Selena
Kicking my feet as they dangled from the ledge’s edge, I stared at the people playing in the pond below in wonder. Giggles and cheers erupted from those watching along the sidelines as two scaled aliens wrestled in the water. Their bodies were sleek and dark, making me wonder if they lived in deep waters.
After being abducted, tortured, and abused, somehow, they had been able to find joy as they tried to rebuild and survive the recent raid.
The Swynemi floating around the lifedome fascinated me. Surprisingly, I found no other sapphire-colored Swynemi among the sea of emerald, though there were a few onyx, pearl, and a handful of amethyst-colored aliens.
Cosmic Souls had to be rare or sequestered away in this species. If Celyze was powerful enough to scry my memories and reach for Kaede, and Xenak could invade the dreamdome and shove my mind into a construct from an immense distance, then I shuddered to think what others were capable of.
I wasn’t willing to stay and find out. The sooner I could get away from here, the better.
“You are safe with me, Selena,”Vowels’ voice felt like a warm blanket wrapped around me to protect me from the world.“I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not anymore.”
“Hey, Vowels.”
“Yes, Selena?”
“What do you think about Xenak’s brother? Is this a trap? Do you think he is capable of evil, like Xenak?”
“I’m unsure, but if I am capable of blocking Xenak, then I should be able to do the same to his brother. What worries me is that he’s been unconscious for so long. The longer someone is unresponsive, the harder it can be to wake them. There must be a reason why he doesn’t want to wake.”
“What if something is preventing him from waking up?”
“If you want, I can investigate. It should be easy once you’re in the same room.”
“As long as I don’t lose you and we both survive, I’m fine with you trying.”
“Understood…”He paused, leaving our connection open.“Tori approaches.”
“Thank you.”
“Why are you here?” the blonde human asked, sitting shoulder to shoulder beside me and kicking her legs with mine. “I was worried when you disappeared after breakfast.”
“I came out here to think and watch the base,” I replied, jerking my head toward the crowd playing in the pond. “Everyone seems carefree around here.”
“It wasn’t always like this. The base has finally settled down after relocating and now, we’re beginning to look for ways to replenish our resources. If we don’t make any connections to trustworthy outside sources, we will have to revert to pirating the pirates.” She shrugged. “It’s dirty work, but someone has to correct the wrongs in the universe. Might as well steal what we need while we’re at it.”
“Pirating the pirates… So, you are corsairs?” I smirked, thinking about the Fab Five and their missions. There was a reason why they were respected by the CEG and mercenaries like Q, who would help when needed. “How many ships are in your fleet?”
“An embarrassing five.” She frowned. “Sadly, my clan hasn’t been able to acquire a ship to pilot. They’ve been working as crew members for others in the fleet.”
“How was Auro planning to offer me a ride off this asteroid if he doesn’t own a ship?”
“By borrowing one,” Tori muttered, crossing her ankles. “One of the pilots owes Auro a favor for repairs. We won’t be sent on any missions anytime soon, so we might as well use his ship for a good cause.” She grabbed my arm, locking her gaze with mine. “Do you really believe that you can get us off this base? That your Kaede will allow you to bring us along?”
“I am going to try my hardest to convince him. Personally, I don’t see why not, but he’s overprotective of me.” I tilted my head, unable to read her expression. “Why do you ask?”
“My mates…” She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she frowned. “Well, to be honest, it involves all the Swynemi. They thrive by absorbing energy from a star’s rays. Living in this rock provides no easy access to the energy they need, and they have little freedom to fly. While this base is perfect for a temporary stop, it’s no place for the Swynemi to reside permanently. Besides, we have aquatic species here who need to soak in water for long periods and can’t soak as long as they like here. It gets difficult to think positively when the universe keeps throwing obstacles in our way.”
“That’s how I feel,” I breathed, my last memories with my loved ones on Destima resurfacing. “I had a terrible life until I was rescued and given the opportunity to thrive. Just when I thought I could calm down and spend time with my clan, I was kidnapped. When will it be enough?”
“When the Stars decide it is.” She jerked her head toward the far wall. Following her gaze, I saw a familiar crimson naga slithering across the lifedome’s grassy field. “It seems Zyxel is here to collect you.”
“Collect me?”
“Yes. He paged Auro before I came out here and asked if we knew where you were. When I told him that you’re staying with us while on the base, he got verbally upset.” She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and shot me a smile. “He started on some tirade about how you’re his patient and it’s unsafe for you to be so far from the infirmary. When Celyze stated he was fully capable of taking care of you and that you wanted to stay the night, he just got angrier. He didn’t stop complaining until I told him that you offered to see the commander. He said he was on his way to get you before ending the call.”
“Why is he so angry?”
