Alien Prince Charming

by Zara Zenia

  “There’s lots of warm places. Any particular one in mind?” I asked, changing the subject. I was curious about where he dreamed of. Probably some island that was surrounded with deep blue oceans and white sandy beaches. Somewhere palm trees stretched to the sky and seagulls cawed faintly in the distance.

  He nodded. “I grew up in San Clemente. Maybe I’ll head back there,” he mentioned casually with a shrug, still staring off into space.

  “Do you have family there?” I asked. I took a sip of my soup and made a slurping noise as I relished in its flavor. Anything other than tofu tasted delicious and was somewhat of a delicacy to me, even if it was just scraps.

  He shook his head and looked down, so I didn’t press it. We all had our walls, our emotional No-Man’s-Land. I wasn’t going to impose myself on his situation. It was none of my business, and I understood how to stay within the safety net of boundaries.

  “I figure it’s far enough away from the people after me to get a fresh start.” He finally met my gaze and there was a playful twinkle in his eye that disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

  I nodded and thought about that. Escaping the world and running from my problems sounded like a wonderful option, but I’d have to wait until I got Corinne back first if I were ever to flee. It’s not like either of us had anything to lose by starting over.

  When I got Corinne back, would we stay here? Could I? I didn’t think so. I needed a change, needed to forget everything that we’d gone through. I was afraid that everywhere I went, I would be reminded of Gardax, and that wasn’t something I was willing to face yet.

  “You’re welcome to join me, you know, if you have people on you still,” Bodi said, not making eye contact. His voice was hushed, as if he were paranoid that someone might pop out of the shadows, listening intently to our conversation.

  I looked over at him, smiling to myself. I remembered what it was like to be that age, to have nothing and nobody, to feel lost in the world with people out to get you. It was a good and bad thing. He didn’t have any responsibilities like I did, but he was too young to be on his own.

  “Maybe. I have to get Corinne back first,” I said, wondering what my sister would make of him. He didn’t have to help me out and keep my secret or let me share his hideout, and he’d seemed genuinely concerned when he saw what had been happening to Corinne.

  “Yeah, yeah, no worries,” he quickly answered as if it wasn’t something I had to respond to today. I gave him a sideways smile, even though he didn’t notice. It was good to have somebody to talk to for once. He was distracting me, in a positive way. He was helping me to see that there were options.

  Humanity really was a spectrum. You had the scum of the earth like Darla who thought nothing of torturing innocent children, and then you had people like Bodi, who had nothing but still found compassion, despite whatever trauma he’d endured. I admired the innocent, reflective way he was able to view the world. It was something that I would definitely have to work on. I’d worn my protective shield for a long time now, and suffering had naturally hardened me.

  And it pissed me off that someone like Darla got a happy ending while the ones who tried to do good ended up in a dirty, freezing warehouse. If I dwelled on how unfair life was, though, I would just drive myself crazy. It wasn’t worth the mental pain. Darla wasn’t worth taking up residence in my thoughts.

  I opened my bag and pulled out the small, rough blanket I’d grabbed out of my apartment. It was getting dark out, and after the news of Gardax’s impending nuptials to that two-faced gorgon, I just wanted to sleep my feelings off. Maybe I would feel better in the morning.

  I curled up in a corner of the empty room, closing my eyes and trying not to picture their wedding . . . and their wedding night. Objectively speaking, Darla wasn’t the worst-looking woman in the world. I could give her that. It was just her awful personality, her total lack of a soul that took her from decent to horrid.

  How could Gardax not see that? I didn’t understand how he missed it, or if not that, how he could overlook it. How could he not even try to protest the wedding? Was I missing something here? I’d spent enough time around him by now to know that he was not a superficial person.

  I guess it wasn’t my place to question it. It was none of my business now. As soon as I got my sister back, we would do our best to press forward, like we always had.

  I thought, after he’d gone through the trouble of reassigning me, then tracking me down and chasing me . . . well, it was just damned confusing. My own reaction to him didn’t help. If he wanted me, he could come and find me. I wasn’t going to meddle in dealings that I had no place being a part of.

  As I lay there, a montage of all the little daydreams I’d created of the two of us played through my mind. I wrapped myself in the warmth of those false memories. But it wasn’t real, and it never would be, because he’d found his match. And if Darla was his perfect match, maybe I was dodging a bullet after all.

  Too bad it didn’t feel like that. Too bad it felt like my heart was getting ripped out of my body and used as a trampoline. I knew I’d have to endure a fitful sleep and an anxious belly churning inside me.

  But loss was familiar enough. I’d learn to forget eventually, I hoped. Gardax would marry Darla and the two of them would go back to his planet, some distant alien paradise.

  I wondered absentmindedly about her husband, but if she could do what she did to Corinne and me, I had no doubt that she’d make quick work of disposing of her husband. Hopefully for him, that was a divorce and not something more violent. Of course, with her, who knew?

  Either way, this was my new reality, and much as it hurt, I couldn’t let this grief destroy me. I would have to move on, no matter the circumstances. I would have to keep my head held high and persevere.

  My thoughts became shapeless and blurred when I was suddenly jarred awake. I’d heard a noise that had startled me awake.

  Bodi was in the opposite corner, tinkering with something, when a loud metal knocking sound came from the door. We’d piled some debris in front of it for safety while we slept. I motioned to him to stay where he was and he didn’t fight me on it.

  I wasn’t exactly a ninja, but I reached into my pocket, finding my trusty blade and creeping toward the doorway. I had to put on my suit of bravery. It would be my responsibility to protect both of us.

  “Ms. Allen?” A male voice said, muffled through the door. I didn’t recognize the tone.

  I didn’t answer as my mind raced over who it could be. Bodi did say that the people Gardax had reached out to were powerful, but why would they still be looking for me now? He’d already been matched with Darla. That should have been the end of the story.

  “Ms. Allen, you don’t know me, but I know Darla and I know what she’s done. I’m here to help.” The voice sounded genuine, but I was still scared. I was still distrusting.

  My heart caught in my throat. Could I trust that? If they knew Darla, they could be working for her. Engaged to the prince, she had all kinds of money at her disposal now, no doubt. Maybe she’d decided to be vindictive and sent someone to kidnap me. Frankly, with Darla, I had no idea what to expect anymore. No low seemed too low for her. I couldn’t allow myself to fall into another one of her plots, schemes, or traps.

  “Please, I’ve done something awful and I’m trying to fix it,” the voice called. Something about his tone hit a nerve. I knew guilt well enough, and there was plenty of that laced in with his plea.

  Nervously, I moved the metal shelves and other items blocking the door, making a horrible ear-splitting screech as the metal dragged across the concrete floor. I glanced back at Bodi. He was frozen in fear, still cowering on the dirty, dusty floor.

  Holding my breath and my knife with equal care, I opened the door with a white-knuckle grip to be certain that it wouldn’t wobble out of my shaking hands.

  The man on the other side looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him. He seemed to be in his early forties with an a
verage build and agitated hazel eyes. He sighed when he saw my face, relief washing over his features.

  “Thank God. my name is Inez and I need your help.”

  Chapter 17

  Gardax

  “Your bride.” Darbnix paused, seeming to struggle for the right words. “She’s certainly strong-minded.” He gave me a sympathetic glance that was so brief it was hard to tell whether I’d even just imagined it.

  It was his polite way of correctly saying she was wretchedly demanding and entitled. It had been less than twenty-four hours since I had scanned her and yet she had made it feel like an unending eternity, with her constant complaints and attempts to bully and boss my staff, my brothers, and even, at times, myself.

  We hadn’t even said our vows yet, and she was already trying to control nearly every aspect of my life. I was embarrassed and had no excuse to give my brothers for her behavior. I was just as befuddled as they were over the whole ordeal.

  “Yes,” I agreed, letting my voice trail off rather than give voice to the bitterness and doubt that plagued me. Then, dejectedly, I added, “Let us hope you are not so lucky in your chosen mate.”

  “Indeed,” he concurred. “How soon will you return to Erebis then?” I was relieved at his segway into somewhat of a new conversation topic.

  Before I could answer, Darla came sweeping into my private chambers unannounced. “There you are,” she said, rudely ignoring Darbnix and walking straight toward me with a clack of her heels on the floor.

  “I’m making some changes for the party tonight and I need access to your accounts,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly as if this request wasn’t going to be up for debate.

  She was fully attired in the very finest Earth-wear, and yet something about her carriage still seemed gaudy and contrived. My personal secretary had offered her a selection of Trilyn fashions, traditional garb for a royal, but she had declared the items matronly and unsuited to her position.

  How she could presume to have any understanding of her role baffled me, but it was hardly the most concerning interaction I had witnessed. I tried to bite my tongue and not start an unnecessary argument, but I was afraid that if she protested the garb I requested her to wear, what else would she refuse?

  “What are you talking about? You already have your Earth fund with more than enough for your entertainment and personal care,” I said. Finances weren’t a concern, but I didn’t view her careless greed in a particularly good light. I stared at her, eager to stand my ground on this one.

  Darbnix cleared his throat. “Excuse me for interrupting, but what sort of changes did you make? The format and preparations for the party have been carefully planned well in advance.”

  Darla turned to him with a flash of anger and sneered down her nose. “I believe I was speaking to my future husband,” she spat as if Darbnix were an annoying insect she wanted to defensively wave off.

  The Neroil kitten in his lap hissed at her, its eyes turning vibrant green and the air around it crackling as it pulsed electromagnetic energy. Another of my brother’s menagerie of curiosities and pets. He always carried one with him. It was almost like his trademark. He didn’t need security officers surrounding him. He had enough pets to do that work for him.

  Darla drew back in a rare expression of fear. “What is that?” she shrieked in horror as if she were bracing herself for an attack.

  Darbnix chuckled. “It’s okay, Shashti,” he said, stroking the kitten’s fur with adoration. “She’s just a kit. At this age, she’s harmless, but in another year, she’ll have quadrupled in size and be capable of ripping a man in two with one bite. Fortunately, they’re as loyal as they are fierce,” he told Darla as the kitten purred and angled its head to allow Darbnix to scratch along its jaw and chin. I gave him an indulged half smile. He was slighting Darla in the process without her observing the same.

  Darla stepped closer, warily inspecting the animal. The belled sleeve of her dress dangled with fringe in front of the kitten’s face and it batted at the tassels with exposed claws, snagging and tearing the delicate material.

  “Hey!” Darla screeched and slapped at the kitten, barely missing it as Darbnix turned and Darla contacted his arm instead.

  “Get that monstrous little beast out of here! I don’t want some bloodthirsty varmint running loose in here!” Darla recoiled as she stared at Darbnix, simply repulsed.

  Shashti bared her teeth again despite Darbnix’s murmurs and attempts to sedate the animal. He soothingly stroked its back and whispered pacifying statements into its ears but its green eyes sparked with mutual fury for Darla.

  “I’m afraid you’re not making a good impression. The Neroil are very sensitive to chakras and energy flows,” Darbnix warned and stood to leave. He reached the doorway, and as the passage materialized, he turned back to add, “It is interesting that you see her as a monster. I often find that what we see in the natural world is more a reflection of ourselves than anything else.” His lips curled with smug glee.

  “Unbelievable! Are you just going to stand there while that brute lets his beasts run wild in here and assault your bride?” She whirled to face me, arms flailing with anger in the air. Her cheeks were flushed in an unflattering crimson color and a few strands of her hair were askew and popping out of the bun she’d curled it in.

  “That ‘brute’ is a prince of the Trilyn and my brother. Furthermore, it was perfectly sedate before your arrival. Now, what do you need more money for?” I raised my tone of voice to curtly imply that neither I, nor anyone in my immediate family, would be addressed in such a disrespectful manner.

  “Well, I fired the musicians you had hired. Now, I need money to hire more. I want our wedding to be perfect, after all,” she said, her sharpness disappearing beneath a mask of cool control. Her new tone was that of a sullen child whining after realizing they weren’t going to easily get their way.

  “What was wrong with the musicians we had selected?” I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer to her.

  She stepped forward then, a look of sensual aggression on her face as she dragged her fingernails across my chest. The act made me want to leap back but I steeled myself against the urge. I needed to grow accustomed to her proximity. We would be husband and wife in a few short hours, after all. Even if I cringed at the very sight of her, let alone her sadistic touch, I couldn’t allow my emotions to crack.

  “They were low-class and I don’t want some bottom-feeder trash at my wedding,” she cooed despite the cold inhumanity of her words. “It’s already done anyway. I fired them an hour ago. But now that awful secretary of yours says I can’t access any more funds without your agreement.” She rolled her eyes as if it shouldn’t even be a question that she should be granted complete clearance to my money.

  “Well, then, I’ll have to disappoint you, because I don’t agree,” I said with a formal shake of my head.

  Her hand lowered and she rubbed along my inner thigh. “Well, what can I do to earn your agreement? I’m a good sport, you know.” She batted her eyelashes and gave me a sultry stare.

  I stepped back just as she lowered to her knees, unable to bear the contact or the suggestion any longer. “That will not be necessary,” I responded indignantly.

  Her eyes sparked with icy displeasure. “What? Do you like your whores dirty, is that it? Too bad. You’re going to be mine soon, you know. This will happen, whether you like it or not,” she warned darkly as she stood back on her feet. “Don’t forget, Gardax, you need me, and if you want me to play game, I might need some convincing.”

  Her lips pursed wickedly. Her eyes burned with malice as if she were ready to spit fire directly in my eyes if I didn’t play by her rules.

  I didn’t oblige her with a response. I squared my jaw and took a deep breath, turning to look out the window. I didn’t want to face her anymore. I was afraid of what I might say if I looked at her for even one more second. After realizing she wasn’t going to receive the satisfaction of me tucking my tail betw
een my legs and agreeing to anything she asked, she stomped out of the room and left me alone with the growing dread I felt over my situation.

  Nothing in me stirred for Darla. If anything, it inspired revulsion. She treated everyone as her inferior, she completely lacked humility, and she gave no thought to the feelings of others. None of these attributes boded well for her performance as a Trilyn queen. My queen would need to harbor philanthropy and compassion, charitable characteristics, and a maternal charisma. Something that I knew Darla had none of.

  What sort of ruler would she be? Worse, what sort of mother? Her behavior was beginning to reveal a rather cruel, malicious streak that alarmed me greatly. Part of me would rather bear no children than to bring some into the world that might house her same personality characteristics.

  As grotesque as the thought of bedding her was, I was even more disturbed at the idea of her having power and influence over any offspring we might create. Would I even be able to perform under the pressure of being in bed with her? Would I even become aroused enough to plant my Trilyn seed into her?

  I sat back in a large chair, pouring a hefty glass of Trilynian spirits as I wondered how I would ever manage to go through with the ceremony today. I took a deep breath and rubbed my throbbing temples. I needed to brainstorm a way out of this arranged marriage, but my mind was too shocked and exhausted to come up with anything reasonable.

  At Darla’s insistence, we were set to wed before the party tonight, which would then double as a reception. She was pressing the issue and breathing down my neck, barking orders to everyone who was unfortunate enough to cross paths with her. It was as if she were desperate to get on with the ceremony so that she would officially be my bride.

  It all felt so wrong. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. How could Darla possibly be the right woman for me? That was a dangerous thought, and it led me to think again of the woman that everything in me told me was the right one. My heart still ached for her. I yearned to touch her creamy skin and to feel the tickle of her braid against my cheek.