Colliding Skies

by Debbie Zaken

  I pressed my eyes shut, desperate for a few more seconds of air when my head hit something hard. My vision focused on the thick wall of ice covering the surface. I ran my hand over it looking for an opening, my chest almost collapsing from the lack of oxygen.

  “Breathe, Skye. Breathe! Damn it, Abigail! Let her go already!”

  Ethan’s voice rose and fell like the rustle of the water. Weight pushed me down, sinking me to the bottom. Darkness filled my eyes. I was about to drown. I was about to die.

  “Wake up and breathe! Please…”

  Heat singed my arm. A hand gripped me, its fieriness burning my icy skin.

  “Skye, you need to take back control! I cannot do this without you.”

  Control. The word acted like a giant chisel cracking the ice and breaking me away from the consuming numbness.

  Ethan pulled on my arm, lifting me out of the water and onto the surface of the ice. I coughed up water and sucked for glorious air. Once I could breathe, I looked around for Ethan, but saw only an artic terrain of glaciers and frozen waters. I blinked once, twice, my mind whirling with the vortex I’d seen in Abigail’s eyes. On the third blink, I opened my eyes to find Abigail in the chair next to Naomi, and Ethan gripping both my arms like he’d been shaking me. My teeth trembled.

  Relief filled Ethan’s eyes as he pulled me into his arms. The familiar currents of his touch warmed me and I was able to control my shaking. The doubts and fears Abigail had put in my head melted with the heat of his embrace. Leaning his head on mine, he kissed my hair.

  “Abigail, if you ever do that again—” Ethan shot her a murderous look.

  “Oh relax. I was not going to hurt her. I was just trying to talk some sense into her since you refuse to do so.”

  “Skye, are you all right?” Genuine concern crinkled the corners of Naomi’s eyes.

  I sat still for a few moments, trying to make sense of what had happened. My breathing was normal and nothing hurt. Pain prickled my skin and the asphyxiating pressure on my lungs had disappeared along with the hallucination. Like it had been all a bad dream. I nodded, letting her know I was fine—at least, physically.

  With wide, frightened eyes, I glanced at Abigail. Forget hypnotism. It was like she’d seen my deepest fears and insecurities about Ethan, the ones I kept hidden even from myself, and had used them to control me.

  “Your vitals sound normal, but do you mind if I check you to make sure?” Naomi stood, as if she’d examine me whether I gave my permission or not.

  I didn’t want to offend her. I knew she was some sort of medical expert, but after my Abigail-induced hallucinatory brush with death, I preferred to stay in the safety of Ethan’s warm embrace. I shook my head.

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  She gave me an understanding smile then turned to Abigail. “Abigail, that was uncalled for and very, very dangerous.”

  Abigail’s full lips curved into a pout, making her look more like a cherubic, temperamental child rather than the leader of an intergalactic mission.

  “Maybe I overdid it a little. But that is only because I am looking out for her best interest.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Ethan grinded through clenched teeth. He stared at her hard, his face as venomous as his tone. “I am not going to warn you again, Abigail.”

  “Believe it or not, little brother, I am looking out for everyone’s best interest—yours included.”

  “Right. And let us not forget your political aspirations, Abigail.” His gaze narrowed.

  Abigail stood. Her eyes clouded into a haze, the icebergs expanding so much they looked like they could’ve sunk the Titanic. “This is not only about you, Ethan. We all have duties to fulfill. Maybe you have forgotten yours, but I will not let you ruin everything. Not over a silly school girl crush and some impossible fantasy. Do not be a fool. You two have no future together. You know that, Naomi knows that, and she should know that, too. End it before it goes too far.”

  Ethan got up and glared back, countless lightning strikes thrashing around his electric blue pupils. He didn’t respond for the longest time. And then, a strange look crossed his face. His features softened as he stared at her, completely absorbed. At first, I thought she had put him under some kind of trance, the way she had me. But then I noticed the subtle changes in their expressions. Abigail wasn’t controlling his mind. They were communicating, having an entire conversation without uttering one word. Another unknown ability of the Celeians—telepathy. And by the way Naomi’s eyes jumped from one to the other, I was the only not included in the conversation.

  I went to stand by Ethan’s side. “Ethan, what’s going on?” When he didn’t respond, I cleared my throat. “I would really appreciate you telling me what you’re all talking about—especially since it has to do with me.”

  Abigail’s lips curved up. “Yes, Ethan. Let us include her in on our conversation.” She shifted her gaze to me. “I was just telling your boyfriend here how all his talk of feelings makes him sound as dim-witted and pathetic as you emotients.”

  “Abigail, enough,” he hissed.

  “And I mentioned to him,” she continued, her smile widening, “how even you know you are nothing more than one little, inconsequential Earthling girl who he will forget before our mission is even over.”

  I flinched. Her words hurt, but they had a different effect from when she’d been inside my head. Anger burned inside me. Not only had she invaded my most private thoughts, she was hanging them out to dry for everyone to see. I swallowed back the venom in my mouth.

  “Do not listen to her, Skye.” Ethan shook his head in frustration. “You truly are not capable of understanding this, Abigail.”

  “Oh, please.” She smoothed her golden hair with her hand. “Since you refuse to come to your senses and break off this relationship, maybe we should let the Magistrate do it for you. Why don’t I go call them now? I am sure they will be delighted to meet our unexpected visitor.” She strutted to the door, a sinister smile on her perfect red lips.

  “Abigail, don’t!” Ethan ran after her, blocking the entrance before she could reach it.

  Naomi raced to his side. “You cannot do that. They cannot know she is here.” Fear tensed her face, and something told me I was the one in danger.

  “Hmm…” Abigail tapped one finger on her lips, her features taking on an innocent look. The look of an angel. “Maybe he should have thought about that before bringing her here. Now get out of my way.”

  She’s an angel all right. The Angel of Mayhem.

  “I will not let you put her in that kind of danger.” Ethan stood with his arms extended, blocking the door.

  Abigail put a hand on her hip, tapping one brown boot on the floor. “You are the one who put her in danger, Ethan. Did you ever consider what would happen if she were caught on board?”

  “Abigail, think about it. She is Jonathan Riley’s daughter,” Naomi reasoned with her. “You know the predicament we will have on our hands if anything happens to her.”

  “Yes. And that is exactly what I am trying to prevent.”

  “But if the Magistrate finds her here now…” Naomi glanced at me.

  Terror pricked my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. This Magistrate was no town council. They would kill me if they found me here, or get Abigail to mess with my head until I jumped from a window. I had to stop her. I filled my lungs with courage as well as oxygen, and spoke.

  “Abigail, I know you think that by being with Ethan I put you all at risk, but I give you my word that I’ll never do anything to interfere or hinder your mission. I’ll never say anything to anyone. No one knows I’m here and no one will. Now, you may not like us being together and I know you don’t like me, but I’m not going to let you or anyone else stand in our way.”

  One perfect eyebrow curved up on Abigail’s face. The hint of surprise, and maybe even respect, was soon replaced by a silky, mocking smile.

  “How sweet. Nothing more romantic than the world conspiring a
gainst two star-crossed lovers. And you make such a brave and pretty little heroine, too. Just like Shakespeare’s Juliet. And something tells me you are about as stubborn and foolish as she was. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you reached the same heart-rending end? Only instead of stabbing yourself to death, you are accidentally killed at the hands of your very own enamored yet fickle Romeo.” She clicked her tongue in mock pity. “Such a tragedy.”

  I stared at her with a blank expression, aghast at her words. Was she implying Ethan might kill me? At the look of shock on my face, she laughed with delight.

  “She does not know, does she Ethan? You have not explained to her how your very touch could stop her heart.” She shook a finger at him. “Shame on you for keeping such secrets from your beloved.”

  A muscle in Ethan’s jaw twitched. “Skye knows only too well how dangerous our energy can be, if not controlled.”

  She nodded, her grin taunting. “And you have control, do you not? Does she know it will be harder for you the closer you get to her? Your control can easily slip when you are distracted, Ethan. Have you even told her that you can never truly be together?” Her eyes flickered to me. “Intimately, the way Earthlings can? Not without electrocuting her to death.”

  With mouth agape, I glanced at Ethan. His jaw was clenched so tight, I was afraid he would crush his teeth.

  “We do not really know that, do we? It is all theoretical. The two species have never… conjugated.” He almost choked on the word.

  We can’t ever have sex.

  Did it matter? Could I be happy with Ethan without it?

  “Oh? And you would risk her life to corroborate a theory? That does not sound much like the Earthling notion of love I have read so much about.” Abigail’s syrupy voice oozed ridicule.

  “No, of course not! I would never let it get to that. I would never do anything to hurt her. If I had even the slightest suspicion that I was losing control…”

  The image of Chase’s charred hand filled my mind.

  “Abigail, this conversation isn’t really productive.” Naomi stepped between the twins. “You have asked both of them to be practical, yet you offer no practical solutions. While I agree it is an inconvenient situation, clearly there is a strong connection between Ethan and Skye.”

  “I cannot be without her, Abigail.” Seriousness dulled Ethan’s eyes. “You would have to physically force me into a ship and send me twenty thousand light years away.”

  “I am sorry to inform you, little brother, but that is the exact situation you are facing.”

  Ethan didn’t flinch. “Not if I desert.”

  “Desert? And where would you go?”

  “Into hiding.”

  I sucked in a breath. Plan B was running away. My insides twisted at the thought of never seeing my family again.

  For the first time Abigail’s eyes turned almost human as they brimmed with concern. “They will find you, Ethan. There is no place on this planet you could hide—not with her. They will hunt you down within days. You will be exiled and imprisoned.”

  A small smile twisted his lips. “Have a little faith, big sister. After all, this is my field of expertise. Out of all of us, I am the most familiar with the wilderness of this planet, the best equipped to survive it. And it is only temporary, until I can defect.”

  This time she looked at him like she was beginning to question his sanity. “You cannot defect to Earth. We have no such treaty.”

  “Not yet, but it is only a matter of time. Soon we will expand our mission, and all it takes is one person to start a rebellion.”

  Alarm and fear marred Abigail’s features. “Do not say such things. Do you know what a rebellion amongst us, here on their planet, would do? The upheaval it could cause among these emotients? It would lead us all into war.”

  Ethan hadn’t just struck a nerve with Abigail. I too, was stunned. A war between the Celeians on our planet?

  “Abigail, let us be reasonable.” Naomi’s voice was calm but commanding. “Regardless of how upset you are at Ethan, we must help him. Do you really want him to desert or be exiled?”

  Abigail looked like she was about to be sick. “What do you suggest we do?”

  “Speak with the Magistrate. After all, we are the ones who landed on this planet, knowing full well Earthlings were different from any other species we have encountered. They are intelligent, sentient creatures. We should have anticipated that something like this would happen.”

  “Even if I were to support him, the Magistrate might still exile him. A relationship with a human is too much of a risk. The Earthlings will protest to their governments and everything we have achieved will be lost.” Her gaze jerked back to Ethan. “They will present you with a choice: end the relationship or transfer to another mission. If you refuse to do either, they will not have any other option. They will exile you.”

  “But what if they see that the girl poses no threat?” Naomi tilted her head. “That Ethan is not a danger to her physically? And that maybe their relationship might improve ours with the Earthlings? What grounds would they have to oppose then? Let us be fair. She does not want to be involved in our affairs any more than we want her to be. If we think this through rationally, Abigail, it seems there is a greater risk in trying to keep them apart than in allowing them to be together. If Ethan defects, others will surely follow. Central Command will not be pleased, and they will look to hold someone responsible.”

  From the way Naomi and Ethan watched her, Abigail would be the one held responsible. The apprehension that clung to her face confirmed it. I observed closely the three Celeians standing around me—Naomi and Ethan’s deadpan stares a sharp contrast to Abigail’s distress. That’s when it hit me. Those two were in cahoots. This was a well-orchestrated move to ambush Abigail. And it appeared that it was close to working.

  “I need your help to convince the Magistrate. You are the one they will listen to,” Ethan pleaded.

  “I will speak to them, too,” Naomi added. “But he is right. It really is up to you, Abigail.”

  Abigail looked at Ethan with uncertainty. Just then, she resembled a mortal being. The glaciers had melted and her eyes were now a soft powder blue. “This is utterly illogical. Are you really willing to throw everything away—your home, your duties, your position…all for her?”

  “Yes.” His voice rang with conviction.

  She shook her head, frowning. “I will try. That is all I can promise.”

  “That is all I need,” he answered. “When?”

  “A few days. There are more serious matters the Magistrate is dealing with right now. Take her and go. You don’t want them finding out before you address them. And do try to keep a low profile.”

  “Thank you, sister.”

  She nodded.

  Their final exchange reminded me of Chase and me. Of a brother and a sister.

  “Thank you, Abigail,” I said.

  She stiffened, the glaciers floating back to the surface, a scowl appearing on her full red lips. The Ice Queen was back.

  “I am not doing it for you, Prom Queen,” she replied.

  ***

  I SAT ON my windowsill, marveling at how Ethan had levitated us up there. It was an experience I still hadn’t gotten used to. Ethan sat next to me, our feet dangling out the window as we stared up at the Great Bear in the sky.

  “What’s an emotient?” I asked. “Abigail used that word a lot.”

  “It is a derogatory term for Earthling. Don’t use it.”

  “Oh.” She really disliked me—and all Earthlings it seemed. “I can’t believe she called me a prom queen. Do I look like a prom queen to you?” Abigail was closer to that stereotype than I was. I pictured her in some extraterrestrial version of high school: the mean girl ruling the school, freaky iceberg eyes and all.

  Ethan chuckled. “Out of all the things Abigail said tonight, that is what bothered you the most? And I am sure you could be prom queen if you wanted to.”

  No. There was somethin
g else I couldn’t stop thinking about. But bringing up our ‘intimacy issues’ didn’t seem like such a good idea.

  “I don’t really think I’m prom queen material. Emily, sure. She has a lot of friends, people like her. Until recently, I barely dated.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “So you cannot be prom queen because you date aliens?”

  “I only date one beyond belief, amazing alien. And is that what we’re doing? Dating?” My heart felt small in my chest. This thing between Ethan and me felt much stronger than dating.

  He grazed his knuckles on my cheek, grinning. “I believe dating implies actually going out in public. Something we do not seem to do.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know. But I doubt there is a single word that clearly defines the concept of putting our lives in mortal danger just to be together.”

  I swallowed the nerves that were choking me and met his eyes. “I—I’ll run away with you, if that’s what it takes.”

  He released my hand and looked up at the night sky. “I would never let you do that.”

  “But you said—”

  “I was bluffing, Skye. It was part of a plan Naomi and I concocted. I needed something to scare Abigail into action. I just added you in there for the shock factor.”

  “I don’t understand. Bluffing how? I thought—” Pressure squeezed my insides. If it was just a plan, where did that leave us?

  “Politics are not limited to just your planet,” he continued. “We have our internal struggles, too. It was the possibility of defecting to Earth that made Abigail jump. She knows that could set off a chain of events that would bring everything we have worked so long for tumbling down.”

  “But if the Magistrate decides to send you back to Celeia? What? You’ll just go?” My voice pinched.

  His gaze remained fixed on the few stars in the sky. “I would desert. But I cannot take you with me. It would be too dangerous for you. Abigail is right. They would find you in a heartbeat.”

  I heaved a breath, like I’d been kicked in the stomach. Tears welled in my eyes. “So either way, you’re leaving. Look at me, Ethan.”