by Casey Wyatt
“I need to know you’re safe. I’ve never had a child before—or a wife.” The intensity of Ian’s gaze made me want to cut him some slack, but when no explanation was forthcoming, heat warmed my skin. I’m sure my face was crimson.
“I don’t doubt your love for me. Only your methods and your reasoning.”
“So, you don’t trust my judgement?” he asked.
“Don’t put words in my mouth. I think we should at least find out what the orb is.”
“No.”
“No? Just like that? Decision made.” We’d had this conversation before. The one where I explained to Ian that he wasn’t my master, but my partner.
“Yes.”
“It’s not only your job to protect our daughter. I’m her mother.” I stopped short of stating the obvious – that I could handle it.
“The less you know the better.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe my ears. “So, what is my job? To sit around and look pretty? To be a baby maker?”
He stared at me grim-faced. Barely a flicker of emotion touched my mind. He’d either shut me out or he didn’t care how I felt.
I huffed with disgust. “You know what? I need some me time. Why don’t you find someplace else to sleep tonight?” It wasn’t really a question, yet the idea of pacing our cavern quarters made me stabby. “Better yet, I’ll go. And if you value your life, don’t follow me.”
“Cherry, wait!” he called, but it was too late.
I booked out of there. Sure, I was the size of a whale, but I could still move fast when I needed to.
He didn’t chase after me. That made me mad too.
For once, he did what I asked. Only it wasn’t what I wanted. My back ached. My ankles resembled swollen sausages. I wanted to go home and bathe. If I returned, then I’d be spineless. I refused to let Ian win this argument.
I debated where I should go. I could go to Harmony’s quarters. Then we could have a night of girl talk. Except I’d reached my talking limit. Any of my Family would take me in, no questions asked. But I’d prefer they didn’t know I was fighting with Ian. Ditto for Louis. Running to spend the night with another man, no matter how benign the relationship, wasn’t ideal either.
Instead, I went to the one place I knew I could find a sympathetic ear.
I went to Kyrene’s Lake. No one ever hung around there except for me. I don’t know why. It was the only freestanding body of water on Mars. It could have been because of Kyrene. She was an avatar left by the Eliade. She also tended to be stoic and cryptic when she spoke. Hardly a conversationalist.
The water’s surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the cavernous ceiling above with perfect clarity.
“Hello?” I called, knowing she could hear me.
The cuff bracelet affixed around my wrist vibrated slightly. As much as I pretended to ignore it, it was more than a pretty golden band. It had belonged to Azaral, the last queen of the Eliade. Ian wore a matching version that had belonged to her consort. Ever since the events months earlier, it had remained quiet, lulling me into thinking of it as just a bracelet I couldn’t remove.
“Kyrene?” I buried the worry when she didn’t manifest right away. She was probably doing avatar stuff.
I waited a full two minutes before turning around to exit. Coming there to mope had been a dumb idea.
Water splashed behind me. I turned.
Jonathan, soaked to the skin, stood on the water’s surface. An angry glare was aimed at me like an accusation.
“What are you doing here? Go and find the orb. It’s too important to leave lying around.” Jonathan made a shooing motion with his hands. Droplets fell from his fingertips. Radiating circles appeared on the water’s otherwise still surface.
Transfixed, I watched the ripples radiate away from his body.
How was that even possible?
If he were ghost—and I wasn’t admitting I believed he was—then he shouldn’t have real water sliding off his body. He shouldn’t even be wet. Concentric circles radiated from the exact spot where he dripped.
I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to believe him. And yet, his words rang true in my ears.
If Kyrene were there instead and she told me to get the orb, I would have given it serious consideration. In fact, my fingers twitched at the thought of discovering what the orb contained. Did it represent a danger to my daughter? Or would it provide answers instead?
Jonathan continued to glare at me. I glared back, refusing to acknowledge him.
Was I being ghost-phobic?
Geez Louise. That wasn’t even a real thing.
The orb and its meaning nagged at me. I couldn’t deny it. It also irked the hell out of me that Ian had decided to toss it in the sand. He wasn’t the sole decision maker.
“Fine,” I mumbled to my feet. I left the chamber with a burst of speed, refusing to give Ghost Jonathan the satisfaction of knowing that I might be listening to him. I could also be losing my sanity.
Another possibility I didn’t want to think about.
When I didn’t want to confront the past, I did what I always did: something that I would regret later.
I headed to the Martian surface, ready to get my hands dirty.
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG to locate the bag. Even at a distance, the orb, now half-buried under the sand, glowed with an eerie radiance that penetrated the bag’s fabric.
After a moment of inelegant and awkward stooping, I managed to snag the drawstrings, being careful not to touch it. I wasn’t taking any chances. Experience had taught me that curiosity didn’t mean recklessness. To my surprise the orb was almost weightless, more like a bubble than a paperweight.
Looking around, including upward, I was certain I wasn’t being watched. Even if I was, Ian could suck it. I hustled across the sand. With my energy flagging, I headed toward the one place where I knew the orb would be welcome.
Jay’s lab. And, as my best friend, Jay was bound by the bonds of friendship to keep my secret.
The odor of burnt plastic assaulted me the moment I stepped into the lab. Situated in one of the original surface domes, he’d filled the space with metal tables, computer monitors, and a million glass beakers. To enter his lair, I had to endure a series of portioned doorways and vacuum devices designed to minimize outside dust and debris.
Jay assured me his precautions were necessary for the “continued success of his experiments.” Plus, if he wanted his PhD, he had to continue his studies.
All righty, then.
“Do I even want to know what you’re doing here at this hour?” Jay asked, not bothering to hide the wariness in his voice.
“Yes. Geez. Chill, will ya?” I slumped into the lone armchair, the bag dangling from my fingertips. “I’m invoking the friendship code of silence on this one.”
Jay released a beleaguered sigh. “Fine. But if this involves Ian and the possibility that he might kill me, be it on your head. Friend.”
“Come on, take this from me.” I wasn’t escaping the chair anytime soon. I sank into its comfy depths and I was a goner. As much I pretended otherwise, walking was becoming more of a chore every day. I couldn’t make it twenty feet without wanting to stop and put up my feet.
“Why are you here, Cherry?”
“Don’t you want to know what I have?” I displayed the bag.
“And don’t try and distract me. What is going on? Spill it. Now.” The hard set of Jay’s jaw meant he wasn’t letting me off with no explanation.
“Ian and I had a fight.” Everyone thought Ian and I were the perfect couple. And while that was true, we still had our disagreements.
“And?” Jay swirled a finger at me.
“He’s been keeping information from me under the guise of protection.” Air quotes on that last word.
Jay sat on the edge of arm chair. “Oh boy.”
“Yeah. You know how I feel about that rationale.” I fiddled with the hem of my coat, not quite ready to reveal the orb.
“I do. Why
didn’t you tell me?”
I cringed at the hint of hurt in his voice. “Because everyone thinks we are so awesome together.”
“You do know how lame that sounds, right?” Jay grinned.
“I know. It’s a weak reason. But I’m a Sire now. I can’t let everyone know I have any weaknesses. Jonathan always ruled us from a position of strength.”
Jay squeezed the bridge of his nose and released a heavy sigh. “It always come back to him, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t come here to talk about him.” Or his ghost that I was pretending didn’t exist. Tiredness washed over me. It was past my bedtime.
I unwrapped the orb and held it out to him. “I came hoping you could tell me what this is.”
His eyes widened. Curiosity drew him toward me. “Where did you get that?”
“Apparently, Herne’s people have a gift-giving custom. This is for the baby. Ian hated it on contact and pitched it in the dirt. We had a big fight and I decided to go and get it. The more you know, right?”
He flexed his fingers and readied to touch it, then stopped. “Let me get the tongs.”
“Agree. It’s better not to touch strange technology.”
Jay mumbled something that sounded like “about damn time” before gently removing the bag from my finger.
I let it slide. He was right. I’d become more cautious. Except if that were true, why was I sneaking around behind Ian’s back? Because no one got to tell me what I could or couldn’t do anymore. He didn’t have the right to forbid me to speak to Herne or accept strange gifts.
With a sigh, I relaxed into the chair and watched Jay place the orb under a camera mounted over a silver disk. A sizable flat-screen panel displayed a view large enough that I could see it from a distance. Not that there was much to observe. The orb looked the same as before, only giant-sized.
Jay tapped a keyboard, adjusting the display. Strings of numbers and scientific symbols scrolled on the side. The orb changed from a solid mass into a delicate web of connected lines and data points. “This is incredible. This is no mere ball of light.”
Despite the simple shape, the inside appeared to be intricate and unlike anything I’d ever seen. “So, what’s it for? What does it do?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue.” Jay tapped his chin. “It seems like more alien technology.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” I rubbed the cuff. Another mysterious thing created by aliens. “Until I know what it does, there’s no way it’s getting near my child.”
The noncommittal grunt I received in response told me Jay was paying a quarter of attention. “This is incredible. Such hidden beauty is a waste.”
“I don’t agree. It’s like when a woman wears lacy underwear because she can. Even if no one sees it but her, it gives her pleasure.”
Ah. Panties grabbed his full interest.
Jay snorted. “Come on, is that really true?”
“Are you kidding? How many years were we roommates? Did you ever once witness me wearing shabby undergarments?”
“I guess not.” Even with his Indian complexion, I could see his cheeks redden. “Don’t ask me to comment on your unmentionables. I never spent much time staring.”
“Well, I can assure you I wore pretty things because I liked it.” And it did make me happy, especially after my prim Victorian upbringing. “It wasn’t an affectation because I was a burlesque performer.”
Jay blinked a few times then resumed studying the orb. “Why are we discussing underwear? Can we get back to this gorgeous orb?”
After adjusting knobs and dials on the camera, the image increased, focusing on one of the web-like lines. Jay reached into a pile of metal instruments, chose one with a sharp-pointed end, then tapped the orb’s surface.
“Are you sure it’s safe to poke at it?” A dull ache spread across my forehead. My jaw opened wide and I yawned. If I didn’t get some rest I might fall asleep in Jay’s ratty armchair.
He shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”
With each poke and prod, the baby twitched. At first the motion was so subtle I didn’t notice it. “Jay. I think you need to stop.”
Jay didn’t appear to hear me at first. He whacked the ball harder.
Pain lanced against the side of my head.
“OW! Stop!” I clutched my forehead.
“Holy shit.” Jay dropped on one knee in front of me. “Did you bump your head? There’s a welt there.”
“About that...” As I explained his concern morphed into horror.
“Oh my God! Is the baby okay?” He moved to touch my belly but stopped short when he realized what he was about to do.
I sank into my mind and searched for her tiny thought pattern. “She’s fine. But why? It makes no sense.”
“This is an unfortunate development. It limits my ability to learn more about the orb.”
“Golly gee. I’m so sorry. Come on, Jay!” I would have smacked him but then I’d have to hoist myself out of the chair. Since I might need his help to leave, hitting him was a bad idea.
“Apologies.” He rubbed the base of his neck. “That was inconsiderate of me.”
“Ya think?”
Fear pitter-pattered across my chest. This was my fault. If I’d listened to Ian and left the damn thing in the sand, maybe I wouldn’t be sporting a goose egg.
I rubbed a circle against my breastbone, willing the sinking feeling away. “I’m already a bad mother. I should have never touched it.”
“Hey. Stop it. And no, I don’t know how or why it seems to be connected to you. But stop blaming yourself. It’s better that we have it than someone else. Right?”
I sniffled. “What if I turn out like my mother, Jay?”
“A control freak? Not going to happen.” He poked my knee. “Look at me. You are not her. You are a kind, caring person and you will be an awesome mom.”
“Ian will flip when he finds out I moved it.” I gave him the short version of the story. Ian thought Herne was hiding something evil. I thought he was a broken soul.
“We could always put it back.” Jay rubbed his chin. “Or you could man up and own what you did.”
The bump was almost gone. “Why does this shit always happen to me?”
“That’s how your life seems to roll,” he said, non-sarcastically because we both knew it was true. Lately, I’d been feeling like I had a cosmic target on my back. Or a “kick me” sign. Either way, the universe enjoyed using me as a punching bag.
“We both know how being me plays out.” It sucks. “Because Queen V decided to give me her mysterious cuff bracelet, I lost my home, my Sire, and my comfortable life on Earth. Of course, on the upside, I gained Ian and my baby.”
Jay grew quiet, pondering my words. He had lost his humanity forever. His expression brightened. “Remember the old saying? When one door closes, a window opens. It doesn’t matter what Ian thinks. I’ve never known you to quit. You always rise to the occasion.”
“I appreciate you leaving out the kicking and screaming part.”
“Well that’s a given too.” Jay took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “You got this, girl.”
Calmness and appreciation settled in my heart. Jay was my best friend because he never gave up on me. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“You’d be in deep shit,” he joked. As usual, he was right. Without Jay at my back, I would haven’t survived the last century.
“True. You complete me.” I couldn’t resist.
“Ugh. You’re killing me with corny movie lines.” He stood and cracked his knuckles. “Back to work.”
The lab grew quiet with the occasional noise from Jay typing or adjusting equipment. My eyelids grew heavy and I gave in with no struggle. For a while, I napped, peacefully. Until a persistent sadness nagged at me. I wanted to see Ian. I hated that we’d fought.
Why did he have to be so damn stubborn? It was like living with a throwback from the Stone Age.
&nbs
p; I knew he loved me and he wanted me and the baby to be safe. And yet, I couldn’t excuse it. Not after Jonathan. He had attempted to control every aspect of my life. In the end, it broke us apart.
Jay turned his head, listening. He jumped from his stool and mouthed, “Oh shit!”
“Hello?” Ian called from the antechamber. “Jay? Have you seen Cherry? Jesus, what’s that smell?”
“Hide it!” I flailed at Jay like a flipped turtle.
He blanked the screen and covered the orb just as Ian entered the room.
Ian surveyed the area using what I called “surveillance guy mode,” no doubt born from centuries of living on the run. I’m sure he knew I was there the moment he stepped into the lab.
“Hello, luv.” Ian bent down and kissed my forehead like we hadn’t been in a fight an hour earlier.
Jay shifted from foot to foot, his hand casually grabbing a stack of papers. He tucked the papers and some random folders under his arm. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“No,” I said. “Stay. I’m sure Ian is not here to apologize.”
“Here we go.” Jay slapped the files on the lab table. “I really don’t want to be witness to a fight.”
“No worries, mate. There won’t be any arguing.” Ian’s beleaguered sigh transmitted loud and clear to me. Along with a swirl of emotions pointing in one direction. No apology would be forthcoming. In fact, he was there for another reason entirely.
“What’s happened?” Oh well. He could be contrite later, in our apartment. When I made him sleep on the short, lumpy couch.
“Joan found something in the caves. You best come along too, Jay.”
I planted my hands on the chair arms in a lame attempt to lift myself.
“Allow me.” Ian hoisted me up.
An achy groan escaped my lips before I could stop it.
“Can’t this wait? I need a nap.” On a scale of one to ten, how urgent could Joan’s discovery be? “I mean, what’s the rush?”
“Have a juice. You seem a bit peckish.” Ian handed me a silver pouch.
“Peckish sounds like code for whiny. At least call me a big baby to my face.” I took the juice anyway.