by Cara Wylde
Avery was impressed at how fast he’d recovered. When he didn’t continue, she looked at Aedar for an explanation.
“I’m sorry,” the younger brother said. “I know how much you want to see our ship, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’re the only Kralians who’ve ever managed to take a pleasure slave, and I don’t think our people would appreciate us throwing it in their faces when they themselves can’t even touch humans. The Kralians on Terra are more open to it, but not the civilians living on the ship. They’re the ones who suffer the most.”
Avery nodded slowly. She didn’t like it, but she could understand where he was coming from.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Aedar shrugged. “I guess it didn’t matter that much. Anyway, it’s complicated, and it has nothing to do with you. In reality, you’re not our pleasure slave. If we take you on the Hordaa and everyone sees you, we would be deceiving them, which is even worse when you add it to the pain of them knowing that we can interact with human females while they can’t.”
Avery sighed and rubbed her left temple. Why did everything had to be so complicated? To make things worse, now that Kryan had let her know how much his body craved hers, she could barely think straight. Avoiding Aedar’s gaze, she found herself staring right at his crotch. She blinked a couple of times, then went back to rummaging through the weird clothes they’d gotten for her. Great! She’d felt how turned on Kryan was, and she’d just seen how hard Aedar was for her. Things were not going in the direction she wanted.
“Okay, then what are these for?” she asked.
“For the party on the Swetho,” said Kryan cheerfully and checked her face to see her reaction. To his delight, curiosity was painted all over her pretty features. “Yes, you heard that right. Gorgan has invited all the captains and their pleasure slaves on his ship.”
“What… is he celebrating?”
“That’s the interesting part. We don’t know yet. No one does. It’s a surprise.”
“Are such parties… common?”
“Not really,” Aedar answered. “We might celebrate various things… birthdays, holidays… on our own ships, but we rarely gather together like this. It must be something truly special.”
“Do you think it concerns all of you? I mean… all five races, not just the Valgans?”
“We thought about it, yes.” Kryan crossed his arms over his bulky chest, as if he couldn’t trust himself to keep his hands off Avery’s body when they were in the same room. “There’s only one way to find out. We go to the party.”
“Wow!” She ran her hands through her long, blonde hair. “I… I need a moment to think.”
“There’s nothing to think about, I’m afraid,” Aedar said. “It has to be done.”
“No, no… Yes, of course we’ll go. I just need a second to wrap my head around it.”
She walked to the only window in the room and opened it wide. The chilly night air made her shiver, but it did help clear her mind. The library felt so stuffy and cramped. She knew that behind the wall to her right was the stargate, and every time her gaze fell upon the coffee table, she remembered that first night she’d seen their true alien forms and they had taken her both right on top of that table and made sure just one man would never again be enough for her. She needed to think, and this room certainly didn’t make it easier.
“When is the party?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“And you’re just telling me now?!”
“We found out right after lunch.”
“Great!”
Avery placed her elbows on the windowsill and leaned over. For a few long minutes, she looked at the cloudy sky and the lights in the distance. The Walsh Residence was quite isolated from the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. Obviously, the Walsh brothers needed their privacy, especially since they’d never been up to any good. Such a shame that she couldn’t see the moon. There was a decent chance that it was going to rain later.
“You’re distracting me again,” she said thoughtfully. “You said we were going to talk about the Vinča civilization and the possible connection between humans and Kralians, and now you’re showing me dresses and making me feel nervous over a party on the Swetho.”
She didn’t turn back around to look at them. As long as she could focus on the sky and the city lights, she could think straight enough to get something out of them. Anything. She couldn’t go to the SPG empty-handed, so to speak. Well, okay… she could take a dress for Lisa. She bet the IT girl would totally geek out over a genuine Kralian dress.
Kryan sat down behind the desk, and Aedar took the other armchair. They both knew it was time to tell her the truth. They had postponed it for as long as they’d been able to, and if they were to be honest with themselves, it hadn’t helped their cause too much. They were still lost as to what they should do with the information they finally had.
“All right, princess, you win,” Kryan started.
Avery rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. He could call her “princess” as long as he told her what she wanted to know.
“No more games. The database search gave us more than we’d been expecting.” He took a memory stick out of a drawer and placed it on the edge of the desk. “We compiled all the books and documents we found, so you and the SPG can read them and judge for yourselves. I can give you the short version, though.”
“I’m ready,” she whispered, her eyes still fixed on the heavy clouds.
“Our ancestors found Terra around the year 5,500 BC. The oldest records of the Kralians’ journeys through space say that before deciding to land and explore the planet, they thought long and hard about all the possible outcomes and consequences. They knew Terra was the home of a race they’d never encountered before in their travels, and they weren’t sure what to expect, especially since this race seemed to be quite… primitive. While our ancestors had advanced technology and spaceships, your ancestors were in the early stages of civilization, and they were struggling with poor tools made of stone and wood. They had to consider the impact the superiorly evolved Kralians would have on their culture, beliefs, and lifestyle. They didn’t take the decision lightly.”
Avery nodded, but remained silent. For some reason, she felt like she’d known this all along. This was the only story that made real sense.
Aedar continued what Kryan had started:
“As the Danube Valley Tablets say, six ships descended on the land of the Vinča on a hot day of August. We found the captains’ logs. They had scientists, researchers, botanists, and doctors with them… People they knew they needed. Few warriors, though. They had come to the conclusion that the Vinča were peaceful and, at that moment in time, they didn’t have any enemies. At first, the humans thought the Kralians were gods who’d decided to walk the earth and experience their own creation for themselves. It took the Kralians some time to convince them that wasn’t the truth, but when they did, the two races managed to live together in peace. Our ancestors taught yours how to build more resistant homes, how to spin, weave, and build tools that would last.”
“And also… how to write,” Avery said.
Aedar shook his head, but Kryan was the one who spoke.
“No. The Vinča developed their own writing system according to their language. To be accepted by the humans, the Kralians had learned their language before landing on Terra. They did teach the people in the Danube Valley some Kralian words, but the Vinča stayed true to their own language, and even though they took inspiration from the written language of their visitors, their alphabet is unique and entirely theirs. For generations, the Kralians and the Vinča lived together in harmony and spoke one language: that of the Terran hosts.”
“Interesting. So, your ancestors had no intention of taking over my ancestors?”
“No.”
Avery chuckled. “That’s good to hear.” She finally turned to look at them. “What I understand is that the g
ene sequence we share today is the result of our species coming together and… well… making lots of babies.”
Aedar chuckled, too. “Yeah.”
“So, what happened. Why did your people leave? Because they left, for sure.”
“The Kralians were simply exploring to learn more and take that knowledge back to Kralia to grow their own civilization. Kralia was in the middle of a Golden Age, and no one was thinking it would ever end. In fact, it seems that the mission on Terra was unique. From what we’ve gathered, our ancestors had never done that before… living with another race for generations, nor did they do it again afterward. They left Terra because it was time. They taught the Vinča everything they could teach them without affecting the natural way they were supposed to evolve, and when they were called back to Kralia, they had to leave the Terrans behind, but with the promise they would come back one day. That day never came, as the civilization on Kralia eventually collapsed.”
“But… this means…” Avery’s voice trembled. She couldn’t believe this story was making her feel so emotional. “This means that families were broken…”
“Some, yes. But there were also families that chose to stay together, so some humans went to Kralia, while some Kralians chose to stay on Terra. They were few, though. In general, the consensus was that the children, teenagers, and young adults who’d been born with purple skin would leave for Kralia, and those who’d been born with white skin, would stay on Earth. In the end, there were too few people with white skin on Kralia, and too few with purple skin on Earth, so the feature got watered down through generations until the merge between the two races was almost entirely forgotten.”
“Until today.”
“Until today,” Kryan agreed.
“Wow.” Avery had no words. She started pacing the floor, suddenly feeling too jumpy to stay in one place. “Is this the whole story?”
“Kind of,” said Aedar. “The super short version. Believe me, we had a lot of material to go through to give you something so condensed.”
“That’s why it took you so long?”
“Err… yeah…” Aedar stole a quick glance at his brother.
Avery caught the exchange, crossed her arms over her breasts, and turned to Kryan. She tapped her foot impatiently.
“Look, it took us three days because we needed time to process it,” Kryan said. “I mean… to understand what all of this means now, to us. To Kralians and to humans. To our joined cause.”
Avery relaxed and sighed.
“I totally get it. Like… where does it leave us?”
“Mhm. And the most important question: how do we replicate it?”
Avery laughed out loud. It was completely inappropriate, so she covered her mouth with her hand.
“I’m sorry. The story was so fascinating that I forgot what the point of digging it out was. Yes. To replicate the link between Kralians and Terrans, so the other four races would feel the same connection when they come in contact with humans. Wow! Good luck with that!”
“It might not be impossible, though…”
Both Avery and Kryan turned to Aedar.
“I mean… sure, we have this whole history together, but in the end… it’s just a gene sequence.”
“Do you really think…” Avery stepped closer to Aedar.
“I can’t promise anything, but the truth is that many things can happen in a lab. With the right scientists on the project.”
Avery dragged in a sharp breath and released it slowly. She felt like her head was swimming, and for once it wasn’t because she’d been breathing the same air as the two captains for the past hour or so.
“I have to tell the SPG.” She walked briskly to Kryan’s desk and grabbed the memory stick along with her bag. “Thank you. You’ve…” She smiled. When she’d come here, she’d felt like she needed to be feminine and vulnerable for once. Now, she was in the position of congratulating them on a task well done, in the name of her team. How hilarious! “You’ve come through for us,” she eventually said. “We hope we can repay you one day.”
“We? How about you?”
Kryan stood up and was in front of her in three wide steps, blocking her way to the door. He sneaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, but Avery didn’t have time for any of it. As much as her body craved his touch, and Aedar’s, she couldn’t afford to waste another minute.
“I told you,” she whispered against his lips. “Not tonight.”
With a deep, annoyed sigh, he let her go, and she pushed past him. She waved at Aedar, then ran down the stairs and out through the front door before she changed her mind and spent the night in their bed. Or on their coffee table.
CHAPTER FOUR
Avery held her breath and kept her eyes shut for another moment as the stargate closed behind her. The first thing she noticed was the music. Complex and eerie, as if hundreds of instruments were fighting for dominance, yet creating something that made sense, that made something inside the people who listened vibrate. It was nothing like Avery had ever heard before. She wondered whether it was Valgan or something else.
“Are you okay?” Aedar whispered without looking at her.
“Mhm.” She finally opened her eyes.
“Let’s go, then.”
She followed Kryan and Aedar to the center of what looked like a grand room which had been especially decorated and organized for this specific party. She could tell that in general it probably served other purposes. The long tables along the walls were filled with rich, delicious food, colorful fruit, and bottles of various alcoholic drinks. There were few things she actually recognized as originating from Earth. Apparently, the Valgans liked apples and roast chicken. There was some space for dancing, but no one seemed eager to show off their dance skills.
The room was packed. Kryan and Aedar walked to the main table, where they joined the other ship captains and Avery joined their slaves. Only the masters had the right to sit at the tables, in chairs that were so large and richly decorated that they looked more like thrones. Their pleasure slaves sat on the floor, on huge, soft pillows. As Avery made herself comfortable, she couldn’t say she felt like complaining. Her pillow was the coziest thing she’d ever touched, and the cover was brightly colored and velvety. She wanted to snuggle with it forever. Later, she’d have to ask either Kryan or Aedar if she could take it with her. Better to ask Aedar, though. He was the more romantic of the two brothers.
She was sitting next to a blonde girl dressed in a short, skimpy dress. They smiled at each other but didn’t say anything. Avery looked up and saw her master was the Cattalian captain, Eldav. She’d had more than enough time to do her homework on the ship captains, and she knew that Eldav was the captain of the Verto. He had blond hair, too, and sharp blue eyes. His skin was of a pale blue shade. Avery studied him for a moment, then checked the pillow to her left. Just like the seat next to Kryan, it was empty. At least, they weren’t the only ones who were late.
“Hey,” she called to the blonde girl. “What’s your name?”
“Ginny. Yours?”
“Poppy.”
The girl smiled. “Nice to meet you.” Then, she went back to looking ahead, at nothing in particular.
“Not much of a talker,” Avery thought.
“Poppy! You’re here!”
The voice coming from the pillow next to Ginny’s sounded familiar to Avery, although she couldn’t quite place it at first.
“It’s me, Kaylee.”
Oh, right! She remembered Kaylee. Drav’s pleasure slave. She waved at her and asked her where Grace was. Kaylee just winked at her and told her not to worry about Grace, which sounded very odd to Avery. When she’d met Kaylee and Grace in the brig, they’d both expressed a mix of sadness and anger. Now, Kaylee seemed to behave like everything was fine in the world and the whole universe, and she even suggested Grace was doing better than her. Impossible. Grace was one of Gorgan’s pleasure slaves, and Gorgan was
the only alien in the Alliance who had a harem. This was his ship, and this party had been thrown by him. She still didn’t know the occasion. As she looked again at the pillow to her left, Avery wondered whether Gorgan and one of his pleasure slaves could have been the ones who were missing. Maybe, he was waiting for everyone to be there, so he could make a fancy entrance. On the one hand, Avery hoped he’d bring Grace with him. On the other hand, it would only mean that Grace was still his favorite, so she was still the slave who suffered the most. She bit her lip and looked up at Kryan’s and Aedar’s wide backs. For now, they didn’t spare her a glance, but she knew it was all an act. Their presence calmed her down, so she decided to keep her gaze fixed on their backs. They were both acting as her anchors to the real world.
Everyone was talking around her, except the slaves. Even Kaylee was silent, although she stole one or two glances at Avery from time to time, leaning forward to see her past Ginny. Avery ignored her and focused on what she could hear, smell, and feel. All the aliens were speaking English. While that was a relief, they all spoke at the same time, covering each other, and making it hard for her to follow any conversation. Also, some had quite an accent, and Avery guessed that small thing betrayed these were the ones who hadn’t spent too much time on Earth. Maybe, they hadn’t been on the planet at all. This didn’t look like a private party for just the ship captains and their slaves. Soon, Avery realized there were a lot of aliens with pale blue skin there, as well as with dark green skin, black skin, and ivory skin. Aside from Kryan and Aedar, there were half a dozen more Kralians, too, but she couldn’t help but notice how her two captains hadn’t brought too many of their purple-skinned fellows with them. Meadow was there, but she was sitting at another table, and Avery couldn’t even exchange a quick glance with her. Not that she needed to.
“Kaylee,” she whispered.
The redhead looked at her, curiosity dancing in her green eyes.
“What’s happening? What are they celebrating?”
Kaylee smirked. “Poppy, you’re so clueless.”
