Sorcha The Alien Book One

Chapter Twenty-one

***Two months later***

Breena was a palette cleanser. It was the iced lemon sorbet between meals, but it could never be considered a meal, not for me at least. On Breena, Sask and I grew close once more. We explored the wilderness, we had fun. We cried together, about everything. We healed, at least partially.

The hole Cantral left is another void within me that will never fill. But I don't think of her as much as I used to. And though Sask will never recover from the loss of the family that she was so close to having, she'll survive. We both will, because we're strong and it's what we do. Together.

Leaving Anabale and Emerlit wasn't as easy as I imagined it to be. I cried, and surprisingly they asked us to reconsider. But Breena wasn't the end of our rainbow, it was the end of theirs. And although I was sad to leave them, I'm excited too. Because there's someone I'm anxious to see.

A new world expands before the scrolling window of main command. Sask shuffles closer to me and raises her head to better see this new landscape. An uninspiring world of grey concrete unrolls before my eyes. The Combat Cruiser lowers, and I land it before a squat grey house with a terracotta roof.

I stand and glance to Sask. "Ready?"

"Ready!" She trots to the lift.

Sask jostles me playfully as we move through the ship and despite the anxiety in my body I laugh and push her back. We exit the ship together to a mist of drizzling rain. Fine drops of water land on my face and trickle lazily down my cheeks. A fortress of thick grey clouds ceiling the city, it reminds me of home.

I lower my gaze to the house before me. Butterflies swish in my stomach so badly that even Sask's steady presence can't help rein them in. The burgundy door swings open and I brace myself for impact as a blur of grey rushes for me.

"Sorcha!" Ramet's arms constrict around me, and I'm lifted from the ground.

I laugh and surprisingly, I don't mind the impulsive contact. "Put me down." I laugh again and once more my feet touch the ground. "Pleased to see me?"

Ramet grins, she rubs her neck. "When I received your message, I couldn't believe it and now I can't believe you're here." She glances to Sask. "And Sask—" Ramet's fist clocks her on the neck "—always good to see you." She eyes the ship, her smile fades. "Oh no ... no, no, no." She backs away. "I know this ship ... tell me Cantral's not on board."

"She's not!" I say fast, I bite my lip and beg my eyes not to cry. "I guess I sort of stole it."

Ramet's grin returns. "Nice, I suppose that deserves an invitation inside."

Ramet leads Sask and I through the doorway, across a tiled hallway and into the main room. A crackling fire casts a subdued yellow glow over the dull room. Natural light struggles to lay it's claim here. But, despite the gloom, the room is alive with books, warm woods, and fabrics with complimentary patterns. Unusual objects sit on surfaces. This is a home. It feels so normal here, so familiar, so soothing. I've missed this... Earthliness.

"Wow," I say as I stop in the centre of the room, afraid to mess it with my presence, "did you decorate yourself?"

Sask sits by the fire and curls herself upon a rug, like a cat. A giant, long necked, hairless cat.

"Not bad for an entra, huh?" Ramet says, "But I have many skills."

"Yeah," I say, "I think you once named cocky and arrogant as one of your many talents."

Ramet laughs. "I think I did." She beckons me closer before disappearing around the corner. "You hungry? Because in the capital region of Arrah, it's teatime."