Page 3 of The Thren's Fated

A knot clenched her chest, and she tried to relax, tapping her fingers against her thigh. What was she going to do on a space station where she didn’t know a single soul? She could hardly make friends on Earth, and all of those people had been human.

The alien at the other end of the bar didn’t seem eager to make conversation, so Lena tried to focus on her breathing exercises while she waited to be served.

After a few minutes, a woman appeared behind the bar, gliding over to Lena and looking her right in the eyes.

“Oh, wonderful! You must be my new bartender,” she hummed, her voice deep and sultry.

The woman had large eyes with no pupils or irises, just blank and the same color as her taupe skin. She had long, pointed ears and intricate markings on her face, though the most unique feature was a jewel-like oval that was inlaid directly into her forehead, bright red and with a subtle glow. Large tentacles protruded from the back of her head, like great strands of hair.

“Oh, uh, yes. I’m Lena.”

She was almost rendered speechless, taken aback by the alien’s beauty and peculiarity. God, she needed to get a grip if she was going to work at a place like this. She couldn’t act surprised anytime she had to interact with an extraterrestrial, gawking like a complete fool.

The woman laughed, and it had an echo-like quality to it, putting Lena oddly at ease.

“I’m Ochin. I own this bar, and I’m so very pleased to have you here.”

Her voice was like a cat’s purr, lids hooded over her unearthly eyes, and she extended a slender hand.

When Lena took it, Ochin’s tentacles whipped around and coiled along her arm, the little suckers latching onto her as she resisted the urge to jerk away. After a few moments, Ochin retracted her tentacles and smiled warmly.

“Welcome to Henios.”

She poured a bright blue liquid into two glasses and held one out. Lena grasped it nervously, then followed Ochin’s lead as she downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned only slightly, but tasted of lavender and honeysuckle, bringing a warm flush to Lena’s pale cheeks.

“Anzu Brandy,” Ochin said with a wink. “A delicacy on my homeworld.”

“It’s good,” Lena said as Ochin poured her another shot.

The female at the end of the bar tapped a lithe finger against the bar top, and Ochin refilled her glass with what appeared to be a fine Andrudian wine.

“Honur doesn’t communicate verbally, but this is all she drinks. She’ll let you know what she needs another glass,” Ochin explained, and Lena nodded, giving Honur a bright smile.

Honur nodded stoically, then held her newly filled glass in the air, a silent toast that Lena responded to in kind. She downed her second shot, a pleasant buzz filling her and some of her nerves dissipating.

“Hello there!” a booming voice said, before a four-foot-tall Galyian hopped onto the stool next to her. “You must be the new bartender Ochin’s been talking about. I’m Adrax!”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lena,” she replied, smiling politely as Ochin mixed his drink.

Ochin set the glass in front of him, something clear and bubbly with a slice of lime.

“Vodka tonic,” Adrax explained, taking a long sip with a big grin on his face. “It’s my favorite. Can’t get enough of them.”

A vodka tonic. Of all the alien vices.

“I’ll make sure to remember that,” Lena said, already feeling more at home here than she had in all of her years at Greg’s shitty bar.

“Did you hear? The Threns are considering an Alliance peace treaty,” Adrax said, glancing between the three women with a glimmer in his eyes.

The Threns were the primary inhabitants of Botune, but had never had anything other than an informal agreement with the Alliance government. Constructing Henios right next to their planet had been a clear sign that the Alliance expected the Threns to cooperate, but Lena had never heard of an official union until now.

“Of course,” Ochin said. “A treaty is a good thing. Peace is good for business.”

Lena supposed that was true when the business was drinking and merry-making.

“I just don’t know if the Threns can be trusted. They’re such xenophobes,” Adrax said.

Ochin smiled, glancing Lena’s way before speaking.