An Island in the Stars

by Susan Laine

  When Marcus’s hand dipped under the waistband of Sam’s jeans and felt up his buttcheeks, a boom of distant thunder echoed over the ocean into their private perch. Startled, they separated, looked around. This was it.

  They scrambled to their feet in a rush, yanked on their T-shirts—Marcus’s barely reaching his waist after they’d used most of the tail on the vines—and grabbed their gear, including one of the spears. Then they took one last look at the room they had shared for the length of their stay. Though small, the space was intimate, not because of images of sex on the walls, but thanks to the memories they’d created there. The place had been a shelter to them. Without speaking a word, they said their silent thanks and goodbyes to the room.

  “We’re never coming back here, are we?” Sam had expected to feel relief. Instead, a bewildering ruefulness assailed his heart.

  Instead of a rude joke, Marcus touched Sam’s shoulder. “Never say never. After all, if things don’t work out, this’ll be our home sweet home for the rest of our lives.”

  Sam snorted, smiling. “You’re nuts.”

  Marcus winked at him. “You’re on fleek about that.”

  Sam grimaced. “Not really into slang.”

  Shaking his head in amusement, Marcus merely laughed in response.

  They hurried to the balcony then, and together they jumped down from the ragged edge onto the stone altar. Marcus stretched out his hand, indicating without words that he would carry Sam’s backpack. At first Sam thought to argue that he was no weakling. But Marcus was built for strength and speed and could therefore better ensure their stuff would make the journey home, so he handed over his bag without protest.

  Once they stepped under the entrance archway, Sam snapped his last pictures of the ruined Temple of Love with his iPhone, even though he had full albums of everything already. His battery was about to die anyway.

  Marcus balanced the metal lance in his hand, as if testing the weight and handling. He studied the hostile jungle spreading beyond the flat, cleared mountaintop. In the coming decades and centuries, it would probably grow over too.

  “Green’s my favorite color, and I love the idea of sunshine and gold sandy beaches, but, man, I’m so done with this place.”

  He fanned himself, pulling his undershirt away from his undoubtedly hot and sweaty chest. Humid heat got in everywhere.

  “I like all the colors of the rainbow equally,” Sam commented off-handedly as he took a last few shots and then stowed away his iPhone. “And yes, I mean that in every sense of the word.”

  Diversity of sexual orientations was one of his interests, not because he was gay but because some straights preferred to pretend nothing else existed beyond their narrow view of sexuality. The world needed to learn in order to be more understanding and accepting. Not quite a social crusade, but important to Sam nonetheless.

  Marcus grinned. “I figured. C’mon. We’re wasting time.”

  They abandoned the safety of their temple sanctuary and jogged down the ceremonial path, their gait swift, their gazes aimed at the jungle around them. Every second Sam expected the worst, a vine slithering to tether them, a razzie jumping out to attack them, or an unknown danger falling on them from an alien sky.

  The sky was turning dark, ominous clouds gathering to form puffy promises of rain, thunder, and lightning. Soon the clouds blocked out the stars and the stunning view of the alien ring planet, the gas giant shining green and its rings glimmering in the darkness, looking close enough to reach out and touch.

  Rain pelted Sam and Marcus in an instant, raging hotly over their clothes and skin, in part blinding them. Thunder shook the ground and lightning flashed, turning night briefly into day. Drenched, they increased their pace toward the artificial cavern.

  But the trek became more arduous due to the growing harsh winds that blew against them, pushing them back, until each step forward felt like a huge accomplishment. What should have been a few minutes mad dash turned into a battle of wills as nature put up a fight.

  And their battle wasn’t made any easier as the winds gave them untimely boners. Excitement built within them, each caress from a new breeze sending flashes of heat through them. Sam wanted to forget running and rip Marcus’s clothes off and fuck him then and there.

  Suddenly the winds ceased, and lightning halted in an instant. The sky grew brighter from the light of the luminescent gas giant. The eye of the storm opened a chasm amid the clouds.

  And an enormous splash heralded the majestic flight of another mazzie.

  The massive sea creature glided through the air, its movements as fluid as the waves in the ocean, undulating. High-frequency songs floated through the opening amid the menacing storm clouds, as if the mazzie were giving a heavenly performance of sound and movement just for their benefit. Lightning bolts struck the flying beast’s body repeatedly from the clouds surrounding it but the creature seemed to suffer no ill effects.

  “You think it does this sky dance during every storm?” Sam asked in awe.

  “That’s not the same mazzie,” Marcus threw in, surprising the heck out of Sam.

  “What?”

  “This one’s got silver on its sides. The last one didn’t.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive. This ain’t the same beast we saw earlier.”

  “Maybe they’re, um, gender or age differences? The silver sides, I mean.”

  The mazzie floated in the eye of the storm, as if it owned the wild, erratic space. Spark showers from its fins and flippers spread around it, cocooning it in a blue blanket of electricity. The sky was ablaze with a natural light show born from an animal that at first glance seemed far too big to even break the waves.

  “Maybe.” Marcus shrugged and stared upward same as Sam, halting their escape midstep. “Why do you think they’re doing that?”

  “No clue. Perhaps they’re guided by… oh, what’s it called? A magnetoreception.”

  “Uh, magnet… what?”

  “It’s a sense some animals have for navigation where they use magnetic fields to find the right direction, altitude, or destination.”

  Marcus harrumphed, not sounding particularly impressed. “Wow. Far out.”

  Sam laughed. Marcus’s company lifted his spirits. They really should have done this long ago, tried being together. And they could have, if Sam hadn’t been so busy being afraid and running away like a scared bunny from a hungry wolf.

  “C’mon, bae. We need to get a move on.”

  Marcus resumed heading for the portal cavern, and Sam followed. He snapped one last picture of the mazzie singing and flying before stuffing his phone inside the backpack Marcus carried. As they hurried toward the stairs, heated drizzle started, followed quickly by rolling thunder and lightning flashes.

  They’d reached the top of the broken steps—when a low growl came from the bushes.

  Sam and Marcus froze, dread making their hearts skip a beat. They knew what would follow.

  At least until another purr emerged from a different thicket behind them.

  Sam whipped around, his back to Marcus’s.

  A tiny head poked out of the greenery. The three-colored stripes, round butterfly ears, and gray horn on its forehead were familiar features. This creature must be the cub Marcus had seen earlier, attacking the sole squizzie in sight.

  The bigger razzie stalked them in a circle, snarling. The cub, however, zipped closer to them and retreated immediately, as if taunting them or playing with them. It didn’t take Sam long to figure out what was going on.

  “The mother’s teaching its cub how to chase and toy with its food,” Sam murmured to Marcus, trying not to move his lips a lot in case that prompted an assault. “It develops a cat’s hunting instinct while ensuring they don’t get injured in the process. But… if it’s like Earth cats, if it gets the chance, it’ll deliver a lethal neck bite to any prey larger than itself.”

  “’Kay. Quick safety tip. Thanks.” Marcus sounded agitated, and his hunched posi
tion confirmed his readiness to do battle. He held the spear in front of him, waving it in sweeping arcs to test how close the predators would dare to venture. “Can you back up toward the stairs?”

  “No. The cub’s in the way.”

  “Shit.” Marcus glanced over his shoulder at the smaller feline. “What will the mother do if we manage to hurt or kill the cub?”

  “Kill us instantly most likely.” Sam was scared out of his mind. “You planning on that anytime soon?”

  “We could change places. But then the mother might attack you since you don’t have a weapon. And without mine, I can’t get rid of the cub.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “Thinking.”

  “Think faster!” Sam urged with a rising pitch.

  “That’s incredibly helpful, thanks.” Marcus swung the spear in front of him, but both of the felines were out of weapons range. “Got one of the blossom grenades? Throw one.”

  Sam dug into his pocket, fished out one of the closed buds, and tossed it without a great deal of preparation. He was too freaked out to keep his hands from shaking, so he didn’t aim.

  The purple bud landed on the ground close to the big razzie. The petals popped open, and purple vapors spread all around, fast and noxious. The razzie jumped out of range, growling.

  Without waiting for an attack, Sam delved deeper in his pockets, pulled out more gas buds, and hurled them in the general direction of the big razzie. A couple bounded against the huge feline and a few landed on its feet, but with little effect. The feline seemed more than capable of avoiding the sleep-inducing fumes.

  Then Sam had no more to spare. “I’m out. No more gas grenades. Sorry.”

  “Damn. Shit. Fuck. Hell.” Marcus’s angry growl sounded almost the same as those of the alien cats.

  Sam shifted positions from one foot to another, preparing to quickly dash in any direction to steer clear of the cub. Purring, the little creature waved its paws in the air, as if trying to reach for them, but it was too far away. It was still just a game. The second that stopped, they’d get eaten.

  They had faced the razor beast before. But being double-teamed was a new and frightening experience. Sam could barely hear anything past the drumming of blood in his ears. He feared his damn heart would burst through his chest any minute now.

  The rain wasn’t making things any easier. Winds had started up again, throwing water in their eyes, soaking them to the bone. But the cats seemed utterly indifferent to getting drenched. Their coats dripped, quickly followed by waves of bioelectricity moving along their raised hackles.

  Sam began to doubt if a lightning bolt could even damage these creatures, let alone kill them. The lightning rods in the temple must have produced a charge greater than that of lightning if the razzies feared them.

  That seemed paradoxical, but Sam didn’t have time to ponder the issue to his satisfaction. All he could do was act and react according to the primal fight-or-flight instinct and try not to die.

  “Just in case… if….” Sam swallowed hard. “I love you, Marcus.”

  “I love you too, chipmunk. Forever and ever.”

  Marcus’s strained voice spoke volumes. He was nervous, perhaps even afraid, the same as Sam. They were up shit creek without a paddle. How could things possibly get any worse?

  Then Sam had his answer.

  The cub leaped through the air. Sam screamed.

  Marcus shoved him out of the way into the dirt and swung the spear in a wide arc. The cub cried out, its jump interrupted but not its forward momentum. It rolled into a ball and continued to bounce till it reached its mother’s feet.

  The razor beast sent out a roar that shook the ground and assaulted Sam’s ears till they bled.

  Then it crouched and vaulted toward Marcus. The spear didn’t work. With one paw, the razzie batted the lance aside like it was a toothpick, while with another it swatted at Marcus, who yelled in pain and was struck back a few feet. In horror, Sam watched as red lines opened on Marcus’s side, blood oozing out of what looked like deep gashes.

  Sam didn’t stop to think. He fumbled for the lance, jumped to his feet, and yelled, “Get back! Go away!” He kept swinging the spear in front of him as he stepped between the razzie and his boyfriend.

  The beast growled, its fangs bared, its coat aflame with blue sparks, and it kept trying to slap the offending weapon aside with its big paws. The animal was gigantic, and Sam knew he’d lose soon.

  Was this the end of their off-world adventure?

  Chapter 14

  A HIGH-PITCH chirp startled both Sam and the razzie, and they stopped midmotion.

  Having seen the pictures on Marcus’s iPhone, Sam recognized the squizzie right away. It really was supercute with its floppy ears, big white eyes, bushy tail, kangaroo-like legs, and gray-and-white striped thick fur with a collar resembling quills.

  The small critter stood nearby, inching toward the moaning cub, tilting its head this way and that as though it couldn’t see clearly. Sam assumed it was blind or had poor eyesight, just as Marcus had indicated. Those eyes as pure white as driven snow suggested as much.

  It bounced closer and stopped by the cub.

  The mother razzie growled, ignored Sam, and skulked toward her cub and the squizzie.

  Then, out of the blue, the squizzie spread its bushy tail into a fluffy fan that emanated blinding white light. Even the razzie ducked its head, though it didn’t stop its approach. A moment before the brilliance became too much, Sam could have sworn the tail appeared torn.

  Sam had a feeling there was going to be some kind of smackdown. He tossed aside the lance, grabbed Marcus by the arms, lifted him from the ground, and supported him as they hurried toward the stairs. Groaning, Marcus stumbled and swayed, and the swinging backpack didn’t help matters. But Sam kept a firm hold of him, part urging and part dragging him down the steps and into the portal chamber.

  There Sam laid Marcus down on the ground. “Stay awake, Marcus, please. Just a few more minutes. Then we can rest, I swear.”

  Marcus pressed a hand on his side, blood wetting his fingers. He was pale, sweaty, and shaking, but he managed a curt nod, his face in tight lines as he apparently fought to control the pain.

  Sam rushed to the portal and to the pile of rocks where the vine was lodged. He untied the end of the liana and made sure the thick liquid was in direct contact with the portal’s frame. He then hustled back to Marcus and helped him stand, though wavering. The low gravity helped take some of his weight off Sam, so for once he appreciated the moon they were on.

  “Now we wait,” Sam murmured, out of breath, watching the liana and the portal with intense focus. If their plan didn’t work, this would be a short trip when they ran right into a solid rock face. “Listen. If the liana bursts apart or burns up… crouch, keep your head against your chest, your eyes closed, and your mouth open. If the lightning hits us… be a low target, don’t let the bolts blow up your eyeballs, and let the hit have an exit point through your mouth, okay?”

  Marcus muttered something unintelligible. He was fading fast, and Sam was losing his shit. The advice he’d just given might save them, at least until the razzies found them and ate them. Maybe none of their preparations mattered. Only the way they’d die seemed to change.

  Thunder boomed outside. Trees swayed violently in the grasp of rough winds, casting lively shadows on the chamber floor. Sam couldn’t see the bright light from the squizzie anymore, but he dared to hope the poor thing wouldn’t get devoured.

  “Th-that squizzie… it was the one… I met in the forest,” Marcus muttered faintly, his eyes closed, his body trembling. “Saw the… wounded tail…. It tried to… help me?”

  Sam was flummoxed. Animals with memory or sentience? Then again, didn’t that sort of describe humans too? “No clue,” he replied, starting to feel the tension in his muscles from holding up Marcus, who was heavier than him.

  “If it did… that was nice of him,” Marcus whispered, his voice hoar
se. He must have been in agony, Sam thought. His fears were mounting. It seemed like a new cause to be afraid rose every few minutes. He wasn’t sure how much more stress he could take.

  Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the chamber. A knell of thunder followed on its heels a second or two later. The storm was right above them. Somewhere in the distance, another splash drowned out the sounds of the tempest, suggesting another mazzie had either risen or fallen.

  The artificial cavern functioned like an echo chamber, the sounds of the furor outside intensifying. Sam shuddered. Or perhaps he merely felt Marcus shivering. He couldn’t say for sure anymore.

  A rattling accompanied by the din of static briefly grew louder than the gale.

  Electricity bolted out of the liana’s end and climbed the framework of the portal like a vine creeping around a tree trunk. A low hum buzzed in the air. All the hairs on Sam’s body stood on end.

  Then the blue light above the doorway lit up, the glow at once ominous and soothing.

  “It worked.” Sam almost couldn’t believe his eyes. “C’mon.”

  He all but dragged Marcus to the portal, the opening now so immensely black that no light seemed to escape its impenetrable surface. Was this what a black hole looked like? Sam didn’t think so, since a black hole’s name didn’t mean it was actually black the way this portal seemed to be.

  A fierce roar came from the stairs to the chamber. Frozen in fear, Sam turned toward the sound.

  The big razzie sneaked down the crumbling steps, its eyes burning with vengeance.

  “God, please, no.”

  Sam was almost at his wit’s end. But he acted on instinct.

  He released his hold of Marcus and shoved him into the swirling blackness of the portal.

  At the exact same moment the razzie growled and leaped.

  Fortunately for Sam, Marcus also apparently acted on instinct. He gripped Sam by the arm as he stumbled forward through the portal, in essence yanking Sam with him till they fell into the blackness in a heap of limbs.

  The last thing Sam felt was a sharp sting on the back of his leg from the beast’s claws.