Page 52 of Ahelno
“You’re going to love this,” I said. “Humans constantly - and I mean constantly - shed our skin cells and hair. They’re being continuously replaced by new ones. Normally, you can’t see the shed skin - well, sometimes our skin might look a little ashy, and you just need a good scrub and some lotion,but I digress. Anyway, when we brush our hair, there’s always some hair in the hairbrush. It keeps us healthy, I promise. But when our skin gets burned like this, it’s damaged. The cells will shed more quickly. If the burn is really bad, the whole top layer peels off, and it’s super gross.”
Dakleth was staring intently at my arm like he was expecting my skin to slough off then and there. I giggled at his expression. “Are there any animals on this planet that molt?” I asked.
He looked away from my skin as he contemplated the question. “There are a few species that molt,” he said. “I suppose it is similar. I did not realize that humans molt.”
“Well, it’s not quite the same, but that’s the closest thing I can think of. On our planet, some animals molt when they reach adulthood or when they outgrow their current size. Humans don’t molt all at once as part of our general growth, but we are constantly shedding and regrowing skin cells. It’s similar in principle, I guess.”
He was quiet as he contemplated this. He was clearly bothered. I wondered if he was grossed out enough to stop pursuing me. That would be a laugh. We’d had such a nice day together. I was finally getting comfortable in his presence, and now he was uncomfortable in mine. Ain’t life a bitch?
CHAPTER 45
Dakleth
We arrived at the Palace, and Andie excused herself to go find a bath. I held myself together as I watched her go, then sank down into a cushion and dropped my head between my knees. I berated myself for my carelessness.
I had bullied my mate into spending a day with me, and now her skin was damaged. Was there no end to me hurting her through my thoughtlessness? Once again, I had not taken the difference in our species into account. I treated her as I would a Ptexari female, and her skin was going to fall off as a result. I was behaving like an ignorant fool. I needed to learn more about her species and her care.
I stormed through the Palace to the formal meeting rooms. I entered the room where my Father was still meeting with the Coromonn ambassadors. “Forgive the intrusion,” I said brusquely. “I must speak with Leo.”
My father stared at me impassively. I could tell he was irritated, but too circumspect to show it during such delicate negotiations. One of the ambassadors looked at me, and then at Leo. Leo shrugged. “Of course, if the Prince requires time with one of our citizens, we are happy to oblige,” the ambassador smoothly said. “Take your time,” he said to Leo. “We are likely wrapping up for the day anyway.” My father nodded, and Leo rose from his seat and bowed slightly to the other attendees.
He walked cautiously towards me. I had never conversed with Leo alone, and he knew that I saw him as a rival for my mate. I could see he was uncomfortable as I led him to a smaller meeting room. “Peace,” I said. “I mean you no harm.”
He let out a long breath and relaxed. “Good to hear, man, because the expression on your face said you were about to kill someone.”
“The only being I wish to harm right now is myself,” I said.
“I’m guessing this has something to do with Andie,” he said. “Did you fuck it up?”
“She is damaged from the sun!” I exploded. “I did not know, and now her skin is going to peel off! Every interaction I have with her, I end up hurting her through my own ignorance! How am I to court her if I cannot even keep her safe from myself?” I paced the room, agitated.
“Whoa, whoa… Are you saying she’s sunburned?”
“Yes, her skin is pink. When you touch it, it turns white, then pink again. She said it does not hurt, but then when I poked her, she said it did hurt. And now she is taking a cooling bath to soothe the damage, and her skin is going to peel off. Actually, she said it might peel off if she scrubbed it. I do not know how much is going to peel off because she said you humans shed your skin constantly anyway, and how am I to know these things?”
I knew I was rambling incoherently, but I was worried for my mate and frustrated at my own ineptitude.
“Gotcha, let’s just take a beat,” Leo said calmly. He orderedOonag from the replicator in the room. “Here. Seems like I might be able to clarify a few things. And you need to learn a few things, eh?”
“Yes. You know humans. You can tell me the things I must know so that I do not hurt my mate.”
“I don’t know that I’ll know all that, but I do know a little bit about sunburn. Even though I haven’t experienced it much myself.”
“You do not burn by the sun?”
“Nah, I got extra melanin in my skin that protects me - see? Dark brown. Perfect for long-term sun exposure. Yourhuera’sgot pale skin. That’s why she burns.”
“Do you shed your skin as she does?”
“That part, yes. All humans shed skin cells, like she said. Now that shows up more on me. Hang on, let me see.” He pushed up his sleeve and looked at his elbow. Then pushed up a pants leg. “See how my knee is whiter here?” Leo pointed to a patch on his knee.
Yes,” I said.
“We call that ‘ashy’ skin. Those are dead skin cells that are being shed. I scrub them off in the shower, and then I apply lotion to moisturize my skin.”
“Your skin does not appear to be peeling off.”
“No, and on someone as pale as Andie, you might not even notice if her skin is dry or a little ashy. With a sunburn, though, a lot more might peel off. You might see a little layer of skin curling up on the surface. It looks a little weird, but it’s generally harmless. You said she’s pink, right? Light pink or dark pink?”
