Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lila
Standing before me is an alien lover’s wet dream.
The man is all long, lean lines, and you can see muscle definition under the black skintight...
armor, I guess, because it certainly doesn't look like any jumpsuit I’ve seen.
The black material shimmers like lycra but has the solid look of leather.
The skin on his hands is a lavender color, with swirls of silver decorating his neck.
The swirl stops at his chin, though there’s a more complex marking under his right eye.
It’s a set of swirls, lines, and dots. He also has what looks like kohl around his eyes, but I’m not sure if it’s makeup or natural.
His cheekbones are sharper than an average human, and his ears have a noticeable sharpness to them as well, the end result looking elf-like.
The pointed arches of his ears are pierced with many silver and turquoise rings, as are his nose and eyebrow.
Indigo-colored hair is tied back in a high ponytail, and those eyes which appeared to be green through the mist are actually a purplish blue.
Holy shit, no wonder he blurs himself. This man would have to fight off suitors constantly.
I’m sure I’ve been gaping at the man/alien in front of me for far too long because he cocks one eyebrow and folds his arms, classic ‘yeah, take a picture’ posture. Whoops, shit. Lila, get it together. Let’s not insult the man.
“Sorry, I’m just surprised to see a solid form. I thought you were all mystical mist or something.”
An amused snort escapes his mouth before he can contain it.
“It’s a defense mechanism. If a warlock’s eyes can’t be seen, their mind can’t be invaded, which really hasn’t been a problem for years.
But once upon a time, our planet was rife with turmoil and intrigue, and you never knew who you could trust. You would only expose your real form to those whom you knew for sure wouldn’t betray you.
I’m afraid I still default to that time, particularly when meeting new people. ”
Curiosity getting the better of me yet again, I just blurt out my first reaction. Because that’s served me sooooo well this far in life. “Does this mean you trust me?”
“No, Phoeall, but what could you do to me? I hear that your powers haven't been activated. You are no match for me and mine, and I need to show you what to do.”
“Who told you that? No one knows except for my grandpas. And what is that word you keep calling me? Fo-ell? Why doesn't my translator translate it?” It’s my turn to cross my arms, though I know it won’t do a damn thing to protect me from him.
Growing up in the system has done nothing to improve my self-esteem, and while I can keep going even when the odds are stacked against me, I’ve developed a real sensitivity to feeling embarrassed or vulnerable in front of other people.
Lucky me, he’s just hit on both of those nerves at the same time.
He shrugs casually like it’s no big deal. “William might have mentioned something. Asked me if I could get a read on you to see if I can work out why your powers haven’t manifested. But we don't have time for that now.”
I also notice that he didn’t bother telling me what the word means. For all I know, he’s calling me an idiot and having his own internal laugh about it. Damn arrogant alien. That pisses me off, and I grit my teeth in anger. But for my grandpa's sake I let it go for now.
He holds out one of the holo-emitters, clearing his throat when I don’t immediately glance down at it.
“These need to be placed in four equal positions around the dome. They are pre-programed, so when you reach the right spot, this red light will turn blue.” He points out the red light in the middle of the emitter then starts walking.
Within a few steps, the light changes and the device starts humming at a low frequency.
“Once it’s on the ground in a stable position, press down on the top.
It will go into standby mode, and once all four are in place and you press the last one down, they will all activate simultaneously. It’s easy, really.”
Knowing how curious and nosy humans are, I definitely have one concern to chew my lip over. “What happens if they’re seen by someone and picked up?”
“The minute you push the button down, it will cloak, and the frequency it emits has a repellent in it. Humans will feel uncomfortable and move away.”
“And Captain Lester said it returns to the ship automatically after a certain period of time?”
“Yes, the hologram is programmed to show a circus tent being dismantled, packed up, and loaded into big black trucks. Your primitive Earth minds wouldn't be able to cope if they saw an alien ship lifting off the ground and taking off into the sky. Once they’ve run the entirety of their programming, they send a signal to the ship. It will beam them aboard, no matter where we are surrounding the Earth.” Hey, buddy, who the fuck are you calling primitive?
I guess to him we probably do seem primitive, but he doesn't have to be so rude about it. Knowing the future leader of the circus can’t just bite people’s heads off, I push down my offense for my fellow man and focus on the important things.
“Wow, that technology is light-years ahead of anything the human race has. Honestly, I’m a little shocked that the powers that be—you know, the government or whoever—haven’t tried to weasel more information out of you…
or taken it by force.” Let’s face it, humans are better known for trying to take what they want rather than having the patience to develop it themselves.
“They are not completely stupid. They know that the big ship sits in the upper atmosphere, fully equipped for battle when necessary. It was made extremely clear to the human governments from the very first landing that they would get more than they bargained for if they tried to take anything by force. The Adams made sure they knew they’d live long enough to regret a foolish decision like that. ”
He holds out his hand with the emitters, shaking them just enough so that I know he wants me to take them.
“Let's do this. People will be exiting the dome soon, and we don't want to be caught.” I take it from his hand and follow the instructions he gave me.
After placing it on the ground and pushing down on the top, it makes a clicking sound and fades from view.
“Perfect, it’s all set now.” There’s a prickly feeling running down the back of my spine, causing me to step back and rub my arms, like that almost primitive fight or flight response. But this one is leaning heavily on flight. Xavier watches me with curiosity in his eyes as I start to back away.
“Well, that’s very interesting. It shouldn't be affecting you if your Skarrian heritage has come to the forefront, though you’re the first Skarrian I've heard of who has grown up without constant direct contact with the waters of Skar. Even those that migrate to other planets have bottles of it shipped to them for daily consumption. This latent development of your Skarrian aspects has to be connected to the lack of water in your system.” He’s eyeing me like I’m a science experiment, one he would really like to take apart and put back together, which makes me back away quicker.
“Whoa, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” He holds his hands up in that universal way of trying to make someone feel better, but who knows what can come out of his hands!
“Can we just finish this?” The human repellant is working overtime on me, and I already want to run screaming from the area.
Xavier nods before his body explodes into mist, and it’s just one sudden move too many while I’m feeling so anxious. Basically, I very smoothly and maturely scream and turn, running like the hounds of hell are on my tail.
“Lila, wait!” At least he makes the effort, but I don’t stop.
I want to get out of here. It’s working just fine until misty Xavier appears in front of me, causing me to skid to a stop.
I mean, it would be kind of rude to run through the guy.
I don’t know what that feels like for him.
Maybe it’s like the warlock equivalent of someone grabbing your dick without permission if someone wanders through you when your body is all one with the fog.
That definitely wasn’t covered by the info on the tablet.
My ragged breathing is loud in the quiet that surrounds us.
“We don't have time to walk the whole distance, so I’m going to jump us to each position.” I think he’s trying to sound reassuring, but without the visual cues, it’s hard to tell.
“But from the way you’re reacting to the repellent, I think I’ll keep a hand on you.
That way I won’t have to waste time chasing you down after you activate one. ”
I’m breathing too hard to respond, so I just nod my head. Almost immediately, his mist reaches out, enveloping me again, and we repeat the process until all four holo-emitters have been put in the right place. Neither of us says much more to the other, and that’s fine with me.
Finally finished, Xavier jumps us back inside the dome, our bodies teleporting into the corridor just outside the control room.
“There you go. How do you feel now?” he asks as the mist recedes from my body, and with it my breathing calms. With my eyes having adjusted to the darkness outside the dome and the shadow of Xavier’s mist, the lights of the corridors are causing me to squint against the brightness.
A big sigh of relief escapes my mouth. “Better, thank you.” His misty arm reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. The sweet gesture is surprising from someone who routinely feels like they have to be on guard.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human run so fast.” I think he means it as a joke, but my stomach sinks at his reminder that I’m human. Before I can respond, I hear someone call my name sharply.