wonder if this is what she meant by disorientation. But when I squint and focus they remain the same. My eyes really aren't deceiving me. They aren't human. One has four arms, another has scales, and one literally has eyes in the back of his—her?—head.

I'm only there for a split second. That odd, disorienting feeling flows through me again and everything goes dark for a moment before I'm on another platform.

On another ship.

With another set of non-humans.

Again, I don't have much time to orient myself before I'm on another platform. This time, I'm in another room similar to the one I started off in on Earth. I'm guessing it's another Celestial Mates office and I have no burning desire to repeat that trip.

When I glance over this time, there’s a tall man in a pastel green robe and long white hair. Well, I think it's a man anyway. His smooth, symmetrical face is pretty in an androgynous way, just as the woman's was. And the dress or robe doesn't really help differentiate any.

When he speaks, his voice might be a twinge deeper, though it is just as musical. Almost like wind chimes.

"Welcome," he says, helping me down from the platform.

He smiles, but it looks like it's a little strained, his eyes not quite meeting mine. Maybe the representative I met before wasn't representative of her whole race.

I mentally smack myself. If I'm starting to use puns, even just to myself, I must be out of it. The disorientation of traveling across space in molecule form might be getting to me.

As I step down, I realize there are two other men in the room. They have to be Alvan, seven feet tall with bluish skin and pointed ears.

One of them steps forward, smiling at me.

Fangs.

He has fangs.

That wasn't something I'd known. I mean, Naefaren wasn't smiling in his hologram. And I also know right away this definitely isn't Naefaren Viir. He has medium blue skin and light blue hair and his face is different. Thinner and a less handsome.

"Welcome, Ling," he says, bowing to me. "I am Prince Malathin Saren. Unfortunately, Naefaren Viir could not come to greet you himself, so he sent me in his stead to bring you back to House Viir."

The translation device in my ear keeps up with what he is saying quite well, finishing only a second or two after he stops speaking.

I'm not thrilled with what he's saying.

My answering smile falters.

Naefaren couldn't even be bothered to come meet me after I took the giant step to leave Earth and come to Alva for him?

I glance over at the representative questioningly.

He gives me what’s meant to be a reassuring smile, but he looks pinched. Maybe he hasn't had a lot of dealings with humans.

"It is usual for the match to come but Naefaren Viir is indeed a very busy person on Alva. I am certain Prince Malathin will escort you to him safely."

I don't like the vibe of this whole thing. It seems off and I've learned to trust my gut. I hesitate, but there’s nothing I can do but go with Malathin and hope for the best.

I'm on an alien planet. Where else am I going to go?

Wonderful.

Just what I wanted, putting my safety into a complete stranger's hands. Though I suppose I would be doing the same thing if Naefaren had shown up to take me home. With that reassuring thought, I follow Malathin out of the small office structure.

We come out into a large, dim cavern. I have to stop for a moment, just to take it all in. The walls and ceiling of the massive cave are covered in something fluorescent, a flat plant that covers almost every inch of space. Its soft, green glow provides much of the ambient light.

In the center of the cavern is some kind of walled off compound. The wall facing us is made of tan stone and there are large floodlights set in it, pointed in our direction. The light is very bright, forming a large semicircle of illumination around the compound.

"Ling? Come, we must be off."

I turn to look at Malathin. "What the hell?" I breathe.

The translation device spits some words out in my ear in the unusual sound and cadence of the Alvan language. Ignoring it, though I'm happy the device is working, I take a couple of steps back. There are two carriages waiting. I was warned that the Alva are not a technologically advanced society, so the carriages aren't that much of a shock.

But what they're attached to is.

Large beetle like creatures with dark carapaces and multiple spindly legs wait patiently, hitched to the carriages.

Malathin frowns and then follows my line of sight. His face clears, and he chuckles a little. "Ah, do not worry. The juntta will not harm you." He walks over to the creature and pats its back, the giant insect placidly waiting. He steps away just as one of the legs comes out to kick him, though the creature's demeanor remains outwardly calm. "See?"

I take a deep breath. I'm going to try real hard to get over my fear of bugs. And maybe stay away from the legs.

Keeping my eyes deliberately away from the thing, I focus on the carriage instead as I carry my bag over. I try to ignore the low clicking sound the juntta makes as I reach it.

"Let me help you."

Malathin takes my bag and sets it in the carriage before helping me up.

"Thank you," I offer, the words sounding strange in my mouth. I'm sure my accent and pronunciation are both wildly off.

"Of course," he says politely.

The light gleams off the back of the juntta as Malathin clicks and flicks the reins. It moves forward in a slightly jerking motion, but then the ride smooths out as its thin legs move quickly across the rock floor.

I suppress a shiver and look up, trying to avoid focusing on it.

There’s a tunnel ahead, emitting light the same intensity and color as the lights set in the wall behind us. It’s decorated in colorful mosaics, the circular lights set in the design strategically. It's really pretty.

It doesn't take long for us to reach the other end of the tunnel, coming out into a slightly larger one made of the same gray rock as the ground beneath us. I repeat what I want to say to myself a couple of times and listen to the translation before saying it out loud.

"How far are we going?" I ask, uneasy with the utter emptiness around and in front of us.

"Not far," Malathin offers obliquely.

Very reassuring.

The winding tunnel system we go through is quite dim, some of the offshoots narrower than others. This would be a terrible time to find out I'm claustrophobic. The terrain is also just more and more of the same.

Gray rock.

And more gray rock.

Malathin doesn't say anything else during the half hour or so our trip takes, his face set in stern forbidding lines, the smile gone. Maybe he's just not the chatty type. When another brightly lit tunnel in the distance comes into view, I’m relieved. Definite cold vibes are coming from Malathin now and I don't know why. I will be happy to exit his company.

We reach the tunnel and it’s also decorated. This time with painted, rounded designs in bright colors, the intricate work framing the oval shaped lights set into the stone. Then we're through the tunnel and out the other side onto a similar flat plain as before, another compound up ahead. Again, the wall looks to be made of some kind of tan stone, the lights embedded in it also oval like in the tunnel and shining just as brightly.

In the center of the wall are two open gates. There are men guarding them and more up on top of the wall. There must be a path up there. The wall itself is quite thick.

As we pass through, the guards bow.

"My Prince," one of them murmurs.

My Prince?

I frown, but wonder if perhaps I'm mistaken or the translation wasn't right. We move forward into a bustling marketplace, the stalls selling a variety of colorful wares. And the people are just as colorful. Literally.

Purples, blues, reds, yellows. Every color is represented in the lightweight dresses and robes the Alva wear. There are variations in the design, but gauzy fabrics are very popular with the women and longer robes with embroidery seem to be the norm for men.

The scent of food being sold at the stalls is unusual as well, like an exotic spice I've never encountered. Which I suppose is true.

I immediately want to touch the clothes in one stall, take a bite of the food at another, see if the tiny jeweled boxes I catch in a corner one have anything inside. But then the people start greeting us again.

Well, greeting Malathin.

I simply receive odd looks. I so don't fit in with everyone else here, and the slacks and blouse I'm wearing are the least of the reason why.

"My Prince."

"Prince Malathin."

"Welcome, my Prince."

The voices are warm, but somewhat guarded as well, but that doesn't matter. It's pretty clear now that we are in Malathin's domain, not Naefaren's.

"This isn't House Viir?" I ask calmly, not wanting to appear frightened though the surge of adrenaline is real.

Malathin glances over, his expression distant. Like he isn't even really registering me as a person.

This is not good.

"No. It is not. You are in House Saren."

I swallow as he drives the carriage through the winding streets, the architecture light and pretty around me, but I’m too worried to properly appreciate it.

We reach a courtyard in front of a building that looks more like a hotel than a house. It's huge, built of the same tan stone the wall was. Very fine, square latticework covers the windows and the towers are thin and delicate, coming to multiple points above the structure. The doors are made of some kind of heavy material and painted a bright orange with a yellow design. They don't shy away from color here, that's for sure.

Malathin and the other man that came with him both hop off the carriages. With no other choice presenting itself, I grab my bag and follow suit.

"Come," Malathin says, ordering rather than inviting.

I don't know what the difference in inflection is, but it's definitely there.

Silent, I follow him in through the heavy doors.

We come out into a living area, the delicate couches and chairs done in a bright yellow with lime green accents here and there. Even the wood of the tables and furniture is carved and painted. I wouldn't say it was ugly, but it's definitely very busy.

"This way," he says, walking down a hall.

I have the brief thought of not following, but when I look back, the other man is directly behind me. He probably wouldn't let me just walk away.

Shit.

I follow Malathin down the hall, coming up with and discarding options. I don't really have any right now.

We stop in front of a door and Malathin opens it, gesturing for me to go inside. I pause, glancing inside the open door. It's a bedroom. A nice one actually. The furniture has the same intricate carving as the furniture in the living area, but the theme here is variations of green. There's a bed, a sitting area, and a desk, with a plush looking carpet on the floor.

I look back at Malathin. "You had no intention of taking me to Naefaren or House Viir, did you?"

He simply stares.

"You aren’t going to let me go." This time I make it a statement.

He sneers and gestures for me to go into the room again. With no other choice, I step inside. The door immediately shuts and the lock snicks into place. Standing for a minute, I slowly walk over to the bed and sit down.

I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it isn't good. I can come up with an educated guess based on what I do know. I wasn't hurt or killed. My accommodations are far from terrible. Prince Naefaren is most likely an important person, assuming the title isn't just for show.

So, assuming Naefaren actually exists, I've been kidnapped because Malathin wants something from my intended match and I'm the unlucky bargaining chip.

But Naefaren doesn't even know me. And if he shows that he doesn't care what happens to me, I lose all usefulness to Malathin.

I lay down on the bed, my mind running away with possibilities.

After a few minutes of indulging in fear, I push it aside.

No matter what the motive, my goal now is to break out. Who knows when Malathin will decide to get rid of me in a more permanent way or do something else that will make me wish he'd kill me?

I need to be prepared to take any opportunity that presents itself.

I close my eyes as I shake my head.

Just my luck to walk into another dangerous political mess.

If Naefaren is out there, he better get his ass in gear and come get me.