Michael believed she’d come to kill him. Take him from his pain. Save him.
When he first saw her, he’d thought she ran naked toward the stream. The sunlight had blurred her skin and her cream-colored unisa together. All he noticed were her Kelvieri’s Boots. Her skin shone, radiant. And the way the light hit her eyes, he kept thinking of a song—Electric Blue—by some group called Icehouse.
As she drew nearer, his heart softened. But, almost as quickly he cursed himself for having any sort of feeling. Once they’d started talking, he hungered for an emotional and physical bond. Craved it worse than the alcohol he’d been drinking. So tormented.
He longed to be taken from his forsaken life. It caused him pain to realize she hadn’t brought relief. Hatred. Agony ripped through his body. She watched him pull out the gun, tap it against his forehead. Venus wanted to reach out and take it from him. Then she heard the word he’d heard: coward. It’d saved him, but where did it come from?
She was drowning with him in his sorrows. So much about their first meeting made more sense.
And then she saw him again at that diner, where he noticed her. Desire coursed through him whenever he pondered their kiss. Apple cider. But Venus shook her head. That didn’t matter. What was of the upmost importance, he’d gone to the party with Cheverly. They’d talked. He’d allowed his feelings for her to bubble to the surface, though he hadn’t wanted them too. He had so much pain, yet he still cared.
How Venus hurt for him. The more she learned, the more her soul connected with his. He needed her help. He needed love more than anyone she’d ever known. And, Venus wanted to help him.
She had no idea how or where to begin. Love was an emotion foreign to her, at least the true, everlasting love that could exist between two people . . .
She woke abruptly, covered in sweat. Entering Michael’s mind had been exhausting. She felt damaged, having suffered his every cut and each emotional cruelty, as he had. Venus felt the inklings of understanding ripple inside her mind. There was a reason the Gods, Ith and Aetha, had linked her to this boy. It wasn’t merely a punishment. It was much more.
A whispered confirmation enveloped her. “Yes.”
The Gods hadn’t sent her here, but they would allow her to learn from the experience. This had become part of her immortal’s journey—part of her quest toward becoming kelvieri. If immortality were to be hers, if she wanted to return home and find the truth behind what’d happened to her family, her irrihunter, and, if she wanted to someday rule Alayeah, Venus needed to do this.
16. Here I Go Again
“C’mon, hurry up.” Dervinias stalked out of the house, grateful for a break from the electronic dance garbage shaking the walls. Three of his supporters followed. One was Kelvin, the large lug he wasn’t sure about. The others were called Tawny and Selena. He went past the steaming hot tub full of screaming girls in bikinis and smelly chlorine and headed toward the far end of the yard.
“Hey baby,” one of the wet girls called, waving. Stephanie was her name, Dervinias remembered. Hot body. She’d make a perfect candidate for his plan—whether she wanted to or not. They had Trig together. He ignored her, for now, and continued toward a large tree.
The bark appeared thick and brittle. Almost all of the leaves had fallen. They crunched under his feet sending a faint tang of nutmeg into the air. At the tree, he stopped and pressed his back against its trunk, propping a foot.
“What is it, Dervinias?” Tawny asked, looking peeved. He knew she wasn’t happy with the group dynamic—Chev being his leading lady.
He let a smile curve his lips. “I have a job for the three of you.”
His father had failed to mention that the princess’s Formytian had followed her to Earth. That made killing the girl even more difficult. The over-protective guardian had discovered the treachery and followed her. His exuberance would be the death of him.
“Tell us,” Tawny said in whispered excitement. He knew she lusted after the chance to kill. Though she’d never know, that was the reason she hadn’t been chosen to rule by his side.
“Well darling, before we can move forward with our plan, you have to kill a kelarian princess. You think you can handle that?”
“Isn’t she l-like you?” Kelvin asked.
“No, she isn’t.” Dervinias breathed, trying to keep his patience. “You don’t need all of the details, but trust me when I say she’s vulnerable. She can be killed. This planet’s atmosphere will take care of her in seven days, but I want her murdered corpse brought to me tonight.”
“Uh, Dervinias, sir?”
Give me strength. “What is it, Kelvin?”
“If Earth will destroy her in a week, then what’s the big deal? Why do we have to kill—again?” Dervinias noticed he shuffled his feet; his shoulders slouched inside his letterman’s jacket.
You’d think the way he hacked off body parts, Kelvin would be excited at the prospect of another death. But, apparently not.
“Because, Kelvin. She has a mega-enthusiastic guardian who is like me, and he’s going to do everything in his power to help her get back to Kelari. What happens if he finds a way before she dies? Mmmm?” Dervinias crossed his arms and stomped his foot on the hard ground.
“I guess,” Kelvin said.
The quiet one, Selena, stepped forward. “What’s she to us?”
“Let’s just say if we don’t kill her our plans will be ruined. Good enough?”
Tawny stepped forward. “How do you want us to do this?”
Ferocious, beautiful Tawny. He pulled a slip of paper from a back pocket and handed it to her. “Get the knives I’ve given you. You’ll need them. And then get your butts to that address and kill her. You’ll have the element of surprise. She’ll be tired. Murder her while she’s sleeping.”
Tawny unfolded the paper. Kelvin and Selena leaned in to read the address.
“Isn’t this your house?” Selena asked, giving him a strange look.
“And her name’s Venus?” Tawny confirmed. “Right. But that doesn’t matter. Follow the map. You’ll find her in the far bedroom.” Dervinias pushed away from the tree, moving closer to the humans. “There.” He pointed at a large X.
“Is she the girl from the diner tonight? Wow, she’s fine,” Kelvin said.
In an instant, Dervinias grabbed Kelvin by the throat and hefted his large body in the air. “Yeah? Well I need you to shut up and destroy that fine girl. Got it?”
“Yes,” he gasped.
Dervinias dropped him and spoke to the girls. “Good. Remember to be careful. Her guardian can read her mind as well as yours. I’ll make sure he’s incapacitated. So if you make it quick, he won’t realize anything’s happened until it’s too late. I’d kill her myself, but I’ll need an alibi.” They each looked at him with uncertainty. He was sure they wanted more information. Like little children, he could almost hear their whining.
But there was no way he’d kill her. Not with the curse the Gods had placed upon him. He’d rather live eternally amongst humans than forever in the lowest realm of Helker. A fate worse than death.
Besides it wouldn’t be long now before he’d created a new race. A species that would call him a God.
“We’ll do it,” Kelvin said.
“Of course you will,” Dervinias agreed.
17. Another One Bites The Dust
Venus had no idea what time it was. The dreams and memories she’d witnessed in Michael’s mind hung over her thoughts like wet clothes. She pulled back the covers, about to get out of bed and get a drink, when she heard a shuffling noise in the hallway, outside her bedroom. If it’d been Zaren, she wouldn’t have heard him, so it had to be someone else.
“Dervinias,” she whispered, figuring he’d come home from the party.
The noise stopped, but she watched the door handle turn slowly. Moving forward, she went to see what Dervinias wanted. He bugged her with his incessant cheerfulness, like an obnoxious Mary Poppins. Worse, Venus knew he made Zaren unea
sy. That’s all the warning she needed about the guy.
Three. Two. One. She flung the door open and immediately took a step back, shocked to see a very tall, very bulky person at the threshold. It wasn’t Dervinias. She knew this because of his height and width, but she had no idea who he was. His face covered in shadows by the hood over his head.
Her body was still heavy with sleepiness, but she worked to sound tough. “Who are you? Are you one of Dervinias’s friends?”
“I’m the death of you, gorgeous,” he said, softly, his tone and inflections exposing his youth and confidence. Hulking, but obviously a teen. From behind his back, he revealed a large knife, the blade long and curved, like a sickle.
Venus felt her pupils grow large—not in fear—but in preparation. This boy had no idea who he planned to murder. She’d been trained in more than one form of what humans called martial arts, but the warriors she’d studied under weren’t from this little planet. If she wanted to, she could slaughter this poor kid with his own knife before he knew what happened.
“I think you’ve got that backward, you overgrown mingtar. If you don’t leave now, I’ll be the death of you.”
He raised his head and Venus squinted, working to see his face. “That’s not what he told me. He said you’d be easy to kill. You’re tiny. Killing you will be like snapping a hummingbird’s bones.” He sounded less sure of himself, though. The knife in his hand drooped slightly.
She bent her knees, shifted her feet to find a more grounded center. Through her nose, she took a deep breath . . . and choked on the stifling air. Multiple coughs racked her body.
Cret! She’d momentarily forgotten what the air was doing to her lungs, her body.
Luckily she had enough sense to put her hands into their striking position—elbows bent, hands up, palms facing forward.
“Leave,” she’d meant to yell. The word came out strangled.
He lunged at her. “No. I won’t leave until you’re dead. I can’t.” The boy spat the words, like they were dirty.
She stepped forward as he came at her, keeping her body low. Her intent had been to flip him over her left shoulder, causing him to land on his head. He went over her shoulder all right, but she wasn’t prepared for his weight. It was like he paused in midair before mashing down on top of her, pushing her stomach to the floor. Her chin smacked against the carpet. His weight nearly knocked Venus out. As if that weren’t bad enough, the stink of his body odor—rotten eggs—caused her to gag. Venus heard him groan a curse, his knife clanged against something, probably her bed frame.
With great effort she tried to push him off, but he was too heavy. Flailing about, he made a klutzy effort to untangle himself from her.
“Are you a boy or a baboon?” she hissed, frustrated she hadn’t been stealthier. Her Senji master would be humiliated if he’d witnessed this tragedy.
When she felt the kid’s weight shift, Venus scrambled from under him, and onto her feet, facing his hulking figure. He jumped up, knife in hand. It gleamed in the moonlight that shone through the window. She steadied herself, finding center, waiting for him to come at her again. This time she’d make Master Yoiru proud.
“Arrrrgggghhhh,” he roared, shaking his head, reminding her of a lion.
“You ready to call this quits? Maybe you want to try again some other time, when you aren’t such a clumsy ox?” Venus tried on an evil smile, hoping to intimidate him.
“Listen, I don’t have a choice. He said it’s your destiny—”
He couldn’t finish. Dervinias was suddenly at his throat, a hand over his mouth. He wasn’t as tall or as wide as the huge boy, but it didn’t matter. Dervinias was stronger—much stronger. Venus watched the boys eyes grow wide, she guessed in fear. The boy looked like he wanted to talk, but he didn’t get the chance. Dervinias twisted. Venus heard the sickening snap of his neck and watched his body drop, like a bowling ball, onto her carpet.
“Did you have to kill him?” she shouted. Her rubbery legs carried her forward.
“He tried to kill you and you didn’t seem to be dealing. Lucky I came home when I did,” he said, full of cockiness.
“He was just a boy.” Venus slugged Dervinias in the arm, still too weak to show more rage. She fell to her knees next to the boy’s head. “I’m so sorry.” With two fingers, she lowered his lids over his empty eyes. “What are we going to do? Zaren will know.”
She stood and yelled, “Zaren.” When he didn’t come right away, she called again, louder. “Formytian.” To Dervinias, she asked, “Where is he?”
“He’s probably exhausted. Leave him be. I’ll take care of it.” Venus heard the biting tone rip from his throat.
“What’s your plan?” She crossed her arms.
“Does it matter? Go sleep on the couch. I’ll handle it,” he growled, facing her.
She sighed, unbidden tears glossing over her vision. “Why did he want to kill me?” she whispered.
He shook his head, turning back to the boy. “I don’t know.”
She needed to leave the room. The smell of death already permeated the air. Careful not to let any of the white comforter touch the floor, she carried it into the living room. Venus wanted to see Zaren. He should’ve been with her, but the bedroom door remained shut. She shrugged it off, knowing nothing on this planet could harm him, figuring it was as Dervinias said. He’d been exhausted.
Lying on the lumpy red couch, she tried to go back to sleep, but it was difficult. She wondered what the teen had meant about her destiny. The boy had been trying to do someone else’s bidding. Whose?
She was also curious about what Dervinias might be doing. With the boys body? With the room?
Overhead, the ceiling fan whirred and she watched it until fatigue finally hit. There was much to do in the morning, lots to talk about. Venus still had to make the rude human boy, Michael, fall in love.
18. Forever Young
Dervinias lived in a tiny house. The kitchen/dining area felt cramped with the three of them pressed into the rickety, black table, which snuggled next to a rusty-red stove. Behind Venus, the morning sun shone through the window. Its warmth, along with the heat of the stove, was making her sweat.
“Where’s the body?” Zaren asked through clenched teeth. The table separated Venus and Zaren, yet she still felt the force of his anger. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, and she figured he was mad at her, too.
“It doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that I have some people who helped out. He’ll be found. His family will be able to mourn the crazy S.O.B. . . . It’s all good,” Dervinias said, forking a piece of pancake and shoveling it in his mouth.
Zaren pounded a fist on the table, rattling the silverware. A bit of her milk spilled. Venus rose to get a towel and clean up.
“I’m sorry, Zaren.” She kept her focus on wiping up the mess.
Tenderly, he replied, “Venus, you’ve no reason to apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should’ve been there to help you. I can’t understand why I slept through your danger.” She looked up in time to see him glare at Dervinias.
“What?” Dervinias smirked. “Be grateful I arrived when I did or you’d have a dead princess on your hands.”
“The kid was working for someone else. He kept saying ‘he’. He also mentioned my destiny. Where would he get such ideas?” Venus chimed in, throwing the wet towel at Dervinius.
“Don’t look at me, unless you want to say thank you for my saving your life. You could be a bit more grateful.”
She didn’t feel gratitude though. She felt angry, edgy. “Thank you.”
“And you,” He threw the towel at Zaren and continued, “sleeping through the whole thing. Did you dip into the alcohol last night? Sip a little too much sauce?”
“I don’t know . . .”
Rage flashed through her. How dare he speak to Zaren that way? “Speaking of dead, I have six days to make Michael fall in love or your rescue won’t matter.”
Zaren heaved a deep sigh, but she
continued to focus on Dervinias.
“True. You’d better get crackin!” Dervinias stuffed another bite of pancake in his mouth and then took a huge gulp of milk.
Venus wanted to wipe the floor with his arrogant hide. Grabbing her fork, she stabbed it into her breakfast. Pancakes. The food she’d been most excited about trying. She’d read about them, drooled over the imagined flavor. Now that she finally had the chance to try them, her excitement was tempered by memories of the dead boy.
Still, the pancakes on her plate were large, thick and fluffy. The brown syrup covering them tasted delicious. Dervinias had warmed it and his house smelled of maple and butter. Better than the death stench in my room. Even with everything that had happened, Venus managed to eat three. They tasted better than she’d expected. Problem was she’d overdone it. Her tummy rumbled in frustration.
Venus pushed her plate away and studied Dervinias. His physical appearance remained close to that of a kel before the change, except his skin, which was exceptionally tan. His hair was white-blond and his eyes were dark gray. At the moment, he wore a light pair of jeans, black boots and a plain gray t-shirt. A lanky guy. Very handsome. He’d made all the ladies giddy at dinner last night, including their middle-aged waitress. Why go to high school? At his age, it must’ve been boring for him.
“Quite the contrary, I find high school on this planet fascinating.”
“So you can read my mind? My thoughts?” That explains a lot! “What the cret!” Venus frowned. “Is this a quirk of all kelvieri or just you?” She had to wonder how much of her thoughts Zaren had listened in on. Very intrusive! She thrust a harsh look at him.
“Princess, this only recently occurred, for me anyway. It must have something to do with our being on Earth. I can’t read Dervinias, only humans . . . and you. I’ve made every effort to avoid intruding on your mind.” He sounded genuine.
“I see.” She once again frowned at Dervinias. She believed Zaren. He was good, trustworthy. He’d lay down his life for her if necessary. Venus had no reason to suppose he wasn’t telling the truth.
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