No, he never promised that, she told herself fiercely as she stepped into the royal apartments and was, at last, alone. He was always up front about having to leave me—about having to go when his mission was finished. He never lied to me.
He had never loved her, either. Not really. For if he’d loved her, how could he leave?
“How could he leave?” Ellina whispered, repeating her thought aloud as she sank down on the couch before the fireplace—the very place where the big Kindred had held and comforted and pleasured her so often in the past days. “Oh gods and goddesses, how could he leave?”
She put her head in her hands and wept, her heart aching as it never had before. Dimly she was aware of Lor howling mournfully on one shoulder while Tisa, who had been hiding in her hair during Ty’s exit interview, cried piteously on the other.
They had all lost him, Ellina thought to herself. The three of them—the big Kindred had walked out on a bond so sacred it was meant to be broken only by death.
How could you leave us this way? she thought as fresh sobs wracked her. Oh, Ty—how could you?
Chapter Thirty-seven
The corridor that led upward to the above-ground Docking area seemed very long. Ty had already packed his things and his ship was prepped and ready to fly. The rest of the Kindred guards who had been stationed here had already left. The Chorkay seemed to have their situation well in hand now, with no further need for help from their Kindred allies.
I suppose Commander Sylvan will send someone else—some diplomat—to stay here and continue the political relationship between our peoples, Ty thought dismally. Someone who doesn’t know Ellina like I do. I’ll probably be asked to brief him.
But what could he say to his replacement? Be respectful and follow their customs. Watch out for the High Priest—he’s a slippery bastard. Oh, and make sure you don’t fall in love with the Potentate.
What a joke!
Only it felt like the joke was on him. What in the Seven Hells was he doing, leaving Ellina like this?
I’m doing the only thing I can do, he reminded himself. The only thing that makes sense.
Then why did his departure feel so damn senseless?
Ty had no answers. He looked down at his feet as he climbed the long, narrow passage which led up and up. When he had first come to Helios Beta, he’d thought it would be hard to get used to living below ground. Now it felt strange to be going to the surface. Strange to be leaving Ellina and Tisa and Lor…
“Ouch!”
He was pulled out of his morose thoughts by a sharp stinging pain in the side of his neck. Reaching up automatically, he felt something hard and sharp buried in his flesh.
Pulling it out hurt even more but Ty managed, with a muttered curse. He examined the small, barbed thorn with a drop of his own blood still clinging to its sharp end.
“What in the Seven Hells?” he muttered. “Where did this come from?
Looking around, he saw a narrow tunnel leading off the main corridor. Just inside it, a dark shadow moved. But when Ty tried to see who it was, he found his eyes didn’t want to focus. That was strange.
“Hey! Who’re you? Whadayou wan?” he asked. But why were his words coming out slurred?
He tried to take a step closer to the blurry figure in the tunnel mouth, but his knees buckled under him. Falling heavily to the floor, his brain sluggishly informed him of what must have happened.
Drugged…I’ve been drugged!
Ty fumbled for his blaster, determined to take out whoever had shot him with the poisoned dart. But now his hands weren’t working right either. They couldn’t seem to grasp his weapon and everything was getting more and more blurry…
Can’t talk, can’t see, can’t walk or reach my blaster. This is bad…very fucking bad, he thought. But even his thoughts seemed sluggish, moving through his brain like slow-flowing mud.
The blurry figure came to stand over him. Ty tried to focus but he still couldn’t see who it was—just a jumble of deep blue skin tones and the muted gleam of gold.
“Who…wha…?” he tried to ask but his tongue was like a lump of lead in his mouth.
“Good—he’s nearly out,” a familiar voice said above him. “Take him to the dungeons—I have plans for our brave Lan’Glaver.”
Ty tried to protest, but now his mouth wasn’t working at all. In fact, nothing was. And then everything around him blurred into blackness and he knew no more.
Chapter Thirty-eight
After Ellina cried herself out, she sat curled in a ball on the couch, feeling horribly lonely. She knew she needed to get up and wash her face and get on with the business of governing, but somehow she couldn’t make herself move.
I’m too tired, she thought, feeling like someone had draped a lead blanket over her head. Too tired to move. I’m just going to take a little nap…
She woke up, some hours later, to a knocking at her door. It was Captain Kiyda again, asking if she was well.
“Fine,” she croaked, and then cleared her throat and tried again. “I am perfectly well, Captain,” she called through the closed door. “Do the ministers still expect me back in Morning Court?”
There was an awkward silence and at last the new captain of her Royal Guard answered.
“No, Your Majesty. It is evening now. The ministers all left some while ago. I was merely asking if Your Majesty would like your supper served to you in your apartments or in the Dining Hall?”
“Oh…” Ellina put a hand to her head. How could she
