Protected

  Goddess, I thought deliriously. So fuckin’ beautiful—so fuckin right!

  And it did feel right. Even though I knew it was wrong and could never be between us, it felt righter than anything else in my whole life. Bringing Leah to the edge, tasting her sweet juices as she cried her pleasure and pulled me closer, calling my name—that was what I was meant to do. What I’d been made for—taking her to the peak and helping her learn to fly.

  I just wished I could soar with her and that we never had to come back down.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Location: Femme 1—also known as Majorah Prime, seat of the Goddess Empress Sundalla the 999th, Supreme Ruler of the galaxy—the Empress’s bedchamber.

  Time: Only moments before the Empress’s Ascendance to the Heavens.

  “You can go in now. She’s calling for you.”

  Captain Kristoff Verrai of the Empress’s Imperial Guard nodded at the attendant and entered the royal bedchamber. Inside he was greeted with imperial splendor, as befitted a ruler who was also worshipped as a deity.

  The walls were covered in pure, hammered gold, worked with intricate carvings and decorated with precious gems. The carpet was the softest tellah fur, pure white dotted with red and black spots and swirls. The bed itself was a massive affair—a thick, luxurious mattress piled high with gold brocade pillows embroidered with silver threads and covered in a matching duvet. It sat atop a raised dais, almost like a throne.

  Propped up in the center of all this splendor was a thin, pale figure—very white against the rich gleam of the pillows.

  It was the Goddess Empress herself, Sundalla the 999th—and she was dying.

  Kristoff came forward at a respectful pace, changing his own skin tone to match the golden tone of the room around him. It was a royal color—only those males who served in the Empress’s personal Imperial Guard were allowed to assume it. His eyes, as he climbed the dais, changed from plain brown to concentric rainbow rings, also to honor her rank. The Empress was the only female in the galaxy known to have a rainbow aura—the pure light of divinity and perfection surrounded her.

  Though only those who had the Vision could see it.

  Kristoff had the Vision—it had come to him at an early age. He had been only five when his mother—a noblewoman of Majorah Delta—had brought him along to court. During the royal procession when the Empress passed by, he had cried out in wonder,

  “Muhmuh—look! A rainbow! The Empress has a pet rainbow!”

  The Empress had heard and stopped the entire procession. Turning, she came back to where Kristoff and his mother were standing.

  “Who speaks of our aura?” she demanded, an imperious look on her beautiful face.

  “My Lady Goddess,” Kristoff’s mother gasped, dropping into a low, frightened curtsy. “Oh, please forgive my son! Kristoff is only five cycles old and he sometimes speaks out of turn.”

  “No, my good woman—do not fear.”

  The Goddess Empress had crouched before Kristoff, who looked at her wonderingly. She was beautiful—divinely beautiful with long golden hair, unlike the blue-black shade of most Majorans, and sharp green eyes the color of emeralds which seemed to see into his very soul.

  “Now then—Kristoff, is it?” she asked softly, looking at him.

  “Yes,” Kristoff said. And then, when his mother nudged him sharply he added, “MyLadyGoddess,” in a breathless rush.

  “Kristoff,” the Empress said. “Look at me and tell me what you see.”

  Kristoff looked up at her, drinking in her divine beauty. It filled his small heart to overflowing.

  “A rainbow,” he whispered, reaching up one hand to describe an arc around her golden hair. “Here…all around you. Is it your pet?”

  The Empress smiled.

  “In a way, I suppose. And can you see it that clearly?”

  “It’s beautiful,” Kristoff breathed. “Like you, my Lady Goddess.”

  “Well now—so young and already a flatterer.” The Empress had laughed and straightened. Then she spoke to Kristoff’s mother. “Your son has a rare talent, my dear. When he is of age, I will need him here at court. He is to be mine and mine alone. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, my Lady Goddess. Thank you my Lady Goddess,” Kristoff’s mother breathed.

  “Very good.” The Empress had nodded and then leaned down. She pressed a cool kiss to Kristoff’s forehead. “Farewell for now, little one,” she murmured. “I will see you later when you come to claim your place in court.”

  And so she had.

  As he climbed the dais to reach the massive, golden sleeping platform, Kristoff recalled his many years in service to the Empress. He had come to the palace as a young warrior and presented himself to be taken into service. But though he had a place waiting for him at the word of the Empress herself, the training for an Imperial Guard was not easy.

  There were long days and sleepless nights—stretches of endurance training without food or water or comfort of any kind. There were lessons on covert operations and the art of intrigue for a Guard must be subtle as well as deadly to protect his royal mistress’ life.

  There was training with the sword, the blaster, the dagger, and every other weapon until he was a weapon himself—a deadly blade to be wielded only by the Empress.

  Later, there were missions where his hands were drenched in the blood of her enemies—for an Empress, even a universally loved and worshipped one—always had those who wanted her dead and the Majoran court was a dangerous place—rife with lies and intrigue.

  Through it all, the memory of that one cool kiss on his forehead carried Kristoff through.

  Sometimes he thought he had always loved her—from that first moment at the age of five when he saw the beautiful rainbow aura surrounding her perfect face. From that moment when she kissed him and claimed him as hers. Though she was fifty cycles his senior and his love took the form of devotion rather than physical expression, still it was love of the deepest kind.

  Unswerving Loyalty, Unquestioning Devotion, Unremitting Obedience—it was the code and the credo of the Imperial Guard. And to that, Kristoff added, Unending Love.

  And now the female he had devoted his life to was dying.

  He finished climbing the dais and bowed deeply to the withered figure in the middle of the bed. Her hair and skin were nearly pure white now but her rainbow aura remained, stronger than ever. It was a shining halo all around her head that only his eyes could see.

  “Oh, don’t bow that way, Kristoff.” The Empress’s voice still sounded young somehow. Impatient even—as though she was beckoning him to hurry up because they were going to be late for court or some royal appearance.

  “My Lady.” Kristoff rose from his deep bow and sat on the side of the bed. “How are you, today?”

  “Well enough. I…” Her words were interrupted by a coughing fit. One of the trained nurses came forward but Kristoff waved her away. Quickly, he found the bulb of nutrient fluid which nourished the Empress in her fragile state. Propping her gently up with one arm, he squeezed some of the sweet liquid into her mouth.

  The Empress drank gratefully and then breathed deeply.

  “Ah…thank you, Kristoff.”

  “You are ever welcome, my Lady.” Gently, he eased her back down to the pillows and brushed a shining strand of pure white hair from her eyes before sitting back to regard her. “So you were saying? You feel well?”

  “I feel fine,” she insisted, her faded green eyes snapping with some of their old fire. “But the Council doesn’t seem to think I am. They’ve had me moved into this dusty mausoleum of a room when they know I prefer my other sleeping quarters.”

  Kristoff knew what she meant. This grand bedchamber was only for show. There was a small, snug chamber behind it with a natural gilla-grass carpet and a bed that was just large enough for two which the Empress had shared with her Consort for many years before he passed to the other side.

  Kris
toff had never known the male who had been privileged to share the Empress’s bed—he had been killed thwarting an assassination attempt the year before Kristoff himself came into service. After he died, the Empress had never taken another Consort—or indeed, another lover of any kind. But she had needed someone to confide in and Kristoff had been there for her then, as he was now.

  “Do you want to go back to the small bedchamber, my Lady?” he asked softly, reaching for her frail hand and holding it gently in his own much larger one. “The Council cannot force you to sleep here. I swear by the Goddess of Mercy I’ll slit their throats if they try.”

  “Dear Kristoff—always so charmingly bloodthirsty.” The Empress smiled at him tiredly. “No, my dear—they have moved me in here for a reason. My Ascension is near and all of us know it.”

  “No.” The rainbow rings of Kristoff’s eyes blazed. “No, I refuse to accept that!”

  “But you must.” The Empress squeezed his hand. “My dear Kristoff—we all must die. Even an immortal goddess like myself.” She spoke the words lightly, mischief dancing in her eyes. “But you do not believe I am a goddess, do you? You never have.”

  “No.” The word sounded blunt and rude but he could not lie. “No, my Lady—but I have loved you just the same.” His voice was hoarse in his own ears and he searched her faded green eyes with his own.

  “And it is for your love and loyalty and yes, even for your unbelief, that I love you too, my Kristoff.” She smiled at him tiredly. “And it is because of all these qualities that I have called you today—I have a special mission for you, you see.”

  “I have no mission but to keep guarding you,” he protested. “To protect your life with my own, my Lady.”

  “My life is very nearly done. Soon I must Ascend to the Goddess of Mercy herself.” Her voice sounded soft and far away. “But first I must tell you what I have Seen.”

  Kristoff knew well enough what she meant. The Empress was a La-ti-zal—a rare female who had been blessed with extra gifts by the Ancient Ones, those who had seeded the galaxy with life millennia ago. She was a Seer and her visions had often kept her subjects from harm—especially in the case of the War of Assimilation.

  That famous war, fought against sentient machines who injected themselves into living hosts, had been fought when the Empress was still young and freshly crowned and it had been long before his time. Still, Kristoff knew the Empress had been able to see into the mind of the enemy somehow. Working with the general of her armed forces—who had later become her Consort—she had saved the galaxy from Assimilation.

  It was her greatest triumph—he wished he had been there to see it. It had cemented the Empress’s rule and established her as a true Goddess. Her visions were honored and if she said that she had Seen something, it was best to be silent and take note.

  “I have seen my next incarnation—the one who will take my place,” the Empress told him now. “Sundalla the 1000th.”

  “She will never take your place,” Kristoff said fiercely. “No one can!”

  “But she must.” The faraway look left her eyes and the Empress looked at him. “Kristoff—you must go to her. Her life is in grave danger.”

  “I don’t understand,” he protested. “You’ve had committees out searching for your successor for years now. Are you saying they finally found her?”

  “No.” She shook her head weakly. “Any they find will be imposters—not the true incarnation of the Goddess Empress. You will find the true Empress. For only you have the Vision.”

  “There are some who claim to have it. Morbain—”

  “Sees only what the greed in his heart allows,” she said sharply. “He would seek to crown a weak female whom he can control and rule the galaxy through her. But the Empress must be strong—unyielding to any save her Consort. And even then she must yield only in the bedchamber—never in matters of state.” She sighed. “No, Kristoff—you are the only one. And you must find her and protect her and raise her to the throne.”

  “Who is she?” Kristoff asked.

  “A female who looks like I did when I was younger—much younger, my dear.” The Empress sighed longingly. “Hair yellow as sunshine and eyes a deep green.”

  “And where is she, this girl?” Kristoff asked. “Did you See that as well? Majorah Delta, perhaps? Or Majorah Beta?”

  “No.” She shook her head weakly. “She is far from here—not even in the Majoran system at all. I could not See where she was exactly, only that the planet is green and blue and quite small.”

  “But…that describes millions of planets in the galaxy,” Kristoff protested. “I could search my whole life and never find it!”

  “Hush, Kristoff—there is more to my Seeing.” She patted his hand. “You will find one who can direct you. Here—let me show you.”

  She beckoned for him and he put down his head so that she could press her soft fingertips to his temples.

  Kristoff closed his eyes and a picture formed in his mind. A curvy girl with pale skin, long, straight brown hair, and large brown eyes was looking back at him. She was unlike any of the Twelve Peoples he had ever seen—unless she was Majoran and had chosen to change her hair and eye and skin coloring for some reason.

  But somehow Kristoff didn’t think that was the case. The girl was a true outsider—maybe even a Pure One from a closed planet where the inhabitants had never interacted with the rest of the galaxy. She had a pale blue aura that spoke of some hidden power—though it was nowhere near as gorgeous as the rainbow aura of the Empress.

  “Who is she?” he asked when the Empress released him and he raised his head.

  “Someone who knows my new incarnation and loves her well. But…” She raised one withered finger warningly. “She will be in the company of a very dangerous felon. You must be wary and stick to your mission—do not be distracted by her companion although you will be tempted.”

  “All right. And where am I to find this female?”

  “You must travel to the Lavara system—into the heart of the Spider’s Web. There you will meet the one I have showed you,” the Empress said.

  “The Spider’s Web?” Kristoff frowned. “I thought you directed us to stop trying to subdue that region because of the massive casualties?”

  “I did.” The Empress’s faded green eyes were sorrowful. “And now I must ask you—my best and bravest Guard—to travel into the heart of danger. Forgive me, Kristoff—I do not want to do this. But the new Sundalla must be protected! And you are the only one I trust.”

  “I don’t fear to go into danger on your behalf—you know that.” Kristoff looked at her intently. “But I don’t want to leave you—not now. Not when…”

  “Not when I’m about to die?” she asked gently. “Don’t worry, my dear—I’ll be gone before you go. I have Seen that too.”

  “You won’t die, my Lady!” But the words tasted like ashes and dust on his tongue—he knew they were a lie.

  “I will. I will Ascend—I must to make way for she who is to come. My new incarnation—Sundalla the 1000th.” She looked at him earnestly. “She will have such need of your aide and counsel and protection, my dear! You must guide her in her choice of a consort and guard her life with your own, as you have guarded mine.”

  “Of course, my Lady,” he said through numb lips.

  The Empress pressed his hand.

  “Promise me you will love her as you have loved me, Kristoff. Promise me that.”

  Kristoff felt a muscle in his jaw work as he tried to say the words—tried to give the promise his Empress asked for.

  But at last he had to shake his head.

  “I cannot,” he said hoarsely. “I cannot promise to love another as I have loved you, my Lady. For no other is worthy.”

  “Ah, Kristoff…come here.” The Empress beckoned to him again.

  He bent his neck and she put a hand on his blue-black hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead, just as she had so many years ago.


  “When you find her…you will also find her worthy. Worthy of the same love and devotion you have shown to me all these years. Now go, my dear Kristoff—the wisest and bravest of all my Guards. Go and seek her out.”

  And then her hand fell away and she spoke no more.

  “My Lady—” he began, looking up. But the words he was to speak died on his lips.

  The Empress’s eyes were closed and a look of peace was on her old but lovely face. Her withered chest no longer rose and fell and her hands, always so busy and active, were at last at rest. Around her head Kristoff saw nothing.

  The rainbow aura was gone.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Leah

  “So…what now?” I asked. I was tingling all over, from my fingertips to my toes with residual pleasure and my words came out in a kind of contented purr.

  Grav and I were still lounging in bed, though he had excused himself to “clean up” and I had put on a soft green dress which was one of the outfits he’d bought me on the Sincon Delta station.

  But even after getting changed, we had somehow gravitated back to the bed, though we were only talking now.

  The distance between us seemed to have disappeared. Grav was sitting at the head of the bed and I was leaning back against him, enjoying the feel of his hard, warm chest against my back.

  I was also enjoying the deliciously dreamy afterglow state I found myself in. My whole body—which had been tense and on edge for days—was finally at rest. I felt satisfied, the same way I might if I had been starving and someone had finally given me my first taste of food.

  Only it was Grav who was doing the tasting, whispered a little voice in the back of my head. Over and over and over again.

  It made me blush but I couldn’t deny it was true—the big alien had stayed between my legs, tasting me for what felt like hours—making me come again and again. Only when I had at last had enough did he finally let me go. And even now that our encounter was over, he seemed reluctant to stop touching me.