Sleeping

Chapter Thirteen

“Sit, sit. We have much to speak about.” My grandfather said once we were alone. He led me over to a chair that had a table in front of it and he sat across from me.

“Why did you need to speak with me? Why not my uncle?”

He looked at me in shock. “Is that what my son told you?” he took my hands in his wrinkled ones like I needed to listen very close, like he was about to tell how to live forever. Not that an Isarian would really ever need something like that. He’s almost four hundred, but Nathaniel only looks like he’s in his early to mid-twenties. Some Isarians just live longer than humans, while others age faster. A forty-year-old could actually be ten if they age slow, or ninety. It’s a very complicated, not well understood part of our evolution.

“What are you talking about? My father died before I was born.” Right?

He slowly shook his head, his white eyes full of regret and pity that I didn’t want. And then I put all the pieces together. How evasive Nathaniel had been when I asked about my father, or my mother, for that matter. The way he looked at me like I reminded him of someone long gone. How he spoke of my mom, as if he had been in love with her himself.

Because he had been in love with my mom.

Because Nathaniel was my father.

“Lyco,” he began, using my Isarian name “I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.”

“It’s fine.” I said plainly. “I’ve dealt with worse news. Now what did you have to talk to me about?” I pulled my hands away and locked them together in my lap. He seemed slightly surprised by my reaction, but continued.

“We would like you to vouch for them. And you should understand what you and the humans would be subject to by coming onboard.” I nodded. “All of them will be inspected as soon as they arrive on the ship. There will be no fights involving the Isarians in any way, shape or form. They will help us, if need be. And Lyco?”

“Yeah?”

“This one is important. Isarians have been having arranged marriages since before the beginning of our history, so when you were born it only seemed natural…” he trailed off.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re saying I’m in an arranged marriage? That’s ridiculous. My parents would never agree to that.” I said incredulously and stood.

“They didn’t. I made it without their knowledge. His name is No’cwa and he really is a nice boy, very intelli—”

“I am so not going through with an arranged marriage! I don’t even know him!” I cut him off.

“Then the humans don’t come on the ship. We will beam up Nathaniel, you’ll stay here, and you will marry him anyway. Plain and simple.” He was so casual about this, I wanted to punch him.

In the face.

With a brick.

“You sick bastard.” I closed my eyes for a second and thought about Ashley and Cora and Martha and even Len and everyone else down on Earth. I can’t let them die. And Ashton. We said we were going to fight for each other, for us, but how can we if he’s dead? And Nathaniel…well, he’s got some explaining to do. My eyelids flew open. “Fine. For now. But as soon as Nathaniel gets up here, we are so talking about this.” I replied coldly.

He smiled and ordered for them to begin beaming people up saying “Wise decision, granddaughter.” I could hear the victory in his voice.

And I hated him for it.

          ~~~~~**~~~~~

“So I’m assuming you have some friends down there?” said my I’yks (loosely translated, ‘aunt’) Iz’gow’da. Yeah, she told me to call her Iz. She looked around my age, maybe a little older but I knew she was actually almost a century older than Nathaniel. She was the oldest out of her and her siblings, so she would be juc’m (which is the word for both king and queen) after her father dies. She’s the crown princess and Nathaniel is the crown prince. Technically. It’s complicated.

I answered her question with a “Yeah. There’s Ashley and Cora and Ashton and…” I laughed a little. “That’s it.”

“You like that Ashton boy, don’t you? You’re not just friends.”

I stammered. “What? How did you…I mean…yes. I like him. But don’t tell him or anyone. He doesn’t know.” I lied. We would both be safer if no one knew about our relationship.

And I don't know how I could live with myself if I was the reason he died.

~~~~~**~~~~~