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But he’s nowhere to be found.
That makes me feel just a little less secure, and a little more guarded.
The compound is protected by a set of two sliding doors, the annex between them lined with metal. I recognize it instantly as Aelyd metal detectors, and I find myself grateful that Corvus outfitted me with stealth tech before I came in. Everything I brought would have been picked up in a heartbeat, even if it would have passed ordinary checks. This is way beyond anything I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve been working in intelligence a long time.
“So tell me about yourself,” Keon says, still clasping my arm. He steers me to the left after we get through the second door, down a wide silver hallway with white marble columns. This whole place has a Roman vibe to it—like one of the glitzy hotels in Vegas. “You’re supposed to marry the head of my Family—to be my kin—but I know next to nothing about you.”
“I’m…well, I don’t know,” I say. “I’m not really all that interesting.”
I have a cover story, of course. As far as the rest of the universe is concerned, First Wave’s bridal exchange program is for women at the end of our ropes, looking to make a buck as breeding stock for the Aelyds. Other than that, I’ve kept to my real history, and it reallyisn’tthat interesting.
“C’mon,” Keon says. “A human woman doesn’t just fly to another star system on a whim. There has to be more to it than that.”
“Not really,” I say. “Prospects on Earth weren’t great, and the bride program had a lot to offer. I didn’t ever think I would end up married to the leader of one of the Families.”
“Of course, you weren’t chosen at random,” Keon says.
“But I wasn’t chosen because of who I am,” I say. “I was chosen because of DNA, fertility, compatibility testing…”
That’s a lie. Those tests were fabricated. I’m on birth control and I have no idea if I’m compatible with Atlas. If I get rid of him as quickly as I’m planning, I won’t have to find out.
“I understand that,” Keon says. “And that’s why I’m asking—whoareyou, Penelope Lykaios?”
I don’t know how much of myself I should reveal. I don’t know Keon at all. From what I’ve learned in my work, though, I know that the best lies are based in truth. It’s a lot easier when I don’t have to keep track of a whole dossier of lies.
“That’s a big question,” I say. “I like adventure. Hiking. New things. I’m here for a reason.”
His eyes change in an instant, a flicker of something that looks like pink, almost rose on his dark eyes. It happens for only a second and it strikes me as strange, since the color is so much softer than he seems to be.
“So you decided to marry a king on an alien planet because you like adventure?”
“There’s absolutely zero chance I’m going to become a princess in my own world,” I say. “If I have to travel the galaxy to do it, why wouldn’t I?”
“So you’re ambitious.”
“And adventurous,” I reply. “Does that surprise you?”
“No. I find it charming.”
Something about the way this man gives compliments makes me dizzy. If he was anyone else, maybe it wouldn’t work, but I can tell that he means every word he says. It makes my heart flutter. I can’t help but think about what teenage me would think about how I turned out.
An interstellar spy and wannabe assassin, flirting with one of the biggest rock stars in the universe.
But a younger version of me wouldn’t understand. She wouldn’t get that this iswork, that I’m afraid for my own life, that I’m deathly worried about my best friend. I may have moments of reprieve when I’m dazzled by the environment, but I’m also quite aware of my mission.
And if I wasn’t worried about my best friend’s safety, I wouldn’t be here at all.
After we’re done walking down the long hallway, Keon stops in front of a metallic door. “You have some time to get ready,” he says. “I made sure to have clothes ready for you. I’ll wait for you out here.”
“Why? Surely you could go to the party and I could meet you there,” I say. I would like to have some time to myself. Exploring the environment would be helpful and I might be able to find some information about where Layla is. “I can find my own way to the event.”
“Someone needs to escort you to the party once it starts. There are few people Atlas trusts, especially with his future wife,” he says. “And I want to be the first person to watch you walk out when you’re wearing the dress I’ve chosen for you.”
I can feel myself blushing as I squeeze my thighs together and think about what happened in the car, but I end up nodding and walking into the dressing room.
I sort of can’t wait for him to look at me wearing the dress either. And if I can have a little bit of fun before I find my best friend, I’m sure she’d only be happy for me.
So I only have to sleep with a rockstar, kill a king, and rescue my best friend.
