Bati

by Nikki Clarke

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Note from Nikki

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Sol

  A Message from the Author

  Say It Like A Lyqa

  BATI: LYQA PLANET LOVERS

  Nikki Clarke

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Art: L.M. Byfield

  Copyright © 2018 Nikki Clarke

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at nikkiclarkeromance@gmail.com.

  To my first reader, Hayyah. I know Ah’dan is your favorite, and he’s coming soon.

  (ba ta bum)

  Note from Nikki

  This is the second story in the Lyqa series. While you don’t necessarily have to read the first one, there are some spoilers throughout, so you may want to read Kwarq first. A little more Lyqa never hurts.

  Nikki

  Prologue

  BATI

  “Yes, can I help you?”

  The woman smiles warmly behind the wire gate blocking my entrance into her home. She looks like Amina. She’s probably old enough to be my own mother, yet she appears many years younger than her age. Her skin is tight and smooth. The amber flesh looks bright and vibrant. Twisted strands of grey-threaded hair spike about her head. Her round, plump face and wide, heavily lidded eyes are just like her daughter’s. At the moment, they’re cautious. My tall frame fills the door, blocking out the light behind me and cloaking her in shade.

  I hunch my shoulders, trying to make myself small. This is only my second visit to Earth, but I know that the people of this planet are uncomfortable with my largeness. I already anticipate the shock of what I have to tell her, and I would soften her alarm by appearing less threatening, less foreign.

  “Yes, ma’am. My name is Bati, and I have come to speak with you about your daughter.”

  It was a smart choice to research proper ways of referring to one’s human elders before I came here, and I hope my approach is satisfactory. I hope it eases the fact that I’m a strange man bringing news of her daughter. I brace myself for relief or panic, but instead, the woman rolls her eyes and sucks a breath of air, pulling it loudly through her clenched teeth.

  “Lord. Listen, young man. I’m sure you’re a good guy, but I do not concern myself with Tiani’s affairs. I’m sorry for any misunderstanding you may have about her relationship with you, but if you think I can convince her to keep you, let me just tell you, there’s a reason Tee’s still single. That girl isn’t doing anything she doesn’t want to do, and even her mama can’t change that.”

  Her expression is filled with pity. When I scent her, I smell sadness mixed with a tinge of impatience.

  “I believe you misunderstand, ma’am—“

  “No, I believe you misunderstand. You think you’re the first young man who’s fallen in love with my daughter and come here to convince me that you’re the one? Now I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I can assure you that whatever you think is between the two of you means more to you than it does to Tee. The sooner you can realize that, the sooner you can get on with your life and find a young woman who wants to be with you. Tee ain’t it.”

  She’s losing patience. I see it in the minute shuffle of her feet, how her eyes keep shifting to the inside of the house, and how the muscles in the arm holding the door flex in preparation to close it. If I am to do as my brother has asked, I must abandon my plan of easing Amina’s family into the news of her situation. Otherwise, I may find the door shut in my face before I can explain.

  “I bring news of your daughter Amina,” I rush out, just as her arm begins to slowly swing the door closed. Her look of patient pity changes immediately to dread. She yanks the door back open and pushes down the handle to the gate, swinging it open with a sudden force that makes me step back before I’m knocked to the side.

  “Amina? You’ve seen her? Is she alright?”

  The worry rolling off of this woman is so pungent that I’m filled with a deep sense of shame on behalf of my brother. I have yet to experience the leht, but it must be a strong emotion to distract enough that he waited this long to send further word to Amina’s mother. I think of our own mother. How nervous she was while Kwarq was on Earth waiting to reveal himself to his lehti. Even then, Kwarq was in constant communication. This woman has not seen or heard from her daughter in weeks. It must be torture for her.

  Acting on instinct, I step close and pull her into my arms. My hands cradle the soft, rounded flesh of her shoulders.

  “Ma’h qitah, Ms. Bennet. My family should have contacted you sooner. I apologize for making you worry.”

  I know this is against human custom, and unsurprisingly, Amina’s mother stiffens in my arms. I hold her gently, keeping my hands light against her body, but initiating enough contact that she can sense my intention. After a moment, she relaxes and my heart aches further when her shoulders twitch with her soft sobs against my chest.

  “I just knew something was wrong. That girl has never up and disappeared in her life. That text said she had to go to some other country, but she never told me nothing about that. I just knew something was wrong.”

  She wraps her arms around my waist and grips me tighter, as if trying to draw the strength to hear what it is I have to tell her. She is a good woman. I can feel it in her energy, and I can smell the warmth and love that radiates around her. It triggers something inside me, and suddenly, I only want to make sure she is never sad again.

  “Ms. Bennet, I would explain about your daughter. I assure you, there is less to fear than you believe. Amina is alive and well, but the situation is complicated. Please, if you would permit me inside, I can explain fully.”

  I ease her away from me. My thin traveling shirt is stained where her face rested. I tilt my head down to peer into her red, puffy eyes. Even distraught, her beauty isn’t diminished. If anything, she looks even more delicate than before.

  She wipes at her eyes and regards me with sudden suspicion, almost as if this is the first time she has really looked at me. Her head tilts to the side and her expression takes on one that I have noticed on other human women. She has realized that I am strange. That the combination of my features do not quite make sense in this place. She is looking at my blue-black skin, my contrasting light blue eyes. My dark red hair.

  “Who are you?”

  Her voice is low and careful. I smile as warmly as I can.

  “I am the brother of the one who loves your daughter, ma’am. I assure you, Amina has come to no harm. She would have come to relieve you herself, but she has been detained for reasons beyond her control. If you would allow me entry into your home, I can tell you everything you need to know.”

  Our plan is a risky one. Kwarq warned me before I agreed to come reveal
us to Amina’s family. We have no way of knowing how her mother and sisters will react. While I don’t understand his absence, my task is made easier by the fact that Amina’s father does not reside with his family. The men of Earth can be hostile and unyielding. It would be more difficult to peacefully present myself with an aggressive male to contend with.

  Fortunately, the women are more open, more inclined to accept the warm feelings of others. Even when I held Amina’s mother, she did not rebuff me. Although, I have learned from Amina, that this kind of contact is not always welcome among humans.

  Amina’s mother stares at me for another long moment before she finally steps back into her home, holding the door for me to follow. I duck beneath the threshold and pause at the entrance.

  A feeling of intense warmth surrounds me. It seeps through my pores, and I inhale deeply, letting it fill my lungs. Love lives here. It tinges the very air. It’s such a contrast to the bitterness of outside that I must be still for a moment and soak it in.

  “You have a lovely, warm home,” I tell her as I open my eyes. She peers at me like I’m behaving strangely, and I suppose I am. But this is the best feeling I’ve felt in some time. It’s even more enriching than the feeling of my own home, which is always filled with love and laughter and kindness. Something on the air triggers a sense of contentment unlike any I have ever known. It’s just a whisper, a suggestion of some happiness I have yet to experience. It lingers on the fringes of the general joy of the dwelling.

  “What did you say your name was?”

  I shake out of my daze and focus on my mission.

  “I am Bati, brother of Kwarq, who is leht to your daughter Amina. They have asked me to come here and bring you news so that you do not worry.”

  “Well, Bati, brother of Kwarq, I need you to sit down because I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’m not about to strain my neck looking up at you.”

  “Ma’am.”

  I incline my head and follow her into the living room of her home. The space is cluttered in the way that lived in spaces are cluttered. Two long, cushioned seats face each other in front of a firehearth with a table between them. On the surface of the table are several small replica human vehicles. I lower myself across from Amina’s mother, fidgeting as my large body settles into the seat.

  “Lord, I hope you don’t break my couch. This furniture wasn’t made for anyone as big as you.” Amina’s mother looks worried, but there is an underlying teasing to her tone. I stop moving against the couch and try my best to appear comfortable.

  “No, ma’am, your furnishings are completely adequate. I apologize if I have offended you, and I will do my best not to damage anything.”

  Her comment has made me aware of how small everything on Earth is. I feel like one wrong move could send the entire structure crumbling down around us. Luckily, Lyqa are very precise in our movements. We’re large, but graceful. Even in such a small dwelling as this, her belongings are safe from me.

  “Now, you tell me where my daughter is because I’m about two seconds away from calling the police.”

  I can sense her nervousness. She is trying to allay her fears, but her resolve won’t last for long. I quickly make the decision to tell her the truth without delay.

  “Ms. Bennet, your daughter Amina has joined with my brother Kwarq and currently resides on our home planet, Lyqa.”

  I relay this information clearly and carefully. I make sure to keep my tone calm and even. Then, I wait for her reaction.

  “Who, what, who?”

  She’s not alarmed. Her scent isn’t even fearful anymore. It’s impatient.

  “I do not want to shock you, but my brother and I traveled to Earth some months ago. While here, Kwarq, my brother, experienced the leht, a romantic connection, with your daughter. He persuaded her to accompany him to our planet, Lyqa, and that is where she has been for the past two months. She is well, however. In fact, they have conceived and that is the reason I have been sent in her and my brother’s stead.”

  “Excuse me?”

  I smile at her confused expression.

  “I am what you would call an alien, ma’am. I am not of this planet, although I would have you know that I mean you no harm. Your daughter is safe with my family and will be here to show you herself in a few days.”

  “Did you just say you’re an alien?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “From another planet?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And my daughter sent you here to tell me this as an excuse for why she ran off with some man for two months?”

  “I do not believe it was her intention run off. Unfortunately, she has entered a resting period due to her conception and is unable to travel until she awakens.”

  “So she’s asleep?”

  “Yes, ma’am, but she is in no risk of harm.”

  She stares at me with a raised eyebrow. A flush of annoyance spreads beneath the warm brown of her skin.

  Amina’s mother sucks air through her teeth again and rises. Her movements are angered and jerky. She looks like she is about to run. And while I would never exert any force on another, it would not do well to have this woman run out into the street screaming of aliens and calling for help. I follow her movements toward the door.

  “Where is that girl? I bet she thinks this is real funny, but this is not the time for jokes. Just wait until I get my hands on her.”

  She mumbles these things to herself; although, I can hear her clearly. I relax with the realization that she is not afraid, she just doesn’t believe me. I don’t think repeating my speech will convince her, so I do the only thing I can. I stand and move to cut her off before she can get to the door. Except, I do not move at human speed. I move Lyqa fast, dashing in front of her before she’s had a chance to make it past the living room. She jumps, a high-pitched yelp springing from her mouth. Her hand slaps over her chest, and she stumbles back.

  “Ma’am I do not mean to scare you, but I would have you believe me.”

  Her eyes are wide. I can hear the wild beat of her heart behind her hand. I pay close attention to it. I would not have her alarm cause physical harm.

  “Oh, sweet Black Jesus.”

  She’s gasping for air and clutching at her chest. Her fingers catch on a string of beads around her neck, and it snaps. The clatter of the little glass orbs rings loud in the shocked silence.

  I step forward and take hold of her arms to steady her. I listen to her heart. It beats fast but there are no irregularities. She’s just startled. Her eyes are wide on my face. I take her free hand and press it to my cheek, holding it there so she can feel that I mean her no harm.

  “I will not hurt you, but you must believe me when I tell you that I am not of this place. Do you understand?”

  Her head jerks up and down. I smell fear on her, but also the slightest bit of excitement. It is the same cautious interest that her daughter had when we first met.

  “I will take you to have a seat, ma’am. I know you are afraid, but please do not scream. I would tell you about your daughter. You want to know that she is safe, yes?”

  She nods again, and moves stiffly when I lead her back to the couch. I ease her down and sit back across from her. Her eyes never leave me. They stay intent on my face, even as I feel her fear begin to recede just the slightest bit.

  “Are you going to abduct me?”

  I fight the smile that wants to curve my mouth and shake my head.

  “No, ma’am. I will not abduct you. My species is peaceful. We do not seek to disrupt the happiness of others. I am merely here on the instruction of my brother to give you news that your daughter Amina is safe on Lyqa.”

  “Where is Lyqa?”

  The calmness of her question surprises me. She has managed to compose herself rather quickly.

  “It is far, several galaxies away—but do not worry that means you will never see Amina again,” I add hastily when her eyes widen again in alarm. “We have very advanced t
ravel technology, and as soon as she has wakened from her resting period, my brother will bring her back here so that you may see for yourself that she is unharmed.”

  “Awakened? What do you mean? Is she sick?”

  “She is not sick, ma’am. She is pregnant. I would be the one to congratulate you on the pending arrival of your grandchildren.”

  “Amina’s pregnant? Oh, my god. How?”

  I feel my face warm, and Amina’s mother’s eyes expand as my skin pulses a bright red. It is a sign of embarrassment for Lyqa, one I have never been good at hiding. I, unfortunately, embarrass easily.

  “Ma’am, I would not divulge aspects of my brother’s and your daughter’s personal interactions, but I believe it occurred in the—natural—way of these things.” My skin feels like it’s on fire. Embarrassment flares through me like a solar pulse.

  “Boy, are you blushing?”

  I look up from my flashing hands to find Amina’s mother studying at me with disbelief.

  “I apologize, ma’am. My people are not uptight about such things, but I did not want to make you uncomfortable.”

  “Young man, you just walked into my home and told me you’re an alien, sped around my living room like something from television, and you’re embarrassed to tell me that my daughter’s been having sex? Well, ain’t that something.”

  She shakes her head with an expression of wonder. All traces of fear have left her, but there is still a nervous excitement lingering at the edge of her scent. She stares at me for a long moment and then shakes her head again. A small smile lifts one corner of her mouth.

  “I got a damn alien sitting in my living room,” she chuckles. “I tell you, I can’t even be as shocked as I want to be. If anybody was going to find a damn alien to shack up with, it would be one of my daughters. Although, I would have pegged LaShay before Amina. Lord knows Shay is strange enough, but Mina? That girl’s usually scared of her shadow.”