by J. D. Dexter
“What have you reported back to Jessica about me?” I ask Lando.
“Legs, you’re so boring I didn’t have anything to tell him until lately. He will be interested to know that you’ve been sharing your inner light, though.” He winks at me.
“I didn’t know Veritan were rats as well as ASS dwellers.” I smile at him.
Everyone snorts as Lando’s light bar narrows.
He laughs, his head tipped back with the sound of a flock of birds settling at our table. “That was a good one, Legs.”
14
I glare at the sleeping form next to me. With a huff, I get out of the best bed I’ve ever slept on, and shuffle to the door. On my way, I grab a pair of his socks from his top dresser drawer, and tug them on.
Quietly, I pull the door shut behind me. A rush of heat and adrenaline floods my body. A darker shadow stands between the kitchen island and the counter. Breathing through my mouth, I skid to a stop on the edge of the room.
“You do know I can see you, right?” Josh’s voice has the breath rushing out of my mouth while my stomach stops tumbling.
“You could have said something sooner,” I huff at him.
“Your bad ninja moves distracted me.” I can hear his smile.
“Please. Had I been trying to move like a ninja, you wouldn’t have seen me at all.”
“Uh huh. Sure.”
A soft click sounds, and the under-cabinet lights flare to life, a warm white glow reflects off the granite countertops. The diffused light brings his tired face into stark relief. The bags under his eyes look like they could house some gnomes and their elf friends.
“Looking a little rough there, Josh. You okay?”
“Feeling off. I’ll be fine. Why are you up?”
“Couldn’t sleep. My mind keeps tumbling over the crapshow my life has become.”
“At least we can talk to each other mentally now. That’s pretty cool.” He tips his head to the side.
“Yeah.” Something about his coloring is really throwing me. I use my Spectrum vision and look at his body. Oozing greens and bubbling orange-yellows have engulfed his normal blues.
“You sure you’re all right?”
“Yes. Just feeling a little icky.” He motions around his stomach.
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. You’re looking really awful on the Spectrum.”
He just nods.
“Why are you up?” I ask. “The yuckies keeping you awake?”
“Something like that,” he says.
“Then what?”
“I can’t pinpoint it: I just know it’s not how I usually feel.” He shrugs his shoulders.
I sit at one of the bar stools surrounding the island.
“So, other than feeling like crapoli, how are you doing?”
He chuckles. “Crapoli? I haven’t heard that one before.” He shakes his head. “Well, other than almost losing you a couple of different times in the last couple of days, I’m peachy-keen.”
“My keen observational skills tell me that was sarcastic.”
“No.” He gives me wide eyes and a slack jawed look.
“Yup. I’m highly educated, just ask my student loan servicer.”
“Truth.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know, Fin. Everything’s changing. And while I don’t usually mind change, this kind of change is being thrown in my face and forcing me to deal with it immediately. I like my change slow and gradual.” He sighs.
“Like taking six months to ask out Sophie slow and gradual?”
“Exactly. And we found out that she’s a psycho, so my slow and cautious nature won again in the long run.”
“Truth again. Didn’t she end up in some kind of institution for trying to kill that one chick?”
“Yeah. She sends me love letters. All the girls want to hang with me.”
“Too true, Josh, too true. Maybe next time, a little lower on the psycho scale though. I could always ask Keziry if she’s got any friends,” I offer.
“I think I’ll stick with Earth women for now. There’s got to be someone out there in the three-point-five billion women.”
“That’s the ticket.” I cock my finger at him.
He walks around the island and takes a seat in the barstool next to mine. Leaning over, he kisses my forehead. “I like you crazy.”
“Whew. I’d hate to think I’d fooled you for the last twenty years.”
We sit in silence.
“What are you going to do about Anixia?” he asks quietly.
The bottom drops out of my stomach. “I don’t know. If I’m actually the person in this prophecy everyone keeps referencing, then I guess I get to kill her eventually. I’d rather she suffered for the rest of her life though, to be honest.”
“Especially considering how long-lived these aliens are.” Josh puts in.
“Right?! What do they do with their exceedingly long lives? Granted, they can keep being young, if they want. But at some point, don’t you just say, ‘You know, I think I’m done with this life.’ I know several older people who were happy to move on to their next lives. Wouldn’t you just get tired of living at some point?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it like that,” Josh says.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about it, especially when Jessica told me that he’s a couple thousand years old and only half-way through his lifespan. I’m just glad that Mom and Dad are in Heaven. Hanging out with Jesus and the saints. Nonna and Pops. Dad’s parents. I imagine they’re having a bridge party with Dad out by the grill talking medicine with the Creator of the human body. Dad’s figuratively and literally in heaven right now.” I smile faintly.
“I can see that. Your mom’s face glowing with joy, her eyes crinkling at the corners because Saint Peter loves her Cowboy Caviar, and Nonna and Pops are dancing in the living room to some old Louie Armstrong song.” Josh smiles.
“Yeah. It’s a pretty great picture.” I swipe a tear from my cheek.
“It is. Your mom probably started renovating as soon as she walked in. She’s got your room all set up, probably with too much pink. But you know they’re having fun while they’re waiting for you.”
“If I’m really Ankarrahi, they’re going to be waiting a while.”
“They want to wait as long as possible, Fin. They want to watch you have babies, and get old and watch your babies have babies. They aren’t in a hurry for you to join them. That would break their hearts.”
I shrug my shoulders.
“What are you going to do about their lives here?”
I shake my head. “I can’t. Not yet.”
His arms come around my shoulders, pulling me into him.
A hitch in my chest breaks free and the tears come pouring from my eyes. They’re gone, really gone. They won’t be here to walk me down the aisle. They won’t get to meet their grandkids. They won’t get to chuckle about how bad of a parent I am, and how much my kids are just like I was at that age.
“I miss them so much, Josh.”
“I know, Fin. Me too.” He squeezes me tighter into his arms.
“I hate her. I hate her so much. How could she do this? Just because I didn’t stay. She ripped them apart and just left them on my living room floor. What kind of monster does that?”
“You said it yourself: she’s a monster, Fin.”
“Even if I wasn’t part of her prophecy before, I’m definitely going to make sure I am now. She doesn’t get to live after ripping them away from me.”
“Why do you keep saying you don’t know if you’re part of the prophecy? I’m pretty sure a whole group of people from that actual world think you are, and they would have a better idea of it than you would.”
“Come on, Josh.” I swipe my hand under my nose. “A bunch of weird stuff happens, then someone shows up and says there’s a prophecy about you, albeit on another world, and you’re going to save two universes. Who believes that crap right away?”
“Um, considering the kind of stuff
you can do, I believe it.” He raises his hand in the air.
“Well, let’s not forget Sophie. Your meter doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to, you know.” I bump him with my shoulder.
“Finley Marie, you need to stop wearing your ass as a hat. As much as you don’t want to believe any of this is happening, it really, truly is. You have superpowers, and actual super-duper powers if Kez and Brock can be trusted. They’ve helped too much for us not to believe them.”
He swallows, the sound loud in the quiet kitchen. “And I hate to break it to you babe, but you’re Ankarrahi; your biological mother is a Satan-loving monster; your bio dad seems pretty cool so far, but we’ll need more exposure to know for sure. Who knows if you have any sisters or brothers.”
“You can save lives with a touch and some focus, you can throw around deadly weapons with your mind. You’ve already beaten a shape-shifting assassin, two governmental agencies, a huge acid-for-blood monster, some Kentucky Fried Chicken reject, and you turned an experienced Ankarrahi Warrior into your mind-bitch. From Earth, you are not.”
“Thanks, Yoda. Although Keziry and Brockten beat the acid blood monster. Hunter and I just stood there like bumps on a log.”
“Take the win, Fin. Now, you need to go find some big-girl panties, put them on, pull them up, and get to training and studying, because I’m pretty sure your time on Earth is coming to an end. You’ll be the one all the cool aliens want to hang out with.”
“Are you going to be my official cheerleader?”
“Girl, please. I’m the president of your cheer team.”
“No ogling or leering the other girls. That’s just gross.”
“Hey, I’m a gentleman. I only do it when they’re not watching.”
I stifle a laugh. “And that makes it better how?”
“Just trust me.” He nods his head.
“Pretty sure that just makes you a Peeping Tom or a stalker. I can’t have my brand tarnished in such a way. Come on, you’re in advertising. I’m pretty sure you should already know that.”
“Fine, no ogling or leering,” he mumbles. “Not going to be nearly as much fun.”
“Aw, suck it up, buttercup. No woman who’s been ogled or leered at is going to give you the time of day anyways. Just be your natural charming self. All the ladies love them some Hastings, Josh-style.”
He just growls at me.
“I—”
The tumbling of the automatic ice machine in the freezer startles me.
Josh laughs. “You should have seen your face.” He wraps his hand around my clenched fist. “Just the ice dropping, babe. No worries.”
“That’s what it wants you to think.” I glare darkly.
“Right. Time for you to get some more sleep.” He sets his feet down, and gives me his hand.
“See you in the morning, Fin. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Josh. Night.”
I tip toe back into Hunter’s bedroom. Shutting the door behind me, I shuffle back to the bed. Sliding between the sheets, I put my cold feet against Hunter’s warm legs.
He pulls me towards him, his big body resting against my back. “Turn your brain off. It’s sleeping time.”
I feel him press a kiss to my head right before I drop into sleep like a rock thrown into a pond.
15
“Finley-babe, get your lazy ass out of that huge bed.”
I pull the blankets over my head, burrowing down into the pillow trying to keep the light out of my eyes.
“Now woman!”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I mumble under my breath.
“I heard that. Don’t make me come in there and get you out of that bed.”
“Go away, Brian.”
“Three.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Two.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“On—”
“I’m up! I’m up!” I throw the covers back, and sit up like a spring-loaded knife freed from its sheath.
Glaring, I send a zing of adira at him. Just a tiny pulse. It blasts the plastic pitcher of ice water in his hand, covering him in ice chips and freezing liquid.
“Finley Marie! Look what you’ve done to Hunter’s nice hardwood floors. For shame, woman. For shame.” The effect of his words are contradicted by his huge smile.
“Better get to mopping, Brian Markus. Don’t want that water ruining the hardwood floors,” I say brightly. I flounce into the master bathroom as his raucous laughter booms through the room.
I make quick work of my morning routine. Stealing a fresh toothbrush from Hunter’s stock in the closet, I revel in the feeling of clean teeth and fresh breath. Giving my hair a hard study, I decide that I don’t need a shower yet. Especially if today is going to be all training.
Still in Hunter’s boxer briefs, I wrangle back into my bra, the hated torture device. Adjusting the shirt to fall over the ladies, I tie my hair up with an elastic I found in the back of Hunter’s drawer.
“Finally. Everyone’s been waiting on you.” Brian ushers me out of the master bedroom at a quick march.
“Why did you get me up and not Hunter? That’s a little rude of you to just tromp into his room that way.”
“You’ll see.” We quickly make it to the door that leads to the deck.
Hunter’s yard is a beautiful oasis. Lined in trees that spear up into the sky. The colors alive and vibrant in the sunshine, the grass looks like a fluffy carpet of green.
“What time is it anyways?” I ask, noting how high the sun is.
“Around noon, lazy pants. Everyone else has been working their butts off,” he says as we step through the doorway and onto the deck.
“Where is –”
“Watch out!” Someone yells from across the yard.
A huge crash has Brian and me stepping back into the house just in time to miss a falling body.
Brockten pops up from his kneeling pose, a light of joy in his swirling blue eyes.
“Training, huh?” I ask him.
“Yes. You are quite behind the men now, Finley.” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
“Just you wait, Henry Higgins. Just you wait.” I push him out of the way slightly. He moves back and lets me pass fully onto the deck.
“My name is not Henry Higgins.” He just sighs.
I laugh. “Movie quote, dude. Movie quote.”
“I still do not understand what that means.” He looks aggravated.
“We’ll show you once training is done for today.”
“Perhaps.” He shrugs his well-developed shoulders. “Come. We must get you ready for your quest.” He wraps an arm behind my back and directs me to the where all the guys and Keziry are standing at the corner of the yard.”
“My what?”
“Quest. Your mission. Your reason for training. Training with no purpose is merely exercise. You are going to start learning how to fight and defend yourself. The path of your quest is yet unknown, so you must be prepared for all eventualities. Come.”
He hops down the two steps of the deck and motions me forward.
“Good morning, Finley. We are sorry that you missed your time of worship. Your mate tells me that you are able to access these videos,” Keziry looks at Hunter, who nods, “at different times on one of your machines.”
“Yeah, we can watch sermons whenever we want on the internet.”
“Excellent. Then your spiritual training will be managed in between physical, mental, and emotional training.” She nods, like this is a good thing.
“Yeah. What about work? You know, making money so I can pay bills.”
“Hunter mentioned this. Lando reported back to Shavix with your concerns. Shavix sent Lando back here to Earth with something that will allow you to not have to work to pay your bills. Stocks in something called ‘goggle.’”
“Goggle?”
“Yes. Well, something like that. I have no idea what stocks are, but Lando seemed quite surprised and happy,” Kez
iry says.
“You know what stocks are?” Brent asks Lando, his eyes wide.
Lando snorts. “Oh please. I even play with the dark web. There’s not much that I can’t do with a computer. Let alone dabble on the market. Their internet is much like the interconnected information systems at home, Keziry. And Shavix has stocks in Google, not goggle.”
“Oh. And everyone here can access your IIS?” She seems shocked.
“Yeah. Although, not everyone gets to access every single place. There are exceptions and rules depending on your job or your government level.” Brent clarifies.
“That is amazing.” She turns to look at Brockten.
He nods. Of course.
“I’m guessing then that Jessica learned about Google from you, Lando?” Brent asks.
“Yes.”
“Are the moon species of System Seven highly advanced with math and numbers?” Hunter asks.
“Word.” Lando grins. “From what I remember of Finley’s school grades, she wasn’t making any waves in those departments.”
“Nope, not at all.” I chuckle. “I suck at math and numbers.”
Lando gives me a knowing look. “Word.”
I snarl at him.
“And back to training,” Keziry announces.
“How much are the stocks worth?” I ask.
“Legs, you could retire today, invite all of them to retire, and all of their various friends and family could retire as well.” Lando chuckles.
I stare at him.
He nods his head again.
“Hey guys, want to go on a quest with me?”
“I’m in,” Hunter raises his hand immediately.
“Seconded.” All the Hastings men raise their hands as well.
My cheeks hurt from the smile stretching my lips. I had been joking, but it warms my heart to see their support.
“Sweet. Let’s do some training.” I turn back to Keziry.
Her head is tipped to the side, a look of confusion on her face.
“What? What’s wrong?” I ask her.
“You all will abandon your lives here, just like that?”
All the men nod their heads.
“You must be a very good friend, Finley Marie Tindol.”
“Eh, I just don’t want to work anymore,” Brian clarifies from the back of the group.