Mad Panther: Alien Guardians of Earth #2

1In the palace of Queen Nyomi, leader of the Alien Guardians of Earth… Sugar thought of herself as a laid back kind of person—the kind who went with the flow instead of fighting it. The result was a less stressful life which let her sleep better. Normally. Tonight, action dreams where she was fighting had kept her tossing and turning for hours. On top of that, she’d had weirdly vivid dreams of rock walls and stone terraces. During it, part of her had felt like she was walking in the ruins of some ancient city. This was a fairly common dream for her because she was an archaeologist, but usually she knew where she was. Tonight she hadn’t stayed in the dream long enough. After being jolted awake several times had come other dreams. Dreams of freaking numbers. Precise dreams of 13.1631 degrees south and 72.5450 degrees west. How weird was that? Wait though… Sugar rolled over in bed and groaned quietly. Those numbers were more than regular numbers. Those numbers were grid coordinates. But to where? Since she wasn’t able to sleep, Sugar decided that she might as well go to the library and find out. She lifted the giant male arm thrown across her body and laid it gently on the bed as she slid from under it. Luckily, there was no worry about waking her snoring lover. Axel always slept deeply after the kind of s*x they’d indulged in last evening. She knew from their months of being together that Axel wouldn’t wake up until late in the day tomorrow, probably not until mid-afternoon even. Her half-alien guardian remained in human form for her most of the time, but his feline side loved, loved, loved to nap. Sugar grabbed her robe from a nearby chair and padded barefoot across their bedroom to her growing closet of clothing. The trouble caused by the ancient artifact buried in her chest had cost her all her previous possessions. Not long ago, she’d been forced to wear the discarded clothing from Axel’s past conquests. She smiled and glanced at the handsome male filling her bed. Sleeping with an actual Lyran prince had brought her many surprising perks. Among the best of them was that she now had enough gorgeous clothes that she could change daily for several weeks without wearing the same outfit twice. Her hands reached for items on auto-pilot. Sugar smirked at the functional denim thrown over her arm and at the multiple layering shirts now in her hands. Her arms filled up long before her mind grasped the significance of the choices. Apparently, she was getting some help dressing from the sentient blade she was still coming to terms with, but there was no use getting angry at the artifact over the clothing intervention. The sentient blade she hosted had taught her a whole new level of patience. She’d learned to go with the flow because it was less trouble in the long run. “Hey, Artifact? Got something to tell me?” she whispered softly as she consciously gathered warm socks and sturdy boots as well. They matched the rest of her ensemble. Affirmative. Surprise pending. “Surprise? Right—like that’s something new,” Sugar quietly grumbled. State problem to correct communication. Sugar shook her head. “Forget I said anything snarky. Save your surprise until I’m dressed and out of earshot of my alien cat, okay?” Request acknowledged. Haste necessary. Protector Sugar needed. Sugar nodded again. As a sentient blade host, Protector Sugar was her identity whether she was happy about the fact or not. Dreading the artifact once again taking control of her body, Sugar ran an agitated hand over her shorter hair. Axel hated that she kept cutting it off so short these days, but long hair and fight training hadn’t worked out for her. No one had forcibly dragged her down by her ponytail in a long damn time and she liked it that way. Prince Picky was just going to have to deal with her butch look. It sure hadn’t seemed to slow down his libido any. Fearing to make too much noise dressing, Sugar bundled her clothing and slid her boots inside a light-weight brown leather jacket before letting herself quietly out in the hallway. A night guard passed by and bowed politely. Sugar inclined her head as she shoved her clothing bundle under her arm in an attempt to shield what she carried. She summoned the benevolent smile she’d been forced to develop for the sake of all those living in Nyomi’s alien queendom. “Good evening. I couldn’t sleep,” Sugar explained quickly. “I thought I’d go to the library—didn’t want to wake the sleeping prince with my restlessness.” The guard bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Long live, Prince Axel of Rodu, firstborn son of Queen Nyomi and future leader…” Sugar ran swiftly to the guard and put a hand over his mouth. She was careful not to touch his feline whiskers, or she’d have him screaming in pain. “You know what? I’d like to live long as well. He’s a very cranky feline when he doesn’t get his rest. Let’s not wake Prince Axel up with our talking, okay?” At his nod, Sugar moved her fingers away. “Good. Now, as I said, I’m headed to the library.” “Long live, Dr. Sugar Jennings, Ancient Earth Historian and…” “Shhh…” Sugar hissed loudly, putting a finger over her lips. “Let’s not worry about protocol tonight. Continue your…” she flicked her hand as she waved at the hallway, “your prowling—I mean, your guard duty.” Sugar smiled when the guard ignored her sarcastic description of his duties and bowed his head once again. She took advantage of him finally looking away and moved soundlessly down the metal hall as fast as she could. One of the first abilities the artifact had given her was greater speed. Hopefully, she’d moved too swiftly for the guard to have caught her robe billowing open to reveal her nakedness. Public nudity wasn’t condoned here any more than it was on Earth. She hastily waved her hand over the security panel of the library and entered when she heard the click of the lock releasing. “Finally. I thought you’d never get here.” The deep masculine voice came from someone sitting in her favorite chair and almost startled Sugar into screaming. Luckily, she’d gotten better about being caught off-caught. “Damn it, Rodu. I nearly had a heart attack when you spoke to me,” Sugar chastised, bringing a hand to her racing heart. She glared at the near replica of the male she’d just snuck away from who was also a fellow sentient blade host. “You’re dressed for travel, Rodu. Where are you going this time of night?” Rodu snorted and pointed to the clothing clutched to Sugar’s chest. “Same place you are. My blade informed me that you'd been given our travel coordinates. Despite not yet knowing the destination or how to handle my blade choosing not to inform me, I took the liberty of acquiring our transport anyway.” “Transport? Is it a flying saucer like Axel’s? I don’t remember riding in his flying machine. Both times I was in it I was knocked out. Gina told me they’re really cool.” “You can trust it’s a suitable transport for our task which is the critical information you need to know at the moment,” Rodu said with an eye roll. “Why didn’t you dress in your room?” Sugar grunted. “If I had accidentally woke up your son, it would have taken hours to get away from him. Plus, I only thought I was coming to the library to check out the numbers that keep flashing in my head. My blade didn’t say anything about me having to go somewhere.” Rodu grunted his disbelief. His reaction made Sugar smile. Axel might be half-alien, but there were times he acted just like his human father. They both had a chest-thumping arrogant male thing they did when they attempted to bend the world and everything in it to their will. Such a macho attitude in Rodu drove Queen Nyomi crazy, but Sugar found it easy to ignore her mentor’s masculine anger. When it came to Rodu’s son though, Sugar reacted quite differently. Axel was so very sure of himself that his chest-thumping amused her. Good thing she found him humorous because it would be highly problematic, not to mention tiring, to have to kick Axel’s half-alien ass every damn day. Her mind had obviously wandered too far off track because Rodu was now glaring at her. Sugar giggled as she ducked behind a stack of books to get dressed. “So do you have them or not?” Rodu demanded. “Have what?” Sugar asked. One of the servants would find her robe in the morning and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d left her clothing in the library. Axel had a habit of tracking her down there and seducing her away from her work. A series of numbers suddenly appeared again in her mind. “Oh… you mean the coordinates?” The artifact’s abilities were a kind of magic she never took for granted. She didn’t wait for Rodu to make a sarcastic reply. “13 point 1631 degrees south and 72 point 5450 degrees west. I haven’t had time to look up where that is on the map. The artifact said I was going to be surprised.” Sugar heard one of the workstations chiming softly as Rodu punched in the numbers. “Huh,” she heard him say. “What is it, Rodu? They’re longitude and latitude, right?” “Machu Picchu—specifically those coordinates are inside the Temple Of The Moon. There appears to be a door carved into a rock wall at that exact spot.” Sugar carried her socks and boots out to find a seat where she could put them on. “What are we supposed to do? Go there right now?” “You tell me, Protector. The Destroyer blade hasn’t withheld information from me in hundreds of years.” “Guess our blades must want us to work together on this.” “That would be the logical conclusion from their machinations,” Rodu answered. Sugar grinned as she fastened both her boots and stood. “You know something? You’re every bit as cranky as your son when something wakes you up from sleeping.” “You can’t be awakened if you haven’t been to sleep. I couldn’t rest because of the urgency I have for us to be underway. We should leave as soon as you’re finished dressing,” Rodu said, as he turned to erase his original search from the workstation. “Leave? Without telling anyone?” Sugar asked, surprised by his suggestion that they sneak away. “Do you want to explain going to Machu Picchu in the middle of the night to two cranky cats and a whole army of those in their service who’ll all insist on going along? I’ve found it much easier to explain my absence after I return, and far easier to discover what is happening without the distraction of Nyomi and her elite. The Royals will both get mad over our departure, but they’ll get over it. It’s beyond time Axel learns to trust the power inside you.” “Well, when you put it like that…” Sugar said with a sigh. “Okay. I guess I’m ready to go. The numbers keep flashing in my brain like a Las Vegas sign. I’m not able to ignore them. I wasn’t sleeping either.” “Precisely. That’s how it works,” Rodu explained but stopped them at the door. He turned to look down at the one human who was connected to him in a way no other being had been in his long life. “Does Axel’s reaction to your departure truly worry you?” Sugar chuckled a little. “Not like you’re probably thinking, but some I guess. He’s used to protecting me, so he’s going to be one mad panther when he finds out. Axel doesn’t even like me doing the fight training. Going off on a mission with you and without him tagging along? Yeah, I imagine that’s definitely going to piss him off.” Rodu nodded. “I understand your dilemma. Despite his advanced age in human years, Axel is more child than you are at times. Fine—you can formulate a transmission to send him once we’re underway.” “I can what… ?” Sugar asked as she laughed. “Speak English, Rodu. Earth English—the kind I can understand.” “I was speaking of a note, Sugar. You can send Axel a communication from the airship explaining that the blade called you to duty tonight. Tell him he’ll have to get used to it happening now and again. He’ll seek out Nyomi who will explain it to him.” “Oh,” Sugar said as she picked up speed. Rodu moved faster than his son did when in panther form. “Okay. That should work. I guess.” Rodu grunted. “It may ease your guilt at leaving, but don’t count on it working to maintain peace in your relationship. My eldest and his mother are… they are…” “Emotionally complicated people?” Sugar suggested. “I suppose that is nicer than calling them clingy,” Rodu said with a shrug. “Clingy?” Sugar snorted at the term, snickered at Rodu’s frustrated expression, then let herself actually laugh even if Rodu thought she was rude. “Axel is a bit clingy. Guess I don’t mind it most of the time.” Rodu didn’t answer. Nor did he laugh with her. He just picked up more speed as they headed for the “transport” he’d arranged. They entered what appeared to be an enormous area where not only one but at least ten flying vehicles were stored. They varied in size and shape, but all of them seemed like something from a science fiction movie. Some floated and were tethered to the floor by chains. Others had wheels like airplanes used. Sugar’s gaping mouth closed as Rodu went directly to one and walked up its open ramp without stopping. Her boots ringing on the ramp’s metal surface echoed in the giant room as she followed him. The idea of actually flying somewhere in the machine gave her goosebumps. Her excitement doubled again when she buckled herself into the passenger seat and listened to Rodu start up the engine. Why had none of the guards tried to stop them from leaving? All the guards they saw along the way just bowed their heads to her and Rodu and went back to their tasks. Their craft rolled out into the open space in the center of the area. It got airborne before Sugar could gasp and shot out of a long tunnel opening into the middle of what looked like a thousand stars. Wherever they were, something she still didn’t know, it was nighttime. She peered out of a window that didn’t let her see far through the darkness and wondered again where the Lyran palace was located. As if to mock her attempts to discover her whereabouts, seconds later the craft was flying down through clouds and leveling out like a plane. “Are you ever going to tell me where the palace is located?” Sugar asked. “Not if I hope to keep sharing Nyomi’s bed,” Rodu answered. Sugar laughed at his reasoning, but she believed it too. She had no doubt Axel’s mother would make Rodu pay dearly if he told. “I’m going to figure it out, you know. It’s just a matter of time.” “It’s been over ten months, and you still haven’t,” Rodu pointed out. Grinning over how sure everyone was about her remaining in the dark, Sugar leaned back in her seat and got comfortable. She knew something they obviously didn’t know, which was that finding out secrets was a way of life for her. She’d just have to pay more attention to their return trip. All she could really see at that moment was what was out the front window of the craft. The view was expansive though, and she really did feel like she was flying through clouds. As she wondered about why they were headed to Machu Picchu, all thoughts of a potentially mad panther left her mind.