Page 8 of Blinding Light

The walk to the lower deck felt like it took him forever, his hands trembling and trepidation filling his gut. This…wasn’t going as planned.

The room was easy to find, a darkish space filled with bunk beds for employees. Clicking the door shut, he breathed in the silence and went for his bunk. He had left his gear in a hurry, but everything was still there. Crawling under the bed, he reached for the underside of his mattress. Relief washed through him at the touch of the data chip. Peeling it free, he curled his fingers around it, squeezing it in reassurance. This was the only piece of himself he had. The only thing he’d never had to share with anyone.

Only a few more hours and he would be in his new apartment, attending college as Xander Devers, and hopefully finally finding out who he truly was.

A loud knock at the door made him jump and bang his head. He was scrambling away from the bed with the chip held tightly in his hand when the room suddenly felt darker.

“Bekn, is that you?” Silence.

Any other employee would just barge inside. It was a communal space, after all. Then why was his heart beating so fast?

The door slowly opened with a long, black barrel.

It was a rifle.

He backed away. There was no other way to get out of the room.

Had Delaine decided to tell the soldiers about the refugee on board his ship? Had he been made to?

“Recruit.”

Quickly, Cyprian hid behind the bed, pressing his slender limbs between the metal frame and the wall as he slid down to his knees. With dread, he waited for what was going to come.

Someone walked into the room.

Cyprian bit his lower lip. Fuck. The click of boots on the silver flooring was slow and methodical. This wasn’t a co-worker. His heart thumped at the realization.

A whistle, soft and approving. “Hiding, right? That doesn’t make things better, you know?” This was the voice of the Imperial Moargan Zephyranth. A warm rumble. It suited him.

They are predators. They love to hunt.

They use them.

“You know, all I wanted was more of those delicious chocolate bars. From you,” the Imperial taunted.

Cyprian cowered when his gaze fell upon the white cloak as it came into view.

He was fucked. No one would come looking for him down here. And if they knew the prince was down here, they wouldn’t dare. His core trembled at the thought.

“Your friend told me that you’ll attend the Helion Academy as an art student,” the Imperial drawled, his words making Cyprian’s shoulders slump.

Bekn. The fucking rat.

“Such a polite employee.” More clicking sounds, each resonation speeding up the beat of Cyprian’s heart. “He looked after me really well, offering me drinks and food…his mouth.”

It took a moment for the words to click, but when they did, Cyprian found himself blushing at the insinuation.

“I politely refused.”

His face became hotter.

“I came down here to meet you, but it seems like you don’t want to meet me.”

Cyprian held his breath. Would that mean he’d turn around and leave? He inhaled a breath of air.

“You must be new to Helion customs. It’s very impolite to refuse an Imperial.Veryimpolite.”

A sudden knock on his bed made Cyprian jolt.

---