Chapter 6

Ryker

Ryker splashed his face with cold water from the faucet in the men's restroom. He stared at the wolf mask sitting on the counter and it stared back.

Talia was wearing Abernath's jewels. Ryker knew this because Abernath had bragged about them after the pageant, when the men retreated to the parlor and awaited their cue to re-enter for the encounters.

He ran a wet hand over his face then down his neck. After he toweled off and secured his mask, he returned to the men's parlor and dropped into one of the low, plush velvet armchairs.

Ryker knew the large, showy jewels were chosen by the stylist and not Talia, but it didn't do much to lessen the offense because she shouldn't have kept them to begin with. He didn't know if it was competitive jealousy or the brick wall of realization that she truly lived as if he were dead, but seeing that man's jewelry on his wife made him angry.

Talia could've returned them to Abernath. She chose not to. She chose to keep them.

Did she want to leave tonight with Abernath? Was he her goal?

"Ambassador Montclair, how do you do?"

Ryker lifted his eyes to see Chancellor Abernath lowering himself onto the ottoman opposite him. He extended his hand and Ryker shook it, refusing to let this moment of insecurity unhinge him. "You sat with Chancellor Steele, yes?"

He nodded, wiping his hand against his pantleg.

"Well, you see, I have a particular interest in her and have been courting her for years."

"Years?"

Abernath nodded then motioned for a red-jacketed waiter carrying a tray of amber-colored spirits. He took two glasses and handed one to Ryker.

"It's been a long process but I'm hoping to finally reach an agreement with her tonight."

"How many years?"

"She lost a husband about five or six years ago. I gave her some time to grieve, of course."

"Of course." Ryker forced himself to take moderate sips although the thought of Abernath moving in on Talia before his proverbial body could even turn cold made him want to down it all in one gulp then slam the heavy glass into the side of Abernath's head.

"I hear that you've found a planet." A calculating smile spread across the Chancellor's face. "And your government hasn't been finalized yet, is that correct?"

Ryker nodded, tightening his grip on the glass. Albernath ran a thumb over his chin, then leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.

"You know, I could help you with that. Your partnership with Emperor Anxvnsky was a smart move, but if it's civilization you're looking to build, the people of my planet would be a better choice than those of Tarksolaris or New Horizon."

"How's that?"

"An emperor won't give away his people. The people of Tarksolaris would simply be on loan and ready to return to their home at any moment, or worse, they could revolt and try to absorb your planet into their own system. It's a security issue, really. And New Horizon's population, well," he laughed, "let's just say they wouldn't know what to do with dirt in their hands."

Abernath was wrong. New Horizon's residents spent two months of every year refreshing their knowledge of planetside life, with a primary focus on establishing new civilizations. Agriculture, hunting, infrastructure, creating something from nothing, it was all part of the curriculum. It's how Ryker and his men were able to survive as long as they had.

"What I'm saying," Abernath continued, "is that I can send some of my population to you instead. Enough to establish government. Enough to vote."

"Vote for what?"

"You, my friend. You." His smile widened.

They sat in silence while Ryker digested Abernath's intentions. Back off Talia, stop pursuing New Horizon's inhabitants, and the good Chancellor will fill Ryker's pockets with the power of a swayed vote. Afterall, isn't that what it appears he's here for? Population and power?

"For five years you've courted her?"

It was Ryker's turn to smile as Abernath's faltered.

"And yet she chose Orion's Masquerade. What makes you so sure that you can win her by the end of the night?"

Abernath huffed a laugh then leaned in farther. The pungent tang of too much drink hung in the air between them. He lowered his voice so that only Ryker could hear him. "Ambassador Montclair, my offer stands until the midnight chime. You should know, though, that Chancellor Steele will not choose someone based on a hope or a dream. She's intelligent, she's tactical, and she's here for the survival of her people. Nothing more. Remember that when your ego begins whispering in your ear. Remember that your planet is unknown and undeveloped. You aren't equipped to be here."

With that, he stood and turned to greet another man who'd just walked through the doorway, patting him on the shoulder and laughing like they were longtime friends. Ryker wondered if he'd bribed that man as well. The organ's chime cut through the parlor's intercom and one of the waitstaff waved the men out of the room.

When they'd all returned to the ballroom and the orchestra began, Ryker took to the shadows and circled the mingling crowd. Some stood to the side and had conversations with potential suitors, some lingered and contemplated their next move, and some went straight into dancing. Ryker recognized Talia by the shimmer of her dress weaving in and out of the bodies. She was looking for someone. He took a step backward and watched.

Abernath found her quickly and reached for her elbow. She jerked away, but then he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and accepted his invitation to dance, looking one last time over her shoulder. Could she be searching for Ambassador Montclair?

There was a satisfaction in knowing that Talia continually rebuffed Chancellor Abernath over the years. She chose the masquerade instead of him.

A sliver of resentment rose in Ryker when he realized that she chose the masquerade instead of waiting for him, too. After everything he'd done to survive and return to her and after every hope had left his soul except for one, the hope of seeing her again, she gave up on him. It sunk in like a knife in his gut.

New Horizon killed his entire fleet. Declared them dead and moved on with their own lives.

So he froze, watching as she danced in the arms of the enemy, trapped. He stood there, unmoving, and stewed as she twirled through song after song with anyone who wasn't Thorne Montclair. He knew she'd worry, after learning from the men's chatter that Abernath had either bribed or scared off any serious prospects.

Except for Ambassador Thorne Montclair.

After a while, he'd appear. He'd dance with her, charm her, and let her lean into the hope of salvation. Then, a part of him wanted to disappear without ever looking back to see if she would choose Abernath or the unmasking.

He rubbed the tension in his jaw.

No, this wasn't right. Talia might be worried for New Horizon's fate, but he knew that she didn't want to be at Orion's Masquerade and that she'd seen too much loss in her lifetime to acknowledge him as dead unless she truly felt it. Ryker closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths to clear his mind.

As the night drawled on, the music started to blend together, but Ryker stood patiently waiting for the right moment. He wanted to give Talia a chance to trust Ambassador Montclair before breaking for the intermission. He'd need that trust to lure her away into a private situation, so that they could talk.

Finally, Talia's latest partner took a step back and bowed, placing a kiss on her hand before saying goodbye. She lingered alone in the middle of the ballroom, toying with her fingers and looking lost as couples flurried around her. It was time.

Ryker thought he'd lost her for a moment, but as he stepped into the eye of the swirling storm, there she was. Alone and watching the others.

Then, her eyes landed on him . . . with longing. Even behind the haze of the veil, he could see the way her brow furrowed and her eyes sparkled. Ryker could feel the way she looked at him. A knot formed in his throat, but he swallowed it down.

This wasn't the right place, despite how badly he wanted to pull her into his arms.

"There are plenty contenders standing out there on the sidelines, too, Chancellor Steele," he said, raising his voice to be heard above the music. "Don't be fooled into thinking that dancing is the only thing you're supposed to be doing right now."

She smiled at him. Instinct told him to reach a hand forward, to cup her cheek in his palm, to rub his thumb gently beneath her eye and watch her lashes flutter in the way he adored. He shoved his hands into his pockets instead and focused his thoughts on how easy this was going to be. They were soulmates, after all.

"Ambassador Montclair, I hadn't seen you?—"

"I started getting cold feet. It's all so …" He motioned one hand in the air. "Well, it's just all so extreme. One night?"

She laughed nervously. "It's a lot to process, that's for sure."

The music shifted from an upbeat, energetic movement into something slower and more intimate.

"Would you like to dance?" He could handle one dance without going overboard, to help sway her interest.

She smiled and nodded, then they awkwardly moved into each other's embrace. Except that for Ryker, it wasn't awkward at all. His hand remembered exactly where to go. It slid easily onto the curve of her hip, then snaked gently across her lower back. Their fingers fit perfectly on top of each other as he held her arm out and they began dancing.

Talia kept a distance between them, though. Every so often, after they'd naturally moved closer together, she'd take a step back.

"I won't bite," he said with a smile.

"I know." Her words were clipped. "You're right—one night isn't enough time. I don't know what type of pressure you're under but if it's anything like mine, then . . . I don't know."

She laughed and blinked hard. He couldn't tell because of the veil but Ryker thought she might've blinked back tears.

"I don't know what I was going to say, what point I thought I'd make . . ." Her eyes veered to focus on something over his shoulder, on something beyond him.

He glanced around to see if it was Chancellor Abernath but there was no one there.

"You can speak freely with me," he reassured her, sensing her trepidation.

Talia shook her head.

"We could find somewhere private during the intermission. You can tell me about New Horizon's?—"

"No, that's not it. It's too difficult to explain."

"Why'd you come, then?"

"As I said before, my people need a place to go. The ship won't last past the decade and they need a permanent home. Tonight's goal was to find someone whose planet would benefit from the added population."

"Chancellor Abernath seems more than willing to take you in. He won't stop talking about it," Ryker said.

Her face flushed and her expression grew tight with anger.

"I didn't mean any?—"

"No, it's all right. I wish he'd leave me alone, though. I try to stay on amicable terms with him but he disregards my boundaries," she bit out, then immediately regretted her outburst to this man who was still very much a stranger.

"I see."

Her outstretched arm began to slacken, so he ran his hand to her elbow and guided it to rest around his neck. This brought them closer together, so close that his lips could brush a kiss against her forehead if he moved even an inch forward. Her body tensed beneath his grip.

"Don't worry, Chancellor Steele, I'm not going to try anything. I'm only worried about that tired arm of yours."

They stayed like this until the movement ended. The dimmed lights brightened.

"The orchestra will break for one hour," the maestro announced. "The dining hall is now open. Please, dine at your leisure and feel free to explore the halls together."

Ryker looked at Talia, noticing for the first time the dullness in her mother's beadwork beneath the harsh lights.

"Your opals are fake," he whispered in her ear.

She quickly turned her face to whisper back, and as she did, her cheek brushed against his and left a trail of heat in its path. "I couldn't bear to lose them if I failed tonight. Please don't say anything."

It was a sad secret, one he wished she never had to keep, but she'd entrusted him with it and that gave Ryker hope.

Then, Talia hurried away without glancing back at him.