Verakko rumbled a chuckle and stood, running his hands down her arms as she greedily took a longer gulp. “You can try the alcoholic version when you’re out today.”
Lily craned her head up to look at him. “When I’m out?”
Without warning, he wrapped his hands under her chin, holding her head securely in place, and kissed her. It only took her a half second of deliberation before she returned his upside-down kiss.
Lily was relieved when he moved away. Her willpower dwindled each time he did something like that.
“I’m having someone else show you around for a while, and then I’ll meet you later,” he said, disappearing into the enclosed kitchen then reappearing with a stemmed bowl. He set it down in front of her, and she noted the frost building on the outside of the glass. Not exactly a nice, warm cup of tea.
Lily angled her head this way and that, trying to understand what type of food she might be about to eat. A solid layer of pale blue…something rose halfway up the bowl, and a variety of fruits and nuts topped it.
Noticing her reticence, Verakko sat across from her and scooped a bit of the concoction onto his flat spoon. To Lily’s surprise, the solid blue layer cracked. “Mishun bowl. It’s a common first meal for Mithrandirians. The cool temperature of the mishun is supposed to help wake you up.” He ate the blue food and held it in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. “The nuts the mishun is made from also help boost energy.”
Lily took a small bite and grinned. “It’s like ice cream, only…harder, maybe?” She scooped out a larger spoonful and savored the burst of flavor and texture created by the mix of sweet and salty toppings accompanying the minty mishun.
“Do you like it?”
“What’s not to like? You guys eat ice cream for breakfast.” Lily eyed him as he watched her eat. “You weren’t lying about being a good cook, then.”
His mouth twitched downward briefly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
The glass orbs hovering near the ceiling flickered just before a small chime sounded.
Lily glanced at Verakko questioningly, her mouth too full of the delicious breakfast to use words.
“Your escort for the day,” he explained, rising.
Lily realized he was heading toward the door, and she hastily tugged her shirt farther down over her thighs. Choking on her mouthful, she wheezed, “Hold on!”
Verakko paused, turning to her with raised brows.
“Who is it? I thought no one was supposed to know about me. Shouldn’t I change first or something?”
“She brought something for you to wear, seeing as I broke part of your outfit yesterday.”
Lily flushed, thinking about his strong hands undressing her. Then with a start, his words registered. “She?”
Verakko was already opening the door by the time she stood. “Thank you for coming, Ziri,” he said, blocking Lily’s view of the woman.
Ziri? Lily searched her mind. She knew she’d heard the name before. The cold mishun curdled in her stomach, and her whole body crackled with electricity.
Lily shot mental daggers toward the back of Verakko’s head. How could he do this without warning her? Shame and guilt tore at her. She was the homewrecker, and now she’d have to come face to face with the woman whose life she’d screwed with.
In a fleeting moment of cowardice, Lily bolted toward the stairs. When her foot was on the top step, she halted. You need to face her. You slept with her fiancé. She deserves a little more respect than this.
“Lily?” she heard Verakko call from the doorway.
She kept her eyes trained on the ground and took a deep breath. In. Out. In— Dammit! She realized she was still wearing nothing but underwear and Verakko’s shirt.
She smoothed her wrinkled top and forced herself to look toward the person Verakko would marry if she didn’t accept him.
Her heart stuttered. The woman before her was stunning. Half of her mass of tight, icy-silver curls was pulled back, while the rest fell down her back and over her shoulder. Her light-blue skin and gauzy white dress made her look like a goddess who might spend her time sculpting the clouds.
Ziritha regarded her with sparkling blue eyes, and Lily felt like crawling into a hole and dying. She glanced between the two of them, their eyes watching her warily. How could Verakko really want her instead of the creature standing next to him? They looked so perfect together.
“Hello.” Ziri held out a white dress identical to her own and smiled gently. “I brought you a change of clothes. It’s a spa gown and mokti.”
Lily’s body thrummed with apprehension as well as annoyance directed toward Verakko. Although the word spa registered in her consciousness, she was still too taken aback to comment on it. She crossed to them both and took the dress and small bag Ziri held out for her, while berating Verakko with her lack of eye contact. “Thank you. You shouldn’t have… I mean, I should’ve…”
“Yes, I know it’s quite odd.” Ziri eyed Verakko disapprovingly. “He really should’ve fetched these things for you himself, but seeing as these circumstances are quite unusual, I offered to do it so he could be here when you awoke.”
She needed to get away to mentally prepare for what would be an unquestionably awkward day. Wiggling the dress in front of her, she sputtered, “I’m gonna go put this on. Be back in two shakes.” Only just preventing her eyes from rolling, she wanted to shrivel in mortification. Two shakes? She’d never used that phrase once in her life.
Both aliens peered at her with a look of concern. Lily spun and fled up the stairs, desperate to be out of sight before they saw her cheeks turn bright red.
***
Verakko watched as Lily practically cleared the steps in her attempt to get away. Maybe he’d made a mistake asking Ziritha to come.
“She’s a little skittish, isn’t she?” Ziri said from next to him.
“Not for many things, but when it comes to me, I suppose so.” He frowned at her. “You’re too early. I didn’t have the chance to tell her you were coming.”
Ziri tsked. “It’s a wonder your mother was able to negotiate a contract with any female if this is how you speak to them.”
Verakko bit his tongue. He’d forgotten how proper he was expected to be when it came to Clecanian females. He’d relaxed with Lily. Spoken to her honestly and without the restrained politeness he’d learned in school. “My apologies. Humans are different. My way of speaking changed while we were in the Sauven Forest.”
She nodded, concealing a smirk.
“I’m going to go make sure she’s alright,” he said while continuing to back away. “I’ll meet you back here at twenty-eight b.h.”
Ziri waved him away, gaze already scanning the room, assessing his choices.
When Verakko reached Lily’s room, he heard a barrage of angry whispering. He slid the door open, and she spun. Before he had a chance to tell her how beautiful she looked in her spa gown, she was hissing at him. “How could you not tell me she was coming!”
“I—”
“Why is she even here?”
“Last—”
“Oh my God, she saw me in your shirt, and I feel so bad and—”
“Lily!”
“What?” she yelled, advancing on him.
“I was going to tell you this morning, but she got here earlier than expected.”
Lily huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from him.
He stepped closer to her, but she refused to meet his eyes. “I knew I’d never be able to convince you she feels nothing for me. I also thought you might doubt whatever I tell you because I’m biased. The only person you’d trust is her.”
Lily’s lips pursed, a sign she was coming around. He gripped her chin and angled her head to face him.
“Ziri’s the only person in this city, besides my mother, who knows about you and knows that we’re closer than is allowed.”
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to be wandering around. Isn’t that why we snuck u
p here in the first place?”
Verakko didn’t want to explain, knowing it would once again remind her he wasn’t technically single in the eyes of the law, but he did anyway. “We shouldn’t be seen together. You and I alone, entering my home. But if you’re with Ziri, no one will think twice. We get many visitors from different cities. And no one knows about humans. They’ll assume you’re an off-worlder being shown around by our future queen.”
Lily yanked her head out of his grasp and stepped back. Her eyes remained fiery. “How much can I ask her? What does she know?”
“I assume she suspects we’ve been intimate, but she doesn’t know for sure. And she doesn’t know about my marks. Ask her anything you wish, but be careful not to reveal that we’re mated. I don’t know her well enough to say how she’d react to that news.”
“Fine,” Lily grumbled. “I don’t know how to put the—” she motioned to her neck with aggravated swipes of her hand, “—on.”
“The mokti?” Verakko made quick work of attaching the mokti to her hair again. “This dress is a traditional spa gown.” He caught her eye and saw a glimmer of interest spark to life. Tentatively, he ran his hands down her tense shoulders. “I’ve arranged a full trip to my favorite spa and basin.”
Her gaze flicked to him again, and she bit the inside of her cheek.
Verakko recalled the similar spark of joy in her expression when he’d revealed he had a gift for her. Mentally, he filed away the information. His mate enjoyed gifts. “Remember when we were in the woods and I promised you a trip, on me?” She met his eyes, and he grinned down at her. “Maybe after, I could take you to a bed as you requested.”
Her mouth contorted as she tried to smother her smile. Verakko stepped toward her and pressed a kiss to her unresponsive lips.
“But what if someone calls about Alex? Maybe I should stay.”
“Ziri has a communicator. If I hear anything, I’ll contact you immediately.”
When he looked back down at her, she sighed. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”
She’d already begun heading to the door when Verakko stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Oh, and Lily, when you’re at the spa, make sure to not book a full-body massage.”
Her brows drew together. “Why?”
Verakko smothered a growl. “Do you have full-body massages on Earth?”
She shrugged. “Yeah.”
He raised a brow and looked pointedly down her body, letting his gaze linger in certain areas. “Full body?”
“Wha—” she sputtered, her eyes growing wide.
Chapter 22
“First, I want to introduce you to some hairstylists on the upper level, and then I think we can go down to the basins. After a soak, we’ll work our way back up through the floors. I’ll stick close by since no one will have your language uploaded yet.”
Lily walked alongside Ziri, but every time she thought of something to say, Ziri started on a new topic. They’d left the building Verakko’s house was in and were now waiting under an oddly lush crop of plants. Lily craned her neck and guessed that the shade provided by the overlapping flat roofs of the buildings allowed for a sort of oasis to exist in the sand below.
The air outside the temperature-controlled building was hot and dry. Although she began to sweat, the moisture from her skin evaporated almost immediately.
“Do you know what services you want done?” Ziri asked.
A large silver ball floated toward them, drawing Lily’s undivided attention. When it didn’t seem like it would veer off course, she hastily stepped away.
“It’s alright, Lily. That cruiser is our ride.”
“Ride?” She cocked her head, legs still tensed.
“All the spas are in the old city.” Ziri pointed off into the distance to a grouping of small buildings. Lily had assumed they were storage facilities of some kind. How could it be a whole city?
The large silver sphere stopped in front of them, and a panel slid open, revealing seating. Once they were both in and seated, she felt a slight lurch. Ziri smiled at her from across the cruiser.
Lily’s gut churned at the kindness she saw seeping from the pretty alien’s gaze. “Ziritha, I need to say something to you.”
She arched a delicate silver brow in response.
Lily was momentarily distracted by the faint shimmer glinting from her lifted brow. She studied Ziri’s hair again now that they were in close proximity and saw that it too shimmered as though a spray bottle of glitter had somehow attached itself to the follicles of her hair.
“How do…” Lily stopped herself and forced her mind back to the task at hand. “Verakko told me you know about me and him, and I have to say how sorry I am. I didn’t know he was engaged— Er— I mean, under contract.”
Ziritha grinned at her like she’d just said something adorable. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Verakko is the one who crossed a line. But if what they say about humans is true, I can’t blame him.”
Lily thought she saw a brief flash of jealousy light Ziri’s eyes. “So, you’re really not upset?”
Ziri sighed and leaned back in her seat, twirling a lock of her hair around a long finger. “Another female might’ve taken more offense and exposed the breach, but I don’t feel that way. In all honesty, I’m curious.”
Curious? The door to the pod suddenly slid open, preventing Lily from questioning her further.
She followed Ziritha out of the floating ball and froze in place. Until that moment, she’d forgotten how Verakko had described the old city as being located in a pit. Before her was a massive, sheer drop-off circling a tall cylinder of land, like a waterless moat around a medieval city.
She imagined that long ago the city would’ve been carved directly into the rock, but now the addition of stained-glass windows many stories high, jutting lavish balconies, and sprawling vines made the column of a city an Architectural Digest’s wet dream.
Colossal ornamental mirrors placed on each side of the divide acted as sun catchers, directing the light from above down into the shaded lower levels of the city. Lily squinted, trying to see the bottom of the perfectly round trench, but could only see layers upon layers of draped fabric extending from a sprawling green balcony that circled the whole base of the column.
“Are you ready?” Ziri said, rousing her.
Lily could only nod with wide eyes.
A single bridge connecting the two pieces of land was bordered on either side by large statues of stern, fanged men and women. As she walked with Ziritha along the bridge, she felt their eyes on her. She focused on the other people crossing the bridge, more out of her depth than ever. A large majority were men, mostly Swadaeth, but many were other races. A few, with their overlarge heads and four arms, looked different enough that she assumed they weren’t Clecanian at all. Any lingering worry that she’d stand out as the only “alien” vanished.
The people on the bridge walked in silence for the most part or chatted seriously to one another. Lily glanced toward Ziri and saw that her expression had changed. The chatty, bubbly woman she’d shared a ride with was now impassive.
A man and woman walking by dipped their heads toward Ziritha and tapped their left shoulders with a thumb. A sign of respect perhaps? As Ziri returned the gesture, then tilted her chin upward imperiously, Lily saw it. A queen in the making. Ziri looked as regal as anyone she’d ever seen.
From the way Verakko had spoken, Ziri would become queen whether or not she married him. How long had she been training for her role?
A few of the people walking in their direction wore clothing similar to her own. White billowy fabric with relatively few accessories compared to the decked-out, fully dressed majority. Lily rejoiced as she examined the odd, intricate makeup and hairstyles sported by not only the women but men. A short woman with a sunflower-yellow structured suit and matching lace mokti caught her attention. Her lids were painted a bright purple, and small objects that looked like pearls dotted her eyes from the
inner corner up to and above the brow. Her bright blue hair had a faint shimmer as well.
Alex would have a field day here. Lily smiled, forcing herself to remain positive, and daydreamed about the day when she and Alex could walk side by side, gossiping about all the crazy fashion and alien species they saw in the city.
Lily started to ask Ziri about the treatment she’d need to make her hair sparkle, but then scanned the quiet crowd again and thought better of it. Was it rude to speak in public spaces like this the way it was in some countries on Earth?
Deciding she should take her cues from Ziri for the time being, she remained silent.
After walking through a towering archway, they entered a large public square of sorts. Vendors milled about, projecting holographic signs advertising their wares, which were nowhere in sight. Lily decided they must be the equivalent of those arrow holders on city corners directing customers to shops located somewhere else.
Still silent, Ziri guided them to a long line of large glass tubes. As she approached, a portion of glass slid open, and Ziri stepped in, indicating Lily should do the same. Willing her nerves about entering the small space to dissipate, she stepped in.
“Floor twenty,” Ziri said to the space at large.
A soothing male voice repeated, “Floor twenty,” and they moved downward.
All at once, Ziri’s stoic expression morphed. She faced Lily, smiling, and pointed out through the glass. “You’ll be able to see each floor as we pass them. Tell me if there are any you’d be interested in visiting later.”
Lily’s brows drew together, and she stared at Ziri for a moment longer before looking back out through the glass. The elevator was moving quickly, and she barely had time to register one incredible view before another replaced it. A whole floor of colored glass windows shone a dazzling display of jewel-toned light on a crowded market. A shining black stone restaurant with thick black columns and millions of tiny glittering orbs floating around the ceiling like stars cast the room in a soft glow.
Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 Page 25
