Page 26 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
Luna promptly smacks him upside the head with a tentacle. “Way to ruin the mood, Naj. Geez. Catch a clue.” She turns back to Gemma with an apologetic smile. “Naj is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and not the greatest at being diplomatic. But he’s right, this is a serious situation. We do need you and your brother to keep our existence a secret, or it could lead to some undesirable consequences for all of us.”
Gemma nods slowly. “That makes a lot of sense. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to get my brother back safely. You can count on me. In the meantime, I hope that you’ll treat him right. He’s the only family I have left, and vice versa.” Her throat catches on those words.
It hasn’t even been a full day and already, I miss her terribly. Being away from her for several weeks is going to be hard. Usually, we don’t go more than a few days without seeing one another, and we talk at least once a day.
Gemma sniffles, fighting back tears. “Will you at least check in with me periodically to let me know you’re okay?”
I direct an inquiring look Khephren’s way.
He taps his chin with the tip of a tentacle, a thoughtful expression on his face. “We may not be able to video conference as frequently as you might like since the distance from some regions will make that difficult, but Felix should be able to relay written messages to you.”
“Text messages, babe,” Sasha corrects around a mouthful of chips.
Gemma sighs with relief. “Okay, that makes me feel a bit better. But this is all a lot to process.”
“I know,” I whisper. “Everything will be all right.”
“It better,” she declares, getting a fierce gleam in her eyes. “Otherwise, I’ll have to hunt down those aliens of yours and kick some serious ass.”
“Your sister is so hot,” Luna whispers to me.
I groan.
“I love you, bro,” Gemma says. “Be safe.”
“Love you too, Gemsy. Talk soon.”
Khephren ends the transmission and I rub at the unexpected ache in my chest. The pink alien takes one look at me and flashes a megawatt smile. “Felix needs a group hug, everyone!”
“Wha—”
Before I can even finish what I’m saying, Luna and Khephren pull me into a tight hug, complete with all their arms and tentacles. It’s surreal but also weirdly comforting.
Khephren pats my head with a tentacle. “We’ll keep you safe, don’t worry.”
Sasha sets aside his nearly empty bag of chips and gives me a thumbs-up. “I’m giving you a hug in spirit. Not much for the real deal, except with Kheph.”
I dart a glance at Najar, who remains conspicuously distant, and heave a mental sigh. I can only hope his attitude will improve and that we can remain cordial during the next few weeks otherwise it’s going to be a long-ass flight…
Chapter Six
Chronicles of Chaos: An Informal Record of Life Aboard the Sleigh Belle
Stardate: 78389.0
Origin: Euphorian Star System
Destination: Glacius Major
I’m forced to admit that I’ve made a bit of a monumental fuckup.
In my defense, I had our crew’s best interests at heart. My suggestion that we return the human we panic-abducted back to Earth and wipe his brief memories of us was the smartest course of action. I still stand by that assessment.
However, in retrospect, I should have known that my crewmates were never going to agree to that plan. So vocalizing it in front of everyone, including Felix, just made me the biggest asshole on the ship.
At present, things are beyond awkward, and Felix is avoiding me.
I understand why. I get it. But it bothers me more than I would wish.
