Chapter 5

Talia

Talia had seen Chancellor Abernath's profile on the dossier weeks earlier. She reviewed it time and time again, knowing and dreading that he'd be the first to visit her table. As much as she hoped that he would give up on pursuing her, she couldn't feign surprise when the ballroom's lights dimmed, and the doors opened for the men to reenter. The golden half-mask with tusks protruding from the sides was unnecessary. She'd recognize him with a bucket over his head. Talia had known the tall, large man headed straight toward her for her entire life.

She didn't stand to greet him, aggravated that it would be one of her five encounters wasted.

"I hope first pick didn't cost you too much, Chancellor Abernath," she remarked as he pulled his chair from beneath the table. "You may find my company underwhelming tonight."

He settled into the seat across from her and waved their waitress over.

"It's yours, as dowry, if I can change your mind. But you already know that, my little star bird, don't you?"

His eyes dropped and he recognized the heavy jewels around her neck. They were the gift he'd sent to Talia too soon after Ryker's death. A smug grin crossed his face.

A red-jacketed woman set two glasses of deep burgundy wine on their table then receded into the shadows. Talia lifted her veil just enough so that she could test the flavor with a small sip. Wildberry. It was complex, delicious, and raw in the way only things grown from planetary soil can taste.

It was decadent and everything she'd never had. Everything she could never give Dawn or New Horizon, no matter how long she searched. It was everything Ryker and she had dreamt of giving them. Talia held back a curse because she knew exactly where it came from.

"A new blend I've been working on, reserved for my private collection. Do you like it?" Abernath's icy blue eyes scanned her face as candlelight flickered across his mask. Cold eyes that were always assessing and following her, ever since she could remember.

"Do you like it?"

Damned if she didn't want to tip her head back and let the wine flow down her throat like a river, then ask for more. Her chest ached as she pushed the glass away.

"I'm not here for wine, romance or games, Chancellor. Securing survival for New Horizon is my priority and, while our alliance with Xiridian IV has been beneficial, surely, I've made my position on marital partnership clear. I hope you do not feel as if I've led you on in some way."

She spoke deliberately and discreetly, in an effort not to draw any attention to their conversation or offend Abernath. She'd had no problem offending him in the past but here, in this setting, the embarrassment of such a scene would be the final bolt in her coffin. New Horizon would have no chance of any other allyship at Orion's Masquerade, and their community would be split amongst the stars for survival. She doubted the man sitting across from her would welcome any of her citizens, either, if she wasn't a part of the deal.

If Abernath were affected by what she'd said, he didn't show it. Instead, he relaxed into his chair and scratched his well-groomed stubble, tracing his jawline with the backs of his fingernails. Staring at her.

Assessing.

Talia wondered if he ever watched her mother this way as they were growing up together on Xiridian IV, before she met Talia's father and chose a life on New Horizon instead. She couldn't imagine that her mom would've allowed Chancellor Albernath into their lives if she'd felt the same unease Talia felt.

No, it must've started after Talia's dad died. That was a long time ago, though, and Talia had been too drowned in grief to notice the shift in his attentions. Talia was twenty years old when her dad passed. Old enough to recognize the intentions of untoward men, but na?ve enough to never have expected it from him. It'd shocked her when she heard of Albernath's proposal to her widowed mother, and then disgusted her when he repeated the proposal to Talia after Ryker disappeared, before his death was announced.

He sucked in a breath and leaned forward, sliding a hand underneath the table and placing it on her knee. His touch felt slimy, even with Talia's skirts upon skirts to buffer the contact.

"You know, dear, I cannot fund your endeavors forever without justification. My responsibilities grow and as they do, my capacity to funnel funds into projects that offer no direct benefit to my constituents begins to wane. What has New Horizon been able to offer Xiridian IV in return?"

She had no answer.

Talia knew that she'd allowed New Horizon to take from Chancellor Abernath without condition, acknowledging that the funds and gifts stemmed only from his favor toward her. She'd often wondered when the well would eventually run dry and here it was, evaporating before her eyes. With a sly movement, he shifted his reach beneath the table and caressed the outside of her thigh in a manner that went well beyond his level of familiarity with her.

He lowered his voice. "What could you offer me in return, Talia? I've been good to you. You would have a good life on Xiridian IV."

She froze. She wanted to remind him that she preferred he call her "Chancellor Steele," but she couldn't speak.

She couldn't offend him. Not now. Not when there was the slightest chance that at the end of the night, the relentless man seated before her could be New Horizon's last hope.

But what if New Horizon's council never found out?

What if she didn't disclose Chancellor Abernath's offer to Jules?

What if families then had to be separated in order to secure their new homes? What if the people she took an oath to protect were sent to planets on the brink of famine or war? What if their ships . . . like Ryker's and his fleet's . . .

What about Dawn? Would she get to see life?

Abernath's offer might end up being the only ounce of control she had over ensuring their safety and comfort.

"W-we could establish an educational program exchange? New Horizon's knowledge of planet-seeking over the past three generations has been unmatched, and?—"

"And where has that left you, my little star bird? Your predecessors gave away every planet they ever found, believing that in the end, there would be one last rock left for New Horizon. Have you found it yet? Hm?"

A thumb caressed the curve of Talia's thigh, slithering its way over the layers of skirts. Her insides crawled. All warmth drained from her hands and cheeks. A waitress walked by. The breeze created by the motion slapped against Talia's cold skin, stinging her like sparks flying from an electro rod. Chills broke over every inch of her body.

He opened his mouth to speak again but was cut off by a few brief notes from the ballroom's organ. Abernath took the cue and stood to move on to his next encounter, but not before giving Talia a curt bow and snatching his wineglass from the table.

Talia pulled her data pad from its cubby on her chair and tapped the screen to see who her next suitor would be, reaching with a shaking hand for her wineglass. She took one long, final drink then sent it back with her waitress, asking for a glass of water instead. She'd requested to meet with three men who met her primary qualifications. He must live planetside. He must have enough political pull to acquire citizenship for all of New Horizon's inhabitants. He must be of an acceptable age, not too young and not too old. And finally, he must live in a democracy.

Only one man from her list scheduled himself to sit with her, and he spent their entire encounter scoping out the other women seated nearby. The next encounter was a man even older and somehow slimier than Abernath, and the one after him didn't have Talia's language configured to his translator. By the time the waitstaff had finished helping him with the update, their time together was up, and the organ played its brief song again.

It was inconsequential, though. His profile told Talia that he was seeking a newer colony ship with more capacity and longevity for himself and his inhabitants. There wouldn't be adequate room on New Horizon for both of their colonies, and their combined resources wouldn't be enough to extend the life support much further than its current anticipated expiry. In a decade's time, they'd be scrambling again to find a home for their people.

She anxiously studied the final name. Emperor Anxvnsky of the Tarksolaris planetary system. Talia would be the sixth of his wives, giving him two for each planet. It was the first opportunity that truly made her feel like livestock at an auction, but there would be plenty of room for New Horizon's inhabitants to build new lives across his system, and the neighboring planets were close enough for travel among friends and family.

The emperor had marital expectations of his wives, but there was a schedule and she'd only have to spend a couple of months with him each year, and . . . The name on her screen began to blink, then it disappeared and was replaced by a new one.

Ambassador Thorne Montclair

Talia sighed with relief and clutched her hands to her chest, breathing on her fingers and willing the warmth to return. Of all the dossier's profiles she'd studied, though, she couldn't remember his. She tapped to refresh his profile, but it stayed sparse, displaying only his name. The ship's local network must've been experiencing some technical problems.

Lost in thought, repeatedly tapping that "refresh" icon and trying to recall any information on an Ambassador Thorne Montclair, she startled when the chair across from her was roughly pulled back and an imposing figure of a man wearing an ornately carved wolf mask fell into the seat.

Everything blurred. Her vision, her thoughts, even her control over her own breathing. It felt like when you pass a shadow in the hallway and for the briefest of moments mistake it for someone who used to be there but is now gone. It felt like she'd seen a ghost. She rested trembling hands on the tabletop to steady herself, afraid that she'd fall out of her chair.

"I'm so sorry," she said with a laugh, an attempt to cover the shaking in her voice. "For a second, I thought you were someone else."

Dark eyes, almost as dark as his mask, stared back at her. She wanted to believe those dark eyes were familiar but had to rein in her imagination. Talia caught the hint of a scar peeking over one of the eyes. She saw a glimpse of where it started above one temple and crossed over his lips, ending at the opposite jawbone. She connected the dots beneath his mask. His hair was buzzed too close to his scalp to truly make out the color, but she thought it was some shade of brown. His throat bobbed as if he wanted to say something, yet he remained silent.

"I, uh, I don't remember your name from the dossier," she pressed.

"I was a late addition," he stated coarsely, almost harshly. His eyes darted to something. She glanced over her shoulder in that direction. It was Abernath seated at a table with another woman.

"Do you know him?"

"Met him tonight. Can't say we're friends. What about you? He paid a high price to be the first at your table."

"Oh."

She clasped her hands in her lap and picked at her nails, not wanting to indulge that conversation starter. After a moment of tense silence, she decided to talk about the placement swap instead.

"I was surprised to see Emperor Anxvnsky's name disappear from my list but not disappointed." She smiled. "I don't think we'd have much in common. Has he settled on a lady so early in the evening?"

"No." The mystery man shifted in his seat and took a languid sip from his glass. The way his lips curved across the rim was too familiar to be real. It was stirring her wishful imagination, so she focused on his hands instead. His hands were rugged. Working hands. Then, she noticed the tan line peek out from the wrist of his sleeve as he set his glass back down. Planetside hands. "He looked bored, so we struck a deal. My planet sits close to his system. He needs minerals and we need food, crops, livestock. Things of that nature."

She straightened. His planet? "Minerals are quite finite. That could be a risky resource to give up."

He shrugged. "I wanted his spot."

"Why?"

The man in the wolf mask leaned forward, resting his forearm on the table. His dark eyes scanned her face, then veered down to her collarbone, then back to her eyes.

"You're looking for a planet, Chancellor Steele?" The more he spoke, the way he said her name, the more her imagination ran wild.

Don't be stupid, Talia.

"I am."

"I'm looking for inhabitants. My founding colony is too small."

"I'd love to learn more about your planet. Is it registered?" She could look it up during the break, while the staff prepared the ballroom for dancing.

"Not yet."

"What else can you tell me about it, then?"

"We're not the first civilization there. There's old tech and some infrastructure already in place, but it's ancient. Falling apart. The medical stuff works but everything else, eh. It's touch and go. No signs of the previous civilization, either, but we're going through their databases. Trying to figure out what happened to them or why the planet was never charted into any of the modern star maps."

"Any other signs of life?"

"Nothing intelligent."

She paused for a breath. It all felt too good to be true. She knew nothing of this Ambassador Montclair or his planet. She needed to slow down. She'd get the coordinates from him and have Jules research them. Maybe her vice-chancellor would prove herself useful tonight after all.

Talia's next question embarrassed her but she needed to get it out of the way. The answer, and whether or not it soured her insides, could help her to remain levelheaded. It could bring her racing heart to a screeching halt.

"And," she said, lowering her voice, "your marital expectations, Ambassador?"

Obsidian eyes dropped to her collarbone again.

"That's an interesting necklace you're wearing tonight, Chancellor Steele. Is it heavy?"

The organ resounded, closing the encounters portion of the evening, and he left.