Page 26 of Abalim

Abalim gave her a quick nod and folded his hands on his lap. No need to admit he’d already come to terms with Rerqel.

“Because Earth is so far from the Xeltrians’ ability to grab one of the humans from there, they somehow got a human female from the chaos happening on FiPan. And because of their obsessive need to test males and females together, they’ve discovered you and ordered us to bring you to them. So, the plan is what you keep them busy doing whatever they want you to do. My crew and I will be looking for our people held in captivity.”

“So I’m the distraction, hmm?” Good to know where he stood.By the God An, he hoped his brothers never found out he willingly made himself bait. He’d never hear the end of it.

Saphira chuckled. “Yeah, well, everybody’s got to have a purpose in life.”

Lisa stepped into the round room Rerqel led her to. She caught her breath at the weird sight in front of her.

The place had an ethereal glow. Soft, diffuse light bathed the room in a gentle radiance, casting a warm and inviting ambiance. The illumination was so smooth, it was hard to tell where it came from. It looked like the area itself was an embodiment of light.

Her gaze traveled up the curved walls of the chamber that created a sense of endless space since the edges blurred into an otherworldly horizon

On the walls were intricate, luminescent patterns that pulsed and shifted in harmony with the ambient light.

A crazy idea hit her. The patterns told a story of cosmic connections, interwoven destinies that transcended time and space.

Beneath Lisa's feet, the floor's translucent material shimmered with iridescent hues, reminiscent of a moonlit ocean. It responded to her presence, sending gentle ripples of light with each step she took. It was as if it was aware of her and kept track of every step.

A movement out of the corner of her eye made her gaze upward, and she was captivated by the sight above.

A series of large, circular windows wrapped around the upper portion of the chamber. Beyond the windows, a star-studded panorama stretched out, filling the space with a breathtaking cosmic view. It was a window to the universe, a testament to the wonders that lay beyond the Xeltrians’ world.

Around the periphery of the windows, an enigmatic presence captured Lisa's attention. Tall, slender figures of several Xeltrians stood perched on various levels, observing her with luminous eyes, their features both alien and intriguing. Their lustrous skin was soft, glowing shades of blues and purples. It was easy to sense the depth of their intense observation despite their silent demeanor. Making sure she kept that wall up in her mind, Lisa was relieved to hear only silence.

When she moved farther into the room, the door behind her whooshed closed. She spun around and noticed Rerqel hadn’t come in with her. Well, what did she expect? It wasn’t like he was there to hold her hand or anything.

Turning back to the room, she studied the circular platform in the middle. The darn thing floated in midair. What was weird was how the surface pulsed with a gentle rhythm, as if it held the very heartbeat of the room itself. Lisa couldn't help but be drawn toward it, compelled by an inexplicable force that resonated within her.

As she stepped onto the platform, a soft hum filled the air, a harmonious melody that echoed deep inside her. The room, the Xeltrians, the luminescence—it all felt like a transcendental symphony, a place where boundaries blurred. Where the very essence of life’s connection was woven into the fabric of the surroundings.

In this mesmerizing chamber, Lisa shivered. For the first time, it really hit her. She was alone among aliens, completely at their mercy. She lifted her chin. Rerqel promised they wouldn’t hurt her, and she chose to believe it. Maybe this was just a meet-n-greet. Yeah, she could pretend she was at the Sci-Fi Romance writers’ convention and network with the best of them.

“Hello?” She gave a little finger wave to the audience above her. “How ya’ll doing?”

Human, you will not speak unless directed.

“Why?” She put her hand on her hip and pointed a finger at those above and around her. “That’s not very hospitable like, ya know.”

A tense buzzing sounded in her head. The pinch wasn’t painful, but a caused enough noise to make her put her hands over her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to wrestle the noise to a normal level. But it was hard. It sounded like thousands of voices speaking to her all at the same time. It got so intense, she dropped to her knees. “Stop it! I can’t think. I can’t…” The mental block she had in her head crumbled. The sound became louder, mixing in the canopy of voices so jumbled she couldn’t catch her breath.

All at once, it stopped. Lisa dropped to her hands and knees and hung her head. The blessed silence was so abrupt she kept her eyes closed to savor the unexpected calm. When her body was lifted, her eyes flew open. She was turned around until she lay horizontal, face up on a raised table in the middle of the dais. She tried to struggle and scream for them to put her down, but her body wouldn’t move and her mouth didn’t work.

When she was laid on the cold marble, her sense of immobility disappeared. While she could move her fingers and toes, the ability to roll off the table and run away was beyond her. What was worse, so was the talent of speech.

You can now resume communicating with us mind-to-mind.

Rerqel’s voice was loud and clear in her head. Yay. Lisa tensed and sucked in a breath. Now she sensed the alien worming his way into her consciousness as he and the others slid between memories she’d once held private.

We will begin.

That was the only warning before a solid wave of their consciousness slammed into her mind and left her gasping. Soon, she became lost, her sense of self drowned with no way out.

Chapter Six

AstheGalactic Serpententered orbit around Qorath, Abalim flinched as the onslaught of psychic energy swamping through him. It took every ounce of energy he had to keep his shields up to keep a semblance of normal.

“You don’t have to say anything, but I can feel you struggling to keep the Xeltrians out of your mind.”

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