by J. A. Comley
That may be how you see yourself, but this is what I see.
He felt her fumble as she tried to mimic what he had done the first time she had visited his home. She found the way, her determination undimmed by the horrors she had just experienced through his memories, even as her body shook and her tears flowed. Hesitantly, she replayed his memories from her perspective, changed by her feelings and perceptions.
Larkel's eyes widened. In her mind, he was anything but evil. He had been forced into a terrible situation by a creature with no soul. Kyron was the recipient of all her anger. The people who had hated him, those who hate him still, received her sympathy for their losses. She hoped that they could see past their grief, in time, and realise that he was not the one who had caused their suffering. In her mind, he had an inner strength unsurpassed by anyone. He was kind and gentle. He was the man she loved. He was the one thing she refused to live without. As the memories faded, she moved out of his mind. Her last gift was a measure of her love for him, a perfect reflection of his for her. He knew she could sense it through the bond. They remained like that, holding each other, for a long moment, watching the sun setting behind the sea.
Darkness fell around them and the last traces of it in Larkel's mind faded, burnt away by her light. Starla met his eyes, feeling his burden ease, feeling him accept the truth, that she was his, by his side, for as long as she had breath. With that acceptance, all of the strangling emotions that had haunted him fell to dust, nothing left in his mind but a hard-won peace and a love wreathed in burning flames.
“Starla,” he murmured, bending to kiss her, “thank you.”
Starla abandoned herself to his kiss, feeling his strong arms mould her body to his, feeling the fire erupt in her body again, setting her heart alight.
Together, they left the darkened clearing and entered his house, passing through the magic that imbued it, shielding him while he slept. Slowly, he led her to his bedroom and shut the door, kissing her again, more passionately this time as the electricity between them peaked, his power and summer rainfall scent pressing around her from all sides.
Stepping back a little, he locked eyes with her. They held a solemn, unspoken question. In answer, she reached up and kissed him again, her finger tapping his belt, willing it to open.
Her own thudded to the floor a moment later, and she smiled against his lips. This time, there would be no denying the fire.
Gently, he opened the hidden zip of her dress while she undid his robe, letting both drop to the floor. Her hands trailed over the strong muscles of his chest, where more scars spread from a darker red one above his heart. He pulled her against him and knew that, whatever Eltara's warning, whatever his own suspicions, they did not matter. Starla was his, and he was hers, no matter what happened next.
***
Starla wrapped the High Lord's old induction robe around her. Made for him at the age of twelve, it fit her reasonably well, even if it did only come halfway down her thighs. She looked at herself in a mirror that was a replica of the one he had made appear at the inn on that first day and smiled at the look of utter happiness glowing in her eyes.
She had awoken here earlier this morning in bed beside him. The passion of the night before was made all the sweeter by the gentle lingering love they had shared this morning. For the first night since she'd arrived in the city, she had not been tormented by her human family and friends being tortured.
Now, he was down in the kitchen. Smiling, and feeling more than a little giddy, Starla half-danced down the stairs.
The High Lord caught her in his arms as she reached the bottom.
“Good morning,” he smiled, kissing her deeply.
“Good morning,” she said as he released her.
“Go and sit. Breakfast is nearly ready.”
She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Leaning back, Starla watched Larkel appreciatively. He was naked from the waist up, wearing only his navy-blue, cotton trousers, usually mostly hidden by his robe.
She played the memory of last night and this morning again, relishing in the remembered sensations. Amazing things that Father Joe's biology lesson had in no way prepared her for.
The muscles in his arms and chest tensed and relaxed as he laid the tray of fruit, nuts, and yoghurt on the small table.
“I need to tell you something that my Makhi discovered,” he began, handing her a steaming mug of gwenolik, a bitter, stimulating drink. “It appears that Gaby never left Galatia.” He paused as her eyes widened. “If you want to leave—”
He locked eyes with her, as if he could make her stay by sheer willpower.
Starla laughed softly, leaned over, and kissed him gently. “I don't want to leave. But I would like to speak to her. Find out about Aimee and—” She trailed off, thinking of the Star, still hidden in the hem of her purple tunic upstairs.
Larkel sighed. “We already tried to make contact with her, but it was like she always knew before we got to her. Now she's vanished, dropped off our grid. I'm sure she'll pop up again,” he added encouragingly as Starla's smile fell away.
“It's not that. I was thinking about the future.” She looked up at him again. “Do you think Markis would be willing to help?”
“Perhaps,” Larkel said, shaking his head. “But if he gave you the elixir, you'd live forever, as far we know. I won't. And before you ask, it doesn't work on Galatians.” He took her hands, looking serious. “I still don't understand how you could be human. I still have your baby bracelet. I was going to take it to the manufacturer. Do you want me to? It might answer a few questions.”
Starla snuggled up against him. “Yes. Answers. Why I wanted to come here in the first place.”
His eyes grew intense as he pulled her closer then pushed her down on the couch. Their lips were millimetres apart, his hand straying to the fastenings on the robe, when the door burst open, magic throwing it wide, not hindered by the spell shielding his home.
9
Trimoon
Starla’s body tensed in fright as the door swung open, something that should have been impossible with the magic that guarded Larkel’s home.
Through it strode an elegant woman of graceful movements, her auburn hair shimmering in the early morning light coming through the open door.
“You’re back!” exclaimed the High Lord, pushing himself to his feet. “When … what are you doing here?”
The woman’s glittering eyes narrowed as they took Starla in, her arms folded beneath her full breasts, before looking up at the High Lord, who stepped between them and wrapped her in a long, familiar hug.
“I've missed you,” she purred, in a voice like velvet.
For one heart-stopping moment Starla though she was looking at Larkel’s mother, then the differences started to fall into place. This woman’s eyes were indigo like Larkel’s, her lips a little thinner than Calirra’s.
Larkel stepped away, and his eyes fell on Starla, still half lying on the couch, fear and shock only just fading.
He moved to her side and took her hand.
It is alright, Starla. We are not in any danger. This is Naleiya, my older sister. She can enter here because of our blood relation.
Starla felt the final traces of her shock fade away. Behind them, she caught a glimpse of pain as Larkel read her reaction, her moment of belief that it was his mother who had walked through the door.
I’m sorry.
He kissed her hair. Don’t be. They do look very similar. It is an easy mistake to make.
“Sorry to interrupt … again,” Naleiya said, her velvety voice clearly amused as her eyes quickly marked out her brother's bare chest and Starla's borrowed robe.
Starla blushed burgundy and nailed her eyes to the floor. Larkel's sister, being a Makhi, knew well how to spot the signs of a silent conversation.
“Sorry, Sis,” Larkel smiled sheepishly. “Although, in all fairness, you didn't tell me you were coming. You didn't even knock.” His indigo eyes narrowed in mock anger, but
Starla could feel him laughing in his mind. She felt her heart tighten at the undercurrent of sadness to his joking. They had once been eight, now only he and Naleiya remained of Jari’s children.
“Well, I arrived back and assumed my High Lord would be at the tower awaiting my report. I had a flustered Redkin telling me that you'd been spending a lot of time over at the Markis'. And I get there only to hear you've disappeared somewhere with some off-world lady I have never met.” Her tone clearly showed that it was this last part she was most upset about.
Larkel barked a laugh. “Okay, okay, Naleiya, I take your point. I would like you to meet Starla.”
Naleiya smiled brightly at Starla. “It is very nice to meet you. I am sorry for just barging in like this but, my dear baby brother, do you not remember what day it is, today?”
“Day?” Larkel said, wrapping his arm around Starla's waist. “Trimoon!”
Naleiya laughed. “If the other Makhi ever found out how easily their all-powerful High Lord loses his focus, there'd be mutiny.”
Larkel scowled at her and leaned over to get a look at the clock on his kitchen wall.
“I'm sorry, Starla,” he said, hurrying upstairs, towing her behind him as Naleiya shook her head.
They entered his bedroom, and he moved towards his wardrobe. “Today is the Trimoon Festival. It is our New Year, here,” he said, pulling out a robe and his boots. “The King decreed that it would go forward as normal, despite the war. A chance to help keep spirits high for the general population.”
“Why is it called Trimoon?” Starla wondered out loud, deciding to follow suit and get dressed, too.
Larkel stared at her for a moment before her dress slid down, covering her body.
Through the bond, she felt him pull his thoughts back together as he continued, “Tonight is the night of the full moons. One of our three moons is full every month, but once a year all are three full together. It causes the seas of Galatia to glow, and our glass buildings here at the capitol are enhanced by it, too.”
Starla nodded, fastening her belt and discreetly checking that the Star was still there in the hem as she slipped on her shoes.
“I have to leave now,” Larkel continued, opening the bedroom door but drawing her to him, a deep, burning longing evident through the bond. “I am expected at the Palace where we will run over the plans for the evening one final time, what I will be doing with my Makhi, what Commander D'Ordeley will do with her guards, that sort of thing. It is a logistical nightmare, but keeping up morale is about all the king is able to do at present, and he has over-ruled our concerns.”
They re-entered the open-plan lounge. Naleiya was leaning against the mantle, looking at a family picture Starla hadn't noticed before. When she remembered exactly why her skills of observation had been so lacking at the time, she felt her blood begin to race again.
Larkel lightly kissed Starla, ignoring his sister clearing her throat. “After the meeting, I will check into this,” he said, briefly holding up her baby bracelet before pocketing it. “Shall we meet here for lunch at one?” he asked.
“I'm not sure Starla will have time for lunch,” Naleiya said before Starla could speak, her tone indicating that she didn't think her brother had meant food. “I assume Starla is your date tonight?” she asked as the pair turned to her, Starla blushing and Larkel looking ready to argue. “If so, she will need some preparation time this morning,” she smiled at Starla, “and some lessons in Galatian protocol.”
“Thank you.” He gave his big sister a rueful smile, clearly not having thought about that. “All right, then. I will come and find you when I am done. See you later.”
On his way out of the door, he gave his sister a meaningful look, and Starla was certain he was using the mental connection he had with other Makhi to tell her something, as her eyebrows lifted slightly.
Starla turned timidly back to Naleiya as Larkel left his house. Her indigo eyes looked inquisitive, as if she had just discovered an interesting puzzle and was trying to solve it. Then her face smoothed, and she smiled over at Starla.
“Come on then, let's go.”
Starla followed Naleiya out the door and tried to think of something to say. If this were Earth, she’d have been the head of a scandal, but here, things like this were not frowned upon, so that couldn’t be the cause of Naleiya’s side-long looks.
“There is no need to feel embarrassed,” Naleiya finally said into the silence as they passed out of the trees that surrounded Larkel’s home. “I am glad to see my brother so happy.” Starla just caught the flicker of protective warning that flashed through his sister's eyes.
Starla squared her shoulders. “I like to see him happy too. I would never hurt him.”
Naleiya stopped abruptly, her robes swirling out as she turned. Starla held her head high, matching the other woman’s stare.
“Do you know what happened sixteen years ago?”
Starla winced, shared pain and horror slicing through her heart. “Yes. I am very sorry.”
Naleiya’s eyes widened incrementally. “He told you?”
Starla shook her head in silence, her eyes filling with all the darkness and pain she had helped him banish.
His sister gasped softly. “He showed you.”
“Yes. He showed me everything.”
Naleiya frowned. “You know, then, that my brother has never forgiven himself.”
Starla grimaced as she remembered the pain she had felt while she had shared Larkel's mind. She nodded mutely, not trusting her voice.
“Do you know that many people here believe that he should have been executed? That they believe he is a murderer?”
“I didn't until he showed me.” Starla's voice was hard and cold. “I'm still not sure I understand how they could think such a thing, why their anger hasn’t been turned to Kyron where it belongs.”
“They lost family members, people they loved. They believe that my brother took too long to act, or that he should have taken the Curse instead of our father, or—” Though she was clearly trying to understand the people's sentiment, deep anger burned in her eyes, a fire that was matched in Starla's.
“Anything else?” Starla asked, still feeling there was another test she had yet to pass.
Naleiya smiled thinly. “If you stand by his side, you will be tainted by the same brush, by the hate and fear that follow him.”
“I know that. I have seen it every day we have travelled the city together. I am strong enough to bear it beside him. Together, it won’t be so hard to carry.”
Naleiya laughed and the tense set to her shoulders faded. “I think you and I are going to get along wonderfully.”
Starla chuckled and fell into step beside her as she took off again, her heart still touched by sadness and pain. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to shake it off. Today was a day of celebration, no doubt much needed in this time of war.
“So, what do you do for the Makhi Order?” Starla asked.
“I generally work in the healing department, following in my mother's footsteps. But, recently, I was sent with one of the Makhi contingents to help evacuate some settlements. Grobbler and ergothan attacks are becoming more frequent. I have just come back from Simik.” A sad look shadowed her eyes.
“Simik!” Starla gasped, drawing Naleiya to a stop as they entered Markis' front garden, where he and Eben were training, swinging giant war axes at each other.
Starla took no notice. “Was there a family there called Thum? Were they safe? Did they come back with you? Did they—”
“Whoa!” Naleiya held up her hands at the onslaught of questions. “I'm not sure. There were a lot of people. I only spoke to those who needed immediate healing, as in, on the verge of death. I was really just there as added security.”
“Can you find out? Right now?” Starla asked, locking eyes with Naleiya, who, she noticed on some other level, was the same height as her brother, tall for a woman.
Looking puzzled, Naleiya nodded slowly then le
t her eyes lose focus.
Starla waited anxiously, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and then back again. In the distance, she heard Eben call for Eltara.
When Naleiya came back to herself, she raised her eyebrows at Starla. “Yes, there is a family named Thum, though we know this only from the youngest, a child of about four. The mother and two elder children are still unconscious in the Healing Ward for treatment and observation. Now, may I know why you asked?” Looking up at the house, she smiled and waved to Eltara, who was just closing the door.
Briefly, Starla told of her arrival at the City and of her trial. Finishing, she greeted Eltara, who barely spared her a smile.
Naleiya had an amused smile on her face by the time Starla finished. “I should have guessed my brother would have chosen someone with a knack for trouble,” she said playfully, saying hello to Eltara in the same breath.
Starla smiled back, again wondering why Eltara seemed to dislike her so much. “Do you think we could find Officer Thum?”
“I think we can manage that. But we need to get a move on. There is a lot to fit in today. I hope you’re a fast learner,” she said, turning to leave.
Starla walked on a few paces before she realised the others were no longer following. Thinking she had gone in the wrong direction, she turned to look for them. Eltara was whispering furiously with Naleiya and pointing in Starla's direction. After a moment, they both saw her watching them and turned, closing the distance to Starla.