by Lucia Ashta
Just in the last eternal-feeling days since I first set out to do a mind merge with the mighty King Oderon, I’d gotten through a force field, dissolved crystalline handcuffs, explored the King’s memories (and barely survived them), and brought Ilara over from Planet Sand to Origins without a transport machine—all things the people of O believed to be impossible.
So if Dolpheus and I were pioneers in the understanding that the only true limitations we had were those we believed we had, could I really deny the possibility that what Aletox said might be true?
I didn’t know if there were parallel worlds in which the same human beings existed, nearly identical replicas of one another. I likewise didn’t know if it was possible for there to be multiple dimensions that mirrored each other so closely as to be virtual holograms.
The only thing I did know was that I didn’t share the same definition of ‘impossible’ as most people. And yet, I desperately wanted what Aletox said to be one of those rare, truly impossible things. I wanted—needed—the Ilara in my arms to be the very same one I’d learned to love in a way I didn’t realize I could.
“Does she have a total lack of memory?” Aletox asked of me as if he couldn’t ask Ilara directly. “Or does she possess some recall of who she is?”
I didn’t want to say it. I really didn’t. But in the end, what could denying the truth do but confuse matters more? A soldier all my life, I was used to squaring my chest toward those things I didn’t particularly feel like doing and doing them all the same.
“She remembers nothing of her life as the princess. She remembers only her time upon Planet Sand, a place she calls Earth.” I thought I did a good job of keeping the sinking dread from showing in my voice. The Princess Ilara would never allow Aletox and me to speak of her like this, as if she weren’t present. The princess spoke for herself. Always.
“Then I think the conclusion you should take from this, until we can prove otherwise, is that the woman you hold in your arms comes from another world, not this one. And the princess is still out there somewhere.”
I entertained a series of thoughts to avoid facing the reality of what Aletox’s words might mean. First, there was no we. Even if what Aletox said were true and not one of his schemes to manipulate people and circumstances, he was not a part of anything important in my life. Nor would he ever be. I didn’t give a shit if he really was my father. I had no use for those kinds of fathers.
Second, how the fuck did Aletox know I’d brought Ilara over from another planet when I’d told no one of it but the companions that surrounded me, whom I trusted implicitly? Well, maybe not Lila, but she’d had little opportunity or motive to deceive us. So if neither Lila nor Dolpheus nor Kai told Aletox, then how did he know? The fucking birdie Billius didn’t know to tell Aletox through his sneaked comm.
Of course, this could only mean that Aletox had already known that Ilara hailed from another world or, at the very least, that parallel, identical versions of human beings existed in other dimensions. And this was perturbing as it lent validity to what he said. Also, it made me question how he knew this and for what reason. Because people like Aletox always had a reason for any secret they kept: to wield it someday.
Third, Aletox’s arrival and subsequent confrontation with a reality I had no desire to accept put both the Ilara I held in danger and, if the princess truly was a different woman than this one, then it also placed the princess in harm’s way. I couldn’t accept either of these situations. I’d protect Ilara—any Ilara—with my life if I had to, and that loyalty had nothing to do with her royalty.
If all these people that surrounded us—tribespeople and royal guards—apart from my immediate companions and Aletox, now realized the princess might very well be on a different planet, any of them could attempt to locate her and put an end to the Andaron Dynasty through her demise. Of course, the main people both capable of doing this and potentially desirous of this were the two possibilities for my father. Both Aletox and Brachius possessed the genius, the skill, and the wealth and power to locate and subsequently retrieve the true Ilara.
But the Royal Guard could cause problems if any of them, like the birdie Billius, talked. As Ilara had already revealed she was the princess, while we’d believed she was, then it seemed a strategic necessity to continue the ruse until we could figure out what the hell to do about this mess.
The Royal Guard would undoubtedly spread the news in its entirety if we did nothing to prevent it. I actually trusted the tribespeople more than the Guard, which was sworn to protect the royal family. Yet another indication of the insidious pervasiveness of corruption on O. I could trust no one unless they proved themselves worthy of that trust.
I’d already done bindings with the kidnap victims we were returning after sparing them from the Dark Warriors or whoever their aggressors had actually been. It seemed we weren’t going anywhere just yet. We’d have to bind everyone, including, and most especially, Aletox. Would he agree to it?
Lastly, my heart wrenched uncomfortably at the thought of the woman I’d made love to just hours before. How was she feeling? What might it be like to discover you weren’t the person everyone hoped you to be, even the man who held you in his arms shortly after telling you he loved you?
If Aletox’s revelation felt a bit like he was ripping my beating heart from my chest, I could only imagine how it must feel for her. It was seeming more possible by the second that I’d torn her from the world she actually belonged in and brought her here… to an uncertain future rife with danger.
I didn’t know precisely what to think anymore, but I did know I wanted the Ilara pressed against me to know I was still with her. I was still the man who loved her. I would still do anything for her.
I pressed my lips to the crown of her head which shone in the rising Suxle Sun. I wanted all to see that I still believed in this woman, no matter what version of the woman she might be.
Every single set of eyes in that vale followed my mouth as it pronounced my love and loyalty.
But my eyes remained on Aletox, the man I would never trust.
A NOTE TO READERS
Thank you for reading and allowing me to take you on this adventure. Creating magical, exciting stories is one of my great passions, but it wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding if I didn’t have anyone to share them with. That you give your time and attention to the worlds I’ve created means so much to me, and I appreciate every single one of you.
If you enjoyed this story, will you please consider helping other readers find out about it? There are many easy ways to do this, here are two. You could:
Tell a friend (or better yet, several), in person or social media.
Write a review on Amazon (or Goodreads). The more strong reviews my book has, the more likely it is that a new reader will take a chance on it. And great reviews often make me do funny celebratory dances, because knowing someone enjoyed my writing makes me that happy.
Again, thank you! I wish you blessings on your journey, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a magical day.
Lucía
TITLES BY LUCÍA ASHTA
THE WITCHING WORLD
(YA fantasy)
Magic Awakens
The Five-Petal Knot
The Merqueen
The Witching World Omnibus, Books 1-3
The Ginger Cat
The Scarlet Dragon *
Spirit of a Spell *
PLANET ORIGINS
(Space fantasy)
Planet Origins
Original Elements
Holographic Princess
Purple Worlds
Mowab Rider *
Planet Sand *
THE LIGHT WARRIORS
(Visionary fantasy)
Beyond Sedona *
Beyond Prophecy *
Beyond Amber *
The Prophecy of Arnaka
The Secret of Namana
A Betrayal of Time
Whispers of Pachamama
“Daughte
r of the Wind”
(* coming soon)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lucía Ashta, a former attorney and architect, is an Argentinian-American author who lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, and she’s been at it ever since.
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Lucía on the web:
@LuciaAshta
authorluciaashta
LuciaAshta.com
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Purple Worlds
Purple Worlds Preview
A Note to Readers
Titles by Lucía Ashta
About the Author