Alastor: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (A Hexonian Alien Romance Book 3) Page 2

  Chapter Two

  “It’s amazing.”

  Her soft voice knocked him out of his concentration and he gritted his teeth. How was he going to get through this mission when she kept on breaking it? He flicked some more switches, but even more aggravating was the fact he wanted to know what she found beautiful. “What is?”

  “The planet. Annexor.”

  He glanced ahead at the shuttle’s viewscreen. It wasn’t plasti-glass, but an image on a screen that represented a visual portal. It was the real scene, displayed from a live feed from sensors on the outside of the aircraft. Millions of the tiny devices reflected the outside environment and took in information so they could be virtually invisible. They didn’t work on visual portals, and thus the need for the real-time screen so they might see where they were going.

  Not that it was a requirement. He could fly and land this shuttle based on the coordinates of the sensors alone. He’d worked overtime to teach himself the nuances of the craft.

  His work was his life. Defeating the Reptiles and now an unseen entity was his life’s mission, and nothing would persuade him away from those goals. Not sleep. Not a woman. Even one as beautiful as Marie, the human female that, for reasons unknown to him, had not stepped down from this mission even after his carefully worded advice.

  Her pin-straight, platinum-blonde hair only made her unusual violet eyes seem large in that delicate, oval-shaped face. She was thin, fragile, and wore her emotions like clothing. The only thing plump about her was her dusky-pink mouth, which was currently pursed as she studied him.

  He threw his attention back to the controls. “I wouldn’t know.”

  There was blessed silence for a few moments. Moments when he thought she’d finally taken the hint and allowed him to concentrate before she spoke again. “The blue waves coming off it are quite unusual.”

  He glanced at the screen. The pale yellow with wide blue water-arteries was hidden by swirls of white cloud. He begrudgingly admitted it was beautiful, not that he’d noticed. However there were no waves. They were too far away to see the waterways in any detail. “What blue waves?”

  She blinked at the screen again and her lips parted before she caught her bottom lip between even, white teeth. “I… must have been mistaken.”

  “What did you see?” He was worried that he’d missed something. Although that was a slim chance, he didn’t want anything to happen to jeopardise this mission—anything more than taking the current liability with him, that was.

  She sighed and looked back out of the window. He noticed her nose was upturned at the end. He frowned at the display, hitting a few buttons to adjust the image and to focus his thoughts. The planet increased in magnification. They could clearly see the water system through the swirling mass of clouds. There weren’t any oceans, but the planet was supplied with a huge web of rivers. They spiked out from large lakes, which would be fathoms across he guessed from this distance, and tapered down in thickness into capillaries that disappeared into the sand.

  Around the water system, vivid green indicated lush plant life, and between the frames of green were pale yellow strips of sand. If it wasn’t for the vast network of liquid water, the planet would be a wasteland.

  No blue waves.

  Her thin shoulders tightened. “It was just a reflection of light, perhaps.”

  He’d helped to develop the sensors on this craft and made sure they were in perfect working order before he left. “Perhaps.”

  “I want you to know that I can look after myself. I don’t need you to help me. At all. With anything.” Her chin lifted as though she believed the words she spoke. Foolhardy, yet admirable.

  “I can tell you, on this planet you will need all the help you can get. Since the only person you can rely on for help is me, then you are wrong. You will need me to help you. All the time. With everything.”

  She turned to face him, and her expressive eyes flashed. They were so large and bright when she looked at him like that, like a shimmering star. “I’m here to sense dimensional shifts or disturbances, as I’ve been asked to do. If we come face-to-face with any women, just let me comfort them. That’s all I ask.”

  It was a kind request. An option he wished he’d had on many other missions. The most risk was a terrified victim. Marie had a calming presence about her he couldn’t rightly name. He should be grateful for it, yet feeling grateful also led to a slew of emotions he didn’t want to feel. He didn’t want to feel anything at all. “I can handle captives without anyone’s help.”

  “I can see that with your friendly demeanour. One thing about human women you Hexonians don’t seem to understand is that we’re not easily led. We have minds. We think. We don’t just follow because someone tells us to. It won’t matter if you find them, if you’re as scary as you usually are, they will just be more frightened. They won’t like being called ‘captives,’ either,” she said.

  She thought he was scary? That idea unsettled him more than it should. He worked hard to maintain his title. Head of Combat meant he knew how to fight, and the last time he looked, fighting had nothing to do with emotion.

  She also had a point. A scared captive—human female—was a liability to the success of the mission. “Then I ask that you remain silent so that I can track the signal and land this craft. If we do find women, then you can calm them and tell what I want them to do for the sake of their survival.”

  His gut lurched thinking about the condition they might be in, whether they would be in a similar condition to those on Callisto. The Reptiles weren’t known for their tender loving care. He also didn’t want to put Marie in danger again. She was soft. Gentle. Feminine. Everything that was light and good, and they were headed into total darkness and evil.

  He was angry at the Commander for listening to his human female, Vivien, as well as the Callistean for suggesting it would be a good idea. And Ex-Commander Jo-Aquin for agreeing. He was angry that he had to babysit Marie on a dangerous mission, and he was angry with himself for letting her get under his skin.

  Thankfully, the little human didn’t utter another word, although the tension rolled off her in waves. If he could ask her to mute her emotions, he would, but that was a request that could never be filled. She seemed to live on them. Even now, as they neared the planet’s atmosphere, she clutched the armrests with enough strength that she might leave marks.

  He sighed. Deeply. “Would you like me to switch off the viewscreen?”

  She turned nervous eyes on him. “Viewscreen?”

  He indicated the screen with a tilt of his head, not wanting to take his fingers off the dashboard. “I can land without needing to see an image. It might calm your nerves not seeing where we’re headed.”

  Her amazing eyes widened and seemed to swallow her entre face. “Not see anything? How are you going to land if you can’t see anything?”

  Her voice rose to high-pitch levels. Maybe he should not have suggested anything. In fact, he should have known better.

  “The readouts from the shuttle sensors are more accurate than my vision,” he said.

  “Readouts?” She glanced without comprehension at the complicated display.

  “These tell me the direction we are heading, these the coordinates of the planet, how far away from the surface we are, and this is what we’re following.” He indicated where the energy spike had been detected. Hopefully it would lead them to whatever the Reptiles were up to, and discover more about the entity.

  “That tells you where to land?”

  “Yes. Accurately.” Even though he’d told her not to talk, it was better than her fist-clenching. It diverted her attention and allowed him space in his head to think.

  He adjusted their direction and point of entry into the atmosphere. “It might get a little bumpy now.”

  He’d chosen stealth over luxury of atmospheric entry. It was imperative they remain invisible to any detectors the Reptiles might have. The planet was covered in an energy web that anything bigger
than a meteorite would be detected, as all occupied planets were. He had to make it look as though they were a random projectile from space.

  The shuttle kissed the rarefied air particles and shook. A faint roar sounded through the reinforced shell. She squeaked and clutched the armrests again, the whiteness of her knuckles showing with the force of her grip.

  “It is always like this?”

  Her voice was breathy and faint. He had to remember that she was inexperienced, and this was probably the first time she’d ever transferred a planet’s atmosphere. Frek, humans didn’t even know there were other species in the universe, and the fact that they were a very small drop in the ocean of sentient, self-aware, intelligent life.

  “Not so much, but I had to make adjustments to the shuttle. We’ll be fine.”

  The shuttle rattled violently. Red, white and orange sparks covered the viewscreen. He knew it was only momentary, and a part of him liked to watch the display of particles hitting the heated surface. He knew it was just physics—force, speed, heat—but he’d always thought it was beautiful.

  “If you say so.” Her voice was small. He didn’t know whether to be satisfied she was scared because it would keep her sharp, or disappointed she didn’t believe in his abilities. He wasn’t used to civilian women full stop.

  Marie was nothing like Kiera. Brave and fearless Keira. Keira could look after herself. She would never show nerves like Marie did now. Especially not merely by diving through the upper atmosphere of a planet.

  Yet still, Kiera had died. If he couldn’t protect a female like Kiera, one combat-trained to fight and survive, then how would he ever protect a female as fragile as this human?

  Guilt tore through the hard rock that had once been his heart. He took a grim type of comfort from the familiar emotion, quietly surprised his heart could still beat through the darkness trapped in his chest. He’d failed Keira and so many more. Darkness was what he deserved.

  The female’s fingernails clenched into the metal handrests. If he didn’t know humans had weak claws—fingernails, they called them—that actually broke when they needed them the most, he might have been worried about damage to his shuttle, yet she didn’t utter another word.

  The aircraft slid into smoother air through their descent and the planet filled the viewscreen. Her inhale was audible. The pastel blues and yellows were reflected in her face as she peered at the screen. Her hair absorbed the colours, the pale strands washed with the hues of the planet’s waterways and reflection from the pale sand. She was a mix of the planet’s reflected swirling colour, making her eyes stand out even more. “It’s so beautiful.”

  He was about to agree when he realised that she meant the view. Distractions would get them killed. While he didn’t worry about himself, he was entirely responsible for her. The weight of it sat like a sack of stones around his neck. The muscle ticked at his jaw and he worked to unclench his teeth, forcing his mind back to the mission.

  He adjusted their descent to see the crystalline pyramid structures dotted over flat land. They reflected the light in a swirling mass of pearl colours—blues, pinks and white.

  “Oh my God! Those are actual pyramids!” She faced him, excitement flushing her face with pink. “I wonder if the same people who built them on Earth built these.”

  “Many cultures transverse the universe. It is not unusual,” he said.

  She peered ahead as he levelled out. Their shuttle flew smoothly over sand, rivers and shining structures. “There’s so much out there. So many planets. Different cultures. Species…”

  “There are many planets in the Interspecies Council alone, and also vast stretches of the universe that have not been discovered yet,” he said.

  The console began to beep. They neared the coordinates Commander Striker had given them and the sounds became faster. He slowed their shuttle to skim over the tops of trees, following a large river, and approached a pyramid—the largest he’d detected—and the beeping flatlined.

  “What does that mean?” Marie asked.

  “The signal is coming from that pyramid.” There was nothing but stretches of sand surrounding the structure. There was nowhere to land until he spied an outcrop of vegetation large enough to hide the shuttle. He would set down and scout the area before investigating the pyramid. “I’ll land over here. Soon you will step foot on an alien planet,” he said.

  “Hopefully this will be better than the first,” she whispered.

  The solid rock of his heart lurched. No female should ever have endured what Marie had gone through. He had failed Keira, but he’d gladly give his life if it kept another female safe. No matter what, he had to stay alive in order to keep Marie alive.

  He didn’t know if he would forgive her for it.

  Chapter Three

  Alastor’s attention was riveted on the controls as their shuttle descended. The ground sped beneath them, a blur of pastel yellow and lush green, striking and vivid against the colour of the sand. Marie clutched the armrests, surprised she hadn’t shredded them with her nails.

  She drew her mind off the terrifying speed they travelled at, to the beautiful pyramids they flew over. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. The pearlescent colours reflected off their smooth surfaces reminded her of sea shells mixed with opal. They were absolutely astounding. In fact, the entire planet coasting below was stunning. The pale, yellow sand gave way to the brightest greens of trees and bushes. The water reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea, deep blue and endless.

  One thing she hadn’t seen, was people on the ground. This was a Reptile-controlled planet. A ghost planet. She suppressed a shudder. She’d been unconscious most of the time she’d been abducted, but she’d woken to her worst nightmare. She hated to think what the humans on the planet were going through.

  She caught impressions of the Reptiles’ auras as she’d lain helpless and weak on those cold, cold tables. Cruel. Unthinking. Uncaring. Their souls were not much more than dark, oily shadows. If their souls didn’t progress, they’d keep on getting darker and darker until they would become lost in the darkness and eventually fade to nothing. It couldn’t happen fast enough.

  She’d read about the Hexonians on the Starlight, surprised to see them as much progressed as humans, although their auras were a harder shell around them, making it difficult for them to open themselves to the other dimensions.

  She’d asked Black Feather about it. He’d told her it was just another way for a soul to reach perfection, and then he’d left it at that. He was full of unsatisfying, half-answers since she’d woken. It seemed like he was distracted.

  Alastor’s deft fingers flew over the controls, his attention unwavering. She had no doubt she was in safe hands. She mentally reached out to him, trying to gauge his emotions, but again, like always, she reached an impenetrable wall that was coated with an intense mix of duty, honour, and something extremely brittle that might shatter if she pressed too hard.

  Instead, she concentrated on the planet racing below. They slowed to hover over massive trees similar to tropical palms. They descended through lush strands of greenery to land on a carpet of sand interspersed with tufts of grass. Alastor switched some buttons and unclipped his harness, tension radiating from him.

  She tried to unclip her harness, but her fingers were stiff from clutching the armrests so hard during their descent. She fumbled with the clip and then Alastor was at her side. His fingers brushed her thighs as he pressed the latch and the straps fell free. Goosebumps scattered over her skin at the slight touch, and her breath caught in her lungs.

  “Thank you.”

  The muscle at his temple twitched as he clenched his jaw. Otherwise, his face remained impassive—or as impassive as a face that seemed to be made from granite might be—as his gaze settled on her. He was too close by far and she worked hard not to breathe in his particular scent or trace his lips with her eyes. “Marie, you can stay on the shuttle for the remainder of this mission if you desire, now that we’re here
and you can see what we’re up against. It will be somewhat of a trek across the sands to get to the pyramid.”

  Concern washed over her. Concern mixed with something darker. A deep, long-time hurt that had scarred his soul. It was the first time she’d been able to feel his emotions, surprising her. He hid them well, beneath that layer of granite.

  Her heart lurched, aching for him, and she put her hand on his arm. Hard muscle corded beneath warm skin. He hovered over her, so close his body heat washed over her. His skin sparkled as though he was bathed in sunshine. “It will be all right, Alastor.”

  He glanced at her hand, frowning. She withdrew, fisting her fingers and lowering her hand into her lap. “I mean, I won’t slow you down. I promise.”

  His mouth formed into a flat line. “There is no room for error, Marie. This situation is serious. Anything can happen. You need to do what I tell you, quickly and without question. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, her mouth dry, pinned by his intense stare. “Of course.”

  That muscle kept on ticking at his jaw. Tick. Tick. Tick. She resisted the urge to smooth it out, to help him find the peace she sensed he craved, but it wouldn’t be met well. He was a man who needed to find that peace for himself.

  “If we come across any individuals on this planet, you are to avoid them at all costs. Remember, the local inhabitants are mind-enslaved and they are dangerous.”

  She shuddered, thinking of those poor souls, trapped and controlled by the Reptiles. “How do they eat? Sleep? If they’re controlled, how do they take care of themselves?”

  The shadows in his eyes shifted before he stood and opened a cabinet behind their seats. He removed her small pack and handed it to her. It was the colour of Annexor’s sands and had been packed by one of the Hexonian soldiers before they’d left the Starship. He’d also explained what was in it and how to use the equipment, but she’d been too nervous to take much of the information in.