Echo Book 2

18. Long May You Reign

I take my time walking to my room. I'm hoping Malax will be gone. I didn't bring anything to wear to the ball. I don't even know what people wear to those. Not only that, I have medicine leaking slowly out of me. This is not ideal for anything. A couple walks by me and the woman is dressed in the prettiest gown. It goes to the ground, and it's big and puffy. I don't have anything like that. It's too fancy.

I put a pad in my underwear and grab some pajamas. That'll work for tonight. I lay down and fall asleep.

Malax wakes me up an hour later. "Get dressed for the ball, baby."

"I'm still sick and have medicine. I need to sleep a little more."

"You're not coming at all?"

"I'll order food from here. I'll be fine."

I hear the door shut and relax. Then he rubs my back. "Talk to me, baby. What's going on?"

"I have medicine leaking out of me. I want to stay here. It's not fun."

He kisses my back. "I'm sorry. Nadine is here with a box. I guess the girls made dresses on it. Can you just come for dinner? Eat with me? If not, I'll tell her the medicine is still messing with you, and you have to sleep."

"I'll try."

"Thank you."

I go to the kitchen and get some water. Nadine looks at me 4 times. "Glad I brought the box."

"Yea, I was going to skip it. I'm not feeling the best."

"Dipak said you were at the doctor for over an hour. Everything ok?"

"Yea. How does he even know that?"

"It's our ship. He has to approve you to go up there. Then you never left. He was concerned. He went up there to check on you, but they wouldn't tell him s**t, of course. Only that you're going back tomorrow. Found it. We made 3 dresses for you. You pick."

I pick a gold strapless gown. It has a slit up to my thigh and a small train in the back. Then I get some matching heels. I love the dress. I push a button and my hair and makeup are perfect. Then I walk to the ballroom with Nadine.

I sneak in and find Malax.

He pulls the chair out for me. "You are so beautiful, baby."

"Thank you. You look quite good yourself." A brain sits down our food.

He smiles and kisses my head. "I'm sorry you don't feel the best."

"I'll be ok. I'm glad I came. I get to see everyone dressed up this way."

"I figured you'd like it. But I didn't want to push. I would have taken the dinners to go and ate with you either way."

"Thank you for thinking about me."

"You're always on my mind, babygirl. When we came here, I planned to let Tim spend some time with you. Enough that you could get to know each other a little bit. I didn't realize you were going to get sick. Now I feel bad for not taking care of you."

"He's not doing too badly. He's not you, but he's not so bad."

"How is he different?"

"When the doctor had the shot, you would have told me to be strong and brave. Then gave me hugs. He hugged me and told the doctor to stick me with it."

"Well, as long as it got in, and you got hugs."

"There's no arguing with him. I could have argued for at least 20 minutes about it with you."

He laughs. "He got it over fast, and you got what you needed."

"Yea, he makes sure I have what I need. He just doesn't give me any options. Maybe he doesn't want to argue, or he doesn't like me."

"He likes you. He stares at you constantly and his eyes are always getting dark. Check now, they're probably dark for no reason."

I look at him and laugh. "Yea. I think he might be staring at my feet though."

"I don't know what kind of weird fetish that is. Good luck, baby."

I laugh and Tim comes over. "Are you over here talking about me?"

"Yea, I told her you were staring at her with dark eyes again. She said you were staring at her shoes. I don't know what kind of weird fetish that is."

He smiles and helps me up. "I don't know either. I was looking at your dress. You're beautiful."

"Thank you." I fix his tie.

"Can I have a dance?"

"No. I have no idea how to do any of the dances."

Malax smiles. "You can shake your ass better than anyone though, baby."

I can't help but laugh. "Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

I shake my head while they laugh.

Thora comes over. "What's funny?"

"I don't know these dances but Malax was letting me know I shake my ass better than anyone."

"Like hell you can. HEY. SEXY DANCE TIME."

A bunch of girls run out onto the dance floor and the music changes. Her, Starlet, and Nadine do a dance I've never seen. I haven't seen many styles, but it is sexy. I turn and check my boys. Tim drops into my chair and grabs a menu. Malax takes the other one and they read. I get down to the floor and check on them fast. They're still reading.

"It's belly dancing. We can teach you."

They show me how to move my hips and give me pointers. I glance at the boys and their eyes go from me to the menus.

I laugh and let the girls show me some more stuff. It is a fun dance. After the song, Tim puts his arm around me. "1 dance?"

"Like this?" I move my hips in a circle.

His eyes darken. "Yes, please."

I laugh, and he wraps his arms around me as a slow song comes on. I lay my head on his shoulder and relax. We sway back and forth to the music.

"Thank you, baby. I love holding you like this."

I spin and put my back against him. Then I rub on him as sexy as I can.

"Woman." I giggle as he spins me back around. "Always teasing." He smiles and I can't help myself. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

I hear people cheering, and I have to stop the kiss and laugh.

He hugs me so tightly and kisses my head. "I love you."

No he doesn't. He loves Zarina and Kehlani. He loves the bond with me. But nothing else. I'm not his mate or the girl he picked. The only reason he wants me is that Kehlani has Alden. I'm sure they'd be together if Alden wasn't involved. Hell, they have a baby together. He only wants me because he can't have her.

"What are you thinking?"

"I can't do this." I turn and run out.

I don't know where I'm going. I take off my shoes and run down the beach.

I get pretty far away and a dragon lands beside me. It turns into Thora. "I have a theory."

"What's that?"

"I think your crown will wake your dragon up."

"I don't have a crown."

"It's in your throne room. Let's go there."

"I don't have a throne room, Thora."

"It's on the ship. Bring us a shuttle."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I really can not get away from those damn things."

"Yea, they are everywhere. Especially here. We couldn't chance leaders roaming off and getting lost."

We get to my ship and I follow her to a big empty room. Other than 1 end has 3 steps going up to a platform. There's 1 throne on it, in the middle of the platform.

"That's your throne. Sit on it. We'll see if it does anything."

I sit and scratch my head. "Nothing. Feels like a normal chair."

"Honestly, they are."

Malax runs in with Dipak, Marcus, Tre, Tim, and a few other boys. I shrug my shoulders. I don't know what the hell to say.

"What are you doing, baby?"

"Thora has an idea."

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THE CROWNS, DIPAK?" She kicks the wall behind me.

Dipak runs up. "Ours are on this side. Kehlani's are on the other side. Maybe the middle? It should look like a hidden... Got it."

I hear a low scraping sound and jump up. That was different. A whole part of the wall slid out. There are 3 crowns and a scepter.

"SIT DOWN."

I run back and sit on the throne. Thora is scary.

She brings my crown and stands in front of me. "Long may you reign, Queen of Queens Octavia Echo Kinnik." She puts it on my head.