The Escape: A Slave Planet Prequel (The Slave Planet Book 4) Read online

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  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 1

  Habitat Alpha, Venus

  6993 AD

  The artificial light inside of the dome turned dark, signifying nighttime on the planet Venus.

  Prime servant Nicolas ET J281981, a towering twenty two year old with short blond hair and sky blue eyes, caught a glimpse of the orange clouds that swirled outside of the clear dome from the kitchen window.

  What would it be like to go beyond the orange clouds? he wondered. To see other planets, other beings, other cultures? What would it be like to finally be free?

  A foot tapping on metal broke his attention from his thoughts.

  Terra, his master, had perched herself on a stool on the other side of the kitchen. She was silent, except for the tapping.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The sound grated his already frayed nerves and reddened his cheeks. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him, waiting for him to play her little game as the taps echoed through the room.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  A siren's call.

  But he couldn't look at her. Looking led to smiling. Smiling led to closeness. Closeness led to kisses. And kisses led to death. Death they'd been flirting with for several weeks.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Keeping his head down, he took quick, precise steps to and from the granite topped table to the cabinet, clearing away her dinner dishes. He’d excused himself after he served her dinner of steamed vegetables and wine, successfully avoiding her request for him to eat with her.

  But Terra wouldn’t be ignored for long.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  He cleaned in silence until, finally, the tapping ended and the room fell silent.

  He inwardly sore. Silence meant that his night was about to get much, much harder.

  Terra's breathy voice floated across the room.

  “Do you want some help?”

  “No thank you, Empress,” he replied. “You rest. I shall do the housework like I am supposed to.”

  Please. Let’s not make this difficult.

  At twenty years old, Terra was five and a half feet tall. Her skin was the color of coffee; her eyes wide and dark. She wore her hair styled in a high bun on the top of her head, and her body was like a perfectly elongated hourglass beneath her shell colored slip.

  If The Enforcers find her in that slip, they'll question it. Why couldn't she have kept on her jumpsuit?

  And, yet, though he knew it was wrong, his eyes burned to look at her just once. To see her move beneath the thin material. To see the teasing smile that he knew played upon her lips. To hold her as he yearned to.

  No.

  He refused to look at her, instead focusing on the dishes in his hand.

  Just keep your eyes on the floor. It’s almost twelve o’clock. The Enforcers will be coming soon. Just keep your eyes on the floor.

  For weeks, Terra had been looking at him like that. The look that made him want to gather her in his arms and kiss her. But, except for a few moments of weakness—well, more than a few—he’d been strong, resisting her longing looks, her beautiful eyes, her graceful arms, her...

  Steady.

  He bit the inside of his cheek and pretended to straighten a handful of dishes in the cabinet.

  Denied of the pleasure of looking at her, his treacherous mind envisioned her, clouding his brain with thoughts of his temptation. So focused was he on not thinking about her that he didn’t hear her stand, or grab the last dish from the counter. He nearly jumped when she appeared next to him, dish in hand, standing on her tip toes and stretching her toned arms toward the top shelf. Before he could protest, she lost her balance and tipped sideways.

  In an instant, he was by her side, placing a hand on her hip to steady her.

  “Terra,” he chided, plucking the dish from her slim fingers and sliding it into the cabinet.

  But it was too late.

  The moment his body pressed against hers, familiar heat leapt between them. Heat that he'd felt before. Heat that he swore to himself that he would not give in to again.

  Dangerous heat.

  Just relax, boy. Just relax.

  Nic cleared his throat and moved across the room, as far away from her as possible. She was teasing him. That much he knew. She'd found a way to get him close to her. To pluck at the strings of his control.

  I must stay in control for the safety of us both.

  “Empress, please!” he begged, not quite sure what he was begging her for. For her to rest while he worked? For her to stop making him feel things he shouldn't? For her to wrap her arms around him as she'd done before?

  He raised his eyes to meet hers.

  She caught his gaze and held it.

  In that instant, he felt his heart melt for her. It called for her.

  Her.

  His mistress.

  The woman who held his life in her hands.

  The woman whom it was illegal to love.

  The woman who had invaded his thoughts and made them her own.

  His woman.

  No.

  He dropped his eyes again, willing himself to stay in control. To not give in to the fire that seemed to consume him whenever she was near.

  I must stay in control.

  “Is there any other way that I might serve you tonight, Empress?” he asked, his voice low, barely contained. She did that to him. She shredded his ability to contain himself with only a glance. One look, and he was done for.

  One look that could kill us both.

  “I hate that title. Empress. It makes me feel like I’m your slave driver. I want you to be yourself.”

  Nic kept his eyes on the floor. “Myself is who you want me to be, Empress.”

  “Then I want you to be you. Not a slave. Not a piece of property. Just you. Sweet and gentle and kind. The man who helps me write my speeches for council. The man who brings me coffee when I'm up late. The man who reads to me from the old books when I can't sleep. The man that I love.” She paused. “Do you love me?”

  More than life. More than my next breath.

  “I am not allowed to love,” Nic whispered. “I am only
allowed to serve.”

  “Do you love me?” she repeated, more forceful this time.

  Nic hesitated.

  “Say it, Nic. I need to hear you say it.”

  “But, Empress-”

  “Because, if you don't, it’s okay. I won't push you. I just want to know if you feel the things for me that I feel for you? I want to know if this feeling I have in my heart is only mine. Is it only mine, Nic?”

  Her head dropped, and she played with her fingers.

  How could she not know?

  “More,” he said.

  Her head shot up, searching his eyes.

  “I feel the things that you feel for me. And more. So much more.”

  Her eyes turned bright, joyful, as if the Mother Goddess herself had just blessed her with the gift of flight.

  He longed to share her joy, but it was too dangerous. His eyes moved to the door, the window.

  What if someone heard? What if someone sees?

  “Come to me.”

  She held out her hand to him, and waited.

  His feet begged to move, but his head kept him rooted in place.

  If we are caught, we'll both be executed. Why doesn't she realize that? Why doesn't she realize that I cannot love her how she wants to be loved? How she should be loved.

  “Nic.” Her eyes turned pleading, begging. Her outstretched hand never moved. “Come to me.”

  He fell into her dark gaze, her long lashes, her awaiting arms.

  Of their own volition, his feet moved toward her, his arms wrapping around her, their lips barely touching.

  “Why do you do this to me?” he whispered. “I am trying to protect you.”

  His control was held by a thin string, and her beautiful, dark eyes were slicing through it. He couldn't help himself. He placed a small kiss in the corner of her mouth.

  “This isn't right,” he whispered.

  She shook her head. “I don't care.”

  “But if we get caught, they'll kill us both.”

  “If you don't kiss me, I'll die anyway.”

  They gazed at each other in the silence.

  Her wide, expressive eyes told him of her love for him.

  He wondered if she could see just how deeply she'd carved herself into his heart. Into his soul. Into his mind. He was sure that it was her blood that pumped through him instead of his own.

  Dangerous thoughts.

  She closed her eyes, her lips trembling.

  Lips he ached to possess. Claim.

  Suddenly, banging rattled the front door, breaking the spell they'd cast on one another. Their heads whipped toward the sound, their hearts pounding from their closeness, and their fear.

  “Midnight Inspection!” an officer barked. “Open up!”

  Nic pulled away from Terra.

  “Put on your jumpsuit,” he ordered, marching quickly to the door. The sound of feet rushing down the hall told him she'd heeded his command.

  Straightened his own, grey jumpsuit, he arrived at the door just as another round of pounding began.

  “Open up!”

  He swung the door open and stood to one side, letting the two large women in. Their black hats covered their bald heads and partially hid their menacing faces.

  Enforcers. Planetary police that hated one thing above all else—the slave men that inhabited their home.

  “Where is your Empress?” one of them demanded.

  Nic kept his face expressionless, though his pulse raced. “She's-”

  “Here I am.”

  Nic’s head shot to the left.

  Terra walked from the back of the house with thick, white cream covering her face and her white jumpsuit zipped up to her chin.

  Relief flooded him.

  “I’m sorry. I was occupied.”

  “Is everything okay, Empress?”

  “Yes. Everything is fine. Would you like to stay for something to drink?”

  Please say no.

  The first officer shook her head. “No, Empress. We’re just making our rounds.”

  “Well then … have a good night.”

  “You, too, Empress.”

  The Enforcers left the home.

  Letting out a deep breath, Nic pressed his back against the door, his heart banging against his ribs.

  Terra shared his sigh of relief before turning away and wiping her face off with a kitchen towel.

  “That was close.”

  “Too close,” Nic replied, irritation tinting his voice.

  “Well, it’s over now.”

  “But it might have been worse. We can’t do this. We have to stop.”

  “No,” Terra replied. “No. I won’t stop loving you. No Enforcer or High Council can make me.”

  “This is too dangerous.”

  “Do you want me to stop loving you?” she asked.

  He blew out a breath and turned away. She knew the answer without him having to speak it.

  “Then it’s done,” she said.

  He didn’t move again until he heard her feet shuffle across the carpeted common area in a retreat to her bedroom. The door clicked shut behind her.

  His hands squeezed the lip of the counter, and he dropped his head to take a few calming breaths.

  I can't love her. I can't. If I do, we'll both die.

  A picture of Terra's smile floated into his mind. The image that haunted his dreams.

  I can't touch her again.

  He clicked the lights to the kitchen off.

  I have to stay away from her.

  His hand touched the door handle and turned the knob.

  If we're caught, they'll kill us both.

  He found his feet stepping into her room.

  Mother Goddess, forgive me.

  CHAPTER 2

  The councilwomen met in a large conference hall in the center of Habitat Alpha. White columns decorated the outside of the hall while the inside was decorated with white, cushioned benches, and a hint of pink in the wallpaper and accents.

  The day's agenda for the weekly Venian council meeting was packed with three criminal prosecutions, eight speeches, and five votes on new and old laws.

  Terra and Joanna, best friends since childhood, sat among the councilwomen, their attention focused on the woman at the podium.

  “Women of the world unite!” cried Czarina Paris, a tall, dark skinned woman with green, catlike eyes and hair that was tied into a bun at the nap of her neck.

  The crowd responded in cheers while Paris's four year old daughter, Arees, kicked her feet from the front row, watching her mother in reverential awe.

  “Honor be to the conquerors of Planet Venus. Acclaimed they be until the sun sets. Hail!”

  “Hail!” the women added.

  “The first order of business is the trial of First Lady Iris Lia. She is charged with sedition and slander.”

  Paris turned to the woman who stood in handcuffs next to her. The woman was red from head to toe. Red nails, ruddy skin, red jumpsuit, and red boots. Two Enforcers stood on either side of the woman.

  “What do you plea, Iris?”

  “I plead not guilty to the charges at hand, but guilty to speaking my mind,” Iris replied, her smile strong, defiant.

  Paris turned her attention back to the council members.

  “Council, make a note that the accused has incriminated herself. What sentence do you give the accused?”

  One woman, the designated speaker of the council, stood.

  “The council has decided on the sentence of death,” she said.

  “Are there any who oppose this ruling?” Paris asked, her eyes scanning the crowd.

  Something about the whole situation made Terra want to raise her hand. She looked over at Joanna, who appeared calm and collected.

  And, yet, something pricked at Terra's conscious.

  She began to raise her hand, but fear held her back. If she opposed the ruling, she’d have to say why and, because I have a gut feeling that we are doing something terrible, was not goi
ng to be a well-received answer. There would be the stares, the whispers, the questions. People would associate her with a seditionist and a slanderer. They’d wonder why she stood for a woman whose guilt was as obvious as the red on her cheeks.

  Iris stood with her eyes straightforward, as cold as steel, the same defiant smile on her face.

  “May the council note that the ruling has no opposition. Iris Lia, you are here by convicted of sedition and slander. Your sentence is execution,” she banged her gavel, signifying that the time to act was now over.

  Terra sunk in her chair as two Enforcers dressed in heavy, black uniforms quickly removed Iris from the hall.

  Terra wanted to run after them. She wanted to scream that they were making a horrible error. She wanted to tell them to come back and ask the questions again. This time, she’d stand. This time, she’d say something. This time, she’d act. Instead, she remained silent in her seat, the feeling of defeat washing over her like a cold shower.

  What was it about that woman?

  The thought twisted and turned in her brain as the council sat for nearly an hour, bringing criminals in, and ushering them out. They were all women. Men were not deemed worthy of a jury.

  A final woman was escorted in.

  “We will now hear the case of Empress Teal Leet. She is accused of unlawful fraternization with a servant. What is your plea, Empress?” Paris asked.

  A tear fell down Teal’s cheek. She didn’t reply.

  “Your plea?” Paris repeated.

  “Love is no crime,” Teal whispered.

  “What?”

  “Love is no crime!” Teal screamed back at her. She faced forward again, her lips trembling, tears rushing down her face.

  “Council, please note the accused has incriminated herself. What is your verdict?”

  “Guilty,” the speaker replied.

  “And the sentence?”

  “Execution.”

  “Are there any in opposition to this ruling?” Paris asked, her eyes scanning the crowd.

  No one raised their hands. Paris dropped the gavel again.

  “Note that the verdict and sentence are uncontested. Teal Leet, you are hereby sentenced to execution.”

  Terra couldn’t hear the rest. She imagined herself in Teal’s place. Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed the vile stuff back down. Fraternization convictions were few and far between, but they happened. Each time a woman was tried, Terra felt a pit in her stomach.

  Strange that in the last few weeks, she'd become a perpetrator of that exact crime.