Page 31 of Roses in the Dark: A Beauty and the Beast Romance

So much can change in a day.

How much will change in four years?

I’m in a completely different situation than I was hours ago, let alone a day ago. I almost missed this journey by a single day. What the hell am I going to do on a ship for four years?

Play cards?

Maybe they’ll freeze us, I realize suddenly. I’ve heard about that. Rumors, of course, but I’ve heard of it. Before the wars, before the famines, before the plagues, I loved to read. I read a lot about space travel, but suddenly, that time seems very long ago.

We reach the end of a hall and turn, only instead of another hallway, we’re in an open room now. There are several chairs in a semi-circle in front of a panel of knobs and buttons and computers. Beyond that, there’s glass overlooking my planet.

Overlooking my town.

Arcadia was never much to look at, but it was home. Before I start to cry as I take one last, wistful look at my planet, I try to look around the unusual room. Judging from how official everything looks, I would guess this is where the magic happens.

Each chair on the far side of the room has a person in it. Each person is wearing a uniform that is different from Tank and Elf’s. These are more official-looking. They’re black with red fire streaks on the shirts and bright red buttons that go down the front.

All eyes turn as we enter and a tall man, even taller than Elf, walks over to us. He eyes me up and down, then turns to Elf.

He begins speaking in a language I don’t understand.

I wish I did.

Elf responds quickly, waving at me and gesturing wildly. I suppose this is the part of the story where he’s explaining that he found me and I’m going to be Hal’s replacement girl, whatever the fuck that means. I stare at the captain, but try to look demure about it. I don’t think I’m pulling it off. I should probably be staring at my hands or feet, looking shyly away, but that’s not my style.

Never has been.

After a few minutes, the captain makes an exasperated sound and turns to me. This time he speaks English.

“Do not give me trouble,” he says. Then he storms out of the room.

“That went well,” Tank mumbles under his breath, and the men lead me back out.

“Where are we going now?” I ask. Elf doesn’t even look at me. He just grumbles something and we keep walking. Maybe I should just stay silent. I need to make myself as invisible as possible.

Not an easy task, I think dryly, looking at my dirty body.

Instead of talking, I use this time to look around the ship, but we’re moving so quickly that I’m not really sure where we’re at. We go up one staircase and down another, down one hall, around a bend, then more halls.

By the time we stop at a small room, I’m completely turned around and completely exhausted.

They lead me inside and there’s a surprisingly short, blonde-haired man inside. He looks human. I can’t quite shake the idea that Elf, Tank, and the captain aren’t. I feel like they’re Taneyemms, even though they haven’t told me they are.

“Hal,” Elf says, and I know this is the man who “needed the girls.” “We have a girl for you.”

To my surprise, Hal hops up and hugs Elf. He wraps his arms around the man and starts jumping up and down.

“I knew you could do it!” He says. “I knew you could do it!”

Elf gingerly peels Hal away, the same way he would a little child.

“There’s a complication,” Elf says, looking from me and back to Hal. Hal nods.

“What is it? I can tell she’s a bit…worn…but that shouldn’t pose much of a problem on its own. She’s not the worst we’ve seen.”

I’m not sure if this is an insult or a compliment.

“The others have already been frozen,” Tank says, and Elf nods. He looks at me with sympathy.

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