Sirein: A Dystopian World Alien Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  The sun was just rising over the edge of the water, bleeding through the fog with faint ribbons of color when they cleared the docks and Ji’wa finally felt like he could breathe freely. The human city put him on edge. Although the fog was even thicker over the water, he could bear it easier without the terrible mogma perching everywhere or humans watching their every move. At the thought of the winged creatures, his eyes lifted, and he scanned the shrouded sky. There was no sound of wings, nothing but the soft hum of the engine, but still he watched and waited.

  Ger’se’s hand fell against his shoulder, his fingers squeezing.

  “Stay near your female. I will climb and look for any threats.”

  Ji’wa smiled in thanks. “Be sure to watch for any sign of boats in pursuit. Those humans looking for Nerida will not give up so easily. I will not have them seizing her before I have the chance to take her out into protected waters.”

  The other male paused, one hand on the mast. “She accepted the mating?”

  “In word, though not yet by deed. She has indicated that she desires to become my mate,” he confirmed proudly, his fins fanning with pleasure and pride.

  Ger’se laughed and slapped his arm. “That is wonderful. Very well, I shall keep watch for the human vessels. We can’t have them interrupting the natural mating process.” His smile fell briefly, his mouth tightening with a rare show of concern. “We certainly can’t afford any further delays. We only have a few days until the nearest moon is full.”

  “We will make it,” Ji’wa assured him. “Have faith.”

  His friend snorted mirthfully. “Faith is a fine thing, but I prefer to stack the odds in my favor when possible,” he said as he scurried up the side of the mast.

  Ji’wa stared up after him, his lips quirking with amusement. He did not linger long, however. He patrolled the perimeter of the railing, searching the distance for any sign of danger from deck-level as he slowly made his way toward the cabin and away again. He could feel Nerida’s eyes watching him and he longed to join her at the cabin—but not until he was sure.

  The boat rocked on the water as the city light faded, swallowed up by the fog. Nerida was heading southwest, to the southern reaches of the Greater Sea. Back away from human civilization and into relative safety. He decided that he would much rather face dathli and shardons over unknown humans and their strange creations.

  For days, they sailed without incident, every day much like the one before with each of them keeping careful watch as they sailed through the endless gray that surrounded them. As one day slipped into another, a nervousness rose within Ji’wa and he began to look with more desperation for any sign of an island where he might take his female into the shallow waters.

  He could feel the burn beneath the scales of the unfinished mating bond, of hormones that needed to be released into his female. Every day too, he could feel Ger’se’s concerned gaze on him when they failed to come across a sign of anything. They both knew that they could have easily passed by any number of islands concealed within the fog, each one a missed opportunity.

  Ji’wa was running out of time.

  He spent every moment of the night curled around his mate after exhausting them both in frenzied matings, his arms desperately latched around her, afraid to let her go for even a moment. Yet each morning, he was forced to with a feigned smile when she woke and left the bed in preparation for the day.

  He was coming to hate the mornings. As the full moon neared, he found himself loathing to even leave the bed as his energy waned. Even the electric snaps of mating were disappearing, and he knew that Nerida knew from the concerned looks she gave him when they lay in bed together. On the fifth morning, he could barely summon the energy to leave the bed, but managed to make his way to the deck with a cup of hot tea. He knew that his hand trembled as he held his cup, betraying his state. Ger’se watched, his mouth thinning in disapproval as Ji’wa walked to his friend’s side.

  “You have to tell her,” Ger’se hissed, his fins snapping wide in agitation.

  “No. I do not wish for her to worry herself sick with something that none of us can control,” Ji’wa replied placidly, his eyes, as always, fastened to the horizon.

  “And you think that she will not worry when you suddenly cease to move in front of her? Do you think she will not despair in her confusion as to what ails you? You would make her suffer that?” Ger’se demanded.

  Ji’wa guiltily. He had not considered that. Turning his head, he focused on the mist-blurred outline of his mate in the cabin, his heart lurching. He did not wish for his mate to grieve so terribly if the worst were to happen.

  “You will console her if we fail?” he rasped. “Tell her that I love her and would have done anything to remain by her side forever?”

  His friend stilled, the male’s throat working for a moment before he reluctantly nodded. “Yes. I will tell her. I will help her through her grief as much as I am able to.”

  Ji’wa bowed his head, his eyes squeezing shut against the pain running through him of a loss that he knew was coming and could not stave off much longer.

  “Thank you, my friend.”

  Blinking his eyes, he stared out at the fog as Ger’se returned to his perch in the mast. At midday, a miracle happened. The fog that had not let up since their approach to New Delos suddenly thinned, daylight streaming through. From the cabin, he could hear Nerida’s relieved laughter.

  “About fucking time!” she crowed with delight, and he laughed too because he could do nothing else. “The wind is dissipating the fog. Let’s make some waves before the storm blows in!”

  Little by little the fog withdrew with the steady wind, but his smile dropped away when something on the horizon came into focus.

  “Ger’se, the horizon to our left flank… do you see it?” he shouted up.

  The male’s red tailed fanned wide to aid his balance as he leaned out and turned, the long-range scope that Nerida provided held up to his eyes.

  “Yes! Human vessels, two of them, are following close behind us. I do not understand how they managed to stay with us through the fog. We should have lost them days ago!”

  A threatening snarl escape Ji’wa as he strode closer to the railing. His tail fanned and snapped shut repeatedly as he watched them approach. As the minutes dragged by, one thing became very apparent: the humans were getting closer. With an enraged roar, he spun away and rushed toward the cabin.

  Whatever happened, he would be near his female, not watching things unfold from a distance.

  Nerida glanced up at him in surprise as he burst in, her expression fading to one of concern as his fins continued to flare and retract in worry. Her hand reached out and slid over his, their fingers entwining.

  “Ji’wa? Are you okay? Is it the storm? Look, these things are normal for this time of the year. At least the fog is gone, which is the good news. We’ll just ride this out, and everything will be fine. There might be a few small repairs we will have to make, but…”

  “Human vessels have been spotted,” he interrupted. “They appear to be gaining on us now that the fog has retreated.”

  “Erik,” she whispered.

  “I believe so. I will remain by your side and protect you. I promise,” he rasped. “I won’t let him get you. If nothing else, I will make certain to kill him so he cannot harm you.”

  Nerida dashed her tears away and shook her head. “No, you won’t. I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself for me. There will be too many of them for you to fight off. Even if you manage to kill Erik, they will be certain to kill you and Ger’se both. I had hoped… but it doesn’t matter now. Go home.” Her face twisted with agony and she shoved against his chest when he did not move. “Didn’t you hear me? I said GO! I don’t want you here. Leave me!”

  Each word pierced his heart, and he swept his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him as she first fought and then wept openly as she sagged against him. Burying his face in her hair, he breathed her in, his heart thrum
ming with love even as it broke.

  “There is no me without you, a’sana. Without you, I am nothing more than foam on the sea. I will be lost forever. I will never leave you,” he choked out. “You are my world.”

  Her sobs slowed against his chest.

  “And you mine. Fuck, Ji’wa, what are we going to do?” she whispered.

  “Whatever we must. But we will do it together.”

  He felt her head move as she nodded in agreement, but they remained like that for a time, leaning on each other before she reluctantly drew away. With one hand, she wiped away the tears streaking her face, a familiar stubborn expression drawing over her features as she tangled her hand once more. She squeezed his hand with her fingers before reluctantly letting him go.

  “Okay… Let’s do this,” she muttered as she suddenly spun the wheel sharply, her eyes turning toward the scanner.

  Nerida slapped the heel of her hand against its panel, triggering a pulse through the scanner.

  “A’sana? What are you doing?” Ji’wa asked in concern, his voice rising to be heard over the wind outside of the cabin.

  His mate chuckled as she brushed her braids out of her face and cranked a knob as far as it would go. Another large blast vibrated, appearing as a large scattering of waves on the scanner.

  “Sonar blasts. I use them to draw in the larger species of fish. It seems to me that Erik and his brothers could use a distraction. With any luck, we just might lure in a large shardon or even a dathli to make their lives miserable. If they’re determined to catch us, we won’t make this easy for them. Between local wildlife and the storm, this will be one wild ride!” she shouted.

  A streak of red flashed in front of the cabin heralding the arrival of Ger’se. The male had scrambled down the mast quickly with the rise of the winds, and now he was braced against the cabin, his claws digging into the wood of the doorway.

  “What are we doing?” he asked breathlessly.

  “We’re about to do something slightly crazy,” Nerida offered a grin.

  Ger’se did not even blink. He responded with a grin of his own and flicked his tail with merriment.

  “Sounds like an excellent plan. What would you like to me do?”

  “Just hold on, because this is one huge squall coming our way,” she said as she pointed up at the sky.

  Ji’wa’s breath caught in awe as the dark clouds, far more menacing than the fog, began to roll across the sky. Lightning flickered among them, and the crash of thunder boomed through the atmosphere. He swallowed as the boat suddenly pitched with the thrashing waves. He was not made for floating above the turbulent seas. Thankfully, he was not the only one. One glance at Ger’se confirmed that his friend felt just as ill at the sudden motion of the boat.

  The vessel tipped as a wave crashed high against the side, water flooding the deck. Ji’wa felt his heart lurch, and his eyes snapped across the water. His only comfort was seeing how the other boats were likewise pitched around on the waves, disappearing one moment and reappearing the next. Their formation broke as boats went off course. A wave crashed, and one boat disappeared. He stared at the spot and felt relieved when it failed to surface minutes later.

  “You do not think they brought their females with them, do you?” Ger’se asked in concern as he too stared out at the water.

  Nerida shook her head. “Not for this. They were with the men while they were tracking me down, to keep them at hand while they searched. But now that they have me in their sights, they’ll want to attack directly and swiftly. The women were likely left at New Delos so that they would not be able to object to any methods they might employ.”

  Her jaw hardened as if she had a very good idea what those methods were. Ji’wa suspected that he might know as well.

  Chapter 25

  The boat pitched and turned as waves pummeled the hull. Cursing loudly, Nerida turned the wheel sharply. Despite her best attempts and the ravage of the storm that had built around them, the boats were gaining ground through sheer dumb luck. One of the three boats had been lost to the sea, but the other two seemed to be thrown increasingly nearer even as she attempted to put space between them by driving her boat at full speed with the current. She growled under her breath, drawing the attention of the two sirei males crowded into the cabin with her.

  Ji’wa growled anxiously, his hand going to the flat pouch on his bicep to slip a small item from it. He slipped it into the pouch on her belt and sealed it shut with a meaningful look.

  “If anything happens and you go into the water, put this into your mouth. It will aid you in breathing. It is how I transported you through the water before. Do not panic. It will filter out the oxygen from the water. We use it for our young. With it, you will survive.”

  She blinked down at her belt but gave him a shaky smile as she expelled a breath. “Okay, I can do that.” Blinking back her tears at the emotion roused in that moment, she turned the wheel again, narrowly evading their pursuer. She cast the males a wry smile as she yanked the wheel around again. “I may need it sooner than later. That’s the trouble with trying to sail against other wavelanders—we all know each other’s damned tricks,” she said with a tight laugh.

  Neither male made a sound at her attempt at humor, though Ji’wa’s mouth tightened in obvious concern as he glared at the boats in the near distance as another wave surge sent the boat at the fore crashing through the water.

  Nerida recognized the boat right away as it came barreling toward them. The Water Bird belonged to Erik’s eldest brother, Varn. It was larger and far more luxurious than the boats belonging to any of the other brothers, and as such, it didn’t seem quite so overpowered by the storm throwing the smaller boats around. His boat was not only the largest, but it also sailed with a smoothness that many within the pod envied with the way she appeared to glide over the waves.

  The Water Bird seldom failed to live up to her name. Even now, she was moving forward at an impressive speed, slipping over the waves that rose in her path. Nerida’s heart pounded with the realization that Erik would be on no other boat than that one. He would know that he would be unlikely to fail when sailing upon that boat to retrieve his wayward bride. It was one of few boats in the pod that were built specifically for hunting the greater shardons and dathli, where size and speed played such important parts. Her little boat couldn’t measure up against it, and everyone knew that.

  There was a roar of an engine, and her heart dropped as The Water Bird skimmed over the churning water straight toward them. It bobbed to the side, its rear end swinging sharply, but the boat’s course was quickly corrected. Its nose was headed right toward her, the grappling snares activating. Erik was going to tie the boats.

  Over my dead body.

  “Brace for impact!” she shouted as she spun the wheel in the opposite direction.

  Ji’wa snarled, one of his arms looping around to get her solidly planted against him as his claws dug into the wood, his tail fin extending to curl around them, the fin fanned out to provide some cushion.

  To the other side of him, Ger’se cursed and snapped his own tail around, his claws making sharp raking sounds as they dug into the wood facing of the paneling. She bemoaned all the damage being inflicted to the interior of the cabin, but it was cut off as the next swell lifted the spinning boat, bringing it into a wide sideways arc as the hollow sound of water rushed all around them.

  As she hoped, her boat swung around until they were side by side with the pursuing vessel. The steering cabin was so close that for a moment she could clearly see the occupants and a wild grin lit her face at the look of surprise and wide-eyed horror on Erik’s face as realized just what was happening. His brother’s face morphed into anger, and he reached over him to grab ahold of the wheel, but it was too late.

  Baring her teeth savagely, she aimed the nose of her boat so that the fore would clip the other boat, briefly knocking the sensitive engine offline. Within second, their boats collided, the nose of her boat plowing into t
he side nearest to the steering cabin just as their hulls slammed together with a resounding crash and a groan of splintering wood. To her satisfaction, the grappling snares hadn’t even had the opportunity to discharge, and now half of them were crushed by her solid railing.

  Furious, Erik turned his head to glare at her, but his face paled with genuine fear. Nerida could guess why. It had to be the sirein who was now looking hostilely over her shoulder at the human he considered to be the sole threat to his mate. Varn shook him and shouted orders, and Nerida noted that other men, mostly kin or close friends of their family, spilled out of the large living quarters, running across the deck.

  That she hadn’t anticipated. She truly hadn’t expected that Erik would be able to get so many of the menfolk to participate in his foolishness. She should have known better.

  Hooked ropes were thrown, the splintering sound of wood filling her ears as she attempted to break free from The Water Bird. The other boat was damaged enough to slow it down from where she clipped it—her boat was too, for that matter—but if she could break free and get a head start.

  “The lines… They can’t tie the boats,” she croaked as she put the engines in reverse.

  Ji’wa and Ger’se didn’t waste time. They flew out of the cabin, energy crackling around them hard enough that she felt her hair rise from the static that surrounded her in the atmosphere from their combined charges. The men screamed at the sight of the aliens. Those who had not yet tied off their lines threw them off the side of the boat as they retreated, leaving few ties for the sirei to address.

  A few of the bravest among the men tried to cross over into the boat to secure it as they had doubtlessly been ordered, but electrical snaps of the males’ tails had been enough to throw them back and prevent their boarding. Those who made it onto her boat were gutted before their remains were thrown the short distance to the other boat, where they hit the deck with sickening wet sounds.