Dark Nine [18+]

Chapter Twenty-One

Diana's POV

My Kors had a problem with being commanded by a Queen?

Fine.

I'd face this imminent threat to my life, myself. No ideas, suggestions or commands needed.

I used Stealth.

And I didn't just escape Pluto with my new power of invisibility – yes, even to my own surprise.

I think I mainly escaped because of two reasons. Pluto totally underestimated me, so was lazy with his watch of me. And every move I made, every step, I sorted out on the fly, basically so he and no one could anticipate what I did next – not even I.

I just leaped, in the moment, toward a feeling that I was comfortable with – that made sense to me.

Being part Fey now, I had a special knowing in how to follow threads of intuition and energy, a gift from the Kors genetic manipulation... I felt hyperconfident in my ability, even alone. Even pregnant.

I spontaneously climbed one of the vines growing indoors, then squeezed out a window of the prison – none that they could fit through, but I certainly could. I slid down the walls to the mossy grass and ran to their underground garage outside the prison where the spaceship was located, within there I found an ET portal. I used an ET Key hanging on the wall next to it, to travel for an emergency trip to the Estori's planet.

Planet Apastron.

Straight to the heart of the issue. Why wait? Why be discussed and gossiped about and do nothing? Or simply hope the Kors would protect me? The King had already been spying on me – in my room – just staring at me. Psh. I wasn't having it. I was going straight to him.

Not planning this in advance, I didn't give the Kors any time to work out my plan and I didn't even know my plan until I made it and found a gateway to the Estori on the memory of the ET Key.

I moved as quickly as possible. I didn't even have time to dress.

And?

Well. Here I am. Naked. On Planet Apastron – inside the King's hall. All alone. No backup. Just me. I made a wager with myself, If I'm so damn interesting, why kill me?

No Kor could punish me for facing this alone... certainly not if I ended up dead... but I bet against it anyway. Plus I had every right to confront the Kor who wanted my head rolling. And he would want to hear what I had to say.

The portal was manned by two invisible Kors, I couldn't see them but I felt them.

I look at each, where I guess their eyes could be, and I turn around, not keen on being chased, I choose walking my way forward, showing no fear, into a dank and quiet, straight path – with a ceiling that had no end, but black trees grew and weaved upwards, like a vertical forest. At the centre, at the bottom on a podium... was a very patient Kor.

He certainly looks like a king.

"My name is Diana," I introduce myself to the Kor Estori, since the other Kors said nothing when I stepped in, "Although... you already knew that, didn't you?"

Alpha Centauri sits up high on his massive throne, in a massive chamber full of shadows from the forest above. There is no light in here, only whatever the moon provides through more small windows.

I wonder if this is yet another Kor prison, just on another planet.

The Estori had been waiting for me. He doesn't seem in a rush to get me like a mad dog, so I take that as a positive sign forward in negotiation.