“S-Sorry you had to see that,” she stammered while stepping out of the alcove. “I don’t usually go commando.” Oh, God, did she just say that out loud?
He chuckled again, then shrank back as if he’d startled himself with his own laughter. His brows drew together. “It’s none of my concern, Cah-ra.”
“Uh, I’ll just let you get back to . . . whatever you were doing.” Which was lurking in the dark like Chester the Molester, but after her display, she could hardly criticize.
She teetered all the way across the crowded ballroom before she realized he’d called her Cah-ra. If he knew her name, it probably meant the L’eihr she’d flashed was her student ambassador. Awesome. So much for representing America and making a good impression. And so much for convincing Eric to give the LEAP a chance. He’d take one look at Aelyx and start making ultimatums again. Eric didn’t even like it when she hung out with the spindly guys from the Honor Society, so he’d freak when—
“Took you long enough. You fall in?” Troy interrupted her musings, his face bright with excitement as he gazed over her head, searching for someone. “Where’s the L’eihr ambassador? He’s supposed to take me to my ship.” Troy was practically bouncing in place while her heart sank like a boulder. Another year apart, and he didn’t seem bothered at all.
“I dunno.” She shrugged. “You say good-bye to Mom and Dad?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. They’re by the punch bowl with Colonel Rutter. You’re supposed to go meet up with them.” Troy grabbed her into a crushing bear hug. “H’aleem, Pepper. That’s L’eihr for good-bye.” Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Gone without a care, just like always.
“Love you, too, asshole,” she muttered to herself.
She released a heavy sigh and made her way to the beverage table to meet her parents. Even from a distance, she noticed Mom’s eyes were puffy and red, but Mom smiled up at Dad while he caressed her arm and kissed her forehead.
Mom stood on tiptoe and waved to her. “Colonel Rutter went to get our exchange student. Isn’t this exciting?”
“Yeah,” Cara mumbled while chewing her thumbnail. “I can’t wait.”
“Here he comes!” Mom bounced the same way Troy had just done, more excited than a kindergartner at snack time.
It was him, all right. Time for damage control. Pulling her shoulders back, she plastered a confident smile on her face.
Colonel Rutter began the introductions. “Aelyx, I’d like you to meet the Sweeney family: Bill, Eileen, and Cara. Troy Sweeney’s taking your place on L’eihr.”
Aelyx shook Dad’s hand and said something in another language—something beautiful and flowing, like a cross between French and Hawaiian. “It’s an honor,” he translated in English.
“Believe me,” Dad said, practically beaming with pride, “the honor’s mine.”
Next, Aelyx extended his hand to Mom. “Mrs. Sweeney, thank you for opening your home—”
Before he could finish, Mom jumped forward and pulled Aelyx into a hug. Cara noticed his back stiffen for several beats too long before he returned the embrace and gave Mom’s shoulder an awkward pat, pat, pat. Either people on L’eihr didn’t hug, or he found humans repulsive. Probably both.
Finally, he turned to Cara. She offered her hand, and he took it in both of his. While his grasp was warm and strong, there was an eerie vacancy in his gaze, almost robotic. She hadn’t noticed it before, and the last line of HALO’s pamphlet suddenly rang in her ears: He may look human, but he is not. Some long-buried, primal instinct screamed, Danger! but she tightened her grip and resisted the urge to pull her hand free.
“Cah-ra,” he began. His voice was alluring, but his eyes were dead. “Your name is the Irish word for friend. I hope you and I will be great friends.” It sounded rehearsed and completely insincere, almost backhanded in its delivery.
Her palms were sweaty—there was nothing she could do about that—but she was determined not to let her voice shake. Flashing her most diplomatic smile, she replied, “Your name means ‘son of Elyx,’ which doesn’t give me much to work with, but it’s nice to meet you, too.” At his startled response, she added, “Looks like we both did our homework.”
He released her hand, stepped back, and didn’t make eye contact for the rest of the night. It was going to be a long plane ride home the next day. And a very long year.
Chapter Four
Aelyx felt a brief crush of claustrophobia when he entered the Sweeneys’ modest home. An oversize, overstuffed floral sofa dominated the living room, while a dark wooden coffee table claimed the remaining floor space. But it was the sixty-inch television mounted on the opposite wall that commanded the most attention. Dozens of family photos splayed outward from either side of the flat black screen like vines run amok.
Eileen Sweeney linked her arm through his again, and his muscles twitched from the contact. He wished she wouldn’t touch him so frequently, but to say so might be rude. He also wished Bill Sweeney would cease his endless prattle. Sacred Mother, when the man wasn’t speaking incessantly, he was practically copulating with his wife in public. During the flight from Manhattan, Bill and Eileen had rained kisses on each other nonstop. The ambassador had warned him about this, but still, were these humans incapable of self-control? Cara was the only member of the family to give him any peace.
“Your room’s down here.” Eileen pulled him through a short hallway. “I decorated it in the natural colors of L’eihr.”
When Aelyx stepped into his bedroom, the tension in his shoulders evaporated. Nothing, not even a single picture frame, adorned the freshly painted gray walls. A standard bed draped in beige stood opposite a simple chest of drawers. The space was open and uncluttered. Perfect. He set his duffel bag on the floor and sighed with relief.
“Mrs. Sweeney—”
“Eileen.” She smoothed a lock of hair behind one ear and smiled.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
Beaming, she waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll let you unpack while I heat up the pizza.” Without another word, she left the room and closed the door.
Aelyx felt a quick pang of remorse for his harsh assumptions about the Sweeneys, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He unzipped his bag and surveyed the clothing Colonel Rutter had provided for him. While he understood the importance of dressing to assimilate with humans, he’d worn the L’eihr uniform all his life. Parting with it felt abnormal, like shedding his skin. With a quiet groan, he changed into a pair of blue denim pants and a gray cotton shirt. Then he folded his uniform and brushed his fingertips against the smooth fabric before placing it in the chest of drawers with the other garments.
The scent of strange food began to permeate the air, and he wondered how he’d choke it down without retching. He’d practiced eating Earth fare, but he couldn’t tolerate the overwhelming flavors. Seasonings were used far too liberally here.
Aelyx let his mind wander back to L’eihr, to the tranquil mountains, the quiet companionship of his peers, and his favorite meal—tender, juicy meat braised with root vegetables. But in the end, he knew reminiscing wasn’t helpful. He needed to focus on his mission—the sooner he achieved his goal, the sooner he could return home.
A nearby door slammed, and seconds later, the wall that divided his bedroom from Cara’s began thumping in time with her speakers. Cara’s voice sang out, far too muffled to interpret her words but clear enough to highlight her flagrant tone-deafness.
An involuntary smile curved Aelyx’s mouth. Leaping gods, there it was again—though he found nothing particularly entertaining about the girl, she’d already elicited this reaction in him several times, starting with the moment she’d removed her undergarments and revealed her bare, round bottom. Her skin was even paler than he’d thought possible, so translucent it practically illuminated the darkness, and he’d finally understood why humans called the act mooning.