The New King: An Alien War Romance (Galactic Order Book 5)

by Erin Raegan

  Uthyf cleared his throat and gestured to the ship. I stepped around him in a wide arc.

  Still, he had just let me fall. For the first time since I spilled my guts to him in the throne room, I felt wary around him again. It burned. I’d liked the new dynamic between us. It had been nice. While it lasted. I didn’t want to go back to avoiding him.

  But I didn’t want to become his mate either. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. If there was a human out there who Uthyf could bond with—well, I didn’t want to be her. That was a disaster in the making.

  Confused with myself and my thoughts, I climbed onto the ship and sat beside Wohn. The Dahk had barely ever said a word to me. He was older and took his job seriously. As Uthyf sat down, Wohn didn’t take his eyes off of his surroundings. Always looking for the threat. Anticipating it.

  I smiled wanly at him, but he didn’t acknowledge me. Sighing, I looked at Lydia and Roxanne a few seats to my right. They were strapped in and eyeing all the guards. There were at least ten of them on this flyer alone.

  “How was Isin this morning?” I asked.

  Roxanne snorted. “Pissed. It’s been a lot more work since you got sick. Today will be worse without us all there.”

  My being poisoned had been kept a secret. Uthyf hadn’t wanted to alarm anyone. Tahk said Uthyf kept most of the attempts on his life a secret because he didn’t want to give whoever was behind them the satisfaction or notoriety. Therefore, everyone who asked was told I’d gotten sick. A cold. The Dahk thought it was strange but not enough to dig deeper. Just another human thing.

  “I’m surprised you guys wanted to come,” I said, watching Lydia twist the end of her coat into a ball.

  She smiled shakily. “We could say the same to you.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I can’t believe I am either.”

  “This is our home now,” Roxanne said firmly. “I want to see it.”

  “We’re baking.” Lydia’s hands shook, but her face was flushed from her excitement. She bounced a little in her seat. “I’m terrible at baking, but I’ll help you where I can.”

  I nodded and grinned. I was scared but also a little excited. Lydia couldn’t bake well, but if Uthyf was doing this to show the Dahk we weren’t scary or a threat, then it was smart to bring Lydia. She was really sweet and had a beautiful voice. She loved to sing when she was cooking and it would be cool if the Dahk could hear her. I wouldn’t suggest it though. If I did, she would freak herself out and refuse to open her mouth the rest of the trip. Still, if there was ever a perfect person to be a human representative to aliens, Lydia was that human.

  We flew for a while, and I was hoping to see some of the sights, but our ship was surrounded on all sides by flyers that blocked our view. I’d thought my three guards were bad enough. It must really suck to be king. Uthyf must never have any privacy.

  As the ship landed Roxanne asked, “Where are we?”

  “You have heard of Ilyndahdus?” Gryl asked.

  Roxanne shook her head.

  “Tahk and Peyton live there, right?” I remembered Vivian talking about how warm it was. Suddenly I couldn’t wait to step off the ship. I had been so cold since we got here, all the time.

  Uthyf turned from a discussion he was having with Haytu. “Yes, it is the warmest land mass on all of Home World. We are in Ilynda, the trading city.”

  I pushed my nose against the window, but I could barely see through the darkness. The natural stone here glowed yellow instead of lavender, and the ship beside us reflected it, blurring the world outside. It had a strange daytime effect while the rest of the world lived in the night.

  “The festival is here?” Lydia squeaked.

  A city full of Dahk? My skin prickled. Fifty guards suddenly didn’t seem like enough.

  “Yes.” Uthyf nodded and stood, waving toward the door. “After you.”

  We walked down the ramp, gaping. Even though it was technically still morning, the massive toyl stone mountains and hills glowed so brightly they gave the illusion of early evening on Earth. There wasn’t a drop of snow. And the wildlife was so amazing I found myself grinning.

  It was colorful. The trees weren’t bare here. They were full and lush and blue. Plump berries were tucked neatly inside the leaves, and peach and golden flowers dotted the grassy fields around us.

  “Welcome to Ilynda,” Uthyf murmured from behind me.

  Lydia clutched my hand and swung me around to face the other side. I sucked in a sharp breath. The city was amazing—massive and golden. The buildings were tall and looked hand-carved from toyl stone that glittered and glowed, but just below them were rows and rows of tents and huts. All colorful and vibrant.

  “It’s so beautiful.” Lydia sighed and beamed. She shook mine and Roxanne’s hands and danced a little. “We’re going down there?”

  A few of the guards surrounding us chuckled, as did Uthyf. “Yes, but we must fly.”

  I blanched and turned woodenly toward him. “Like, fly like you guys?”

  Uthyf grinned, and I sucked in a breath. “I have procured a small vehicle for you, but I am King. I will greet my Dahk properly.” God, all his grinning was taking me off guard. It transformed his face, made him more approachable, more beautiful—in an alien way. But still. He needed to hide that thing away. He had no idea what that kind of grin did to a girl.

  He spread his wings wide, and Lydia and I stepped back to give him more room. One of the flyers lowered a ramp behind us, and a small ship flew from it. It hovered in the air then lowered to the ground a few feet away. We were escorted inside, only Gryl and Yeln with us. Yeln strapped us into tight seats, and Gryl sat in the single control seat up front. The ship rose in the air, and I watched as nearly fifty Dahk below us spread their wings and jumped into the air.

  They spread out in a formation around our little ship, and we flew toward Ilynda, the Dahk King guiding the way.

  10

  Mona

  Entering Ilynda was incredible. Entering Ilynda with the king and his escort was unforgettable.

  Ilynda was huge, dozens and dozens of buildings made from golden toyl stone, but there were miles and miles of tents and huts and cottages. Some of them were homes, but many of them were shops where all kinds of goods were traded.

  Dahk all over the streets stopped and stared and cheered as their king grinned at them from the sky. Some of them took flight and joined the king’s escort but always kept a healthy distance. The one time a Dahk got a little too overzealous and came too close, a guard swiftly intercepted and redirected him.

  I was surprised by their exuberance. For so long, I had been told how dangerous it was out here. Not just for us but for Uthyf as well. But I couldn’t picture that as the Dahk cheered and smiled and waved at him. They weren’t an angry mob. They weren’t attacking him. They were genuinely happy to see him. But the guards’ solemn mood and tense watch told another story. They inspected everything—the sky, the ground, the Dahk. Nothing was dismissed, everything was analyzed and categorized as we flew past.

  We landed in the middle of a square, and it was clear the Dahk had been anticipating their king’s arrival. A barricade had been erected by dozens and dozens of armed Dahk clearing a wide circle for the king and his entourage, but the Dahk were allowed to gather, and they did.

  Hundreds of Dahk flooded the streets, cheering and tossing petals and banners. Dahklings squealed and waved at Uthyf, and Uthyf waved back. He greeted everyone with a smile and jubilant wave. It was shocking. I had never seen him this way before. He was always so solemn and cold. Only recently had I seen him smile, but even that was nothing compared to the happiness and genuine affection he showed his kingdom.

  I was in a daze as I exited the ship, watching him with a strange new stir inside my belly, but I quickly shook it off as a hush fell through the massive crowd. Guarded eyes met mine. Suspicious glares and even a few hisses. But no one attacked. No one threw anything at me as they had Peyton the last time she was here.

  A female D
ahk broke away from the crowd, and the guards parted to let her through. She walked to Uthyf and bowed deeply then looked at us in confusion. “My king, I am pleased you have decided to attend the festival, though you have brought guests.”

  She didn’t say anything malicious, but I got the impression she was upset. She was older, far older than any Dahk I had ever seen. Her ridges were short and limp and an ashy-grey color. She wore the familiar style dress seen on nearly every female and it showed off her still fit body. But her face was lined, and she walked with a slight limp.

  “Rydvyra.” Uthyf tipped down his head. “I would not have missed it. I would like to introduce you to my guests.” He took the older Dahk’s hand and escorted her to us. “This is Mohna, Lhydya, and Rohxhann.”

  I bit back a smile to myself as he fumbled over Roxanne’s name. He made it sound like Rocks-hawn.

  Rydvyra gave us each a wary bow that we returned. “Greetings.” She turned back to Uthyf. “Everything is as you requested.”

  Uthyf nodded. “My thanks.”

  We were escorted past the hushed crowd and into a building and up a long flight of stairs. I thought it was weird that Uthyf didn’t fly into the building, but it became clear that there were no windows large enough to fit through. The inside of the building looked strange, as if it had been carved with a massive spoon. The walls and floors, like the castle’s, seemed to be made from one giant piece of marble. I wondered if the castle and these buildings had once been mountains.

  “Is this to your liking?” Rydvyra asked as she opened the door to a large room.

  It was a kitchen. A huge kitchen. At least three sizes bigger than the castle’s. Uthyf looked at me expectantly, and I gaped at him.

  “This is the culinary institute,” he said. “Isin assured me you would find everything you needed here.”

  The Dahk had schools? That was news to me. They had a monarchy, for crying out loud. A school seemed so progressive for a species that allowed one Dahk to rule the entire planet. I had been expecting apprentices or something. I was almost ashamed.

  “Oh,” was all I could think to say.

  Lydia snagged my coat and pointed at the ingredients stacked in the corner of the room.

  My eyes bugged out of my skull. “Uh, Uthyf?”

  Rydvyra sucked in a breath and gaped at me. I ignored her. I had always called him Uthyf. To address him as “my king,” as the Dahk did, felt weird.

  “How many cakes do you expect me to bake?” I asked. There were enough supplies for hundreds. How did they even know what ingredients I needed? We hadn’t gotten that far in the discussion.

  Gryl chuckled from behind me, and I shot him a dirty look.

  Uthyf crossed his arms and faced me. I didn’t miss the grin he tried to conceal. “Over three thousand attended last season’s festival.”

  I coughed. “T-three thousand?”

  Lydia made a weird squeaking sound, and Roxanne cursed. Gryl and Yeln guffawed.

  “I’m baking for everyone?” Wasn’t this a trading city? Surely I didn’t need to make that many.

  “They will be yours and my gift to my Dahk. I would like enough for everyone to try.”

  “Uthyf! That would take me weeks!” I shook my head and backed away. On Earth, I could pull off thirty cakes in a day, max. Three thousand Dahk? If each of them had a slice, I would need—four hundred cakes? I would need a whole lot more hands.

  Rydvyra clapped, and nearly a dozen Dahk filed in. All of them watched us closely. They were all female except one, and they were young. Well, it was hard to calculate age with the Dahk because they lived for so long, but they looked younger than Yilt and Syn and I knew those two were barely adults in Dahk terms.

  “My students are eager to learn,” Rydvyra said. “Though I must admit I did not know what the king had planned, I am intrigued to learn a human dish.”

  That surprised me. She hadn’t seemed too friendly a minute ago outside. But I could see she was being honest. Her eyes were lit with curiosity.

  I looked around nervously. With fifteen of us, it could work. I could make about twenty cakes in here at a time. I would have to show them every step, but Lydia knew the basics and Roxanne had baked with Katrina and me. But it would still be a lot of work unless we had—

  “Cupcakes!” I shouted.

  I ran to the cabinets and dug through them. The Dahk didn’t have cake pans—I had been using pots—but the castle kitchen had a pan they used to make really gross balls of meat jelly. It had about two dozen deep, oval-shaped depressions to hold the jelly while it baked over the fire. They would be about half the size of a normal cupcake, but it would be far easier than making four hundred full-size cakes. Fewer ingredients necessary too. I found several of the pans and held them up.

  “Oh, great idea!” Lydia ran over and helped me search for more.

  We only found five pans. I would need more than that, and I looked at Rydvyra expectantly. She had a skeptical expression but nodded slowly and left the room.

  “These kahyks are cups?” Uthyf grabbed a pan from me and made a face. I guessed it sounded weird if you didn’t know what a cupcake was. All he saw was a meat pan.

  “Yeah, they’re cakes but smaller.”

  “Ah.” He made a thoughtful, growly sound. “They are as delectable as your others?”

  I smiled shyly, feeling my face heat up. It was nice to know he liked my cake so much. I used my grandmother’s recipes, and I loved hearing that people enjoyed them. Aliens now too.

  “So good.” I groaned and licked my lips. “I can make so many more flavors this way.”

  Uthyf looked at my mouth and his eyes heated. I looked away, flushing hotter.

  Rydvyra came back with several more of the pans, still looking skeptical. But that was okay. She would understand soon enough.

  “Okay, time to go.” I waved Uthyf away impatiently and stepped back. Rydvyra made a weird sound in the back of her throat and looked between me and him with clear shock. “It’s still going to take a while.”

  “I will return for you soon and show you the festival.” He turned.

  “Nope.” I shook my head. “This is going to take us all day.”

  Uthyf looked back at me and then at the pans I was holding. “Very well. Do not leave. Your guards will be with you at all times. Gryl will call for me when you are ready to retire.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled distractedly. I was already sorting through the sacks of ingredients.

  “Mohna?” he called. I turned my head but kept my eyes on what I was doing. “Mohna.”

  “Yeah?” I looked at him, trying not to get irritated. At him or me, I had no idea. I just knew he was making me question things lately and it made me uncomfortable. The way he was looking at me made me uncomfortable too. Things were changing and I didn’t do well with change anymore. He was asking a lot, but I was getting excited. My own kitchen for the day? No Isin to commandeer it? I wanted to get started.

  But I froze at the look on his face. It was soft and warm and—he had never looked at me like that.

  “My thanks,” he said softly and bowed. Several sharp gasps met my ears.

  I flushed, knowing my face was as bright as my hair. “Y-you’re welcome.”

  Uthyf smiled and walked out, several of his guards following him. I watched, still blushing but feeling those little knives in my stomach ease a bit.

  Rydvyra cleared her throat, and I jumped. I looked away from her puzzled smile and turned to the Dahk helpers gathered in the kitchen. They were gaping at me and the door Uthyf walked out of. Their expressions a mix of confusion and awe.

  Grinning, I explained what a cupcake was.

  11

  Mona

  My hands were sore. My feet were sore. My eyeballs were sore. But I felt amazing.

  Over fifteen hours later, we had three-thousand-sixty-eight mini cupcakes. They weren’t all perfect. But they weren’t hideous either. And they tasted so good, I’d had to pry Rydvyra away from them. She had
been sneaking one every time I looked away.

  She had actually turned out to be pretty cool. The school was hers, but she didn’t once try to take over the kitchen. She helped. She showed a huge interest in what I was doing and even shared a few of her tricks with me.

  The students were quiet at first, but they eventually loosened up. It didn’t take long for me to find out that most of them didn’t understand me. I was so used to everyone in the castle having English in their translators that I assumed everyone all over the planet did. Eloise, another girl held in captivity on Juldoris, was French but the castle had quickly been updated on her language as soon as we arrived. But that clearly wasn’t the case here. Lydia, Roxanne, and I had tried to speak Dahk for the ones who didn’t know our language, but it became pretty clear we were butchering it. Rydvyra translated for us.

  I didn’t know why they didn’t know our language, and I tried not to wonder if it was because they didn’t like us being here or because it hadn’t been necessary. But it did make me think of those who had, like Rydvyra. She didn’t work at the castle, she had no need to get the new language input into her chip, but she had. As had some of the students. I hoped it was a sign that they were more receptive to us.

  But overall, our day of baking went pretty smoothly. It wasn’t long before Lydia was singing, and all the females and guards watched her in awe as she obliviously sang an outdated pop song. When she busted a move, several of them burst out laughing. She had blushed and choked but they had gently pried her back into song. Then the kitchen came alive with chatter and more singing, both Lydia and a few of the Dahk. For hours we traded songs back and forth. Even I sang. It was nice. It was fun.

  I wanted to do it all over again.

  But we were all tired by the time I finished the last cupcake, swirling the icing into the shape of a flower. The Dahk used sweeteners for drinks in the castle, but since the first week I worked in the kitchen with Isin, I had been experimenting and managed to make icing. The icing was thicker, which was amazing, but their sweetener was a little more bitter than I was used to. I had to pair it with several different fruits to get the right flavor, which loosened the icing a bit, but the fruits added great color. So we had purple, blue, and peach-colored icing on all the cupcakes and I couldn’t wait to show them off.