Chapter Five

Jordan woke before Sash, relieved to find him still sleeping deeply. She looked out the temporary shelter, admiring the sunrise of two suns moving in tandem across the sky. It was an amazing place, but she couldn’t stay here forever, even if she wanted to—which she did. The idea of staying here with Sash, ignoring the rest of the problems of the world, and shirking her duty appealed greatly, but she couldn’t do it.

With that in mind, she carefully eased around him, until she could reach the device on his wrist. It was clearly a different model than he’d used before, and it looked far more complicated. Since she didn’t read Dazon, she wasn’t certain she’d be able to figure it out without waking him up, but she had to try.

She pressed a few buttons, and the screen showed her pictures of recent folding points. She thought the most recent one was her bedroom in the palace, though she couldn’t be entirely certain on the small screen. Holding her breath, she touched the image while holding tightly to Sash with her other hand.

The folding sensation swept over her, and a moment later they were back in her room at the palace. They landed directly in the center, so whomever had figured out the coordinates must be very precise. That was a good thing for her.

Sash started to stir, and she knew she couldn’t allow him to fully wake up, because he was likely to resist her efforts to remain here. With a regretful sigh, she reached for a heavy object on a nearby table, not entirely certain of its purpose, but assuming it was aesthetic. She hit him as lightly as she could while still ensuring he wouldn’t fully waken.

Then she used his wrist communicator, buckled neatly to his other wrist, to try to reach Damon. His face filled the screen a moment later, and he seemed surprised to see her. “Are you alone?” she asked. At his nod, she said, “You have to get back to the folding ship, and you need to take Sash with you.”

He frowned at her. “We’re here to help you. We can’t just leave you alone. He had a plan for getting you out of here. It didn’t work?”

She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she said, “I have my own mission, Damon. I can’t discuss the specifics, but you have to take him and get him back safely to the Moon Consulate. Once he’s there, do your best to keep him from trying something like this again. Please. There’s so much riding on everything.”

It was such a cryptic statement, but she was afraid to elaborate further. It was possible her room was bugged, either with camera or audio detection equipment. Perhaps even both. She’d like to think Aryk wouldn’t be quite that creepy, or invade her personal space to that extent, but she wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find out he had cameras everywhere, including the bathroom. The thought made her shudder for a moment, but she focused her attention on Sash again as Damon’s confliction played out across his expression.

Finally, with a sigh, he nodded. “I’ll fold back to our ship then, if you can get Sash to do the same.”

She nodded, hoping she could figure out his wrist device again. Damon’s face disappeared from the screen a moment later, and she carefully set down that wrist before lifting the other. She remembered the button to push to bring up the images for past folding points, and the one before her room at the palace seemed to be the inside of a ship.

Before she pressed it, she leaned over Sash, glad to see his eyes opening, though he was clearly fuzzy. “I’m sorry. I’d love to stay at Outpost 182 with you forever, but I have my own mission, and it’s important. I need you to go back to safety, and you can’t come back again. Don’t try to save me, because I’m right where I need to be. I love you, Sash.”

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth, interrupting whatever he might have tried to say as his lips opened slightly. “I hope to see you again.” With that, she touched the image of his ship and made sure she wasn’t in contact at all with him. A moment later, he folded out of her room and was gone.

As soon as they returned to the Moon consulate, Sash strode off the ship, pausing briefly as a wave of dizziness swept over him. He placed a hand against the nearest wall as he shook his head, trying to clear away the last vestiges of double vision. He still couldn’t believe she had hit him. What was she thinking? She couldn’t be the sacrificial lamb. He wouldn’t allow it. If she didn’t want to be rescued, that was too bad. He was still going to do it.

It was clear he needed help though, and he made his way to General Monash’s quarters, pressing the button to activate the chime. A moment later, the hydraulic door opened, and he faced Mac, Orix’s mate, as she held two babies in her arms. Without thought, he looked around for the third one, finding the little boy in Orix’s arms as the general joined his wife. The little girl he thought was Carmen reached for him from her mother’s arms, and he took her without thought. “I’m sorry to bother you so early, but I need your help.”

Mac looked at her husband before looking at him. “Would you like me to leave the room?”

Before Sash could answer, Orix shook his head. “There’s no need to leave.”

Sash shrugged, not minding if she heard their discussion. He was certain Orix would have told her anyway afterward. “We have to get Jordan out of the palace. I need your help coming up with a plan.”

The general froze for a moment, and then he let out a long sigh. “There’s already a plan in place, Sash.”

He jerked, startled at the news. “What? What plan?”

“Come sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Feeling bewildered, he followed the general and Mac into their quarters, taking a seat in an armchair as Carmen settled comfortably on his lap, deciding to play with his wrist communicator. He spent a moment to ensure it was locked down before letting the baby have at it. Idly, he noticed she had eyebrows, unlike her siblings or the typical full-blooded Dazon.

The baby had been part of the original experiments Dr. Ha undertook without the Earth women’s permission, impregnating them with compatible Dazon DNA and creating the first hybrid babies. Unfortunately, there had been a high number of casualties among the Earth mothers, because Ha had implanted multiple embryos in each mother. The reminder of what a ruthless bastard Ha was hardened his resolve to get Jordan away from Aryk and the palace as soon as possible. “I need to know everything.”

Orix nodded. “Jordan isn’t there to marry Aryk. She’s there to assassinate him. While she’s doing that, several small strike teams will infiltrate Dazonia Major, identifying and taking out targets who wouldn’t accept Emperor Ysaak in place of Emperor Aryk. We want to ensure a coup, but there’s no point in following through with the assassinations from the strike teams unless Jordan takes out the emperor. She’s the only one who can get close enough with his paranoia and number of guards, at least close enough to do it discreetly.”

Sash stiffened, shaking his head automatically. “No. It’s far too dangerous. If he realizes what she’s there for, he’ll kill her.” Or keep her locked up as his prisoner, at least until she could create an heir. The thought chilled him, and his stomach rolled with nausea. “Is Jordan aware of the plan?” It seemed like a stupid question as he uttered it, but he couldn’t believe she had voluntarily agreed to enter the lion’s den with the plan of assassinating the heavily guarded emperor.

“Of course she is. She’s doing her job, and we’re going to do ours. I didn’t include you in the plan, because I figured you’d be needed here at the consulate, and I didn’t realize you had a personal stake in it.” His tone turned sympathetic. “Is Jordan your mate?”

Sash nodded stiffly. “Yes, so you can see why I can’t let this happen.”

Mac interrupted their discussion at that moment. “I agree with Sash. It’s far too dangerous.”

Orix sighed, looking put-upon. “It is dangerous, but if Jordan can remove the emperor, Ysaak can take his place. We share the same goals as Ysaak, and there will be peace. That’s the most important thing to all of us, and Jordan recognizes that. She’s willing to die for it, if necessary, though we all hope it won’t come to that.”

Anger surged through Sash, and he wanted to keep arguing, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. If he could remove emotion from the equation, he could see the logic in the plan. Had it been anyone but his mate who was supposed to kill the emperor, he would have fully supported the plan. He was certain she wouldn’t appreciate coddling, but he still wanted to rescue her.

With a small sigh, he recognized he couldn’t just yet. She had a job to do, and it was dangerous, but she was brave enough to try. A surge of pride went through him, mingling in a strange way with the fear lingering, making his side insides feel almost effervescent. “I want to be part of the strike teams.”

Orix inclined his head. “I assumed as much. We’ll go over the plans later today.”

He nodded at his friend, still worried about Jordan, but happy to have his own mission to focus on, hoping it would ease some of his worry for his mate. It was a futile hope, and he knew he’d dwell on her fate until she was back in his arms again, and he was determined to make sure that happened. Whether or not she succeeded in assassinating Aryk, he was going to ensure she made it safely out of the palace. He’d have a job to do on his strike team, but his main mission was to protect Jordan.

The day of the mating ceremony arrived, and Jordan wasn’t certain if she should be relieved or nauseated. She split the difference by throwing up several times over the course of the morning, while focusing on steadying her nerves.

She hadn’t seen much of Aryk in the last few days, which was a relief not only to avoid his hands, but also because it had given him little opportunity to ask her about Damon’s whereabouts. She still hadn’t come up with a good explanation for why her guard wasn’t with her, so she hoped he had forgotten all about the incident. It seemed likely that he had, since he was so totally focused on himself.

Early afternoon, she was surprised when her door chimed, and she grimaced as she made her way over to it, half-expecting to find Aryk or Ha there. Instead, her eyes widened with surprise when she saw her mother step inside as soon as she opened the hydraulic door. “Mom?” She was stunned as her mother hugged her, and even more stunned when she glanced over her mother’s shoulder and saw Damon standing out in the hallway, clearly taking up the position of guard. The door closed before she had a chance to greet him, and she was still too stunned to make words stick together in a cohesive fashion anyway.

Her mother led her from the doorway and deeper into the bedroom. “This is quite the room.”

She nodded, feeling surreal in the moment. “What are you doing here? It’s far too dangerous.”

Evelyn smiled at her. “Darling, I wouldn’t miss your wedding for anything.” Her eyes relayed her real message, making it obvious she was here to offer emotional support for the task at hand.

“You shouldn’t be here though. You could get injured or worse. You’re the President of the United States, and you’re not exactly disposable.”

Evelyn waved a hand. “The Vice President is fully prepared to step into my shoes, should the need arise. I’ve already signed the paperwork that would allow Kramer to do so, if I don’t return. You’re far more important to me than anything else, including my role as president.”

Tears streaked from her eyes, and she swiped them away impatiently. Her mother wasn’t the most demonstrative person, and she rarely put Jordan above her career. It was shocking that her mother hugged her, but not as shocking as the fact that Evelyn was willing to risk her position of power to be by Jordan’s side at the critical hour. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t think you should be, but I’m so glad to see you.”

Her mother hugged her tighter. “I wouldn’t miss this. It’s your wedding, after all.” There was a false note of gaiety in her voice, but Jordan didn’t think anyone who didn’t know her mother well would pick up on it.

She wanted to talk to her about all the things that had happened, and go through her plan for the evening, but she still wasn’t certain her room was secure. It seemed like it must be, because Aryk had never confronted her about Sash’s presence in her room, or her folding away with him before returning.

If he’d known about that, he probably would have lost his mind, and she wouldn’t be marrying him. She’d either be dead or being tortured right now. Even so, she couldn’t take the risk, so she forced herself to keep the conversation to lighter topics as she prepared for the wedding. If she had a different groom, it would have been the perfect day, having her mother there beside her, focusing all of her attention on Jordan instead of the country for a change.

Unfortunately, the identity of the groom robbed any real joy from the day, and coupled with her anxiety over the task before her that evening, she couldn’t find pleasure in spending this time with her mother. It was another reason to feel angry with Aryk and Ha, having driven them all to this point. She should be getting ready for her real wedding, and it should be Sash she was taking as her partner, not Aryk. She was actually going to have to marry him, at least for a little while, and she felt cheated at having to do so.

Still, what other alternative was there? None, which was why she was there to start with.

Jordan had no idea exactly how many people had turned out for the emperor’s mating ceremony, but it seemed to be at least half the planet. The grounds were full of people staring up at the balcony where she stood waiting for Aryk to join her. She wasn’t certain if that was typical for a Dazon ceremony, or if he’d simply been delayed. Or perhaps he was making the point that he was still far more important than she was, and he had weighty matters requiring his attention, all of which were more vital than his future bride.

If so, she was apathetic to the message. Instead, she plastered on a smile and waved to the crowd as they cheered for her, wondering how many of them truly supported Aryk’s agenda, and how many might just be trapped by a lack of options, or as apathetic about what the Dazons were doing to humans as she was about the forthcoming ceremony.

She hoped Orix was correct in his assessment that most of the people would follow Ysaak. She knew Ysaak was within easy folding distance of the planet by now. She was certain Ysaak, Orix, and Inquisitor Breese had gone through their plans multiple times and everything should go seamlessly, provided she was able to assassinate Aryk that night.

She certainly had the proper motivation to ensure it happened, because if it didn’t, he’d expect to have sex with her. She wasn’t going to let that happen. The idea of letting that loathsome letch touch her was enough to make her already churning stomach produce a wave of bile that slid up her esophagus. She swallowed it down through sheer force of will, knowing it would look strange if the future empress suddenly barfed over the balcony and onto the crowd below.

She almost giggled at the idea, but aborted the sound before it could emerge, because she recognized the sharp edge of hysteria underlying her amusement. If she started laughing, she might not quit.

Finally, Aryk strode into view, and she had to admit he looked handsome and impressive in his full regalia. He wore a long cape and something that looked a bit like a sari, but lavishly decorated with orange stones similar to the one in the dead center of the hair decoration she wore. If he hadn’t been a murdering psycho, and she hadn’t been in love with Sash… No, she still wouldn’t have wanted to marry him.

He took his place beside her, his hand wrapping possessively around her wrist. She barely controlled the impulse to shrug him off as another Dazon joined them. This male was considerably older, and he wore a similar garment to Aryk’s sari, though far plainer in decoration.

She didn’t speak Dazon. Of course Aryk had made no effort to provide a translator, and she didn’t have the device the Dazons had at their disposal to translate, so she had no idea the words spoken, or to what she was agreeing when she nodded as they looked pointedly at her after a long silence.

Apparently, she must have done all she needed to though, because less than ten minutes after it had begun, the celebrant slid the kursti over her wrist and tied it to Aryk’s, binding them as mates. She wanted to grimace, but instead forced a shaky smile that was all for show. It certainly extended no farther than her lips, and if she showed her true feelings, she was certain Aryk would immediately know why she was really there.

As they moved away from the balcony, he bent his head, brushing his lips against her ear in an intimate fashion that made her skin crawl. “We have to do our duty at a formal reception, and then I’ll have you all to myself.”

She nodded sickly, unable to verbally respond as her nausea peaked again. She bit it down, forcing her expression to remain outwardly composed, even as she was suddenly a whimpering mess on the inside. The reality of her plan was crashing in on her, and though she knew it was the right option, and in fact the only option, she briefly wondered if she could actually take a life, even this life.

Deciding it was best not to dwell on moral quandaries, she tried to push aside all thoughts of what had to happen later that night and focus her attention on the common people greeting them on their way to the reception. Most of them seemed polite and not very different from the people she knew in her life on Earth or the consulate.

They were all warm and welcoming, but she noted most of the people reacted with fear if Aryk spoke to them or looked in their direction. It was surprisingly reassuring to see that, reinforcing what Ysaak and Orix had insisted—most Dazons didn’t want to follow Aryk, and they would be happy to embrace Ysaak instead. She hoped they were right, because their plan to oust Aryk hinged on the citizens’ support—and her ability to assassinate him.

No pressure.