“Stop, Freya, I don’t need you to fix my clothes.”
She smiled when their voices drifted into her room and left to watch Freya and Dionys arguing in their sitting room that the family had chosen as a gathering point prior to the ceremony.
They came to greet her immediately, Freya giving her a warm glance. “My offer still stands,” she whispered and gave Amber a wink after openly admiring her dress.
“Thank you, Freya.” She grinned, getting used to the flirting, but then Freya’s attention was back on Dionys as she straightened his jacket and he swatted her hands.
Inndra joined in with words of wisdom for the future that had Dionys rolling his eyes.
Whyle was at the drink cabinet, arguing with Leyahanna. He held Banjo in his arms and was patting him quite forcefully on the head, unused to pets.
Banjo lost patience and nipped him. Whyle held him up to ask him why in a strange cooing voice that had Amber giggling.
Shihlo entered and Banjo scrambled for his second favorite person but was scooped up by Staede before he made it. Staede tucked the dog under his arm as he poured himself a drink. She noticed that he used Wrexel’s crystal glass to give Banjo a drink of water and her heart swelled as she laughed aloud.
It felt normal.
Like they were a family.
What she had with Travis and James had never come close.
She stood smiling at them, her heart full and then sensed that she was being watched and turned around. Wrexel stood at the bedroom door, his gaze locked on her.
He looked at her often when they were out at functions. It was mostly with frowning and anxiety. Fear for her safety, keeping her from Staede, or anger because they had argued prior to leaving, but that night he looked at her in a way that made her breathless.
A mixture of hunger and awe that was doing something lethal with her insides.
For a while, his gaze held her captive, and she gravitated toward him but then Rix entered the room and Amber noticed she lingered at the side, always unsure of her role with Wrexel and Shihlo.
Amber went to her immediately. “You look amazing, Rix. Come and have a drink with me; I am so glad that my sister-in-law is with us tonight.”
Whyle witnessed her actions and got to her before Wrexel did. He took Amber into his arms and held her for a time that made Staede bristle and Wrexel frown as he whispered his thanks into her ear.
“To the transporter.” Shihlo extracted her from Whyle and offered Amber his arm before anybody else could.
The ceremony would be celebrated indoors at a nearby arena. Winter had set in and as they floated to the enclosed stadium where the main event would take place, Amber gazed at the falling snowflakes on the transporter window. She sighed when Wrexel’s handsome reflection appeared behind her.
He slowly turned her around, lowered his head, and kissed her, not caring who observed them.
“You’re exquisite,” he told her. “I have half a mind to abandon the ceremony and take you home.” Her response was lost in another kiss, this one even more heated.
He finally and reluctantly let her go but not before she rested a fevered cheek against his chest for a few moments, her eyes falling onto Staede in the far corner.
She jerked against Wrexel when her gaze connected with Staede’s, hating the hurt she saw reflected in her brother-in-law’s eyes. She wanted to go to him, comfort him but realized that she would never be a comfort to him at all. He lifted a drink to his lips and averted his eyes as she slipped out of Wrexel’s arms.
Wrexel composed himself and returned to speaking to his family until their transporter docked. Amber walked out onto a large and wide private balcony with only trusted members of their houses in attendance.
* * *
The balcony appeared to be open, without glass obscuring their view, but as they neared, Amber felt the buzz of a force shield and knew that they were taking no chances at being fired upon from a distance. It saddened her that the threat was mostly because of her until she saw Inndra staring at the shield and remembered he was a target, too. They moved close to the edge to look over the field and the entertainment below, the laughter and cheering as the events and announcements took place. Amber’s heart filled with so much joy, it scared her. She had never been more cherished.
As they surveyed the parades and the displays below, Whyle stood on her left and Wrexel on her right. There was no need for either to act. If Wrexel wasn’t kissing her and holding her close, Whyle had his arm about her, lifting her hand to his lips or whispering into her ear. More than once, replays showed on large screens, inviting the crowd to share in the reactions that were taking place on the royal balcony. Amber realized that she looked as if she were in love with both her husbands and that they doted on her. Overall, it was turning out to be one of the best evenings she had on Throm. But Inndra’s sad face tugged at her heart.
* * *
She slipped away from the brothers and went to him as he stood staring at the crowd below, his face twisted in misery.
“Are you okay, Inndra?”
Inndra turned and gave her a woeful smile. “I’m sorry, Amber, I’m not doing a good job of hiding my frustrations tonight, am I? I need to remember tonight is about Dionys and his pledge.”
“I hope tonight has a good vote, Inndra, I pray for peace on Throm.”
He nodded. “I am hopeful and it will certainly improve my mood. It has not been easy having control of communications in Throm. The Monarch relentlessly tries to get to me, and I cannot live in the freedom to which I am accustomed. I once cherished my privacy, but now it seems that is all I have, and it’s lonely.”
She looked down with him as he pointed out Dionys taking his pledge to the House of White. Amber cheered with Inndra and hugged him, congratulating him on his brother’s advances in science. “He is such an honorable young man, and so loyal. You should be proud, Inndra.” She knew that Inndra’s parents had died, and that Inndra was more like Dionys and Freya’s father than a brother.
“I am proud,” he said but a frown still marred his face. “Amber…”
“Yes, Inndra.”
“Something else bothers me.”
“Tell me.” She wanted to help him, for he had always been there for her as a friend and protector.
“It’s about Dionys. He has fallen for a human,” he confessed with anguish.
“Oh… you do not want him to be with my kind.” Her face fell.
“It’s not that, Amber. I have been a vocal supporter of the Thromians who wish to take partners of other races. I petition Shihlo consistently to consider relaxing Thromian laws to allow them to cohabitate. Right now, they cannot even obtain a right to an abode on Throm, so Thromian-human couples are setting up homes on Hynafol and Rheese. Although that may not last, as Travis recently severed Throm’s agreement for protection. He’s turning to the soon-to-be-free Raks instead.”
“He did that?” It felt strange to talk of Travis in a way unrelated to her own feelings.
“A stupid move, to be honest. The Raks are not trustworthy. But Travis hates Throm… for obvious reasons.”
Amber understood Travis’s reasoning, but didn’t want to discuss him. “Are many human-Thromian partnerships being formed?”
“Statistically, no. I have forty requests for extended visitation rights, some of which are from Thromians who are still in relationships with Earth females after the takeover.”
“I had no idea, Inndra. Do you want me to discuss this with Shihlo?”
“God, no.” Inndra shook his head. “He is vehemently opposed. Don’t get me wrong, he adores you, Amber, but he would never tolerate a repeat of Wrexel’s choice. He remains a staunch purist.”
“I don’t think Wrexel would care.” She hoped Inndra wouldn’t ask her to talk to Wrexel about right of abode for humans. His acceptance of her race ended with her.
“No, Amber, it’s not that. Dionys is courting trouble because the female he covets is strictly off limits. She is
Shihlo’s ward.”
“I’m sorry?” Amber had no idea Shihlo had a ward, let alone a human one.
“Sam Anders. You know her.”
Amber went rigid. “Sam is a child.”
“She will be twenty soon. She is the one for whom Dionys is waiting. He wants her to be his first.”
“Oh my.” Where had the time gone? Sam was no longer a child. Amber made a mental note to watch more of the Diogel tabloids; Sam being made Shihlo’s ward must have been big news.
“You think Shihlo will have issues with this?” She knew Dionys, and she knew Sam. She adored them both and the idea of them in love was sweet.
“Yes! He has declared all Thromians off limits for Sam. He will not entertain any attention from them. He is justified because he says he does not wish her to become a Thromian conquest, for she could never be a mate of consequence. However, I believe Dionys’s affection for her is real.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Amber frowned. “When Sam is twenty, it’s her choice.”
“Amber, I realize your perception of Shihlo is that he’s a balanced democrat, but ‘Shihlo the protective father figure’ may be worse than ‘Wrexel the obsessed husband.’ If Dionys disobeys Shihlo, the consequences will be dire, especially because Shihlo has declared Sam his official ward and under his protection. My God, she is wearing a royal pledge band.”
Amber balked. “She wears Shihlo's band?”
“Yes, she is his ward, his daughter. He would skin Dionys alive for even suggesting it and I’m not saying this in exaggeration. Shihlo will not tolerate it at all.”
“It seems there is so much about these brothers that I don’t know, so many things that they hide. Is Shihlo aware of Dionys’s feelings for Sam?”
Inndra sighed. “No. They’re being discreet, but if he ever catches him… I can’t imagine what the outcome will be.”
“How can I help?”
“Dionys respects you… no, I believe he adores you. Talk to him; tell him to forget what he plans with Samantha. It’s not worth Shihlo’s wrath.”
“I will, Inndra. I will do what I can. I can’t believe Sam wears Shihlo’s pledge band and is his ward.”
“He had to do it, Amber; he’s protecting her. It has become common knowledge that she’s important to him and Shihlo has enemies, especially now with the Raks soon to be free.”
Amber nodded, wondering what the future would hold when they were released from their embargo. She had no chance to talk to Inndra anymore, for Rix joined them. “Amber, do you want to take a bathroom break? The men want me to be with you.”
* * *
Amber excused herself from Inndra’s side.
The Thromian females were not unfriendly. Most nodded at her cordially and then ignored her while she waited for Rix to finish fixing her hair in the ladies’ room.
Amber watched in fascination as the line of girls helped each other arrange braids and clip up curls. The females were bred for war like their male counterparts but when they dressed up, they went all out. Thromian woman regarded their hair as their most beautiful attribute. It grew until they matured, then never grew in length again. Leyahanna told her they used their hair as a sexual toy, moving it over their lovers’ bodies, inciting them to desire as they bathed in their glowing, waist-length locks. In battles, Thromian females tied their hair into tight knots, weaving it into helmets to ensure they did not lose a tendril.
Rix lapsed into a conversation with a female close to her and Amber waited patiently, running a finger over her own lipstick, which Wrexel had removed a number of times that evening. A small smile lingered on her mouth until a woman came to stand a little too close for comfort.
She turned and recognized the one who had demanded an introduction at the last event. The one Wrexel had dismissed.
She looked Amber up and down. “I don’t blame you for coming into the bathroom during this part of the celebration,” she said with a fake smile.
“I’m sorry?”
“It must be hard watching the celebration of the Torlutacht, the men and women celebrating the decision to have children together.”
“Why would it be hard?” Amber had no idea that it was taking place at that moment.
“It’s your pitiful future. One day you will observe Wrexel remove his for some worthy Thromian female to bear his future heirs. It will never be you. You will never be a permanent mate no matter how much he desires you now.” She smiled nastily and left Amber’s side.
Rix came over, seeing Amber pale slightly.
“Amber, whatever she said, ignore it. She was Wrexel’s lover a long time ago.”
“I know.” Amber fixed her dress and returned to stand beside Whyle and Wrexel, but her heart was heavy. Baerra didn’t need to remind her of the limited longevity of her role with Wrexel. She was all too aware of it but had chosen to savor each moment, storing up memories for the day it ended.
There was always hope, albeit small, that the bewitching wasn’t real and that Wrexel had real feelings for her. She clung to this.
House of Green 20, House of White 14, House of Blue 19, House of Red 47.
Shihlo took a deep breath and hugged her. “No war,” he said with a shudder.
Wrexel, Whyle, and Staede were not as pleased, desiring swift and final retribution. They lapsed into a side conversation, leaving Amber to stare at the happy couples standing below, holding up their Thromian neck bands for photographs, showing the glinting gold Torlus that foretold of the children they would bear.
Children she would never have with Wrexel.
39
Betrayal
The following day, stories of the Monarch’s violent and angry response quickly sobered up the brothers after the victory.
Explosions in various parts of the planet had injured and killed many. The king’s face broadcast everywhere, dripping evil rhetoric. “Throm shall remain untainted. Please do not take your frustration out on your own kind. Believe in your Monarch, who will fight relentlessly to uphold our traditions. Align with the Red and keep Throm pure.”
Shihlo was angry, but not enough to concede to the brothers’ demands. They had an agreement, and he still believed democracy would come soon.
They stormed out of the meeting, leaving an ashen Inndra loitering behind.
“I must agree with Shihlo,” he said when Amber slipped into the empty conference room to comfort him. “I cannot block the Monarch’s Comms and allow for a civil war until all the brothers back it. I don’t even know how,” he confessed to Amber, and she moved to hug him, hating to see his anguish.
“I need air.” He got up and left. She wished she could help her friend.
She returned to the sitting room and tried to slink unnoticed past the snarling brothers but Whyle caught her wrist. “Get your bags; you need to be seen with me at my post-graduation party and you will be spending the night.”
“No.” Wrexel took her hand from Whyle. “I want her with me.”
“Too bad; I need a break from growling testosterone and would appreciate an evening with my wife.”
“She’s not…” Wrexel bristled with frustration when Whyle raised a cocky brow.
“She doesn’t need to overnight,” he snarled instead.
“We will be late and I am hosting post-drinks for my best men; I need her with me.”
He propelled Amber toward her bedroom and fixed himself a drink.
Wrexel exchanged a harassed glance with Staede, who snorted in disdain. “Don’t look to me for sympathy. It’s one fucking night.”
He stalked off.
“It’s really overkill.” He began to engage Shihlo but he glared at him. “We need to keep up appearances. Get a grip; she’s not in love with Whyle. Where the hell is Inndra? He’s not answering his calls and his Guards called to say he eluded them and went for a walk alone.”
“Give him five minutes, Shihlo.”
Shihlo scowled and stalked off too, leaving Wrexel to watch Amber leave with Whyle. S
he gave him a wan smile as she left but when the elevator closed, he heard her tinkling laugh at one of Whyle’s jokes and rage thundered through him. He didn’t want her to find anybody but him delightful company.
* * *
Wrexel felt restless without her.
Alone in his bed, he wished she would return soon. He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in her pillow. He loved her scent; her soaps and lotions from Earth, duplicated on Throm for her pleasure. She called it vanilla. He called it heaven. He cursed Whyle, angry that he had to share his time with her. Wrexel wanted her beside him. He loved the way she was pliant in her sleep. He loved the way she touched him, especially now that she was no longer holding back. Dear God, she knew things about his body that he had never guessed. His days and nights were consumed with her. He wanted to be with her all the time. He loved the way she laughed, the way she teased. He loved the way she fought for the things she wanted, her full mouth twisting with a stubborn lilt when she did not get her way.
He loved… her.
Was this it? He closed his eyes and steeled himself against the desire to succumb to her love. He could not afford to give her any more control over him.
It would fade.
The craving had to diminish. But if it did, he would still want the rest of her.
He wanted Amber. Laughing, challenging, beautiful, and sweet Amber.
More than her body, he wanted her to laugh and smile the way she did with Staede. She shared stories and feelings with his brother that she did not share with him. He told himself that it didn’t matter. When she was done laughing and smiling, it was he who ended the evening deeply sheathed inside her warm body. But he realized that it did.
He didn’t want her to share that kind of closeness with anybody but him. He wanted all of her. He wanted every smile to be because of him, every secret she discovered to be theirs alone. Staede was at the award dinner with Whyle that night. Were they sitting together? Was she enjoying her time with him? Wrexel’s knuckles whitened on the pillow that he clutched and he groaned, remembering how she jerked and pulled away from their kiss on the transporter so that she didn’t hurt his sibling. How deep did her feelings run for the brother who was clearly in love with her?
AMNESIA Page 51