She looks between us and focuses on the King. “Are you able to travel to other planets? Like with a spaceship or something?”
A shocked stillness goes through the room. How dare she question the King. I expect him to deliver swift punishment but instead he cocks his head curiously.
Lifting his chin, he looks down his nose at her. “Yes. Of course.”
“If I tell you where I am from, how do I know you won’t go there? My people aren’t ready for an all this.”
She waves her hands in a unified circular motion, as if to indicate the palace and the King. The guards are on her in an instant, leveling her to the ground. Her cuffs begin to shock, and her small, soft body goes rigid.
“Stop!”
Bursting to my feet, I descend on the guards. They back up, leaving the female panting and struggling to breathe. She rolls onto her side before finally pushing herself into a sitting position.
“The name of your planet, now.”
She shakes her head, clearly denying him. My King narrows his eyes. He holds my gaze, his eyes saying so much that his mouth cannot. Not in front of others. We were born together, raised together. I have served him my entire lifetime. Horaxx is not only my King but also my brother. He and I serve at the feet of our sacred Queen, a bond that unifies us. I cringe to think what she would say about what I have done and the mess this may cause. Luckily, she is enamored with her newborn daughter and can’t be bothered with my mistakes.
My hearts know in this very instance that she was not coming here to do harm. The despair on her face matches her voice and the sadness of her energy lies heavily over me. This is a creature who was forced from her home world.
Despite her pain, she remains resolute.
“I don’t want anyone going to my planet. Do you understand? My people aren’t ready for something like that. You can’t go there. And if that means that I can’t go home, then,shit, so be it.”
I think she is speaking more to herself than anyone. But as her words develop, my King and I seemingly both have the same thought.
“She could be useful in defeating Maneshha.”
I look again to the female and recall how my body glowed with the cosmos when we touched.
“It makes sense,” King Horaxx says thoughtfully. “Perhaps you brought her here knowing that she would be helpful.”
He waves an urgent hand. “Read her. Do it now. I want to know where she came from.”
I am also curious and excited to read the female’s cosmic energy. A signature from her home planet should still be contained inside her vibrations for me to pull out and map. A thrill flows through my veins at the thought of touching her again. It was pleasurable last time and I’m curious to see if it occurs again.
A chair is brought, and the female is placed onto it. Moving before her, I remove her wrist bonds. Her eyes widen as I kneel before her. She is small compared to me. At this height, we are almost eye-to-eye.
“I will read you now. Remain still. Remain calm. I can make this pleasurable or painful. The choice is yours alone.”
She grips the side of the chair with both hands. I sense this is to keep her hands from wrapping around my neck. “What do you mean you’re going to read me?”
“To determine where you came from. The portal left a signature inside you, a map, for me to follow.”
She shakes her head. “No. Please, no.”
She tracks my movements as I slowly put a hand on the armrest. “What is your name?”
The female shakes her head again. “Fuck you.”
“I would like to know what to call you.”
Her chin juts up. “Lady. Assassin. Krunch.”
The King steels his jaw at her answer. I grin at the challenge in her voice.
Her eyes narrow as she grips the chair harder. “Make it painful, bastard.”
My body responds to her strength, her determination. “As you wish, Assassin Krunch.
