He held his fist to his heart and stepped toward me again. “I know you. You are my daughter in every way. You might not realize it right now, but you are Amihanna di Aetes. You were born to rule. The Aunare will burn bright in you, but you’re going to need to learn—”

No. He wasn’t listening. He wasn’t—

I tried to breathe through the panic, but it was building in me. Too strong. Too swiftly. The walls were caving in, and I couldn’t dig myself out fast enough. So I ran.

I ran out the door. I didn’t know where I was heading and I didn’t care. All I knew was that I couldn’t be there. I couldn’t talk to my father for one second longer.

Chapter Forty-Seven

My father hadn’t been lying. There were people literally waiting outside my bedroom door. Not a lot, but a few men that had to be soldiers. A woman in a beautiful flowing dress, looking down her nose at me.

They were quiet for a second and then they all started talking at once. In Aunare.

My father came from my room and stood behind me.

I spotted an opening down the hallway, and I started running. My muscles screamed at being pushed, and I wobbled a little, but I forced myself to keep going. I had to get out of here. Faster and faster. One foot in front of the other, with a hand to the wall occasionally to keep me from falling over. I was getting away from here.

I wouldn’t be trapped in another life I didn’t want.

I didn’t really see my surroundings. I wasn’t looking at my father’s house. I was looking for a door. A way out.

And then I saw it. Windows. A door with windows. I ran outside and stumbled to a stop. I pressed my hands into my thighs as I hunched over, gasping for enough air to fill my lungs. I’d never been this out of shape, but I’d get my body back. Some food and exercise. I could fix it. I had to fix it.

I placed my hands on top of my head as I straightened, finally taking in my surroundings.

The grounds were amazing. Flowers bloomed. The scents blended together to create the most delicate perfume. The sky held two suns and planets that were so large, triple the size of a harvest moon on Earth.

I turned, staring at the building behind me. The stone melded perfectly with the surroundings. Sounds of animals—birds, something that sounded like monkeys maybe, I wasn’t sure—but it was all so much. So rich. So lush. So different than anything that I’d ever seen before.

No cement. No smog in the air. No crush of people and speeders and pods. Just a house and nature.