The doors slid open.
"That one,” Tres said, pointing to the one nearest the shielded opening that led to space. Vegan fighter vessels were small but fast. It would carry them out of here quickly and he could easily make it through the barrier before they had a chance to stop him.
They ran towards it and were under fire the moment they came out from between some stacks of cargo. Tres unfurled his wings, wrapping them around Renie in an effort to protect her as he dodged and ducked, avoiding the shots. They would only stun him, but he had to see her to safety. He couldn't let Vega ransom her and her brother. The consequences if it should happen were too terrible to imagine. He couldn't allow another war to start.
The fighter door was open.
Tres looked over his shoulder at Rezic as he returned fire, covering them. In the distance, twenty soldiers stalked towards them and were closing in fast. They wouldn't have time to get out before the soldiers reached the ship.
He looked down at Renie.
He had to protect her.
Pressing a kiss to her lips, he silently promised to see her safely out of the Black Zone. Whatever it took, he would do it. He would kill every soldier on the ship if he had to.
He would protect her.
"Rezic,” he said and her brother moved backwards towards him. In the shadow of the wings of the fighter, Rezic turned to face him. Tres held Renie out to him. “Take her and get out of here."
"What about you?” Rezic said as he dropped the rifle and took Renie.
"I am unimportant. Take her. I will hold them off while you escape."
"But—"
"Take her!” Tres snapped and flung his arm towards the fighter's door. “Now. Get out of here."
Rezic stared at him and then walked past him towards the ship.
"Rezic,” Tres said and Rezic looked back at him. Tres frowned at Renie, wishing it didn't have to be this way. She had given him the courage to do what was right though and he had to go through with it, even if it meant he never saw her again. He looked at her brother. His brow furrowed. “Take care of her."
Rezic nodded and went into the ship. The door closed and Tres stepped out from the path of the fighter. He stared at the approaching soldiers. The small vessel's engines fired.
Tres took hold of his rifle and aimed it at the soldiers.
The ship shot past him towards the shield.
He looked down the sight of the rifle.
"I will not let you near her."
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Chapter 8
Someone was stroking her forehead. The motion was soothing, comforting and warming. It lifted the strange black haze from her mind and called her up from the dark depths towards a lighter world. A male voice whispered words to her, encouragement, tenderness, and everything that made her feel safe.
"Tres?” Renie whispered sleepily and opened her eyes. The man slowly came into focus. She frowned. “Rezic?"
She looked around them at the small bunk she was laying on and the empty one opposite. The ship wasn't familiar. It was dark and definitely not the one she and her brother owned.
"Where's Tres?” She had expected it to be him comforting her, sitting with her, not her brother. The cramped quarters and unfamiliar surroundings had to mean they were off the large Vegan ship and on a smaller one. Perhaps Tres was busy flying it. He would want to know she was conscious, although her head was killing her.
"Renie,” her brother said in such a solemn tone that her heart clenched and she grabbed his arm.
"Where is he? Is he hurt?"
Was he dead? She couldn't bring herself to ask that question for fear of his answer.
Rezic continued to calmly stroke her forehead.
"The docking bay was crawling with soldiers,” he said and took hold of her hand, peeling it away from his arm. He held it. “He told me to take you and leave. He fought the soldiers to give us a chance to escape."
"No!” Renie said and pushed him away. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring her spinning head and the way her vision wobbled, and ran blindly forward. “We have to go back for him."
She made it a few paces before Rezic caught her arm. She collapsed backwards into him as her knees gave out.
"You're in no condition to be moving around.” He picked her up and she rained her fists down on his shoulders, trying to make him let her go.
"Rezic ... please ... we have to go back.” She gave up when her head ached and white spots danced across her vision. Slumping with her head against his shoulder, she furrowed her brow. Tears gathered and tumbled from her lashes, hot against her cold skin. They reminded her of Tres, of how cool he was to the touch compared to her. “We have to."
"We're no match for them,” Rezic said and held her. She sobbed into his neck and her throat constricted with her tears, making it impossible to speak. He rubbed her back. “Perhaps when we meet up with father's ship—"
"Father's ship!” It lit a spark of hope inside her that chased away her sadness. Pushing herself up, she looked at her brother. “He'll come on the Nexus-Lyra, won't he?"
Rezic nodded.
The Nexus-Lyra was one of the biggest ships in the entire Lyran Imperial Army fleet. Her father, General Lyra II, commanded it. She was sure it was as big, if not bigger than the Vegan ship had been. When they met up with it, she could convince her father to return to the Black Zone with her and rescue Tres.
"How long have I been unconscious?” she said and Rezic sat her back down on the bunk. She stayed there, knowing from his unimpressed look that attempting to leave it again would be unwise. Not only would it anger him, but she would only end up falling flat on her backside. Her head was still spinning after all and she really was in no condition to be running around.
Not even when she wanted to.
She had to get back to Tres and help him out. She wasn't sure what would happen to him. The guards had evidently stunned her. Would they stun him too or would they kill him?
She prayed to Iskara that they would only stun him.
"Over a day,” Rezic said and her heart dropped. “We have been in sub-space for much of that. This ship is little and fast."
"How fast?” she said, desperate to hear that her father's ship wasn't far away. She had been asleep for over a day. Anything could have happened to Tres in that time.
"Fast enough that the computer picked up a Lyran vessel within two hundred thousand leagues around an hour ago.” Rezic crouched down in front of her and held her hands. “Don't worry Renie. I'm sure that Tres survived. The Vegans didn't seem to want to kill us ... but when you were hurt ... Tres killed the guards."
Her eyes grew wide. “He killed them?"
Her brother nodded.
Had it been some kind of reaction to seeing her hurt, some desire to get revenge and protect her? Her heart warmed at that thought. He had promised to protect her. He had protected her. He had helped her escape but at what price?
"Rezic?” Renie said, her eyes filling with tears again. He pulled her into his arms and held her, rubbing her back. “I need father."
The moment Rezic released her, she stood and stumbled along the narrow corridor. Rezic caught her again and she thought he was going to make her sit back down. Instead, he turned her around.
"As usual, you're going the wrong way."
Renie gave him a grateful smile and held on to the wall as she walked. Her legs were feeling better but her head was still a riot of pain and her vision wobbled if she moved too fast.
The door at the end of the corridor opened to reveal a small bridge. Everything was made of dark metal edged with silver. She looked around, wishing she knew how to read Vegan.
"I think this is what you're looking for,” Rezic said and she turned to see him pointing at something.
She pressed the small square patch on the display.
The room filled with a hissing sound. It was promising.
"This is Renie Lyra calling for assistance."
She waited
. Rezic came and stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder. She looked out of the front window of the small ship at the infinite space. There was no sign of a ship.
"This is Renie Lyra and Lyra V, calling for assistance. Any Lyran vessel in the vicinity, please respond."
A crackling noise made her heart jump.
"This is General Lyra II. I have your coordinates. We will be with you shortly.” A pause. “You do not know how good it is to hear your voice."
Tears streaked Renie's cheeks. She knew how good it felt.
* * * *
Renie raced through the Nexus-Lyra. The moment Rezic had landed the ship, she had bolted out of the door. She dodged past the crew walking along the corridors and burst onto the bridge.
"Father!” she said.
He turned, his smile wide and his arms opening to her. She ran down the steps to where he stood at the helm of the ship and threw herself into his arms.
"Renie,” he whispered and held her tight. “Is Rezic safe?"
She nodded, unable to speak. It felt so good to be back on a Lyran vessel and with her father.
"We have to go back,” she said and he peeled her off him.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Go back?” he said with an air of incredulity, his handsome face a mask of confusion. “I have just got you back. I am not going to go anywhere near Vegan space."
"Please!” She pulled on his arms. “We have to go back."
The door to the bridge opened again and Rezic strolled in.
"Do you know what she's talking about?” her father said with a frown, his black eyebrows knitting tight above equally dark eyes. “She's asking me to go back to the Black Zone."
Rezic stopped beside her. “A male, a Vegan, helped us escape. He was going to come with us but stayed to fight the Vegans and give us a chance to get away. Renie desires to go back for him."
"Does she?” her father said and looked down at her. “You want to return to the Black Zone for a Vegan?"
Renie swallowed. It didn't sound good when he said it like that. She knew that having feelings for a Vegan would always be taboo, but her family were judging Tres before they really knew him. Her father especially and he wasn't one to talk. He had fallen for a Terran, the one species that definitely had a grudge against Lyra and the royal family since it had destroyed their system.
"Please?” She pulled on his arms again and gave him her best pout. She hated to resort to such female tactics but she could see he wasn't going to budge on his decision unless she gave it her all.
"No,” he said and removed her hands from his arms.
His eyebrows gathered into a frown and his eyes narrowed.
"I will not take you near that area of space."
Her heart sank.
"Father—” Rezic started but an alarm sounded, cutting him off.
Suddenly, the entire bridge was alive with activity. All fifteen crewmembers bustled around, rushing from one station to the next while her father stood in the middle of it behind the pilot.
"What's happening?” she said and rushed to his side.
"We've detected something, General,” a man to her right said.
"A vessel?” her father said.
"Impossible to say. It doesn't seem to be visible in any direction."
"Details!” Her father moved near the front screen of the bridge. “Give me a sweep of space now."
The screen displayed the empty space around them.
"It's large, sir,” a female officer near the back called out.
"Coming straight for us,” another said.
Renie's heart pounded. What was it?
She moved to Rezic and he placed his arm around her. The feel of it was comforting but didn't alleviate her fear.
"On screen!” her father growled.
The space on the screen changed but there was still nothing there.
Then a bright blue light burst across it and suddenly there was a ship. It was enormous, and silver and yellow. The sight of it made her shudder.
"The Vegans,” she whispered and her father looked at her.
"Ready weapons,” he shouted and then turned back to face the vessel on the screen.
"Incoming communication,” someone near her left said.
"Open a channel."
Renie swallowed, fear making her heart pound as she waited. She kept telling herself that they wouldn't have killed Tres and that they wouldn't be able to take her away from her father again. She was safe on this ship and they would find a way to rescue Tres from them.
"Nexus-Lyra, stand down your weapons,” a male voice said.
Her father grinned. She knew he would never follow an order like that.
"Ready weapons and fire on my mark,” he said.
"Nexus-Lyra. I have no intention of fighting you. Stand down."
Her heart leapt into her throat.
It couldn't be.
Her father raised his hand and she ran at him, grabbed his arm and held it tight.
"This is Renie Lyra, stand down all weapons. Disengage!"
Her father pulled his arm free and glared at her.
"What in Iskara's name do you think you are doing?” he said, still frowning.
Now she knew where Rezic had got his unimpressed look. When her father frowned like that, they looked incredibly similar—handsome, with black hair and eyes like pools of midnight.
"Put the Vegan commander on screen!” she said, ignoring him and turning to face the screen.
The display flickered and changed to reveal the person on the other ship.
Tres.
He looked different. He had tied his hair back and his clothes had changed. She could see he was still wearing his thermal suit but he wore a tight dark blue thick collarless jacket over it. It was edged and decorated around his neck with silver. Across his chest was a silver sash. She couldn't see anything below his elbows.
Something else was different too.
He seemed to be in command of the ship.
"General Lyra II, I have not come to rekindle a long dead war between our species,” he said.
Renie went to step forwards but her father moved in front of her and held his arm out, blocking her path.
"Prince Tres Vega XVI, I have no desire to fight you. Turn your ship around and leave Lyran space. You are in direct violation of the Treaty of Espacia,” her father said.
She stared at Tres. A prince? Not just a Vegan but a prince of Vega.
Tres shook his head.
"Fire upon us if you must, but I will not leave here without her.” Tres looked at her. “You will have to kill me."
"Tres,” she whispered and stepped around her father. She held her hand up to him and Tres smiled at her. “Why didn't you tell me? Why were you in the cells?"
He looked down and frowned. “I was placed there for attempting to leave Vegan space. As heir prince of the Vegan Empire, I am not allowed to leave the Black Zone. No prince of Vegan blood is allowed to enter this space. The treaty forbids it. I wished to experience this side of the barrier but my attempt failed, and then you came to me and made me see that on this side, things are ... lighter ... and beautiful ... and that I had a duty to Vega to lead it into a new era where our side of the barrier would no longer be something to fear."
She could feel her father staring. In fact, she could feel most of the bridge staring at her.
"But you're here now,” she said.
"I no longer care about the treaty,” Tres said. “I will risk capture and imprisonment for the sake of seeing you again."
"Hang on a minute! Is this who you wanted me to go back for?” her father snapped and she looked at him and nodded. He glared at Tres. “What is the meaning of this?"
"I wish to marry your daughter. To do so, I am willing to surrender the name of Heir Prince Vega XVI and my birthright. I will forsake my lineage."
"No!” Renie said and moved forwards again. She silently cursed that Tres wasn't here in the room with them. It would
be so much easier and they could have made this so much less public. “I'll give up all ties to Lyra and Earth! I'll come to the Black Zone with you."
Tres looked stunned.
Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards. “Now wait a minute! Let's not be hasty. Forsaking this and surrendering that. Who said that anyone had to sacrifice anything?"
Everyone looked at him.
She wondered if Tres felt as shocked as she did.
Her father turned to Tres. “Prince Vega XVI, if you wish to forge new relations with the Lyran Empire then prepare to board this vessel and meet me at the negotiations table. If you are so intent on my daughter's hand, perhaps it is time that Lyra and Vega came to agree a new treaty and era of peace."
She looked at Tres. He nodded, smiled at her, and then the screen went dark.
She turned to her father.
"Go easy on him,” she whispered, afraid that her father would see this as an opportunity to bleed Vega dry.
Her father grinned and slapped a hand down on her shoulder.
"A man will do a lot for love and he definitely seemed to love you."
Those words made her so warm and light that it was almost impossible to glare at her father.
Everything in the past few minutes was a blur in her mind, a pleasant haze. In a matter of minutes, she had discovered that Tres was alive, was a prince, wanted to marry her and definitely loved her. If it weren't for the fact that her father was about to wreck her chances with Tres, she would have been on what Terrans called cloud nine.
"You dare use his desire to marry me as an excuse to—” She cut herself off and started walking towards the door.
"Renie, where are you going?” Rezic said as she passed him.
"We're going to meet Tres at the airlock and run away with him. Come on."
Her father stormed up beside her, keeping pace even when she was walking so fast she was almost running.
She stopped and swept her hand through the air in a cutting motion.
"Peace! That's it,” she said with a frown. “No bleeding Tres dry because he wants to marry me."
"But the technology. Did you see how that ship arrived, Renie? I'd heard rumours that Vegans could fold space and move from one point to another in hours rather than days. If Lyra could get hold of that ... and the barrier—"
Heart of a Prince [Daughters of Lyra Series] Page 8