Star Kissed (18 page)

His mother raised her eyebrows at him. “Does she know about Hichele?”

“No.”

“Son, you need to tell her.” She frowned. “It might affect her choice at being a consort.”

“She understands it’s a temporary situation.” Akkadi hesitated.

His mother looked at him expectantly.

“Mother, I feel an obligation to her,” he said at last.

“What do you mean, Akkadi?”

“It’s not something I can explain. I know the best place for her is with Vekko. I know she deserves to be a wife not a consort,” he said deliberately.

“But you find yourself unwilling to sever this … obligation,” she finished.

He nodded.

His mother was quiet for a moment.

“It is a difficult decision, Akkadi. The obligation you feel is emotional attachment,” she said, smiling faintly. “You are smart enough to know this.”

“I do,” he confirmed. “I am simply curious how you handle these attachments.”

“Simple. I married your father.”

“That is not an option,” he said firmly. “The agreement I made with Hichele must be honored.”

“If you are so certain, then you know what you need to do,” his mother replied. “Vekko will make a worthy mate for Mandy. You and he are much alike, and he’s the closest to her age.”

Akkadi nodded. He had to give Mandy up in order to respect his betrothed and his duties. He had to watch her mate with Vekko and be satisfied knowing he had done what was right.

Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to do.

“If you will excuse me, I must prepare to leave,” he said.

“Safe travels.”

Akkadi left with a stiff bow. She was within her duty to seek a suitable mate for Mandy. After all, he’d turned Mandy down as a potential mate.

He wanted to tell his mother to marry Mandy off soon, but he wasn’t ready to give up he consort he couldn’t bring himself to sleep with. Technically, he could keep her up until the night of his ceremony with Hichele. Mandy would remain under his personal protection, untouched by his cousins, until Akkadi managed to rid himself of the attachment. After three months, their mutual attraction would surely wear off. He’d be able to wed Hichele with a clear conscious and Mandy would go to Vekko.

He tried to convince himself this was the best, logical course of action. Akkadi’s sense of dissatisfaction deepened. He had two days to think things through.

He went to his personal ship, turning his focus to the upcoming negotiations. At least Vekko was coming with him. No arrangements could be made, if his cousin accompanied Akkadi to the treaty talks.

Chapter Ten

Mandy found the dorms without help, astounded she was able to find her own way. After her interaction with Akkadi, the triumph she felt walking through the correct panel was overwhelming.

From what she could tell, he was trying to break up with her. They never even really dated, yet she was desperate not to be rejected by the only man who
could
get her home but declared he wouldn’t, because doing so meant that an entire planet of people suffered somehow.

An entire planet. She couldn’t fathom the size and amount of people that involved. Distracted, she went towards her bed for a nap, ignoring the few slaves in the dorm area.

“Mandy?”

She stopped, trying to recall where she’d heard this voice. Mandy racked her brain then turned. Her eyes widened, and she issued a high-pitched squeal that made Belo jump.

“Cesar!” she shrieked.

She took two steps and flung her arms around him. Cesar laughed and gave her a bear hug. She barely knew the stranger from the plane but right now, he might as well have been her long lost brother.

Mandy didn’t want to let him go. Within seconds, she was overwhelmed enough to cry, elated and horrified to know there was another survivor from her time. Cesar held her tightly, his solid, muscular body assuring her he really was there.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She sucked in a shaky breath and reined in her tears. Mandy pulled away to wipe her eyes.

“I think so,” she said. “This has been a nightmare. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

Cesar smiled. His eyes were blurry, and he wiped them quickly. Mandy hugged him again, not wanting to let him go.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“More or less,” he grunted. “I spent the past few days with Urik. He said you were here, but we had to wait for one of these.” He tugged away from her to show her the peach colored medallion. “I guess these are hard to come by.”

“Akkadi makes them,” she said. “I have one, too. Did Urik tell you why?”

By Cesar’s wary look over his shoulder, he knew why. He nodded. Mandy wiped her eyes.

“Sit down. Tell me what’s up,” Cesar said. He took her hand and tugged her to the trunk at the end of her bed.

Mandy sat next to him, thighs touching. She feared releasing him completely in case he disappeared. He appeared healthy and clean and wore the grey servant robe of the Naki royalty.

“You look fantastic, by the way,” he added. “I’m so not wearing a cat suit.”

“Thanks.” She laughed. “Yeah, this wasn’t my idea.”

“I’ll leave you to talk,” Belo said and crossed to his bed. He lay down.

“Aliens, spaceships, battles,” Cesar said quietly. He shook his head. “I can’t get over that this is it. This is the future.”

“I’m trying to figure out a way home.”

His eyes returned to her. “Urik was pretty convinced there wasn’t a way.”

“There is. It’s just … hard,” she said. “It requires too many resources they don’t have to spare.”

“We’re stuck here.”

“Allegedly. I’m holding out for a way home,” she said firmly. “I know who can do it. It’s just a matter of convincing him.”

“Hence the cat suit,” he guessed.

“In theory. But it’s not working,” she said, slumping. “I never had this problem before.”

“This isn’t our world, but I guess we better get used to it.”

Mandy glanced at him, dismayed. Even he seemed more accepting of the possibility they might not make it back to their time than she was.

“You’re gorgeous, Mandy. If he’s not interested, maybe I should try,” he added.

She laughed.

“I keep having flashbacks,” Cesar said and touched his temple gingerly.

“Me, too. I can’t get used to the food.”

“Urik said he only eats two of those things a day.”

“I’ve been eating dozens,” she admitted.

“I guess they’ve been genetically altered not to need much. I could really use a beer.”

“Chocolate.”

They sank into quiet. Cesar took her hand and squeezed. Mandy smiled at him.

“Cesar.”

Mandy and Cesar both looked up at the woman who stood a few feet away. She had Akkadi’s chiseled features and their mother’s pert nose, long dark hair and blue eyes. There was no mistaking the daughter of Helen. Her age was hard to place, though Mandy guessed she was in her late twenties.

“I’ve requested your presence twice,” the woman told him. Her gaze was direct, her rigid composure and haughty carriage rendering her cold and commanding.

“My lady Akkasha,” Belo said. “His impulse-piece needs adjusting. It was damaged on the planet.”

Cesar reached to the base of his skull with a grimace. Mandy resisted the urge to check hers as well, still uncertain what to think of the brain modifying device.

“Very well. Leave us, Belo,” the woman ordered.

He bowed deeply and obeyed, hurrying out of the quarters. Mandy realized that everyone – even those who had been sleeping when she arrived – had cleared out, leaving them alone with Akkasha.

The woman’s gaze swept over both of them. She appeared unimpressed. Cesar rose, and Mandy followed his movement.

“I am Akkasha, heir to the Naki-king,” Akkasha proclaimed. “I arrived to my station to find two uninvited strangers aboard, compliments of Akkadi.”

Cesar’s brow furrowed. Mandy studied Akkadi’s sister, not surprised to find her much like her brother: cold, aloof, commanding.

“You are Mandy,” she said, attention going from Cesar to Mandy.

“I am,” Mandy answered.

“Tales of your beauty reached me from afar,” Akkasha said. “I heard nothing of you, Cesar.” The rebuke was crisp enough to make Mandy hide a smile. If Akkasha was anything like Akkadi, she was probably looking for any excuse possible to reject the purebred human she was duty-bound to consider for a mate.

“That might be a good thing,” Cesar responded.

Akkasha frowned, and Mandy barely stifled a laugh. The fighter-like Cesar towered over Akkasha, whose size was closer to her mother’s than Akkadi’s.

“Come with me,” Akkasha ordered. She spun away and strode towards the exit.

Cesar watched her, startled and amused. Mandy realized she was still clutching his hand. Reluctantly, she let him go.

“Good luck,” she said quietly. “I wish you could stay.”

“I have a feeling I’ll be back here as soon as she can send me away,” he said. “Can’t be worse than the planet.”

You have no idea.
Mandy said nothing. She hugged herself, watching him walk away. She forced herself to ignore the cold fear within her that said he was never coming back. She didn’t think she could deal with it, if he didn’t.

The panel appeared to swallow him. A moment later, slaves began trickling back into their dorms. Mandy lay down to sleep, thrilled to know at least one other human from her time was around.

Now, if she could only get them home …

“Helen is waiting for you.”

Mandy’s eyes flew open. She cursed the way the guards woke her from deep slumber with their creepy whispers. Clawing her way out of bed, she sat for a moment. Her eyes swept around the room and settled on Cesar, who slept in a bed a few over from hers.

Relief fluttered through her. He was real. He was there. She wasn’t alone anymore. Mandy stood, fixed her hair and left, snagging a box of space Twinkies on her way out.

A guard escorted her once more. This time, she was able to use the floor markings to determine when they were nearing the elevator. When they exited, she almost figured out which panel led to Helen’s room. She was off by one.

Pleased, Mandy passed off the food and entered.

Helen was dressed and waiting for her, though her smile was distracted. Mandy gave her best bow.

“Good Morning, Mandy,” Helen said. “You look well.”

“I slept pretty good. I have to admit, I’m dying for some real food.”

“it’s very difficult to come by here.”

“I imagine,” Mandy said, sighing. “Am I presentable?”

“You have the attention of all my sons.”

“I don’t think that makes Akkadi happy, though I have no idea why.”

“It does not,” Helen agreed. “We’ll see how unhappy it makes him.”

Mandy glanced at her curiously, not understanding. Before she could ask, Helen’s smile widened.

“There’s a new human on board, isn’t there?” she asked.

Mandy grinned.

“Akkadi is working hard to bring everyone up here.”

Mandy didn’t let the mention of the frustrating man derail her happiness at seeing Cesar again.

“He is not so bad,” Helen added, assessing her.

“I can’t really talk about him,” Mandy said. “I want to kill him right now.”

“Maybe the two-day break is good.”

“Nothing beats sending us back to our time,” Mandy said hopefully.

Helen gave her a disapproving look. Mandy’s thoughts sank. She recalled Akkadi’s challenge, that she consider her duty to her own people. She didn’t want to think about the fact that
she
had to choose when he had been the one to open the wormhole to start off with.

“Helen,” she said suddenly. “Why did Akkadi opened the star gate that brought me here when you could’ve used the shards for other reasons?”

“Naki priorities. Ensuring the bloodline is the first. Sustaining the empire is the second,” Helen replied.

Mandy’s insides felt cold. If true, Akkadi was serious about never opening the star gate to send her home, even if she found the energy he needed to do it. Panic built inside her once more, making her chest too tight and her head spin.

She sat down and breathed deeply.

“Are you well?” Helen asked, concerned.

“Just … flashbacks. Or whatever,” Mandy replied.

“A consequence of going through wormholes. I had them for several years after I arrived,” Helen said. “They fade with time.”

Fade with time.

Mandy couldn’t dwell on the assertion too long or she’d pass out.

“Are things better with Akkadi?” Helen asked.

“Worse. He tried to break it off last night.” Mandy shook her head and stood.

Helen was pensive.

“Do we have to go to more meetings today?” Mandy complained. “I’m so sick of them.”

“Actually, no. We’re taking a trip.”

Mandy froze. “Like a space trip?”

“Precisely.”

“Oh. Okay, we can do meetings.”

Helen laughed. “Hichele is coming. Prepare yourself.” The Naki queen disappeared into her closet.

“Oh, god.” Mandy grimaced. She straightened and took up a place along the wall.

Hichele entered. Mandy offered a bow to the woman who seemed to get uglier every time she appeared.