Alien in the Depths (Thryal Mates #2)

Chapter 3

Sofia

Sofia squinted through the sunlight, trying to gauge how much further it would be to the palace where Arccoo and her sisters lived. Zaraq sat next to her, fidgeting. They had spent two incredible days getting to know each other and exploring the catacombs. Being around him felt so natural, despite the fuss her insides kicked up every time he looked at her with those smoldering purple eyes.

“Don’t worry. My family’s great. They’ll love you!” she said, beaming at him. When he agreed to come back with her, she’d been over the moon. She couldn’t wait to introduce him to her sisters.

“I’m not worried,” Zaraq replied, looking very worried.

Sofia huffed and turned back. “Oh, look, there it is! Blitto, can’t we go any faster?”

Blitto snorted, throwing a glare over his shoulder. “First you want to stay away forever. Now you can’t wait to get back?” he asked, his rough voice raised over the hum of the transport vehicle.

Sofia laughed. She’d dragged Blitto place after place, begging him for stories about the most haunted locations she could find.

“You loved it,” she said with a cheeky smile. She only got a grunt in reply, which she definitely took as a yes

They finally docked at the annex. After some quick introductions, Carmen insisted that the sisters catch up. She waved Zaraq over, introducing him to the Thryal equivalent of a butler.

“Could you set him up in a room near Sofia?” she asked. The butler nodded, leading Zaraq away.

“Z, I’ll meet up with you a bit later!” Sofia waved over her shoulder as Carmen dragged her along.

“Tell me everything. Have you eaten?” Carmen waved Arccoo over. “Could you get us some snacks and coffee and meet us in our bedroom?”

Sofia stifled a laugh at the way Carmen blinked up at Arccoo innocently. She’d been on the receiving end of that look, and she knew it was impossible to say no to her sister.

Arccoo rolled his eyes and nodded. He gave Carmen a quick kiss and winked at Sofia.

“Only you could boss around the literal prince of this place,” Sofia said. They made their way through the halls to Carmen’s bedroom. Elena was waiting, and Sofia hugged her awkward little sister tightly.

Before Sofia could say anything, Carmen nudged Elena. “Guess who brought home a friend ?”

Sofia groaned, but she couldn’t hold back a smile. Elena raised an eyebrow, her keen eyes catching Sofia’s expression.

She dropped onto her bed, her hair fanning out around her. Her sisters followed, facing her on their sides.

“Well?” Elena asked, never one for beating around the bush.

“Ugh, well… His name is Zaraq. I was exploring the catacombs by the marsh, and there was this beautiful cave, and boom, there he was.” Sofia sighed dreamily. “He’s gorgeous and funny, and we talked for like two days straight.”

“I can vouch for him being gorgeous,” Carmen said with a cheeky grin.

Elena shoved her lightly on the shoulder. “How come I didn’t get to meet him?” she asked, put out.

“Because you weren’t the wonderful, amazing sister who went to meet their transport as they arrived,” Carmen replied smugly.

Elena rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been keeping watch for her to come back every second of the day.” Elena’s voice was thick with sarcasm, and Carmen scoffed.

Sofia’s head swung between them like a tennis match. She knew this could go on for ages if she didn’t put a stop to it, and she had a lot to tell them.

“Geez, calm it, sisters!” She held up her hands. “Can we focus on me again, please?”

For one terrifying second, she was on the receiving end of two matching glares. Carmen’s face softened first.

“Let’s all have dinner together tonight, and we can get to know him.”

The sky had just started to darken when the five of them walked down to Arccoo’s chosen restaurant. After spending the day with her sisters, Sofia was excited to talk to Zaraq and have her family get to know him better.

“Whoa,” Sofia muttered as they walked into the small restaurant. The interior was a mixture of marble and velvet fabrics, creating a luxurious feel. A musician sat in the corner of the room, playing on a dark green instrument that resembled a piano.

No one else was in the restaurant, and Sofia wondered for a second if Arccoo had booked the whole place for them. Her question was answered when she saw the lone made-up table in the center of the dining area. She shared a wide-eyed look with Elena. Fancy.

A waiter decked in technology walked over. “Right this way, Your Highness,” he said, leading them to the table.

“What’s all this?” Elena asked, pointing to the waiter’s tech ensemble. Sofia and Carmen exchanged exasperated looks. Their youngest sister was obsessed with the advanced technology of Thryal.

The waiter shared a look with Arccoo, and he nodded. With the prince’s permission given, he started describing each of the cutting-edge gizmos.

“Come sit next to me,” Sofia whispered to Zaraq, leading him to a chair. He’d barely said two words since they’d arrived. “I’m sorry. I know they’re a bit much…” She bit her lip. She hadn’t really thought of how intimidating it could be to meet her whole family.

Zaraq smiled and tugged on her ponytail. “They’re great. I just feel bad imposing.”

“Don’t be silly. I want you to get to know them,” Sofia replied with a shy smile. Carmen graciously sat down on her other side with Arccoo at the head of the table. Elena eventually dragged herself away from the waiter and plonked down next to Arccoo.

“I’ve taken the liberty of preordering some of our best dishes,” Arccoo said. “I hope that’s fine with everyone?” A chorus of yesses followed and he gestured to the waiter. Shortly after, the first course arrived with a melody of scents and a large bottle of Thryal wine.

Arccoo turned to Zaraq. “We’d better watch these three with the Thryal wine. Their tolerance is still building,” he said with a laugh.

Zaraq smiled. “More for us,” he replied, immediately earning three identical glares. He held his hands up in surrender, and everyone laughed. They all tucked in, and Elena turned to Zaraq.

“So, you’re Thryal, right? Or am I being ignorant in assuming that because of your skin?” She pulled a piece of bluish flatbread from a platter and popped a piece in her mouth. “Oh my god, that’s good.”

Zaraq laughed, grabbing a piece for himself. “Not at all. We’re quite unique with our glittering gray skin,” he said with a nod to Arccoo. “My parents were Thryal, yes.”

Sofia butted in. “His dad was a scholar. How cool is that? They traveled lots when he was young.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of research did he do?” Arccoo asked.

Zaraq shifted uncomfortably. “A variety of things, really. He mostly focused on paranormal and supernatural events. That’s where I got my fascination from, even though I’m undecided on whether Sofia’s ghosts really exist.”

He winked at Sofia, who gave him a playful glare in response. They paused as the waiter removed their empty plates and brought an array of dishes for the main course. Sofia breathed in the delicious aromas. She was slowly getting used to the weird colors in Thryal food. It was worth it for the amazing culinary experience.

Carmen snorted as she dished up a serving for Arccoo. “You’d have thought differently if you’d been in our house with Arccoo around,” she said.

“Sofia told me a bit about that,” Zaraq said with a laugh. “Though I’m still confused as to how you were invisible?” His dark violet eyes focused on Arccoo.

Arccoo looked confused. “It’s basic light-emission tech,” he replied, frowning. “It’s part of the Thryal schooling system.”

Zaraq cleared his throat. “Oh, right, of course,” he stammered. “I guess I must have skipped that class.”

Sofia laughed. “Ooh, we have a rebel in our midst!”

Zaraq shot her a grateful smile and took a large bite of the meaty skewer-like dish. Sofia followed suit, her taste buds exploding with flavor.

It’s cute that he’s this nervous, she thought.

As they ate, Elena and Arccoo got involved in a detailed discussion of the serving tech of the restaurant. Sofia leaned closer to Zaraq.

“What’s this dish?” she asked, hoping to distract him.

He frowned. “I’m not sure. I think it’s tuddo?”

Arccoo looked up from his discussion with Elena. “Oh, it’s called strolli. The meat comes from an animal similar to a cow on Earth, and it’s cooked with local spices and vinegar.”

“Oh-kay, thank you…” Sofia said, frowning at Arccoo. Couldn’t he let Zaraq answer for himself?

Carmen picked up on the tension and leaned forward to change the subject. “So, Zaraq, Sofia told us you’ve done a lot of traveling for work. What do you do?”

Zaraq shifted again, and Sofia bit her lip. Was he really this uncomfortable around her family? This didn’t bode well.

“I, uh, I’m actually between jobs at the moment,” he answered evasively.

Carmen frowned. “What did you do before, then?”

Zaraq took a deep breath. “Mostly security work,” he replied.

Sofia kicked Carmen under the table. Carmen shot her a wide-eyed look, and Sofia frowned at her. Luckily, Elena jumped in.

“How did you guys meet? Sofia was very secretive,” she said with a wink.

Zaraq’s shoulders eased slightly, and he smiled. “Well, I was wandering around the catacombs, hoping to find the famed general and make a wish,” he started.

“Oh, stop, you were not!” Sofia interrupted, and they both laughed.

“No, I wasn’t, but I did get what I would’ve wished for,” Zaraq replied, smirking. “Your sister looks good in a swimsuit.”

Carmen, Elena, and Arccoo immediately groaned. “TMI!” Elena shouted. Sofia felt her face warming and swatted Zaraq’s arm. Zaraq grinned. Sofia bit her lip to hide a smile, the crinkles at the corners of Zaraq’s eyes making her heart flutter.

“He stalked me like a weirdo and then snuck up on me in a cave. It was very romantic,” Sofia quipped. “Then he offered to show me a shortcut, and I was sure I was going to be brutally murdered.” Laughter mixed with the clinking of plates as the waiter cleared up again.

“Had you been to the catacombs before?” Elena asked, gulping a large sip of Thryal wine. She scoffed at Arccoo’s raised eyebrow.

“No, but I got there before Sofia arrived, so I had some time to explore,” Zaraq replied. He rested his arm on the back of Sofia’s chair. The familiarity of the action sent a burst of heat through her.

“Enough time to clear out a bunch of rocks.” Sofia grinned at him and poked one of his impressive biceps. The rock-hard muscle flexed slightly under her touch, leaving her slightly breathless.

“Oh?” Elena asked. “How long were you there?”

“Uh, not long,” Zaraq replied. “I’ve been traveling for quite some time so it was nice to chill out in one place.”

“Really? Where have you traveled?” Elena asked excitedly.

“Oh, I traveled around the Govian system for a few weeks and other random places.”

Arccoo leaned forward. “The Govian system? They’re our diplomatic allies,” he said for Sofia and Elena’s benefit. “Did you visit the Lopiin temple?”

Zaraq frowned, and Sofia had the sense that Zaraq had never heard of the place.

“I didn’t, no. There were too many other places to visit,” he said, avoiding eye contact. He grabbed his glass and downed half of it.

“Really?” Arccoo asked, confusion marring his features. “It’s the most notable landmark on this side of the galaxy. I would’ve thought an explorer wouldn’t miss it,” he added, as if to himself.

Zaraq shifted, removing his arm from Sofia’s chair. He crossed his arms almost defensively, visibly uncomfortable. Sofia couldn’t take it anymore.

“Uh, what’s with the cross-examination?” Sofia snapped.

Arccoo flinched back, surprised.

Carmen placed her hand on Sofia’s arm to calm her. “We’re just getting to know him, sis.”

“You’re being weird about it.” Sofia frowned at the three of them accusingly.

Zaraq cleared his throat. “Uh, Elena, your sister told me you’re an engineer on Earth. What does that entail?”

Everyone loosened a tense breath, and Elena glanced at Sofia before answering. Sofia stewed all through dessert while the rest of her family made light conversation. It was hard to hide her disappointment about how uncomfortable the dinner was. On the walk back, she pulled Zaraq aside and apologized endlessly.

Later, when Sofia was lying in bed, she thought back over the evening. Was she too quick to anger? At the moment, it had seemed like her sisters and Arccoo were attacking Zaraq. She ran through the conversation in her head. If she were being honest with herself, he had actually been evasive and secretive. She was all about a mysterious man, but wasn’t he taking it a bit far?

She fell into a restless sleep, for once feeling dread instead of excitement for their exploration the next day.