by Cheree Alsop
Girl from the Stars
Book 5
Day’s Hunt
By Cheree L. Alsop
Day’s Hunt
By Cheree Alsop
Copyright 2016 by Cheree Alsop
Smashwords Edition
Cover Design by Andy Hair
Editing by Sue Player
www.chereealsop.com
To my children,
Myree, Aiden, and Ashton,
May you always keep the sense of wonder
That comes from looking at the stars.
To my husband, Michael,
I am so happy I get to explore
The Universe with you at my side.
The key to understanding the Macrocosm is first to know your own heart.
Chapter 1
Liora’s lungs burned and she struggled, but there wasn’t any oxygen to be had. She couldn’t fight the Creetians in the depths of the ocean. The breather was on the ocean floor and the last of the air had escaped her. Arms held her in an iron grip as the three men waited for her to drown.
Breathe.
I can’t, Liora replied.
Breathe, the voice of the silver-haired woman said again.
Give up, darling. It’s much easier that way, the dark voice said.
Though it didn’t make any sense at all, if there was a chance, no matter what in the Macrocosm it could possibly be, Liora wasn’t about to let the dark voice win. She pooled whatever life she had left in the still vessel that was her body and closed her mouth. With the last vestige of a heartbeat, Liora breathed in.
Slits opened on the sides of her throat and oxygen filled her lungs.
Liora’s eyes flew open and she took another breath. She flung her arms to each side, breaking the hold the red-haired Creetian had on her. She met the wide eyes of the other two.
“What is she?” the big Creetian asked his companion. Terror filled his gaze.
“I have no idea,” the first said, swimming backwards. “We need to get out of here.”
Liora found the breather on the ocean floor. When she lifted it up, she stared at her hand. Purple webbing filled the space between her fingers. It was dark, almost black, and made a startling contrast to her pale skin. She turned her hand over and stared at the way it pulled through the water.
With shaking fingers, Liora lifted her hand to the side of her neck. Her fingers found the gills that had not been there before. They opened and closed with each breath, filtering the oxygen from the water and filling her lungs just as smoothly as if she breathed in the air above.
Liora put the breather over her nose and mouth. She drew in a breath and felt her neck tighten. A touch to her skin revealed that the gills that had been there just a moment before were gone.
“What am I?” she asked aloud and to the voices in her head.
The only sound that answered was the beating of her heart.
Liora swam slowly back up the side of the coral building. She could see the Creetians inside wandering through the halls and rooms within the glass. Other Creetians left the buildings around her and swam through the huge city of Ries.
Liora had begun to worry that she had forgotten which room was hers when she saw the glint of the purple gem in the hilt of the knife Tariq had given her. The fact that he was yet again the reason she found herself held her.
“Tariq, what am I going to do without you?” she asked.
Liora hesitated before the window, grateful for the water that hid her tears. She had to be done crying sometime, but the way her heart hurt said she wasn’t anywhere near ready to let go.
She put her hand to the window and the glass opened. It amazed her how the luminescent water stayed where it was even with the glass gone. She pulled herself through the window and sat on the couch beneath it. Passing from the water into the room had also dried her Ventican clothing. The stitches along the back of her shirt were a reminder of the claws from the creatures in the dome where Tariq had died. Her back still ached from the skin that had been burned to cauterize it before she bled to death. Liora welcomed the pain to chase away thoughts of Tariq.
Footsteps sounded followed by a knock at the door. Liora rose and crossed to it, expecting her brother and Malie, the Creetian who was quickly winning Brandis’ heart.
Instead, when the door slid aside, Liora found herself face to face with Devren.
She took a step back.
“Devren,” she said, her voice catching in her surprise.
Devren looked at the ground, his dark gaze filled with regret.
“Liora, I’m sorry.”
Liora shook her head. It took a moment for the words to come to her, and when they did, she couldn’t hold back the anger that filled her voice.
“It’s been a month, Dev.” The lump in her throat made it hard to talk. “I told you about Tariq’s death a month ago, and you disappeared.”
“I know,” he said without looking at her. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No.” Liora’s hands clenched into fists. It took all of her self-control to keep from hitting him. “No, you shouldn’t have. You were the only one….” She swallowed and her words were stronger when she continued, “The only one who understood Tariq, who knew what was lost the day he was killed. Who knew what I lost.”
Devren looked up at her. “I know, Liora.”
He reached out a hand to her as if to offer comfort.
Liora shook her head. “You don’t get to do that, Devren. You don’t get to show up here and pretend like you’re a good friend. That ship left a long time ago.”
Devren lowered his hand and clasped it behind his back. His jaw tightened as though he held in something he wanted to say.
Liora turned away from him. Her gaze fell on the knife resting on the couch. It was too late to put it away, yet its presence reminded her of Devren’s kindness and support of her relationship with Tariq. The day Tariq bought the knife for her was the day Devren found out about how his best friend felt. He had been so supportive; guilt filled Liora for the way she had spoken to him.
“I didn’t come here on my own account.”
Liora glanced behind her to see Devren looking out the window past her shoulder instead of at her. His expression appeared carefully emotionless and the words sounded cold.
His entire demeanor rubbed her wrong.
“Then why did you come?” Liora snapped.
Devren’s gaze flickered to her, then back to the window.
“Your father asked me to bring you home.”
She was caught off guard. “He approved of Brandis and me coming here. We’ve only been on Cree a week. Why would he change his mind now?”
“He didn’t mention Brandis,” Devren replied. “He only said that he had something he needed to discuss with you and it had to be done in person.”
Liora couldn’t deny her father’s request, but the thought of returning to Corian made her chest tighten. She didn’t want to face the crew of the SS Kratos or Devren’s family. Answering questions about Tariq was far beyond what she felt ready for. But she knew her father wouldn’t ask if there wasn’t a good reason.
“I’ll let Brandis know,” she said, her words quiet.
Devren nodded and turned toward the door. He was about to leave, but hesitated in the doorway.
“I should have come when you told me,” he said.
When she didn’t respond, he left and the door slid shut. Liora listened to his footsteps fade away. She picked up the knife on the couch and ran a finger over the sunburst on the blade. Her touch lingered on the purple gem. She couldn’t say why the knife had caught her eye on Brandis’ ship. Tariq hadn’t asked.
In her
memory, Tariq ran his fingers over the purple stone in the hilt. “I have never seen you want anything,” he told her. “You fight for everyone else, you do whatever you need to, but you never ask for anything in return.” He held the knife out to her. “You deserve this.”
Liora picked it up by the handle and gripped it so hard she felt it biting into her skin. She shoved the knife into her sheath and left her room, her head whirling from everything that had happened in the last hour.
Liora debated whether to tell Brandis what had happened in the water. She didn’t know how to describe it. The way she had choked, sure she was about to die, and then breath filled her lungs and she became an entity of the water. It was a strange feeling, to be so at home in the liquid of Cree’s ocean. The way the Creetians had looked at her when they swam away echoed in her heart. She didn’t know what she was or who to talk to about it. Where would she even begin?
When she lifted a hand to Brandis’ door, it flew open.
“Oh, thank goodness,” he said with a relieved look on his face. “One of Malie’s cousins said they saw you captured by some of the Rielocks from the lower depths. They looked like they meant trouble. Her mother sent out guards to search for you.” He shook his head. “Liora, I’m going crazy here. Her family is all over me about a proposal and—”
Liora cut him off. “A proposal?” Thoughts about what she wanted to talk to him about fled at his words. “What proposal?”
Brandis lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “They want me to propose to Malie.”
Liora stared at him. “Brandis, you just met her.”
“Not just,” Brandis replied. “It’s been over a month.”
Liora was about to protest, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand.
“That’s beside the point. I’m not ready to get married yet, or engaged, for that matter, but I do like Malie.” His features softened and when he smiled, it filled his dark eyes. “I like her a lot. I think I might even love her.”
Liora’s heart ached at the words. She forced her emotions aside, reminding herself that her brother was spilling his feelings to her and she wasn’t supposed to change the topic to be about herself.
“So what are you going to do?” she asked.
Brandis shook his head. “I have no idea. I need time to think, which would be much easier with space from Malie’s family.”
“You can’t help that they like you so much. You saved their daughter’s life,” Liora pointed out.
“Actually, you saved their daughter’s life,” Brandis reminded her. “You’re lucky they’re not trying to set you up with someone.”
Liora shied away from the thought. “Thank goodness for that. You’ll figure it out; just don’t rush into things.”
“I won’t,” Brandis replied. He paused, then said, “I just realized I never asked why you came to my door. For that matter, we’re still talking in the hallway. Come inside. I can at least be hospitable in the middle of my emotional crisis.” He gave her a worried look. “Are guys even supposed to have emotional crises?”
A ghost of a smile touched Liora’s lips. “Don’t ask me.”
Brandis gave a huff of laughter as he led the way into his quarters. “That’s right. You grew up Damaclan. I think the answer for that race when they get emotional is to hit things.”
“It helps,” Liora replied.
Brandis shook his head and motioned for her to take a seat. “So, why are you here?”
Liora didn’t know how to tell him she was leaving. It was obvious by his outburst that he needed someone to rely on who wasn’t directly related to Malie’s family, or Cree for that matter.
At her hesitation, Brandis gave her an encouraging smile. “Come on. It can’t be that bad.”
“I need to leave Cree.”
Brandis’ eyebrows rose. “Why? It’s wonderful here, besides the screeching.”
“Dad sent Devren to bring me back to Corian. He wants to talk about something and didn’t trust it to communicators.” Liora watched him closely, worried about how he would take it.
To her surprise, a huge smile filled Brandis’ face. “That’s wonderful!”
“Um, it is?” Liora replied. She didn’t think her brother disliked her company that badly.
She was about to ask him about it when he continued, “I can go back to Corian with you! I feel so claustrophobic here. It’s like I can’t even go outside without getting wet, and I’m not good at the breathers. I feel like I’m going to do it wrong and drown. Do you know what I mean?”
Liora knew exactly what he meant and more, but she refrained from saying so. She merely nodded.
Brandis took that as acceptance. “So we agree! I’m getting out of here, finally. A week’s been more than enough.”
“Is Malie going to be alright with it?” Liora asked.
“I’ll bring her with us,” Brandis replied. “She said she’d like to see Corian, and we’ll be back. It’s not like my father has a shortage of starships we can borrow.”
“He might not be thrilled about the number of Nines we lost surviving the trip to the Dreyer Galaxy,” Liora replied. She tried to keep her tone light. “We might be grounded.”
The thought brought a laugh out of Brandis. “Grounded. That’d be hilarious. I want to see Dad ground his Damaclan daughter. It’d make my day.”
Liora crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Brandis raised his hands. “Okay, just kidding. Really, I think he’s just thrilled we made it to Cree. He’s not going to mind if I show up back home with you, and I’d like to introduce him to Malie face to face.”
The enthusiasm that filled Brandis’ gaze was impossible to deny. Liora couldn’t argue against the thought of bringing someone with her to act as a barrier against Devren. The thought of the trip home at his side hadn’t been a pleasant one.
“How long do you think you’d need to leave Cree?”
“Two days,” Brandis replied. “Do you mind waiting that long?”
Liora shook her head. Trepidation lingered in the back of her mind at the thought that whatever her father needed to talk about, it had to be in person. Also, there was the Kratos crew and Devren’s family; both would no doubt have questions about Tariq’s death, questions she didn’t want to think about. She didn’t mind putting off returning to Corian for another two days.
That night, nightmares swarmed Liora. She heard the conversation with the evil one again. It played over and over in her mind, tangling around her while she struggled on the bed and gasped for air, caught in the memory of drowning when the Rielocks stole her breather. They waited for her to die, and the evil one taunted her thoughts. It was a vicious, endless cycle.
Die, little Damaclan. Just let go. Run away. Leave this Macrocosm to those who know what to do with it.
Liora’s heart stuttered and her breath caught. She pushed, daring to use what little strength she had as she struggled not to suck in a breath.
Who are you?
Laughter filled her mind. It was dark and she felt tainted for feeling it.
You’re so busy fighting mere insects that you don’t know who the real enemy is. Go to sleep, Liora, darling. Let go of the pain. Forget about love and loss, put away memory and what you thought was joy. Clear the way for me, for with you gone there is no one else to bar the way.
An image flashed in her mind. It showed planets being blasted apart, galaxies filled with exploding stars. The screams of trillions filled her thoughts with deafening terror.
Give in, Liora. You’ve been through too much. Follow your love to the beyond. Let the Macrocosm fend for itself. Let go, weary warrior. Give up.
The voice was filled with sarcastic tenderness. The words taunted her, mocking her weakness, knowing how close she was to slipping away.
I won’t, she replied.
The humor in the voice deepened and carried with it a challenge.
You think you can survive this? I’ve seen less than this take far stronger warriors than y
ou. Your mother, for example.
That caught Liora’s attention.
You know nothing about my mother, she shot back.
Did she tell you about your abilities? Did she warn you about the consequences of unbalancing the Cosmos? Liora, dear, your birth caused far more than Obruo’s justified hatred. You made a rift, a stone dropped in a pond, a pillar, rocks on one end and the other in the air. The balance must be attained.
I don’t have that impact on the Macrocosm, Liora said. She could feel her thoughts blurring.
Tell yourself that, innocent girl. Give up now and fade away in naive belief if it makes things easier on you.
He was mocking her again. He was egging her on, making her use her precious strength.
Liora was done with games.
I will find you, she vowed. I will find you and I will stop you.
His laughter filled her mind again. I will be waiting.
Liora awoke sweating and gripping the knife Tariq had given her. She had to stop the evil one; the problem was that she had no idea where to even start.
Chapter 2
Liora avoided anywhere she might run into Devren for the next two days. She carried her food back to her room, dining on the roasted fish, seaweed, and assortment of tentacles in a variety of sauces that made them at least palatable. While she didn’t mind food from the Creetian oceans, she found herself missing simple dishes like braised pulon, tarlon eggs, or some of Jarston’s steamed manikoma in nukmuk sauce. The thought of the cook from the S.S. Kratos filled her with an ache of homesickness. She missed the crew as though they were family, yet she didn’t feel prepared to see them again.
The evening before they were going to leave, Liora had another knock on her door. She set aside the braised floundit wrapped in blue scales that had been steamed until only slightly crunchy. Making sure her knives were in their sheaths, Liora walked to the door.
Devren stood there, his lips pressed together in a tight line and hands held awkwardly at his sides as though he didn’t know what to do with them.
