Alien Prince: (Bride of Qetesh) An Alien SciFi Romance (37 page)

“
If I knew your purposes
— ”

“
For something to help me go home,
”
I spat out, without thinking. It was the first time I had spoken this truth to him, at least in a manner he could understand. I couldn
’
t look at him, but I felt a shift in his entire demeanor. Understanding dawned on him like daylight, though he grew cold.

“
Of course,
”
he murmured,
“
Of course, you want to go home. How foolish of me.
”
He set off at quite a clip, leaving me to hobble along behind him.

“
Odrik,
”
I called out, but he didn
’
t turn. And for the first time since I met him, I was left to my own devices. I looked frantically around me and saw nothing but trees and tall grass, a mountain to the east
—
but was it even east? The sun rose there, but that was some other star, wasn
’
t it? I had no bearings, nothing at all to cling to. Except for him.
“
Odrik!
”

But of course this entire time I
’
d been trying to find a way off of this planet, away from him. And now he knew it. My heart broke to think that I had broken his, so I sank down into the tall grass and buried my face in my hands. My cheeks were hot as I fought down the knot in my throat
—
when had I started to care so much? I took in a sharp breath of air, shook my head as though to jostle myself free of my feelings, and stood up again, shambling toward the pod once more.

By the time I reached it, he had climbed out again, a few white plastic boxes in his hands.
“
I don
’
t believe that this egg is equipped with anything that could fly you off the planet. But I found some items that may be of use.
”

He opened one of the boxes and it was a basic first aid kit. Another had a collection of toiletries and a second gossamer gown. The third box had food rations and bottled water.
“
What about a communicator?
”
I asked.
“
To, I don
’
t know
…
hail a passing ship?
”

Odrik shook his head.
“
You
’
re welcome to look for yourself,
”
he said,
“
but the language on that console isn
’
t one I recognize.
”
I didn
’
t have to look for myself
—
I believed him. I had known it was hopeless even before he and I had set off to look at the pod. At least we
’
d gotten our translators for our efforts. I had expected to feel my heart sink at the prospect of having to remain on this planet, but it didn
’
t. I had to admit, there was something appealing about it. Fine, then. The choice was out of my hands. I would just have to stay and deal with it.

“
I guess we should just
— ”

“
There is some way I can help,
”
he muttered. And it was his turn to avert his gaze.

“
There is?
”
I asked, meek as a church mouse.

“
Our tribe,
”
he said at length,
“
the village was constructed around the ship that brought my people to this planet. We could go there, see if there
’
s a communication device on board.
”

I was stunned by his selfless generosity; I knew it pained him, the idea of my leaving. But he would help me anyway. I swallowed hard, my eyes stinging with tears I would not shed.

“
Thank you,
”
I whispered and placed my hand on his arm. He stiffened beneath my touch but did not jerk away.

“
It is several days
’
journey on foot,
”
he continued.
“
Longer, with your injuries. I suggest we rest at my dwelling for the winternight and begin the trek tomorrow.
”

“
Yes,
”
I agreed,
“
whatever you say.
”

“
Indeed,
”
he said, tonelessly.
“
Because if we
’
re going to make this journey, you have to do precisely as I tell you at all times, do you understand?
”
I nodded.
“
You don
’
t know this terrain, or my people. But I do. So none of your
…
running off to be eaten by plants.
”

I cracked a smile and peered up into his face, his strange, alien face that I had come to find so beautiful.
“
I promise, I
’
ll do whatever you tell me to do.
”

He gave a sharp nod and crouched down low to the ground with his back to me, his silent indication that I should climb on. And so I did, and he hoisted me high, and we set off back in the direction we had come, two aliens on a foreign world.

She wants to leave me.

She wants to leave me
.

I was heavy with the truth of it as I trudged across the plains back to my dwelling, my lady situated on my back, a triad of odd white boxes in my hands. I was weighed down, but her heat against me was pleasant, and I tried not to allow myself to consider what her absence would feel like after she was gone.

I do not know why I had not considered that she might not want to stay. Why should she? This was a strange and violent planet, that boiled you at high noon and froze you during the night, with huge meat-eating beasts that stalked in the early morning, and plant life that would nibble your flesh throughout the day. Rich with gemstones that no one off planet wanted to trade or sell, I had the feeling that the Qet were a long ways away from the rest of the civilized galaxy. And so be it: we could hunt and live peacefully here, with our myths and our stories and our traditions.

But certainly something about this planet had killed off our women. We were a thousand strong when we came to this place, or so I am told. And we had slightly more females than males when we made the journey. Many of our women died out all at once, growing sick and giving way in childbirth, their systems weakened by something in the air or the water or the food. Why should my lady be any different? And if this was not a place she could survive, then it would be selfish of me to try to entreat her to stay.

I made up my mind to be good, and kind, and resolute, and to do anything in my power to ensure my lady
’
s safety. And I knew it had to begin by simply speaking to her again, as we had said nothing to each other for the entire duration of the walk back to the dwelling.

I set Novalyn down on the packed dirt floor and she limped over to the furs and sat down, rubbing at her good foot, which was undoubtedly sore from overuse. I set the strange white boxes down on the trunk behind her head and lingered awkwardly behind her.
“
Do you hunger, my lady?
”
I asked, and she turned, smiling up at me.

“
You do not have to be so formal with me,
”
she said.

“
To what do you refer?
”

“‘
My lady
’
,
”
she said.
“
It seems so
…
stiff somehow.
”
She leaned back and wiped at her brow with the back of her hand. The day was hot, and she had beads of sweat forming at her hairline.

“
I mean only to show you respect,
”
I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

“
I know, and I appreciate it. But it is not necessary. We are
…
friends, you and I.
”

Friends
. I gave a nod of my head and came around to stand at the mouth of the dwelling, peering out toward the waters of the still pond.
“
But I am hungry,
”
she said at length,
“
and I imagine you are as well. You have done all the real work today, after all.
”

I proffered the feint of a smile and turned around to face her.
“
What shall I fetch for you?
”
I asked. But she simply turned and snatched one of the strange boxes from atop the trunk. She opened it and rifled through its contents, casting a broad smile down upon whatever it was that she found within.

“
Come, sit with me,
”
she said, and I went obediently to her side and sat down cross-legged on the furs. She reached into the box and produced a bar of some sort, wrapped in shiny green paper. She handed it to me. It was light and small, and it fit in the palm of my hand.

“
What is it?
”
I asked.

“
A Nutrigrain bar,
”
she explained and snatched it from me. She split the paper with her fingers and handed it back, and I saw that the bar looked like dried porridge.
“
Oats and honey,
”
she said.

I sniffed it and bit off one corner. It was sweet and it crunched and I liked it very much, even if little pieces of it did get stuck between my teeth. She reached out and broke off a corner for herself, popping it into her mouth and closing her eyes. She consumed it with delight and relish.

“
They are from my home planet,
”
she explained, laughing a little.
“
Actually, I did not really enjoy them much, but they were everywhere. In vending machines, corner stores, gas stations. Is it not strange, the things we end up taking for granted?
”

“
What else did they send with you?
”

“
Protein bars, dried fruit, vegetable chips, and
…”
She laughed and pulled out something else in a shiny metallic wrapper.
“
Astronaut ice cream, because apparently they think this is hilarious.
”

“
What is astronaut ice cream?
”

“
It is a sort of
…
sweet confection. Um
…
a
…
Here. Just try some.
”
She opened it up and handed it to me. It was pink and white and brown, and when I bit into it, it dissolved against my tongue. But it was sweet, sweeter than even the sweetest fruit that was native to this planet, and I could not help but smile.
“
Do you like it?
”
she asked.

“
Very much.
”

She reached out and took it from me, helped herself to a bite, and handed it back.
“
The rest is for you,
”
she said.
“
I have had it before.
”
Next came dried fruit in small slices that crunched when you ate it, then vegetables, dried and salted. We drank fresh water from clear containers and I set them, once emptied, atop the trunk so we might use them again.

We finished off the box in companionable silence until we were sitting among crumbs and metallic wrappers. It must be nice, living in a place where food was prepared for you all the time. Still, it wasn
’
t as satisfying as taking down wildfowl and cooking it over open flame. Novalyn patted her tummy and smiled, a gesture she had used to indicate her satisfaction before she had words to tell me. And we laughed lightly together when she finally said,
“
I am full.
”
I watched her as she set about collecting the detritus and placing it back in the box before sweeping her hands over the furs to clear away the crumbs. Then, something in her shifted, like she didn
’
t know quite what to do with herself. She sighed and leaned back on her elbows, her legs stretched out in front of her, and I wanted nothing more than to put my hand on her thigh.

“
I, ah
…”
I cleared my throat and gestured absently toward her legs.
“
I ought to change your bandages again. With your permission.
”