“It’s biolocked. And why go to the market? The cellar stores are full, what more do you need?”

  “I thought… maybe some wine?”

  “If you want wine, why don’t you sell those rings?” he said, annoyed at her intrusion.

  “You’re right,” Willow replied, looking down at her hands. She sighed. “I’ll do that. Sorry, Juny.” She lifted her eyes to his, her smile timid. “Would you like some? I’ll get a few bottles of something we can all enjoy together. Do you still like those sweet Alsatian reds?”

  Willow’s offer seemed genuine, and he was touched she remembered his favourite wine—out of his sisters, he’d always liked Willow more, so Juniper sighed, relenting. “Fine… here.” He popped open one of the smaller compartments and placed a small delz crystal in her palm. “Save your rings for when I’m gone,” he said. “Go get some wine. And… look to see if they have something called leb.” The stimulating drink would help him get through the rest of the long Terran days.

  As Juniper watched his sister go, he reached for the comm-crystal he’d hung on the hook next to his bed, and put it back around his neck.

  Marrex lay on his side in the grass, his eyes closed. He breathed slowly in through his nose and then out his mouth, trying to quiet his heart.

  Juniper wasn’t coming back.

  The pain was more than he could bear.

  Juniper coughed, covering his mouth, revolted by the stench of decay that hung like a green cloud all around him. Huge, mutated plants rose up to each side of the path, their sickly leaves covered in black slime. Stepping forward, he cried out in pain. The path was made of broken glass, and his feet were bare. He knew it was a dream… but that didn’t stop things from hurting like hell.

  There was a rustle in the bushes to his left, and a swarm of flies took to the air as a small form emerged. Juniper saw it was the tiny Ghelyxian, and he smiled with relief, but when it approached, it growled, showing its yellow fangs. The poor thing looked like it had been severely beaten—its fur was matted and dark with blood, and one of its eyes was swollen shut.

  “Hey,” Juniper said softly, crouching down despite the shards of glass piercing the soles of his feet. “What happened?”

  The Ghelyxian recoiled from him, hissing and growling, and Juniper slowly extended his hand, trying to soothe the little beast.

  “Hey, it’s ok,” he murmured, but when he finally touched it, it sank its teeth into his finger. “Fuck!” Juniper shouted and fell, landing on his backside in the broken glass. Howling with pain, he jumped to his feet, then crashed headlong into an oozing pile of vegetation. By the time he’d freed himself, he was covered head to toe in blood and stinking slime. Juniper gagged and retched, crawling towards the clearing where he found the Ghelyxian manikin lying on its side, its eyes closed. It let out a plaintive little mewl, and Juniper was about to ask it again what happened when he heard a low, pain-filled groan echo the little Ghelyxian’s cry.

  Startled, Juniper looked around. “Hello?” In all the dozens of times he’d had the garden dream, there had never been anyone else with him except the small living statue.

  Another moan came from behind him, and Juniper stood, finding himself at the edge of a square pit. At the bottom lay a big shape that shuddered and groaned again. “Who’s there?”

  The moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating the pit’s occupant, and Juniper pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. The Ghelyxian in the pit was misshapen and twisted, its deformed muscles bulging through random patches in its shaggy fur, sharp teeth turned to yellow tusks that split its lips and skewed its mouth. There were too many horns sprouting from its head, the sharp ends turning back on themselves to dig into its flesh. Slowly, the Ghelyxian’s eyes opened, and Juniper was horrified.

  “Marrex?”

  Marrex let out another long moan, and Juniper leaned forward to get a better look. He thought he was going to be sick—Marrex was covered in weeping sores and strange growths.

  “Oh god… what happened to you?” he whispered.

  The little Ghelyxian, now bright-red and whole, stood on the opposite side of the pit, pointing an accusatory finger at Juniper.

  “What? What did I do?”

  The little creature jabbed his finger again, his lip curled in a sneer.

  “Hey, it’s not my fault I haven’t been able to reach him. I’ve tried, trust me! Even the house comm is on the fritz—probably solar flares. I’m sure it’ll clear up soon… and it’s not like he’s tried to reach me either. Besides… it’s only been two days.”

  The manikin shook his head, crossing its tiny arms.

  “Ok, three days. I’ve been busy.”

  The little Ghelyxian shook his head again.

  Juniper frowned. The creature was right… three Terran days was the equivalent to approximately four aboard the Stellerion. He rubbed his face, wishing he could wake up. This was just his subconscious guilt-tripping him for not trying harder to reach Marrex. But it really wasn’t his fault…

  Whose fault is it then? The strange thought came out of nowhere, and he lifted his head, startled. The wind blew softly, bringing with it a quiet tinkling, like a glass wind chime. Juniper scanned the surrounding foliage for the source and saw a monstrous tree at the far end of the clearing, its long drooping branches filled with blue crystals. Head tilted, Juniper approached, both curious and strangely tense. The tree was misshapen like everything else in the corrupted garden. Its base was bulbous and covered in sickly, oozing patches, and the crystals swayed in the wind, their chiming music more rhythmic than seemed natural… Juniper squinted, trying to recall where he’d seen something like that before, the memory like a word on the tip of his tongue.

  The crystals were blue…

  The blue crystals were swaying back and forth…

  The swaying blue crystals were in the branches of a tree…

  Juniper shook his head, trying to concentrate.

  Swaying blue crystals in the long drooping branches of a willow tree.

  Juniper’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up, his heart pounding. The alarm was chiming, taking over from his dream, and he snapped his fingers to stop it. Quickly, he opened the back of the comm-crystal around his neck and immediately saw the relay chip was missing.

  Of course, he thought, his mouth dry. He was sure if he looked into the house communicator, he’d find it was also missing some necessary component. No wonder he couldn’t connect to the Stellerion.

  Furious, Juniper swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his pants in one motion, throwing them on in a haste.

  I’m stupid. He’d been so distracted by Willow trying to open the big case that he had only faintly registered the blue comm-crystal swaying on its hook. He could see it now in his memory, the motion slight out of the corner of his eye. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  Juniper burst into the dining room where his sisters and niece were just sitting down to breakfast, and he wrenched Willow’s chair back so he could lean over her, breathing heavily.

  “Why did you do it?” he said, his voice low and angry, hands grasping the chair arms to either side of her.

  Willow stared up at him, her mouth agape, then she swallowed and shook her head. “It was Acacia’s idea…”

  “What was her idea?”

  “That… that…”

  “Spit it out,” he shouted and shook the chair, causing Willow to let out a screech.

  “We sent a message to that beast you’ve been shacking up with and told him you decided to stay here,” Acacia replied, her voice calm.

  “Mother!” Peggy said, aghast.

  “Why would he believe you?” Juniper said as he stared daggers at her, then at Willow, fury making his voice hoarse.

  “Be… because… I used the”—Willow grimaced and gestured feebly—“thing to disguise… um, my voice.”

  “The voice modulator?” Juniper replied, dumbfounded. “Wait… You impersonated me?”

  “It’s for the best, Juniper,” Acacia said quietly. “I had the family name to think of… and you owe us.”

  “Owe… you?”

  “For seventeen years of taking care of our father. For seventeen years of this house falling down around our ears. For seventeen years of having to cut corners and go without.”

  “It’s not my fault that the colony ship disappeared!” Juniper growled, releasing Willow’s chair. “I left here so I could make a better life for you… you spoiled, selfish, ungrateful witch.”

  “Well, you didn’t. And now you have a chance to make things right.”

  “What? You’re insane. Why would I do anything for you after this?” He stared at her, incredulous.

  “Acacia just means… oh, Juny… you’d be better off here. You can help around the house like you’ve been doing. And you’re young still… and just as pretty as you were the day you left. Do you have any idea what kind of looks you get from everyone? My god, even the doctor at the clinic… He was looking at you like he wanted to take a bite out of you,” Willow said gently. “Imagine… a doctor! You’ll never need for anything again.”

  Juniper let out a laugh that sounded hysterical even to his own ears, and he shook his head in disbelief. “I’m leaving,” he said. “This afternoon. I’m done here.”

  “Juniper!” Acacia said sternly as she rose from her seat. “If you leave, you’ll no longer be welcome here.”

  “Welcome?” Juniper said, laughing shrilly again. “Like you welcomed me this time?”

  “You can’t possibly go back to that… that… monster,” Acacia tried when she realized the emptiness of her threat.

  “The only monster I see here is you.” And with that, Juniper left the room.

  Chapter 15

  Walking into a Dream

  Juniper was dancing from foot to foot, impatient for the Blackskimmer to finish docking with the Stellerion. It had taken nearly a week and the last of his credits to get to the big Chato-class ship—finding it had been a complete gamble.

  Marrex had picked up the damaged shuttlecraft in Frex Symio Frex Ha, within the aBi nebula, so that’s where Juniper decided to look… and sure enough, they’d found the Stellerion in a decaying orbit around a dead planet. No one had answered their hails, but Juniper’s gut told him that Marrex was indeed aboard.

  Finally, the hard dock was complete and the seal was airtight. Juniper picked up his bag and turned to the men standing outside the transfer passage. “Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate the lift.”

  “You’re welcome,” replied the captain, showing his silver baleen in the Krem version of a smile. “If you don’t find this Marrex, you could always come back and work for me.” Only one of his eyes were pointed at Juniper’s face. The other four were sweeping over his body for one last lingering look.

  “I’ll do that, Baran,” Juniper replied, giving him a politely flirtatious smile. “Take care of yourselves.” He nodded to the rest of the crew and walked through the hatch.

  As soon as the interior door opened, Juniper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The Stellerion even smelled like home to him. “S1N? VAL? Anyone?” he said as he stepped over the threshold. Behind him, the docking mechanism let out a hiss as the Blackskimmer’s hatch closed.

  Suddenly, two bright white spheres appeared in front of him. “Welcome, traveller,” said the first sphere, the light dimming to the rhythm of its robotic speech.

  Juniper frowned. “Uh. Thank you?”

  “Please state which planetary government you represent,” said the second sphere just as lifelessly as the first.

  “None,” Juniper replied. “Who are you? Where are S1N and VAL?”

  “I am 2W-S1N, the ship’s navigation system,” the first answered.

  “I am VAL-900. My primary function is life support aboard the Stellerion,” said the second. “Would you like to learn more?”

  Horrified, Juniper stared at the two AIs—Marrex had finally erased them just like he had always threatened to. For a moment, Juniper couldn’t speak. It was like losing two of his best friends. Jaw clenched, he took a few breaths, angry and heartbroken. Maybe there’s a backup.

  “I just need to find the captain,” he said, walking quickly down the hallway towards Marrex’s garden. The two AIs kept in step with him, floating to either side.

  “The captain has perished,” said the one to his right. “Would you like to learn more?”

  Juniper stopped in his tracks, the news like a punch to the stomach. He was too late. “No… no… he can’t be dead.” He shook his head. “No, I refuse to believe it.”

  “The captain has perished,” repeated the orb.

  “Shut up,” Juniper growled.

  He ran the rest of the way to the garden.

  Juniper waved the door open and stepped inside, eyes wide. It was dark within, but by the light of the twin AI spheres, he could see the garden was in ruins. It looked as though someone had slashed trees and ripped up bushes, and the grass was torn up in great swaths. Taking the shortest path to the centre, Juniper found he had to wade through the babbling brook because the quaint little bridge was in pieces.

  With every step, he whispered, “Please.”

  Finally, he reached the centre of the garden, and there, lying naked at the base of the statue, was Marrex. “No,” he gasped, sinking to his knees beside the prone Ghelyxian. “Oh god… Marrex.” Juniper extended a trembling hand and touched Marrex’s bare back.

  He frowned. The Ghelyxian’s body was still warm… and breathing.

  “Marrex?” he said, shaking the captain’s shoulder.

  Marrex let out a low mournful groan and turned his head, his eyes closed.

  “Marrex!” Juniper said a little louder, giving him a more vigorous shake. “Wake up.”

  Slowly, Marrex’s lids lifted, and he stared at Juniper, his expression of profound bemusement.

  “What are you doing?” Juniper asked.

  “I’m waiting to die,” Marrex said, his voice a low grumble. “And now I’m dreaming of my Juniper.”

  Now that he knew Marrex was alive and apparently unscathed by the looks of him, Juniper’s anguish made way for something closer to anger. “What the hell did you do to S1N and VAL? I hope to god you made a backup. And stop fucking looking at me like that. You’re not dreaming, you fucking asshole. Shit! I’ve been gone three fucking weeks, you big, stupid—” Juniper said, punctuating is words with hard shoves that made Marrex wince and struggle into a sitting position “—fucking idiot. Why would you make me think you were in trouble or dead? What is wrong with you?”

  “Is it… really you?”

  “Of course it is…”

  “You called and said you weren’t going to return,” Marrex said hoarsely.

  “My sisters made that call before they sabotaged my communicator. Why would you believe it? It probably didn’t even sound like me… it’s not even a good voice modulator! Why the fuck would you just blindly accept what they said? Do you have so little faith in me? You weren’t even just a little suspicious? Hm? Didn’t you think to question them? See if it was really me? I said I was going to be back!” Juniper shouted and then burst into tears.

  “Why are you crying?” Marrex asked, his eyes wide.

  “Because, you ass, I don’t know what I want to do more: punch you or kiss you,” Juniper said through clenched teeth, the tears hot on his cheeks. “I flew across the damn galaxy, desperate to find you, and I’m exhausted from spending a week fending off a Blackskimmer captain who just could not keep his hands to himself, and I am furious that you would just gi-give up…” He wiped his nose and hiccupped a sob, his tirade petering out. “Why would you give up on me?” he asked in a small voice.

  Marrex shook his head slowly, reaching to pull Juniper into his embrace. “I’m sorry,” the Ghelyxian replied, holding him tight against his solid, furry chest.

  “Was it really so hard for you to believe that I would come back to you?”

  For a moment, Marrex said nothing, then he sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  Juniper looked up into the captain’s face. Ghelyxians couldn’t cry, but Marrex looked as if he’d prove the biology texts wrong at any second. “Maybe you didn’t realize something… something I guess I’ve only just figured out for myself,” Juniper said.

  The captain’s black eyes searched his. “What is it?”

  “I’m in love with you.”

  A few seconds passed, Marrex’s nostrils flaring with his quick breaths, and then he leaned forward and kissed Juniper’s lips softly. With a quiet moan, Juniper melted into the kiss, weak with relief and astounded by the profound ache in his heart. He thought he would start crying again—instead, he poured all of it into the passion of their kiss.

  It was promise and conciliation, a union of body and soul unto itself, and as they grasped at each other in a fervour, nestled at the heart of the ruined garden, Juniper finally understood what it was that writers from time immemorial had striven to describe… How could anyone hope to capture something so overwhelming and fathomless?

  Heart pounding, Juniper pulled back. “Lie back,” he said, breathing heavily. “I want you.”

  Marrex’s eyes widened, and then his nose wrinkled in a smile. “Are you certain this time?” he asked.

  Juniper let out a laugh, surprised at the gentle teasing. “Yes. I’m absolutely certain this time.”

  Marrex groaned and pushed his hips up, trying not to hurt Juniper but so aroused it was nearly impossible not to move. Fireflies sparked and danced around them in the darkened garden as Juniper rode Marrex slowly, his chest gleaming with sweat and his lips parted in a harsh, gasping pant—he whimpered, threw his head back, and yelled as a few weak drops fell from his limp cock into the mess in Marrex’s belly fur.

  Tears rolled down Juniper’s cheeks as he shook his head, but he kept rising up on his knees and lowering again, sliding Marrex deep, as if in a trance and unable to stop himself. Shuddering, Juniper let out a desperate sob, his cock spitting out a single, pitiful drop, and Marrex shut his eyes, groaning at the way Juniper’s heat squeezed him tight—he was teetering dangerously close to the edge himself.