by Karen Kelley
“Database.”
Of course. She should’ve known. That was a good way to stay under the radar—flash lots of money around.
They stopped at the ticket booth. The young woman on the inside had her back to Kristor. He tapped on the window. She jumped.
“Oh, it’s you, Kris,” she said, then smiled.
What? Did he know everyone? Sheesh. Ria would admit it wasn’t that difficult. The town was small. The zoo was small. More of a mom-and-pop operation, which was why he had been successful bribing his way inside before they opened.
The girl came around and opened the gate. “Hi, I’m Frannie.” She turned back to Kristor. “Remember the rules I mentioned. And don’t get up against the cages. The animals are wild.”
“Of course.”
“You’ll have about an hour before the gates officially open.”
“Thank you,” Kristor said as she pushed a button that would let them in.
“Now where are we going?” Ria asked when they were away from Frannie. “And why? I don’t understand.” She needed coffee—strong coffee.
“You don’t have to know, only to trust me.” He stopped, leaned down, and kissed her.
Her breath caught in her throat and she automatically moved closer. How could one touch steal her thoughts? Did he have some kind of magic power that made her forget everything except him?
He stepped away, but it took a few moments for her head to clear.
“Labrinon flew over the enclosure. We took a closer look, and after talking to your father, I knew I had to bring you here.”
“Labrinon?”
“My animal guide.”
“Oh, of course. And why did you want to bring me here?” She didn’t even want to know what her father had to do with any of this.
“Have you ever been to this zoo?”
“When I was a kid, but not in years.”
“Then come with me. I’ll show you a bit of New Symtaria.”
She pulled her hand free. “I told you, I’m not going to fly off to your planet. It’s not going to happen.” What, had he left his spacecraft hidden somewhere inside the zoo?
“New Symtaria is here. On your Earth.”
The guy had lost his freakin’ mind. Maybe Symtarians weren’t supposed to breathe too much of Earth’s polluted air. What if it affected their brains or something? She’d humor him. Kristor was fun to be with and, for a warrior, he could be quite sentimental. She had a hard time picturing him slicing and dicing people.
They passed a sign that pointed to the bird sanctuary. She should’ve known that’s where he would take her. He was trying to convince her she should leave with him.
They went inside a small house with cages on either side. “It’s kind of sad that all the birds are caged.” You could put a quarter in what looked like a gumball machine and seed would go into a tray so the birds could eat. She supposed it cut down on expenses.
“Wait.” Kristor led her to the back. He stopped at a door that said NO ADMITTANCE, then placed his hand on the doorknob and closed his eyes. After a moment, he turned the knob, and opened the door.
She only stared, then shook her head. “It’s amazing how you do stuff like that.”
“Come.”
“We’re going to get into trouble.”
“Probably, but I will give them more money.”
“Of course. Just give them more money.” He had learned fast how things worked in America.
They went down a dark hall with a light at the end. Great: Walk toward the light. She felt as if this was her death march. Since she wasn’t quite sure where he was taking her, it could very well be the end.
But when they stepped into the open, Ria felt as though she had entered heaven. There were trees and dark green grass and birds singing everywhere. They were in a large enclosure, but it didn’t feel like a cage.
“Watch.” He stuck his arms out to his sides and whistled softly.
Ria looked around as everything stilled. Then there was a flapping of small wings. Dozens of birds landed on his outstretched arms.
“Good Lord, I feel as if I’ve stepped into a scene from Cinderella.” Except Kristor had suddenly become Prince Charming. This was so not good.
She needed to change her way of thinking. Birdman of Alcatraz? No, she didn’t like that visual, either. Maybe a…a…
She stopped thinking when a little yellow parakeet landed on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned her head and they stared at each other. The bird opened its beak and a pretty melody cascaded over her. It reminded her of Fred. Tears filled her eyes. She rapidly blinked them away.
“You’re so pretty,” Ria whispered.
Thank you. The bird’s thoughts filled her mind.
“The bird talked to me,” she said.
“You only have to listen to hear them,” Kristor told her. “I think you stopped listening to the birds. When your father told me about your pet bird as a child, I knew I should bring you here, so you could reconnect.”
Ria had a feeling she was in deep trouble. No, Kristor wouldn’t force her to leave. But he was tempting her. Oh, dirty pool!
Chapter 22
Ria had five little birds on her shoulders, and she was hearing their thoughts all at once. They were like chattering children, much like Fred had been. She laughed. Another bird landed, then another. Ria looked at Kristor.
“This isn’t fair,” she said.
“Yes, I know. Sometimes when you wage a war, you concentrate on winning the smaller battles before you conquer all.” He looked around, then his gaze came to rest on her. “Did I win this battle?”
“The battle, but not the war.”
His slow grin told her that he hadn’t stopped fighting, either. A flutter of excitement rushed through her. Maybe she was glad he hadn’t.
“So, you said you would show me what New Symtaria was like.” It might be prudent if she changed the subject. Besides, she wanted to know where her ancestors had lived, even if she would never go there.
“There are lots of birds where I live, and they will stop and communicate much like this.”
“And you have your own home?”
“I have a castle.”
“You really are a prince?”
“Yes. Does that bother you?”
“I don’t know.” But then, he’d said she was a princess. No, she couldn’t wrap her brain around that. She didn’t feel like a princess. Especially when she had to clean house or wash dishes. “Do you have servants?”
“Yes.”
Okay, it might just be worth going to live there if she never had to wash dishes again.
The door opened and Frannie stuck her head inside. “You’re not supposed to be in here,” she frantically whispered. “My father’s going around checking things before the gates open. You’ll have to leave.” She stopped talking and looked around. “What did you do? Hypnotize the birds?”
“They are only friendly,” Kristor said.
“Aren’t you Ria Lancaster?” Frannie asked.
“Yes.” Ria didn’t think she’d ever met the girl. She looked as if she was still in high school.
Frannie slowly nodded. “I’ve heard about you.” She looked around at the birds. “Now it makes sense. But you both still have to scram.”
What made sense? Ria didn’t think she liked her insinuation.
Kristor gently waved his arms and the birds flew away. Ria’s birds followed. She was disappointed they were gone. She’d make a point to come back for a visit, but she didn’t think it would be the same without Kristor. It wouldn’t be as easy to get inside the cage since she couldn’t do the mind-over-matter trick that he could.
They left, going back to his motorcycle. Rather than go in the direction of her house, he went to the city. She didn’t know what he had planned, but she wasn’t too concerned because in the city they had Starbucks. She still needed a big cup of java, or a latte would be nice.
He parked at the mall. Did he want to shop for souven
irs? Maybe he just wanted to look around. He was leaving soon. Ria didn’t care what they did as long as it was together.
“Do you have malls on New Symtaria?” she asked.
“We have tradesmen, and we can get products from our database.”
“And does everyone have a database?”
“Only the royals.”
“That doesn’t sound fair.”
“If everyone had a database, then no one would have need of anything.”
“And that would be bad because…?”
He looked at her. “If you can have anything you want with the touch of a button, then you would have no need to do anything. Think about it. We have to keep the day-to-day operations running smoothly. Having everything you want would be frivolous.”
“Like your motorcycle?”
“That was needed for transportation.”
She nodded. “As opposed to say, an older model car with rust spots.”
“I’m still a royal and have a certain image to maintain. If I had things that were in disrepair, I would be deemed unworthy to have the title of prince.”
She knew he just liked the cycle, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t do any good to argue with him. They strolled hand in hand inside. The air-conditioned mall was a great escape from the heat.
“Coffee.” She aimed toward the little shop, inhaling the rich coffee bean aroma. Except Kristor pulled her hand and pointed her in a different direction. “I really need coffee,” she told him.
“I want to show you something. It’s better if your stomach is empty.”
That didn’t sound good.
They went to the end of the mall and turned the corner.
“All that’s down here is the game room. Video games, pinball…things like that.”
“I know.” He held her hand as they went inside. “This is what I wanted to show you.” He pulled her over to a machine that looked sort of like a plane, but on a much smaller scale.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Simulated flying.”
He stood taller. “It will cure you of your fear.”
She laughed. “I doubt that, but it was a nice thought. Come on, I need coffee, then food.”
But he held her hand, not letting her escape. “You’re afraid?”
“I am not.” She glared at him. Teens and kids looked their way. “I am not scared of a video game,” she said a little quieter.
“Then why do you run away?”
“I wasn’t running away. I just don’t see how a video game could cure anyone of anything. And believe me, I’ve ridden my share of roller coasters at Six Flags. I am so not scared of a video game.” He only stood there looking like a very determined warrior. “Okay, fine, I’ll try it.” No video game would get the best of her.
Ria climbed inside the one-person cockpit. What was there to be scared about? It looked like a plane, but it wasn’t like the thing was going to get off the ground. When the ride was over, she would still be in the game room. At least maybe then they could get some coffee. And food. Her stomach had started rumbling.
The fake plane sucked up the five-dollar bill Kristor put in the slot while she adjusted her seat, checking out the pedals, and the steering wheel.
“Headphones,” he said, pointing to the ones on the hook near the steering mechanism.
Of course, couldn’t forget those. She placed them over her ears.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
Kristor pulled the black curtain over the top. The fake plane wasn’t quite as cool anymore. In fact, it was a little too convincing. But she wasn’t a coward and no matter how spooky real it was, it still wasn’t going anywhere.
A screen in front of her came on. Cute, she was on a runway. She hoped the kid that had been playing the pinball machine in front of her moved out of the way. She snorted. There was no way a toy was ever going to cure her of her fear of flying.
The sound of jet engines starting up filled her ears. Then she was moving. Not really, it just felt like she was. The plane tilted back and suddenly she was taking off, surrounded by blue sky.
“Just a simulation, just a simulation,” she muttered. Kristor was standing right outside probably thinking he was pretty smart to think this up.
The plane climbed higher and higher. Blood rushed through her veins, pounding inside her head. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand any more, the plane began to level out. Clouds drifted past.
This was better. Maybe. It was sort of like watching a 3-D movie.
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Not as bad as she’d thought. Had she been afraid for nothing all these years?
“Flight commander, we have a situation.”
She grinned. That was probably her. She was a flight commander. Carly would not believe any of this. Ria wondered what kind of situation they had. They would probably have to land early. Five dollars’ worth of fuel would only go so far nowadays. Hopefully, Kristor wouldn’t put in another five bucks.
“The tower has enemy planes on the radar.”
Ria sat a little straighter. What enemy planes? Wasn’t this a commercial flight? She had figured they were out of peanuts or something. Kristor hadn’t said anything about this being a war plane.
“There they are, sir!”
A black ugly plane appeared in front of her. She swerved to the right as it fired.
“Good move, Commander, but you have two bogies on your tail. Watch out, sir.”
Bogies? What the hell was a bogie? She looked at the screen and could see two more black planes coming up on her tail. She stepped on the gas and swerved to the right, then the left. She couldn’t shake them. They fired. Her wing caught on fire.
“Commander, Commander, you’re going down!”
She was going down? No, she was too young to die! But the screen showed her plane aiming toward the ground and there was a strong smell of smoke and fire.
She screamed.
The curtain over her head was flung back. Ria jerked the headphones off, and scrambled out, falling into Kristor’s arms and sobbing.
Kristor looked at the screen. “You said she would get over her fear of flying in the simulation.” He glared at the young teenager.
He took a step back. “Well, yeah, but she crashed. That probably didn’t help. Most ten-year-olds don’t crash the plane.”
“It crashed. Just like when I was a kid.” Her stomach rumbled as she wobbled to an upright position. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“We have bags inside the cockpit for that.”
She curled her lip. The boy couldn’t be more than sixteen, smacking gum, wearing shorts that showed his underwear, and a T-shirt that claimed he was too smart for his shirt. The shirt lied. She should barf all over him.
“You’ll feel better soon,” Kristor told her as he led her away from the game room. “Do you want some coffee? You said before you wanted coffee and food.”
He had to be joking. He didn’t look as if he was joking. “I need the ladies’ room so I can wash my face.” Maybe the cool water would help.
“Over there.”
He walked her over. She stopped him at the door. “I can make it from here by myself.”
She went inside. There were several ladies waiting in line, but they moved farther to the side when they got a good look at her. Hell, as soon as she saw her reflection, she understood why. People could actually turn green. More of a pale green, but green just the same. Maybe she had a Martian in her ancestral tree.
She splashed water on her face. Much better. Never ever would she get on a plane. She hadn’t been able to stomach the damned simulator. No way would she spend as much time as needed to get to another planet.
“I’m sorry,” Kristor spoke from the other side of the door.
The women turned to look at her. Maybe if she ignored him, he would go away.
“I didn’t know it would make you this sick. Are you okay?”
He w
asn’t going away. “I’m okay.”
“Your first?” a little gray-haired woman asked.
“Yes. And my last.” She was not going near anything remotely related to flying. She grabbed a rough paper towel from the dispenser and patted her face.
“But when you hold that baby in your arms, you’ll feel differently.”
“Baby?” Sudden realization hit her. The woman thought…“I’m pregnant?” This was priceless.
A stall opened and Tilly the dispatcher stepped out. “I thought I heard your voice, Ria Lancaster.”
Crap! “Listen, I’m not pregnant. It was a misunderstanding.”
“Crackers will help calm the stomach,” the old woman said.
Tilly turned and looked at her. “Seven-Up is good, too.”
“Oh, yes, I’ve heard that, too.”
“Great,” Ria mumbled and left as the two women continued their conversation about babies. She supposed this would be all over town before she even made it back home.
“Now we will eat,” Kristor said as she emerged from the ladies’ room.
“I think I’ll just have crackers and maybe a soda.” She might not like more rumors being spread, but she would take their advice about settling her still-churning stomach.
“I thought it would help,” Kristor said.
“It didn’t.”
“I could see that.”
She sighed. “It’s the thought that counts.” But no, she was doubly sure she couldn’t get on his spacecraft, and it hurt knowing he would be leaving without her.
She held tight to him as they made their way back to her house. At least she had this moment. And she had a few more days. And she had tonight.
Kristor dropped Ria off at her home. She hesitated before going inside. He knew she wanted him to join her. Driving away was probably the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. He needed to get away and think, and he couldn’t do it at her house, nor her parents’.
So he just drove—down paved roads, down dirt roads. He drove where there were no roads. Nothing seemed to help so he finally went to where he’d hidden his spacecraft. Unless someone walked into it, they would never know it was there, because he’d used the invisible shield to hide it.
He stopped the motorcycle beside a tree and turned the key. When he pushed a button on his remote, the door on his spacecraft opened. Once inside, he relaxed in one of two seats.
