Beyond the Stars (39 page)

“Samantha, I am curious. How did you meet my brother?” he asked bluntly.

“Please, call me Sami. We met while working on our Space resort.” I decided to keep my answers brief.

“Do you think it is wise to become so involved with someone from another planet?”

“As long as it’s a good relationship, I see no harm.”

“How long have you been
in love
with my brother?” He turned to face me straight on and looked me directly in the eyes, awaiting my answer.

“Oh, what makes you so sure I’m in love with him?” Talk about being put on the spot. I was grateful for my maturity. Direct questioning like that would have had me in tears in my twenties. Gaelan had warned me about his ability to notice everything. He wasn’t kidding.

“Oh, so do you
deny
having feelings for him?”

“No.
I do
. I’m just surprised that you’re asking.” I tried not to get defensive.

“Well, I was just wondering. I am concerned for my brother’s happiness. After all, if you are companions, then I would hope that you loved him. I can imagine he would only risk giving you
this
if that were the case.” He lifted my wrist and touched the metal band with the tip of his finger. Was he the only person that noticed it in all the excitement? “You know, in wearing this, you are making the greatest commitment. You’ve become an inseparable addition to our family. Are you planning on staying here on Kataria?”

“No, I’m not. I have to return to Earth. I have a family of my own at home.”

“I am wondering how that will work. The two of you are from different worlds. You are from opposite sides of the universe,” he stated dramatically.

“I understand your concern, but I just want to be with him. I love him with all of my heart. We belong together. I’ve never been so sure of anything. Plus, Gaelan has been working with us, on our side of the galaxy, anyway. We can be together there. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

“Your determination is enlightening. I am pleasantly surprised. I did not think my brother was capable of having an authentic relationship. Thank you for being so open with me, Sami. You have given me exactly what I needed to know.”

“Gaelan,” I blurted out when I saw him returning. I wanted this conversation to end. Liam turned away and quietly rejoined his wife.

“Sami, let’s get something to eat. You should see the selections.” He smiled.

“Sure.” I quickly took his hand and headed to the large buffet of food. I now felt paranoid about being from Earth. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination or if the people surrounding us were actually staring at us on purpose. Either way, Gaelan and I were definitely getting noticed. I wondered if rumors of me being here had spread. I couldn’t help remember the nasty gossip Enos had started about me aboard the ship. I tried to push the bad memory out of my mind. We filled our plates and retreated to the corner tables to sit with Gaelan’s family. Liam stood up quickly and stared out across the room. He seemed to notice something that sparked his interest.

“Come on, my dear, it is time to mingle. There is someone I need to speak with, if you would excuse us for a moment,” Liam said as he took Gallina by the hand and left us in a rush.

“Gaelan,” I whispered, “Liam asked me about us when you were gone.”

“Oh, I’m
sure
he did.” He laughed under his breath. “Don’t worry. You must have said something right. Otherwise, he would have made some sort of spectacle.” He reassured me with a grin before he took a bite of his food.

“He seemed particularly alarmed by your bracelet on my wrist.”

Gaelan looked down at his plate while he tore off a piece of bread with his teeth. He appeared to be preparing what he was going to say. “Liam is only concerned because it involves him. You are now conjoined to our family’s bloodline. He was trying to determine if you’re worthy. The band is constructed with genetic samples from our living and deceased family members infused within the metal. The alloy’s molecular structure carries our family’s specific energy vibration. It provides its wearer strength. That’s why it is considered a gift. The blending of life forces gives the individual the group’s unified power. Over time, it takes on the wearer’s personal signature as well, which contributes to its potency while retaining the strengths of the whole. It has the ability to link energy fields to its counterparts. Now that I’ve given a part of it to you, we will grow more in tune with how the other is feeling.”

I took the band in my right hand, held it between my fingers, and thought about what Gaelan had said about it being linked to his family. Then, as if on cue, Miria and Colin halted their conversation and turned their heads to look over at me. Our obvious connection could not be ignored. I gasped, releasing the bracelet from my fingertips. Gaelan noticed but didn’t comment. Instead, he gave me a reassuring nod.

I felt a little uncomfortable and wanted to talk about something safe. “It seems like your sun has barely moved since we got here.”

“Ah, you noticed. Our sunsets take longer than Earth’s because of our longer days,” Gaelan explained. He seemed impressed by my observation.

Liam and Gallina returned to our corner about thirty minutes later. Liam leaned down and whispered something into Gaelan’s ear. I watched as Gaelan’s face fell into a frown as he seemed upset by his message. Gaelan sat there glowering blindly ahead, appearing to be forming a plan. Liam went on to say something quietly to his parents, Azil, and Zaric. I could not hear what they were saying over the music.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, suddenly alarmed as the once joyful expressions of the people around me crashed and burned.

Gaelan stood up. “Word travels quickly. We need to go … now!” He moaned. The rest of the family gave each other a discerning look and seemed in agreement. Gaelan was a natural born leader, so we all followed his command and walked around to the front of the building. The entire front lawn was full of white, green, and black vehicles parked in rows. They resembled the ones I saw parked in the landing on the ship, only much smaller. They were all so similar, I wondered how they could tell them apart, until I noticed red reflective numbers etched on the front and back of each car. Despite our rush, I was excited to finally have the chance to ride in one.

We piled into a white vehicle with Gaelan’s parents and Liam’s family. Gaelan and I hopped in back. Its interior looked similar to our cars at home. Before I knew it, it levitated from the ground, rising about ten feet into the air, and took off. Gaelan saw my dazed reaction as we gently glided across the sky, and he quickly explained to me that people on Kataria used levitrons as their main mode of transportation. Even though we were flying, it felt more like we were riding in a boat. The aircar seemed to rise upward before leveling out and had a bit of a drag whenever Liam accelerated. I looked out the window twice, expecting to see water beneath us. It was an impressive design and had everything I ever wanted in a vehicle, primarily the ability to pass anyone, anywhere.

“Gaelan, what happened? Is something wrong?” I asked as we rode.

“Yes.” He bit his lip. He had a terrible expression on his face.

“What … what is it?” My heart sank.

“It’s the council, our government,” he explained. “Liam overheard that rumors got out about you being here and our relationship,” he said as he looked at me with saddened eyes.

“I take it they’re upset,” I muttered. I felt terrible. The last thing I wanted was to cause him any trouble.

“Oh yeah, and they are not too happy about our run-in with the Dreons, either. They feel it may cause problems in the future,” he said vaguely.

“Can I be of help? Maybe I could explain how my being here was just accidental.”

“You can.” He squeezed my hand. “Look, Sami, that’s our home and farm over there. Those are the fields we grow our produce in.” He pointed out the window, never missing an opportunity to share his experiences with me. I loved how he could remain so level-headed under stress.

“You own
all
that land?” I gazed down at the acres and acres of fields.

“Yes. This is our headquarters. Actually, this is now the smallest plot we grow in. We own bigger fields in the other six territories, but this place will always be home,” he said.

I could see a large white structure illuminated by the moonlight in the far distance. It resembled an old chateau. “What is that on the crops?” I asked. The ground looked like it was covered with dark green netting. It was difficult to tell what it was as the darkness set in.

“Oh, that’s Liam’s doing. Remember when I told you that he discovered a way to speed the maturity of crops?”

“Yes.”

“We cover the plants with the augmentation wonder net. The netting feeds the plants, enhances photosynthesis, retains moisture, protects from insects, and accelerates the entire growth cycle.” It sounded like he was conducting an infomercial. I looked down at the crops that seemed to stretch on for miles. I finally understood the full scope of Gaelan telling me about his family producing a large percentage of the country’s food supply. They had to be indispensible to the agricultural market. Not only did they supply massive amounts of produce, they supplied revolutionary growth products to other farmers.

“Remarkable. How old was he again when he came up with this?”

“Eleven—hence the name.” He smirked as if he was holding in a laugh and raised his eyebrows.

“Hey, I heard that,” Liam shouted back from the driver’s seat to us in the rear row.

“
Good!
I meant for you to. Just drive,” Gaelan snapped back at his brother.

“It’s a good name,” he defended.

“Uh-huh,” Gaelan mocked. Liam’s daughters found their bickering funny and giggled in unison with their sweet little voices. “You should have seen his bedroom when he was developing it. It looked like a greenhouse and smelled like one, too. I remember my mother sweeping the dirt from the hallway into his room and shutting the door.” I heard the rest of the family chuckle quietly as they listened in. Apparently, Liam wasn’t the only one eavesdropping on our conversation.

We landed in front of the large white stone house that glowed against the dusky evening light. Azil and Zaric’s children’s vehicle came in directly behind us. We entered through the arched front door. Liam and Gallina’s girls took off running to their rooms. Inside, the home’s floor and walls were made with the same white stone that covered the house. A huge round glass skylight took up most of the ceiling of the foyer. I imagined they must utilize the same solar energy techniques in their homes as they did aboard the ship.

We all sat in a large, formally decorated living room once inside. It was beautiful, with décor that looked centuries old. There were several large, carved wooden chairs and two sofas with soft navy blue cushions, big paintings of landscapes covering the walls, and lamps with shades made out of dangling clear crystals. The room’s tall ceiling was trimmed with a plastered crowned molding, which was both visually inviting and impressive. I could imagine its photograph on the cover of
Architectural Digest
. Miria and Gallina cordially served everyone by pouring each of us a glass of wine. It was red and sweet. I wondered if they had grown the grapes themselves. We weren’t there even ten minutes before there was a loud knock at the door. Colin answered it and returned with a letter in hand.

“Gaelan, this came for you,” he said resentfully as he handed him the envelope.

“And so it begins.” Gaelan sighed and opened the letter.

“What is it?” I asked. Gaelan’s eyes quickly moved across the page as he read the document.

“They are putting us on trial,” he muttered. Silence swept across the room as everyone froze.

“What does that mean?” I asked. Gaelan continued to read the paper.

“What grounds do they list?” Colin said, sounding perturbed.

“It states here that the council is requesting an explanation for my involvement with Sami and for my actions on Decca. We have to defend ourselves in front of the council,” he scoffed.

“When?” I muttered.

“We’ll have to go in tomorrow morning.” Gaelan huffed.

“You’re in trouble because of me. I didn’t mean to cause such pandemonium,” I said with exaggeration to show my sincere remorse.

“I would like to know who complained about you and Sami,” Azil mused.

Gallina looked at Gaelan and me. “I am not sure why this is a surprise to anyone. We have had friendly relations with your people for years. Did they not think that it was possible for our people to fall in love with one another?” she interjected. Clearly, Liam wasn’t the only one to notice our union. I now realized that everyone in the room was already well aware of Gaelan’s Katarian band on my wrist. They probably felt something was up the moment it clasped itself shut around my wrist.

“I’m sorry.” I bit my lip.

Miria put her hand on my shoulder. “Sami, it’s not your fault. You do not have to apologize. I am grateful that Gaelan has found you. People just need to get used to the idea of you entering our world,” said Gaelan’s mother.

Liam joined in. “Sami, our people are reasonable. I have many friends on the council. They are expected to investigate every complaint. It is their duty. Gaelan will seek justice.”