She was terrified. Locked in her seat. Unsure of her survival or the survival of her child... Now isn't the time for story sentences! Rocki pressed a hand to her lower stomach, grateful not to feel anything other amiss than the terror that made her shake like a chihuahua. I don't know if space travel is safe for both of us. I've never had to research that before and now I don't have access to the internet to look it up. Surely all the changes can't be healthy. Will I lose him? A hard shudder made her shoulder tighten.

Something crashed against the ship, jolting the entire thing. Rocki couldn't help the small cry that emitted from her lips as she clung to her seat. Is it the aliens who took Aley? Are they here to get me too?

Kofi glanced back at her. "You all right, blue eyes?"

For a moment, she couldn't imagine why he was checking on her, he was the one that kidnapped her, so it stood to reason he didn't care. But then it occurred to her that he had been adamant that he wasn't going to hurt her.

She nodded in response, eyes wide as she tried to gain control over her breathing. "What was that?" I probably shouldn't be talking to him... But, of course, my need to know everything has overtaken my good senses once again.

"Debris in your atmosphere. We're clear now. And don't worry, I've been driving this ship for years. We're perfectly safe." He returned to the ship controls.

That's what people who are about to crash say, Rocki thought mutinously. She took in a long breath. I've been captured by an alien who is taking me to who knows where while I'm a month pregnant. My sister has also been captured and it doesn't appear there were any witnesses. Our parents won't know we're missing until we don't answer their calls for a few days. There are knives on the kitchen floor so hopefully they'll figure out I was taken unwillingly. Will they suspect Kahinu? They are pretty angry at him after everything that happened. I never told them I was pregnant ...

Her adoptive parents completely adored her and Aley, who was her biological sister, they would never just allow something bad to happen to them. They had adopted the girls when they were only a few months old after they moved to Hawaii from Oregon so Roy could pursue his career in competitive surfing. Marianne didn't have a job at the time anyway since she had to quit the one she had in Oregon, so she stayed home with the girls for the first two years of their lives.

Rocki and Aley had grown up with a love for surfing like their dad and smart business senses like their mom. Nothing had ever been found on their biological parents, so as far as the sisters were concerned, Roy and Marianne were their true parents. Being adopted had never bothered Rocki, because it never felt like she was adopted. Aley had gone through a brief rebellious phase where she used the adoptive card against everything, but it didn't take long for her to realize that adopted or not, they were a family. Roy was the one who was there to encourage them to push themselves farther than they thought they could, and Marianne was there to console them when life hit too hard.

Even though she loved and trusted her family, Rocki couldn't bring herself to tell them she was pregnant and without a husband. It went against every rule she had set up for herself when she was old enough to date. She had been stupid, and as such, life had rewarded her a consequence.

Not that she didn't already love her baby. He was already one of the only things she could focus on most days, and he wasn't even moving yet. Nothing would be able to convince her to give him up, even if his dad was a jerk—although jerk was a gigantic understatement.

Everyone already felt bad enough for her, she did think she could bear to have any more of their pity. The whole family would be angry beyond words, but then they would hover. They always had the best intentions, and Rocki didn't mind their attention, but she knew it would be non-stop if they found out, and they had to find out someday.

I should have told them, she thought regretfully. Then again ... if I die, they'll only mourn me, not the baby, so their grief won't be more than it needs to be ... If I ever get back to them, they're going to kill me for not telling them as soon as I knew. If ... I don't like saying "if." It's too ... I don't know ... unknown I suppose. I don't have all the variables; I can't decide the ending. It will just happen. I really don't like being in the dark, but life doesn't give me much of a choice.

"You got pretty quiet back there, blue eyes," Kofi said over his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Her mind blanked for a moment, then came up with several different ways to respond, ranging from a sarcastic "what do you think?" to a quiet "yes". She ended up remaining silent, undecided on how to reply.

Kofi twisted in his seat to look at her. She stared back with quiet blue eyes, not sure what to do with herself. He pressed a few buttons, then unbuckled himself and stood, walking over to her.

"I know what you need," he said, leaning over so they were face-to-face. "You need to lighten up. I have a few ideas how to help you out, but I don't think you'll take to them." He chuckled, patting her cheek. "You don't look like you have enough fun." He slipped her glasses off her face, holding them up to his own. Her gaze was clearer now that the water-stained glass wasn't before her eyes, but everything beyond three feet from her was blurry.

"What?" said Rocki, trying to figure out where he was going with everything. He kidnapped me, then he insulted me for not having enough fun. Why did he take my glasses?

He flipped the clear frames around in his fingers. "What are these anyway?" He glanced at her, clearly expecting an answer.

"My glasses," she said. How does he not know what glasses are?

"Glasses?" He looked puzzled. "What do they do?" He put them on his face, scrunching his nose as he peered at the ship.

Rocki wanted to reach for them, afraid his careless hands would break them, but didn't dare. "They help me see."

He snorted out a laugh. "You can't see without them? You must be almost as blind as a qirwa. I find it hard to believe you can't see well on account of—" His mouth snapped shut before he finished. "I'd better not tell you that. Sovereign Faish would murder me if I tell you before he gets a chance to."

Rocki frowned a little. I hate it when people tell me that they know something I don't but won't tell me what it is. What was he going to say? "On account of ..." of what? I can't think of anything to end that sentence.

"Don't worry your pretty face about it," said Kofi, gently touching her forehead where a line was forming. A golden strand of hair slipped from his bun, dangling in front of his face. "It's good news."

Slowly, Rocki reached up and pushed his hand away, then glanced to the side. He chuckled slightly, put her glasses back on, and returned to his seat. Rocki adjusted the frames, watching his back silently.

Kahinu used to like my glasses. The thought rose to her mind unbidden and unwanted. He thought they made me look professional. She took in a deep breath, then released it sharply. No. Nope. I don't want to think about him. She hated the gut-wrenching feeling she got every time he came into her mind, and the memories that made her want to heave. Nothing feels right now that he's gone, but it's all his fault.

She forced herself to study Kofi's wings as a distraction. They were a reddish-brown and leathery, much like the ones she had seen on pictures of dragons. He was leaning against them in his chair, which looked uncomfortable, but he didn't shift his position at all. They were powerful, they had to be to carry an entire man through the air all the time and he hadn't seemed strained by her extra weight, which had to be similar to his based on his thin build.

After a few minutes, Kofi broke the silence. "I think you must like me—you keep staring at me so much."

"I don't—" Rocki started to reply, then realized it wouldn't really matter what she said. It wasn't worth answering. She sighed, shifting her gaze to stare out into the space they were flying through. It was so beautiful, her heart swelled despite the circumstances. Everything was pitch black except for the stars and planets which gave off soft white glows like fireflies.

"I'm sorry about your sister," Kofi said, trying again to strike up conversation. "I wish we could have saved her."

"Saved her?" Interesting wording considering he kidnapped me.

"The sariun won't kill her, but ... well, they're not known for their kindness." He adjusted his wings. "But we'll get her back."

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "The sariun are the other ... aliens? The ones who took her? Are they going to ... they won't hurt her, will they?" Her heart paced faster just thinking about it.

Kofi twisted to look back at her. "The sariun are the most abominable creatures in the universe. While she's with them... We had better just pray she isn't completely ruined before we save her."