Chapter Two
“They are at it again .”
Juliet sighed from where she was sitting at a table with Emma and a Tarin female named Melody. They were in the Sky Bar, the new female-only lounge that was located on the rooftop of Exodus. The Sky Bar had become a favored hangout for females of all races. Patrons liked the feminine ambiance, the pretty décor, and the special selection of food and drinks that were offered there, but what Juliet really enjoyed was the spectacular view.
It was a beautiful day out, so they had opened the purple crystal sky dome halfway. Sitting out in the open air and enjoying a view of the entire city while eating breakfast had become Juliet’s favorite way to start the day since she’d come to the sanctuary.
Standing up, she walked around the table and joined Melody by the railing. Glancing down, she winced when she saw the crowd that had formed below. Since the rooftop bar was magically soundproofed, she couldn’t hear the shouting and chants coming from the sea of people. But she didn’t need to hear them to know they were being loud as hell.
For days, there had been utter chaos outside of the sanctuary. She felt bad about it since it was entirely her fault. Not that anyone who lived or worked at Exodus blamed her. Actually, they all thought it was pretty damn entertaining.
She, on the other hand, wasn’t as amused by the mess she had caused.
Since it was mid-morning, the bar wasn’t open to the public yet, so they had plenty of privacy. Still, Juliet kept her voice low as she returned to her seat and said, “I thought they would have given up protesting already.”
Melody leaned over in her chair to glance down again and huffed in irritation. “Don’t those people have jobs? They’re blocking traffic.”
Juliet had met Melody shortly after she had arrived at the sanctuary, and they had instantly clicked. Even though they were from different planets, she and the Tarin female had a lot in common. Melody had been born into captivity and had been sold to a Tarin lord who had fallen for her after he saw her dance at a festival.
For years, she had been a slave, but her spirit had never been broken. When a handful of Dragon Warriors had arrived on the planet and joined the fight to end slavery on Tartarus, she had finally been freed. Since she’d come to Earth, she had gotten in the habit of changing the color of her hair every few months. Right now, her hair was a vibrant red. With her black eyes, the combination made her look a little scary.
“We should start tossing things off the roof and see how many of them we can hit. We could make a game of it,” Melody said with a sly grin. “Double points for hitting a protestor carrying a sign.”
That made Juliet and Emma laugh.
“While that would surely be amusing, I have a feeling some people might take issue with that,” Jade Vyper announced as she appeared next to their table, along with her cousin, Princess Alestra Lux, from Ilius.
Juliet startled in surprise by their sudden appearance, then she smiled at the newcomers. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the way the magic users appeared and disappeared at whim, but she loved watching them do it.
Like Jade, Alestra was a beautiful female with bright magenta-colored hair and glowing lavender eyes that gleamed silver in the light. She had recently come to Earth to visit her cousin, but after a mishap had caused her to crash-land on the planet, her arrival had caused quite a stir.
She was mated to Jais Starr, a big Krytos who was one of the managers of the sanctuary. Although Juliet liked Alestra and Jais very much, she found them just as intimidating as the Dragon Warriors. Thankfully, they had been nothing but kind to her. Because of that, she considered them friends, even though she was still a little nervous being around them.
“Do not worry about the protestors,” Alestra said as she and Jade sat down at the table. “They are simply a nuisance, nothing more.”
“The protestors are being drowned out by your supporters anyway,” Emma chimed in.
“Both groups are causing a disturbance,” Juliet pointed out.
Melody snorted. “This has actually worked in our favor. Exodus, the Sky Bar, and the club downstairs have been packed to capacity all week. If anything, your notoriety is damn good for business.”
“Yeah, but I feel bad for—”
“Stop,” Emma insisted. “None of this is your fault.”
But it was, Juliet countered silently. Half of the people outside of the sanctuary were there because they hated her, while the other half was there to support her. The support was appreciated, but she still couldn’t quite understand how she had become the poster girl for defying the Alliance and challenging martial law.
In the weeks since she’d been saved from James Borov’s clutches, it had been a whirlwind of activity. Once she had been safely tucked away inside the sanctuary, she had been given comfortable living quarters and thoroughly healed of all physical wounds. For the first few days, she did very little besides sleep, eat, and take long, hot showers.
When she lived with James, her showers had been timed, and the temperature of the water had been programmed since he claimed too much hot water was bad for her skin. That had just been another way for him to control her. Stripping away all the little joys in her life was supposed to make her grateful when he gave something back to her.
Instead, it just made her hate him more.
After that period of rest, she had woken one evening to discover she felt pretty damn normal. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she had actually felt free. It was like waking up after a horrible nightmare and discovering that none of it had actually happened.
Only, her nightmare had been real.
It might have sounded strange, but her relief had made her feel horrible. A part of her felt guilty about feeling normal. When she had been offered counseling with one of the trained specialists the sanctuary had on staff, she had gladly accepted. It was obvious that she needed extensive therapy after what she’d experienced since she was still having a difficult time processing everything.
Despite the counseling, she still felt a little disconnected from what had happened. She thought that didn’t make sense since she still carried all the pain, anguish, and anger inside of her. The counselor had assured her that was completely normal, though. The counselor told her that she needed to redefine “normal” for herself. Everyone handled trauma differently, and Juliet had to let herself deal with everything in her own time.
Time was something she had plenty of now.
Being in a safe place around people she knew wouldn’t hurt her did wonders for her sense of well-being. She was slowly being reintroduced to the world, and the people at the sanctuary ensured that she could do so at her own pace. No one made her feel bad when she’d had a panic attack after she was late to a group dinner. Nor did they get irritated when she flinched away when someone raised a hand or moved too fast around her. The people at the sanctuary had completely closed ranks around her, forming a physical and emotional barrier between her and the rest of the world.
They allowed her to breathe and be at peace.
But that couldn’t last forever.
James, Beatrice, and Willard had been taken into custody, but in order to make sure they paid for what they had done to her, Juliet had to deal with the authorities. The Dragon Warriors and their connections within the Alliance had pushed to give her as much time to recover as they could, but they couldn’t keep delaying the unavoidable.
When she was ready to speak to the authorities, she didn’t do it alone. The Dragon Warriors had made sure the Alliance investigators had to come to the sanctuary instead of her reporting to them. Emma, Melody, Jade, and Alestra had stayed with her through it all, and when the Alliance officers had said she was only allowed two legal representatives, her group of protectors had just laughed.
Taking legal action against James and the others for what they’d done to her had been difficult, yet necessary. It also highlighted all of the problems with the current laws regarding bonding. While the Alliance wanted to quietly settle the matter, she’d wanted everyone to know exactly what had been done to her in order to stop it from happening to anyone else.
James’ family had done their best to try to stop her, but Juliet had the entire sanctuary standing with her. Not only were they an amazing support system, they also came in handy when it came to collecting evidence. Since the Dragon Warriors and the Ilius princess didn’t need to ask for permission to do what they wanted, they had easily found all of the evidence needed to prove every word Juliet had reported was true.
It hadn’t shocked her to discover that James had recorded everything he had done to her once he’d kidnapped her. What she hadn’t expected was for them to find recordings of several other women being subjected to the same kinds of torture she had been put through. Each of the victims had been a dancer like her, but instead of bonding with them, they had simply disappeared after he’d been done with them.
Although James had refused to answer questions about the missing women, Jade had somehow gotten the information they needed out of him. It made Juliet furious and sad to know that what she and the other women had gone through had been made possible because of the current bonding laws. Women were claimed and taken prisoner all the time because the Alliance allowed it.
When it became clear that James was actually a murderer on top of being a sadistic torturer, Juliet reached a new level of rage. While the trial had been kept relatively quiet, she’d made the decision to leak it to the public. She wanted people to know exactly what had happened to her and the other victims to help them understand just how fucked the current bonding laws were.
She had thought it would be difficult to recount the details of her captivity, but she discovered her anger had vastly outweighed her embarrassment. Besides, she wasn’t the one who should feel ashamed. That fell on the people to blame for her situation, which, in her mind, included anyone who agreed with force bonding.
She had mixed feelings about James, Beatrice, and Willard being sent off to the Mars Penal Colony. A small part of her wanted them dead and gone from the universe, but she liked thinking about them being trapped and living in absolute misery for the rest of their lives. She was also happy knowing she would never have to see them ever again.
The rest of the Borov family suffered as well. James had used their company as a hunting ground for victims, and they had helped him cover his tracks. Although they claimed they hadn’t known what he had been doing, they had wiped their records of the women who had disappeared. Because of their callous disregard, five women had lost their lives. Women who had been like Juliet, with no families and no close friendships. So when they had gone missing, there had been no one to search for them.
That was something Juliet was still having a difficult time accepting. After their bodies had been discovered out in the badlands, Juliet started having nightmares about being buried alive in the desert. James’ explanation for why he hadn’t killed her had made it even worse. The others he had taken before her had been part of the corps, the general dance troupe. Since she had been a principal dancer, he had deemed her worthy enough to bond with.
In her quest for revenge, she had made sure information about the trial had been blasted all over the planet, but she hadn’t really thought about what that would mean for her once it was over. While she wanted to put everything behind her and move on with her life, that wasn’t possible now.
By making the details of the trial public, she had somehow become the figurehead of a movement, challenging the Alliance. With the creation of the cure for infertility, changing the bonding laws simply made sense, but not everyone agreed with her.
There was a group of people that hated her for going against the current system. Some even claimed she was lying about everything that had happened with James. It didn’t matter to them that there were other victims, or that people had been murdered. They overlooked everything that didn’t fit their own narrative.
On the flipside, Juliet had become a hero to some. That made her feel guilty since she didn’t feel like she deserved the title. In fact, she knew she didn’t. She hadn’t done it for the greater good. She hadn’t even done it for the other victims. She had simply wanted revenge against the people who had hurt her, and everything else had just been a byproduct of her true purpose.
Because of her new public status, she’d been asked to speak to the Council of Regents along with several other people who wanted to challenge the bonding rules. She’d never been a good public speaker, so her initial reaction had been to refuse. However, when it came down to it, she knew someone had to speak for all the other women still suffering in silence. And since that person had somehow ended up being her, she made a vow to do the best she could.
Despite her reservations, she agreed to appear in front of the Council of Regents. Since it was a matter of great public interest, the council had been pressured to broadcast the meeting so everyone could watch it. She gave her speech to the council and was merciless with her censure of the system. She didn’t just challenge the bonding rules. She also questioned the Alliance regulations that allowed them to take children away from their parents after they were tested. If fertility was no longer a widespread issue, there wouldn’t be a need for testing children when they turned ten.
After her speech, she had to answer a barrage of questions. It was clear that a few of the regents had taken exception to her accusations, but they couldn’t deny they were at fault for leaving regulations in place that were detrimental to women and children. Sure, there had been a time when those regulations had been necessary to combat the declining population. Worry over the future of the human race had taken precedence over personal freedom.
But that was no longer the case.
The whole experience had been difficult, but she had gotten through it. Thankfully, a huge group from the sanctuary had also attended the meeting to support her and the other speakers.
“I was hoping the interest in me would die down now that the meeting is over,” Juliet said, earning looks of sympathy and incredulity from the others.
“Wishful thinking,” Melody scoffed.
Emma nodded in agreement. “I don’t think things will die down until the council makes a decision on whether or not they are going to change anything.”
“We will give them a deadline,” Jade announced.
Juliet’s eyes widened. “What?”
“While I do not mind the protestors since everyone has a right to their own opinions, that does not apply to those harming others. There are too many people who are suffering from the current regulations,” Jade explained. “The regents need to make their position clear on the subject so we can declare ours.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Emma asked cautiously.
“That means we will start rescuing those who are suffering like Juliet was,” Alestra declared. “By force, if need be.”
Melody grinned. “Like vigilantes? Fucking frosty. Sign me up.”
“Something like that,” Alestra said with a laugh. “The sanctuaries have always been a safe haven for people in trouble. However, it might be time for us to be a little more proactive.”
“In what way? You want to declare the entire city of Zion a sanctuary?” Juliet asked.
Alestra cocked her head to the side. “That is not a bad idea. I like how you think.”
“Holy nova,” Emma groaned. “Please do not declare war on the Alliance.”
Jade snorted. “Not war. However, if the Alliance continues to allow their females to be treated like slaves, then we shall treat their captors as enemies and hunt them down like the beasts they are.”
Juliet was thrilled to hear that, but she was also a little worried that she was going to end up being blamed for all of it. Stars, she suddenly realized that was exactly what was going to happen.
She sighed. “The protestors are never going to leave me alone.”
Alestra reached out and patted her shoulder. “You may be right about that.”
“Actually, this might be the perfect opportunity for you to take a little vacation,” Emma announced. “While I would love it if you stayed at the sanctuary, you’ve mentioned several times now how much you miss going out and doing things. With everything that has happened, you still aren’t able to do that. Even if the council decides to do the right thing and change the regulations, you might never be able to walk around Zion without getting mobbed by a crowd.”
That was true enough.
After being imprisoned and isolated for so long, Juliet wanted to go out. She wanted to take a walk down the street, go running in the park, lose herself in a crowd, and immerse herself with the noise and energy of the city. She wanted to feel the sunshine on her face and dance in the rain until she was completely soaked to the skin. But she couldn’t do that now that literally everyone on the planet knew who she was.
“Is there anywhere you wish to go?” Jade asked. “Perhaps somewhere off planet?”
Juliet didn’t even need to think about that for long. The moment she had started feeling normal again, she had desperately wanted to see the friends she had grown up with at the group home. It hadn’t taken her long to track them down, but unfortunately, they were no longer living on Earth.
“There are a few people I’ve wanted to go see,” Juliet explained. “I’m not sure they’ve even heard the news about…my situation yet.”
Melody’s brows furrowed. “Where are they?”
“The new planetoid owned by the Artanes, Evo.”
“I should warn you, the Artanes were recently mated to my friend, Brielle Lee. Well, I guess she is Brielle Artane now,” Emma corrected. “They’ve been in love with her for a long time. Almost as long as she’s worked for them.”
“I didn’t mean the Artanes,” Juliet assured.
“Then, who is it you wish to see?”
She hesitated briefly before coming clean. “Do you know Raek and Fenris Barra? And their sister Charm? I lived in a group home with them before they aged out and I moved to the dance academy. We’ve been friends a long time, but I lost contact with them after…”
Emma nodded in understanding. “I know them. Quite well, in fact, since my mate is friends with them.”
“I have not met them,” Jade said. “But I do know much about them through my mates’ memories.”
“Their memories…?” Juliet chuckled. “Sorry, I forgot that Dragon Warrior mates can share memories with one another. That is very cool, by the way.”
Alestra grinned. “Ilius mates share minds and memories as well.”
Emma gasped. “Wait! Juliet, are you the dancer they always mentioned? Holy nova, am I relieved.”
“Why?”
“Trip and I thought they were infatuated with a stripper or something since they were always pretty closed mouth when it came to details about their dancer.”
Their dancer?
Hearing that made Juliet’s heart skip a beat.
Melody frowned. “What is wrong with being a stripper? It is not easy to remove clothing while dancing without looking awkward or clumsy. I’m very good at it.”
“I’m sure you are,” Emma acknowledged quickly. “I didn’t mean there was anything wrong with it. I just meant…I’m just going to shut up now.”
“I was just messing with you.” Melody chuckled. “So, you had a thing going with these two back in the group home?”
Juliet felt her face flush with heat. “No, we just…we grew up together.”
The truth was she’d had a crush on Raek and Fenris since she was young, but she’d always thought they were too good for her. Since they were older than she was, they had already started excelling in their chosen fields while she’d still been in the dance academy. Raek had become a brilliant chef, while Fenris had become one of the most famous tattoo artists on or off planet.
She had foolishly wanted to prove herself to them by rising to the top of the dance world before expressing her feelings to them, but James had ruined that for her. During the trial, she had discovered that he hadn’t destroyed her wrist unit after he’d kidnapped her. He had used it to reply to any messages that had been sent to her. The harsh messages he had sent to Raek and Fenris while pretending to be her had broken her heart.
It made sense why they hadn’t tried to reach out to her after that. They had thought they were doing what she had asked them to do, which was to leave her alone with her new bonded. Juliet had considered reaching out to explain everything to them, but she couldn’t make herself do it. Besides, she thought it might be best if she spoke to Charm first.
Charm had always been like an older sister to her, and she could definitely use her advice about how to tell Raek and Fenris what had really happened between her and James. During the trial she had also discovered that Charm had actually tried to visit her, but she had been turned away.
Although none of it had actually been her fault, Juliet felt like she had a lot to apologize for.
“My mates told me that Raek and Fenris accepted the offer to create the sanctuary on Evo because they wanted to put some distance between themselves and the female who broke their hearts,” Jade said softly.
Juliet gasped. That couldn’t be true. If it were, they had lost so much more than just time together. They had lost a chance at finding true love. But maybe, just maybe, that was something they could rectify.
She wouldn’t know unless she tried.
“I know that look,” Emma said with a grin. “That’s the expression of a woman in love. Looks like you’ll be taking a trip to Evo.”
“I wish I could go. I have wanted to see the new gaming world, but my brother is on his way here for a visit. He has never been to Earth and is looking forward to seeing it.” Alestra paused, then she smiled. “Perhaps we will join you on Evo after he arrives.”
“I can’t just show up there, can I?” Juliet asked. “I mean, they are still in the beta testing phase on Evo. Maybe they’re too busy to have visitors at the moment.”
“That would be like us not accepting visitors here,” Jaded pointed out dryly.
“Right,” Juliet agreed weakly. “You have a point.”
“Go,” Jade told her. “I will remain here with my mates to deal with the aftermath of whatever the Alliance decides to do about the bonding regulations. And before you suggest it, nay, you should not stay here. In fact, it would be best if you were far away once the Alliance announces their decision.”
“Which means we have to get gone fast. I’ll go with you since we can’t let you jet off to a new planetoid all alone,” Melody offered. “And during the voyage there, I can tell you about two dozen different ways you can seduce the males into being yours.”
Juliet groaned again. “I don’t think I want you to come with me anymore.”
“Of course, you do,” Melody countered cheerfully. “It will be fun.”
“Can you maybe make a recording of those different seduction methods and send them to me?” Emma asked hopefully.
“Sure!” Jumping up from her seat, Melody grabbed hold of Juliet’s hand and jerked her to her feet. “Come, my friend. Let’s go pack for our trip.”