Trinity
“I wanted to know you’re all right, obviously. But I need to hear from you what’s going on down there. We have a plan. I’m going to use myself as bait to lure the assassin to me in the palace. I’m going to be all over the news in a few hours. But if you need to reach me…” I looked at Prime Nial. “Is there some way they can use their NPUs to get ahold of me?”
“I’m afraid not. The communication must be initiated from a central command point.”
“Back to plan A,” Destiny said. Plan A was a series of designated meeting places and times that we’d set up prior to our transport to Alera. It was risky, and a pain in the ass, but we’d make it work.
“Okay. Plan A. Talk soon. Stay safe, please.”
“Midnight?” Faith asked.
“Right,” I confirmed. I’d tell Leo the rest later. “Be safe. Don’t do anything stupid. Okay?”
“We’ll find Mom. You just keep the planet from tearing itself apart. And don’t worry about me. I’ve got an ion blaster in a thigh holster. Being a nun has its perks. Bye!” Destiny said, then disconnected.
“Don’t worry about us, Trin. Love you. Stay safe and we’ll all be together again soon.” Faith dropped off next.
The call ended and the pent-up energy I’d felt talking to my sisters burst like a water balloon, leaving me deflated and tired.
Leo held his arm out as if he somehow knew I was sad to say goodbye. Maybe I did miss them more than I thought. We were all in danger. I wouldn’t feel completely content until all of us, including Mother, were safe. I went to him, hugged him.
Everyone was quiet for a moment. Everyone, but Jessica. “You can’t make your first big splash wearing that.”
“There is nothing wrong with her attire,” Ander said, the first time he’d spoken since we’d entered the commander’s office. Man of few words, that one. He went to the door and called for Commander Karter, who returned promptly.
“Only if she wants them to think she’s a battle-ready warrior coming to kill everyone. And that’s just for her big-screen debut. When she transports, she needs to be… in the role.”
The guys stared at Jessica as if she were speaking another language, even though their NPUs processed English. Just not that kind of movie star slang.
Jessica walked toward me, hand curled under her chin as she inspected the cream and brown uniform I was wearing. It was standard issue for civilians, here on the ship. Or so I’d been told. And to be honest, it was comfortable. Jessica, however, looked appalled. “No. No way. You need a dress with sparkles. You need diamonds and bling. You have to do something with that hair. It’s gorgeous, but a ponytail isn’t very royal, you know?”
Shit. She was right. I was so used to wearing whatever I wanted, I hadn’t given it much thought. Never had been big on playing dress-up when I was a child. It had seemed like a waste of time. Especially when little Destiny would come in and tackle me in her exuberance for defense training. Fighting in a dress and heels was not fun. “She’s right. I can’t wear this. I need to be seen as a princess, not as some random Earth girl.” I looked at the commander. “How do I fix this? I doubt you have ball gowns and tiaras on this ship.”
He straightened, his shoulders wide, his voice filled with pride. “We have multiple S-Gen units programmed to provide anything you need.” He looked very pleased with himself. And, apparently, he really, really loved this ship.
“The long name is Spontaneous Matter Generators. Like 3-D printing but a thousand times better. They can make anything. Seriously.” Jessica looked at my boots. “Even glass slippers, Cinderella. Come on.”
She took my hand and tried to tug me out of the room. I turned to look at Leo and made Jessica wait.
He came over. “Go with Jessica. She will not take you far. While you are Trinity Jones, my mate, in here, and for me”—he tapped my forehead and then the center of my chest right over my heart—“you must look and act like Princess Trinity for everyone else.”
“But—”
He kissed my forehead. “You are safe and I will be awaiting your return. Go.”
I nodded, realizing I was acting silly. I let Jessica pull me from the room then, Ander on our heels. Leo and Prime Nial remained to speak with the commander, clearly trusting Ander to watch over us.
How much trouble could we get into on a battleship? Really?
Turned out, a lot. Turned out every female on the ship wanted to be part of the process. I was stripped and lotioned, my hair twisted and coiled, curled and combed as a parade of women brought me samples of their favorite gowns from their home planets. My make-up was done, with Jessica’s oversight. Since she was from Earth, and she looked gorgeous all the time, I trusted her to make sure they didn’t turn me into a clown. Seemed that females from all over the universe liked to dress up, when the occasion called for it.
This was… fun. Lighthearted before the chaos I knew was to come.
We’d only been there for an hour when the door slid open and a young woman I’d never seen before entered with a squeal and threw herself at us. She was petite, a couple inches shorter than me, with long, straight black hair and striking green eyes. She was human. More than that, she had commander’s bars on her uniform just like Karter’s, a Prillon mating collar around her neck, and an adorable toddler girl on her hip. A very human little girl who looked like she was about two years old.
“Oh my God!” The woman hugged Jessica, then me, then Jessica again. Then me. “I’m Chloe. Chloe Phan. Los Angeles! I can’t believe there are more Earth girls on this ship!”
She sounded so excited, I hated to disappoint her. “Earth girl, yes. On this ship? Not for much longer. I can’t stay. I’m so sorry.”
The news didn’t faze her. “Oh, I know. It’s just good to see someone from home all the way out here in space. And a princess at that.” She grinned at both of us and I couldn’t help but smile back. Her energy was contagious. “This is Mara. She’s just had her birthday a couple weeks ago, didn’t you, baby?”
The little girl squealed as her mother tickled her belly, full of joy. Such a normal, beautiful thing on such a strange, stressful day. “She’s beautiful.”
“I hear her little brother is a handful.” Jessica wiggled her eyebrows. “A Prillon brother to watch over her?”
“Torture her is more like it. He follows her everywhere, crawling around at warp speed. I hate to see what happens when he can walk.”
Jessica chuckled, but I felt lost. What? “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. You’re mated to a Prillon?” I looked at Mara, her round, chubby little face looked one hundred percent human to me. “But, isn’t Mara human?”
Mara wiggled and squealed to be put down, and Chloe complied, watching as her daughter toddled around on remarkably steady feet for someone so small. But Mara was independent and, apparently, fearless. Or, she had a thing for big, mean-looking Prillon warriors, because she made a beeline for Ander and didn’t stop until she was standing between his legs, her hands on him, demanding to be picked up.
Chloe glanced that way, grinned when Ander complied, looking like a giant holding a kitten. Mara, however, had begun talking to the big warrior, her young voice rising and falling as she told him whatever her two-year-old mind found important. Chloe turned her attention back to the selection of shoes on the S-Gen screen in front of her. “Oh, Mara’s half human, half Prillon. Her baby brother’s got way more Prillon in him. Big and fast, he’s my caramel colored cutie.” She sighed. “Ander’s in trouble. She’s in conquest mode. She’s already got Dorian and Commander Karter wrapped around her little finger.”
I stood still as several ladies tugged and pulled at one of the gowns, trying to make it fit. It wouldn’t, but I knew they were enjoying the process. And Ander? Mara had decided to move on, so she crawled up his body—with a small assist from the large warrior—took his face in her little hands and kissed him on the cheek. Done with that, she demanded to be put back on the floor.
Chloe laughed again, our gazes met, and she returned to her search for the perfect pair of shoes.
Ander sat in a chair near the door the entire time, his gaze rarely leaving his mate. And the stark devotion I saw there shocked me to my core. Here, surrounded by laughing females, he let his guard down and seemed to enjoy watching Jessica direct the show. His scarred face and massive body didn’t appear to bother any of the other ladies present, nor scare the little girl. They ignored him. All but Jessica, who stopped every couple of minutes to walk past and touch him. Hand on his cheek. His shoulder. His knee. Whatever was in reach. Like she needed the contact.
Or he did. Knowing Jessica as I did, I wondered that such a huge, fierce warrior would be so vulnerable when it came to her.
I wondered what I would discover if I could run around inside Leo’s head. And did I want to know?
Yes. Yes I did.
When Jessica was in a rather animated discussion with an Atlan female about one of the gowns, I approached him. “Thanks for watching out for us today.”
He inclined his chin, just a bit. “It is my honor, Princess.”
So serious. All. The. Time. No softness in him at all, except for Jessica. Well, and for cute little babies. I’d seen Jessica curled up on his lap like he was her personal teddy bear. He was scarred and scary and… adorable. “You’re a keeper, Ander. I can see why Jessica loves you so much.”
His already dark skin darkened three shades as I stared, fascinated. Jessica chose that moment to appear, laughing, wrapping her arms around my shoulders in a best friend hug. “Oh my God. What did you say to him? He’s blushing!”
Her smile brighter than I’d ever seen it, she stepped into his arms and kissed him. Hard. “I love you, Ander.”
He leaned back and glanced from Jessica to me, where I stood, fascinated, watching them—and the colors that had exploded around them, turning them into a couple of giant glowsticks. Whoa, that whole color explosion thing was crazy. One moment of his attention was all I got, and he was staring at Jessica like she was the only person in the room.
“You are dangerous, female,” Ander growled at his mate.
Jessica turned her head and winked at me. “Earth girls are badass, right Trinity?”
It was my turn to laugh. “You know it.”
We left Ander to suffer alone and dove back into preparing me to impress a planet. When the ladies were finally done with me, I stood before a full-length mirror and saw a stranger staring back at me. My hair was an intricate explosion of twists and curls interwoven with sparkling diamonds as it cascaded in a central river of huge, golden curls halfway down my back. The dress was something straight out of a fairytale book, the fitted bodice a shade that matched my skin, but covered with elaborate curlicues and patterns that sparkled like holographic rainbows when the light hit them. And the skirt of the gown? Dark, vibrant red that hung straight down my body but flared in the back with a train long enough to trip any bride trying to make a grand entrance.
I didn’t look like Trinity Jones, small-town girl.
I looked like a princess.
I looked like my mother.
I looked like a queen.
Jessica rested her hands on my shoulders and peered at me, her gaze solemn as we stared at one another in the mirror. She, too, wore a dress, but it wasn’t like mine. Hers was simple but beautiful. A red that perfectly matched the mating collar around her neck. But that was all. No jewels. No glitter. No fuss.
I wasn’t wearing just a dress. I was wearing a statement. And she hadn’t been kidding about the glass slippers. They weren’t glass, exactly, but they glittered like the bodice of my dress and were so comfortable I could stand in them for hours.
“Are you ready, Your Royal Highness?” She winked at me, but knew it was time for me to slip into the role I was born to. “It’s time to address your people.”
I lifted my chin. I was the princess of Alera, rightful ruler to the throne. I had a job to do. A planet to run. Peace to restore. And hopefully, I could hand it all off to my mother so I could go off with Leo and do some headboard banging. “Okay. Let’s do this.”