

Copyright © 2013 B Truly  
Smashword Edition  
ISBN: 9781311198693

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, including photocopying, recording, or electronic methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely accidental.

## Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Epilogue 1

Epilogue 2

## Dedication

To my family, husband, and friends, who are the backbone which defines who I am today. A special dedication goes out to my son Jamail Gaines who listened and gave me advice for my story for the last two years. Also to my mother Dianna Simpson and sister Deana Simpson who helped me with the process of preparing my novel. A special dedication to Kathleen Montemayor, who is my writing partner. She's helped me with the ideas that have turned my series into what it is today.

## Prologue

### * * * * * * * Kadan * * * * * * *

There has always been the question of someone else being out there in the unknown galaxies. Truth be told, there is not just another species. But there is an all-out war escalating in the Sonar galaxy.

Sonar consists of three planets. Hydrocesis is the smallest of the three. Its entire surface consists of water. The second planet, Polaris, is a glacier planet made up of mostly rocks and mountains. The temperatures remain below freezing and the planet has ice on the surface year-round. Blizzards and snowstorms occur there often. Life on this planet has to live underground to protect them from the harsh weather. Kadan, the largest of the three planets, is most similar to Earth.

My planet Kadan, explores divergent universes and different planets by traveling in our spacecraft. We're able to study planets and galaxies by using our satellite cameras, sending them by hyper drive. There is new footage to view and observe on a daily basis. The satellites give us instant live footage once it reaches its destination. They chart the atmosphere components, as well as give us details about the physics and dynamics of a planet. There's hundreds of our satellites spread out around Earth, which we have been studying for thousands of years. Our technology is far more advanced, so Earth is not able to detect them. No Kadanan has actually been to that domain because we do not want to interact with another species if it can be avoided. Earth holds our interest because humans are so anatomically similar. But the majority of my race considers _us_ as superior beings.

The satellites also allow us to learn all of the different languages around the planet.

There are similarities between Kadan and Earth. Kadan has trees and hills, lakes and mountains. Our atmosphere consists mostly of oxygen and nitrogen.

On the contrary, we differ in many ways. Every being on Kadan is born with a special gift and some have multiple powers. From telekinesis to mind manipulation, creating force fields to conjuring lightning bolts and the list goes on. The seasons on Kadan are similar to Earth's, but the calendar and the passage of time do not convert to Earth's. Years on Earth is only months on Kadan, but our calendar system also has twelve months to a year. We age much more slowly than humans, a life span equivalent to hundreds of years.

The war with our neighboring planet, Polaris, grew worrisome. We feared we may lose our planet, and the king became desperate. A special crew is deploying so we can obtain the resources we need to turn this battle around. Earth was the one place that could deliver our redemption. Earth was 300 million light years away, and our mission was about to unfold.

As we boarded the ship, I told Bryan through my mind that I was frightened. He kissed my forehead.

"Don't be scared, Shiray."

One of my gifts was that I could communicate to others in their minds, but this was a common trait throughout my race. My other powers were mind-warp, which gave me the ability to make people see things that were not there or cause them pain.

We soared through space, no one knowing the outcome of our journey. My instincts were weary. Not far from Earth, I was flying our spacecraft when suddenly, the numbers read weirdly. I nudged Nile, who was sitting next to me.

"Nile, look at this. The numbers are flying off the grid."

"What's going on?" he asked, glancing at the monitor. "Get Bryan up here!"

_Bryan, come to the cockpit quick!_ He came rushing in.

"What's wrong?" Bryan asked.

"Something's wrong with the system," Nile replied.

"Shiray, I think Syira is asleep. Tell her about the situation," Bryan said.

Syira, Syira...can you hear me?

Yes, what's wrong Shiray?

There's an emergency. Go down to the boiler room and see if there is a leak or something.

All right, I am going now.

"Syira's going to check out the boiler room to see if there is a malfunction," I relayed.

Just then the sirens sounded. "What the hell is happening?" Nile yelled.

"I don't have a clue," I said.

We scurried around pushing buttons, trying to determine the source of the problem. Syira came running into the cockpit.

"It's haywire down there. Sparks are splaying everywhere. I don't know why."

The ship began making funny noises, then rocking. "Did a Polar sabotage our ship?" Nile asked.

No one answered. I felt my eyes opening wider, scared out of my mind!

"We need to get word back to Kadan," Bryan said. "Nile, hit the distress signal."

"I'm not sure if they will even receive the signal with the system overload, but I will try."

"We're not far from Earth, so we should make it there," Bryan said.

A deafening siren reverberated through the compartment. The ship did a somersault. I tried to take control of the craft but couldn't. The system wasn't responding. I flipped over, hitting my head hard, everything was a blur. Nile made a desperate attempt to regain command of the craft.

"We are going down! We're going down!" Nile yelled.

"Hit the autopilot, Nile, so we can land in Earth's atmosphere. And not get lost in space, hurry!" Bryan shouted.

"Bryan, Shiray is hurt! Help her!" Syira screamed.

"Shiray, Sweetheart, are you hurt?" he asked, trying to make his way over to where I was laying on the floor. That was the last thing I remembered. The ship plummeted into Earth's atmosphere and our lives were left in fates hand.

## Chapter 1

* * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

My alarm went off for school. I hit the snooze and turned over. It went off a couple more times before I finally got up. Considering all I had been through with my amnesia, I still enjoyed high school. It was October of 2013, and school had recently started back. My older brother Jason was a senior, and my twin brother Jaden and I were in the eleventh grade. Social services told us we were twins, but in my heart I knew we were not twins, and I was older. None of us knew our real names, our ages, where we came from, or who our real parents were. We were found by police officers over two years ago walking around disoriented outside of Boulder, Colorado. None of us could remember anything before we were found. All we remember was waking up in a valley. We were found and sent to a foster home. After months of searching they could not find any information on any of us. Then we were sent to live with foster parents.

The Alans, our foster parents were great considering they had taken on three teenagers. They couldn't have children of their own, so they decided to raise foster kids. My foster mother was a pharmacist. My foster father, a lawyer. Our foster parents were very kind to us. They both worked late hours during the week, but we spent a lot of time together on the weekend.

We attended school at Cashmere High and lived in Denver, Colorado. We had all gotten used to our lives. It was so hard not remembering anything from our childhood and not knowing anything up until a few years ago. But we were starting to let go and accept we may never get our real identities back. My twin brother and I are seventeen. My brother Jason had recently turned eighteen. No one knew our real birthdays, of course, so they just chose them for us.

We had all began having these strange dreams of a planet with red dusty dirt, a purple sky, and three moons; so beautiful. The weird thing was; when I'd told my dreams to my brothers when they first occurred, they were perplexed. Then they both admitted they'd been having the same dreams.

One night in October, I found myself walking on the red planet again in my dreams. I looked up in the sky at the three moon ... astonishing. The moon in the center was a purplish-blue color. The two moons that surrounded it were light pink. They formed the shape of a triangle in the sky. Where was this mysterious planet that seemed so real to me in my dreams? As I walked a little farther, there were trees and grass. I came to a stream, and I felt the water. It felt different than the water on earth, thicker. I glanced up, and there was a huge palace. My mouth dropped open. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I wondered who stayed there, then I woke up in a cold sweat. These dreams were getting intense. Almost every night I had this mysterious dream. It was a sense of déjà vu, like I'd been there before. That was a crazy thought. It was impossible for a place like that to even exist.

The next day in school, I was looking forward to my Advanced Biology fourth period class. Not for the subject, the class was a piece of cake. My brothers and I never studied for tests and halfway paid attention in class, but we passed every subject with A-pluses. Jason was graduating valedictorian. He had a perfect 5.0 grade point average. Jaden and I were well on our way following in his footsteps. The reason I looked forward to fourth period everyday was because of Xavier. He was this guy I was crazy about. I think he was the only guy in school who really didn't pay me much attention. He was cordial, but that was about it. He was in a relationship with a girl named Leslie. I guess I liked him so much because I couldn't have him, but it just made me want him more. Xavier was very good looking, around six feet tall with dark brown eyes and blond hair. He was very muscular with a flawless face and a gorgeous smile. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I sat next to him in class. Jason had a crush on a girl named Melanie. He said she reminded him of someone. I felt as if Xavier reminded me of someone, also.

The bell rang. Darn it, I was late again. I tried to stroll into class quietly.

"That will be another detention for you, Ms. Alan," Mrs. Stamm said, in front of the whole class. I rolled my eyes and made my way to my seat. Everyone laughed, I was so embarrassed. She always called me by my last name. She was so mean, especially to me. _Old hag_.

I took my seat next to Xavier. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, amused. I smiled at him, and he beamed back. It made me feel all warm inside.

After the bell rang to signal the end of class, I waited for everyone to leave before I got up. Xavier stayed behind, too.

"Are you all right, Harmony?"

My throat was dry. I couldn't even talk to him. No guy had ever made me feel like this. I couldn't stand it. My palms were starting to sweat.

I cleared my throat. "Yes."

"She was wrong for embarrassing you."

"I don't know what her problem is, but I'm fine."

"Any man in his right mind can see that," he said, a sarcastic smile playing across his lips. Was he flirting with me? My face turned beet red.

"You're blushing," he relayed, teasing. I couldn't stop. He was such a charmer, so smooth. I walked off not knowing what else to do. I was getting redder by the minute.

That night I went to sleep with a smile on my face thinking about Xavier. I awoke at one in the morning to someone knocking on my door.

"Who is it?" I said drowsily.

"It's Jason."

"Come in." He opened the door slowly. "Jason, what's wrong?

"I need to talk to you."

"Sure, tell me what's on your mind."

"Well, I was sleeping, but I wasn't sleeping."

"Okay, you've already lost me."

"I was dreaming, but it seemed like I was awake. I saw the same palace you were telling Jaden and me about."

My eyes widened. "That is strange. But considering we have all been having the same dreams, I guess it's not so weird."

"I don't know what to make of us having the same dreams, it's beyond weird."

"All I remember is waking up in the middle of nowhere with you and Jaden. I didn't know who I was, but knew you and Jaden were my brothers."

"That's all I remember, too."

"The police never found any record of us, or at least that's what they're telling us. I want to know who our real parents are."

"Harmony, we may never find out."

"We have a right to know."

"Maybe we should just let the past go."

"Jason ... are Jaden and I twins?"

"Yes. Well..." he looked down, "No, you are not."

"How do you know we are not twins? It's what the police and foster home assumed, because we look so much alike."

"I just know."

"I know we aren't either. I also know that I am older."

"Maybe we can call Dempstead Foster home and see if they can give us any additional information."

"It's a start," I yawned

"All right, I won't keep you up any longer."

"Goodnight. Try to get some sleep."

We may not like what we found if we started searching for answers. But they could be the missing pieces to the puzzle, of our missing lives. We loved our foster parents, but we all wanted to know our real family. I was hoping for a good junior year, but something was telling me it was going to be complicated. I sighed, closing my eyes.

The homecoming dance was coming up, and my fellow classmates were buzzing about it. I didn't have a date. I could have found one, but I wanted to go with Xavier. I had already turned down several guys, so it was my own fault I didn't have a date.

Our football team was pretty good. We ended up winning our homecoming game. The dance was setup in the gym; which, to my surprise, was decorated nicely. The theme was 70's disco. Bright rays of light sparkled from several circular balls, spinning from the ceiling. The various colors of light danced across my violet dress which flowed to my ankles. I loved my dress. The thin spaghetti straps and fitted bodice accentuated my curves.

I strolled to the food line for some punch. Jason was standing there all goo-goo eyes at Melanie, who was across the dance floor with her friends. I knew he felt as I did about Xavier. He'd told me Melanie reminded him of someone. Melanie was very pretty. And being that she recently moved from Australia, she had a strong attractive accent. She was five feet three inches in height with a petite frame. Her eyes were light green, and she had a fair skin complexion. Her hair was blonde; it was long and naturally wavy. It seemed she was into my brother also. They would check each other out when they thought that the other wasn't looking.

"Jason, enough is enough. If you don't go over there and ask her to dance, I'm going to embarrass you," I said.

"All right. I will ask her to dance."

He strolled over to her. I saw her smile and say yes. Then they dashed to the dance floor and started slow dancing.

Greg, a guy from one of my classes, came up to me.

"Would you like to dance, Harmony?"

He was cute, but I was hoping Xavier would have asked me to dance.

"Sure, Greg." We walked to the floor. I glanced over at Jason and Melanie. She leaned her head on his chest. _How sweet._ Then I saw Xavier with Leslie and wanted to throw up.

"Maybe I can take you to a movie sometime," Greg said.

"What did you say?" I asked. My mind still on Xavier.

"Would you like to go to the movies with me?"

_Why not?_ I thought. "Sure."

"You're going to have to give me your number after the dance."

So I did.

Jason and Melanie left together. _They must have really hit it off_. I drove home and got ready for bed. At two in the morning I heard somebody tapping on my window. Who in the world is that? I looked out of the curtain.

"Jason, what the hell are you doing out there at this hour?"

"Let me in!"

I opened the window, and he climbed in. "Where have you been, Jason?"

"With Melanie you know that."

"Wow! What were you guys doing?"

"We were talking at the park."

"Seriously, you were just talking?"

"I promise. We didn't even kiss."

"It isn't that much to talk about in the world. Are you telling me the truth?"

"It's like we have this connection. She says I'm different, like I'm from another world."

"That's great things are going so smoothly, Jason."

"Yeah, I like her a lot. Were our parents sleeping when you got here?"

"Yes."

"Thanks for letting me in. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The following week Jason and Melanie were always together at school. They really did have a connection. On Friday they were going on a double date with her friends Ebony and Scott.

I had the most horrifying nightmare on Saturday night. It had to be due to watching the Star Wars prequel with my brothers. This dream was different than the others I'd been having. It was not serene or peaceful. It was chaotic and terrifying.

There was a deafening bang. I trembled and jerked my head around in dismay. I was sitting in some sort of cockpit with my brothers. I glanced out the windshield and my eyes bulged out of their sockets. We were in outer space and Earth was on the horizon. The ship started to tumble out of control into Earth's atmosphere. Jaden frantically beat on the dashboard. Another loud screeching noise was accompanied by an earsplitting sound. What in God's name was going on? The ship somersaulted, and I held on for dear life. I glanced at the floor and saw Jason passed out. I wanted to go to him, but the ship began to rock harder, to the point I thought it might explode. Jaden looked at me with his brows furrowed His expression full of terror. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Fear overwhelmed me. I tried to beat it down. I squeezed my eyes shut and said a silent prayer.

My heart pounded in my chest as my eyes flew open. "It was only a dream," I chanted, but it seemed so real. I made a mental note not to watch any more Sci-fi movies.

For the rest of the weekend, I couldn't shake the nightmare of us in outer space. I didn't dare share this dream with my brothers. Every time I thought about it, I got chills and my chest tightened. It was best to forget about it. I had amnesia, and like the doctor we had all been seeing said: the mind was a mysterious masterpiece. He also told us sometimes the mind protected itself, and that we might get our memories back when our mind was ready.

On Monday, I was happy to be back in school. I needed the distraction from my troubled thoughts.

After school my friend Trisha came up to me. "Harmony, come over here. There's a little friction going on."

I went over to her and peeked around the corner to where she was looking. Xavier and Leslie were arguing.

"Damn it, I can't hear anything," Trisha said. I listened, and could hear them perfectly clearly. It was like I was right in front of them.

"I can hear them clearly," I stated, blankly.

"But how? We are too far away," she asked. She was right. I had no idea how I could hear them. We were far away. "Be quiet," I hushed her.

"Do you want to tell me where you really were Friday night, Leslie?" Xavier asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I told you. I spent the night at Jennifer's house," she said.

"Stop lying, Leslie! I followed you. I went to Loews, and I saw you."

The color left her face. She looked sick. "Are you going to say something?"

She started crying. _Typical_ , I thought. "You followed me?" she asked.

"I already told you that. I've been hearing things, so I decided to see for myself."

She still didn't say anything. "Why do you keep staring are me, Xavier? What is it you want me to say?"

"I guess nothing. Everything you've done speaks for itself. We're through."

I smiled. "They broke up, Trisha."

"For real? But I still don't see how you could hear anything."

"It doesn't matter," I said. "Poor, Xavier. He's going to need some help getting over her."

"And I'm sure you're just the women to do it, right?"

I winked at her as I strolled off. Xavier's and I could be friends for now. If something happened, then it would play itself out. I had enough to figure out with my Jedi dreams. It was also the fact I didn't even know who I truly was.

## Chapter 2

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

My name is Paige Montgomery. At least that became my name in 2011 when I was found right outside of Boulder, Colorado, wandering around, bruised up. I remembered nothing from my past. I couldn't remember who my real parents were or anything from my childhood. So I was sent to a foster home. About six months later, I was sent to live with a foster family the Montgomery's. We lived in Parker, Colorado. A year ago my foster father died in a car wreck. My foster mother has been a drunk ever since. Her breath always reeked with the smell of alcohol. Having amnesia was no fun; all I did was try to remember my past.

I hated school, but not because of the curriculum. The school work was easy, and I was in accelerated classes, which I aced. I just felt as if I didn't belong. I had a couple of friends, but most people thought of me as weird, because I was so quiet and distant. Guys really didn't talk to me often. Some had tried in the past, but I had declined them. I just wasn't interested in a relationship, not with everything that was going on in my head and in my life. They had no idea I really didn't know who I was and that I didn't remember anything prior to a few years ago. I'd never shared that information with any of my friends. Only my foster mother, the people from the foster home, and my teachers knew. I didn't care what people thought about me. I just wanted to get my memory back.

The first week of January 2014, I was really becoming frustrated with my amnesia. I had to know what happened in my past. Where was I born? What was my real name? How old was I? These questions drove me crazy.

Over the past several months, I had been having a recurring dream of a red planet with a purple sky and three moons. I wondered where this mysterious planet was. When I dreamt of this place I felt at peace and never wanted to wake up. During one of these dreams, someone came up behind me and kissed me on my neck. It sent a surge of electricity through my body. I turned around and there was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. He towered over my five three height, a little over six feet, and smiled at me. _Who is this gorgeous man?_

"Did I scare you?" he asked me.

All I could do was stare at him, tongue tied. Then I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. I couldn't take much more; these dreams were becoming overwhelming. It felt like they were my past life or something. _That was ridiculous_. No wonder people thought I was weird. For the rest of the night I couldn't sleep.

I decided I would talk to one of my teachers, Mr. Galvan, about it. He was a retired psychiatrist who taught my psychology class. Mr. Galvan seemed like a very knowledgeable person. He was of African-American origin, but I figured he must also be of Hispanic origin as well due to his last name. He also had a very nice texture of black, wavy hair. He was short and a little chubby. His eyes were dark brown, and he wore huge glasses.

The next day at school, I knocked on Mr. Galvan's office door during lunch. "Come in," he said.

I opened the door. "Hello, Mr. Galvan. I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time."

"Yes, Paige. Have a seat, please." I sat down with a huge lump in my throat. "How may I be of service to you?"

"Mr. Galvan, you are aware that I have amnesia."

"Yes, I am aware."

"It is so frustrating not to know who I really am."

He looked puzzled. "Well, Paige, it might be hard to remember things, especially if they were painful. The mind has a way of protecting itself. You could have gone through something so tragic your mind won't let you remember."

"Do you believe in past lives, Mr. Galvan?"

"No." I stared at the floor. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wish I could make someone understand."

"Paige, talk to me. You can trust me."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"What we talk about will remain confidential. But keeping it balled up inside is not going to help you."

"Do you believe that dreams can be reality?"

"It depends on the circumstances. Dreams come from our subconscious."

"What about in my case?"

"Your dreams could be pieces from your childhood memories." I didn't say anything for a long time. "Paige, can you please tell me what all of these questions you are asking mean?"

I looked into his eyes, and they did look sincere. "The thing is; I have never had a childhood memory. These dreams I have every night are as real to me as my talking to you right now. And it is getting hard for me to distinguish them from reality. In all of my dreams I'm around the age I am now, but I'm not here."

"What are the surrounding areas like? Are you in another country?"

"No, you don't understand. I am not on this planet. The dirt is red like on Mars, the sky is purple, and there are three moons. There is also this guy, and somehow I know we have a strong bond. Mr. Galvan, I can't take it anymore. Every night for almost a year, these dreams occur in the same place. But it's never the same dream. At first the other world was very faint, but each night it gets more detailed and feels more real. More real to me than sitting here right now." Mr. Galvan stared at me, at a loss for words.

"Is there some way you can help me? I am not crazy, and I'm not making this up."

"You are definitely not crazy. You're very intelligent and the smartest student in all of my classes."

He leaned back in his chair with his hand under his chin in deep thought.

"I could put you under."

"Put me under? You mean hypnosis?"

"Yes."

"Is that even safe?"

"Yes. I know how to do it."

"At this point it doesn't really matter. I am desperate for answers."

"Paige, this would have to be between me and you. I could lose my job if anyone found out, but I feel drawn to help you."

"Of course, Mr. Galvan. I won't tell a soul."

"I hope I'm doing the right thing. If you were to remember the truth, it could be devastating."

"I can handle it, Mr. Galvan. If I don't do something I'm going to go crazy."

"All right, are you free tomorrow after school?"

"Yes. What time do you want me to be here?"

"Just come after the last bell rings."

"Thank you, Mr. Galvan."

That night I had the scariest dream of them all. I opened my eyes, and I was in a spacecraft going through the atmosphere of a dark planet. I walked into the cock pit and there was my guy. I could feel my cheeks flush. There were also four other women and six men, all around my age. My guy smiled at me.

"Are you ready? We have to hurry. A storm is on the way," he said. The huge door to the ship opened. It looked like the opening to the back of a cargo ship. I gasped in disbelief. The sky outside was black, and all we could see was water. The men shined the light into the water and threw down a net.

"Don't be scared, Sweetheart," my guy said. "We're very low on food, and there is no telling how long this storm will last."

I beamed at him. Suddenly the wind howled, like a wind I'd never heard before. It sounded like a freight train. The water began forming huge waves and the ship started rocking.

"We have to hurry! The storm is coming in fast. It will take us down if we don't get out of here!" one of the men yelled. A huge wave rose up. "Everyone grab a hold whole of something! I'm taking off!"

Then another giant wave washed over the ship. I tried to grab a hold of something, but the pressure was too strong. I was too close to the door and fell out. We were high up, so it took me a while before I hit the water. I went deep under. The water was so cold; it felt like knives were stabbing me all over my body. I tried to swim to the surface, remembering I knew how, but it was like the pressure was keeping me down. I had never felt so scared before. Then I saw him with a rope around his waist. He grabbed me and tugged on it. The rope began pulling us up. Before we reached the surface I could no longer hold my breath. Water came gushing into my mouth, and I couldn't breathe. _Oh, my God, I can't breathe!_ My mind screamed. My body began to jerk. I was frantic, and we still had not reached the surface. The next thing I saw was darkness.

I heard voices. "She's coming to! She's coming to!" I opened my eyes slowly. Pressure clamped down on my chest. I turned quickly on my side, coughed up water, and gasped for air. Everyone started laughing and sighing in relief. I glanced up, and my guy was leaning over me. He must have revived me. He was crying and laughing. He grabbed me into his arms.

"You scared me. I thought I'd lost you," he said.

"Thank you." I hugged him and felt relieved to be in his arms.

"We've made it out of Hydrocesis' atmosphere safely. Let's head home." I heard a man say.

Then I jolted awake, bolting upright in my bed. I was sweating profusely. This was no regular dream; this was a waking dream. I could still feel the pressure in my lungs and the taste of salt water in my mouth. My skin felt wet, and I was cold. I started sobbing. Who was I? Where did I come from? I needed answers and stayed awake for the rest of the night, my mind astir. Everything was a blur.

Far too upset, I did not go to school in the morning. My foster mother left for work early so she wouldn't know I was skipping. Instead, I went back to sleep. The rest of the day drug by as I waited for my session with Mr. Galvan. I rode the bus line and arrived at the school right as the last bell rang. When I got to Mr. Galvan's door I knocked.

"Come in," he said, and I opened door.

"Ah, Paige, there you are. You weren't in class today."

"No, I wasn't feeling good."

"Did you have another dream?"

I looked down. "Yes ... this one was the most real one yet. It had to have happened in my lifetime; I could feel it in my soul."

"Let's go in the back office and get started."

We walked to the back office. He told me to lie on the sofa. I lay down and tried to relax.

"How long will it take for me to go under?"

"A matter of minutes, just relax and open your mind. I want you to look at this blinking light on my desk. Do you see it blinking on and off?"

"Yes."

"Now you will slowly feel yourself getting sleepy. Do you feel yourself getting sleepy?"

"Yes."

I felt very sleepy and weird. The next thing I knew I was soaring through the solar system. I saw Earth, Mars, then Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. After Neptune I started moving faster at what I somehow knew was even faster than the speed of light. I saw asteroid belts, stars, and comets. I was deep into space, so beautiful. Then I came upon a sun. It looked similar to the Earth's sun, but it had more red and orange tones. There were three planets orbiting it. The center planet was a red, green, and purple color. It was surrounded by the three moons that I had been dreaming about. The beauty took my breath away. I orbited down into the atmosphere of the red planet. When I hit the ground I was inside of a house. I walked into the living room and saw a child sitting on a man's lap. Suddenly, I got a huge electric jolt that paralyzed me for a few seconds. Then I remembered. _I remembered everything!_

_Father!_ This was my father! I was seven years old when I had sat on his lap that day. When I was six, my mother had died giving birth to my sister, Autumn, who had died also. My father and I never talked about them. It hurt him too much. I had my father's light green eyes and dark brown hair. My mother's name was Grace. I had her petite body shape. Her eyes were hazel, and she had long, wavy hair like I did, but her hair was a lighter brown. I didn't remember her well, but we had a lot of photos of her. I wished she could still be in my life. It was hard not having a mother, but my father had done a great job in raising me. I loved him dearly.

In my next memory I was at the great palace of King Julius. The palace was located in the territory of Nazari, our planet's capital. It was the seventeenth of September, Bryan, King Julius' oldest son's eighteenth birthday party. I remember how excited I was to be going to my first party at the palace. Even the average class was invited to this party, normally only the wealthy were invited to the royal events. Wearing a short, black velvet dress with a low neckline that showed cleavage, I felt older than sixteen. My long, wavy hair was pulled up in a cascade of curls. I didn't know but a handful of people here. I mingled with the few I knew. Being shy, and not the greatest dancer, I fell back into the crowd. I was standing next to a pillar when I felt someone staring at me. I turned my head and saw _him_.

Exquisite and very tall. He was on the slender side, but had a muscular chest. _Wow! He is sure wearing that black tux well._ His hair was chestnut brown with red highlights that shimmered off of the light. His eyes were emerald green. I've never seen eyes that dark green before; my green eyes were so much lighter.

His face was flawless. He beamed at me and I was at a loss for words. Was this creature real? And there was no way he was smiling at me. I never imagined that Prince Bryan would have been this gorgeous. Oh, I knew who he was. I had seen him in a picture several years earlier, but he looked much different at eighteen. Bryan was handsome in that picture, but it didn't do him justice. He walked over to me, and I tried to keep my composure. He asked, "Who are you? I must have your name."

I had to clear my throat, my voice cracked. "Shiray, my name is Shiray."

"I am Bryan, son of King Julius and heir to the throne."

"Yes, Your Highness," I said, bowing.

He laughed. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"You don't need to bow to me."

"Oh, okay." I straightened up. He took my hand, electricity shot through it. Then he kissed the top. I never imagined he was so charming.

"Would you like to dance?"

"I really don't dance much."

"How about taking a walk? I wouldn't mind some fresh air."

"Yes, that's fine."

We walked out to the connecting courtyard, which opened to a grand garden with winding pathways. They went on for miles, leading into the nearby forest. We came across a bench nestled in a little corner of the garden. He sat down, and I sat next to him.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

"Yes, it's very nice."

"I wanted to invite everyone from the territory and meet different Kadanans. As you can imagine, I don't get out much."

"You don't?"

"No, not to meet people anyway." He shrugged. "So, Shiray, what part of the land are you from?"

"I reside in the territory of Nazari also, the southwest region."

"What is your age?"

"I'm sixteen."

"You don't seem sixteen."

"Why don't I seem that age?"

"I just thought you were older."

I didn't know what he meant by that, but then again it was hard to think straight around him. I looked up at his green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. I blushed.

"Am I making you nervous?"

I felt my cheeks flush again. Could he have been any more direct? Was he a mind reader? He didn't come off arrogant, though, like most people had described him.

"A little," I admitted.

"Would you believe me, if I told you that you're making me nervous?"

I glanced up, surprised. "No, I wouldn't." How could I be making him nervous? I'm sure I was not the first girl he had taken on a moonlight stroll in his gorgeous garden.

"Am I how you imagined I would be?"

"No, you're nothing like I thought."

"If I may ask, how did you think of me?"

Being a very honest person, I just told him the truth. "I thought you would be arrogant and stuck up."

He chuckled. "Really? Well, it doesn't surprise me. I've heard of my reputation. But I find I can be myself around you."

"How is that?"

"You're different. Most girls throw themselves at me, trying to impress me. I find myself asking all the questions here, which is a first. You're quiet."

"I'm shy. I don't talk a lot unless I know you."

"I look forward to that day."

I almost choked. How could I have been so lucky? He could have had any woman he wanted. Why was he taking an interest in me? "Are you enjoying your party?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I am now," he gleamed.

No, Bryan wasn't arrogant, but he was sure of himself. Why wouldn't he be? Anyone who looked at him would know.

"What's your surname, Shiray?"

"It's, Granalif. I don't want to keep you from your party any longer, Bryan."

"I'm fine right here."

"Okay." I sure was. I could have sat out there with him all night.

"You know, I must admit I'm very intrigued by you." He moved very close to me. His face inches from mine, his green eyes sparkling. My heart picked up to double time.

"How is that?" I asked with my voice shaking.

He grabbed my face with both of his hands. I trembled. He leaned in another inch and whispered, "I'm sure you must already know you're beautiful."

And with that, before I could even register his words, he kissed me. This was the first time I had met this man. Bryan was the prince and I was blown away he was kissing me, but I welcomed his kiss. His lips felt like satin against mine. I moaned.

He kissed me very softly at first. My entire body came to life. Then he parted my lips and kissed me harder. I followed him. I had courted a few times, and I'd kissed a man before this. But the kisses I had shared were nothing compared to the way Bryan, was kissing me now, so passionately. Oh, my! He definitely knew what he was doing. The kissed escalated, and when I was out of breath, I pulled back. I still had my face close to his. We were both breathing heavily.

"Who are you?" he asked. I wanted to say, "I will be anyone you want me to be. Just kiss me like that again," but I didn't. After my silence, Bryan changed the subject. "You don't dance much?"

"No," I answered.

"I'm an excellent dancer. Would you like to come by tomorrow for a lesson?"

"Sure. You will be the one teaching me, right?"

"Yes, I'll teach you. I better head back in before they start looking for me."

He reached for my hand, and I placed mine in his. I stood as we strolled back into the party. I remembered thinking, _this has been the best night of my life, and I get to come back tomorrow!_

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Shiray," he said, kissing my hand again.

"It was nice meeting you as well, Bryan."

"You will show up tomorrow, right? Say at three in the daytime hour?"

"Yes, I will." He winked at me, and I melted, then we parted ways.

## Chapter 3

That night it took forever for me to get to sleep, as I was so excited about my date the following day. _Well it wasn't really a date, he was just giving me lessons. Get a hold of yourself, Shiray_ , I thought. _It's just lesson. There's no way he could like you in more than a friendly manner. He's the prince, for Sonar's sake_. He did kiss me, though. I shivered remembering the feel of his lips on mine. I would never forget that kiss. I finally went to sleep, but I was up very early the next morning. I did my chores to buy some time. Then I decided to get dressed. Since we would be dancing I put on some black heels, black slacks, and a multi-colored casual shirt that would be appropriate. I decided to wear my hair down, and I put on light makeup. My father hadn't made it home yet. We had a store my father owned. I communicated with him through my mind.

Father, I'm going to a friend's house. I don't know what time I will be back in.

All right, Sweetie. Just check back with me in a couple of hours.

Okay, Father.

I went to our ship port and beamed into my ship. I was a nervous wreck by the time I arrived at the palace. Was he even expecting me? Our everyday traveling ships were the length of a large SUV on Earth, but they were a lot taller because we could stand and walk around inside of them. And all of our ships were metallic gold. I flew to the guest landing bay and left my craft there. Then I walked up to the huge gate that looked at least twenty feet tall and were monitored by two guards. They opened onto a large courtyard and the enormous palace some distance behind it. The entire structure sat high up on a hillside, the highest of our entire nation.

The guards were staring at me. "Hello, I'm Shiray. I'm here to see Bryan."

One guard glanced down reading through a list of names on a scroll of parchment paper. "Ah, yes, he is expecting you." That was good. I sighed in relief.

"Follow me," the guard said, opening the doors. We strolled through the large courtyard and into the palace. Once inside, we went to the right where there was a formal living area. "Have a seat here."

I took a seat, staring at everything in awe. All the beautiful paintings, the statues, and the ceiling were made of gold. A few minutes passed, curious, I walked a ways down the hall where there was a huge portrait of Bryan and his family on the wall. Bryan looked like he was around eleven or twelve in the portrait. He was a spitting image of his mother. He had her emerald green eyes and her facial features.

"Hi." I heard someone say behind me as he cleared his throat.

I turned and it was him, standing against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Though he was only wearing a navy blue sweater and khaki pants he still resembled a Greek God.

"Hello," I said quietly, trying not to slobber on myself. "I was just admiring your family portrait. Your mother was a really beautiful queen."

"Thank you. My mother was a very warm woman. She will always be in my heart."

"My mother is in mine, as well."

"You have lost your mother, too?"

"Yes, when I was six years old."

"I am sorry for your loss." I nodded. He changed the subject, and I was glad because it was a sad topic. "I didn't know if you would really come, but I'd hoped."

"Of course. I said I would."

"You look nice. I love your thick wavy hair. I wouldn't have guessed it was so long. You're even more beautiful with your hair down." He smiled.

I started blushing. Good grief, he was so damn charming. "Thank you."

He glanced down at my shoes. "And those heels, wow! What are you going to do in them?"

"You said we would be dancing, so I only thought it would be proper."

"Yes, I did say that didn't I. Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, well why did you say you would teach me today?"

He chuckled. "I had to find some excuse to get you back up here."

"You could have just asked."

"I could have, but what's the fun in that? What do you say about meeting my brother and sister?"

"Okay."

Nile and Syira were nice and down to earth. We talked in the recreation room for a while. To my surprise, Syira and I had a lot in common. She was two months older than me.

"You are an only child?" she asked.

"Yes. I wish I had siblings though."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't. These two get on my nerves most of the time," she said smiling. Nile rolled his eyes at her and Bryan shook his head.

"What is your trade now that you have finished your teachings?"

"I help my father run his store."

"What products do you acquire?"

"We have various kinds of appliance items: cooling and cleaning units, home improvement, and building materials."

"I will have to come by your store. Our home needs some updating in different areas."

_Updating?_ Everything looked brand new. "That would be great."

"Your trade seems fun. I wish I had a similar trade."

"It can be stressful and demanding at times. I am the manager of the store, but I like working there. What is your trade, if I may ask?"

"I am a politician for my father. For the most part it's very stressful, but it's my duty. I would like to do something more laid back."

"Maybe you can someday. I mean, you are the princess. You should have the right to follow your passions as well as maintaining your duties."

She beamed. "I can see why my brother likes you. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to pursue other things. My father is very demanding, but thanks for the encouragement."

"No problem."

"Do you know how to play Carom?"

Carom is a game that is similar to billiards. "A little, I have played it a few times."

"Let's go up against my brothers."

"Sounds like fun."

We ended up beating them and they were not happy. Men were always sore losers.

After the brothers got their asses kicked, Bryan came over to me. "I would like for you to stay for dinner to meet my father."

"The king?" I felt my eyes widen.

"Don't worry. It will be fine."

"Why do you want me to meet him so soon?"

"It's because I like you." I swallowed the big lump in my throat.

The meeting wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. King Julius was polite at least. The king was a very handsome man with hazel eyes like Syira and Nile. His hair color was chestnut brown like Bryan's, and they were the same height. I bowed to him, and he nodded his head to me. He looked at me peculiarly the entire dinner. I didn't know why.

Afterward, Bryan and I were strolling through one of the back courtyards. It was nighttime so we could see the three moons clearly. "Why was your father staring at me in that manner, Bryan?"

He laughed. "Because I have never brought a woman home before. I mean, I've courted a couple of times, though they were women he picked out for me. He prefers the custom of arranged marriages, the way he was brought up. That's how he and my mother were brought together. It is how the royal court has always done it. But he honors my dead mother's wishes to let all of her children find love on our own."

"So, he hates me," I blurted.

Bryan's brow furrowed. "No, he doesn't. My father doesn't warm up to people until he knows them. But he is interested in the fact you are the one woman who has caught my attention. He'll have several questions for me later."

"Why are you interested in me? You can have any woman you want."

He didn't answer. He just took my face in his hands and kissed me again. This kiss was more passionate than the first. We finally broke apart. I shook my head slightly to myself. I couldn't believe I had known this man for only twenty-two hours, and I was already in love with him.

My father almost had a heart attack the next day. Bryan had insisted I leave my ship at the palace because it was too late for me to be flying. It was perfectly safe, as our space-crafts practically flew there selves, but Bryan insisted on flying me home. The next morning my father opened my bedroom door in a panic.

"Shiray, wake up!"

"What's wrong, Father?"

"Someone named Bryan just dropped your ship off."

"Is he here?" I asked, jumping up.

"No, he's gone. Someone followed him. He got into their ship and left. But he said you were supposed to go back to the _palace_ today. Was he the Prince of Kadan?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming over? I would have been better dressed. And more importantly, why didn't you tell me you were courting the Prince?"

"We are just friends. We met at his party at the palace. And I didn't know he was bringing my ship here."

"You said you were going to a friend's yesterday, not to the palace."

I stared at him unable to answer. I didn't know what to say, this was all happening so fast. And who cared? Bryan wanted to see me again.

"No more secrets, young lady."

"Okay, Father."

My father soon found out Bryan and I were more than friends. I went to the palace almost every day for the next several weeks. Bryan never officially said we were courting, but it was clear we were. He introduced me to everyone as "his lady," which is what a man says if he is courting a woman.

One evening during our courtship, I was in the recreation room playing Carom with Syira. I didn't know where Bryan was. He had stepped out a little earlier with Nile and told me he would be back shortly. I took the winning shot, the ball went into the hole.

"Damn it," Syira said. "You beat me again. Let's play another round." I glanced at the time and realized it was getting late.

"I'll play you again tomorrow night. I better head home. My father has been gracious enough to let me come over every night for a month. But I don't want to push it by staying too late."

"All right, I'll walk with you downstairs."

"Do you know where Bryan is?"

"No, I don't know where they went. We can find him on our way."

After we traveled downstairs, Syira said, "I'll be back in a minute. I need to go to the bathroom."

I waited for her by the stairs when I heard Bryan's voice. I walked down the hall toward the sound. I found him talking with a gorgeous woman. I stopped and watched them. Her hair was dark brown with a slight natural curl. She was slender and appeared to be a little taller than me. I could tell by the way she gazed at him that she cared about him. She giggled at something he said, and he laughed with her. I hated her immediately. I went back in the other direction and bumped into Syira.

"Oh, there you are."

"Syira, do you mind telling your brother I left? It's getting late, and I really need to get home."

She scrunched her nose. "I will tell him, but I'm sure he would prefer if you told him goodnight yourself."

"I think he's busy at the moment. Can you tell him, please?"

"I will give him the message."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later."

I got home and prepared for bed. Who was I fooling? I was no competition for that woman. The royal family always had arranged marriages and she was probably being arranged to be with him. I didn't know why Bryan was socializing with me in the first place. King Julius would never let us court seriously. I honestly didn't know how much longer we could continue our relationship. King Julius didn't approve of me because I wasn't of wealthy status. I could sense it.

Why did Bryan have to be so wonderful? He was funny, and he liked to tease me for some reason. But he was passionate and warm-hearted. I sighed. I hated the fact I had already fallen for him. It was clear I needed to put some distance between us before I ended up getting hurt. Even though the thought of ending our relationship was painful now, I had to find some way to get through it. I didn't know who that woman was, but I was certain they had history together. My telecom buzzed, yanking me from my thoughts. It was Bryan's frequency, so I continued to let it buzz. I didn't know what to say to him right now. I normally wasn't an emotional Kadanan, but had never been in love before. I shouldn't have let the relationship continue for this long, but it felt so natural when we were together. And knew I would never find another man who made me feel this way. This really sucked. I tossed and turned for several hours with my mind full of turmoil before sleep finally settled in.

The next morning I was getting ready to help my father at our store when my telecom buzzed; Bryan again. He didn't like to be ignored, so I picked up my com and hit the button to answer his call.

"Hello, Bryan."

"Hi, Shi." He sounded relieved. "Why did you leave last night without saying goodnight to me?"

"It was late, and I didn't know where you were," I lied. "Didn't Syira give you my message?"

"Yes, she told me, but I wasn't happy about it."

"I'm sorry. I really needed to get home."

"What time will you be coming to the palace?"

"I can't come today."

"Why can't you come?"

"I need to stay late at our store to help my father."

"What time will you be finished? I want you to come over when you are done."

Geez, he was persistent and didn't like taking no for an answer. How was I going to distance myself from him if I continued to see him every day? We would both end up getting hurt when King Julius put his foot down. Or at least I would anyway.

"Bryan, I can't come over today. I have to go now; my father is waiting."

He sighed heavily. "All right, buzz me when you get home."

I said goodbye quickly, ending the call before he tried to persuade me further.

I got in late that evening, but still managed to cook dinner for my father and me. He seemed pleased I was staying home. I had been leaving the store early and heading straight for the palace every day. It was nice to sit at the table and have dinner with my father.

"Dinner is delicious, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Father."

"Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

"You have been going to the palace every evening for the past month."

"I just thought it would be nice if we could have dinner together," I said, smiling at him.

"Yes, it is nice. I'm happy to spend time with you. You're growing up so fast. I don't get to see you that often anymore, especially since you're courting the prince."

I blushed. "I will always make time for you."

"That's good to know."

Bryan buzzed me again that night. I didn't answer. I needed to speak with him about our relationship, but still didn't know what to say. I wanted to be with him, but didn't really think we were equally balanced.

I buzzed Bryan the next morning before work to tell him we needed to talk. Now he didn't answer. The morning dragged by, and I missed Bryan. In the afternoon when I checked my telecom, I had a missed frequency from him. We got busy at the store, so I would just have to buzz him back when I got home that evening.

After work, I heated up dinner for us. By the time we finished eating it was already dark outside. As I finished cleaning the kitchen, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting a guest?" my father asked.

"No, I am not," I responded, wondering who it could be.

My father went to answer the door. I heard him from the other room. "Your Highness, how can I help you?"

Oh, no, it was him! I had planned to buzz him shortly and never expected him to just drop everything and show up here. "Hello, Mr. Granalif. Is Shiray home? I need to speak with her please."

I looked myself over and realized I wasn't presentable. I ran up the staircase as my father let Bryan in. I dashed into the bathroom to freshen up.

"Shiray!" My father called up the stairs. I opened the bathroom door.

"Yes, Father?"

"The Prince is here for you."

"I'll be down in five minutes." I brushed my hair and changed into a nicer dress shirt. I applied some makeup and glanced myself over in the mirror. I guess this would have to do. At least I looked better than I had five minutes ago. I slowly walked downstairs. Bryan was as sexy as always in his flannel shirt and dark gray pants. It was odd to see him sitting on the sofa in our living room. He rose as I entered the room.

"Good evening, Shiray." He eyed me skeptically.

"Hello, Bryan."

"I will give you two some privacy," my father said, leaving the room and going upstairs. I could feel the tension in the air. Bryan made sure my father was all the way up the stairs before he spoke.

"Why are you avoiding me, Shiray?"

"I am not avoiding you. I buzzed you this morning, and was busy at the store when you buzzed me back. I just finished eating dinner. I was going to try to talk with you again."

"Is that all? It seems as if it's something else. I don't like feeling as if you aren't telling me everything."

"Oh, where are my manners? Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" I said, changing the subject.

"No, thank you."

"Would you at least like to sit down?"

"Sure."

I sat down on the sofa, and he sat very close to me. I was so nervous and didn't know what to say to him about my feelings and our relationship. Now that he was here, all I wanted him to do was kiss me.

"Did I do something to offend you?"

"Not really."

"What does that mean?"

I couldn't look him in the eyes. I didn't say anything, staring down at my hands.

After a few seconds, he broke the silence. "Please talk to me Shi, don't leave me in the dark."

I sighed heavily. "I saw you speaking with that woman the other night, the one with the long dark brown hair."

"Coral? Is that what this is about?"

"It's about a lot more than that, Bryan."

"Her father came over for dinner. Our fathers are very good friends. We did court for a short time, but Coral and I are only friends now."

So I had been right. They had been involved. It certainly didn't help the situation. If their fathers were good friends, that meant she was of wealthy class too, unlike me. And by the way she looked at him, I would be willing to bet she still wanted to be more than friends. It's probably why she joined her father for dinner.

"Bryan, I don't know if we fit together." I struggled for the right words to tell him how I felt.

"We fit well together. I've never met any woman like you before." He wasn't making this easy for me. I bolted off of the sofa.

"I'm thirsty. Would you like something to drink?" I asked, heading for the kitchen. He followed me and stood by the bar. I glanced out of the window and noticed there was another ship in my dock, hovering next to Bryan's.

"Is someone here with you?"

"Yes, those are my two guards. They follow me when I go out in public. It is protocol for my safety."

"Are they going to stay in their ship? Would they like to come inside?"

"No, they will be fine. They get paid to guard us. My siblings and I all have our own set of guards."

"That's interesting, but how will they know if you are in danger if they are out there?"

I can communicate with them in this way. And I know you are trying to change the subject.

_Whoa! I didn't know you could communicate through your mind. Why didn't you tell me_? I sent back to him.

The subject hadn't come up. I also have an alarm on my wrist band I would activate if I were in trouble. I have nothing to hide from you, no secrets. Although, I feel you are not telling me everything.

I didn't answer him and got out a pitcher of tea and two glasses. I poured him a glass. He took a few sips and sat the cup back down on the counter.

"Shiray, I want an explanation. Not only are you avoiding me, but now you are avoiding the topic of discussion."

"How far can our relationship go, Bryan? I am only of average wealth. Royalty has always married with the wealthy class. The marriages have always been arranged. What does your father think about you courting me?"

His forehead wrinkled. "Has my father said something to you?"

"No, he hasn't said anything, but I don't think he approves of me."

"My father has not said anything to me either, so where are these feelings coming from?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "You told me before marriages have always been arranged."

"I also told you they are not going to be anymore. My mother was pledged to my father. She told me that in time she grew to love him very much. But she also told my father she wanted her children to find love on their own. My father agreed to honor her wishes since she felt so strongly about it. He is a man of his word. None of us will be forced into an arranged marriage, so you don't have to worry."

I didn't know how to explain to him, but I didn't know if I could be royalty or live up to the expectations. He didn't feel as if it would be an issue, but I wasn't convinced. Would King Julius really allow me to be the first exception? I thought about Coral, and my stomach did a somersault. As I stared into the depths of Bryan's emerald green eyes, I wanted to follow my heart and not have any worries. But if something happened and we weren't allowed to be together, it would tear me apart.

"Bryan, maybe we should..." I couldn't even get the words out.

"Maybe we should what?"

I took a deep breath. "...End this now before we get hurt," I said quickly before I lost the courage.

His eyes widened and he leaned closer to me. I had nowhere to go, so I backed up against our cooling unit. I looked down, and he lifted my chin up to meet his eyes.

"Are you trying to end our relationship?"

"I don't want to."

"Then why are you?"

"I've already tried to explain my feelings. You have to have thought about it, too."

"I don't care about your status or what my father thinks. I will be king someday. I only know how I feel, and I want you."

My breathing hitched. God knows I wanted him too. I had never been a coward before, so maybe I shouldn't try to take the easy way out now. I just couldn't understand why he wanted me, when women as beautiful as Coral wanted him. I tried to turn away, but he had a tight grip on my chin.

"Do you want me, Shiray?"

"I was only trying to do what I thought was best, to save ourselves from pain later."

"Answer my question."

My heart was beating so fast. Bryan demanded an answer, and I couldn't lie. "Yes, I want you," I whispered.

"That's all I needed to hear," he said, pressing his lips against mine. I moaned as he massaged his lips with mine. He pushed me up against the cooling unit. I heard the food rumbling around inside. He moved his hands and entangled them in my hair. I returned his kiss with my own passion. I ran my hand through his soft hair and pulled it, making him groan. We continued to kiss and then we started rubbing all over each other. The food inside the cooling unit began to rumble again, then I remembered where I was. And that my father was right upstairs. I quickly pulled away.

"Bryan, I know you're the prince. But if my father caught us making out in this manner, I don't think he would care. He would probably try to kill you."

"Yikes." He took a step back. "I'm sorry, Shiray. I didn't mean to get carried away. I just can't seem to keep my hands off of you."

I felt the same way. My heart was pounding, and I was trying to calm down my breathing...how embarrassing. At least he was breathing heavily, too.

"Let's go back into the living room."

"All right, but I don't want to argue with you about this anymore, Shi."

Gosh, he was so bossy. I guess it was to be expected of a prince. "You are demanding, aren't you?"

"And you're stubborn. See, we are a good fit," he said, smiling.

I smiled back, and he grabbed my hand. We walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. I was still dizzy from his kiss.

"Are we okay now?" Bryan asked.

No one could control the future. I was just going to follow my heart. If he had faith in us, then I would too. I believed in destiny and wondered if maybe we were brought together for a reason.

"If you believe everything will work out, then I trust you."

"Good, so I'm not going to have any more trouble out of you?"

I could tell he was trying to stifle a grin. I'm glad he thought this was funny.

"No, Your Highness," I said, rolling my eyes.

He smiled now. "See, that's why I like you so much. You aren't scared to be yourself around me or roll your eyes, which you do quite often."

"I only do it when you're being bossy."

"You never listen anyway." I laughed and he joined me. "I like being with you; it makes me feel normal. I don't have to think about politics, conferences, or what speech I have to give next. I can just be me."

"You like feeling normal?"

"Yes, I do. I have never even been to a woman's home before to spend time together as we are."

"You haven't?"

"No, this is a first. I like your home; it's serene. There are always Kadanans in my home. We have several guards on post, as well as our service staff, and my father has associates that come by on a daily basis. I'm used to it, because it has always been that way, but this is a nice change."

"I feel special. I never thought you would drop everything and show up here."

"That's because you are special. I knew you were avoiding me, but I didn't know why. I figured you would have to talk to me about it if I showed up in person."

I felt my cheeks flush. I wondered if I would ever not feel shy around him.

"How late can I stay?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but I don't want to ask."

"I'll only stay a little longer. I don't want to upset your father. He has a bad temper from what you have told me."

"I am his only daughter."

"I can understand that."

"I can come to the palace tomorrow."

"Sounds good, but if you can't, then I will just come over here if it's all right with your father."

"He won't mind; he can keep an eye on me here."

He beamed again. "I better not ever cross your father."

"He's not that bad."

"I'm just teasing you."

"I know, for some reason you love to tease me."

"Because your reactions are so adorable; it's easy to fool you."

"Are you trying to say that I'm gullible?"

"Yes, but in a good way."

"I'm glad I amuse you." I playfully hit his shoulder. He grabbed my arms, and we started wrestling on the sofa, laughing. Bryan was right; I could be myself around him, too. When I looked at him, I just saw the man I loved. This felt so natural. So I wasn't going to worry about my concerns for the moment. I was just going to take a chance on love.

A few nights later, I landed my ship in my assigned spot in the palace basement which held multiple other ships. I had finished up late at the store, but Bryan still wanted me to come over. One of the guards escorted me upstairs to the main floor. He told me to have a nice evening, then went back downstairs. I was walking toward the back staircase when I ran into Nile.

"Hi, Shiray. How are you?"

"Hello, Nile. I was looking for your brother."

"Oh, yeah, he's expecting you. He's in his bedroom. You can go on up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll talk with you later."

I walked up the back staircase to Bryan's bedroom door and knocked. He didn't answer, so I knocked again. There was still no answer, so I gently opened the door and went inside calling his name. He was nowhere to be seen, but I heard his voice. Following the sound, I walked over to the bathroom door, which was cracked open. Bryan was inside, taking a shower and singing. He had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. I stood frozen, stunned. I never imagined that he could sing. His voice was so unique. Why didn't he sing professionally? I was so entranced with his voice I didn't even hear the shower stop. Then he opened the bathroom door wearing only a white towel, drying his upper body. I saw his bare backside and gasped. He spun around quickly, alarmed, but when he saw it was me he relaxed. I glanced down and saw his endowed dominance. I shrieked loudly. "Oh, my, gosh, Bryan! I'm sorry I didn't make my presence known." I felt myself blush immensely.

"Don't be. I'm not," he said, drinking me in, giving me a lustful gaze.

"Nile told me to just come to your room, but I should have told you I was here."

"It's all right, Shiray. You don't have to announce that you are in my room. I'm happy you still came by."

He still had the towel around his back. He was proud of himself, which was clearly obvious. Ugh, I wanted to disappear. I turned my head to the side; I didn't know what else to do. He slowly took the towel and wrapped it around his lean waist. I had to admit I was looking in my peripheral vision. This was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I'd never witnessed a man naked before; it was definitely a sight for sore eyes. He really did look like a Greek God, but this was still very awkward.

"I will just wait for you in the recreation room," I said.

"No, just have a seat over here in my seating area. I will go and put on a different outfit."

_A different outfit?_ He was trying to be funny. I sat down on the sofa while he put on some pants and a shirt. I took a deep breath, trying to hold on to my remaining dignity. He walked over to me and leaned down, softly kissing my lips. I blushed again, remembering what I had just seen, and pulled back. He sat next to me.  
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable; you just startled me."

At least he was trying to diffuse the situation. "No, it's fine. It was my fault anyway. I was taken aback because I heard you singing. Bryan, you have such a beautiful voice."

He actually blushed for once. "Thank you."

"Why don't you sing in a band or have your own group?"

"I've never had the desire to sing professionally. I've always been so busy with politics and preparation for the throne."

"Does your family know how well you can sing?

"They have heard me sing a time or two in the past. My mother had a really beautiful voice. We used to sing together all the time, but since she has passed I mostly just sing in the shower now."

"That's understandable, but maybe you should think about pursuing it later in the future. I have never heard such a unique voice before."

He beamed. "How about for the time being, I will just sing for you, anything that you want me to sing?"

"Oh, I would love that." Could he have any more assets? Gorgeous, smart, and had the body of a God, plus he could sing too. He was definitely fit to be a king. I was so damn lucky to be with him. I would never let him go.

"Do you want to play a game of Carom?" he asked.

"Are you going to pout if I beat you again?"

"I'm not going to pout because you're not going to win," he said, challenging me.

"Oh, we will see about that." I gleamed at him. He stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me off of the sofa.

"Come on, let's go. I'm going to get Nile and Syira to referee to make sure you don't cheat."

"Bryan please, I do not cheat. If you lose, just be a man about it."

He burst out laughing. "I don't know what I am going to do with you, Shi. You are something else."

"You just don't like to lose."

"What man does?"

"Point taken."

We played several rounds of Carom. He won a few, but he did end up pouting after all.

## Chapter 4

King Julius still hadn't warmed up to me, even though Bryan and I had been courting for over two months. At the dinner table one evening, the king brought up our relationship. I still couldn't get past how big the table was: forty feet long with thirty chairs, but everything was grand in the palace.

"Bryan," King Julius said. "What is your relationship with Shiray?"

"She is my lady, Father."

"And how far is this going to go?"

"As far as it can," Bryan replied.

"We'll discuss this later."

I began sweating, feeling nauseated. I had tried to warn Bryan his father did not approve of me.

"We can talk about it now," Bryan demanded.

"Oh, shit," Syira whispered. Nile had an amused expression on his face.

"Bryan, I'm trying to remain polite in front of your company."

"Maybe I should leave," I suggested.

"No. I don't want you to go anywhere," Bryan said. "My father can speak freely in front of you."

"I have already arranged for you to be suited. This is just a phase you're going through."

_Sonar help me!_ I didn't want to be in the middle of this. Bryan threw his head back, laughing loudly. Although, I didn't see anything funny. "Your plans are not going to work out. You can't force me. And this," Bryan gestured between the two of us, "...is not a phase. You need to accept it."

"I've let you have your fun. Please don't make me put my foot down."

I sunk lower in my seat, wishing I could disappear completely. Bryan snorted. "So you're going back on your word? You promised our mother." Bryan glanced at Syira and Nile. Now they both looked uncomfortable. Bryan's brow was furrowed.

"I..." the king started. I waited in the most terrifying silence for him to continue. Instead he noticed the ring on my right hand, which I never took off.

"That is a beautiful ring," King Julius said. "Where did you get it?"

The king's mood swings gave me whiplash. Did he have a split personality? "It was my mother's wedding ring."

He reached for my hand to get a closer look. I hesitated, but let him inspect the ring. As he did, an explosion ignited inside of me. Even though in reality we were still in the dining room, it felt like I was whisked into King Julius' past. I saw into his soul, and he saw into mine. The king was a good family man. I saw him as a child, through his adolescence, and up until present. He was stubborn and very arrogant, but he loved his family.

Seconds, maybe minutes passed, I wasn't sure. After the series of flashes ceased, we pulled back winded. Everyone seemed confused, unsure of what had occurred. And even though it had never happened to me before, I somehow knew.

What we'd experienced was called Soul-searching, a connection made between our kind. Soul-searching was when two beings connected with one another. You saw into each other's soul. You could see flashes of the other's past and feel what they felt. It did not occur with everyone. It only happened with some Kadanans; we don't know why. This gift was not something we had control over. It was said once you Soul-searched with a person, you would always have a special bond. It had nothing to do with finding a soul mate or falling in love. We believed it involved destiny's purpose. It happened on instant contact and only occurred between any two people one time.

You didn't get every aspect, but you got a detailed view inside of their life. Witnessing various events which happened and feeling their emotions. Actions spoke louder than words. I never imagined Soul-searching would be so astonishing. Strange to have barely known the king, but through what we'd experienced, I now knew him wholeheartedly.

"That was interesting," the king said. "This woman is one of a kind, Bryan."

Bryan raised his eyebrow. "She sure is. But a second ago you were giving us a hard time."

"I've had a change of heart. Shiray, please forgive my rudeness."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Bryan still looked skeptical, but seemed relieved. Nile's mouth was hanging open and Syira beamed. Our Soul-searching marked a turn of events. The king loved me after that moment. He said he had only Soul-searched with a handful of Kadanans and there must be a reason he Soul-searched with me. From that day forth he treated me like a daughter. Bryan's words rang in my ear. Things did have a way of working out. You just had to have faith.

Syira and I had become the best of friends. I was spending the night at the palace one night because we were going to go diving in the Under-water gem caves in Lake Murrah the next morning. It was where our nation acquired all of its jewels. King Julius controlled when the gems were mined. No one was allowed to swim in the lake, unless you went on an expedition with tour guides. It was heavily guarded. The lake was very deep and at the bottom were several series of caves which held countless gems. I was excited because I had been diving a few times, but never in the gem caves. Syira and I had been enjoying some girl time when Bryan came into her room.

"Syira, you have had her all evening. I need to spend some time with her."

"But you know I don't have a lot of friends, Bryan. We're busy right now. And she's staying the weekend, so you can see her later."

"You don't have a lot of friends because you're stuck up. And I will spend time with her now," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up.

"Oh, for Sonar's sake, Bryan, get over it."

"Stop, you two," I said. Bryan was excited, since it was my first time spending the night here. King Julius had cleared it with my father. He told him I would have my own sleeping quarters, but Bryan had other plans. He and his siblings slept in the west wing of the palace, his father the east. His father knew they were safe with all of the guards posted throughout the palace. The king was extremely busy running the entire planet, and didn't really have time to make sure his children were behaving every second. Bryan decided I would be sleeping with him. I must have looked terrified when he told me this. But he laughed and promised he would be a gentleman. So I felt better. I wanted to save myself for marriage like a proper Kadanan female.

"Bryan, I will be with you all night and tomorrow night also," I told him. "Let me hang out with Syira for a little while." She gloated.

"Fine," he said, walking off.

Syira and I were practicing how to use mind powers. I was trying to teach her to talk through her mind. Since she could go into people's dreams, it was a skill she might be able to learn. She was doing well.

"Syira, do you think your brothers and my relationship can prosper?"

"I think it can. He's crazy about you. I know my brother and when he wants something, he gets it. He is not going to let politics or anything else stand in the way of you two being together."

"I know he cares for me, but I often wonder sometimes why he's interested. I'm not even from a rich family? I'm average in wealth."

"Do you look in the mirror, Shi? You're very pretty, and you have a great personality."

"Thank you for saying that. I just never thought I would be dating the prince of Kadan. It's overwhelming sometimes."

"You might as well get used to being overwhelmed. I feel this is going to be your new life soon."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, I do. My brother is different with you. I have never seen him like this before, but I like to see him happy."

We talked for a little while longer, and then I told her good night and walked to Bryan's room. I didn't knock; I just opened the door. He was lying on his sofa with his hands folded behind his head, sulking.

"Hi."

"Finally." He pouted.

"Don't be like that, Bryan." I sat next to him. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I don't know."

"Can I kiss you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He was so damn spoiled and used to getting his way. So I would play hardball. "Well, since you're mad at me I guess I'll go sleep in Syira's room," I said, getting up. He yanked me back so fast, it caught me by surprise. The next thing I knew, I was laying on the sofa with him.

"No, don't go. I'm not mad at you."

"You're so spoiled, but you're adorable. Come here." I pulled him to me for a kiss. He kissed me back passionately and it started to get intense. We had never been intimate before in his bedroom. He pulled me against him tighter and kissed my neck. Oh my, I was beginning to feel faint. I moaned. How could kissing make me feel this way? I needed to stop before things got out of control. I pulled back slightly, even though it was hard with him gliding kisses across my neck and caressing my back. I hoped he wouldn't be disappointed I wanted to wait until marriage.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, it's just that..." I couldn't say it, being so shy.

"What is it, Shi? You can talk to me."

"Well, I've never ... you know."

He arched an eyebrow and smiled softly. "Oh, well, I had guessed that much. And I want to be your first. It makes you all mine."

"And I want to be married first."

"Yes, I would imagine so; it is the proper Kadanan way."

I started to blush. "Bryan, have you ever?" I couldn't believe I was asking him this, but since we were on the subject I wanted to know.

"Yes, I have."

He had loved someone else. Of course he had. "Oh," was all I could say, looking away. I was furious, so jealous.

"My father arranged it. He thought we would be a good match. I'm kind of embarrassed to say, but he doesn't believe a Kadanan male should be a virgin after seventeen. The woman and I courted for a while and our fathers had hoped it would work out between us. She was a very lovely woman, but I felt that something was missing. I told her it would be better if we were just friends."

I could guess who he was talking about. "Is the woman you are referring to Coral?"

He sighed and his brow furrowed. "Yes."

I had never been so jealous. I could barely reign in my emotions. I moved away from him slightly, but he moved closer to me.

"We are only friends now; I've told you this."

"I know you have."

"Shiray, I care for her as a friend. Now that I'm with you I feel complete. You have what was missing. When I look at you my heart falters. When you touch me it feels as if electric currents are pulsating through me."

"That's how you make me feel, too."

"We have a powerful connection I don't quite understand, but I trust it. I have strong feelings for you, Shiray. I love you."

What a confession! My heart swelled to hear him say those words. It was pure bliss knowing he felt that way about me.

"I love you too, Bryan." He smiled and pulled me into a tight embrace. We stayed this way for a while. Then he kissed me on my forehead.

"It's late. Let's get into bed," he said. I happily climbed into bed with him, lying my head on his chest. I fell to sleep content in his arms.

## Chapter 5

On the eve of Christmas, I was in Syira's room getting ready for the holiday party, a white and silver affair. I had on a long, tight-fitting white silk gown with spaghetti straps. It had a silver sequence trim around the cleavage and on the bottom hem of the dress. Syira had on a fitted silver halter dress that fell just below her knees. It had a different silver sequence patterns that flowed around it. Heidi, one of the royal maids had straightened out all of the waves in my hair with a hot comb. I had only worn it this way a few times because it was a lot of work to do.

"Your hair looks beautiful this way, Your Highness," Heidi said.

"Thank you, but please call me Shiray."

"Yes, Your Highness," she answered. I smiled at her. She insisted on calling me a royal title.

I sat on Syira's sofa in her sitting area so I could try to strap on my silver three-inch stilettos. I had never worn such tall heels before. I didn't know how I was going to dance in them. Syira's heels were silver and very similar to mine. She was already walking around in them like a professional. I stood up and walked around in my heels trying to get my balance.

"Syira, I don't know if I can walk in these."

"You just have to get used to them. They look great with your dress. Let's go downstairs; the party is about to begin."

The party was being held in the banquet room, an enormous area that hosted most of the royal family's parties. It was filled with huge pillars and the ceilings were vaulted gold. The floors were cream and silver marble. There were white and maroon flowers on each table for decoration. They were gorgeous. The tables were spread around the room. The dance floor was in the middle. There was also a huge ice sculpture that resembled a snowflake.

I was taking everything in when I spotted Bryan come through the entrance with Nile. He was breathtaking in his gray tuxedo. Nile's was white. Bryan spotted me, and stared at me in disbelief as he walked over.

"You are absolutely stunning, Shiray."

"Thanks. You look lovely too."

"Who did your hair?

"Heidi ... it took a longtime."

"I love your natural waves, but your hair looks elegant this way." He ran his hands through it. "It's so silky and soft. I'll have to play with it later." I sucked in my breath. Was he being sexual? I hated that I was so naïve.

There were several Kadanans there by then, and my favorite band, Demonte, suddenly began performing. I really liked their style of music.

"You didn't tell me Demonte was playing tonight!" I cooed to Bryan.

"I knew they were your favorite, so I had them come tonight, especially for you." I was so excited. I hugged him tightly. "You are pleased?"

"Yes! You're the best."

"I'm happy you are excited. Come, I want to introduce you to some of my associates," he said, tugging me along.

A few hours passed, and I'd lost count of how many Kadanans Bryan had introduced me to. I was having a great time eating the delicious food and listening to the great music. The band started a slow song.

"May I have this dance?" Bryan asked me.

Was I ready to dance in front of a big crowd? Bryan had been giving me lessons in his dance studio for the past several weeks. He had taught me all of the famous dances, and I really enjoyed dancing with him. He was so graceful that it was easy to follow his lead. But it was just the two of us in the dance studio, so it was easy to be comfortable there. In here I knew everyone would be watching us. I bit my lip. "Are you going to leave me hanging?"

"I am nervous."

"Don't be. You are very good at dancing."

"Since when have I been good?"

"Since, I have taught you how to dance. You dance well in the studio when it's just the two of us." I grabbed his hand. I thought, _what the hell? I guess I need to get used to this._ Bryan loved to dance, so we would be doing it quite a bit. We walked onto the dance floor, and he placed his hands on my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we began moving to the beat. I focused on not falling in my heels. I had been right; everyone was staring.

"Everyone is staring at us. Am I doing it wrong?"

"Everyone is looking at you because you're beautiful. You move exquisitely with the music. You're a natural. I don't know why you can't see it, but it's why I have fallen in love with you. I also love you aren't into material things, and you don't care about my status."

"I do care. I honor your status."

"That's not what I mean. To you I'm just Bryan, and I know you only want me for what is on the inside."

"You're right, that is all I care about. I love what's inside of your heart."

"You also don't see yourself clearly. They can't take their eyes off of you. I'm the envy of every man right now."

"You make me feel so special ... so beautiful. That's why I've fallen in love with you." He kissed me softly on the lips.

That song ended and a faster song started. Bryan took my arm and twirled me. I giggled, and he laughed too. We began doing the steps to the Cabana ensemble he had taught me. I was starting to get the hang of my shoes.

There were several others on the dance floor doing the same steps. Syira was next to us swaying her hips to the beat. She was a great dancer and was dancing with a handsome blond man who seemed really into her.

The song ended, and Bryan made a signal to the band's lead singer. The music stopped, and the dance floor started clearing. I had no idea what was going on. Bryan nervously took hold of one of my hands. He reached into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out a silver box. Then he dropped to one knee. I heard several gasps, I think I gasped the loudest. Surely he wasn't about to propose. Not in front of all these Kadanans. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would pop out of my chest. He opened the box, and there was a huge, pink, oval-shaped diamond on a gorgeous setting. It had to be at least four or five carats. Several small, round accent diamonds surrounded the center diamond, forming a flower. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.

He gazed into my eyes lovingly. "I was going to do this when we were alone, but since you seem to have so many admirers tonight, I think now is a more appropriate time. Shiray Adore Granalif, will you marry me?"

I wondered if I looked how I felt, in total shock. The room had grown completely silent as everyone waited for my answer. Tears poured from my eyes. This gorgeous man wanted to marry me. I was the luckiest woman on the planet.

"Yes," I exclaimed as the tears continued to fall. He slid the ring on my finger, a perfect fit. He beamed immensely. I returned his smile. He picked me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Everyone applauded. That was by far the happiest day of my life.

"Thank you," he said, whispering into my ear.

"No, Bryan, thank you."

We decided we would wait until August after my seventeenth birthday. My father was relieved we were waiting a few months. He thought it was too soon for us to get married, since we had only been courting for three months when we got engaged. But I knew Bryan was my soul mate. My father thought he was losing his daughter. But I reassured him I would still be living in the same territory and would visit him often.

A few weeks after our engagement, I was at the store one evening at the checkout counter. We still had a few customers, but we would be closing soon.

"Ugh, two more ships just docked," Demi, one of my store associates complained. We were friends and the same age. "I'm tired and ready for this shift to be over."

"We don't have much longer," I said, looking down at some supplies.

I heard Demi gasp and glanced up. "Wow, he's gorgeous!"

My heart rate increased. It was Bryan and I was surprised to see him. He had been in a conference at the gala in the territory of Suez and said they wouldn't be finished until late tonight. I was excited to see him because I didn't get to see him yesterday due to the conference.

"That's Bryan," I told her.

"Your fiancé, the prince? Oh my!"

I smiled at him as he strolled over to the counter. "Hi, this is a nice surprise. I thought you would be late with the conference."

"We finished early. I wanted to see if I could come by your house and spend some time together. I miss you."

My breathing picked up. I would like nothing more than to spend time with him. "I've missed you too." He gave me a heartfelt smile. "Let me finish up a few things and I should be ready shortly."

"No problem."

"Bryan, this is my associate Demi," I said, introducing them.

He smiled at her and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

She shook his hand and looked as if she might faint. "It's nice to meet you too, Your Highness," she replied, giving him a small courtesy. He turned back to me.

"Take your time finishing up. Do you mind if I take a look around? This store is a lot bigger than I imagined."

"No, go right ahead."

He walked off and Demi shrieked in my ear. "Gosh, he's so dreamy, Shi! Wait until I tell my sister, I actually saw the prince in person."

"Yeah, he's amazing."

"I would kill for a man to treat me in that manner. You are so damn lucky!"

"You will find your soul mate one day."

"I hope so, but you guys are great together."

Bryan and I were in my bedroom lying on my bed. My father hadn't made it home from the store and would probably be in late since he had inventory to do. He didn't mind if we were in my bedroom as long as we kept the door open. I put my head on Bryan's chest listening to the sound of his heartbeat. It was soothing.

"So, you are not having any second thoughts about marrying me, right?"

I glanced up at him. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

He leaned down and softly kissed my lips. I felt a little light headed.

"I know there is a lot of pressure that comes with being royalty. Syira has expressed to me you have some concerns."

"Yes, I have some. But it's going to be a little intimidating, since it's new."

"It's not too hard and it will be a slow transition. You will not be thrown into politics, but there are several things you will have to be trained in."

"Things like what?"

"To be a warrior for one. As I have told you before, we have guards and you will be assigned a set as well. But you will also need to learn how to protect yourself if it ever comes down to it. Plus, as royalty, if our planet is ever threatened, we are in charge of commanding our troops."

"Is there some sort of base I will have to train at?"

"No, you'll have weekly martial arts training at the palace. And you will learn how all of our war tactics and policies work."

"I'm short. How will I be able to take someone down?"

"You do have a very small frame. If we were at war I would worry regardless. But it's not the size which matters, it's the skill and how you use it. You're going to be taught how to fight by our best warriors in the land."

"I've never had to fight before. But it sounds fun to learn and definitely logical I would need to know these skills."

"Yes, training is fun, and we will definitely train together. I'll show you some of my smooth moves." I rolled my eyes at him, but he seemed relieved. "I'm glad you are okay with it."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"You'll be trained in our government policies. Also you will learn how to operate and manage the Communication's room. It is where we receive all of the information from the satellite cameras. There are other trades and information you will acquire over time. Do these things sound feasible?"

"Being brought into royalty feels overwhelming sometimes. But with you by my side, I feel that I can handle whatever responsibilities I need to learn."

He hugged me tightly. "I love you and I will be with you every step of the way."

I snuggled my head back against his chest. "I love you, too."

A few months after our engagement, the palace hosted a huge party for Nile's fifteenth birthday. Everyone was having a blast. Talking with some of my friends from across the room, I spotted a dark-headed man who looked very familiar. I realized with horror that it was Matthew, my ex-suitor. _What was he doing here?_ Matthew was handsome, but he couldn't hold a candle to Bryan's looks. He spotted me also, giving me a devious grin as he walked over to me.

"Hello, Shiray. Congratulations on your engagement."

"Hello, Matthew...thank you." I could see Bryan staring at us out of the corner of my eye as Matthew and I chatted. Matthew suddenly took me by surprise and hugged me. It wasn't a friendly hug either; it was very aggressive. What in the world was he thinking? Bryan was over to us within seconds. His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared. My heart began pounding.

"Please take your hands off of my lady!" Bryan demanded.

"You're not married yet," Matthew replied.

_Had Matthew been drinking?_ He was really bold to talk to Bryan in that manner. By this time Nile and two other men had come over as well. Bryan grabbed Matthew by his throat. I cringed. Matthew was trying to pry Bryan's hand from his throat, gasping for air. But he couldn't get loose from his grip. Nile and one of the other men were finally able to pull Bryan off of Matthew. He now seemed a bit frightened instead of cocky. The music stopped, and I realized everyone was gawking in our direction. I wanted to melt into the floor. Bryan struggled against Nile and the man. Then he simmered down as two of the palace guards escorted Matthew out of the building. King Julius saw the situation was being contained, so he cued the music to start playing again. Bryan stormed out of the room with Nile and two other men. Syira dashed over to me.

"What a disaster. Who was that Kadanan?"

"He's my ex-suitor, Matthew." She laughed. "It's not funny, Syira."

"Sorry, I've just never seen my brother so angry before. I thought he was going to kill him. He was really groping you."

"Yeah, I noticed. I didn't expect him to act that way. I haven't even spoken with him in almost a year."

"It's obvious he still wants you."

"Well, I am taken. Oh, Bryan is coming back."

"Yeah, he still looks mad."

"I'm going to see if I can calm him down." I walked over to the punch bowl where he was standing with his arms crossed. Nile was talking to him as I approached. Bryan's jaw muscles flexed.

"Oh, Bryan, I'm sorry about Matthew." He didn't respond for a moment.

"So, who was he?" he asked, through clenched teeth.

"I'll leave you two alone," Nile said with a huge grin plastered across his face.

"He is my ex-suitor."

"Are you still talking to him? He had his hands all over you!"

"No!" I was shocked and angry he would accuse me of cheating. "I haven't even seen him since before I met you. I don't know why he acted that way."

He looked me up and down. "I know why."

Bryan's arms were crossed against his chest. "He had better stay away from you. If he touches you that way again, they won't be able to get me off of him."

I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, though I was a little intimidated by his mood. He finally uncrossed his arms and hugged me back tightly.

"I'm sorry I accused you."

"It's all right. I can imagine how it looked, but I haven't even spoken with him in almost a year. And you know I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I just got so mad when he hugged you. He was trying to challenge that you are mine." His jaw tightened again.

"That's right, I am yours. And we're getting married in a couple of months. Please don't let this ruin our evening."

"You're right." He bent down and kissed me softly on the lips. I beamed at him, and he gave me a shy smile. Maybe Bryan was embarrassed he'd overreacted, then again he probably wasn't. I knew he had a temper if someone pushed him too far.

"Come on. Let's find your brother and continue to enjoy the party." I grabbed his hand and whisked him away.

A little while later, Bryan seemed to have regained his normal demeanor. I was delighted our evening wasn't spoiled. It could have been a lot worse.

On August 3rd I turned seventeen. I woke up to the sound of several voices and a lot of movement downstairs. As I walked down the stairs, the aroma, smelled like the most amazing perfume, it was breathtaking. When I got to the end of the staircase, I could now see what was going on. There were two men bringing in vase after vase of flowers. I stared around the room in awe. There were at least a dozen flower arrangements, and they were still bringing in more. The smell was heavenly, and the sight was beautiful. My father stood there scratching his head. I admired and smelled all of the flowers. One of the men set down the final vase and came over to me.

"Are you Shiray Romeland?"

"Yes. Well, I will be in a few days."

"I need you to place your thumb here so I can scan in your signature," he said, holding out his signature pad.

"Sure." I placed my thumb on the pad. It scanned in my finger print then beeped.

"That will do it. You have seventeen sets of flowers. I hope you have a great birthday."

"Thank you." It was already the best birthday of my life, waking up to all this. I had never felt so special before. I was so blessed to be marrying such a wonderful man. My father walked over to me. "So, he's already having you sign your last name Romeland. You're not even married yet. What did you do to this man?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "I haven't done anything, Father, besides being myself. We will be married in nine days anyway."

"You are an incredible person, so I can understand why he is so crazy about you. But you will always be my little girl."

"I sure will. Stop worrying; I'll still be living in the same territory. We'll see each other all the time."

"I know. It will just take some getting used to with you not living here. But enough said about that. Happy birthday, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Father." I hugged him tightly, then glanced at the time. "I need to get ready. Bryan will be here shortly to pick me up. You're still coming to dinner tonight at the palace, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Good," I replied, kissing his cheek.

I was barely ready when Bryan arrived. Syira had given me a dress the night before as an early birthday gift so I could wear it on my special day. She had exquisite taste. The dress was light moss green which matched my eyes perfectly. I hoped it fit because sometimes clothes were tight around my backside. I used to be self-conscious about my bottom being curvier than most because guys always stared. But Bryan said I had a gorgeous body. Since I knew he liked my shape, I now felt confident. I held my breath slipping it over my head. It fitted tightly around my body and cut off a few inches above my knees. It wrapped around my neck only on one side. It was a tube top dress, and the front slanted downward right above my cleavage. The weather was warm today, so I pinned my hair up. I was applying the last bit of makeup when I heard him knocking on the door. I ran down to answer it. Bryan beamed, his eyes widened when I opened the door. He was wearing a dark green casual shirt and black pants. My breathing hitched.

"You look incredible, Shi. I love that dress. It's the perfect complement to your eyes."

"Syira gave it to me last night."

"She definitely has good taste."

"Thanks...you look yummy."

He arched an eyebrow and bit his lip. "Really?"

Oops. I hadn't meant to say that out loud; it slipped. It was not a comment to make to Bryan. He would run with it.

"Why thank you, but trust me, I don't look as yummy as you do." He seared me with a hungry gaze. "Happy birthday."

I hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much for the flowers. They're beautiful. I love them."

"I'm glad you like them. Are you ready? I have another surprise for you at the palace."

"Wow! This is the best birthday I've ever had."

"You're going to be my wife, and I want to spoil you. I love to see you happy."

I kissed him then. My father had left for the store, so I didn't have to worry about his interrupting us. Bryan was surprised by my abruptness. But he kissed me back passionately, parting my mouth with his tongue, intensifying the kiss. I moaned and ran my fingers through his soft hair. He gently rubbed his hand along my backside. He smelled marvelous and I wanted to rip his shirt off. It was too easy to get lost in him. I couldn't wait until we got married so we wouldn't have to hold back. He pulled away first, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Just nine more days then you will be mine," he said breathlessly. His comment sent a tingle down my spine. I had been thinking the same thing, but I didn't dare say that out loud.

"Let's go. Nile is waiting impatiently, and I don't trust him."

"What does that mean?"

"Come on and you can see for yourself." He towed me out the door.

We zoomed across the skies in his ship. Bryan flew too fast for my taste. But he had an Indy ship, one of the fastest on the planet, so I didn't expect anything less. I wondered what surprise he had to show me that Nile was anxious about. So relieved when we landed safely in the basement's shipping dock, we beamed down where Nile and Syira were waiting.

"Bryan, what took you guys so long? I'm dying over here."

"We got here as soon as we could, Nile. It's Shi's birthday anyway, not yours."

Why was Nile being so impatient? "Happy birthday, Shi," Nile said. "I'll meet you guys down there," he added, walking swiftly to the other end of the basement. Syira gave me a quick hug.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks. What's Nile so fidgety about?" I asked her.

Bryan didn't give Syira a chance to respond. "Come see for yourself," he said, grabbing my hand, pulling me to the other end of the basement. We went to where Nile was admiring a beautiful, pearl-colored ship. I stared in amazement. I'd never seen a ship that color before. Each ship on Kadan was one of only five different shades of gold.

"This is your birthday gift," Bryan announced. "It's a RX-Daytona 9.9, the first model ever made. No one else has this ship."

"Yeah, and it's supposed to have an engine faster than any of the Indy models. The hydraulics and thrusters alone are one of a kind," Nile added excitedly.

Speechless ... I wasn't expecting him to buy me a new ship, especially the first model of its class. This man never ceased to amaze me. "Bryan, thank you. I don't know what to say. It's amazing. I love the color." I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"It's Platinum, a new color that the engineers want to try out. It reminded me of you, pure." My insides quivered, he was so damn charming.

"It sure is a beautiful piece of machinery. You're so lucky, Shi," Syira said.

"It's so fancy. I hope I can fly it."

"There are a few new buttons, and the setup is slightly different than what you're used to, but Nile will teach you. As you can see, he is dying to fly it."

"I sure am. I think it might be too much ship for her, Bryan. If it's too complicated for you, Shi, you can give her to me. You can have my ship. I have the same model as Bryan."

"Nile, for the last time, you are _not_ getting this ship. I bought it for Shiray."

He rolled his eyes at Bryan. "I'm going to get her started. I'll meet you guys inside," Nile replied. He was onboard within seconds.

"Excuse his behavior, Shi. He's totally fascinated with spaceships."

"It's fine Bryan. I know how he is, but you said this is the only model for this ship?"

"Yes. They told me to test it out. If we like it, then they will make it available to the public." This craft had to have cost Bryan a fortune.

"Bryan wasn't this ship expensive being that it is the only craft of its kind?"

"It was very expensive. What's the problem?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm just not used to such extravagant gifts."

"Well, you will get used to it. My family is royalty. We have plenty of money. I'll buy you what I want."

Syira giggled. "I'm with Nile. I will take it if you don't want it."

"Of course I want it."

"Good," Bryan said, giving me a quick, firm kiss. "Now, let's go and see how fast she can fly."

## Chapter 6

Finally August 12th arrived, our wedding day. I sat at my dressing table as Rose, my maiden, was putting the final touches on my up-do. The top part of my hair was pinned up with a few ringlets dangling down each side of my face. The back of my hair hung down in large ringlets.

Rose pinned on a diamond clip when there was a knock at the door. Syira opened it, and I was thrilled to see my cousin Symone. She was the only daughter of my father's older brother. It had been a year since I last saw her. We had been best friends all of our lives until her family had moved to the other side of the planet. Symone was a year older than me. I had missed her terribly since she moved. Symone strolled into the room.

"Oh, my goodness, Shiray. You look stunning," Symone said.

"Symone, I'm so happy you came," I replied, standing up. She walked over to me, and I gave her a big hug.

"Of course I came. I wouldn't miss your wedding for anything. And what a catch, too! The prince of Kadan."

"I know, right? I can't wait for you to meet him; he's wonderful."

"I can't wait either."

"It's time to get into your dress," Heidi said. My dress was light pink, it matched my ring perfectly. The sleeves were three-quarter length with lace trim on the edges. It fit tight across my bust, waist, and backside then puffed out slightly, flowing to the ground. The dress was covered in coral and lavender gems flowing in gorgeous abstract designs all the way down the train, which was five feet long. Rose, Heidi, and Marie who was Rose's daughter, helped me into the dress.

"It's so gorgeous," Syira said.

"It sure is. It actually looks like it is glowing. It's perfect for you, fit for a queen," Symone added. "Thank you, ladies." I glanced in the mirror and didn't even recognize myself. The dress was absolutely breathtaking.

There was another knock on the door. Marie answered speaking with someone and then turned to me. "We need to head downstairs now, Princess Shiray. It is twenty minutes until the wedding starts," Marie stated.

"Are you ready?" Syira asked me.

_Not really_ , I thought. I was still trying to emotionally prepare myself to walk in front of all those Kadanans. The wedding was being held in the palace's back courtyards. There were at least two thousand attendees. I wasn't good in crowds, and everyone would be staring at me. "As ready as I'll ever be," I answered.

I slowly made my way out of the room and walked down the back staircase with them. There were several Kadanans roaming about. They had me wrapped in a long, white cloak that covered most of my dress. So no one would see it until I made my way down to Bryan. I went into one of the large parlors where there was glass on the entire back wall. I glanced out and saw what seemed like millions. My heart rate increased, and I began sweating. I grabbed a hold of the arms of the Victorian chair next to me.

"Shiray, what's wrong?" Symone asked.

"There are too many Kadanans. I don't think I can do this." My breathing picked up, and I became dizzy.

"Of course you can," Syira encouraged. "Take deep breaths and you'll be fine. This will be a good introduction for you to life as a queen. You will be dealing with a lot of Kadanans from now on."

"I'm dizzy," I said, swaying.

Heidi and Rose came to my side. "Sit down, Your Highness," Heidi ordered.

"I'll go get some water," Marie said.

As she left the parlor, my father came in. "Shiray, are you ready?" He took one look at me and rushed to my side. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

"I think she is having a panic attack," Rose replied.

"I don't think I can do it," I said between quick breaths, struggling to breathe.

"What do we do? She's getting pale," my father asked, his brow furrowed.

"We just need to get her to calm down," Rose assured him.

"Here's some water," Marie said. She handed it to me. I took a few sips.

"Try to calm down," Syira said. She began rubbing my back while I continued to sip the water.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to cause a fuss, but the room is spinning." I closed my eyes, leaning back in the chair.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Symone asked. I opened my eyes briefly then shut them back again.

"Here, try this," Marie said, handing Symone and her mother Rose paper fans. The three of them began fanning me. The air felt nice. I lay there a minute, and my equilibrium returned.

"Are you feeling better, Sweetie?" my father asked.

"A little."

"Your color is coming back," Symone replied.

A palace guard came inside and spoke with my father. "They want to know what the delay is. What do I tell them, Princess Syira?" he inquired.

"Don't tell them what is going on. Tell them we will be out shortly."

I opened my eyes. At least the room had stopped spinning. I still felt hot and slightly lightheaded. "I'm not fit for this, Syira. I see a crowd, and go into a panic. A queen is supposed to take charge, not crumble."

"You are going to be a fine queen, and crowds take time to get used too. You think I never get nervous in front of a crowd? You just have to learn how to mask it. Now, Bryan is down there waiting for you. Do you want him to think you are standing him up?"

"No, of course I don't."

"Then make it down there for him. The rest will come easy after that. I'll help you with the politics."

I took a few more deep breaths, and felt my heart rate slowing down. "I'm better now."

"Good," Syira said.

"Are you ready?" Rose asked.

"Tell them I'll be out in five minutes."

"Are you sure you are all right?" Symone asked, biting her lip.

"Yes, much better, thanks."

She squeezed my hand. "I'm going to go to my seat then."

"Okay, I'll see you after the wedding." Symone walked outside. It was not traditional for us to have a wedding party on Kadan. The focus was only on the bride and groom.

I stood up to make sure I had my balance. My father held my arm. I couldn't help wondering about what I had gotten myself into marrying a prince. With King Julius and his staff running the planet now, I didn't have to deal with a lot of politics yet. But knew a day would come when I would. I thought maybe if I couldn't deal with a crowd then I wouldn't be a great queen someday. But my mother raised me to be a stronger Kadanan than that. I wanted her to be proud of me. And definitely didn't want Bryan to think I was having second thoughts. If I didn't love him immensely, then I wouldn't be taking on all of this responsibility. Or getting ready to walk in front of an enormous crowd. But he was worth it. So it was time to stop being overdramatic.

My father looped his arm in mine. "Are you ready?"

"Am I ready to walk in front of two thousand Kadanans? No problem!" He laughed.

"You'll do great," Syira said.

"I hope so," I whispered, under my breath. Everyone started moving around quickly. I guess to get me out of there in case I tried to have another panic attack. I strolled outside with my father, the crowd quieted. There seemed to be miles of Kadanans. At this point, it was either walk down the aisle. Or bolt in the opposite direction, which would be really embarrassing, so I would go with the first option.

I focused on the scenery; it was magical. The courtyards normally had a lot of flowers, but today there were three times as many. There were flowers at the end of each row and down the center aisle. There was a large arch at the other end of the aisle. It was made entirely of every imaginable pink, purple, and white flower. It was breathtaking, and they smelt even more wonderful than they looked. Vera had really out done herself.

Bryan, standing beneath the gorgeous arch, was wearing a light gray suit. My nervousness vanished when I saw him, he was so handsome. I felt like I could make it down now. I also knew my father would be at my side the entire way. I came into the view of the crowd, everyone stood up and gasped. Bryan saw me and a huge smile spread across his face. My heart faltered and I beamed back at him. As I made my way past miles of Kadanans, I noticed Symone sitting next to her date and Rashell my aunt. Also a few others I knew on the way down the aisle. When I reached him, Bryan took my hand, and we faced each other. He was still smiling immensely. Seeing him this happy made everything all right. I was ready to take on the royal status.

"You look beautiful," he mouthed to me.

"You are very handsome," I mouthed back.

We continued to hold hands and gaze into each other's eyes throughout the ceremony. We were both crying by the time we said our vows. When the ceremony ended, he took me into his arms and gave me a very long, passionate kiss. Everyone applauded. I loved him more than I could have ever imagined loving someone. I couldn't believe that I was now Princess Shiray Romeland. I was the luckiest woman on the planet.

For our honeymoon, we flew out to a private island owned by the Romeland family. We were in the territory of Alora. There were several Kadanan vacation spots in that territory, but Belizia Island in particular was only for the royal family. We had a wonderful honeymoon, full of love and happiness. Going to Bryan's eighteenth birthday party had been the best decision of my life.

My next memories came as small flashes of important moments in my life as Princess of Kadan. The first was a few years after Bryan and I had gotten married. I was in a spacecraft with Nile. I had taken an interest in learning how to pilot our larger ships. Nile was teaching me how to pilot one into outer space. He was a good teacher and a great pilot. He said I learned quickly, and was very good at flying. We ended up becoming partner pilots because we worked so well together.

Syira and I always fight trained together. We practiced fighting against each other several times a week. It was my duty now to learn how to fight as a warrior. King Julius had multiple tactical teams spread out around the planet. If we were ever under attack, I would be in charge of commanding a unit. I actually enjoyed fighting and I never thought I would be good at it. We were equal in strength. Sometimes she would win; sometimes I would. Our fighting style was similar to the martial arts of Taekwondo and Jiujutsu. We were so good that Nile and Bryan could barely beat us. I'd been training since I had tied the knot. All those years of training seemed to pay off.

Another memory allowed me to understand the strange dream I had prior to my hypnosis. Bryan had saved me from almost drowning. Our planet nor Polaris' contained any animal life. About twice a month, the Hydrocesis labor crew traveled to our neighboring planet to obtain food. In the vast sea lived shrimp, crabs, and hundreds of different fish which was our source of meat. As members of the royal family, Nile, Bryan, Syira, and I had to learn many of the trades of our people. So we traveled with the labor crew on a food-gathering expedition about a year before our mission to Earth. As we were fishing, a tropical cyclone came upon us. I was standing too close to the gate door and fell overboard. That had been the most horrifying experience of my life.

In my next memory the wars were beginning between the Polars and Kadanans. Their planet was cold and desolate, so their plan was to take over and live on Kadan. King Julius said we had plenty of space on our planet, so we could have shared our land with them. They were also more advanced than we were, and we could have learned a lot from their technology. King Julius tried to enter into peace talk to convince King Zeus that we could coexist peacefully on Kadan. But the Polars were an overpowering race. King Zeus did not want to compromise. He wanted to take over.

I walked into the vendor areas that were closest to the palace. Then I made my way to the edge of the woods. It was dangerous to be out alone, but I needed a breath of fresh air. As I approached the edge of the woods, I happen to witness Syira kissing a man. But this was no ordinary man; he was a Polar. As they pulled apart I saw his eyes glow. Utter shock consumed me. They were our enemy who we were at war with. How could she be kissing him?

Later that night, I knocked on her bedroom door, going to confront her about it. Syira opened the door, and I barged in.

"Syira, I saw you earlier in the woods."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do. That man you were kissing was a Polar."

"His name is Kadeem."

"Kadeem, as in the son of King Zeus!" She had to be kidding. "Syira, are you crazy? If your father or his father, or anyone for that matter, found out about this ... all hell would break loose."

"I know Shiray. Do you think I planned this?"

"Our planets are at war now."

"He's good, Shiray. He's against his father."

"How do you know that?"

"I know because we Soul-searched."

That was a gift only given to Kadanans. If a Kadanan had Soul-searched with another species then it must really mean something. "How did you Soul-search? He's a Polar."

"I don't know, but we did. And I fell in love with him at that very moment. He is so wonderful, Shi."

"What did you see, Syira? How did you feel?"

"I saw his childhood which was much like mine. He has had hours of training to be a warrior and is always expected to be the best because of who his father is."

"Does he know anyone else who can Soul-search?"

"No, he was as shocked as I was. He reached for my hand and it just happened. There's something else. His power is very different; it is very unique."

"What is it?"

"He can travel from one place to another instantly."

"What do you mean?"

"Kadeem can teleport. He can travel from Polar to Kadan, or wherever he wants, in an instant. He doesn't have to use a ship. He can also take someone with him."

"You've experienced this?"

"Yes. He has teleported with me around Kadan. I've also seen his home."

"You went to Polaris!" She nodded. "Syira, that was dangerous!"

"I know, but we didn't get caught. They live in underground homes very similar to ours. It's just very cold there, even miles underground."

"Do others know of his power?"

"Only a few who can be trusted. His father doesn't want knowledge of his power to get out. He was sent here to spy. When he first arrived I spotted him standing at the edge of the woods by the vendor areas. Wondering who he was, I snuck up on him. When I realized he was a Polar, I stepped away, but he grabbed my hand. That's when we Soul-searched."

"That figures he was sent here to spy. What do you think about his powers? I've never heard of a power like his before."

"I have no idea. I'll just be relieved when this war is over so we can be together."

"Syira, I don't want to discourage you. But it would probably still be difficult for you to be with him, even if our planets were not at war. Our kind doesn't mingle with his. But we can always hope things will change. Nothing is set in stone. I was the first to become a princess without an arranged marriage. I was skeptical about whether it would be allowed, but it worked out. At the end of the day all we can have is faith."

"Our situation feels so hopeless."

"You gave yourself to him intimately, didn't you?"

"Yes ... and I wouldn't take it back. We've been together for almost six months now. I love him. You should know about true love, Shiray. Please promise me you won't tell."

"I won't say anything. You know that, but please be careful. You were kissing him in broad daylight."

"We were in the woods not far from our water cave. It wasn't like we were out in the open. What were you doing way out there anyway?"

"Never mind that. I just hope you know what you are doing, for all of our sakes."

In the late Equinox, we were meeting with King Julius. He was telling us that we were losing the war against the Polars. Our only planet's hope was for us to travel to Earth where we would find the black diamond stones. With it we would be able to make our laser beams stronger. The Polars' laser gun was stronger than ours. King Julius acknowledged that it wasn't right to steal from Earth, but we didn't have a choice. He also said our people were dying rapidly, and we didn't have a lot of time. We needed to hurry and confiscate the diamonds while we still had a fighting chance.

In my last memory of Kadan we were on our way to Earth. The ship had malfunctioned, and it seemed the Polars were behind it. I remember hitting my head as the ship went down.

I bolted upright on the sofa in a panic. I was back in Mr. Galvan's office, and he was standing over me. My heart raced, and my breathing was erratic. Oh, my God, Bryan! _Where was my husband?_ Where were Syira and Nile? I woke up alone in the dirt after the ship crash. I didn't see the ship or any of them.

"Paige, snap out of it!" Mr. Galvan shouted. But I wasn't in a trance anymore. I cradled my chest trying to gain control of my emotions. I gasped for air.

"Paige, calm down. You're hyperventilating." _Calm down,_ I thought. How could I calm down now knowing the truth? Remembering who I was with no idea of how to find my husband and family was the most terrifying moment of my life.

"Paige, what did you remember?" he begged. I was at a loss for words. I had to get out of there. "Paige, please tell me."

"My name is Shiray!" I snapped at him. Oh, no, why had I said that? Mr. Galvan stared at me strangely. I grabbed my purse and bolted out of the door before he could even bat his eyelid.

When I made it home I threw myself across the bed and cried what seemed like a lake of tears. I didn't even know where to begin. I wanted my memory back, but I had no idea that my past was this complex. I wasn't even human, for Christ's sake. How could I have forgotten that? It felt so strange being here now. I missed Kadan so much. Earth was similar to my home, but it was also very different. The process of how things flowed was much different. Before the wars started Kadan was so peaceful. Everyone stuck together and helped each other. Everyone had land and houses. No one was poor. Our system was based on money, but we did trade as well.

I snapped out of my reverie. I needed to stop mourning and find my husband. Bryan was the most important thing. I wondered if he and his siblings were together or if they had all gotten separated also. This was a nightmare. First I had to find them, then we needed to find our ship. I hoped it could still fly or how would we get home? My head ached. I made a vow to myself that no matter what it took, I would find them. I was one of great faith and I would stop at nothing to succeed.

## Chapter 7

That night I did some calculations. Over two and a half years had passed on Earth, but it had only been around seven months on Kadan. The time frame was vastly different between our galaxies. Our mission was supposed to be for a week, so King Julius was sure to be worried out of his mind.

My first priority was to find Bryan. I would use my mind power to see if he could hear me. I closed my eyes. _Bryan, can you hear me? It's Shiray!_ I waited a few minutes, but didn't get a response. I fell asleep crying.

I awoke the next morning with my clothes on from last night. I went to the mirror; my eyes were puffy and swollen from crying. My hair was a tangled mess. I went to the living room and got on the computer. I searched on the Internet for hours, but found nothing about the crash. That was really bizarre; our ship had to be somewhere. We wouldn't have survived if it had been totally destroyed. Who was covering this up? Maybe the Polars had followed us here and destroyed the evidence. I tried to remember what had happened during the crash. I must have been thrown from the ship. I was found right outside of Boulder. Bryan couldn't have been that far from me, but I never saw him in the foster home. I was recalling all of the faces I had seen there, and his was definitely not one of them. He must have been sent to a different foster home. I had to find Bryan and his siblings. Our whole planet's existence depended on it.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I heard a knock on my bedroom door and glanced at the time. It was eight o'clock on a Saturday morning. Who was knocking on my door this early?

"Come in." It was Jason. "What's wrong?" He seemed really upset.

"Harmony, something is going on, but I can't explain it."

"Well, try to explain. Just tell me what happened."

"I heard a woman's voice in my head."

I didn't know what to say. "What did the voice say?" I asked after an awkward pause.

"She said, 'Bryan, can you hear me?' The rest was faint, I couldn't hear clearly. But somehow I know it was real."

"Bryan? Who is that?"

"I don't know. This is so bizarre. I just don't know what to make of it."

"Me either. To tell you the truth, I really don't understand how all three of us could have gotten amnesia at the same time. It's just like we appeared on Earth two and a half years ago when they found us."

"There is definitely something more to our story. Neither the police nor the foster home has ever linked us to any family. We never got any real answers. And what about our dreams? They're all the same. The place in them seems so real."

"When you have the dreams, how do you feel?"

He stared into space for a minute. "It feels like ... I've been there before. But I can't remember, I just can't remember."

"The place seems real to me, too. I think maybe it really exists." Just then there was another knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Jaden. May I come in?"

"Yes." He came in, covered in sweat. "Jaden what's wrong?" I asked excitedly.

"The dream, I had another one."

Jason's dark green eyes were wide. "We were just discussing them before you came in," I said. "What happened in your dream this time?"

"This dream was different; normally I only see the palace and its surroundings. This time I saw the two of you. We were flying in a spacecraft to a planet that had nothing but water."

"Nothing but water?" I asked loudly.

"Yeah, nothing but water. I knew somehow we were going there for food. There were also several other people on board, but of course I don't know who they were. We were hovering several feet above the water when a horrible storm came upon us quickly. A girl was standing by the open door of the spacecraft, then a huge wave washed over the ship. The girl lost her balance and fell out into the water. Jason put on a rescue rope and jumped in after her."

Jason cut him off. " _I_ jumped in after her?"

"Yes, Jason, _you_ jumped in after her. I could feel the anxiety of everyone onboard. I didn't know who she was, but I feared for her life. I cared for her. Everyone was terrified as we waited for you to surface with her. I don't know what happened next, because I woke up in a cold sweat. My heart was beating so fast."

We all stood there quietly, too scared to make a comment about Jaden's dream. I was relieved I wasn't the only one having crazy nightmares about space ships.

"I don't have any answers to your dream," Jason finally spoke.

"Jason heard a woman's voice last night," I said to Jaden.

"A woman's voice? What did she say?"

"She said, 'Bryan, can you hear me?' I could not make out the rest."

"That's strange. And all of this is so frustrating," Jaden said, flinging his arm to the side in frustration. As he did, the clock on my nightstand flew across the room. We all jumped.

"How did that happen?" I yelled. "Did you move my clock, Jaden?" I asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Try to move it again," Jason told him.

"I will try." Jaden slung his arm in the other direction and the clock moved the other way.

"You did move it!" I yelled.

"What the hell?" Jaden responded. Jason scratched his head, dumbfounded.

"Harmony, see if you can move the clock," Jason said.

"What? I don't think I can."

"Just try."

I walked over to the clock and picked it up off of the floor. I laid it back on the night stand. This was crazy. How I was going to make it move? I concentrated on the clock for a second and I thought, _Clock, move_. It flew off of my nightstand and landed on my bed.

"Ah!" I screamed.

"Shh, Harmony, don't scream. We don't want our foster parents to hear," Jason said.

"Well, this is freaking me out, Jason. How did I do that?"

"I'm not sure, but both of you can obviously move objects with your mind."

"You try now, Jason," I said, putting the clock back on the nightstand. He was visibly concentrating on the clock when flames actually shot right out of his palm, setting the clock on fire.

"You have got to me kidding me!" Jaden exclaimed.

"Uh, oh," Jason said.

I stood there in shock for a moment before running to the bathroom for a glass of water.

"Jason, I thought you were going to try to move the clock!" I yelled.

"I tried, but fire came out of my hand instead."

"Yeah, we saw that," Jaden replied.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Jaden. This is no time to be a smart ass."

"You're right, sorry. But I'm starting to think we aren't human, at least not entirely."

"Are you all right, Jason? Did the fire burn your hand?" I asked.

"No, it actually felt electrifying. I could feel the power radiating through me."

"What do you think all of this means, Jason?" I asked.

"I think the question is, 'Where did we come from?'" Jaden answered.

"That's impossible," I replied.

"What other answers do you have, Harmony?" Jaden asked. I sure didn't have any answers at the moment.

"I might have to agree with Jaden, Harmony. I don't think humans have powers like this. We need to try and think this through."

"What about the woman who contacted you?" Jaden inquired.

"I don't know what to make of it," Jason replied.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I think we should break into the police station and see if we can find out any information about us. Maybe there are some hidden files on us. We were found in Boulder, walking around in the middle of nowhere. We didn't get any information from the foster home, that was a dead end," Jason replied.

"Break into the police station? What if we get caught?" I asked.

"We will have to survey the station and do some careful planning," Jason said.

"Ebony's mom is a police officer. When we were dating she was thinking about joining the force and used to go the police station often with her mom. Ebony and I are still cordial. I could tell her I am interested in becoming an officer as well, and see if she will take me to the station with her. That will give me a chance to scope out the area," Jaden added.

"Good idea," Jason replied.

"It's too risky," I stated.

"It's a chance we are just going to have to take," Jaden replied. "I agree with Jason. All of this has to line up; your dreams, my dreams, the woman's voice, and now our powers. The world in my dreams seems more real to me than the lives we're living now. I have to get answers. I need them."

"Just be patient, brother. We have to plan this right. We don't want to get caught and end up in jail. In the meantime, this has to stay between us. No one can know about our powers. We need to do some research and start making surveillance of the police station. I'm sure our powers can aide us, if we learn how to use them."

"I'm sure our powers will make breaking in easy," Jaden said.

"I don't know about easy. We'll still have to be careful," Jason responded.

"I'm nervous about this," I broke in.

"As long as we stick together then we will get through this," Jason added.

We had been studying the police station for several weeks when we were ready to break in. We decided to do it overnight when the fewest officers would be there. We arrived outside of the station shortly after midnight on a Sunday. I was sweating bullets, never being so scared in my life. I kept telling myself that we could do this and not get caught. For the past few weeks we had all been practicing our powers. Jaden and I could move any object at will. Jason could set any object on fire.

Jaden snuck inside to disarm the main alarm system while Jason and I waited outside near the sheriff's main office. From visiting the station with Ebony, Jaden had gotten a good feel for the lay out of the building. Her mom seemed delighted he was interested. She gave him a tour of the station and other details about being an officer. Jaden thought we might find some information in the sheriff's office so we were going to start there. I waited impatiently and nervously.

"Stop fidgeting, he'll be all right." That didn't calm my nerves any.

It only took a few minutes. But it felt like an eternity, for Jaden to appear at the window and unlock it for us. Thank goodness he didn't get caught.

"Hurry guys, get inside," Jaden told him. We climbed through the window quickly. "I locked the office door."

"Let's start going through the files inside these cabinets," Jason said.

After fifteen minutes we still hadn't found anything. I opened a door to a large storage closet. I walked in and shined my flashlight, finding another filing cabinet. "There's a separate filing cabinet in here guys," I called. They came in and watched as I tried to open the drawer, but it was locked.

"Let me see if I can open it," Jaden said. He simply put his hand on the lock, and it unlocked. I pulled the drawer, and it came open.

"Good work," I said to Jaden. He smiled. There was only one file inside. I picked up the folder, opened it, and gasped. "What is that?" I asked.

"It looks like pictures of a crashed ship," Jason replied.

"A space ship," I replied.

"Yeah," Jaden answered.

"This is getting weirder by the second," I said.

"Tell me about it," Jaden agreed. We flipped through a few more photos and some paperwork.

"This says CIA classified," I read.

"What else do the documents say?" Jason asked.

"It says two males and one female were found two miles outside of Convey Valley." I stopped reading, this made my skin crawl. "Are they talking about us?" I asked frantically.

"I'm sure; it's where we were found," Jason replied. Just then we heard a noise.

"Hey, who's in there? Why is this door locked?" a voice called. It was an officer.

"Ah, damn," Jaden blurted out.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, panicked.

"Harmony, put the file back and lock the cabinet," Jason commanded.

"But we didn't finish reading it," I replied.

"We're out of time, and don't want them to know we were searching through the files," Jason added.

I put the file back, and Jaden quickly locked the cabinet door.

"What are we going to do, Jason?" Jaden asked. Jaden extended his hand, closing and locking the door to the storage room we were in.

"Over there is a floor vent that is big enough for us to climb through," Jason said, pointing. "Hurry, climb inside, Harmony." He quickly removed the cover from the vent.

We heard the officer open the door and walk into the office. "I know someone is in there," the officer said, turning the knob on the storage closet door.

When I heard that I dove into the vent. Jaden followed swiftly behind me. Jason put the vent cover back on from the inside. He moved his hand around the screen, melting it shut so no one could follow us. "Let's move now!" Jason exclaimed. I knew then, my brother must be someone great. He was so calm throughout the whole ordeal. He must be a leader.

We crawled through the endless vents and ended up in a basement. We walked through it and ended up at another locked door. I used my power this time to unlock the door. This door took us through a series of tunnels and then dumped us into the sewer.

"Yuck, it smells in here," I complained.

"It sure does," Jaden agreed, scrunching up his nose.

"Guys, we have no time to stall. Let's find an opening to the street and get out of here," Jason replied.

We continued to move at a steady pace until we found a stairwell. "Thank goodness we have found an opening because I'm about to faint due the stench," I repeated. They both ignored me.

"Do you think they followed us?" Jaden asked.

"I don't think so," Jason answered. Jaden climbed the stairwell first and tried to push the sewer lid open with his hands. "It's stuck. Why am I even bothering doing it the human way?"

_Human way_ that sounded strange. But I could no longer deny the fact we were not human. We had to be linked to the crashed ship. We were found in Convey Valley; the people mentioned in the file had to be us.

Jaden pushed both of his hands in an upward motion, and, without even touching it, he removed the lid. "Now that's what I'm talking about. Let's get the hell out of here," he said, climbing out. Jason and I followed swiftly behind him.

We made it back to the car, which we had left four miles from the station in case we had to split up. I had definitely gotten my exercise in today, a four mile walk to the station and a four mile escape back to the car.

Finally we made it back to the house and we were conversing in my room. I was so happy to be home, but now I had even more questions. Jaden spoke first. "I think it's safe to say we are the two males and one female the document was referring to."

"It seems that way," Jason replied.

"The document said CIA. So they know about us?" I asked.

"It would make sense. If I had to guess, I bet that's not even the Sheriff's office. It's probably an undercover CIA agent's office who is disguising himself as the sheriff," Jason said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Too keep an eye on us," Jason replied.

"That's a good explanation. I think you're right," Jaden agreed.

"So we are aliens and that was our space ship?" I asked.

"Yes, Harmony. We can't deny we are not human any longer," Jaden answered.

"But why did we come to Earth?" I asked.

"None of us remember and the possibilities are endless. I don't have the answers at this point, but we need to keep our eyes and ears open," Jason stated.

"We sure do," Jaden agreed.

## Chapter 8

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

Several weeks passed since I had retrieved my memory, and I still had not found out any information. Would I ever see my husband again? Would I ever see my planet again? I wondered if King Julius had gotten our distress call from the ship before it went down. If he had gotten the message, why hadn't he sent a rescue team? A Polar must have sabotaged our ship to make it crash and given us amnesia so our mission would fail. It's the only thing that made sense. Syira and the others must have lost their memories also, because no one had tried to contact me in all this time. I hoped Kadan hadn't lost the war already and we weren't too late.

I got on the computer in the living room. I was going to try again to hack into the CIA or the FBI system to find some information on our crashed ship. I was skipping school today, but my foster mother was at work, so I had plenty of time.

I couldn't get into either system, so I went to the garage to get some wires and bolts. I was going to use my Kadanan knowledge, which I finally remembered, to rig the computer's hardware so I could get into their systems. I sat back down and set up the wiring and bolts to the computer. Then I went back to the CIA's website. There had to be something on the crash. I started putting in codes. It took me about five minutes, and I was in. Bingo! That was easy. I should have thought about rigging the computer sooner. I searched through random files, then typed in unidentified object. A code mission came up. I typed in some more codes, and a file opened. It was a recording. I pushed play, and a man spoke:

_Two males and one female were found two miles east of Convey Valley on May fifteenth, two thousand eleven. They had no knowledge of who they were. Is there a relationship between them and the spacecraft? There was also another female found two point five miles west of where the other three were found. She also had no knowledge of who she was. None of them had serious injuries. They were sent to Denver Methodist for a day of observation and the three found east of Convey were sent to Dempstead Foster Home. The separate female was sent to Elite Foster Care. The two males and female that were found east of Convey Valley were taken into private foster care and reside in Denver, Colorado. The female who was found alone was also taken into private foster care, and resides in Parker, Colorado. Detailed personal records of these four are being kept in a separate file for Major Compton. At this time no hostile actions have been shown by the surveillances. Special agents on Major Compton's team have been assigned to keep watch over these surveillances to see what transpires and if there is any form of extraterritorial activity between them_.

The recording ended. I should have known we were being watched. Who was this Major Compton? I continued to hack through the files. Pictures came up on the screen of our ship. They had it! The first few photos of the ship were of the original wreckage. Our ship had a large hole in the side. In the next photos of the ship it had been fixed. I couldn't believe they were able to fix it.

We must have all been thrown out of the ship at impact, or at least I had been. I had woken up on the ground and didn't see our ship, Bryan, or the others. The recording said I had been found in the opposite direction of the others. I was amazed we all survived. I assumed the force field surrounding the ship saved our lives. And kept the ship mostly intact, except for the large hole that had been on the side. I wondered what material they used to fix it, as the metals used to create it on Kadan were not available on Earth. I hoped it would hold together in space, if it could even fly.

I remembered how sore I'd been on the day they found me, but at the time I didn't even know why I was hurt. I had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing was broken. I didn't remember a lot from that day; it was all a blur. I remember waking up and wandering around lost. Then the police officers found me, at least that is who they told me they were. But now that I was recalling the memory, the four men had on black suits. I don't think they were the police. They must have been CIA agents. It would make sense with all the information I was putting together.

It pissed me off we were being watched like guinea pigs. They must be in the shadows, waiting and watching for us to show signs we weren't human.

I tried to search for an address to where Bryan was sent, but I couldn't find one. It must have been in the other file for Mr. Compton the recording mentioned, but I wasn't able to access it. I was so frustrated. All I had to go on was that he, Nile, and Syira had been sent to Denver.

I got out of the CIA system and did an Internet search for Denver high schools. Several came up. I would just have to go down the list. Cashmere High was the first one, so I would start there. I would go there during school hours and see if I could find them.

I caught the city bus the next morning to the school. When the bus got to my stop I walked up to the school. I didn't know what I would do, if I actually found Bryan. I might pass out.

As I approached the school, the bell rung and students scattered. I glanced around, nervously, then went towards the courtyard. Moments later, I heard a familiar voice. It was Syira! She was talking to a hunk. I moved a little closer; feeling relieved to see her, but would speak with her later. I wanted to find Bryan and wouldn't be satisfied until I did.

I walked inside the school, searching different hallways. The bell rang again and there were not a lot of people in the halls. Suddenly, I couldn't move. I felt a presence behind me, and knew it was _him_. I was almost too scared to turn around, and then heard a woman's voice. I forced myself to look, and there he was, more gorgeous than I remembered. He gazed at this girl lovingly, it crushed my heart. _Who was she?_ We looked so much alike. Her eyes were light green. She was my height and petite frame. Her hair was long and wavy like mine too, except it was blonde.

This pissed me off immensely. I felt so jealous. They started laughing, then they embraced in a tight hug. At that instance, tears streamed down my face. I turned and double-timed it down the hallway. He remembered nothing. What was I going to do? Whatever it was, I had to do it fast.

* * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

It seemed like I was living two lives now. Xavier and I were getting to know one another, and I was happy about that. On the other hand, knowing I probably wasn't from Earth and had to keep it from him was a horrible feeling.

I hoped my brothers and I would get more answers soon. It was the first week in February now, and it had been almost a week since we found those files at the police station. Every day after school we went out back to the guest house. It had become our private place where we could talk and practice our powers. We were going to attempt another break-in at the police station to see what else the file said, if it was even still there. Jason wanted to wait a few weeks before we went back. In the meantime we talked about the place we dreamed about and tried to figure out where it was.

"Why do you think you are the only one who has seen other people in your dreams, Jaden?" I asked during one of our meetings.

"I'm not sure."

"Maybe the dreams get more detailed with time," Jason replied.

"I honestly think these dreams are really our memories," Jaden said.

I suddenly had a revelation, "Oh my!" I gasped.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"What if the woman you heard in your mind, the one who was trying to contact Bryan, is the girl that was in Jaden's dream?"

"Well, why wasn't she with us after the crash?" Jason wondered.

"I don't know," I answered.

"Jason, has she tried to contact you again?" Jaden inquired.

"No, but if she does, I will try to communicate with her. I want to know who she is."

"I'm still trying to figure out why we came to Earth," Jaden said.

"There are so many possible reasons, like maybe our planet was in trouble," Jason stated.

"Our planet, that sounds crazy," I replied.

"I have always felt different from everyone else these last two and a half years. And come to think of it, none of us have ever been sick. We have never even gotten a cold," Jaden stated.

"That's true," I agreed.

"But we are not human, so who knows how different our body make up is," Jaden added.

"Have either of you seen any signs of being followed?" Jason asked, changing the subject.

We both shook our heads, no. "We are probably being watched with the information they have on us. We need to keep a close eye on our surrounding."

My cell phone rung and I answered it. "Hello. Oh, hi, Mom." We called our foster parents mom and dad because we felt so comfortable with them. They seemed to appreciate the endearment. "Yes, we're in the guest house. Okay, we'll be there in a minute," I said, hanging up. "Mom said that dinner is ready."

"Let's head over there then. We can continue this conversation later," Jason said.

That night I tossed and turned for a long time before sleep finally set in. My memories of the red planet were finally unveiled in my dreams. Jason was right; with time came more details. In my dream I sat at a vanity table in a huge bedroom. I glanced around the room. It was beautiful with gold stone walls that led to a high ceiling. The enormous canopy bed had gold and maroon fabric hanging around it. I saw a picture frame on the night stand and walked over to it. The picture was blurry at first, but as I continued to stare at the photo it came into focus. I could not believe my eyes. It was a picture of us. It was Jason, Jaden, me, and a man who I assumed was our father. He had hazel eyes like Jaden and me, but he had Jason's darker chestnut brown hair. His nose and mouth also resembled Jaden's and mine. He had to be our father.

There was another photo on the nightstand. I picked it up and almost dropped it when I saw who it was. It was Jason and a woman on their wedding day. She was gorgeous, and wow, what a dress. I had never seen one more beautiful. It looked like it glowed.

_Jason is married?_ Wait until I told him; he was going to flip. Where was this woman? Was she on Earth with us or back home, where ever we were from? Just then I heard someone come in behind me.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

This was my first encounter with another person in my memories. My heart beat rapidly.

I turned, and it was her, Jason's wife. I felt paralyzed, seeing her standing there ... so surreal. I couldn't remember her, but felt like I knew her. A warmth radiated inside my heart. Then I woke up.

_Damn it_ , I wanted to know more. I stayed up for the rest of the night trying to remember, but didn't have any luck.

The next day at school I didn't even feel like myself being so paranoid. Any second, someone was going to realize I was an illegal _alien_ , was my fear. But it wasn't like I knew who my true self was anyway, so it was a moot point. I day dreamed during biology class with a million thoughts running through my mind. The bell finally rang for class to end.

"Harmony, are you okay?" Xavier asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." I gathered my books.

"You know, if you ever need to talk. I'm a good listener."

That was sweet of him to say. "Thanks Xavier. I will keep that in mind. We better get to our next class," I said, walking to the door. He followed.

"I'll walk with you to your next class."

"You are such a gentleman. Are you flirting with me?" I asked jokingly.

His cheeks turned red. "You are a very direct person."

"Yes, I am. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's actually refreshing. Hopefully we can get to know each other better."

"Who knows what the future holds Xavier."

After school, I went to the parking lot to meet my brothers. Nile was standing by the car talking with two of his friends. Jason was a few cars over talking with Melanie. They embraced in a tight hug. He kissed her softly on the lips and then he headed over to us. Oh, he was going to _flip_ when I told him about my dream all right.

"Hey, Harmony," Robert, one of Nile's friends said to me.

"Hi, Robert." I hope he didn't ask me out again. "Hey, Jason," I said, trying to avoid any further questions from Robert. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Jason said. He opened the car door for me. I quickly climbed in. Jason got in the driver's seat, and Jaden said goodbye to his friends.

Once we were home we went to the guest house, continuing on the subject about the CIA watching us.

"How long will they stand in the shadows and watch before they approach us?" Jaden asked.

"It's been over two years now. I think they are waiting to see if we show any signs of extraterrestrial activity," Jason replied.

I totally changed the subject. I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to tell them what I had remembered. "I had another memory last night, guys."

"What did you see?" Jason asked.

"She was there, the girl."

"You saw her, too?" Jason asked.

"Yeah and she's ... your wife."

"My what! Okay, this just keeps getting more bizarre," he replied. "Why am I the only one who hasn't dreamed of her?"

"I have no clue, Jason, but there's more to my dream. I was in a bedroom at the palace. I looked on the nightstand, and the first photo I saw was of the three of us and who I'm assuming is our father. He had your hair color, Jason, and my facial features. The other photo was of you, Jason, on your wedding day. Then I heard a woman's voice behind me. I turned around to see who it was, and it was the woman who was in the photo with you, your wife. I felt like I knew her. I care about her, but just can't remember anything more. I wanted to talk to her, but then woke up."

"What did she look like?" Jaden asked.

"She had long, wavy, dark brown hair and light green eyes. She was a few inches shorter than me. Oh, yeah, and totally gorgeous."

"Yep, that's her," Jaden agreed.

Jason looked like he was going to barf. "Jason, what's wrong?" I asked.

"This complicates things."

"What things?" Jaden asked.

His eyes were wild and he seemed torn. "Come on Jason, spit it out," I said.

"Well, it's just... I love Melanie. We have sort of consummated things, and then to find out I'm married. This is not good."

"You had sex!" I yelled.

"Umm ... yeah," Jason replied. "We are in a serious relationship now. The thought of leaving her is painful. But to know that I'm married...if we make it back home, how can I face my ... wife?"

"You lost your memory, and we've been stranded here for almost three years. I'm sure she will understand," Jaden said. "In the meantime we do need to figure how to get home."

"I don't have any answers for your situation Jason, but it has to work out somehow. I agree with Jaden; we need to try to figure out this puzzle of why we came here and also try to find our ship."

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I woke up, remembered where I was and what was going on, and laid my head back down on the pillow. It had been a few days since I had seen Bryan with that girl, and it was all I could think about. I felt so hopeless. Around 4:30 that afternoon my doorbell rang. I jumped up in alarm. Could it be the CIA? I tiptoed to the front door and looked through the peep hole. I was shocked to see Mr. Galvan. I had been dodging him for weeks. When we made eye contact in class, I would look away quickly. I had been thankful he hadn't pressed me for answers after I had run out of our hypnosis session. But now here he was. I opened the door slowly.

"Hello, Mr. Galvan. I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well, after the way you ran out of our session, I assumed you got your memory back. I wanted to give you some space. But since you haven't been in class for the last couple of days I began to worry. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"It's really complicated. I don't even know how to explain it."

"May I come in?"

"Sure." I opened the door wider. He followed me into the house.

"Why don't you try to explain it to me? I want to help you," he said, grabbing my hand.

The moment he did; we Soul-searched. I don't know how. Maybe he was meant to help me. I saw his childhood; I felt his feelings. I saw his teenage years, college years, and his first love. When the Soul-search ended, I pulled my hand away. We just stared at each other breathing heavily. I knew now I could trust him. When you Soul-searched you saw a person's true soul. He finally broke the silence.

"I saw your planet and your life. I felt your emotions. What just happened?"

"It's a gift given to my people the Kadanans. It's called Soul-searching. It only happens between two people when destiny believes there is a reason for them to connect. I don't know why, but it chose us."

"I always knew there was someone else out there," he said in amazement. "I saw bits and pieces of your life, but it's still confusing. Why did you come here?"

"We came here to find black diamonds. Our enemies, the Polars, must have sabotaged our ship. And also made us lose our memories, so our mission would fail."

"You came here on a mission to retrieve black diamonds, the stones?"

"Yes. With them we can create a stronger laser beam that can hopefully help us to defeat them. If we don't return with the stones, then we will lose our planet. When we left we were losing the war."

"What can I do to help?"

"I have been doing research. I've found my husband and his brother and sister. I'm not sure if they remember anything. They are residing in Denver, and they attend Cashmere High."

"I have a sister who lives in Denver. I can speak with her. Maybe you can stay with her for a while and attend Cashmere High until we figure this out. Would that help?"

"Yes, it would. Do you think you could put them under as well?"

"Definitely. Let me call my sister and I'll give you a call soon. May I call you at your home telephone number?"

"Sure."

"All right, and please come to class tomorrow. You need to be discreet and blend in until you can get back home."

"You're right, Mr. Galvan. Thank you for your help."

"Shiray, I am honored to help you."

I felt a new-found hope. I wanted to talk with Syira first, to see if she remembered anything. If not, hopefully Mr. Galvan could help them all remember.

Mr. Galvan called me the next night. He said his sister had agreed to let me stay there for a while. He spoke with my foster mother and told her I needed to go to boarding school, because I was having problems in my current school. He told her I could start the new school within a week. My foster mother agreed and didn't even ask him a lot of questions. The only question she did ask was if she would still get her monthly check. Once he told her she would, she said it was fine if I went. It was obvious she didn't care. She was too busy caressing her alcohol bottle. I hated she'd become an alcoholic due to her husband's death. Tragedy had made her turn to the wrong source for comfort. She had been nice to me when I first came to live with them. Now she was always impatient and didn't want to be bothered. She was probably glad to get me out of her hair or at least that's how she acted. It hurt my feelings because I had lost my mother at a young age and it had been nice to have a mother figure. I decided to focus on my dilemma at hand. I was determined to get my husband to remember me.

A week later, Mr. Galvan and I were on our way to his sister Linda's house. "I really appreciate your help, Mr. Galvan."

"I'm saving a race, right?"

"Yes. Once my family has their memories back we need to see if our ship can still fly."

"Do you know where it is?"

"I hacked into the CIA system, they have it hidden. The ship was damaged, but they have managed to repair it. There were several photos."

"Wow! You hacked into the CIA system? You are the little genius, aren't you?" He laughed. "I hope that your ship works. Do you know where they are keeping it?"

"I hope it can, too. And I don't, but I will find out eventually. I'm sure it's on one of their bases."

"I'm still trying to digest all of this. So, who else is out there?"

"It's just the Kadanans and the Polars in our galaxy. But there are multiple other races spread out throughout different galaxies. We have been studying Earth for hundreds of years."

"How far is your planet from here?"

"Three hundred million light years away."

"Did you say light years?"

"Yep."

"Your ship must travel at a tremendous rate to make that distance."

"Yes, it does. We use our hyper drive to travel great distances. Hopefully it is still intact or we will never make the journey home. We won't have enough fuel."

"I have faith everything will work out. I feel I was brought to help you."

"I feel the same way. I also feel the wrong people know what's going on."

"We will have to keep our eyes open. I'll keep you safe as best I can."

"You're a really nice human, Mr. Galvan."

"A nice human, that sounds weird. You look so human yourself."

"We are identical in appearance to your race on the outside. There are several differences though. We can hear better and move faster. Oh, and we all have powers."

"Powers? I saw some of those things when we Soul-searched, but didn't understand it. Do you all have powers?"

"We are each born with at least one. Some have more."

"You have some kind of mind power, right?"

"Yes. I can make you see things that aren't there. Also make you feel pain."

"Whoa, I wouldn't want to piss you off."

"Mr. Galvan, I would never harm you. I'm grateful for you. Would you like to hear my story?"

"Yes, I would."

I told him all about my planet and how the war started. I shared with him about my family and everything up until the crash.

"I'm amazed, Shiray. I will do everything in my power to help you return home. I'm sure the CIA is watching, and I'm probably on their radar now. We'll have to be very careful of our surroundings. Although, I actually think you can protect me better than I can protect you."

I giggled. "I felt so hopeless until you came into my life."

"Just let me know what else I can do to help. I consider this an honor to help save another planet. I will be keeping in contact with you daily."

We pulled into Ms. Linda's driveway. I had jitters and it showed.

Mr. Galvan responded, "Don't be nervous, Shiray. She will love you. And your secret stays between us."

"I hope so."

We went up the walkway and rang the doorbell. Ms. Linda opened the door with a warm smile. She was Mr. Galvan's younger sister, and she favored him. They had the same light brown skin tone and dark brown eyes. Her hair was black and wavy too.

"Hello," I said.

"Hi, Paige," she replied. I was using my alias name of course.

We all went inside and talked for a while. Mr. Galvan said he would check on me the next day, then he left.

"How about we get you settled in," she suggested.

"That would be great, Ms. Linda."

"I'll show you your room."

The spare room was nice and felt cozy. "I'm not going to be in your way by living here?"

"No, my brother didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I work out of town Monday through Thursday nights. I come home each Friday evening and leave again on Monday morning. I actually need someone to watch after my home while I'm gone during the week. You don't mind doing chores and keeping the house tidy?"

"No, of course not. It's the least I can do for you for allowing me to stay here."

I got my things unpacked then Ms. Linda and I sat down to eat dinner. She was a really good cook. We didn't have fried chicken and collard greens on Kadan. Soul food was delicious. She was really friendly and talked my head off. I could barely get a word in. I wondered why she wasn't married; she had a great personality. She appeared to be in her early forties. I felt very comfortable around her already, but pretended to be sleepy so she would let me go to my room. I was enjoying the conversation, but she had been talking for over an hour. I wanted to try to prepare myself mentally for tomorrow. It would be the first time I had talked to Bryan in a long time. The more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. Tomorrow would be the biggest challenge that I had faced since I arrived on Earth.

## Chapter 9

The next morning I was sweating bullets. I put on a pair of jeans, a purple sweater top, and low-cut boots. I applied a little makeup and glanced at myself in the mirror. I wanted to look my best and prayed Bryan remembered something about me. But my real mission was to speak with Syira first, though I didn't know what I was going to say to her. I spent first period in the counselor's office getting my schedule. The bell rang for second period, and the hallways filled with people. I searched, but there was no sign of her. I didn't see Bryan or Nile either. So I went to my second period class.

I finally spotted her at her locker before third period. I took a deep breath, and walked up behind her, clearing my throat. I assumed she probably wouldn't know her real name, but I was going to address her by it.

"Hello, Syira."

She didn't move for a few seconds then she turned around slowly. Her hazel eyes were wide with surprise. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, my Gosh! It's you, the girl from my dream!"

I was so relieved she knew who I was. I embraced her tightly. She hugged me back.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes! The girl from our dreams, our memories. You're Jason's wife, right?"

_Jason?_ Oh, that must be his Earth name. "Yes, I'm his wife," I answered. "But his born name is Bryan."

"Bryan! This is so real to me now, more than ever before. So that was you trying to contact my brother a few weeks ago?"

"Yes, I did. He heard me?"

"He heard you, but he only heard you say "Bryan, can you hear me?" He said the rest was muffled."

"How much do you remember?"

"I remember bits and pieces from the dreams I have. We all do, but we don't know who we really are. Jason, I mean Bryan, didn't know what to make of you trying to contact him. Then Jaden had a dream about you, and I did too. I saw a photo of you two on your wedding day in my last dream. We starting putting the pieces together, but we didn't know if you were on Earth or not."

"I'm just thankful you remember something."

"I am so happy you found us. Do you want go back to my house where it's more private? Or do you want to talk to Bryan?"

"I would like to talk to you first."

"Okay, we can catch the city bus. I have so many questions. I'll text my brothers to let them know I'm leaving school early. But that I am all right and will meet them at home after school."

"That's fine." I thought it would be good if I talked with Syira to fill in all of the gaps before I saw Bryan.

Once we arrived at her house, she took me out back to a guest house.

"Have a seat on the couch and make yourself comfortable. Would you like a can of tea?"

"Yes, please."

She grabbed both of us a canned tea from the small refrigerator and sat down next to me on the sofa.

"My brothers will be here in a few hours. They wanted to know what was going on. I told them I would fill them in once they got here, but not to worry. I'm so excited to see you. You're even prettier in person."

"Thank you. I'm elated to see you."

"I feel like we were close."

"We are very close. We've been best friends for years. You're like a sister to me."

"I figured as much, even though I don't remember you. I care for you."

"I care about you, too."

"My real name is Syira?"

"Yes."

"What is your name? I'm dying to know."

"My name is Shiray."

"And what is Jaden, my twin brother's name?"

"You guys are not twins."

"We know that, but they assumed we were, because we look some much alike. Well, what is my younger brother's name?"

"His name is Nile. So, tell me, Syira, what all do you remember?"

"We know we are not from Earth, but we don't know where we are from. We all have the same dream of the red planet with the three moons. Where is it?"

"Our planet is called Kadan. It's three hundred million light years from here."

"Whoa, that's far. We broke into the police station and found a file in a locked cabinet from the CIA. We saw a photo of a spaceship."

"That's our ship. I tapped into the CIA's computer system. The ship appears to be intact, but I don't know if it can fly. And even if it can, the hyper drive would have to work in order for us to make it home."

"There were a lot of documents in the file, but we didn't get a chance to read through all of them."

"They do have a lot of information on us. I also heard a recording of a man speaking. He talked about us and where we were found. They want to know our relationship with the ship. Someone named Major Compton and his team is keeping a close surveillance on us. He said that we haven't presented ourselves as a threat yet, but they are just waiting to see what manifests."

"We figured they were waiting to see what we would or could do."

"We all have been putting the pieces of the puzzle together and have come up with the same conclusions. If we work together, then they won't be able to take us down."

"You're right. From now on we are a team, and we work together, all four of us."

"We are the Royal Four."

"Royal, what do you mean by that?"

"You are royalty, Syira. Your father is the King of Kadan. Bryan is heir to the throne."

"Wow! I would have never guessed that. I don't feel like a princess."

"Well, you are."

"So, that huge palace in our dreams, we really do live there?"

"Yep."

"That's so cool. I just hadn't concluded; if the palace was my real home, then I was royalty. How did you get your memory back?"

"My psychology teacher put me under hypnosis a few weeks ago. I remember everything."

"How did you find us?"

"Put it this way, Nile and I are the computer whizzes."

"Why weren't you found with us at the crash site?"

"The files I read said I was found two and a half miles in the opposite direction. I woke up in Convey Valley and started wandering around."

"We were disoriented also."

"All three of you were together when you woke up?"

"Yes."

"Well, at least I've found you now."

"Do you have any idea how all of us happened to lose our memories in the first place?"

"I definitely don't think it's a coincidence. My guess is the Polars, our enemy, sabotaged our ship and made us lose our memories somehow, so our mission would fail."

"What was our mission?"

"To find the black diamonds. With them we can make a stronger laser beam for our weapons and hopefully have a chance of defeating them. Our planet is at war with them, and we were losing when we were sent on our mission."

"I don't understand how the Polars could do that."

"They are more advanced than we are, so it doesn't surprise me." I explained to her some of our planet's history and answered some more of her questions. Then I changed the subject. "Who is _she_?"

"Who are you referring to?" Syira asked.

"The girl I saw Bryan with."

"Oh ... that's Melanie, his friend."

"It looked like they were more than friends to me."

Syira changed the topic again. I wondered why. It gave me an uneasy feeling, but I didn't press the issue. She glanced down at her phone.

"My brothers just texted me and will be here in less than ten minutes. Do you mind going into the bedroom? I'll tell them about you first."

"Sure. I'll call Mr. Galvan. We need to get you all under hypnosis as soon as possible to see if you can get your memories back."

I spoke with Mr. Galvan quickly. He agreed to come over to Ms. Linda's house the next day. A few minutes later, I heard Bryan and Nile come in.

"Harmony, are you in here?" Bryan asked. I almost came unglued at the sound of his voice.

"I'm here guys. And by the way, it's Syira," I heard her say.

"Syira," Nile replied.

"Yes, that's my real name."

"You had another dream?" Bryan asked.

"No, something even better. I found her. Well, actually, she found us."

"Who?" the brothers asked in unison.

"Come on out, Shiray," she announced.

Terrified, I walked out of the room. "Oh shit, it's her!" Nile exclaimed. "She's the girl from my dream."

Bryan must have been in shock. He paled and I thought he might faint but he said nothing. I wanted so badly to go to him. But he didn't remember me and it hurt.

"How did you find us?" Nile asked.

"It's a long story," I said and went over to Bryan. I couldn't stand it another minute. I glanced into his emerald green eyes and felt the depth of my feelings unravel. I still loved him so much. If anything, my feelings were stronger because my heart longed to be with him. "Hi Bryan, I'm Shiray. You don't remember me?"

"Hello ... I ... I feel like I know you, but I don't remember."

I took his hand, it was trembling. "Don't worry. Mr. Galvan, will help you to remember. Sit down, I'll tell you everything."

I told them about our home planet, about the ship being intact, and how I had gotten my memory back with help from Mr. Galvan. I explained about Soul-searching and how Mr. Galvan and I somehow had Soul-searched with one another.

"So, I'm a prince and heir to my father's throne?" Bryan asked.

"Yes."

"And you are my wife?"

"Yes, I am."

He stared at the floor. It felt like hundreds of knives stabbing at my heart. I could barely contain my tears but somehow managed. I prayed he would remember tomorrow.

"Mr. Galvan will meet us at his sister's house tomorrow evening," I said. "I need to head there now." I couldn't stand another second being here with Bryan not remembering me.

"Do you need a ride?" Syira asked.

"No, thank you. Here's my cell number, Syira." I handed her a slip of paper with my number on it, and she gave me hers. I didn't have a ride. I would just catch the bus. I only lived ten minutes away. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." I rushed out the door.

Bryan gave me a small smile and then looked away quickly. It was clear he didn't know how to feel or act around me.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

The events which had occurred, shocked me to the core. The thought of maybe having my memory back tomorrow had my heart racing. I heard voices from Bryan's room. We had all decided to use our real names now; it just made sense. I moved closer to our shared wall so I could listen. Melanie was here. I had to know what he was going to say to her.

"...It's just been a really long day."

"What's going on? You can talk to me."

"We're just having some family problems." That was an understatement.

"I'll leave, but you will call me later, right?"

"Of course," he replied.

I heard her leave so I walked to his room. I didn't knock, I opened the door and went in. He was sitting on the bed staring into space. He barely even acknowledged me. "Bryan, are you okay?"

His eyes seemed to get bigger. "No, Syira, I'm not OK. Tomorrow if I get my memory back, then what? And what if I don't? Did you see how beautiful she was? I couldn't even talk right in front of her. I felt drawn to her, but I'm in love with another woman. This is horrible!"

"I'm sorry, Bryan. But you didn't know you were married. I don't have any answers right now. Does Melanie know about your amnesia?"

"Yes, and she also knows about you and Nile."

"You must really trust her."

"I do. But at the time I told her we all had amnesia, I didn't know we weren't human."

"What else have you told her about us?"

"I haven't told her anything else. I'm not going to tell her about our powers or that we are not from this planet."

"I hope not."

He sighed. "This is awful ... we've made love several times."

"You're right. This is not a good situation. But you need to try to find a way to let Melanie go and not drag her further into this than she already is."

"That's easier said than done. It's going to be hard to let her go."

"Well, you have to find a way. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to change everything."

"Yeah, me too."

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I wasn't able to sleep a wink after seeing Bryan and wondering how the hypnosis session would go. I was too nervous to see him at school, so decided not to go. I called Syira and told her I would just see them after school and I gave her the directions.

Bryan, Syira, and Nile showed up to Ms. Linda's a little before five pm. Bryan gave me a shy smile and ran his hand through his hair. It felt strange because Bryan was anything but shy around me.

"Are you feeling sick?" he asked. "Syira told me you called her and said you weren't coming to school today."

"I feel a little better now," I lied.

The doorbell rang and Bryan went over and took a seat on the sofa.

"Hello, it's nice to meet everyone," Mr. Galvan said as he came in and took a seat with the rest of us. Bryan and Nile said hello.

"Hi, Mr. Galvan, Shiray has told us a lot about you. Thank you for agreeing to help us," Syira said.

"You must be Syira." Mr. Galvan guessed.

"Yes."

"As I have told Shiray. It's an honor to be able to help you. It's not every day that I can help save another planet."

"We still owe you a great deal," Bryan said. "I'm Bryan." He extended his hand to shake Mr. Galvan's.

"Yes, we really appreciate it," Nile agreed. "I'm Nile." He shook Mr. Galvan's hand next.

"It's nice to meet both of you."

I noticed they had already started using their real names.

"Would you guys like to get started?"

"I would," Nile said. "I'll go first."

"Okay, lay on the couch and we will begin," Mr. Galvan said.

We all gathered around. Mr. Galvan gave Nile instructions, and it wasn't long before Nile was under. Mr. Galvan was talking with him throughout the hypnosis. After about ten minutes, Nile slowly opened his eyes.

"Shiray?"

"Yes, Nile," I replied. He got up and encased me in a bear hug.

"It worked; it really worked. How have you been, Shiray?"

"I'm thankful you remember."

"Yeah, me too! Who is next? Hurry, guys, because we need a plan. We have got to get the hell off of this planet!"

"I will go," Syira said.

She lay down and went through the same process as Nile. After a few minutes, she sat up quickly and started crying. "I remember, I remember everything. I just can't believe this has happened. Almost three years has gone by. How much time is that on Kadan?"

"I've already done the calculations. Around eight months now," I said.

"Thank goodness that's all, but why hasn't a rescue team come for us? Is the war over? Have we already lost?"

"Don't say that, Syira," Nile said. "We have to get to our ship and see if it can still fly."

"More importantly, we have to make sure the hyper drive is still intact," I added.

"Do you think the Polars are here watching us?" Syira asked.

"It's possible," I replied.

"What do you think, Bryan?" Nile asked.

He was staring at us blankly, clearly confused. "I think it is my turn to go under."

He lay on the sofa, and Mr. Galvan proceeded. _Please God_ , I thought, let him remember. After about five minutes he opened his emerald eyes, and my hopes were crushed. His eyes still did not know me. "Why am I the only one?" he asked.

"It doesn't happen on the first try all the time. We'll try again soon," Mr. Galvan said.

I was disappointed the hypnosis didn't work, but hopefully he could put him under again tomorrow.

"You had a concussion after the crash Bryan. Maybe since you had a head injury it will take you longer to remember. But I'm sure you will eventually," Syira said.

"If I may ask, what is your plan?" Mr. Galvan asked.

"We plan on researching and studying the CIA base. We need to find out where they are keeping our ship," I answered.

"Once you find out where they have it hidden, then you will retrieve it?"

Nile answered, "Yes. Once we confiscate our ship and make sure the hyper drive is still working, we'll head to the Diamond Crater of Arkansas to get the black diamonds.

"Sounds like a good plan. Hopefully you are able to find your ship soon."

"It shouldn't be too hard," Nile replied. "Now that Shiray and I can work together, we should be able to find out where they have it."

"We'll have to learn the lay out of the place where they have our ship. And once we find it, come up with a plan which will be the most effective. It will be at least several weeks before we can obtain it," Syira added.

"That's definitely true. We want to be as discrete and possible, although we will probably be spotted at some point. That's why we have to learn every square inch of the place and come up with different scenarios to use, if we run into trouble," I said.

"Shiray has a point," Nile agreed. "It will take some time to plan our epic escape."

"Let me know if there is anything else I can help with," Mr. Galvan said.

"We will," Bryan replied. He had been sitting there so quietly, I was surprised he joined in the conversation.

"In the meantime, I will attempt to put Bryan under again next week. I don't want to do it too often because there can be damaging side effects. Hopefully it will work at our next session, but if not, I can do it once a week."

This made my stomach turn. I hadn't really thought about him not getting his memory back. After Nile and Syira did, I felt hopeful. Now it would be at least another week before we could try again. This was dreadful, but I was going to have to give Bryan time to adjust. We would have to be around each other for at least another week and it was already very awkward. Plus, I refused to throw myself at him. I didn't like it, but I knew the best thing would be to give him some space.

"It was a nice to meet you all. I need to head home," Mr. Galvan said.

"Likewise," Bryan agreed.

"Thank you so much," Nile said. "You don't know how much this means to us."

"You're welcome. Shiray, call me tomorrow."

"I will, Mr. Galvan." I walked him to the door.

When I came back in, Nile was talking to Bryan. Syira came up and hugged me. I hugged her back tightly. She whispered in my ear, "It will all work out."

"I pray it does," was all I could say.

## Chapter 10

The next day, my official first day at school started off better, but ended up being worse. I met Syira in the cafeteria for lunch. She introduced me to all of her friends. Of course everyone was interested in my life and wanted to know if I had a boyfriend. I was the center of attention, and didn't like it. Thank goodness Syira answered most of the questions for me. She told them I was her new neighbor. I pretended I was having a great time, smiling and laughing. Inside I was miserable.

"So, I see you are interested in Jason," Paula said, her strawberry blonde curls bouncing as she moved her head. Was she talking to me? I looked around and realized she was. Smiling and waiting on an answer.

"Why would you think that, Paula?"

"Because I've been watching you give him the eye all lunch period."

Why had she been watching me so closely? Bryan was sitting at a table across from us with two other guys. I had glanced over at him a few times. I blushed.

"Don't worry. The feeling is mutual," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"He's been checking you out as well."

"Really?" I asked, smiling.

"I knew you liked him. I don't blame you; he is the hottest guy in our school. You're prettier than Melanie, anyway. Go for it."

I'm sure she would love that. Paula seemed like the type who liked drama. It made me feel better, though, to know he had been looking.

"Whoa, Paula. She just started here, and you're already trying to play matchmaker," Laura said.

"I'm only stating the obvious. They are both checking each other out."

Beth started laughing. "He just looked again."

I laughed too, and Syira joined in. The bell rang for fifth period. We gathered our things getting up from the table.

"What class do you have next?" Syria asked.

I glanced at my schedule. "I have Ms. Jones for Calculus."

"Oh, cool! That's my next class too."

"Great!"

Then her smile turned into a frown. "Oh, well..." she stopped and appeared flustered.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Come on. Let's get to class."

But I could tell she was hiding something from me. It had me worried.

"See you later, Paige," Paula said, as we walked off. I waved goodbye and gave her a polite smile.

"I need to stop by my locker first. Then we can head to class," Syira said.

I was planning to ask her what she was hiding, but she was walking so fast I could barely keep up with her. She got to her locker and switched out her books. A guy came up to us. He was average in height with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was a little chubby, but he had a friendly smile.

"Hi, Harmony. How's it going?"

"It's going all right."

"Who is your new friend?" he asked, turning toward me, beaming.

"This is Paige."

"Hi, nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand to mine.

"Hello," I said, accepting his handshake.

"Is today your first day?"

It was the first day I _actually_ stayed in school I thought. "Yes, today is my first day."

"How do you like it here?"

"It's okay so far."

"What school are you transferring from?"

"Elkins High."

"Do you like living in Denver?"

"Yes."

"What subdivision do you reside in?" Geez, he was sure drilling me.

"She stays on my street, Lewis," Syira interrupted. "But we need to get to class or we're going to be late."

"I need to get to class too. It was nice meeting you, Paige."

"Likewise, Lewis," I said, following Syira down a few more hallways.

"There happens to be an empty seat next to me in Calculus. When you are finished talking with Ms. Jones, just come and sit down next to me."

We entered the classroom, and my day got instantly worse. I grabbed Syira's arm and gasped. "You have got to be freaking kidding me," I whispered in her ear. "Is this what you didn't want to tell me?"

"You'll be fine." She pulled away and strolled to her seat. My stomach was tied in knots, I might not be able to keep lunch down. Bryan and Melanie were sitting together at a table one role in front and on the opposite side of the room from Syira. They were both staring at me now. Bryan's cheeks turned beet red, and he looked down. Melanie glared at me. I couldn't figure out her expression, but it wasn't friendly. _Great, just great_ , I thought. It was hard enough knowing he was with her. Now I had to sit through an entire class with them. I was going to go to the registration office after school and try to switch out of this class. I checked in with Ms. Jones, who seemed nice. She had blue eyes and short, black hair that fell to her shoulders. She handed me my schedule, smiling politely.

"Paige, go ahead and find a seat."

I hesitantly took my seat next to Syira. Bryan continued to stare down at his book as I passed by. Ms. Jones started class.

"I can't handle this. I have to switch classes," I whispered to Syria.

"But this is our only class together." She pouted. I didn't respond back. After a pause, she stopped sulking and said, "I understand."

"Is she a senior?"

"Yes."

I didn't pay much attention to Ms. Jones. I was keeping an eye on Bryan. He had his chair against the wall and kept fidgeting. Melanie had her chair as close to him as she could possibly get it. At times throughout class, he seemed as if he wanted to look back at me but never did. It was the longest fifty minutes of my life. Somehow I made it through. The bell finally rang for the class period to end. Melanie and Bryan got up and walked toward the door. Syira followed them. Bryan was waiting for us in the hallway. Melanie was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, guys," he said to us as we strolled into the hall.

"Hi, Bryan," Syira whispered.

"Hi," I whispered, not meeting his eyes. I really didn't want to talk to him because I was so angry he had fallen for someone else. It wasn't his fault he had lost his memory, but it didn't change the circumstances.

"Is everything going all right for you today, Shiray?" he asked. Was he really trying to make small talk with me like we were just friends?

I gave him a devious grin. "Everything is great, Bryan. I've made several new friends today. All of the guys at this school are very friendly and helpful."

He raised his eyebrow and his forehead wrinkled. Syira stifled a grin. I knew he was trying to figure out what I meant. Yes, _Bryan_ , I thought, _I am being a smartass._

"Well, I'll see you guys after school." He smiled shyly. I stared at him blankly, and he finally walked off.

"Don't worry," Syira said. "He's just a little nervous around you."

"Why? He has never been before."

"He's not his old self either. This Earth Bryan is a little shy."

"That's interesting."

"Okay, meet me in the parking lot after school. You're still riding with us back to our house, right?"

"Yes, I'll see you then."

"Do you need help finding your sixth period class?"

"No, it's in the same hall as my first period class."

As I made my way down the hall, I saw Bryan with Melanie. She was putting books inside her locker. They were talking, and I stopped to listen. She glanced my way, and I started fumbling with my schedule, pretending to be lost. She continued to stare, so I gave her an evil glare. Due to my Kadanan hearing I heard her ask him, "Why is she looking at me that way? It seems as if you know her?"

Bryan glanced my direction, and then turned back to face her. "Let's get to class before we're late," he said, ignoring her question. They walked away.

After my sixth period class, I went to the registration office. There were a few people ahead of me. I got in line, and while I was waiting, Syira contacted me. _Where are you? We're waiting for you in the parking lot._

I'm waiting in the registration line.

You really are going to try to switch your fifth period class?

I can't stand seeing the two of them sitting together for a whole class period.

I understand.

I will be there as soon as I can.

I trudged to the parking lot a while later, irritated I was not able to switch my class. If it wasn't for the fact we had to blend in with the humans, I wouldn't be going to school at all. Bryan was standing a few feet from the car talking to Melanie. I felt my blood pressure elevate.

"Hi," Syira said as I approached. "Were you able to get it changed?"

"No. All of the other classes are full that period. So I am stuck in there."

"I'm sorry. Maybe it won't be so bad."

"I seriously doubt it."

Nile got into the passenger's seat. Syira and I climbed into the back. I stared at Bryan and Melanie through the window. I guess Melanie wanted a hug or something, but Bryan felt awkward with me right there watching. He kind of patted her on the shoulder. She didn't seem happy and stormed off to her car. Bryan jumped into the driver's seat and drove quietly to their house. When we arrived, Syira and I ate snacks in the kitchen. I didn't know where Bryan was. It was obvious he was trying to avoid me.

Later that evening, Syira introduced me to her foster parents. They seemed like really nice humans, especially to take on three teenage kids. After I met them Syira wanted to go and talk in her room. We both lay on her bed just like we use to do in her bedroom at the palace.

"It's killing me, Syira. I don't know how much longer I can restrain myself from slapping Melanie. They are always together."

"He's trying to avoid her."

"I can't tell. Wait a minute. How far has this gone, their relationship?" She didn't answer me. "Syira, tell me please!" She looked away, confirming my fears. "No!"

"I'm so sorry, Shiray. But when he gets his memory back everything will be okay."

_Too late!_ It felt like someone had ripped my heart out. It just dawned on me that they had probably been intimate together. The thought sickened me. I fell back on her bed, bawling. "I want to hurt him," I seethed through uncontrollably sobs. "Things are not going to be all right now. I will never forgive him for this!"

"I know it's a horrible situation. But you have to remember that you forgot about him, too. You are soul mates. You can get past this." She rubbed my back, and I continued to cry. Bryan didn't even love me anymore. He was in love with her. Hell, he didn't even know me. I was a complete stranger to him. That was the first moment I began to think our marriage wasn't going to make it. He didn't want me, and he had done nothing but avoid me so far. I began to cry harder.

"I hate the Polars; they did this!" she said.

"That's quite a statement considering you are in love with one. And not just any Polar, he's the son of the King of Polaris," I growled. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. I immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry, Syira, I didn't mean it. I'm just lashing out."

"It's all right. I know you didn't mean any harm. I miss him so much. I haven't seen him in almost three years ... or eight months, however you want to look at it. I don't even know if he is still alive."

"I'm sure he is. Try to be positive." I needed to comfort Syira. I wasn't the only one hurting here.

"I know your situation seems hopeless, Shi. But I have faith you and Bryan will work things out. You're meant to be together."

"I'm not sure Syira. But I have faith you and Kadeem will see each other again."

"Thanks for saying that. I miss Kadan and my father."

"I miss home and my father also. But whether Bryan gets his memory back or not, or if our marriage survives this. We need to start our research for our plan to break into the CIA headquarters and retrieve our ship."

"We can begin our plans tomorrow. Why don't you take a nap," Syira suggested, kissing my forehead as Bryan always used to do. This brought on a whole new round of sobs. She quietly left the room.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

_What a nightmare_ , I thought as I closed the door. Praise Sonar my foster parents had left. Nile rushed up to me.

"What's wrong with Shiray?"

"Shh," I said. "Let's go into the den."

He followed me and we sat down. "Well, what happened?" Nile asked anxiously.

"Shiray guessed."

"She guessed what?"

"She guessed about Bryan and Melanie."

"What about us?" Bryan asked, coming into the room.

"You know what," I replied.

"I feel bad enough, Harmony." He winced. "I never meant to hurt her." I looked at him sternly. "I mean Syira," Bryan said, correcting himself.

"When are you going to break it off with Melanie?" I asked.

"It's not easy. I'm trying, but I don't think she is going to let go. Everything was going smoothly between us. We've never had any relationship problems. I don't want to drag her into this mess any further, but what am I supposed to tell her?"

"I don't think it's just her who's having a problem letting go, Bryan. But you need to make something up. She is not for you. You're married, and trust me, you love Shiray. If you don't stop this now you're really going to hate yourself when you remember everything."

"Cut him some slack, Syira. He didn't do this on purpose. It's like fate is playing a cruel joke," Nile cut in.

"I'm just being honest," I said.

"Where is Shiray now?" Bryan asked.

"She's in my room taking a nap."

"How is she?" Bryan asked.

"Not good. She's hurt and pissed off. You might want to stay away from her for a while." Bryan blew out his breath and looked remorseful. "I'll check on her in a little while then I can take her home," I said.

Nile changed the subject. "We need to get plans together to rescue our ship."

"And we also need to implement a plan for the diamonds. They are the whole reason we came here in the first place. We can't leave without them," I added.

"Let's research the area where they are mined, so we can be as discrete as possible," Nile suggested.

"All right, let's get started," Bryan sighed.

After our planning, then driving Shiray home, it was late. I was exhausted by the time I was able to get to bed. It didn't make it any easier to fall asleep, though. I was really worried about Shiray. She was devastated about Bryan's relationship. I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. I wondered if I would get any sleep. I had already cried almost the entire night before thinking about Kadeem. We had such a complicated relationship. I mean, he was the enemy who my people were at war with. Well, technically his father was the enemy; Kadeem would never hurt me. We couldn't help our fathers were the kings of our fighting planets. I had fallen in love with him, but it's not like I planned it. We met by chance the first time his father sent him to spy on our planet. When we Soul-searched I knew immediately he had a good heart, but he also had a cruel father he had to take orders from. We had been sneaking around to see each other ever since that first day. It was a wonderful relationship, but it was also stressful. We had been courting for a little over six months when the war really intensified and my father sent me on this mission. I hadn't seen Kadeem in so long that I wondered if he thought I was dead. I was only supposed to be gone for one week. I had just gotten my memory back. For him it had been eight months not knowing what happened to me.

How could I have forgotten him, the love of my life? I couldn't believe I had feelings for Xavier. Those feelings were nothing in comparison to the way I felt about Kadeem. Our ship had to work; I had to get back to him. Praise Sonar for Mr. Galvan. We owed him so much. Hopefully we weren't too late, and Kadan hadn't already lost the war. I prayed Kadeem was still alive and I would be able to see him again.

## Chapter 11

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I cried myself to sleep that night, my eyes were bloodshot the next morning. I had to put eye drops in them to flush them out. How was I going to face Bryan in fifth period? I told Syira I would ride the bus to and from school today and maybe for the next few days. I needed some time to myself. I pulled my hair back in a tight ponytail and caught the bus to school. I kept quiet most of the day, even around Syira. At lunch I couldn't even eat. I didn't have an appetite.

_Are you going to be all right?_ Syira sent to me through her mind.

What do you think? How would you feel if you just found out Kadeem had slept with another woman?

She flinched. _I'm sorry, Shi. I just don't want you to snap. It seems as if you are about to come unglued at any moment._

I am.

She didn't question me any further during lunch. When the bell rang for fifth period we walked to class silently. I took my seat; _they_ were already sitting at their table. Bryan glanced back at me. I shot him an evil glare. He looked away quickly. I crossed my arms against my chest, and felt my jaw was clenched. Class began, and I pretended to be focused on the lesson, but I wasn't paying attention. I saw him glance back at me several times, in my peripheral vision. But I didn't change my composure. He squirmed around in his seat.

_Bryan asked me earlier how you were doing. What do you want me to tell him?_ Syira broke in.

Oh, does he really care?

That's not fair, Shi. He hates the fact you are hurting.

Well, tell Bryan, he can rot in Hell for all I care.

Wow! I don't think I will tell him that. Let me tone it down.

I didn't care what she told him. Whatever it was made Bryan squirm in his seat again. Melanie finally noticed something was wrong, and she made the mistake of touching his hand. That was the last straw. I lost control.

Before I realized what I was doing, I mind-warped her. I got into her mind. Only she and I could see the vision as it played out in her mind. In reality it appeared as if she was in a trance. She sat perfectly still. I made her think a crazy guy came into class and accused her of stealing his wallet. She argued with him, telling him he had the wrong person. He grabbed her neck and threw her over the desk. She was struggling to breathe and tried to fight him off of her. She kept looking to Bryan for help. I had never used my power in that way before, to be unkind to someone. But I was so upset it was like I couldn't control myself. Melanie continued to struggle with her imaginary attacker and she was able to pry his hands away from her throat momentarily. Then the mind-warp became reality when she started screaming out loud. Everyone in class jumped; everyone except me, that is.

Mrs. Jones stopped the lecture, and I stopped the mind-warp. Syira and Bryan both whipped their heads my direction. I shrugged innocently.

"Melanie, are you all right?" Mrs. Jones asked.

Melanie's cheeks were flushed. She was trying to regain her composure. "Yes, um ... I think so, Mrs. Jones. I don't know what happened, I must have fallen asleep."

"Am I boring you with my lecture?"

"No, of course not Mrs. Jones. Please continue."

Mrs. Jones continued the lecture. I felt giddy for only a moment, and then I saw Bryan rubbing her shoulder.

_What did you do?_ Syira asked, clearly upset with me.

It was just a little mind-warp. She's not really hurt.

Bryan is freaking out right now. That's not like you, Shiray. We are not supposed to use our powers in that way.

Well, she's lucky that's all she got.

Just promise me you won't do it again.

All right, I won't.

I don't know what Syira told him. But he glanced back at me, terrified. Bryan was not able to talk to us through his mind at this point since he didn't have his memory back. He could hear us if we mentally spoke to him. If he didn't retrieve his memory, then he would have to be taught again how to communicate through the mind. It was a concept that you could acquire.

_You're lucky it wasn't you_ , I told him

He bit his lip and looked away immediately. I shouldn't have told him that, but I couldn't seem to control my actions.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

Almost two weeks had passed since the mind-warping incident, and things were still really tense. Mr. Galvan had put Bryan under a second time with no luck. Bryan and Shiray barely spoke cordially to each other. If he said anything other than a greeting she completely ignored him. I had just gotten back from dropping Shiray home. It was the first time she had come over to discuss our plans to retrieve our ship, since she had found out how serious Bryan and Melanie had been. She had barely said five words but at least she came. The aroma of pizza filled the air, one of my favorite Earth foods. I went into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Honey. Tell your brothers dinner is here."

"Will do," I replied, finding them upstairs in the game room. Nile was playing a video game. Bryan was doing the same thing since he'd first seen Shiray, pouting.

"Mom got us pizza."

"Sweet," Nile replied.

"You guys go ahead. I'm not hungry," Bryan said.

"Sitting here moping will not change anything," Nile told him.

"She won't even look at me _genius_ ," Bryan said.

"You should just approach her," Nile countered.

I nodded in agreement. "Is she going to ride with us to school tomorrow?" Bryan asked.

"No! I had to convince her to come today by stressing how important it was to get our plans together for the CIA."

"I'll see you guys in the morning." He stormed off, slamming his bedroom door. This was an inconceivable triangle.

A few days later, I finally talked Shiray into riding to school with us. Bryan fidgeted nervously as we pulled into her driveway. Once she got in the backseat with me he said, "Good morning, Shiray."

"Hi, guys," Shiray greeted, not meeting his eyes.

Bryan tried again. "Shiray, you look lovely today."

She rolled her eyes and glanced out of the window.

"Awkward," Nile said, turning up the music to drown the uncomfortable silence. I could tell it hurt his feelings. But did Bryan really think he was going to make any progress with Shiray if he still had ties to Melanie? He loved her and was having a hard time letting go, but was only making things worse. Granted, he was never affectionate with her at school. But he hadn't broken it off either. It was going to be hard either way. I didn't see the point in his dragging the relationship out.

Shiray didn't seem as angry as she had been at first, though I could still see the pain in her eyes. We were sitting in fifth period one afternoon, and I decided to do something to try to cheer her up. We could skip the usual after-school meeting and just spend some girl time together.

Hey, I was thinking we could go and get a smoothie after school today. We can walk to Smoothie King. It's not far from here.

Yeah, a smoothie sounds good, she responded

Great! A good smoothie will make you feel better.

I doubt it, but it would be nice to hang out with you.

After school, Shiray and I were walking to the parking lot when Bryan came up behind us.

"Hey, ladies. Are you guys ready to go home?"

"We're going to take a break today and go for a smoothie," I said.

"Nile and I will come with you."

"No, it's just girls today."

"Oh," he replied, actually looking disappointed. Shiray pretended as if he wasn't even talking to us.

"I know you want to have a girl's hang-out session, but you know we are being watched. We don't know how safe it is out there."

We made our way to the car, and Nile was already there.

"What's up, guys?" he asked.

"They are going for smoothies. It's just the girls," Bryan explained.

"Can you bring me a large strawberry-banana smoothie back, please?"

"Sure, Nile," I answered.

"I was telling them we are being watched. You and I should go with them," Bryan countered.

"Smoothie King is around the corner, and we want to walk. It's daytime and there're plenty of people around. We will be fine by ourselves. We'll call you when we're ready for you to pick us up." I dashed away before Bryan could put his foot down. Shiray quickly followed me. She still hadn't acknowledged Bryan's presence.

"He's always been overprotective. I see that hasn't changed," Shiray said.

"Yeah, well, it's directed more toward you than me. He would be beside himself if something happened to you."

"He's your brother; he cares about you, too."

"Of course he does, but you know what I mean. It's killing him you are giving him the cold shoulder."

"I haven't noticed."

"That's because you have been ignoring him for the last two weeks."

"Well, what else would you have me do?"

"I know you're hurting, and hate seeing you so unhappy."

"True love has no hiding place. It's not something you can just put away. I need time to deal with this situation."

"I understand. I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through. But I am here if you want to talk. Smoothie King is up ahead."

Just before we reached the corner, though, a man jumped out and grabbed us, pulling us into the side alley. He threw me down. I caught myself with my hands before my face hit the ground. What the hell was going on? I pushed myself back up and used my powers to sling the man who had pushed me into a wall. He was out cold. I heard a loud noise and I glanced to my left. I turned and saw Shiray was fighting two other men. Before I could help her, someone else grabbed me from behind. He wrapped his arms around my neck and held me in a headlock. I couldn't breathe. I threw my head back and head butted him, he let go.

I turned around, frozen in shock. His irises were blue with the golden glow behind them. They were Polars! Unbelievable!

The Polar caught me in the face with a right hook. I delivered a kick and used my power to strengthen the move. He staggered for a moment, but recovered and came back at me. I dodged and returned the punches. He dodged also, but I caught him with a left hook to the face. He jabbed me in the stomach. Ugh, that hurt. I doubled over in pain then saw a piece of wood on the ground in my peripheral vision. I grabbed it quickly and swung it, whacking him across the head. He finally went down.

I whipped around to help Shiray, who was still fighting. She had one man on the ground and he wasn't moving. But she was still fighting two others. I swung the piece of wood which was still in my hand, at the head of one of them. He fell out cold. Shiray and the other Polar were punching blow for blow. I used my powers throwing him into the wall. He dropped to his knees, and Shiray delivered a swift kick to his head. He went out, too.

"The Polars are here! This is crazy!" she yelled, out of breath.

"I know; we need to get out of here. There're probably more of them. Let's head back to the school quick!"

We took off running, and I called Bryan from my cell phone.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Bryan, you were right! We ran into trouble. Come get us now."

"What? Are you all right? What happened?"

"What's going on?" I heard Nile ask in the back ground.

"We are headed back to the school. Meet us there," I told Bryan.

"Okay, I'm turning around now. I'll be there in a few minutes."

I hung up, and we continued running until we got to the school. I figured we would be safe at the school because the Polars would want to be discrete and not cause a scene in front of humans. We ran inside and waited by the main entrance doors. There were still a lot of people on campus, but thankfully no one seemed to be paying us any attention. I was so flustered. I didn't want to talk to anyone besides my brothers right now. Minutes later, Bryan sped into the parking lot. We ran out to meet him.

"We're here," I said. "Let's go!"

We both climbed into the back seat and Bryan sped off. Nile looked back at us. "What the hell happened to you guys?"

"We got jumped," I replied.

"By who?" Bryan asked before Nile could.

"The Polars are here," I said, cringing as I said the words. They were going to be pissed.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Nile exclaimed. "They are here? This is really bad."

"We were able to fight them off," I said.

"How many of them were there?" Bryan asked.

"There were five of them," I responded.

"Well, there are probably more of them here than only five," Nile replied.

"I'm glad you got away," Bryan said.

"Yeah, we are too," Shiray added.

"Are either of you hurt?" Bryan asked.

For the first time, Shi and I glanced down at ourselves. We would both have a few bruises, but we weren't seriously hurt. "We'll be okay. I'm sorry, Bryan. I should have listened to you. It's not safe out there anymore."

"I'm just thankful neither of you are hurt," he said, looking back at Shi. I guess he wanted to see for himself she was not hurt. "We have to stay together at all times from now on."

"We also need to come up with some new plans now that we know the Polars are here," Nile said.

"Yes, we definitely do," I agreed.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

Back at the house, we immediately went to the guest house. Nile was on a rampage about the Polars. I sat down on the sofa. I was still trying to process that the Polars were here. I had never been in a real fight before. I had only gone through years of intensive training. At least my training worked and we didn't get injured. Syira's cheek was beginning to swell, and her hair was a mess. My left eye was starting to hurt. I was flabbergasted when Bryan came and sat next to me. I wasn't going to be able to avoid him sitting this close to me. He inspected my face and reached out, lifting my chin up slightly. His touch made me jump and sent a chill down my spine. He hadn't touched me in so long. My heart ached as I glanced into his emerald green eyes.

"You need some ice. You're going to have a black eye," he said, reclining his hand. "I would love to meet the Polar who did this to you."

His statement made me smile. He sounded like his old self.

"I will get her some," Syira said, walking over to the kitchenette.

"It's nothing that a little makeup won't hide," I said with a small laugh. I didn't know why I was making jokes, but suddenly I felt so nervous around him.

He looked at me seriously. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. My eye hurts, but other than that I'm fine."

Syira handed me some ice inside a hand towel. She must have realized Bryan and I were finally connecting, because she went into the next room and called Nile in to talk to him.

Bryan took the ice from my hand. "Let me help you," he said, holding it to my eye. This was a nice change of pace. This was the Bryan I knew, always taking care of me. Maybe things would be all right after all. Even though my eye was throbbing, it was the best I had felt since I had been on Earth.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"I'm relieved you weren't hurt and you are here with me and safe." I gave him a small smile and closed my eyes. He held the ice pack as we sat quietly.

"The ice is starting to melt. I'll get you some more." He retrieved more ice. "I want Shiray to stay here at least for the rest of the week until we see what else happens," Bryan called into the next room.

"Huh?" I replied.

He came back and sat down by me again. "It's not safe, Shiray. Mr. Galvan's sister is not even home during the week. She won't be home until Friday night. I don't want you there by yourself right now. If nothing else happens then you can go back there on Friday night when she gets there."

"Bryan's right," Nile agreed, walking into the room. "We need to play it safe for a few days."

They were right, but I wasn't really comfortable spending the night here. It was hard enough being around Bryan just at school. I didn't want to be around him any more than I had to at this point. Though this moment was nice, I was still trying to accept the fact he had slept with another woman. Memory loss or not, it was very painful. He had really hurt me. Thinking about his lips on hers and being intimate with her made my blood boil. I moved away from him, disgusted again.

"I really don't want to stay here," I blurted out.

Bryan scrunched up his face. I knew that look; I had definitely hurt his feelings. Good! Now he knew how it felt being rejected.

"You can sleep in the room with me," Syira said. "We can tell our parents your foster parents will be out of town until Friday. Mr. Galvan can talk with them."

I rolled my eyes. "I will need to get some clothes."

"Of course. Let's call Mr. Galvan and let him clear you staying here for a couple of days, then we'll drive you," Bryan said.

The next day at school, I was still shaken from the incident with the Polars. It was really scary knowing they were here. And it was clear they were either trying to kill us or take us prisoner. Neither option was good. Would this nightmare ever end?

Syira helped me cover my black eye with makeup that morning. Her cheek was still a little swollen, but she had combed her hair forward to hang over her cheek. Her foster parents were cool with me staying there for a couple of days. It hadn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't have to see Bryan once we returned from getting my clothes. I had taken a shower and then stayed in the room with Syira. Their dark brown Cocker Spaniel, Coco, slept in the bed with us. I loved dogs. I wish we had them on our planet, but unfortunately we didn't have any animal species.

After second period, I was at my locker when Kelvin, a star on the football team, approached me. He was very good looking and around Bryan's height. Kelvin had light blue eyes and dark brown hair. He also had a muscular build. I had seen him around school, and he had given me several smiles when we passed each other in the hallway.

"Hey, Paige. What's up?"

"Hi," I said. A couple of people were already staring. High schoolers were so nosy.

"So, are you getting adjusted to our school?"

"Yeah. I'm adjusting okay."

"That's good. I wanted to see if you needed anything."

"No, I don't need anything. But thanks for asking."

"I'd like to have your number. Maybe we can hang out this Saturday."

Wow! He wanted my number. I was flattered, but not sure what to do. Kelvin was beaming, waiting for an answer when Bryan interrupted us. He positioned himself in front of me with his back to Kelvin. It was really rude.

"There you are, Paige. I need to talk to you; it's important."

"Hey dude! We're talking. You could at least say 'Excuse me'," Kelvin spoke up.

Bryan swung around and glared at Kelvin as if he didn't even matter. Kelvin sneered at him also, not backing down. Everyone was definitely stopping to stare now. Bryan had his hands balled in fists. His jaw muscles flexed. He looked like he was about to pounce if Kelvin even breathed the wrong way. I hoped they weren't about to fight. Kelvin was a little bigger, but Bryan had a lethal aura around him. Plus, he had the training to kill Kelvin if he wanted to. It seemed that Kelvin could sense it as well, because he backed down.

"Like I said, it's important. Paige, is it all right if I speak with you?" Bryan asked, looking at me.

"All right." I wanted to know what was so important. I also wanted him to get away from Kelvin. Bryan gave Kelvin a cocky grin, lightly grabbed my arm, and pulled me away.

"Sorry, Kelvin," I said, glancing back at him. "I'll talk with you later." What was this about? I hoped they hadn't spotted any more Polars. I followed him out to a courtyard. The bell rang for class to start. "What's going on? You haven't seen another Polar, have you?"

"No, we haven't seen another Polar."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "What's so important then?"

"I wanted to see if you were all right. How is your eye feeling?"

"It feels better today."

"That's good."

"That's the important thing?"

He ignored my question. "Speaking of the Polars, we need to be on high alert. I only know what you guys have told me about them. But for them to attack two women in an alley, I see they are a brutal race."

"Yes, they are."

"Well, if you need anything just let me know."

"Okay, I will." He stood there looking at me like he didn't know what else to say. Seemed like he sparked conversation about the Polars only to have an excuse to talk. It was a nice gesture, although that's not what we needed to discuss. I sighed. "We better get to class before a hall monitor finds us out here."

Bryan opened the door for me to go inside. "I'll walk you to class to be on the safe side. There are not many people in the hallway now."

He walked me to the classroom door and gave me a shy smile. "See you later."

Was he jealous of Kelvin? It was the only thing which made sense the way he rudely interrupted our conversation. Then I saw him talking to her the next day. Granted, I never saw them act affectionate towards one another. But he knew we were married, and seemed to be taking an interest in me again. So why didn't he just break it off with her? Our plan was to try and get back home anyway, so what was he waiting on? I felt guilty now for mind-warping Melanie, but at this point I was outraged at him again. He had the audacity to block Kelvin from talking to me, but hadn't completely cut his ties to her.

In their kitchen later that week, I was making a sandwich when Bryan came in. He sat on the barstool at the island across from me.

"Hi, Shiray. How are you?"

"I've been better." He seemed stumped, unable to give a response for that. His cell phone started ringing. He glanced to see who it was, but didn't answer. I knew it was her. "Are you going to answer it?"

"I'll call them back."

That was it! I had it with him. I loved him, but I didn't know if our marriage would survive. At least it was how I felt at the moment. "Why don't you go ahead and call _her_ back now? I'm heading out so you can have some privacy."

"I came in here to talk to you. I wanted to know how you were feeling."

"How I am feeling? I feel very confused at the moment. Look Bryan, I don't know why this has happened to us, and it's not fair. But I'm trying to make the best out of it. It doesn't seem as if you are."

"Why would you say that? I never meant to hurt you. I don't even know if I will even get my memory back. I have been under twice now with no luck. So I'm trying to get to know you again. I want to get to know you again."

Then why was he continuing to hurt me by associating with her? Why couldn't he see the first step to save our relationship was to end his ties to her? "It doesn't seem that way to me," I spat. "At this point, I'm not sure if I even want to be with you anymore."

His mouth actually dropped open. "I don't want you to feel that way and I don't want you to be angry towards me anymore. It makes me feel uneasy."

"Well, that's how I feel, Bryan!" I grabbed the rest of my sandwich and threw it in the trash can. I walked away. I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I hated being angry at him all the time, too. But if he didn't fix this situation soon, I didn't know what would become of us.

"Shiray, wait. Can we talk about this?"

I turned around, swiftly facing him. "Do you have any idea how it feels for your husband to not even remember you? I am a complete stranger. It's different for you because you don't have our memories or remember our history together and the love we shared."

"That's why I'm trying to get to know you. I feel drawn to you. We need talk about it."

"You feel drawn to me? Hum, that's funny. So why are you still associating with her?" I couldn't even say her name.

He looked bewildered. "Shiray, I'm sorry ... I."

I cut him off. I didn't want his excuses. "I don't want to talk about this anymore right now. It's all I have been thinking about for the last couple of weeks. I need a break before my head explodes." Then I stormed out of the kitchen.

The next night, I insisted Bryan take me home since Ms. Linda was back at the house. And there hadn't been any more signs of the Polars. He wasn't happy about it, neither was Nile. I promised them I would stay home for the entire weekend and if there were any signs of trouble I would call them immediately.

I was glad Ms. Linda was taking a two week vacation. I could just stay home during the week with her. Bryan tried to argue about that, too, but he didn't have much to stand on since I wouldn't be alone. And I'm sure his foster parents would start asking questions if I continued to stay with them. I needed some space anyway. When I was around him it was too confusing. I really didn't want to part ways and had just been angry when I told him that. I'd accepted the situation as best I could and the next move was on him. I would not chase after him like a lovesick puppy.

Later the next week, Mr. Galvan tried a third time and failed to retrieve Bryan's memory. I was beginning to think that for whatever reason, Bryan might not ever get his memory back. I had simmered down since I had gone off on him the week before, but I was still keeping a safe distance. I still went over to their house after school and we discussed our upcoming mission. I just made sure we were never alone because I didn't want any more uncomfortable discussions.

I hardly saw him with Melanie during school now, but I sensed he still hadn't ended things completely. I was going to act out my anger towards him in other ways. Kelvin and Lewis were still interested in me. I decided to acknowledge Lewis' advances toward me instead of blowing him off as I had been. It was childish, but I was curious to see what Bryan's response would be. I had to know because if he said nothing, then I might have to also accept things might not work out between us after all. I decided to put my plan into action the next day.

Lewis had gotten into the habit of talking to Syira and me at her locker before fifth period, and on cue Lewis came around the corner.

"Hi, Paige, Harmony. How's it going?"

"Fine," I replied.

Bryan was talking with Nile at his locker and two other guys across the hallway. I walked closer to him.

"Lewis, I haven't seen you with anyone in particular, and wondered if you had a girlfriend."

Syira arched her eyebrow. _What are you up to?_ I ignored her.

Bryan stopped talking and glanced in my direction. Lewis's eyes lit up. "No, I don't have a girlfriend. Why do you ask? Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked excitedly.

_No, just a husband who doesn't even remember me_ , I thought.

Instead, I said, "As a matter of fact, I don't. Maybe we could hang out sometime?"

"That would be great."

I heard Nile across the hall ask Bryan what was wrong, but he didn't get a response. Continuing to flirt, I bat my eyelashes and laid a big smile on Lewis. He looked flustered and reached to move a lock of my hair which had fallen over my eye, placing it behind my ear.

"You had a piece of hair in your face."

_Perfect!_ It added to my show. I saw Bryan rush off. The bell was about to ring for class. "I'll see you later, Lewis."

"All right. I'll talk with you later, Paige."

Syira and I strolled to class. "Well?" I asked her.

"Bryan looked pissed. You are so bad, Shi."

"It's time he got a taste of his own medicine."

"I agree with you. Someone needs to light a fire under his ass and get him in order." I had to laugh at that one.

We walked into the classroom laughing and ignored Bryan, who was already in his seat next to Melanie.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I was amused to see Bryan squirm. Shiray was happy with herself for making him jealous. I couldn't help but smile; it served him right. I saw him glance back at her throughout the class period. After school we headed to the parking lot. Melanie was not with Bryan, and we were waiting for him to unlock the door.

"Bryan, do we have any pending matters to discuss about our mission today?" Shi asked him.

"No matters in particular."

"Can you please take me home then? Ms. Linda will be there."

"You're not going to come over?"

"I don't see the point if we don't have any new matters to discuss."

"All right," Bryan said, but he wasn't happy about it. Nile shook his head in amusement and tried to stifle his smile. We arrived at the house, and she got out of the car, quickly saying goodbye.

Bryan sped off really fast making my head jerk. "Why is she in such a hurry? Does she have plans?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. But can you slow down before you get a ticket?" I responded.

He eased off of the gas petal. "Is she still mad at me?"

"I don't know, Bryan. You're going to have to work things out with her yourself."

He sighed heavily. I knew what she was doing. She was playing a different role; she was playing hard to get.

When we got home I went to my room. A little while later I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I called.

"Hi, can I talk to you for a minute?" Bryan asked, walking in.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I have feelings for Shiray."

"Great! What's the problem?"

"She told me last week she didn't think she wanted to be with me anymore."

"She's hurt and angry. What do you expect?"

"I don't know what I expect, but it hurt when she told me that. It felt like she had slapped me in the face. When I saw her talking to Lewis today I was furious. I have never been so jealous before. I want to know what she has said about him. Does she have feelings for him?"

"I'm not sure about her feelings toward him."

"I think you do know, Syira. You two are best friends. Why are you covering for her?"

"She doesn't tell me everything," I lied. I liked watching him grovel. "She hasn't been herself lately."

"Well, I don't like it. And I know Lewis has feelings for her. When he touched her hair I wanted to break his finger off. I had to stop myself from doing it."

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I need to fix things with Shiray. But after our last encounter, I really don't know what to say to her."

"Sounds like bullshit to me Bryan. I realize you love Melanie, but I don't know why you are dragging out the inevitable. It's like you are torn between two lovers; it's so tragic."

"I haven't even kissed Melanie since I first saw Shiray."

"I'm relieved to hear that, but have you told Melanie it's over yet?"

"Not in so many words." He changed his footing and his eyes widened.

"That's the problem right there. You and Shiray are not going to be able to repair or even continue your relationship until you let go of Melanie."

He sighed. "You're right. Thanks for being honest with me."

"I'll always be honest with you. I'm not going to sugar coat this situation anymore either. It's up to you on how you handle things, but I am here if you need to talk."

After he left I called Shi. "Hi, I talked to Bryan, and he's really mad about Lewis."

"Well, he's being a hypocrite."

"I know he is. This is a difficult situation for both of you."

"It's definitely difficult, but it doesn't seem like he's even trying to fix things. And I'm trying to mend my broken heart."

"I have a feeling he will work things out with you soon. I think he is intimidated by you."

"I can't imagine why. He certainly has never been intimidated by me before."

"I told you this Bryan, is not as confident and cocky as the old one. And you hurt his feelings when you told him you didn't want to be with him anymore. Did you really mean it?"

"I did at the time. I was mad."

"You have every right to be. But until you guys work things out please keep your flirting to a minimum. You know Bryan has a bad temper, and he was pissed you were flirting. I don't want Lewis getting hurt."

"All right, I will."

## Chapter 12

Another week passed, and I had just awoken from a nap. I was on my way downstairs to get something to drink when I heard my brothers in the game room playing a video game. I overheard Nile say Melanie's name, so I crept over to the game room an eavesdropped.

"What's the problem? Why haven't you dumped Melanie?" Nile asked.

"It's not as easy as it looks, Nile. I care about her and I don't want to hurt her."

"She is going to be hurt regardless, so it's a moot point."

"You're right, I can't argue. I just need to figure out what I am going to tell her. She's going to want an explanation and I want to tell her something reasonable. I don't want to be cold and uncaring."

"I really don't understand how you can love two people at the same time," Nile said, shaking his head.

"Due to the circumstances, I didn't know I was in love with someone else, when I met Melanie. Let alone married. I have been thrown into a turbulent triangle. Fate has really dealt me a cruel hand of cards. But even though I care deeply for Shiray now, it doesn't mean my feelings will disappear for Melanie immediately. I don't think it works that way for any species, if you truly care about a person. I had to accept the fact Melanie and I are not meant to be together. I have gotten to know Shiray again over these last few weeks. I feel a strong magnetic force drawing me to her, and want to mend our relationship. It's hard enough the majority of the guy's lust over her. But once I saw Kelvin talking to her, I knew at that moment, she was _mine_. And I would never let any man take her from me."

"Now that you have explained it, I can understand where you are coming from. You just have to believe this has happened to you for a greater purpose. And things could always be worse."

" _How?_ I don't see how they could. I have broken my wife's heart and now I am going to have to break Melanie's too. I feel like such a horrible person."

I agreed with Bryan. This was a no win situation. But if he only knew my story and who I loved, then he would see that things could be a lot worse.

"You're not a terrible person, Bryan. It's not your fault you got dealt a bad hand in life, but it is in your hands to fix it. I joke around a lot and I am a smart ass most of the time. But I do want you to work things out with Shiray. I don't like seeing either of you unhappy."

"We'll see what the future holds, but I need to figure out what I am going to say to Shiray as well."

"Just be honest. I'm no relationship expert, but I know women like to be told the truth. I would not try to make excuses. I would just tell her how you feel."

"That sounds like good advice. Who would have thought I would be taking advice from my younger brother who says he could never see himself getting married." I could hear Bryan laughing. Nile joined in.

"Let's get back into this game," Nile replied. "I think you're trying to stall for time, because you don't want to lose."

"That's definitely not the case. Enough talking, I'm about to make you eat those words," Bryan challenged.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

We only had a few weeks left before we attempted to retrieve our ship. We were finalizing our plans to break into the CIA base in Boulder. Nile and I had done some more hacking and discovered exactly where they were holding our craft. I would use my mind powers and they would use theirs as needed throughout the mission. Bryan had been put under hypnosis for a fourth time with no luck in regaining his memory. Mr. Galvan said we would try one more time before our mission. I was terrified of the thought that Bryan would never remember our first kiss, the first time we said "I love you," our wedding, our honeymoon, or our first three years of marriage.

On March 15th, Nile's nineteenth birthday, Syira wanted to lighten up the tense atmosphere by throwing him a party. It was Friday, and their foster parents would be out of town for the weekend to celebrate their anniversary.

After lunch I talked to Lewis again. Syira said I couldn't invite him to the party because she wasn't going to break up a fight.

"I better get to class, Lewis," I said.

"I'll walk with you," he replied. We got to the classroom, and Bryan and Melanie were seated next to each other just inside the door.

"So, can we hang out sometime soon? I haven't taken you up on your offer yet."

I knew Bryan was listening. "Sure, Lewis, I'd like that. Let's talk about it after class."

"I'll see you then."

I strolled in taking my seat. Syira was irritated. Melanie looked aggravated, and Bryan was mad. I could see his jaws flexing. I glanced over at him several times throughout the period, but he never looked back at me.

After class, Bryan was waiting outside the door as Syira and I walked out.

"Hi, Shiray. You're coming to the party tonight, right?" he asked.

"Of course, Bryan. Why wouldn't I?"

"I was just making sure. I didn't know if you had other plans."

"No, I don't have any other plans, not tonight anyway."

He opened his mouth to say something, paused and said something else instead. "Okay, see you after school. You're coming straight over?"

"Yes, Bryan. I ride with you guys every day after school, remember?"

"Yeah ... right." His cheeks flushed. He smiled briefly, brushed his hand through his hair, and walked away.

"That dude has got it bad. It won't be long now," Syira said.

People started arriving for the party around seven o'clock. I had brought a change of clothes with me to school. I wore dark blue denim jeans. A short-sleeved, causal black and blue shirt; and a pair of low-heeled black sandals. Syira helped me flat-iron all of the waves out of my hair. It flowed even longer hanging halfway down my back. I knew Bryan liked it this way, or at least he had back on Kadan. But I didn't wear it like this often because it took a long time to do. And as soon as I washed it the waves would return.

Syira was busy greeting guests, so I stood in the kitchen. Nile approached me. "Wow, you look great, Shi."

"Thanks, and happy birthday," I said, hugging him.

"Thank you."

"Where's Bryan?"

"He's in the family room."

"Okay. I hope you have a good time tonight."

Nile walked over to the snack table, and I went into the family room to find Bryan. I was going to talk to him, but then saw him talking to Melanie and her best friend Ebony. Instead I talked with girls I knew from school. Bryan only spoke with Melanie shortly, then he mingled with three guys. He glanced at me frequently, but I didn't acknowledge him.

Hours later, I was sitting on the sofa talking with Syira, Beth, Paula, and Laura. There were about thirty people at the party now. Nile seemed to be having fun. He was flirting with Ebony. I think they used to date. He still seemed into her. The radio was blasting, and some people were dancing. I didn't know where Bryan or Melanie were, and I wasn't trying to keep tabs on them.

"So, what's up with your brother and Melanie?" Paula asked Syira.

"What do you mean?" Syira asked.

"I don't ever see them together in school anymore. Are they still dating?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, if he's not into her anymore then I would love to get in his pants," Beth countered.

"I know, right? He's so gorgeous," Laura agreed.

Then all three of them started laughing. It pissed me off for any woman to want to get into his pants. I'm sure plenty did on Kadan, but they would never have said it to my face.

Irritated, I jumped up, rolling my eyes. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"What's with her?" I heard Beth ask.

"Oh, she likes Jason too," Paula answered.

"Well, hell, who doesn't?" Beth replied.

I went upstairs to use the bathroom, the one downstairs was disgusting. Someone must have been wasted because they missed the toilet completely. As I was leaving the bathroom, I saw Bryan coming out of his bedroom.

"Hi, Shiray."

"Hey, Bryan."

He hesitated for a second. "Let's talk." He inclined his head toward his room, indicating for me to follow him there.

"Where's Melanie?"

"She left a long time ago."

"Oh," I replied, following him to his room. He shut the door and locked it. My heart sped up as I sat on his bed. Laura was right; he was gorgeous. I swallowed the lump in my throat. What did he want to talk to me about? He sat on the bed, too, and slid over to me.

"I'm sorry," he began.

"What are you sorry for?"

"For everything, for hurting you. Melanie left because she knows something is going on between us. I didn't want to hurt her either, but there is no way around it. I know it was awkward at the party, but I didn't even invite Melanie. Nile and Ebony used to date. He invited Ebony, and Melanie came with her. Things have been so strained between you and me. I wouldn't do anything to further jeopardize our relationship."

"That's good to know. It is a horrible situation, but you didn't know you were married. I've had to accept that fact."

"I'm thankful you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you Bryan."

"But you're right. We are married. I want you to know that I have feelings for you."

I smiled at him, relieved he finally felt that way. "What's going on with you and Lewis?" he continued. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"We're just friends."

"Well, I don't like it."

"I don't like your situation either."

"I know. I am so sorry to have put you through this. I just don't understand why I can't remember. I hate I don't have any memories of you."

"Even if you don't get your memory back, maybe in time you will acquire some of your memory." Sitting here with him while he expressed his feelings toward me made me want to comfort him. I touched his cheek, he trembled.

"Nothing has happened between Melanie and me since I first saw you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean ... intimately." That was a relief to know.

"I'm sorry for not ending things sooner with her, but I am not going to drag this on any longer. I want to try to make things right with you, if you'll let me. Do you forgive me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Will you please consider giving our relationship another chance?"

I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I leaned forward and kissed him. I melted when my mouth touched his. It had been so long since our last kiss. The next thing I knew, he had both of his hands entangled in my hair, and I had one of mine in his. I pulled it, and he groaned deepening the kiss. He pulled me closer to him. I moaned. It felt as if electricity was pulsating through my body. As we continued to kiss, I thought about our first kiss, replaying the whole scene in my head. He moaned, then quickly pulled away.

He gazed at me, frazzled, and gasped. "How did you do that?"

"How did I do what?"

"I saw us together. We were sitting on a bench in some sort of courtyard at night. You were wearing a short black dress, and your hair was pulled up with curls dangling down. We were talking, and then I pulled you in for a passionate kiss."

"You saw that?"

"Yes ... I felt it too."

"We were at your eighteenth birthday party. It was the first time we met, and our first kiss."

"You have a unique power. I didn't know you could project memories to someone else. It's nice to finally have a memory of you. Although, I never thought you would be able to show me through your gift. You're incredible!"

I blushed. "I didn't know I could either. I can make people see anything that I want them to. Or I can inflict pain. But I've never been able to project my own memories to someone else before. You said you felt the memory? What did it feel like? Do you actually remember it yourself?"

"I don't remember any details before or after the kiss. But somehow by you projecting the memory to me, I do remember our first kiss now. It's like you triggered that memory to imprint and awaken in me. I remember how it felt when I kissed you, like an energy field surrounded us. It's hard to explain. That experience was intense."

"I understand, but I still don't know how it happened."

"Your power must be advancing. Has our chemistry always been this way?"

"You mean so powerful?"

"Yes, it's unnerving."

"It has always been that way with us."

"Well, I can see why we fell in love. It would have been easy."

"It was easy, and it has been that way ever since the first day we met."

"I now have a piece of that memory. Maybe we can try again later to see if you can project some other memories."

"Sure, we can try again."

"I look forward to it." He glanced at the time. "It's getting late. Would you like for me to take you home?"

_He looked forward to it?_ I swooned. It was what he had told me on the night of his party. "Yes, you can." I was exuberant he'd returned my kiss. Also blown away I was able to allow him to access and recollect one of our memories. I would be elated to show him more of our memories while kissing him at the same time. Thinking about this made me feel warm inside. The most important thing was that he wanted to repair our marriage. This pleased me immensely and gave me hope for the future.

We journeyed downstairs, back into the family room. Syira and the others were still on the sofa. Nile was with them also. Everyone gawked at us as we approached.

"What's up Jason?" Nile asked.

I walked closer to Bryan. I knew it was devious, and wasn't sure how he would react, but I grabbed his hand. I was throwing him under the bus. But after the comment Beth had made, I wanted everyone to know he was mine. To my surprise, he entwined his fingers with mine. I visibly gloated, relieved he didn't reject me. The shared expression on Paula, Beth, and Laura's faces was priceless.

Syira glanced up at me with questioning eyes.

We kissed!

Oh, wow!

Bryan sighed. "I'm going to take Paige home."

Then we left, still holding hands. Commotion filled the room as soon as we were gone. Because of my Kadanan hearing, I could hear them.

I heard Beth say, "Oh, my God! Are they together now?"

Laura said, "Damn! She snagged his ass fast." She continued in a whisper, "What's she got that I don't?"

There were also several gasps and laughter.

In the car, I asked Bryan, "Was I wrong to grab your hand?"

"No, it's what needed to be done. I'm sure one of Melanie's friends is calling her right now."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this."

"Don't you dare apologize when you've had to deal with a lot more. I will handle Melanie, don't worry. I've made a mess of things, but I'm going to try to fix them as best I can."

When we arrived at Ms. Linda's house, I asked him, "Would you like to come inside?" Why not press my luck. I was still heated from our kiss.

Bryan let out his breathe. "I want to, believe me I do. But I think we should wait."

"All right," I replied, trying not to be hurt.

"Wait, don't be offended. I just really want to remember you first. And if we kiss like that again, I'm not going to be able to stop myself from going further."

"And if you don't remember?"

"Then I will fall in love with you again. That's not going to be a problem. You can also project your memories to me. I'm happy we can at least share that."

I blushed again. "I am too. It gives me hope."

"Just give me a little more time. Mr. Galvan says he will put me under again soon. So let's wait and see what happens."

"I'll give you all the time you need. We have hundreds of years ahead of us. We will still look this age when we are fifty."

"Are you kidding me? So, I will still look like I'm in my twenties when I am in my fifties?"

"Yes, you sure will. We age more slowly than humans."

"That is so cool. And you said hundreds of years. How old does the average Kadanan live?"

"The average Kadanan lives to be around three hundred years old."

"Very interesting.'' He beamed then leaned down and kissed my forehead. I gasped, shivering. "Are you okay?"

"You just took me by surprise that's all. You always used to kiss me on my forehead."

"Oh, well, I guess it's just instinct."

"Goodnight, Bryan."

"Goodnight. By the way, I love your hair that way."

"I know you do. It's why I wore it this way."

His eyes widened, shocked I was being so blunt. "You're full of surprises aren't you? I'll call you in the morning."

I needed to get out of the car, or I was going to attack him. It felt as if we were back on Kadan. We use to be so carefree with one another. At least we hadn't lost that connection. "I'll talk with you tomorrow."

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I was thrilled Bryan and Shiray had kissed, and damn delighted he was now doing right by her. I hated to see her hurting. After midnight, everyone had left the party. I couldn't wait for Bryan to get back, so I could tackle him with questions. As soon as Bryan walked in, I ran up to him. Nile was sitting on the couch waiting to hear the conversation also.

Bryan tried to avoid us. "Un-un. No, you don't," I said, blocking his way. "What happened?"

"I drove her home."

"Before that, Bryan. You know what I mean. I see you didn't have a problem holding her hand in front of everyone. Melanie knows now. Ebony was already on the phone with her before you even made it out the front door."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I figured she would tell her."

"What did happen?" Nile asked.

"You guys are so nosy. We went to my room to talk. Things got a little heated, and we kissed."

"Are you over Melanie now?" I asked.

"No. I still care a lot about her. But kissing Shiray, well ... I've never felt that way before. I can see why I fell in love with her. I'm going to tell Melanie tomorrow it's over between us."

"Well, good luck," Nile said. "I've read her thoughts. She's completely in love with you. You really should have said something sooner."

"I know I should have, but there's no way around hurting her. I will just have to deal with the consequences and hope she will forgive me."

"She is quite attached. Hopefully in time, she will get over you and move on with her life," I said. "Besides, you already belong to someone else."

"Yes, I do." Bryan rolled his eyes and took off upstairs.

"I guess he's done with that conversation."

"I guess so," Nile agreed, laughing.

Bryan and I picked up Shiray the next afternoon. The guys wanted to go over some final plans for the mission since we didn't have a lot of time left before we put our plan into action. Bryan dropped us off at the house and went to Melanie's house to break things off. She had been blowing his phone up all morning. He seemed really stressed when he had left. Shiray, Nile, and I were in the family room watching television. Shiray's brow was furrowed. This had to be awkward for her, waiting at her husband's house while he was breaking it off with his girlfriend. Really bizarre. They really were going to be the most unique king and queen in the history of Kadan.

Coco went up to Shiray, whining because he wanted her to pick him up. She placed him in her lap and rubbed his head. Coco wagged his tail and sighed. I was really going to miss him. I wished we could take him home with us.

Bryan finally made it back, looking more stressed now than before he had left. It must have not gone well by his facial expression and demeanor. He took a seat on the couch next to Shiray and started discussing the mission. We could talk freely since our foster parents were still out of town.

_He seems really upset. I don't know what to say to him_. Shiray sent to me.

Try not to worry about it, and let him approach you.

I decided we needed a break. Shi and I had worked hard on the chicken pot pie we had cooked.

"I'm a little hungry," I said. "Are you guys ready to eat?"

"Yes, that's fine. I am hungry too," Shi said.

"I'm definitely hungry. Let's go," Nile added.

Shi and I began preparing the plates. "We worked really hard on preparing this dish, so you guys better like it," I told them.

"I hope it's good because I'm hungry. Now you have me worried," Nile joked.

"I'm sure you did a good job," Bryan said. "It smells good anyway." He poured us some tea when there was a knock on the door. We all looked at each other, wondering who it was.

_Ah, damn, it's Melanie_ , Nile sent to me. _I can read her thoughts loud and clear. Things didn't go well with Bryan. She wants an explanation._

_Things could get ugly if she sees Shiray_ , I responded.

Bryan walked into the living room to answer the door.

_It's Melanie. Stay in here and let Bryan handle it_ , I told Shiray. Of course she didn't listen and followed him. I heard Bryan and Melanie talking at the door. I went into the living room also. He had the door halfway opened, and Melanie stood on the porch as they talked. Melanie leaned forward and got wind of Shiray standing behind Bryan with her fists balled at her sides.

Uh, oh!

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

"She's here?" Melanie yelled, pushing her way through the door. "You will not take him from me!" she screamed at me.

I was shocked she was charging at me. I had been restraining myself from slapping her, but if she wanted to initiate it then I was happy to comply.

"He was never yours to take. He has always been mine!" I yelled back, moving toward her.

"The hell he has! He's been mine for several months, and he has shared his body with me completely."

Who the hell did she think she was? He was my damn husband! "You don't know who you are messing with, you human! I am going to knock your ass into the middle of next week!"

"Oh, shit," Syira said, grasping my arm, trying to hold me back.

Bryan tried to grab Melanie, but she yanked away from him. "Melanie, stop!" Bryan yelled, but she didn't. The hussy actually punched me in my face.

Her ass was mine! I was going to lay her out. Syira grabbed my arm tighter and wouldn't let it go, so I mind-warped her with pain. She let my arm go and fell to the floor. I hadn't wanted to hurt her, but I wasn't going to stand there defenseless while Melanie punched me.

Melanie was sending another punch my way. I caught her fist in midair with my open hand. She seemed startled I had moved so quickly. I turned her arm, twisting it behind her back. She yelped. Then I got behind her. She struggled to get out of my grasp. She wasn't talking trash to me anymore. I swiftly yanked her head, placed it in a headlock, and delivered several blows to her face. She continued to tussle ... it didn't do her any good.

Bryan and Nile both grabbed me. It took a few seconds before they were finally able to pry me off of her. I struggled against both of them, but couldn't get loose. Syira jumped in. Bryan let me go, and Syira took his place. Bryan grabbed Melanie because she had the audacity to charge at me again. _Unbelievable!_ She was bold, I would give her that.

Nile and Syira still held on to me tightly. "Oh, you're coming back for more? You must want your ass kicked again!" I yelled at her.

"I am just getting warmed up!" she yelled back.

I didn't want to hurt Syira again or Nile, so there was nothing I could do to escape their grip. Melanie was damn lucky I cared about them, because I wanted to rip her to pieces.

"Get her out of here!" Nile yelled to Bryan.

Bryan actually picked Melanie up from behind, and her feet came off of the ground kicking. He wasn't touching her in an intimate way, but I didn't like the fact he was touching her at all. This outraged me further. I pulled harder against Syira and Nile. Bryan carried Melanie outside.

"Calm down, Shi. Calm down! You can't continue to fight with her because you could really hurt her, being that you are a lot stronger," Syira said. She continued to talk to me, and I finally simmered down a degree.

"What a total disaster!" Nile exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Syira, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you with the mind warp."

"I'm fine. It's understandable. You needed to defend yourself."

I still felt bad, but was glad to be forgiven. Bryan came back in a few minutes later. I hated he had been out there talking to her, but there was nothing I could do about it. She also had hit me first, and I was not going to apologize for fighting back.

"She deserved it! I wasn't even going to fight her, but she came at me first," I said to him.

"I know. It could have been a lot worse. It's over now," he responded.

"Yeah, I could have killed her."

Bryan flinched at my response, but he didn't comment.

"Let's try to continue with dinner," Syira said, breaking the silence.

"That's a good idea," Nile agreed.

"I'm not hungry anymore," I said, still too fired up to eat.

"Well, you can just sit down with us anyway and relax," Syira told me.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Fine."

I managed to eat a little of my meal. It was actually good, but my anger still flaring killed my appetite.

"Why don't you stay the night here, Shiray? I will drive you home tomorrow," Bryan said when everyone had finished dinner.

Whoa! He wanted me to stay the night. He hadn't said much to me since he had gotten back from Melanie's. "Sure, let me call Ms. Linda and let her know."

After I called Ms. Linda, Bryan and I moved into the den. He sat next to me on the sofa.

Syira stepped in. "I'm headed to my room."

"All right, I'll be there in a little while," I said. She smiled at us.

Bryan sighed heavily. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. How are you?"

"I am still trying to process what happened. I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't know Melanie was going to come over here. I should have ended our relationship a lot sooner."

"It's over now; let's not dwell on it. Hopefully she doesn't try anything else. She is a feisty little thing, isn't she?"

"I hope she doesn't either. I've never seen her act that way before. She has always had such a mild temperament."

"Well, I plan on avoiding her, but I can understand why she acted that way. She doesn't want to lose you."

He blew out his breathe, looking guilty. "If she bothers you again, let me know."

"Bryan, I think I can handle Melanie."

"I know you can handle yourself. I have seen that with my own eyes. My nerves are still worked up after what just happened. Would you mind telling me more about Kadan? You describe it so well."

With everything that occurred I'm sure he didn't want to try the memory projection power right now. I would just wait until he brought it up again. "What do you want me to tell you about?"

"Whatever comes to your mind."

"I'll tell you about the first time I spent the night with you at the palace. We went on our first scuba diving expedition in the Under-water gem caves."

"Sounds interesting," he said, leaning his head back against the pillow.

I told him about the expedition and how all of our planets gems were inside the underwater caves on the bottom of the lake. I also told him a few other adventures we had shared. He seemed to relax, and even laughed a few times. We talked for a while, then he walked me to Syira's room. We idled in front of her door staring at each other. He cleared his throat and changed his footing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Yes. Thank you for talking with me."

"I didn't mind. It was fun to remember." _If you only knew how much I cherished spending time with you_ , I wanted to add, but didn't think it was the right time to make that confession. At least I could allow myself to think of our future now.

"I've had dreams about some of the places you were describing."

Bryan cradled me into his embrace, and I hugged him back tightly. It was nice to have this contact with him; I felt safe. We stayed this way for a moment, then he released me. "Goodnight, Bryan."

"Goodnight." He leaned down to kiss my forehead. It made me shiver. I wanted to hold and kiss him, but he had an emotional day. He probably needed some time to himself. He gave me a lustful gaze which I'm sure I mirrored. I made myself open Syira's door.

## Chapter 13

We pulled into the parking lot at school on Monday morning. My mind on overload, wondering how things would pan out with Melanie. I still couldn't believe she had hit me. She was bold and lucky I hadn't killed her. Humans were fragile compared to Kadanans. It was a good thing I had all day Sunday to calm down because I would at least have to see her in fifth period. I couldn't really blame her for falling for Bryan, with his gorgeous looks and charm. I felt sympathy towards her, because she was the one losing him. If our ship worked then we would be going home soon, and she would never see him again. Bryan opened my car door for me, and we headed inside.

"I'll walk you to your first period class," he said.

"All right." I beamed at him.

I had made it through fourth period without seeing Melanie. Students were staring at Bryan and me as we walked to fifth period together. Lewis saw us also, he didn't look happy. I would have to talk with him later, because I wasn't the type of person who led people on. I had only done it to piss Bryan off, but it still wasn't right.

This would all be a lot easier if we didn't have to go to school in the first place. It felt silly, because I was really twenty years old and had finished my studies on Kadan at the age of sixteen. But Bryan said we had to continue to blend in. We hoped our ship's hyper drive was still intact then this place would be a distant memory.

When we arrived in fifth period, I noticed Melanie had switched seats. She was now sitting in the front row. She didn't acknowledge us as we walked in, but I knew she was aware of us. Several people whispered as we entered. Bryan went to his seat next to the boy she switched seats with. At least she was smart enough to switch seats because it would have been awkward with him sitting next to her. I felt positive now we could make it through the rest of the day without another altercation.

The rest of the week zoomed by and to my surprise, smoothly. Bryan continued to walk me to my classes, and he completely avoided Melanie, also. I had only made eye contact with her once as we passed each other in the hall. She swiftly looked away. Bryan still refused to let me stay alone at Ms. Linda's house when she wasn't there because of the incident that had happened with the Polars. Mr. Galvan agreed. He had been driving to stay with me there at night every evening after work.

Each evening after Bryan dropped me off, he would call me when he had made it home. We would stay up late talking. It felt like I was courting him again. I was enjoying spending so much time together.

On Thursday evening, Bryan wanted to try my projection power again. Making goo-goo eyes, we sat in front of each other on the sofa at Ms. Linda's house. I had made several attempts to access my power and unveil a memory to him by only holding his hands, but was unsuccessful.

"Let's try to access your power with how you did it the first time. Let's kiss," he suggested, giving me a seductive gaze.

An on cue, I blushed. Would this man always have this effect on me? My heartbeat picked up, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Geez, I was acting like a teenager. "All right," I said, closing my eyes, leaning into him. Knowing our lips were about to lock, I felt heated inside. Then the front door opened. We both jumped back in alarm.

Mr. Galvan came in talking one hundred miles per hour about an irate student he'd been dealing with. He must have noticed our expressions, because he stopped talking and eyed us suspiciously.

"Is everything all right? What are you guys up to?"

I was embarrassed, but Bryan was as cool as he always was. "We were just practicing our powers, Mr. Galvan."

"Oh, that's good. I was hoping there hadn't been another Polar attack. Shiray seems concerned."

"Everything is fine, Mr. Galvan. Continue with your story," I said. He hammered on while he went into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat.

Bryan leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Let's go into your bedroom and finish practicing your power." His warm breath made me tremble.

"Bryan, Mr. Galvan is talking to us. That would be rude."

"He probably wouldn't even notice us missing. That man could very well carry on a conversation with himself, he talks so much," he said, giggling.

"He does talk a lot, but I love that quality about him."

"I like him too. He is a genuine person."

He sure was. I knew this first hand since I had Soul-searched with him. I still didn't feel comfortable going to my room and having a make-out session with my husband while Mr. Galvan was in the other room. "We can try again tomorrow. Mr. Galvan might figure out what we are up to."

"We're married. It would be acceptable."

"It's acceptable, but it's still awkward."

"You are shy, aren't you?"

"You're a fine one to talk. You are just now coming out of your shell. But it is a change of pace for me. I'm used to you being so bold and forthcoming."

"That's because I feel so comfortable around you now. It's like you bring out another side to me ... I guess the person I used to be."

"Well, that's a good thing. I'm glad you feel that way. Come on. Let's go help Mr. Galvan in the kitchen."

Ms. Linda was back for the weekend, so Mr. Galvan wouldn't be back until Monday night. I was dozing off on the ride over there as Bryan drove me home.

"You're tired?"

"Yes, we've been staying up late talking every night. I have been enjoying our conversations, but I'm paying for it now."

He laughed. "I won't keep you up tonight, but I want you to come over tomorrow. I've gotten used to seeing you every day now."

I grabbed his hand and entwined his fingers with mine. "Sure, I would love to come over tomorrow."

Monday after school, Bryan and I were on our way to Ms. Linda's house to meet Mr. Galvan. He was going to attempt one last time to retrieve Bryan's memory before we started our mission on Friday.

"Are you nervous?" Bryan asked, squeezing my hand.

"Yes. Are you?"

"A little. But my feelings for you are not the problem. You should definitely know that by now. I'm assured you will be able to give me most of our memories back, since you were able to tap into your projection power on Saturday night in my _bedroom_."

I blushed, thinking about our encounter the other night in his room.

"I'm hoping I can get all of my memories back though. I want to remember my childhood and my family."

"I want you to be able to retrieve those too. I hate they were taken from you. Hopefully the session with Mr. Galvan works this time."

"There's also the fact I don't remember anything about flying spaceships or the layout of our galaxy."

"You can be taught all of those things again."

"Yeah, but it would sure suck to have to relearn everything."

"Dah, you don't remember, so it would be like you were learning it for the first time," I said sarcastically.

He snickered. "I guess you have a point. I can't really argue with that."

We pulled up to the house. He got out of the car and opened the door for me. Bryan was such a gentlemen; this hadn't changed either. He grabbed my hand, and we walked up the driveway. Once inside, I retrieved us something to drink. Mr. Galvan arrived about half an hour later. He was ready to get started immediately.

"Are you ready Bryan?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm ready. I just need a moment to go to the bathroom."

This was it, the moment of truth. I could barely contain my anticipation. I wasn't really concerned about Bryan's feelings for me, either. I felt he cared about me. Ever since we had kissed things between us had changed. He was very affectionate towards me just like he used to be before we came to Earth. What I _was_ concerned about was even if Bryan did get his entire memory back, he would still have his memories of Earth, too. Therefore, he would still care about her. I didn't know how to handle that, or how it would affect our marriage in the future.

"Are you all right, Shiray?"

_I'm worried this is the last chance Bryan might have to get his memory back. And I'm worried his Earth memories will affect our relationship_ , I told Mr. Galvan in his mind without even realizing I had done it.

He jumped. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder. Can you talk to people in their mind at will?"

"Yes, I can."

"Well, that's a unique gift."

"Not really. A lot of my people can do it. I don't really consider it a power. It's more like a skill, since we can be taught how to acquire it. But you know I have other mind powers."

"Very interesting. As for your relationship, you and Bryan will be able to conquer your problems. All you need is love, and you two definitely have that."

"If this session doesn't work, I hope he will love me again in time."

"He already does. I see the way he looks at you. Just have faith."

"Thank you, Mr. Galvan. That makes me feel better." I normally wouldn't be discussing my relationship issues with a man I had only known for several months. But on the contrary, I knew him well since we had Soul-searched, and I felt a special bond. Besides my father, who I would not be discussing any relationship problems with. Mr. Galvan was the only man with whom I felt comfortable enough to discuss this topic.

Bryan waltzed back into the room. "I'm ready now," he said, lying back on the sofa. Mr. Galvan began the session, and my stomach turned into knots.

Around twenty minutes later, Bryan began to stir from side to side. His eyes were still closed. "No, No!" he yelled. I went over and knelt by him.

Mr. Galvan signaled for me to stop. "Wait, Shiray."

"What's wrong with him? It's been twenty minutes. It has never taken this long before."

"Just give it a few more minutes."

I ignored him, grabbing both of Bryan's hands. He started sweating and moaning. Then he shouted again, "No!"

"Mr. Galvan, what is happening to him? Will you do something? Snap him out of the trance; he sounds like he's pain."

Mr. Galvan still held off. Maybe he was pushing him to the limit, but I didn't care at this point. If he was hurting I wanted him to wake up. "Mr. Galvan!" I screamed at him again.

"All right, I'll bring him to."

Suddenly, Bryan stopped groaning and jerking. Mr. Galvan and I froze. I was still kneeling over him and holding his hands. Bryan slowly opened his eyes then squeezed my hands. He sat up, faced me, and whispered very slowly, "I ... I remember you."

As soon as he spoke the words, tears of joy flowed down my face. He rubbed my cheek gently, tears rolled out of his eyes, also.

"I'm so happy ... so thankful," I exclaimed.

"How could I have forgotten you after three years of marriage? I feel so ashamed."

"Bryan, we all forgot."

"But I was with someone else."

"Don't..." I said, putting my finger to his mouth to silence him. "That's in the past." I glanced at Mr. Galvan, and he looked teary-eyed, too. Bryan must have gotten over his initial shock, because he grabbed me. He pulled my body against his, tightly gluing his mouth to mine. I returned his kiss. But I could only imagine what we looked like with me still on my knees in between his legs, vigorously kissing. One hand entangled in my hair and the other caressed my back. It definitely wasn't polite for company. I forcefully pulled myself back because he wouldn't let go of me.

"Bryan!" Could he be anymore vulgar? He didn't seem to care at all.

"Mr. Galvan, thank you for reuniting me with my wife. I will never be able to repay you."

"I wanted to help. I feel as if I have served a greater purpose."

Bryan jumped right to the point. "Well, Mr. Galvan, I haven't been with my wife in a long time. I'm sure you can understand." I felt my cheeks flush even more.

"Of course. I will leave you two alone."

I could tell Mr. Galvan was just as embarrassed as I was. He jumped up and left rather quickly. The front door hadn't even shut before Bryan was on me again. He bolted off of the sofa, pinning me down on the floor.

"Bryan, let's go to my bedroom."

He scooped me up effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he moved at the speed of light carrying me down the hall. We fell into the wall because we were kissing so rapturously. For a minute, I didn't think we were going to even make it to my room. Finally, he picked me up. The next thing I knew, we were on the bed. He kissed me deeply, and all discretions were over. We were sitting in the bed, and I was cradled on top of him. Our tongues were rotating against each other. I had waited so long for this moment. He broke our kiss momentarily, sashaying kisses across my neck. I moaned and lost control, ripping his shirt open so forcefully, that the buttons flew across the room. Bryan gasped, returning his lips to mine. He laid me down and hiked my hips up against him. I rubbed my hands along his lithe, sculptured chest. He shivered, then pressed himself even tighter to me and glided his body in a rhythmic motion. Oh, I wanted this! I encased my hand through his soft silky hair. He groaned. Our hands were now in a fervent race to explore one another's bodies. I gripped his back, and he stroked his fingers up my bare thigh. His breath was ragged, and his enthralling passion was throbbing against me. I couldn't take much more.

"Bryan, please," I whimpered.

"Do you want me, Baby?"

"Yes," I exclaimed, breathlessly. A magnetic force surrounded us, I felt spellbound by the magnitude of it. As we connected into one entity, our bodies entwined and our love felt potent. It became more intense; I only wanted him to grab me tighter. I could feel the pressure building, and was overwhelmed by the emotions I felt toward him. His body began to tremble. I waited in exuberant anticipation for the feeling to possess and take hold of me. I felt his _power_ grow more dominant within me. I cried out. My _essence_ felt so fulfilled. I had forgotten how zealous his lovemaking was. So commanding, that I yielded to the exquisite feeling of his _enhanced power_ as it took me over the precipice.

"I've missed you, Shiray," he exclaimed with an erotic gaze in his emerald eyes.

"I missed you, too," I panted.

Sometime later, I felt like I was floating. I'd passed out from exhaustion. I had also forgotten the stamina my husband possessed. We lay in each other's arms, and I couldn't remember the last time I had been so happy.

"Shiray?" He peeked at me.

"Yes..."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what?"

"Please, Shi. You know what I am referring to."

I shut my eyes. I didn't want to think about this right now. He raised my chin up, and I looked into his beautiful green eyes. And even though my heart hurt I knew it wasn't his fault he had forgotten about me. "Of course I forgive you, Bryan."

He took a deep relieved breath. "We can never be apart again."

"I will agree to that." I laid my head back down on his chest.

"I love you, Shiray." My heart swelled. How I had longed to hear those words.

"I love you, too."

## Chapter 14

My lids fluttered open as I remembered I was in my room with Bryan. I glanced up, he was awake also with a mysterious look in his eyes. "What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"I remember us actually meeting at my birthday party. You were standing next to a pillar, bopping your head to the music. I don't think you even realized you were doing it. That's what first caught my attention; it was adorable. You seemed different, carefree. When you felt me staring, you turned to look at me, and I was captivated. I recall thinking, I had never seen eyes such a light shade of green before. I felt like you could see inside of me. Your eyes are such a gorgeous color; they're so unique."

I was jubilant he thought that way about me. I remembered having the same reaction about his eyes and his charismatic. "You captivated me, too, from the first moment we met," I responded.

He kissed me on my forehead and a surge of electricity shot through me. I was the one who attacked him this time. I captured his luscious lips and glued my body to his. It was like we were back on Kadan, like no time had passed. Even though we'd been married for over three years, we could still never get enough of each other. He kissed my neck; liquid fire burned inside me, pulsing through my veins. I moaned, and he grabbed me tighter. Then I rolled on top of him, throttling my hips against his. I leaned down and kissed him passionately. He returned my kiss with intensity. Then he gripped my hips firmly and caressed my inner Eden. I cried out. He pressed his body tighter against mine, groaning. Our bodies danced, and our essence evolved into a symphony of pure, unfaltering passion. We hadn't lost our connection; it felt stronger. Maybe it was because of the time apart. We had never been separated since the first time we met. Our trials and tribulations might actually have made our relationship stronger.

Afterward, he got up to get dressed. "Pack your things," he said. "You're coming to stay with me for the rest of the week."

"What about your foster parents?"

"What about them? They go to sleep early. They won't even know you are there." He beamed.

"I wish we could just stay here and have the house to ourselves. You have your own car."

"It's actually my foster parent's extra car they are nice enough to let me use. But the only problem is, my foster mother leaves before we do each morning. She would see the car is missing."

"Well, damn."

"We can still have fun." He kissed me on my cheek.

"That's crazy! What if they hear us? It would be horribly embarrassing if we got caught." Bryan smiled even bigger. He was so vulgar sometimes; he didn't even care.

"I see your shyness has gone right out of the window," I added. He gave me a devilish grin.

"Yeah, the old Bryan is back." He had always been the bold one. "We'll just have to be quiet then, won't we?" he teased. I rolled my eyes at him. "What would be crazy is us sleeping apart. I won't have that. We will never be apart again," he promised. "And what is the worst thing they can do if they find you spending the night, ground me? Please, I plan on being back on Kadan within a week."

"I do, too."

"If our ship is still damaged we should be able to find the resources here to repair it, right?"

"I'm not sure. Our ships are built durable, but it would depend on what the damage is. If it's the hyper drive, then I doubt it. That technology is too advanced to be able to fix it here."

"It looked intact from the photos we saw of it."

"Yes, it did. Hopefully the material they used to repair the hole will hold up. As long as our ship's internal components weren't damaged, then we should be fine. Let me get dressed so we can leave."

When we arrived at his house, Bryan walked us around to the back door. It was already late, so he wanted to sneak me inside. He told me to wait in the dark kitchen so he could make sure his foster parents were in their room. I felt like a rebellious Earth teenager. It was odd to have to sneak around to be with my husband. The thought made me glance down at my bare ring finger. My ring was at home. I never wore it on a mission. I hoped it was still safe. Bryan came back into the kitchen.

"Come on, let's go. Nile and Syira are waiting for us in my bedroom."

"And where are your foster parents?"

"Don't worry about them. They are in their bedroom downstairs."

I moved up the stairs in double time. Bryan was giggling behind me; he was impossible. When we got inside his room, Bryan, Syira, and Nile embraced in a sibling hug for a long time. A heartfelt moment.

"I'm so relieved you remember now," Syira said.

"I am too. Mr. Galvan has been a true blessing," Bryan replied.

"Yes, he has," Syira agreed.

"It's good to have you back, bro," Nile added.

How exciting to have the gang back. With Bryan remembering everything now, he had a lot more input on our plans. Also on different possible scenarios of what was going on in Kadan. We didn't know what to expect if we did make it back since so much time had gone by on our planet. We figured they hadn't received our distress call when our ship crashed. But considering we were the royal family, it seemed King Julius would have made several attempts to have someone come rescue us. It must have been too dangerous for them to come, which meant the war had gotten bad.

I yawned. It was getting late. "Bryan, do your foster parents check your room before they go to work?" I asked.

"No, not to my knowledge."

"Well, why don't we just sleep in the guest house? I would feel more comfortable there. It makes more sense than sleeping in your bedroom."

"She's always been smarter than you," Nile told Bryan.

"Bite me," Bryan replied, punching him playfully in the arm. Syira laughed, and I did, too. It was definitely my happiest night on Earth. We talked a while longer, then my husband and I snuck out back to the guest house to consummate our vows further.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

The day before we were to carry out our mission, I glanced over at Xavier. I decided I wanted to find a way to say goodbye before we left. I had been avoiding him lately. But what was I going to say. "Hey, Xavier, I got my memory back, and now I remember I'm in love with another man. And this man happens to be the son of the king whose planet we are at war with," didn't exactly have a nice ring to it. I'm sure it wouldn't go over well with him.

Over the previous weeks, I'd only been cordial with him. I liked him a lot, but my heart belonged to someone else. It wouldn't be smart to involve myself with him.

Things were much better now that Bryan had retrieved his memory and was back to his old self. Shiray was content and they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. I had been tuning them out all week. With my enhanced Kadanan hearing, I could hear them all the way from the guest house. Geez, you would think they would be worn out at some point. I was kind of jealous. I really missed Kadeem. Was he even still alive? I began to think about carrying out our mission the following night, it gave me chills. Our plan was to pretend to go on a weekend camping trip with the school. I had forged some paperwork with brochures from the Internet to show our foster parents. If we were able to retrieve our ship, then Mr. Galvan would give them a letter explaining we'd all gotten our memories back. And we were also much older than they had thought. We told them we were grateful they took us in and cared for us. But we had gone to seek out our family. We also apologized for lying about the camping trip. But explained our lives were very complicated, that's why we had to leave unannounced. We told them we'd contact them when we could, which would never happen. I felt awful about leaving with a poor explanation, but there really wasn't another option. My foster mother would be broken-hearted. I hoped in time she would understand and be able to move on to take in more children. I'd been in a daze when I heard someone calling my name. I snapped out of my reverie to see it was Xavier.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Xavier. What's up?"

"The bell rang. Everyone has left for their next class."

"Oh, I didn't hear it."

"Is everything okay?"

"I just have a lot on my mind. Xavier, are you busy this evening?"

He grinned. "No, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you would like to come over to my house."

He smiled even bigger. "Sure. But what brought this on? It seems like you have been avoiding me for weeks."

"I have just been having some problems."

"Do these problems involve a guy?"

I avoided his question. "So, let's meet after school in the parking lot."

"I'll see you then."

I waited for him in the parking lot when school ended. I told my brothers, Xavier was giving me a ride. Xavier strolled over, opening the car door for me. He was sure a gentleman. He had a nice car, a Honda Civic. Xavier reached and grabbed my hand while he was driving. I jumped slightly, startled.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, it's fine," I replied. Maybe this was not a good idea. I was very attracted to him.

We arrived to the quiet house. I hoped Bryan, Shi, and Nile would be home soon.

"Let's go into the kitchen and get some snacks. Then we can watch TV in the family room."

We got our snacks and headed for the TV. We chose the movie Independence Day. I popped it into the DVD player. I loved this movie even though it was several years old. Xavier sat very close to me. _Uh, oh!_ I never realized how aggressive he was. This invitation to my house had, in his eyes, given him the OK to make a move. I decided there was no harm in watching a movie together. We didn't have television on Kadan, and I was going to miss it. Most Kadanans thought they were above humans, but Earth definitely had us beat in the entertainment industry.

The movie started, and Xavier put his arm around me. I could feel his breath in my ear, he smelled terrific. Then he kissed my hairline. Oh no, this was not a good. It reminded me of Kadeem; he always kissed me there. I needed to get away from him, fast.

"You smell so good," he said.

"Thank..." was all I could say before his mouth landed on mine. I loved Kadeem, Sonar knows I did. But I responded and kissed him back. He kissed so well. I was right to have avoided him for the last couple of weeks. My body felt like an electric wire. It had be a long time since I had been kissed like this. I needed to stop him, but I was having a hard time doing it.

"Um, sorry," Nile said, walking in with a big grin on his face. He didn't seem like he was sorry at all. He plopped down on the opposite couch. We were frozen in place, I pulled away, glad that Nile had interrupted us. I was already starting to feel so guilty. It was a mistake to have brought Xavier here. I was too attracted to him to be alone with him.

Nile, please don't leave until the movie is over.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, but he didn't question me further. After the movie ended, Nile excused himself. We went into the kitchen because I told Xavier I wanted to prepare something for dinner. I never cooked on Kadan, because we had several cooks and were served every meal. But I had found since being on Earth, I enjoyed cooking. My family said I was a good at it.

Xavier and I talked while I prepared dinner, he was good company. Nile strolled into the kitchen a second time for snacks.

"That smells good, sis. What is it?"

"It's beef enchiladas."

"I can't wait."

When the food was done, I said, "My parents will be home soon, Xavier. Would you like to take a plate to go?"

"Sure, that would be great." I made him a plate and wrapped it up. "I had fun hanging out with you today, Harmony."

"I did too." I walked him to the door. I gave him a hug. He squeezed me tightly, and I pulled back quickly.

"I hope I didn't offend you earlier."

He definitely took me by surprise. I felt my cheeks flush. "No, you didn't." _I only feel guilty for enjoying it so much._

"Can I call you later?"

"Sure, Xavier. Have a nice evening."

I went back inside and leaned against the door. At least at the end of the day, I found out that, even though I was attracted to another man, I would never choose anyone over Kadeem. This had proven that to me. I had feelings for Xavier, but Kadeem would always be my choice. I had to get back home no matter what.

I would probably never see Xavier again after tomorrow if our ship worked. I decided to write him a letter also. In the letter, I stated my brothers and I were having problems with our foster parents. And we were being sent to live with another foster family. I told him I would contact him when I could, but knew it was a phone call he would never get. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Hopefully he understood. At least we hadn't started a relationship before I had gotten my memory back. That would have been horrible if I had fallen in love with him, before I remembered I was already in love with someone else. I sighed in relief. I could understand better how Bryan must have felt, and I felt sympathy toward him for having to deal with it.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

A thousand butterflies danced in my stomach. I was trying to relax so I could use my mind abilities to their full capacity. There were so many things which could go wrong. We had a plan, but no way of knowing how it would play out. It would take around forty-five minutes to drive to the CIA base in Boulder. I had done a lot of research and hacking into their systems. I just prayed our craft was still there in the underground bunker where they had been keeping it. We had walkie-talkies so we could communicate with Mr. Galvan. I was so deep in thought, I jumped when Mr. Galvan entered the living room.

"Sorry, Shiray, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I am going to be."

"Let's go ahead and leave before my sister gets here."

Ms. Linda had been extremely nice to me. I appreciated her hospitality. I had written her a thank you note. Mr. Galvan was going to give to her if all went well tonight.

Mr. Galvan was driving us to the base site. But he was going to wait for us in a nearby restaurant while I drove to pick up Bryan and the others. We didn't want to risk their foster parents' seeing him in the car and wanting to speak with him. We didn't want anyone to be able to link Mr. Galvan to us once we left, because their foster parents might search for them. I was pretending that I was going on the school camping trip too.

I pulled up to their home, Nile let me in. Bryan and Syira had a few bags and some camping equipment they were getting together. Bryan came over to me and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm ready to get this over with. Mr. Galvan is waiting for us to pick him up. Where are your foster parents?"

"They are in the family room."

"I'm ready," Syira said.

"I am, too," Nile replied.

"Let's go, then," Bryan stated.

"Mom ... Dad, we're leaving!" Syira yelled.

Mr. and Mrs. Alan came into the living room to say goodbye.

"Hello, Paige," Mrs. Alan greeted me.

"Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Alan."

"It looks like you guys have everything you need," Mr. Alan replied. "Jason, are you taking the car?"

"No, Paige is driving us."

"Goodbye, Mom," Syira said, pulling Mrs. Alan into a tight hug. It took her by surprise, but she hugged Syira back. Syira hugged Mr. Alan. He was definitely taken aback. Bryan and Nile followed suit, first hugging Mrs. Alan and then Mr. Alan. They both looked skeptically at their foster children.

"Is everything okay, guys? What's with all of the hugs?" Mrs. Alan asked.

"Everything is fine," Bryan answered. "We just don't hug you guys enough and tell you how much we appreciate you bringing us in and caring for us."

"Thank you, Jason. That means a lot to us," Mr. Alan said.

Mrs. Alan narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure that's all that is going on?"

"Yes, stop worrying," Bryan told her.

Mrs. Alan seemed to believe him now and relaxed. Bryan was always so calm and good at diffusing a situation. I had always admired that about him. "All right guys, be careful on your trip," she said.

Everyone grabbed their bags, and we left the house before they could question us further. I let Bryan drive to meet Mr. Galvan. I could drive a car pretty good, but felt way more comfortable flying a spaceship. Once we picked up Mr. Galvan, he got into the driver's seat. Bryan climbed into the back seat next to me.

"I hate we have to leave our foster parents up in the air like this," Syira blurted out.

"What choice do we have?" Bryan asked.

"I know we don't have another option. I still don't like it," she said.

"If all goes well with your mission, I will make sure they get your letter," Mr. Galvan said.

"Hopefully they will understand and not hold a grudge against us for leaving so abruptly," Nile added.

"I hope not," Syira replied.

"They will be upset with us. But in time, I'm sure they'll understand and wish us the best," Bryan added, putting his arm around me. "Mr. Galvan, if our ship is able to fly then we are going to head straight for the diamonds in Arkansas."

"Then you will take off for your planet from there?" Mr. Galvan asked.

"Yes, immediately after we get the diamonds. We haven't had any contact with our planet in almost a year. So we don't know what's happening with the war," Bryan said.

"We can only pray we are not too late, and our people haven't lost the war," Nile added.

"I understand," Mr. Galvan said.

"We'll contact you once we get inside and find out if we can take off," Bryan replied.

"You want me to park two miles outside of the base, right?"

"Correct," Bryan answered.

I dozed off for the rest of the ride. When I woke up, Bryan and Nile were whispering. It was dark outside now. I raised my head from Bryan's chest.

"Are you ready, Sweetheart?" I nodded. "Come on. It's time."

We all got out of the car. "I guess this is goodbye," Mr. Galvan said. Syira hugged Mr. Galvan first. Then the guys shook his hand.

"I will never be able to repay you for helping us," Bryan said.

"You're welcome and good luck," Mr. Galvan replied.

I hugged him next. "Thank you so much, Mr. Galvan. You are an angel. I will never forget your kindness."

"I will never forget you either, Shiray. I've grown so fond of you over the past few months."

"I feel the same way about you."

"I know your ship will work and your home will be able to be saved. I was sent to you for a purpose. I believe that purpose was so you could get back home and win the war."

"I believe so, too." I released him from my embrace and kissed him on the cheek.

"Godspeed," he said, as we walked toward the base.

## Chapter 15

My heart rate picked up as we neared the perimeter of the base. We got as close to the gate as we could without being seen.

"Shiray, where's the map?" Bryan asked.

I got the map out of my backpack and opened it.

"We have to get through the gate then go here and then there, to enter the building," I relayed, pointing to the map.

"Okay, Nile, you're on. How many guards are at the gate?" Bryan asked.

Nile closed his eyes to concentrate. He was reading the minds of each guard at the gate and therefore counting how many there were. After a moment he opened his eyes.

"There are eight guards," Nile advised.

"I can handle that," I said, shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath. I mind-warped all eight of the guards at once, sending them an image of the still night. They would not see us entering the premises. Snapping out of my element, I told the crew, "We have to hurry. The image will only hold for a couple of minutes with it being so many."

Taking off running, Nile was in the lead. He went into the booth and opened the gate. The men didn't move. They were all in a daze under my trance. Once the gate opened, we darted inside. We had to go down a few halls and floors before we could get to the underground compartment.

"We're in," Bryan radioed to Mr. Galvan, as we continued through the building.

I led the way since I had studied the map. The trickiest part was getting past all the cameras. Bryan melted each one with his fire power, but we had to be on the lookout for where they were hidden.

I turned the next corner and spotted someone at the other end of the hall. He saw me, too.

"Hey, who are you?" The agent asked, pulling out his gun. Before I could mind-warp him, Syira used her telekinesis and ripped the gun right from his hand.

"What the..." he yelled.

Nile was on him next with a few swift kicks and upper jabs. The agent was out cold.

"Nice work, Nile," Bryan said.

"Come on, let's go," Syira urged.

"The stairs that go down to the underground bunker are down there," I stated, pointing.

We swiftly headed that way, and as I passed another hall an agent grabbed me. There were four more, all with guns so it got a little messy. We weren't getting out of there without a fight. The agent had me around my neck with his arm. I jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow to break free. Then I quickly kicked the gun out of his hand. He punched me and I staggered. Then I jumped and gave him a turn kick that sent him flying back. He hadn't landed well before I delivered another punt to his face. That had done it. He would not be getting up for a while.

There was still a lot of commotion going on when I spun around to check on the others. A few agents had gotten off a couple of shots. Syira and Nile were intercepting the bullets with their powers while fighting at the same time. Bryan was brawling one guy who he knocked out. Then he rushed up to me, inspecting my face, which I was sure had a bruise. He lifted my chin and turned it from side to side.

"Are you all right, Sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, Bryan."

We all charged down the stairs before more agents came to assist. We stumbled upon a set of steel doors, which we knew our ship was behind. I ran over to the nearby computers.

"Nile, get over here and help me!" I commanded. "I'm going to have to hack into the system to get these doors to open, since they are fingerprint and voice activated."

My fingers were zooming across the key pad. Nile was working on the other computer terminal. An ear-splintering alarm sounded. The entire building now knew they were under attack.

"We haven't got much time before they get down here. How much longer, Shiray?" Bryan asked.

"The door is opening. Let's go!" I yelled.

We dashed into the bunker, and there it was, our beautiful ship. Still intact, thank goodness. But there was no time to celebrate.

"I hear the agents." Syira gasped.

"Close the doors," Bryan said.

Syira and Nile closed the huge steel doors with their powers, holding it locked.

"It's a shit load of them. Get the ship activated, fast," Nile demanded.

Bryan and I quickly ran over to the ship. Our craft held natural hydraulics, so it was hovering around eight feet in the air. I smiled at the familiar sight of the Kadanan symbol on its side, which is present on every Kadanan ship. It symbolized the three moons of our planet. I climbed up the small ramp next to the ship so I could reach the symbol. It was touch-activated, so I placed my hand in the center of the symbol and held it for five seconds. I heard the humming sound as it began to activate. Once it was activated, each of the three moons that formed a triangle lit up in a white light. Our crafts didn't have doors; you had to stand within the sensor radius of the symbol. Then a white beam of light would come down and beam you into the ship. For emergencies the ship's transparent windshield could open. And there was also a hatch at the back end that we could use to get in and out of.

I pondered if the CIA agents had figured out how to beam aboard the ship. They might have activated it. But if one didn't stand in the right spot for the ships sensor; then the beam of light wouldn't trigger. Once they patched the hole, I assumed they had accessed the ship through the back hatch. I doubted they were able to figure out how to operate the ship. Because our operating and program systems were in our ancient language of Cumala. Our native tongue was Cumala, but being descendants from Earth, we'd transitioned over to the English language. Cumala was taught through school teachings and most of our technology was written in that language. Some of my race spoke in Cumala fluently, and we used it when we operated one of our technical systems. But the majority of my race spoke English as our everyday language. I climbed down from the ramp.

"The ship is activated," I said to everyone.

"We're going up, guys," Bryan told Syira and Nile. They were still holding the doors closed with their powers. We all stood in the area of the light beam. Within seconds, the ray of vibrancy beamed us aboard. What a relief to be inside.

"Keep holding the door guys. Shiray needs to check and make sure the hyper drive is working," Bryan said.

Bryan knew how to operate the hyper drive system also, I was just faster. My heart raced as I sped to the bottom compartment. I looked around, everything seemed fine. I approached the hyper drive and turned it on. I needed to run a couple of diagnostic tests to know if it was working, though. I zipped through the buttons to start the tests. But still had to wait a few minutes for the diagnostics to be completed. The anticipation was agonizing. It finally beeped, and I glanced at the screen. It read ninety percent. _Yes!_ _Praise Sonar_. Now we could go home.

Bryan, Baby, we can go home! It works. Tell Nile to start her up. I'm on my way back.

I heard the ship come to life; the best sound in the world.

I made my way to the cockpit where Bryan was talking on the radio to Mr. Galvan through his earpiece.

"What do you mean she's here?" He paused. "Okay. We're in our ship now. Just meet us at the National City Park in Denver." Another pause. "We'll make it there before you, so meet us at the southwest end of the park before the breakage into the forest. Do you know where that is?" He listened. "All right, I will meet you there in an hour."

"What's going on Bryan?" I asked.

"Hold on a minute, Shi, and I'll explain. We need to get out of here first."

"We definitely need to get out of here. They're coming in now," Syira relayed. "We couldn't hold the doors any longer."

I got to the controls to help Nile. The agents broke through the doors and began surrounding the ship.

"Nile, get the force field up in case they start shooting," Bryan said.

Nile hit the button to activate the force field but nothing happened. It normally took around twenty seconds or so for the shield to activate. But the button didn't light up, dead as a doorknob. Nile tapped it again.

"The force field is not working. It must have been damaged in the crash," Nile said.

The agents pulled out their guns, aiming at the ship, but they didn't shoot.

Nile fired the ship's lasers at the wall in front of us. Our laser beams were purple in color and they were stronger than bullets. After firing a few shots there was a hole in the wall big enough for us to fit through. The agents stepped back and shielded themselves from the debris that sprayed from the opening in the wall.

"Let's go," Nile said to me.

I beamed at him and gladly pulled the lever to move forward. The agents stared up at the craft in amazement.

"Go to Nation City Park in Denver," Bryan told us.

"What are we going there for?" I asked.

"We need to meet Mr. Galvin ... Melanie's with him."

"What?" Syira and I yelled at the same time.

"What's she doing here?" Nile asked before I could.

"I don't know. She must have followed us," Bryan responded.

"Well, why do we have to meet her? The hyper drive works; so once we get the diamonds we're leaving this planet."

"I need to talk to her," he sighed.

"For what?" I asked, angry now.

Why did he need to see her? So what if she followed us or had suspicions. Did he just have to see her one last time because he loved her? I was filled with rage, my eyes watered. I jumped up from the control panel and stormed off.

"Uh, oh," I heard Nile say.

"Shiray, wait," Bryan said, chasing after me. I didn't stop. I ran to the sleeping chamber and slammed the door in his face. _That bastard!_ I'd forgiven him for sleeping with her because he'd lost his memory. But his still wanting to see her after recovering his memories of our past was so painful. I didn't think I could bear it. How was this going to affect our relationship once we got home? Would I forget? Would he forget? It finally hit me that he would probably never forget. This would always be a scar in our relationship.

Bryan burst into the room and grabbed my arm. I jerked it away.

"Shi, Sweetheart, please."

I spun around; my face wet with tears. Then threw both of my fists into his chest as hard as I could. He stumbled back. We had never hit one another or even fought before, but I'd never been so angry. He looked shocked, but I didn't care at the moment. He grabbed my arms again, trying to embrace me. I pulled back and yelled, "Why? Tell me why you have to see her!"

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then softly said, "I never said a proper goodbye."

"What do you mean by a proper goodbye? You need to send her off with a kiss or something?"

He laughed without humor. "No, but I've been avoiding her for weeks. Regardless of the situation, I think it's wrong not to tell her something. We were in a relationship for a while. I'm not human, but I do have a conscience. In her eyes I dumped her and the next week was in love with someone else. Since the day I told her it was over, I haven't even made eye contact with her. One of her friends told me the other day a pig had more class than me. I was going to go and just leave it like it was. But now that the opportunity presents itself, I think I should tell her goodbye. You can understand Shi, can't you?"

His logic made sense. Bryan was such a good person. I agreed it was the right thing to do, but it still didn't stop the pain. "Is this because you love her, Bryan?" I asked, staring at the floor.

He didn't say anything, and I couldn't look him in the eyes yet. When I finally did, he said, "Not like I love you."

Well, at least he was honest, which was another one of his traits I loved. I turned my back to him again, and he spun me around to face him. Tears streamed freely down my cheeks, but I kept my face down.

"Look at me, Shi." I wouldn't. He put his hand under my chin and lifted my face, forcing me to look at him. "Shiray, I love you more than my own life. There is no love that compares to the way I feel about you. Yes, I care about Melanie. Care about her enough to give her an explanation. But that's it. I have no desire to be with her. My only desire is for you."

Probably my favorite thing about Bryan was he was very direct. When he was finished talking about a topic that was it. And he was through talking about this. He grabbed my face with both of his hands and kissed me with such a force, we fell back against the wall. I tried to resist him at first, but he didn't take no for an answer. So, I returned his kiss. We kissed for what seemed like forever. But when it began to go a bit further, he pulled back abruptly. He was breathing heavily and said, "I don't want to stop. But if I don't stop now this is going to go a lot farther. We will be to Mr. Galvan shortly."

"It's okay," I whispered.

"We'll finish this later tonight, on our way home."

"I look forward to it."

He kissed me softly on my lips again. "Now, be good, promise."

"I won't start anything."

He clasped my hand, and we walked back to the control room.

"We're at the park now. They probably won't be here for another thirty minutes," Nile said. "We are in the shelter of the trees. It should be dark enough that we won't be seen."

_Are you okay?_ Syira sent to me.

Not really, but I am going to behave.

A little while later, Bryan said, "I see Mr. Galvan's car. I'm going to go down. I will be back in less than ten minutes."

_Are you all right, Sweetheart?_ He sent to me.

I'm fine; hurry back.

I will.

Bryan went over to the portal that beamed us in and out of the ship. Nile beamed him down. I walked to the portal also. Syira grabbed my arm. "Shiray, where are you going?" she asked.

"Down there."

"That's not a good idea," she said.

"I agree," Nile replied.

"I just want to listen. I won't let them see me," I promised.

"Why do you want to cause yourself more pain? You don't need to listen," she said.

Please, if it was Kadeem, wouldn't you? I promise I will only listen.

She sighed heavily. "Beam her down, Nile."

"All right," he replied. "But this is on you, Syira."

He beamed me down, and I was on the ground in a matter of seconds. I hid behind a tree near enough to Bryan and Melanie that I could see and hear them clearly. I didn't know why I was doing this. I just needed to know what he was going to tell her. Mr. Galvan was sitting in his car nearby, and Bryan was standing in front of Melanie.

"Melanie, you shouldn't have followed us. Now you have put yourself at risk. Why did you?"

"I didn't plan it. I came by your house tonight to talk to you because I had a horrible nightmare about you and your siblings," I heard her say.

"A nightmare?"

"Yes. You guys were in trouble, and then you started fighting men in suits. They looked like FBI agents. I woke up in a sweat, and I couldn't shake the nightmare all day. I just wanted to come by and see for myself if you were all right. When I pulled up you were leaving ... I was curious, so I followed you. Then I find out you are really involved in some sort of CIA scandal. I found Mr. Galvan and confronted him. He told me we were at a CIA base, but he wouldn't tell me anything else. He said I needed to speak with you."

"That's interesting you had a nightmare about that. I wonder if you have premonition."

"Premonition? What are you talking about? Jason, can you please explain to me what's going on?"

"Okay, but I don't have time to explain everything. They are probably following us."

"Who, the CIA?"

"Yes. Look, I don't know if you will even believe me, but what I tell you will be the truth. You deserve to know, and I trust you. But I hate you have been dragged into this because it's dangerous. After we talk, I want you to leave with Mr. Galvan. And I am going to see if he can watch over you for me."

"You are scaring me. What's so horrible that involves the CIA?"

"I'm not from here, Melanie. My siblings are not either."

"What do you mean? Like you were born in another country?"

"No, I was born a lot farther away than that. We are not from this planet, Melanie."

"Yeah, right, Jason. Look, if you don't want to tell me what's really going on, fine. But you don't have to make up a ludicrous story."

"You wanted answers, and I'm trying to give them to you. This may be hard to believe, but I'm not making this up. You can talk to Mr. Galvan and confirm things with him. But this is serious, Melanie. Why would I be at a CIA base? What would make them so interested in me?"

I could see her re-evaluating things in her mind. What he was saying was starting to sink in with her. "I'm sorry," she said, "Please continue."

"You know I had amnesia. I got my memory back. My real name is Bryan."

"Bryan?"

"Yes, that's my birth name. We all retrieved our memories, and now we have to get back home. Our planet is at war."

"This is a lot to take in, I'm trying to understand. Why did you come to Earth?"

"I can't explain all of those details, but our ship crashed here, and we lost our memories."

"So, you're not human?"

"No."

"But you seem human...mostly." She said that as if she was contemplating. I wondered what she meant by _mostly_. I wished I could read minds, too.

"We are very similar to humans, but there are some differences. Our hearing is better. We're physically a lot stronger, and we live a lot longer than humans."

"I'm still wondering Jason, I mean Bryan. How does Paige fit into all of this? It seems like in one day you were in love with her. You said you loved me, and I don't understand how you moved on so quickly. Did you ever really care about me?"

I couldn't hate her at this point anymore. I definitely didn't like her because she had been with my husband intimately, but she didn't know he was married. She did deserve an explanation.

"Of course I care about you Melanie. Do you think I would be out here explaining things to you if I didn't?"

"No, I guess not. So, Paige is from your past I'm guessing?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, she is from my past. She's my ... I'm married."

"Married?"

"Yes. I have been for some time."

"Paige is your long lost wife?"

"Yes, and her real name is Shiray."

"Why are you telling me this? You didn't have to tell me the truth."

"I just thought you should know."

"How did you get your memory back?"

"Mr. Galvan is a psychiatrist. He put us all under hypnosis. Shiray was put under first since he was her teacher. She was separated from us during the crash. She came to find us once she remembered."

"So, once you remembered, then you realized that she was your wife?"

"Umm, yes."

"This is really weird."

"I know, but that's the reason I had to let you go. I'm not a bad person."

"Well, at least I have those pictures we took together, and I can always remember you. I'm sure I'll never see you again, if what you are telling me is true."

"No, I don't think we'll see each other again. Do you believe me?"

"I'm trying to. If you weren't married, could things have ever worked out between us?"

He hesitated, and my heart almost came out of my chest. How was he going to answer this question? He leaned in closer to her. "I am married, Melanie, and I can't imagine not being. I care a lot about you, but I don't belong to this world. My soul belongs to someone else. You are a lovely woman, and you will find someone that is worthy of your love."

"I can't imagine finding someone who could even come close to your standards."

"But you will find someone. You are pure and have such a good heart." She began crying now. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"You didn't do it on purpose. This is really a bizarre situation."

"You're right it is. I wish I had more time to explain, but I must go now."

"I will keep your secret, Bryan. I care enough about you to keep your existence safe."

"Thank you. I also think you will be safe if you don't share this with anyone. And I will speak with Mr. Galvan. I want him to stay in contact with you."

"I'm not going to tell anyone, so don't worry. It's not like they would believe me anyway."

"Look into the breakage of the trees over there to the right. In a few minutes you will see a beam of light, then a sparkle of light moving across the sky. That will be my ship."

"Your ship? As in _spaceship_?"

"Yes, it's why we were at the CIA base. They had our ship."

"Oooo-K," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You'll see for yourself. Just look into the sky."

"I will. Despite how things turned out between us, and even if you are not human, which I am still having a hard time believing, I still love you. I just want you to know that."

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "I will always care about you, Melanie."

That was my cue to leave. I didn't want to see any more. It was too painful to see him say goodbye to her, even though I had asked for it. I had chosen to eavesdrop. It hadn't been easy to listen to, but I didn't regret it. Even though I knew he cared a lot about her, I had also learned how much he truly loved me. I would always hold onto that, and I finally felt our marriage would survive. I walked quickly back to the ship and told Nile to beam me aboard. I took a seat at the control panels as if I had never left.

_How was it?_ Syira sent to me.

I'll live.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

Bryan returned to the ship a few minutes after Shiray. Then we took off and headed to get the diamonds. Once we landed we would have to mine deep into a cave to get them. As for the CIA, they couldn't travel in a car as fast as we could fly, so we weren't worried they would be able to follow us. We would have the diamonds and be off of this planet within hours. We still didn't know what to expect once we got back to Kadan. We couldn't communicate with anyone at home; our communication devices had been damaged during the wreck. Our prayer was that we got the diamonds there in time.

When we arrived at the Diamond Crater in Arkansas, Nile hid the ship in some nearby trees, hovering in the air. He would stay with the ship while the rest of us went down into the cave to mine for the black diamonds. Our mission was to obtain as many diamonds as we could carry home.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked.

"Let's do this," Bryan answered.

We went toward the mines, carrying flashlights and mining equipment.

"Everyone stay close," Bryan said.

We started our descent deep into the mines traveling through several tunnels. We knew the black diamonds were buried deep inside. The tunnels were filled with jewels, like our Under-water gem cave back home.

"There, I think I see them over there," Shi said, pointing toward a group of stones.

"Yes, it looks like the images they showed us," I agreed.

Using our equipment, we began to chisel fragments of diamonds off the wall. With four large bags to carry them in, we had to do it the old-fashioned way because the diamonds were so heavy. I would have used my powers to remove large chunks at a time if we had been able to fit the ship down here. After working for about forty-five minutes, Shi suddenly froze.

"What is it, Shi?" I asked.

"Oh, no!" she yelled.

"What's wrong, Shi?" Bryan asked, panicked.

She grabbed the bag of diamonds and threw it over her shoulder. "Hurry! We have to get back to the ship. Nile is under attack from the Polars." She took off running. Bryan and I picked up the other bags and ran after her.

"Come on, guys. He won't last much longer without us!" Shi yelled back at us.

It had taken us about twenty minutes to get down into the mine, but it only took us around five minutes to get to the mouth of the cave.

"The opening is just ahead," Bryan said. At that moment, blue laser beams zoomed our way. We all dodged and dove, hitting the ground.  
"They're shooting at us!" I shouted.

Positioned on my knees, I used my kinesis to redirect the beams. The Polars' laser guns were so strong that one hit nearly killed whoever was struck. We were stuck for a couple of minutes on the terrain with multiple lasers coming our way.

"We have to get to Nile!" I screamed.

"Can your force field hold us?" Bryan yelled to me.

"Yeah, but not for long. The lasers will eventually break through. It should be long enough to get us out of the cave!" I shouted over the sound. It was so loud with all of the lasers going off that we could barely hear one another.

"Okay, do it," Bryan said.

I gathered myself and pushed off, then my clear force field shot out over all three of us.

"Hurry, go now!" I yelled.

We took off and made it out of the opening. I gasped. There was a boat load of these fuckers. Nile was firing lasers from the ship, but there were too many of them for him to get. Once we were closer to our craft, I felt my shield weakening.

"Let Shi up first. My shield will be down in a second," I relayed.

"Go, Shi," Bryan told her. Shiray picked up my bag of diamonds also. Nile beamed her aboard.

"I'll be ready with my fire. You can drop your shield and go up next," Bryan said as he started to spew fire from his hands toward the Polars.

I dropped the shield, but had to help Bryan redirect the laser beams. I was able to take out a few shooting the lasers back towards them. Bryan got another five with his fire.

_Get up here now, guys! I see more coming in the distance_ , Shi sent to me.

"Bryan, let's go up together. There are more headed this way."

"All right." He moved closer to me. "I'll grab you. Stay where you are."

A laser zipped past, almost hitting me. I tumbled to my knees. "Ahh!"

"Syira, are you hit?"

"No, but it was close. Bryan, we have to get onboard, my powers are weakening. And the Polars are closing in."

We didn't totally lose our powers, but they would get weak after using them for a while. With rest they would return full strength. Bryan made a quick circle around me, shooting flames all around us. I jumped to my feet, and Bryan grabbed me by my waist.

_Beam up, beam up!_ I sent to Nile.

We were whisked up just in the nick of time. As we were going up, I saw Bryan's flames fading and a hundred laser beams in its place. When we landed in the ship, I was sweating profusely and my heart was pounding. We had no time to rest; the Polars immediately aimed at our craft. Since our force field was down the ship began swaying.

"We're on board, Nile!" Bryan shouted. "Push it!"

Nile and Shi were belted in their seats, but Bryan and I didn't have time to strap ourselves in. Nile floored the controls with such force that it shot straight up like a rocket. I couldn't grip anything quickly enough.

"Holy..." I yelled, flying back. Pinned to a wall by gravity, I couldn't budge. Plus, we were moving at a tremendous speed and at an odd angle. Bryan flew across the ship, hitting his head.

"Bryan!" Shi screamed.

"I'm okay," he said after a moment.

"Hold on, everyone. We're almost in outer space. Damn it!" Nile yelled.

"What?" I asked, still stuck against the wall.

"I'm spotting something on the radar. They're following us," Nile said.

"Shi, as soon as we hit outer space go down to the hyper drive," Bryan said.

The only flaw with the hyper drive was that it was located in the lower compartment, and it had to be turned on and off from there. Through the ship's window, I saw clouds whipping by. And I could feel the pressure change as we climbed through the Earth's atmosphere. When we finally hit outer space, Nile came to a halt. Bryan and I both landed on the floor with a thud. Shi bolted out of her chair to get down to the hyper drive.

"They're on us," Nile relayed.

I heard the lasers from the Polar ships. Nile weaved our craft from side to side, dodging them.

"I'm going to the back laser guns to try to hold them," Bryan said. I was scared out of my mind. We were all trained for this, but this was the first time we had to fight in a real battle. A laser hit us, and the ship jerked.

"Damn it!" Nile yelled again.

"It should only be another minute for the hyper drive, right?" I asked.

"Yes," Nile replied. "Shi just told me it's ready. Here we go."

Nile tapped the button, and we shot off like a shooting star into light speed. Traveling that fast, made it feel like we weren't even traveling at all.

"We made it," Nile sighed.

"Are you okay, brother?" I asked, walking over and putting my hand on his shoulder.

"I am now that we have escaped. When I saw the Polars, I didn't think we were going to make it."

"I know. I was so terrified."

Shi and Bryan joined us in the cockpit. We all breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was time for our journey home.

## Chapter 16

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

On our quest back to Kadan, I was still stupefied from the series of events which had just occurred. It was almost morning, and we were all exhausted. Nile was taking the first watch in case there were any Polars, while the rest of us got some sleep. I went to my sleeping chambers, waiting for Bryan, who came in a few minutes later. He looked so tired, walking over to the bed. He plopped down next to me. We sat silently for a few moments then I broke the silence.

"Bryan, are you okay?"

"I'm all right now that we are safe. How are you feeling?"

"I'm still shaken up. That was frightening. I thought I was going to lose you and Syira down there," I said, my voice shaking.

He cradled me into his arms. "It's okay now, I'm here."

"Were you scared?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, that was an experience."

"What do you think is going on at home?"

"I'm not sure. And with the radio out, we have no way of communicating with them. I hope we're not too late."

I continued to lean my head against his shoulder, and he completely changed the subject. "So, you heard." It was not a question.

"Heard what?"

"I saw the beam of light from the ship before I went back up."

He had caught me spying on him and Melanie. Oh, well. I didn't regret listening, but I didn't know what to say to him. I didn't respond.

"Is our marriage going to survive?"

"We will get through this, Bryan. We have to."

"I can't stand knowing I keep hurting you. It's killing me."

"It does hurt; I am not going to lie. But just like earlier when I didn't know if you were going to escape, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. What happened on Earth is in the past now. Hopefully it will make our relationship stronger."

"I don't deserve you. You are so loving and I thank God for sending you to me. I don't understand how you are dealing with it. I lost it that night at Nile's fifteenth birthday party when Matthew only hugged you. I can't imagine anything else."

"What response do you want from me? Do you want me to curse you out or slap you? You have to let this guilt go."

"I'm just so scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I'm scared you are going to leave me," he said, looking down.

Is that really what he thought? "Bryan, that's not going to happen."

"But you said you didn't know if you still wanted to be with me anymore."

"That's because I was upset. I had just found out about you and Melanie. I have forgiven you and I'm not going to leave you. I made a vow to you: for better or worse. I plan on honoring that vow."

He hugged me tightly. "I plan on honoring our vow also. I'm grateful you have forgiven me because I can't live without you." He grabbed my face with both of his hands. "You are so beautiful." He kissed my forehead.

I sucked in my breath and felt a tingle radiate inside of me. "You are beautiful, too."

He gave me a lustful gaze then kissed my cheek, followed by my lips. I shivered. Next he kissed my neck and started unbuttoning my shirt. "Bryan, wait," I interrupted. "I'm still a little shaken up from earlier."

"I will get you into the mood, and in a few minutes you'll forget about everything for a while." My shirt was off and he maneuvered me down onto the bed.

"Bryan..." I tried again.

"I said before we left Earth we would finish this later, and now that time has come. I want you." He glided kisses along my stomach below my navel. I began to tremble as he continued to plant kisses slowly and seductively around my navel. Oh, what the hell. I might as well give in. Why fight it? We would be home soon, and none of us knew what condition we were going to find our planet in. But he was right; I didn't want to think about any of those things. I would just enjoy this moment of happiness with my husband.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

It took three days to reach the Sonar galaxy. I was so nervous wondering what was going on down on Kadan. We were all in the cockpit, ready to make our way down to our planet.

"What's the plan, Bryan?" I asked.

"To try to contact our father," he replied. "Shi, do you think we're close enough to Kadan for you to contact him?"

"I will try," she said.

Shi closed her eyes, and we waited in silence. When she opened them she stared at us blankly. "I can't make contact with him yet, but I will keep trying."

"I hope we can reach him while we are still in orbit," Nile said.

A few hours passed and we found ourselves in orbit over Kadan. My planet had never looked more beautiful. Tears formed in my eyes. _Please, God, let them be alive,_ I thought.

"I still can't reach King Julius," Shi replied. "I don't know what's going on. I should be able to reach him from this distance."

We were all worried; it was clear from the expressions on our faces.

"What are we going to do?" I asked. "Are we going to go down there even if we have not spoken to him first?"

"I can't reach anyone else either, but regardless, we can't stay up here forever," Shi said. "I have an idea that might work."

"What is it?" Bryan asked.

"Let's all join hands and try to connect with your father as one unit. Maybe joined together we can create a strong enough signal to reach him."

"It's worth a try," I said. We all joined hands and closed our eyes.

"Okay, everyone try to push out," Shi directed.

_Father, Father_. I called out to him through my mind. I continued to call out to him for several minutes.

_Syira, is that you?_ He responded. I had gotten through to him! I was ecstatic he was still alive.

Yes, Father, it's me. We have been trying to contact you for several hours. We are hovering above Kadan right now. It's so good to hear your voice.

"He's alive. I am talking to him right now," I said to the others. "But keep pushing. I don't want to lose the signal." I heard everyone sigh in relief, but I kept my eyes closed.

I am so happy you are alive, Syira. Are your brothers and Shiray all right?

We are all fine. It was the Polars, Father. They sabotaged our ship. We crashed on Earth, and they made us all somehow lose our memories. We were on Earth for almost three years with the time difference between our galaxies. But we were able to get our memories back, and we have the diamonds.

That's great news Syira, but more importantly, I'm thankful everyone survived. I didn't think I would ever see any of you again. I am grateful God kept you safe.

How bad has it gotten, Father?

All hell has broken loose on Kadan. We are now living in the underground chamber beneath the palace.

We will land now and head to the palace.

No, wait! You have to be very careful. The Polars are everywhere now. They are controlling the air and the ground. We also need to make sure you are not followed. We have two hundred Kadanans down here. There are thousands of Kadanans hiding around the planet as well, but we have lost a vast amount more. We only go out at night and it will be nightfall soon. Wait until then to orbit down.

All right, Father. We'll contact you when we land.

Be safe, my child.

Opening my eyes, tears streamed down my face from happiness.

"What did he say?" Bryan asked first.

"They're hiding in the underground chamber. That is probably why Shiray was not able to contact him on her own."

"Is Father all right?" Nile asked.

"As far as I could tell, he is fine. He said it has gotten bad on Kadan. The Polars are controlling the air and the ground. He wants us to wait until nightfall to land. I told him we would contact him once we landed safely."

"Praise Sonar he's alive." Shi gleamed.

"How many survivors are there?" Bryan asked.

"I'm not sure. He said there are two hundred of them in the underground chamber and thousands that are also in hiding. But we have also lost a great multitude."

"It will be night in a few hours," Nile said. "Let's go over some charts and geometric systems. I want to see what kind of communications we can pick up from Kadan."

Nightfall set in, it was time to descend.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

On high alert for any signs of Polars, we flew down into Kadan's atmosphere. My heart was pounding. It seemed like I was in the Twilight Zone to actually be back on my planet now after all we had been through. We had made it halfway down when our radar picked up two Polar vessels.

"Son of a bitch! We've been spotted," Nile said.

"Nile, can we make it?" Bryan asked.

"I don't know if we can with the force shield down."

"Let's try to out-fly them," I suggested. I got on the control panel to help Nile maneuver the ship.

"I'll go to the back guns again and try to hold them off," Bryan said.

I swerved the ship from side to side, trying to avoid being hit by their blue beams. They came in at such a rapid rate with both ships firing at us that it was almost impossible. Nile fired lasers from the front and Bryan from the back. I did a thrust move that positioned us behind one of the Polar vessels. Nile fired a few more rounds and was able to take the ship down.

"Hell, yeah!" Nile exclaimed in victory. But I knew we were not out of the danger zone yet. We still had another Polar ship hot on our tail.

We suddenly received a direct hit. The craft did a somersault. I attempted to take back command of the ship. Nile was working on some coordinates on several computer monitors at once, trying to find us an escape route. He was searching through different charts and maps of the surrounding area.

"Shi, Platoon Valley is up ahead," Nile said. "I want you to fly in low and fast once we get there. I am going to tell Bryan to shoot at the rock formation once you make it around the corner of the northeast side. I hope it will be enough of a distraction to hold them off. I have a plan."

"All right." I floored the controls. I aimed the craft in a downward direction, heading for Platoon Valley. Their vessel accelerated also. I pushed our ship even faster.

"The edge of the cliff will be coming up in a couple of seconds. Once you make the turn, head for Moeris Lake and dive under the water," Nile relayed. "Even if we lose them or take them down, we don't know if there are other Polar ships in the area. We need to hide for a while."

"That's a good idea, Nile," I told him. I made my way to the cliff's edge and did a swift turn around the corner. I heard the laser beams go off from the back gun. I glanced quickly at the computer monitor and saw several rocks and debris fall behind us. I didn't know if we took their vessel down or not, because I turned my attention back to flying. I approached Lake Moeris and dove into the water. Nile switched on the ship's night vision lights so we could maneuver through the thick, dark water.

Bryan returned to the cockpit. "I took those bastards down! I don't think there were any more in the surrounding area. That was a good plan, Nile," Bryan complimented.

"Thanks. I hope it worked and no one saw us come down here," Nile responded. "Take her halfway down, Shi, then neutralize her."

Once I made it halfway down to the bottom of the lake, I put the ship in neutral mode. We floated in place.

"That was close," Syira said.

"Yeah, it was," Nile agreed.

"We should be safe here, but I want us to lay low for a while," Bryan said.

"Father was right. The Polars have taken over our planet," Syira sighed.

"Well, we are back now. And I plan on taking our planet back," Nile said.

"Yes, we will," Bryan agreed.

An hour or so passed, and we were still biding our time with the ship underwater. Nile and I were running diagnostics of the communication systems throughout Kadan. We were not getting much information. It seemed as if the majority of the communications were down across the entire planet. It was frightening to be in this situation.

"Nile and I are going to go up and search the surrounding area. If the coast is clear, then we will make a run for the palace," Bryan said.

Nile took the craft out of neutral and took us up to the surface of the water before neutralizing it again. "We're not picking up anything on the radar," Bryan relayed. "Once we make sure the area appears safe, we will contact you."

My stomach cringed in a million knots with the fact they were going out there. I walked over to Bryan. "Please be careful."

"We will," he promised, taking me into an embrace. "I want you and Syira to take the ship back underwater so that you are out of sight." I kissed him softly on the lips. "Don't worry, Shi. We will okay."

"It's hard not to worry. We were just chased on our own planet."

"I know, Sweetheart, but we have to try to stay positive. Hopefully the war will turn around now that we have the diamonds."

Our ship was floating halfway above the water's surface, so we could not beam Nile and Bryan off of the craft. Nile hit the button, and the transparent windshield, which could be opened in emergency situations such as this, drew back. Bryan and Nile stepped out of the opening onto the top of the ship then jumped to the bank of the lake. I took one last glance at Bryan and then I accessed the button so the shield closed. Then I maneuvered us down several feet underwater.

"This is nerve-racking, but they will be all right," Syira said.

"I hope so."

We waited anxiously while they were gone. No Polars came up on the radar, so we hoped that meant Bryan and Nile hadn't run into any trouble.

I was relieved when Bryan told me a while later through my mind to bring the ship back up. Once we reached the surface I opened the shield.

Bryan and Nile climbed in. "We scoped out the entire area in a three mile radius to the palace, and we didn't run into anyone," Bryan said.

"I didn't pick up on any thoughts, either," Nile added.

Bryan retrieved two of the bags containing the diamonds. Nile grabbed the other two bags along with his backpack. Syira picked up her tote bag, and I grabbed Bryan and my backpacks.

"Everyone stay close and alert as we head for the palace," Bryan told us.

He, Syira, and I waited on the bank of the lake while Nile programmed the autopilot button on the ship to close the windshield. And then hover a few feet underwater in its hibernation phase. If the Polars didn't run across it, our craft could stay that way for an infinite amount of time. Nile met us on the bank a few minutes later.

"All right, guys, let's move," Bryan said.

Nile led the way so he could pick up on any thoughts as we quickly made our way through the woods toward the back entrance of the palace. When we reached the edge of the woods, we waited to check out our surroundings. I smiled up at my home. Even though our planet had been invaded by our enemy, the palace had never looked more beautiful.

"I've contacted Father. He said we need to enter through the back entrance and go to the kitchen. He wants us to wait there, and he'll send one of the guards up to meet us," Syira relayed.

We walked through the courtyards and approached one of the back entrances.

"Wait," Nile demanded. "I am picking up on some thoughts. Let me filter through them." A few seconds went by. "There are several Polars inside of the palace. We are going to have to sneak in very carefully." Nile slowly opened the door and we crept inside. "How many Polars are there, Nile?" Bryan asked.

"Approximately ten, but they are at the front of the palace. Everyone stay a few feet behind me, and I will signal if they come any closer. He continued forward, and we stayed several feet behind him as we made our way into the kitchen. This was surreal to have to sneak around in our own home. My heart was beating so loud, I wondered if the others could hear it. We entered into the kitchen, then Nile stopped and put his hand up motioning for us to halt. "I see someone," he whispered. We all froze in place.

"Is it a Polar?" Syira asked.

"I'm not sure. Hold on a second," Nile said. "Shi, have your mind-warp ready just in case."

"Okay," I replied.

"Who's there?" We heard a male's voice say.

"It's John," Syira replied.

_Praise Sonar!_ I thought. I saw John come into view. He was crouched in a fighting position with this laser gun pointed at us. We all sighed in relief and went over to him. He lowered his weapon as we approached.

"It's us," Nile said to him.

John was King Julius' right hand man. He was very tall and bald. He smiled at us. "It is so good to see all of you, but we need to move now. There are always Polars patrolling around the palace, and we can't let them find out where the secret entrance is to our hiding spot."

"There are at least ten Polars at the front of the palace," Nile said.

"Let's hurry then. This way," John stated, walking toward the enormous pantry. We followed quickly behind him and entered into the room. It held many aisles which were usually stocked with food like a grocery store on Earth, except the shelves were empty now. I assumed they were storing all of the food in the underground chamber. We made our way to the back of the pantry, and there was an empty wall. John touched the wall in three spots. An image of our three moons in the shape of a triangle appeared and lit up for a couple of seconds. Then an opening in the wall around the size of a door frame formed. _Amazing!_ This _was_ a secret entry.

"Down here," John said, walking through the entrance and down a set of stairs. Syira and Nile followed him, but I hesitated because it was so dark inside. Bryan grabbed my hand.

"Hurry through the opening," John advised. "It will only be open for a few more seconds."

Bryan and I hurried through inside, and then the wall sealed behind us. It was very dark in here. The stairwell was narrow and it curved downward.

"There's barely any light down here," I said.

"It will be more light when we get to the bottom," John replied.

"And how far down is that?" Syira asked.

"It's about forty feet."

It seemed to take forever before we finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, and I was relieved to find it was a lot brighter down here. We walked a few feet further, then came to a set of double steel doors. "My father has built this chamber quite well," Bryan stated.

"Yes, it is built well," John agreed, pulling the doors open. The entrance was quite large. I scanned my surroundings as we made our way inside. The secret chamber was much larger than I had imagined. It looked like a hotel on Earth, but from what I could tell there was just one story. There were many rooms and hallways. This place must cover the entire length of the palace.

"How long has everyone been living down here, John?" Bryan asked.

"For almost four months," John replied. "There are vast amounts of bedrooms, but there is an entire family living in each room. We need to fit as many Kadanans as possible down here. There are no windows and only two ways inside. One through the front steel doors and there is an emergency exit at the back end."

"How many guards are here?" Nile asked.

"There are eighty of us down here, but we're training several other men and woman to fight. Now that you have returned you will be put back in charge of your teams."

We continued and came upon a huge living area full of sofas and lounge chairs. It was also full of Kadanans. Everyone grew silent as we approached, and then they began dropping to their knees and bowing. I had forgotten how it felt to be royalty. This welcome felt strange; it had been so long since anyone had bowed to me. King Julius came forward, still as handsome as ever. His hazel eyes gleamed.

"My children," he beamed, holding out his arms to us.

We all ran and embraced him in an emotional hug. After a moment we gathered ourselves.

"Here are the diamonds, Father," Bryan said, handing two of the bags to King Julius. The king took a peek inside one of the bags and then motioned for Kanen, Kadan's technology specialist. He made most of our planet's weapons, ship designs, and satellite cameras. A true genius. Kanen walked over, looked inside of the bag, and smiled.

"Yes, this is them," Kanen said.

"Wonderful. Take these and get started on the lasers," King Julius commanded, holding the bags out to him.

"Yes, My Lord," Kanen replied, and grabbed the bags. His assistant, Hebert, took the other bags from Nile. The two men went immediately to begin the project.

"Our ship is under Lake Moeris, Father," Nile said. "We had to hide it there because we were chased as we entered into Kadan's atmosphere."

King Julius closed his eyes. "I'm grateful you escaped." He opened his eyes and stared at us gravely. "This war has been such a strain on my people. Once Kanen has perfected our lasers, we will return to the surface and fight. We're keeping contact with multiple other units hidden around the planet and working on a new strategy. We have lost so many, I thought it would be best if we moved down here and lay low for a while. There is so much to go over with you, and we will, but I'm sure you are tired from your descent. Let me show you to your sleeping quarters. I will have food brought to you. After you have rested, then we can discuss the future."

"All right, Father," Bryan said.

"Shiray," King Julius said, turning to me. "You have some kin down here with us. Your aunt, her husband, and two daughters are among them."

"My Aunt Rashell?"

"Yes, but I believe she has already retired for the evening."

Rashell was my mother's younger sister. I was so excited, and I couldn't wait to see her and my two cousins. "What about my father, King Julius? Where is he?" King Julius looked away. I knew something was wrong. "Where's my father?" I tried again.

"Your father was a great Kadanan warrior, but we lost him in battle," he finally said.

There had been some chattering going on around me, but everyone grew silent as I received this tragic news. It felt like someone had just stabbed me in the chest. King Julius came forward and took my hand in his, squeezing it slightly.

"I'm so sorry, my dear."

Shock consumed me, not registering what he was saying. There was no way my father could be dead. He was still young and had so many years ahead of him. King Julius must have been mistaken. "My father can't be dead!" I exclaimed.

"Shiray, I'm sorry. We buried him two months ago," King Julius replied.

I heard some awful high-pitched squealing noises, which I realized was coming from me. "No! No, it can't be!" I felt my knees buckle beneath me, and I fell to the ground. I didn't care who was watching me fall apart. My father was gone, and I hadn't even had a chance to tell him goodbye. Bryan knelt next to me and pulled me into his arms.

"Shi, let's get you to our room."

"No! I don't believe it," I continued. Bryan scooped me up off of the floor and held me like a baby in his arms.

"Which way is our room, Father?"

I felt us moving, but had my eyes closed. I could only hope that if I closed my eyes, I would wake up, and this would all be a dream. Once we got into the room, Bryan laid me on a bed. I heard him whisper something to his father, but I didn't even care what he was saying. The reality of my father's death was setting in. I curled up into a ball and began sobbing. I heard Bryan close the door and then felt him climb into the bed behind me. He pulled me to him.

"Sweetheart, do you want to be alone?"

"No, just hold me," I said between sobs.

He kissed my hair. "I'm so sorry, Shiray."

"I thought I would at least get to see him again," I whimpered. "It never even crossed my mind he might not survive." My voice cracked. I began to sob loudly again.

"I am shocked, as well. He was a good man. This is horrible, Sweetheart, but we will get through this together."

"How I am going to get through this? Now both of my parents are gone. I feel so empty."

He kissed my forehead and held me tighter. "I love you, and I know it hurts. But I'll be here for you. We'll take it one day at a time."

He started to sing to me, as he did often. He knew I loved his voice. He sang _I Can Only Imagine_ , by Mercy Me. It was a Christian song I remembered hearing on the radio on Earth. My chest felt tight with pain, but his voice soothed me. Slowly my loud sobs turned into quiet whimpers. He stroked my hair gently. I don't know how long I cried before exhaustion took me over, and I fell asleep in his arms.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I had just watched in horror as Shiray received the awful news about her father.

"Gosh, that was so terrible," I told Nile. We were in my sleeping chambers.

"Poor, Shiray. She's been through so much already, and it's not fair."

"I agree. Do you think we can win the war now that we will have stronger lasers?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I hope so, but we really need to get a good night's sleep. We will have a long day tomorrow."

Nile surprised me by pulling me into his arms; we rarely hugged. I hugged him back tightly. "Get some rest, sis, and I'll see you in the morning."

It was so awful about Shiray's father being killed in the war. He was a great father, and loved her so much. I knew how it felt to lose a parent. Time would dull the pain, but she would always miss him. I would be there to comfort her. I glanced around the room. It was ten times smaller than my bedroom just above me in the palace, but it was cozy. I was so relieved to be home. I opened the small chest drawer and pulled out some night attire. Then turned off the light and lay down. It was so dark with no windows or light from our three moons.

Earth seemed so far away. I wondered what Xavier was doing. He had long gotten my letter and I wondered what he had thought about my leaving. Well, I would never know and would never see him again. He was a nice guy, and he would find someone who would make him happy.

I thought about what had happened on our planet since we had been gone. At least my father and family were safe for the time being. We were back in the Sonar galaxy, and I needed to re-adjust back to our time frame. I wasn't a lost teenager anymore and would be twenty-one on June twenty fifth. Kadeem would be twenty-three. We shared the same birthday, another reason I felt that we were meant to be together. What were the odds of our having the same birthday? I had tried to contact him through my mind several times once we returned but had been unable to reach him. He wouldn't be able to hear me if he was on Polaris. But I was hoping he would be here on Kadan, since his people had taken over the planet. I was worried sick about him. I didn't even know if he was still alive, and that scared me the most. I wasn't going to give up. I was going to continue to keep trying to contact him through my mind, as well as communicate with him in his dreams. Shutting my eyes, I began to let my mind take control. A radiant energy sparked inside my mind and I started soaring through dream channels, trying to find Kadeem's. It had been a while since I'd used my dream walking powers, but it was like riding a bike. It was easier searching through dreams of the people I were more attuned to. I knew Kadeem wholeheartedly. Even though I hadn't seen him in ages, I could never forget our connection. I had to reach him, I needed to know if he was still alive.

The next morning, I lay on my bed, awake and restless. I wondered if Shi could connect with me and enhance my power so I could reach Kadeem. But it was not the proper time to ask her for help.

I got up, got dressed, and made my way toward the main living area. There were several Kadanans walking in the hallways, and they greeted me as I passed. Rose, one of our maids, came up to me.

"Your Highness, it's so good to have you back," she said, hugging me.

"Thank you, Rose. I'm happy to be home also. So much has changed since I've been gone."

"Yes, things have changed. I know the accommodations aren't quite what you are used too."

"No, they are fine. I'm talking about being in hiding and all of the lives that have been lost." Why would she think I was upset about the accommodations? Had I really been that shallow before?

"There has been too many lives lost, but I'm positive things will turn around now that you and your brothers have returned."

"I hope so. Speaking of my brothers, have you seen them?"

"Yes, they are eating in the dining area." She pointed in the direction of the dining room.

"All right, Rose, it was nice speaking with you, but I need to go talk with them."

"Of course, and if you need anything just let me know." She began to leave.

I thought about her family and wondered if she had loved ones down here. I hadn't gotten a chance to find out who was here was with us. I called to her, "Rose, how have you been holding up?"

She turned, and her eyes were wide. "I'm hanging in there. Thanks for asking."

"What about your family? How are they?"

"I've lost a lot of my family, but my daughter Marie and one of my sisters are down here."

"I'm sorry about your family, Rose, but I am glad your daughter and sister are safe. I also want you to let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

She arched her eyebrow at me. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"And by the way, just call me Syira from now on." I walked away, then stopped to glance back. Rose was still standing in the same spot, looking flabbergasted. I must have really been vain before. My journey to Earth had changed me, and I didn't care about petty things such as accommodations. All I cared about was that my family was safe, and I wanted us to survive. I arrived at the dining area, where several Kadanans were eating. I found Bryan and Nile at one of the tables and went over to them.

"Hi, guys."

"Hi," Nile replied.

"Good morning," Bryan said.

"Where's Shi?" I asked Bryan.

"She's still asleep," he said.

"How is she holding up?" I asked.

"She's a mess," Bryan replied, cringing. "She cried for hours before she finally fell asleep."

"We will all help her to get through this," I said. "What's on the agenda today?"

"After breakfast, Father wants to meet with us in the conference area they have down here," Nile answered. "Each of our seconds-in-command will be attending the meeting too."

"I better grab a plate then, it sounds like we have a busy day ahead of us."

## Chapter 17

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

_Wow!_ What time was it? I sat up in bed. There was no way of telling time down here. I glanced at the time clock on the side table and was shocked to find it was very late in the evening. I had slept all day. Then I remembered the night before and that my father was dead. I would have started crying again, but was all dried out. I got out of bed and went to the small bathroom connected to our room. I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy, and my hair was matted. After splashing water on my face, I combed my hair into a ponytail. I took a deep breath and stared at myself in the mirror again. I still felt horrible, but looked a little better.

Bryan, I'm up. Where are you guys?

Hey, Sweetheart, we decided to let you get some rest. But I'm here in the main living area talking with your aunt and her husband.

All right, I will be there in a minute.

As I made my way to the living area several Kadanans greeted me as well as gave me their condolences. Surprisingly, I held it together. I spotted Bryan and my aunt sitting on the sofa and walked over to them. Rashell stood up, and we hugged.

"It's so good to see you, Shiray," she said. She still looked the same; she resembled my mother. They both had the same light shade of brown hair, and it was naturally wavy like mine, falling to her shoulders. Her eyes were hazel like my mother's, also. She was a few inches taller than me.

"It's good to see you, too, Aunt Rashell." I hugged my cousins Summer and Amber. "You have both gotten so big. You are so grown up."

"You're even prettier than I remember," Summer complimented.

"Thank you, Summer. You have gotten prettier too," I replied. "How old are you now?"

"I'm eleven, and Amber is nine."

"Hello, Shiray," Rashell's husband, Efrin greeted extending his hand to me.

"Hi, Efrin. How are you?" I asked, taking his hand.

His hair was a beautiful shade of golden blond, the same as Amber's. "I'm well," he replied. "It is good to have you back. Now maybe our planet will have a fighting chance."

I took a seat next to Bryan.

"Shiray, if there is anything you need, please let me know," Rashell said.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered myself. "I will. Thanks."

I'm sure she could tell I wasn't ready to talk about my father, so she changed the subject. "What was Earth like?"

Bryan interrupted, "How about I take the girls to get dinner?"

"I will join you, Bryan," Efrin said. "We'll let the ladies talk."

"Earth is similar to Kadan, although Kadan is more beautiful," I said as they walked off.

"How are the humans?"

"They look just like us, minus the powers. And of course we can hear better, and we are much stronger."

"Interesting. You were there for a couple of years with the time difference once your ship crashed, right?"

"Yes, we were there for almost three years."

"And I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but I overheard King Julius say that the Polars followed you to Earth."

"Yes, they attacked us. We barely escaped."

"That's awful, Shiray."

"So much has happened; I just don't have the strength to talk about it right now."

"Of course, I understand. On a good note, I have finally made contact with my mother. I hadn't spoken with her in over nine months. I didn't know if she was dead or alive once the war had gotten bad. She is still living on the other side of the planet in Luxor. She's in hiding also."

"That is good news. How is my Grandmother Noel?"

"She's doing pretty well. I miss her so much. I haven't seen her in so long, but I'm relieved she is alive."

"I am too. I can't even remember the last time I saw her. It will be great when I can see her again. Hopefully this war will be over soon, and we can all reunite with the rest of our family members." My stomach growled loudly.

Rashell beamed. "Let's go get dinner. Bryan, Efrin, and the girls just said down to eat."

"Sounds good."

We ate dinner and talked for a while at the table. Nile and Syira had joined us too.

"We start training tomorrow, Shi. Did Bryan tell you?" Nile asked.

"No, he didn't," I responded.

"Only if you are up to it," Bryan said to me.

"Yes, I am up to it. I need to take my mind off of things anyway."

"We are all back in charge of our old teams," Nile told me. "Well, everyone, I'll see you guys in the morning. I have some things I need to go over with John and Juda."

"Have a good evening," Syira said to Nile as he left the table. "Shi, before I forget, when you have a moment, my father wants to speak with you."

"All right," I said, a little surprised. "I will see if he is available now."

After my conversation with King Julius, I headed back to my sleeping quarters. It was late, and I was tired even after sleeping the entire day. All of the crying I had done had drained me. I took a long, hot shower and put on my nightgown.

Then there was a knock on the door. "May I come in?" It was Syira.

"Sure," I said, opening the door. We sat down on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm holding up."

"What did my father want, if I may ask?"

"He wanted to know if I needed anything, and he also gave me this." I pointed to the necklace I was wearing.

"Is that your father's ring?"

"Yes. Now I have both of my parents' rings."

"I am here for you if you need to talk, Shi."

"Thank you." I hugged her tightly. "So, have you made contact with Kadeem?" I could tell by the expression on her face she hadn't.

"No. I have not been able to contact him yet."

"Do you want me to try to help you connect with him?"

"That would be great, but not tonight. You look tired."

"All right, we can do it tomorrow if you have not reached him on your own by then."

She squeezed my hand. "Thanks for your offer. Now I want you to get some rest. We have a long day of fight training tomorrow."

She stood up and kissed me on the cheek before she left. I really did love her; she was my real sister as far as I was concerned.

A few minutes later, Bryan came in. He took a quick shower, and lay in the bed behind me. I felt the weight of my father's death heavy on my chest. But I had cried so much last night I didn't have the energy to cry anymore. Bryan pulled me closer to him and kissed my neck. It made me shiver. I turned to face him and glued my mouth to his. He encased his hands in my hair and kissed me with equal intensity. I pressed my body tighter against his. Being with him intimately definitely took my mind of off things. But he pulled back after things began heating up.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean to get carried away. I'll let you get some rest."

"What do you mean? You didn't do anything wrong."

"But you are grieving for your father."

"I know. That doesn't change my feelings for you. I want to be with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said, gliding my hand along his chest and continued down. He groaned and bit his lip. Then he pulled my hair tighter while rubbing his hand along my backside. I moaned. He parted my lips with his tongue, kissing me deeply. He rose above me, pinning me down on the bed, and nipped at my bottom lip. My breathing hitched. I intertwined my legs around his hips, and he didn't make another objection for the rest of the night.

The next week was hard for me, some days were better than others. Each night I grieved for my father, and Bryan held me in his arms. I was grateful for him. He was such a loving husband. At least I had training which I actually enjoyed, during the day to keep me busy. I always had liked to practice combat fighting and techniques, though this was a totally different situation since we were in a real war. We worked with our teams that held around thirty-five members each, on new strategies.

A lot of Kadanans had not only been killed but also captured, and taken hostage on Polaris. There was still so many missing. We didn't know if they were dead or being held prisoner. We kept a roster of the deceased, but some Kadanans, like my cousin Symone, were not on the list. I had no idea of her whereabouts. This was the status for many people. Knowing that one day soon we would all join together to take King Zeus down gave me hope.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

It had been about two weeks since we had returned to Kadan. Shiray seemed to be doing better in dealing with her father's death as time moved on. I, on the contrary, felt as if I was about to go insane because I still had been unable to reach Kadeem. I had not yet taken Shiray up on her offer to help me contact him. I wanted to give her time to mourn for her father, but I just had to make contact with him. I decided it was time to ask her for help.

Late in the afternoon during our training session with our teams, I saw John whispering to Bryan. What was that about I thought? Then Bryan stepped over to talk to Nile and they walked off together.

"What's going on?" Shi asked, walking up to me.

"I'm not sure. I was wondering the same thing myself."

A few minutes later, Bryan came back into the room. He signaled for everyone to quiet down. We all gathered around him.

"My fellow Kadanans, I've found out we will be going on a mission just before nightfall." Everyone started talking at once.

"Quiet, everyone. Remain quiet!" Nile commanded. The room silenced.

Bryan continued, "We have gotten word the base site in the next territory of Cairo has been waylaid. Around eighty Kadanans survived, and they are hiding in Elm's Forest. There are hundreds of Polars surrounding the area. We'll most likely be outnumbered, but we will have our new lasers guns and you also have your skills. We have trained you well over the last few weeks, and now it's time to put that training to the test."

"Are there any questions?" Nile asked.

"How well do the lasers work?" someone asked.

"As well as the Polars' lasers do, if not better," Nile answered.

"Everyone get prepared. We will head to the ground bay area where our ships are hidden in two hours. We'll meet at the back entrance. You may go now and say goodbye to your families," Bryan instructed.

This was a new development. This morning we were training, and now we were about to go on a real mission.

This is crazy, Shi!

It's all happening so fast.

Do you think we can rescue them safely?

I hope so.

_I'm going to go and get prepared. I will meet you at the back entrance_.

When we met at the back entrance area later, there was a lot of chaos. Everyone formed into their teams. Bryan, Shi, and Nile stood in front of their teams, and I walked over to mine. Conan who was John's second in command, Kumar, Bryan's second, Juda, Nile's second, and Cessar, Shiray's second were handing out our new laser guns. John got everyone's attention to listen to Bryan.

"Were going to leave our ships about a mile from Elm's Forest, and then we will descend into the forest," Bryan said.

"Are all eighty Kadanans in the same area?" Shi asked.

"I'm not sure. But we're going to try to rescue all of them, wherever they are," he replied. "We may have to split up. Everyone please listen for my orders or the orders of Nile, John, Shiray, or Syira."

"All right, Kadanans, let's be alert and stay close together," John stated. "We are leaving through the back exit. Then heading to the basement and into the secret door to where our ships are hidden."

My stomach had butterflies. I hoped everyone made it out. My father came into the room.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked Bryan.

"Yes, Father," Bryan answered.

Father walked over to me, Shiray was in earshot. "Syira, are you and Shiray ready for this mission?"

"Yes, Father. This is what you trained me for all of my life. And we were able to make an epic escape from Earth."

"All right, but please be careful. You too, Shiray."

"We will, King Julius."

"Your Highness," I heard John say to Bryan, indicating that it was time.

"Let's move out," Bryan commanded.

We all made our way through the back exit door, and into a long, poorly-lit tunnel. It was several meters long and led to another door which led to the basement of the palace. We used to store our ships in the basement, but now it was empty. The Polars patrolled the basement as they did the rest of the palace, so all the ships had been hidden. John signaled for us to stop; several Kadanans moved forward to scout out the basement. We received their signal: so far so good. Our enemy didn't seem to be down there. So, we moved to the far wall of the basement. John touched the wall in three places as he had done the night he brought us down. Our moon symbol appeared and lit up, then the wall slid back, revealing many of our vessels. I had to give it to Kanen for constructing all of these secret doors, he was amazing.

The teams broke up at that point, and we each approached our ships. We activated them and beamed aboard. Once inside, my team and I prepared for takeoff.

Nazar was my second-in-command. He had curly, blond hair and light brown eyes. Before I had left for Earth we had become good friends.

"Syira, are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Nazar. I'm just mentally preparing for this mission."

"We will prevail now that we have our new lasers," he said. "And I won't let anything happen to you."

"I have your back, too, Nazar." I smiled at him. He was a kind man, and his wife was lucky to have him.

Flying through a long, wide, cave-like tunnel that led us to the surface, we were on our way to Elm's Forest.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

Once we barreled through the underground tunnels, we all followed Bryan's ship towards Elm's Forest. We were flying low to the ground to remain out of sight with our radars on to detect any signs of Polar activity.

Cessar, my second-in-command, and I got along well. His hair was black and his eyes were chocolate brown. He was five feet eleven in height and had a very muscular build. He was also really good looking, and I was surprised he was single.

"Are you ready, Princess Shiray?" he asked me.

"Yes, I'm ready to rescue our people." We arrived at our destination, and hovered quietly in the air, awaiting our next orders. Minutes later, Bryan gave orders for us to prepare to go into Elm's Forest. Each ship was leaving two or three members aboard. They would assist us in firing lasers, if we needed help. I beamed down to the ground. Bryan walked over to me.

"Hi," I said, smiling at him. "What's up?"

"I want you to be careful."

"I will." He kissed me quickly on the lips, then went back over to his team.

"He really cares about you," Cessar said.

"I feel the same way about him."

"You two have a rare thing. I hope I can find that with someone one day."

"You will, Cessar."

John gave commands on how we were going to invade the perimeter. Then we started on our journey into the forest. The teams stayed together with no more than ten feet between each group. My stomach flip-flopped, but it felt good to know we were going to rescue others.

A commotion transpired a few minutes into our hike. "Halt," I heard John yell from up ahead. His team was in front. Then I saw the Polars.

"Get in formation!" I shouted. My team took their stance in a line which formed the shape of a diamond, so that all four points were covered. I stood at the front of the point. Cessar stood by my side and Tia on the other. "Everyone prepare to engage!" I yelled.

"Can we attack now, Your Highness?" Tazman asked from behind me.

"No, not yet, hold steady," I replied. The Polars drew closer, then I saw their blue lasers coming our way. "Now, fire!" I crouched down into a lower position and we all fired our lasers. _Holy shit!_ I thought, surprised at how much more power our purple beams held. The black diamond's definitely magnified their strength. More Polars headed toward us, starting to close in. "Cessar cover the left flank!" I began firing in that direction taking a few down. Combat fighting had broken out. Tazman and a few others were battling but appeared to be flustered, not holding their ground. Tazman was a good fighter, but he was not fighting to his best potential. Perhaps he was overwhelmed by the chaos of the battle.

"Tazman you're getting ambushed. Hold your ground! Don't let your defenses down, or we'll be collateral damage. Everyone fight for your families and the love ones that you have lost!" I commanded. It must have snapped some fight back into them, because they started to push the Polars back. I shot a couple more and everywhere I looked, Polars and Kadanans were brawling. Blue and purple lasers zoomed in every direction. I heard a loud commotion to my right. Tia had seven coming at her. I fired in that direction and set my mind-warp into action. I took out two men. Tia used her telekinesis and killed three more. Other Polars were advancing. I shot at them, taking a few down, but some dodged the beams. I stayed low to the terrain to avoid getting hit. Cessar was still to my left and he was in hand-to-hand combat. I had to concentrate on the Polars who were charging me. I hoped my team would continue to use their combat skills to the fullest strength. We were surrounded now and needed to push our abilities, in order to conquer this mission.

I shot a Polar and used my mind-warp of pain for another. A woman approached and head-butted me in the face. Ouch! I tasted blood, realizing it came from my lip. She looked right at me. Her eyes were dark brown, but she had the golden glow behind them, as all Polars did. She raised her laser to shoot me, but I kicked it out of her hand. She countered and knocked my laser from mine. I was about to mind-warp her when she touched my wrist and shocked me. A jolt of electric pain went through me. I sucked up the agony and quickly recovered. Oh, so she wanted to dish out pain? Well I loved to play her game. I mind-warped her with pain, she moaned falling to one knee.

Another Polar came up behind me and grabbed me in a chokehold. I mind-warped him, and he let me go. The female Polar had a chance to recover, however, and she sent a fist my way. I quickly dodged it and delivered a punch to her face. This pissed her off. She clasped my arm, shocking me again. It hurt like hell, but I absorbed the pain because I was mad. I grabbed her by the neck with one hand and tackled her down like a linebacker. I continued to choke her on the ground until she managed to shock me again. I released my grip. She reversed our roles by getting behind me, choking me instead. I couldn't mind-warp her at the moment, as I was trying to breathe. I stopped struggling and reached into my pocket for my knife. Then I stabbed her in the thigh. She yelled, and released her grasp on me. I turned around and slid the knife across her throat. She started to bleed out, clutching her neck. I dropped to my knees trying to regain my breath.

I figured she would die from the wound and I hated to kill her, but she would have killed me first. I composed myself and glanced around. Nile was fighting using his kinesis and combat skills at the same time. His group seemed to be doing well. I turned to my right, jumped to my feet, and took off running. Syira needed my help; she was being triple-teamed.

When I reached her I kicked one of the Polars in his back. He moved off of her and assailed me. He tried to punch me, but I ducked, stabbing him in his side. He groaned, clasping his wound. I saw a laser gun on the terrain. I swiftly reached for it and shot him. He was now dead also. Next I shot the other two Polars who Syira was still brawling.

"Thanks," she said, sighing.

"No problem. They are nothing but cowards anyway. They always have to double team us."

Syira's eyes grew wide and she yelled, "Look out!"

Before I could comprehend what she was saying, something hit the back of my head. I fell to the ground. The laser gun flew out of my hand, and then I was being kicked. It seemed once again the role was reversed now, and I was the one being tripled-teamed. I tried to use my mind-warp on them, but it was kind of hard under the circumstances of being beaten. I fought back ... there were too many. It was only a matter of seconds that this went on, then they were off of me. I heard screaming. What was happening?

I looked up. Bryan and Syira were standing over me. Then I saw why the three Polars were screaming. Bryan had lit them up, and they were burning alive. Continuing to yell, they fell on the ground, tumbling over and over, trying to dampen the flames at no avail. I turned my head. Even though they were the enemy, I didn't want to see them die that painful death.

"Are you all right, Shi?" Bryan asked, franticly kneeling over me.

"I will be okay," I said, trying to stand up. My back was killing me. Bryan helped me to my feet.

"All right, listen, guys," he said to Syira and me. It was hard to hear him with the lasers, brawling, and hollering going on around us. "We need to go to Plan B. I need you two and a few others to take three ships and circle around to rescue the Kadanans while we finish up here."

Bryan zoned out for a second. I knew he was giving commands through his mind to the rest of the team leaders. John, Conan, Nazar, Kumar, Tia, Sharaf, and Cessar made their way to us.

"Can you walk?" Bryan asked.

"I'm not sure," I said honestly.

Cessar scooped me up. "I will carry her."

"Syira, Conan, Kumar, and Tia, I want you to form a force field around all of you as you go back to the ships. Also, once you reach the Kadanans, shield as many of them as possible as you board them onto the ship. Contact me once you have them safely aboard."

"Yes, Your Highness," John replied.

The group began sprinting in the direction of the ships, me still in Cessar's arms. I hated he had to carry me.

_I love you_. Bryan sent to me. In the mist of off of this, Bryan was so caring toward me.

I love you, too, and please be careful.

Their force fields held up as lasers came at us from every direction, but were unable to penetrate. We finally made it back to our vessels. Syira got into her ship with Sharaf and Nazar. John beamed into his ship with Conan and Kumar. Cessar, Tia, and I beamed into mine. Cessar sat me down in my chair and gave the command to Jonathan, who had been waiting onboard.

John came in over the radio. "We have the Kadanans' coordinates. Let's fly up high to make sure the area is clear before we go in."

We flew upward, and then forward. Hopefully we would be able to rescue them all. Once we circled the area and saw it was clear, we made our way down to land.

The Kadanans were hiding at the far end of the forest in a water mineral cave. We stationed our ships about twenty feet above ground. Cessar, John, Conan, Kumar, and Sharaf beamed down and went deep into the woods to find the cave. Within just a few minutes, we saw them running with the Kadanans towards us, but a group of Polars intercepted them and fighting broke out again.

Syira and Tia went down to help Conan and Kumar shield as many Kadanans as they could. They took several groups at a time into the ships.

Cessar's power was shooting lightning bolts from his hands. He was zapping lightning bolts from one hand and shot his laser gun with the other. Each of the ships shot laser beams down at the Polars.

Finally, when we had taken out all of the Polars and boarded everyone safely, John spoke over the radio again. "Bryan and Nile's teams have defeated the Polars on their end. He wants us to head back to the palace."

_Praise Sonar_! There was shouting and cheering all around me. Our rescue mission had been a success.

Within a few hours, we'd made it back to the underground chambers at the palace and King Julius was getting all of the new Kadanans settled in. We were overfilled with around three-hundred, but we were just going to have to make due. I wondered what we would do if more needed to be rescued. Where we would put them? There was plenty of room upstairs in the palace, but it still wasn't safe up there.

Bryan and I were sitting together on one of the sofas in the living area. I was still unable to walk. I made a slight movement that sent a searing pain down my back, I cringed.

"You're hurting," Bryan said, but I didn't answer him. "I'm going to get you some more medicine."

Everyone in the living area was discussing the events that happened in Elm's Forest. All of our seconds-in-command were there, as well as John, Syira, and Nile. Bryan returned and handed me the medicine with a glass of water.

"It has been a long day," Syira said.

"Yes, it has," John agreed.

"I wonder what Zeus is thinking. He got a rude awakening today," Kumar gloated.

"Yeah, I bet he wasn't expecting us to take them down in Elm's Forest," Cessar replied.

"We showed those bastards," Nile added.

"The mission was a success, thanks to all of us working together," Bryan commended.

"We could not have done it without your command, bother," Syira told him.

"What do you think King Zeus' next move will be, Bryan?" Nile asked.

"He's probably plotting his revenge."

"Do you think your father will want us to make another attack first or wait on the Polars' next move?" Kumar asked Bryan.

"I don't know my father's next move, but we can bring up these questions in tomorrow's meeting," Bryan answered.

"My father is giving us a day's rest after the meeting tomorrow. Training will resume the following day, and those who are injured can have all the time they need to recover," Nile said, glancing over at me.

"That's good news we don't have training after the meeting," Nazar said. "I can spend time with my family afterward."

"Today marks the day we turned the war around," Juda stated.

The pain medication I took hadn't kicked in yet. I moaned out loud without even realizing it. Everyone looked over at me, concerned. Bryan rubbed my back gently. His eyes were big, and his forehead was wrinkled.

"My wife needs her rest, gentlemen. I'm going to see her off to bed," he said, helping me up. Syira got up to assist me also.

"Goodnight, Shi," Nile said.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Romeland," Kumar followed.

"Goodnight, Your Highness," John and Juda both said.

Cessar squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

"Goodnight, everyone," I replied, putting one arm around Syira and the other around Bryan's neck. They walked me to my sleeping quarters.

"Why didn't you tell me you were still in pain, Sweetheart?"

"Because she is stubborn, that's why," Syira answered.

"Be quiet, Syira," I told her and Bryan giggled. "You think I am stubborn too, don't you?"

He didn't answer me. He took my boots off and helped me get into my nightwear. I moaned again.

"She needs some Vigel. It's a lot stronger than what's she is taking," Syira said. "I will go get her some."

Vigel was one of our stronger drugs. It was equivalent to Earth's morphine, but slightly stronger. I had never taken it, but knew it was strong. Syira walked back into the room.

"If I take this I will be so groggy tomorrow and won't be able to get out of bed." I pouted.

"But you need it, Sweetheart. You're in a lot of pain," Bryan said.

"The medical specialist said nothing was broken," I argued.

"He also said that you were bruised badly," Syira said, and administered the medicine.

I felt the effects of the medication within seconds, the pain began to subside in my back. I started to get sleepy.

"There now, isn't that better?" Bryan asked, rubbing my hair. I beamed at him feeling so warm and cozy, like I was floating. I closed my eyes, and Bryan's soft lips kissed mine. It was the last thing I remembered.

## Chapter 18

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

Three days passed, and Shi was beginning to feel better. She seemed almost back to her old self. I still hadn't been able to reach Kadeem. I was going to try to ask her to help me tonight.

The day dragged by, and all I could think about was him. It was a lot more crowded down in the chamber with the additional Kadanans, but at least they were safe.

After dinner, Shi was sitting on the sofa drinking tea with her aunt and uncle. Bryan and Nile were sitting across from them. I went and sat between my brothers.

"How are you feeling now, Shi?" I asked.

"Much better, thanks."

The others continued to talk.

_I need your help_ , I sent to her.

What do you need me to help you with?

I wanted to take you up on your offer to help me try to connect with Kadeem, if you feel up to it.

Of course I'll help you.

This means a lot to me, thanks.

No problem. It has to be hard not knowing where he is or whether he is safe.

Let's meet in my room later tonight.

I'll meet you there after dinner.

I waited in my room for Shi. She knocked, and I let her in. "Thanks for coming," I said.

"So, what do you need me to do?"

"I'm going to lie down. Once I drift off to sleep I am going to try to enter into his dreams. I want you to hold my hands and concentrate on helping me find him."

"All right, are you ready?"

"Yes." I lay back on my bed and closed my eyes. She grabbed my hands, and I felt her sit next to me on the bed. I took a deep breath, trying to relax. After a short time I felt myself fall under.

I drifted into sleep and began searching through dream channels. I saw sparks and a ray of bright light, then I was in Kadeem's dream. A figure was up ahead and I walked toward it. And there he was, all six feet three inches of him. His dirty blond hair had grown, it now touched his shoulders. His brown eyes were as light as honey, and with the golden glow behind them they lit up like the sun.

"Syira is that really you?" he asked me.

"Yes, it's me Kadeem. I have finally contacted you. I've been trying for a month."

He pulled me against his chest. It felt so real.

"I thought you were dead," he said, with his voice shaking. "Are you really here? I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"Yes, Kadeem. I'm back from my mission, waiting for you on Kadan. I'm so happy you're alive. I thought you were dead, too."

"What happened? Why were you gone for so long?"

"It's a long story; our ship crashed on Earth. We finally returned, and we are in hiding now. I will explain everything to you, but I don't know how long we have before this connection is broken."

"I need to see you, Syira. Please."

"But how? It's so dangerous."

"I know it's dangerous with my people patrolling around, but the water mineral cave is still a safe place to meet. Can you meet me there tomorrow night?"

The water mineral cave had been Kadeem's and my secret meeting place. It was where we Kadanans got our drinking water from. The water inside of the cave also gave off a natural light. It wasn't a bright light, but it was enough to allow us to see clearly. We didn't know how the water was able to give off light, but it was really beautiful. We had several hundred water caves located around the planet. There was one close by the palace we met at. "I will try to meet you Kadeem. Maybe Shiray will help cover for me. She knows about us."

"Can she be trusted?"

"Yes. She's like my real sister, and she would never betray me."

"All right. Meet me at the edge of the woods behind the palace tomorrow night at the tenth hour of night. I'll teleport us to our cave."

I felt myself drifting away. "Kadeem, the connection is breaking. I will find a way to meet you," I said, my voice fading.

"Be careful, my love," was the last thing I heard him say as I woke up. I rose up quickly and cradled my chest. My heart ached.

"What happened? Did you reach him?" Shi asked.

"Yes, finally! I have to see him."

"What? Are you crazy! You can't go out there alone."

I ignored her. "Tomorrow night, I have to meet him. He'll be waiting for me behind the palace at the edge of the woods."

"For Sonar's sake, Syira, you can't go out there by yourself, it's too risky. We barely made it from the rescue mission."

"Shi, please, "I said, grabbing her shoulders. "What if it was you and Bryan? Remember how you felt when you first got your memory back, and you had to find him?" I hit a sore spot and hated to bring it up, but knew she understood how I felt.

She shook her head in frustration and blew out her breath. "Fine, I'll help you, but we need to come up with an airtight plan. And you can't be gone for long."

"I won't. He wants to meet at ten at night. A lot of Kadanans will be retiring to bed by then. I will say I'm retiring to bed early, then I will need you to mind-warp the guards so I can sneak out."

"I'm just worried for you, Syira."

"I will keep in constant contact with you. Don't worry. Kadeem will teleport me back to the palace, and then I will contact you again so you can meet me back at the door."

"I hope I'm doing the right thing by helping you."

"You are, and I'm grateful." I hugged her. "I love him, Shi, and I would rather die than be apart from him." She hugged me tighter.

The next night couldn't come soon enough. The entire day dragged by. We had a meeting earlier in the day, and my father said he wanted to see what King's Zeus next move would be before we made any moves of our own. Our new lasers had been effective. But the Polars still outnumbered us, so my father wanted to come up with a grand master plan before we made another move. The only thing that mattered to me right now was seeing Kadeem. It was selfish, but I didn't care.

Finally night fell, and we were eating a late dinner. Everyone talked all around me, but I wasn't paying attention. I had so many thoughts running through my mind. I had also been shielding Nile from reading my mind. It was something I always did anyway, but I was focusing even more of my attention on it, to be on the safe side. He couldn't always help it when he read minds, but ones thoughts should be their own. Thank Sonar Shi knew how to shield him also. If he could have read our minds he would have had a coronary.

"Syira, are you all right?" Nile asked.

"Um, I just have a headache. I am going to retire early tonight."

"Get some rest, Dear," my father said.

"I will, Father. Goodnight, everyone," I said, walking off.

_Meet me in my room in an hour_ , I sent to Shiray.

All right, I'll be there shortly.

I went to my room and took a quick shower to calm my nerves. My stomach was in knots about seeing him. Entering into his dreams was great, it was real in a sense. But tonight I would see him in the flesh for the first time in so long. I put on some dark gray pants and a black casual shirt with my flat, black boots. I combed my hair into a ponytail and glanced myself over in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes were wide. I needed to calm down.

I heard a knock on my door, it was Shiray. "Are you ready? They are occupied right now drinking."

"Yes, I'm ready." I lucked out the guys were busy; it would be easier to sneak out.

"As soon as you make it out safely please contact me."

"Of course I will." We made our way to the entrance where two guards were keeping post.

"You will be on your own once you go out the doors. Please be careful. I won't be able to sleep until you get back." She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she said, "I just mind-warped the guards. Hurry."

I took a quick look around to make sure I didn't see anyone, and then I eased out of the double steel doors. It was bizarre to see the guards staring in my direction without actually noticing me. I felt like they could see me, but I knew they couldn't under Shiray's trance.

It was dark as I went up the stairwell. I finally made it to the top. I touched the wall in the three spots just as I had seen John do, and the opening in the wall appeared. I stepped through it and went through the pantry. I slowly creaked the pantry door and peeked out. I could hear voices faintly in the distance, but they were not coming from the direction of the kitchen. I waited a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, then dashed through the kitchen. Within a matter of seconds, I had made it across the room and out of the door.

I didn't stop running until I got about a quarter of a mile into the forest. I found my way to the big spruce tree where Kadeem and I always met. My heart was beating so rapidly, it felt like it was going to pop right out of my chest.

Shi, I made it into the forest, and I am waiting for him.

Keep me posted.

My stomach roiled and I was breathing heavily. Within a minute I heard the swooshing noise that meant he was about to teleport, and then he appeared right before my eyes. I had almost forgotten how amazing his power was. He grabbed me quickly pulling me into his arms without saying a word, and teleported us to the water cave.

Shi, I'm with him in the water cave.

Okay, let me know once you have made it back to the doors. And don't be too long.

Kadeem released me slightly from his embrace, staring wantonly into my eyes. I was beginning to lose all sense of time and space. He was even more muscular and his face was more handsome than I remembered. I stood there gazing at him in all of his glory, but I couldn't move. Seeing him in the flesh after all of this time made any lingering feelings I had for Xavier vanish in an instant.

"Are you really here?" I asked, breaking our silence. He smiled and embraced me tightly. I had forgotten how deep and adorable his dimples were. I clung to him. I had missed him so much.

"I am here, my love," he said, pulling back and grabbing my face with both of his hands. Tears ran down his face, which choked me up as well. I had never seen him cry before. I kissed the tears as they fell down his cheeks.

"I'm so happy you're alive," he said. "After you didn't return, I went to the palace and overheard your father say they had gotten a distress call from your ship. But they didn't have any idea of your whereabouts. I came back to the palace every day for several months to listen in on your father's conversations. Your father said he could only hope you had survived, and it was too dangerous for him to send a search team. Syira, I have never felt pain like that before, thinking you were dead."

"I am alive, and I'm so sorry you thought that. I had the same fears about you."

He still held me tightly in his arms. I had so many questions, I'm sure he did too, but I longed to kiss him. I could feel the desire building inside of me. His dirty blond hair hung untamed at his shoulders. His honey brown eyes with the golden glow around them caught me in their hungry gaze.

"Take your ponytail out." I did as he said, and he glided both of his hands through my hair. "Your hair has grown."

"Yours has, too."

He beamed. "You are more beautiful than I remember."

My heart melted at his compliment. "And you are more muscular than I remember."

"It's due to all of the fighting." He bit his lip. I knew where this was headed. We leaned into each other at the same time and our lips touched. It felt as if a fire ignited inside my body. He parted my lips with his and kissed me full force. Oh, I had really missed this man. His hands began exploring my body, and mine followed suit. We were all touch and sensations. He lifted me up into the air, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as our tongues continued to rotate against one another. He broke our kiss momentarily.

"I want you," he said.

"Then take me." One of the things I loved about water mineral caves is they all had soft spots that felt as smooth as silk. He found one and laid me down on it, and we continued to kiss vigorously. Our time apart made it so much more intense than it ever had been before. It was like we couldn't get to each other fast enough. He was holding me so tightly, but I only wanted him to grab me even more so. We grooved in a narcotic dance and both moaned as we became one.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, when he realized how tight his grip was.

"No, hold me tighter," I begged.

I glided my hand down his backside and caressed his fundament. He groaned. His eyes became dilated and the golden glow around his honey brown irises changed color, turning into a beautiful crystal blue. It was so alluring to see that happening right before my eyes. We gazed at each other with such intensity. He grabbed me even tighter. His rugged breathing in my ear drove me into a near frenzy. I should have been used to this unique and exceptional gift that was given to his race, but it overwhelmed me every time. I tried to prepare myself for what was to come, but the magnitude of it was always astonishing. He groaned loudly, and I knew this would be my undoing.

"Kadeem, wait," I said moaning. It had been so long since we had been together, and I had forgotten until this moment how Earth-shattering his love-making was.

"You really want me to stop?"

"No!"

He started to tremble. "Kadeem, I don't think I can take the _force of exhilaration_."

I really didn't want him to stop, but I feared the intensity of what was to come. All of the emotions surging through me were so staggering.

"Syira, I can't stop now," he said breathlessly.

Oh no, it was too late! I braced myself for impact, waiting for his energy to transfer into me and take me over. I felt it grow hotter and stronger with each passing second. It felt like I was being electrocuted with a force of passion. It wasn't painful; the feeling was euphoric. And when the power reached its full capacity, I was taken into ecstasy and cried out his name. We held on to each other as the shocks continued to pulse between us for several minutes.

Sometime later, we lay in each other's arms. He was rubbing my back gently, and I felt so content to be with him. "Are you all right, my love?" he asked me.

I beamed up at him. He rarely called me by my real name. "I'm great. How are you?"

"I'm very content. So, tell me what happened on Earth. How did your ship crash?"

"I think your people were behind it."

"What did they do?"

"Well, the ship started to malfunction for no reason. We had to put it into autopilot because we no longer had control of the ship. After we crashed and woke up, none of us could remember who we were. We had all been thrown from a hole in the ship. My brothers and I were found together and sent to the same foster home, because they believed we were teenagers. We even thought we were humans. We later found out the CIA covered up the crash and had us under surveillance. The CIA is an agency of their government."

"You didn't remember anything? Not even me?" he asked, frowning.

"No, not at first. We all eventually had dreams of Kadan, which we soon realized were our memories. Once we were able to tap into our powers we knew we couldn't be human, and started to put the pieces together."

"So, how is Earth? It seems similar to Kadan from what I have studied."

"It is similar to Kadan. There are a lot of trees and grass like Kadan. Earth has more water, though it is less dense. The sky is various shades. Gray, white, and black at nighttime. Sometimes it's even yellow or orange when the sun sets. But the most consistent color is blue, during the daylight hours. The dirt is different shades of brown, and there is only one moon. Earth is pretty, but Kadan is even more beautiful."

"What did you do before you found out about the CIA?"

"We were there for almost three years with the different time frame between our galaxies. I went on with everyday life, which was going to high school."

"High school? What is that?"

"It's the schooling you get before you graduate into adulthood."

"But you are twenty years old. You have already been finished with those studies for a while."

"They assumed I was several years younger than twenty."

"That's odd. Were you able to fit in with the humans?"

"It was hard the first year not remembering who I was and also feeling that something was different about me. But as time went on I did fit in better, I even made friends. I was beginning to accept the fact I may never get my memory back, and I was trying to make the best of it. During my last year is when things became chaotic. My memories began to return as well as my powers."

"Did you have any close friends, humans who you bonded with?"

Huh, what was he getting at? Did he want to know if I had courted any male suitors? I didn't want to lie, but he'd gone crazy when he had found out my ex-suitor Teron wanted to work things out with me.

"What do you mean, Kadeem?" I asked, trying to keep a straight face. Not wanting him to know I was flustered. "Do you mean male friends?"

He just stared at me, his jaw muscles tightened. Ugh, he was so jealous. Out of all the questions, he chose to ask this. So how was I going to answer it? I would never see Xavier again, and we were never officially together. We only shared one kiss. There was no reason to hurt Kadeem by telling him all the details. He stared at me impatiently, waiting for an answer. "I had some male friends, but I didn't have any male suitors. I also had a lot of female friends. I didn't have time for any relationships with everything that was going on. Then Shiray came back with the news of our true destiny. And as you can imagine, it was quite a shock." I had technically told him the truth. I just left out some of the details. He relaxed and seemed all right with my answer. I let out the breath I'd been holding.

"No, my love. I cannot imagine what you went through. It must have been hell for you." He kissed the top of my hairline. "How did you get your memory back?"

"Shiray was separated from us during the crash and living in a different foster home. She got put under hypnosis, which is a trance that can sometimes allow you to regain your memory. Once she remembered her past, she found us. We were able to get our memories back through hypnosis also. And soon after, learned your people were there too. Five Polar men attacked Shiray and me."

"What?" He interrupted me, outraged. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, we were able to escape. They laid low for a while after that, during which we made plans to retrieve our ship from the CIA. Once we confiscated our ship and were about to leave Earth, the Polars ambushed us again. We escaped by God's grace because we were severely outnumbered. I wonder how you were not aware your people were sent to Earth after us, and you're your father's only son."

"I'm lying here pondering the same thing. Why would my father not have shared this information with me? I am in charge of all of our units. I am going to have to do some investigating, because this really pisses me off. I would have demanded to be on the first ship to Earth so I could secretly search for you. Furthermore, to my knowledge, no Polar has ever been to Earth before, so I don't understand why my father would not fill me in on a mission of that magnitude."

"I'm not sure, Kadeem, but see what you can find out."

"I'm elated you have returned, regardless. The thought of you not remembering me, and being stranded on Earth to live out the rest of your life without me is painful to think about," he said, kissing my lips softly. I trembled.

"I will never leave you again. It was very painful for me once I had retrieved my memory, not knowing if I would ever see you again."

"I'm thankful you are safe, but you should never have had to go through that in the first place."

I glanced up at him, he had his eyes closed. Then he opened them and shook his head, scrunching up his face in disgust. "My father is so evil and power hungry. I don't know what happened to him; he was not always like this. He will pay one way or another."

I touched his cheek lightly, he shivered. "Does your mother have any influence over him?"

"No, not since my father left my mother when I was younger."

He turned me over slightly and started to massage my shoulders. It felt wonderful. I would never leave this man.

"How are things with your people, and how have you been?"

"I am better now I know you're alive," I said.

"I feel the same way. I have something to live for again, something to fight for. You're the only thing that matters to me."

He was so sweet towards me, and it made my heart ache to love him as much as I did. "I have something to live for again, too, Kadeem, but how will we ever be together? With the war; it's so risky for us to be together."

"I know it is. We just have to be very careful."

"But where will this lead? No matter who wins our fathers will never allow us to be together."

"Shh, don't worry about things you cannot control. We have each other now, and I will never forget our time together. We will find some way to be together in the future. I don't think we met and Soul- searched by chance." He lifted up my chin to look into my eyes. "Do you regret being with me?"

"No, of course not." I hugged him tightly. I didn't want to have this sad discussion anymore, so I changed the subject. "What all has happened since I've been gone?"

"My father and almost all of our troops are residing on Kadan now. I am their main communication device with everyone still on Polaris. I teleport back and forth between planets, relaying messages and things of that nature. My father is residing now at the Cambridge Estates."

The Cambridge Estates belonged to the wealthiest Kadanans, besides the royal family, of course.

"I take it the Cambridge family is dead?"

He looked down. "No, not all of the family is dead. Some are being held hostage."

"Does your father have any idea where we are hiding?"

"No, he does not. He was very angry when I told him King Julius had disappeared. And he was livid with the raid on Elm's Forest. We lost several. He's trying to see what approach he can take now."

"What if we lose our planet to your people, Kadeem? What are your father's plans for us?"

"I don't know this answer. He has not discussed this with me. I'm sure he would keep a lot of prisoners. I hope we lose. I'm sure your father would have more mercy on us than my father would on you. Use this knowledge of my father's headquarters at your discretion."

I sighed. "And how would I _just happen to know_ that information?"

"I'm sure you can find some way to present it at the right time."

"Well, I am glad you want my planet to win."

"It would probably be the only way for us to have a remote chance to be together, even if it's a small one."

"That's sweet." I glanced at my time band. "It's getting late. I probably should be heading back. I'm sure Shiray is a nervous wreck."

"No, not yet. I want you again," he proclaimed, pulling my mouth to his and kissing me deeply. I didn't have time to object; not that I would have.

We got dressed, and I tried to hurry because I had been gone for hours. Shi had been contacting me through my mind, but I had been too occupied to respond.

"I have something for you," Kadeem said.

"What is it?"

He pulled a beautiful ring out of his pocket. It was hanging on a silver necklace. The ring had a thick silver band with huge white and yellow diamonds in it.

"This is the ring my father gave me for my seventeenth birthday. Every male Polar gets a ring at seventeen as a welcome into manhood. I want you to have it as a reminder of me."

"Will your father notice it is missing?"

"No, I don't wear it anymore since I am twenty-two." He placed it around my neck, and I tensed. "What's wrong? You don't want it?" he asked with his mouth tight, and brows furrowed.

"Of course I do. I just don't know how to explain it. All rings on my planet as well as yours symbolize something. But put it on me; I'll wear in under my clothing. No one will notice it. I'm elated to have something that is a part of you."

"I still have the photo you gave to me before you left. I look at it every day. Deep down I was hoping you would come back to me one day. I would have never given my heart to anyone else."

He pulled me into his embrace, and I hugged him tightly. I could feel the pressure building inside of my chest knowing we were about to part ways. "When can we see each other again?" I asked.

"I will let you know when it's safe."

"I'll probably have to contact you in your dreams again. I've been trying to contact you through my mind for weeks. You haven't heard me?"

"No."

"Well, I don't understand why, since you've been on Kadan most of that time. Maybe because our hiding place in so far underground. We had trouble contacting my father when we first arrived. But I will continue to try and communicate with you."

"Yes, let's try. And definitely come to me in my dreams again, so we can see each other."

"I will. I need to get back now."

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either. I have missed you so much." He hugged me more tightly.

"I have missed you too, and I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Kadeem."

We teleported out of the cave. I felt the now-familiar pressure and saw the bright flash of white light of the teleport for a second, then we were back in the woods behind the palace. I kissed him softly on the lips and walked away. I didn't look back at him because I couldn't bear it. Tears were already running down my face. I heard his voice fading in the distance.

"Be safe my love."

I pulled myself together and checked my surrounding.

Shi, I'm back at the palace. I will let you know when I am at the doors.

Praise Sonar! I was about to have a full blown panic attack.

I crept through the back courtyards and made my way through the kitchen. All was quiet as I entered into the pantry. I went down the stairs and to the double steel doors. _Okay, I'm here._

A few seconds later, she opened the doors. We walked past the guards who were stuck in her trance once again and went to my bedroom. "I made it safely," I said to her.

"I see."

"Thank you again."

She eyed me up and down. "You must have had a good time. You look a mess."

My cheeks flushed. "Um, yes. I missed him so much."

"I know how you feel, trust me. I'm glad you got to reunite with him. We'll talk in the morning. I need to get back to Bryan. I told him I was going to get a glass of water. I could barely pry myself away from him because he had too much to drink, and I don't want him to come looking for me."

"Okay, see you in the morning."

Shi left, and I climbed into bed, gripping Kadeem's necklace. It was the best gift I had ever received. I still felt warm inside thinking of him. My body felt like putty. Maybe we could run away together; we could live on Earth. Could I leave my family behind to be with him? I thought about it and decided if we won the war and I knew they were safe, then I could leave. I fell asleep in deep thought.

## Chapter 19

Over the next six weeks I was able to connect with Kadeem twice in his dreams. But could only hold the connection for a few minutes. Kadeem said it still wasn't safe for us to meet. I needed to be with him again, our last encounter being so vague to my memory. It wasn't the same when I saw him through a dream walk. I pleaded with him to see one another soon because my father was planning an attack. I had been able to hint the Polars may be residing at the Cambridge Estates. My logic was that Zeus would probably be operating in a place that was large enough to hold his command. My father had sent some of our men to several prestige estates around the planet. They confirmed Zeus was indeed plotting his wrath at Cambridge. So this would be the first place on our target list.

In preparation for the attack, I was in a fight training session with Tarus, one of the men on my team. We were fighting in hand-to-hand combat. Even though Tarus was stronger than me, I was able to get the upper hand. After a few jabs and kicks, I sent him flying across the room with my power. Someone giggled, and I turned to see who it was when I felt very nauseated. It must have shown on my face.

"Are you all right?" Nazar asked.

"Yes, I'm okay." I wondered why I was nauseated. I hadn't eaten breakfast this morning, I only drunk hot tea, so I assumed it was the reason I wasn't feeling well. My race didn't get diseases or things such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes, or diabetes. We didn't even get the common cold. But we could get headaches or stomachaches. "Actually, I didn't eat breakfast, Nazar. I feel nauseated. Can you please take over?"

"Of course," he said, continuing the session. I got some fruit, sat down for a spell, and felt much better. We continued to train for several hours until late afternoon.

After dinner, I sat next to Shi in the dining room. "Hey are you feeling all right? Your face looks pale," she stated.

"I'm fine. It's just been a long day of training, and I am tired."

"Tell me about it. I'm starving."

Bryan and Nile joined us at the table. "Did you guys get a lot accomplished in training with your teams today?" Bryan asked.

"Yes," we all replied.

"I spoke with Father this morning. He wants to try to sneak up on King Zeus at the Cambridge Estates, and he was thinking of an attack in the middle of the night," Bryan said.

"That's a good tactic," Nile replied.

"When does he plan on pursuing this attack?" I asked.

"We should be ready in about two weeks," Bryan answered.

"Wow, so soon?" I replied.

"It's time to end this war," Bryan declared.

"Yes, it is," Nile agreed.

"We'll be meeting up with six other teams from around the planet who we have been coordinating with. There will be over fifteen hundred of us fighting," Bryan added.

"Great," Shi said.

I definitely wanted to connect with Kadeem that night. We finished dinner, and I began feeling sleepy. "I'm going to turn in, guys. It's been a long day." I yawned.

"Goodnight," Bryan and Nile both said.

"I'll walk with you to your room," Shi said, getting up from the table.

As we strolled down the hallway, we both nodded and greeted other Kadanans as we passed them.

"So, what are you up to, Syira?" Shi asked when we arrived at my door.

"What do you mean?"

"I have known you for years. You're up to something."

"I'm not up to anything."

"Have you been able to connect with Kadeem again?"

_Damn!_ She did know me. "I've connected with him twice since I have seen him."

"I was just wondering if you planned on sneaking out to see him again."

"I need to see him before the attack. What if one of us gets killed?"

"I'm trying not to think about anyone else I love dying."

"You're right. I need to try to be more positive. But we can talk about this tomorrow, Shi. I'm exhausted."

"All right, I'll see you later."

I crawled into bed and held Kadeem's ring against my chest. I thought of him and searched through channels as I drifted off to sleep.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I went back to join the guys in the main living area. "Is Syira okay?" Nile asked.

"Yeah, she's fine. It's getting late. I'm tired too."

"Do you want to go to our room?" Bryan asked, winking at me.

_Geez!_ I just said I was tired. I never objected to Bryan, but I was worn out. "I'm ready to go to _sleep_."

"Come on then." Bryan beamed, taking my hand. Nile shook his head, trying to stifle a grin. "We'll catch you tomorrow, Nile," Bryan said.

We were walking to our room when a commotion erupted, coming from the entrance. It sounded like arguing.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know," Bryan replied. Nile came up behind us, and we all headed towards the entrance.

"I caught him, and we killed the other four," one of the guards was telling John. Two more guards stood with them holding a male Polar between them. I felt my eyes grow wide.

"What happened?" John asked them.

"At our post we heard loud noises coming from upstairs, in the secret pantry entrance," the first guard said. "So we went to check it out."

"What? Why wasn't I contacted first?" John demanded, grabbing him by the throat.

"I am sorry sir; we weren't thinking."

"That was a very careless move. Did this just happen?"

"Yes, sir," another guard answered."

"What happened next?" John asked, letting the guard go.

"After we made it up the stairs, we went into the kitchen and there were five Polar men. We had a tussle with them and prevailed, killing four. We kept this one alive for questioning. Then we radioed you on our way back down," he answered.

"Were you followed?" John asked.

"I don't think so," the other man answered.

"But you don't know for sure, you ignorant fools! You could have compromised our entire camp. If there are ever any signs of danger, you're supposed to notify me. Or one of the commanding officers immediately. If anything like this ever happens again you'll be punished severely!" John yelled.

"John, we need to make sure they were not followed," Bryan said, stepping in.

A large group had gathered around by this time to see what all the chaos was about.

"Yes, sir. My team can head up there now," John answered.

"Report to me immediately if there are any signs of more," Bryan replied.

John nodded. "Let's move out team. I will report to you with an update as soon as I can, Your Highness."

"Thank you, John," Bryan said. "Nile, get our father. Let's take this Polar into the conference room for questioning."

I followed them into the conference room. King Julius came in with Nile, Kumar, Juda, Cessar, and a few others. Tazman and Jonathan were holding the Polar by his arms. King Julius circled around the man.

"Polar, what is your name?" King Julius asked.

He didn't answer. "I will ask you again. What is your name?" The Polar spat at King Julius's feet. Everyone gasped loudly. King Julius held out his hand, signaling for us to remain silent.

"I answer only to King Zeus," the Polar finally said.

King Julius glared at him for a long moment. "Bryan," he said, stepping back.

Bryan walked up to the Polar and gave him a powerful blow to the face. The Polar's head flew to the side; blood and a tooth came out of his mouth. Bryan glanced at his father, and then continued to punch him. I turned my head. I didn't want to look. After a few more blows the king signaled for Bryan to stop. The Polar's head hung down, his face was a bloody mess.

"Your name, Polar?" Julius demanded.

"Kyzer," he said slowly.

"What were you doing here?"

This was a trick question. It was no surprise the Polars roamed our palace home freely. But them being so close inside the secret pantry entry was alarming.

"We were searching for you. And I see your hiding place has been right under our noses this whole time."

"Did you tell any of your people our location?"

Kyzer didn't answer. "Bryan," the king said.

Bryan went back to his punching bonanza. I hoped this Polar answered soon before he didn't have a face left. I also didn't like seeing Bryan in this manner. When we fought in combat it was different; we were fighting for our lives. But I didn't like for any man to be tortured, even if it was our enemy. I also didn't like that my father-in-law was making my husband do this deed. After several more blows the king wanted to try to make Kyzer talk again.

"Does anyone know our location?" King Julius asked.

"I will die first before I tell you anything else."

"You _will_ die if you do not answer me, Kyzer!"

Kyzer still did not speak.

"As you wish," King Julius said, nodding at Bryan, who conjured a huge flame of fire in his hand. I tensed, unable to believe this was happening. Bryan was getting ready to throw the fire on Kyzer when John's team entered the room. King Julius signaled for Bryan to stop, and he withdrew the flames back into his hand.

"The coast appears clear, Your Highness," John said to the king. "We circled the entire palace twice, but there are no signs of any other Polars."

"We're going to have to be extra careful and double our guard watch. I am not sure if they reported our location. This one wants to die since he is refusing to give me any information," King Julius said.

"I see," John replied. "Polar, if you value your life, you will answer to our king."

"I will not answer to him. Your race is pathetic! The only king I serve is King Zeus," Kyzer replied.

And at that, John leapt into the air, landed on top of Kyzer, and slit his throat with a blade. The Polar bled out and fell to the ground, dead. Everyone was stunned, but I was glad Bryan didn't have to do it. Our race could be very brutal. I guess there was no way around it in this case. At least that is how I was trying to rationalize it in my head. Tazman and Jonathan took the body away.

"John, I want to double the guards at both posts. Contact me immediately if something transpires," King Julius stated.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll set up the new security right away."

_Where was Syira during all of this commotion?_ I wondered. Was she still asleep? I walked down the hall to her room. Her door was closed, and I cracked it open, peeking inside. She was sound asleep. Wait until I told her in the morning what she'd missed. Syira hated missing any action. I wished I could have missed it because it wasn't pleasant to see.

Around an hour later, it was very late. Everyone started to settle down and retire to bed. I trudged to my room, climbing into bed. Bryan came in a few minutes later. He didn't say anything as he put on his sleep pants and slid in next to me. I remained silent.

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry you had to see me do that." I still didn't say anything. "Shi, please, tell me what's on your mind?"

"I know it had to be done, Bryan; we're at war. I just don't like it."

"I don't like it either, and I don't like you having to see me that way."

"Bryan, it is part of your title and what is expected. You didn't enjoy doing it but it had to be done. We have to protect our race. You're a noble warrior. I don't think any less of you."

He pulled me to him, hugging me tightly. "You have such a positive outlook on everything. You're the one who is noble." I kissed him softly on the lips. He moaned. "This is the only thing now I look forward to. When I get to lay here at night with you in my arms. This is the only peace I have. It reminds me of what I am fighting for."

"I look forward to this, too."

"Let's get some sleep. It would be nice if the morning never came, and we could stay like this."

"Yes, that would be nice. But you know as well as I do the morning will come." We lay quietly holding each other, and I don't know which one of us fell asleep first.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I connected with Kadeem that night and walked to him in his dream.

"Hello," I said, embracing him. He hugged me back tightly.

"How are you?"

"I would be better if I could see you in the flesh. We need to meet, Kadeem. My father is planning another attack in a few weeks."

"It should be safe for us to meet two nights from now at the same time."

"Great." I gleamed. "How have you been?"

"I'll feel better when I can hold you in my arms again."

"I can't wait either. Have there been any new developments?"

"No. My father is still trying to plan the best method of attack. And I haven't found out why I wasn't informed about the mission to Earth. But I will keep digging."

I could feel the link weakening. "Our connection is breaking, Kadeem."

"I'll see you two nights from now. Promise me you will be there."

"I will," I replied, and then the link broke.

I awoke the next morning feeling brighter with something to look forward to. I got up and got dressed, pulling my hair into a ponytail before I left my room. The air felt different, people were whispering. What had I missed? I made my way to the living room and found Shi.

"Hey, Shi, what in the world is going on?"

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead. You slept through all of the drama last night."

"What happened?"

"They captured a Polar."

"Are you serious? Why didn't anyone come get me?"

"It all happened so fast. By the time I thought about you, it was over."

"Where is the Polar now?"

"He's dead. He wouldn't cooperate, so John killed him. That is, after Bryan beat him to a pulp."

"Sonar! Did we get any information from him?"

"His name. That's it."

"Was he alone?"

"No, there were four others with him upstairs. They were killed beforehand in a scuffle with some of the guards. They brought the one survivor down for questioning. John didn't authorize it, though."

"The guards just went upstairs without permission?"

"Yes. They claimed to hear loud noises from the secret pantry upstairs, so they went to check it out."

"How do we know they weren't followed?"

"We don't know for sure. King Julius has doubled our guard watch at both entry points."

This was not a good time to ask Shi to help me. I hoped things simmered down soon.

Things calmed down the following day. We had a long day of training, but it made the day go by more quickly. Training went well. My team was learning a lot. After training, I showered and went to dinner. We gathered around to talk afterward. Time was dwindling, and I needed to leave soon.

Shi, I need your help again. Kadeem wants to meet me tonight.

You have to be kidding me! You still want to leave after what happened with the Polar the other night?

Please, I need your help. I can't do it without you.

Yeah, tell me about it.

I'll owe you. But this may very well be our last chance to see each other. She continued talking with the group as if I hadn't spoken to her.

Please? I begged.

Ugh! This will be the last time. I fear for your safety. If something happens to you, it will be on me for helping.

Thank you.

"Well, guys. I am going to retire for the evening," I said to everyone, getting up.

"I'm going to retire, too. I'll walk with you," Shi chimed in.

"I will join you," Bryan told her. _Ah, hell!_

"No!" Shi responded, and Bryan scrunched his face. "I mean, I need to take a shower and wash my hair. Why don't you continue your conversation here and join me in a little while."

He smiled at her, satisfied with her answer. "All right, see you in a bit," Bryan told her winking. Yikes, that was close. Everyone bid us goodnight and we left together. We rounded the corner and walked toward the entrance. Shi turned to me.  
"I don't want you to go. I have a bad feeling."

"I haven't seen him in weeks, Shi. I have to see him. Everything went smoothly last time."

"It's not safe. An apocalypse is upon us. I can feel it." She crossed her arms against her chest in frustration. I crossed my arms and pouted. She rolled her eyes then said, "Hurry. Go now!"

Shi was really angry with me. I would just have to think of another way to see him from now on. Then it dawned on me, maybe he could teleport into my sleeping quarters. If I snuck him into our chamber that night, he would know where we were located and would be able to teleport here. It would be like the night before I left for Earth when he had teleported into my bedroom in the palace. We had spent the night together. Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?

With Shi's help, I dashed up the stairs and through the pantry. I opened the pantry door and checked my surroundings. All was quiet, so I moved forward and made my way to the spruce tree. I only waited a few minutes for him to arrive.

"Kadeem," I beamed, running to him. I jumped into his arms, embracing him. He cradled me like a baby.

"I am pleased that you're so happy to see me. I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Let's go to our cave."

"Wait, I have an idea. Please tell me it will work."

"What is it?"

"I want to bring you down to where we are hiding. Once you have seen the area you should be able to teleport to my sleeping quarters, right?"

He smiled showing his dimples. "Yes, it should work. I'll need a little detail about where your room is."

"Great! Why hadn't I thought of this before? Do you know what this means?"

"Tell me. I'm curious to hear what you have conjured up," he said teasingly.

"We can be together every night, and Shiray won't have to worry anymore. Your unique power is the key to our being together right now."

"I'm looking forward to this. What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"Okay. I'll take you down there and give you the layout of everything. But I want you to wait until after eleven to come to my room."

"All right, lead the way."

We started back to the palace, and then I saw several lights shining around us. I glanced around quickly, frightened.

"Get her!" I heard someone yell. "It's the king's daughter!"

Ah, damn! Before I could run I felt a painful jolt of electricity surge through me. I let out a short scream and fell to the ground. I heard Kadeem yell, "Syira!"

One of those bastards had stunned me with a surge gun. I had never been stunned before, and it hurt like hell. But I refused to let them hear me scream again, so I held it in. Several Polars surrounded me. I didn't even know where Kadeem was. I couldn't see him.

"Tie her up! Grab her arms," one man commanded. Someone pulled my arms roughly behind me and tied them tightly. Then he swooped me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I looked around and found Kadeem. He was just standing there, his brows were furrowed. What did I expect him to do? He couldn't fight them and win. There were at least ten of them. One of the men walked over to Kadeem, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Good work."

_What?_ I couldn't believe what was happening. Kadeem couldn't have set me up; he loved me. What we shared was real. I glanced over at him with pleading eyes, but I couldn't read the expression on his face. Was it shock—anger—confusion? Or was that just what I wanted his emotions to be? Maybe he was happy, and this had been his plan all along; to have me captured. Tears streamed down my face. I was filled with so many emotions; rage, anger, hate. These Polars better be damn glad they stunned me, and I wasn't able to use my powers. Or they would have had a real fight on their hands.

"Let's get her back to King Zeus. He will be pleased," someone said. It was the man who had patted Kadeem's shoulder. They hauled me aboard their ship. I had to get word back to Shiray.

Shiray!

Syira, what's wrong?

I've been captured! I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you.

No, Syira, please tell me it's not true. Where are you?

Behind the palace. They are taking me aboard their ship now.

We have to do something quick. Let me tell Bryan.

Wait, just promise me something first.

What promise?

I want you to say you didn't know anything, that I never told you any of this.

Syira, this is my fault. I should have never allowed you to leave.

No, it's my fault. You only helped me because you love me. It would be better if you stayed out of it, please. My father doesn't need to hold you responsible for helping me. I should have listened to you. Just tell them I contacted you. And told you I was captured behind the palace and being taken aboard their ship. Tell them you thought I was asleep. Promise me you'll pretend you didn't know anything.

All right, I will.

I'll try to see where they are taking me. Hopefully King Zeus is still at the Cambridge Estates. If you haven't heard from me in an hour, say that I contacted you and told you I was there.

Okay, now let me tell Bryan. Hang in there, we're coming.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I scurried out of the bathroom, my hair soaking wet. I threw on some clothes and dashed out my bedroom door. It would have been faster to talk to Bryan through my mind, but I was so disoriented I couldn't think straight. Panic consumed me as I tore down the hall way running. A few Kadanans looked alarmed as I zoomed past them. Bryan wasn't in the living room, dining room, or conference room.

_Bryan where are you?_ I managed to send to him.

I'm in Nile's room. What's wrong?

I didn't even answer him. I burst Nile's door open a few seconds later.

Bryan jumped up. "Shi, what happened?"

"It's Syira. She's been captured."

"What?" Nile exclaimed, standing up too.

"How?" Bryan asked.

"She contacted me and said she snuck out. I don't know why. I thought she went to sleep. She's being captured behind the palace. We have to hurry!"

"This doesn't make any sense," Nile said.

"Nile, get father now. Shiray, go round up as many of our team members as possible. I'll get the weapons. Both of you meet me at the entrance in two minutes," Bryan said, running out of the room.

I spirited through the halls gathering as many people as I could. I beat on doors while sending mind commands. King Julius and Nile were at the entrance with a few others as I approached. Bryan and John came handing out lasers quickly. Then we all headed upstairs. Once outside, we split up and searched the surrounding perimeter of the palace.

"I want every inch of this palace covered!" Kind Julius yelled.

I felt so guilty. I was sure the Polar ship was long gone. We searched a two mile radius and found nothing.

_Syira, have you seen where they have taken you?_ I waited, but she didn't respond. We all gathered back behind the palace.

"Let's head back downstairs and come up with a plan," King Julius commanded. John and his team stayed back to continue searching. Once we got downstairs, King Julius said, "I need to see Bryan, Shiray, and Nile in the conference room. I want the seconds to wait in the living area for my next orders."

We followed behind him and the second in commands took a seat in the living room. The rest of the people double-timed it out of the area. It was clear to everyone that the King was pissed. We arrived into the conference area and King Julius began pacing. "Shiray, please explain everything that happened."

"I was in the bathroom taking a shower when Syira contacted me. She told me she was in the back courtyard and had just been captured."

"Do you have any idea why she would go out there, knowing how dangerous it is?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "No sir, I don't. I thought she was in her room."

_Syira, are you all right? Do you know where they have taken you?_ A few seconds passed, but I still didn't get a response back.

"As close as you two are, you mean to tell me you had no idea she snuck out?"

Bryan stepped protectively in front of me, confronting his father. "Father, she has already answered that question. You're treating Shiray as if she's done something wrong. If it wasn't for her supreme mind powers we probably wouldn't have any information at all."

My poor Bryan. He would even stand up to his father for me, but this time he was wrong. I did know a lot more. But Syira was right. If they knew I had kept this from them things would be far worse. And I didn't want to cause further problems. I guess sometimes less is best.

"Hold on a second," I said, closing my eyes. I needed to try to diffuse the tension.

"Was it Syira?" King Julius asked, after I opened my eyes.

"Yes, it was very faint. But she told me she thinks she's at the Cambridge Estates," I lied. She still hadn't contacted me, but it's what she told me to say if I hadn't heard from her within the hour.

"Have they harmed her?" the king asked.

"That's all I got from her. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, Shiray. I didn't mean to jump on you. I am just worried about my daughter."

"I understand."

"Bryan, find John immediately. I want to get a plan together by tomorrow. We'll attack Cambridge Estates as soon as we can."

"Yes, Father. I will find him now," Bryan replied, walking off and pulling me with him.

"Forgive my father's rudeness, Shi."

"It's fine, Bryan. Everyone is worried. Thanks for standing up for me."

He looked at me seriously. "I will always protect you and stand up for you. I don't give a damn who it is."

I kissed him softly on his lips. I loved him so much. Rashell walked over to us.

"Bryan, go ahead and find John," I advised.

"All right. I'll see you in a bit Sweetheart."

"Shiray, what happened with Syira?"

"I'm not completely sure. But King Julius wants to attack Cambridge Estates soon."

"That's where they have taken her?"

"I think so, but we need to prepare for the attack in the morning."

"This is so awful. Poor, Syira. I hope they have not harmed her."

"Me too."

I trudged to my room and climbed into the bed. I needed a moment of silence. I curled up into a ball. How much stress could a person consume before they cracked? I don't know how long I lay there in a daze. A while later, I felt Bryan curl up behind me. He whispered in my ear, "I've been looking for you."

"I needed some quiet time. I don't know how much more stress I can take. I'm scared for Syira."

"I'm worried too, but I will stop at nothing to get her back. Have you heard anything else from her?"

"No, I wish I had."

He sighed. "Well, let's get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

## Chapter 20

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I awoke, drowsy, on a bed in some kind of holding cell. I got up and looked out through the bars at the door, but couldn't see much. It looked as if I was in some sort of basement. Gosh, my head hurt. They must have given me something to weaken my powers because I tried to talk through my mind but couldn't. I sat back down on the bed, dizzy.

All of the events of the last few hours came flooding back to me. It felt like I was stunned with the surge gun again. Kadeem's betrayal hurt worse than the gun. He was the love of my life. How could I have allowed this to happen? I was so stupid to have believed him. Now I was a liability to my family. I heard someone coming and tensed.

A grungy-looking Polar with long, stringy black hair, and a beard that hadn't been shaved since God knows when, peered through the bars of my cell.

"I see you are finally awake," he said.

"What do you want? Go away!"

"Ah, don't be like that, Sugar. I'm just following orders to keep a watch over you."

"Where am I?"

"Don't worry about that now. Why don't you lie back down and behave yourself? And you won't be able to use your powers; we took care of that."

"I don't need my powers to kick your ass."

"You try it, Princess. And I will stun you again with my surge gun."

"Oh, I will be too quick, you mongrel." I walked up to the bars to face him. "I demand to speak to King Zeus now!"

"You don't run the show in here, Princess." He threw his head back, laughing.

I tried to sling him across the room, but he was right. I couldn't use my powers.

"You just wait until my powers return, and then you are dead, Polar!"

He chuckled even louder. "You're a feisty little tart. You will have another shot of my power-killing juice before long."

I turned my back to him. I didn't want him to know he was getting to me. I lay back down on the bed for a while and went back to sleep.

Sometime later, I awoke to my name being called. I rose up, and realized who it was. It was him, the _traitor_. "What do you want, you lying bastard?" I yelled and he flinched.

"Syira, I did not lie to you," Kadeem said.

"Yeah, right." I folded my arms to my chest.

"I didn't know I was being followed."

"Just save it, Kadeem. I hate you!"

His forehead wrinkled. "Please don't say that. I'm telling you the truth. Why else would I be sneaking down here to talk to you?"

"I don't know. It's probably another trick."

"After everything we've been through, why would I trick you?"

"It was a set up. You were using me as bait so you can have a hold on my father. I was stupid enough to fall for it. I really thought you cared about me."

"Syira, I care deeply for you. I love you."

"I don't believe you. I saw that Polar pat you on the shoulder and say, 'Good job.' How do you explain that?"

"That was Ford, my father's right hand man. He was trying to play mind games with me. I was in shock when they captured you. I haven't been able to get him alone yet, but I think he knows about us. He has to. He must want something from me, I'm not sure. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to alarm the others."

"So it's just a coincidence they followed us?"

"I will speak to Ford and find out what he knows. But you have to believe me. It almost killed me to see them do that to you. I wish I could teleport you out of here, but I can't. I don't know what all my father knows, but he doesn't want me doing any teleporting right now. I've been given the same drug you have, and I can't use my powers. I don't want him to find out about us. I fear he will harm you to punish me for my betrayal."

I wanted to believe him. He seemed so sincere, but I couldn't. I needed time to sort this mess out.

"I'll see what I can find out and will be back later."

"What do you think your father's intentions are for me?"

"Probably to use you as leverage against your father, so that he surrenders Kadan over to him."

"Where am I?"

"At Cambridge Estates, down in the basement." I stared at the floor, I couldn't meet his eyes. "Do you believe me?" I turned my back to him, and heard him sigh. "I love you," he said, walking away.

I crawled back into the bed. I was so tired. I made several attempts to contact Shi, but it did no good.

A while later, I heard the cell door open. I jumped up; it was Mongrel and another Polar.

"What do you want?"

Mongrel ignored me. "Hold her down so I can give her this shot," he told the other man, who reached for my arm. I may not have been able to use my powers, but I could still fight. I jerked it away and sent a fist right into his face.

"Damn it!" he yelped, and Mongrel slapped me. I sprung and gave a kick that sent Mongrel flying into the cell bars. Then the other Polar punched me so hard, I fell to the ground. My head was spinning. He held me down and pinned both of my arms behind my back. I tried to struggle against him, but couldn't get free.

"Hold the little whore down!" Mongrel yelled.

I gasped at the pain as he stabbed the needle forcefully into my arm. "You bastard! You will pay for this!"

"Yeah, yeah, save it," he said, yanking me up off of the floor. Then he slung me on the bed. They stormed out and slammed the cell door shut. I was dizzy from the shot, my vision blurred.

"Sleep tight, Princess," was the last thing I heard before I blacked out again.

I came to disoriented. It must have been morning because there was plate of breakfast food sitting on a small table. At least they were hospitable enough to feed me. I wasn't going to complain because I was hungry. I finished the food, which was decent, and then gulped down the glass of water that was sitting beside it. I was so thirsty.

Suddenly, I got a sharp pain in my stomach and was nauseated. There wasn't a trash can or anything else in here for me to use. So I dashed to the corner and leaned over as my food came up. I felt a little better, and I got off of my knees to find Mongrel staring at me.

"Yuck, disgusting. I am not going to clean it up either."

"Now why would you do that? Cleaning it up would make you a decent person. I know that's not the case." I rolled my eyes at him and lay back down.

"Watch it, Princess."

I ignored him and he finally walked away. I turned on my side, my breasts were very sore. Oh no! I panicked. A Kadanan female's breasts did not get sore for any reason other than pregnancy. We had no complications in our breasts whatsoever. And a Kadanan female only had one cycle every three months. Coming back to Kadan and everything being in such disarray; I had not gotten a contraceptive shot. What was I thinking? It was clear I hadn't been. Things couldn't have gotten any worse. I cried myself back to sleep.

I awoke again having no clue what time it was. Mongrel was still standing outside my cell. "Excuse me, Polar, what is your name?"

"My name is Thomas."

"Do you mind telling me the time, Thomas?"

"It's almost nightfall."

Wow! I'd slept all day. A few minutes later, Thomas and the other Polar who had held me down earlier opened up the door. Thomas had a set of towels in his hands.

"It's time for your bathroom break," Thomas said. "And if you try anything I will stun you."

I grabbed the towels and walked between them to the bathroom. I washed my face; the water felt great.

They took me back to my cell. I saw Thomas with the needle in his hand. The other Polar came behind me and clamped my arms behind my back. I didn't struggle this time as Thomas gave me the injection. He leaned in close, then licked my cheek very slowly. The other Polar chuckled.

"You are a pretty little thing," Thomas said, his disgusting breath lingering in my nostrils.

"You filthy mutt. I'm going to kill you!" I yelled.

He started laughing, too. Suddenly we heard someone approaching.

"Thomas, Michael, I need to speak with Syira now!" Kadeem exclaimed. His voice was ice cold, and his eyes were narrow slits. They both froze in place.

"Yes, Sire," Thomas said. "I will be outside of the basement door. Just let me know when you are ready for me to come back in, Sire." He and Michael stepped out.

Once Thomas was gone, Kadeem walked up as close to the cell as he could. "How are you? I came by earlier, but you were asleep, so I decided to let you rest."

"How do you think?" I snapped at him.

"Come closer to me. Thomas might be listening." I went over to the bars. "Ford knows about us. He told me he has known for some time now, even before you left for Earth."

"So, he has been following you?"

"Yes, but I don't know what he wants from me. I'm sure he will use this information to blackmail me."

"Does your father know?"

"Not entirely. Ford said he didn't tell him directly, but he has given him hints. That's why he is suspicious of me now and has me receiving these shots. I have to find a way to get you out of here. You are being heavily guarded, and I will have to do it the old-fashioned way since I can't teleport. Do you think your father will kill me?"

"What do you mean? If he captures you?"

"No, when I bring you back to him. I won't be able to come back here, Syira. But I'm willing to turn my back on my race to save you."

Maybe he was telling the truth. I leaned closer to the bars; Kadeem reached his hands through them quickly and grabbed my face. I was scared at first, and then he placed his lips on mine as best as he could through the bars and kissed me. He must love me; I felt a tingle of energy transpire through us as we kissed. He released me after a few seconds.

"My father won't kill you, but he will keep you in holding. And I will tell him the truth. No more lies, Kadeem."

"All right."

"Do you really think you can get me out of here?"

"I'm working on a plan to get you out in the next night or two. I need to finish scoping a few things out."

"Are you sure you want to do this? Turn your back on your own people?"

"My people disgust me, and you are worth it. My life is not complete without you." I hoped he was telling me the truth because I felt the same way about him. "And by the way, you won't have to," he continued.

"I won't have to what?"

"Kill Thomas. Because if he ever touches you like that again, I will kill him myself. I must go now, but I'll check on you in a few hours."

"Kadeem, be careful." I was starting to put my faith back in him. I would know for sure if he was truthful if he broke me out of here. I lay back down and allowed myself to hope that Kadeem was true to me.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

We trained all day, and then King Julius had a meeting with everyone to explain the situation. The King began speaking, "As you all know, my daughter was taken hostage last night. We believe she is being held at the Cambridge Estates. We'll be ready to attack tomorrow night, a few hours before sunrise. I will try to compromise with King Zeus first. But if he is not willing, then we will strike. Bryan, please take over."

Bryan went over the map of the area around Cambridge Estates. We went through all of the details of the approach. We would be taking fifteen ships.

It was a long, exhausting day. "I'm so worried about Syira," I told Bryan and Nile later that evening.

"You still haven't heard anything from her?" Nile asked.

"No, nothing. They must have her drugged or something because I should be able to communicate with her. Has she tried to contact either of you guys?"

They both shook their heads.

"Drugging her would make sense," Bryan said. "They wouldn't want her to give us any information. They are probably aware most of us can speak to each other through our minds."

"I hope that is the reason," I said.

"Of course it's the reason. King Zeus wouldn't kill her. He would want to use her for leverage," Bryan replied.

"The Polars will pay for this. They will not be expecting so many of us tomorrow," Nile said.

The next night came, and a huge battle was upon us. I prepared myself for the attack. I had on black pants, a black, long-sleeved shirt, and black combat boots. They were good for running, kicking, and jumping, which I would be doing a lot of. I combed my hair up into a tight bun. I had grown up in a world of such peace and never thought I would be fighting in a war over our planet.

Bryan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Tell me that everything is going to be all right," I begged.

He gave me a small smile. "I pray everything will be okay." I turned around to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. "I want you to stay as close to me as possible, so I can help you if you need it."

"I am not helpless, Bryan. I know how to fight, and I have my mind powers."

"I know you can take care of yourself. And you may be the one helping me, but I still want you close."

"Okay, I'll stay close."

"It's time for us to meet at the back entrance."

I was reluctant to pull away but made myself. We went down the hall to the back entrance, which was full of Kadanans saying goodbye to their loved ones. It seemed quieter than I thought it should have been. It was like everyone was whispering. The older women and the ones who were not trained to be warriors were staying behind to watch the children, as were the older men.

"I need to start handing out the lasers. Remember what I said," Bryan stated.

"I will." I spotted Aunt Rashell and Efrin saying goodbye to the girls. I made my way to them. "Hi, guys," I greeted.

"Hi, Shiray," Rashell said. She seemed as nervous as I felt. The girls both said hello and Efrin smiled.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked.

"As ready as we are going to be," Rashell replied.

"Come here girls, give me a hug," Efrin said. He hugged both of them, and then they hugged Rashell. I embraced them next. Aunt Rashell's eyes were watery, but she held her tears at bay. I couldn't imagine how she felt, not knowing if she would live to see them again. The girls had tears rolling down their faces. Heidi, one of the older women staying behind, walked over to us. She would be caring for them while we were gone.

"They are in good hands, Ms. Rashell," Heidi relayed.

"I know Heidi, and thank you."

"When will you be back, Mother?" Summer asked.

Rashell couldn't answer, so Efrin did. "Soon, Honey."

This was a tough moment for both of them.

"We better get going, guys," I advised.

"All right," Rashell said, squeezing the girls one more time.

We trudged over to John's group which they were both in. Aunt Rashell gave me a hug. "Take care, Shiray."

"I will, and you'll see your girls again."

"I hope so," Rashell whispered.

"You be careful too, Aunt Rashell." I squeezed her hand. "I'd better get over to my team."

"Be safe," Efrin said, as I went over to my group. I wasn't worried about them, because they both had the power of telekinesis and could take care of themselves.

Bryan, Nile, John, and Kumar were handing out lasers. Some Kadanans talked amongst themselves and others said their farewells. I walked over to stand next to Cessar. "You ready, Cessar?"

"Yes, I am." He gave me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It is time to reclaim our home back."

"I agree."

Nile came over and handed me a laser.

Everything will be okay, Shi. Try not to worry.

I can't help but fret. I'm wondering how many we are going to lose.

I understand how you feel. Let's just focus on getting Syira back and winning this war.

You're right.

He handed Cessar and the rest of my team members their lasers. Minutes later, King Julius came forth to give us our commands. He was going to fight with us. I had never seen him brawl before, but I had heard he was a great warrior.

King Julius was fifty-four years old, but he didn't look a day over thirty. This was it, the moment of truth. We traveled through the tunnel that led to the basement toward our ships. Once we got to the basement and inside the hidden room where the ships were, each team beamed aboard their ship. I glanced over to Syira's ship and saw Nazar, who was commanding her team.

"This is it. Be ready and alert," I mandated. "Once we hit the surface we will go to the rendezvous points and join forces with the other Kadanans." I took control of the ship and followed in behind the others as we made our way up to the surface. Within seconds we were flying to our first pick up spot.

"It looks like the first point is over there past the trees," Tia acknowledged.

Tia was tall. She had blonde hair that hung to her bottom. She wasn't married, and didn't have any children. She was a great fighter, and I was glad to have her on my team.

"I think you're right. That's it up ahead," I agreed. We passed the trees, there were seven ships waiting on the other side. They formed into formation behind us, and we zoomed to the other three points.

Once we had connected with all of the other teams, we headed toward Cambridge Estates.

We docked our ships two miles out. We beamed down and formed into our teams. It was still very dark outside, a few hours until dawn. It was quiet around the Estates; I wondered if they knew we were coming. We surrounded the front of the Estates, still no signs of any guards. Suddenly sirens started going off. _Well, they were aware we are here now_ , I thought.

Swarms of Polars came from inside the mansion and from behind, barricading us. They had their lasers aimed at us, we had our lasers raised at them. All in attack mode. On the second floor of the estate there was a large balcony; several Polars appeared. I saw Kadeem among them. I remembered him from when I had seen him kissing Syira some time back. Behind him, I saw a man whom I assumed was King Zeus. He was very good looking, and also had shoulder-length blond hair. He was a bit shorter than his son. I gasped as I saw two Polars bringing Syira out behind them. She seemed frightened, but not harmed. Everyone tensed, ready to fight.

"Hold your fire," King Julius dictated.

_She's alive!_ I sent to Bryan.

_She looks unharmed_.

King Julius held up his right hand in a halt command. King Zeus spoke first, "Well, what do we have here? This is quite a surprise, Julius."

"This doesn't have to get ugly. Give me my daughter back unharmed, release my people who you are holding hostage, and leave my planet."

King Zeus laughed. "I will give you your daughter back, if you will surrender your planet over to me."

"That will never happen," King Julius spat.

"Then we have a problem."

"Release my daughter. I do not wish to kill you. Unlike your race, my kind tries to reason with the enemy before we kill them."

"Surrender your planet to me! This is the last time I will give you this offer."

"No!"

"You have just signed your daughter's death certificate. Kill them all!"

Syira struggled against the two Polars who were holding her arms, but they forced her back inside the mansion. Kadeem, Zeus, and the other Polars followed.

"Engage fire!" King Julius yelled. And now the battle began.

The Polars began to fire. King Julius threw up his force field. It shielded his team, Bryan's, Nile's, and mine. _Damn!_ I had never known he had such a powerful force field. I crouched down and shot my laser. Our ships flew in to engage fire also. The Polars' ships came in next, and the ships went to war with each other over our heads. King Julius' shield held for a couple of minutes, then went down as more Polars engaged in battle. My team formed a circle, our backs to each other, but our formation didn't hold for long.

I feared for Syira's life inside, but before I could help her I had to save my own life out here. She wouldn't go down without a fight. And would Kadeem help her, or was he setting her up this entire time?

A Polar came my way, breaking my thoughts. I had him on the ground in seconds with my mind-warp of pain. Cessar fired his laser and shot electric bolts from his hand. Four more came at me, I mind-warped them and shot my laser at the same time. I continued this strategy for a while.

Bryan used his fire and his laser. Nile his kinesis and his laser, and Rashell and Efrin were doing the same. I had a good feeling about this battle. We were taking them down, until one of the Polar vessels let off a huge explosion. Several were thrown in the air from the blast, and debris was everywhere. I was able to dodge and move out of the way, falling to the ground. Smoke surrounded me; a multitude of Kadanans were dead. I scrambled to my feet. I had lost my laser gun and looked around frantically for Bryan, but I didn't see him. He called to me first.

Shiray, are you all right?

Yes, I'm okay.

Praise Sonar! We are over by the front door. Stay put if you can. There are a slew of Polars here that we're trying to fight off.

I didn't listen and took off running toward him. I didn't get far before three more Polars surrounded me. I mind-warped two of them, but the third one caught me with a left hook. I came back at him with a right. The other two were still down on the terrain while we went at it. He tried to punch me again, I ducked and kicked him in his knee cap. He went down on it. I quickly got the knife from my back pocket and slit his throat. Within seconds, another one grabbed me from behind. I threw my head back and head-butted her. Then took her by her hair and flipped her over my shoulder. At the same time another Polar was coming toward me, and I mind-warped him.

I didn't waste time on the woman because a male charged at me from the right. I jumped in the air, punting him in the face. The woman I head-butted clutched me by my throat. I planted my knife in her side, and she let go. Someone else kicked me in my side, I lost my balance. I caught myself before hitting the ground and bounced back up. He had a large scar on his right cheek and was waiting for me. He landed several punches into my face before I could respond. I yanked his head, swiftly bringing it to my knee. Another male with a weird ear piercing jumped in. Now I was brawling both of them. Ear piercing had a knife also, so we were trying to stab each other. Scar cheek came behind me and put me in a headlock. I saw a Polar in my peripheral vision who was spurring needle pins at other Kadanans. He turned my way. I tried to warp him, but couldn't breathe as the Polar was cutting off my circulation. I continued to tussle against him. The Polar was about to spur his pins on me when Cessar came in front of me. He threw electric bolts; electrocuting needle-wielding man. Scar cheek, still had me in a headlock and was distracted by his fellow soldier's death. I was able to elbow him in his ribs. I mind-warped his ass with pain. He fell to one knee, then Cessar electrocuted him, also.

I thought the coast was clear, then nine more Polars surrounded us. We put our backs against one another. Cessar took out two of them with his bolts and the others were about to start shooting at us. _Enough of this!_ I took a deep breath clearing my mind. I pulled from deep within for a massive mind-warp of agony. The rest of the Polars who had barricaded us fell to the terrain at once. They were all screaming and some had blood coming out of their noses. I could feel the power radiating through me, and I had to rein it back in. I'd never felt such a powerful mind-warp. It was overwhelming, and I felt out of control. After a few seconds, the Polars stopped yelling, and they grew still. Were they dead? I didn't have time to investigate. I needed to get to Bryan. Cessar seemed impressed at first, and then frightened.

"Shiray, there are many more coming this way," he announced.

"Let's get to the front door. Bryan and the others are trying to get to Syira." We took off in a sprint. When I got near the entrance of the mansion a big battle was taking place. Bryan was spewing flames and Nile was using his telekinesis, slinging Polars everywhere like Ping-Pong balls. John was in hand-to-hand combat with several Polars, and Cessar joined in by throwing lightning bolts. I took more down with my mind-warp, but my powers were starting to weaken. I glanced to my left and saw at least fifty more coming our way. Geez, how many more were there? That is one advance they had over us, they had way more in number. "We need to get in the estate!" I shouted.

"We're working on that!" Nile yelled back.

The Polars approached and we engaged in battle.

## Chapter 21

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

The two guards pulled me back into the house. King Zeus stood in front of his huge oversized chair. The guards placed me a few feet in front of him. Kadeem stood off to the side, his expression unreadable. There were about thirty Polars in the room. Everyone was quiet. I was terrified because I could hear the battle going on outside; it was very loud. This man was vicious. My father wouldn't surrender, so he ordered his men to attack. I was worried for my family outside, fighting for their lives, but guessed I would soon be fighting for my own life inside. I hadn't been given a shot in several hours. I thought I could use my powers a little, but didn't know how strong they would be. Powers or not, I would not go down without a fight.

I stood there staring at King Zeus with hatred, he cleared his throat.

"Well, the war has begun out there, so it's time to handle the situation in here. Syira, your father has declined my offer, so with my deepest regret I'm going to have to kill you," he decreed.

Kadeem stepped forward but said nothing.

"You would have killed me regardless," I spat.

"No, I would not have," Zeus persisted. "I'm a man of my word. This is not something I am proud of, but it has to be done. Thomas, proceed."

Mongrel pounced towards me. I used my powers to send him flying across the room. Then I saw Michael advancing. I was ready for him, too, but Kadeem stepped in front of me protectively. "Father, stop this now!" he yelled.

King Zeus stepped forward. "Kadeem, why are you protecting her?"

"Syira is my soul mate, Father, and I will not stand by and let you kill her."

My heart swelled, so he _had_ been telling me the truth. This statement proved any lingering doubts.

"So, you have betrayed your own race for this woman? Is she really worth it?" Zeus demanded.

"Yes, she's worth it, and I have betrayed no one. This is your war, Father. Most of your people, including myself, don't agree with what you are doing. There could have been peace."

"We are not a peaceful race, Son."

"There is always a choice. I choose to stand by love."

"You're willing to die for her?" Zeus challenged, shaking his head.

"I _will_ die for her, but I won't die alone."

This man was meant for me. How could I have ever doubted him? If by some miracle we survived this, no one would ever again get in the way of our being together.

Zeus closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. "You have made your choice, Son, but I have to stand by my decision."

"I will not let any harm come to her. You will all have to get through me first!"

"So be it," King Zeus bid. "Michael and Thomas engage."

They both went after Kadeem. Thomas and Kadeem began brawling first. They punched and kicked; their movement was so fast, I could barely keep track. Then Michael stepped in, and Kadeem fought them both at once.

I ran and dived into Thomas, jabbing my elbow into his neck. He came at me, but I didn't let him get close. Then I kicked him and used my power to send him soaring backward. Before he could get off of the floor, I lunged on top of him, raised his head, and twisted his neck. I could hear the cracking of his bones. It made a sickening sound. I hated to kill him, but this is what it had come down to. Polars gasped, now knowing I had been trained to kill. No one else jumped in to help Thomas, so I assumed they could only attack if Zeus gave the order.

I looked over at Kadeem. Michael was dead, too. But now he was fighting three more. Four new men approached me. I used my powers to throw three of them into a wall. I fought another; we punched and kicked each other. I felt my powers weakening. He grabbed my neck with both of his hands, chocking me. I did an upper thrust move with the palm of my hand and pushed his nose into his brain. His eyes went blank. He fell on top of me, dead. I pushed him off quickly.

Two more men were on me next. Kadeem must have killed the others because the next thing I knew he was helping me. He lifted one of the Polars into the air by his neck, pulled a mini blade out of his pocket, and shanked him in the side. Another Polar tried to kick me, but I dodged him. I thrust my hand into his throat. Then I kicked him three times in his ribs, trying to puncture his lung. He attempted to grab me. Kadeem was faster, whipping behind him, snapping his neck. How many had we killed, nine or so? The question was, how many more could we take down before we were killed?

"Enough," King Zeus declared. "Ford, Anthony, end this now!"

The men came forth to double team Kadeem. I jumped onto Anthony's back and wrapped my arm around his neck. He yanked my hair and flipped me onto the ground. I tried to get up, but he was faster. He kicked my back, and I cried out. Anthony jumped back in to help Ford against Kadeem.

"Syira!" Kadeem yelled. Ford and Anthony got the upper hand while he was distracted. He fought them both for a while, but I could tell he wouldn't be able to defeat them both. I was in so much pain and tried to get up, but was unable. I glanced around. The other Polars were waiting in anticipation. I had to help Kadeem, he was losing. Still stuck on the ground, I closed my eyes and thought _Ford, Anthony, move. I will throw you across the room into the pillars._ When I opened my eyes they were both flying through the air. Anthony hit his head against the pillar before hitting the ground, and he didn't get back up.

Ford, however, lunged right back to his feet. He took out his sword and charged. Kadeem dived onto the floor and retrieved a sword from one of the dead Polars. He jumped up, and the two began sword fighting. Kadeem sliced Ford's arm, but they continued to go at it. After a few more jabs, Kadeem slipped in a puddle of blood. He lost his footing for only a moment, but I watched in terror as Ford stabbed Kadeem in the chest.

"No!" I screamed and managed to scramble to my feet. Kadeem was injured, and Ford kicked him to his knees. Then he stood behind him and placed the sword against his neck. Would this be the end for the love of my life? I used the last of my strength to throw a force field around Kadeem. It pushed Ford back, but he tried to penetrate it. I didn't know how long it would hold.

Before I realized what I was doing, I made my way over to King Zeus. He didn't even notice me as he watched Ford struggle to break through the force field to kill Kadeem. I dropped down at the king's feet and laid my head at them. I felt the last of my powers diminish, the force field was no longer around Kadeem.

"Please, stop this! Please don't kill him! If you have any compassion left inside of you, do not kill us for the sake of your unborn grandchild," I begged. I heard several gasps and looked up to see that even King Zeus' mouth dropped open.

He held out his hand signaling for Ford to stop. I gazed over at Kadeem. His eyes were wide, and everyone appeared amused at the turn of events.

"What did you say?" King Zeus asked.

"I said that I am carrying your grandchild. Would you be so cruel to murder him, too?"

"Stand up," he demanded. I stood shakily. "I will see if what you are saying is true."

He touched my stomach. I didn't understand how his power worked entirely, but it dealt with sense of touch and he would know I was pregnant.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds. I watched him. King Zeus was a very handsome man. His hair was dirty blond and long like Kadeem's, but his eyes were a darker brown. I hoped he had some decency left within him and would spare our lives. He opened his eyes. "So, what you are saying is true. I need to think about this before I make a decision. Ford, hold off from killing my son for a minute and come with me."

Ford stepped away from Kadeem.

"I will be back shortly. Keep them here while I decide what I am going to do with them," King Zeus told some of his men. Then he walked off. Ford and three women followed him. Kadeem got off of his knees and dashed over to me. Four men came over and stood around us.

"You're hurt," I said to Kadeem, investigating his wound.

"I will be all right. How badly are you hurt?" He inspected me.

"It's just my back that hurts."

He rubbed my lower back gently. "I hope the baby is okay. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only realized it myself the other day. I'm starting to have symptoms now."

For the first time ever, we hugged in front of someone. Kadeem took me in his embrace, and it felt so good. I heard several Polars whispering, but I didn't care that our secret was out. I hugged him back tightly.

"What do you think your father will do with us?"

"I am not sure; he's definitely shocked."

"Well, maybe his consulting with others about the situation means he's considering letting us live."

"I can only hope that is the case, but I'm not counting on it. I am trying to teleport but it's not working. We need to find another way out of here fast."

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

Those of us on the ground and the ships in the sky were deep in battle. I heard another loud explosion. I glanced up and saw one of our ships falling from the sky, burning. I was in too much shock to scream. It crashed into the side of the estate with a deafening bang, creating a jagged, gaping hole in the building. Everyone, including the Polars, stopped what they were doing to watch the explosion.

"This is it, our distraction. We need to get inside now!" Bryan yelled.

The Polars began firing at us again. We huddled more closely together, shooting back and trying to make our way through the door. Bryan started spewing flames, and I decided to try to enhance his power by connecting with him. I charged over to him, and a male Polar tried to intercept me. John put an elbow to his back, and I rolled over the Polar on my back so that I didn't fall to the ground with him. I got in place behind Bryan.

_It's me. I'm going to try to enhance your power_. I didn't want him to think I was an attacker.

I elevated myself on his back slightly so I could reach over his shoulder. I placed my right hand on top of his and concentrated. Bryan ignited the flames and they tripled in size and strength. It was working.

"Go, get into the estate and find Syira!" Bryan yelled to the others. "Shiray and I will catch up with you."

"Has anyone seen our father?" Nile asked.

"Not since before I came over to help you guys fight," Kumar answered. Then they all took off into the building.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

We heard an explosion, and the ceiling came crashing into the room. Everyone screamed. Kadeem threw his body over me as we fell to the ground. Seconds later, I saw gray smoke everywhere. Our ship was on the ground. Were they still alive in there? I got up and headed toward the ship. Kadeem grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?"

"To the ship to see if they are still alive."

"No, we haven't got time, I'm sorry. I hope they are alive, but you are too important to me. We have to escape now while we have a chance."

Kadeem was right; this could be our only chance. He clutched my hand. "This way," he said, pulling me in the other direction. We took off running as the entire room was consumed by smoke. Some of the Polars had been hit by debris and lay screaming. Others crouched on the floor, and some were retreating, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to us.

We approached closer to what appeared like the entrance. To my surprise and relief; Nile, John, Nazar, Kumar, and Cessar, followed by Bryan, and Shiray were running toward us. Nile charged us at lightning speed with hatred in his eyes. He immediately started fighting Kadeem. I don't think he even saw we had been holding hands. Kadeem fought him back.

"Nile, stop!" I yelled.

He didn't listen, though, and kept punching Kadeem. I put a force shield around Kadeem so that when Nile tried to hit him again, it stopped him dead in his tracks. Nile glared at me.

"Syira, this is King Zeus' son. Why are you protecting him?"

Oh, if he only had a clue. "I am protecting him because I love him." I heard several in takes of breath, but ignored them.

"What?" Nile and Bryan both yelled.

"We don't have time for this. We need to get out of here now," Shi interrupted.

"Yes, we do," I agreed. Bryan and Nile both looked outraged, but didn't protest.

"Let's go," Bryan commanded. He headed toward the door and the rest of us followed him, Kadeem close behind.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" Nile asked Kadeem.

"With Syira."

"The hell you are."

"Nile, Kadeem saved my life, and he is coming with me," I declared, putting my foot down. Nile narrowed his eyes, but he turned around and started back toward the door.

We made our way outside, there was chaos everywhere. Some were still in battle when we heard several loud explosions go off. Three Polars ships had been shot from the air, and the sound was horrendous. We crouched to the ground and laid low for a few minutes. We noticed the remaining Polar ships appeared to be retreating. My surroundings were in total disarray. Fire was burning rampant, and dead bodies littered the terrain. It sickened my stomach.

"What's going on?" I yelled over the noise.

"I don't know, but Father wants us to board our ships and get back to the palace," Bryan responded.

We continued at a jog until we reached our ships, and everyone split up to board them.

Sharaf was standing by my ship when we got there. He tensed up when he saw Kadeem. His Polar eyes gave him away.

"It's all right, Sharaf," I urged. "He saved my life, and he is going with us."

Sharaf seemed even more confused. "It is fine, Sharaf," Nazar reassured him. We all beamed aboard the ship.

Once onboard, I walked Kadeem to a room at the back of the ship. "It would be best if you stayed in here until we get to the palace."

He gently touched my cheek. "Now we will see what your father will do with me."

"I won't let him harm you," I proclaimed, touching his face also. He squeezed my hand, then kissed it. "My father is an honorable man. He will have to honor the fact you saved my life."

"I will see you soon."

"At least we are both still alive," I said, giving him a small smile. I closed the door and made my way into the cockpit.

"All of our crew is accounted for," Nazar told me.

"That's great, Nazar. I'm glad everyone is safe. Now it's time to head back to the palace so I can face the music."

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

What a mess this was turning out to be. The cat was out of the bag now. I couldn't imagine what was going to happen next. We left Cambridge Estates and were on our way home. Hopefully the Polars retreating meant the war was over. That battle was the scariest thing I had ever gone through. I would probably have nightmares for months after having seen so much explosions, fighting, killing, and bloodshed. How many had we lost? How many had I killed? I really didn't want to think about it, and had to push it out of my mind for the moment. John came in over the intercom.

"King Julius says the Polars are retreating and that we are to meet inside of the palace."

_Holy shit_ , I thought. Maybe we had won the war if we were meeting inside of the actual palace and not the underground chamber.

When we arrived at the palace, all of the ships docked in the basement. Bryan came swiftly up to me, pulling me into his arms, squeezing me tightly. I closed my eyes and hugged him back.

"Thank God you are safe," he declared.

"I'm happy you are too."

He pulled back and looked at me. "Are you hurt?"

"I just have a few cuts and bruises." I inspected him. His hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled, but other than that he appeared all right. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

I hugged him again. "So, what's going on? What happened with the war?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Nile said he was able to read some of King Zeus' thoughts before he boarded his ship and left. We are about to find out the details. My father wants a meeting A.S.A.P. in the palace conference room."

"It must be good news if we are able to reside inside the main palace."

"Yes, it is a good thing. We better get upstairs," he said, grabbing my hand.

We entered the palace, our home. It felt good to be here. It was daylight outside now and hundreds of Kadanans had gathered in some of the living areas. Many were reuniting with loved ones. It was very heart-filling. I spotted Rashell and Efrin with their girls. I would speak with them later, as Bryan was pulling me towards the conference room.

My stomach was in knots. There was going to be a show down when King Julius found out about Syira and Kadeem. Inside the conference room, victory was in the air.

Nile came and stood by us. "Father says the meeting will start in five minutes."

"Where is Syira?" I asked.

"She is with that Polar in the holding area. They are about to bring him in."

I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. I wondered how messy this was going to get. A few minutes passed, and more Kadanans entered the room. King Julius came inside with John and Conan. As he approached the front of the room everyone grew quiet.

There were several whispers. I saw Sharaf and Tazman entering the room, each holding one of Kadeem's arms. He was also wearing handcuffs. He was so handsome. This was the first time I had seen him up close. He walked with pride and power like a lethal lion. I could see why Syira was drawn to him. She followed behind them, her eyes were wild. I didn't blame her. Who knew what her father was going to say or, even worse, what he might do? The men walked Kadeem to the front of the room and stood him before King Julius.  
_Here we go!_

## Chapter 22

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I'd never been so scared in my life. I had no idea how my how my father was going to react. He didn't even glance our way though we stood in front of him. He spoke to the crowd in the conference room.

"My fellow Kadanans, today we have temporarily reclaimed our planet. You all fought well, and I am proud of you. Nile was fortunate enough to read some of Zeus' thoughts before the Polars evacuated. They have left our planet and returned to Polaris."

"My Lord, what of the Kadanans who were taken prisoner?" Conan asked.

"Nile, tell us what you learned from Zeus," King Julius advised.

"They have fled to Polaris for now. They lost a lot of soldiers, and Zeus was frightened. As for our people, they are being held hostage on Polaris. He plans to regroup and account for his losses. That is all I heard from him."

"It's something to go on, Son," King Julius replied. "And we have leverage now. We have his son."

_Sonar_! _No one must have informed Father of the truth_. Only Shiray and a few others knew. But those who knew, didn't dare tell him. This was my mess, and I would speak up about it. I stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

"Kadeem isn't leverage, Father."

"What do you mean, Syira?"

"Kadeem is with me. He has betrayed his race to save my life."

"I don't understand. Why would he save your life?"

"Because we love each other."

"And you have also betrayed your race!" There were several gasps from all around the room. Everyone was dumbfounded.

"I have betrayed no one, Father. I have not done anything wrong. You can't help who you fall in love with. Kadeem is not like his father; he has a good heart."

"You don't even know him!" my father yelled.

"On the contrary, I know him very well," I responded calmly. "I have been seeing him since the war first started."

"This is unbelievable! I am astonished at you, Syira. How could you?"

"I love your daughter, King Julius," Kadeem interrupted, dropping to one knee bowing before my father. "I would die for her. In fact I almost did. My father ordered her death, and I confessed to him my love for her. He had ordered us both killed. We would be dead if your ship had not crashed into the building. I pledge my allegiance to your people, for now I am banished from mine."

My father appeared confused for a second. "Because you saved my daughter's life, I will spare yours. But so we are clear, I don't trust you. You will be kept in holding until I decide what we are going to do with you."

"Father!" I cried.

"Silence, child! You have done enough damage to your people."

At that point, I figured I might as well lay everything out on the table. It couldn't get any worse. "I'm pregnant," I blurted out.

There were a lot more gasps. I glanced over at Shi. Her eyes were big, and her mouth hung slightly open.

"Nooo!" My father shrieked. "I cannot and will not listen to this rubbish right now. Sharaf, Tazman, take this prisoner into holding. We need to tend to the wounded and account for our losses."

"Father," I tried again.

"Syira, remove yourself from my sight. I will deal with you later."

I held back my tears. My father had never spoken to me in that manner before. I turned around and walked away. Sharaf and Tazman escorted Kadeem to holding. I would sneak down to see Kadeem later on tonight. I hoped they treated him well. If they didn't, then they were going to have to answer to me.

Nightfall approached, and my father was getting things in order since we were back in the palace. The palace itself had twenty bedrooms, and those who couldn't fit in the palace stayed in the underground chamber. We also had a ten-thousand-square-foot guest house where the soldiers slept. My father wanted as many Kadanans as possible to stay on the property until he was positive it was safe. Then if their homes were not destroyed they could return. He wasn't sure what King Zeus' next move would be. This was a wise strategy.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

I went up to our old bedroom while Bryan was still attending to matters downstairs. It had been several months, or years depending on how you wanted to look at it, since I had last been here. I went to the side of the bed and opened the top drawer of my nightstand. To my surprise, my wedding ring was still here. I hadn't been sure it would be, with the Polars, who had been roaming around. I breathed a sigh of relief and put it on. There were a few items missing downstairs, but everything seemed intact up here. I picked up our wedding photo from my nightstand, and placed it against my heart.

Was the war really over? It had been horrible. I didn't want to think about how many lives I had taken, but their faces were flashing before my eyes.

"Are you all right, Sweetheart?" Bryan waltzed in and asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"I never thought I would have to kill someone. But these last couple of weeks, I have killed several people."

"We all have, Shi. I don't like it, but it was the inevitable."

"I hate it. Their faces are haunting me."

"We will deal with this together. What's important is we survived."

"I think my powers have advanced."

"How so?"

"When we were fighting I did a massive mind-warp of pain, and I think I killed several Polars at one time. Blood was pouring out of some of their noses. They were grabbing their heads and screaming and then after a few moments they were still."

"Hum, that's ... interesting."

"I would not use those choice of words, but I have never been able to kill someone through mind-warp before."

"I would definitely agree your powers have advanced tenfold. Remind me never to piss you off again."

"I can't believe you're joking about this."

"I'm not joking. I am just stating a fact. But I'd rather make light of the issue because we are all stressed. I don't want to dwell on anything that will upset you more. We can talk about it once we have gotten settled."

"You're right. I'm going to check on Syira."

"Geez, what a total disaster!"

"Yes, it was, but we can talk about it later."

"I mean, what was my sister thinking sleeping with our enemy's son? And now she's freaking pregnant? What a mess!"

"I need to see how she's doing. She is embarrassed, and I'm sure she's scared. Can we please talk about this later?"

He threw both of his palms up in a gesture of defeat. "Yes, we can. I prefer to pretend she's not involved with a Polar."

Was he really afraid of me now because of my heightened powers? "See you in a little while," I said, leaving the room.

I walked down the hall to Syira's bedroom. Her door was cracked, and she was sitting on the bed. I knocked lightly and pushed the door open. "Hey, I wanted to see if you needed anything."

"No, but thanks for asking."

"You are worried about Kadeem?" I asked, stepping into her room.

"Yes, of course."

"And I can only imagine your feelings toward your pregnancy and your father finding out."

She didn't respond, so I sat down next to her. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'm here for you. We will get through this together."

"This is such a huge disaster. I don't know how I got myself into this."

"You don't?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I decided to use Bryan's joking manner.

"Well, I know _how_ I got pregnant. I just can't believe I am."

"Me neither. I nearly pissed my pants when you said that in front of everyone. I thought your father was going to pop a blood vessel."

"Don't remind me."

"At least he spared Kadeem's life."

"I would not have allowed him to harm Kadeem. He would have had to kill me too."

"Wow! You really love him, don't you?"

"I can't imagine my life without him. And now I have a part of him growing within me. I feel like our bond is even stronger."

"How long have you known?"

"I've only known for a few days. I threw up one of my meals when they had me held hostage. And it was confirmed when my breasts were sore. I should be around six weeks or so from the last time we were together. I'm terrified, Shi. It's common for our people to get pregnant at our age, but I'm not married, which is very embarrassing. It's basically blasphemy in our father's eyes—and every ones else's eyes as well—that we are united. Has there ever been a baby of mixed race before in the history of our planets?"

"I'm not entirely sure. There could have been a union we don't know about."

"But there has never been one documented. I don't even know what my baby will look like. Will he have the golden glow around the irises, as Kadeem's race does? There are so many unknowns, and will my people ever accept our baby."

"This is a lot for you to take in, but it will work out somehow. Your father will calm down eventually and accept his grandchild; it's his first one. Above all, he loves you. He will forgive you. Just give him some time to absorb this. As for everyone else; once they see that Kadeem is not a threat, they will accept him and your child. If they don't, then screw them. As long as you have your family's support, it's all that matters. Maybe this whole situation will turn out to be a good thing. You always wanted the truth to come out about you and Kadeem. I have a feeling you guys will get to be together soon."

"Do you really think my father will allow it?"

"What choice does he have but to accept it, especially with your condition? It's not like he will ban you from our planet. He's not a cruel person. He won't like it, but he will accept it." I hugged her.

"I sure hope you are right, Shi."

"I am, you'll see."

"My mind is soaring out of control right now. I almost lost my life today, and probably won't be able to sleep for weeks."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I thought Kadeem had betrayed me when I was captured. He just stood there and watched them take me away. But what did I expect him to do, he was severely outnumbered? Today when his father ordered my death he confessed his love for me. His father told him to choose between me and his race, and he chose me. So Zeus ordered both of us to die, and we fought for our lives."

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry you had to endure that."

"I'll live, but enough about me. You had to fight for your life also. Are you all right?

"It was awful, an experience I will never forget. I'll probably have trouble sleeping too."

"I'm grateful we all survived."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I will be with you every step of the way. We have to take it one day at a time. I am not going to lie and say it won't be hard, but you will survive. You are overwhelmed right now because it just happened." She hugged me tighter.

"I'm so blessed to have you as a sister, Shi. I could not get through this without you."

I kissed her cheek. "I want you to try to rest. If I don't see you later tonight, then I will check on you in the morning."

"Okay. You try to get some rest also."

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I waited until very late that night to see Kadeem down in the holding area. Mostly everyone had retired for the night. I didn't want to run into my father and have to face him. Tazman was keeping guard. "He is not supposed to have visitors," he advised.

"I am going to see him, Tazman. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

He tensed, scoped the area, and then took a step back. "You have five minutes. Your father will have my head if he catches you down here."

"Thank you, Tazman."

I scurried to the cell. Kadeem was sitting down on the bed. Our roles had reversed. He stood up quickly and walked up to the bars.

"Syira, you came!"

"Of course I did. I wanted to wait until things calmed down." I grabbed his hands through the bars. "Everything is going to be all right. I'm going to talk to my father and get you out of this."

"Give him time to digest the situation. He will be upset for a while."

"He definitely will. How is your wound? Did they tend to it?"

"Yes, I had to get several stitches, and it's bandaged. They gave me some medicine, so it feels much better. How is your back?"

"Nothing is broken. It's still sore, but the medicine the Medical specialist gave me is helping."

"And our baby?" he inquired, beaming.

"She did a Supersono scan. Our baby is fine." He sighed in relief. I glanced around to make sure Tazman wasn't spying. I pulled out the photo she had given me. "Here," I said, slipping the picture to him through the bars. He took it from me, and his eyes lit up.

"Amazing! It's so tiny. Are these little nubs the extremities?"

"Yes. I'm very early."

"I still can't believe I'm going to be a father."

"By the expression on your face, I could tell you were very surprised."

"I was, but I'm also happy. I had never thought about being a father, but you are the woman that I want to bear my children."

"How do you think our child will look?"

"It will be interesting to find out."

"Yes, a mixture of both of our races."

"Do you think your father will accept him?"

"In time he might, but I don't really care if he does or not. As long as we are together, is all that matters to me. I have thought about it, and if it came down to it, we could run away to Earth."

"Whoa, you have really thought about this Earth?"

"Kadeem, I'm serious. It's not fair. We can't help who our parents are, and we shouldn't be punished for it."

"You're right, we shouldn't."

"Do you love me, Kadeem?" He reached his right hand through the bars and touched my cheek. "Of course I do. You know I love you, Syira."

"Then promise me if it comes down to it you will run away with me."

"Yes, I will, but let's try to be positive. Hopefully your father will come around."

"I hope so, but I better leave. I have been in here longer than I was supposed to, and I don't want to get Tazman in trouble. You can keep the photo."

"Thank you."

"I'll come see you in the morning. Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be fine. I know you and the baby are safe for now."

I leaned closer into the bars and we kissed as well as we could through them.

"It has been a long day for all of us. Get some rest, my love."

"You try and get some, too," I replied, teary eyed. My father had to forgive us. We had come too far, and there was no turning back now.

It was very quiet around the palace, and there were only guards around several posts. Everyone else had retired for the night. I nodded to a few of them as I passed by. Sharaf was standing by my bedroom door; he would be guarding my room tonight. I bid him goodnight as I went inside.

I put on my night attire and climbed into bed, exhausted. Flashes of Kadeem and I fighting, and almost being killed ourselves filled my mind, sending chills down my spine. I pushed those disturbing images out of my thoughts and tried to focus on something else. We had accomplished a lot today by winning this battle, but knew the war wasn't over. King Zeus would be plotting his revenge. Also, there were hundreds of Kadanans being held prisoner on Polaris. We would have to come up with a plan to rescue them.

I remembered Shi had told me my father would be holding memorial services for all the Kadanans we had lost during the war. I knew Shi had wanted to say a proper goodbye to her father, and I was happy she would finally get the chance.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I didn't know what my future held, but I meant what I had told Kadeem. We would leave this planet if we had to. I tossed and turned and then finally forced myself to fall asleep.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

Bryan and I lay in bed, both wide awake. My head was on his chest and our arms were wrapped around each other. We held on to each other for a while, neither of us speaking. I was still reeling from the day's events.

I broke the silence. "It feels strange to be back in our bedroom."

"It's been a long time since we slept in here," he said, stroking my hair. "I'm ready to rebuild our planet and continue my life with you."

"Where do we begin? So much has changed."

"We pick up the pieces and start over. The best thing to do is try to get things as normal as possible. Everyone will feel safer that way. We will just have to be on alert at all times until the war is completely over."

"Sounds like a good plan."

He changed the subject. "I am still mortified about Syira. Did you know about them?"

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. "No," I lied. He lifted my chin and stared into my eyes questioningly. Then he gave me a firm kiss on the mouth.

"Was she all right when you went to see her earlier?"

"Not really. She's frightened of the future."

"Father is angry, but he loves her and will have no choice but to accept the situation."

"I told her the same thing."

"I still can't believe she has been courting the son of our enemy, and then getting knocked up to top it off."

I rolled my eyes, but knew he couldn't see me. "Well, he seems to love her."

"Maybe, but it's hard to digest, and I don't trust him. I wonder what my father will do with him."

"He'd better allow him to live at least. Syira would never forgive him if he hurt Kadeem."

"He won't kill him. He would never go back on his word unless Kadeem did something to endanger or hurt someone else."

"He would not do anything to jeopardize their relationship. And I agree with Syira, you can't help who you fall in love with. Let's not dwell on it tonight. I'm exhausted."

"You're right about that. Rest well, Sweetheart." He kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and snuggled even closer to him before drifting off to sleep.

### * * * * * * * Syira * * * * * * *

I woke up restless the next morning. I hadn't slept well at all, too worried about Kadeem. I'm sure my father was still livid, but decided I had to try to talk to him about it. Maybe if I told him we had Soul-searched he would understand. I'd known from the beginning Kadeem was good. I got dressed and went to find my father. It was still very early in the morning. Our meeting wasn't for another two hours so I had time to talk to him.

I found him sitting on a couch in one of the parlors, drinking hot tea and eating a pastry. I walked slowly into the room; there were two guards inside the doorway. They would be listening, but didn't care. We had guards around us at all times for the last two months. I just pretended they weren't there.

He turned and saw me standing there, then looked away and continued eating as if I wasn't even in the room. I fought back my tears. I wasn't going to cry, but it hurt for my father to treat me as if I didn't matter. He had always spoiled me and given me my heart's desires. I don't ever remember a time I asked him for something and he told me no.

I walked closer to him and kneeled. "Please forgive me, Father. I never meant to hurt you or betray my race." I glanced up at him, begging for forgiveness. He didn't say anything or look at me for a long time. Then he finally met my eyes. He appeared so angry and unforgiving. "Please, Father. Will you not even acknowledge my presence?"

"I see you. What I don't understand is why you courted that boy when you knew it was wrong and would have consequences. I thought I knew you, but I don't know you at all."

"I'm sorry. I tried to stay away from him, but I couldn't. You can't help who you fall in love with."

"On the contrary, you can."

"I don't believe that."

"This pregnancy is a forbidden mixture of our races. It's unheard of, and I don't know what to do about it."

I felt my rage surge. What did he mean, _he_ didn't know what he was going to do about it? This was _my_ baby, and no one was going to hurt it. This pregnancy came from love, and I would always protect my child. "What do you mean Father? I am keeping this baby. If you can't accept it, then I will leave Kadan. And you will never have to see us again. I don't want to leave unless you give me no other option."

His forehead wrinkled, and his brows furrowed. "I wouldn't force you to terminate your pregnancy. This is a complicated situation, and I am trying to comprehend it."

"I understand, but Kadeem is a good Polar. He's nothing like his father."

"I don't trust him!" He shouted angrily.

I flinched, but stood my ground. "I know that I can trust him for a fact. He almost lost his life to protect me and we also Soul-searched."

"Soul-searched, I wonder how that happened? This gift was given only to our people."

"Well, I have learned, there are exceptions to that rule. Shiray Soul-searched with her teacher Mr. Galvan and he's human."

"Hmm," he replied. He was processing this and some of the anger left his eyes.

"A human, and a Polar, interesting. I guess there are some exceptions. Does he know of any other Polars who have Soul-searched?"

"No, he doesn't, but I believe we did for a reason. He doesn't believe what his father is doing is right." My father still didn't look convinced. "How long does Kadeem have to stay locked up?"

"Until I say otherwise. Soul-searching or not, I still don't trust him. The only reason he is not dead is because he saved your life."

"Father! I love him, and I'm having his child. I need to know where we stand with you. There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving him." I couldn't believe he was being so stubborn and uncompassionate.

"I need time to think. Maybe in the future he can have some sort of freedom, I don't know. This has never happened before."

"It's all that I ask; just give him a chance to prove himself to you. He saved my life and betrayed his race, which says something about his character."

He sighed heavily and took a sip of his tea. "I need to prepare for the meeting," he said, changing the subject.

At least there was a chance he might accept Kadeem. I rose to my feet. "You never answered my question, Father. Do you forgive me?"

His eyes softened. "Yes, I forgive you, Syira, but it doesn't change my feelings about the situation."

I nodded at him. "I will give you time to sort this out. Thank you for not casting me out."

"I would never disown you, Syira. I'm upset by your careless actions, but you are my only daughter."

"I appreciate you saying that. You have never been this cold toward me before."

"I have never been this angry at you before, but my love for you will never change. You have to understand, I am the king of an entire planet. I have to answer to my people in every situation. This is nothing we can hide, and I don't know how our people are going to respond to this situation. I will have to evaluate all aspects and see the proper way to handle and present it. I want things to remain positive, and my people to still trust me."

"I understand. Just remember, Kadeem and I are a packaged deal. If he goes, I go." He didn't seem happy with my response, but I meant every word of it. I then left the parlor and went to see Kadeem before the meeting started.

### * * * * * * * Shiray * * * * * * *

The palace was busier this morning than I had ever seen it. There had always been many Kadanans around during the years I'd lived there. But now there were hundreds roaming about.

I went into the formal dining room where we used to eat our meals as a family, and there was a buffet style breakfast being served. The forty-foot-long table was crowded. There had never been so many sitting at it before. Others were standing around eating. I made my way to the food table and grabbed a few pastries.

"Hi, Shi. There you are. I have been looking for you," Rashell said. She gave me a tight hug.

"Hi, how have you been?" I asked, hugging her back.

"We are fine. The girls, Efrin, and I are sitting at the table eating. Come sit down with us."

I followed her to their seats, and both of the girls jumped up to give me a big bear hug.

"I am so happy to see you, Shi," Amber gleamed.

"I'm glad to see you, too, both of you."

"Hello, Shiray. How's it going? " Efrin asked as I sat down.

"It feels great to be home. We have a lot of work ahead of us, though, in rebuilding our planet."

"Most of the injured have been tended to. I am heading back to the infirmary after breakfast," Rashell said. She was comparable to a nurse on Earth, and she was very good at her job.

"I have a meeting I have to get to myself," I stated.

"We can catch up later, Shi. I know you have a lot on your plate," Rashell replied.

"Yes, I do, but I will be taking it one step at a time. It's great most of the sick have been tended to."

"And at least we are safe for now," Rashell added.

"You're right, and hopefully soon things will be back to normal. I better get going. We can talk tonight at dinner, Aunt Rashell."

"See you then."

I strolled into the conference room, which was buzzing also. I saw Bryan talking with Nile, Juda, Cessar, and Kumar. I went over to them.

"Hey, Sweetheart," Bryan said. "I got up early this morning, but didn't want to wake you."

I beamed at him. "I figured you had a lot to do. Hey, guys," I greeted, nodding to everyone else.

"We have several things to go over in the meeting," Bryan replied.

"We need to get this planet back together A.S.A.P." Nile announced.

"That's going to take some time and management," I said.

"I am more interested in what's going to happen with our prisoner," Kumar stated.

Nile made a horrid face, scrunching his nose. "I can't believe my sister. What the hell was she thinking?"

"Cut her some slack, guys," I chastised. "That is for King Julius to decide. And Kadeem is obviously not a threat. He saved Syira's life."

"Don't piss her off guys. My wife's power has increased tenfold. She can cause pain now to the point of death," Bryan declared.

I rolled my eyes at him. I couldn't believe he was telling them. I would never hurt them. Kumar and Juda actually took a step back, eyeing me fearfully. "Bryan, we will talk about this later. If I wanted everyone to know about my power, then I would have just made an announcement."

He looked regretful. "I'm sorry. I am only impressed by your powers. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable about them."

"I know, Bryan. Guys please keep this to yourself. I don't want anyone acting weird around me. Besides all of us have powers which can kill someone."

"We do all have powers that can kill, Shiray. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Cessar replied. "You have the greatest power of us all. You don't have to even touch your enemies; you can take them down by thought. You have an exceptional gift."

"Thank you, Cessar."

"So, you really don't think that Polar is a threat, Shiray?" Juda asked.

"No," I answered.

"Shh," Nile interrupted. "My sister is coming in."

I blew out my breath and didn't comment to Nile. "I'm going to see how she's doing," I told Bryan.

"I'll talk with you afterwards," he said.

I walked up to Syira. "Hey."

"Hi," she said quietly.

"How is Kadeem doing?"

"He's holding up. At least his wound looks better."

"That's good."

"Everyone is staring at me as if I've grown two horns."

"Just ignore them. It only matters what your father thinks. If he is okay with it, then everyone else will follow suit."

"Speaking of my father, I spoke with him this morning. I wanted him to know, Kadeem can be trusted. I told him we Soul-searched."

"What did he say?"

"He's still mad and hurt by my actions, but he told me he forgives me. He said he needs time to absorb what has happened and deal with it in a manner which doesn't reflect on us negatively."

"Well, that's progress, and he's right. In time they will see Kadeem is on our side, but it takes people time to adjust to change."

"Very true."

The room quieted down as King Julius came in. Everyone took their seats, and the meeting began.

We went over a lot of material during the conference. Nile was in charge of coordinating the communication among all of the territories on the planet. A fifty-foot-tall, electric wall was going to be built, surrounding the entire palace. It would have guards posted at several areas. That wall would be impressive. It would definitely protect us better when King Zeus struck again.

Two days passed, and we attended the memorial services for the Kadanans we had lost during the war. All of the deceased were laid to rest in an enormous burial site just east of the palace. I stood in front of my father's grave with tears streaming down my face. Bryan had his fingers intertwined in mine.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm hanging in there." He gave me a small smile. "I wish he could have been buried next to my mother and sister."

My mother and sister were buried by my childhood home, further out in the territory of Nazari. There was massive destruction to our land. They still had to evaluate and access all of the areas. King Julius didn't want us venturing out.

"Once we know it is safe, then we can move your father to where your mother and sister are buried."

"At least I am closer to him, being buried here," I said. I missed him so much. My father had been so sad when I left to go to Earth. But I had no clue I would never see him again in this life. He was happy and at peace in Heaven with my mother and sister. I had said a proper goodbye, so I felt like I could go on. I would see him again one day, as well as my mother and sister. I sighed. "Where do we go from here?"

"We go on as best as we can."

"We've been through so much these last couple of years."

"Yes, but I feel we are stronger because of it. It's time to rebuild our future together."

"I agree. I feel a little overwhelmed, but I'm at peace now that I finally got to say goodbye to him after all this time."

"It's understandable to feel that way, Shi."

"The odds have been stacked against us, but we've managed to defeat them. As long as I have you by my side, I'm positive we can face whatever comes next and prevail."

"Spoken like a true queen."

"I will be one day. I want my kingdom to be free and at peace."

This fight was not over yet. We were moving into the calm of the hurricane and would be at peace for a while. For now, I would help to rebuild our planet. And when King Zeus came back, we'd be ready for him.

## Epilogue Part I

### * * * * * * * Bryan * * * * * * *

### March 2014

On Saturday night, I was a little uneasy. Mr. Galvan had already tried several times to help me regain my memory without success. Shiray, Syira, and Nile had all recovered theirs and were sharing memories about our past that I didn't have. We were going to try again the following Monday night. It would be my last chance to recover my memory before we attempted to go "home" that Friday. To a planet I had only glimpses of from my dreams.

Shiray and I were in my bedroom watching television. She had been there all day, and I was really enjoying her company. We had been together for hours, and I still wanted her to stay with me for as long as possible. My foster mother was getting suspicious of us. She hadn't said anything, but I had seen the way she looked at us. She was trying to figure out if we were more than just friends. If she only knew the truth.

"I'm really going to miss watching TV when we get back to Kadan. You said we don't have television there, right?" I asked Shiray.

"No, we don't, but television is definitely entertaining. If we make it home and win the war against the Polars, I'm sure we can acquire television there. We could watch all of our sports live; Kadanans love sports. We could also watch live expeditions of the gem caves and outer space expeditions. Our people would get a kick out of that."

"I'm sure it can be done, especially since our technology is more advanced than Earth's."

"Yes, it is."

I changed the subject. "Our memory session was cut short the other day. Can we try again?"

"Yes, we can try," she said, grabbing my hands.

"My foster parents are at a movie right now, so I don't want any arguments from you about us kissing. Let's try it that way." I was dying to kiss her again. She was a great kisser. I found myself feeling shy around her, but trying to regain my memories was a good excuse to kiss her again. Plus, I would do anything to get my memory back, even if was only in bits and pieces. She blushed. "Are you embarrassed?"

"I see some of your old characteristics are coming back. You must be hanging around me too much," she joked, smiling.

Wasn't it a good thing if my old personality was coming back? And as I was beginning to see, I was never going to get tired of being near her.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's a great thing. Kissing you while recollecting our memories feels very intimate to me. It's exciting, but unnerving at the same time. Let's get started." She leaned into me and captured my lips. I moaned and entangled my hands in her hair. I deepened the kiss. We fell back onto the bed, my insides started to feel heated and tingly as I had the first time we'd kissed on Earth. It was the night she showed me the memory of our first kiss on Kadan. I assumed she was tapping into her power because I was feeling the same sensations as I had that night. I wondered what memory she was thinking about this time; nervous and anxious at the same time.

Shiray began to replay the scene to me, and it was like an explosion. She somehow triggered the memory to expel, and I remembered the details of the first night on our honeymoon.

It was like I was back there with her on that amazing first night as husband and wife. I was so nervous around her, and took a deep breath as I went into the bedroom. She wasn't there. Where was she? I spotted her on the balcony. She was wearing an ivory silk night gown that stopped mid-thigh. I sucked in my breath and my heart rate picked up. She was breathtaking. I walked out slowly to her. She was staring up at our three moons. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Hi," I whispered into her ear.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just admiring the view."

"It is lovely, but it's nothing compared to your beauty."

Shi reached her arm up and wrapped it behind my neck. Then she leaned her head back against me, and I leaned down to meet her kiss. Her lips felt so soft against mine. She deepened the kiss and turned around to face me. I lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around me. I carried her back into the bedroom, set her back on her feet, and broke our kiss. She stood there gazing at me with desire in her eyes ... so beautiful. I pulled her night gown up over her head. Her long, thick, wavy hair fell over her bare bosom. She was wearing only her ivory lingerie. Her skin, such a fair cream color was flawless. I skimmed my finger down her cheek and continued it over her collar bone.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered.

She bit her lip. "You are too."

I grabbed her face with both of my hands, kissing her intensely. She ran her hands through my hair, and I shivered. I broke our kiss again for a moment. "Lay back on the bed," I told her.

She walked back slowly and climbed up onto the bed. Her gorgeous, light green eyes never left mine. I climbed on the bed and positioned myself on the side of her. I had waited so long for this night, to finally share our bodies with each other. My heart melted at being her first; it made her all mine. I kissed her neck, rubbing my hand up her bare thigh. She wiggled beneath me, clawing at the sheets. It delighted me that I could give her such pleasure. I leaned down and kissed her again; our tongues danced. I wanted her so badly, but knew it hurt women their first time. The thought of hurting her was unnerving.

"I don't want to hurt you, so I'm going to pleasure you first."

She gasped, such a glorious sight laying there with her moss green eyes glistening in the moonlight. I placed one finger inside of her, and she cried out. The sound drove me into a near frenzy. I glided kisses down her neck and bosom. Then explored her navel with my tongue, all the while caressing her. She looked erotic falling to pieces beneath me. She was so responsive to my touch. I leaned down and kissed her hard.

"Bryan, I don't know how much more I can take. I don't know what's happening to me," she exclaimed, as her body started to quiver.

I didn't know how much more I could take either. I was having a hard time controlling myself.

"Let go, Baby!" I told her. She exhaled a plea of surrender as her body continued to shake like a leaf.

"I'm going to enter you now, Sweetheart."

I don't even think she heard me. As I made my way into paradise her eyes shot open. "Am I hurting you?"

"No," she said, breathlessly. "Don't stop!"

I began to move slowly, groaning. She moaned loudly, following me. She felt so taut and delectable.

"Are you all right?"

She didn't answer; she just continued to throttle her hips against mine. I couldn't have described the depth of my feelings for her at that moment. I never imagined being in love and making love could be so _explosive!_ I was overwhelmed by these feelings, and didn't understand them. But let myself absorb in them.

"I love you so much," was all I could say.

She looked up into my eyes. "I love you, too."

We fit together perfectly, like magnets. I could feel the increase of my _power_ radiating within her. She mounted her body tighter against mine and cried out my name. My body felt as if it were an atomic bomb about to ignite. We continued to love each other in absolute harmony.

Afterward, we held each other, trembling. "Are you all right, Shi?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she whispered. "That was incredible. I never imagined it would be like that."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No ... it was amazing."

"Yes, it was. It was better than I had imagined also."

"So, you weren't disappointed?"

Why would she think that? It upset me sometimes how she thought so lowly of herself. I lifted her chin up to meet my eyes. "No, Sweetheart, you were perfect."

"I'm just so inexperienced."

"I love the fact you are."

"I was worried I wouldn't please you."

"You have pleased me immensely. I have never felt this way before. The emotions you bring out of me almost scare me. I don't know if I will be able to handle you once you do get experience," I admitted, smiling at her.

She giggled. "Are you serious?"

"You don't seem to understand the power you hold over me."

"I feel the same way about you."

I closed my eyes and hugged her tightly. "Do you want to get some rest?"

"No. I want you again."

I gasped. Was I the woman here? How could she have such a hold over me? I was glad she wasn't a mind reader. I would do anything for this woman, and would never deny her what she wanted. I would lay down my life for her. Shi leaned into me and massaged her lips in symphony with mine. I groaned, returning her kiss.

The memory suddenly disappeared, and I was brought back into my bedroom on Earth in my foster parents' house. I was still lying on the bed next to Shi, and we were kissing wantonly. Our hands were exploring one another's bodies. I still couldn't remember who I was. Or anything other than our first kiss and the memories I had of Kadan through my dreams. But I definitely remembered the first night of our honeymoon. I felt all of the emotions we had shared that night. I remembered our conversations and the way I felt when she had touched me. I knew now she felt insecure sometimes. I remembered how badly I had wanted her. It was strange how she was able to project her memories and transfer them, to conjure up inside of me. Shi was an amazing woman. Maybe it was like that for some amnesia patients? They didn't get their entire memories back, but with time they got bits and pieces, random memories and events. If I didn't get my entire memory back through Mr. Galvan, at least I could get back parts of my life I'd shared with my wife.

My heart ached at the love I felt toward Shiray. I wanted to express my love for her. I pressed my body on top of hers, hiked up her leg, and started to kiss her neck. I squeezed her tighter against me.  
She murmured a plea, "Bryan, we better stop now before things get out of control."

"Stop, why?" I asked, continuing to kiss her neck. She shivered.

"You might recover you full memory in two days. We should wait."

I ignored her, kissing her soft lips again. She kissed me back for a second, but then pulled away. I sighed, trying to calm down my raging passion. "We're married, and I remember the first night of our honeymoon now. You can't show me things like that and not expect me to respond. I want to express my feelings for you now. Do you really want to stop?"

"No, not really. But I think we should."

"All right." I kissed her forehead. She sat up in the bed and buttoned her shirt back up. "Let's go into the game room and watch TV with Nile. I can't be alone with you right now and not touch you."

Shi shook her head at me and smiled, grabbing my hand. "Come on, you pervert."

I burst out laughing, and she joined in. I loved her laugh; it was so carefree. I felt positive for the first time that I would be able to rekindle my relationship with her.

## Epilogue Part II

### June on Kadan

A few weeks pasted since we had won the battle at Cambridge Estates. Things on Kadan were starting to simmer down. All of the injured had been tended to, and we had fulfilled all of the memorial services for the deceased. We were rebuilding our planet. Shiray and I were settled back in our old room at the palace. She was still in mourning for her father, but she was doing much better.

My father wanted to speak with Nile and me. On my way to his office, I sensed he wanted a full debriefing on what had happened while we were on Earth. When I arrived, Nile was already there.

"Bryan, there you are. Take a seat, please," my father said. "Nile has begun debriefing me on what happened on Earth. We've already gone over your crashing and having amnesia when you first arrived. Nile has also told me about the CIA's taking your ship. He has informed me about your foster parents and that you had to attend school over again. He also said there were a lot of other issues and altercations."

That was an understatement.

"I told Father we should wait on you before we discussed anything further," Nile stated.

"How kind of you, Nile," I said, sarcastically.

"What were the other issues which involved you, Bryan? Nile said you specifically had the most problems."

My father was really good at speaking about others as if they weren't there. And Nile had a big ass mouth. I would have to tell my father all of the details now. He wasn't the kind of person who would settle for less, now that Nile had raised his suspicions. He would keep pushing. I glanced over at Nile and raised my eyebrow.

I'm sorry, Bryan. It just slipped about you and Shiray having issues. I didn't mention anything about Melanie. He doesn't have to know the truth.

Don't worry about it. He might as well know everything. I had an affair on my wife. He's my father, and I should tell him.

"Yes, Father, I definitely had the most issues," I agreed. "I was involved in a serious relationship with another woman."

"Another woman? Do you mean a human woman?"

Nile stood up suddenly. "I'll let you two talk about this in private," he said, leaving the room. Nile was a piece of work. He was the one who had slipped and said too much. Now he wanted to bolt.

"Yes, Father, a human woman. I was on Earth, so there wouldn't have been any other kind."

"Does Shiray know about this?

"Yes, she knows."

"For Sonar's sake! That sounds like a disaster. How did you fall for a human woman? Furthermore where was Shiray during this relationship?"

"Shiray was separated from us during the crash. You know time moves differently on Earth. I didn't see Shiray for over two and a half years, plus I had amnesia. And we thought we were human. At the beginning of my senior year I met Melanie. We clicked ... I fell for her."

"This woman must have been quite lovely if you fell in love with her."

"Yes, she was. And I didn't know it at the time, but she reminded me of Shiray. They look so much alike except Melanie's hair is blonde."

"Well, that would explain it then. Shiray is very beautiful. You said it was a serious relationship. Was it an intimate one?"

I had to concentrate on keeping a straight face. I knew my father thought we were above humans, although he hadn't come right out and said it. Now he wanted intimate details about Melanie's and my relationship. My father was such a hypocrite. "Why do you ask, Father?"

"You said she was beautiful, so now I'm intrigued. How was it to be with a human woman? There has been no other record of a Kadanan being with a human. This is a first, Son, and as king of this planet I should know what happened."

I sighed. "Humans are very similar to us. If they were hidden among our people I don't think you would be able to tell them apart from us, except they don't have powers."

"We have several differences. We can hear from farther away. We have better vision, also more endurance, and are much stronger."

"Well, they're similar in the bedroom Father, to answer your question."

A devious smile played across his face. "Really? What are the differences in that sense?"

I wasn't about to go into full blown details comparing my intimacy with Melanie versus Shiray. He was stepping over the line of the privacy. "Enough, Father! That's too personal. The difference is; Shiray is my soul mate. We have a connection in which I will never understand. No one will ever be able to compare to her. And that's in all aspects."

"Interesting."

I just stared at him, trying to rein in my irritation. I wasn't answering anymore sexual questions. It had been a very difficult situation for me. I had hurt both of the women I loved. I was still dealing with it, hoping Shiray and I were really going to be all right. She never said anything to me, but sometimes when I looked at her, I could still see the pain in her eyes. The war was over temporarily. I was nervous that without a distraction, if she would really stay with me.

"I take it you still love this woman, Melanie?"

"I will always care about her, but all I can do now is try to be a good husband to my wife."

"How does Shiray feel about your affair?"

"Shi is hurt, Father! I'm lucky she has forgiven me. This is not a trivia game. My marriage is on the line!"

"Calm down, Son. I'm sure it will work out. Both of you lost your memories and forgot about each other. Does Melanie know about you, who you really are?"

"She does now. She followed us to the CIA base when we rescued our ship."

"Nile also told me Polars attacked Syira and Shiray on Earth?"

"Yes, King Zeus sent some of them to Earth."

"That's not good."

"No, it's not. Let me just tell you everything that happened after Shiray found us."

Several emotions played across my father's face as I explained. After I finished, he sat quietly for a moment.

"Well, after analyzing everything you have told me. I don't think the Polars will return to Earth, since you have left there. And as long as Melanie keeps her mouth shut, she should be safe from the CIA. Did any of them actually see her?"

"Not to my knowledge, thank goodness. I told Melanie, she should be safe as long as she kept quiet. I trust her. She will not say anything. And Mr. Galvan will keep an eye on her."

"I don't like the fact the humans know certain concepts about us now. They had your ship for almost three years to study our technology. But after it's all said and done, I don't think they are smart enough to figure out how to translate our ancient language. Or produce the hyper drive technology to space travel. So I don't see them as a threat. We will however, keep a close eye on them through our satellite cameras. I will need you to give me the coordinates for where the base was located in Boulder, so we can have cameras specifically surveying that area."

"I will write down the information right away."

"I'm sorry you had to endure what you did, Son. It's definitely not how I planned things."

He looked remorseful, almost guilty, for having sent us on the mission in the first place.

"No Kadanan has ever been to Earth, so you are not to blame. It was unexpected. At least we were able to retrieve the black diamonds, and they enabled us to win the first war. I do however, blame the Polars for our crash. If it was the crash itself then I would say it was fate. But all of us losing our memories at the same time was no coincidence. The Polars were behind it. Father, I am concerned they were able to infiltrate our security to sabotage one of our ships. Either we have a spy in our mist or we need a total revamp in security."

"I will speak with Kanen and John about this, and have them look into both scenarios."

"Good idea. We can't afford another breach."

"I agree. Thank you for being completely honest with me, Son. You have those characteristics from your mother. You are going to be a great king one day."

"I appreciate your saying that. It means a lot coming from you."

"We won the first leg of the war, and we're entering into the calm before the dirty side of the storm. Right now, I only want you to focus on repairing your marriage. We will take the rest one day at a time."

My father could be overwhelming and a jerk at times. But regardless of his faults, he still loved me.

"Thank you for your words of encouragement, Father."

## Dance with Amnesia Bonus Scene

### * * * * * * * Bryan * * * * * * *

My temples pounded as I tried to analyze my predicament. The beauty of my mysterious unknown wife took my breath away. I sounded like a stuttering fool in front of her. She and Melanie, my girlfriend, looked so much alike it was astonishing. They were the same height. And they had the same petite body frame and facial features. My wife's dark-brown wavy hair was so vibrant, and her eyes were angelic. They were so unique, the lightest green I'd ever seen. They bored into mine and I saw the love she held for me. I was ashamed I didn't remember her. How could I forget someone so beautiful? Shiray said we had been married for a few years. I strained, getting a sharp pain radiating to both temples. I felt drawn to her but couldn't trigger one memory of our marriage. _What did that mean?_ I could tell it hurt her I didn't remember, and that made my heart flip-flop. I didn't like to see her hurt, and it pissed me off that I was the reason for her pain. The fact remained ... I was in love with someone else. After over two years with amnesia, I had accepted I may never regain my memory. There were so many unknowns in my life, and things about myself I knew weren't human. I thought I could still have Melanie in my life because she was the first thing since the accident that made me want a future.

Now I had confirmation, not only that I was born on another planet. But my soul belonged to someone else. What the hell! I couldn't hide behind a charade any longer with Mel and pretend everything would work out. How could this situation be resolved? Hopefully Shiray could forgive my indiscretions. A knock on the door jolted me from my turmoil.

"It's Mel. Can I come in?"

_Damn it!_ My heart was hammering inside my chest. How could I face her? I couldn't tell her I was married; it would break her heart. And would my wife even still want me when she found I was in another relationship? Melanie knocked again. Slowly, I made myself open it. Mel looked at me questionably with her wavy blonde hair and gleaming green eyes. My heart ached. I loved this gorgeous human girl, and I didn't want to hurt her.

"Did you forget you asked me to come over? I called you several times."

The right thing would have been to tell her then that I had found out I was married, but I couldn't say the words. I couldn't even wrap my head around this bizarre situation.

Instead I said, "I'm sorry. I lost track of time."

"What happened? You seem really upset?"

"...It's just been a really long day."

She walked closer to me with her eyes pleading.

"What's going on? You can talk to me."

"We're having some family problems."

It was so much more than that. I hated myself for not being honest with her. We both stared at each other, rising tension filled the air. Her bright green eyes were filled with uncertainty. I changed my footing, not sure of what to say. Thankfully, she bravely spoke up.

"I'll leave. But you will call me later, right?"

"Of course."

She sighed. "I'll call you," I said as she left my room. I was being so selfish, brushing Mel off. But it seemed a better option than the truth at this point because I didn't want to lose her. Mel would probably hate me when she found out. I heaved, then grabbed one of my race car mementos off the shelf and slung it into a wall. It broke in half, landing with a thud. I felt better for a mere second.

My heart felt like it was being split in two because the pull I felt towards my wife was like a cosmic magnetic magnet. We had found each other again. And even though I didn't remember her, the thought of losing her felt like a knife in my chest. I needed time to sort out this chaotic mess. Fate was playing a sick joke. Had I wronged someone in my past to deserve this? My amnesia had doomed me and now it was time to dance.

### Thank you for reading!

There are always two sides to every story. Don't miss Melanie's Evanescent Journey, told from her own point of view. This novel ties in with books 1 and 2 in The Sonar Series.

Coming in April of 2014.

If you can't get enough of The Sonar series, stay tuned for Sonar The Cyclone.

Coming in July of 2015.

Check out the website for the series at: Facebook.com/TheSonarSeries
