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held.
    Her quarters consisted of a single room with an en-suite bathroom, but
    she’d been afforded every comfort—apart from her freedom. She’d never
    felt anything as soft as the black-and-gray blankets on the oversized bed.
    While thick and luxurious, the material seemed to adapt to her body
    temperature throughout the night. If she felt cold, the blanket suddenly
    trapped her body heat, warming her in no time. When she became too
    warm, the fabric changed to a cool silkiness that leached away any excess
    heat.

    When she did finally get the hell off the planet, she was taking that
    damn blanket with her.
    A small writing desk made of dark, gleaming wood sat in one corner
    of the room, and two squashy armchairs had been pushed together near
    the door. Elegant lamps, decorative pillows, and a gorgeous vanity
    constructed of the same dark wood made the place feel like a guestroom
    instead of a holding cell.
    The guards had even given her fresh clothes. The deep purple tunic
    fit snuggly around the waist, and the plunging V-neck exposed more of
    her cleavage than she’d have liked, but it was clean and comfortable. The
    black tights hugged her from hips to ankles, the material so light-weight
    she could barely feel it against her skin.
    Then, a shy, quiet female had arrived to draw her bath, complete
    with floral-smelling gels, foams, bubbles, and salts. Ivy hadn’t even
    pretended to resist. As soon as the woman had left, she’d stripped down
    and climbed into the enormous stone basin that served as a bathtub.
    Instead of the plumbing fixtures she was used to, where the faucet
    should have been, she found only a stalk of purple bamboo. The fragrant
    water felt like heaven, and when she leaned back against the padded
    neck rest, she was pleasantly surprised to find the actual stone itself had
    been heated.
    Captain Tira Meadowlark had indeed answered the majority of her
    questions. Ivy had learned that her ship had crashed onto the planet of
    Xenthian, and that she and her friends were the first visitors—invited or

    otherwise—since humans had discovered fire. The guard wouldn’t say
    why the Xenons had hidden themselves away, and Ivy got the
    impression the woman truly didn’t know the answer.
    Now that they’d bridged the language gap, Ivy could say she sort of
    admired the captain, and she found them similar in many ways. They’d
    both worked hard to earn their positions, clawing their way to the top,
    even when no one thought they could do it. Each of them led hundreds,
    and no one looked at them as all breasts and no brains. They commanded
    respect, and more importantly, they’d earned it.
    The fogged glass door to her room slid open with a shushing sound,
    and Tira stepped through with an uncharacteristic smile. “Good
    morning, Ivy Dalton. I trust you slept well?”
    “Well, speak of the devil,” Ivy murmured.
    The smile slid from the captain’s heart-shaped face, and her eyebrows
    drew together. “Who is this devil, and with what purpose were you
    speaking of him?”
    Snorting, Ivy flopped down into one of the armchairs and kicked the
    other one closer to Tira. “Never mind. Wait, you said it’s morning? How
    long have I been in here anyway?”
    “Since last night, of course.” Tira glanced toward the plush chair, but
    remained standing, her hands folded behind her back.
    “Look, sister, it’s been at least two days, maybe three.”
    “I assure you we are of no relation, and it has only been one evening,
    Ivy Dalton. I conducted some research, and I believe the confusion lies

    in the rotation of our planets. Xenthian, being larger than Earth, spins at
    a slower rate—”
    “Yes, yes, I get how it works.” Holy nova, the woman was like a
    walking encyclopedia. “So, why so many meals if it’s been less than a
    full day?”
    “My research also suggested that humans require a greater amount
    of nourishment and periods of inactivity because your bodies are less
    efficient.”
    She sounded