Chapter 26

“We’ll go see Lady Natoi right after breakfast,” I promised Heather. “If you’re sure you’re up for it.”

She nodded solemnly. “I am.”

There was something in the way she looked at me this morning that was different from yesterday, a strange serenity surrounded her. She had always exuded a calm disposition, yet today, her soothing aura enveloped me, calming my churning gut despite knowing I had to deal with Lady Natoi this morning.

“Your Imperial Highness, Lord Protector Garth of Astrionis and his mate Lady Silla have arrived to see you,” a servant entered and announced.

“Garth? Bring them in.” I pushed my chair back to embrace my old friend the moment he entered, accompanied by his mekarry, Silla.

“It is good to see you, Your Imperial Highness,” Garth greeted me with a formal bow.

I slapped him on the shoulder. “Since when are you so formal?”

His gaze moved to Heather, cautious and curious, and I understood. We were always formal in the presence of others.

“Heather, meet my brother, Garth and his mate, Lady Silla.”

Heather walked curiously over to us and I put my arm around her shoulders. “My mekarry,” I announced with pride in my voice.

Garth looked only momentarily startled before a wide grin spread his lips. “I’m very happy to meet you, Lady Heather.”

Heather and Silla eyed each other even more curiously before they embraced. “I’m so glad to meet another mekarry,” Heather gushed.

“Me too,” Silla agreed, and the two of them laughed sillily with each other.

Garth and I exchanged a good-natured look, merrilies, it seemed to say.

“Have you heard from Xandros?” Garth asked. “I’ve been trying to contact him for weeks.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one whose calls he’s avoiding.” I grinned. “He’s still by Earth, saving as many humans as possible,” I explained. “I need him back and he knows it.”

“Ah, that explains it.” Garth nodded and we exchanged another knowing glance, one I only understood now. Before, I had been irritated with Xandros for avoiding me, for not returning and taking care of his responsibilities, but now that I had found my mekarry too, I understood his reluctance to leave Ashley behind. Even the idea I had suggested to him before, of taking Ashley back to his ship by force and coming home, seemed preposterous to me now. How could I have suggested that? I would never force Heather into anything.

I sighed because now I understood, and another dreadful possibility entered my mind.

“I worry he will resign to stay with Ashley,” I voiced my deepest concern.

“Ashley won’t leave Earth, not as long as there is fighting to be done,” Silla added, fueling my apprehension.

“Don’t look so glum. It’s all destiny, it’ll work itself out.” Garth slapped me encouragingly on the shoulder.

Vra, I took heart from his words, it was what I had needed to hear. Garth’s faith was deeper than mine; he was one of the protectors of our old ways. In times like this, I needed that strength around me.

“What brought you here? Surely not the worry about Xandros.” I changed the subject and directed our guests to the table, where servants hastily added more plates and glasses.

“Nocc, we brought more humans who expressed their desires to find mates among the more civilized Pandraxians, as they call it,” Garth explained.

Heather’s face heated. Once upon a time she had come for the same reason. “They get to choose?” she asked, confusing me.

“Of course.” Silla nodded emphatically.

“You sound like you didn’t get a choice in this.” I threw a concerned glance at my mekarry.

“I didn’t,” Heather said. “I was told this is where I was assigned to.”

“I’m sorry.” Silla reached out over the table and patted Heather’s hand. “There was a lot of chaos in the beginning, but we have it all worked out now.”

“Good.” She turned to me. “May I… is there a way I can help those people?”

Pride filled me. Even after her ordeal, when she should have rested for a few days, all she wanted was to help others. She truly would make a perfect empress.

“I’m sure we can figure out a better program,” I agreed.

Silla looked surprised. “What’s wrong with the old program?”

“Oh”—Heather laughed nervously—“let’s just say some of the women who take humans in see it more as a competition for them to find partners as quickly as possible than truly wanting to find a mekarry bond.”

“I’m sure there is a story there,” Silla observed.

“If you stay for a bit, I will tell you,” Heather agreed.

“Which is my cue,” I said, rising. “I have to attend an interrogation.” At Garth’s questioning look I waved my hand. “I’ll fill you in later, I promise. Heather, I understand if you would rather stay here with Lady Silla and—”

Abruptly she stood. “The hell I will.”

I smirked. That’s my merrily.

“We have some things to attend to anyway.” Garth rose as well.

“Nonsense. Stay, eat, we’ll be back soon,” I assured him.

With that, and an entourage of forty guards, Heather and I made our way to Lady Madeema’s dungeon.

“Halt. Nobody may pass.” Two guards in Lady Madeema’s uniform blocked our way.

Despite Heather’s presence, anger flared in my gut at the guards’ audacity. Pleasantly surprising me that I could still call on my temper, even with her at my side.

“Move at once,” I pressed out between clenched teeth.

“I beg your pardon, Your Imperial Highness, but Lady Madeema gave strict or—”

I grabbed the male by the throat and lifted him off his feet, then threw him against the nearest wall. The other guard had enough sense to step out of my way.

“Open the door!” I snarled at the one who stepped away.

The male’s fingers trembled as he punched in a code that opened the doors, while my stomach churned with fury. How dare Lady Madeema enter codes into the walls of my palace, to restrict me from entering. For that alone she would need to be punished.

Heather had remained quiet during the altercation, but she stayed close to my side, staring at the white walls surrounding us.

Another set of guards stood at the end of the corridor. One piercing, glowering gaze from my eyes rushed them to open the doors. “Where is Lady Natoi being held?” I demanded.

“I will show you the way, Emperor,” one of them answered.

Here, doors with small round glass-covered openings were placed on each side of the wall in regular intervals. I didn’t glance into any of the cells they were barring, but I would order Noctus to check on the prisoners to see if Lady Madeema had overstepped here too, holding someone who wasn’t supposed to be held. At that point, I was ready for any kind of betrayal from her.

The corridor split and the guard led us down another hallway. How many prisoners does Lady Madeema hold or expect?

Prisoners were usually moved to specific facilities and not held inside the palace, for security reasons alone.

The guard stopped and opened a door. Without a word, I stepped past him with Heather at my side.

Lady Natoi sat huddled in a corner. She looked as if she had lost a lot of weight in the span of only a couple of days. Her skin was without its usual sheen—dull and lifeless, just like the lady herself.

“Your Imperial High—” She jumped up, but my outstretched hand stopped her from approaching me.

“I don’t care what Lady Madeema scared you with. I have one question and one question only and you will answer it truthfully.” I waited for her nod. “Was it your idea or hers to abduct Lady Heather?”

Lady Natoi’s eyes flew around the room in panic. She stared at Lady Madeema’s guard, me, then Heather, before she screeched, “Mine, it was all my idea.”

“I don’t believe you,” I said, spearing her with my gaze. “You are not her prisoner anymore, you’re mine and I want the truth.”

I gave her a moment to consider my words. “Hers,” Lady Natoi sobbed. “Please. I’m sorry. It was all her. She came to me.”

“Why would she do that?” Heather asked softly.

“Because you ruined everything,” Lady Natoi suddenly snarled, and I grabbed her by the shoulder before she could fling herself against Heather. “You human scum,” she spat. “I would have been empress, I, until you came and turned his head with your… your… whatever it is.”

Heat formed in my veins, but all it took was one glance at my mekarry and my heated blood simmered down. I remembered the day I met Heather, the day she appeared so unexpectedly in my suite, looking for Lady Natoi’s scarf.

Lady Natoi had made her interest in me known that afternoon. I gently but vigorously refused her, but apparently she still had harbored hopes of becoming my empress, no matter how ill-advised.

Heather stood her ground and asked the next question I was curious about as well but wouldn’t have posed, I would have reserved it for Lady Madeema. “What did Lady Madeema have to gain from this?”

At that Lady Natoi laughed. “Ask her.”

We could have made her talk, it wouldn’t have taken much, but I was done breathing the same air as this spiteful merrily.

“You never had any prospect of becoming empress,” I told her on our way out, closing my ears to her sobbing and pleading to be let out.