by Shea Malloy
“Liars! Both of you!” he spat, grabbing his laser gun from its holster and firing it with lightning speed. Jonnar swept the two Muridians away with a flick of wrist, but not before the laser blast skimmed his arm.
The scent of burnt material and seared flesh reached Jonnar’s nose as he spun and ran for the ramp. A powerful force yanked him backward violently and he fell on the dusty ground on his stomach with a grunt as the breath got knocked out of him.
Kess tried to bind Jonnar’s wrists together telekinetically, dragging him away from the ramp. The pain in Jonnar’s shoulder bloomed alive as he fought against the invisible hold. Dusty sweat oozed down his face in rivulets as he panted, struggling to his knees. He pushed against Kess’ power with his own until he was abruptly freed when Kess let out a snarl of pain.
Jonnar’s heartbeat thudded hard in his chest and loud in his ears as he ducked and rolled to avoid a flurry of laser blasts. He retrieved his gun, firing a few shots at the Muridian, who was standing over a motionless Kess.
The Muridian howled and slumped to the ground as the other two came at Jonnar with laser guns ablaze. The fog was nearly upon them now, bringing with it a thick, sulfurous scent that choked Jonnar and weakened his concentration.
He pushed the Muridians back, but he was becoming dizzy. The attempt was not at full strength so they were on their feet and coming at him again.
He had to run. As much as he longed to end the Muridians’ lives with a laser blast to their heads, he had to get that ramp up before whatever this fog contained flooded the ship and affected Jillian too.
“Filthy Dava scum!” screeched Zoraf, heaving as he shot at Jonnar. Then an earthquake rumbled into existence, the force of it unlike anything they’d experienced. It knocked them all to the floor, the snapping, cracking sounds of Pheor’s ground splintering deafening him.
Jonnar stood, fighting to keep steady as the ground rolled and shifted beneath his feet. He was ready to flee to the ship when he glanced back at Kess’ prone form on the ground. Was he still alive? Jonnar swore beneath his breath as he reached for the man with his invisible grip and tugged him along.
He heard a loud crack, then the subsequent sounds of the Muridians’ horrified cries. He didn’t look back. Perhaps they’d fallen into one of the cracks. He would never know, but, vindictively, he would be forever satisfied they’d met the end they deserved.
Jonnar kept his body low as he hurried toward the ship.
“Hurry, Jonnar!” Jillian urged. Her pretty face a mask of worry, she stood at the mouth of the ramp and clung to one wall of the ship to keep her balance.
“Stay back! The air is dangerous.”
He surged up the ramp into the ship, slapping his palm over the lock pad as soon as Kess’ body was through.
“Is he dead?” Jillian asked in alarm, her eyes widening at the stab wound in Kess’ stomach. There was one on his back too. The vicious Muridian had wanted to make sure his target was completely poisoned and unlikely to recover.
“I don’t know,” Jonnar said, stalking toward the infirmary. She hurried alongside him, dragging her hands against the walls of the ship as it rocked with the earthquake. “I can’t risk putting him in the regenerative pod as our launch will not be stable. I will put him in stasis.” He glanced at her. “You must go in stasis too.”
Her gaze snapped to meet his. “Why? I want to be out here with you!”
“You cannot. The wormhole might harm you even though you have been exposed to its effect in the past.”
“And what about you? Will you be okay?” She looked unhappy. “You better not go anywhere while I’m asleep.”
Jonnar gave her a small smile. “I won’t. All will be well.”
In the infirmary, Jonnar worked quickly to place Kess in one of the three available stasis pods. As he helped Jillian into another, she wrapped her hands around his neck in a quick embrace and kissed him.
“Fly us home, General,” she said softly.
He nodded silently, wishing he could hold her against him longer. But he sealed her into the stasis pod and hurried to the bridge.
There was no time for systems checks or the usual pre-flight routines. He powered on the ship and set about for launch. Various warnings flashed on his screen. Stabilizer crooked, a thruster piston misaligned, a breach in the hull he’d not discovered in his inspection. All somewhat concerning but bearable.
The earthquake had intensified, physically rocking the ship. A series of explosions boomed above the earsplitting rumble, the force of it vibrating the ship violently and jarring his bones.
Hand tight on the controls, Jonnar guided the ship airborne. He flew free of the thick fog obscuring his viewport and set his sight on that bright spot of red visible in the soot-coloured sky.
His heart slamming in his chest, he ignored the explosions behind him, ignored the fingers of extreme heat that reached for him, ignored the luminescent swell of white light that chased him.
He left death behind and pushed the ship toward the wormhole.
Toward life.
Toward home.
13
Jillian
—
Footsteps padded closer, clothing swishing against skin.
The bed dipped as someone sat on it, and a gentle hand caressed her forehead and her face. Jillian squirmed toward the touch. Then she blinked her eyes open to find Megan smiling down at her.
“Morning, sunshine.”
“Megan?” Jillian’s eyes widened and she struggled to sit up.
“Easy, Jillybean,” said Megan, helping her.
Jillian wrapped Megan in a tight embrace. She pressed her face against her sister’s neck and breathed in Megan’s sweet, floral scent. Relief overwhelmed her to the point of tears. Murmuring soft words of comfort, Megan rubbed Jillian’s back until she was soothed into tiny sniffles.
“I worried I’d never see you again,” Megan said, her voice thick. She squeezed Jillian tight before pulling away, her hands still clutching Jillian’s arms. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears as she let out a little laugh. “Mikaal had to lock me up in our room because I kept trying to sneak onto the search party ships.”
Jillian chuckled then sniffled. She wiped at her wet cheeks and scanned the room quickly. She noted the pale blue walls and spotless white tiles on the floor. An antiseptic odour permeated the air and she had the sense she was in a hospital.
Megan got up and poured a glass of water from a jug perched on the bedside table. Jillian took the glass gratefully, slurping down the delicious liquid in seconds. God, she’d forgotten how good it could taste. The water on the ship hadn’t been the freshest.
“God, Megan. It was horrible.” Jillian trembled as she remembered the ordeal of being stranded on a planet that wanted them dead. “It felt like Murphy’s Law was beating us over the head with a rolling pin and—” She cut off her words, her anxiety renewed. “Is Jonnar okay? Is he hurt?”
Megan patted her hand. “He’s a little battered and bruised like you, but he’s doing well. He’s updating Mikaal on what happened.” She took the empty glass from Jillian and returned to the bed with a knowing smile on her lips. “You were only gone for ten days, you know.”
“Really? It felt like years.”
Megan smirked. “I guess that’s why you finally decided to sleep with Jonnar. All those nos before you left quickly became yesses.”
Jillian blushed. “Why would you assume that?”
“Well, you’re pregnant, silly. Jonnar told us about what happened with the wormhole and Elder Olin’s death.”
“Exactly. So you know how this baby was made,” Jillian said, the heat in her face intensifying. “That doesn’t mean we had sex.”
Megan reached up to push Jillian’s hair from her face in a sisterly sign of affection.
“You were never very good at hiding things, Jillybean,” Megan teased. “Plus, I’ll let you in on a little secret—Dava males? They get real handsy and possessive over their baby’s mother. You’re telling
me you were able to resist a hot, rugged soldier you’re pregnant by while you were stranded on a lonely planet? Oh, yeah. You two totally banged.”
Jillian covered her face.
“Ugh! Megan, you suck. I hate you.”
Megan chuckled. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
Jillian glared. “Did Mikaal give you alien mind-reading powers or something?”
“Just because you’re the older sister doesn’t mean you’re the wiser one,” said Megan. “What are you gonna do? If you say you’ll stay on Omaron, I will die of happiness.”
“I don’t know.” Jillian sighed. “I don’t think Jonnar’s interested in anything serious. And that’s fine. We don’t have to be together to raise a kid together.” She bit her lip, swallowing the disappointment lodged in her throat.
“You’re good at that, Jillian,” Megan said, her features sombre. “You expect the worst because you’re too afraid to have your hopes crushed. And I get why you’re like that. I understand what you went through with Chris, and the babies would have been a difficult experience.”
Megan clasped Jillian’s hands in hers, her warmth enveloping Jillian’s cool fingers.
“But you have to let all that baggage go at some point, Jillybean,” she continued, her voice reassuring. “It’s holding you back from your happiness. If you want something, allow yourself the hope and the excitement of getting it. Without the hope, you’ll stand back and let the thing you want pass you by. But with it you’ll fight and you’ll win.” She grinned. “Because you’re stubborn as fuck.”
Jillian laughed as she blinked back the fresh tears forming in her eyes.
“When did you become such an awesome motivational speaker?”
Megan’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she shrugged.
“I dunno. Maybe when I became the queen of an entire fricking planet.”
—
Jillian remained in the palace hospital for a day before the Lutvian medic, Zezvar, deemed her well enough to be moved to her old room in the palace.
The cold she’d acquired on Pheor was fading and the medic assured her the baby was healthy.
Every so often, a wave of relief and awe hit her that the ordeal on Pheor had ended. At Jillian’s request, Megan learned and updated her Kess was alive but badly injured. His recovery would take time but he would live. It didn’t completely surprise Jillian to learn Kess was not a pirate as he’d portrayed himself.
“Mikaal says they tracked his identity,” said Megan, as Jillian played with Kelan. “He’s the commander for an elite division of the Union Police.”
“You’re joking.” Jillian shook her head. “So why would he be friends with the bad guys?”
Megan shrugged. “Maybe an undercover mission? Or he went rogue.”
Jillian nodded. “And what about that guy who attacked us? Did you find out why he did it?”
Megan’s upper lip curled with hatred.
“That asshole, Varrack. Mikaal’s investigating how he escaped prison. He says the attack was probably Varrack’s desperate attempt at revenge against him.”
Jillian sighed. “And here I thought being related to royalty was nothing but smooth sailing to riches.”
Megan grinned. “Well, it sort of is since you’re expanding your interior design here. Who’s gonna say no to the queen’s sister?”
A few more days went by and Jonnar had yet to visit her. At first she was worried by his absence. It was strange not having his presence near. On Pheor, she saw him constantly and now… not at all. Then worry gradually transformed into anger and hurt. Was he distancing himself from her already now they were on Omaron? Was this his silent way of conveying his true feelings—that he didn’t care for her the way she did for him?
Jillian tried not to jump to conclusions, but her mind made leaps and bounds anyway. After a walk through the gardens with Megan and Kelan, Jillian returned to one of the half-circle benches facing a large fountain. She stared into the pool of gurgling crystal-clear water as her mind travelled to the past moments of passion in Jonnar’s arms.
She blew out a frustrated breath and turned her face up to the sun. She closed her eyes and let the warmth clear her mind, grateful this kind of heat was bearable unlike what she faced on Pheor.
A presence nearby prickled her skin, footsteps drawing her attention.
Jonnar approached, coming to a stop before her. She inclined her head to meet his gaze, her heart speeding up at the sight of him. He no longer wore his flight suit, but the navy-blue jacket over dark pants he favoured. He’d shaved and cut his hair and brought with him that familiar woodsy scent mixed with lavender.
He was achingly handsome. The sight of him after not seeing him at all for so long felt like coming home to her apartment after a long day of work. Relief, comfort, rightness. Her desire for him sprang to life like a lit match encountering gasoline and she barely restrained herself from launching to her feet and flinging herself at him.
God, she was hopeless. She was supposed to be angry at him, dammit!
“I have a story to tell you,” Jonnar said, his eyes dark. “Would you like to hear it?”
Jillian licked her lower lip, eyeing him cautiously.
“Yes.”
“My mother was terminally ill when I was a boy. My father devoted his life to any substance abuse he could find, so I spent most of my childhood nursing her.” His hands balled into fists at his sides and he inhaled deeply as he looked away from her. Jillian sat up straighter, held in the grip of curiosity and his intense gaze as he faced her again. “One day, I found my father strangling my mother to death. In the attempt to save her, I killed him.”
Shock and remorse coursed through Jillian. She pushed to her feet and touched Jonnar’s arm reassuringly.
“Jonnar, you didn’t—it wasn’t intentional. I’m sure you didn’t mean for that to happen. You were trying to protect her.”
He remained tense beneath her touch, his gaze boring into hers.
“And I failed. She died.” His voice became harsh. “The first blow to his head killed him. The others I inflicted were unnecessary.” He covered her hand with his. “I murdered my father, Jillian. I murdered my kin. And it was only by the grace of Mikaal’s father that I was saved from execution.”
Jillian curled her fingers into his jacket and stepped closer to him, their faces inches apart.
“Why have you decided to tell me this?” she asked softly.
He dropped his hands to her waist, pulling her against him.
“Because I love you, sukaya. I want you and our child more than anything else in this universe. But I’ve lived a life of violence. I am darkness and I don’t deserve your light.”
“You deserve me,” she said, caressing his face. Her heart threatened to explode from her chest after his admission he loved and wanted her. “You’re not darkness. You’re my protector.” She brought his hand to her stomach. “Our protector.” She smiled up at him. “I love you and want you because I deserve you too.”
His blue-violet eyes darkened with desire and satisfaction.
“You will stay and be mine,” he said against her lips. It wasn’t a question, but she answered him anyway. When he claimed her mouth in a hungry kiss, Jillian wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself to him completely.
14
Epilogue
—
Several months later, despite Jillian’s earlier beliefs, she became a mother to healthy baby Tamiah.
“Holy cow, my ovaries!” exclaimed Megan as she peered down at the tiny, sleeping bundle in Jillian’s arms. “She’s so cute! She’s gonna be a heartbreaker when she grows up.”
Jillian laughed but Jonnar scowled at the thought. He’d been watching the sisters in amusement, but the idea of any male getting near his daughter brought on an irrational outrage in him. He had put his days of violence behind him. But he wouldn’t have to dig deep for the blood lust if a male so much as dared look at his daughter.
&nb
sp; The third sister, Karen, and Jillian’s mother entered the room.
“God, even aliens can be total jackasses,” Karen said in a huff. The youngest of the three, she had an extra bit of fire than her sisters. She least resembled her sisters too, with her hair the colour of burnt gold and her eyes more grey than blue. “I just met the rudest guy ever. Which sucks because he’s actually kinda hot.”
Jillian waved her hand. “Yeah, well, forget him. Come check out my baby.” She smiled at Jonnar. “Our baby.”
Jonnar returned the smile, his love for her stronger than ever.
Before long, Jillian’s family left. Perched on the edge of a chair, Jonnar and Jillian sat in intimate and content silence. A chaotic mix of awe, happiness, pride, and terror filled him as he watched Tamiah shift her tiny arms against her mother’s breasts. It amazed him how much could change in a person’s life in a short span of time. Mere months ago, he was single, a leader of an army. Now he was a husband, following his dream career.
And a father.
“She’s so beautiful,” Jillian whispered, smoothing a finger over Tamiah’s tiny forehead. Her jubilant mood from earlier had evaporated. Now she looked just as shocked and terrified as he. “I can’t believe we made this gorgeous little thing.” Jillian looked up at him. “Oh my God, Jonnar. We absolutely can’t fuck this up.” Then she bit her lips together, her bright blue eyes widening. “Oh no! I’m already doing it!”
Jonnar laughed and caressed her thigh over the bed sheet reassuringly.
“She will be fine, my filthy-mouthed one,” he said. “We will be the best. We will not fail.”
“There’s the infamous arrogance again,” she teased.
She handed Tamiah to him. Jonnar held his daughter in his arms, the love for her filling him despite feeling like an awkward giant cuddling a kitten. Then he placed Tamiah in her basin and sat on the bed beside Jillian.
He cupped her face and she smiled at him, covering his hand with hers. Not for the first time, he was overwhelmed by her beauty and how happy she made him. They’d encountered so many hardships in Pheor, and during that time, this amazing human woman had claimed his heart entirely.
