by Zara Zenia
Her tone, her words, the look of disgust on her face as she said it all sparked an unexpected anger in me. How dare this woman speak so vile about a hardworking, brave person like Amy? She knew nothing of Amy’s personal struggle. My emotions were tattered and raw.
I squared my jaw and coolly responded, “It would seem we have differing opinions on the matter, Mrs. Barnaby.” I narrowed my eyes on hers, expecting a reaction.
Before she could answer and before I lost my temper, I strode past her and down the hall. I couldn’t look back. I had work to do, and clearly, Darla was going to be a bump in the road, blocking my path.
“Your Highness,” Coel alerted me. “The women have been assembled.”
“Right.” I nodded. “I’ll be there in a moment.” I took a deep breath and fretfully paced the room.
My motivation was sapped and my enthusiasm all but nonexistent. I wasn’t interested in entertaining anyone. I was drained and frustrated.
It had been two days and I had no idea where she had gone. Somehow, we didn’t have her residence information and none of her coworkers seemed to have interacted with her outside of their work here. She couldn’t have just vanished into thin air. Somebody knew where she was. Someone out there had the information I needed, and they were hiding it from me deliberately.
There were moments where I almost wondered if I had hallucinated the whole thing. But I had her file, I had her story, and I had the brief interaction we had shared. It wasn’t much to go on, though, and I knew I should respect her decision to leave, even if it jarred me in unexpected ways.
I just hadn’t been expecting her to disappear. I thought we had shared something special, even if I couldn’t pinpoint what it was other than the fact that I felt euphoria whenever we were engaged in conversation. Something in the back of my mind led me to believe that she might be in trouble, but without a solid lead, I was powerless to help her.
Coel had gathered the women from the kitchen—the ones still here, anyway—and I would meet each, conduct a brief interview, and discreetly check to see if they set off the scanner. Secretly, I hoped that none of them were a match.
I had read through all of their backgrounds. None of them ignited me. None of them fascinated or captivated me the way Amy had. But, apparently, she hadn’t felt it the way I did. I had imagined our chemistry. I had read into her subtle hints of flirtation in the wrong way.
And I had a duty to honor. It was important for me to find the genetic match, not the one who made me feel like I was floating on a cloud of bliss. If I wanted to save my species, I had to let go of the desires of my heart.
I walked with Coel to the leisure deck. During long space voyages, it was where I spent the bulk of my time. It held my library which contained tomes from a vast array of alien civilizations, as well as the greatest works of Trilyn culture and history. I loved to wade through this wealth of information, learning as much as I could about the culture which I prided and held dear to my heart.
It also held a number of state rooms for diplomatic entertainment. It was here I waited as Coel left to usher in the first candidate. I stood proudly and stiffly, anticipating how these interviews would go. If I didn’t exhibit any kind of enthusiasm, it was bound to fail even if I found my match.
In walked the first girl. With closely cropped green hair, almond eyes, and delicate features, she was quite pretty in an edgy, ethereal way. In fact, she looked like someone I might have met in Erebis.
But she wasn’t Amy and I felt nothing but civility toward her. We chatted politely about inconsequential matters, the ship, Trilyn tech, and so on. After a suitable time had passed, I thanked her for her time. The conversation hadn’t flowed naturally like it had with Amy. There was no witty banter. It was professional and robotic.
She smiled sadly. “Not my lucky day, then, eh?”
Despite neither of us broaching the subject, it was there nonetheless, and I appreciated her candor. My scanner had a negative reading and I responded earnestly in kind. “No, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“Well, I hope you find her,” she answered in a hushed whisper. Her eyes flashed with sorrow and for a flickering of a second, I felt sympathy for her.
“You and me both.” I smiled warmly. The girl was nice, but she wasn’t the one.
An hour later, Coel had ushered in two more employees and each of them induced no positive results from the scanner. For some reason, these realizations gave me a sense of false hope and relief.
It didn’t surprise me, but it did frustrate me that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to interview the one person I really wanted to see. I knew my own feelings meant nothing in the face of what I needed to do for my people, but my focus wasn’t on that. My thoughts were somewhere in the city below, with a certain redhead I couldn’t manage to forget. Until I knew why and where she had gone, I knew I wouldn’t rest easily. She was out there somewhere. I had the technology and resources to find her. I just needed to brainstorm the perfect plan for initiating that dream.
Chapter 10
Amy
“Are you okay? Is she feeding you?” I asked, jittery as I spoke to Corinne over the cheap phone Darla had left for me. My voice was nervous and trembling. I didn’t want Corinne to be able to feel my fear. I needed to be strong and resilient to keep us both going.
One of her conditions was that I get rid of my previous phone, cutting off all chances for Gardax to reach me. I didn’t understand what had possessed her to do this, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I get Corinne away from her in one piece. Nothing else mattered until I had Corinne safely back under the umbrella and protection of my embrace.
“Yeah, I’m eating,” Corinne answered, her voice barely above a whisper. She sounded weak and far away.
I strained my ears for background noise, but I couldn’t pick up anything. It was the same series of questions every night. Darla gave me a few minutes to check with Corinne every night, to flaunt her leverage, I’m sure, but it was enough to keep me going. As long as I knew that Corinne was still alive, that was all the fuel I needed to press forward.
“All right, you dumpster scrap, that’s enough. Your sister is alive and intact. Hold up your end,” Darla barked into the phone.
Anger coiled in my throat and I wanted to rage, I wanted to scream, to let loose every ounce of hate and wrath that I was suppressing, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I hadn’t protected Corinne all these years to fail now. If I made one false move, I’d sabotage her safety.
“Please. Just please, don’t hurt her. She’s all I have,” I begged instead. I was pitiful and desperate under the clutches of Darla’s powerful grip. The worst part was that she was relishing in having this authority over me and my actions.
“Let’s keep it that way,” she said cryptically before hanging up with a harsh click that left my ears ringing. The jolt back to silence was deafening.
I collapsed onto the sofa bed, feeling more alone than ever before. I was tired in my mind and my bones. I just wanted to fall asleep and wake up again, praying that this had all been a nightmare and that Corinne would be staring at me when I opened my eyes.
My stomach grumbled. I hadn’t eaten all day. I’d been too busy out searching for another job and coming up empty. Without a recommendation from my last employer, the jobs that were already scarce were practically impossible to get.
Worried as I was about getting Corinne back, I was worried too about what would happen to us. Without any income flowing in, I was going to quickly eat through the meager savings I had amassed. The prospects of finding something before I completely ran out of resources was looking bleaker by the second.
I walked over to the ancient refrigerator that came with our unit. The light had gone out and I didn’t have the money to spend to replace it. Not that it mattered. I didn’t need a light to tell me it was almost empty. I fumbled with my hand and squinted through the darkness, searching for anything that I could scrape a meal together with.
&n
bsp; I grabbed the last package of tofu and pulled it out, ripping the cover off and eating it cold. I didn’t have the energy to dress it up. Besides, it was going to taste bland and like cardboard no matter how I tried to make it fancy.
It was flavorless and spongey, but it was sustenance, and I wasn’t in a position to turn up my nose at that. I only hoped Corinne was eating enough as well. She’d always been on the skinny side and small for her age. I tried not to think about it too much, but deep down, I blamed myself. If Darla wasn’t feeding her, it would enrage me.
I was a good four inches taller than her at that age, and I couldn’t help but to think it was because she’d grown up surviving on scraps, whereas I had lived the first formative years fairly well, provided for by our parents.
And now, she was in the clutches of that horrid wretch and that was probably my fault as well. I muddled through the theories in my mind. What could I have done differently? What kind of situations had I inadvertently placed myself in to lead to these mistakes? Now Corinne was the one paying the price.
I sighed, exhausted, still hungry, and depressed. I tried to force back the hot tears stinging my eyes. I swallowed hard and took a deep, shaky breath.
Lying down again, I listened to the sounds of the city outside and looked out the window. It was dark, and I could just make out the stars through the smog from the city overhead. Somewhere up there, hidden in the night sky, invisible to my naked eyes, was Gardax . Was he thinking about me? Was he wondering what kind of fate had befallen me? Was he ready to search for me?
I wondered if he thought anything of my leaving. I’d managed to avoid him when I dropped off my notice. Darla had insisted I come in, make a presence, and put to rest any questions about my leaving. But I had been terrified that I’d run into him and that I wouldn’t be able to lie, and Corinne would pay the price.
For some reason, I had the sneaking suspicion that I couldn’t lie to him. I wanted so desperately to contact him, to at least explain that I didn’t have a choice. Of course, that was probably making much more out of it than there was. He had seemed interested, but he was a prince, after all. I doubted he would have any trouble moving on. By now, he’d probably completely forgotten about me. He was probably back to using his scanner to find his real soulmate.
I closed my eyes, retreating to that secret space that felt further away now than ever before, and slowly drifted away. Sleep came easily to me now, thankfully, because I was too exhausted for my mind to protest.
I was dressed in silks. Delicate, sleek robes embroidered with glittering designs that sparkled as brightly as starlight. In fact, everything around me was lit by a warm, soft haze. I had a shimmering feeling as if I were tingling like a butterfly floating in the wind. A warm sensation encompassed me, and I was filled with euphoria.
Looking around, I was in a chamber I didn’t recognize but somehow felt vaguely familiar. In front of me was a massive bed, enclosed by sheer curtains that glowed with a luminescence all their own. It was the biggest bed I’d ever seen, and I ached to fall into its massive cushions. It appeared so plush, welcoming, and inviting that it lured me in a tranquil way.
Someone cleared their throat behind me, and in an instant, I knew where I was. I turned around, smiling at the familiar sight of him. He studied my body with those striking, otherworldly yellow eyes of his and came toward me. His movements were seductive and made my heart race.
“Of all the worlds I’ve crossed, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he purred into my ear as he snaked two arms around my waist. I melted into his warm embrace, surrendering to the freedom and safety he brought to me just with his simple touch.
I sighed against the firm strength of his hands, his arms, his chest that crushed against mine. Being next to him felt natural. I felt his heart pounding in his chest, rhythmically pulsing in unison with mine.
“Where are we?” I asked, a little breathless, my senses fuzzy. I didn’t care. As long as I was with him, I was in a heavenly state of mind.
He quirked a smile. “This is our bed, my love. It was mine, and now it is ours. Come, let us introduce the two of you. You should get acquainted, as I have no intention of letting you out of it anytime soon.” His voice was a prayer song that sang alluringly to my heart.
Bending down, Gardax snaked a hand beneath me and lifted me up, pushing aside the sheer curtains and carrying me to the middle of the massive bed. A smile cracked across my lips. His gentle touch pacified me.
My body screamed when he laid me down and pulled back. Instinctively, I reached out, but he caught my hands.
“Ah, ah, ah. Patience. We have a lifetime to give into our passions. But this, I want to savor this,” he said, raising a hand to my cheek and staring so deeply into my eyes, I thought I might just melt into the cushion right there. I took deep breaths, a wild hunger brewing inside me.
He dipped gently toward me, and our lips met, heat radiating throughout my whole body and settling in spots too long forgotten. I yearned for him, craved his touch against my skin. I wanted him to ravage me and explore my body in all the secret and forbidden spots.
His mouth on mine, I braced myself, holding onto the strong frame of his wide, muscular shoulders. My grip was poor, though, as my hands were no match for the rounded bulk of his muscles. I fumbled to keep my grip on him. I never wanted to let him go.
Gardax’s mouth made its way to my neck, and I raised my hands to his neck, hooking them there and clinging to him against the wave of awareness that was overtaking me. His breath was cool on my neck, sending prickles of pleasure up my spine.
My breathing hitched, and I felt a wet heat pool between my legs as his mouth found my breasts. The fabric between us seemed to dissipate and I felt scorched by him everywhere. His mouth was perfection as he grazed his gentle lips against my skin, sending me into a hysteria of passionate longing.
“I want to taste you now,” he murmured against my stomach. His voice was hungry and desperate.
“Yes,” I barely managed through the suspense. I arched my back and pressed myself against him.
My hands coiled in the thick jet-black locks of his hair that were just long enough to grab onto. I was so wobbly with pleasure that I was certain if I let go of him, I’d slip through the cracks and land in a less blissful place. He dipped forward, parting my folds with his tongue, and my whole body shuddered in response. A croak bubbled in my throat and escaped my lips as a sigh.
“Mmm, delicious,” he whispered as he laved. His tongue was making perfect circles on my pulsing, engorged places.
Hooking both his arms around my thighs, he lifted me up to him, putting me in the incredibly erotic position of being open and vulnerable to him. I was spread wide, gleaming with a wetness derived from his seductive touch.
I gasped and gripped at the bed beneath me, but nothing brought relief as he relentlessly circled the tight bud of my sensation. Every nerve in my body seemed to ignite, and I looked up at him, desperate and hungry for release. Our eyes locked, and that was it. I was drowning, lost. Perspiration prickled on my skin. Intense heat flushed my cheeks. My thighs began to shake in reaction to the exotic pleasure he brought between my legs.
Everything went out of focus and it felt like I was drifting away until my body brought me back, the awareness of being parted by something different, something new. My pulse flashed between my legs, and a puddle of passion flooded me, soaking the sheets beneath me.
It was my first time, and I opened my eyes once more to find him watching me, studying me with adoration and curiosity as if he loved the way I blossomed and he loved the taste of my fruits.
Only he wasn’t there. I was staring up at the dingy ceiling of my apartment once more, tears wetting my cheeks. It had only been a dream. But it had felt so real. I was still shaking in the euphoria of his tongue swirling between my legs.
It was too real, too transporting to have been just a dream. My body ached, but more importantly, so did my heart. I felt between my
legs. I was swollen down there, the bridge between dream land and reality. My fingers came back ripe and juicy, a little damp. I had nothing to show for the reaction. I was alone in a silent apartment that was burdened with poverty.
Dawn splashed light across the room and I looked around at the shambles surrounding me. It was a crushing blow to be back in a nightmare of reality. I didn’t even have Corinne by my side to talk to and comfort ourselves with each other’s company.
I don’t know if it was the dream, if it was the desperation of my situation, or if it was just the emotions I had held at bay for too long, always shutting down in the interest of self-preservation, but something possessed me. There was a burning flame igniting my soul.
I reached out and grabbed my phone, punching in Gardax’s number, the digits I had committed to memory before I got rid of my previous phone. I was proud of myself for taking the initiative to know his number by heart. The dream had been so vivid, so consuming. I yearned to hear his voice, and in the heat of my saturated desire, I was fueled by enough bravery to make the plunge and call him.
It chimed, telling me it was ringing, and the harsh, shrill sound was enough to bring me back to my senses. I pulled it away and hung up in an instant, staring at it like some kind of evil relic capable of destroying me. My breath froze in my throat. I was unable to move for a second, rooted to the floor.
And then it rang.
My heart leaped in my throat and then died. It was Darla. How was this happening? Electricity sent volts of panic through my mind, sending me on a tailspin through darkness.
“Tsk, tsk, Amy, that wasn’t a good idea. I thought I was clear. Do I need to be more explicit?” she asked. Her voice was high, demanding, and shrill.