Rakiz frowns, obviously still unhappy about this turn of events, but he must realize it’s the best option.
“Today,” he says. “If you’re going to go, it has to be as soon as possible.”
I nod. “I’ll go get ready, then.”
Vivian is still asleep in her kradi when I arrive. She lets out a long groan, finally rolling onto her back and opening one eye.
“How the hell do you look so good when you first wake up?”
She scowls at me. “Good genes. Why are you here at the crack of dawn?”
I laugh. “You want to come on another adventure?”
Her eyes light up with interest, and she reaches for a dress as I tell her my plan.
“Excellent,” she says. “I heard all about the city across the water when Nevada and Ivy got back, and I was pissed I didn’t get to see it myself.”
I raise my eyebrow. “You’re not scared?”
She snorts. “If we can handle the giant barbarian we dealt with yesterday, then we can handle one Braxian king with a stick up his butt.”
I wince. “You know you’ve jinxed us now, right?”
Vivian laughs. “How bad can it be?”
Chapter Sixteen
Charlie
The water is rough. Apparently, the last time the warriors with us crossed, it was about as calm as a puddle. Today, Hewex is throwing up over the side of the boat. Even Vivian looks slightly green next to me.
We’re now close enough to the shore that I can see other boats, and I stare as Jozet and Duvix tie up ours.
Hewex attempts to pull himself together while Tagiz says something low and taunting that makes the other warrior narrow his eyes at him.
On the shore, there are many different types of aliens going about their days, so focused on pulling in fishing nets and bargaining at the small market that they pay no attention to us.
I wanted a distraction, and I’m sure getting it here. I glance at Vivian, and her gaze is darting around like she doesn’t know where to look first. I laugh.
“This place is crazy,” I murmur as the warriors surround us.
“It’s the closest thing to actual civilization I’ve seen since we got here. I’m a fan. Let’s go explore.”
She links her arm through mine, and we walk up the long dock. The Braxians surround us as we make our way down a narrow, cobbled street. The buildings are close together, and I glance up at where a blue alien is hanging laundry on a balcony. At every intersection, vendors have set up carts of food and tables holding jewelry, weapons, and clothes.
We turn to the right, and Tagiz points at the huge black castle. It’s situated downhill, which is the only reason we couldn’t see it from the dock. I wonder if this is a strategic move.
“How the hell are we going to get in there?” I murmur as we walk down the hill.
Duvix shrugs. “We sent a messenger ahead, asking for a meeting with Arix. The king,” he says as I frown. “We haven’t yet heard back, but he is aware that we are coming.”
This does appear to be the case, as the guards leading to the castle allow us to pass each time that Hewex steps forward and murmurs to them.
“Am I the only one starting to get nervous?”
Vivian shakes her head. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”
The guards are dressed in spiffy black uniforms with gold buttons. They’re armed with swords, and they stand at attention as we walk closer to the castle.
We cross a wooden bridge, and I take a moment to peer over the side, into the river below. People are traveling down the river in small, canoe-like contraptions, and a few of them glance up at us curiously.
Finally, we arrive at the castle entrance, waiting at the huge black doors, which are flung open.
Guards are standing at attention on each side, but they’ve obviously gotten the memo because they let us enter.
I gape at the walls, which must be a hundred feet high. The rock is a deep black, with veins of silver running through it, making the walls gleam. In front of us, a huge staircase is made out of what looks like white marble, the banister gleaming silver.
Vivian holds my arm tighter. “It doesn’t even feel like we’re on Agron anymore.”
A guard approaches us. “You have been given an audience with the king,” he says.
Jozet steps forward. He insists on walking first, with Duvix bringing up the rear, sandwiching us between them. Vivian and I likely look like tourists at Disney World, our heads turning from side to side as we follow the guard to the left and into a huge throne room.
It’s lighter in here, with huge windows on either side allowing the sun to enter.
A long silver carpet leads from our feet to the throne. On either side, aliens of all kinds are sitting on plush sofas and chairs, talking amongst themselves. They go silent as we walk between them, toward the throne.
It’s a deep jet black, gleaming like polished obsidian. An immense behemoth of a Braxian is currently lounging on it, a cup in one of his paddle-sized hands.
“Whoa,” Vivian murmurs next to me. The giant Braxian’s gaze lifts to me before flicking to Vivian’s face, where it stays.
“Hello, lovely,” he purrs, and for the first time, I see her blush.
She looks as surprised at the color of her cheeks as I am, shooting me a wide-eyed look. She recovers quickly, stepping closer. “Hello yourself.”
His eyes—such a dark blue they’re almost black—turn feral.
He gets to his feet, and I suck in a breath. Dragix is a big guy—taller and more built than any human man I’ve ever seen. But while he’s lean, his movements a kind of rolling prowl, this tribe king is pure bulky muscle.
“You look like you’ve been bench-pressing that throne,” Vivian says.
A Braxian sitting close to the throne leers at her. “You look like you’re ready for a good, hard—”
Jozet
