by C. Baely
Sara wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and turned to face him, staring searchingly into his eyes. “What do you mean ‘you don’t have the right to want me’?”
Archail inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly before replying. “I am to be life-mated with a Pradorian female whom the council has chosen for me.”
“What do you mean by life-mated?”
“The best way I can describe it,” Archail stated coldly, as if he was talking about something of little importance, “is like your concept of marriage on Earth.” Her expression as he explained was a final blow deep in his heart. It was as if he would die of his own will or forever walk this planet half dead.
“You mean all this time, the entire time we’ve been together, you knew you would be life-mated to another? This entire time?”
“Yes,” he admitted, lowering his head slightly as he felt its weight all of a sudden. He forced himself to meet her eyes and saw resentment and accusation in them. She had every right to feel this way, but it hurt him to see her looking at him like that. “Sara, I never thought…” He stopped himself, realizing that anything he said now would probably sound all wrong.
“Leave me alone,” Sara demanded, her voice as cold and biting as a winter’s day that showed no hope of spring coming.
Archail lifted his hand to touch her, but she flinched away from him as if he was about to hit her, although it could be argued he already had. His hand fell heavily, and without another word, he left the room. His heart felt like a heavy weight in his chest because he knew he had lost her forever.
Chapter 16
When the next morning arrived, the warm sun shone high in the sky of Prador, promising another beautiful day as life buzzed once more in the great square.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sara stared blankly at the window. Black circles had formed under her bleak blue eyes after a long and sleepless night. Her lips had drawn into thin lines as her mind still tried to comprehend the events of the previous night.
She had cried bitter tears all night, with the pain of betrayal acting as her constant companion. So many questions still swam through her mind.
Why had he claimed her as his mate when he wasn’t free to do so? Why had he tried so many times to be with her? Why had he waited so long to tell her the truth? Why had he told her now, after the blood ceremony and being together so many times?
The questions remained unanswered, and even after going through everything in her mind, she knew she still loved him. Her heart wouldn’t let her feel otherwise, and she felt betrayed in more ways than one as it beat faster at his constant presence in her mind. She had to leave the palladium and never see him again. Then, and only then, could she decide what to do with her newfound freedom.
The last thought made her heart sting again, but Sara reminded herself that seeing him every day without being able to touch him, eventually seeing him with another, was something she could never cope with. No! It was time to step out into this new world on her own, but in order to do that, she would have to first establish where she could go.
Feeling her willpower grow stronger as it never had before, she rose from the bed and paced the room with more determination in each step she took.
After all, she told herself, life never worked out the way she hoped it would. It always had its ups and downs, and she had to accept this before she drove herself crazy.
* * *
Irina stood in the dining room with Archail. He looked different than he had the last time she had seen him. He had withdrawn into himself, and his eyes seemed to stare intensely at the empty chair opposite him as if he was waiting for someone to suddenly appear on the cushioned seat.
“What is it, brother?” Irina inquired in a soft voice filled with concern as she saw his eyes turn a darker gold.
Archail turned to look at her, a smile automatically forming on his lips that never touched his eyes. He sounded almost empty of emotion. “I told her the truth.”
Irina, realizing he was talking about Sara, nodded in understanding before moving closer to him. She placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. “Things might change, Archail. Did you tell her everything?”
He rose suddenly and walked away from her. On reaching the door, he opened it and paused for a short moment before speaking in a chill voice. “It is over, Irina. In three cycles of our moons, once the Earth females have been given the immortality serum, their transitional ceremony will take place as the council has ordered.” His tall figure then left the room as if chased by an unseen enemy, leaving his sister with deeply troubled thoughts.
She knew her brother better than he knew himself. His sense of duty toward his people had always been overly strong within him. For that reason, he would never betray their trust or go back on his word to the council and their stupid traditions, no matter how much pain it caused him. That gave her an idea, and a broad smile formed on her soft blue lips as she decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.
Immediately putting her thoughts into action, she ran to the door and walked briskly down the corridor, heading toward the palladium kitchen and considering how she had a lot to do in a very short time.
* * *
Sara looked behind her one last time at the great bedroom and realized she possessed nothing of her own except the clothes she wore and the memories she had shared with Archail these last few days. She turned decisively toward the large door, placed her hand on the handle, and opened it.
She was halfway through the door when she bumped into Toria, who watched her carefully as she stood in silence. “May I help you, my lady?” The Pradorian woman looked at Sara expectantly.
Sara thought of dismissing her, not wanting to inform Toria of her intentions, but an idea came to her mind. “Yes, I heard there are homes available for the Earth women to live in, and I have a friend in one of them.” Sara tried to sound sincere as she spoke, yet a vague feeling of discomfort rose within her at knowing she was lying. “I was wondering if you could show me where they are.” She smiled up at the Pradorian woman.
Toria gave her a broad smile in return and offered to escort her to one of them. Sara thanked her earnestly, and the two women left the palladium together.
There was considerable hustle and bustle in the market square. Pradorians and the occasional female Earthling walked around, examining and purchasing products laid out on long white marble-looking benches. Sara had never before walked through the square during its peak trading period, and while they walked, she looked around curiously. Toria’s swift steps didn’t allow her much time to browse, but then she reminded herself she wasn’t there for pleasure.
Strange objects were arranged all around the benches, which stood on both sides of the road they followed. On one bench in particular, there were tubular-shaped objects of different colors and sizes. They looked like they might be small sculptures or bangles of some kind, but when Sara saw a Pradorian male pick one up, she was surprised by what happened when he squeezed it slightly in his palm. In response to the pressure, the object emitted a strong purple beam the length of a large knife from one end.
As they moved further down the road, which was paved with glowing tiles, another bench grabbed her attention. It hosted peculiar objects colored in metallic tones. A Pradorian female, who was browsing the stall, placed one of them on one of her fingers, along a knuckle behind her nails. Gazing admiringly at its beauty, Sara realized it must be some form of jewelry.
Sara then almost bumped into a male purchasing what could be best described as a segmented metallic tail, but she couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was used for. While dodging the male, Sara nearly toppled into another female who was three feet taller than she was. Giving Sara a snide glance, the female adjusted her grip on a clear container filled with long green-and-yellow fuzzy stalks and continued on through the crowd.
Toria had to guide Sara through some of the more heavily congested areas, but while moving through the market, Sara noticed that even t
hough she did see some Pradorian females here and there, the males outnumbered them greatly. Her mind recalled the problems Archail and his sister had told her about. It hadn’t really sunk in until now.
Nevertheless, Sara followed her guide, and as they headed out of the market, they turned left down a path that reminded Sara of the alleys she’d known back on Earth. There were houses richly built in various colors, but these dwellings had no tall columns standing outside their entrances. There were still no doors to stop passersby from entering as they pleased.
The tall Pradorian female stopped before a building that was tall in comparison to the rest. “This is one of the houses.” She looked quizzically at Sara. Without another word, Toria turned and quickly paced away.
Sara hesitated for a minute before climbing the four steps leading to the open entrance. Taking a deep breath, she entered. Small pieces of furniture were spread around the room. White, deep-brown, and orange cushions seemed to strangely match the contrast of the metallic-plated floor beneath them. Even stranger, though, was how the cushions floated above the floor, as if suspended by some invisible force.
A perfect arrangement of orange, yellow, and white flowers was held by a clear oval container that rested upon a perfectly polished table across the room. The floor beneath her feet emitted an opal light wherever she stepped, but the surface wasn’t hard like the one at the palladium. Instead, with every step she made, it felt like her feet sunk slightly into it, making her feel as if she was walking on water.
There was no one around, and she wondered if she should call out to announce her presence, when a door on the far side of the room opened, and a familiar Pradorian woman entered the sitting room.
“Oh! Good, you have arrived.” Irina spoke as if she’d been expecting her.
As much as she liked Irina, Sara was not in the right mood or emotional state to deal with her. “What are you doing here, Irina?”
The woman looked patiently at her before smiling gently and raising her hands as if to show off the room. “This is my house.”
Sara sighed in frustration, thinking Toria had brought her to the wrong place. “Well I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave.” She turned around and moved toward the main entrance.
“Sara, wait. We need to talk. I asked Toria to bring you here.” Irina had reached Sara by the time she’d finished talking. Gently holding Sara’s hand, Irina led her back toward the living room.
“I really don’t have time at the moment, Irina. Maybe another time.” Sara tried to pull her hand away.
The Pradorian woman regarded Sara carefully. Her deep eyes seemed to penetrate Sara’s with a pressing warning. “Sara, there will be no time to talk later. We need to talk now, or all my plans will come to naught.”
Sara looked at her with concern as she noticed the urgency in her voice. “What do you want to talk to me about that’s so important?”
Irina watched her intensely as she uttered a single word. “Archail.”
“No!” Sara almost yelled in pain. Her wounds were still fresh, and she couldn’t stand to even think about him without feeling pain. There was no way she could talk about him with someone else, let alone his sister.
“I see you are just as stubborn as he is.” Irina’s disappointment showed in her yellow eyes.
“I’m not like your brother in any way,” Sara stated coldly, pacing away from Irina. “He’s a deceitful liar and a hateful one at that! He used me without any regard as to how he would hurt me.”
“You love him, don’t you?” Irina stated more than asked as she made eye contact.
Sara felt her soul had been opened for everyone to see, and unable to stand it anymore, she once more turned to leave the house.
“Sara, what would you do if you knew he loved you as well?” Irina called after her, waiting when she halted a few feet from the exit.
Sara turned around. Her voice cut like ice. “He doesn’t.” Sara’s mask broke at the admittance, and pain coursed through her.
“On the contrary, Sara, he does. He loves you much more than he does himself. He loves you enough to let you go, even though doing so means torture for the rest of his unending life.” Irina spoke with more urgency.
“How can you be so sure?” Sara struggled to ignore the hard, unrelenting beat of her heart.
“Because I know him.”
“It isn’t enough,” Sara stated coldly. “Did he tell you he loves me?”
“No, not in those exact words,” Irina admitted.
“Then this conversation is meaningless.”
“No! I can prove it. I can prove to you that he loves you.”
“How?”
Irina tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “First of all, think carefully about his words to you last night. In all the things he told you, did he ever deny his feelings for you?”
Sara backed away in pain as she recalled the previous night. “I… I cannot do this, Irina. I’m sorry.”
“Yes, you can. Try to remember, Sara. This is very important.”
“He…he said it made no difference how he felt,” Sara almost whispered, as she recalled the scene in her mind.
“Yes, that sounds like Archail.” Irina sighed. “What else did he tell you?”
“He said he had no right to want me and that he never had,” Sara recounted, feeling a trembling sensation run down her spine again.
“Don’t you see, Sara?” Irina said softly now. “He never once denied his feelings for you in the words he spoke. He merely admitted that even though he has feelings for you, he cannot allow himself to give in to them.”
“That’s not all he said, Irina.” A small ray of hope had started to shine within the depths of her soul.
“What else then?” Irina inquired patiently.
“He said he was to be life-mated with another.” Sara tried to sound calm and collected, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her true feelings.
“Yes, I’ve known this for a very long time now. Regardless, I can prove to you, beyond any doubt, that Archail loves you. Are you willing to listen to me now?”
Sara moved to one of the floating cushions and sat down cautiously. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want to see my brother happy with the one he loves,” Irina stated without a moment’s hesitation and moved to sit on the cushion opposite Sara. “My dear, sweet Sara, if you only knew what Archail has done for you, you would not doubt his love either,” Irina said with certainty.
At that moment, soft steps sounded outside the entrance of the house and both women turned in unison to see who was approaching. They stared at a tall Pradorian male who was looking back at them.
Irina was the first of the three to break the awkward silence. “You took your time getting here.”
The Pradorian male took one tentative step, watching both of them cautiously. “You asked me to come at this time.”
“Oh yes, I did,” Irina said, as if just remembering.
“What is it you want, Irina?” the male asked coldly. He looked again at Sara as if he was annoyed by her presence.
“What I want is for you to tell her exactly what you said to me.”
Chapter 17
The palladium overflowed with Pradorians, and even the main entrance to the great hall was congested. Women from Earth were also there, all dressed in colorful Pradorian gowns, and one after another, they moved up the line leading to a giant table. At this table, a particularly large Pradorian held a diamond-shaped syringe. As each Earth woman approached, he would take her hand and inject the grey liquid into the veins of her arm. The crowd buzzed around the women who descended the steps of the platform after they had been injected.
Archail observed the proceeding females as he stood behind the large table, his face an expressionless mask. He recalled the time when he had returned to the Palladium three moon risings ago. His thoughts were troubled and filled with painful memories. Sara was his main concern, and he recalled thei
r last conversation. The memory of her frozen expression when he had informed her of his preordained life-mating still hurt. In a moment of weakness, he had wanted to go once more to her and tell her his true feelings and how they would never change. He had walked decisively in long, fast strides toward the bedroom, but on opening the door, he found an empty room. Sara was gone. It was Toria who later informed him that she had left earlier that morning. Sara had said she would stay at one of the homes that had been built for her kind.
In a fleeting moment of insanity, Archail considered going after her, but then he remembered the reality of the situation. He wasn’t free to offer her anything other than pain and disappointment. Stopping himself in his tracks, Archail decided Sara had done the right thing by leaving. It was for the best after all, although he couldn’t suppress the pang of pain in his chest at the thought.
Now he needed to witness the ceremony, and so he waited, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs, in anticipation of seeing Sara one more time.
The procession before him continued. He watched in silence as the last woman in line approached the table. Archail waited in agony to see Sara, but to his dismay, she never appeared. He remained standing as the male Pradorian who was administering the injections turned and looked at him questioningly. “My great Vasil, we are finished.”
Archail remained frozen in place on hearing his words, certain the other Pradorian was mistaken. “But there is one more.”
“No, my Vasil, that was the last of them.” The male Pradorian seemed confused by his leader’s words.
“That is not possible.” Fear grew within him. He turned around toward the crowd standing to the left of the platform, desperately searching for Sara. He was ready to leave the platform and go search for her when the crowd at the entrance began to whisper among themselves. They then parted, separating as if to let something pass. Five council members entered followed by a petite figure that was covered from head to toe.
