Wand-Losing & Other Things You Shouldn't Be Doing

by Gabbo De la Parra

  Rezzu and Annauk came together, separated by a wall but with the same devastating finality; one with a robotic finger inside him, the other deep in the body of another man. Rezzu went lax, flush against Max’s chest, for a moment that was too short to be natural, and then, as if guided by a sudden realization, roughly pushed Max away from him, breaking their link.

  “Ketoza Uvolse.” Rezzu spat, hastily arranging his cock, pulling his trousers up and gathering his tailcoat with a yank.

  Shocked, Max was only able to utter a halfhearted, “What?”

  The beautiful face was a mixture of anger and shame as Rezzu reached the door, and, before opening it, he turned to Max, “Forgive me. I got carried away.”

  The door closed with a bang. The explosion made Max react. “No. Wait.” He was almost out when he remembered his own coat, and with a huff went to pick it up. He hurried through the now crowded corridors, trying his best not to knock people down and holding down his hat.

  At the palace entrance, Max saw Rezzu’s braid flapping in the air as he escaped in one of the Colviri transports. His hand went to his wand to stop the vehicle. Max remembered he shouldn’t be doing magic in front of the Colviri, but it was for nothing. His wand wasn’t in his pocket.

  Shit.

  Max ran back to the Weapon’s Room just to find it already occupied. He cleared his throat, “Excuse me.”

  The man and woman turned his way ready to tell off whoever it was. “Oh, Governor Maitheas.” Both tried to put their clothes together. They stood beside the two-way mirror, probably watching other people as well.

  “Sorry to interrupt you. I just came to look for something I lost. It’ll be just a moment.” One glance was enough to find his wand— in many little pieces. He bent as to pick something up and conjured a pocket watch, showing it off to the other two and straightening himself. “Here it is,” Max said happily. “My mother will kill me if I lose her gift.”

  The couple laughed with him. Max turned around and singsonged, “Carry on.” More laughter bubbled as he closed the door.

  Maybe if I hadn’t reduced it, it would have survived.

  Fragments of the metal shaft and gears and the filament of core that had been Luddi’s feather sat on his palm, minute and impossible to repair.

  Well, Governor. You’re officially the unbeatable wand-losing champion of Aletta.

  Max was in big trouble if the citizens discovered he didn’t have a wand.

  His only core option left was to find his other half, a seemingly insurmountable feat when he didn’t even have a boyfriend. All right, he was a diplomat, he knew how to fake it. He’d find a way; there must be an alternative that didn’t involve putting his heart out there to be conquered. He wasn’t against it; this wasn’t just the right moment for all that. He was not going to rush falling in love simply to get a new wand. No way.

  Still, amid the turbulent whirlpool of ideas and schemes in front of him, the image of Rezzu Ki Muselet stood tall and strong as if he was the eye of a hurricane, calm and steady but with troubled eyes.

  Forgive me, Rezzu. It was all my fault.

  ****

  5. UNADORNED

  “I have no answer for that.” Keda Enoa Ki Muselet, future queen of Mireeh and Rezzu’s sister, shook her head. “If you hadn’t run, you wouldn’t have all these questions eating you.”

  “So, you’d have stayed to face the man after he had his finger up your ass when you came in his hand?”

  Keda Enoa seemed to consider this, tapping her forefinger over her chin. A trait she had picked up from their father, Kekoa Muselet.

  Rezzu rolled his eyes. “Are you serious? You have to think about it?”

  “Well, for starters, I wouldn’t have put myself in that situation.”

  His sister was insufferable sometimes, but she had a point there. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t have shaken her if she were physically in front of him.

  “Besides, you are an adult. It’s not like you can’t have sex with a willing man. What’s so special about this governor?”

  “I-I am not supposed to do something like that. I-I haven’t…”

  Her eyes went wild, “Brother, you are not a virgin, are you?” Her puzzled face was unbearable. “I thought you were knocking boots with that technician on the Logandi!” She was flailing her arms as she walked about her chambers, moving in and out of the screen. “I’m NOT a virgin. How can it be possible that you’re one?!”

  “Sister!”

  “What?” She stopped her frantic pacing and turned to the screen, catching his astonishment. “Oh, hush. Father said it was natural. How do you know if you like something if you don’t experience it, huh?” She moved closer, flattening her hands on the console, her face occupying almost the entire screen. “Kalhya is so fucking dreamy. Tell me you fucked him, brother. Tell me you did!”

  “We… never… actually…”

  “Oh, Sweet Meha, what a waste! If I had a cock I’d be putting it in every hole available. WHY AM I NOT A MAN!!!??”

  “Would you calm down? This isn’t about you.”

  Keda Enoa sobered up. “You are right. What you need to do is stop being a wuss and act normal. It wasn’t a big deal, you two just went with the flow. If I’d seen three hot guys doing it, I’d have totally gotten carried away too.”

  “The Alettans think we are here to invade them.” Rezzu wasn’t a wuss. The whole thing had been just a political mistake. He needed a way to clear the air, and his sister wasn’t helping. She was the political strategist, not him.

  “But that’s not the case, so what’s your point?”

  Rezzu dithered and did not answer.

  “OH NO, you like-like him. You like this governor, and that’s why you’re so freaked out!” She jumped and giggled, clapping her hands. “I knew it was something else. You have faced all kinds of dangerous stuff without batting an eye, and this is what’s gonna make you go all wimpy? I knew it. I knew it.”

  “Would you stop being obnoxious for a whole standard minute and help me here with what’s really important?”

  “And that is…?”

  “How do I go about telling him the truth of our mission on his planet?”

  In a blink, she was the wise older sister and future queen he needed. “The only way it should be done— complete and without adornments.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re most certainly welcome, Captain.” Keda Enoa uttered, almost aloof. Then with a wicked grin, she giggled. “Now I have to go and tell Father you like-like a boy!” And she left the screen empty in a flutter of teal and pink.

  Rezzu pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “I’m not gonna kill her. I am not going to kill her.” He was not a regicide; although, technically, she wasn’t queen yet.

  The Colviri normally lived for more than two thousand standard years. At twenty-six and twenty-five, they were just mere children, even if their bodies and minds were of adults. Rezzu should cut his sister some slack; he had more pressing matters to attend to.

  The gorgeous governor of Anatolia emerged in his mind’s eye, and Rezzu shuddered. Was liking this man really affecting his ability to assess the situation? His first mission as a captain, and he felt he was failing like a total rookie.

  “Captain?” Dominik Czech, his first officer, startled Rezzu.

  “Yes.”

  “The uniform you requested for Governor Maitheas is ready, sir,” the floating voice announced.

  A flash of Annauk Ki Illeh and Dominik with the redhead left Rezzu immobile for a second. He wondered if Dominik had his boots under Annauk’s bunker before this mission. No, it couldn’t be. This was the first mission with both races sharing a ship. It was none of his business, anyway. “Please, send a messenger with it to Anatolia’s Palace of Government.”

  “At once, Captain.”

  All right, Rezzu was a big boy. He was captain of the Oculus slash ambassador for the Colviri on Aletta. He knew how to handle many scenarios. Of course, zero
percent of those scenarios involved him dealing with a politician who had recently had his artificial finger so deep in Rezzu’s ass the sheer memory sent shivers up his spine. That wasn’t the way to go about this.

  Think Rezzu. Think.

  He snapped his fingers. The uniform would be his guiding light. Max would have to acknowledge the receipt of it in some way. Rezzu would let Max’s behavior determine the path to follow and act accordingly. Here he was drowning in his own nonsense, and maybe, if Meha was merciful, Max had simply chalked it all up to a drunken mishap.

  That idea, far from settling him, made him feel like a ginormous pile of veku crap. Rezzu needed something to distract him until Max contacted him. He activated his communicator. “Commader Czech.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Find me the five biggest, meanest, most brutish crew members and send them to platform nine. I want some hand-to-hand combat practice. Anyone but you and Annauk Ki Illeh.”

  “Sir?”

  “Dominik, I saw you with Annuak and that redhead last night. I’m gonna need a long time to erase that memory and be able to have you sweating around me again.”

  “Captain, I-We…”

  “Not a big deal, commander. What you do with your free time is your business. Just find me some people I can get physical with.”

  That didn’t sound right.

  “I’ll find you some beasts, sir.” The amusement was poorly disguised in Dominik’s tone.

  “You do that, commander.”

  Three standard hours later, Rezzu had a swollen eye, and every muscle in his body screamed with exhaustion. His eye was nothing in comparison to what he did to the two women and three men who were practicing with him. He entered his quarters, ready for a shower and found a white envelope waiting for him on his mini desk. It only had one word outside, in exquisite common language calligraphy: Rezzu.

  Trying his best not to turn the crisp paper inside into confetti, he read the note.

  Thank you. It fits brilliantly. If you don’t have a previous engagement, I’d love to invite you to dinner tonight, an informal affair just between us. I think we both will look very nice in our uniforms. Yours, Max.

  Rezzu was more at a loss than before. He sank onto the bed in a haze, but two words kept replaying in his head over and over; a sultry whisper in Governor Maitheas’s husky voice— Yours, Max.

  ****

  6. OFFERING

  The Colviri uniforms were essentially made to protect the body of the user, not for show. A blend of elastica (an expansive fiber) and an alloy of three micro minerals provided a perfect fitting for every body type and a shield that could withstand most short-range attacks. During combat, it was paired with a helmet and gloves to protect the areas the uniform didn’t cover. Regulation boots had sheaths where one could carry a knife or other weapon.

  For official ceremonies, rank was shown by arraying three colored cords around the shoulders from right to left, whereas in action the color would be in a band (made of the same blend as the uniform) on the right upper arm. The suit expanded to be donned in an upward fashion, starting by one’s feet and accommodating to every contour of the body without the use of additional fastenings.

  Besides protection against assault, the uniform also protected against weather conditions, whether warm or cold, keeping the body at a regular temperature to function properly by absorbing sweat or providing heat. It included the option to copy any color of its surroundings for camouflage purposes if activated. This feature was often used for personal reasons, as was Rezzu’s case tonight, to change the silvery gray of the uniform into a more celebratory outfit. He had chosen a light blue shade that was very similar to the midday sky of Aletta.

  This decision was the only one he had been able to make without a thousand doubts. Rezzu wanted to look his best tonight, but beyond that he was in deep turmoil, unsure of what to expect once he was facing Max.

  The first punch in the guts was the person waiting for him at the entrance of the Palace of Government. Dominik and Annauk’s redheaded companion from the previous night welcomed him with a bright smile, identifying himself as Max’s assistant, Inall Brix. Now Rezzu recognized the man, always hovering around Max but in such an unobtrusive way as to be almost part of the environment, almost indiscernible.

  It’s a mere coincidence.

  Although, Rezzu couldn’t shake the feeling it had been a carefully orchestrated maneuver designed to unhinge him. There was no such thing as coincidence after all. Everything happened for a reason. He decided to face this encounter in the same way he’d engage in a military operation.

  As the redhead guided him, Rezzu took a surreptitious deep breath and armed himself with courage. True, he wasn’t facing an enemy (no open hostilities between the Colviri and the Alettans), but it was a situation seriously out of his control and his comfort zone. Yes, he had liked other men before. Well, never a human, even though his father was one. The thing was, there was something in Governor Maitheas that Rezzu hadn’t encountered before, and, by the simple fact that he couldn’t name or completely understand this obscure quality, he was not capable of setting a decisive course of action.

  After winding their way through the palace, Rezzu and his guide stopped before great wooden doors flanked— not by soldiers but by two helpers in lively colors. Now he felt stupid having the two almost-bully crew members behind him. The helpers pulled the doors open, and Rezzu received another strike. Max stood on the far end of the room close to an enormous window, his hands clasped behind his back, looking outside. He did not wear his usual hat; it would have been silly since he was wearing the Colviri uniform, but he had discovered the camouflage feature and was decked in greenish blue very similar to his pet peacock’s feathers. The visible part of his metal neck glinted coyly in the bright light of the room, enhanced by the darkness of the suit.

  “Governor, your guest is here.”

  Max turned around to beam at Rezzu with disarming charm. Rezzu heard the doors close behind him as Inall exited the room. Once more he was alone with the governor, but the odds were different. The tension in the air charged the moment with an intensity that didn’t have anything to do with the politics of planets or the plans of conflicting forces. It was the, for now, subtle energy of two males in need of one another, the aura of an incoming storm, the clandestine stretch of the volcano before erupting.

  Rezzu had to be strong, remain in control; it wouldn’t be wise to be pliant matter in the hands of the governor again. This time it should be— stay behind your lines or be the aggressor.

  “I’m truly glad you accepted my invitation, Captain.” Max took Rezzu’s hand between both of his, and shook it.

  “Back to formalities, I see.”

  A grin flourished on Max’s distracting face. “It shouldn’t be so, right?”

  “It’s certainly a little late for that.”

  His hand was released, and Max pointed at the table. “Let’s eat, and we can have a nice conversation afterward.”

  “Thank you.”

  They sat on opposite sides of a cozy table. A handsome copper, low vase, fashioned after flames, with a fragrant candle was in the center instead of flowers. The crisp, white tablecloth had russet borders.

  Helpers came and went with rich and aromatic dishes.

  Max poured Rezzu another glass of a soft, fuzzy liquor made of figs. “I hope everything is to your satisfaction.”

  “Each course has been delicious. Most people usually start from the lightest to the spiciest, but this journey was simply unexpected.”

  “Oh, but we’d rather start hard to end up soft and glowing.”

  Rezzu almost snorted his drink. “Th-that’s a great philosophy.”

  “We try to apply it to all things. A first harsh impact lets you know what you’re facing and eases you into kinder options.”

  “Wouldn’t that be a show of force?”

  “Not if you do it the right way.”

  A helper brought dessert, a
nd Rezzu took advantage of the interruption to avoid issuing a retort. The sorbet was orange, pink, and yellow in a swirl of creamy delight, garnished with a single dark green lemon leaf.

  “This is a family recipe. It’s what I’ve been waiting all night for you to try.”

  The intention of saying something witty vanished with the sudden explosion seizing his taste buds. The concoction was so good, it left Rezzu speechless and nearly aroused. A moan inadvertently rose. He flinched, gazing upon Max, who watched him with a predatory gleam in his pale green eyes that was frankly disturbing and did nothing to quench the arousal the dessert had brought forth.

  “Amazing,” Rezzu stated, out of words.

  “The secret is passion fruit, collected at midnight under a full moon.”

  “Sounds like something you might use for a potion.” The Colviri associated magic with Meha, their goddess, but it wasn’t unheard of common folk with unnatural abilities to know how to brew concoctions.

  The wolfish grin was mesmerizing, “Perhaps, a love potion.”

  Heat enveloped Rezzu. Max didn’t need magic to have him in the palm of his hand; he only needed to ask, and Rezzu would be the most obedient pet. Caution flew out the window, and he blurted out, “You have enough attributes to conquer anything you want without supernatural assistance.”

  Max inclined his head agreeably. “An extra hand is never unwelcome.” He put both hands over the table and added, albeit hesitantly. “I’ve thought a lot about what happened last night.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes.”