by Karen Kelley
“Ron!”
“There’s a horse in our living room,” her father said. “What have you done with our daughter?”
Ria blinked several times. Again, she felt as though she looked through someone else’s eyes and, in fact, she did. She raised her head and whinnied.
“He’s a magician,” her mother said, then laughed, but it came out weak at best. “You’re a very good one, Kris, but I have to ask you not to bring animals into my house.”
“This is Ria,” he said. “We are a race of shapeshifting aliens.”
“This is not my daughter!” Ron exploded.
Ria walked over to her parents, then nuzzled her mother’s arm.
Her mother leaned closer, staring into the eyes of the horse. “Ria? Is that you in there?”
“Helloooo…” The front door opened and her mother’s best friend, Vickie Jo, walked inside carrying a plate of cookies. “I had the urge to bake and thought you would help me eat a few—” She stumbled to a stop, the plate tilting, and a couple of the cookies toppled to the floor. “You have a horse in your living room. Why is there a horse in your living room, Maggie?” She took a step back.
“No, it is only Ria,” Kristor told her. “She has shifted into a horse.”
“Ria?” Vickie Jo looked around the room. The plate crashed to the floor right before she ran out the door and across the yard, her arms flapping as if she would take off in flight at any second.
Oh, hell, Ria thought. Vickie Jo might be her mother’s best friend but she was also Tilly the dispatcher’s friend, too. There was no telling what would be all over town by this afternoon.
You could’ve been a hawk, Shintara’s thoughts filled her. It would’ve been easy saying it had flown in through the back door. But no, you had to be a horse.
Shut up! I certainly don’t need your help right now.
I was only stating facts.
Ria closed her eyes and thought about being herself again. The burning began to churn inside her. She went to the floor as hooves became legs and arms. The fog rolled in. She couldn’t see. Voices became distant.
The throw on the sofa was gently placed around her and someone picked her up. She blinked, then looked up. Kristor, of course.
“Ria?” her mother tentatively spoke.
“I’m okay, Mom. Just a little woozy.”
“Your clothes are on the floor.”
And a little bit naked. Thank goodness Kristor had grabbed the throw. She glanced at her father. He looked more dazed than anything.
“I’m sorry, but it was the only way to convince you. As soon as I get dressed, I’ll explain everything, I promise.” She looked at Kristor. “I can walk.” But when he set her on her feet, she wasn’t quite as steady as she had thought. It wasn’t easy going from human to horse, then back again to human.
Ria managed to scoop up her clothes and head for the bathroom, dressing as quickly as she could. She shuddered to think what Kristor was telling her parents. And why the hell would he tell Mom’s friend that she was part alien? His timing was really off the mark.
As soon as she was dressed and had run a brush through her mane—hair—she joined everyone in the living room.
“I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Vickie Jo,” her mom said.
“We’ll think of something, Mom.”
Her mother sucked in a gulp of air and ran to Ria, throwing her arms around her, and pulling her close. “Oh, my poor baby. You’re not losing your mind after all.”
“No, Mom, I’m just part alien, but I’m not sure which is worse.”
Kristor frowned.
Great, now she’d trampled on his feelings.
“I think you’d better start from the beginning.” Her father cast a look in Kristor’s direction that was more than a little wary.
“Let’s all have a seat first,” her mother said. “Would you like something to drink or eat? I suppose Vickie Jo’s cookies are out of the question now since they’re scattered over the carpet.”
“Mother, come sit down.” Ron patted the cushion next to him on the love seat.
“Yes, I suppose that would be best.” Her hands fluttered about her face. Then she smoothed her collar, before placing her hands neatly on her lap.
Ria hated that her parents had to go through this, but they needed to know their daughter was an alien. It wasn’t fair to keep it from them.
Kristor sat on the sofa opposite the love seat. Ria sat on it as well, but kept a bit of distance between them. Just being near him made her knees weak.
“We just thought you were a nice young man,” her mother said. “We didn’t know you were an…an…” She cast pleading eyes upon Ria.
“Alien,” Ria spoke softly.
“I didn’t even know they existed,” she said. “Of course, everyone has heard of Area Fifty-one, and seen sightings of spacecraft, but I always thought it was nonsense. I guess I was wrong.” She looked at her husband as if silently asking for his help in understanding.
“Maybe you should start from the beginning,” her father said, looking at his daughter.
“I was out running when a hawk landed in front of me on the trail. Then a fog rolled in, and the hawk shifted into Kristor.”
“Then what you told Heath was true?” he asked.
She nodded.
Her father turned to Kristor. “Why now? What is your purpose with my daughter?”
“I’m here to take her back to New Symtaria with me,” Kristor told him.
Ron’s frown deepened, his face turning dark red. “I won’t allow it. My daughter’s not going anywhere with you, especially to outer space. It’s much too far away.”
“Dad, it’s okay, I’m not planning on leaving. You know how scared I am at the thought of flying.”
“True.” He relaxed.
“Her life is in danger,” Kristor said.
She glared at Kristor. Pulling his danger card out was not even fair.
“What!” Her father sat forward.
“Danger?” Her mother’s hands began to flutter again.
“Do you have to tell them everything?” Ria hissed.
The corners of Kristor’s mouth turned down. “You tell me to say I’m alien, then not to say I’m alien. Then when your mother’s friend comes over, you don’t like it when I’m honest. Then when I try to explain to your parents, you get angry again. Women are very confusing on Earth.”
“At least we agree on one thing,” her father said drawing frowns from both the women in his life. He cleared his throat. “Maybe you’d better explain more about the danger Ria is in. I don’t like the thought that harm might come to my daughter.”
Kristor quickly told her father and mother everything he knew about the rogue Symtarians trying to get rid of the impures. When he finished, her father stood, then went to the window. When he turned back around, his eyes looked sad.
“I always knew you would fall in love and get married. Probably move away. I just never thought it would be to another planet. If it will keep you safe, then you have to go with him.”
Chapter 17
Kristor breathed a deep sigh of relief. Good, her father understood the danger Rianna was in and agreed she needed to leave Earth. But when he looked at Rianna, she didn’t appear to feel the same way. What was it that she didn’t understand? He’d made it all perfectly clear. His patience would not last much longer.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Rianna said, crossing her arms in front of her and casting a stubborn look in his direction.
“It doesn’t look as if you have a choice,” her father told her.
“I can take care of myself,” she said.
“Ria, maybe your father and Kristor are right. I certainly don’t want any harm coming to you.” Maggie dabbed at her eyes with more tissue. “I’ll miss my baby. It’s not as though you’ll be across town. Or a phone call away.”
Ria went to her mother and knelt in front of her. “I won’t leave you, Mom.”
; “Are there nice people on New Symtaria?” Ria’s mother asked.
Kristor shifted in his seat. Emotion ran high between the two women. He noticed the father didn’t look any more comfortable than Kristor felt.
“Rianna is of royal blood. She is a princess.”
The mother smiled through her tears. “You always loved pretending you were a princess when you were…were…little. You loved fairy tales. Now you have your own.”
“Maybe we should leave them alone for a while,” Ron said, looking uncomfortable. “This is a lot for Maggie to take in.”
Kristor breathed a sigh of relief. “That sounds good.” He had a feeling Ron Lancaster didn’t know what to do either when women became emotional. He was discovering it was a sickness that affected all men.
Ron went to the refrigerator and opened the door. “I can use something to drink. How about you?”
“Orange soda?”
Ron chuckled. “I think I’ll have a beer. I’m in need of something with a little more kick.” He handed Kristor an orange soda, grabbed a beer for himself, then shut the door. “Let’s continue our discussion in the backyard.”
They walked outside to a table and found seats. Kristor popped the tab on his drink and took a long swallow, then waited for the questions that he knew would come. Ron only needed a little more time to digest everything.
“I remember when we first brought Ria home from the orphanage. Maggie and I couldn’t have children of our own, but the minute we saw Ria, she stole our hearts. When she toddled over to where we were standing, we knew Ria had chosen us.”
Ron took a drink from his beer, then set the bottle on the table. Kristor knew he had more to say, so he waited.
“I went out and bought that silly little parakeet. I named the bird Fred.” He laughed. “It was the damnedest thing the way she seemed to communicate with it. I guess now I understand why.” He sighed, running his finger through the condensation that had formed on the side of the can. “How much danger is our little girl in?”
“The rogues have killed before. They murdered Ria’s biological father. Her mother left her at the orphanage. I think to keep her safe. She later died in a vehicular accident.”
“Ah, jeez. That’s too bad.”
Kristor looked Ron straight in the eye. “The rogues won’t be afraid to kill again. Impures don’t have the strength or abilities that a pure Symtarian has. Ria would not be safe on her own.”
“She’s afraid of flying, you know. We thought she would enjoy the air show since she liked birds so much, but there was an accident. The pilot parachuted to safety, but the plane crashed. She had nightmares for a long time. Ria has been afraid of flying ever since. We had to drive whenever we went on vacation.”
“She has to have the courage to connect with her animal guide, the hawk. If she doesn’t, part of who she is will die.”
“Animal guide?”
“When we shift, our animal guide is released. We coexist. If Ria doesn’t connect soon, her guide will cease to exist.”
“Ria would never intentionally hurt anything. It would destroy her if she did.”
“I know.” And so, they understood each other.
“Will you help her?”
“Yes.”
Ron studied Kristor. Kristor didn’t look away, but having Rianna’s father study him was uncomfortable. He’d never really met any of the fathers of the women he had mated with in the past. He didn’t like the feeling.
“Do you love her?”
“I think we are destined to be together. A Symtarian mates for life.”
“Have you convinced Ria of that fact?”
He frowned. “No. She is very willful.”
“That she is. Just like her mother. Has a mind of her own. It took me many a month to convince Maggie to marry me.” He smiled.
“Are they all this emotional?” Kristor had stayed in the outlying areas on New Symtaria so hadn’t been around women for any real length of time. He was finding they were quite confusing.
“This isn’t anything, boy. You should be around them when their hormones are raging.” He shook his head. “Scary. You want to stay away from them as much as you can. They can heat a pot of water with one scorching look, believe you me.”
Kristor glanced toward the house. Not one of his brothers had mentioned this. He would have a long talk with them when he returned. He only hoped it wouldn’t be long before he could convince Rianna to leave. He didn’t want to resort to force.
Ria handed her mother fresh tissues.
“I’ll be okay,” her mother said. “I must be almost out of tears.” She sniffed again.
“Mom, it will be all right once you have time to think about it.”
“I always knew you were special.” She suddenly hugged Ria. “My little alien princess. I didn’t even know aliens existed, and here I’ve raised one. I wonder if we’ll ever see you again after you leave.”
“Mom, I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you have to, dear. Kristor said you were in danger. I would rather you go to another planet than to be in danger. Damned rogues! If they touch one hair on your head, I’ll give them what for.”
Ria laughed. She couldn’t help it. Her mother had such a fierce look in her eyes. “I don’t have to leave. Not with you and Dad in my corner.”
Just as quickly her mother deflated. “But we can’t save you from these rogue aliens. We’re just not strong enough.” She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then her face paled. “Oh, no, Vickie Jo.” She looked at the plate of cookies scattered on the carpet. “She’ll tell everyone in town. Then they’ll find you and Kristor. I can’t let that happen.” She grabbed the phone and dialed her friend.
Ria went to the cookies and started cleaning up the mess, but listened as her mother tried to explain that Kristor was actually a magician, a very famous one, and he was trying to keep a low profile.
Ria hoped her mother’s lies worked. She carried the plate to the kitchen, dumping the cookies into the trash. She set the plate on the counter and hurried back.
They were still talking. It was another five minutes before her mother hung up. Maggie slumped against the back of the sofa.
“I’ve never lied in my life. Well, at least, not intentionally.”
“Do you think she bought your story?”
“The only alternative is to believe in aliens and that would make her as crazy as—” A guilty flush stole over her cheeks.
“As crazy as me.”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that. But you have to admit some of the things that have happened over the years have made you seem a little…different from others.”
“It’s okay, Mom. There for a while I thought I was crazy, too.”
“It must have been terrible living with that burden. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.”
“You’ve always been there for me, Mom, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Hurt?”
“Shifting into a horse.”
“It’s strange. Very uncomfortable. It burns, and it’s hard to breathe.”
“I always wanted to be a horse,” her mother said with a dreamy expression.
Ria couldn’t help it, she laughed. “You would make a great shapeshifting alien, Mom.”
“Do you think we would ever get to visit your planet? Your father and I had planned on taking a trip next year. Of course, we had been thinking more along the lines of a cruise or a trip to an exotic island.”
Ria should’ve known it would make no difference to her parents that she was part alien. Their love had always been unwavering. She only hoped Carly would feel the same way when she finally told her.
Ria had a feeling it wouldn’t be quite so easy with her friend. Maybe if she took things just a little slower, Carly would be more accepting.
Cutting short their movie night hadn’t been good. Carly might not be ready to listen to anything Ria said that might remotely have
to do with Kristor. But Ria had to try. She didn’t have a choice.
Carly had been searching for a place called New Symtaria until her eyes were starting to cross. She had even called in sick today so she could keep looking. But so far, she’d gotten nowhere.
Her legs trembled when she pushed away from the computer. She stumbled into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, and heat a danish in the microwave.
She had to face facts: There was no New Symtaria. Kristor was an alien all right. An illegal alien.
She grabbed the counter for support when she realized exactly what was happening. Kristor needed a green card so he could stay in the country. That had to be it. That’s why he was seducing Ria.
Not that Ria wasn’t a catch. Her friend was hot.
But Kristor was using Ria’s vulnerability. Really, Ria would believe anything. She was too gullible, too trusting. Hadn’t she told everyone that Kristor was an alien from another planet?
Aliens did not exist. Scams existed. Carly was constantly reading about them on the Internet. How many times a day did she get e-mails to enlarge her penis? Uh, yeah, whatever. Or the ones where she had won a lottery. Like that was ever going to happen. No, Kristor was scamming her friend and Carly was about to put a stop to it.
But how? She wasn’t a detective. She didn’t even read mysteries. Nor had she ever played the game of Clue.
She looked at the phone. She hesitated, then went over to it and picked it up. Her stomach churned. God, she really hated doing this, but there was one person who would know what to do. She wanted to puke.
She looked up the number, then called Donald.
“Hello,” he said after the third ring.
“Donald, this is Carly. I have a problem.” If Ria ever found out, she would kill her.
“So? I’m not a therapist. Call your parents or someone who cares.”
“It’s not about me.”
“Then who is it about? Not that it will make much difference.”
“Ria. It’s about Ria and Kristor.”
Silence.
