The Girl from the Stars Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  One of the huge snakes pulled back from the gems and snakes. It regarded her with unblinking eyes for a moment before it turned away.

  Liora wondered what the stare meant. She couldn’t take the red gem, not after seeing what it would do to the snakes. Uncertain what other course to take, Liora put her hand to the big snake’s head and pushed her need to get back to the pit.

  The snake didn’t move. Liora pushed again, sure that the creature was just busy acting as a proud parent to the new snakes. Again, the snake ignored her. Liora was about to push harder when the other snake returned.

  The snake opened its mouth and a body fell out. Liora stared at the sight of Rucko curled into a fetal position, whimpers escaping from his mouth. The Creetian’s cloak was shredded and his body was bruised. Liora could barely believe that she looked down at the pompous dictator of the Rielock underworld.

  “Get up, Rucko.”

  His head jerked up in surprise and he stared at her.

  “Liora? You’re alive?”

  “You are, too,” Liora replied. “For some reason, they let you live.”

  Rucko rose to his knees and clasped his hands together. He raised them to the snakes. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for sparing me.”

  “They spared you for a reason,” Liora hedged.

  “Why?” Rucko replied.

  Liora didn’t know how to respond to his wide-eyed stare. She glanced up at the snake and an idea occurred to her. She placed a hand on the snake’s head. A humored, pleased feeling spread to her. She felt the snake sharing the feeling with the other two. Both of them pushed feelings of approval toward her as well. A smile touched Liora’s face.

  “You’re to be the protector of the core.”

  Rucko’s mouth dropped open. His gills worked overtime as he looked from the snakes back to Liora.

  “You and your Rielocks are to defend the young snakes and ensure that nobody steals any of the gems from the core ever again. If you fail in this, they will eat you and all of your so-called family without a second thought. If you lie, they will know. If you tell the truth, they will know.”

  “I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” Rucko replied, trembling. “Tell them I’ll do it. I’m telling the truth, honest.”

  The biggest snake’s mouth opened. Liora stepped inside and held onto the fangs.

  “H-how do I get back?” Rucko asked.

  Liora gave him a steely look. “Swim.”

  Rucko looked as though he was about to faint.

  “I don’t know the way out,” he whined. “I’ll die before I get back. It’s so dark out there and I only have one more of these worms.”

  He pulled it out of his cloak pocket. He was about to kill it, but Liora leaned out of the snake’s mouth and grabbed his wrist in a grip of iron. She took the fuzzy worm gently with her other hand and brought it to her cheek. She rubbed it softly and whispered nonsense words to calm its racing heartbeat.

  It took merely a breath of a gentle push to reassure the creature that it wasn’t going to die. A thrum filled her hand. Liora realized that the worm was purring like the felis had done. A glow started inside, and soon rainbow light spilled over her fingers and down her arm.

  “H-how did you do that?” Rucko asked. “I thought you had to kill them to make them glow.”

  Liora glared at him. “Death isn’t always the answer. It’s time you learned to value life more than wealth.”

  “I will,” Rucko promised. “Please, take me back.”

  As much as she didn’t want to, Liora knew that if she didn’t take him back to his lair, she and Devren wouldn’t make it past the Rielocks back to Ries. She held out a hand.

  “Don’t make me regret this,” she said.

  “Never,” Rucko replied.

  The trip back to the pit felt much shorter than the journey down. Liora kept in the forefront of her mind the reason she had been forced into the pit in the first place. Her entire journey through the Grunge had occurred because Rielocks had taken her breather out to let her die. Their plan had been to use her and throw her away just as Rucko did with the worm bodies. She didn’t trust them, and she didn’t entertain the thought that they would uphold their promise with the snakes. She needed to do more.

  “We need to include the Fikes.”

  Rucko stared at her from the inside of the snake’s mouth. He avoided the teeth and instead sat on the forked tongue, jumping every time it moved.

  “That’s a horrible idea.”

  “These creatures are smart and now they’ll be growing in number. The dynamics of life on Cree just shifted. If the Creetians don’t find a way to live in harmony with them, there will be war.” She paused, then said in a quiet voice, “And I’m tired of war.”

  They reached the pit to find Devren standing on the platform where the gem had been. The fact that he had swam so deep into the darkness to find her touched Liora. The fear on his face at the snake’s appearance turned to relief when the snake’s mouth opened and Liora stepped out. He checked her over quickly as though sure she was about to die from some injury she hid.

  Liora decided that he knew her way too well.

  “I’m fine,” she reassured him. “But we’ve got things to do. Let’s go.”

  Devren hesitated when she motioned for him to step into the snake’s mouth, but he saw Rucko staring out at him and his eyes narrowed. He wasn’t about to leave Liora with Rucko even if it meant entering the mouth of a snake to do so.

  Rucko unlocked the gate and pushed it wide open for the snake to pass. The spikey creatures that lined the throne room sucked in their spikes at the appearance of the giant from the deep. The snake passed without the worry of being impaled. Liora saw the amazement and fear on the faces of the Rielocks when they first spotted the snake and then their leader in its mouth riding unharmed but cowering at Liora’s feet. She met the stares of Vist and the others, only to see them turn pale with fear.

  Liora pushed the image in her mind to the snake. It surged through the depths of the Grunge and into the lighter waters of Ries. Thousands of Creetians turned to stare as the snake’s black body wound around the coral reef higher and higher. She passed her room and continued up to the broad quarters of Malie’s family.

  Liora glanced at Rucko. The empty eyeholes of the robe around his shoulders showed eerily against the snake’s mouth.

  “Ditch the robe, Rucko,” she told him. “I don’t think it’ll go over well in the higher reaches of Ries.”

  “What? Oh. Forgot about that,” he said with an embarrassed look. “It was just to keep up appearances, you know?”

  He shrugged out of it and wadded it up. To her surprise, he tossed it outside without a second’s hesitation.

  At her look, he shrugged. “Not like I knew them. I didn’t even make the thing. Found it behind the bone throne and thought it would help add to my stature.”

  Liora and Devren exchanged a glance. Liora shook her head and looked back outside just as they reached the highest section of the coral building.

  Somehow, the Creetians had already been warned about the snake. How word had traveled so quickly baffled Liora, but she was glad when they reached the open room of light that took up the uppermost level of the underwater coral and found all of the ruling class present. It felt far more dramatic than she had planned to step from the snake’s huge mouth to the floor of the crystal room.

  “Liora!” Malie said in a gasp.

  Brandis rushed over to her, breathing quickly through his breather. He looked from her gills to her hands, his eyes wide.

  “I’m alright,” she reassured him. “I’ll explain later.”

  The fact that he couldn’t speak beneath the water didn’t keep him from hugging her, then checking her over for injuries, and hugging her again. All the while, he kept one eye on the snake that towered above them, its slit eyes unblinking and tongue flickering out to take in the scents of the water-filled room.

  Devren stood quietly at Liora’s side and Rucko st
umbled out to kneel wide-eyed in the splendor of the room.

  “What happened, Liora?” Malie’s mother was the first to speak.

  On Cree, the dynamics of leadership fell to the women, and Liora had seen Madam Fike handle politics and trade with apparent ease. She had great respect for the woman that far surpassed the shrieking that same woman was prone to when she was excited about something.

  Liora looked from the snake to the Creetians that made up Malie’s family and the ruling class of Ries. “It’s going to be easier if I show you,” she decided. “May I?”

  “May you what?” Madam Fike asked.

  “There is a lot to explain,” Liora told her. “I’d rather show you than tell you because first-hand is a lot more meaningful than a recounting of events.”

  “How would you show us?” Madam Fike queried. She looked from Liora to the snake in uncertainty, but the creature hadn’t moved since it released them into the open room.

  Liora touched the woman’s hand and pushed an image of Rucko kneeling in front of the baby snakes into her mind.

  “Do you see that?” Liora asked, careful to keep the push gentle so she didn’t overwhelm Malie’s mother.

  Madam Fike nodded with amazement on her face. “Can you show all of us?”

  Liora motioned for them to link their hands. “Close your eyes,” she instructed. “It’s easier if you don’t have anything distracting you.”

  “A bit difficult with that beast watching us,” one of Malie’s sisters said.

  “Hush, Brinelee, have faith,” Madam Fike directed.

  “Yes, mother,” the young woman replied.

  Liora pushed. She felt the surprise of the others as her memories filled their minds. Devren waited near Rucko in case the Rielock changed his mind about their agreement. Liora pushed the same image at him and felt his acceptance of it.

  She showed them Rucko leading her to the pit, her confrontation with the snakes, and the snake’s memories of loss after the gem disappeared. She showed replacing the gem and filling them with light once more along with the birth of the baby snakes. She showed what she had told Rucko about his new position in Cree, and of her decision to include the Creetians.

  “These creatures are smart and now they’ll be growing in number. The dynamics of life on Cree just shifted. If the Creetians don’t find a way to live in harmony with them, there will be war.”

  Liora pulled away from Madam Fike and the others. Several of them grabbed their heads or stumbled despite how gently she broke the connection.

  “I’m sorry,” she told them. “The effects should wear off soon. It’s a bit harder if you’ve never had someone push to you before.”

  Madam Fike appeared the least bothered by the push. She swam past Liora to reach the great snake. The creature’s yellow eyes followed her.

  “We will do everything we can to help protect your young,” she said.

  Liora was about to push the images that matched the woman’s promise to the snake when the creature pushed a strong image of its own. Several in the room staggered and leaned against each other for support, but Madam Fike stood straight and received the push without flinching.

  The snake showed others coming from the pit, growing, moving among the coral city with the Creetians.

  “Exactly,” Madam Fike said aloud. “We can learn to live in harmony. I’d much prefer that over watching my people be eaten.”

  “You just mentioned being eaten,” Rucko said with fear in his voice.

  “Will peace be possible?” Malie asked.

  Her mother turned to her. “Anything is possible,” she answered. “It’s a matter of motivation. I am motivated to keep our people alive. This creature is motivated to keep its young alive. As long as we can stay on the same page, we can live in peace.” She looked at Rucko. “And you will guard the gems.”

  Rucko straightened beneath the weight of her scrutiny. “Yes, Madam Fike. My people and I will guard the gems.”

  The Creetian woman’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Do I know you?”

  Rucko looked as though he was about to brush aside her inquiry, but he glanced at the snake. Liora remembered telling him that the snakes could tell if he lied.

  “You knew my father, Dran Ruck.”

  Madam Fike’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, your father was a great man. I wondered what became of his son after he passed.” She tipped her head to one side. “You always did have a penchant for leadership. I just didn’t realize you had taken it below.”

  Rucko lowered his gaze. “I have things to make up for. I beg the opportunity to do so.”

  Madam Fike nodded. “Everyone deserves a chance. Make your father proud.”

  “I will,” Rucko promised.

  Madam Fike looked at Liora. “Your journey here has had quite the impact on our ocean planet.”

  “I hope I haven’t upset the way of things too greatly.”

  “I imagine you have,” the woman replied. At Liora’s look, she smiled. “Our role in life isn’t to stand still and let the current flow around us, it is to shape ourselves to best fit the current so that we can reach the furthest and have the greatest impact on those around us.” She indicated the snake with a bow of her head. “Our path may have changed, but the current presses on. It is up to us not to stand in its way but to join its course. We will survive.”

  The respect Liora felt for the woman grew. She saw the determined nods from Malie’s siblings.

  “And now, you have a starship to catch,” Madam Fike said. “Your father is in contact and he is anxious to have you home.”

  Liora took the fuzzy worm from the spot it had settled in on her shoulder. Madam Fike accepted the creature with a smile.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of your sort here,” she said.

  A purr emanated from the creature.

  Madam Fike held out a hand to Liora.

  “Thank you again, Liora Day. I hope we will see each other again soon.”

  “Thank you,” Liora replied. “I appreciate the hospitality you have shown. Cree will always be a place I think of fondly.”

  Chapter 5

  Liora sat inside the small lounge room of the Ten Devren had flown from the Tucana Dwarf Galaxy. When she leaned against the seat, her back gave an angry throb, reminding her with sharp pain that she had missed spreading Susa’s salve across her burns for far too long. She sat forward again and rested her head in her hands.

  “Are you alright?”

  Liora sat up at Devren’s approach. It said a great deal about how tired she was that she hadn’t heard his footsteps.

  “I’m fine,” she replied.

  Devren stood in the doorway for a moment. He finally let out a breath and stepped inside.

  “Tariq would say he doesn’t believe you and get you to talk, but I’m not so good at that.”

  Liora watched him take the seat across from her. He leaned his elbows on his knees and studied his shoes with a lost expression on his face. Liora’s heart went out to him.

  “Tariq didn’t die for some little cause.”

  Devren looked up at her. “What?”

  She sat up, winced at the pain, and leaned forward again. “You said Tariq gave up his life for some little cause. He didn’t.”

  Devren dropped his gaze to his shoes again.

  Liora held out her hand. “I need to show you.”

  Devren looked at her, his expression showing his exhaustion. “Is this necessary?”

  “I could just push, but it’s easier if I can touch you,” Liora replied. “After everything we’ve been through today, I don’t know if I have the strength—”

  “I wasn’t questioning holding your hand,” Devren said, cutting her off. “I meant about Tariq.” His voice softened and he looked away from her. “I don’t know if I can handle it right now.”

  Liora closed her eyes at the pain in his voice. She sucked in a breath at the echo that tore through her heart. “It’s necessary,” she said in a
whisper.

  Her eyes opened when his hand took hers. His eyes were already closed. She did the same, searching her memory for the one that played over and over again in her dreams, ending in a nightmare that she could never escape.

  Again she pounded on the glass, telling Tariq not to sacrifice himself to kill the moss entity that threatened to destroy the Macrocosm. But Tariq was Tariq. He wouldn’t let others suffer if there was anything he could do to stop it. And so he threw the bomb over his shoulder and said his goodbye with a look of love and a hand on the glass, a hand that would be imprinted on Liora’s soul forever.

  A sound made Liora open her eyes. She gently broke the connection at what she saw.

  Devren held his eyes with his free hand. Tears dripped from between his fingers and fell to the floor with nearly silent splashes. As if he felt her watching him, he shook his head.

  “I couldn’t do it.” His voice was strangled. “I just couldn’t.”

  “Couldn’t do what?” Liora asked. At the sound of his voice, the tears she had fought so hard to keep at bay trickled down her cheeks.

  It was a moment before Devren could respond. He put his hand over his mouth and his words came out muffled, his eyes closed tight. “I couldn’t face you. I hurt too much. I couldn’t carry someone else’s pain with him being gone.” He tipped his head to look at her, his cheeks wet. “I was a coward.”

  Liora shook her head.

  His face twisted and he turned away from her. “I blamed you.”

  “I deserve it.”

  Devren looked at her, his eyes searching her face. “Don’t you do that. Don’t you carry the guilt of his death on your shoulders. I spent years telling Tariq the same thing, trying to get him to understand that it wasn’t his fault Dannan and Lissy had been murdered. He kept asking me why he hadn’t been there, why he had lingered five more minutes than usual in the bay, why he hadn’t been the one to face the Damaclan.”

  Devren sucked in a shuddering breath. “He wouldn’t want the same for you, Liora. He wouldn’t want you to carry guilt that doesn’t belong to you. I was wrong to blame you. You showed me what he did. He chose to throw the bomb. He made the choice to save all of us.” His voice gentled. “You know Tariq. It was the only decision he would have made.”