“I know. The only one who does that is the high king.”
“But do most people ‘sleep around?’” Zwaantie couldn’t keep the ice out of her voice. Suddenly her appetite disappeared. She didn’t need the Voice to tell her how wrong this was.
Filth. Disgust. Leave.
He shrugged and took a bite of his fish. The room was too hot, and the air was sticky. The pounding started behind her eyes again. Zwaantie had barely even kissed anyone, and Leo had probably had sex with girls. Lots of them.
Zwaantie stood up and tossed her napkin on her plate.
“I’m going to bed. Send the healer when you have a chance, will you?”
She stormed out of the room. This was impossible and stupid. She wanted to go home where she understood the rules, where once you were married, people were faithful. Love was love and no one messed with it.
Hunter and Candace seemed so enamored with each other. Zwaantie wonder if he slept with other women too. She was halfway to her room when she realized Luna wasn’t with her. She had been sitting next to one Leo’s brothers, but Zwaantie couldn’t remember which one. Oh sun, Zwaantie hoped he didn’t try to sleep with Luna. She wasn’t used to attention from attractive men.
Filth. Disgust. Slut. Go home.
Why wouldn’t the pounding go away? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Zwaantie could barely see as she stumbled along the hallway. She had no idea where she was going. Zwaantie sighed and leaned against the wall and looked around.
A girl with bright pink and blue hair sticking up in all directions came skipping down the hall. She stopped in front of Zwaantie, her figure blurring.
“You okay?” she asked.
Zwaantie shook her head. “I have a headache, and I can’t remember where my room is.”
She blinked. “Who are you?”
“Zwaantie.”
“The high princess?” Sage swayed in Zwaantie’s vision.
“Yes.”
“Oh stars, the welcome dinner was tonight, wasn’t it? Leo is going to kill me. But why aren’t you there?”
Zwaantie pointed to her head.
“Oh, yeah, that. Come on, I’ll show you to your room, then I’ll go apologize to my big brother.”
She was surprisingly helpful for someone who looked like a crazed pixie. She helped Zwaantie out of her dress and into bed.
“Can you do me a favor?” Zwaantie asked.
“Sure.”
“When you go to dinner, can you make sure Luna, she’s my...my friend. Can you make sure she doesn’t go to bed with any strange men? Like your brothers.”
The girl laughed, a sweet high-pitched sound.
“Sure.” The girl paused and picked up the necklace on the nightstand. “Is this yours?”
Zwaantie nodded, her head still throbbing. The girl looped it around Zwaantie’s neck and fastened it. Zwaantie didn’t have the energy to tell her to forget it.
All of the sudden the Voice cleared, and the pain in Zwaantie’s head disappeared. Holy stars it felt good.
The girl dug in her bag and pulled out several bottles. She squinted at the labels.
“Here, this will take away the pain.”
Zwaantie didn’t want to admit the pain was already gone, so she drank the bright green liquid in one gulp and settled against the pillows. “Will you stay here until I fall asleep?” For some odd reason, her presence comforted Zwaantie.
“Sure,” she said and settled into a chair next to the bed. She fiddled with Zwaantie’s hair, which Zwaantie found odd.
Zwaantie had a strong urge to tell her exactly what had happened.
“I don’t want to marry Leo.”
The girl creased her eyebrows. “Why?”
“Because I’m in love with Phoenix.”
“Who’s Phoenix?”
“He’s a slave from home. I told Leo I would marry him so he would take Phoenix here and free him so I could marry him and live in Stella as a commoner.” The girl’s eyes grew wide, but Zwaantie forged on. “But as soon as we got here, he disappeared, and my heart is broken. And here everyone has sex with everyone, and I find it revolting.”
The girl gave a giggle, and Zwaantie paused. She had no idea why she was letting everything spill out. She couldn’t help herself.
“I just want to go home. I told Leo as such too, but now I’m not so sure. I’m very confused. Why would I want to go home? I only just arrived in Stella. I’m not giving it much of a chance. Plus, I need to find Phoenix, and he is here, not Sol.”
“Oh stars,” the girl said when Zwaantie finished the story. She picked up the bottle and looked at it again.
“I gave you Total Pain Relief. Whatever was causing you pain had to come out. You are going to hate me tomorrow. But I won’t tell my brother, I swear. Your secret is safe with me. You should marry him though. He’s a good guy. You could do a lot worse.”
Zwaantie shook her head, not sure what she was talking about. “You got anything that will make me sleep?”
She grinned all wicked like. “Oh yeah. You’ll have the best dreams ever.”
Zwaantie quickly swallowed the small bottle of ice blue juice. And then she was floating along a sandy beach, and the sun was beating down on her back and a unicorn appeared in front of her….
Chapter 11
The Secret
Someone poked Zwaantie’s forehead.
“Sage, what in the star gods did you give her?” a deep voice asked. Not Leo.
“Not you too. I already told Leo I gave her something to sleep. I didn’t expect her to not wake up. The healer said she’d sleep for a few days, and then she’d be up. Then Father made me give him all my potions,” said the girl from the night before. Sage. Leo’s wild sister.
“Did you?” the male voice asked.
“Did I what?”
“Give him all your potions.”
She snorted. “No, of course not.”
“She’s pretty,” said the guy.
“Oh please, spare me. That’s all I’ve heard from Leo for the past three days. ‘She’s so gorgeous,’ ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ ‘How can I convince her to stay?’ If I didn’t know better, I’d say she cast a spell on him.”
Three days? Zwaantie opened her eyes.
Sage’s hair was now green and purple. “About time you woke up. Go fetch Leo,” she said to the man sitting next to her. One of his brothers, but his name escaped Zwaantie.
She sat up. “Did that all happen?”
“Your dreams from the potion? Sorry, sweetie, but no.”
“No, did I tell you a bunch of stuff?”
“Oh, yeah, but you feel better, right?”
Zwaantie’s stomach rolled, and she ran for the bathroom. She slammed the door shut and threw up in the toilet. It was black and nasty. Zwaantie rinsed her mouth out and then sat on the floor next to the door, not sure what to think. Three days. She slept for three days. She hoped Luna was okay.
The bathroom was decorated in soft greens. The tile floor was warm underneath her. It looked similar to her bathroom from home. Though where there should have been a bathtub there was a small room with a glass door.
She heard voices outside her door.
“Where is she?” asked Leo.
“The bathroom,” said Sage.
“This bed is comfortable,” said the other male voice.
“Stars, Ari, get out of her bed,” Leo threatened.
Ah, Ari, the heir to the throne. The one who chased silly girls. Of course.
Zwaantie couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. She needed to face Leo and try to explain she most certainly didn’t want to go home. The Voice had influenced everything she thought. She hoped against hope he hadn’t told Candace. That would put a strain on their friendship, and she needed her friendship. Sure, she wasn’t crazy about life in Stella, and she wasn’t looking forward to marrying Leo, but leave? That wasn’t her. She would never leave the little baby to die.
That was the Voice talking. Zwaantie had so many questions she ne
eded answered, but she didn’t know who to ask or even where to start. How did the Voice follow her here? Why did it want her to go home? Was she the only one who could hear it? She didn’t want to tell anyone for fear of what they might think. She fiddled with the necklace. She’d be careful not to take it off again.
She needed to find Phoenix. He was here in Stella, not Sol. There was nothing for her in Sol except responsibility and misery. If she could find Phoenix, she’d feel better about being here. Maybe he could help her figure out what was up with the Voice.
She stood, took a deep breath, and opened the door to her bedroom.
“You look like dog poop,” said Sage.
“Thanks,” Zwaantie said, running a hand through her hair, suddenly self-conscious.
“No, you don’t. You look beautiful. How are you feeling?” Leo asked from Zwaantie’s bed. He was lying next to Ari and propped his head up to talk to her. Sage lay on her couch with a pillow over her eyes. They all looked like they were about ready to take a nap. Zwaantie perched on the edge of her bed.
“I’m fine. I wanted to apologize for what I said.”
“Which part?”
“I don’t really want to go home. I want to stay here and marry you.” She hoped it would be enough. She didn’t know how much more she could say. It would be so much easier to convince him of her desires if she were able to proclaim her love for him, but she couldn’t make herself lie.
He let out a breath. “Oh, thank the stars. I was so worried. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Zwaantie gave him a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m fine. I wasn’t feeling good those first couple of days, and so I wasn’t thinking clearly. I feel much better today.” As long as she didn’t take off her necklace, she should be fine.
A hand snaked around Zwaantie’s waist and pulled her into the bed. It didn’t belong to Leo.
“Hi, I’m Ari.” His face was inches from her, and Zwaantie couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous his eyes were, a piercing gray.
“Get your hands off of her,” Leo growled.
“She needs someone to cuddle. You barely even touch her.”
Zwaantie couldn’t breathe. His arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Stellans didn’t seem to understand personal space.
“He’s scared of her,” said Sage from beneath her pillow.
Leo had to be mortified. Zwaantie would’ve been. It almost made her feel bad for him. She slithered out from under Ari’s arms and scooted closer to Leo.
He placed his hand in hers. He’d been a lot more affectionate when they’d been in Sol. Maybe his family intimidated him.
“You’re really staying here, and you’re going to marry me?”
Zwaantie’s smile faltered. This is not what she wanted, but it was the right thing to do. “Of course. That’s why I’m here.”
His face grew somber. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“What?”
“I have to leave for a few days.”
“Why?”
It didn’t bother her in the least that he was leaving, except she didn’t know who she would spend time with. Candace maybe. Luna, for sure, but she’d be just as lost as Zwaantie in this big city.
“There has been a viper sighting in Deep Sky. I need to go investigate.”
“I thought you said no one had ever seen one.” Her stomach clenched. Anything about those vipers made her skin crawl.
“They haven’t. But someone got a picture of this one and everything. I’m sorry. I don’t want to go, but I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because this is part of my job. Sage and Ari will take care of you.”
It’d be easier to sneak around and find Phoenix without Leo around. Maybe this was for the best. “Where’s Luna?”
Sage sat up. “Oh, man, she’s a riot. We’ve been partying. Last I saw her she was heading out to the movies with Viggo.”
Zwaantie stood and crossed her arms. “I thought you were going to keep an eye on her. She’s married. And pregnant. She can’t be hanging out with other men.”
Sage shrugged, not even bothering to meet Zwaantie’s eyes. “Relax, Viggo doesn’t like girls. I think they’ve been sleeping together, but only for company. No way would he ever have sex with her. Besides, Luna’s old enough to take care of herself.”
Zwaantie sank onto the bed. She had so much to learn. This whole world felt so foreign. Even though she didn’t love Leo and she was bound and determined to find Phoenix, she didn’t want Leo to leave her with Sage and Ari. At least Leo tried to make her feel comfortable.
Ari sat up and put an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.”
Leo knocked Ari’s arm off of Zwaantie’s shoulder. “She’s off limits. And Sage, I expect you to make sure he keeps his hands off her.”
“I can do a lot of things without using my hands,” Ari said with a laugh.
Leo leaned across Zwaantie and punched Ari in the chest. “I mean it.”
“Ow. Message received.” He rubbed the spot where Leo had hit him. Zwaantie tried to process what was just said. Why would Ari imply he could do anything with her? Ari was delusional if he thought anything would happen between them.
“Make sure she has a good time, though. I want her to see the best Stella has to offer.”
“Yeah, of course,” Sage said, standing up from the couch. She walked over to Zwaantie’s wall and watched the farm animals graze. “She hasn’t seen any of the city yet. We’ve got loads to do. She won’t even notice you’re gone.”
“What about Candace?” Zwaantie asked. She didn’t want to spend her time with these two crazy people.
“Deep Sky is my kingdom,” Candace said from the doorway, standing there with a short, bald man. “I’m going with Leo.”
“That’s too bad. I was hoping you could show me around,” Zwaantie said.
“Hey,” Sage said. “I can do just fine.”
Zwaantie was about to apologize. She didn’t mean to offend her, but Candace interrupted her.
“This is Janus. He’s a communication mage. He’ll get you set up for your disc.”
Excellent—it was about time. She was curious about what they could do.
Candace came over and embraced Zwaantie. “Thank you for everything. I won’t be returning with Leo, but I will see you in a couple of weeks.”
Zwaantie returned the hug awkwardly.
“You’ll be back for the lock-in, right?” Sage asked.
“Of course.”
Sage clapped her hands. “Oh my stars. We should make that Zwaantie’s big introduction to society. It would be amazing—the best lock-in ever.”
“Make it happen, Sage. I think it’s brilliant,” Candace said.
Sage leaned against the cushions, and Zwaantie could see the wheels turning in her head. This was awful. She thought by coming to Stella, she’d get away from the spotlight, but now she was being forced right into it.
Candace left the room. Janus sat on a chair and motioned for Zwaantie to join him.
He held up a disc. “This is basically useless without a person’s touch. Once we give you one, it will recognize you until you touch another one. So if you lose it, it’s not a big deal. Anyone can pick it up, but it will contain his information, not yours.”
“Okay.” Zwaantie knew that already. “So all I have to do is hold it?”
Janus grinned. “Not quite that easy.”
He traced his finger in the air in a circle, and a glowing orb appeared. “This contains all of your information Leo asked me to include. You can use this to pay for anything and call anyone in your circle.”
“How does it have money on it? I don’t have any money in Stella.”
“You’re royal, so your money comes out of the king’s treasury. All members of the royal family use it.”
“What is the limit?”
“There isn’t one.”
Zwaantie sat back. How could they control how much money was spen
t? What if someone spent too much?
“Okay, so now what?”
“Now, I need to connect you. Give me your hand please.”
Zwaantie held out her hand. Janus pressed his finger against her fingertip, and she felt a sharp pain.
“Sorry, dear,” he said. He withdrew his finger, her blood dripping from his fingertip. She looked down at her finger, and the cut wove itself closed.
He dropped the blood onto the glowing orb. Then he snapped his fingers, and the orb disappeared. She let out a gasp. The magic in Stella continued to surprise her.
“Touch the disc please.”
She did, and the face lit up in white.
“Call Leo.”
“How?”
“Just hold the disc up and say his name.”
“Leo,” she said.
Leo grabbed his own disc and touched it. His face floated up out of hers. Her own head was floating above Leo’s.
“Excellent,” Leo said. “Now I can call you.” He touched his disc again, and both of their floating heads disappeared.
“Thank you,” Zwaantie said to Janus.
“My pleasure.” He gave a small bow, and rushed out of the room.
Leo stood. “I need to go. Sage’ll take care of you. I’ll return as soon as I can. Hopefully this picture of the viper is nothing.”
Leo kissed Zwaantie lightly on the lips before he walked out the door. Zwaantie had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Without Leo or Candace, who knew what was going to happen.
Chapter 12
The Destiny
“Prude,” Ari whispered under his breath.
“Be nice,” Zwaantie said, feeling the need to defend Leo.
Sage snorted. “He’s right. I’ve seen Candace give little Raaf better kisses.”
Zwaantie ignored the jibe. “Candace has a reason to love her baby. She could’ve died in the delivery.”
Sage frowned. “I can’t believe she had a baby with no pain potions. Did she try to strangle you?”
“She had a pain potion. There was some on the boat.”
“Those don’t do anything compared to what the healers can do. Most women deliver with no pain. At all. Will you deliver my baby for me? I’ll want a healer there too, but it’s so cool you can do that.”
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