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Vahn’s mind reeled and he stared at the human in shock. Wife? Impossible.

Vraxians and Terrans hated each other, had been engaged in warfare for nearly ten cycles. Twenty in Earth years. Taking one of those creatures as a consort was unthinkable.

He looked at her dress again. No. It couldn’t be. She wasn’t wearing a wedding dress… was she?

He turned to Ela.

“General Solarun, on your oath as Commander of the Vraxian Army, is Rhyn speaking the truth?”

“He is.”

“Explain.”

“After that space battle, you and she were stranded on a hostile planet. You had to work together to survive. You became…”

Ela hesitated, unsure how much detail to go into. “You became close. When we rescued you, you brought her here to Vraxos.”

“To cut a long story short, you two worked out a peace deal,”

Rhyn interrupted. “And Baelon, vicious power-monger that he is, sought to derail it.”

Vahn switched his icy gaze back to Kara.

“Why did the deal include marriage?”

“You thought it would bring the planets together,”

said Rhyn. “A gesture of unity.”

Vahn looked at the human’s dress again. Then down at himself. At his matching ceremonial tunic. He breathed deeply.

“And our wedding took place…?”

“Yesterday,”

said Ela quietly. “Just before the explosion.”

Vahn couldn’t comprehend it. It was madness. He’d signed his life away to a piece of vermin? It was unbelievable.

But he couldn’t ignore the evidence of their clothing. And the fact that his two oldest friends were telling him so. He frowned in confusion.

“It makes no sense,”

he said heavily. “Why would I agree to marry this human? The human who tried to shoot me down?”

“Because she’s not just any human,”

Ela explained. “She’s your kalehsha.”

There was a stunned silence. Vahn’s eyes narrowed until they were mere slits. Kara swallowed, nervously waiting to see how he would react.

Rhyn, who didn’t know this particular detail, found he wasn’t totally surprised. In retrospect, everything leading to their marriage – Kara’s inclusion in the shaa’baara trials, the offer of peace to the humans, the very public wedding – suddenly made perfect sense.

What he hadn’t realized was that Ela already knew. Vahn must have told her sometime before the attack. An unwelcome suspicion slid into his brain.

Was it just coincidence that Ela had softened towards him at the wedding? Or was it simply that she had finally accepted there could be no future with Vahn?

He pushed the idea away, not ready to examine it. Instead he focused on Vahn, whose scales had darkened to a stormy grey. Never a good sign.

“Take it easy my friend,”

he murmured. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

Vahn’s reply was almost lost in the snarl that accompanied it.

“It’s repugnant. The very idea sickens me.”

His words hit Kara like a punch. She exhaled shakily.

“You’re wrong. We love each other. You’ve just forgotten.”

“The fact that any memory of you has been wiped from my mind is a mercy.”

The revulsion in his voice almost brought her to her knees but there was more at stake here than just her feelings. She straightened her shoulders.

“Regardless of what you think of me, our union has helped us forge an understanding between humans and Vraxians. Because of our… our relationship, our people are on the brink of peace.”

“You’re deluded if you think I’d ever agree to be shackled to a human.”

“But you have agreed. There’s an interplanetary accord in place, just waiting to be signed.”

Vahn shook off Ela’s hand and stalked towards Kara, noting sourly that Rhyn moved protectively to her side. Whatever spell the human had cast, it had won over his closest friends. He loomed over her, deliberately using his muscular seven-foot frame to intimidate her.

She stared back, refusing to be intimidated.

Interesting, he thought. Not a coward, then. But her bravery is misplaced.

“Whatever you think I’ve agreed to, you’re badly mistaken. I would never sign a peace accord with a dishonorable species like yours. Never.”

“Try to remember,”

she urged him. “We’ve been negotiating for weeks.”

“Negotiating with who?”

“With my mother. The President of Earth.”

Vahn stiffened. He looked to Ela and Rhyn.

“This… this creature is the spawn of the war-monger?”

“President Cameron is part of the delegation from Earth,”

said Rhyn quickly. “They’re our guests on Vraxos.”

Vahn’s mind reeled. If it wasn’t his closest friends telling him this, he would have suspected it was all a huge cosmic joke.

“I have no memory of any of this. I cannot proceed with a deal I do not remember negotiating.”

“Most of your subjects are in favor of it,”

argued Ela. “They want an end to the fighting. And an alliance with the humans will make us stronger, you said so yourself.”

“An alliance? I can’t even begin to comprehend the notion.”

He paused a beat. “What do you mean, my subjects?”

He saw them glance at each other and a prickle of apprehension ran down his spine. “Rhyn?”

His friend sighed. There was no way to sugar-coat this.

“I’m so sorry, Vahn. The Emperor died while you were stranded on Minerva-6. You are now the Zhaal of Vraxos.”

In the silence that followed, Kara saw something crumple in Vahn and her heart clenched. She couldn’t imagine his hurt. He’d been devastated enough the first time he’d learned of his father’s loss. Now he was feeling the pain again and it was just as knife-sharp as the first time.

It was unbearable.

Impulsively she stepped towards him, wanting to comfort him. He jerked backwards, fury suddenly boiling from every pore.

“Don’t touch me, you filthy gelan’ash hak.”

“Vahn!”

“General Solarun, remove this drek’aa human from my quarters.”

Ela started.

“Vahn, let’s just…”

“I gave you an order, general. Take her away.”

Vahn’s serpetri were coiling and rippling around him in barely controlled rage. “Rhyn, you will remain.”

Helplessly, Ela looked to Rhyn. He gave her a nod with a reassurance he was far from feeling.

“It’s okay. Go on. Both of you.”

Kara gave one last despairing look at Vahn before allowing herself to be led from the room. The door closed behind them.

In the living area, Ela guided Kara to an armchair and pushed her into it.

“Rest easy. You were injured too, you need to look after yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“You are not fine. Any blind fool could see that.”

The concern in the general’s voice made Kara’s eyes prick.

“Forget about me. What about the peace deal? What if he doesn’t sign it?”

“Rhyn will talk him round.”

Ela gave a small smile. “There’s nothing that silver-tongued bastard can’t persuade people to do. He’ll make Vahn remember you too.”

“The peace deal is more important.”

“Maybe for the planet.”

Ela touched her shoulder. “But forgetting your kalehsha? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I’m so sorry.”

It was too much. Kara turned away, hiding her tears from the Vraxian commander. And Ela, knowing how she herself hated showing weakness, pretended not to notice.