Chapter Thirteen

Watching Lian leave went against every instinct in Nuar’s body. He wanted to charge after her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her to his quarters on the ship.

He would need to prepare his quarters, though. Even the floor of her office was too hard for her. The blankets she’d thrown down were evidence of that.

He picked one up, examining the fabric.

Soft and flimsy. Bron could craft better, but he would need this as an example of what Earthlings used for their comfort.

Nuar looked around Lian’s office for more clues as to what would make her happy with him. The couch had cushions all over it. That was important. He lifted one from the seat and tucked it under his arm, then draped the blanket over his shoulder.

“Hello, I’m back,” Olivia called from the other room. “Guys? The library was supposed to open fifteen minutes ago. I gave you a little extra time to…work things out.”

Nuar stepped into the main room. Olivia was visible down a row of shelves.

“Oh, hello there.” She smiled at him and looked around. “Where’s Lian?”

“She said she had to leave,” Nuar said.

“She left you here alone? That’s not right.”

“She needed time to process things.” Alone. Without her soulmate.

That was not right.

He wanted Lian to be able to turn to him. He needed to support her. But he was realizing he had no idea how to do so.

“May I speak with you?” Nuar asked.

“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

“Forgive me. I meant may I speak with you candidly.”

“I prefer it.”

Nuar smiled. Here was a woman, like Lian, who spoke her mind and expected others to do the same.

“Cygnian women are warriors,” he said.

“Like you.”

He laughed. “They are much fiercer.”

“Really?” Olivia said. “I think I like the sound of your planet.”

He smiled at the compliment.

“They are…decisive,” he said.

“Okay.”

“Lian is…”

Olivia nodded. “Lian is not. In fact, if you hang out with more Earthlings, I bet you’ll find a lot of us can change our mind quite a bit.”

“How do you function? How do you move forward if you need to analyze and rethink every decision?”

“Well, we don’t analyze everything. Sometimes, the more important something is, the more time we need to think about it. I consider it more a strength than a weakness.”

“How so?”

“If we realize we’re wrong, we can change.”

He nodded. “True. We Cygnians are slow to change. And when we believe we know something, we simply plow forward with single-minded purpose.”

“Kind of how you and Craig plowed through the greenhouse?”

“I suppose so.”

“Did you know my brother is the mayor?” she asked.

“I didn’t.”

“He goes on and on about how Harbor is a place where aliens can learn about Earthlings and how everyone can get along if we work at it. The whole point of this town is for us to be able to change and adapt and coexist. All of us, not just our visitors. We Earthlings have things to learn from you, too.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a point you’re trying to make that eludes me?”

Olivia laughed. “Lian overthinks everything. She’s brilliant, creative, and passionate.”

His chest swelled with pride at each word. Of course, his soulmate was amazing. He hadn’t doubted it and looked forward to discovering more about her throughout their lives together. He knew the universe would bring him to someone he could respect and appreciate. She was the other half of his soul, after all.

“But she can also get stuck in her own head,” Olivia continued. “Seeing how she is with you… I don’t know. I guess I have a feeling maybe you can snap her out of that. Get her moving forward finally.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen her so worked up over a guy before. Over anyone, actually. I’m curious to see where it goes.”

“As am I.”

“Well, don’t worry about her needing some time. She’ll come around.”

Nuar nodded. “Could you fasten the lead to Ed? I need to return to my ship so I can prepare my quarters for Lian.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Whoa, I said she needed time. Don’t you think that’s moving a little fast?”

“Things…have already progressed.”

“Progressed how?” Olivia crossed her arms and stared at him in a similar—if much less intense—fashion as Lian.

“We are soulmates,” Nuar said.

“Soulmates?” Her eyes widened. “For real?”

“Yes. But she wasn’t happy about us bonding.”

Olivia dropped her arms and took a few steps closer. “Wait, you guys are married?”

“Of course not. She thought the same thing. Why do you all think that?”

“Because that’s what Sadirians call getting married.”

Nuar barely managed not to sneer. If he was going to win Lian over, he needed her friends on his side, and her friends included Sadirians. He needed to make peace with the fact that he would be living alongside the Coalition for as long as he and Lian were together—which he hoped would be a very long time.

“Cygnian marriages are different,” Nuar said. “Lian and I have established our soul bond.”

“And how did you do that?”

“We mated.”

Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “In the library?”

“No, of course not in the library. In her office.”

“That’s barely better.”

“Lian was upset that she didn’t understand the implications of our union.”

“So, she left.” Olivia nodded. “That’s rough. But I still have hope for you guys. Just give her time to come around.”

He nodded. “I still need to prepare my quarters. For when she’s ready.”

“You can leave Ed with me.”

“Lian asked me to watch over him.”

Olivia smiled. “That’s a very good sign. If she trusts you with her dog, she definitely has feelings for you.”

“Yes, antipathy. Anger.”

He could practically feel them rolling off of Lian after their mating. And yet, there had been undercurrents of something else. Hope and…fear. Somehow, the fear seemed to be rising in her. He could still feel it, even with the distance between them.

“Lian is always angry,” Olivia said. “It’s part of her charm. But she’s also the most loyal friend you’ll ever have.”

“Do you know why she would have any reason to be afraid of a union with me?”

“Lian hasn’t had much luck with guys over the years. She busts stereotypes all over the place. She hasn’t met the man who can handle how unique and awesome she is.” Olivia smiled. “Well, she hadn’t, anyway.”

“Those men were fools,” Nuar said.

Olivia’s smile deepened. She nodded, then headed to a counter and retrieved Ed’s lead. The dog rose when he saw it and stood still while she attached it to his collar.

As Olivia handed the lead to Nuar, she said, “Lian is like a sister to me. Don’t hurt her, okay?”

“I will do everything in my power to keep her happy and safe.”

A twinge shot down his spine. Was she safe now?

She had to be. This was Harbor, a town protected by Vegans. They wouldn’t let anything happen to their allies.

But it should be Nuar who was protecting her.

“Good,” Olivia said.

His agitation growing, Nuar turned and made his way from the library, Ed at his side. The day was growing warmer and the sun shone brightly overhead.

Where had Lian gone? Was she thinking of him? Was she still angry?

As he thought of her, he could feel her on the edge of his mind. He had a sense that she had gone in a different direction than where he was heading. He wanted to turn around and go to her, but she had told him not to follow. Still, the urge to run to her was strong.

He needed to get to his ship. Immediately. His prism could help him sort this out.

Ed looked up at him and whined. The dog was drooling more than usual.

That thick coat wouldn’t help him in this heat. The hangar was still a mile away, and there weren’t many trees between the spaceport and the town.

“Come here, friend,” Nuar said, kneeling down.

Ed walked over to him and waited patiently. Nuar shifted the blanket around his neck, then lifted the dog onto his shoulders so that he rested on top of it. He picked up the cushion as he stood.

His wristbands would have been welcome at that moment. He could have used their antigravity function to carry the gear, or made an environmental control field around Ed to cool the animal. As soon as Nuar reached the Arrow, he would get another pair.

At least he knew that Lian had that much protection. When they were together, Nuar would be able to activate and control her wristbands. It would be that much easier to keep her safe.

With Ed on his shoulders, Nuar wasn’t limited by the dog’s pace. He picked up his speed, quickly covering the distance between him and the ship. A sense of urgency was growing within him that he didn’t understand.

When he reached the hangar, he realized he didn’t have a way to communicate with the warriors on board the ship. He was about to set Ed down and find something to throw at the ship to get their attention when the bottom hatch opened. Kral, Lar, and Dorn stood inside, just at the edge of the opening, their expressions clouded with worry.

“Hang on, friend,” Nuar said. Ed let out a little whine.

Nuar leapt up into the ship. The dog started struggling against Nuar’s shoulders the moment they landed. Nuar held onto him as Dorn closed the hatch. He had promised Lian he would keep Ed safe. That was a promise he meant to keep.

But what of Lian herself?

Nuar had a terrible feeling that something was wrong. He just didn’t know what to do about it.

“What’s going on?” Lar asked, worry narrowing his golden eyes. “We sensed your distress.”

Kral gestured at Nuar’s bare wrists. “Where are your wristbands?”

Dorn stepped in front of them, holding his hand up to motion them back. He stared at Nuar, and said, “What is that thing on your neck?”

“This is Ed,” Nuar said. “He’s Lian’s dog.”

Kral laughed. “That’s not a dog.”

“It is.” Nuar shoved past them. “We don’t have time for this.”

As soon as they reached the common room, he dropped to his knees and leaned forward, setting Ed gently on the ground. The dog turned to him and woofed, then trotted toward one of the benches, his nose tracing scents along the floor.

“Something is wrong.” Nuar dropped the cushion and blanket he’d been carrying on the floor in a pile. Ed came over and settled down on them, flopping over to sleep.

“If you’ve lost your wristbands, I’d say so,” Kral said.

Dorn shrugged. “Only a Cygnian would know how to use them.”

The rest of the prism was already in the room. Rom and Bron stood across from them and even Tarn had come up from the engine room.

“I didn’t lose my wristbands,” Nuar said. “I gave them to Lian.”

“That’s great,” Rom said, a smile lighting his face. “She accepted you.”

“Not…exactly.” Nuar shook his head. “We’ve bonded, but there was a problem.”

“I told you we wouldn’t find our soulmates on Earth,” Lar said.

“No, the connection is there,” Nuar insisted. “I can feel it. But Lian didn’t understand that mating would activate our soulmate bond. She didn’t react well when she found out.”

“Why not?” Kral asked.

“She isn’t sure she wants the link.” Nuar’s hearts felt heavy as he spoke the words.

“If it’s a true soulmate bond, it will be there whether she wants it or not,” Tarn said.

Kral shook his head. “This could complicate our future relations with Earth.”

“I’m not concerned about that.” Nuar started pacing the room, his claws extending. He wanted to throw something.

“Then what is agitating you?” Kral asked.

“I don’t know.” Nuar ran his hands through his hair. “I feel as though I’m crawling out of my skin and that there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Lian will come around,” Rom said. “I can give you some tips to help win her over.”

“Rom has proven popular with the locals already.” Tarn grinned.

“It’s not that.” Nuar didn’t know how to describe the emotion rising within him. He’d never felt anything like it before. He pressed both hands to the sides of his chest over his hearts, feeling their strong, unified beat.

His hearts were beating fast, but they were still synchronized. Did that mean they were following Lian’s heartbeat? But if so, why was her heart racing?

“I think…I’m terrified,” Nuar said.

The warriors exchanged glances, each of them standing straighter. They had entered battle together time and again, and yet Nuar had never felt more afraid.

Kral approached and rested both hands on Nuar’s shoulders.

“You will not lose her,” Kral said. “I promise you that.”

“But I’m going to,” Nuar said. “I think I already have.”

“Nuar—” Kral began.

Nuar shoved him away, hard enough that Kral flew across the room and hit the wall. He bounced off and landed in a crouch, ready to receive an attack.

But he wasn’t the one who Nuar needed to fight. There was someone else. Nuar wasn’t sure who or even where they were.

“I need wristbands,” Nuar said. “Quickly.”

Kral rose and nodded to Dorn. Dorn pressed a control on the wall, opening a storage locker. He pulled out a set of wristbands and tossed them to Nuar.

As soon as Nuar plucked them from the air, he slid them on and activated them, striking them together and humming a note to bring up the ship’s computer interface. An image of Harbor appeared before them—a perfect, scaled-down replica of the town and surrounding area.

Nuar rotated his hands, changing the angle of the hologram and zooming in on a large wooded area. Strange constructs were spread throughout the space, most of it a mix of metal and brightly-colored plastics.

“What is that place?” Tarn asked.

“It’s a playground,” Lar said. “Vay took us there during the tour you skipped.”

Tarn shrugged. “I don’t like being away from the ship.”

Why would Lian have gone there? Nuar was certain that she had. He scanned the area, but there weren’t any Earthlings in the vicinity.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting his awareness expand. He opened his eyes and pointed.

“There,” he said. “Lian is there.”

Lar stepped forward and took control of the hologram, enlarging the building Nuar had pointed toward. It was a small living domicile on the edge of town near the playground.

“This is a private quarters,” Lar said. “A house. Lian is probably visiting a friend.”

Nuar shook his head sharply. “No, she’s afraid. I can feel it. She’s there. Wait…”

He pointed toward the house, and then his arm rose. He reached out as if he could pluck her out of the air, but nothing was there. Not even in the hologram.

Lar activated their scanners, imposing grid lines and sensor readings over the images. “There’s nothing.”

“I’m telling you, I feel her moving,” Nuar said. “And she’s terrified.”

“Rom,” Kral said.

Rom nodded, then ran down the corridor toward the pilot’s chamber. Kral turned to Bron, who slammed a fist against the wall.

Light cascaded out from the impact, activating the room’s full combat array. Dorn took up his position next to the weapons station. Tarn was already gone, no doubt heading to engineering.

The hologram zoomed out, showing the entire town again, complete with their ship flying out of its hangar. The subterranean defense grid lit up, along with the power supply lines and water pipes.

“Do you think the Vegans know we can see this much of their infrastructure?” Lar asked.

“I don’t care,” Kral said. “Show me everything.”

Lar nodded, furthering the scan.

Life forms were illuminated everywhere—green for Vegans, yellow for Earthlings, bright blue for Lyrians, and orange for Antareans.

“Which of these are Sadirians?” Lar asked.

“Yellow,” Bron said. “Their bioscans are so similar to Earthlings, we can’t differentiate between them.”

“I don’t like that at all,” Kral said.

“I’m working on it,” Bron said.

“She’s leaving the planetary atmosphere.” Nuar’s eyes were fixed on what appeared as nothing more than empty space, yet he was certain Lian was there. He just couldn’t tell the exact location.

“And so are we,” Bron said.

The images of Harbor fell behind as a star field and planets filled the holodisplay instead. Nuar kept pointing, following where he sensed Lian’s movements.

“Anything more you can give me?” Rom’s voice sounded over the comm. “I have my navigation feeds hooked into your interaction with the scans, but I’d like to get out in front of this.”

“I’m doing what I can,” Nuar said.

Lar angled his head. “Kral, we’re being hailed by the Reckoning.”

“Ignore it.” Kral’s focus was intent on the holodisplay.

Lar persisted. “They’re asking if we need assistance.”

“Cygnians do not require assistance,” Bron said.

Nuar felt his hearts beating, his breath catching in his chest. If it meant saving Lian, he would do anything.

“Kral,” Nuar said, a pleading tone to his voice unlike anything he’d ever uttered.

Kral met his gaze through the transparent display between them, then shook his head. “Until we know more, we do this on our own.”