Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1)

by Bowles, April

  “Please. It’s hardly a war anymore. We weren’t even alive for the last major campaigned battle on an open field.”

  “I don’t necessarily think that’s the point!”

  “Look, Love.” Zayden said, watching me pace back and forth. “I can assure you—”

  “I don’t want you to assure me of anything because you can’t! This plan of yours doesn’t have a guaranteed end and I don’t care how much you say it will work. You’re going to get us all killed unless maybe that’s the real goal here.”

  “It’s not going to be like that.”

  I just huffed and continued to pace, losing myself in my mind. Turning them against this idea didn’t seem to be working and I was cornered; five against one. Normally, in a life or death situation like this, I would have chosen death for the five against me but some of them were my family and I just couldn’t. There was only one thing left to do as sad and depressing as it was. I had to comply and see this through no matter how much I hated it and I did hate it.

  “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

  “We can do it?” Jaylyn asked with her smile.

  “Fine.”

  They both reacted silently to my decision and easily became excited.

  “But!” My eyes found Zayden. “Know this; if I go down, don’t think I won’t hesitate to take the entire city and everyone in it with me.”

  “That won’t happen.”

  “You of all people better hope not.”

  “This will be fun.” Ruby said. “We can totally be Leccan.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you really want, Love?” Zayden asked.

  I laughed to keep myself from breaking down and crying in frustration about it. “Do you honestly believe that I’ve gotten a damn thing I’ve wanted so far? What I want apparently doesn’t matter. Let’s just get this over with. So, what exactly will this lie of treason entail?”

  “Well, once we get there, we’ll go straight to the palace and have an audience with the King, explaining your arrival and he’ll make you his honored guests. You’ll be able to return to Kalu in a few days. So, as long as you don’t say anything about who you really are, things will be fine but I can’t stress enough how important it is that you don’t speak a word of your country, not even to each other. There’s always someone listening in the palace.”

  Jaylyn smiled. “We get to stay in the palace?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wait a minute.” I didn’t like the sounds of that. “Is that necessary?”

  “That’s where we’ll be.”

  “So, we have to stay where you are?”

  “Have somewhere else in mind?”

  “Yeah, like a tavern where I can get wasted around a bunch of guys that aren’t you and really make this fun.”

  “It’s for the tension.” Ruby whispered.

  I still heard her and elbowed her with a voice just as quiet. “Shut up.”

  “Keeping you confined to the palace will be best.” Zayden said. “I can’t allow you to follow through on your plan and make a mockery of who you’ll be pretending to be.”

  I sighed and looked over at Ruby. “Not fun.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty to do to keep busy.”

  “Like what? You going to make us wear some ridiculous outfit and scrub the floors?”

  “Of course not.” Zayden laughed. “If I was going to make you scrub the floors, you’d be naked.”

  My mouth wanted to drop open. “Better not.”

  “That was a joke, Love. Shit, you still need to relax. You’ll be honored guests. You can do whatever you want except leave.”

  “Are all honored guests held prisoner?”

  “No but you’ll be.”

  “We’ll at least get room service there, right?” Jaylyn asked.

  “Yes, as honored guests you’ll be living like the King himself and be offered the services as well.”

  “Oh, good. Then it won’t be that much different from home. You almost had me worry.”

  The Senians among us all gave an unusual facial expression towards her.

  “Sorry about her.” Ruby said. “She needs to think she can’t live without those things.”

  “Well, if they’re there, use them right? I mean, that is their job.”

  “So, you three live in the palace back home?” Darius asked.

  “You mean live within the same walls as the Queen? Are you crazy? That would be the worst punishment ever. Of course we don’t. We live at Balwin Manor.”

  “The General’s place?”

  “Do you have a problem with that?” I looked at Zayden, getting back into the conversation when word of my father came up. How dare he even speak of him?

  “No. I didn’t say I had a problem with it.”

  “Well, you sounded like you did and I’m really not surprised. It’s so like a Prince to think normal people like us can’t live like you. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “You knew about me?”

  “Know the enemy, Zayden but I think you’re missing the point. Just admit that you’re shallow.”

  “No. I never said any of those things. You’re just assuming that’s how I am.”

  “Well, aren’t you?”

  “Of course not. Anyone can live like me. They live there too.”

  “Wow, I’m so excited for you but it’s not going to change anything.”

  “Sure, fine but don’t make me change my mind about saving you.”

  “Well, that wouldn’t bother me at all. I never asked you to save me.”

  “So, would you rather be killed because that’s what will happen if you prefer it that way?”

  “Maybe it would be better than staying alive and having to be around you.”

  “You say that like you really know me but you don’t.”

  “I don’t have to know you to have an opinion of you just like you’ve been doing to me since we’ve been out here.”

  “Well, maybe you should. I’m not as bad as you’ve been making me out to be.”

  I silently laughed and looked away. “Yeah, tell that to my father.”

  “I did when I let him go.”

  What?! I was instantly confused. I looked back and met Zayden’s eyes. They seemed calm and caring like looking right into the southern waters on a clear sunny day but I somehow couldn’t grasp what he was saying. Was it true? I never knew that Zayden chose to let my father go from his terrible ordeal. I thought that somehow he escaped.

  “Oh, he didn’t tell you? Maybe that’s because he didn’t remember my good deed from being unconscious. So, forgive me if I was wrong. I’ll remember next time to just kill him. It would have been easy.” He got up and walked outside, leaving me sitting almost speechless.

  “That’s true, you know.” Troy said. “It was Zayden’s intent to send him back alive and it was actually because of you that he did; the General having a daughter and all.”

  I looked over and Ruby started to smile. “Well, this changes something if not, perhaps, everything.”

  “No, it does not.” I may have lied some. I knew I was channeling most of my anger on Zayden based on what happened to my father, trying not to let myself show weakness for him but this may have changed things. It made them harder for me.

  “I think you know it does.” Jaylyn smiled.

  “Shit.” I knew what I had to do but really didn’t want to do this either. “I hate you.” I glared up at them and left to go after Zayden.

  “That’s okay!” Ruby shouted. “We still love you!”

  My eyes rolled to her annoying voice about it and I looked for Zayden.

  He was standing with his back to me, looking across the land with his hands behind his back. The setting sun was slightly to his right, lighting up that half of his body. His hair was like gold glistening in the rays and I slowly approached. “Zayden?”

  He didn’t turn around. “I think it might rain tonight.”

  I stood next to him,
seeing the clouds starting to roll in from the south. “It may.”

  “So, is there a reason you followed me out here? It couldn’t be for a friendly conversation. I know you don’t do that kind of thing.”

  I deserved that. It was the persona I gave myself but I tried to remain focused on what I came out to do. I had to stay calm through this and tried my absolute hardest but I made a mistake. I looked over.

  Zayden still didn’t look at me but his eyes seemed to be an even brighter blue than usual being cast directly towards the sun and that frozen feeling I would get from looking at him began to crack and change, melting down my body and giving me a sense of pleasure.

  I had to look away and just came out with what I came to do. “About my father, I didn’t know about—what you did.”

  “It’s okay. Really. I’m used to people judging me all the time because of who I am. It was no surprise that you did the same.”

  “Because you’re the Prince?”

  “Yes but I’m more than that.”

  “I know and I was—wrong to say those things.”

  Zayden laughed from my hesitant pause. “It’s all right, Love. We’ve all done wrong things in our lives. We’re only human after all.” I actually smiled, really smiled to something he said and saw him look over to it. “So, you do smile.”

  I couldn’t look at him just yet but hiding this smile was just as hard. “What makes you think that I didn’t?”

  “Just your attitude, I guess.”

  “You say that like you really know me but you don’t.”

  Zayden laughed again to my quoting him. “You’re right. I don’t.” He paused for a moment and his tone became mellow. “But I’d like to.”

  His words grabbed me and my eyes at last found his. I stared into his perfectly shaded blues and didn’t know what to say. I began to feel hot and that frozen effect was now completely gone.

  How could this be possible? It seemed almost too good to be true. I finally got to spend time with the man I have sought after for so long and we weren’t exchanging harsh words. It was almost nice but I decided to change the subject to ease the long awkward pause. “I just wanted to thank you for showing respect for my father and sending him back to me but this doesn’t change everything else you’ve done.”

  “I understand. I didn’t expect it to when I did it.”

  I looked back and did the unthinkable. I leaned into him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. I don’t know why. It was just a reaction. “Thanks anyway.” I only realized it after and had to turn away. I don’t think that’s what I meant to do but he was making it hard not to.

  I tried to keep it together and started walking back. I needed to get away but my eyes lifted and I saw something worse. The other four nosy souls with us were all laying down lined up at the opening of the shelter. Of course they were. They were all smiling and just proved that they saw everything, including what I did.

  I couldn’t go in there and listen to anything they had to say. I wasn’t ready for that so I lifted my hands and I was enclosed by the earth around me. It felt cooler from standing directly in the sun and I could get some nice alone time in here but it wasn’t enough. I actually wanted to sleep better tonight and looked at the ground under my feet.

  I pushed towards it, padding my hands down a few times and created a set of stairs. I kept doing it as I took each step and after about twenty paces down, I quickly shoved my hands out away from me and the earth went with it, creating a nice cavern that would be my room. This is where I’d stay and I set it up just how I needed it, knowing I would soon have company of some kind.

  Chapter 29

  Zayden

  I never knew what would come of this when I agreed to help Troy but I may have been a bit surprised. She seem changed somehow and it only brought out the beauty in her, making it that much harder for me. I still wasn’t sure. It’s been so long since I’ve been near a woman and I was being drawn to the first one giving me attention. Was that wrong of me or was there really something there? I wasn’t sure but would like to find out.

  “So? How’d it go?” Darius’s inconspicuous voice forced me to smile.

  “By your tone, I can tell you already know the answer to that.”

  “So, what does this mean?” Troy asked.

  He was hopeful but I had to come out with the truths. “This means nothing. Nothing has changed. We’re taking them to see father then in a few days we’ll be sending them back to Kalu as planned.” I didn’t like saying it but someone had to.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want? I know that’s not what I want.”

  I looked over while laughing. “Darius? Are you actually saying you’re willing to be tied down to just one woman? That doesn’t seem like you at all. Are you sure you configured all the possible outcomes correctly?”

  “Ruby is different. She’s not like all the other women. I actually enjoy her company and it’s not about sex, not really anymore. I just like being around her. I’ve never done this before.”

  “Well, you do know that she probably won’t accept the one time you’re famous for if she’s grown just as attached to you.”

  “I know. It might be hard but I’d change my life for her.”

  I thought to myself amidst the silence. He seemed every bit as determined as Troy was now and what else could I have done? Knowing what they wanted put a perspective on what I wanted but the price for getting it was high. “You both know what this may mean?”

  “Yes.” Darius replied. “But I’m willing to risk it.”

  “As am I.” Troy added.

  I gained a smile. “Well, you have it cut out for you then. They already like you. As for me, I’ll have to do some more work.”

  “Not that much more.” Troy replied. “She’s already begun to fall. You’ll soon have her coming to you.”

  I smiled and put my hand out to feel the rain start to fall. “Oh, perfect. We better get inside.”

  We turned around and I saw a little shack of dirt next to the shelter.

  “That’s where Adele is.” Darius said. “I think we kind of pissed her off by watching. Sorry.”

  “Thanks for helping.” I meant it in a sarcastic way of course and we waited out of the rain in our shelter for Jaylyn and Ruby to hopefully get Adele out of whatever mood she was in. It was hard to tell what that would be at this point. She seemed calm, more like a normal person around me but Darius said they might have pissed her off. That was great. I knew they probably would have watched but they didn’t have to let her know about it. Now my night may have to start all over and my real work will begin.

  Chapter 30

  Jaylyn

  She didn’t look happy. While Troy and Darius went to Zayden, I went with Ruby underground. It wasn’t a surprise what Adele had created. This was how we spent our nights of travel and it was kind of good to see that she relaxed enough to do it but I kept my focus more on making sense of her behavior. She kissed Zayden; we saw it but something still seemed wrong and we were going to find out what.

  “So, Adele.” I began slowly, taking a seat in one of the chairs she created for us. “Did you make up with Zayden?”

  She just looked over with a sigh while her head was being supported by her hand.

  “How can you do that?” Ruby asked.

  “Do what?”

  “How can you just sit there and act like nothing is happening between you two? We saw what you did.”

  I held my breath. I didn’t plan to jump into it that quickly but it was a little late to stop it.

  “Look, I’ll admit that I don’t hate him as much because he spared my father but what he did was still wrong. I could never forgive him for killing all those men.”

  “But don’t you feel anything?” I said with a begging tone, almost whining, hoping she’d begin to see our way. “Even a little?”

  Adele looked over with another sigh and her voice expressed a level of joyless regret. “You know we can’t, not in this life.�
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  “Why can’t we?” Ruby asked. “Just because we kill people for a living?”

  “Assassins are not destined for love and you know it. It’s part of our fate that we chose.”

  Troy was instantly on my mind and I just couldn’t think it to be true. I already thought him as mine and loved him for everything he’s done for me so far. “But—”

  “Look.” Adele sighed again, showing she was getting frustrated. “You two have the right to do what you want. I won’t try and stop you anymore, not after watching you with them today. It was good to see you happy.”

  That’s not what I thought she was going to say but she was right. I was happy with Troy.

  “But what about you?” Ruby asked.

  “What about me?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  She didn’t reply right away but I knew she was thinking about Zayden and she leaned her head back with a long breath, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “We know it’s him.” I said. “It’s still not wrong to want it.”

  “They don’t mix with our kind, remember?”

  “Oh, you don’t really believe that, do you?” Ruby wondered, trying to hold back her laugh so she would finally sound more caring to the situation. “They told us he just made that up.”

  “I’d rather see it that way, okay? It’s for the best.”

  We didn’t know what else to say. Trying to convince Adele through words wasn’t going to work. We needed to have Zayden present so she could see him and want to turn this around herself.

  “Well, okay.” I turned back towards the stairs to do just that. “I’m going to invite them down here if you don’t mind.”

  “Go for it.”

  Ruby smiled and sat on the chair next to her. “You can brush out my hair while we wait for them. It’s probably a mess.”

  I left them to it and climbed the stairs to the exit. I had no idea that it would have been raining and I hurried straight into the shelter, taking a deep breath from the sudden chill. “Shit, it’s raining.”