PEARL

My gut lurched as I stepped into the strange alien mirror like it was trying to crawl its way out of my throat. I gasped, clutching my abdomen as I stared at the gleaming gold tiles. The air was cool, caressing the beaded sweat on the sides of my neck.

Felt nice.

After the worst of it passed, I glanced up.

The prism-like sculptures on the archways towering above my head glistened, throwing blueish prisms of light on the floor. The walls were gold and white with complex patterns that looked like vines and flowers. Four big, luminous spheres floated in the corridor, lighting the space with a muted teal.

Mirrors hung on the walls, casting reflections and bright lights in all directions. A glittering light-filled corridor that reminded me of Versailles's Hall of Mirrors, but with harsher, sharper angles and a haunting, ancient vibe.

You aren't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

Shadrach was saying something, but the ringing in my ears drowned it out. His voice echoed around the hallway, amplified tenfold.

I dropped my backpack, a cold bloom of sweat making me shiver.

He stopped in the middle of the speech I wasn't listening to. "Oh. You are ill."

He reached out a hand for me, but I glared at it with narrow eyes. He pulled his hand back as if I were going to snap at it.

As I focused on the waves of pain in my stomach, hoping they stopped, Shadrach put a firm grip on my forearm, yanking me upright, sending my brown hair whipping over my shoulders. "Do not move," he whispered, almost frantically.

"Whyyyy?"

It came out like a raspy croak. Nausea was currently clogging my throat.

Under my feet, the brilliant gold veins pulsed like a heartbeat. I looked around, trying to figure out why he was so anxious and wanted me to stay quiet.

Was I messing up the pretty floor with my dirt-covered sneakers? Did this place have library rules where you could only whisper?

How stupid. I'd break that rule in five minutes.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The feeling of being watched was suddenly suffocating. Something is behind me. I can feel it.

Do I turn around?

I forced back bile and did as he said, remaining as still as possible. But I had to ask. "There's something behind us, isn't there?"

I always had to ask. But maybe I didn't want to know the answer to this one.

I shrieked and cowered into Shadrach as whatever it was came into view. My heart dropped to my toes as my fight or flight kicked in, my eyes refusing to believe what I was seeing.

An enormous eyeball stared at me, its iris shining with silver glitter. An eyeball. It's an eyeball.

I hid behind him, grabbing onto his long trench coat, eyes wide. My voice came out shrill. "Oh god. What is that? What the hell is that? Make it go away!"

Shadrach glanced down at me with burning eyes. "Lower your voice! Remain still. You will not suffer any harm from it. It is determining whether you are authorized to be here."

My heartbeat roared in my ears. "Am I?"

"Of course. Now stop clinging to me."

"No!"

A gigantic, clicking metal spear floated a foot in front of us. The plates on its body shifted in different directions. Long, extending arms on either side of it reached out with claw-tipped fingertips. I recoiled and huddled behind Shadrach, going against his demand to remain still.

What looked like wings did not move or flap, but shuddered.

Click, click, click.

It blinked at me as I peeked out from around Shadrach. He growled, probably annoyed at my refusal to listen.

Click, click, click...

It felt like an eternity had passed staring at this...thing. Saliva welled in my mouth, and I swallowed. A breath of relief came from me like the air of a decompressed tire when the eyeball thing left.

Shadrach's voice was hard. "Let go of me, human."

I looked up at him, dropping my hands as if he burned them. He really didn't like being touched, did he? I cleared my throat. "Sorry. That's what you guys make in your free time? A floating eyeball?"

"Nidet is antiquated technology; my brethren did not make it. It is sentient, which is why it has not been decommissioned. There are a few of us that have grown attached."

Grown attached to that thing? How? "It's alive?"

"It thinks and feels. Are you done losing your composure? We must go now."

I straightened myself, gazing around the hallway with unease. I hoped nothing else came to check me for a hallway pass.

I spoke too soon.

Footsteps approached us from behind. I turned around, still cowering behind the brick wall of alien that hid me earlier, but I kept my hands to myself. Relief coursed through my veins when the sound of talking reached my ears, rather than mechanical ticking. I picked up my bag from the floor.

"Ah, she is with Shadrach."

Shadrach reached behind and pushed me forward to face three incredibly tall, dead-faced Enukis. I guess it was normal for their kind to look... bored?

My face caught aflame and I stumbled.

As they appraised me, I shifted from foot to foot nervously. The one in front of the narrow 'v' they made was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't stop looking at him.

He had very dark skin with liquid gold patterns painted on it, and a long, black braid that ran down his left shoulder. His eyes were an electric blue. I was oblivious to the Enukis on his left and right, because he smiled at me.

"Pearl," he nodded, extending a large hand. "Now I can finally say I have met you in the flesh."

Like an idiot, I just stared at his hand, not really sure what I was supposed to do. He is offering you a handshake? With shaky fingers, I placed my hand on his. Rather than a deep voice, his was velvet and almost musical, lulling me into a sense of familiarity.

He took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He said a word I didn't understand and the other two Enukis left.

His hand was warm as it enveloped mine. He bowed, muttering, "Greetings. My name is Ogrik, and I will be your caretaker this evening. I have studied humans extensively, so I hope you will trust me with your safety."

I released his hand. "Uh... thanks?"

Why did I have to make that sound like a question?

He caught me off guard because I assumed they would all be cold and unusual. It relieved me to be proven wrong, but maybe this alien was putting on a show.

Honestly, there was no way to tell.

"I'll take over from here," he said to Shadrach, two silver earrings glittering in the light as he nodded to him. "Be at peace, brother. This will all work out in the end. You will see."

I figured Shadrach would say something to me before leaving, but he didn't. He turned and rushed down the hallway. I didn't want him to go, since he was the only other alien I knew.

But whatever, I guess.

"See ya," I said as I watched him leave.

"You will see him again." Ogrik put a light hand on my back and my spine stiffened. "Let's go get you cleaned. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes. I already took a shower," I said, confused, as we walked down the bright hallway. "Where is Dumuzi?"

"Down the hallway."

"Why can't I see him right now?"

He stopped in front of a door to our left. The door was much taller and wider than the ones I was used to. With a calm expression, he gazed at me after placing his hand on the gold handle. "There are things you need to know."

I folded my arms across my chest as he opened the door. The room inside was bathed in dim blue light. Another second away from Dumuzi meant another second with him in his crazed state. That didn't sit well with me.

He gestured to the door. "Please."

Sighing, I stepped inside.

The walls were simple and made of rock. Those rocks felt rough to the touch, and their texture was uneven as I ran a hand across them. They had an air of history that made them feel...alive. In the center of the room was a water pool embedded in the floor. There was a triangular window letting in purple sunlight, causing the pool water to glitter.

My backpack fell to the ground.

"Bathe." He stood behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. "You must rid of the scent of Shadrach. Dumuzi is sensitive to the scent of other males. I will speak with you after you are done."

I knelt and fished out a bar of soap from my back. "What about the scent of you?"

His beautiful skin glistened in the light coming through the window. "I already have a mate. I am not a threat."

"Is she... nearby?"

"No. He is on Nibiru."

"Oh." I unzipped a pouch on the side of my backpack. I set up everything I needed, moving to put them on the pool's edge. All I could think about was Dumuzi, or else I would have asked him what his mate was like. I was curious about Ogrik.

He was nice... so far.

"Wash your hair. It is what gathers scent the most."

I gave him a thumbs-up, and shockingly, he gave me a thumbs-up back.

He shut the door and left me alone with my thoughts.

Couldn't I just get to him and skip all of this nonsense? The need to see Dumuzi was making it hard to breathe. But maybe Ogrik was right; Dumuzi smelling another male on me would just make him more territorial.

Was he in any pain?

The thought made me rip off my clothes and dunk myself into the pool. The water was cool against my skin, not warm like humans preferred their baths. Did aliens prefer their water cool?

I scrubbed my hair, putting a generous squirt of shampoo into my palm before doing so.

I couldn't lie to myself. I was nervous about what was going to transpire. I was about to walk into where Dumuzi was and fuck him back to reality. My hands shook and my lips quivered.

I wasn't afraid of doing anything I could to make him better. It wasn't only the need to save him that made me do this. I cared about him. I wanted him. I was just afraid of... of...

Damning him to the fate of being stuck with me... forever.

He wouldn't want that, would he?

Groaning, I rinsed my hair, ducking under the water to stare at the bubbles that floated on the water's surface. They shimmered. Part of me felt like the bad guy here–as if doing the right thing was also the wrong thing.

When I got out of the pool, I found a lavender dress that had a collar and a pair of undergarments. I didn't care that they didn't match. I had a feeling that wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

After combing through my hair with a comb, I zipped up my bag and made my way to the door. I dropped it before opening it, deciding that I wouldn't need it.

Ogrik was on the other side, arms folded. He looked relaxed. He pointed to the door that was right next to the room I bathed in. "Ah. See? Don't you feel better? You are no longer coated in dirt." He chuckled. "Dumuzi is over there. I have one last thing to say before you go."

When I said nothing, he continued.

"I reviewed your medical records. As far as I can tell, you are a healthy individual. However, even if you are in good health, this may pose some risk to you."

He put up a finger when he saw I was about to speak. I was going to ask how the hell he got ahold of my medical records, but I snapped my mouth shut at the look he gave me. As a dirt digger myself, the personal violation unnerved and embarrassed me.

"Dumuzi possesses significantly more strength than you. He is also quite testy. I've never seen him in such a black mood." His eyes narrowed a bit, almost as if the fact jostled him somewhat. "I do not think you have to tread lightly, but I want you to be careful. What he is going through is called the mating frenzy. I must warn you that–"

"Don't care. I'm not afraid."

If he had an eyebrow, it probably would have been raised sky-high. "Yes, yes, I've heard of your character. Engaging in impulsive behavior without considering the potential outcomes. It is my hope that Dumuzi's sagacious nature will rub off on you."

What did he mean? "Can you dumb it down for me a tad? I don't see how any of this needs to be a problem."

"Until you can no longer walk."

I flushed. "Excuse me?"

Like being fucked so hard you can't walk?

I swallowed.

Please tell me that's not what he meant.

He continued as if I didn't react. "You risk dehydration and hunger because our species does not need food or water during the ritual. You do. Therefore, you need to see me frequently, every few hours. Stretch your legs, then rest when you can. Do not worry too much. I am sure Dumuzi would try to limit the number of times you have each other. Please consider me your failsafe in case one of you needs to be rescued."

"Rescued?" I bit my lip, my face heating to an intense degree. It reminded me of having to sign paperwork before going into a janky horror house for Halloween. Not liable for possible injuries or heart attack. "You guys are... I don't know. Intense?"

His plump lips curved up into a polite smile. "This is how our species are. This was your plan to fix this, was it not?"

"What other choice do we have?"

"Dumuzi will always give you a choice. Which reminds me. You need to speak with him first to be sure this is really what you want."

It was what I wanted. But the problem was, Dumuzi somehow believed that he wasn't good enough for me. The thought was absolutely preposterous, and so backward that it made me want to tear my hair out.

How could somebody so intelligent be so blind?

He was perfect. More than perfect. He checked off every single box for me, but the issue was... well, me. My own insecurities were keeping me from shouldering past Ogrik to get to him. Because... I was sure that I wanted Dumuzi.

But I wasn't sure if Dumuzi really wanted me.

I needed to be sure of his feelings. I needed to be sure about a lot of things.

Ogrik spoke again, but this time, his words were gentle. "The bracelet that you wear on your wrist is important. You may push the button if you require my assistance. He is restrained. I need to assess the situation before I release him to ensure your safety. Then I will grant you two privacy."

My legs shook as I took everything in. This was way more dire and complicated than I could have ever imagined. "I—"

I didn't even know what to say. I curled my fingers into a fist, staring at the ground. What if Dumuzi told me he changed his mind? What if, after everything... he regretted binding himself to me? He could say things that weren't really meant during a haze of lust. "Okay."

My mind returned to our first kiss, how his lips crushed against mine, and how much I melted into him. There was no fear in my heart. My insecurities needed to be set aside for now.

He needed me.

He reached out to touch my shoulder. "I'm confident that everything will work out. I am saddened that there isn't enough time for a proper bonding ceremony, but I wish you a well Strauhaet. Let you both be prosperous. In any decision you choose." He gestured to the door left of me. "Go."

Dumuzi was right behind that door.

I grabbed the gold doorknob. Despite being determined, worry settled deep within me, making my hand slick. My heart raced as I slowly turned the handle.

Truth be told, I had no idea what I would find on the other side.