by Leela Ash
Lisa blinked again, trying to drink in every detail of the stranger. She had never seen anybody like this in her life. But what was the strangest part had nothing to do with the way he dressed or looked, but the way he felt. It was so strange. He seemed almost otherworldly, as if he had been traveling just outside the galaxy and had taken a detour to look into her car and ask if she was all right. Did she have a concussion or something? No man had ever made her feel this way before.
“Don’t call me ma’am,” Lisa finally managed to mumble. “I’m not sixty.”
The man’s handsome face broke out into a broad smile, and Lisa’s heart thudded involuntarily. What the hell was wrong with her. Why was she reacting so strongly toward him?
“I’m glad you are okay. You gave me kind of a scare. I have an ambulance on the way already.”
Lisa’s face fell. An ambulance? But she was fine. And they were going to charge her how much money for a trip to the hospital to tell her what she already knew?
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lisa said grumpily, fumbling for the handle of her car door. “That’s expensive.”
“But isn’t that the procedure on Earth? When someone has an accident, you have to call the police, and there are ambulances…”
On Earth? Why did he speak so strangely? He seemed genuinely bewildered about this strange custom. Was he rich or something? So far removed from the toils of everyday life that he couldn’t even conceptualize what it was like outside the sphere of doctors who make house calls and round the clock service in any capacity he could fathom?
Lisa didn’t even know his name yet, and somehow, she was already beginning to dislike him, no matter how good looking he was. In fact, the more attractive he was the worse it would be, because that meant he was probably used to people giving him all sorts of attention and getting by on his charm. She wasn’t going to let him charm her. In fact, the entire car accident was likely his fault. He was probably just trying to make sure she was complacent because there was something in it for him if he did. Was he just trying to keep her calm, so she didn’t turn him in or get hostile?
Lisa squinted at the van that had hit her car and read the logo quickly. Ah, a moving company. Of course. So, he was probably doing his best to make sure she didn’t sue his company. Now, it all made sense.
“I just don’t want to go to the hospital. And I sure as hell hope you have good insurance, because this is a mess. A mess!” Lisa gestured wildly at the wreckage that was now her vehicle and sighed heavily. Why did everything always go wrong just when she was trying to get out of the slump she had been in for so long?
The man gazed at her steadily, his brow arching subtly as he observed her. Somehow, his calm demeanor made her feel stupid and silly, like maybe she was overreacting. But how could she be overreacting when this asshole had clearly totaled her car?
Finally, he nodded slowly and proceeded to carefully open the driver’s side door.
“You aren’t injured?”
It was a statement more so than a question, which somehow served to make Lisa even more agitated. Who did this guy think he was?
“I’m fine,” Lisa said, scrambling to leave her car in a huff to survey the damage. When she saw the creased metal and the smoke beginning to plume from her engine, her heart sank. So much for being able to start a new job and save some money. An overwhelming sense of despair washed over her as she thought about the downturn her luck had suddenly taken. Why couldn’t things have just stayed good? Now what in the hell was she going to drive?
The man seemed able to sense her deflation and took a step forward, tentatively reaching his hand out and placing it on her shoulder. A strange wave of arousal coursed through her body at the brush of his fingertips against her skin, and Lisa’s face reddened as the sensation overwhelmed her. She pulled away quickly, frowning darkly at the man and gesturing to her damaged vehicle again.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Lisa said, her voice raising in an effort to mask the strange feelings of desire that had suddenly overwhelmed her. When she turned around and accidentally caught the man’s eye, he was staring at her intensely, almost as if he knew exactly what she had been feeling and it was futile for her to hide what was on her mind. The strange rawness of her attraction suddenly seemed obvious and out there for all to see, and she clamped her mouth shut, trying to ignore the creeping heat that was beginning to color her cheeks.
“I’m sure we have really good insurance, and they will take care of all expenses and damages, and pay for any hospital visits,” the man said, pausing as if he were trying to recite something from memory. It was strange, the way he spoke, as if he had already practiced this several times beforehand. “Everything will be taken care of. Try not to worry about it too much. I know that can be difficult, but everything will work out.”
He no longer sounded as if he were reciting something and the gentle but firm way he was looking at Lisa sent ripples of unwanted reassurance throughout her body. What was it about this guy that made her feelings seem so damn extreme? Whether good or bad, she felt them both strongly. She had never reacted this way toward anybody before. What made him so different? It was unsettling, really. Why was it that she was so drawn to him, and yet there was something very specific about him that she couldn’t stand? Was it a sense of entitlement maybe? Or the stupid way he dressed, like he was king of the universe or something when all he was, was a moving guy?
“Yeah, well, I still don’t know how I’m going to get to where I was going before,” Lisa said grumpily. So much for lunch and the gym. The perfect day to begin to turn her life around had turned into one of the biggest pains in the ass imaginable. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing ever was. Sometimes, she didn’t know why she bothered.
“Where are you going?” The man’s question was gentle and seemed genuinely curious, and Lisa sighed, debating whether or not to answer and finally deciding she would.
“I was going to go celebrate, but it looks like I don’t have anything to celebrate anymore. Because everything seems to go down the toilet for me,” she mumbled. “Without a reliable vehicle, there is no way I’m going to be able to keep this new job. I’m just so frustrated right now. Why doesn’t anything go right?”
Lisa kicked at some gravel and again, the man’s level gaze made her feel like a child having a temper tantrum. She stilled her foot and finally met his eyes, wondering why it was he had such a strange, calming effect on her. Just his mere presence seemed to radiate some sort of balance.
“Sometimes, I wonder that myself,” the man said, glancing down at his hands. “That’s when I take things apart and put them back together again. It reminds me that there is a rhythm and order out there even when we don’t understand it.”
Lisa was quiet for a moment as she considered his words. For an asshole, he was kind of soothing and wise. It was nice to feel calmed by someone rather than disturbed and upset, though she couldn’t let the feeling last too long. It wouldn’t do her any good to get too cozy with this stranger. She had more than enough reason to doubt his intentions. He was probably just hoping to spare his company the hassle of a lawsuit.
“Anyway,” he said, running his broad hands through his golden hair. “I’m sorry about all of this. If you need a ride at all, you can just let me know. My name is Norris. I work here.”
He pulled a business card out of his wallet and handed it to her, eyeing her curiously.
“Norris?” she asked quietly, mulling over the name. He didn’t look much like a Norris. It struck her as the kind of situation where a child who was playing house pointed to a random word on a cereal box and announced to the world that this was who he was now. It just didn’t suit the man.
“Yes. What’s your name?”
He was looking at her now with an almost childlike innocence, his silver eyes wide and curious as he waited to hear her answer. She almost considered not even telling him, but for some reason, she just couldn’t bring
herself to let him down.
“Lisa,” she said with a soft sigh.
“Lisa. You are starting a new job?”
He seemed genuinely interested, the sparkle in his strangely innocent eyes catching her off guard. Why was she so drawn to this man? It was ridiculous.
“I am,” Lisa said with a small nod. They could now hear the distant wailing of sirens as the police and ambulance approached. She let out another agitated sigh. She wasn’t going to let the ambulance take her. Especially not if she was going to have to pay out-of-pocket. As far as she was concerned, the car accident was Norris’ fault, but who knew what the law would say?
“What kind of job is it?” Norris asked, tilting his head gently as he braced himself to listen to the answer she provided him.
“I’m going to be working with people who have disabilities,” Lisa said, shifting nervously as the ambulance approached. She hated the paramedics. They always wanted people to get in the ambulance, never just taking their word for it that everything was fine. But what were the chances that she had any type of internal bleeding? It was basically a fender bender, though admittedly, the car looked pretty messy at this point. But it was an old car, and it had dented like a tin can upon impact. It was bound to happen in any form of accident. She was fine. She knew she was fine.
“Disabilities?” Norris asked. “What, so you are like a healer?”
“A healer?” Lisa asked, holding back a laugh. “What, are we playing Dungeons and Dragons?”
“Dragons?”
Norris looked suddenly apprehensive, tensing up like a deer in the headlights. What in the world? Was he really that embarrassed to have a nerd joke made at his expense? That seemed silly.
“Relax,” Lisa said. “I played too in high school. It will be okay; your secret is safe with me.”
Norris opened and closed his mouth, but before he had a chance to reply, the ambulance’s blaring siren was right behind him and they were soon drowned out by the bustling noise of police and paramedics. Eventually, all the legal information had been gathered and exchanged, and Lisa was trying to fight off the paramedics as they badgered her about going to the hospital. She was about to get really unfriendly, her day had been going badly enough, and the last thing she wanted to do was waste hours in the ER for no good reason, when Norris stepped in.
“The lady said she was fine. Thank you for your concern but she just wants to be on her way now. Can’t you see that?”
The paramedics, two young, lanky guys who looked as if they were fresh out of school, gaped at the impressive man. Compared to Norris’ impressive physique, it was clear they were no match whatsoever and both stared at him and then glanced at each other as if to determine whether or not another round of harassing Lisa was worth it.
Fortunately, they unspokenly decided they would let Lisa go on her way without another attempt at getting her to go to the hospital with them. One guy shrugged and the other followed him back to the ambulance, where they left and took off for the hospital.
Finally, when everybody was on their way out of the area, and the tow truck was being called in to take the vehicle away, she was left standing by the roadside with Norris.
“I really am sorry about all this,” he said. “Let me call you a cab.”
“Whatever,” Lisa said with a heavy sigh. “You don’t have to do that. The cops said they could take me home. But I don’t really want to. I would feel like a criminal or something.”
“You’re not a criminal. I’m pretty sure the whole thing makes me the criminal.”
For some reason, this made Norris laugh brightly, and he turned his attention back to Lisa.
“No, really, let me call you a cab and get you out of here. It has been a long day and it’s the least I can do.”
Norris pulled his wallet out and fished inside. He handed her a crisp $100 bill. “This is for your trouble today. I hope it’s enough to cover your fare. I don’t know what the taxi drivers around here charge.”
Lisa gaped at the money in disbelief, and then turned her blue eyes onto Norris. For some reason, the gesture made her irritated again. Why was he acting like he had so much money to burn? Was he genuinely wealthy or was he trying to impress her? It was really hard to tell with him.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
But he seemed to be sincere and looked at her in puzzlement. It was as if he couldn’t figure out what it was that she was so surprised about.
“Well, I really don’t know where you are going, so you can just keep the rest if it’s too much. I know this is a big inconvenience for you. Just let me know if there is ever a time when you need a ride, in case the insurance doesn’t do anything for you. Or if it doesn’t do enough, I guess? I have never had a car accident before. I’m not entirely sure how to proceed from here.”
Norris seemed to be sincerely confused and it seemed easier just to accept his offer than to try and go into the nuances of a situation like this with him.
“Okay,” Lisa said, cautiously taking the money from him. “Thanks…”
Lisa tucked the money away as Norris pulled out his cell phone, and she sighed, losing herself in thought. What was he getting at here, trying to be so nice to her? Maybe it really was all so she wouldn’t end up getting his company into trouble legally.
But when the taxi cab arrived, Norris opened the door chivalrously for her, smiling brightly at her when she got inside. Lisa turned her eyes upon him. It was hard to believe anybody could be this over the top. He acted like royalty, and yet he also was treating her like she was as well. And no matter how irritated and skeptical she was, there was some part of her that couldn’t help but hope his actions were genuine. It was strange, honestly. She wasn’t used to men treating her this way. Especially after the terrible relationship she had just gotten out of.
“Remember,” Norris said. “Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all. I owe you.”
She nodded dumbly as the taxi sped off, and she kept her eyes locked on Norris until he was out of sight. Her heart palpitated involuntarily when she finally looked away and took a deep breath. Why did it feel like she had just gotten herself into something major that it wasn’t likely for her to get out of?
3.
“Master Kin, it worked. The potential Dragon took the flyer. I saw him!”
“I knew it would work. Did you ever doubt me?”
Kin’s yellowed eyes glowed eerily in the dim light of the tunnel as he observed his minion, a young, eager boy from the Jornel species. They made for great underlings and several had jumped on the bandwagon during the recruitment phase. The teachings of Chaos were highly persuasive as it was but having an actual concrete goal to focus on was truly inspirational and seemed to be exactly what the Jornel had been hoping for.
So, it was little wonder that when Kin had settled on the Jornel’s planet in search of followers, he had ended up with more than he knew what to do with. Nearly thirty of them had accompanied him to Earth, which was far more than his ship should have been able to accommodate. Fortunately, the little men were half the size of Kin’s own species, the Graven, who had ousted him long ago as a heretic who could not abide by their laws and government. They would have had him executed, but they had already signed a pact with the planet Fiora that execution was too cruel a form of punishment and nobody would be subjected to that.
Banishment was instead chosen as the preferred choice, and Kin had been banished many centuries ago and had been plotting his revenge for all that time. It was fortunate that he had come upon the teachings of Chaos, for it strengthened his convictions and gave him a sure way toward achieving his goals. It was a boost of power; a community. A way to truly begin to wreak havoc among the petty do-gooders of the universe in a way that could make the time put into his vengeance worthwhile.
“No, of course not, Master,” the Jornel said eagerly. “Why would I ever doubt you? Your wisdom is all powerful. I have witnessed that for myself time and time again. You are the only be
ing I trust in this world.”
“As I should be,” Kin replied, pleased to hear that his lackey was as devoted now as he had been in the beginning. “Now, you know what to do. Once we lure the potential dragons to the club, we will start to track them. They will inevitably lead us back to the sacred artifacts that Chaos has ordained for us to retrieve. Only then will we be able to secure his place among the petty efforts of the shifter people to create a universe united in peace.”
“How can anything exciting ever happen if all the world knows is harmony? There are too many conflicting beliefs and needs in the universe for anyone to be truly happy.” The Jornel was citing the obvious to receive points from his master, but Kin was willing to play the game with him to keep him happy. Anything that would allow him to stay on the hook was a good thing as far as Kin was concerned. It was important that they remained excited about serving him. If he had to drop a few crumbs for them here and there, so be it.
“Absolutely correct,” Kin replied. “We have to keep that from spreading before it’s too late. If that happens, then all we hold dear will cease to exist. There will be no individuality anymore. We will have no identities. All we will be is carbon copies of each other, treating one another the exact same way.”
“Identities eroded, nothing left to work toward,” the Jorgen agreed. “It is a true hell.”
“We will put an end to the mere possibility. With Chaos as reigning leader, there will be no more chance for the aggravating positivity to create such a dull world. We will destroy the universe before that happens and make sure that when we die, we do so as individuals with the freedom to make our own choices!”
“Yes, Master Kin. That is true happiness.”
“People think they want peace,” Kin murmured, scowling off into the distance. “But what they really want is an excuse to feel special. They want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. It is actually very selfish. Why would they choose to destroy everything that is good about existence for their own purposes?”
