Page 18 of Return to Sender
“I’ll be counting,” I murmur, letting my eyes travel slowly over his form before turning toward the food stalls.
I feel his gaze on me as I walk away, and I put a little extra sway in my hips just to see what happens to his precious composure. When I glance back, he’s still standing exactly where I left him, perfectly motionless except for the tension in his shoulders and the way his hands have clenched into fists at his sides.
Agent Wi’kar is not nearly as immune to me as he pretends to be.
Twenty minutes later, I’m having the time of my life.
My mesh bag is filled with an impressive array of questionable foodstuffs, each chosen for maximum potential to horrify Wi’kar’s ordered sensibilities. Purple fruits that allegedly enhance “romantic experiences.” Spices that change color based on the consumer’s mood. Something called “surprise jellies” that the vendor swore would “create unexpected sensations.”
I’m examining what the vendor insists is a rare delicacy (though it looks suspiciously like fermented algae with glitter)when a voice cuts through the market noise like a blade through silk.
“By all the stars... it is you!”
My blood freezes. I turn slowly, already knowing who I’ll see. Lady Annelise Corvus, daughter of one of my father’s most sycophantic advisors, stands a few paces away, her perfectly manicured hand pressed to her mouth in exaggerated shock. She’s dressed in the latest Core World fashion—an elaborate gown entirely impractical for a dusty marketplace, with her family’s crest prominently displayed like a beacon announcing her importance to anyone within visual range.
Of course she’s here. Of course she’s dressed like she’s attending a royal gala. And of course she has to be the loudest whisperer in known space.
“Annelise,” I acknowledge, keeping my voice low and pleasant while mentally calculating the fastest escape routes. “What an unpleasant surprise.”
Her eyes light up with the particular glee of someone who’s just stumbled onto the gossip opportunity of a lifetime. She glances around dramatically before stepping closer, her voice dropping to a stage whisper that’s probably audible in the next star system.
“Princess Dominique! Everyone thinks you’ve been kidnapped! There are search parties across twelve systems! Your poor father has been beside himself with worry!”
I grab her arm and pull her into the narrow space between two stalls, away from curious eyes and closer to a convenient wall I can shove her against if necessary. “Keep your voice down, you gossiping harpy. I haven’t been kidnapped.”
Her eyes widen, taking in my plain clothing and hooded cloak. Up close, I can see she’s practically vibrating with excitement at finding herself at the center of such delicious scandal. “But Prince Dante said—”
“Prince Dante says a lot of things,” I cut her off. “Most of them lies. None of which are your concern.”
Annelise has always been insufferable—a gossip of the highest order who collects and trades court secrets like currency. We were forced together often as children due to our fathers’ political alliance, and I’ve never trusted her vapid smile or her talent for twisting information to her advantage. She’s the kind of person who would sell her own mother for a juicy piece of scandal.
“The entire Concord is in an uproar,” she continues, her expression a perfect blend of concern and barely concealed excitement. “Your father has doubled the palace guard. Prince Dante has hardly left the communication center. And the bounty—oh, Dominique, the bounty!”
My attention sharpens like a blade. “What bounty?”
A smile flickers across her face before she can suppress it. She’s enjoying this—having information I need, being the center of drama, holding power over someone who outranks her. “You don’t know? Oh, it’s the largest reward ever offered in Concord history. Five million credits for your safe return, plus another three million for the capture of the alien who took you.”
The fruit I’m holding suddenly tastes like ash. “The alien who... what exactly does this bounty notice say?”
Annelise pulls out a small holoprojector from her ornate handbag, clearly eager to show me. A miniature image flickers to life between us—my official royal portrait alongside a surprisingly accurate rendering of Wi’kar. But it’s the text scrolling beneath that makes my stomach twist into knots.
ROYAL BOUNTY: Princess Dominique of House Malren, abducted from the Royal Compound by Orion Outpost Postal Service Gluxian Agent Wi’kar. The princess is believed to be under duress or alien influence. The subject is to be considered dangerous and potentially armed with mind-alteringsubstances. Approach with extreme caution. Reward authorized by Prince Dante of House Folkov with the blessing of the Malren Royal Council.
“Mind-altering substances?” I sputter. “Alien influence? This is complete fabrication!”
But even as I say it, I understand Dante’s strategy. Paint me as a victim, Wi’kar as a villain, and suddenly my choice to flee becomes his crime. Suddenly my assertion of autonomy becomes evidence of alien corruption. It’s brilliant, ruthless, and exactly the kind of move I should have expected from someone who sees people as chess pieces.
“Well, why else would you run away weeks before your wedding to such an advantageous match?” Annelise asks, her tone suggesting there could be no rational explanation for rejecting her idea of paradise. “Everyone knows how beneficial the alliance with House Folkov would be. Prince Dante has been absolutely devastated by your betrayal.”
I want to laugh at the idea of Dante being devastated by anything other than a dent in his ego, but the implications of this bounty notice are too serious. He hasn’t just put a price on my return—he’s painted Wi’kar as a kidnapper who drugged and corrupted a royal princess. The diplomatic fallout alone would be catastrophic for OOPS, for Wi’kar’s species, for everything he’s worked to build.
And Wi’kar... who only got involved because I stowed away on his ship... who chose to help me despite every protocol screaming at him to turn me in... who’s been nothing but honorable despite my complete disruption of his perfectly ordered life...
He’s going to be hunted like a criminal because of me.
“I need to go,” I say abruptly, stepping away from Annelise.
Her hand shoots out, gripping my arm with surprising strength. “You can’t just leave! Do you have any idea whatyour disappearance has done to your family’s standing? To the alliance negotiations? Prince Dante has threatened to withdraw House Folkov’s support from our defense initiative!”
