A Royal Engagement (Enchanted Galaxy Series Book 1) Page 18

  Without another thought, he ran down the path, mentally cursing his frail human legs that couldn’t outrun anything. Even the bunny that got in his way could outrun him. Just how did humans handle these weak, pathetic bodies?

  From behind, something pursued him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw about a dozen three-foot ugly men who were chasing him.

  Gasping, he faced forward and renewed his efforts. He pulled out the telecommunicator from his pocket and tried to switch it on. There was no doubt about it. Seta or Jaz would have to beam him to Pale. And fast.

  But before he could turn the device on, something jutted out in front of him, and he fell in the dirt, skidding to an abrupt stop. The dust barely had time to clear when he realized the goblins had surrounded him.

  “What are you doing out here as the suns set?” one of the goblins asked.

  Riles cringed. The thing carried a club and wore barbaric clothes. Worse, it smelled as if it hadn’t taken a bath in years.

  “The girl has lost her tongue, I’d say,” another goblin said.

  “No matter,” another one replied with a smirk. “She’ll make a tasty treat all the same.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Riles squeaked, his voice sounding so much like Ann’s. “You can’t really want to eat me.”

  “Nah,” the first goblin said and waved his club. “We want to have a little fun with you. Then we’ll eat you, unless you win the race. We got another captive. The one who wins the race won’t be eaten tonight.”

  “So,” Riles began then cleared his throat, “you’ll free me if I win the race?”

  “Did I say I was going to free you? No. I just won’t let anyone eat you tonight.”

  Shivers ran up and down Riles’ spine as the goblins dragged him to their camp, laughing the entire way.

  ***

  The Same Forest

  Planet: Raz

  After Omin landed his small ship in a clearing on the forest floor, he tracked Seta. He’d seen her, disguised as Ann in a pink dress, being harassed by goblins. He didn’t understand it. Was being trapped in a human body causing Seta to grow weak? Or maybe she was up to something? With her, anything was possible.

  Then he followed them, making sure to stay hidden among the trees, so he wouldn’t get caught. He had a mission to do, and nothing was going to stop him from doing it. He was going to show Seta that no one crossed him and got away with it. Ever.

  At the moment, Seta was tied to a pole, and if he guessed right, she was actually cowering before the small goblins who surrounded her.

  “Since you won the race, we won’t eat you tonight,” one of the goblins said. “We’re going to eat the other human we captured. But we’ll see if you fare so well tomorrow.”

  The others laughed, and another goblin turned to a female of his kind who was stirring a large pot over the campfire. “When will dinner be ready?”

  “Soon,” the female replied in irritation. “I wish we could eat things other than humans.”

  “Are you crazy, woman? I need real food, something to fatten me up.”

  Omin grinned. That was telling her!

  Since the goblins all gathered around and started arguing about what was appropriate to eat, Omin crept into the clearing, making sure no one saw him. He came up behind Seta and put his hand over her mouth before she could scream.

  “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?” he whispered in Seta’s ear.

  Before she could utter another muffled cry, he pulled out his gun and shot her in the head. The goblins turned around in time to see her slump forward in a pool of her own blood.

  “Enjoy your meal,” he told them. “She’s a real feast.”

  With a sneer, he turned and left.

  ***

  Alpha Head I

  Planet: Pale

  Seta entered Jaz’s office, pleased to see her First Commander working on the magic sand. “Did you get a chance to talk to Riles?” she asked as she sat across from Jaz.

  “An hour ago. He was fine.” After a moment, Jaz glanced up from the sand, her expression hesitant. When Seta motioned for her to speak, she ventured, “Are you sure we should destroy Raz? Is this the only way to save Pale?”

  “Can you think of another way?”

  She shook her head. “No. I just wish I knew how Pale got to be this way. Raz and Olympia are our neighbors, and they have vegetation and many creatures. But our planet is barren. Nothing flourishes here.”

  “Not all planets are the same.”

  “As I was walking through the old prison site, I found this beneath the debris.” Jaz handed her several white blades of grass and a wilted flower. “Some guards found similar things. At one time, this planet had vegetation on it.”

  “Are you saying that something killed all the life on this planet except for Palers and Laxes?”

  “Something…or someone.”

  Seta studied her face, not sure what to make of this new discovery. “Do you remember something I should know?”

  “Not enough to explain that,” Jaz replied, gesturing to the plant life. “But it couldn’t have been too long ago that this planet once flourished with vegetation.”

  Seta considered Jaz’s words and lowered her gaze to the dead grass and flower. “The vegetation the guards found… Was everything dead?”

  “Most of it, but some was trying to come back. If we could find out what’s killing it, we might be able to solve our problem without getting Raz involved.”

  “How long will it take to find a solution?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’ve seen what it’s like outside. It’s chaos. Everyone’s slowly starving to death. You’re hungry. I’m hungry. Palers are destroying each other.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know if we have time to wait. Besides, I don’t think we can digest vegetation. Our bodies aren’t designed for it. I’m sorry, Jaz, but I don’t see what choice we have. If we don’t do something—and quick—we might be facing extinction.”

  Jaz swallowed but didn’t reply.

  It was a hard decision. One that Seta didn’t want to make. But she saw no other option but to proceed with their plan to send Raz’s next queen back to Earth. Clearing her throat, she gestured to the grains of sand in the hourglass. “Tell me what you learned about Ann Kerwin.”

  ***

  Alpha Head I

  Above Jaz’s Office

  Paff led Halima and Cem in the ceiling above Jaz’s office. The office had once belonged to Paff, but thankfully, it didn’t anymore. He didn’t know if he’d ever forgive himself for what he did as First Commander. Shaking the thought aside, he reminded himself he had a mission to do. This wasn’t about him. It was about finding out what Seta and Jaz were planning to do with the next queen of Raz.

  He lifted the small vent in the ceiling so they could hear what Seta and Jaz were saying.

  “Ann Kerwin’s weakness is William, but it’s the William in her past, not the present,” Jaz told Seta. “That’s where we messed up before. If we take her back four years to the exact moment she fell in love with him, she’ll be more inclined to stay. I can also manipulate her memories so she’ll temporarily forget everything about Raz. I can even go so far as to make her forget everything that happened up to the point where she had her first date with William. If we can keep her on Earth for more than twelve hours, then she won’t be able to access any of Raz’s magic to bring her back. The connection between her and Raz will be severed by then.”

  “Good. That was the problem we ran into before.” Seta paused then asked, “Do you think the Olympians will bring her back?”

  “As long as they don’t find out what’s going on, they won’t.”

  “Excellent. See to it that it’s done.”

  As Seta rose to her feet, Paff glanced at Halima and Cem. When Cem nodded, Paff put the vent back in place and led them out of the building so they could tell Zak what was going on.

  Chapter Twenty-One


  Outside the Brown Fir Tree Dwelling

  Planet: Raz

  Ann tried not to think about her sore feet, but they ached from hours of walking through the forest. She hoped they reached Inno’s home soon because she just might collapse if they didn’t.

  Hathor stopped talking to Inno and turned to her, offering her a sympathetic smile. “We’re almost there.”

  “How much longer is there to go?” she asked.

  “Inno! Inno! Are you out there?” a woman called from a good distance away.

  “That’s my mother,” Inno cheered and hurried on ahead to find her. “I’m over here, Mother!”

  “Thank goodness,” Ann replied under her breath. “I was beginning to think we’d never make it.”

  Hathor chuckled. “Now you know why I prefer to travel with the Book of Spells.”

  “It certainly makes things a lot quicker.” And it was easier on the feet.

  When Ann, Hathor, and Leo reached a hugging mother and son, the mother wiped tears from her eyes. “Inno told me you helped him. Thank you so much. Please stay at our dwelling tonight and join in our celebration. You’ll be guests of honor.”

  The lion roared, and she looked over at him, her eyes wide.

  “Oh my,” she said, her hand over her heart. “I’ve never seen such an unusual creature before.”

  Ann bit her tongue in amusement. The mother was part woman and part goat, and she thought the lion was unusual?

  “This is Leo,” Inno said, petting the lion’s mane. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s friendly.”

  “I can see that,” she replied, though she refrained from touching him. Her gaze went to Ann and Hathor. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to my home.”

  Ann and Hathor followed the two fauns until they came to a circle of trees, which were filled with tree houses. Several huts were on the ground, but most of their lodging was up in the branches. A fire was in the center of the area, and about fifty fauns were heading over to them.

  “It’s not as big as I thought it’d be,” Ann whispered to Hathor.

  “Fauns live together in small groups, but a lot of dwellings exist throughout the forest.”

  While Ann nodded, Inno’s mother went to the group of fauns and explained what happened.

  Hathor wrapped his hand around hers. “Get ready.”

  Ann’s eyebrows furrowed. “Get ready for what?”

  Before she had time to blink, fauns were rushing over to them, pressing in all around them.

  “Where are you from?” one asked.

  “How did you know to come here?” another asked.

  “How long was your journey?”

  “Who are you?”

  “What is that animal who came with you?”

  “Enough, enough!” one of them finally called out, silencing everyone.

  Ann breathed a sigh of relief as they gave her, Hathor, and Leo more room to move around.

  Ann turned her attention to a male, probably the leader of the group, who was standing by the fire. “Cook plenty of food and start the music. We’re celebrating tonight!”

  Everyone cheered and quickly rushed to get the celebration started. A fauns hurried to cook the meal. Others picked up fiddles, flutes, and drums to start playing, and the rest of them danced to the music.

  When Hathor looked at Ann, he laughed and squeezed her hand. “We’re heroes. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

  Before Ann could respond, a male faun who was nearing adulthood came up to her. “Dance with me?” he asked.

  She was ready to decline when Hathor whispered, “If you say no, you’ll hurt his feelings. Fauns are very sensitive.”

  Letting go of Hathor’s hand, she said, “I’d be happy to.” As much as her feet protested, she joined the faun and followed his lead as he danced.

  “You dance well for a human,” the faun told her.

  “Oh, um, thank you.” Since she’d never danced with fauns, she couldn’t make the comparison, though he seemed graceful.

  “My name is Calhoun. Inno’s my little brother.” His smile widened. “I wanted to have the first dance with his protector.”

  She had a hard time thinking of herself as a protector, but she guessed that was going to be her role on Raz. The sooner she got used to it, the better. When Calhoun didn’t say anything, she asked, “Do harpies come around here often?”

  “No. They live in the mountains. Thankfully, we’re safe from harm most of the time.”

  “Most of the time?”

  “Well, goblins aren’t pleasant to be around.”

  “Do they live in mountains, too?” As far as she remembered, she didn’t have to go near any mountains on her way to the Dark Castle.

  “Oh no. Goblins live in the forests. They make a sport out of capturing unsuspecting creatures so they can torment them before eating them.”

  “You mean they toy with creatures,” and humans, “like a cat toys with a mouse?”

  “A cat and a mouse?”

  Not sure if such animals existed on Raz, she cleared her throat. “Will goblins be coming here?”

  “No. They rarely enter our dwellings or villages. They mainly stick to paths where they can capture travelers.”

  Oh. A shiver raced up her spine. She was a traveler. She’d have to ask Hathor about this later on.

  The dance ended, and everyone around her clapped. She chose this moment to bend down and rub her sore calves and ankles.

  “Let’s eat!” one of the male fauns called out. “The tables have been set. Our honored guests will be at the head of the chief’s table.”

  Hathor came over to her and guided her to the table. He sat on one side of her, and Leo sat on the other. She breathed a sigh of relief. It felt so good to sit down!

  Soon everyone’s dishes and cups were filled, and they were all enjoying the feast. Ann didn’t realize how hungry she was until she caught herself eating in the most unladylike manner imaginable. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching her, she relaxed and slowed her pace. What was Raz thinking in choosing her to be the queen? She wasn’t the least bit graceful.

  Once the meal was over, they sat around the campfire. The fauns’ attention went to Ann, Hathor and Leo who still sat together, and if Ann guessed right, Hathor was sitting closer to her than he needed to. Not only was his arm touching hers but so was his leg. She tried to tell herself it was because they were surrounded by fauns, but deep down, she knew it was more than that.

  “Please,” the chief began, gesturing to Ann and Hathor, “tell us about yourselves. Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you headed?”

  Ann glanced at Hathor, wondering if he wanted to make up the lie or if he wanted her to. Given the situation they were in, she just couldn’t come out and say she was the next queen. Since Hathor nodded for her to speak, she cleared her throat.

  “I’m Victoria,” she said, recalling the name she’d told Inno earlier that day. “This is my husband. We come from a village far from here.” She looked at Hathor, and since he didn’t speak up, she figured she was doing well so far. “We’re searching for the Dark Castle. Does anyone know where it is?” she ventured, hoping someone did.

  “The Dark Castle?” Calhoun piped up. “That place is under an evil spell.”

  An evil what? Ann looked at Hathor. Why didn’t someone tell her this? “What’s the spell?”

  “Surely, you’re familiar with the witch Kathz who married King Edmund when kings ruled our world,” the chief faun said, directing her attention back to him.

  “Yes, I did hear about that,” she replied, glad Hathor had taken the time to give her some background about Raz.

  “The Dark Castle belonged to Kathz,” the faun continued. “She lived there by herself after she made queens the sole authority on Raz.”

  “Her diamond crown is still there,” Calhoun said.

  Ann’s ears perked up. “Diamond crown?”

  “It’s enchanted,” the c
hief told Ann. “Only the rightful queen of Raz may put it on her head and live.”

  “That doesn’t sound so evil,” Ann replied. It sounded like a good idea, especially considering Seta was trying to destroy Raz by taking it.

  “But someone can steal the crown and keep it. That’s why this mess at the palace has us all worried. I hear no one can tell the real future queen from the fake future queen. And I heard they are both on their way to get the crown. If the imposter takes the crown, the rightful heir can’t take the throne.”

  “Oh.” Okay, that was bad.

  “And there are traps set up in the castle. Whoever dares to enter it, does so at their own peril. It’s not for the faint of heart. A century ago, the queen at the time went there and died. Fortunately, she had a daughter who assumed the throne or we wouldn’t be here now.”

  Traps? Enter at one’s own peril? Ann couldn’t believe it. As if going up against Seta wasn’t bad enough! She had to do this, too? She clutched her stomach. Right now she’d give anything to be back on Earth.

  “What are you going to the Dark Castle for?” the chief asked.

  Hathor cleared his throat and spoke up. “Someone told us there are herbs along the castle grounds that can cure fevers. Our child is sick, and we’re on our way to retrieve them for her.”

  “I hear they’re the only herbs that can cure a fever,” the chief replied.

  “We had a map to the Dark Castle but lost it. Does anyone here know how to get there?”

  “I do,” Calhoun said. “I can take you there in the morning.”

  “We’d appreciate it.”

  “Yes, we would,” Ann blandly replied. Who was she to miss out on the fun of going through traps that could potentially kill her?

  “Can you lead my brother to the Royal Palace?” Inno asked.

  When Ann realized Inno was looking at her, she pointed to Hathor. “He can.”

  Inno shifted his gaze to Hathor. “Would you take Calhoun to the queen after your child gets better? He’s in love with a fairy and wants to become one so they can get married.”