Page 56 of Uprooted
“What do you believe? Biology or fate?” she asks.
“There’s no disputing the biological reasoning behind it. But when two individuals come together in a deeper way, they fulfill the universal truth that there is something beyond science. It’s something that we don’t fully understand, but we feel it in our bones.” As the words pour out of me, I push down the unfamiliar feelings starting to bubble up. We’re talking about these cute little animals, but I’ve never felt so vulnerable with someone before.
“How does free will fit into that?” she asks.
“There’s always free will. We’re always given a choice.”
“Choices always come with consequences,” she says.
“And there is the magic of j’Tilak. This world from the tiniest creature to this whole planet—our society and spiritual structures all hang in careful harmony. You see it right here.” I wave my hand back to the quinstaks.
“I see it too. It’s what makes this place so special. I’ve never seen a world that has so fully embraced the power of balance. It’s so fascinating, because it’s not symmetrical or totally predictable, but it’s this constantly moving shifting thing holding everything together.”
I sit back and watch the way her face moves while she thinks. I love the way her mind works.
“Think those little guys back there have these kinds of conversations?” I ask. Feeling the need to lighten the mood. I recognize a sliver of fear inside me, that if I push too hard, I could lose Elowen.
“I hope so. If they are lifelong mates, what could be more important?”
Elowen has a piece of grass poking out of her hair. I reach over and gently pull it out, trying not to tug on any strands. She catches my hand and inches closer to me. I look down at her. Before I can kiss her,she pulls my head down and her lips tug at mine. I savor the feeling of her on me. She kisses me sweetly, and it’s over far too soon.
“I like being out here,” she says, sounding happy and content.
“I do too. Growing up we used to spend summers out away from the city.” Memories start to pop up. Most are good, but one is harder to think about. My mouth starts talking about that one before my brain has a chance to tell it to shut the fuck up.
“Sometimes my sister and I would hide in the woods when it was time to go back to the city. One last adventure before we had to go back to real life. My parents were in on the game, but the last time we hid my dad was furious about it. He accused me of avoiding my responsibilities and then gave me the silent treatment all the way back to Bihar.”
“Balance, right?” she says and slides her hand into mine. It feels like home. With two words she shined a light and dissolved all the ache from the memory.
I can feel Elowen sensing how I’m feeling. She pulls me into a hug and rests her cheek on my chest.
40
Elowen
Bihar is unlike any other city I’ve seen before. The space between buildings has been over taken by flowers and trees. Vines climb up the walls around us. Tilaks mill about between massive skyscrapers. High overhead, mazes of bridges connect tall buildings.
It’s impossible to tell where the ground is. I would be sure we were on the base when the road would drop out from beneath us, exposing another even lower level. I kept my face plastered to the glass of the porter the entire time, in a constant state of awe.
Unlike the cities on Earth, there is serenity here. The most modern buildings and tech, surrounded by nature. Ever the devoted tour guide, Aro points out his favorite places to get a meal and all the local tourist traps. He keeps a hand on my knee the entire trip to the hospital.
We come to a stop with a group of porters, waiting for our turn through a busy intersection. We pull up to one with a Tilak child, who is staring at me through the plexi. They point towards me, trying to get their parents to look at what they see. I wave back and the child ducks down, embarrassed they were caught.
“You’re making quite the impression,” Aro says, laughing at my interactions with the little one.
“Gawking at a new species is one of those few things that everyone does, regardless of where they’re from,” I say. I remember doing the same thing as a kid, but I was usually the one everyone looked and pointed at.
“News is going to travel fast that there is a human on the loose,” I tell him.
“The program is essentially over. What are they going to do—send you home a few days early? They need you to pack up all that research.”
“There isn’t much left to do,” I whisper. I hate that this came up.
“Don’t remind me. I’m over here pretending like you’re going to stay and you have the nerve to ruin my fantasy,” Aro says.
He’s been not-so-subtly dropping comments about me staying here once the program is done. I’ve even allowed myself to live in that delusion for a little while with him. It’s getting harder and harder to pretend I won’t be leaving soon. Now that it’s come up I have a pit in my stomach. The brightness of the day is dulled by the reality of our circumstances.
He looks over at me and I force a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
