Page 40 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

“Do you find that odd?”

“Oh no, not at all. Alliance men want to know everything about the women they are courting. Usually they find out everything they can before even speaking to a woman they might like. You have him at a disadvantage. You’re human and from Earth, he has to talk to you to find out everything and of course as a woman you will hold back.”

“Why would I hold back?” I question but as soon as I do, Axl walks in. He looks as handsome as ever.

“Hold back on what?”

“May you walk in the gods’ light,” the woman in green says and then disappears.

“I don’t know,” I say honestly. Then without having any pretense I say, “I couldn’t sleep last night so I watched some videos with you in them.”

“Those must have put you right to sleep. I missed having you in my bed last night too. I missed the taste of you on my lips…”

I cross my legs at the thought of him eating me out every night we were on the Hio. “I missed that too.”

“Tea?” he offers.

“Yes, if there’s no coffee.”

“I know what coffee is as I tasted it when I was on Earth, but it’s not something we have in the Empire.”

“Well, that’s a galactic crime if I’ve ever heard one.”

Axl sets down some black tea in front of me. I pick it up and let the cup warm my hands. The dining room isn’t exactly warm.

“Today you said you were going to introduce me to your hometown.”

“Yes. Our first stop will be the Grand City Temple.”

“Oh fun,” I say sarcastically thinking about how I fell asleep watching videos of historical High Priestesses. But before I can explain myself, Axl’s sister comes in and greets us and the dining room’s temperature suddenly becomes a lot frostier.

19

Axl

We take a House Zu transport and fly over the Capital City through the morning rush hour to the Grand City Temple. Two guards are with us.

When we land they accompany us through crowds up to the elaborate gates at the Grand City Temple’s imperial entrance.

“Why the guards?” Georgiana asks. “Is it dangerous?”

“No. But you are my responsibility and you’re human. I wouldn’t want anyone abducting you.”

“Who would abduct me?”

“You never know,” I reply and let it go as we pass through the ancient gates of the Grand City Temple. I did not let the High Priestess know I was coming, so she is hurrying out with some of her nuns to greet us.

“May the goddesses be blessed,” she says. “And you have brought one of the Lost People with you. She walks in the light.”

“She does,” I reply. “We are here to pay homage to the goddess of home.”

“Let me guide the way,” the High Priestess says and we follow her, my guards behind us, and the High Priestess’s nuns behind the guards. The latter begin chanting as we walk through the elaborate temple compound. I look over at Georgiana, she’s walking confidently as if she’s been here before. It’s impressive.

When we enter the oldest part of the temple, the Chamber of the Goddesses, I walk toward the massive stone statue of the goddess of home. Her green jeweled eyes are glistening in the candlelit smoky room. A sense of peace embraces me. I’m home. There’s no one here but us and the temple’s disciples. I pick up two white prayer candles and hand one to Georgiana. She takes it without hesitation. “Repeat after me.”

Georgiana lights her candle from mine and then repeats the prayer I say as we stand in front of the goddess’s statue. After a few minutes she asks, “Now what?”

“We stay quiet until our candles burn down to our fingers.”

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