The Raspite Prince
Chapter 11

"Well, there's no easy way to say this, so I suppose I'll just show you the images they sent back." Captain Harshbro turns to the computer in front of him, and a small screen comes down behind him. A video plays on the screen. The armed crew is talking to each other as they come into view of a small village.

My heart stops when I see that the defenseless village has been burned to the ground. The bodies of my people are left in the open for the wildlife to feast on as a diano, a wild dog, carries off the carcass of a child. The anger and disgust builds inside of me. The screen changes, and I recognize the field they're in. It's the hill behind my castle, and then I see it.

"Noooo!" I scream. My beautiful home is engulfed in smoke and flames. My heart feels as though it'll explode in my chest. I watch with tears in my eyes as they draw closer. Bodies are on the balconies. My mother, my people, they're dead. I can't stop the flames that grow inside me. I feel the chair melting below me.

"Wolf, do it. Shoot her." The captain has moved as far away as he can get from me. He struggles to remove the gun from its holster with his shaking hands. He gives the order to Patrick when he can't get his weapon free.

"No, just wait," he says. The flames have surrounded every inch of my body and are flaring out. "Laoonica, look at me."

I hear him speak, but at first, I can't move.

"Laoonica, please look at me. I don't want to shoot you."

I face him. By this time, the chair has completely melted, and my clothing is engulfed in flames.

"Shoot her or I will." The captain has managed to get the gun out, but his hands are not steady at all.

"No, captain. Laoonica, look at me. Look into my eyes. Focus on me."

I gaze into his eyes, and for once, even with my destructive powers activated, someone isn't afraid. Patrick isn't afraid, just like my father was never afraid. I've never seen anyone else react this way. All I can see is love. I feel the flames subsiding. The longer I stare into Patrick's eyes, the more control I feel.

The flame completely goes away, and I fall into his arms, drained of strength. I go out of consciousness for a moment, but Patrick's strong arms wrap around me as he tries to get me to come to.

"Doctor, we need you in my office, stat," the captain calls on the intercom.

I hear everything that's going on, but I can't answer.

"She isn't responding. Laoonica, can you hear me?" Patrick's voice is worried. They have no way to know this is normal after an exertion of my powers

"What happened?" I hear the familiar female voice of the ship's doctor as she rushes in, carrying a medical case that unfolds into a miniature supply table with the basic equipment.

"She, um, she almost, well. She passed out," Patrick says.

"Patrick?" I finally utter as the cold metallic ball of the sensor scrolls across my forehead to check my vitals.

"Princess Laoonica, can you hear me?" the doctor asks. I nod. Patrick's still holding me as she examines me. "I think she's going to be alright, but here." She throws a blanket around me, to cover the fact that my clothing has all burnt off.

"Thank you, that'll be all." The captain dismisses the doctor. I'm sure he wants the information being shared with me to remain in a small group. If the crew realizes just how dangerous their new guest is, perhaps they'd be less inclined to follow orders.

I can't be sure of anything at this point. All I know is that my world is crumbling around me, and I've lost everything. I'm doing the best I can to hold myself together. I try to sit up, wrapped in the blanket as well as Patrick's embrace. I begin to cry, unable to keep it in, as I've done so many times before.

Patrick turns his head toward the captain. "I told you I wouldn't have to shoot her. She isn't dangerous. Just misunderstood."

I just let it all out as I curl up in his arms.

"Well, it seems that your feelings for each other may be more useful than not," the captain says.

"Always looking to work things in your favor," Patrick says harshly.

"Considering how dangerous she can be, yes. If you didn't have the apparent feelings you do, she might have destroyed us just now." The captain has a scolding tone to his voice.

"She isn't dangerous."

The captain holds his hands up as he backs off the argument. "She probably should get some rest. After that traumatic of an event, anyone would need to," the captain says, changing the tone of the conversation between himself and Patrick. It's strange, but he seems to be intimidated by Patrick, even though he out ranks him.

"What do we do now?" Patrick asks.

I'm in such a state of mourning that I haven't joined in the conversation.

"The council will be ready to convene early tomorrow. I'm afraid, at this point, her fate will be up to them. She's clearly a threat to all so long as she can't control her powers," the captain says with a heavy sigh.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Patrick says.

"You should take her back to your quarters." The captain retakes his seat.

"Come, Laoonica. We'll get you back to the room and get you comfortable." Patrick helps me to my feet and pulls the blanket around me. He keeps me pressed to his side as we walk to the elevator. We head down to the room. He hasn't let go of me as I cling to him, extremely weak. I stumble, getting in the elevator, and he decides it'll be better if he carries me. He, with ease, lifts me up.

"Are you okay, Laoonica?" he asks once we're alone. He has a softer voice. I'm guessing he has some hostility toward the captain.

"No, it's all wrong. Everything is wrong." I lean my head onto his shoulder. I grip his bicep, since touching him helps me focus on not blowing up.

"I don't know what to say." He sounds so desperate to help me.

"I don't understand why the Raspites did this? If they knew we'd left the planet, why would they go there?" The Raspites had to know I was gone since they attacked me on the ship, or hadn't their assassin communicated with them prior to his attack? Or could this be some lashing out at my world, since that I wasn't in their hands.

"Maybe they thought you went back. I don't really know. I wish I could offer comfort."

"I've lost my father, my mother, everything. We left for nothing." I should have stayed. Perhaps I could have controlled just enough of my power to defeat them or at least take them out with the rest of my world.

"If you had stayed, you would have been taken by them, and they would have won." The elevator opens as Patrick carries me down the hall toward the room. The guards stare but quickly open the door. Patrick sits me on the bed and leaves so I can change. After I do, I come out and sit on the couch, with my head hung and with tears rolling down my cheeks, though slower now. I've never felt so alone, so defeated, so utterly and completely devastated in my entire life.

Patrick sits beside me. "Is there anything I can do?"

I look at him. I want to smile, but I can't manage to bring one to my face. "I'm alone now. I'm all that's left, yet if I thought for one second that I could go to the Raspites before all this and save everyone, I would have."

The look on Patrick's face is a gentle comforting smile mixed with worry and I'm not sure what else.

"This isn't your fault, and you're not alone. I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you." He brushes my hair from the side of my face and sees the tears falling down. He pulls me over and holds me. I curl my legs up onto the couch and lean into him. I feel as if I'm a little girl in my father's embrace after being hurt. I feel so much safer when I'm with Patrick.

I lay in his arms for the rest of the night. I even fall asleep. He doesn't move me. He just stays and falls asleep with me. I still cannot grasp the concept of what I saw in the captain's quarters. The images are engraved in my head. I'm sure I probably didn't sleep very still, but Patrick never once let me go all through the night.

When I wake the next morning, Patrick's gone. I guess he didn't want to wake me. He somehow escaped from beneath me without me waking. I stand and turn to the window. The planet that was there the day before is in the far distance. I stare for a few minutes. The council's supposed to meet today. Patrick must be on deck. As soon as I think about him, he comes into the room, carrying two breakfast trays.

"I've been given permission to stay with you until the council's ready, which is still a few hours away." He sets the trays on the table.

"Thank you for being so kind to me, but I think that maybe we shouldn't get any closer at this point." I don't move from the window.

"What are you talking about?" he asks, pulling the chair out for me to sit.

"I plan on asking them to help me find a planet where I can do no harm and where no harm will come to anyone else. I still don't have complete control over my powers, and although you calmed me down this last time, the next time might end in tragedy. I won't be responsible for harming anyone else."

Patrick wraps his arms around me from behind, and I lean into him. As much as it pains me to drop whatever this is, I must do it.

"There must be some way for you to gain control over this so that it doesn't happen," he says.

I face him. He can't possibly understand what it means to gain true control over my powers.

"I will speak no more of this for now. I just want to get away from everyone. I have lost everyone, and I will not do to you what I have done to them." I try to walk away, but he won't let me go.

"Please, Laoonica. I just found you. Please don't leave me now." He leans in and presses his lips to mine. I feel the glow start, so I pull out of his kiss.

"You don't understand what you're asking." I look into his eyes and then walk over to the table, away from him. I don't say any more, and I can tell that he knows I'm uncomfortable.

"I just want to help." He walks over to the table as well.

"We should just eat." I sit, not allowing him to push in my chair.

"Then if you don't mind, I would like to return to the garden or greenhouse." He drops the subject and sits with me. As usual, the meal is wonderful. The chef they have on the ship is outstanding.

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