by Cheree Alsop
A lump had formed in Liora’s throat. She took the blade, but didn’t know what to say.
When Tariq broke the silence again, his voice had been thick with emotion.
“Liora, loving me won’t be easy. I’m damaged, maybe broken; I don’t know.” He looked at her. “All I know is that while a Damaclan…” He paused as if it was hard to say. He took a breath and continued, “A Damaclan destroyed my life with the edge of a blade. Maybe another Damaclan can heal it the same way.”
Tears spilled free. He drove his palms into his eyes and a sob tore from his chest.
Liora remembered kneeling in front of him. He leaned his head against her. She held him, her chin on top of his head and her arms around him.
“I’ve got you,” she had told him quietly. “It’s okay.”
She hesitated a moment, then shoved her fears away and pushed toward him. She sent comfort, reassurance, and pushed the flicker of love that had grown inside of her to the point that it scared her with how much she cared about him.
She heard Tariq’s breath catch in his throat. He raised his head and looked at her.
“How?” he had asked. “How can you love me so much after all you know about me? What is there left to love?”
Tears had filled Liora’s eyes at his words. “I could ask you the same thing,” she said.
Tariq wiped his cheeks and smiled; when she smiled in return, her tears spilled free.
“We are both so damaged.” Tariq wiped her tears away gently with the pads of his thumbs. She could feel the ghost of that touch on her cheeks. “Love sometimes seems scarier than anything else in life. Maybe it’s the next battle; one we can fight together.”
“I would like that,” she said.
Yet there was no together, not anymore. Live together or die together had turned into simply survival. She didn’t feel she could truly live without him there. At least with the pain of her back and the healing it had taken her thoughts and strength; now, with the worst moments of recovery moving behind her, Liora was forced to confront life without Tariq again. Looking down at the knife, she shook her head.
“It’s going to be alright,” Brandis said gently.
“Did I do something wrong?” Malie asked with worry in her voice. “Are these not hers?”
Brandis shook his head. “You did just fine,” he told her, his voice soft. “Tariq gave that knife to her.”
The silence that filled the ship was complete. Liora refused to let herself break down in front of them. She could feel Rist’s gaze and knew the expression she would see on Malie’s face. The Creetian would never purposefully do anything to hurt anyone. If she thought the knives would cause Liora an inkling of pain, Liora knew Malie would never have dreamed of handing them over.
She took a calming breath. Her voice broke only slightly when she said, “Thank you, Malie. This means more to me than you know.”
Malie gave a hesitant smile in return. “I hope it’s alright. I didn’t mean to bring back painful past happenings.”
Malie’s mishap with the common tongue brought a hint of lightening to the tightness in Liora’s chest.
“Memories,” Liora said. “Past happenings are memories.”
“That’s a beautiful word,” Malie replied. “Memories.” She looked up at Brandis. “I like that.”
He nodded. “I like the way you say it. It sounds so happy.”
That brought a wide smile to Malie’s face.
Liora turned her attention back to the window. The ship had reached the bottom of one of the huge coral stalks. Looking up through the window, Liora couldn’t see the top of the orange reef. Her emotions at receiving the knife were tempered by amazement when the glass in front of them parted to reveal a hangar inside the base of the reef.
“Welcome to Cree,” Rist said with a nod of approval at her expression. “It’s never boring.”
“That’s for sure,” Malie replied.
The cousins smiled at each other as if agreeing on something put the earlier argument behind them.
“Are you ready to go home?” Rist asked.
Malie nodded. She took Brandis’ hand as the ship landed and the glass slid shut. A moment later, the hangar drained of water. The door to the ship opened.
A piercing cry shattered the amiable atmosphere.
Chapter 21
“Mother,” Malie said.
She let go of Brandis’ hand and rushed out the door. A moment later, a dozen of the ear-shattering shrieks pulsed inside of the ship.
“What is that?” Brandis shouted with his ears covered.
Rist merely smiled, his expression relaxed and arms crossed in front of his chest as though the screaming was normal.
“That’s a family reunion. You should wait a minute. It’ll pass.”
“How can you just stand there?” Liora asked him. She moved her hands from her ears just enough that she could hear his reply better, but regretted it when the shrieks rose in volume.
“Creetians are made to be under water,” he explained. He turned to the side so Liora could see his gills. When he pointed to his ears, she saw small flaps she had never noticed before closing the ears off from the inside.
“It’s so we can swim at great depths without damaging our eardrums,” Rist said, shouting to be heard. “It also has the secondary benefit of noise control when family welcomes long lost loved ones.”
“Rist!” The cry was unmistakable.
Rist gave Liora and Brandis a self-suffering look before walking out to the hangar. The shrieking increased to levels Liora couldn’t block out. She and Brandis exchanged looks of horror. The humor on Brandis’ face said he had hope for the situation. Liora wasn’t so sure.
It wasn’t until the cries of happiness stopped that Liora and Brandis dared to walk down the ramp. The teary smiles and uplifted faces said Malie had told them about the siblings’ role in her rescue.
A woman with scales that matched Malie’s light blue stood beside her with an arm around her waist as if she didn’t dare let Malie go. The woman wore a green shimmering one-piece suit that would be ideal for both water and land. The other Creetian women and men around her wore similar outfits.
“Mauda,” Malie said, using the Tanli word for mother, “This is Brandis and his sister, Liora.”
Before Liora could back away, Malie’s mother wrapped them both up in a tight hug. The distinct smell of fish with a hint of exotic spices drifted from the woman’s gray-tinged hair. Liora gritted her teeth to keep from wincing at the pressure to her healing back. Brandis gave her an apologetic look.
“I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to express our gratitude,” the woman said, “But our home and our city are open to you for as long as you would like to stay here.”
“Thank you,” Brandis told her.
Liora echoed the sentiment. She ducked out of the woman’s arms as soon as she could do so without appearing rude. She had thought she was done with hugging when she left the S.S. Kratos, but by the looks of gratitude on the faces of the rest of Malie’s family, it was going to be a long welcome to Cree.
***
Liora tested the breathing device. It felt strange over her mouth and nose. The sensation of sucking in through the contraption felt claustrophobic.
“Are you going in there?” Brandis asked, standing beside her in her room within the coral building. He looked past her to the deep water beyond. A hint of trepidation showed in his gaze at the thought. “I’m putting it off as long as I can.”
“I need to get a little space from the Creetians,” Liora replied.
Brandis cracked a smile. “It’s been quite the welcome.”
Liora nodded and allowed herself the briefest moment of confidentiality that came with having a brother. “My back can’t take much more.”
Compassion touched Brandis’ gaze. “I’m sorry to say that I’d almost forgotten. The hugs must be much more unbearable than usual. I didn’t think about them causing actual physical pain.”
He nodded. “Not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll join you sometimes.” He looked past her to the water again. “Though it might be a while.”
“Coward,” Liora said, keeping her tone light.
He nodded. “Ocean depths aren’t my favorite thing. I’m not sure visiting Cree was my best thought-out plan.”
“Malie’s happy you’re here.”
That brought a smile to Brandis’ face. “Yes. It’s worth it for that, for sure. I’d do anything for her.” He glanced behind him. “In fact, I promised her I’d let her show me around Ries. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to invite you to come along.”
There was a hint of question in his voice that made Liora truly want to smile. He longed for time alone with the girl who was stealing his heart, and with the huge family she had, they didn’t get much of it. Liora wouldn’t be the one to stand in their way.
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I think I need a bit of silence away from the chaos. You can let me know what I should see later.”
There was relief and gratitude in Brandis’ eyes when he said, “Alright, but be safe.” He crossed to the door, then paused. “Malie said the Rielocks, her word for those who live in the deeper, rougher parts of the city, tend to not be friendly toward outsiders. She recommended staying close to the upper branches, which is I guess where we are.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Liora promised.
Her brother left through the door. Liora called out, “Have a good time.” The words surprised her. She truly wanted him to enjoy his day with Malie. She was a kind, good-hearted young woman who brought out the best in her brother. Liora hadn’t seen him smile so much in all the time she had known him. Malie was good for Brandis. Liora liked seeing him happy.
“I will!” Brandis called back to her.
The door slid shut and the hint of a smile ghosted on Liora’s lips for a moment before it vanished.
The feeling returned, the sensation of emptiness and of the pain that inevitably followed. She knew the knife was there on the flat couch below the window. She didn’t have to turn to know that the purple gem glinted as it reflected the water outside. It was bright enough to illuminate the entire room, and she knew without looking that the gem would be glowing with its captured light.
She had to escape. Liora put the breather to her nose and mouth, took several breaths, and slammed her hand against the release near the window.
She expected water to flow inside like it had in the hangar, but it stayed as though kept back by the glass that was no longer there. She put her hand to it. The water formed around her fingers and then wrist when they cleared the line of the room. She could feel the slight chill of the water beyond, but when she pulled her hand back, it returned perfectly dry.
“I’m getting further and further from understanding this place,” Liora muttered to herself. She adjusted the breather over her mouth and nose. “Here goes nothing,” she said, her voice muffled. She ducked her head and dove out the window.
The embrace of the cool water was startling. Liora sucked in several panicked breaths as she fought to find her equilibrium. She managed to right herself with the realization that she was struggling too hard to swim. It wasn’t like the thick water of Gliese where she had to fight just to move anywhere. On Cree, she would move if she gently propelled herself with her arms and legs. The movements turned her from side to side and up and down.
By the time she felt comfortable, she also realized she had been utilizing the breather without any problems. At least she had cleared two obstacles with only the panic of one.
Liora took a long pull through the breather to center herself. There was something calming about the press of the water against her ears. It blocked out the majority of sound. Only certain pitches cut through the luminescent liquid. The effect was numbing. One of the reasons she had been anxious to swim was to escape the cacophony of noise that made up the Creetian city. The coral buildings and stretching reef were filled with children running around and huge family groups roaming the halls and the water outside intent on unknown destinations. Every person Liora passed gawked at her. Apparently strangers were a rare sight among the orange buildings.
Liora drifted down, away from the coral, from Malie’s enthusiastic, screechy family, and away from Brandis with Malie. She had nothing against them as a couple; in fact, it made her happy to see the smile that never left Brandis’ face and the looks of affection Malie gave him when she thought no one was looking. It was just that seeing them holding hands reminded her of a hand she would never hold again. It was too soon to see such affection when everything she had taken for granted in her life had just been completely shattered.
As Liora swam, her tears mixed with the salty water of Cree’s ocean. Each thing she saw reminded her of Tariq. The brush of black seaweed waving back and forth beneath her was his tangle of hair that was always unkempt and hanging in his eyes in the way that made her long to push it back and kiss his brow. A massive, flat fish swimming by had radiant blue scales the exact color Tariq’s eyes had been when he teased her about something. She ducked into the lower caverns of the reef city and from the corner of her eye saw a form push away from a wall and duck out of sight.
It was impossible not to imagine how amazing it would be for Tariq to step out of the darkness and wrap her in his arms. The longing in her heart for that to happen battled the truth. She had seen him die. There was no rumor that he had been killed, no Cherum telling her that his body had been found frozen in space.
She had seen him with her own eyes as the bomb exploded and took his life. There was no doubt, and there was no chance that he would casually walk back into her life as though he had never left. He was her best friend, her love, and now he belonged to the aching hole in her heart that throbbed angrily with raw loss and reminded her with every beat that she would never be whole again.
She saw another form move out of the corner of her eye. Liora turned. This time, instead of ducking out of sight, three Creetian men swam toward her.
Liora’s senses thrummed. She had left the knives in her room above. She hadn’t been thinking clearly at the time; stupid decisions were easy to regret after the realization hits of how severe the consequences could be.
Liora had never fought in the water of Cree before. Her movements felt sluggish when she took what she intended to be a fighting stance, but as she drifted slowly down, she realized she had also never fought a battle that could take place from every angle.
The men separated. One swam slowly toward her front while the one on her right lowered to come up from beneath her. The last one, a Creetian bigger than any Liora had seen before, swam around to her high left. She pushed backwards to keep them all in view, but their mocking smiles made light of her attempts.
“What is this?” one of the men asked in the Tanli language. His gills sucked in the water and when he spoke, bubbles escaped his mouth.
Liora was surprised at how clearly she could understand his voice in the water.
“I’ve never seen a Staruck like her before,” the second answered. He had bright red hair that trailed in the water as he swam.
“She should know better than to visit these parts,” the third said with a deep chuckle.
“Perhaps it’s our job to teach her.”
The first swam around her, keeping just out of reach. He looked her up and down like a slaver from Pion Seven judging the quality of the item he wished to purchase.
Liora felt a hand run through her hair. She swung, but the Creetian backed away before she could reach him.
“She’s feisty,” he said, his blue-scaled lips turning up in an approving smile. “I’ve never seen a Staruck look like her. This could be fun.”
Liora wanted to warn them to leave her alone, but she couldn’t speak with the breather over her mouth and nose. She shook her he
ad and glared at them, her hands held ready in case they tried anything.
“First one to catch her gets dibs,” the red-haired one said.
Hands closed in on her from all sides.
Liora kicked out and caught the one below her on the back of the head, but the water impeded her efforts so that the effect was merely a rougher grab from his scaled hands.
Liora swung an elbow up, but the red-haired Creetian ducked it easily and pinned her arms to her sides. The first Creetian grabbed her hair and yanked her head back.
“Let’s see if this Staruck’s lips taste as good as they look,” he said.
He leaned forward and she smashed her forehead into his nose.
The Creetian reared back and cupped his nose with both of his hands. Blood blossomed between his fingers, tinting the water in trailing tendrils of the blue liquid.
Both of the other Creetians burst into laughter. The one who held her arms pinned kept his head carefully out of her reach.
“This little beauty got the better of you,” the third said with another deep chuckle.
“She can only fight if she can breathe,” the first growled.
He grabbed the breather from her mouth and yanked it free.
At her wide-eyed look, he grinned. The effect was ugly through his smashed lips. “Think you’re clever now, little Staruck? We can do whatever we want with you when your breath’s run out. You won’t be able to do anything about it.”
He let the breather slip through his fingers. Liora watched it drop through the water to the ocean floor far below.
Panic filled her mind. His action had taken her completely by surprise. She only had a little air left in her lungs from slamming her head into his nose. The pressure of needing to draw in a breath made her head pound.
“That’s it,” the first said, watching her closely. “You don’t have any options now, do you? Just give up.”
The big Creetian swam up beside him to watch. “Her face is going red. Pretty little thing looks cute when she’s drowning,” he said. “She doesn’t have too long.”