Bati

by Nikki Clarke

  I blink up. Bati and KJ wear nearly identical expressions of confusion, and it’s just too much. I throw myself against Bati’s side, wrapping my arms around his waist, and press my face against the hard panel of his abs.

  “I love you, Bati. I love you so much.”

  He stiffens, but I keep squeezing. I want to crawl inside of him. I just want to be as close as I can. It’s so stupid that I haven’t been telling him I love him since the day I met him, because I’m pretty sure I have.

  “Tiani?”

  I lift my face. He’s looking down at me, and he still looks confused. His brows, which I’m just noticing are the same red color as his curly hair, are bunched low over his eyes. He looks young this close up. I’ll have to ask him how old his is one of these days.

  “Call me lehti. I like it.” I try for a smile, but it’s nervous and wobbly.

  The muscles in his throat jerk beneath his smooth midnight skin.

  “Lehti.”

  His bright blue eyes search my face. He’s looking at me like he doesn’t believe what I’ve said, so I make sure there’s no question.

  “I love you, Bati. I love your sweet, sexy, beautiful, awesome guts, dude. And if you’ll let us, I want to stay with you forever.”

  He stares at me for a long time then blinks.

  “Dahni, I must put you down for a moment. Is that okay?”

  “Yup!” Bati sets KJ on his feet and the kid immediately pulls a block from somewhere on his person and busies himself.

  Bati straightens and turns back to me. I get all fidgety as he steps close. The heat from his body radiates between us. I can hear his heart. It’s thumping hard. Harder than it ever has before. Mine, too, is beating heavily. They are perfectly in sync.

  Out of no where, he swoops down and pulls me up against him. I shriek, but wrap my arms around his neck. He’s smiling his big, toothy smile. The blue of his eyes is soft and gentle. He leans forward until our noses brush.

  “My lehti, my love, my heart, I love you as well. I love you more than words will ever be able to explain.”

  He leans forward and presses a soft kiss to my mouth, and the floodgates open up. I’m sobbing almost uncontrollably as he continues to press gentle kisses all over my face and neck. I cant stop it.

  “My lehti, pleased do not cry. I cannot stand it. I do not like you sad.”

  Below us, KJ releases a deep, long sigh.

  “She isn’t sad, apha. She’s overcome.” We both look down. KJ shakes his little head in a perfect imitation of his Aunt Shay as he fumbles with his block. “She’s overcome.”

  BATI

  “Is it gonna bite me?”

  I smile and ruffle my hand over KJ’s head before urging him forward.

  “Your apha would never send you toward danger, dahni. Now go. This is the last challenge. We must be brave so that we can be successful.”

  KJ edges closer to the nerve cluster. I can smell his apprehension, as well as that coming from my lehti.

  “He is in no danger, my lehti.”

  “I know. I can’t help it. Mama instincts.” Her eyes are pinned to KJ who is nearly upon the cluster with his hand outstretched. Tiani’s heart beats quickly, and mine does with it.

  KJ stops when he’s almost in contact with one of the long, thin reeds and glances back at me. His face is a mask of indecision.

  “It is okay, K. Touch it. Trust me, it will not be as scary as you imagine. Be brave.”

  KJ’s little brow furrows in resolve and he turns back, pushing his fingers against the stalk before jumping back.

  A low buzz emanates from the cluster. KJ runs to where I stand with his mother and ducks behind my legs. I put a comforting hand at his back.

  “Watch.”

  The stalks in the cluster spring to life, bending from their stiff forms and waving gently in the air. A bright white light pulses at the base of each stalk and travels its length until it reaches the top. Once there, a bright spark erupts from the tip.

  “Cool!” KJ’s awed response follows the disappearance of his fear.

  Beside me, Tiani snorts before covering her mouth with her hand. She smells mischievous.

  “What is humorous, my lehti?”

  Her mouth quirks to the side before she peeks around to check if KJ is paying attention.

  “K, you must record the reaction before it subsides. Do it as I have shown you.”

  KJ steps from the protection of my leg and holds his wrist up, tapping his band and engaging the record function.

  “Now, what is on your mind.”

  She smiles shyly. “I was just thinking that this kind of reminds me of something.”

  “What does this remind you of?” I ask even though I have some idea.

  “You know, the whole pulsing, erupting tip…” She stares at me as if waiting for me to show my understanding.

  “I do not know.”

  “You don’t know what long, pulsing thing that erupts at the tip I could be thinking of.” Her eyes narrow.

  “I do not,” I return, but I cannot stop the smile that pulls at my mouth. She strikes out and hits me lightly on the arm.

  “Yes, you do. You butthead.”

  I pull her against me and nuzzle her sweet smelling hair. I have not taken enough time to learn all of her scents and taste all of her sweet places. Now that she is mine and has accepted the leht, I am glad that I will have time to learn all of these things.

  “Perhaps when we get back to the campsite, I can present what I believe you speak of, and you can inform me if I am correct.”

  She rolls her eyes, but arousal colors her scent. “Maybe.”

  “Perhaps we should put him in films. Kwarq was an actor for a time.” I lean in to whisper to Tiani as we make our way back through the forest to the campsite. KJ insisted on walking. My lehti didn’t want to let him, but I convinced her he would be fine. So far, my dahni is traversing the forest quite well. He moves with surety ahead of us, holding tight to his pack as I have shown him.

  KJ was quite proud of himself after he completed his final task. He performed an impromptu victory dance with accompanying song. It was very creative and well done.

  Tiani snorts. “He’s extra enough for it.”

  “This word, ‘extra.’ It means expressive?”

  Tiani laughs. “Yes, hun. You should really let Amina teach you Ebonics.”

  “You could teach me.” I reach out for her hand, and she takes it, squeezing our palms together.

  “Dont worry, babe. I got you.”

  “Whoa, it’s shakin!” We turn to KJ. He’s stopped several feet ahead of us. His arms fan out as he wobbles his body back and forth in an exaggerated motion. A second later, the ground beneath my feet gives a rough tremble.

  “That’s new,” Tiani mumbles, looking down. The surface of the mud quivers. After a moment, the trembling stops.

  We all pause, waiting to see if anything further happens, and as if on cue, a geyser of water shoots out from the mud a few feet away. A second later, another erupts right beside Tiani. She yelps and jumps to the side as more and more jets of water spring up from the mud. The thick water quickly begins to lap around our ankles, and my heart lurches.

  “Fountain!” KJ splashes through the water of a nearby spring. While a part of me wishes this was a moment for play, every one of my Lyqa instincts is warning of danger.

  “We must return to the campsite.”

  I don’t wait for Tiani to ask questions. I step forward and scoop KJ up and begin to move as quickly as I can through the forest.

  Chapter 15

  TIANI

  Bati’s gone quiet all of a sudden. He’s carrying KJ again and booking it through the forest back in the direction of the campsite. His sudden change in demeanor has me a little shook.

  “Is everything okay? You’re acting like something is gonna jump out and eat us.”

  “There is nothing big enough to eat us, but there are other things.”

  “Uh, okay, but y
ou said this was a safe ta’animajig.”

  “I believed it to be relatively safe, but I was considering the danger from a Lyqa perspective. We are faster. Our senses are sharper…We can swim,” he tags on at the end like he hates to say it. “For humans, especially a small child, this perhaps was not the best idea. Qiton is safe, but it is also unpredictable.”

  The way he says unpredictable makes me skip to catch up.

  “We’ll be okay, though? I mean, do you think something is gonna happen?”

  Bati stops abruptly and turns to look at me. He looks guilty.

  “I did not do as much research as I should have for this time of year on Qiton. The tremor we felt earlier is the signal of a tide shift.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, that the solstice high tide is coming in sooner than I anticipated, and we must hurry to make it back to the campsite before the waters are too high.”

  Our heart beats fast. He’s nervous. When he turns and continues rushing through the tall reeds, I follow, moving as quickly as I can.

  By the time we get to the edge of the forrest, the water is already lapping around my calves. The campsite is a tiny dot in the distance. I’m not so great with telling distances, but we have a mile, perhaps more before we get there.

  “Do you think we’ll make it?” I huff out.

  Bati doesn’t slow his steps. I’m jogging to keep up, and while I’m not completely inactive in my daily life back on Earth, I’m not a regular exerciser. I’m certainly not trek across alien terrain fit. The pace Bati’s set has me a bit winded.

  “We will make it, lehti,” he replies but there’s even more concern on his face.

  I’m lagging. It’s like I’m walking through cement. I look down. The water’s nearly to my knees. When did that happen?

  “Do not stop walking, lehti.”

  “The water is getting really high, Bati.”

  “I know, lehti.”

  My legs burn something fierce. This water is different. It’s thicker. Less like water and more like a gel. I reach down and pull the hem of my Qitoni skirt all the way up to my waist. Modestly isn’t something I give a shit about right now.

  Freeing up my legs makes it a little easier to walk, but all the effort I’ve put in until now has worn me down. I’m struggling, and the little dot that’s the campsite isn’t getting any closer.

  “Do we have far to go?”

  Bati sighs, and it’s the first time I’ve ever sensed impatience from him. I hate to be that are we there yet companion, but any idea that we are getting closer gives me the energy to continue.

  “Lehti, we will make it.”

  He doesn’t sound so sure.

  BATI

  I tell Tiani we will make it because I cannot think of any other truth. I cannot think that the waters will get too high before we have to swim. I cannot think it.

  My lehti smells worried. I try to project some reassurance, but my own heart is beating faster than I can manage.

  The water has been rising at a steady pace. Even with the unexpected change in conditions, high tide is coming in quicker than I anticipated. In the distance, I can just make out the campsite. I don’t have to check my band to know that it’s further than it should be. The fear that we will not make it, a fear that I’ve been trying to overcome, begins to take over. I push it away again and quicken my steps.

  “We must hurry, lehti,” I tell her again.

  I start to jog. The thick water makes movement slightly more difficult, but not as hard as it is for my lehti. Tiani is forced to run at my side. Her breath huffs out in painful bursts. She’s not doing well. I can sense the ache in her body. The tension. I can also sense her determination. She’s doing her best to keep up. She will continue as long as she can, and I comfort myself with the knowledge that my lehti is a fighter. I steady my heart to regulate our energy, and I keep the pace I have set. It is the only way.

  Ten minutes later, the truth that I’m ignoring, that I cannot even allow to form in my mind, becomes too obvious to ignore. My lehti is tired and the water has gotten too high. I look down at her. Her face is set. She is so beautiful. Fear and sadness grip me.

  “My lehti,” I force the words out. She looks up. Despite her fatigue, there is a smile ready for me. “The water is rising too quickly.”

  “We’re too far?” I can barely make my muscles move to nod my head. She’s quiet for a long moment. Her anxiety is tangy in my nostrils. “And there is no where to go? No place where I’ll be safe?”

  “There is not, but we will not give up. We will continue forward until we cannot, and then I will think of something. I will not leave you, lehti.”

  “I mean, you might have to.”

  “Lehti—”

  “Dahni,” she interjects. “We have a kid, Bati. I mean, he’s yours right? You love him like he’s yours?”

  “He is not like mine. He is mine.”

  “Good. So if you have to choose, you choose him. We shouldn’t even be in this situation. I should know how to swim. And if we can’t make it in time, you’re going to make sure KJ is safe, and that’s it.”

  I can only stare at her. When I take too long to answer, anger flares in her scent.

  “Right? Bati, say you’ll choose him no matter what!”

  I blink. Something warm and wet slides down my cheek. “I will, my lehti.”

  She nods and swallows hard. I can detect the moisture in her eyes. I can smell the salt of her tears.

  “Good, now let’s keep moving. I don’t want to drown, but I just want it to be clear that you’re gonna look out for him.”

  “I will let nothing happen to him.”

  “Mommy’s too far away.” KJ’s worried voice snaps me out of my head. I turn. Tiani is several paces away.

  “Tiani—” I call to her. She shakes her head, as if she knows I am considering turning back, and waves her hands.

  “I’m okay, Bati. Just keep going.”

  The water is at my waist. Tiani struggles against the nearly chest high sea level. Every part of me wants to go back for her. To find some way to keep us together for as long as possible. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me, and I turn, pushing through the water until I reach her. Her eyes are closed. Her fatigue is so great that I’m shocked she hasn’t succumbed to it. Her eyes spring open when she hears me moving through the water.

  “What the hell, Bati. Keep going, please. I can’t do this if I think you’re worried about me.”

  I ignore her and lift KJ onto my shoulders before pulling her up against me.

  “Wrap your legs around me.”

  “Bati, no. You’re too tired for that. Just let me go as long as I can.”

  “I am made to protect you. My first heart will give me the strength. I will get us as close as I can.”

  She sighs but wraps her legs around my waist, securing her ankles at my back. Now that she is close, her exhaustion is pungent in my nose. She takes hold of KJ’s hands and rests her head against my chest. I hold her close, pressing her to my body, and start moving through the water again. I deep, exhausted sigh explodes from her mouth.

  “God, Bati, I never would have said anything, but I was so fucking tired.”

  I press my lips to her soft curls. “I know, my lehti.”

  Chapter 16

  TIANI

  “We are almost there, lehti.”

  He’s lying. I snuck a glance. The sea willow is definitely closer, but the water is higher too. Bati holds me as far up on his body as he can. He cant put me any higher or else I’m going to be on his shoulders with KJ. And the water is still rising.

  “How you doing, kiddo?”

  KJ looks down at me.

  “I’m okay, mommy.”

  He’s such a brave, smart boy. He knows we’re in trouble, but he’s being such a trooper. I resist the urge to look at him. I don’t want him to see the fear that I know shows on my face. I’m having a hard enough time coming to terms with the fact that pretty soo
n, I’m going to have to make Bati leave me. I try to remember all the stuff he taught me about floating. I try to think calming thoughts. I tell myself to relax. I can’t float if I’m not relaxed. I think about making love to Bati in the water. How good I’d felt after. How serene. I think about how happy I am that my weird ass sister fell in love with an alien with a fine ass twin brother, and how lucky I am that Bati loves me…and KJ. I know he will take care of him. He got hit by a truck for him.

  “I’m going to say something and don’t be mad, okay?”

  He swallows, and I can hear his throat working. “I will never be mad at you, my lehti.”

  “I want you to keep KJ on Lyqa. I want him to stay with you. He loves you.” I clear my throat because the sorrow is real. Our hearts are beating fast, and I try my best to breathe slowly. I can’t float if I’m not calm. “I’m not going to panic, Bati. I’m going to try my best to stay calm. But if I can’t do it, if you can’t make it back to me in time, tell my mother and my sisters that I love them.”

  “I will, my lehti.” His voice is thick. I stare at the water. I can’t look up.

  “And, Bati?”

  “Yes, Tee.”

  “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love you. I love you so so much.”

  BATI

  Tiani weeps quietly against my chest. She’s holding tight to me, trying to keep the water from covering her mouth. I, too, stretch my neck as far above the water line as I can. I’ve been taking slow, deep breaths for several minutes. Our hearts keep a steady, easy beat. It is all I can do to stay calm. To prepare her for what we must do.

  “Try to relax, Tiani.”

  She nods and swallows her next sob before sucking in a deep breath and pushing it out loudly.

  “I just had to get it out, so I can focus.”

  “I understand.”

  “KJ, look at me.” Tiani directs her attention above my head.