Adrift (The Sirilians Book 1) (8 page)

The kiss was light, just a brush of her lips, but Karo felt it throughout his entire body. His eyes closed of their own accord, and it felt like his entire being was centered on Aevum. He felt her softness, her breath mingling with his, her hands resting on his shoulders to steady herself—his senses came alive!

When she pulled back—far too soon—it took him a moment to open his eyes. He looked into hers and he saw them alight with something. She smiled broadly at him.

“I’ll contact you tomorrow. Have a pleasant night.”

She stepped into the transport and waved as it seamlessly slid into the flow of traffic. Karo lifted his hand in farewell, then summoned a transport for himself. He managed to retain a mask of ease until he was alone inside the transport.

The moment the door closed, his head fell back against the seat and his mind reeled from their kiss. She probably had no idea how drastically she'd rocked his foundation.

He wanted to shout, “I just had my first kiss!” but there was no one around to hear him. Probably a good thing—he was embarrassed to admit that his first kiss was at the age of thirty-two. He hadn’t given that fact much thought before—other than when Reus related tales of his companions—but now Karo knew that he’d been missing out on something vital.

Karo’s parents had never been affectionate with one another; never embraced, kissed, or held hands. They believed that Pair Bonding was a meeting of minds, and that physical connections were counterproductive.

Most of high society agreed.

Sex for reproduction had become taboo amongst his family’s peers, and many sneered at the lower classes, who still consummated their pairings and risked being impregnated with a fetus whose genetics were left to chance.

Karo hadn’t deviated from his upbringing until he’d become friends with Reus, the light-hearted man who’d—(frequently)—returned from dates with women, and seemed to delight in recounting the evening’s activities.

Reus’s stories had ensnared Karo. Secretly he’d begun to long for a relationship where he could feel the type of connection Reus talked about. What his best friend had failed to relate was the fire, the yearning that could come from something as simple as a kiss.

Already Karo craved another, and suspected that he would only become more addicted to Aevum each moment he was in her presence.      

As he rode home his thoughts were consumed with wonderment at how one’s life could change so drastically in one evening. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Jayda was true to her word. After giving him a few hours to rest, she came back to the Medical Center, with Lukas, another man, and a piece of technology in tow. She had changed clothing since she’d been gone. Instead of the form-fitting flightsuit, she was now dressed in black pants that were loose through the legs, and a matching long-sleeved top. Her hair was unbundled from the top of her head, and hung down her back in long braids that swayed as she walked.

Karo watched her approach and felt a strange twinge in his head. He’d once been intrigued by someone else’s long hair. He’d watched it move and blow in the breeze… he didn’t remember whose hair he was seeing. The harder he tried to latch onto the vision, the more it slipped away. He shrugged it off.

The men at Jayda’s side were also dressed in dark colors. Lukas had black pants, and a long sleeve shirt with an open collar. The other man wore pants that were more snug, and a dark gray top the same style as Lukas’s. He was smaller than Lukas, but had the same dark colored skin and green eyes as Jayda. His black hair hung past his ears in an unruly fashion.

“Hello Karo. How are you feeling?” Karo refocused on Jayda. 

“Better, thank you.”

“Good! I would like you to meet Deian,” she gestured to the man who smiled warmly. “He is my Mission Commander, and more importantly, my mate.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Deian said brightly. “Sorry about pulling your ship into the funnel earlier. I swear that’s never happened before!”

“I believe you,” Karo replied.

“Oh good! Wouldn’t want you to think that we prey on ships, and regularly drag them back to our system to pirate them.” Deian’s face was lit in a smile, and Karo immediately liked him.

Reminds me of Reus.
Both men had an openness and jovial personality that you couldn’t help but be drawn to.

Karo made a point to smile back.

“I didn’t think that for an instant.”

“Good. Now that you’re here, I’m in charge of making sure that your ship is better than new so you can be on your merry way back to… Siril… was it?”

“Yes, that’s my homeworld. I greatly appreciate your people’s help with that matter.”

“Sure thing! As soon as Lukas and the security gurus sign off, I’ll get my team in there and start opening her up. I’ll make sure to keep you updated.”

“I would appreciate that.”

He looked to Lukas. “Let’s go see how much longer it’s going to take security.”

Lukas nodded. Deian gave Jayda a light kiss on her lips before heading for the main doors, Lukas at his side. Karo watched as Deian slung an arm over the other man’s shoulders in a friendly gesture, then just as they were rounding the corner into the hallway Deian leaned up and kissed Lukas’s jaw.

Karo blinked hard, sure that he was seeing things. Hadn’t Jayda said she was mated to Deian?

“Your mate is a very friendly man,” Karo commented to the Princess, who had laid a disc-shaped piece of technology on his small table and was making slight adjustments to the controls.

He absently noticed that she had golden markings on the backs of her palms. They shimmered in the low lighting of his room.
I have to remember to ask her about those later,
he thought.

Jayda smiled at his comment. “Yes, that’s Deian. He’s never met anyone he isn’t immediately friends with.”

No doubt.

“Was he also on your ship?”

“No. As my Mission Commander he stays in our system, usually on a station or a battlecruiser, to make sure my missions go smoothly, and help when the need arises. We’re always linked through our comms though.”

That’s why he was familiar. Karo had heard him on their comm link.

Jayda picked up the flat disc she’d set down earlier. “I brought you something; since we couldn’t find a match for your DNA, and your ship is damaged, I was thinking we could try to locate your system using this portable navigational unit.”

She set it on the floor a few feet away, then used a clear handheld tablet to activate it. Immediately Karo’s room was filled with millions of pinpoints of light. He felt hope blossom. Jayda began asking him questions about his star system, and inputting the information into her tablet.

The Sirilian system was unique since it had two orange stars with similar compositions; and although the Sirilian classification of stars was different than the Arathians’, he was able to describe the sun’s attributes to her in detail. She listened and adjusted the navigational array’s parameters, but after several attempts, she still came up with the same answer.

“Karo, I’m not finding it,” she admitted.

“Am I giving you inadequate information?”

“No, it’s that our star charts aren’t able to use your people’s mapping parameters. It’s like you’re speaking a language our system can’t understand.” She tapped the tablet on her thigh in thought. “There has to be another way to do this… if only the navigation system on your ship was working, then we could tap into it. It may be more compatible with our technology.”

“What about a portable unit?” Karo suggested.

“Do you have one?” she asked excitedly.

“Yes, but I gave it to your people when I arrived.”

“That’s okay. I’ll see if we can use it.”

She immediately contacted the ship’s security on her comm device, but was politely refused. The officer stated that the technology hadn’t passed General Bogaards’s inspection, and listed all sorts of protocols they were forced to follow. She contacted several others, but was given the same answer. Karo could tell she was losing her patience.

“All I want to do is find his homeworld,” she told the person at the other end of the comm link, as she paced across the floor. “I need the information stored in that device.”

“I’m sorry Jayda,” the security officer repeated, “but I cannot release it until it has undergone all security procedures.”

“Fine, but I want to be notified the moment it’s available for release.” Jayda disconnected the link without waiting for a response, then sat heavily in a nearby chair.

“This isn’t normal procedure. I think they’re just trying to be extra cautious.” She smiled slightly. “It’s been a very long time since we’ve encountered an unfamiliar alien race, and I think we’re a little out of practice.”

Karo chuckled. He could understand that, given the abruptness and manner of his arrival. His people probably would have been even worse if an unknown alien vessel just appeared in their system.

“I think your people are handling this all quite well.”

“Thanks, I just wish I had more say in how you’re being treated.” She sighed. “I’ve always tried to not let my birthright play a role in my professional life, but there are times when I wish I could pull the “Princess Card” and make them do what I want.”

Karo had known people in power his whole life. Back home both of his parents held high offices, and he’d seen them throw their weight around when the situation called for it.

“Arath is lucky to have a princess that doesn’t abuse her power like that,” he acknowledged. 

She eased and smiled at him. “Thanks Karo, I appreciate you saying that.”

He watched her continue to adjust the navigational unit’s settings, and realized that he was intrigued by this woman. She didn’t have the air of nobility… and he meant that in the most positive of ways.

“Are you a princess by birth?” he wondered aloud.

“Yes, I am. Right now my parents are the ruling monarchs on Arath, but I’ll take over when they’re ready to retire.”

“I see. Do you work for your planet’s defense willingly?”

Her brows knit together with confusion. “Yes. Does it not seem that way to you?”

“I’ve only been here a few hours, but I get the impression that you’re struggling with the hierarchy.”

Jayda chuckled. “You’re very perceptive. I’ve been working for the Arathian Defense for many years now, but as I take a more active role in the operation of my planet, I’m having a harder time deferring to authority—especially when I don’t agree with them.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry; it’s my problem and I’ll figure it out.”

Karo was thoughtful for a moment. “It sounds like you’re ready to take on a more authoritative role in all aspects of your life, not just in your royal duties.”

Jayda looked at him for a long moment, then nodded her head. “You might be right.”

“What is he right about?” Deian asked, as he and Lukas walked through the lowered forcefield and into Karo’s room. Lukas carried a bundle of clothing, while Deian carried a tray.

“Nothing important,” Jayda dismissed. “Has security released his ship yet?”

Both men shook their heads.

“But we brought dinner!” Deian announced happily. “Figured that since Karo had been eating replicated rations for the past twenty years, he might like to try something new.”

He set the tray down, and Karo saw food that he didn’t recognize.

“Doc Notani said you needed to eat things that would be easy on your stomach, so we brought soup, bread, and dessert. Just the thing for someone who has cellular degradation!”

Karo’s brows knit together in confusion, and Jayda laughed. “You’ll get used to Deian’s particular brand of humor.”

“If you say so.” Deian was an enigma to Karo, but in truth he was glad to have someone to joke with again—someone to have
any
kind of communication with again. Just sitting and talking to Jayda had been a rare treat. To be teased! He’d almost forgotten how to joke back.

“These are also for you,” Lukas stated as he laid the bundle of clothing on Karo’s bed. “The clothes they give you in here aren’t very comfortable, so I brought a few options for you. Should at least get you through tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully by then security will have your ship cleared and you can gather your personal items.”

Karo looked down at his blue one-piece jumpsuit. It had scorch marks, dust and debris, and smelled like smoke. He’d be very glad to change out of it. “Thank you, that was very thoughtful.”

“No problem.”

“I think you just wanted an excuse to replicate new pants, since you didn’t like those.” Deian pointed to the bundle on top of the bed.

A blush crept over Lukas’s face. “They were too tight in the ass,” he mumbled in Deian’s direction.

“I know… they were perfect,” Deian said with a dreamy sigh.

A small smile lifted the corner of Lukas’s mouth, and Karo’s fascination with the trio grew. He’d never seen people with this kind of relationship, but before he could ask about it, Jayda interrupted his thoughts.

“Come on boys, we should let Karo rest. He’s had quite the day.”

The three said their goodbyes, and she ushered the men out of the room. Karo watched the security field go back into place, and wasn’t sure if he felt trapped behind it, or relieved that it was partially keeping him safe as well. He tried not to think about it.

He felt strange, awkward and unsure about what he was supposed to do. During the years he’d spent alone onboard his ship, he’d end the night by performing one last systems check, and telling LINK to wake him if there was a problem. He tried to shake off the feeling by changing into the comfortable pants and shirt that Lukas had brought, then sitting at the table to eat.

Everything had a pleasant mild flavor, and was far better than the rectangular bars that had sustained him during his mission. He took his time and enjoyed the meal. The soup was warm, the dessert was made of a red gelatin that tasted sweet, like fruit back on Siril, even the water tasted fresh. He’d have to remember to exchange the water reserves on his ship before he left.

I don’t want to think about how many times that water has been  recycled through the onboard purifiers.

Once the meal was finished, he dimmed the lights and climbed into the big bed. He expected to toss and turn, but the mattress was far softer than he was used to, and before he knew it, he drifted to sleep.