by CR Barlow
"On the day of the massacre," she continued, her voice hoarse and cracking, "we were meant to meet together. But I was too afraid. I couldn't go. I didn't even tell her I wasn't coming."
Ingrid finally lifted her eyes. "And then she killed all those people."
Chapter Six
"It's not your fault."
Ingrid shrugged, not looking at her friend. Ashley could say whatever she liked, but the fact remained that Lolita had wanted to see her and she hadn't gone.
Maybe if she had, Lolita wouldn't have been there to open the gates for the elves. Wouldn't have sent out a magical shockwave to aid in their escape. Maybe those three hundred people would still be alive. Maybe if she hadn't pushed Lolita away so cruelly, she would never have gotten mixed up with the elves in the first place.
Ashley stood and shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "The events leading to the massacre were in play for months, maybe even years, before it actually happened. Whatever you did or did not do on that day wouldn't have changed anything. And, for that matter, if Lolita wanted you to meet her were the massacre took place, she was planning on kidnapping or killing you."
Ingrid flinched and shook her head. "We weren't going to be anywhere near there."
"Then she either had no intention of showing up, or was going to use you as an alibi. You have nothing to feel guilty about."
"Words only give me so much peace," Ingrid whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I loved her, Ashley. She was… she was my best friend. I thought I could trust her with everything."
Ashley studied her. Ingrid stared back, but her friend had always been impossible to read. She was trained to keep a rein on her emotions and she did–a tight rein that never slipped. Even when they were both just entering puberty and all the emotions that came with it, Ashley was always calm and in control of herself.
"Did you sleep with her?"
Ingrid's cheeks flushed as memories of being wrapped in Lolita's arms flashed through her mind. "I told you we were lovers."
"That doesn't necessarily mean sex."
Ingrid sighed. "Yes. We slept together. It was so cold on Pluto that often it was the only way to keep warm, to… share body heat."
And most of the time that was all they did. They combined their blankets and slept with their arms around each other, the soft rise and falls of their chests in unison. There was something so intimate about sleeping next to another warm body, depending on that warmth to keep yourself warm. More intimate than sex with Edan in the comfort of the palace had been.
"Okay, because I don't like how you're splitting hairs; did you two have sex?"
Ingrid's face went crimson. She nodded. "She was my first."
Ashley's face remained impassive. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm over her. She and I are the past and—"
"I meant when you first came back to Earth. Why didn't you tell me then? Why have you waited all these years to tell me something so important?" A note of hurt slipped into Ashley's usually perfectly controlled voice. "Didn't you trust me?"
"I was ashamed."
Ashley's brow furrowed. "What for? I knew you were bisexual. It's not like there is anything to be ashamed of—"
"Because I was technically still with Edan when I slept with her. I cheated on him."
"You two were having a breather. He was sleeping with other girls, you weren't cheating on him."
"It felt like cheating. It feels like cheating. And I knew you'd act like it was nothing, so of course I didn't tell you!" The heat began creeping up Ingrid's neck and her fists clenched. Of course Ashley would have to act like this over it! She was beginning to wish she hadn't said anything.
"Of course it wasn't nothing!" Ashley shook her head, exasperated. "I know you, Ing. You didn't even let Edan kiss you until you were absolutely certain that you were in love with him. For you, sex might as well be the same thing as a wedding."
Ingrid folded her arms and didn't reply.
"Are you sure you can still do this? I'd understand if you decide not to continue with our deal."
"I can do it. Lolita needs to be imprisoned. Those families deserve justice." Ingrid stood, her hands clenched at her sides. "So how are we going to capture her?"
* * *
Ingrid's hands shook. She knew this was the best–the only–course of action, but there was still a little niggling at the back of her skull, telling her that there had to be another way. That maybe Lolita was telling the truth, and she wasn't responsible for the massacre.
That's just her getting inside my head, playing on my sympathies, she told herself firmly. She wants to stop me from helping Ashley because she knows that I have a chance of stopping her.
That helped a little, but it didn't ease the cramping, twisting feeling in her gut. She wanted to believe Lolita was innocent. But the fact was that she was not in a position to decide that. It was better to send Lolita back to Earth, and let the justice system deal with her.
After Ashley was arrested, the warrior had recruited the help of the elf guard, who were eager to prove to Earth that they were, in fact, very cooperative and helpful when it came to these sorts of situations. Given the sanctions Harper had imposed on them, it was no wonder. They couldn't afford to make the Earth Empire any angrier than it already was.
The guard knew where Lolita was. They lead Ingrid and Ashley to an exotic dancer's club. Ingrid was half-certain that Lolita wasn't going to be there. But of course she was. She trusted the elves.
As Ashley stepped forward, opening her mouth, Lolita raised her palm. A glimmering red light shone from her palm and Ingrid just had enough time to leap in front of Ashley and form a shield before a shockwave blasted all the elves back. They hit the wall, groaning, and Lolita was gone.
Ashley cursed and chased after her, Ingrid hot on her heels. The witch's eyes were wide and her heart pounded but she spared no thought other than to keep up with Ashley, to make sure her friend wasn't killed. One foot in front of the other. Lolita's blonde hair ahead of her. A tingling in her palms.
She lifted her hand and sent a stream of golden light towards Lolita's retreating back. It lifted the blonde into the air and hurled her twenty feet, towards the lip of a mine shaft. Lolita stumbled to her feet and turned–just in time to fling up a shield as Ingrid sent another blast at her. They stood fifty feet apart, Ingrid's golden energy burning through the air towards Lolita.
Ashley stopped beside Ingrid, eyes wide. Behind them the elf guard finally caught up. Lolita's head whipped back and forth, her eyes wide, searching for an escape
"It's over, Lolita," Ingrid snarled, increasing the power that burst through her palms.
Lolita's feet slid across the floor, towards the empty mine shaft. Her eyes widened. Her chest heaved.
"I'll surrender," she shouted. "I'll surrender! Ginny–please!"
Ingrid closed her hands. The power still burned, but with serious effort she managed to pull it back inside herself. Every cell of her body vibrated, the intoxicating after-effects of using such powerful magic. Lolita dropped to her knees, panting. As Ashley and the elf guard moved forward she raised her hands and tucked them behind her head.
Lolita looked up. Ingrid turned away. She had no desire to look her former lover in the eye.
Chapter Seven
Lolita crouched in the narrow cargo container, her knees pulled up to her chest, staring blankly ahead. Silver cuffs shot with iron bound her wrists and ankles, preventing her from using any magic. The bowl of rehydrated beans and meat Ingrid had put into the space with her hours ago remained untouched.
Ingrid herself sat on the cot, trying to study a book of spells, but her gaze kept flickering to Lolita. They had not spoken a single word to one another since Lolita had been taken captive.
The silence was even affecting Ashley, who more than once muttered that she could find more talkative company in a Kristain, a monastery filled with religious elf devotees who had taken vows of silence.
Loli
ta was every bit as beautiful as Ingrid remembered, but the carefree smiles and laughter that had drawn Ingrid to her on Pluto seemed a distant memory. This woman had worry lines around her eyes and mouth, and there was a stillness and fearful energy around her that did not suit the confident, vibrant Lolita she had known all those years ago.
There were some legal technicalities that had to be taken care of on Titan before they could take Lolita from elf space. As Ashley landed the ship on the moon, she turned a worried glance back at Ingrid, who had forgone the spell book and was staring at Lolita now.
"Are you going to be okay in here with her?" Ashley asked.
Lolita's eyes shifted, flickering towards Ingrid.
Ingrid looked away quickly and nodded. "The silver and iron will prevent her from using any magic. You go on ahead. Somebody has to stay here and make sure nobody is going to try to set her free, right?"
Ashley's gaze sharpened and her frown deepened at Ingrid's words, but she slowly nodded. "Call me if there's trouble."
She fastened her belt that held both her gun holster and sword sheath, cinching it over her hips, and pulled on an energy-absorbent vest. She hesitated then, staring at Ingrid as though she wanted to say something, but shook her head and left the ship.
There was silence for the briefest of moments before Lolita spoke.
"Can I come out for a few minutes? My legs are all cramped."
Ingrid refused to look at her. "No. If all you really wanted was to get out of there for a few minutes, you'd have asked before we landed on this moon. You want to escape and you think you can overpower me. But if you eat your food, I'll have Ashley let you out so you can stretch when she comes back."
"You're not serious, are you?" Lolita shook her golden head incredulously.
Ingrid prickled at the tone. "Not serious about what, exactly?"
Lolita's eyes narrowed. "You are taking me back to Earth so I can be executed. How dare you pretend to care about my health and whether I'm eating or not? Unless it's poisoned or drugged so I don't cause you any trouble. Is that it, Ginny?"
"Don't call me Ginny!" Ingrid sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. "Fine. Don't eat. See if I care."
But Lolita shifted, pressing her hands against the grating, her fingers curling out. "Ingrid, please. Please believe me. I had nothing to do with that massacre. I am innocent and they're going to kill me."
"Earth's laws are just," Ingrid said stiffly, not looking at her former lover.
"Really? You really think that? Earth has a death grip on the solar system. They do whatever they have to do to keep it that way. I'm pretty. I look elven, except my round ears. Elves consider beautiful works to be created by the hands of the gods, and that applies more than anything to people. I've been living among them for years now. Killing me will break the spirits of all the elves who considered me their savior, crafted by the gods to free them from Earth's slavery."
"Harper won't kill you unless you're proven guilty."
"They've already decided that I'm guilty, they'll be certain to prove it, no matter what they have to ignore to do that! I never asked for any of this. I have told the elves again and again that I don't want war."
Ingrid opened her book and stared at the pages.
"I waited for you. In that café where we were meant to meet. I waited for you all day. I was waiting for you when the Earth Force came to arrest me."
"You'd say anything to get out of there."
Tears flowed down Lolita's cheeks. "Please. Please, if you ever loved me—"
"I didn't." Ingrid jumped to her feet and glowered at Lolita. "I never loved you. I was bored. So stop thinking that you're something special. You aren't."
Guilt threaded through her veins, but Ingrid kept her hands clenched even after Lolita looked away. She wouldn't let the blonde witch worm her way back into her heart. She couldn't afford that. She had a mission. Find Jorgenson and kill him. That was the only purpose of her life now, and nothing could distract her from it.
* * *
When Ashley returned, Ingrid told her that she was going to leave once they stopped on Jupiter to refuel. It was the perfect place to head out anywhere in the solar system, and magic was highly prized there. She'd be able to earn a lot more than she had on Venus.
Ashley frowned. "Are you still going to go after—"
"No," Ingrid lied. "I realized that's suicidal. I think I'll go to Pluto. They always need magical help. And it's far away from Earth."
And you won't come looking for me there.
Ashley frowned, glancing at her. "You're never coming back, then? Not even for your mother?"
"No." She shivered, glancing at the cage where Lolita was pretending to sleep. "I told you about… when Edan died."
Ashley scowled.
"After Harper kissed me," Ingrid said, her voice low, "he said that we were going to be married. I thought he was talking nonsense, but two days later he came to me, and said that the wedding was being arranged, that it wouldn't be long before I was his empress and had a dozen of his strong boys as my children."
"Ingrid—"
"I'm not going back. Ever."
Chapter Eight
Ingrid was sleeping when Ashley's fluent swearing roused her. She blinked, pushing herself up on the cot and glanced over at her friend. She was at the comm unit, staring at the light that indicated an incoming call. Her whole body was tense, and when Ingrid yawned, Ashley's head jerked around.
"Hide."
"What?" Ingrid blinked.
"It's Harper. Hide!"
Sleep fled Ingrid instantly. She dashed for the shower, scrambling inside. If she had been thinking, she would have cast an invisibility spell as well, but it was too late for that. The incantation was too loud to be of any use now. She heard Harper's voice crackle to life and shuddered, tasting his tongue in her mouth. What had he been thinking?
"My Lord." Ashley's voice was calm.
And no wonder. She was bound to do the will of the emperor and uphold the laws of Earth. In such a position, she couldn't very well speak against him. Besides, if she did, he'd know something was wrong, and Ashley might be forced to tell him about Ingrid.
"How fares your mission?" Harper's voice was like honey, rich and sweet. There was a reason he was beloved by the people of Earth. Ingrid suppressed another shudder. There was a reason why she had run away instead of telling anybody what had happened.
"Well, my lord. I have recaptured Lolita and am on my way back. Tomorrow I will be landing on Jupiter."
"Good, good." There was a pause. "And I was most pleased to learn that you found my daughter-in-law, Ingrid, as well."
Ingrid's heart seized. How had he found out about that? She trembled, pressing herself against the far wall in the shower. Did he have spies out, looking for her? Had one of them seen her with Ashley? Or had he received reports, maybe even video, of Lolita's arrest? Would she still be able to get away from him?
"Ingrid helped me to apprehend Lolita, my lord." Ashley's voice had grown stiff. "She was invaluable, in fact."
"Certainly, certainly. Where is she? I would very much like to see that she is unharmed for myself. Her poor mother has been mad with worry about her. You are bringing her back?"
How dare he? He must know that she was listening to every word he said. There wasn't exactly room in this small ship to avoid hearing him. She could imagine the predatory gleam in his eyes, the way he licked his lips. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back, and imagined those lips on her breasts and him roughly parting her thighs–it was enough to make her want to choke on her own vomit.
I'm staying on Jupiter. He can't force me to come back.
"Ingrid has expressed a desire to return home," Ashley responded, as if she was oblivious to Harper's true intentions.
Ingrid felt a surge of gratitude towards her friend. If they could continue this, then Harper wouldn't order her return, and Ashley wouldn't have to choose between her duty to the crown and her duty to justice.
>
"Has she? I wish to speak with her."
"My lord, she is indisp—"
"I wish to speak with her." Harper's voice lowered to a growl.
Ingrid gritted her teeth. There was no escaping him. He must know that she told Ashley about his advances. They were friends, and now Ashley was covering for her. He knew, and there was no use pretending.
She burst from the shower, storming over to the comm screen. Harper's greedy eyes drank her in. He was considered a handsome man, eyes dark, jaw square, shoulders as broad as an axe handle. Ingrid herself once held him in the highest regards. But since she married into his family, she had learned many things about him that turned her blood to ice.
"Ingrid." Harper's voice suddenly softened to velvet. "You've cut your hair. I don't like it."
"Go to hell," she spat, balling her fists.
Ashley moved out of the line of sight and shook her head.
"Excuse me?" Harper's eyes narrowed.
"You heard me!" Ingrid ignored Ashley's frantic gestures. "I am not coming back to Earth. I am not going to be your empress, and I am never going to be in your bed!"
Harper's face grew darker and darker as she spoke, but when she was finished he sighed, as though she was the stupid one.
"Ingrid, Ingrid. You misunderstand me. I was grieving and only thinking of you. I merely wanted the people to know that you were not to blame for Edan's actions. I chose my own actions poorly. You will return to Earth."
"No, I won't!"
"Ashley." Harper's voice was a snap.
Ashley reluctantly stepped back into the video feed. "Yes, my lord."
"See to it my daughter-in-law returns home safely."
The console went black. Ingrid turned to Ashley, her fists bunched. "I'm not returning to Earth."
"You had to shoot your mouth off, didn't you?"
Ashley's eyes narrowed and she paced from one end of the ship to the other, tramping over the grates Lolita was under. The blonde peered up with an anxious look in her eyes, but dropped her gaze when the warrior glared down at her. Ingrid wanted to shout at both of them that she wasn't going back and there was nothing they could do to make her.