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Grux stared at his father, not believing what he was hearing.
“Is there nothing we can do? We could send a team of warriors. I could lead them—”
“Son,” the king said firmly. “To do so would be an act of war. The Xoyosans have told me that any attempt I make to put my people on the ground will be seen as hostile. I cannot go to war with Xoyosis, not while I am also fighting the Jorvlens.”
Grux stared at his father in disbelief. The king returned his gaze calmly. Grux could tell his father was not happy about this, but he also knew there was no point arguing with him further.
Grux managed to stay in the castle for the day, trying to occupy himself while he considered what to do. It had been weeks since he’d seen his mate, and he had a constant, gnawing fear that she was hurt or worse, dead.
I have to know. I have to get in there!
Then Grux realized he had ways of getting into Xoyosis. Illegal ways.
He headed to a rough area in Lorr’s space docks. Even though he and his brothers often hung out in shady dives for their work, the bar he chose was a true den of criminals. After asking around, he quickly found a pirate named Dezar who was adept at infiltrating places of high security.
He made contact with the Noxxan very late at night in the private rooms behind the bar. Even though everyone knew Grux was the prince, Dezar agreed to see him, hoping for royal protection for some of his illegal activities.
Grux was happy to give it to him. He didn’t give a damn about contraband food, fabrics, or appliances. He just wanted his mate returned.
“I can do what you ask,” Dezar announced after hearing Grux’s case. “I was planning a trip to Xoyosis soon, anyway.”
“Even though it’s locked down?” Grux asked.
Dezar nodded. “Especially for that reason. Regular customers from the planet are running low on delicacies they enjoy that can only be procured on Xoyosis. There’s a fine profit to be had in this.”
Grux nodded eagerly. “How do we get in?”
“Certain cargo ships have been allowed to pass,” Dezar said. “We’ll procure one of those and then we should have no trouble getting through their airspace and landing on the planet.”
Grux looked around at the shady types sitting around the room. “Is your crew trustworthy?” Grux asked. He was aware that he could be turned over to the enemy if enough profit was involved.
Dezar nodded, his expression turning very serious. “I might be a criminal, but I love Lorr,” Dezar said firmly. “And I want that royal protection for my ship, crew, and business.”
Grux nodded. “Consider it done. When do we leave?”
Dezar laughed softly. “It’ll take me a little time to find the right ship. Don’t worry. We’ll be on our way soon enough, and then you’ll have your mate back.”
Grux was uneasy. He still didn’t trust the pirate. He knew he had no choice, though. If he ever wanted to see Scarlett again, Dezar was his only chance.
Chapter 20
Timeworeon,andScarlett’s spirit dropped a little more each day. The only thing that kept her sane was the growing weight of her belly and the strong kicking of her child. However, this was a source of despair as well because she knew they would tear her baby out of her arms and sell it to the highest bidder—hopefully, its father—as soon as it was born.
For now, she had to focus on the health of her baby as it was the only reason to keep working. Scarlett had been punished enough times to know that the Flemlars would have no problem subjecting her to torture, even if she was heavily pregnant.
One day, Scarlett was cleaning Meshka’s rooms when she spied a master keycard on her mistress’s bedside table. Scarlett did not think the woman would be careless enough to leave the keycard to her ankle cuff just lying around. Still, she also knew her masters expected slaves to be stupid.
So stupid and submissive, we wouldn’t dare try to steal or use a keycard.
Scarlett looked around, making sure her guard, Genia, was not around. Pretending to dust, she crept closer to the bedside table and picked up the keycard as quickly as she could.
Carefully, she sat down on the floor and pressed the keycard to the panel on her anklet. With a satisfying click, the anklet unlocked.
Scarlett stared at it in shock for a few seconds. Reaching down, she tugged on the ends and took it off. For a few seconds, she enjoyed the heady feeling of freedom and indulged in a fantasy of sneaking out of the house right now.
With a deep breath, Scarlett clipped the anklet back on and returned the key. The anklet was not locked now, and she could take it off whenever she liked. All she needed to do was wait for an opportunity to escape.
Her duties for the day did not seem so tiresome now that she had an edge on her masters. She felt almost cheerful and had to put in some effort to stop herself from smiling. If she was suddenly upbeat, the Flemlars and other slaves would be sure to notice.
