i 0e57392105b539eb by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

morning.
    Even when she hadn’t known who held her in the dining hall, her body
    had responded to their kiss with fervor before her brain had caught up
    with her libido.
    She and Kai had spent very little time together, knew practically
    nothing about one another, and yet, she couldn’t seem to get him out of
    her head. Her attraction to him was purely superficial, or so she told
    herself. A small, pale voice in the back of her mind called her a liar, but

    she gagged the little bitch and shoved her deeper into the well of her
    subconscious.
    In theory, she understood the concept of destined mates. In practice,
    she felt like she was drowning in the middle of an endless sea.
    “Ivy, breathe,” Cami encouraged, crossing the room to take her
    hands. “Look, we’re stuck here until we can either repair the
    Dreamweaver or reach the Alliance, right? What can it hurt to just talk to
    him?”
    “Don’t be logical. It pisses me off.” Pinching the bridge of her nose
    between thumb and forefinger, Ivy closed her eyes and breathed deeply
    through her mouth. “Okay, fine. I’m not saying you’re right. You’re just
    not wrong.”
    “Thank the stars for small victories.”
    After a few more calming breaths, Ivy dropped her hands to her sides
    and opened her eyes. As a child, she’d never been afraid of the dark,
    imaginary monsters under her bed, or the legendary boogeyman in her
    closet. In fact, throughout her life, there hadn’t been much that
    frightened her.
    But Kai Blackthorn scared the sweet Jesus out of her.
    “Right, then.” Spinning to face the door, she squared her shoulders,
    and held her head high. “I’ll find you later.”
    After a hurried goodbye, she left Cami to go in search of her…mate,
    only to realize she had no idea where to find him. In the middle part of
    the day, he’d likely be doing kingly things, whatever that entailed. The

    errant thought made her laugh aloud, her voice echoing through the
    empty hallway. She couldn’t name one responsibility of the king, and he
    wanted her to be his queen.
    “My lady.” A male guard appeared from seemingly nowhere and
    bowed his head. “Forgive me for saying, but you appear a little lost.”
    “Forgiven, and I’m completely lost. Do you know where I can find
    Kai?”
    “I believe he’s in the library. Would you like me to escort you?”
    Ivy grinned politely but shook her head. “I’d like to explore some,
    but if you could point me in the right direction, that’d be great.”
    The sentry explained the best path to take to the library, bowed again,
    and continued around the corner on his patrol. Ivy wound her way
    through the maze of corridors in the direction he’d indicated until she
    found the wide staircase lit by crystalline lanterns on both sides of each
    step. Descending to the first-floor landing, she slid her fingers along the
    intricate carvings in the wood railing and curled her bare toes in the
    thick, red carpet that lined the stairs.
    On the bottom step, she paused to watch the twinkling lights in the
    glass orbs that sat atop the banister. It reminded her of the stars that lit
    the night sky back on Earth. She missed the stars.
    Commanding her own ship and traversing the galaxies had always
    been her dream. The Dreamweaver was her home, and her crew was her
    family. She had no ties to Earth, not really, but sometimes, she missed

    the little things, like the warmth of the sun on her face, or the smell of
    new spring grass.
    Pushing away those thoughts, she continued toward the library
    doors at the end of the dimly lit hallway. At measured intervals, tasseled
    pillows floated in the air above white, stone pedestals, each holding the
    biggest, most beautiful gems she’d ever seen. The jewels glittered in the
    white spotlights positioned over each pillow, their glow casting rainbow
    prisms across the barren walls.
    Ivy found a number of excuses to linger in the corridor, but she forced
    herself to keep walking until she