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After all, she knew well enough from their talks how much he cared for and loved his brother. It took her several days to come to terms with the idea that, though she was certain he would return to Nihl to challenge his uncle, he would not, under any circumstances, go against his brother. And he might not fight to free them.

These dark thoughts turned to nightmares every time she slept. A few times, she hadn't bothered to sleep at all, though the thoughts never stopped, never went away.

And, unintentional or not, Korzien always made things worse.

"What is this?" Aly said one morning, staring down at her bed after coming out of the bath as a servant drew away the curtains. The servant turned to her, another faceless specter in a red robe, and bowed their head for no particular reason.

"It is a gift," they said.

Aly closed her eyes. She knew the answer, but she asked anyway. "From who?"

"Nihl Korzien."

Aly opened her eyes and stared at the jewels laid out on her bed. Blue sparkling gems with a touch of green, strung together on a necklace tied with pearls.

"Take it back," Aly said. "Tell him I refuse."

The servant bowed again. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. He says they are yours now."

Aly turned her head to argue, and she saw a pair of yellow eyes staring back at her, pleading. It was a lygin, a young one. Aly closed her mouth but did not move to touch the necklace. The servant left without a word, leaving Aly to dress.

She found herself wandering one of the many gardens. It was warm already and another clear, beautiful day, with a bright blue-green sky. The plants and trees swayed gently to a soft breeze, and she could smell the scent of something sweet in the air. The light, the warmth, the colors, all of it should have brought her at least some happiness. But, like its name, Nihl made her feel nothing.

"Ah, there you are."

Aly turned to see Korzien walking toward her, wearing his dark blue and gold-cut suit coat unbuttoned, a charming sort of grin on his face. The grin fell slightly when he stood beside her and looked down at her bare neck. "You do not wear my gift."

"No," Aly said flatly. "I don't."

"Pity. I would have liked to see it on you." His hand reached up to trail his fingers across her collarbone then slid up to gently encircle her neck. "They were the closest I could find to matching your eyes." He tilted her head up so that she was forced to look at him. His hand squeezed slightly before he released her. "Come, walk with me."

Aly didn't move. She glanced over at a wall nearby and saw the guards watching her. Not wishing to face the embarrassment of being dragged beside him at his command, Aly forced herself to walk.

"I have been doing a lot of meditating and some praying the last couple of days," he began as they walked. "And I have decided that I am no longer troubled by the idea of you being my chosen nor the feelings that come with it."

"Great," Aly said.

"If it is Nihl's wish, then it cannot be a fault. There is a good reason. You must have been made for us. But the conditions had to be right, so you were made somewhere else. This is why your kind have not been found in Xolis, yet you being here now is meant to be."

Aly listened but cared little to comment. She jumped as his hand came around her waist.

"And so, this union is right, but it is not perfect. But it could be."

She glared up at him, wondering what he thought could possibly make it right or perfect.

"I know you hate me, but it doesn't really matter in the end," he said suddenly, keeping his arm around her as they walked. "Things would be easier, of course, if you didn't. It doesn't take much to obey, really." He stopped walking to have her face him. "It doesn't take much at all. You have been a good girl so far and slip-ups will happen, I have no doubt. I am a patient man, but I also can't ignore defiance, even when mostly innocent." His hand came up behind her head to gently take hold of her hair. "Because obedience isn't hard. It's not." He tugged her hair so that she was forced to tilt her head. "So, when I say do something, there should be no need to hesitate. When I give you something, it should not be hard to use it. You can even say how much you hate it. I won't mind. I won't care." His hand tightened, making her wince. Her face turned hot, eyes stinging. "But you will do it. If I give you a gift, you will wear it. If I ask you to walk with me, you won't hesitate to think about whether or not you will. You just do. It will be better for both of us." He released her, and it took all her will not to reach up and rub at her head. A guard came through one of the garden entrances and whispered in Korzien's ear. He nodded and then smiled back at her. "Now, take my hand and follow me. We have visitors."

Chapter Thirty-two

He took her into a private courtyard where there waited five aliens of various races. Two were grex, huge for their kind, the third a scarred lygin and the fourth a slender, green-gilled, amphibian-like female of a race Aly had only seen a few times called skra.

The fifth she had never seen before except for maybe in a nightmare. She wasn't sure what to even compare him to. The only words that came to mind weredeathandpredator. His dark purple skin seemed to absorb the light around him—his eyes, sunken into his face—were orange like the sun at sundown. He wore strange silvery-black armor, and what little she could see of his skin seemed to have bright patches or stripes of white paint brushed along it, which also covered his face, making it look skull-like. His ears were long and sharp, stretching past his head, where white hair grew thickly between them. There was so much to him that Aly caught herself staring.

The group huddled around the fountain at the center, heads turning as Korzien and Aly approached.

"I am glad you all could come," Korzien said, releasing her hand. "I am the heir to the First House, Nihl Korzien. I know you don't care to waste time on formalities or small talk, so I will get right to it. I have asked you all here for a simple job. One that won't be easy but will be rewarded well if completed."

They listened, expressionless. The fifth one's eyes drifted over to Aly, and she quickly looked away.