Marked Prince - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,5

irises of her dark eyes appeared to bleed from the centers toward the edges. “That was a space cadet move. You should be grateful you have a place here, and not in the stink hole city below.”

Fiora knew it was useless to plead. She took a deep breath. Her chest had been healed as well. Too bad her heart still ached. With a dispassionate glance over the medic’s stern expression, Fiora told the woman, “Your lover is not faithful.”

The woman stiffened. Her irises became narrow pinpoints.

Fiora could have said more. She could have described in detail exactly what she saw connected to the woman’s future. There were plenty of images in her head, changing now that the woman knew the truth. She had just saved her years of an unfaithful partner but did not expect the medic would thank her for it.

“Boost her and get this pet to her stage.” The medic stormed angrily from the room.

Fiora felt an injection in her leg but didn’t look as she stared at the pristine wall.

“She’s right, you know.” This woman’s voice was softer than her boss’. “Things are much worse in the city below. You should find a way to accept your place here. It’s not perfect, but you’re fed and have shelter. What they ask of you isn’t much.”

The woman was trying to be nice, but her words were ignorant. What they asked of Fiora was everything she had. Still, kindness was kindness in this hell.

Fiora gave a sharp gasp. “Don’t board the ship with the red stripe.”

Her body tensed, and she couldn’t control her muscles. For a moment, her mind was trapped in the second an explosion touched the skin of its victims, that first shock of pain before the nerves were stripped away. The boost they’d given her was doing its job, bringing the future into sharper focus. Each second played out like an eternity.

This was her life.

No, her life was seeing their lives.

It never ended.

When Fiora’s thoughts returned from the space crash, she was alone in the room. She pushed up from the exam table. Someone had changed her clothes, dressing her in the white tunic shirt and pants. A white cap had been placed next to her, along with a hair tie. She didn’t fight what had to be done. She brushed her fingers through her hair and pulled the length high on her head before placing the cap over the top.

This time when they came for her, she did not resist. She kept her eyes down, focusing on trying to keep out all the emotions she could. She watched the feet of the men in black uniforms as they walked on either side of her. In her mind, she built a brick wall around her body. It floated with her, pushing the timelines away like a battering ram. It worked for a short time, but when they passed into a large banquet hall, as white and sterile as the rest of the building, the sound of guests rushing over her like a waterfall. Their lives wore at the mortar and chipped at the bricks, cracking holes for images to leak through.

Uniformed soldiers walked past with trays of food to act the part of the servants. General Sten did not want any other locals roaming the base so the duties were regulated to the newest recruits. He was right to keep the Cysgodians at a distance though his ego would hardly let him admit to fearing anyone in the city below.

The arrogance in the room hung thick in the air and made her feel like a tiny star surrounded by endless sky. Close to a hundred alien dignitaries from around the universes crowded the hall, each secretly fighting for dominance even as they smiled and made small talk. The murmur of voices became indistinguishable beyond a drone of noise backdropped by soft music.

Fiora felt her neck where she’d stabbed herself. There wasn’t even a scar to mark her attempt. It was as if it hadn’t happened. For some reason that made her sad. As if she were nothing and her will held no permanence in this lifetime.

She wanted them to see her pain. Maybe one of them would take pity on her if they knew the torment that she faced in being here. Then again, from what she saw of their lives, such salvation was doubtful in this crowd.

Fiora lifted her gaze, trying to find someone who would end her life. A transparent figure drew her attention.