A Royal Engagement (Enchanted Galaxy Series Book 1)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He turned from her, but she grabbed his good arm. “Be careful. It’s chaos out there.”

  She expected him to nod and run off to do the hero thing, but he cupped her face in his hands again and kissed her. The action was so unexpected, she didn’t have time to react.

  “I will,” he whispered before he ran toward the Alpha Head I building.

  She stared after him. Did he really just kiss her?

  “Thank goodness you’re safe!”

  She spun around and saw Zeus. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks to you and your thunderbolt.”

  “We must get you to the ship at once,” he said.

  She nodded and looked for Paff, Halima and Cem to see what they were going to do, but they were already gone with the other Palers and Laxes who were running through the city. A gunshot buzzed past her, spurring her to action.

  “Follow me,” Zeus said.

  He didn’t need to tell her twice! She bolted with him across the open field, if white sand could be considered a field. Behind them, the guards were shooting at her, and for reasons she couldn’t explain, she managed to dodge each bullet. Either they were lousy shots or she was incredibly lucky. Whatever the case, she wasn’t going to complain.

  By the time they reached the nearest building, she thought she was going to pass out. No wonder she didn’t do so hot in gym class. She wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing. When they got into the building, Zeus locked the door and she collapsed against it.

  She glanced at Zeus and saw that he was breathing normally. No one would guess he’d just been in the same perilous race that she had been in. He hadn’t even broken into a sweat! She told herself it was because he was immortal, but that did little to make her feel better. She was supposed to be the queen of Raz. Surely, the queen should be able to manage a run across a vacant field while nearly being shot without feeling like she was going to pass out.

  “Where is your betrothed?” Zeus asked. “He was with you in the Great Prison.”

  When she could talk, she managed, “Hathor went to get the Book of Spells. Leader Seta has it.”

  “I’m sure Athena and Apollo have tracked him down by now. But just in case, we should look for him. Do you feel up to it? I know this has been a trying experience for you.”

  “I want to make sure Hathor and the Book of Spells get back to Raz.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Nodding, she took a deep breath and hurried down the empty hall with him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alpha Head I

  Planet: Pale

  Hathor’s head was spinning. He was losing too much blood. He needed medical attention, but he had to get the Book of Spells first.

  He reached the corridor that would take him to the leader’s office with little resistance. Given the chaos that was ensuing because of the fallen Great Prison, he wasn’t surprised, but he had expected the Palers to have better security in their main headquarters. Perhaps the Laxy Rebellion had diminished the number of Palers on the planet. Without food, some would be dying off.

  Right before he reached the corridor door, he took a deep breath, hoping it would help him better focus on his task. On the floor not too far from him was a gun. He hurried to grab it, only realizing his mistake too late when he lost his balance and stumbled back against a wall.

  “Take it easy,” he whispered.

  He could do this. He would do this. He had to get the Book of Spells. Now that Zeus was taking Ann to the spaceship, the book was the only thing keeping them on Pale. He released his breath and waited until the hall stopped spinning around him before he stepped away from the wall.

  Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he gripped the gun then proceeded forward. Just one shot. One good shot and Leader Seta would be taken care of. Then Raz would be safe. He turned the knob on the leader’s office door and opened it a crack.

  “What do you mean Hathor and Ann have escaped?” Seta demanded into the phone. “I don’t care how powerful Zeus’ thunderbolt is! You must find the new queen and kill her. If you want to let Hathor run amok, then fine. We don’t need him.” She slammed the phone down and shook her head. “Incompetent guards.”

  She stepped around the desk and looked out the window. Since her back was turned to him, Hathor slipped into the room.

  “I know! I’ll use that Book of Spells to summon her,” Seta said as she headed for the book on her desk.

  Hathor raised the gun and fired at her. Unfortunately, her reflexes were too fast. She jumped onto the desk. He shot again, but she leapt in his direction and kicked the gun out of his hand. Then she shoved him across the room, and he slid to the opposite wall. He opened his eyes, but the room was tilting around him.

  “I’ll take care of you. Then I’ll get your queen,” Seta sneered.

  “Not so fast, Leader.”

  Seta turned around, and Athena stood behind her, an owl on her shoulder.

  Seta rolled her eyes. “Can’t you see I’m working?”

  “I’m here for Hathor and the Book of Spells,” Athena told her. “Either you give that book to me, or I’m going to force it from you.”

  She ran to her desk and clutched the book to her chest. “Force.”

  “As you wish.”

  Athena gestured to the owl, and the bird doubled its original size. The owl flew toward Seta. Seta dodged the owl, but Athena jumped in and struck Seta across the face. Seta raised her fists to fight back, and in the process, she let go of the book. The owl swooped in, grabbed the book, and flew out the window.

  “You Palers are always quick to fight but slow to form a strategy,” Athena taunted.

  Seta growled and went after Athena.

  Hathor found the gun close to him on the floor. He struggled to reach for it but collapsed before he could get it.

  ***

  Ann followed Zeus down the deserted hallway that led to the leader’s office.

  “Stop!”

  Ann glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the Paler guards pursuing them.

  “Keep going,” Zeus told her and got behind her so he could help block the gunshots.

  “I said stop!” the guard shouted.

  Who in their right mind would stop while someone was trying to kill them? She picked up her pace and shuddered every time the guard fired another gunshot. This whole thing of running from certain death wasn’t just frightening, it was starting to get downright annoying.

  Ann finally made it to the open door of the leader’s office. The first thing she noticed was Seta and Athena fighting. But then she saw Hathor lying unconscious, fresh blood from his wound staining the floor beneath him. She snatched the gun then knelt beside him.

  Tapping his face, she asked, “Hathor? Hathor? Wake up.”

  “Don’t move!” the guard ordered.

  Ann’s head shot up in time to see the guard aiming his gun at her. Without thinking, she raised her gun and fired. He gasped and fell to the floor, dead. She dropped the gun, shocked that she’d actually shot him.

  “Good shot,” Athena said, her eyebrows raised in approval.

  Seta glared at her. “This isn’t over.”

  Before Zeus or Athena could stop her, Seta ran out of the room. Zeus started to pursue her, but Athena stopped him. “We need to get Hathor to the ship. If we don’t, he might die. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  He might die? Ann stood up as Zeus lifted him. Her gaze went to Hathor. In all the time she’d known him, he seemed invincible, as if nothing could hurt him. But he was just as human as she was. And that made him just as vulnerable, despite all his bravado. She wondered if he’d ever almost died on any of his other adventures as the queen’s protector.

  “The shock will wear off soon,” Athena told her as she took Ann by the arm and led her down the hall after Zeus. “You had to defend Hathor, as well as yourself. You had no choice but to use the gun.”

  Ann swallowed. “Is it that obvious I never used a gun before?”

  She shrugged. “Only to a
nyone who is a careful observer.”

  “I didn’t enjoy using it.”

  “I know. It’s a necessary evil. If you don’t defend yourself, your planet will die. Self-defense isn’t murder.”

  “Yeah, I know.” But it was still hard to know she’d taken someone’s life.

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Athena continued as they left the building, “but Seta wasn’t bluffing. She hasn’t given up.”

  “You’re telling me she’s going to find another way to stop me from getting to Raz?”

  “No, you’ll get to Raz. It’s just that once you’re there, you’ll have to face her again.”

  Ann shook her head. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I was on Earth when Hathor came and got me. It makes no sense that I was picked to be the queen of Raz. Wouldn’t the planet be better off choosing a woman who was in the military and knew how to fight?”

  Athena smiled. “There are no mistakes. You were selected because you are the right woman. There is something only you can do.”

  “I don’t know what that something can possibly be.”

  “It might not be something you discover right away. It may even be years before you figure out why you were picked. But you will come to realize that you’re the only woman who is fit to rule Raz at this point in time.”

  Maybe. Maybe not. Ann followed the others on the spaceship and took a seat while Zeus carried Hathor to another room. She placed her face in her hands. She really wished this was all a crazy dream and she’d wake up back on Earth, safe in bed. Her life might have been boring, but she didn’t need to kill anyone in order to stay alive. She released her breath, afraid of what challenge was going to come up next.

  ***

  Hathor stirred on something soft. His eyebrows furrowed as he touched the surface under him. It was supposed to be the floor of the Paler’s office, but instead, it was a bed. He opened his eyes, squinting at the light. After a moment, his vision adjusted to his surroundings, and he realized he was in a small room on the Olympians’ spaceship.

  He sat up, surprised by the lack of pain in his shoulder. He moved his arm, and everything felt normal. It was as if he’d never been wounded.

  But he didn’t remember how he ended up here. The last thing he remembered, he was going to the leader’s office and trying to get the Book of Spells. And now he was here.

  The door opened and Ann came into the room. She let out a sigh of relief and hurried over to him. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. “Did we leave Pale?”

  “Yes. And I don’t want to ever go back there again.”

  He chuckled. “Did the Palers make that bad of an impression?”

  She grimaced. “I won’t justify that question with a response, though I will admit the Paler we met in the Great Prison wasn’t so bad.”

  “As a rule, Palers are violent, but there are exceptions.”

  She nodded. “I’ll take your word for it. Hey, don’t worry. We got the Book of Spells.”

  “We got it?”

  “Well, Athena’s owl got it. It was crazy. You were unconscious on the floor. Athena was fighting Seta. Zeus and I were being chased by one of the prison guards.” She paused and sat beside him. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

  “There have been times when I’ve had to in order to protect my mother, but it hasn’t been often.”

  “Was it hard to get over? I mean, did you feel any guilt or was it just business as usual?”

  “It was hard. It’s always hard. I don’t do it unless I absolutely have to. Why?”

  She released her breath and turned to face him. “While I was there, the guard was going to kill us so I shot him. I had no idea I was even capable of—”

  “Wait,” he interrupted, hoping he hadn’t heard her right. “You killed the guard?”

  “I had to. He had a gun pointed at us.” She paused. “Did I do the wrong thing?”

  “No. You did what you had to do. He would have killed both of us if you hadn’t stopped him.” And now he had no claim to marry her. But what could she have done? The situation required her to stand up and do something, so she did it. It was the kind of thing queens did. Forcing a smile, he patted her on the shoulder. “I know it’s not easy to kill someone, and just because I tell you that you had no choice, it doesn’t take the shock away. But I promise that you’ll feel better. The longer you’re called to defend Raz, the more you’ll understand sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always pleasant.”

  “Being a queen or even the king doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”

  “With the position comes great responsibility.”

  The door opened and Athena entered the room. “Excuse me for interrupting, but dinner is ready.”

  “Great. I’m starved.” Ann stood up and looked at Hathor. “Are you coming?”

  He shook his head. “No, I better get my rest.” Since she didn’t seem convinced, he settled back on the bed. “I feel better, but I’m not a hundred percent.”

  “He’s right,” Athena replied. “The medicine we gave him is still working. He should be back to his old self by the time we get to Raz.”

  “Well,” Ann glanced back at him and he nodded, “alright.”

  When Ann left, he was alone in the room. He sat back up and ran his hand through his hair. He tried not to dwell on his failure, but it was hard, especially after having gotten to know Ann. It would have been easier if he didn’t know how much fun she was to be around. But he did know, and it would make it that much harder to watch her marry William. It was probably better this way. If it was painful to let her go after he shared a few days and a kiss with her, it’d be much worse after a couple years.

  He stared at the door, wishing it’d open and she’d come back in to reassure him that she’d still marry him, that she’d at least give him a chance. But she never came back into the room. And all he had was the bittersweet memory of their kiss.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alpha Head I

  Planet: Pale

  Seta returned to her office once it was safe. The Olympians were remarkably strong, something she was loath to admit.

  She sat down in her chair and crossed her arms. She’d had Hathor and the next queen in the palm of her hand. But they escaped. And worse, the Great Prison was destroyed and all the prisoners were running wild all over the main city. She hoped her guards would round them up in a timely manner. This chaos was the last thing they needed!

  “Leader Seta, I’d like permission to speak with you,” First Commander Jaz said as she entered the room.

  “Permission granted.”

  Jaz sat across from Seta and showed her a small chip, which sparkled in the light. “I found this in the midst of the destruction.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s the Main Control Chip. I don’t know anything about it.”

  Straightening in her chair, Seta focused on her. “Do you know what the White Terror is? Some of the prisoners have been screaming about it as they run through the streets.”

  “I think at one time I did, but not anymore.”

  Seta shook her head and tapped her fingers on the desk. “No doubt Omin had something to do with it.”

  “I have good news.”

  “I could use some.”

  “The Lax you wanted the guards to inject was a prominent member of the Laxy Rebellion,” Jaz said. “In fact, he’s friends with the leader. He goes by the name Cem. One of the guards said they saw Cem and Paff escaping the prison with a female Paler. Despite their efforts, none of the guards have been able to find them. My guess is they went to the core of the Laxy Rebellion.”

  “With the injection,” Seta began, “we can find out where the Laxy Rebellion is.”

  “Unfortunately, Cem didn’t get the injection.”

  “That doesn’t sound like good news to me.”

  “The needle injected the next queen of Raz instead.”

  At this news, Seta
’s ears perked up. “It did?”

  “Yes, and it gathered all the information about her. Her DNA, her memories, her personality… It’s everything you need to know and more.”

  A smile slowly spread across Seta’s face. “Excellent.”

  “And better yet,” Jaz began, “she has a weakness, something that ties her back to Earth.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s not an ‘it’. It’s a ‘who’. His name is William Nichols. If anyone can convince her to give up Raz and return to Earth, it’s him.”

  Seta ran her fingers along the smooth, cool edge of her desk. If she could get the next queen to stay on Earth, that would make her job a whole lot easier…and far less messy. “Bring in her information.”

  “Right away,” Jaz replied and hurried out of the office.

  ***

  Underground

  Planet: Pale

  Paff followed Cem and Halima into a dark tunnel.

  “This is a new passage,” Cem told him. “The Palers destroyed the old one.”

  “Where does this go?” Paff asked, wrapping his arm around Halima’s waist when she tripped.

  “The Laxy Rebellion.”

  A blue light came into view up ahead, making their trek easier. The passage ended at a large circular room where a couple hundred Laxes and about fifty Palers were gathered. Paff couldn’t believe it. Laxes and Palers were together, and more surprising than that, they were getting along. In the middle of the room was a blue glowing crystal in the shape of a star, mounted on display.

  “The crystal is the source of their energy,” Cem explained as he motioned to the Laxes.

  “So this star is how the Laxes got the energy to rebel?” Paff wondered as he stared at it.

  “It is. And it also sustains Palers, but this is a limited resource. It can’t feed all Palers, and it can’t shine its light forever. This is a temporary solution.”

  Paff glanced at Halima who had settled down. Just being near it had a calming affect on her. “Then we should get more crystals. Then this whole thing can end, and Raz will be safe.”