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Empty wine goblets were left on the ground with a few stray pieces of clothing. The party had apparently gotten pretty wild the night before. Riona had heard the celebration, but she’d been too busy watching the Galaxy Brides ship for her sister.
    A loud scream followed by rolling laughter drew her attention to the ceremonial grounds. A man in a loincloth marched across the campground with a fully clothed woman over his shoulder. Blonde hair flew about her head, the shade of it giving the woman’s identity away. She was Pia, perhaps the most gorgeous woman on the Galaxy Brides ship, if not one of the quieter ones. Riona felt sorry for the woman. No one deserved to be treated like that—especially not by a husband. However, Pia, like the rest of the brides, had chosen her fate, and there was no point in Riona’s interfering. She had her own sister to worry about. Moreover, if her estimation was correct, she’d lay high odds on the fact Pia could well handle herself in this situation. The warrior man carrying Pia off might be large, but size didn’t always matter. The woman moved with the grace of a fighter.
    Riona kept going. The giant trees of the forest made it hard to see within the depths. She was forced to walk around one large trunk and then another. Almost instantly, the campsite disappeared from view behind a wall of bark even though she could hear the low hum of conversation punctuated by random bursts of laughter. She dropped all pretense of blending in and ran toward the back of the stage where she’d last seen her sister. The speed was reckless, but she couldn’t waste any more time. Aeron’s trail might go cold. First, she needed to find her sister. Second, she needed to find a ship to steal.
    The ground changed. She ran onto a steep incline, grabbing hold of a tree limb when the sheer willpower of her legs couldn’t make the trip up and over the edge.
    “ This was not well done of us, bride,” a man said as Riona crawled onto a cushion of yellow plants. The words caused her to press low to the ground. She found the bearer of the voice easily. Bron carried her sister in his arms. Aeron wasn’t moving. Her limbs flailed uselessly as he turned her. “You will understand, woman, that you are my wife. You will not leave me. I cannot let you go. Once we’re in the mountain fortress, you—”
    Riona gave a soft g asp of alarm. The man glanced around the forest. She buried her face in the yellow groundcover and closed her eyes tight, careful not to move.
     

     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    Draig Northern Mountain Fortress, planet of Qurilixen
    Aeron?
    Riona tried to lift her head. It felt heavy, as if a weight pressed down upon her skull. She flung her hand over her face, swatting at the air. Nothing was there. Her vision was blurred, light and shadows dancing in chaos.
    What happened? Where was she?
    She swung her arm again. It was the only limb that worked. A strange, dull lethargy vibrated along her nerves. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t feel like this. Her legs were there, she felt them, but they were paralyzed. Her feet itched but she couldn’t scratch one foot with the other’s toenails.
    What ’s happening?
    Aeron?
    Thinking of her sister, Riona forced her unwilling body to move. She felt the cold press of metal against her hand and grabbed it. With a groan, she pulled. Her body slid a few inches. Unfortunately, the act used up her reserve of strength and her arm fell, shaking and useless.
    “ Stop moving,” she whispered to her vision. The dancing lights and shadows did not listen. She closed her eyes. It helped a little, but then her mind began to spin, making her nauseous. A tear slid over her cheek. What was happening to her?
    The numbness began to burn. Every nerve lit with instant heat. And still she couldn’t move her limbs. She was trapped in the ever-growing blaze of invisible fire.
    A scream rippe d from her throat. The sound didn’t help, but it was the only thing she could