The Ilia's lovers - Chapter One

Please be aware, this is a first draft of The Ilia's Lovers. That means this hasn't been edited. There will be multiple errors and even consistency errors. Feel free to share comments highlighting them, but you don't need to contact me personally, unless you see a major consistency error. Please also remember, this book has been written in three parts across three different years due to the health concerns I've had since 2023. Thanks for understanding.

Amaran engines were so quiet. Elaine lay completely still, her head cocked so she could hear the subdued hum. Endurances engines weren’t like that. They weren’t loud, but she could hear them clearly wherever she was on the ship. It felt like a friend humming a tune in companionable silence. She would lay in bed at night, listening to Pyri breathe and the hum of the engine and feel safe. Feel like an explorer. A pioneer casting the human race through the vacuum of space to a new frontier, a new future. Something with more hope than humanity had felt for centuries.

‘It can’t be this way forever,’ her mother would say, stroking her hair as they sat on the porch of their Earth based home, before she got the job on Concord station, a station for only the richest humans.

Earth was overcrowded. The whole system was. Fifteen billion people between Earth, the moon, mars, asteroids and space stations. Fifteen billion people hurtling through the black of space clinging to rocks and sheets of metal, hoping to make it out alive.

Elaine shifted her thoughts to safer subjects.

Monica Franklin taught her daughter everything about engineering. It was one of the things they bonded over. Moving from a mother-daughter relationship to friends as she grew up. Like Elaine, her mother was an odd mix of interests. Engines and hair. There was something about both that appealed to them. With engines, it was the solid reliability of it. Connect this thing to that thing and hear the engine purr. There was also an element of drift to these things. What worked in one car, didn’t work in a car of the same make, there was an intuitive feel about these things. Not many people had it. Not many people could hear the hum of an engine and know what this engine liked and didn’t. A twist too far in one car wasn’t far enough in another.

Hair was a different matter. But there was something similar about it. A curl and twist on this person was too much, but perfect on another person. Intuitive. Move this lock and pin it. With a few deft moves and some pins, she could create beauty.

Pyri’s hair was Elaine’s favourite to work on. Pyri’s hair was straight. That wasn’t normal for white hair, which was wavy by nature. It all came down to the shape of the shaft. Round for black people, causing their hair to curl. Flat for Asian hair, causing it to be straight, rounded with smaller flat edges for white people, causing it to wave. Straight hair on white people suggested mixed heritage. That wasn’t unusual for people from Iceland, like Pyri, who’s Viking ancestors had visited Asia and brought Asian wives back with them.

Burnt umber blood spraying against her skin and clothes!

Elaine wrenched her thoughts away from that moment.

Pyri’s hair was beautiful. People called it red, but it was orange, and suited her perfectly. Her skin was so pale. Elaine was always jealous of her skin, since they first met at the academy. They were roommates there, and Pyri was so quiet, focused and intent on her work. Pyri was so intelligent, but she acted like every moment spent from studying would somehow spiral into the end of the world.

Elaine on the other hand enjoyed her time there. She knew what she wanted to do, what she wanted to be and why. She’d always focused better at the last minute anyway, crash studying and passing her exams without any issues.

It helped that she had a natural talent with engines. When Olivia Trent offered to personally train her, one of the designers of the Dynexium engine, it was such a massive honour.

The feel of the knife in her hand. The light fading from his eyes!

Elaine’s body chilled suddenly. She pulled the covers tighter around her, rolling until it was in contact with every part of her body, a cocoon, safe from the outside world that wanted to punish and condemn her. Despite the extra warmth, she began to shake.

No! No! No! No!

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about the things he used to do. The way he hurt me.

Don’t think about what it felt like to kill him!

Elaine dug her nails into the palms of her hand and shut down all thoughts.

Sometimes filling her mind with things like engines and hair and the academy worked, but sometimes it didn’t.

Intrusive thoughts. Elaine would be thinking about something completely unrelated to him, then suddenly it would be there. The thought so clear, it felt like she was reliving it for a moment. The breath would be knocked out of her, and suddenly her body didn’t feel like it wasn’t her own anymore. It was a thing. His thing and she was just along for the ride, no choice, no voice, just what he wanted.

It had been this way since Castus bought them from that slave ship. Since he realised she wasn’t a virgin and he decided that meant he could use her however he wanted. But it was worse now, since she killed him.

It was like there was a spiteful little Castus in her brain casting images at her out of the blue to punish her for what she’d done. And it wasn’t just memories.

It was the tactile memories, the feel of things; the knife, the feel of his blood hitting her skin. That was the worst. Elaine didn’t know how many times she’d showered trying to get the feel of it off her.

There was another tactile memory, one she didn’t want to think about. It was the thing that struck her the hardest in the immediate aftermath. How easy it had been to cut him. It turned her stomach and though she hadn’t thrown up at the time, she’d come very close and had been sick since.

It wasn’t like this in the movies. In the movies, when the bad guy died, there was no mental and emotional fall out for the abused woman who took her revenge. She was happy, free, she got on with her life.

Elaine felt like her entire life was chained to that one moment. Like she’d never be anything more than a murderer.

He deserved it! He was going to get away with everything he did to us!

But it shouldn’t have been me! I shouldn’t have had to do that. I didn’t have to do that! Oh god! I killed a man!

Elaine’s throat closed up choking her sobs.

Where’s Pyri? I need Pyri!

I want my Mom!

*****

Knocking on the door of her suite brought her back to the room.

Elaine’s eyes were dry. She must have fallen asleep, though she didn’t remember how long she’d cried for. They felt dry, like there was no moisture left in her body, like she’d cried it all away. Her nose was stuffy as well, forcing her to breath through her mouth.

The knocking continued. Elaine ignored it. She often did. She only opened the door when she was too hungry to ignore the food delivery.

A quick assessment of her state told Elaine she felt nothing right now. Not hungry, not tired, not cold nor hot. Her senses were numb, and so were her emotions. She guessed she’d cried them all out.

The knocking continued so Elaine dove further under the covers and tried to ignore the insistent banging. Another minute passed before it stopped.

Elaine relaxed, then tensed almost immediately when she heard three beeps followed by the noise of her door opening.

Panic shot through her body. Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she jumped of bed, staring at the door leading from the generous living space beyond the large bedroom where she was hiding.

The room was dominated by the bed which was big enough for an orgy! Because that’s what Amarans liked, sex and lots of it.

A voice floated in through the door, then quieted. When the door opened, Elaine tried to grab the lamp sitting on the bedside table, but it was fixed to the table. Everything in this suite was fixed to something.

‘Elaine?’

Swinging round, her heart pumping, Elaine saw the Illisa, the younger sister of the ruler of Amara, step into the room.

Two days ago, Elaine was rescued from Castus’s compound. Two days ago, she’d swiped a blade across his throat, ending him forever.

Burnt umber blood spraying against her skin and clothes!

‘We have almost arrived, Elaine,’ Danari said. ‘We are almost at Amara. I wanted to make sure you were ready to come to the palace?’

‘Who else is coming? Elaine asked. The image of being trapped in a shuttle with a dozen sex starved Amarans terrified her.

‘Just me,’ the Illisa said. ‘I will take you in my private shuttle.’

Elaine stared at her. Danari, as she’d insisted Elaine call her, was tall, taller than most of the men on Earth, a little over six feet. She was willowy, had long limbs and light grey skin, with blonde hair and cold pink eyes. She intimidated Elaine. Not just the way she looked, but who she was, her position, her power, her strength of will and personality.

‘Can I talk to Pyri yet?’

Danari sighed.

‘I’m afraid the Adosian pack is still refusing to allow her to use their communications systems. My brother and Thanesh are trying to negotiate some time but there is nothing the Adosians want from either of us. They are not members of the Protectorate and our history with them is difficult. We will succeed, though it may take some time.’

Some time!

Elaine huffed a humourless laugh. The Amarans would probably fail. Wasn’t that what they’d done this entire time. The Tessans and Amarans promised them safe passage to the IGC and then the Halidon escort left, paid off by the slaver who then sold her to Castus. They told her they’d been searching for her and Pyri and the others since then, but it was the Adosians who found them and only because they were looking for their mate, Pyri, who they’d taken to their homeworld against her will.

‘Elaine, I know you’re angry. You have every right to be.’

Elaine said nothing, just glared at her. What was there to say? They’d failed. Earth was still under threat from the aliens and since someone had sabotaged their ship, her ship, her beautiful engine, blowing it up in the IGC station and killing thousands of people, they were now considered terrorists as well.

‘You just left her there,’ she spat, unable to keep it all in.

If the Illisa hadn’t left her, Pyri would be here now to stop Elaine from getting lost in… everything. All of the emotions, all of the senses. She’d know what to say to get Elaine out of her own head and to hold her when everything became too much.

Elaine knew she was being selfish, she couldn’t help it, she just wanted her best friend. Wanted to know Pyri was safe and that Elaine would be well again, some day. That everything would be better. Could be better.

‘I had no choice but to leave her, Elaine. We have laws concerning mates and I didn’t have the backup to go against the Adosians. We’re trying. I promise.’

Something snapped inside Elaine.

‘You’re trying?’ she laughed. ‘You’re trying! Because of you, a hundred humans were sold into slavery. Because of you, Pyri and I endured almost two years of experiments and him!’

Elaine’s blood heated and something inside her was set loose.

The words that followed made no sense to her. They were full of anger and recrimination. Danari was responsible for everything that had gone wrong. She was responsible for the abuse Elaine had suffered and the pain of not having her friend, and the attempted invasions of Earth and even the violation itself. By the time she was gulping in great breathes over stuttered sobs, she had no idea what she’d said.

Shame washed over her. She looked up at Danari and saw nothing but compassion on her face. Then she was in Danari’s arms; Danari stroking her hair, soothingly, whispering words of comfort while Elaine fell apart.

*****

Elaine was almost calm by the time Danari was called away by the captain. Elaine took in a deep breath and let it out again, her face growing warm from the shame of the things she’s said to the Ilisa. It wasn’t the fault of the Amarans that Elaine was abused. Danari assured her it was alright, that her anger was natural and it had to go somewhere and Danari was okay bearing the brunt because it was a fraction of the weight Elaine had endured for so long. Elaine didn’t know how Danari had all of the privilege of a princess, the equivalent of her title as Illisa, and still manage to be down to earth and kind.

Danari had sat with her for what felt like hours, holding and soothing her after her little breakdown. That’s how Elaine was thinking about it, a little breakdown, and now she was alone again.

Something had changed. Whereas before the room had felt comforting, now it felt temporary. Change was inevitable. There was no way the Amarans would just let her stay here, forever, to rot in this suite, this room, this bed.

If change was inevitable, Elaine would greet it. It was time she got over her ordeal. Time she rejoined the world.

Elaine stood and walked over in the wardrobe and picked out some clothes. She had a vague memory of Danari bringing them the other day when they’d gone through a jump station, Dahnus Ascent, named after Danari’s brother, Ilan Dahnus Ascendi. Twenty minutes, and a quick shower later, Elaine stood before the wardrobe and contemplated her future.

When Danari collected her from this suite, she’d be bringing her to her brother’s home. A palace. An actual palace like Europe had.

Iceland didn’t have any palaces. Elaine had asked Pyri once in the early days, not long after they met. Pyri laughed, while Elaine sat with her face flaming from embarrassment. It was one of her fondest early memories of Pyri.

Elaine dressed quickly, then stood in front of the wardrobe looking at the rest of the clothes. She’d been told to leave them there. That once she left, someone would come in and pack everything up for her and it would be delivered to the palace in a few hours, but it felt weird to wait for someone to do this for her. It wasn’t that many clothes, though definitely more than she needed for the short journey from Huan space to Amara.

Looking around, Elaine realised she couldn’t find a bag anyway, so closed the doors and wandered back to the bed wondering what to do with the rest of her time while she waited for Danari.

She didn’t want to be here long, or she’d start thinking again. Already, dark thoughts crept into the edges of her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. All she had to do, was make it down to the planet. The last thing she wanted to do was need sedating and wake up in a whole new place with no idea how she’d gotten there, or what might have happened in the interim. Her mind made up, she turned to the door to head to the bridge, determined to push herself, to move about while she had the motivation.

The impact threw her to the floor.

Panic surged up her throat, threatening to fall to the floor and stain the nice carpet.

It was just like the impacts when the slave ship attacked Endurance. Was Tolomus back to reclaim the slave that escaped?

She dismissed the thought as soon as it came to mind and picked herself up. Well, she didn’t want to be here now. Not knowing what was happening.

Elaine ran out of the room and stopped. Her room was near the bottom of a dead end hallway decorated in whites, greys and golds. She followed the hall out to a longer corridor and saw Amarans scuttering about, running to their action stations. Picking a likely looking target in what looked like a senior officer uniform, she followed him down the hall, up two elevator trips before she slipped onto the bridge behind him.

Castus!

But it wasn’t Castus displayed on the viewscreen because he was dead. The male was Devori though and she shivered at the sight of him.

He had the same grey skin, the same red eyes and black hair. But this male was leaner, he had hollows under his high cheekbones Castus didn’t have. His eyes were a different shape and while Castus always wore his hair down, this male wore his tied up on his head in a topknot. He glared through the view screen at Danari who stood defiantly in front of him.

‘Hand her over! My sister-by-law’s family demands justice!’

‘You are in no place to demand anything, Menon. This is Amaran space, not Devori. You are attacking the private yacht of the royal family; this is an act of war.’

Oh shit! Would they really go to war? Because of her?

‘Construe this as an official action all you want, Illisa!’ The Devori, Menon, hissed her title, sneering. ‘You won’t frighten me off. You are protecting a slave who has killed a member of the Devori elite. I demand you hand her over for trial and execution.’

‘Knowing she’s going to be executed makes a trial somewhat unnecessary, don’t you think.’ Danari crossed her arms, her chin jutting up.

‘There can be no other judgement, for its crimes.’

‘Oh, I don’t know.’ A voice called off screen.

A moment later, a second Devori appeared. He was identical to the male on screen in every way, except he wasn’t wearing a top. He leaned against a panel and stared straight into Elaine’s eyes.

‘If it’s that delicious morsal standing in the background, I can think of many punishments that don’t involve execution. I’m sure Zharr’s wife would be pleased, as long as she’s suffering.’

Menon turned to Elaine, and suddenly she was pinned by two sets of eyes far too close to her tormentors for comfort. Instinctively, she shook her head.

Danari turned and spotted Elaine in the corner, her face flared with a combination of irritation and empathy.

‘Elaine is under my protection. Menon. Take your ship out of here before we retaliate.’

‘In your tiny yacht? What will you do? Throw your priceless tableware at us?’ Menon grinned, then turned back to Elaine, his lips curling.

‘You’re right, brother. I’m sure our sister-by-law would be happy with us delivering her punishment.’

‘Illisa, several ships of the fleet have just dropped from faster than light,’ one of the bridge crew said, though Elaine didn’t see who, she was too busy staring at the brothers who were leering at her she did have the pleasure of seeing the moment they both realised what had been said. Their leering turned to anger.

‘You really shouldn’t have come into Amaran space,’ Danari said. ‘Captain, send a message to the fleet, that the Devori ship is to be captured, and the crew taken into custody.’

‘Yes, Illisa,’ the captain said, moving over to a con station to relay the instruction.

‘And return us to our course. I wish to be at the palace within the hour,’ she said.

With that, Danari turned and walked over to Elaine.

‘Don’t look back,’ she whispered, guiding her off the bridge. ‘Don’t give them the satisfaction.

Chapter One