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Lucienne started visiting the Fury house regularly, and each time she brought gifts.

Clement and Peder particularly enjoyed California wines.

They were amiable, but Lucienne hadn’t been able to find time alone with Ashburn.

Violet was always present, like Ashburn’s lapdog, fighting tirelessly for his attention.

Worse yet, whenever Lucienne sat down at the table, Prince Felix would show up at the door, smirking.

The natives were spying on her for their prince and informed him whenever she arrived in town.

The blond boy made passes at Lucienne all the time, like a dog that wouldn’t give up on a bone.

Each time the prince flirted with her, anger flared in Ashburn’s eyes, but she knew Ashburn would contain it, as he’d done all these years for his parents’ sake.

Violet, on the other hand, was eager to fix Lucienne up with her half-brother.

And perhaps for the first time, the redhead was even agreeing with the prince.

One day after an early dinner, Ashburn offered to help his mother prepare sweet peanut soup for the visitors. When Ashburn headed for the kitchen, Lucienne excused herself from the table, saying she’d like to freshen up.

Ashburn stood before the stove, his back stiffening as she advanced. He could sense her presence, as she could sense his whenever they occupied space within each other’s energy field.

“Hey,” Lucienne said.

“Hi,” he greeted back but didn’t look at her.

“It’s always crowded out there.”

“They follow you around. ”

“They can’t stand us being alone,” Lucienne said. She could have just found an excuse to have Ashburn brought to her tent for questions, but she chose to approach him in a normal, friendly environment. It seemed her tactic hadn’t proved effective. “Why did you refuse a phone from me?” she asked.

“I don’t need it.”

“Why not take it as an emergency measure? If anything happens, my soldiers can get here quickly.”

“I can protect my family.”

“I know you can,” Lucienne said, moving nearer to Ashburn. “I want to invite you to Sphinxes. I heard you’ve been looking for the path to the outside world.”

“I’m not going with you.”

“Why do you try to avoid me? What is all this passive aggression about?”

“I’m keeping us both alive!” Ashburn’s voice turned ragged.

“What are you talking about?”

“There you are, Queen Lucienne.” Prince Felix flashed Lucienne a wolfish grin, which faded instantly at the sight of Ashburn. The prince looked daggers at his enemy, then turned back to Lucienne. “Is that bug bothering you?”

“Actually,” said Lucienne, cocking her chin in the prince’s direction, “it’s that big bug that’s bothering me.”

Prince Felix chuckled. “You’re as funny as you are beautiful.”

Ashburn’s eyes turned the color of the dark sea.

Violet appeared at the entryway to the kitchen, her dark, green eyes darting between Ashburn and Lucienne. “Ash, I can help you with the soup. You don’t need anyone else.”

“Come, Queen Lucienne,” Prince Felix said, offering his hand to her. “The kitchen is for the servants, not for nobles like you and me.”

Lucienne brushed past him.

At the dinner table, the air was cold between Ashburn and Prince Felix. Violet glared at Lucienne. Clement and Peder were nervous and uncomfortable. Only Lucienne was untouched. She shared warm stories with the Furys and learned many words in the Nirvana tongue.

~

That night, Violet came to Lucienne’s tent in Hell Gate, carrying a letter.

Lucienne studied the wax-sealed letter. It had been opened and skillfully re-sealed. Other people might not have detected it, but Lucienne was well-trained. Judging from the gloating light in the redhead’s eyes, she knew the letter didn’t carry a pleasant message.

“Could you please read the letter right now, Queen Lucienne?” asked Violet, who very much wanted to see the hurt on Lucienne’s face. “Ash must have your answer.”

“Then why didn’t he deliver the letter himself, so I could give my answer directly to him?” asked Lucienne, knowing even as she spoke now, Ashburn was probably watching them through Violet’s current memory.

“He can’t. The prince has his minions watching Ash all the time,” Violet said impatiently. “Could you please read the letter now? I can’t stay long, either.”

“I’ll read it,” Lucienne said and clapped her hands.

The giant, who was nearby, immediately came to her service.

“Cam, escort Miss Violet to the guest tent and have her wait there. Be sure to entertain her with refreshments,” Lucienne ordered.

“Will do, Your Majesty.” Cam bowed, gesturing for Violet to follow him.

“I’ll just wait here, Queen Lucienne,” protested Violet. “After you finish reading the letter, you can pass the message onto me, and I’ll relate it to Ash.”

“That would be rude, Violet,” Lucienne said. “Ashburn took time to draft this letter; I must return the same courtesy.”

“This way please, Miss Violet,” Cam said. His tone suggested he’d execute his queen’s order by whatever means necessary.

Throwing Lucienne a hateful look, Violet followed the giant.

Inside her quarters, Lucienne read the letter.

The handwriting was beautiful as if the writer spent many years learning calligraphy.

“Dear Queen Lucienne,” the letter said. “I regret to write this, but your favored visits upon our humble house have brought with it the constant and tiresome company of the Crown Prince. Our family is but commoners. Entertaining royalty isn’t our forte.

If my poor parents continue to stretch themselves beyond their capacity, they’ll break.

I’d appreciate it very much if Your Majesty would relieve my parents of such duty.

The king’s palace may be a more suitable place for Your Majesty’s noble status.

Thank you very much for your kind understanding.

Very truly yours,

Ashburn Fury”

Interesting, Lucienne thought. He sought her out in Hell Gate, then all of a sudden avoided her.

He said he was trying not to get them both killed, but who had the power to touch them?

The king and his army couldn’t hurt her, and they wouldn’t dare try again.

They knew their fate if they did. So did Ashburn mean the pull between them?

It had been growing more intense, but it was ridiculous to think this attraction could be any threat to them.

Lucienne radioed the giant to bring her the redhead.

While Violet waited outside, Lucienne emerged from her tent with an Eidolon phone. The message she typed contained three words: please call me. She knew Ashburn would be able to retrieve the text.

Violet tried to see a hint of hurt on Lucienne’s face, but Lucienne flashed the girl an amused smile. “My answer is inside it.” She waved the Eidolon in her hands.

“Did you put a spell on it?” Violet eyed the phone suspiciously.

“A spell? Do you mean love spell? Oh, no, no.” Lucienne smiled wider. “It’s all technology. Ashburn will probably read my message to you if you’re curious.”

“I’m not curious! ”

“Very good. As cliché says, curiosity killed the cat.” Lucienne handed the Eidolon to Violet. “Don’t let anyone catch you with this if you don’t want to get Ashburn in trouble. If you can’t handle the quest, I can have one of my warriors deliver—”

“No one will catch me!”

“Godspeed then,” Lucienne said. “Now off you go.”

Violet stormed away, before stopping and turning to face Lucienne. “I have a message for you, too.” She bit her lip. “Leave Ash alone. I won’t let you bewitch him.”

“Bewitch him?”

“You’ve been trying to make him like you!”

“Ashburn likes me?” Lucienne batted her eyes. “Really?”

“You can’t have him!” Violet exploded. “He’s my whole world. I’ll not let anyone steal him from me.” Then she left.

A sweep of sympathy for Violet washed over Lucienne, until her own self-pity churned inside. Unlike Violet or any other girl, she would never be able to have any man. Lucienne looked at the distant town bathed in splendid light and sighed.

~

Ashburn never called her. Neither did he answer any of her calls.

Ziyi rang from Sphinxes instead. “Not going to the Fury’s tonight?”

“Every time I do,” Lucienne said in frustration, “that despicable prince winds up sitting at the opposite end of the table. And Ashburn is never there.”

“We searched everywhere for him after the lights went out,” Ziyi said. “Dragonfly can’t locate him.”

“He can block the satellite. Put himself in an impenetrable zone.”

“That’s wicked!” Ziyi said.

“I know,” said Lucienne. “He has to be somewhere. I’m going to sweep him out.”

All the men wanted to join her on the house-to-house search. Lucienne picked Cam, for she didn’t have the heart to see the wounded look on the giant’s face. She had denied him several times, telling him that he was great on the battlefield, and that this was spy business.

Lucienne sped along on her bicycle with the giant running a few steps behind her.

They passed empty streets and vacant post-modern houses, until Lucienne spotted a shining metal structure.

An image she once picked from Violet’s mind flashed before her.

This must be the infamous Ghost House the natives believe is haunted.

Lucienne rode straight toward it. The arena-like compound was shaped like a half hexagon hatching on top of a vast bird’s nest. Its massive metal door reflected the crescent moon, giving it an ethereal, eerie ambience.

Why hadn’t she noticed this complex before?

Did Ashburn disregard the town’s taboo and venture inside?

Drawing near the door, Lucienne got off her bike and gave it to the giant.

She stopped before a triangular keypad embedded in the door.

Twelve symbols adorned the keypad—all celestial bodies, except for the symbol of an eye with double irises.

Lucienne pressed a three-sun symbol, then a planet with wings.

A slight electric shock shot up her arm. Lucienne jumped back.

“Cam,” she called. “Press the eye.”