“If there were another option,” Tilda said then, “believe that we would take it.”
“Yes,” Magnus agreed. “We know what we’re asking of you is difficult to accept. But it is the only way, for now, to ensure the safety of everyone. Surely, put plainly, you agree, don’t you, Ander?”
Ruckus wouldn’t meet her gaze, but Delaney didn’t need him to. She’d already caught the same glimmer in the Basileus’s eyes that she had in Trystan’s. He wasn’t asking. He was telling.
She didn’t really have a choice.
“This is a lot to take in,” Tilda said. “Ander, please escort her to her rooms.”
“We can discuss this further in the morning,” Magnus added.
When they looked to her a final time, she nodded mutely, and from there Ruckus moved her out of the room rather quickly. She paid even less attention to her surroundings this time, not even noting the guards they passed or that the color of the walls had changed to light green until they were stopped at yet another door.
He pushed it open and then placed a hand at her back, easing her gently inside with more care than she would have expected. She was still too dazed to put up a fight, and entered without argument.
It was a bedroom with a king-sized bed set against the center of the right wall.
The room was shaped like an octagon, with each other side smaller than the one before it. The longer walls were about fifteen feet across, the shorter sides half that. Each of the four smaller walls had a door set in it, all closed.
Even still, the door on the far left obviously let out onto a balcony, because she could see it from the window that made up the entire wall directly across from the bed, floor to ceiling. The glass was sparkling and so clean, it was practically invisible. Outside, a deck painted white, like the walls inside, stretched out with a railing that would come up just beneath her chest. There was a patio set out there, a small circular glass table with only two metal chairs, also white. They were pristine; this whole place was pristine.
As if someone hadn’t lived in it in quite a while.
How long had Ruckus said Olena had been gone? Five years?
She dropped her gaze to the carpet, running her foot over it. She was still wearing her Converse, and their neon-yellow color was a sharp contrast to the forest green beneath her. White walls with green molding, green bed frame, green vanity against the large far wall … She was sensing a theme here.
“How long?” She moved farther into the room and then turned to face Ruckus.
He’d come in behind her and shut the door, but was now running a hand through his dark hair and staring out the window.
“Presumably until Olena is found,” he told her.
“I can’t stay here,” she snapped, the words coming out slightly hysterical.
“Lower your voice,” he ordered, yellow-green eyes hardening slightly. Easing forward, he approached as if she were a wounded animal he didn’t want to spook. Once he was only a foot away, he halted, giving her a moment to adjust to his presence before speaking.
“I will get you home, Delaney,” he told her softly. “I promised, and I meant it. It’s just … I can’t do it as soon as we’d hoped.”
She was trapped here, and the only way out was by playing along. By pretending to be a person she knew nothing about, in a world she knew nothing about. Why was this happening?
He began leading her toward the bed, but she yanked herself free.
“I’m not a child,” she spat, “and I don’t need to sit down. You’re going to hold me prisoner; just man up already and admit it. That’s what this is.” She took a shaky breath. “Tell me the truth, Ruckus. I know you have to find Olena. All right. Fine. But how long is that going to take? When can I go home?”
He opened his mouth, shut it again. Running his large hands through his hair, he knocked more dark strands loose so that he had to sweep them to the right instead of back in order to keep his hair out of his face. In this lighting, the green rim around his eyes forced the yellow to glow like shimmery coins at the bottom of a clear lake.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“Oh.” It was all she could manage. She swallowed and glanced at the bed at his back. “I know I said I didn’t need to sit, but…”
He moved to her, quickly helping her across the room and to the edge of the bed. Once she was on it, he stared down at her.
“Now I know you’re in shock,” he teased lightly, dipping his head so that she was forced to look at him instead of her lap like she had been. “You didn’t put up a fight just now.”
Realizing he was referencing helping her to the bed, she grunted and rolled her eyes for good measure. The corner of her mouth turned up, and she found even with everything going on, her smile was real.
“I don’t really like getting help,” she told him with a single shoulder shrug. “It’s a personality flaw of mine.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Along with stubbornness, and a poor temper.”
“Jeez,” she drawled, “tell me how you really feel, why don’t you?”
It was meant as a joke, but he took it seriously, the easy playfulness dropping away as quickly as it’d come. He stiffened, suddenly seeming like a tree in front of her.
“I feel like what I did to you is unforgivable,” he said.
He smelled like firewood, the kind that had been lit for a good while. Immediately she pictured the dying days of summer, those chilly nights when fall began to rear its head, and sweaters and bonfires abounded.
When their current positions started to make her uncomfortable, she bolted to her feet so fast, Ruckus needed to backtrack a few steps to avoid her slamming into him. She was already turning away, though, pacing the room, her hands on her hips.
“What do they want me to do?” she asked, barreling on when his eyes widened. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it, but then I get to go home, right?”
He nodded.
“You’re telling me the truth, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Delaney.” He gave her a comforting half smile. “You’re very brave…”
“For a human,” she filled in the blank he’d left open.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Yes. There’s that.”
“Okay.” She waved at him. “Tell me what it is I’m supposed to do.”
“Simple,” he said, his tone hinting that what he was about to say was anything but. “Convince the world that you are Lissa Olena.”
She paused. “Oh, is that all?”
“Particularly”—he clenched his fists at his sides so hard, his knuckles turned bone white—“Zane Trystan.”
“He’s still here?” she said breathlessly. For some reason she’d thought he’d gone. He’d gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he? Meeting her on the ship. He’d seen with his own eyes that they had Olena. Unless …
“Did he suspect something?”
“I don’t think so,” he assured her.
“Then what’s he still doing here?”
“Apparently his father, Rex Hortan End—”
“His dad’s name is Hortan?” she interrupted.
“Yes.” He angled his head. “Why?”
“Nothing.” She licked her lips. “It’s just a stupid name, that’s all. Not very intimidating, if you know what I mean.”
“No, I do not know what you mean, because I’ve actually met him.” He was in front of her again in half a second. “Promise me you won’t underestimate him. That you’ll avoid him. He isn’t here, and there’s no reason for him to come for a visit. Don’t mention his name to anyone, and hopefully he won’t find a reason to come.”
She was on board with that plan. The less alien royalty she had to deal with, the better. She’d already hit her limit with Trystan; the last thing she wanted to do was meet the man who’d raised that.
Seeing that she understood, he stepped back.
“You feel responsible for me,” she said, just coming to the conclusion herself, “don’t you?”
“I have a responsibility as the man who took you to ensure your safe return,” he replied.
“So I’m a responsibility.” She nodded to herself and then continued before he could misunderstand her meaning. “That’s good. Soldiers take their responsibilities very seriously. At least, the ones back on Earth do.” This time it was a question, and one she let linger in her eyes when she set them on him.
“I’m an Ander, Delaney,” he told her in a steady voice. “That’s a commander. And more than that, I’m the Ander put in charge of Lissa Olena. I’ve been the Ander in charge of her since before she left for Earth.”
All she wanted to do right now was curl up into a ball and have a complete meltdown, but where would that get her? Certainly not back home. So, she’d suck it up, try to do what she was told, and hopefully be out of here in …
“They can’t keep me here forever; that’s hardly a solution. And I doubt they’ve got enough confidence in me, a stranger, to be under the assumption I’ll be able to pull this off for long.”
“The Basileus has ordered another search team back to Earth. Fortunately, the device was a prototype, and therefore only works once. She used it up on you, so there won’t be any more decoys for her to hide behind. They’ll find her, discreetly, and bring her back. Once they do, you’ll be free to go home.”
“And what about”—she waved a hand in front of her face—“this? I really don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking like her royal bitchness.” Not to mention the fact that the thought of looking into a mirror again still made her queasy.
“Gibus is working on that now. He’s confident he’ll have a solution within a week.”
Okay, so that wasn’t too bad. They could find the real Olena in a week, couldn’t they? It’s not like there were many places for her to hide.
Only an entire damn planet.
“Delaney?” Ruckus rested a hand on her arm to steady her. “You’ve gone pale. What were you just thinking?”
“How long do you think it’ll take for them to find her?” she demanded. “You said it took you a week? And you actually know her. How are they supposed to find her, Ruckus? And if you’re the best, why aren’t you going with them?”
“My leaving would be suspicious,” he admitted. “I told you. I’ve been with the Lissa for many years. There is no good enough lie to tell that would convince the Zane that I needed to return to Earth when you’re already here.”
“Yeah, that’s the thing.” She stabbed her finger at the center of her chest. “I’m here.”
“He doesn’t know that, Delaney.” His expression hardened. “And he’s not going to. You understand what that would mean, don’t you? If he were to find out? It wouldn’t just mean war for my race, but yours as well. The Kints won’t stop until they’ve got earthlings on their knees. Right now the Vakar are the only thing standing between you and slavery. Playing along benefits your kind just as much as it does mine.”
“So,” she said, and took a deep breath, “I can either be a slave now, or a slave later?”
“Try not to look at it that way.”
“How would you look at it?” she asked. “If it were you in my shoes?”
“If it were me,” he confessed. “I would have broken down by now.” Smirking, he angled his head toward the window wall. “Or at the very least, have broken something.”
“Hulk smash.” She eyed his arms pointedly. “Makes sense.”
“I’m afraid I don’t get that reference.”
“Probably for the best.” She rubbed her face, drained.
“You’re tired,” he concluded, stepping back. “I don’t have to remind you to be respectful tomorrow, do I?”
“That goes without saying,” she said, and snorted. “It’s not every day a lowly human such as I gets to meet with royalty.”
“And tone down the misplaced humor.” He paused, cocked his head. “On second thought, leave the humor altogether. The last thing we want is to annoy them. They’re already upset enough as it is by their daughter’s actions.”
“I get the feeling you’re implying you find me annoying, Ruckus.” She eyed the bed and then sighed, resigned to agree with him on that much at least. She was exhausted, and sleep sounded really good right about now. It would give her a reprieve from all the crazy that had exploded into her life.
“For all you know,” he said coyly, “annoying means something different on this planet.”
“I doubt it.” She smiled and shook her head at him, then glanced at the large bed yet again. She could probably sleep comfortably on that thing with nine other people. The silky green-and-white sheets looked like heaven, and she wanted desperately to get lost in them.
“Right,” he said, moving toward the door. “I’ve placed Pettus on your protection detail for the night. He’s right outside. If you need anything, ask him. Aside from the Basileus and Basilissa, he, Gibus, and I are the only ones who know about your identity, Delaney. It’s imperative that we keep it that way.”
“Where will you be?” She hated herself the moment she asked it, but she kept a straight face, hoping he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
“I still have to be briefed.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, exposing for the first time that he was just as tired as she. “It could take a while. After that, my quarters are just down the hall.”
Obviously, her poker face was better than she thought, because it became apparent he’d misinterpreted her reason for asking when he turned back to face her.
“I know this must be daunting, and that it can’t be easy letting your guard down in a strange place but”—he held her gaze as if hoping she’d see the truth of it in his eyes—“you are safe here, Delaney. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Anything else,” she said before she could stop herself, “you mean.”
He flinched, nodded once, and then reached for the shiny silver door handle.
Alone, again, she decided to finally check out the bathroom. She didn’t look at much, just went straight to what she thought was the sink. There weren’t any knobs; instead there were large white buttons the size of her palm. When she tapped the one on the left with a red square painted in the center, a panel opened up before her, exposing an oval basin.
The countertops were made of a polished white stone that shone under the bright overhead light. When she tipped her head back, it was to find that, like in the bedroom, the ceiling here was a skylight. A thousand tiny winks of light flickered above.
Hot water had spilled into the basin, filling it halfway up, and after she hit the button to the right with blue, cold water poured to fill it the rest of the way. It resulted in the perfect temperature, and she dipped her hands in it and splashed warm water on her face—which she refused to meet in the mirror. Her eyes were starting to itch, and she knew she was about to cry.
Twisting, she quickly searched out the toilet, finding another button, this one a square, on the opposite wall of the sink. On it there was a silver rectangle. Clicking that, she let out a sigh of relief when another compartment on the wall, almost as big as she was, opened up and a toilet slid out toward her.
It looked almost exactly the same as the ones she was used to, only there was no back, and the flushing mechanism was down by her right foot.
Her business concluded, she washed her hands one last time, taking a moment to sniff the odd-smelling soap that’d been left out in a silver dish. It was sort of a mix of cotton candy and Red Hots.
She didn’t bother with the closet, instead yanking the thick covers back on the bed and crawling in, fully clothed. Slumping back in the center of the large bed, she curled up and then risked a look upward at the night sky. A star rocketed across the inky black.
One definite good thing about having such a large bed: There were more than enough blankets and pillows to help muffle her sobs.
CHAPTER 6
Despite her exhaustion, there was no hope of her sleeping. Once her tears were spent, she drifted in and
out for about an hour before finally giving into her frustration. Tossing the thick comforter off, she stood, mind already racing.
There might not be a way out of this that she could see, but that didn’t mean she needed to wait in here by herself until someone told her what to do next. She’d been in charge of her own fate for so long, the last thing she was willing to do was allow someone else complete control over it. Which meant figuring this place out, and soon.
She wanted to be prepared for anything the Basileus and Basilissa threw at her, especially considering they were the ones who decided when, and whether, she could go home. Ever since waking up on the ship, she’d been in a floating state, allowing Ruckus to lead her where he may, but now that her nerves had—for the most part—settled, adrenaline coursed through her anew.
She’d never been one to sit on her hands.
Delaney glanced over at the door and took a deep breath. There were only two things standing in her immediate way: it and Pettus, whom Ruckus had left behind as a watchdog. She thought over her next course of action carefully before proceeding, moving across the room and twisting open the door quickly before she could think better of it.
Currently, her fear of the unknown vastly outweighed the fear of getting caught, and that was what drove her onward.
Pettus turned to her with a start the second she had the door open. He glanced over her shoulder as if afraid he’d find someone else in there, but then his brow furrowed into a deep frown and he turned to fully face her.
“Is everything all right?” he asked in a soft voice. There was a look in his eyes that sparked the already lit ember within her.
“I just can’t sleep,” she told him.
That look solidified, a mixture of kindness and pity. It was the latter that she latched on to. As far as she was concerned, he was almost every bit as much to blame for her being in this situation as Ruckus was.
Amid Stars and Darkness Page 5
