Page 16 of Alien Spare (Cosmic Mates #9)

“I’m not in the mood to go out.” Karma shuffled alongside her sister, who’d threatened to bodily drag her from the palace if she didn’t agree to go out. “What if he comes home?”

“Then he deserves for you to not be there after treating you the way he has!” Kismet said.

Three days had passed without a word, her messages and pleas going unanswered. Via her sister via Jaryk, she’d heard he had communicated to the king and queen he’d be “away for a while.”

“You need a distraction. You can’t mope around all day, every day,” Kismet said.

“Yes, I can. I’m good at moping. I’m becoming an expert. A master moper.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.”

They arrived at a tall set of stairs leading to a sprawling edifice. A sign emblazoned below the rooftop spelled out the name, but she couldn’t read Kaldoran. She’d planned to learn, but there was no point now. I’ll probably end up going home. “What is this place?”

“The Museum of Alien Horticulture,” Kismet said.

“You’re kidding. Why would you think I would care about horticulture? This is the best diversion you could come up with?”

“Would you rather go to lunch at the café?”

“No! I’m never going there again!”

“Remember, I’m new here, too. Unless you want to visit a hospital, an orphanage, a school, or the Space Force Base—the places I’ve been with Jaryk—it’s MAH or nothing.”

If her sister considered horticulture fun, they defined fun differently. “The orphanage doesn’t sound bad.”

“The museum will cheer you up.” She frowned. “Unless it makes you sadder.”

“That’s a rousing endorsement.”

“I have to help you get out of your funk. I feel responsible,” Kismet said.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t help. When the queen asked if we enjoyed lunch at the café, I had no idea she was mining for information. I thought we were just chatting.”

Her sister had related the queen had remarked she’d heard the two of them had run into a friend. Kismet had responded that, yes, a friend of the prince’s had dropped by and asked to speak to Karma privately—but she hadn’t been privy to the conversation. “I should have told her he’d hit on you.”

“You were keeping a confidence. If I’d been able to tell you about his business, you would have been better prepared.”

“Well, I’m sorry for making things worse for you.”

At the museum door, they donned protective covers over their shoes and went inside.

“Hi, Midreg!” her sister greeted the elderly docent by name.

“Welcome back, Kismet Kennedy!” the docent said. “This must be your twin sister I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yes, this is Karma.”

“Greetings. Welcome to MAH,” the docent said.

“Thank you.”

“There’s a guided tour starting in thirty minutes—or do you prefer to wander around on your own as usual?” the docent asked.

“On our own,” Kismet replied.

“Don’t forget to see the new interactive exhibit—Flight to the Planets.”

“It’s live?”

“Opened yesterday!”

“Excellent. I can’t wait to see it. Good seeing you again, Midreg.”

“Come here often?” Karma asked drily as her sister led her down a corridor.

Kismet chuckled. “A few times. When I have time to kill, I come here. What you’re going to see are botanical habitats from planets around the galaxy. Native flora are growing in contained, climate-controlled rooms. It’s like visiting the planets themselves.”

“Why are we wearing booties?”

“To avoid picking up seeds or spores that could spread invasive alien plant species across Kaldor.”

“What’s the Flight to the Planets?”

“You get an outer space view of the worlds featured in the museum.”

The first exhibit they entered was a lush, misty rain forest. Red umbrella leaves spread out in a canopy. Thick vines dangled from the trees. Roots covered the forest floor where purple ferns fanned out, competing for space with the thick brush. A narrow walking path wound through dense forest.

Karma joked, “Do they have to hack through with a machete to keep the path clear?”

“Not a machete, per se, but something like that. This planet’s vegetation grows fast,” her sister explained. “Ready for contrast?”

The next habitat offered a room full of moss-green rocks.

“This is it?” Karma asked. “Just moss?”

“The entire mossy rock is the plant, but yes. Follow me. The next one is the one I brought you to see.”

They entered the habitat, and she sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. Her entire body relaxed. “I didn’t realize how much I missed Earth.”

Kismet smiled. “This is why I come so often. I feel closer to Mom here. I pretend she’s not so far away.”

Green grass covered the floor, and gardens of daisies, lilies, irises, and roses bloomed. Karma stopped to smell a flower. Her eyes misted. They strolled through the parklike exhibit until they came to a bench beneath the branches of an oak tree.

They sat. Soil, greenery, and flowers perfumed the air, warmed to the temperature of a perfect spring day. Spirits lightened among the familiar sights and smells of home. She sighed. “Thank you. This is just what I needed.”

Her sister hugged her.

Birds chirped. Somewhere close, she heard the buzz of a bee. Leaves fluttered in a gentle breeze. This was the perfect spot to sit and drink it all in.

“MAH is one of Jaryk’s pet projects. He championed it and partially funded it. I contributed, too.”

“You did? How?” They hadn’t been on Kaldor very long.

“I told Jaryk the exhibit should have a bench.” Her lips twitched.

Karma giggled. “The most important part.”

A squirrel bounded across the grass, stopped in front of them, shook its tail, and scooted up the tree.

“A squirrel! There are animals, too?”

“Robotic ones. It would be too hard to keep live ones contained with people coming and going.”

“Makes sense.”

“Ready to see more?”

“Let’s do it.” With a lighter step, she followed her sister out of the habitat. “I have to admit, the museum is a unique idea. We can see other worlds without leaving the planet.”

“Exactly!” Kismet said. “Not everyone has the financial means to space-travel. Most people don’t. Wait until you see the next exhibit—”

“Karma, can I talk to you?” said a voice she hoped never to hear again.

She turned to face Soton. “Leave me alone! Haven’t you done enough?” She glowered. What were the odds she’d run into him again? Slim and none. She scanned the area for holocam drones. She didn’t see any, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

“I can explain—and I can help you. Can we talk, please?” His shoulders slumped, and his gaze beseeched in a perfect pantomime of contrition. She didn’t buy it.

“I have nothing to say to you.” She grabbed her sister’s arm. “Let’s go.” Her good mood vanished.

“We’ll go back to the palace,” Kismet agreed and shot a scowl of sisterly support at Soton. They rushed for the museum exit.

“I can get you off Kaldor!” Soton called. “There’s a ship leaving for Earth in two days. I can get you on it.”

His words whipped up a fury inside her. “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? You want nothing more than to split us up. You’re not going to. We’re married. We love each other.”

The faux contrition vanished. “Then, where is he?” Soton sneered. “Why isn’t he with you? He’s left you. His love must not be very deep if something I did had an effect.”

“You lost!” she charged “And you know you lost. If you were confident you’d split us up—you wouldn’t be here trying to get me to leave.

” Her marriage might be over, but she’d be damned if she gave this man satisfaction by admitting it.

“I’m going to be as polite as I can, but I want to be sure you understand me. Fuck. Off.”

He’s the most despicable man I’ve ever encountered. She and Kismet marched out of the museum. Before they exited, she tossed a glance over her shoulder to ensure they weren’t being followed. They speed-walked to the waiting hoverlimo.

“Palace of Kaldor, family entrance, west side,” Kismet ordered the vehicle. The hoverlimo lifted off. “What a nasty man.” She relaxed against the seat.

“He has it in for Falkor.” Shaken and miserable, Karma hunched her shoulders.

“The nerve of that guy! You handled the situation in the right way. I’m proud of you.”

“What if Falkor isn’t coming back?” she asked in a small voice.

“Don’t let that asshole get in your head.”

Too late. He’s already in. He’d weaseled in through a door wedged open by insecurity. Soton’s claims had struck where it hurt. “What if he’s right?”

“He’s not right. He’s stabbing in the dark. Falkor adores you. I know that for a fact.”

“He’s hurt—”

Kismet cut her off by lifting her hand. “Yes, but he still loves you.”

How could she believe that now?

“You have to wait until he comes home. He will come home because he loves you.”

“He thinks I cheated on him. Marriages break up over infidelity.”

“You weren’t unfaithful.”

“He thinks I was.”

“I’m not saying he’s not hurt and imagining the worst. He probably is. But he will come home. He has to. A prince is not going to move out of the palace and rent a fifth-floor walk-up. When he comes home, you two will talk, and he’ll see the light.”

She slumped in her seat. “The tarot cards predicted he’d leave.” Every night, she’d drawn a new one, and the prognostication got worse and worse.

“Tarot cards,” Kismet deadpanned. “You don’t happen to have them with you, do you?”

“Actually, I do.” They were one of the essentials she always carried.

“Can I see them?”

She undid the flap on her crossover bag and handed her sister the cards.

“Left rear window down,” Kismet ordered the vehicle.

The glass lowered, and her sister tossed the tarot cards out the window.

“My cards! What are you doing?” she cried.

“Window up.”

“I have another set.” Karma glowered.

“You have an unhealthy attachment to nonsense. Those cards can’t help you with your marriage. You need to talk it out with Falkor.”