Dark Nine [18+]

Chapter Fourteen

"Are you paranoid I'm being watched or something?" I ask.

"I was placed on watch duty," Jupiter growls out, "The others are at work. Securing our investments and reputation in the IA... I'm the best with growing our numbers. But here I am, looking after a female."

Argh!

Why the hate?!

I try to shake off his snarky tone.

What did he say?

Reputation in the IA? Ah, the IA was the Intergalactic Alliance and the IIA was Earth's Intergalactic Intelligence Agency, sometimes I get them confused, but I quickly reason these ancient aliens have a lot of housework to do around the universe, no doubt they made quite the footprint on reality.

Making it to the Universal Board was the most prestigious level of authorisation in the universe.

Most people could never expect to even dream of making it that far.

I mean, most souls died.

Subspecies who lived forever often had the same negative attribute, and that was the sucking of life force from another... the price was heavy, but their egos weren't exactly all about philanthropy, compassion, or sympathy.

Of course, the Kors would only care about one thing.

And one thing only.

Power. Every kind of power.

So that is why Jupiter looks pretty annoyed he has been assigned to watch me.

I guess he had better things to attend too. Pssh.

"Please stop pacing," I murmur at him, "This female is rather annoyed. You're irritating me."

Jupiter stops pacing again, slowly turns to face me and just looks at me.

His eyes swirl, his rage is simmering.

"What do you want?" he asks me, cold.

"You know nothing about humans – I assume Mars and Terra are the ones heavily invested in Earth... am I right?" I ask, slowly getting off the bed and standing. After what I've voiced, I see Jupiter's brow twitch up as if I've hit on something without having being told, I just work it out, "...I know you're ancient, I don't know how ancient..." I add, "Did the Kors create the solar system?" Jupiter tries too hard to appear relaxed. He won't blink but I notice his jaw clench and quickly unclench, "Is that why you have Jupiter in your space... that orb. You protect it."

"There are some things which are female business... and some things which are male business... and some things which are Kor business," Jupiter growls, lower and lower, "Do not inquire of it again. There is a reason we are an exclusive group."

"Until now," I add.

"Yeah. Why not," Jupiter murmurs, looking me over casually as I approach him.

My heart is racing, approaching a seven-foot silver alien with his teeth so ready to tear in – I wonder if pissing them off will one day be the end of me? Were they akin to abuse their power? To lose themselves to a pent up rage?

They murdered a whole planet. Or consumed a whole species. Was that murder if they were just very, very hungry?

Who was I kidding.

Feeling slightly freaked out by my spiralling thoughts, I stand a few feet from Jupiter and look over his magnificent body, sculpted just like a god... except they're just ancient aliens... likely their memories are so vast, that is the reason they are exclusive... it has nothing to do with being male... however much that might be used to separate us... my sexual features were still valuable, they couldn't breed without me. And they couldn't feel the best pleasure without me.

So, check mate?

I hope, at least, that somehow being female is worthy to them in more ways that I just haven't found out yet.

Learning about a species who sucked the life out of other souls, particularly feminine souls, was a constant process of prying and backing out. One day I'd understand.

"Jupiter," I breathe his name slowly, "...I don't mean to offend you... I wish to learn... what can you teach me? Aside from... sexual release," I quickly interject, keeping my hand on my stomach – it was a natural instinct, I couldn't stop it.

"I wouldn't fuck you without the others watching anyway," Jupiter dismisses that little detail and steps toward me suddenly, turning, arm outstretched as he puts his hand on the small of my back, "...shall we go for a walk into Dark Ninth... and I can teach you how to read this planet and understand what certain things mean. Like the three moons. Our tides. Our light. The fact that no animals beside us roam, beside Elions that occasionally drop down and dare to explore our paradise... this prison is our base but this planet is our home... the whole thing," Jupiter sounds very proud on that last statement, as he ushers me along, and I walk with him, "...do you have any questions..." he asks, suddenly, as if wanting to know what I might want.

"Can you teach me how to fight?" I ask, "I'd love to learn about Dark Ninth... but I'd also love to learn how to blend in, like Kors do... how to hide... if I need too... from Elions... criminals... Tcno... perhaps other potential threats," as I word that carefully, I'm surprised to see Jupiter nod and accept.

"Come on, then, Diana," Jupiter agrees, "I'll teach you... but please don't 'zone out', I hate that," he growls that in at the end, "You either learn or you don't – but don't get lazy on me."

"You really think so little of female kind –?" I ask, trying not to laugh, trying not to panic.

"I think so little of anyone other than Kor," Jupiter corrects me.

"I'm not sure if equal levels of distaste of all others is any better than a targeted dislike," I whisper, "Your nature is very... very difficult."

"Competitive, Diana," Jupiter actually smiles, turning to me, he leans down to whisper in my ear, "...you have no idea what we're capable of."

I don't think much of that, until we walk outside and his gaze flies upward.

I follow Jupiter's eyes.

Before I can even focus on the sky, everything around us burns with light.

Everything turns white.

For a split second I feel like I'm on fire, then the feeling goes.

Then it's dark again. My skin sparkles even brighter. Added luminescence? From where?! It's like it was singed into my DNA. More soul-stuff.

I blink and rub my eyes, as I focus on Jupiter's upward gaze.

I don't expect anything of significance to happen – until one of the stars in the sky explodes in real time, in a brilliant array of dust, shooting out gases, particles of glitter – forming a ring, then a nebula.

The whole thing happens so fast, sped up with magic, but it takes a moment for me to process Jupiter's smirk.

"...that was easy," he drawls to himself, ushering me forward again.

I stumble and look straight ahead, staring hard at the low-lying nature beyond.

Jupiter just... he just... he killed a neighbouring star.

Just by looking at it.

"...how... old... are you...?" I ask, not even looking at him, and not expecting an answer.

Jupiter seems to be in a sadistic mood, telling me with pleasure, "Older than this universe, you baby."

What the actual...

...so Dark Ninth is no longer just a graveyard.

It's not even the Kors' birthplace.

Dark Ninth was hijacked.

And if the nine Kors who wanted to mate with me, were older than the big bang... well fuck, they really were Gods.