by Pixie James
Tia shakes her head and nudges my shoulder with hers. “No, you most certainly won’t. You’re going to hang out with me all day. I’ll arrange it with the headmaster. My mom’s been dying to meet you anyway.”
“You’re sure? Are we even allowed to do that?”
“I have no clue, but we’re going to do it. Parents day is literally a free day off of school. No way I’m going to let you be the only one sitting in class when everyone else is out playing games and eating.”
I stiffen. “There’s food?”
“Yep. The school caters for us the entire day.”
“Shut up. Tell me there’s going to be mac-n-cheese…”
Not even the clamor of lockers or the first warning bell ringing can distract me from the goofy smile on her face. We do, however, speed up and walk faster trying to get to class before the final bell. “Swear. Last year it was barbeque, street tacos, and breakfast burritos, and that was just for lunch.”
“All right. I’m in. But I’ll be sorely disappointed if there’s no macaroni.”
The corner of my massive backpack snags on the side of the door as she playfully shoves me through and Huey nips at her heels. “Ow, brat. I get it, hands off.” After sinking down into her seat, Tia glares at the overgrown fur ball posted up beside me. “Seems like I’m not the only one who woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Is it just me, or is he extra grumpy?”
“One more word, and I eat her.”
“You’re in a mood.”
“Of course, I am, Beloved Xebulin. I had to watch you suffer all night and could not relieve your distress. And you did not make me a plate this morning. All that food…going to waste.”
I sigh, shaking my head at his ridiculousness, and Tia cocks a brow. “He’s in a mood because I didn’t serve him breakfast this morning with the mystery treats.”
Tia levels her eyes with him. “Me too, bud. Me too.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a pound of peanut butter stuffed pretzels. “Truce?”
Never one to turn down food, Huey perks up just enough to catch the few she throws into his mouth, then returns to looking miserable. “I changed my mind. I will not eat her. Today. But if she stops feeding me, all bets are off.”
Everyone quiets down at the sound of Professor Te’Eune clapping her hands. “All right, with recent news of the War Commander coming and the shortened period for practicing before the games, Headmaster Ha’Jahn has allowed us to veer from the study guides to allot time for each student to work on what they feel is their weakest skill.
“Pair up. We have been given a number of decommissioned Neuris gloves that may or may not work, but they are all we have on such short notice. We cannot afford to risk compromising the gloves already set for the games. You are allowed to practice memory extraction, information siphoning, and truth differentiation only. If I see anyone doing their version of a shape change, you will be escorted directly to the headmaster’s office. “
She crosses her arms and makes no attempts to hide her glare aimed at me. “After the incident in the gym, all shifting without proper authorization or supervision will lead to a first and final warning. After that, you will be removed from the program and your parents contacted. As for what happens after that…only the human government will know.”
I don’t miss the dirty looks several people give me, but I shake them off. For all I know, one of them is the stupid boy who marked me and abandoned me to suffer. I swear, after last night, If I could just have ten minutes with him to ask why, I might actually get some words out before I punch him in the face.
Well, let’s be real. I’d probably just stare at him really hard and tell him how bad he freaking sucks.
Tia taps me on the head, pulling me from my thoughts. “You ready?” she asks, wiggling the worn-out Neuris glove. There’s no way I’m going to use that thing. Last time I tried an old one, I saw a crap load of things I never should have seen.
“You should speak to Te’Lara about that, Beloved Xebulin. She would want to know. While it is a known talent for other races, idea implantation is not a common one among yours.”
“No, thanks.”
Tia huffs, most likely annoyed that Huey and I are silently communicating.
“You go first. I’m way too tired to concentrate right now.”
“You’re sure?” she asks. The glove feels rough against my skin, and I can see the wear around the wrist. With my luck, I’d pick up a read through one of the tiny tears and find a way to humiliate myself. Plus, if Tia is the one trying to lift memories, it’s a good time for me to engage and focus on keeping my defenses up. Ty’Nix may be a lot of things, but his idea of building a wall in my mind has helped me deal with my mark this morning, and so far, fingers crossed, I think I’ll actually be able to make it through the day without curling up in the fetal position and hiding in my bed.
“Positive. I don’t think I’m going to try for the games, anyway. So, really. It’s better for you to go. I’ll practice siphoning after this. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get.”
“Stop. You know you’ve done amazing. You’re nearly caught up, and if I can be honest, have done way better than I, or anyone else for that matter, ever thought you could.”
My jaw drops in shock. “Rude!”
Tia laughs. “Hush. You know what I mean. The stuff we have to learn isn’t easy. Whether you believe it or not, you have a knack for it. It’s obvious you were born to be one of us.” She grins and presses a hand to my wrist, then closes her eyes to concentrate.
As much as I’d like to gain confidence after what she says, it strikes a chord and makes me uneasy. I was born one of them. My skin, my eyes, my hair—all of it. Does the fact I was raised as a human make me somewhat less than what I truly am?
Hit with an unexpected wave of emotion, I stare at the ceiling, trying to clear my blurry eyes, and Tia nudges my shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“You didn’t…everything…it’s just a lot. I’m fine. Promise.”
She crosses her arms. “Look at me then.”
“I’m good.” I want to do as she asks, but I know if I do, I’ll cry. I swear some people are just so lucky to be able to walk through life totally unaffected by anything. Stone cold, like Nix. Or annoyingly self-assured like Ki’Lin. Just going about their days no matter what happens, brushing off all the shade people throw. But here I am, blubbery eyed about my absent parents and my awkward hair and the fact that I have no clue what’s going on with my own body or who I even am, and I know I’m close to falling apart.
I miss the weird feeling of home sitting by my window used to give me. Once Te’Lara declared it had to stay closed, the comfort it provided disappeared like dust in the wind, and now no matter how long I sit there, it just won’t come back.
“Get your things and do as I say, understand?” Tia whispers as she hurriedly shoves her books in her bags.
“Wait, what—”
“Shhh. Just go with it, okay.”
Before I have the chance to ask any more questions, Tia hops out of her seat and skips over to Professor Te’Eune. I put all my stuff up like she demanded and crane my neck to watch them. Tia pulls out a piece of paper and shows it to her. The Professor nods and gestures towards the door.
“All right, let’s go.”
An edge of panic makes my heart speed up at the idea of just walking out of class without permission, but I don’t stop to ask Tia questions, only follow behind her until we’re halfway down the hall. The Smurfette keychains on her backpack smack together as I grab the back of her bag and yank her to a stop. “What’s the deal? Care to explain how you just got us out of class?”
Tia holds a stack of passes from Te’Lara’s office. “Remember these babies? I’ve been holding on to them in case of an emergency and, damnit, this is one. You need some fun, and I’m going to get it for you.”
“By pulling us out of class?” The sun is blinding as we step out the doors, but it feels great against my s
kin.
“Absolutely. We’re free, and for the rest of the day, we’re going to do nothing but sit in our room and watch movies.”
“But what about all our other classes? Don’t you think the teachers will notice?”
“Of course, they will. Which is why I mentioned to professor Te’Eune that we would be working with Te’Lara all day to help with the games. Since you are my roommate, you’re acting in an unofficial council capacity.
“And she bought it?”
“Duh. You don’t honestly think I’ve spent this long fixing my reputation not to take advantage of it on rare occasions?”
The mischief in her eyes has me cracking a smile, and by the time we make it into our dorm and Huey trots in behind us, I’ve got a full-blown case of the hopefuls. As in, I’m actually hopeful this day won’t righteously suck as bad as last night and this morning.
As Tia and I collapse side-by-side and turn on Fists of Fury, I rub my aching mark and settle on one pleasant thought. I may not have my parents, but I’ve definitely found my family in Tia. And for me, that’s all I need.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The sunshine filtering in my window from outside warms my lids, gently waking me before my alarm even goes off. Yesterday with Tia left me refreshed and now this? It doesn’t get any better. Wiggling my toes, I stretch, enjoying the few minutes before I have to get up. The comforter is soft, its silky edges tucked right up under my chin, and the furry blanket on top is smooth and—wait. I don’t have a furry blanket.
I stiffen, afraid to move. What the hell is on my hand? It takes a whole ten seconds for me to build up the courage to move a finger and crack open an eye.
More hair, and…ewwww what is that?
Huey growls as we both tumble off the bed, and I shoot across the room. A loud thump signals Tia falling out of her bed right after.
“What the…what is that?” I manage in between pants, pointing to the massive pile of fur and scaly gray skin covering my comforter. Huey trots around the bed with slimy, baby fresh skin looking like the giant version of a bald Chihuahua.
Tia braces herself, still half asleep, and quickly flops onto her bed after checking mine. “Oh my gosh, you almost gave me a freaking heart attack!”
“Why are you so calm? There’s a pile of… I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s just Huey’s leftovers. Raskas shed their skin twice a year. That’s how they keep it elastic enough to allow them to shift into a bigger size. God, don’t you read anything, Cherise?”
I wrinkle my nose at her stank attitude. “No, I don’t read anything. Just stare at the dang pages and hope they speak to me. Of course, I read! I do nothing but study! No one’s ever told me about Huey shedding his skin.”
“Calm down, Beloved Xebulin. I’m quite all right. There is no harm done with the process.”
I yell at him, not bothering to exert the effort to mind speak. “Seriously, Huey? That’s why you think I’m upset? I’m not worried it hurts. I’m upset because you left a Raska-sized pile of nastiness on my bed. Eww. It’s even in my hair!”
Tia snorts as I savagely finger comb it, trying to get all the dried-up flakes of skin off, and I turn to glare at her. “Oh, you think this is funny, huh?”
She smiles and props her head up on her hand. “ Well, you have to admit, it is a little funny.”
I narrow my eyes. “Oh, well in that case…” Lunging for my bed, I grab a handful of Huey’s grossness and chunk it at her. It cascades through the air, falling like snow, covering her.
“You did not just do that,” she grinds out between clenched teeth, probably afraid if she opens her mouth, she’ll swallow some of it.
“Not so funny now, is it?”
Tia jumps out of bed and clenches her fists, her posture so rigid, I’m not sure if she’s going to laugh or punch me.
“I take offense you and the So handle my sheddings with disgust. Many alien civilizations pay a steep price for the collection.”
“That’s disgusting, Huey.”
Careful to inhale through her nose, Tia forces out, “What?”
“Huey said people pay money for his…sheddings.”
Tia bursts into laughter, doubling over, then wipes furiously at her face. “Oh, gross. It’s in my teeth.”
My squeaky clean four-legged friend grunts, lifting his chin. “ I am increasingly concerned you do not recognize the significance of my value, Beloved Xebulin. A regal creature such as myself deserves far more than ridicule.”
I tackle hug Huey. “Hush, you know I love you. But seriously, this is freaking gross! Give me some warning next time.”
He groans and bares his teeth, but simmers right down when I start scratching along his spine and around his hips. Old grouch. “I accept your gift of apology. You have my permission to not…stop…that.”
The alarm goes off on Tia’s phone and she crawls on the floor to where it fell underneath her bed. “Oh, crap! My parents will be here in an hour. We have to get dressed!” She climbs to her feet, and cocks a brow. “Don’t even think about trying to shower first, Cherise. There’s Huey fur in places on me a Xebulin boy hasn’t even been.”
“Okay, okay! But hurry up because I smell like corn chips and Huey breath.” Huey bares his teeth again, protesting my still hands. “Ugh fine, but if you start shedding on me, I’m done.”
“My cycle is complete. You have nothing to fear.” I switch hands, the mark on my chest flaring, and Huey’s tail nudges my hand away. “You need not continue if it pains you. I was grateful to feel the pull of the Gloridian again last night and to know she eases the scream of your mark. I only wish I could do something for you in the daylight hours.”
“I know, it sucks. But I’ll be fine. It can’t last too much longer, right?” If I keep telling myself that, maybe I’ll believe it.
“That is a misconception, Beloved Xebulin.” Huey paws at my shirt, exposing the edges of my mark. “It still exhibits the early signs of breakdown. Something is feeding it, prolonging its life.”
My lungs tighten and tears burn my eyes. “What? No, that’s not possible. That would mean…” A stab of anxiety shortens my breath. Vrae.
Huey nudges my hand so we can connect, then helps to balance me out. Just at the mention of his name, the mark throbs harder. It hurts so much.
“I will speak to Te’Lara while you get ready for your outing. I suspect the creator of that mark has had a continued presence in your life rather than doing the honorable thing and maintaining a respectful distance. It is the relative closeness of your marks that keeps each one from progressing to death.”
“How cruel can he be? Leaving me with this mark and refusing to let it die so that I can get on with my life?”
“Even though I despise his cowardice, I cannot deny the power infused in your mark. Most sear the skin, then swell. Yours is etched in bone, Beloved Xebulin. He may not be aware his actions are worsening the ache, only that he is undeniably drawn to you.”
Still ashamed I could be that wrong about him, I scrub my hands over my eyes and let my anger do its thing.
“No, that’s a dang cop out. People who care about each other? They don’t hurt the other person this deep. And your argument doesn’t make sense anyway. If he’s that drawn to me, I’d feel him too, and I obviously don’t because I still don’t know who he is.”
“Another misconception, Beloved Xebulin.” Huey stands, disconnecting his regala and giving me a slobbery lick to my cheek before heading to the door. “It is the males of your race that feel the strongest connection to what you commonly think of as love, and the females who have to be won over. That is why the mark exists. It was originally created out of fear the female would forget the male, and his devotion sang so loudly to him, he demonstrated his love by leaving a part of himself with her so she could never forget.”
Huey’s words bounce around in my head like rocks in a dryer, destroying everything I thought I knew. What he just told me confuses me on so man
y levels. And despite my current distress over my mark, my mind instantly goes to thoughts of my mom. Not the woman who sold me to pay for her addiction, but the Xebulin female who birthed me.
Maybe my mother didn’t love my father. Could that be the reason she gave me away? From what I’ve seen, Xebulins aren’t really polyamorous. They seem to stick with just one mate. So what made her send me away?
Even more painful thoughts rise to the surface, and I choke back tears, again. What if she saw me and wasn’t convinced? Didn’t love me the way she felt she should, so she let me go and tried again? Is there some other girl out there living the life I should have had? With a mom and a dad in a place where she’s not constantly standing out in all the wrong ways?
I can’t think like that. It’s too much.
Getting up off the floor, I brush off as much Huey as I can and trudge over to the closet. Tia’s parents will be here soon, and I can’t lie, I’m nervous to meet them. She’s important to me, and the underlying anxiety and worry that they’ll treat me like some kind of social pariah because no one knows my Ink or who my parents are—or worse like an amusement, something to parade around—is getting the best of me.
I really need to suck it up and get on with it.
What I wear isn’t going to change their minds. They’re either going to love or hate me, and I just need to be ready for either option. Good or bad, I’m me and nothing’s going to change that. Well, except maybe a little lightning.
Snagging my favorite maroon sweater and the only pair of jeans my stipend has allowed, I grab fresh underwear and a bra, and stand awkwardly. The entire room is covered with Huey 1.0, and unless I want to get re-covered I need to stay still until Tia’s done.
Steam billowing behind her, Tia prances out of the bathroom in a towel, her purple skin tinged a light pink from scrubbing. “You’re turn, but hurry. It took me forever to get Huey’s hair out of my own, and we don’t have that long.”
“What did she say?” I ask, trying to peer over Tia’s shoulder as she locks the door to our room. She sent a few pics of the room to Te’Lara, begging her for help. We just have to get to her before she sees Huey. If he shows her our shenanigans, she’ll make us clean it ourselves and that would take forever.
