“Tgfhi,” Rhen said. He was tired and would like nothing more than to relax with his friends. Unfortunately, Thellis kept showing up at his door asking for help. “The war ended less than a year ago. I have a lot to do to set things straight. You’ll see how it is when you become king.”
Tgfhi opened his mouth to comment, but Rhen continued, “Speaking of becoming king, the next time we’re alone, I want to talk to you about Crystam.”
Tgfhi’s blue eyes narrowed. “What about Crystam?”
Rhen nodded towards Erfce. “It’s probably best if we talk when we’re alone. No offense, Erfce.”
Erfce lifted his hands. “None taken.”
“We can talk in front of Erfce,” Tgfhi said. “I have no secrets from him.”
Rhen tilted his head questioningly.
“It’s not like I could have any secrets from him even if I wanted to,” Tgfhi said. “The dude can see the future. Talk to me. What is it that you want to discuss about Crystam?” He was worried about what Rhen had to say and wanted to get it over with. If they didn’t talk about it now, he’d probably be up all night, worrying.
Rhen shifted his weight, unsure of how to begin their conversation. “Crystam’s from Ventar, a member of Thestran’s Council.”
Tgfhi nodded. “Duh.”
Rhen glared at Tgfhi. He was trying to be gentle about this. “You’re from Tgarus, one of my planets, which means that you’re a member of the Convention.”
“I’ll wait outside,” Erfce said, turning to go.
“No,” Tgfhi said, reaching out his hand to catch Erfce’s forearm. Now he was really worried about what Rhen had to say. Rhen was his King. If Rhen forbade him from marrying Crystam, he’d be forced to either abdicate his throne, leaving Tgarus forever, or he’d have to break off his engagement to Crystam. Neither option was acceptable. “Stay. This involves you.”
Erfce shook his head. He didn’t want to get involved. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does,” Tgfhi insisted. He pointed his thumb at Erfce and told Rhen, “I checked with Erfce and he said it’d be okay.” Rhen’s eyebrows raised. “Well,” Tgfhi added. “It’s not like I could’ve checked with you. As you said, you’ve been too busy.”
“You checked with Erfce and not me?” Rhen asked. His eyes dropped to Erfce, who was giving him a sheepish grin.
Turning back to Tgfhi, Rhen said, “First of all, I’m your Emperor, and second, you do realize that oracles can be wrong. Their visions are thrown off, when people make decisions that aren’t predictable for their behavior.”
Tgfhi pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. This wasn’t going well. “Rhen, I love Crystam and I…” His eyes became blurry and he felt the chill that usually came when he was about to lose his form and turn into water.
Rhen saw that Tgfhi was on the edge. Since Tgfhi still didn’t have any control over his powers over water, he was probably about to turn into a puddle. Reaching out, Rhen put his hand on Tgfhi’s shoulder to steady him. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’m just concerned. I’m not going to break off your engagement. I’ve heard that the other Convention members are restless, and I don’t want any of them to consider Tgarus to be a weak link, because it’s now tied to a Thestran planet. Surpen will protect you. I just wish you’d talked to me before you decided to get engaged so we could’ve worked some things out. As you know, your planet is one of the wealthiest ones in the Universe, it’s always under the threat of invasion.”
“Yeah,” Erfce agreed, hoping to get Tgfhi to focus on something else. Tgfhi’s body was shivering violently as he fought to keep his form. “I see multiple invasion plots focused on Tgarus every year, but they always fizzle out. Your wealth attracts attention from some seedy planets.”
Tgfhi squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his head. After taking several deep breaths, he felt the chill of his powers leaving his body. He sighed and nodded towards his friends, thanking them. When he felt he could speak, he said, “Sure, it attracts attention, but who would dare attack a Surpen planet?”
Rhen grunted. Before he could respond, Erfce changed the subject. He didn’t want Rhen to go back to their earlier conversation just yet. If he could give Tgfhi a few more minutes to center himself, then maybe he wouldn’t lose control again. “Speaking of attracting attention, have you guys seen Charlie? I wanted to talk to him about something, but I can’t find him anywhere.”
“No,” Rhen said.
“Have you tried the bars?” Tgfhi suggested with a laugh. “He’s probably fallen asleep in one of them. The guy’s never sober.” He rotated his shoulders to loosen them. His whole body still felt tense.
“I’ve looked everywhere over the last few days,” Erfce told them. “I can’t seem to locate him. He doesn’t come to any of the meals with the Royal Family and when I try to use my powers to find him, I get nothing. It’s weird.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Rhen said. His brother had a way of popping up. “You’ll probably find him tonight.”
“I hope so. I really want to talk to him.”
“What could you possibly want to talk to Charlie about?” Tgfhi asked, as he followed Rhen towards the door. “The guy’s useless.”
Erfce hesitated before saying, “I want to buy Latsoh’s picture from him.”
Tgfhi stopped short. “Does this mean that you guys are going out?”
Erfce dropped his head, refusing to meet Tgfhi’s’ gaze. “No… we’re not going out.” He hated how pathetic that made him sound.
Tgfhi rolled his eyes and noticed Rhen doing the same. They couldn’t understand Erfce’s hesitancy in asking Latsoh out. They’d both told Erfce that Latsoh liked him, but for some reason the Pontian Prince was still too shy to take the next step.
“So, Rhen, you want to come with us to the Council Chamber to hear about the Black Angel’s latest rescue?” Tgfhi asked.
“What?” Rhen paused by the library door. “What about the Black Angel?”
“He was spotted. The Thestrans are interviewing an eyewitness right now. Let’s go check it out.”
“It’d be great if he was back,” Erfce added, hoping Rhen would get the hint.
“I have no interest in hearing about the Black Angel,” Rhen told them. He knew Tgfhi was crazy about the Black Angel, since he ran the Black Angel Club meetings at school. A part of him felt guilty for letting Tgfhi down, but it wasn’t enough to get him to pick up his Black Angel costume again.
“Come on,” Tgfhi pressed. “You’ve got to love the Angel. The guy’s amazing. He’s like a super hero. Always saving people in trouble.”
Rhen opened the library door and stepped out into the hallway. He didn’t feel like talking about the Black Angel. “I have work to do.”
“We need the Black Angel,” Erfce added, as Rhen started down the hallway. “He gives people hope.”
Rhen stopped and turned around to face Erfce. “If the people would take care of themselves, they wouldn’t need the Black Angel to give them hope. They’d have it.”
“That’s not fair,” Erfce snapped, his hands on his hips. “Not all of us are physically able to protect ourselves. Look at my people.”
Rhen hesitated.
Erfce, like all Pontoians, was short, his head was only as high as Tgfhi and Rhen’s elbows. His build was slight, because his bones were light and couldn’t carry much weight. Erfce’s large eyes and pale, almost translucent skin, made him vulnerable to bright lights. Even the mildest lasers, used for daily activities on other planets, would burn a Pontoian.
Rhen was silent, his eyes scanning Erfce, as if seeing him for the first time. He knew of other races like Erfce’s. Races of people who were physically fragile. People who were easy victims. After a few moments, he cleared his throat. “It’s good that the Thestrans protect your people. They’ll keep you safe.”
“It’d be even better if the Black Angel came back to help them,” Erfce added.
Rhen grunted and lifted his hand. “I’ve got to g
o. See you tomorrow.”
When Rhen had rounded the bend, on his way to the Royal Family’s portal room, Erfce whispered, “Do you think that helped?”
“I hope so,” Tgfhi said. “I really hope so.”
Chapter 19
Thaster’s Palace – Hell
“I’ve been having the best time,” Charlie announced as he walked into Thaster’s study dripping wet.
Thaster glanced up from his desk and groaned. Charlie had just come from the pool. He was dripping water all over Thaster’s favorite rug. The Thestran prince’s wet blond hair was plastered to his head. He was wearing a black bathing suit that made his pale, elfin skin even whiter and he had a dragon shaped innertube wrapped around his waist. “What’s the matter with you?” Thaster asked.
“Your pool is amazing!” Charlie cried out. “I love the water slide that loops you in a full circle. How’s that even possible?”
Charlie took two steps forward and Thaster noticed he had black swim flippers on his feet.
“Clearly, you’re an idiot,” Thaster said. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Charlie. “Get out of my study.”
“Did you know there’s an underwater bar? If you swim down under the shale ledge on the left side of your second pool, there’s a full bar with seats and everything. When you sit on the stone seat, your head is lifted into a pocket of air so you can breathe. It’s the best bar ever!” His feet squished on Thaster’s rug as he made his way to a plush, bluish-red chair by Thaster’s desk.
“No, don’t sit,” Thaster told him, shaking his finger. “Get out. I’m working.” He’d been avoiding Charlie for days. He found his constant prattle annoying.
A squeaking sound filled the room as Charlie squeezed himself and his dragon blow up toy into the chair in front of Thaster. Thaster watched him with a stunned expression. No one ever disobeyed him. He couldn’t figure out why Charlie wasn’t terrified of him.
“So,” Charlie said, rocking back and forth to get comfortable. “I haven’t found any Tgarus weed yet, which is the only downside to Hell, but other than that I’ve been having a marvelous time.” He rubbed the palms of his hands on his dragon float, filling the room with a squeaking sound. “I must say, your slaves are the best. They bring me whatever I want, whenever I want it. I barely even notice them, but when I need something, bang!” he shouted, startling Thaster. “They’re there. It’s amazing. I’ll have to get James to send our palace staff here so they can learn how to serve. You know… you could start a school for servants.”
“Get out,” Thaster said. He could smell alcohol on Charlie’s breath, so he assumed Charlie was drunk. He didn’t want to listen to any more of his nonsense.
“I did have a question for you. Your stables don’t have any horses. Why is that? Don’t horses get to come to Hell?” Charlie’s feet couldn’t quite touch the floor, so he started to swing them back and forth.
“Get out!” Thaster said. Charlie was giving him a headache.
“And I can’t find your wife. I’ve been looking for her. I thought she might be in the walled in section of the garden, so I tried to climb over the wall to join her, but your slaves pulled me down. Can I meet your wife?” Charlie’s right foot swung out farther than he’d meant for it to. He kicked Thaster’s desk causing the coffee in Thaster’s mug to splash out onto his papers.
“Get! Out!” Thaster shouted, rising to his feet. His face quivered with rage as he used his red powers to send Charlie into the middle of his haunted forest.
Dropping down onto his chair, Thaster raised his eyes skyward. “Are there no Gods?!” he asked the empty room. “I’ve never, ever met anyone as annoying as that Thestran.”
Turning to the doorway, he lifted his hand and seven of his slaves ran forward.
“Keep that imbecile away from my personal quarters. I don’t want him anywhere near me ever again.” The slaves bowed and ran from the room.
Thaster rubbed his face with his hands then leaned forward to look at his papers. He lifted them up and shook them out over the floor. When he placed them back down on his desk, their edges curled up. With anger, he crumpled them up and tossed them to the floor. His entire plan to capture Rhen had hinged on Rhen’s desire to get Charlie back, but as of yet, the Thestrans still hadn’t noticed that Charlie was missing.
He should kill the Rasack King for this. Sinter had been the one to suggest he capture a Thestran Royal. Clearly, it’d been the wrong thing to do.
Tapping his fingers on the desk, Thaster considered flying to Rasack and destroying Sinter’s castle, but he knew Therol would have a fit. Therol had been using the Rasack name to push his Neptian pawns into action. What was it Therol called his alter ego? Loreth? Thaster smiled. That was it. Loreth. He laughed. At least he wasn’t the only one having trouble getting results. Loreth’s Neptian pawns weren’t as pliable as Andres had been. He was having a tough time bending them to his will. Thaster leaned back in his chair and frowned. He knew Loreth would succeed eventually, and that irked him.
Reaching out, Thaster squeezed the lip of his desk as he wondered what he should do about Charlie. There had to be some way to get the Thestran Royal Family to notice he was missing. Too bad Charlie didn’t have a girlfriend. If he had, she would’ve noticed he was missing.
Speaking of girlfriends, Thaster wondered why the mortals liked to believe he was married. He’d had a few wives in the past, but there hadn’t been anyone for some time. He gazed out over the gardens he’d built for one of his past wives. Perhaps it was time to get married again. He should search the Universe for an appropriate mate. It’d be nice to have a diversion—one that wasn’t wandering around his palace annoying him.
Closing his eyes, Thaster sent his mind into the haunted forest to check on Charlie. He needed the Thestran prince alive, so he could use him as a bait. Eventually, the Thestran Royal Family would discover that Charlie was missing and then Rhen would come running to save him.
Thaster grunted. Charlie wasn’t where he’d dropped him. He sent his mind further, searching the forest, anticipating the thrill of feeling Charlie’s fear. By now, the boy was probably hysterical, running around the forest like a caged animal, hoping to escape.
“Damn him,” Thaster cursed a moment later, when he found Charlie napping on a bed of pine needles. The oaf looked blissfully happy in his sleep on the soft pine bed he’d discovered.
“How’s that possible?!” Thaster demanded. His haunted forest had struck fear into even the most stalwart of warriors’ hearts. He used it to break people.
Bolting upright, Thaster marched from the room. He needed relief. He needed control.
Turning invisible, he flew up out of his palace. He’d head to Universe One and steal five new slaves. Their terror would provide him with the comfort he needed in order to relax.
Chapter 20
Thestran Royal Palace
“We should increase the size of your military,” Loreth told Te vaguely as he glanced towards the windows. They were meeting in Te’s private study in the Delegate Wing of the Thestran Royal Palace. Loreth had arrived in his invisible state, materializing in the dark, left corner of the room once Te was alone. Te had immediately bolted the room’s doors, but he’d left the curtains open.
“I agree,” Te said. He was sitting at a small desk on the side of the room writing notes. Loreth had taken his own desk. The man was leaning back in Te’s chair, gazing towards the windows, his fingertips placed together as he thought. Te winced when he heard the metal studs on the back pockets of Loreth’s pants scratch against the leather seat of the chair. He’d paid a fortune for that chair. It was made from the hide of a dristar beast. Te watched as Loreth put his feet on his desk.
“That desk was made on Ventar,” Te remarked, hoping Loreth would remove his shoes from the expensive wood. “It has the official seal on the right-hand corner proving the wood to be from a Ventarian plumb tree.”
Loreth glanced over his fingertips at Te. “Seriously? I’m discussing
how we’re going to make Neptian great again and you’re talking about your furniture.” He dropped his feet to the floor and stood up. “If you don’t want my help, just say so. There are plenty of other planets that would kill to have me as their advisor.”
“We don’t want your help,” someone said from the office doorway.
Loreth turned to find Yfetb glaring at him. He hadn’t even heard Yfetb unlock the door. “Ah, the junior delegate has arrived,” he mocked.
Te laughed. “Yfetb, stop fooling around. Did you get the documents Loreth asked for?”
Yfetb crossed the room to hand the papers he’d gathered on all of the Neptians who’d ever lived in the Town of Ngignik to Te.
“Why are you giving them to me?” Te asked. “They go to our advisor.”
“You give them to him,” Yfetb said. He couldn’t understand his father. Loreth had been making vague statements about increasing their forces, opening new trade routes, finding new energy sources and increasing Neptian’s productivity, but he still hadn’t come up with any concrete plans on how he was going to do any of the things he’d claimed. Not to mention the fact that the man had murdered Surpen’s King Andres once he’d realized he wasn’t going to win his war. His father was being an idiot trusting this “advisor”.
“Give them to me,” Loreth demanded, his hand out in Yfetb’s direction.
Te took the papers and rushed them over to Loreth, who put them on the desk in front of him and began to flip through them, studying them.
“Can I help you find something?” Te offered. He turned and mimed to Yfetb that he should go back and lock the door.
“I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t missing someone,” Loreth told him vaguely.
“Who are you looking for?” Yfetb asked, ignoring his father.
“Any relatives of Ceceta,” Loreth murmured to himself.
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