by Regine Abel
DUKE
Confusion swirled around my mind as I escorted Kira back to my house. She had never mentioned Lucie to me before. Only another female named Amber. Considering the wrong she had done to Lydia—and likely to Kira herself—how could she have kept that secret? What else was she hiding from me?
I recognized well the suspicious looks from my brothers and sisters. We had embraced her as a friend for finding our lost kin, but now we feared impending betrayal. As much as I hated to admit it, the seed of doubt had also taken root within me. I didn’t want to doubt her. Above all, I didn’t want to listen to that wise voice that kept insisting I guard my heartstone well and not yield so easily to her allure.
From the moment we stood at the entrance of the cave, the blizzard roaring all around us, I’d wanted to bring her to my house and ask if she would like to stay there... with me. I had not expected to be doing so with such somber thoughts clouding my spirit.
“This is my house,” I said to Kira as we closed in on my dwelling.
She perked up and admired every detail of its construction. Since we no longer lived in the lower-city, we had each chosen one of the houses previously built for the Strangers and the Creator, and built extra ones to provide for everyone. I didn’t have much use for mine, though. Single and without the need for food or sleep, nothing drew me home. I had therefore done nothing to improve or embellish it. Qaezul’s house, however, I had extensively remodeled to Lydia’s specifications, and Qae’s delight. As an artist, he couldn’t stop sculpting and carving ornate patterns on any surface that would allow it.
The Crafters had been looking forward to Kira’s arrival, eager to make things for her as well. Now, I didn’t know how things would go.
I looked around the simple design of my home, feeling a little self-conscious when I let her in, wondering how she would judge it and, through it, judge me.
“I have not changed anything from the original layout and décor of the Strangers,” I quickly offered as a disclaimer. “This is the living area,” I said, waving at the large, rectangular room, with minimalist furniture comprised of three long benches similar to the one she had slept on in the cave, placed around a large flame alcove which Lydia called a fireplace. On each side, large windows gave a view onto the main path leading to the plaza. “There are motion detectors that will automatically light these two glow stone pedestals. If you need more light, touching them once will increase their intensity.”
Kira nodded and followed in my wake as we walked past the tall shelf laden with various decorative objects that held no meaning to me, and up the three steps to the dais located at the other end of the living area. Pressing the hidden switch on the wall parted it open, revealing the kitchen and dining area. Here, too, I had made no changes as I never set foot in it. Similar to the lab, the table stood at an uncomfortable height for Kira.
“I will adjust it for you,” I said, laying my hand on top of the table.
“Thank you,” Kira said.
While the gratitude in her voice felt genuine, her face held the same strain I felt. I hated the stilted interaction between us. Barely an hour ago, I’d held her in my arms, her breath fanning over my collar bone, her lips brushing against my neck. A bond had formed between us, then. No, not formed... deepened. Right now, though, it seemed to have evaporated.
There were two corridors on each side of the dais leading to the kitchen. The right corridor gave access to a guest room, a work space, and a storage area. Leading her down the left corridor, I pointed to the first room. Like all the other rooms, the doorway hid behind swirly patterns.
“This is the master bedroom,” I said without opening the door and continued down the corridor. “This is the hygiene room. You open it by pressing this pattern, here.” I showed her the switch to enter and inside, the other switch to activate the facilities. Continuing down the hallway, I stopped in front of another door. “You can use this bedroom or the guest room on the other side as your own.”
She bit her bottom lip and entered the room.
“So, I’m going to live with you?” she asked, observing the large bed that occupied the center of the room, the long bench at its feet, the small work desk in the corner, and the massive wardrobe taking up the entire right wall.
“For now.”
“For now?” she asked, frowning at my hesitant tone.
“There are no other houses available.” I groaned inwardly, realizing that I’d been scratching below my navel again. “I thought you would be more comfortable staying with me than with any of the other valos. If you prefer, there are some bedrooms available in the lower city. They are just bedrooms, not real dwellings, but...”
“No! That’s fine. I’m happy to stay here, with you,” she interrupted, a glimmer of panic in her eyes.
It both warmed my heartstone and made it ache.
“Good,” I said, with somewhat forced enthusiasm. “Let me know which one you choose and if there are any modifications you require.”
Kira sighed heavily, and her shoulders drooped. Peering up at me, she gave me a sad look that knotted my stomach.
“I’m not your enemy, Duke,” she said in a hurt voice that made me feel even worse. “I came to the Northern Valos seeking a place to call home. Harming you and your people would defeat that purpose. I see the way you all look at Lydia. You love her and embrace her as one of your own, and I want that, too. I just want a place to belong, where I won’t suffer the way I have been since crashing on this planet, and before that while stuck on that space penitentiary. I just wanted to help.”
Her pleading tone tugged at me. I took her hand and coaxed her to sit on the bench before sitting next to her.
“It is disturbing that you should defend Lucie after what she has done,” I said, hiding none of my confusion. “Did she not hurt you, too?”
Kira nodded the same way Lydia always did. That seemed to be one human interaction consistent among their people.
“Yes, she did. But things aren’t always black and white, Duke. On that ship, we all did what we had to do to survive. I’m not excusing her actions, but I understand them.” Kira held my hand with both hands, her eyes and voice begging me to believe her. “I told you about my first meeting with Dr. Sobin. What I didn’t tell you is that after she gave up experimenting on me, she wanted me to be her assistant as well. The only reason she didn’t force me to do it was my inability to withstand regular temperatures. Otherwise, she would have done to me what she did to Lucie.” She ran shaky fingers through her hair before continuing. “Lucie didn’t have a choice. She would have been tortured, and they would have hurt her family back on Earth if she hadn’t agreed. In her place, I very likely would have done the same to survive and, above all, to protect those I love.”
I reflected on her words for a moment. They had merit, but they didn’t fully assuage my concerns.
“How do you know that she hasn’t developed a taste for such control over others?” I asked. “How do you know her intentions are pure?”
Kira shrugged. “I don’t pretend to know what’s in her heart. I only know what she has shown since our arrival here. We owe her our lives. There were five other humans with me. We had found refuge in a small village and were hungry, wounded, and trying to survive the crazy creatures you have on this planet. She came to us, bringing medicine and offered us asylum in Caldera. Lucie didn’t owe us anything. She already had the Fire Valos wrapped around her finger. We had nothing to offer but extra mouths to feed. Well... except for Amber. But Amber is amazing.”
I frowned, unsure how to handle it. Kira noticed my hesitation and sighed.
“Look, I’m not asking you to like her,” she said. “But give her a chance to explain. Give the Fire Valos a chance. They’re good people. You don’t want to trust them with the heartstone casings? That’s fine. Just don’t assume the worst about them because they welcomed someone who has done wrong in her past. Remember, I did wrong, too, but I don’t consider myself a bad person.”
“I hear your words, Kira, and acknowledge the wisdom they contain. I make no promises, but I will keep an open mind and encourage the others to do the same.”
She beamed at me, and that pleasant heat blossomed again in the pit of my stomach.
“Thank you. That’s all I can ask.” Her thumb caressed the back of my hand. “I want to make a new life here. I want this to be my home. Right here, right now, I swear to you that I’ll never do anything to harm you or the Northern Valos.”
While her words touched me, it was her desire to make a home here that made my heartstone flare. Did she mean here in E’Lek, or in this dwelling with me?
I opened my mouth to respond, but the door chime resonated, cutting me off. I frowned, annoyed but not overly surprised by the disturbance.
“Excuse me, I must go see who calls,” I said freeing my hand from hers and rising to my feet.
“Of course,” she whispered, rising as well.
I swiftly made my way to the entrance, Kira shadowing me at a distance. As I had suspected, the front door opened on Fonzik, one of my fellow Builders.
“Sorry for the disruption, brother, but we need your assistance to build the furnace,” Fonzik said.
“No problem. I just need a moment to finish getting Kira settled in, then I will come join you,” I said.
Fonzik touched two fingers to his heartstone in thanks and stole a furtive, but suspicious glance at Kira over my shoulder before leaving. I frowned. Kira’s words echoed back in my mind. She was right; we needed to be careful not to become too quick to judge and condemn because we’d been abused by the Creators.
I turned back to Kira. “I must go aid the others. But first, let me show you the bath if you wish to use it.”
I led her down the left corridor and past the bedroom she had chosen for herself, silencing the fleeting thought that Lydia had loved the Strangers’ bath tastes. I hoped Kira would as well. However, they seemed to so often be opposite in what they liked that I didn’t really know what to expect.
“Every house has one like that. Lydia calls it a rowmin bath.
Kira frowned. “Romin...?” Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. “You mean a Roman bath? You have a flipping Roman bath in your house? All of you do?”
The awe in her voice made me tingle with pleasure. I liked stirring that kind of reaction from her.
Unlike other rooms in the house, the rowmin bath room didn’t require activating a switch. The back wall at the end of the corridor looked like an ornate dead-end. But upon our approach, the hidden motion detector slid the door open.
“Holy cow!” Kira whispered, stepping into the room.
Tall, sculpted columns surrounded the large pool. Here again, Qaezul’s artistic talents shone through with the illuminated swirling patterns along the walls and up on the ceiling. Strategically placed glow stones created an abstract representation of the shimmering lights that frequently danced in our night skies.
“This is breathtaking!” Kira said, walking around the wide lounging area surrounding the bath.
A few ornate benches and pedestals, with more glow stones, bathed the room in a blueish-green light with some pink and purple accents; like the shimmering lights that lit up the sky.
“The water is likely too warm for you,” I said. “The lava-lake below the city heats it. For now, I can cool the water for you if you wish to bathe. In the upcoming days, I will build a filter and connect it to the cold water from the river.”
“Oh, you don’t have to go through such trouble,” she said. Despite the sincerity in her voice, the longing in her eyes as she gazed upon the bath couldn’t be denied. “I can go to the river to bathe. It’s not even a five-minute walk.”
I shrugged, a human movement I had grown quite fond of. “It’s no trouble at all, Kira. I am a Builder, remember? Such projects please me.”
Summoning my frost, I walked around the bath, pushing in wave after wave of cold. The hot water resisted me at first but eventually began to cool. I formed thick plaques of ice along the sides, and tried to give them ornate shapes to somewhat embellish the whole thing. I finished with a large boulder of ice, in the front left corner, which I sculpted in the general shape of a Frosty. Kira burst out laughing when she finally recognized what it was. She shook her head at me, but the tender emotion behind her smile heated up my heartstone. The pleasant warmth spread to my belly, making my abdominal muscles contract.
Wishing I didn’t have to go, I walked to the first column nearest the entrance and pressed a hidden switch to reveal a compartment containing bath oils and towels.
“You will find anything you need here for your bath,” I said, fighting the urge to scratch my navel at the thought of Kira naked in my bath. “If the water begins to warm before you are done, seize the opportunity to practice your frost by strengthening the ice I placed around.”
“I promise not to let the Frosty melt before I’m done,” she said with a teasing tone.
I smiled. This time, the sight of my sharp teeth didn’t seem to faze her at all. That pleased me.
“I must leave now,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Will you be on the plaza?” she asked. “Can I come watch you work? The city is so beautiful, I’d love to take a walk around it.”
My stomach dropped, hating that I had to disappoint her. I hesitated, looking for the right words.
“It is best you do not leave the house without me or any other escort,” I said, my heartstone throbbing at her crestfallen expression. “It’s only temporary,” I added quickly. “Just give me a chance to show you the city, so you don’t get lost, and for the others to get to know you.”
More like get to trust you.
From the way she pinched her lips, she understood the real cause of my reluctance. Yet, with an unexpected grace, she shook off her resentment and smiled at me.
“Thank you, Duke. For everything. You’ve been amazing to me.”
Too many clumsy words pressed themselves on my lips. Touching two fingers to my heartstone instead, I made a swift exit. After barely taking two steps outside, I saw Lydia and Lorvek coming towards my house, laden with large, heavy looking bags. I paused, waiting for them to arrive.
“We’re bringing some clothes, food, and accessories for Kira,” Lydia said as they reached me.
“Thank you, that is very kind of you.”
Lydia shrugged. “It’s only natural. I wanted to speak with her anyway. It will give us a chance to bond at the same time.”
Worry must have shown on my face because she gave me a scolding look.
“I’m not going to cause trouble,” she said, sounding slightly offended. “You should know me better.”
I did. It shamed me that the thought even crossed my mind. However, Lorvek’s presence concerned me. She was our moderator, calming everyone when things became too intense. Why did Lydia require her presence?
She noticed my furtive glance towards Lorvek, and understanding lit her ice-blue eyes.
“Lorvek is only helping me carry all this stuff,” Lydia said. “Kira must be feeling pretty overwhelmed and isolated. This is just going to be a human-to-human talk, to get her up to speed on life in E’Lek and, hopefully, for me to find out what has happened to some of my friends from the Concord.”
That reassured me a little. Lydia had a gentle soul, but I felt excessively protective of Kira. I could finally relate to what I had considered as odd behavior from Qaezul when he first met Lydia.
“Thank you, Lydia. Kira is currently taking a bath, but after that, it will be good for her to have some company while I assist your mate. I may be gone a while.”
“Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll be gentle with your girl.”
My girl...
That sounded so right. Now that the thought had entered my mind, I didn’t think it would ever leave. Touching my fingers to my heartstone, I took my leave and let them proceed into my house. Making my way to the plaza, bustling with activity, I caught myself look
ing over my shoulder a few times. On the fifth or sixth time, I saw Lorvek exiting alone, and the knot that had formed in my chest loosened up.
Qaezul sat hard at work, crafting a mold of the casing in a droxuan stone, one of the hardest materials we could find. If only we had gems big enough to make the mold. They could withstand greater temperatures and our Crafters had plenty of experience working with them. But that would have been too easy.
Qae’s gaze weighed heavily on me as I picked a stone slab and began cutting it into blocks that would build the furnace. I could guess the questions burning his lips. A quick glance at my Builder brothers sufficed to make them understand I wished for some privacy. They gracefully scattered, taking their own slabs of stone a reasonable enough distance to allow Qae and me to speak freely, sheltered from indiscreet ears.
His eyes glowed with curiosity and a teasing smile stretched his lips. I’d given him plenty of grief over his infatuation with Lydia. I should have expected he would get back at me now that I behaved the same way over another human female.
“You two seem close,” Qae said without qualm.
My ears heated and my heartstone flared. “We have been bonding at the cave and on our way here.”
“She has awakened your protective instincts,” he said, matter-of-fact.
“Yes,” I said. “Almost immediately, as soon as I realized she wasn’t a Creator.”
A troubled look crossed Qae’s features.
“The resemblance is quite disturbing,” Qae said, nodding like a human. He had adopted many gestures from his mate. “My Lydia had told me humans came in different shades, but I must admit I’d never expected such extreme contrast.”
“It is indeed strange,” I conceded. “That makes me all the more confused that I should be so drawn to her. Her similarities with Tarakheen should turn me away. Yet, my heartstone sings when I’m near her, and it burns when we’re parted. Why do I feel so strongly when I’ve only just met her?”
Qae shrugged. “Lydia affected me the same way. The moment I saw her walking into the city, she fascinated me. Only the absence of my heartstone allowed me to analyze her appeal in a rational way. But the moment I had regained the ability to feel and my eyes met hers, there was no turning back; she owned me.”