Chapter One
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
Arthur C. Clarke
The road out of town was always empty this time of night, save for Elle's little beat up car, but she didn't mind having the winding road to herself. There was something inexplicably serene about driving in the quiet of night, with only your headlights to blot out the darkness and light your path. Briefly lifting her gaze upward to the sky, she noted that, now that she was further away from the city, she could see more of the stars, and the realization made her giddy with anticipation. Chicago was a lovely place, and her suburb just outside of the city proper was quaint enough that she felt cozy there, but she was positively deprived of starlight sitting in her own home; the artificial lights outside were too bright and too many, and the smoke from the factories only served to screen off what few stars would outshine the street lamps. So, on days where the hustle and bustle of the everyday would get to be too much, she would pack her telescope, a blanket, electric kettle, her ever faithful sketchbook and charcoals, and foodstuffs, and would drive out to a little secluded hill on the outskirts of town, away from all the lights and pollution, and simply stare into the stars until she was tired.
Pulling onto the little dirt road that wound up the hill and coming to a stop beside a grand oak tree, she parked her car and killed the engine. With the practiced movements of someone who has done this most of their adult life, she popped the trunk, exited the car, and bundled all of her things in her arms, letting the backpack that had all of her edibles, art supplies, and kettle hang on her arm. Shutting the trunk awkwardly with an outstretched elbow, she walked over to her usual spot- just outside of the tree's canopy, allowing her the best view of the universe. As she laid out the blanket and set the tripod of her telescope to stand, she briefly wondered how she didn't have grooves in the dirt from how many nights she spent out here.
Soon enough, she had her kettle bubbling with hot water, a thermos with her tea prepared, and was already peeking into her telescope, mapping out the constellations. Sketchbook propped in her lap and charcoal pencil in hand, she set the telescope to lock onto the smattering of stars that formed The Archer, and turned to her work. First came the lines of the constellation itself, a spring board and a guide for what was to follow. Then, she simply stared into the stars until their light gave her inspiration, and she once again put pencil to paper. Artful strokes with the pencil carved out the image in her mind onto the paper, chiseled out of the pure whiteness came forth signs of a woman archer, swathed in a cloak of starlight. It was only the outline, and really, it was all she needed to do here, so she snapped the book shut and tucked her art supplies away.
She nibbled on her cheese and crackers while she waited for her tea to steep, and simply took in the universe's complexion. Freckled with stars and planets all beautifully intangible to her, she let her mind wander. Looking into her telescope again, she unlocked the swivel on it and simply let her newly focused gaze drift, allowing the deep vastness of space to be all she could see for a while. It was as comforting as it was unsettling, this need that fluttered in her chest when she set her soul adrift among the stars. The stirrings in her chest demanded she adventure, that she find a way to fly to the farthest star in the galaxy and draw its light close to her like a child catching a firefly in the warmth of a summer night. It cried out that she didn't belong here, that her place was somewhere she had never been, would likely never go, and it bred feelings of unsettled restlessness in her bosom.
With a sigh she withdrew from the telescope and poured some tea for herself in the lid of the thermos that acted as a cup, and blew on it to cool it. As she sipped her tea, she all but purred at the warmth that filled her chest, chasing away the ache left by a wanderlust that she simply couldn't sate. Something in the sky caught her attention- a flicker, no longer than a heartbeat but undeniably there all the same, caused her to set her tea down and frantically swerve the telescope lens to try and spot it again. Sure enough, there it was, a brilliant star, streaking across the night sky. She tried to follow its arc, but it whizzed by too quickly, so she sat back with a huff.
She needn't have worried about missing where the star landed, it would seem. No sooner had she rocked back into a sitting position did she spot it again, growing larger and zipping towards the Earth. Frozen in her fascination, she followed its trajectory with wide eyes until it careened into the solid ground, a little over half a mile away. It was in the same field, further down and away from the hill, and really, she should just be grateful the impact of it didn't harm her or her car, but she stood on trembling legs and sprinted down to see what had fallen so far to say hello. A comet was the most likely, and she would be more than content with that, but a small, insidious voice whispered, 'what if?' in her mind, and a hope she couldn't name fluttered in her chest.
Panting as she drew near to the crater left by the impact, she slowed her running to a stop at its edge, shielding her eyes from the glow she found there. The unnamable hope inside her swelled in excitement. Once her eyes adjusted to the brilliant light, she gasped at what she saw. It was clearly a ship, but it was made out of some material that looked a lot like a crystal, and looked as though it was carved out of something larger than itself. Nestled in the center of the crystal, and wrapped in the light it was emitting, was a decidedly person-shaped thing, floating in the nothingness around it. She felt vaguely proud of herself for not jumping in alarm when said person-shaped thing shifted, and opened its eyes to greet her.
How strange it was, to look into the eyes of another and see galaxies reflected in the deep pools where their soul resided, she thought. The being, whose more detailed traits were still lost to her because of the light, blinked its wide eyes at her, a strange sense of curiosity clearly taking hold. With a hum akin to a mother cooing her child to sleep, one of the facets of the crystal eased itself away from the rest, giving an opening for the being to climb out of. Enraptured, Elle could only watch as the being twisted with the grace of a swimmer from its place in the ship, and wrapped its long fingers against the rim of the newly created opening, and pulled itself out, the light from the ship dissolving with its host's absence. Once her eyes had readjusted to the change in lighting, she finally took in the full appearance of her potential new friend.
The newcomer stood tall and lithe, a full head taller than Elle, with a silhouette that appeared neither feminine nor masculine and simply... was, for lack of a better term. Their skin was pale, nearly snow white, and flecked with small points of shine like glitter upon the smooth surface. So smooth, in fact, that there was scarcely a nose to speak of on their face, with only the slightest of protrusions for narrow nostrils to peek out of. Completely hairless, it left the figure looking like a statue of somber beauty chiseled out of marble. But what had enraptured Elle most was their eyes. Opalescent and ever changing in their tone like the most precious of gemstones, they captivated Elle's attention, and she wondered if drowning in those eyes would be a pleasant way to go.
Chapter Two
“Beannachtaí!” Elle started when the being spoke. The voice was soft, and it registered as an alto feminine voice with rich tones and a gentle lilt. She blinked at the being as it continued, “Cad is ainm duit? Ní chreidim bhuail mé riamh agat.”
“I-” it struck her as bizarre that this entity that was clearly not of this world was speaking, from what little she could recognize of it, Irish. Poorly translated Irish, she guessed, but the words were there. “I don't... ” this being had clearly been here before, but landed in a different country. That meant that communication was entirely possible, but not until she could emphasize that she most certainly didn't speak Irish. “I'm sorry, but I can't understand you,” she finally managed to say through the whirring thoughts that threatened to render her speechless. The alien (was it offensive to call them that? She wasn't sure) tilted its head and regarded Elle for a moment before reaching out wit
h a slender hand. Elle, unsure of what to do, was left frozen out of curiosity and anxiety.
The moment that the cool hand rested lightly on her shoulder, she felt... she wouldn't call it a jolt, but certainly a feeling akin to that of a gentle knock of knuckles against the proverbial door to her mind. Unsure of what to do, she simply allowed whatever was trying to happen, happen, and the flood of sensations she felt as this extra-terrestrial being softly, curiously prodded around in her mind, feeling for something to grasp onto, but clearly not wanting to be invasive or cause harm in the process. Elle watched the stranger's face as it skimmed the surface of her mind, fascinated with the brilliant blue and Alexandrite tones their eyes kept shifting between.
When the sensation ended and the being's long hand left her shoulder, Elle felt this strange sense of loss, as though she wouldn't be warm without that touch again, and was left gasping at the feeling of the figure parting from her on a physical and mental level simultaneously. They blinked at each other a moment, and the stranger's eyes changed color again with a tilt of its head, flecks of gold swirling around in their pupilless pools.
“Hiiiiii,” the being said slowly, as if to test her reaction to it. Elle swallowed.
“Hello,” she rasped with a meek little wave of her hand in greeting. That earned her a smile from the newcomer.
“Your language- it is different than the one that I learned when I last came,” the figure turned to look at their surroundings. “Where... is this?”
“You're,” she blinked stupidly, suddenly struck by how odd it was that she was more comfortable talking to this literal being of a different species than another human being. “You're in Chicago. It's a city in North America.”
“I see... ” they grew pensive, eyes taking on an amethyst hue. “I can only vaguely recall a map of your world. It is quite far from... ” it scrunched its face as it tried to recall the name. “'Ireland. It is quite far from Ireland, is it not?” Elle nodded.
“I... um... ” Elle struggled with how to word it. “Do you have a name?” The being blinked in surprise at her.
“Not... in your tongue,” it paused. “Should I make one? Would that make talking easier?”
“Yes,” Elle nodded. “My name is Elle.” There, she thought. Said politely enough that the chances of starting an intergalactic incident were decreased somewhat. The being smiled.
“Elle,” it said, as though tasting the name on its tongue. “It sounds nice. I like it,” the being concluded with a smile. “I am... a traveler of worlds. Do you have a name for that, or just, 'Traveler'?”
“Well,” it was embarrassing, really. She had a baby name picked for years to name her child that she was probably never going to have, but she had picked a name that meant, 'traveler,' in the hope that her child would go farther and to more places in the world than she could. But this person didn't need to know that, not right now. “Fara is a nice name. It means, 'traveler,' in a different language.” She paused as she thought of something. “But that's a more feminine name. I... I don't know your gender. I don't want to presume anything.”
“I like Fara,” the being, Fara, decided. “Call me Fara. We... we do not have, 'male,' and 'female,' where I come from.” Fara was clearly trying to make sure they had their words right.
“I had wondered if that was a thing elsewhere,” Elle mumbled, mostly to herself. Fara shook her head.
“Where I come from, there are, 'carriers,' and, 'non carriers.' Those who choose to carry offspring are the carriers. Otherwise, you simply are who you are.” Fara shrugged. It was such an oddly human gesture that Elle wondered if it had been learned the last time Fara was here, or if it was a trait that was shared among species.
“That's... fascinating,” Elle said earnestly. “We,” she cleared her throat, and reminded herself that they were in a very exposed area. “We should go somewhere else. Hide your ship so no one who wants to harm you can find you.” Fara nodded.
“I agree,” Fara turned toward their ship and walked to it. Fara placed a hand on the surface, and Elle watched as the crystal collapsed in on itself, and formed a much smaller gem, one akin to the size of a pendant on a necklace. Fara crouched low and plucked the gem off of the floor, now no larger than a fifty cent coin, and turned back toward Elle. As Fara placed the gem over where their chest would be, she finally noticed the muted silver socket that was mounted upon Fara's breast. The gem fit itself into the socket, flush against Fara's skin, and settled there with a hushed click.
“Well... that's... settled.” Elle said after she managed to pull herself out of her shocked state. “My car is parked up the hill from here,” she said once Fara had finished stowing her ship away. “We can go to my house, if that's alright?”
“Your dwelling?”
“Yeah,” Elle nodded. “I live alone, but I have a cat. There aren't many people there.” She pondered for a moment. “But I worry about someone seeing you. I might have some spare clothes you can borrow to blend-”
“There is no need,” Fara said, waving at the crystal on her chest that was once her ship. With a soft hum, the same matronly tone that sounded when the ship had opened, and Fara was again encased in a soft white glow. When the light receded, Fara was wrapped in an oversized hooded blue sweatshirt and jeans, with some generic looking sneakers on their feet. “The crystal that bore me here provides all that I need to blend into an environment,” Fara explained simply with another shrug before pulling the hood over their head. Elle nodded, and figured that was probably the best explanation that she could get while still grasping the concept, and together they made their way up the hill toward where Elle had set up shop for her stargazing.
“What is all of this here for?” Fara asked once they'd crested the hill. Elle fumbled in embarrassment as she tried to scoop up her belongings as hastily as possible.
“I like to come out here and look at the stars,” she said once everything had been unceremoniously stuffed into her trunk. “Sometimes I sketch things while I'm out here. It's peaceful.” She shrugged, trying not to blush and failing spectacularly.
“I do something similar in my observatory at home,” Fara spoke up once they had gotten into her car.
“Oh?” Elle said as she backed up to turn and head home. Fara nodded.
“Yes. The stars calm me. Travel is restricted where I live, but I come to different planets whenever I can,” Fara explained. “I've witnessed countless people come and go on several planets, this one included,” then hesitated. “You are the first to speak to me.”
“Truly?” Elle said, surprised. “You've just kind of... what, been a silent observer while you toured the galaxy before this?” Fara quirked her head in thought, eyes going emerald green.
“I usually landed in isolated places, away from civilization. By the time I saw others, I was already blended in with the crowd.” Fara hummed thoughtfully. “I have spoken to others, but none cared to know what to call me. They were too distracted with their own lives. It is the one thing that has been a constant, no matter what planet I travel to.” Fara looked away uncertainly. “This is... new to me. I am uncertain as to how I am supposed to behave.”
“Just be yourself,” Elle said with a shrug as they entered the city limits. “I don't really talk to people here. I have a few friends, but we're all usually too busy to really say much to each other at any given time. If it helps,” she grinned. “This is the first time I've ever spoken to a stranger this much, too.” Classmates and coworkers didn't count, not really, as the interaction was forced, she thought to herself. Fara laughed, a melodious sound that warmed Elle's heart in a foreign and unfamiliar way that she couldn't explain. “Here we are,” she croaked around the lump in her throat as they pulled into her driveway. Hopping out and grabbing all of her, 'star gazing gear' to bring inside.
“So this is your... home?” Elle nodded as she fumbled in pulling out her keys to unlock the front door.
“It's not much, I know, but it's a good enough place to keep my boo
ks and rest my head,” opening the door, she ushered Fara inside before hastily closing and bolting the door shut. Once she'd deposited everything but the cooler and thermos in the entryway closet, she turned toward Fara, transfixed as the newcomer pulled its hood down and reverently stepped around the house as if they were taking in a lost ruin of a civilization they didn't understand. When her cat, Socks, pounced up to perch on the kitchen table, Fara practically floated toward the silver tabby with a grace that was literally otherworldly to Elle. “That's Socks, my cat. She's friendly, I promise-” her usual warning of her cat's skittish nature died on her tongue as she watched Fara brush her cat's nose with a finger, and then, seemingly satisfied, bent to Sock's level on the table, purring like a real cat. Socks, evidently registering Fara's noises as friendly, began to nuzzle Fara's face affectionately.
“Socks is nice. I like her,” Fara said as she straightened with a nod. “She does not like loud noises. Others that come can be loud at first, so she runs. If they were quieter, she would like them quicker.” Fara smiled at her as though that just explained the most evident thing in the world to her.
“I... ” Elle swallowed, setting the cooler and thermos down on the table. “I had no idea. Here, please make yourself at home for the night. Can I get you anything?” After Elle led her toward the bedroom, Fara sat on the bed with such a light touch that Elle genuinely wondered if Fara were just floating above the mattress for fear of disturbing anything.
“I am content, but thank you for the offer,” Fara smiled affectionately. “You're very welcoming to someone you just met today. It is a welcome change of pace.”
ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) Page 45
