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Perhaps their choices came from being marooned on Earth for so many years. Isolation did strange things to one’s thought processes. Coupled with the fact that this was a primitive planet, it would make the time here nearly unbearable.

Despite his brother and the King’s reassurances that their energy binds were intact, Orion held doubts. It wasn’t possible to bind with a human,
was it
?

He shook his head at the absurdity of the question. Earth women were good for one thing, and one thing only—sex. Anything more would make him as foolish as his brother—and Orion was far from foolish.

But, he was
curious
.

He recalled Jac’s parting words, “Curiosity killed the kangaroo”. Orion wasn’t sure exactly what type of creature a kangaroo was but it mustn’t be too fierce if a mere thought could slay it. He mentally brushed her warning aside. He wouldn’t allow the words of an Earth woman to deter him, even if said woman was his brother’s alleged true-mate.

Once he encountered Brigit and found the Seer, he’d take several days and explore the planet. Perhaps, experience a few of the female delights available. Orion shifted as he imagined sinking his silver-ringed cock past a woman’s petal-soft folds into her wet quim. It should only take ten to twenty females before he was suitably spent. Afterward, he’d head back to Zaron where he would pick out an Atlantean woman, perform an energy bind and settle down.

Should be easy enough.

It mattered little to Orion that he hadn’t been unable to find anyone thus far who’d kept his attention for more than a few physical joinings. He was sure upon his return he’d succeed…or leave Zaron for good. Love would not be part of the equation. It was a useless emotion that could only get a warrior killed—or worse, weakened to the babbling state his brother, Ares, and the King existed in.

At least that was the plan…

* * * * *

Brigit adjusted the fabric in front of her. The wasabi-green galactic dragon costume turned out even better than she anticipated. The fabric horns protruding from the headdress were perfect in their burnt-orange splendor. The matching claws on her feet were equally as impressive. No one would beat her out of first place in this year’s most original costume contest, not even her ex, Rocket Man Rick, and his new girlfriend, Dorothy, the galactic slut puppy.

She giggled. He’d be sorry once he caught sight of her costume. Brigit continued to check the satiny material for any remaining straight pins she might have accidentally left behind. The last thing she needed was to get stabbed in the middle of her stroll down the catwalk.

The turnout for Conlunar this year was the biggest yet. The packed Marquis Hiltonia Hotel drew sci-fi and fantasy lovers from all over the world. Brigit came every year to take part in the costume contest and to be close to people who shared her dream of space travel. It was one of the few places she could talk about visiting the stars without hearing snickers of laughter.

Even her best friends, Jaclyn Ward and Rachel Evans hadn’t been able to keep a straight face when she’d discussed space travel. One day, when it became accessible to everyone, Brigit would have the last laugh. She only hoped she lived long enough to see that day.

Located on forty-five lushly wooded acres, the hotel facility offered every amenity. It boasted an indoor and outdoor pool, large work desks in all the rooms, two phone lines, robes and a fitness center.

Not that Brigit ever looked inside the latter. Blech, sweating wasn’t her thing. Nor were bugs, with their beady little eyes and clingy little legs and gnashing little mandibles. She didn’t do woods, mountains or the ocean either—too many creepy, crawly, bitey things in those places. Basically, anywhere without a department store and sidewalk was strictly off-limits in her mind. That’s what made outer space so perfect…no bugs.

If God meant for Brigit to explore deeply wooded areas, She would have put in sidewalks and made skin bug repellent.

Brigit gazed out the window at the scenic dusk-draped landscaping and shuddered. She could appreciate the beauty of life and the lush panoramic garden views with its wall-sized hedges as long as she remained safely on this side of the windowpane. Green, growing, creeping, alive things were fine for the planet, but not her. Brigit rubbed her skin to dispel the sensation of tiny spiders crawling over the fine hairs on her arms.

She took a calming you’re-not-outside-so-you’re-safe breath, then glanced back at her latest design. Tingles raced along Brigit’s spine as she imagined the crowd’s reaction to her galactic dragon costume. In her mind, she could almost hear the applause.

Would it be mere applause?

She smiled inwardly. Nope, they would roar. She might even receive a standing ovation. She could almost see the people now. Brigit took a couple of practice bows, then waved and blew kisses to the invisible crowd like she’d just been crowned universal prom queen.

The only thing that would make her moment in the spotlight better was if Rachel and Jac arrived in time to cheer from the front row. But that wasn’t going to happen.

A momentary rush of worry swept through Brigit and she faltered mid-bow. Ever since Rachel had gone missing while on a research assignment with her boss, Professor Donald Rumsinger in the jungle, Brigit had known something wasn’t right. The professor had returned without Rachel, but quickly left when rumbles of a lost tribe surfaced briefly in the media. Jac went looking for Rachel a week later and Brigit’s sense of foreboding worsened. Now they were both missing. There was no doubt that something had gone wrong. Very wrong. She tucked the anxiety away, refusing to traverse that mental path. Worrying never helped anything.

If anyone could find Rachel, it was Jac. She may not be a commando, but she was the next best thing to it. Her ex-Navy SEAL father had made sure of it before he passed away. Brigit reminded herself again that her friends hadn’t been gone
that
long.

Despite Jac’s flippant
be back by the weekend
remark, Brigit knew it would take longer to find Rachel than that, especially with Rachel’s boss blocking Jac’s way at every turn. Heck, flying down to the jungle and back would eat up at least two days each way. She may be a bit on the flaky side, but Brigit prided herself on her ability to think clearly under pressure. Well, her version of clear anyway.

“It’s only been a little over two weeks,” she said aloud as if to reassure herself.

But deep down Brigit knew there was more going on than just Professor Rumsinger deceiving Rachel. Her best friends’ horoscopes read like the who’s who of planetary alignments. She’d never seen anything like it. Greater forces were at work, but for what purpose, she did not know. She only wished that Rachel and Jac had believed her when she tried to warn them.

Subconsciously, her hand moved to the talisman around her neck. She fingered the medallion to ward off the ominous feelings coursing through her. The urge to flee was great. But from what? Brigit’s gaze darted around the empty room, before landing once more on her costume.

“Screw with the planets and they’ll screw you back,” she muttered, while ignoring the moths fluttering in her stomach. Wasn’t she doing the same thing with her own astrological chart? Shouldn’t she have stayed home after reading the travel caveats? And what about the warning of a stranger changing her life forever?

Brigit brushed the disturbing thought aside. She wouldn’t be meeting any stranger from a faraway land. How could she at a time like this? It was best to focus on what was happening today, right this moment, no matter how frivolous. That being the case, she needed to get ready to kick Rocket Man Rick’s ass in the costume contest. Yes, that was what she should concentrate on. The future would take care of itself, with or without her assistance.

That’s what I’m afraid of
. The thought came unbidden in her mind. She dropped the talisman and proceeded to dress.

* * * * *

Seven o’clock finally arrived. Brigit padded out of her room and down hall toward the lavishly decorated banquet room. She strolled past the front desk, hearing the employees’ muffled
oohs
and
ahs
through the thick material surrounding her ears. The muted sound reminded her how she’d miscalculated one little teensy weensy thing on the costume—earholes.

How was she supposed to hear the roar of applause through what was effectively earmuffs?

She continued ambling forward, taking care to pick up her enormous feet, so she didn’t trip over her orange dragon claws. No sign of Rick so far. Brigit knew he’d planned to dress like Apollo from the original Battlesun Gattica series. Begrudgingly, she admitted he did sort of resemble the actor who used to play that part. That had probably been why she’d fallen for him in the first place. She’d always had a childhood crush on the men from that television show.

Brigit passed several people who smiled, their eyes briefly alighting on her costume, before looking beyond her in horror. She glanced over her padded shoulder, but didn’t see anything unusual. She shrugged and continued on.

A six-foot hard plastic tail, attached by thick string to the rest of her costume, swung from side to side like a scythe as she walked. From a distance, Brigit heard muffled grunts and a few groans, which she assumed were fellow contestants expressing their imminent defeat. She giggled, ignoring the drag of her tail.

They know a winner when they see one.

Brigit turned to smile and acknowledge that defeat, only to see two people lying on the ground gripping their stomachs. She frowned. What in the world was wrong with them? They did a “desperate Montezuma’s revenge” roll onto their sides, before staggering to their knees. Hmm…It looked like it was a good thing she’d skipped the catered buffet this afternoon. Brigit kept walking. The contest was in the bag.

* * * * *

Orion set his ship down in the middle of a grove of trees. The branches swayed dangerously to the side before settling back into place. With a flick of a switch, the craft disappeared, cloaked in the fading tendrils of sunlight. He glanced down at the time indicator. The number seven-fifteen blinked back.

He pressed another button at his wrist and a blip pulsed on the hidden sensor. The building where Brigit appeared to be, brimmed with human activity. No matter. He still must contact the woman before finding the Seer in the jungle and exploring the rest of the planet.

Orion passed his palm over a scanner and a panel on the far wall slid open, allowing him to exit the craft. He sent out a quick probe to ensure he was alone. It came back “humanoid life undetected”. Using stealth, Orion made his way through the woods, heading toward the main building. The gathering darkness did not hinder his progress. He could see the trail in front of him clearly.

The blips on his wristband grew stronger, their red pulses resembling beating hearts. The trees thinned a little, giving him a good view of his intended target. He stopped, slipping behind one of the huge bark-covered trunks. Orion watched as ornately dressed couples entered a portal, which quickly closed behind them. They didn’t appear to have to display papers, so perhaps he’d be allowed in.

He was about to step away from the tree when a scurrying noise caught his attention. He looked around, watchful for an oncoming attack. Bark rained down upon his head, bouncing off his shoulder. He spun, sword drawn, ready to face the unseen threat. A gray creature with beady brown eyes and a bushy tail froze mid-motion. Orion relaxed, for it appeared harmless enough.

The animal stared at him a moment, then began to chatter and squeak. It hunched its little legs and launched itself off the tree and through the air straight at him. Orion’s eyes widened in surprise and he jumped back unsure how to battle the unwarranted attack.

The creature hit the ground a few feet from him, then stood on its hind legs, his chatter rising in volume. Orion hit several buttons on his wrist, but nothing seemed able to translate its angry words.

“I know not what you want,” he bellowed, as the creature picked up something small with its front paws and lobbed it in his direction.

Orion ran his hands through his hair and then sheathed his sword. He backed away slowly, his gaze never leaving the animal. Jac hadn’t warned him about hostile beasts. Given her sense of mirth, she probably hadn’t done so on purpose. He groaned inwardly and made a mental note to speak with his brother.

Now that he realized an attack could come from any direction, the next creature Orion encountered would not fare as well as this one.

He took stock of his weapons and equipment, then strode toward the door cautiously, alert to any further threats. Several of the people entering the structure ahead of him appeared armed. Orion patted the Zaronian sword strapped to his thigh. If a battle broke out, he was prepared.

As he approached the portal, it slid open silently. Orion glanced around, but no guard waited on the other side of the threshold. He took a deep breath and consciously relaxed his tense muscles, before stepping inside. A rush of cool air greeted his skin. He held his breath and immediately pressed a button on his wristband. The pressure within the structure registered as normal, oxygen levels steady, no poisonous gases detected. Orion released the air from his lungs. So far he’d been fortunate to have gone undiscovered this long. He refused to acknowledge the bushy-tailed, bucktoothed beast in the woods.

Several men and women stood behind a waist-high structure, their gazes locked to him. Dressed in similar blue uniforms, their curious whispers rose as he approached their location. Orion struggled with the urge to greet the women in the traditional Atlantean manner. Jac and Queen Rachel warned him not to do so. He thought it wrong, but followed their instructions.

A couple of the people before him pointed to the mark he bore on his cheek. Regardless of their primitive nature, they obviously recognized his position. The Zaronian burn identified him as a warrior of courage and honor. They bared their teeth when he stopped in front of them, but none bowed in respect.

Orion pushed another button on his wristband. The showing of one’s teeth appeared to be some form of greeting called a smile. Without thought, he mirrored their behavior.