by Lisa Lace
It’s my turn to speak first. Even though my voice is soft, it does not falter. “I swear to you, my husband from this day forward, I will be with you as long as we walk this world together. Your rest shall be my rest. I will make a home for you wherever I am at home. You are the pleasure of my eyes, the ease of my heart and the cold water in summer. When I drink of you, I am refreshed.”
I pause, taking a moment to reflect on the true weight of the words. “I swear to you, Rasulus. I am yours. No matter what the future brings, wherever we go or are taken, I belong to you. I honor you. I love you.”
The vows are a mixture of ancient promises and my own creation. The power of the words makes me sway. My hand intertwined with Rasulus’ keeps me anchored to the ground when I feel like floating away with joy.
Rasulus gives me a passionate glance before he speaks. “I swear to you, my wife from this day forth, to walk the world with you in joy and wonder. Your beauty lights up every corner of the planet I live on. Wherever your light goes, I will follow. I will be your rest and your reward, food when you are hungry and water when you thirst. You are the pleasure of my eyes, the ease of my heart and the cold water in summer. When I drink of you, I am refreshed.
“I swear to you, Perri. I am yours. Through a dark past and into a bright future, we will be together. There is no one for me but you. There is no future for me without you. I belong to you. I honor you. I love you.”
The entire wedding hall breaks into wild applause. They are starting a party that will last for at least a week if not two. Soon enough, the entire country will join us. The wedding of royals is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. A part of me rejoices knowing that my newly-adopted homeworld will be celebrating with me.
And we are not done yet.
From a box held close by, Rasulus removes a series of rings. They are slender, each one fit to my ten fingers and set with a chip of sparkling black diamond. They gleam on my hands, the first part of my wedding jewelry. He pulls out earrings and bracelets before lifting a necklace out of a bed of silk. It is a stunning collar of black and white diamonds, heavy and gorgeous. Although it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, I will always love the humbler set he gave me first.
As Rasulus fastens the necklace around my throat, I look up at him. There is a look in his eyes I want to treasure forever. When I am fully dressed in the matrimonial gems he has given me, he pulls me in for a kiss.
My heart opens to him completely. He was right. Nothing will ever be the same.
FIVE YEARS LATER
The twins are thrilled to be out of bed so early with me. They have taken to running into our bedroom first thing in the morning, which has made for some near misses as their parents scramble to put on their clothes. This morning, however, I am the one who has come to get them out of bed.
After an initial moment of crankiness, they are enticed with the promise of a surprise, and they follow along behind me as I lead them to a small staircase set at the rear of our private bedroom.
The stairs are steep for them, but they’re both up for a challenge. Lisandra, the older twin, is in the lead. I smile to see a look of fierce determination on her face. By Arietan tradition, she will be Rasulus’ heir. Every day I see her grow into the role that awaits her. She will eventually be the queen of Arietus, but to me, she will always be my brilliant, funny and spirited girl.
Trailing behind her is her brother, Rax. Our second born is more serious than his sister, reticent and not inclined to rush forward. He wants explanations for everything, hoping to understand why the deserts are dry and why things fall to the ground when you toss them up in the air. Rasulus and I have found excellent tutors for both of our children, but I have a feeling that Rax will soon need more instruction.
The library at the top of the tower looks the same as the first morning Rasulus and I spent together. We still spend time here when we can, grabbing moments out of our busy days to touch, hold each other, and sometimes even read together. Our time is precious, and here we can enjoy it.
Lisandra and Rax look around the room curiously. While they play, I sit down on one of the chaises, centering myself and letting my eyes drift shut. As the queen of the land, it sometimes feels as if there is no end to the things that need my time and attention. While all the work I do is important, there is a part of me that longs to shut myself away with my beloved and our children.
My eyes are still closed when I hear his steps on the stairs. I smile and open my eyes to see him standing in the doorway.
Rasulus is still the most handsome man I have ever seen. Part of me still wakes up in awe of the fact that we belong to each other. He is a good king, but when he is with us in private, he is my husband and the twins’ father. Today, he carries a wicker basket. My stomach rumbles at the smells coming from it.
“I caught the cook just as she was pulling fresh bread from the ovens, and she gave me a pot of good butter to go with everything. There’s some of the roast the children liked so much from the feast yesterday as well.”
I come and join my family on the floor as we spread out the food. My soul is soothed by watching the twins poke at the food and each other. They have known no fear or want in their lives. It is foolish to think they never will, but in the moment, I feel a glow of love and protective pride for all of us.
“Is the picnic our surprise, Mama?” asks Rax. I shake my head.
“No, darling. The surprise will be here soon.”
For once, the twins manage to eat peacefully together while Rasulus comes to sit next to me. Despite nervously concealing a secret, I still feel a pang of desire and love for him. If my children are my stars, he is my sun. I can tell from the light in his eyes that he looks at me in the same way.
“Perri, I’m glad you suggested this. You’ve been quiet lately.”
“I’ve been looking for a good way to tell you something.”
“Tell me what?”
“You’re going to be a father again.”
The look on his face is incandescent joy, and he takes me into his arms. The baby inside me is growing and healthy. Rasulus will be with me every step of the way, just as he was when the twins were born. I can still remember how afraid we both were, and how the fear turned to ecstasy in a second. I can see our love embodied in the two bright and lively children sitting with us. The journey to get to this place has been a long one, hard in places, and brilliant in others. I would not exchange my life for anything.
As he holds me, murmuring words of love into my ear, I point up at the transparent ceiling.
“There, darlings, do you see?”
The twins point at the hidden moon Monani, excited to see something they had never noticed before. Their father tells them about the science, how it can be seen more clearly in other places, and how someday, we’ll travel to the places on Arietus where it gleams.
I sit with my husband and my children, remembering the past, touching the present, and looking forward to the love we will all create in the future.
Bonus Book
I hope you enjoy this unreleased bonus book, Snatched!
Snatched
Chapter One
Everything Leanne had always dreamed about was about to happen. She had to pinch herself to make sure she was awake.
Her friend Hannah had schedule an outing to the Denoli convention.
Denoli was her favorite television show. She had watched the science fiction series with her dad since the premiere. Ever since he had died two years ago, Leanne felt closer to him every time she watched it.
Three days of dressing up and geeking out with other fans was going to be heaven.
Her group eagerly shuffled into the queue and soon became immersed in a alien world. Leanne felt like she didn’t know where to turn.
“Take a look at this. They have all the tchotchkes you could ever want.”
Leanne reluctantly looked away from a stand holding authentic, licensed models of the guns used in the TV series. She squeale
d in delight as Hannah gestured her over to a stall selling Denoli quotes on key chains and fridge magnets.
Olivia was also eyeing the magnets, but Georgia and Wendy had disappeared into the excitable throng together. Leanne glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe that it had already been three hours since the doors opened.
A couple of shrieks from the entrance made Leanne, Hannah and Olivia look up. They pushed their way through the rest of the crowd to see what was causing the disturbance at the doors. Maybe someone who didn’t have a ticket was trying to force their way in. Leanne wouldn’t have blamed them.
A small group of topless, fit men cut swiftly through the crowd. Leanne grinned in delight. The actors, dressed as Wescra, stormed into the venue, looking and acting just like the bad guys on Denoli. They even groped at a few women along the way for good measure.
Leanne couldn’t help but admire the convention organizers’ choices in casting. All the actors were smoking hot. She’d never done well for herself in the romance department. Looking at the toned bodies made her wish she wasn’t afraid to make the first move.
Wendy gasped. “Someone’s forgetting the difference between fantasy and reality.” One of the Wescra knocked a stand flying. The owner of the booth jumped up and started yelling.
The Wescra actor promptly hit him in the face.
Everyone stopped talking around the conflict. Acting like an alien was one thing, but the actors could get sued for that kind of behavior.
A single word broke the silence.
“Her!”
A Wescra pointed directly at Leanne. She couldn’t tell if it was the one who had just thrown a punch. They all looked the same to her.
Leanne felt like there was a spotlight on her. Usually she didn’t mind playing along, but these guys were making her uncomfortable. She put up a hand and shook her head. It wasn’t the time for role-playing.
One of the actors marched toward her, grabbed her wrist, and twisted her arm around her back.
“What are you doing?” Her muscles wrenched in pain. Leanne struggled to free herself, but the Wescra was too strong for her. “Let me go! You’re hurting me!”
One of the other convention-goers stepped in to help. “Hey, man, leave her alone. You’re not supposed to be touching anyone.” When the actor holding Leanne ignored the friendly stranger, he grabbed the actor’s arm, trying to pry him away.
The actor pulled out a weapon. Before Leanne could say a single word, the man who had tried to help her was on the ground. He wasn’t moving. A pool of blood spread around his head.
Something was very wrong.
Leanne couldn’t stop screaming as event security rushed to the scene. In front of her, she could see other actors restraining Olivia and Hannah. Olivia was fighting so forcefully that it took three Wescra to hold her.
At least they weren’t shooting at her.
The Wescra holding them cut a path through the crowd leading back to the entrance. No one stood in their way - they weren’t willing to be shot. Bullets from security started flying through the air. Even though the shots from the security detail were deadly accurate, white ovals flashed around the Wescra right before they hit. The aliens were unharmed.
Leanne realized the actors appeared to have shields. But that technology didn’t exist in real life. It was a fantasy made for television.
The formerly joyful scene had turned to one of terror. Leanne tried desperately to twist away, but that only made her captor hold onto her more tightly. She screamed again and kicked him, but he hardly seemed to notice it. The doors loomed in front of her, and in an instant they passed through them. Another group of Wescra joined them, pulling some other women along, but Leanne was too scared to realize who they were.
Despair filled her heart. This wasn’t good. Every step they took was making it harder for the police to find them.
She wondered where they were taking her. Maybe her final destination was a black van with tinted windows. At least that would give her another chance to escape.
Leanne wasn’t expecting to see a spaceship. She had no idea why she and her screaming friends were being pulled toward it. What were the actors doing? A fake spaceship didn’t offer a chance at getting away. In fact, it would be a death trap.
She wondered if they were planning to ask for ransom money. If so, they had grabbed the wrong girl. Leanne and her mother weren’t particularly close, but she knew mom would do whatever it took to help her. On the other hand, she hoped these guys had an accurate idea of her family’s net worth.
Leanne was vaguely aware of other girls screaming around her. Her hands were restrained, not with handcuffs, but with futuristic-looking devices. Did they even do anything? What was the point in keeping up with the act? They were far away from the convention by now.
Clearly these people were crazy. Maybe they really believed they were from the TV show. She wasn’t sure if the notion made her situation better or worse.
The stupid spaceship model was so accurate that it even had a simulated start routine. Leanne felt the deck hum beneath her feet before it shifted…and the spaceship lifted off into the air.
The sudden acceleration forced Leanne back against the wall and made her wrists yanking painfully against the restraints.
How could a mockup of a spacecraft fly through the sky?
A sickening feeling settled in Leanne’s stomach as she took a closer look at the actors. They weren’t talking to each other. Instead, they surrounded the ship’s controls. Everyone had a job to do and was completely focused on their task.
This couldn’t be happening, could it?
Leanne wondered if she had been drugged. She wracked her brain, trying to think of a time she had left her food or drink unattended. How long did rohypnol take to wear off? It couldn’t stay in her system for longer than a few hours. Had it been enough time since they left the convention for her body to cleanse itself?
She would rather have been drugged than kidnapped by aliens.
“It’s not real,” she muttered to herself. “It can’t be.”
Wendy appeared in front of her, spitting obscenities at the Wescra and trying her best to bite or kick the closest one. One of them hit her head with the back of his gun. She collapsed onto the deck with a crunch.
Leanne thought the sight would have been terrifying if it was really happening to her.
The ship started to stabilize and stopped shuddering. Leanne wondered if it had cleared the atmosphere. If they were on the TV show, once the ship entered hyperspace, it would be on the other side of the galaxy in seconds.
Of course, Leanne was really passed out somewhere on Earth, with someone doing questionable things to her unconscious body. She didn’t want to think about the other option, because that would mean she had completely lost her mind.
There was no history of mental illness in her family, but people couldn’t simply go crazy without any prior warning, right? The drugs would wear off, and she’d have nothing more to worry about than hunting down some aspirin.
Leanne looked around her for the first time. Wendy and Olivia were bound on either side of her. Hannah and Georgia were sobbing next to Olivia. When Leanne saw who was with her, she knew she was just having a trippy dream. There was no way she would be abducted with all her closed friends. It would be too much of a coincidence.
“It’s going to be ok.” Leanne didn’t know if she was talking to herself or to her friends. Perhaps trying to have a conversation with her hallucinations was the first sign of madness, but she couldn’t help trying to comfort them. “We’ll all wake up soon and the spaceship will be gone.”
They looked at her like she had lost her mind.
Leanne smiled at the thought of telling everyone about her crazy dream when she woke up. With the possibility of telling a good story on her mind, she lay down and drifted off to sleep.
A scuffle to her left woke Leanne at some point, though she couldn’t tell if she’d been asleep for hours or merely minutes.
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“Hey!”
She tried to reach for Olivia as the Wescra started to drag her away, but the cuffs on her wrists yanked harshly against her already tender skin.
“Leave her alone!”
She may as well not have spoken for all the attention the Wescra paid to her. Panic flared up in her again. Was she really drugged? Surely it should have worn off by now. Maybe she was going crazy.
Or maybe… maybe this was real.
“Not possible,” Leanne muttered aloud. Still, she couldn’t get over the fact that drugs should be wearing off. Maybe this was better. At least she wouldn’t wake up in some shady guy’s apartment full of drugs. She’d wake up nice and safe in a mental institution. If they could just get to the waking her up bit now, that would be great.
Despite how many times she told herself it wasn’t real, Leanne couldn’t help but react to her friends being dragged away.
They were screaming and crying for help. Leanne tried again to get up, but she was no match for the thick plastic compound that seemed to make up the cuffs binding her.
“Leave them alone!” she yelled.
One of the Wescra came for her, but another held her back. “Not her. She’s the one for the first stage. It’s only a week’s trip. There’s no point putting her in stasis.”
Yet another piece of evidence that this really was a mental breakdown. No way would aliens from another planet just happen to speak English.
Then why did Leanne keep having doubts? Surely, this couldn’t be real. Could it?
Why did it feel so real?
Leanne had always thought crazy people didn’t know they were crazy.
She wished she was still asleep. Or unconscious. Or whatever she had been before. She watched helplessly as her friends were shoved into what looked like human-sized pods. The doors closed, and their screams were silenced.
“Who are you? Why did you take us?”
