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A Wider Sky Ch. 01

By: TalyisBagley



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To My Dear Readers,

I have been working on a few different projects over the years taking a break from Tabor and Shy. While this book has already been draft-published, I am posting solely to re-work it based on readers experience and I would love your feedback. I am excited about this foray of one of three books (two stories) I've been working on in a new genre for me: New Adult. BEYOND ECLIPSE has a angst-driven build, hopefully a super hot one, that you will enjoy about a girl and an alien boy. Remember the film "Heathers" and the lunchtime poll: aliens are secretly planning to destroy the world in three days, what do you do? And with that I begin this new adventure with you. 

Thank you for reading. 

Cheers and Happy Reading, 

~Talyis.

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A WIDER SKY: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

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THE PROLOGUE OF MEN

....Before Eclipse

"Your silence will not keep you safe." --Audra Lorde, 1984 A.D.

"The future is already here. It just isn't very evenly distributed." --William Gibson, 1993, A.D.

A society is only as healthy as its ideas are humane." --Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., 1973 A.D.

Eclipse

.... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....

Beyond Eclipse...

"You never know what your place is in the world until you are on the precipice of the past and the future and the present melts away like ice under the scalding sun." --Kiowa Walker, Beyond Eclipse

Chapter 1 

Only a few cars are left in the world and this one felt like my forehead was grinding against a pumice stone. If it honked one more time I was going to.... 

I exhaled, closing my eyes to gather my nerves. The horn was benign compared to what I was really faced and that was death. 

In this new world this car -- the sole car I've ever know -- continued to obnoxiously blast, only served to remind me why so few remained. Cars gobbled up so much natural resource just to power them and only certain people in the world had cars. Those people were the governors of the colonies. They would kind of be like presidents if we could only vote for them but they were put into power by the Y'vroi. We survivors have become like tiny landlocked countries of little Puerto Ricos. We had no power with a majority-appointed leader in charge of us all. 

The governor's main responsibility was to keep us separate from Them and to report to Them if any of us had gotten any stupid ideas of uprising. In turn, the governors were allowed to plan for us and give us any semblance of the former world, which was more like what it might have been in the fourteenth century.

Our colony governor, Pion, is a skinny scraggly middle-aged guy who really didn't have much importance in the former world - before Eclipse. Maybe he was an accountant or a copy editor; and maybe that is why They chose him to be the governor. He could lead pacifistic cows to pasture. 

Pion always seemed really nervous. His knuckles were probably blanched as he drove down the vacant, litter ridden streets of our colony. When curfew wasn't in effect, people milled around pushing carts, like homeless people in New York City, not clean and a bit disheveled at all times. Our colony also was a ramshackle of old buildings and crumbling infrastructure. We're only allowed electricity for a short period of three hours everyday which didn't allow for much time for surfing the internet, watching TV or even taking a hot shower -- it wasn't like those things even existed in the typical household. We lived with practically nothing for entertainment, just our stories of life before and hopes for the future. But even those simplicities where not enough to warm a freezing soul in destitution. Many times, They would not even provide basic electricity to us. 

In the cold dark of our colony, I imagine Them saying to each other once in a while, "Oh yeah, humans, they live here too? Actually, this was their home and I'm sorry I forgot to flip the switch to lights up the colonies today. Oh yeah, I forgot to turn the grid on yesterday too. Oh well, the humans will be fine." 

Yet, we aren't. We have to work and pay for our resources, and we are barely able to live let alone develop anything for ourselves to make our lives better -- that would only bring us to our knees before Them for execution. 

"This is a big deal. Y'vroi allowing you to enter their realm, let alone go to one of their colleges. We don't even have colleges. You have to do a good job, and whatever you do, don't let them think you are going to lead a revolt. Please don't." Pion's voice shook as much as the old creaky Oldsmobile rattled down on our uneven streets.

I didn't respond. I was too busy watching my life whip past me through the dusty brown window as I silently said goodbye.

"I have seen what happens to us when we tried to fight back. There is no winning. Ok?" He quivered and a shiver ran down my back.

"Yes, sir," I whispered. We were reaching the last block of the colony to the enclosing barbed wire gates manned by humans with machine guns.

I had no interest in revolting. My only interest was to just go to school --and try to survive. I remember the stories my mom told me about integration growing up. I know she meant to tell me these before Eclipse history stories as a way to build courage. However, I remember the stories about the children being hunted down after school, tortured and hung from trees, too, just because they went to a white school.

"You will come home during their holiday season --Festivities."

The gates swung open to a vast desert land that looked like a sea of rusty brown marble. I perked up seeing beyond the gates for the first time in my life. "Festivities? You mean Christmas?"

"No," Pion's grip tightened around the steering wheel. "The Festivities is their celebration week during the anniversary of Eclipse." He glanced over at me, seeing my perplexed knitted eyebrows and his jaw tightened. "The day of the human race lost dominion of the Earth."

"Oh." I slumped deeper in my seat. That didn't sound good at all. My imagination ran wild already with images of humans being hunted and vaporized by their engineered weapons. Bonfires, while They, the Y'vori, dressed up like humans mocking our existence and our current plight. 

"We are almost at the border." He sighed and glanced over at me again as if it were going to be the last time he would see me.

I had only met our governor a few days before graduation. I had excelled in high school and was allowed to complete A Levels. Which was very rare because most humans were not allowed to take A levels instead of going straight to work assignment training. I finished my A Levels without any pomp or circumstance, literally it was not allowed, and then entered my required work assignment training program. 

Even if you were smart and completed A Levels, humans did not go to university or extended study programs. It was just the end of the road for a human's cultivation of knowledge. Regardless of passing our exams, we are still required to live out the rest of our lives doing our assigned work path which wasn't anything that would require an A Level intelligence. I was to be a seamstress for the colony like my mother and when I had finished my training program I was introduced to Pion. 

Apparently I had excelled on a special test that the Y'vroi had required all humans to take in their final Levels year. It was the first time a human had passed the test twice, and they wanted me to enter their realm. We were unsure why. We all knew there had to be an ulterior motive. Perhaps, I was too smart and I would lead a revolution and the Y'vori were really planning on extinguishing me in the guise of an injunctive invitation to enter their realm. But who are we to question anything that They mandate. If They wanted me to enter their realm, that meant I was to be there prompt and obedient.

My mom had been three steps ahead and demanded, I repeat, bravely demanded, that They disclose why they really wanted me to enter the realm. I really had to admire my mother. Through Pion's messages, They told her that they want to see how far I could excel, if I could keep up with my alien peers. They wanted to study how the new world generation of aliens and humans would interact. It was as if they read my mother's mind or knew she had a passion for Civil Rights History and just told her what would sound acceptable to her for allowing her daughter to enter enemy territory. 

She believed they were just humoring her, and they really planned on killing me, until we started getting packets of information and forms that we had to promptly and obediently turn in. They wanted everything from a description of everything my mother and father did before Eclipse, to what my interests were, what kind of baby I was: a crying type, or a quiet type. They had me retake the test, at the governor's office and I suspected it was the first time that I was in the same building as one of Them, but I couldn't see them behind a two way glass window.

Most of us have never seen what an alien actually looked like, and the stories of their takeover always made me paint them as scary beings that killed my father and my mother's family and friends.

"What do they look like?" I nervously asked Pion.

"Like humans, but they are far from human." Pion seemed to tremble as if recalling what they looked like in his memory.

I gathered rather quickly from our first meeting that he did not like to deal with the Y'vori. Occupational Hazard, I suppose. 

"We are here," Pion announced with relief

I sat up in the chair and realized that he had driven me to a stark landscape of nothingness. It was bleak, not like a desert or a plain. It was flat rock or stone-shelled ground, smooth and glassy-looking. For as far as the eye could see, I saw nothing, just the grey-blue dusty horizon in all directions. 

"This is where they leveled the area, nothing will ever grow here again. You will need to walk that way--straight--until you get to the border. This is as far as I am allowed to go."

Allowed to go? I arched an eyebrow, this whole time the colony assumed that the governors often met in Their realm, sat cozy with Them for these meetings and state dinners, apparently not. We humans were kept on a very short leash with a strong, taut choker collar -- all of us.

Pion helped me gather my duffle out of the truck of the falling-apart Oldsmobile, and then he just stood in front of me for awhile, not exchanging words just a sympathetic smile in attempts to hide the worry behind his eyes. It seemed like his smile wanted to convey that he was like the neighbor who playfully punched you on the shoulder, encouraging you to "go get 'em champ," but this wasn't that kind of a journey. This was scary, one small step for man a possible leap backwards or forwards for mankind.

"See you in a few weeks." Pion said and then punched me on the shoulder. I pained a smile and then hopped to readjust the weight the large bag pushed onto my body. I simply started walking towards the abyss--'pointed that way'.

I started walking, having nothing the but sun beating down on me and an endless landscape of the strange marble-like ground. I couldn't help but think about my last hours in the colony and my mother this morning.

Early this morning, my mom was at her breaking point as she fluttered around the small area that was our living room. All I could do was sink deeper into our couch rub my forehead not out of frustration, but more out of nervousness.

My mother was able to completely canvas the entire room in three strides. Our minuscule apartment, which I had lived in my entire life, could be toured in six more strides. My mom mumbled to herself, her hair floated around her like a beautiful halo of chaos as she threw any knick-knacks she could find in our home into my duffle bag. 

It was an old army bag, the dark green fatigues no longer recognized and respected in this area of town, let alone the world. It was my father's military bag but I had never seen him carry it himself. I had never met my father and what I had of him remains in a single picture taped on the wall above the bed that I share with my mother. It was a sad photo unlike the other photos my mom had salvaged from the old world that she knew. It was a computer print out, the paper faded with time and it was not as brilliant in color as actual photographs on photo paper. But it was my father and it was all that I had left of the closest man I never met. 

My mom always said that it's important to cherish the simple things in life because you never know when you are going to lose everything. She talked about how in her world, it was about getting the latest Apple phone, a cellphone with a touchscreen. The latest tablet or the best gadget that would make the other gadgets, phones and tablets obsolete within the same year. She reveled on how everyone saved everything about their lives on The Cloud. Then she would knit her eyebrows together wishing she had taken simple photographs and often would paw a small photo album she had salvage from my grandmother's home before the evacuations. The photos were the only family I had. These photo albums filled with precious pictures of my mother and her brothers growing up became a visual story illustrated with the reminiscences of my mother's.

During Eclipse, The Cloud and social networks were the first to go down, it was how They were able to find everyone. All the pictures of outings, birthday parties, weddings, picnics were gone with the journals that narrated them in the form of social updates and hashtags. The culture of the world overnight disappeared. The pictures of my mother's pregnancy with me, her baby shower with her friends that she dearly missed vanished like they would soon vanish from her life. She was pregnant with me when the world changed, and They showed their true nature. My father was sent to defend, what we first thought was an isolated attack in Virginia at the Pentagon. They had been among us for decades, and their attack blindsided us because it wasn't just the Pentagon. In 24 hours it was The Hague, British Parliament, Tokyo, Nairobi, even North Korea lite up to reach out to the world for a brief 30 seconds before it went completely dark. And with the darkness that covered the planet, a once vibrant world, my dad's life snuffed out like a candle. He missed my birth, missed teaching me how to ride a bike or teasing me about my first crush. 

The world was dark for awhile and then it lit up again but not for everyone, only for Them, the Y'vroi.

"Baby, I am sorry I don't have anymore jackets for you. Will you be warm?"

"Yes, Mom, I'll be fine. You know me, I am always running hot anyways. I will be fine," I answered as I watched her fly around the room more.

"They like to keep it cold, Baby. More so than before," She opened a small trunk that had doubled as a coffee table, dining room table and my desk for homework-time for the last 20 years. "I might.... yes..." she mumbled more to herself and then pulled out the colorful afghan her mother knitted and would only bring out once in awhile when she really missed her family. "Here Sweetheart, this should keep you warm."

"No, Mom, that's yours; it should stay with you. I have the blankets you made me." 

I loved my mom's afghans, I already predicted that I would be pulling it tight around me very soon when I missed her. I pulled my legs to my chest and tucked my chin to my knee urging myself to keep it together. This was definitely hard on both of us, finally my mom stopped moving around and sighed.

"You know when I went off to college, I had a whole car packed of brand new things, matching kitchenware, bedclothes, a whole new wardrobe, even stupid college dorm decorations," she sighed again and then rummaged through the chest again and pulled out a tangled web of our Christmas lights. She smiled and her eyes brightened up for the first time the entire week. With a sideways smirk she handed it to me and I couldn't help but smile. "You know this is not important; the material things right?"

"Yes Mom. Really, I'm fine. I don't need to have college decorations or anything," I started pulling out the keepsakes that she had salvaged from her previous world out of the bag. They were important things in today's world but insignificant items that happened to be in her emergency go bag during the evacuation. Stuffed in the pockets of the bag were the items she quickly grabbed in her last few minutes before Eclipse: the refrigerator magnet from her honeymoon in Belize with Dad, Dad's expired Video Store Card with his signature on the back that was in her wallet. The only post-Eclipse item in the bag was an un-open bottle of Australian Shiraz wine from Trader Joe's that my mom found in the first refugee camp on my 5th birthday. She believed it was the last bottle of wine to ever exist in the world and would be worth something someday. I pulled out the last item and glanced at my mom, nervously knotting her fingers together while intently watching what I decided to keep and take. Her college graduation cap with puffy paint writing on the top so her parents could find her in the sea of robes. I reconsidered it and decided I should keep it as a reminder to strive to be the best. I smiled again, proud that I was able to make my mom's eyes light up a second time in the short time I had remaining with her. 

My mom wrapped her arms around me pulling me abruptly off of the couch into a tight momma bear hug. "Honey, I am so proud of you. You are going to be great. You are going to be amazing."

"Mom..." my mind was already thinking about how hard it was going to be to leave and go to school. I was going to not only have very hard competitors in my classes, but I was most likely going to be a social pariah, and everyone would do as much as they could to see that I fail. 

"I dont want to hear it. You show Them that you are just as important. That we are worth something. That you are worth more than the salt of the planet that they destroyed."

I sucked in air and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to think about the Y'vroi too much, but that is all I could think about. I was terrified of the aliens.

"Remember those stories about the kids that had to be brave and go to those school in the south during integration. You have to be brave, strong like them."

"I know Momma, I will try to be strong and brave. I can blend in. I can hide. They couldn't..."

My mom shook her head. I already knew she didn't like that idea. She didn't want me to expose my talents to Them or to anyone. "It's too risky." I opened my mouth to object but she raised a warning eyebrow. "Hey, maybe there are some progressive kids at this school who are not against us humans. Maybe they will be like the white Freedom Riders.

My mom loved to teach me about the Civil Rights Movement, she was hoping that one day we would all rise up and take back our land and our lives. The difference is that blacks and white were humans, the hatred of that time was truly disgusting and that did not eclipse what we all were experiencing now as a human race.

"Above everything else, Baby, know that you earned this. You are smart. And it's not just your talents that have gotten you this far; it is solely you and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Make me proud. I love you my darling." My mom kissed me over and over again and I tried everything in my being to not cry.

I took a deep breath and pulled my father's duffle bag strap over my shoulder. My body lopped to one side as I rested my weight on my right side. I shook my long curly braids out my ponytail more out of habit to make a physical gesture of a decision made. And that decision was to walk into the den of wolves and try to find a life for myself in a world I have only known. But through my mother's dogged lessons, I also knew of a world that could have been.


A Wider Sky Ch. 01



A car horn beep outside our apartment building, which only meant one thing. It was really time to go. 

My mom's lips trembled as she looked at me one last time and I at her. The corners of my eyes burned and I let the bag drop loudly with a thump to the floor and hugged her with every once of my heart.

Again the car horn blasted long and impatient and I hugged her tighter to say goodbye -- possibly forever. 

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Thank you in advance for voting and for feedback. I am self-editing so I know it probably has copyediting mistakes. But feedback outside on the story is wonderful (beyond editing mistakes). I am updating previously posted chapters of this story with plot and pacing adjustments.

I have one specific request on feedback. Originally the story started with the scene of Kiowa and her mother packing and the current opening of Kiowa traveling to the realm with Pion was the second chapter. In terms of pacing what are your thoughts regarding what you read just now and/or starting with the scene of the mother "pacing in her hair in a halo of chaos."

Cheers Lovelies!

~Talyis



A Wider Sky Ch. 02



 A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 2

My mouth was filled with cotton from the arid air. My eyes burned from the harsh sunlight that bounced brightly off the unnatural sleek earth. Even though there was nothing as far as my eyes could see in front of me and behind be and to my right and left I felt trapped and repeatedly attempted to swallow but my parched tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I must have been walking for almost two hours towards an endless horizon. All I can see was flat, unnatural stone ground so smooth like gold. My eyes were blurry as the heat pelted me with its sizzling rays. I couldn't see anything but blue sky touch the sad ground as if mother earth, nature, were weeping at its own destruction. Vaporization or whatever unnatural thing that had occurred to create so a vast wasteland.

I finally saw was seemed light flashing lights in the distance that were quickly approaching, then I realized the flashing lights were actually a reflection of the sun bouncing of face visors of what appeared to be a battalion of armed officers charging towards me. 

Maybe my mom was right, they only brought me here to destroy me. I was too smart for my own good. Panic drowned my face with sweat as I ran in a desperate circle. I was miles away from home and there was nothing but endless slab plain with no where to hide.

The officers reached me in a heartbeat, screaming and pointing their weapons-I just coward to the ground into a tight ball ducking me head between my wobbly knees. I really didn't expect to receive a warm welcome, but being charged at with weapons in the middle of a vast emptiness of what was left of the world was far from what I could have guessed.

Their weapons were trained on me. I further prostrated myself, as if to bury my face first into the gold-orange shell of earth, my hands in surrender stretching awkwardly behind me. Two officers yanked my large cumbersome bag from my body and started rummaging through it. My things fell to the ground hard things bouncing off the ground with a metallic sound, others rolled away which revealed what seemed like an endless slant of the earth. Is it possible that the earth was no longer round but all that was left were slanted planes, I thought?

A picture of my mother fell from my bag a small breeze picked it up into the air and started to grow stronger with strength. I had to chase after it, I set out to run after it but a heavy boot landed on my back pushing me back into the ground. I had been brave the entire day, but watch as my mother's picture became weightless and flipped and curled in the air, traveling further and further away from me, that I finally released tears and sobbed.

It may have been the fact that my body wracked with tears caused me not to hear a transportation vehicle or it was the fact that the vehicle was so advance it didn't have a loud combustible engine that gobbled up the world's resources. 

Two officers grabbed my arms to haul me to my feet, I saw in the distance the picture still floating carefree like a dancer in the air. I know I promised my mom that I would keep a low profile and hide my talents but I didn't want to lose what I had left of my mother, either.

I was quick, relieved that I was able to go unnoticed as the picture shot quickly across the plain and plastered itself to my bag, like a punishing gale of wind was pushing it against my bag. I was escorted into the hovering vehicle surrounded by my six captors and my bag which was dropped in the middle of were we stood as the craft took off. 

No one said anything to me, they just stood circling my duffle bag stoically much like I would think caveman did when they first discovered fire. I just reminded myself of my mom's advice to just be as peaceful as possible, don't give them any reason to think I should be an antagonist.

With a large sigh that was as loud as a stone dropping in an empty hallow quarry, one of the officers took off his visor helmet revealing the kind of creatures they were underneath the protective gear. 

I held my breath and willed my eyes to not close tightly when my eyes first came in contact of flesh of the officer as if he was removing the offending helmet in slow motion. First neck, then the top of his head crowned with a sweaty mop of rusty red hair and then a sweaty human looking face. I shook my head slightly baffled how human They looked and I think they all seemed to realize what I had feared because a rondo of chuckles skipped over me and circled around my duffle bag. 

One by one all of the officers removed their helmets revealing sweaty, blotchy with fatigue faces that were not unusual human faces. 

"We are human, Kiowa Walker." The red headed officer said. I crossed my arms protectively across my chest to ease my quivering stomach sparking a lighter of anxiety. I didn't understand why humans were on this side of the realm and why did they attack me as if I were a terrorist.

"What do you know about the war Kiowa Walker?"

I pressed my lips into a tight line knowing better than to tell them what I knew. I knew many versions the school version which I knew was filled with propaganda, my mom's version which was what she knew from what my father had told her and what she suspected the military was hiding before and after my father's death and then there was the version of history that was filled with uneasy truths and possible lies but it was what most in the colonies understood - all humans were exterminated or allowed to live as refugees on their own planet.

"Some humans and Y'vroi are able to happily coexist. It was your kind that revolted against the Y'vroi but perhaps you can join and be one of us."

My mouth dropped in surprise, this is something I had never heard before: humans and Y'vroi living together on this side of the realm. My stomach turned flips, maybe because of surprise but possibly because I had eaten since my mother's meager farewell dinner the night before. 

"How?" was all I could muster.

The officer next to me snapped his teeth with his tongue and his lips curled into a wolfish smile showing off his perfect row of white teeth. He had to have been in his mid forties which meant he was my age when everything had changed. 

"Sweetheart, it's simple. We decided to join not revolt. Are you planning on revolting?" Perfect Teeth said and I shook my head emphatically. 

"Good, then you will be fine." Perfect Teeth leaned back against the wall of the quiet craft and the others followed suit, relaxing their stance. 

I thought it would be the best opportunity to pluck my mother's picture and tuck it into my jean jacket for safe keeping in case I was ambushed again and my duffle rummage through for god knows what signs of revolt. 

"Let me see," Perfect Teeth said in more than a command than a request, his black glove hand reaching out towards me as I crouched down near my bag. I didnt know what to do but comply. "I handed my mother's photo over and he seemed to inspect it for a while, his brilliant blue eyes taking her beauty as if to admire her or to catalogue her as a possible enemy. It made me uneasy. He then simply handed her picture back.

"What did she do before Eclipse."

I stood up and unconsciously brushed my jeans out of nervousness, "She was a lawyer."

Perfect Teeth arched an eyebrow of speculation, "And she revolted?"

"I wasnt born yet."

"I know. Well that is too bad. I am sure you had a hard life. Well, if you are accepted here you will not have to return to the colony ever. You have pulled yourself up from your bootstraps my dear, Kiowa."

I'd hardly call it pulling myself up from my bootstraps, I was lucky to have been born with a high IQ but I wasn't going to tell him that, "May I ask what did you do before Eclipse?"

"I was an investment broker for my father's Fortune 500 Firm."

"Fortune 500?"

He chuckled, "Yes, I guess they don't teach you much about before Eclipse history in the colony ghettos, especially fields such as mine."

"And now you are an officer?" I asked and I saw him stiffen slightly, his eyes seemed to burn into me, I had said the wrong thing. My heart began to pound hard against my ribs nearly bursting them.

Perfect Teeth cracked his neck to the side and chuckled pushing whatever dark thought aside that I had spark. "It was my father's work. I never liked it anyways."

And with that, I decided to keep quiet the rest of the trip. But it was odd that these accepted humans who had lives before were still subjected to work assignment. Something was off. 

*****

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your comments on chapter 1. I love your feedback. Next up what will happen to Kiowa next? Will she actually attend a Y'vori university or are there more nefarious plans for having her leave her home. 

Cheers and Happy Reading,

Talyis 



A Wider Sky Ch. 03



Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 3

I'm strapped in tight that my chest could barely lift to take in air. My eyes drew to horizon transforming from blue to a lush spread of green as the hovercraft descended to travel down the street of a mossy treelined town. It looked so like the life in the pictures in my mother's childhood photo album: more human than the colony and probably more humane.

The neighborhoods palatial not at all like the ghettos of the colony that is a concrete jungles of low-rise apartment buildings that swelled close to the filthy curbs. The quaint single-homes were set back from the streets. The houses coordinated in color from a ranch style light yellow house, small two-story light green home sat next to a whitewashed single family home. All had immaculate front yards of vibrant green grass and all that was missing was a picket fence with a little yipping dog and a baby bouncing around in a rolling walker. The streets were clean, the grey-white cement of the sidewalk looked like no one dared to drop a over-chewed wad of gum or hock a cold lurgey. Everything looked picture perfect but something was off.

As the hovercraft moved through the small suburb towards the small city center yet it was like a picture book of a ghost tow, completely empty. It was odd not seeing a single soul was outside; back home in the colony people always milled around outside moving here and there. When the hoover craft's gravitational pull kicked in; my stomach dropped so hard my knees gave in a bit. The craft landed in front of the only tall building at the edge of the city limit. 

"Yeah, that first time is always doozy," Perfect Teeth remarked and pulled me to him by my arms. The red head officer grabbed my bag, hauling over his shoulder effortlessly without my necessary slant to one side to balance its weight with my own.

Their boots clomped down the ramp and into a tall art deco building that reminded me of the 1960s style buildings in New York my mom had pictures taken of Before Eclipse. An stone arch and a small glass door giving away no secrets to the inside of the building. I followed them inside trying to not get stampeded under their brisk walk. They guided me through the lobby and through the first do to a large room. 

Mirrors again. The room filled with mirrors made my skin crawled all over my body because I suspected that the mirrors were probably two-way mirrors. Two-way mirrors always reminded me of taking the test knowing deadly aliens were on the other side observing. 

The red head dropped my bag on a large table for scrutiny in the middle of the room and I forced to sit across from it on a alien green plastic chair. I sighed and tried not to slump in my chair but they events exhausted me emotionally and physically from my two hour hike to nowhere, or as it was, to where the Y'vori soilders ambushed-- picked me up. 

The rusty haired man which I had assumed was the leader opened my bag and then took my things one by one and held each thing in the air. I realized that my items were being approved by whomever or whatever was behind the two-way mirror. I tried to not blush when Red-hair my panties and bras held up for alien approval. I huffed and tried to breath my tears back into my body that had been threatening to fall since I calmed down in the hoover craft. It was becoming too much, everything was becoming too overwhelming. Walking in the shale desert under the hot sun, I was hungry, being pushed to the hard ground at gunpoint by strange men, learning that humans had been living on this side of the realm and almost losing my mother's picture was finally took its toll on me. My eyes floated to the back of my head and everything went black. 

***

A strong smell had brought my sense back to me. I found that I was lying on a cot, my duffle bag was next to me and the Perfect Smile was leaning over me. My heart raced, frantically I searched the room for any aliens, as I jolted up which was a huge mistake because my brain started to swim upstream. 

"Hey, hey, relax lie down."

"What happened?" I looked at my body as best as I could lying down. Everything seemed in order, no alien probs... yet.

"Here," he handed me a military canteen that was too shiny to have ever seen war, it actually looked like it belong in a museum instead of the front lines. "Drink," I obeyed. 

"It tastes..." I couldn't pinpoint what was different. I knew it was water, but it didn't taste like the water back home, it was crisper, maybe our water wasn't as clean as we had tried to make it. Unless...? I quickly spat out the water as fast as it was coming into my mouth. I made a huge mistake and I tensed ready to run and fight.

"It's fine. Its not poisoned or tainted." Perfect Smile huffed incredulously and endearingly rolled his eyes. "It's probably clearer than any water you've ever had, heck its cleaner than the water we had Before Eclipse."

I searched his eyes for truth or any hint of malfeasance when I could find none, I surrendered with a drop of my shoulders and took the canteen again and drank. I drank and drank, i couldn't stop, i felt like my entire body, even on a cellular level was thirsty and needed so much hydration.

" Good. You're dehydrated and by the looks of you who knows that last time if ever that you had a decent meal." With that, Perfect Teeth stood up and picked up a tray of food and brought it over to me. 

I didn't even question if it's tainted or not, I was so hungry and it smelled amazing, looked amazing like something from one of the Life Magazine paintings of Thanksgiving. 

I took a bite of the orange mushy and it melted in my mouth -- sweet and tangy.

"What is this?" I couldn't help piping with my mouth full.

Perfect Teeth again chuckled, he had a habit of teasing me because of my lack of knowledge that was starting to annoy me. "You've never had sweet potatoes in the colony?"

"Sweet Potatoes? Potatoes are white."

Perfect Teeth's smile slide to one side as he rolled his brilliant eyes and huffed. 

"What is this? I pointed to a large drumstick that was too large to be chicken?"

"Wild Turkey."

Wow, it was amazing, wild or captive. It didn't taste like the pretend chicken turkey my mom used to make. 

"Not so fast, don't get used to this. You wont be eating too much human food when you are at college."

With that my heart dropped and I spit out my food and everything in the room rushed around me. 

"Hey, hey slow down when you eat. didn't you mother teach you any table manners." She did, when it came to eating human food at a table. Perfect Smile ignored my probably blistering red face and my the girdling trying to regain my breath, coughing were the food went down the wrong passage.

"I wasn't-" I started and fear crept in stronger than before.

"Hey it's not that bad. Their food. You'll like it."

"You've had it before?" I dropped my fork with a clatter to the plate.

He stood blank poker face -- lying, "Alright now, finish up and then we will take you to your host home for the night."

I calmed myself and took a deep breath. I had learned three things in that short period of time. One, the humans in the realm had better food, better cooking options and seemed to have a normal life. Two, I was going to have to eat alien food soon. Three, I was actually going to go to college, which gave me some relief that I wasn't brought her to be exterminated but then I became excited and nervous for a whole new realization -- I was going to go to school with aliens.

***

Perfect Teeth carried my bag and instructed me to follow him as he led me out of the inspection building. He told me that I would return to this building tomorrow to be transported to the college. I couldn't help but wring my hands nervously because that meant another day that I might face aliens. 

We walked out of the building onto the quaint city streets that were empty. It was already night out but unlike home, the streets were lite with street lamps that gave a warmth to the city center, but no one was outside enjoying restaurants or movies like city people did in my mom's world. 

We walked for about twenty minutes until we reach the suburban area I saw on the way to the Inspection Building. We stopped at simple yellow ranch home and he led me into the home.

I was surprised how huge the home was, they had a livingroom three times the size of my entire apartment, a separate kitchen that was amazing, it actually had a stove and oven not an electric hotpot and oven that we had sitting on our dresser back home. 

"Welcome, Kiowa," a human "thank god" woman greeted me as she glided down the stairs of the home once we arrived. 

"Kiowa, this is my wife, Maddie." Perfect Teeth remarked.

I quickly noted that he did not hug or kiss his wife which was odd. 

"Ben, can you show Kiowa her room, and then she can shower and get ready for her trip tomorrow"

Ben, noted. Perfect Teeth's name is Ben and also noted. Maddie also didn't seem romantic towards her husband as well but I didnt want to pry to much into that observation so soon upon my arrival. 

Ben led me upstairs to a small bedroom, which still was larger than the room I shared with my mother my entire life. A bed sat against the wall and a small dresser on the other side of the room. He pointed to the bathroom down the hall and also pulled a large terrycloth bath towel from the hall closet before leaving me alone.

Finally, I took a deep breath and my butt bounced on the bed as I plopped down replacing for the first time the entire day and I was still alive. I quickly pulled my bag to me to search through it to see what things were deemed unfit or hinted to rebelliousness for my new life. So far everything was in place. I fingered my mother's picture in my jacket pocket. I was sure that it would have been deemed a violation had I not I shoved it in my pocket.

Everything seemed in place so I let my dad's large army duffle slide to the floor making an matching exhausting thud that mirrored how I felt. I looked again around the simple room. Oh my, I was incredibly disheveled, my face was covered with dust. I willed my legs to begin working again so I could at least look presentable plus a shower was just what I needed. 

The shower was the first hot shower I had ever taken in my entire life, I kept forcing myself to hurry and finish cleaning because I knew I was using up valuable resources but I couldn't help but luxuriate and really build up a lather. A hot shower seemed to calm all my still lasting bundled and frazzled nerves and I finally relaxed.

I heard Ben and his wife Maddie downstairs chatting. Perhaps I was wrong about their relationship.

I used to get annoyed when my mother would talk about what I should look for in a boy that I might want to possibly marry. In her day, girls went off to college, choose their career fields, explore the world before settling down with someone that they admired and who cherished them back. My mother would reiterate how important it was that I was able to choose who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with because it was one of the few choices we had left to pave our own life paths in this new world. 

I liked a few boys in my school growing up but no one really paid attention to me. The girls were always paired off first and I was left being the third wheel. My first kiss didn't leave me desiring more and I was never asked on dates. I really liked one guy while in school. We had a similar circle of friends and got along well becoming quite close friends while attending school and our A-levels together.

Once I finished my vocational training all the girls were buzzing about who had asked them to marry. A girl a few years behind me turned to me.

"Kiowa, did Matthias ask you to marry him," the girl with bright eyes and Shirley Temple dimpled cheeks asked.

Matthias was my best friend and crush; and there was no escaping the fact that everyone in the colony knew I cared a lot for him. I loved Matthias from the first day I laid my eyes on him during a refuging trip in school. He was tall with the most entrancing hazel eyes I had ever seen that seem to have a starbust of a sunflower in his iris when he looked at me. He knew I liked him and always found the most opportune time to tease me about it. 

We were finishing our vocational training on the same day. Finishing the required assigned vocational training was the official entry into adulthood in the colony. It was also the day register with the colony magistrates who we were intending on marrying. Everyone was always approved, we never suspected that our alien overlords would care so much who we decided to procreate with. 

"He hasnt asked me," I responded. 

Not only was he my first love, he was a lot of firsts for me. I dreaded the idea that he was going to asked Natalia, a girl who he had been pining for since A-levels. It felt like a lottery there was a chance that he would ask her yet I still had hope. Matthais and I had the most in common; and what did he have in common with Natalia? She had already finished her vocational training as a sign maker. Sign maker is a pretty good job because you work closely with the colony governor creating signs of instruction for the colony. Her grades where not so great, so she didn't attend A-Levels with us. Which meant that we had two years that Matthias and I spent together learning together and explored personal boundaries together -- he was a master persuader. I hoped that Matthias would see me as a good match and would forget about Natalia. Absence made the heart grow fonder, despite it all, Mathias and I were so similar. I chewed on my cuticles nervously all the time, wondering if I wasn't pretty enough or just not enough for him. 

But I was smart and I was a dreamer and together we dreamed of how we would make the world better, so that life with or without the Y'vori could work. But when we finished our A-levels we entered our required assigned training the next day after the final tests. That first day of training was the first day we were split, he was assigned to receptacles and recycling and I was introduced to the seamstress factory floor. I was ready; I had accepted my lot. I was going to live till the day I die working in this sweaty, steamy industrial factory floor cleaning and making clothing for the colony and the realm until my hands withered and my fingers curled crooked with age. But secretly I hoped that after this first day, my certification day, I would have a light at the end of the tunnel and Matthias would be waiting outside waiting for me to ask me to be his mate for life. If I had Mathias, all of this would be OK, I could survive and be happy. 

The girls seemed so giddy while we stood in a line before our instructor to receive "a pat on the back" of congratulations. No real need for pomp and circumstance our circumstance was not that we had been trained to do the work we just go to our station and do the work. Our instructor was giving verbal evaluations as diplomas and the governor had interrupted the instructor, giving us time to whisper about the men standing outside to take us to the magistrates to get married. The governor of the colony stood near my instructor and whispered into her ear before he approached me. I was pulled out of the line of my classmates and followed him into the factory office which overlooked the entire noise smokey floor.

I was startled when he explained the news -- the aliens where requiring me to attend their university. I was to start in four days. 

I raced out of the factory when they told me to go home and prepare. I ran all the way to Matthias' home to tell him the news. I was hoping he too got the same news since he was just as smart as me. He had to be going to the alien university with me too. My dreams were expounding with each achy pain my muscles burned with as my thin shoes hit the hard pavement. We would go to university together and then marry. We may be able to pick our own career paths, our lives would be so much like the life my mother lived before Eclipse. We would be in love and love each other so much like my mother and father had. I was completely out-of-breath once I reached his 6th floor apartment, I skipped two stairs at a time to his sixth floor apartment squabble no better than my own. 

When I opened the door, Matthias was standing there as if we were waiting for me. His eyes glimmered with happiness, I was set aback by the joy in his expression. Never had I seen him more handsome, more sexier than in that moment. He made me laugh, made me feel comfortable. He was the person I leaned on when my mother's stories were to hard to understand because they gave hope to something that we may never see. He made everything that was wrong with the world vanish.

"Kiowa," he chuckled in shock as my body crushed into his in a big hug. "Hey darling."

He pulled me away from him but still held me as he craddled my head in his hand, his thumb smoothing away my wayward curls from my face.

"You're going right?!" My face was wet with tears of joy, my face hurt so much from smiling so hard.

"Going where?" his eyes sought after my soul and it made me tremble. I longed to forever be in those intense giving eyes.

"To the-" and that's when I heard a cough behind me, requiring our attention be drawn to the corner of his family's small apartment. Behind the corner curtain which sectioned of the bed which Matthias slept in the living room was Natalia.

"Hello Kiowa," Natalia pulled back the curtain revealing a beautiful white dress of lace. It was simple but gorgeous. She also had a simple white ribbon that crowned her head pulling back her golden curls. 

I couldnt say anything, I just backed away from Matthias. My heart pounded in my ears. Everything was muffled like cotton in my ears and the room spun with my very breaking heart falling like ashes from a fire. Through the fog, I'm sure I am hearing him him say he married Natalia -- afternoon -- I was in the factory office learning I was going to the realm. He then continues yet the room is swelling sucking the air out, he says that he hopes I find someone who will love me as much as he loved Natlalia. He reaches out for me and I am coming back to the present and back away from him, Outstrreaching his arms to me as if to comfort my shattered heart falling to my shoe soles like crumbled rose petals, his very hand, wishing to comfort that I wished to cradle my chin to him so many times, it is horrifying me. If I allow him to touch me, I know my heart would be strangled just by feeling his very skin on mine. I screamed "Get away," trying not to crumble into a pool of tears in front of him, in front of her - his perfect bride. 

A loud whistle matched the past screaming in my head bringing me back to the present, to the bedroom in The Realm -- far from the colony and far from Matthias. My heart sunk deeper in my body. He doesn't know that I was in the realm, that I was allowed to go to alien university -- he will never know because he doesn't deserve to know the most private things about me anymore. He knew I loved him, everyone knew it, yet he allowed me to pine for him and for my heart to break. I heard Ben chuckle, even not able to see him, I already pictured his perfect smile as he dotes on his wife Maddie. I didn't want to seem rude, so I quickly pulled my pajama pants and top on to join them sitting at the kitchen dining room table sipping tea. Tea! I had only had tea on holidays but today was not a holiday. 

Maddie's eyes looked up and spotted me first before Ben turned around to flash his famous perfect pearly grin.

"We were just talking about how amazing it is for you to go to college with the Y'vori," Maddie's eyes glittered with pride. "Come, Sit"

I slide into one of the empty two chairs at the table. "How do you like the realm so far?" She asked right away and tipped her mug to her lips. I could smell the tea it was cinnamon and cardamom spices with a smooth note of something else I couldnt pinpoint.




A Wider Sky Ch. 03



I caught myself staring at them instead of answering them as I choked out a cough. "It is very different than the colony."

They both chuckled. Now two humans were laughing at my ignorance of what the world really was like.

"I cannot imagine what the world is like outside the realm. I am happy I am here."

She looked a bit younger than Ben maybe in her late thirties - early forties. She seemed so delicate the way she handled herself, even with the small gesture of drinking tea.

"I'm sorry did you want some tea."

"I would love some," I quickly perked up.

She giggled, "Such sophisticated tastes you have, Kiowa. When I was your age in college, the last thing on my palate was tea.

"What did you like?" I asked.

"Beer, like what twenty-something-year old doesn't like beer and wine. Actually, I loved sweet cocktails." She said as she poured tea from the kettle into a fresh mug.

Ben cracked up, "Maddie you liked beer and wine way before you were in your twenties."

Maddie scrunched her face up like a lemon and rolled her eyes at Ben. "That's true. Mommy and Daddy would allow me to have one glass of wine during the holidays."

I laughed inwardly and smiled by dropping my eyes to my lap, I dare not tell them that for the holidays I was allowed to have a mug of tea.

"Here you go sweetie," she handed the hot mug to me and the offered a sugar bowl which I declined.

"What did you do before Eclipse?"

"I was in college when Eclipse happened?"

Ben smirked his choppers never failed to sparkle. "Tell her who you were before Eclipse."

"Ben," she scolded him playfully and hid behind another long sip of tea.

"She was the President's daughter."

I mouth had to drop because Ben's laughter at my expense meant the disclosure was well worth the kick Maddie gave him under the table.

"It's true I was the President's Daughter but I don't miss hearing 'Hail to The Chief'. Not one bit."

"Wow!"

"Is the President here in town, too?"

The room suddenly fell like gravity with tension. I again had asked the wrong question. 

"He is dead, as you know," Maddie's tone sliced through me. 

"Oh," I blinked very quickly not knowing what part of my colony education this fact of history fell into categorically.

"I am happy living here in the realm," her mood quickly chippered up, yet her eyes sliced into Ben as if he were the only thing other than losing her father that stood in the way of her true happiness. "Life here is simple, Kiowa. You will soon learn and accept what this new world has to offer that the old one did not and certainly is better than the sort of life you had to have been living in the colony." 

With that, Maddie, stood up and placed her mug in the sink before announcing she was retiring for the night.

Ben joined her afterwards and I was left alone in their kitchen to debrief all that I had learned in one short day. I had a feeling that life in the realm was going to include many days of learning curves. Were these aliens so sure that I had scored well on their test?

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

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your comments on chapter 1 and chapter 2. I love your feedback. Next up, will Kiowa finally met her first alien? 

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis.



A Wider Sky Ch. 04



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 4

The fresh sun rose. The street lights that had burned all night were now like heavy golden eyelids going to sleep. 

Ben and I walked towards the inspection building and yet not a single soul was on the street. It being early morning still didn't convince me that the residents of this sleepy town ever came out. 

Quiet Ben walked beside me with my duffle swung over his shoulder. I felt like I was sneaking away like a naughty secret from this new world. 

It felt so unreal. 

I moved hands from my jeans pockets to my coat pockets before settling at my sides for a moment then back into my jeans pockets. I hadn't slept the night before and now I felt like I had drank an entire gallon of caffeine. 

I was going to meet aliens today. I was going to a college where I am going to surrounded by aliens Ben swore were not scary looking. I was going to be the only human on campus. I was most likely going to die today. 

I shook my hands hard, but they still felt numb to me. My entire body felt numb, like I was walking in a dizzying haze. I didn't sleep well last night and I was to wired now. 

Last night I tried to sleep. I even pulled the picture of my mother out of my jean jacket pocket and laid down to sleep next to it. 

But I couldn't sleep. I realized it was the first time I was going to bed without my mother sharing the bed with me. She wasn't their to tuck me in and tell me she loved me. She wasn't there to hug me and remind me that she wouldn't let any aliens come and take me away. She wasn't here and I was alone. 

She was far away in the colony, shivering in our cold dark apartment. I cried because I knew she was most likely feeling the same way I did, missing me. Wondering if I had been exterminated or was still alive. I knew that in that moment she was missing me as much as I her.

And now today, I was definitely going to meet my greatest fear head on, aliens. I was going to see them, live with them and even eat their food. 

"Are you ready?" Ben spoke for the first time since leaving his home. He shifting my heavy bag to his other shoulder so he could look at me.

"What does Maddie do?" 

Ben rolled his eyes, "You and these questions. Do me a favor. After I answer this one question. Don't ask too many questions especially once you get to college. OK?"

I nodded because he was right. My inquisitive nature was getting the best of me. It would be easy to tread on dangerous territory or be misunderstood which would result in deadly measures. 

"She works for the aliens. She is a fusion meter maid."

I tried not to allow my astonishment seem like a judgement seem too visible. Why the president's daughter of the former world was a meter maid? Maddie lived in the realm, she went to the best schools in the old world that money could afford and now she was a meter maid. 

"She sees them?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow warning me that I had maxed my question quota. "Ben, I am afraid of aliens," I blurted out, my time was running out. We were reaching the city limits heading towards the inspection building. Moments were ticking away for me to finish preparing for what I was going to experience within the next hour.

Ben's chuckle married his toothy charming grin, "Kiowa, you are going to be the only human at the college. I think you better get over that fear right now."

"You promise they look like humans."

"Yes, Kiowa I promise. They don't look like tall skin grey beings with big black, bottomless soulless eyes; and no, they are not green and slimy. Remember, they lived here for half a century before Eclipse, blending in with humans, living side by side with us, as they do now."

Side by Side? Were there aliens living next door to Maddie and Ben? I hadn't seen anyone in town ever; it was like a ghost town, but perhaps they were right. 

"And to answer your question, no, Maddie works with humans. Don't worry Kiowa, they are expecting you - including the students - but the administrators have decided to not disclose that you are the human. They want to see how they interact with you and who can and cannot pinpoint that you are human." That actually sounds worse than little green or purple monsters. I chewed my lip because shifting my hands were not effectively calming me. "You see, nothing to worry about."

A chill ran over my body and Ben again shrugged, this time he pulled me in close and gave me a hug. He became a father figure in that short moment; I would never forget this moment. This is how I had imagined my father being like, trying to ease my fears. 

"Don't talk about the Eclipse as much as possible. The Eclipse to aliens is old history, long gone. Don't talk about the colonies or how things are different and the colonies. Don't talk about aliens and humans in the same sentence as much as possible ok?"

"Or else they will exterminate me."

"Yes," he said simply, his tone was cold but he squeezed me tighter to him. "Don't worry. They look human, behave human other than they have some special powers-"

"Special powers?"

Ben shook his head and chuckled, "Girl you don't know anything about the Y'vroi do you?"

"They vaporized entire towns and people."

"Yes, they did but they wont vaporize you. They have benign powers as well. More everyday, not take-over-the-world powers. You'll see."

I sighed heavily and for a second my worries fell to the ground like flimsy shingles. 

I remembered what my mother said about school integration during the Civil Rights Movement. The black students heard awful things about white people. Although, the white classmates did do awful things to the black teens, some of the white students were nice, kind and even helped - ignoring race. I just needed to have courage and find those people... aliens. 

Ben stopped in front of the inspection building to gestured towards the hovercraft floating above ground a few yards away. It gearing up to take me to college or a nightmare. 

He smiled, hiding his perfect mouth yet his eyes twinkled fatherly. He rubbed to top of my head. "You'll be fine kiddo. I will pick you up in time for you to miss the festivities. You'll be fine. Don't worry and don't fear." He passed my duffle bag to me and whispered in my ear. "Here comes one right now."

Like a bullet, I shot my eyes over his shoulder. Coming out of the double doors of the inspection building was a tall blonde women dress in a grey suit tailored like a slim airline stewardess. As she walked towards us my breath hitched. 

On her lapel above her heart she wore a pin with an Y'vori symbol of the earth being eclipsed. I shuddered, she was definitely an alien to wear that symbol proudly. 

"Ms Walker, are you ready to go?" she sounded human to my relief. The only thing odd was that she stood tall with perfect posture. I admonished myself for my quick judgement. I wasnt that odd because did Ben and Maddie also had good postures. I had disseminated poor posture was for the downtrodden of the colony ghettos.

"Thank you Ben," I held my free hand out to shake his. Ben enveloped me into a big hug. I was set aback, I had made him my surrogate father at that moment.

"Study hard kid," my grin quickly attempted to adopt his toothy grin. 

I climbed into the hoover craft and the woman followed me. Again my duffle bag was placed in the middle of the circular standing section. The woman, the alien - what do I call her. She stood across from me and gave a hand signal and hovercraft floated up into the air. 

Unlike the first trip, the craft ascended higher into the air until we were high above the clouds. Within seconds the craft buzzed with a high-pitched scream, tossing me hard against the wall as it wooshed into the air. We were going so fast, all I could see was bright lights zip past the window of the craft, as if it were metal grinding on stone producing sparks.

The woman kept her lips in a tight line as if she was annoyed by my fascination. I leaned away from the window to try not seem fazed by the spectacular speed we were traveling. 

"We are traveling to The Realm. It's over 1,000 miles away but we shall be there shortly."

"I thought we were in The Realm?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "No human has ever entered The Realm, we've reserved the best land after our planet's Tectonic plates moved the continents. You were just in the former Mexico City and Osaka, your colony is due south of that new land form." 

I took note that the Y'vori consider Earth their planet and stuffed the reference in a filing cabinet of my mind not to infer that earth belongs to humans. 

"You will tell your classmates that you are the daughter of a fleet general. Your mother and father met before Eclipse at college in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before Eclipse, your father was an engineer for the electrical company and your mother a nurse at Santa Fe County General. 

"Everything else will be in your dossier, do not deviate from your dossier. It's for your own safety.

She handed me a tablet with a picture of my fake alien father and mother. 

"You will not have roommates this year, but if you do well, and not deviate from your dossier you may have a roommate in your second year. Again, if you deviate from your dossier -"

"You will kill me?" I gulped.

The woman laughed and her eyes twinkled. Her laugh was so human, I was again stumped. "No. However, you are on your own to deal with your classmates, if and when they discover you are human."

"Can I really study anything that I want to?"

Her mouth smoothed into a hard line and she tipped her neck as if to release tension. I worried if I had asked the wrong question too soon into the game. 

"You may study any of the approved majors, yes. Have you selected what you want to study?" 

"I don't know?" I answered.

She huffed, "Typical human." 

She took my tablet and her fingers glided over it opening documents and tabs before handing it back to me with a list of programs.

I was bummed that Astronomy was not on the list, but I can assume why it wasn't. 

Give a human the opportunity to learn about other lifeforms and worlds, gives him the idea that he can aspire to take back the world taken from him, or escape the world he is enslaved in. 

My options where art, human and alien languages and literature, human literature, and earthly archaeology. All were technically useless because I assumed that they wouldn't let me pick a career post college. 

Even though Ben and Maddie didn't want to say it, I suspect their lives were more like life in the colony because they didn't have a choice of career. And this list of approved study programs meant that I also didn't have much choice either. 

"I guess I will study Earthly Archaeology," I answered. 

She stifled a smiled turned upside down in indifference. 

"Good choice. There is an excellent professor who is coming back from sabbatical that will be your advisor. Professor Windsor has been studying the effects of how your people destroyed the planet and how we have saved it." 

Her chin tipped up at her statement of how the aliens saved the world.

She looked over my appearance taking me in from top to bottom for the first time and I shifted nervously feeling scrutinized. 

"You look like an average 20-something-year-old to my surprise. But you need a pin." Her nose crinkled and she pulled a pin out of her pocket and handed over to me. She tipped her head step-ford wives style and smiled hiding her teeth ingeniously. "Wear it with pride."

I took the pin and without second thought to read too much into it, I pinned it to my jacket and shook my long curly braids out - a habit of physically stating to myself that I've made a choice - stand by it. I rolled my shoulders back and waiting for the next test she would throw at me. 

My fingers pawed my mother's picture in my jacket pocket. In retrospect, I was glad I snuck her picture in my jacket. Because, having a dossier of fake parents meant that, had my mother's picture been in my duffle, it would have definitely not been approved. The chance-opportunity to hold onto her picture made me feel confident that maybe things would indeed go my way. I would go to college, stave off being a seamstress a few more years and maybe I would learn something about myself. But I knew already, if I didn't learn anything else, I knew I was learning how to have courage. 

*****



To My Dear Readers,

I am working without an editor so it may be rough in a few areas. I am solely trying to re-work the story in context to the next two books that has reached a plot point that needs momentum from the first book. So I am re-working it on your experience and feedback so I would love to hear thoughts - you are all my Betas. 

Thank you for reading. 

Cheers and Happy Reading, 

~Talyis.



A Wider Sky Ch. 05



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 5

Having met my first alien was anti-climatic. 

She didn't vaporize me. I saw no super magic or special powers and she did in-fact look human. She was a bit snarky and had a sense of entitlement but I could say the same of Ben and Maddie. It seemed like everyone outside the colony had that aura about them.

We must have traveled far, even at lightening speed because once we arrived it was later afternoon. Though, I could have sworn we were on the craft for no more than an a few hours. Maybe not having much to say after choosing my study path and reading through the dossier becoming an expert on my fake alien life, the trip seemed to take forever. 

"Here you are," she announced as the craft began to land. 

Again, I felt like I was going to loose cheerios as my mom used to say when I had an upset stomach, not that I really knew what that meant.

Tall ornate gates and beautiful green hedges crafted into various artistic shapes surrounded the entrance to the campus. Students milled around and it seemed peaceful, fun maybe. I corrected myself mentally, reminding myself they were not humans running around the green quads fields playing games, chatting with one another on blankets or laying in the grass with books under their elbows. 

The craft floated passed the main campus building featuring a massive sculpture erected in tribute of Eclipse. It was formidable, a steel planet Earth with flames spilling off into the atmosphere while being eclipsed by a smaller planet, the Y'vori's home planet. Water surrounded the terrific sculpture. 

"On the top of the hour, spouts the most spectacular water display. As if to douse the Earth's flames," the woman boasted as she caressed her pin matching the sculpture's design. 

We stopped in front of a dormitory and the transport woman escorted me to my room. I balanced my large duffle over my shoulder like a hunchback. I tried to stop my curious eyes from soaking in the reality of being on campus. The lady was walking so fast I didn't get a chance to further take in my new surroundings.

The dorm hall was empty - everyone was enjoying the beautiful sunny day outside. Each door had a sensor pad to unlock the rooms.

"These were installed once we decided to admit you. We don't have locks on our doors in The Realm, but I guess now that have a human in our midst, it's an unfortunate necessity." 

She snatched my hand and pressed it to the sensor pad. My dorm room door slid for lack of better expression, vaporized before my eyes. I walked in and set my duffle bag on the floor and looked around what would be my home for the next year. 

It was simple. A first floor dorm room looking onto the quad. I had a small bed, a kitchen area that was no smaller than the makeshift one we had on our dresser top back home in the colony. A peculiar shower that looked more like a small metal closet with a window sat near the door. The Transport Woman touched the silver plated wall and dresser drawers materialized, pulling out from the wall. She pressed another button and a desk folded out from the wall with a complete matching metal chair. 

So much for having a matching dorm room motif that my mother worried that I missing out on. I already had a set for me here, silver metal, glass and whatever else I discovered would materialize or pull from out of the wall.

The Transport Woman took my tablet from my hands, swished a few windows to opened a schedule. 

"This is your orientation schedule. I have just enrolled you in your program. You are to report here every Friday at 17:00 hours for a weekly briefing. You will do this until we no longer see it fit to brief you. If you do not show up, we will consider it a deviation from the plan and you will be marked a terrorist. 

I gulped and my eyes watered pools of apprehension but I willed them to dry.

Be strong, dammit; you haven't been here 10 minutes.

"We are glad to have you here Ms. Walker, you are our first human to pass our test and we are also proud." She swallowed each word as if it were poison.

"You are?" My mind was swimming again in the learning curve. This was so contrary to what I was taught about aliens, my voice shook.

"Yes, we are. So please make this worth our while as much as yours." Again the stepford-wives-body-expressions took over her, she tipped her head from side to side with a muted smile. 

She then pointed out a map on my tablet of the campus and gave me a billfold of money to last me the rest of the year, which I promptly tucked into my dresser drawer. It was a bursary gift heavy with warning. I was not allowed to bring any money to Ben and Maddie's home and definitely not allowed to bring anything from The Realm to the colony. 

"I hope you will stay for the festivities." She commented as she left which brought back the chill that lived in my spin.

I took a deep breath and looked around the room. This was my home, my alien home, where I was to pretend I was an alien. 

I exhaled and then slid my eyes mischievously to the bed. I flopped myself onto the bed. Surprising soft and so comfortable. I crossed my legs at the ankles and tucked my hands behind my head to stare at the ceiling and relax for a second. 

I guess you do what they say, "when in Rome, do what the Romans do." and with that, I flicked my hand in the air. 

My duffle bag zipper pulled open while I laid on the plush mattress. I pressed my hand in the air towards the wall across from my bed. where the dresser drawers would materialize. I willed my hand print to appear on the walls sensor. 

I smiled with surprise, my room struck a sudden chord to filling the room with the most mysterious magical music I had ever heard. It was obviously alien. I giggled to myself feeling a bit pleased. 

Opps, pressed the wrong button. I willed my powers to hit the correct button and the dressers popped open. 

Contently, I fell back against the pillow, the music was strange but I enjoyed it. It was perfect music for unpacking from the comfort of my bed. 

I waved my hands in the air as if I were a conductor-of-cleaning. My clothing floated out of the bag and into various dresser drawers in a concert with the Y'vori music. The last note concluded with my mom's afghan crawling up my feet to drape over me. 

I pulled it closer to my nose and inhaled the sent of my home. I wonder how long it would last before it faded and started to smell like this alien dorm room and The Realm. I tried not to dwell on that idea too long and I flipped my wrist and my tablet landed in my hand. 

Okay, I said to myself, What shall I do next?

***

I decided if I were going to do as the Y'vori did; I might as well jump into the deep end. I'd have to integrate myself sooner or later and I wanted to make sure I would be ready for my first class. 

Changing into a new outfit and without a second thought I snapped my Eclipse pin onto my sweater. I dashed out of my room to catch up with the last first year tour gathering in front of the fountain. I was a bit out of breath but I gravitated to the back of the group so I could observe. I didn't want to talk to anyone in case I accidentally say the wrong thing or deviate from my dossier. 

The campus was beautiful, surrounded by a wooded area and a lake sat on the east side where love birds would jump into canoes from the powerhouse for quiet dates on the tranquil water. Cherry blossoms seemed to cocoon the sidewalks to the library. 

The student center was overrun with students playing games and setting up tables for club sign-ups. I wondered if this what it was like for my mom to go to university Before Eclipse. 

So much energy sizzled and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves in the sun. I wish I could write home to let my mother know that I was okay. But I had a feeling that was not allowed, technically because that would mean paper from The Realm would enter the colony. 

The student tour guide quizzed the groups on the names of the academic buildings. Harvard for the Arts of History and Literature majors and where I would spend most of my time. The other academic buildings were also named after famous human universities: The School of Politics and Military Strategy was in the Yale building and Science and Astronomy in the McGill building. The School of Instruction and Greater Knowledge was the most prestigious program according to the tour guide causing a lot of students to chime in how they were going to be spending a majority of their time in the Oxford Building which also housed the campus cafeteria.

The group visited various dormitories which we named after famous humans that had done great things for the world. I thought it was a wonderful gesture, even though I knew better than voice that sentiment aloud. 

I was glad I didn't.

"Does anyone know why we name our dorms after humans?" The tour guide smiled brightly, his eyes glinted with pride.

A young girl who looked like she would have been a freshman in a pre-Eclipse human university raised her hand stretching her to her tip-toes to be seen from the back of the group.

"Because, even though these humans surpassed the majority of mankind; we still will achieve greater for Earthkind and universe's well being." She sang.

Wow. That was a real projection of a majority ruling-class seeing themselves as the minority.

I begining to wonder what did the Y'vroi really achieve that was greater than Gandhi or Daniel Hale Williams who developed the first open heart surgery. Or were humans more like Louise Latimer, the man who invented filaments for lightbulbs before he was overshadowed by Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla? Other than pull mankind into near extinction, how have the aliens create a better life or did they just replace another ruling class.

I had to stop thinking because I knew I was digging myself a trap already three hours on campus and I was beginning to fume. My mother's lessons where making me test everything they said. I couldn't take what the said at face value because I knew better. For the first time, I was greatly appreciative that my mom secretly taught me what our colony schools would not. 

After the near implosive campus tour, the students dispersed to go to the cafeteria. That was one thing I knew I wasn't ready for and I wasn't going near the cafeteria until I was ready.

I instead decided to pick up my textbooks by going to my advisory hall. The Harvard building was pretty empty and pristine. Even the wooden panels lining the stone floors had been polished with meticulous care. 

I stopped in front t office of my advisor feeling a surge of real excitement. Professor U. Winsdor, PhD read the brass plaque on his heavy wooden door. I knocked the door and it echoed down the hall. No one answered. I felt like a fool so out of place.

I didn't know what to do. I had to pick up my books but the entire building was an empty shell, everyone was outside enjoying the final hours of summer. I noticed a sensor similar to my bedroom console. I pressed my hand and a small scrolling screen read: Welcome Kiowa Walker. To check-in register your tablet. 

OK? How the hell do I do that. 

I glanced around to see if anyone was around. I needed help but I didn't want to seem human, not this early into the game. I took a guess and pressed my tablet to the advisory check-in sensor. I hoped up with a little yelp of satisfaction buzzing through me. 

It worked. my tablet came to life loading all my class texts onto my tablet and my class syllabi. I was bubbling with excitement. 

I couldn't wait to learn and discover all the topics we would dive into. My fingers slide the pages of my first text, with every page I scanned over the topic points, I became more enthused. 

I was going to work so hard. I vowed to my that I was going to be the best in my class. 

I felt so accomplished just by figuring out how to check in. I headed towards the door to the exit staircase. I couldn't unglue my eyes from my tablet while I headed out of the building back to my dorm.

"Hey watch where you are going?" A man voice yelled at me but I was too engrossed in my books. I wasn't paying attention to anything around me.

Before I realize what was happening. I was already through the door and airbourne, flying high above the stairs plunging down to a bone-breaking fall. 

But it wasn't only me in flight.

It would have been a nasty fall hadn't a strong arm wrap across my chest. It all happened in slow motion, as if my last seconds of life flashed over my eyes.

A hard smack, my tablet flipping in flight, a tanned forearm reaching in front of me, my expression frozen burning red with embarrassment and awe as my eyes landed on the sexiest man I had ever saw. 

He had the most brilliant green eyes that highlighted his tan chiseled faced that preserved an angled chin that nested a beautiful pair of lips that were made for kissing. The darkest black curls that as the floated about him hit the light with iridescent hues of purple and green like a raven. 

I didn't have time to milk in more of the Adonis's body because I had to save us.

I had caused us both to tumble down the stairs. I'd be damned if I break my neck on the first day or accidentally kill an alien, a gorgeous one at that, before I sat down in my first class.

I was careless to not watching where I was going. And despite my mother's implicit instructions to stay out of trouble and under the radar; I had already gotten myself in trouble causing alien sex god boy to trip down a flight of stairs in Harvard. I was going to have to come from out of my shell to do damage control. 

I reached my hand out towards my alien Jack to my Jill. Immediately everything hung in the air like invisible marionette strings held everything in place. I turned to the handsome raven and the pupils of his eyes widened with recognition.

Oh boy, I was really in trouble now.

With delicate control of my power, I lowered out bodies onto the landing, 16 steps below to where we first took flight. Once our feet safely touched the ground, I skipped up a few stairs to pluck my tablet out of the air. As I came down the stairs to explain. I opened my mouth but instead of words to causal-yet hopefully, successful flirt, I heard a distinctive crunch under my feet.

My heart jumped as I looked down and then I glanced back at the handsome raven with piercing green eyes. Then back down to the shattered white plastic, glass and thin metal under my foot. I had stepped on his tablet, but by the looks of it, it was already broken and wasn't the first thing to fall. His things were strewn all over the staircase, broken. I simply made things worse. Fuck.

"Oops," was all I could muster. 

I admonished myself. This was the first word I was going to say to the most handsome being on the face of the Earth.

He blinked his eyes looking at his tablet which I picked up three major pieces and handed it to him. 

"I think you owe me a tablet," he finally said and my face blanched. "Well that's an interesting color."

My face rosied more and I stuffed my tablet into my handbag. He just starred at me as if he were waiting for me to do something human. 

Please don't do anything human. Please don't be human, I willed myself. 

"I am so sorry, of course, where can I get another tablet for you." 

He looked at me like I was insane. Geez I had spoken two sentences since arriving on campus and I had already committed a faux pas. 

"Sorry, my parents. They did all the shopping; I just stuck to school work," I continued.

He huffed a laugh out of his nose, "Bookworm huh?" I didn't answer, I couldn't even look into those amazing eyes. "The campus store should have some but you know this tablet was priceless you see."

My mouth dropped. Fuck. I remembered my mom telling me about how Before Eclipse everyone stored their photos, contacts, everything important on their tablets and computers.

"I am just kidding. It's just a tablet. There a dime a dozen."

My eyebrows floated up. I guess Apple no longer put out a tablet twice a year at three times the price anymore. I wasn't even sure there was an Apple anymore. 

"Gaelen," the handsome boy said and held his hand out for me to shake. 

It was at that foolish moment I decided to take him in. He was tall, broad shoulders and tapered chest like a swimmers. He was tall with a foundation of firm legs. If he were to turn around I was sure he would have a butt that was dying to be admired.

"Cat got your tongue?" Yes, for sure. I was caught taking him in like the cat hiding the dead canary in its mouth. "This is where you tell me your name."

"Kiowa," I mustered out. My mind finally caught up and I started citing the dossier like I was at a spelling bee.

"Whoa!" He chuckled and smiled stopping my verbal expostulation with enchantment. "I don't need your life's history." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and exhaled. "So I am guessing your a Harvard student like me."

"Yeah," I giggled at the idea of me being a Harvard student.

"With your dad being a general, I am surprised you are not at Yale."

I snorted a giggle which made him blush nervously. He seemed to drink me in with amusement. Oh my gosh, handsome alien boy likes me I said to myself and then again blanched. An alien likes me!!

"Ahh, that color again." He said "you exhibited some amazing powers there."

I did a double take not realizing what he was talking about at first and then tucked my wayward braid behind my ear - no one was to see that - my powers. 

Why can't I say something smart. Damn, I am messing this up. He's looking at me like I'm pathetic. I am pathetic, who would want me, Matthais sure didnt. Say something stupid. 

"You don't say much do you!? You know it's odd, you seem familiar-" his eyebrows tightly knitted together as if trying to muster out and answer by starring at me longer. 

I didn't mind him looking at me but then he seemed to shake off whatever he was thinking as he brushed his black raven locks behind his ear. "Well, I've got to be going little bookmouse."

I opened my mouth to say something but shut it. I fucked up the opportunity again. I watched him ascend the stairs to where everything began. I tried to say something cute, something to entice him but no sound came out. 

His ass was exactly what I thought it would look like and my mind fluttered to naughty thoughts.

"See you round, Kiowa," Gaelen called down to me. His brows knitted together again in amusement and in thought to himself that made his strong shoulder shake with laughter as he opened the door to the academic hall. 

I squeezed my eyes shut once the door closed and I felt a weight on my chest for not taking a chance to see if there was a potential for love. I had to get my head straight and quick. I had to get ready for class and life on campus. I will most likely never see cute raven-boy again. 

I sighed, I was smart and life was the best that any human being could have on this planet. Yet, that fact couldn't stop the empty feeling of my constant failing in the romance department.

If I could write home to my mom updating her, I would write: Hi Mom, Day 1 of university. Guess what I'm a Harvard Student. I didn't get vaporized and oh yeah, I think I have a crush on an alien boy named Gaelen.

*****

To My Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading. So you finally meet GAELEN!! 

I am working without an editor so it may be rough in a few areas. Thank you for your comments so far. Thank you Fanfare for your thoughts and comments throughout. Again thank you all - you are all my betas. 

I've made some changes to the previous chapters as I get your feedback and you can go back and read if you like. 




A Wider Sky Ch. 05



The very version first chapter used to start with Kiowa packing while her mother was nervous instead of her traveling in Pion's car. What are your thoughts on switching it back? 

Cheers and Happy Reading, 

~Talyis.



A Wider Sky Ch. 06



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Chapter 6

I filed into the auditorium with the other chattery students for my first class. Professor U. Winsdor, PhD had not arrived yet so the student's took advantage of having a window of time to mingle. A mixed group of students where sitting on the edge of the lecture stage while others where climbing over the seats. A group of fashionista girls gossiped in the center of the room but quieted as a set of fit, astute men circled them and sat on the top of the seat backs. The room filled with energy and college flirtations. 

I took a seat towards the back of the classroom to not draw too much attention to myself. With OCD style, I lined up my tablet, pen and a sheet of papers. I know pen and paper were seemingly inutile instruments today but I was so used to studying without electronics back home in the colony. I just hope I didn't stand out using caveman tools in my first alien class. 

I flicked through the chapters of the text on my tablet. Last night I devoured the chapter so many times, I had it memorized. Part of me did it to be ready for class but in fact I was just trying pass the queasy feeling I had from skipping dinner. I knew it was pointless to continue to avoid the inevitable, I would have to eat alien food soon or later. But ,I had enough of the learning curve for one day by just arriving at school and I didn't want to test my limits any further. 

"You always have your head buried in that thing, Bookmouse? Hello, Earth to Kiowa?" A familiar deep voice drew my attention away from my shield that was my tablet.

My heart started to sprint and I could only give him a droll expression. Why did I keep losing my words around this boy...alien. He was going to soon think I was a dumb mute. 

"Going Retro like me," he said tapping his pencil to a stack of torn pieces of paper. I didn't understand what he meant, I just watch mesmerized by his smile that spilled from his lips across his handsome face. "No tablet yet. School store is out-of-stock."

"You can read on with me if you'd like," I blustered.

"Alas, she speaks, speak again sweet Juliet." He perched his knee up on the chair next to me. 

I blushed and tipped my head down hiding my burning cheeks in my braids. He shrugged and slugged into the seat next to me. His long legs seamed squished in the small area the back of the auditorium allowed. 

He leaned in as I place my tablet between us like early civilization sharing a fire. Memorized I studied his fingers turning the pages of the textbook and then glanced catching my eyes with his. He simply smiled. 

I was falling in love. Absolutely smitten with this charming alien.

"Attention class. I am your Professor Ubeforg Windsor and for many of you in this room who are majors, I am your advisor. Today we begin studying human archaeology. We will study the human world and the humans before Eclipse and post-Eclipse. Many of you in this room will fail this class. By failing, will result in your immediate college dismissal.

Enough introductions. 

Before we begin, I want to bring something of interest to your attention as we delve into the study human archaeology. We are graced with a human enrolled in this university. He or she will be attending classes with you. Maybe not in this class because why would a human care to study human archaeology. I don't know who the human is nor do any of my colleagues. 

If you are able to find the human, point it out by citing the methodology of study from this class you will automatically pass this class. 

If this is your career of study then you, my friend will become an excellent archaeologist. And if you do identify the human, you will be my teaching assistant and automatically pass all of my courses this year. And just to sweeten the bounty, you will accompany me to one of the colonies for Spring Break."

My heart thumped, so much thrown at me at one moment. I was now going to be hunted by my classmates for easy A. My classmates were going to go to the colony during Spring Break. Which meant aliens often traveled to the colonies. We had thought we were safe and then my heart sunk into my stomach again when my cute alien tablet mate leaned over. He smelled amazing like my favorite Bengal spice tea: cinnamon, cardamom mixed with a masculine forest. 

He whispered sweetly into my ear, "I am going to find the human." 

He smiled like a sexy Cheshire cat, his eyes glinting with promise. I knew he was trying to impress me, the alien girl he might possibly like. 

But I was not that girl. 

***

"Hey," Gaelen hollered after me, trying to catch up. I pilled out of the lecture hall tying to get as far away from my hunter classmates as possible - least the find out who I am. "Hey wait up."

I flinched, feeling Gaelen pinch my arm causing me to stop. God I hope my skin feels the same as alien flesh does.

"Little Bookmouse, you ran out of there quick, was it that bad?"

"No," I said.

"Yeah," he tittered back and forth on his sneakers thinking of something to say."Hey can I come over to your dorm and read the text with you. You know since I don't have a tablet and being it was your fault that it was destroyed"

"Sure," I tipped my head to the left. 

"Thanks. Man what a great class this is going to be. I am so fascinated already. How about you?" 

He was lying. I could tell he could careless about the topic the way he fidgeted throughout the whole lecture. Oh my, he was a nervous as I was.

"Yes," 

Why was I speaking monosyllabic. I had more to myself than that. Come on Kiowa, say something interesting. Say something alien to throw him off this possible human path.

"Can you believe that a human being allowed to come here?" 

There it was, I imagined it sounded a lot like it did in the 1950's pre-Eclipse world. 

He continued, "Apparently, the human scored a perfect score on the test. No one scores a perfect score on the test. I only got a 89 and that's considered high."

I swallowed hard, I didn't realize that the aliens took the test too. And here I was with a perfect score - twice. 

"Yeah, wow. I only got a 70."

Galen looked at me like I had two alien heads and tentacles wrapping around my body. 

"There is no way you scored a 70. No one scores that low."

Fuck! There is no winning. 

I giggled, "Gotcha! I just didn't want to tell you my score."

"Why?"

"Nevermind."

"Oh come on. Tell me." 

Ahh here we go, I sighed with relief and cleverly tilted my head flirtatiously exposing my neck. I hope aliens found that sexy like humans did. 

"No, I wont tell you."

"Please?!" he begging was dripping with seduction. 

He continued to follow me to my next class. Finally, we had something happening. Maybe one word sentences but at least I was able to hold a volley like a normal human being.

"I've got to go to class."

"Alright, Bookmouse. I'll see you at your dorm, which one is it?"

"Mandela Hall." His smile widened with more enthusiasm. 

"I am in the same hall. 2nd Floor."

"I'm on the first, Room 109."

"Great," he gave me a double take and then shock his head amused, "See you later."

***

Word spread like wildfire across campus about the human enrolled. It had all my classmates buzzing with speculation. 

I had an hour in between classes, so in the spirit of doing as the Y'vori di, I sat on the grass in the quad to get a little studying. 

Leaning over my tablet, it surprised me how responsive my it was. It did not reflect the sun that was high in the sky and no matter much shadow a cloud cast on it, it was perfect and easy to read. 

The sun felt amazing, being in school felt freeing, I almost wanted to just lay back in the soft grass and enjoy the sun instead of study. In turn I admonished myself for my insouciance. How could I think this way when so many back in the colony had no time to sit in the grass and enjoy the sun. They only worked creating wares for the colony and for the aliens; and now to my understanding, things for the accepted humans like Ben and Maddie. Reading a book in paper version, let alone a tablet, was a luxury no one had time for. 

"I knew 'd find my bookmouse somewhere around here. Quietly tucking her head down in her tablet. You keep such a low profile one would wonder if you were the human." Gaelen teased as he plopped down next to me in the grass. 

Oh god, his green eyes matched the vibrancy of the manicured lawn. His black curls teased his forehead falling over his eyes suggestively taunting me to reach out and slick them back for him.

"I have a quiz coming up in my biology class that I want to score above 70," I teased and glinted my eyes at him.

"I have that next semester," he grabbed my tablet and quickly swished his finger across the glass this way and that. 

"Let's look at this schedule," he hummed and laid back on his free arm kicking his long legs in front as he read my schedule out. "Human and Y'vroi literature...interesting. Ancient human civilizations... that one you get to learn about the dinosaurs. Imergent Archaeology... My personal favorite." 

I winced, that one I knew was Professor Windsors area of his sabbatical studying how humans ruined the earth and that class was also going on a field trip to the colony for spring break. 

"Ahh this is interesting, you're taking sculpture. You might run into the human in that class." I gulped. "And of course The realm science." The class that we are in together, which was an intro course. 

He peeked up at me and winked, "We have a few classes together."

"What does that mean, your 're going to try to copy my homework or something." I rolled my eyes.

"Well that is yet to be explored; given I am not sure you're bluffing about having not received a 70 score."

I just sat there baffled not knowing what to counter with. 

"Give me that," I grabbed my tablet from Gaelen and slides bookmark onto the glass page of my textbook I was reading.

"You really are retro aren't you," he held up my spiral notebook and pen with my notes from the class.

"I retain information better if I write it down with my hand." I prayed that didn't come off as inferior human like. "I know terrible waste of natural resources. "

Gaelen just shrugged his shoulders and fell back into the grass to bask in the sunlight that bathed his dark black hair with color. 

"So why are you studying Achaeology?"

Gaelen opened one emerald eye to peak at me and then closed his eyes again. A sly smile crept across his face.

"My father is a general too. He actually led the Eastern Front during Eclipse; so I am expected to be at Yale, but here I am at Harvard. A rebel without a cause."

I propped my head by teepeeing my elbows to my knees as I glanced over to Gaelen and then back to the grass. 

"Why study military and war strategy? Right? When everything is done and over?" I shrugged my shoulders.

Gaelen laughed and just stared at me incredulously, "Are you sure you grew up in a military home, it's never over. Besides if I were studying military tactics I wouldn't be in class with a hot girl like you."

I blushed hoping to blame it on the hot as the sun. Gaelen sat up and swept my braids over my shoulder. When his fingers touched my skin, I felt like my stomach become a furry of beautiful butterflies begging to erupt. 

I hadn't felt this way before. Maybe because I was so close to Gaalen and I hadn't been this close to another guy ever. In the colony, I had feelings before for other guys, but I was never able to get close. Many of the guys saw me as a friend, the girl that studied hard in class for no reason. Since whatever we'd learned was only so that we could complete our assigned work path. It had always bothered me. I was always the girl with crushes but never pursued.

Gallen leaned against me and tapped my head with my pencil, bringing me out of my reverie. I hummed and looked at him. 

"I was just wondering what was going on inside in there," he chortled.

"I'm not dense you know?"

He arched an eyebrow and mouthed 70 silently followed by the most generous smile. "I never said you were."

I huffed, I have to be myself or else I was never going to get anywhere. And if I kept behaving strangely; he was going to figure out that I liked him. And I would be mortified or even worse begin to suspect that I was the human.

I pulled grass from the ground in frustration and tossed it playfully in front of me. Passed my hand quick-speed under the falling blades causing them to freeze in mid-air. 

"This is my first time away from home. I know pretty human, right? But I miss my mom." I curled my fingers as if I were tapping on a keyboard in the air causing the blades of grass to move.

"It's not human."

Gaelen's hand touched mine, covering over it and it took my breath away. The grass blades began to twist and tie into stick figures that began to dance with each other, gliding magically through the air. 

Gaelen whispered with guarded pain, "I've been away from my parents so much, I don't even remember what it was like to miss them."

"That's sad,"

"Nah, I handle it." Gaelen completely changed his sullen mood. "That's why I do what I do. They have no claim on me."

Claim. That stuck to me. That's how I felt about the aliens; that they claimed the humans lives. We lived in fear, our lives mapped out by what they said, did, and told us what we can and cannot do. But maybe they had also the same claims that they placed on each other.

"My parents said I could study whatever I want," I added shyly. "Does everyone have to do what their parents tell them to study."

"No, but you are lucky. Most leader kids become leaders." He sighed and dropped his hand from mine and the grass blade people dropped to their death. "I don't know what I think about the war to be honest."

My heart sped up, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know it's kinda the survival of the dominant species and we are the dominant species, but I don't know why. I just think that eventually we will also be inutile one day, too."

"Do you think the humans will rise up?"

He snorted incredulously and rolled his eyes, "Have you even seen a human?"

I shrugged my shoulders and then smirked, "Maybe? Are you afraid of humans?"

Gaelen laughed throwing his head back in a roar. His jade color eyes filled with joy. "Bookmouse, I like you. You are so strange." He straightened his back. "No I haven't seen a living human that is, in a long time. And no I am not afraid of them. We are on top of the food chain, my dear."

"I have too, they are not scary, but I couldn't help but feel... I don't know something for them. That's why I am taking this course study."

Gaelen shrugged his shoulders and then laid down in the grass, shaking his dark hair smoothing it out. "Alright, little Mouse, tell me. According to Professor Windsor, the humans were near extinction already. Why should we really care? We could die with them or survive?"

I took a deep breath. I had heard this in my classes growing up as a kid. When I told my mother, she rebutted but told me to answer their answer correctly but know the truth. "Regardless, does that mean we finish off a species that is near extinction. I read in chapter 3 about the humans attempt to actually preserve dying species of animals that were near extinction because they had learned the errors of their ways."

Gaelen tilted his chin in thought and raised an eyebrow in acceptance. It was too easy a win, I knew what he was going to throw at me next was going to be harder. I didn't know if I could hold it together without seeming too passionate about humans to be an alien. 

"I think the humans were misguided. They cared about the animals but not their own planet that housed the animals they wanted to attempt to preserve. Professor Windor also states in his book that the human understanding of the cosmos made it impossible for them to fully understand the balance of nature, living and dying."

"That may be. But shouldn't the intelligentsia rise up and help make rules and mandates to insure understanding by all - for equality."

"The intelligentsia did not have power like they do now. That is why the Earth is a better place, don't you think?" He sat up and then leaned into me. He lingered so close to me touching me. "You smell amazing. Like Earthy life is just bubbling."

With that, I shivered out my impassioned argument with a good nervous feeling. 

"You are not like other girls. I can tell there is something about you. You are always so deep in thought. I like that. You definitely probably scored more than a 70, little Mouse."

"I am not going to tell you," I teased and smiled.

"Listen, after I come over - and don't think I haven't forgotten about reading day - why don't we go to this party off campus."

Date? Off campus? I wasn't even sure I was even allowed off campus. I didn't know what town or where campus was, what if I got lost off campus. 

"Come on, you can't just study all the time. Its college, you've got to mingle, meet people. Have fun."

I took a heavy breath in surrender. He was right. "OK," as long as I didn't stray off of my dossier I should be fine, they said. "OK, ill go. Please just make sure I make it back to my dorm room OK."

"Great," he gleamed, "Its a date. And I will definitely make sure you make it back to your dorm safe." He grinned in a way that made my face flush, I couldn't believe what he was hinting to. And I secretly liked it.

*****

To My Dear Readers,

As always thank you for your feedback!! I am re-working this based on your experience and feedback reading it; so I would love to hear thoughts - you are all my Betas. 

Thank you for reading. 

Cheers and Happy Reading, 

~Talyis.



A Wider Sky Ch. 07



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Chapter 7

I'm floating around my dorm room with my arms flung out like a helicopter; in circles, I'm twirling and unwinding my day of mixed emotions of complete elation and pent up fears. I made it through my first day of classes and my last class - wow! I'm completely enamored by my last class of the day; and after it wrapped; I skipped to my room so full of joy. 

My Human Art History class opened my eyes to something amazing. I never knew how much beautify we had created Before Eclipse. I got to see the things my mom only spoke about and more. The art classroom brimmed from floor to ceiling with Before Eclipse artifacts from the world's famous sites and museums. 

My heart swelled with pride that I was human. I couldn't wait to write home to tell my mom what happened on my first day of school.

Plugging my tablet into the wall, I flicked the screen so that it spanned a huge projection across my wall of our first assignment. 

Music.

The melancholy of delicate notes touched my soul telling a story through a melody that ebbed louder and then flowed smaller into a whisper. This was human music which my mom told me about but often said she lacked the words to describe. She was right. These were the best human composers considered masters for centuries beyond their death. And, now, here in The Realm, I was listening to it. Touched in the same way that my mom and many humans before her had been Before Eclipse.

In the colony, we were only allowed to listen to alien music. I didnt mind Y'vori music. It was more cerebral, its tone notes tapped into various brainwave states and altered them to enhance mood. But now in comparison, these human masters were able to do the same and create more than pulses and beats. And our music told a story and I loved it. I loved being human, and with my dorm room door closed I was going to relish in being human.

My door disintegrated open, startling me with heated embarrassment. My arms out like a sad excuse for a ballerina complete with pointed leg jutting out.

"Ahh, that's a color of a sweet greeting," Gaelen tried to suppress his laughter and I tried to stop my blush.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I spat.

"Heard of a lock? I suggest you use it since we have a human in our midst. You never know what it's capable of doing to young, helpless girls such as yourself," Gaelen sauntered into my room. My door automatically closed behind him. 

He sprawled himself in my desk chair, his long legs kicked out in front of him as his leaned back in power. 

"What on Earth are you listening to?" He snorted and then turned to my tablet.

"It's beautiful isn't it." I smiled. 

I slapped his hand away from my tablet to replay Mozart's Requiem K Lacrimosa. The choral swam around the room and I felt like floating. The swinging of the strings made the room tilt like a boat. I closed my eyes, tilting my head back as if to offer prayer. 

Hands joined mine and I felt like I was living the sweeping notes. I snapped my eyes open to realize Gaelen had taken my hands into his own. We were floating in the air of my dorm room, dancing to Mozart, a human composer. He twirled me around and I floated like a ballerina haunted by the chorus. 

"What is it?" Gaelen asked as the chorus hit two final chords of the end of a sweat prayer.

"Mozart. A human composer. We are learning about human artists in my art class. Isn't it amazing." 

We landed delicately on our feet.

"It's a bit odd," he shrugged his lips and then fell back into my computer desk, commanding the room from the seat. "But I guess, I like it."

I jump up in excitement, "I know its odd at first, but it is so luscious with sound. I feel its makes my heart swell."

"I know what makes my heart swell," he winked at me and I blushed.

"You know, Mozart is not much different from our music. He was a genius. He even incorporated binaural beats in the music as well. It touches invokes the senses the same way our music does, but this tells a story."

"Are you saying a human was able to create something better than us?" He arched an eyebrow and slanted his lips in disbelief.

I evaluated my opinions allowing them to evaporate. Tell the truth and risk losing a friend because I said something pro-human or agree for safety sake. I jutted my chin in the air. "Perhaps I am saying that."

He tucked his hands behind his head and leaned back as if on a pillow. He chewed the inside of his mouth, considering the treasonous thing I had suggested. The more he consider the more his cheeks revealed adorable dimples. 

"Well maybe there are some things humans that can do. Personally, I am not convinced any use can be gained by the human on campus just because he scored a high score on the Y'vroi test."

"So, maybe humans are not as inferior."

"Ok!" He slapped his hands to his knees and leaned in. Again the smirk on his determined face with seductive dimples. "Let's consider this poor human. So yeah, he accidentally scored high on our test. He is at this school. He is going to fail because he is inferior, he is not Y'vroi and he will never be one of us. Wouldn't he be more happy excelling at a human university with his own kind."

I jutted my chin, realizing Gaelen didn't have a clue what happens to humans on a day-to-day basis in the colonies. The subjugated lives that did not include such a thing as human universities. 

"What if he has a chance at a better life by being challenged by students that are his superiors. Don't you think eventually humans will be able to catch up with the more opportunities they are given. Maybe they are like Mozart, he didn't even go to school." 

An incredulously green glare pieced me. He couldn't believe that Mozart, a human genius had not gone to school. He just shrugged his shoulders and for a second I thought he stopped to really listening to the melody. Like our conversation, the notes were suspended in the air like delicate stars twinkling in as pattern unbeknownst to us of the next emotional strain. 

I cleared my throat to pull his attention to the purpose of his visit. "I already finished the assigned reading." 

"I am sure you did, Bookmouse."

"Yeah..." I blushed a bit and tucked a braid behind my ear that always loved to fall in front of my face. "So do you want to read the text or do you want to read alone, I have other work but I could use another go through."

"You are quite the studious student aren't you?"

"I just want to make my family proud."

"Why?"

I paused, my eyes widened. Had I said another non-alien thing. Did aliens not care what their parents thought? Were they also forced to choices that they didn't want to do? 

"No reason really." 

I shifted my weight and pivoted my hip waiting for his answer to my question. Which he only answered by just investigating me with his soulful green eyes. 

"Sure, Bookmouse. You don't have to read the boring text again, I'll be fine on my own." He then took my tablet in hand. And I panicked.

"Wait." Precious secrets that would help me to stay anonymous were in the tablet. "I need my tablet. You know."

"Ill bring it right back."

"It's just that... I'll read-"

"Ah, I see," He sat down and crossed his leg over his knee and a powerful smile slithered across his jaw, "You don't want me to leave, is that it Bookmouse." His winked his eye at me and my heart sped up with my imagination. 

"I'm new. It would be nice to have a study partner."

"Sure it would be." He cupped his hands behind his back. He took in my picture window to spy on the students on the quad doing everything but study on the lush grassy area. 

"One thing," I gulped. "If I am to be your study partner, you have to go to this party with me."

He spelled out and I nervously nodded my head but I am sure I did shake my head a little as well in confusion.

"Great. Oh and leave the tablet behind."

I pressed my hand to my hip and swayed to the right. Sure thing I confident. I took a deep breath to steady my heart. 

"Great it's a date then." He answered when I said nothing.

***

It's amazing how different off-campus looked from Ben and Maddie's neighborhood. It was so apparent that the couple unequivocally did lived in a colony of sorts, and that colony was not a part of The Realm. People... aliens were blissful in the enjoyment of the wonderful weather. Couples walked hand-in-hand in the quaint town outside of the school grounds. Young and old hopped in and out of restaurants, cinemas, some were playing sports on golden and green fields. Happiness was thick in the air as they sat on sidewalk benches chatting or skipped into the artisan shops. Without a care in the world or concern for the basics in life, they sat outside fanciful cafes sipping drinks with friends while others waited for trains on platforms. 

Everything was full of life that just bustled with promise. Even though I had a sense of fear of being found out, I couldn't help not becoming circumvolved in the town's energy. I felt a bit of that hope than I had anywhere else in the world. My closest companion in life as a human was a strong sense of burden. Yet here, it was nonexistent and its heavy oppressive cloud was no where to be found on these people. I felt it constantly in the colony and even though Maddie and Ben pretended to have a better life, they also had it. 

I was speechless and even taking a breath of cleansing air was a lot. My emotions had run a marathon once I step onto the platform of the train that would take us to the city center. The platform sat above the the town's low-rise building. The design wasn't obtrusive; instead, it blended into the horizon depending on the time of day. A train hovered quietly into the station and stopped with a salty extinguish of air. Gaelen seemed to sense my trepidation once the silver train car doors disintegrated for us to enter. He grabbed my hand and simply squeezed it. 

I couldn't help but smile as Gaelen quickly found a spot in the standing-only area against the wall. With a hop and a small skip, he gathered my hand still in his own and grabbed onto safety handle. He pulled me close to him and seemed to exhaled with relief. Perhaps he needed to get off campus more than I did. I watched his green eyes shift cautiously as the train took off in speed and the scenery of our quaint college town blasted past the windows blending from green to grey to white blur of nothing recognizable. Once the train had established its quick sonic like speed, we were able to stand freely. He placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned against the wall.

He's could stare at his eyes that were green lagoons of so much curiosity and danger for hours. I was dying to comb my fingers through his raven black hair that had hints of purple as the twilight flicker.

Instead he twirled his fingers around one of my braids. "Kiowa..." He said lost in thought, "What kind of name is that?" 

I chewed on my bottom lip. How do I explain that my "alien" parents name me after a tribe of Native Americans. That my mom wanted to honor the original people of the Americas that were taken over, slaughtered and placed on reservations to live. Similarly to how we, humans, are forced to live in the colonies now. My mother told me, despite the oppression, the tribes continued to strive to be a peaceful. The tribes remained noble people that did not forget their heritage, where they came from and their traditions. I would be kind of a fitting name for me to have, if I were allowed to stay in The Realm after I finished university. Perhaps my mother knew what would become of me and she wanted me to spread our history that she so doggedly made sure I learned. 

"History, my dear, is what we hold on to. So that we do not make the mistakes of our past, that we or others are doomed to repeat," my mother would whisper like a lullaby before going to bed. 

I wonder if the aliens also saw it this way. They all took on last names that were the names of renowned human leaders and figures like the Windsors of England, Mao, Lenin, and King. 

"My mother loves human archaeology and history."

Gaelen just hummed, his liquid green eyes took me in more and then a sly smile pulled across his lips. "Have I met you before?"

"Why do you ask that?"

He pushed his back against the wall and tipped his hips towards me. "There is something about you that is, I don't know, familiar. I feel at ease with you."

I giggled, "Maybe because I saved your butt from breaking your neck. They say when people go through something dangerous they feel symbiotic."

"Ohh, I like the way you think. So, tell me something Kiowa. Why do you seem like a little mouse that is trapped in the middle of a busy tavern and has lost its way to her little mouse-hole."

"I haven't lost my way. I know exactly where I am."

"Do you little mouse?" He leaned in so close, I could feel his minty breath so near my lips. "The cats are about."

I shivered. "Perhaps I am one of the cats," I countered.

"And I am the mouse," He stopped, his eyes narrowed. He was so close to me. His lips tempting to capture my in a long embrace. He exhaled deeply and pushed my braids over my shoulder before leaning back again - away from me.

I tried to push the strangely intense exchange aside that had stirred my heart so much. We talked about mostly his family because I wanted to avoid trying to recall the dossier as much as possible. I learned a lot of Gaelen in that short time before we arrived at our train station. He was cocky as he was intuitive. He was very curious about humans, how they lived knowing how they had ruined the world. He was like me before I had arrived in The Realm, although he didn't know I was human - I hope not. Humans and aliens, both, had the same assumptions about each other's kind, some outrageous fears and misgivings which I was learning to push aside the more I talked to Gaelen. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would kill cities of innocent people or even charge many for the misdeeds of few. It was troubling how much he didn't really know about how the humans lived so completely different lives from the aliens. Nor, how the aliens affected colony quality of life so much that it often wasn't a life really worth living.

In that short 15 minute ride, I felt closer to Gaelen than ever before - that was until we arrived at the party.

Fifteen minutes after arriving to the packed house party, Gaelen was no where to be found. Sebol, one of the gossiping trio of girls in Windsor's class, greeted us. 

"Hey Taxa, Bane," Gaelen embraced the two tall guys I remembered that had circled the trio of girls in class. "This is Kiowa." 

Gaelen seemed relieved to pass me on to his friends for company while he talked to Sebol and her girlfriends that had just came in from behind me.

"Hey," Bane greet me in a deep gruff voice. Taxa said nothing, he just combed his fingers through his sleek coppery-blond hair and crossed his arms. I could see a series of tattoos peek from under his black t-shirt that molded to his large biceps. 

"You are in our program." Bane made small talk. He had shaggy cinnamon brown hair that fit his scruffy chin. Both men were tall and handsome. Taxa had deep piercing blue-grey eyes and an aristocratic chin. Bane seemed nicer than Taxa that just stood there scrutinizing me with silence.

"I've never seen you before?" Taxa finally spoke, his voice dripped acid, lethal. Bane rolled his eyes at Taxa but I saw a challenging glance in return which caused Bane to straighten up. Nervously, Bane sleeked his hair back and mirrored Taxa, arms tight across his chest. Now both of them seemed to engulf me with their size and physical domination. 

"So what's your deal? Why are you hanging out with Gaelen?" Bane's nose turned up and crinkled. "Are you just another women trying to make a name for themselves..."

"Hey lay off man. She's my friend," Gaelen interrupted - thank god.

"Boys," Sebol flirted. "Be nice to the new first-years. Let me give you the grand tour. Come on Gaelen." She was pulling him away and he only grinned like he had just found the hidden cookie jar.

"Have fun, Kiowa, meet you back here in a bit," Gaelen said as he happily allowed Sebol and her friends flirtatiously pull him away. Taxa and Bane followed behind them, their physical expression stringent to Gaelen's playful. It seemed for Taxa and Bane, their clique was a dysphemism requiring their participation. 

Gone on a grand tour of the loft, Gaelen left me at the front door. 

20 minutes later, I still hadn't spoken to anyone and still deserted by Gaelen. I debated how stupid I looked standing in a corner of the room. To afraid to speak to anyone, least I say something stupid or human. My only dance companion was a glass filled with some sort of alien drink that I pretended to drink. I only clenched it to my chest.

I just wanted to go home. I didn't know how to get home or even how to take the train. I was so angry, he had abandoned me for Sebol. And he had promised he would get me home safe. I huffed and tried to make the best of a terrible situation and that was not to jump to conclusions. 

I sauntered over to the brick wall of our host's loft and leaned against it. It was as if the blessing of heaven opened up. A girl walked around the room with a bucket of water bottles that she handed out. I wanted to grab two but didn't want to seem strange. I was like a nomad lost in the desert. The water hit my lips and I felt it on a cellular level. I wanted to gulp the entire bottle down, but I didn't know when I would get another chance to drink water again. So I savored it with tiny sips. Ben was right. The water here was amazing. It seemed even more crisp and clean than what it was when I first drank it at the Inspection Building.

I bopped to the music still holding a bottle of water like a life raft but at least I was loosening up a bit. I was so thankful for the water. It was the only thing staving off my hunger that I had been trying to ignore all day. I hugged the wall of the loft while more people flooded into the main room. Time slipped away by becoming mesmerized by the dancing style. Gyrating chests and hips made them look like tribal warriors ready to go to war or mate - I couldn't figure out which. Others flowed around the room, swirling strings of light around themselves that streaked through the air of the dark room, lighting it up with neon blues, greens and yellows. 

"Hey," a guy came up to me, his hands already on my hips forcing them to sway to his beat. "Haven't I seen you around campus?"

"Perhaps?" I shrugged and danced with him. Mustering everything within me to be free, I still clung to my water bottle like a magical wand to ward of scary aliens. "What school are you in?"

"Harvard."

"Me too, Isn't Professor Windsor the shit!" His blue eyes matched his enthusiasm but I only nodded. 

"I'm Kiowa," I extended my hand. With chagrin, he instead took it and placed it over his shoulder. Before I knew it he had swung me more into the crowd and we just bopped and danced with the rest of the crowd. 

I was feeling free for the first time since we arrived. I glanced over at Gaelen who was still sitting on the couches with Sebol. His legs sprawled out in front of him in his way of possessing his space. His arm draped behind her as he would lean back in the couch with confidence. I spied his careful timing of sweet impasses near her cheek and neck. It was as if he was waiting for me to not notice. I was certain that if we stayed much longer, his lips would be on her neck. I don't know why but it made me a bit furious right away - I had no right to feel offense. 

My dance partner took my water bottle as he raised my arms above my head. He was trying to loosen me up. Was I that stiff? I moved my hips as emphasizing my curves and shape-feeling awkward with each undulation. His blue eyes seemed to drink in my body. Eyes that were eager for me to show him more, yet he was sweet and did not partake before it was his turn. I couldnt help but glance over at Gaelen again to see if he was watching me - he is not. My heart sank even more, his hand has fallen into Sebol's lap. 




A Wider Sky Ch. 07



"What's your name?" I finally ask my dance partner, leaning into him. He had a great charming smile as he just started at me like a mute. "What's your name?" I repeated. Shaking his head pointing to the ceiling. Again I ask a bit louder, "Your name?!"

"Oh?!" Recognition of my question came to his eyes. "Lance Saladin. You are an awesome dancer..."

"Kiowa. Thanks," I pursed my lips in a smile and swayed more into Lance. His hands moved around my body to my hips, pulling me closer to him. The beat hit heavy pulses awakening something basic and feral within our brains. 

The entire room seemed to slow down into a deep sway of sea bodies. Corporately digging deeper into each others bodies, hips pressed closer together bending and swirling nearer to the ground. 

Lance leaned over me brushing his sharp nose against my neck. His mope of messy auburn hair was so soft to touch, it tickled my ears pleasantly. Impulsive, I know, but I wanted to drag my hands through his hair feeling it tease between my fingers. 

Everything about a apropos and just what i needed. Lance was tall and lanky unlike Matthias who was my height. He was hard in the swirl of hormones and his sweet patient attentive to me. His chest and arms that held me so warm. No longer was I stiff and awkward, I was becoming intenerate to his masculinity. With delicate respect, he guided my head to lay on his shoulder which made me feel cherish. The simple move chased away my abandonment from earlier in the evening. 

Part of me wanted to pull away and admit it was the brainwave beats in the music that was causing these feelings of attachment. But the other part wanted to just relax and melt more into his body. 

"You are so sexy, Kiowa." He whispered in my ear, his hands drifted down my back to cup my butt. His hands were inflamed with heat that was so soothing. 

The music picked up again into a different beat that made everyone start to jump up and down with arms pumping in the air. The room roared amain with cheer. We stopped our slow mating like dance and just looked around watching everyone shout a chat to a song I had no idea what it was. My gentle giant peering down at me held my hips steadfast. We couldn't help but giggle. Then Lance joined in with the rest of the crowd pumping his fists in the air as the room called out the chant in Y'vroi. 

Wow, the language. It was the first time I had ever heard it. It sounded like a romantic Latin yet had the deep timber of a Germanic or Asiatic language with a slight lilt of inflection.

My eyes swept over the room looking for Gaelen. He was still on the couch with Sebol. His arm also hung in the air and he closed his eyes, mouth in a solid line, as if in prayer.

When the song ended everyone cheered and clapped, others started reciting the words again even though the music had changed. Lance pulled me off the dance floor towards the refreshments our host laid out. 

The dishes looked so odd like translucent slugs and sparkling inedible crystals that would rip your stomach and esophagus to shreds if swallowed. 

"Are you hungry?" Lance took the opportunity to lean into to me as he pulled two plates from the stack. What a gentleman but alas I shook my head with a dim smile. "Are you sure, this is great. Sebol went all out. I suppose that's a perk when your father is a founder of the college."

Graciously, I waited for him to fill his plate with the Y'vroi expensive delicacies and followed him to the staircase outside that lead to the terrace roof. 

"What an amazing view?" I said as I sat down on the stairs and Lance joined me sitting close as if to try to use his body heat to keep me warm.

"Isn't it? My favorite building, no doubt is the Main Building which was designed by a human." 

I looked at the tall tower that seemed to animate itself in the sky like a staircase climbing to the heavens. 

"It is amazing. I didn't know it was designed by a human."

"Yeah, I can't believe it either. The human architect designed it post-Eclipse as an homage to the Tower of Babel. But instead of trying to reach God, it is meant to look like the steps to Y'vroi's home planet, connecting our former home to our new home. Amazing right? It's so real. Blending themes of architecture from both planets as it reaches the middle. Maybe he was part alien," he joked. 

As if that human and alien relationships were ever allowed even pre-Eclipse. I took quick stock of my taught and felt better about being slighted by Gaelen, it wasn't like it could go anywhere anyways.

"I bet the middle is the most expensive offices."

"Of course, that's the International Offices. Everything happens in the middle of the building. The world leaders meet in the center of the building. The colony managers meet and have their staff in there too. The world's scientists and technological developers all have desks and labs on the floors of that building." He looked off as if he wanted to grab the offices that radiated a beam of light that jutted a lined across horizon of the city's skyline. "One day, I will be in those offices."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a colony manager. It is the most lucrative job."

A colony manager? We had known that our governor had pretty much no power other than to listen to what the aliens dictated. I had always thought the governor was under a President or a congressional body. I would have never guess our fate was in the hands of a business man; that was more like a modern desk jockey with a cubicle, in a high-rise office tower, drooling our the rules, regulations or even the mandates to turn on the switch to power our homes. 

"What kind of manager would you be?" my curiosity was catching up to the cat quickly.

He pulled me close to him, "The best kind, sweetheart. You can count on that." 

A fresh breeze flew across the terrace causing Sebol's beautiful flowers to shudder with it, Lance pulled his jacket off and draped it over my shoulders.

I liked Lance and I wanted to become his friend because perhaps he could be the key to make our lives better.

"Can I ask you do something?"

"What?" Before I could answer, Lance tipped my chin up towards him and pressed his soft lips to mine. 

The kiss fast and strong. His cologne was a perfect match to the kiss of black licorice and spice. I matched his kiss with a second one and he in-turn rewarded my courage with a third with more fervent kiss. I was doing flips in my mind. This was my first real kiss. Matthais kissed me, but he had never meant it for anything more than an exertion of whim. My proximity was beneficial for him to experiment his sudden proclivity to want to practice kissing without sincerity. Matthais was never attracted to me.

His tongue smoothed over my bottom lip before capturing it pulling with his teeth. He wrapped my hands around my neck and I gasped against his lips. This was moving so fast. I didn't want to seem like a novice so I combed my hands through his hair. I moan with the lost inhibitions only pleased him more causing him to groan with pleasure against my mouth. 

"You are very sweet." He said pulling away from me to take a cleansing breath of air. "I could kiss you again."

My fingers traced his ears and he melted with a satisfied goofy smile of ecstasy, "Why not do it again,"

He pulled me into his lap and held me close before tipping my head back into another kiss, this time his tongue teased into mine. I was now melting poetically into lust.

"Am I interrupting something," a familiar deep voice chuckled from the window. "Time to go Bookmouse."

I sat up, my turn to take a cleansing breath of air. I didn't want to go, part of me was happy that Gaelen kept his promise to make sure he saw that I got back to campus in one piece, the other part wanted to stay with Lance to see where things would go.

"See you in class, Kiowa," Lance said as we both stood up and stretched in a way that mimic our reluctance to leave each other. 

I nodded simply and then passed his jacket to him. I wanted to be cool, unaffected and more alluring but not seeming too interested, but I know my blush couldn't lie. He was an amazing kisser. What a pleasant surprise. My first kiss in the non-friend-zone. I couldn't stop the pride that made my heart speed up. My first real kiss given to me by a tall alien with a messy mop of auburn hair that could change the world for good. 

***

Gaelen hoofed in front of me to the train station not saying a word to me. I tucked my hands deeper into my pockets because the chill I was receiving from his frosty behavior. He was making me uncomfortable. He skipped stairs, bounding up to the train platform to get away from me as fast as he could and still escort me. He paid for our fares before I reached the top. I trailed behind him on the platform, not wanting to encourage whatever it was that had made his so sore with me. 

I sat down on a silver bench and starred at the ground while he paced back in forth with long single strides in front of me. I really had no clue what happened at the party while I was on the terrace. Whatever it was, it had infuriated so much that he wouldn't speak to me. He just threw darted embattled, green eyes at me.

"I was worried about you!" He shouted finally. He leaned over me, trapping me with his long arms. His breath was minty fresh but his eyes were an inferno. I couldn't help but blush. He exhaled, quieting down and collapsed into the seat next to me as all the angry tension evaporated from his body. "Oh, not with that blush now. I was worried about you. I couldn't find you anywhere." His anger which seemed to tapper was mounting again with every word. 

"I just went to the terrace to get fresh air."

"Fresh air," he snorted. "You were making out with Lance."

"What do you care?!" I yelled, "You seemed quite occupied on the couch."

"You left the dance floor and I couldn't find you." My breath hitched at this acknowledgement, he had been watching me- strategically placing himself on the couch so he could watch me. "You made me promise to take care of you and you ran off to make out with some guy who asked you to dance! I looked all over the loft for you- worried."

My eyelashes hid as best they could my embarrassment and relief. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"No, you didn't!" He took a long breath of the crisp cool fall air, his hands combing through his hair as if to alleviate his stress. "So do you like this guy?"

"I don't know I just met him. Do you like Sebol?" I countered trying to hide any jealousy I had bubbling and brewing all night.

He leaned back against the bench, again his legs sprawled long and again anxious fingers comb through his midnight blue iridescent hair. 

"I don't know.. I do like her but I am not sure she's the one." 

"I don't know if I believe in the one." I mean, I used to but my one married Natalia and Matthais was my soulmate without a doubt. "I can't believe that there is only one person in the entire world for one other person. Not when there are so many types. Of people that offer so many positive perspectives and experiences to a match." 

"How can you say that?" He looked at me like I was insane. "You can't reverse what is meant to be?"

"Maybe there are more than one meant-to-be's. Maybe what you think is an only-option is still a choice. You know?"

He again stared at me with chartreuse windows to his soul that were so deep with question and intrigued I felt goosebumps rise. 

"You cease to amaze me." He attempted to smile but his lips aligned in a worried line. "How can you go against the name that is written on your soul? What if I do want to love someone else but the name on my soul is forcing me to love that person."

My lips matched his worried line, I had delved into a part of alien life that was completely foreign to me. I wasn't sure if he was speaking in literal terms or in the most romantic illustration of love and will that I had ever heard.

I erred on literal. "Do you know anyone who won against predestination?" Nervously I waited for him to chuckle in his sweet way for my misunderstanding but instead my stomach went sour watching his body fill with a deeper anxious.

"My brother, Thaddeus," he said in a near whisper. "He fell in love with a girl his final year of university. She was so much his match we were all sure she was the one written on his soul. But then, during Spring Break during graduation, they took a trip to the Southern Hemisphere to monitor the occupation and re-establishment. My brother was working with the General's son down there and the three of them became friends. Shortly before leaving in the middle of the night while hold her in their tent, her soul revealed the name written on it." He paused as if his brother's pain was his own. "No I don't believe that you can change fate."

I blinked away my confusion but curiosity broke through. "Did you brother try to show her that they had developed a relationship? They had history, they were in love, it doesn't make sense."

"Once her chest glowed the general's sons name, she didn't love my brother any less, she just began to love the general's son more."

I leaned over in the bench considering all that I had learned. I felt like my head was going to exploded the things I was taking in minute by minute living in the realm these short 72 hours. I had considered it so unfair to not have the chance to pick your own career path and having the aliens choose it for you with no regards to your wants, desires or loves. But to not have a choice in who you fell in love with was a low blow, and it was the first time I sympathized for the Y'vroi. 

"Did your brother's soul reveal his mate?"

"He was so distraught by his heartbreak he went into the cities district and sought after a soul reader who opened his soul, before it was ready, and found out the name of his mate." Gaelen yawned and stretched. "He hasn't met her yet. So its just a matter of time but he gets nervous anytime he meets a girl named Isobelo." Gaelen chuckled and his body seemed to relax. "I considered going to the soul reader too, but I think there is a reason why the soul reveals the name when it does."

"Maybe because you truly start to fall in love with that person and then the soul inscribes it on your heart. Maybe it is blank until you meet the person."

"I doubt that Bookmouse, but I admire your optimism." He stood up and looked down the platform waiting for the train to pull in. "So do you think Lance is written on your soul?" A single raven eyebrow jumped up framing his beautiful inquisitive expression that could help but make me smile.

"I don't know. I don't think so we just met."

"Well if your chest starts to pulse and project a name tonight then we'll know." He grin deviously which I knew signaled for a tease coming up. "Lancelot and Kiowa kissing in a spaceship. First come the soul lights then comes the mating ring, snug like a bug with a baby shot from a star.." He sung and I couldn't help but smack his arm.

*****

Dear Readers,

So we are learning a little bit more about Gaelen and the Y'vori college student's. Kiowa is adapting to life in The Realm and has a new ally. I guess you need allies when the world is gone to the aliens.

Thank you for your comments and votes. They help tremendously and keep me going. I am updating previous chapters posted as well with slight and major changes. Chapter 1 I've posted a question regarding pacing that I hope you can share your thoughts on. 

Cheers,

~Talyis





A Wider Sky Ch. 08



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 8

Four days into my first week of school and I held my head like a rooster. I hadn't slipped and revealed that I was the human admitted into the school. I wasn't failing my classes - actually I had passed Windsor's famous first surprise test . The first week test was famous for it being the Professor's need to shift and weed out the lackluster students. I was pretty proud of myself . My only disappointment was Gaelen. He kept our relationship in friend space. I couldn't help but dream that there was something more sparking between us. 

A girl could hope and read the signs.

Which I was always bad at deciphering.

Gaelen purchased his tablet two days ago, but he kept stopping by my dorm room. He always had a reason to knock on my door: to read the assignment, walk me to my next class, and every excuse in between . He had a knack of finding a reason to knock on my door. I think he found my bookwormishness soothing for the purposes of studying-or maybe-he was into me. 

Alas, this was wishful thinking. It wasn't like he was truly tempted to do anything with me other than study; and that was fine with me, even though it made me feel anxious. Because deep down inside, I wanted to be more to Gaelen than just a friend. I'm tired of 'just friend' status. I wanted to be alluring, feminine and irresistible - not a second thought.

Gaelen had been pressuring me to open up since the party about what had been troubling me. He said that he sense that I was always carrying a burden of stress and fear. He was right, actually so intuitive that he pinpointed it exactly. He wanted to know what it was that I could never tell him the truth. It was my fear of why I was really allowed to go to the university; and what would happen if my classmates realized I was the human. 

"So I am going to Sebol's this weekend, do you want to join us?"

I stuffed my hands into my pocket feeling the weight of my schoolbag pulling down on my body with each step, making harder to keep my bag up.

"I don't know? I think I will stay in and get a head start on preparing for next week's test in Professor Windsor's class."

"Ahh, the Professor. You are meeting with him this afternoon?"

"Don't remind me Gaelen. I am a nervous wreck." If anyone was going to figure out that I was of this world it would be Professor Ubedorf Windsor. Every student was required to meet with their advisor to discuss their academic career. It would be my first student-advisor meeting; I was to propose my first-year thesis. "I overhead in class yesterday that he made a girl cry during her meeting."

"Don't let gossip faze you, Kiowa. You are a hard working student. You've probably already made up for that 70."

I couldn't help but smile. I will never live down the fact I tried to dumbed-down to flirt with him. I 'd completely struck out in my flirt by saying I had the intelligence of a toadfrog's - as one of my dormmates explained during a late night study break in our hall lounge.

We crossed the quad trying to avoid the frisbee throwing coeds running across the lawn. Each step, I felt like I was sinking into the Earth with dread of meeting Windsor. I had to fight against sinking swamps in my mind to take my next step.

"Great," Gaelen mumbled to himself.

Lance was running up to us from his study space under a tree, beaming

"Hey, how's it going?" Lance's face powdered with a cool sheen.

"Good," I gave a simple answer, for a simple relationship, least Gaelen think there was more to me and Lance. 

Gaelen's jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. Gosh, he really didnt like Lance. Or was he jealous?

"Cool. There is a group of us going to the cinema this weekend to watch human films depicting alien invasions, wanna come?"

I shuffled slightly to pretend I was not to eager. Big mistake. My shuffle made my head spin like my equialibrium was thrown off.

"She's staying in to study, sorry Lance." Gaelen answered for me, his voice laced with acid.

"Oh. Well maybe next time." He shrugged and then his eyes where back on me as if he knew I was turning green. "Did you hear about the guy that was beat up this afternoon?"

"No, why?" I hadn't heard of any violence on campus. It seemed like a pretty peaceful small campus community. 

"He was a new student this year but some students from Windsors class thought he was the human?"

I really felt like I was turning green like Kermit know, I felt bile bubble up to my throat.

"Was he human?" Gaelen asked.

"No he is completely Y'vroi."

"I'll see you later Lance." I nearly burped my goodbye and turned to leave.

I had to get out of this conversation and quick. I was feeling sick for more than one reason now and if I blew my cookies in a non-alien way it would be terrible on many fronts.

I turned around too fast and again the swamplike sensation returned to my limbs. My world rocked hard, upwards, throwing me into the air to gracefully float down.

Gaelen was the first at my side. Leaning over me, slapping my face and calling my name. Lance also stood over me dumbfounded how to help. 

I could see Gaelen's lips moved but through the haze that clouded my mind I could not understand what.

"I'll take her to her dorm room. She'll be ok." I heard Gaelen say before I felt like I was being swooped into the air by a large bird with two strong wings that held me up. 

He did not let me go once he opened my dorm door. He just carried me to my bed to sit while cradling me to his chest.

"Are you okay?" Fear wrapped around his vocal chords giving a new resonance to his already deep strong voice.

"I'm just dizzy."

"Do you get dizzy often?" 

No only when I am starving. I could have said and then start a whole conversation about why I knew what it was like to starve because it was common in the colony.

"I think I'll be fine after I get some rest." I lied but my stomach rumbled loudly, it wouldn't take a sonic hearing only bat to hear my tummy.

"When was the last time you ate?" Gaelen asked and I shock my head no. Not no because I did not eat 'last time' or anytime, but no because I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to eat alien food-not yet. I wasn't desperate enough yet.

I am going to get you something to eat from the cafe." He deposited me on my bed and pilled a water bottle from his backpack.

"Here drink this," sure, as long as I don't have to eat that and fall down the rabbit hole of alien life.

"I will be right back." And with that, Gaelen went on a hunt for food like a caveman taking responsibility to his tribe. 

He returned with a smorgesborg of strange food on a tray and packaged snacks that he sat on my lap. He tucked himself beside me on the bed and opened the plate toppers, revealing strange moving slug like translucent food.

I scrunched up my nose and tried to wiggle back from the tray on my lap.

"I am not leaving until you eat, Kiowa."

"I am not that hungry." I answered but again my stomach gurgled so loudly I thought the bile would erupt with it.

"Bullshit. You are hungry enough that you would faint."

I could attempt to make it through another day, but he was right my mind was foggy and Ill I could think of was to stop the ship rocking effect not eating had wrecked havoc on my nerves. I had to eat eventually and I guess now is the time.

"I'm not leaving until you eat," he threatened with a raven black eyebrow raised in warning.

I pinched my eyes shut and slowly picked up my fork.

"Why haven't you been eating?" He interrupted. My gumption flew out the window in that moment.

"I...I-" I stuttered. Should I tell him, surprise I'm the human and by the way I am terrified of your food? "I've just lost track of time today and forgot to eat. I'm really cramming for this test."

I chewed my bottom lip nervously hoping he'd accept that answer. His eyes seemed to survey me. Brilliant green alien eyes narrowed with so much speculation, my veins felt like ice. He was sure to find that I was a failable human.

"You know to think about it, I don't think I have ever seen you in the cafeteria."

I shrugged and then picked up the fork and stabbed the slimy slug and tried not to think. Where did they aliens find this food on this planet? I knew that before the human world crumbled, somewhere in central Europe all of our seeds were stored. It was a strategic plan to ensure that the hybrids and Sontomon seeds, that eventually ruined the planet's food-ecosystem, wouldn't ruin real food. Little did we all know Santomon was an alien, strategically delivering the first attack on humankind way before Eclipse. 

Without another reflection, I popped the slug in my mouth and chewed. As I chewed it was surprisingly smokey and the texture wasn't slimy or flaky, it reminded me of ham. My eyes must have been big as saucers because Gaelen looked at me with those teasing green eyes. I blushed.

"Ahh, that's the color I like on those cheeks, not that ashen grey you were earlier. Ok, one bite down. Eat more. And I am serious!"

I shiver ran up my spine, I had never heard him talk so firmly with me before - I liked it. 

I took a second bite, still pork tasting not slimy slug. My stomach started to quiet down and feel better already. The third bite, I tasted the smell of dirt and rancid sea, my stomach started to have second thoughts. It's all mental I told myself and quickly finished off the clear slimy slugs. 

Surprisingly, I felt full and I started to set the tray aside.

"Hell no!" Gaelen made me jump. "You're not done, you've got to finish the rest."

I slumped against the wall.

"I am full. I'll finish the rest after I study for a bit."

"It will taste horrible in an hour." The urgency in his voice struck me. "Finish it now and I'll study with you as a reward." he wagged his bushy eyebrows. 

Sure, I wouldn't mind studying with him. I liked Gaelen and tried hard to not like him more, he obviously only wanted to be friends.

I stared at the crystallized rocks that shimmered on my plate. These things - Lance loved them - said they were a delicacy and only for special occasions. Yet they looked like they could rip your mouth and throat apart. But hey, this was an occasion, I was eating alien food and if it made me choke at least I wouldn't have to eat the rest of the food on the plate.

Instead of attempting to use a fork on the plucked from the sky starburst, I picked up one with my fingers. It was rock hard and I imagined it breaking my calcium rich but still soft human teeth.

"Dessert next already?" Gaelen smirked. He seemed a bit bored do tracing the lines of his black corduroy pants. But then he looked up at me with those amazing loving eyes that sparkled with amusement at my expense. "I took a few from Sebol's party. Enjoy."

I popped the crystal into my mouth and I blushed knowing my expression was full of first time surprise.

The crystal things were amazing, soft and sweet in my mouth, immediately melting like smooth caramel or chocolate once it hit my tongue. I could eat this.

Gaelen must have understood my absolute enjoyment. I waited for the teasing remarks from him, but it didn't come, instead he leaned in close to me.

I was sure he was just going to give me a friendly body tap but instead his lips were moving so close to mine, my mind scrambled. Sweetly ,he pressed his lips to my. It was a bit possessive but not insecure. He was gentle as his lips covered mine, slightly wetting them in between his lips, and then pulled them away like plucking a rose petal.

He then sat back and a sly smile slide across his face, eyes glinting in his power commanding way.

"I had to kiss you, you looked so innocent and sweet eating those clusters. You are sweeter than the clusters."

I blushed and looked away, awkwardly pulling my renegade braids behind my ears.

"Should we study," I quickly and successfully pushed aside the tray and hopped to my feet. God-willing gravity to keep me from pacing around my room like a ninny. 

Gaelen just leaned back on my bed against the wall, crossing his legs at the ankles seemingly amused by my embarrassment. "What if I tell you I am not interested in studying?"

"What do you want to do instead?"

"This is college Kiowa, we are supposed to procrastinate once in a while." 

He was confident. Cocky, commanding and seductive was the way of everything about him. The way he leaned against the way on my bed, his upturnd smirk, and those terrible emerald eyes that were bigger than saucers under dark raven eyelashes. Even the way his iridescent locks mocked me, enticing me to run my fingers through the loose curls to pull him in for another kiss. A kiss that I did want to have, I wanted second chance to feel his soft lips and scratchy chin on my lips.

"IT'S A SHAME! Lance stole my chance to be your first make-out of your first year. Especially since I earned it, nearly dying at your hands. But I'll settle fo this," he growled and pulled me to his lap capturing my chin and lips. 

He wants me.

But that was not what he was saying. A surge rushed through my body, it was so odd, I had never been angry so outwardly. I usually hid my unhappiness and definitely my rage.

"You like Sebol. You want to procrastinate and make out with me , when you've stated you are definetely interested in Sebol!'"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean my kiss to anger you." He still held a domineering posture while casually lying on my bed. But his tone was so contrary, it was conflicted. 

We just stared at each other, waiting for one of us to say something that would bring us back to the old Kiowa and Gaelen. But we only kept staring at each other. We seemed to realize we had nothing to say at all, lest we make it worse.

"You're breathtaking." Gaelen started and I stopped breathing. "You are and I noticed you right away when you caused me to nearly die on the stairs. Yet I didn't die but my tablet sure did." I rolled my eyes, he was so far doing well but had to add in a jest. "You're obviously very special and someone who is deserving of you, will find you. I'm afraid I am not that person."

There it was. Mathias had said the same thing to me a few weeks ago. He's explanation after my eyes landed on Natalia wearing the wedding dress. Matthais knew I liked him, but he led me on and tried to justify his unattraction to me by saying someone else was for me.

I knew it was only seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. My brain scrambled through many scenarios to not fall apart then and there.

"It's no problem. I'm actually really liking Lance." I tilted my head like a snob, I like this strong Kiowa already. "He might be written on my soul so its no lost to you."

I was proud. I sent the dagger and watching Gaelen for the first time not look as commanding. It hit him and his body seemed to deflate.

"Good. So we are friends." The dagger came back but I only let it scratch me. A scratch, a scratch but find me in the morn I will be a feast for the worms, I recited to myself.

"Good, let's study then. Procrastination is over." Gaelen touched my arm in his playful friend tap, but his hand lingered longer. His eyes widened and he shook his head with concern. 

"I need to talk to you," I tucked my chin to my chest, something was wrong and my heart leaped. Gaelen's voice was deep and measured. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" I matched his anxious tone.

"I've never met anyone like me, they said only a few were affected."

"What are you talking about?" I whispered, my head hurt by my brows being knitted together so tightly.

"That's why I didn't enter into the program at Yale, you too. I just never thought I'd meet someone else like me."

You ever wonder what it would feel like to be in an hour glass. I imagine it would feel suffocating at the final sands spilled into the final seconds of the time running out - I was there.

"I honestly don't know what you are talking about?"

"Don't lie to me ever. I cannot stand when people lie to me and I will not tolerate it." His green eyes pierced so fierce, I thought he would strike out like a abused animal or cry. He took a breath, closing his eyes, calming himself and then returned his gaze to me with a new intensity that was full of compassion. "I know the truth Kiowa."

The air in my lungs was sucked out of me. 

"I have the defect as well. You too, I can feel it under your skin."

Oh god, more alien stuff, maybe we aren't so different after all - us humans.

"I never was told I had the defect."

He opened his mouth to say something and then quickly shut it. His body slumped in relaxation before he straightened it with decision. The old, confident and strong Gaelen returned as he sauntered to my desk to pull up our classroom text on my tablet.

I stood baffled, what was he hiding.

*****

Alright we are cooking here. Things are getting near the half way point. Thank you dear readers for sending me your love with comments and votes. I appreciate them. I love to hear what you think as you read. I'd love to hear what you think of the characters so far.

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis 



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



A Wider Sky Ch. 10



Chapter 10

Moist.

Chilly.

Dirty.

Sour.

Dank.

Pebbles that were spine tingling.

Soft.

Mint.

Silky, tickling my chin and teasing my ears.

Warm.

Moist, wet upon my lips.

He was there, his emerald eyes hidden under those perfectly framed blue-black eyelashes. His loose curls draped my ears with warmth, above me was the canopy of the forest, playing peekaboo with the blue sky. 

But what brought me to, was Gaelen's lips pressed against mine, kissing me. I could pretend I was still passed out. He wouldn't know the difference, his eyes were sweetly closed as if in the midst of an earnest wish. A wish that I was also an alien and that his soul would write my name on itself sealing us together. But that was my wish and it wouldn't happen. I was human, a smudge upon the new earth, the post-Eclipse earth. I was more than a defect. I was dreaming and I didn't want it to stop.

I pressed my lips forward to meet his kiss, he responded snaking his arm under my body pulling it closer to his own. My heart sighed, that was the warmth is awoken to, shielding it from the chilly breeze that pin-pricked goosebumps on my arms. Our mouths tango danced and tangled, tongues and lips drawing into each other, teasing and prompting returns of delirious lust.

"My mother told me the fairytale about Sleeping Beauty being awoken by a kiss from a Prince," I whispered and he growled with passion kissing me with more earnest.

"No more human archaeology, Kiowa, just be in the moment." He commanded in his princely way. The idea that he was a prince was hard to get used to.

My hands snuck behind his back and journeyed up his back, feeling his flesh, it felt human, everything about him was human yet inside he wielded the power that was foreign to this universe. Inside me, I also had a power created to adapt to this new invaded universe.

My mind felt like a starburst, from that thought more insights came to me. I had to stop this foray as much as I didn't want to but I couldn't lose this train of thought. I gently pushed Gaelen off of me.

"Are you okay now? Perhaps you should faint again and we can continue where you let your big brain stop us, or is it your innocence that bades you to freeze up?" He said it teasingly but it had too much hint of male dominated annoyance. I couldn't let it stop these ideas, thoughts moments of true clarity.

"Gaelen, what if..." I was careful how I phrased my next words. "You know how nature fights against a predator? It creates a solution. It adapts. I thought that-," I had to make this sound alien. "I was thinking that the defects could be caused by this planet's ecosystem." I really meant humans being able to have powers, but I hadn't meet anyone with my powers, so I quite possibly could be the only one. I only could assumed I wasnt the only baby in natal during Eclipse and turned out to be more than human. "What if your defects are really a part of the evolution of our kind on this planet." I really meant humans and I could see the gears behind his eyes churning, thinking that I meant becoming more human. "Not that you are becoming human. You are becoming a part of this planet. What better way to be a ruler. A ruler who is part of this planet."

He leaned back on his elbows, legs crossed at his ankles thinking. "I think we should stop thinking about the fate of Y'vroi and focus on us." 

He then leaned back over me, cradling my neck. I went along with it just forgetting he was alien and a prince or that I was human. 

His kisses were heavenly but then he pulled away.

"I want you on my arm at the Festivities."

He asked for me! I couldn't believe it. Someone asked for my hand like I was special, chosen, not the final pickings or unwanted leftovers. My heart somersaulted and if my soul could make a choice and write a name upon itself, it did at that moment.

"Gaelen," I nearly leap into his lap with excitement. He laughed and wrapped his strong arms around me. "I think I'm falling for you too."

I felt the brakes stop with me to a screeching halt. I admitted too much too soon. I ruined it all. I blanched from head to toe. He shook his head in his teasing amused way, raven locks floating in unison with his deep laughter.

"I'm falling for you too." He kissed my button nose.

I knew I was soaring now. I felt validated, I was a woman, I was interesting beyond platonic, I was appealing. I was able to be myself and admired as a woman for it.

"You know you have point about nature." He wrapped his arm around me and I felt immediately so warm I never wanted to leave his embrace. "I think we should practice nature...right now"

I squalled as he pulled my legs from under me bringing my hips to his, wrapping my legs about his waist. God he smelt wonderful. I wanted to never for get his smell, as he leaned into me, his lips teasing my chin, trailing hot to my neck. I could feel his hardness straining against his jeans that was dangerously close to the juncture of my thighs. He began to rock himself into me, his fingers teased the collar of my blouse, taking a peak at my flesh but not revealing anything but my nude clavicle and he relished in it. I would have never guessed Gaelen Borgias was a slow, deliberate lover relishing in the sight of my collarbone. This man savored passion.

"What if it is true? Defects are becoming more adaptable to this world. It means we are meant to stay here. To rule," I couldn't help but add. I was like a finicky horse, all nerves, yet mine were bundled in my tenacity to have to say something instead of relish passion..

"Yes, but even being on the top of the food chain. Nature has its way of controlling the top as well. Disease, weather, ailments or prey diseases and poisons," He said in between kisses lining my collar.

"Exactly, the humans can also do harm to our balanced ecosystem."

I winced, suddenly his passion seemed to have a cold front coming. Did I do that?

Gaelen rolled off of me and let his back fall hard into the moss of the tree. He dropped his arm over his eyes sighing with exasperation. 

Damn, why couldn't I turn off my brain, just for 15 minutes.. 

"What are we to do? Get rid of the humans because they can poison us?" Gaelen said into his arm, not really wanting to engage in this discussion.

"What if they did?" I asked.

I had to know his position. His passion was so real, but I needed to know, what would happen when he finds out I'm human. I realized I couldn't be in the moment because my fear of my heart being broken because I'm human had to be known first. I was way over my head already. I did have strong feelings for him, but I have to guard my heart better or else find out the truth of his intentions.

"Yes, but some predator and prey or weaker species are better dwelling with each other. Consider the rhino and the birds on its back?"

"Consider the brown recluse spider?"

"The tomato and a basil plant live and grow better next to each other than in separate areas."

"Kiowa, the humans-" he sat up.

"Are humanoids just like we are. Our flesh, our hearts, our ..." I couldn't think of anything else without making an error. "We are so similar."

"So are the garden snake and the python. Kiowa, the human could end us with their destructive nature."

"I don't think so Gaelen. They don't have anything. No powers, they are weak. What should we do? Exterminate them, because we are afraid they are going to kill us based on speculation. We might kill them by sneezing on them. Yet probably not since we are so much like them. We lived together with them for decades before Eclipse. Did any of us die because a human gave us a cold? Do we continue to alienate ourselves from our new planet's hosts because we are afraid of our differences or the fact we aren't that much different from them after all."

"We are different from them. We are higher than them. We are the top of this planet's ecosystem and sometimes nature allows other species to take over."

"Only if improperly introduced!"

"What is this?!! Kiowa?! Why do you bring this up, my defect being a strength and then turn it into a weakness again. Don't toy with me Kiowa!" He stood up and was glaring down on me.

"I'm not toying with you." I also stood. I had to see him eye to eye. "I think that if we are going to talk about evolution and survival of the prey and predator then we have to acknowledge that we might have-"

"You sound like one of them?!" The pine needles around us bursted from the forest flow and created a circle wall around us. His temper flared with his powers and I was truly frightened for the first time since arriving in the realm. "Those!" He growled. "Is that why you know all this shit about human things, Kiowa. Are your parents part of the rebellious scourge?!" My eyes widened, rebels? What rebels! Humans? Aliens? What was he talking about? "Answer me now, Kiowa!"

"No. No." I shook my head trembling. His temper froze from hot to cold in an instant. The sharp pine needles fell like snow back to the ground. Fuck! Was he going to attack me with those tree daggers. "Stay away from me, Gaelen. Your temper..." Scares me I wanted to say. "Your behavior is not what I deserve."

"Kiowa." He tried to stop me from standing up. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to anger you."

"That's twice, Gaelen. Go be moody around Sebol." His shoulders stiffened at my words to my satisfaction.

"Kiowa, please. I care a lot about you. It would kill me to know that you were an enemy of The Realm. I'm sorry I assumed you were against my family. You just spoke so... passionately for the humans."

"I was not!" I stopped him as soon as I could before he began to put what I said into clues of my human nature. "I was only stating the facts of evolution. Humans are an afterthought."

"Kiowa, please don't go. I hate humans. They always complicate everything in The Realm, even our special moment we were having together."

My skin blanched and I knew it as I felt the blood leave my body.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed as he again came towards me trying to placate me. 

I pressed my hand against his chest to stop him but a blast of power flowed through me and tossed Gaelen into the air nearly smacking into the tree that was quite far away from us. Maybe 6 feet away but he flew into it hard and I was sure the wind was knocked out of him. So I ran.

I then turned and ran out of the woods, past the library, not stopping until I reached my dorm and slammed and double checked that it was locked. 

His hatred humans was the only thing I could hear in my head.

My dorm room was lit up like a psychedelic Christmas tree, the wall vibrated with chimes and I immediately knew it was Them calling me. I forgot it was Friday, I lost track of the time.

I desperately slapped every surface on my desk and wall to answer the phone not really knowing how it worked.

"You are very lucky Ms. Walker we had already dispatched our raiding team to deal with you." A grey-purple haired woman appeared on my wall, she wore a tight tailored uniform with the emblem of Eclipse on her breast. Her face was tight matching the severity of her hair in a perfectly coifed bun. She starred fiercely at me with stormy grey eyes that had more expression than her rigid body.

My heart pumped so fast I could feel my blood pressure in my ears.

"I was- I was-"

"You can count yourself luck today. We will account for this a youthful negligence to attention this time, but it is important for you to understand. I will not call you a second time. Your school work, social life, eating, breathing and sleeping is secondary to answering my call or else you will never enjoy those things again."

"I am so sorry. I made a huge mistake."

"Yes it was a dire mistake, but we have other information to exchange other than your human capacity to always fail."

I purposefully bit the inside of my lip to stop from speaking anything.

"I have learned you have passed Professor Windsor's first test. The highest score anyone has ever received. He is quite impressed but we are not. How did you pass his test?"

"I studied."

"If we discover you cheated in any fashion or form you are going to wish you had never left your colony."

"I didn't cheat," my voice cracked. "I studied for days for that test. I even had-" I almost finished that by having study partner. No, I wasn't going to tell them about Gaelen about their future king consorting with a human. "I even had studied through meals, skipping them."

"You need to study through meals to perfect your grammar too Ms. Walker. Which brings me to our second item on the agenda for this meeting and that is our concern for your use of your purse. It is fairly generous for a species like yourself to handle, but you are not buying any food, clothing, or anything. The dossier said you are the daughter of a general, wouldn't you think a wealthy general's daughter would spend bit of cash here and there."

"I..." I hadn't considered that point, I didn't want to spend any of it. It was too much and when I already had been given so much opportunity to go to University; I wasn't going to use the money, not when so many people in the colony were suffering.

"Spend the money Ms. Walker, it's not like you can take it home and buy things for the ants in your colony, let alone let it leave the realm."

"I just don't know what to buy, I have everything I could ever need."

she snorted. "Buy something! You're smart, supposedly, buy anything, just spend the money!" She raged, her sterile exterior cracked with the rage of an earthquake tear.

"I will."

"Do so," she smoothed her grey-purple hair as if a few strains had fell out of line from her bun. "Who are you friends with, who are you enemies with."

"I'm not enemies with anyone. I have only met a few people."

"List them"

I shrugged my lips thinking of all the people I have been in contact with. Gaelen was the first to pop into my head, but I wasn't going to say if first to make him seem important in my life. I didn't want to say his name at all given what I had learned about him.

"My hallmate Dylan. We watch tv together at the end of the hall during study break."

"I don't want an essay, just names. I can assume Dylan is a friend of yours."

"Yes, she is. Lance is a friend as well." I tried to think of other people I had said a few words too but I was having a hard time. And then there was Sebol, my competition or perhaps not my competition. it was too confusing if Gaelen and I.... I just did not like her because I was jealous of her but this was myself being enemy-like not her. "I briefly meet Malark in my archaeology class and Sebol at a party."

"You are withholding names?" She interrupted

Her voice was definitely threatening, "I've been hanging out with

Gaelen the most. He is the first guy I met at school and we have three classes together. He just told me a few hours ago that he is your Prince. I've decided to end our friendship."

"That sounds irrational."

"I don't want to cause any trouble,"

"Were you expecting to cause trouble, are you anticipating any trouble by your making, Ms. Walker," her voice was ripe with patronize.

"No. It's just. He is a prince. He shouldn't hang out with me a person from the colony."

"But your human stories are filled with princes and common-folks."

"Those stories were lost with Eclipse."

"Yes they were. I grew up in the pre-Eclipse world. Imagine the destruction to ego those fairytale prince stories created for our kind. We were the minority then, we could never have a story like those that made us hope for a prince. What Prince would marry an alien, those commoners turned princesses were nothing like me. And we only have one king for our kind and his soul has already chosen one to be his princess. These stories of chance for a better life, kept your subservient class focusing on fairy tales instead of aspiring for greater, becoming great on their own, without the aid of a prince."

My mouth itched to one side threatening to talk back. It was their king that helped them to gain control over the earth and the majority class - humans. There were prince-like people in the world without a title and wealth that would treat their kind with love and affection if they hadn't exterminated the humans.

"My mom didn't share those stories with me either. They create false hope."

"Well," her personal moment having passed and her professional demeanor returned. "Y'vroi will only have another Y'vroi written on their soul. If you want to continue your friendship with our prince you may, it would probably benefit him to learn more about the plague of earthlings first hand. Do not be late for our meeting next week."

And without the courtesy of a goodbye, she disconnected the call; my room was back to normal.



A Wider Sky Ch. 11



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 11

"Kiowa! I know you are in there! Open the door!" 

My heart pounding in my ears matched the aggressive pounding on my door. 

I stood frozen, not knowing what to do. The call thankfully disconnected in time was of little consolation. 

"Please Kiowa, I need to talk to you. Open the door." He continued to beat against my door. It stopped for a second and than wham! I jumped from my unbreathing statue state. "I can hear the leaves of your book turning," he managed to tease. 

I rolled my eyes trying not to crack a smile, he managed to be charming even though I was angry with him. 

"Kiowa, you've got three seconds to open this door or else I am going to have to take extreme measures to get this door open that you may not like."

I wasn't sure if he was serious. He wouldn't... wham! My entire room shuddered. He would. I quickly ran to my door to let him in. 

There he was, midnight blue and purple hair tussled and a bit damp plastering to his forehead from exertion, and always his searing eyes. All that was missing was his usual sly smile framed by dimples that made all the girls forgive all his crimes - even I was reconsidering.

"I need to talk to you," he said in a quiet whisper, pushing me back into my own room.

"Gaelen, I never want to talk to you again." 

"Yeah, I heard you. I don't know why you got so skittish but that is not what I came here to talk about and you know it."

"Well, I don't know what else there is to talk about. I think you said it all in behind the library." I kept my distance from him and stood near the door.

"What did I say?-- You are getting off the point. You disappeared Kiowa! Vanished into thin air! I was blasted 12ft nearly killed by a tree!"

Vanished? I only blasted him maybe 3ft. Not enough to knock him out let alone literally kill him.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" I folded my arms across my chest and pointed my chin up. 

"This isn't the first time you've... you're different Kiowa." Oh fuck. "I sensed it when I pressed my hand against your heart. I thought you were..." he took a stressful intake of air, he was anxious. Why? I'm the one just about to be made. "What you did back there, no one has been able to do. What did you do Kiowa?"

"I think you're imagining things."

"I did not!" he growled. With a few quick steps he nearly on top of me. 

"You imagined things, Gaelen," I said forcefully and scooted from in front of him to keep myself away from him. "I did not vanish into thin air and I did not attack you."

Gaelen's jaw flexed as he stopped the words from rebuttal. He started to second-guess himself. But I wondered, how I was able to disappear. I've never done that before. Maybe it was I that was imagining things, if I indeed did all he said without knowing them. 

Shit. He came back to me, now I was further away from the door and he was cornering me like a mouse.

"I'm sorry," Gaelen said, feathering his strong fingers down my cheek. "I am sorry for everything today. My temper. My harsh words. But I am not sorry for kissing you and I am not sorry for asking you out." His hand travelled to the back of my neck as he drew me closer to him tenderly. "You are one fascinating woman, Kiowa Walker. And I don't mean the strange powers that you possess."

"I don't have strange powers."

"I think you do." The silk in his voice made my heart melt. "And I am not talking about the power to vanish or blast me 20ft away."

"I didn't-" I arched an eyebrow. 20ft now?

His lips pulled into that sexy cocky smile I loved so much. 

"I know what I saw, Kiowa. But I am talking about the powers you have that... just... make me feel like I can be something better than who I am. You challenge me to be something great Kiowa and I love you for that."

If there are buttons to my soul that would cause it to inscribe a man's name on itself, he is a master engineer pressing all the right buttons. I quickly wrapped my arms around him and pulled towards me. We tumbled backwards towards the wall. Our bodies pressing hard into each other. Gaelen forcefully pulled my leg up, wrapping it around his hip. I could feel his hardness pressing so fervently against my core. I panted into his hard sweet kisses my body took over my nagging conscience to end it all. We were devouring each other. 

"Kiowa, I think I am falling for you."

I was definitely falling for him. 

His fingers combed through my hair to cradle my head in his hand, his lips slowed and grazed my neck followed by a trail of wet kisses that made me weak at the knees. His other hand held the small of my back holding me so close to him, my heart raced. I was in euphoria. I had no clue how we ended up on my bed and how I had been so bold to pull his shirt off over his head, getting a real glimpse at his strong body. 

I swallowed hard. His chest was incredibly strong, muscular and lean.My fingers traced the angry red raised lines that crisscrossed his body like an "x" marking the spot of whoever had plundered his body before. Oh my, Gaelen had a tattoo. He tried to hide it with a beautiful tattoo which to my surprise was beautiful and tender. It captured the earth's sky, the universe in its complexities. It was in real black tattoo ink and alien tattoo ink as well, shifting and changing with iridescent stars against the inky black lines. 

His hand captured mine holding it still from touching the painful scars that were hidden behind the star tattoos. His searching eyes gave a glimpse of insecurity but one for a nanosecond, he was back to dominating Gaelen possessing the space he always want to control. And that space was now me.

"What happened?" I asked.

Green orbs looked terrified upon me and then searched my expression like reaching out desperately for a life preserver.

"My defect. I got sick and had to have emergency heart surgery. It was during the first few weeks of Eclipse. We were in Siberia and Taxa and Bane had arrived a few days before. I was playing with them and then I couldn't catch my breath. 

"You know how Taxa is, he is pure athlete and strongman, even when we were five years old. I just couldn't keep up. And my heart couldnt manage the strain anymore. I went into cardiac arrest while playing Y'vori tag. It's pitiful.

"I got sick before Eclipse. My best friend, Before Eclipse was... anyways, my best friend was nothing like Taxa or Bane. I worry about how I appear to my Seconds even then at five years old, I just knew I couldn't be myself with them.

Siberia was horrible. I missed my best friend back home. He was so generous when we'd played. He compensated for me and didn't make me feel alienated. But I guess my parents didn't see it as a problem, Before Eclipse. They thought that I would grow out of being sick because Y'vori don't get sick. They probably thought it was because I was being exposed to too much human's environmental pollution in the city we lived in. 

"But when I got sick in Siberia... My parents were not pleased to say the least and they realized that their future king was a defect. Their son was a loser. But it was worse because Taxa and Bane now knew I had the defect.

"It was awful because we were in the midst of war and the only medic close to us was insufficient. So we had to find a human heart surgeon." Gaelen paused and then smirked in his cocky way to hide his wounds just like he covered them with his beautiful tattoo. "Well, I am alive. And my heart is still ticking. It's strong. Don't worry Mouse." 

He thumbed my lips up trying to smooth away my frown.

"Take off your shirt," his voice was rich with masculinity. He could turn to passion on a drop of a dime.

I hesitated but then pulled the turtleneck over my head and set it aside. I sat nervously waiting for his response, his rebuffs; and please, his approval. Every single touch maybe my body quiver I was so nervous, my belly was a second from exploding with butterflies. 

Please, don't break my heart. I mantra'd. 

He just studied me, no expression on his face to give me any hints if I were an Aphrodite or hideous gorgon. I had fairly moderate size bust and I liked wearing comfortable underwear instead of the frilly expensive ones probably should have bought for occasions such as this one. The kind of lingerie a general's daughter gone rouge would have, like Sebol probably had. 

He just starred at me, the seconds where years. I reached for the sheet to pull it to me and cover up, but Gaelen pried it out of my fingers. He didn't allow me to grow more timid. He already had his hand behind my neck to pull me closer to him.

His kisses were like heaven, urgent but polite and passionate. My spine tingled feeling his fingers play against my back. I let him cover his strong body over me, warming me. I had never seen Gaelen so content and happy than in that moment. Everything that weighed on him had crumbled and we felt perfect together. 

His hand snuck down by stomach to my jeans button and a the fluttering butterflies burst from my center. I trembled with anticipation just knowing his hands were so close to venturing. His groan of pleasure entered my body like hot steam when my jeans opened to his minstrel choices. 

What was I to Gaelen? Was he going to make love to me or play with me? He didn't even know what I really was. If he found out, could I trust him to still care for me? His hands swiftly grabbed my jeans to pull them down my thighs. I quickly sat up and... 

Damn. Rebellious tears started to attack me, filling my eyes with treacherous water.

I did not want to become a crying bubbling idiot who couldn't simply make-out without getting emotional. Gaelen fell to his small side of the bed on his back and huffed. I had already lost him. He was no longer interested. My teeth felt like nails, my emotions were running havoc over my entire body and my heart sank. 

"What's wrong?" he huffed, but unlike Matthias it was more of concern than annoyance.

"I can't," I barely whispered because if I gave my words more voice I knew I would cry.

"What's wrong?" He turned to me lying on his side. His green globes checking me over.

"I love - l liked, "I flustered. 

Instead of a prideful glint of future manipulation that I remembered, Matthias giving me when I said the L-word. Gaelen kissed the crown on my head and cradle me against the soft spot of his chest. He just gently shush me and I finally for the first time relaxed in a man's embrace, I was in the moment.

"I grew up with... I thought he..." I said after just laying with Gaelen for a while still trying to piece together what I would tell him and keep my dignity. "I wanted him to know that I love-" Damn that word keeps leaking out of this rainfall confession. 

"You thought his soul wrote your name? "

In a sense, "Yes. But he chose someone else." 

I felt anger start to build, replacing my feelings of loss. Matthias chose someone else. Matthias didn't have the excuse the Y'vroi had for falling out of love with someone. To lie about my baggage even to protect my human identity wasn't worth it. I had to admit in-truth for my benefit, so that I could move on, one day. 

"It's okay to say you loved him, I can tell you did because I hear the pain in your shaking voice." Gaelen's voice vibrated against my back as he spoke, it was so incredibly comforting and sexy.

"I didn't know what love was... I did love him. He knew I did. But, I don't love him anymore, actually now, I hate him. "

"The wounds are still very fresh." He sat up and brought me with him. "Listen Mouse, I care for you too, a lot. I am still trying to figure it all out. There's something about you that is unlike anyone I have ever met or probably will meet. You are very special to me. I promise I won't do anything with you until we both know for sure."

"But we can kiss and hug?" I whispered hoping I didn't make myself super fragile in his mind that I was a nun.

He draped his body over mine, his face so close, I could smell his wonderful mint mouth. His fingers played with my braids at my temples, a sweet prelude to the most passionate kiss I've ever had.

"Yes, we can kiss and cuddle." 

I crossed my arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, before we both realized together we were trying to devour each other. Our legs intertwined between and are bodies rolled from as far as the small dorm bed would allow. It was quick becoming too hot to handle without losing some self-preservation, but I wanted it. I trusted him to keep his word to not let it go to a level we were not ready for. 

"I can't. I can't." I panted as more images flashed in my mind of Matthias and pushed Gaelen away.

"Why?" Gaelen kept me trapped beneath him, his elbows framing my face as his hair swooped above me haloing him like a dark raven angle that read my soul. 

"I can't?"

"Mouse, Mousey with her little secrets. She scurries away from me at all times. Tell me."

I bit the inside of my bottom lip and squeezed my eyes shut, don't cry, don't cry.

"Tell me. I promise, I won't judge. You can trust me Kiowa. I trust you with the knowledge of my defect. It can not be worse than my defect."

I sighed, considering how terrible it would be to talk about Matthias aloud - to him.

"I'm a virgin." I said quickly.

I noted that the pupils of his eyes enlargened and even became more radiantly. He was happy by with this knowledge. It made me hesitate because he seemed more like a fox and I, a lamb at the moment.

"I have done things though," I continued hoping that would dampen his spirit of conquest a bit. I didn't. He seemed more intrigued. "I made a promise to myself, that I won't do anything unless I knew whoever I gave my virginity to, cared for me."

"I more than care for you." Gaelen kissed my forehead and soothed my temples with his thumbs so lightly. "Someone broke you heart and spirits."

"Yes, the boy I cared a lot for,"

"The same boy," his voice was protective.

I nodded. "He is from my neighborhood. We did some things... but I wasn't enough for him - or I because I wouldn't go any further. I am not sure, but... He was my best friend and I thought if he touched me, if I allowed him to touch me, he would love me. He didn't care for me and now I am here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I wanted to marry him. I thought he felt the same way about me because he was suddenly one-day he wanted to be physical with me. So I thought he mutually cared for me as I him."

Gaelen huffed and then pulled away from me, his skin flushed with sweat. He wouldn't look at me so I became very nervous. Did I disappoint him? I knew I just wasn't ready for this. Especially not ready to become physical with Gaelen when he knew so little about me or what I am.

"I am going to take a quick shower," I scrambled away from my bed which seemed smaller than any bed I had ever shared my entire life. 

I looked back at Gaelen as I crossed to the bathroom, he was still looking at my ceiling, his chest rising quickly, oblivious that I had left his side. We were so close to becoming intimate and now he was silent and cold. I quickly scurried into my bathroom.

Showers are so cleansing. When the hot water hits your body with a force it forces your mind stop thinking and allows thoughts drown down the drain. Once I felt like my thoughts had settled into being calm and rational, my libido cooled, I was able to finally able to think clearly. I washed my body, removing the wonderful intoxicating scent that was Gaelen that lingered on my body from our making out and my mind was also cleansed. 

I practiced my speech over and over again in my mind. I was afraid to speak it aloud and then worry that I was giving up on a chance at love. 

"Gaelen?" I pulled my white terrycloth robe sash tightly around my waist, but my room was empty. My tablet screen was open and its projection on my wall made my mouth drop. My dossier was pulled up broadcasting the pages and notes across my wall and Gaelen was gone.

***

So much happened so quickly I should have known it was going to crash and burn. I knew I should have stayed away from Gaelen from the get-go. Especially after nearly causing him to fall down the flight of stairs. I had practiced in my head to pull away from him but now I was torn because he had pulled away first. I wanted to find out how much he knew, how much he wondered about my real identity. 

More importantly, I wanted to know if he still cared about me.

Nothing good could come of us, I kept telling myself. Hourly I worked on trying to convince myself but the more he stayed away, the more I loved him. I was falling in love with him. I couldn't admit it to him, I was too afraid and too used to being rejected, but I did love him.

The rest of the week, we were like two ships passing in the fog, so close but safely avoiding crashing into each other. He even skipped Professor Windsor's class to my surprise. This was a bad sign, given the lecture Windsor gave him to do better in class. 

Lance and I hung out but Gaelen was a white elephant forcing a façade of secrecy onto our discussions. Even though Gaelen hadn't spoken to me, Lance was afraid to be close to me. Had Gaelen told him about my dossier?

After a few days, he finally came back to class and braved another lecture from Windsor that I happened to overhear on my way to do some research work for the professor. But his avoidance behavior wore into the middle of the semester. Although I would see Gaelen in our three classes, he was unnervingly keeping his distance from me. My only consolation was his icy reception towards me was somewhat warmer when we had seat assigned next to each other. In Professor Windsor's class, it seemed like we were back to being friends, be it, not really talking-friends but his mannerism towards me were not at all strained with uncertainty. He'd often leaned towards me as if we were still sharing the same tablet, reading together like we did in the first few weeks of school. 

He trailed his stylus tracing my knuckles and the veins in my wrist lazily while listening to the lecture. He always seemed like he was on the verge of breaking this strange mutual vow of silence but he also had to focus because Windsor was really being hard on him. His fearless and flirtatious ways was succinctly Gaelen, but most of the time I saw him in fear in Windsor's class. 

The Professor constantly directed his attention to the back row where we tried to hide. Windsor's directed much of his discussion questions towards Gaelen to answer. Today he seemed on a real bender to get Gaelen to cite the different fossil and geology identifications of prehistoric earth. 

"Wrong again, Mr. Borgia!" Professor Windsor wrapped his pointer on his lectern even making even me jump. Gaelen slumped in his desk, still holding his posture of complete authority, his legs tossed long in front of him, but he stifled a shallow intake of air hinted to the inner stress he was feeling. Gaelen answered again, attempting to make a witty, cocky joke along with his answer. 

"Mr. Borgia we all await for your correct answer. As we all await our future leader to truly take a stand," Windsor barked.

It was a low cut, I held my breath for him feeling his frustration. He tightly knitted his eyes closed and slightly shook his head. I lightly tapped his hand with my stylus, his jade eyes drifted open big and liquid-y with intensity. I pointed to my tablet where I had quickly scribbled the answer. His jaw clenched in hesitation, surrender I wasn't sure but I was thankful he answered the question. 

"Finally, Mr. Borgia." Professor Windsor's eyes seemed to settle on Gaelen a few seconds longer with disappointment before he finally remember he had 100 other students in the lecture hall paying attention to him. "Tomorrow I invite you to our field lab which I am sure you will enjoy as we conclude our classes until the end of the festivities."




A Wider Sky Ch. 11



The students collectively sighed as Professor Windsor stepped down from the lectern signally the end of class. I started to pack up my things placing them into my bag including my handwritten notebook, which I always looked over my shoulder to catch Gaelen making a snide remark to himself regarding my use the humanistic study tool. But today he only stayed in his auditorium seat, with a focused glare at the lectern where he was daily tortured for answers. 

I broke our vow of silence, "Gaelen, I think he just wants you to do better in his class." His eyes shifted to me burning with green flames. I only shrugged my shoulders, I was already used to the temperamental Gaelen and I wasn't going to let it faze me. 

He tapped his stylus against the armchair impatiently waiting for something, anything to cool his nervous tense shoulders. "I know." He simply said and then gathered his things in one effortless swoop. My breath hitched as he cupped my shoulder with his large hand, giving it gentle massaging squeezes. 

This is different. 

"I am sorry about disappearing on you. I just..." He combed his fingers through his hair. "You are so different from other girls. So innocent yet frustrating too."

I pursed my lips and jutted my hip in defense which made his hard lined mouth quickly curl to that sly, cheeky smile I had missed so much. "Don't give me that pout." he remarked. "I'm sorry. I've been... You know... Absent. I just needed to figure things out in myself. What I was feeling because I don't want to push you to a point you are not ready to go to yet, Kiowa. I want your first time to be special, not just some lustful romp in a dorm room."

Wow, so it wasn't about the dossier. "What if I wanted a heated romp?"

"You don't," his voice was so concrete and strong, it was the truth and we both knew it and he wanted to stand up for it, for me.

I took a deep breath rocking on the back of my heels. Holding my bag close to my chest, while I wish it were he I was holding in my arms. 

He again smiled as if my presence had amused him so much. He shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes before pressing his hand to the small of my back to lead us down the shallow stairs of the lecture amphitheater to the door. 

"Mr. Borgia, Miss Walker," Professor Windsor stopped us as we headed to the same exit at the same time. "I am glad that you, Mr. Borgia have decided to make company with Ms. Walker. Maybe some of her intelligence can wear off on you instead of reciting Miss Walker's answers." Gaelen's shoulders slumped slightly but he kept his defiant stance.

"Perhaps you are right, Professor. I know Miss Walker is one of the brightest students in your class and it's a great show of strength and leadership when one surrenders oneself with those that can challenge him. Don't you think Professor?"

"Touche, Mr Borgias." 

I couldn't help but look up at him proudly, my eyes glittering with pride. 

The Professor cleared his throat tipping his chin up and waved his hand towards the door with a graceful bow, "After you, Mr. Borgia, Miss Walker. See to it that you don't get too wrapped up in the early festivities celebrations. There is still one more day left of fall classes. One day can make one weak."

Touche, Professor Windsor, well played win. We slunk out of the door with our youthful smart-ass tails between our legs.

*****

 To My Dear Readers,

Thank you for your comments and thoughts. I appreciate every one of them. Sometimes I feel like my characters are on a roller coaster that never has that point of steady climb as they fall in love because they are a bit too flawed but I love diamonds in the rough. Not as rough as Novak and Talyis in Of Thorns and Pearls, but still some unique impurities in the gem.

As I posted in the last chapter, I had some unsettled feeling about these most recent chapters for a long time. I think I have been able to fix those issues and would love to hear your thoughts. 

On a scale of 1-10 how much in love to you think Gaelen and Kiowa are? 

How loves who more so far in your opinion? 

What sense do you have about these characters, would you be their friend, would you want to jump his or her bones? 

:-D With that, I'll say adieu. 

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis



A Wider Sky Ch. 12



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 12

"I am glad we can still be friends," Gaelen said as soon as we reached the sunny quad. "And I still want to see if there is something more than friends too." I blushed hard which was too enticing for him, he leaned in and kissed my forehead. "But we will take it slow, Kiowa. I am serious. If your soul doesn't write me on itself, I want you to tell me right away."

It dawned on me. He was afraid that my soul was going to reject him. Oh my beautiful, cocky angel, if only he knew my soul could chose anyone it wanted. I knew at that moment, I hadn't learned my lesson not to cast the meat of my heart as bait. I had all but given up on finding love. Maybe I had already and that's why I was so ready to jump to into an ocean of sharks - a Y'vori king shark. 

"Okay," I took a cleanse breath of air to settle my nerves that were tightly strung. 

He grabbed my arm twirling my body to his in a tight squeeze. "I still want you to accompany me to the Festivities." 

Oh yeah, about that... I can't go because I am human. 

"I'll think about it. I was thinking of taking advantage of the time off and going to..." 

I shut my mouth. What if it's sacrilege to say you were doing something else during the festivities. Like working on Christmas or Sunday or not saluting a solider during Veteran's Day.

"I usually spend it with my parents. We have a tradition and," I clenched my teeth in a nervous apologetic smile, "To be honest, I am a little homesick and miss my mom." 

It was the truth. I did miss my mom. I was hoping that I could visit my colony after I spent some time with Maddie and Ben. 

Gaelen's bushy browns arched, calling my bullshit. "Why would you pass on the chance to spend it with people your own age? Good little mouse. I don't think you know what it is like to spend the festivities away from your parents and the old traditions. It will be fun Kiowa."

"I'll think about it, Gaelen."

Before I could make up another excuse, Gaelen embraced me causing me to squeak like a mouse. We both started to laugh so hard. 

"My little mouse is always thinking away in her little secret hole," his voice dripped with sensuality. I blushed watching the students walk past us and gave knowing looks. "I'll make it worth your while this weekend. I promise."

I started to reconsider. Why did Ben and Maddie insist on me coming to their home this weekend? I was a grown woman capable of making my own decisions. I could stay here if I wanted to. By now I was more than clever at adverting danger in The Realm. As long as I was with Gaelen and I didn't break any rules what is the worst that could happen. I could lip synch to any strange old anthems. Over the semester, I learnt most of the patriotic songs, even the one I first heard at Sebol's party - which was terrifying in translation. We had learned the main anthem to Eclipse in grade school. All I wanted was to stay with Gaelen at that moment - and every minute next.

Gaelen and I decided to cuddle in his room while watching a film on his tablet. It was nice being in his room for a change. He had to have one of the largest rooms on campus. His room was filled with cozy furniture and didn't seem as sterile as mine. He also didn't have the standard twin size bed that only allowed us to lay on our sides. His room was the perfect college bachelor pad. With a flash of heat, I flushed thinking of all the women he most likely brought to his dorm room to share his cozy bed. 

Those women were now ghosts, he ignored, his mind was set on me. He pulled me down to him with a bit of tug of war. But once I gave in, we laid down on the soft down comforter of his queen size bed. I envied him. It was like laying on a cloud. He shushed me - "Stop thinking you'll scurry away from me again." I didn't say anything.

But my heart was pounding like a tribal drums. Just being so close, it was so intimate just being in his room with no distractions. This was new territory for me. In the colony, Matthais snuck me into a broom-closet at the school to implore that we play show in tell. He initiated and asked me to show him my breast. Which I did and then he asked me if I wanted to see him, which I did. But out first experimentation was so rushed and immature compared to this. 

This was nice. I finally realized the complete satisfaction snuggling into Gaelen neck was. Just feeling the warmth of his naked chest against my skin. My fingers absently traced his tattoo which he quickly removed my hand from touching. 

You could tell when most of the students finished their day classes because of the immediate energy shift on campus. But today, students were not studying or procrastinating in the same old fashion. There were more people milling about passing around candy, drinks and always moving. The holiday and class break nearing the end of the week had people already beginning their celebrations. The banging of drums started outside Gaelen's dorm room; but inside, we were on another isolated planet.

Gaelen smiled at me with the same calm satisfaction that made me feel safe. I loved how his strong arms squeezed me now and then as he ignored the commotion outside. I jumped out of my skin as his is dorm room burst open. A group of college students wearing strange colorful red and gold outfits with thousands of sequences piled into the room and started to dance around pounding on little drums, chanting.

"Go away humans. Go away." A tall lanky guy started to open Gaelen's cupboards shifting things around. The jarring group bounced up in down in a stand-still march while chanting as and the leader pounded a tiny little drum.

When the cacophony of noise finally ended to a dead silence. Gaelen tipped he head with a flourishing wave of his hand. They waited for his response which He replied, Thank you Brothers of the Eclipse. Oh my, he really was a king. He was regal even though he never moved from laying in bed, holding me close.

The drumming began again as everyone cheered. "No humans around here." Gaelen chuckled and then turned to me and smirked, "Just a bunch of old horny lovers."

"No problem," the lanky kid wagged his eyebrow in approval at Gaelen taking the clue.

"Thank you." Gaelen said as the group filed out of the room. 

I could hear the drum began banging again as the troop when to the next dorm room. Again,we were alone.

"When I was a kid, I was so afraid of humans. I worried the Parade of Mummers was too far away to reach Siberia," Gaelen teased. "Don't tease me. My big brothers told me horror stories about humans wanting to kill little princes like me. But I think they were more afraid of my defect being found out and that was a true horror story." he sighed heavily like he was used to the feeling of being trapped growing up as much as I had. 

I scrunched my eyebrows together. I couldn't grasp the whole story behind his heavy demeanor. I heard the group cheer louder through the wall followed by the same shooting and chanting for humans to go away. Then I realized that they were warding off humans as if we were spirits to haunt the aliens. I started to worry. If this one incidence of the festivities that I would see? Or, was this just the tip of the ice burg of the Y'vori's traditions in celebration for the strange festivities. I started to second guess my plan to stay. 

"Me too," I started to spin a web. "My mom always told me that we were safe. We were far away from the colonies, so the Mummers only swooped by for custom sake," I half lied. 

In fact it was the opposite. My mom assured me The Realm was full of aliens that destroyed everything and they were too far away from the colonies. I was terrified of Aliens and now I lay in bed, making out with one. I kissed their king while the campus became a large party of aliens. I trapped in seduction with their king while the festivities revels rang loud, celebrating the anniversary of Eclipse, the day when my human world was torn apart.

"Oh come on. Are you going to tell me you didn't believe in Santa Clause too?" Gaelen tapped my nose playfully.

"No, I didn't believe in Santa. My mother told me the truth. There were no Santa Clauses. I didn't have to worry about humans coming to get me because they lived far away in colonies. She said humans didn't even know anything about The Realm," more truth than fiction. 

His puffed is lips with a slanted smirk, "So humans do not know anything about The Realm? You believe they are not set on waging a war to get the Earth back?"

"You know, I believe most of them don't even know what is really going on in the world right now? Most human's cannot fathom the world we live in. It is probably starkly different from what we have here." 

And that was the truth. We had no clue how life could be much better, our lives were a stark contrast to the lives of the aliens. Running hot water, choices, food, freedom of expression and a way to carve out your path in love, career and life.

"Sometimes, I think you are so adorable when you are being so smart." He kissed the tip of my nose and I settled deeper into the blankets with him as we continued to watch the film. 

"You know Kiowa. You should try to be friends with Sebol and Haazic."

I choked on the air around me. I couldn't believe he was suggesting I be friends with them. I avoided popular girls in the colonies. I purposefully avoided them in The Realm because mean girls could mean death.

"Why?"

"Sebol is not that bad. And if you are going to be with me. You might as well be a little nicer to my friends."

"Taxa and Bane?"

"Exactly." Gaelen long midnight black lashes fanned his eyes like angel wings. How could I refuse him.

"I'll think about it." I tried to imagine myself sitting in the same auditorium row as Taxa, Bane, Haazic and Sebol. I realize that Gaelen had sat away from his friends to sit with me and Lance. 

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me, Mouse?"

"You should be friends with Lance."

Gaelen snorted, "Kiowa be serious."

"Lance is nice. At least he doesn't scowl all the time like Taxa or have a chip on his shoulder like Bane."

"I'm not going to discuss Lance."

"Why he is my friend? He at least doesn't gossip like Sebol."

"Sebol just wants to sleep with me."

"Gaelen, why would I want to be friends with her?"

"Exactly, Lance just wants to sleep with you. Why would I want to be friends with him." I rolled my eyes and settled in closer to him. "Kiowa, you should have more friends. It's a bit odd that you only hang out with me and Lance."

"I hang out with Dylan."

"You're few and far between study breaks to watch a tv show in the lounge with Dylan does not count. You should have more friends. Give the girls a chance will you, please?"

He was right. If it was odd for Y'vori to not be social then I had to be more sociable. I didn't want to draw more attention to myself by being the agoraphobe on campus. But being friends with the popular girls always meant the spotlight would be very hot and I wasn't ready to be burned.

"Ok, since you said please."

"You are still adorable. Especially when you admit I'm right." He kissed my nose.

***

I gasp, bolting upright. Gaelen lazily draped his arm over my chest and murmured in his sleep. I looked around his room for a clock, but it was dark except for the moon's glow from outside. I couldn't believe I'd fallen asleep while watching movies. I looked around the room trying to make a decision, should I stay or should I go?

"Gaelen," I whispered trying to wake him up. "Gaelen?"

"What?" I murmured into his pillow. 

"I should go,"

"No, stay. It's too late as it is."

"I've never-"

Gaelen sat up and pulled his body possessively over mine. His strong chest flexed and his tattoo stars winked at me, twinkling in the moonlight. He delicately placed his hand behind my neck, guiding me to the pillow as if forcing me to stay with his sweet manipulation. I saw my nervous reflection in his green shimmering eyes. He kissed my lips first with sweet pleading before urgent possession. I pushed my hands against his chest urging him back to his side of the bed. Ceding without a huff, he laid on his side propping his head on his elbow.

"I...I-" I dare not say it aloud what I was being plagued with it. If we were to go close, or as close as I wanted him to be I had to open up to him somehow, or else why would he embrace me as a human. "I had a nightmare. I think I am falling for you too."

He snorted, "That's a nightmare? Thanks."

"No, I had a dream-" My skin felt like an ice cube had glided a crossed it. "I am afraid that one day I will not be chosen."

"Kiowa, I choose you now. I do it with my whole heart. If my soul or your soul reveals someone else, we have to remember that this is a love that we chose."

"You love me?"

He gulped. I assumed the ice cube was now trailing across his skin. "I do." He said and my eyes became big a saucers.

"But what if I am truly horrible? Truly not what you want. What if..." I had to know, I hesitated only because I was afraid of his answer. "What if I were as bad as being a human?"

He snorted with a incredulous dimpled grin and pulled me into his arms in attempts to silence such a thought. 

"Kiowa, I care about you because you're smart, you're strong, you challenge me. You even change all of our ideas which fucking spectacular. It's easy to be content with just being. You are beautiful and sexy. If you were as horrible as a human or fuck, even a human, I would still want you." 

He nuzzled his face into my neck and kissed me. I wanted him so much right then and there. I loved this man. He could change his ideals and his hatred of humans - I knew this at that moment and I loved him more.

I was so ecstatic he wants me, even if I were...I am human.

I squeezed him hard and he squeaked. We laughed so hard, my belly hurt. Until the heat we were feeling for each other quickly cut through our playfulness.

We couldn't stop searching for each others souls, our mouth molding against each other. Our eyes searched for deeper meaning. I trailed my fingers along his back feeling each sinewy well-defined muscle. He tilted my chin to him for one last kiss.

"I choose you Kiowa. I choose you. Don't forget it. You are my little mouse."

***

Making out with Gaelen was the best thing in the world. I was so unlike the awkward, insecure Kiowa that made out with Matthias. That Kiowa was desperate to be loved. This Kiowa was afraid of not being loved. But at least this time, if Gaelen did indeed turn away from me because at least there was a logical reason. 

Still aglow from our morning make-out session, we walked across the quad towards the Harvard building yard. The entire field was blanketed with a sea of red and yellow flowers. Not a speck of the green grass could be found on the massive rolling hills of the quad in front of the Eclipse Fountain Statue. It too was decked with colorful water spraying The Realms national colors of Red, Yellow and Green. 

Lance ran up to us, excited as he held is satchel bag close to his side. Gaelen wasn't in the mood for Lance today, I could tell because he held my waist tighter and picked up speed to get across the quad. But Lance was my friend, my first real kiss and I didn't want to be rude to him. I awkwardly ignored the prince-dominator at my side and linked free arm with Lance. Gaelen could have blown steam like a dragon for all I knew, by the expression on his face. Lance slowed our arm-linked chain down as we trek to class as a trio.

"It's beautiful isn't it. I love the Festivities," Lance said to me but he was trying to evaluate if Gaelen was going to admonish him. 

Maybe Gaelen was going to be friends like I asked. That meant I had to be friendly with Sebol and her friends.

"It is." I said hoping my voice reflected the imperative and not a question. 

"Poppies you know it's quite interesting why its the festivities official flower."

"Why don't you enlighten us Lance," Gaelen barked with a near growl. I was glad Gaelen spoke so I wouldn't have to ask. I was also very curious. 

"Well, you know from our human anthropology and history class. The poppy was used pre-Eclipse by humans to commemorate their veterans, war heroes and those lost in war. Yet we use it to commemorate the victory of the earth having a better suitor. So we walked on top of the poppies for this reason."

I pressed my eyes together and blinked rapidly at the disrespect it really meant to humans. The poppy was for the loss and they felt that our loss was for the greater good.

Lance continued his academic dissertation about the significant meanings behind the Eclipse festivities. My mind was still trying to comprehend everything. From the mummers last night and now the campus becoming a huge festival ground for celebration. I felt bad for all the poppy flowers that crumpled under my feet. The grassy lawn was symbolically filled with blood. The blood of innocent people; lives like my father, grandmother, aunts, uncles, mother's friends, and people who couldn't wait for my arrival at her baby shower. All were dead, gone and now mocked for just being human.

A large transport vehicle hovered outside of the Harvard building. Most of Windsor's classes were standing outside chatting. Some still wore their mummer costumes. From the telltale dark circles around their eyes, a lot of my classmates spent the entire night drinking and partying. Yet, they were still excited to Windsor's class trip, who would of thunk it.

It was obvious, Gaelen didn't want to listen to any more of Lance's brainy analysis and was itching to get away. He kissed me pecked on the cheek and then escaped to his group of guy friends huddled together. 

He ran back to us to whisper in my ear. "Talk to your friend. I've got my eye on you. I'll be back in a second." He kissed my forehead and then returned to his friends not without giving a stern glare at Lance.

He ran back to us, not without giving a stern stare at Lance. My hallmate, Dylan, told me that Gaelen and Lance had a huge, public fight on the quad after I blasted Gaelen against the tree. Apparently, Gaelen was serious about me then when he told Lance to stay away from me because he wanted to pursue me. Poor Lance being no more than Gaelen's subject, had to heed the Prince's threat because it was more than just words.

I felt bad for Lance. I liked him and he didn't deserve to receive antagonism from Gaelen, especially when I was mad at him and not speaking to him anyway. 

But now I was in love with him. I wanted to pull him to me so close he would never leave my side.

Suddenly not having Gaelen at my side felt so odd. Maybe it was because I slept with him the night before. I was feeling more connected to than before. Maybe I was afraid that he would chose someone else. 

Lance was still chatting about human anthropology, but all I was thinking about was what I didn't want to happen. If Gaelen's soul revealed he was to love someone else - what was I thinking? Of course, I was going to lose him. No matter how he tried to make it seem like the now was most important, the future was what I wanted. I wanted him. 

Gaelen was standing part of a trio of guys. They passed around a small white packet. Each dipped their fingers into it and pressed the powdery substance to their lips. My macheivous boy and his friends were looking over their shoulders spying for teachers. 

"What are they doing?" I asked Lance.

"Ahh, You've never tried it? It's sugar." Lance smirked. I paused hoping he would expound and he did. "Humans were addicted to sugar. It caused so much destruction to the Earth: deforestation, disease. Fucking-A humans were a mess!"




A Wider Sky Ch. 12



"So why do they eat it? If its so destructive." I snided.

"Because it's part of the Earth. We eat things part of the Earth this weekend and we don't have to destroy each other and the Earth to do it. Although," Lance tipped back on his heels. "Sugar is illegal. Gaelen is going to get us all in trouble..."

I rolled my eyes, "Still sounds kind a backwards. Sugar is highly addictive. It works on the brain's neurotransmitters like cocaine." I remember this because my mom, pre-Eclipse, was into eating super healthy and organic. She strived at staying away from harmful GMOs during her pregnancy with me. She always tried to give me the best even before I was born. And she did what she could in the colony to take care of me, but everything was packaged and/or already rotting. We ate around the rot of vegetables and fruits.

I glanced again at Gaelen, he was so effortlessly handsome and carefree around his friends. I met them briefly at Sebol's party and quickly learned to stay away. Taxa Lenin, the tall muscular guy with coppery-blond, now sported a mohawk streaked with purple. He was feral looking, intimidating couldn't even sum him up. He had so many facial piercings, he had exuded a predator sexuality. When I observed him and Gaelen hanging out, I mistakenly thought he was less scary. Until he started idling flipping with his switchblade. A cover can say many words and Taxa's ferocity would not be off mark from one's first impressions. 

Unlike his surname namesake, Bane Bonapart was not short. He towered over Gaelen in height and Gaelen was tall. But unlike Gaelen's strapping physic, Bane was lanky with shoulder length shaggy cinnamon hair and an elven like face. With Gaelen, he seemed so much more open and free but outside of this trio, Bane was guarded and observed with calculation. These were the men, Gaelen wanted me to be friends with. His Seconds were warriors and chilling.

"So you are going to be Gaelen's date for the festivities?" Lance said almost like he was insulted. He had a right to be. He had asked me first before Gaelen pulled me into the woods that afternoon. "You know people are spreading gossip about the two of you already. They are wondering if you are going to be our queen."

Queen! Wait, I was just trying to do what I could to prevent any speculation about me being a human. But Queen was too much. I couldn't handle that on top of just trying to get through my day-to-day in this world. Then I saw Sebol, Malark, and Haazic X join the trio of guys. You couldn't miss the alarm bells going off in Bane's head, lanky body immediately stiffened like a board. I was sure whatever he was about to say to the guys when they girls approached would remain unspoken until the girls left. Haazic X was another rich beautiful general's daughter. She had long shiny dark locks that contrasted against her warm mahogany skin. 

"Haazic's brother is rumored to be a rebel." Lance was a real resource today for all things alien. I made a mental note to make more earnest attempts to hang out with him. "I don't know, what do you think? I don't believe the rumors. It doesn't seem plausible that a general would let someone under his own roof get away with so much destruction. You know about the disturbances in the Siberian Colonies. Someone told me it was Haazic's brother that led it. Do you think anarchy is something we as a society need or should kill? Kiowa, hello... Earth to Kiowa!"

I snapped out of my death glare-stare. Sebol had touched the inside of Gaelen's arm and now he had his arm draped over her shoulder as he talked to the guys. They looked like the perfect couple. I couldnt help but wonder if his soul had opened up during those brief moments away from me and revealed Sebol's name. 

"Sorry, what? Society?"

"Don't worry," Lance playfully tugged on my arm. "Sebol wants Gaelen, but I've known him for a long time. He doesn't just start hanging out with any girl. Sure, he fucks them, but the way he is with you is something... new. If his soul hasn't opened yet, it will soon."

"Is it that obvious?"

"It's what we all worry about, Kiowa. You are no different than Sebol. Although, I am sure Sebol is enjoying just having fun until her soul reveals the name. Everyone says she wants to at least say she was with our future king for a hot sexual romp."

Romp, ice flowed in my veins. Did Gaelen say he wanted to have a romp with me. I couldn't focus because all I could only focus on Gaelen leaning into Sebol looking down at her. Her flirtatious eyelashes batting so prettily at him. How could he not fall for her. Everything he said to me over the last 12 hours were not a complete blur. All I had left was a searing branded image of Gaelen and Sebol flirting with each other. He was temporary, I knew it. He was having fun with me for this short time and now his soul had opened up.

I jumped out of my skin when a muscular arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders pulling me to a hard chest. 

"Hey you, why are you looking so serious. It's the last day of class." Gaelen chippered while resting his chin on the top of my head. "Let's go, they are loading up transport and I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck on near Windsor.

I felt like my thoughts were running so wild I was missing seconds of time. I tucked my head to my chest and followed him to the transport. The hovercraft had seats, similar to a school bus pre-Eclipse. Gaelen ushered me to the inside of a seat while others filed into the middle of the bus to its round standing area. 

"Hey, what's wrong, look at me," Gaelen's finger lifted my chin to his inspection. "I saw you glaring at me while I was talking to my friends and now your being so offish, why?"

"Sebol," I only had to say her name.

His emerald eyes glinted,"She is nothing Kiowa. I care about you."

"What if your soul reveals her name?"

"What if it does? So what. Does it mean I care for you is less - No."

I squeezed my face like a lemon to clear my emotions. "How different is this - me and you- from her wanting to sleep with guys... you, before her soul opens."

"It is and you know why. Sleeping with people doesn't require love. This is about me caring for you."

I didn't know what to say to that. So, I just stayed quiet while Gaelen pulled his tablet out. We worked on the discussion questions Professor Windsor wanted completed before the weekend started. We escaped into our little Gaelen-Kiowa world of study and tender kiss while the rest partied. 

We arrived in a strange part of The Realm, it was a large rusty orange desert at the edge of the city - a real desert with sand. The desert went on past the horizon. Our transport hovered across the sands blasting it like strange orange-brown rain at the windows. 

I loved looking out the window at the blue skies with out a single cloud. It was so wide, so freeing just to see the sky. In the colony, it was always grey. The view of sky was limited in the colony to people. You couldn't see the vast sky through the grainy windows of the factory or the small cinder block holes of our classrooms. Our apartments, even mine, brought in little sunlight. We were always cramped and living in delporable conditions. But I miss that tiny apartment I shared with my mom. We tried to make the best, even planted a small window garden on our single apartment window. Even our plants didn't get to view a wider sky.

The Earth was beautiful still and it was vast. Perhaps we, humans, had indeed taken it all for granted. Pre-Eclipse, we never stopped for our constant doing to take an opportunity to look in wonder at the world. But now, it was like the Earth was begging me to allow humans to have another chance to be its stewards. This time, we wouldn't let greed over take us. We would treat each other as humans, not as pawns for our personal gain up a metaphorical ladder of nothing. Because in the end, we all die and what would our legacy be? The Earth's crying because we destroyed it. We left people in poverty and need because we decided they were born into the wrong genetic pool. The Y'vori were our punishment and the scales had turned.

As the wind whipped up the sands, I imaged if footsteps of man, even alien that had crossed it. Each footstep makes a blemish in its pristine slopes. The desert wind would whip and shift the sand, wiping away man's travels and history. I could be that person crossing the desert. My opportunity to go to this college, to learn so much about the aliens and even human history. Yet all I had to do was be a wind to wipe away the wrongs done to humans. If I learned how to be a leader, if I learned how to have courage. 

I had already made my decision, I didnt know how I was going to achive it but I knew two things. I was going to do what I could to bring change; and I was going to do it where we all could live in harmony together with the earth. Humans and Aliens.

The sea of sand seemed endless and it was majestic, not daunting as it lapped at the blue horizon. The sun rose high in the sky. A beautiful yellow orb smiling at the universe and the galaxies that housed many more beings than I could imagine. 

The hovercraft shot up into the air, rising high above the sandy landscape towards a large orange and grey mountain, with flat plateaus. The strata didn't seem quite natural. The earth pushed up as if birthed through stress by a violent unnatural force.  

The craft landed. Everyone stretched and piled out of the vehicle with energized chatter. 

"Alright pupils, follow me." Professor Windsor instructed and quickly everyone made a orderly line without prompting.

Professor Windsor led us through a large crevice in the mountain leading to an inner valley that gave way to a new world, a wild world. So much green that went on for miles and miles. Tall trees covered the ground below us like a blanket. We started to climb down the mountain to the valley below. Gaelen was always at my side, holding my hand to ensure I had safe footing.

As we near to the bottom, what we saw on the forest floor were not pine needles nor smaller evergreens. From above, the trees looked like a gentle blanket of a lush green peace. On the forest ground, itt was macabre. Bones covered the ground everywhere, disjointed legs and arms of humans, skulls cracked lying a little ways away from their torsos. 

"Mr. Saladin," Professor Windsor started. Lance moved to the front of the group of students. "Tell us the geology of this area presently."

"Cenozoic Era of Lithosphere Continental Mantel pedosphere layer. It has vegetation, probably some aquifer systems, and bedrock. The biosphere and hydrosphere cease to make significant chemical changes at the bedrock depth. It is presently in the Cenozoic or Cainozoic Era, Cenozoic meaning new life, is exposed. Maybe below this exposed layer one might find a Mesozoic or Paleozoic era layers."

"Attention pupils," Professor Windsor announced. "We are going to bring this to the Didaskozic area. What does Didasko mean, Mr. Saladin?"

"To show a better way or to teach a better lesson."

"Right. To kick off your festivities, I am going to show you the better way of ruling our planet. We are going to bring this area into the present era. I will demonstrate."

Gaelen pulled me with him from the middle of the group to join Taxa, Sebol, Haazic, and Bane front and center. I was surprised because usually Gaelen liked to stay as far away from the line of Professor Windsor's fire as possible. 

Taxa pulled out a velvet satchel and poured something into his hands before passing the satchel to Bane. Without drawing Windsor's attention, the satchel passed from Bane to Sebol, then Haazic till it reach Gaelen. 

"Hold your hand out," Gaelen whispered with a big smile. He held my hand in his and poured shiny rainbow marbles into my hand from the satchel. 

"This is going to be great!" Sebol jumped up and down, cheering.

Professor Windsor's slim body bloat with air. An eerie quiet descended upon the entire chatty group of students. It was as if everyone held their breath while air entered Professor Windsor's. And with it, the trees began to bend and twist like pulling licorice into a painful contortion. 

The energy around me made my hair stand on end at the back of my neck and my heart sped up with fear. Absolute fear! I didn't understand why I heard a strong foreboding siren like the world was going to end. 

I clenched my hands to stop but I fell heat radiate from my chest into the tips of my fingers. My hands felt like they were on fire. I clenched them and pawed them together, rubbing them to stop the burn. I looked down at my hands, they had turned bright blue like light, I could see my bones like an x-ray. I looked around at my classmate, afraid if anyone saw what was happening to me. I quickly pushed them into my jean jacket pockets. 

The burning grew stronger as the earth moaned with a hiss of gas pushing to the surface from the ground.

The land covered with human bones began to hum with a unnatural intensity. I watched as the bones floated in the air above the ground like marionettes and Professor Windsor's outstretched hand played the role of puppeteer. I heard what sounded like chimes that my mom, placed above our single window. It wasn't the cans and bottle she had found jangling together. It was the rattling of bones, hitting each other as they glowed blue, electric blue like my hands shoved into my pockets. I looked over my body to see if my entire body was glowing blue - relieved it wasn't. 

Professor Windsor outstretched his other hand and the bones fell to the ground with a sizzling hiss. Unearthly, the bones boiled and bubbled black. The sound was unsettling as marrow broke. Like a whip strike, the bones flashed into a red flames that scorched what remained of the twisted forest. Fire licked the evergreen trees. Animals to scramble out of the forest and birds escape with caws of desperation. The red flames remained low and brought down the centuries old trees. The once tall majestic trees were now simple kindle to the fire that moved like a sea of orange and black liquid like lava. 

As if he were on a macabre cooking show, Professor Windsor pressed his hands together like he was rubbing herbs into the stew. The lava substance moved with lapping waves of a small sea just a few feet away from us, yet never coming near to us. 

Then it stopped forming a perfect floor like world. I could see that beyond the forest was another perfect floor that seemed to go on forever.

It was the strange, metallic bronze-like ground that I had to cross in order to enter The Realm. The same ground my feet walked across it for hours. The unearthly shell, my face was pushed against as I was intercepted by the humans of Maddie and Ben's colony. It was a ground formed by a sea of human remains. The multitude of what was left of the human population was now formed as an unnatural geological layer -Didaskozic. To show a better way, the Y'vori way, to murder.

The single rhythmic tin sound of tapping echoed as it hit my sense followed by a second tapping then many filled the quiet. The marbles bounced across the layer of human remains, dozen tossed down the endless ground. Echoing like The Vatican. The tinkling of marble bounces went on forever. 

I screamed, doubling over grabbing my stomach. I was hyperventilating, I was losing it. I didn't want to scream. I had to think up something quick. Make an excuse why I had screamed. But all I could think was the tinkling sound of marbles. They wouldn't stop. They rained on forever because the plain went on forever. The end of the world and humanity went on for ever. Some rolled now and it was worse. It was a void and I felt it in my core.

"Don't forget to send your discussion questions. Just because it is the Festivities don't think that I will slack off on grading your work. Alright back to the craft." I heard Professor Windsor conclude but I wasn't looking up. 

My back burned with the quick hot air entering my lungs, I barely noticed a pile of marbles fell at my feet or a hand press to my back. I still clenched my marbles in my hand. It was Gaelen's marbles that dropped to the still virginal earth at my feet. The real earth that didn't cause marbles to bounce unnaturally into eternity.

"What's wrong?" Gaelen pressed his hand to my back as I leaned over, trying hard to catch my breath. Each inhale only brought the burning bile back up to my throat. I fell like I was going to throw up, I had to throw up. My head swam, I felt so sick. My teeth grind so hard they began to chatter. Don't cry I mantra'd. The Y'vroi were horrible. How could they kill so many people. How could they destroy so much beauty and then claim to bring a "better way.

My skin crawled because I felt people surrounding me, touching my skin. Aliens touching me who possessed the power to calcify our bodies and melt them into a strange hard dead substance. It was cruel. All the people who lost their families, friends never to see them again, to kiss them goodbye one last time. Gone, turn into that. 

A cry shuttered out no matter how I tried to prevent it. 

"I feel sick," I half-lied, in truth I felt so sick. And Gaelen's gentle hand on me burned me. It felt like slim, evil and heartless, soul-less, selfish. The more words I found and piled on him, my heart sped like a bullet. It wasn't fair he didn't understand why I am reacting this way. He was trying to comfort me. But he was capable of destroying me.

"Go ahead, we will catch up." Gaelen said, still standing by my side. I saw through the corner of my eyes, shoes shuffling away from us towards the climb up the cliff and back to the craft. 

"Gaelen, can I help," the singsongy voice of Sebol made me wretch finally. It was healing and freeing as the contains of my stomach empty. The alien food within it didn't belong inside it anyways. Eating it was a slap in the face to all those who lost so much and those who didn't have much to eat today in this Didasko Era.

"Oh my little mouse," Gaelen soothed me by holding my braids back and rubbing my back. "Go ahead Sebol. I'll take care of her." 

The more he touched me the more I couldn't hold onto my stomach. I wish he would stop touching me. Again I wretched. Tears formed at my eyes, no longer for the plain created by human remains but for Gaelen. The man that I had given my heart to believed this was right. I was in love with an enemy. I was in love with a man who would see that my body transform into a new ground. 

Sebol reluctantly left, "Feel better Kiowa." As she walked away, I heard her slicing comment to her friends. "See, I told you she was a defect. He's only sleeping with her."

"My darling, Are you alright?" Was I alright. I was alive. But my soul wept for so many who were not. I wept for the world that was gone. I wept for those people who perished alone in this beautiful forest that was now destroyed into a plain of nothingness. "No one heard you scream, I stopped the sound coming from you."

I couldn't stop the shuddering. Honestly I didn't care to stop it either. I was human and we felt loss pain and we felt love. We cried. They all cried, the people during the Eclipse and after. I was not going to deny my humanity now. I didn't care if they realized that I was human in that moment. I didn't want to charade anymore. 

"I'm worried Kiowa. Please talk to me," Gaelen was now on his knees but I turned my face away from him. I didn't want to see him, see the face of another man that I love who was not for me.

"Let's just go back." I resolved and stood up tall but did not allow my eyes to fall on Gaelen. 

"Are you sure. We can wait until you feel better. Let's sit on the ledge. Do you want some water." 

Even without looking at him, I knew his brows were knitted with concern. But I didn't care about making him feel better or assured. He pulled his bottle of water out of his bag and handed it to me. I shook my head. I didn't want anything in my stomach. 




A Wider Sky Ch. 12



I just walked with him to the first plateau that was a three step climb and sat down looking at what was one of the most beautiful sights I had seen in my life. Evergreen trees which meant everlasting life, gone. Even the sky seemed grey like it did in the colony. This plain probably led to a colony, just like the plain I crossed led to mine. Somewhere far away there were people like me who had seen this happen to their friends, family and lovers. Turned into nothing but a floor to be trampled across. 

My head again dropped but this time no tears fell, I stood still waiting for the second blast of sorrow to pass through me. Instead I lifted my head with the resolution I had before coming to this horrible place. 

I needed to do something. 

I'm going to rebel. 

Even if it costs my chance to love, to have food, heat, running hot water, clean water to drink, a home of my own with a white picket fence, a life. I would rebel even if it cost my life. I was going to give it all up so that other could have the chance to live the life they were granted to have as earthlings. To see a wider sky.

I had found my courage.

*****

Geographic Terms Crib Notes written on Gaelen's arm:

Because Professor Ubeforg Windsor's lectures are so incredibly fucking damn hard

pedospheres: the outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes.

Lithosphere: outermost shell of a planet. Earths crust has a flexible mantel, Yo.

biosphere:  Fuck! Ask Kiowa? Oh, all the living shit on the earth. Thanks Mouse.

hydrosphere: all the water near my planet Earth or on my planet. cuz, I am boss

Layers from oldest shit to not so old shit:

Paleozoic: super old 542 million years ago to 251 million years ago. Era starts with the breaking of the supercontinent into the smaller contents of Before Eclipse.

Mesozoic: Age of Dinosaurs  some of the cool shit Windsor doesn't care about

Cenozoic Era: aka Cainozoic like the dude from the Bible, aka age of mammals, aka the era things its the shit with so many akas. Spans only about 65 million years. Dinos are dead  Fuck more boring shit from Windsor. Before Eclipse

Didaskozic: aka After Eclipse. From the Didasko meaning to show a better way of ruling the Earth. Turning human remains into a new layer of ground. 

Fuck, I better pass this class. My arm looks like an ink disease.

*****

To My Dear Readers,

Happy End of Camp NaNoWriMo! This is the big, big chapter the other trickier chapters lead up. This moment. Thank you for reading. 

So given this moment:

On a scale of 1-10 how much in love to you think Gaelen and Kiowa are? 

How loves who more so far in your opinion? 

I am also wondering about the development of the other characters who may play a larger role possibly in the future. 

What do you think of Lance, Taxa, Bane, Sebol and Hazzic so far?

Although I haven't revealed how Kiowa has powers. I am very curious what explanation EroticLitKitty has? 

Thank you CoeliacChic and fanfare for your comments. I love hearing from everyone.

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis





A Wider Sky Ch. 13



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 13

I sat on Ben and Maddie couch looking out the window unto their perfectly coiffed yard. The eerie tree-lined suburban street that was always empty. My eyes noted the tree, the fresh cut lawn and the dark houses across the street. Even though I registered what my eyes landed on, I wasn't seeing twilight settle on the horizon of a safe neighborhood. I only saw Windsor using the remains of lost souls into an unnatural earth shell. 

I arrived only a few hours ago, but my body was still shaking. I couldn't settle my stomach. It was like someone punched me through living an aching hole. I felt bad that I pushed my fork around my plate. My appetite lost ruined the thoughtful dinner Maddie and Ben prepared for me and my return stay. 

When setting the table, Ben's perfect smile beamed proudly as gave me a playful jab to my arm and motioned to the food. Sweet potatoes and turkey. 

"You've come a long way, right Kiddo?" he chuckled.

I felt bad that I was aloof. They were so excited to hear my stories about university when I arrived. I couldn't shake what I had learned that morning during the lab trip. The comments made by the students of all Professor Windsor's classes were on loop in my head. I had made a spectacle in front of the entire program. I wish I could focus on what I should do next as a solution. I knew this is what I needed to do to stay sane. Instead, I only thought about the ride back to campus.

The students leaned over the seat to share their glee with Galen, their future king and my kind's future annihilator. They'd notice he wasn't interested in retelling Windsor's spectacular demonstration. Then their eyes shifted to me and gave an array of faces trying to comprehend what was happening to me. Discreet ones whispered, asking Gaelen if I were alright, they really wanted to know if I was a defect. He politely answered no and then asked for some privacy. I had to have looked odd, neither I looking at the window, nor my classmates around me; and never glanced in Gaelen direction. He held me sat next to me, watching with protective vigilance and hoping for signs that I would snap out of it. 

"I heard that they were Rebel Colonist," one student said to another, referring to the piles of bones Professor Windsor desecrated.

"Wow that's scary, they were able to get this close to The Realm," another student responded. 

My shoulders tightened with stress but I didn't let the fear in their comments be my focus. If there were rebels and I had to find out who they were and where they are. 

"Baby, I am worried about you? Please talk to me." Gaelen begged in a whisper into my ear. He kissed my cheek to try to get me to respond to him. Desperate for me to look at him.

I was numb. I didn't even feel his kiss or his thumb caressing my hand in his. I just pawed the marbles that were still in my hand stuffed in my pocket. 

"Wasn't that amazing Gaelen?!" Bane sat up from his seat and stood over ours. Gaelen only shook his head and motioned to me. Bane then slunk back into his chair apologizing.

Bane's comment made me flex my jaw and I felt anger surge through the numbness. I tightened my hands around the marbles as hard as I could and then released it as my hand began to hurt like I was holding a dagger. I pulled my hand out of my pocket and glanced at a long red gash that was sliced into my hand. I wasn't too worried about the deep cut in my hand.

"Fuck, Mouse, what the fuck?! Kiowa damn you tell me what's happening?" he hissed frantically, still careful to not draw attention.

Gaelen wrapped my hand tightly with his scarf to stop my hand from bleeding. His eyes darted around the craft to see if anyone had noticed and then back to me. I still didn't feel anything or care if anyone noticed. I was more astonished by the red glass that had been fused together jaggedly in my hand. I registered Gaelen's coat that he draped across my lap to keep me warm. But I was in shock because I had fused the marbles into one piece of jagged glass with the force of my hand. I had never done that before.

***

Once we returned to campus, stopping in front of the Harvard building, I stormed out of the transport vehicle as fast. I sprinted ahead of Gaelen, my heart pounded hard in my chest, I didnt want to lose it before I was in the safety of privacy. 

Gaelen was shouting for me from behind as I pushed people out of my way. I reached the edge of the poppy covered ground and nearly toppled over onto the field. My feet stopped cling to the edge of the poppy field grass lawn. I was not going to crush them with my feet again. Gaelen had caught up to me and I was evaluating my options for escape. I could use the sidewalk but too many people were in the way. 

I was fueled by anger, pain, sorrow everything hit me with blasts of focus. With every intake of air, I was hit with another. My braids began to blow in the breeze, but the wind was only hitting me and now one else on the quad. It whipped at me and then Gaelen as he approached me. I thought it was Gaelen having another fit but then I realized it was me. 

I turned to the poppies that had been crushed throughout the day by the aliens as if they wanted to continue to crush the spirit of humanity. I flicked my wrist and the poppy flew into the air, allowing me to run across the field. But Gaelen grabbed my waist and with a sharp twist, pulled me into his body. The poppies now swirled around us in a beautiful cyclone of red, speckled with yellows. 

"I don't know what happened back there, and I don't care whatever your reasons are. But I love you Kiowa. I love you. Please, don't run away from me," Gaelen pronounced and pulled me into his embrace. 

I had never seen him so vulnerable and worried. He was so cocky, confident but now he was concerned and afraid. He painfully crushed his lips into mine with such deep desire and desperation. I could taste his salty tears that hit my lips as he kissed me.  

He loved me but how could I explain to him that I was a human. My mind was conflicted. I kept telling me he didn't throw the marbles. Maybe he knew. Maybe he's known for a while that I was human. He did see my dossier, but was he waiting for me to tell the truth. Oh God, what if I tell him and I was wrong. I had to end this now. Before it was too late. His soul would open soon anyways and reveal who he should be with and it won't be mine. I was human. 

"I have to go Gaelen," tears streaked my face. "Even in post-Eclipse, I feel there is a line of respect for the dead. I am not being a rebel, I am just listening to my heart."

***

"Kiowa," Maddie interrupted my thoughts. "I have the kettle on, maybe that will settle your stomach."

I gave a soft expression of thanks trying to hide the pain I was feeling. I waited a few more moments in thought before ambling to the kitchen table for tea. I missed tea. It always was so soothing and calming. I wanted to make sure to ask if I could take some with me to school, that is if I did return.

"So how is school?" she looked at me with a gentle smile as she pawed her warm tea mug. For the first time I saw something lighting up behind the faces of Maddie and Ben. It was hope. 

"Why don't you and Ben have children?" I headed off her question.

She tipped her tea mug to her lips and then licked them to prepare them for the right, practiced answer. "We are not allowed to have children in this... colony."

"Colony?"

"This is not The Realm, Kiowa. We are in a colony, although no one around here wants to call it that. They are still in denial."

"People in the colony are allowed to have children."

"That is if they survive giving birth to them and the children have parents to care for them. I know what happens in the lower colonies, Kiowa."

"You have doctors here?" 

"Yes, but we are not allowed to procreate. Our offspring would pose a threat to The Realm."

"How?"

"We are... were people of privileged and affluent. We were people of privilege pre-Eclipse. We had money, were were in positions of power, we controlled 1% of the world's wealth and we dominated it with a invisible fist. No one really realized the power we really had until it was too late. We had power to shape our futures and everyone's futures but we were greedy. We were blind to who were in our ranks that we thought were one of us. We sent people to fight our wars, scrub our floors and raise our children. They spent everything they earn on our stores and we spent our money on ourselves. We bought from each other that was unattainable to the rest. Unless they sold their soul and future to debt, which we gladly shackled them down with.

We had so much power Kiowa. When the Y'vroi were taking over the world, killing humans left and right, we offered a white flag of surrender. As long as we paid for it, because everything could be bought. We purchased a chance to have something of a normal life. We had money and we were offered the chance to this live while people who had nothing pre-Eclipse still have nothing. But we were foolish, we still end up with nothing as well, nothing of real worth anyway."

I sat in silence taking in what she had told me. I didn't know why she felt the need to tell me, they seemed so secretive the last time I was here. 

"Ben is not my husband. My husband lives in another colony of privileged people. He was a Senator and he purchased our tickets that allowed us to live in what looks to the outsider a normal life. But you wouldn't know would you what the world was life pre-Eclipse. You are the new generation. I was forced to be partnered with Ben and my husband forced to marry another woman. You see if they allowed our families to stay together, we would help each other to fight. If we had children, they would be instilled with the principals of entitlement. And that is dangerous to the Y'vori, humans that they aspire and expect to be something can not be subjugated. So we were all sterilized before entering this colony. If you are allowed to stay in a colony like ours, you will be assigned a husband, assigned a job role and you will be sterilized. They won't let you stay in The Realm, Sweetie."

I just pawed my untouched mug of tea in my hands, warming them. I considered all she was saying. My soul felt subjugated. I pressed my tea-warmed hands to my heart that seemed to feel like fire and ice all the time since I turned the marbles to glass.

"You are special Kiowa. This is why I tell you. You are able to be in there with them. Maybe... Maybe..." she let her shoulders fall drastically and slumped a little in her chair losing her usual perfect posture. "I've watched you struggling over there on the couch. I've seen that before, it's a longing in your eyes and the way you clutch your heart. Whoever he is? You will not be able to stay with him. He doesn't know you are human and when he finds out he will only stay with his kind and on his kind's side. Why would he jeopardize everything for love."

"Your husband bought you a pass into this life for love. He took a chance -"

"And he was wrong!" She snapped, "There is really no life for humans post-Eclipse Kiowa. The reason why the streets are empty is because there is no life." Maddie rose to her feet and shuffled out of the room towards the staircase. 

***

In the morning, Maddie didn't join us for breakfast. I woke up early because I wanted to cook a thank you breakfast for my hosts. Ben sauntered into the room and hummed as he stretched. A large grin spilled across his face when he saw upon the spread of eggs and turkey pieces I had laid out with fresh cut fruit.

"I am so proud of you Kiowa!" Ben said, "But breakfast makes me even more happy to have you in my home."

"Thanks Ben." 

I slide more pieces of turkey from the skillet onto the serving plate and dutifully place on the dinning room table.

"Guess what kiddo. You can call your mom in a few minutes. She should be arriving at your town hall or something like that with your governor. They shipped a phone to your colony last week and one here yesterday."

"Be careful what you say," Maddie startled me as she entered the kitchen and pour a cup of coffee. Her pink and purple terrycloth robe was tightly sashed around her center. Her matching fluffy slippers made her steps stealth like. "They will be listening in, you can bet on that."

Just then the phone rang and I ran to the living room where it originated. I pressed the button and a hologram illuminated out of the phone with my mother.

"Oh baby! Kiowa!" She started to tear up. "I was so worried about you. I miss you so much." 

"I miss you too mama." I started to cry as well. She looked like she had aged so much in the short time that I was gone. Her strong body and temperament seemed frail.

"You are going to be able to come home for Christmas, that's what Governor Pion said. How is school? You look like you are as thin as a rail, my girl are you eating?"

"Alien food." My mom raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "It's not that bad, just looks and smells terrible, but their desserts are the best."

"How are classes?"

I told my mom about the lab in the forest and the Festivities. I could see her body turning rigid with sorrow, anger, and loss just as mine had but now I was just numb. I hesitated telling her about Gaelen, just in case They were listening. But they probably knew already so I told her a little bit about him.

"It seems you like this boy?"

"But he doesn't know I am human. I am not for sure he has figured it out, but I am certain that when I get back he will be angry that I stood him up for the Festivities. So whatever was there romantically is probably long dead by now." 

I felt bad for leaving Gaelen dateless, but Ben and Maddie were right. I didn't want to see anymore things about how they celebrated Eclipse. 

Talking to my mom, made me feel so happy and the lonely feeling that had permeated me had lighted its burden on me a little bit. Earlier, I was afraid of how I was going to have to go home, by walking across the plain again. Now I know what the plain was made of. An endless death march to an unknown point for Pion to pick me up to take me back to the colony was more than formidable. 

But after talking to my mom I had to have courage. She ended out the call with wise words from the Civil Rights movement. I didn't miss as beat of my mom's famous style of drawing from the past lest it be destined to repeat itself. 

She quoted MLK: 

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. 

And it was then a plan started to formulate in my head. A plan for a shift.



A Wider Sky Ch. 14



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 14

When I returned to campus, everything had been back to normal. I was glad I heeded Ben and Maddie insisting I stay with them an extra day. I spent the day with them, learning how to cook with a oven and kitchen gadgets salvage from Before Eclipse. My mind try to make the most of not thinking of school. It was best to take precaution. I needed to return to my classes when the students had expended their festivities high and were back to the normal school grind. 

When I returned everyone was back to the normal school grind. The quad filled with sunbathing Y'vori, study groups and kids playing sports. The poppies were gone. Any signs that the school had been turned upside down from constant parties, where now clean. 

Taking a study break, I decided to soak the last of the sun rays before my evening art course. I hadn't seen Gaelen all day and thankfully, I didn't have any classes with the esteemed professor today. I wasn't ready to go back to his class yet. It was probably best that I didn't see either of them. I had to get over Gaelen, anyways.

I stretched out on my sweater and leaned back on my elbows with my eyes closed. I imagined myself as a flower in the sun, just enjoying the sunshine with contentment not a single worry in the world. Well, what was left of the sunshine. A grey cloud crawled over the sun and the sky swiftly changed in angry in the sun's absence. The rain cloud turned the entire campus grey and dark. A big raindrop splashed on my check. I and the others on the quad, quickly dashed to the buildings for cover. Sheets of rain pour down, as I made my way to the library. I guess it was meant to be that I study and make-up for my missing day of class.

Inside the library, the first to approach me was Lance, of course. I swear he was just waiting for Gaelen to drop me so he could move in. And seeing his determined steps towards, confirmed that Gaelen had given him this window of opportunity.

"Hey, how have you been? Are you feeling better?" Lance asked as he followed me into the library. "Gaelen said that you had to go home because something with your family." 

Gaelen covered for me?

"I'm better now," I whispered. 

I wrung my shirt inside the cool library lobby. Thankfully, my cardigan was dry and I pulled it on, to bring warmth to my soaked skin. I needed to study, so I guess Lance was up for studying too because he followed me to the study area.

I walked to a study carousel and turned the knob allowing the door to slide open in a semicircle. Inside, Bane and Haazic were heavily making out to my surprise. Usually Bane was so quiet and shy around everyone, but to brazenly make-out in the library was something that -well- something that Gaelen loved to do. 

"Sorry!" I gasped and quickly pulled close the study carrousel. "What, what happened there?" I asked and Lance grinned like a cat with a canary.

"Festivities is what happened. You missed a lot of crazy, fun stuff my friend." Yeah, sure fun. "You will notice a lot of new couples on campus." 

That came from left field. I studied Lance closely. He was grinning ear to ear like crazy. Like a gleeful child. He even rocked back and forth with anticipation on his heels. Then it dawned on me, Haazic was coupled with Bane. Did that mean her other half, Sebol and a part of Bane's trio were also coupled? 

I wheezed a little and then coughed to clear whatever was stifling in my throat - it was heartbreak.

"So what happened, while I was gone?" I boldly asked and prayed he leave out any gory details about their terrible Eclipse customs. 

"Well there was a lot of sexual tension on campus all weekend. So many people coupled up and people were making out or kissing wherever you turned."

"Like an orgy?"

Lance snorted a geeky laugh that made me laugh a bit. "My gosh are you crazy." He nervously giggled, it was as if he was flirting with me. "I don't know how to handle the thought of you saying the word 'orgy'." Oh my god he is flirting with me. 

This means Gaelen let up on his threat. I was free game now for Lance.

"What really happened?" Did Gaelen's soul open, was what I really meant.

"A lot of souls opened up this weekend?"

My mouth dropped along with my tablet. It smashed into pieces on the floor. 

"Oh my, Kiowa!" Lance quickly knelt down and started to pick up the pieces of my destroyed tablet. "This is definitely broken. I hope you attach it to your main dorm room port often to back it up."

I thought to myself and relaxed, thankfully I did. 

"It's ok, I did."

He handed me a metal chip from the pile and when he placed it in my hand his fingers lingered for a long time against my palm. "Did your soul open?"

"No," he replied, but his frown only stayed for a short time. "As you can see, Bane's and Haazic's did." I didn't care about them I only cared about one person. "Since you were gone, and Gaelen had to make a special appearance part of the festivities... He took Sebol." I shrugged my shoulders to pretend I didn't care but that was far from the truth raging inside me that could make me double over clenching my stomach again. "Sebol's soul opened this weekend."

I don't remember what my premeditated reaction was. All I was doing was running, running out of the library and into the forest where Gaelen had first made out with me. I knew this was going to happen and I prepared for it but it still stung hard.

I am completely out of breath but I am still over-fueled with so many emotions that I just can't handle. I flick my wrist to crack the stiff joint and every leaf rustled loudly like a flock of birds swarming at a target. The leaves suddenly shoot into the air like a flare gun going off. I fell to the ground and sat crossed legged trying to meditate and calm myself. I had to make sense of everything. I dropped my head into my hands - it didn't help.

"I was wondering when I was going to find you?" A familiar voice said behind me. I didn't want to see him, yet. I heard his footsteps on the soft damp soil left from the leaves preparing it for the winter and spring regrowth. He sat down with me and a strong arm snake in between mine as he pulled me to his chest. "I have to talk to you?"

I couldn't say anything. I couldn't even turn to the person holding me. I just sat against his back and he entwined his fingers with mine. Every second with him, I wanted to run away but he just held me. He didn't say a thing. He just swept my braids off my back and massaged my tense shoulders, his long legs framed mine, like her was hugging me with his whole body. I exhaled and calmed, catalogued the smell I love so much. His smell of lush green forest and spice. I wanted to remember this smell even if I were never to have him. If in the end, the humanity lost, I wanted to forever remember this tender moment. His fingers rested under my chin and he tipped my head back. His gem like eyes met mine and his iridescent black hair tickled my cheek as he leaned over to kiss my forehead. 

"I know about Sebol's soul opening. Did yours?"

"It did," He announced. "Did yours?"

Tears finally formed at my eyes as I sniffled. Tell the truth, my heart admonished me. "It did. A long time ago."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I wanted a choice."

"We all want choices Kiowa. The world is made on choices." We sat silently for awhile. "Please stop crying."

He turned my body around and cradled my head to his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. Thumping rhythm and then seizing to silence before picking up with a double beat and starting again. I wondered how much it affected him, how he felt every time it stopped. I had to be painful. 

Oh my alien boy, how I care for you. 

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Sebol?"

"Why should I be with Sebol when I am here with you right now."

"It's not fair," I cried. Because I love him. And I had never told him I did.

"I'll tell you what is not fair. Sebol's soul named my name. But my heart, my soul, my mind, my body, my everything says that I should be yours. I am making a choice."

"But your soul will win in the end."

"And so will yours. But for now, I want to live in the truth. The truth is that I love you not because of some predestined soul naming. I love you because I choose to."

He lift my chin in his Gaelen-way of capturing my attention and kissed my lips. This kiss was unlike any other kiss we had had before.This kiss was so raw and honest. It was so fueled by the truth and I couldn't help but return it with the same.

***

My favorite class is more of a retreat from everything that constantly weighs on me. I can escape and feel like it's ok to be human because in art class. Despite whatever alien anti-human spin my professor tries to make, I can only feel proud about the masterful, amazing work that humans have achieved. 

Standing before us is a marvel, the university acquired thru looting during Eclipse, Michaelangelo's David and we all circled the angelic faced statue of was considered the perfect man in beauty. Each of us sat at a pottery wheel skew in various work stations in the classroom. We're instructed to recreate David in a mini version however we please. I decided to make David into a pot since he was the epitome of male sexuality and many pots found in human archaeology where objectifications of women - for our curves, nurturing busts and furitle hips. I thought David should join the pot collection of humanity. To me a pot could represent the perfection of both strength, leadership and humility captured in Michaelango with the primitive pottery. And my pot would look the part due to my more than primitive art skills.

Haazic growled in frustration slamming her hand into the clay destroying whatever she was creating. 

"This is fucking hard!" She spat. Wow an alien admitting that a mere human could best a Y'vori, I smiled to myself. 

"Try again Miss X," the teacher said in a monotoned voice as she walked around us like a nurse doing rounds. Haazic floated her hand over her clay pile. "If our forefathers live decades do without using our powers than you can make a simple Michaelango's David."

"This sucks!" She hissed and leaned back in her chair kicking her feet in front of her. 

"Maybe if you studied the assigned text on the mathematical equation for creating each segment instead of sucking face with Bane, you would be fine," Taxa spat. Of course there was an explanation for everything that could be created and masterpieces were not solely out of inspiration According to the Y'vori, anything a human could make could be done by Y'vori, no need for imagination just science. That was probably why my piece looked so different from everyone else's mini me David's.

"Whatever, at least I can suck face." Haazic wobbled her head as she pursed her lips in defense at Taxa, I couldn't help but laugh. "And what the hell is that?!" She turned to me her nose crinkled as if she smelled something wretched. 

"I know it's not perfect," I replied. 

"Yeah, it looks nothing like that!" her finger jutted out at David standing center as the perfect model.

"I thought I do something different for fun."

"Whatever!" 

She turned again to Taxa and started chatting about shopping or Bane's kiss, I could careless - it was trifle.

I was surprised she talked to me at all. It seemed like Sebol's clique of friends didn't like me much last semester because I was with Gaelen and now that Sebol's sole opened I was becoming a bigger pariah to their group. Probably because Gaelen was avoiding her and the whole campus knew it. But I was also staying away from Gaelen as much as I could. Trying was futile, in the last two weeks, he broke into my room multiple times pretending he needed tutoring.

"You know what I really think is going on here! I think she's lying!" Haazic said a little louder than what was permitted for classroom work conversation volume.

"Miss X, will you please dedicate school gossip on your own time and not mine," the teacher sighed as if she was going to express something more emotionally than her usual one-noted voice.

"I mean," Haazic continued and then rolled her head and whispered loudly, "I mean do you know anyone who has had their soul open and have it conflict with the other person."

"Are you sure her soul opened or is it she just wants to be Queen," Taxa chuckled and then stopped in complete shock. "What a minute...does she even have a soul?"

Haazic scowled at Taxa who only laughed harder. "Maybe he is lying. Maybe she said her soul opened and he said his did too just to you know... do what Gaelen does best."

Suddenly the room became a bit more lively than the quiet buzz of the florescent and hands slapping clay. Haazic stood up and slapped Taxa hard on his arm. 

"What the fuck?!" Taxa yelled rubbing his arm that was left with a splash of red.

"That's my girl you are talking about!" Haazic and the professor had a silent exchange before she reluctantly sat down and whispered again. 

"If his soul did open and she did indeed have a soul to open than they both would be sucking face the way you and Bane do it so well." Taxa spelled out plainly.

"Maybe you are right. Maybe his soul didn't name his mate. That makes sense. If it had he would have been head of heels about her and wouldn't want to spend a moment away from her..." Haazic raised her chin towards the teacher and yelled. "and wasting his time doing stupid human tricks!" She waved her hand over the clay and a near perfection tiny Michelangelo's David formed.

The professor scoffed. "Miss X, I highly suggest you get a tutor to help you to pass this class. This is due by the next class session and I don't want to see you in here again if you do not complete this assignment by hand and on time. If a human can do it, certainly you can too." The class repeated the second half of the statement corporately and with that the class was dismissed.

"Fuck!" Haazic leaned back against her chair and flicked her clay chisel away. "I need to pass this class, I am not going to take it twice."

"Ask Kiowa, she's doing well in all her courses!" I overheard Taxa suggest but I didn't look their way. I wasn't a fan of Taxa either especially after the marbles incident. "She is passing everything she's in according to Gaelen. She's smart, she's tutoring him and if she can deal with Gaelen, she can deal with your loud mouth too."

She sucked her teeth. I looked down and tried not to get any more attention instead quickly packed up my art area, but I could see she was looking me over. Haazic had money and she was definitely entitled in the way that humans were according to Maddie. Entitlement is a world that I couldnt fully grasp - even being on campus for so many months. "Passing everything huh?" She snorted a laugh, "Maybe she's the human. The human supposedly scored perfect on the test."

Next thing I heard the clipping of expensive heeled boots hitting the floor tiles and when I glanced up from my pottery table, Haazic was standing over me with her look of apprehension. Boy, she really didnt like me.

"So, hey, Kiowa. Would you be interested in tutoring me?" Haazic shifted her hips from side to side.

"Sure," I responded without hesitation. "I dont mind, just one thing-"

"No deals. I know about you and Gaelen and its driving my best friend crazy. Just help me pass the class and I'll-" She hesitated, her face contorted with completed strained focus. I am sure she has never had to do something for someone else in her entire life.

"It's nothing. I was just going to ask you for a favor. I need help on my thesis paper and you are a good writer. Maybe you can help me with some of the research."

She blinked, taken aback by my proposal. "Sure, whatever?" She shook her long shiny black hair and then turned to Taxa who was pulling his bag onto his shoulders. I feigned being lost in my own world. But I wanted to listen in soI put my unfinished piece away on the work shelf, near Taxa.

"You work it out?" Taxa said putting his hand on Haazic's shoulder. 

"Yah," Haazic replied.

I noticed Taxa looking in my direction and he shake his head. "I was with him during the ceremony and had to listen to him all through that lame dinner. All he talked about was her," Taxa pointed his jaw inconspicuously in my direction but I saw it. "I think they are both lying."

"If he is with her, than why aren't they sucking face all the time?" She also tried to stealthily gesture towards me but it was like firing a flare gun it was way too animated.

"That's what I don't get either. She doesn't seem interested in being Queen. She and he are always up and down avoiding each other or barely talking and then the next hot and heavy. That's why they are both lying. But whatever, to each his own." Taxa shrugged and escorted Haazic out. 

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

Dear Readers,

I hope you are enjoying this series so far. I apologize to those who have written emails, I just got them and will be answering them soon. I didn't realize I had emails from you and your emails me a lot to me.

Thank you everyone who has been commenting and sharing your thoughts on this book.

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis





A Wider Sky Ch. 15



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 15

After Windsor's class, I got a private message from Haazic on my social scroll. My arm was suddenly laced with Lance's while we walked back to the dorms together. He held my arm tighter to his and hummed taking advantage of our closeness to glance at my tablet over my shoulder. 

"Look who is becoming Miss Popular," Lance chuckles

"I'm just tutoring her and she is going to help me with my thesis."

"I can help you with your paper. Anyways, Haazic isn't the best student. And I must admit Kiowa, I'm a bit hurt. I'm second in class... to you," Lance blushed and I couldn't help but chuckle.

I remembered how much I liked Lance when we first met. He was my best friend and just as I thought about how much I really loved his friendship, I thought of my other "friend." And like a cosmic slap, Gaelen blissfully jogged past me with his seconds in tow behind him - not even looking in my direction. Bane and Taxa were tossing a ball between themselves. It looked like they were coming from a skirmish game of football. Gaelen's usually purple, blue-black hair was not just midnight black and glistening with sweat. The three of them together was a bit intimidating. They all had a presence of royalty but their boyish charm was mixed with dangerous dose of being lethal warriors. Gaelen was walking backwards while laughing with Taxa who wore a scowl on his face, it was difficult to discern that this was Taxa having fun. Gaelen nearly ran us over but he squeezed out of our path and even worse, he didn't say a thing to me.

Once the trio were in the distance also heading back to the dorms, Lance shrugged, "He still wont patch up your relationship with him because you stood him up at the Festivities?"

Lance was right. It seemed like Gaelen was avoiding me with all costs. We no longer sat next to each other in Windsor's class. 

"I dunno." I hugged myself. Now I was even more eager to just sulk away to lick my emotional wounds alone. "I got to go. I need to study for tomorrow's lectures. See you later?"

"Sure." Lance sighed and shifted his backpack tighter against his body. "Oh...Kiowa." Lance rocked on his heels looking at the ground. "You deserve someone who is going to be sensitive to your needs and if you don't want to attend Festivities no one should fault you for it. You deserve someone who will love you for you. That's all I am going to say. Ok. Take care. Kiowa. See you in class tomorrow."

Those were wise words that meant more than what he meant. I didn't know how to respond because the moment I touch the handle to the dorm door, my mind narrowed on my massive study obligations. I had about three hours to study on my own before I was to meet Hazzic. I awkwardly hugged Lance goodbye, I couldn't think about relationships right now, with Gaelen or Lance. It only made me loss valuable energy on my true purpose of going to school. 

Focusing on school was going to be a godsend because the more I thought about the exchange, the more I felt that I was missing out of important discussions that would make me a better person who could be relatable. The more I felt that my friendship with Gaelen was on ice and what were were was hard to define. And I guess that is what we were aiming for. A relationship that was in secret and that no one else could penetrate our wall of safety even though it felt more out of self-esteem and fear of being left with no one.

In mere seconds after sitting in my room to begin studying, my usual guest intrusively entered my room. I gave him a dose of his own medicine ignoring him. Gaelen sauntered over to my side of the room and got comfortable as he saw fit which was lying across my bed, dominating it more so than politely sitting. I tried my best to not even take him in as I worked on m first year thesis that wasn't about the rebels but on something I hadn't yet figured out yet. At the moment I was just researching and starting mini-thesi and ultimately boring my somewhat friend/boyfriend who should be studying but instead spent the time hassling me to take a break.

Like a panther, he stalked over to my desk and startled me as he lifted my sweater off my body. Without effort, he pulled me out of my chair and towards the bed. I expected him to push me onto the bed and then languishingly drape his body over mind but instead he pushed me against the wall, his hands snaking behind me as he pulled my hips to his. He simply just pressed his forehead to mine and inhaled deeply, his emerald eyes closed as if in prayer. He stood perfectly still, sandwiching me between himself and the wall. 

What was he thinking? This was another side of Gaelen who often loved possessing me, pushing my buttons to bring me to the edge. Gaelen was a persistent and skilled lover. What this man could do with his lips was a near losing battle. He was a warrior in trying to get me to pull down my guards and allow him to pluck my virginity. Most of all he was a skilled general in finding tactics that challenged my scarred-fear which paralyze me from accepting that I could possibly be loved. 

He pulled away in a startling retreat so unlike Gaelen yet he still moved like a fearsome predator back to my desk. I huffed and tried to gather my wits. My whole entire body was tingling especially in my core and my thighs trembled. That had to be the most sexiest thing I've ever experienced. I plopped on my bed and pulled my tablet out, swiping it so that it projected a geological table onto the wall in front of Gaelen. 

Back to studying, I said to myself. 

Gaelen kicked his feet up onto my desk and leaned back in my chair, crossing his muscular arms across his chest. This man was handsome without any effort. He fluffed his raven hair and then snuck a peek at me with a wily eyebrow smirking. He knew I loved watching his hair change from midnight black, to steaks of purple and hunter green in the sunlight. 

All the tease. 

"I am glad I have to meet Haazic in an hour, because then maybe you will actually get some work done," I snipped. Gaelen only gave a Cheshire grin and batted his big green eyes to stir the pot in my loins. "You are terrible," I said as I walked over to kiss him, I was drawn to him like a fly to sweet vinegar and soap. He was going to cause my death that was for sure. "We aren't even really dating or friends or soul-whatever."

"Exactly, we are just Gaelen and Kiowa." He pulled me into his lap and nuzzled my cheek with his nose "Don't talk about Gaelen and Kiowa behind their backs especially not to Haazic. It would totally ruin the Gaelen-and-Kiowa-special-kind-of-magic which makes this somewhat friendship/dating/soul-whatever work." he said so sweetly into my neck before nipping it with his lips. 

He was right though. Whatever he was trying to do with me was magic and it was obvious he was also trying to avoid contact with Sebol. He was spending his time with me -in secret- and this was exactly the gossip fodder that Sebol needed to justifying going bats shit crazy on Gaelen or more so, on me. 

Oh my god, I had to laugh at myself. Imagine if she knew her sweet king, Gaelen, had fallen in love with a human. 

The thought didn't even leave me as I walked to the Harvard building art room. I left Gaelen to his own devises either continue studying or go party like a king. I hummed with smothered chuckles with the thought of me and Galen - together.

"What are you laughing about?" Haazic snapped. She sat on a table, swinging her legs under it and had a pissed off look on her face as if she had been waiting a long time.

"Nothing just something my mom told me. Sorry I was late. I was on a call with my 'rents."

"Sure. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

We worked in silence for a while, me creating a mini-me-David right beside her. I went through the quadrants for each segment until she had tiny piles of masses that needed to now be chiseled and sculpted. She was on a roll already, working on David's calf. A smile pulled across her chin, she was humming to herself, enjoying "human tricks".

"You're not a bad teacher, Kiowa."

"Thanks, but this assignment is hard. I don't know if I can say it will be perfect."

"Well lets see?" She wiped her clayed hands on a towel hanging across her lap and then grabbed her tablet from her book bag slung over the chair. The tablet lit up and scanned the finished David leg calculating its perfection. "Fuck! It's not perfect." She became disheartened and then threw her head back, sucking her teeth. 

It was like being a surgeon and hearing the monitors go crazy- I was losing my patient. "Keep trying, it takes some time to chisel off the right amount of clay. Just keep checking the equation as you go along, if its wrong add a little more clay."

"You know, I highly doubt Michelangelo kept checking a tablet for correct calculations," she again pointed at the handsome David statue standing in the middle of the room with pride in spite of the Y'vori, "I think the Professor is bullshit!" I couldn't help but laugh at her emphasis on bullshit. "I mean if a human can do it so can we. Maybe a human can do what the professor only wishes she could do. Not all of us are geniuses, of course. We are not going to be able to trump everything in the universe what makes humans so-" she stopped and then looked at me with fear in her eyes. "I am not a humanist. Ok. Just to make that clear. Right?!"

I shrugged, I knew what she was afraid of. She was afraid of people thinking she was a rebel and that was exactly what I needed her to open up about. "You know maybe your right. I can't do David either; that's why I creating something of my own."

"I cant believe I didn't think of that?"

"Well, the Professor like my concept and allowed it because its still representational of David. She is going to grade me on if it has the same mass as David and volume as David. But at least I am not trying to recreate something that was already invented."

"Yes exactly! Why aren't we creating our own art, something from our own imagination not something some dumb human stumbled upon centuries ago."

"My point exactly. So do you want to scrap David and try for something else?"

"Hell yes!" Hazzic slammed her mini-David into a pancake with the palm of her hand.

"Cool, just make sure the volume and mass is the same." Suddenly Haazic was fused with energy and happiness like she was in her element, being creative and not scientific.

"I wish my mom could see this pot," I started.

"Yeah my parents would go apeshit if they saw me creating things like this. They liked when we were able to just flow and not worry about perfection."

"We?"

"Yeah me and my brother. You got brothers or sisters?"

"No just me. But I miss my mom so much. She also was like your parents. She was so happy when I showed her a picture I drew or chalk drawing I made with gravel. She was always encouraging me to do something artistic and didn't care if it looked horrible, in which it often did."

Haazic laughed. "My brother and I used to sing a song about perfectmongers."

"Perfectmongers?" I paused and then a smile crept across my face too. "I like it. How did the song go."

"Hell no am I sing that song!" She laughed and then she paid attention to her sculpture and started to hum a song. "Fuck, I miss my brother. He is a good guy." 

"It's alright. I understand. It's part of the reason why I study all the time. Because when I'm thinking about school stuff, I don't miss my mom so much."

"You ever heard of drinking?" Haazic snorted a laugh and slapped her knee.

I started to love her abrasiveness, she was unlike any other girl I met. I couldn't help but laugh she had a point.

"I suppose that's an option."

"You should come out to party with us." She immediately saw my wavering and I blushed even harder. "Yeah with Sebol too. She not that bad, you know. You're not that bad too."

"Thanks."

"See I can drink. Even drink more than my brother. I can put him under the table and he is strong and big."

"You know. Lance told me about your brother. But, you know with all these souls opening and stuff I've been thinking. It makes you do crazy things. What if your brother just ran away with his girl." 

"We all wondered that at first, but it was clear he didn't just run away. He was not just enlisting; he was leading them. My father had chips full of highly classified information about the colonies and pergatory. My brother could have easily just copied them and left them alone; and no one would suspected. But he took them. All of them.

"Even though our parents were generals, they taught us things about pre-Eclipse. My brother, Samson was around pre-Eclipse. He knew people growing up. He knew that world."

"A lot of people knew that world but they didn't all want to stay in that horrible world," I reasoned. I couldn't believe how well I was starting to sound indoctrinated.

"For some, this world is horrible, especially how we treated the humans. Professor Windor said, we lead a path and teach a path that is a better way. People like my brother don't believe that. They want to make the world better least.."

"History repeats itself," I finished the quote I was taught so well. She was startled. "My mother told me that everyday."

Haazic blanched, "My father as well. It's a good human saying."

I snorted and she only laughed. "Professor Matisse is only a mere Y'vori." Hazzic pointed to David, "And yes, there are things that humans do better," I only smirked on one side unsure I should agree. "Hey what happened to our comradarie on this point. Professor Matisse sucks! Right?!" She was like a cheerleader trying to rouse the crowd.

I slapped my hand onto the table. "You're exactly right!"

"Just don't tell anyone, pinky swear," Hazzic smiled, she was gorgeous when she was herself.

I couldn't help but clutch my stomach I was laughing so hard. What kinda Y'vori swear is a pinky swear. I thought I heard it all.

"What is a pinky swear?" I shook my head my eyes tearing with happiness.

"The ultimate swear, you break it you die."

"Really, how?"

"I don't know? It just happens. It's like the swear on your pinky leads the rest of your fingers to revolt against you and choke you in the middle of the night one day while you are having sweet dreams. Karma."

I felt good, I felt happy talking with Haazic, she made it ok to be human and I felt at ease. "Ok pinky swear," I announced.

"No, we do it the human way. My brother taught me. Here..." She forced my hand out and folded all my fingers but my pinky into my palm and then hooked her pinky with mine and gave a tiny pinky handshake.

Wow, in this moment I was Y'vori and Hazzic was teaching me a human custom long forgotten. I'd found a new friend in that moment.

"What would you do if you could see your brother again?" I asked.

"I see him from time to time?"

"You do?" 

"He sneaks into the realm for information scavenging hunts."

"How do you know he is here?"

"Hey!" She snapped, "What's with all the questions? I am not one of them. Are you planning on turning him in? You know what they do to people like him, right?"

"No. It's just that... I am confused about a lot of things. I want to believe what I was taught growing up but I want to know what the rebels are really about. If my father found out, he would disown me but I want to know," I answered.

She bounced her leg nervously, her mouth tightly zip. "If I let you meet him you must promise never to talk about this again. Not to anyone, not even me, got it. This is really dangerous and I don't even know why I am willing to expose him. Maybe I just have the courage to find out the truth myself, like you. Even though I doubt this is the truth, his truth."

She sighed and continued to work on her project. 

We talked about Bane because he was safe topic that didn't cause any problems. Just as much as she loved sharing the small details of her brother, Hazzic enjoyed talking about Bane. I wondered if this was how Gaelen would act like when his soul opened. Every time she mentioned Bane's name her whole countenance lit up like a brilliant star and even my face hurt just considering how much her muscles must have felt, she smiled so hard. 

I learned more about Bane and their trio of brotherly friendship than I knew I wouldn't have been able to find out on my own.

Bane was always shy, almost like he had an anxiety disorder around groups of people that were not Gaelen or Taxa. That was because before Eclipse, Bane was terribly bullied by his human classmates. Taxa was introduced as his cousin a year before Eclipse and the boys began to learn what they truly were in the months before they were relocated to Siberia to meet Galen. Before Eclipse, Y'vori children didn't learn their true identity until they were 10 years old. It was enough time before puberty to not fall in love with a human; and they had enough sense to not disobey their parents and tell humans of their existence.

Bane and Taxa all came from the royal line and their fathers were generals. Taxa was always the antagonist and was always fighting with Gaelen since they were young and living in Siberia. He didn't like having to be responsible for some pipsqueak kid, who at the time didn't even know that he was Y'vori. Although Bane was so incredibly shy, he wanted to be enrolled in the military program, like his father and Taxa. But Taxa and Bane were not allowed to because Gaelen was not admitted. The trios' relationship has strained a bit since school had begun because general sons should go to Yale but Gaelen held them back. Taxa is Gaelen's first and Bane was his second, they had to enroll in the same program as Gaelen because their primary job since the boys were 6 years old was to protect the next king. 

"I am going to hold you to your promise of coming out with us for drinks, Kiowa," Haazic chimed as she put her sculpture in the kiln and I carefully placed my finished pot next to hers.

"Sure," I squeaked. 

"Now I know why he calls you a mouse." She was laughing so hard tears started falling from her eyes. "I'll let you know when you can meet my brother. "

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

Hello Dear Readers,

I don't know about you, I am loving Gaelen in this chapter and his Gaelen-and-Kiowa-special-kind-of-magic . He is a charmer. 

Are you falling for Gaelen too or Lance?

Posting has slowed down due to the end of NaNoWriMo winter camp ending and now that its gearing up again. I am working again on editing. There are 2-3 more chapters left but I am skipping a bit around while editing and trying out different scenarios with the book 2 and the last 2-3 chapters of this book. So stay tuned. 

Thank you for your patience, I am not sure what category works best for this story so I am testing different categories. I am curious was other traditional category readers think about the blended themes in this book that may have not otherwise have read a dystopian new adult book about a romance between a human and an alien. 

Cheers and Happy Reading,

Talyis



A Wider Sky Ch. 16



A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 16

Shopping. It last thing I imagining doing in my life. No one in the colony shopped as a past-time or a hobby. Shopping was exclusive to basic necessities and even then stopping by a little wares shop in the colony was infrequent. My mom described shopping as something they did before-Eclipse to fill a void within oneself. Often we, humans bought too much and most of it went to waste. I suspect my mom told me this not for my benefit of knowing what life like but more for herself - so she'd sincerely appreciate what was important in this new life. I am sure she misses excursions with her friends, peeking through stylish windows and trying out the seasonal fashions. Whenever she told me about this part of life before-Eclipse, she would grab my head and kiss my crown with an even warming hug. Secretly, I thought she admired how we were forced to be resourceful and considerate of each others needs.

"Kiowa it was chic to be a waste conscious. We carried reusable bags like badges. We had so many most of them we rarely used and eventually threw them away, anyways. We didn't even touch the tip of the iceberg for having a real understanding of using our resources like we do now. Compared to how we live now, we didn't even have a clue then how wasteful we really were." My mother would say while making even our broken things, transforming them into new useful things. We scarcely ever threw anything away.

I nervously waited for Haazic and Sebol and wondered if the Y'vroi shopped soley for necessity or did they continue before-Eclipse habits. Regardless, shopping with Haazic and Sebol was an opportunity to spend the bursary as instructed. Although spending the afternoon with Sebol made me second guess the means.

We started out shopping in a bucolic village of quaint boutique shops. The girls talked amongst themselves for the most part. Because no matter how much Haazic tried to include me, Sebol gave me a cold shoulder. I was okay with Sebol's exclusion from conversation because I was more worried about saying the wrong thing. It's profoundly frustrating. It was like dancing. It's awkward because it's something you've been naturally doing since a toddler - dancing -to be taken aback that you have two left feet facing different directions, even your hands feel larger than any part of your body - and you can't make a single move because it's so foreign to you.

"Let's go in here, " Sebol darted into a shop and we followed behind like her royal entourage as we had been doing all afternoon. Sebol was the queen of shopping and she had the largest purse of the three of us. She had already purchased fancy perfumes and a designer handbag. 

"Don't you just love lingerie!" She squealed while pulling a hanger from the store's boudoir. On it hung a pink frilly banquet bra and lace lined silk panties. "Here Kiowa, wouldn't Gaelen like to see you in these."

I blushed so hard. 

"Gaelen and Kiowa are simply friends, I've already asked." Haazic took the pink set from Sebol. "But Bane loves me in lace."

"Well that solves my first question then, but doesn't answer my second."

"What's that? " I asked with a hard nervous swallow. 

"Gaelen. He said his soul opened during The Festivities but he continues to hang out with you. My soul named him so why is he still hanging out with you? Are you fuck buddies?" She cringed at her own words. "Has he mentioned why his soul hasn't opened? "

The blood drain from my face. "I'm a virgin." Sebol rolled her eyes. "He says his soul did open. But you know Gaelen, he's always flirting."

Sebol draped her arms across her chest and laughed, "Who is still a virgin at your age!! Please, we know you are fucking him, so quit with the innocent flower routine."

"Well I am," I swallowed my words.

"Please, Gaelen fucks every woman who he gives a second glance of interest. He's a prince! He gets whatever he wants. You included."

"Well. he doesn't get me!" I wanted to leave.

"Help me out here Hazzic," Sebol tapped her strappy expensive heels irritated as she looks me over with a disgust. 

"Sebol, she says she's not sleeping with him. Leave it be. Shouldn't it make you feel better knowing he is not sleeping with her."

"What do you mean, Gaelen is always flirting?" Sebol's eyes narrowed sharply like a dart.

"I don't think his soul opened. I think he is only trying to be charming when so many people's souls opened during the Festivities."

"No, I meant about him flirting."

"My soul named someone back home if that's what you are really wondering." I snapped, I don't know why I lied. I'm tried of being afraid and timid.

"Really?" 

"Yeah. Just friends just like I said before."

"Then what does Gaelen say about me?" Sebol jutted one hip out and her face trembled a bit. I recognize that look. It was unrequited love and I and it were famous friends. I sympathize with Sebol in that moment.

"Give it some time Sebol. Gaelen just needs time."

"God, some time? How can I have any time when he is always hanging out with you," She flipped her hair and exhaled with frustration.

"God, Sebol give the girl a break," Haazic rolled her eyes handing me the offending pink lingerie set. 

"Yeah, Sebol give the girl a break! " Gaelen chuckled from behind us all causing us to stiffened like we saw a ghost. 

"Gaelen?! " "What are doing here?" "Hey baby!" All of us said in unison. 

"Hi Haazic. Can't I shop too? I love the color pink on you, Mouse, it goes well with that blush." He answered with a suave timbre that made my heart skip. My hands whipped into action stashing the lingerie back on the display. He then draped his arm over Sebol, he black and purple hair swooped over his e as he looked down on her with a seductive stare. "Hi baby."

Sebol's face lit up like a exploding firecracker. " Kiowa was right. You are a flirt!" Sebol growled pulling his arm off of her shoulder with perfect flirtatious flare that matched his. They were both pros of exuding sexual appeal. She could precisely time when she could find the opportunity to devour Gaelen right between the lacy teddies and couture corsets. 

"I actually came to fetch Kiowa. She promised to tutor me for Windsor's final exams and she said if it was past-" Gaelen looked at his watch, "4pm to get her from her shopping break . So unfortunately, ladies, her fun time is over."

He then squeezed Sebol to him and gave her a reassuring peck on the cheek. She melted in his arms and offered her neck to him. He twirled her around and she laughed melodiously. But it was his effervescent way of ending their interlude because he was already pulling me out of the shop. 

"How did you know where to find me?" I whispered once the coast was clear in between the racks of wedding lingerie and honeymoon pajamas, far from the risque outfits Sebol was pressing to her body and glancing towards us - enticing Gaelen to imagine her in them.

"Sebol always shops for frilly lingerie." Gaelen arched an eyebrow and winked. My heart sank, I wonder if he had seen some of her underwear collection and if he expected me to wear something similar. "I'm not the only one who is a supposed slut on campus." 

"How did you know what we were..? Nevermind, don't answer that. Why did you lie? We don't have a tutoring session today."

"You shouldn't hang out with those girls for a while. All they want is to gossip about me and whom my soul named. "

"Well excuse me! I didn't know that I couldn't cultivate a relationship with anyone on campus without it being somewhat about you. Sorry, Mr. The World Does Not Revolve Around You."

His rich chuckle made me burn more. "Alright fair. Anyways, I want to take you somewhere. I think you will like it." He opened the shop door for me.

He waved goodbye to the girls over his should as we left. Sebol jutted her out and her arms crossed with a freezing scowl. 

"I don't want you hanging out with those girls," he ordered. We walked the charming pebbled path leading back to the more crowded sidewalks leading to the city center. 

"Haazic is my friend," I defended "and Sebol-"

"She is mean to you. They will use you to get to me." He didn't look at me to gauge my response, it was just a simple fact to Gaelen. "I do believe her soul opened, it's quite possible it did reveal my name."

I stopped and pulled away but my hand secured in his warm grasp. "Why toy with her? That means your soul named her too. Why toy with me?"

"Kiowa we've been through this before. I choose you. Doesn't that mean anything to you. You are my best friend. I wouldn't toy with you."

I shook my head but thoughts of clarity were muted over the ringing alarms. "I am your friend. I can't be anything more than that if you aren't clear with me."

"First and always I need to be your friend and you mine." He stopped and in his Gaelen way, tucked my wayward braids behind my shoulder. "Let's go. You are going to love this place!"

The busy foot traffic petered off as we walked under a red and gold archway with a fire-breathing dragon on it. An amazing weft of fragrant smells came from the small shops lining the narrow street beyond the archway, wrapping and curling up a small hill. 

We walked up the hill street to another winding street. The sun beamed romantically giving the shops, restaurants and small apartments a golden hue. Each uniformed with beautiful windowsill flower beds draping the ground-level shops with falling green tendrils. The streets became more narrow as we climbed the hill until it seemed like the buildings on either side of us were leaning in for a kiss - only a bike could pass through for a little way tightening from a single-person passageway into a crevice.  

Joyous music filled the air as Gaelen and I squeezed through the buildings that were so close together that our backs scraped against the brick and our bodies nearly got stuck. Beyond this crevice at the end of town, on the other side of the meeting building open up to a large square with a bubbling fountain in the center. This hidden town was surrounded by more shops and eateries. A large theater sat on facing across the square on opposite sides. A man stood with an easel near the fountain with a black beret and a paint covered smock. 

"Those shops are actually classes and schools." Gaelen ushered me to peek through the window to spy on a class of little girls in pink too-tuos practicing ballet dance positions at the barre. Above the mirror in frilly writing a banner hung: Perfect in Imperfection.

"This is the human district, " I raised my eyebrows and jumped a little in shock.

"Don't worry there aren't any humans here. I would protect you if there were. Do you like it? It looks like the real deal, right? They made it that way - the original Chinatown, Italy, a Spanish village." He pointed to the four directions of the small square.

Each shop had various banners and even the restaurants has decals on their windows proclaiming the theme: Perfect in Imperfection. Meaning perfect in creation but not perfect because it's human. We briefly talked about this movement in art class but the teacher scoffed at it and limited the discussion to only 20 minutes and said for the rest of the semester we were to learn that the imperfection is what makes the work of human's a fluke, while we, Y'vori create perfection in everything. At this moment it dawned on me the inclemency of anyone discovers that their perfect prince was a defect. I shudder to imagine what they would do to him. I grabbed his arm and hugged him too me with a tight squeeze. I didn't want to let him go or experience pain. 

"Are you hungry?" He interrupted my morbid thoughts. "Everything is super expensive. From every part of the world your choice of before-Eclipse human food. My treat. "

"You don't have to-"

"I want to! Consider it archaeology homework."

"I've always wanted to try French,"

Gaelen grinned so big his jade eyes glittered confirming his delight, "That's the spirit."

Gaelen kissed the inside of my palm and then took my arm into his, in a way Lance had done earlier in the week. "May I escort you" he asked and then smirked, working his manipulation to erase Lance's attempts to becoming something more than a friend.

Inside the small bistro, Gaelen held my chair out for me to sit. The waiter dropped off menus. I picked up my red leather covered menu and felt like I was attempting to read another language. 

"Do you trust me?" Galen asked, and I realized he was not looking at his menu. He was just watching me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

Crap what was I doing wrong now.

Gaelen took my menu out of my hand and gently covered my hands with his. "I'll order for us. I promise you'll love it," he whispered. He motioned for the waiter and then spoke French so beautifully, my thighs clenched. There was something about the way he mastered command of taking care of me that was making me so hot. Once he completed our order and his attention was attuned to me. In awe, I watched a dawning spread over his face - what was he thinking. Before I could continue struggling to analyze every moment, he leaned over, still never taking his hand off of mine and kissed my cheek. Shit. Embarrassingly, he proudly appreciated turning me on, just like that, with a drop of a few words in French. I want to crawl under the table and hide.

"You're beautiful when you're horny," he nuzzled his lips behind my ear and then nipped my ear. He smelt minty. 

"You just happened to find me shopping?"

"Oh no, we are not changing the subject here. You are a cherub, Mouse. So tell me when the girls were drilling you about having sex with me..."

I slumped in my chair pulling my body into a tight ball, "Gaelen?! We're in public?" 

"We're being discrete. You're the one making a noticeable scene," Gaelen chuckled and helped me sit back up in my chair. "Little mouse, you can't run into your little hole today."

I just shook my head and looked around the small cafe, we were the only diners and the square nearly empty except the man painting by the fountain. Unlike other parts of the Realm, this really was a forbidden and secret area. 

"So this person back home that your soul opened up to. First, I am a little hurt you didn't tell me this. I had to overhear this-"

"How long were you eavesdropping?"

Gaelen arched an eyebrow, "I don't know, call me intrigued when I saw you walking into that sexy lingerie shop. My imagination ran wild of seeing my little Mouse in a beautiful black and white satin and leather corset."

I blushed hard. 

"Oh my sweet," Gaelen kissed my hand, "I know your soul didn't open up, but it will in time."

"What about your soul?!" 

"Nope, na na. We're aren't going back to that tired conversation. Not when I have you like this. A charged up morsel." His fingernail grazed the inside of my arm. "What do you want me to do?"

"IN A RESTAURANT!" I gaufluffed. 

Gaelen quietly chuckled, still in full control. "Darling, in the restaurant, in the square, anywhere I can have you." His voice was honey. "Relax," he commanded teetering into impatience. The waiter returned with a bottle of wine and pour a sip in a glass for Gaelen to taste. With his free hand, his other was still holding me, he elegantly swirled his glass, took a sip the wine and then nodded. The waiter poured a glass for me and poured more in Gaelen's glass. "Try it."

I took advantage of the opportunity to pull my hand away from Gaelen and gather my nerves. I sipped the wine and immediately make me even warmer. Fuck, I was such a lightweight, but the red wine was an amazing jamey and dry blend.

"I like it."

"I knew you would. I am sure you would like other things with me." My breath caught and I gulped. "Don't worry Mouse." 

Thankfully the waiter arrived with a plate of strange shell things with greyish shimmery goop in the middle. I frowned, I thought we're eating human food.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and I only shook my head. "I don't understand what is with you when it comes to food. You'll like it. Tilt your head back."

Gaelen took one of the shells, carefully balancing the gel like substance. He leaned in real close and traced a nail down the column of my neck.

"Open," He instructed, and I obeyed. He tipped the substance that slipped off the shell into my mouth. It was a strange sensation that touched my palate of a sea far away, full of life. Gaelen leaned in close and kissed the middle of my neck. 

"Oysters, an aphrodisiac, my love." Gaelen kissed my lips and then took an oyster for himself. "Hmmm, good." I only blushed, "Almost as good as you."

I daringly took an oyster and tried to seductively return his tease. He gratefully obliged and tilted his head back and opened his mouth. I saw flash of silver glint in his mouth. "What's that?"

Gaelen smirked in his famous sexy wily manner. "You might find out a little later." He grasped the silver ball between his teeth revealing that he had pierced his tongue recently. I gulped down my glass of wine allowing it to give me courage.

The waiter returned to our table to refill my wine glass and set salad plates of endive, fennel and blood orange segments with manchego cheese slivers. The waiter recited a description for the small amuse bouche he set next to our salads: artichoke heart chips on top of a puree of creamed asparagus and apple chilled-soup. 

"Is it true?" I pressed once we had privacy again

"Is what true darling?" Gaelen asked in between bites.

"Sebol said you like to sow your wild oats."He nearly choked with laughter, his eyes watering. His eyes ridged with amusement but I had to grasp the truth. "She said that women like to sleep with you because you are the future king."

"It's true." he said without missing a beat, crunching his salad as if his admittance was nothing more than a mere fact. "But since being with you, you are the only one. Everyone else is like a vapor." I didn't know how to respond to that, either with flattery or with concern I've met the ultimate player? "Does that change your opinion of me. I am sure this isn't new news to you."

"So, it's safe to say you aren't holding out for me?"

"Kiowa," He gathered my hands into his own and leaned in to touch my cheek with a kiss was as delicate as a feature. "I've been waiting for you all year. I'm so glad it's the end of the school year so then I don't have to share you with Professor Windsor anymore."

I couldn't help but giggle, "That's horrible Gaelen."

"Tell me about it." He took one last big bite of his salad, thoroughly cleaning his plate. "Do you like your human food?"

"It's a bit odd," and that was the truth. "But it's good. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Enjoy yourself, Mouse."

We chatted about the classes we didn't share and his human pop culture knowledge was very amusing. 

The waiter brought another bottle of wine, a red bordeaux that was super-dry but Gaelen attested it would taste magnificent with dinner. I'm stuffed before the plates of Confit de Canard came to the table.

"I'm stuffed, can we take it to go?"

"No way. It's one thing to hang out in this district of town and another to take stuff out of here."

I wasn't sure what that meant but I knew to leave it alone.

"I don't know what it is about you and eating, Mouse. You only nibble here and there at school. Don't be such a wimp? It's only human food."

I took a few more bits of the tender succulent duck dish. It was fantastic, one of the best things I've had in my entire life. Gaelen seemed satisfied that I was no longer nibbling. It was human food, and I had the best plate of food probably any human has seen in the last two decades placed in front of me. 




A Wider Sky Ch. 16



Before the dessert, I needed to freshen up in the restroom. The intensity burning in Galen's stolen gazes was setting me on fire. His large globes of green demanded want and need. It was more than enough, besides his constant hinting to what I was trying so hard to preserve. It was a losing game. I had to get me head on straight with a defense strategy immediately. 

As soon as I closed the door to the bathroom stall, I slide my back down the cool partition wall exhaling. I immediately cooled down. I'm surprised I'm not steaming the room. It's good stepping away confidently to gather one's thoughts. But my mind was quickly evaluating different paths, go through the door was screaming loud but then my mind thought about the fact he was a celebrated, self-admitted player, probably having many lovers over the course of one- school year, if asked the right questions. 

The game plan was simple. Just make it through the end of the school year. Just three more days to avoid being seduced by the future king of the enemy aliens. Nothing good could come of it anyways and I had to be focus and think of how I could get in touch with the rebels, not worry about losing my virginity to the Prince of the Y'vori. 

I washed my hands repeating my mantra to get through the school year and just be friends with Gaelen. Three more days. Three days to remain a virgin. Three days to find the rebels. Three days and I may lose Gaelen. Fuck.

The door to the bathroom startled me when it opened behind me. I whipped around and was ambushed without understanding why I was moving backwards against the stall door. My senses scrambled, I couldn't muster a scream as a hand clasped over my mouth but the smell of mint halted my panic I was found out.

"Shhh. I didn't mean to scare you," Gaelen whispered, his eyes were big and bright with green fire beautifully framed with long black lashes. God he was sexy. Three days. I'm trapped between his body pressing me hard against the partition. 

He kissed me hard, unlike any kiss he's ever given me. It was of desperation, want and need. Three days and he would lose me. His kiss was seeking more. It wanted to devour my soul. I kissed him back wanting to let him know, yes, I want you desperately. I need you and I want you too. I wrapped my arms around, my fingers tracing the plains of his muscular back. 

His hands explored my body. Tucking under my blouse to massage the soft skin of my back as he kissed me pulling my body closer to his. I wanted him right at that moment, I needed him and I didn't care. I didn't care if he was the Prince of my enemies. Far from my mind were the rebels or the transport that would take me back to the colony in three days. I didn't want to think about him being Y'vori and me human. I long to be in this moment. The moment of passion and possibly love. Yes, I did love this man, this alien prince. 

Gaelen picked up one of my legs and wrapped it around his waist. His eyes searching my as if to see if I would object or as he says scurry away. He pressed his finger to my lips, tracing my lips lightly. 

"Open," he simply said, and I obeyed. He dipped his finger into my mouth. "Suck." I closed my mouth around his finger and sucked. He looked at me like I was doing the sexiest thing in the world. I could feel his sex growing beneath his jeans and he simply rocked into my hips giving m a taste of his hardness. His other hand ensured my leg was tightly secured to his waist and open to him, so wantonly. Was I like all the other girls that just wanted him for his title? Was I just another conquest?

"Stop thinking Kiowa!" he snapped. I literally felt the haze of my thought vanish and all I could see was his eyes deeply observing me with keen eyes - he knew me. He removed his finger from my mouth and nibbled on my neck. "Put your arms around my neck and do not move them." I shifted and tried to put my leg down but he gave it a punishing squeeze. "Na na, don't move your leg." I wanted to clench my thighs to stop the urge that was rising withinm me. "Close your eyes."

I did. But I couldn't help but breath through my mouth.I felt like I couldn't do even a basic thing. As if had to will my heart to keep beating, I was so nervous. His finger tickled as he traced my belly button and then up to where my breast were secured by my bra. His finger grazed over my nipple on top of my bra and I had to open my eyes to see. "Keep your eyes close, Mouse." 

My nipples were becoming hard under my bra. I arched my back to get more relief from his teasing pleasure. His hand travelled again down my stomach and then he undid the top button and zipper of my jeans. Whenever his knuckled glazed my stomach, the butterflies within it to flurry about I couldn't help but lean away, his touch was so intense. Gaelen slid my jeans down a bit below my hips and then slid his hand into the front of my panties. 

We were out in the open. Any moment, a patron could come through the door and see Gaelen having his way with me. I clenched my eyes trying to listen for any sounds of people approaching the door. I was frozen, and I didn't notice Galen had stopped touching me for sometime.

"Don't scurry away with your mind, Mouse. Please, be here with me." He kissed my lips so sweetly. He hands returned to exploring my body one hand pressed at the small of my back while the other dipped back into my panties. I sucked my stomach in but my muscles trembled with nervousness. I whimpered into his shoulder as his fingers grazed across my puffy lips ever so lightly, I felt like I would gush. Tormenting fingers massaged them and then landed on my clit, drawing slow, deliberate circles around my clit until I was panting. "You are so sexy and wet, Mouse. I am going to relish you."

His finger slid inside of me and I moaned with hum. I couldn't take much more of his teasing. He sliced into my pussy with his strong fingers with more force. I was nearly out-of-body hearing the sloshing sound of my wet sex and my moans. He groan as he curled his exploring finger inside me, hitting all the new wonderful spot, and then hooked back to tease my clit and then back in a tantalizing dance of control. It was nearly punishing as I was building and rocking with his finger opening doors to my soul I'd never know. He pressed his hard body against mine and his fingers took control adding pressure to my g-spot. He dominated the bundle of nerves that made me dance an ancient hypnotic dance. Together we danced, his body rocking hard into me. I peaked under my eyelashes to see him, his eyes were closed and he was in ecstasy enjoying giving me pleasure. He then kissed my neck again, I could feel the silver ball in his tough add sparks to my skin as he dragged it across my neck. Oh, I wanted to feel that little ball in some many other places. I couldn't hold back anymore, and I felt a flood of desires and like a rubber band stretch taunt for so long, I gave in and my entire body sizzled with delight. 

I was completely out of breath and he too. He chuckled into my neck, completely baked but his finger did not leave my body. He kissed my neck and then carefully removed his finger. "Open your eyes, Mouse," Gaelen's voice was rich. To my suprise, I opened my eye to find him sucking his finger, drinking me in. "You're my dessert." His eyes glinted satisfaction. He pulled up, button and zipped up my jeans.

"We are not going to have sex?"

"I am not going to have you for the first time in a bathroom, Mouse. When I do have you, it will be very special and the right time." I didn't say anything, but I wanted to cry. There had to be something wrong with me that he didn't want me. "I want to make love to you Kiowa and I want you to be confident in my love for you. I want you now, but I can wait until it is precisely the right moment. When you lose your virginity to me I want it to be amazing and in a special place"

I felt like we had crossed a line that we could never return to. No longer were we, Kiowa and Gaelen, study buddies or even flirt friends. He had given me my first orgasm. But what was I to him.

"I'm glad I gave you pleasure, Kiowa. Let's go have dessert." He grinned in a wily way that made my heart melt.

When we returned to our seats the waiter gave me a once over. I couldn't help but blush. Gaelen grabbed my chin and gave a quick peck on my check. "I love your blush. I love so much about you, Kiowa." 

The waiter returned with a custard fruit tarte that I assumed Gaelen ordered before pursuing me in the bathroom to make out and make me cum. Oh, i rolled my eyes at the thought. I had to be blushing hard and Gaelen was peering at me through his lopsided black raven hair grinning like the cat that caught the mouse.

I took a bit bite of the tarte before he could comment about my eating habits or my blush or my embarrassment of the possibility the waiter knew what took place only a few minutes ago. I smiled back at him feigning confidence as best as I could. God, I hope I wasn't loud. I took another bite of the tarte and its zest of sweet flavours dampened the effects of my constant self-beratement. It was yummy and suddenly all that happened was just as sweet as this tart. I couldn't help but laugh at myself and all he could do was laugh. We laughed together as he dug into the dessert with me. 

Gaelen had totally swept me off my feet. Today was special, he was superman swooping in saving me from the mean girls and then without knowing taking me to somewhere incredibly special - a human district without even knowing how significant it was to be able to see this part of thee realm. A part where humans were not thought of as enemies, that we're daresay, equals to our new planetary overlords. I couldn't help but feel a volcano of excitement to the possibility that Gaelen possible agreed with the Y'vori who celebrate humanity.

I was sad to leave this little slice of the world before-Eclipse. Again, with my hand secured in Gaelen's we returned to the crack between two building that leaves this treasure, secret community behind. 

We didn't say anything to each other, just grinned at each other silently saying "I think I really like you," in our minds. We made it to the train platform that would take us back to school. We had just missed the train when we reached the top of the stairs, but it was just a happy opportunity to spend more time together before returning to the school grind and the pretending we were nothing but just Gaelen and Kiowa, friends, study buddies, nothing more. It was grating to me to think of going back to just that.

"Why won't you tell me who your soul named?" It came out more frustrated than I wanted it to.

"Why are you suddenly so obsessed with it, don't you trust my love for you?"

I stopped for a second and asked myself the same question. "It won't matter in the end anyways. Your soul and Sebol's would won't conflict. Maybe it's taking you longer to feel its effects."

"Who says that it was her name that appeared when my soul opened?"

"Please just tell me, Gaelen. I can't think of anything else other than the fact that her soul and opened. And don't give me that line about her lying. I heard Taxa talking about it already. She is head over heels about you."

Gaelen stuffed his hands in his pocket and leaned against the brick building, his long lanky legs crossed at his ankles he looked like a dark James Dean, just missing the cigarette. 

"Perhaps there is more choice in the matter than I thought was forced before. Anyways, there is a secret that I am still waiting for you to reveal?"

"What's that, I'm an open book," or an open dossier. 

"Your test score." he teased I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Ok, promise to tell you if you answer one thing," he combed his fingers through his hair truly working the James Dean effect, "It has nothing to do with soul naming."

"Alright, shoot Bookmouse."

"You're five years older than me, what was is like, the world before Eclipse? Do you remember?"

He paused for a moment, studying me with the green lights that searched for answers to his complex heart. "I remember the war starting. One day everything was fine the next I am being shuffled around like I was Fort Knox itself from house to house while the world crumbled. I didn't know anything about royal line or why before it was thrown in my lap like a bolder sinking me to the bottom of the sea. I just wanted my parents back, they'd changed overnight and suddenly I wasn't their boy anymore, my brothers too, I was the future king and that was all that mattered my confusion didn't matter, my want for comfort didn't matter, my seemingly human life didn't matter. My parents of course didn't abandon me but they were focused on Eclipse. I miss their warmth."

So much pain was hidden in every word leaked like a near bursting pipe that one day would explode. I learned against the wall not quite matching his James Dean, but I just wanted to be close to him in that moment, let him know that I had warmth to give. I was a warmth that I also craved.

"I had a human friend. His name was Adam, he was a kindergarten friend. I still can never comprehend why my parents seemed to love Adam yet the led Eclipse. Adam always came over to play, my mother even took us to the park or ice skating in the winter. She would hold Adam's hand, carefully holding him up and gentle encouraging him to be brave enough to allow himself to fall on the ice. It was the only way he could learn how to skate and she was always there to not let him fall too hard.'

"It is so funny just thinking about Adam and my mom. Back then my defect wasn't such a big deal. Everyone was happy, Adam's family, my family, we were all carving a happy plot of the Earth to grow up and help each other. If something was wrong, we dealt with it without the pressure of maintaining rule. My mom said the same thing to me that you said. I believed her that I could be a good man. But after Eclipse she wasn't there if I fell to lessen the blow of impact.' 

"Adam was my very first best friend and I think he was one the best friend I could ever have because I could be myself." Gaelen shuffled his feet against the pebbled concrete. "I don't know if he and his family were offered purgatory because they were friends with my parents, but they weren't rich; and they weren't the fighting type. I wonder if he was killed like most of his kind."

No matter how many times I licked the roof of my mouth, it was parched with contemplating so many scenarios. 

"I am sorry Gaelen. I did not know you were carrying this all on your shoulders." 

"I feel responsible. If I am the king of this planet, I should have made sure my only friend wasn't exterminated." Tears no longer shed from his eyes, they had dried long ago, but the guilt and pain was so raw. I feel even more in love with him at that moment, he would make sure nothing like this would ever happen again, he was going to make a great leader, and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him to assure him the way others had not. 

"Little mouse why are you looking at me like that, " my face contorted trying to hold back my tears, but I was swelling with so much love for him I couldn't help clutch him to me and cry. " Are you crying for me? Why?"

"Because you are a good man. It's not your fault. You were but a child."

"Oh, Mouse," he squeezed his arms around me holding me tight like I was a life preserver. His life preserver. "I love you."

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

 Dearest Readers,

So two more chapters left for this first book part of the series. Thank you for your comments, you've really given me a lot to consider that I hadn't thought of before and I've been revisiting some of the future chapters and even did a lot of editing of this chapter based on your comments. So thank you and hugs for your feedback. 

So Gaelen is finally making a real move on Kiowa but she has so much going on to consider. The marble incident during the school trip has really shaken her so I wonder what she will do know that Gaelen has made his intentions quite clear (or at least clearer). If I keep this as a young adult book I think I will shorten the bathroom scene a bit. So enjoy my fellow Lits. 

Cbeers and Happy Reading,

Talyis