Page 19 of Owned By Two

A flock of creatures broke from the underside of a broad-leafed tree and took off higher into the sky. They didn’t have wings like birds but rose and fell on a twirling cap atop their heads. They reminded me of spinning tops, only they floated upward instead of across a tabletop.

The jungle died away, revealing a huge building that shone brightly in the powerful sunlight, making me scrunch my eyes up and look away.

We headed directly for it and sat down beside it on a patch of red grass.

The engines powered down and the hatch door whirred slowly to the ground outside.

The sunlight was mesmerizing and I had to cup my hands over my eyes to block the worst of it out.

I released my restraints and prepared to ease up onto my feet when a shadow stepped in the shuttle doorway.

It was a big, tall male Elkik with enormous horns on either side of his head. His body was powerfully built — and he was so broad across the chest that he had to turn sideways to fit inside the shuttle.

He approached me. “Lizzy?” he said in a deep, sensual voice. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

He extended a meaty hand toward me. Unlike Blor, his body was not covered with layers and layers of scales but was instead perfectly smooth, like marble.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the light on this planet. When they did, I could see his skin was a milky lemon yellow. He had a flat nose and jutting brows that cloaked a pair of deep-set eyes so dark they might have been forged from dark matter.

His nostrils were slits and although my initial thought was how similar to a snake’s they were, I immediately tossed that concept aside as the rest of him lookednothinglike a snake. I was relieved as I didn’t think I could hang out with anything that even remotely resembled a slithery beast.

I took his hand. He shook it with an experience that belied his confidence with human culture.

“I’m Uhti,” he said. “I am — or was — your father’s assistant.”

His touch was soft and reminded me of that of Blor. In appearance, they were complete opposites. Where Blor was rough around the edges, Uhti was smarter, refined, and more delicate in his movements.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” he said.

“Meet me in person?”

“Yes. I’ve heard all about you — everything your father told me, anyway. All I’ve ever had to go on with your appearance is a small photo he showed me once.”

“Oh,” I said, a little embarrassed he knew ‘everything’ about me. Although, to be fair, that couldn’t be a lot as my father didn’t knowanythingabout me. “I’m sorry but… he’s never mentioned…”

“Me?”

“Not just you. He’s never mentioned anything. We never… spoke much.”

Uhti looked me over and nodded his head as if coming to an understanding. “I see. Yes. Of course. He was never the most… open human. He was always very quiet. Especially with his private life.”

He turned and headed toward the exit. “Please follow me. I’m sure you must be very hungry after your journey.”

I got up and followed him outside. The breeze was cool, strong, and brushed the hair back from my face. A perfect remedy to the thick layer of sweat my body had excreted on the way down to the surface.

At the entrance to the large building, Uhti came to a stop before me. “So, what would you like to see first?”

“See?” I said. “What do you mean?”

“He left all his possessions to you. What would you like to see first?”

He left everything to me? Why he would he do that? I wondered. The only thing he’d ever given me was a broken heart.

“I suppose… I’ll see whatever he left me,” I said.

Uhti nodded and motioned for me to follow him. “Very good. We’ll begin with his most prized possessions.”

He turned on his heel and headed inside. I couldn’t keep my eyes from drifting down to check out his ass. I immediately slapped myself — psychologically — and thought it must be a hangover from the time I had spent with Blor.

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