Chapter 48

Lily

Ravok loves me.

This is simultaneously the best and worst moment of my life. Ravok loves me but he has to leave. The only sound is our heavy breaths and the low hum of his ship. I open my mouth to tell him that I love him too. However, an ear-splitting blast of noise drowns my voice out. Before I even have time to react searing pain tears through me. For a confused instant, I'm certain someone has struck me in the back with a sledgehammer, knocking the wind from my chest.

Following Ravok's horrified gaze, I glance down in a daze. Blood. Dark and crimson, soaking through my shirt at an alarming speed.

A gasp chokes my throat, freezing in the air as my world begins to sway dangerously. "R-Ravok…" His name comes as a whisper, a desperate plea. His eyes widen, filled with raw fear. He bellows my name, "Leelee!" It is a raw sound of fear and desperation.

"Step away from the woman, alien!" a man's voice screams. "Freeze! Put your hands in the air!"

It is all a swirling, chaotic cacophony, but all I can see is Ravok. My alien has never shone an ounce of fear but now his face is a mask of terror as he stares at me, ignoring the chaos around us.

I try to tell him to leave me, to escape, but when I open my mouth, blood bubbles on my lips and I can't get the words to form.

"Nope. This is not happening in my town." A calm feminine voice slices through the din.

Everything stops. The shouting halts mid-sentence, the screaming cut off and frozen mid-air. The rustling leaves pause, the birds cease their songs, even the gentle roll of the clouds above us seems to hang in suspense.

Only Ravok seems unaffected. He slowly lowers me to the ground as my limbs begin to feel tingly and heavy. It takes great effort, but I manage to turn my head and see Koko float down from the sky, like an angel descending from heaven, her feet landing and touching the ground as lightly as a leaf on a still pond.

As Koko approaches, Ravok hunches over me, growling at her like a crazed wolf. I want to soothe him, but pain is swamping my senses. I don't know if it is shock or a delayed reaction, but only now does the pain of being shot start to overwhelm me. I try to muffle my cries but the searing pain radiating out from my back and stomach becomes too much to bear. It feels as though someone is twisting a fiery dagger deep within my flesh, making it nearly impossible to breathe. I can taste blood on my lips and my lungs rattle with each gasping breath. I look up at Ravok's devastated face and it occurs to me that I might be dying.

"Ravok, I can help you save her," Koko offers.

"Yes, anything. Please help." The desperation in his voice makes my fear ratchet even higher. I must be in horrible shape for him to show anyone else such despair and terror. My Ravok never begs. "She's bleeding so much."

I watch as Koko who almost seems to be glowing from the inside out, kneels at Ravok's side and looks me over.

"Lublin Harbor is my town. I founded it, nurtured it, and filled it with love. The word Lublin even roughly translates to the word love in my original language." She chuckles, patting Ravok's shoulder and giving me an enigmatic stare. I never noticed how ancient and wise her eyes are until now. "I am Mokosh, an ancient goddess of love and fertility. And sweetie, here in my domain, I am as powerful as they come. Rest assured, I certainly have the power to save one human life, especially hers."

My logical brain says that it can't be true. There is no such thing as a goddess. None of this should be real, but Koko is looking more and more divine, radiant as if she is glowing from the inside, and here I lie, feeling insignificant in the strength of her ethereal aura.

"The wounds are severe," she murmurs to Ravok, her eyes focused on the fresh bullet wound. "However, your nanites can heal Lily… with my assistance, of course." Koko's eyes twinkle with an age-old wisdom and a mischievous spark that almost seems out of place at this moment.

When Ravok nods his consent, not even hesitating, my heart flutters. His luminous eyes hold a firm resolve as Koko holds out her empty hand, palm up. An obsidian knife appears in her hand from thin air. Ravok startles at the sight but doesn't move from my side. The only way I can sense his alarm is the tightening of his hold on me.

"You will need to get your blood in the wound. Instruct your nanites to heal her injuries. I also want you to instruct them to learn to interact with her like they do with you. They need to become intertwined with Lily, to align their programming to her nervous system," Koko instructs, her voice a soothing balm. "Lily, are you okay with this?"

I'm having trouble focusing, but I nod, giving my consent. I don't want to die.

"Hold out your hand, Ravok." Belatedly, my brain catches up to the fact that Koko knows Ravok's name. The fact that she knows his name cements my faith in her. No one on this planet except me knows his name.

Ravok holds his hand over my wound, his glowing eyes shining with determination. Koko slices his wrist with a quick motion and the smell of metallic blood fills the air, layering over the scent of my own blood. Koko peels up my shirt to reveal the exit wound on my stomach. I watch, mesmerized, as a thin stream of blood drips from Ravok's wrist onto the raw wound. With a look of intense concentration, Ravok holds his wounded wrist over the bullet hole and lets his blood drip into it.

"Faster now… I can hold time for only so long," Koko warns. At her words, Ravok holds out his other arm, silently offering it. The goddess gives him a beatific smile as she flicks her wrist and opens another wound across his other wrist.

"You have commanded your nanites to heal and bond with Lily, yes?" Koko says.

When Ravok nods, never looking away from his blood dripping into my wound. I start to feel a strange buzzing in my veins then. The weirdest sensation begins to creep through my body, like a soft but persistent tingle. It starts in my fingers and works its way up my arms before slowly meandering down to my legs, sending soft spikes of warmth into my torso where the worst of my wounds are. I close my eyes, acutely aware of every buzz and prick infiltrating me.

With a sharp intake of breath, I open my eyes to see Ravok at my side, his beautiful alien face creased with concern. His gaze meets mine. He explains, "You must feel them. The nanites. They're working to heal you, Leelee. Just relax and don't fight them."

"It kinda feels like pins and needles," I mumble.

I don't know how else to describe what I'm feeling but there's an undeniably new presence in my body – a strange connection to my brain that I can't quite comprehend. It's like a hovering buzz bumping against the barrier of my mind. It's trying to tunnel its way into my consciousness. It doesn't have words but there is an awareness. I don't know how to connect to it or open the paths into my consciousness for it. I have to force myself to relax and not try to push it out. I clench my jaw, and my muscles start shaking with the effort to keep my mind relaxed and open.

"That's good, Lily, keep trying to let the nanites connect with you. Learning to communicate and command them will take time but it will eventually come with patience and practice. Now, scoot over, Ravok; I need to finish the healing. Then you both have some decisions to make."

I don't realize my eyes have slid closed, exhaustion making everything fuzzy and hard to follow until a bright, shining glow filters through my closed eyelids. I force my eyes open just in time to see Koko start to glow like a beacon on a stormy night. In awe, I watch her as she hovers glowing hands over my slowly healing wounds. Her hands begin to pulse in bright flashes. My heart thumps in sync with the pulsating light.

The brilliant light grows intense, a celestial radiance that engulfs me. I feel like I'm glowing from the inside out – even the back of my eyelids are bright when I clamp my eyes shut at the brightness.

Everything fades into insignificance, and I am lost, floating in the vastness of Koko's power. Every cell in my body is awake. My mind is alight, burning with divine fire. My consciousness brushes against the goddess's, and I am drawn out of my body. My essence rises, expanding, unraveling at light speed.

Only Ravok's hold on the shell of my body keeps me anchored to the planet's surface. Otherwise, I would float away like a golden gossamer thread on the wind.

My consciousness expands, touching every corner of the universe. I feel… everything. I have a moment of true understanding. I reach out, needing to—

It's gone and I find myself back in my body. I try to hold onto it, to cling to the moment, but all I have left is a feeling of the vastness of life and an all-encompassing awe. And love. There is so much love to give. And receive. The boundless pool of love is so vast and deep as to defy explanation.

"Leelee," Ravok gasps brokenly, pulling me away from the last vestiges of the moment. I want to hold onto the feeling, but it's gone. However, when I see his exultant face, I don't mind. It was too big for me to hold onto anyway. I am not meant to know or understand. Besides, it's there when I look at Ravok.

I reach up and touch Ravok's cheek. It is wet with his tears. His incandescent eyes are wide, staring at my now completely healed stomach. He runs his hand over my now unblemished stomach reverently before making a broken sound and burying his face against my neck. As he murmurs my name over and over again, I run a soothing hand over his head.

Ravok sits back on the ground, pulling me into his lap. Wrapping his arms tightly around me, he cocoons me with his body. His breaths heave in his chest as he rocks me. After a moment, he looks up and stares at Koko with a startling intensity. "Thank you," he murmurs. "You have my undying gratitude and loyalty. Thank you for saving her."

"You are welcome." Koko turns her attention to me and gives me a bright smile. "You're going to survive, Lily. How are you feeling?" Her voice is soothing yet authoritative, sending chills down my spine – a reasonable reaction considering that I have touched her vast power, and it overwhelmed me.

"I feel good. A little weird, but good."

"That feeling will pass. Especially once you get used to the nanites."

Then, she turns her attention to Ravok. "You have a choice. And you must make it right now."

Ravok goes so still that it feels like I am being held by a statue, not a man made of flesh and blood.

"Ravok Revvee-a'vik, rank 38th in Vanguard Scout in the Outrider Division of the Cryzorian Horde, this is your choice. You can leave right now. You can get on your ship and safely leave this planet. You will not be able to come back. Or… you can stay." Koko holds her hand up to stop Ravok, who has already opened his mouth to answer. "Let me finish. You can stay and I will help keep your true identity a secret. However, if you choose to stay, you must pledge yourself as a citizen of Lublin Harbor. You will belong to me in that sense. My power as a goddess is maintained by having faithful followers. Without followers, without belief, I will fade from this world. It is faith, and the power of destined love, that powers my existence. It is why I created my town. It is why I helped draw both you and Lily here, because your two souls are made for each other. Your love is fated and bringing you two together within the border of my town has increased my power."

She looks at Ravok intently, her gaze penetrating. "If you remain here, you'll be under my protection. I can hide your true nature from the rest of the world – to everyone outside of citizens of Lublin Harbor you will appear completely human. You'll even be able to travel freely, but you will have to come back to Lublin Harbor. Your roots must be planted in the soil here. You will be mine and you will owe me your allegiance. You must reject your previous allegiance to your people, the Cryzorians."

I look at Ravok as Koko's ultimatum sinks in. I'm left lying here in his arms, with the soft hum of nanites under my skin as I wait for his decision. I want him to stay so bad I can taste it, but this must be his decision.

"I am sorry, but I am running out of time – you must decide now."

"Will Leelee be able to stay with me?" Ravok asks, turning his intense stare from Koko to me.

"That's up to her."

My breath catches at the look on Ravok's face. Yearning. Pure, unadulterated yearning.

I can't let him believe, even for a nanosecond, that I wouldn't jump at the chance to be with him. "Ravok… Yes. Of course, yes. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Hope and love and radiant joy bloom across Ravok's face. "You are sure, Leelee?" he asks, leaning down until we are almost nose to nose.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," I reply, closing the gap to press a kiss to his lips. His lips cling to mine briefly before Ravok straightens up and gives Koko his full attention. He looks at her as a warrior might just before a battle.

"I will stay," he states, his uncompromising gaze meeting hers. "There is no price I won't pay."

I look over to Koko, wondering what her reaction will be, but she simply nods in approval. "Good. This town needs you," she says to him.

Without releasing his grip on me, Ravok bows to Koko. There's a respect to his posture and a vow in his movements that I would have missed if I hadn't been paying attention.

"Lilith Blackwell," Koko turns her gaze onto me, her eyes warm and welcoming. "Do you also want—"

"Yes!" I blurt out, aware that I've just interrupted a goddess. "Yes, I choose Ravok. I…" I hesitate, feeling my cheeks redden. But this is no time for shyness. This is our life we're determining. "I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And I'm happy to do that here in your town."

At that, Koko's lips turn up into a smile. She looks from me to Ravok and back to me again, her smile widening. Then, she stands up and dusts off her hands. "Rise, you two. We have much to do and very little time to do it."

Koko starts to glow once again as Ravok helps me to my feet. Golden light fills the air, seeping into us like a promise of our shared future engrained into the very fibers of our being.

I follow Ravok's gaze and spot the three government agents, frozen in place like eerie statues. One of them, that man from the other night, has a gun in his extended hands. The curl of frozen smoke rising from the weapon's barrel tells me that he was the one who shot me.

Ravok follows my gaze, and his growl rises sharply in the tense silence. He steps forward, claws unsheathed, radiating an aura of danger. I reach out for him, my fingers brushing against his arm. Koko draws his attention away with a curt command. "Leave him alone, Ravok," she warns, "We have work to do."

Nodding reluctantly, he gives the man one last narrow-eyed look of hate before turning away. We trail behind Koko as she strides over to Ravok's ship. The ship's metallic sheen gleams under the moonlight, a dazzling sight that makes my heart thump in fear and excitement. Koko floats up and steps into the open hatch, disappearing inside. Ravok assists me up. Once I climb the steps, he lightly leaps up after me.

We find Koko waiting for us in the cockpit. Her fingers dance across the alien characters scrolling across the surface of his console with practiced ease. A map of the night sky outside the ship appears on the screen. With a few taps, Koko zooms into the display until a strange, unfamiliar galaxy appears. I spot several planets surrounded by nebulous clouds of stardust and gas. Within the galaxy's center is a bright orange sun. Koko points toward the center of the large sun and then turns to Ravok.

"I want you to program your ship to crash into that star. You'll simulate the ship getting yanked off course and heading into that sun. Make it look real. Your people will believe you perished in that star and will not look for you."

I don't know if Ravok senses my momentary feeling of guilt at him giving up his people, but he turns away from Koko and gives me a serious look. "They won't miss me, and I won't miss them. They are no longer my people. Only you are."

I blink away the tears filling my eyes.

"The Cryzor Horde will never find this planet, not if I have anything to say about it. It's a good thing you are defecting. I believe they are about to pit themselves against another species who will be more than their match. The Cryzorians are about to get a reality check that they aren't the most dangerous species in the universe." Ravok blinks at Koko, looking shocked at the thought that his people might soon face defeat.

"Can you set your ship on a course to this star?" Koko asks, pulling Ravok out of his shock.

"O-of course," Ravok responds, stepping up next to Koko and getting to work.

His fingers skate over the glowing panel of his console, and the ship shudders lightly. The engines are revving louder, vibrating beneath us. My heart thuds, matching the tempo of the ship's rumbling beats.

"Perfect. I want you to hold on launching your ship. I will mask our presence and make the agents believe you are on the ship when it departs. I need them to witness you escaping so they will leave my town."

Koko leads us off the ship.

She has us stand inside the now empty garage as she strides towards the three frozen agents, her emerald-green eyes glinting.

Koko holds her hands up in front of the agents. She starts to glow again, a sure sign of her power. "Agent Tucker, you attempted to shoot the alien, who was alone, but you only managed to graze him. All three of you will watch as the alien escapes onto his ship. You will see the ship blast off and leave our galaxy. You will interview the human woman, Lilith Blackwell, who was the alien's hostage. The woman will be very thankful that you saved her, and she will promise never to speak of what she has witnessed. You will be convinced of her vow and remind her that no one would believe her if she told people about the alien. You will warn her that she will end up committed to a mental hospital if she tries. Once the alien finishes his escape, you will leave this town and never come back. Do you three understand?" Even I feel the goddess's magnetic compulsion in the air. Each word whispers into the air, the manipulative tendrils coiling around the frozen agents, planting seeds of memories that never happened but will take root and grow.

All three agents say yes in strange, monotonous robotic voices. Seemingly satisfied, Koko leaves the three agents still frozen and heads over to us in the garage's opening.

I interlace my fingers with Ravok's, savoring the warmth of his skin against mine. Even in these strange circumstances, a feeling of ‘home' washes over me.

"Stay at my side," Koko instructs us, her stern gaze like molten steel. "I'll keep you shielded," she promises, her tone unwavering. She then says something else in a guttural language that I assume is Ravok's native tongue.

Ravok startles at my side but rumbles an answer back in the same language.

The air hums around us, electric and thrilling in its intensity. I can feel the weight of Ravok's anticipation standing beside me.

"Ravok," Koko starts, her voice a soothing harmony amidst the tense atmosphere. "I am going to create a vision for the agents. They are going to see a facsimile of you boarding your ship, that should keep their attention away from us. Once you see your duplicate board the vessel, have your nanites close the hatch, and then launch the ship."

Ravok nods, his eyes filling with understanding. He laces his fingers with mine, interlocking our hands reassuringly.

"Here we go. Stay by my side," Koko reminds us. "Khast, Ravok. Go," she instructs.

Around us, time unfreezes as suddenly as it halted. The startling normalcy of noise – the shouts and screams, even the sounds of birds' calls – assaults my senses, bringing me back to the terrifying reality of the situation.

Staying still is difficult; every instinct screams for me to take action, but I stay rooted, our fates hinging on this moment. The agents return to life, picking up exactly where they left off. All three of them bellow for Ravok to freeze. The agent with the gun shoots at the fake Ravok again. The faux Ravok moves with a fluidity that leaves me breathless, ducking below the bullet with ease. He runs toward the ship and dives into the hatch, disappearing from view.

The real Ravok's hand tightens around mine as the hatch slides closed. Koko gives a reassuring nod, her eyes sending a silent go-ahead.

The ship rumbles and shifts before shooting off into the atmosphere. It blasts upwards like a streak, leaving a scorching trail of incandescent light. A collective gasp of awe rises from the shocked agents, accompanied by a scant trace of smoke lingering in the air.

As the ship disappears, my heart lurches with a strange sense of poignancy. I look at Koko, then back to the sky, and finally settle my gaze on Ravok. The reality of it all, the raw emotions, the thrill… it is too much, but it feels oddly right. I hope we've done enough; only time will tell.

We watch silently from the darkened garage as the three agents argue for a minute before getting in the car and driving away. We wait in silence until the red of their car's taillights disappear into the night.

"Well… what an exciting night, huh?" Koko announces, in the same tone of voice I might use to comment on a busy day at work.

My mouth opens but nothing comes out.

"Sorry, darlings, I need to get going. I have other items to attend to tonight," Koko says, her voice dropping with a hint of mischief. Her eyes glint with a sparkle that suggests she knows just a bit too much. "I'll leave you two to your own devices tonight."

"However," she continues with a dramatic flare, her eyes landing on Ravok and me, "we need to have you both participate in a small welcoming ceremony soon. It'll cement your residency in Lublin Harbor and afford you my divine protection."

"We'll talk in the next few days to schedule everything." With a wink, she adds, "Have a nice night, you two. I'll call you soon."

Before we get a chance to respond, Koko lifts into the star-dotted night sky, floating away like a celestial Mary Poppins. She disappears from sight, leaving Ravok and me standing in stunned shock, staring after her.

"Holy shit," I murmur, "what just happened?"

Ravok blinks at me, his white eyes reflecting the same feelings of shock, befuddlement, and, strangely, amusement I'm experiencing. He gestures towards the cabin door, and together, we head inside. We collapse onto the couch, completely floored by the rapid turn of events.

I open my mouth to say something; someone has to, but every thought jets away faster than I can catch it. Too unexpected, too shocking, too… lucky? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that goddesses exist. And I now get to spend the rest of my life with Ravok. I was sure I would never see him again less than a half hour earlier. I think I have whiplash.

After several attempts to speak, I only manage to muster a tired sigh. Ravok turns on the couch, facing me, his face glowing with happiness. "My Leelee. I thought I was going to lose you."

"Me too," I reply, my throat suddenly dry at the thought of how close I came to dying.

"I love you. You will never regret choosing a life with me. You will never regret agreeing to be my mate, not ever. I will do everything in my power to make you happy, I promise."

"You already make me happy. And I love you too. So much."

I immediately recognize the hot look in Ravok's eyes. My body immediately revs up in response.

Ravok starts to reach for me when Mango leaps into the small space between us on the couch, interrupting our embrace.

"Mrow!" Mango complains, his tail lashing back and forth, displaying his ire. "MrowWWWWW!"

Ravok scoops up my spoiled feline and scratches Mango under his chin. As he apologizes to Mango for leaving him alone for so many hours, I watch them together with a smile. I have my future.

I saved an injured alien, and, as a reward, I got the love of my life.