Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Where were all the nice guys that claimed to be out there? She saw other happy couples out there, but it just wasn’t happening for her. So here she was. Single and resigned to a fate of possibly dying alone. Besides, it wasn’t so bad. At least if she remained alone, she wouldn’t get hurt again.
Could the problem lay with her? Perhaps she was too picky, but was it so wrong to have standards? “You’re going to be an old lady by yourself,” she said to her reflection. It was just as well. She’d been alone most of her life. Why should the rest of it be any different?
Twenty years ago, at the age of two, her life was irrevocably changed when her mother and sister went missing. Some would think she wouldn’t have such clear memories from such an early age, but she did.
Paris recalled the night her mother had taken her sister London to the doctor. She’d wanted to go, crying when she didn’t get her way. Paris had been left with the babysitter. When they never returned, she was shattered. She’d stayed with the babysitter for some months, for how long she couldn’t remember exactly, until she was placed in a home for orphans. That part of her life went by in a blur. Some of the people in the foster homes she’d lived in were nice, some not so much, but they all had one thing in common: eventually she was separated from them.
Because of that, she’d built a protective shell around her heart. Not a day went by when she didn’t think about her mother and sister. When she was old enough to research their disappearance, Paris had learned the authorities had found her mother’s car turned over at the side of the road, but no bodies. Police suspected foul play. In her heart, she didn’t want to believe they were dead, but all evidence pointed to that theory.
It wrenched at her gut to think about them and how different her life would have been if they hadn’t disappeared. Would she be so closed off to others, mistrustful and cynical? She’d give anything to be the carefree person a woman her age should be. After all, she had a decent job as an underwriter for a large insurance company, her own place and enough money in her savings account to treat herself with luxuries every now and then.
But that hole in her heart from the disappearance of her mom and sister remained. There were times, Paris wished she’d gone missing with them. At least then they’d be together.
Turning away from the mirror, she undressed and stepped into the shower.
Yep, she definitely needed some excitement in her life.
Chapter
Two
The DNA tracker beeped louder with each step he took. He was getting close. This device normally used for hunting back home had come in handy. He wished however, that his ship could have pinpointed his target’s location to a smaller radius so that he could have tracked her down by now.
Nonetheless, Princess London would be captured by day’s end, and he could call this mission successful.
The sooner the better to get off this barbaric planet. He’d heard some tales of Earth, the only planet inhabited by humanoids in this solar system. It had recently become a popular spot to visit for slavers.
What he’d heard of this place didn’t prepare him for how primitive everything seemed, or the way the air was tinged with the faint scent of smoke. There were some flying ships in the sky but from what he could ascertain, the technology was so primitive it was laughable.
Zahn also observed that most people traveled by vehicles on the ground with wheels. The scan he’d done on this planet from his ship told him of heavy pollution and decay.
The only redeeming quality he found about Earth was that it was the birthplace of Queen Calliope. The citizens on Thibia were reluctant to accept a former concubine as their Queen but she was a fair and benevolent ruler, often stepping in for the Emperor whenever he needed to be away for diplomatic travels.
Princess London, the adopted daughter of the Emperor…his betrothed was also from Earth.
Zahn clenched his teeth when he thought about her taking off in such a manner that was unfitting of royalty.
It made sense that she would flee here to blend in amongst the inhabitants. It had been difficult finding a place to land his ship without being noticed.
He and his men had settled on one of the numerous tall buildings in the city, cloaking the ship before entering the atmosphere. Perhaps he should have found out what kind of clothes the natives wore before arriving on this planet, because everywhere he went people stared. The Earthlings weren’t much different in appearance, but their gear was more conservative.