by Ivy Sparks
Oh, God, I really hoped I didn’t make a complete ass of myself last night. Maybe it wasn’t the drinking, but me purposefully trying to forget… I rubbed the back of my head. “The rest is a bit hazy.”
“So, you remember most of what happened?”
I frowned. “It might be a bit hazier.”
“How hazy?”
I tapped my chin. “There was a bush.”
“There were many bushes.”
“We flew home.”
Vorian crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. “And?”
I groaned. “I really don’t remember much after my second or third glass of the black stuff.”
“Tal.”
“Tal?”
“The black stuff. It’s called tal.”
I looked at him, ready for him to spill the beans, but he only stared back as if he wanted me to say something. Did I do anything really bad? Did I puke all over those beautiful portraits in the halls? Or did I destroy anything in the lab? “Well?” I asked. “Did anything bad happen?”
Vorian bit his lip and I cursed myself, once again thinking of those teeth on me. “Would you like me to tell you everything?”
I pouted. No. “Yes.”
“I found you and Rachel making a ruckus in the garden. Rachel got stuck in a bush and you were drunk, rolling around on the ground.”
I groaned, tossing my head back. How could I have behaved so terribly at an alien event? Good job representing the human race, Ellie.
He continued, “I was able to take Rachel back to her guardian and you home. When we landed, you told me you lost your shoes.”
I sighed, but worse had happened to me in the past. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Then you kissed me and told me you would like to do very naughty things to me.”
I clamped my hands over my face. I could scream. I could really scream. Now would really be a great time to disappear.
“When I proceeded to help you into bed, you continued your advances and wanted to know when we could do it again.”
“Oh, God.” I wanted to bury my head into some of that nice fresh dirt outside.
“But I had to regretfully inform you of a scheduling conflict.” Vorian pulled out a book from his pockets, showing me a calendar. He pointed at an empty slot. “I have time now, if you wish?” He looked so pleased with himself, a coy smile on his lips.
I opened my mouth, words escaping me. What? He brought a calendar to… I grabbed a pastry and threw it at his head. He laughed, holding up a hand while dodging it. “You’re terrible!” I said.
He laughed. “I am.”
I threw another pastry at him and he dodged it again. “So terrible!” I smiled, watching him laugh, leaning back in his chair. “But nothing happened?”
He shook his head. “No.” He tilted his head to the side. “Just a bit of kissing and petting. Nothing… more.”
Oh, thank God. The thought of my first time with him being a complete blur… I couldn’t bear it. “Good. So all I did was make an ass out of myself at the ball, then?”
“After speaking with my colleagues and the royal family, they said that your little celebration was held strictly in the garden and no harm was done.”
So the ball wasn’t a complete disaster. Although, imagining myself pressed against him after, demanding Adonian man meat… I looked at him and wondered what he thought of me now. If I was just his horny little play thing or if he understood it was just a one time offense.
But was it just a one time offense?
Gazing at him now, I couldn’t deny I wanted him. I wanted what we had in that room in the blue light district, feeling his mouth against mine again, his hands pulling me closer, tugging at my hair, his fingers entering me…
I didn’t remember anything from last night. A little light petting he said? Did he want me as well? I looked down at my body, then at my reflection through the tray. There was nothing attractive about me. I was plain and pale while Adonian women were gorgeous, like Zoe. The only thing I had to offer were my mechanical skills and maybe a good one-night stand.
My own father didn’t want me. Why would anyone else?
I smiled at Vorian and rubbed my head. “Thank you for breakfast.” I stood and shuffled back into the bed. “I think I’ll spend the rest of my day sleeping off this hangover. I’m sorry about my behavior last night.”
He followed me to the bed. His hands hovered near me, helping me pull the blankets around my form. “Zoe will be in soon to help you with a bath.” He smiled as he pushed my locks away from my face and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
My heart fluttered and stalled, even long after he left. I held the blankets close to me, imagining those lips on my forehead again and again, the gentle graze of his fingers, an urge forming within me.
I leaned against the railing on my balcony and gazed outside. A week had passed since Vorian’s kiss. It was nice spending my days playing lab assistant with Dravak. Zoe even managed to teach me some Adonian. Apparently, ti ong hulgar was “go fuck off” and falk togaar was “pass the wrench.” Both very useful phrases, I surmised, yet Zoe wasn’t so happy with my process of learning.
“You can’t just learn two phrases and expect to be fluent in Adonian,” she had told me during one of our lessons.
I remembered shrugging. However, I used them quite frequently with Dravak, so it made sense I knew them. Good thing he found me more amusing than offensive.
My evening dinners with Vorian continued, and I found myself looking forward to the next one, even before the current one was over. We talked about everything under the Adonian sun. He was easy to talk to. I enjoyed his humor the most. Who knew my dark and handsome brooding beast was so funny? We seemed so in sync together. We had a flow, a natural cadence, that I never had with anyone before. Not even my sister.
Dressing up was never fun for me, but then again, I never had anything as nice as this on the Orion. Long dresses, short dresses, beautiful jewelry, and matching shoes. Everything was at my disposal. It was kinda nice having Zoe dress me up like a doll. I had never felt… pretty before. Ever. I never felt cared for like I did here.
The long table was replaced with a smaller one after I commented once that it was nice to sit close to Vorian, feel his heat radiating off his body. Sometimes, I would touch his arm gently, placing my hand there just to feel him. Other times, he would push a stray lock of hair behind my ear, the touch sending shivers down my spine. Every night he escorted me back to my room, and before I closed the door behind me, he would place a kiss on my forehead.
I always wanted more.
I wanted to invite him in. Wanted him to throw me on the bed and press his lips against mine. Ugh. Why was I so horny? After my drunken forwardness, how could I invite him into my room without coming off as sleazy? And would he even be interested?
I suspected he was keen. Sometimes I caught him glancing at me, his fingers lacing with mine briefly while we walked, his gaze lowering to my lips before quickly looking away.
But what if he wasn’t interested and it was just my hopeless girly crush that was reading into everything? Would these nights disappear? Men were easy to scare off. They didn’t like feeling trapped. I didn’t like feeling trapped. Not to mention there was the whole alien thing.
Sometimes I wondered if I’d ever be more to him. Maybe I was just another being to keep around the mansion, like Zoe and Dravak, so that he didn’t feel so lonely. But then when I saw the way he looked at me, cared for me, like that night when I got drunk, and he was worried about taking advantage of me…
But dammit, I half wished he would have!
I still had to wonder though: Even if he followed me into my room one night, could anything happen? Could we… couple? I should have asked Rachel these questions. Obviously, she was able to do something with her Adonian boyfriend. I racked my brain, wondering if I asked these kinds of questions when I last saw the ambassador, yet nothing was coming back. Those brai
n cells were long gone and I already decided I was never drinking tal ever again.
“Ellie,” Zoe called from the bedroom, pulling my eyes away from the balcony’s view. I turned and saw she had a red shawl covering her head. “I am going into town. Would you like anything?”
I immediately stood. Town? There was a town? Had it been an option this whole time to go into town? “Do you need any help?” I rushed inside, worried she would leave without taking me.
Zoe pulled her shawl toward her face. “No, I should be fine.”
“Can I join you?” Please say yes. Please say yes.
Zoe looked at me, her eyebrows pinched together. Don’t say no. Please don’t say no. “I don’t know if that would be a good idea.”
I groaned. “Please, I’ve never seen the outside.”
Zoe frowned. “But you’ve seen it everyday since you came here.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve never seen it, seen it. I’ve never really been outside the castle except for a night at the palace. Please take me with you.”
“What if you get sick?” Zoe looked me up and down. “The town’s at a very low altitude. You might have trouble adjusting.”
“It’s been almost two weeks and I’ve been fine.”
“You’ve barely moved. There are some safety—”
I grabbed her hands and pouted. “Please, I’ve been cooped up here forever. Just take me with you.”
Zoe looked up at the ceiling. I wasn’t going to allow her to say no. I needed to see things, explore this new planet. Sure, helping Dravak out in the lab was fun, but there was a big world out there I still wanted to see. Vorian didn’t intend to keep me locked up in this castle forever, right?
She looked at me, her eyes steeling and I thought for sure she was going to say no. I leaned forward, sticking out my bottom lip more.
Zoe groaned. “Fine, a short trip can’t hurt. But we must make it quick.”
“Thank you, Zoe,” I said, rushing off to grab a black shawl from my vanity and wrap it around my head. Somehow it didn’t look quite right.
I watched Zoe roll her eyes in the mirror and come up behind me to fix it. “Vorian is going to kill me.”
Chapter Eleven
Ellie
I followed Zoe down a path that led from Vorian’s estate to the town. It was a long walk down, about twenty minutes, and I felt it in my burning thighs and calves. I was not going to enjoy the hike back up. Too bad Zoe didn’t have wings.
The Adonian town was nestled in a valley far below Vorian’s estate, near a large pool of water spilling from a waterfall. The crashing sounds from the falls filled the air and made the atmosphere wet and moist. My hands felt sticky and my cheeks slightly chilled from it.
The town was completely different from anything I ever imagined. But then again, when I thought of a town, I thought of places I’d seen in old movies and TV shows that originated from Earth. This wasn’t anything like that. The buildings didn’t soar into the skies. There weren’t cars with angry drivers laying on their horns, no traffic lights flashing red, green, or yellow. Nor was there cyclists zipping past or pedestrians yelling at cars to “watch it” or that “I’m walking here!”
Adonians flew above, either landing into the center of town or departing into the sky. A special arrival zone with screens directed the flow of flight with neon arrows and a line of customers departing. I assumed this was in place so as not to have their wings crash into any of the product stalls that filled the town.
The women wore shawls over their heads in varying colors which made the town appear to be a sea of rainbows. I was thankful for mine as it helped to not only keep the strong sun off my skin, but kept me warm against the ravaging winds. The men wore business attire, facing the winds without much concern.
The stalls were all made of metal strong enough to withstand the winds. The products were locked down either with metal clips or ties. Shawls of varying fabrics and colors were for sale, each one catching my eye, but Zoe shook her head. I passed large plants I never knew existed, black flowers, wrenches, tool belts, visors with new screens, and vehicles, all of which were for sale.
Small children ran and played with each other, some flying and crashing into the land, laughing at one another. Vendors wore visors, using the screens to calculate costs. I watched as someone scanned a card, similar to the one I used on the Orion. There was so much space to move, so much air to breathe. I inhaled deeply, the shawl whipping against my face, but it didn’t matter.
This was freedom.
There weren’t many Lorinians like Zoe, but I did see a few. They kept their heads down and away from groups of the Adonians. Zoe stopped a few feet ahead of me. “Are you okay?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.
I smiled at her. Despite the wind, I was sweating. “I’m fine,” I said, gulping down as much air as possible to calm my racing heart. The world started spinning. My ears were ringing. “I just haven’t really exercised much since I got here.”
Zoe wrapped her arm around my elbow. “Stay close to me. I will try to make this quick.”
“You don’t have to do that. This is nice.” The sun was so bright. I felt like I was walking in a world of clouds. My body was slow, and moving was somehow more difficult than it was before.
Zoe turned to me. “You look… sweaty.”
I laughed and inhaled again deeply. “Trust me. I’m fine.”
We walked farther into the center, where the town was at its most crowded. I watched the aliens flying above me. Swarms of Adonians pushed against us.
“Almost there,” she muttered, practically holding me up. We soon stopped at a stall. I didn’t know what she was looking for. Everything felt so dizzy, like the planet was falling from under me. Was I that out of shape? I propped myself against the side of the stall, a sudden wave of dizziness hitting me as I wiped the sweat from my face.
Why was I sweating this much? It wasn’t even that hot. I inhaled deeply, my body feeling sluggish. I needed to sit. I couldn’t stand how heavy I felt. My eyes struggled to remain focused, to remain open. I stumbled away from the stall, looking for anywhere I could sit. I wandered into the crowd, hoping there was a bench, or possibly a bed, or a patch of grass. The Adonians pushed me and I stumbled into another, receiving a hiss in response. Another growled at me. I turned around, confused, not knowing where I was.
Where was Zoe? Where did she go? I searched for her, but everyone looked the same. I patted someone on the shoulder and asked for Zoe. He turned away from me, muttering something I didn’t understand. I asked another and they backed away from me before heading off.
Where was I? I whirled around. The ringing in my ears grew louder. I smacked my hands over them, hoping the sound would go away soon. What was happening? I stumbled toward the waterfall, pushing past the vendors and finding a patch of grass. I fell to my knees and curled in on myself, my hands pressing against my ears to make it stop.
“Ellie,” I heard, but my eyes were closed. I felt someone touching my forehead, my cheeks, wiping the sweat away. “Ellie, can you hear me?”
I groaned. My body was being lifted, but I didn’t know by who. I cracked open my eyes. “Vorian?” I whispered. “Is that you?”
Those sapphire eyes looked down at me, his wings pumping behind him. “You’re going into shock.” His eyes were wide, his jaw clenched. I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling the soft skin at his nape. “Shhh,” he whispered into my ear. “It’s going to be okay.”
Vorian
I didn’t know who I was going to yell at first. Zoe? Ellie? Both of them? I looked back and forth between them. Ellie’s limp form was on the bed, an IV in her arm and her eyes closed. Dravak sat next to her, taking a blood sample before injecting more medication into her system.
No use yelling at an unconscious girl, I decided, before turning to Zoe. Zoe, with her head bowed, tears streaming down her cheeks, her shoulders quaking, her hands clutching each other in front of her. She looked so small. She n
ever looked small.
“I’m so sorry,” she whimpered, her teeth biting into her lower lip to keep a sob from surfacing.
“I gave you specific instructions,” I reminded her.
“I know,” she cried. “Vorian, I know and I’m so sorry.” She grabbed my hand and pressed it onto her chest. “You must believe me.”
I sighed, removed my hand, and looked away. “I believe you, Zoe.” I looked at Ellie, her frail body, seeing her there in town all over again, curled in on herself. I pulled myself away from Zoe. “But how could you do that? We hadn’t run all the tests.”
Zoe sniffled. “I know.”
“She could have died, Zoe.”
“I know!” she shouted before breaking down into sobs. “I’m so sorry.”
“She’s going to be fine,” Dravak concluded, holding up a scanner. “Her blood levels are normal.” Dravak stood up and walked toward Zoe, rubbing her shoulders. “It was just too much too soon.”
That wasn’t good enough for me. “How am I supposed to trust you, Zoe?”
Dravak stepped toward me, baring his teeth. “You should probably watch what you say, Vorian, before you say something you can’t take back.”
I shook my head, opening my mouth before I heard a groan from the bed and the rustling of blankets.
I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I ran toward Ellie, kneeling at her side as if she were the royal queen and this her deathbed. I took her hand and pulled it toward my chest, nuzzling my head against it and inhaling the sweet scent of rainfall.
I wanted to yell at her. I should have yelled at her for scaring me. Even now I could still see her dripping with sweat, her body unusually limp. Her eyes opened and I was staring into green, overwhelmed by a sense of calm. She was alive. She was going to be fine.
“What happened?” she mumbled, pushing herself into a sitting position, her hand still clasped in mine. Her gaze wandered over the room, resting on Zoe’s weeping frame. “Is everything okay?”