Last Holiday on Terra

29

I stared at the lifeless body that was to house my brother's soul. I longed to look in his eyes to see the irises, the color of coal, surrounded by the thin circle of amber and one of pale, powdery blue.

Like the Deity.

The silence of the room was deafening, my own pulse was the only thing I heard. My taloned fingers splayed as far as they would go, stretching the webbing between them; I touched the skin of his arm; it was warm to the touch and I ran my fingers through his very long tentacles and I leaned down to his face. "Are you in there little brother," I whispered.

Peripherally, I saw Kianda at the doorway. "I've released him from the soul jar."

Is that it?

"Yes, that's it, Cee. Why don't you try it on for size?"

It's far younger than I expected.

"You look about twenty-five or so. Did you actually look like that," I asked.

Yes.

"Damn. You were pretty hot. You know, for a guy."

Thank you, brother.

Just then, his chest raised with breath and I watched his eyes flutter open. Then he smiled. "No more achy bones," he whispered.

His taloned hand raised slightly and reached for mine. Taking his hand in mine, I leaned in to embrace him. "Welcome back."

"Let's go kick some fucking ass," he growled.

"In due time. Revenge is a dish best served cold, right?"

"You were always far more patient than I was, Rowan."

I stood and nodded. "You know what?"

"What?"

"That's pretty bad little brother." I chuckled and pulled him up and he swung his legs over the edge of the medi-bed and they hit the floor. "Ah hell. You're taller than me—"

He grinned as he stood chest to chest. "Yup." His arms and tentacles wrapped around me so tightly that I thought I would lose my breath.

"Did you know that already?"

"I did actually." He released me and I swallowed hard.

He relayed a memory of him trying on my dress uniform and not being able to fill it out, but the length was lacking. He had asked the Sargent of Arms about it and he confirmed that he was actually about four inches taller.

"Yeah, well you're still skinny. Maybe we can put some weight on you?"

"Excuse me, but this is solid muscle, I'll have you know. But yes, you were always bulkier—"

I laughed out loud, I could honestly say that I knew how strong he actually was first hand.

"You're not skinny, Cee—you're wiry." She finally stepped into the room.

I had forgotten that she was still there.

Cee actually chuckled and nodded his head. "Yes Julia—I remember that you told me—" He turned around to speak directly to her and the sight of Kianda in the doorway shocked him to the point that his body slammed backwards into mine and he very nearly fell. I held him up. His cranial tentacles were flaring so wildly that I could no longer see anything except his coal-colored hair.

"Princess—I thought—I could have sworn—my apologies—" he lowered his head.

"Cee, it's okay. I'm still me."

His eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "No. Julia! Can't be! I wasn't privy to this—What has happened?"

"I wasn't privy to it either. Drogo told me that I coded on the table. Apparently, it was a way quicker process than it was suppose to be—I was supposed to fall asleep and wake up in this body."

"Who is responsible for this, Rowan?"

"Who do you think?"

He sighed heavily and shook his head just as a knock was heard at the doorway.

"Oh good, you're awake."

He turned to Drogo and embraced him. "Oh yes, very much so."

"And your memories?"

"Intact as far as I know."

Drogo smiled and his eyes misted. "It's truly a blessing to see my two charges together as young virile men."

Drogo turned toward Kianda and waved her over. "Group hug, girly—come on over, now—now's not the time to be shy—"

A single red tear fell from her eye and she sort of waddled over and allowed our tentacles to mingle with hers, Drogo's arms circling us as best as he could.

"We must take care and be extra careful. We are surrounded at every turn by spies and cutthroats who'd see us fail. We have very few allies now," Cee whispered.

"Can you eat," Kianda asked shyly.

"Of course I can Sister—I have a pulse—I'm very much alive!"

"Are you hungry? I was—"

"Oh? What did you have?"

She looked up to me and then Drogo looked away and sighed heavily.

"Breakfast skillet," I announced quietly. "She ate an entire breakfast skillet."

Cee gasped and turned to her and pulled her to him and stoked her long red tentacles. "Oh no, Sister—you can't do that to yourself anymore. A little bit every once in a while is okay, but—oh noooo." He cradled her face in his hands. "Promise me that you won't do that again?"

"Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you only tolerated me—"

He smiled again. "I requested to lead your guard. You see, I've always known who you were."

"You did?"

"At first, I hoped. And as Julia grew up, I saw so many similarities so I knew. But yes, the fact that Julia's little Terran body housed not only your soul, but my brother's soul as well? I was definitely happy that it was me taking point. As long as I could keep you safe, then I knew we'd all be safe."

"Cee," I said, "that was such a dangerous thing to do! Why would you do that!"

"Because Rowan, if I was out in the open, protecting the body housing the King's soul—they weren't going to touch us. I'm just really happy as pearls in clam tongues that I was correct in my thinking!"

I had questions...so many questions. There was the little bit that he said, but so much that he didn't say...it was like code...

"How's our ship running?"

"Oh! Captain Clover is keeping the in ship shape and bristle fashioned!"

"WHO!"

"Oh, sorry—Trèfle—she's doing a great job."

"Do I even want to know how it is that you know her given name?"

I shook my head. "Nah."

He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes for a moment as he shook his head.

Ahhh, but It was so good to be with my brother again.