by Tracy Lauren
I force warmth into my smile. “How about I promise to be nice to you instead?”
“I’d say that’s not much, but considering your demeanor thus far I might be wrong.”
I nod, agreeing with him.
“Final negotiation then,” he offers.
“I’m listening.”
“You have a party coming up, do you not?”
“My Rasarit.” I shrug. It’s a stupid rite of passage thing all the Teverans do. It’s like a coming of age party—though mine is a few years late in the making, thanks to my overprotective parents. But the upcoming event is the whole reason I’m wearing this elaborate gown. For weeks I’ve been going through dozens of dress rehearsals, making sure I get all the customs and formalities just right. It’s supposed to be this joyous occasion, but I can’t help but feel like it’s just another thing that’s more for my mom and Vazrium than it is for me.
“I wish to be your guest,” Kethian tells me, crossing his arms over his chest as if challenging me to counter his offer. Instead, I surprise him by agreeing.
“Fine.” If everything works out the way I want it to, this promise won’t matter anyway.
“Your personal guest. I will remain by your side throughout the night, eat with you at dinner, and you will share your first dance with me.”
I shrug and give Kethian a smile. I’ll be long gone by then. “It’s a date.” The only downside to this arrangement is that I won’t be around to see the look on Vazrium’s face when Kethian—a guardsman—shows up claiming to be my date for the evening.
“And you have to be nice to me,” Kethian hurries to add.
This caveat makes me frown. “At the Rasarit or in general?”
He considers the terms for a moment. “At the Rasarit only, I am not an unreasonable man.”
This time I laugh out loud and maybe it’s even a little genuine too. “Alright, you have a deal. Now get me the hell out of here.”
The guardsman takes off his belt, tossing it and the gun it holsters atop his pile of clothes near the water’s edge before he gracefully dives into the pool. Kethian hardly makes a ripple as he penetrates the water and I grip the bars of my cage as I watch him glide beneath the surface. My heart races, fearful that something might grab hold of him. I know I’m sort of using the guy as my guinea pig on this one, but I still don’t want to see him swallowed by a giant eel—even if he is a bit of a scoundrel.
I let out a breath of relief when he emerges just outside the bars of my cage. Water laps at my hem and the layers of fabric I wear soak it all in. I frown at it. “Careful,” I scold.
Kethian wipes the water from his face and snorts out a laugh. “I hope you’re not worried about getting a little wet,” he says, sending a light splash in my direction.
“Are you just going to keep messing around?” I complain.
“No, I’m ready to be the hero.” He practically groans the words as he swims closer to my cage.
“Never heard of a hero blackmailing a princess, but whatever.”
“Whatever works,” he agrees with a flirtatious grin. “Now, hold on tight.”
“Huh?” I question, but before I realize what he’s doing he grips the side of the cage and hauls himself up to my level. His weight tilts my cell to one side and I go flying into the bars. Suddenly we’re face to face and my rogue of a hero is grinning at me like he might just lean in and steal that kiss.
“Jerk,” I complain pushing his face away, but gravity keeps us close. “What kind of warning was that?”
“Apparently it was one that you didn’t heed.” He chuckles and begins working at the lock with some little USB-type device. His eyes are on his efforts and I try to keep my gaze away from his face, but seeing as we’re so close it’s a difficult endeavor. Slowly, I allow myself to examine my rescuer…he’s no Justin Bieber.
No, Kethian is a grown man. It makes me realize that the posters I have back in my room depict a teenage boy and there are definitely some stark differences between the two. Yes…very stark differences.
Somehow I find myself watching beads of water collect along Kethian’s collar bones until they’re too heavy to grip on any longer. Then, they make the long and languorous journey down his muscled chest before they disappear just below his abs. But Kethian is being too silent and I look up, only to meet his gaze. He’s staring at me with a smirk on his face. I feel a hot blush wash over me and I scowl at him.
“Are you done yet?” I ask tersely.
He cocks a brow at me, looking all too pleased. “Are you?”
My anger swells and without warning I push the door to the cage open, causing Kethian to lose his balance, falling backward into the water. This time he makes a big splash and I grip the bars tightly as the cage swings, finding its equilibrium. When Kethian emerges again, he’s laughing.
“I hate aliens!” I grumble to myself, still clinging to my swaying cage. Kethian swims to me and grabs ahold of the base, anchoring it for me.
“Come on, Princess, you’ve had a rough night. Let me take you home,” he offers. He’s still smiling, but at least he has the decency to try and show me some empathy.
Kethian reaches for me, holding his arms open as if he expects me to fall into them. I frown down at him in the water. “You must be hard of hearing, alien. All I asked was that you open the cage. I can swim to the edge on my own.”
Kethian frowns at me, assessing my gown. “You’d better take that off then.”
I gasp at the suggestion. “You pervert! I’m not taking off my clothes in front of you!”
He scoffs and swipes his hair back out of his eyes. “Princess, you’re going to sink straight to the bottom if you get in this water wearing that dress. Now I admit, I’d love to see you naked as much as the next man, but this is about keeping your head afloat. Come on now, put your modesty aside for a moment and use your brain.”
I wrinkle my nose at his words. I am using my brain, dipshit.
“Back up,” I order. “I’m getting in.”
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea—” he starts. But I’ve taken a seat on the edge of the cage and dropped my legs into the water. The barred cell sways with my movement until I’m sitting in an icy puddle. It’s terribly cold and already I can feel what Kethian was talking about. My dress tangles around my legs and suddenly it feels more like dumbbells than fabric. I take a few steadying breaths.
I’ve always been afraid of dark pools. As a kid, the ocean scared me so much I used to have nightmares about it. And once, when I was on a vacation with my mom in Montana we canoed through a place called Quake Lake. Apparently there was an earthquake that had hit the area back in the ’50s and it caused the lake to swallow up some cabins…that and a bunch of campers too. As we canoed through the water you could look in and see the remnants of the old structures. It terrified me then. Hell, it still does. And even with Kethian happily floating and bobbing in the water the way that he is, I still can’t help but imagine frightening things lurking in the depths. It makes my plan that much more difficult.
Kethian’s expression looks troubled as he watches me. “Hey, let me help you,” he says, offering his hand to me once more. There’s nothing teasing about his tone now. No. It’s filled with compassion.
“You promise you’ll help me?” I demand.
“Of course I will.”
“Swear to God.” My heart’s pounding in my chest.
“Which one?”
“Any of them!”
“Yes! Princess, I’m here to help—” he starts, but I don’t wait for him to finish. I don’t really care what he has to say beyond that, as long as I know he’ll save me. Now it’s time to get my plan in motion.
“Okay. Here we go.” I take a deep breath and slide off the edge of the cage, letting my dress do the work for me. Kethian reaches out, but I’m weighed down too quickly and I’m sucked beneath the surface. The gold fabric of my gown envelops me and the dim light from above fades away much more quickly than I’d l
ike it to.
I don’t know what’s crazier, that I’ve put all my trust in this stranger, or that I’ve finally hatched a plan to get myself back to where I belong—back to Earth.
Chapter 5
Kethian
Either this woman is headstrong or she simply has terrible judgment. But one thing’s for certain—she sinks like a ball of heavy metal, disappearing beneath the surface of the pond. I give her a second to kick her way to the surface, so that she might save what seems to be delicate pride, but watching her gown swirl and dance as she sinks fills me with a level of terror I have never known and I can’t hold back. I dive beneath the surface, chasing after her.
My hands grip onto flimsy pieces of her skirt and they rip away. The worry in my chest steadily grows more potent as I kick my legs hard, diving deeper and searching for purchase. Finally my fingers graze something solid amid her swirling skirts and I wrap my arms around the stubborn princess.
What was she thinking? I watched her suck in a breath of air just before she jumped in. It’s almost as if she planned to go under. Though I can’t fathom why.
When we break the surface her head lolls to the side and her body is limp. She was hardly under for a second! But I know nothing of humans. Maybe that’s all it takes for them to drown. My heart pounds in my chest as I hurry to get her to the edge of the pool, but her stupid gown tangles around my legs making her rescue that much more difficult. The most strenuous part is pushing her limp body up and out of the water, but my fear fortifies my strength and I climb out after her, rolling her onto her back.
Putting my fingers to her lips, my fear is tenfold when I realize I cannot feel her breath. Quickly I tilt her head back and block her nose, then lean in to blow air into her lungs. When my mouth covers hers she sucks in a surprised breath and her eyes go wide as she lets out a little yelp of surprise. I startle in response, ripping myself away.
“Damn it! You scared the shit out of me, Princess!”
I realize my body is still pressed against hers and I can feel her heart pounding within her breast. Seems like she was scared too.
Still silent, she stares at me with those wide and intense eyes. They are like twin moons shining upon me. For a moment I’m lost in her gaze, thankful she’s alive and well. Then…then I feel something hard poking into my ribs. You don’t get as far in life as I have without knowing what the barrel of a gun feels like. And it seems the princess somehow got a hold of mine while I was distracted.
“Was it the Rasarit?” I tease. “Did I push too far when I asked for the first dance?”
Though she has my gun I’m not worried. I could easily disarm the Princess, but I think once more of that fragile pride of hers and instead allow this to play out just a little bit longer. Besides, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.
“No. Actually, it was your bragging that did you in,” she tells me, her tone resolved even though her voice quivers.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“And let’s not make it your last. You’re going to do me a favor, frog boy, whether you like it or not.”
“Princess,” I say, leaning in a little closer and staring at her lips. “If it’s a favor you wanted, all you had to do was ask.” I toy with a wet lock of her hair.
“Oh please. I practically had to beg you to get me out of that damned cage.”
I smirk. “That’s not the kind of favor I’m referring to.”
Her brow draws down and she reprimands me. “Ew, gross. No, I mean you’re going to take me for a little ride.”
“I thought you said that wasn’t the kind of favor you were referring to,” I rally.
“Damn it, Kethian, don’t make me shoot you! Please try to follow along.”
“Apologies,” I tell the exasperated princess. “You allowed me to blackmail you, I should extend the same courtesy.”
“This isn’t blackmail!”
“Oh? Then what is it?”
“I don’t know…a kidnapping or something.”
“You’re kidnapping me? And here I thought you didn’t like me.”
“I swear to God; I’m going to shoot you just for being so damn annoying.”
“No, no. I’m sorry for interrupting. Go ahead with your kidnapping. I’m curious as to where you plan to take me.”
“Wrong again, frog boy. It’s you who’s going to take me somewhere.”
“And where would you like to be?” I question.
“Earth.”
Chapter 6
Madison
My adrenaline is still rampant from my feigned drowning as Kethian frowns down at me. “That would be criminal, Princess. We could get in a lot of trouble for going to a protected planet.”
“Not me. I can’t get in trouble unless I actually plan to come back—which I don’t.”
“And what about me?”
“Tell them I stole your gun and forced you to do it. Hell, tell them I stole your ship and went there on my own. I don’t care. But I’m going back to Earth.”
“You’re serious about this?” Kethian asks, searching my face.
“Serious as a heart attack. I’m sick and fucking tired of outer space, and alien planets, and aliens in general. I can’t stand Vazrium, or castles, or even stupid Rasarit practice. I just want to go home. And you’re going to take me there.”
Kethian pushes himself up to a sitting position. I keep the gun trained on him and he rubs a green hand over his stubble, deep in thought. All the while, his eyes stay locked on mine.
“Alright, Princess. I’ll take you back to Earth—on one condition,” he says casually, rising to fit his boots back onto his feet.
“You’re in no position to be making demands, frog boy.”
“Perhaps not, but on this I am firm. I will not go with you unless you send a message to your parents first.”
“What? Hell no! I’m trying to escape, not give them a road map to where I’m headed.”
Kethian shakes his head at me. “This is my planet, Princess. Vazrium will discover that you were here and he’ll blame us for your disappearance. If you run off to Earth, never to be heard from again, what do you think the Warrior King will do to this place?”
I groan in dismay. As much as I want to slip away without confronting Vazrium or my mom, I can’t let a war start over my escape. I don’t know much about Kethian’s planet, but I know there aren’t many who can stand a chance against my stepdad.
“Fine,” I say begrudgingly. “I’ll send them a message, but not until we’re on our way.”
Kethian nods. “I have one more request.”
“Another one? Dammit, you’re kidnapped, Kethian, this isn’t freaking Burger King!”
“What does that mean?”
“You can’t have it your way!”
“Look, I will take you to your world, but I will not do so if it puts you in danger. I might be kidnapped, but you are a Princess and you are under my protection until your safety is ensured on Earth. Take it or leave it, Princess, but I refuse to leave your side until I know you’re safe. I think that’s a more than fair arrangement.”
“Fine. Let’s just get out of here already. I’ve been waiting nine years to go home and if I have to wait another second I’m going to scream.”
Kethian holds out a hand to help me up. I want to bat it away, but I’ve got on a wet dress that practically outweighs me and I actually do need the help. Grabbing onto him, I struggle to stand. I have to tug roughly at my skirt to pull away the pieces that cling to my legs. But still, everything is a tangled mess. I attempt to make one shuffling step forward and instantly lose my balance. Luckily Kethian is quick and he catches me before I fall. I grip the gun a little tighter, worried that he might try to pry it out of my hands, but instead he just sets me right again.
“We aren’t going to get very far like this,” he chides.
“I don’t see any other option.”
“Princess…do you trust me?”
I frown at the guards
men and give him my answer. “No.”
Kethian smirks, amused by my brutal honesty perhaps. Then, fast as lightning, he reaches forward. Gripping onto my skirt, he yanks on it so hard I nearly fall flat on my face. But he’s right there in front of me and instead I go crashing into Kethian’s solid chest. His arms move to my waist, steadying me, and the majority of my skirt tumbles to the floor. Suddenly, I feel cold air against my bare legs.
“Kethian!” I shriek, shielding myself from his gaze. But the abrupt shock is worse than the actual damage done. Now, instead of a ball gown, it looks more like I’m wearing a tutu of sorts. Thankfully, all of my most private parts remain blocked from view.
“You’re welcome,” he says with a smug grin and I angrily shove him away from me, motioning toward the door with the gun.
“Lead the way.” I scowl.
Chapter 7
Kethian
Change of plans. I’ve been kidnapped by the princess. I type the words discreetly into my personal comm.
What princess? Of Tevera?
I don’t reply.
??????
Details to follow, I answer.
You keep saying that and yet we keep waiting! My brothers type in response. I ignore their words. Now is not the time to communicate, for I am curiously intent on helping this haphazard princess make her escape. At the very least I’m terribly interested in seeing how this “kidnapping” of hers unfolds.
“Once we get to the stairs we’ll have to exercise caution,” I warn quietly.
“Why’s that?” the princess whispers.
“I snuck into this place to get to you. It belongs to a Chancellor in the Atana government named Prett. He’s away right now, but his guards are still heavy on the grounds.”
