Page 58 of Protected by the Alien Warrior Triad

He opens the book to a page with an illustration of a fierce Aurelian warrior on the paper. The picture shows the instantly-recognizable physique of a towering, muscular Aurelian – except covered in tribal tattoos, in the same patterns as Forn, Hadone and Darok wear inked into their skin.

Tenderfoot turns the page, and overleaf there’s another illustration showing a world that looks like Old Earth, covered in verdant greenery.

“The author of this book wrote extensively on the tribal Aurelians over six-hundred-years ago. She provided no galactic coordinates, though – only an image to illustrate what Orb travel is like. Just yesterday, I attempted to create a portal myself. I… I paid the required price – but I didn’t want to gothroughthe portal; simply look through it.”

The old man shrugs.

“However, I’d thought I must have done something wrong – because no portal opened in my study.”

But he hadn’t done it wrong. Hehadopened a portal – just not in his study!

So, this old man is the reason the portal opened. He must have accidentally opened it over Barl.

“Could the portal have opened in Barl?” I looked expectantly at him. “Is that how they came here?”

Lord Tenderfoot nods slowly. “Yes, it’s possible. I’d been thinking of my niece that morning. She… She was doing outreach in Barl.”

As he speaks, grief chokes the old man’s his voice. I realize he too lost a loved one in the firebombing of my home city.

The pieces are all coming together. I ask:

“So, you opened a portal – and these three Aurelians came through it?”

A pang goes through my heart.

They didn’t come here for me.

When Tenderfoot first talked of fated mates and voyages through portals, I’d actuallyresentedthe idea that these Aurelians might think they could simply snatch me up and take me back home with them; forcing me to throw away everything about my old life in exchange for something mysterious and new.

Yet, now that I know Forn, Hadone and Darok didn’t come here for me, I feel a sense of loss for something I didn’t even know I wanted.

So, the Aurelians passed through this portal by chance – which means I’m not their fated mate. Dammit, Diana Pooler has just as much of a chance to be their destined lover as I do!

I blink back tears, embarrassed about how strongly I feel about this.

Why do I even care? I never wanted this!

As if they can read my mind, the three Aurelians turn away from their trance-like reverence of the Orb-Sphere and gaze at me instead.

I love the way they stare at me – as if I’m the only thing that exists. They stare at me with the same reverence as that glowing ball of darkness; like they’re constantly astonished I even exist.

Gods, I can’t believe it – I’d been complaining about them taking me back with them, and now I’m mourning it.

Would it be wrong… Would it be wrong to wish they didn’t realize I’m not the woman they came here for?

If they find out the portal that brought them to me opened because of an old man’s meddling – not to lead them to their fated mate – I know they won’t look at me like this anymore.

I sigh and try to burn the memory of the three Aurelians and their longing gaze into my memory. In a moment they’d learn the truth, and then I’d lose this image; and spend the rest of my life longing for it again.

Lord Tenderfoot smiles. “To go back, I’ll simply open the portal for you. I’ve studied the texts – I know that I can do it.”

The old man laughs bitterly.

“I nearly bankrupted my family estate with the financial burden of purchasing such a huge Orb. Perhaps I’m obsessed with the alien cultures, but you will forgive an old man for his obsession. So many in the Capital are filled with blind hatred. It’s refreshing to learn the truth; even if nobody else would believe it.”

He could open the portal again and return these three warriors to their home.

I feel my stomach broil.

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