Alien Revelation

by Nicole Krizek

It was too heavy a topic of thought during a party. For now, he needed to let go and enjoy.

  He descended the stairs to the atrium floor, then slid through the masses of people towards Onalee. When Conall stood at her back, he had a moment’s hesitation. What should he say? Did he have the right to steal her away from her companions—to claim her attention?

  The decision was taken from him when she glanced over her shoulder and saw him standing behind her.

  “Conall, hi!”

  Onalee was genuinely excited to see him. She had no trouble excusing herself from the other ladies’ company, and guiding him a few feet away.

  “How long have you been here?” she asked.

  “Since yesterday. What about you?”

  “Forkan and I arrived before dinner last night. I was heading to explore the ship, but as you can see I haven’t made it very far.”

  She gestured to where she’d gotten caught in the atrium, and he chuckled.

  “Isn’t this room amazing?” she asked.

  “Aye, it is,” he agreed. “But it’s nothing compared to some of the others.”

  Onalee’s eyes lit up. “What have you found? No, don’t tell me! I want to see them for myself.”

  “I think it might take you an entire week to see all that this ship has to offer.”

  “Would you like to go explore with me?” she asked, with a touch more timidity.

  “Aye, I could do that,” he agreed before he’d thought better of it.

  “Great!”

  She linked her arm through his and they began weaving through the crowd. “Anything in particular we need to check out?”

  The room with the telescope popped into his head, but it was too intimate. He didn’t know how she’d feel about that.

  “There are a couple of dance halls, if you’re into that kind of thing, and quite a few places to eat. There were some people putting on shows. And of course, music and liquor at every turn. Your planet certainly knows how to throw a party.”

  She laughed at his joke, and steered him down a hallway. He let her lead.

  They explored the ship together, and Conall noticed that each space had filled with people during the day. It seemed that afternoon that the number of occupants aboard had doubled.

  Most rooms and attractions were too busy for their liking, but they kept exploring, and eventually ended up in the observatory that Conall had found earlier. It wasn’t completely empty, like before, but at least people were quiet while they took in the view.

  “Oh my goodness, look at this place! It’s absolutely amazing!” Onalee exclaimed.

  Conall agreed. He let her pull him into the room. They walked over to the large windows and looked down on Arath.

  “Does Arath look anything like Earth?” Onalee asked him.

  “You’ve never seen images of my planet?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course I have. But it’s different seeing something in person.”

  That was true. He took a moment to ponder her question. When he saw Arath like this, Conall was always surprised at how Earth-like it was.

  “They look a lot alike,” he told her. “Both have blue water, green continents, and swirls of white clouds, but Earth has massive oceans that take up over two-thirds of the planet.”

  “You don’t have rivers?”

  “Aye, we do, but they criss cross over the land and end at the oceans. Most of them aren’t as wide as your rivers here. Your planet has a lot more landmass than mine.”

  “Interesting,” she said softly. After a moment of silence she asked, “Do you miss it?” She turned to face him and gauge his reaction.

  He gave a nod. “Oh, aye.” Her face fell slightly, which encouraged him to add, “But not as much as I thought I would.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He should have known that she wouldn’t let him get away with open statements that easily.

  “I like the home we’ve built, and the possibilities for Oliver. I’m not ashamed to admit that I like the advanced technology. And I like the people here.”

  He wanted to tell her that he was referring to a couple of people in particular, but didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. She’d done wonders for his son, but becoming romantically involved with her wasn’t something he could risk. If it ended badly between them, Oliver would lose her support.

  “I suppose we’re a friendly enough culture,” Onalee commented. “But are you referring to a few people in particular?” She sounded too hopeful.

  “Yes,” he answered honestly.

  Her expression brightened.

  Not wanting to give her the wrong idea, he continued.

  “I mean, what you’ve done for Oliver really goes above anything I ever hoped for. I got a report from his teacher today saying that he’s catching up fast. That’s all because of your help.”

  “I’m so glad. I enjoy spending time with him very much.” She paused and seemed to be deciding on what to say next. “The highlight of my day is when I come to your house.”

  “It is?”

  His chest constricted in guilt for leading her on. He hoped she meant that his family was the reason. Maybe she’d grown attached to his mother? Clare really was a lovely person—if you looked past the meddling.

  “Yes. I love my time with Oliver and the rest of your family. But I especially love spending time with you.”

  Conall’s heart took flight, but his mind denied what she was saying. This was what he was afraid of; the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her and drive her away. Oliver needed her.

  I need her too, his heart chimed. He shook his head in denial.

  “Onalee…”

  She looked so earnest, that for a moment Conall forgot that he was supposed to hold her at arm’s length. He wanted to tell her that he loved having her in his home as well—that he sometimes caught himself watching the clock or the driveway when it came close to her usual arrival time.

  He wanted to tell her that he loved watching her with his son. She was able to connect with Oliver in a way that was special; a way that made his heart ache with both joy and sadness.

  He wasn’t supposed to let this happen. This woman wasn’t his. She couldn’t be his. If they ended their relationship—and it was bound to happen sooner or later—Oliver would lose her too. That was something Conall couldn’t let happen. His son needed her more than he did.

  “My mother doesn’t drive you crazy?” he asked to hopefully lighten the tension between them. It wasn’t negative tension, it was sexual tension… the kind he didn’t want. Couldn’t want.

  Onalee shook her head. “No, I love your mother. She’s feisty and meddlesome, but it only endears her to me more.”

  Her words made his chest constrict, and he felt himself leaning slightly towards her. “Oliver doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out?”

  She chuckled. “No, but then I only see him for a few hours a day. Perhaps it would be different if I was there all of the time, but I doubt it. I’ve grown very fond of him.”

  “I can’t imagine you losing your patience or getting angry,” Conall confessed.

  “Oh, it’s been known to happen,” she admitted. “But it takes a lot to push me that far.”

  They stood for a moment in silence, just looking at each other.

  “Aren’t you going to ask how I feel about you?” she asked.

  Conall shook his head.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t want to hear the answer,” he replied honestly.

  Her eyebrows went up in surprise, but she didn’t push him to elaborate. “That’s alright, I don’t have to tell you. I can show you instead.”

  Before his brain processed her words, Onalee closed the distance between them and kissed his lips.

  The action was bold, but her kiss was light and tentative. Her hands came to his shoulders, and there was no way to stop his arms from wrapping around her. His heart leapt in his chest in excitement, while his rational side was silenced by
his senses coming alive.

  The feel of her so close, the cascade of her hair tickling the backs of his hands where they rested on her spine. The smell of her… it all fueled his arousal.

  He shouldn’t want this. He should push her away, and tell her that they shouldn’t be together. But he couldn’t.

  He did want this. He wanted it so badly that he’d been aching for it for weeks. Try as he might, Conall couldn’t stop the fantasies; couldn’t stop himself from wanting this amazing woman in his life.

  Oliver needs her, but so do I.

  The realization was like a punch to his gut. Somehow, without his consent, Onalee had woven herself into his mind, his heart, and his very being.

  Conall had no idea how long he and Onalee explored each other’s mouths. It felt as if time stopped, and the artificial gravity had been shut off. When at last they pulled apart to catch their breaths, he saw a look of amazement on her face. He felt the same way. He couldn’t believe that the woman he’d been wanting, and simultaneously denying himself, was in his arms, her taste fresh on his lips.

  Right as his muscles tensed to bring their bodies back together, there was an announcement over the ship’s comm.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please join the Queen and Kings in the main atrium, they have an announcement to make.”

  “We should go,” he told Onalee softly.

  She nodded and stepped back.

  Conall immediately felt bereft, but some of the warmth returned when Onalee took his hand as they began walking.

  The closer they got to the center of the ship, the more congested the corridors became. Soon, they were walking single-file, and Conall had to keep hold of her hand to stay together.

  The atrium was full to capacity. All six floors of balconies were packed with people leaning over the railings to watch and listen. Conall led Onalee along a wall on the main floor, where they wouldn’t get crushed by the other guests who were jostling for position.

  With the wall at their backs, and a clear view of the entire royal family standing on a dais in the center, Conall’s eyes scanned the guests. On the second floor, leaning against the balcony with his arms crossed over his chest, was one Arathian who stood taller and wider than the rest.

  Brogan’s eyes scanned the gathering crowd, and Conall knew that he was using much more than his natural five senses. He wondered, as he often did, at how the world looked through the male’s bionic eye.

  “Do you see Brogan?” Onalee asked from his side.

  “Aye.” Conall pointed. “Up there on the second floor.”

  Brogan’s eyes turned their direction, and Onalee waved. Brogan lifted his hand in greeting, and gave her a broad smile.

  “He looks nice tonight, doesn’t he?” Onalee asked in a dreamy voice.

  Conall nodded. He wasn’t used to being asked his opinion on the appearance of another man. But he did have to admit that Brogan looked good. The male probably looked good in whatever he wore.

  Thankfully he didn’t have to comment more about the male’s appearance, because Jayda’s father, Racknar, (the previous High King) began to speak.

  “My mates and I want to thank you all for coming to honor our new Queen and her Kings. We have no doubt that Jayda, Lukas, and Deian are going to do all of us proud. We cannot ask for better leaders to be taking over our planet. You are the hope for our future, in more ways than one.”

  Jayda’s hands caressed her lower stomach, reminding them all of the miracle she carried.

  “Your mother, fathers, and I are immensely proud of everything you’ve accomplished…”

  The crowd didn’t get to hear the rest of Racknar’s speech. His words were interrupted, as an explosion rocked the atrium.

  CHAPTER 15

  Between one moment and the next, the atrium was filled with sound, light, and panic.

  The explosion wasn’t forceful enough to blow a hole in the side of the ship, but Conall saw people thrown back violently, and a semi-circle of falling and flailing bodies expanded many yards out from the center of the blast. Thankfully, Conall and Onalee were on the other side of the room, and relatively protected from the shrapnel that shot through the air from the explosion.

  Conall grabbed Onalee, pushed her down, and sheltered her body with his own, as debris rained down onto them. Most of it was from the ship, but Conall felt the wet thuds of what his mind projected, in his shock and panic, may have been body pieces. He prayed desperately that he was wrong.

  They stayed in that position, Conall holding Onalee tightly in his arms, for several moments until the debris stopped falling. He lifted his head slightly to look around, and his attention was caught on the dais.

  Deian and Lukas had thrown themselves over Jayda to protect her from the blast. As Conall watched, the High King rose slightly and looked in the direction of the explosion. Before Guards could leap onto the dais and shield him, Lukas took a hit to his chest that sent him sailing backwards and into his mates’ bodies.

  Conall saw, rather than heard, Jayda’s panicked cry, before she and Deian tried to guide Lukas’s limp body gently onto the ground. The ringing in his ears began to abate, and Conall heard the sounds of weaponry and alarmed cries ringing out. Discharging energy filled the atrium with oddly percussive humming thuds, and although Conall didn’t recognize the sound, others did.

  Screams of panic echoed throughout the atrium as some people ducked for cover, and others ran for their lives.

  Royal Guards clad in black armor converged on the dais, and in the next second, the royals were blocked from view (and from weapons fire) by a wall of bodies.

  Conall’s eyes shifted to the second floor balcony to see Brogan picking off assailants from his perch, a massive piece of metal art providing him cover. An alarm began to blare, adding to the cacophony of sound, but directing people to evacuate. It only increased the stampede of bodies. Screams pierced the air, and people began trampling over one another in their desperation to leave the ship.

  The wall of Guards began moving as one unit towards the shuttles, firing in what Conall assumed was the direction of the attackers. He hoped that Lukas hadn’t been hurt too badly, but now was not the time to worry about that. His job was to get Onalee out safely. They couldn’t stay there, not without cover, while shots echoed in the room.

  He risked another glance at Brogan, who now looked to be speaking rapidly into his wristunit, while at the same time scanning the atrium, a fiercely intent look on his face. Their eyes found each other, and Conall could almost feel the relief wash over both of them, as Brogan looked from him to Onalee, seeing that both of them were safe… for the time being. Brogan made a signaling motion with his free hand, pointing in the direction of the hallway which led to the main transports. Conall thought he understood him to mean that they should hasten to the safety of the escaping vehicles.

  “We need to go,” he told Onalee urgently.

  “Okay,” she agreed, and rose shakily to stand with him.

  He tucked her under his shoulder, and kept a firm hand on her waist, as he used his other hand to try to prevent the hysterical stampede from crushing them.

  There were bodies everywhere he looked. Some were clearly dead, but other people were writhing in pain. The air was choked with smoke, and debris littered the ground.

  They picked their way through the atrium the best they could, staying low, while the sound of energy discharges and screams tore through the air.

  The number of shots suddenly increased, and on their right, a serving robot was hit with a blast, sending a spray of sparks arcing through the air. It toppled to the ground a few feet away, and Conall ushered Onalee behind the large piece of machinery. As cover, it wasn’t the best option, being only a couple of feet tall in its prone position. But it was either that, or use bodies for cover.

  Conall heard his name being yelled from across the room, and saw Ashlyn, Reus, Karo, and Aevum waving him towards them, clearly urging him to follow. They stood at the entrance
to the hallway where their family’s transport was docked. It was halfway across the atrium from where he and Onalee knelt. Between him and his family were hundreds of panicked people, all rushing for their transports.

  His family was holding on, trying to withstand the sea of bodies pushing past them. Conall knew he wouldn’t make it to them in time.

  “Go on,” he called, and waved his hand for them to go. “I’ll find an emergency shuttle.”

  He saw the look of shock on his sister’s face, and knew that she wouldn’t leave easily. He made sure to look right into Reus’s eyes.

  “Go!” he yelled as loudly as he could.

  Reus nodded in understanding, picked Ashlyn up over his shoulder, and let the wave of people push them towards their transport.

  Conall breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. The area near where they hid was assaulted by a volley of blasts, and many people hit the ground, either trying to escape the shots, or because they had been unable to.

  “What are we going to do?” Onalee asked as she clutched at him. Conall ran his hands up and down her torso in a soothing gesture.

  “We’re going to be fine,” he reassured her. “We’ll find a way off the ship.”

  It was the first time he’d knowingly lied to Onalee. The hall that led to the transports was on the far side of the atrium, and there were people firing randomly into the open area. He had no idea how they were going to get out of there.

  Suddenly, Conall’s wristunit vibrated so strongly he nearly thought he’d been hit by one of the energy blasts. He activated it, and to his immense relief, heard Brogan’s voice.

  “Are you both alright? I’ve lost your position. You’re not injured or harmed, are you?” A note of urgency bordering on fear edged Brogan’s words, but Conall was still immensely relieved to hear them.

  “No, we’re alright,” Conall replied, holding his wrist between himself and Onalee, so they could both hear Brogan’s audible sigh of relief.

  “What’s happening?” she asked, the panic rising in her voice.

  “We’re being attacked, that’s all I know,” he answered calmly. “I can help you get out of here, but right now, I need you both as clear-headed as possible.”