Hall was waiting. And she’d have to tell him…something.
She wasn’t running, but she was walking fast as she left by the backdoor, waving at the guard, Iram, as if she were too distracted to explain her presence.
She’d barely made it into the shelter of the trees when she was grabbed by two strong hands.
“Where have you been? You scared the life out of me!” Hall’s hands were tight on her upper arms, and his face was slightly damp with perspiration in the moonlight.
“I’m sorry, but there’s a…a problem.” She could barely speak now. She wanted so much to just go with him as they’d planned, but then Patrice would be arrested.
She’d never survive a prison planet or a planet dump. She would be dead before even a few days passed.
“What’s going on?” Hall demanded.
As quickly and clearly as she could, Kyla explained what Tor had just told her. She ended with, “I can’t leave her to die, Hall. I just can’t.”
Hall covered his eyes with his hands and groaned loudly, as if furious with the universe for sending such complications. “What choice do you have? You can get out of here now. With me. Otherwise, you’re going to be arrested too. Do you know what happens in a Coalition prison? Do you want me to tell you?”
“No! I’m sorry. I know it’s terrible, but I can’t leave Patrice to face that. I have to go back for her.”
“We don’t have time. If a squad is on its way, then we’re already in trouble. We have to get out of here right now.”
“I can’t.” Kyla was close to tears now, but she knew exactly what she had to do—for the first time, without any doubts or questions.
“Kyla, please,” Hall said thickly. “She’s brought this on herself. She knew what she was doing, and she put you in danger too by doing it.”
“I know that. I know that.”
“But you’re still going to give up your only escape route for her? You’re going to give up your chance to be with me?”
Kyla was crying for real now, since she saw the harsh reality on Hall’s face. “I have to. I’m so sorry, but I have to go back for her. She’s my sister.”
“She doesn’t deserve this. Kyla, she doesn’t deserve this kind of loyalty and sacrifice.” His tone was bitter, rather than emotional, and his face had now become tightly controlled.
He’d lived a long time—surviving in a dangerous world. He knew how to let things go when necessary.
Kyla had always known this truth about him.
“I know you didn’t have much family,” she rasped. “But you had parents and a grandmother I thought you loved. What kind of a family did you have, if you only loved them when they deserved it? She’s my sister, Hall, and I’m not going to leave her to die.”
This seemed to finally get through to him. He jerked his head to the side and breathed deeply.
Kyla wiped her tears away and waited, not even breathing, although she already knew what he was going to say.
“I can’t go with you. I’ve got to get the cargo out and meet Lenna.”
“I know,” she said, managing to keep her voice from breaking. “I never expected you to come with me.
“I can’t risk my life—and Lenna’s—for—”
“I know,” Kyla interrupted. “You don’t have to justify it. No ties or commitments, remember? No shackles of any kind.”
It was the first time in the whole conversation when it felt like her words were just wrong.
“Damn it, Kyla,” Hall muttered, his face twisting painfully. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. I’m tempted to just—”
“Don’t you dare.” She recognized the expression on his face. “Don’t you dare force me to leave with you.”
He blew out a breath. “I won’t. But you’re just being—”
“We don’t have time for this. I’ve got to get back to Patrice. You go on.”
“I’ll wait at the launch port with Lenna for as long as we possibly can. If you and your sister can get there in time, we’ll take you both with us.”
She was surprised and gratified by the offer, since he would be risking harboring fugitives. “You’ll probably have to leave before we get there, but we’ll try. Thank you.” She gave him a little push. “Now go.”
Hall took one step away from her, but then he reached out to take her hand and squeeze it.
She almost choked on fear and grief and an emotion more powerful than any she’d ever experienced. “Thank you,” she said again, forcing the words out through a tightened throat. “For waking me up. For setting me free.”
He opened the connection between them for just a moment, and she was flooded with him, filling her completely. All of his own anger and sorrow and loss and appreciation and the same force of emotion she felt in herself.
“Thank you,” he murmured, “for setting me free too.”
He dropped her hand then and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the woods.
Kyla turned and ran back toward the palace.
***
Hall knew the steps of their plan by heart. He could do them in his sleep. He had to, since he was so stunned and dazed at losing Kyla—before he’d ever really had her.
He should have known not to hope for too much. The universe had never given him anything easily—and never anything nearly so good as her.
He jumped onto the back of the transport, exactly as he’d planned, and the trip to the launch port went without incident.
Everything went perfectly. No one stopped them. No inspection. No sign of Coalition officials or the royal guard.
Except he’d left Kyla behind.
He should have just put her over his shoulder and carried her away with him. Or else touched her and changed her mind about going back into the palace.
He couldn’t have done that, though. He wanted her with him from her own free will.
She just cared more about her sister than she did about him.
It hurt. That truth. But it was no more than he should have expected. He’d gone into this, believing himself to be free and wanting to stay that way.
He didn’t feel free. He felt like he might vomit.
The feeling didn’t dispel as the transport turned into the launch port.
He froze, terrified when he saw a standard squad of soldiers disembarking from one of the gray Coalition military hops.
They didn’t turn toward him or the transport. They left the port and turned down the road that led toward the palace.
They were here to arrest Kyla and her sister.
There was no way she would be able to get past them and make her way here to him.
The blood left his face, and he was seriously afraid he might faint as he dropped down to the pavement in front of Lenna’s ship.
She’d lowered the cargo ramp and was walking down it, frowning and shaking her head. “That squad gave me a heart attack. I thought they were here for us.”
Hall opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
Kyla was in trouble, and he’d just left her, abandoned her. He’d never considered himself a good man, but he hadn’t thought he was that.
“What’s the matter? You look sick.” Lenna walked over to stand beside him. “Where’s your girl?”
“She’s going to be arrested,” Hall managed to say. He didn’t recognize his own voice.
Lenna sucked in a breath and looked in the direction the squad had disappeared in. “Damn. Talk about bad timing. Damn.” She turned back to peer at his face. “I’m sorry. I know you fell for her hard.”
Hall cleared his throat. “Yeah. I…left her.”
“Well, you had to. What other choice did you have?”
Falling for her didn’t come close to describing how he felt for Kyla. He couldn’t believe he’d just walked away and left her alone.
She was in danger. She was in danger right now.
He’d lived his whole life trying to evade any sort of emotional shackles. He’d always assumed that was what
it meant to be free.
He’d been wrong. About so many things.
About everything that mattered.
“Fuck,” he breathed, knowing what he had to do.
“Oh shit, Hall,” Lenna muttered, evidently watching his face closely. “Don’t do it.”
He straightened his shoulders and took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. I have to. I have to.”
“God save me from stupid love that makes you do such stupid things.” She spoke the words under her breath—like a prayer. Then she continued in her normal voice. “Okay. I’ll get the cargo loaded and wait for you as long as I can. But this is my life and my ship. If you’re not here in an hour, or if I see one sign of that Coalition squad, I’m going to have to take off. Without you.”
“Understood.” He touched her shoulder briefly. “Thanks.”
“Whatever,” Lenna grumbled. “You absolute idiot. Now go. Hurry up. I’m not going to wait for long.”
Hall took off at a run, keeping his eyes peeled for any sort of transport he could borrow to get him to the palace more quickly.
He was running toward a dangerous situation, one where there was only a slim chance of him getting out of unscathed.
But it was the first time he could remember feeling like he was actually free.
Nine
Iram, who was still guarding the back door of the palace, was visibly startled when Kyla approached him at a run.
She had no idea how much time they had before the Coalition squad arrived to arrest her, but it wasn’t going to be long. Leaving the palace and grounds without being noticed was hard enough—since she didn’t want to take the chance that the guards would be slaughtered by the much more advanced weapons of the Coalition.
But even harder would be convincing Patrice to leave with her.
She had to do it, though. She’d probably lost her chance to be with Hall by going back for her sister. She wasn’t going to let it be in vain.
“Sorry,” Kyla said, managing a self-deprecating smile. “I left so fast before I forgot something.”
Iram gave her a slightly confused smile, but didn’t question her any further as she hurried in. She took the back stairs again, since there was much less of a chance of her encountering anyone. She reached the royal wing and was about to head toward Patrice’s chambers when she saw Tor ducking out of her own suite.
“There you are,” he said, looking hot and sweaty and far more ruffled than he usually was. “Where have you been?” Then he shook his head. “Never mind. Your sister is in your room. She’s in…quite a mood, and I thought it safer there than in her own rooms, which is where they’ll look first.”
“Okay. Thank you. How much time do we have?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a half-hour. Maybe less. Get out of here as quickly as you can. I’m going back down to the throne room so I can stall as long as possible if they arrive quicker than we think. Everyone else thinks she just went in the love tent with her evening’s partner.”
“Good thinking.” Kyla cleared her throat. “Okay. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.” He gave her a little smile. “I really am sorry that—”
“Don’t apologize. Anyone else would have done the same thing.” Even the man who was supposed to want her and care about her had walked away from her when she needed him the most. That was just what people did in this universe. “Thank you for helping us now.”
She paused. Then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Stay safe, Tor. Be happy.”
He kissed her back, murmuring, “You too.” Then he took off toward the stairs again, leaving her alone in the hall.
She took a deep breath and entered her room.
“What in the name of all that’s holy is going on here, Kyla?” Patrice demanded shrilly. “Tor said you were in danger.”
“I am in danger,” Kyla said, surprised by how natural she sounded. A higher calm had overcome her, even though her heart still raced and her blood still throbbed with fear. It was like someone else—someone smarter and braver—had taken possession of her body. “You’re in danger too.”
“Then call the guards.” Patrice strode toward the door, but Kyla stood in front of her to stop her.
“We can’t call them. They can’t protect us.”
“They will, or they’ll die trying.”
“Of course they’ll die. All of them will. And we’ll still be arrested. A squad of Coalition soldiers is on their way here to arrest us for treason. They’ll have laser blasters. The guards’ swords won’t do a thing against them.”
Patrice’s mouth fell open. “Arrested for treason?”
“Of course for treason,” Kyla snapped, scared and frustrated and unwilling to waste time in arguments. “What the hell did you think would happen when you claimed to be Empress? The guards can’t protect us, and we can’t let them be slaughtered trying. We either make a run for it now, or we’re both going to end up in a prison planet—or worse. So shut up and let’s get out of here.”
Patrice had gone white, but something in Kyla’s tone or words must have gotten through to her. “They’re coming for sure?”
“Tor said there was a scout in Court tonight. The squad is already on its way. We need to try to get to the launch port and make it off-world. We can figure out what to do from there.”
“Maybe we can raise an army and come back to take our home back,” Patrice said, looking unusually fierce.
Kyla didn’t try to argue with this nonsense. “Sure.” She grabbed a pair of her trousers and boots and tossed them over to Patrice. “But right now put these on. We might need to run, and you won’t get far wearing that.”
Patrice changed clothes in record time, and they were covering themselves with cloaks when there was an unexpected knock on the door to her suite.
Kyla jerked in surprise, and Patrice gave a little squeal that might have been louder if Kyla hadn’t made a silent shushing noise.
“Lady Kyla? I’m sorry to bother you.” The voice was the high pitched simper of Malone, the Court Director, although it sounded much more wobbly than normal. “But Lady Patrice is summoning your presence down in the throne room.”
Kyla and Patrice looked at each other as Kyla’s heart dropped painfully. “This can’t be good,” she whispered, almost soundlessly.
“Lady Kyla,” he said again through the door. “I know you have a migraine, but I’ll have to enter if you don’t open the door.”
“Someone must be with him,” Kyla murmured, searching the room for a weapon. She had nothing. “I’m coming,” she called out, loud enough to be heard.
“Thank you, my lady.”
Patrice had been searching the room too, and she picked up one of Kyla’s half-finished riding boots and stuffed several heavy decorative stones that had been displayed near the fireplace into the foot of the boot. She offered it silently to Kyla, who nodded.
It was heavy and would swing well. It was the best they could do at the moment.
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
The Court Director stood there, and beside him was a man she’d never seen before. He was nondescript, with the bland, barren expression Kyla had seen on any number of Coalition officials.
It must be the scout, who had been in the throne room. He must be rounding up the criminals before the squad’s arrival. He didn’t appear to have a weapon. He wouldn’t have been allowed to enter Court if he had one.
All this she took in in the time it took for her to step out into the hall. “I’m sorry,” she said pitifully. “I’m very weak with the migraine. What does Lady Patrice want?” She held the boot behind her back.
The scout reached out for her. “You’re to come downst—”
She swung the loaded boot as hard as she could, right at the man’s head. She got in a hit so good it surprised her. The man made a hmphing sound and bent over.
She hit his head again, and then again. Until he collapsed onto the ground.
As soon
as he was down, Malone offered Patrice the dagger he wore—entirely for show—in his belt. It was well-made and looked sharp. Patrice tucked it into her belt. Then he looked from Kyla to the boot she still held, and gestured toward his head.
She understood. They had to make it look like Malone had put up a fight, or he would be in trouble when more Coalition soldiers arrived.
“Sorry,” she mouthed to the man, who’d impressed her more than she’d ever expected. She swung the boot at the side of his head, and he doubled over. He wasn’t knocked out, but there’d be a large bruise at least. Hopefully it would be convincing enough.
She grabbed Patrice’s arm, and they ran toward the back stairs. Kyla really hoped this would be the last time she’d be going up and down them—tonight and probably ever.
She ran fast, holding the boot with one hand and the railing with the other so she didn’t trip and hurt herself. Patrice followed, a little slower but faster than Kyla had expected.
“What about all our people?” Patrice asked breathlessly when they were rounding the last flight of steps. “Will they be okay?”
“Tor said they would, as long as they don’t try to fight the Coalition. If we’re gone, they won’t fight.”
“Okay. Now what?” Patrice asked. They’d reached the bottom of the stairs and were facing a wall. They could turn either left or right.
“We better take the back door and go through the woods. We can always go over the wall.”
They turned left and were reaching the door when Kyla started to hear a commotion. Voices. A clatter. A lot of motion of different kinds.
“They’re here,” Kyla said, recognizing that some of the soldiers must already be inside the palace. “Quick.”
Iram was still on duty at the back door, and he was obviously nervous, trying to look around the corner to where the squad was entering the main doors.
He gave a little squeak when he saw the two women.
Kyla was about to give a quick explanation when she heard someone running up behind them. She turned and swung her boot at the same time, and it landed square in the gut of the soldier who had almost grabbed her.