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62 books
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She was a stranger in a strangish land.
Best catch ... ever
“Jak’ri stared at her. “There are no Gathendiens on Purvel, Ava.” The Lasarans and their Aldebarian Alliance allies had decimated the Gathendien military and driven whatever remained to the outer reaches of the galaxy a long time ago.
His heart clenched when a tear spilled over her lashes and trailed down one cheek.
Her throat worked in a swallow. “That’s why I don’t think I’m on Purvel.”
Jak’ri just stared at her, uncomprehending.
She motioned to the vast blue ocean beyond the cliff. “I don’t think this is real.” Another tear slipped down her cheek. “And I really want this to be real, Jak’ri.” Easing forward, she slid her arms around him, pressed her face to his neck, and hugged him tight. “I wish this were real,” she said brokenly. “I wish you were real.”
Sliding an arm around her, he cradled her close as he kept them afloat. “I am real, Ava. I’m right here, holding you.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “It’ll be all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Squeezing him tighter, she whispered, “I wish this were real.”
And the despair in her sweet voice made him want to weep, too.”
― The Purveli
His heart clenched when a tear spilled over her lashes and trailed down one cheek.
Her throat worked in a swallow. “That’s why I don’t think I’m on Purvel.”
Jak’ri just stared at her, uncomprehending.
She motioned to the vast blue ocean beyond the cliff. “I don’t think this is real.” Another tear slipped down her cheek. “And I really want this to be real, Jak’ri.” Easing forward, she slid her arms around him, pressed her face to his neck, and hugged him tight. “I wish this were real,” she said brokenly. “I wish you were real.”
Sliding an arm around her, he cradled her close as he kept them afloat. “I am real, Ava. I’m right here, holding you.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “It’ll be all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Squeezing him tighter, she whispered, “I wish this were real.”
And the despair in her sweet voice made him want to weep, too.”
― The Purveli
“Ava motioned to the darkening passage that led from the cave. “This is the first time I’ve set foot on an alien planet. And even though it bears a general similarity to Earth, there are enough differences to make me want to walk around like this all the time.” Widening her eyes, she dropped her jaw until her mouth formed a large O and gaped at the walls around them in exaggerated amazement.
Jak’ri laughed.
“I’m serious,” she insisted with a grin. “I saw a butterfly today that was the size of a duck!”
― The Purveli
Jak’ri laughed.
“I’m serious,” she insisted with a grin. “I saw a butterfly today that was the size of a duck!”
― The Purveli
“They offered to sedate you? Jak’ri asked.
Yes. I refused, she said. No way am I waking up with some freaky lizard baby in my belly.
He stared at his brother. What kind of experiments do you think they’re performing, Ava?
I don’t know. But a hell of a lot of alien abduction stories told on Earth seem to revolve around aliens impregnating our women and probing men’s butts.
Ziv’ri gaped. What the srul kind of aliens have been visiting your planet?”
― The Purveli
Yes. I refused, she said. No way am I waking up with some freaky lizard baby in my belly.
He stared at his brother. What kind of experiments do you think they’re performing, Ava?
I don’t know. But a hell of a lot of alien abduction stories told on Earth seem to revolve around aliens impregnating our women and probing men’s butts.
Ziv’ri gaped. What the srul kind of aliens have been visiting your planet?”
― The Purveli
“One of the guards gave her a hard shove.
Stumbling forward, she scowled and stopped short again. Hands curling into fists, she turned suddenly and punched the guard in the throat.
Caught by surprise, the guard cupped his neck and began to wheeze.
Ava spun and delivered a hard kick to his belly, driving him back a step.”
― The Purveli
Stumbling forward, she scowled and stopped short again. Hands curling into fists, she turned suddenly and punched the guard in the throat.
Caught by surprise, the guard cupped his neck and began to wheeze.
Ava spun and delivered a hard kick to his belly, driving him back a step.”
― The Purveli
“Surely it would be easier for a small escape pod to zip through asteroids than it would be for a hulking warship. “Let’s lose them in the asteroids!”
“Unlikely,” the computer said calmly as the pod swerved again. “Asteroid Belt 116749 is far enough away that we will probably be—”
“Just try, damn it!” Ava gritted.
The harness dug into Ava’s shoulders as she was jerked from side to side. She thought about asking Evie to turn off the artificial gravity but honestly didn’t know if that would make things better or worse.
“Asteroid Belt 116749 is now in sight.”
“Yes!” Ava cried triumphantly. “We can do this!”
“Unlikely,” the ever-unflappable Evie replied. “Though the pod can change direction faster than the Gathendien ship and I have eluded its acquisition beam, the ship is still pursuing us and—”
“Evie,” Ava gritted, “you’re killing me.”
“Negative. Killing you is counter to my programming.”
“I don’t mean literally!” She grunted as the pod changed directions again. Thank goodness motion sickness never plagued her. “I’m trying to be optimistic!”
“Optimism at this juncture is inadvisable.”
“Oh, for crap’s sake!”
― The Purveli
“Unlikely,” the computer said calmly as the pod swerved again. “Asteroid Belt 116749 is far enough away that we will probably be—”
“Just try, damn it!” Ava gritted.
The harness dug into Ava’s shoulders as she was jerked from side to side. She thought about asking Evie to turn off the artificial gravity but honestly didn’t know if that would make things better or worse.
“Asteroid Belt 116749 is now in sight.”
“Yes!” Ava cried triumphantly. “We can do this!”
“Unlikely,” the ever-unflappable Evie replied. “Though the pod can change direction faster than the Gathendien ship and I have eluded its acquisition beam, the ship is still pursuing us and—”
“Evie,” Ava gritted, “you’re killing me.”
“Negative. Killing you is counter to my programming.”
“I don’t mean literally!” She grunted as the pod changed directions again. Thank goodness motion sickness never plagued her. “I’m trying to be optimistic!”
“Optimism at this juncture is inadvisable.”
“Oh, for crap’s sake!”
― The Purveli
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