Forbidden (A Serian Novel) by C.T. Nicholson Read Free Book Online Page A

above the ground like the Travelers on Seria.
    An older woman stepped out, with make-up in globs on her face. She wore a short black skirt and a white food-stained shirt. She smacked her lips, chewing something in her mouth, before she smiled at Anara.
    "Come on, sweetie, if you want a ride. I'm already late." She slipped back in the car without another word.
    Anara hesitated before realizing the human female couldn’t possibly hurt her after Anara managed to take out six Serians. She hustled to the car to hop in. "Thank you."
    "No problem, sweetie. I'll use you as an excuse for showin' up late. Again. My name's Linda." When Anara didn't answer, Linda turned and started to drive. "It's okay, I understand completely. Ran away from my husband three years ago."
    The woman talked a lot and smacked whatever she kept in her mouth.
    Anara nodded along, though she didn't understand half the things Linda talked about. She looked over and noticed the dark brown coloring of Linda's skin, then looked at her own blue-tinted skin. She tugged at her shirt, trying to cover as much of her skin as she could. At least her skin didn't look as blue as a full-blooded Serian.
    Anara opened her mind to find the Jatron and r egretted it. The warmth she felt the first time she connected to him turned into a raging fire, forcing her to pull away hard and fast. She gripped her pounding head.
    "Are you all right?" Linda asked.
    Overwhelmed with buzzing in her ears, she barely heard Linda's voice. Anara closed her eyes as her vision blurred. She let her body relax, before she combusted into flames.
    She didn't realize she fell asleep until she was shaken awake. Her fist barely missed the innocent woman as Anara jumped out the open door and started to swing. Composing herself, she looked into Linda's worried and slightly frightened expression.
    Linda took a step back. "Oh! Thank God! I just knew you were dead."
    Shaky legs barely held Anara once her rush of fear disappeared. She kept quiet at first, while trying to slow her heart rate and breathing.
    Linda tilted her head as she stared at Anara's skin.
    "I'm sorry to have scared you. I haven't slept enough, but I'm better now." At least not the fully rested sleep she needed. Anara just needed to get Linda's attention on something else other than her skin.
    She glanced around her at the cars and the people here and there. Signs flashed, but the lights looked dimmed in the sunlight. Anara followed Linda toward a brick building with a rickety sign on the front that said J.R.'s Bar and Grill.
    "Your skin is an odd tone."
    Anara froze and said the only thing she could think of. "It's a skin disease."
    After a moment, Linda nodded and smiled. "Okay, I've got to get to work. Why don’t you come in for something to eat?" Linda said as she moved away and into the building.
    Only four humans occupied the smoky room, counting Linda.
    A shaggy-haired man sat at the bar with a large glass in his hand. Liquid splashed onto the counter as he slammed the glass down onto the bar with a bark of laughter at something a chunky, gray-haired man said beside him.
    Linda stood behind the bar arguing with another man. His face was red as he threw his arms around in the air. Seeing the smaller woman standing toe to toe and her finger digging into the chest of the man three times her size made Anara smile.
    Moving to sit in the shadows gave her a clear view of everything in the room and hopefully kept anyone else from seeing her skin coloring. Linda came over with a tray of food in her hand.
    "Here." She laid down the plate and drink in front of Anara. "I hope you like hamburgers. It's the only tolerable food we make here."
    Anara didn't know what to do. She knew food would cost on Earth, but she didn't have any money, or even a clue what it looked like. "I can't."
    "It's okay, sweetie. It's on the house today." She patted Anara's arm before she sauntered over to another table.
    Hesitating, Anara looked around the room and saw a