Page 11 of Interstellar Love Song (Villains in Space #3)

MICAH

Unlike when Uulvin had unmasked Ziggy as one of the most feared creatures in the galaxy—and trapped his tendrils inside him in response— this psychic didn’t seem particularly pressed about our true identities.

“Please, help yourself to some refreshments before we begin.” The Xuni— Sedo —waved a gnarled hand at a wooden sideboard as they crossed the open-air treehouse lodge perched on the edge of a cliff that served as Groot Guru HQ.

Don’t mind if I do!

Being a feral sex beast uses up a lot of calories.

“This tastes like the chai lattes you enjoy.” Ziggy pointed at a steaming mug of black liquid before glancing down at a plate of neon green squares and scrunching his adorable little Groot face. “While these are similar to… cinnamon sugar cookies back home.”

Since the infamous Corpus spongiosum incident, Zig had done his best to tell me more about what I was eating beforehand—by comparing the food or drink to something Earthside.

Which he just referred to as “home.”

Instead of calling out this incredibly important moment in front of the Groot Guru, I decided to act totally normal about it.

While screaming on the inside.

“Sounds like snickerdoodles.” I kept my expression as neutral as possible. “Like what Zion calls Balty sometimes.”

“A ridiculous nickname,” Ziggy scoffed. “But what does one expect from an oversized lizard who’s been hit on the head too many times?”

Such a hater.

“And sunshine is so much better, hmm?” I teased, even though I loved that he called me that.

Almost as much as babygirl.

“It is,” Ziggy hissed, all worked up and sexy as fuck about it. “Because you smell like sunshine and taste like sunshine. You are the living embodiment of sunshine.”

Yes, I could have explained that my brother would probably say the same about sugar cookies and his mate, but then we’d be here all day.

I also wasn’t sure whether Zig was just misplacing his emotions because Balty was newly knocked up and he wasn’t. While I’d just reminded my man I loved him no matter what, I knew damn well baggage didn’t just magically pack itself up and leave on the first try.

We’ll continue working on those big feelings.

Dr. Micah never sleeps.

Keeping things light for now, I stepped forward and booped where his nose would be. “And that’s why you are known as Space Daddy. Because you are my big, strong, skerry intergalactic protector. My?—”

“Stellar collision,” Sedo interrupted as they gracefully draped themselves, cross-legged onto a low stool made of petrified wood. “Not only the first connection of its kind in countless eons but the very connection that freed an entire planet from a previously unchallenged military dictatorship.”

Ziggy groaned and dropped his face into his hands, but I perked right up— always ready to encourage my man to accept what a famous bad bitch he was.

“You heard about that, huh?” I grinned wildly. “Even way out here, you know what a hero the Stellarian Ziggy Andromeda is to his own people.”

“Enough…” my hero whispered as he followed me to the floor pillows lined up in front of the stool.

True to form, Ziggy chose to stand and loom, but I was more than happy to rest my boots while enjoying some space chai and snickerdoodles.

And hopefully gather some useful intel.

“So, how did you hear about what happened on Stellaria?” I asked, not so subtly giving the conversation a little nudge in the right direction.

The Hy Phae tilted their head. “If you are asking how the Xunis’ powers work, it is simple. We tap into the collective well to witness what has been and to hear whispers of what is to come.”

“The collective well…” Ziggy murmured, recognition flickering through our bond. “Yes, my maker told me?—”

“Astrum Force’s Head Commander,” Sedo cut in again—a statement, not a question.

Ziggy nodded curtly to the not-question, before continuing on his original path. “My maker told me Stellarians were once more psychically connected than we are now. At least, connected enough to recognize when one of our own was inhabiting another vessel.”

Sedo nodded once in confirmation. “Indeed… and stellar collision bonds have always increased the potential for collaboration.”

My stellar collision had gone eerily still. “Collaboration?”

Definitely a question.

Sedo inclined their leafy head. “Creativity thrives on collaboration—however that may manifest. In your case, it is with your stellar collision, but True Stellarians used to collaborate with each other as well. Your maker was a True Stellarian, no?”

Again, not a question.

Ziggy shifted on his root-like feet, although he was taking the interrogation surprisingly well.

“Only for about 300 of their 10,000 years. While they can vaguely sense when a vessel they’re encountering has a Stellarian inside, my maker never indicated that they’ve managed to tap into this… collective well. ”

The Xuni hummed thoughtfully and paused to take a sip of their own space chai.

“I imagine not. That sort of multi-plane awareness would require a stellar collision bond, followed by a merging of consciousness. At that point, the mind’s eye is open enough to not only communicate with their mate within a closed connection but send and receive transmissions via the more communal collective well. ”

Oh, boy.

While I was eating up this witchy woo, I could tell it was already too much for Ziggy. “You mentioned a shortage of stellar collision bonds…” I steered the hippie ship to safer waters. “We can’t be the only ones, right?”

Sedo silently stared at me for an unnerving amount of time before replying, “I sense a version of stellar collision bonds has become quite the phenomenon on your home planet, little Gaian.”

I was confused by the reference—and never mind how they’d sensed that—until I remembered the Lacertus referring to Earth as Gaia.

How many of these aliens know we exist?!

“Y-yeah,” I stuttered, slightly freaked out, despite Earth being full of superpowered alphaholes who loved a good turf war. “Although, we call it an inventus bond, and it’s more about power-sharing between two practically invincible super-Gaians who you totally wouldn’t want to mess with.”

That should do it.

“Interesting…” Sedo mused, taking another sip of chai. “That is certainly different from what you have personally experienced, hm m? Your particle leaping abilities are not from your mate but your heritage.”

It was my turn to freeze. “I… no. The star hopping and tendrils and… flying only became a thing after Ziggy embedded a piece of his core inside me.”

I could have sworn the Xuni was smiling behind their mug—as much as a mushroom-tree creature could. “Coexisting with your stellar collision simply awakens dormant energies. Everything you have ever needed was already inside you.”

That sounds familiar.

Leeloo had said almost the exact same thing the first time they trained me—before I realized they knew exactly what Ziggy and I were.

Because the Eki arrived on Earth before the Stellarians did…

My stomach sank at the implications. “Are you saying my new abilities aren’t because I have Stellarian DNA?”

Sedo looked surprised. “I assumed you knew you had mostly Eki powers running through your veins.”

It shouldn’t have been shocking—or as disappointing as it was—but I felt tears prick my eyelids anyway. Leeloo had also said, “You simply need to trust what you are made of,” but that didn’t help with how I was feeling at the moment.

I want us to be the same!

“Micah…” Ziggy gently said, but I refused to look at him.

My stellar collision—if we could even call him that anymore—had made it clear he wished I was a Stellarian like he was. Discovering I was planted on a totally different branch of the family tree felt like a punch in the gut.

“Well…” I sniffled and wiped my nose on my sleeve, dignity be damned. “I guess this explains why the only reason I can glow and respond to your resonance is thanks to the piece of you inside me.”

Ziggy awkwardly folded himself onto one of the cushions beside me. “But you wouldn’t be able to hear my resonance if you didn’t have Eki DNA, sunshine. Leeloo said their kind can hear it, just not create it themselves for some reason.”

“It is because the Eki have no need to signal that they are in an unmarked vessel—since they can create their own,” Sedo patiently explained. “The Eki are also able to see different auras above a vessel that alert them to their brethren, the Stellarians.”

Oh.

Well, that explains what we saw in the lava tube cave paintings…

And my random party trick.

It was immediately after kissing Ziggy when I started seeing the faint aura surrounding him and other Stellarians. This confirmed it was my dormant powers awakening, and they became stronger the more we…

Holy fuck.

I’m a SEX WIZARD!

My gaze shot to Sedo, suddenly terrified they were mind-reading psychics like the Hydrassians, but the Xuni looked as serene as they had when confronting us in the hedge maze .

Shroom Guru Zen Master.

“Does this ‘dormant power awakening’ go both ways?” I asked, genuinely curious while bracing myself for more disappointment.

Ziggy hadn’t suddenly acquired the ability to manipulate inorganic matter like I could, which he would have had we both been two supes with an inventus bond back on Earth.

While physically and mentally connecting with each other had apparently awakened my dormant Eki skills, it sounded like my Space Daddy was getting the short end of the stick in this situation.

“Of course!” Sedo chuckled before turning to give Zig the guru stare down. “Have you tapped into the collective well yet?”

“No,” Ziggy scoffed. “I haven’t suddenly developed the ability to receive grand visions of the future?—”

“Disguised as dreams, perhaps?” the Xuni smoothly replied, and we both froze.

Theo said Stellarians don’t dream…

I guess the ones who’ve leveled up do.