TANAK: Sci-Fi Romance (Star Fall Series Book 1)

by E. A. James

  An unpleasant thought came into Angelica’s mind: what if Aerdan had only lied to bed her? She didn’t understand why his family would have been complicit in such a lie…unless they truly didn’t care about her, and all of Zornaya’s affection had been a ruse. Angelica shuddered.

  “Yes,” Muertha said primly. “I thought you might have that reaction.”

  “I am sorry, I didn’t know,” Angelica said softly. “He never told me.”

  Muertha looked sour. “We have been engaged, practically since birth,” she sniffed. “And he’s chosen not to acknowledge it. Commander Aerdan has spent his entire life bedding wenches all around the kingdom,” she said. “He’s nothing but a rake. You should have known better than to become involved with him.”

  Angelica buried her face in her hands and wept.

  Muertha laughed. “Yes, I know how it feels,” she sneered, leaning close to the bars. Even from a few feet away, Angelica could smell her rotting breath and overwhelming floral perfume.

  “Why did you bring me here,” Angelica whimpered. “Please, why can’t you release me?”

  Muertha’s jaw dropped and she glared at Angelica. “You must be jesting,” she said. She tossed her head, showing off her pudgy neck. “You cannot believe that I would release you, just because you weren’t aware of Aerdan’s…prior commitments,” she said. She burst out laughing. “You’ll be lucky if we drag you to the desert and abandon you,” she said. “I hear death comes quickly under a scorching sun and hot sand.”

  Angelica shuddered. “I haven’t done anything to you,” she cried. “Please, why are you doing this?”

  Muertha stood up quickly, sending another sharp wave of disgusting perfume into the cell. “If you cannot figure that out, I have nothing to say to you,” she said. She glared at Angelica. “The important thing is that you’re away from Aerdan. Soon, we will wed.”

  “And then will you release me,” Angelica begged. “Please, please, Muertha. Please let me go.”

  Muertha’s lips curled into a sneer. “If you think I’d lift a finger to help you, you’re even more stupid than I thought,” she said. She strode out of the cell, swishing foul perfume behind her.

  Angelica buried her face in her hands and cried. She cried until until her eyes were stinging and sore. The guard stood in his corner the whole time, not taking his eyes away from her. Part of Angelica hoped that the guard would approach her again. But when hours passed and he didn’t even budge, she sighed and leaned against the wall. Angelica closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

  Maybe I can magic my way out of here, Angelica thought, hours later. She was tired and weary and starving, but powerful adrenaline coursed through her veins at the thought of escaping. She tried to concentrate, but each time her will fizzled out. It was almost like the dungeon itself repelled the little magic she knew.

  When the stone door opened, Angelica didn’t even look up. It’s probably that bitch, Muertha, she thought angrily. Come back to taunt me about Aerdan, and how I was just another woman to sleep with.

  “Angelica.”

  The voice was deep and wizened. When Angelica looked up, she was shocked to see Namaya. Namaya walked closer, a ghastly green glow surrounding her frame. Namaya took her cloak off and draped it over a chair. Without it, she almost looked like an ordinary old woman. If it wasn’t for the deep, eerie glow in her eyes, she could have passed for a Zhekan peasant.

  “Please let me go,” Angelica whimpered. “I just want to go home.”

  Namaya pursed her wrinkled lips.

  “I’m not a native of Zheka,” Angelica said. “I told Muertha the truth – that I was somehow spirited to this world from my own. I’m from New York City,” she added, her voice quavering.

  “Silence, child,” Namaya said. She walked closer, twisting her bony fingers through the air. “’Tis not your place to speak to me in such insolent tones.”

  Angelica swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m so thirsty. Please, some water.”

  Namaya narrowed her poisonous green eyes. Angelica shuddered – the narrow pupils reminded her of a snake.

  “I have no use for you, yet,” Namaya said. “But you will prove your assistance.”

  Angelica stayed silent. “Please let me go,” she whimpered. “Please, just let me go home.”

  Namaya waved her hand through the air and a cloud of mist appeared. Angelica gasped – the mist was filled with tiny thunderclouds and bolts of lightning. A stormy sea formed beneath the clouds and began to churn and wave – it looked so real that Angelica could practically smell the salt and feel the damp air kissing her face.

  “There was a bad storm last night,” Namaya said dreamily. Her eyes began to glow brighter. “And someone, an unfortunate soul, was lost at sea.”

  Angelica’s heart leapt into her throat as a small fishing vessel appeared on the stormy sea. A figure with dark brown hair and blue eyes clutched at the wood as wave after wave crashed down upon him.

  Angelica gasped. “Aerdan!”

  Namaya’s lips curled into a smile. “Yes,” she said softly. “Aerdan. I wonder what he was doing, all alone at sea by himself. Perhaps he was looking for someone.”

  Angelica’s heart sank and she felt her stomach twist into a painful grip that felt like cramps. Nausea overwhelmed her and she knelt on the stone floor and retched until her throat stung. Acidic bile poured out of her mouth and onto the ground, filling the air with an acrid stench.

  “Oh, perhaps I should have told you more gently,” Namaya said. She smiled wickedly and the vision of the stormy sea vanished. “Either way, Commander Aerdan was lost at sea.”

  “No…” Angelica sniffled and suppressed a sob. “He can’t be dead! He can’t be!”

  Namaya shrugged. “He may well be dead,” she replied. “And this is your fault, child. If you hadn’t bewitched the young Commander…”

  “Don’t you dare blame this on me,” Angelica growled. “You came to Zheka and took me by force! You gave me no choice! It was either me, or the lives of the royal family!”

  Namaya stared at her for a long time. “You have ruined everything,” she said simply. “And I will never release you. You will stay imprisoned under the castle of Glasule until you rot, or until Muertha decides on a fitting punishment for the woman who ruined her prospects of marriage.” Namaya smiled. “I am sure you are used to the peaceful ways of Zheka,” she said softly. “But here in Glasule, we opt for more…violent punishments.”

  A shiver ran down Angelica’s spine but she didn’t back down. “Go ahead and kill me,” she said. “That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”

  Namaya laughed. “Child, you don’t know the first thing about what I want,” she said. She got to her feet and swished out of the room.

  Angelica sighed and leaned against the wall, feeling utterly defeated. She buried her face in her hands and bit her lip until she tasted blood. This is it, she realized. I wish I had told Aerdan how I really feel.

  When she opened her eyes, she saw Namaya’s cloak, still hanging from the chair. Something shiny caught her eye and her heart leapt when she realized Namaya had forgotten a ring of keys. Sneaking a cautious glance at the guard, Angelica heaved a sigh of relief – the guard was slumped against the wall, spittle dribbling down his chin. His eyes were closed and if Angelica held her breath and listened, she could hear the faint sound of snores.

  With trembling fingers, Angelica ripped at the hem of her dress. She tore the skirt into small strips, then knotted them together and formed a loop at one end. Crouching at the iron bars of her cell, she threw the rope out into the cell again and again, until the loop caught on the ring of keys and upended them to the floor.

  Angelica’s lips curled into a smile. Finally, she thought. Maybe I have a chance after all!

  CHAPTER NINE

  Aerdan

  The seas stormed and rolled, pitching the small boat from one foamy crest to the next. Aerdan gripped to the boat so tightly that his knuckles were w
hite. His teeth were tightly clenched although he couldn’t help crying out in fear as the boat splintered and cracked apart like an egg, spilling its contents into the sea. Salt water blasted up Aerdan’s nose and mouth and he coughed violently until pain spread through his chest and he felt like he would pass out.

  “No!” Aerdan screamed as the skies opened. The rain turned into a downpour, and soon it was coming so hard that Aerdan couldn’t see more than two feet in front of him. Aerdan was starting to feel exhausted and cold – a chill that penetrated his body to the core, a chill that made him think death was very nearly on the horizon.

  Maybe dying won’t be so bad, Aerdan thought as he closed his eyes. A powerful wave tugged him under the surface of the water, pummeling him against the sandy ocean floor until his skin was scraped and his lungs were burning for want of air.

  A ray of light shone down into the sea, a calming force that soothed Aerdan’s frayed nerves. Glancing up, he saw the waters of the sea part. Green light glowed, and Aerdan realized that he was about to be saved.

  “Thank the gods,” Aerdan cried. Adrenaline flowed through his body and he felt some of his strength return. With all of his might, he kicked and thrashed and churned through the water, desperate to get close to the light. He could practically feel the light warming him, and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before he was safe. The boat was in wooden fragments around him, but Aerdan clung desperately to the fallen mast of the ship as the ray of light lifted him higher and higher into the air.

  As Aerdan’s body left the sea, he realized he was floating up to the sky. The storm clouds had lifted and while the seas were still stormy, they were beginning to calm. When he saw the grounds of Zheka, he gasped.

  I’m almost home, Aerdan thought triumphantly. I made it! I’m alive! But when he tried to move towards the castle, he found that he was paralyzed. He couldn’t move –he could only continue drifting up, up, up, towards the heavens above.

  Aerdan groaned. I must have had one hell of a night with Huen and Baelan, he thought, groping for a pillow. When his fingers closed around dry, gritty sand, his eyelids flew open.

  Oh, gods, Aerdan realized. I’m on…the beach? He sat up and rubbed his eyes with his sandy hands. The sea gleamed a brilliant shade of blue before him, and Aerdan swallowed. His throat was dry – just the sight of the massive body of water before him was enough to make him desperately thirsty. Aerdan licked his dry, chapped lips and looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. As soon as he saw the immense black castle, the previous night came crashing back to him.

  I’m in Glasule, Aerdan realized. He sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve. I made it.

  Aerdan stood up and stretched. There was no sign of the boat, or the previous night’s storm. The beach was uniform and beautiful, and the water glittered placidly. Waves gently rolled along the shore, revealing gleaming shells.

  Aside from the distant guards parading around the castle walls, Aerdan couldn’t see a single person in sight. While he knew that was likely for the best, he couldn’t help feeling chilled. Aerdan had never been to Glasule before, and now he was starting to realize it was nothing like Zheka. The landscape was similar – beautiful grass, beach, and sea – but the atmosphere was different. It felt chilly and oppressive, like being trapped in a nightmare.

  Aerdan got to his feet and stretched. His joints ached and his head throbbed, but he knew that he’d have to act quickly in order to sneak into the castle. Thankfully, his clothes were mostly intact. He was missing a patch of cloth on his trousers, but his shirt was fine, albeit rather sandy. After brushing himself off, Aerdan went to the edge of the water and rinsed his face with a few handfuls of salty water. The water felt blessedly cool against his skin. The urge to drink was intense, but Aerdan knew he couldn’t drink salt water – after ingesting so much of the sea the night before, he felt faintly nauseous.

  A loud bell sounded from the castle. Aerdan jumped at the sound. When he turned around, it didn’t appear that anything had changed. But then Aerdan watched as a drawbridge lowered slowly into the air, the chains creaking and shrieking even from hundreds of feet away. Shuddering, Aerdan darted off towards the edge of the wood. I’ll hide until dark, he thought. Maybe I can find some fresh water or food in the woods. Then, as soon as the sun has gone, I’ll sneak into the castle.

  Aerdan moved quickly through the woods, doing his best to keep his feet from crunching on the twigs and dead leaves underfoot. He kept to the trees, darting behind the biggest ones he could find before moving on. While Queen Zornaya had warned Aerdan about Glasule, he didn’t see how things were so bad. Sometimes he’d catch the sound of children cheering and yelling. They are a different land, but not inferior, Aerdan thought to himself as he moved through the woods. I bet if it wasn’t for that witch, Namaya, Glasule would be a very lovely place, indeed.

  The sound of fresh water babbling and streaming made Aerdan’s gut twist from hunger and thirst. If only I hadn’t lost my stupid flask in the shipwreck! Aerdan moved closer and closer, staying cautious. When a twig snapped under his foot, Aerdan froze.

  Giggles and laughter sounded from the clearing and Aerdan swallowed. He pressed himself to the tree trunk and listened. Cautiously stepping forward, he heard splashing and taunting. Aerdan looked around and saw a small lake. Three young men were diving and splashing one another, their clothes thrown carelessly on the shore.

  Aerdan realized that they must be from Glasule. For a moment, he almost pitied them – it was like watching a mirror of himself, Baelan, and Huen at play. Then he realized that if he could somehow steal their clothes, it would give him easier access to the castle. Sneaking forward, Aerdan dropped to his hands and knees and crawled silently along the ground. His heart was pounding the whole time – he knew that if he was apprehended, the men would drag him to the castle kicking and screaming. But they were seemingly occupied with dunking each other in the lake. Aerdan reached the piles of clothing and stole a pair of leather breeches as well as a finely-woven silk shirt and a leather purse containing heavy golden coins.

  As soon as the clothes were in his hands, Aerdan darted away. In the safety of the woods, he changed quickly, discarding his own clothes high in the trunk of a tree. The sun was directly overhead and Aerdan was sweating and panting by the time he reached the edge of the wood. It seemed dreadful to have to wait until sundown to sneak into the castle…besides, now that he was disguised, Aerdan thought that he’d be able to saunter in and pretend like he knew what he was doing. He puffed out his chest and kept his head held high as he strolled across the green lawn and closer to the castle.

  The closer Aerdan got to the castle, the more nervous he felt. He hated himself for feeling something other than bravery. Angelica was brave, Aerdan realized as he quickened his pace. She was selfless, and brave, and gave herself up even though she had no idea what would happen to her. He shuddered – what if she was bound and gagged in the dungeons below the castle, wasting away? I’ll do anything to save her, Aerdan decided firmly.

  The drawbridge was still down by the time Aerdan reached the castle gates. As he strode across the wooden planks, he glanced down into the sheer pools of water that formed the moat. Large animals with huge, toothy jaws snapped their teeth at him and Aerdan shuddered. He couldn’t imagine having anything like that in Zheka. The Zhekan castle had defenses, but nothing so crude, nothing so violent!

  Thank the gods I don’t have to marry into this kingdom, Aerdan thought. He passed by a guard and held his head high, walking like he knew exactly where he was going. Predictably, the guard ignored him.

  As Aerdan made it into the main grounds of Glasule, his confidence began to grow. I’ve got this, Aerdan thought as he strolled into the inner grounds of the castle. Unlike Zheka, there were no signs or directions. Aerdan sat for a second and watched the people milling around. He noticed the people in shabbier clothing headed one way and the people in finer clothing went the other. After a few minutes of watching, he felt co
nfident enough to follow a gathering of young women in fine silk dresses. They’re all as ugly as Muertha, Aerdan thought as he trailed behind him, rolling his eyes at their trivial gossip and complaints.

  “You there!”

  Aerdan’s heart skipped a beat as a guard thundered loudly. He can’t be talking to me, Aerdan thought. I look like I belong here. Knowing it was better if he didn’t look scared or distracted, Aerdan held himself high and strolled on, puffing his chest and swaggering his hips like a cocky prince.

  “Stop! You, sir!”

  Aerdan kept walking. He sped up, increasing his pace until he was past the group of tittering women.

  Loud footsteps thundered behind him and Aerdan’s palms began to sweat. Almost there, almost there, he promised himself. I’ll be past all the guards soon and inside the castle, then I just have to find Angelica!

  “I said stop!”

  The blow to the back of Aerdan’s shoulder caught him off guard and he went tumbling down into the dirt. The group of young women paused and turned, laughing hysterically as Aerdan brushed dirt from his leather trousers.