Her Merciless Prince

by Daniella Wright

  I can’t find any burn marks in my village. I walk across the length of it through several cave networks and tunnels and reach the other side. And there’s the other destroyed field - now completely brown and dead. There would be no harvest from that field this year. Nor from the other.

  Two destroyed fields is a lot of lost food.

  We have to figure this out soon. If we don’t, we’re as good as dead.

  I stare into the orange eyes.

  There is laughter there, and sadness, and a world of possibilities that I just want to lose myself in. His lips find mine. They are hungry, and I am too. I kiss back, deeply. His hands roam over my body, familiar with it, as we tumble here often, time and time again.

  We find each other every night in my sleep. But only in my dreams.

  He feels so real to me, as I hold him back.

  Thunder crashes through the caves and wakes me.

  I can still taste his lips on mine, feel his hands on me. It’s more thunderous than what rumbles around my room. The proximity detectors flash orange. The radiation storm had yet a few hours to go. Dawn would come first.

  But the storm is nothing compared to the dreams that still tug at my mind. The man in them is more real to me than all the lightning bolts dancing multicolored in the sky.

  Even the radiation that’s falling from the skies and attacking my village seems like just a bad dream.

  I close my eyes and try to lose myself in his arms, if only for a few moments more, before the day’s activities beckon.

  Chapter 5

  Eron

  The more Starz speaks, the more I realize that he either knows a lot about what he’s talking about, or he’s really putting me on.

  “You’re kidding,” I say and Starz bursts into laughter again.

  “I’m not! I tell you that, in that one mission I met the same girl three times at three different ages, and we fell in love three different times! Well, more like made love…”

  He takes on a very proud air.

  I know enough about his species to know that his definition of making love and mine are very, very different. And his aren’t as physical.

  “All right. So, what you’re saying then, Time Agent Starz,” my voice drops a bit, sounds more serious, “is that time is not quite as fluid as we were brought up to believe.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying!” he says, leaning in towards me, lazily cradling a drink in his other hand. Some kind of pink concoction that looked disgusting to me. But I wasn’t the one drinking it.

  “Time,” he says, throwing up his arms in a grand gesture, “is something that we can dance with, adapt to. It’s not something that’s tight, and rigorous, and trapped in one place, like our own lifetimes. No, no! This is much more intricate and interesting, and that’s exactly...” he leans in closer, looks me in the eye.

  “That’s exactly,” he repeats, “why I think that we might actually be able to save your parents.”

  I lean back in my uncomfortable metal chair. For the past few days, Starz has been making a case for trying to save my parents. But something still bothers me about this.

  “So… why would you want to save my parents?” I say, leaning forward, meeting his gaze. “Why would the Time Agents who responsible for preserving time across multiple worlds and across galaxies be worried about the death of two royals— though it pains me to say it, from a minor world? Why would you bother with this? I need to know why this is important to you, because, as far as I can tell, there’s more to it than you’re telling me.”

  I wait. Starz is struggling with his words, I can tell. I want to tell him more. I want to tell him that I need to know why he wants my parents still alive. Why this is important to him. Because I’m just not sure, and I still can’t accept hope until I feel like I’m not walking into a trap.

  Because they’re important to me. I love them and miss them. I would do anything to bring them back. And it hurts me to even ask these Starz why he wants to save them, but I have to. I must. As much as I want to save my parents, they raised me to know my importance to my planet, to my people, as its crown prince.

  If I can’t save them, then they’ll still need a King. Still need a ruler. And that’s me, to lead the pack.

  I want to tell Starz that I trust him. But I’m not sure if I trust him because I’m desperate, or grief-stricken, or because I can’t imagine a world where I’ve suddenly lost my freedom. A world where I’m sitting upon a throne that I didn’t think I’d have to sit on for years. Decades.

  I need Starz to tell me why it’s important to him, and why the Time Agents are bothering trying to save them at all. I want him to say that my parents and my planet are too important to let them crumble away so easily. That my parents would still make a positive difference as they have in the past. I want him to tell me that, but I know that he won’t. I was raised in politics. I was raised to negotiate and be a diplomat with other nations, not just within the Pack.

  So, as much as it hurts to have to admit it, I know that this isn’t actually about my parents.

  As far as I can tell, my parents are still a part of Starz’s plan. And as long as they’re important to somebody else, and not just me and my people, if I can leverage that... That is where I choose to put my hope.

  “It’s… a bit complicated,” Starz says. “Look, I want to be upfront with you. But you’re not a Time Agent. You don’t know everything that we know, and you haven’t seen everything we’ve seen. But you should at least know that what happened on earth… the same explosion that killed your parents also created a time rift. An anomaly great enough that it’s affecting a lot of other pockets across the universe. That rift will spread more and more unless we stop it. For some reason, we don’t know why exactly, and we may never know, truth be told. That’s half of our job, not knowing, just doing.”

  He laughs bitterly.

  “But we know enough to know that the anomaly occurred at the exact time your parents’ ship was destroyed. And we need to fix that anomaly.”

  I stare at Starz. As far as I can tell he’s being truthful. Of course, he’s from another race that I’ve never dealt with. So for all I know he’s lying through his serpentine teeth and I would never know.

  He looks both annoyed that I’ve pushed him and annoyed that he has no greater answers to give. And that alone leads me to believe that he’s probably telling the truth. That’s what I choose to believe for now, anyway.

  “So, what does this time anomaly looks like, then? Give me some details. Let’s say that we decide to go to earth and find my parents’ bones, as you say. What are we to expect?”

  Starz crosses his arms and then uncrosses them. Puts his hands flat on the table in front of him and stares at them, as though not quite sure how to word it.

  “It’s hard to describe,” he says.

  His voice hesitates and then picks up speed as he grows more excited by the concepts he’s describing. I try my best to follow, though this certainly isn’t my area of expertise.

  “As time rifts form, they ripple outwards, like when you throw a stone in a rive. They ripple out and out, but unlike a stone in a river, time ripples aren’t all the same. They’ll affect one planet more quickly… they’ll affect something else more slowly, and as the planets shift and move through their own orbit, they enter different ripples, so their time will be changed. They’ll go faster, they’ll go slower… But! But!” he holds up his hands. “They don’t know that they’re caught in a time ripple! Sometimes entire histories are rebooted for centuries, even though it’s only been a few hours! And as they travel through those ripples, that can change a bit too, but all of their collective memories change with it! It’s like rewriting history time and time again. Just like rewriting the hard drive of a ship’s computer!”

  I stare at him. Lean forward. “So what you’re saying is that you have no idea what it is we will be heading into?”

  He bursts out laughing.

  “You’re right! That�
�s exactly what I’m saying! And what’s most amazing about this is that they were at the core of the time rift! We rarely have the chance to figure out where the heart of those ripples is, so we’ve rarely visited an epicenter. This might be one of the first times that we knowingly enter one of these central… stone-throws, if you will. But because of that, we actually have even less of an idea of what will be happening in that center. Chances are, their history has been rebooted on some level, and their timeline has just been continuing from there. But we have very little idea!” He laughs again. “I guess we’ll find out when we get there! Are you in?”

  He looks at me with his slit eyes.

  Am I in? That’s a hell of a good question.

  I try to think it through logically. Think through all the steps of what “being in” meant.

  If I’m lost in this time rift, my people are without a leader.

  But the Pack has lost leaders before. The Pack would find its way again. There were other great families that could lead them, of that I have no doubt. My parents would be disappointed, of course, but if I couldn’t save them, they would never know what I’d done. The choices that I’d made.

  Learned and taught wisdom insists that I go back. That I take the throne, and that I sit on it. But my heart is still riddled with grief and anger over what happened. And with that most damning of emotions, hope, starting to coil itself around my heart like an unwanted parasite.

  I know what I’m going to do. I knew what I was going to do the second I boarded the ship. I’m going to do whatever it takes to save my parents and bring them home.

  I look Starz in the eyes.

  “I’m in.”

  I learn as much as I can about time disturbances as we near the planet. Visions of its black and red cloud cover haunt me. The beautiful planet that would have welcomed my parents is gone.

  Or is it?

  “How do you know that it shouldn’t be this way?” I ask Starz, staring out at the main viewing port on the bridge. I am no longer watched or questioned. They have offered me full access for training.

  Even the other Time Agent, Loritus, seems to be growing fond of my presence. Well, maybe not fond, but at least tolerant of me.

  Loritus snorts from one of three navigation consoles.

  “We don’t, really,” he offers, his voice always gives a slight echo. It bothers me every time, like his words have such weight that they need an instant repeat.

  “We don’t?” I ask, hoping Starz would answer instead. No such luck.

  “No. We could be caught in a ripple already.” I wait for the echo to stop.

  “Okay. That’s not the most comforting thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Starz laughs, a deep, rolling sound. “Fear not, Prince Eron. We have processes and protections against such things!”

  Well, that’s a bit more comforting, at least. “Such as?”

  Loritus and Starz share a quick glance, a look filled with meaning.

  “I’m heading into a time rift with you, remember?” I say, my voice soft but steady. “You said that no Time Agent has ever been in one. I deserve to know.”

  Starz relents. “Of course, Prince Eron.”

  Loritus shrugs and goes back to his screen. Starz stands and gives a slight bow.

  “Follow me.”

  Starz takes me to the bowels of the ship. Down several metal-lines access corridors, into some rooms, and out the back, past otherwise concealed doors.

  “This is rather intricate,” I say, starting to wonder where exactly Starz is bringing me. I’ve been keeping track of the direction, but on a spaceship, passing through several rotating elevators, and with the potential of reversed gravity switching top and bottom in different sections... I really have no clue where I am.

  It would be a great way to get rid of unwanted guests. Just leave them down here to get lost forever.

  “It is,” Starz agrees. “The Blue Coin is more than just a ship. It’s a Time Agent ship. It seems fairly regular on the outside, like any long-distance travel ship. It’s not very well armed, but it has strong defensive capacities, is quick, and also possesses a time vault.”

  “A time vault?” I have no clue what he’s referring to. I wrack my brain, and despite reading everything I could on time travel in the past two days, I hadn’t read anything about that.

  Starz can tell exactly what I’m thinking. “It’s not in any of our readings,” he indicates, “and it’s usually highly confidential information, though not all Time Agents treat is as such.”

  I wonder if he means himself, or someone else entirely. But that’s not my most pressing question.

  “So, why show it to me?”

  We’re in the back of the ship, I think. At the edge, several viewing ports show the passing stars. They’re moving quickly for travel in space, though many are so far away that they barely move in the distance.

  “Because, Prince Eron, we’re heading into a time rift. You trust us enough to follow us into it. We owe you this, at least.”

  That seems a bit of a stretch. I mean, I want to see what it’s about now, but I don’t have illusions as to why I’m here. Starz shouldn’t, either. Not if we’re to rely on each other down there. “Agent Starz,” I say, my voice sounding weary to my own ears. “You have shown nothing but trust and kindness, and a willingness to support me in my quest to save my parents. I don’t want to head down there with you suffering from any illusions on my grief-driven quest. You know I’m mostly going to save my parents, right? You don’t need to show me any secrets that would make you uncomfortable. I respect the Time Agents and your right to privacy.”

  Starz bows slightly at the waist. “I know,” he says. “I know why you’re here, and I also know that we’ll be counting on each other down there.”

  He pauses, looks outside the viewing port at a passing planet, its magenta ground lined with yellow swirls.

  “Look,” he says, “the truth of what we’re about to do will hit you at some point. I want to prepare you for it.”

  I wait. He’s gathering his thoughts, his eyes almost closed.

  “I’ve visited countless worlds,” he begins again, his voice like a gentle hiss. “And I’ve corrected time traps, ripples, and faults. You get to these worlds and they’re not dead, Prince Eron. They’re living out of time. I mean, yes, some are completely dead. But others... they’re living in a time pocket. They have buildings, forests, animals, rivers, beauty. And civilizations with thriving cultures and people with dreams, hopes, and fears.”

  He pauses. His shoulders drop a bit, as though what he’s about to say is too heavy to bear. “They greet us, quite often with open arms. They know something of the stars and of people living out among them. Might be a residual memory, or just technological growth... but they always welcome us. And, as we look for a way to repair the time slip, we get to know them. We get to know them as friends.”

  His eyes open, and he looks at me. I meet his gaze as he continues. “And then we reset the timeline, and they’re gone. Not dead, necessarily. Sometimes, just erased. Or placed back in time, whenever that was. Or still living in their reset timeline, with no memory of us.”

  “That sounds difficult,” I say, my voice a whisper in the vastness of space.

  “It can be, I won’t lie,” Starz answers. I decide that I do like him. He’s honest, and real. And, living all of these losses, that can’t be easy. I’ve just lost my parents and I let my grief fuel me. Starz lost new friends over and over again…

  “It’s refreshing,” Starz says, “going down with a non-Time Agent. We’ll have an experience to share that not many will.”

  “I’ll remember this,” I reply and nod. “And this time vault…?” I let the question dangle like a giant question mark.

  “That,” Starz’ eyes suddenly twinkle again, “is the thing that makes all of this easier.”

  He flattens his palm against the viewing port. It shimmers, then vanishes. I gasp, terrified we’re about to be sucked into space.
But, as it shimmers, a door opens around it, leading to another large room.

  “What…” I can’t even ask a question. I don’t know how to word it.

  “It’s a time vault,” Starz says proudly. “A room in our ship kept slightly out of synch in time, so that mementos and knowledge from lost timelines will never vanish, kept out of time, itself.”

  I glance in, but don’t step in. My mind still reels, insisting that this was in space, and I would be stepping into empty space.

  Empty space wasn’t great for survival.

  “Now, Prince Eron, let me show you our greatest secrets,” he waves me through.

  I walk in, not willing to show any fear or weakness. My skin tingles as I step into the room, and the air has a strange quality to it. It smells of flowers I don’t know, and is slightly musty, but not with dust I’ve ever smelled.

  The dust of ages, I suppose.

  I walk through and glance around me. The place is huge, and I’d need days to sift through it. There are libraries of books. Leather bound, metallic, scrolls, virtual reality readers... the selection is endless.

  “This is the knowledge that would otherwise be lost. Treatises on different beliefs, ways of seeing the universe, technological advances... all things that would vanish when the time is reset.”

  “It’s amazing,” I say, and I mean it. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I certainly didn’t believe I ever would.

  “And this,” he continues, “is where we keep our technology from various worlds.”

  I stop and stare. I’m pretty sure my mouth is open. I can’t help it. There are walls of mounted technology, with metals both known and unknown to me, some made of rock, others plastic. Some I can’t wager a guess. Others seem to shift.

  Things I’ve never imagined could exist.

  And, I suppose, things that don’t exist anymore.

  “Out of time,” I simply say, gawking at the depth of the time vault.