Star Dust (Force Of Gravity Book 1)

by Ali Winters

  In a blink of an eye, she was gone.

  Lucian leapt to the door, leaning through as his hands gripping the frame.

  Below, Oriana sank rapidly through bright cyan waters that faded quickly into inky darkness. Her hand reached up toward him as she sank deeper and deeper. A flurry of bubbles obscured her face as they left her lips in a silent scream. She couldn’t swim.

  “Oriana!” He ripped off his jacket and flung it away.

  Taking in a lungful of air, Lucian dove. The water, thick, and heavy, slowed his movements and he strained against it as he kicked his way down, closing the distance. Her fingers stretched out, desperately reaching for him as her movements slowed. The panic contorting her features faded, a calm expression replaced it as her eyes closed.

  Lucian reached out, his fingers encircling her wrist before he jerked her upward, attempting to slow her descent through the dense waters. Pulling her against his body he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist as fire raged through his lungs from the lack of oxygen. Lucian kicked his feet and started the journey toward the surface as light filtered in through the glassy surface.

  They had gone deeper than he’d realized. The surface loomed, seemingly unreachable and high above. His sight blurred as darkness encroached in on the edges of his vision. The weight of the water that had helped him sink was now the force keeping him from reaching the top.

  Slowly, like wading through treacle, he ascended, but his energy waned. Lucian looked down at the limp woman clutched to his side and pushed on.

  Almost there… a few more seconds and—

  The last remaining modicum of strength was leaving his body and he could feel Oriana’s limp body starting to slip from his grasp. Time seemed to slow down as the feeling of his failure welled up. He’d promised to protect her, and he couldn’t do it.

  No…

  Shadows moved overhead. Lifting his face, he could make out two blurry figures as they moved around. Then darkness blinded the edges of his consciousness, as the world around him dimmed slowly. His blue surroundings dimmed until only a thin beam of light pierced the darkness.

  Strong hands grabbed his arm and pulled him above the surface. The air hit his face as he pulled it into his lungs. Lucian coughed and gasped as a metal cuff clicked into place. He was set on the now solid floor, Oriana placed next to him. Lucian’s gaze shot to his hand, a silver band was wrapped around his wrist. Another click could be heard and Oriana also wore one. He glanced at her face; blue lips, her chest unmoving. She’d been without air for too long.

  “No… Oriana, breathe!” he shouted.

  Without thinking, he laid her on her back and pumped her chest. He leaned down and listened for her breathing.

  Nothing.

  Lucian placed his lips over hers and blew air into her lungs. Was it his imagination or had her arm twitched? He moved back to her chest and pumped again before returning to her mouth, giving her more air. “Come on, you need to breathe.”

  After what felt like an eternity, Oriana’s body jerked to the side. He helped her roll over as she coughed up water and gasped for breath.

  Allowing his body to collapse next to her, laughter bubbled up and escaped him against his will. Lucian rolled over and gathered her up in his arms, pulling her to his chest. Still laughing, he kissed her forehead, pushing the hair out of her face. Her arms weakly wrapped themselves around his shoulders.

  “You scared the life out of me Oriana,” he said, feeling her body shuddered against him.

  “We were not expecting you,” two lilting voices spoke in unison.

  Lucian froze. The figures, the wrist cuffs, the hands that pulled them from the water. He’d forgotten about everything in his panic to save Oriana.

  Pale light filtered in through the ceiling as he turned to face the owners of the voices.

  Two identical young women, not much older than him, stood with their hands clasped in front of them. One had pale blonde hair streaked with cyan highlights, the other with deep sapphire streaks.

  “I am Sirena,” said the figure with cyan highlights. “And this is my sister Teresina.” She gestured to the other.

  “We are the twin Princesses of Neptune,” they announced in unison, their voices soft and soothing as if they struggled to talk rather than sing.

  Oriana coughed pulling his attention back to her. She struggled in his arms. Too weak to move on her own, Lucian helped her to sit up.

  “What happened?” she asked as one of his hands rubbed circles on her back.

  “You fell through the water,” Teresina explained.

  “It’s why we don’t get many unexpected visitors,” Sirena said.

  “You must wear the bracelet to control your personal environment,” Continued Teresina. The way they finished the other’s thoughts and sentences was hypnotic.

  “What do you mean?” Oriana asked, her voice hoarse.

  Lucian looked around for the first time and realized how strange this planet was. The floor was perfectly clear, fluid water turned solid, yet it was not made of ice. He could see down through the vast depths of the cyan waters. Stones that made up the walls were made of the same waters, and though they shared the bright colors of the surface, they were opaque, shimmering and rippling with the vibration of movement but remaining static in shape. He’d known Neptune was the world of water, but he had not expected anything like this.

  “The people of Neptune are naturally able to control their environment,” Sirena lilted.

  She demonstrated, slowly sinking into the floor as her arms and legs instantly sprouted long delicate fins. She swooped effortlessly below a moment, before coming to the surface and ascending to stand on the solid water once more. Her fins vanished the second the dry air touched her skin.

  “For those who are not of our world, you must wear the bracelet,” Teresina finished.

  Lucian looked down at the cuff on his wrist. A plain silver band with two grooves carved into it. Two lines—one straight and one wavy—ran parallel to each other.

  Pushing herself from his hold, Oriana stood on visibly trembling legs. Her eyes scanned the room in child-like wonder. Lucian studied her, his gaze quickly drawn to her parted lips.

  One of the twins cleared her throat, bringing his thoughts back to the situation at hand. Shaking his head, he lifted his hand rubbed the back of his neck and turned his gaze to the domed ceiling above.

  “Shall we sit and discuss matters?” Sirena asked.

  “You may dry yourself by the fire,” Teresina paused and looked at their dripping forms. “There is much we must speak of.”

  Oriana looked over her shoulder at Lucian and nodded. “Yes, I think so too,” she answered.

  Sirena turned, walking out of the room. Oriana followed, and Teresina trailed behind Lucian. It was evident they were not in any danger from these two, but Lucian couldn’t blame them for being a little cautious.

  A brightly colored fish with the wings of a bird flew past his head and through the wall as though it posed no obstacle. Lucian touched the spot it had entered, his hand meeting resistance as it would with any solid object.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “That is a yareli—the bird born of water,” Teresina said, touching his arm and directing him to follow Sirena and Oriana.

  Oriana

  The sun’s weak rays penetrated the ceiling, giving the palace a dim sparkle. Oriana shivered from the cold air, her wide eyes taking in their surroundings.

  The room was standard and not unlike the sitting room back on Soleis. However, instead of bright, shining crystal, this room was made of water in various opacities. The shades of blue ranged from powder blue to the brightest azures and the darkest navy, the layered effect threw diamond shadows and waves of light across every surface.

  Blue flames danced and flickered in the fireplace as Oriana rubbed her hands over her arms, warming up her chilled skin and pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. Lucian stood next to her facing the fire. Hol
ding the blanket’s soft folds tightly around her shoulders, she moved to a nearby chair that gleamed and sparkled, looking downward, the lines of movement in the never still waters mesmerized her.

  “We assume you are here…” Teresina started and glanced at Sirena.

  “Because of the attack,” her sister finished.

  “Yes,” Oriana confirmed, then hesitated before adding, “Were you not attacked?”

  “We were,” Sirena paused, looking at the tears that welled up in her sister’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “But our land and structures do not take the damage that all other worlds do. Our world is eternally fluid and repaired by a single thought. Though, it was not our lands that were attacked, but the people. Men came, in the uniforms of Neptune, though they were not of this world, they wore our bracelets. We are not sure how this came to be.”

  “The King and Queen—” Teresina sobbed. Her sister gathered her up in her arms as the sapphire-eyed Princess wept.

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to say it,” Oriana said gently as she moved to kneel down in front of the twins. The thick blanket slid off her shoulders and pooled into a pile around her feet. Her heart broke for them. She glanced over her shoulder at Lucian, his face was impassive but his eyes darkened as he absorbed the information.

  “Thank you.” The sorrow in Sirena’s voice echoed her sister’s. Oriana placed a hand on each of theirs. She knew the pain these two suffered and was glad they still had each other.

  She’d left suddenly the night of the attack, and had been running ever since. Never stopping long enough to think about her own losses. Unlike others, she’d been removed from the pain and damage of her world—she hadn’t stayed long enough to let what happened sink in. Even now, her mind blocked it out until it was nothing more than a hazy thought on the edge of her memory. Her heart focused on what she needed to do- keep moving. If she didn’t stop then the pain couldn’t catch up with her.

  “We had just arrived back from the core when we felt the shock waves,” Sirena explained. “Light exploded above us. So we swam up between the walls and waited for silence. It is not something we have done since we were little.

  Men, dressed in our Citinal’s uniform wore the same bracelets you two now wear. They spoke of Soleis and the Lumeria.”

  “The Lumeria?” Oriana’s brows pulled together as she sat back on her heels. “What is the Lumeria?”

  “We do not know,” Sirena shrugged. “That is when the second attack started. The fallen bodies of our court rained down around us. We swam to the center of our world and hid in the dark until the shockwaves stopped and everything was silent. But it wasn’t until Queen Cyrelia and King Odine fell that we knew it wasn’t just random, but also a message to you, Oriana.”

  “A—a message for me?” Blood chilled in her veins as she lost the ability to breathe.

  I’m the reason their people died?

  Nausea welled up, burning her throat.

  Oriana started to stand but dropped back down to her chair when her shaky legs refused to hold her. Lucian gently lifted her up to standing. She let herself be steadied by his grip on her shoulders, thankful for the support.

  Both sisters looked at her with sorrow, but there was something in Teresina’s gaze when she looked at Lucian, a hint of suspicion and fear tainting her gaze.

  “You have something they want, Oriana. I think it has to do with ’the Lumeria’ they spoke about.” Sirena spoke, glancing sharply at Teresina’s rough grip on her hand.

  “But, I don’t know anything about this Lumeria.” Oriana shook her head, grateful Lucian continued to keep her upright. Her eyes dropped to their faces.

  “I have heard stories of an Oracle…”

  “But that’s just a child’s story,” Oriana said in disbelief.

  “Perhaps, but maybe not. All stories have an origin in truth.”

  Oriana looked thoughtful. Can the story actually be true?

  Even if they were, it wouldn’t change the fact that the attacks on this planet were caused by an object she knew nothing about. An object she was supposed to have…

  Teresina dabbed at her eyes, as she continued to sob.

  “I know what you must be thinking, Oriana, but it is not your fault. You are as much a victim as we are. It’s those who attacked that are to blame. Please tell us what you know.” For the first time, she acknowledged Lucian’s presence. Her feelings of mistrust flickering across her face.

  Lucian led Oriana back to the chair she’d been sitting in earlier, staying by her side with his hand resting on her shoulder. She nodded, taking in a deep breath before starting her story.

  “I know what you must think,” she said glancing up at Lucian, then back at the two sisters before her. “It was a button wasn’t it?”

  The wide-eyed look from both girls confirmed it—they had found the same item as every other planet they’d been to. Oriana placed her hand over Lucian’s, still resting on her shoulder. “There was one found in my chambers after the attack, one on Pluto, another on Mercury, and Jupiter. The same one each time. I don’t know who is responsible for this, but I know it isn’t Lucian or his Citinal. I’ve never heard of any force leaving such obvious evidence. We suspect it will be the same on any other planet attacked.”

  Oriana waited as the twins took in the information. Their expressions darkened, then in unison, brightened with understanding.

  “You are right. It would take a great deal of incompetence to lose the same part of a uniform after each attack,” Teresina spoke, her eyes shifting to Lucian. He’d gone tense at the abrupt turn of the conversation. “Forgive me for my suspicion, but… you can understand, I’m sure.”

  “I can. Thank you for being open to the truth.”

  “What we know,” Oriana moved on quickly. “Is that the Royals of Mercury are missing, those of Soleis, Jupiter, Pluto, and… Neptune are dead. We are checking all worlds in the hopes of finding out who is responsible for these attacks, and gathering any forces available.”

  “Our Citinal is at your disposal.” Sirena reached into a hidden pocket, pulling out two small tear shaped drops of solid water. “Drop this,” she said as she handed one to Oriana and one to Lucian, “Into the water when you wish to call us to the surface.”

  “Thank you,” Oriana said, taking her drop and placing it into her bag, she stood. “We must go, but we will return as soon as we can.”

  Lucian

  The key glowed orange. “Venus,” she said, a look of satisfaction crossing her face.

  “Very good, Oriana,” Lucian winked. “Let’s see what’s behind door number six.”

  She squinted up at him and pursed her lips. He knew he shouldn’t tease her, but she made it too easy. It seemed to lessen the tension that had been building within her over the past three days.

  This would be their second to last planet, and they still weren’t any closer to figuring out who was responsible. All they had found on the other planets was more death and destruction.

  He pushed open the door, revealing metals that shone, blinding, in the intense light of the sun—golds, silvers, grays, coppers, reds, and blues. Scorch marks showed where the attacks hit. Furniture lay upturned and half melted throughout. The room was deserted, and the palace quiet.

  Lucian stepped through the door and held his hand out for her. Oriana gave him a worried glance as she stepped past him, ignoring his offered hand. He closed the door behind her and pocketed the key.

  “Shall we have a look around? I don’t like how quiet it is here,” Lucian said.

  Oriana nodded, walking with him down the hall. Each time she saw the ghostly outline of a figure, the blackened scorch marks, she grew more withdrawn. Lucian worried what it was doing to her. The first time she shook, but then her response changed, glistening eyes, and now, silence. Sighing, he walked next to her through the deserted corridor.

  The sound of murmuring halted his steps and his hand caught Oriana’s wrist, stopping her.

  “Wha
t—”

  Lucian held a finger to his lips, tilting his head to the side. Then, the smell of medicinal potions reached them.

  “Survivors,” Oriana mouthed.

  Lucian nodded in agreement. They continued closer to the sound of voices, slower than before and both being careful to avoid the loose rubble of broken pillars and crumbling walls.

  A steady pounding echoed around them.

  “What is that?” she asked, worried.

  “I think someone knows we’re here.” He pulled her behind him, shielding her from the unknown. Footsteps pounded around them, growing louder each second.

  Venusian Citinal swarmed in on them. Lucian stepped forward, ready to explain their presence. Several Citali grabbed his arms, pushing him to his knees.

  Oriana pushed her way between them. “Stop!”

  A guard shoved her away in his attempt to get to Lucian. She fell, landing with a loud crack. Lucian’s eyes darted to her limp figure. Her head resting against a jagged lump of a broken column, a trace of red trailing down then stone.

  He had to get to her. She could be dead. Lucian’s stomach rolled. Jerking his foot to kick, he made contact with one Citali’s stomach, making the man’s grip loosen enough to jerk his arm free. His fist connected with another man’s jaw. A boot to his back, sent him sprawling and within seconds, he’d been overpowered, his face pressed into the rough carpet, as a foot pressed down on his spine.

  “Take him down below. You—grab the Princess and take her to the infirmary,” the man with his foot in Lucian’s back ordered.

  Oriana

  Oriana pushed herself to up, ignoring the black spots that swam across her vision. Bile rose to the back of her throat. Lifting her hand to her swimming head, she swallowed hard and pressed down the sick, overwhelming, feeling.

  “Where am I?” she mumbled, looking around the bronze room. Rows of beds lined the edges of three of the walls, several of them occupied. Carts of vials were placed between each bed and to her left was a tray holding several empty ones. She was in the medical wing.