Bonus Chapter I

Here are some scenes I couldn’t fit into the original story. Enjoy!

Night of Sweets, Night Three

Sorithacon

It was only as he watched the human children wildly running around plucking up sweets that Sorithacon realized he might have taken his job too seriously.

He and several others were tasked with hiding candy and other sugary goodies earlier that rotation. Unlike the humans who were helping, he’d made sure to tuck the sweets away so they weren’t easily visible. At the time he thought everyone would see he’d done a superior job, but now he had doubts.

The children weren’t finding any of the items he’d hidden. They were gleefully sprinting from spot to spot, only grabbing the things they could find with no extra searching. It seemed the word “hiding” wasn’t correct. Isla should’ve told him to scatter the candy instead.

One little boy, Toli, reached for a small pile of sweets but wasn’t fast enough. Another child swooped in, grabbed the candy, and rushed off to look for more. The little boy’s basket barely had anything in it while all the others were already half full.

“Toli?” Sorithacon said, approaching the child slowly to keep from startling him.

The tiny human looked up at him, eyes shiny from extra water. A clear indication of distress. “That mine!”

Sorithacon felt bad for the small human. He crouched down and addressed the upset child. “I know where all the really hidden candies are. If you follow my directions, you’ll find them.”

The tears vanished as Toli’s expression turned excited. “Hidden treasure! Yes, Rith, please. Want that.”

It was common for the humans to shorten Talin names or give them nicknames. This wasn’t the first time he’d been called Rith, but he found it more special coming out of Toli’s mouth with a slight lisp.

Sounding a soothing rumble, he pointed to a nearby cluster of rocks. “If you dismantle that small pile of stones, you might find treasure.”

Toli rushed to the pile of rocks. Setting down his basket, he pulled the pile apart and found the cache of candy. Scooping it up, he dropped it all in his basket then looked to Sorithacon.

“Do you see the grouping of plants?” he asked, pointing to a cluster of weeds growing around a tree. “There might be more hidden there.”

He guided Toli through all the places he’d put sweets that were too well hidden for the rest of the children. By the time they were done, Toli’s basket was half full, and the little boy was so happy he was jumping up and down.

“Toli!”

The shout caused both Sorithacon and Toli to turn and find Toli’s mother, Alexus, striding toward them.

“Rith helped me find treasure!” Toli proclaimed, showing his mother the basket.

“Wow, look at all that treasure,” Alexus exclaimed with a bright smile for her son. “They’re going to be hitting the candy maker soon. Do you want to try to be the one that breaks it apart?”

“Only if Rith helps,” Toli said and grabbed hold of Sorithacon’s pants leg.

“Of course Rith can help,” Alexus agreed. She picked up Toli and handed him to Sorithacon. He didn’t expect that and was quick to grab hold of the child with both hands. The little boy giggled and waved his arms.

“I’m so tall!”

“Put him on your shoulders,” Alexus said as she took control of Toli’s basket. Grateful for the instructions, Sorithacon settled Toli as directed. The little boy hugged his arms around the top of Sorithacon’s head, covering one of his eyes. The slight weight didn’t impact Sorithacon’s ability to walk, but when Alexus took his hand in hers to lead him away, he almost tripped.

“Thank you, Rith,” Alexus said as she walked him toward the strangely shaped item hanging from a tree. The thing was brightly colored and fuzzy. He’d watched several of the humans make it out of easily broken materials then fill it with candy.

It was his understanding that the children were going to beat it until it spilled candy all over the ground. It was a strange way to teach children how to go into combat, but, then again, humans were an interesting species.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Sorithacon told Alexus.

“You don’t understand. You’re the first adult Toli’s willingly interacted with since his dad died.”

It was rare for a human to die prematurely on Sorana, but Toli’s father had been one of the unlucky few. A genetic disorder struck without warning, and there was nothing the healer could do.

Alexus’s comment filled him with pride mixed with sadness for the child and his mother. “I’m available any time you or Toli need me.”

Alexus stopped and faced him near where a child was swinging and missing the candy-filled sacrifice. “I’m, uh, I might take you up on that offer.”

Then she accepted a length of stick from the child who’d just tried to hit the sacrifice and missed. She gave the stick to Toli. “Your turn! Go get ’em!”

Toli giggled and wiggled on Sorithacon’s shoulder. “Our turn!”

Sorithacon stepped forward and positioned Toli right next to the sacrifice. Sitting on his shoulders gave Toli an advantage over all the other children, and he was easily able to hit one of the legs off the creature. Candy rained down as children cheered, and Toli raised his hands up and gave a triumphant shriek.

“Do you want down so you can collect candy?” Sorithacon asked Toli.

“No!” Toli said and let Alexus take the stick from him.

“You don’t?” Alexus said with surprise.

“I have my treasure,” Toli said, hugging his arms around Sorithacon’s head again. Alexus’s eyes looked watery, and Sorithacon was about to panic except he remembered water leaked from human eyes for all kinds of reasons, not just pain or sadness.

“Are you well?” he asked her gently as Toli instructed the children where to find candy from his spot on Sorithacon’s shoulders.

“I’m really happy,” Alexus said. “Would you spend the rest of the evening with us? The only event left for the day is blowing out the candles on the communal cake. You could leave after that.”

Sorithacon held out his hand. “I can spend as much time with you and Toli as you’d like.”

Alexus took his hand, and they walked to the table burdened with what the humans called cupcakes and cookies. There was one giant cake in the middle with unlit candles embedded in the top.

“We sit together at feast night!” Toli said.

“Yes,” Alexus agreed. “We’ll all sit together at the Night of Feasting.”

That’s when Sorithacon understood that Alexus was inviting him into her life. He couldn’t help the joyful rumble that slipped out of him.

“I’d be honored.”