The Surpen King_Part 1_Return of the Gods

by Charity Kelly

  Suddenly, the bedroom door was flung open and Ceceta stepped out. She pointed at Rhen and yelled, “I heard you and no, you won’t. For the hothead comment, you now get to sleep in the boy’s dormitory. I don’t even want you in my apartment for two weeks.”

  “You’re being unreasonably hotheaded,” Rhen teased. For reasons he couldn't understand, his comment only succeeded in making Ceceta freak out even more. She grabbed everything she could find to throw at him. Rhen ran from the apartment to escape.

  ---

  “You needed to punish him,” the Genister known as Thamber said as she stepped out of her golden swirling vortex into the living room, after Ceceta's friends had left.

  “I know,” Ceceta told her. She watched Thamber pull a lipstick tube out of her golden clutch and waited as Thamber applied a coat of dark red lipstick to her full lips. "Thamber, I don’t feel like talking right now."

  A mirror appeared in the air next to Thamber’s face, so she could check her appearance. She searched in her purse and pulled out some blush. "I won’t be long. I just wanted you to know that you had to punish him but..."

  “But you were way too harsh,” the Genister called Thestrst said, interrupting her. He popped into the room through a swirling vortex of sunburst orange lights. As usual, his transparent orange face was hidden behind a black Genister scarf.

  “Really?” Ceceta hissed. “You Genisters told me I had to ban him from my presence for two weeks if he ever started going into peoples’ heads. I was simply following your orders.”

  “Did we say that?” Thamber asked casually, as she rooted around in her purse for some eyeshadow. “We may have been wrong.”

  “Of course,” Ceceta remarked dryly. “So nice of you to tell me you’d changed your minds before our fight.”

  “Two weeks is a long time,” Thestrst remarked behind his black mask. “He may turn on you.”

  “Themrock!” Ceceta swore under her breath. Sometimes she hated the Genisters.

  “He won’t turn on her,” Thamber said. She closed her golden clutch and adjusted the black Genister clothing she was wearing. “He loves her too much. He would never turn on her.”

  “Two weeks, though,” Thestrst repeated. “A lot can happen in two weeks, especially considering his fame and the way the other Convention members are itching to attack.”

  Ceceta had opened her mouth to tell them that she was going to find Rhen and let him back into her apartment, but Thestrst’s comment stopped her in her tracks. The other Convention members were planning to attack? Where? “What are you talking about?” she asked Thestrst.

  “Andres’s war taught the other Convention members that nothing will happen to them if they attack other planets. The Thestrans won’t retaliate. So, they’re plotting new trade routes that include planets they don’t own. Planets they will soon be acquiring,” Thestrst explained. He reached up to push down on his transparent orange curls to smooth them where they poked out around his mask.

  “Not to mention the fact that Therol told them to do it,” Thamber added.

  “That’s not good,” Ceceta said.

  “No. It’s not,” Thellis agreed, as he flew into the room through his dark green vortex. “We checked out Neptian and you’re right. Loreth is there. He’s stirring up Te and Yfetb. I would expect them to cause trouble soon.”

  “I’ll tell Rhen he was right when I invite him back into the apartment.” Ceceta walked towards her door. “Thanks for checking it out, Thellis.”

  “Hold on,” Thellis called out, lifting his glowing green arm into the air. “For what it’s worth, I disagree with the others. You should ban him for two weeks. If you go out there now and invite him back in, he won’t learn his lesson.”

  “He has a point,” Thamber agreed, while swinging her clutch back and forth.

  Ceceta gritted her teeth to keep herself from yelling at them. She pulled open the door to her apartment. She’d find Rhen and tell him he could come back. Suddenly, she felt a wave of icy cold air hit her body. Oh, no, she thought.

  “Just relax,” Thestrst whispered into her mind from inside her body. He used his orange powers to force Ceceta to turn around and walk back into her apartment then he flew out of her and closed the front door.

  “How dare you!” Ceceta screamed, once Thestrst had left her body.

  Thestrst ignored her. “Hey, Thamber. Ceceta found a Fire Elf portrait that’s almost an exact likeness of you in Charlie’s room in the Thestran Royal Palace.”

  “You bastard!” Ceceta screamed. “Do you have any idea how horrible it feels when you enter my body?”

  “Really?” Thamber asked, her lips pursing. “I thought I had obscured all of my portraits.”

  “I hate you!” Ceceta hissed. She shook from the chill of having Thestrst inside her.

  “Thestrst,” Thellis admonished, “you shouldn’t have read Ceceta’s mind.”

  Thestrst shrugged then told Thamber, “It’s been in the Fire Elves’ collection for years. One of their early pieces.”

  “When I tell Rhen what you did, he’s going to kill you!” Ceceta shouted.

  Thestrst tossed a pebble-sized orange power ball at Ceceta. It hit her on the head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

  Thellis winced. “You should’ve at least caught her. She’ll have bruises.” He used his green powers to put Ceceta on her bed. “You erased this conversation from her mind?”

  “Yeah,” Thestrst said. “The last thing she’ll remember is that we want Rhen to be cut off from her for two weeks in order to punish him for reading someone’s mind.”

  Thellis nodded, his green powers slipping out of his form as he thought. “Why don’t you add that she should ban Rhen from being near her and her friends during that time period?”

  “Are you sure?” Thestrst asked, pulling down on his scarf. “That seems a little extreme.”

  “I am. If Rhen spends any time with Ceceta, she’ll cave in. It’s best to keep the two of them apart for these next few weeks so Rhen realizes how important it is for him not to read minds.”

  “Why was my portrait in Charlie’s room?” Thamber asked. She opened her clutch to look for some nail polish.

  “Latsoh’s dad sold it for money,” Thestrst said, before turning towards Ceceta to send an orange power ball the size of a grain of rice at her.

  Thamber shook her head. The elves’ castles were in complete disrepair. “It’ll be nice when Themrock returns and the elves have their powers again.”

  “I can’t wait,” Thestrst agreed.

  “That’s if he decides to give the elves their powers back,” Thellis said, making a green swirling vortex of lights appear beside him.

  “He will,” Thestrst said, while making his own vortex of orange lights. “He loves his elves. He won’t deny them the powers he bestowed upon them when they helped us learn how to use mortal bodies.”

  Chapter 27

  Great Lawn – Elfin University

  Rhen’s friends left Ceceta’s apartment and made their way to the student dormitories. As they walked across the University’s Great Lawn, they found Rhen lying outside on the grass. His eyes were closed and his hands were clasped over his chest.

  “Are you sleeping out here tonight?” Erfce asked, when they came up alongside him.

  “Yeah, it’s safer here than in there with the hothead.”

  Tgfhi chuckled at Rhen's remark and got an elbow in the ribs from Crystam.

  “Why was she so upset about your going into people’s minds?” Latsoh asked.

  “Well,” Rhen began. He opened his eyes. The black part of his eyes was lit with the stars above, making him look mystical. “She’s right. I shouldn’t manipulate people. What I was doing was wrong. I’m sorry, Tgfhi.” He felt bad about hurting his friend.

  Tgfhi shrugged. "I'm over it. But, I have to tell you, it was kind of freaky. You were so hidden. I had no idea you were in my mind until I heard Ceceta’s mind.”

  “You heard Ceceta’s
mind in your mind?” Crystam asked.

  “Yeah, Rhen was making me think something, and then suddenly, I was listening to Ceceta talk to Rhen with her mind.”

  Rhen grimaced. “That’s what you call mental feedback. I didn’t filter her out before I started speaking with you. It’s obvious I haven’t practiced that skill enough.” He sighed and closed his eyes, adding, “And if Ceceta has her way, I never will.”

  They stood above Rhen in the cool night air, watching him. His face was relaxed, his hands were interlaced over his stomach, his green tunic was disheveled from the day’s activities and the laces on his trainers were undone.

  Something flashed to their right. Glancing in that direction, Rhen’s friends saw a student light a cigarette on their dorm balcony. As they stared at the dorms, they noticed more movement than usual outside. It seemed that most of the balconies had shadows of students on them and everyone’s attention was focused on one location: Rhen. It was obvious that Rhen couldn’t stay on the lawn overnight. If he did, the entire female dormitory would be sleeping beside him by morning.

  “Get up,” Tgfhi told him, nudging Rhen gently with the toe of his trainer. “You’re sleeping in my room until you can return to yours.” There was no way he was going to let his friend be harassed by all those students.

  “That’s not necessary,” a deep voice said behind them.

  Turning, they found Rhen’s pregnant sister, Lilly, and her Surpen husband, Jet, approaching.

  “Hi guys,” Lilly called out. “Guess what? Jet has decided to get a Thestran education. He’s going to start school with you.”

  “That’s great,” Latsoh said.

  Rhen stood up and brushed the grass from his tunic. He and Jet saluted each other and then Rhen leaned over to give Jet a smack on the arm. He was excited to have Jet at the University. It’d be fun to have another Surpen to hang out with.

  “Are you starting at the beginning of the 18-year program?” Erfce asked Jet.

  “No, actually,” Jet said, as he rested his hands on his weapons belt. He was short for a Surpen, but he had the same black hair, grey eyes and tan skin that all Surpens had. “I passed those exams in my pre-test interview. I get to start with you guys in the 19-year program. Rhen and I are in all of the same classes, isn’t that great?”

  It was then that they realized Jet had been sent by Bosternd to watch Rhen’s back. He wasn’t at the school to learn. He was there to work. There could be no other explanation for why Jet would be taking all of Rhen’s classes.

  Bosternd had chosen well, when he’d sent Jet. First, Jet already knew Thestran’s ways; second, he would be accepted everywhere he went because of his royal wife; third, his reputation as a fighter was well-known; fourth, his married status put him into an apartment in the Teacher’s Residence Hall; and fifth, it was common knowledge that he’d been unhappy on Thestran. He missed his career in Surpen’s military. Now that Jet was guarding Rhen, he’d be able to serve his planet and stay on Thestran with his wife. It was the perfect solution for him. He was the ideal bodyguard for Rhen.

  “So, do you want to sleep on our sofa or on Tgfhi’s floor?” Jet asked Rhen, after he’d learned why Rhen was looking for accommodations for the next two weeks from Crystam.

  Rhen shrugged. “I don’t want to intrude on your lives. I’ll sleep in the common area or out here.”

  “No way,” Lilly told him, while Tgfhi casually turned Jet’s body towards the student dormitories. “Our couch is much more comfortable than any you’ll find in the student common area.”

  Jet glanced up at the women’s dormitory and noticed hundreds of female students watching them. There was no way Rhen could sleep in a public area. He needed to try a new tactic with his King. “Rhen, I don’t want to exercise alone tomorrow. Come sleep in our apartment, so we can work out in the morning together. Just like old times, when you used to train me.”

  Rhen liked Jet’s idea. He and Jet were well matched physically. It’d be fun to exercise with someone again, but he hesitated. He didn’t want to intrude on Lilly and Jet’s personal life. Rhen glanced over at Lilly's pregnant belly.

  “Come on,” Jet said, noticing where Rhen’s eyes were focused. “Lilly is attending a parenting conference so she can learn how to be the perfect mother. She’s going back to the castle tonight and won’t return for at least two weeks.”

  Lilly’s eyebrows raised. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Turning away from the group, she felt a shiver of cold pass through her body as she used her hands to send her powers into Jet’s mind to ask him what he was talking about. “Let’s go,” she said a moment later, after hearing his plan, along with multiple apologies for sending her back to the Thestran palace. “I’m tired and I just want to see the place before I go home to bed.” She marched off towards the Teacher’s Residence Hall, feeling lighter than she had in ages. Two whole weeks to herself. She couldn’t wait. Was it wrong to schedule three massages on the same day? “See you guys in a couple of weeks,” she called out over her shoulder to Rhen's friends.

  “Jet’s good,” Crystam said, after they’d left.

  “No,” Erfce said. “He’s great! That was really smooth.”

  “Yeah,” Tgfhi agreed with a nod. “Rhen doesn’t stand a chance. I’m glad he has someone watching over him. Your feelings were making me worried, Erfce. From now on you can keep them to yourself. That’s what most men do.”

  Erfce kicked out at Tgfhi, but he laughed and jumped out of range. Rather than following him, Erfce turned towards the dormitories and watched as the students went back into their rooms. He wished he could set up an entire battalion of Surpen troops to watch over Rhen, because the feeling of doom that he got when Rhen was around hadn’t lessened any. Crystam giggled to his left. Erfce looked over in time to see Tgfhi pull her in for a kiss. Suddenly chills ran across his scalp as a vision of his friends living in the apartment across the hall from Rhen’s flashed in his mind. Erfce reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. His visions always left him with an icy chill that irritated his eyes.

  “Erfce?” Latsoh asked, peering down at him. “Are you okay?”

  Latsoh’s presence eased the pain. Erfce shook his head to clear the last of the chills before saying, “Yeah, thanks for asking.” He noticed Tgfhi and Crystam were still kissing. “Hey, Tgfhi. You two should move into an apartment in the Teacher’s Residence Hall. Now that you’re getting married, they’ll let you switch out of the student dormitory.” He hoped the uneasy feeling he was getting about Rhen would vanish once they moved across the hall from him.

  “Yeah,” Tgfhi agreed. “That’s a great idea. We should do it.”

  “I don’t think the school will let us move until we’re officially married,” Crystam told them.

  “Aww,” Tgfhi pouted, as Crystam reached up to squeeze his cheek.

  “Have you picked a date for the wedding yet?” Erfce asked. He cocked his head, when he noticed Latsoh mouthing “No,” behind Crystam’s back, then cringed when he remembered that Crystam had been complaining while they were in the Thestran palace about the fact that everyone kept asking her when she was getting married. He should have remembered that.

  Crystam bristled. How could Erfce ask her such a question? Didn’t he know how much it infuriated her?

  “Yeah,” Tgfhi said, glancing down at Crystam, his wide eyes sparkling with mischief. “Have we picked a date?”

  “Uh oh,” Latsoh grunted, before rushing off towards her dorm, while pulling Erfce along behind her. They could hear Crystam yelling at Tgfhi all the way down the path. It appeared she hadn’t found his comment amusing.

  Chapter 28

  Thestran Royal Palace

  James cornered Lilly when she came out of her bedroom in the Thestran Royal Palace. "So? What’ve you heard from Jet?"

  Lilly put her hands on her hips. “Seriously? Have you been waiting out here just to catch me? James, I’m not your spy. Jet’s with Rhen because Bosternd asked him to provide protectio
n. He’s not there to spy.”

  James stepped back and laughed. “You make my question sound so sinister. Forget that I asked. I was simply curious. That’s all.” He turned to leave but paused when he heard Lilly sigh.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I had a bad night’s sleep and it’s made me irritable. I guess I’m used to hearing Jet snore while I sleep. It actually makes me feel safe.” She laughed and shook her head. “It’s ironic. For weeks, I’ve been praying for some alone time and now that I have it, all I do is think about Jet and miss him.”

  “That’s better than the alternative.”

  Lilly looped her arm through James’. “Are you going to breakfast?”

  “Yes, would you like to accompany me?”

  “Of course.” They walked down the hallway towards the stairs.

  “Can I do anything to help?” James offered. “You need your sleep.”

  “No. Thanks for asking.” Lilly felt guilty for yelling at James for spying, so she decided to fill him in on what Jet had told her. “Rhen spent the night on our couch because he and Ceceta had a fight.” James nodded. Lilly had told his wife that story last night. “Bosternd had the Headmaster give us the apartment next door to Rhen’s. When we looked it over yesterday, Jet realized there weren’t any support beams in the wall between our two apartments, so he mentioned to Rhen that he was going to knock a hole in the wall to make one big living room."

  "Will he do it?" James asked. It sounded like something Jet might do in order to protect Rhen after he moved back in with Ceceta.

  "If he does, I haven't had a vision of it yet. Anyway, this morning, when Rhen and Jet arrived in the stadium to teach Rhen’s fight class, Rhen pulled Professor Dewey aside and talked him into using the funds from his class to enlarge the student dining hall, provide more diverse food options to the students and renovate and enlarge the teacher's apartments. Jet said the students overheard their conversation and cheered when Professor Dewey agreed to Rhen’s requests."