“That’s because you have a tiny implant that acts as a translator,” the K explained, this time in English. “I gave it to you as soon as we came here, to Lenkarda. It allows you to speak and understand any known language, both human and Krinar.”
“But –” Mia didn’t even know where to begin. “How do I know you didn’t just give it to me now? And wait, did I hear you say before that it’s June? The last thing I remember is in March. How would I have lost a chunk of my memory? This makes no sense –”
The K sighed and raised his hand, gently tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “I know, Mia,” he said softly. “I know this is going to be difficult for you to accept. Let me tell you a little story, and then I’ll demonstrate to you that I’m not lying. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mia agreed, mesmerized by the warm look on his beautiful face. How could someone that gorgeous be her lover? Maybe this was all just an unusually realistic dream. Could she even now be sound asleep, with her unconscious creating this stunning creature? If he was indeed her lover, then she was the luckiest girl in the world – though she still didn’t see how such a thing was possible.
“Good,” he said, his golden eyes gleaming. “Then let me tell you about us starting from the beginning . . .”
And for the next twenty minutes, Mia listened in shock as he went through their initial meeting in April and detailed the tumultuous affair that followed as a result. When he began to explain about her involvement with the Resistance, Mia’s jaw simply dropped.
“I was spying on you?” Where on Earth had she gotten the courage to do that? Although he was being gentle with her now, Mia had a feeling this particular K could be quite dangerous if provoked. In general, his kind weren’t known for their forgiving nature, their violent streak amply demonstrated during the fights of the Great Panic.
“You were,” the K confirmed, his jaw tightening a little. “But I was at fault too, because I knew you were doing it and fed you false information.”
Mia gave him an incredulous look. “And you’re saying we’re lovers? After all that?”
“We’re more than lovers, Mia. You’re my charl.”
“Charl?”
He nodded. “It’s our word for what you are to me. The best approximation would be something like human mate.”
“Like a wife?” Mia could hear her own voice rising in disbelief.
He smiled. “Not exactly, but you could think of it that way, yes.”
Mia stared at him. “But you said I met you in April and it’s only June now. When did we have a chance to get married?”
He hesitated for a second. “It doesn’t work like that, my darling. There is no formal ceremony in a charl-cheren relationship.”
“So then how does it work? How is this different from just being boyfriend and girlfriend?” Not that she could even picture this beautiful creature as her boyfriend. But a husband? Her mind boggled at the thought.
“It’s different, Mia, because I couldn’t give a mere girlfriend what I gave you,” he said quietly. “Because by claiming you as my charl, I have brought you fully into our world, with all that it entails.”
Mia’s heart started beating faster again. “And what does it entail?”
“A much longer lifespan,” he said softly. “Freedom from aging and disease. Immortality, as you like to call it.”
* * *
Korum could see her eyes widening, skepticism warring with excitement on her face. The curl that he’d just tucked away behind her ear came loose again, refusing to be contained. He loved that rebellious curl; it always lured his fingers to her hair, making him want to touch its soft, thick mass.
In general, he was both surprised and pleased by her reaction thus far. She was naturally cautious, so some wariness was to be expected, but she was far less frightened than he would’ve expected her to be. She didn’t cringe away from his touch, nor did she seem to object to his nearness. Somehow, despite her lack of conscious memories, she must still recognize him on some level, must still trust him not to hurt her.
“You have the ability to make humans immortal?” she asked, a small frown creasing her smooth forehead.
Korum sighed, not wanting to go down that path again. “We do,” he said patiently. “But not all humans – only those that become a part of our society. I’m currently trying to get an exception for your parents and sister, though –”
“You know them?” she interrupted. “You’ve met my family?”
“I do, and I have,” Korum confirmed, glad that it was the case. It would’ve been much worse if she’d lost her memory before their Florida trip. “And that’s how you’re going to know I’m telling you the truth, my sweet. You’re going to speak to Marisa and your parents.”
Mia looked startled at the idea, and then her face lit up. By now Korum knew her well enough to understand that he’d just managed to dispel whatever fears she harbored over being separated from her loved ones.
Her strong attachment to her family was one of Mia’s main vulnerabilities, and Korum had not hesitated to exploit it in the past – to use it to bind her even closer to him. It had been surprisingly easy to win over both her parents and her sister. He had carefully researched everything about them before their meeting, and they had reacted exactly as he’d hoped, their initial distrust fading as they saw that Mia was happy and loved.
And that made Mia even happier and more attached to him.