“You don’t,” MalHalen said truthfully. “But I hope you believe me anyway.” The man stepped closer and Ethan’s breath hitched. They shared a long silence until finally Ethan spoke. “What did you do to Hunter?” MalHalen frowned, appearing confused. “I thought you would be pleased to see him.” Ethan shook his head. “As a MalJari? Why would that make me happy?” The alien leader stepped back and stared at the boy for a while, as if thinking of what to say. “You didn’t know?”
Ethan gaped at him in disbelief. “Didn’t know…what?” MalHalen exhaled deeply, “Perhaps I should let you two talk. You are one of us, after all.” Ethan stepped forward. “I’m not one of you,” Ethan bit back. MalHalen smiled and took a deep breath. “Sure, you are.” Ethan shook his head again. “No, I’m not! I’m human and so is Hunter!” The leader cackled in response. “My son may have pretended to be human but he is no such thing! And if you were human, you would not have been able to walk through our gates!”
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. “It’s not true,” he whispered stubbornly. There was no way that Hunter was an alien, was there? And even if he was, that didn’t mean that Ethan was now one too. MalHalen stepped closer and roughly grabbed Ethan’s jaw, forcing their eyes to meet. He didn’t know what was happening but he could feel his abilities awaken. He squirmed in the strong hold and soon his eyes were glowing brightly. “Are you sure about that?” MalHalen quipped. The alien let Ethan go, turning away from him in the process, while Ethan rubbed at his sore jaw.
MalHalen deeply exhaled. “You must have so many questions, Ethan.” The boy stared ahead, willing him to continue. “We have existed peacefully with humans for centuries.” MalHalen was now gazing longingly out the window. “When we first came to this planet, it was ravaged by disease and contamination. Humans were dying in alarming numbers.” His shoulders tensed. “We had the technology to save your species, but it would come at a cost.”
Ethan frowned. “What cost?” Halen glanced at him briefly. “Certain… desires and impulses.” Ethan remembered that much from his conversation with Edred when he was first awakened. “What type of technology?” he asked. “MalJari have the ability to regenerate. We can and have lived many lifetimes. Time is our enemy but we have managed to outsmart it.” Ethan gaped at MalHalen who replied with a smirk.
“Do you limit your own beliefs and actions?” Ethan asked. MalHalen’s brows furrowed in confusion. “We don’t do that to our people, Ethan. This is only done to humans.” Ethan was flabbergasted, taking a large step back. “At first, humans were given free will, like us, but soon we realized that free will in your species meant a fight for dominance and power. Humans are simply incapable of governing themselves without violence. So, we stepped in. By taking certain thoughts and desires away, we managed to sustain peace. It may seem harsh but we had your best interests at heart.”
“Our best interests?” Ethan glowered. “You destroyed our planet-” MalHalen glared at him. “We saved your planet!” Ethan shook his head vehemently. “I’ve seen the pictures. I know the damage you did!” MalHalen huffed irritably. “You saw pictures? I lived it! I saw what your kind was doing; killing itself off because of greed and power. Don’t tell me what I’ve seen with my own eyes!” That effectively shut Ethan up. Was it possible that the human history was distorting the facts? What other parts of their history had been manipulated and changed?
“What do you want with me?” he asked nervously. MalHalen’s expression softened. “I don’t yet know. You are now part of something greater but I can assure you that it is not my intention to bring you harm.” Before the leader could leave, Ethan asked, “Where are my friends?” MalHalen stopped short of the door but kept his back to the boy. “You’ll see them soon but first you must rest.” Ethan felt powerless to argue.
As MalHalen walked away, two guards marched inside and led Ethan down a hall and up a large flight of stairs. At the top of the landing, they turned right and followed a corridor lined with smaller gates. Unlike the first gates that Ethan had passed through, these did not disappear into a force field, they merely slid to the side to allow the person to enter the room. Perhaps Edred and the others were being kept here, he thought.
One of the guards motioned to the last door on the left. Ethan watched as the gate slid open and he was pushed inside. He peered around the room and thought it was strange how much the furnishings resembled human ones. He figured everything would be modern but he glanced across the room at a large white bed, dressed in dozens of pillows, a bedside table and a small lamp. The walls were a rich brown tone complimented by a stone fireplace that crackled softly on the other side. There was a warmth throughout the space and Ethan couldn’t help but wonder if MalHalen had done that on purpose. He remembered the stories he was told about the MalJari and their ability to manipulate humans.
He didn’t want to fall for any of MalHalen’s tricks but he couldn’t deny his sudden relaxed state. He sat on the bed and hung his head low. He had no idea what was going on or what he should do. Hunter was a MalJari. He didn’t know how to feel about that. While it was nice to know that Hunter was relatively safe, something didn’t feel right about it. And he was MalHalen’s son? What must have gone through his mind as the group discussed MalHalen? He laid down, shoving most of the pillows to the side. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t tired but the troubling thoughts swirling in his mind kept him awake.
He tossed and turned for hours when he heard a light tap on the door. He sat up quickly watching a guard enter the room, advising him that he would be dining with MalHalen that evening. Since the guard just stood there, Ethan assumed he had to go immediately. He glanced down at his dirty clothes and frowned at his appearance. The guard pointed to an armoire that Ethan hadn’t noticed before. He stumbled to it, opened the doors and examined the clothing. Of course, everything was white. He couldn’t understand what their obsession was with the color, but chose a sleek pair of pants and matched it with a thick hooded sweater. Running a tired hand through his hair, he waited anxiously for the guard to instruct him further.
They strolled through more corridors, each one exactly like the one before making it nearly impossible to tell where he was at any given moment. He gave up trying to memorize the floor plan. A large room could be seen in the distance sporting a massive table lined with elegant chairs. He approached the room, noticing many of the seats were already filled with MalJari, some male and some female. His eyes scanned the table, as he was being led to an empty chair next to MalHalen. He waited until the leader acknowledged him, confirming that it was indeed his place at the table. Hunter was seated on the other side of him, smiling softly. Across from him sat a graceful woman with kind eyes and long lavender hair that cascaded down her shoulders. He realized from her position at the table that she must be someone very important. Hunter leaned in and whispered, “That’s my mother, Siri.” The woman winked at Ethan causing him to blush furiously. He waved lamely, making Hunter chuckle. “You’ll meet her later.”
Ethan observed the table apprehensively, wondering what he was doing there. He was about to ask as much when MalHalen stood and addressed the room. “It is a happy day for us. Tonight, we are joined by Ethan Drake.” Suddenly every eye in the room was on him. One face in particular stood out. She was young and fierce looking, with intense features and dramatic blue hair tied in a tight and intricate braid. Ethan recognized her as MalKari from the pictures back in Daventry. She had the same ruthless glare he remembered and he wondered if she was always like that. Did she ever smile? “I hope this will be one of many evenings to come.” Ethan knew what that meant, MalHalen wanted him to stay in Kowend. But why? He looked away from MalKari and up at the alien leader, searching his face for some clue as to his intentions but he still couldn’t read him.
“Why do you want me to stay?” Ethan found himself asking. MalHalen glanced down at his plate before answering. “You belong here Ethan.” He didn’t know how to react to that. Why would he belong the
re? “I don’t understand,” he whispered. This time MalHalen peered up at him. “You will.” Ethan was about to ask what he meant by that when Hunter nudged him. He couldn’t help but blush when Hunter laced their hands together. It felt nice to have him back, even if the circumstances were still uncertain.
Dinner consisted of various fish and other seafood elaborately displayed on large platters in the middle of the table. Salads, vegetables and grains adorned the spread as well. Hunter explained that the MalJari mostly lived off protein rich grains but once they tasted earth’s plentiful seafood choices, they began to incorporate them into their diet. Eventually, they evolved to physically tolerate much of earth’s natural resources.
It was quite the feast and Ethan wasn’t sure he had ever seen so much food in his life. And though he was hungry, he found his appetite diminished by the questions he had burning in his mind. Something didn’t feel right.
After dinner, he attempted to talk to MalHalen but was quickly ushered back to his room by a pair of guards. He turned toward the gate and tried to make it open but nothing worked. It could only be activated from the outside, he concluded. As soon as he was about to give up, the door slid open. He was somewhat startled to see Hunter standing on the other side. “I was hoping we could talk,” the boy said shyly. Ethan stepped aside and let him enter the room, watching the door close once again.
They were standing a few feet apart, stealing awkward glances. Ethan had no idea why they were suddenly so shy around each other but in an instant, Hunter was on him, pushing him back toward the bed, kissing him like his life depended on it. Ethan kissed back with as much fervor, having missed Hunter’s touch. As soon as the older boy was on top of him, Ethan surrendered, letting Hunter hold him down by the wrists. He should have been wary as Hunter kissed across his jaw and down his neck, but he couldn’t help the reaction his body gave.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as Hunter bit and bruised his neck. “I thought you wanted to talk,” he mumbled. “You really want to talk right now?” Hunter responded, pushing Ethan’s sweater up. Ethan was trying to think of an argument but his mind was fuzzy in that moment. He shook his head, mostly to himself since Hunter was too busy kissing his chest. The older boy connected their lips again before sitting up and bringing his sweater over his head. Ethan was about to kiss him when the many questions he had suddenly came rushing back. He pushed Hunter off him.
Confused by what was happening, Hunter stepped back and let Ethan sit up. “Was any of it real?” Ethan demanded. Hunter stared at the floor guiltily. “Of course, it was real,” he said. He tried to approach Ethan again, only to be shoved back harshly. “And this?” he gestured to the chain with a pendant around his neck. He remembered seeing the same necklace in one of his nightmares. “I wanted you to have it,” Hunter whispered pitifully. Ethan shook his head in disbelief. The confident boy he had fallen for had been reduced to a mumbling fraud.
“You put this in my room?” he asked. Hunter nodded.
“Who are you?!” he asked, the anger booming in his voice. “You know who I am Ethan,” he responded, but the younger boy shook his head intensely. “You’re not Hunter!” he yelled. Ethan began pacing the room, attempting to ease his tension. “You look like him and you sound like him and you even kiss like him but you’re not Hunter!” Ethan’s breath quickened anxiously.
“It’s me Ethan. I promise,” Hunter soothed but Ethan wasn’t hearing it. The older boy tried to put his arm around Ethan only to have it pried off. “Don’t touch me!” he screamed. He tried to leave the room, but Hunter pushed him up against the wall and held him there. “Listen to me Ethan, it was all real. All of it. I love you!” Hunter argued, but Ethan persisted. “Don’t you dare say that to me!” he yelled. “I have to get out of here!” He could feel the MalJari’s strong grip on his arms, surely leaving bruises but he didn’t care. Whomever this was standing before him, it wasn’t his beloved. He needed to find Edred and the others and leave this place once and for all.
“Ethan please!” Hunter pleaded, and that was the final straw. Ethan’s anger helped him channel his abilities and without much effort, his threw the MalJari across the room, watching his body hit the wall hard. “Please what? Accept that you lied to me? I thought you were different but you’re no better than Godrik or Preston! You don’t care about me. You only care about what you can get from me!”
He pulled the boy up and slammed him against the wall. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that your father didn’t send you to Daventry to spy on me, to earn my trust, to make me fall in lo-” Ethan broke down before he could finish the sentence, the words stuck in his throat. “I’m sorry Ethan,” Hunter said softly. Ethan eased his grip, letting him go. The MalJari cupped the boy’s face in his hands and searched the deep ocean blue of Ethan’s eyes. “I was sent to Daventry to watch over you. When my father found out that they were splicing our DNA with humans he was furious. He needed someone he could trust to find out what was happening, someone to protect you. I wasn’t … I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you.” He took a deep breath. “But I knew I would. The moment I first saw you, I just knew.”
Ethan didn’t want to believe him but there was something in his tone that caused him to melt in Hunter’s embrace. They stood there for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s warmth when another question nagged Ethan. “Why would your father send you to protect me?” Hunter sighed. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you are part MalJari. That makes you one of us and therefore, my father will protect you.” Ethan pondered the statement. “Was that why I had to go through the gates? It was a test?” Hunter nodded. “So, he doesn’t want to hurt me?” Hunter hugged him fiercely. “No Ethan. He will not hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Ethan leaned back from the embrace and searched Hunter’s face. “What about my friends? Does he want to hurt them?” Hunter backed off and paced uncomfortably. “That’s complicated,” he said uneasily. Ethan huffed. “Why?”
“Someone has been feeding my father lies about the humans. I need to talk to him before anyone does anything rash.” Ethan contemplated the statement before speaking again. “Did you know?” he asked in a whisper. Hunter regarded him, unsure of what he meant, so Ethan tried again. “Did you know what they were doing to the humans?” Hunter bit his lip, his eyes searching the room as he hesitated. “I knew some of it. I knew that humans were regenerated as we are, but I had no idea of the echo facilities. I promise Ethan, I didn’t know about that!”
Ethan tilted his head to the side inquisitively. “But don’t you have the same process?” Hunter appeared flustered. “No. I mean yes but it’s so different. We are not suspended in the air in an induced coma. The system we use is more nurturing. Our reanimation begins at the age of five and after that we are taken in by a family unit. Usually it’s the same family throughout your lifetimes but sometimes it changes.” Hunter closed his eyes solemnly. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for humans. It’s all so…”
“Cold,” Ethan answered for him. Thankfully, he didn’t remember any part of his years strung up like an animal but even as a child he could barely recall what his life was like. Everything up until that moment was blank and empty. And Hunter’s father was the reason. Ethan stepped closer, deep blue meeting forest eyes. He searched and searched but the words wouldn’t follow.
“I should let you get some rest,” Hunter stated after a long silence. Reluctantly, he crept closer to the door, glancing back at Ethan with a hopeful smirk. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise,” he said. Ethan nodded solemnly as the door to the room slid open.
Once Hunter was gone, Ethan sat down on the bed and held his head in his hands. It was all such a mess. His life had gone from boring to exciting to horrifically out of control. He had no idea what his next move would be and the thought only nagged him further through his restless sleep.
CHAPTER 18
H is teeth clenched painfully as he tossed his head from side to side, catching his limbs on the b
ed sheets. It was as if his eyes refused to open, trapping him in the nightmare landscape. Minutes felt like hours as the pain coursed through his veins, lighting up his insides like hot lava. He had no idea what was happening, only that it wouldn’t stop.
Finally, after hours of agitation, his body had enough. His eyes sprung open, glowing brightly, his arms and legs flailing everywhere. It took him a minute or two to calm himself, only then realizing that his body was not actually on fire as it had been in the dream. He attempted a few deep breaths, but nothing could satiate the uneasiness that enveloped him. He had never dreamed like that before and he wondered if maybe his surroundings were to blame.
He took a quick search of the room, sighing deeply as he remembered where he was. Before he could even leave the bed however, the door to the room slid open, revealing a very concerned MalJari.
“Are you okay?” Hunter asked, striding toward the bed. Ethan quickly shuffled away from his touch and stood up on the opposite side. “I’m fine,” he said unconvincingly. Hunter frowned but didn’t prod further. He cleared his throat before he said, “I wanted to take you to see your friends.” Ethan smiled wide, thankful for the opportunity to check on Edred and the others. “That would be great. Let me…um.” His eyes danced around the room, finally landing on the armoire. “Oh, right, yeah.” Hunter stuttered.
The air around them thickened with an unspoken tension. Ethan was still hesitant of Hunter’s intentions. His past dealings with both Godrik and Preston had made him apprehensive about trusting adults. Hunter’s deception only added to his fears, making him question everything the MalJari boy had ever said to him. Part of him wanted to believe Hunter’s affections were real but he wasn’t yet ready to confide in him again. Hunter took the hint and said he would wait outside. As Ethan dressed, he became more anxious to see Edred and the others. What if they had been hurt? What if they were being kept in a dingy cell, apart from each other? Ethan shook his head of the thoughts. Hunter had assured him that his friends were fine, so he needed to trust him, regardless of how difficult the task was.
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