Zola Flash (The Zola Flash Series Book 1) (12 page)

BEFORE I CAN ASK what’s going on, the crowd around me forms a line. Britney is the only one who keeps her position, while everyone, including the back-stabbing Mr. Wrench, turns and kneels.

I gasp when I notice the strange male from my dream walking with Rican down the recently formed pathway.

The male looks exactly the same as he did in my dream, as he stops and stares down at me, and I stare back, terrified that he is actually real. Not that I should have expected anything less.

A majestic smile spreads across his face as he looks me up and down. A perfect queen, he’s probably thinking.

I frown at him. There is no way I am going to let an army, any army, capture me. I will not be defeated by some handsome stranger. Reaching behind me, I draw out one of the new swords Pin left me from where I tucked under my jacket before leaving. It’s a good things they’re are retractable.

The males laugh at what they probably conceive to be a petty attempt at defense. “Kneel before your king, child,” Rican orders me.

“Quiet! Princess Zola doesn’t have to kneel before me,” the strange male says. “She is my betrothed. Treat her accordingly.”

“I am nothing to you,” I spit, and I swing the sword at both the stranger and Rican, and they leap back in a way that makes it look like dancing. And at that moment, I know they can handle anything I throw at them, especially amateur sword play.

“Who are you?” I bark. “What is your name? And why are you working for the Payohlini?”

The stranger snatches the sword from me and throws it to the ground. I dive to retrieve it, but before I can, Rican has me restrained against his body with my sword against my neck. Taking in one breath would mean bloodshed—my blood.

The male from my dream takes the sword from Rican. He aims it at my stomach before moving its sharpened tip to my lower lip and leaves it there. “If you want to know my name, love, all you have to do is ask.”

“I did,” I say, staring hard at the man who won’t take his eyes off me. “And stop looking at me like that!”

“Sorry. It’s just that you look so delectable.”

A cold chill runs up my spin. “Your name, now!”

“Renz, ruler of Payohlini, since my father was so brutally murdered.”

   “I thought you would be older.” I look to Rican. Why is he helping this male, if he wants me dead? “Who is he?” I point to Rican.

“He’s my messenger. I told him to track you, once you decided to flee that war-ravaged planet of yours, my queen.”

I smack my hand across Renz’s face. “I’m not your queen.”

Renz’s teeth clench together, and he yanks me forward from Rican’s embrace.

“What are you going to do with her?” The question comes from the shadowy figures.

The only thing I can think about is, why does this treatment feel so familiar?

Renz pulls out a needle filled with clear fluid and raises the needle to my neck.

“Please don’t.”

Regardless of my plea, Renz stabs me with the needle.

I scream as pains numbs my body. It feels as if every ounce of my blood is turning to ice.  My vision blur until I can’t see anything.

I am shoved to the hard ground. My hands scrape against something sharp, I feel around for my sword, but every move becomes slower and slower, and my body begins to feel as though it weighs too much, making me feel weak.

Rather than wasting what energy I have left, I collapse on the hard, dirty ground.

***

“I’m sorry, Sweetie. This is my fault,” my mom says to me.

“No, it is not. You had no choice. You and father did what was best for our people. I don’t blame you.”

“You don’t understand right now. You’re still too young.”

“I do understand. I have done a lot of growing up during my time on Earth.”

“I know. I have been watching,” says mother as she beckons for me. “Come sit down.”

“Where?”

“Take my hand.”

I grab my mother’s hand, and before I know it, my mother has morphed into some huge animal. How come I didn’t know she could do that? Pulling my hand away, my mother nudges me onto her back, and when she takes off running through space, I wrap my arms around her neck, tightly. I cannot believe my mother is a shifter.

Slowing down, my mom transforms back to herself. The only difference between her morph and mine is that she’s fully dressed when she changes back. Not one piece of her clothing is out of place.

My mother points to the chair, and I realize we are in our old house, hidden under the lake near the palace gates. Everything is exactly the same, from the furniture to the color of the walls. When I glance into my closet of a room, I start frowning at the hole in the wall, from where Cleo and I once fought. Though, throwing is a closer description. I never knew how much Cleo meant to me until now. Now that she, and everyone else I care about, is gone.

My mother has sympathy and love in her features, when I turn back to her, but also guilt. She has nothing to feel sorry for, though. I do. I am the one who could have put an end to this, and I still can, once I’m out of this dream.

As I sit down in a chair, my mother takes her place beside me in a similar seat and takes my hands in hers.

“Zola, in a month, you will be turning seventeen, the age of marriage.”

“Yes, mother, but what does that have to do with the Payohlini?”

“I promised King Zilon your hand in marriage on your seventeenth birthday, which came with a promise to protect our . . .”

“Seventeenth birthday? You told me before that I must marry on my eighteenth birthday.”

“I lied. That’s why they are after you.”

“I still can’t believe you gave me away. And so soon.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care. It doesn’t matter, because I am done running and fighting. If I am to be married, then I shall be married.”

“You are giving up?”

“I have nothing left to fight for. They’ve already won. That’s why I’m here, dreaming.”

My mother frowns. “You think you are dreaming?”

“How else would you explain it?”

“Zola, you haven’t been dreaming. All souls travel here sooner or later. Some just get stuck along the way.”

“So, does that mean you are alive, Mom?”

“That is the other part of the arrangement. If the promise was broken, and you ran, then I would die. My soul would be trapped in this world until you marry into the royal Payohlini line.”

“Well, if marrying a Payohlini will save your soul then I will marry, because I love you.”

“I would never ask that of you.”

“I know.” I smile. “You don’t have to.”

I OPEN MY EYES. Everything is still a slight blur, so unclear, I can’t tell where I am. From what can be made out around me, a sofa and table, I can tell I’m not outdoors anymore. An outline of a person is evident, though. It’s probably Renz.

I try to stand up, but a force pushes me back down. “Where am I?” I ask.

“Your house. Renz brought you here until you awaken.” The voice that answers is both familiar and annoying.

“Britney?”

“Yeah, it’s me, loser. Renz stuck me on babysitting duty.”

As my vision begins improving, I climb to my feet but don’t see Britney. She can’t have disappeared that fast. She was just in front of me.

Taking advantage of the solitude, I run into the living room towards the door, but I don’t make it before I’m thrown against the couch.

Britney reappears, and I scream. Mainly because I don’t expect to see a giant, upright scaly-creature towering over me. Probably a little hypocritical, seeing as I turn into a fox and my mom shifts as well, but it’s still a shock. All this time, I thought Britney was just a pretty human, and she’s nothing more than a scaly, slimy, oversized lizard. I would rather be human.

“What are you?” I ask, once the screaming and shock diminishes.

“Don’t act surprised. You should be used to this by now.”

She’s right. My life has pretty much been weird in recent history. “So, did Pin know you could morph?” I ask.

“Ah, Pin. Sexy, sexy Pin.”

“Just answer the question!” I don’t need to know her thoughts.

“No. And I don’t like your tone! Just because you’re betrothed to Renz, and my supposedly future queen, doesn’t mean I won’t kick your royal butt. You’re not married yet.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Britney snarls and grabs for my neck. Why in the Glucoxi galaxy does everyone go for my neck? Does it look that vulnerable? Before Britney has a chance to tighten her green, long-clawed hands around my neck, I shift. If she’s going to fight like as a monster, so am I.

Going for the hand around my neck, I try bending it back. She’s strong, though. Stronger than me, and I have no problem admitting that. But I’ve wanted to tear her apart since the day I met her, and here’s the chance. I bring my knee up to her torso and nearly strain myself. Her scales are hard, but my knee must do the job because she releases my neck and buckles over.

I’m just about to gloat, when she recovers far too fast. She grabs for my legs from her low position, but I leap away from her and stumble, falling straight through the glass table coffee table in front of the couch.

Blood and glass splatter upon my landing. I un-morph and can barely move, as the splinters of glass penetrate my body. It hurts worse than if there were huge chunks stabbed into me. At least Britney didn’t do this. That makes the humiliation a bit better, though not by much.

Renz steps in on the bloody scene. “What happened? I left you here to watch her, not kill her!”

Britney turns to Renz with her hands on her hips. I can’t see her expression, but from her body language, she has to be irritated. “You should know better than to leave me here, alone, with your precious queen. And don’t yell at me like some mere commoner. I’m just as royal as you. I highly doubt you need a second war on your hands.”

Renz’s eyes narrow, and he runs his hand through his hair in the same why Pin does when he’s infuriated. “Next time you touch her, it will be the end of you.”

“No, next time you leave me alone with her, she’s dead.”

Renz walks across the room to where I lie and places an arm around my shoulders and the other underneath my knees.

“Put me down!” I demand as soon as I realize his intention. Not only because I don’t want him touching me, but because every time I flinch, the splitters digs more into me and that really hurts.

Renz drops me into the pile of bloody glass. I cry out as more pieces pierce my back. Renz watches me writhe in pain as if it is nothing. Does this man have no feelings? Does he have no sympathy what so ever?

“What the hell are you doing to her?”

I turn to see Jacob standing in the doorway of my home, his hands clenched into fists. Great. Another person to witness my disgrace. He pushes pass Renz and Britney, who is back to her tall blonde self, and comes to my side. He bends down and pick me up, and I try to hold onto the whimper that wants to escape. He heads down the hall to my room, though how in the Glucoxi galaxy he knows which room is mine is beyond me, and Renz follows us.

Jacob places me gently on my bed, and turning to Renz, points at the door. “Get out.”

Renz moves closer to the bed. “I do not think so. I am not leaving you alone with her.”

“Get him out of here.” I sob.

“Zola wants you out.”

“Sorry, I’m not leaving my betrothed with another man. Or shall I say child?”

Jacob marches over to Renz and pushes him towards the door, but Renz shoves him back. I laugh to myself. Is it wrong that I think this is sort of amusing?

When Jacob throws a punch, I gasp. Both in shock and pain. Stupid glass. Can’t even enjoy Renz getting punch. Renz hand reaches toward the weapon at this side, but with Jacob’s weight and height, Jacob easily tosses Renz out of the room before he can get to his weapon. He locks the door to my bedroom before coming back to me, dragging the chair behind him, and sitting beside me.

“Turn over,” he says.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Slowly, I begin to turn over. How can such small things hurt so badly?

Once I’m over, Jacob begins to remove the splitters from my back, and I let my cries of pain loose.

AN HOUR LATER, THE sharp pain is gone. I had Jacob rub some of the stuff that Pin used on me when we first arrived onto my back. After cleaning off the blood in the shower, I look in the mirror at the damage. Thankfully, the cuts are almost healed.

I leave the bathroom to find Jacob pacing the floor. He looks at me, his expression seeming to plead for an explanation. I guess it’s time to tell the truth. Seeing green blood, when it should have been red, must be freaking him out. Although, he seemed to take it fairly well, when he was picking glass splitters from my back.

I go through and sit on the bed and wait for Jacob to join me. I don’t look at him when he does. This is going to be hard to explain, as it is. “Jacob, I—”

“Zola, please,” Jacob cuts me off. “I already know.”

“How?”

“Now, that’s complicated.”

“So, you were nice to me at school because you knew this entire time who I am?”

“No, of course not!”

I lift my gaze. “Thank you.”

“No problem. But I have to ask, why is Renz after you? I’m a little fuzzy on that part of your story?”

“It’s a long story to tell. One that I don’t know fully. I am still piecing it together, with scant information coming forward.” I pause and glance away from Jacob. “I need to ask you a question.”

“Ask away.”

“Are you human?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you involved with all of this?”

“Actually, I should say I’m half human, half Payohlini. And to answer your question, I’m not involved. My father is a Payohlini and is kept informed of home events.  He was placed in exile for acts against the government and suspected of royal entanglements unsuitable for
his inferior caste
, so stated by the Payohlinian magistrates.”

My mouth drops open. He can’t be serious. Half human?

“What . . . what did I say?” Jacob looks confused by my reaction.

“You don’t look like a Payholini, but your strength has to have come from somewhere, I suppose.”

“Thanks to mom. I got her good, normal looks.”

Jacob smiles and pulls me into a hug. Cautiously, I wrap my arms around him and hug him back, but pull away after a second or two. The embrace is quite painful, since, apparently, he doesn’t know his own strength.

“I would like to tell Carmen about me.”

“Not right now. Such information could be harmful to Carmen.” Jacob smiles, blushing as he speaks Carmen’s name.

Tilting my head to the side, I recall Jacob and Carmen sharing a too-long friendly smile the day I brought Carmen and her friends to sit at Trevor’s table. I don’t know why it took so long for me figure it out. He looks at her the way I wish Pin would look at me. He must be in love with Carmen. Knowing Trevor, he’s probably the reason Jacob hasn’t done anything about it. Carmen was nothing more than a loser to the rest of the football team. After today, though, Jacob has no excuse to not tell her. The team hates him, anyway.

Oh, gods, the team hate him! That’s my fault. He has to live on Earth. What have I done?

“Zola, you okay?” Jacob asks.

“Huh? What? Yeah!” I reply. “I think you should ask Carmen out. It’s easy to see you like her.”

“Are you crazy? Have you gone loco? The guys would kill me, if they knew. Not to mention, I’m not one hundred percent human. She doesn’t need that.”

“Jacob, the guys are going to kill you, anyway, for helping me. And Carmen doesn’t seem like the type to judge.”

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

Standing, I take Jacob’s hand and drag him over to the bedroom door, yanking it open. Renz is standing on the other side, his face full of displeasure. He takes a long look at Jacob, as I try to walk pass him, but he blocks me. Jacob eyes narrow, and I hear his teeth grinding. I do not need a half human trying to protect me from this male. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.

I try to push pass Renz again, but he doesn’t budge. It’s like pushing against a concrete wall. My hands drop, and a smile spreads across Renz’s face. He grabs my hand and places it against his chest. My eyes widen as he move my hand up and down his chest. Wow. He’s muscular. And hard. It’s nice, but Pin’s chest feels nicer.

I pull my hands away fast, which makes him laugh. He pulls me forward until I’m pressed against his body. I struggle, but there’s no freedom from arms so well-developed.

“You like what you feel, my queen.” It isn’t a question, but an observation on his part. I really have to work on hiding my expressions more.

“No,” I say flatly.

Renz looks from me to Jacob and back to me. He grabs my face between his big hands and squeezes as he leans down to my ear. His hot breath makes my skin prickle, in a bad way.

“Do you love him?” Renz whispers.

My eyes widen in shock. He’s actually asking me that. He’s had Rican snooping around my dreams since I escaped, and he’s asking me if I have feelings for Jacob.

I look over at Jacob, standing ill-at-ease and ready to pounce if I need him. Renz pulls my face back to his, but what am I supposed to say to that? I don’t know what he wants to hear. ‘Yes, he is a good friend.’ Or ‘No, I’m in love with a man that looks an awful lot like you.’ Either way, he could kill Jacob.

“Answer the question. It’s not such a difficult question for you to reply.” Renz stares eagerly toward Jacob as if ready to kill. I can see it in his eyes.

He finally releases my face, and I tell him, “No, I don’t love him. He is just a friend.”

“Then, he is not worthy of my time.” Renz turns to Jacob. “Leave. Now.”

Jacob doesn’t move. He is being very heroic, and stupid, disobeying a direct order from his king. At least, I think that’s how exile works. The convicted can’t come back but are still bound to their home’s laws. I’m unsure how that affects non-adults, though.  Or half-humans for that matter.

“Go,” I tell Jacob. “I can handle this. I can take care of myself.”

He gives me a questioning look, obviously not buying my bravado. I hope to reassure him by giving the purest smile I can manage. Truth is, he should be worried, just not for me. He might think he can take on Renz, or any other Payohlini, but he can’t. He’s only half Payohlini. And his other half, the half I like, makes him weak.

When Jacob goes to walk away, I grab his wrist and pull him back round to me. “Don’t go home right now or anywhere near Carmen,” I tell him quietly.

Jacob nods before leaving.

Renz calls for Britney and tells her to ready the ship. I guess this means I’m going to Payohlini.

I turn back to my room and begin to pack my things. As I pick up the little black dress I wore to France, Renz walks over to me. He eyes the revealing dress with suspicion, and I shove it into my bag. 

“Who has seen you in that?” he asks.

“No one,” I lie.

“Well, then, you can wear that on our mating night.” He smiles.

Males. No matter what planet they are from, they are all the same. Well, except for Pin. Renz’s words register with me then. Mating night? Unfortunately, the mating ceremony has to happen, or my mother’s soul will be forever stuck in the parallel universe. Not looking at Renz, I say, “Sorry, but that dress is for my eyes only.”

“I will be your mate soon and have the right to see every little bit of you.”

I don’t reply. Once a Victian mated, it was tradition to give themselves fully to their mate. We’re not permitted to directly disobey an order, or deny a request. It’s a stupid law, one I’m pretty sure the Court created, seeing as they are mainly males.

Renz grabs my bag off the bed and barks, “Are you are ready to go?”

No!
I want to shout. “I can’t seem to find my pet. And I would like to say goodbye to my friends.”

“I had Rican put the animal on the ship.” He grabs my cell phone from the bed and tosses it to me. “Be quick. We need to leave this inferior planet.”

“I want to say goodbye in person.”

Renz clenches his fists at his sides. “I’m only allowing this because you will never see these wretched humans or this planet again. Rican and Zel, who you know as Mr. Wrench, will escort you.”

“I don’t need babysitters!” I snap.

He runs his hand through his hair. “As much as you wish you weren’t as young as you are, you are indeed a child. I’m guessing that’s why Pin didn’t take to you. But unlike your Guardian, I like you young.”

I slap him hard across the face. Guess Rican didn’t feel the need to leave out private details when he was reporting back to Renz. The slap doesn’t affect him, though, and he doesn’t retaliates as I expect. It should have at least stung.

He turns towards Rican, Zel, and of course, Britney. Rican and Zel walk over and stand in front of me while Renz orders them to go with me and to be back in no more than an hour.

Obviously, they obey.