Flame (Fireborn) (10 page)

She looks earnest. "I
know what Google is. It's a lot like Nexus."

"What's Nexus?"
I ask.

"It's a lot like
Google." She laughs.

My giggle joins hers,
and for a moment it feels nice to have someone to talk to.

"Lenora," the
low voice comes out of nowhere. The hair on the back of my neck
stands up, and I know who it is even before I turn.

Rhys.

He's propped casually
next to a tree. Dressed in jeans and a light jacket, he wouldn't look
out of place in an Express catalogue. It's maddening how attractive
he is. He saunters over like he owns the sidewalk. Abruptly self
-conscious of the ragged hat over my head, I'm torn between using it
to hide my face or throwing it to the dogs wagging their tails next
to us.

"How long have you
been waiting for me?" Lenora asks.

"A few minutes."

"Sorry. Turns out
I'm not so good at parallel parking."

He raises a perfectly
black eyebrow. "Really." He doesn't sound surprised.

"Don't you dare
say 'I told you so'," she warns gently. "You know I've
always wanted to drive a car! It's so much more interesting than
pressing a button."

"You're really
loving this, aren't you?" He looks amused.

"Yes." She
turns to me. "Rhys, this is Kenna Parker. Kenna, this is Rhys
Doe." Her words are careful and precise. She's still learning
the language, and her accent is thicker than his. I can't help
noticing the little smile that's appeared on his face.

In my head I say:
I'm
the girl you noticed yesterday. I hope this doesn't sound creepy, but
would you mind noticing me everyday?
Out loud I say, "Of all
the sidewalks in all the cities in all of Minnesota, you walk into
this one…"

"Ready for that
probe when you are."

It's official. We're
flirting. Even in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine myself doing
this, but I am. I'm giddy inside.

Lenora looks between
us, confused. "Is that a new human greeting?"

We exchange a secret
smile, each daring the other not to laugh. I bite my lips to keep it
in. "No."
Just ours.

"Oh."

Turning to Rhys before
my laughter can burst out, I ask, "How was work yesterday?"

His smile vanishes.
"Fine." His voice is curt.

Did I say something
wrong?
He takes a step back from me. He did this yesterday too,
and I'm trapped between calling him out or watching him slip away
again.

Another step back.

Another inch away.

Suddenly angry, I lift
my chin up.
What's his problem?

"We should get
going Lenora."

"Come on,"
she says, tugging at my elbow. "We're taking the back route.
Reporters are in full swing today."

I try not to notice the
way Rhys's shoulder stiffens at her suggestion, and shake my head.

"No, you guys go
ahead. I've got to make a stop in the office," I lie. His
shoulders seem to relax a little with my refusal. Annoyed, I look
away. If I didn't, he'd see the daggers in my eyes.

Lenora hesitates. "Are
you sure?"

"Very," I
answer truthfully. Rhys doesn't wait for more conversation, and
gestures without turning for Lenora to catch up. She looks at him
then back to me.

"Hmm," she
says.

I don't ask what she
means by that and she doesn't tell me.

"See you at
school," she says. "We're going to be naughty and sneak in.
Shhh." She puts a finger to her lips. "Don't tell the
reporters."

"I won't," I
promise, but her back is to me. I watch them walk away, wondering how
two space aliens could look so beautifully
normal
. I think
they belong here more than I do.

Rhys bends his head to
her, and whispers. Even from half a block away, I notice they're very
close. His lips are next to her ear and if he moved a millimeter
more, he'd touch her. An uncomfortable sensation settles in the pit
of my stomach.

Turning, I stomp off
with my usual clatter, listening to my footsteps and the wind. Out of
the corner of my eye, I see Rhys look up.

His gaze is a pool of
light; sharp and focused. Behind the surface of his eyes something
flashes.

Longing.

I freeze mid stride.

Something hard and fast
comes by. It's tires jump over the curb. The truck's so close, I
smell the diesel before a gust of wind rushes past, blowing my hat
up. It's going to hit me. I open my mouth to scream.

Suddenly a pair of
strong arms circle my waist, pulling me hard. I'm pushed away, and I
fall to the ground on my back. Rhys is hovering over me, his grip
steel tight. Everything happens so fast his nose is touching mine
before either of us is aware of our bodies intertwined on the ground.

How did he--?

I can hear Lenora
shriek but my focus is on Rhys. For a moment everything stops. I'm
tingly all over. His eyes drop to my mouth, and my eyes drop to his.
I'm breathing hard, and he hears it because his breath catches in his
throat, too. My arms move to circle his neck.
Yes,
I think,
and I pull him to me.

We stare into each
other's eyes, and I'm hypnotized, as if an invisible bell is calling
to me. Pictures flash in my mind. Glowing- everything is glowing.
Shining,
beautiful
eyes. Floating in a sea of stars. Warm
embraces. And fire. Hot, raging, red fire.

Our lips move closer--

"Are you okay?"
I can hear Lenora above me.

We still as whatever
transfixed the both of us breaks. He holds me tight for a second more
as if it's painful to release me. I don't want him to let go. He
does.

My body trembles
without his heavy weight pinning me down. Adrenaline pumps through
me. Sights and sounds come rushing back. Rhys is up and standing, but
his intense face fills my vision. He gives a hand to help me up.

I ask the only thing
that comes to mind, "How'd you get here so fast?" It comes
out breathless. His eyes drop to my chest where I'm breathing hard.
His gaze flickers back to mine.

"I beamed over."

"Really?"

Amusement flickers over
his features, making them softer. "No."

"Oh." I wait
for an answer. It doesn't come.

"Hey, you okay?"
Lenora asks again, touching my shoulder. "That truck almost ran
you over!" Her eyes are wide. "Your human body could have
died."

"That thought
crossed my mind," I reply. It's a lie. The only thing I felt or
thought of was standing less than a foot away, staring at me with
bright Angel eyes.

"Maybe you should
walk with us." Rhys voice is deep.

"I've survived
walking for at least seventeen and a half years. I think I'll live
another day."

"Still…"
Rhys is unsure, gazing back where the truck had been. "What if…"

"What if what?"
Puzzled, I peer closer at him.

"What if it wasn't
an accident."

My mouth opens in shock
as a thought suddenly occurs to me. "You're right. Where's your
bodyguard?"

For months there've
been reports of Klan members threatening violence if our national
government allowed the Saguinox to come. Rumors were they'd already
sent death threats to the school and the principal.
That truck
could've been aiming for Rhys and Lenora.
Cold dread settles in
the pit of my stomach.

"What?" Rhys
looks offended. "I don't need a bodyguard. I was talking about
y--" Something comes over his face. His lips tighten as if to
hold himself back. He takes a deep breath. "Yes, that truck
could have been an attempt on our life."

Lenora opens her mouth
to say something. He silences her with a steel look. I frown.

"You need to let
someone know, Rhys."

"We will," he
promises. "As soon as you walk with us."

My first thought is
now
you want me to walk with you? After we've just discussed possible
assassination? I don't feel fear though.

I feel confused.

Rhys is sending so many
mixed signals, I can't tell what's genuine and what isn't. There's so
little known about Saguinox culture. For all I know this could be a
routine Saguinox courtship. He walks ahead, turning expectantly.

"He leads and we
follow," Lenora tells me.

"He leads," I
repeat.

"Always."

A student walks by, and
I can hear faint music blaring from her headphones. She's heading to
our school and we follow quietly behind. Katy Perry's "Hot and
Cold" plays on her ipod over and over again. I can hear it
through her headphones.

I stare at Rhys's broad
shoulders. I think about yesterday and this morning.

It's the perfect theme
song to accompany our walk.

The second day of the
aliens' arrival is as hectic as the first, but this time I'm
prepared. I wake up thirty minutes earlier than usual. I remember to
hide anything embarrassing in concealed compartments. Noticing the
cooler weather, I grab a hat I've owned since the eighth grade. I
rush out the door and into the car. When I'm near the school, I
bypass the parking lot and go straight to resident parking. Nothing
is in my backpack except a few notebooks, and the bounce in my step
is made lighter by the smaller weight. See? Prepared.

Out of nowhere I hear
screeching tires as a vehicle comes to a sudden and dangerous stop by
the curb in front of me. Instinctively, I jump back, hitting the back
of my head on the tall white fence. It appears the driver is trying
to parallel park, but is having a difficult time. I move further
away, knowing it's dangerous to stay close to someone who obviously
has no idea what they're doing. After a few steps, I hesitate. I turn
back to knock on the window. They're tinted so I can't see inside.
One window slowly slides down.

"Do you need some
he-" My jaw drops open. I can't believe who's in the car. Lenora
turns her lips into a helpless smile, but that's not why my jaw is
hanging open wide as a potato sack. She's pushed herself so far back
from the pedals that she's almost at a 180- degree angle. I instantly
note the right leg is on the accelerator, and the left leg is leaning
on the brake. One hand is on the gearshift, and the other is tightly
squeezing the wheel. My eyes travel back to hers, and she shoots me a
confused look.

"It looked easier
in the training video," she confesses.

I smile faintly. "I
bet." I'm close enough to see her glowing eyes in detail. They
seem to be filled with light, but they aren't hard to look at. Deeper
colors of violet and gray swirl in the golden mists like fireflies.
They remind me of an aurora borealis.

"Do you want me to
help you park?" I ask.

"Would you?"
Her smile is sugary, but it doesn't seem artificial. On the contrary,
she's making me feel like I've known her a lifetime when I've
literally just met her! She puts the car in park. Her little heels
click on the sidewalk when she gets out. Dark blue skinny jeans
encase long legs, and an adorable buttoned striped shirt is roughly
tucked in, giving her a carefree, angelic look.
She's only been on
this planet for a couple of days, and she already knows to dress
better than I do!
I shake my head, amazed. She hands me her keys,
and I slide into the driver's seat- literally. The leather is new and
luxurious, and my tights slide right over it. Within minutes I have
the car parked.

"Thanks." She
takes her keys back. "I'm Lenora. Doe," she adds, almost as
an afterthought.

"I'm Kenna Parker.
And it's no problem." I smile. "You guys don't have last
names where you come from?" I guess.

"No." She
giggles. "Am I that obvious? It's just hard to get used to
having two names. We practiced it in class, but it still doesn't feel
normal," she explains as she walks beside me. Large sunglasses
cover her eyes. They're the kind I've seen movie stars wear on front
pages of magazines. Based on the number of photographers waiting at
our school, she's a star of sorts, too.

She shows me something
on her wrist. "
This
is our last name," she declares
with a small smile. Before I can get a good look at the mark, she
pulls her sleeve over it. I wonder if it's a tattoo. I'm wondering
many things as I glance at her expensive clothes and then at the
luxurious Lexus I just parked. Where were they getting the money for
this?
There's probably some complicated secret agreement between
our government and theirs,
I reason. Maybe they traded in their
space ships for our cars. Maybe they gave us some secret weapon in
exchange for money. Who knows? I doubt I'd ever find out.

Lenora turns her head,
searching for someone.

"Where is your
brother?" Instantly, I bite my lips to stop them from saying
more and wince. Why did I just ask that? Why do I even care?

"Rhys? He's not my
brother. We're just here together." She shrugs. "We were in
the same program back on Sangine, our home planet. We studied human
language and culture. We were the best in our class," she admits
proudly. It's a little odd to hear her say that, but it reminds me
yet again of how vast our universe is.

Remembering yesterday,
I ask, "Did you guys ever have a class called 'Late night talk
shows'?"

She looks confused.
"No. Why?"

I shrug.

"There are so many
cultures on Earth. It was hard to choose which to study first. Our
data showed us English is the fastest rising language on this planet
so I decided to study it. I love all your words!" she gushes.
She looks expectantly at me.

I'm supposed to say
something. "Er, thanks. I do, too."

Her smile broadens. "I
was so happy when we decided to contact your government. I even got
to say hello to your president."

I remembered that. CNN
had aired a few seconds of it. That little clip played all over the
world. It went viral within the hour. Lenora's effortless charm
gained her instant fame. People were infatuated with Saguinox beauty.
Lenora's face had been on countless print and commercial ads and I
doubt she even knew about it.