Marked By Fire

by Meg Ripley

Her heart swelled with compassion at the same moment her sense of unreality finally settled in. Allie decided that there was one thing to do: move forward. They needed the artifact, and she would help them get it; they’d figure out the rest later. She remembered what Viseer said earlier, about her ship assuming she was dead; she felt a rush of gut-wrenching pain as she thought of Carter’s reaction, but she shoved it away before it could take hold of her.

  “So, this artifact. Do you know what it looks like?” Allie got to her feet and started to look at the bowels of the ship, staring into every exposed nook and cranny in case the two aliens had left something behind during their scavenge. “Or where it could be?”

  Araimeer stood and looked at Viseer, and there was a pregnant pause. “Yes,” he said finally. His tone made Allie turn toward him, and his expression was pained. “To both questions, actually.”

  Allie tugged at her ripped orange diving suit impatiently, looking from one cloaked alien to the other. “Well? What are you waiting for? Let’s get it.”

  Araimeer laughed. “Well, thanks for your spunk, Allie. It’s gonna be a little harder than just picking it up.”

  “Why?”

  Viseer went back to tinkering with the engine, and Araimeer smiled wanly. “It currently belongs to that jellyfish you met earlier.”

  Allie stared at him. I can’t believe this. I should have called in sick. “So how the hell are you going to get it back?”

  Araimeer walked over to her, and she could see the lines around his eyes in startling clarity. How long had they been without sleep? “We just need to draw it against the dome. It will stun it long enough for one of us to be able to stab through its stomach and rip out the stone—I know,” Araimeer said apologetically at the look of disgust on Allie’s face. “But it’s the only way. We can’t get it to come back, though. It won’t follow the bubbles. The stone made it into some power-hungry beast. It’s only drawn by electricity or nuclear energy, apparently.”

  Allie looked at Viseer, then back to Araimeer. He saw her train of thought immediately and answered the question before she could form it. “We could try to generate electricity, but we need to activate our electroglands.”

  Allie looked at him, mystified. “Electroglands? Glands that produce electricity? Like with the endocrine system?”

  “Yes,” Araimeer said, sounding impressed. “It’s hard to get both of our heartrates up for long enough, though. We could try fighting, but that would cause too much damage to our bodies and our surroundings. The only other thing is…”

  He suddenly stopped talking, and his blue eyes widened in regret. “I don’t want you think I’m suggesting—I didn’t—never mind!”

  Allie watched in confusion as Araimeer walked away from her and crouched over the transporter with Viseer, who didn’t move or even acknowledge the other alien. She narrowed her eyes and stepped over the stacks of books until she was behind them, waiting until Araimeer looked up to crouch next to him and smile warmly.

  “What is it, Araimeer?”

  Araimeer shook his head. “We’re not supposed to mate with humans.” He raised his eyes to hers, and Allie shivered—there was emotion held there that he couldn’t possibly feel after knowing her for so little time.

  Allie ignored the quickening of her pulse and sat next to him on the soft soil, feeling the cool sand beneath her diving suit. “Why not?”

  “We could hurt you,” he said quietly. “Even kill you.”

  Allie heard his words, but all she could focus on was the delicious surge of adrenaline coursing through her body as she watched his strong hands work on the machine. All she could think of was what she’d said earlier that day—she wasn’t feeling challenged by the Navy anymore. She was missing the passion, the rush—the spark. Here was that spark, in spades.

  Allie put her hands on Araimeer’s shoulders, and she heard his breath hitch. “Araimeer, I’m going to die down here if you guys don’t do something. I can’t stay down here forever, and by the look of those bags under your eyes, neither can you.”

  Araimeer’s eyes bored into hers, and the silence stretched between them for so long that Allie briefly wondered if she should shake him. Her skin tingled with need, but she forced herself to wait, to make him come to her. His eyes dropped to the curve of her lips, and she saw the desire register in his eyes, the hunger that had been plain there since they first met. They were drawn to each other, and it was more than physical; Allie wondered if they’d been pulled together by fate. If every step she’d taken had been leading up to this moment, then what harm could taking this step be? She heard a faint hum, and she shivered as the sound slithered across her skin.

  Viseer stood abruptly and spoke without looking at either of them. “I’m finished.”

  Araimeer twisted around and looked at the engine, blue eyes moving frantically as they examined the teleporter. “It’s ready for the stone?”

  Viseer nodded. “As soon as we can get it.”

  Araimeer turned back to Allie and swallowed, hard. She could see him forming excuses, but she could also see him fighting to beat those excuses into the ground; he clenched his fists and groaned, shaking his head of shaggy brown hair in frustration.

  “Viseer?”

  Viseer sighed. “I think it’s the only way, Araimeer. She’s right. We have to get out of here.”

  Araimeer nodded, excitement plain on his face. “But what are we going to do afterward?”

  Viseer smiled and turned to Araimeer, his brown eyes twinkling as he started to unclasp his robe. “Oh, we’ll figure something out.”

  Araimeer looked surprised, but he laughed softly and watched Viseer’s robe fall to his feet, revealing a slim body built like a swimmer’s—all broad shoulders and narrow waist, muscled thighs and long calves. Allie shivered, her eyes moving down his body to rest between his legs and at the patch of curly black hair surrounding his member.

  This is going so fast, she thought, and when she looked back at Araimeer, he was standing and pushing his robe to the sea floor, too. His body was wider, more powerfully built, and a shock of ginger curls surrounded his long, thick shaft. Allie felt a rush of moisture between her legs, and her breath started to quicken.

  Araimeer held out a hand. “Come on. We’ll be gentle.”

  Viseer was smiling faintly at her as Araimeer began to unzip her suit, peeling it away from her slim shoulders as he pressed gentle kisses into her back. “Are you okay with this?” Viseer asked, and his voice was filled with desire. “Both of us at the same time?”

  Allie was taken aback, both by his question and the urgency in his voice. She saw how much he’d been holding himself back from her, then; his grouchiness really had been a front. Araimeer hands were on her hips now, and his lips were brushing across the bare skin of her round ass. She nodded at Viseer, and he moved forward and kissed her, one hand wrapped around the base of his erection as his tongue gently massaged hers.

  Allie leaned into the kiss, thrusting her right breast forward into Viseer’s hand as he cupped her flesh and ran his thumb across her nipple. She let out a soft moan and moved his hand away from his shaft, wrapping her own hand around his thickness to gently tug on the base.

  Araimeer pulled her to her hands and knees, and Viseer followed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, his mouth slack with pleasure as Allie stroked him toward his climax. She watched in awe as streaks of gold started to appear on his muscles, flashing in the light of the dome, and she was overcome by how beautiful he was; the next moment, her focus was stolen by the feeling of Araimeer gripping her waist and pressing himself against her slick opening.

  Allie gasped and threw her head back, catching a glimpse of Araimeer’s lustful gaze as he thrusted himself inside her from behind, filling her body with a pleasure so intense that her legs weakened. Allie bent forward on her hands, and Araimeer gripped her waist as he thrust against her, his breath coming hard and heavy as her wet walls swallowed his shaft.

  Allie gripped Viseer�
�s shaft more tightly and moved her mouth over the head. Her body felt like a live wire, but the pleasure she felt from being filled by the two aliens was so intense she didn’t think she could stop if she wanted to; the energy she felt from their passion was stoking a flame in her that she thought had been extinguished long ago. She worked her mouth along Viseer’s shaft slowly, watching his reactions as Araimeer screamed in pleasure behind her. The flashes of gold were returning, and the heat in her body seemed to be building to a peak; Araimeer’s nails dug into her ass as he slammed into her, and each thrust came with a dizzying jolt of electricity. Viseer’s eyes were wild, and his hand was gripping the back of her head as he watched her head bob on his shaft.

  “Allie!” Araimeer shouted, but it seemed to be coming from far away. Viseer’s breathing was getting far away too, but she could feel the energy welling up in her body as they neared their climaxes. Then both men thrusted into her one final time, and as they emptied themselves, the air in the dome was filled with static energy, and an ear-splitting crack! shot through the air. Allie felt like her heart was beating outside of her chest, but her skin was crackling with energy, too—as the aliens pulled out of her, she was startled to see that her once pale skin was emitting a soft light. Even the veins in her wrists were lit up with a golden tint; Araimeer and Viseer crowded around her to compare their glowing bodies.

  “See?” Araimeer said, and Allie looked up to see that his eyes were a striking yellow-gold—and curiously moving, as though the pigment were alive. “We look a little less human now.”

  Viseer stood up and helped Allie to her feet, and she tried not to stare too hard at his eyes, which were orange-red, like campfire. His expression was grim, but he seemed a lot more willing to be friendly with her now that he didn’t have to hide part of himself from her. “More dangerous, too. So let us handle the jellyfish when it comes.”

  Allie laughed, and she was shocked to find that her voice sounded different to her ears—stronger, rougher. “Why would I try to jump in?” she felt curiosity well up inside her, but it was squashed when she saw something moving toward the dome. She gasped. “The jelly fish!”

  The two men turned and ran toward the largest hole in the ship, watching the mutant jellyfish swim toward them, its fang-filled mouth gaping wide open. Allie felt oddly without fear, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the electricity surging through her veins.

  “Do you see it?” Viseer was asking.

  Araimeer nodded. “Yeah, right below its mouth. It’s glowing so bright I can see it right through the skin.”

  “Think the dome is strong enough to kill it?”

  “Probably just stun it,” Araimeer answered. It was one hundred feet away now, and they both sank into crouched positions, readying their bodies for the fight. “It’ll thrash a little bit. Then just phase out, stab through its back—”

  Allie’s eyes zeroed in on the jellyfish and the small spot of gold where the artifact had been embedded in its body, just below its mouth. She felt compelled to drift forward toward the two men, standing just behind their crouched forms and gazing at the monster as it came closer.

  “Okay,” Viseer said, grim determination threading his voice. “Ten seconds. It’s almost as big as this damn ship. Maybe we can—”

  Viseer’s voice was cut short as a low note filled the dome, like a huge gong had been struck. Allie felt her hands rise into the air, but she wasn’t moving them—what’s moving them? The low note intensified, vibrating every cell and fiber in her body, and the air thickened and started to heat up until it wasn’t breathable any longer. The two aliens turned to Allie, their eyes and mouths wide open with shock.

  “Her eyes,” Araimeer said, his voice soft with awe and fear. “Her eyes are glowing.”

  Allie felt something shift inside her, like a heavy switch being thrown, and there was a violent popping sound; there was a long, guttural scream, and Viseer and Araimeer turned forward in time to see a chunk of golden material burst forward from the mutant’s mouth when it was mere feet away from the dome. It hung suspended in the air for a moment, and Allie could see the vibrations of the note shaking the stone clean of jellyfish’s innards—then it sailed through the barrier to land right in Allie’s hands.

  As soon as her hands closed around the stone, the humming stopped and the air returned to normal—but the scene outside the dome was far less peaceful. Allie collapsed to her knees and fell to her side as the huge creature exploded, sending clear, slimy liquid and a viscous slew of organs raining over the dome. Viseer and Araimeer crowded around Allie again, murmuring in hushed, panicked tones as they piled a robe underneath her head. All she could hear was the steady sound of their voices; none of the words were clearly audible at all.

  It took a few minutes for her hearing to return, but when it did, Viseer and Araimeer were considerably calmer.

  “Okay, her eyes are opening.”

  She looked up to see Viseer and Araimeer peering straight down at her, the sky above them littered with starfish organs. Araimeer smiled beatifically, but Viseer looked upset.

  “Why did you do that? We told you to stay back!”

  Araimeer shot a withering look at Viseer. “Viseer, she obviously didn’t do it on purpose. She had no idea what was going on, couldn’t you tell?”

  Allie tried to sit up, and the two men each helped her with a hand on her lower back. “What happened?”

  Viseer laughed abruptly. “You happened. I knew you weren’t just human.”

  And icy wave of fear washed over Allie. “What?”

  Araimeer pointed to the glow in her hands. “Allie, you’re not supposed to do that. You’re not supposed to be able to take all of our energy and hold it. It’s supposed to pass through you, almost like gas.”

  “Pass through me?” She repeated, looking down at her naked body. “So…what’s going on? Why am I like this?”

  Viseer shrugged. “You’re a conduit. I thought you might be when we picked you up. I didn’t want to believe it, but you’re clearly not dying from the electricity we poured into you, and you didn’t even pass out.”

  “You suspected she was a conduit?” Araimeer asked, his cheeks reddening as he spoke. “And you didn’t mention it to me?”

  “The way you were mooning over her, I assumed you’d figured it out,” Viseer said, frowning. “Why else would we both be so drawn to her? Why else would the transpo-spheres pick her up? We were scavenging for parts that we could use for the transporter as well as conduits. She got picked up, so she must be a conduit. Just a bigger, fleshier conduit than we’re used to.”

  Araimeer and Viseer glared at each other, and Allie wondered if they were about to fight. Then she cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her. “Sorry, but what’s a conduit?”

  Araimeer looked at her sheepishly. “It means you can handle large amounts of energy in much the same way we can. It’s rare for someone outside our species to be able to do it.”

  “Other members of your species are like this?” Viseer and Araimeer exchanged another look, and something stirred in her mind. “Wait…all of you aren’t electric gods? Can some of you do other stuff?”

  Araimeer looked surprised. “Well, yeah, somebody’s gotta be average, so not everyone has abilities. And some of us have other elements we can control—fire, minerals, water. Water would have been real handy.”

  “But maybe not as handy as you. You summoned the stone,” Viseer said. “You’re stronger than we thought. I never thought we’d find a human this strong.”

  “I never thought we’d find a human so calm,” Araimeer said, looking at Allie closely. “How do you feel? Your color is returning, and your eyes are back to normal.”

  Allie took a deep breath, wondering how to answer the question. She felt better than she’d felt in years, but she didn’t want to admit what this meant for her. The entire ship probably knew about the attack by now, and would be sending submarines down to look for the wreckage. When her body wasn
’t found, she would be presumed dead. Poor Collin, she thought. Then: Poor Carter.

  Then something stirred in her mind. “You said you guys are travelers?”

  Viseer look startled. “Yes, but you didn’t answer our—”

  “And I’m a conduit. So, I’m stronger than other humans?”

  Araimeer smiled. “Yes, but—”

  “Okay.” Allie said. “What if I tag along with you guys?”

  Viseer shook his head at once. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous. Do you even know the first thing about space? What about your health? What about your ship?”

  “Her ship thinks she’s dead,” Araimeer reminded Viseer gently. The other alien fell silent, looking embarrassed. “And it’s our fault in the first place. You wanted to play with that jellyfish, and I let you. Your fascination with Earth creatures finally got us in trouble, and it nearly cost us a human life. What would the council say?”

  Viseer’s cheeks blushed a brilliant red. “Fine,” he spat. “She can stay with us. For a while!” he added, as Araimeer and Allie cheered. “A trial run. In the meantime, we can think about contacting someone on your ship at some point, doing damage control if it’s an option. Now we have to get back to base, though. Is that okay with you, Allie?”

  “That’s fine,” Allie responded gleefully. She and Araimeer grinned at each other while Viseer grumbled to himself and began to slip the lightening stone into it a soft pouch before stowing deep in the transporter’s engine. Her heart was pounding, and not from fear, but from the dizzying excitement of finding a new adventure at last. Araimeer slipped his cloak back on pulled out a fresh one for Allie; it fit her snugly, almost like it had been made for her in advance.

  Araimeer turned to her and put one arm around her shoulder while Viseer finished packing up their surroundings. “So, you never did tell us how you feel now. How do you feel?”

  Allie looked at the old wooden ship above them, with its dome of light protecting it from the crushing waters around them. Viseer flipped a switch on the transporter; after a moment, a beam of light flickered on and a shimmering doorway appeared out of thin air just behind it—she could see shifting dunes made of vibrantly colored sand, rounded matte-finished buildings in pastel shades, and disc-like vehicles zipping around in midair. Viseer had called it their base—was it their home planet? Whatever it was, it meant they were ready to report back, and Allie would need to be on her toes while she learned all she could on their next adventure. I’ll call Carter, tell him I’m alive and I’m doing my own thing for a while. It’s going to be hard, but he’ll understand, she decided as she gazed at the teleporter; then she laughed, imagining herself bursting out of his dorm room closet to deliver the news instead.