What she noticed first was the color of the ocean. She thought initially that the dual suns were distorting her vision or that she was squinting too hard. But no, it was pink, a dazzling salmon shade that shone at her with a relentless glow.
Azura stared, unable to accept the surrealness of the color. She then realized how intensely yellow the sand was. Not your usual color of grains but a highlighter mustard color. She followed the water along the shoreline and found her feet, which had sunk a little into the beach.
“Whoa,” she murmured.
Onyx laughed again, and Azura was encouraged to look his way. She followed his shoes, all the way up the tree trunk of his legs and torso, then up to his face.
She was stunned in every sense of the word. His face looked like it was carved from marble, cheekbones, and chin pointed like swords, with a gleam from his hazel eyes that softened the aggressive features.
Azura had never been taken aback by anyone’s beauty, at least not anyone in real life. Her mouth went as dry as sandpaper, and her knees began to weaken. She never thought that kind of that stereotype was real, yet there she was, struggling to stand.
She must have been staring for a while because Onyx grinned, a smile that made her entire body warm. He stuck out his hand to her, and she looked at it.
“I’m Onyx Cullen,” he said softly.
Azura took it, then shook it firmly. His touch was electric.
“Azura Morrow,” she said.
She pointed with her thumb to her brother, who was sulking behind her.
“That’s Martin,” she said. “You may have guessed.”
Onyx nodded at Martin, who was beginning to stand and marvel at the pink water.
“Whoa,” he said.
“Sorry,” Azura crooned. “He’s not the epitome of politeness.”
Onyx gestured toward what looked like a car with a strange structure … basically, there were no wheels like Earth vehicles. She felt her brother scowl behind her, then move toward the car to sit in the back seat.
“Can this thing drive over sand?” Martin asked.
Onyx ripped his gaze from Azura, which she felt like ripping off a bandage. It was only when Onyx walked to the car that she realized she had been holding her breath.
“Even better than that,” Onyx said. “This car hovers.”
They all climbed into the car, the pink ocean crashing hard against the shore. Onyx flicked something on the dash, which made a loud clunk sound, and Azura realized they were floating.
“Hold on to your asses,” Onyx said.
Instead of turning around to meet some kind of road, the car soared into the sky, and Martin began laughing with excitement. She couldn’t resist it either. It had been an incredibly stressful day.
Despite wanting to protect her brother, Azura didn’t want him to get away with whatever he had done. She made a mental note to have a serious talk with him before the court date.
As they settled into the turquoise-colored sky, Azura felt her phone vibrate. She was confused but answered anyway.
There’s service through galaxies?
“Azura, hello.”
It was Gerri. Azura was going to try to explain everything to her, but Gerri reassured her as always, not wanting her to worry about anything unnecessary.
“I was calling to let you know that I believe the event was a success,” Gerri said brightly. “We have enough to begin repairs on your home interior. I know that you’d want to know.”
Azura was elated but didn’t allow that elation to cover the reality of their conundrum. Her brother was wanted on earth, and they had fled to not only another country but a whole other fucking planet.
“Thank you so much, Gerri. I truly hope I can repay you someday,” Azura said.