When Lightning Strikes (Alien Academy Book 1)

by Pixie James

  Yeah. Real awesome.

  Before I can drag myself through the door, Huey shoves his head between my leg and the wooden frame to peek out. Tia blinks hard, her gaze alternating between my very grumpy shadow and me. “You’ve already been chosen by a Raska? By the Dan-A-Tish, no less?”

  “The what?”

  “Never mind that. You just got a whole lot more interesting. Come on, Huey, let’s go show our little newbie around.”

  The sun feels amazing on my face as Tia leads me through a little garden on the back of the school property. The entire place is fenced and surrounded by dense woods on all sides. It’s giving me some serious The Village vibes, but I’m beyond thankful to still be on Earth.

  The dreadful winter chill in the air has somehow warmed, and even the steady breeze doesn’t bother me. A faint prismatic color dances across my skin as the light hits it, and I look around to see hundreds of other people that look just like me. For once in my life, I’m not so different. Not really.

  “Okay, you’ve seen the gardens. I know they’re lame right now, but come spring, they’re so pretty. The training fields…all that’s left outside of a bunch of boring classrooms is the dormitory and the dining hall. Where do you want to go first?” she asks, lifting up her sunglasses. “ Oh, hey—” she waves to someone behind me. “Sit here for a second, okay? I’ll be right back.”

  Huey stirs at my feet, eyeing a squirrel gliding from tree to tree in the distance. “Go ahead. I’m fine.” He gives me another look. “Seriously, go.”

  Apparently all he needed to be convinced was the sound of the squirrel chittering, because he takes off after it, and I’m left by myself. Sinking down onto the nearest bench, I just enjoy the view. The quad has cleared, all the younger girls who were traveling between classes now either at lunch or in their next class. Apparently, for half the day they engage in gender-specific studies then have co-ed topics the in the afternoons.

  “Hi, there. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  Icy cool fingers wrap around my wrist, and my stomach sinks all the way to my toes. There’s something incredibly wrong about her touch. I don’t know what it is, but everything inside me screams to get away. Sweat breaks out on my brow, and I tug my arm back just as Tia comes charging toward us.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Ki’Lin? Get away from her.”

  All legs and pouty lips, a grinning Ki’Lin throws her hands up and backs away. “I was just being friendly, Tia. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”

  “Being friendly? Are you freaking kidding me? I should tell Te’Lara about this. What you just did is complete bullshit. Not to mention wrong!”

  Ki’Lin’s electric blue waves flutter in the wind as she flips her hair and narrows her eyes. I guess even aliens have mean girls. “You won’t. Not unless you want me to mention your little voting scandal…”

  The colors on Tia’s skin begin to shift, and she clenches her fists. “Ugh. Shut up. You’re vile, you know that?”

  Ignoring her, Ki’Lin gives me a tiny wave and a wink, then straightens the flowy pink skirt that teases her ankles. “See you later, Cherise.”

  How does she know my name?

  Chapter Five

  Tia pushes the fries around on her plate and stares at them with disdain. She keeps looking up at me, and every so often when I meet her gaze, she looks away. It’s like she wants to say something, but won’t. And after that awkward encounter with alien Barbie, I have to wonder what’s running through her head. Do I ask? Or should I wait for her to bring it up?

  It’s not just her either. Even Huey is being weird. As soon as he saw the handsy mean girl, he sped over and has been circling my feet ever since. I could hardly walk on the way to the cafeteria, and as soon as I sat down, he literally posted up beside me and started baring his teeth at anyone who even looks my way. Which really sucks because Xebulin guys are hot.

  Light blue skin, muscles for days, bright green eyes, and jet black hair. They all have similar coloring, but features so distinct it leaves them worlds apart. Trying to ignore the awkward cloud at the table, I look around. There must be at least seventy-five students in here, and from what Tia told me earlier, this is only the first of the three lunch periods.

  For some reason, I assumed the Xebulins were a small group. Apparently not. But if there are so many, how have I never seen one?

  A boy with several facial piercings and a tight black shirt walks by a little too close, and Huey growls loud enough to send him scurrying off. I tighten the grip on my spoon, trying to control my mouth, but when I look up at Tia again, she’s staring at me.

  That’s it. Enough.

  “Okay,” I say, tossing the spoon down and shoving my plate away. “Spill. You two are acting super weird. Which says a lot seeing that today, I woke up an alien, in a hidden school, with a space mutt as a bodyguard.” Huey glares at me as if he doesn’t appreciate the description, but then returns his focus to the surrounding crowd.

  “I know I should have told you. But I didn’t want to freak you out. Especially since there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

  Ughh, here we go.

  “That sounds…promising.”

  The slight iridescent sheen of her skin changes, a darker violet creeping up her neck to her cheeks, darkening them. It’s beautiful, almost like a plum blush, and I wonder if that happens every time one of them—us—gets upset. Great. Now, I’ll have an even harder time hiding when I’m embarrassed. Wait, am I doing it now?

  “I didn’t think I’d need to mention any of this until at least a few days from now, but apparently you’ve got a target on your back…” She sighs heavily, then rubs her temples, small wisps of jet black hair escaping her ponytail. “What do you know about us? Xebulins, I mean.”

  “Not much.” What I really want to say is nothing! For the love of everything shiny, tell me, please!

  “I’m not going to bore you with all the details. You’ll be learning about all that over the next few weeks. Long story short? We’re allowed to stay here, and have been since our people first landed in 1947, because we spy for the human government.”

  “Spy?” I ask, testing out the way the word sounds. Yep, just as weird as it does in my head.

  “Yes, and that’s where this gets…complicated. When we first met, you tried to shake my hand, right? And I avoided the touch? That’s because we aren’t allowed to. Not until we’ve learned to control our talents and are capable of putting up enough of a defense to protect ourselves.”

  My throat goes dry. I really don’t like where this is going. “Okay…”

  “We can absorb memories through touch.”

  “What does that have to do with… Oh, crap.” The room spins and disgust churns in my gut. Chills spread across my skin and I feel violated. “Are you saying that girl read my mind?”

  Please, please…tell me she didn’t. Come on. Give me a dang break.

  “No, no, no,” she says, waving her hands. “We aren’t telepathic or anything. We have these sensors, all over our hands…” Panic continues to flood my system, and Huey glares at her, giving her what I think is a warning growl. “Crap. I’m doing this wrong. There’s a reason we’re not allowed to tell humans about this… Okay. Let’s try this again. In your brain, there are these cells called neurons. Those cells are in charge of locking and unlocking your memories. Protecting them, and keeping them safe.” She takes a deep breath. “We can override those cells through touch—especially at memory points like the wrist—unlock whatever memories we want, and make a little copy for ourselves without the person we connected with even noticing.”

  The knot in my stomach loosens, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Well, whatever she did felt really gross. So, maybe she did it wrong.”

  She doesn’t meet my eyes. “The deep memories, the ones with the most emotional impact…if the retrieval is sloppy, you can feel them being torn away.”

  A swell of disbelief and outrage crashes down on me
. Jared. The picture. The break-up. All those years of people making fun of me. Making me feel small, like a total loser. I just can’t.

  This was supposed to be my second chance. I was thrown into whatever all of this is. My mother literally sold me for drugs, and I was forced to leave the only friends I have. The one positive angle I could find was that I’d get to start over, do things differently. No one would know who I was. And now there’s some long-legged space brat walking around with what could be some of the most humiliating moments of my life.

  The sound of my heartbeat pulses in my ears. Tears sting my eyes. I’m pissed and embarrassed and really freaking tired of people being dicks. Why do they suck so bad? I don’t even know this girl, and she’s already gathering ammo to torture me with later.

  My emotions are too raw for me to talk. I refuse to cry, and if I say anything, I’ll burst into tears in front of all these people. Ugh. This is almost an instant replay of what happened my last day of school. Some jerkwad doing something terrible, and me falling apart. Anger stiffens my spine and I look around the room for her. I know she’s here. And the little brat is not going to get away with it.

  Not today, dang it. Not anymore.

  I’ve spent years being the sole focus of bullies with too much time on their hands and I refuse to be that girl anymore.

  “I want them back. She has no right…”

  “It doesn’t work that way. We can’t delete memories, and if we could, we wouldn’t. Not after all the suffering the Sivralians have caused.”

  “There has to be something…”

  “There’s not. I wish there was. Ki’Lin isn’t dumb. She’ll lie low for now, waiting to see if either of us tells. Who knows, maybe she won’t even say anything. She’s probably just messing with you because you’re new—trying to warn you off her turf.”

  I can tell by the change in her tone, Tia doesn’t believe a word she’s saying. Over the years, I’ve gotten really good at reading people, and if there’s one thing I know well, it’s bullies. And that girl is one of the worst. Against my better judgement, I lift my gaze, and immediately find Ki’Lin’s beady little eyes trained on me. Amusement sparkles in their violet depths, and it takes everything I have not to glare at her.

  She doesn’t deserve the satisfaction. I smile instead, giving her my best oblivious grin. She’ll get what’s coming to her. I just haven’t figured out how yet.

  “All right, Tia, tell me everything I need to know to protect myself. I’m not getting caught off guard again.”

  Ugh, I hate this game. But I refuse to be the only one not playing.

  My brain is on overload, but I’m strangely calm. Maybe I’m still in shock? The sparse walls of my dorm room scream to be decorated but right now, I think it’s the only thing keeping me sane. They’re a blank slate, like my life as a Xebulin should be. Screw that, will be.

  Even though my introduction to this world has been rough, I’m still more at home in my own skin than I’ve ever been. I guess that’s because this is the first time I’ve actually worn it. On the outside anyway. And even though it’s foreign and strange, I don’t feel like an imposter anymore.

  Part of me wonders why I’ve spent my whole life hiding. Why my parents or whoever encased me in my human shell felt the need to raise me in an entirely different world. Who am I, really? Who were they?

  The small single-pane window in the center of the back wall of my room offers a decent view of the tiny common area outside, and even though it’s dark and the stars above have already come out, I still can’t sleep. So much is running through my head. Especially, this whole social hierarchy at Nova.

  What did Tia call it? An Inkiatype?

  As expected, space Barbie is near the top, mostly because she’s smoking hot and from a highly respected family. Tia’s somewhere in the middle along with everyone else. And me? The jury’s still out. No one knows who I am or where I came from, so it’s a toss-up whether or not I’m accepted.

  Ugh. I shouldn’t really care, and I hate that I do. But if I’m not…well, it’s not like I’ve never dealt with that before. I’ll just keep my nose down and do my best to graduate if I have to. My interaction with Ki’Lin wasn’t exactly promising, but I’m really hoping when classes start tomorrow things get better.

  The slight chill in the room cascades over my bare scalp and I shiver. Not having hair is freaking cold. I didn’t see a single bald Xebulin today, and it’s bad enough that I’m being stared at for being new. At least the clothing stipend they gave me allowed me to get a few hats and scarves. If it doesn’t grow back soon, I’m going to have to get creative.

  The moon is so bright, it illuminates my room, and I know I should force myself to go lie down. If I don’t at least try and get some sleep, whatever random facts they fling at me tomorrow are going to go in one ear and out the other, but I don’t want to move. It could just be my imagination, but sitting here in this window, in this exact moment, I feel safer than I have in a long time.

  A streak of movement catches my eye, but it’s too fast to follow. An animal, maybe? I glance at Huey and he’s still fast asleep. Back to feeling unsettled, I give up and slip into bed. In addition to starting classes, I guess I’m also meeting with my Xebulin Consulate representative to figure out exactly what I’m getting into.

  The sheets are cold, and no matter how I try to snuggle against them, I can’t get comfortable. Huey’s wet nose against my arm helps to settle my nerves. He sneaks into the bed beside me, gently latches on to my wrist and rests his head on my legs. With him, I don’t feel so alone. As my anxiety ebbs, I stare into his weird little face and suddenly, things don’t seem so bad.

  Chapter Six

  My butt’s falling asleep, and my eyes are rolling back in my head as I sit in the headmaster’s office waiting for him. I’m so dang tired.

  In an attempt to keep from dozing off, I stare out the large window behind his desk. Birds are chirping and jumping tree to tree in the tall thicket that lines the edge of Nova’s security fence. It almost seems normal, like I could be sitting at a regular private school, except for the whole armed guards posted at the gates out front.

  Yeah, maybe I won’t think about that.

  Dark cherry wood lines the walls of the cluttered office, giving the room some warmth. Several jars sit haphazardly on the busy bookshelf to my right, and one in particular draws my attention. It looks like liquid or metal, maybe? But it’s shiny and smooth and the urge to touch it is irresistible. The glass container feels warm, and whatever it is stirs, twisting in on itself as it attempts to get closer to me.

  “Beautiful, isn’t she?” a deep voice asks from my right.

  I jump, jerking my hand back, and swing around so fast, I nearly tumble over. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  My words die in my mouth. A giant of a man—alien—Xebulin—whatever, leans against the door frame with amusement twinkling in his bright emerald eyes. He’s older. Salt and pepper hair hangs halfway down his bicep, teasing the arm of his three piece suit.

  He chuckles, and his smile is so big and bright I have to look away to keep from drooling. Seriously? Are all older Xebulin men this hot? This guy could be my dad but, man, he’s pretty to look at.

  “It’s quite all right, Cherise. The natural urge for discovery is one of the most valuable tools any being in the universe can possess. It drives the desire to learn. Don’t ever lose it.” He touches his hand to his forehead, “I’m Headmaster Ha’Jahn. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah. Me, too. Cherise, I mean. Yeah, that’s my name all right.” Holy crap, I’m awkward. “So, what is it? You called it a she…” I ask, once again staring at the jar in an attempt to avoid eye contact with the Sexy McHot Pants in front of me.

  “She’s a Gloridian, and from what we know, the last of her kind. She came here with several of the Firsts and has been here since the school opened.”

  “Firsts?”

  “The first of our kind to arrive here.” His feet
scuff against the ground as he walks behind me to take his seat. At least if he’s sitting down I won’t get caught ogling his muscles. That’s got to count for something, right?

  Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.

  As I plop down in the chair across from him, my eyes snag on his pecs and my cheeks warm. Oh, no. Am I doing the purple blush thing? Can he tell?

  Shit, I looked again. Recover, Cherise. Speak!

  “What—err, what does she do? Why’s she in a jar?”

  “By choice. She has a symbiotic relationship with her host and is capable of living alongside another being.” He looks at the jar, almost longingly. “But she has not chosen to inhabit anyone in over a century. She has the power to visit those she has touched in their dreams. But I don’t suggest trying your luck; she can also kill on contact if she chooses.”

  Killer alien in a jar…noted.

  “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that. Pretty sure I can resist the urge.” The chair makes a creaking noise as I scoot farther away from the bookshelf.

  “Ready to discuss your schedule before your representative arrives? I believe she’s still arguing with the human government over the stipulations of your citizenship.”

  “I’m guessing that’s a bad thing, huh?” Suddenly feeling too hot, I stick my hands underneath my thighs to keep myself from chewing on my nails.

  The lightness in his gaze turns dark, and the lines around his eyes harden. “ I know you have spent very little time as a true Xebulin, but I assure you, we fight for our own. Protect our own. Your representative, and this school, are here solely to make sure you are safe and have all the required tools to succeed.”

  A nervous laugh slips out, and I rub the back of my neck. “So they aren’t going to like…throw me in jail?”

  “They couldn’t even if they tried.”