Ristèard Unwilling Empress (19 page)

Authors: S.E. Smith

BOOK: Ristèard Unwilling Empress

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Ricki’s eyes filled with tears. She swallowed over the lump in her throat as she stared at the man, the alien, who claimed to be her father. Gripping Ristéard’s hand tightly in hers, she pushed past her grief that her biological mother was dead and she would never know who she was.

“What was her name? What was my mother’s name?” Ricki asked in a voice thick with emotion.

Rime smiled down at her. “Ricki,” he told her with a sad smile. “Ricki Strickland. She was from Bentonville, Arkansas.”

Ricki gave Rime a watery smile. Now she knew who she was. She was Ricki Rose Strickland-Bailey and she was half human and half alien. Turning in Ristéard’s arms, she wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest and cried.

Chapter 25

“Are you sure this will work? Ricki asked, looking up at the massive doors. “The prophecy says a woman with blood of ice.”

“Well, we can always put a wig on him?” Marvin suggested.

Rime glared at the Kor d’lur who grinned back at him. Ricki just rolled her eyes, thankful that the two brothers had removed Andras’ body from in front of the doors. Of course, the fact that they threw it over the edge of the crevice had been a rather tense moment.

She grinned when Martin as he ran an imaginary zipper across his lips when Rime turned his intense stare on the other brother. They had been picking on the Glacian for the past hour while they waited for her to finish crying and get herself back under control.

They had also bandaged Ristéard’s leg while he whispered to her. She smiled up at him when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She had wanted him to rest, but he insisted on seeing what was in the vault.

“I am the Emperor of Elipdios,” he reminded her gruffly. “This is what my family and countless others have spent centuries searching to find the answer to.”

“The answer was under your nose all this time,” Ricki reminded him.

Ristéard released a heavy sigh and nodded. “True, but the key to understand it was not.”

“Neither was the skill necessary to open the doors,” Ajaska pointed out. “Rime, are you ready?”

“Yes,” Rime replied, glancing up at the massive doors. “Ricki, explain to me what I need to do again.”

“Place your hands on the imprint,” she said. “Then, slowly release the ice. It will flow through the narrow tubes that make up the locking system. As it expands, it will release the locks.”

Rime nodded, glancing up. “Sounds simple enough,” he said quietly.

Ricki watched as her biological father concentrated. Ice formed, flowing from the tips of his fingers and spreading up the long tubes. As it reached the first set of connected circles it wound around them. The moment it touched the second set, the first set opened. Ricki, Ristéard, Ajaska, Martin, and Marvin all took several steps back to watch the impressive display.

“It’s a star chart,” Ricki murmured. “Look, see the star systems? And, those look like constellations.”

Ajaska and Ristéard both released a low curse, while Martin and Marvin stared up at the image with concern. Ricki glanced at the brothers, noting their serious expressions. Her eyes opened wide when the last lock disengaged and the doors began to slowly open. Rime pulled his hands away and stood in front of the doors as they opened inward.

Ricki gripped Ristéard’s hand tightly in hers as she stepped forward to stand next to him. Her loud gasp echoed through the chamber as the brilliant light of red poured through the doors and surrounded them. She started when she felt Ristéard’s hand pull her forward with him as he started to walk through the doors.

“What is it?” He breathed, staring at the huge red form that looked suspiciously like a spaceship.

Martin and Marvin followed behind them. Their eyes glued to the large Crystal Ship. They had seen only one other during their travels. The ship was used to travel through space… and time. Not many existed outside of the realm they had briefly visited.

“It is a living ship,” Martin answered quietly. “It must have been trapped here all this time. The crystals growing and reproducing until it sealed itself in the mountain.”

“A living ship?” Ristéard asked, walking around the structure. “What... Where did it come from?”

“My world,” Rime replied in a quiet voice. “Or I should say the world where my people came from originally. It is said my people traveled in such ships, moving through different dimensions. We encountered an unknown species that followed one of the ships back to our galaxy. The species…. There was a great battle and our world was destroyed and with it the crystals that you call Blood Stones. A few scatterings of survivors spread out around the star systems in an effort to escape them. Only Officers of the Star Realm were given a Living Ship to pilot. The First Empress must have been part of the SR. She escaped and hid on Elipdios, but then some of the creatures must have tracked her down. She knew she had to prevent them from obtaining the ship, so she hid it inside the mountain.”

“How long will it continue to produce crystals?” Ricki asked, walking up to the ship and touching it.

Rime looked at the ship, then at the crystals forming the walls. It would spread out continuously. He wouldn’t be surprised if the crystals weren’t already forming under the surface of all the mountains in the region.

“Forever,” Rime replied. “Your technology won’t pick up the crystal if it is covered this deep. You would need someone who could connect with it to get it out of here. The Officers of the Star Realm could physically link with the crystal ships. Each officer was embedded with a Nano-computer in their brain according to the history I’ve read. This technology was abandoned when the last Living Ship was lost. You would need someone capable of doing that to move the ship out of here. Once it is outside and no longer confined, the crystals will reproduce even faster,” Rime replied.

Ristéard scowled as he looked at the ship. “Are there any officers like that left?” He asked, staring up at the pulsing ship.

“No,” Rime said, shaking his head. “At least, none that we know of.”

“I know someone who could tap into it,” Ajaska replied with a smile.

“Who?” Ricki asked, turning to look at Ajaska with a frown.

“Jarmen,” he replied. “He would be able to control it.”

“We can help him,” Marvin and Martin said at the same time.

Ristéard looked at the ship. “Now that we know where the crystals are from, we can use it to heal my world,” he said as a large smile curved his lips. He turned to Ricki and pulled her against him, ignoring the pain in his leg as he held her close. “You did it, my Empress! You have saved Elipdios.”

Ricki’s laughter was cut short as he captured her lips with his. Winding her arms around his neck, she returned his kiss. She might have started out as his unwilling Empress, but she was definitely ready and willing now.

“Does this mean we get to go back to the palace now?” She whispered when he slowly broke the kiss.

Ristéard’s eyebrow rose at her question. It was only when he saw the dark desire burning in her gaze that he remembered their last conversation about when they got back. His own eyes darkened to molten silver and he felt his body harden.

“Soon, my Empress, soon,” he promised.

*.*.*

Ristéard distractedly nodded his head at Jarmen’s technical explanation. Martin and Marvin had spent the last two days dismantling the traps leading down to the vault. Jarmen had joined them early this morning. He had been fascinated by the Living Ship, running his hands over it with an almost reverence.

“I believe I am ready to connect to it,” Jarmen said. “I will return with it to the location set up just outside of the city. The Rues will be leading the research. I believe they will be of sufficient help in understanding the history of the crystals. From what I have learned, the ship absorbs the radiation and converts it to food. The by-product are more crystals. The Rues have theorized that the ship was absorbing the radiation and continued to do so, but when it became completely trapped inside the mountain, it could no longer receive the needed food to reproduce at the levels it had before. Deposits of the crystals from the vault alone are enough to stabilize your planet for the next five millenniums if the crystals remain on your world.”

“Make sure that it is secure,” Ristéard ordered. “I do not want anyone taking it.”

“That is highly unlikely,” Jarmen replied. “I am the only one who has the capability of connecting with it.”

“How long before we know for sure that this will save my world?” Ristéard asked, gazing back at the glittering ship.

“A noticeable reduction should be detected within days, normal levels within a month with the amount of the deposits available,” Jarmen replied, his eyes glowing as red as the ship as he processed the information. “Less than a year for all environmental resources to stabilize and return to normal.”

“Thank you for the information, Jarmen,” Ristéard answered, his voice fading as Ricki stepped across the bridge with her parents and Rime. “Make sure that you share it with the other scientists.”

Jarmen’s eyes returned to normal. For a moment, he studied Ristéard’s face before turning to look at Ricki’s glowing one. A look of puzzlement crossed his face as he tried to process the emotions they were feeling.

“What is it that you feel for Ricki?” Jarmen asked suddenly.

Ristéard glanced at the unusual man and smiled. “Love,” he said simply. “I feel love when I look at her.”

Ricki looked up and smiled. Her eyes softening as she returned Ristéard’s steady gaze. He started toward her when Jarmen’s calmly murmured words hit him. Stumbling to a stop, he turned and stared at the man in disbelief.

“What did you say?” He asked hoarsely.

Jarmen frowned and gazed back at Ristéard wondering if he had said something inappropriate. “I said she is reproducing. Is that not the appropriate term for a woman who is carrying a child?”

Ristéard ignored Jarmen’s question. His eyes glittering fiercely with pride and possessiveness. He had his home back and now he had his family. His Empress had saved more than Elipdios, she had saved him.

Opening his arms, he buried his face into her neck as he wound his arms protectively around her. A shudder escaped him as he drew in deep calming breaths.

“Are you okay?” Ricki whispered in concern, running her fingers through his thick hair. “Ristéard, are you alright?”

Ristéard pulled back and gazed down into Ricki’s worried eyes. A smile curved his lips and he brushed a kiss against her lips. Losing himself in her brilliant blue eyes, he saw something he hadn’t seen before, he saw a future.

“I’m thinking about kidnapping you,” he whispered.

To be continued….
Jarmen’s Jane Doe

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