Chapter 14
"You are the heir to the Zarcon throne. Your Uncle wants you dead," Iramy replied with all the strength and calm she could muster.
Avon’s eyes narrowed. "But I'm human."
"No," Iramy refuted. "You're part Zarcon and part human."
"But my father..." Avon started and then went silent. Suddenly she didn't know who she was, what she was. Fear started to take over as she realized he didn't know who her father was. It didn't take long for Avon to realize every question about her mother, her ancestry was about to be revealed. She held out her arm and gazed at her brown, olive skin. She has always imagined her mother to be a dark skinned exotic beauty. Everything suddenly made sense. Still learning the truth frightened her.
"The General is not your father," Iramy confirmed, answering Avon's unasked question. Iramy could see the hurt and pain in Avon's eyes. "But he loves you just as much as any father would love a daughter. You are his whole world."
Jeremy sat there speechless, looking back and forth from Iramy to Avon, totally confused.
"And my parents, my real parents?" Avon asked, fearful of the answer.
"Dead," Iramy nodded. "Both dead."
Iramy reached out and took both of Avon's hands. "It's time for the truth; the whole truth. Jax and I had hoped to spare you from this, but it's time you knew everything."
Tears were already streaming down Avon's face. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Who am I?" Avon asked, barely able to utter the words.
"You are Princess Avon Zarcan," Iramy blurted out. "Your mother was my twin sister. You are my niece.”
Avon could feel herself floating further into a black hole far out in the galaxy. She was confused. She felt betrayed, but most of all she could feel herself becoming angry.
"Let me tell you the whole story and maybe then you will begin to understand," Iramy implored. "Your grandfather was Zajzon Zarcan, the Zarcon emperor. Your grandmother was human. They were my parents. Your mother, my twin sister, was Asenath. My real name is Alia."
"But you're human," Avon disputed.
Iramy chuckled. "Part human, yes. And a little cosmetic surgery goes a long way. But that's another story for another time. Let’s get back to your story." Iramy took another deep breath and continued. "Your mother fell in love with a human who was on assignment to Zarcon. He was one of the General's men. Your daddy was a Captain at the time and your father was a lieutenant. Asenath and your father, your biological father, were so much in love. Of course, my father was against it. Asenath was next in line for the throne and she was expected to marry a full blooded Zarcon and have Zarcon children. But she became pregnant with you.
"She hid her pregnancy as long as she could. She and your father were trying to find a way to get her off of Zarcon so they could be together. But my father found out."
"My father, what was his name?" Avon asked through her tears.
"Kane Sandor," Iramy replied.
Avon repeated the name as if to make it real.
"The name is familiar," Jeremy muttered.
"It may be," Iramy nodded as if answering Jeremy's unasked question. "Asenath was about seven months pregnant when my father discovered the secret. Kane had snuck into her chambers and my father found them together. Two of his royal guards held Kane while they literally tore you out of your mother's stomach. They made him watch. They tossed you aside like you were yesterday's trash, to die."
Iramy could see Avon's tears becoming more torrential. Iramy was fighting back her own tears reliving the fateful day. "With everything going on, I picked you up and ran. I ran to Captain Zadoorian. He hid both of us on his ship. He went to my father in hopes of saving your father, but he was too late. Your mother was laying on her bed her abdomen wide open and covered in blood, dead. Your father was lying on the cold floor, also dead. Captain Zadoorian went back to his ship, knowing there was nothing more he could do.
"He started making plans to get us off the planet, to hide us, to protect us. But not before more people died. My father tried to stop the ship from leaving. There was a fight and a few of the ICE soldiers died." Iramy stopped and looked at Jeremy. "One of the men killed was Kane's best friend, Jarred Hanson, Jeremy's father."
"But my father died in battle," Jeremy refuted.
"Yes, in a battle to save me and Avon from death at the hands of my father," Iramy explained. "Jarred killed my uncle during the battle; my father's brother. It put a target on your head and your mother. You were too young to remember, but the assassins came after the two of you. The Zarcons wanted you and your mother dead in retribution. Your mother made the decision to go into hiding in the slums. Millions of people live in the slums; you became just another slum rat."
"So my life could have been different?" Jeremy questioned.
"Your father's death benefits lasted for a while, but your mother had to keep up the deception. She had to protect you. The General knew where you were, but he couldn't help without exposing Avon. But he made sure you were accepted into the Academy. He vowed to watch over you the only way he could. He knew once Avon became of age, you became of age, both of you would be in danger."
"So that's why Daddy wanted me to join ICE?"
"Yes sweetie, so you would learn to fight and be able to take care of yourself. It's why he has pushed you so hard to excel physically."
"I just thought he wanted a son."
"No. He wanted to know you could defend yourself; be a fighter, a soldier."
"But how have I passed as a human all these years?"
"Haven't you noticed your doctor is Dr. Booth? He knows your secret. He was on Zarcon when you were born. He took care of you and made sure you lived. You were born too early, but he kept you alive. And then he faked your medical records, your DNA, everything to keep you safe. He's done it all your life."
Iramy turned to Jeremy. "The General also made sure Jeremy was accepted for flight school. He knew someday this might happen. He made sure the two of you would be together."
"So everything has been a ruse?" Jeremy asked. He was becoming angry as well.
"You would have made it on your own," Iramy chuckled. "You're smart and you have your father's reflexes. He was a great pilot too. You've earned everything on your own. The General just watched out for you and made sure you got what you deserved. Be assured, you did it on your own. Your course would have remained the same with or without the General's help."
"So why does my uncle want me dead?" Avon asked.
"If you're dead, he is next in line for the throne," Iramy explained. "The line of succession was your mother, then her children. I would have been next, but they believe me to be dead. With your mother and you out of the picture, my brother Angar would take the throne."
"So why don't you claim the throne?"
"I don't want it. I can't, I won't go back there. My life is here with you and the General."
"But if they knew I was alive, why didn't they come after me before?"
"There was no need as long as my father was alive," Iramy began. "But apparently he is dead and my brother has to ensure there are no living heirs before assuming his place on the throne. He will need to return to Zarcon with your head on a pike to proof his position as emperor."
"So what do we do?" Jeremy asked, realizing the danger was real, not perceived.
"We protect Avon," Iramy replied.
"And where do we go?" Avon asked.
"There's a big galaxy out there," Jeremy replied. "I guess it's time to put my flying skills to the test."
Iramy nodded in agreement. "I'll pack you both a few things; some clothes, weapons, and your music box."
"Why the music box?"
"It's your lineage," Iramy explained. "It contains your history. There is a hidden compartment with two rings. One was your mother’s, the other one is mine. They, along with the music box, prove who you are. You are never to lose it.
There may be a time you will be able to go back to Zarcon and become its queen. But now is not the time. Zarcon was a horrible place under my father's rule and it will continue to be that way with my brother as Emperor. But someday I hope you or your children will be able to go back and make Zarcon a better place."
"We should get going," Jeremy stated protectively to Avon. "The Zarcon assassins could come back."
"Wear civilian clothes. Cargo pants are okay," Iramy suggested. "I have a map to a ship you can use to leave the planet. It's on a deserted airstrip near the coast. I'll try to reach out to the rebels and have someone waiting to help you. If not, you're on your own. We've planned for this day, just in case. Come Avon, we need to change your appearance a little."
Iramy pulled Avon into her quarters while Jeremy headed for his. "I'm going to cut your hair and change the color. Your pale blonde hair is a dead giveaway. It is the same color as your mother's."
"But your hair is red. I thought you were twins."
"I keep my hair red. My natural color is the same as yours. My mother's hair was blonde as well. Since your complexion is darker, we can get away with black hair. I'm going to cut it short. It will be easier, in the long run."
Avon started crying again. Her live was changing so quickly. The truth was out. Her father wasn't her father. She really was a Princess. And now there was a bounty on her head. In order to stay alive, she would have to become someone else. She wasn't even sure who the woman staring back at her in the mirror was. She watched as Iramy raised the scissors and cut the first handful of hair. She nearly fainted as her breathing stopped.
Avon needed to distract herself from the sound of the scissors cutting away at her long locks. "How did you change your appearance?"
"How or when?" Iramy asked.
"Both."
"As soon as Dr. Booth was confident you would survive, he started changing my appearance. Little by little I became human. My ears were reshaped, my skin bleached, freckles tattooed on my face and décolletage. My feet were reshaped and the webs removed. The biggest transformation was the removal of my tail."
"You had a tail?"
"Not a full tail like a full blooded Zarcon, but a stub on my tailbone. It was always an embarrassment to my father. I didn't have a full tail like Angar or Asenath. I was so happy when it was gone. I hated that thing."
"Did it hurt?" Avon asked, now curious.
"We didn't have the medical technology then as we do today," Iramy frowned recalling the pain. "But I don't regret it. Not for one moment. I was able to stay with you, love you, and watch you grow up. I'd do it all again as long as I could be with you."
Avon watched in the mirror as Iramy's tears flowed freely, unabashed. "Was I changed?"
"There was a couple of small alterations; just your ears and your feet. You only had a small bump where a tail could be and Dr. Booth was able to easily remove it. You were too young to know what color your hair or skin would be. By the time you were old enough to change it, we, your father and I didn't have the heart to do it. We loved you just the way you were. You were beautiful. You'll always be beautiful."
It took only minutes for her long pale blonde hair to disappear from Avon's head. Moments later she was in the sanitizer stall. Exiting she stared again at the woman in the mirror with short black hair.
Iramy reached out to Avon. "It's time to go. Jeremy is waiting. I've repacked your rucksack. And I've added a few things. There are fake documents for both of you and some credits for your journey. Each card is under a different name. Try not to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to be followed."
Jeremy entered the room just as Iramy pulled Avon into an embrace. "I love you Avon."
"Will I ever see you again?" Avon asked, hugging Iramy tight, afraid to let go.
"I hope so," Iramy replied. "Maybe someday we can go back to Zarcon together. But for now, you need to go." Iramy turned to Jeremy. "Take care of my niece. There is a list of people who may be able to help you along the way. But remember, trust no one, not even your friends. Even good people have been known to turn against their friends for the right price."
Jeremy grabbed Avon by the hand. "Let's go. We have a long way to the ship and we're going to have to do it on foot. We have to remain untraceable."
"Then where do we go?"
Jeremy tried to smile as he shrugged. "The galaxy awaits us Princess."
Epilogue
Spaceship Emissary
Captain's Personal Log - July 23, 2331
I still see the carnage as I close my eyes in a vain attempt to sleep. I will never be able to erase today from my memory. Paradoxically, it's a day I will need to remember in order to protect the unauthorized passengers hidden away from the majority of my crew.
We lost four good soldiers today before hastily leaving the planet of Zarcon. I was horrified when Alia showed up, covered in blood and holding a small baby in her arms; a baby barely viable. I could see she had been born violently. I could not turn them away. I could not be like the monster which had placed the two of them at my threshold.
Several members of my crew and I rushed to Asenath's chambers only to find Asenath and Lieutenant Kane Sandor brutally slaughtered. Asenath had been slashed open and her baby ripped from her body. Her death had been brutal but swift. She had quickly bled out and certainly died within minutes. Her lover, Lieutenant Sandor was found feet from her bed on the cold concrete floor, decapitated. Asenath's father, Zajzon Zarcan and her younger brother Angar were responsible for their deaths.
We were ending our eight-month tour of the Solarian and Zarog galaxies, Zarcon the last stop before returning to Earth. We were scheduled to leave in two days for Earth. I had already agreed to smuggle Asenath onto the ship and take her to Earth with us. It was a dangerous plan, but I knew once her father discovered the pregnancy, the likelihood of her murder was imminent. Unfortunately, he found out too soon. Someone must have betrayed us.
Now Alia and Asenath's baby are fighting for survival; fugitives from Zarcon. Booth was able to save the tiny baby, barely seven months in her loving mother's womb. Her wounds were deep, her lungs not yet completely formed. Booth worked non-stop until the child was viable and on her way to a long healthy life; her fate not yet determined.
Our departure from the Zarcon was met with resistance. The battle was swift and we lost three more of our crew; one of our best pilots Jarred Hanson, a young soldier Lt. Akeem Cahill and a young medic Milla Kronopolis. We had gone to Asenath's quarters in hopes of saving her and Kane. They were killed just outside our ship. We were so close to safety but not close enough.
My biggest loss was Jarred Hanson, one of my closest friends and my personal pilot. I will miss him dearly. The most difficult task ahead of me is telling his young wife and son of his death. His death was honorable and in battle, but it will not give his family any solace. Our mission was one of peace and goodwill, not one of war or domination.
I know as soldiers, my brethren and I took an oath to defend our planet. Yet we hold hope we will never have to face battle; to kill. I saw death today on a visceral level. I saw pure savagery. I thought myself a humanitarian, not a killer. Seeing death and taking a life, I take pause. Is this the life I want?
####
Coming Soon: Shielding Avon (The Battle for Zarcon Saga - Book 2)
Captain Jeremy Hanson has fallen into the duty of protecting Cadet Avon Zadoorian and she is being hunted by two Zarcon assassins. Avon is the heir to the Zarcon throne. Her entire life has been a lie. She had been torn from her mother's stomach and discarded like trash. Her parents killed just minutes later. Her aunt fled with her to the ship of the now General Jax Zadoorian, who helped the two refugees escape to Earth. There, the General raised Avon as his daughter and her mother's twin sister pretended to be the hired help. Avon's Emperor Grandfather is dead and her uncle needs to present Avon's head on a pike in order to assum
e the throne of Zarcon. Avon and Jeremy are on the run from the Zarcon assassins. They have a military controlled city, the slums and a wasteland to transverse before they can escape Earth.
Red Widow (The Red Wolf Chronicles - Book 3)
Logan is fighting for his life after being attacked by Katia. How far will Boone go to save him? Then there are the werewolves who keep reappearing. While everything is going wrong in their personal life, our heroes head out to locate four military members who have come up missing. Have they been kidnaped or have they come together to carry out a devious plot? Who will be the Red Widow? Will there be more than one?
Emerald City - The Return (The Legend of the Snow Wolves - Book 7)
After 20 years in exile, Kenzie, the heiress to the Rudolph fortune, returns to a haunted Emerald City to lead a normal life and to find love. But who will she fall in love with? Will it be the handsome and alluring shape-shifter with maniacal motives or the ghost who watches over her as her guardian angel? Kenzie fights to reunite the Rudolph and Morton families while helping the ghosts trapped on Emerald Knoll to cross over. The Rudolphs returning from Brazil have changed. Gracey Rudolph is no longer able to stand back and watch the destruction and death. She shows a side of herself never seen before to stop the needless killings while seeking her own revenge. Included in Book 7 - The legend of the original Snow Wolves.
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Discover other titles by Rebekah Shelton:
The Legend of the Snow Wolves Series:
Emerald Eyes [FREE]
Emerald Knoll
Emerald Cove
Emerald Garden
Emerald Aura
Emerald Haven
Emerald City - The Return
Emerald Nation - Divided (coming soon)
Emerald Reign (planned)
The Red Wolf Chronicles:
Red Wolf [FREE]
Red Palace
Red Widow
The Battle for Zarcon Saga:
Raising Avon [FREE]
Shielding Avon (coming soon)
Battling Avon (planned)
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