“You should sleep.”
“I’m good. Shower will wake me up. Besides, I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week. And I don’t want you going to the lab without me.”
“You sure you want to see what kind of freak I am?” Alyssa blushed, thankful he couldn’t see her in the dark.
“You’re not a freak, darlin’. No matter what happens to you, I’ll always love you.”
***
“So, what do you think?” Alyssa glanced between Nait and Ela, anxiety riding high in her chest.
“We’ve compared your blood samples with Lyssa’s and Lorn’s,” Nait said, hesitating a moment.
“And?” Sebastian urged him to continue.
“And you each have equal amounts of the commander bloodline in your systems. You are each unique, having slightly differing DNA, especially you, since you were not born this way.”
“So, what’s that mean?” Alyssa hugged herself, scared of these new developments.
“Lorn has, and will always have, commander abilities inherited from his parentage. Should something happen to Commander Kayn, he would be in line to assume command of our people, although he is adamant that he does not wish to do so, and refuses to demonstrate what he is capable of.”
“Is that a problem?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow at the scientist.
“Well, it would help if we could compare Alyssa’s abilities to his,” Nait said. “With these new traits appearing so suddenly in her, we need to know the extent of what she can do, and gauge her strength over time to determine if this is temporary or permanent.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Sebastian said with a firm nod.
“What about Lyssa?” Alyssa asked, leaning into Sebastian for comfort. “Have you talked to Kora? What will this mean for them?”
“I have spoken to her, yes.” Nait fidgeted nervously, glancing across the lab at Ela where she stooped over a microscope. “Uh, Lyssa is most definitely a candidate as a future commander. She shares familial DNA with Lorn.”
“She what?” Alyssa blurted, causing Nait to flinch. Sebastian tucked her under his arm, squeezing her gently to calm her.
“I believe—uh, we believe,” Nait said, waving a dark hand in Ela’s direction, “Lorn and Sen are brothers. It is possible that our previous commander hid his first few consorts from his original mate, producing offspring that our people are unaware of, Sen being one of them. We have no way of knowing how many direct descendants are actually out there, especially if the commander has been eliminating possible competition for his position as our leader.”
“Do you think he knows about Sen?” Sebastian asked, worry lining his face. “Is Lyssa in danger from Sen and Kayn?”
“I do not know.” Nait shook his head slowly. “We still have not heard from Shar. I am worried the commander will not allow her to leave the compound.”
“I think we might be able to engineer a way to get her out,” Alyssa said, looking up at Sebastian. “At least for a little while.”
Chapter 10
“Granny?” Alyssa called from the kitchen as she and Sebastian let themselves in by the side door.
“Aly girl, is that you?” Granny rushed in from the living room on arthritic knees with Marly and Shari on her heels.
“Aly, you’re here!” Shari cheered, and Marly grinned from ear to ear.
“Well, if I’d known you were coming to visit,” Marly said, yanking Alyssa into his big, dark arms and giving her a breath-stealing bear-hug. “I would have made you some candy to take back with you.” He crossed his arms, his skin the same color as the dark chocolates he used to sell in his malt shop, and jerked his head at Granny, leaning down to whisper teasingly in Alyssa’s ear. “Ms. Willow won’t let me bake anymore. Says I was making her fat.” He grinned again, ducking as Granny tossed a dishtowel at his head.
Before Alyssa could get a word out, Granny hurried over to hug her with thin, frail arms. Her gray hair, in its usual long braid, tickled Alyssa’s nose as she hugged back. “Why are you here? What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
“Slow down, Granny.” Alyssa giggled, releasing Granny to give Shari a quick hug. “We need to talk to you about something.”
“Oh, Sebastian, I’m sorry,” Granny said, blushing. “Didn’t mean to ignore you. I just missed my Aly girl so much.”
“That’s quite all right, Ms. Willow.” He gave her then Shari a hug, and shook Marly’s large hand. “I know Alyssa has been missing you all too.”
“Very much, yes.”
“Well, sit down,” Granny crooned. “Let us fix you something to eat. Shari and I will fix up some sandwiches while Marly makes us all milkshakes.”
“Oh, that sounds great! Milkshakes are perfect for this dry heat. Thankfully, Sebastian’s SUV has air-conditioning.”
Marly’s booming, jovial voice filled the small kitchen. “Milkshakes for my favorite customers, coming right up.”
Granny pushed Alyssa and Sebastian into chairs at her round dining table before retrieving ingredients from the fridge. Shari had already set out several plates and utensils to make the sandwiches. The three of them moved about the limited space like a coordinated dance routine, without once bumping into each other. Alyssa watched in awe, considering Marly was a big man, and neither Granny nor Shari were petite, although Granny seemed to have shrunk some since the last time they’d visited.
Alyssa scowled, worry for Granny squeezing her heart. “You doing okay, Granny? You’re looking kind of thin.”
“Oh, I’m fine, baby girl. Shari and I have been walking almost every day. I like to go out and see what’s happening in town, keep an eye on those guards that patrol the streets, if you know what I mean.”
“Be careful with them,” Sebastian said. “Don’t give them any reason to take you to the compound.”
“Don’t you worry about us,” Granny said over her shoulder, mustard-coated knife in hand. “That commander calls all the time asking about Alyssa. I always take the time to make sure he knows we’re out there searching for her, and that my health isn’t all that good, and how I have to get out and walk every day to keep my strength up.”
“And, just to keep him on his toes,” Shari said with a snicker, “sometimes I talk to him. I like to really drill it into his head how frail Willow is, and how much we miss you. Sometimes I pretend to cry and sob, which really makes him uncomfortable.”
Shari turned away from the counter, a plate in each hand, which she set in front of Alyssa and Sebastian. Her mouth curled up in a mischievous smirk, her dark-brown eyes shining against her caramel-colored skin. “He calls less often now, and sometimes makes Isa call instead.”
“How is Isa?” Alyssa asked. “Is she okay?”
“She seems good, although I think the commander and that horrible General Ras have her on a tight leash.”
“What do you mean?” Sebastian asked around a mouthful of sandwich, flashing Marly a grateful smile as he handed out frosty milkshakes, the three of them finally taking seats around the table.
“Well,” Shari said, “the first time she called, I could tell she wanted to talk to me about something, but before she could say much, that general barked orders at her and she clammed up. Now all she does is ask routine questions about Alyssa.”
“What kind of questions?” Alyssa scooped a spoonful of thick, aromatic vanilla milkshake into her mouth, savoring the rich flavor.
“It’s always the same: ‘Have we heard from Alyssa? Have we seen Alyssa or Kora? Has any of the rebels contacted us or come by?’ Things like that.”
“I’m glad he’s backing off some,” Alyssa said, “but please be careful out there. Kayn is too unpredictable. I don’t want to give him any reason to come after the three of you.”
“Don’t worry about us, Aly girl,” Marly said. “We got this handled. They think we’re just a bunch of old folks on the verge of senility.”
“Okay,” she said with a pang of guilt. “I wish you didn’t have to do any of this for m
e, and unfortunately we have to ask you to do even more for us.”
“What do you need, baby girl?” Granny mumbled around the straw in her milkshake, reminding Alyssa of simpler times when she was a young girl. She would visit Granny with her parents and they would sit around the table, slurping milkshakes and talking about how great life was living on the compound. In those days, they never had a thought that their Szu’Kara saviors would do anything to harm them, yet now her parents were dead, murdered by the one alien they trusted the most.
Choking back emotions that threatened to burst forth, Alyssa swallowed a quick mouthful of icy goodness, letting it cool down the hot anger she always felt when thinking of her parents. Sebastian grasped her hand, asking her with his eyes if he should take over. She shook her head and forged on.
“We need to speak with Shar. Kelly is the only person they allow to communicate with her, and from what we can tell, all her communications are monitored. Some things have happened recently, and we need to find out what Kayn and Ras are up to. We’re hoping Shar will be able to provide us information since she’s now in charge of the medical facility.”
“What’s happened, Aly? Sebastian?” Granny eyed them both.
Alyssa and Sebastian laid out all the recent events, from Lyssa accidentally dosing Kora and Jordan to Alyssa’s run-in with Sen. She blushed profusely as Granny tried and failed to hold back a grin when Sebastian described their shared vision during an intimate moment.
Quick to move on from the topic of her love life, Alyssa explained their plans to get Shar away from the compound, and how the three people across the table would help.
***
Beams of light shot through the front door window. Alyssa and Sebastian ducked into Marly and Shari’s room behind the stairs. Granny and Shari sat at the table, waiting while Marly answered the door.
“Good evening, sir,” a voice said, muffled by the distance. “You requested medical assistance?”
“Yes, please come in.”
Alyssa heard the soldiers shuffle in the door, and Granny muttering her annoyance.
“No, I don’t need any assistance,” Granny grumped. “I’m perfectly fine.”
“I apologize,” Marly said. “She’s somewhat disoriented from lack of sleep due to her, uh, condition.”
“Don’t you apologize for me, Marly! I can speak for myself. And I don’t have a condition. I just, well… there’s this, um…”
“May I assist you?” Alyssa and Sebastian could barely hear Shar’s soft voice from the closed bedroom.
Shar had always had a good bedside manner, quite opposite of Ela. She had been the head nurse when Alyssa used to live on the Command Compound, and had taken care of her many times over the years. As a Szu’Kara nurse, she was nearly more qualified in medical care than a human physician, making her everyone’s favorite alien at the compound clinic.
“Willow,” Shari said, “let her take a look at your… you know.”
“Fine,” Granny bellowed, “but not here. And not in front of you lot. This is a private matter.”
“Ma’am, we must accompany Shar—”
“Absolutely not! Leave an old girl some damn dignity, would you? Unless you want me to drop my drawers right here for you all to see what’s going on in my nethers—”
“No!” the soldiers yelped in unison.
“How about you step into the spare room?” Marly asked. “It’s right down the hall here, and I’m sure it won’t take but a minute or two.”
“Well, come on,” Granny barked.
Alyssa and Sebastian hid in the closet, clinging to each other in the tiny space.
“Shoo,” Granny yelled. “Go on now. My business isn’t for your alien ears.”
“I’ll be right outside the door, Willow,” Shari said.
“Come on with me,” Marly said. “We can wait in the front room.”
The bedroom door shut as footsteps receded in the hallway. Sebastian opened the closet door and peeked out. He pulled Alyssa out with him as Granny waved them out.
“Shar!” Alyssa whispered. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“You are safe,” Shar said, blinking her solid cream-colored eyes as Alyssa hugged her. “I was worried about you, Alyssa.”
“I’m fine, but we don’t have much time.”
“No, we don’t. Why did you call for me? Are you ill, Willow?” She glanced at Granny where she sat on the bed, grinning like the cat who caught the canary.
“Just peachy.”
“Granny helped get you here so we could talk to you without anyone monitoring your conversation,” Sebastian said. “We’re hoping you can shed some light on some things we’ve learned recently.”
“Such as?” The lamp on the night stand cast just enough light to show the shimmer of Shar’s cerulean blue skin.
“Why is Kayn abducting so many humans,” Sebastian asked, “and what does he plan to do with them?”
“Did he set up another lab,” Alyssa asked, “and is he still trying to aerosolize the Key?”
“I do not know the answers,” Shar said. “The commander is not as open with us as he was before. He only confides in General Ras, and possibly Isa, although I cannot be sure about that. All I can tell you is that the general’s soldiers bring me many humans, at all hours of the day and night, for testing. I suspect he has converted the storage warehouse into a new laboratory.”
“What kind of testing?” Alyssa wound her fingers with Sebastian’s, worry settling in her mind.
“I am required to assess their physical health,” she said, “and the reproductive health of the women. The commander is still searching for women capable of breeding with Szu’Kara males. After I perform the tests, the humans are taken away, but I do not know where.”
Alyssa shuddered. “What about Lorn and Lyssa? Is he after them still?”
“I assume he is still searching for the child, but I cannot confirm this. As for Lorn, that is also likely. The commander seems zealous in his quest to remain in command, but as I said, I am not kept informed of his plans.”
“Is he going to let you off the leash any time soon?” Sebastian asked.
“I do not believe he will allow me to leave,” she said, scowling. “He would not let me come here tonight without guards. I—”
A knock on the door sent Alyssa and Sebastian scurrying for the closet.
“Are you decent?” Shari asked.
“Decent enough,” Granny mumbled.
“They’re insisting Shar needs to go now.”
“I am coming,” Shar said, her voice receding as she and Granny left the room.
***
“Are you sure you won’t come stay with us at headquarters?”
“Aly girl, I’m too old and stubborn to be moving from place to place.” Granny had an arm around Alyssa’s shoulders, holding her tight as they prepared to say goodbye.
“We’ll take good care of Ms. Willow,” Marly said, giving Alyssa a soft smile as he stood behind Shari, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you worry about us. You just stay safe.”
“We’ll send that commander on a wild goose chase if it looks like he has an inkling where you might be.” Granny stared at her and Sebastian with squinted eyes, her face set in stone. “You know, he sent you roses a few times that first week you were gone. When he asked about them, I told him they went straight in the trash, and I swear on all that is holy, it sounded like he swallowed his tongue.”
They all burst out in laughter. Alyssa doubled over, tears leaking from her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. “Granny! Do you have any idea what it takes to grow roses these days?” She couldn’t hold back a bout of giggles as Granny gave her a wry grin. “He has a greenhouse on the very top of the ship, and a specialized team of gardeners trying to revive some of the plant life that got wiped out in the war. One bouquet of roses would probably sell for a thousand dollars in the city!”
That brought on another round of giggles and snorts, Sebastian and
Marly both doing the hilarious belly laughing. Granny and Shari clutched at each other, trying not to fall over laughing.
“That explains why he sounded so choked up when I told him I tossed them in the trash!”
Sebastian shook his head as their laughter died down. He reached over to touch Alyssa’s elbow. “We should go.”
“Where did you park?” Marly asked.
“About a half mile away. We didn’t want them seeing an extra car parked at your house.”
“We’ll go back out the side door, and run through the fields to get back,” Alyssa said as she hugged everyone.
“Take care of yourselves,” Granny said, shoving a bag full of sandwiches into Sebastian’s hand.
“You too,” he said, following Alyssa out the door.
Chapter 11
Alyssa’s palms itched to touch Sebastian. He’d only been gone a few days, but she missed him as if he’d been gone months. Watching him on the big screen as he spoke with Jordan about the planned meetings for the Unity summit only made her heart ache more.
With all the coalition leaders and members of the Unity Committee coming in and out of the conference room in the New York headquarters, Sebastian had to be professional, only taking a second to smile and wink at Alyssa before they delved into the politics of uniting the coalition with the Unity Committee.
The Unity Committee had originally been a governing body, made up of leaders from all countries, which included Kayn and his trusted advisers—lackeys. Since he had locked down the Szu’Kara compounds after the coalition announced his genocidal plot, the Unity Committee shut Kayn out. The members of the committee took off their blinders and switched gears, focusing on preserving freedom for all humanity, as well as human-empathizing aliens.
“We’ve got full schedules for the next week,” Sebastian said, his eyes briefly sliding to glance at Alyssa. She blushed as her heart warmed at his attention.
“Have you heard their proposals yet? Do they want to merge our organizations?” Jordan absently picked at the edge of his sling. He’d tried to go with Sebastian, but Kora had surprised everyone and adamantly opposed the idea. Sebastian had sided with her, convincing Jordan he was needed there, since he was second-in-command, and the location couldn’t go leaderless.
Unchained: The Discordant Earth Series Book Two Page 8