Change of Plans Episode Two

By Odette C. Bell

Emilia’s power is released. There’s no going back now.
As Horatio barrels down on them, they must run. Emilia’s infection will take them halfway across the galaxy and straight into the arms of danger. When they end up on a perilous trading planet, right on the edge of Orion space, Jupiter will have to decide what’s more important – running from his brother, or running from his growing connection to Emilia.
He chooses her.
....
Change of Plans follows two runaway royals fighting to save their crooked galactic kingdoms. If you love your space operas with action, heart, and a splash of romance, grab Change of Plans Episode Two today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Oct 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463594384

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jupiter Orion

Damn. Seriously, damn.

Every single thing I’d been working on for the past five years had now crumbled at my feet. I was left with my ship. My ship and the galaxy’s most wanted woman. Or whatever she was….

I let my gaze slide down to the light still buffeting off her skin. It was nowhere near as bright as it had been when she’d been floating above the command seat, but it was still there, and it was still a deadly warning of whatever was happening to her.

She continued to make steely eye contact with me as she stood there. Don’t ask me how she did it. As far as I was concerned, Princess Emilia was nothing more than the most pathetic walking sack of bones I had ever seen. I’d seen her tumble off a roof. I’d seen her fall right into my arms. In my head, that meant there wasn’t anything she could do. But she’d just helped me save the day.

For now.

My brain kicked into gear, calculating the possibilities of what would occur if I allowed her to stay on my ship. One thing would ensue. Death. It would be inevitable. It would either come sooner or later. But it would come. It would come in the form of Dark Traders, this mysterious they, or Horatio damn Astrid.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes. She looked over at the mercenaries. You still plan on handing me over after they wake, do you? Because they’re going to have some questions about what you did to them. You think you’ll be able to smooth it over? Even with your quick tongue?

My lips twitched. This was where I wanted to jump in and insult her. I wanted to promise her that I would dump her the first chance I got. But….

She slowly locked her gaze on the floor.

I had no clue how she was still standing. While she hadn’t been battered around as much as I had, God knows what that infection was doing to her. Still, she didn’t wobble once as she slowly let her gaze trace toward me. It locked on my eyes, but only after it did a thorough tour of my ship. There’s no one you can turn to, young prince. There is no one who will help you. Though perhaps they would accept your hand. But it would only be to tie it up so they could drag you back to your brother. Whether you like it or not—

I rose to my feet. I got quite close to her. Any ordinary person would twitch back. Even a mercenary upon seeing my still appreciable but not horrendously large form would shudder slightly. She just locked her determined gaze on me and didn’t flinch once. While that ruined the effect a little, I wasn’t here to intimidate her.

Whether I like it or not, my voice dropped, and my gaze raced over hers as I tried to get any indication that I was having an effect on her, we’re in this together. I suddenly shoved a hand out.

She looked at it, then up at my eyes, then down at the hand again. Is this you making a deal? There was a light flutter of a laugh in her words.

Fair enough. I hadn’t come across as the most trustworthy man up until now.

I just held her stare. Yes, this is me making a deal. You can accept it, or you can head out the airlock. It’s that way. I shrugged behind me at the door out of the bridge.

She shook my hand, and she did all the shaking. I might like to think she was weak, but she certainly had enough strength now to scare the bejesus out of me. Exactly what kind of future was I signing up to here?

The ruthless part of my brain said that I wasn’t signing up to a future at all. For now, I’d help Emilia. Or at least I would give her a place to crash. When things got bad, I would ditch her the first chance I got.

There was a beep from Shorty. Though we are en route, I must warn you that Horatio’s heavy cruiser has locked on to us. We are marginally faster, but that means nothing.

Because he’s just going to redirect all of the traffic in this area to come after us, Emilia said flatly as she crossed her arms.

I looked at her as she did that. I winced slightly. She tucked her injured arm – or infected arm, or however you wanted to put it – under first. I frowned hard until I finally caught her attention.

What is it? she asked officiously.

Excuse me, but I hadn’t been used to that princess-like arrogance for some time. My jaw twitched. I thought of not telling her, but my natural compassion – or whatever we were going to call it now – rose to the fore. Your arm, Princess. Have you forgotten the fact it is currently infected by some unknown alien energy? Should you really be putting pressure on it?

She opened her arms and stared down at her hand. There was a far-off look in her eyes as she did. She twisted her arm from this side to that.

She concentrated slightly, and a little more light shimmered across it.

A kick of total nerves thrust through me. I jerked toward her. I had no clue what I was going to do. Knock her out? Hardly. I grabbed her other shoulder. It was an intimate move and was certainly one we did not have the kind of relationship to justify.

She looked at my hand then up at my face. I’m fine. I was simply practicing controlling the energy. I think, she closed her eyes and despite my continued proximity didn’t shove me away, I’m starting to get the hang of it.

Is that such a good idea? I repeated my original question but this time with a hissing voice. The only thing we know about this infection is that you’re biologically compatible to your betrothed and that he shared it with you without your knowledge.

Horatio is not my betrothed. He’s the greatest psychopath in the Empire. Plus, we know something else about the infection.

I thought hard. That a shadowy, mysterious group who could very well be from beyond the galaxy want it, and they seem to be willing to do anything to get it by the end of the week?

No. She pointed over to the mercenary in the corner. That it can help me attack. When I concentrate, I can use it to my advantage. So don’t you think I should continue to try to concentrate? I really doubt our enemies are going to stop coming after us.

She had a point, but it was not one I was going to show any support for. I moved away from her, fell back in my chair, made my pulser prominent, and patted it. I’ll do all the shooting, Princess. You—

Go stand in the corner and shut up? She arched an eyebrow.

I snorted. Way to go to make her try to feel like I was on her side. Your suggestion not mine.

Refreshing to see that you’ve changed. You know, I would be worried if you’d had a personality makeover. With arms crossed, ignoring my advice not to put any pressure on her infection, she walked behind me. I didn’t like that. I preferred to see her at all times. I had to crane my neck slightly but not obviously to glimpse her out of my peripheral vision. She didn’t start stalking through the Gambit, digging up all of my secrets. Instead, she leaned against the bulkhead.

… That’s when I realized I had the only seat on the bridge. I’d removed the rest of them. What was the point? Nobody had run away with me. I was the loneliest runaway Royal in the entire galaxy.

Sorry. I had been. Now there was another lonely runaway Royal. One with a big mouth, a glowing arm, and a hell of a legacy chasing her down.

I’d known I’d live to regret helping her. I just hadn’t thought it would happen so soon.

Chapter 2

Jupiter Orion

I tried to sit there in silence for awhile, tried to tell myself everything would be okay in the end.

There was no point in lying to myself. My brain wouldn’t take it, and neither would my body. Speaking of that treacherous sack of blood and bones, I became all too aware of Emilia again. She turned and stared at the mercenary, her cheeks becoming cold and pasty.

She frowned at him, grabbed the collar of her trashed enviro suit, and held onto it with a stiff grip. Shouldn’t we put him in the brig or something?

I shrugged. He’s gonna be fine there. It will take ages for him to wake.

She stiffened. I don’t know why I was so well attuned to her, but I recognized the moment she did. I twisted my head around so fast, I could’ve unscrewed it. What is it?

I think… he’s waking.

Shorty? I demanded quickly.

I am detecting no unique neurological activity to suggest that consciousness is returning to his form.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. Perhaps you can keep your nerves to yourself, Princess. This is a delicate situation, and I don’t need your fear adding to it.

It’s hardly my fear, she said after a significant pause she spent staring at the mercenary with narrowed eyes. There was … bear with me, but it was honestly as if she could see something I couldn’t.

He’s definitely waking. He’s rousing now. She backed off, her movements twitchy.

I opened my mouth to laugh at her, but the mercenary took that exact moment to actually twitch.

I jolted up so quickly, I think I could’ve shot through the ceiling. I grabbed out my pulser in an even, quick movement that brought it level with the mercenary just as his pretty little eyes fluttered open.

He stared at me and snarled, but it didn’t last. Soon enough his gaze darted over to Emilia. There was a flicker of something in the bastard’s glare. Was it greed? Was it relief at the fact she was still alive? Or was it a little fear at what she’d done to him?

I took another step forward. I didn’t know if it was because I wanted to be treated as a relevant threat, considering I was the one holding the gun, or if I was trying desperately to divert the mercenary’s unwanted attention from Emilia. I’m going to ask questions, and you’re going to answer them, I said flatly.

The only thing you want to know is this. The longer you travel with her. The mercenary sliced his gaze over to Emilia again, and I swore it became twice as greedy as it had been before, if that was even possible. The longer you travel with her, the longer you have to live.

I shrugged. Well, that sounds great.

In total agony, he added.

My lips twitched. Pray tell why? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m the one holding the gun.

Trust me, you’re not holding all the guns. They, he said, his lips slicing over that word so quickly, it was as if he was trying to carve it out of the air for generations to come, will reach you. They can reach anywhere in the galaxy. Nowhere, his voice flattened out low, is safe from them. I imagine sooner rather than later they will contact you.

I laughed. Will— I never