Dark Nine [18+]

Chapter Twenty-Three

When Iris arrived with her ET Key she asked to stay by the spaceship, not keen on going out of the garage into the wilds of Dark Ninth.

Iris is dressed up to party, with a gorgeous purple dress and bangles for both arms and heavy makeup. She even wears a blonde wig over her usually bald head. But aside from looking dressed to kill, she looks terrified of being on Dark Ninth.

"You scared of the giant Elion spiders?" I ask, trying to smile.

Iris looks skittish as she looks me over, smiles but doesn't exactly answer, she looks distracted, before she shakes her head, trying to focus, "What do you need me for, Empress Diana?"

She even steps toward me, kneeling and trying to kiss my hand.

I stop her before she does that, quickly and awkwardly pulling her back up to stand, "No, no. Please... you don't ever have to do that, we're friends," at least I'd like to think so.

Iris paces backwards, "How can I be of assistance?" her eyes, however, keep darting to the ceiling.

"We are alone, Mars called you in but no one followed me down here," I assure her. Iris gulps, and makes a nervous airy noise of worry, "Are you okay, Iris? I thought you were safe with them – friends. Right?"

"I organise all Mars' plans through Intergalactic Alliance channels, regulated, monitored... I have been told repeatedly I'm not allowed here," she tugs on her choker with the nine coloured pendants, "Why am I here, exactly?"

"I need you to give me legal advice, they want me to audibly give away my right to breathe, if I want to get... fucked," I was going to choose words less obvious, but decide to not be so obtuse. This was life and death, there was no time for small talk, "They say sex isn't free after I'm pregnant," I add that with a bit of embarrassment, but I'm glad she doesn't laugh.

I had put on the Plume she chose for me when we first met, hoping to respect her choice by even putting on the matching Krown, the collar, which I linked to the Plume at the back as she showed me how. I liked how the Plume caressed my growing belly.

Iris hasn't acknowledge that, though, instead, she takes my hand and leads me to a table.

We sit together and face one another, while she holds my hand in both of hers.

"Never give those rights away," she advises me, simply, "Your Galactic Rights may be yours to give away – but there is a reason no one should. That is not just giving yourself over as a slave, it means no one can save you and abhorrent things can happen to you."

"Like being eaten alive," I add, and she nods. I take my hand from hers, and I rub down my wrist, to see if the S-Ray will pop back up into my hand. It does, and I show Iris the gun Mercury passed onto Terra to pass onto me, "Pretty cool, huh? I guess this will come in handy at some point." When Iris looks at it but not with appreciation, I shrink it back down and hide it away, gritting my teeth in an awkward smile.

"They are arming you?" Iris asks through a clogged throat, like she's suddenly sick with nerves. She coughs to clear her throat as she sees me nod, "Arming their mates is a game to them."

Now I lose my smile.

I was hoping she wouldn't say something like that.

I had my awful suspicions; her steady pink eyes and steady words confirm my greatest fear.

"Their charm... their treatment of me... is it all a grandiose lie?" I ask.

My greatest fear of all is being lied to this whole time.

"It's not a lie," Iris speaks gently, as she looks me over slowly as I abruptly relax, and I notice her eyes harden, "...and that's the trap."

"You've done this before," I guess, and her eyes snap up, almost looking guilty, "You've met others like me, haven't you?" Iris doesn't want to answer, her tongue is held still, "Tell me." She doesn't even refuse me, she just stays silent, and I have a feeling Mars' commands on what she can't say override mine in this situation.