by Kali Argent
“How much worse are we talking?”
“Much,” Vane answered ominously. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”
“You don’t have cars here?”
Charli hurried along beside him, half jogging to match his long strides as they exited his apartment. The moment she stepped through the doors, an icy blast of wind smacked her in the face, robbing her of her next breath.
“No, we don’t have cars, not like the ones on Earth, anyway.” His heavy arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side while his gaze darted from side to side, scanning their surroundings. “We have gliders,” he continued after a weighty pause. “They’re kind of like Earth cars, but without wheels, and they fly.”
He spoke casually, but Charli could feel the tension in his arm, could see the strain in the chords of his neck and the alertness in his eyes. In that moment, walking along the icy path toward the compound, he wasn’t the gentle lover who had held her during the night. Right then, he was a soldier, a warrior, his senses on high alert, and damn if he wasn’t making her twitchy as hell.
“So what is the zipline?” she asked, trying to distract herself.
Lifting his right arm, Vane pointed to a sleek, shiny, black capsule parked near the platform at the front gates of Pandora. “That’s a zipline.”
“It looks like a train.” Smaller than any train she’d ever seen, big enough for no more than four people, but it ran on rails. “Is this like your version of a taxi?”
Vane pressed his palm to the sensor pad on a rock column beside the gate and nodded. “I guess you could think of them like personal trains. A new one arrives about every twenty minutes.” A smaller door beside the column swung open, and he nudged her through it, ushering her up the steps to the raised platform. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not.” She couldn’t be when Vane appeared ready to plunge a dagger into anyone who so much as looked at her sideways. “I’m a little out of my element here, but I’m a fast learner.”
The entire side of the small train opened vertically when they approached, revealing two bench seats upholstered in beige leather. Vane waited for her to step inside the cramped capsule, and then he tucked her against his side once they were seated.
“Destination?” The onboard computer requested.
“Taldor, Quillona Street,” Vane answered.
The door lowered without a sound, and Charli gripped Vane’s hand when the train whipped them away from the platform. Through the small, circular window, she watched the snow-covered ground rocketing past, the sight little more than a blur. A couple of minutes into their ride, small, bungalow-style houses began cropping up, speeding by too fast for Charli to make out many details.
“Tordega,” Vane said, answering her unvoiced question. “It’s one of the smaller outlying villages. The bigger villages are on the other side of the city.”
Fascinated, Charli nodded and leaned closer to the window, pressing her nose against the glass in an attempt to see more. Exactly seven minutes later according to the digital read out on the projection screen at the front of the train, the zipline slowed before coming to a complete stop inside the city.
“Thank you. Please enjoy your day.”
Exiting the compartment, Vane held his hand out to her, helping her onto the shining, chrome platform. “See? Not so bad.”
“Are you kidding?” Charli tingled from head to toes, and her heart pounded a quick staccato against her sternum. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, pumping out to her extremities, and she couldn’t remember a time she’d felt so alive. “That was amazing, even better than I imagined. Will you show me the villages sometime?”
Chuckling quietly, Vane pulled the hood of the jacket up over her head and tucked her hair inside. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, but one thing at a time, hmm?”
Unable to stop herself, Charli bounced up on her toes and kissed his lips. “Why are you so good to me?”
His breath billowed in a cloud of vapor when he sighed and rubbed their noses together. “Because you are important to me, prya.”
She should let it go and not push for answers she probably didn’t want. More than anything, she wanted to believe Vane, to believe they could have a future together, but she needed the truth before she could let herself dare to hope.
“Okay, but why? What changed? A few days ago, you couldn’t wait to get away from me. I mean, you didn’t seem so interested in me the first time we met. Your mood swings kind of make my head hurt—one minute hot, the next cold. You push me away, but then you break about a dozen different laws to bring me here and save my life.”
“This isn’t the time or place,” Vane answered, his voice quiet and tense.
Damn, he had a point, but if she didn’t get the nervous ramble out in one fell swoop, she’d lose her courage. “You came to see me in the hospital, but it seemed like you viewed your visits as more of an obligation than anything. You’ve been quiet and distracted, but then you go and create my old room in your quarters, which is probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Charli paused long enough to suck in a deep, chilly breath. “I’m important to you today, but what about tomorrow or the next day?”
“Galaxies, I forgot how much you talk.” A smile curved his lips, and he placed his hand at the small of her back, giving her a gentle nudge toward the stairway at the end of the platform. “Start walking,” he ordered.
Frustrated, but also freezing, Charli allowed him to lead her up the steps to the enclosed bridge that stretched over the railway. Neon lights in every color imaginable illuminated the sidewalks, the flashing billboards, and even the massive, steel skyscrapers that reached towards the night sky.
“Are those gliders?” Looking down at the street through the wall of windows that encased the sky bridge, Charli pointed to a row of vehicles that looked a little like compact sedans, but without tires. “They look really small.”
“They’re efficient. We try to limit the resources we use.” Vane pointed to the set of sliding glass doors at the end of the elevated walkway. “Through there and turn right.”
“You’re trying to distract me,” Charli accused. “And I’m letting you.” Annoy with herself, she pushed the hood of her jacket back roughly and huffed. “Just answer one thing. Do you plan to stick around for a while or are you just here until I get settled?”
A smile played over his lips, and he reached out to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. “Charlotte, I’m not going anywhere. I am yours to command until you send me away.”
While it answered her initial inquiry, the intensity of his gaze, and the strange vow only raised more questions. She didn’t even know why she cared so much. Having a familiar face to help her navigate this new world lessened her anxiety, but the feelings that bloomed inside her when she looked at Vane went beyond gratitude.
Charli felt connected to the handsome soldier, more so than she should after only a few days. A romantic to her core, she’d never doubted the notion of love at first sight. The longing in her heart, no matter how much she tried to fight it, reach past such trite and trivial emotions like love. She couldn’t describe it, couldn’t put a name to it, but staring into Vane’s multi-colored eyes, a sense of peace overcame her, and it reminded her of coming home after being away for too long.
Stepping through the automatic doors, she entered what amounted to an enormous, four-story mall. “Wow.”
It didn’t look much different than the malls she’d frequented on Earth, expect that she didn’t recognize any of the shop names. Storefront windows gleamed brightly, showcasing everything from shoes to an odd assortment of electronics. Shimmering projections scrolled across the glass, indicating different sales or announcing new products.
“Welcome to The Plaza. Can I be of assistance today?”
Charli spun in a circle, searching for the source of the robotic voice. To her left, she found a tall, slender kiosk, a man’s handsome face smiling back at her from
the center screen.
“Uh, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Have a pleasant day.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
She shrugged when Vane quirked an eyebrow at her. It never hurt to be polite. Unzipping her borrowed jacket, she started to shrug out of it, but stopped when Vane growled at her.
“Hey, buddy, you picked out these clothes,” she reminded him, sliding the jacket off and pushing it into his hands. “I don’t like it, either, but it’s too damn warm in here to wear that coat.”
He didn’t look happy about it, but he also didn’t say anything. Smart man. While excited by her surroundings, Charli still wanted answers to her questions, and she promised herself to stop falling victim to Vane’s distractions.
“I’ll shop. You talk.” Pausing, she cocked her head to the side and frowned. “That sounded really demanding, huh? I didn’t mean it like that, though. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, and I promise I’m going to pay you back just as soon as I can get a job and start making some money.” The thought of money had her tilting her head to the other side while she rested her hands on her hips. “What qualifies as currency around here anyway?”
Draping his jacket over his arm, Vane spun her by the elbow and started her walking across the white, speckled tiles. “All of the currency on Nekron is electronic, even in the villages. Did Xavian explain about the PIT implant and how it links to your bank account?”
Charli bobbed her head. “I don’t have a bank account, though, or any money to put in it. Do you just call it currency? Or do you have dollars and stuff?”
“Accepted currency across most galaxies are Galactic Standard Units. Mostly, we just call them units or GSUs.”
Navigating through the throng of people milling about the common areas of The Plaza, Charli nodded slowly, trying to compute it all to memory. “I’m never going to get all of this.”
Vane bent to kiss the top of her head. “You will. It’s only been a day since you left the med bay. Give it time, prya.”
A tall, slender man with an ivory complexion and midnight blue hair eyed her appreciatively as he passed, earning him a feral snarl from Vane. Charli didn’t know how to react to the dominant display of possessiveness, so she kept her head down and said nothing. He’d warned her before they’d left the apartment that he wouldn’t tolerate any male attention directed at her, but she hadn’t taken him seriously. Clearly, she should have.
Moving closer to her side, Vane reached behind her back to rest his hand on her opposite hip. “Sorry,” he mumbled from the corner of his mouth.
The sheepish grin that followed melted her, and Charli leaned against him with a sigh. “Was that really necessary?”
He steered her inside a women’s clothing store. “I might be feeling a tad territorial. You’ll get used to it.” Winking when she looked up at him, he nodded toward the clothing racks. “Let’s get your things, and I promise I’ll do my best to explain everything over dinner. Deal?”
Deciding it was probably the best offer she’d get, Charli agreed easily and wandered deeper into the store to browse the shelves. He couldn’t avoid her forever, and one way or another, she was going to get her answers.
* * * *
By the time they finished their shopping expedition and made it back to his quarters, Vane wanted to fall into bed and never move. Great galaxies, he’d never met anyone as stubborn and uncooperative as his girl. He’d give her the universe if she asked him, yet she fussed over a few hundred units for things she genuinely needed.
In the end, he’d practically forced clothes, shoes, soaps, cosmetics, and other odd assortments of feminine products on her. She’d fought him the whole way, insisting she didn’t need half the things he dumped into her hands or requesting they find less expensive alternatives for the other half.
“This really is too much.” Standing at the foot of her bed, Charlotte folded her arms over her chest and stared at the six shopping bags at her feet through narrowed eyes. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into all of this.”
Biting back his irritation, Vane settled onto the mattress and took her hand, pulling her down beside him. “Stop. There’s no need for all this stress. It’s my responsibility to care for you, to provide anything you need or want, and I’m happy to do it.”
“Are we going to have that discussion now?” She batted her lashes and flashed him an innocent smile. “Why is it your responsibility?” Shifting around on the bed, she crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. “Everything feels different now,” she added in a small voice. “Good different, but I don’t know what it means.”
Vane didn’t understand all the particulars, either, but he owed her as much explanation as he could provide. “On Earth, you have legends about the phoenix, right? This mystical bird that bursts into flames and is resurrected from the ashes.”
“Yes.” Confusion showed in the lines of her brow, but she bit her bottom lip and waited for him to continue.
“Think of the Nekros like your phoenix. We don’t turn into birds or anything like that, but for all intents and purposes, we are immortal. After about thirty-five, we age so slowly, you’d never guess some of our elders are over nine thousand years old.”
“Shit,” she breathed. “I’m afraid to ask, but how old are you?”
“When you’re immortal, you don’t celebrate things like birthdays. I’m somewhere close to twenty-seven hundred years old, though.”
Charlotte swallowed hard, causing the muscles in her throat to constrict visibly. “How are you like the phoenix? I’ve seen the neat fire trick you do, but…” Trailing off, she shrugged. “So, you can’t die at all?”
“We can. There are some things even our abilities can’t save us from, like removing the heart or the head.” Clearing his throat, Vane changed courses, navigating the conversation away from the morbid and morose. “We can be injured. We can even die temporarily. At that point, the fire inside us rises to the surface and heals us. So, it’s not resurrection exactly, but you see the similarities.”
Vane had seen it happen on more than one occasion, and he’d experienced it himself twice. Frankly, the ordeal was a bit gruesome to watch, and he hoped Charlotte never had to witness it.
“You’re strong, quick, and agile.” Charlotte ticked the list off on her fingers while she spoke. “You have heightened senses, like smell and hearing. What about sight?”
Vane nodded. “The Nekros have keen vision, and we can also see a little in the dark, but mostly just thermal images.”
While he spoke, Vane clenched his hands at his sides, squeezing until his knuckles cracked and ached. At some point, he’d say too much, overwhelm her, and Charlotte would bolt. She’d already accepted more than he had any right to ask of her, but unfortunately, he still had more to tell her.
“Vane, I’m not immortal. I’m going to age, and I’m going to die. When I do, I’m not going to erupt into pretty, green flames and come back to life, either.”
Leave it to Charlotte to cut straight to the heart of the issue. “You won’t.” Fuck, he had no idea how to explain something like familiars to her. Earthlings believed in soul mates, but that didn’t do justice to what a familiar meant to a Nekros. “If you accept me, bond with me, you won’t suffer that fate.”
“Bond with you?” Her eyes rounded for a heartbeat before they creased at the corners. “This is about the territorial thing, isn’t it? And it’s why I feel like I’ve known you for a lot longer than a few days. Tell me,” she demanded.
Her clipped words didn’t bode well for him. “My mother told me the legend about familiars when I was young, and honestly, they’re so rare, I never thought to find mine.”
Her gaze softened, and Charlotte scrunched her nose. “Familiars? Do you mean like black cats, toads, and witchy stuff?”
“Wait. What?” Vane had no idea what she meant. “Why would my familiar be a toad?”
Snorting, Charlotte inched closer to him and took his hands,
squeezing his fingers lightly. “Sorry, it’s an Earth thing. Continue.”
Vane arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “The legend says that when a Nekros is born, the gods grant the child only half of his or her soul. Then other half is cast out into the universe to reside within the Nekros’ familiar, their destined mate.” His mother hand gone on to tell him that if he was lucky, fate would one day lead him to the missing piece of his soul. “No Nekros can ever truly be complete without the other half of their soul, but the universe is a big place, so familiars are a rare and treasured gift.”
“How do you know when you find your familiar?”
Charlotte spoke quietly, her voice barely more than a breath, yet Vane could hear the sadness that bled into her tone. “My mother never told me, but I’ve heard mated pairs describe it closely to what you’re feeling. It’s a deep ache, like a hole in your chest that can never be filled. The more you try to fight it, the bigger the void grows, but once you accept it, you feel as if…it’s like…”
“It’s like coming home,” Charlotte supplied for him. Her lower lip trembled, and she pulled her hands away, fisting them in her lap again. “You knew. The first time we met in Vegas, you knew.”
“I didn’t.” Maybe he should have. He’d never before, nor had he since, had the urge to mark a female. The encounter had been so brief, he hadn’t recognized it for what it was. “Before you ask, I didn’t know this time, either, not at first.” In hindsight, it seemed obvious, and he felt stupid for needing his father to spell it out for him. “It made me crazy to be away from you, but I didn’t understand why. I just knew I’d do anything to protect you, give you anything to make you smile.”
Her mouth softened on a long exhale, but she still held herself rigidly, her hands clenching and unclenching where they rested on her thighs. “If we bond…what does that mean?”
Charlotte spoke hesitantly, uncertainty and skepticism dripping from every word, but at least she hadn’t outright refused him. “I would claim you as mine, and you would wear my mark.”