Broken Skies

“I understand.” I do, well kind of. I’ve gathered that Stellan is important and, as his son, Lir is too. I’m not quite sure how the whole thing works though, but it’s not as if I expected this brief happiness of mine to last anyway. Last night, the dream, it was wonderful, but I know I could never be what Lir would need to me to be, no matter how much I wish I could. Despite everything, Jace has been my goal and the only thing I’ve given myself permission to hope for. I blink quickly to dispel the tears I won’t admit are forming.

“Stellan has always preached isolation, segregation from the humans and up until recently the relations between our species have been not so much peaceful as mutual indifference.” She pauses and presses her lips together. “My son has openly defied his father by bringing you here. This comes after a series of acts that went against Stellan’s wishes and his orders, the first of those acts being joining the patrols to search for Kov’s killer. To do this, Lir had to align himself with certain others, most notably Vitrad… my brother…the most outspoken of Stellan’s opponents and the head of our military.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Lir has too much faith in his uncle and not enough in his father. Had he come to us before parading you through the city and a

“And you want me to…?”

“The Council does not react well to unknown variables or things they do not or ca

“I’m not a threat.”

Vira smiles softly. “I do not believe you would do any intentional harm, but just by being what you are and the co

“Long story short, the Council is bad, cower like a lowly vermin and, whatever I do, don’t say anything about you being my potential mother-in-law. That about right?”

Vira laughs, covering her mouth and looking surprised when the loud sound exits her mouth. “My goodness, you certainly are direct. I think I may understand what my son sees in you.”

I shrug. That makes one of us. “If you’re trying to avoid attention, you might want to tell him to do something about his hair before this meeting. I’m not exactly a barber and I can’t imagine that look is standard around here.”

“He does look a bit ridiculous, doesn’t he?” Her smile is warm and she looks at me with something like affection, as if, were things different, she would have welcomed me into her family with open arms. It would have been nice to have a mother like her. As it is, we can only share a common desire to protect the boy we both care about.

TWENTY FOUR

After a quick, bland breakfast, getting ready doesn’t take long and before I know it, I’m whisked out of the apartment and through the city, following behind Stellan and Vira. Lir walks slightly behind his parents but still well separate from me.

His father admonished him about ‘appearances’ when he tried to hold my hand. Lir opened his mouth to argue, but I shook my head and indicated for him to walk in front of me. It was quick, but Stellan shot me a grateful look, his blank face softening into worry for just a moment before he turned his head. My stomach churns with every step and, even though I can tell he’s trying to stop, waves of anxiety are flowing from Lir to me.

We aren’t taking one of the silver pods and, though I’m curious, I don’t question why. Maybe me walking through the city, unrestrained and following meekly behind is meant to show how non-dangerous I am. Or something.

The other aliens stare at me as we pass, their gazes skittering over me like tiny bugs, itchy and uncomfortable. It’s not… vicious, not like they want to hurt me or anything, but there’s a lot of curiosity in their eyes and maybe some of them look a little disgusted or confused. That changes when Stellan brings us to a stop in front of one of the three towers.

The two aliens flanking the door look at me with open hostility. They’re dressed in the same bland uniform as everyone else, but like the other aliens in the clearing, their jackets are decorated with symbols. Perhaps this is how they designate members of their military? They allow us passage though, after sending a few narrow-eyed glares at me. Stellan leads the way through a large lobby area to a bank of elevators. The four of us board one of the elevators and I slink into the corner, while Lir and Stellan stand stiffly near the door.

Seconds later, there’s a ding and the doors slide open. Stellan steps out first, then Lir who links arms with Vira. I follow behind, my head down, studying my surroundings with subtle glances from the corners of my eyes.

Two aliens in light gray uniforms stand outside the door we are approaching, snapping to attention as our group gets nearer. The respect isn’t for me though. A simple nod from Stellan and the two soldiers relax slightly and pull open the door. Stellan motions for me to enter, in front of everyone else for the first time. As soon as I enter the large, high-ceilinged room I wish I were still in the back.

I don’t know what I expected but it’s certainly not what I find. It’s a large atrium with seats lining the walls in staggered sections. There’s a raised dais in the center of the room with a large semi-circular table facing outward into the room. On the outer edge of the circle and just slightly elevated above the table, four chairs sit. Lir’s family members file toward the four chairs. When I move to follow, Lir shakes his head at me and motions toward a single chair sitting within and facing the semi-circle.

I walk to the chair, but I don’t sit. No one else is in the room yet, but already my heart rate is climbing and my palms are sweaty. Once Stellan has sat, Lir and Vira follow suit, one on either side. As if on cue, the room begins to fill, aliens filing in from the sides of each row and filling the seats as they go along. Last to enter are five men who walk up to the table in the center, one sitting in the larger center chair and the other four sitting two on either side of him.

Soon, everyone is sitting but me. I try to catch Lir’s eye, but he stoically ignores me as do Stellan and Vira. The alien in the center seat at the table, gestures for me to sit, a glint of something in his eyes that I can’t read.

I sit and place my hands in my lap, fighting the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my pants.

“You have called this meeting Stellan,” says the center alien without turning around, “Please state your reason.”

“This girl assisted my son, Vitrad” says Stellan. “She would like to make a request of us.” So formal, almost as if scripted.

So this is Vitrad Linaud, alien military leader, Lir’s uncle and the person Vira so desperately warned me against. He doesn’t look so frightening. Tall and slim with golden hair and silver ringed pupils.

His eyes have not moved from me. “Is that so? And bringing a human into our city was your idea?”