by Debbie Zaken
“Tolstoy.” I recognized the quote, the foreboding tone of the words chilling me to the bone. Just what and how much did Taylor know about the Celeians? Genuine fear spread through me. I felt it crawl under my skin and sink deep in the pit of my stomach.
“You’re not the only one who likes to read, Skye.” He peered at me, misinterpreting my silence.
I shook my head, shaking the fear away. The others didn’t matter, only Ethan did. “I- I really have to go. I’m sorry… about everything.” I turned and walked as fast as I could back through the house.
“Skye, wait.”
Taylor’s steps echoed behind me. Just as I reached the front door, it opened and I almost crashed into General Steven Manning dressed in a distinguished military uniform donned with a plethora of badges and medals.
“Oh! I’m sorry,” I mumbled, my cheeks burning at the curious glance Taylor’s father gave me.
“Who—?”
Before he could finish, I squeezed by him and dashed out the door, leaving him to wonder who this sobbing mess of a girl was exiting his house.
I had just gotten in my car when Taylor reached the front steps. With my hands shaking and tears still streaming, I sped out of the driveway. In my rearview mirror, I caught a quick glance of Taylor. He stood alone on the portico, and though I couldn’t make out his face in the dark, I could feel his pained gaze follow me out of the elegant black and gold gates of the Manning estate.
When I got home, the house was dark and quiet, the atmosphere inside somber. My parents sat in the dimly lit kitchen, Mom staring at a mug of hot tea in front her and Dad drumming his fingers next to what looked like a glass of bourbon on the table. They looked up and then Dad marched over to me.
“Give me your phone.”
My hand flew to my pocket. “Dad, I—”
“I said, give me your phone.” He extended his hand out.
I hesitated for a split second, but the anger on his face told me he meant business. I dropped my head and handed him my cell phone.
“You’re not to be in any sort of contact with him. No calls, no texts, no emails. Nothing. Do you understand?” His eyes narrowed in on me. “I’ll throw out every laptop, cell phone and tablet in this house if I have to.”
Something sharp squeezed my stomach, even as I remembered that Ethan had promised my parents couldn’t keep us apart. “Dad, please—”
“Go to your room.” Mom’s stern voice cut me off. “Now!”
I blinked back my angry tears and marched up the steps. With or without a phone, I could still communicate with Ethan. Nothing Dad could do about that— not without beheading me. I flopped into bed and cried the frustration out.
***
“SKYE. SKYE.” A warm breath tickled my ear.
“Hmm…Ethan, are you in my dream?
“No. I am in your room.”
I gasped and sat up straight to find Ethan kneeling next to my bed.
“Shh…Your parents are asleep.”
“Ethan. You scared the daylights out of me. How did you get in here?”
“The window,” he replied, seeming unconcerned.
“You climbed through the window? But the alarm…”
An amused grin played on his lips and I realized how dumb that sounded. If he could pull my aura to him and mess with trackers on cars and cell phones, why did I think he couldn’t climb the side of the house or deactivate an alarm?
“Well, you are not locked up in a cell, but your phone is off.” He got up and went to lean on the very same window he’d climbed. “So I am assuming you are grounded for a while?”
I hugged my knees to my chest. “No. I’m grounded perpetually and so is my phone. And I think my parents went over the blue prints to turn the basement into my future jail cell.”
Ethan’s brows furrowed, his hands pressing down on the windowsill. “You told them? Skye, did I not ask you to take some time to think things through before saying anything?"
“I didn’t really have a choice. My mom kind of backed me into a corner.” I shrugged. “They were going to find out sooner or later.”
He let out a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. “And I gather from this talk of eternal grounding and jail cells they did not take it very well.”
I puffed. “Boy, is that the understatement of the year.”
“Well, then I am going to have to speak to your father. Maybe if I explain to him that my feelings for you are real.”
“What? You can’t be serious.”
“You did not leave me much choice. He will go directly to Abigail if I don’t. She is the one he is working with. Maybe if I can make him see that you are not in any danger with me, I can convince him there is no need to get her or the others involved. That would buy me some time. That was the other reason I wanted you to wait. I need time, Skye, to lobby some support before I address the Magistrate.”
“I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t plan on telling them. Trust me, my mom was angry enough as it was. Are you mad at me?”
He sighed. “Of course not. This is my fault, not yours. I am the one who put you in this situation.”
“Maybe it’s for the best. I’m not crazy about you talking to my dad, but if it’ll help convince my parents…They’re going to have to get used to it one way or another.”
Ethan leaned in, studying me with care. “You sound so certain about everything. But, are you sure this is what you want?”
I cocked my head to the side, taken aback by the question. “Yes. I told you I want to be with you.”
But that wasn’t enough to put his mind at ease. He shook his head. “You need some time. To learn more about us and understand the situation better. After that, you can make an informed and rational decision.”
An informed and rational decision? What does he think I’m doing? Investing in the stock market?
“Ethan, I know this is all new to you, but it’s kind of new to me too.” I’d never felt this way about anyone before. Not even Taylor. I took a deep breath. “Look, I understand this is going to be difficult. I get that there will be people who won’t like it. But who cares what they think? I’m not going to let that stop me.”
“But Skye…” Doubt darkened his features. “What if you learn things about us that you do not like? We are not exactly like you. What if you change your mind and everything you will have gone through is for nothing?”
The memory of camera crews, soldiers and angry protestors shouting in front of the White House played in my head. The demonstrations were growing more and more violent: extreme groups lighting Celeian flags and mock alien dolls on fire. White supremacists and Neo-Nazi marches had spread across the country, shouting slogans about ‘Taking America Back’. What if these people came after us? After my family? But there were others, others like Dad who despite his reservations believed we were on the verge of a new era for humankind.
I slid Ethan a glance out of the corner of my eye, wondering just how different from me he really was. Was there anything more I needed to know that I hadn’t already learned during our dream-dating episodes?
“Okay. I’m only going to ask this once and then we can never bring it up again. Got it?”
“What is it?” His back tensed.
“Promise not to laugh, but…” I felt so embarrassed by the ridiculous question I was about to ask. But I had to know. “Am I or any other Earthling in some shape or form a source of nourishment for you or any of your kind?”
A kink formed in my stomach as I waited for him to speak, hoping I hadn’t offended him, or worse—that I wouldn’t get an answer I didn’t want to hear. Then to my relief, he laughed softly, and my stomach muscles relaxed.
“While I will admit I find you very appetizing, you entice me in a completely different way. No Skye, we do not feed on your kind. No feasting on human brains or subsisting as parasites in stolen bodies like so many of your books or movies.” He crossed the room toward my bookshelf, and trailed his fingers across the spine of the books. Ling
ering on a particular book, he pulled out my tattered copy of Ender’s Game, glimpsed at the cover, and put it back in its place.
“Okay. Well, now that we’ve established that, I have another question.” I kept my voice even, as if my questions were nothing more than pure intellectual curiosity. “Would you ever willingly hurt me or someone I love?”
He spun to face me. “No. Never. And I will never let anyone harm you.”
“Then that’s all I need to know. Whatever differences there are between us, they don’t matter. I’m sure of it.”
“But…what about that other issue?” The way his eyes tightened and the strain in his voice told me what he was referring to.
“Taylor? We broke up a week ago.”
“And are you all right with that?”
I gave him a quizzical look, trying to read his inscrutable face. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Skye, you are forgetting that I have seen you with him. More than I care to remember. You need to be honest with yourself. I have been thinking about this since I dropped you off. Maybe I pushed you into doing something you are not ready to do.”
I pursed my lips. Did he think it was Taylor who I wanted? “You didn’t push me into anything. I’m the one who has been pulling you into my dreams. I know what my mind has been telling me from the start.”
“I saw you, Skye.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Crying in the car after you left his house.”
“What? You followed me again?” I couldn’t hide the irritation in my voice. “Ethan, you promised you wouldn’t.”
“I was not there to spy on you. I was concerned about how he might react. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I had a feeling you would go to his house so I waited for you nearby— in case you needed me.”
“Taylor wasn’t going to hurt me.”
His face sharpened. “After the way your friend described his behavior today, I was not going to take that chance.”
“But you were listening to my conversation. Don’t you see how intrusive that is? You need to learn to trust me.”
Great. An impossibly beautiful, overprotective alien with superhuman senses and some serious trust and boundary issues.
“No, I kept my distance. I was quite far down the road. I gave you my word I would respect your privacy and I did. But when you drove by, I saw you were crying, so I followed you home to make sure you were all right. You sat there crying in front of your house for a good while. If it is so hard for you to let him go, maybe you made a mistake.” He frowned, a sorrow twisting his face. “You can still rectify it. He will take you back without question. All I want is for you to be happy.”
I pressed my eyes shut. My little emotional breakdown had been a private moment. A time to put all the feelings of fear, guilt, and remorse from the day to bed and move on. I couldn’t believe Ethan had witnessed it. No wonder he doubted my feelings for him.
“Ethan, what you saw wasn’t just about Taylor. You described Earthlings as emotional beings, and we are. Sometimes, we keep emotions locked up for too long, and things bubble up until they burst out. I’ve had a long, emotional day.” My eyes dropped to his hand resting on his thigh. I glided a finger across it. “But I know what I want. I’ve known all along.”
After what seemed like an eternity, relief relaxed his face. “You have no idea the effect your words have on me. The emotions running through me at this very moment.” He covered his hand over mine.
Currents coursed through my fingers, tangling my insides. “So, since you’re already here, how about we have our first real, outside-of-my-dreams date tonight?”
He chuckled. “Your offer is very hard to resist. Unfortunately, we are going to have to wait until tomorrow. I have a lot to take care of tonight.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Oh? Like what?”
“I am going to talk to Naomi. I would like her to be there when I talk to your father.”
My eyes grew big. “She knows about us?”
“Yes, she is the only one who knows. She was with me when I ran after you at the coffee shop, remember? After I took you home, I was in such disarray… I had to talk to someone. Out of all of us, Naomi is the one who could understand it the best.”
“You think she can help?”
“She is the one your father seems to be most comfortable around. Maybe it is her expertise in healing that lets her understand human emotions better, makes her more approachable to Earthlings. Whatever it is, your father seems to be genuinely fond of her.”
“Yeah well, Saint. Naomi has a whole legion of fans now. If she can’t change his mind, I doubt anyone can.” After the little girl at the hospital had sanctified the Celeian beauty, the name had stuck.
“Saint Naomi.” His lips curled. “Yes, she seems to be making a name for herself. Hopefully, she can convince him.”
I sat crossed-leg, propping my elbows on my knees, and cupped my chin in my hands. “It’s really complicated, isn’t it? Us...”
Ethan’s grin turned brittle. “Like you said, we are breaking new ground. Even for my kind, this is unheard of. But that does not mean it cannot work. We just have to work out the kinks. Do not worry about that now. Get some rest.”
“Don’t you need to sleep, too?”
“Not as much as you do. I function on much less sleep. Now listen to me closely, Skye.” His voice became low and soft. “You are going to lie back in bed, close your eyes and fall into a deep and peaceful sleep.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth when a wave of lethargy spread over me. I blinked, suddenly so drowsy I could barely keep my eyes open. I was under the covers with my head on the pillow before I could even think.
“Sleep well, my beautiful, sweet Skye.”
The last thing I felt was Ethan’s tingling caress on my forehead before succumbing to a deep and dreamless slumber.
THE NEXT MORNING I woke up early feeling refreshed and more rested than I had in days. My eyes sparkled. My skin glowed, a rosy blush to my cheeks. Whatever the Ethan Effect was, it needed to be bottled up and sold at cosmetic counters.
But things were far from perfect. I still had two very upset parents to deal with.
I got dressed and dragged myself down the stairs. My parents’ hushed voices carried from the kitchen and I hid behind the wall.
“Jonathan, we need to decide how we’re going to handle this,” Mom said in frustration. “On one hand, you don’t think this alien is dangerous, but on the other, you don’t want her to have anything to do with him. Well, which one is it? Is she in danger or not?”
“It’s not that simple. These Celeians, they’re not black and white. There are good things about them. Just look at some of the amazing things they’re doing. No, I don’t think he means her any harm. But that doesn’t mean I want her to date him! It just doesn’t make any sense. I can’t figure out what he could possibly want from her. It contradicts everything that I’ve observed about them up to now.”
“Do you think it’s some sort of trick? That he’s lying to her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. There are a lot of things about them we don’t know yet. They have a strange effect on people, even some in the Administration.”
Was it so hard to believe that this uber-intelligent, exceedingly rational, beautiful alien being could actually want to be with me—an average Earthling girl? Yes, it was. If someone had told me a similar story, I’d find it hard to believe, too.
“Then what are we going to do?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” he answered. “I’m going to tell him and Abigail they need to stay the hell away from our daughter. And then we’re going to make sure Skye never has any contact with him or any of them.”
“Are you sure that’s the best way to handle it?” The uncertainty in Mom’s voice made my ears perk up.
“What else can we do? Condone it?”
“No, but… John, I saw the way her face lit up when she talked about him. I’m just afraid
that forbidding her to see him will only drive her straight into his arms.”
“So we’ll ground her for as long as we can. We won’t let her out of our sight.”
“Oh, come on, Jonathan. Think about it. We can’t keep her under lock and chain. And there’s no way for us to watch her twenty-four-seven. Do you really want her sneaking around behind our backs?”
The change in her mindset amazed me. She’d been so furious when I told her.
“No. Skye isn’t the type to lie and sneak out,” he argued.
“That’s exactly what she did yesterday! If you think she won’t do it again, then you know nothing about teenage girls in love, especially one as strong-willed as her. Trust me, she’ll find a way to see him. Or worse, he’ll find a way for her.”
I didn’t need to find a way. Ethan had climbed through my window right under their noses.
“Then what do you suggest we do, Dannah? Just accept the alien, as if she were going out with some boy from school?”
“No, but forbidding it completely won’t work either. If we set certain rules maybe we can monitor things and make sure she’s safe. Otherwise, we won’t have a clue what she’s up to. We won’t know if she’s in any danger until it’s too late.”
Something dropped on the kitchen table, sounding very much like Dad’s fist.
“No,” he argued. “Even if the Celeians aren’t dangerous, the situation is too unstable. You’ve seen what’s going on out there. Maybe things are sort of under control now, but how long do you think before the panic spreads and its pandemonium? She can’t be near that.”
“I know, but we can’t protect her any other way. Don’t forget, she’s legally an adult. She could leave home tomorrow and the police couldn’t do anything.”
“She’s a child.”
“No, she’s not. She’s only a year younger than I was when we met.”
“That was different,” he replied, annoyed by the comparison.