Page 9 of Alien in the Depths
“How did you guys meet? Sofia was very secretive,” she said with a wink.
Zaraq’s shoulders eased slightly, and he smiled. “Well, I was wandering around the catacombs, hoping to find the famed general and make a wish,” he started.
“Oh, stop, you were not!” Sofia interrupted, and they both laughed.
“No, I wasn’t, but I did get what I would’ve wished for,” Zaraq replied, smirking. “Your sister looks good in a swimsuit.”
Carmen, Elena, and Arccoo immediately groaned. “TMI!” Elena shouted. Sofia felt her face warming and swatted Zaraq’s arm. Zaraq grinned. Sofia bit her lip to hide a smile, the crinkles at the corners of Zaraq’s eyes making her heart flutter.
“He stalked me like a weirdo and then snuck up on me in a cave. It was very romantic,” Sofia quipped. “Then he offered to show me a shortcut, and I was sure I was going to be brutally murdered.” Laughter mixed with the clinking of plates as the waiter cleared up again.
“Had you been to the catacombs before?” Elena asked, gulping a large sip of Thryal wine. She scoffed at Arccoo’s raised eyebrow.
“No, but I got there before Sofia arrived, so I had some time to explore,” Zaraq replied. He rested his arm on the back of Sofia’s chair. The familiarity of the action sent a burst of heat through her.
“Enough time to clear out a bunch of rocks.” Sofia grinned at him and poked one of his impressive biceps. The rock-hard muscle flexed slightly under her touch, leaving her slightly breathless.
“Oh?” Elena asked. “How long were you there?”
“Uh, not long,” Zaraq replied. “I’ve been traveling for quite some time so it was nice to chill out in one place.”
“Really? Where have you traveled?” Elena asked excitedly.
“Oh, I traveled around the Govian system for a few weeks and other random places.”
Arccoo leaned forward. “The Govian system? They’re our diplomatic allies,” he said for Sofia and Elena’s benefit. “Did you visit the Lopiin temple?”
Zaraq frowned, and Sofia had the sense that Zaraq had never heard of the place.
“I didn’t, no. There were too many other places to visit,” he said, avoiding eye contact. He grabbed his glass and downed half of it.
“Really?” Arccoo asked, confusion marring his features. “It’s the most notable landmark on this side of the galaxy. I would’ve thought an explorer wouldn’t miss it,” he added, as if to himself.
Zaraq shifted, removing his arm from Sofia’s chair. He crossed his arms almost defensively, visibly uncomfortable. Sofia couldn’t take it anymore.
“Uh, what’s with the cross-examination?” Sofia snapped.
Arccoo flinched back, surprised.
Carmen placed her hand on Sofia’s arm to calm her. “We’re just getting to know him, sis.”
“You’re being weird about it.” Sofia frowned at the three of them accusingly.
Zaraq cleared his throat. “Uh, Elena, your sister told me you’re an engineer on Earth. What does that entail?”
Everyone loosened a tense breath, and Elena glanced at Sofia before answering. Sofia stewed all through dessert while the rest of her family made light conversation. It was hard to hide her disappointment about how uncomfortable the dinner was. On the walk back, she pulled Zaraq aside and apologized endlessly.
Later, when Sofia was lying in bed, she thought back over the evening. Was she too quick to anger? At the moment, it had seemed like her sisters and Arccoo were attacking Zaraq. She ran through the conversation in her head. If she were being honest with herself, he had actually been evasive and secretive. She was all about a mysterious man, but wasn’t he taking it a bit far?
She fell into a restless sleep, for once feeling dread instead of excitement for their exploration the next day.
Chapter 4
Zaraq
The two-person transport pod landed in a small clearing that seemed to have been designed to accommodate the craft. During their descent, Zaraq marveled at the sprawling woodland below them. Despite the busy lifestyle found in the capital, Thryal was very much a place for exploration.
It was as though the citizens understood that big cities and industrialization were important to furthering a species, but maintaining a connection with the natural world was crucial for the individual. He found that comforting.