Deceit (The Stellar Series Book 1)

by Rebecca Clark

  The sound of voices slink under the door and I strain to hear what’s being said. There’s no mistaking one of the hushed tones as Kasper’s. The other voice is a woman’s. I can’t tell what they’re saying, but I know whatever it is, they don’t want me to hear.

  I dry myself briskly off and get dressed. It’s weird that Kasper has a prepared change of clothes for me. The black pants are a little short, but they will do. However, the pink tank top fits perfectly. I hang my towel back on the wall and hurry out to see who is here.

  I was expecting someone similar to Kasper; instead, it’s a girl a little shorter than me. She appears to be about my age, with black hair cascading halfway down her back. When she turns around, she catches me off guard. She’s very pale, sparkly skin and large, piercing purple eyes. Something about her is very attractive. I wonder if she’s Kasper’s girlfriend.

  She takes two steps toward me, her smile forced. “You must be Alexa.”

  “Um, yeah,” I mutter awkwardly.

  “I’m Tam. I’ve been awaiting your arrival. I hope the clothes fit.” She scans me up and down. “They’ll do for now.”

  “Yes, they fit. Thank you.” I’m not sure what else to say to her. I still have so many questions, but would she be able to answer them?

  “I’m sorry, I have to run out again. There’s a lot to do, now that you’re here. We must get to work. Plus, it’s getting dark, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” She opens the door and dashes out, not even giving me time to respond to her odd comment.

  “Do you feel better, Alexa?” Kasper asks.

  “Yes, I guess so. I’m still so confused. Why does she think she’ll make me uncomfortable?” I say in a near-whisper.

  His expression mildly perplexed, Kasper leans against the wall and studies me as if I’m some sort of science experiment. His staring is so intense, I peer down at the floor and take a deep breath, hoping that will generate a response of some sort. What’s he thinking?

  I finally break down. “What?”

  Quickly, his gaze turns playful and a knowing grin inches across his face.

  “Am I amusing you?” I snap.

  He finally nods enthusiastically and comments, “There’s just so much to tell you. And since it’s getting darker, I’m watching your true form start to show. It is indeed amusing.”

  “What do you mean, my true form?” Bile wriggles up the back of my throat. My body is warm, feverish. What does he see?

  “Well, Alexa, since you’re half Pumalian and half Mapu, your true form will depend on what planet you’re on. When nighttime comes, or in Aurora’s case, when the artificial light dims into darkness, all beings appear in their true forms—although not to their fullest extent. What you saw earlier on our walk here is the acceptable alien form for traveling—it won’t alarm humans or other aliens. It’s almost like camouflage.

  “Since we all have to live together here, it’s best to have the option of both. Some aliens can really be uptight around the beings whose true forms include multiple heads and towering stature.”

  I can tell he’s enjoying my squirming discomfort. “You’re joking, right?” I drop my gaze to my hands, breaking our eye contact.

  He draws a deep breath and says, “You won’t look too different than you do now. Just a few subtle changes, like hair color, eye color, and perhaps skin color and height. But don’t worry. These changes will be in effect only in darkness. During the day, when there’s sunlight, you’ll appear in the same likeness as you did on Earth. Eventually, once you’re on your home planet for a long enough period of time, either here on Pumalia or Mapu, you’ll change less and less in the dark. We’re on Pumalia, but underground, so the effects are lessened at this depth.”

  “What? You think those are a few things? What’s left?” My lungs tighten, the early stages of dizziness tease my conscience, and hyperventilation is inevitable. I don’t want him to see that I’m upset, but at the same time, he just told me my true form is beginning to show. How could this be? I don’t feel any different. I inspect my hands again. My skin seems shinier.

  Kasper adds, “For example, Tam—she’s from Pumalia, and her features are stronger down here than most. Dark hair and purple eyes are a common characteristic for Pumalia and Mapu.”

  “I’ll have purple eyes?” I cry.

  “There’s a mirror in the closet if you want to see for yourself.” His voice drips with enjoyment.

  I shake my head. “I’m all set. I think I’m going to sleep. I’m very tired and I have a lot to process.” I walk over to the couch and plop myself down. I really don’t want to talk to him any longer. He makes me nervous, and I think he knows it. Even more, I think he likes it.

  “Whatever you want, Alexa. I’m actually going to step out for a bit—I don’t want my true form to scare you on the first night. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back by the time you wake up.”

  I watch him gather a few things and leave. I’m all by myself on another planet, underground. All of this is so surreal. I close my eyes and try to remember my once-boring life.

  The orange light creeping through the windows startles me awake. I open my eyes and realize that I’m still on Kasper’s couch and not where I want to be: in my comfortable bed back on Earth.

  I peer over the back of the couch to see Kasper and Tam sitting quietly. Tam looks appalled, Kasper somewhat relieved.

  I swallow my uneasiness, rise, and approach them. “Are you guys waiting for me?”

  “Is she kidding?” Tam mutters under her breath.

  “Sort of,” Kasper answers nonchalantly. “We need to start informing you of what’s happening.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” I fire back, annoyed. Why were they just waiting for me?

  Suddenly defensive, Tam jumps to her feet. “We did, and you threw the chair at me!”

  Tam’s outburst makes me laugh out loud. She has to be crazy. I can’t lift and throw chairs, especially when sleeping.

  I turn to her companion. “Kasper, I’m not sure why Elena wanted me to come with you, but I’m ready to leave. I don’t need to be yelled at by an Alien!”

  Tam shoots Kasper a look of disproval and sits back down.

  “Alexa, I told you there are things we need to go over, and the sooner, the better. Tam is just upset because you attempted to kill her.” Kasper’s voice is so calm that I can’t possibly believe what he’s saying. How can someone act so calm and tell lies like this?

  “I didn’t try to kill her. I was sleeping on the couch. Are you both crazy?” I start to pace angrily in front of them.

  “Relax, Alexa, we know you didn’t do it on purpose. But that’s why we need to start briefing you on your potential abilities.”

  Kasper’s know-it-all attitude only frustrates me more. The anger sinks into the pit of my stomach and releases a tingling sensation into my body. My arms begin to shake and my fingers start to glow.

  “Alexa, listen to me.” His tone is suddenly urgent. “Take a deep breath and calm down before you do something we’ll all regret.”

  “What’s happening to me?” I stare down at my hands in disbelief. Ten tiny glowing flashlights illuminate the ends of my fingers. The room begins to spin. I close my eyes and concentrate on what Kasper said. I take a few deep breaths.

  “This is just great,” Tam whispers.

  “Tam, you’re not helping here. Please, hush,” Kasper hisses.

  I open my eyes. The spinning room comes to a screeching halt. I see my ten fingers are no longer glowing, and Kasper and Tam are watching me in wide-eyed disbelief.

  “Apparently, you two have a lot to tell me.” Embarrassment heats my face. I keep my eyes on the table, trying to avoid the awkward situation.

  “The thing is, Alexa, we don’t have all of the answers. We don’t know exactly what your powers are—that is, besides throwing chairs in your sleep and your fingers lighting up. We can assume that telekinesis is among your skills, but that’s all we can assume. It could
be a lot more.” Kasper’s expression is serious, his smirk gone.

  I nod. “When do we begin?”

  “Now,” they say in unison.

  I pull a chair out and sit down across from them.

  Chapter Ten

  I would be lying if I said the past two days were lacking answers. In all reality, the past two days have made me question my sanity and basically everything else I’ve ever known.

  Kasper and Tam are turning out to be pretty cool aliens. Sometimes I pretend I’m in New York City, because this underground planet is a giant melting pot for extraterrestrials that are having problems on their own planet. I’ve been too tired to stay up to see their true forms—or mine, for that matter. I want to take that part of the process very slowly because honestly, I’m really freaked out.

  Tam filled me in on my mother. She told me that she’s a power monger on the planet Mapu and is known all over the galaxy for her tyrannical ways. Apparently, she was born into a Mapu family that held a spot in the oligarchy, but over the years, the numbers of powerful families have dwindled, so now it’s solely her running the planet. She refers to herself as the queen and no one challenges her.

  Then there’s the story of my father, because a crazy mother isn’t enough. He was born on Pumalia and his mother was also Pumalian, but his father was from a distant, now extinct planet, Plito. My grandfather had significant powers that were passed down to my father. Those powers are what make my fingers light up, send electrical currents through my body, and allow me to throw things without picking them up; it’s possible they aided me in my escape from the castle, too.

  Kasper thinks my father had a master plan that included hiding me on Earth with Elena as my pseudo-mother. They assume that he hid me so my lovely mother wouldn’t use my powers against her enemies. I have yet to confirm if my powers are really all that powerful. Right now, I’m learning what provokes them, and I haven’t had much luck controlling them. Unfortunately, I don’t have any brothers or sisters to ask, and my parents are not resources I can go to either, so I’m left here trying to figure it all out.

  Kasper and Tam also seem to think that, based on some of my grandfather’s other abilities, besides telekinesis, my powers could include some form of mind control and, possibly, time travel. They know someone who can help me explore these abilities, but I want a few more days to learn about my history and the general history of the galaxy before I’m all mighty and powerful. That sounds like a joke, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

  Also, Kasper has heard that in the time we’ve been hiding here, there has been a full-scale search driven by Maddox and his people to find me. I can’t help but wonder if Jax is searching for me as well.

  “Kasper,” I announce suddenly, “I’m going for a walk.” He looks up from his book and silently nods. These four walls taunt me, I must escape and breathe.

  “Don’t be long; we have much more to discuss, and Tam will be back soon. You know how she hates waiting,” he adds.

  I roll my eyes in his direction and march out of the house. The temperature here seems to vary, which strikes me as odd. We’re underground; the air would normally be stale and warm, but it isn’t.

  I stroll down the cobblestone path and pass by the center of town. Not too many beings are out and about. I can’t say I blame them, since it will soon be dark. That’s why I want to get out for some air and alone time before the twilight settles in.

  Every time I venture from the house, I find myself drawn to the edge of town. I like to sit on the rocks and pretend that this really isn’t happening to me. I watch a beautiful, natural, cascading waterfall and it soothes my nerves.

  I close my eyes and try to remember the dreams I had prior to my arrival. Jax was so warm and comforting. I truly believed I was safe with him. Something about him was familiar.

  Curling up on the rock, I relive my last moments with Jax. He was in my room, watching me. Why would he have done that if he were trying to capture me from the beginning?

  “Alexa, where are you?”

  Jax’s voice. I can hear it, but how?

  “Jax?” Am I imagining his voice? I blink and open my eyes. My only comfort is the cool breeze from the waterfall. I close my eyes again. I hear his voice.

  “Alexa, I’m looking for you. I want to help you. You’re in danger. Tell me where you are—I’ll come and get you.” I can tell by his voice that he’s sincere.

  “I’m okay, Jax, don’t worry about me.” Part of me wants to tell him everything. I want him to come and get me. “How are we talking?”

  “I’m not sure, but for some reason I can hear you in my head. It feels like you’re looking for me. I can’t explain it.” His voice wavers with uncertainty, but I know that maybe this is one of my powers.

  “It’s safe here. I’m learning about who I am.” I try to sound confident, but part of me wonders who I can really trust. That reminds me that I have to go before it gets dark.

  “Alexa, be careful. From what I’ve learned about you and your family, it will be hard to trust anyone. You come from an elite bloodline, and you possess the ability to be a real game-changer.”

  “Thank you for telling me, but I must go.” I sweep my gaze over the familiar surroundings—the waterfall, the city in the distance. It’s getting darker. That realization scares me enough to jump to my feet. In my mind, I try to send Jax a message not to worry about me. But who knows if he’ll even get it.

  I collect my thoughts and slowly descend from my perch. When I land on the ground, I know I’m not alone. I try to keep my composure and look around without being too obvious.

  One foot in front of the other, I keep repeating in my head. Even though I keep moving forward, I know that the being is closing in on me. I decide to take a stand. I spin around to confront my stalker, but no one is there.

  “I know you’re there,” I say, my voice riddled with worry.

  The path behind me has tall green shrubs on both sides. It’s a place where anyone could hide, I realize, and fear paralyzes me as I wait. A few moments pass.

  Then he steps out of a patch of greenery.

  “Alexa, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Michael! What are you doing here?” My eyes must be deceiving me. My heart starts to beat harder and faster. I’m staring at the boy I left on Earth, in my old life.

  “Well, I thought you would be happier to see me,” he jokes.

  I shake my head in disbelief. He grabs my hand and pulls me closer. His dark-brown eyes shimmer in the twilight, sending a trail of goosebumps down my arm.

  Forcing myself to step back, I stand there trying to absorb what I’m actually seeing. “But how could you be here?” My voice shudders with surprise.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one who has been keeping secrets.” He flashes me his beautiful smile and I can feel myself slowly melting inside.

  “Michael, what are you doing here? How did you get here?” His gaze hasn’t left my face while I anxiously await his answers.

  “Alexa, sit down and I’ll explain everything.”

  I stumble backward and perch myself on a rock. I feel nauseous, overloaded by trying to process everything.

  “Are you okay?” I can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s sympathetic to how I’m dealing with another new development in this crazy nightmare. “Honestly, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just important that no one else sees me.”

  “Why, who are you? How did you get here?” I demand. My chest tightens. Tears will be next. I’m physically and mentally exhausted.

  “Alexa, how much do you know about yourself? Like where you really come from?” He leans against the nearest tree and stares at me, waiting for an answer.

  “All I know for sure is that this is messed up and I want to go home.” And in that instant, the tears start pouring out of me. I’m embarrassed, but only for a minute.

  Michael takes my hands and tugs me down off the rock. “Please, don’t cry.” He wipes t
he tears from my face and draws me against him. His familiar, sweet, musky scent instantly comforts me. I let him hold me until he pries me off, distancing himself from me. “I’ll explain.”

  “Please do, because a few days ago we were taking a Biology exam and now we are on a different Planet in some underground alien hideout. So please tell me who you are and why you’re here.” My last request sounds more like a plea than a question.

  “I’m like you, Alexa. I’m not from Earth. I was born and raised on Mapu. I’m not here to upset you. I’ve come for you.”

  “I’m sorry, Michael. This is just all so hard. So much has happened. My mom isn’t really my mom and she might be dead because of me…”

  His eyebrows furrow and I can tell he’s debating whether he should tell me something. He opens his mouth, but no words came out at first. Then he says, “Alexa, I’ll tell you everything, but right now, I need you to listen to me.” Gazing up at the artificial sky, then back down to me, he warns, “We don’t have much time. Our true forms will be appearing soon, and I don’t want you to be scared or alarmed.”

  “So you’re just like me? I mean we both are really aliens from somewhere other than Earth.” The possibility of this being true alleviates some tension. I’m not alone.

  I draw away, wondering if my transformation is already in process. My face is warming. What if my transformation scares him off? “What’re we going to do?” I ask.

  He takes in his surroundings, his gaze distant while he thinks, mentally forming a plan. “We could go through it together. Or we could meet up in a few hours, when the light gets brighter.” I can tell the last option isn’t his first preference.

  “Do you know what your features are in alien form?” I don’t mean for the words to sound so harsh, but I can’t help wondering how bad it could really be.

  Michael levels a stare at me with his eyebrows raised. “Yes, I do. You don’t?”