Chapter 22
After a surprising and wonderful breakfast with Arrazyl, which left me thoroughly confused about my own feelings, Thyra dragged all three of us with her to organize the final setup for the festivities. Already the city was transforming.
“Aren’t you exhausted?” Tatiana leaned against a wall in the shade. She’d been the most drained by the events of the last few days, and despite the advanced tech that helped even her deepest wounds heal up within a couple of days, she was still weak from the attack.
“Let’s find someone to take you back to the house.” There were guards with us as usual, but a familiar male landed close by. “Or I’m sure Kyvar would take you.”
Tatiana frowned. Even though Arrazyl had told us all that the captain acted without orders, Tatiana had avoided Kyvar when he came to see her.
“You don’t have to go anywhere with him if you don’t want to.” I said softly.
“I know that logically it’s not his fault, but I still feel cautious.”
“Given how much we’ve been through since starting the trip here, cautious is a very natural feeling.”
She nodded, but looked miserable. Kyvar spotted her and immediately made his way over.
His expression was concerned. “Are you ok?” he reached out but stopped when Tatiana looked away, awkwardly letting his hand fall to his side.
“Tatiana?” his voice was soft, careful. When she looked up at him, he glanced over at me and back to her. “Could we talk?”
When Tatiana hesitated, I parted my lips to tell him she would like some space, but she got there first. “Ok. Will you take me back to the house?”
“Of course.” He scooped her up in his arms and was in the air before she could protest.
Well, then…
“I can’t believe it’s almost here. I still have so many things to do.” Thyra fretted.
Jaron smirked, “don’t you do this every year?”
“You hush. There always seems to be more each year.”
He laughed and she beamed at him. Since female vorpyr were much smaller than their male counterparts, she was about an inch shorter than his tall frame. They looked quite nice together.
What was I thinking? I blinked. I’d been thinking too much about romance after that amazing kiss with Arrazyl, but if I was realistic, I knew there was no chance for romance between any of us.
Tatiana and Kyvar, Jaron and Thyra, or…us.
We were still locked in the house at night, still kept under guard, still trespassers from an enemy species.
And somehow we still needed to find a way home.
Escaping was out of the question, at least not the way we’d tried before.
Did our people even know we were still alive?
If they did, maybe they would negotiate for our release.
It would take some convincing, but perhaps he would allow us to reach out.
To see if our government would offer something for our release.
It would be a good thing, so then why did I feel sad at the thought of never seeing this place or Arrazyl and Thyra again?
“You look like someone stole your favorite book.” Jaron’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I tried to smile.
“We’re back in civilization, safe with our needs met, so what’s bothering you?”
“Safe or not right now, this situation has caused me to really think about what our futures will look like. And honestly? It’s so out of our control that I’m concerned.”
“If it’s that out of our control, then maybe we should let go for once.” he saw my expression. “Why fight the wave, Jac? We don’t have a choice. Either we’re going to get carried by the current or swept under, and there’s nothing we can do to change that.”
“Shouldn’t we try?” I stared at him. “You’ve never been one to lie down and let life trample you.”
“It’s not like we’re lost in a national park outside of Seattle.
We’re stranded on another planet with no one from home even aware that we’re alive!
” he wasn’t shouting, but his voice had enough enthusiasm to be heard outside of the two of us.
It was at that moment that Arrazyl landed.
He glanced over at us, his face a granite mask.
Though I swore I saw hurt flash in his eyes.
I felt bad, and I was still confused. About my feelings, about what his true intentions toward us were.
Arrazyl approached, his long strides eating up the ground. “The festival starts tomorrow evening. I trust you’ll both come enjoy it with us.” His eyes found mine.
“We were just discussing that.” Jaron said smoothly. “We decided it would be good to experience as much as we’re able.”
Arrazyl flicked him a gaze that told him he knew he was a bullshitter before returning it to me.
“I think you’ll enjoy it the most.” he said it softly, intimately, as though it were just between us.
“There will be a lot of fun and you’ll get to immerse yourself in more of our culture.
This is a very important celebration for us. ”
“Of course, I’m excited to see it.”
“It will be good for you to get some relaxation too.” He stepped closer, and it was only then that I realized Jaron had retreated to Thyra’s side. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
“I…I’m not sure how to take that.”
His lips tilted up. “I’m not either. Just promise me you’ll try to enjoy yourself this week and not think about anything else. It’s a time we all ease our burdens.”
“And does the Vorazyr also ease his burdens during this week?”
He looked out into the distance, “during certain moments.”
“Why did you leave?” I’d been wondering about it, why captain Jzulyk was left to his devices.
He blew a heavy breath through his nose and I knew it was like a long sigh, even as he kept his gaze on the horizon. “I must take care of everyone in my territory, Jacqueline. There was an urgent matter in one of the villages.”
I stepped toward him and placed a hand on his arm. His gaze came to rest on my upturned face. “And did you settle it?”
Something hard passed over his expression but was gone quickly. “Not yet. But have no doubt, I won’t stop until there is an answer.”
“Is there anything I can do? To support you.” I clarified.
His large hand covered my own and I thought he’d pull me off, but he simply held his hand over mine on his arm. “No, dhysa. There’s nothing for you to do.” he smiled, somehow making his strong face even more handsome. “Just enjoy the time we have during the festival.”
After a rush to finish preparations and an influx of vorpyr into the city, the city was prepared for the festival. Besides Thyra there had been at least half a dozen other organizers, but we hadn’t spoken because they didn’t know the intergalactic language.
On the afternoon of the start of the festivities, guards flew us to the central part of the city since the walkways were swarming with laughing and chatting vorpyr.
As soon as we landed, Thyra dragged Jaron away, chattering excitedly, Kyvar coaxed Tatiana to go try something, and Arrazyl tucked a wing around me, holding me to him.
“Come,” his eyes sparkled in the bright afternoon sunshine, and he led me to a booth. “Your outfit is incomplete without jewelry.”
The metalwork and jewel settings displayed on the u-shaped table were exquisite, and I didn’t dare touch any of them.
“They’re beautiful, but I must decline.” Having no money made one extremely practical.
Hell, even if I had money from back home, I doubted it would be enough to pay for any of these pieces.
Arrazyl ignored me, pointed at a piece with delicate gold metalwork and honey-red jewels, and a matching necklace. “That head piece and those necklace.” He used the universal language, and the vendor seemed surprised.
“I have a smaller size that might be a better fit for her head since she doesn’t have horns,” the vendor said eagerly, his accent so heavy it took me a moment to make out the words.
“Let’s see that one, then.”
The vendor hurriedly but carefully unpacked one of his crates. A wave of homesickness hit when I thought of how similar our Christmas craft fairs were, with vendors behind rows of tables selling beautiful handmade items.
“Arrazyl,” I murmured softly, moving close to his side. “You know I can’t pay for these.”
“I’m paying.”
“But why?” I gazed up at him.
“Consider it an apology gift, for my captain stepping out of line.”
I smiled teasingly. “Do you often give out apology gifts to your captives?”
He grinned, a flash of white teeth and fangs against silver skin. “Not usually.”
With the help of the attentive vendor, I put on the necklace and head piece. It was made for someone with horns and draped interestingly over my head and around my ears, with a delicate chain draping from one side of my face to the other over the bridge of my nose.
Arrazyl’s eyes flashed with approval. “Vorpyr jewelry suits you.”
“Indeed.” the vendor kept looking me over. “I’ve never had my work displayed on another species before. This is wonderful.”
“I thought everyone could sell their wares on neutral planets.” I had heard that they were massive gathering places of all sorts of beings, and everything was sold there, while shipyards repaired ships and recharged their cores for a long flight.
The vendor looked nervously at Arrazyl, as though he might not be allowed to speak to me. He gave him a flick of his wing. I still hadn’t figured out what all the precise movements of their huge wings meant, but that was definitely a “go ahead” motion.
“That’s true, but I don’t venture off planet. Vorpyr aren’t always welcome by other species.”
My brows furrowed. “Why is that?”
“We have a history of defending our planet…aggressively. So we’re given a great deal of respect and a wide berth by others. Plus, other species don’t always seem to be comfortable around wings and horns.”
“Hmm.”
“Come, the games are going to begin soon and I need to leave you with Kyvar since I will be participating.” Arrazyl said.
“Oh, ok.” I turned back to the vendor with a smile. “It was lovely speaking with you.”