Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy (26 page)

"Her father is on the Council. She's supposed to be reporting back to him about what's going on here on Earth. She has a soft spot for humans though, and doesn't want them destroyed. If she told him half of what she knows is really going on here, humans would have been extinct long ago."

I shuddered, the reality of humanity's precarious situation driven home to me. Aric pulled me closer and stroked my hair.

"Hey, don't worry, things have been kept at bay for hundreds of thousands of years - there's no reason why it can't go on like that."

"Well, I guess so... but the human's being kept alive for the blood harvesting... if only there was something we could do for them."

He lifted his head from the pillow and leaned on his elbow, a frown creasing his forehead.

"What?"

"The Innaki, you know... trading with the gargoytes."

He sat up quickly. "What are you talking about?" He was genuinely confused.

"Smith, the guy who... took me, said the Innaki keep humans for... blood farming. They trade the blood to the gargoytes for wyk."

Aric closed his eyes, a look of horror on his face.

"You didn't know that?"

"No."

"Maybe he was making it up to scare me."

"I doubt it - I wouldn't put it past the Innaki to get up to something like that." He pulled his hand through his hair in distress - he looked shattered.

"Listen, Lucy, up until a little while ago, I didn't even know they were collecting human wyk. They told me they were working on human DNA to improve it - wipe out sickness, make a stronger species. I didn't like how distressed the abductees were - I felt like... packing it in... many times, but I kept helping the Innaki because they convinced me it would be for the better for humans in the long run."

He swung his legs to the floor and put his head in his hands. "It was bad enough when I found out they were doing it for the wyk, but if this is true, and they're keeping humans alive there, for their blood... god, what have I done?!"

I leapt out of bed, and went to him, throwing my arms around his shoulders. "You didn't know - you can't blame yourself."

He looked up at me with tortured eyes. "I was still a part of it though - they wouldn't have been able to keep a lot of those people without me."

I pulled his face close, and leaned my forehead against his. "Aric, don't do this to yourself. You didn't know."

He pulled away, his face an unreadable mask. "I have to tell the others about this," he said, slipping his feet into his boots. He threw a quick glance at me. "Don't worry about me Lucy, I just need some time to get my head around this."

Standing up, he pulled me to my feet. Putting his hands about my waist, he pulled me close, then moved to squeeze me in a bear hug. "I'm really glad to have you back, safe and sound," he said. Letting me go, he walked to the door, and stopped. "Ellen has put your clean clothes over there," he said, pointing to the pile on a chair near the window. "Why don't you get dressed, and I'll make you some breakfast... or lunch." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and I looked at him anxiously. He closed the door softly, and I was left alone.

* * * * *

Chapter Eleven

I decided to take a long, hot shower. As the water streamed down my back, I tried to collect my thoughts. Aric had been unaware of the Innaki's true agenda, his complicity in their scheme an innocent one. He was, of course, an intelligent man, and I knew he was capable of understanding that, in the end, his intentions had been honorable - he'd thought he'd been doing it for the right reasons. But the fact remained that many lives had been touched by his actions, and it would be a hard task to convince him entirely of his inculpability. I needed to help him come to terms with it, somehow. I thought of my mother and shivered, despite the shower's hot water. How did they decide which humans to farm for blood, and which ones they milked for wyk? Was it only a matter of sheer luck my mother wasn't up there somewhere, hooked up to some kind of blood harvesting device? Or me, it could have been me. I wondered how it was done - were the people unconscious, or were they fully alert to the horrific nightmare their lives were now reduced to? The thought of their plight was sickening, and I tried to push it aside, without success. Aric would tell Jomi about the situation. Would she decide to report the practice to the Council? And then what would happen... annihilation? The thought scared me so much I felt dizzy with fright. Turning off the shower, I made a huge effort to ignore that scenario, and instead concentrate on helping Aric come to terms with the consequences of his role as a whisperer.

I threw on my familiar blue T-shirt and jeans, brushed my teeth, pulled a comb through my hair, then left the bathroom. The hallway was blocked by a huge man. He was massive, his bulk filling up the narrow space.

"Ah," he said. "You must be Lucy. I'm Olaf, Jomi's husband." He offered a big meaty hand, and I took it. I wondered if he was human - despite his size, he seemed normal enough to me. I was becoming paranoid - would I ever be able to accept anyone at face value again? I smiled at him, and he turned to the side in an attempt to make room for me to pass.

"A bit tense in there," he said. "I'm off to wash my girl." I looked at him in surprise. "My rig, er... semi-trailer," he explained. I laughed and went to the kitchen in search of Aric. Ellen, Jomi and the others were sitting around the dining table, in the midst of a rowdy discussion; the conversation petered out when I entered the room. Aric was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Aric?" I asked.

Ellen rose and walked to the fridge. "He's a bit upset Lucy, he's gone for a walk," she said, extracting the butter from the fridge. "Best to leave him be to sort himself out. He asked me to get you something to eat." She began to slice a loaf of fresh bread.

"I disagree - I think Lucy should go to him and talk to him. He needs her right now." It was Jomi. She went to the patio door. "I think I know where he'll be. I'll take you there if you like."

I looked back at Ellen. She shrugged. "It's up to you, love. Whatever you think is best."

"I think I need to talk to him." Ellen nodded, and I followed Jomi out the door.

The patio was ablaze with sunlight - it was so sunny it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The house was perched on the edge of a high, steep ridge which overlooked the valley below. To the right the ridge jutted out over the valley like a massive diving board, its underside eroded away so that what was left looked fragile and precarious compared to the rest of the bulky rim. Jomi led me around the side of the house. A rocky, sandy path pushed its way through low, prickly shrubs upwards toward the 'diving board'. Jomi took the path, and I followed along behind her.

"This whole valley is what is left after an ancient meteor crashed to earth," she said, indicating the scene to our left. "If you think that view is amazing, you should see the one from up here. We thought about building the house up this way, but well, as you can see, it doesn't seem quite as... safe."

I surveyed the valley. It was almost flat across the bottom, and surrounded by steep cliffs eroded in places, but still a definite rim forming a circle - the massive hole left by the impact of the meteor. It emphasized how vulnerable we were on our little planet.

We followed the path as it wound its way up the slope. The end of the ridge couldn't be seen; it felt as though we were on a bridge which led right up into the big blue sky. The afternoon sun beat down on me, and I wiped a rivulet of sweat as it ran down from my temple. My hair, which had been wet from my shower, had dried quickly in the sunshine. I wondered what had sent Aric up here. The others had seemed to be in some kind of disagreement when I'd entered the kitchen - had he argued with them?

"Do you know why Aric was upset?" I asked Jomi. She stopped, and turned around to face me.

"I think you know why. He's riddled with guilt about the humans. We were trying to convince him otherwise. You need to try and make him understand, Lucy."

I agreed and she turned to keep going, but stopped, before turning back to me.

"Lucy, there's something else I want you to know. I debated whether or not it was even important enough to tell you this, but, well, it might just come out, and I'd as soon have you know everything. Lord knows I'm well aware of the trouble that comes with keeping things from people." She smiled ruefully. I guessed she was talking about having to give doctored reports to her father.

She swallowed, and bit her bottom lip, then looked up at me. "Aric and I were... once, well, we 'dated' I guess you could call it. I was in love with him - still am, really. Oh, don't get me wrong - I love my husband Olaf dearly, but, well, you can't stop loving someone like Aric." She looked out across the valley, her thoughts her own, then she looked back at me. I was embarrassed at her candor, but I stayed silent and heard her out.

"But... he was just, fond of me," she went on. "He cared about me, but didn't love me the way I love him. The way he loves you." I didn't know what to say, and looked away at the bushes, uncomfortably.

She smiled warmly. "Lucy, I don't tell you this to embarrass you, or make you feel uneasy. I wanted to tell you that I know he loves you, absolutely, like he never has with anyone else. It is only you who can make him happy It is important to me for him to be happy. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly. She put a well manicured hand on my shoulder. "You need to make him see it's not his fault. Help him to forgive himself."

I understood but it was easier said than done. I vowed I'd do it somehow. It was painful to see him unhappy - the guilt must be incredible. He was compelled by design to make others feel good, and the knowledge that he'd helped send people to a life of misery must go against his very make-up - it was likely to be eating him up inside.

We continued to trudge up the hill in silence. Eventually, the path ended at an expanse of sandstone which jutted out against the sky. Aric was sitting near the edge, his legs pulled up, his hands clasped in front of his knees. Jomi stopped and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll leave you here," she said quietly, giving me an encouraging smile, "good luck, Lucy." She headed back down the path, and I turned to go to Aric.

* * * * *

Aric was on his feet and facing me before I reached him. I was taken aback by the agonized expression on his face. I touched my hand to his cheek.

"Hey," I said softly, "are you all right?"

The corners of his mouth lifted in a half hearted attempt at a smile, and he caught my hand, holding my fingers loosely at his side.

He glanced down at the ground. Swallowing hard, he threaded his fingers through mine. His eyes studied my face.

"Lucy," he said, "I don't think I should be doing this."

I frowned, confused - I wasn't sure what he was referring to. "What do you mean?"

He glanced away for a moment, then looked back at me. "I mean, being with you. It's not right... you deserve... more. To be safe."

I looked at him in confused alarm. "What!? I don't understand... Aric, what..."

"I have to put things right Lucy. Somehow I've got to get those people out of there."

My heart went to my mouth at the thought of him initiating some kind of rescue mission. I wanted him to stay well away from the Innaki.

"Aric, it's not your responsibility. You didn't do anything worse than anyone else would do if put in the same situation. Let, oh, I don't know - let the others sort it out!"

"Lucy, I was the one who lured them there." His eyes were deep blue pools of sadness.

"You didn't know."

"It doesn't matter - I am the reason they ended up there. I'm the one who needs to try and get them out."

"It's a suicide mission Aric, and you know it." He gazed despondently at me, but said nothing.

I changed tack. "Okay, so, I can help you."

He shook his head vigorously. "No way. Lucy, what I'm going to be getting into, I can't have you... around. It's too dangerous, and, well, if truth be told, I have trouble concentrating around you anyway. I'll need to be totally focused, and I can't focus properly when I know you're in any sort of danger."

He dropped my hand, and turned to stare at the valley. "I've asked Ellen and Jomi to take care of you. We can't be together."

I gaped unseeingly at the rocky surface at my feet, utterly thrown off course - I hadn't expected this at all.

"But, Canada - the property, with the cabin..."

"You can still have it if you like, but I won't be with you there."

"I don't want it without you!" I wailed.

He turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Lucy, it's for the best..."

I barely heard his words - the blood was ringing in my ears. I felt the same familiar swell of panicked abandonment that had accompanied my childhood as I'd been shifted from home to home, but this was much, much worse.

"You promised you'll always be there for me."

He threw an uncomfortable glance at the ground. "I promised I'd always look after you. I've arranged for Ellen and Jomi to... "

"I don't want to be palmed off to someone else again!" I snapped, twisting around to throw his hand off my shoulder. I knew I sounded petulant and sulky, like a child having a tantrum, but I didn't care.

"Aric, don't do this!" I pleaded. "We're just... meant to be... together!" It sounded lame, like the lyrics from some corny song, but I knew it was true.

Aric looked sadly at the city. It was set out in a loose grid across the valley. A river snaked from one ridge to the other, cutting the valley in half and disappearing through a gorge in the opposite wall of rock. You couldn't see the river from the house, but Jomi had been right - the view which included the river would seem even more spectacular - if I hadn't just been given news which made me feel as though I'd been slammed about in a giant tumble dryer.

Aric turned back to me, and placed his hand back on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Lucy, I have to do this. It's for the best. We can't be together. Jomi will arrange..."

I cut him off again, and stepped back. "I know, I know - I've been through this before. I'm very good at moving on, you know..." Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't care.