Amid Stars and Darkness

by Chani Lynn Feener

  Guess that meant she was never taking it off, either.

  “Wait,” she said, stopping him just as he was about to open the door. “What’s a Zane? Who is he?”

  Amazingly, Ruckus actually looked a little guilty when he said, “He’s their prince.”

  The door was open, exposing them to the long hallway before she could respond, which was probably a good thing, because the tightness that’d been in her chest turned to lead in her stomach.

  Their prince.

  Olena’s betrothed, the one she didn’t want to marry and the one who knew it.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  You can do this! she told herself as Ruckus motioned with a curve of his chin for her to follow him. She stepped out into the hallway, leaving the room for the first time and suddenly wishing she didn’t have to. It was safe in that room, safer than out here, anyway, and she wanted desperately to turn around. She didn’t, fighting against her flight instinct and focusing on the one that would get her out of this hellish situation.

  Fight.

  “Have they met before?” she asked him quietly, afraid someone might be ahead of them and overhear. Right now it was just the two of them in the long, winding white hallway, but she didn’t know where they were going. As soon as they’d taken a few turns, she also didn’t know the way back.

  “A few times,” he answered out of the corner of his mouth. “Don’t be too nice, but don’t be rude, either. Remember, all of our lives depend on you.”

  “They don’t know about the device, right? The one that did this to me?”

  He shook his head.

  Well, that was something, at least. Even if she was a little odd during this meeting, there was no way the Zane could jump to the conclusion she was someone else posing as the Lissa. Only a crazy person would think of that.

  They heard voices up ahead, and turned a corner, entering a large square room. It was the center of a crossway, halls branching off in all four directions. The group before her had obviously just come from the corridor directly across from them. When they came to the entryways, both parties halted.

  Pettus was off to the side, with three men behind him. They all had stoic expressions and wore similar outfits to his, only in blue. They were tall, fit, but lacked the commanding air that Ruckus had in spades.

  The man who’d clearly been leading the party toward them, however, didn’t have the same problem as his men. He demanded attention, respect, instantly. It was clear in the way he held himself, the way he took up space and seemed to suck up all the oxygen in the room. His hair was light blond, more sunflower than honey. His uniform was different, the collar of his formfitting shirt an inch taller than the rest, the sleeves stopping at his elbows instead of covering his whole arm.

  He was as tall as Ruckus, but his legs seemed longer somehow, and his eyes were cornflower blue rimmed in a deep crimson. They were a mixture of beautiful and creepy, especially with the burning way he had them currently set upon her.

  She couldn’t call him more attractive than Ruckus, just attractive in a different sort of way. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the Zane.

  “I told them you were on your way, Ander Ruckus,” Pettus was explaining the whole time she and the Zane stared at each other. “Zane Trystan couldn’t wait.”

  “I think I’ve waited long enough,” the Zane spoke, his voice cutting across the room like a blade. “Don’t you agree, Lissa Olena?”

  Her confidence had been waning since the moment she’d spotted him. He didn’t appear to be the type of man who was easily manipulated. And he definitely looked like the type to kill the person attempting the manipulation.

  “I apologize for my delay,” she said; it was the first thing that had come to mind. “I was unforgivably detained.”

  “Unforgivably?” He took a step toward her and, if he noticed Ruckus tensing at her side like she did, he ignored it. “Indeed. What was it that detained you, Lissa, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  She wasn’t one to be easily fooled, either. He wasn’t asking.

  “As I’m sure you’re aware,” she said, taking a risk, “Earth has many strange oddities to offer. I merely got caught up exploring the culture. There’s a festival—it happens only once a year, in Maine—called the Summer Welcoming. It takes place in Seabrook, a very small town, and I’m afraid my curiosity got the best of me.”

  Silently, she prayed that he believed her, while simultaneously thanking her mini hometown for having at least one thing notable about it. It also happened to take place in May—last week, even. Her parents had been very upset with her for not coming home to celebrate it.

  “Hmm.” His eyes inspected her more closely. “Rumor has it your delay is due to other factors.”

  “Other factors?” she said, faking confusion. “What other factors could there be?” At his pointed look, she feigned indignation. “Are you implying that I intended to go back on my vow? I know my duty, Zane Trystan, same as you.”

  For a moment she feared he didn’t believe her, that she’d stepped over a line or given some hint that she wasn’t really who she said she was, but then he pulled his arms behind his back, his cold stance gentling some.

  “Ander Ruckus, you and your men are free to leave us for a moment.”

  Her heart slammed into her chest, and it took everything in her not to show it. Her fingers twitched at her side, wanting to reach out and grab on to Ruckus before he could leave her alone. He might be an alien and a kidnapper, but at least she knew he’d listen to her. And frankly, she didn’t trust the Zane. There was something about him, something dark that she couldn’t quite place but knew well enough to avoid.

  “With all due respect, Zane,” Ruckus stated, clearly struggling himself, “Lissa Olena has had a long journey, and I’m under strict orders to return her to the castle. Already our arrival has been delayed due to your boarding.”

  “Surely she’s not too exhausted to share a moment with her betrothed?” The Zane eyed her challengingly.

  She rose to the occasion.

  “It’s fine, Ander.” She never took her eyes from the Zane’s stare. “I’m perfectly safe in the company of the Zane. Aren’t I, Zane?” Game. Set. Match.

  “Of course, Lissa.” His lips twitched into a smirk, and his blue-and-crimson eyes glittered with humor. Turning, he extended an arm to her.

  She forced herself to boldly step forward and take it. His arm was every bit as steel-like as Ruckus’s were. She allowed the Zane to angle her toward the hallway to his right as they began walking.

  “My men will keep you company,” the Zane called over his shoulder to Ruckus, before they turned a corner and went out of sight.

  Taking even breaths, she glanced around their surroundings, having been rushed down the previous hallway with Ruckus. There really wasn’t anything special about them, just pale white walls with doors scattered here and there and pipes lining the tops. Bright lights were set on the sides of both the floor and the ceiling.

  “We talked about your silence last time we met, Olena,” he told her suddenly in an even voice, “and how much I dislike it.”

  “Did we?” she asked, cocking a brow at him. “I don’t recall.”

  “Don’t you?” His tone was as hard as his arm and the metal all around them.

  It was risky, but she was certain he’d found her return of his challenge back there amusing. If she could hold on to that amusement, at least long enough for them to dock the ship and her to exit safely, she might actually be able to pull this off.

  She allowed her mouth to twitch and she dropped her gaze, saying volumes with the move.

  “Ah,” he said, “so you do remember.”

  “I doubt conversations had with you are easily forgotten,” she told him.

  “I know what you’re doing.” He’d led them down a labyrinth of hallways and then stopped, turning so that they were facing each other. “We were matched, Olena. How do you think it looks that my betrothed would rather st
ay on a primitive planet than return home to me?”

  She bristled, noting the slight twinge in his voice when he’d mentioned their engagement. Going out on a limb, she dropped her arm from his and tilted up her chin defiantly.

  “Let’s not play games,” she said. “Neither one of us wanted this. But that doesn’t mean either of us would go back on our parents’ word. We don’t want to restart the war, do we?”

  That glint returned, chasing away the anger that had threatened to spill into his eyes. “No, of course not.”

  “Exactly. I stayed away for the reason I gave.”

  “For a human celebration.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Before she could argue, he took a large step forward, forcing her back against the wall.

  What was with aliens and crowding her?!

  “You were honest about one thing, however,” he told her, dipping his head low enough to keep the two of them at eye level. “I don’t want to bind to you any more than you want to bind to me. You are a child, Olena, always have been, and while I see Earth has done you some good, given you at least a slightly more witty tongue, I doubt it’s done enough to erase all of your many shortcomings.”

  He took another step closer. He’d kill her if he got the chance; that was so clear now that she wondered how he’d managed to mask it from everyone well enough for them to think betrothing him to Olena was a good idea. No wonder the girl had run.

  “If I wasn’t clear before, so long as the Rex is alive, I will follow through with his orders. I will bind my life to yours, but I won’t enjoy it, and unless you do exactly as you’re told, you won’t, either.”

  He flicked at her navy T-shirt then, sneering. “Did you wear this as a peace offering, Olena? What a weak attempt to get me to believe your story. A festival? We both know you tried to run.” He slammed both palms against the wall at either side of her head with enough force that she bounced against it. “You can’t run from me, Lissa.”

  “Zane Trystan, Lissa Olena.” Ruckus had appeared at the end of the hallway. He did not look happy, but he didn’t attempt to approach them. “We’ve landed, and the Basileus is requesting his daughter’s presence.”

  “Of course.” Trystan smiled a wolfish grin and pulled back, straightening his shirt. He gave Delaney one last once-over, clearly not liking what he saw, and then stepped away. “I’m sure you can take her from here, Ander.”

  Ruckus didn’t respond, and it didn’t seem like the Zane really expected him to, because he kept on his way without a backward glance.

  The second the sounds of his retreating footsteps were no longer audible, Delaney let out the breath she’d been holding and slid down the wall to the floor.

  “Are you all right?” Ruckus was kneeling in front of her in a matter of seconds.

  “He’s”—she inhaled—“intense.”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” he growled. “Another would be saying he’s an asshole.”

  Seeing that the subject disturbed her, he stood, holding down a hand for her to take. Once he had her back on her feet, he didn’t let go, instead tightening his grip to keep her from pulling away.

  With a frown, she met his gaze.

  “We just need to meet with the Basileus, and then I’ll be able to take you home,” he promised. “All this will seem like a really bad dream in no time.”

  “Yeah?” She tried to focus on his words and not how comforting it was to have his hand holding hers. “That’d be good.”

  * * *

  RUCKUS AND PETTUS led Delaney off the ship and down a long hallway that attached to the castle. They moved quickly, giving her only enough time to catch glimpses of the place as they wound their way through the vast halls.

  The smell was strange, foreign, a bit like mothballs and evergreen, and she trailed after Ruckus quietly, checking out the guards they passed from the corners of her eyes. And they passed many.

  At each entry and exit point, there were always at least two guards. They stood tall, shoulders back, sort of like the ones she’d seen guarding the queen of England in all the pictures. Except they didn’t have poofy hats, and she found she sort of wished they did. It would certainly ease some of the tension.

  Their uniforms were similar to Ruckus’s in that they wore charcoal military pants tucked into boots. The buttoned-up jackets were different, however, skintight and the color of moss, with heavy gold accents strewn about. She’d expected to see more of the silver weapon Pettus had used back in the alley against the Tars, but if they had any weapons on them, they were well hidden.

  Everyone dropped their chins to their chests in a bow when she passed, but the move was mechanical, like toy soldiers, and it creeped her out.

  They finally stopped at a set of tall golden doors, and Ruckus reached for the handle.

  “Wait here,” he told her and Pettus, opening it just enough for him to slip through without exposing the inside of the room.

  “He needs to brief them,” Pettus explained quietly. “It’s best that he does that alone first.”

  Right, because it was doubtful they’d react well to the news a human had been brought in their daughter’s stead.

  Delaney kept silent, partly because she was unable to think of anything to say, and partly because she was afraid that if she did, she’d lose it. The more details she paid attention to in this castle, the more it sunk in that she was no longer on Earth. The walls were a material that’d been made to appear like wood but wasn’t. She could see the metallic sheen of it from where she stood, a few feet away.

  Everything was done in earthy and metallic tones; even the lighting had a gold sheen to it.

  The sudden opening of the door had her jumping, and she bit her bottom lip in embarrassment when she was met with Ruckus. His facial expression was tight, and he merely nodded at her and angled his head over his shoulder.

  Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and then stepped beneath the archway.

  The room was an office, with a fireplace to the right of the double doors and a small, round black table to the far right, big enough to seat five. At the center, positioned between two large bay windows that overlooked the sprawling yard, was a desk three times the size of any she’d seen before. Her gaze immediately landed on a tall man seated behind it; he had the same inky hair as Olena. A woman stood closely by his side, hands clasped before her.

  There were no computers that she was used to, but a glass screen sat propped at an angle in front of where the man was sitting. She couldn’t make out what he was watching, and there was no sound, but movement on the other side of the glass clued her in that it was a video of sorts.

  Ruckus came up to her then, lightly touching her elbow as he held his other hand out toward the pair. “May I introduce the Basileus Magnus Ond, and the Basilissa Tilda Ond.”

  Delaney wasn’t sure what to do, so she tried a bow, grateful for Ruckus’s steadying grip on her arm when she almost wobbled. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand there, pretending everything was fine, and hoped this conversation would end quickly.

  She hoped they’d put her directly on a ship headed back home.

  “Ander Ruckus tells us your name is Delaney.” The Basileus’s voice was sharp, though she got the feeling he was attempting—poorly—not to intimidate her.

  “Delaney Grace, sir.” Was it appropriate to call him sir? He didn’t correct her.

  Both he and the Basilissa took a moment to openly inspect her. There wasn’t much to look at, of course, seeing as how she appeared exactly as their daughter did on the outside, but she held still and waited for them to finish.

  “The Sutter did this?” The Basilissa, Tilda, pursed her lips in either disgust or confusion. Delaney couldn’t tell which.

  “It was his device,” Ruckus said carefully, “but it was stolen by the Lissa, who used it without Sutter Gibus’s knowledge.”

  “And Trystan doesn’t seem to know?”

  “If he did,�
�� the Basileus said with a grunt, “he would have declared war by now. No, she must have fooled him.”

  His stare was making her even more uncomfortable, and Delaney barely resisted the urge to clear her throat pointedly. Instead she held her head high and tried to make her voice as calm and respectful as possible.

  “I’d just like to go home,” she told them.

  “This is not an ideal situation,” the Basileus said then, “and I assure you we will be taking steps to right the wrong my daughter has done us all. However”—he folded his hands across the surface of his desk slowly—“it has also come to my attention that we have no real knowledge of where she is. As you know, Earth is a big planet. Therefore—”

  She felt the blood draining from her face before he’d even finished his sentence.

  “We simply cannot allow you to leave.”

  CHAPTER 5

  “With all due respect, we can’t ask this of her,” Ruckus said. He was deep in conversation with the Basileus and Basilissa, but Delaney barely registered anything they were saying.

  She’d zoned out the second it’d been stated they weren’t going to let her go home. Suddenly it was too hot in the room, despite its size and the open windows across from her that showed an almost pitch-black sky. At least she couldn’t see any alien terrain through them; right now she didn’t think she could handle that.

  Mariana had to have realized by now that Delaney wasn’t at home. She would have texted her as soon as she’d gotten to Ottus’s house and expected a reply. They did that. Let each other know that they’d gotten to their destinations safely. It was nice, considering that Delaney had grown up in a large home with absentee parents.

  Just like Olena’s parents, they had no idea where their daughter currently was. The thought made her laugh, the sound strained even to her own ears.

  Fingers tightened at her elbow and she glanced up, blinking to find them all staring at her. Ruckus was frowning, and there may have even been a dash of general concern, but the Basileus drew everyone’s attention away before she could be certain.

  “You understand the stakes,” he asked curtly, “don’t you, Delaney Grace? You’ve been told what will happen to your people should the Kints declare war on the Vakar, correct? If so, you understand why this decision has to be made. Neither one of us can risk the Zane discovering my daughter is still on Earth. Until we find her, you’re our best chance at eluding him.”