Page 18 of Galaxy Circus Act One

“Lila! Are you okay?” I can hear the caution in his question, so I shake myself out of my mesmerized state of lust. Hopping off the bed, I walk toward him and reach up to touch his face, stopping before I make contact.

“Sorry, that was rude. May I?” I ask him, and he grabs hold of my hand and puts it against his cheek. Slowly, I run my fingers across the sharp ridges of his cheeks. His cheekbones are sharp, and his face is scale free. I trail down to his lips and prick my fingers against his sharp fangs, both of us gasping loudly as I pull away. He licks the drop of blood I left behind, and maybe, just maybe, I could be imagining the shudder that follows that action.

“Wow, D, this is awesome! But which one is the most comfortable for you?” He shrugs and steps back from me, his wings tightly tucked against his back.

“This is the form I assume whenever we are off Earth, and apart from my beast, it’s the one most familiar to me. The one you saw me in before was really done for just you. I didn't want to frighten you, but it does take a lot of concentration.” While he talks, I circle him to get a closer look at his wings. Unlike the scales covering his arms, his wings look like leather with bony protrusions spaced between the membranes for support. They flutter ever so slightly under my gaze, and I reach out a finger to touch them, finding the surface is smooth and warm. A shiver flows over Dylan’s whole body at my touch, and I quickly pull my finger away.

“Sorry,” I say to him as I finish my inspection and step back toward the bed. “Okay, I’m starving. How about you escort meback to the dining hall? I want to grab something to eat since I missed dinner last night, what with everything that happened.”

Grabbing my tablet off the bed, I slip my feet into my sneakers and walk to the door. As I pass Dylan, I notice he’s got his eyes closed and is breathing deeply. I leave him be, figuring all of this must be just as overwhelming for him as it is me. Either that or maybe touching his wings was a mistake on my behalf. Maybe it just isn't done? I’ll have to add that to my questions that need to be answered.

Pushing open the door, I slip out into the hallway which is bustling with people. All of them look human-like to me, so I guess that these people must be Skarrians like the grandpas and, I guess, me, or a race somewhat similar.

A few cautious smiles are thrown in my direction, but I’m mostly ignored. That is, Iwasuntil Dylan steps out of my room, seemingly in control of himself again. The hallway falls into silence, and people stop and stare.

“What did we do?” I whisper to him out of the side of my mouth as he pulls my door closed and puts his hand on my back, guiding me in the right direction.

“Ignore them. They’re looking for something that isn't there,” he instructs me, and I just shrug and follow his suggestion. Who am I to care if they stare or gossip about me? I’m sure it won’t be the first time since I arrived, and it definitely won’t be the last.

I link my arm with Dylan’s, appreciating the comforting contact with him. “Come on, tall, dark, and sexy, feed me. The way to this woman’s heart is through her stomach. Well, one of the ways.” I stop there, figuring it might be in bad taste to talk to an actual alien about my gigantic alien dildo. We might need to get to know each other better first.

He chuckles, and the tension drains from his body. Did he think I was going to reject him in front of the crowd of people?Perhaps the Skarrians are just as judgmental as humans when something is perceived as different.

Maybe the rest of the galaxy isn't as enlightened as I had thought.

CHAPTER NINE

Lila

Unlike last night’s entrance, nobody pays much attention when we enter the dining hall for breakfast. It’s a noisy cacophony of sound, and as we make our way to the head table, I try to take in as much of it as I can.

All three of my grandpas are already sitting down, eating their breakfast, but all stand as we arrive.

“Ah, Lila, there you are. I was wondering if Dylan had managed to wake you or not.” John is smiling broadly as he looks between the two of us. He puts on an aura of calm, but his hair is tousled like he’s been running his hand through it in agitation. What’s upset him? “Grab yourself some breakfast, and then we will get to work on establishing what powers you may have. I also want you to make sure you take time to read up on all the races and acts in the circus. We’ve got lots to go over during the next few days before we start getting into the practical side of things.”

“You also need to drink more water. It’s going to be an everyday thing from now on,” Eric says, gesturing to the glasssitting in front of an empty space. “All Skarrians in the circus drink at least one a day. You should probably drink it at every meal for the next month or so since you’ve been without it for so long.” The grandpas all sit and continue with their food, William not saying a word to me, though he does shoo me in the direction of the replicators.

“Dylan, can you show her how to use them? No tricks.” He growls the last bit, but Dylan shrugs it off.

“I wouldn't do that to her, unlike some,” he promises, receiving a grunt and nod in thanks.Maybe he’s not a morning person. Alien? Maybe he’s not a morning alien. Is that the most politically correct thing to say?

Putting his hand on my back, he leads me over to the ATM-looking machines. He gestures to the keyboard once he stops us in front of an empty one. “Press this button here and give it your name. It will have access to all your information and will select the right menu for your race. Then you just swipe through the options until you find what you want and double tap on your choice. The machine will automatically produce it for you.” He gives a demonstration, and as he swipes, I see many different human options scroll across the screen. “Instead of saying your name, you can also say the name of the planet you’re interested in eating food from, but I’d recommend sticking with what you know until you get a better knowledge of the options.”

I scroll through the appropriate screen and order coffee and a chocolate donut. I don't want too much in my stomach in case I end up flying around the room. Projectile vomit isnota good look. Plus, I think the sugar might help settle the butterflies that are also making themselves known.

Once I make my selection, Dylan grabs my hand and puts it over the activation screen. One slight humming sound later, my food appears in the empty space.

“Whoa, that’s wicked cool.” Chuckling at my enthusiasm, Dylan pulls the plate out and carries it back to the table for me, placing it in my space. He turns to go, but I grab hold of his arm. “Are you coming back?” His smile softens as he nods.

“Of course I am. I have all the important gossip to share with you.” Feeling relieved, I let go of his arm and take a sip of my coffee as I watch him get his own breakfast.

“You look to be getting along well.” I turn to Eric, rolling my eyes once I see his ridiculous eyebrow waggling. Surely he knows Dylan’s gay; he’s been with the circus for years. “He showed you his normal form, and you didn't freak out.” Eric offers me another fist bump, which I reciprocate, and this time he blows it up at the end. This grandpa is a hoot.

“He’s great. He’s going to help me catch up on all the information that’s in here.” I wiggle my tablet at them. “I learn better if I can talk about things as well as read them, so it should hopefully be quicker. I want my new friends to be comfortable around me to be able to do that, so I figure I need to deal with their differences.”

“That’s good.” John sounds pleased, which, in turn, pleases me. Not sure how I’ve known them for practically no time yet I already want to impress them. Maybe this is just what it feels like when you’re around your real family? “The quicker you learn, the less chance you have of insulting or upsetting someone.”

“Wow, don't sugarcoat it or anything.” The sarcasm just slips out of my mouth as Dylan sits down next to me again like he did last night.