“Amy, are you all right?” Silian asked, helping Amy catch her balance.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a little lightheaded, that’s all.”
“Let Prime scan you, please. This is not the first time this has happened.”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about. I will go to the medical room when we’re done with this,” she said, gesturing to the grand hall behind two large wooden doors.
“Very well. But once we finish here today, I will take you there myself if I must.”
“Fine. Come on, Izzy’s waiting,” she said and walked up to the door. The guards stationed there pulled them open, and the sound of hundreds of voices came rushing in.
The grand hall was filled with people of all shapes and sizes. The three enormous diamond chandeliers gave off a bright-white light that bounced off the gold trim of the pillars in a magical display of light.
They walked up to the two red-and-yellow gold thrones and took their seats on the step below Izzy and Mikhlas. James and Lucas were here, somewhere, but they were far more interested in finding their friends.
“Hey,” Izzy said when they took their places. The music hushed, and the MC took his place on the bottom step.
“Good day to all who have joined us here. Today we celebrate the ascension of our new queen!” he called out, and everyone cheered.
“We have lived a hard life, all of us. One of oppression, pain, sickness, and cruelty. We were forgotten, ignored, pushed to the side. And then our beautiful queen came to us.
“She has healed us. Fixed what was broken and given us all hope. And that is why we are here today,” he said and turned to her. He dropped down on one knee and spoke.
“My queen, my king, Lord Doge. You have saved the people of this realm, and in return, your people would like to offer you gifts of thanks,” he said and dipped his head. Izzy sat smiling at everyone, waiting.
“You need to accept the offer,” Mikhlas whispered to her.
“Oh, right. I forgot,” she said and spoke. “I accept your offerings, thank you.” The MC stood and turned to the Crown.
“First, I present to you, the representative from the Night Seer’s race. This is Jikru. She is the head councilwoman of the planet,” he said and stepped aside.
“My queen, my king. Please allow me to offer you this token of our immense gratitude for giving us our home back. For allowing us to live where we were born.”
She dropped to a knee and stretched out her hands. She held a small box, no bigger than a ring box. One of the guards next to her stepped forward and looked inside. He nodded to her, and she went to Izzy.
“My queen, this is the Sleeping Rock of our planet. If ever you find your dreams keeping you awake, you need only stare at it for a few minutes, and it will put you into a dreamless sleep,” she said, quieter to her.
“It’s beautiful.” Izzy breathed out when Jikru opened the box. Inside lay a clear crystal stone, polished to a high gloss. Inside the stone, it looked like there was a galaxy swirling.
As Izzy stared at it, though, she felt her body get tired, and her eyes began to close.
Jikru closed the box and handed it to the guard. Izzy snapped out of it and smiled at the woman. She looked a lot like Iry, the same features on her face.
Seven hours later, they strolled back into their room. Mikhlas sat down on the couch and put his head back.
Izzy smiled to herself. He had been so patient and so polite all day, but she could see this wasn’t his forte. She walked past him and placed a kiss on his lips.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“For not going crazy sitting there today. Or falling asleep, like I’m sure James did at least twice,” she joked.
“I wasn’t sure I would make it. Only you had me finding the strength to stay.”
“Me?” she asked simply.
“Yes. I couldn’t tear my eyes off you, the way you looked at every gift you received today. The wonder in your eyes,” he said. She straddled his lap and looked at him.
“Thank you for doing this with me,” she said and leaned in to kiss him.
“My king, I have urgent news,” Prime said just as their lips were about to touch. They both let out a sigh, and it was Izzy who spoke.
“There’s always something.” She climbed off him and flopped down on the couch next to him.
“What is it, Prime?” he asked, and the screen changed to an image of a thin, dark-haired woman sitting behind a desk.
“Good morning. You’re watching DTNW and this is your eight o’clock news roundup. Authorities are still not commenting on the outbreak that sparked chaos in the downtown San Diego area.
“With over sixty people already dead and hundreds more sick, the mayor has issued a curfew for all metropolitan-area residents.
“The National Guard, military, and CDC are working with local authorities and hospitals to try to understand this virus that has now been dubbed Kyra…” Mikhlas shot up from his seat.
“Prime, get Silian in here! I want all the fleet commanders on screen, NOW!” he said, and when he turned to look at Izzy, his eyes were black.
“I already know,” Silian said, coming into the room, tapping his ear, Amy not far behind.
“Hey, what the hell’s going on?” Amy asked her.
“I don’t know. He just freaked out over some news from Earth,” Izzy said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Isabelle, something has happened, and you need to know, but I need you to keep your emotions in check. Infernia is still in you, and she will not like how you will feel after hearing this,” he said.
“Tell me, Mikhlas.”
“Kyra. This virus she spoke of…,” he said, gesturing to the screen.
“…It was released deliberately on your world. Kyra is a disease that was first discovered in the black rock mines on our moons. It turns the blood hard and black.
“There is only one person I know who would do something like this,” he said, looking at Silian.
“No... No... She can’t be there. We would know if she was on Earth,” Izzy said, her eyes flickering with flames.
“I have been monitoring your world since we left. Prime is in every system and camera on the ground. If she was there, we would have seen her. She wouldn’t be able to hide so easily.
“She also looks different from the humans. If anyone on your world saw her, we would know,” Silian said.
“Then how did Kyra get there? If it wasn’t her, then who? And why?” Izzy asked.
“I don’t know. But there is a more pressing issue you need to know about. There is no cure for it. The only way to get it out of your system is with Prime and her nanites. She removes only the infected tissue.
“That is the only way we know to treat it. Your world does not have Prime. Not knowingly. We cannot help them unless we integrate now,” he said, bracing for the inevitable freak-out that was coming.
“Fuck!” Amy said next to her.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen for another nine and a half years!” Izzy said, already feeling Infernia getting restless.
“If we do nothing, Kyra will kill everyone on your planet. All life will die. If we choose to help your world, we will not be able to do so discreetly.
“Even if we left now, by the time we got there, Kyra would have infected over half the population. We will need many of the fleet ships to assist if we are to fight this.
“That large of a fleet presence will not go unnoticed. Not to mention that thousands are already sick. If we begin healing people, the news will get out.”
“Then we go. We integrate. There’s no other choice.”
“I thought you might say that,” Mikhlas said and turned to the screen.
“You heard your queen. Begin preparations to leave. Prime, start equipping the ships with extra healing nanites. We will need as much as you can spare,” he said, and the screens turned off one by one as the commanders nodded.
“How do we do this?” Amy asked.
“We will leave tomorrow, once the fleet is ready. When we arrive, Izzy will need to make it known to your world who she is, who we are, and what is expected of them.
“If your world chooses to recognize her rule, we will begin healing. If they do not, Prime will not release her nanites,” Mikhlas said.
“Why not?” Izzy asked.
“There are a few rules the sentinels live by themselves. One of them is they will not get involved with anyone who does not accept the rule of their Chosen One.
“They will not interfere in the dealings of outsiders. That is why you were told to bring your people in,” he said.
“Oh God, Mikhlas, the people on Earth will never accept me as their queen. Not like they do here. If I go there and tell them everything while Kyra is killing hundreds, they will blame it on me and start a war.
“One that you and I both know they won’t win,” she said, her body trembling with fear for all those people back home. Her people. Her family.
“I know. But I also know you will not let them all die.”
“You’re right, I won’t.”
“Very well. Then we must prepare to leave. Silian,” Mikhlas said, and the man gave him a stern nod and walked out.
“Izzy, may I have a word?” he asked and walked over to the window. Amy went to sit down, her face in her hands.
“I believe it would be best if the Princes stayed here. They are leaving with the Academy in a few days, and it will give us the time we need to get through the most difficult part.
“They are young men now, but seeing their home at war is not something they are ready for yet.”
“I agree. They won’t be happy about it, but I don’t want them anywhere near this. The last time we went head-to-head with Kasana didn’t go well.”
“I will inform the Academy director of the situation. He will ensure the ships are on high alert at all times.”
“Okay,” Izzy said, but her fear was clear.
“Izzy, what is it?” he asked.
“My mother. My brother. His family. What if they are all sick, or worse…,” she said.
Mikhlas pulled her into him and held her. She buried her face in his shirt and tried to calm down.
“As soon as we arrive, I will have your family brought to our ship. Prime can check them, make sure they are not sick, and you can keep them safe from the coming war,” he said.
“I can’t believe I have to start a war with my own people just so I can help them.”
“Let us hope it does not come to that.”
