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have the utmost faith in you both.”
    Bridget’s eyes watered. “I’m grateful, My Ruler. I won’t disappoint you.”
    We got close and did a group hug. After that, we huddled up and looked over the five planets on my sija . I let them review each one and decide where they wanted to go. Bridget chose Marsden, and Katie chose Rumza.
    Finally, we shared one last embrace before saying goodnight. I waved goodbye as they left, then turned and walked to the window. I stood there for a long while, scanning the outside with an ecstatic smile. Tomorrow would be my first day on the job—and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Chapter 18: Juozas
    I t was late at night, and I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to walk the halls. After heading out, I turned a few corners on my floor and ran into Audrey. She was on her hands and knees, hard at work, scrubbing the floor. Sadly, I exhaled and walked up to her.
    “How are you, Audrey?”
    She let out a deep sigh. “A little tired, but I’ll be OK.”
    I quickly checked the area for any patrolling soldiers. The coast was clear. I sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. “Can I talk to you about something?”
    Audrey looked up, her eyes shifting from left to right. “Ah...sure.”
    I waved her over. She put the rag she was holding in a bucket of water and crawled to me. I waited a moment, making sure I had the right question to start.
    “How long have we been on Earth? Mamluks, I mean.”
    “It’s been a while. Since you were born, actually.” She narrowed her eyes. “If I may—why are you asking me this?”
    I let out a deep sigh. “I’m trying to understand what it was like on Earth before we arrived.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I’m a hybrid of Mamluk and human. Their history is my history, and I have a desire to learn about it.”
    Audrey gave me a wavering look. “Do you know why the Mamluks came to Earth?” 
    I nodded. “Yes. We came to conquer.” 
    She shook her head. “That’s not all. There was a crucial motive to the conquest of Earth.”
    I fixed my eyes on her and stared. “Such as?”
    Audrey lowered her voice a little. “I was never told this directly, but I can put two and two together.” She exhaled. “The Mamluks came to Earth because they couldn’t mate anymore.”
    I looked away, blinking my eyes. “So, Mother wasn’t a human born into bondage. She was already here.”
    “Yeah, they took the pretty girls and mated with them. Luckily for Emily, she was picked by Adomas.”
    I shook my head and put my hand over my chin. “All my life, all this uncertainty.” 
    “You never thought to ask?”
    I shrugged. “We were told that our mothers were born long after the invasion of Earth. Why would any of us question that?” 
    She sighed. “When you’re a child you can be trained to believe anything.”
    I heard someone coming and stood up without hesitation. Audrey hurried back to cleaning. I walked ahead and saw a soldier come around the corner. I gave her a nod.
    She gave me a nod before passing by. “My Champion.”
    I walked on, feeling deeply betrayed. Mother, you have some explaining to do.

Chapter 19: Emily
    I was checking myself in the mirror on my dresser, playing ‘Voodoo Child’ in my head. For my first day, I went with an all-black, skintight outfit that showed my belly. To finish, I did one last check of my face and hair, then headed out.
    I walked into the hall, imagining I was moving in slow motion, feeling like a total badass. Voodoo Child. I love that song, and it’s perfect for this moment. There were soldiers lined up against the wall, holding their hands behind their backs. They all gave me a subtle nod as I passed.
    I walked onto the balcony at the end of the hall and put my hands on the railing. I stood there for a moment, looking around at our flourishing society. I smiled, then went to the stairs and jogged to the rooftop.
    On the rooftop, there was a fancy, brand new ship waiting for me, and I was about to