Dahlia's Deception (The Annihilation Series) (8 page)

Dean turned to Vicky, looked into her eyes and said, “Thank you. You’ve made this trip an exceptional experience.” Vicky smiled and did a small curtsy. Ping came over and gave Victoria a hug and turned to leave. Vicky said, “You can’t leave just yet.”

The three turned around and looked at her. Dahlia said, “Why not?”

“Because I’m going with you.”

Dean was more surprised than Ping or Dahlia. She stared into his eyes and he saw she meant it. His smile was huge. Ping said, “Oh no you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

Dahlia shook her head, “My planet is in a war zone and we could be attacked at any time. There is no way the Realm will allow the next Queen to go into those dangerous conditions.” Victoria just raised her chin and smiled. Ping was talking on his wrist unit as Dahlia and Victoria were discussing the issue. A moment later the King appeared on the spire and came walking quickly forward, “What is this you’re planning?”

Victoria looked at her father, as Ping, Dahlia, and Dean bowed, and said, “Father, have I ever given you bad advice?”

“Well, no but that doesn’t have anything to do with this. You are not going to go to their planet.”

“I’ll go or renounce my title.”

Ping and Dahlia were stunned at the comment. Ping shook his head, “Victoria, you are absolutely needed here.”

Scott looked at his daughter and saw her determination. He knew her and saw something was going on that was important. “Why do you have to go?”

Victoria looked at Dean and said, “I have to go with him and somehow convince him that marrying me will be the best decision he could ever make in his life. He doesn’t know it…yet.”

Scott, Ping Dahlia, and Dean were shocked speechless at her comment. Dahlia started shaking her head and Victoria spoke before she could say anything, “I love your brother. I know you don’t like me because of my childish behavior the first time we met, but I will not give up trying to make him see it.”

Dean smiled, “You don’t have to go to convince me.”

Vicky looked at him, “I don’t?”

“No, you won my heart the first time I saw you. I don’t know if what I’m feeling is love, but I can promise you that no one else will ever hold my interest.” Dean paused and said, “I can’t allow you to endanger yourself by coming to my world. More than a third of our population was killed in the last invasion and two of the Five are determined to take control of my star cluster. However, I will promise to come to see you again…soon.”

Scott stared at Victoria shaking his head and she turned to him, “You know my abilities.” Scott slowly nodded, “He’s the one I’ve been waiting on my entire life. I know this to be true.” Victoria put her hand on her heart, “In here.”

“You can’t abdicate your title.”

“I watched Nicole during the time she and Ping loved each other. She told me that every moment she was with him was more valuable than all the time she spent being a princess.” She turned and looked at Dean, “I am not going to lose the opportunity to feel that way with you.” Victoria hesitated and said, “I know you’ll have difficulty living here; but I can go and live with you in your world.”

Scott said, “Victoria, that’s just not possible. You will rule the Realm.”

Victoria smiled, “No, Father; that is not my calling.”

Scott shook his head, “If not you, then who?”

Victoria looked at Ping, “He will follow you; it is his destiny. He just doesn’t see it.”

Ping immediately started shaking his head, “There is no freaking way I’ll be king. I won’t do it. I probably won’t live that long anyway.”

Victoria looked at Dahlia as she said to Ping, “Sometimes you have to do things you would never willingly accept.” She turned to Ping, “You should know that by now after all you’ve been through.”

Dean came over and bowed to Scott, “I will not take her back with me; I care about her too much to put her in that much danger. However, I humbly ask that you allow me to come and visit your daughter.”

Scott looked in Dean’s eyes and saw something. He looked at Victoria and saw her nod. She had seen it as well. “You may come back and take whatever time is needed to confirm that what you feel is real.” Scott turned to Dahlia, “I would ask that you do all you can to make sure he comes to no harm.”

Dean said, “Wait a minute!”

Victoria walked over and took his hands, “You can’t have it both ways. Until this issue is resolved in your heart, you must avoid danger.” Dean looked into her eyes, blew out a breath, and nodded.

Dahlia shook her head, “My Planet’s Ruler will have to make the call on this. I can’t promise anything; this will be Tess’ decision.”

Dean looked at Dahlia, “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll discuss this with you later.”

Dahlia was shocked by Victoria’s next statement, “Listen to her, Dean. She has your best interests at heart.” Victoria hugged Dean and stepped back. Dean turned and went with Ping and Dahlia to the Mite. He stared out of the viewport and saw Victoria staring up at him until he could no longer see her.

• • •

“Father, he is the one.”

“How can you know that, child?”

Victoria looked up at her father and smiled, “It’s not how long you’ve lived; it’s how you’ve lived. He is the one. I don’t know why they brought him here; maybe it’s destiny. You know I can see the truth. I’m seeing it clearly now.”

D
ahlia started yelling at Dean the moment the ship lifted off the landing pad and continued all the way back to earth. Ping thought it would have slowed down but as soon as they exited the Portal to the Planter’s Planet, Dahlia started again. Finally Ping yelled, “Will both of you please SHUT UP!!!”

Dahlia and Dean turned to Ping and saw him rub his hand across his brow, “This must be what an aneurysm feels like.” He looked at Dahlia, “I’ve loved once and I can tell you that I would surrender the rest of my lifetime for just ten more minutes with Nicole. If Dean and Victoria love each other, then they should covet every moment they can be together in this dangerous and evil existence we live in. They could miss out on the most meaningful time in their lives.” Ping’s armor activated and he said, “I’m over this yelling; I’m walking back.” He immediately disappeared as he teleported out.

Dean looked at Dahlia, “How can you stand there and lecture me on what love is and isn’t? You’ve never loved a man in your life. That’s like a blind man arguing the color of the room is blue and not red. He has no way of knowing.”

Dahlia stared at Dean and shook her head, “Dean there are forces operating here that you don’t know about.”

“One of those forces is love; have you included that into your rejection of Victoria and I being together?” Dahlia stared at Dean and shook her head. “Perhaps you might want to do that before you stand in the way.”

Pare landed the ship close to the forest’s edge and dean stormed off the small ship. Dahlia watched him go shaking her head. “He just doesn’t know what’s coming?”

“Do you think he would feel differently if he did?”

Dahlia shook her head, “No, he’d probably try to change it and discover he couldn’t. That’s when his real pain would start.”

“Then he should have time for his joy before that happens.”

Dahlia turned around and looked at the wall speaker, “Do you really believe that, Pare?”

“I don’t just believe it; I know it.”

Dahlia nodded and went to tell Tess that she shouldn’t send anyone else to visit the Realm. She also had to tell her some disturbing news.

• • •

Dahlia met with Tess for an hour and then waited for Ping to call her and, after three hours, she decided to call him herself. She had left Tess yelling at Dean and felt sorry for her brother. Dean was stoically taking Tess’ abuse when she left the control room. Ping didn’t answer her call. She sent another call and he still didn’t respond. She changed the frequency, “Pare, do you know where Ping is?”

“He is not in range of my scanners.”

Dahlia started to feel her tension level start to rise. She knew how far Pare could scan. “Pare, what’s the range of our wrist units?”

“If he is here in this universe, he would hear your calls.”

Dahlia started to Panic, “Pare has he gone out and done something stupid?”

“I don’t know. I can’t find him anywhere near our location and if he’s hearing your calls, he’s not answering.”

Dahlia started thinking furiously. “Pare, what was the last thing he said?”

“He said he was tired of the yelling and was walking back.”

Dahlia thought furiously and after five minutes she said, “Pare, I’m coming aboard; take me back to the portal.”

“Where are we going?”

“Back to Ross.”

“You’ll need to get clearance to enter the Ross System.”

“As soon as we clear Earth’s atmosphere, see if you can contact Victoria.” Dahlia teleported on board and the small ship lifted and moved quickly overland to the portal. No one had seen Ping but Dahlia decided that if he didn’t want to be seen, he wouldn’t. All traffic through the portal was stopped and the small ship moved through quickly.

• • •

Victoria saw Dahlia’s face appear on her wrist unit and heard, “Your Highness, have you heard from Ping?”

Victoria’s face showed immediate concern, “No, I haven’t; what’s going on?”

Dahlia looked at Victoria and lowered her eyes, “He’s disappeared and I’m unable to contact him.”

Victoria closed her eyes and shook her head, “It’s my fault. I was so selfish.”

“What do you mean?”

“I made him remember Nicole. I reopened his wounds when I demanded to go back with you.”

Victoria started crying and Dahlia saw how much she loved her brother-in-law. Dahlia paused and said, “I need you to give me some information and allow me to enter the Ross System.”

“Do you know where he might be?”

“I’m strictly guessing. However, I would like to eliminate one possibility.”

“What do you need?”

“I need the coordinates where Nicole’s ship was destroyed.”

“Her grave is on Ross.” Dahlia just stared at Victoria in silence. After a moment Victoria said, “She’s not at her grave.”

Dahlia nodded, “No…she’s not.”

Victoria looked at her wrist unit and pushed some buttons. She started crying and pressed a button, “You have them. I’ll authorize a clear zone at that location. You can jump directly there.”

Dahlia looked at Victoria, “She really must have been special.”

Victoria nodded as her tears fell, “You have no idea.”

“I think seeing how much you and Ping miss her gives me an idea. Thank you for helping me.” Dahlia entered the coordinates and said, “Make the jump, Pare.”

• • •

Ping floated in space and saw Ross off in the distance with both the inbound and outbound ships coming and going. He looked around him and said, “This is where I lost you, my love. I miss you so much; I just don’t want to go on.” Ping felt depression rip into his soul and his heart felt empty. He wept for an hour and then raised his head. He remembered what Dahlia had said and he could see Nicole in his mind. She was crying and he knew it was because of him. He realized that if he had died first and she was enduring the pain he was feeling, he would be dying all over again. He did believe she was in a better place…but would he have gone away and left her with this horrific pain? What would he have wanted her to do? He closed his eyes and felt her close by. He shook his head and said, “I will let you go, my dear heart. I will try to live again…and perhaps…love again.” He saw Nicole smile and after being with her for a while, she turned and moved away. He knew it had to be his mind playing tricks on him…but somehow…knew it wasn’t. He knew she would find happiness now; he closed his eyes and rested. The cloud of despair that seemed to surround this place in space was gone.

• • •

The Mite appeared in normal space and Dahlia saw Ping in his red armor floating a hundred yards in front of her. She waited for him to indicate that he knew they were present but he wasn’t moving. Her fear rose to an incredible level, “PING…ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?!”

Ping awoke and said, “I told you, I didn’t want any more yelling.”

“I’m sorry; I won’t yell anymore; you’ve just frightened me.”

“Why are you frightened?”

Dahlia felt a tear start and said, “You said you would always keep an eye on me to make sure I was safe.”

Ping turned around and looked at the ship behind him, “I did make that promise. I apologize for not keeping it, Dahlia. I won’t let you down again.”

“You could never disappoint me, Ping. Please come back.”

Ping appeared on the bridge and Dahlia rushed forward as his armor disappeared and wrapped her arms around him. Ping felt her tears on his uniform as she said, “I know how much you hurt. I wish there was some way to ease your suffering…but I need you with me to do this. I can’t do it alone. I won’t do it alone.”

Ping pulled her close and put his chin on top of her head, “I won’t leave you again, Dolly. I’ll be with you to the end.” Dahlia held him tight and Pare jumped the ship back to the portal.

They arrived on the Planter’s Planet and Dahlia said, “Pare, take us into orbit.”

“Now is not the time.”

“Just do what I tell you.” Ping looked at Dahlia and saw sadness in her eyes. He looked at the planet off in the distance below the ship as Dahlia said, “Pare, is there any way you know to have a really private conversation?”

“No, there is not.”

Ping’s eyebrows went together and Dahlia shook her head. She sighed and turned to him, “I’ve avoided talking with you about something because I knew I would lose you if I did. I’ve been deliberately deceiving you and I can’t live with that deception anymore.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“We will probably be interrupted before we can finish this but I’m going to start and say as much as they’ll allow.”

“Who?”

“Ping, if you were forced to make a choice between saving my planet or the Realm, which way would you go?”

“Dahlia, that’s an unfair question. I have no idea what I’d do. What would you do?”

“I’d save my people every time and I wouldn’t even need to think about it.”