Rhea – Birthday Story #1

Okay this manuscript doesn’t really have a name so this is what I’m settling on for now. Leave a comment to enter the contest to win something or other…

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“This place is a barren wasteland.”

Rhea looked up from her book, History of Derwian Culture, to her sister’s sulking face. With a sigh she set down the heavy tome. “Jamie, you knew it was a desert.”

“How would I know that? And don’t call me Jamie.”

“Didn’t you read up on your new home? I know that Dez set up the disks before we set off into space. It should’ve downloaded the information as you slept.”

Jamielle shuddered. Her delicate shoulders shrugging with disdain. “Those things were so noisy I couldn’t sleep. I shut them off halfway through.”

She wasn’t going to lecture.

She wasn’t.

Rhea clamped her lips together to stop the words from spilling from her lips. It never did any good to reprimand her sister. It just made her a nag and Jamie more sulky than usual. She felt bad for the hapless prince who was going to be her sister’s mate.

“Well, guess what? You are going to live in a desert so get used to it.”

She went back to reading her book.

A slight noise came from her left. But when she glanced up, the soldier was looking straight ahead his face expressionless. All along the train Derwian soldiers were positioned. The prince was taking no chances with Jamielle’s safety. According to her research there were wild dragons and nomads in the desert and the train was often waylaid by thieves. The added security was obvious both inside and out.

How she longed to see a dragon. For the fiftieth time since they boarded the train Rhea looked out the window.

“What are you hoping to see?”

The soldier to her left asked. The one she suspected of laughing.

“She’s probably hoping to see a dragon. She’s always wanted to see dragons.” Jamie gave a dismissive gesture with one highly manicured hand. “Why I have no idea.”

“That’s because you have no imagination.”

Rhea took another glance outside and then settled back into her seat sighing.

“Don’t worry your highness. I’m sure you’ll see a dragon while you are here.”

“Thanks.” Rhea gave him a smile.

“Suck up.” Jamie whispered.

Rhea turned her back to Jamie and returned her attention to the book.

Skimming the books description, Rhea found a passage that made her heart skip a beat. She turned to the closest soldier.

The friendly one.

“Is it true there are five moons?” she asked in rapid Derwian.

“Your accent is very good.” Surprise laced the soldier’s words.

“Is it true?”

Who gave a Kerwill damn if her accent was good?

“Yes,” he nodded “we have five moons.”

“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked.

“They have five moons.”

“What?” Jamie’s voice reached a piercing shriek as the sisters exchanged horrified glances. “Why would father let you come along?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know either.”

Even as she said the words she didn’t believe them. But she couldn’t think of any reason their father would send her to a world that would increase her moon-born powers. It was hard enough to control the ones she had. Their home world only had the one moon, what would five moons do to her.

“We have to get you off this planet.” Jamie waved an imperious hand to the closest soldier. “We have to return to the launch pad. My sister has to get off planet.”

The soldier frowned. “That is not possible, my lady. The next ship isn’t planned to take off until next month. Your sister is scheduled to stay here for four weeks.”

“There has to be something.” Jamie stood up and started pacing, the bottom lace of her dress whipping back and forth as she walked. “She can’t be here for four weeks if you had five be-damned moons. It will kill her.”