by Lea Kirk
Her attention was drawn back to the height-challenged Anferthian kid. His thick reddish-brown hair was short, unlike the adults flanking him. He was too young yet to grow his hair out in the ritual Anferthian braid. A tirik they called it. Geez, he walked all stiff and formal, like he had a stick up his butt. A soft snort escaped her. Probably thought he was better than everybody else. If he was too stuck-up to talk to her, then she might be able to ditch entertainment duty.
The delegation arrived in front of Poppy, who began formal introductions to the other dignitaries. Flora tensed her shoulders and raised her chin. She must not embarrass Mama and Poppy. Her gaze darted to the little monster. He looked up at his grandfather with an expression of hero-worship.
Cinnamon. That was the color of his hair. Not true red like hers. And his skin tone was a light olive green. His eyes … well, they were just weird. Kind of a reddish-purple color.
The weird eyes blinked, and in slow-motion they shifted to look directly into hers. An electric shock snapped through her. The little monster’s eyes widened, and his face turned chalky grey-green. A flame of heat prickled up her neck and face, and a buzz became a roar like a waterfall in her ears. The ground spun under her feet, and she sagged against Mama.
“Flora!” Mama’s voice sounded distant, as if she was at the other end of a tunnel.
Oh, my god, is that little monster trying to kill me?
The familiar sensation of a calm ocean filled Flora. The flame receded and the roaring waterfall gave way to her rapid heartbeat thudding in her ears. Good. Mama was using her healing Gift to make sure everything was okay. If the ’Ferth kid had tried to kill her, Mama would know and call him out. Then Poppy could order him to be arrested and send him home.
Flora blinked as reality crashed over her. Above her, Poppy’s face reflected his worry. “Puella?”
“It’s probably just the heat.” Mama said, although she looked concerned too. “Drink some water, sweetie.”
Poppy pressed a bottle to her lips and the cool liquid slid down her throat. After several sips, she pushed his hand away. “I’m okay now, Poppy.”
As her father helped her to her feet, she dared to meet the killer’s gaze. The Ambassador’s grandson stared wide-eyed at her like he knew her deepest secrets. Her insides squirmed like a pile of worms. No one had ever looked at her like that before. She narrowed her eyes at him. I know you did something to me, you little creeper.
His grandfather murmured something to him, and the boy blinked rapidly like he was waking up from a spell. His cheeks and the fanned edges of his ears darkened—the Anferthian equivalent of turning red. Guilty people always turn red.
A tug on her hand drew her attention away from the ’Ferth kid. “You ‘kay, Flowa?”
Flora gave her little sister a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine, Maggie.”
Juan made a scoffing noise. Great. That class-A idiot was going to tease her later about fainting in front of the Anferthians. What an immature little….
“Flora McDonald Bock?” The deep voice above her head was low and rich. The perfect voice for telling bedtime stories.
Flora tipped her head back—way back—until she gazed into the friendly black eyes of the Anferthian ambassador. She swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.” You always call an adult sir or ma’am, even if they are a ’Ferth.
The ambassador knelt on one knee in front of her, putting him at eye level. He extended his leaft hand, palm up, in the traditional Anferthian manner of greeting. “I am Ambassador K’nil.” He presented himself. “Great is my pleasure to finally meet you, Flora of Earth.”
He said “Earth”, not Terr. The name of her home-world before his people attacked. Why would he do that when everyone else called the planet by its new name?
An Earth style curtsy meant she wouldn’t have to touch any of the ’Ferths. But since he’d already presented his hand, it would be the height of rudeness to not reciprocate.
She placed her right hand atop the ambassador’s huge palm and they both bowed their heads in unison. “Mine is the pleasure, Ambassador K’nil.” Withdrawing her hand, she suppressed a sigh of relief. It was almost over.
Then Ambassador K’nil extended his right hand. “Is there not an old Earth saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans? I don’t know any Romans, Flora of Earth, but I do understand and appreciate this bit of wisdom.”
He wanted to shake hands? Earth-style? She met his gaze again. Black eyes twinkled. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a smile. She couldn’t help it, he seemed so nice. But that didn’t mean she liked the man. Nuh-uh. No way. His grandson had just tried to kill her.
The enormous green hand enveloped hers gently and they shook in unison. Then he released her and beckoned to his grandson. “Great is my pleasure to introduce my grandson, Fander K’nil.”
So, the little monster had a name. Hmph.
Mama nudged her. Oh, yeah. She placed one foot behind her and bobbed a quick curtsey. “Welcome to Earth, Fander of Anferthia.” Now go home.
“Thanks be to you, Flora of Earth,” Fander replied formally, then bowed so deep his think, wiry hair nearly brushed the front of her dress. She flinched back and glanced around. Did anyone notice? Mama wasn’t giving her the look, so maybe not.
As the K’nil’s moved down the line to greet Juan, Maggie, and the remaining dignitaries, she released a soft sigh. Another thirty minutes and she’d be back home in the tempur-cooled comfort of her cube—away from the ’Ferths and everyone else.
~*~
An hour and a half later, Flora snuggled against her mother’s side, and inhaled Mama’s faint scent of roses and ocean breeze. The double rocker glided back and forth with soft, lazy swooshes, and bugs buzzed in the garden beyond the holo-screen around the back porch of their cube. Mama was an important woman and was busy a lot, but she always had time for each of her three children. Even during the year she’d served as Earth’s first Ambassador to Matir.
What a great year that had been. How many Terrian kids could say they’d lived aboard their father’s space cruiser? Or that their dad was a blue-skinned Matiran with enough love in his heart to adopt three Terrian orphans? Yeah, living in space had been a fun adventure, but living on Terr was better. At least here they could all go out to play without worrying about accidentally entering a restricted area.
“Do you remember Adra Patrum?” Mama asked.
Vyn Kotas’s mother, the man who betrayed Poppy, nearly destroyed the Guardian Fleet, and helped the ’Ferths invade Terr? He’d tortured Mama too, the creeper.
Flora nodded against her mother’s shoulder. “Yeah, I remember her.”
“Did you know that by Matiran law I could have requested her death?” Mama asked.
She could? Flora lifted her chin and met Mama’s gaze. “She gave birth to him, and he was so bad, Mama. He hurt so many people, and he tried to kill you and Poppy. How could you let her live?”
“There are people who earned death for what they did, sweetie; Adra wasn’t one of them. Her death would not have brought peace. By forgiving her and letting her live, we were all able to move forward and heal.”
Mama picked up one of Flora’s bright red curls and twirled it around her finger. “I know it’s hard at your age to really understand why I did what I did. As you get older, experience will give you the wisdom to comprehend why others make certain decisions. It will help you to make thoughtful decisions, too. Once you can do that, you will find peace in your heart, and forgiveness.”
Flora gave a slow nod. This must have something to do with the Anferthians. “I’ll try to be good tomorrow, Mama.”
Her mother’s soft lips placed a kiss on her forehead. “I know you will, sweetie.”
Collision coming 2017
