Claimed by the Zandian (Zandian Brides 6)

I step out and we set a detonator on the escape pod. Immediately destroying evidence of our breach of Ocretion borders is far more important than anything we might salvage from the pod.

We run from the pod, bracing ourselves for the explosion. When it goes off, we don’t look back.

Zina

The space we’re invited into is something of a prayer room. Or a meditation space. It’s a dome-shaped room, with a yawning skylight and a giant Zandian crystal suspended from the top. The result is a rainbow prism of light painting every surface.

Danica and I are offered glasses to shield our eyes from the magnified crystal light. The queen, herself, is inside, stretched out on a lounge chair as if she’s bathing in the light.

“It’s a crystal light bath,” Gorde explains to us as we enter. “Zandians require the crystal to fuel our bodies. The Zandian elders designed a light bath like this for the palatial pod before we won our planet back. Any Zandian in the galaxy was invited weekly to bathe and restore.”

Lady Lamira, the queen, sits up and turns her head toward us. “They are alive.”

Danica gasps.

I let out a cry. “How do you know?”

“Our queen has special sight,” Gorde says to me, although I’ve already heard the stories. “The crystals enhance it.”

“I thought we should hold vigil here,” Lady Lamira explains. “In case I received any images or information.”

“And you did?” I breathe.

She shakes her head. “I just know they’re alive. I sense their energies still.”

Tears sting my eyes. “How can we bring them back?”

“I don’t know,” the queen says. “But I’ll tell you if I get anything.”

A Zandian servant walks around the perimeter of the room lighting candles behind standing crystals, casting even more rainbows around the room. The energy pulses through my cells, and as it does, some of the terrible blocks in my chest melt away.

I crawl into a lounge chair and pull my knees up to my chest, rocking in place like a child. Enya, who has switched roles with me, rubs my back. “He’s alive,” she says softly. “It will be all right.”

Chapter 15

Tarek

“Incoming.” My sensors pick up yet another Ocretion guard ship scanning the area for us. Benn and I dive into a large waste barrel to wait. Our flight suits should disguise our heat signatures, but who knows what equipment they have to detect us.

We wait until the sensors tell me it’s clear. “Let’s go,” I say after a few more beats.

For three planet rotations we’ve been roaming this junk pile, working on repairing an old supply ship using scrap parts we find. The ship is ancient and has zero navigation capabilities because it’s not meant to be flown far out of the atmosphere, but it just might get us out of Ocretion airspace where we can at least get comms back up and request assistance.

“Look, Tarek! I mean—” Benn gives an embarrassed cough.

“I’m looking,” I say dryly, turning my head in his direction. “Is it a resistor?”

“Yes! I think I can get the thing started with this.”

“Great.” I jog to his side and together we hike back to the ancient supply ship.

Benn installs the part. “All

right. Here goes.” He attempts to activate the engine.

Nothing.

“Noooo,” Benn groans. He clomps back outside to work on the engine.