Chapter 16
Serna
Riuondo came to our cell the next morning with the kind of swagger that made my skin crawl.
"Good news, Lady Prime," he said, his voice dripping with false courtesy.
"I've scheduled a communication with the Alliance Council.
Day after tomorrow. You'll make your abdication official.
" He paused, his smile widening. "Isn't that what you wanted?
To be free of all this responsibility? To run off with your human lover and play house? "
I kept my expression neutral, though every instinct screamed to lash out. I felt Cullen's surge of anger, his heartbeat accelerating to match mine.
"The Council won't accept it," I said carefully. "Not without proper preparation."
Riuondo's smile faltered. "What do you mean?"
"Duke Ako." I met his gaze steadily. "The Council follows his lead. They always have. If Ako questions the legitimacy of my abdication, the others will too. You need his support, or this entire plan falls apart."
I watched the calculation flicker across Riuondo's face. He was arrogant, impulsive, but he wasn't stupid.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Let me communicate with Ako before the full Council call," I said.
"Let me explain the situation to him directly.
He'll accept it if it comes from me, if he understands that this is my choice.
" I paused, letting the lie settle. "He's been my friend and advisor for decades.
He knows I would never abdicate without extending him that courtesy. "
Riuondo studied me for a long moment.
"And I'll need to speak with Chloe Blackwood as well."
His eyes narrowed as they flicked to Cullen and back. "The human's daughter? Why?"
"She's become my new assistant," I lied smoothly.
"I've been training her to handle certain administrative duties.
If I'm abdicating, she'll need instructions on how to manage the transition—what files to transfer, who to contact, how to handle the handover of power.
It needs to look official, Riuondo. Legitimate.
Or the Council will question everything. "
I could see him weighing it, his desire for legitimacy warring with his paranoia. But in the end, his need to appear as the rightful successor won out.
"Fine," he said. "I'll arrange it. But I'll be monitoring the communication. One wrong word, and your mate suffers. Understood?"
"Understood."
He left, and the moment the door sealed behind him, I sagged against Cullen.
"You were brilliant," he whispered.
"I hope so." My hands were shaking. "Because if this doesn't work—"
"It will work." He pulled me close. "Now we practice. Until you can tap that message in your sleep."
We spent the few hours doing nothing but practicing.
Cullen would tap patterns on my arm, and I'd repeat them back. Then I'd tap on the wall, on the floor, on the edge of the metal bench. Over and over until the rhythm became second nature.
Short-long-short-short. Short-long-long-long. Long-short-long-long.
H-O-S-T-A-G-E.
Long-short-short. Short. Short-short-short-long. Long-short-short-short.
R-I-U-O-N-D-O.
Short-long. Long-short-short-short. Short. Short-short-short-long. Short.
A-L-I-V-E.
Long-long-long. Short-short. Short. Long-short-short-short. Short-short-short-long. Long-short-long. Short.
M-S-I-T-U-N-I.
Short-short-short-short. Short. Long-short-short-short. Long-long-short.
H-E-L-P.
The message was burned into my muscle memory, but the fear never left. What if I made a mistake? What if Chloe didn't recognize it? What if Riuondo noticed?
"You're overthinking it," Cullen said gently, catching my hand as I tapped frantically against the bench for the hundredth time. "Trust yourself."
"I'm terrified," I admitted.
"I know." He kissed my knuckles. "But you're also the most capable person I've ever met. This is just another negotiation."
"Except if I fail, we both die."
"Then don't fail." He smiled, but there was steel beneath it. "You're Serna. The Alliance Price. You don't fail."
I wanted to believe him. I had to believe him.
Because in a few hours, everything would depend on whether I could tap out a message while lying convincingly to two of the people I trusted most.
When Riuondo came for me, I was ready.
Or as ready as I'd ever be.
They took me to a small chamber near the shuttle's cockpit—a communications room with a single table and a holographic projector. Riuondo positioned himself in the shadows behind me, just out of view of the camera but close enough to watch my every move.
"Remember," he said quietly. "One wrong word."
I nodded and sat down at the table, placing my hands flat against the cool metal surface. My heart was pounding so hard I was certain Riuondo could hear it.
You can do this, I told myself. You have to do this.
The holographic display flickered to life, and suddenly Ako's pale face filled the space before me. Beside him, Chloe Bradford sat with her hands folded, her expression tight with worry.
"Serna," Ako said immediately. "Where are you? You were supposed to arrive on Calpa days ago. We've been—"
"I'm fine," I interrupted, forcing my voice to remain calm and steady. "I apologize for the delay. Something... unexpected came up."
Chloe leaned forward. "Where's my father? Is he with you?"
"He is." I took a breath, preparing myself for the lie. "That's actually why I wanted to speak with you both privately before the Council call scheduled for tomorrow."
I saw the confusion flicker across their faces, the concern deepening.
And then I began.
"Cullen and I have fallen in love."
My right index finger tapped against the tabletop. Short-long-short-short.
H.
"I know this comes as a surprise," I continued, my voice never wavering even as my finger moved again. Short-long-long-long. "But over these past months, something has developed between us. Something I never expected."
O.
Ako's expression shifted from confusion to shock. "Serna, what are you saying?"
Long-short-long-long. Long-short-long-long. Long-short-long-long.
S-T-A.
"I'm saying that I've made a decision." My heart was racing, but I kept my breathing steady, my voice calm. "I'm abdicating my position as Prime."
Short-long-long-long. Short. Long-short-short.
G-E.
The words felt like ash in my mouth, but I forced them out. Each syllable carefully measured while my finger continued its desperate rhythm against the table.
I saw the moment Chloe noticed the tapping. Her eyes widened slightly, her gaze dropping to my hand, then back to my face.
Please, I thought. Please understand.
"Abdicating?" Ako's voice was sharp. "Serna, you can't be serious. The Alliance needs—"
"The Alliance will be fine," I said. Long-short-short. Short. Short-short-short-long. "There are other candidates. Capable leaders who can take my place."
R-I-U.
My finger kept moving. Each tap felt like it lasted an eternity. I was hyper-aware of Riuondo behind me, of the weight of his gaze on my shoulders. One wrong move. One moment of hesitation.
Long-short-short-short. Long-short-short. Long-short-long-long.
O-N-D-O.
"I've spent a century serving the Alliance," I continued, and there was truth in these words at least. "A century putting duty before everything else.
Before family. Before happiness. Before love.
Chavon's death made me realize what's important.
" I paused, letting emotion bleed into my voice.
"I'm tired, Ako. I want a life. A real life. With Cullen."
Short-long. Long-short-short-short. Short. Short-short-short-long. Short.
A-L-I-V-E.
Chloe grabbed a datapad from the table beside her, her fingers flying across its surface. She was taking notes—or at least, that's what it would look like to anyone watching. But I saw the intensity in her eyes, the way she was focused on my fingers.
She understood.
Relief flooded through me, so powerful I almost broke. But I held steady, kept my expression neutral, my voice calm.
"This is why I wanted to speak with you first," I said to Ako. "Your support means everything to the Council. If you accept my decision, they will too. And as my assistant, Chloe will need to prepare for the abdication."
Another flicker of surprise, even if they didn't pick up on the Morse code, naming Chloe as my assistant was a gigantic clue that something was wrong.
Ako was staring at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind.
He knew me too well. Knew that something was wrong.
But before he could speak, Chloe touched his arm and turned the datapad toward him.
"This is the protocol I would need to follow for the abdication, correct?" Chloe asked as cover.
I watched his face as he read. Watched the shock register, then the understanding, then the careful calculation as he schooled his features back into neutrality.
Someone who didn't know Ako well wouldn't have noticed the change. The slight catch in his breath. The way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. The flash of anger in his eyes before he buried it beneath diplomatic composure.
But I knew him. And I saw it all.
"I see," he said slowly, his voice carefully measured. "This is... unexpected, Serna."
"I know." I held his gaze, willing him to understand the subtext. "But it's what I want. What Cullen and I both want."
Chloe set the datapad down and looked directly at me. "Lady Prime," she said, and her voice was steady despite the worry I could see in her eyes. "As your assistant, I'll need detailed instructions on how to handle the transition. Files to transfer, contacts to notify."
I nodded, playing along with the fiction we'd created. "Of course. You'll need to coordinate with Council on the preparations for the abdication ceremony. Duke Ako can help you with the particulars. Make sure everything is handled properly."
"I understand." Chloe met my eyes, and in that moment, I saw her father in her—the same strength, the same courage.
"Do you have everything you need from me?" I asked. "All the information necessary to proceed?"
The question was layered. Did I send the full message? Did she receive it correctly?
"Yes," Chloe said, giving a small nod that spoke volumes. "I have it exactly."
"Good." I nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Then begin preparations immediately."
"Thank you." I turned back to Ako. "Will you support my decision? When I make the announcement to the Council?"
Ako held my gaze for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "If this is truly what you want, Serna, then yes. I will support you."
The lie tasted bitter, but it was necessary. We both knew it.
"Thank you," I said quietly. "Both of you. This means more than you know."
"We'll be ready," Chloe said, and there was steel beneath her words. A promise. "Whatever you need, whenever you need it."
Please let that mean what I think it means, I thought desperately. Please let them come in time.
"The Council call is scheduled for tomorrow at noon," I said. "I'll see you then.
"Until then," Ako said.
The holographic display flickered and died, leaving me alone in the communications room with Riuondo's presence looming behind me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Riuondo stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. "That went well," he said. "Ako seemed convinced."
"He knows me," I said carefully. "He knows I wouldn't make this decision lightly."
"And the girl?"
"Chloe is her father's daughter. She's competent. She'll handle the preparations." I stood, keeping my movements slow and deliberate. "May I return to my cell now?"
Riuondo waved a hand dismissively. "Of course. You've earned a rest. After all, you've just given up everything." He smiled. "How does it feel, Lady Prime? To finally be free?"
I met his gaze steadily. "Like I can finally breathe."
It wasn't entirely a lie.
They threw me back into the cell with Cullen, and the moment the door sealed, I collapsed into his arms.
"Did it work?" he asked urgently. "Did she understand?"
"Yes." I was shaking, the adrenaline finally catching up with me. "She understood. She took notes, showed Ako. He knows something's wrong."
"Then they'll come." Cullen held me tighter. "They'll come for us."
"I hope so." I pressed my face against his chest, listening to our synchronized heartbeat. "Because if they don't..."
I didn't finish the sentence. I didn't have to.
But Cullen pulled back, his hands gripping my shoulders, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Listen to me," he said, his voice low and intense. "I know what you're thinking. The fear that if rescue doesn't arrive in time, you'll have to abdicate. That you'll have to surrender everything."
"Cullen—"
"No." His gray-green eyes were fierce, unwavering. "You need to hear this. If it comes down to it—if we're running out of time and Riuondo is pushing for that abdication—you stand your ground. You do not give in. You do not let him win."
I stared at him. "You don't understand what he'll do—"
"I understand perfectly." His grip tightened. "But you need to remember who you are. You didn't get that title because someone handed it to you. You earned it."
His voice grew harder, more certain. "You are the bravest, most courageous, most selfless women I've even known. That's why you're Prime, and that's why he's spent a century plotting in the shadows like a coward."
"But if he threatens to kill you—"
"Then I'll die knowing I helped save the universe.
" His hands moved to cup my face, his thumbs brushing away tears I hadn't realized I'd shed.
"Serna, I need you to understand something.
I believe in you. Not because I love you, though I do.
I believe in you because I've seen you. I've seen who you are both as the prime and as simply Serna, and I love both parts of you. "
I felt the absolute conviction behind his words. It wasn't comfort or false reassurance. It was faith—deep, unshakeable faith in my strength.
"You are stronger than your fear," he said quietly. "You are stronger than Riuondo. And you are not going to let him be the reason you cower or abdicate. Not while I'm still breathing. Not while there's still a chance."
He pulled me close, and I felt his heartbeat—steady, certain, perfectly synchronized with mine. "We survive this together, or we don't survive it at all. But we don't surrender. Not you. Not the woman who earned the right to lead an entire universe."
I held onto him, feeling the weight of his belief in me like an anchor. He was right. I had earned this. And I would not let Riuondo take it from me. I would not be cowed by a madman.
"Okay," I whispered. "Okay. We don't surrender."
"We don't surrender," he echoed, and kissed my forehead.
We both knew what would happen if the rescue didn't arrive in time. Riuondo would make me abdicate or he'd kill Cullen to punish me. Slowly. Painfully.
But for now, we had hope.
I'd sent the message. Chloe had received it. And somewhere out there, the Alliance was mobilizing.
All we had to do was survive long enough for them to reach us.