Chapter Ten
Madelaine had not planned to kiss Jack. Nope. Even though that particular fantasy had been living rent free in her head since she saw him through Seraphina’s violet-lensed spectacles at the bachelor auction.
She knew she should not kiss him or she’d suffer the consequences of wanting that to happen again and again.
The almost-kiss in Liberty, Missouri, on their way up to Suspicion had made her careful about her actions.
She did not want to lead him on. They did not have a future together.
But with that awful woman from the bachelor auction, the one who’d been trying to outbid Seraphina, standing right in her face at the bank…
well, Madelaine had wanted to claim her territory and make a point.
Listen up, buttercup. He’s mine and likely always will be. Never yours. Got it? Good.
Madelaine had pressed her lips to Jack’s in that spontaneous moment to ensure Ashleigh understood their connection. Even though she no longer had a claim on Jack’s affection or a future with him, she didn’t want that woman to think she had a chance with the man Madelaine would always love.
She was grateful he didn’t ask her what in the space potato farm she was doing kissing him in the middle of the Tractor Beam Credit Union with several patrons and employees looking on. She was even more grateful that he simply drove the car to the house without any chatting at all.
“Did everything go according to plan?” Seraphina asked when they walked in.
“Yes. Pretty much,” Madelaine said. “That woman you beat at the bachelor auction for Jack slowed us down, but I was able to hurry our journey along.”
Jack smiled, so she stopped worrying about kissing him. Apparently, it hadn’t made him mad. That was good.
Madelaine saw that Seraphina clearly understood there was more to the story, but didn’t ask any further questions.
She left Jack and Seraphina in the vestibule and sequestered herself in the large bedroom on the lower floor. She retrieved the metal box the Secret Keeper had given her from the room’s wall safe.
She did not take out the flip-phone he’d given her because she was not planning to call him.
The rental house was minimally furnished, which suited her just fine.
She’d slept here the night before the bachelor auction, having flown to Alienn on the Paladin Seeker with perma-cloaking engaged, so the local leadership wouldn’t know she was here, how long she stayed on Earth or when she left the planet.
Even Seraphina didn’t know how she’d gotten here. Her friend had come to Earth a few days ago on a luxury liner and stayed belowstairs at the Big Bang Truck Stop until Madelaine contacted her.
The spacecraft was hidden in the woods behind the property behind a granite knoll with the cloaking mechanism engaged, to keep her business here and her privacy intact.
She sat on the edge of the bed in the spartan room, pulled the key she’d retrieved from the safety deposit box out of her pocket and inserted it in the lock. She placed her thumb on the oval below the lock, which warmed and lit up green.
She turned the key and heard a distinct click. The top of the box popped open about an inch so she could lift it up.
Madelaine didn’t know what she expected to find, but the raggedy, golden brown, folded parchment paper was not at all it.
She took the paper out of the box and checked to see if there was anything else inside.
Nope. It was just the old paper that looked well-aged and even more decrepit than the parchment Quell-don had given her at the outset of this journey.
She pushed out a sigh and focused her attention on the task at hand. Carefully, she unfolded the paper, which looked like it might fracture into a million pieces of dust if she moved too fast. It was sturdier than it looked, thankfully.
A small tan envelope fell from between the folds of the ancient-looking document. She left the small envelope for now, reading quickly, trying to memorize as she went in case the paper did disintegrate as she held it.
Paladin Courier, you must follow these instructions precisely. The path you follow is filled with dangers both seen and unseen. You must be wary and cautious with every step forward you take as you proceed with this imperative duty.
For your next task, you must go to the planet Malvoraxis Veil and retrieve another sacred package with further instructions.
Malvoraxis Veil is a very dark, brutal planet of warriors hidden within our solar system, bordering our sister galaxy.
Because of the inhabitants’ stark edicts, you must acquire a husband to continue this important journey.
Madelaine gasped. A husband?! What?!
The beings living on Malvoraxis Veil do not recognize females as worthy to even converse with any intelligence. Therefore, you must get married quickly before you leave Alienn and take this man with you to Malvoraxis Veil.
Your husband will be required to pilot the ship through the atmosphere to Malvoraxis Veil.
He will have to speak your words in order to retrieve the package.
You will be allowed to accompany your husband.
However, you must never speak. Do not even speak in your own spacecraft until you have left their atmosphere.
If you dare speak while on the planet, your husband will be forced to fight to the death for the disgrace of allowing his woman to voice any view. We have pre-selected a trusted man to help you accomplish this task. His name is in the provided envelope.
The Justice of the Peace in Alienn will have a package for you with further details and specific instructions for this next leg of your journey once the marriage documents are signed. Unfortunately, there is at least one other planet you will need a husband for on this trip, possibly more.
May your steps be sure as you complete this vital task.
There was no signature, the text just ended.
She turned it over, but there was nothing on the other side.
Madelaine reread the letter and took a picture of it with her phone to ensure she had the complete text, should she need it.
She picked up the envelope and read the message centered on the front: Open this envelope only after you have read the missive.
Her gaze went to the bedroom door as if she could see through it to the man who waited somewhere on the other side.
Her man. Jack Grey.
He was the only husband she’d ever wanted.
She glanced down at the envelope, wondering if she had to marry the man they chose.
She reread the missive once more, which only said she had to get married and that they had selected a trusted man for her.
It didn’t say she was required to marry the man named in the envelope.
Before she thought too much about what she was supposed to do, she opened the door with the express purpose of making her own choice.
Jack looked up at her, brows raised.
“Where is Seraphina?” she asked, taking the cowardly route before she couldn’t take back what she really wanted to ask him.
“She went out to get food. Said she’d be back soon.”
Madelaine held the envelope in her hand. She looked down at it.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked.
“Not sure yet.”
“Need a sounding board again?” he asked with a smile. He opened his arms wide. “I’m available.”
She shook her head and repeated, “Not sure yet.”
His arms dropped, but his smile didn’t disappear. “Okay.”
What am I going to do?
Madelaine felt backed into a corner. She needed a minute to process and walked back and forth before a patient Jack as he waited for her to explain.
Was it right to bring Jack along on a dangerous mission because she didn’t want to marry some trusted stranger the Paladin Cabal had set up for her? Maybe. Maybe not.
She needed to talk to someone who wasn’t involved in the journey.
If she asked Jack what she should do, he’d likely volunteer to be her husband before she finished one sentence.
At least she hoped he would. Maybe she didn’t want to find out that he would never marry her no matter what the stakes or circumstances were because of what she’d done to him.
That would hurt a lot.
And then she remembered the flip-phone forced on her by the Secret Keeper, in case she wanted guidance. Until this moment, she hadn’t planned to use that flip-phone.
He’d known she would need guidance. He must have known.
She stopped pacing and faced Jack. “I need to call the Secret Keeper,” she said excitedly.
Now that whole phone business in Suspicion made sense.
Jack tilted his head to one side. “You can do that? You can just call him up?”
She nodded.
He threw his hands up. “I can’t even do that.”
Madelaine said, “It’s in conjunction with this errand I’m on. I’m certain the phone he gave me will self-destruct into a puff of smoke once the call is concluded and I don’t need it anymore.”
Jack laughed. “No doubt.”
She excused herself to the bedroom to retrieve the flip-phone and have a private conversation with the Secret Keeper.
Madelaine hit the saved number to make the call, unconcerned by what time it was. He’d said he was available day or night, after all. He answered after two rings with, “Madelaine. How can I help?”
She said, “You knew, didn’t you? You knew what was in the box! How could you possibly know?”
“Let’s just say I have a vested interest in your success and move on from there, shall we?
I will not be able to explain anything to you regarding my motives, actions or knowledge.
” He continued, as if his involvement and her interest in it was not concluded, “By now, you’ve read the parchment and understand that you must marry before you leave Alienn, and it must be at the downtown courthouse with the Justice of the Peace there, right? ”
“Yes. I read it. And I’m not getting married to some stranger.”
The Secret Keeper was silent for a few seconds, then said, “You don’t have to get married to a stranger, Madelaine. You can marry whomever you wish. The suggestion provided is just that: a suggestion.”
Madelaine huffed. “I do not believe that for a single second. I know it cannot be as simple as that or they would not have provided a name, enclosed in a special little envelope folded up in the note.”
“Did you read the name in the envelope and for whatever reason have decided he will not do? Or are you simply against marrying and trusting anyone you do not know?”
“Both of those theories could be true, but I haven’t opened the envelope yet.”
There was another long silence from the other end of the line.
“The Paladin Cabal will, of course, want you to do as they suggest. However, the specific text does not say you must marry the person named in the envelope. You may have to answer for your choices at a later date, so keep that in the back of your mind. You may choose your own groom for the length of this task. It should be someone you trust.”
“What about Jack Grey?”
“What about him?”
“What if I choose Jack to be my husband?” If he’ll even have me. “What kind of blowback do you think I’d be looking at?”
“I have no idea what the level of blowback will be, but if he is your choice, marry him quickly. Be aware, he must meet a specific criterion. Jack can pilot a ship, can’t he?”
“What? Yes. I believe so.” He’d known how to pilot back in high school. She hoped he hadn’t forgotten how. “Why?”
“My understanding is that you have a deadline to meet and you cannot fly alone into the atmosphere of the planet where the next package is located.”
Right. How could she have forgotten? The tick-tock of the unknown time limit she had to complete this many-stepped errand pushed her to get going, along with the verbiage in the parchment she’d just read.
“Whatever decision you make regarding your husband-to-be, you need to get married today and move on to the next task. Is that clearly understood?”
“Yes. You’re right. I need to move forward with a purpose.” Madelaine expected the phone to disintegrate in her hand the moment she hung up. Just in case, she quickly asked, “May I hold on to this phone and call you if I need more guidance in the future?”
“You may, but I would not let anyone, not even your groom-to-be, know that you have it.”
“Right. Yes. I’ll keep it hidden. I may not even need it.”
“I’m available day or night if you need me, Madelaine.”
“Thank you, Secret Keeper.”
The call ended and the phone stayed intact, not disappearing in a puff of smoke as she’d imagined it would. She tucked the phone in a pocket hidden in her waistband, patting it once for luck.
She shoved the small unopened envelope with the cabal’s spouse suggestion next to the phone. She didn’t expect to ever need that, either, but she wasn’t destroying anything as she went along on this mission.
Once the box she’d gotten from the Secret Keeper and both keys were stowed in her backpack, along with the parchment, Madelaine left the bedroom to join Jack in the front room.
Here goes nothing. She wasn’t going to waver or procrastinate. Best to rip the Band-Aid right off to alleviate the possible pain of the situation. Would he turn her down? Would he be angry, pitch a fit and then turn her down?
Time to find out.
“Jack,” Madelaine said as she approached him. “Would you be willing to marry me?”