Written in the Stars: Science Fiction Romance Anthology

by Megan Alban

  Now he understood her reluctance to spend a night with him.

  He held her top lip between his for a moment, then drew his head back. Her eyes flicked wide open and she breathed in sharply.

  Desire rushed through him, like a fire caught by the wind.

  “Mia.” He spoke with all the tenderness he could muster. “I won’t hurt you.”

  He reached up to stroke her hair, but her eyes filled with pain. She stepped back, out of his embrace, and shook herself as if shaking him off. “You will. You already have. Go away. Leave me alone. Go to your fiancée.”

  She turned, and before he could stop her, she fled into her suite. The lock clicked, and instead of his beautiful Terran, he was faced with a blank white door.

  He knocked softly, but she didn’t answer. Something told him she was right there on the other side of the door, leaning back against it. He knocked again. Still nothing. He didn’t move, but put his palms flat on the door, and let his forehead rest on the painted wood.

  He couldn’t leave her now. The idea filled him with grief at a level he’d never experienced, as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff and one step away from her would send him dropping into misery.

  Chapter 7

  Mia

  She sat up in bed and flipped on her screen. Three forty a.m. and she hadn’t slept a wink. How could she have any hope of sleep, with thoughts of Khiron rushing around her brain?

  He was a liar, saying he wouldn’t hurt her. He might fool himself, but he couldn’t fool her. Already her heart ached. She’d dreamed of love so often, and now here it was—one-sided and painful. And even if not one-sided, even if all his tender words and touches and his kiss (oh, his kiss!) were signs of something deep and lasting growing in him as it was growing in her, what could he offer her? He shouldn’t be here with her. He wasn’t free.

  Okay, it wasn’t all his fault. Sensible girls didn’t go around falling in love with crown princes. Was she in love? She had to be. It wasn’t like the crushes she’d had in the past—less hysteria, more of a feeling that this was the right thing. But was it? Should she toss out all her values, for love? A lot of people did.

  In the shadows at the corner of the room, she imagined she saw her grandmother’s face. The much-loved voice sounded in her mind. Don’t give up. Be true to yourself.

  Silent tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and made their halting way down her cheeks. “I wish you were here for real,” she said aloud. “I need your help.”

  You already have it. It was true. Eighteen years of loving care from her parents and grandparents had instilled something in her that she’d never lose. She didn’t need them to tell her what to do. This no ghost, but her own mind speaking to her.

  She didn’t have to stay here. The attorney’s news had thrown her into confusion, turning all her long-treasured plans to ash, but it had a good side. It meant there was nothing to keep her in this expensive hotel, dependent on Khiron. She didn’t need the money he’d promised for the orphanage, because there wasn’t going to be any orphanage. If he still wanted to be charitable, he could go find some other project—in Europe, for example, where his fiancée was working—and play fairy godfather there.

  Mia wiped away the tears, pushed back the bed sheets, and put her feet to the floor. She turned on the light and pulled her bags from the closet, padding around on bare feet to avoid waking Tannis in the next room.

  Tannis was a good person. They all were. Khiron had picked his crew well. She’d miss them all, even the pompous Bickli. Her eyes filled again, and she rubbed at them with the back of her hand. Concentrate, Mia.

  She set the empty bags on her bed and opened them up. She wouldn’t be able to handle all three by herself, but she could call a cab from the desk downstairs—no. Khiron might trace her that way. She’d pack them all, but only take the biggest, for now. The hotel staff wouldn’t throw the others out. They must have a place where they stored the things people left behind.

  Her eyes teared up again at the thought of all the dreams she was leaving behind with her bags, but it was the only way. There was no future for her here.

  Khiron

  He opened his eyes in bright sunlight. Had he overslept? Likely, since he’d spent so many sleepless hours figuring out what to do and what to say to Mia. Finally, he’d come up with the perfect solution, and fallen asleep. Now, if he could just remember what that perfect solution was—

  “You’re awake, finally?”

  That familiar voice—it couldn’t be. Khiron’s head swiveled around so fast, he felt a tug of pain in his neck. He saw exactly what he feared. His younger brother stood leaning on the wall beside the drapes he’d opened, gray arms folded, his mouth a thin line.

  Khiron struggled to sit up. “Teseo. What are you doing here?”

  “Is that how you welcome me? I was in Andromeda, and the empress suggested I drop by to accompany you when you escort your fiancée home.”

  This wasn’t good. His brother was the last person Khiron wanted to see in his hotel room, with Mia in the next suite.

  Teseo won’t like Mia, Khiron thought uneasily. Or rather, he wouldn’t waste energy either liking or disliking her as a person, but he wouldn’t like the way Khiron felt about her. He’d be as polite as he was to anyone else, Delinan or not, while coming down hard on Khiron in private for getting mixed up with her.

  Khiron twisted around and set his bare feet on the floor. “How’s Dad?”

  “The same. No pain, but the doctors say he can’t last more than six months. But you shouldn’t be asking me. Why haven’t you been in touch with Mom? She said she’s heard nothing from you since you left the Persean cluster.”

  The weight of his duty closed over Khiron’s head like a lead blanket. He’d soared through the last few days, a bird in flight on the wings of his feelings for Mia, seeing nothing but her. Teseo’s presence dragged him right back down.

  His brother didn’t wait for an answer. “I planned to call you from Mars, but I heard weird rumors about you leaving with some Terran female, so I decided not to wait. I’m glad to find you alone. It wouldn’t be right to disrespect Linza that way, when you’re on the same planet.”

  Khiron ran a hand through his unruly hair. Maybe it was good that Mia turned him down last night. Now his major problem would be keeping her and Teseo apart, while he figured out how to handle this.

  Teseo strode to the door. “I’ll leave you to shower. Shall I order breakfast? Do they have decent food here?”

  Anger sparked in Khiron’s chest. Who did Teseo think he was? “If ‘decent’ means Delinan, no, but except for a substance called milk which we can’t digest, the food is wholesome and tastes fine.”

  Teseo laughed. “Still the wide-eyed explorer, I see. So accepting of other cultures. You’d have made a good ambassador.”

  Khiron knew it. If only he didn’t have to be emperor instead.

  Teseo went out and closed the door. Khiron headed for the shower. Maybe it would clear his head.

  It didn’t make all his troubles go away, but the water and the movement did jolt his brain into remembering the idea he’d had in the night. Like most things that come into the mind when half asleep, it wasn’t the perfect solution he’d imagined. It assumed Linza had a Terran lover too. Then Khiron and Linza could marry, but live in separate households in the imperial palace with their true loves.

  The problem was, Mia wouldn’t go for that. He didn’t need to ask. He knew what her reaction would be.

  His heart told him to break the engagement with Linza and marry Mia, if she’d have him. He imagined the two of them traveling the galaxy hand in hand, guiding communities with a gentle touch, meeting the people of every colony, free to be together forever. He found he was humming a happy tune at the thought. The humming stopped when he remembered it would mean war with Linza’s father, a war that could split the empire and cost billions of lives.

  Maybe if Linza had a Terran lover, she’d be motivated to talk her f
ather round. Did she have one? It seemed likely. Why else would she have spent so long here?

  If he asked straight out, would she tell him? He had no way to be sure, since he didn’t know Linza at all, but if he could surprise her, she might give him a hint. Maybe he’d even catch her with the guy, if he went over there unannounced—but he still didn’t know where she was.

  He’d have to keep Teseo out of the discussions with Linza, but that shouldn’t be a problem. An engaged couple could talk privately. Anyway, he didn’t need Teseo’s permission for anything.

  Washed and dressed, he checked himself in the mirror. Now to get his brother out of the way, so he could eat breakfast with Mia. His insides fluttered at the thought of seeing her again. He’d been parted from her for nine hours, and even though he’d slept through some of the time, it seemed like a lifetime.

  In the suite’s main room, the table was laden with food, but the men stood around, waiting for him. Khiron frowned. He didn’t want to be stuck here, with them. He wanted to go to Mia.

  “Bickli, you know you can go ahead and eat without me.”

  Bickli gave one of his frightened rabbit glances at Teseo, who said, “I told him otherwise, brother. It’s better if we all eat together this morning. We can make our plans.”

  Khiron strode to the table, and took his place. “You mean I can make my plans,” he corrected. He picked out one of his favorite lactose-free waffles. He could eat this and still have appetite for a second breakfast with Mia.

  “Professor Bickli believes he’s found the name of the organization that Linza is working for in Europe,” Teseo said. “They have an office in the state capital here.”

  Khiron reached for the syrup. “Excellent. I want the two of you to take an aircar and interview the CEO in person. Find out where Linza is and come back with an address and a communicator number.”

  That should keep them busy the whole day, while he figured things out with Mia. Maybe she’d come up with a better solution than his. He’d consider anything, as long as it kept them together.

  Somebody knocked on the door. Khiron jumped up in case it was Mia. He’d told her not to knock, but she always did. He opened the door a crack, smiling broadly, but it was only Tannis. She stopped right there when she saw Teseo.

  “May I speak to you, Your Highness?” she asked Khiron in her most formal voice.

  Alone, she meant. He nodded and slipped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.

  “Mia isn’t in her room,” Tannis said. Gone out, he thought, and for a moment he was relieved—it would keep her away from Teseo. But she went on, “I heard a wakeup alarm buzzing, and it didn’t stop. In the end, I went in. This note was on the bed. I didn’t read it, but she’s packed everything and taken one of her bags.”

  Mia had packed? Why?

  Tannis handed him a folded sheet of paper with his name written in Mia’s bold handwriting. He turned it over in his hands, then slowly unfolded it.

  I think it’s best for both of us if I leave. I’m sorry. Mia.

  Chapter 8

  Mia

  Six days later, Mia sat on the bed in a cheap hotel room across town. She’d planned to stay here until she was sure Khiron was gone, then pick up the rest of her bags. She hadn’t imagined it would take so long.

  Every day she expected to see something about Khiron on the news, and there was nothing. He was surely in Europe by now. Maybe he’d extended the press blackout while he looked for his fiancée, and today it would be safe to go back to the first hotel.

  She was impatient to leave. She felt trapped here, hardly daring to go outside. She wasn’t afraid of running into Khiron, not in this part of town, but the area wasn’t safe. The first evening, she was almost mugged as soon as she stepped onto the street. She had to run back to the hotel’s heavy glass door, and send out for dinner. Since then, she only went out in daylight. She didn’t carry a purse, and she didn’t go far.

  She spent most of her days and all of her nights in this room, no bigger than her underground cell on Mars, and way dirtier. Her sheets hadn’t been changed since she arrived, and the maid had only been in once. Dust bunnies danced under the bed, the walls were stained, and she cleaned the bathroom herself. She’d seen another hotel down the street—should she move? But it could be worse. This place might be dirty, but at least it had no bugs.

  She reached for the remote and clicked on the TV. It lit up with a news channel, with no sound. She must have hit the mute button before she turned it off last night.

  Before she could switch the sound back on, the picture changed from the newsreader’s face to the airport. And there he was—Khiron, walking out in the sun to a plane. Or was it him? It was a Delinan all right, she knew from the hair down his back, but they weren’t showing his face. Yes, there was Bickli, following behind, fussing over bags.

  “…headed for Europe, where his fiancée, the future Princess Linza, is working with a refugee aid organization. The prince landed last week, and is said to have been staying on the edge of the business district.” Mia’s heart clenched at the shot of the luxury hotel with its red carpet and friendly uniformed doorman. There Khiron had kissed her. There she’d been happy. “That leads us into the business news. Stocks continue to make a slow recovery, with—”

  So he was gone. She should be glad. She could finally check out of this dump, fetch her other bags and head west, like the pioneers. But she couldn’t get rid of the dead, hollow feeling inside, as she pulled out her suitcase and brushed off the dust.

  That feeling didn’t leave her when she arrived back at the other hotel. It looked like it had on TV, like it did in her memory, only her memory was full of Khiron here, and now the lobby was as empty as her heart.

  The receptionist’s trim eyebrows wrinkled into a frown when Mia described her bags. “I don’t think we have those in the storage room, but I’ll take a look. Just a moment.”

  She headed out the back. Mia’s heart sank even lower. She’d been too optimistic, thinking they’d keep her stuff all this time. She should have called. Probably they gave everything to Goodwill, or split it between them—clothes were rationed. But hey, she had the necessities. Traveling would be easier with only one case. Everything else could wait until she was settled and found a job.

  She’d be waitressing again, she guessed, while she looked around. Experience on Mars would look good on her resumé. Maybe they’d even take her on here, if she asked. No, she wanted to go out of state. Too many memories in this city, of her grandparents and of Khiron.

  The manager came out of the back office, with the receptionist behind him. “Miss Langland?”

  She nodded and waited for the bad news, but the manager said, “Your things are still upstairs. If you’d like to come with me—”

  “You left them in my room?” she said, following him into the elevator.

  “Not in the suite where you were staying, because that’s occupied, but in the other.” He pressed a button and the doors glided together.

  The other suite—Khiron’s. So she’d have to go back in there. She hadn’t expected this trip to be so painful. Even the noise of the elevator was familiar, stabbing at the open wound in her heart. How often had she gone up and down in this box, with Khiron sneaking glances at her in the mirrored walls?

  The doors opened on the top floor, and she stepped out onto the thick carpet. The manager had a key card, but he knocked at the door before using it, which was odd. Habit? There was no reply. He opened the door, put his head in, then stepped back and pushed the door open for her to enter.

  She took two steps inside. Then someone came out of the bathroom—Khiron?

  It couldn’t be, but it was. He was naked to the waist, with a towel around his lower half.

  Behind her, the door clicked closed. She glanced around. The manager was gone.

  “You came back,” Khiron said. His face lit up with a smile she’d never seen on anyone since her grandparents died, a smile that told her
she was the most special person in the universe.

  Her heart turned to mush. How had she imagined she could ever leave him?

  Khiron

  The six days he’d spent without Mia had been the longest of Khiron’s life. Until now, he’d gotten pretty much anything and anyone he wanted. He hadn’t had to face much opposition growing up, except in fights with Teseo. Teseo thought that was the problem. He said Khiron only wanted Mia so much because he couldn’t have her. It wasn’t true.

  Khiron had spent a lot of time with her since they came to Terra, and his feelings went deeper than physical desire. She felt right for him, like they fit together and always would. Of course, they’d have challenges, he knew that—no couple went through life in perfect accord one hundred percent of the time. But he looked forward to those challenges, because they’d be opportunities to learn and grow. With her by his side, he’d be a better person.

  Teseo and Bickli came back from Atlanta with Linza’s number, but not her location. He called the number with a heavy heart, not knowing what to say. She didn’t answer, and didn’t return his calls. As the days passed with no response from her, Khiron’s heart lightened.

  “She must have a man over there,” he said to Teseo.

  Teseo’s face clenched in anger. Unlike Khiron, he’d become more and more tense as time went by. “Don’t judge her by your own standards.”

  “Why else would she hide? She must know Father’s health is not good. It doesn’t take a genius to guess why I’m here. Her own family want this marriage. I can only assume she doesn’t.”

  “That doesn’t mean she’d have an affair with a sub.”

  Khiron tensed at the insulting Delinan slang. “Don’t say sub. We’re all human subspecies. You know that.”

  “Whatever. Your messages can’t be clear. I’ll do it.”

  Teseo took Khiron’s communicator and walked to the window, turning his back. This was why they used to fight so much as kids. Anytime Teseo thought Khiron wasn’t doing something right, he’d try to take over. Never mind that it wasn’t his business.