Exiled (21 page)

“You’re doing great,” the woman whispered, handing him two water bottles.

Michael winked. Better if everyone believed he was getting the information for them.

“We’ll have you both some food in a while. K?” She twisted her ponytail with one finger.

He knew from experience she was flirting. “Great. I’m starving.” He backed away from the invisible wall. She swiped her badge again and the electric current returned. At his cot, he handed a water bottle to Venus through the bars.

“Thanks,” she said, working to open the lid.

“Let me do it.” It pained him to watch her struggle.

She handed it back. “I’m not usually such a weakling. On Kelari, I was quite strong, and not that it matters, stealthy, too.”

“Stealthy huh?” Michael twisted off the cap and stuck the bottle through the bars. She leaned up on an arm and took a sip, replaced the lid and lay back down. Her eyes closed and he watched, listening to the unnatural sounds coming from her with every inhale and exhale. Michael needed a plan. For now, he wanted to keep her alert, awake. “So what’s irrihunter?”

She looked at him, her vivid blue eyes sad. “An irrihunter is my favorite animal. They’re sacred and amazing.” Tears filled her eyes again.

“What’s wrong?” He reached through the bars and touched her hand. Her fingers were icy. Freezing. “Oh, man. You need a blanket.” He still had on his jacket. Pulling it off, he pushed it through the bars. “Here. Use this. It’ll keep you warm.” She took it and held on, but didn’t move to cover herself. “Let me help you,” Michael said, working to cover as much of her broken body as his denim jacket allowed. “I’m so sorry,” he said so quiet she seemed to strain to hear him.

“Thank you.” She tucked her hands under his jacket. “This helps a lot.”

“So, what’s amazing about these animals? Do
they
turn into two-headed monsters?” He smiled, hoping to get one out of her. She complied, barely.

“No. They’re . . .” she trailed off, her teeth tugging her bottom lip. “Imagine a shiny black horse, but with the head and temperament of a panther. And their teeth look more like the extinct cat of your planet, called saber-tooth.” She paused, staring into his eyes. “You got that?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, now add large, clawed paws to the feet instead of hooves, a mane and . . . gigantic wings.”

“Wings? What kind? Butterfly? Bird?” The animal sounded amazing all right.

This time she laughed. “No, more like a bat’s.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Right! And their eyes are a dazzling violet. They have fur, but it’s super short and so soft. Their ears are the same shape as a horse, but they have whiskers like a big cat.”

“How cool. Can you ride them?”

“I can,” she said with a bit of her old attitude back. “But no, most kelarians won’t go near them. They’re dangerous creatures and can be very vicious, if not handled with the proper respect.”

Michael tried to imagine her on the back of one. The wind in her hair. Then he remembered the images he’d seen when they kissed. That’s what she’d been riding. It looked exactly as she’d described. Michael remembered how strange, yet right, it’d been to see such a little person sitting on such a large, ferocious beast. Before he realized what he was doing, he blurted, “I think I saw you riding one.”

She leaned up. “How?”

Now he’d have to explain it.
Crap!
Michael cleared his throat, pushed his hands through his knotted hair. “You know, when we, ah . . .” Crap, he’d try again. “Well, I saw some things when we k-kissed.” Michael would’ve called himself an idiot if he were her.

Idiot
.

She let out a nervous laugh, but her eyes sparkled. “It was a very memorable kiss, wasn’t it?”

He scratched his neck, working to keep his face from turning beet red. “Yeah.”

“I’d no idea you saw anything. Why didn’t you tell me before now? It’s . . . unusual. But, I’m glad.” She paused, gauging his reaction. “What did you think of her? Beautiful, right?”

“That was a
her
? She looked terrifying.”

Tears fell onto her cheeks. She sniffled, wiped her eyes and laughed at the same time.

“I’m an idiot. Sorry.” Michael had no idea what he apologized for, but he knew he’d do anything to keep her from crying.

“Oh, it isn’t you. She was my irrihunter and she was killed. Murdered. Her baby, too.” She wiped away her tears.

“Venus, I really am sorry. Why would someone do that?” Michael wanted to find them and hurt them—for her sake.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head, suddenly vicious. “Whoever it was should die. I wanted to be the one to find them. Now, though—” She broke off, a sob escaping her.

“Why not now?” he asked, hoping this time she’d tell him.

“Michael, be serious.” Anger flashed across her face. She sat up, crossed her legs. “I’m in here and I’m not well. You know as well as I do, this place will be my grave.” The last words were said in a hushed manner. So full of grief.

Michael wanted to correct her, tell her it wasn’t true. They were going to escape. But if he said or acted differently, they’d know. His father would know. And he needed to keep Frank—especially Frank—in the dark about his true feelings. So, he clenched his jaw and ground his teeth. Swallowing the words he wanted to say and responded, “Maybe not.”

She lay back down. “You’re lying. It doesn’t matter though.”

Ugh, it did matter. She mattered. Nothing and no one had ever mattered more. Escaping. Helping her. That’d become his priority. After his father and Abe left for the night—if they left . . . They’d better leave. He’d figure out a way to get Venus out.

“Will you tell me a story?”

Venus’s body burned, the medicine wearing off. She resisted the urge to cough and tried to imagine herself back on Kelari, free of
this
awful place. Death seemed to be the answer, the only way.

More than anything she wanted justice. For her family! Her irrihunter and the unborn baby! Instead she sat in a cell, at the mercy of this atmosphere, and these people, including Michael.

It was obvious he felt bad about his part in capturing her. It didn’t change the fact that he’d done it. Taken her from Zaren, forced her to endure their torturous tests. Confined her to this evil, stinking place.

Michael wanted a story. Fine, she’d give him a story. “Sure. It’s a long one.”

He smiled. “The longer the better.”

She took a small breath. Not that it did any good, but she needed to clear her mind.
Three. Two. One.
“Before kelarians existed, there were others, called gethniovians.”

“Gethni . . . others?” He sat up, directly across from her. Crossed his legs as Venus had hers and placed his arms across his lap.

“Yes. Back then, Kelari was full of division. Six different tribes roamed our world. The Ertherns, Winbeys, Firclees, Watrets, Monobians, and the Suraeys.”

“Okay.”

She stifled a giggle. They were kelarian words, but since English didn’t have duplicates, they’d have to do. “The Suraeys were the largest tribe. They also believed they deserved to rule our world. Of course, though the other tribes were smaller; they had their own reasons for thinking they should rule. Every year or so, one tribe would war against another. The biggest reason was always to conquer, but smaller reasons usually started the war. A fight for more land, insidious threats, or lies. Ridiculous reasons, really. The war that brought extinction to nearly all of the tribes and begins my story, happened over a piece of fruit.”

She watched him raise a brow. “You’re joking?”

“Nope. I’m not.”

“Well, wars begin on our planet for stupid reasons, too.”

“Oh, I know. Maybe even more than you do. See, we kelarians have been around a lot longer than humans. Our race has studied your world and its inhabitants for hundreds of thousands of years. The similarities between our planets, the idea that we look so much alike, that we have land and water similar to Earth, has kept us intrigued. You need to realize our kind make the change into immortality at the age of sixteen. Forever is a long time.” Venus waited for that information to sink in. There wasn’t any doubt Frank and possibly that scary guy, Abe, were listening.
Well, let them listen.
There wasn’t a thing they could do with the information.

“Really? Tell me about an incident I wouldn’t already know—about one of our wars.”

He’d challenged her and she accepted.

“Okay. You know the war called The Civil War?

He nodded.

“The war was important and would’ve happened anyway, but it began because Jefferson Davis lost a game of poker.”

“No it didn’t.”

“Afraid so.” Venus chuckled quietly.

He looked doubtful and the history lesson wasn’t getting her story anywhere. She decided against further discussion on the matter. Regardless of the fact that her father happened to be on the planet at the time, and a close, personal friend to Abraham Lincoln, and her mother, a dear friend to his wife, Mary Ann. That information didn’t need to be announced, especially not here, with a room full of listeners. They might kill her for lying instead of because she was an
alien
.

Venus leaned forward and, in a whisper, said, “Let’s just say, my mom and dad were here when the war began.” He looked astonished, but she put a finger to her lips. “Another time.”

“Count on it,” he whispered back.

Louder, she continued, “The Watret tribe leader accused the Firclee leader of stealing a gnuff off a tree in one of his groves.”

He slapped his forehead, which forced a giggle out of her.

“It’s a fruit which looks like an orange, tastes like a plum and is the color of a banana. When you peel it, the fruit is the consistency of a plum, too.”

“Gnuff is a great name for it. Your explanation was
gnuff
to give me a headache,” he said with a smirk.

“Ha. Ha. Do you want me to tell you this story or not?” Venus pushed down the tickle in her throat.

“Yes, please.”

“K. Now, whether he actually committed the crime or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that the course of all life on Kelari altered after that war.”

“What happened?”

“The Watret and Firclee tribes asked the other tribes to join them in their quest for dominance, making promises, creating secret organizations, planning assassinations and changing leaders faster than you change your underpants.”

Michael laughed. “I change my underpants at least three times a day. You sure they were switching leaders that often?” His laugh was nice to hear.

Venus joined in. “Well not quite that much.” Sweat covered the back of her neck. In a matter of minutes she’d gone from freezing cold to hot. She needed to get her hair up. Quickly, she spun her hair into a knot at the back of her head and tucked it in a bun. Michael’s jacket slipped. She wrapped it further around her legs and knees. It smelled of him, a hint of cigarette smoke, but mostly of earth and sun-kissed pears.

She felt natural talking to Michael. If she had to die in this awful place, having him with her would make it better.

She smiled again. “Finally the Watret tribe convinced three other tribes to join them. The Ertherns. The Winbeys. And the Monobians. Though it seemed the Firclee had a disadvantage, the fact was, the Suraey tribe was gigantic. They were also violent. Kind of like the Huns of your planet’s history—very large and bred to be killers.”

Venus paused at the sound of clack-clacking. The woman had returned. She walked past Venus’s cell without even a glance in her direction, and moved on to Michael’s. In the woman’s hands were two bags. Some sort of fast food.

“Hi, Michael. I brought you and
her
hamburgers and fries. Hope you like pickles?” She zinged the electric current off. Clearly, she eagerly anticipated time with Michael.

Michael climbed off his cot and walked over. “Oh, pickles are fine.” He touched her hand as he took one of the bags from her. “Thank you for thinking of us, uh, what’s your name?”

“Sharon,” she answered, dazzling pink stinging her cheekbones.

“Sharon.” He said her name as though she were a decadent treat.

“You’re welcome, Michael. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know. I’ll be here all night.”

“Really?” he asked with a sexy lilt.

“Cret,” Venus whispered, trying not to remember what his mother had called him. Catherine’s words were seared into her brain. A man whore, that’s what she’d called him. He certainly had the skills.

“Yes, your father had to go out.” She lowered her voice and Venus didn’t catch what else she said.

Michael touched her forearm, a slight caress. Venus shivered in despair.

She now understood why she’d remained connected to him. Michael had told Cheverly he loved her, but either he didn’t mean it or he wasn’t
in
love with her. She wasn’t his true love. If she were, he wouldn’t be able to flirt so easily. At least Venus didn’t think so.

After a few more whispered words, Sharon stepped on the other side of his cell and turned the electrical wall back on. Then she walked away, clack-clacking, which wore on Venus’s nerves. She tried to ignore the jealousy rising up. Frankly, Venus was irritated. She’d be dead in a day. Two at the most. Whatever feelings she had for Michael were irrelevant.

As Michael climbed on his cot, he handed her a bag. “Here.” He crossed his legs again, a handsome, boyish grin playing on the corners of his mouth. Venus wanted to smack it right off his gorgeous face. There was a bigger part of her that wanted to kiss him. Taste the warmth of his lips again.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Thanks for the food. It smells delicious.”

“I know. Right?” He stuck a fry in his mouth and paused, pulling the other half away. “You-you’re kind can eat human food?”

She opened the bag and popped a fry in her mouth. Then grabbed her throat with her hands, pretending to choke. “Ugh. Ack. Ugh. Oh, I’m melting. I’m melting.”

He yelled. “Help!”

Venus stopped, and finished chewing the fry with a smirk on her face. “All better.”

He looked stunned and unsure whether to yell or laugh. He laughed. “That. Was. So. Not. Cool.”

“Oopsie.”

“Oo-oopsie. What do you mean, ‘oopsie?’ I thought you were choking.”

She giggled.

“You really had me there.”

She put another fry in her mouth. He did the same. She was enjoying the look of amused wonder on his face.
That’ll teach you to flirt with another girl while I’m around, ya man-whore.
She thought it, but she didn’t really mean it.

His life had been horrible so far and it kept getting worse. If he wanted to flirt with a pretty girl, who was she to judge? Venus sighed. “Sorry.”

“I’m not. You helped me forget for a moment. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled.

“Would you mind finishing your story while we eat?” He took a large bite of his hamburger. Half of it devoured at once. He laughed. “C’mon. Please?”

Sniffing, she removed her burger from its wrapper. It smelled divine—greasy meat, toasted bun, pickles, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and onion. Her mouth watered. She had to wipe it with the back of her hand to hide the drool. “Sure,” she agreed and took a bite. Bigger than she’d planned. A pickle didn’t make it all the way into her mouth. The sourness stung her cracked lips. She hurried and shoveled it in. “Where was I?” she asked around her mouthful of food.

He swallowed. “The Suraey tribe was large and bred to kill.” He stuck a fry in his mouth. One. And chewed it slowly. “Mmmmmm.”

She admired the way his lips moved. Sensuous. “Right. Well, when the war began, everyone thought the four tribes would win. Not so. The leader of the Suraey tribe had the leader of the Firclee killed. The people of that tribe made the Suraey leader their own. They captured hundreds of irrihunters, tortured them and starved them.

When they were beyond hungry, they ate their own flesh. That’s when the Suraey fed them prisoners. The irrihunters gained a taste for their flesh and blood. The Suraey trained them with whips until they were beat into submission, giving their people the advantage from the sky and the ground.”

“So, you meant what you said before. You don’t have cars where you come from.” He leaned forward, still stuffing fries in his mouth. The burger had already disappeared.

“Well, yes and no. The Six didn’t have the technology for any kind of moving vehicle. Now, though, we do have transportation. They aren’t like the vehicles of this planet. Ours are way cooler than Earth’s.”

“I doubt they’re cooler,” he said, shaking his head in disagreement.

“Oh, they are. You know all of the smog and pollutants your world is suffocating in?”

“Yeah.”

“We have none of that. We’ve kept our planet clean. No fuel—gasoline, or anything else. Our world remains lush. Green. We live among the trees, mountains, the ground and the oceans.”

“Oh, how does that work? What about roads? Do you have stores?” He picked up the fry container and shook it. Two more fries fell out onto his pants. Michael popped them in his mouth.

“We do have roads and stores. Our cities are high above the ground. Super highways, super stores, every convenience—it’s like two different worlds. We keep them separate.” She paused and picked up a fry. They were getting cold. She took two more bites of burger and threw it down.

“You gonna finish that?” He pointed.

“No. Want it?” Venus picked it up and tried to reorganize the patty on the bun.

Michael flexed a bicep, rotating his fist back and forth. “Um, yeah. Growing boy here.” He stuck his hand through the bars. She handed it to him and watched as he took a huge bite, pushed it into his cheek. Then he asked, “What do your cars look like?”

While Venus brushed some of the salty fries back into their container and tried not to blush, she debated how she’d explain them. Different TV shows and movies she’d seen flashed through her mind. There were
The Jetson’s
, or
Star Wars
. Hers were more of a combination of the two. “Let’s see. Take Red and remove the tires.”

He nodded.

“Now make the underneath portion rounded and remove the metal?”

“Remove the metal? But that’s what makes Red—Red.” Michael looked shocked.

Venus let out a small laugh. The tickle had returned, but she ignored it. “It’ll still be the color red, even the same shape, if you want. Only the car isn’t made out of that heavy metal. It’s made out of a flexible metal called absorticum.”

“Absorti-what? Sounds kind of nasty.” He chuckled. Stuffed the burger and fry wrappings back in the bag. Wadded it up and tossed it behind him, onto the floor.

Venus pretended not to notice. “Why n-nasty? It isn’t. The stuff is great. Light. Bouncy. It takes on any color you can think of. And it always looks new. Plus, trycarciuss don’t need oil changes or break fluids. You never have to worry about rotating the tires or fixing a cracked windshield. They’re perfect.”

“The trycarc-whatever.” He laughed self-consciously and brushed off some invisible salt. “How do they move then?” Michael scrunched his eyebrows together as though he were trying to answer the question himself.

“Kelari is a very big planet. We have two suns, each larger than yours, as well as two moons. Our suns and moons produce energy. We’ve harnessed that energy to make our trycarciuss move. The absorticum absorbs their energy.” Venus leaned back, suddenly feeling very tired. It wouldn’t be long now. Death’s door creaked open. “Hey, I’d better finish my story. That is if you’ll stop interrupting me,” she said, trying to sound sarcastic. In reality, it made her happy to see him interested in her home. And that he didn’t seem frightened or disturbed by her alien-ness.

“Of course.” Michael stuck a hand through the bars and touched her face. His fingers cool against her hot skin. He lay on his side and scooted his face as close to the bars as possible. Then, so low she barely heard, he said, “Hang on, Venus. We’re going to get out of here. Promise.” His golden brown eyes searched hers. A slight nod.

Loudly, he continued, “So, I believe all kinds of destruction was about to happen because of the Suraey tribe.”

“That’s right.” Venus lay down and closed her eyes, pushing back tears, allowing his fingers to roam her face. It felt good. She knew she shouldn’t allow this—that she ought to bring up Cheverly—continue to encourage him in her direction. But she didn’t want to. That he seemed interested in her, even if it was pretend . . . well, she felt comforted, if only briefly.

There was so much she still wanted to do, experience, become. Right now she’d finish the story of how kelarians came to be. “The Suraeys wiped out the Firclee tribe with the murder of their leaders. That should’ve ended the imminent war, but no. The Suraey leader wanted all of Kelari under his command. He believed he’d been chosen by their Gods to rule. On the morning the battle was to begin, both suns shone bright in the sky. They wal— ”

“Cret! I have another question.” His eyes twinkled at saying her swear word.

“Sounds great coming from a non-kelarian. What did you want to know?” Venus swallowed, fighting the sickness brewing.

“No. No. Never mind. Keep going.”

His thumb touched the edge of her bottom lip. Tingles shot through her body, like she’d been plugged into an electrical socket, except the power had been set too low. Little goose bumps rose on her skin. She cleared her throat.

“They walked onto the battlefield, met the Watret and the other tribes and the war was on. All in the name of power.” Venus swallowed, working to press down the pressure growing in her chest. “The battle went on for days which turned into weeks. And ended after many months. Blood soaked the ground, turning the dirt into a ruddy pool. Soldier against soldier. Woman against woman and finally child against child.

One day a large spark fell from the sky. A fire started. Without hindrance, it grew in size and intensity. Those few who were left stopped fighting each other and worked to fight the fire, but there wasn’t any stopping it. Everything and everyone in its path burned, sparing nothing. Animals, all of the tribes, and even the majestic irrihunters were destroyed.

After many months, the fire went out. Ash dusted the ground four inches thick. A heavy fog covered all of the land, making it impossible to see or breathe. When the fire died, there were very few tribes’ people who remained. With the ash and fog, those few were killed, too. The only warrior left was the king of the Suraey tribes’ youngest son. He searched for years to find others who’d survived. But he couldn’t find anyone. Finally he returned to the battleground where it’d all begun. The ash had vanished everywhere but on that field. Nothing, not rain, wind or snow lessened the thickness of the ash. It clung to the ground, the air, with a viselike grip, so powerful and strong, it was impenetrable. Golath, the king’s son, named the battleground Crying Ashes. He lived on the fringes of the grounds, foraged off the land, and wrote down everything that had, and would, transpire over the years. When he grew old, he lay down and died.”

Michael’s eyes were wide. “No one survived the war. What a waste.” He seemed to be mulling over her words. Venus waited for his next question. She knew what it’d be. “How did your people come to exist then?”

“From the thick ash a child arose. The Goddess of Fire. Or, Aetha. Her skin glowed silver, as did her eyes. And she had white hair. She wore nothing except . . . Can you guess?”

He sat up. She could almost hear the wheels churning. Then she watched the light of knowledge appear and flicker. He’d figured it out. Michael glanced at the black glass before leaning forward, resting his forehead against the bars.

“The boots,” he whispered.

Happiness gurgled through her. He’d figured it out. “Yes, Michael. Aetha was our first immortal, the first kelvieri. The first of a new race.”

“Cool.”

“Alone, she sought for another—someone to share her life with. After many years, she found the Manshum Mountains. Shrouded in mist, only the top could be seen and only from a great distance. The closer she came to the mountains, the harder they were to see, but she continued, drawn to them by an unexplained force. Finally, after many moon rotations, she reached the base of a mountain. Once there, she stayed close, searching. She wasn’t sure for what, but knew she had to continue. Many more days passed and Aetha found a cave.

The wide opening extended high above. Within, the darkness loomed so thick, it felt alive. Fearless, for she knew none, she entered. Never doubting that whatever had drawn her here resided inside. Once she stepped through, a white light appeared and hovered over a form. Curled in the corner, she saw him.

His thick hair, black as night, yet shiny as the Glass Ocean, glistened in the light. When she drew near, he lifted his eyes. Aetha gazed into their depths, the color of the sea, and so full of compassion—and knew she’d found home. He stood—tall and broad shouldered. A smile formed on his lips. She could see he wasn’t much older than her. Immediately, though, she knew, he was hers and she was his.”

“Ith.”

“Yes. Ith had no memory of his family or where he’d come from. His first memories were of the cave. A female irrihunter fed him, took care of him and kept him safe until she died. And then he’d been left alone to fend for himself.

Together at last, Ith and Aetha fell in love, deeply. Their hearts soared with gladness. Love abounded and for the first time they knew perfect happiness.” Venus took in a raspy breath. “But, as you know, nothing stays perfect for long.”

Michael nodded.

“Of course, this is where their story really begins.” A cough escaped, followed by more. Blood spattered her arm and sleeve while she searched for her tissues.

A quick clack-clacking. Sharon was coming again. More medicine. She stepped inside and gave her a shot. This time Venus welcomed the liquid spreading through her veins.

After she’d given Venus the shot, she swiped her badge, bringing back the hum, and then started to walk away.

“Sharon?”

“Hey Michael.”

His flirty smile returned. Michael climbed off the cot and strolled over to his humming wall.

“Would you mind taking this trash for me?” He pointed to the crumpled bag on the floor. “And, would it be possible to get some more tissues?”

“Of course.” She zinged her badge. Michael bent and picked up the trash.

“Venus, you want to hand me your trash, too?”

She did, sensing all helker about to break loose.

“So, Sharon, did my father come back yet?”

She stepped into his cell. “No. He won’t return until morning. You should get some sleep.”

Michael turned and touched her arm. “I will. Thanks.” He handed her the trash. She turned to go. “One more thing.”

“Yes?”

He leaned in as though he were going to kiss her. Their bodies inches apart. Venus knew milliseconds before she saw it what Michael had in mind. Like a snake strike, he grabbed Sharon around the neck. “Where are the boots?”

Sharon gagged, dropped the trash and scratched at Michael’s arm.