“That’s what I said. We made a lot of money there. Arias the Angry rakes it in in the desert, so just try to stick around here for a while, if you can. This side of the Gate.” He added.
What Merv didn’t realize was that just uttering the word ‘Arizona’ threatened my existence on this planet, because I could feel the delight filling my veins. I saw her face, and I remembered the small things that we enjoyed together.
It was strange, how she changed me. Before, it was only the taste of blood and the excitement of the battlefield that brought a smile to my face. But now, thoughts of her small, delicate frame, the way I took her hand in mine, and how she smiled - these are the things that filled me with nearly as much pleasure.
“Don’t you worry, Merv. I’ll be sticking around for that.” I look to the left and saw Leona, who had been listening in on this exchange. There was disapproval on her face because she knew why Arizona was not a desert to me, but an oasis.
Now we had a problem. The pleasure was escalating. If Candice did not want to be a part of my Curse, then I would spare her that, but if I was in the same vicinity as her, and could be assured that she was safe and cared for, then one of my greatest needs would be fulfilled. In fact, it was the only need that I felt on Earth.
I am fading.
Blood is pumping through my veins, and my skin is disappearing. I’m going through the Gate.
“Arias! Did you have a pleasant trip?” Septimus asked, seated at the round table in the war room.
“Very funny,” I said, sparing no time but nodding my head at a soldier to retrieve my armor.
“We’re glad you’re back. With all those wounds that you gave Grim the last time that you were here, you’ve become one of the most famous warriors in the history of this galaxy.” Septimus said with pride.
“It’s wasn't too difficult,” I said, taking a seat at the full table and pushing my hair out of my eyes. “What’s the status of the ionic radio technology?” I asked, immediately getting down to business.
“We’re almost there. Any day now.” Halifax said with enthusiasm.
“That’s fantastic news,” I replied. My chest swelled with pride when I thought that we were going to be able to beat the Krill at their own game.
“But we have bad news,” Septimus added.
“And what is that?” I asked, already annoyed.
“The Krill have joined forces with the Argyles.” He said.
The room went silent. The Argyles were short, stumpy aliens that looked as though they were made of wood. They used to be quite a dominant alien race, but when the Krill came to power, they moved back to the forests of their planet, Frick. Although all this time the Corin thought that the Argyles had changed into a peaceful people, in reality, they were hiding out in the forest and developing new weapons.
“Grim bargained with them. He knew that they were creating laser firearms that were like nothing ever seen in the galaxy.” Halifax said.
“I don’t like this news,” I said. “This means that we’re going to have to create more advanced technology to fight back with equal force. Or even better, wipe out their planet entirely to destroy their weapons.”
“Well, there’s a new hope as well. Diplomacy.” Halifax added. What made me respect this old general so much was that he was always looking for a way to accomplish things without violence. Of course, I rather liked the violence, but I appreciated the sentiment.
“In what way?” I asked .
“The leader of the Argyles, Oofa, has asked to meet with you.” He said, and the room hushed again.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“I do not think the Argyles have officially joined with the Krill, and before he makes the pact, he asked to meet with the most feared soldier in the galaxy.”
“I see.” What could Oofa possibly want with me? I was intrigued.
“He asked that we inform him of your return to Hecate, and he was notified immediately. Would you be amenable to a formal meeting this very evening?” Septimus asked.
All the various Generals and high officers around the table looked at me with expectancy. I could tell that they felt I was their only hope.
“I will meet with him,” I said. If there was any chance that this meeting would delay or even end the pending union between the Krill and the Argyles, then it had to be attempted.
“He has requested that it take place on neutral ground. You will both fly to an anonymous spot on Hecate where a tent will be erected.” Halifax said.
A tent. How quaint. Will I ever escape carnivals? “I’ll be ready as soon as you bring me my armor,” I said.
“But Arias, why don’t we give you lavish robes to wear—“ Septimus suggested.
“No. Armor,” I replied.
My armor was my second skin. I already knew that I was a large creature in human terms, but on Hecate, I liked the extra size that it gave me. Compared to the nano armor, mine was old-fashioned, but I preferred it. Made of steel and stone, it was crafted by Corin hands and built with integrity. The strength of it was so great that it had lasted through eons of battle.
“This way, Arias.” A soldier said.
I was escorted to the hovercraft - the most technologically advanced that the Corin had in their fleet. The journey was brief as this was also the fastest vessel on Hecate. We landed in what appeared to be a wooded area. It made sense that Oofa should choose this kind of environment because it reminded him of his home planet.
The back of the plane opened and dropped to the ground, turning into a set of stairs. I walked down the stairs followed by a group of Corin soldiers holding their laser weapons. Oofa was there, standing in the forest and almost blending in with the trees. He, too, was flanked by many Argyle soldiers.
“Greetings,” Oofa said. His voice was deep and gnarly as a tree trunk.
“Greetings,” I replied nodding my head.
“Please, come inside.” He said, and motioned his thick arm towards the camo tent. It was large and spacious and on the outside looked as though it was covered with foliage.
Stepping inside, I saw that the tent was perhaps 30 meters high, and I was immediately impressed by Argyle engineering. Who would have thought that these aliens, so woodsy and natural, were also the ones who had created the most deadly weapons in the galaxy?
“Have a seat,” Oofa said. There were soft green and gold cushions on the carpeted floor.
“I have heard of your pending union with the Krill,” I said, taking a seat and getting right to business.
“You have heard right.” Oofa said, smoking a pipe. “Might I pour you some Root?” He said.
“No, thank you.” I didn’t mix business with Root. It diluted the mind.
“I’m going to assume that the union doesn’t please you,” Oofa said.
“It does not,” I replied curtly.
“I suppose you’d rather we side with the Corin.”
“No, I would rather you had not created weapons that are so deadly. I think that soldiers should fight like real soldiers. Call me old-fashioned.” I replied.
“I see. You have the heart of a true warrior.” Oofa said with a grin.
“You have to be able to stand before the creature that you intend to kill. It’s honorable.” I replied.
“I do like the way that you think. We Argyles are honorable people, but we can’t help that we’re inventors, and we must protect ourselves. The best way to protect ourselves from the Krill is to join with them.”
“I find that cowardly,” I replied.
“Arias, I’m willing to negotiate with you, but there’s something that I need from you. Something very important.” Oofa said, leaning in with a hushed voice.
“And what is that?” I asked.
Just then a hologram suddenly appeared, directly between the Argyle leader and myself.
“What—“ Oofa exclaimed.
“Hello, Arias. Welcome back.” The image of Grim appeared before me, shimmering in thousands of blue pixels. Th
e picture went from fuzzy to perfectly clear.
“Grim,” I said, standing from the ground. “I should have known you’d find me.”
“I always know where to find you, Arias.” He replied. “Like perished food, you’re easy to detect.”
I laughed. It was a funny joke.
“To what do I owe this honor?” I asked.
“Well, I know that you’re back here on Hecate dealing with war,” Grim said, clasping his hands behind his back.
“Business,” I said.
“Aha! Business. Well, I was hoping to help you mix some business with pleasure.” He said, leaning towards me.
I pause. I sensed that I was about to be thwarted in my pursuits with the Argyles.
“What kind of pleasure, Grim? Other than reliving when I stabbed you seven times in the torso.” I said.
His face grimaced.
“That’s pleasurable for you, so why don’t you take a look at what’s pleasurable to me.” He said.
The picture changed and Candice appeared in the holographic field. What was about to happen?
“Candice,” I said softly.
“Yes,” Grim said, reappearing and putting his six claws around her. “Candice.”
I looked down, and my hands and legs were fading. It was the pain. Grim knew how to control the pain.
“Bye bye, hybrid-human,” Grim said, holding Candice tight.
This is all it took to pull me through the Gate, and the timing couldn't be worse.
CHAPTER 2
Candice
Christian was wearing me down, I was afraid. And that was possibly been the intention the whole time. We sat down at the bar, and he ordered me a vodka martini, of all things, and unfortunately/fortunately, it went down so smoothly.
Since seeing that poster on the front of the Main Street Dive I had been totally lost in my own thoughts. It was like there were two different people here - the Candice that was being polite and making conversation with Christian, and the Candice that was thinking about the fact that Luke was coming back to Sun Valley.
“This is a lot of fun,” Christian said, taking the last sip of his martini.
“Yes, I like this place,” I said, looking over at Pearl who was watching our interaction. Almost like Pearl could sense the truth about this situation, she viewed the proceedings with a bit of doubt in her eyes. It was like she could see right through me. Oh, Pearl. My sage.
“Would you like another one?” Christian asked, looking at my empty cocktail glass.
“Um..sure,” I said. It was a poor decision, but my mind was just getting hazy enough for me to relax. The thought of Luke being here - of confronting him again after all that had happened - made my heart beat and my face flush. Was this fear that I was feeling? Or just intense excitement? They felt the same, for some reason.
“Here you go, girl,” Pearl said, placing the martini glass in front of me with her spindly hand. The length of her red fingernails reminded me of Krill talons. She would be great in battle. I imagined the Krill would have nothing on Pearl.
“Thanks, Pearl,” I replied. She pushed a dish of bar nuts in front of me, by way of saying eat something.
The truth was that I hadn’t eaten all day and having bar nuts would probably be a smart choice, although I just couldn’t get myself to do it.
I drank my second martini and started to feel a little like I was spinning, although much more calm.
“You saw that sign outside, didn’t you?” Christian asked. Apparently, he had seen it too but just didn’t want to talk about it.
“Yes,” I replied, looking down at my drink.
“Ever since you saw it you seem on edge.” He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. This was very perceptive of him.
“It’s hard to talk about, Christian,” I said, really not wanting to get into it but also needing a friendly ear. But how could I ever possibly describe the actual nature of our relationship without being locked up in an insane asylum?
“I understand. You don’t have to.” He said. “But you do look like you could use a good meal.” He added. Here he was, being persistent again. I had to admit that at this moment, I needed to give in.
“Yes, I should eat something,” I said, placing my empty martini glass down with a laugh.
“Come on, let me buy you dinner,” he said. Christian wasn’t pushy, just friendly, so it seemed like a good idea.
“Okay.”
“We don’t have to go to that Italian place again. People carry swords at that joint!” He said with a laugh. This made me laugh, too, and I was grateful that it broke the tension.
“Well, that’s the only good restaurant in Sun Valley so you may have to settle for a burger joint, instead,” I said.
“Why don’t I drive you to Boulder Park? It’s not too far, and there are some tremendous restaurants there.” Christian said.
Boulder Park was, in fact, a little resort town on the edge of the desert, just where it met the hills. It was known for its enormous, exquisitely-placed boulders, and for the 5-star hotels that were scattered amongst them. There was a lot of golfing there, fine dining, weddings. You name it.
“Isn’t that an hour’s drive away?” I asked.
“Come on, it will be fun.” He said, getting up and putting his coat on my shoulders. “You can lie down in the car if you’re tired.” He added.
Oh dear. Why am I consenting to this? It’s been a long day, I’m tipsy, and I’m going on a field trip to have a fancy dinner with someone that I’m not even interested in. Have I lost my mind?
But somewhere inside of me it just felt right. I needed to flee, to get out of Sun Valley for a night, stared out the car window at the empty desert, and made small talk. It sounded like the perfect antidote to my confusion and anticipation of what the future might bring — when Luke was back in town.
Luke
When I landed, I was not where I was before. I was riding in a truck. It swayed back and forth, and my body was aching from being pulled through the Gate.
“Just in time.” I heard Merv’s voice say from behind the wheel. “We have a special event tonight.”
I was groggy, and I rubbed my eyes to wake them up.
“How long have I been gone?” I asked.
“Not too long. You missed Amberville. But that doesn’t matter. We got a last-minute gig that is going to rake in a ton of money.” Merv said with assurance, puffing on his cigar.
“Wait, I didn’t miss Sun Valley, did I?” I asked, suddenly filled with dread.
“No, no. That’ll be after this gig. You sure like going to Sun Valley, don’t you?” Merv said, raising his brow with a suggestive arch. “It’s a nice town. Good diner food.” He said, trying to twist the screw in even deeper.
“Indeed,” I replied.
Silence overcame me as my memory was fully restored. It always took a little time after coming through the Gate. But now, I remembered the last thing that I saw on Hecate. The image of Candice being clutched by Grim’s talons was something that I would never forget and a flush of unbridled rage came over me.
Is Candice on Hecate? Has he taken her? Or was it all a chimera, a fabrication?
“I need to go to Sun Valley tonight,” I said with sudden resolve. I was not going to make it through the night if I didn’t have the assurance that Candice was safe. If she truly had been taken, then, I would find a way to return to Hecate this very night.
“Slow down, cowboy,” Merv said, putting up his hand to stop me. “You have to do this show. It’s for these rich folks. We need the money, Luke. You may be a hybrid, but when you’re on Earth you’re pure human, and we need money just like any human does.”
“I don’t care about money. I’ll starve. It doesn’t bother me.” I said, throwing on my black leather jacket and preparing to jump off the truck.
“Luke, I’m begging you.” Merv went on.
“Look, either you slow this truck down so that I can get off or I’ll throw you out and drive it myself,”
I said.
I could tell from the look in Merv’s eyes that I had terrified him. I always tried to tone myself down when I was around my fellow Cursed Souls because I knew that when I was fully myself, they got frightened and backed away. But on this night, Merv was just going to have to deal with Arias, and I could guarantee that he didn’t want to see me angry.
Merv stopped the truck and pulled over. The other trucks in the cavalcade kept driving through the black desert. Merv watched the red tail lights disappear off into the distance.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Former: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Books 1-5) Page 115