Part 12 (1/2)

Venus heard the knock at the door and for the briefest moment thought she'd returned home. Stiff muscles, which constricted her body, reminded her otherwise. Her s.h.i.+n, where Tawny had kicked her, was still sore. The bed was not comfortable, especially when she couldn't move about as she usually did. If she'd been on her journey, she would've slept on the ground or the back of Sadraden and still been more comfortable than she was right now, on this horrible, lumpy bed. With a sharp laugh, which wasn't happy at all, she realized her journey would've been over by now, had she gone as planned.

Three. Two. One. ”What is it?” Venus growled.

”Phone's for you.” Dervinias hollered from the hallway, way too chipper. ”Cheverly wants to know if you want to hang out.” He opened the door. Venus hastily pulled the covers up to her chin.

”Dervinias. Leave!”

Ignoring her, he strolled in and sat on the edge of her bed with a bounce. ”Really she wants to know how you feel about Michael. If you're trying to put the moves on her guy. She hopes not because she likes you, but she's willing to kick serious . . . b.u.t.t-”

Venus raised her eyebrows at his distinct choice of word.

He chuckled. ”I'm quoting her thoughts, V.”

She glared, trying to kick at him through the covers.

He shrugged and continued, ”. . . if you put your scrawny paws on her man.” He watched Venus intently. She gave him her best crustie until he stuck out his tongue.

”Helker,” she swore, which lifted her spirits some. ”You're impossible. Give me that thing-cellular telephone.” She scrunched her face, unable to stop herself from cracking a tiny grin. ”And stop calling me V.”

”It's a cell or a phone. Don't call it a cellular telephone. Makes you sound like you're eighty-five.” He chuckled.

”Fine, give me the phone.”

”Oh, and you'd better be nice to Chev . . . V. She's starting to get impatient. Beginning to wonder if you think you're all that.” He pulled the phone from his pocket, pushed a b.u.t.ton, and handed the phone to her with a smirk.

”Seriously?” She reached out and grabbed the phone from his hand, putting it to her ear at the same time.

”Retaliation,” he mouthed.

”Seriously what? Is this V?” Cheverly asked with a tone which sounded confused.

Holy Cret, what is the deal with V? Ugh! Into the phone, she said, ”Yes, this is Venus. Sorry about that. I was talking to the crazy alie-Vinny. He's such a-he's weird.” She waved him out of her room, but he wouldn't leave, and the doof had a big ol' grin on his face. Probably still reading whatever Cheverly was thinking. ”Hang on a sec, Chev.” Venus put her hand over the phone and said to Dervinias, ”Get out of my room. I mean it and stay out of-other places as well.” He finally left, closing the door behind him. ”Hey, I'm back. So what's up?”

”Vinny told me you like to ride. I have lots of horses and wondered if you wanted to join me?”

Venus's heart lurched at the idea. She'd never ridden a horse before. Kelari had animals which were similar, four-legged. Of course nothing could compare to flying with an irrihunter, but it'd be nice.

”Cheese, V.” Cheverly sounded edgy. She heard a tap-tapping in the background.

Was she stomping her foot? She secretly laughed at that, and the cheese comment. ”Um, yeah, that sounds like fun. I'd love to.”

”Awesome. I thought we'd invite your brother and Vinny to come too. Is that cool?” She seemed hopeful. Venus wouldn't mind having Zaren join them, but it wouldn't be good to have Cheverly flirting with him. Obviously she had a little crush. Venus had a task to accomplish. Help Michael and Chev fall in love. Now was the time. Chev didn't need further distractions, namely Zaren.

”Sounds great.” Venus paused a moment, gathering her courage. ”Hey, what about inviting Michael?” She tried to sound casual, but knew it'd come out forced. Venus was beginning to understand why Zaren had been so worried that day on the mountain.

Focus, Princess, she shouted internally, repeating Zaren's words to herself.

Then she put a smile on her face figuring that would help. ”Don't you two have a thing going?”

”Um, sort of.” Venus heard Cheverly take a huge breath and blow it out. ”I'll give him a call. Great idea.”

”Fabu! When do you want to get together?” Venus tucked the phone against her ear and shoulder and started to braid a portion of her hair. Organize and reorganize. Braid and unbraid, anything to keep her fingers busy.

”Fabu? L.O.L., V. What? Were you born in like, 1968?”

Venus let out a nervous chuckle. She'd seen humans use the word. It hadn't been that long ago, a few years. Lots of young kels had picked up on the word and used it often. ”Nooooo,” she laughed.

”K, well anyway, can you be ready around one?”

”I can, but I'm not too sure about the pretty boys. I'll force them to hurry.” Her neck started to kink, so she stopped braiding and held the phone, pulling all her hair away from her shoulders.

Cheverly giggled.

A grunt came from the other side of the door. Dervinias.

”Yeah, tell them they'd better.”

”I will.”

”Rockin. I mean, fabu!” She giggled again.

Before Chev hung up, she gave Venus directions. She didn't worry about writing them down since Venus figured at least one other alien listened in on their conversation. Bolting off the bed, she ran to the door. Dervinias was on the other side, waiting.

”How do you turn this thing off?”

He grabbed it from her. ”Push the b.u.t.ton with E.N.D. on it.” He shook his head in exasperation.

”Well, what're you doing? Snoop.” Venus punched him in the arm.

”Do you have any idea what you're doing?” Dervinias asked.

She was about to give him an arrogant retort when she realized he wasn't joking. For the first time Venus really thought about it.

I've no idea what I'm doing. And, in five days I'll be dead.

Formytians were trained with longswords and broadswords. She suddenly felt as though one of each had been shoved into her gut and twisted slowly, painfully and with fervor.

”Maybe you-”

”Where's Zaren?” A nervous hiccup escaped. Venus wanted to cry, sob, sulk-be utterly sad. And she needed her Formytian. Where was he? ”Zaren,” she yelled. ”Zaren.”

Venus started running down the hall, but her foot caught on a ripped portion of the carpet. She ended up face planted. ”Zaren,” she whispered. Fear. A word she'd heard, but hadn't ever, before now, experienced. It gripped at her. Tore away all confidence and made her feel like a child-not a woman at all. Her body shook, incapable of pus.h.i.+ng herself off the floor.

This wasn't possible. None of it. She'd never find out who'd done this to her. Never see her parents or her sister. She'd never see her home again. Some treacherous kelarian had sent her to this world. The G.o.ds had given her a task so basic and yet completely impossible to accomplish. In that moment, she knew she'd fail. And in the next she wanted to kill the kelarian who'd done this to her-to those she loved. Hate consumed her, burned her insides. How she longed to find those who'd framed her and make them pay.

”Venus. Princess, I'm here.” Zaren lifted her into his arms, firm skin pressed against hers. With the touch of his body, her hate subsided.

”I can't do this. It's too much. I won't succeed. Whoever did this to me, they've won.”