Husband? Daughter? What’s going on?
The altrix fixed her steely stare upon her. “Is he your father?”
Nixie cocked her head to the side. They believed her, a Terran, to be the daughter of a level Four Suavita, but would not believe Cyresse to have a Schedarn husband, a Suavito at that?
At the same time, had the two of them really married? That would explain why Garesh frequented their house, only leaving to spend his nights elsewhere if Cyresse had clients. But why hadn’t either of them told her?
“Well?”
The need to see Cyresse for herself remained her focus, and Nixie eyed the altrix. Garesh had as much right to see the body as she did. “Yes, he’s my father. They adopted me after my parents abandoned me.”
Setting on her way again, the altrix called over her shoulder. “Well then, let’s go.”
Traipsing farther into the hospital, Nixie hoped the altrix incorrect, that Cyresse remained alive. While Nixie longed to be something other than a Suavita, the profession was never supposed to lead to death.
***
Mekai slammed his fist against the desk. “Where is Nixie?”
Two men stared back at him, the Schedarn man who’d booked his original appointment with her, and the Elikashe he’d seen her follow into his suite not long ago.
“I’d like to know the same thing, since she walked out on me.” The Elikashe glared at him. “You’re going to have to wait in line, buddy. She still owes me a blow job.”
Mekai saw only red and slammed his fist into the Elikashe’s nose. The man slapped his hands to his face, blood now spewing down his arms.
“Gentlemen!” the Schedarn cried. “There’s no need for violence. This is a peaceful planet.”
Mekai pivoted toward him. “I don’t care if that is her job. No one talks about my wife-to-be like that.”
“Ah, so you’re the guy she’s turning down clients for?” The Schedarn man strolled over and shook his hand, squeezing hard at the same time. “You’d better treat her right.”
He clenched his jaw. “I will, but I can’t find her. She went into that man’s room, and I haven’t seen her since.”
“Well, she walked out on me.” Accepting a towel from the Schedarn, the Elikashe held it to his nose and inched closer. “She was just about to give me a…she’d just finished my massage when she left the room crying, and never came back.”
Gods, had she gone back to the room and found it empty? She’d think he abandoned her. How could he have been so irrational? This was her job, after all. She’d sworn she’d leave with him after tonight. But where could she have run off to? “Well, where is she?”
The Schedarn ignored him, dealing with the other man. “I’ll give you a full refund and find you a replacement, on the house. She’ll clean you up and tend to your needs. Go back to your room and she’ll be there shortly.”
When the Elikashe left, the other man sighed. “She’s at the valetudenarium. Her mother’s been murdered.” Then he walked out of the room.
Murdered? She must be a wreck right now. First I’m not there for her, and then she finds out about her mother….
“And where is the vale... whatever?” Mekai called after the man, but his question went unanswered.
Mekai sprinted from the building. He would comb the entire planet to find her. He’d vowed he wouldn’t leave without her by his side. And with his parents now on Schedar, he had even more reason to find her as soon as possible.
Chapter Ten
“There was nothing we could do to save her.” The altrix unzipped the body bag and exposed the corpse to Nixie. “She arrived covered in blood, scratches all over her body, and the left side of her face was bruised and swollen.”
Nixie gulped, fighting back tears. Her mother was gone, the shell of the woman she’d known left behind. Although her body had been cleaned of the blood, nothing could hide the deep cuts across her chest—far from scratches—like some kind of sacrificial markings. Her left eye was barely visible under puffy blue skin. If only Nixie had stayed with Cyresse, she could have prevented this. Or maybe they’d both be dead, used and tossed aside like trash.
Garesh rushed to Cyresse, reaching into the bag and wrapping his arms around her like she was only sleeping. He kissed her forehead before rocking the body back and forth.
Nixie stood in the same spot, unable to stop him. She had no idea what to do, what to say. What was she supposed to do now? Was this what she could expect as a level Four? Would she be too high on ipsum to fight a client off, or to even care what they did to her?
Reeling back, Nixie prepared to run. She’d didn’t want to reach the highest level, or perform as a Suavita at all.
“We trained together,” Garesh said, making Nixie pause. He stroked Cyresse’s hair. “We were each other’s first sexual experience, and kept in contact over the years.”
Garesh glanced over at her, tears in his eyes. “It got to the point where no matter how many clients we tended to, we could only think of each other. I managed to find a teaching position first. And I’d found other Suavitas for all of her regular clients. Your mother was supposed to join me in the classroom.” He lowered the body back into the bag and kissed her forehead again. “This wasn’t the way we’d planned it. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
The urge to run dissipated, and she found herself in Garesh’s arms, sobbing. Several minutes passed before she glanced up at him. “What are we supposed to do now?” She’d never had anyone she knew die. What would happen to Cyresse’s body? To her domus?
Garesh pushed her back, out of the room and down the hall toward the main part of the valetudenarium. “You are going to leave this planet, be something else, anything other than a Suavita.”
She heavied her feet, halting her retreat before Garesh could shove her out of the building. “What are you talking about? You want me to just leave? What are you going to do?”
“Nixie, from the time you were young, you have dreamed of so many things that are not possible on this planet, of falling in love, and having a family.” He pointed to the door. “Go get those things.”
She shook her head, her eyes burning from the tears. “But you and Cyresse had that here.”
“And look what happened. Look where it left us. This is not a planet to raise children on. You need to leave.”
What? She tried to duck past him, return to her mother’s body, but he blocked her path. “Garesh, I have nothing beyond Schedar, no one to count on other than you.”
“You have me.”
Nixie spun around. Her heart stopped. “Mekai?”
Garesh stepped beside her and eyed the prince. “So, you’re the one who’s been taking up all of her time?”
“Yes.” Mekai nodded, the confidence in his face vanishing in Garesh’s presence.
“Do you love her?”
“With all my heart.” Mekai glanced up at Garesh. “I asked her to marry me.”
The man she considered a father turned to her. “And yet you’re still here? Why didn’t you go with him? Why didn’t you say yes? This is what you’ve wanted all along.”
“I did, but....” Torn between leaping into Mekai’s arms and running the other direction, she remained in the same spot. “You didn’t leave?”
He reached out for her. “No. I thought about it, but I couldn’t. I love you too much. I was just so confused when I saw you with that man.”
Pangs of guilt returned. “But I didn’t—”
He closed the gap between them, pressing his finger to her lips. “I know.” Leaning down, he kissed her, transporting her into a world where only the two of them existed. No disappointment. No death.
A throat cleared near them, yanking her back to reality. Her cheeks warmed. “Sorry. Mekai, this is my father, Garesh. He’s the reason I cannot leave with you. Not now. Not after Cyresse’s death.”
Garesh clasped her shoulders. “I am not your father. With Cyresse gone, we are no longer family.”
Nixie stopped breathing, shocked by the man’s words. “What are you talking about? How can you say that?”
“Nixie, you walked out on a client. Therefore, you probably do not have a job to go back to. And with Cyresse gone, you no longer have a home.” He spun her around to face the door. “Leave. Get off the planet while you have the opportunity.”
Her throat became tight while her heart broke. How had she lost everything in one day?
A hand touched her shoulder. “Nixie, I’m very sorry for your loss.” Mekai lifted her chin until her gaze met his. “I can give you what you desire. I love you, and I want you to come with me. But, if you don’t feel the same, I can take you anywhere you want to go. Anywhere.”
She looked away, unwilling to acknowledge her feelings for the prince. Not when she hurt so much. Yet, she had no other choice but to go with him. The money she had already saved would only provide her a one way ticket away from Schedar. She’d have nothing left to live on, be forced to pleasure others again to survive.
After one last glance at Garesh, who turned his back to her, she grasped Mekai’s hand and left the building. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eleven
Surveying the street before him, Mekai sighed with relief. His family was nowhere to be seen. Could he get back to Carbae without them finding him, or would they discover his whereabouts before he had the chance? He inspected the view once more before setting Nixie down and holding her by the hand. They had to reach his PSTV at the edge of Sturban as quickly as possible. If they made it to Carbae, surely his parents wouldn’t turn her away.
“How do you think they’re going to react when you bring me to meet them?” She chewed her lip and clasped his hand tight. “I mean, our cultures have been enemies for ages. What if they don’t approve?”
The same thoughts had rolled around in his head during their entire time together, but he couldn’t let her worry. He’d remain by her side, no matter where they were. “They’re going to love you, because I love you. Nothing else matters.”
He raced with her, hand in hand through the streets, toward the waiting spacecraft. He finally had his love, and he would never let her go. After so many star cycles, he could finally be happy living on Carbae. He only hoped she would be happy, too. He remained thankful Garesh had insisted Nixie leave the planet, made her see—albeit somewhat harshly—that leaving proved her best option. Yet, he yearned to take away her hurt, make her understand the man had only said those words to get her off planet. But, not until he had her safely in his PSTV.
“Well, well, well, look who I ran into again.”
Mekai came to a grinding halt and grasped Nixie so she wouldn’t fall over.
Madelia stood in their path, her arms crossed and feet spread apart. “And toting a Terran woman, none the less. What are your parents going to say about this?”
Nixie tucked herself behind him. Like she didn’t already have enough to deal with without the woman he was supposed to marry showing up out of nowhere.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “What do you want this time?”
“Hmm, let’s see. How about revenge?” His former betrothed smirked. “Because, as much as I am unbelievably happy with Ben, you still set me up. I would have gone along with your plan had I known, but no, you didn’t trust me. And now I’m going to make you squirm.”
Nixie whimpered as Madelia pulled her out into the open.
“Honestly, Mekai, I didn’t expect you to consort with the enemy.” She circled his lover, examining her. “I hope you’re completely in love with him, because your life is about to take an unexpected twist. Trust me.”
He couldn’t stand the way Madelia glared at Nixie, and he clasped his future wife by the shoulders. “Madelia, I’d like you to meet Nixie. She is the woman who finally captured my heart, the woman I’m going to marry.”
Nixie pressed against him, hiding her face in his chest.
Madelia whistled, halting all movement on the street. “Oh, Thornton! Please bring the king and queen here. I’ve found the prince.”
Eyebrows furrowed, he clenched his fists. “You wouldn’t. C’mon. She just lost her mother.”
She grinned. “I just did. No one messes with me and gets away with it.”
Mekai willed his feet to move, to escape his parents’ scrutiny, even for Nixie to pull him away, but they both stood frozen to the spot.
With his gaze on the approaching entourage, bile rose in his stomach. Oh shit.
Nixie dared a glance at the prince’s parents, the royal couple dressed in majestic garb that dragged along the ground, and hugged their round bodies. Was Mekai really their child? She didn’t have time to ask, the pair only stopping to gather her and Mekai in their group before ushering them down the streets of Sturban.
“We cannot talk here,” his mother said. “Everyone is watching.”
When they finally halted, they stood on the steps of an elegant palace, one she’d never had the opportunity to visit.
Nixie followed Mekai through the great hall, dragging her feet, trying to delay officially meeting his parents. Even with his words of reassurance, the tension in his body revealed his misgivings.
What if the king and queen of Carbae disapproved of her? Would Mekai bow under their condemnation and leave her on Schedar? She hoped not, but couldn’t be certain. She had nothing left but his offer, no one to go back to.
Mekai ground to a stop and grasped her hands in his. “No matter what happens in the next few minutes, I will always love you. If we can’t be together on Carbae, we will go elsewhere. I will never leave you.” Drawing her in for a kiss, he shuffled her against the wall.
All of her worry melted away, his hungry mouth weakening her. She had no time to register his movement before he yanked her into the ballroom, as she gasped for air after his kiss.
“Mother, Father!” He pulled her along behind him, and within moments, she stood before his parents, the royal couple of Carbae. Squeezing her hand, he took another step forward. “I’d like you to meet Nixie, my bride-to-be.”
She froze as Mekai’s mother gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth. His father examined her. “You brought a Terran before me? What were you thinking?”
The king’s reaction felt like a fist slamming into her gut. Why did Mekai think this would work? If he hadn’t held her to the spot, she would have bolted. Nothing could hurt worse than being denied love.
The queen stood. “Leandor, look at her. Don’t you realize who she is?”
Leaning forward, he examined her. As he gasped, his blue face lost all color. “It can’t be.”
What did they mean? Her hands trembled, even with Mekai holding one. Mekai had promised to stay with her no matter what, but would he ever be happy without his parents’ approval?
His father stood and inched toward her. He placed his hands on her arms. “It is you.” His voice hitched. “You look just like your mother. Oh, Nadia, where have you been all these years?”
“No, Father, this is Nixie. She lives here, on Schedar. We’re in love and going to get married.”
Mekai’s mother joined them, wiping away tears. “It’s no surprise you love her. You two spent much of your second year together on Ubetron.”
“What?”
Mekai’s question echoed hers. “What’s going on here?”
“Thornton,” his father bellowed.
A stout Terran man scurried into the room, huffing to catch his breath. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
Terran? I thought Ubetrons and Terrans didn’t get along? What is this man doing with the royal family?
“My son has returned,” the king announced.
“I see, and I am most thankful.” The man nodded, wringing his hands together.
“Yes, yes.” The king waved his hand as if he was insignificant. “But look who he’s brought with him.”
Nixie went immobile under everyone’s inspection. Who did they think she was? Did they somehow know her real parents? Would she be forced to face the
m? Her heart hammered in her chest, and she licked her dry lips.
“Impossible.” Thornton circled her and Mekai. “I thought you were dead. If I would have known….”
She couldn’t take the mystery any longer. “I’m not who you think I am. My name is Nixie and I was abandoned by my parents here on Schedar when I was a baby.”
Thornton winced. “No, your parents love you very much, Nadia. My sister and her husband, your parents, were visiting Ubetron, forging an alliance between the two planets. You were kidnapped from the government building on my watch.” He took her free hand. “Please forgive me. I only went to the washroom. When I returned, you were gone.”
Taking a step back, he stared at the floor. “We looked everywhere for you. We thought they killed you. Oh, gods, why did I stop looking?”
No, this couldn’t be. If she were someone else, then everything she’d believed her entire life was a lie. She wasn’t abandoned, but stolen away from her parents? And she’d hated her parents her entire life.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I….”
Mekai wrapped his arms around her. “If she is someone I should know, how is it I’ve never heard you mention her name until now? I mean, I’ve had dreams about a Terran girl my entire life, but you told me I made her up, that she never really existed. Are you telling me now that I was betrothed to Nixie before Medalia?”
She lifted her head from the prince’s chest and listened for their explanation. But when the queen scurried away sobbing, bile rose in Nixie’s throat. What would happen to her now?
“Nadia? Nixie?” the king said. “Will you look at me, please?”
Stepping away from Mekai and toward the king, she braced to hear what he had to say.
“It was always too painful to talk about them before, but your parents were our closest friends back on Ubetron. When they lost you, everyone’s lives turned upside-down. Sure, Thornton stepped away from you for a moment, but it was one of my people who took you. I shouldered the blame and fled, unable to face your parents or the rest of Ubetron.” The king wiped a tear away. “Some came with me, such as your uncle, but life was never the same. If only we’d known where you were.”
Beyond Reach: SciFi Romance Page 5
