“You trusted me when you fell from the tree yesterday,” Ari said. “Please trust me now.”
Her lips tightened and she frowned, but then she nodded.
He turned to Cerulean and said, “May we have a moment?”
Ari couldn’t believe he was addressing a Vegan—that they were real and right in front of him. He stood tall, waiting for their response.
The one who seemed to be their leader—Cerulean—bowed his head slightly. “We understand your need to speak with your mate in private.”
“Mate?” Sarah said. “Oh, no. He’s not my mate.”
Cerulean cocked his head to the side. Violet hissed out a laugh.
“Then he has no business being part of this,” she said. “Sadirian, it is you who are trespassing.”
Cerulean held up his hand to silence her. “The Sadirian has also been welcomed by the Protector. Only she can determine his role. We will be waiting outside.”
The three of them walked to the window, then scampered up the wall and over the sill. They disappeared into the foliage of the oak.
Sarah sagged against Ari as soon as they were alone.
“What the hell is going on, Ari? Is that even your name?”
“It is. I have a designation number as well, but Ari is easier to remember.”
“A designation number. Great.”
She leaned into his chest and he dared to wrap his arms around her shoulders. He hadn’t been sure she would ever let him do so again, and let out a small breath of relief.
“Listen to me, Sarah. There is more going on here than you realize.”
She snorted. “You keep saying that. Let me just sum up what I do realize. There are all kinds of aliens on Earth, several in my tree, one in my bed. A group of Earthlings is working with your people—Sadirians—while the Vegans want to work with me specifically.”
“That’s only what’s going on at the surface.”
“All of this has been dropped on me before breakfast. I kind of figured there are more factoids for me to discover.”
He hugged her closer, another level of tension dropping away when she hugged him back. “I want to help you. I want to protect you. I promised I would keep you safe.”
“You didn’t know what was going on then. About the Vegans or the Life Ship. About any of it.”
“I still meant what I said. But this isn’t just about you or me or us anymore. Earth’s future is at stake.”
“So, no pressure or anything.” She sighed and stepped back, looking up at him. “Who am I to make this decision? And honestly, who are you to help me make it? Some bounty hunter here to track down a few rogue aliens?”
“I’m not a bounty hunter.” He spoke more harshly than he’d intended, but didn’t like the reference, what with a Scorpiian living at the mansion with them now. Ari managed to take a bit of the edge off his voice when he spoke again. “I am a soldier in the Coalition’s fleet. I have served for my entire life. I was created for this purpose. Keep that in mind when you hear what I’m about to say.”
He gripped her arms lightly, made sure she was looking him in the eye. “I am concerned about the trespassing species on your planet. I am concerned about the danger you pose to yourselves as you learn to balance your technological needs with preserving the resources of your planet. But the greatest threat is the Coalition. It is the greatest threat that Earth has ever faced.”
“The Coalition? But you work for them.”
“Which is why I know what I’m talking about. They will tempt your people to ruin. Fan the flames of greed and avarice. And when you’ve traded all the resources of your planet for the technology they offer, the only thing you’ll have left to give is yourselves.”
“My God… That’s awful.”
“One of the most advanced ships in the fleet is on its way. When it arrives, the commander will not bother with stealth. She will not bother with diplomacy. She will decide that Earth has been irrevocably contaminated and contact whichever government leaders she thinks will facilitate Earth being brought into the Coalition. Those individuals will get to decide the fate of the entire planet.”
“But she can’t—”
“She can and she will. I know her. All she cares about is serving the High Council.”
“We’ll fight back. Haven’t you seen our movies?”
He managed a smile. “I know humans would try. But there’s no Earth-based technology that can stand up to the Coalition. No Earth-based technology.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The Vegans are legends among my people. Legends because they created our technology. If you offer them a home here, they become your allies. They will protect the Earth—and the Coalition won’t dare try anything while the Vegans have any sort of claim to it.”
She took a deep breath and let it out through pursed lips. “You think I should say they can stay. As if I have that power. It’s crazy.”
“You have that power because they’ve given it to you. The Coalition has been coasting on Vegan technology that was given to us thousands of years ago. Imagine what the original inventors have accomplished in that time.”
A horrible thought coalesced in his mind. The Tau Ceti’s technological level had just jumped well past that of the Coalition’s. No one knew how they had managed it.
But if they’d had help… If there were Vegans who had changed their basic philosophy and were determined to find a new homeworld at any cost—moons, if the legends about them were just plain wrong—there would be no force in the galaxy that could stop them.
Sarah pulled him from his dark thoughts, reaching out and trailing her fingertips along his cheek. “I’ll do it. I’m trusting you, Ari.”
“I know.”
He leaned down to kiss her. The act felt as natural as breathing. She melted against him, her arms winding around his neck, drawing him closer.
What started as reassurance turned to something more. Heat, passion, a connection unlike any he had ever known. If the Vegans hadn’t been waiting for them, he was sure they would have ended up back upstairs. But the Vegans were waiting.
They broke off the kiss, but kept their bodies close, arms wrapped around each other.
“I’m ready,” she called.
Chapter Twelve
Despite what she said, Sarah was not ready for this. She was so not ready. But Ari was with her, and that made it a little better.
Cerulean appeared in the windowsill, and then hopped down to the floor. He had been completely invisible a moment before. Cyan and Violet shimmered into view behind him.
“You can become invisible,” she said.
He cocked his head to the side. “Of course. All Vegans have personal cloaking devices as part of our exo-suits.”
Exo-suits. Right.
Ari had not exaggerated about their technology. She was sure of it. Not only because she’d just seen it in action, but because Cerulean was so chill about it. She could easily imagine him finishing his comment with, “Can’t everyone become invisible at will?”
This was going to work. It had to.
“I would like to officially welcome you to Earth,” she said. “On the condition that you work with me and…the First Contact committee.”
Stars, was she really saying this?
She turned to Ari. “What did they call themselves?”
“The Department of Homeworld Security.”
That name made more sense now.
“Right,” she said. “Them.”
Violet looked very nearly as angry as it seemed possible for a lizard to look. Her lips were curled down in a deep frown, the purple of her stripes had darkened till they looked like bruises, and the fringe around her neck and head quivered in what Sarah was pretty sure was barely suppressed rage.
Somehow, that made Sarah feel better about the whole thing.
Cerulean bowed low. “We are honored to accept your invitation and terms. Please allow us to return the gesture of hospitality by welcoming y
ou to our society, finalizing our alliance.”
“Welcoming…how?”
“We invite you to the Life Ship for a special ceremony and festival, marking the partnership of our two species.”
“I…um…” She glanced up at Ari, who nodded encouragement. “I accept.”
“This is ridiculous,” Violet yelled. “We do not need to bind ourselves to this inferior species.”
Cerulean and even Cyan turned and hissed at her, their language changing to pops, clicks, and sibilance.
Violet backed away from them. “You do not speak for all of us.”
She leapt onto the windowsill, then disappeared.
“Okay. That was disturbing,” Sarah said.
Cerulean shook his head. His frills slowly flattened against his neck again. “Violet and a few others have different ideas about how our society should advance. Luckily, they are a very small minority.”
“That’s not very reassuring.” Especially since Violet had gone so far as to scare Sarah out of the tree.
Holy crap, Violet actually has been trying to kill me.
“Once the ceremony is over and you are officially a Vegan, there will be no turning from this path and unity will be restored,” Cyan said.
“The sooner the better, then.” Sarah really hoped Cyan was right.
“We can depart immediately.” Cerulean headed for the door to the dining area. “We have a cloaked vessel just outside.”
“Sarah, wait.” Ari grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Accept me as your bondmate.”
“What?”
Bondmate… That sounded a lot like being married.
“They won’t let me go with you if we aren’t bonded.”
Cerulean turned toward them and cocked his head to the side. “The Sadirian is correct. We assumed due to your mating ritual that you were already a bonded pair.”
Sarah felt her cheeks heat. “You weren’t watching us, were you?”
“Of course not.” Cerulean actually might have turned a bit greener. Was it possible for a reptile to look nauseated? “You were quite loud, however.”
Cyan nodded. “We had to create a noise dampening field around the treehouse for our own peace of mind.”
“Oh.” Sarah’s cheeks heated even more. “But if I invite him to the Life Ship, surely—”
“Only Vegans are permitted aboard. You, as Protector, are considered Vegan even though we have not completed the official ceremony. Your bondmate would also be granted this status.” Cerulean stared at her, as if willing her to pick up on some concealed message.
It wasn’t hidden that well anyway.
Bondmates. As if this day couldn’t get weirder or more intense.
She looked over at Ari, who wore the sweetest expression—hovering between anticipation and nervousness.
If things between them had been allowed to progress naturally, she couldn’t say they wouldn’t be in this position eventually. She couldn’t even say she hadn’t already thought about it. But this was making it a reality. Really, really fast.
Then again, her reality had become pretty damned weird in the last couple of hours.
The idea of going with the Vegans to their Life Ship by herself was frightening. Especially knowing that Violet wasn’t the only one who had it in for Sarah. She needed backup. She needed support. She needed Ari.
She wanted Ari.
“Ari is my bondmate,” she said.
He let out a breath and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he cast one of those brilliant, heart-stopping smiles at her. He picked her up and hugged her, burying his face in the side of her neck.
As he set her on her feet, he whispered, “Bondmate.”
He brushed her hair away from her face. Then he kissed her.
It was slow and deep, his tongue sliding between her lips and dancing with hers as if they’d been kissing like this forever. As if they would kiss like this forever.
She hoped so.
“Excuse me.” Cerulean had tilted his head back and was grimacing. “The ship is ready.”
Apparently, kissing wasn’t something the Vegans were used to witnessing. With their lizard lips, she didn’t know how they would kiss if they tried. How did Vegans show affection?
Her display with Ari seemed not to sit well with Cerulean. Which made it all the more meaningful to Sarah.
The kiss had nothing to do with his mission or the Vegans or their situation. It was only Ari and Sarah. Wanting each other. Caring for each other. It was about possibilities far removed from what they were dealing with. Possibilities she couldn’t wait to explore.
“We have made an official record of your union.” Cyan ran her hand along the silver band that ran down her arm. She looked like she was grinning.
“Okay, then,” Sarah said. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirteen
The mission had definitely taken an unexpected turn. Ari was in a cloaked Vegan vessel and sitting next to an Earthling he had spent an incredible night with—and was now pair-bonded to.
He couldn’t even say he had any regrets. Whatever happened going forward he would face with Sarah. They would help Earth through the challenges ahead. With the Vegans on their side, they actually stood a chance.
The ship they were riding in helped his optimism. It was incredible.
Instead of close spaces and chrome, with views of the outside primarily serving the pilots, they were in a round…sitting room. That’s what Brendan would call it.
The bottom of the ship was white and the entire top half was some transparent material. The pilots—two Vegans that Sarah had apparently not met yet—rested on what looked like branches growing out of the ship’s floor and trained to reach their control consoles. The Vegans were able to maneuver the ship by passing their hands over the panels in front of them. They didn’t even have to touch anything.
A ring of cushioned seating framed the back half of the ship, forming a semi-circle. Sarah was at his side, holding his hand while she chatted with Cyan. Cerulean silently watched from across the cozy space.
“Your curiosity is obvious, Sadirian,” Cerulean said.
Ari bowed his head. “Forgive me. This vessel is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“There is no forgiveness necessary for curiosity.” The Vegan’s lips pulled up on one side in something like a smirk. “Curiosity is the forerunner to advancement. Do you have any questions?”
Ari couldn’t let such an opportunity pass by. “The ship is so spacious. Was it designed with Earthlings in mind?”
Cyan laughed. “Sadirians focus too much on physical efficiency. We recognize that sentient beings have spiritual needs as well.”
How did a larger space meet spiritual needs? Ari wasn’t even sure what that meant.
Now that he thought about it, the ship did remind him of the space beneath Sarah’s treehouse. She’d explained to him that it was meant to be a place that soothed people’s emotions and minds. He felt a similar sense of serenity in both locations.
“Does the design make you uncomfortable?” Cyan asked.
“I guess I’m accustomed to the tighter quarters aboard our ships,” Ari said.
“Is that how you were able to get around in my treehouse so well?” Sarah cocked her head so she could look at him. The gesture seemed oddly Vegan.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s actually the most comfortable dwelling I’ve encountered on Earth.”
“I’m glad you like it so well. I’m hoping you’ll be spending a lot more time there.” She grinned at him, but then her eyes widened suddenly and she crawled onto his lap.
It would have been more enjoyable if she’d been looking at him, but she was staring out the window at something over his shoulder instead. He turned in his seat so that he could see what had caught her attention and his heart started to pound.
The Life Ship.
It rested on the deep blue waters of Earth’s oceans. Uncloaked.
“I see the fear on your face, Sadirian,” Cerul
ean said. “The Life Ship is only visible through the viewports of this vessel. The cloaking systems are on the same frequency.”
“How do you manage that?” Ari said.
The Vegan smirked again. “We have advanced our cloaking mechanisms quite a bit since we last interacted with Sadirians.”
Ari held Sarah against his chest as they watched their vessel descend toward the enormous Life Ship. It must be miles across, made up of circular sub-levels connected through various walkways.
Everything was covered in green. Colorful buildings rose up around trees and grass interspersed with colorful plant life. It looked like an island, except for its perfectly circular shape.
How did the ship maintain its structural integrity while traveling through space? How did the Vegans protect the life on the surface when there was no apparent dome or structure covering it?
“It’s beautiful,” Sarah breathed.
It was. And he’d once again fallen into the Sadirian mindset of looking at its physical efficiencies.
“It’s a miracle,” he said.
She smiled at him, picking up his hand and squeezing it tight.
They landed on a circular pad that pulsed with a soft blue light. Sarah didn’t hesitate when the hatch opened. She boldly followed Cerulean, and Ari followed her.
They walked down a broad staircase, to the edge of a humongous field of low grass filled with Vegans. There must be thousands present. Tens of thousands, even.
Sarah did pause then.
Ari wrapped his arm around her, offering his support. The landing they were standing on was high enough that the gathered Vegans could see. They all looked about the same size as Cerulean and his friends.
Cerulean started to speak in their Vegan language. The crowd seemed rapt as his speech built in intensity. Finally, they began to cheer, waving their short arms in the air and leaping up and down.
Cerulean gestured for Sarah to step forward. She didn’t glance back at Ari. Instead, she just stiffened her spine and joined Cerulean on the edge of the dais.
Ari’s heart seemed to grow as warmth flooded his chest. Her courage amazed him even more than the Life Ship. The Vegans had chosen their Protector well.
Duel Citizenship Page 7