Without another word he pulls me toward the door. Hand in hand, we exit Kasper's home in search of Michael. I'm happy he's facing away from me, as my face is surely a bright red by now. His words warm my heart. I feel the exact same way as he described. My stomach flipped at the realization that this thing we have going on may be something amazing.
Great, seeing Michael shouldn't be awkward. I cringe at the thought. Not too long ago I thought we had something special. But he was using me, and I'll never forgive him for that. These are the things I would love to talk to my best friend about. During trying times, you need someone to rely on to spew your emotions, fears, and boyfriend stories.
It's too bad I don't have a best friend anymore.
She's dead to me.
Chapter Five
Jax and I find Michael on the outskirts of the center of town. He's hunkered down by the stream dangling his feet. The sheer annoyance of how he's relaxing and not going stir crazy like me is maddening. Miri has only been gone for five days and I want to crawl out of my skin. How can Michael stand that his family has been without him for years?
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah, sorry to bother you but I thought you'd like to know. I've heard from a being on Mapu that Miri is doing well," Michael responds.
I lunge toward Michael, and Jax quickly steps in acting as a barrier, probably fearing what I might do. "When did you find this out? Who told you and why are you just now telling me?" I snap.
Michael throws his arms up. "Whoa, wait a minute, Alexa, you need to relax. I know you don't trust me, but I do care about Miri, and I will do anything I can to protect her. You have to believe me. I just found out."
"Believe you?" I spit back. "That's an odd request, considering you've been lying to me since the day I met you."
"I get that." He grits his teeth. "I thought you'd like to know she's okay. She's not being kept in a cell like my family. Instead, she's with the two guards, Gabe and Gavin." The fear for his family is apparent. He desperately tries to cover it up with anger, but I know he's scared for them—and rightfully so. I can't help but feel relieved that she's with Gabe and Gavin. Neither of them would hurt a fly. The panicked sensation ebbs and I'm able to breathe again. This is all my fault.
"I'm sorry. I'm worried for her. You must feel the same way about your family." I don't wait for an answer. "We will get them back, I promise, Michael. I may not like you right now, but that has nothing to do with freeing your family."
"Who told you about Miri?" Jax asks and lets go of my arm. Apparently, he no longer thinks I'm a danger to Michael.
Michael sighs. "That is kind of what I want to talk to you two about."
"What, there's more? Tell us," I demand.
"It's not that easy." Michael takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I'd rather show you."
"Show us what?" Jax asks. "If this is some kind of joke—"
Before Jax can finish the sentence, Michaels cuts him off. "No, it's not a joke to get you alone. I'm not at liberty to tell you anything else. I've been sworn to secrecy from my source. However, they would like to speak with Alexa as soon as possible."
"Fine. Tell them to come here." I throw my arms up.
Michael's body tenses. "They won't. It's too busy; they'd rather meet on the outskirts of Aurora. Less attention the better."
Jax takes a step closer to Michael. Even though Michael is tall, Jax towers over him. With teeth clenched, he says, "If this is a ploy to get her away from town, you'll answer to me."
"Jax, it's okay. He wouldn't dare." I grab Jax's hand and lead him to the door, and turn to Michael. "Let's do this."
Michael strides up beside us, glancing at my hand in Jax's. "I'll take you both to them."
My cheeks flush with color as I quickly yank my hand from Jax's grasp. Michael witnessing our affection is uncomfortable. Not too long ago, I felt safe and secure with him even though my connection with Jax has always been strong, even when we met in my dreams. But for some reason I don't want him to feel bad. Even though he's the one that fooled me, I don't want to intentionally hurt him.
In a single file, Jax bringing up the back, we walk toward the forest. My palms start to sweat and my eye twitches nervously. Where are we going? Who wants to see me? A barrage of questions are firing off one by one in my head. This better not be another trick to hand me off to the queen. I look over my shoulder and am instantly soothed when my eyes lock on Jax. He's here with me, and nothing will happen. A sly grin spreads across his face. I quickly turn my head so I'm no longer staring up at him.
"Ugh, why does he have to be so good looking?" I whisper to myself.
"I am?" I hear Jax snicker. Clearly, I was a tad too loud with my observations. I ignore his comment and continue forward.
Floral scents tickle my throat as we navigate through the forest. We pass the waterfall and the rock I frequently perch on. Chills run up my back, leaving a wake of goose bumps on my neck. A looming feeling of dread consumes me. "Michael, tell me who we're meeting." I pull back on his arm. I need answers.
Michael slows his pace.
I swing my gaze left and right but only see dense forest.
"We wait here. They'll come to us." Michael turns toward me while his steel-gray eyes widen, awaiting my response. It's still a shock to see the alien version of Michael. He looks different from the brown-haired, brown-eyed boy from my biology class.
"Okay. But can't you tell me more?" I divert my attention to the ground, trying to escape his scrutinizing gaze. I don't want him to know that being in his presence makes me uneasy. We shared so many good times together but I can't help but think of the bad stuff.
"No, you'll see why. Their identity won't make sense until you see them yourself," Michael says.
I turn to look at Jax. He appears annoyed but not nervous. I imagine it would take a lot to scare him. Jax witnesses the worry spread across my face and he nods to reassure me. I stand tall and prepare myself.
A distant buzzing noise begins to grow in the distance. Why can't I place the source of the noise? It sounds so familiar. Before I can give it another thought, a dark wave rolls toward us. My body trembles in anticipation of being hit by this monstrous, rogue tide. In a last-ditch effort I call on my abilities. Nothing happens. It almost feels as if a weight is holding me back. The heaviness increases as a group of tiny men draw nearer.
Alexa, don't be afraid; they won't hurt you. Stop fighting it.
The soothing male voice calms me. The tension dissipates and my core relaxes. I let go of trying to gain control of the situation and let whatever this is happen.
"Plitans?" Jax mumbles. "But that's impossible."
I stay very still as the miniature aliens swarm in and begin to surround me. Their size and agility remind me of hummingbirds, however these creatures are much faster. Dirt lifts from the ground and tiny pebbles pelt at my face. In an effort to preserve my vision I cover my eyes. My hair is blown all over the place as the gusts of wind created from their flapping wings approach.
The humming halts. Silence. I'm almost afraid to open my eyes, but I'm equally curious. I squint, allowing enough light in to see what's out there. Tiny green men are lined up as far as I can see. I turn my head from side to side; they're in every direction. There must be thousands.
"In total, we are 12,348 Plitans, princess," a small voice reveals. I look to my right and see the one who spoke to me, standing on a tree branch at eye level.
That's weird. How did he know I was thinking that?
"I can hear your thoughts," he replies.
No way. He can hear me? You can hear me right now?
"Yes," he responds.
How are you doing that?
"We have the ability to read the thoughts of fellow Plitans and—"
"Can someone please fill me in on what's happening?" Jax interrupts.
"I'm communicating with the princess," the green man that's reading my mind answers.
"How?" Jax asks.
"Like I said before, we have the ability to read the minds of fellow Plitans."
"Alexa isn't from Plito, though," Michael adds.
"Her grandparents were; the Plitan blood travels through her veins."
This is too much. "Why do you want to see me?" I anxiously rock back and forth on my feet. "What are you doing here?" Why is he telling me all this? I don't have the abilities like they think I do. All of this attention for me, this has to be a mistake.
"We're here in Aurora hiding. Most of our kind was exterminated during an attack on Plito before the planet's extinction. We've been here a long time, waiting for you. My name is Ayu. I am the eldest of our kind."
"Ayu, why have you been waiting for me?"
"You're the answer, you're the prophesized one." His dark eyebrows arch as he firmly places his hands on his hips. He flashes a confident white-toothed grin. I think this little green man has no idea what he's talking about, clearly.
"Prophesized one, what are you talking about?" My eye begins to twitch. A nervous tick I had on Earth has now followed me into another galaxy. At least it is a bit comforting to know the old me is still in this new body with a princess title.
"The oracle prophesized hundreds of years ago that a girl born with a bloodline rich with descendants from Plito, Pumalia, and Mapu would lead a revolution resulting in The galaxy's salvation. She would have unrivaled powers and a platform to succeed. You are the one." My mind blanks and numbness spreads through me.
"I'm so confused."
"How is she the one, how do you know for sure?" Jax moves into a wide stance and plants his arms across his chest.
"She has the abilities to fix all the bad and prevent the galaxy from total destruction."
"How do you know I have those abilities?" I ball my fists up waiting for an answer. They must have the wrong girl. I just can't take the pressure.
"I can hear them. Your whole being vibrates and hums with power. You'll see soon enough." His black eyes sparkle and a thin grin spreads across his pleased face. "That's why I'm here. I want to work with you. Teach you how to tap into your birthright."
I look at Jax for confirmation before I agree to meet with these little green men. Jax speaks up, "I think that's a great idea, Ayu. She could use additional help and support."
"Okay. I think that's a good idea too then." I try to smile but the sheer number of these tiny aliens baffles me.
Michael turns toward Ayu. "How long will it take to do this? We are planning to attack Mapu soon. We need to get our families back." Michael glances at me and I can see the frustration taut across his face. Perhaps he hasn't been mulling around not thinking if his family.
"She needs time. I will know better once I meet with her." Ayu's wings flutter and he hovers up toward me. "We will begin tomorrow. I'll meet the princess where she's staying in Aurora. I can easily get in and out of the center of Aurora undetected by myself."
"Why do I have to wait?" I ask. "Shouldn't we start right away? The sooner I get a grasp on my abilities the sooner we can get Miri." I'm so tired of waiting, either for my powers to return, or to appear at all. Now I have to wait for the little green alien.
"Tomorrow will be better for everyone. Get a good night sleep." His little voice squeaks.
"How do you know Miri is okay?"
Ayu smugly returns, "Some of my team have infiltrated the island. Plitans are everywhere."
All at once the 12,348 Plitans take off before I can continue to question him. The wind kicks back and I throw my hands up to shield myself from the flying debris. Within moments the buzzing ceases. Jax tugs on my arm and I open my eyes. Without a word, Michael spins on his heel and heads back toward town.
"That was different," I whisper. I grab his arm and pull him along. Both of us are rendered speechless from the odd experience. Little green aliens, the ones I ran into before when on the run with Michael. They weren't trying to attack me. They were trying to save me.
"What are you thinking, Alexa?" Jax asks as we near Aurora.
"I'm thinking that this is all too strange. I'm also thinking about Miri and what she's going through."
Jax stops walking and stands directly in front of me blocking my way. "What are you thinking?" I ask. My face heats as I stare upward into his big blue eyes. He makes my heart beat faster.
He brushes the hair out of my face and replies, "I was thinking that this must be so hard for you. I know what it's like to be disappointed by people you care about."
"You do?" I stare at him with my mouth open.
"Yes, my father was also in the militia. He worked alongside Kalus and Elena for some time. One day he didn't come back. I was six years old. Apparently, he met someone else and moved on, away from my mother and myself." His eyes grow darker as he shares his own disappointing experience.
"You still went into the militia? Did you talk to him or forgive him?" I ramble on trying not to sound so surprised. Apparently infidelity wasn't something that only happened on Earth.
"He died before I became involved with the militia. He was killed in a senseless battle. That's a story for another day." Jax sighs, "I do forgive him. He's only a being and no one is perfect. My mother is happy as she has moved on as well."
"I'm sorry that happened to you and your mother, Jax." I think of Jax, as a small boy waiting for his father to return from a battle only to find out he wanted another family. My heart swells with sadness.
"Thank you, Alexa, that means a lot." Jax smiles. "I was also thinking of something else regarding you."
"Oh really, what's that?" I chew on my bottom lip nervously waiting for his reply.
"I was thinking about how I miss our alone time in your dream world. Our field, our connection was the only thing we had to think about. Things have changed and we can't spend that time together, I miss it."
His admission melts me. "I do too."
"When this is over I hope we can find some time again." He moves out of my way and grabs my hand.
"Me too." I can't fight the huge smile that spreads across my face. The warmth from his hand spreads throughout my body. This chemistry we have is nothing I've ever experienced before. Almost like we're supposed to be together. I let my mind wander thinking about living a special, electrified life with Jax.
Chapter Six
I didn't have much time to relax when we arrived back in Aurora. The happy cloud I was drifting on came crashing down. Sheri was waiting for me outside Tam's house.
I stare into her large, lavender, oval eyes. Her short, dark hair frames her face and her translucent complexion glows. This is a big change from her once olive complexion and brown eyes. However, uncanny as it may be, her hair looks exactly the same. How did she do that?
"You expect me to believe that?" As I stare into her eyes, I wonder if she knows how ridiculous she sounds. "You didn't know about me until you turned seventeen. And it just so happens that we were neighbors and best friends. Come on, Sheri, I'm not that naive. For once be straight with me."
She has spent the last twenty minutes spewing excuses as to why she didn't tell me before. I watch her lips move and I hear the words, but I'm not connecting to anything. As soon as she knew the truth she should have told me. I don't care if she was sworn to some sort of secrecy. We were best friends and we knew everything about each other. If the roles were reversed, I would have done everything in my power to tell her the truth.
"I can't make you believe me." With a deep sigh, she continues. "I wanted to tell you the minute I found out. I even tried to warn you at one point." She stamps her feet. "I left a note for you in your locker warning you about Michael. Maddox told me that if I spoke to you, I would instantly put your life in danger. So I tried to anonymously warn you. If someone threatened my life, what would you have done, Alexa?"
"Take the risk. You should've told me. You could've warned me. I've been living a life that was entirely a lie. I have an insane mother, a half-sister who was captured by said mother, a father that is a well-known war
hero and my science teacher, and now a former best friend that happens to be from the same galaxy as me—which I might add is not the galaxy we met in!" My hands begin to tingle and I fight the urge to light them up. I inhale slowly and exhale with an added groan. The sensation subsides as I walk toward the door.
"When did you find out you were from Pumalia?" I ask, voice trembling.
"I found out only a few weeks before I turned seventeen. I wanted to tell you but my Earth parents said that if I did I would but us both at risk. I was afraid and I'm sorry." Sheri begins to cry. I put my hand on the door not wanting to hear anymore.
"Wait. Don't leave like this. You need to know that if I could have told you, I would have. When I returned to Pumalia my parents, birth parents, would barely let me reply to your text messages. Didn't you notice the past few months have been different? I haven't been around. Did you really think I was ignoring you?" Sheri's face displays an equal amount of sadness and frustration. "Don't you think this has been hard for me too? I've lived my whole life not knowing I was from a different galaxy. I may not be the one or a princess but it is still a shock."
Thinking back to the most recent texts, I remember her responses were spotty and impersonal. Originally, I thought it was because of her boyfriend, Damon, but maybe he was made up as well. "I thought you were busy with your new job and your boyfriend, Damon. Was he even real?"
"You know that I would never be too busy for you. And yes, he's real—or should I say was real. He doesn't remember me now. So I guess it doesn't matter." Sheri's eyes fill with tears and I can tell she's sincere, but I can't help how I feel. "Remember Alexa and Sheri against the world? It's a different world now. It's still you and me. As soon as I found out you were here in Aurora, I came as soon as I could."
A single tear rolls down my face. My heart hurts for her and for me, and for this screwed-up situation. "I need some time to think. I can't pretend that nothing happened," I say.
Disorder (The Stellar Series Book 2) Page 4
