by Miles, Amy
Alesta looks stricken. “But you are to be our queen. Please don’t send me away. The king handpicked me for you. If I fail…” She begins to tremble.
How did I get myself into this? I inwardly groan.
“If I ask something of you, will you do it?”
“Of course.” She looks back at me with a hesitant smile, no doubt remembering how I tricked her before. “I can’t do anything against my king’s wishes, though,” she quickly adds.
“Fair enough. I forbid you to call me by any name other than Illyria. No bowing. No rushing to get everything for me. Just be here when I do need you, okay?”
I watch as she struggles to hold back her shock. Her lips press into a colorless line, heat stains her cheeks into a pretty rose color, but she nods.
“Thank you. Now”—I look at the basin before me—“I would like to wash myself, if that is all right.”
I can tell it isn’t, but Alesta concedes. “I’ll remain out here to prepare your outfit.”
“Fine.” I press the button on the door and breathe a sigh of relief as it seals her out. I cling to the sink, my knuckles white as I tremble. Bastien has been hurt and I’m stuck here playing dress-up with this girl. What is wrong with me?
As I stare at myself in the mirror, noticing the circles beneath my eyes and the lifeless color within their depths, I realize I only have one option: to play along. Drakon will be suspicious, of course, and that is good. Let him worry.
Dipping a cloth into the steaming water, I rub a layer of grime from my brow. Slowly, I wash all of me, taking the time to inspect my newly healed injuries. No marks. No redness. It is if I had healed myself.
A small knock on the door reminds me that I’m running low on time. The door hisses as it opens. I snatch up the sheet from the floor to cover myself, but when she laughs, I realize how foolish I must look. “I’m not used to other people… you know, being here when I’m not dressed.”
“It is perfectly understandable,” she soothes as she motions for me to stand in the middle of the room with my arms stretched over my head. I hesitate, gritting my teeth as I hand her the sheet.
I don’t know what I expected when I’m finally revealed. A weird look? A smirk? A look of horror? Alesta shows none of those. Instead, she hardly reacts as she slowly moves around me, her gaze sweeping over my curves with a critical, almost indifferent glance.
“This dress should fit you nicely. We might have to take it in a bit at the waist and flare it a bit at the hip, but the top should suit you well.”
“Wait? What?” I turn to look at her as she moves away to the bed. “What dress?”
I stare in horror at a wispy bit of cloth that she lifts into the air for me to approve. Its color is rich as a field of lavender, yet I can easily see her fingers though the other side of the fabric. “Where is the underdress?”
Alesta laughs. “There is none.”
I back away, arms outstretched. “No. No way. That thing is see-through.”
She actually rolls her eyes at me. “Of course it is. Did you honestly think you would be allowed to wear that offensive uniform when you meet the king?”
“Well…” I had held out hope, but even I knew it wouldn’t be allowed. But this… this goes way too far. “I’m not wearing that.”
She turns and lifts a smaller triangle of fabric, darker and more solid-looking. “This goes with it. It will conceal you.”
“And the top?” I peer over her shoulder at the flimsy bit of silk.
She winces and shakes her head. I grit my teeth and close my eyes. “This is beyond my worst nightmare.”
I jerk when her hand falls lightly upon my arm. “I know this isn’t my place, but I think you will look radiant in this.”
“I don’t want to look radiant,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. “I want to look fierce.”
A tiny smirk tugs at the corners of my servant’s lips. “Perhaps we can do both.”
I stare at myself in the mirror, amazed at the transformation. The halter is low-cut, hugging perfectly to the curves of my chest. Delicate swatches of white fabric drape across my upper arm.
My neck looks long with my hair swept up into a mass of curls, adorning my head with beautiful multi-colored jewel clips that make my eyes sparkle. A single purple jewel nestles in the hollow of my neck. Its color is vivid, its surface veined with black.
Alesta worked her magic on my eyes, lining them with thick black around my eyelids. She used a charcoal-gray powder to highlight my eyelids. They shimmer with hidden silver flecks. My lips are a deep crimson, bold and fierce, just as I asked.
The skirt falls at my hip, dipping low into a V below my belly button. The gossamer fabric shows off the length and grace of my legs that I hadn’t realized I possessed. My feet are encased in slippers of shimmering silver. The three-inch heels draw lines of definition on my calves. Zahra would kill for a pair of heels like these, I think absently as I turn to look at myself.
Alesta was right. The scrap of fabric she gave me does an adequate job concealing me, although it does nothing for my backside or my chest. I chew on my lip, dreading stepping outside that door. “People will stare,” I mutter under my breath.
“Of course they will,” Alesta says as she pinches my cheeks to revive some color. Not that I’m going to need it. The moment the first person lays eyes on me, I will be red as a beet. “You are the future queen. You demand attention.”
“Please tell me I don’t have to wear this long.” I turn to look at her, hearing the pleading in my voice.
Her eyes widen in surprise. “If you don’t like the color, I can select another one. There are plenty to choose from.”
My heart rises in my throat. “More?”
“Of course.” She laughs, teasing my hair. She has primped for nearly half an hour. “King Aloysius had an entire wardrobe made for you.”
“Of course he did,” I grumble and wave her off. “What now? Do I just wait here?”
Alesta grins. “We’ll be arriving shortly. I thought you might like to view our landing from the main deck. The view from there is spectacular.”
She doesn’t wait for me to protest or ask just how many other people will be taking in the view as she tugs on my hand and keys in a code at the door. The door hisses open and I’m blasted with a cool breeze that makes me shiver. Space is cold.
Two guards turn from their posts at the door and stand shoulder to shoulder before us, blocking our path. I watch as heat stains the neck of the one on the right and feel my own blush rushing over my body as he dips his gaze toward my chest, lingering. Alesta clears her throat. “I am taking her to the main deck for the viewing.”
The soldier who remained coolly indifferent to my painful state of undress shakes his head, his laser gun lowered. “Drakon’s orders are that she remains here until we land.”
Alesta’s smile melts away as she steps forward. “This is your future queen. Who do you think should be giving orders? The commander or her?”
He casts a glance toward me and then meets Alesta’s gaze head-on. “She’s not my queen yet.”
I glare at the soldier before me who openly caresses my chest with his gaze. Feeling electricity spark against my wrist, vining around my fingers, I strike out, smacking him across the cheek. His cries out as he stumbles back, the flesh of his cheek red. The hum of a laser and the warmth of its swirling core attracts my attention.
I turn to look down the barrel of the other guard’s gun. I smile, feeling the sparks rise along my forearm. My next punch will send him through the wall into the next room.
“I said return the prisoner to her room.”
Alesta’s eyes narrow and she reminds me of a cat with sharply pointed claws about to swat at a dog. “How dare you—”
I reach out and place a hand on her arm, oddly touched by her defense. The man’s gaze never leaves mine as I step forward, nearly pressing the barrel of his gun against my chest. I know it would burn should I touch it so I stay just f
ar enough back.
“Do you know who I am?” He nods once. “And you know what I am capable of?”
He hesitates this time. I smile. “If you don’t move out of our way, I will break you over my knee like a twig. Is that understood?”
The man’s gaze darkens as he fingers the trigger. My chest is awash with green as he prepares to stun me.
“No!” Alesta shouts.
I thrust out my hand and send the guard toppling backward. His shot goes wide and leaves a scorch mark along the wall and ceiling, and he lands on his back. He gasps, the wind knocked from his chest. I walk forward and kick away his gun. With the tip of my heel, I slam my foot down on his neck, pressing it into his skin. His lip curls into a snarl as I knick his flesh. Blood trickles down into his collar. That is when I hear screams of agony stabbing at my mind. My gaze narrows as I listen, shuddering at the shrieks of this man’s past victims.
With a twist of my heel, I snap his neck. Alesta cries out, her hands fluttering over her mouth as she stumbles forward. I ignore her as I turn to find the first guard pressed up against the wall in a seated position, his gun trained on me. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
I can see his indecision, but he powers down his gun and tosses it aside. Alesta reaches me and tugs on my arm, staring in horror at the man below me. “You killed him.”
Grasping the wall, I twist my ankle and wipe his blood off my heel on his chest. His head rolls to the side, eyes wide and staring. “You would have too if you could read his mind.”
Eighteen
I follow Alesta down a long and winding corridor, through arched doorways and glass-paned elevators. I clench tightly to the railing as the small cube rises with heart-dropping speed. Although I realize it is irrational to be worried about an elevator crashing when I am stuck zipping through space in a ship, the fear is still present.
When the doors hiss open, I unlatch myself from the elevator and stumble out, inelegantly tripping on my heels. I glance around to see if anyone noticed, but all eyes are turned toward a large glass-like dome. Releasing the hem of my dress, I straighten and my mouth gapes in wonder.
Streaks of white light flash past too quickly for me to really glimpse the stars. If I focus too long, I begin to feel dizzy and am forced to lower my gaze. “This ship is too big,” I whisper to Alesta, clutching to the silver railing that separates us from the lower deck. The loft area we stand upon hangs over what I assume to be the command center of the ship.
At least two dozen men and women man stations, brightly lit with flashing green lights and vivid blue consoles. Strange symbols scroll over large screens before me, but I can’t figure out what they mean. “Too big for what?” I hear her questions beside me.
“This isn’t the same ship I tried to steal, is it?”
She laughs, her curls bouncing as she shakes her head. “Of course not. The commander would never let you arrive in such a small craft. “This is the Pegasus, the largest transport in our fleet. You should feel honored. It is the king’s personal transport.”
That is hardly the emotion I would choose as I watch a man below me raise his hand and tap the air. I gasp as light illuminates beneath his finger and realize there is some sort of a screen hanging in the air before him. I crane my neck to see if I can spy the edge of it, but at an odd glance from Alesta, I lean back and resume my cool, disinterested gaze.
I take it all in, feeling my heart thrum wildly in my chest. Everything feels so cold and foreign to me. I want to go home. I want to see Bastien
The sound of boots upon the metal floor alerts me to a presence. I turn to find Drakon approaching, having just stepped from the elevator. His eyes trail slowly and pointedly over my dress. I resist the urge to cover myself. Instead, I press my shoulders back and stare him down.
A smile curls his lips but doesn’t reach the cold calculation I see in his eyes. “You are a vision. Our clothing suits you rather well.”
Saliva begins to pool in my mouth and I have to grit my teeth to keep from spitting at him. The only thing that holds me back is knowing that Bastien would pay for my actions. I turn away from him and look to the stars once more, focusing beyond instead of directly at them. “Alesta informed me that we’ll be arriving soon.”
He appears at my side. I shift my hand away so it is out of reach as he curls his fingers around the rail. “Yes. You are obviously excited to see your new home, I’m sure”
Ignoring his snide remark, I notice the flashes have begun to slow. The hum of the engines has changed. “How long?”
“A minute. Perhaps less. We use spatial anomalies to travel, a wormhole as you may have heard it called, to make the jump between worlds. Without it, it would take years to reach Calisted.” He pauses, leaning forward as the ship slows. The stars seem to crawl past now. “You will want to see this.”
A burst of blue erupts before my eyes. I gasp, taken aback by the giant sphere that hangs before me. It is perfectly round against the black sky. Swirling aqua mists seem to hang over the planet. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper, mesmerized by the sight of my home world.
All this time I judged Calisted with thoughts tainted from my visions, but in reality, standing here with this breathtaking view, I know Aloysius can’t ruin the beauty of an entire planet for me.
“Welcome home, Illyria.” Alesta smiles as she clasps my hand in hers.
I grip the metal railing before me as the mists swirl around the ship as we descend straight down through the cloud cover. The sunlight below is blinding. I raise a hand to shield my eyes, grateful when I feel the ship touch down and I am able to turn away.
A strange longing floods through me, almost as if coming home isn’t truly a terrible thing. Kyan said I have family here. Will I be able to meet them? Ask them why I’m so different from everyone else?
Although Sariana cleared up the mystery surrounding my relationship with Bastien and Eamon, I have yet to hear what makes me unique. Perhaps no one really knows.
“This way, my dear.” Drakon holds out his hand, motioning for me to walk toward a door that sits beyond the elevator. Below me, men and women rise from their seats. I can hear the engines power down and real terror begins to seep into my bones.
I am here. There is no turning back now.
The seal on the door breaks and sunlight streams in. I feel warmth upon my skin as I approach the door, marveling at the prism of light upon the floor, broken and molded into multifaceted spheres, although I can’t see anything that would create this phenomenon.
I take a deep breath and follow Drakon into the light.
What I see beyond the doors steals away my breath. Rainbows dance across my skin, hovering in the air before me. Everything seems draped with a warm, hazy glow, like clouds ringing a full moon. “How is this possible?”
Alesta answers. “Calisted has three moons. When the sun reflects off of them, it creates a fascinating display.”
I follow Alesta’s finger as she points to the sky. Hovering above us are three spheres of different sizes, all revolving a brilliant white sun. The smallest moon is ruby in color, the medium glows as brilliantly as a newly mined emerald, and the third reminds me far too much of Bastien’s sapphire eyes.
I take a deep breath and realize the air feels lighter here and has almost a sweet taste. I look to Alesta and she simply smiles back.
“The gravity is different than on Earth,” Drakon says as he ushers me forward. “You will get used to it after a while.”
It is difficult to maneuver the stairs in my high-heel shoes, but somehow I manage to reach the bottom without breaking my neck. As I step onto the ground, I realize we have landed on a wide bluish patch of grass. I stare at it, confused.
“It is the mists,” Alesta informs, like my own personal guide to Calisted. “The planet is draped in the aqua color you saw from space so it alters the colors you see here on the ground. What might be green on Earth appears darker blue here.” She lifts her hand toward the town. “Welcome to Cala
horra, City of the King.”
As I look at the city stretched out before me, I realize the light sparkles with the same wondrous glow off of buildings, cobblestone streets, and a gushing stream that winds through the town, carving the road in half.
It is the most enchanting thing I have ever glimpsed. No words could truly describe the sense of peace and beauty this place possesses. I stand, staring all around me in awe, until Drakon snatches my hand and yanks me forward. “There will be plenty of time for you to look around later. Someone is waiting for you.”
I work hard to smother my fear as I smile sweetly back at him. “Let us hope he is in a forgiving mood. After all, it did take you over a year to finally bring me to him. I’ve heard he isn’t the most patient man.”
With a flick of my wrist, I shake him off and walk ahead with my head held high. Let him chew on that for a bit.
Dozens of men and women flow out of the ship behind us. I can hear shouts of welcome as several break off from our landing party to hug a loved one. Craning my neck back around, I search over the group for Bastien, but he has yet to be brought from the ship. No doubt Drakon wants to keep us separated for as long as possible.
It is hard to appear aloof and disinterested as we walk through town. The streets are bendy and the homes built in endless rows. The roofs are thatched and droop over the edge. Everywhere I look, flowers grow. Some drape from low-hanging trees that bend so low their fronds grace the ground. Yards, neatly spaced and contained within metal fences, are bursting at the seams with wide blue petals, vivid purple sprouting vines that weave a pattern across the stone house face. I can see heart-shaped flowers, starbursts, and shaggy black balls that I’m not entirely sure what they are.
Orange moss hangs from the trees, tickling my cheeks as I pass under. Footpaths run on either side of the stream banks, littered with pastel-colored stones rubbed smooth over time. I cry out in delight as a small orange-and-blue fish leaps from the stream and dives back under its cool, lavender surface. I hear the gushing of greater waters up ahead but am unable to spy a river before Drakon pushes us off down a different road.