“Can we chat for minute?” she softly asked.
She was there. He could sense it, and he felt his heart tick up.
“Of course,” he smiled. “Let’s sit down.”
They settled on the couch, and as she looked into his brilliant eyes, now a soft green, she suddenly knew exactly how she felt and what she wanted. Not that she’d doubted her need to be with him, but there was more to it than that. She didn’t want to simply vanish from the planet. Her family would be worried, and she would not let them believe anything bad had happened to her.
“The thing is,” she began, not sure how to put all her thoughts into words. “I want to be with you, here. You know that, right?”
“You haven’t given me any reason to think otherwise,” he replied, “and I hoped you did. It’s certainly how I feel, but we haven’t talked about it, and I’m glad we’re doing that now.”
As he’d spoken, he realized he had been ready, he’d been ready for a while, and the conversation felt surprisingly overdue.
“I must talk to my family,” she said firmly. “They have no idea where I am, and I don’t even know how long I’ve been gone.”
“Of course you must,” he said quickly, “and I can show you how do to that. You can call them whenever you want, you can even visit them. That can be easily arranged.”
“It can? That’s wonderful, thank you,” she smiled, letting out a sigh. “That was my biggest worry, but aside from that, I do have obligations, bills to pay, my friends and my work. When I think about it, it all feels so complicated.”
“It’s not, not really,” he assured her. “You can certainly give notice at the gallery.”
“Yes, that part isn’t a problem,” she agreed, “but what about staying in touch with my friends?”
“That’s no different from staying in touch with your family. You can even communicate through one of your antiquated computers, or rather, it will seem that you’re communicating through such a machine.”
“Really?”
“I promise you,” he said fervently. “I would never separate you from your family and loved ones. It will be as if you’re living in another country, but staying in touch and visiting will be a whole lot easier. No airports, no long plane flights, nothing like that.”
“Oh, right. I hadn’t thought about that,” she grinned, “but what should I tell them I do for work? I have to have a job!”
“What about saying you’re a tour guide, or a travel consultant, something like that. If you want to keep your apartment, you can do that too. The rent will be paid. You don’t have to worry about such things… that is, if you choose to be paired with me.”
“That’s like being married, right?” she asked, lowering her voice.
“It is exactly like being married. There is even a ceremony. Is that what you want?” he asked, dropping his voice to match hers, and tracing the outline of her lips with his tingling fingertip. “Will this lovely mouth say what I want to hear? Will you pair with me, Ellie Blake?”
Her heart skipped. He’d just asked her, officially, to marry him.
“Do I want to marry an alien?” she managed, a sudden emotional heat pulsing at the back of her throat. “Yes, I do, Valodar, more than anything.”
He was sure his heart would explode, and the energy flow would be greater than the blast from the Sparian ship. Pulling her against him, holding her tightly, he swallowed back the huge swell of emotion surging through his body.
“There is no one happier in all the galaxy,” he murmured. “I have been waiting for you for so long, and now you’re here, and you’re mine.”
Clutching her hair, he gently tilted back her head, pressed his lips onto hers, and softly, warmly, lovingly kissed her.
“Do you promise to kiss me like that all the time?” she panted as he pulled back.
“All the time?” he grinned. “What about eating and sleeping and—”
“Let me rephrase,” she murmured. “Do you promise to kiss me like that often?”
“I promise.”
“There is one thing,” she began, “but I don’t know how this could happen.”
“What is it?” he asked, releasing her hair. “I can feel it’s important.”
“Is there any chance that we can also be married at my parents’ home? I’d like to do that for them.”
“It would be difficult,” he said thoughtfully. “It would have to be when it’s dark, and perhaps a physician here can provide me with drops strong enough to get me through a few days. There will be other challenges, but we’ll figure them out. I know this matters to you, and I want you to be happy.”
“Thank you, and I am, I’m deliriously happy. Wow. This is incredible. I need to call home. Can I? I need to.”
“Of course. You’ll need to use the communications center,” then dropping his tone, he added, “you know, the one you found!”
“Oh, yeah,” she mumbled, “that.”
“That, and sneaking into the Terminus, hiding in my pod. Sound familiar? These are things we need to discuss, don’t you think? Some discipline is in order, wouldn’t you agree?”
She could feel her face flushing, but leaning forward, he kissed her softly, and taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet.
“First things first, isn’t that what you say? Come on, I’ll show you how to make calls.”
But her butterflies had burst to life, and the threat of her pending punishment, whatever it might be, escorted her as they walked through the bedroom and into the closet.
A short time later, after showing her which buttons to push and how to place the call, he stood for a minute, a frown crossing his face, and she saw his eyes darkening.
“Valodar? What is it?”
“Regardless of how everything turned out, there is a woman named Raven who purposely set out to hurt you, and caused Endolin to suffer even more than she was already suffering.”
“I know,” Ellie said soberly. “I haven’t mentioned it because I just wanted to forget about it.”
“While you’re talking to your family, I see if she’s still here, and if she is, I’m going to deal with her. She cannot be allowed to walk away from this unpunished.”
“Will you be long?”
“It’s hard to say, but probably not. You make your call,” he said, smiling at her and kissing her lightly. “I’ll see you later.”
Letting out a sigh, she watched him leave. It was true. Raven, whoever she was, had caused her all kinds of grief, and she hoped Valodar would be able to track her down.
Focusing back on the control center, she sat down, pushed the buttons, and flicked the switches, and on her screen her parents’ phone number came into view. Moments later, the sounds of a normal phone call rang through the closet, and she almost fell into tears when she heard her mother’s voice.
“Hi, Mum, it’s me, sorry to have been out of touch.”
“Honey,” her mother declared, her voice full of excitement. “How are you? Wait, let me get your father on the extension.”
Home. She missed them. She missed them very much, and the sound of her Labrador barking in the background made her miss it even more.
“Hi, you two,” she said, fighting the heat in her throat and wishing she could tell them all her news, everything, without any pretenses. Would there come a day when she’d be able to?
“Hey, sweetie,” her father said. “What’s new?”
“I have a new job,” she exclaimed. “I’ll be traveling.”
“You will? That’s wonderful,” her father exclaimed. “What sort of job?”
“I’ll be working for an international pottery company.”
“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful,” her mother said, absolutely delighted for her. “I hope you’ll still be able to make some pieces. You’re so talented.”
“I will,” Ellie replied firmly.
She’d yet to share that with Valodar, but she was determined that was going to happen, and she couldn’t wait to discover
all the amazing new materials she’d be able to use.
“There’s something else,” she continued. “I’ve met someone.”
“Tell us everything,” her father said quickly. “I hope he knows if he isn’t good to my little girl, he’ll have me to answer to.”
“Dad, he’s the best. He travels a great deal as well, and he can fly us anywhere. He’s a private pilot. He even has his own plane, and he’s very successful, oh, and Dad, he flew for the RAF.”
It was all true, sort of, and she’d felt a wave of immense pride as she’d told them.
“That sounds great, sweetie,” her father said happily. “A military man, excellent. What’s his rank?”
“Uh, I’m not sure,” she stammered. “He’s not serving anymore.”
“You best bring him here soon. I want to meet him. I’m looking forward to it.”
“What’s his name?” her mother asked.
“Victor. Victor Lodar, but he has a nickname, Valodar.”
“Because he received a medal of valor?” her father suggested.
“Something like that, but I should tell you, he has a disfigurement.”
“A disfigurement?” her mother repeated. “What sort of disfigurement?”
“He has six fingers.”
“Sounds like that’d come in mighty handy,” his father chuckled.
She could tell her father was both delighted and relieved. His little girl had met a man who was acceptable, and as the conversation continued, they told her the latest goings-on in their lives. When call finally came to an end, Ellie knew they’d soon be sitting around the table with her two brothers, drinking tea, eating cake, and sharing all her exciting news.
Ellie was at peace with her decision, and she was happy, truly happy.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Valodar quickly found out that Raven was still on the station, and had remained at the Luxury Suites hospitality center that Tavlon had arranged for her. She needed her comeuppance, but Valodar knew she was the queen of semantics, and she’d claim not to have broken her promise. Whether or not she had technically done so, she had manipulated an innocent, trusting Quillian into carrying out her dirty work, a purposeful, nasty, and hurtful act against Ellie. Raven needed to be punished, but arriving at the luxury accommodations, he still hadn’t determined what form that punishment would take.
Walking up to the reception desk, he was told she was in the private gardens lounging by the dipping waters, and he marched down the hallway and pushed through the doors. Wandering out into the beautiful courtyard, he saw several guests lounging in front of the two pools. One was infused with healing minerals from various planets, and the other steamed with its heat. Females were serving drinks and snacks, soft music permeated the air; the scene was one of peaceful tranquility
His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted Raven lying in a reclining chair, dressed in a soft pink, shimmering dress, looking like exactly who she was: a wealthy young woman enjoying the fruits of her fortunate birth. As he stood watching her, studying the scene, an idea suddenly bloomed into life. He knew exactly what to do with her.
“Look,” he heard one of the guests say, nodding across at him. “Isn’t that Monitor Valodar?”
Before the incident with the Sparians, he was well known, but his courage had saved them all, and now he was famous.
Hearing the remark, Raven opened her eyes and sat up. Had he changed his mind about the Earth female? Did he want to spend time with her after all? As he began walking toward her, another thought came to mind. Was he there because he had learned about her conversation with Endolin? He was drawing closer, and her heart sank. It was obvious from the look on his face, that was exactly why he had tracked her down.
“Raven,” he declared, his voice stern, and loud enough for everyone else to hear. “You are a very wicked young woman.”
Public scenes were rare, and Raven felt her pretty lemon skin begin to burn.
“I, uh, what do you mean?” she asked unsteadily, her large dark eyes staring up at him innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“That you have chosen to immediately lie to me, rather than apologize and accept responsibility, is disappointing. Have you no remorse?”
He could sense all eyes were upon them, and Raven’s face was beginning to turn orange; she was deeply embarrassed.
“Valodar, please, can’t we talk about this inside?” she begged, her voice hushed. “Let me explain privately, not out here in front of these strangers.”
“Sir Valodar to you, young lady,” he continued, his voice remaining strict and clear. “You hurt my Earth female, a female to whom you now owe a great debt. Were it not for her, you would not be lolling as you are, you would not be enjoying this lovely place; you would be at the mercy of the Sparians, assuming you had survived.”
“I, uh, heard she was instrumental in, uh, the defeat of the ship,” she stammered. “That’s wonderful, and we are all very grateful, now can’t we go inside?”
“Everyone should know that you are untrustworthy, and public chastisement is an appropriate punishment.” he scolded. “You broke your promise. Tell me, tell us, what you have to say in your defense.”
“Sir Valodar, please,” she whispered, “let’s go up to my suite.”
“Absolutely not, and do not ask again. You very well know, as a monitor, I can exact discipline as I see fit, and a public scolding is just the beginning.”
“Please don’t do this, it’s so humiliating.”
“Did you show my human friend any mercy when you concocted your nasty scheme to cause us problems, or were you trying to scare her back to Earth?”
“It was Endolin—”
“Do not speak about an innocent Quillian you manipulated,” he scowled, cutting her off. “She may have carried out your wishes, but not because she wanted to. She is kind and sensitive, and she was caught in an impossible situation.”
Realizing her pleading was getting her nowhere, Raven decided to try another tack.
“Valodar,” she snapped, purposely dropping the Sir, “you have only the word of a Quillian, so you have no right to speak to me this way. I would suggest you back off before I report you to Commander Tavlon. You may be a hero, and you may be a monitor, but you don’t have the right to walk around and make accusations without solid proof!”
“Proof? I’d be happy to retrieve the truth elixir from my collar,” he warned, “and I do have that right.”
“What? No!”
“You are as foolish as you are duplicitous, conniving, and nasty,” he sternly admonished. “You have no remorse in you, none, and that in itself is shameful. If you do not own up to your actions, then I shall administer the truth elixir, and I suspect we will learn about more than just your manipulation of Endolin, and the details of how you broke your promise. It’s your choice, Raven. Do you want us to hear about all of your crimes?”
His words had stung, and stung badly, and the truth elixir? No! That was absolutely not an option, but she was sure he intended to spank her in public, and she couldn’t abide the thought. She was already humiliated, and being bent over his knee with her backside bared would be too much.
Should she give up, confess, and show remorse? Probably, but as she began searching for the right words, another thought flashed through her conniving mind, and it just might work.
Lowering her gaze to the ground, she rose from her chair. She was tall, and as she stood in front of him and lifted her eyes, filling them with fabricated deep regret, they were almost level with his. She saw they were dark blue. He was more than upset with her, he was furious.
“I am sorry, Monitor,” she said softly, with a slight, but winning smile, “but you cannot punish me. It is against regulations to spank in anger.”
“Did I say I was going to spank you?”
She looked at him, confounded.
“Aren’t you?”
“I am under no obligation to tell you your punishment before it i
s meted out. Now, the truth, or I shall administer the elixir. Did you, in any way, break your promise to me, whether directly or by innuendo?”
She paused for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. She was beaten.
“Yes, Monitor Valodar.”
“Did you purposely try to cause problems between the Earth female and me?”
“Yes, Monitor Valodar.”
“Did you do so because you were jealous and wanted me for yourself?”
“Yes, Monitor Valodar, and can we please just get this over with? It’s excruciating.”
“Did you see the pain you caused my Earth female? No! You did not! That was excruciating,” he growled, then suddenly grabbing her wrist, he yanked her forward, and hurled her into the cool dipping pool.
She let out a shriek as she flew through the air, and another as she hit the water. Her race were outstanding swimmers, their long lean bodies made for gliding effortlessly through the oceans, so he had no concern about her ability to cope. When she surfaced, he was pleased to see her face was bright orange, and her clothes were clinging to her body.
Turning his attention to the gathered guests, he discovered their numbers had grown. Word had spread through the hospitality center that Monitor Valodar was in the private gardens near the dipping waters, dealing with a wicked female who had hurt him and his Earthling.
“By the power vested in me as a monitor, I decree that this young woman is to be publicly spanked. I feel a certain amount of wrath toward her, so it is not my place to deliver the discipline. Would anyone here care to administer the punishment? It must be vigorously applied to her bare bottom.”
“No!” she yelled from the pool, horrified at the thought of being spanked in public, especially by a stranger.
“You have all heard her confession,” he continued, ignoring her, “and it is clear she has no remorse.”
“I do,” she yelled. “I do have remorse.”
“Raven,” he said sternly, looking down at her, “you need a strong lesson. What you did was reprehensible, and hopefully, next time something similar should cross your mind, you’ll think twice. Once the punishment is underway, I will call your father.”
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