“Think,” she said, trying to calm her mind. This was not the first time she had faced the creatures. Although she stood still, she felt the bite of the force field again. It was shrinking, herding her and the other prisoners to where the Migrels thrived. There was no way to avoid the confrontation but there had to be a way to survive this encounter. She had to survive, not only for herself, but for Delvin as well.
She knew Mirsux would not save her this time. He had condemned her to this death, although, he had promised her imprisonment only. Why then was she here? That question was fleeting. She was here for her transgressions. It was nothing she had done against the people or laws of Nabalar. It was what she had done to Mirsux, the crowned prince. She nodded, understanding that truth. Mirsux may have been a prince, but his father was king. It was his father she had offended.
She crawled forward, staying just ahead of the bite of the shrinking force field. When she reached a toppled tree, she pulled herself to her feet. Continuously, she contemplated a plan, searching for a way to defeat these creatures. They were fast, and with her injuries, she wouldn’t be able to outrun them. But that didn’t matter, since the force field blocked her escape. Weaponless, the creatures were too strong to fight. Their scaled hide was like armor; nothing she had access to would penetrate it.
Constantly forced forward, she eventually saw the other prisoners. They had circled back towards her. When the flash and crackle of the force field’s bite once again hit her, their movement ceased. Panic covered their faces as they realized their fate.
It didn’t take long for the forced filed to herd them into the clearing. When a crescendo of feral howls erupted from a cavern entrance, she knew were coming. Ariella peered about frantically, trying to remember her earlier encounter. One creature stalked out of the cavern making a shrill noise that caused them to shield their ears. When she looked again, several more Migrels had joined the first.
“I must find a weapon,” she mumbled.
One of the other prisoners started running towards the bushes and immediately the leaves changed to orange. Two creatures ran after him, passing but an arm’s length away from where she stood. She watched the scenario repeat, too terrified to even breathe. And that’s when it came to her. They can’t see us. They see the color shifts in the leaves, but not us, she thought, turning away as a Migrel ripped the limbs from one victim. These Migrels were different from the last. They ripped into the flesh of the prisoners, whereas the last had tied Delvin to a post.
She wanted to scream but understood she must remain silent. Closing her eyes, she stood perfectly still. Her feet sent excruciating jolts of pain up her legs , causing her knees to wobble. While the Migrels continued feeding, she slowly inched backwards until she felt the surface of the large toppled trunk she had passed. She leaned into it, relieving some of the stress off her feet.
The prisoners’ screams pierced the air, echoing all around her. She tried unsuccessfully to shut them out, to imagine another place, a better place. The Migrels taunted their prey for hours, ripping the arms from one and leaving him to writhe in agony while biting the foot from another. They appeared to delight in the agony and screams of their victims, even more than they enjoyed their flesh.
This is why, she thought. This is why the Nabalarians keep these hideous creatures. The Migrels served as their executioners and deterrents. The creatures did not harm those of Nabalar, they devoured only species alien to their planet.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as thoughts and emotions assailed her. Her knees shook violently, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to continue standing much longer. She thought of easing to the ground while the creatures continued to feed, but fear of them sensing her movements held her in place. She knew she had to wait until they returned to the cavern, but her knees started to buckle and she began to sway to the ground. She thought she heard the creatures howl, but the haze in her mind could be betraying her. She felt herself drifting, falling, and then, there was darkness.
* * * *
She moaned, as the pain in her legs throbbed drawing her from the blackness. Opening her eyes, it took a few moments to gain her bearings. Her last memory was facing the Migrels, yet now she lay beneath plush silken blankets. As her mind cleared, she gasped, surprised to see the golden eyes of Mirsux staring back at her.
“You!” She tried to rise but Mirsux gently pushed her back.
“You are in need of rest,” he said, pulling the blankets higher, tucking it under her chin.
She shook her head. “You saved me? You sent me to die and then you saved me? Why, Mirsux?” The pain so apparent in her eyes saddened him.
“I didn’t send you to die.” As he reached for her hand, the voice of his father halted his movements.
King Volnomy entered the chamber with two guards. She stared at Mirsux’s troubled demeanor and then rose in the bed. Whatever the king was saying, she couldn't understand. However, she knew by Mirsux’s countenance that it was not good.
When the guards stepped forward, her heart leapt in her chest. They’re going to take me, she thought, forcing her tears back. Ariella sat up in the bed attempting to appear unmoved by her fate. That attempt failed when the guards grasped the arms of Mirsux, dragging him from her bed.
“Wait, what are you doing?” she asked, rising from the bed on shaky legs. “Where are you taking him?” Ignoring her pain, she stumbled forward. Mindful of her place, she remained distanced from the King.
“Stay back, human,” one of the guards spoke through a translator. “The prince is now a prisoner.”
“What? No! Why? What has he done?” Her heart ached as she regarded him. Mirsux’s gaze never lifted from the floor. He appeared broken, causing her more anguish than she would have thought possible.
When the queen stepped forward, Ariella took a step back. “Do you dare interfere with the business of Nabalar?”
Realizing she was once again on shaky ground, she replied, “No… No, please, I—”
“Silence!” The queen snapped; her eyes flaring. “The prince has been charged with treason, and will be sentenced accordingly.”
“But he’s your son,” Ariella looked over to Mirsux, feeling a heaviness in her chest.
“Nabalar is not earth. We punish those who defile our laws and our lands. Mirsux isn’t above the edicts and proclamations of the king. He will answer for his crimes.” The queen’s words were direct, forceful, and to the point.
“What will you do to him?” Ariella’s question came out as more a whimper.
“He will be executed as is our law.” The queen’s vacuous expression sent a chill through her.
“No! He is your son,” Ariella said, shaking her head while moving to his side. When the guards attempted to block her, the king motioned them away. She wrapped her arms around Mirsux, feeling an immediate surge of energy. “You can’t kill him; he has done nothing worthy of death, please.”
“He rescued you.” The queen pointed at her accusingly.
“What? By rescuing me, he betrayed you?”
“At last a human with a degree of intelligence,” she mocked.
“Then, send me back to the wastelands,” she said, without hesitation. “It was my sentence, not his. Send me back.” Mirsux’s head snapped up but he did not speak. The dismay in his eyes was evident as he searched her face.
“You are willing to die in his stead?” The queen smirked, raising a brow.
“Yes.”
“No!” Mirsux finally chimed in. “I won’t allow you to die. You are dear to me and I will ensure your safety. My parents will return you to your home. Leave Nabalar while it is possible and think of me no more.”
Ariella ignored his plea, facing his parents, determined to have them listen to her. “Please, I beg you, don’t do this. I accept my fate. Return me to the wastelands and allow Mirsux to live.”
“You don’t wish for him to die?” the queen asked.
“No. Never would I wish it. Please.”
&nbs
p; The king stepped forward. “We don’t accept your life in exchange for his. What else are you willing to give?”
“I will remain and serve you.”
The queen scoffed. “You can’t help yourself and yet you think you can be of service to us?” She turned toward a guard. “Take him away.”
“Wait; tell me what you would have of me. Anything, please.”
When the queen smiled, Mirsux turned to Ariella. He shook his head towards her, but she did not comprehend.
“The hair and ceremony as you promised, and we’ll offer a pardon towards our son.”
The thought of Mirsux raised a heat in her. But this was something else. If she acquiesced to the queen’s demands, she would be tied to the prince and this planet forever.
“Is there nothing else I can offer?”
When the words left her mouth, Mirsux looked at her. She noticed the troubled expression and moved to face him. “Mirsux, I care for you. You have awakened something within me, something I didn’t know I was capable of feeling. I can’t deny that I have fallen for you. But I must leave this planet and find my father. He is out there and I have to find him. Do you not understand?”
He grasped her hands, knowing the heat of the connection would fill her. “We will help you find your father,” he said. Then looking to his parents, he asked, “Will we not?”
The king and queen exchanged a glance. “This we will do,” the queen agreed. “Only after you’ve completed the ceremony and ritual will it be so.”
“I have but one other request,” Ariella said.
The queen tilted her head up, looking down at her. “Speak it.”
“I request that you release my captain and help him return to earth. He has a wife and children that need him.”
The king nodded. “It will be so.”
* * * *
“Your captain betrayed you.”
That comment had Ariella taking a step back. She glared at the king and then to the others in the room. The words repeated in her mind. Betrayed? she thought, not understanding why they would try to convince her of this. Captain McTaggart was as a surrogate father. She would never believe that he would make any move against her. She had already agreed to their ceremony. So, why then did they feel it necessary to do this? Were they attempting to sway her to keep her on Nabalar? Her eyes narrowed.
“What are you saying?” she gazed from one to the other.
“Your captain betrayed you,” the king repeated. “We sent him back to the prince of Xygor, his ally. They will get him back to earth safely.”
“How do you know this? My captain doesn’t know this—this Xygorian prince.”
“Not only does he know the people of Xygor, he conspired with them,” the queen smirked. “He was to deliver you to them in exchange for a gem, a most unique gem exclusive to their planet.”
“A gem?”
“Yes,” the king nodded in agreement. “A rare gem much like a diamond only one thousand times more valuable.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “He wouldn’t do this. A stone is not worth my life.”
“Do you doubt our words?” the queen asked.
Ariella could feel her heartbeat increase. She might have saved Mirsux and herself for now, but that could instantly change. She was entirely at their mercy and knew she must carefully choose her words.
“No,” she swallowed hard. “I don’t doubt you, I doubt the Xygorians. How do we know they are not lying?”
Mirsux came to her side and caressed her shoulder. “We don’t trust the Xygorians. They are our mortal enemies. We trust our own eyes and ears.”
He took her hand and guided her over to a large screen in the corner of the room. After speaking something she could not understand, an image appeared on the screen. She gasped, moving forward a step. It was her ship, the Demac-109 that they were forced to abandon. She shook her head, seeing a larger ship hovering above it. It was there, and yet it was not. The alien ship appeared an apparition or out of phase somehow. It blended into the blackness of space yet was outlined in a shimmering dust.
When Mirsux waved his hand in front of the screen, the image came to life. The alien vessel lowered some type of hose or tube attempting to attach itself to the Demac-109. At least that’s how it appeared. She couldn’t be certain.
Ariella recalled that day as if it were yesterday. They weren’t able to explain or repair the damage to their vessel. The captain seemed out of sorts. He was not himself and his actions spoke the same. She watched as their ship began to shake while the alien vessel continued to manipulate the hose they had lowered. When she saw the shuttle emerge from the docking bay, the screen went blank.
“No,” her voice cracked.
“Yes. The Xygorians attempted to syphon your ships energy supply after locking onto you with a towing device. There was a miscalculation in the strength of your ship’s hull. That is what caused the damage. Captain McTaggart did not plan the accident. He only arranged the rendezvous with the Xygorians.”
“Or maybe it was you,” she said, backing up a step. “Maybe you sabotaged our ship to bring us here.”
“No,” Mirsux said with an emphatic shake of his head. “There is a visual record. I would not take you from all that you know. Your arrival on Nabalar was fated. I do not deny that I am pleased that you have come, but it was not by the maneuverings of the Nabalarians that it is so.”
He spoke to the monitor again. The inside of the Xygorian ship appeared. There was a tall man wearing a shimmering silver robe. His hair was as white as snow and his eyes looked like sapphires. A woman stood near him, similarly adorned. Their features mirrored those of Nabalar with only the honey hue of their flesh distinguishing their differences. Never had she seen creatures so beautiful.
“Mother, Captain McTaggart has agreed,” the handsome young man on the screen said.
“Show me,” was the curt response from the Xygorian woman.
Ariella gasped, seeing her face appear on the screen. Was what Mirsux saying about Delvin true?
“Is this truly your desire, my son?” the woman continued.
“Yes, Mother.”
“And the payment?”
“The Yarzib is here.” He opened a small adorned chest, revealing a brilliant stone.
The Xygorian queen smiled, nodding. “If it is your desire, my son, it will be so. Lower the device.”
The young Xygorian turned, tapping his fingers on the surface of a screen. A faint reddish glow emanated from each section he touched. When he completed entering his commands, both the alien vessel and the Demac-109 appeared on the screen.
“Oh… my… God,” Ariella gasped, her eyes widening.
The Xygorian vessel lowered a large hose type device onto the hull of the Demac-109. Within moments, her ship began to shudder. She shook her head, reliving every moment. The shudder of the Demac-109 grew in intensity until the ship began to sway and jerk. It was not until the shuttle launched from the bay and the flames erupted did the Xygorian vessel disengage.
“Julkaz, what happened?” the woman asked.
“I lost her, Mother! I lost her.”
Ariella stood in disbelief as the screen went blank. Even with what she had witnessed, she did not believe that Delvin would betray her. There had to be another explanation. He wouldn’t do this; never would he do this.
“No, I don’t believe it.” She turned to face Mirsux. “That proves nothing. The captain may have been arranging the sale of the Demac-109. He spoke numerous times of replacing her.”
“All things are possible,” Mirsux relented. “However, they are not probable.”
Ariella cocked her head, meeting the eyes of all in the room. If the captain was responsible for the destruction of his own ship, then he was also responsible for Marlon’s death. She just couldn’t believe it. Something was not right and she wanted to know the truth. Her very life might be in jeopardy. At that thought, her eyes rested on Mirsux. They held true to their word. Now it was time for h
er to do the same.
As she prepared for the ceremony of hair and bond, her thoughts were of Delvin. She knew that the Nabalarians didn’t have to delay the ceremony to accommodate her wish of sending Delvin back to earth. They did so only at her behest. She needed to ensure her captain’s safety. Now, to learn of this. How could he do this? She wondered, gazing at her reflection.
She took a deep breath, offering a nod to her attendants. As they led her to the ceremonial chamber, she continued to feel uneasy. She push all thoughts aside to focus on what was to come. She was to wed the prince of Nabalar. “Heaven help me,” she whispered, envisioning her parents. She had hoped to have her father at her side when she wed.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Mirsux took hold of her wrist, pulling her around the corner. Before she could react, he placed a finger to her lips. He excused the attendants then turned to face her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered hoarsely.
Smiling, his golden eyes glimmered. “There is one thing I must know before the ceremony. Something we must experience before our lives are bound together.” His voice was soothing and seductive.
“What—what is that?” she stuttered, still feeling the waves of heat elicited by his touch.
He smiled again, reaching a hand up to caress the back of her neck. Her eyes briefly closed as she shuddered with the tingle of energy released by his touch. His fingers swirled through her hair as he gently covered her lips with his.
The eruption of heat, pleasure, and passion was all encompassing. Ariella felt his arm around her waist, bringing her closer when her knees weakened. At that moment, her mind went blank. She wasn’t able to do anything except submit to his touch.
“Now we are prepared for the ceremony,” he whispered against her lips. She felt him nibble her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. She whimpered, trying to draw him nearer. Still weak from his kiss, she desired more.
Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1) Page 7