Page 5 of Wayfinder (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #5)
It wasn’t hard to notice the respect Jala commanded. Crowds parted for her, issuing small bows and other gestures of admiration as we passed. Jutuk watched the proceedings with no small amount of sibling pride. It was apparent he adored his sister. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy.
He certainly took his protective duties seriously, staying close to my side, the hovering near-touch of his hand at the small of my back. Heat rolled off his body like a small radiator, and his scent reminded me of an exotic Moroccan spice blend and ocean air.
After Donovan, I made it a point to stay away from gorgeous men save for the occasional one-night stand.
I lost my head too easily to a pretty pair of eyes and a great ass.
.. especially if the guy could cook. I couldn’t deny Jutuk was hot.
.. otherworldly hot. And I couldn’t deny the faint tingle, like static electricity, that shot sparks along my spine every time his hand brushed my back.
Stop it, Pearl.
The guy was only here to protect me through the competition and get me back to my friends.
Jala led us to an open-air elevator that carried us three levels down to the docking bay within a manner of seconds. The space was massive, reminding me of Hartfield Jackson airport on the day after Christmas.
We navigated through the bustling crowd of diverse creatures and futuristic machinery, our destination a towering silver spaceship near the center.
Its size dwarfed the ship that had brought me to this foreign place, reminding me more of a grand cruise ship with at least three sprawling floors.
The metallic exterior gleamed in the artificial light, giving off an air of luxury and advanced technology, both intimidating and mesmerizing all at once.
Bringing us to within a few feet of the ramp, Jala paused and turned to face us. She smiled, but I noticed the worry making her gold eyes darker.
“I will leave you here. Good luck, human Pearl.” She laid a hand on her brother’s bicep while her other hand clasped mine tightly. “Be safe. Trust no one but each other.” With that, Jala turned on her heel and gracefully departed.
“Are you ready?” Jutuk asked in a rumble near my ear.
I nodded; my mouth suddenly too dry to speak.
Gently, in a touch so light it almost tickled, Jutuk closed his fingers around my upper arm and guided me onto the ship.
It wasn’t what I expected. The space kept with the facade of a luxurious cruise ship.
Glossy, wood-like paneling lined the walls, and soft carpet cushioned my every step.
As we reached the end of the hallway, the space suddenly opened up into a grand room with an impressive atrium.
My eyes roamed over the lavish furnishings and sparkling chandeliers, taking in every detail of the opulent space.
“Greetings, human Chef Pearl, and Vaktaire warrior.”
The voice came from all around, pleasant but definitely robotic.
“Hello?” I ventured while Jutuk scowled.
“I am the ship’s AI. If you will follow me to the common room, please.”
A flash of blue light indicated the way along the floor. Jutuk’s grip tightened on my arm, and his scowl deepened.
“Are you okay?” I hissed as we followed the lights.
“I’m not fond of ships run by AI. There is no privacy,” he murmured, keeping his voice low as though not to offend the neural network in question.
We trailed the shimmering blue lights to the far end of the grand chamber, where we turned left and passed through a set of ornately carved double doors.
Beyond them lay an expansive dining room, its atmosphere exuding elegance and charm.
Strategically placed round tables, adorned with crisp white linens and glistening silverware, dotted the polished stone floor.
At the far end of the room, a small dais stood prominently against the wall.
The soft glow from crystal chandeliers overhead bathed everything in a warm, inviting light, casting delicate shadows that danced along the walls.
Jutuk pulled me to a stop as we entered, allowing time for us to survey the other occupants as they surveyed us.
I recognized the lone creature standing on the dais from the Baron’s home.
Tall, and frog-like, with small dark eyes atop his head.
Deep purple robes draped his frame, and from the way he held himself, the creature tried to appear regal.
Didn’t work. Chancellor Qaimus was a smarmy bastard with an equally smarmy wife.
Thank goodness I didn’t notice her lurking about.
“Welcome, welcome, please join us.” The Chancellor gestured us forward as Jutuk purposefully led me to a table in the back, away from the others.
Chancellor Frog frowned at us before continuing. “Welcome to the competition! I am Chancellor Qaimus. I will be the facilitator of this event. Let me introduce our distinguished contestants.”
Qaimus moved to the first table, at which sat a small blue male swathed in yellow robes beside a tall, slender gray alien dressed in the same warrior-type garb as Jutuk, although he didn’t look nearly as impressive.
“Renowned Framaddi chef Rollak and his Romvesian assistant Turiak.”
The small blue male stood up and waved like he expected everyone to applaud. No one did.
“Heralded Framaddi chef Ala and her Aljani guard Etovar.” The Chancellor gestured at the next table and a tiny blue female.
She was a lighter shade than her male counterpart, a rather lovely shade of turquoise that sparkled with the deep green dress she wore.
Her eyes were dark blue, and thick navy hair fell over her shoulder in ringlets.
The male at her side was handsome with pale skin, platinum blonde hair, and what looked like two pearl horns sprouting from his forehead.
“Famed chef Uilay of the Kwado and his assistant Varsanal, also of the Kwado.” I recognized the chef as being the one I replaced at the Baron’s estate.
His guard seemed familiar as well, probably one of the dozens Baron Oappo employed.
Uilay’s slimy green lips turned into a definite frown as he caught me watching.
“Finally, we have human chef Pearl and Vaktaire warrior, Jutuk.” The Chancellor waved at our table as though we were an afterthought.
I could feel a half dozen eyes turn my way in a hateful glare.
Jutuk felt it, too, and he scooted closer, one muscular arm draping over the back of my chair.
Whether he meant the gesture to be protective or comforting, I couldn’t tell. Either way, I liked it.
“The rules are simple.” The Chancellor continued, sweeping his arms about dramatically.
“We travel to Letsako, a nearby moon where we will remain until the competition completes. The contest consists of three challenges, with one creature each from the land, sky, and sea. In each challenge, the chef and assistant must hunt, kill, butcher, and cook the designated sacrifice.”
Sacrifice? What the hell? His choice of words made my skin crawl.
Chancellor Qaimus waved his arm again, and what appeared to be a solid wall behind him shimmered into nothingness, revealing four separate kitchen areas.
The set-up was so familiar it made me wonder if perhaps someone had been watching the Food Channel.
The two blue aliens looked pleased, but the frog chef wore a deep frown.
“Each chef may make use of his or her shuttle kitchen or prepare the challenge in the wild.” Chancellor Qaimus continued.
“The group that completes the task first, with the most delicious dish, wins the challenge. The lowest-scoring chef in each challenge is disqualified. At the end of the competition, the winning chef has the honor of preparing a special dish for Duke Ako during his birthday celebration as well as winning the title of Best Chef in the Universe.”
Honestly, it didn’t sound too hard once you got past the hunting and killing part.
Jutuk was by far the most impressive-looking warrior, so the hunting and killing might not prove an issue.
Based on the way the other participants shot eye-daggers at me, my biggest challenge might be staying alive.
Again, with Jutuk at my back, I wasn’t too worried.
“The first challenge will begin at dawn.” The Chancellor announced. “You will be served dinner in your chambers. I suggest you all get some rest. Here’s to a great contest. The AI will direct you.”
“Human chef Pearl and Vaktaire Warrior. Please follow the blue light to your quarters.” The AI voice, which sounded suspiciously like Siri, spoke quieter this time, not to compete with the instructions being given to the other contestants.
Jutuk held my chair as I rose, his hand once again gently gripping my upper arm as we followed the blinking blue light. Apparently, each team had its own color; alongside the bright blue pulsating on the floor were shades of red, green, and yellow.
The light led us away from the common room, down the twists and turns of a long hallway, stopping and flashing steadily outside two side-by-side doorways.
Jutuk reached out and waved his hand over a small black panel, and the door whished open.
The room was pristine in shades of white and gray.
The walls seemed fabricated with the same odd plastic and metal amalgamation I’d noticed throughout the ship.
It held a queen-sized bed on one side and a small sitting area on the other.
The furniture was odd, modernistic with sharp lines, but appeared comfortable.
On the far wall a bank of windows offered a wide view and the sudden shift from the docking bay to space startled me. I hadn’t realized we were moving.
“Well, goodnight,” I offered, stepping into the room. Turning to make sure the door closed, I gasped as Jutuk entered behind me.
“Ummm, what are you doing?”
The warrior grunted as he walked to the futuristic softa and unarmed himself, dropping the assortment of blades on a nearby table.
“I will sleep here.” He nodded at the sofa.