MELISSE AIRES : Sneak Peek Sunday--Melisse Aires

My excerpt for Sneak Peek Sunday contains and Easter reference! You can find other Sneak Peeks here!

Rankree was tall, with the wide-shouldered, muscular build, pale skin with an alabaster sheen, long flossy blue hair and crystal blue eyes common to the Urloon people. He dressed in breeches and a vest made from chandolay fur. The unique white fur shed water quickly and did not get heavy when wet, a perfect cloth for sea people.

Elaine was a small and sturdy woman with fine, long-lashed blue eyes, artificially engrafted gill slits, and a few silver streaks in her long dark hair. Liam had heard rumors that the children of their union, sometimes seen in the spaceport village, were stunning combinations of the two, each more beautiful than the last.

“Rankree, Elaine, please come in and join us for some refreshments. You have met Svana before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, briefly. So nice to see you again, Svana.” Elaine had a gracious manner that made others feel welcome. She and Svana were close in age, though Liam thought the manner of dress for Urloon women made Elaine appear more youthful than Svana, who wore heavy utility one-piece suits. Elaine wore a white fur vest and short fur skirt. Her high white boots were also made of chandolay fur, and an embroidered thick cloak completed her attire. A brief thought of Svana dressed in such a manner skittered through his mind but he squashed it immediately.

Liam’s delight in seeing them was unfeigned. They had saved the lives of his crew by answering his distress signal and also fighting off a large, aggressive pirate ship they’d picked up with their distress signal as they neared Urloon.

“Thank you for seeing us, Captain.” Elaine spoke Confederation Standard with a lilting Terran accent. “No refreshments today, thank you. We are here to offer an invitation to you and your crew. We have our Moonfest celebration of spring in four weeks, at Urloon’s two moons’ conjunction. We would be honored if you and your crew would join us.” She smiled, revealing deep dimples. “We will start the festivities with the traditions of my home on Terra, with a colored egg hunt, adapted to Urloon, of course. There will be a fair on the commons during the day, and later we will have a feast.”