Chapter Fifteen

 

Two days later, Alice walked through the palace. She’d decided to do some exploring, although she wasn’t really paying attention to her surroundings.

Right now, Dex was in another meeting with Prince Ramar, trying to negotiate a deal for the Drazum stones. She bit her lip, worried by the fact that this was taking so long. She hoped it wasn’t because of the way she’d reacted the other night in the ballroom. She sighed. Zoey and Annabel would be back from the market by now, perhaps she should—

“Oof.” Alice flew backward, landing on her butt. There was a loud screech then something clanged onto the floor. “Ouch.” She rubbed her bottom as she glanced over at what she’d bumped into, to find herself staring into the irate face of a Vexeran. She stared at the floor where a pile of food and a now-empty tray lay on the floor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Here, let me help you,” she offered in Vexeran. Shoot, why hadn’t she been watching where she was going?

“I will get another.” He glared at her before walking down the passage and through a door that she guessed led into the kitchen. Alice gathered up the mess of food as best she could and placed it on the tray. Picking the tray up, she moved to the doors. They opened automatically, and she stepped into a large, busy kitchen. Orders were barked back and forth as at least ten Vexerans chopped, diced, and cooked.

“Um, I’ll just put this here,” Alice said to no one in particular. She moved over to the counter that ran along the length of the room and placed the tray down. Glancing down at her dirty hands, she grimaced and looked around for somewhere to wash them. Strangely enough, she couldn’t see a sink in sight. But there was another door, maybe it led to the washing area. She moved through the door, surprised that no one paid her much attention.

The other room appeared to be some sort of pantry. But no sink. Oh, well, she’d just go back to her room and clean up.

“You have to make sure this goes in the right glass.”

Alice frowned. She knew that voice. The person spoke Vexeran, but with an accent. It reminded her of...

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Do not mess this up.”

Maisy. It sounded like Maisy. But she’d disappeared off the Mariana with the crew, what she was doing here?

Alice turned as she heard footsteps. She gasped as her friend came into view. “Maisy, oh God. You’re all right.” Alice stepped forward and hugged her friend tight. “I was so worried about you. No one could find you. I was scared something might have happened to you.”

Maisy gave her a strange look then glanced over at the Vexeran standing next to her, holding a small vial.

“Alice.”

Alice frowned, wondering why her friend wasn’t happy to see her. Hadn’t she been worried about her? Didn’t she want to know what Alice was doing here? How she was?

But then, what was Maisy doing here?

“What are you doing here?” Maisy asked harshly.

“I was looking for a place to wash my hands. What happened? Did the crew force you to leave the Mariana? Why are you here?”

The more questions Alice asked, the bigger the knot in her stomach grew.

“Shit. You’re not supposed to be here. You could ruin everything, you stupid bitch.”

“Maisy? What are you talking about? What happened to you?”

“Happened to me? Nothing has happened to me, you idiot. God, it was so easy to befriend you, Alice. Shy, awkward Alice. So unsuspecting. The crew didn’t force me to leave, I was working with them. I’m part of Humans for Humans. One of the founders,” she stated proudly.

“Who?” Alice asked, filled with shock. Had she ever truly known Maisy?

“Humans for Humans. Soon everyone will know our name. We bombed the original transporter and inserted ourselves on board. We arranged for you idiots to be taken by the Coizils. They were supposed to kill you all.”

“But why?”

“Because the Earth Council shouldn’t be whoring our women out for trade deals. Our race needs to remain pure. The Zerconians dilute our bloodlines. They are abominations.”

Jesus. She was crazy. She’d hidden it well, but wow, she definitely had a screw or two loose.

“So your solution was to kill a bunch of innocent women?”

Maisy shrugged. “A small loss for a greater gain. Destroying the original ship did little except delay things and allow some of our people to slip on board as crew. We knew it would take something big, like a transporter full of women being kidnapped and murdered, to make other women reconsider traveling to Zerconia. But the Zerconians managed to rescue all of you.”

“So I take it that it’s not a coincidence you’re here now?”

“Of course not. We planted a spy on Zerconia. They’ve been feeding us lots of interesting information.”

A spy? On Zerconia? She felt ill at the thought. Who? Was it someone she knew?

“So what’s your plan now? What’s in there?” Alice nodded over at the vial of green liquid the Vexeran held. It couldn’t be anything good, that was for sure. How had she misjudged Maisy so badly? She’d actually thought the other woman was her friend.

Some judge of character she was.

“That is plan b. It’s a good day to die, isn’t it?” Maisy grinned at her. “Few drops of this stuff and bye-bye world. By the end of the day, the Zerconians’ world is going to be rocked. Go, I’ll take care of her,” she said to the Vexeran who nodded and left.

“You won’t get away with this,” Alice warned, glancing down at her communicator. She didn’t even see Maisy grab the heavy pan. She screamed with pain as the other woman slammed it down on her wrist.

Maisy swung the pan again, this time at her head. But the pan was heavy, and this time, Alice was ready for her. She ducked and drew her uninjured arm back, slamming her fist into Maisy’s face.

Ouch! Wow, that hurt.

Maisy stumbled back with a cry, blood gushing from her nose. Alice kicked out, catching the other woman in her stomach, following up with another punch. Maisy dropped to the ground, with a cry of pain. Alice stared down at the other woman. Sugar! What should she do? If she left, Maisy might get away. But if she didn’t stop that Vexeran… Alice looked down at her communicator, groaning as she realized Maisy had smashed it. She really needed to start carrying a back-up.

There was no choice. She had to stop that Vexeran before he hurt someone. She could sense Jaxan’s worry through their bond as she turned and raced off, cradling her injured arm. Funny she could barely even feel it. There was no one in the kitchens as she ran through them.

Who did Maisy plan to kill? One of the Zerconians? Dex? That would definitely rock the Zerconians. She needed to get to Dex.  

***

Jaxan raced through the palace. He could feel his mate’s distress. Knew she was in trouble. He’d tried her communicator but hadn’t been able to reach her.

As soon as he’d felt his mate’s distress, Jaxan had drawn Macon aside and said he needed a few minutes. Once outside the meeting room, he’d sent Toriq in with a quick explanation then he’d taken off, tracking his mate through their bond.

Where was she?

***

Come on, Alice. Think. Which direction was the meeting room? She’d walked past it earlier so why couldn’t she find her way back? She’d stopped to ask a Vexeran, but he’d just given her a disapproving glare and walked on. Rude. Very rude.

“Alice, think.”

Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her, she spotted a familiar person in front of a doorway ahead of her. Boris, Zoey’s bodyguard. She raced forward, another thought suddenly occurring to her. Maybe Dex wasn’t the target. Maybe it was Zoey. Boris stared at her as she rushed through the door just as a Vexeran was handing Zoey a glass of liquid.

“No!” She screamed and threw herself at the Vexeran.

The glass of liquid went flying through the air as she landed heavily on top of the Vexeran. Her breath flew from her lungs. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to take a breath as Zoey and Annabel stared down at her, shocked.

Their mouths moved, but she couldn’t hear a thing. Panic unfurled inside her as she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. The Vexeran moved beneath her, but she couldn’t move.

Then Jaxan appeared above her, his face filled with fury and worry. Relief filled her.

“…breathe, Alice. Breathe.” He reached for her, his hands gentle as he picked her up.

Breath filled her lungs with a rush, and she gasped. “Poison. In drink. Trying to kill Zoey. Dex.”

“What?” Jaxan’s already furious face grew thunderous, his eyes glowing red. But Alice wasn’t worried. Everything would be fine now he was here. He’d fix everything.

***

“I can’t believe you tackled that Vexeran to save me. That was awesome!” Zoey told her later. “It was totally badass.”

“No, it really wasn’t,” Alice said, embarrassed. Hours had passed since she’d encountered Maisy in the kitchen area of the palace. Now, Annabel, Alice, and Zoey were sitting in a different room, waiting for their mates. Boris stood outside the room, keeping watch.

She looked down at her wrist. Maisy had broken it. Ramar had offered her the use of his personal regen chamber to fix her wrist, and she’d taken him up on that. After the adrenaline had worn off, her wrist had screamed with pain.

As soon as Jaxan realized what was going on, he’d had Boris secure the Vexeran while he contacted Macon. A few minutes later, Dex, Macon, Toriq, and Prince Ramar had rushed into the room. At first Prince Ramar had taken great offense that Alice was accusing one of his people of trying to murder the Empress of Zerconia. But after they had tested the remaining liquid in the glass and confirmed there were traces of poison in it, he had grown furious.

Alice had had to explain everything again. Prince Ramar and Koran had gone to speak to the kitchen staff. It was odd that no one had thought to question Maisy’s presence and that they’d all disappeared so suddenly.

Unfortunately, Maisy was already gone by the time they reached the kitchens.

“You saved Zoey’s life, Alice,” Annabel told her.

“By accident. I was trying to find Dex. I thought they were after him. I got lost.”

Zoey moved over and sat next to her, giving her a hug. “And if you hadn’t, I’d be dead. Thank you.”

“Zoey is right. We owe you a great debt.”

Alice turned with a cry, her hand over her heart as Dex walked into the room, followed by Koran, Jaxan, and Macon.

“I apologize. I did not mean to frighten you,” Dex told her as Jaxan sat next to her, drawing her against him.

“It’s okay. You guys move so quietly.”

“I wanted Dex to wear a necklace with a bell on it,” Zoey told her. “He wouldn’t.”

Annabel’s lips twitched. “You wanted him to wear a cow bell?”

“It wasn’t a cow bell,” Zoey protested. “It was a very small bell. It would make my life a lot easier if he couldn’t sneak up on me.”

“But then I would not be able to keep up with all your antics, my own,” Dex told her, sitting next to her and drawing her against his chest. “I cannot believe I nearly lost you.”

Zoey shuddered. “I know. Did you find her?”

 “Yes,” Dex replied. “The male that Alice tackled finally talked before Ramar killed him. He gave us the name of the other servants who Maisy bribed. One of them knew where she was staying.”

“And?” Annabel asked. “Where is she? Did she tell you who the spy is?”

“She is not saying anything,” Macon told her.

Annabel scowled. “Give me a few minutes with her. She’ll talk.”

“She cannot talk, mate because she is dead.”

“What?” Alice asked, her stomach tightening. Dead?

“As soon as she saw us, she pulled her blaster and shot herself in the head,” Jaxan told her grimly. “It is no less than she deserves, but I wish we had been able to question her first.”

“I will inform the Earth Council of what has occurred once we arrive back on Zerconia,” Dex said. “We shall have to suspend all transport between Earth and Zerconia in the meantime. We cannot risk this group targeting another transporter.”

“Maisy wasn’t acting alone,” Alice said. “She said they planted a spy.”

“I will find them,” Koran vowed.

“Do you think it’s one of the women from the transporter?” Annabel asked.

“It’s possible,” Koran said grimly.

Alice glanced at their faces, knowing this meant that many Zerconians would not meet their mates before the mating fever took them.

“What about if the Zerconians travel to Earth,” she suggested. “They won’t expect that. It could still be risky, but…”

“Our ships are much more advanced.” Dex narrowed his gaze thoughtfully. “And we would be on guard for any attacks. It may well be worth the risk.”

“Most of our unmated warriors would see the risk as minimal in comparison to the reward of finding their mate,” Koran agreed. “But will the Earth Council agree?”

“They’ll have to.” Zoey had a determined look on her face.

“Thank you, Alice.” Dex gave her a grave nod. “Anything you desire or need you only have to ask. Zoey is everything to me, without her I cannot exist. I am in your debt.”

Alice snorted. “Ah, no, you’re not.”

Dex raised his eyebrows. “You saved my mate. You jumped on her attacker.”

“I wouldn’t say attacker, and I didn’t even realize they were aiming to kill Zoey. I was trying to find you, and I got lost. Then when I saw him handing the glass to Zoey, I realized it could be aimed at her, and I just reacted.”

“However it happened, it does not matter. You saved my mate.”

“And you guys saved me. You gave me a place to live, friends, a sense of belonging. A mate who loves me.” She rested her head against Jaxan’s chest. “I can never repay you.”

“It seems this argument goes in circles,” Koran stated.

“Actually, there is one thing I want,” Alice said, sitting up tiredly. This had been a long, trying day, filled with far too much excitement for her, and her body ached from her run-in with Maisy.

“What is it?” Dex asked.

“You guys need to think about creating some jobs for women. What if some of the women coming here want to stay even if they aren’t mates? Can women like Saffron and Sophie, who came to Zerconia to escape their old lives but aren’t mates or aren’t yet prepared to be mates, stay? How do they support themselves if you guys don’t let them work?”

Everyone just stared at her. Good one, Alice. Now they all think you’re crazy.

“You know, it’s just something to think about it,” she muttered.

Zoey clapped. “You are so right, Alice.”

She was? Yeah, she was. She sat up straighter.

“Of course females like Sophie and Saffron can stay if they have no wish to return to Earth,” Dex told her. The other warriors nodded.

“But how will they earn a living?” she asked.

“We will happily give them everything they need,” he told her.

“That’s not what they want. They want to be able to support themselves,” she told him. “It’s a form of security to them. If you give them everything, then it’s like you have a hold over them. I know you don’t see it that way or won’t use it to your advantage, but it will feel like a shackle to them.”

Dex was silent for a long moment then he nodded. “I will think about this.”

Jaxan squeezed her and Zoey winked. She relaxed, relieved that had gone so well.

“I want to go home. Can we?” she asked.

“Yes,” Dex said. “I believe that is what we all want. The ship should be ready to go.”

“What about the deal?” Zoey asked as they all stood slowly. Seemed she wasn’t the only one who was exhausted.

“Prince Ramar has agreed to all our terms,” Dex told her. “He had little choice; we are guests in his palace, by his own rules he was charged with our safety. If anything had happened to us by his people, it would bring great shame to his family.”

“So you don’t think he had any knowledge of this?” Alice asked.

Dex turned to look at her thoughtfully. “No. Oh, I believe he is capable of such subterfuge. But he seemed genuinely outraged. And he had nothing to gain. I do think he needs to take charge of his people.”

Alice grabbed Jaxan’s hand and squeezed it as they followed the others out of the room. “And to think I used to wish for some excitement. Guess you have to be careful what you wish for, huh?”

“I spent many years wishing for a mate. I am very grateful I got what I wished for.”

Alice smiled up at him. “Yeah, me too. Me too.”