by Ivy Sparks
Dravak shook his head, pushing himself away from the table and spinning back toward the linek. “I think not. Vorian will kill me if I let you destroy anything. I don’t feel like dying. Not today at least.” He turned away from me, restarting his torch.
I threw down my rag and strutted toward him, picking up a wrench I found on a table filled with screws and wires. Now this I was used to; the fight to prove my worth. Sure, he didn’t hide my tools, or push me, or dump my things in a pile of human waste, but he did question my ability without letting me prove myself. All I ever wanted was a chance.
Dravak didn’t question me or push me away when I sat down across from him, looking down at the wires and unhinged plates on the linek. I worked methodically, solving one problem at a time, my fingers nimble and deft.
It had been barely a week since I was fired from my last job. The thought brought back feelings of despair. Who knew what would have happened if I had remained on the Orion, if I would’ve been able to find a new job. I hadn’t realized until now how much I missed fixing things, how calm it made me feel. It was almost as if everything was back to normal. A problem I was able to solve.
It felt good.
Dravak, to his credit, let me tinker away. I didn’t realize how much time had passed. There wasn’t a clock in the lab. There weren’t any windows to show the rising and setting sun. It was as if I were back on the Orion. It was easy to get lost in the job, to continue on until everything was working perfectly.
“What are you doing here?”
My head rose at the familiar voice. Vorian stood at the entrance of the lab, his eyebrows wrinkled in what looked like concern. Dravak turned off his torch. He clicked his visor, the screen disappearing.
“I was just helping Dravak with the linek,” I said, putting down the screwdriver I was holding. “I didn’t mean any—”
“She’s good,” Dravak said, pointing his thumb at me. “The linek is nearly finished and ready for testing. Again.” He chuckled and untied the bun on his head, readjusting his hair and tying it back into a topknot. “If Zoe is willing to test it, that is.” He grimaced. “She seems very flighty today. It might require some convincing this time.”
I moved toward the tube, keeping my gaze on Vorian. He watched me move toward him. I refused to look away. I wasn’t going to back down. I needed something to occupy my time, and this was what I wanted to do. I was not the kind of girl to just lie around. I didn’t enjoy playing dress up all day while cloud watching, as nice as it was on occasion. I stopped in front of him, staring into his eyes, my chin jutting forward, daring him to admonish me.
I was a little surprised when he smiled, tilting his head, those locks of hair falling into his eyes. I wanted to swipe them away, but I refused to allow myself such pleasure.
Pleasure was definitely an interesting way to describe the feeling of his hair…
“I never took you for the mechanic type,” he said, his smile growing, exposing his fangs.
“My father taught me.” I hated the way my voice sounded. It was so soft, like a young girl talking to her high school crush.
“He taught you well. We could use your help on some other things, if you’d like.”
Wow. That was exactly what I wanted, and I didn’t even have to fight for it. Still, I had gotten myself so worked up that I couldn’t help the leftover attitude in my voice. “Fine.”
Vorian chuckled, offering his elbow to me, which I wrapped my arm around, allowing him to lead me to the tube. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Over breakfast.”
I nodded, trying not to jump for joy at finding something to consume my time. “Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Nine
Vorian
I clipped the gold chain to my Zhora insignia, an emblem of gold in the shape of a winged serpent. My black tunic was structured, open in the back. Zoe buckled the straps at my neck and my lower back, tightening them to the point that I hissed.
“Must you make it that tight?”
She smirked, crossing her arms. “Don’t you want to look handsome for Ellie?” She turned on her heel, grabbing a gold cape to click onto my shoulder pads. Why we were forced to wear such traditional attire was beyond me. I stretched my wings, wondering if flying was even possible in this thing.
“Ellie looks very pretty tonight,” Zoe continued, clicking the cape into place and lifting it so it covered my arms but not my wings.
“You didn’t dress her in yellow, did you? Apparently she has an issue with yellow.”
Zoe clicked her tongue. “Not at all. I made her look quite lovely.” She grabbed the gold mask laying on my dresser. It was simple with horns protruding from either side.
Hopefully not too lovely, I thought as I remembered Valk whispering in my ear.
I really should have punched him.
“Why can’t you take Dravak with you?”
I turned, catching Zoe’s pout and nearly chuckled. I stopped myself before she noticed, knowing she would have my head for it. “Dravak has work to finish. Besides,” I said, pulling her forward, “shouldn’t you forgive him already? It’s not like he did it on purpose.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “I know,” she muttered.
I poked her nose, laughing at her grimace. “Just think about it.” I faced the mirror, sighing and patting down my attire. “Wish me good luck.”
Zoe scoffed. “You don’t need it.”
“I’ll be introducing Ellie to the court.”
“It’s not the first time they’ll be seeing a human.”
“Yeah, but it’s the first time they’ll be meeting someone from the Orion.”
Zoe grimaced and I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the support, Zoe.”
“Of course, Master Vorian.” She mock bowed, opening the door.
I waited for Ellie on the balcony, watching the sunset, wondering if I should have kept her a secret. Valk knew, I reminded myself, and would have spread the gossip around the courts. Secret or no, information on Ellie would have leaked. I sighed, hoping tonight wasn’t too soon to be introducing my human guest.
I turned to the sound of heels clacking on tile, the smell of rain falling enveloping me, and my mind stalled when I saw Ellie. She wore a long gown of blue, detailed in gold threading, creating an illusion of stars cascading down her skirt. Her mask was gold, like mine, but decorated in flowers sprouting from the sides of its face.
Ellie stopped before me. She looked like a goddess. She sighed, planting her hands on her hips. “I look like Cinderella, don’t I?”
I really needed to learn more human culture apparently. “Cinderella?”
She groaned, tossing her head back. “Never mind.” She looked around. “Aren’t we taking the linek?” I reached for her and she took a step back, her blue heels clacking on the floor. “What are you doing?”
“I’m picking you up.”
She looked around, as if the linek might be hidden under the tiles. “Why?”
I inhaled and counted to ten. “So we can fly there.”
Her eyes widened and she took another step back. “Do we have to fly?”
“It’s the only way to get there.” I tried to smile gently, but this fear of flying was ridiculous to me. Sure, she fainted last time—and maybe that was a really good reason to be scared—but that was due to atmospheric illness.
Her hands planted once more on her hips and I shook my head as she predictably said, “I don’t want to fly.”
“This won’t be like last time, I promise. You’re acclimated to our world now.” I took a step forward, but she still hesitated. “It’ll be fine,” I insisted, trying my best not to look at my wristwatch. We were going to be late…
Ellie looked over the balcony, seeing how far the drop was. I wasn’t sure why she did that to herself.
“Look,” I said, putting both hands on her shoulders. “Adonians fly. It’s what we do. It’s what we’ve done for tens of thousands of years. It’s unheard of for us to get into… flight accidents. I mean,
is it common for humans to get critically injured walking?”
“Sure, but…”
I grew silent. “Is it my mechanical wing that makes you hesitate?”
The change in her attitude was almost comical. “Oh, God, no!” Ellie insisted, grabbing my hands. “I wouldn’t question your technology, or your own strength. I would be scared in any Adonian’s hands, that’s all.”
“I would hope my hands would be different to you. The last thing in the world I would ever let happen is for any harm to come to you.”
As she stared into my eyes, I think she realized just how serious I was with that statement. I hoped that so far I had done nothing to lessen her trust in me.
“All right,” she finally said. She tightened her fist and set her jaw as she gathered up her courage.
I recalled how my father first taught me how to fly. He had thrown me off a cliff. It was a big enough drop that he could swoop down and catch me if I didn’t fly, but it had taught me something else: When one was scared, hesitation could be crippling. If I let her stand there and think further on her decision, she might think better of it. And then she’d never know how simple and easy flying could be.
So I wasted no time. I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms before stretching my wings and jumping into the night sky. She clung to me as her nails dug into my shoulders. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, while she buried her face into my shoulder.
I flew higher, the summer palace residing on the tallest peak of Adonia. The muscles in my wings tensed for a moment before I found a current to ride on. Other Adonians flew past us and a memory of a younger version of myself, soaring higher and faster in the skies, surged within me. Doesn’t matter, I told myself. I brought a war to an end. I owned a company. I didn’t need to be the fastest anymore.
We soon landed on the balcony of the massive clifftop palace. Ellie still clung to me, breathing heavily into my neck, unaware that we had arrived. Adonians landed around us, staring at me briefly before continuing on.
I sighed and patted Ellie’s arm. “Ellie, open your eyes. You can let go.”
She refused to look up from my shoulder. “Are we on land?”
“We’re on a balcony.”
She peered down and slowly peeled herself away from me, one foot hesitantly touching the tile, her hand lingering on my arm. “I guess that wasn’t so bad,” she muttered, her eyes flitting back toward the sky as if she were considering another flight.
I smiled down at her, wrapped her hand around my elbow, and led her to the entrance, handing my invitation to the man at the door. He bowed low upon reading my name and gestured for us to enter.
The royal family’s traditional colors of gold and red decorated the summer palace. Golden chandeliers hung high above, the walls painted red with golden vines. Servants holding platters of goblets waited at the ready. A large banquet stood in the corner with a variety of meat and pastries. Adonians talked amongst themselves on the floor while others danced in the air above. I looked up, watching as they swirled around each other, arms locking together before pushing apart, wings lightly grazing each other in a dance of seduction.
I glanced at Ellie, and smiled at the fascination I found in her wide eyes, which darted from the dancers above to the standing Adonian women dressed in illuminating gowns. Her gaze then landed on mine and she smiled.
Men in military uniform held long golden instruments, playing them in announcement as the prince and his fiancée appeared. I knelt and guided Ellie down with me as everyone lowered their heads to the future king and queen of Adonia. The dancers above descended, floating down from the sky, bowing low as the prince and his fiancée took to the air.
I lifted my head, the other Adonians following suit as the prince flew with his future wife. They circled around each other before one dove, the other following. They joined hands and pulled each other close before pushing away. I leaned into Ellie, her head turning toward me. “That is Prince Xeph and his fiancée, Princess Lenora,” I whispered in her ear. “They are dancing to convey their love and commitment to one another.”
“Is it like a wedding?” she asked, watching them dance.
I shook my head. “No. It is what couples do when they want to follow each other into the afterlife. They hope to tie themselves together, for eternity.”
Ellie’s body swayed with the music. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
The prince and princess landed, holding each other close. Everyone clapped while I looked on, worried I would never have what they had with each other. As taken by me as Ellie seemed, I worried deep down that she’d lose interest in a broken, battle-scarred beast like me.
“Ah, there he is.”
I scowled upon hearing Valk. Despite my body’s protests, I turned and pasted on a smile, pulling Ellie closer to my body. “Great, you’re here. Ellie, this is Valk.”
She frowned. “I remember you,” she said, her body leaning into mine. She did try to slap him once, now that I thought about it.
Valk took her hand, pressing his thin lips against her skin. She pulled away from him, wiping her hand on her skirt. He tutted. “Vorian, your pet is so impudent.” He turned back to his accomplices flanking him, explaining, “Vorian and I had entertained the idea of pursuing a deal with Orion.” He sighed, making a pretense of fixing the cuffs on his sleeves. “Too bad they didn’t have much to offer. Although,” his gaze turned back to Ellie, “their females were of great interest.”
Ellie pressed even closer to me. “I want to go,” she whispered, trying to turn away.
“I was surprised when Vorian chose this runt,” Valk continued, gesturing at Ellie, looking her up and down, his steely gaze raking over her. “Although, like goes with like, right?” His accomplices chuckled. He then added, too cowardly to stand by his words, “I only kid, of course.”
“What is it you want, Valk?” I spat. “You critique me for my tastes, yet wasn’t it you who was just asking for permission to have her earlier today? Or have you gotten so old now that your memory escapes you?” Valk frowned, and I smiled, watching the slight twitch in his eye. “You must be in a drought if you’re begging for another man’s seconds.”
Valk snarled, baring his fangs. “I’ve got plenty of females—”
“Then leave Ellie alone,” I growled. “She doesn’t want you. Go enjoy the plethora of females you always brag about. Or were you just kidding again?”
I turned, pulling Ellie with me, needing a drink now and fast.
“To think your father threw away his life for you to live,” Valk called. I paused, unable to push myself forward. “He would be disgusted to see you with that whore.”
I shook my head, saying in parting, “Stay classy, Valk,” then stalked toward a servant carrying goblets of tal, a rather strong drink for most palettes, but not strong enough for this occasion. I grabbed one for myself and another for Ellie. “Here,” I said, handing one to her. “We’ll need it if we want to survive tonight.”
Ellie
Balls were an interesting thing. Reading fairy tales in my youth, I had always expected when a princess entered that all eyes would be on her. When I entered, hardly anyone noticed. And I was a human. I would have thought I’d pique some sort of interest, yet no one seemed to care. At all.
I sniffed at the goblet of black liquid Vorian handed me. It was sweet. Very sweet. I took a sip and I nearly skyrocketed to the ceiling from how sweet it was. I took another sip.
It made my head feel a little fuzzy.
Not that I was complaining.
Vorian downed his drink and grabbed another before he was suddenly pulled off by a group of royally dressed Adonians. He hesitated, but I nodded, insisting, “I’ll be fine. Go ahead.” If fiction or old movies were any indication, I knew these balls were big social opportunities, and with Vorian running the family business… whatever it was… he probably needed to rub shoulders with these types whenever he could.
As kind as he was to treat me like a fello
w Adonian, taking me to such an important event, I felt like I was imposing. He shouldn’t set aside his life and dealings for a human girl he took some pity on.
I watched him and the royal Adonians talk, moving farther and farther away to a more isolated part of the palace. It must’ve been an important discussion, not for prying ears. Still, Vorian would look back at me every few minutes, flashing me a smile.
How did I end up so lucky?
“Excuse me,” someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around, seeing a human woman in a long silk red dress. She smiled at me. “I knew it. Another human. Perfect!” She held out her hand. “I’m Rachel Morton.”
My legs nearly gave out. “Ellie Harris,” I said, my mouth barely moving. “How are you here?”
Rachel chuckled, pushing her long brown hair behind her ear. “I’m a translator for an ambassador from Artemis.” She tilted her head from side to side. “I kinda get invited to these things. Maybe a bit too much. Never really anyone to talk to.”
“From Artemis?” I felt as if my world had completely slipped from me. For a moment, I could imagine my sister in her place, standing there, smiling at me. A translator from Artemis, working for an ambassador. In a few years Lyra could hold such a position, all thanks to Vorian’s generosity.
“Yeah, I’m from Artemis,” she said, frowning. “Where are you from?”
“Orion.”
Rachel gasped. “The Orion base? I thought no one left that place, except the few malnourished cadets that Artemis takes in. How did you get out?”
“Well, it’s not like they are keeping us prisoner there. I…” I didn’t want to tell her I was bought. I didn’t want to see her pitying gaze. “I met Vorian and left with him.”
Rachel smiled, looking at me knowingly. “They are very attractive, aren’t they?” she whispered, wrapping her arm around mine. She grabbed a goblet of the black liquid and pulled me toward some tables. “A little intimidating, but gentle.” She nodded her head toward an Adonian with graying hair. He was dressed in navy blue and a black laughing mask. “That’s mine.”