Silken Scales

by Alex Hayes

  Valdar nods but his eyes hold concern. “But you’re together now?”

  I’m not sure exactly how ‘together’ we are, but maybe that’s not really what he’s asking. “Yes. And he was following me.” I think.

  Valdar’s face brightens. “So he’s coming here?”

  “If he can find the, um…wormhole entrance, I’m sure he will,” I say with more confidence than I feel.

  “Then I will hope, but there isn’t much time. Although time does move more slowly here than on Earth.”

  “It does?”

  “Yes, child. Look at you. You’ve grown up. How old are you now?”

  My mind trips over the question. “Um, seventeen, almost eighteen…Earth years, I guess.”

  “Indeed. And yet, less than half a Daïzani year has passed since you left.”

  “Half a year?” I wonder how long a Daïzani year is. Probably not that long.

  “Yes, and in that time, the Evatenon army has wiped our people off the face of the planet. Almost.” He glances over his shoulder towards an opening on the other side of the cavern.

  “The force field is still holding, but it’s only a matter of time. The Evatenon almost brought it down a few days ago. That’s when Commander Rill’s troop and General Loguïti came through.”

  Valdar shakes his head. “Funny creatures, the Evatenon. All about glory. The general could have used his warriors to find and kill me. But he sent them through the wormhole and waited for a one-on-one battle, instead, hoping to distinguish himself by capturing and assimilating the last Livran on his own. And look where it got him.” Valdar glances toward the general’s ashes.

  “Who are the Evatenon?”

  “Our enemy. An animiverous race.” He catches my questioning look, and adds, “One that assimilates the minds and bodies of its victims. Many of our people were assimilated, some killed…” Valdar sighs, heavily. “My wife among them, but better death than assimilation.”

  My stomach churns. “My mother was assimilated, wasn’t she?”

  Valdar’s eyes soften. “Yes, I’m sorry. Both your parents were. They were attempting to shut down the wormhole when the Evatenon broke through. The one who took your father’s life essence is still on Earth and must be stopped. But we’ve bigger things to worry about right now.”

  My eyes stray towards the entrance. “Their army?”

  “Yes. I waited in the hope Commander Rill’s troop would return before I took down the cosmic bridge, but we’re running out of time.” He shifts to the rock table to inspect a matrix of holographic images. “The force field is less than ten percent of its original power. Each hit from an Evatenon weapon weakens it further.”

  I glance over my shoulder at the passageway leading to the wormhole. “How much time is left?”

  Valdar lifts his brow. “Enough for me to impart the knowledge you’ll need to fight the Evatenon on Earth when you return.”

  Fight them. Me? I can’t even imagine it, so I parry. “Please, Valdar. I have a couple of questions.”

  “Of course, child.”

  “First. What exactly is a bond brother?” I know this shouldn’t be a priority question, with a whole army knocking at the front door, but to me, it means everything.

  “You mean Dre?”

  I nod.

  “You and Dre were born during the same mating cycle.” Valdar smiles. “Your parents and his, Mircurae and I—”

  My lips part. “You? You’re Dre’s dad?” No wonder he reminds me so much of Idris.

  “Yes. We carefully examined the abilities and biological profiles of all the children born of that cycle, and you and Dre were paired as mating partners.”

  Bubbles of relief burst in my belly. He’s not my real brother. Commander Evil Bitch was right. Dre and I are supposed to be a couple.

  Valdar continues, “Once you and Dre were paired, twin crystals were chosen from the same blossom of an ar’n bala tree, which you’ve carried with you since shortly after your births.”

  Eyebrows furrowed, I study his face. “Why did my crystal sink into me?”

  “The crystals embed themselves once their hosts reach adulthood. For you and Dre, that would have happened at the same time.”

  “And what would happen if a crystal were separated from its host?”

  Valdar’s eyes turn thoughtful. “I’m not sure. The crystals magnify the psychic powers of their Livran hosts and aid in focusing that power, but the stones won’t embed during the Livran’s principle growth period. Partly because the body of a Livran child is too unstable, and partly because Livran children have built-in defense systems that can reject and destroy their crystals.”

  His hand lifts to rub his scaly scalp. “A component of that auto-defense system is the chameleon effect. From birth, Livran children blend into their environments, taking a form to fit, and if necessary, hide. At full maturity, that system is switched off by hormonal changes, allowing adults freedom to shape-shift by conscious choice. However…”

  Yes?

  “In an untrained Livran adult—”

  “As in one who doesn’t even know she can shape-shift?” I ask.

  Valdar nods. “I believe the crystal would take over, shape-shifting its host appropriately.”

  The mystery starts to make sense. “Then that must be what happened to me because I had no idea I could shape-shift. I had no idea I wasn’t human.”

  “Oh, dear. What’s happened to your carers? They should have taught you those skills by now, as well as helped you manage your psychic abilities.”

  “I’m not aware of any carers. I was put into foster care with human families. Dre was adopted by a couple who he’s been with ever since we were separated.”

  Valdar rubs a hand over the smooth scales of his head. Something I’ve seen Idris do a dozen times. “Then you must locate the carers. But in the meantime, let me give you some of that missing information.”

  “How?”

  “I possess the ability of memory transference, a skill Dre inherited. Here, take my hands.” His fingers are velvety and cool. “And close your eyes.”

  Immediately on closing my eyes, images enter my head, memories that come into clear focus. I see Dre as a small child, Valdar teaching him basic skills and a woman I recognize as Mircurae, Valdar’s wife. Dre’s mother.

  The images fade and I blink. Holding back the wave of emotions unleashed by so many wonderful memories is difficult, but I must store them for now and share what I’ve learned with Idris later.

  Valdar releases my hands. “Another thing I must give you…” He walks some distance, past the orange sphere of light and returns with a strange-looking suitcase. “This was prepared some time ago in the event an evacuation was necessary.”

  “What is it?”

  “A cutting from an ar’n bala tree.” He holds the square case and notices my hesitation in taking it. “It has a hover device to reduce the weight,” he explains as I study the base of the container, which is spinning. “If planted correctly, the cutting will grow.”

  “You said it bears crystals. Is the tree alive?”

  “Yes. The carers are fully trained in the planting and nurturing of ar’n bala trees. On Daïzani they grow without management in many regions, but the Livran learned to grow them outside their natural habitat.”

  “How long have the Livran shared this, um…symbiotic relationship with the crystals?”

  Valdar looks uncertain, like my question strikes him as odd. “Countless millennia.” He smiles. “That would be another question for a carer. They are versed in Livran history. They are the educators of our race.”

  “I do have one more question,” I say as another thought crosses my mind.

  A rumbling comes from somewhere outside the entrance to the cavern. Valdar’s brow furrows as he checks his holographic images, and I realize his eyes look tired. “Seven percent. Ask your question, my dear. There isn’t much time before you must leave.”

  I nod, quickly. “Can you tell me wh
y I pass out every time I use my mind to move anything larger than a dinner plate?”

  43

  Idris

  Marek paces in circles as he thinks.

  I glance at my smartwatch. Nearly eight. We’ve been here two hours. We’ve got to get through soon. Who knows what Cadi’s dealing with wherever she is.

  “Come on, Mar.”

  “Shh… I’m thinking.”

  I walk across the room, avoiding Marek’s circuit, and play a tune in my head. Like that’s going to help. Wish I’d paid more attention in physics last semester.

  Come on, Mar.

  He speaks like he heard me. “D’you think you could use sound waves to, say, bend metal?”

  No idea, but I rub my hands together. “I can try.”

  He tilts his head towards the door. “Okay, go for it, Sonic.”

  Not sure I like being associated with a bright blue hedgehog, but…yeah. I lay my hands on the door and imagine creating a vortex, like I did in the water at the lake to save Cadi.

  Nothing.

  Marek scrubs the bristles on his head with both hands. “Okay, try this… Can you imagine sawing through the door with a sonic knife?”

  I laugh. “You serious?”

  He throws me a dark frown. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” He doesn’t.

  I cross my arms and tilt one hip for effect. “So what does a sonic knife look like?”

  “It’s invisible, doofus.”

  I think of a few choice words to send his way but keep them to myself. Right, an invisible knife. How do I imagine one of those?

  Marek cracks his knuckles. “Maybe think of your hand as a blade or a saw and project the sound waves off that?”

  “You’re pushing it, Mar.”

  “Come on, Wolverine. Time to excite some phonons.”

  Whatever those are. I steeple my hands and point them at the door. Focus.

  My fingers tingle. I press forward until they touch the door’s steel surface. The whole thing shudders, frame included, but no cutting, bending, tearing…

  Damn it!

  Marek pulls at his chin. “Yeah. Stupid idea.” He turns away, shaking his head, then turns right back around. “Okay, try the barbell. See if you can pass your magic sound waves down the rod. Focus them into a tight beam.”

  “Like a laser beam?”

  “Yeah, a laser. Only with sound. What’d that be called? A saser?”

  Shrugging at his technobabble, I scoop up the weight bar and point it at the door like I’m some sonic samurai warrior dude getting ready to blast bad guys into another universe.

  I focus. The barbell quivers with vibrations that become so aligned I hardly feel them. I step up to the door and thrust the rod forward. It slides through the steel like a hot needle through wax.

  “Yes!”

  Marek whistles and slugs my shoulder so hard I almost drop the bar. “Now do that to the lock.”

  I slice a round hole straight through the lock barrel. The handle falls off and Marek throws a karate kick into the steel. The door flies open.

  Dropping one end of the weight bar to the floor, I high five him.

  He grins. “Brains plus brawn, bro. We did it.”

  “Yeah. Let’s go.” I step toward the door.

  Marek tugs me back. “Wait a sec, superhero.”

  He shines his phone light through the doorway.

  Nothing. Except blackness. A void that could swallow my best friend and me whole and never spit us out again.

  I pause.

  I’d risk my life for Cadi every day for a hundred years. I’ve known her a handful of days; yet that sentiment feels stronger now than ever. Trying to quantify her value is complicated, but everything comes down to a single emotion. Fear.

  Fear of never seeing her again. Fear of losing her again. Again?

  Green eyes pierce a memory so distant their viridescent color is all I see. The eyes of a child, followed by a cry that circles my head like a ghost in a machine.

  Dre! Don’t go! Over and over.

  Broken pieces of a picture fall into place, like fragments of a magic mirror that reflects only the past. Her crystal swinging from a chain at her neck. Her waves of hair that can’t decide if they’re blonde or brown. The same green eyes shining in a face that seems unnaturally white.

  I cannot live without her.

  “Yo, bro? You having second thoughts or what?”

  A sideways glance at Marek. I shake my head and put down the barbell. “But maybe you should stay here.”

  Marek’s mouth pops open. “No, effing way. This is research for Brianna and my physics project.”

  “You sure?”

  “As sure as I’m standing here.” He holds out a hand. “Take it.”

  Say, what?

  I take a step backward instead. “Are you serious, dude?”

  “Am I ever not a serious dude?” He swats my arm and it feels like he just clobbered me with his physics textbook. “Jeez, Id. We don’t know what we’re heading into. So we need to stick together.”

  He grabs my hand and we step into the void.

  Two steps is all it takes. One step into the void. Another step out.

  Heat meets my skin and a deep orange light assaults my eyes. I take a breath, but it’s not enough. I breathe deeper and the scent in the air overwhelms me, shaking loose distant memories. Laughter and the sweetness of a fruit long forgotten. Swinging from vines and running through a purple forest of trees with lacy leaves that hang like curtains to the ground.

  Marek’s whispering beside me. Prayers or swears, hard to tell, but they stream from his mouth until he runs out of breath.

  He sucks in, then chokes out, “You having trouble breathing?”

  I nod and tread across a floor covered with a layer of fine dust or sand that lifts with my steps, then settles, immediately, leaving no footprints behind.

  The stone passage we stepped into from the wormhole ends at a circular opening. The aperture spreads into the biggest cavern I’ve ever seen.

  The electronic click of a camera. I glance over my shoulder at Marek. He’s got his phone out.

  I nudge him, and with a strained breath, say, “Put it on silent.” I pull mine out and do the same, then snap a few pictures of the cavern just for the hell of it.

  The floor and ceiling are covered with rocky protrusions. Stalactites and stalagmites with sharp points stretch toward each other like dragon’s teeth.

  The orange light emanates from a single source, a liquid sphere that floats like a small sun between two metallic disks, top and bottom, each about the size of a small vehicle.

  My focus snaps to two silhouettes, their humanoid shapes distorted by the brightness of the sphere. Sensing her crystal, I know one is Cadi. She’s alive.

  I breathe as deeply as I can and take a step, then hesitate. The two figures face each other, holding hands.

  What is up with that?

  Then my sense, or whatever it is, picks up the resonance of the other figure. One that’s familiar but I can’t quite place.

  “Are they aliens?” Marek inhales a raspy breath, his phone held out in front of him.

  I heave a labored breath of my own. The atmosphere must have less oxygen, and God knows what else. “One of them is Cadi.”

  Both figures swing to face us as I say her name, too softly to be heard, but she must have picked up on my crystal as easily as I’m sensing hers.

  “Idris?” Her voice echoes around the enormous chamber, definitely her voice, and yet, different. Then I feel a burst of joy, coming from her.

  The figures stride toward us. As they pass out of silhouette against the orange ball, I see their faces. Green and scaly with cranial ridges. The taller one, with the resonance I vaguely recognize, has horns, easily a foot long, that stick straight out of his forehead.

  Marek pokes me. “They look like you did. Is that normal here?”

  I have no idea.

  The smaller figure is Cadi. She looks so different,
but definitely her. Those curvy hips seem curvier than ever.

  Hell. She’s downright sexy in green. Especially with scales.

  She stops feet away and stares. “You…” She blinks. “Look so different.”

  Oh, yeah. I’m human. Not a scaly toad.

  Shit. So, why does Cadi look utterly sensual in the same form? Maybe I didn’t give my green look a chance. But now I’m human again, and she’s…definitely not.

  Cadi takes a breath, her eyes uncertain, then she steps right up to me.

  Picking up on her hesitation, I pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, partly because I don’t have the breath to speak louder. “I was an ass.” We pull apart. She smiles, and I know she’s forgiven me, because I can sense her feelings resonating through my chest.

  “Dresandar. Welcome home.” The other alien — male, I assume, given the size of those horns — spreads his arms, then brings them close and locks his hands together.

  “What’d he say?” Marek whispers, but it sounds more like a wheeze.

  Before I can answer, the alien says, “You should change form. Our atmosphere is not suitable for humans.”

  “Change form?” I repeat.

  The lizard-man chuckles. “Yes, to your natural state.”

  Marek taps my arm, his face pinched. “You understanding him?”

  I nod, then push up an eyebrow — with hair on it — while looking at the lizard-man. “How?”

  “Touch me and think about looking the same way,” Cadi-the-lizard-girl says, holding out her hand.

  I take it. With pleasure.

  She grins. “See, you’re changing.”

  I look down. My hand has turned green with soft scales just like hers. The transformation took moments, and when I take my next breath, my lungs feel clear enough to sing.

  “What about me?” Marek’s voice sounds weaker and he looks like crap.

  “He needs to go back through the cosmic bridge or he’ll asphyxiate,” the lizard-man says.

  “You’ve gotta go back through the wormhole, Mar. Too little oxygen. You can’t survive here much longer.”

  “Shit, bro.” He shakes his head and coughs. “Okay, makes sense. But take more pictures, will you?”