Gyft (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter Fourteen

OLIVIA:

WE SPEND THREE more weeks at the farmhouse. Apparently, citizens of the planet get honeymoon leave in order to get time with their new loved one.

Which is very convenient for us. We would have spent just two, but the last week marks what the Kashians call the cold season. We stayed indoors with the M’irshlaks to have a mock Christmas, practicing so they would know what it should be like in a couple months. We finish out the plans for the mall Santa, minus the Santa. Instead, we’ll have elves and as each child tells us what they want, we’ll produce the toy by searching through Santa’s “magical” bag which will be in the back of the sleigh. We’ll let the parents take pictures of their kid sitting in his chair or with us, the elves.

But it was perfect weather to reenact our upcoming Christmas. Using a makeshift calendar, I figured out that Christmas day was going to fall in the middle of a cold season week. Perfect timing.

I had to promise and pinky swear—using the twin souls’ extra finger, of course—to come back for our first Christmas in H’liyio. Gyft promised me a cottage there so the kids could spend the night. Even though we have to leave for the castle today—he’s scheduled to return to work—the cottage is ready for us to take over during the next cold season .

Gyft assures me he’s ordered a closetful of clothes for me, half of which will be waiting in my side of the closet at his quarters of the castle. The other half will be delivered to the cottage getaway.

And when our shuttle finally descends into the aquamarine grass fields of the castle, my husband surprises me once more.

“I have a wedding present for you, sweet love. What do you want most in the world?”

I smile, albeit sadly, because I know he can never give me what I truly want. So, I scramble to think up something that he thinks I might want. Something easy that he can buy me. Something that probably would have excited me before.

But that feels like such a different life.

I can’t think of a single thing that I want more than what he can’t give.

The door slides open, and I’m still staring up into Gyft’s handsome face. I can’t even come up with anything plausible. He takes both my hands in his.

“Don’t worry so much. Just think of it, the thing you want most, and close your eyes. Go on, beautiful bride. Close your eyes,” he says softly.

I obediently shut them, letting him lead me outside to the whole new world. I think of Yvette with a heavy heart, knowing I can never tell my sweet husband what I want the most.

“Okay, open them.”

I gasp at the gorgeous view. A magnificent castle, as splendid as one from home in old historical photos, stands tall and majestic on a manicured lawn. There are two rows of uniformed guards standing in a line alongside the shuttle, leading a path up to the castle.

And just ahead... a familiar face. A human face. I pause, unsure of what I’m seeing. Are my eyes still closed? Am I still imagining her? I widen them, sure I can tell if they’re actually squeezed tight by doing so.

“Livvie!”

“Vetti?”

“Omigod, it’s you!” My voice rings out as a high-pitched screech as I leave Gyft’s side and fly toward Yvette. Our arms wrap around each other, and I squeeze her tight as I inhale her signature perfume. Her name-brand shampoo. Things I miss... and yet don’t.

“Why... who, I mean how did you get here? Who sent you? Your father? Mine?”

“Yes, yes.” She laughs. “Your husband—Gyft asked Minniel to bargain with your dad to send me. At first, I didn’t want to come. But then, I figured why not? You’re my best friend, my soul sister, my whole life—there’s nothing back there without you, Liv.”

“I can’t believe you gave it all up! With me gone, you were the highest daughter.” While I was first daughter, Yvette’s dad is second in command so she’s second. I imagine she stepped up to first in my absence.

“Didn’t matter with you gone. Nothing that made me happy before made me happy without you there. I was ready for a new life, an adventure”—she leans in to whisper— “and it didn’t matter what life was like here. Though, so far it hasn’t been too bad.” And Yvette’s cheeks are kind of pink when she looks back over her shoulder to the uniformed males standing near a small building.

There’s one talking to Gyft, he’s the one Yvette’s focused on, and I’m sure there’s more story there. Maybe he’s the reason for her blush.

“No one has ever made such a sacrifice for me,” I say and we squeeze each other tighter.

When I finally pull away, Gyft approaches.

“Ooh, Yvette, I want you to meet Gyft. My amazing husband.”

He gives a swoon-worthy bow and my heart swells. I’m so lucky to have been matched to him.

“Yvette, may the stars shine upon you.”

“Gyft, nice to finally meet you,” Yvette says. “In person. ”

“Hey,” I say, when the fact that she can understand dawns on me. “How do you know the language? It took forever for my download to hit.”

“As soon as I was awakened from the landing, Minniel took me down to get the download implant.” The way she murmurs Minniel with a throaty drawl and a blush makes me tilt my head to study her.

“Yours was done remotely by a search of your DNA because your shuttle didn’t land where it was supposed to,” Gyft murmurs.

Oh my.

My panicked eyes meet Yvette’s, and I quickly change the subject. “Well, thank you for coming out to rescue me, handsome.” I lean toward him for a kiss, hearing Yvette sigh.

“Oh, your gold,” Yvette says suddenly, glancing at the medallion hanging from my neck. “All the jewelry I wore. It’s inside my room at the castle. Your dad said it was for you; I took it off. Minniel said it would be safe there.”

I wave my hand. “You can keep it. I don’t need more.” I take her arm. “Besides, I think we’re turning over a new leaf, right? Becoming more humanitarian? Everyone looked up to us before as trendsetters... that was partly because of my dad’s inventions. But now they should look up to us for an entirely new reason. Because we look out for others.”

“A goal.” Yvette’s eyes are suspiciously wet. “I agree! It was always inside us, we just needed a little guidance.”

“Why did you wear Olivia’s jewelry?” Gyft asks, his eyes narrowed on my excessive amount of gold.

“Well, it wasn’t really mine to begin with,” I explain. “It’s my father’s. I had to wear it for the trip over—”

I’m surprised when Gyft releases a sudden exhale. “That’s it.”

I raise my eyebrow .

“Forgive me, sweet? I have to go talk to Minniel again. Will you go with Yvette to her quarters? Visit for a while? I’ll send guards for you both to come to dinner.”

“Of course.”

He kisses my forehead distractedly, his attention already zooming across the yard to where the focus is... his and Yvette’s. The tall male who dresses like him who they’ve both called Minniel.

“Huh,” I mutter.

“Hmm?” Yvette says distractedly, waving four fingers at this Minniel. Everyone seems enamored by this man.

My husband... and my best friend.

“I guess the honeymoon’s over,” I say. “Did you see how he just skirted off suddenly? Leaving me practically alone? We’re newlyweds and I’m on a distant planet.”

“He probably just knows you want time with me,” Yvette says.

I try to smile at her, but it feels false. “You’re right.”

“So when did you do this?” Yvette asks, twisting a lock of my white hair. “I like it. Did you do it to contrast with the goth look?”

“No, I crossed the boundaries of what they call the deadlands. I guess when you face death, your hair turns white. Or in the alien’s case, their freelig. See how Gyft’s is white? And Minniel? They’re on the team that keeps the deadlands closed off.”

“It’s permanent?” Yvette asks, properly horrified now that she realizes how close my brush with death was.

“It is. No more redhead for me.”

“I’m sorry,” Yvette says, and hugs me close again. My eyes flit behind her to see Gyft and Minniel disappear into a door of a nearby building adjacent to the castle.