Intergalactic

“A lost princess?” Hope asked sarcastic. “Is this a middle age knights and swords book now?”

“It’s a mission, Mikaelson.” Her superior replied bored.

“What’s the story?” Hope asked throwing herself on the chair in front of her boss’ desk.

“Twenty-one years ago, an heir was born to the to the throne of Andromeda.”

“Yes, everybody know this story. Princess Josette was born in the same day her mother died. Her father had died four months earlier during an intergalactic war and since the royal family didn’t have any other members, the pregnant queen was kept hidden until the baby was born but she died due to complications during birth. Princess Josette, now queen Josette, was able to restore peace to her galaxy and end prejudice between species by being mixed herself.”

“Exactly. But there’s a piece of information that they left untold.” The boss said in a low voice that made Hope frown and shift on the chair to get closer to her boss.

“What?”

“In that fateful night when the queen died, she gave birth to twins.” He said and Hope gasped. It couldn’t be true. If that was true…

“This can’t be true.” Hope hissed. “The queen was a fugitive that eloped her fate to get married to Andromeda’s king. Her galaxy was responsible for the death of her husband only a few months after the wedding . That was restitution… The King of Andromeda stole the other king’s daughter, he paid with his life. His heir was safe. But if there’s another heir…”

“Yes, they want the other twin.” He said and Hope closed her eyes, her hands going to her temples.

“The Gemini System is way stronger than both our galaxy and Andromeda. If they start a war with Andromeda, we’ll have to pick a side and neither will be good.” Hope said shaking her head. Then she sighed. “How do you know about all this?”

“The midwife that helped the queen to give birth and took care of queen Josette was kidnapped. The last thing she did before she was taken was send a message to our king. He told me to give this case to you.” The man said and Hope tilted her head.

“He wants me in this case? What is it that you’re not telling me?” Hope asked menacing.

“I don’t know. I report to the king and he only told me what I told you.” He said and Hope nodded stiffly. She knew the king well.

“Where’s this lost heir and what do I do when I find them?”

“It’s a girl.” He said and when Hope gave him a pointed look for him to continue, he shrugged. “That’s all we know. The queen gave birth to fraternal twin girls.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Hope said stunned. That’s all the information they had?

“She’s also a siphon.” He said knowing that it wouldn’t help at all.

“So you’re telling me that not only I have to find a girl that I have no idea of how it looks but that she also has the gift of siphoning like her twin?” Hope huffed. “It’s like playing hide and seek having the whole universe as a playground. And also having the players cheating by being able to shapeshift.”

“You better start then.” He said. Hope shook her head and stood up. When she was about to leave the room, he stopped her. “The king’s order is to get this girl and send her to the Gemini System. It doesn’t matter what happens to her after that.”

“Understood.” Hope said leaving the room. The last thing she heard was him saying was:

“Don’t try to save her.”

“Two months.” Hope said kicking the wall. Two months looking for her. It was futile. Hope would never find this girl. She had already looked in every habitable planet in the Milky Way but that was also pointless because Hope looked in habitable planets for oxygen based lives. This girl could have shifted into a carbon based life or worse. She finally decided to call the king. He couldn’t expect her to find this girl without knowing anything. She pressed the button on the wall and waited for him to answer. “My king.” Hope said when his face appeared in the monitor in front of her. He rolled his eyes.

“I thought you wouldn’t call. You are so stubborn, girl.” He said and Hope gritted her teeth.

“What didn’t you tell me?” Hope asked going right to business.

“If you had called me as soon as you got that mission, I would have told you that I had a tip and you would have saved two months of search.” He said and waited for Hope to say something. He would wait forever. He realized that and sighed. “Before being kidnapped, Caroline sent me a message saying that the girl probably doesn’t know she is a siphon and that she had sent her to the last place someone would look.” He said and Hope’s eyes snapped up to the screen.

“They sent her to live in Hell?” Hope asked surprised. They sent a princess to live in that shithole? “It’s like they weren’t even trying to protect her.” Hope said and the king nodded.

“Caroline said that it was the only place she would be safe because no one important goes there.”

“Besides soul thieves, planet destroyers and all kinds of evil beings?” Hope asked snorting. She couldn’t imagine the life of a child in Hell. “How did Caroline even got her there if she was the only one that knew about the second born and she never left the side of queen Josette?” Hope asked engaging in more conversation than she wanted. The thing was that it was impossible not to; this lost princess not only was a siphon coming from the bloodline of the most instable stellar system the universe knew, but she also had no idea of any of it and was raised in a no-rules place. If Hope wasn’t interest before, she definitely was now.

“Auto-pilot capsule. By the distance between Andromeda and Hell, I assume that she got there when she was five.” The king said and Hope shook her head. It got more interesting by the second.

“I guess I’m going to Hell, then.” Hope said and when she was about to turn off the screen, the king’s eyes became softer.

“Take care, Hope.” He said and Hope nodded. She, then, set the way to the last place Hope expected to visit in her lifetime and sat down wondering what she would find when she finally got to meet this princess.

When Hope landed her spaceship and left it, she felt evilness in the air. She walked to the checkpoint and was stopped by a huge Sarian. Hope looked them directly in the eyes.

“What’s the problem? I thought Hell was for everyone.” Hope hissed.

“Not for human trash.” The Sarian said, the words bitter. Hope’s translation device hadn’t been activated so Hope wondered if they had learned how to say that sentence in all human languages just in case they ever encountered any human to use it. She knew how some species could hold a grudge. Unfortunately for them, though, Hope wasn’t human. Hope’s eyes turned yellow and her claws popped off in time to scratch the Sarian’s arm that was about to hold Hope’s arm.

“Not human.” Hope said, the yellow eyes showing the Sarian exactly who Hope was. Their eyes, all three sets of them, widened in horror when they realized it.

“I’m sorry. You can get in, of course.” The Sarian said opening the gate and letting Hope in. Hope knew that she had to be fast now more than ever. Now that the Sarian knew who Hope was and that she was here, it was only a question of time before some of her family’s enemies came trying to get her. And then not only Hope would have to deal with the hired assassin that had been following her for the past three weeks, but also with whoever ill-intended being decided to try their luck with her. The first place Hope went to look was the brothel. A young girl found in the lands of Hell would definitely be brought here. Hope looked at all the prostitutes, males and females. She touched every single one of them but none of them reacted as a siphon was supposed to. The second place Hope looked was the slave camps. Again, she touched every single slave, 507 of them, but none was the princess. There was no way the princess wouldn’t end up as a prostitute is she were pretty or a slave if that wasn’t the case. Unless… The princess could have died, Hope wondered. If that were the case, it would make her job way easier. After all, it was more practical to drag her bones and give it to Gemini than dragging a full alive human being. Hope decided to check the common graves then, dropping a drop of her blood on the earth and waiting for the bones to show themselves. They didn’t.

To say that Hope was puzzled was an understatement. There was no way a five years old child alone could survive in this place without being owned by one of the pleasure halls or forced work camps. Hope was tired so she decided to go to a bar to get some food before continuing her search. To be honest, she thought about start asking. She knew that this would only raise more suspicion about her visit to Hell but Hope was lost and she needed to start somewhere. Hope chose the only respectable place in this planet. Of course, she had never came to this planet before but she had heard about it and she knew that five years ago, the late owner of this establishment had been assassinated in his sleep by someone called The Witch and since then all his slaves had been freed and given a small portion of currency if they decided to leave this place and restart their lives elsewhere. Most of them had decided to stay. Hope had never understood who this Witch was that had inspired such a loyalty from some people and fear from others. Whispers went that she mind controlled them; other tales said that she was a demon; that being one of the human tales because humans tend to call everything unknown demons.

Hope was in an official visit to Andromeda when she heard that one year after The Witch took hold of this part of Hell, she had gotten rid of every piece of trash that didn’t want to follow her rules. Hope still remembered that she and Josie had spent the whole night wondering how this Witch looked like. They didn’t had to wonder a lot because one of the spies Josie had sent to Hell to keep an eye to any threats to her Galaxy had returned saying that The Witch had died and her soul had been anchored to her part of Hell making it the only safe space here. Since then, Hope had heard stories about people trying to reclaim this part but failing miserably. The Witch’s soul was still guarding the place. Hope sat on a chair and waited.

“What do you want?” A girl asked from behind the counter and even from behind the mask everyone wore in this place, Hope could tell two things about her: one, she was human and two, she was beautiful in a way that marked people forever. Icy blue eyes and blond hair going all the way to her waist. Hope had to shake her head to brush away the astonishment.

“You’re human. Ho- how?” Hope stuttered and the girl smirked.

“Does that surprises you?” She asked turning her back to Hope and starting to prepare a drink. The place wasn’t crowded so Hope had an unobstructed view of the girl.

“A lot. Humans don’t survive in this planet for more than a few hours.” Hope said finally getting rid of her idiotic behavior and going back to her usual self. “Not a surprise since they manage to piss off every single species existent.” Hope said and the girl chuckled. It was a nice sound in a planet so evil. It was fitting that she was in the only safe place in this whole planet.

“I can’t tell if you say that with disgust as it usually is said or with some sick pride even though I can’t fathom why would that be the case.” The girl said, perfect English. Hope smiled wickedly.

“I like humans. They’re a funny little thing.” She said not willing to say more. She wouldn’t explain to this girl she just met that liking humans was one of the requirements of being born in the family she was.

“Yes, they are.” The girl said finishing the drink and passing it to Hope. When their hands touched, the girl stilled. Her eyes snapped to Hope’s hands. Then her eyes. Hope’s whole body ached when the touch ended. She looked at the girl as surprised as she was. Hope had known Josie, or queen Josette, since they were little. Being who they were and so close in age, they became friends. So Hope knew how it was to be touched by a siphon. She knew how the feeling of sharing something, in this case her essence, was because Josie had done it a lot of times growing up. But touching this girl was the exactly opposite. It wasn’t a feeling of sharing. It was something brutal and rude that pulled Hope’s essence as strong as gravity. It was like it was gravity itself.

“The princess.” Hope whispered. She realized too late that she had left her guard down when the girl’s touch surprised her and the next think she knew, she had been shot in the chest with a poisoned dart. The fucking assassin. Hope turned around as fast as the shot hit her and shot the assassin too. He fell dead to the ground. Hope started to see some black spots in her vision and looked at the girl. “You’ve got to take me out of here. It’s a poisoned dart.” Hope told her not really knowing why she had this feeling like she could trust her. By the look on the girl’s face, she was wondering the same. “There’s an antidote in my ship. Follow this.” Hope said giving her a little device that mapped the place and showed where Hope’s ship was. The girl shook her head and turned around.

“I won’t help you.” She said and Hope knew she would.

“You will or else you’ll never know about your family.” Hope said and the girl turned fast at Hope, anger on her face. Despite the anger, she put Hope’s arm around her neck and started to leave the place with her. Before leaving, though, Hope noticed that she gave some instructions to someone in Sarian. A perfect Sarian. As perfect as her English. The poison was probably already acting in Hope’s brain because she thought she heard the girl saying to the other person:

Keep an eye on everything. I’ll kill this one and I’ll be back.

Lizzie didn’t like visitors. Never had liked. But when she saw the hot one with the suspicious eyes, she had forgotten that for a second. She even had flirted with the woman, something Lizzie definitely doesn’t do at all. The thing was that as soon as she walked into Lizzie’s bar, Lizzie felt a pull. Like something saying come closer and taste it. Lizzie had felt this before, of course; this pull that some people seemed to have. But it had never been this strong. Lizzie knew what it was that made her pulled to some people but not to others. Some planets called it Science, some Soul, some Essence and some Magic. It didn’t matter the name, though, because it was all the same. But it was huge in this woman; almost dangerous. After Lizzie left the bar, she walked in the direction the device was telling.

“Do you really plan on killing me?” She heard her asking.

“I’m still deciding on that.” Lizzie said and she rolled her eyes when the woman laughed.

“My name’s Hope, by the way.” She introduced herself. Lizzie ignored it, focusing in denying the pull that Hope’s being was weighting on her. It was one of the hardest things Lizzie had ever done and that was something. When she arrived at Hope’s ship, Hope told her to put her in the pilot’s seat. As soon as she did it, Hope turned a switch that made something in the seat open and close on Hope’s wrist. Lizzie looked at the subcutaneous device that analyzed Hope’s blood in seconds and injected an antidote for whatever poison was killing her. This was an expensive ship. Almost something worthy of royalty.

“What do you mean about my family?” Lizzie asked trying not to get feelings. She thought she had gotten rid of them a long time ago. Her family had erased her memory and left her in this planet when she was only five. She shouldn’t even be curious about them. Being curious about them was a betrayal to everything Lizzie had built alone over the years.

“I believe that it will come as a shock for you but you’re a princess.” Hope said and Lizzie tilted her head waiting for Hope to laugh at her own joke. She didn’t.

“And I’m to believe that.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded.

“That assassin was actually for you. He had been following me for the past weeks and I have no idea why he decided to waste such a clear shot on me. He knew that poison wouldn’t kill me.” Hope said frowning.

“It seemed like it was killing you.” Lizzie pointed put.

“No, it would make me sleep for days or maybe put me in a coma but not kill me. There’s a very specific poison for that.” Hope explained.

“Okay, I’ll play by your rules.” Lizzie said turning around and starting to examine every inch of this ship in case she had to escape. She had to be prepared. “If I’m a princess, why was I thrown in this place to fend for myself at the tender age of five?” Lizzie turned back to Hope when she was finally satisfied with her exam.

“I’m still trying to understand that part right but apparently, to protect you.” Hope said frowning as if she were thinking how someone thought that being in Hell would make someone safe. Lizzie was thinking the same. Hope shook her head and then sighed. “There’s some rules about precedence and throne that made your life threatened and the only person that knew about you had to make a choice: announce your birth and have people trying to kill you or ship you somewhere no one knew you. I guess she thought that the later would be better.”

“And now they want me back?” Lizzie asked incredulous.

“Yes.” Hope said with something on her tone that made Lizzie think that she was lying. “Your family wants you back.”

“Well, this seems like a good story but I have a home now and I don’t feel like a princess.” Lizzie said turning around and going to the door.

“You can’t go back there.” Hope shouted. “Now that we were seen together and that the assassin saw us, people know where you are; who you are. They’ll come to kill you.”

“Let them come.” Lizzie said. When she was about to leave, the door closed.

“I can’t let that happen.” Hope said trying to look intimidating.

“Why not?” Lizzie said not a little bit scared. Hope seemed to notice that and it threw her off a little.

“I can’t let them kill you.” Hope exclaimed.

“Because I have to stay alive a few more days until you can give me to someone that will kill me?” Lizzie asked smirking when she noticed Hope’s grimace.

“Why do you think I’m going to do that?” Hope asked.

“Like I told you, I was forced to fend for myself since I was five. I know every kind of people. You’re here on a mission to return me to my family. Not because of love for a long lost daughter or niece or whatever family I have left but because I’m a threat to whoever’s in charge. You’re just like that assassin; the only difference is that you’ll get to close your eyes to whatever happens to me when you give me to them. To me you’re just another assassin.” Lizzie said disgusted and she felt like she saw some kind of hurt in Hope’s eyes but it was impossible.

Lizzie didn’t quite believe this story but she couldn’t imagine a reason to why people would play with her like that. It wasn’t like Lizzie was someone important; no one knew her real identity and Lizzie had made sure to make every suspicion die four years ago. There was no way someone could have figured out about her other identity and was trying to get rid of her, so at least some part of what Hope was saying had to be true, but a princess?

“I’m not who you think I am.” Hope said, her eyes turning yellow. That was it, Lizzie realized. That was why the pull to Hope was stronger than Lizzie had ever felt.

“I must be really important if they sent you.” Lizzie said, renewed respect looking Hope up and down. Lizzie wasn’t one to play imagination. She didn’t see the point in trying to guess something; it was a child thing that real children learned and Lizzie’s childhood had been everything but propense to imagination unless it was about something bad that would happen. But in the fleeting moments that Lizzie had let herself imagine how the girl; yes, a girl, because she was only twenty-three; in front of her was that was definitely not what Lizzie had imagined. She had expected something more… regal. “But I’m not coming with you.”

“What holds you to this place?” Hope asked. Lizzie laughed bitterly because of course she wouldn’t understand.

“Nothing.” She said and when Hope opened her mouth to talk, Lizzie continued. “Everything. It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“I suppose not.” Hope said and then she sighed. “I’m trying to prevent a war, you know.” She said and Lizzie raised an eyebrow. “The place you’re from… they’re not nice. I have to keep my people safe and that will only happen if…”

“You take me to the people that want to kill me.” Lizzie finished her sentence. “I don’t think you should be telling me this. You don’t tell someone that you intend to kill them or give them to someone that will.” Lizzie had actually done that once or twice but she wouldn’t tell Hope that.

“I suppose I shouldn’t.” Hope said. Then she looked away. “But it’s not fair, you know. You see, I know part of your family, the good part, and how could I just turn you to the bad part and then face your sis- your good part again?” Hope asked turning away as if she were ashamed.  Lizzie felt something weird. It was like Hope wasn’t lying but she wasn’t telling the truth either. Not that Lizzie was specialist with people telling the truth, she didn’t think she ever heard someone saying something honest to her; but somehow she thought she could feel Hope’s.

“I agree with you. You should go back to your palace or wherever you live and tell them that you killed me. I let you take one of my fingers to trick them.” Lizzie said taking a knife from her pocket.

“I don’t want your finger.” Hope said disgusted leaning on the wall.

“So you’ll just go back empty handed? No matter who you are, there’s gotta be a punishment for that.” Lizzie frowned. She shook her head when she felt a pang of pain in her head. Her hands went to her temple.

“I’m sorry.” Hope said and Lizzie didn’t understand at first but then she felt her arms starting to get heavy and her head started to ache like it was about to explode.

“What did you do?” Lizzie said, her head and bones aching to much for her to use her power.

“I told you I’m trying to avoid a war.” Hope said.

“And I told you I intend to keep being alive. I’m not letting you take me to them.” Lizzie forced the words out as the pain finally started to subside. “And what just happened?” Lizzie asked.

“Well, it’s too late for that.” Hope explained as she pressed a button on the ship’s navigation system that made the glasses on the ship become transparent and Lizzie realized what caused the pain.

“You teleported us.” Lizzie whispered looking at a city she had never seen before. “Where are we?” Lizzie asked angry; not so much at Hope but at herself. She had learned not to trust in anyone and to always be the first to betray instead of being betrayed. And now here she was. It was all her fault for not getting rid of every single thread of hope that one day her family would look for her and there would be an explanation for everything.

“Well, we’re here so I can give you to your family.” Hope answered. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. But you’re about to be.” Lizzie said and the ship started to shake. It was time for this girl in front of her know exactly who Lizzie was. Hope had no idea what she had gotten herself into. Lizzie was really tired of the name The Witch after all. She looked Hope up and down and smirked. Yes, The Wolf’s Killer would be a better name indeed.