SV Fic: 1,001 Kryptonian Nights (Chlark, Adult), Chapter 4/5??
For those readers who are still patiently hanging onto the edge of that evil cliffie I left you on in Chapter Three, I have good news: The wait is OVER. *G*
As you recall, we left our intrepid harem girl Chloe just as she'd fallen into Sultan Kal-El's mysterious crystal. Whatever will she find there? And will Kal-El rescue her?
This part's pretty much rated PG, but never fear, more smut will be on the way before long. :) From here, I think there will be only one chapter or, at most, two.
This fic is lovingly dedicated to my lj friend butifulyletdown, and most of it has, thankfully, enjoyed the beta-ing of the World's Best Beta-er, aka the amazingly talented laurelnola.
Feedback? It'd make a great birthday present. Not that my b-day's tomorrow or anything. *Whistles*
And so, I give you the latest entry in SV's version of the "Arabian Nights." I hope you enjoy!! :)
Read the whole story from the beginning here.
Read the last chapter here.
Chapter Four
For a heart-stopping minute, Chloe hurtled through the spinning void, squeezing her eyes shut against the blinding brightness. Then, as quickly as it had started, the dizzying sensation stopped. Chloe felt her sandaled feet touch down softly on a smooth, cool surface.
The light beating against her eyelids seemed to have dimmed, and the only sound she heard was her own unsteady breath. Teetering on wobbly knees, Chloe cautiously cracked open one eye to inspect her surroundings.
Both eyes widened in amazement as they took in the impossible sight before her. Her head tilted back and she gazed up at a vaulted chamber that dwarfed the tallest tower of the Sultan’s Citadel, realizing that she’d left behind all trace of the world she’d known.
It wasn’t just because the massive beams jutting upwards at crazy angles seemed to be made of ice. She still had distant memories of ice from her childhood in the North, even though she’d lived in the desert for years. But she’d never seen ice like this.
This ice was…alive. Each soaring, crystalline beam seemed to be lit from within by a blue-white flame which pulsed at regular intervals, like a heartbeat. Where one beam crossed another, they cast long, pulsating shadows across the glassy surface on which Chloe stood.
Next to those shadows, her own looked no bigger than a speck. Stretching over broad steps and under radiant archways, they disappeared into the remote recesses of the hall.
Briefly, it occurred to her that she ought to be cold. It was, she decided, one more puzzling thing about this strange place.
As she peered upwards, trying to see the exact point where the beams met to form the distant ceiling, a vague thought swam up from her memory. Hadn’t Kal-El mentioned something about growing up in a palace in the North?
Even minus the cold, Chloe mused, this would certainly qualify. Like Kal-El himself, this palace was one-of-a-kind.
Nervously, Chloe peered through the gigantic beams in search of any sign of life apart from the strangely glowing ice formations. Almost at once, her attention was caught by a massive platform, or table, that seemed to be located near the center of the hall. Made of the same translucent material as the beams, it thrust out from the floor at a sharp angle. Like the beams, its surface was ridged and irregular, as if it had grown from the chamber naturally. Looking at it, Chloe thought fleetingly of the wind-sculpted rocky outcrops in the desert wastes.
Except no desert rock in existence had ever been adorned with a collection of glittering crystalline spikes like the one she saw now. The table was literally covered with them; she stared in fascination at the gleaming clusters of ruby, sapphire, and topaz.
Hesitantly, she took a step toward them, and they began to sparkle just as the crystal in Kal-El’s apartments had before she’d fallen into its trap.
She fell back instantly, feeling a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature. Her eyes riveted to the ominous table, she hugged herself tightly.
“It is illogical for you to feel cold,” a voice boomed from out of nowhere, breaking the chamber’s near-total silence. “You have no physical presence here.”
Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat. The deep bass notes of the voice still reverberated in the hall’s farthest corners as her eyes swept the chamber in search of its source.
“Where are you?” she demanded, although she was unsure whether knowing the answer would make her less afraid, or more. “Who are you?”
“I am the memory of Kal-El’s father. You may call me ‘Jor-El.’”
So, Chloe thought, unsurprised, she’d been right. This was Kal-El’s palace.
But that still left a lot to explain. Unable to locate anyone or anything else to talk to, she cocked her head inquisitively at the glowing table. “What do you mean, ‘no physical presence’?”
A ripple of light flashed across the jagged gemstones on top of the table. “It is a difficult concept for a human to grasp,” the voice answered with exaggerated patience, as if she were five and had just asked why the sky was blue. “Your consciousness is here, but your body is not.”
Chloe felt her jaw set stubbornly. “It’s not that hard,” she informed him curtly, rankled by his patronizing tone. “You mean your crystal put a spell on me or something. I’m not really here.” She looked around pointedly at the cavernous, empty space and turned back to face the table. “And apparently neither are you.”
There was a small silence. When the voice spoke again, it was with the faintest hint of grudging respect. “Very well-reasoned, for a human.”
Brushing aside the half-baked compliment, Chloe asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. “Why did you bring me here?”
Was that a sigh? She wasn’t sure. “I assume Kal-El has noticed that you have a fondness for questions,” he commented drily.
The jewel-toned spikes twinkled softly, which Chloe took as a sign that Kal-El’s father was enjoying a laugh at her expense. Watching the patterns of light dance across the table, she made the interesting discovery that, imaginary or not, her cheeks could still blush.
Straightening, she replied, with as much dignity as she could muster, “I haven’t heard any complaints so far.”
Apparently relenting, Kal-El’s father answered her question. “I sensed your presence when you first arrived in Kal-El’s chambers. Your mind is unusually strong for a human.”
Chloe chose to take that as a compliment. “Umm…thank you,” she replied politely, remembering her first encounter with the glowing crystal. “That must have been yesterday.”
“Time is meaningless to me,” he said dismissively.
Chloe, busy with her thoughts, only half-heard him. “I suppose that’s why the servants are so frightened of that crystal. How many of them have you brought here to have a chat?”
“None. There was no need.”
Her brows shot up. “In that case, I’m back to my first question. Why am I here?”
The lights flashed briefly, giving Chloe the unmistakable feeling that a throat had just been cleared. “Kal-El has had little experience dealing with your people,” the voice said, with careful deliberation. “He requires assistance in order to learn how best to lead the humans and fulfill his destiny.”
Chloe frowned. In her body or out of it, she knew evasion when she heard it. “Hold it. Kal-El’s already got a vizier. Isn’t that enough?”
The dancing colors on the table stilled. “The assistance I speak of is both far more crucial, and far more permanent,” the voice replied. “He requires a mate.” After a moment, he added, “With whom Kal-El may share his burden through the centuries.”
She had just enough time to feel a twinge of pleasure at the thought before the meaning of his last words sank in. She gulped, blinking to stop the sudden sensation that the blue-white chamber was spinning around her. “Centuries? You mean that Kal-El is-is immortal?”
The colored lights resumed their pattern. “As you understand the term, very nearly. He will in any event be extremely long-lived.” There was a pause. “As will his mate.”
She wondered briefly if that had been the secret that Kal-El had been so reluctant to tell her. Both all-powerful and immortal-how could a being like that avoid being worshiped as a god?
And how could his mate avoid being worshipped as a goddess?
Immortality, eternal youth, and marriage to a god. She had to admit, the idea was tempting.
But it was also frightening. How long would it be before the gentle, modest lover she’d left only moments before gave in to his own brand of temptation?
Other images flashed through her mind: Kal-El at the head of adoring armies, smashing battlements into dust; Kal-El striding through the streets of conquered cities while untold thousands cheered.
Kal-El, standing at the altar of a temple dedicated to him, graciously accepting the gifts and prayers of the crowds.
She felt her imaginary stomach give an uneasy lurch. Swallowing, she faced the sparkling light show that was the only evidence of the presence of Kal-El’s father, Jor-El. “Are you saying that I am his mate?”
“Perhaps. I have not yet decided.”
“What if I say no?” she asked, already certain of the reply.
“Regrettably, that will make no difference. It is Kal-El’s destiny, not yours, that matters.”
“I suppose that means that no one else gets a choice, either,” she observed, bitterly. “Kal-El leads and everyone else follows. Period.”
“I understand your concern,” Jor-El said, with what sounded like genuine sympathy. “But in your world, choice is not a possibility. Human cultures have yet to evolve past the concept of absolute monarchy. Free will is neither expected nor respected.”
It was the same argument Kal-El had used at lunch, and, as before, Chloe had to admit that it was totally logical. It was also, she thought, totally unacceptable.
“There has to be another way,” she insisted stubbornly.
The hall suddenly turned colder, and a low rumble shook the ground underneath Chloe’s feet. Fighting back a wave of panic, she clutched a nearby beam for support. Its hard, uneven surface felt as chilly as the ice it resembled.
“Do not attempt to interfere with my son’s destiny,” Jor-El’s voice intoned, rising over the din. “If you do, the consequences will be grave.”
As he spoke, the colors of the jagged crystals on the table merged into a blazing white light. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no way to avoid the fiery radiance; it was inside her, searing her brain. An agonized cry escaped her lips.
The jabbing light faded slowly as the floor steadied under her feet. Letting go of the beam, Chloe sucked in a shaky breath and looked at the table. The jeweled crystals sparkled innocently, as if nothing had happened.
One thing was certain, she reflected ruefully while she was waiting for her nerves to settle down. Jor-El definitely knew how to deliver a warning.
Overcome by a wave of helpless anger, Chloe glared at the table. “Why is his destiny so important? Why can’t both of you just go back where you came from and leave us alone?”
The gemlike lights dimmed slightly. For a moment, the silence in the majestic chamber was deafening.
“Perhaps,” Jor-El answered at last, “you should ask Kal-El.”
The next instant, long arms encased in brocaded black silk circled her waist from behind. “Chloe!” a far more familiar, and welcome, voice breathed in her ear. “Are you alright?”
She leaned into his warmth, gratefully supporting herself against his broad chest. Mirage or not, Kal-El, as usual, made her feel safe.
Nestled comfortably in his embrace, she tilted her head, meeting his gaze, and the concern she saw there made her lips curve into a smile. “What kept you?”
He gave her an apologetic look. “I tried to come in when I heard you scream, but the crystal wouldn’t let me.”
He shot an accusing stare at the table. “What have you done to her, Father?”
“She is unharmed, my son,” Jor-El’s voice reassured him. “But as I am sure you are aware, she is unusually curious for a human.”
Kal-El’s expression relaxed into a relieved smile and his grip around Chloe tightened possessively. “Yes she is, isn't she?”
Chloe looked up at him and grimaced. “If you two have finished discussing me in the third person,” she cut in tartly, “I’d like to find out a little more about where you both came from. Jor-El said you’d tell me.”
Sobering, Kal-El bent his head down, his normally-clear eyes clouded by doubt. Soft lips brushed her forehead. “You’re sure?” he murmured.
Chloe met his gaze and tried not to think about how good his body felt against hers. Even if it was an illusion, it was impressively convincing.
“You promised,” she reminded him resolutely.
He sighed and nodded, releasing her. “I’m just afraid you may not like what you find out.”
He strode toward the shining table, and Chloe noticed that he was once again dressed all in black. The dark silk of his caftan glimmered in the colorful light from the crystals as his tall figure loomed over the table.
With an ease suggesting long practice, he reached out to tap one of the smaller crystal spikes in the middle of the cluster, then backed away to rejoin Chloe. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he bent down to whisper in her ear. “Remember, no matter what you see, nothing can hurt you. These are only images.”
She gulped apprehensively. “Thanks for the warning.”
The small, clear crystal rose off the table by itself, like a rope enchanted by a street magician’s flute. It hovered in front of them for a minute, and then it began to spin in mid-air, its faceted surface glinting brightly as it gained speed.
Without warning, the light extinguished, plunging the entire chamber into darkness. Stifling a gasp, she clutched at Kal-El’s tunic blindly, and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Bright points appeared in the void, twinkling and wheeling above them like stars in the night sky. One point in particular, crimson and larger than the rest, dominated the view; as Chloe watched, it seemed to approach, growing quickly into a fiery red ball. As it moved aside, she saw an icy sphere revealed between the flames.
Fascinated, she forgot her fear and leaned forward to examine it better, only to be held back by Kal-El’s gentle restraint. She tossed a questioning look in the direction of his unseen head.
“That’s my home world. It was called Krypton,” she heard him explain quietly.
“Was called?” she echoed, and felt a small, cold knot form in the pit of her stomach. Kal-El, she noticed worriedly, didn’t answer.
They were moving toward the surface of the icy sphere now, skimming vast, snow-covered plains as barren as the driest desert. In the distance, tall mountains glittered like jewels along the curving line of the horizon.
As she admired the view, something else occurred to Chloe. “So the Greeks were right. Worlds are round!”
His chuckle was soft, but unmistakable. “I might have known.”
Too pleased with her discovery to mind his gentle teasing, she kept her eyes riveted to this window into another world. They were flying toward an immense walled city that seemed to be made entirely of ice. Silhouetted against the backdrop of a huge crimson sun, it towered over the white plains, and its tall spires, catching the sun’s light, burned like tongues of frozen flame.
To Chloe’s delight, the moving picture swung closer in, allowing her to take in the city’s countless wonders. They flew past impossibly tall buildings and along broad avenues filled with strangely-dressed people riding in floating chariots. Here and there, she saw children play under the watchful gaze of mechanical creatures, and every so often, the streets were brightened by lush foliage of crimson, violet and gold which swayed in unseen breezes under the protection of gigantic glass bubbles.
With an excited cry, she pointed out to Kal-El a group of boys and girls gathered in what appeared to be an open-air classroom, watching a teacher show them how to paint pictures with light. Like the children, she observed him with wide-eyed absorption as he traced colorful patterns in the air with a long, thin crystal.
To her disappointment, they soon left the otherworldly school behind and began to climb again. After one last sweep over the crystalline surface of the city’s magnificent central dome, the scene went dark.
She stared into the blackness, still lost in admiration. “It’s beautiful. Like a city carved from diamonds.”
She was about to ask why anyone would want to leave such an amazing place when a new scene appeared. They were in a white-walled chamber, staring down at a baby wrapped in golden blankets. He was lying in what looked like a small silver carriage.
They seemed to be descending toward the child, and as they did, Chloe’s attention was caught by a pair of emerald eyes that were both startling and familiar.
She drew a sharp breath. “Who is that?”
Kal-El’s reply was interrupted by a noise like thunder. The room in the picture shook violently, causing the carriage to careen back and forth, and the baby started to wail.
With a jolt of panic, Chloe saw that the walls around the child were crumbling. “Someone save him!” she cried out, even though she knew that no one would hear her.
Kal-El’s hand stroked her arm soothingly. “Don’t worry, someone will.”
A beautiful woman clad in white rushed to the child’s side. As the shaking subsided, she bent over the carriage with glistening eyes, her shining auburn hair falling like a veil over the golden blanket.
Chloe knew, without being told, that this was the child’s mother. The lady dropped a light kiss on the baby’s forehead, silencing his cries, then straightened and, with a face taut and pale, nodded at someone Chloe couldn’t see. Slowly, the sides of the silver carriage closed around the baby.
Chloe watched the scene with a sinking feeling, somehow certain that mother and child would never see each other again. As the scene disappeared, Chloe felt her own tears spilling onto her cheek.
They were flying over the city again, but in the past few seconds it had undergone a drastic change. The once-majestic buildings were now tumbled ruins under a blood-red sky, their remains tortured by the heaving earth underneath. Crowds of panic-stricken people ran in every direction looking for escape, but finding none. Chloe looked on in wordless horror as a huge chasm opened up without warning and swallowed dozens of helpless victims.
Their cries of terror were bone-chilling; Chloe, shuddering, pressed her hands to her ears in a fruitless attempt to block them out. In the distance, she saw the city’s great dome cave in on itself, leaving only a cloud of white dust.
Kal-El wrapped his arms around her, and, dropping her hands, she took shelter against his chest. His body, she noticed, felt less warm than usual, and his arms shook slightly.
“What happened?” she whispered hoarsely.
His long sigh pierced the darkness. “War,” he said simply.
Her own sigh mingled with his. It was an all-too-familiar explanation.
“I’m so sorry,” she told him softly. “Was the entire city destroyed?”
Before he could answer, the scene once more dissolved and changed. They were staring again at the icy sphere that was Kal-El’s world, but this time it seemed to be drifting dangerously close to the crimson sun. As the sphere receded from their view, Chloe saw the sun’s flames begin to lick at its surface.
A moment later, both sphere and sun exploded in a strangely silent cataclysm. All that was left of Kal-El’s world were bits of bright green matter floating in the trackless void.
Chloe became aware that she was sobbing uncontrollably. She buried her face in Kal-El’s tunic, staining the fine silk with her tears.
He gathered her closer and rocked her with gentle, soothing movements. “Sssh. It’s alright, Chloe,” he murmured in her ear. “It was long ago.”
She raised her head from his chest and peered upward, trying to pierce the gloom. “That baby-that was you, wasn’t it?”
She shuddered again, thinking of the woman with the auburn hair. “What happened to you?”
He took hold of her shoulders and, ignoring her wordless protests, gently turned her around. “You need to keep looking,” he said apologetically. “There’s one more thing to see, and it may be the hardest.”
Reluctantly, she obeyed, and was relieved to find that the exploding world had been replaced by scenery that was both more familiar and much more peaceful. Grassy meadows dotted with cattle sped by beneath them, and orchard trees heavy with apples; after they crossed a bubbling stream, the meadows gave way to golden fields ready for harvest, and Chloe glimpsed a collection of simple wooden dwellings in the distance.
Her eyes widened. “That’s the village where I was born!”
Kal-El’s huge palms curled around her shoulders and she felt him tense for some reason. “I know,” he whispered, in a strained voice. “It’s also where that baby landed.”
They appeared to be heading toward the village, losing altitude as they went. In a corner of the picture she glimpsed a cluster of glowing green rocks heading in the same direction.
She stared at the rocks, startled. There was no mistaking them. “Those are the rocks that hit the village.”
Suddenly, she understood the reason for Kal-El’s tension. “You came in the firestorm.”
Kal-El’s grip on her shoulders tightened slightly. “I was the reason for the firestorm,” he said, with an audible tremor in his voice. “Everything that happened that day-it was all my fault.”
Before he'd finished, Chloe was already shaking her head. “Of course it wasn’t," she said, covering his hands with her own. "You were only a baby.” She grimaced impatiently. “Or is an over-developed sense of guilt another one of your powers?”
His hold on her relaxed. “You’re not angry?” he asked, incredulously.
Chloe, hearing him, felt almost as incredulous. How could anyone blame themselves for being a helpless infant in the wrong place at the wrong time? If she needed any further proof that Kal-El was from another world, that definitely was it.
The picture faded and the crystals blazed back to life, illuminating the hall. Seizing the opportunity, she swung around and stood close to his chest, tilting her head far back to meet his anxious eyes. “Kal-El, you suffered more than anyone. Certainly more than my father and me,” she told him firmly.
For a long moment, he searched her face. She returned his gaze steadily, trying with all her might to let him see that she meant what she said.
A hint of a smile played on his lips. “I’m glad you don’t hate me,” he told her, with obvious relief. “Although if you had, I would have understood.”
“As for the village,” he added, “My father tried to protect it as much as possible. He said he destroyed as many of Krypton’s remnants as he could before they hit the ground.”
“Dad said the villagers got rid of most of the rest,” she cut in. “They thought the rocks were cursed. Dad kept one as a souvenir, though.”
She smiled sadly. “I had no idea it was really a piece of someone else’s world.”
Kal-El shot her a look, and she cocked her head inquisitively. “What is it?”
"About those rocks...." He paused and regarded her doubtfully, apparently debating whether he should continue, then shook his head as if he'd thought better of it. He smiled down at her, shrugging. “Nothing.”
She regarded him doubtfully while he took up where he’d left off. “You know the rest. My father transported me to the North to live with him.”
“So you and I are both refugees,” Chloe mused sadly. “But at least we both have our fath….”
She trailed off and looked up at him sharply. “Wait a minute. How did your father get here? There’s no way he could have fit in your little carriage.”
Kal-El’s answering smile was tinged with sadness. “He didn’t. My father and mother both died on Krypton.”
She thought of something Jor-El had said when she'd first arrived. Now, she knew what he'd meant. “He called himself the memory of your father. He’s just….a voice.”
The realization was staggering. Kal-El, the most powerful being in the world, was also the loneliest.
“He’s taught me well,” Kal-El said quickly. “I never felt alone.”
And maybe, she mused, that was the problem. After a lifetime spent listening to Jor-El lecture him about his destiny, it was no wonder he never questioned it. And until she’d arrived, no one else ever had, either.
Biting her lip thoughtfully, she reached a decision.
Chloe took his hands in hers. Curling around his massive palms, they looked as small as a child’s.
“You’re not alone,” she murmured, gazing at him meaningfully. “Not any more.”
A look of sheer joy spread across his face. Seeing it, Chloe's misgivings evaporated like water droplets on a hot stone.
“You mean, you’ll stay?” he asked eagerly.
His grin was like bottled sunshine. It was impossible not to return it. “For now,” she qualified hastily.
Kal-El, his exuberance undimmed, caught her up in his arms and spun her in the air while she clung to his shoulders and shrieked her approval. Lowering her carefully, he kept her caged in his warm embrace, surveying her with the same delighted amazement that she’d felt at her first sight of his home city.
“Jor-El’s not the only one who has a lot to teach you,” she said, lifting her head toward his invitingly.
She wasn’t sure if illusions could kiss, but she was definitely willing to find out.
He bent down until their lips almost touched. “I’m looking forward to it,” he breathed, and covered her mouth hungrily.
Abruptly, the swirling vortex of light reappeared around both of them, startling Chloe into giving an alarmed gasp. Kal-El, seemingly unsurprised, held her still, smiled reassuringly, and set his mouth against hers again, hard. Her protests died in her throat as she surrendered happily to his demanding touch.
Her spirits rose like a sail. She would prove to Kal-El that there was a better way to help the people of his adopted world. At that moment, anything seemed possible.
A faint rumbling sound echoed in her head, like distant thunder. She ignored it.
The next instant, they were standing in the Sultan’s sunlit apartments, their bodies still locked together. Chloe broke off the kiss and pushed back, but only by an inch or so. “What an amazing trip,” she said, grinning.
Kal-El stroked her cheek and chuckled. “I was about to say the same thing. Already, you’ve changed my life.”
Another faint roll of thunder sounded in her ears, and her head jerked up. "Did you hear that?"
Her lover’s brow furrowed. “Hear what?”
“Remember my warning.”
Chloe caught her breath as Jor-El's voice reverberated inside her. “Do not interfere with Kal-El’s destiny.”
Gulping, she lifted her chin stubbornly. Kal-El, she thought, was worth a fight.
Kal-El's worried frown deepened. "What is it?"
She managed a smile. “Er, I…thought I heard something.”
A frightened moan rose up from somewhere nearby, making Chloe jump in alarm. Nervously, she swung her head around in search of its source. Kal-El, obviously hearing it too, did the same.
She exhaled in relief when she saw it was only the same older maid who'd greeted her that morning. Kneeling on the floor and holding a bundle of richly-embroidered clothing, the maid was gibbering in wide-eyed terror, staring at both of them with a face pale as a ghost.
The poor woman, Chloe realized immediately, had just had a front-row seat to the glowing crystal's latest magic show, only hours after Sultan Kal-El had frightened her out of her wits in Chloe's bathing-chamber.
“Uh-oh,” Chloe murmured, hearing Kal-El sigh. “Not again.”
Read the next chapter here.
As you recall, we left our intrepid harem girl Chloe just as she'd fallen into Sultan Kal-El's mysterious crystal. Whatever will she find there? And will Kal-El rescue her?
This part's pretty much rated PG, but never fear, more smut will be on the way before long. :) From here, I think there will be only one chapter or, at most, two.
This fic is lovingly dedicated to my lj friend butifulyletdown, and most of it has, thankfully, enjoyed the beta-ing of the World's Best Beta-er, aka the amazingly talented laurelnola.
Feedback? It'd make a great birthday present. Not that my b-day's tomorrow or anything. *Whistles*
And so, I give you the latest entry in SV's version of the "Arabian Nights." I hope you enjoy!! :)
Read the whole story from the beginning here.
Read the last chapter here.
Chapter Four
For a heart-stopping minute, Chloe hurtled through the spinning void, squeezing her eyes shut against the blinding brightness. Then, as quickly as it had started, the dizzying sensation stopped. Chloe felt her sandaled feet touch down softly on a smooth, cool surface.
The light beating against her eyelids seemed to have dimmed, and the only sound she heard was her own unsteady breath. Teetering on wobbly knees, Chloe cautiously cracked open one eye to inspect her surroundings.
Both eyes widened in amazement as they took in the impossible sight before her. Her head tilted back and she gazed up at a vaulted chamber that dwarfed the tallest tower of the Sultan’s Citadel, realizing that she’d left behind all trace of the world she’d known.
It wasn’t just because the massive beams jutting upwards at crazy angles seemed to be made of ice. She still had distant memories of ice from her childhood in the North, even though she’d lived in the desert for years. But she’d never seen ice like this.
This ice was…alive. Each soaring, crystalline beam seemed to be lit from within by a blue-white flame which pulsed at regular intervals, like a heartbeat. Where one beam crossed another, they cast long, pulsating shadows across the glassy surface on which Chloe stood.
Next to those shadows, her own looked no bigger than a speck. Stretching over broad steps and under radiant archways, they disappeared into the remote recesses of the hall.
Briefly, it occurred to her that she ought to be cold. It was, she decided, one more puzzling thing about this strange place.
As she peered upwards, trying to see the exact point where the beams met to form the distant ceiling, a vague thought swam up from her memory. Hadn’t Kal-El mentioned something about growing up in a palace in the North?
Even minus the cold, Chloe mused, this would certainly qualify. Like Kal-El himself, this palace was one-of-a-kind.
Nervously, Chloe peered through the gigantic beams in search of any sign of life apart from the strangely glowing ice formations. Almost at once, her attention was caught by a massive platform, or table, that seemed to be located near the center of the hall. Made of the same translucent material as the beams, it thrust out from the floor at a sharp angle. Like the beams, its surface was ridged and irregular, as if it had grown from the chamber naturally. Looking at it, Chloe thought fleetingly of the wind-sculpted rocky outcrops in the desert wastes.
Except no desert rock in existence had ever been adorned with a collection of glittering crystalline spikes like the one she saw now. The table was literally covered with them; she stared in fascination at the gleaming clusters of ruby, sapphire, and topaz.
Hesitantly, she took a step toward them, and they began to sparkle just as the crystal in Kal-El’s apartments had before she’d fallen into its trap.
She fell back instantly, feeling a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature. Her eyes riveted to the ominous table, she hugged herself tightly.
“It is illogical for you to feel cold,” a voice boomed from out of nowhere, breaking the chamber’s near-total silence. “You have no physical presence here.”
Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat. The deep bass notes of the voice still reverberated in the hall’s farthest corners as her eyes swept the chamber in search of its source.
“Where are you?” she demanded, although she was unsure whether knowing the answer would make her less afraid, or more. “Who are you?”
“I am the memory of Kal-El’s father. You may call me ‘Jor-El.’”
So, Chloe thought, unsurprised, she’d been right. This was Kal-El’s palace.
But that still left a lot to explain. Unable to locate anyone or anything else to talk to, she cocked her head inquisitively at the glowing table. “What do you mean, ‘no physical presence’?”
A ripple of light flashed across the jagged gemstones on top of the table. “It is a difficult concept for a human to grasp,” the voice answered with exaggerated patience, as if she were five and had just asked why the sky was blue. “Your consciousness is here, but your body is not.”
Chloe felt her jaw set stubbornly. “It’s not that hard,” she informed him curtly, rankled by his patronizing tone. “You mean your crystal put a spell on me or something. I’m not really here.” She looked around pointedly at the cavernous, empty space and turned back to face the table. “And apparently neither are you.”
There was a small silence. When the voice spoke again, it was with the faintest hint of grudging respect. “Very well-reasoned, for a human.”
Brushing aside the half-baked compliment, Chloe asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. “Why did you bring me here?”
Was that a sigh? She wasn’t sure. “I assume Kal-El has noticed that you have a fondness for questions,” he commented drily.
The jewel-toned spikes twinkled softly, which Chloe took as a sign that Kal-El’s father was enjoying a laugh at her expense. Watching the patterns of light dance across the table, she made the interesting discovery that, imaginary or not, her cheeks could still blush.
Straightening, she replied, with as much dignity as she could muster, “I haven’t heard any complaints so far.”
Apparently relenting, Kal-El’s father answered her question. “I sensed your presence when you first arrived in Kal-El’s chambers. Your mind is unusually strong for a human.”
Chloe chose to take that as a compliment. “Umm…thank you,” she replied politely, remembering her first encounter with the glowing crystal. “That must have been yesterday.”
“Time is meaningless to me,” he said dismissively.
Chloe, busy with her thoughts, only half-heard him. “I suppose that’s why the servants are so frightened of that crystal. How many of them have you brought here to have a chat?”
“None. There was no need.”
Her brows shot up. “In that case, I’m back to my first question. Why am I here?”
The lights flashed briefly, giving Chloe the unmistakable feeling that a throat had just been cleared. “Kal-El has had little experience dealing with your people,” the voice said, with careful deliberation. “He requires assistance in order to learn how best to lead the humans and fulfill his destiny.”
Chloe frowned. In her body or out of it, she knew evasion when she heard it. “Hold it. Kal-El’s already got a vizier. Isn’t that enough?”
The dancing colors on the table stilled. “The assistance I speak of is both far more crucial, and far more permanent,” the voice replied. “He requires a mate.” After a moment, he added, “With whom Kal-El may share his burden through the centuries.”
She had just enough time to feel a twinge of pleasure at the thought before the meaning of his last words sank in. She gulped, blinking to stop the sudden sensation that the blue-white chamber was spinning around her. “Centuries? You mean that Kal-El is-is immortal?”
The colored lights resumed their pattern. “As you understand the term, very nearly. He will in any event be extremely long-lived.” There was a pause. “As will his mate.”
She wondered briefly if that had been the secret that Kal-El had been so reluctant to tell her. Both all-powerful and immortal-how could a being like that avoid being worshiped as a god?
And how could his mate avoid being worshipped as a goddess?
Immortality, eternal youth, and marriage to a god. She had to admit, the idea was tempting.
But it was also frightening. How long would it be before the gentle, modest lover she’d left only moments before gave in to his own brand of temptation?
Other images flashed through her mind: Kal-El at the head of adoring armies, smashing battlements into dust; Kal-El striding through the streets of conquered cities while untold thousands cheered.
Kal-El, standing at the altar of a temple dedicated to him, graciously accepting the gifts and prayers of the crowds.
She felt her imaginary stomach give an uneasy lurch. Swallowing, she faced the sparkling light show that was the only evidence of the presence of Kal-El’s father, Jor-El. “Are you saying that I am his mate?”
“Perhaps. I have not yet decided.”
“What if I say no?” she asked, already certain of the reply.
“Regrettably, that will make no difference. It is Kal-El’s destiny, not yours, that matters.”
“I suppose that means that no one else gets a choice, either,” she observed, bitterly. “Kal-El leads and everyone else follows. Period.”
“I understand your concern,” Jor-El said, with what sounded like genuine sympathy. “But in your world, choice is not a possibility. Human cultures have yet to evolve past the concept of absolute monarchy. Free will is neither expected nor respected.”
It was the same argument Kal-El had used at lunch, and, as before, Chloe had to admit that it was totally logical. It was also, she thought, totally unacceptable.
“There has to be another way,” she insisted stubbornly.
The hall suddenly turned colder, and a low rumble shook the ground underneath Chloe’s feet. Fighting back a wave of panic, she clutched a nearby beam for support. Its hard, uneven surface felt as chilly as the ice it resembled.
“Do not attempt to interfere with my son’s destiny,” Jor-El’s voice intoned, rising over the din. “If you do, the consequences will be grave.”
As he spoke, the colors of the jagged crystals on the table merged into a blazing white light. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no way to avoid the fiery radiance; it was inside her, searing her brain. An agonized cry escaped her lips.
The jabbing light faded slowly as the floor steadied under her feet. Letting go of the beam, Chloe sucked in a shaky breath and looked at the table. The jeweled crystals sparkled innocently, as if nothing had happened.
One thing was certain, she reflected ruefully while she was waiting for her nerves to settle down. Jor-El definitely knew how to deliver a warning.
Overcome by a wave of helpless anger, Chloe glared at the table. “Why is his destiny so important? Why can’t both of you just go back where you came from and leave us alone?”
The gemlike lights dimmed slightly. For a moment, the silence in the majestic chamber was deafening.
“Perhaps,” Jor-El answered at last, “you should ask Kal-El.”
The next instant, long arms encased in brocaded black silk circled her waist from behind. “Chloe!” a far more familiar, and welcome, voice breathed in her ear. “Are you alright?”
She leaned into his warmth, gratefully supporting herself against his broad chest. Mirage or not, Kal-El, as usual, made her feel safe.
Nestled comfortably in his embrace, she tilted her head, meeting his gaze, and the concern she saw there made her lips curve into a smile. “What kept you?”
He gave her an apologetic look. “I tried to come in when I heard you scream, but the crystal wouldn’t let me.”
He shot an accusing stare at the table. “What have you done to her, Father?”
“She is unharmed, my son,” Jor-El’s voice reassured him. “But as I am sure you are aware, she is unusually curious for a human.”
Kal-El’s expression relaxed into a relieved smile and his grip around Chloe tightened possessively. “Yes she is, isn't she?”
Chloe looked up at him and grimaced. “If you two have finished discussing me in the third person,” she cut in tartly, “I’d like to find out a little more about where you both came from. Jor-El said you’d tell me.”
Sobering, Kal-El bent his head down, his normally-clear eyes clouded by doubt. Soft lips brushed her forehead. “You’re sure?” he murmured.
Chloe met his gaze and tried not to think about how good his body felt against hers. Even if it was an illusion, it was impressively convincing.
“You promised,” she reminded him resolutely.
He sighed and nodded, releasing her. “I’m just afraid you may not like what you find out.”
He strode toward the shining table, and Chloe noticed that he was once again dressed all in black. The dark silk of his caftan glimmered in the colorful light from the crystals as his tall figure loomed over the table.
With an ease suggesting long practice, he reached out to tap one of the smaller crystal spikes in the middle of the cluster, then backed away to rejoin Chloe. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he bent down to whisper in her ear. “Remember, no matter what you see, nothing can hurt you. These are only images.”
She gulped apprehensively. “Thanks for the warning.”
The small, clear crystal rose off the table by itself, like a rope enchanted by a street magician’s flute. It hovered in front of them for a minute, and then it began to spin in mid-air, its faceted surface glinting brightly as it gained speed.
Without warning, the light extinguished, plunging the entire chamber into darkness. Stifling a gasp, she clutched at Kal-El’s tunic blindly, and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Bright points appeared in the void, twinkling and wheeling above them like stars in the night sky. One point in particular, crimson and larger than the rest, dominated the view; as Chloe watched, it seemed to approach, growing quickly into a fiery red ball. As it moved aside, she saw an icy sphere revealed between the flames.
Fascinated, she forgot her fear and leaned forward to examine it better, only to be held back by Kal-El’s gentle restraint. She tossed a questioning look in the direction of his unseen head.
“That’s my home world. It was called Krypton,” she heard him explain quietly.
“Was called?” she echoed, and felt a small, cold knot form in the pit of her stomach. Kal-El, she noticed worriedly, didn’t answer.
They were moving toward the surface of the icy sphere now, skimming vast, snow-covered plains as barren as the driest desert. In the distance, tall mountains glittered like jewels along the curving line of the horizon.
As she admired the view, something else occurred to Chloe. “So the Greeks were right. Worlds are round!”
His chuckle was soft, but unmistakable. “I might have known.”
Too pleased with her discovery to mind his gentle teasing, she kept her eyes riveted to this window into another world. They were flying toward an immense walled city that seemed to be made entirely of ice. Silhouetted against the backdrop of a huge crimson sun, it towered over the white plains, and its tall spires, catching the sun’s light, burned like tongues of frozen flame.
To Chloe’s delight, the moving picture swung closer in, allowing her to take in the city’s countless wonders. They flew past impossibly tall buildings and along broad avenues filled with strangely-dressed people riding in floating chariots. Here and there, she saw children play under the watchful gaze of mechanical creatures, and every so often, the streets were brightened by lush foliage of crimson, violet and gold which swayed in unseen breezes under the protection of gigantic glass bubbles.
With an excited cry, she pointed out to Kal-El a group of boys and girls gathered in what appeared to be an open-air classroom, watching a teacher show them how to paint pictures with light. Like the children, she observed him with wide-eyed absorption as he traced colorful patterns in the air with a long, thin crystal.
To her disappointment, they soon left the otherworldly school behind and began to climb again. After one last sweep over the crystalline surface of the city’s magnificent central dome, the scene went dark.
She stared into the blackness, still lost in admiration. “It’s beautiful. Like a city carved from diamonds.”
She was about to ask why anyone would want to leave such an amazing place when a new scene appeared. They were in a white-walled chamber, staring down at a baby wrapped in golden blankets. He was lying in what looked like a small silver carriage.
They seemed to be descending toward the child, and as they did, Chloe’s attention was caught by a pair of emerald eyes that were both startling and familiar.
She drew a sharp breath. “Who is that?”
Kal-El’s reply was interrupted by a noise like thunder. The room in the picture shook violently, causing the carriage to careen back and forth, and the baby started to wail.
With a jolt of panic, Chloe saw that the walls around the child were crumbling. “Someone save him!” she cried out, even though she knew that no one would hear her.
Kal-El’s hand stroked her arm soothingly. “Don’t worry, someone will.”
A beautiful woman clad in white rushed to the child’s side. As the shaking subsided, she bent over the carriage with glistening eyes, her shining auburn hair falling like a veil over the golden blanket.
Chloe knew, without being told, that this was the child’s mother. The lady dropped a light kiss on the baby’s forehead, silencing his cries, then straightened and, with a face taut and pale, nodded at someone Chloe couldn’t see. Slowly, the sides of the silver carriage closed around the baby.
Chloe watched the scene with a sinking feeling, somehow certain that mother and child would never see each other again. As the scene disappeared, Chloe felt her own tears spilling onto her cheek.
They were flying over the city again, but in the past few seconds it had undergone a drastic change. The once-majestic buildings were now tumbled ruins under a blood-red sky, their remains tortured by the heaving earth underneath. Crowds of panic-stricken people ran in every direction looking for escape, but finding none. Chloe looked on in wordless horror as a huge chasm opened up without warning and swallowed dozens of helpless victims.
Their cries of terror were bone-chilling; Chloe, shuddering, pressed her hands to her ears in a fruitless attempt to block them out. In the distance, she saw the city’s great dome cave in on itself, leaving only a cloud of white dust.
Kal-El wrapped his arms around her, and, dropping her hands, she took shelter against his chest. His body, she noticed, felt less warm than usual, and his arms shook slightly.
“What happened?” she whispered hoarsely.
His long sigh pierced the darkness. “War,” he said simply.
Her own sigh mingled with his. It was an all-too-familiar explanation.
“I’m so sorry,” she told him softly. “Was the entire city destroyed?”
Before he could answer, the scene once more dissolved and changed. They were staring again at the icy sphere that was Kal-El’s world, but this time it seemed to be drifting dangerously close to the crimson sun. As the sphere receded from their view, Chloe saw the sun’s flames begin to lick at its surface.
A moment later, both sphere and sun exploded in a strangely silent cataclysm. All that was left of Kal-El’s world were bits of bright green matter floating in the trackless void.
Chloe became aware that she was sobbing uncontrollably. She buried her face in Kal-El’s tunic, staining the fine silk with her tears.
He gathered her closer and rocked her with gentle, soothing movements. “Sssh. It’s alright, Chloe,” he murmured in her ear. “It was long ago.”
She raised her head from his chest and peered upward, trying to pierce the gloom. “That baby-that was you, wasn’t it?”
She shuddered again, thinking of the woman with the auburn hair. “What happened to you?”
He took hold of her shoulders and, ignoring her wordless protests, gently turned her around. “You need to keep looking,” he said apologetically. “There’s one more thing to see, and it may be the hardest.”
Reluctantly, she obeyed, and was relieved to find that the exploding world had been replaced by scenery that was both more familiar and much more peaceful. Grassy meadows dotted with cattle sped by beneath them, and orchard trees heavy with apples; after they crossed a bubbling stream, the meadows gave way to golden fields ready for harvest, and Chloe glimpsed a collection of simple wooden dwellings in the distance.
Her eyes widened. “That’s the village where I was born!”
Kal-El’s huge palms curled around her shoulders and she felt him tense for some reason. “I know,” he whispered, in a strained voice. “It’s also where that baby landed.”
They appeared to be heading toward the village, losing altitude as they went. In a corner of the picture she glimpsed a cluster of glowing green rocks heading in the same direction.
She stared at the rocks, startled. There was no mistaking them. “Those are the rocks that hit the village.”
Suddenly, she understood the reason for Kal-El’s tension. “You came in the firestorm.”
Kal-El’s grip on her shoulders tightened slightly. “I was the reason for the firestorm,” he said, with an audible tremor in his voice. “Everything that happened that day-it was all my fault.”
Before he'd finished, Chloe was already shaking her head. “Of course it wasn’t," she said, covering his hands with her own. "You were only a baby.” She grimaced impatiently. “Or is an over-developed sense of guilt another one of your powers?”
His hold on her relaxed. “You’re not angry?” he asked, incredulously.
Chloe, hearing him, felt almost as incredulous. How could anyone blame themselves for being a helpless infant in the wrong place at the wrong time? If she needed any further proof that Kal-El was from another world, that definitely was it.
The picture faded and the crystals blazed back to life, illuminating the hall. Seizing the opportunity, she swung around and stood close to his chest, tilting her head far back to meet his anxious eyes. “Kal-El, you suffered more than anyone. Certainly more than my father and me,” she told him firmly.
For a long moment, he searched her face. She returned his gaze steadily, trying with all her might to let him see that she meant what she said.
A hint of a smile played on his lips. “I’m glad you don’t hate me,” he told her, with obvious relief. “Although if you had, I would have understood.”
“As for the village,” he added, “My father tried to protect it as much as possible. He said he destroyed as many of Krypton’s remnants as he could before they hit the ground.”
“Dad said the villagers got rid of most of the rest,” she cut in. “They thought the rocks were cursed. Dad kept one as a souvenir, though.”
She smiled sadly. “I had no idea it was really a piece of someone else’s world.”
Kal-El shot her a look, and she cocked her head inquisitively. “What is it?”
"About those rocks...." He paused and regarded her doubtfully, apparently debating whether he should continue, then shook his head as if he'd thought better of it. He smiled down at her, shrugging. “Nothing.”
She regarded him doubtfully while he took up where he’d left off. “You know the rest. My father transported me to the North to live with him.”
“So you and I are both refugees,” Chloe mused sadly. “But at least we both have our fath….”
She trailed off and looked up at him sharply. “Wait a minute. How did your father get here? There’s no way he could have fit in your little carriage.”
Kal-El’s answering smile was tinged with sadness. “He didn’t. My father and mother both died on Krypton.”
She thought of something Jor-El had said when she'd first arrived. Now, she knew what he'd meant. “He called himself the memory of your father. He’s just….a voice.”
The realization was staggering. Kal-El, the most powerful being in the world, was also the loneliest.
“He’s taught me well,” Kal-El said quickly. “I never felt alone.”
And maybe, she mused, that was the problem. After a lifetime spent listening to Jor-El lecture him about his destiny, it was no wonder he never questioned it. And until she’d arrived, no one else ever had, either.
Biting her lip thoughtfully, she reached a decision.
Chloe took his hands in hers. Curling around his massive palms, they looked as small as a child’s.
“You’re not alone,” she murmured, gazing at him meaningfully. “Not any more.”
A look of sheer joy spread across his face. Seeing it, Chloe's misgivings evaporated like water droplets on a hot stone.
“You mean, you’ll stay?” he asked eagerly.
His grin was like bottled sunshine. It was impossible not to return it. “For now,” she qualified hastily.
Kal-El, his exuberance undimmed, caught her up in his arms and spun her in the air while she clung to his shoulders and shrieked her approval. Lowering her carefully, he kept her caged in his warm embrace, surveying her with the same delighted amazement that she’d felt at her first sight of his home city.
“Jor-El’s not the only one who has a lot to teach you,” she said, lifting her head toward his invitingly.
She wasn’t sure if illusions could kiss, but she was definitely willing to find out.
He bent down until their lips almost touched. “I’m looking forward to it,” he breathed, and covered her mouth hungrily.
Abruptly, the swirling vortex of light reappeared around both of them, startling Chloe into giving an alarmed gasp. Kal-El, seemingly unsurprised, held her still, smiled reassuringly, and set his mouth against hers again, hard. Her protests died in her throat as she surrendered happily to his demanding touch.
Her spirits rose like a sail. She would prove to Kal-El that there was a better way to help the people of his adopted world. At that moment, anything seemed possible.
A faint rumbling sound echoed in her head, like distant thunder. She ignored it.
The next instant, they were standing in the Sultan’s sunlit apartments, their bodies still locked together. Chloe broke off the kiss and pushed back, but only by an inch or so. “What an amazing trip,” she said, grinning.
Kal-El stroked her cheek and chuckled. “I was about to say the same thing. Already, you’ve changed my life.”
Another faint roll of thunder sounded in her ears, and her head jerked up. "Did you hear that?"
Her lover’s brow furrowed. “Hear what?”
“Remember my warning.”
Chloe caught her breath as Jor-El's voice reverberated inside her. “Do not interfere with Kal-El’s destiny.”
Gulping, she lifted her chin stubbornly. Kal-El, she thought, was worth a fight.
Kal-El's worried frown deepened. "What is it?"
She managed a smile. “Er, I…thought I heard something.”
A frightened moan rose up from somewhere nearby, making Chloe jump in alarm. Nervously, she swung her head around in search of its source. Kal-El, obviously hearing it too, did the same.
She exhaled in relief when she saw it was only the same older maid who'd greeted her that morning. Kneeling on the floor and holding a bundle of richly-embroidered clothing, the maid was gibbering in wide-eyed terror, staring at both of them with a face pale as a ghost.
The poor woman, Chloe realized immediately, had just had a front-row seat to the glowing crystal's latest magic show, only hours after Sultan Kal-El had frightened her out of her wits in Chloe's bathing-chamber.
“Uh-oh,” Chloe murmured, hearing Kal-El sigh. “Not again.”
Read the next chapter here.