Venan: A Paranormal Sci-Fi Alien Romance: Albaterra Mates Book 7 (The End)

by Ashley L. Hunt

  Even though he’d brought his younger sister up himself, I wasn’t about to approach that territory with a ten-foot pole after the awkwardness it had brought us before. Instead, I redirected the conversation into his childhood with Zuran and what it was like to grow up with a twin. He told me of the hours they’d spend together in the outskirts of Ka-lik’et, traversing the Dhal’atian dunes and venturing to various oases to swim. I discovered just how right I’d been in assuming Zuran was a bit of a prankster as Venan recalled tales of youthful mishaps guided by his brother’s trickery. It was surreal to imagine the serious-faced Elder before me as a young A’li-uud racing beyond the city walls beneath the pounding desert sun with an identical A’li-uud boy at his side. But I knew the memories were as real to him as if they’d happened yesterday by the way his vision unfocused and his chin tilted up toward the ceiling while he talked.

  By the time our plates were cleaned and taken from the table, I was having such a good time I didn’t want the evening to end. Even when Venan rose from his chair to help me from mine and led me to the palace doors himself rather than allowing the warrior standing by to do it, I was hoping he intended to take me for a walk or continue our conversation on the palace grounds. I was struck with another round of disappointment when he said, “I have arranged for Katil to escort you back to your home.”

  “Oh,” I replied a little stupidly. I hoped the disappointment I was feeling didn’t translate into my eyes, but I couldn’t be sure. “No, that’s okay. He doesn’t have to.”

  “He does, as I have ordered him so,” came Venan’s rather stern response. It was a bit like being chastised by a teacher, and I nodded my agreement immediately instead of arguing the point further. Truthfully, I didn’t want an escort. A walk in the cool evening air alone sounded like the perfect ambience for me to go over every detail of the dinner in my mind and quell the regret I had for its end. Nevertheless, I knew it was required for humans to have an escort to the palace, so it only sounded reasonable that they should require an escort from it as well.

  “Thank you for inviting me here,” I said cordially. “The food was absolutely delicious.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he acknowledged, tilting his head.

  A swell of hope rose in my belly. If our date was over for the night, so be it, but I waited to hear the words I wanted him to say. Now would be the time to set up a second date, to ask what I was doing in the coming days or to suggest an outing somewhere I’d never been. And now was definitely the right time for the goodnight kiss.

  Instead, Venan turned his head away and jerked it slightly. Katil appeared from the shadows of the next room, and he opened one of the massive doors for me. Venan said something to him in A’li-uud and then turned his gaze to me one final time.

  “Thank you for your company,” he said, sounding just as cordial as I had. “I enjoyed it immensely.”

  “You’re welcome,” I murmured uncertainly. He inclined his head once more and stepped back, and Katil took my arm in his hand. Just like that, I was swept from the palace into the Ka-lik’et night with a full stomach and a confused head.

  Chapter Eleven

  Venan

  I was uncomfortably cold, and my entire body felt as if I had been doused in a pool of water despite being undeniably dry.

  Pentaba was the kingdom of swamps, and the air was riddled with humid moisture. It was considered quite warm to those who inhabited its marshes, but, in comparison to the unyielding heat of Dhal’at, I found it rather frigid. There seemed to be a permanent odor of earthy richness no matter how deep into the bogs or how far from them I ventured, and I was unable to escape the relentless buzzing of energetic insects even when there were no insects to be seen. To some, Pentaba may have been a pleasant place, perhaps even considered beautiful. To me, it was hellish both in climate and in landscape.

  On either side of me walked an Elder, their steps falling into unrehearsed synchronization with my own. Behind me trailed several others with robes dragging over slimy mud and catching on the reeds that sporadically burst from the squelching gunk. Heading our trek was the only Elder with whom I found myself comfortable after the ordeal I had faced prior to my crowning: Vi’den.

  Though we trudged in silence with only the insects and our footfalls as symphony, my mind was racing. It had been a week since I had invited Octavia to join me for dinner at the palace, and I still felt disappointed by the encounter. Being in her presence had been wonderful, but the result had not been the one I had envisioned upon extending the invitation. She had left rather unceremoniously with Katil, and I had stood in the foyer for several long minutes afterward wondering if perhaps I ought to have escorted her home myself. At the very least, I would have liked to kiss her as I hoped to do at the table, but it had not felt appropriate in the presence of my warrior, and I did not want to take liberties to take her aside as I did not wish to make her uncomfortable.

  No, that was a lie I insisted upon telling myself. The truth of the matter was I had been too cowardly to try to kiss her again after the failed attempt during our meal.

  It was amazing to me just how powerless I felt in relation to Octavia. My entire life had been about garnering confidence and, in doing so, power. I had dedicated myself to climbing the ranks of the Dhal’atian militia because I was devoted to the betterment of my kingdom. Never in those long years had I felt uncertain of my abilities, nor of my rights, and I certainly had never questioned my decisions regardless of the consequences they bore on such things as friendships or relationships. Yet, this human extracted from me a level of tentative uncertainty of which I had never believed myself capable. It may have never mattered to be before what opinions of me my peers maintained or whether females considered me an ideal mate, but I was unable to deny how much weight Octavia’s opinion held to me.

  Without warning, Vi’den came to a halt before me, and I was forced to steel myself into the mud to prevent my body from crashing into his. So lost in my thoughts was I that I had failed to notice what appeared in front of us: a pointed wall curving out of sight on either side, in front of which stood Pentaba’s fierce and combative Elder, Sevani.

  I, along with the other members of the Council, had been called to Pentaba for a personal update on the status of the Novai. They were a race of, for lack of a better term, aliens who had lost their home planet many centuries ago and been in search of a new home since. Prior to my coronation, the Council agreed to allow a number of Novai to colonize on Albaterra. It was strictly as a trial to gauge whether they would be permitted to settle here permanently as a benefit not only to themselves but to the A’li-uud—and the humans as well, as they were now residents of our beloved planet too. Initially, upon their arrival, the Novai were rather terrifying in both appearance and demeanor. Their wan skin was piercingly white, their hair as black as night, and their ridged faces featured vividly crimson lips and blank divots where eyes should have been. Within the first few months of their colonization, there were several incidents of violence against patrolling Pentaban warriors and a human. Incidentally, the human in question had since become the mate of Khrel, who was the male my sister forsook, but that was neither here nor there; the point was that the Novai were less-than-model colonists for a time.

  After it seemed they had tamed a bit in their new surroundings, the Novai were again a problem on the Council’s radar. Sevani reported they were beginning to display excessive aggression beyond that which they had first displayed upon their arrival, and physical changes were observed. It was concluded they were suffering from an unknown disease, and it was one such infected Novai who was brought to the Elder palace in Ka-lik’et and attacked Elder Kharid, thus resulting in my botched attempt to come to his rescue and hitherto my arrest on the charge of murder. While I sat in a cell at the Elder City of P’otes-tat Ulti, hospitals designed to diagnose and treat the Novain disease were erected around the planet. It was there my twin found love with his new bride, who was one of the nurses assigned to the case
. We later came to learn from the captain on the Novai mothership that the disease was not exactly a disease, but rather that his people were suffering from what he called “sun-sickness” and they were reverting to a physiology lost after so many years space-bound. It was good news for us as our race was not at risk of contraction, but a large percentage of the Novai colonists were lost in their transitions as it was simply too harsh a process for their bodies to handle.

  Now, we were to learn of the survivors.

  “Good afternoon, Sevani,” Vi’den greeted the Pentaban Elder, outstretching his arms and tilting his chin downward respectfully. “I trust we are not too early?”

  “No, we are well-prepared,” came Sevani’s reply. He was a callous A’li-uud, lacking in moving emotion and distinctly icy in attitude, but he was also one of the most dedicated Elders Albaterra had ever seen. His life was for his citizens, and he spent each day ensuring they were as safe and as happy as possible. The only reason he had permitted the Novai to colonize in his kingdom at all, as it was a potential risk to his civilians, was because Pentaba was the most defensively-developed kingdom on all of Albaterra. They were a group devoted to keeping threats at bay and creating such a presence of intimidation few would tangle with them. In all likelihood, the problems they had encountered with the Novai would have been exponentially higher had the Novai been placed anywhere else.

  “Very good,” Vi’den said, pleased. “We are eager to hear how the Novai have fared since our last inquiry.”

  Sevani inclined his head, not bothering to acknowledge each Elder individually but instead, he kept his focus on Vi’den. He was relatively arrogant, though not necessarily without good reason, and I had a measure of difficulty keeping my biases at bay as Sevani was someone with whom Zuran had had many a problem. Sevani may have been my comrade in Elderhood, but Zuran was my brother, and my loyalty lay first with him. Perhaps my feelings were a failure of my Elderhood, but I could not disintegrate the bonds of twindom no matter my position, and I had to force myself to remain neutral in expression as I looked at the teal-skinned Elder.

  “I must warn you,” Sevani noted as he began to walk to the right toward a large opening in the fence, “the physical changes in the survivors have been drastic. What I have described to the Council for the last couple of months hardly does justice. You will likely find yourselves alarmed, but I must request that you remain composed. The Novai are temperamental even in their new state; they will attack if they feel threatened.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Octavia

  “Okay, I’m here! Now, tell me everything!”

  Edie burst into my rounded hut-house breathlessly, spewing her exclamations like water and practically hitting her head on the doorjamb from her energetic bouncing. She was wearing scrubs, which told me she’d just come from the infirmary where she worked as a nurse, and her hair was tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck with stray strands flying about her face. Despite definitely looking disheveled, she was somehow exactly the way I always thought Edie should be: careless, wildly-groomed, and colorful.

  I hadn’t known she was coming over, and I almost jumped out of my skin when my door flew open, and she came in squealing. I was seated on my couch, enjoying the only day off I’d had all week, with one of my favorite novels open on my lap. Upon hearing her, however, I whipped around and tried to calm my suddenly spiked pulse.

  “God, Edie, knock first!” I cried, pressing my palm to my chest and taking a shaky breath.

  She paused in the entry, the door still open behind her, and looked around. “Why? Is he here?”

  “Who?”

  Her sparkling eyes narrowed, and a saucy grin crossed her lips. “You know who.” Her gaze slid to the book resting on my thighs, and she let out a gush of disappointed air. “Oh, never mind,” she dismissed. “If he was here and you’re reading, you’d be the lamest person ever.”

  I rolled my eyes and folded the corner of the page to mark my place before closing the book and sliding it onto the coffee table where my feet were propped. “If you’re talking about Venan, no, he’s not here,” I remarked.

  “Is there a possibility someone else could be here?” she challenged, raising an eyebrow and grinning again. She kicked the door closed behind her with her foot and crossed the space into the living area, dropping onto the couch next to me. I was immediately overtaken by the pungent sting of sterilizing solution and wrinkled my nose.

  “No,” I snapped with falsified irritation. Then, I flashed her a grin of my own to show her I wasn’t genuinely upset by the question.

  Edie waved a hand at me, tossing aside our joking banter in the interest of discussing what she considered to be of the utmost importance. “Okay, so, seriously, tell me. I want to know all about your date.”

  A week had passed since my dinner with Venan at the palace, but I remembered it as clearly as if I’d just left minutes ago. Every time I recalled the look in his eyes as he leaned toward me and the hot electricity coursing through me when his finger touched mine while he admired my ring, I felt a shiver run along my spine and the hairs on my arm stand. Because of that, I was almost embarrassed to tell Edie about everything that had happened. I tried to distract her.

  “If you were so interested in my date, how come you haven't been by for a week?” I asked, hoping she would launch into a long explanation about everything she had been doing over the past seven days.

  She took the bait somewhat. “My hours at the infirmary have been crazy,” she told me. “I don't know what those guys have been doing, but soldiers have been coming in one after another with broken fingers and sprained wrists and twisted ankles. It's like they're training for something top secret because when we ask what happened, they don't say much.”

  “Couldn't your Corporal tell you?” I prodded.

  “He's not allowed,” she said with a shake of her head. “They're getting really secretive for some reason. It's weird. Being here, everything was kind of an open book within the colony. Now, it's like we're back on Earth again and everything the military does is subject to confidentiality.” She rolled her eyes and then and added, “Don't think I don't know you're trying to change the subject. I came here to find out what happened when you had dinner with your Elder. I want to know.”

  I sighed. When Edie wanted something, she was determined to get it, and this was no exception. I could either tell her I didn't want to talk about it, which would only prompt her to nag me more, or I could give in and expel the details of that strange yet wonderful night. I gave in.

  “Well, he obviously asked me to dinner, and I accepted,” I began, attempting to take the story slowly. She bounced on the couch cushion eagerly, leaning toward me. The gesture reminded me of Venan at the table, and I felt a flush rise in my cheeks. I continued as if I was unperturbed, however. “The food was sensational. Really. I promise you, you've never had anything like it.”

  “You’re not seriously talking to me about the food, are you?” she chastised. “If that was the best part of your date, I don't think I want to hear this.”

  I almost told her it was the best part of the date, which would have been a lie, but it would have gotten her off my back. Somewhere deep within me, though, I actually did want to spill all the details of the date so she could help me analyze what had happened, especially the parts about not kissing.

  “All right, all right.” She was relentless. “Well, remember how I told you about seeing that female A’li-uud at the wedding? And that female was the reason he left me in the middle of the dance floor?”

  Edie nodded.

  “It turns out she's his sister,” I said. “She's been exiled from their family, and she wasn't invited to the wedding.”

  “Oh my god, why?” Edie demanded, leaning even closer to me with wide, enraptured eyes. If there was one thing she loved, it was a piece of juicy gossip. This was right up her alley.

  I shrugged and shook my head. “I don't really know the details of the story,�
� I admitted. “I started to ask about her after he told me who she was, but he got really weird. It was like the second she was brought to the forefront of our conversation, the entire room got really tense. I didn't want to push it.”

  “Wow,” she breathed. “So if he's all secretive about her, did things get awkward?”

  “Yeah, really awkward,” I confirmed.

  “Did it get better?” It was like she was living vicariously through me, or like she was watching a movie and desperately hoping the hero and heroine get together. I could feel her rooting for me as if the date was happening at this very moment and she was standing on the sidelines.

  With a nod, I told her about what transpired after the initial uncomfortable conversation about Ola. I told her that I thought he was trying to kiss me in the middle of our meal, but I was too stupid to lean in and accept it, and I told her about his asking me about my life back on Earth. As I spoke, her cheeks started to glow, and her eyes began to dance.

  “He's interested in you!” she cried delightedly. “Any guy who just wants a piece of ass isn't going to care about your life. This is so awesome!”

  “To be honest,” I said slowly, “I'm not sure he actually is interested in me.”

  She batted my shoulder with her hand. “What are you talking about? Of course he's interested.”

  “He never kissed me,” I confessed. It was the first time I had spoken the truth aloud, and it sounded even more depressing when vocalized than it did in my head.

  “What do you mean? At the table?”

  “No, at the end of the night. He walked me to the door, I thanked him, he thanked me, and then he summoned one of his warriors to take me back home. We didn't even hug, much less kiss. How interested could he possibly be if he didn't even want to kiss me?” I felt a wave of depression crash over me at the thought. Not for the first time, I wondered if he had been interested when he had asked me to the palace but lost interest over dinner when he realized I wasn't as interesting or exciting as he'd anticipated. Or maybe it was the opposite. Maybe he thought I was too exciting or too interesting to be someone an Elder could pursue.