Skyler's POV
When I woke up, the disorienting sensation of being paralyzed stupefied me for an entire five minutes. I didn't know if it was supposed to be day or night, but that was becoming the norm of being in one ship or other. I once again relished the feel of being clean and fully dressed. Instead of getting up immediately, I tucked deeper into the covers and soaked in the warmth and safety of this bunk. For any other occasion, it would have been hard as a rock, but it was a pillow compared to the metal tabletop I'd utilized the past who-knew-how-long.
But, alas, the urge to use the restroom drove me out and into the hallway nevertheless. I had avoided using it before sleep, aware of the new stares on the shining tattoos that twined the visible skin of my face and arm. I'd been given a chiton, extremely cloudy as it piled in folds of pale material, so greek-like in fashion to the point that Lirah actually smiled. My bare arms goosebumped in the chilly air. Or rather, the memory of goosebumps. I guessed I wouldn't be feeling them very much for now on.
The restroom was a metallic maze of sinks, stalls with toilet-like contraptions, and showers. Each was divided into its' own cubicle that walled off from the others. It all provided perfect privacy and access to all you needed, and I wondered why humans didn't architect like this. Some jewels were set into sink knobs and door handles, random in the utilitarian nature of the rest of the structures around it. It reminded me of the modern version of my bejeweled dagger. Last I had seen it, Rayne was attacking a Sharve with it. I shrugged and went into a cubicle.
The mirror atop the sink reflected my ghostly face back at me. I winced. I didn't look like myself, but like a...faerie almost. My ears were slightly pointed now, accentuating my now doe sized eyes. They glowed and swirled like Jace's, but they were more unnerving. No wonder Mom wanted to Shift them to something more normal.
And then the tattoo. I hadn't yet seen it. My eyes scanned over my cheek, but it took a second to pinpoint it's faint marking in my skin. The light in this little room was dim, and the Markings were so light and faint that it merely resembled dried glue. With a slight shine. I scowled at myself, and my eyes changed from blue to green. It freaked me out, bringing me back to the memory of that mental scene I'd been trapped in. While I Changed.
The lightning. The cage it had formed. Blue and green, the darkness of the sea roiling around me...
Before I knew it, I was huddled against a corner, knees drawn up to my chest as a sob ripped from my lungs. I didn't care if the grecian robe got dirty. To hell with everything. My chest squeezed painfully as I relived the past week with the Sharves, how I'd burned like I had gone to hell. The eery clicks and snarls they made, the threats. In the span of a couple of months, my whole life had overturned into a mess of lies. Everything I had known to be true and fact had flickered, leaving me on uncertain ground. My skin tingled as a faint smell of ozone surrounded me in this tight space.
"Skyler?"
I quieted, trying to hold my breath past the ragged hiccups that shuddered throughout my chest. Footsteps approached my cubicle of a restroom, then a soft knock at the flimsy metal door. "Sky? I know you're in there."
I ground my teeth as I recognized the voice. The lock turned of its' own accord and let her in. My mother was wearing her human form now, standing with her head held high and bright eyes shining with intelligence. She wore a matching chiton. I was jealous because she wore it very well, though I'd not admit it to her. Ever. My curves were so slight in comparison.
"Come to breakfast, would you?" she murmured, crouching by my side and lifting my chin so I'd be forced to look at her face.
"Leave me alone," I replied, dragging my head away. I allowed my hair to fall in a curtain across my face. "I'm dealing with it all, okay? I just need time. To sort out this life I was never prepared for, thanks to you."
She was silent for a couple of heartbeats, then sucked in a slow breath. "I need to Shift your eyes. And the tattoos. So the rest of the troops will think they were still under the influence of the supposed gas in the fight when they looked at you at dinner."
I just stared at the ground. A trickle of water ran somewhere close by, and the back of my mind was aware of the possibility of someone listening in on us. But again, I didn't care. "Fine, just do it. And then leave. I'll go to breakfast when I'm ready."
She sighed and then sat next to me on the wall. That trickle of water was now a soft tacking nuisance that diverted half of my attention, not that I was trying to reserve any for her. My insides were a ball of tension and hurt that couldn't be unraveled on its own. I'd have to knead it softly, over time, with attention and knowledge of what was to come and myself. Clearly, I had a lot to think about and discover. If I didn't get killed first, that is.
Her pale, slender hand reached over and gently squeezed my forearm. "When you were a little girl, I knew you would probably be different. I am old, far older than you probably realize. I've seen a few generations of half bloods come about, and what they can do. What happens to them. I think...I think I muddled my better judgement in denial, and for that I am sorry. As your mother, I should have put on my big-girl pants, as they say, and prepared for the worst. But know I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally, and I will do anything in my power to protect you from now on."
A scraping hiccup escaped my throat. I dug around for a response, anything, but came up with nothing. My brain was a fried desolate desert that needed tending. Which is what I would do if she would just leave. "Okay," is all I could mumble.
"Look at me so that I can Shift you," she said. "You're powerful, you know. There's no way I could've done what you did back on the Sharve ship. I can only do small portions on others and myself as a whole. Along with other abilities, but I'm sure you don't want to hear about that right now." I lifted my eyes to hers. She had a small smile that curved her lips, so familiar that that little girl that still giggled and craved her love wanted me to reach out and comfort us both.
"What are your other abilities? Will I have them?"
She looked over at the sink, eyes drifting far away as her hands fell into her lap. "I have the ability to understand all spoken languages- a Polyglot. That's from my mothers' line. The Shifting is from my fathers', your grandfather. Those are the main ones, among the small abilities all Morfilians have when Morphed. But as a half blood, you will have different ones that can appear. Like the energy I saw you use back in the fight," she said wryly. "I watched in amazement. You probably would have laughed if you saw me. But I couldn't believe my daughter was such a natural prodigy. What you were wielding was the work of someone who'd been training for a very long time."
I sat back with my head knocking into the metal of the wall. "I can speak languages I've never heard before, too. I figured that out when I...escaped. And when I freed the captives."
Her head snapped around. "Captives?"
I looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. You didn't see them? Lirah is one of them."
Her brows drew together. "No. I must have been too distracted. But yes, that ability is inherited as well."
We sat in silence, and I tracked how many drips trickled from the mysterious leak. One, two, three...thirty...
"Okay, you're eyes are Shifted, and the tattoos are gone. If you experiment with the ability further, be sure to look in a mirror before seeing anyone," she murmured, grunting as she stood. "I made the mistake of going to a party after Shifting. I was much younger, mind you. I had forgotten to change my eyes and one ear. It was, to say the least, embarrassing." She held out a hand for me to take, and slowly, I did. Looking in the mirror, I found that my eyes were now a light violet, slightly different from her chosen disguise the night before. I glanced at her in question. She shrugged.
"I figured we could say we're related, that you're my cousin. Hence the interest in getting you back."
"Okay then. Should I change my name too?"
She thought about it, then nodded. "That would probably be for the best. I will go by Winnow."
Now it was my turn to think. I came up short, because most Morfilian names I'd come across thus far were a little odd compared to human ones. "What should I choose? What's a normal name that wouldn't be noticed?"
"Sidariea," she replied quietly. "It's what I would have named you if your father wasn't such a Skyler fanatic, and if it weren't so...odd on Earth. But on Morfilinik, it is an older name that is still around periodically. It means 'of soul and starlight.'"
I couldn't breathe. It was beautiful, and it clicked in my chest like a puzzle piece that had been missing for a very long time. "Perfect. Let's go eat, cousin."
She hooked her arm in mine, as if we were sisters, and we strolled out of the stall after I fixed my hair and chiton. She Shifted back to her guise, sending chills over my skin at the prickling sensation that I was hallucinating as I watched her hair go white blonde. The halls to the meeting rooms were nearly empty. I could smell the mingling aromas of bacon, french toast, oatmeal... The soft pungent spice smell of something Morfilian coated the inside of my nose. Mom cocked her head and straightened up with a new pep to her step.
"Flofer," she breathed. "I haven't had it in ages."
"What is it?" I asked curiously as we rounded a corner to the last meeting room. The soft scraping sounds of cutlery and conversation met us. I almost wanted to turn around and hide away until we arrived to our destination, but Mom squeezed her arm tighter around mine.
"You'll see. It'll be okay."
***************************************
The room fell into a silence that made Mom's arm tighten even further. We continued to the table that stretched the length of the room, ignoring the stares that followed our every move. It seemed our chitons were normal; the females that milled about were also adorned with the flowing fabrics from times' past. The men were in tunics or the black battle robe of Jace's troops. I scanned around for Jace or Rowan, or anyone for that matter. But none came into view.
"What do you want to start with?" Mom asked as we came up to the buffet style along one wall. I had been right; steaming pans of eggs, bacon, french toast, and oatmeal were full to the brims of their serving dishes. To the other end was what I guessed were the Morfilian options. Something that was bright purple and yellow steamed hotly, next to a pan full of mixed...things. Mom went straight to it, piling a bowl with it.
"Probably just the human stuff for now," I mumbled awkwardly. Babble was slowly resuming around us, but I could feel dozens of eyes boring into my back as I grabbed small portions of eggs and french toast. My hand slipped when I got to bacon, and i just left it. We selected two seats towards the end of the dining table.
"There you are," a deep voice came from behind. I twisted in my seat to find Jaric standing in a formal posture of hands behind his back and bowed head. "What was your name again? I forget."
I glanced quickly at my mom and back with her affirmation. We had grabbed the attention of several diners, food still perched on the ends of forks and moths open with forgotten conversation. "Sidariea," I replied slowly. "And you? I don't believe we've officially introduced ourselves yet with everything going on."
He nodded, grabbing the seat across from us. "Jaric. Second commander to the First General. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Same," Mom said around a mouthful of...flofer. "I am Winnow. Where is everyone?"
Jaric rolled his eery eyes. "They continue to bathe and sleep. I do not think they realize we will arrive soon."
"Excuse me?" I coughed. I reached for my glass of apple juice. I had to clear my throat again as I settled back down. "What do you mean? I thought it was a two day trip."
Jaric watched me closely as he nodded. "Yes, you are correct. But we found a stock of fuel that we thought we had run out of on the way to the Sharve ship. It has cut the trip nearly in half."
My stomach dropped and I suddenly felt like pushing my food away. I didn't know the first of what to expect on this damned alien planet. Mom seemed in a similar state, though much better at hiding it. Jaric looked up and waved someone over with a wry smile.
"Hey," Rowan said, sliding in smoothly next to me. He was in a dark blue tunic that made his eyes glow like sun lit ice. Mom continued to eat her food. I wanted to cradle my head in my hands in exasperation, but instead turned to stare at him. His hair was damp, smelling of seawater and that exotic spice that Morfilians seemed to carry around with them everywhere.
"What exactly do I need to expect when we get there?" I whispered to him, but angled it so that the others could hear. "No ones' filled me in."
Jaric shrugged and grabbed a piece of toast off my plate. "Our people have a fascination with the renaissance era of the humans' England. Or rather, a mix of renaissance and ancient Greece, if you've not yet noticed."
I looked down at my outfit. Yup. "Why?"
He shrugged. Aliens around us were filing in and out as they finished their food or came looking for the smells that wafted throughout the halls of the ship. "It was refined and fit our ways well. It toned down our...savage ways. If you look around, bright colors are everywhere, much unlike the humans. In a way, it reflects how we used to go about life." He gestured to a passing woman who had fiery orange hair and shining teal eyes that scanned the room for someone. Her human skin was pale as porcelain, brought forth by her hair. Her chiton, admittedly, did cool down the harshness of the contrasting coloring of her features in a simple yet flattering manner.
"Why be in human form at all, though?" I asked. I grabbed up my fork again and ate some scrambled egg to look busy. "It's not like your natural form looks bad or anything." On the contrary, it was beautiful and eery, different in a way that wasn't found anywhere else.
"Because," Rowan answered, "it makes moving around much easier, and it's different than what we're used to. Which is a bunch of blue skin and string bean bodies. Think about it. If the styles of the renaissance and ancient Greece are refined, our natural forms certainly wouldn't make the clothing or buildings appealing. It's a novelty and means to be 'fashionable'." His voice fell sarcastic as he flipped back an imaginary strand of hair.
"I don't know about that. Being tall and skinny is prized in humans," I mumbled. "Which I am neither."
Jaric winked. "You are unique among us. Because even in our human forms we are tall and thin."
"Did you just call me fat?" I asked, covering my mouth. But there was no hiding my smile. His face worked as he looked at a loss for words. I laughed.
"I see you all have settled in nicely, but we will be leaving soon," said Jace from behind me. My chest tickled with a little flutter in answer. I didn't want to turn, because I knew, being around all these eyes, that our...Mingling...couldn't be seen. But that didn't stop the flush from creeping up my neck.
Jaric nodded. "We are explaining the workings of our society."
Jace pulled out the chair next to him, slumping down as if he hadn't slept. But they didn't sleep, I realized. For some reason, that hit me, yet again, and I stared at my mom. She quirked a brow, but just sipped at her coffee. No wonder half the time, when I couldn't sleep and would wander down to the kitchen or living room, I would find her with a book or watching the news with the volume turned down.
"Good idea," Jace replied. He had a plate of this flofer as well. I stared at it, trying to figure out what it was. He noticed and chuckled. "Flofer. It's a sort of Morfilian breakfast bowl. Want to try?"
Uncertain, I accepted the fork full he offered. It speared what looked like bits of bread and green slime, mixed with a spherical white thing. I wrinkled my nose, but popped it in my mouth with exaggerated tentativeness.
They all watched as my eyes grew wide. It tasted like...candied pecans and something smoky. It was delicious. My stomach gurgled hungrily as the bite made its' way down my throat. Jace smiled and took his fork back. "Not bad, right?"
I nodded and looked to my mother's empty bowl. "Damn. It looks disgusting, but yeah."
"Where did you all leave off?" he asked, taking his own bite.
"About why the fashion is to appear in human form and the renaissance/ancient greek style," Rowan replied in a voice that was too casual. Jace paused in his chewing to pin him with a burning glare. Rowan didn't seem to notice as he templed his fingers and stared up at the ceiling. Odd. "Since it doesn't seem that you explained any of it to her."
Now Jace really scowled. Energy singed through the air. Before he could reply, I chimed in with, "We were kind of busy. It's okay. Continue."
"The Council is the next ruling power after the king," continued Jaric quietly. "They can be...viscous. Which is why we have covered you." He looked around to see if anyone was listening in. No one was, but he still used his words in code. "They will examine everyone brought back from this battle. We will use Jace's relative. But you must play along," he cut a look at my mom, then looked at Jace. "Oh, by the way, this is Sidariea. And Winnow," he fake-introduced. A warrior was passing our end of the table, eyes quickly scanning over our little group. "They are cousins, it turns out."
Jace nodded. "It is nice to meet you two."
I wanted to roll my eyes. Were any of these aliens going to believe this charade? It seemed so, because the warrior finished passing with an almost imperceptible nod to himself. I figured Jace may have given a group talk to them all on what "truly happened during the fight.
"Okay, but that doesn't explain your technology," I said. "You can't truly be put in the past if you have the shapeshifting necklaces and battle ships with such...you know, modern features. Or money making wallets."
My mom shrugged. "We are not stupid, Sidi. We would not completely shun our advances for the sake of fashion."
Jaric nodded. I tried to copy my mom's formal speech. The Morfilian tongue flowed naturally, but the placement of words and structures were taking some sorting. "The Scientists are millennia ahead of humans. But that does not mean humans offer us nothing. Why do you think we visit and stay? It would be like modern humans traveling back in time to visit ancestors from the Roman Empire or earlier."
Good point. Interesting. Jace leaned in as he finished his bowl of flofer. "I want to show you something when we are done here."
I met his gaze and blushed. I really needed to stop. I distracted myself with finishing my plate and nodded. "Is...is it like Earth?"
They knew what I was talking about. Years of science lessons engrained into my brain refused to be denied consideration. Different gravities, air, no water, multiple suns and moons... They all played key factors into planets and the things that evolved on their surfaces.
Jaric spoke up, examining his flawless nails. "It is similar to a degree. The size is smaller, but not by a large margin. It is about three quarters the size. It has liquid water, but also pools of other various elements that we avoid. The oxygen level is...thinner, but again, not by a large margin compared to Earth's. We have replicated some of Earth's plant life and techniques of life. It was a fascinating discovery, to find such things millennia before us even, to be sure. It is colder, hence our blue skin- we evolved hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin. And tall frames. But do not worry, we've adapted," he said quickly at the worry that probably screamed from my face. All of this made sense, but wasn't very comforting for my situation.
"We have two suns, but they are farther away than your sun," he continued. "It is the second sun that has allowed us to come about. And, of course, water."
I nodded, chewing my lip. My mother was listening with that faraway look. Rowan was nodding as Jace scowled in his direction again. The dining room was quieting as everyone got their fill of breakfast. Jace stood, his chair scraping the hard ground.
"Let me show you what I have been waiting to since I got you back," he murmured quietly, offering me his arm. Ever the gentleman. I smiled and took it. It amazed me that he was still living by the human gestures and manners I had taught him when he'd first Arrived on Earth. The others just watched and started up their own conversation as Jace led me from the dining room to the hall outside.
"I hope you are not too overwhelmed," he said. The metal halls were mostly empty now, save for the footsteps that echoed throughout. "You're eyes were a good choice to stand as her cousin, by the way."
I shrugged. "It was...Winnow's doing. But I agree, if what you all say is true. Is the king...a bad person?"
Jace was silent as a troop member passed with a bowed head in his direction. Then he said, "I would not say bad, per se. More of someone willing to do what is necessary for self preservation and success among the people."
I swallowed. That didn't sound much better than bad. "How is that any better?"
"Because he does not intentionally seek havoc, but is willing to set aside personal...dignity...to do what is necessary." We turned a corner and walked through a large corridor that ended in a heavy hatched door. No one was around. Jace caught me looking around and offered a crooked smile. "I have informed of our short arrival. They are all preparing to land."
I couldn't seem to catch my breath. My palms began to sweat with nerves. Jace's arm squeezed mine. I looked at his face, and his expression softened. "It will be okay, Skyler. Do not worry. I will not let anything happen to you."
I gulped as we reached the door. "Are you sure? It doesn't exactly sound reassuring, with the Council being vicious and all."
He nodded and hefted the door open. It glided soundlessly. The first thing I noticed was glimmering light hitting utter darkness. We entered a small tube of a hall that was lined on one side by large open windows that curved outward. The light I saw was coming from those, and the darkness was the room itself. As we reached the view, I stopped dead and covered my mouth with a hand. If I didn't, my jaw would surely hit the floor.
Jace watched me with the small secretive smile that I'd only seen a handful of times. Out of the windows was an image I would never be able to unsee. It was the image of two balls of fire floating in the star-flecked velvet of space. One was yellow, like Earth's Sun, and one was about three times larger, as blue as the ice in deep winter. It was far away from its' yellow companion, and past the yellow were small orbs of matter that circled about. Planets.
"We are a binary star system," Jace murmured. He came behind me, arms wrapping around my waist and bringing me to press against his front. His warmth and solidity was a welcome presence as I lost myself in the picture before us. Jace pointed a finger to one of the orbs that was barely a speck from the distance we were at. "That is where we are headed." I squinted. It was a blend of blue and green and white. "All of the white is ice and snow. The rest is what we have carved out for ourselves and settled to be comfortable."
I couldn't speak. I would have laughed if someone had told me a year ago that I would be traveling space, seeing another star system that other humans had never seen. Or dream of seeing, at least, for another long time. We were nearing at a pace that had my heart jumping into my throat. I could make out five smaller orbs revolving around Morfilinik now- moons. The Suns grew brighter and closer, but even with their size, they remained a safe distance from burning out my retinas. I noticed that the white that spread across the surface of Jace's planet took up a large portion, about sixty five percent if I had to guess. The rest resembled Earth.
"It is beautiful," Jace whispered in my ear. "Just as you are, so bright and full of life."
His breath tickled my neck, and I arched it to the side. We wouldn't get this for awhile, and his inner fire was irresistible. He kissed my nape. "I never tire of the view, even with all my travels to other systems." His lips brushed along my jawline. I felt a growing inferno coil in the pit of my stomach. "I will show you my world, as you have shown me yours. But you will need to be careful."
With that, he pulled back, squeezing me tighter against his chest. I shuddered and caught my breath as it rasped through my throat. The loss of his lips to my skin reminded me that I should be mentally preparing for what was to come.
"We will be watched, and it is a dangerous thing, the court. I will defend you, but I will need to put on the image of uncaring and almost...cruel. I hope you understand."
I nodded and sighed. My chiton kissed the floor as I turned to face him full on. "I'm ready. I'll do whatever I have to, so that you don't get in trouble. To make sure no one figures out we broke the Law, I'll pretend to barely know you."
His eyes danced in the brightening double sunlight that poured through the wall of windows. His smooth skin flickered with shadows that clung to his high cheekbones and the hollows of his forehead. He lowered that forehead to mine and looked directly into my eyes with an intensity that had my body still in place like stone.
"I love you," he breathed.
And I smiled, because I could see the aura of red consuming his features. "And i love you, Jace. Let's do this."
*****AUTHOR'S NOTE*********
If you are a long time reader, I thank you for sticking through to the end! But also, I have rewritten mostly everything about this story, so I advise to go back and reread to understand. To anyone new, enjoy! Feel free to leave any feedback, good or bad. Anything is appreciated. Comments make my day :) I am working on the second story to this. I am also working on a new story called "The Wine of Centuries", and would love any feedback to it!