Stardust And Shadows

by Janelle Taylor

  His emerald gaze roamed her features as he continued. “I don’t want to conquer the Maffei Galaxy. I don’t want to side with Supreme Ruler Jurad and his son Prince Taémin to war against Maffei. I am the only reason Grandfather hasn’t allied himself with the Pyropeans. Yet, my half brother paints me evil and dangerous to the Supreme Council and Alliance Assembly. Ask yourself, Jana, why I would supply powerful drugs, chemicals, and weapons to the Maffeians if they’re my enemies. If I were a threat to them, why would they grant me citizenship in their domain? Could they fear one man so much? Don’t you see? Without saying it aloud, their actions prove they believe the Trilonis over the Saars. They know I want to live in peace.”

  That made sense to Jana even in her confused and disheartened state. Both men exuded raw power, immense authority, and primitive sensuality. At various times, her safety and survival were under the control of both men: the very air she breathed, the food she ate. Yet, one difference was noticeable: Varian had been secretive, mysterious, and defensive, whereas Ryker had always been direct, open, and, as far as she knew, honest, even about his flaws and wickedness. When Ryker was cold and cruel, he was straightforward about it. Varian often operated on the sly. When she remained quiet, the extra-terrestrial spoke again.

  “It’s Varian who won’t let the past go. He tried to use you to create another deadly and destructive triangle between a Saar, Triloni, and alien Goddess. It will never work, not if you. side with me, not if you accept the noxious truth about him. Varian let his hatred and jealousy of me change him into a monster who’s bent on my destruction. How else could he have used and betrayed you so badly? One day we might learn the real reason he sent you to me. For certain, it was not as a peace token; he doesn’t want a truce with me—ver!”

  No matter what the handsome and charming alien said, Jana wasn’t ready or willing to accept the recent events as either illness or drug-induced delusions. Her suspicions seemed farfetched and incredible but ownership of Trilabs was an important motive, the only one Varian could have. Perhaps the Maffeians had to make certain her marriage to Ryker was legal and exposed before revealing Ryker’s death. But why not include her in on the ruse? She loved Varian Saar and would do almost anything for him. Didn’t Varian love her enough by now to believe that? No matter what the truth was, she must pretend to go along with the situation at hand until she discovered revealing pieces to this hazardous puzzle.

  “You need to rest and recover, Jana. We’ll talk again later. Close your eyes and sleep. Things will be clearer when you awaken next time.”

  The man calling himself Ryker gave her a drug for sleep, lowered the lights, and left. Jana glanced at the ceiling in all directions but sighted no observation monitor. She snuggled under the cover to relax. Nothing was what it seemed and hadn’t been since her abduction from Earth. She had finally come to believe in outer space, other worlds, aliens, and the reality of her capture. She had tried to make the best of a difficult and extraordinary predicament because she had no choice. But one incredible situation after another came along to terrify, confuse, and torment her. Had the last episode been only a hallucination from an alien disease and strong medication? It was much easier to believe this was a ruse than to believe Varian’s rescue was a dream and he really had given her to Ryker, that Varian didn’t love or want her, that he could be so cruel. God knows, she loved, wanted, and needed Commander Varian Saar. Both men were complex, mercurial, and proud; but which one was she with now?

  If this is a devious charade, J. G., something will expose it, she told herself. You’re far from Earth, alone, and perhaps in big trouble. Survival and safety are up to you. Maybe this nightmare will be over when you awaken …

  Chapter Two

  Jana awoke in a strange but exquisite room. Her wide gaze scanned the mauve, forest-green, sky-blue, and ivory setting of sleek furniture and lovely accessories. Gone were the sterile medical complex, the tubes to her arm, and the blue gown. She was attired in a soft and silky pink garment that accentuated her curves. Where am I now? She tossed aside the cover and sat up on the edge of the bed, then waited for her head to clear before attempting to rise. She didn’t feel as if she had just been snatched from the jaws of death. She smiled and exhaled in relief. She must be on Altair, Varian’s private planetoid. She had only dreamed she was back on Darkar with Ryker. What an awful nightmare, the result, no doubt, of Shara’s treachery.

  She wanted to rush out, find her love, and shower affection on him. First, however, she should bathe and dress. Her tawny tresses were in disarray and needed shampooing. She walked to the sliding door; it opened from pressure on the floor as she approached it, and she entered a luxurious bathroom. From past experience, she knew how this alien tub worked. She pressed a gold button at one end. Swiftly and instantly, water, at the perfect temperature, filled the oblong area. She stripped off the gown and stepped inside. She pressed another button and a compartment that held soaps, bath oils, and fragrances opened. Pulling a cloth from a rack, she began her bath. A leisurely soak would have felt good, but she was in a hurry to see Varian. She toweled off as the tub automatically emptied and rinsed itself. She dried and brushed her hair, allowing the lengthy waves to flow down her back unbound, then applied cosmetics and perfume to make her look and smell enticing. The exertions had fatigued her, but she reminded herself she had suffered a recent trauma.

  Jana went to a walk-in closet and selected a blue jumpsuit. Before donning it, however, she changed her mind and slipped into a flowing caftan-type garment in muted shades of blue, green, and lavender that matched her unusual eyes. She wanted to look appealing and to make what might happen between her and Varian easier to accomplish. The last time they had made love after her rescue had been glorious, but too short, their need for each other so urgent after the long and frightening separation. She was eager to kiss him, touch him, and to fuse her body with his. She wanted to dispel the lingering fears of his identity.

  As she looked for Varian or a servant, she smiled at the way the plush carpet—as soft as feathers and inches deep—almost covered her bare feet. The house was large, but its style made finding her way about easy. Beyond the hallway, she found herself in a huge, magnificent living area with sofas, chairs, tables, and decorative accessories. She was going to love living here as Varian’s wife. She didn’t know how he would disentangle her from her coerced marriage to Ryker, but she knew he would find a way. She was free, in love, and ecstatic. The soft music filling the room seemed to flow through her body and make her feel light-hearted and weightless. The domic ceiling had an enormous skylight that illuminated the peaceful setting, assisted by diffused lighting on the side walls. The controlled environment was just the right temperature. She twirled around and made herself dizzy. She sank to a sofa to rest. Surely her love would join her soon.

  As she wondered why the transascreens—alien windows— were all closed, she heard sounds behind her. She grinned, deciding it was for privacy on this special morning, and turned. Then she paled and trembled. It was Ine—Ryker’s household servant, an android she had seen only twice since her arrival. Jana gaped at the nonhuman being with yellow eyes and short light-brown hair. Other than lacking any facial expression and having been made with eyelids too wide open to be human, Ine looked real.

  “What are you doing here? Where am I?” she asked in confusion.

  “I am here to serve you, Dr. Triloni. You sit in the living room.”

  “I meant, where is this house? Who’s home is it?”

  “This dwelling is on the planetoid Darkar. It belongs to Ryker Triloni. Do you desire your meal served? Do you have a choice of food and drink?”

  Jana felt weak and faint. Her heart pounded. “This can’t be true.”

  “What cannot be true, Dr. Triloni? Your words do not compute. Explain, please. I am here to serve you. What is your desire?”

  “Where is … Ryker?” she asked the monotone android.

  “He is working in the complex. His orders are for yo
u to rest, eat, and heal. He will see you tomorrow. Do you desire to eat now?”

  “Yes, bring me a regular breakfast.” Jana wanted the … nonliving creature to be gone so she could think. She searched the room with wide eyes and a desperate urge to locate a telecom, a communications system with viewer screen. She saw none, and wouldn’t know how to operate it even if she did. How could she call for help or escape? She didn’t even see a television or radio with which to get news from outside.

  The android summoned her to a dining area to eat.

  “Thank you, Ine. That will be all for now,” Jana said, then abruptly commanded her to wait.

  Ine turned and stared blankly at her. “Do you have another order?”

  “How long have I been here? In Earth time.”

  “You have lived here for five weeks.”

  “How long have I been married to Ryker?”

  “For thirteen days.”

  Jana’s heart thudded forcefully, her breathing quickened, and her mouth seemed overly dry. She was stunned. “Have I been ill?”

  “You had Rahgine’s Fever for six days.”

  “When was the shuttle area repaired after Commander Saar’s attack?”

  “The shuttle area has not been attacked. No one attacks Darkar.”

  “How do you know the man calling himself Ryker is the real Ryker?”

  “Your question does not compute. Explain, please.”

  “Is it possible that the man who looks like and calls himself Ryker Triloni is an imposter?”

  “It is not possible. I am programmed to respond only to his voice commands. To be commanded by another would cause self-destruction.”

  Jana realized it was futile to question the android, who would only feed her the information she herself had been fed. “That’s all, Ine. Thank you.”

  “You are welcome, Dr. Triloni.”

  That disturbing conversation began a long and intimidating day. Between meals and rest periods, Jana roamed the sealed house to see what she could learn. The transascreen buttons would not respond when she pressed them, a fact she found odd. When she asked Ine to open them, the android said she was ordered to keep them closed and would not explain why. Nor would she tell Jana why the other areas of the house were sealed against her entering them. It seemed she was confined inside, to the living and sleeping areas. She looked at books, unable to read them because they were written in Androasian, Ryker’s native language. Though she had been taught Maffeian during and after her trek here, she found nothing around in that alien language. It was frustrating and alarming to be trapped in the oubliette; it reminded her of the secret dungeons in old castles with openings at the top, any means of escape far beyond her reach.

  While inspecting her private setting, she found the farewell gift Varian had given to her the day of her auction: the gold band with chrysoberyl gems that matched her eyes embedded in the braidwork. He had slipped it on her wedding-ring finger without awareness, he claimed later, of its significance to her culture. She had refused to accept it on the grounds it was too expensive and personal. On Eire, after her return from Draco, she had placed it on her finger. She had been taken from him while wearing it. Or, if this was reality, she had been wearing it when she had been given to Ryker. The dark prince had taken away the golden band when he married her, perhaps because he knew it connected her to his despised half brother. Why had the ring been returned then? Was it the alleged “Ryker"’s way of reminding her she actually belonged to him? Jana tucked the agonizing keepsake back into the velvet tray in the drawer and closed it.

  She wandered and reasoned until bedtime when her emotions felt drained and her body exhausted. Not once had “Ryker” come to see her or contacted her. If she had been so ill, why hadn’t he checked on her? Was this a scheme to give her time to accept his devious charade? Or did he need more time to study Ryker and Shara’s journals and videotapes to prevent slips?

  As she got into bed, she realized the insensate android had put something in her drink; she could hardly hold her eyes open.

  Jana heard movement in the adjoining room, revealed now that a privacy slide was open; it had gone unnoticed yesterday because it fit flush with the wall when closed. She glanced through an archway into another bedroom which was similar in colors and furnishings to the one she occupied. She didn’t see anyone, but heard the noise again. It was coming from around the corner, out of sight from her position. Jana eased from the bed to creep barefoot and soundless toward the entryway to see who was there, praying it was Varian and the delusions would be over.

  She took a sharp intake of air and halted one step into the room. She paled and trembled. Her presence and reaction caused the man at the desk to turn her way: Ryker Triloni smiled and came toward her.

  “I see you’re finally awake, Jana of Earth. I hope you rested well yesterday. Ine was ordered to keep a close watch on you and to summon me if there was a problem. I had delicate formulas in progress and couldn’t leave the lab. Did you miss me as much as I missed you?”

  Jana stared at him. She didn’t know what to say or do.

  “Come and sit down. You’re still pale. That will pass soon. All of your vital functions and body chemistry were back to normal when I checked you last night. I’ll order our breakfast.”

  Jana let him guide her to a short sofa in his bedroom. She sank to it, in need of its support. “I was drugged by that android,” she told him in a shaky voice.

  “Medicine to help you sleep and heal, nothing more.”

  “I didn’t know where I was. I …”

  “Don’t let it worry you, Jana. I’m sure everything will come back to you soon. If not, we’ll make new memories. I thought you’d be more comfortable in your room, so I moved you back to the house after you finished your last infusion. How do you feel this morning? Better, I hope.”

  “An instant and miraculous cure for someone at death’s door for days,” she said sarcastically.

  When he didn’t respond, she asked, “Why am I in the house now? You always kept me locked in the complex suite.”

  “You moved in next to me the day I returned from conducting my business. We agreed it would help us get acquainted better. You stayed in there until you became ill. I had to move you to the complex for treatment.”

  No, this can’t be true. “I don’t remember anything since we married and you left the same day. This is all so confusing and frightening.” She wanted to flee from him when he sat close to her. He exuded such immense power and raw sensuality. He seemed so masculine, yet surprisingly gentle. His physique was sleek and agile, evinced by his snug dove-gray jumpsuit in body-molding material. His posture and expression displayed confidence and self-control. His body was so like Varian’s, as were his strong and arresting features. It must be that familiarity that drew her to him, caused her to doubt his identity.

  “You have nothing to fear, Jana,” he answered her, “I know the first time we met, you thought I was a monster, but truly I’m not. I’m sorry you can’t remember the many days we spent together when I convinced you otherwise.”

  “So am I.” If so, I’d know if they really took place! Yet, he had been making notes with his right hand when she spied the blond alien at his desk. If it had been Varian, he would have been using the left, unless he had heard her! “What did your mistress have to say about me replacing her in there?”

  He chuckled and grinned. “I don’t have one now and didn’t have one when I made that statement to you. I said it to make you feel more relaxed around me, feel as if any pressure in that direction didn’t exist. The fact is, I’ve craved you since the first moment my eyes and hands touched on you locked inside that cage Cass delivered you in. I believe she said you were a gift that would please me immensely, and you have. ‘A gift of golden intrigue and bliss, an exquisite bird to sing you to sleep at night’ was how she put it. I should have wrung her neck for subjecting you to such anguish and humiliation, but I didn’t know you then. To me, you were only a taunt from my h
alf brother, perhaps a spy sent to steal my secrets or slay me after you’d enchanted me into a sense of false dreams.”

  “Canissia Garthon is a vile and hateful creature. How can you be friends with a malicious and conniving witch like her?”

  “Never in an eon, Jana of Earth. Cass has no friends. She has lovers and reluctant allies and people who want things from her, but nothing more. She blames others for her faults and miseries and defeats. She’s never done anything worthwhile, as you have. She lives only for physical pleasures. She doesn’t care whom she hurts or uses to get her way. She’s vain and spoiled. She’s always craved Varian because she couldn’t win him. She even chased me for a while. She’s perverted and sadistic, evil to her black soul, if she has one. In a word, she’s repulsive. I merely tolerate her to obtain facts she gleans from her father, Supreme Councilman Segall. She’s also a customer for some of my most expensive products. Frankly I can do without her business and her irritating visits but not her valuable information.”

  “She hated me from the first moment she saw my promotion for the auction,” Jana told him. “She was jealous of me when there was no cause to be: one of the richest and most beautiful and powerful women of your world envious of a mere slave who had no rights here; a woman who can come and go as she pleases on her own star cruiser unsettled by a. prisoner who would be confined to one place and one man! That’s foolish and petty. She took devilish delight in getting me out of her territory. It wasn’t her right to transport me here. And it was wrong how the matter was carried out in secret. She dearly enjoyed playing Varian’s messages to me about his vile behavior … Are they married yet?”