In an ornamental chair placed along the side of the long room sat the smug female from the hall, along with an uncomfortable-looking male.
Chapter 26
Lily grinned and let out a deep sigh after the door closed behind Verakko. She spun in place, then scanned the room. “Hopefully he’ll be back soon,” she said to no one in particular.
Running her hands over her hips, she luxuriated in the incredible softness of the odd fabric. She wandered to the kitchen and examined the tips of her hair. The glitter coat was so fine it almost looked like shine from a distance.
Once in the kitchen, she stood in the center and peered around, not sure what to do with herself until Verakko returned. Deciding she had an opportunity to examine an alien house that most scientists would kill for, she began looking in every nook and cranny of the two-story home.
The two bedrooms seemed typical enough. Lily frowned at the cream and silver bedroom on the first floor, obviously meant for Ziritha, then a grin tugged at her lips. That meant Verakko had wanted to squirrel her away in his room.
A separate room with only a small pool of hot water made her stop. Did she have time for a quick dip before Verakko returned? With a last longing look at the steaming tub, she pulled herself away.
Lily searched every unlocked cabinet, squinted under every piece of furniture, and rifled through every drawer she could find. Most of the objects she came across were recognizable. Or at least she believed she could deduce what they were for. Some of the others items she found confounded her.
Currently she was standing in front of the gleaming control panel for the furniture, wondering if she felt brave enough to press a few alien symbols and see what would happen.
The front door whooshed open, and Lily whirled around, her heart ramping up to a frantic beat at Verakko’s return. How could she have ever doubted she loved him?
When she found Ziritha panting in the doorway, her smile faded. Her hair was no longer immaculate, frizz haloing her scalp, and she was winded. Quite unlike the graceful, poised pre-queen she’d been with all day.
“Are you alright?” she asked, wishing she knew how to get Ziri a glass of water.
Between pants, Ziri breathed, “He’s been reported…” Deep breath. “They’re at the palace now… The council will vote…”
Lily rushed forward, her heart thundering in her chest for an entirely different reason. “What? Who?”
Ziri shook her head and tugged on Lily’s arm. “They can’t make a decision about anything until all members of the council are there. They’ll wait for me. I wanted to get here as fast as I could to explain. Let’s go.”
“But—” Lily began, insides growing cold.
The woman pulled her roughly through the doorway and leveled a serious stare on her. “We need to go,” she swayed.
Lily grunted and brushed the sway away. “That doesn’t work on me.”
Ziri let out a huff of frustration and eyed her for a moment longer before heading down the hallway, Lily in tow. “He’s going to be sent away. You need to plead in favor of his character, and hopefully the sentence will be reduced. Tell them you initiated the pairing and make sure to play up the differences in your culture, and if you care for him at all, do not tell them he lied about being under contract.”
This was all moving too fast. One minute she was smitten and awaiting her mate’s return, and now she was getting pointers about how to get him a reduced sentence. Unlawful pointers, if Ziri’s hushed tone and nervous glances around them were any indication. “What’ll happen to him?” Lily tried to recall what he’d told her. “He said he’ll be sent away? To where? Tremanta?”
“Tremanta?” Ziri halted and turned on her. Her eyes were fiery and full of emotion, but Lily sensed it wasn’t anger directed specifically at her. “Off-world, Lily. He’ll be sent to serve on a barge in space, far, far away from here. You’ll go years without seeing him, and you’ll have to marry other males in the meantime.” She shot an angry glare behind her. “When he finally returns, he’ll no longer be eligible for marriage, but you still will be. Do you understand me?”
“He’ll be sent where?” Lily breathed, an iron band tightening around her chest. Sent away for years? Because I was too scared to realize what he means to me in time?
They stepped onto a lift, and Ziri tried to smooth her hair and clothes.
Lily pressed a hand to her belly as it roiled in protest, her mind racing but unable to follow any one train of thought. She slid her eyes shut. In. Out. In. Out.
Before she’d realized it, they were exiting the lift and walking toward a cruiser.
They climbed in and sat in silence, both working through their own thoughts. A mirror appeared on the wall with a touch of Ziri’s hand, and she examined her appearance, dabbing here and there to perfect her makeup.
“Why are you helping me?” Lily thought back to what Verakko had told her about his mother, the Queen. What he’d mentioned about the women of this planet overall. It seemed as though the people would lose respect for Ziritha as a ruler if she didn’t punish a breached contract. It would serve her better to push for a severe sentence. It’d make it clear to everyone that she wasn’t the type to be fucked with or disrespected.
“I know what it’s like to not be able to be with the male you want.”
“Fejo’s friend.” Lily recalled their brief and personal conversation at the spa.
Ziri smiled sadly. “If there’s even the slightest chance that Verakko’s marks could appear for you, I want to see that through. It’s selfish, really.”
