Page 14

Elsie

K ian doesn’t have much to tell us about how Karl and the women ended up on Zerra or who created the portals except the facts I already pointed out.

I give Aruan a look that says I told him so.

Aruan paces in front of Kian’s table, frustration etched on his face.

“How is it possible that no one has heard of anyone with the same powerful ability as Mother? That kind of power isn’t easy to keep a secret.

On top of that, the person who tried to poison Elsie and the traitor who let the Phaelix into the palace are still hiding right under our noses. ”

Kian sits on a circular chair behind his table, observing us with a neutral expression. “If you let me read your mind, Elsie, I may be able to find some information. Something could’ve happened while you were unconscious.”

“You can do that?” I come closer. “See what happened while I was unconscious?”

Aruan’s, “No,” echoes through the room. “You will not read her mind.” His tense shoulders and fisted hands as he stops to glare at Kian say he’s not going to budge.

In either case, I don’t want Kian to sift through my most private thoughts. I was just curious about how the brain works, if the mind records information even while we’re lights out.

Kian sighs. “Suit yourself, but then don’t stand there and complain to me about the slow progress of our investigation.”

“Sandy mentioned something,” I say.

Both men turn their attention to me.

“She said an Alit came to visit the Phaelix at night, and that it sounded as if they were negotiating. She didn’t catch a name or see his face. The topic of the slaves came up, and the man said the Alit don’t mate with Earthlings.”

“Interesting,” Kian muses, steepling his fingers.

“And you didn’t get that from reading Sandy’s mind?” Aruan snaps at his brother.

Kian’s tone remains level. “Reading everything would’ve taken all night. I focused on their arrival on Zerra.”

Aruan resumes his pacing. “You need to read their minds thoroughly. Maybe one of them saw or heard something that’ll shed light on the Alit’s identity.”

“Hey.” I look between them. “What happened to asking someone’s permission before invading their thoughts?”

As expected, Kian ignores the morality question. “I can clear my official duties for the afternoon.”

“Do it,” Aruan says. “In the meantime, I’ll speak to Mother.”

Kian meets my eyes with an innocent shrug.

“Those humans had better be treated well,” I say, giving Kian a narrow-eyed look. “Or you’ll have me in your face, and believe me, you don’t want that.”

“Congratulations,” Kian says with a smug smile.

I’m not taking the bait by asking for what. Of course, Aruan does.

He slams a fist on the stone slab of the desk. “Get your mind out of Elsie’s head.”

“I’m not in her head.” Kian watches Aruan unblinkingly. “I don’t have to be to know her power is back. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so brave as to threaten me.”

“Enough.” Aruan’s voice bounces off the walls. “We have ample problems as is. I don’t need you to add to them.”

Taking my arm, he leads me out of the room.

In the hallway, we bump into Vitai and Tarix.

Aruan motions at the basket of exotic fruit in Vitai’s arms. “Where are you going with that?”

Vitai smiles sheepishly. “I was just bringing our guests a snack.”

“It’ll have to wait,” Aruan says. “We need to talk to Mother.”

“She’s in private council with Father.” Vitai shifts the weight of the basket. “They asked not to be disturbed.”

Aruan exhales through his nose. “How long is it going to take?”

Vitai glances at me. “Who knows?”

“What about the humans?” Aruan scrutinizes Vitai. “Are their injuries sufficiently treated? Is there anything important I should know?”

While Vitai gives Aruan a rundown of the humans’ physical conditions, Tarix pulls me aside.

“I’m so relieved that you’re safe, Elsie. When the queen told us where she’d found you, we expected the worst.”

“Thanks,” I say half-heartedly because whatever happened to me, I brought onto myself. I don’t deserve his concern.

Lowering his head, he asks in a voice that doesn’t carry to Aruan and Vitai, “What was it like to be a prisoner of the Phaelix?”

I scrunch up my nose. “Like being a prisoner of anyone. It was awful.”

“Did they say anything that could throw some light on their secret slave trading?”

“Like I already told Aruan, I didn’t learn anything useful. At least their market has been destroyed.” I don’t feel pity as I add, “Along with the traders and buyers.”

“Yes,” he says in a far-off manner, frowning.

“Is everything all right? You look upset.”

He appears to gather himself. “Of course. I’m just not keen on facing the queen with no new information to give her. I love her like my own mother, but she can be harsh if you don’t deliver.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of it,” I say, trying to sound confident when I’m not so sure myself.

He plasters a smile on his face. “I’m sure we will.” His mood seems to improve a bit. “I overheard Suno asking you at the mating ceremony to tell him about Earth.”

“I never got the chance.”

“Maybe you’ll indulge me? We can have wine and cake. I believe on Earth you call it ‘having tea.’”

“I thought the subject was forbidden.”

He winks. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Why are you and Suno so interested in Earth?”

“I can’t speak for Suno, but I’m interested in everything. There’s too much we keep hidden on Zerra, and no good ever comes of ignorance.”

Does he disagree with the rules, which, in effect, could mean he’s likely not a believer in the scrolls? Before I can question him about that, Aruan walks up to us.

“Speaking to my mother will have to wait.” He drapes a possessive arm around my shoulders and says pointedly to Tarix, “Elsie has to rest.” Addressing me, he continues, “I’ll take you back to my quarters before I have to attend to some urgent matters.”

“Which reminds me,” Tarix says with an uncomfortable laugh. “I have business to take care of for the queen.”

He leaves with a hurried farewell, speed-walking down the hallway.

I tilt my face to Aruan. “That was rude. You literally chased him away.”

“He had no business speaking to you like that.”

“Like how?”

“Whispering in your ear. If he weren’t my mother’s favorite nephew, I would’ve snapped his neck for that.”

“He didn’t whisper in my ear. He just wanted to know if I came back from the Phaelix any wiser. He’s worried about your mother’s reaction if he doesn’t have information for her.”

“As he should be,” Aruan says as he steers me back to his room.

Once we’re inside, he seals the archway. “Do you need anything before I go?”

Not looking forward to being locked in here again, I hurry to say, “I was hoping I could visit the site with the scrolls again.”

There’s still so much about that strange technology I have to figure out.

His sharp “no” jolts me.

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He widens his stance and crosses his arms. “You’re not going anywhere for a while.”

I gape at him. “Why not?”

His tone is uncompromising. “You’re going to oversee the Earthlings and allocate tasks to them to keep them busy.

From now on, they’re your responsibility.

If any one of them steps out of line, I’ll hold you accountable.

When you’ve rested and recovered your strength, you’ll spend every waking moment with them unless I require your presence. ”

“You can’t be serious.”

His smile is dry. “Do I ever joke?”

“But what about finding the perpetrator who’s bringing humans here as slaves? I’ll be of much more value to you if you let me help with the investigation. I can find the other Phaelix settlements much quicker from the sky.”

“You mean on your dragon’s back.”

“Yes.” I swallow. “I’m not going to fly off and leave the humans here alone.”

“I don’t think you will—leave them on their own, that is—but we don’t need you to find the settlements. We know where they are.”

“What about questioning the Phaelix?” I ask quickly. “If Kian gives me the ability to speak their language, I can help with that.”

“We have that under control.”

“You already have people going out there to question them?”

He doesn’t reply.

“Aruan,” I say with frustration. “I know you don’t trust me, but this concerns me too. I’m just as invested in finding the person behind the slave trading as you are. The Phaelix brought me here, remember?”

“How can I forget?” He drops his arms to his sides and steps right up to me. “The thought of those lizards with their claws on you still makes me want to torture them slowly while savoring their screams.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I ask, hoping to appeal to his reason.

“I’m not risking you in that way.”

“I can take care of myself. I’ll be vigilant. I promise. I learned from my mistake. I won’t repeat that oversight.”

“No,” he says, not giving an inch. “You’ll stay here and keep your friends on a tight leash. It’ll be best to avoid contact with the royals and the inhabitants of the palace.”

“But—”

He holds up a finger. “Consider it your punishment.”

“ That’s my punishment?” I ball my hands at my sides. “That’s unfair. You know I don’t like being trapped between the walls.”

There’s no mercy in the smile that crinkles his silver eyes. “You’re just going to have to get used to it.”

“I—I…” I splutter, clenching my teeth.

“Hate me?” he says with a twisted expression.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t bring myself to say them again, not when I don’t really mean them.

A calculated look comes over his features. I gasp as he backs me up to the wall and pins me against the stone bricks with his weight.

He wraps his fingers around my neck, holding me in a dominant grasp, and lowers his head. His words feather over my lips, their meaning like arrows that find their target in my heart. “But you don’t hate this , do you?”

Another gasp tears from my chest as he tilts his hips and presses his hardness against my stomach. The sound that escapes my lips is involuntary. It slips out before I can stop it, giving him his answer.