Epilogue
Talear
The Ebony Fortress
Standing together on the periphery of the landing pad, Kendra, Reyne, and Odin watched the skiff hover and descend straight down to the ground. The landing plank opened with a whoosh of compressed steam.
Garrett, Quinn, and Tia descended first, followed by seven sour-faced Taleari guards, some in uniform while the others were clad in undergarments. All but one, made a hasty dash for the fortress the moment their feet touched the ground.
A half-naked Captain Zander halted before Odin. “I knew I recognized you, Odin Masters.”
“Sorry for the deception,” Odin apologized.
“Don’t be. My brother was a rebel. I always considered him a hero who died for a worthy cause. Had you given away your identity, I still would have gone along with your crazy scheme.” Captain Zander spun on his heel and sprinted to catch up with the other guards.
“Have you found Seth yet?” Quinn asked, hopeful.
“Not yet. He is in hiding,” Reyne admitted. “Unfortunately, he is Ramachii so he can’t be sentenced for following orders.”
“Pity, I would love to tie him to that chair in that sweltering dungeon and sever his finger,” Kendra said.
Reyne gave her hand a tight, comforting squeeze. “Don't worry love, when we find him, he’ll lose more than a digit, he’ll lose his most precious appendage. The one between his legs.”
Suddenly, they all grew somber knowing it was time to say goodbye.
Kendra’s eyes burned with unshed tears.
“Don’t worry, we will be back in time for the wedding," Quinn promised Kendra with a wink and wiggled his stub. “I pinky swear.”
Kendra chuckled with an eye roll and latched her mangled digit with his, then gave him a tight hug. When she released him, tears rolled down her cheeks, blurring her vision. She would miss all of them, of course—they were family, but Quinn and his silly dramatics, she would miss most of all.
"I better get the ship ready for departure." Quinn shook Reyne’s hand, then headed into the skiff.
“Where to next?” Reyne asked the others.
Odin glanced at the sky, where an orange orb dipped towards a vivid horizon. “Wherever destiny takes us, I suppose.”
“Well, just be careful,” Reyne said. “I’m not sure what would motivate the new Dracarian Emperor to chase after Armathea now, especially after his father gave up the hunt years ago, but that's the rumor I heard while I was on the Midway.”
“New emperor?” Tia blanched and color drained from her face.
“The old lecher kicked the bucket not long ago and his heir ascended the throne,” Reyne explained as his gaze slid to Tia. “I assumed you knew?”
Tia shook her head and leaned her hip against the skiff for support. “Armathea's cloaking device makes it difficult for us to get information. Spaceports are where we usually get our up-to-date information, and it’s been a while since we needed to refuel and gather supplies."
“Do you know him? The new Emperor?” Garrett asked Tia.
“No, yes…um…well sort of. I met Lazar once—when he sentenced me to life in prison.” Tia reached behind her and kneaded her shoulder blade.
“I suppose I don't need to tell you how ruthless the Dracarians can be, now do I, Tiara Cartell?” Reyne asked.
“How did you know?" Tiara questioned in a shocked whisper.
"I had a manifest of Armathea's crew before I sent out my distress signal." Reyne told her. "The only one I didn't know was Odin, because of the alias he used."
"Fuck." Tiara let loose a curse.
"A rumor is just that, a rumor. It could be nothing, but please be on guard."
"I’m always on guard,” she pointed out and hugged Kendra, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her cheek. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
Kendra pulled back with a teary-eyed smile. “I’m going to miss you too…and your rum. Taleri whiskey is not nearly as good.”
"Says you." Reyne smirked down at Kendra. "I happen to enjoy it."
“I’ll make plenty of rum as a wedding gift.” Tia promised and hugged Kendra again. She gave Reyne a quick handshake before she headed up the ramp.
Garrett followed suit, hugging Kendra in a tight embrace that lifted her feet off the ground.
“Hey, don’t get that close to my bride,” Reyne growled in a threatening tone.
Garrett dropped Kendra to her feet and nudged her under the chin with his knuckles. "I'll miss you little sis."
"Me too. Now will you and Quinn finally put your rivalry aside?" she asked, despite knowing what Garrett would say.
"Not a chance." He admitted with a deep chuckle and shook Reyne's his outstretched hand. “If you dare harm one hair on her head, I promise we will finish that fight we started in the dungeon.” With that he spun and disappeared.
Kenda peered up at Reyne with a questioning glare. “You didn’t tell me you fought Garrett?”
Reyne grinned and enveloped her in a tight embrace. “I didn’t? Must have slipped my mind.” He brought his lips to hers and kissed her senseless.
Beside them, Odin cleared his throat. “I’ve seen enough of that over the last couple days to last a lifetime.”
Both Kendra and Reyne laughed at Odin’s terse tone.
Kendra broke away from Reyne and threw herself at Odin, who hugged her back and placed a fatherly kiss on the top of her head.
To Reyne he reached for his hand, then said, ‘fuck it’ and tugged Reyne into a hug and clasped his back.
“For what it's worth, Reyne. I forgive you for the past. The only thing that matters is the future, and I know you will do right by both the people of Taleari and the amazing woman at your side.” With that, he pivoted and headed into the skiff.
The plank closed and the engine ignited with a deep rumble.
Kendra leaned her head against Reyne’s shoulder as they watched the small vessel lift off the landing pad and speed away.
Once the ship was out of sight, Reyne laced his fingers with Kendra’s and brought her knuckles to his lips. “Are you ready to get married?”
Kendra flashed Reyne a saucy grin. “Of course, I've been ready.”
“Good girl, now let's go practice for our wedding night.”
Kendra raised a brow as a blush stained her cheeks. “Haven’t we practiced enough?”
“Not yet. Practice makes perfect. I even found a pair of shackles I've been meaning to play with.” Reyne flashed her a wicked grin.
She elbowed his ribs with a playful jab. “Shackles? You're despicable.”
“And you love every despicable inch of me,” he purred into her ear and nipped her sensitive lobe. He leaned down and heaved her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and strode towards the fortress.
Kendra’s squeal of delight echoed across the landscape.
Dracar Prime
The Capital of the Dracarian Empire
Lazar strode into the city’s main prison and went directly to the warden's office.
"Do you have an appointment?" The stocky dark-haired warden asked without bothering to look up from the screen that held his attention.
"Pretty sure I don't need one," He stated and held out a razor-thin device, pointing at the image of a woman with wavy black hair and deep brown almond shaped eyes. “I need info on this prisoner.”
The warden yawned. “And you are?”
“Lazar.” He narrowed his eyes on the insolent man who clearly had a death wish.
The warden’s bored expression remained unchanged as he raised a glass to his lips and took a casual, unhurried sip.
“Lazar Heiceran." Lazer pointed towards his black hair, the top half secured into a messy bun. He tugged the rest out from beneath the collar of his knee-length grey coat, letting the inky strands hang down his back. "Your emperor.”
The warden’s eyes bulged and he choked so hard that spittle spewed all over his rectangular glass desk. “Apologies, y-your Majesty. I did not recognize you," He muttered and reached for the device with trembling hands.
Good. He should be quaking or even pissing himself. One snap of his fingers and this man would be dead at his feet, and from the undeniable look of horror etched in his expression, he finally realized that as well.
The warden scanned the information, his eyes darting back and forth. “Ah, I remember this one. It’s been a long time, but she was hard to forget.”
“Why? What was so special about her?” Lazar knew exactly what was special about her, but he wanted to hear what this obnoxious man had to say.
Because if he, or anyone else for that matter, touched her inappropriately while in custody here, he would beat them to a bloody pulp.
Then, their severed heads would roll at his feet.
“Besides her unique beauty?” Sweat beaded on his brow.
Lazar clenched a fist and gnashed his teeth. “Yes, besides that.”
“It was how she was brought to us.” The warden loosened the collar of his grey uniform and swallowed.
“I've witnessed many sent here from the citadel pits over the years, some broken with empty, lifeless gazes and others resigned to their fate, but this one.” He tapped the screen. “She was comatose. At first, we thought she was dead.” The warden linked his device to Lazar’s and transferred a packet of data.
“It's all there. Her prisoner number, tracking number and a reel of the day she was brought here.”
Lazar brows snapped together. “Why was she comatose?”
The warden shook his head and shrugged. “Don’t know. She made it to the prison barge, Rhygarion Three, that's all I can really tell you. Once they are on the transport, they are no longer my concern.”
Lazar snatched the device from the warden’s outstretched hand and watched the reel. He swallowed his rage and turned off the screen.
“Will that be all, your majesty?” the warden asked and swiped his glistening brow.
Lazar resisted the temptation to let the man squirm for a bit longer and said, “for now.”
The warden slumped in relief.
He re-tucked his long hair beneath his coat’s collar and departed the prison.
He flagged down that first hovering for-hire-transport he saw whizzing through the streets.
The vehicle floating to a stop and lowered to the ground.
Lazar stepped in. “Drop me off two blocks from the Citadel's south entrance.”
If the driver—with his short-cropped hair and strictly-profession disposition, found his request unusual, he gave no indication. Instead, he offered a quick, efficient nod. The vehicle lifted and sped away with a soft hum that blended with the ambient sounds of the sweeping metropolis.
Lazar tucked his precious device tighter beneath his underarm as the breeze tousled his messy bun.
A wide grin spread across his face as the craft rounded a sharp corner and the towering citadel came into view.
Soon, he would have Armathea back.
Soon, he would have her.
In his harem, where she belonged.
The End