“And what’s that?”
“They know not what they do.” He added a sad shake of his head as he relaxed against the sofa. “They’re afraid but quite harmless, I’m sure.” If that didn’t stir their rage, nothing would. He glanced at Cara, who studied him beneath a puckered brow. Perhaps he’d “laid it on a bit thick,” as the human expression went.
Sharon nodded in agreement and said, “Our next question comes from Sean, right here in Midtown. How do you explain the death of crops near Midtown, Lanzhou, and Bordeaux? It only makes sense that L’eihr exchange students are to blame.”
“I can’t explain the anomaly,” Aelyx said, “but it’s absurd to assume we’re killing your crops. What would any of us stand to gain from that?”
Sharon lifted one shoulder. “You have to admit it’s quite a coincidence.”
“Or not,” Cara interjected. “People need to take off their tinfoil hats. I’ll bet someone’s trying to frame the L’eihrs by blighting our fields. I wouldn’t put it past these crazies. I mean, what’s a little soybean-murder to someone who threatens people just for talking to us?”
“I guess it’s possible.” Sharon flashed a loaded grin and said to Cara, “You’re quick to come to Aelyx’s defense. I can tell he means a lot to you.”
Cara turned her soft blue gaze to him, holding there and shaming him with the admiration he saw. “You’re right.” Then, just when he thought he couldn’t feel any lower, she added, “He’s an amazing friend, and I’m proud to know him.”
Aelyx swallowed hard, trying to push down that old familiar feeling that burned a hole in his throat. He wondered how grateful Cara would be if she knew his real purpose on Earth. He wasn’t a friend. Friends didn’t deceive each other, destroy lives, and then escape to another galaxy.
For the first time since arriving on Earth, Aelyx felt subhuman.
Chapter Fifteen
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24
Alone in a crowd.
Let’s get serious for a minute. These days, my family’s not feeling the love, and it kinda hurts. My dad was banned from his favorite pub, the one he helped save from an electrical fire last year. My mom—who insists on “re-homing” captured moles from our yard and volunteers thirty hours a week at the library—had her car keyed three times in the parking lot.
As for me, people literally turn their backs when I walk by, most of my “friends” wouldn’t spit on me if I were on fire, and now I can’t even buy a pack of gum in this town. I’m serious. The owner of the Midtown Grocery posted my picture behind all the cash registers, right alongside sketchy perps who write bad checks. Nice, huh? Apparently they don’t serve my kind here. And what is my kind, you ask?
Well, I like to think I’m the tolerant, forward-thinking kind. The decent kind. The kind who believes we can learn a lot from L’eihrs. And despite experiences to the contrary, I know I’m not alone. If you’re one of my kind, it’s time to stand and be heard. There are nearly one million followers on this blog, and if we all work together, we can…
“Any suggestions?” Cara asked Ashley, who perched beside her in the empty World Studies classroom where the debate team used to practice before they joined the shun. “I want to bring the hammer down on HALO, but not by stooping to their level.”
Ashley chewed on the end of her ballpoint pen, orangey forehead wrinkled in thought. “You could ask your supporters to start a petition against the Expulsion Act.”
“True,” Cara agreed, “but I’d like to make a bigger impression.”
Ashley considered a moment and suggested, “How about an online movement to educate people?”
“Like…?” Cara prompted.
“Like an International L’eihr Awareness Day.”
“Huh.” Now that was an idea. They could call it L’awareness Day. “I kinda like it. We could do a mythbusters segment, too. Finally debunk the crazy rumors about crop killings and abductions and mutant alien babies.”
Nodding vigorously, Ashley continued. “You could ask other bloggers to join in by giving them a discussion prompt, maybe design a logo to grab for their sites.”
“You know what’d be cool?” Cara said. “To incorporate some kind of contest and let the winner Skype with Aelyx.”
“I’d be all over that,” Ashley said.
“Public demonstrations would be even better, but that’s hard to organize on a global level.”
“Worth a try, though.”
“Thanks for the idea,” she said, giving Ashley’s shoulder a light bump. “Hey, maybe you could guest post for me next week.”
Ashley’s blond brows shot toward her hairline. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” Then Cara added a dollop of figurative whipped cream and a cherry on top. “You should interview Aelyx for a special feature.”
“Omigod!” Ashley squealed, bouncing in her seat. “Omigod, omigod, omigod!”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes!” She quit vibrating long enough to ask, “So, should I call him? My hair still hasn’t grown out from when I dyed it, so maybe I shouldn’t get too close.”
“Nah,” Cara said. “I’m sure the chemicals have faded enough by now. He’s probably in the library if you want to get started. I need to wrap up this post, and I don’t think anyone’s going to show for prac—”
Before Cara could finish, Ashley snatched her notebook in one hand and bolted for the door. The echo of her squeaking sneakers faded as she jogged down the hall, leaving a smile on Cara’s face. If the former L’eihr Lovers could see Ashley now…
Cara returned her attention to her computer, where she outlined a basic plan for L’awareness Day and scheduled it a month in advance, hoping that would give her enough time to work out the details. Just as Cara hit the publish button, Ashley came dragging through the door with her shoulders slumped.
She tossed her notebook onto the desk. “He wasn’t in the library.”
“How about the computer lab?”
“No dice.”
“Huh,” Cara said. “That’s weird. I wonder where he is.”
“Look at this!” Aelyx used his com-sphere’s magnification feature to show Eron the sample in his petri dish. “I collected the water a week ago, filtered it through a micro-strainer to remove contaminants, and then poured it back into the tube. When I opened it today, this was everywhere.”
“Impossible.” Eron’s hologram bent over the dish, peering inside.
“That’s what I thought when I analyzed my first sample. It was moss that time. What about yours?”
Eron glanced up. “I never opened my tube. The initial diagnostics were enough for me.”
“Go get it.” Aelyx wasn’t sure what outcome he wanted—if Eron’s sample displayed the same characteristics, it would validate his findings. But it would also mean something was terribly wrong with Earth’s water supply—or at least the water near Midtown and Lanzhou.
In minutes, Eron returned with a glass bowl. He set it in the bathtub, unscrewed the lid to his collection tube, and poured the contents into the dish. Once Eron magnified the sample with his com-sphere, Aelyx noticed a heap of tangled, filamentous algae in the water.
“Bleeding gods,” Aelyx whispered. “What does it mean?”
Eron shook his head in disbelief. “A shame we’re translators and not scientists.”
“Could the sh’alear have caused this?”
“Impossible,” Eron said. “It kills plant growth; it doesn’t accelerate it.”
“You’re right. We should probably tell Stepha.” Aelyx wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. He’d never been skilled at deception, and he feared the ambassador would glimpse his face and immediately know he’d done something wrong. “I’ll contact him tonight.”
“And I’ll ask Syrine to check her sample.” Eron disposed of his water by pouring it into the toilet, but instead of flushing it down, he avoided Aelyx’s gaze and said, “I’m going to speak with her about something else, too.”
?
??What’s that?”
“I’m going to uproot my sh’alear. We were wrong about humans.”
Aelyx wanted to contradict him, but when he opened his mouth to speak, the words clung to the back of his throat. In truth, he wanted to abandon their plan, too, but not because he’d changed his mind about all humans. Just one. It was at that moment Aelyx realized he didn’t want the exchange to end. Ever. Leaving Cara behind would be harder than severing his own arm. But despite that, he felt a duty to put aside his feelings and focus on L’eihr.
Aelyx considered his next words carefully. Eron had always been different—more sensitive than most of their kind. “I know you’ve taken a liking to your ‘brother’…”
“It’s not just that—”
“But,” Aelyx continued, “I’m afraid he’s clouded your judgment.”
“Do you trust me?” Eron asked. When Aelyx gave a reluctant nod, he added, “Do you think I would do anything to endanger our Sacred Mother?”
“Not intentionally.” Aelyx nodded at the miniature toilet. “But look at your water sample. Look what they’ve done to Earth.”
Eron flushed the toilet as if to destroy the evidence. “That doesn’t mean they’ll do the same on L’eihr. The colonists will be carefully screened.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Please,” Eron said, turning up both palms in surrender. “Will you at least consider it?”
For several eternal moments, Aelyx said nothing as his heart and mind battled for dominance. In the end, his heart won. “Fine. I’ll consider it. But Syrine won’t.”
“Don’t be so sure. She’d do anything for me.”
“Not this.”
“I have hope.” Eron lifted two fingers in a good-bye. “That’s enough for now.”
Chapter Sixteen
“‘Oh, the weather outside is frightful,’” Mom’s soft voice sang slightly off-key, accompanied by the sizzle and pop of hot oil, “‘but the fire is so delightful.’”
Cara smiled and glanced at Aelyx, leaning in to whisper, “Mom lives for Christmas carols. She won’t stop until February. Enjoy.” With the exception of classical instrumentals, Aelyx despised human music.
He pressed his lips close to her ear and made her shiver. “If that wretched noise makes Eileen happy, I’ll find a way to tolerate it.”
“‘And since we’ve no place to go,’” Mom crooned while flipping a chicken thigh in the frying pan, “‘let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.’”
Cara held a slippery, wet carrot in one hand and a peeler in the other. While she carved away the dirty orange exterior, she thought about Christmas, specifically what to buy for Aelyx.
She wanted to give him a special reminder of Earth to take back to L’eihr in the spring, a small memento to keep in his room at the Aegis. Her chest ached when she imagined life without him. Sure, things would go back to normal within the community, maybe they’d be able to grocery shop in Midtown instead of driving an hour away and coming home with melted ice cream, but she’d miss him. Terribly.
She continued peeling the carrot, but her thoughts were still with Aelyx. Given how much he hated Earth, he’d probably never come back to visit, and she couldn’t travel beyond the stratosphere until next fall. With a sigh, she turned to watch him.
Aelyx stood at the other end of the kitchen counter dicing a potato with the skill and ease of a master chef. Unbelievable. She studied the misshapen chunks of vegetables on her cutting board.
“I’m starting to feel inadequate,” she said. “You slaughter me at chess—”
“But it took eighteen moves last time. That’s an improvement.” His knife never slowed as he spoke.
“You finished your physics project in ten minutes,” she continued. “You just beat my high score in Total Zombie Massacre, and you even outperform me in my own kitchen.” A one-armed monkey could outperform her in the kitchen, but that was beside the point. She washed another carrot and then returned to her spot at the counter. “One of these days, I’ll find your kryptonite and win at something besides Puppy Love.”
“Actually, I beat your high score last night. Canine number fifteen enjoyed having his ears scratched, so the game awarded bonus points for that. But don’t sell yourself short,” he said with a smile in his voice. “You throw a mean right hook.”
Cara laughed and the peeler slipped in her wet grasp, slicing the side of her index finger. She sucked a loud gasp.
In a flash, Aelyx was there. He pulled her to the sink, turned on the faucet, and held her hand beneath a stream of cool water. The sight of blood and the throb of her finger should have bothered her, but she was far too distracted by the warmth of Aelyx’s body pressed against her from behind. His hot breath tickled the skin on the side of her neck, and she unconsciously closed her eyes. The urge to lean into him and rest the back of her head on his shoulder, to mold her whole body to his, was almost uncontrollable.
Mom’s voice broke the spell, jerking Cara out of her haze. “You okay?” She inspected the cut. “It’s not deep.” She wadded a clean paper towel against the wound. “Here, hold this over it for a minute, and you two find something to do until dinner’s ready.”
“Come on.” Aelyx took her arm, leading her out the back door. “I wanted to show you something anyway.”
It was a perfect late-autumn evening, with the low sun glowing gently behind the dormant trees, softening the angles of their naked branches. A light chill brushed Cara’s cheeks, refreshing but not too frigid, and the sweet scent of wood smoke drifted on the breeze. Aelyx scanned the surrounding acreage using some kind of gadget that detected warm-blooded life-forms. Aside from a few squirrels, nothing was lurking out there, so he took her injured hand while towing her into the woods.
“Let’s see.” Gingerly, he lifted the paper towel. “No more bleeding. I think you’ll live.” He tucked the makeshift bandage in his pocket but kept her hand. “Maybe you should pay attention when you’re wielding sharp objects.”
“Hey, it’s your fault. You made me laugh.”
Turning her palm upward, he began tracing the lines with his thumb as they walked. His liquid-silver eyes blazed beneath dark lashes. “How can I make it up to you?”
Cara’s heart fluttered. She cleared her throat and said, “Teach me your chess strategy.” But that wasn’t the first thought that came to mind. Not even close.
“I don’t know.” He stroked her palm in circles. “It might take twenty moves to defeat you then.”
The heat radiating from Aelyx’s touch was making her dizzy, so she reclaimed her hand and turned her gaze to the forest floor. “So, uh, are you getting tired of all my blog questions yet?”
“I think I can stand a few more.”
“Good, because people want to know how L’eihrs evolved. I guess it’s a preview of where humans are heading, right?”
He helped her over a patch of mud. “Yes and no. You have to remember most of our advances are due to selective breeding. For example, our brains grew larger over time, but because only those with extrasensory abilities were selected to reproduce, all L’eihrs can use Silent Speech.”
“That’s your name for telepathy?”
“Right.” He tapped an index finger against her temple. “Your brains will grow, but unless you stop procreating for love, your abilities won’t change.”
“What else?”
“We no longer have an appendix, but that’s also a result of organized breeding, not evolution. Let me think…” He paused for a moment. “Oh, if I focus, I can regulate my body temperature by several degrees.”
“No way!”
“Way,” he said with a grin. “Honestly, though, it’s easier to put on a sweater. There are a couple others that come to mind, like increased lung capacity and greater endurance.”
“This is so cool. I can’t believe I didn’t ask you sooner.” She slid a glance at him and bit her lip before adding, “I wouldn’t mind hearing about your weapons, either.” She’d wanted to b
roach the subject for weeks, but she didn’t know how. Nobody, not even the highest-ranking military officials, knew about them. She looked up and met his gaze. “Off the record?”
It took a lot to render Aelyx speechless, but this did the trick. He didn’t seem offended, more like contemplative, unsure of how much to reveal. They continued in silence, and when they reached a small stream, Aelyx pointed to a cluster of trees and ignored her question. “Look around. I want you to remember this place.”
“Why?” Glancing at the barren forest, she noted a few distinct markers: a boulder shaped like a kidney, an old deer blind nailed to the massive oak on her left, and a rotting fallen cedar damming the stream, pooling the water into an algae-coated, mucky pond.
He pointed to the charred remains of a tree, cleaved in half by lightning. “If anything happens and we get separated, I want you to meet me right there.”
“What do you mean if anything happens?”
He lowered his head to deliver a solemn look. “One of these days, things could get violent. Your military will probably protect us both, but I’ve picked this spot as a rendezvous point.”
“Okay, but why here?”
A smile curved his lips. “Because this is where the ambassador parked my getaway car.”
Before she had a chance to ask what he was talking about, Aelyx took her hand and led her to the split tree. He reached down, scooped a handful of dirt and debris into his fist, then pointed high above their heads with his other hand. “Watch this.” With a mighty heave, he threw the dirt into the air, where it did something scientifically impossible: struck an invisible barrier and bounced back, showering them in pebbles and dust.
She brushed off her sweater and face. “What was that?”
Aelyx pulled the key fob gadget from his back pocket, the same one he’d used to break into the boxing gym. Holding it above his head, he shouted, “Elire,” and two quick beeps pierced the air. Then, like something out of a science fiction flick, a sleek, silvery spacecraft morphed into view, suspended above them like a massive, solidified water droplet. “Cloaking device,” Aelyx explained. “Hides it from view.”