A Wider Sky Ch. 09

I tried not to think too much about Gaelen's strange behavior after he touched me. My imagination was notorious for going wild already. With a fine expert finesse, I mastered the fine art of jumping to conclusions due to living in colony. Because whatever something happened, we'd all think of the worst scenario that could happen; and when aliens were involved everyone in the colony knew even the most far fetch horrible outcome would most likely happen. So, collectively when things went wrong it became a sadistic game of guessing what horror would ensue. Also not having options for anything in life, meant that dreaming was our only escape. Matthais and I did this often growing up. We would sneak up to the tops of the factories and look over the city. While laying on the black tar roof, we escaped together into our imaginations where the world pre-Eclipse or post-Eclipse didn't exist. I was easy to just dream of a better world.

I must have been daydreaming because Lance came up to me making me literally jump out of my skin.

"Hey there?" He beamed with a bright smile like the sun and plopped down next to me, already setting my books that sat on my lap aside. He wanted my attention.

I was already known in my program as the bookworm and as Gaelen often called me Bookmouse, others had started to adopt the pet name because I was so standoffish and always studying which I thought was the purpose for going to college, apparently not as much as socializing in the alien world.

"How are you doing Lance?"

He sat back on his hands, "Phew, I am so glad that test is over. Why would he give us such a hard test this close to the festival, its as if he wants us to focus."

"I suppose that is a mark of a good professor."

"Yeah, Professor Windsor, the big league in campus academia has no qualms about making college the most nose to the grindstone experience a student can have." I only smiled, not know how to respond. "So how did you do?"

I blushed and just shock my head, "That well huh? Your modesty is very adorable, Kiowa."

Lance leaned in towards me and then reached up to push my long braids over my shoulder. He smelt like spice. But then he sighed and leaned away from me.

I just pawed at my skirt in silence as we watched the students on the quad toss frisbees or gossip with each other sitting close surrounded by a campfire like pile of bookbags, notebook and books.

"i just wanted to say that I like dancing with you on Saturday," I said.

"Then we should do it again." Again, Lance smiled and leaned closer to me after his shoulders settled in a perfect square. "Do you have a date to the festivities?"

The festivities.

The word itself became an echo in my mind so many times it became a lump in my throat. I mumbled incoherently even to myself but then everyone on the quad stopped their personal activities with a collective gasp, the frisbee hung in mid-air, spinning like a ufo, the pile of books, notebooks and backpack floated into the air also hovering, anything that wasn't nailed down or alien (me included), was hovering in the air with a loud resonate boom. Gaelen stormed across the quad towards me, as he passed the flying objects fell to the ground.

Was he doing this?

"Hey what they heck man?!" A frisbee guy yelled at Gaelen.

Yes he was forcing everyones entertainment the a halt - literally

He stopped in front of me, green eyes blazing like an unearthy couldron of mad magic. I gulped. This was another new side to Gaelen. I was discovering more about him in a short 24 hours that I had ever learned about anyone else in my life.

"Hey Gaelen, what's up," I squeaked.

"I flunked his fucking test!" He eyes were a tempest.

"Hey you win some, you lose some," Lance shrugged. "No need to go alien warlord on the quad man."

Alien warlord? Wow, I didn't realize that everyone knew that Gaelen came from a military family.

"Can I talk to you?" Gaelen hissed and then narrowed his eyes at Lance. "Alone."

"Um?" I mumbled unsure what this was leading to.

"She doesn't have to go anywhere with you." Lance stood up chest to chest to Gaelen.

"You." Gaelen's voice sizzled. I was surprised Lance didnt inch back from Gaelen. Some kind of masculine silent exchange was happening that I've only witness happen over the popular girls in the colony. "I told you Saladin this afternoon. Back off." Lance only stood taller and puffed his chest as much as his lanky body allowed. Gaelen could easily beat up Lance, he was lean but had mostly muscle. "Kiowa, you coming or not?"

"Sure," I stuttered and then scrambled to my feet.

Gaelen had already started leading the way before I could even join his side. I decided leaving my stuff behind with Lance was a sure bet to ensure he check on me to see that I remained in one molecular piece after my chat with Warlord Gaelen Borgias.

Gaelen pulled my arm, pinching it tightly as he led me behind the library which led to the woods.

"Hey, don't get so testy with me! It's not my fault you didn't pass your test," I snapped my arm away from him as soon as we were alone.

He sighed showing the vulnerable Gaelen for a second but then straightened his back into commanding warlord Gaelen. "Professor Windsor pulled me into his office after class. He gave me a long lecture about how I, coming from my family, should be the first one in his class to excel and that he and everyone else on this campus expects a lot more out of me."

"What are you talking about Gaelen. You aren't going to... what rule The Realm one day."

His eyes narrowed on me again and his face turned red as if I insulted him.

"Perhaps I gave you too much credit," His voice was ice.

My stomach dropped to my feet. I couldn't believe the venom he was spewing at me over a stupid test he should have just studied for instead of throwing my socks in the air pretending to juggle.

"I don't know what your problem is but don't take it out on me?"

"Don't play coy with me Kiowa, it's getting really fucking old."

"Coy?! Gaelen, what is your deal? You storm across the quad causing hellfire and then you pull me into the woods away from Lance for what?"

"Lance," his voice slithered with the disdain utterance of my friend's name. " He is always around!"

"He is my friend Gaelen and I don't understand what the big deal is, I am not stocking you and Sebol where ever you go?"

"You keep bringing her up. When have I had time to hang out with her? I am always with you. Pretending to study. Are you that dense Kiowa?!"

Again anger I had never known had bubbled in my belly and made my head spin. "I don't know anything about your soulwriting shit ok? It's up to you, to live your life, with whoever you want to and make it plain to yourself what you want. I don't know anything about your family? My family and your family- whatever - I just didn't involve myself in my parents job gossip. Gaelen I don't know what you want from me, but you better make it crystal clear in the next second or else I don't want to hang out with you anymore."

I knew it was me speaking mostly to Matthais and not to the man that stood before me a shocked that I had chewed his head off.

"No longer a bookmouse?" He cocked eyebrow and a smile started to creep across his face.

"I never was." I exhaled.

"I am sorry Kiowa. I took it out on you because you are my best friend and instead of just talking to you, I charged at you like a bull seeing red." He came so close to me in that moment, I could feel his breath on my brow, so sweet and minty. He towered over me like a tall alien handsome god. "How did you do?"

"I passed," I dont' know why whispered maybe because he was so close and I didn't trust my voice to not shake.

"How well did you do?" He fingered my braid between his fingers, not looking at me, but I could tell he was troubled by something very deep. I couldnt' pinpoint it but I think he was worried about me.

"Gaelen?"

"He knows, Kiowa. He knows about me?"

"Who? And what does he know?"

"He knows about us?" My eyes searched his green sparkled irises but he still looked away, studying my braids. What does he mean us? What is us, anyway? "He knows that I am a defect."

"I not sure I have a defect Gaelen. And if you are a defect. I don't care about it. It doesn't change who you are at all."

Gaelen's body stiffened and finally his eyes caught mine and it was a storm of emotions that rolled on the glassy green seas. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. He tried to smile but like a rubber band it pulled back quickly into a straight line.

"Kiowa, I don't know what I am feeling about you? There is something different about you?"

"Gaelen-"

"That is the most generous thing someone has ever said to me." He was dead serious.

"What did Professor Windsor say about you being a defect?"

He sighed and his hand tempted to drift again to my arm but I moved away afraid he would sense something defective about me and this time realize that I was human.

"He said I most likely wont have a chance at passing his course or any course. I am not stupid Kiowa but these..." he was searching for a swear, a curse, a derogatory term he landed on, "these aliens, they think that being a defect means that you are completely useless in everything in life. But its not true Kiowa, we aren't useless, we aren't like the humans."

"Gaelen," I was afraid to ask but curiosity was bursting out. "I was never told I have a defect. What is it? What does it mean?"

"It means you have something in you that is more earthling. It happens to only a few of us on since the occupation of this planet. We are weak like the humans."

That cant be too bad, do i dared to speak that thought aloud. He pressed my hand to his heart and I jumped feeling his warm hand rest upon my bosom. My heart leap like a gazelle no one had ever touch me there -my thought lost. He closed his eyes and I scanned the forest quickly nervous of being caught in this compromising position.

Then I felt it, it was an odd tingling on my hand as if his heart was pressing into my hand, I could feel it pulse against my palms, warm, eager, willing, a open heart - like feeling the beat of his soul. "I feel it!" I said excitedly and the sly smile i loved so much uncurled from the frown.

"Shhh," he chuckled with a heavy earthy sound that made butterflies race through my belly. "I hear yours as well. It is so fast. Do I frighten you little mouse?"

"No," I said and I steady my heartbeat trying to get it to calm to his confident thump. I imagined my heart synching up to his, I repeated its rhythm in my head. Thump Thump Thu-thump. Thump Thump -Thu-Thump. And then it stopped. I felt everything within him tense and squeeze as it fought against whatever that second of no heartbeat and then it started again. Thump-Thump-Thump, thump, thump thu-thump. Thump Thump Thu-Thump.

I dropped my hand and starred at him, realizing he was a defect. He had a defective heart and the concern in his eyes meant it was more than a small heart murmur. He was worried what I would think. Oh my precious emerald eye confident alien boy. I couldn't help but wrap my arms up around his neck and pull him to me.

"Gaelen," I whispered and hugged him tightly to me. he pressed his finger to my lips and kissed me. he wanted to be lost in my kiss, it was a hungry kiss and more passionate than even Lance's last weekend. This kiss was about truth that he held so dearly. His words rang loud in my mind.

"Don't lie to me, Kiowa,ever. I couldn't bare it," His hands snuck under my shirt and he pulled me closer to him as he walked me closer to the a large tree.

I panted as soon as he sandwiched me between himself and the old dropping pink blossom tree. I matched his kiss and blazingly trailed my lips to his ear. This was the most passionate make-out session I've ever had. I felt like I was floating on a cloud yet still very grounded.

Gaelen dipped his fingers into the collar of my sweater and peeled it aside.

"You are so beautiful. I want to kiss every inch of you and savor you." He kissed my collarbone. '

Oh God, once his lips touched my skin my belly erupted with trembling beautiful butterflies, I was shaking with anticipation and sunk to the ground with him still entangled in his arms.

He took a deep breath and kissed my hand. "You are special, Gaelen," I whispered. "I want..."

"I want to hear you squeak," he chuckled and pulled his body on top of me startling me so that I did indeed squeak. "My little mouse." He said looking down on me adoringly and then kissed me hard. His body settled closer into mine. I could feel his hardness against my hips, I wanted more. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he looked down surprised by my brazen move and simply stroked the my legs.

"Give me your hand, Kiowa." I placed my hand in his. He kissed the heal of my palm and then sat up, next to me. My hand still in his.

"What we're done."

"Far from done, Mouse. I just... I want our first time to be special."

He pressed my hand and his to the trunk of the tree. I felt his energy surge through my hand as he pressed his hand on my to the tree. When he removed it, our initials were engraved into the tree with our handprints. GB + KW.

I couldn't help but grin and he grinned even larger, his mischievous dimples made him adorable. I was falling for this man again.

He gave a satisfied deep sigh and then leaned against the trunk bringing me into his lap. I sat in his arms in silence. And for the first time, I wasn't nervous and trying to fill the silence with conversation, I was content with just being in his company with just his warm embrace doing the talking.

"This is why I am not at Yale, This is why I am a big disappointment. The future king of the realm and I am a defect. Everyone will soon find out and I will be mocked. How can i control the realm and the colonys as a defect. I bring shame to my family and our Y'vroi legacy."

I gulped.

King?

I didn't even know they had royalty.

Oh God.

They just seemed like oligarchical assholes that ruled with dictatorship over our planet. I thought Lance had the power to change things for us. But now...

Oh God.

King.

I felt the pit in my stomach roll like a black hole. I had to be sweating and making a fool of myself. It then hit me, my crush - truly had the hand that could deliver life or death to humanity.

"I wont let Windsor find out you are a defect. Having one defect on campus is enough, two - too many. Plus a human who apparently showed us all up." I felt is fist clench behind my back.

"Being a defect means nothing Gaelen. You can still be a great leader. I know you can. Something in my heart says you will be."

"I rather my brother rule than me."

"But your brother is not chosen to rule," totally taking a guess at that. "You are. So stand up. Be a good leader."

"Professor Windsor said one thing that was positive I suppose. He said that the human being on campus is a good thing. He wants me to find out who he is. He said the human was allowed on campus to test me as king."

Air flew out of my body like I was hit by a truck, knocking the wind out of me, my world rocked hard and the trees spun around me quickly from green to grey to white to black.

***************

To My Dear Readers (and Gaelen's little Book Mice),

This was a hard chapter and I am sorry for the delay. I had a hole a few chapters ahead that I found it editing that changed some of the things in this chapter. So the next chapters will come quite quickly being that they are done already. I will post twice this week to make up for time. I'll have some specific questions for you when those chapters posts.

So, what do you think of the characters so far?

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis