Destin's Hold

Chapter 1-1

Chapter One

“No!” a low, tortured hiss escaped Destin as he fought against the paralyzing memories holding him prisoner.

He struggled to free his mind, caught between the realm of nightmares and consciousness, but couldn’t break free. After several long seconds that felt like an eternity, he jolted awake with a shudder and drew a deep breath into his starving lungs before slowly releasing it. Pushing up into a sitting position, he noticed he was tangled in the bed sheets.

Destin ran a hand over his sweat-dampened face before reaching to turn on the lamp next to the bed. It was missing. It took him a second to remember where he was and that the lighting system was still alien to him.

With a groan, he fell back against the pillows and drew in a series of deep, calming breaths, holding each one for several seconds before releasing the air in a slow, controlled rhythm. It was a meditation technique he read about years ago. He continued until he felt his pulse settle down to a normal rate.

A glance out the door told him it was still dark. He groaned and laid his arm across his eyes. He’d been up way too late last night or should he say this morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter the amount of sleep he got, his body was programmed to wake early.

Destin dropped his arm back to his side and stared up at the ceiling. It was smooth and undamaged. There were no patched places, no cracks, and no bare metal beams. The architects and engineers back home were slowly making progress, but home was nowhere near as nice as Rathon, the Trivator home world.

Throwing aside the twisted sheets, he rolled out of bed. The jogging pants he slept in hung low on his slender hips. He ran a hand over his flat stomach and curled his toes into the soft, plush mat under his feet before he began his daily stretching exercises.

The taut muscles in his neck, back, and shoulders bulged as he tried to work the tension out of them. He might not be as tall as his Trivator brother-in-law, but years of hard work and targeted training had made his body the perfect fighting machine. Scars crisscrossed his flesh, each one a testament to the challenges he had faced over the past seven years.

His arms rose and he stretched, enjoying the cool breeze blowing in from the open doors and caressing his bare back. He could smell the fragrant aroma from the flowers blooming in the garden just outside and the tangy scent of salt from the nearby ocean. The weather here was a balmy seventy degrees if he had to guess.

He turned toward the doors and closed his eyes, blocking out the view of the garden and its high protective walls designed to keep out the wildlife. He tilted his head and listened to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. It had been soothing last night, luring him to sleep, but now it felt relentless and violent, an echo of the adrenaline he woke up with.

Destin ran a hand down over his hard, flat abdomen again. His fingers traced a barely visible three-inch scar. It was a new one. He got it when a skittish street urchin fought to return to a building that was slowly collapsing.

Two years ago, he would have died from such a wound. He owed a huge thanks to Patch, the Trivator healer back on Earth. Patch had doctored him up, and after a few weeks of rest, Destin had been ready to travel off the planet.

He shook his head and opened his eyes. His travel through space to a distant world would have been unimaginable seven years before. It was hard to believe that Earth had received their first contact with aliens almost a decade ago. It was even harder for him to believe he was on an alien planet at the moment – at least until he looked around at the buildings and landscape. Twin moons, thick forests, flying transports, and bizarre creatures made him feel like he’d woken up in some alternate reality.

Destin turned and quietly made the bed. He grabbed a black T-shirt out of the drawer and pulled it over his head. He didn’t bother with shoes; he wouldn’t need them where he was going. Within minutes, he silently exited the house that belonged to his sister, Kali, and her Amate, Razor.

He crossed through the garden to the far gate. Punching the security code into the panel, Destin waited while the lock disengaged before he quietly slipped through. He made sure the gate was closed and the security system engaged before he turned along the path that led down to the beach. Both Razor and Kali had warned him to stay on the marked paths. He’d understood why after his arrival. From the air he’d gotten a brief glimpse of one of the wild animals that inhabited the planet. Destin was very glad the paths were secured against creatures like that.

The Trivators believed in living in harmony with the other creatures on the planet. They used only the areas they needed to live and kept large sections of green space. Most of the creatures were fairly harmless, but there were a few that were extremely dangerous – to both the Trivators and their enemies. Invaders would first face the dangers of the forests if they landed outside the protected cities.

The roads and walkways were kept safe by specially placed security markers embedded into the paths. The markers were programmed with the animals’ DNA. The embedded sensors detected when an animal approached the marked areas and a shield formed to stop the creatures from entering the path.

Destin didn’t understand all the specifics; he just knew that he didn’t want to tangle with that creature he had glimpsed from the air. The long tusks, six legs, and massive scaly body were formidable enough from a distance. He really did not want a closer look and was very happy that most travel on the planet was done by air.

The city he saw upon his arrival was magnificent. Large spiraling towers glittered with muted lights while transports moved along the ground and flew through the air. The tower on the far end spilled water from the top of the building in a dazzling waterfall into the Trivator-created reflection pond. Several of the transports disappeared under the reflection pool and reappeared on the other side. The more he saw, the more his excitement grew at the possibilities for Earth.

He paused at the top of the stone steps carved into the side of the cliff and looked out over the vast ocean. The sun wasn’t up yet, but there was enough light on the horizon to see the waves break on the outer reef. He stood still, appreciating the beauty and peacefulness of his surroundings.

Destin couldn’t remember the last time he had stopped to appreciate the beauty of anything. Death, destruction, fear, and responsibility had been his constant companion for as long as he could remember. He drew in a deep breath and released it.

No longer would that kind of destruction dominate his life. The Trivators’ first contact had plunged the Earth into a panicked chaos, but in the past two years, he began to see a change. Progress was being made to heal the wounds. For him, the most important indication that life was getting better was seeing his sister Kali’s glowing face and the living proof that there was hope for the future in his beautiful niece.

Originally, he had been reluctant to come, but Kali’s quiet plea and Tim’s, his second-in-command, assurance that the work Destin had done to restore a new Chicago would be carefully monitored by the team he had built convinced him that he needed the break. That reassurance, combined with his recent brush with death, reminded him of what was important – family. He felt like if he ever wanted a chance to see Kali again, and meet his niece, he had better rearrange his priorities. Until last night, he was convinced he had made the right decision. Now, he wasn’t so sure after hearing what happened on another alien world called Dises V.

Destin shook his head at his musings. No, even with what he knew now, he was still glad he had come to visit. Seeing Kali again and meeting Ami gave him a renewed purpose to return to Earth and fight for a better life for others.

Focusing on the stone path in front of him, he started down the stairs. He needed a good run to help clear his mind. He might as well enjoy the last few days he had here while he could. Once he returned to Earth, there was a city to rebuild and a lot of fires to put out, among other possible threats.

At the bottom, his feet sunk into the powdered, snow-white sand. He took off at a brisk pace down the long narrow beach beside the looming cliffs. For a brief moment, he was able to lose himself in the enjoyment of his surroundings and replace thoughts of his nightmares with dreams of something better – dreams of rebuilding his city and maybe, just maybe, finding someone to share it with.