Chapter 8
Midori leaned into Cael's embrace. He made her feel safe, even though neither of them knew where they were or how to get home. But from the moment she met him, Cael had been trying to protect her. She knew he would not stop watching out for her until they were home. Unless something happened to him. Something unlucky.
She didn't want to think that way. She didn't use to believe in luck, but even she couldn't deny her life had been marred by one unlucky situation after another. First, her father passed when she was a child, then her mother when she was a teenager. And then again a few years ago, when her fiancé left her the week before their wedding.
Her sister, April, had taken her in during that dark time and gave her a place to stay when all Midori wanted to do was curl into a ball and disappear. It had taken a lot of hard work for Midori to emerge from that darkness. And just as she was rebuilding her life, her bad luck had turned up once again.
It had been her idea to become a surrogate mother for the Rivian aliens and their human mates who were having trouble conceiving. The money she'd earn in the program would make it possible for her to go back to college and start a real career. She was tired of working entry-level jobs. It was time to change her life. She'd even convinced April to take a leave of absence from her job as an astronomer to join the program too. If it hadn't been for her, April would still be safe on Earth. But her bad luck reared its ugly head once again, and she and her sister were abducted by Cael's people—mobsters working for some notorious crime lord. And Cael was one of them.
She studied his chiseled blue-skinned face as he laid there with his eyes closed. Cael differed from the other four-armed guards who had stolen her from the Rivian ship. And he differed completely from the terrifying, devilish-looking aliens who seemed to be the ones in charge of the entire operation. She trusted Cael. And she believed him when he said he'd get her home.
Unless her bad luck showed up again, and they were stuck in this mountain forever.
"I should look around," Cael's voice rumbled in her ear and pulled Midori from her dismal thoughts.
"I'll come with you," she said, pushing herself to her feet and looking around the cavern. "I'd rather not be separated, if that's okay."
Cael looked like he was thinking of arguing, but he nodded instead.
Pugly had been lying on the cavern floor with his head between his hooves but jumped to his feet when Midori and Cael stood and shook the water from his fur.
"May I accompany you, oh brightest star of the heavens?"
Midori scratched his head. "Of course, Pugly. We're all in this together."
Cael stood and led the way. Together, the three of them began exploring the vast cavern and underground lake.
"It's surprisingly warm here." Midori pulled at her wet clothing, wondering how long it would be before it chafed her thighs and become unbearably uncomfortable. "There must be a geothermal source raising the temperature so high."
Cael nodded in agreement. Reaching the shore, he immersed a hand in the lake. "It's even warmer over here."
"Cael, watch out!"
Tiny bioluminescent fish swam around his blue fingers, their tiny mouths nipping and exploring his skin.
Cael smiled. "It's okay. They're too small to really bite. It's ticklish, actually."
Pugly sniffed at the water and stuck in his snout, blowing bubbles. Midori dipped her fingers in as well and laughed as the light blue glowing fish kissed her skin over and over.
"Back on my planet, I've heard of spas where you can pay to put your hands and feet in pools and have fish eat off your dead skin. I bet it feels like this."
"People actually pay for this? On purpose?" Pugly pulled his snout from the water, his mouth hanging in shock.
Midori giggled. "I've never done it myself. It's something people with far more disposable income than I have might do for fun. Rich or not, I don't think I could ever waste money like that. We had little extra money growing up, so we learned quickly to save what we could and spend it on necessities."
Cael's smile pulled into a tight frown, and his face became serious once again as he pulled his hand from the water and stood. "We should keep moving. Perhaps we'll find an exit."
Pugly sniffed the air. His belly grumbled so loud it echoed in the cave. "Or perhaps we'll find sustenance. I hope."
Midori scratched his head between his ears, and Pugly wagged his long, shaggy tail. "Come along, Pugly. Let's see what we can find."
Cael guided them as they circled the lake. Midori's eyes traveled up the sparkling stone walls. They shimmered in the dim light caused by the bioluminescent creatures in the water. But the walls themselves also shone with light and life. The farther they traveled into the cavern, the more light filled the air from glowing green plants growing along the walls. Dots of blinking orange lights filled the air as they flew around and landed atop the cavern's ceiling.
"What are those things?" Midori wondered aloud.
"Oh glorious one, those are sun-drinkers," Pugly answered. "During the summer months, they live their lives atop the tallest trees, drinking in the sunshine and converting it into food. Once the snows begin, they make their way underground and lay their eggs. As the snow melts, a new generation of sun-drinkers will hatch and rise, oblivious to their deceased predecessors. It's very sad to think how short their lives are."
"Short but beautiful. Look at them. It's like we're in a fairyland."
One of the orange glowing insects landed atop her outstretched hand, fluttered its wings, and flew back to the cavern's ceiling. When her gaze returned to Cael, the look on his face was soft and thoughtful, and she wondered what he was thinking.
They continued walking along the cavern's edge and Pugly took the lead, his snout pointed up as he sniffed the air.
"Oh magnanimous one! I believe I have caught the aroma of some vegetative nourishment. Let us continue this way." Pugly trotted forward, excited by the prospect of food.
Midori had to admit she was excited as well. The dried food rations Cael had given her seemed forever ago. She didn't mention it because they had enough worries, but food was crucial. They wouldn't last long without it.
Pugly led the trio around a corner. A small stream led off from the lake, and they followed its path through a narrow passageway. Midori could nearly touch both walls. With Cael walking in front of her, his tail swishing back and forth along the cavern floor, it was impossible to see anything up ahead. But Pugly kept moving forward through the rocky passage, sniffing his way along.
Although Midori wasn't skilled in gardening, she knew growing food so deep underground should be impossible. But what do I know? Maybe things grow differently on alien planets.
The path turned a sharp corner, and Midori gasped at the incredible sight before her eyes. It opened to a grotto filled with an abundance of plants growing over the ground and up the chamber walls. The stream flowed into a pool, spilled over, and cascaded down a series of small waterfalls before disappearing into through a hole in the side of the cave.
"Look up there." Cael pointed to an opening in the ceiling at least thirty feet above their heads. "Sunlight must enter through there and reflect off the cave walls. Otherwise, these plants would never flourish in such a dark place."
Aha! I guess alien plants need sunlight to grow, too.
Midori examined the lush growth that Pugly had already attacked and was currently chomping. Thick pink and green leafed vines were growing everywhere. Round purple fruits studded the vines every few inches. They resembled plums, yet were melon-sized. Midori plucked one and sniffed the flesh. It smelled sweet, though she couldn't quite place the aroma. It was heavy in her hand, and the peel had the texture of a grapefruit.
"Is it safe to eat?" she asked.
Cael took the fruit from her and, pushing two of his thumbs inside, pulled it apart into two clean halves. The soft interior flesh was marbled shades of purple with white seeds inside.
"This is a krystalberry. They're quite rare and very expensive. But most importantly, they're safe to eat and quite delicious. Here." He handed her one half and brought the other to his mouth.
Midori watched him scrape out the inner flesh from the thick rind. A drop of purple juice spilled from the corner of mouth, and she tried not to stare when he licked it up with his tongue. There had been many moments like this over the past few weeks when Cael made her forget where she was or what she was doing. Too many moments. Midori forced her attention back to her own piece of fruit and brought it to her lips.
It was sour. Her lips puckered as she scraped the flesh into her mouth. The flavor was something between a lemon and a grapefruit, but the longer she tasted it, the sweeter the flavor grew until it wasn't sour at all. Just a mouthful of sweet fruit.
"It's delicious," she said, taking another bite.
Cael's thumb brushed her bottom lip and wiped away a drop of juice. "Yes, it is."
Cael's gaze held such an intensity, Midori had the distinct feeling they weren't talking about the fruit anymore. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her stomach dropped. She wasn't hungry anymore. At least, not for food. She was all too aware of just what, or who, she was hungry for. By the look in Cael's eyes, he felt that same hunger as well.
Midori took another bite, not quite certain of what to do with the cacophony of emotions jumbling inside her. On one hand, she'd love nothing more than to strip Cael down and explore every inch of his blue alien anatomy with her tongue. But on the other hand, if they ever escaped this planet, there wasn't any future for them, and she'd be forced to let him go. But on the other hand, he seemed to want her as much as she wanted him. But on the other hand, bad luck trailed her relentlessly, and it was bound to catch up with them both. A relationship with Cael was doomed before it ever began. On the other hand. . .
Enough! That's already four "on the other hands." Even Cael's hands would be full by now. Stop fretting about everything and embrace the present.
Pugly raised his head, a mess of purple rinds littered at his feet. "Yes, ineffable one. Stop worrying."
Midori stared down at the pig dog who had read her thoughts so easily.
"I am a telepathic being, she-who-shines-brighter-than-the-sun. Of course, I hear your inner monologue regarding your troubled attraction to the blue four-armed beast. Don't stress over what's coming. If we don't find an exit, it seems we may spend the rest of our lives inside the belly of this mountain. We will probably all die here, so you have nothing to worry about!"