The Royal Pursuit Read online

  “It’s a bad feeling I can’t shake off.” She paused. “You have a lot to tell me. I mean, you’re the one who transforms into a mermaid these days.”

  Ann chuckled. “Only because I ate some special fish on the planet Lone.”

  Stacey gave her a curious look.

  “I better start from the beginning. You know how I went to college in Florida after I graduated high school?”

  She nodded. “We lost touch after that.”

  “Right. Well, my parents died in a car accident about three months after I started college.”

  “Oh no. Ann, that’s awful.”

  She was touched by her friend’s concern. “Thank you. I should have told you. You would have been the right person to go to about it, but the only person I talked to after that was William.”

  “William Nichols?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  She raised her eyebrow. “You were crazy about him. You talked about him nonstop.”

  “Yes, I did. And I couldn’t get over him for the longest time.” She tried not to shiver at the memory of how pathetically devoted to him she had been.

  “I didn’t want to mention this in front of your husband, but William called me a few times to find out where you were,” Stacey said. “Of course, I had no idea. He had to call my parents to find out what my phone number was. I kept telling him you were nowhere to be found. He just said the last time he talked to you was when you were in North Dakota. I think that was five years ago.”

  Ann refrained from rolling her eyes. So William only wanted to talk to her because she was no longer available to talk to.

  “Do you still have a thing for him?” Stacey asked.

  “No way!”

  She looked relieved. “That’s good to hear. He was telling me that his ex-wife, Carol, was a big mistake and how he wished he could go back and do things differently with you. I think he wants to renew your relationship with him.”

  “He had four years to be with me, but I wasn’t good enough for him. I finally wised up and married someone much better.”

  “Do you ever wonder what would have been if you hadn’t moved and you ended up with him?”

  “I don’t have to wonder. I know. I would have been miserable. I’m glad Hathor showed up when he did.”

  “I’m glad for you.” She smiled. “Okay. Now back to Florida. After your parents died, what happened?”

  “I stayed in Florida for two years and got my Associates of Arts degree. Then I transferred to a college in North Dakota. I was twenty-one at the time. I was going for a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Well, that was when Hathor showed up out of nowhere, and I mean that literally. He told me that I was to be the queen of a planet called Raz that was in the Enchanted Galaxy.”

  “And he was kidding, right?”

  “No. And believe it or not, that’s what I am. I went to Raz and now rule there.”

  Stacey looked skeptical.

  Ann nodded, understanding her hesitation. “Don’t worry. It sounds like I made it up, but it’s the truth.”

  “Is that how you became a mermaid?” she slowly asked.

  “Not really. I’m on a mission to retrieve the Stone of Immortality from the Nicals who stole it from the Olympians.”

  When Ann saw her eyebrows furrow, she explained everything that had transpired since the Augurs sent their request to meet with her on Raz.

  ***

  While the women talked in the kitchen, Hathor finished dressing after his shower. He came out of the small room, wearing Kent’s clothes. He’d forgotten how comfortable a cotton shirt and blue jeans were. When Kent led Hathor to the kitchen, Stacey lead Ann to the shower.

  “I guess we’re going in shifts,” Kent joked. He pulled his long black curly bangs out of his eyes. “Would you like to eat or drink anything?”

  Hathor nodded. “That would be great. Thank you.”

  Kent grabbed a glass of water and a ham and cheese sandwich from the fridge. “I figured the girls wanted some time alone to catch up on old times. Stacey really missed Ann. She talks about her once in awhile. She thought Ann died about five years ago.”

  He set the drink and sandwich on the table in front of Hathor before he sat down across from him. “She did a search for Ann a few months ago,” Kent continued. “She discovered Ann’s last known whereabouts was in North Dakota. The search records say Ann died five years ago, probably as a Jane Doe in a hospital somewhere.”

  “Jane Doe?”

  “That’s the name they give a woman who shows up dead without any identification or known relatives or friends to claim the body.”

  “Oh.” Hathor had wondered how the people on Earth explained Ann’s disappearance.

  “Thankfully, Ann is still alive. It was so weird. Someone called Stacey out of the blue a few months ago and it sent her into a panic to find Ann. Okay, it wasn’t really a panic. But she seemed intent on warning Ann about something. Yet, just now, she didn’t seem to be worried about Ann. I don’t get it.”

  Hathor frowned. “Do you know who called her?”

  Kent looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, as if he’d find the answer there, then shook his head. “No. Stacey said his name, but I don’t remember it.”

  “William Nichols?” Hathor didn’t want to say the name. He didn’t even want to think of the person who gave him so much grief in the past, but he had to know.

  “That sounds right. Do you know him?”

  “He’s come across my path a couple of times.”

  “You seem to dislike him as much as Stacey does.”

  Hathor forced himself to relax so he wouldn’t give anything else away. What could William possibly want with Ann now?

  “You look familiar,” Kent said.

  Hathor looked at him, surprised. Kent shouldn’t remember him.

  Kent smiled widely. “Of course! You’re the student I took to the music store. That was the day I met Stacey.”

  He released his breath. That was the only memory Kent should have had of meeting Hathor. He nodded. “Yes. I was the one you took to the music store.”

  “I guess you didn’t get the job. I went back to the store to thank you for introducing us, but none of the employees knew who you were.”

  “No. I didn’t get the job.”

  “We’re back,” Stacey said as she and Ann entered the room.

  Hathor put his arm around Ann’s shoulders when she sat next to him. He pulled her close to him. He would always be grateful she chose him over William.

  She wore her hair down, her damp curls falling softly over her shoulders. The sides of her hair were pulled back by a heart-shaped barrette that Stacey had given her. She wore a red shirt and black jeans. It reminded him of how she looked as a high school student.

  Stacey sat next to Kent and said, “Did Hathor tell you where they’re from?”

  “We didn’t get that far,” Hathor replied.

  “Do you want to tell him? Ann filled me in on the details and it’s fascinating,” she told Hathor.

  “I was born on Raz. It’s a planet in the Enchanted Galaxy,” Hathor began. “I came to Earth to bring Ann to Raz because Raz had picked her to be its next queen. On Raz, the queen is the one who has all the power.”

  “If she’s the queen and you’re married to her, then you’re the king, so you share some of that power,” Kent said.

  “The king doesn’t have any power. He serves the queen and gives her a daughter.”

  “I don’t think of Hathor as my slave,” Ann quickly said. “That’s not the way it is. I know it sounds bad, but he’s my equal. He just has a different role than I do. But that’s beside the point. He brought me to Raz.”

  “That was five years ago,” Hathor added. “That’s why she disappeared from Earth.”

  “Raz is like the fantasy stories you read about in books or see in the movies,” Ann explained. “You know, the stories with magical creatures like unicorns, fairies and goblins. It’s a beautiful place.”


  “So what are you doing here?” Kent asked.

  “The Nicals stole the Olympians’ immortality,” Ann answered. “The Olympians are the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses who left Earth after the fall of the Roman Empire. They are similar to what you read in the myths, but they are regular people. They really aren’t deities. The only reason people on Earth worshiped them was because they have a magic stone that gives them their immortality.”

  “Their loyalty is solely to the queen,” Hathor added.

  “They treat you well,” Ann said.

  “Only because I’m with you.” He smiled at her. “Ann, I don’t care. I like being with them, too.”

  “They are biased in their treatment of me,” she admitted to Kent and Stacey.

  “The Nicals went to planet Olympia to get the Olympians’ immortality,” Hathor continued. “Because of that, the Olympians are in the process of dying. Ann, Athen, and two Palers went to planet Lone to retrieve the Olympians’ immortality for them.”

  “Palers?” Kent asked.

  “Palers are from planet Pale. They are a great ally to have. Thanks to Ann, Raz and Pale are on friendly terms.”

  Ann’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh, I can’t take credit for that. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

  Kent chuckled. “You are so lucky. You get to travel across galaxies and meet other life forms. It must be one big adventure after another.”

  “It’s hard not to get jealous,” Stacey agreed. “The best we have is Atlantis.”

  “Anyway, you went to look for the Nicals,” Kent said. “Did you find them?”

  “They found me,” Ann said. “They kidnapped me and my group. One of them let me escape because the man in white planned to kill me if he found out I was pregnant.”

  “Is the man in white a Nical?” Kent asked.

  “No. I don’t know who he is or where he came from.”

  “Why does it matter if you’re pregnant?”

  “The Augurs said he wants to kill her before she can give birth to our child,” Hathor replied. “The child is destined to play a big part in defeating the plans the man in white has. The Augurs told us to meet them here.”

  “Who are the Augurs?”

  “They’re from the planet Aug. They have this small device that can tell the future.”

  Kent raised his eyebrow. “Hmm…I don’t suppose there’s a connection between the Augurs and what we found in Atlantis.”

  “What did you find?” Ann asked.

  “The people who lived here had technology for telling the future. We found it in the arc. It doesn’t work anymore.”

  “There could very well be a connection,” Hathor said. “It would explain why the Augurs wanted us to meet them on Earth.”

  “We’re going to meet aliens?” Stacey gasped.

  “Since you’re here, you most likely will,” he replied.

  “What does an Augur look like?” she asked.

  “They’re human. They have black hair and wear black clothes. They’re known for their honesty, and when they make ridiculous demands, it turns out that they are doing so because it’s in your best interest.”

  “Wow. This is incredible. You interact with these other beings on a regular basis and it’s no big deal?”

  He shrugged. “We’re used to it. We still have much to learn about other planets and the beings on them, so it’s not like we know everyone or everything.”

  Kent whistled. “What an adventure that would be. Just learning about different aliens and their planets would be great.”

  Stacey grinned at Ann. “You definitely have a terrific job.”

  “Sometimes I wonder if I’m really up to it,” Ann confessed. “I don’t feel adequate.”

  “You do a wonderful job,” Hathor assured her.

  “He always says that,” she told Kent and Stacey.

  “Maybe that’s because it’s the truth,” Kent said. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who’d lie.”

  They heard the door of the submarine open.

  “I know this is a strange request, but would it be too much to ask if you two didn’t mention where we’re from or why we’re here?” Hathor asked. “I don’t know if Earth is ready for aliens.”

  “We’ll just tell them we found you sending out an SOS and rescued you,” Stacey said. “Does that sound believable?” she asked Kent.

  “I don’t know. It’s a long way to the top,” Kent replied. “I’m not sure we can say anything that won’t sound weird. We’ll just keep it vague.” Kent turned his attention back to Hathor and Ann. “Your secret is safe with us.”

  Hathor squeezed Ann’s shoulders. He was thrilled to see them again, and she felt the same way. He knew they could trust them. They had proven that in the past, even if they didn’t remember it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lake Solitaire

  Planet: Lone

  Athen was weary by the time they reached Lake Solitaire. He hadn’t slept in days, and his fatigue was beginning to press down on him, making him clumsy in his walk.

  Dour sensed his discomfort, for he said, “We need to sleep.”

  “Sleep?” The man in white shook his head. “We can’t afford to rest. We have to catch the Queen of Raz.”

  “What good will any of us be if we’re too exhausted to capture her when we find her?” Dour asked.

  The man frowned. “I wasn’t the one who let her go.” He glared at Optima.

  She looked away from him.

  “Lay off of her already,” Athen demanded, his face getting warm with anger.

  “Perhaps you don’t understand the severity of the situation,” the man growled.

  “If I don’t, then it’s because you didn’t care to fill me in on the details,” Athen snapped.

  “I loathe you.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  The tension between them hung in the air, threatening to give birth to a physical battle.

  “Athen’s right. We’re not going to be any good to you if we’re too tired to fight,” Optima spoke up.

  Athen looked over at her, realizing it took her a lot of courage to stand up to the man. He smiled at her, appreciating her willingness to not only free the queen but also to stand behind him and Dour.

  She blushed, her hair turning pink.

  He wondered what that hair color meant. She was probably just flattered by his support. He forced his mind back to the man who gritted his teeth in aggravation.

  “Fine,” the man finally said. “We will sleep, but only for a couple hours. Any more than that will be greatly upsetting.”

  “To who?” Athen ventured.

  “Never mind. You got your wish. Delight in your dreams.”

  Athen watched as he walked to another part of the lake in a huff. Athen breathed a sigh of relief. At least they would be free of him for a couple of hours. Despite his weariness, Athen didn’t know how he would be able to sleep with the man so close to them.

  “I will search for some soft weeds we can use for pillows,” Dour volunteered. “Athen, would you mind staying here and protecting Optima. I don’t trust that man.”

  “Yes, I will stay with her,” Athen replied.

  They watched as Dour headed off into the trees.

  The man saw Dour leave and stood up from a log he’d sat on, clearly angry.

  “He’s coming back. Keep your temper down,” Athen yelled out.

  The man shot him another disgruntled look before he sat back down.

  “Doesn’t he ever get tired?” Optima asked.

  “It appears not,” Athen replied. “Even if he did, I don’t think he would dare sleep. He knows I would overtake him if he let his guard down.”

  She gave him a curious look. “Don’t you feel fear?”

  “Sure I do. I think everyone does. Why do you ask?”

  “You are the bravest person I’ve ever met. You stand up to that man without any hesitation.”

  He grinned at h
er. “I appreciate your compliment, but the truth is, I don’t have to worry about him. He won’t harm me as long as the queen evades capture. I’m the only one he knows to go to in order to find her. I won’t lead him to her, despite what he thinks though. My duty is to protect her even to the death. I promised the king I would do that, and I will keep that promise.”

  “On Raz, people are loyal to each other?”

  “Sometimes. However, everyone is loyal to the queen. The planet will cease to exist without her.”

  “We try to be loyal to each other. We believe that unity, especially in the face of danger, is the only way to ensure our survival. We weren’t always that way, but the virus caused us to think differently.”

  “I guess it’s in the face of danger that we come together,” he said.

  “Perhaps it is like that for everyone, but it has made all the Nicals one big family.”

  “Considering there are only thirty-seven of you left, I can see how that would happen.”

  He paused. He wanted to touch her hand or hug her to show her how much he supported her, but he knew it would be improper to do such a thing. Instead, he softly said, “I will do everything I can to help you and the other Nicals from the threat of extinction. I promise.”

  Her face lit up as she shot him a lovely smile. “You are very kind.”

  After a few moments of silence, he changed the subject. “I’ve been thinking about the man over there. I am beginning to wonder if he fears the person he’s been talking to. He seems to be overly anxious to find the queen. What was your impression when you heard him talking to that person in the library?”

  She considered his question before answering. “There was a sense of urgency in his voice. The other person sounded very calm. I would like to know why the queen’s child is so important.”

  “So would I.” He paused. “The queen and Palers are not going to harm you. They don’t like to engage in combat unless they have to. The man must know that. It’s to his benefit you see them as the enemy because then you won’t trust them.”

  Dour returned with an armful of soft weeds he found. “I hope this will be sufficient.”

  Athen smiled. “It beats laying my head on a rock. Thank you for gathering it.”