Setting Fire to the Stars (a MM Sci-Fi Romance)

Chapter 17: Adamas

**(note: this chapter contains references to forced drug use, non-consensual touching, elements of sexual assault, and profanity)**

————————————————————-
Lauren
————————————————————-

I am never eating strawberry ice cream ever again.

That was my first thought as I opened my eyes, the taste of strawberries and cream heavy on my tongue. It was a weird sensation. To my knowledge, I hadn't eaten any of the sweet dairy products. Yet there it was, the sweet taste tingling against my parched lips.

Glancing around the dazzling star-filled space, I realized I had once again returned to the heavily lavished pink room. Instead of the bed, someone had laid me on a comfortable gray lounge sofa. Rage coursed through my chest as I remembered the face of the white-haired man who'd drugged me. That fucking psycho. If I ever saw him again, I'd be sure to punch that condescending frown off his face. Until then, I needed to find a way out of here.

My head throbbed from the remnants of a migraine. Groaning in frustration, I slowly sat up, fully expecting my ribs to scream in agony but to my surprise, I couldn't feel an ounce of pain. Looking down to examine my chest, I stopped short as my eyes fell upon my current wardrobe.

"What the hell?" I spat out, my fingers smoothing over sparkling cloth.

Gone were the silky white clothes I'd recently adorned, replaced by a sheer light pink dress. That's right, a dress. What the fuck?

The gown flowed delicately around my lanky figure, seamlessly hugging my waist and flowing out around my legs. Granted, I didn't have much muscle mass to begin with since I never really worked out, although I did try to frequent the treadmill in the gym on campus. The fabric twinkled in the dim lighting, as though woven with the stars themselves. While it was an incredibly gorgeous design, probably worth thousands of dollars back on Earth, the fact that I was wearing it made me feel nauseous. This place, these people, made me very, very uncomfortable.

So yeah, again, what the fuck?

"Are you feeling better, my lord?"

Whipping my head around, my attention landed on the face of a young girl. Her silver hair was tied back into a bun, misplaced strands sticking out wildly as though they refused to be tamed. Light blue eyes stood out beautifully against her brown skin. The long-sleeved dress shrouded her figure, but I could still tell that she was very thin by the frailty of her face and hands. She looked too young to be working as a servant in this crazy place.

I realized belatedly that this was the girl that I had shoved while trying to make my escape earlier. "Uh, who are you?"

The girl curtsied with remarkable grace, her slender face dipping politely. "My name is Synth Cofellia, Your Eminence," she responded meekly, keeping her eyes downcast. "I am here to serve you however I can until His Excellency's arrival."

Terror crept into my heart like an unwelcome guest and I sprung off the couch. Holy fuck, the Emperor. I'd forgotten all about it. That golden-eyed creep from before had mentioned that he was coming. A shudder traveled down my spine, the idea of meeting the maniac behind my kidnapping causing my stomach to turn.

"Goodness, are you okay, my lord?" Synth asked, white eyebrows wrinkling in concern as she reached out to me.

Peddling backwards to avoid her outstretched hand, I shook my head. Her words barely registered to me, my breathing erratic while my heart thumped wildly in my ears. Clasping my hands together to hide my nerves, I centered myself with a slow inhale, barely managing to swallow past the lump in my throat. "How long have I been out?"