Star Kissed (11 page)

“Akkadi only takes Nakis as consorts,” Belo reminded her.

“Well, if he says no, then I’ll go with Vekko,” she reasoned. “Before here, I never had a man turn me down.”

“Aw, you have been a consort before. I thought so,” Wren said. “You are far too beautiful to serve as a normal slave.”

“Not exactly,” Mandy said. “I mean … I guess. Okay, yes. I’m a professional whore. If it gets me out of here, then I’ll do it.”

“You’ll like it here as a consort. The Naki rulers are very kind.”

“Actually, I’m hungry,” Mandy said. “Where do I find food?”

Belo rose. He crossed to the corner and returned with a cube the width of her hand. He shook it and rotated it, opening it.

Mandy took it and looked at the familiar foam food bars. She took a few half-heartedly and ate. It was small, and her appetite huge after all she’d been through. She ate the space Twinkies quietly. Belo handed her a wide glass of murky water.

“My master calls,” Wren said, standing suddenly. “Welcome, Mandy. I serve two of the princes, Vekko and Subakki. If the opportunity arises, I will mention you.”

“Thank you, Wren,” Mandy said. She watched the slender woman cross the room. The idea of sleeping with a stranger gave her the jitters again. At the thought of Akkadi’s chiseled body, warmth bloomed within her, along with desperation. “I really hope I can get home.”

“The chances are greater for you. The Naki-princesses don’t take consorts, unless they are of noble blood, but the princes do not require noble blooded consorts,” Belo said. “You could always return to the human world. You would blend in well with them.”

“Yeah, I could,” she agreed, thinking of Urik. The sexy warrior would protect her, but he didn’t have the ability to open a star gate like Akkadi.

She stayed with the others, listening to their tales of the Naki and Naki princes until she grew tired again. There were no windows in the slave quarters, so she wasn’t sure what time it was. When she was too sleepy to stay awake, Belo led her to a round bed to sleep.

For the second night in a row, Mandy slept well. She dreamt of being on the plane again, of the beverage cart knocking into her elbow. When she awoke, it was quiet. She blinked to clear her thoughts and recall exactly where she was.

Not on the plane to LA. She rolled and sat quickly, staring at the ten-foot tall guard towering over her bed.

“Helen requests you attend her.”

While he stood before her, his voice sounded as if it came from right behind her. It wasn’t possible while she sat in bed, but she found herself looking over her shoulder, just in case. Groggily, her fingers went to the metal at the base of her skull. Did it act as a speaker system for the creepy guard?

He held out a familiar cube the width of her hand, already opened to the space bars. She suspected this was the reason everyone in the future was skinny. Their food had no taste.

She took the box and crawled out of the bed, munching on foam as she trailed him out of the slaves quarters. She made a game of trying to see how many she could eat at once.

The answer: one. They were dry, like crackers. It was too hard to choke down more.

Coughing at her attempt, she held out the box to the guard that turned to peer at her.

Taking it, he continued down the hallway and stepped through a panel.

The room beyond was tiny, barely big enough for the two of them. She felt the sensation of an elevator, though instead of going up or down, it went sideways. She balanced herself, not certain she liked the sensations. He stepped out of the room into another hallway. Lost, Mandy tried to find some sort of feature to tell the halls and rooms apart. Her eyes went to the flooring, but it was useless; she didn’t know what any of the symbols actually meant.

He ducked into one lighted panel. She trailed, passing through an antechamber and following him past two more towering guards. They entered another sprawling apartment like Akkadi’s.

The sight of Helen’s warm smile made Mandy’s throat tighten at the thought of never seeing her own mother again.

Mandy smiled back.

Something struck her calf. She turned, expecting to see a cat or dog or something and puzzled by the pale, ugly woman with black hair holding what looked like a riding crop.

“You will bow to your mistresses, slave,” the woman said.

Mandy raised her eyebrows. Before she could snap back, Helen spoke quickly.

“That’s not necessary, Hichele,” she said. “Mandy is from a place where they do not have such rules as ours.”

“She must learn, my queen. It is the duty of every slave to obey her mistress.”

“She will. But not today.”

The woman called Hichele bowed her head in acquiescence, though Mandy caught the sharp look she gave her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she said to Helen, not wanting to offend the kind woman.

“That is for another time. Today, you will accompany us as we introduce Hichele to those who will support her in her new role as a Naki-princess.”

Just like that, Hichele went from upset to preening. Mandy watched her cross to the family’s matriarch and bow deeply.

“It will be an honor to have you as a mother,” Hichele said.

Mandy almost snorted at the sickly sweet tone. She didn’t want to be a slave, but she liked the middle-aged mother of Akkadi. The two didn’t seem likely to be related. Akkadi was cold and his mother warm.

Hichele’s eyes held a gleam that made Mandy dislike her at once. Which of Akkadi’s cousins was stuck with this crazy chic?

“Mandy, take these,” Helen said, indicating two small boxes on a table. “You must be dressed appropriately. Your robe is beside them.”

Mandy obeyed, curious as to what they were going to do. She pulled on the robe, which was as smooth and light as silk. She tugged up the hood the way the guards did then picked up the boxes. Proud of herself, she looked at Helen, who offered her a supportive smile before turning her attention to Hichele.

They left the quarters. Mandy followed, shaking the boxes as she went. They felt empty, but she knew the right combination of shakes and turns would reveal the contents of the best storage units in the universe.

She doubted there’d be chocolate in them. She sighed deeply, hungry for real food. A few more manipulations of one revealed it was filled with marbles. Uninterested, Mandy closed it and focused on twisting and shaking the second one until resigned to the fact there was nothing in it. Or, she just wasn’t doing it right.

The two women disappeared through a panel. Mandy stopped playing with the boxes and trailed. Two older men sat at a conference table suspended without legs or any other signs of support. Helen motioned her to stand against the wall, near one of the guards, while she and Hichele sat down at the table.

Mandy obeyed, trying to figure out how the table stayed afloat. Like the boxes, it was beyond her ability to imagine. She strained to hear the quiet voices of the four at the far end of the table. They appeared to be in a battle of who could give the others the greatest compliments. Her face safely hidden beneath the hood, Mandy rolled her eyes a few times at Hichele’s syrupy words to Helen.

Her thoughts went to Akkadi. She didn’t want to think about him, but she couldn’t stop. Maybe it was because he did seem to reject her so easily, something that had never happened before in her entire life. Or maybe, it was because she suspected there was more to him than what he showed her. He had touched her on the planet and again in his quarters. There
had
to be a side of him that would help her get home.

A small part of her hoped it involved sleeping with him. Sexy and cool, he would be a challenge in bed. She never felt the need to pry someone open to see what was inside with anyone else. She really wanted to know more about him.

Fantasizing about his large hands gliding over her skin and her legs wrapped around his hips, she missed the first cue of the morning. Only when the talk fell silent did she look towards the table. Too late, she saw Hichele headed towards her with the switch. This blow fell across her forearm. Pissed, Mandy resisted the urge to box the tall, sickly looking woman.

“The box, slave!” Hichele hissed.

Mandy held them both out. Hichele looked more offended and snatched one, returning to the table. Helen glanced at Mandy without correcting Hichele this time, though she frowned. Irritated, Mandy studied at the welt forming on her arm.

“My dowry,” Hichele proclaimed loudly enough for Mandy to hear, opening the box. “My father rules the galaxy with energy sources unlike any in the universe. This is one.” She held out a small object that looked like a large, silver bead.

Mandy moved closer, curious about the marbles she’d seen.

“My dowry consists of forty of these.”

“How many are required to power a star ships?” one of the men at the table asked.

“Star ships!” Hichele scoffed. “Three of these will open a star gate. Ten will power half the fleet.”

Mandy stared at the box. Akkadi said he didn’t have enough energy to open the star gate. She’d had the key home in her hands without knowing it! Silently, she cursed herself then Hichele, furious for not knowing how close she was. She’d lost Akkadi when she left his room and couldn’t find her way back, and she’d lost the marbles to the bitchiest woman in this time.

“I trust you will find this sufficient,” Hichele said.

“We do,” one of the men replied. “After it has been tested.”

“My father –” Hichele started to object.

“It’s routine, dear. No need to worry. There will be no issues,” Helen said. “You will concur to leave this here.”

Hichele hesitated then nodded, pushing the box to the middle of the table.

“Where will it be kept until the day of my engagement ceremony later this week?” she asked nervously.

“In the quarters of your betrothal,” Helen replied.

Mandy was close enough to see the matriarch’s cue this time. She placed the second box on the table before the beautiful woman and stayed close to see what treasures this one held.

“This is our offer to your father,” she said. “The mark of a Naki noble. His house will be recognized among the noble houses.”

Hichele smiled. “This is more than anything I could give you, my queen.” Her eyes watered.

Beneath the hood, Mandy rolled her eyes. The people at the table appeared pleased by the words, but she found them insincere. She pitied whichever Naki-prince got stuck with this woman.

“Your duty, Hichele, will be to produce an heir quickly,” one of the men said. “More than one is preferred but at least one. The noble healers will see you tomorrow morning, prior to the official announcement being made. If you are barren, you will not be allowed to mate with a Naki prince.”

“I understand,” Hichele said with confidence. “I am pleased to offer my womb to the Naki prince. There will be no issues.”

“You are also required to represent the Nakis abroad, to allies and enemies alike. Since you will be the first mate of a Naki prince, you will work with our queen to ensure the success of the noble house.”

“Of course. I will perform my duty without fault.”

Mandy’s offense at their direction that Hichele produce an heir faded as she recalled Helen’s words about the Naki and their duties. Akkadi’s coldness seemed normal for these people, who discussed having children like she might talk about buying stocks. She didn’t think she could survive a world where anything outside of duty was ignored.

“We will expect news of an heir within a six-month after your ceremony. You are authorized to become an official consort of your Naki-prince, if you wish,” one of the men said.

A large smile spread over Hichele’s face. “I will go to him immediately and plead for him to put an heir in my womb today.”

Mandy shuddered in her robe.

“Thank you, my dear advisors. As always, you are beyond wise and fair with your assistance,” Helen said, rising. “Hichele, please await me here. I have one matter to attend to with my advisors.”

Hichele rose and bowed. The three left the room, taking the precious box of marbles with them. Mandy watched it disappear with one of the advisors. She wanted to scream.

“You don’t mind being a baby making factory?” Mandy asked, attention on the newly promoted Naki-princess.

Hichele appeared startled, as if forgetting she was there. The switch fell again. Mandy snatched it this time and yanked it away, throwing it across the room.

“Don’t do that again,” she snapped.

“Listen,
slave,
wherever you are from, the day I am an official Naki princess, you will be sent to work the mines on the planet for your disrespect!” Hichele said. “I am beyond proud to bear the Nakis sons to continue the bloodline. I may even be queen one day.” She retrieved the switched and smacked Mandy with it again.

“I’m afraid I pity your – ouch! – your Naki prince!” Mandy said, trying to grab the flying switch as it descended over and over. “If you don’t stop –”

Hichele’s face went from translucent to red in a second. Mandy managed to grab the switch again.

“You got issues, sister,” she said. “You hide the well in front of the others. That won’t last too long. They’re figure you out fast.”

Furious, Mandy left the room. The second of Helen’s guards waited in the corridor, and she stood beside him. Her arms stung from the switch marks. She flapped her arms, trying to cool the burning sensation. The guard looked down at her.

“Do you require the healer’s ward?” As before, his voice came from behind her rather than beside her, where he stood.

“No, I’m good,” she replied and dropped her arms. She couldn’t imagine Hichele as a queen. The slaves would definitely not be happy anymore.

Mandy cocked her head to the side, recalling how the slaves said one Naki woman wanted to get rid of Akkadi’s sisters. She shook her head. Hichele was a bitch, but Mandy didn’t see her having the mental wherewithal to stage a coup.

“Come, Mandy,” said Helen, sweeping through the door. “We will leave Hichele to lure her prince into bed and meet her later. I’ll walk you to the servant’s quarters.”

“Great.” Mandy trailed her through the corridor, wishing this adventure was over already.