The Marilians

by Beth Worsdell

  ‘Holy hell, Christine!’ I thought. I’d been so busy worrying about my family that I’d forgotten that Christine had been with her dad fighting. ‘Shit!’

  “We are here, son, let the angels heal you, ok,” James told him as he turned to me.

  James shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he didn’t know if Christine was alright either. My hand went straight to the com on my chest. ‘Christine, are you ok, darling?’ I asked, hoping and praying that I would get an answer. ‘Christine, are you ok?’ I reached out again with a little more force.

  ‘I’m ok,’ she said quietly, ‘my dad is gone, and I didn’t even get to tell him goodbye.’

  My heart was breaking for her as she said the words. ‘Are you with anyone right now?’ I asked gently.

  ‘Yes, Shawn and Luiza are with me, and Livik.’

  I was so relieved that she was ok, devastated, but ok. I was also relieved that she hadn’t been alone ‘Would you like to stay with them for now, or would you like to be with Anthony?’ I asked.

  There was no reply for a moment as she thought about what she wanted. ‘I need Anthony, please.’ It was the response that I was expecting.

  ‘Christik and her parents are just about finished healing him, my darling’ I told her, ‘Why don’t you ask Livik to bring you here, and then you can stay with us. Would that be ok?’

  There was no delay in her answer this time. ‘Yes and thank you, Mel.’

  I felt the connection break, and within a few minutes, Livik appeared with Christine on her arm, shivering from the flit. The moment Christine saw Anthony on the floor being healed by the angels, she rushed over to our son, dropping to her knees.

  “OMG, Antony, are you ok?” she asked with worry in her voice.

  Anthony’s head turned as soon as he heard his girlfriend's voice.

  “I’m ok now, honey,” he told her with a stronger voice. “I was cut quite bad and partly changed, but my mom healed me.”

  Her face took a look of sheer horror.

  “You started to change into one of them?” She involuntarily shrieked.

  “Do not worry, Christine, we cannot feel anything of the Marilians anymore. Your one is close to being fully healed,” Christik told her as she continued to let her power heal our boy.

  “Thank you,” she told the angel, before turning to face Anthony again, “Anthony, my dad, he’s gone.”

  Her voice broke with the words that were full of pain and loss. It was horrible to see the pain in her young face. I would have given anything to have been able to bring her dad back to her. I’m sure our son felt the same way. I could tell by his expression that he shared her pain, and I knew that he’d really liked her dad.

  “What happened?” Anthony asked her gently.

  Christine began to tremble as she began to relive the recent memory. Without saying a word, Lindaz placed one of her hands-on Christine's thigh, helping her through her internal anguish.

  “When the big ship came and shot the black thing out, me and my dad got trapped down a side street with Livik. There were four Marilians fighting us, and Livik did her best to protect us, but my dad got slashed across the neck. Livik couldn’t heal him without putting me in danger,” Christine whimpered, “It wasn’t Livik’s fault. My dad bled out within seconds, and as soon as Livik knew he was gone, she flitted me out of there.”

  Anthony squeezed her hand gently.

  “I’m so, so sorry, honey,” he told her softly.

  By then, all four of us had tears streaming down our faces. Livik came along side me, and when I looked at her, her guilt was evident.

  “You did the right thing,” I told her, “Her dad would have wanted you to protect her at all costs.”

  Livik dipped her head and then turned back to look at Christine, Anthony and the angels.

  It was a few hours later that we arrived back at our rooms with Anthony and Christine. Our son was fully healed, and we were all relieved but totally exhausted. There wasn’t any sound from the kids, and I knew that they wouldn’t be waking anytime soon, especially now we all knew that the Marilian threat was now over. Before we could even think about climbing into bed, we all needed to shower and get cleaned up.

  James opened the barrier between our rooms, so Anthony and Christine could use the kids’ bathroom and get ready for bed. My sweet husband led me to our own bathroom, carefully removing the empty holsters from my torso and my thighs. I was so drained that I was beyond grateful he was helping me. I wasn’t hurt, but I felt bruised all over, and I’d used muscles in the battle that I didn’t know I had.

  “If I wasn’t so dead tired, I think I could be very turned on right now,” James said, as he removed the large knife and sheath that I hadn’t used from around my ankle.

  “Trust you to think about that right now,” I chuckled.

  My husband gave me his sexy smirk as he pulled off the combat top I was wearing. I’d never felt so dirty and grimy. Everything I had on was covered with dirt and blood, human and Marilian. Within minutes, I was completely naked, and when I looked down at my body, my skin was just as dirty as the combat gear I’d been wearing.

  James quickly stripped off, too, and I didn’t have the energy to help him. He led me to the shower, and when the fresh water hit my skin; it was heavenly. We both stood under the water for a few minutes, savoring the feeling of the water washing away the battle and the monsters we’d fought.

  “Turn around, baby,” James said softly.

  I didn’t argue. I turned around with my back to my husband, and I let him gently massage and wash everything away. By the time he’d finished and washed himself, I was totally spent.

  When we got back to the main room, fresh but tired, Anthony was at the table with Christine huddled next to him.

  “I know you probably don’t feel like it, but you both need to eat and drink something,” I told them with a small smile.

  I was pleased when they both began to reach for some food as James and I sat down to join them.

  “Christine, you can stay with us for as long as you like, ok. You’re part of our family too,” I told her as she popped some strawberries into her mouth.

  “Thank you,” she replied after she swallowed her mouthful.

  We ate and drank the rest of the spread in silence, just content to be in each other’s company. After Anthony and Christine closed the barrier to the kids’ room, James and I collapsed onto our bed. It had never felt so good. Within seconds of James wrapping his arms around me, I fell into the deepest sleep I think I’d ever had.

  When I finally woke up, I felt stiff and still sore. My muscles ached as if I’d been in a triathlon. James was no longer in the bed, and when I looked around for him, I saw him in one of the comfy seats by the small table, already eating breakfast.

  “Hi, badass wife of mine,” he said with a grin.

  “Hi, Rambo,” I said with a smile, “Is it still morning? I feel like I’ve slept for a week.”

  “I’ve got no clue, baby, there’s no way to tell,” James said as he pointed to the circular window in our room.

  There was no sign of the kids as I slid out of our bed and made my way to the window. As I walked past my husband, I kissed him on his neck, and he handed me a much-needed coffee. There was no light coming from the thick glass window, and all I could see were billions of stars. It was mind-blowing.

  “I can’t believe that we’re in space. It just doesn’t seem real,” I said breathlessly.

  James rose from his seat to join me at the window, wrapping his strong arms around my bump. Our daughter began to kick against his open palms.

  “It doesn’t feel real to me either. I stood next to that window for ages when I first woke up too,” he said. It’s certainly going to be a new adventure, isn’t it.”

  We stood there for ages, watching the stars pass us by, not really believing what we were seeing. It was quite a while before the kids all started to wake and make their way out of their room for breakfast. By the time A
nthony and Christine got up, the rest of us were showered, dressed and fed.

  Holly and Nalik arrived as Anthony and Christine went off to get their showers, and they took seats at the table to join us. After asking how they were feeling and how they’d slept, James asked the most difficult question.

  “How many people did we lose, Nalik?”

  The angel lowered his head in sadness, not wanting to say as he knew how upset we’d be. When he finally looked up to James, his sadness was clear to see in his eyes.

  “I am afraid that we lost eighteen percent of your population, James,” he said quietly.

  It didn’t sound like a large amount, but when you considered how few of us were left, it was a large chunk of our population. It also meant that there were going to be many children without parents and many more single parents than before.

  “We are going to have to make sure that there are no children left alone. There will be many children and adults, who are going to need a lot of love and support from everyone,” I told the angel.

  Nalik nodded his head in agreement.

  “Christik and the elders would like you to join them, after you have all been thoroughly checked over, in the medical room,” he told us.

  Once Anthony and Christine were dressed and ready to go, we made our way to the medical room together.

  When we arrived, there was a steady flow of people coming out, men and women of all ages, and they looked surprisingly good. We saw a seating area with people waiting, and we took the empty seats that were available. It certainly felt more like a doctor’s waiting room this time. There were rows and rows of beds, occupied by other survivors, all being treated by blue-haired and winged healer angels. We watched patiently as the angels used their power to scan their patients for injuries and healed them.

  It wasn’t long before it was our turn, and we were led to some empty beds. I really felt like I needed a crane to lift me into the bed. Not only was my bump beginning to be cumbersome, but my muscles were so sore that I really didn’t want to use them. As I struggled to get on the bed, another angel came over to help. When I looked up, I was pleased to see that it was Zanika.

  “You know that you should not have been in the battle, do you not,” Zanika said with a smile.

  I raised an eyebrow at her words of gently scolding.

  “Do you really think I would have let my family fight without me, Zanika?” I asked.

  “I think it would have taken more than the Marilians to stop you being in battle with your family, Mel,” she replied with a smirk. “Lay back please.”

  I laid myself on the bed using my elbows, and it felt good to be able to relax my muscles again. The first angel glided away, leaving me in Zanika’s capable and glowing hands. Starting at the top of my head, Zanika slowly moved her glowing hands over my body, checking and healing me. I felt the tension and soreness melt away as her power flowed into my body, and it was heavenly. All the tightness in my neck and shoulders released, and the relief was huge.

  When she got to my bump, she took her time, making sure that my daughter was ok. While she continued down my body, I looked either side of me to see what was happening with my family. One by one, they were finished and were making their way towards the exit to wait for me and James. My husband was done by the time Zanika was finishing at my feet, and he walked over to join us.

  “How are my ladies doing, Zanika?” He asked with a smile.

  “Your wife is healed from her brushing James, and your daughter is perfect,” she replied, “Would you like to see?” She asked.

  James nodded with wide eyes before calling the kids over to join us. Zanika used her power to raise the top of my bed, not wanting me to miss out on seeing my new daughter. Once I was sat more upright, she moved one of her hands over the top of my bump, while holding out her other hand with her palm facing up towards the ceiling.

  We watched with anticipation as both of her hands began to glow, and the image of our new baby appeared before us. We were all amazed at the clear image in front of us and the details we could see. Our baby had tight, dark blonde curls all over her head, just like our other children had had when they were born, and her eyelashes were pale and long. Her skin was still covered in the waxy vernix that protected her, and she had the cutest little nose and mouth.

  As we watched her, it was as if she knew, and she kicked a little leg out, and a smile appeared on her small, round angelic face. The kids were all full of ahhhs as they watched their new sibling.

  “Look at her wings, they are beautiful,” Holly said in awe.

  Our new daughter did have beautiful wings, and they were neatly folded behind her back. We could make out her small feathers, all neatly lined against each other, the tips of the feathers floating in the fluid.

  “I wonder if our baby will look like my new sister, “Holly said quietly.

  “What, I’m going to be a grandpa?” James squealed.

  “We're going to be grandparents?” I asked, with a huge smile on my face.

  Holly was grinning from ear to ear, with her suddenly glowing angel husband at her side.

  “Apparently so,” Holly said, still grinning, “We've just been told by the angel who checked me over.”

  “OMG, we’re going to be aunts and uncles too,” Abigail said, as she cheered and clapped her hands.

  My heart felt uplifted, and it was just the sort of news that was going to help us all heal from our loss.

  “Our child could be the first human to be born on our planet, depending on how quickly it takes us to find you a new home,” Nalik said.

  “We are so happy for you both,” I told them.

  I had to speak for James because although he was still grinning like an idiot, he was in shock. It suddenly became very real for him that his baby girl was going to be a mother. James nodded at my words. Zanika’s hands began to dim as the image of our daughter disappeared. I wasn’t disappointed as I knew we’d be able to hold her in our arms soon.

  “We will be able to see your baby soon enough,” Zanika told Holly and Nalik.

  “I will be able to check on our child, anytime that Holly wants,” Nalik said proudly.

  “Ok family, help me off this bed, so I can hug my daughter, please,” I asked.

  I wasn’t feeling stiff or sore anymore, but it was still a challenge with my bump getting bigger. James and the boys helped me off the bed, and the moment my feet hit the floor, I reached for my daughter. I hugged Holly so tightly, and within seconds, we were all having another family group hug.

  “Ok, I need to breathe, family,” Holly giggled.

  All our children and Christine congratulated Holly and Nalik. The angel glowed the whole time, especially every time the word baby was said.

  We all felt a lot more lighthearted and positive as we walked to the large meeting room. When we bumped into Tracey and Akhenaten on our way, Nalik couldn’t wait to share their happy news. We were still talking about babies when we arrived.

  There were many people in the meeting room, and it was basically our original group, minus John of course. Many of our angel friends were there too. Christik was at the head of the table, and after we took our seats, she rose from her chair.

  “Thank you all for coming this afternoon. We are very pleased to see you all here and that you are all healed,” she said warmly. “We lost many lives during the battle, and I am sorry that you have lost more friends and family. My angels collected as many of the dead as possible, so we can give them appropriate burials.”

  Christine gasped and place a hand over her mouth, fighting to control the sobs that were now trying to escape her. Anthony quickly held her in his arms to comfort her.

  “I believe your father is one of them, Christine,” the angel told her gently. “It will be up to you and the others whether they are buried on our planet or on your new home. You will have time to decide.”

  Christine couldn’t speak, but she nodded her head at Christik’s words.

  “What
are we going to do about the children who’ve lost their parents and the no single parents, or the adults who are alone now?” I asked the angel.

  “Please do not worry, Mel. My angels are already actively trying to place children with new adopted parents. They are also encouraging single mothers or fathers to pair up with other parents who are in the same situation. The same is being done for people who are now alone.”

  “I can vouch for that,” Tracey added. “Akhenaten and I are adopting three kids from the same family who have lost their mom in the battle. We’re collecting them after the meeting.”

  I could feel Tracey’s happiness at the thought of being a mom again, with sadness that they’d lost their one and only parent. The kids were going to be very lucky to have such amazing new parents.

  “Our plan now is simple,” Christik continued, “we will take you all to our own planet, while we try and locate a new world for your race. While en route, Mel will help us heal the survivors she contained and hopefully change back the Marilians we captured. If that is ok,” she added as she looked at me with a smile.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” I answered enthusiastically.

  “What are we going to do with the Marilians once they’ve been changed back into whatever they were before?” Harrison asked politely.

  Murmurs went around the room, and everyone began to wonder what the Marilians could really be.

  “It will be tricky,” Lindaz said, adding to the conversation. “The Marilians we have captured could be from anywhere in the universe. They will be no telling what kind of planet they could be from.”

  “We will have to put them in Mel’s capsules until we know if they can survive on this craft. We do not want to lose any more lives,” Evest added.

  “Ok, let’s get this show on the road,” I said with a grin.

  Thank you for reading. I can’t wait to read your Amazon and Goodreads reviews.

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  “A New World” book three of the Earth’s Angels trilogy is coming soon…...