Astra: Synchronicity
Page 21
She wondered if he was right and hoped, for humanity's sake, that he was wrong.
***
Magnius stood at the edge of the hall and tried to feel useful. His boredom had gone to a whole new level during the pompous diplomatic rituals of the afternoon. For the handful of officials catered to by packs of fawning aliens, the gathering had worth, but he felt like an insect to them. So much for the glamorous life of diplomats.
To pass the time he studied the Xuranian's vast collection of art. The life-like murals on the interior walls displayed a meadow in astounding realism complete with white-shouldered mountains and a fairy-tale forest. Cumulus clouds on the ceiling hid light fixtures, which provided illumination so natural he couldn't tell it didn't come from the sun. He didn't miss the lack of windows whatsoever.
Fantastic statues grew out from the corners of the octagonal ballroom in glorious scenes depicting the triumph of Xuranian heroes over great beasts or serpents. The fifteen-foot-tall sculptures had been cast from polished metal in shades of yellow, rose, and green. When he touched one, he closed his eyes and realized it was composed of various gold alloys. He allowed his mind to peruse the atomic structure longer than he should have, but it calmed him and pushed aside his worries a few minutes more.
He glanced across the room at Xander, who wandered from table to table devouring every plate of food on sight. Amii had done her best to smuggle food out of the cafeteria, but the meager rations weren't much to subsist on. She treated him better than he deserved, but Magnius did nothing to dissuade her. He had no desire to get into another fight with her. If anything, he admired her for standing by her convictions even if they were misguided.
He arched his back and stretched it to relieve some of his discomfort. For the past few days, a nagging backache irritated him, something he could thank Amii for. The quarters had two bunks, and Xander took the top one without asking anyone's opinion; thus, her only options had been a chair or the floor, of which she preferred the floor. He wasn't about to let her sleep there the whole trip so he offered her his bed. Every night she declined his offer, yet every night he moved her there anyways while she slept. Using telekinesis, he didn't lay a hand on her once.
Pain I can live with, he thought. Living one day as a selfish asshole like Xander…I'd sooner kill myself.
The synchronicity of her sudden appearance in his quarters boggled his mind. In his limitless boredom that night, he'd searched the network for any mention of Xander Adams in the news since arriving in Northampton, without any success. An amateur photographer's portfolio titled "Life in Northampton the Day First Contact Changed Humanity" caught his attention. A panorama of the Capitol and Westwood Estate revealed high-definition images of Amii and Xander on the Capitol steps. And after searching her marbled blue eyes for some hint of her whereabouts, she crashed through his ceiling and plunged back into his tattered world.
When his gaze returned to the room, he saw Amii moving across the floor toward him. She had a free, open gait that radiated a lust for life. As she approached, the sight of her brought him the first semblance of happiness he'd had since his ordeal started. He was glad she'd found her way back into his world. Now that she had, he didn't want to let her go. The more they talked the more his heart connected with her. Every day she captivated another piece of him with her beautiful mind, and he'd forgotten how good love could feel.
"I have no idea where Xander is putting all that food," she said after she came to a stop. Her pink shoes made a perfect forty-five degree angle. "I didn't think anyone could eat that much."
"Maybe he has a hollow leg. My mom was like that. She could eat anything and would just dance off all the calories." His words felt barely coherent and forced. The rush of having her near him turned his mind into tapioca.
"His coat probably weighs a hundred pounds. Stocking up for the return trip to Northampton, I'm sure. Either that or he's hibernating for the winter."
"I wish."
Thanks to her, Magnius hadn't gone insane the past few days. He only felt at ease when he left with Amii to visit the mess hall. The two of them stayed for the entire two hours allotted to them because he hated listening to Xander talk to himself. In the room she said nothing, pouring over her book for hours on end like it contained biblical prophecies. From all her silent stares, he got the impression she liked him too, but he could never be sure.
A melodic feminine voice called out from behind him. "Matt Zoleki, you have to be the last person in Astra I expected to see here on Xur."
Magnius cursed under his breath before turning toward her with a smile. Her name was Leslie White, the gossip reporter for Viva Vega he'd loathed for the past five years. "Well, we're not in Astra anymore, are we," he said.
Although Leslie was hailed as one of the sexiest women alive, he didn't see it. The annoyance she'd brought him over the years cast a dark shadow over her unnatural beauty. After all this time, he just wanted her to leave him alone.
She cast her emerald eyes on Amii for a moment before returning her attention to him. "Who's she?"
"My sister. Any other tasteless questions for me?"
"What brings you all the way out here?"
"We came at the request of Nadine Taylor."
"I had no idea you knew her. I've been trying to get an interview with her for years."
Amii rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."
He stifled a chuckle, though the statement annoyed Leslie, who turned toward her and put her hands on her hips. "Oh? And why is that?"
Magnius moved closer to Amii and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to diffuse the situation. "Why did you come over here, Leslie? I have no intention of talking about the divorce."
"The divorce? That's yesterday's news. I'm not interested unless your sister has anything she wants to add." Her palpable contempt for Amii made him unintentionally hold her tighter. "And besides, I'm not the host of Viva Vega anymore. I'm the chief correspondent on the Xuranians for ANN."
"Was that a demotion?" he asked.
"I asked for the reassignment. I felt like the time was right for me to move back to doing stories that really mattered. The prospect of peace with Xur is one of high interest. It's a very important topic for me. I'm happy to be a part of it."
Her motives surprised him. She'd always struck him as nothing more than a shameless fame-whore. Perhaps she wasn't the shallow celebutante she seemed. "Then I'm happy for you."
Amii smirked. "Just be sure you don't ask one of them their favorite color and start a war or something."
Leslie allowed the needling remark about her softball interview with Chairman Dodd to fall flat. She turned to walk away but not without a scathing glance toward Amii. After a few seconds, she disappeared into the throng of humans in search of her next great interview.
He glanced back toward Amii, whom he still had his arm around. The thick soles of her shoes made her taller than him. Her winsome expression appeared to harbor no ill-will toward the journalist. The smile she offered him made him feel like the luckiest man in the room.
At least, until he saw Xander. He'd struck up a conversation with one of the Xuranians near the buffet table. He was no doubt curious about their mechanoid technology and eager to find out everything he could about their design. Magnius couldn't blame him for trying.
When the scientist caught sight of them, he scowled in disapproval. Magnius reflexively returned his arm to his side. "I'll see you later on tonight," he told her.
"At the gala? I didn't plan on going."
"See, that's the thing." He scratched his jaw. "Now that I told Leslie about you being my sister, there's a certain expectation for you to be seen with me."
She laughed. "But I'm not your sister."
"I don't think there's any concrete proof against it. You could be and neither of us knows it."
She shook her head and leaned into him with a wry smile on her face. "What makes you think I'd want to be your sister?" she whispered.
She turned away and headed toward Xander. The prospect of seeing her tonight set his heart aflutter. The next few hours couldn't pass by fast enough.
***
"You know how to dance, right? For tonight? There could be dancing."
Nadine had offered to help Amii prepare for the gala earlier in the day since her husband planned to be gone all evening to meet with the Xuranian royal family. The poor girl hadn't a single article of clothing to wear to such an event so she'd rummaged her closet to find something that would fit the lanky woman. They'd gone through several potentials and were down to a single option.
"It would be silly to think I never learned to dance in life, right?" Amii slipped the red dress over her head and popped out the top, noticing little room to close the zipper. "Is this going to fit me?"
The second lady grabbed the cloth on the back, cinching it together like a corset while she zipped it up. "Damn right it's going to fit you."
"Tell me something. Magnius is a psion…isn't he."
The pounding of Nadine's heart caused the joviality to fade in an instant. She wondered how he'd given himself away despite his every attempt to hide it. "Why don't you ask him? Would it matter if he was?"
"No. Not really."
Amii's frame wasn't as petite as hers, but this dress had always been a bit big on her. The stunning floor-length crimson gown dripped with luminous gemstones. Once Nadine had it zipped, she stepped back and examined it. Due to Amii's height, the hem fell against her shins. At least with the tulle skirt, she still looked fabulous.
Amii slipped her feet into a pair of red satin shoes with kitten heels. She walked over to the mirror and stared at herself. "How do you do it? Having to look perfect all the time, always putting your best foot forward as an ambassador…it seems so exhausting."
Nadine shrugged. She picked up a brush and ran it through her friend's straight hair. "Sometimes I loathe having to get up. But then I think of how grateful I am to be out of that lab, being studied and tested every day like a caged animal. Then, it's not really so bad."
When she finished, Amii strode to the door. With the press of a button, it slid open and the hallway beyond beckoned. Nadine tried to stop her. "But the gala isn't starting for over an hour!" But she waved her hand and slipped outside before the second lady had a chance to say anything more.
She sighed and returned to her normal pre-gala routine: a soak in the bath, re-curling her hair, and so forth. She had the art down to a science. In one hour she was ready for the event so she sat next to the door and waited for Magnius to arrive.
When the door chime rang fifteen minutes later, the second lady promptly answered. "What took you so long?"
He glanced past her into the room and asked, "Where's Amii?"
Nadine smiled and adjusted his dark violet handkerchief. "She's already there. She said she planned to hit the bar early and often."
"I get the distinct feeling I will be too."
They walked into the ballroom, arm in arm. Most of the AC crewmen who'd been around during the afternoon had returned to their ships, leaving only civilians in their midst. Nadine waved to a group of Asian delegates, who she recognized from her recent visit to Kashtivone. The array of distinguished PAU officials present staggered her mind. The only notable missing was Oleg Straikovsky himself.
Magnius pouted his lips. "I don't see her."
"Maybe I was lying. Maybe she's still in my room. Maybe she's out with some Asian dignitary who's working hard to sweep her off her feet and get her into his bed."
"Don't play games with me tonight."
"What's wrong?"
He rubbed his face. "I don't like Xander. If you don't know that much, you're not a very good telepath. He sits around and tries to provoke me because it's his idea of fun. I find it hard to believe anyone could be so purposely annoying."
"I'm sorry about that. The trip hasn't been all bad, has it?"
"No. But I still wonder why in Astra I agreed to this in the first place."
Nadine glanced toward the doorway and smiled. "Because of her."
When he turned to see what she was looking at, the sight almost took his breath away. Her sanguine dress turned heads amongst a sea of black and white. It fit her like it had been made for her. Magnius appeared unable to do anything but stare.
She watched Amii head over to the bar. "She knows you're a psion."
"How? I haven't used my powers since Tiyuri poisoned me."
"The how doesn't matter. You need to tell her tonight."
"Do you think she'll be okay with it?"
"She'll take it in stride so tell her before fate intervenes and someone else thinks you've been lying to them."
Nadine pushed his shoulder and the two of them walked toward the bar. A member of the PAU delegation had already sidled up to Amii.
When Magnius approached, he put his hand on the gentleman's shoulder. "That's my sister you're trying to make a move on. Trust me, she's not interested. She has an armful of boy-toys back on DeSoto."
The Arabic man sighed and strolled away. Magnius sat down next to her and gestured toward the Xuranian bartender. The second lady took a seat on the other side of him, where she could eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Must we keep up the pretense that I'm your sister?"
"Well, I think it sounds better than advertising the fact you can't remember your past." As the bartender approached, he ran his hands through his hair. "Uh, what do they have? What are you drinking?"
"Bopir can make anything you want," Amii said. "I've been chatting with him for the past half hour or so. He's well-versed in human drinks."
"Supernova please."
"What kind of girlie drink—no. He'll have a martini, very dry and two olives please."
Bopir left the two of them staring at each other. "I happen to like supernovas," he said. "How many have you had by the way?"
"Not nearly enough."
"Not having a good time yet then?"
"You were the one who sent that nice gent from the PAU away. I was hoping he'd take me on a private tour of the palace."
"He's not your type," Magnius said.
"And when did you become an expert on me?"
"You're right. I'm an asshole. My wife certainly thinks so anyways. No relationship is built on a hundred percent honesty. Not one. And men lie, and they don't always tell the people they love what's on their mind. But you know what? Women are the exact same way. They expect us to know things that they never tell us, and then they get mad when we don't know!"
Amii stared at him until the bartender returned with a glass. "So what are you trying to say?"
He drowned his sorrows in the cold juniper-flavored drink. "I'm just a mess. I'm sorry."
Without a word, she fished an olive out of his shallow glass and stuck it in her mouth. A question that couldn't be asked hung over them like a bough of mistletoe. Amii laid her hand on top of his. "It's not your fault."
A hurricane of emotion consumed him and left him unable to respond.
A nasal voice broke the silence that had settled between them. "Matt Zoleki, you devil, what are you doing here?"
They turned to see the head administrator of Fantasti and his gorgeous wife. Magnius shook both their hands and smiled. "Chairman Dodd. Isabelle. Wonderful to see you." Nadine sensed animosity in his tone, cloaked so well it almost fooled her.
"I've not seen Lyneea," Isabelle said as she scanned the room.
"Actually, I'm here with my sister." Magnius said. He gestured to his side. "Amii. My sister. Visiting from DeSoto."
She stepped forward and said hello. The chairman and his wife stared at her for several moments. Isabelle smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Amii. Do you also work at the fami
ly company?"
"Yes. I'm the head of advertising. And when I'm not doing that, I wrangle swordfish."
"I see," the chairman said.
"And she does a great job," Magnius cut in as he put his arm around Amii's waist. "I don't know what I'd do without her wrangling my swordfish."
Chairman Dodd put his hand on Magnius' shoulder like the two had been friends for a long time. "I was just taking Isabelle to meet Eniqua. I'll be seeing you."
"Absoulely," he responded and the couple strolled away.
He tried to ignore Amii's blatant faux-pas. There were no swordfish in the oceans of Fantasti. Not a one. And now he'd implied the two had some sort of indiscretion. Perfect.
A traditional Asian tune emanated from the speakers hidden in the walls around the room. Magnius placed his left hand on his hip and bowed as he reached out and offered his right hand to her. "Could I have this dance, Amii?"
His offer took her aback. "I'm…I don't—I"
He gazed into her eyes. "Dance with me, please," he repeated.
Amii shared an uneasy glance with Nadine, who pushed her out onto the dance floor with him. She'd heard the Asian folk melody many times before, even with translated lyrics, and seen the beauty of a whole floor of people dancing in time to the simple music. He watched the other couples around them for a few moments before mimicking them and blending seamlessly into the crowd.
Within moments, a strong psionic presence radiated from the dance floor. It came from Magnius, who was at the moment turning in a circle with Amii, their right arms raised vertically between them. They touched one another before they spun around in turn, clapped their hands, and stomped their feet.
Despite the fact that the two of them were in sync with the rest, they stood out from the throng around them. Amii's ruby dress hugged her body in adulation, and the red tulle and gauze of her skirt set off her long legs. And Magnius complimented her in his white tuxedo. They looked every bit the power couple that Chairman Dodd and Isabelle were, and Nadine wondered what the future might have in store for the latent psion and the woman he adored.