Page 26 of Alien King Crashes the Wedding

Dagan squeezed her tighter and nodded. “Okay, I’m here. Take it easy. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Sasha whipped her head around as she felt the pinch of a hypodermic needle in her arm. She turned her head to glare at whichever doctor had dared to put a needle in her and saw the female one with the red marking. “Ugh. How could you?” she slurred, her body suddenly relaxing into Dagan’s arms.

Chapter Twenty-One

Thirty minutes later

Sasha woke up naked on the reclining chair, covered by the thin, silky gray sheet. She turned her head to the left and didn’t see anyone, then back to the right and saw Dagan standing near her head. A man in a dark green uniform was standing off to the side with his back to her. She stretched, feeling pleasantly relaxed. Dreamy. Perhaps even a little aroused, with Dagan looking at her like she was a tasty treat he would like to eat.

“Dr. Jorvin, she’s awake,” Dagan rumbled from deep in his chest.

Sasha reached out to touch the markings on Dagan’s chest. They still shone brightly and she couldn’t help the silly, satisfied grin that spread across her face.He’s so sexy.She delicately traced her fingertips over the intricate whorls. She could touch him forever and never get tired of it.I should tell him.

“Your Majesty,” began Dr. Jorvin as he stepped up beside Dagan and peered down at Sasha. “I’m glad you’re awake again. We’ve decided to go about this a little differently this time. You may still feel a little drowsy but that should wear off quickly. The medication I gave you is a simple but effective relaxant, nothing that would harm you. It has a tendency to fog short term memories. What is the last thing you remember?”

“My name is Sasha, not ‘Your Majesty’. As for your question, I remember being sick. Really sick. Feverish. I was hallucinating all kinds of weird stuff. I thought I was going to die.” Sasha frowned worriedly. She shook her head to clear the last of the relaxant fogging her brain. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything after that.” She did a quick calculation, her brow furrowed. “What happened? I feel fine. Great, in fact. Does that mean I’m cured now and I can go home?” Sasha looked at Dagan in sudden distress “Oh, no! Rachel’s wedding! Have I missed it?”

Dagan leaned down, kissed her tenderly, and placed his hand gently over hers. “You haven’t missed your friend’s binding ceremony, but right now let’s focus on you. The rest can wait until you’re feeling more like yourself. I thought I was going to lose you.”

“Fine. I still don’t understand what happened. How could I get so sick? Earth traded for the cures to most diseases and cancer. I took a double dose, just to be sure,” she whispered the last guiltily. “Oh no.” Her heart skipped a beat before galloping painfully in her chest. She glared into Dagan’s eyes in horror and shivered. “Did I contract an alien disease? Some kind of STD? Is that why it was so awful?”

Dr. Jorvin pressed his lips together, trying not to grin. “Not at all. We have nothing like that where we’re from. Let me try to explain what happened. Do you remember using the maju paste?” At her nod and blush he continued, “Well, maju paste has been used safely for thousands of years on Caldor. It contains microbes that burrow into the skin to create the beautiful markings you’ve seen. Those same microbes emit the energy we use to power this ship, and they also have healing properties. However, in very rare instances, the microbes burrow past the layers of skin and interact with that person’s unique biome. Are you understanding so far?”

“I think so, yes. You’re saying it’s like gut bacteria. It lives inside you but instead of helping you digest food, it makes the markings you have. But I’m human, so it didn’t work right. Is that what you’re about to tell me? It made me sick instead?”

“Quite the opposite, my dear,” replied Dr. Jorvin with an understanding smile. “You have, if I may say, some of the most beautiful markings I’ve ever seen. The microbes burrowed deeply and integrated themselves into your biome in such a manner that your body is now outputting tremendous amounts of energy. Too much energy, in fact. Your brain couldn’t sustain the high levels of heat and your organs shut down more than once. You survived because those same microbes also worked around the clock to heal you just enough to keep you alive until a solution was found to stabilize you.”

“Markings? Where are they?” Sasha looked at her arms with growing distress, unable to see anything out of the ordinary.

“See for yourself, little one.” Dagan nodded at Dr. Jorvin, who then reached behind the medical chair and pulled a large attached mirror around for her to use.

Sasha stared into the mirror. A two-inch band of diamond-like crystals glowed across the top of her forehead and disappeared into her hairline. She turned her head this way and that, sure her eyes were playing tricks on her, watching as the crystals sparkled in the light. Sasha felt panic building inside her again and reached for Dagan’s reassuring embrace.

“Breathe, Sasha,” Dagan soothed her as he tucked her under his arm. “All is well. Dr. Jorvin is right. Your markings are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, as well. You are an artist. Can you not see their beauty?” Dagan massaged her back with long, slow strokes until her breathing calmed and she was able to look in the mirror again. “I was the first to try the maju paste on a human. On you, little one. There was no way to predict this would happen. Caldorians never react this way. I will never forgive myself for causing you pain,” he said, his heart full of guilt.

“No,” Sasha murmured and kissed him reassuringly. “Never feel bad about that.” She looked deeply into Dagan’s eyes and shared what was in her heart, the words flowing from a deep well of love. “That was one of the best nights of my life. I have no regrets. I would do it all over again to be with you.” She smiled bashfully. “Canwe do that again?”

Dagan groaned. “Woman. Behave. I nearly killed you and you’re asking if we can do it again?”

“Well, haven’t I been through the worst already?” She reached up to touch the crystals she could see on her forehead and frowned. “Wait. I don’t understand. I can’t feel anything. Why can I feel your markings but not mine?” Sasha leaned closer to the mirror to study her reflection. “And why do they look so different?”

Dr. Jorvin answered readily, “They’re different from other Caldorians because normally the microbes burrow shallowly through the skin, creating visibly raised markings. If they were unwanted, they could actually be surgically removed, and are not truly part of a Caldorian’s body. They do, however, function in a symbiotic relationship with us, just like gut bacteria. Your markings are different because in your case, the microbes gotpastthe layers of skin, grew internally, and then spread upward. Your markings are truly part of you because the microbes are now fully integrated into your own unique biome.”

Dr. Jorvin went on excitedly, unaware of the growing storm inside Sasha. “One of the tests we ran showed that the microbes have actually activated part of your DNA that has, heretofore, been dormant in humans. Your scientists even have a name for it. They call it ‘Junk DNA’. Not well-named, but then human technology still has a long way to go, doesn’t it?” he chuckled to himself. “Anyway, it’s very exciting for us, my dear. You have no idea.”

“I think your markings are beautiful,” Sasha whispered to Dagan. “But then, you’re from another planet. It’s wonderful and new and they’re part of you. I love them.” She traced one absently through Dagan’s uniform and smiled shyly at him. “They’re sexy.”

Dagan rewarded her with a kiss before she continued, her eyes full of uncertainty, “I suppose I can get used to mine, but now he’s telling me that my DNA has changed, too? That I’m a human freak? And he said I’m alive because you found some kind of solution. What does that mean?”

“One part of the solution,” gushed Dr. Jorvin, unashamedly eavesdropping, “is that we have the technology to channel energy through those crystals you’re now wearing”—he pointed at the crystals adorning her wrists—“into an interdimensional vacuum of sorts. They’re called Lumerian Crystals. They’re extremely rare, and hard to come by since Lumeria was destroyed. Luckily someone left them outside my door with instructions attached!” Dr. Jorvin smiled and whispered conspiratorially, “My guess is that they were stolen and traded on the black market. Whoever left them doesn’t want to be identified.”

“The Lumerian crystals haven’t been able to channel all of your excess energy,” rumbled Dagan as he brushed his fingers through her silky hair, “but enough that you should be able to function normally, with minimal energy spillage.”

“Yes, His Majesty is correct. That’s why our markings lit up when you touched us. Instead of going through the channel, some of the current went into us. The same will occur around other objects as well. That is, everything and everyone but King Dagan,” he reassured her. “I won’t bore you with the technical details, Your Majesty. Just know that your DNA is now imprinted on the crystals in your bracelets. If you take the bracelets off, they will continue to siphon some of your excess energy, but the interdimensional link will be weakened, so be prepared for some fireworks,” he cautioned.

Dagan raised her hand to his lips and kissed her open palm. “Indeed. My best jewelers coded the settings to compliment whatever you’re wearing, since the crystals need to stay on at all times. I hope you like them?”

“They’re beautiful. I almost feel like they’re alive. I can feel them vibrating, just a little, like butterfly wings against my skin. Thank you. Please thank the jewelers for me,” she added thoughtfully. She looked at the hand that wasn’t buried beneath Dagan’s massive one, and took a moment to admire the rings and jeweled bracelets covering her from wrist to halfway up her forearm. “Such exquisite detailing. Truly. And thank you. All of you, for helping me,” she smiled in gratitude at the doctor.

---