Distant Lands

He smiles, sharp fangs peeking down from his top lip. His hazel eyes stare into mine.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Elric,” he says, extending his hand.

I hesitate for a moment to get close. My instincts tell me not to, but I need to be showing confidence, and I show him a friendly smile. I reach out and shake his hand.

“My name is Elizabeth. It’s nice to meet you.”

I try to end the handshake, but he firmly holds his grip on my hand. I keep smiling at him, trying not to show fear. He leans in and places a kiss on my hand. He holds his lips on my hand for too long. I realize he might be trying to figure out my scent. With my hand too close to his fangs, I quickly pull away.

“You are not a Divus; you are different. You are a balance between sweet and salty, more...delicate. Who are you? No, what are you?”

What the hell? It sounds like he is describing some type of wine. Okay, now my heart is picking up speed. But I can’t blow my cover.

I laugh, “I am a Divus. But I was just born a little different. That’s why my birth mother abandoned me. Thankfully, an amazing woman raised me. She is my real mother. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go. It was nice meeting you, Elric.” I take a step forward, but he blocks my path. I walk to the side, and he stops me.

“Step aside,” I say firmly. He doesn’t move. He stands in front of me and leans in closer. I freeze in place. I can smell his clean scent, and my heart quickens.

I feel his warm breath on my ear, “I will figure you out,” he whispers. He backs up, giving me a serious stare, then he smiles and walks away towards the gym. Oh great, now I have to worry about this guy. I walk quickly to my room. Elric’s face told me that this was like some game to him; he was enjoying this.

I sit at my desk, going over the lecture and my notes. My brain is resisting working hard, and I find it difficult to concentrate on all this info. The watch Ivan gave me starts beeping.

“Hello?” A small holographic screen pops up, and it’s Isa.

“Hey Elizabeth, we are going to go have dinner. Join us in the dining room.”

“Oh, um, no, thanks. I think I’ll just stay here. I’m pretty tired.”

Isa hangs up without saying a word, and the screen disappears. Okay? I hope I didn’t offend her. I can’t afford to lose a friend right now.

“Oh, my head is about to explode,” I dive onto my bed. Looking up at the skylight, I stretch out, trying to relax my tense muscles. Suddenly the door to my room swings open. Isa and Nina barge into the room, making me jump.

“Hey! I thought I locked that door?” I sit up quickly. Both Isa and Nina stare at me.

Isa stands with her hands on her hips, “We said we were going to make sure you are well fed. Now get up,” she demands.

Nina nods in agreement. I feel annoyed that they are invading my personal space. I need to stand my ground and let them know that this is not okay. I smile at them, trying to be as friendly as possible.

“No. But thank you for offering,” I say. Both of them continue to stare. “I’m super tired. I’m not that hungry, but you guys go enjoy dinner.” I wave them off and lay back down.

Both of them look at each other. Isa and Nina grab me by my ankles and pull me to the foot of the bed.

“What the hell! Are you guys serious right now?” I ask, sitting up angry.

“Yes, we are serious,” Isa says. Nina grabs my shoes and places them on the floor next to me.

I put them on, “I can't believe they just did that to me. Seriously, these aliens are so rude,” I mutter.

They don’t respect personal space. I want to show the girls that they can’t force me. But I know they will probably drag me to the dining room if I refuse. I want to avoid that embarrassment, so I follow them to the dining room.

Ivan is sitting at the head of the table, and Lenna is seated to his left. There are plates of food already on the table. They must have been waiting for me. Adira, Isa, and Nina are to the right of Ivan. The only empty seat left is between Elric and another Lamia man. Elric stands up and pulls out the chair for me.

“Thank you,” I say, sitting down. He smiles at me and sits back down. Ivan looks happily around the table.

“I’m glad you changed your mind and decided to join us, Elizabeth,” Ivan says cheerfully.

Knowing it wasn’t my choice, Isa and Nina look at each other and start giggling. I give him a polite smile, “Yes, I was a bit tired, but Isa and Nina convinced me to come.”

The only women at the table are Isa, Nina, Adira, Lenna, and me. Ivan looks around the table.

“I want everybody to be welcoming to Elizabeth. I’m so happy she is now a student at our Academy. She will be a valuable addition to our team,” Ivan says.

“Yes, she has a lot of valuable information. She’s an expert on Earth,” Isa says, smiling. Ivan doesn’t say anything, and I try not to react to what Isa just said. But inside, I am shocked that she would be so careless to say that. Nina gives Isa a look that says, shut up. Lenna gives me a questioning look.