Chapter 14

Carmen

Carmen was used to being made to feel like she didn’t belong. As the most classically Latina looking of her sisters, people would often assume she was a maid rather than an office worker at her last job, or that she didn’t speak English. Her weight added another layer to it. If she went to work out at a gym or to do a sport, she would feel people’s eyes on her back and hear their whispers.

It didn’t matter if she could run a seven-minute mile or do the splits. People would act like she was intruding for daring to stay in the same space as them while curvy. She was used to it but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Still, she kept her head held high and stayed polite to every Thryal who glared at her or spat in her face.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Sofia said in the safety of their shared bedroom. “It’s like half the people out there want to kill us and the other half don’t give a shit if we die at the hands of the first half.”

“So, not that different from home,” Carmen replied, flopping on one of the three king-sized guest beds. She wished she could be with Arccoo, but for the moment, it was more important that they maintain the appearance of propriety. She didn’t want to piss off the people or his family any more than she already had.

The room was massive, bigger than the apartment she and her sisters shared before they inherited Wildridge. The walls were decorated with holo-art that moved of their own accord, shifting from deserts to jungles to abstract shapes and photorealistic drawings. It felt like living inside a screensaver but in the best way possible.

Sofia shrugged, taking off her shoes and flopping beside Carmen. “It still sucks.”

She sighed, feeling as exhausted as she did whenever her male coworkers would give her coffee and cleanup duty because she was a woman. “No argument there.”

Of the three sisters, Elena seemed to be the only one thriving on this alien planet. Their brilliant younger sister was fascinated by all this alien technology, and although most of the public blamed humanity for the plague, she found a niche among the royal IT repairmen. Carmen was glad that at least someone was having a good time.

She studied the vaulted ceilings. “I wish there was some way to convince the public that we mean them no harm. We’ve got Arccoo on our side, and possibly his parents, but…” Her voice trailed off thoughtfully.

“But not beloved Prince Rocco,” her sister finished for her.

She nodded. “And I get the feeling his vote is the most important.”

Sofia hummed thoughtfully. “What if you tried to make friends with him?”

“What?” Carmen laughed. “Have you seen the way he looks at me? It’s like I’m the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.”

“But you’ve already won over one of the princes. I’m sure you can do the same with the second.”

“Why don’t you or Elena do it?” Carmen asked, crossing her arms.

Sofia laughed. “Can you imagine Elena trying to make small talk? I love her, but she’d probably jump into a monologue about her latest tech acquisition or accidentally insult him.”

“What about you?”

“You really think the girl who would regularly break the law and go trespassing on private property for ghost hunts would get along with Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass?”

“Sofia!” Carmen admonished, hitting her sister with a pillow.

But Sofia had a point. Her immediate younger sister had a history of getting in trouble with authority. Carmen admired that fierce and rebellious spirit, that willingness to go against what was normal and accepted, but it didn’t make her the best diplomat.

Carmen sighed, lying back. “You’re right. I guess I’m the best person for the job.”

“I’m always right. Elena’s the brains, I’m the brawn, and you’re the charming beauty.”

Carmen blew the air from her mouth, flapping her lips like a horse to make a doubtful noise. “I wouldn’t exactly say that…”

Sofia sat up to better meet Carmen’s eyes. “Have you seen the way Arccoo looks at you? It’s like you’re a freshwater lake after he’s been in the desert for years.”

It took Carmen a long time to learn to love her softer body. She’d go through periods where she would starve herself and exercise until she almost passed out. When her parents died and she was left in charge of her sisters, though, she was hit with two important realizations. First, if she kept crash dieting like that, her siblings would lose her, too. Second, life was too short to waste it hating herself.

So she got a therapist and began the long, painful process of learning to love the body she already had and treat it well, no matter what shape it took. Still, many days she hesitated to call herself beautiful, especially in comparison to her more conventionally attractive sisters.

“Thank you for saying that,” she replied, sitting up. “But I get the feeling Rocco will be harder to win over than Arccoo.”

Sofia scrunched her nose in slight disgust. “He has a weird vibe. Like a dog that’s way overprotective of his family and will bite anyone who comes near.”

Her sister’s words connected something in her mind, like a completed electric circuit turning on a light. “That could be how I win him over.”

Sofia nodded, humming thoughtfully. “As the oldest sibling, you would know a lot about feeling a duty to take care of your family. It’s got to be so much worse with the fate of a planet hanging over your head.” She grinned. “There goes our Charmin’ Carmen.”

Carmen wrinkled her nose in distaste but couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from her lips. “Now you went and made it weird. Never call me that again.”

Sofia nodded her agreement. “Yeah, that’s too much.”

The next day, she found Rocco in the library studying what looked to be ancient scrolls. “I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she said. “I was wondering if we could have a chat. Maybe over lunch?”

He regarded her with a calculating gaze. “About what?”

Ignoring her nerves, she forced a smile. “I just feel like we got off on the wrong foot and wanted to make sure there isn’t any unintentional animosity between us.”

“The wrong foot?” he repeated, tilting his head.

“It’s, uh, an Earth expression. Basically, I’m worried that my sisters and I made a bad first impression, and I wanted to explain my intentions to you.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes and he nodded. “Very well. Meet me in my quarters. It’s where I normally take my meals.”

She almost couldn’t believe it. He had been cold and hostile before, so this openness came as a surprise. She grinned. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

Once she was dismissed, she found Arccoo training by himself in the gardens. She took a moment to appreciate his strong, muscular form as he went through the motions of an imaginary battle. Once he was done, she let out a low whistle. “Remind me not to meet you in a dark alley.”

Arccoo tensed, swinging his weapon in her direction, only to stop when he realized who he nearly hit. He took a slow breath, seeming to force himself to relax. “Carmen.”

“Hey. I just had a talk with your brother.”

His brows shot up. “You did?”

“Well, sort of. He was busy, so we’re having lunch later. I just thought you would like a heads-up in case the rumor mill starts running.” Glancing around for any prying eyes, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

They parted, but he still held her close. “You should be careful around him. He’s… It’s hard to explain, but something has been off about him lately. He seemed so surprised to see me come back, and I worry he’s been holding something back from me.”

She nodded. “I will.”

“He is an honorable man but a bit more warlike than I like.” He glanced around for anyone who might be listening. “I ask that you keep this conversation between us. It’s not my place to criticize my brother like this.”

Carmen pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

At midday, she found herself standing outside the doors to Rocco’s private quarters. Hesitating for just a moment, she raised her hand and knocked. The doors swung open, revealing a grand apartment. Rocco sat at a table in the center of the room. A place had been set opposite him.

“Come in. Sit,” he said, smiling for perhaps the first time since she’d arrived with her sisters.

She smiled and took her seat. “Thank you for speaking with me. I appreciate your family’s hospitality.”

He waved her off. “My brother is quite taken with you. You’re the eldest sibling. Correct? You know what it’s like to be unable to say no to your younger sisters.”

Carmen laughed. “Tell me about it. After our parents died, it was my job to look after them. It would be a lot easier if they had any sense of self-preservation. And I can only imagine how hard it must be to have the weight of an entire planet on your shoulders.”

“Please, eat.” He gestured to her plate before taking a bite of his own food.

She took a bite of what appeared to be root vegetables and a bright blue meat. It exploded with flavor on her tongue. “This is delicious.”

“My personal chef is one of the best in the kingdom.” He relaxed back in his seat. “Do you know how your grandparents acquired the parantaa?”

She shrugged and took a sip of the wine beside her plate. “They aren’t alive for us to ask, but we found a picture of them holding it. They seemed to be shaking hands with your grandfather. We think they were entrusted with it because Earth is not advanced enough to know how to use it.”

Alcohol on Thryal must be potent, she realized, because the wine went straight to her head. Suddenly, she was feeling a bit sleepy.

Rocco smiled. “That is an interesting theory. It seems like such a waste, though.”

“A waste?” She shrugged. “I guess. I see why they wanted to hide it away, though. It reminds me a lot of nuclear energy. It has a number of advantages, but if something goes wrong, the results can be devastating. I understand why your grandfather would want to keep it out of the wrong hands.”

“See, that’s where I think you’re wrong. I think we need to harness the destructive power of the parantaa to keep ourselves safe.”

She blinked, the words not fully computing. Thinking was starting to feel like swimming in a pool of molasses. “I’m sorry?”

Rocco sighed, shaking his head. “Arccoo is a good prince and ambassador, but he’s a bit too soft. The best way to protect our planet is to strike first and terrify our enemies into submission.”

Carmen shook her head, trying to dispel the heady sleepiness that overcame her. Something was wrong. She’d been roofied at a party once, and although Sofia found her before she got hurt, she still remembered that feeling of violation and loss of control. It sent a stab of cold fear into her heart. “What… what did you do to me?”

“I dosed you with pseryllium venom. Don’t worry. It’s not deadly, but it makes you highly open to suggestion and telling the truth.”

Carmen pushed herself to her feet and stumbled a few steps before falling on her stomach. Rocco got up and nudged her with his foot, pushing her to lie on her back. “Why?” she slurred.

He squatted beside her, resting his elbows on his knees. “I need information. Where is he keeping the parantaa?”

“In a safe hidden behind the family portrait in his room,” she replied before she could stop herself.

He hummed thoughtfully. “I’m assuming that this safe is password protected. Do you know the code to get in?”

This time, she tried to fight it. Everything was fuzzy and the world swirled around her in a strange haze. “Yes.”

“What is it?”

She bit her lip. If he really wanted to use the parantaa as a weapon, there was no way she could let that happen. The results could be devastating. A sharp, stinging pain burst to life on one of her cheeks. She gasped, realizing dully he’d slapped her.

“What is the code?” he repeated.

“Wildridge.” The words tore from her lips, sending her into a spiral of shame.

He smiled. “That wasn’t so hard. Was it? Thank you for your help, Carmen. I’ll spare you and your sisters.”

“No…” she croaked. Her vision faded to darkness as she watched him disappear out the door. And then she felt nothing for a long time.

She returned to consciousness slowly, feeling someone shake her arm. Waking up felt like swimming against a current, but she still forced her eyes open. For a moment, she saw only shapes, but then the blurry figures sharpened into Sofia, Elena, and Arccoo’s comforting faces.

“What happened?” he asked, his violet eyes brimming with concern.

With a sob, she threw her arms around him. “He took the parantaa. He took it, and it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

It took him and her sisters several minutes to get the story out of Carmen. As she told what she could remember, she watched as Arccoo’s fists clenched in rage. She covered his hand with her own. “I’m so sorry. This was stupid of me. I shouldn’t have—”

He kissed her, silencing her self-deprecation. “Even trained soldiers will succumb to pseryllium Venom. The only one at fault is my sorry excuse for a brother.”

“He thinks it’s a waste to just use it to heal.” Sitting up, she brought a hand to her forehead, still feeling woozy. “I’m sure he’s long gone by now.”

“Maybe not,” Elena said thoughtfully. “I remember reading in one of Grandpa’s journals that the device gives off unusual radioactivity readings. We could use that to track it.”

“And then we’ll kick his ass into next week!” Sofia added. She sounded chipper but with an edge of very real and very terrifying anger underneath the surface. Elena and Arccoo wore matching expressions. In spite of herself, Carmen smiled.

Rocco wouldn’t know what hit him.