by Avery Rae
"It's okay. Just go."
Artos said nothing more. I swallowed over the hard lump in my throat as I listened to his retreating footsteps. I'd thought I was done making the same, stupid mistakes with men. I never anticipated the fact that I would find new ones to make.
Like letting myself get feelings for a stupid purple alien who didn't exactly keep it a secret that he slept around. Or how about thinking I could find a friend in another stupid purple alien who served the other stupid purple alien? Especially when they both planned on ripping freedom from my grasp. They weren't the stupid aliens.
I was.
6
I wasn't sure when I fell asleep but I awoke to Talys sitting at the edge of my bed, deep in thought. I watched him through eyes that were barely cracked open, peeking at him through my lashes. I couldn't be sure how long he'd been there but he didn't look very happy about it. Was he upset that I wasn't waiting for him in his bed when he came back? That I wasn't being a sucker still?
I was still questioning his motives when he suddenly got up and headed for my door. "I'm sorry, Vera."
"What're you doing in here?" If he was feeling bad for tossing me under the bus, I wanted to see if he'd be honest with me.
Although he was clearly surprised, he turned around with a smile at the ready and my furious little heart cried out in indignation. Don't try that on me, Talys.
"Did I wake you? I was just checking in to make sure you were doing alright. I was surprised you left my bed."
"What're you doing in here?" I repeated.
His brows drew together. "I just came to check on you."
"Why bother?" My voice was growing more terse. I didn't know what I was supposed to do anymore. How I was supposed to handle myself. I'd opened up to him, as much as I could in the little time I'd known him, and that blew up in my face. I simply knew I wanted him gone. I wanted all this to be done and over with.
"Did I upset you somehow?"
"Does it seem like you did?"
He turned back around and started toward me, but I sat up and held out a hand. "Don't. You don't need to be over here to talk to me."
"Are you going to talk, or remain infuriatingly cryptic?"
"Says the guy who can't even keep his personality straight from one second to the next."
Talys frowned. "Is your head alright? Should I get Artos? He's good with these sorts of things, so—"
"This isn't about my head, Talys." I tossed my hands up in the air and let out a heavy sigh. "This is about me and you, and whatever weird thing we've had going on."
"It's not that weird."
"It is. I don't know you. You don't know me." I narrowed my eyes. "I mean, I don't even know if you're trustworthy, do I?"
"What's this about?"
"It's about the fact that this isn't going to happen. Letting myself have even a little bit of feelings for someone like you is setting myself up for hurt. And yet, I'm drawn to your type like a moth to a blazing flame. It's so damn obvious I'm going to get burned, yet—"
"Where is this coming from?"
He started toward me again, and I shook my head.
"Don't. Just . . . forget all of this. Pretend I never existed and go on with your life." He planned on doing just that anyway. Now he had my blessing to shake off whatever weird, cabin fever-esque attraction he had for me.
"I thought I was starting to understand you." He spoke in a quiet voice. "I thought we'd come to an understanding of some kind."
"Yeah, well, it turns out we still see things very differently."
He ran a hand along his jaw, nodded, smiled wide, then left my room. Congratulations, Roxa, he's all yours. Until the next one comes along. Then the next one. I buried my face in my pillow, muffling something between a groan and a shout. When would I learn to stop falling for beautiful jerks that lied to my face?
7
I hadn't seen Talys in a long while. Maybe even a full day. I wasn't sure. I'd been sleeping, dreaming up another life, and flipping through Sera and the Space Pirates over and over again, barely reading a word.
Artos showed up at some point to drag me out of bed. He forced me to wash up and eat, or at least tried to make me eat. I was still sitting in the lounge, swirling some cold, vaguely melon-tasting soup—if I even really remembered the taste of melon, that was—around in a bowl.
"Eat it," Artos said with a sigh. "It's healthy."
The ivory-colored spoon clanked against the side of its matching bowl as I dropped it, looking up at Artos with a blank look. "What's the point?"
"You don't want to feel unwell when we reach Nexion 6, do you? We'll be arriving soon."
I lifted my head. "How soon?"
"You've got time to eat and get dressed with a little to spare."
"Get dressed?" My heart picked up speed. "Because I'm getting off the ship?"
"Talys told me he wants to take you out to see Nexion 6. I know that things are awkward between you two, but I figure it might be nice."
I wasn't sure exactly what Talys had planned. I just had to hope there would be a chance for me to sneak away, or run away. I was pretty sure that would make me a fugitive or something, but I didn't care. I had to at least try. So, even though my stomach was in knots, I tipped my bowl of weird soup back and drank the whole thing. I pushed away from the table and started for the door.
Artos tried to stop me, but refrained when he saw the tense look on my face. "Vera? You have that look again . . . what's wrong?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll be in the lounge waiting after I get dressed."
"Alright. If you need anything . . ."
I nodded, eyes flicking up to his. "Thanks, Artos, for always being so kind."
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "Of course. Cheer up, okay?"
Oh, I would cheer up. When Talys and his mind games were behind me.
It was time. We were descending into Nexion 6, and my heart was racing like mad. There had been a long line of ships waiting to dock on the burnt orange planet, hinting at just how popular a place it was. Somewhere a single human could get really lost, and fast.
The lounge's large window gave me a perfect view as we descended into the city. Although we were still high in the orange-tinged sky, wispy clouds floating lazily below us, we had to zig-zag our way through a sea of gold skyscrapers. They were all wide and softly rounded at the top with the sun glinting off their metallic surfaces. I tilted my head to the side and squinted at the buildings. They kind of reminded me of pickles. Golden pickles.
It'd been so long since I had pickled anything—the Korysti didn't seem to have the palate for it. Funnily enough, after spending ten years eating a whole lot of pickled and canned food on the ship, I'd sworn up and down I'd never want the stuff ever again.
Frankly, though, there's a lot I'd be willing to do to get my hands on a pickle—Oh! Or sauerkraut. Pickled radish. No, kimchi! My stomach grumbled and groaned at the thought. Loudly. I wrapped an arm around myself and squeezed. Hush.
I doubted I'd be able to find a tried and true cucumber pickle anywhere out here, but Nexion already had something I was very excited about. It'd been twelve long years since I'd felt the rays of a sun. Ten long years on a ship, then two more on a planet with no sun. I couldn't wait. The light was already playing over my skin, so pale in the rays of Nexion's sun that I hardly recognized it as my own.
I moved my eyes away from the sight outside the large window as the doors to the lounge slid open. Artos shuffled inside with Talys close behind him. Talys looked irritable, and Artos looked as if he'd rather be anywhere else. Did he find out what Talys was going to do to me? Or did he already know? Better question: When would I stop blindly trusting people who're nice to me?
I rolled my eyes at myself and turned my focus back to the window. As we descended below the fluffy clouds, someone sat in the armchair next to me. Talys, of course. I knew by the fragrance. That stupid, stupid fragrance I liked so much. I shifted in my seat, trying to put as much
distance between us as I could.
Talys sighed. "Is this how it's going to be? I'm not going to pretend I don't understand why you might dislike me, but can't we at least be civil?"
"Trust me, this is civil." I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Tell me, Talys, why do you suddenly want to show me Nexion? What happened to leaving me locked up on the ship?"
"Because I wanted to do something nice for you. Is that not going to work for you?"
"No, I think I'll stay here, in fact."
"Well, too bad, you can't."
"So, doing something nice for me is . . . forcing me to do something I don't want to do? Interesting."
"Vera . . ." There was a hint of something almost like hurt in his voice, but I wasn't going to be fooled. Not again.
"Save it."
To my surprise, Talys got up from his seat and went to the bar. I turned my attention back to the window, trying to ignore the weight resting in the center of my chest, slowly suffocating me. I'd really liked him. I let myself get manipulated yet again, and it hurt even worse because I'd kinda wanted it to be real. That other side of Talys I'd seen—the one that cared for me and paid an undoubtedly silly amount of money for graphic novels aimed at teenage girls, which he couldn't even read.
I stared hard out the window, trying to at least enjoy seeing my second alien planet ever. I had a feeling I wouldn't be here for long, which was a shame. Not just because I was losing what little bit of freedom I had, but because it looked pretty freaking cool.
All of the buildings were shades of gold and white, nearly blinding when the sun hit them just right, and the city was densely packed, buildings nestled alongside each other with winding streets all throughout. On its outskirts were what looked like endless dunes of burnt orange sand. It seemed like the sort of place where a city shouldn't exist, a sign of technology thwarting nature at every turn, and it was beautiful.
I could already imagine the streets packed with all sorts of aliens dressed in gauzy materials to combat the heat, basking in the sun as they strolled the manicured streets below. But my heart sank when I remembered I wouldn't be staying. Not for long, at least.
Artos cleared his throat. "Well, um, I'm going to go take control at the helm for landing."
I flicked my eyes toward him and nodded. Talys remained hunched over at the bar, muscles taut beneath his purple skin. I briefly wondered if maybe, just maybe, he was having regrets about deceiving me. But that wasn't reality, it was just what I wanted.
A few moments later, the ship's course began to alter, steering toward a domed white building that extended far out into the orange desert sands. Ships of all shapes and sizes flitted in and out of it in synchronized perfection. As our ship neared, a perfectly-sized hole appeared and zoomed right in—a little too fast judging by the sudden thunk of our landing.
The ship's speakers crackled to life. I expected to hear Artos apologizing, but instead it was an unfamiliar, feminine voice. "Welcome to Nexion 6. Please remember to bring all necessary documents with you to Customs and Immigration. Exceptions to documentation will only be made for those seeking safe haven. Please see an agent for more information. Thank you, and enjoy your stay."
The hole above us closed and it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darker interior. When they did, I let out a quiet gasp. This place was even bigger than I thought. We were settled among thousands of other ships and there were tons of aliens milling around, so diverse that I didn't see the same alien twice.
I was itching to get out and explore, but I knew that my freedom was forfeit the moment I got off this ship unless I managed to sprint like an athlete and beg for safe haven or whatever. Something told me Roxa would deal with that, though. She seemed pretty connected.
"Let's go."
I jumped as Talys seemed to materialize in front of me. I slowly looked up at him, a scowl in place, daring him to make me move. Unfortunately for me, Talys dared. He grabbed my arm and dragged me from my chair and out into the hallway.
I stumbled after him, cursing and grumbling. "Good to see the old Talys is back. I was getting real tired of the fakery."
He came to a sudden stop in the hallway and turned around to face me, expression hard. "What was fake, Vera? Was I fake when I put you to bed, freshly washed and clothed? When I gave you those books because I loved seeing how happy they made you? How about when I felt myself falling for you and, for once in my life, I let myself do just that? Without hesitation?"
Talys eyed me for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, that's right, you rejected me. I don't know about you, but that certainly felt real for me."
"You . . . what . . .?" If he was lying, he was incredibly convincing.
He touched a hand to the side of my face, brushing the backs of his fingers over my cheek. "Did you ever stop to think that there might be a reason why I'm the way I am? That maybe there's a reason I'm not good at this sort of thing?"
I frowned. "No, I hadn't."
Talys leaned forward, and I knew he was going to kiss me. A final goodbye, most likely. I told myself to pull away, but I couldn't. Even though I knew he had wronged me, I still wanted his kiss. I wanted it more than I'd ever admit out loud. My pulse picked up speed as his lips drew close to mine. I wet my own in anticipation, letting my eyes fall shut.
Before his lips met mine, the door to the side of us slid open. My eyes popped open just in time to see Artos rushing down the hallway toward us, face pale, his glowing eyes dim with worry.
"Talys, we have company." He came to a stop in front of us and cursed at the sight of the open door. "Which you might have already noticed."
Talys was staring outside the ship with a look of confusion. I followed his gaze and jolted at the sight of five people standing at the base of the ship's offramp. In the very front was a face that I recognized, and my stomach sank.
"Roxa?" Talys asked with a frown. "What're you doing here?"
I wanted to laugh. No wonder I hadn't seen through him. He was quite the actor. I almost believed for a second he was shocked to see her here. He even watched in stunned silence as she and the four official looking men and women in uniform—with the same dark red skin as hers—walked up the ramp.
"Ambassador Talys Verathel," Roxa greeted with a smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again. We're always happy to host visitors from Korystus. Unfortunately, we detected an undocumented rider on your ship during your descent. We request all riders be documented prior to arrival. I'm sure you understand that, per protocols established by the government of the Nexion planets, we must seize this . . ." Her eyes slid over to me, her smile turning sly. ". . . human, correct?"
"Correct," I replied sourly. I couldn't believe my luck, or how well Talys had planned this. This ruined any chances of running for it. If this was my fate, though, then so be it.
"Roxa," Talys said through gritted teeth, "I'm fairly certain if you check your records, you'll see that this human has been documented."
She fluttered her long lashes at him, only barely masking an irritated look. "Ambassador, are you doubting my competency as a customs agent?"
I watched the back and forth with a hint of confusion. What was this show they were putting on? I wished I had stayed to listen to the rest of the conversation, so I'd know what was going on. I mean, I was screwed either way, right? It'd be nice to at least have some idea of what was going on.
"You're right, I apologize," he said in a flat voice.
A victorious smile blazed across Roxa's expression. "I'll bring the details to you once we've sorted things out. Will you be staying at your usual lodgings?"
Talys looked over at me and I made a face. Why did he think I would care? His brow furrowed, then he brought his focus back to Roxa. "Yes, I will be."
"Good, I'll be there to see you in a few hours."
I told myself I didn't care. Over and over again. So why did it feel like someone had clenched their hand around my heart and started to squeeze? I didn't have long to wonder because Roxa clapped her
hands together and the uniformed people began to move. Two of them flanked my sides, each grabbing an arm, and the other two placed themselves in front and behind me.
"I didn't realize I was so dangerous," I grumbled.
Roxa looked over the shoulder of the person in front of me. "Danger comes in many forms. We don't take risks."
"Yeah, because forging paperwork isn't risky," I said with a snort.
The hands around my arm tightened, each of the four officers glaring at me.
"How dare you accuse her of such treason?" one of the men seethed.
I shrugged as well as I could, considering the vice-like grips around my arms. "You should ask Roxa that."
"Vera—" Talys began, but I cut him off.
"Don't worry about it, Talys. I already know. I overheard your conversation."
"You did?"
"Yep." It was almost a relief that he didn't try to deny it. It made things a lot easier. "Let's get moving, Roxa."
Her white brows rose high on her forehead. "Yes, let's."
Neither Talys nor Artos said another word as I was led off the ship and into a waiting sphere-shaped vehicle, which was hovering above a glowing white line in the floor. Roxa and I got into it alone, the sphere swaying slightly as we took our seats across from each other. It made me a little nauseous.
"No guards?"
"Guards?" She laughed. "This isn't Korystus. Besides, if you tried anything, you wouldn't make it far. Plus, it sounds as if you already know what's going on."
"I sure do."
"Good," she replied.
"Yeah, good."
I folded my arms and observed Roxa with a scowl. Her legs were long and perfect, just like I'd imagined. I hadn't expected the bare, camel-esque feet, but they worked for her. She even had delicate golden anklets with glimmering black jewels wrapped around each of them.
Seeing me staring, she sniffed indignantly. "What? Have you never seen feet before?"
"Not like yours."
"You humans are so strange. I've heard you were quite isolated in your part of the universe, so I'm sure that explains some of your . . . eccentricities."
