The Melier: Home World (Women of Dor Nye Book 2) (11 page)

“Oh
no
,” Lucia gagged at the thought of
cooked
worm eggs.

I will not vomit, I will not vomit.

Breathe.

She gulped for air as she chanted to herself, and once she thought she wasn’t going to turn her stomach inside out in public, she squealed and picked up her seat cushion. She began wailing on Zun and Val’Koy with the pillow while they rolled around on the ground.

“You
jerks
!” she screeched. “I can’t believe you let me eat
worms
and now you’re
laughing at me
!” On and on she hit them with the cushion, giving them a soft beat down. Soren began to laugh fully then, and she pointed a finger at him. “You’re only spared because you’re holding Lenny!”

And then she went back to knocking Zun and Val’Koy upside their heads with her weapon while they continued to howl with laughter.

The nerve!

Chapter 6

Later that day, Lucia was freshly bathed, relaxing on a pile of cushions, and being fed sliced
pul’ko
by Soren; the green fruit with the crunchy red seeds she tasted at the banquet. She, Soren, and Val’Zun were watching the broadcast of their spectacle from the pavilion earlier.

It had been recorded by
someone
, so Melierun was watching along with them as Lucia was covering her mouth and hopping while the prince’s rolled on the ground laughing at
her
. Then the main event played out, and the video showed her beating them with the cushion as they continued their guffawing.

“You deserved it,” she muttered in Zun’s direction as he sat there chuckling.

“Still amusing the second time around.”

She hit him in the face with another cushion.

More chuckling.

Grrr.

“They’re making me look like I have
no
self-control,” she pointed out, which is exactly what the Melier news channel was doing. How true it may be was not the point. Apparently it was offensive that she repeatedly
‘assaulted’
the prince’s with a cushion.

Tiny ol’ her.

“If they
knew
what you allowed me to eat,” she shivered, “they might agree with my reaction.”

Zun looked at her as he propped his face on a hand while sprawled beside her. Mirth danced in his eyes, and while she enjoyed this different side of him, she would’ve preferred it was caused by some other reason.
Any
other reason. “I promise to never let you eat worms again, unless you want to.”

Who would
willingly
eat worms?

Melier, apparently.

Lucia narrowed her eyes but was satisfied with that answer. When she looked back at Soren to have another piece of pul’ko, he shook his head, pushing the bowl aside.

“It is time for us to join the others,” he said while getting to his feet and offering her a hand up. She supressed a groan, thinking about all the many things she would rather do instead of joining the royal family for third meal.

Like sitting in public eating another bowl of worms, or dozing through an etiquette lecture from Nova;
anything
else, really.

She kissed Lenny on the head, the action followed by Soren, and Zun, as Sola whisked her away, and then the brothers were escorting her through the palace to the large dining hall, as they had every night since their arrival.

Tonight, she wasn’t as hopeless as she had been lately. Not after talking to her grams and then being offered friendship from Gi’Calla. The fresh air in the city, even with the wormy food, had really done wonders on her, and she had to remember to thank Val’Zun for suggesting the outing.

The stationed guards, dressed in the black robes and gold belts, opened the great doors to the hall. Scents of various dishes wafted through, but Lucia was still stuck on what the significance of the different colored robes meant.

“Why do the guards not wear the same robes or belts?”

“These guards,” Zun nodded to the ones ahead in the black robes, “are the queen’s guard. They specifically operate for the queen and king alone.”

Now it made sense for her. She only noticed them whenever the queen and king were near, or in their frequented parts of the palace.

“And the guards wearing purple robes and silver belts?”

“They are the prince’s guard,” Soren said. “They also guard you, and Gi’Calla.”

“What about the guards in red robes and bronze belts?”

“Palace guards, meant for anything else regarding security.”

She rubbed her fingers over her bottom lip, pressing this to memory as she felt two tails slinking up her arms to rub against her bared skin. It brought a small smile to her lips that they were trying to soothe her as they neared the table where the rest of the family was already seated. Her chair was pulled out, and she sat in between them both, ignoring the snort of the queen.

“You bring the beast to eat with us after she
assaulted
you in public?”

“Mother,” Val’Koy warned, surprising her, and everyone else at the table. “We fed her roosca; we are lucky she only hit us with cushions.”

Then his gaze lazily settled on Lucia and a hint of a
real
smile tugged a corner of his mouth. It wasn’t creepy or meant to make her uncomfortable, which made her jaw slacken with shock, and she wasn’t able to find her voice to say anything.

Then his attention went on to something else just as quickly.

The servants began ladling some kind of soup into the bowls in front of everyone seated and her stomach lurched as she sucked in her lips. Her brows knit together, and she just
stared
at the liquid.

All she could think of was roosca worms and how they might be harvested, and the thought of someone specifically cutting open the gut of a beast to extract the piles of wriggling worms made her stomach churn.

Her fingers rubbed at the base of her throat, eyes still glued to the orange liquid, and while it looked nothing like
noodles
, it was
soup
. That was enough to have her on the verge of turning green. She vaguely noticed Zun calling a servant back, and they removed the soup from in front of her, snapping her out of her trance.

A small smirk played on his lips, and Lucia narrowed her eyes.

“It was your idea, wasn’t it?”

“I do not know what you mean,” he lifted his hairless brows and swallowed a spoonful of the orange liquid.

“It
was
!” she hissed, eyes widening. The entire afternoon, she figured Val’Koy put Zun and Soren up to it, since he was always trying to do
something
to get under her skin. It was Val’Zun all along.

The Devil.

Lucia’s eyes swung to her glass of water, but Zun was too quick, picking the glass up and setting it on the other side of him.

“Loo-Sha,” he warned.

Her eyes then swung to Soren’s glass of water and snatched it up before Soren could remove it.

Into Zun’s face it went.

They both shot to their feet, glowering at each other.

“You’re an ass!”

“And you have no self-control,” he growled back.

“You let me eat
parasitic worms
!”

“Yet you are still
alive
.”

“
Parasitic worms!
”

“I heard you the first time!”

Water droplets fell from his chin onto the floor between them as they continued to breathe heavily, and regard each other like the enemy.

“Are you two finished?” Soren asked, and then slurped a spoonful of soup loudly.

Begrudgingly, they both took their seats, and Zun grabbed a cloth to hastily dry his face. Gi’Ren grunted from across the table and continued to eat his soup while shaking his head.

The conversation was carried on, and as time passed, the second course that was thankfully
not
soup, was served.

****

Soren absently played with Lucia’s curls that were getting longer. He noticed she hadn’t cut them since he met her, and he liked that. In his culture, long hair was adored and treasured by the females mate. Not every female chose to keep her mane long, but he hoped Lucia would continue to grow hers.

“Have you thought about what I told you, Loo-Sha?” Soren watched her in the dark of the room.

He could see her clearly, even though she couldn’t see him with her human eyes. Her brow wrinkled and he figured she was trying to recall what he was referring to. It had been a couple weeks since they had discussed Val’Zun as her mate, and he thought that would be safe gap of time.

Soren was closest to Val’Zun, and when he had asked to join with Lucia before they left Dor Nye, it felt right. It was not uncommon among royal sons to share the same mate. It was an occurrence on Melierun, no matter what station a person held or region they lived in.

His brother would protect Lucia and Lenny, and cherish them, as he did. It did not pass his notice that their relationship was a tumultuous one to begin with, but that was also not uncommon when both male and female were strong willed.

“Val’Zun?” she sighed. “Didn’t you have enough proof tonight? We barely get along.”

“That will pass,” Soren assured her. “You are both stubborn.”

She snorted.

“That’s unlikely. I don’t think either of us will ever change.”

“Maybe so,” he rolled a shoulder, even though she wouldn’t see it.

“I don’t know Soren,” she sighed again. “Not to sound conceited, but what’s to stop Gi’Ren or Val’Koy from wanting to pair with me too? I could
not
deal with that.”

Soren grunted. “Val’Koy likes his concubines too much, and Gi’Ren thinks of you as a sister.”

“Well that’s awkward,” she giggled lazily. “Since my
pheromones
have a not-so-sisterly effect on him.” They both shared a laugh. “He has been better though. Zun too.”

He made a sound in his throat and nodded. “They simply needed to discipline their reactions toward you, as I did.”

“Am I easier to be around without the fish odor?”

“Much.”

Lucia giggled again.

He would never tire of that sound.

For a split second, he thought about telling her what was really going on; the war, the invisible threat against her, how the advisors were repeatedly bringing into question the legitimacy of their pairing because she had not yet marked him.

Many things weighed him down and he
wanted
to confide in his mate. He wanted to command or even
beg
that she make him
hers
in the way his people would recognize and respect.

He wasn’t a fool; he knew the marking would not automatically erase all the prejudice toward their union or make his people like his mate. Even if she accepted Val’Zun, it would not make her any more worthy in the eyes of his people.

Soren wanted to tell her all of this, but he didn’t. Today had been
good
. She had been happy. He didn’t want to ruin it entirely by telling her everything that was truly going on.

Not yet. Soon.

When Lucia’s soft, strange snores indicated her slumber, he exhaled and wrapped his body around hers.

Chapter 7

“A gentleman should always offer to carry a lady’s bundles.”

Val’Zun scowled down at his CID, scrolling through the data he had searched on how to pursue a human female. There was so much information from the Therran’s archived literature; he wasn’t sure what was relevant.

He wondered what
bundles
were, and then decided to skip that article.

“Always open the door for a woman.”

How was he supposed to do that when nearly all doors were sensor laden? It didn’t make sense to turn off the sensors
just
so he could open a door for Lucia. He shifted in his chair, looking up from the device to take in the busy street.

Since the water dousing of the previous night, his blood had been running hot for the tiny human. More so than usual, that is. He’d had to get out of the palace, away from her scent that was driving him out of his rational mind.

“You are scaring the younglings with all of your glaring,” Gi’Ren voiced across from him. They were seated at an outside table, already having finished an early afternoon meal from a local merchant. “Thinking about the human, I presume.”

Val’Zun ignored him, downing the remainder of his beverage and returning his attention to his CID, picking another article at random.

“You like her? Ignore her. It will drive her nuts with the need to get your attention.”

He actually snorted.
‘The Bros Guide To Chicks’
, the piece was called. Val’Zun wasn’t sure what a ‘bro’ was, or why they likened females to fowl hatchlings, but he was confident they were idiots.

Why would a male ignore a female in order to get their attention? Did human females really enjoy that? Did this activate a certain mating signal?

Val’Zun scratched at the scales of his throat and decided to skip the article.

“Text her good morning, text her good night.”

What was a text, and why would he do this instead of
telling
her good morning, and good night?

Skip
.

At that point, he was worried all of the information he was reading was severely outdated. Val’Zun wanted to know how to pursue a human female in
current
times, not centuries prior.

“Let her know you’re thinking of her.”

That
seemed more likeable. He continued to read the information of the article titled,
‘Romancing The One’
. As outdated as the piece was, it seemed mostly universal. One suggestion was sweets, and he knew food was a good bet when it came to Lucia. She loved food.

With how badly she reacted to the roosca though, he wanted to steer clear of anything regarding her palate for a while.

Flowers.

That suggestion seemed safe enough.

Val’Zun shut the CID down, snapping the white wands back together as he stood, and began to gather his things.

“Where are you going?” Gi’Ren asked.

“I will be back,” was all he said, leaving a quizzical expression upon his brothers’ face as he disappeared into the bustling crowd.

****

Lucia wandered the palace gardens, needing some serenity to calm her troubled mind. She breathed deeply of the air around her, taking in the scents and gaining some peace as she thought of the abundant greenery of her home in Curra.

It was early morning, before anyone had woken, not even Lenny. The twin suns were barely breaking the horizon and the heat wasn’t unbearable yet, so it was really the perfect time for contemplation. She crossed her arms over her chest, and ran her fingers up and down her arms while she mulled over what was plaguing her.

Val’Zun.

The Devil.

You have to stop calling him that.

Why? It’s accurate.

Then I’m no better.

Besides she really didn’t think he was evil, just high strung. Nothing she did was ever
right
when it came to Zun, or so it seemed. It was rare when their interaction didn’t end in some kind of standoff.

Why would he even want to pair with me?

Maybe he’s a glutton for punishment.

Har har.

Lucia scrubbed her hands over her cheeks and then drifted a few more steps up the vine laden path. She really hoped the reason he wanted to pair wasn’t because of her
pheromones
. That would never allow
any
type of relationship to last between them, or develop past physical.

Was she attracted to Zun? Well, yes, in the way she’d come to appreciate the anatomy of the Melier. She really enjoyed sneaking looks at his lean, hard physique even if she did feel a bit
guilty
. But again, the physical wouldn’t make a relationship last.

At the same time she tried to envision her life
without
Val’Zun, even without any type of relationship past
frenemies
. The breath slipped from her lungs and she felt a slight emptiness thinking of it.

What does that even mean?

Whenever he wasn’t around, she
noticed
.

Like the past three days since the worm fiasco, he’d been gone. Lucia hadn’t asked where he went, figuring he was on some sort of
official
work. It really wasn’t her business, either.

Why was she even debating all of this anyway?

Val’Zun
still
hadn’t asked her about
pairing
and she certainly wasn’t going to ask him. For all she knew, he changed his mind and really thought they would make a terrible pair. Soon he would be bouncing some concubine in his lap.

A twist of anger curled her fingers.

What is wrong with me?

You Like him! You like him, you traitor!

Foolish! I do not.

She stopped, her hands settling on either side of her neck as she worried.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” she whisper-chanted.

Had her sometimes-friendly feelings really turned into something
more
?

She thought back on when she first met Val’Zun in the hospital after he and Gi’Ren had barged into the room. Surprise about seeing other Melier, and the fact that Soren had family had momentarily overwhelmed her. Then the weeks following how standoffish he was, and then after the trial things had changed. He talked more, or at least grunted and scoffed less. He was still grumpy, that had never changed to this day but it never truly bothered her.

A small smile tried to twist her lips but she sucked them in.

“
Oh no
,” she breathed.

****

A little while later, the suns were rising and Lucia headed back the way she came. She had been shown about the palace gardens the day prior when Gi’Ren wanted to take Lenny out for some fresh air.
That
time she actually paid attention to the route, so she at least wouldn’t get lost if she wanted to visit again.

She took her time, moseying along and enjoying the quiet of the palace. She made it a point to smile and dip her chin in greeting whenever she passed a guard or other individuals that lived or worked in the palace. Even though most of them ignored her, she did it anyway.

Lu was a persistent person; she could win them over little by little, and she had to keep that hope at the front of her mind.

The guards stationed at the prince’s suite both greeted her in unison, and opened the doors for her. The suite was dimly lit, which was more than when she left it. She slowed even more when she noticed a peculiar potted plant occupied the center of one of the low lying tables in the middle of the room.

Her feet carried her over and she slowly circled it, tilting her head and examining the strange pods. The black soil was covered in a fluffy pink and green moss, and indigo stems and leaves so dark they were almost black, rose from its depths. Large, closed pods the size of her fist tipped the thick stems, and little bright green curling vines decorated their base.

She reached out a digit to touch one and it wrapped around her finger, tickling her before it retracted. An incredulous smile kicked up her lips and she wondered what the plant was called.

A note caught her attention at the base of the pot the plant was in. Scrawled in English was
her
name. Her fingertips brushed across the note and then unfolded it.

‘A strange plant for a strange female.’

Lucia’s brow pulled low and she snorted, but smiled nonetheless. She thought Soren was more romantic than that, though the gesture was what counted. Her head turned when she heard the
click
of the doors closing and watched her mate, fully dressed, make his way over to her.

“You shouldn’t have,” she breathed before he bent down to kiss her. His eyes took in the potted plant and a small grin played across his mouth.

“I did not.” Again he dipped down to steal a kiss, and then he was heading toward the doors of the suite, leaving her confused. “I will be back tonight.”

Then he was gone.

She looked back to the plant and the note in her hand. She flipped it over and noticed the
feeding
instructions. Her eyes flitted to the plant again and then to the note. She’d never
fed
a plant before, though she’d watered plenty.

Again the doors
clicked
and Val’Zun was entering the suite, holding a transparent glass bottle with a golden syrup sloshing inside. He paused.

“You are awake.”

“Yes, I got up early,” she said strangely. “You’re back.”

Val’Zun nodded once, making his way to stand on the opposite side of the table, facing her. His pupils danced as they widened and shrunk repeatedly. They stared at each other for a length of time over the plant, and her heart sped up just a little.

Something is different.

“I brought you
boma
sap, its food,” he lifted the bottle of syrup. “It can only be fed when it is dark. I will show you.”

He neared the wall on the other side of the room and waved a right hand over a spot that quickly dematerialized and a panel extended. Two of his fingers brushed down the screen and the lights dimmed until they were off entirely. The windowless suite was pitch dark and Lucia didn’t move, but soon she felt a presence at her back. It was eerie how soundlessly Melier could move.

“Watch,” Zun whispered close to her ear, his warm breath hitting the skin of her temple and causing a small jitter to ripple through her.

Seconds passed and then, a small blue glow was visible through the many pods of the plant. Slowly, the light within each pod brightened as they began to crack open and lazily bloom before her eyes.

“Oh, Val’Zun,” she breathed, inching her face closer as the blooms light painted everything around them in a blue hue. Their perfume was intoxicating and sweet as little glowing flecks of yellow pollen floated up from their centers. “It’s beautiful…”

She turned her gaze to him as he crouched down beside her so he had a better view of her face. His stare flitted from her mouth to her eyes and back again, undecided at which he wanted to watch most.

“You like it then?”

“I love it,” she whispered, looking to the plant and then back to him.

I can’t stop myself this time.

Resist.

Resist!

She bit her bottom lip, and then before her inner voice could talk her out of it, she leaned in to brush her lips against Zun’s in a feathery kiss.

He didn’t move, but went rigid, if that was even possible.

She took another breath, and then pressed her lips to his. His purr rumbled forth and his tail wrapped around her ankle possessively, slithering up her calf and flicking the seam behind her knee. She couldn’t stop herself as she continued kissing him, the tickling vibration making her smile against his warm mouth before she pulled back after a few more moments.

Zun’s black gaze devoured her in stunned silence. They stayed in that wink of time for just a while longer, soaking in what it all meant.

She
kissed
him.

He brought her flowers, and she
kissed
him.

“Why were you gone for three days?” Her voice was still a whisper in the dark.

“To get these flowers for you,” he whispered back, like the moment might shatter at any second. “To apologize for letting you eat
worms-
”

Lucia kissed him again.

“I love them,” she said once more, after she pulled away.

Zun’s lips gradually split into a rare, full blown goofy smile, big teeth and all.

Soon he was showing her how to feed the plant the golden sap with the dropper. Lucia would feed the droplets into the flowers red center, and the tiny red petals would move and rub together, soaking up the liquid. Each time she dropped a bead of sap, the tiny blue veins in its opaque petals would pulse with light.