After the cake, I moved to help my mother clean up, but Father put a hand on my wrist, a signal to stay seated. The skin burned where he touched it.
“See,” my father said, “she’s obedient.”
Mr. Yerdin grinned. “Yes, of course she is. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Dr. Aren. Dwayne, what do you think?”
Dwayne shrugged and shifted his eyes. Me, I kept my mouth shut and listened for the words that weren’t being said.
Mr. Yerdin eyed me up and down. “Well, she certainly has the required blond hair and blue eyes.”
“And she’s a virgin.” My father spoke this a little too loudly and I flinched. My mother paused before picking up Mr. Yerdin’s plate. She met my father’s eyes and nodded. Then the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.
My stomach sank at the thought of what my birthday surprise would be. Although part of me did not want to hear the rest of the conversation, but to escape back into the quiet world of flowers and dirt, another part of me needed to know what my future held, where being a virgin was important.
I cleared my throat. Dwayne smiled a wide toothy smile and my father glowered like I’d done something wrong. Which, of course I had, but it would be worth the punishment if I got the answers I needed.
“Could someone please explain?” There. I asked the question. So out of character for me and yet satisfying in a strange way, like the way I felt when a teacher praised me for a good job. I bit my bottom lip and tasted butterscotch, which was weird because the cake we had, contained nothing of the sort. While I knew asking questions was not an act of disobedience, I also recognized the power in the asking. As if I was taking control, even if that control was small. I took a sip of my water. Father hesitated for a moment and then frowned. He looked up and saw my mother standing in the kitchen, her eyes boring into his. He didn’t look away from her when he answered me.
“You’ll be marrying Dwayne.”
Want more? Click her to read it absolutely free: www.kimberlyloth.com
About the Author
Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. She spent two wild years in Cairo, Egypt. Currently, she lives in Shenzhen, China with her husband and two kids as a full time author. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. She’s the author of Amazon bestselling series The Dragon Kings.
Also by Kimberly Loth
The Thorn Chronicles
Kissed
Destroyed
Secrets
Lies
The Dragon Kings
Obsidian
Aspen
Valentine
Skye
The Kings
Omega Mu Alpha Brothers
Snowfall and Secrets
Pyramids and Promises
Folly and Forever
Monkeys and Mayhem
Stella and Sol
God of the Sun
Prince of the Moon (April 2017)
King of the Stars (May 2017)
Queen of the Dawn (June 2017)
Acknowledgements
I have the most amazing editors. Suzi and Kelley, thank you so much for all the hard work you put into helping me craft my novels. (And answering my thousands of questions.)
Milo, I know we had a few words about the cover, but it’s beautiful. Thank you.
Jaye, I’m so glad I found you! Thank you for helping make my books beautiful.
Brittany, once again, your proofreading skills are superb. Thank you.
Peachy, thanks so much for beta reading for me and making sure I get out of the house once in a while for good food.
Also, a special thank you to Cherry, Tiffany, Virginia, and my kiddos for catching those typos.
Virginia, could I ever thank you enough? I don’t think so. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…
I have the most amazing family. When I started writing they were all so supportive. Not just my husband, kids, and mom either. Cousins. Aunts. Even second in law cousins once removed (looking at you Ben). I’m so, so grateful for all of your support. Thank you.
My husband is a patient man. He’s waited four long years for me to dedicate a book to him. You see this story came to me rather quickly several years ago. I wrote a quick 30,000 word draft, but I felt like it was a little too big for me. So I shelved it, but not before reading the first draft to him. He told me that it was the best book I’ve ever written. Since then, anytime anyone asks him about my books, he always says, “Just wait, that’s not even the good one.” So here you go baby, the good one. Thanks for being my most ardent supporter. Love you.
My superfans. I love you. Thank you for your amazing support. A huge shout out to Amanda Showalter, Amber Christiansen, Andrea Hubler, Angie Blankenship, Anne Loshuk, Ashley Martinez, Belinda Tran, Brianna Snowball, Caitlin Simmons, Cassandra Sue Dahlin, Chris Radentz, Dawn Foster, Denise Austin, Diane Norwood, Donna Wolz, Emily Pennington, Ginger Calkins, Hanife Ormerod, Isis Ray-Sisco,, Jai Henson, Jennifer LaRocca, Jennifer Jeray, Jennifer McIntosh, Katheline V. Wziontko, Katie Odom, Kaylee Truax, Laurie Murray, Linda Levine, Lyn Mckenzie, Mary Hazelwood, Mary Martin, Michelle McLain, Nikki Christensen, Patti Hays, Patty Bercaw, Samantha Endy, Samantha Murphy, Sara Groenheide, Sarah Jonak, Sarah Moon, Seraphia "Bunny" Sparks, Shelly Ash, Stephanie Pittser, Suzanne Hager-Cobb, Tera Comer, and Zoe Gregory. Thank you so much!!!
For Apollo
For giving up your office and your wife
You have no idea how grateful I am
Chapter 1
The Black City
Zwaantie gasped as she stepped into Stella. Her mind was foggy as Leo pulled her away from the wall. He stopped about thirty feet out. The last thing she remembered was Leo catching her and Phoenix kissing. Now she was on the other side holding hands with Leo. She searched her surroundings.
The sky spread out in every direction, a dark inky black. A few buildings glowed not far from where they stood, but there were no trees or hills. The ground under her feet lit up. Darkness surrounded her, but she was able to see Leo clearly. In the distance small lights shimmered. They looked like the stars, but they were on the ground, not in the sky.
“Are those the stars?” she asked, pointing.
“No, that’s the city.”
Zwaantie craned her neck around to see if she could spot the stars. She dragged Leo farther away from the wall, trying in vain to find even a single star.
Nothing but blackness.
“You seem anxious,” Leo said.
“The stars, where are the stars?” Zwaantie asked.
“We’re too close to the city.” He pointed at the bright lights off in the distance. “You can’t see them as well when there is light. When we get out on the boats, you’ll see them.”
“Oh.” Zwaantie tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. When she pictured Stella in her mind, it was only about the stars, and here she was, and there were none.
She sucked in a deep breath of the heavy air and took another good look around. They were alone.
“Where is everyone?”
“I don’t know,” Leo replied. He spun around and stared deep into her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, why?”
“The wall can be disorienting.”
“I’m good. I do wonder what memories I lost.” She lost whatever happened between the kiss and crossing the wall. She had to find Phoenix and figure out why they were separated. If the kiss was the last thing she remembered, maybe Leo did something to Phoenix. What if Phoenix was lost in the wall?
Leo didn’t seem upset about anything, so maybe he didn’t remember the kiss. That would be convenient. But still not good. Phoenix might not make it a
cross at all. Then what would she do?
They followed a small glowing stone path. The path was perfectly straight, leading right into the middle of several giant glittering square buildings. Lights floated in the air near their heads, each one about three feet away from the last. The precision was disconcerting. Zwaantie wanted to poke them and see what would happen. She’d never seen lights that weren’t attached to a flame of some kind.
Leo kept a tight grip on her hand and pulled her along. After a few hundred feet, they stepped in between the enormous buildings. They were painted with bright colors, and large signs adorned the doors. They had very few windows, but lights still floated in the air.
She and Leo were still alone.
“Where is our group?” she asked, worry starting to set in. What happened in between the kiss and now? Were she and Leo the only ones who crossed? If so, why?
He glanced at the mist. “I’m not sure. It’s hard to say if we beat them, or if they beat us.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
She had to lie. She couldn’t risk telling him if he didn’t remember. “I was standing behind the carriage admiring the mist. What about you?”
“I was on my way to find you. I approached the carriage, and then we stepped into Stella.”
Zwaantie let out a breath of relief. Leo didn’t remember he’d caught her and Phoenix kissing. While this was a good thing, the fact that they were alone in Stella was not. What happened on the other side? What did she forget?
“Why didn’t we go through in the carriage with the others?” Zwaantie continued to stare at the buildings. They had no pitched roofs or wooden doors and were at least ten floors tall. The largest building in Sol was the castle, and that only had four floors.
“Who knows? Maybe we fell into the wall or something. Whatever happened is lost on both of us. The wall does that. We’ll never remember, but someone else might be able to tell us. I’m just glad we were able to get out. Let’s go see if we can find anyone.”
“How tall are those buildings?” Zwaantie asked, pointing up at the building next to them.
Leo twisted his head around. “Mm, I don’t know. Maybe ten, fifteen stories. Wait until we go into the city. The buildings there are a hundred floors tall.”
A hundred? How did they not topple over? Sweat pooled under Zwaantie’s arms, and her breath felt heavy. She fanned her face.
“Are you okay?” Leo asked with a look of concern.
“Yes, I’m just hot. The air is so heavy here.” The air in Sol was cooler and drier. She wasn’t sure she’d get used to this.
“It’s the humidity.” He tugged on her sweaty hand, and she followed, trying to see into the small windows on the buildings next to her.
“What are these used for? I don’t see any people.” In spite of not really wanting to go to Stella, she was curious about the way everything worked.
Leo flashed her a grin. “I’m sorry. I forgot you’ve never seen factories before.” He spun around, looking up. “We’re in the clothing district. This is where our clothes are made. You won’t find any people here because it’s after noon. I don’t have a disc, or I would be able to tell what time it is. I’m guessing it’s about two. Plenty of time to get to the boats.”
Zwaantie wondered how a disc could be used to measure time. She always knew the time of day based on the sun. Zwaantie craned her neck again. Nothing but blackness in the sky.
“Where’s the moon?” She tried to keep the whine out of her voice, but she wasn’t sure she succeeded. She’d gotten a taste of the stars in the mage wagon bubble, and now she was finally here in Stella, and she couldn’t see the stars.
“New moon, I think. You can’t see it.” She stumbled behind him. She couldn’t take her eyes off the brightly colored buildings. She’d expected a village much like Zonnes, but magical. So far, there was hardly anything magical and nothing remotely close to her village. Instead it was tall buildings, hard smooth streets, and no grass or trees.
They walked down the softly lit street toward the twinkling lights. Everything was too straight and unnatural. Zwaantie wasn’t sure she liked it. She appreciated imperfection. Here, things were flawless with perfectly straight lines. Leo set a brisk pace, and while Zwaantie kept up with him, she winded quickly. The heavy air made it hard to breathe.
Phoenix and the missing group was a problem. Maybe Leo didn’t think so, but for Zwaantie, these early moments were crucial. She’d rescued Phoenix from a life of slavery, and now they were going to live happily ever after in Stella. It’d taken so much to get to this point, and she couldn’t lose Phoenix now. Where was he?
She stared up at empty buildings. During the day, buildings in Sol were hardly ever empty. This was strange.
“Do your people only work early in the day?” That wasn’t very many working hours.
“Yes. I know a lot of your people worked until late in the day. We only work four to six hours a day, until about noon. With magic, we don’t need to work long.”
Zwaantie creased her eyebrows. “What do you do the rest of the day?”
Leo laughed. “We play. We often take long meals and naps. We’ve got more magical toys than we do practical magic. Funhouses, clubs, shows. Trust me. You will never lack for something to do in Stella. Honestly, those who create entertainment with magic work harder than the rest of us.”
At home, when Zwaantie was bored, she would sew or help Wilma. She would read occasionally. The Voice discouraged idleness, so if she sat still for more than a few minutes, he reminded her of things she had to do. Though she had to admit, her fondest memories were those where she was playing out in the woods with Phoenix. Still, it wasn’t right to only work a few hours a day.
“Are all of your people mages?”
“Yes. Though, a few aren’t quite adept at magic.”
Zwaantie’s stomach fell. If she couldn’t do magic, how would she make it? She hadn’t realized they needed magic to work.
“How do they survive?”
“They work in jobs where magic doesn’t matter as much.”
“So what will the slaves do when they arrive?”
“They’ll be tested for magic ability and then be given jobs based on interest and aptitude. They’ll have a harder time with magic since most people begin learning as small children, but they should be able to pick it up with time.”
This did not sound good. She and Phoenix would have to find jobs without the prince’s help. No matter. They were resourceful, they could figure it out.
After about ten minutes, the twinkling lights turned into brightly lit buildings.
“Oh my sun, those are enormous.” Dozens of tall skinny buildings with hundreds of windows disappeared into the sky. They seemed never ending. She’d always imagined living in a farmhouse, but she supposed she could live in one of those buildings if Phoenix was with her. She wondered how many people lived in them. All of Zonnes could fit in that one building.
Leo smiled at Zwaantie.
“The buildings? Yeah, they’re much taller than yours.”
Zwaantie stopped walking and stared up beyond the buildings to the black sky with no stars. Leo bumped her with his elbow, and Zwaantie spun around. He’d taken off his shirt, and she had a hard time not staring.
He held up his shirt. “Men don’t wear these ridiculous things here. Vests sometimes, but it’s too hot to wear anything else.”
He looked her over. “We’ve got to get you something else to wear. Appearance is everything in Stella, and people will talk about what you’re wearing. We’ll need to set up a photo shoot and interview when we get home. Everyone will want to know our story.”
“Why? What is it anyone else’s business?” This was bizarre.
“In Sol, your people were very respectful of you and your privacy. Here they treat us normal, most of the time, but they demand our stories. It will probably be very strange for you at first, but you’ll get used to it. People will be very curious
about the princess from Sol.”
She’d never been much of a gossip in Sol, but she’d known a few. Was everyone here like that? Leo took her hand, and Zwaantie stared at his back as he moved. She wanted to reach out and touch his shoulder blade. Soon, she’d see Phoenix wear something similar. She smiled at the thought.
They turned a corner and strolled along another street with buildings on either side. These were shorter and squat but lit up like a festival tree. Though candles filled the festival trees in Sol.
The building to Zwaantie’s right was glowing blue and had a flashing sign that said Massage Mage. A few shops down, another building lit up in red and yellow with words and images winking in its windows promising the best beef sandwiches in town. Even with the brightness, the darkness was oppressive. Zwaantie wanted the sun high in the sky. Everything looked odd in the unnatural light.
They turned a corner, and suddenly the streets were filled with people, and the buildings grew exponentially. Zwaantie craned her neck to see if she could spot the top of one building and found every window covered in moving pictures. The people in the pictures smiled and held up bottles of potions, or strutted around showing off their clothes.
On another building, pictures and moving words played across the entire outside wall. Zwaantie didn’t have time to read the whole thing, but she caught a small part of it, Princess Sage hosted another amazing party last night. Singing sensation Alexa made an appearance but quickly left after a few terse words with the host. Everyone is dying to know what was said.
All around Zwaantie, the crowd swarmed. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to the sheer number of people. She supposed she’d have to. There was no going back to Sol now. If she went home, the Voice would make her go to the castle and confess her kiss with Phoenix. Then who knows what would happen. Her chest clenched. She’d never see the sun again.
Stella and Sol Box Set Page 17
