Immortal Essence Box Set: Aligned, Exiled, Beguiled

by RaShelle Workman

  “Vinny, stay out! It isn’t nice to invade a person’s mind. But, since you brought it up, what’s so great about it? High School.”

  “Everything. The drama. The way teenagers react to life.” He paused and gave a huge grin. “And the girls get prettier each time I attend.”

  “Each time? You’ve gone more than once?” Venus couldn’t help but glare. A shallow kelvieri.

  Surprise. Surprise.

  “I’m not shallow. I know what I like. And this is my third time. Once in Hawaii. Man, I loved the surfing and the laid back local girls. Then I went to a private school in New York. Those girls are gorgeous, driven and, oh sooooo uptight. Now here. I can understand why the West was won.” He shoveled another bite of pancake in his mouth, winked, chewed twice and then swallowed. “First time playing football though. I love it.”

  “Mm-hmm. A question?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why’d you take Cheverly to that lake, of all places? Especially since she and Michael were together?”

  At least now she wouldn’t have to go into detail about her entering Michael’s memories and dreams last night. No need to, what with the alien mind-readers in the room! Especially the blond one. Venus fumed. For a two-hundred-year-old kelvieri, he seemed kind of dense. Definitely insensitive, rude and completely cocky. She hadn’t known him for long, but she didn’t like him. Even if he had saved her last night.

  “Why not take her?” He gave her a boyish grin.

  “You’re so crude.” She shook her head. He didn’t seem to care that he’d been the cause of breaking up two people. Nor did he seem bothered that he killed a child last night.

  Venus ached with guilt over the death. An emotion she wasn’t fond of—at all. Yes, she probably would’ve killed him herself, if it’d come down to it. First, though, she would’ve questioned him, tried to figure out why he wanted her dead. Sadly, at this point, she couldn’t change anything. The damage had been done.

  If she didn’t come up with a plan to help Michael, none of this idiocy would matter. She had to focus on getting home.

  Zaren rubbed his temples. He didn’t seem to be enjoying the pancakes as much as Venus had. Part of the first one still sat on his plate getting soggy. “She needs to get close to the boy and fast. It’d be practical if she could attend this school. Perhaps as your guest. Do you think that’s possible? He needs to get to know her, start trusting her.”

  “Of course it’s possible. I’ve got the front desk lady wrapped around my sexy alien finger.” He held up his pinky.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe he doesn’t need to get to know me. Maybe I need to get to him through Cheverly.”

  Both Dervinias and Zaren looked at her.

  “Interesting,” Dervinias said. “Why do you say that, V?”

  She shot him a dirty look. “Well, it’s simple. I’m positive Cheverly still loves Michael. And I know, up until two days ago, Michael believed he loved her, so I need to get them back together and there you go. True love. I get to go home and figure out who did this to me.”

  Zaren nodded. He seemed to approve, but Dervinias had a curious look on his face.

  “What? You don’t think it’ll work?”

  “You know there’s a difference between love and true love, right?” He winked before popping another huge bite of pancake in his mouth.

  It was Venus’s turn to slam her fist on the table. “It’s a start, Vinny. Why did you take her to the lake?” she yelled.

  He shrugged. “She wanted to go and I wanted to take her. I had no idea you were coming and that you’d be required to accomplish such a-an interesting task. She’s hot.” He shrugged again. “Sadly, Hawke called her and nothing happened. I’ll keep my paws off now that I know what your plans are.” He lifted his hands up, like Venus had seen actors do in the movies when they were held at gunpoint. “Promise.” He smirked and chugged the rest of his milk. Checking his watch he said, “Well, if you guys are coming to school with me, you’d better get a move on.”

  Zaren seemed about to protest. Before he could say anything, Venus said, “You’re my guar- . . . my friend. If I’m going, so are you.”

  He picked up his plate and put it in the sink. As the water ran, Venus waited, watching the strange way dishes were cleaned on this planet. It seemed so much more beneficial to use particle soap and steam—dizipter—the way everything got cleaned on Kelari.

  Zaren turned to her and waved a hand toward the sink. “They still have a lot to learn, Princess.”

  She snorted and he turned back to his task. She watched his muscles flex through his white t-shirt and wondered if he’d grown tired of her. If he was sorry he’d come after her. She’d released him from his Formytian vow, and he was no longer obligated. Truthfully, she was glad he stayed. She needed him.

  The water clicked off and he turned. “I’ll never leave you and I’ll always be both—your Formytian and your friend.” Their shoulders brushed when he reached her. Zaren paused, a sensation she barely felt.

  She wanted to fold herself into his arms, allow him to stroke her hair . . .

  “We’re going to be late, Princess.” Dervinias tossed his dirty dishes in the sink and pushed past them. “Move it!”

  19. A View To A Kill

  Venus chose a black pleated mini-skirt and a horizontal black and white striped tank. Over the top of the tank she put on a see-through lace top in maroon. Then, over the top of that, she slid on a vertical pin striped black blazer. It’d been one of the outfits hanging on a display in the store. Chev had said she’d look perfect in it. It wasn’t bad.

  Turning back and forth in the full-length mirror attached to the bathroom door, Venus decided she looked adorable. Zaren had also bought scrunchies and barrettes. Since her hair hung to her waist, she was grateful for them. Venus made a braid and wrapped a maroon-colored lace scrunchie around the end.

  Finished, she picked up a small black purse, which she’d filled with cherry-flavored lip gloss, a couple of pens and another scrunchie, and hurried to the living room, where she knew the guys were waiting.

  “I’m ready.”

  “You look beautiful,” Dervinias said.

  “Yes, you do,” Zaren agreed.

  “Thanks.”

  With a flick of his wrist, Dervinias opened the door. “We’d better go if we don’t want to be late.”

  Once outside, Venus snuggled deeper into her coat. Her body longed to really inhale, take a big, deep breath, but she resisted, knowing her lungs couldn’t take it. Instead she studied the neighborhood—all of the houses crammed together in their neat little rows. Somewhere there was a fire. The smell of burning wood cut through the chill. A twinge of alarm hit her stomach until she remembered humans had fireplaces and she looked up. Sure enough, smoke puffed into the sky from the roof of a house across the street.

  Hundreds of birds flew over in a large V formation. Their chirping and tweeting sounded like a room full of talking people. Venus paused to watch as they landed on a telephone wire. Grief overwhelmed her senses. Sadraden. Dead. She’d never fly with her friend again. She’d never get the chance to meet her baby.

  “Ready?” Zaren asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

  Venus turned slightly to search his face. He knew what she’d been thinking about, his sorrow evident. “Yes,” she answered and they walked to Dervinias’s enormous black truck together.

  20. Wild, Wild West

  When they arrived at school, she watched kids whisper and gawk at them.

  She gawked back.

  One of the strangest parts about being on Earth was how alike the human teens and kelarians looked. Two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Hair in different lengths, and limbs long and lanky or short and stubby, same as kels. Sure unchanged kels were silver and white, but that almost seemed tame when compared to what some of the kids here did to their faces, bodies, and hair.

  Piercings in all sorts of places—eyebrows, lips, cheeks, noses, even tongues. Hair the
color of the sun, or purple pansies. Their nails were all sorts of colors, and some even had jewels on them.

  Zaren wrapped a hand around her arm. She leaned into him, thankful again for his nearness, his coming after her so she wasn’t alone on this strange planet. They were in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The West. Home of cattle, wide-open spaces, and Frontier Days . . .

  “Where are the cowboys? The hats? The horses?”

  Dervinias snorted. “This isn’t Earth Studies, V. These kids do everything they can to avoid the mold. But if you must see a cowboy, check out the group over there, yonder.”

  She turned and sure enough, there were cowboys! They had on cool hats and large belt buckles, jeans that looked too tight, and fantastic boots. “So they do exist.”

  “Well, of course they do. One of the kids over there—the tall one with the black hat—he’s the calf roping champion of the state. And see that girl with hair the color of hay and the turquoise belt buckle?” He paused and waited for Venus to acknowledge she saw her.

  “Yes.”

  “She’s an amazing barrel racer.”

  “Barrel racer?”

  “Are you sure you took Earth Studies?”

  Venus frowned.

  “It’s when the horse and rider race around two barrels . . . You know what those are, right—”

  She smacked him on the arm.

  He continued, “In a figure eight.”

  “Oh, that’s fabu.”

  “Yeah, right. Fabu! You’re a dork.” He laughed and winked.

  She looked away and noticed a few girls whispering and pointing in her direction. One even called her a name—tramp—whatever that meant.

  “What’s their problem?” Venus asked.

  “They’re angry at you, V.”

  “Why? What did I do?” Her body gravitated closer to Zaren.

  “You’re a girl and he’s fresh meat.” Dervinias inclined his head toward Zaren.

  “What?”

  “They want him. But they think you’ve already got your scrawny claws in him. It ticks them off.”

  “Oh.” She realized she could feel their anger, like pointed daggers in her flesh.

  “Cret! Zaren, you’d better let go.”

  Both of the guys chuckled. But Zaren dropped his hand.

  She couldn’t blame them for desiring the guys. They were both incredibly handsome, especially Zaren. Perhaps it was that they were kelvieri, but in contrast to the other boys (actually all humans), it was as though Zaren and Dervinias were in complete focus while everyone else was blurry. She especially liked the way Zaren looked in human clothes. He wore a long-sleeved, brown shirt and a dark pair of stone-washed jeans (that’s what Dervinias called them), with Dr. Marten boots. His black hair and lime green eyes made him breathtaking.

  Zaren shifted his head slightly and caught her checking him out. He gave her a secret smile. “Focus, Princess.”

  “You focus,” she said, feeling her face flush that he’d caught her. Since she’d come to this crazy world, she’d been unable to control her feelings. They kept creeping in. Maybe it was because she wasn’t being forced to behave like a princess all day.

  Kinsfolk weren’t following her every move, every minute of every day, watching what she ate so they could copy it. If Venus had Incaria tea to drink with breakfast, then that was all the rage until she switched to a new drink or a new meal or . . . whatever. If she had the court designers shorten her coverlettes by even an inch, the rest of the females noticed and by the next day, theirs were shortened too.

  When Venus wore trousers, they wore trousers. If she chose to learn a new weapon, all of the women were doing the same. The men too, sometimes. If she got sick, suddenly half the kels in the kingdom were ill. At times, it drove her insane.

  Her mom explained that they copied her as a sign of admiration, that it was important and her obligation as their one-day leader. She said Venus should worry if they ever stopped. Venus tried to be understanding. Her mother’s words made sense, but it was still exasperating. The only thing most kels wouldn’t copy was her irrihunter flying. They were Kelari’s most feared animal. Sadraden had saved Venus, kept her sane. And now she was dead.

  “I’ve never flown on one.” Dervinias gave Venus a blinding, white smile.

  Zaren looked back at her, sympathy carved on his face.

  “You two need to stay out of my head.” She smacked them both in the arms.

  Dervinias laughed out loud. “Sure thing, V.”

  She doubted he’d stop.

  Zaren shrugged, which meant he didn’t think Dervinias would stop either. She smacked Dervinias again.

  “Damn, girl,” he said rubbing his bicep.

  South High School was made of brick. Different shades of brown, mustard and every shade in between. Row after row of windows lined the walls. The school looked to be three stories high. Ugly. The front doors were a pumpkin orange. Zaren reached them first and held one side opened. Dervinias walked through and swatted him in the stomach.

  “Thanks man.”

  Venus let out a snort at the glare Zaren gave Dervinias. “Thank you, Zaren.” She smiled big, a bolt of happiness zinging her heart.

  He smiled back and followed behind, letting the door swing shut. “You’re welcome.”

  They tried to keep up with Dervinias as they zigzagged through the throngs of students and teachers. Venus immediately had the urge to bolt back outside. The air hung thick with all sorts of odors, the overall effect revolting. Zaren reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

  “I agree. This place is . . . overwhelming.”

  Dervinias turned around and hollered. “Hurry. We aren’t strolling through the park.”

  They sped up. Dervinias pulled open a glass door and disappeared inside.

  At the door, Venus hesitated. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was that attending this human school meant her predicament was real. Dervinias leaned against the counter speaking amicably to a woman with short, gray hair. He dropped his backpack onto the carpeted floor and began fiddling with a pen. Venus heard him laughing.

  “Let’s get this over with. It’ll be fun.” Zaren reached in front of her and pulled the door open.

  “Right,” Venus agreed.

  Dervinias turned back and said, “See, here she is. And this is her . . . brother, Zaren.”

  Brother? When was this decided? She flung the question into her mind, knowing at least Dervinias was listening.

  Dervinias smirked, shrugging his shoulders. Venus had a strong urge to punch him again.

  She glanced at Zaren and he shrugged. “Ugh,” she growled. Guys and their serious lack of communication skills.

  Mrs. O’Hare (that was what the plaque resting on the counter said was her name) gave Venus a look, which she took to mean the woman thought she had issues, and then she handed first Zaren and then Venus some paperwork. “Sit down and fill those out. When you’re done, bring them back to me. Understand?” She looked directly at Venus.

  “Yeeeeesssss.” She turned around and went to sit next to Zaren on an orange plastic chair. The first thing the paper wanted to know was her name. She wrote, “Venus” and paused.

  “Smith,” Zaren answered.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” he replied, firmly.

  “Fine.” She sighed and wrote it down. What’s was wrong with Carania?

  “Nothing’s wrong with it. But it’s easier if we have the same last name as Dervinias—since we’re all supposed to be related. Less peculiar and easier to explain. We need to fit in.”

  She huffed. A chuckle sounded on her left and she looked to see Dervinias watching her. It was really starting to bug her that he acted like she was there for his amusement. Venus realized that probably sounded childish, to which Dervinias nodded. Sticking her tongue out at him crossed her mind, but she resisted.

  “You’re right.” Venus turned back to the paperwork. “Why brother and sister, though?” She didn’t like the idea, espe
cially since she was having all of these physical desires for Zaren, and none of them were the way a sister would feel for her brother. They should’ve talked about all of this beforehand.

  Zaren smiled.

  Cret, this was ridiculous. “Whatever,” she whispered and continued on with the paperwork.

  If she had a question, Zaren helped. After she’d finished, Zaren handed her the required documents. He’d pulled them from his bag. Venus raised an eyebrow, surprised and even more curious to know where he’d got them.

  “I have my ways,” he said with a cheeky chuckle.

  “I guess so,” she agreed.

  They both stood at the same time and walked to the counter to hand in the paperwork.

  Mrs. O’Hare looked them over, making grunting noises every once in a while. When she finished, she handed them each a badge with big, bold letters reading: VISITOR across it. The badge was attached to a necklace made of . . .

  “Is this macaroni?” She guessed by the half-moon shape of the hard noodles.

  “Yes, aren’t they cute? The cheerleaders made them. They did a good job; cute-patooties that they are.”

  “Oh,” Venus started, but the woman continued.

  “Wear them all day. Don’t take them off. When school’s over, bring them back and hand them directly to me. No one else. Got it?” Mrs. O’Hare growled.

  “We’ve got it,” Zaren said, placing the macaroni necklace over his head.

  Venus admired his strong chest. He still looked hot—macaroni necklace and all.

  “Good.” She smiled at Zaren and then turned back to Venus. “Keep close to Vinny, here. He’s a good boy. Go where he goes. Do what he does. The only difference will be that you’ll go to the gym when the boys go to the pool. That’s the rotation we’re on. Any questions?”

  “No,” Venus and Zaren answered together.

  She handed Venus a map. With a big red marker, she X’d the Gym. “Go here for P.E..”

  Venus nodded and turned.