Kingdom Come (9 page)

Candace huffed
, but did not reply. She moved away from her to perch on the sofa.

Abby sighed when the noise continued. She was going to have a lot to clean up. Shaking her head, she wandered over to sit next to the other woman. As she leaned back, a loud crash rang through the air. She decided it was probably the vase inside the door. She sighed.

The racket suddenly stopped when a cellphone began to ring. It stopped almost immediately. She did not hear a voice answer, but the front door to her apartment slammed a second later. She turned around on the couch to face Candace’s front door. It flew open and Agent Jackson paused in the doorway dramatically. She raised her eyebrows at the scowl on his face.

“There’s been a change.” He gestured for her to follow him.

“What kind of change,” she asked, scrambling off the couch.

She trailed him to the parking lot, unsurprised when he impatiently motioned for her to get in the back of a black SUV. She barely got her feet inside before the door slammed shut. Frowning, she watched Jackson round the back of the vehicle and climb in on the other side. He nodded to the driver.

The car began moving immediately. They picked up speed once they left the parking lot, taking a few back streets and alleys. She tore her eyes away from the quickly moving scenery and looked at Agent Jackson.

“What’s going on?” She stared at him expectantly, barely suppressing the urge to cross her arms.

He glanced at her and put on his sunglasses. “You will be acting as a representative of the United States for the rest of today.”

She raised an eyebrow. “In what way?”

“The Ambassador, Prince Edric, has requested your presence on a visit to his capital city of Anshargal.”

She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she could not seem to close it. “I don’t understand. I’m not a diplomat, or a soldier, or a…whatever else. I’m a glorified secretary!”

“I don’t have time to hold your hand, Miss Ashley.”

She glared. “Why am I being sent to another world without any kind of training or anyt
hing? I could be killed.”

His lips pressed into a flat line, and when he spoke his tone was like ice. “Miss Ashley, listen to me very closely.” He turned his head to look at her. “You will go with Prince Edric’s party, you will observe everything, and you will report back to me.”

She stared at her own reflection in his sunglasses and saw her eyes narrow. “I am not a soldier. Sir,” she added as an afterthought.

“Which is precisely why you will go and do your job.”

“I was not aware spying was in my job description,” she said.

The SUV pulled into the driveway and stopped outside the door. Jackson continued to stare at her. Finally, he looked away and pushed open the door. She started
to follow him out of the backseat, when he was suddenly in her face. Gasping in surprise, only his grip on her arms kept her from falling out of the car.

His body was mere inches from hers, pining her inside the vehicle. She could do nothing but stare at her own reflection in his sunglasses, until he took a step back. She warily watched him back away, her heart still beating faster than usual. He paused a few feet from her and his lips curled into a sneer. With a nod, he turned and walked away.

She blinked. Message received. With a deep breath, she climbed out of the SUV and straightened her clothes. She had a job to do. It may not be her job, but she was going to do it. She gave the guard at the door a small smile when he held open the door for her. She walked down the hall and very pointedly did not think of falling on the prince.

…

“I fail to see the problem,” Voski was saying, when he entered the room.

Voski
glanced away from the humans long enough to give him a short bow. He returned it with a nod. He crossed his arms over his chest to watch his foreign trade officer negotiate. Nitya stood at her bond mate’s elbow, clearly ready to assist if she was needed. She glanced at him and amusement flashed across her face.

Edric smirked internally. Voski and Nitya were unbeatable as a unit. Voski had a way of finding the one thing a foreign power was willing to give anything to get. When he had done his part, Nitya moved in to provide a wide range of alternatives. She was careful to only give options she wanted the humans to choose. Nearly half a dozen versions of the same thing.

The president’s cabinet sat stone-faced listening to the offer. When silence finally fell, he knew he had gotten what he wanted. The rest was only details. He gave the president a curt nod and strode from the room. Abby was spending the afternoon and evening with him. Some alterations had to be made, but he was sure she would be pleased with the evening’s plans.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, she rounded the corner. Her face was pale and a small wrinkle between her eyes showed that her mind was troubled. He frowned and watched her walk toward him with her eyes on the floor. It was not unt
il she was almost on top of him that she jerked her gaze up to meet his.

He was caught by the turbulent emotions swirling in her grey eyes. Meeting her gaze for far longer that was proper, before he gained control of himself and looked away.

“Miss Ashley,” he said, as he fastened his gaze just over her head.

Her shoulders were tense, but she nodded to him. “Your Majesty. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”

He was not sure what to think of her tone. She seemed shaken, as if she were nervous or afraid.

“Are you alright, Miss Ashley?”

She paused. “Of course.”

The lie was almost painful. He nodded. “What brings you here? I was lead to believe you had left for the day.”

She looked away. “Agent Jackson said I am supposed to go with you.”

He could hear the resentment in her tone. His eyes met hers. “You have a choice.”

She gave him a humorless smile. “Of course.”

She had been told to go with him. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. She did not want to spend time with him. It was close enough to a rejection to make his chest hurt. He started to turn away.

“I would have agreed if I had been asked,” she said softly.

He paused, back still to her. Before he could reply, Nitya strolled out of the cabinet room looking pleased with herself. Voski followed a few steps behind, gazing at her with pride. She glanced over her shoulder at him and Voski gave her a slow smile. Edric cleared his throat before they could get carried away with each other.

Nitya stopped in front of him and bowed. “Our business has concluded, Your Majesty. Miss Ashley will be returned to her place of residence at midnight local time.”

Her eyes rose and found Abigail. “Nice to meet you, Miss Ashley.” She glanced at him for permission to approach her.

He nodded and watched her pass him to talk to Abigail.

“You can call me, Abby. No one calls me Abigail.”

He watched the two shake hands before he turned back to Voski. The other man was watching the two women, his eyes soft on his mate.

“She managed to convince them that Miss Ashley’s visit was in their best interest. By the end, they thought it was their idea,” Voski murmured in Ghad.

Edric’s lips twitched in amusement. “I’m not surprised. Come. I grow tired of the smell of humans.”

“All except your own,” Voski shot back with a smile.

Edric smiled and turned to approach Abigail.

The women’s conversation paused when they saw him coming their way. Abigail turned to face him and he took a moment to drink her in. Nitya’s presence had relaxed her slightly. He met Nitya’s eyes and she nodded.

“We are ready to depart. Would you prefer to pass through with Nitya or myself?”

He watched her consider it, fighting to keep his emotions off his face. Her eyes drifted to Nitya.

“You, if it’s not too much trouble.”

He barely kept the surprise out of his tone. “No trouble.”

He stood next to her awkwardly, wanting to offer his arm, but not allowed to make an overture. She glanced at him. After a moment, she cleared her throat.

“I’m a little tired from wearing these shoes all day. Do you mind if I hold on to your arm?”

“Of course not.” He gently tucked her hand in the crook on his arm and led the way toward the South Lawn, careful to keep the smile off his face.

Her hand was relaxed until they approached the portal. Then, her slender fingers gripped his arm tighter with each step. He ducked his head to explain the airlessness and chaos of the trip, but she was focused on the visible disturbance in the air ahead of them.

By the time they stepped into the portal, her hand was like a vice. He rested his hand over hers in an attempt to calm her. She continued to cling to him when they emerged, blinking hard and muttering under her breath. She seemed to suddenly realize she was on an alien world.

She froze. Eyes wide, she turned in a circle on the arrival and departure platform. He was vaguely aware of others pausing to look at her with interest. He jerked his eyes away from her awestruck face to glance around. Everyone went about their business.

“Would you like to see the palace?”

“What? Oh, yes.” She looked at him quickly. “Is that an actual pyramid? How many are there? Is all of this one city? What’s that?”

He smiled. “Yes. Over forty. Yes. An enlil, a personal transport craft.”

She nodded to his answers, eyes fastened on the enlil. She drifted toward it, pulling him behind her. He doubted she realized she still had a hold of his arm.

“How does it work?” she asked, as she ran her hands over the seamless metal hull. “Does it open? Where’s the door?”

His smile widened. He had been concerned she would be terrified. He had apparently underestimated her.

“It is essentially antigravity,” he answered her first question.

To answer the second, he placed his hand on the side panel of the enlil and the door panel disconnected from the side wall to reveal the door. Abigail made an excited sound and moved closer, peering into the bright interior.

“It looks like a ridiculously nice limousine inside,” she murmured, seemingly to herself. She started to climb in and paused. “Where are we going?”

He could not seem to stop smiling. “The palace first. I would like you to meet Queen Loreet. Then, I have a few ideas how we may spend the afternoon.”

Her smile faded and a worried frown creased her brow. “Your mother?”

He nodded, wondering at her change in mood. “She will be pleased to meet you.”

She gave him a doubtful look, but nodded. She climbed into the enlil and he took the seat next to her. He had almost forgotten about Nitya and Voski, when they took the seat behind them. Abigail’s smile returned full force when the door slid shut and the enlil lifted off the ground.

“What’s in that one?” she asked, pointing at a pyramid along the main avenue.

“An armory.”

“Does Desta work there?” she asked, not looking away from the window.

“She works at the royal armory,” he answered automatically. He paused. “How do you know Desta is an armorer?”

“Agent Jackson told me.”

He wondered what else the man had told her. He doubted the humans knew much about their world. The enlil moved quickly past the central courtyard to the royal plaza and the immense palace. Abigail whistled lowly.

“The palace?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

For a moment, he was struck by the sight of her. The light streamed through the window to create a halo around her. Her beautiful face looking up at him. He swallowed hard.

“Yes.”

“And you live there?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said, as the enlil landed on the grass in front of the palace.

He gestured for Nitya and Voski to proceed them, before he stepped back and waited for Abigail. His heart warmed when she held her hand out for him to help her from the enlil. She held his arm until they reached the entryway of the palace. Then, her hand fell away in her distraction.

She looked around with wide eyes, her gaze never staying long on one thing before moving on to the next. Nitya and Voski walked past them, Nitya giving him an amused look as she passed. She sent a fond smile toward Abigail, before they vanished around a corner. He immediately turned back to Abigail, only to find she had moved away from him to wander down the hall toward the throne room.

He hurried after her. She glanced at him when he stopped on her right and she gave him a bright smile.

“This is so amazing. It’s like the Palace of Versailles, but…” she gestured to the wealth of precious metals and priceless stones. “It’s so much more.”

He watched her crane her head back to see the ceiling so far above her head. She shook her head, as if shaking off the amazement and moved down the hall. He caught up to her just outside the throne room and turned to face her. She looked at him fully for the first time since they had arrived on Ghadrik.

“This is the throne room.”

Her eyes moved from him to the massive double doors and back. She visibly swallowed. “Okay.”