Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
It really wasn’t much different from putting in a tampon—albeit a large one— she thought as the smooth opalescent crystal slipped inside her. It went in easily, even though she had no lubrication. It was almost as though the crystal wanted to be inside her. And once it was in, she didn’t even have to clench her inner muscles—it didn’t seem to want to come out.
All this time, the nurse was searching through the square display cases on the headboard and talking—sometimes to herself and sometimes to the Emperor.
“Where did it go? Lord Thruck will be so upset! It’s almost time to brew a new batch of Sparkler and how can he do it without the Lust Finger?”
“Lord Thruck took it.” The Emperor’s voice sounded slightly stronger now, Phoebe thought.
“He did? But why?” the nurse demanded.
“Don’t know. Leave me be, woman! I’m tired!”
“Not until you eat your gruel. Let me get the bowl and I’ll sit here and feed it to you,” Phoebe heard the nurse say.
Please sit on the other side of the bed! Please sit on the other side! she begged silently. Please—
And then a heavy weight sat right on her head, crushing her face into the mattress.
29
PHOEBE
“Mmmph!” Phoebe couldn’t hold still any longer—she couldn’t breathe!
“Oh!” the nurse gasped and jumped up.
A moment later the thick, heavy comforter was being pulled back and Phoebe was exposed. She twisted around and looked up to see a tall woman with iron gray hair and a long nose staring down at her.
“Who are you and what are you doing in the Shining One’s bed?” she demanded.
“I…I’m a guest in the palace,” Phoebe babbled. “I came here looking for Humpty—he’s the servant who’s assigned to me and my Master. But I found myself here instead and when I heard you come in I got scared so I dived under the covers!”
It was more or less true, but she could tell the nurse wasn’t buying a word of it.
“Balderdash!” she exclaimed, glaring down at Phoebe. “I never heard such a pack of lies in all my life! You get out of the Emperor’s bed at once!” She reached into her pocket and suddenly a small but lethal looking snub-nosed blaster was in her hand.
Phoebe got slowly out of the bed.
“Okay, all right, I’m sorry,” she said, holding up her hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “I’ll just go back to my room and leave you alone.”
She headed for the door, but the nurse shook her head.
“I don’t think so, Missy! You’re going to answer for your crimes to Lord Thruck. I think he’ll have something to say about you sneaking into the Emperor’s room—and his bed!”
“But it was an accident!” Phoebe pleaded. “Please, I was just—”
“I don’t want to hear any more of your lying!” The nurse gestured with her blaster at the door. “We’re leaving now—I heard the males coming back from the hunt just a minute ago. So we can see what Lord Thruck makes of your story!”
Phoebe bit her lip. Well at least if everyone was back from the hunt, Sirex should be there to back her up.
“All right,” she said, keeping her hands up and trying to make her voice calm. “I’ll come with you—just don’t shoot.”
“I will if I have to. Go on—go through the door. No, not the servants’ tunnel—we’re headed out the main door to find Lord Thruck. Now move it!”
She gestured menacingly with the blaster and Phoebe had no choice other than to obey.
30
PHOEBE
They walked down the wide golden corridor, Phoebe in the lead and the angry nurse right behind her, still gripping the blaster. The nurse, Hil’de’guard, barked out commands, telling Phoebe when to go left or right. Before she knew it, they were back at the doors of the Grand Salon.
Phoebe hesitated with her hand on the latch of the door but Hil’de’guard poked her in the back with the blaster and hissed,
“Go on—go in!”
Taking a deep breath, Phoebe did as she said.
The large, high-ceilinged room was filled with males who seemed to be very proud of themselves.
“We got that Grox, by all the Gods!” one man with purple skin and green eyes was shouting, lifting a sloshing glass.
“Blew the fucking thing right out of the sky!” another agreed, lifting his glass as well.
“Three cheers for Lord Thruck—it was his idea to hunt in the first place!” another male said. There was a general shout of approval and all the men lifted their glasses in a cheer.
In the middle of all this stood Lord Thruck. The two headed Trollox was looking especially pleased with himself—well, his sane head was, anyway, Phoebe thought, studying the self-satisfied sneer on its face. The crazy head was, as usual, slumped on one shoulder and drooling.
But it wasn’t the Trollox she was looking for—it was Sirex. Search though she might, she couldn’t find his familiar face and red-on-black eyes anywhere. Where was her mentor? Why wasn’t he here when she needed him?