Chapter 39

Raylon

^Parna^

I paced the empty house, my mind forcing crazy ideas into my head.

~I could follow her.~

~I could go to her world and live with her there.~

~No!~

~I cannot leave my family.~

~My brother needs me.~

~She made her choice.~

~Besides, I will never find her now.~

~She is gone.~

I heard the boom of a shuttle entering the atmosphere and looked out to see my brother heading down toward the landing bay.

I waited until he approached my door then went to open it.

“Hello brother,” I said and walked away from him.

He came in and closed the door, saying, “Raylon, can we talk?”

I nodded and led him to the lounge. I sat down and grabbed the bottle off the table. As I took a long sip, I met my brother’s eyes.

“Do not judge me, brother. I am entitled to my misery.”

“You are a fool!” he shouted at me and grabbed the bottle from my hands.

I glared at him for a moment then turned my eyes away. “What will you have me do?

“She left. There is nothing I could do to make her stay. She didn’t want me,” I said and trailed off.

“You are the smartest man I have ever met, yet here you are, acting like a child! She did not leave you. She loves you. Her mother is dying.

“That is why she left. It killed her to go, but I think you can understand why she had to.”

I stood up and stomped toward him until I was in his face. “What difference does that make? She is gone. And I will never find her again.”

“Do not be so sure, brother. I have spoken with Hynlam of the Ful people. He has sent me the coordinates for the planet his scholars found her on.

“What you wish to do with them is up to you,” he said, placing a small glass screen on the table. He stood the bottle next to it and took a long breath.

“Raylon, whatever you choose to do, I will always support your decision. If you want to forget her, then I will never speak of her again.

“If you want to mourn her as though she is dead, I will host the most lavish funeral the kingdom has ever seen. But if you want to go find her…

“I have a ship manned and fueled, waiting for you in orbit. It will take you almost three of her years to get there, so the sooner you leave.”

I stared at my brother as he trailed off, running his finger over the edge of the bottle. He met my eyes and as he smiled at me, a wide smile pulled at my scar.

I grabbed the glass screen off the table and ran outside for the shuttle.

I waited for Zasrus to board before I closed the doors and lifted us into the air.

My brother came to sit down next to me, and I could see the grin on his face from the corner of my eye.

“Thank you, brother,” I said in a soft voice.

“Do not thank me, Raylon. There is no need. You are my brother, my blood. I want to see you happy, and I will do whatever it takes.

“I know Connie made you happy, and if we have to travel to the other side of the universe to find her, then so be it.”

“We? You are coming with me?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for all the wealth this kingdom has. To see the look on her face when you find her will be priceless.”

“What about the kingdom? Who will rule while you are away?”

He let out a long, satisfied sigh as he leaned back in the seat. “Laylar will,” he declared. “We both know she is more than capable for the task.

“As soon as she feels better, she will be the acting monarch in my absence.”

“How is her heart?” I asked, as I pushed us through the atmosphere.

“Strong. She is back to her old self again.”

“Already?”

“Yes, brother. Three weeks of recovery will do that.”

“Has it been three weeks already?” I asked with a frown.

“Time flows differently at the bottom of a bottle, brother.”

I shook my head to clear my mind and as the massive battle command vessel came into view, I eased the shuttle into the side entrance onto a landing bay.

I didn’t bother with formalities or to wait for my brother as I ran for the bridge. I didn’t have a moment to lose.

~Three years. I wish there was a way to get there faster, but our ships are much slower than the Fuls. Thank the Universe for stasis.~

When I got to the bridge, I paused for a moment when I spotted Rein standing by one of the controls. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

I went to him. “Rein, what are you doing here?” I asked in a quiet voice.

He looked over my shoulder then said, “My Lord, the king requested I join him on this voyage. I fear he may know about—”

“No. Do not speak of it. If my brother knew, you would be dead already. Stay close to me and keep to your duties. I will try to find out what his reason for having you here is.”

Rein nodded to me and turned back to his controls. As I stepped away from Rein, I saw him stand in salute and turned to see my brother enter the bridge.

He gave me a quick nod before his eyes moved to Rein. His smile fell and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the boy.

~He knows.~

“Is the ship ready?” he called out, not taking his eyes off Rein.

“Yes, my king,” echoed one voice after another from the crew, and when the last one spoke, he finally broke his glare to look at me.

“Then it is time to go, don’t you think, brother?”

“Yes,” I said as I turned to the crew. “We have a long journey ahead of us. Many of you have family, so I would like to thank you all for joining me.

“Ready the drive, set the coordinates, and ease out of the border.”

I went to my brother and gestured for him to follow me to the captain’s private office.

As I shut the door behind us, my brother said, “You think I didn’t know?”

“Know what?” I asked as my heart flipped.

He turned to me. “All my life you have stood by me, and helped me rule this kingdom.

“From the moment my children were born, I knew that you loved them fiercely. And that you would do almost anything for them.

“I also know that a secret kept from the king is a crime. Especially when it involves his children.”

I swallowed. “Brother, listen—”

“No. You listen to me, brother. Laylar is my firstborn. The brightest gem in my crown, so to say, and you would have her love a commoner?”

“And you would let her be miserable for the rest of her life? You and I both know that when it comes to love, we don’t get to decide.

“The choice is made by the heart, and there is no stopping it or reasoning with it. Just like you and Mystasar, or me and Connie.”

“Why do you think that boy is here?” he asked as he turned to a dark cabinet in the back of the office. He opened the door and took out a bottle.

“I do not know. I only hope it is not to do with something that will break the girl’s heart.”

“Any man who wishes to court my daughter must be worthy in the king’s eyes,” he said.

“Those other royal boys are weak! Laylar deserves—”

“Laylar deserves who I decide is worthy!” he shouted at me with a fierce look in his eyes.

I shook my head and bit back my words.

“Say what is on your mind, Raylon. Do not hold your words back now.”

I met his gaze. “What gives you the right?”

“What?”

“What gives you the right to decide for her?”

“I am her father. That is what gives me the right.”

“No,” I said and approached him. “That alone is not good enough.

“Loving her, and the willingness to do anything and sacrifice ~anything~ for her is what gives you the right. But you are not willing to do that.”

“How can you say that?” Zasrus asked with wide eyes.

“Because if you were, you would know that changing one outdated rule is easier than sentencing your firstborn daughter to a life of loneliness and misery.

“The power to change her life and bring her the kind of joy you and I both felt lies in your hands. What you do with it, will decide what kind of father you are.”

I turned away from him, but before I could open the door Zasrus said, “Do you think he is worthy of her?”

I paused to think about his words for a moment.

“I think that you and I both have the next six years to determine that.”

Connie

‘Windermere’

I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Ever since that man, who Ash thought was a cop, showed up at the shop almost three days ago, I have had this feeling that everywhere I went, I was being followed.

Ash told me it’s just paranoia, and that there was nothing to worry about, but late at night, when I was alone in bed, my mind played tricks on me.

~It’s Raylon.~

~He’s here to find you and take you back.~

~If it’s him, maybe he saw you and changed his mind about you.~

~When he saw just how pathetic your life is, he chose to be alone rather than to be with you.~

I lay awake, thinking about who or what came looking for me. And if they found me, then why have I not seen or heard anything more about it?

I turned onto my side and closed my eyes. I needed to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t let up.

~He left you there, on your knees, in that little shop.~

~You always knew he was too good for you.~

~An impossible romance that never could have worked.~

I turned onto my back with a huff and stared at the ceiling.

~Maybe it wasn’t him.~

~Maybe it was just a regular police officer.~

~Or a ticket warden looking for me for the unpaid parking ticket still in my purse.~

~Or maybe it was just some random person, looking for a different Connie.~

~The simplest explanation is usually the right one, isn’t that what they say? So maybe this man was just looking for a different Connie.~

I closed my eyes with that thought, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t fall asleep.

“Fuck it,” I said to myself and reached for my phone. The time read 11:13. I contemplated my next move for only a second, but I knew that Ash would be out.

~It’s a Saturday night after all.~

I dialed her number and after countless rings I was about to give up, when she finally answered.

“Hello?” she shouted into the phone as loud music boomed in the background.

“Ash!” I called out.

“Hang on, Con, let me get outside,” Ash said.

As I waited, I listened to the music and people talking. I heard her stop to have a brief chat with someone before she finally returned. “Hey, Con, you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. So…where are you?”

“At my usual spot at this time of night.”

“Mind if I join you for a quick drink?”

“What? No way! I mean, yes, of course, please come! Finally!”

I laughed. “Okay, give me about twenty minutes. I will get a taxi and meet you there.”

Ash cheered over the line then said, “Text me when you leave—I will meet you outside and get you in for free.”

“Okay, see you in a bit,” I said and hung up.

~I need the distraction. I need a stiff drink as well.~

I got out of bed and found my jeans. I pulled out a sparkly top from my closet and got dressed.

When the taxi pulled up outside the bar, I looked around the crowd for Ash. She stood with three other women, two of them having a smoke.

“Ash,” I called out to her, and she came running to me with an excited dance in her step. She hugged me and shook me from side to side.

“Yay, I’m so glad you came out,” she shouted into my ear.

“I won’t stay long. I just needed a drink, and to take my mind off some stuff.”

“I know just the thing to help with that,” she said with a smile.

“I’m sure you do,” I laughed. “And what will that be?”

“TEQUILAAAAAAA!” she shouted and the other women cheered.

Ash hooked her arm in mine and led me to them.

~This is not going to end well.~