“I need to save my father; therefore, I need to know as much as I can. Have you forgotten my father is imprisoned there?’
“There is nothing we can do about it, Ariella. So you may as well forget that knowledge,” Heffun returned.
Ariella’s earlier anger began to surface once more. She closed her eyes as her heart pounded uncontrollably. Placing her hands on her temples, she fought an urge to scream. With a deep steadying breath, she struggled to calm herself.
“You kept me from returning to my people. I married your son, and I kept my part of the bargain. You promised to help me find my father, and to this day, you refuse to keep your part of the deal.” Ariella’s words were forced through clenched teeth. “Now we know exactly where he is and you still refuse to help?”
Heffun softened her voice, “You don’t understand….”
“I understand all too well,” Ariella cut her off in midsentence. “All you care about is your planet and your people. What about me?”
“Ariella, this is beyond you or me.”
“Tell me about Xygor, that’s all I ask. After that, I will save my father without your help. Therefore, you won’t be responsible for whatever goes wrong. Please!” Ariella pleaded.
“It is forbidden to utter that planet’s name or the name of its prince,” Heffun groaned. “I cannot tell you what you seek.”
“You cannot, or you will not? What has Julkaz done? He’s but an innocent in all of this. He did not…”
“Greetings!”
A voice interrupted them. Ariella turned to see who had disrupted their conversation, but no one was there. Heffun turned to a panel; a picture flicked onto its surface. Frustration and a rising temper had momentarily caused Ariella to forget how things worked on Nabalar.
An alien male with amethyst colored almond shaped eyes and silvery skin tone appeared on the screen. His snow white hair fell well below his waist. She turned to leave as he began to speak.
“Queen Heffun, we understand you have an earth woman as your daughter.” His deep baritone voice had an unpleasant guttural resonance.
“My Lord Heilfelst, that is so,” Heffun replied in a restrained tone of voice as she bowed in the direction of the screen.
Ariella turned. Deciding to stay, she walked back to the monitor. Her stride purposeful, with a swing in her hips, her long golden hair shimmering as she moved. Rising up to her full stature with her chin raised, she stood before the monitor and glowered at the screen, much the way she had glowered at the soldiers releasing the Migrels onto the planet’s surface.
“Ah, there she is. The Oracles tell us you are the one who is destined to save Nabalar. How do you intend to do such a thing, my dear?”
The evil overlord smiled, exposing pale yellow teeth. She’d seen the corn silk colored teeth on other alien species. Although they appeared distasteful to her Earth standards, she knew the color indicated them to be exceptional, being composed of a rare mineral stronger than calcium.
“I will start by forbidding your dumping of any more Migrels on my planet!”
With a sudden intake of breath, his eyes flashed and his lips curled back. For a moment, he appeared angered; then he burst into a fit of laughter. “HA-HA-HA. She is hilarious!”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?” Ariella retorted.
Heffun moved closer to her and whispered, “Ariella, what are you doing?”
“You were serious?” Heilfelst asked, raising a hairless brow, his laughter dying. “Who are you to forbid anything? This is not Earth, my dear. This is my domain, you cannot forbid me anything.” His words were spoken slowly with emphasis.
Although his voice seemed calm, she knew he was serious. His oval face, with a slightly jutted chin, hardened. His amethyst pools gleamed menacingly. He reminded her of the joker from the Batman movies, diabolic yet funny. She stepped closer to the monitor.
“Nabalar is no longer a member of your planetary council. Therefore, as the Princess and soon to be Queen of Nabalar, this is a warning,” she stated rather calmly.
“Ariella!” Heffun said, fear registering in her voice. She ignored Heffun and continued to glower at the Overlord.
“How dare you, Human!”
Heilfelst, for the first time since appearing, began to display his true emotions. His voice raised marginally and his mouth twisted ever so slightly. His eyes, skilled in the art of intimidation, seemed to become electrified.
Ariella’s heart pounded as blood rushed hotly through her veins. She had never experienced such anger mingled with the power she felt knowing she bravely faced such evil. Minutes passed as the two glared at each other. Heffun stood to the side, silently watching in awe.
“You have overstepped your bounds. I will not let this pass. You have been warned, human, Princess of Nabalar,” Heilfelst spit out before the monitor went blank.
Heffun swiftly moved and grabbed her shoulders. “What have you done?” Ariella could hear panic in the queen’s voice.
She released her grip on Ariella’s arms and began pacing. Her short quick steps desperately moved her from one end of the room to the other, much like a caged animal. Ariella sensed fear in the alien queen. Since she came to this part of the universe, Heffun had only displayed unmitigated confidence. It was strange seeing this side of the queen.
“I’ve only done what you should have done a long time ago,” Ariella replied with a shrug before walking away.
Chapter 18
The circular chamber was spacious and brightly lit by the cool light of the day orb. The glass panels through which the light shone doubled as telecasters. The comfortably cool room had become her personal sanctuary. Still upset after her brief confrontation with Heilfelst, Ariella found herself pacing the length of it.
“Argh!” she seethed. “Arrogant son-of-a...” Clenching her fists, she continued, “I didn’t even get to question him about my father.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, she stopped in front of the glass wall. Her mind wandered back a few years. She’d taken the job as sub-commander on the Demac-109 as a means of searching the galaxies for her father who had been missing for seven earth years. She had trained for two years in the military’s space unit. Upon graduation, she was selected to become a part of Captain McTaggart’s crew. After five years of service with the captain, delivering earth merchandise to the OM-609 Galaxy, their ship had failed enroute to Fopra.
Her frustration and impatience with Heffun and the galaxy council drew her back to the present. She had made a deal with rulers of this planet, King Volnomy and Queen Heffun. She had married their son, Mirsux, just as agreed; however, they had not delivered on their part of the bargain.
It was now two months since she had crash landed on Nabalar and agreed to marry Mirsux. In her acquiescence to become Mirsux’s wife, they had agreed to help her find and rescue her father. A full month had passed since learning of her father’s whereabouts, yet no plan had been formulated for his rescue. Far from it, in fact, the queen had just instructed her to forget about it!
Rescuing her father continued to be her top priority. Despite being at odds with the Nabalarian queen, Ariella had no desire to return to earth. In fact, she felt an eerie connection to the alien species and their planet. The only thing lacking in her life was her father. His rescue would make it complete.
Her bond with Mirsux had deepened her ability to feel emotions causing her to feel intense highs and extreme lows. These feelings intensified the frustration she felt over their total lack of commitment to the deal they’d agreed upon.
It was imperative that a plan to rescue her father be made immediately. Although difficult, she must formulate a way to get to Xygor. The next step after that seemed next to impossible, getting into the Undercrypt on Xygor. She knew Prince Julkaz was the key to her success and needed him on her side. How she would persuade him to help her, however, was more than she could fathom.
Feeling Mirsux’s presence as he entered the room, she turned towards him. Upon en
tering, he marched across the room to place his Ysark in a rack on the wall. The luminosity of the weapon increased with his touch, slowly diminishing as he removed his hands.
She watched as he peeled off his favorite outfit, one resembling Earth’s sweat suit with a hoodie. His biceps bulged with the movement and her cheeks flushed, as usual, upon seeing him naked. His entire body rippled as he removed the garment. She especially liked his abdominal muscles and the V-line beneath the eight bulges he had for abs. Most humans had six, but her alien possessed two extra.
Smiling at her, he walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. An electrical volt surged through her, causing her heart to flutter. Her nipples hardened, rubbing seductively against the bodice of her satin dress. She turned back to the window. This was not the time to be aroused, though her body argued otherwise.
Something about her husband’s mood as of late had started to bother her. His normal routine was to go out in the mornings with the Ysark, return in a somber mood, then shower and change before speaking with her. What was it about his mission with the soldiers that bothered him so much? What was he keeping from her?
Mirsux closed his eyes as the water sprayed over his body beginning to ease his tense muscles. The day flashed before him. He’d once again had to stand by and watch helplessly as yet another group of Migrels were unloaded onto the wastelands, that part of his planet set aside for the large purple flesh-eating creatures. The Federation’s military ship had hovered precariously as the creatures were released, hungry and ready to wreak havoc upon his planet and its people.
He found it hard to contain himself even now, as he remembered standing there, fists clenched in fury. His anger had almost gotten the better of him. Had it not been for his captain holding him back as he stepped in the ship’s direction, the day would have ended quite differently.
“Soon, my prince. Soon we will avenge our people,” the captain stated gruffly.
He had planned and trained his whole life in preparation of the time he would save his people from the Migrels. Their own prison cells were almost empty since the creatures were used to execute offenders. Although these feedings helped appease the beasts’ hunger, they continued to attack loyal citizens. If the deadly creatures continued to feed on the planet’s inhabitants, they would soon be extinct. He visualized a time when he would annihilate every last beast and the ones who sent them.
The Migrels were not the only thing troubling him. Ariella’s expectations weighed heavily on him as well. She expected him to rescue her father from the Undercrypt on Xygor. However, he was not in a position to defy his parents or the council. Not yet anyway. He had to persuade her to wait until the council was defeated, but he was at a loss as how to influence her.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the bathroom door open, followed by Ariella stepping into the shower. Her nipples stood taut against the cushion of her rounded breasts. His vexed mood lightened, replaced by a heat curled deep in his belly. The electricity between them sizzled. He reached for her, pulling her into his arms.
“What troubles you, my princess?” his voice muffled by her fragrantly scented hair.
She sagged against him, his member rubbing erotically against her belly. Shockwaves ran through him as she herself trembled in his arms. The energy that flowed between them became stronger with each passing day. His heart soared, filled with the knowledge that together they were destined to save Nabalar and his people.
“I spoke with the galaxy overlord, Heilfelst,” she murmured against his chest.
Mirsux stiffened. The sexual tension surging through him was quickly replaced with resentment and hatred for the Overlord Premier. Heilfelst… the name had become synonymous with acerbity. Plans to defeat the evil forces could no longer be delayed. The Al Qithoghuex were responsible for the destruction and ruin of his planet, and many others in the sector. It was time to put an end to it.
“Pray tell, what did Heilfelst have to say?” The venom in his voice was evident.
Ariella raised her head and looked at him questioningly. “You despise him, don’t you?”
Gently pushing her aside, he stepped from the shower. Drying himself with jerky movements, he struggled to contain his contempt. The water stopped automatically when she also exited the cubicle. He handed her a clean towel. She began to pat herself dry.
After checking his emotions and collecting his thoughts, he continued, “He has ruined many planets and destroyed many lives, Ariella. He has earned my hatred.”
With a nod, she replied, “I told him to stop sending the Migrels to our planet.”
Mirsux turned and looked sharply at her. “Do not anger him, Ariella. I will take care of the Migrels and Heilfelst.”
“How will you do that?” She really did not understand what held him and his parents back and it frustrated her. She wanted action and answers, but found roadblocks constantly placed in her path.
His reply was more of the same. “Do not worry about that. When the time comes, all will be as it should be.”
“I never got to talk to him about my father,” she told him as they dressed. Her voice had a disappointed note to it.
He watched as she slipped into a sheer white gown, which swept the floor. A lump rose to his throat as he admired her radiance. She picked up her bejeweled brush and began passing it through her hair.
He moved up behind her, taking the brush, using it to caress her thick blond hair with long loving strokes. He liked the way it glistened as the bristles passed through. Admittedly, he enjoyed brushing her hair. It brought them closer together, especially as she leaned back against him, the way she was doing now. His heart started racing, his breathing becoming shallow as their bodies lovingly touched in this manner.
“When will you take me to Xygor to rescue my father?”
Her words broke the spell, stopping his movement. Tightly gripping the brush, he pulled it from her hair, then tossed it onto the dressing table. She turned to face him with narrowed eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
“We will not be going to Xygor. You must wait until the most auspicious time,” he replied, his voice taut.
“I don’t understand.” Her response, edged with agitation, quickly turned into anger, causing her eyes to blaze and her heart to thud unevenly. “We know where he is! Why aren’t you keeping your end of the bargain?” Raising her voice, it resonated off the walls.
“Keep your voice in check, Ariella,” her husband scolded.
She lowered her voice but her anger still registered. She replied through clenched teeth. “I will seek the help of the Xygorian prince, Julkaz, if you will not help me.”
Mirsux’s brows knitted and his face distorted in fury. “You will not utter that koldolye’s name!”
“He is a bastard child not of his doing, Mirsux, but that of your fore parents, and to some extent your very own father!”
“Enough!”
His voice bounded off the walls sending hollow echoes through the room. The glass panels shook with the vibration of it. Ariella’s eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open. Mirsux could not believe that he raised his voice or spoke harshly to her. Did he hate Julkaz so much that he was unable to have a reasonable conversation about rescuing his wife’s father? He inhaled deeply through pursed lips, trying to calm himself. Slowly he felt himself return to normal as regret settled over him for the way he spoke to the woman he loved.
“Mirsux,” she whispered. “I will not be silenced. I need my father as much as you need yours. Please take a moment to consider that.”
He raised his hand brushing the back of it lovingly along her cheek. “We will save your father, but you must wait until the time is right,” he said, his voice calm.
She gripped his hand, kissing its palm, a look of pleading in her eyes. “What if it’s too late? We know where he is; why not now?” The emotions he heard in her voice tugged at his heart.
He longed to make all her anxieties disappear. He wanted
to save her father, but the thought of the Xygorian prince and the pain concerning the truth of their birth were still fresh. He could neither face him, nor set foot on Xygor. The council had mandated that, and if he intended to take down Heilfelst and the others, he must appear to comply with their dictates.
Pulling her into his arms, he held her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her forehead on his shoulder. If there was a way to save Herman Vega without the Xygorian prince or the council, he would gladly do it. So far, he could think of no other way; and he was damned certain he would not seek the help of his enemies.
Chapter 19
Julkaz fiddled with the Pligsog. His handsome angular face revealed deep concentration as his sapphire eyes gazed at the hole in the crystal’s center. His six-foot frame towered over the small table where the machine sat. With a deep frustrated sigh, he raked his large hand through his straight, long, white hair.
He saw no way to repair it. Disgruntled with the contraption, he knocked it to the floor with a backhanded sweep of his hand. The delicate machine shattered into an untold number of pieces, exposing the gems, wires and metals that had been the inner workings of the machine.
Flicking his white robe back, he stooped to survey the contents of the shattered mechanism. His powerful thighs bulged against the white fabric of his pants; his broad shoulders hunched wearily. He fingered through the contents to see if any components were worth saving. With a dissatisfied grunt, he stood, continuing to eye the scattered pieces thoughtfully, trying to decide how to proceed with the next machine.
He had done his research for many moons on how to trap the energy of any species in his world. The Pligsog was the answer, and it had worked when extracting Mirsux’s power. However, when he tried to ingurgitate the power trapped in it, the darn thing failed. Remembering the episode with Ariella, Julkaz began to wonder if this human woman contained an even greater power.
Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1) Page 16