Star Crossed Teaser

The next time I woke up, there was someone washing my face. I opened my eyes, seeing my eldest cousin, Norelle, wiping down my skin with a clean, warm towel. Norelle was the oldest daughter of Liannette and Norex. She was a few years older than me and at one time, considered to be my closest friend.

Until I became the empress.

“Try not to move, Nirabelle,” she whispered.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, wincing when the towel passed over the wound on my neck.

“I’m trying to help you. My mother and father have lost all sense of reality,” she spat, her spots flashing in anger. Her brown eyes sought mine, sadness lingering beneath them. “My father deserved his punishment and so does my mother. What they are doing is awful, Nirabelle.”

“How do I know that you are not spying on me? Trying to lure me into trusting you,” I questioned, sitting up abruptly. Vertigo caused my stomach to roll, but there was nothing inside to throw up.

“Because my mother is convinced that I am mated to Vruk,” Norelle answered. “I’ve been sequestered in his quarters so he could have his way with me. Little does my mother know that Vruk is not attracted to women, but to men. He is more into Jakob than me. It doesn’t stop him from making me stay inside his quarters without any clothes.”

“How did you get away?”

“Vruk is with Jakob now. I was thrown out. They are …” she blushed, her spots deepening in color.

“Mating,” I shuddered.

“Yes. If you can call it that,” Norelle cringed. “I stayed once. Jakob wanted me to watch him take Vruk so I can tell you what he will do to you when we arrive back at Forx. I never saw so much blood, Nirabelle. And they both loved it.”

“Are you the only one on this ship?” I asked. “What about the rest of the nobles?”

“We’re all here. My father was to give you a message to come to that planet, M’ay’aki. It was a trap. They put some sort of device inside an abandoned building, giving off false life signs. We waited and then, they attacked. You were the target, Nirabelle. Jakob, Vruk and my mother, they want to embarrass you. They want you to crumble as you relinquish your claim to the Imperial Throne. The rest of the nobles are behind them in their decision. My siblings, for the most part, are against it. We are all willing to help you.”

“How can I believe you?” I snapped. “How do I know that you are not tricking me?”

“Because, you are the empress,” Norelle answered. “My loyalty is to you. Jakob, Vruk and my mother, they want to wreak havoc in the quadrant. They want to rule by conquering, not by peace. This Alliance is dangerous, but unorganized. My brother, Lianel, is working on sending your mate a message with the Alliance’s weaknesses. Believe there are many. One is the sickness of the Alphans.”

“We know about that,” I said. “They are dying of radiation poisoning.”

“They are. Vruk is manipulating them. He is giving them medication that is masking their pain, but accelerating their deterioration. All of the Alphans are hooked on this medication. Vruk said that the medication stemmed from a plant growing on Forx,” Norelle explained. “Vruk promised the Alphans Forx and Cygnaria Prime is for the Remans. They want an ore on the planet.”

“This is a mess, Norelle,” I whimpered. “All of this started because of the Alphans and their initial arrival on our planet.”

“It wasn’t the Alphans, Nirabelle. The Remans harnessed jump drive first and they were the first people to conquer our planet, but through history, it was described as the Alphans. The Alphans did join the fight, the Remans started it.” She sighed, scrubbing her face. “And there is no end in sight.”

“Do you know who is leading this rebellion on Forx?” I asked.

“I don’t know who exactly, but I do know that it is one of the Council of Elders,” Norelle whispered, her eyes wide.

Norelle