by Maia Starr
Their faces were bright, however, and they, too, cheered for me. We stood, finally, from the low bow and Aloitus smiled charmingly out at the crowd, his teeth large and dazzlingly white against the soft teal color of his face.
“I would like to welcome you all to the palace. Please, eat, drink, and feast. I hope you have saved room for fifth meal today!”
Fifth meal?
Aloitus seemed to sense me looking at him in surprise, because he chuckled.
“The human, who goes by the name Melinda Jefferson, is new to Jenal’k and our customs. In fact, she has only been on the planet for a matter of a few rotations, so please, do what you can to make her feel welcome and show her the proper Thressl’n customs. She is very far from home.”
I felt a pang of pain course through me at the mention of home, and looked up at Aloitus, unsure of whether or not he understood just what that meant to me. I doubted if he would care, though. So many men simply wanted to conquest and pick the prettiest flowers only to let them wilt and die, just for the sake of saying they picked it. It appeared that Aloitus was just the same.
What was to become of me with a man like this? As much as I despised the Vellreq, at least I hadn’t been stolen away from my home. King Korta had taken over my father’s estate, but I had been allowed to remain living on the same planet I had grown up on, right in the same house I had grown up in. It seemed to be a better deal so far, whether the Thressl’n were a better-looking race than the Vellreq or not.
“Welcome, Melinda on High!” several Thressl’n in the crowd began shouting. Small flowers were thrown across the large ballroom and landed upon the raised platform surrounding Aloitus and me. He smiled out at the crowd, though I could see the tension in his face. Perhaps the event hadn’t been something he was looking forward to.
I bowed again instinctively, and the crowd seemed to go wild, applause and shouts filling the room for a third time. I could feel Aloitus turn his surprised gaze onto me, and then nod approvingly. My heart fluttered despite itself. What did this man’s approval mean to me? It was surely meaningless.
“And now, let us feast and honor the gods for allowing our safe return to Jenal’k! Let us ask that they continue to favor our plans!”
The crowd clamored in agreement, and raised large glasses in the air, almost like a toast. But there were no words or speeches, just cheering before the Thressl’n drank the sweet-looking pink liquid in their goblets.
“Please, partake,” Aloitus said, handing me a similar glass. I was reluctant to put anything into my mouth in this strange land, especially not knowing what was in it or how it could affect me, but Aloitus was pressuring me coldly with his eyes.
“Thank you,” I mumbled in English. His lips curled into a satisfied smile as I brought the goblet to my lips and drank.
Surprisingly, it was a refreshing, berry flavor that was more sour than sweet, and it fizzled pleasantly in my mouth. It left a sweet aftertaste once it made its way down my throat, and I immediately felt the warmth similar to the effects of alcohol.
“What do you think, human?” someone from the crowd called. The other Thressl’n laughed pleasantly at the look on my face, surely a look of surprise and consideration, and Aloitus looked at me curiously. Probably wondering whether or not I would pretend that I couldn’t understand the Thressl’n tongue through the translation implant I’d received as the daughter of one of Earth’s most notable diplomats.
“It’s quite delicious,” I said, smiling out at the crowd to whomever may have spoken. The Thressl’n roared with laughter, and I managed to catch the eye of one of the human women. She looked shockingly familiar, and I frowned, attempting to place her face.
Before I could, however, a huge plate of food was set before Aloitus and me, and my stomach rumbled loudly. Only Aloitus seemed to hear it though, and he cast a small, bemused smile in my direction. I couldn’t help but smile back, even though officially, I detested him. Still, it was nice to feel like I had some kind of companionship on this lonely stage, in front of a crowd of people I had never seen before.
“I recommend you begin with the Thrasha, on this side. Then follow it with the u’kdara. The u’kdara is sweeter, and brings out the flavor,” Aloitus said, situating himself in front of his food.
“All right,” I said reluctantly. I tried to meet his eyes, but he refused to look at me.
I sighed and dug into my food, wondering just how long this evening was going to last.
***
After a long evening of eating, drinking, and dancing, the crowd within the palace began to thin out, until finally Aloitus and I were left alone with his attendants.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” Aloitus asked, standing from his seat and reaching behind himself to smooth his long cape.
The truth was, I had. The Thressl’n were actually very warm and entertaining people. But that still didn’t excuse my abduction, and if I answered with the truth, I was afraid that Aloitus might mistake my appreciation as some sort of consent. I was not happy to be there. Quite the contrary.
“I would like to go back to my room now,” I said, avoiding the question altogether. “I’m quite tired.”
“As you wish,” Aloitus said, barely glancing at me. “Peko, take the human back to her quarters. I have a meeting to tend to.”
I was surprised. A meeting right after such a long ceremony? When did Aloitus intend to rest himself? Or were the Thressl’n just big muscular machines that didn’t need any sleep? I had already found out the hard way that they didn’t rely on water the same way that humans did. I was expected to get my drinking water from a large fountain that had been set up in the palace decoratively. It was a relief they had any of the substance at all, really.
Soon, Peko was ushering me quickly down the hall, and I found myself taking note of every twist and turn of the palace. The sooner I knew my way around, the better. Perhaps there would be a way for me to escape. But I would have to stay diligent.
“Here you are, Melinda on High,” Peko said. I cringed. Apparently, the nickname was going to stick. But what had I done to deserve that? Besides being abducted by the Thressl’n’s supreme leader, I didn’t deserve any sort of title on this planet. Especially not when there was a possibility I might still be able to find a way home. “I should inform you, you have a visitor. She is waiting in your chambers.”
She?
My heart thudded. Perhaps it was the human woman I had seen at the ceremony. I hadn’t been able to place her face or remember her name yet, but I knew her from somewhere. I was certain of it. Maybe she recognized me, too.
I rushed into the bedroom and cried out in surprise.
“Are you all right?” Kirk asked, crossing the room quickly and touching my arm.
“Kirk?! What the hell are you doing here?” I hissed, shocked to the core. I never thought I would be able to see my best friend’s face again. His eyes softened, and he grinned.
“I snuck in after you!” Kirk exclaimed. “I couldn’t just let them abduct you like that!”
“Kirk, you shouldn’t have done that! We could both be in serious danger!”
Kirk scoffed. “You said that same thing right before I made that epic dive off the cliff at Funland too. But you were too chicken to go with me.”
“Well, excuse me for having some sense in my noodle of a head,” I scoffed. “Seriously, I’m so glad to see you, but what the hell!”
He laughed lightly, his blue eyes dim. He was growing stubble, and he looked exhausted.
“Are you hungry? How have you been drinking water? How did you get here?”
“I stowed away on the ship,” Kirk said with a laugh. “And I was planning a picnic with you at Funland, so I’ve been getting by with what was in my backpack.”
“Still,” I said, shocked that anybody would go to that kind of trouble for me. “Why would you do that? I’m just…”
Kirk took my hands in his and looked into my eyes. He had the same expression on his face that he’d
had when we were sitting together on the carousel. “You’re not just anything. You’re everything to me.”
I felt a little twinge of nausea and pulled my hands away. I didn’t want to be everything to anybody. Especially Kirk of all people. He had been my goofy best friend for years. That didn’t mean we were meant to get married or anything.
“Well, you’re a dummy for coming here. What happens if they find you?”
“They won’t find me,” Kirk said. “I was your friend for a reason, remember? I’ve been training my whole life to become a bodyguard to the palace. Incognito is my middle name!”
I rolled my eyes. “So where do you plan to stay then?”
“Right here!” he said, beaming at me. “Did you see the size of that closet? It’s comfortable enough for a herd of baby elephants!”
“And what, exactly, are you planning on doing about my being kidnapped? Just watch me go everywhere? It’s not like you can pilot a ship home!”
“No,” Kirk said, his eyes shining. “But I know somebody who can.”
“What?”
But Kirk refused to say anymore, and gave me a big bear hug.
“I’m glad you’re safe. Hey, grab me some scraps every once in a while, all right? I don’t need anything fancy but…you know…I’m going to need some energy while I’m here. Be prepared in case it comes down to a brawl. These Thressl’n guys are massive!”
My chest warmed at the thought of Aloitus and his brilliantly built body, but with Kirk just inches from me, I felt an appropriate amount of self-disgust. What was I thinking, sexualizing the man who had abducted me? If there was a chance for me to get the hell out of here and head back to Earth, I was just going to have to take it.
“Well, I’m going to turn in,” Kirk said, grabbing one of the satiny pillows from the bed and pushing himself into the closet. “G’night.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Apparently, my best friend had decided to tag along on what was amounting to be the most bizarre experience of my life. And as was Kirk’s singular talent, somehow he had already managed to make it even more strange.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable changing my clothes in the room I was in, and lay down in the exquisite Thressl’n gown. If Aloitus caught me with another man in my room, both of us were bound to be dead. As much as I hated it, I was going to have to ask Kirk to find somewhere else to stay. It would be safer for us both that way.
It didn’t take long for me to fall into a fitful sleep, and I spent the next few hours tossing and turning as I fought away images of Earth, the Vellreq, and my father. Every once in a while, I’d dream of a man who gave everything for me. But it wasn’t Kirk. It was Aloitus. But when I would awaken, the room would feel empty and cold, and the thought of Aloitus would fill me with fear.
Everything was just too confusing. What was I going to do?
Chapter 4
Aloitus Cloch’h (Supreme Leader of the Thressl’n)
“Supreme Leader Aloitus, I came as soon as I heard the news. Please, tell me it’s not true!”
I sighed and looked across my desk into the sincere face of Laike Ostra’ki. He was a handsome young man I had come to depend on throughout my reign. Unfortunately, the engineers that fate had decreed were quite difficult to work with and rarely had innovative ideas of their own.
However, Laike Ostra’ki had always been independent and, frankly, brilliant in his work. I had always known who was behind it when a new breakthrough in Thressl’n technology occurred, and I was beginning to suspect Laike’s family of selling his calling to a wealthier Thressl’n family who were dying for their son to be an engineer for the palace.
In fact, I had been privately investigating the matter in the little spare time I had, hoping for any chance to bring Laike closer to my orbit. His knowledge was essential.
“I’m afraid it is true, Laike. The Vellreq have been questing for dominance for years now. And they’ve finally found the race of vulnerable people they can use to accomplish the task. If Earth is not liberated of their virus once and for all, it could mean the end of us all.”
“I understand, Supreme Leader Aloitus. But what would you have me do about it? I’m but a simple Repair and Maintenance man.”
“Laike, you are far more than that, and we both know it. In fact, I suspect one of your caretakers of treason.”
“With all due respect, sir, I was orphaned and would like to maintain a positive memory of my family if at all possible.”
Laike’s face had fallen, but I could not allow him to feel that Fate had betrayed him any longer. There were more sinister elements at play. It would do him well to receive the proper ranking once and for all.
“Perhaps it was for your rank that your parents were killed,” I said thoughtfully. “But I digress. You were meant to be an engineer. To be by my side. And I’ve been conducting my investigation to try to put you in the place where you belong. I am very sorry that there was no breakthrough before you decided you’d had enough with Jenal’k.”
Laike grinned cheerfully. “Please don’t apologize, sir. I should be sorry for abandoning my post.”
“It is not your rightful post. Your post is on my team, fighting with the most brilliant and capable men on Jenal’k to subdue this threat. We need machines, Laike. Large machines that will handle whatever the Vellreq can throw at us. They are coming, with alarming speed. My ship was surely spotted, and they will recognize our crest.”
“I don’t mean to second-guess your command,” Laike said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “But the Vellreq are quite offensive in their approach. Perhaps we should work on defending Jenal’k and its people first, and weapons technology after.”
I considered this for a moment, and although I didn’t like it when others spoke out of turn and corrected my thinking, I realized that Laike just might be on to something.
“Is it possible…do you think….to create the ultimate weapon within a shield?” I asked, unsure as to how to bring my thoughts to life in a way that Laike would understand. I was envisioning something cutting-edge. Something that had never been done before. A shield that acted as a superweapon.
Fortunately, Laike’s eyes lit up, and I knew he had a handle on my idea.
“That’s brilliant, sir! My wife and I have been exploring the galaxies, learning everything we can about the Vellreq. I know much of their strategies and the way they fight. It would be an honor to serve you.”
“Wife?”
“She’s an engineer from Earth. We can do so much together!” Laike exclaimed. “I have a lab at home; I’d prefer to work there if it’s all right. I can’t wait to tell her the good news!”
Laike stood from his seat and bowed deeply at me before scurrying to the door. He turned to me with a lopsided grin, and I had to smile despite myself. Laike’s cooperation was a huge relief to me. The burden of the upcoming attack was weighing heavily on my soul.
“I can’t wait to get to work! Thank you, Supreme Leader Aloitus!”
And with that, he disappeared from my office, leaving me to continue drawing up my plans of attack.
***
With Laike Ostra’ki on my side, a victory was beginning to look fathomable. It was quite a relief, though there was still much work to be done.
However, there was the small matter of the Earth female, roaming the halls of my palace and creating needless distraction after needless distraction. Not because she meant to be a nuisance, of course, but because she had a power over me that left me captive to her intoxicating beauty. And she was strange. Never in my life had I encountered such a bizarre, fascinating creature.
We had taken to eating meals together, as I could not, for the life of me, get her face out of my head. It followed me everywhere, despite the focus I desperately needed for my studies. The Vellreq were a dangerous enemy. Now was certainly not the time to be distracted by the foibles of beauty.
“It is third meal time,” Peko’s voice informed me through my communications device. I was tem
pted to skip the meal to focus on my studies and avoid another awkward meal at the table with the woman who had been driving me to distraction, but my stomach was gurgling. How unfair that Thressl’n metabolism could be so cruelly inconvenient!
“All right, thanks to you, Peko,” I said with a deep sigh.
“Of course, sir. Chef made your favorite today. We all know you’re under a lot of pressure. Please remember to take care of yourself.”
I considered whether or not to respond, and decided against it. The sentiment was warming, but there was little time to think of myself. Not when my people were in such grave peril.
I had to have faith in my plan. Only then would we make it out of this alive.
***
“Greetings to you, female,” I said, sitting down at the head of the table. I glanced down as a tray of steaming hot food was set down in front of me, and I realized that I had already skipped one meal that day. My body would begin to deteriorate if I made that a habit.
“My name is Melinda, not female,” the defiant creature stated. She had been getting under my skin, the way she tilted her head up regally as if she had been born above the Thressl’n and would always hold a position on her pedestal to look down upon the rest of us from. It was as infuriating as it was alluring, and I ignored her statement.
“Thanks to you, Peko. Chef.”
The members of my staff bowed elegantly. At least some people around here knew how to treat me with respect.
The staff disappeared to their quarters, leaving me alone with Melinda, who was picking at her third meal as she always tended to. We had been together for about three rotations at that point, and I was growing used to her strange habits, such as the way she didn’t seem to need to eat five to seven meals a day, and the way she pilfered food to snack on in her bedroom for those times when she did end up feeling hungry.
We were quiet until the sudden clank of Melinda’s utensil on her plate startled me into looking at her.