Stars Of Memory

Chapter 52

Jīvitaya manages to restrain her panic when the man who kidnapped her appears among the group, but only just. She can feel every heartbeat as it sends blood pulsing through her body. She takes a few deep breaths and focuses on their goal, but she feels the tracks the grubs left behind on her arm sting at the memories. The group walks toward them, and with every step, Jīvitaya grows tenser.

Kysanden places his hand on her back and murmurs. "Relax, Jīa. He can't hurt you. I won't let him, your parents won't let him, Iyokú won't let him. This entire planet won't let him and even if he got through them all, you would decimate him. So relax."

Jīvitaya nods, and the group halts. The man steps forward and his eyes widen before narrowing in anger when he sees Jīvitaya. His mouth stretches into a sneer as he spits at her. "You!"

Around her, Jīvitaya senses her companions' auras instantly shift to the dark gray with explosive white bursts that represents rage as they realize who he is all at the same moment. He steps forward, and several things happen at once. The Pali cross their spears in his path, Kysanden steps in front of her as her parents and Iyokú surround her, and four separate barriers of air, including her own, envelop her. She straightens her spine and holds her chin up high, hiding her fear beneath a mask of strength. The man looks at Kysanden.

"My Prince, I request that you release the girl to me."

Kysanden's voice is the calm before a storm, simmering with rage. "Why, so you can torture and torment her some more?"

The man stiffens. "As both the general of your father's army and your uncle, I have the authority to make the decisions of what happens with the captives."

Kysanden snorts in anger. "And as the Prince, I outrank any authority you have, unless and until my father informs me that I have been disowned and no longer carry my title. So stand down, Ilior." The man - Ilior - opens his mouth to speak, but Kysanden cuts him off. "If you are going to try and explain your choices, don't bother. There is no reason you should have set Ethtiur grubs on a girl who for all you knew was human, knowing that one bite is lethal to humans and agonizing regardless."

Ilior's face hardens. "She survived, so she's clearly not human."

Kysanden's voice grows cold and hard. "I'm aware. I also know who she is, so once again, back off. Leave, and don't come back."

"My Prince, I was to bring you back with me if I was to find you here. Your father demanded it."

Kysanden scoffs. "If my father wishes for me to return to the fleet or Selema, he will come down here and explain to me himself the exact reason he needs me back because I have never been permitted to be involved in important affairs before. So there is no reason he should need me. Even as crown prince, I am not needed, because my brother can take over. So he can come down here and tell me why he wants me to return. Then I will explain to him why I will not be returning. There will be no further discussion of this at this time and if my father deigns to come down and speak to me he will do so no earlier than tomorrow morning at a reasonable hour."

Ilior gulps and retreats to the pod with his companions, as the pod rises back towards the ship. Jīvitaya turns to look at Kysanden, and bursts out laughing at his stony expression. He tries to hold it, but his demeanor cracks and a smile breaks through.

"What?"

She stifles her laughter after a few moments. "You've been holding that in for a while, haven't you? And wow, that was intense."

He nods. "Yes, I have had that bottled up since I rescued you from his ship. And you held yourself together really well, Jīa. I know how hard that must have been, confronting him."

She hugs him and mumbles against his chest. "Are you really going to face your father?"

"Yes. If he is fine with all that has been going on, if he has ordered it, I will not stand by and I will not return to my planet with him unless my people are threatened and need my help. If that happens, I will return long enough to help and teach my brother what to do."

They all walk back to the palace to wait out the return of the Selemats and prepare for what may come.

———————————————————————————————
Dang it, Ilior is back. Fun fact, my computer likes to autocorrect his name to Liar, which is kind of fitting. He's a horrible person. But you already knew that. What's going to happen? Happy reading!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.