Behind the Stars (19 page)

We scrambled up the first hill, and the only sound was the swish of our feet scumbling through the leaves. Just over the peak, I stopped to catch my breath, and as he waited, Gallatin looked around the brown and green woods.

“I never,
ever
thought I’d like this place,” he said. “The climate, the setting—”

“Are you saying now you do?” I glanced up at him.

He looked back at me and smiled. “I do.”

That squirmy tightness was back in my stomach, and I felt my cheeks flush. I was thankful we’d just been running, so my face was already pink. He stepped to me and placed his hand on the sapling I was using for balance, right above mine, almost touching.

“Remember how you said being with Jackson was... how did you say it? Like a promise of a better life for you? A home?”

He watched my face, my expression, so I nodded. Then he slid his hand down to cover mine. “That’s how it’s been for me here, these last few weeks.”

“Gallatin...” I pulled my hand free. “How do I know you’re not trying to trick me? That you’re not doing all this to spy on me or to keep me under control?”

The change in his expression told me all the answer I needed. “What?” His voice cracked.

“It was a thought I had yesterday...”

In a flash, he pulled me to him. I tried to resist, but he wasn’t letting go this time. “Prentiss,” he said softly. “I don’t want to control you.”

“Stop!” My heart beat like hummingbird wings as I squirmed out of his arms. “Then how are you keeping us here? What are your people doing?”

He sighed and started walking again toward the little pool, away from my questions, but I was determined this time. Today I was getting the answers I needed.

“Why is everything changing?” I demanded. “Why is this our last time?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. And you don’t need to know, so stop asking.”

“Tell me!” I cried. “If you really care so much, you owe me the truth.”

I watched his back as he stopped walking and lowered the pack. Then he dropped to a squat with his hands resting on his knees. “You really want to know this?”

“Yes!” I ran forward and squatted in front of him, placing my hands on his. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

He stood and pulled the t-shirt over his head. “Let’s cool off while we talk.”

I chewed my lip in frustration as I watched him fumble with his pants. Two steps and he jumped feet-first into our pool. The heat was oppressive. I squinted up at the sun beating down through the holes in the trees, and a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead stopping at my eyebrow. It matched the one sliding down my waist under my heavy coveralls.

“Only if you promise to answer my questions.” I stood and slipped out of my clothes.

After our first day at the creek, I’d started wearing my brother’s brown shorts and tank tops for swimming. Less transparent when wet. I jumped in feet first as well and when my head popped up, I squealed from the shock.

Gallatin laughed and swam to me. Then he slid his arms around my waist in the water. My heart started beating fast again at the unexpected gesture. His body was warm against mine, and our faces were inches apart.

“What are you doing?” I clutched his strong arms under the water and tried to take them from around me.

“No more running all the time, no more hiding.” He held me tight. “Just easy days. Predictable days of work followed by lazy afternoons at the creek. This is how my life would be. With you.”

He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose then he released me and ducked under the water. I watched his body shoot to the other side of the pool where the giant tree lay rotting, covered up in green fuzz. He resurfaced and placed his hands on the ground, lifting himself out of the pond, his back still to me.

“You’re supposed to be answering my questions.” My voice was a little shaky from his words, the sudden intimacy.

“I’m here because of Cato.” He walked around the side of the water to our spot in the sun. “She dragged me to this location against my will.”

He stopped and pulled out the blanket, spread it in the hot sun and the lay down on top.

“Keep going,” I said. “Why? And why are we being held this way?”

“I was with the desert group. They let me go to the university, because for a little while it looked like we might stay. Then we received word we’d been found.”

“What does that mean?
Found
?”

“Thirty-six hours, forty-eight tops. One group was deep in the woods, the other in the remote desert. We’d isolate any inhabitants who might see, as few as possible, bring out the ships, prepare them, and leave. Memory-wipe as needed. Gone.”

My throat tightened, and I shook my head. “You’re saying things that don’t make sense.”

He rolled onto his side to face me as I drifted closer, then his voice went calm. “We’re not from this world, Prentiss.”

A sudden splash made him jump back. I turned and ducked under the water, kicking my foot to shower him again as I powered to the other bank, ignoring the twinge of pain my angry gesture sent through my hip. My head popped up at the water’s edge, and I hoisted my body out of the pond. In an instant, Gallatin was on his feet, heading in my direction.

“Why does that make you angry and not afraid?”

I stood and gingerly stomped around the small pool to where my clothes sat by the pack. He was right beside me as I pulled everything on, not caring if my undergarments were soaked and my body freezing. He caught my arm, but I jerked it away.

“Please tell me why you’re so angry.”

I started back to camp, but then I stopped and turned so fast he slammed into me. He caught me and held me by the waist, his hair pushed back and his strange amber eyes lowered to mine, his scar on full display.

“I thought we were past the point where you’d lie to me.” I struggled to get my arms free of his grasp. “But you’re sticking to protocol, I guess. Mind games and tricks.”

“What do you mean? I’m not tricking you!”

“Did you just try to tell me you’re from another planet?”

A line formed between his brows and he looked down. “Yes.”

“God bless America!” I pushed out of his arms and gingerly stomped a few steps away.  “Of all the ridiculous stories to make up.”

“It’s not a story, Prentiss. It’s true.”

I turned back again. “So you’re an alien. An alien. You. With your warm,
not green
, skin and your perfect English, and your, well, somewhat perfect appearance.”

“Somewhat?” He smiled, but I was so angry, I didn’t care.

“You have weird eyes.”

“They’re hazel.”

“They’re weird. And those scars are... scary.”

He held his palms out like he was offering me a gift. “Will you come back and let me explain? I hoped we might remain friends in spite of... our differences.”

“We are not friends if you’re going to treat me like a gullible little kid. Or a stupid hick.”

“You know I think you’re very smart. Please come back and let’s talk.”

For a moment I didn’t move. Then I crossed my arms over my stomach and slowly walked back to the sunny spot. I sat on the blanket, arms still crossed, ready to hear this story. I expected a whopper, too. My brother and the biggest guy in the camp had bought the whole thing.

He smiled watching me, then he came and sat on the blanket, too. Cross-legged, facing me. I scooted back a little, and he took a deep breath studying, me with his weird “hazel” eyes.

“You were going to tell me the story,” I said.

He looked down and picked up a blade of grass that had fallen onto the blanket. Not meeting my eyes, he began to speak.

“The night I was born, my uncle Acona, my father’s brother, assassinated my parents and thirty-two members of their ruling party, their cabinet. A spy, one of my sister’s kinsmen, had word of what was coming. She warned Ovett, and he sneaked Cato and me out with a small group of loyalists. We’ve been running from planet to planet, hiding ever since.”

For a moment, I sat in silence. My eyebrows were still clutched together, but my arms had loosened at my waist. “So your parents were... kings and queens or something?”

“We don’t have royalty on my planet. The power rotates through the three nations every third generation. Cato would’ve been the last to rule from the Protectors’ line, and then the power would pass to the Shifters, then the Warriors, my father’s nation.”

“So that’s why everyone treats Cato like a princess. Because she is one.”

“More like your President. Except over all of Gliese.”

“Gliese.”

“In the Libra constellation. We’ve been studying your planet and others like it for centuries.”

At that I jumped up and started walking again. I stomped around in a circle before starting toward the camp, but Gallatin caught up to me, holding my arm.

“You’re mad again?”

I didn’t answer as I jerked my arm back, but he caught my waist.

“Why are you angry? Talk to me.”

I couldn’t run with him holding me, but I wasn’t letting him hold me. I pulled his hands off my waist and pushed back. Anger and fear were slugging it out in my chest, and so many arguments were filling my head, they all jammed up trying to come out of my mouth at the same time. Finally I spat out the most obvious.

“You really expect me to believe that? Any of it? That’s the most ridiculous story—”

“It’s true! I’m telling you the truth.”

I was still panting, but I reached out and poked his bare chest. It was warm like human skin and soft. I pressed harder, and when I pulled back, a light spot quickly faded where the pressure had been.

“That’s human,” I said.

Then I pinched his arm as hard as I could, and he yelped in pain. His yellow eyes sparked.

“See?” I shouted. “You ouched! There is nothing alien about ouching. Nothing! So quit lying to me!”

I turned and started walking again, but before I could get away, he caught my waist in one arm and with his other, he slid his palm up to my cheek. Instantly that familiar calm washed over me like warm water.

My eyelids closed, and I took a deep breath. It was as if all the anger dissipated, and I wanted to sit and smile. Or sing a song.

He released me, and I stood in front of him dazed, trying to remember why I was so angry. The sun was shining so happily, and we were supposed to go swimming. I loved swimming.

But just as quickly, the happy feeling faded. I shook my head. It was the lies. He was telling me crazy stories, treating me like I was an idiot. Like they all clearly thought we were. My heartbeat picked up, and I started to get mad again.

“And another thing?” My voice rose. “If you’re so alien, how can you walk around here without a gas mask or anything? And why do you need to hold us in prison? Prison! None of it—none! Makes any sense.”

He caught me again and pulled me to his chest, sliding his palm over my forehead, looking into my eyes as he did it. Again, my anger flew away like smoke in a strong breeze. I stared into his warm eyes and this time, I decided they were beautiful.

All his colors blended together with the colors of the forest into a harmonious, glowing palette of browns and tans, golds and greens. I gazed over his shoulder at the light flickering through the leaves, and I noticed the treetops had become translucent in the sun, a glowing, neon-green canopy above us. All around, the noises of the forest came together in a soothing melodious backdrop. My heart rose, and I wanted to close my eyes and listen and feel and never leave. My eyes found his, and now they were smiling, too. I blinked and watched as his gaze moved lower, drifting to my lips.

“I so want to kiss you, Prentiss,” he whispered.

I studied his mouth. His lips were full and soft and inviting. I was sure my kissing them was the only thing to do in this absolutely magical moment. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, and then I remembered.

“No,” I whispered. “I can’t kiss you.”

He sighed and released me, but my anger didn’t come back this time. In its place was confusion.

“I know I’m angry with you,” I said. “But now I can’t remember why. Everything is so beautiful... You were lying to me, saying you were from another planet...”

“You’re so strong.” His voice was almost proud, and I remembered how him being proud of me made me feel proud. “Will you sit down with me so I can explain more?”

I nodded, and he took my hand, leading me back to the big log with the fuzzy green fungus covering its side. I sat and rubbed my finger across the top. My eyes traveled around the woods in amazement. Everything was hazy and ethereal.

“Prentiss?”

I looked at him.

“I did something to you. It might cause you to be angry again when I tell you.”

“What did you do?” I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly feel anything but bliss ever again.

“Will you try to understand?”

“Of course! How could I be angry with you?”

“I controlled your emotions. It’s one of my powers as a Guard.”

For a moment I only blinked back at him, unsure what he meant.

“You were very upset, but I made your brain feel happiness. I made you see the beauty of the forest instead.”

“How—”

“I’m not exactly sure. Shubuta thinks it’s like a blast of serotonin that relaxes your mind, but it’s only temporary.”

As if waking up from a dream, I looked down. Then my eyes filled with tears. It was wonderful, and it was all fake. I was humiliated remembering how much I’d wanted to kiss him just now.

“So you’re a hypnotist.”

“It’s not really hypnosis. It’s more manipulating the electrical currents in our bodies. I can show you with our eyes closed if it helps—”

“Don’t ever do that to me again.” My voice was flat as I stood and walked around the water to the blanket.

I wasn’t sure why I was crying, whether it was because I believed him or because I didn’t. Or because I was a fool. Then I realized he’d done it before—when Bully was born, and when we’d sneaked back the first time and Cato and Ovett almost caught us. Those gentle touches that had flooded me with calm. My body trembled, but the residual effect of his touch kept me from completely losing it.