Page 34 of Guardian’s Heart (Space Guardian’s Mate #1)

NOVA

I was nervous when we landed on Astrionis. It was a strange planet with oversized, gnarly roots, which Zaarek explained weren't roots but rocks. Rocks that grew! And, not only that, the insides were hollow, making up homes for Pandraxians and humans. They were magnificent, large as high-rises, some arched over the ground, some twisted, and they seemed to be everywhere in all sizes.

The grass was so high that it reached my shoulders, and each blade was as thick as my arm.

"Welcome to Astrionis," a human woman, accompanied by a tall man with reddish, metallic skin, who I had learned belonged to the Pandraxian species and was none other than Garth, the Lord Protector of Astrionis. "I'm Silla." The woman held her hand out.

I suspected she was more than just Silla, judging by her husband's title, but she grew in my estimations with her simple introduction.

"Hi, I'm Nova, and that's Zaarek and Nock," I introduced my companions.

"The humans I rescued are on the cantankerous side, Lord Protector," Zaarek warned Garth.

"Thank you. They will find a home here. Not all rescued humans are appreciative at first." Garth nodded, turning his attention to the eight humans. "Welcome. My steward will take you to your new accommodations and help you get settled in."

Without a backward glance, the eight of them left, following the other Pandraxian.

"And you two are mated," Silla stated more than questioned.

"How… oh, the marks." I self-consciously wiped at my markings.

"Just like the other Space Guardian. Curious, isn't it, Garth?" Silla turned to her husband.

"Other Space Guardian," Nock inquired.

"Vra—Yes," Garth provided, not appearing as happy as Silla about it. "I imagine you're going off chasing comet's trails like your associate?"

"I'm not following." Zaarek frowned at the Lord Protector.

"They don’t talk to each other," I filled Garth and Silla in.

"Oh," Silla nodded as if that explained it all.

"I mean, you’re going to suspend your hunt for more humans in order to find out where those markings came from," Garth explained.

"No, of course—"

"Yes," I interrupted Zaarek. "Is that a problem?"

"Since the Emperor is paying for four Space Guardians to rescue as many humans as possible, and now fifty percent of them are abandoning their mission, vra, that's a problem."

"Garth," Silla chided.

Zaarek glared at me with a that's why I didn't want to say anything expression, and I shrugged. I liked Silla and, to some extent, Garth, and not only because they were saving humankind. I didn't like the idea of lying to them.

"Let's not say abandon. Let's call it pausing." I tried my most charming smile at the Lord Protector.

But Garth's attention was riveted on Zaarek. "Is that so?"

"I promise, on my honor, that I will continue rescuing as many humans as possible as soon as I figure out what these mating marks are," Zaarek swore.

"Can you vouch for Raasla as well?" Garth cocked his head.

"Raasla is the other Space Guardian?" Zaarek checked.

"They really don't know about each other?" Silla asked me, and I shook my head.

Garth nodded at the same time.

"I will talk to him. I cannot promise anything for certain on his behalf, but my brothers and I are honorable males. I'm sure he will keep his end of the bargain," Zaarek assured Garth.

Silla nudged her husband, who sighed and looked so lovingly at her. I had to stop my hands from flying to my chest because the sight was so heartwarming.

"You aren't the one who will have to deal with Daryus if this gets out," Garth groaned.

That he was on a first-name basis with the emperor assured me that whatever repercussions would come the Lord Protector's way wouldn't be too harsh.

Silla shrugged. "He has mellowed since he married Heather."

"Some but not fully." Garth didn't look convinced,

At my questioning expression, Nock explained, "Emperor Daryus is famous for his… volatile temper."

"Hah, volatile." Garth scoffed. "Hiding inside an active volcano is preferable to being in the same room with Daryus when he explodes."

I looked at Silla, who nodded in agreement. "But don't feel bad. We'll handle it. I promise."

Looking at the situation from Garth and Silla's point of view, they were going out of their way to help us. It was true the emperor was paying a lot of money to save humanity. Not only that, when I thought about all the humans out there, having been taken by the Cryons and taken God knew where. Waiting, hoping, praying for a miracle, I wondered how selfish Zaarek and I were being not doing what we could in helping them.

"Don't feel bad. If I've learned one thing since the Cryons took me from Earth, it's that there seems to be something deeper at play here. Like a guiding force." Silla cringed. "You probably think I'm a raging lunatic."

"Not at all," I reassured her, holding out my arm with the marks. "I would have laughed on Earth if someone told me about mating marks or soulmate bonds."

"That is really cool, may I?" Silla asked, waiting for my nod before lightly brushing over my marks. Just like when I touched them, my skin didn't feel any different, not like when Zaarek touched them.

"Why don't we have something cool like this?" Silla turned accusingly to Garth.

"We can get tattoos if you like." He shrugged.

His metallic skin shimmered under the sunlight, looking beautiful and magnificent. I was curious about the lines running over his skin, looking like honeycombs, but I knew there was no polite way to ask about them.

"Do they feel different to you?" Silla asked.

"Uhm." My face turned red, and she laughed.

"Sorry, my curiosity sometimes gets the better of me. How about you three come inside? I ordered the cook to prepare a good meal for you. I imagine you're starved for some real food after those atrocious food dispensers."

"Oh, am I ever," I groaned.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Silla took my arm and guided me toward the largest rock-root, which was easily the length of four football fields—if not more—and as tall as a mountain. Another arched over it, and I was sure that from the sky, it must have looked like a giant, uneven X .

Only when we came closer, I noticed smaller root-rock formations underneath and that the ground around it had been paved.

A large moat with a bubbling lava-like substance surrounded the entire structure. Silla turned and called over her shoulder at the men. "Are you coming?" Before she led me over a real-life drawbridge. When we reached the main building, rock, root, whatever it was called, I couldn't stop myself from touching it.

"Aren't they magnificent?" Silla asked.

It didn't feel like either root or rock. Well, a little like rock, but… it was hard to explain, rocks always felt cold to me, whereas trees felt alive in some way. Not like a person or animal, just… I don't know, breathing?

"Come, let me show you." Silla pulled me inside, and I was greeted by the most stunning sight yet. Zaarek had told me that the Pandraxians lived in the root-rocks, but I hadn't imagined this.

Most of the inside was hollowed out. Long, winding stairways led up to many multileveled mezzanines, where I made out knotted doors leading to presumably private quarters.

We kept walking until we were underneath one of the giant arches. Here, too, multileveled mezzanines ran up the walls all the way to the ceiling, but the center was a giant hall with tables and enormous fireplaces, making me think of the feasting hall inside a medieval castle or what I had imagined they would have looked like.

Candles flickered, illuminating the large area brighter than I would have thought possible. Giant tapestries hung from the uneven walls; niches had been carved and were filled with candles and knickknacks.

Several tables had been arranged like an upside-down horseshoe, filled with plates and cups. Silla directed me toward the head of the tables, where two chairs sat slightly elevated. "Here, sit by me." She padded the chair next to one of the elevated ones.