by Zaires, Anna
Exhaling in relief, Mia looked up at him. “Thanks,” she said quietly, some of her panic fading.
Maybe being here wouldn’t be so bad after all. If he really did bring her back to New York at the end of summer, then her sojourn in Lenkarda might prove to be exactly that – a couple of months spent at an incredible place that few humans could even imagine, with the extraordinary creature she’d fallen in love with.
Feeling slightly better about the situation, Mia stepped through the opening, entering a Krinar dwelling for the first time.
The sight that greeted her inside was utterly unexpected.
Mia had been bracing for something alien and high-tech – maybe floating chairs similar to the ones in the ship that had transported them here. Instead, the room looked just like Korum’s penthouse back in New York, right down to the plush cream-colored couch. Mia flushed at the memory of what had taken place on that couch just a little while ago. Only the walls were different; they seemed to be made of the same transparent material as the ship, and she could see the greenery outside instead of the Hudson River.
“You have the same furniture here?” she asked in surprise, letting go of his hand and taking a step forward to gape at the strange sight. She couldn’t imagine that furniture stores made deliveries to K Centers – but then he could probably just conjure up whatever he wanted using their nanotechnology.
“Not exactly,” Korum said, smiling at her. “I set this up ahead of your arrival. I thought it might be easier for you to acclimate if you could relax in familiar surroundings for the first couple of weeks. After you feel more comfortable here, I can show you how I usually live.”
Mia blinked at him. “You set it up just for me? When?”
Even with rapid fabrication – or whatever Korum had called the technology that let him make things out of nothing – he probably still needed a little time to do all this. When would he have had a chance to even think about this, given the events of this morning? She tried to picture him making a couch while capturing the Keiths and almost snickered out loud.
“A little while ago,” Korum said ambiguously, shrugging a little.
Mia frowned at him. “So . . . not today?” For some reason, the timing of this gesture seemed important.
“No, not today.”
Mia stared at him. “You were planning this for a while? Me being here, I mean?”
“Of course,” he said casually. “I plan everything.”
Mia took a deep breath. “And if I hadn’t been in danger from the Resistance? Would you have still brought me here?”
He looked at her, his expression indecipherable. “Does it really matter?” he asked softly.
It mattered to Mia, but she wasn’t up to having that discussion right now. So she just shrugged and looked away, studying the room. It was somewhat comforting to be someplace that at least looked familiar, and she had to admit that it was a thoughtful thing to do – creating a human-like environment for her in his house.
“Are you hungry?” Korum asked, regarding her with a smile.
Making food for her seemed to be one of his favorite activities; he had even fed her this morning when she’d been afraid he would kill her for helping the Resistance. It was one of the things that had always made her feel so conflicted about him, about their relationship in general. Despite his arrogance, he could be incredibly caring and considerate. It drove Mia nuts, the fact that he’d never truly acted like the villain she’d thought him to be.
She shook her head. “No, thanks. Still full from the sandwich earlier.” And she was. All she wanted to do was lie down and try to give her brain a rest.
“Okay then,” Korum said. “You can relax here for a bit. I have to go out for an hour or so. Do you think you’ll be all right by yourself?”
Mia nodded. “Do you have a bed somewhere?” she asked.
“Of course. Here, come with me.”
Mia followed Korum as he walked down a familiar hallway to the bedroom that was identical to the one he had in TriBeCa. She noted the location of the bathroom as well.
“So everything here is stuff I know how to use?” she asked.
“Yes, pretty much,” he said, reaching out to briefly stroke her cheek. His fingers felt hot against her skin. “The bed is probably more comfortable than you’re used to because it utilizes the same intelligent technology as the chair in the ship and the walls of this house. I figured you wouldn’t mind that. Don’t be scared if it adjusts to your body, okay?”
Despite the tension squeezing her temples, Mia smiled, remembering how comfortable the seat in the aircraft had been. “Okay, that sounds good. I’m looking forward to trying it.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” His eyes gleamed with some unknown emotion. “Take a nap if you want, and I’ll be back soon.”
Bending down, he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and walked out, leaving her alone in an intelligent dwelling inside the alien settlement.
* * *
Less than a mile away, the Krinar watched as his nemesis arrived with his charl.
The gentle way Korum held her hand as he led her toward his house was so out of character that the K almost chuckled to himself. This was an interesting development, the involvement of a human girl. Would it change anything? Somehow, he doubted it.
His enemy would not be swayed from his course, certainly not by some little human.
No, there was only one way to save the human race.
And he was the only one who could do it.
Chapter 2
Mia woke up in total darkness.
She lay there for a moment, trying to figure out the time. She felt incredibly well-rested, every muscle in her body relaxed and her mind completely clear. Right away, she knew she was in Korum’s house in Lenkarda, lying on his “intelligent” bed. Stretching with a yawn, she wondered how Korum had managed to sleep on a regular human mattress back in New York. She couldn’t imagine wanting to sleep anywhere other than this bed for the rest of her life.
The sheets were wrapped around her body, caressing her bare skin with a light, sensuous touch. She was neither cold nor hot, and the pillow cradled her head and neck in exactly the right way. Whatever tension she’d felt earlier was completely gone.
She had not intended to fall asleep, but the rest had definitely done wonders for her state of mind. After Korum had left, she’d showered and climbed into bed with the goal of resting for a few minutes. As soon as she’d gotten in, the sheets had moved around her, wrapping her in a gentle cocoon, and she’d felt subtle vibrations under the most tense parts of her body. It was as though soft fingers were massaging away the knots in her back and neck. She remembered loving the sensation, and then she must’ve fallen asleep because she couldn’t recall anything else.
Apparently sensing that she was awake, the room gradually got lighter, even though there was no obvious source of artificial light.
It was a clever idea, Mia thought, to have the light turn on so slowly. Bright light after complete darkness was often painful to the eyes, yet that’s how most human light fixtures worked, simply on and off – disregarding the fact that light-dark transitions in nature were far more subtle.
Reluctant to leave the comfort of the bed, Mia lay there and tried to figure out what to do next. The sick, panicky feeling of earlier was gone, and she could think more clearly.
It was true that Korum had used and manipulated her.
But, to be fair, he’d done it to protect his own kind – just as she’d thought she was helping all of humanity by spying on him. The sense of betrayal she’d felt yesterday had been irrational, out of place considering the nature of their relationship and her own actions toward him. The fact that he hadn’t really done anything to punish her for her betrayal spoke volumes about his intentions.
She’d been wrong to paint him with such a dark brush before. If he hadn’t hurt her for what she’d done thus far, he probably never would.
However, he clearly had no pro
blem disregarding her wishes. Case in point: she was here in Lenkarda. Yet, if he’d spoken the truth, she would still be able to go visit her parents soon, and even come back to New York to finish college.
All in all, her situation was much better than she’d feared this morning, when she’d thought he might kill her for helping the Resistance.
Still, the circumstances she found herself in were unsettling. She was in a K Center, where she didn’t speak the language, didn’t know anyone except Korum, and had no idea how to use even the most basic Krinar technology. As a human, she was the ultimate outsider here. Would the Ks think she was dumb because of what she was? Because she couldn’t understand the Krinar language or read ten books in a couple of hours, the way Korum could? Would they make fun of her ignorance and her technological illiteracy? She wasn’t exactly tech-savvy even by human standards. In general, was Korum’s arrogance simply a part of his personality, or was it typical of his species and their overall attitude toward humans?
Of course, agonizing about all this didn’t change the facts. Whether she liked it or not, she was in Lenkarda for at least the next couple of months, and she had to make the best of it. And in the meantime, there was so much she could learn here –
The bedroom door opened quietly, and Korum walked in, interrupting her thoughts. “Hey there, sleepyhead, how are you feeling?”
Mia couldn’t help smiling at him, forgetting her concerns for the moment. For the first time since she’d known him, Korum was dressed in Krinar clothing: a sleeveless shirt made of some soft-looking white material and a pair of loose grey shorts that ended just above his knees. It was a simple outfit, but it did wonders for his physique, accentuating his powerfully muscled build. He looked mouthwateringly gorgeous, his smooth bronze skin glowing with health and those amber eyes shining as he looked at her lying on his bed.
“The bed is awesome,” Mia confided. “I don’t know how you slept on anything else.”
He grinned, sitting down next to her and picking up a strand of her hair to play with. “I know. It was a real sacrifice – but your presence made it quite tolerable.”
Mia laughed and rolled over onto her stomach, feeling absurdly happy. “So what now? Do I get to meet other intelligent objects? I have to say, your technology is very cool.”
“Oh, you have no idea just how cool our technology is,” Korum said, looking at her with a mysterious smile. “But you’ll learn soon.”
Bending down, he kissed her exposed shoulder and then lightly nibbled on her neck, his mouth warm and soft on her skin. Closing her eyes, Mia shivered from the pleasant sensation. Her body immediately responded to his touch, and she moaned softly, feeling a surge of warm moisture between her legs.
He stopped and sat up straight.
Surprised, Mia opened her eyes and looked at him. “You don’t want me?” she asked quietly, trying to keep the hurt note out of her voice.
“What? No, my darling, I very much want you.” And it was true; she could see the warm golden flecks in his expressive eyes, and the soft material of his shorts did little to hide his erection.
“Then why did you stop?” asked Mia, trying very hard not to sound like a child deprived of candy.
He sighed, looking frustrated. “A friend of mine is coming over to meet you. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Mia looked at him in surprise. “Your friend wants to meet me? Why?”
Korum smiled. “Because he’s heard a lot about you from me. And also because he’s one of our top mind experts and can help you with the adjustment process.”
Mia frowned slightly. “A mind expert? You want me to see a shrink?”
Korum shook his head, grinning. “No, he’s not a shrink. In our society, a mind expert is someone who deals with all aspects of the brain. He’s like a neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, and therapist combined – literally an expert on all matters having to do with the mind.”
That was interesting, but didn’t really answer her question. “So why does he want to see me?”
“Because I think there’s something he can do to make you feel more at home here,” Korum said, his fingers trailing down her arm, rubbing it softly.
He liked to do that, Mia had noticed, to just randomly touch her during their conversations, as though craving constant physical contact. Mia didn’t mind. It was that chemistry he had talked about before; their bodies gravitated toward each other like two objects in space.
She forced her attention back to the conversation. “Like what?” she asked, feeling slightly wary.
“Well, for instance, would you like to be able to understand and speak our language?”
Mia’s eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly. “Of course!”
“Have you ever wondered how I’m able to speak English so well? And every other human language? How all of us speak like this?”
“I didn’t know you spoke other languages besides English,” Mia confessed, staring at him in amazement. She had briefly wondered how he knew such perfect American English, but she’d always assumed the Ks had simply studied everything before coming to Earth. Korum was incredibly smart, so she’d never really questioned the fact that he knew her language and was able to speak it without any accent. And now he was telling her that he spoke a bunch of other languages as well?
“So you speak French?” she asked. At his nod, she continued, “Spanish? Russian? Polish? Mandarin?” He made an affirmative gesture each time.
“Okay . . . What about Swahili?” asked Mia, sure that she had caught him this time.
“That too,” he said, smiling at her astounded expression.
“Okay,” said Mia slowly. “I gather you’re about to tell me that it’s not just pure smarts on your part.”
He grinned. “Exactly. I could’ve learned the languages on my own given enough time, but there’s a more efficient way – and that’s what Saret can do for you.”
Mia stared at him. “He can teach me how to speak Krinar?”
“Better than that. He can give you the same abilities that I have – instant comprehension and knowledge of any language, be it human or Krinar.”
Mia gasped in shock, her heart beating faster from excitement. “How?”
“By giving you a tiny implant that will influence a specific region of your brain and act as a highly advanced translation device.”
“A brain implant?” Her excitement immediately turned to dread as everything inside Mia violently rejected the idea. He had already embedded tracking devices in her palms; the last thing she needed was alien technology influencing her brain. The ability he had described was incredible, and she desperately wanted it – but not at that price.
“The device is not really what you’re picturing,” Korum said. “It’s going to be tiny, the size of a cell, and you will not feel discomfort at any point – either during insertion or afterwards.”
“And if I say no, that I don’t want it?” Mia asked quietly, alarmed at the idea that Korum already had the mind expert on the way here.
“Why not?” He looked at her with a small frown.
“Do you really need to ask?” she said incredulously. “You shined me – you put tracking devices in me under the pretext of healing my palms. Did you really think I would be okay with you putting something in my brain?”
Korum’s frown deepened. “This doesn’t have any extra functionality, Mia.” He didn’t seem the least bit repentant about shining her in the first place.
“Really?” she asked him acerbically. “It doesn’t do anything extra? Doesn’t influence my thoughts or feelings in any way?”
“No, my darling, it doesn’t.” He looked vaguely amused at the thought.
“I don’t want a brain implant,” Mia said firmly, looking at him with a mutinous expression on her face.
He stared back at her. “Mia,” he said softly, “if I had truly wanted to put something nefarious in your brain, I could’ve done it in a million different ways. I can implant anything in your body at an
y time, and you wouldn’t have a clue. The only reason why I’m offering you this ability is because I want you to be comfortable here, to be able to communicate with everyone on your own. If you don’t want this, then that’s your choice. I won’t force it on you. But very few humans get this opportunity, so I would advise you to think really hard before you turn it down.”
Mia looked away, struck by the realization that he was right. He didn’t need to inform her or get her consent for anything he wanted to do to her. The panic that she thought she had under control threatened to bubble up again, and she squelched it with effort.
Something didn’t quite make sense to her. Taking a deep breath, Mia turned her gaze to his face again, studying his inscrutable expression. It bothered her that she still understood him so little, that the person who had so much power over her was still such a big unknown.
“Korum . . .” She wasn’t sure if she should bring this up, but she couldn’t resist. The question had tormented her for weeks. “Why did you shine me? I hadn’t even met the Resistance at that point, so it’s not like you needed to keep tabs on me for your big plan . . .”
“Because I wanted to make sure I can always find you,” he said, and there was a possessive note in his voice that frightened her. “I held you in my arms that day, and I knew I wanted more. I wanted everything, Mia. You were mine from that moment on, and I had no intention of losing you, not even for a moment.”
Not even for a moment? Did he realize how crazy that sounded? He had seen a girl he wanted, and he’d made sure her location would always be known to him.
The fact that he thought he had the right to do this was terrifying. How could she deal with someone like that? He had no concept of boundaries when it came to her, no respect for her freedom of will. He had just casually admitted to a horrible and high-handed act, and she had no idea what she could say to him now.
