Chapter 16
GILLIAN
“It seems a bit tense over there.” I check over my shoulder at what Dalox is doing.
After our initial misunderstanding, I’ve been introduced to everyone, and their babies, as well as which Sarkarnii’s they are mated with. It’s more complicated than I thought it would be.
“It’s never easy when they’re all together. Too many competing interests.” Scarlett sighs. “They do sort of get on, most of the time.”
“They’re more like family than they care to admit,” Kerra says as her Sarkarnii baby settles against her and his eyelids droop. “Their entire society is built on family.”
“So, what happened?”
“Vorostor,” Rosalie says. “Or rather they were pulled through a wormhole by mistake and ended up here.”
“Stuck until Driok and I sorted it all out for them.” Maggie grins.
I like Maggie. I can already tell she doesn’t take any shit from anyone, even the huge Sarkarnii.
The other women are personable too. I’ve spent many hours tutoring women in self-defense, and they would all be likely candidates, given they’ve all survived thus far.
I like to think I’m pretty good at working out personalities quickly.
The only one I worry about is Lydia. In the context of Kerra, Scarlett, Maggie, and Rosalie, she seems the weakest.
But then one thing I’ve also learnt over time is appearances can be deceptive. And after all, she was prepared to accompany Dalox to help me.
“Lydia said Dalox has some sort of underground lair,” Scarlett says to me.
“Like a Bond villain.” Rosalie snorts.
Scarlett bursts out laughing. “I can imagine him with the white cat.”
“Or perhaps…” Maggie says dramatically, reaching into her coat. “Perhaps with a horc?”
She pulls out the weirdest thing I’ve seen so far, and that’s saying something.
It has bright orange fur which sways in a non-existent breeze, standing away from the body the size and approximate shape of a hedgehog.
It climbs up her arm on a multitude of tiny suckers before leaping onto the couch and then heading in the direction of the Sarkarnii, who all look horrified.
“I don’t think he’s going to go for it,” I say as Dalox deftly sidesteps the creature and it heads instead for the big dark one with a scar over his eye.
“Bloody hell, Maggie. Now I have to go rescue Dexx,” Scarlett says, handing over her baby to Rosalie and scrambling to her feet.
She’s faster than I expected, making a beeline for the scarred one, scooping up the orange creature, and coming back to sit with us, dumping the thing on Maggie’s lap.
“You know the Sarkarnii hate these things.”
“I know Dexx hates it.” Maggie has a wicked grin on her face.
Scarlett huffs at her.
“Driok doesn’t like it much either,” Kerra points out.
“But he has to put up with him.” Maggie lifts the thing up to her face and ruffles its fur. “Doesn’t he, Horace?”
The thing, Horace, makes a chuckling sound and then, incongruously, in Maggie’s voice, it repeats her sentence.
Probably should freak me out.
It doesn’t freak me out. Which is more concerning.
“So what’s it like being with Dalox?” Scarlett leans forward, clearly looking for gossip. “Is he as growly and grumpy in private?”
“Is he as old as the others say?” Rosalie chimes in.
I fold my arms, suddenly having a desire to defend Dalox, despite the fact the big male could easily defend himself…although apparently not against an orange floof called Horace.
“I guess he’s as old as he looks. He hasn’t said, and yes, he’s grumpy. But he’s agreed to take me back to Earth, and I trust him on that. So, if any of you want to come, you can.”
I look around the group. Kerra and Scarlett gaze back at me, babies in their arms. Rosalie and Scarlett are sporting obvious baby bumps, which leaves only Lydia.
“I think we’re good,” Kerra says.
“Lydia?”
The slim, dark-haired woman squirms in her seat.
“I don’t know, Gillian,” she says. “When we thought we were trapped in this galaxy, I sort of got used to the idea of staying here. I’m not sure I’m ready to attempt to go home.”
“We’re not attempting…”
Rosalie snorts. “Have you any idea how far we are from Earth?” she asks me.
“This isn’t Star Trek. We can’t just teleport there.
” She studies my face, looking for a reaction.
“I mean, maybe the Sarkarnii can find a wormhole which would take you close to the Milky Way, but even then, you’re probably talking years of space travel at light speed.
You’d have to be in stasis during that time, or you’d arrive back an old woman.
It’s complicated, Gillian. Even for all the sophisticated tech the Sarkarnii have access to. ”
“I need to go home.” I shake my hair out. “I made a promise to my mum and I’m going to keep it.”
“I don’t need to go back to Earth,” Kerra says. “There’s nothing there for me.”
“Me neither,” Maggie says, feeding the horc something from the low table in front of her. It makes a noisy snuffling sound. “And I never thought I’d say this, but I like the Sarkarnii. I don’t mind staying with them.”
“You still have your bum gallery?” Scarlett elbows her. “Or did you delete that when you and Driok did the nasty?”
“My bum gallery consists of only one Sarkarnii bottom.” Maggie says primly. “It always has.”
They all fall about laughing. Various garbled responses suggest that not only is this not true, but whatever the bum gallery is, it is legendary.
I was never one for having close friends. After all, I had my mum, but being here, with them, in the here and now, in a place filled with laughter, makes me doubt my desire to go back to Earth.
Then I remember the pit, and I’m sure I can’t stay.
“My Gillian,” Dalox rumbles in my ear, the smoky rich scent of him invading my senses. “It is time to leave,” he adds. “We have many plans to make before we can get back to your Urth.”
And it rushes at me like a hurricane wind.
I’m not sure I want to leave after all.