Brides of the Gods

By Iva Kenaz

A sci-fi mystery romance set in the ancient city of Prague and on the invisible spacecraft above.

Isa's best friend goes missing during their high school graduation trip to Europe, and all clues seem to indicate that she has been

• Language: English
• Publisher: Iva Kenaz
• Release date: Apr 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9788090910904

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Copyright © 2023 Iva Kenaz

First edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission from the publisher and author.

For information visit www.ivakenaz.com

Editor: Jenny Papworth

Cover Design: Gunnar Tryggvason

To Karla,

My beloved older sister.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my beloved husband, Gunnar,

for his much-appreciated creative ideas and overall help with this book. My gratitude also goes to my mom for her endless emotional support, as well as to Hana Sar Blochová for mentoring me. And finally, I give my very special thanks to Nuua who inspired this book and explained so much.

CONTENTS

1. THE DISAPPEARANCE

2. CLOSE ENCOUNTER

3. ANONYMOUS

4. MIDNIGHT MEETING

5. RIDDLES AND ANSWERS

6. THE FIRST ABDUCTION

7. DANGER

8. TRUTHS AND LIES

9. MISTRUST

10. ON THE RUN

11. REFUGE

12. THE SECOND ABDUCTION

13. EVERY TRUTH HAS TWO SIDES

14. THE ORIGINS

15. BRIDES OF THE GODS, PART 1

16. BRIDES OF THE GODS, PART 2

17. BRIDES OF THE GODS, PART 3

18. BRIDES OF THE GODS, PART 4

19. THE RED DOOR

20. THE RED ROOM

21. JUSTICE

22. UNTIL NEXT TIME

1. THE DISAPPEARANCE

Prague, Czechia, Europe

Isa woke up at exactly 11:11 a.m. It didn’t surprise her as she had been seeing synchronicity between certain numbers and symbols since her arrival in Prague. What did surprise her, however, was that she couldn’t find her best friend, Tabby, anywhere. She searched everywhere in the two-bedroomed apartment they’d been renting and finally looked out of the window. The street was busy, but there was no nineteen-year-old girl with a pink, pixie-cut hairstyle in sight. Isa was confused as she was not aware of Tabby having any plans that morning and they both liked to sleep in, especially on summer holiday. Prague was the final destination of their high school graduation trip to Europe, and their favorite one as well. Both Isa’s and Tabby’s parents were Czech immigrants who had moved to Boston during the nineties, so the girls were curious to learn more about their ancestral home.

Isa grabbed her phone and called Tabby, but there was no connection at Tabby’s end, so Isa quickly changed, brushed her fingers through her fiery red curls, and ran down to the little café on their street, as Tabby liked it. She looked around the interior while still trying to reach Tabby on the phone. Finally, she left and approached the river opposite. She took a quick stroll along the bank, hoping to find Tabby jogging or meditating in the sunlight, but there was still no sign of her. Filled with concern, Isa gazed up at the street’s name—Victorious. She took a deep breath and tried to remain as positive as the street’s title.

When Isa returned to the apartment, she noticed that Tabby’s phone had been on the shoe rack all along. She must have forgotten to charge it, which wouldn’t be the first time. Tabby was a chaotic and erratic person, so Isa decided not to panic just yet. Instead, she searched through Tabby’s handbag. She found her wallet and keys. That was definitely strange. Even stranger was that all Tabby’s shoes were in the hallway. Despite her occasional garden grounding, or earthing as she called it, Tabby never walked barefoot in the city. Isa called out her name again, hoping it was some kind of joke, but there was still no answer and no explanation as to what had happened. That’s when Isa’s bafflement turned to fear. She plugged Tabby’s phone into the socket and considered what to do next.

She needed a mental boost first, so she went to prepare some coffee. While she filled the coffee machine, she tried to think back to the last time she had seen Tabby. It was around midnight the night before, when they had said goodnight and each gone into their own bedrooms. Isa was later woken up by a blast of white light coming through the window. She was tired, so she went back to sleep right away, but now she wondered where that intense light had come from. No sound had followed it—no emergency sirens or noisy film crew.

Isa turned to the window and noticed a crack in the glass that she had not been aware of before. Within the crack, she could make out one of the runes called Algiz. She ran her finger over it, realizing that she was looking at one of the four recurring symbols and numbers she kept seeing in Prague. Another one was the eight-pointed star, which was depicted on Tabby’s new favorite book—The Secret History of Prague.

Isa gazed at the book lying on the coffee table and recalled what Tabby had thought of the synchronicity. She had joked about it being a message from extraterrestrials, as she had been obsessed with them since childhood. Though Isa considered it very likely that there were other lifeforms in the vastness of the universe, she was not such an alien and UFO enthusiast as Tabby. Isa was mostly passionate about alternative history and archeology, and the two girls often discussed the idea that extraterrestrial visitors may have come to Earth in the ancient past.

Despite having had a cup of coffee, Isa dozed off while waiting for Tabby and dreamed of a scene from her subconscious that she had experienced on and off since childhood. She was a pagan bride, promised to someone that her people called the swan god. She was wearing a red gown and a crown of wild flowers, and was seated on a wooden throne by the river waiting for her groom. When he approached, she saw that he was otherworldly: about seven feet tall with uncommon but beautiful facial features. His jawline was much thinner than was common, his skin very pale, and he had deep-set, slanted eyes and long, white hair. She always woke up before they managed to talk, and that time was no different.

As soon as Isa had settled back into her reality, she immediately called out for Tabby, hoping she would be back home, but the apartment was quiet and Tabby’s phone remained plugged into the charger. Isa felt her heart sink. There was no time to waste. Despite it not being twenty-four hours since Tabby had gone missing, she needed to consult the authorities, and so she found the nearest police station on the map, smartened herself up, and set off.

The police personnel spoke only Czech, which was no obstacle for Isa who knew the Czech language quite well thanks to her parents. After she had explained everything, the police told her that she was right not to have waited for twenty-four hours, as Tabby’s sudden disappearance sounded truly peculiar. Then one of the police officers took her aside and noted down all the necessary information about Tabby such as her physical description, age, and credentials. She also inquired about what had preceded Tabby’s disappearance. Isa couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary happening the day before. In the afternoon, they had colored Tabby’s hair pink, as she had grown tired of the purple dye, and then gone for an evening walk.

Did you have dinner at home? asked the officer.

No, at our favorite restaurant, that vegan place on Ujezd Lane. Then we went for a walk in the park by the river. Isa paused, losing herself in the memory of an odd occurrence that had seemed almost metaphysical.

Did anything out of the ordinary take place by the river? asked the officer.

Isa wavered before she answered. Well, I’m not sure if it has any significance…

Let me decide that, said the officer and indicated for her to continue.

Isa started to explain. Something happened near the river, but not yesterday. It was during one of our first evenings in Prague. We went to that island near Victorious Street; I think it’s called Shooter’s Island?

The officer nodded, so Isa continued. There was a dry storm. Lightning bolts streaked across the sky. Tabby and I sat on the shore watching the spectacle even though we knew we shouldn’t linger near the river, but it was as if we were hypnotized, you know? Then, one of the lightning bolts must have struck the surface, as we both kind of blacked out for a moment and saw only white. When we recovered, we turned to each other and marveled at how weird it was.

Were you on any medication?

Isa chuckled. No, not at all. I don’t take drugs. Tabby occasionally smokes weed, but she has not had any since… Isa’s words trailed off because had she continued, she would have revealed Tabby’s secret, and she had promised not to tell anyone, not until Tabby decided to disclose it herself.

The officer looked up from her notes and said, Any information is vital to us right now.

When she put it like that, Isa wondered whether it would be better for Tabby if the police knew the whole truth. Especially as she herself thought that the secret could have something to do with her disappearance. She took a deep breath. All right then… Um, about a month before we set off for Europe, Tabby found out that she was pregnant. She was certain that she wanted to keep the baby and was over the moon about it. I found it strange, and not just because she’s so young and we were both looking forward to starting university. Isa paused for a moment, then tentatively admitted, I know this may sound weird, but Tabby swore that she had not been intimate with anybody since she broke up with her boyfriend. And that was more than a year ago.

The officer looked baffled. So it wasn’t just a false alarm, then?

Isa shook her head. Her gynecologist confirmed her pregnancy. I was the only one who knew about this because… Isa laughed nervously, feeling silly about telling the police what Tabby believed, but the officer pressed her to continue. Well, Tabby claimed that the baby was a hybrid: part human, part extraterrestrial.

The officer cracked a smile and noted something down. Then she spoke again. Thank you for telling me, Isa. This information is crucial. Your friend is obviously in a desperate situation. How far along in the pregnancy is she?

Isa counted. I think about two months.

Can you remember anything out of the ordinary about her behavior two months ago?

Isa smiled. There has never been anything ordinary about Tabby. She’s a very eccentric person.

The officer nodded, then asked, What about her ex-boyfriend? Do you know why they broke up?

Because of her obsession with aliens, actually, said Isa. Tabby hated the fact that he didn’t share her enthusiasm for the subject.

Did you share her enthusiasm?

Isa wavered. Well… I think there probably are other lifeforms yet unknown to us, but Tabby claimed she knew there were.

Isa checked the officer’s reaction, but she completed the report with a deadpan expression. Isa retreated inward, feeling guilty about revealing Tabby’s secret, even though she knew it was probably for the best. The officer asked Isa to wait and left the room. Isa’s worries deepened as she sat there alone and in silence. She recalled all the times Tabby had claimed she was done with this boring, earthly life and would rather live on another planet with her extraterrestrial friends. Isa thought she was just joking, until they arrived in Prague. That’s when Tabby started to act more strangely than ever.

One night, Isa was woken up by Tabby muttering something in her sleep, and when she went into her bedroom, she heard her repeat, I consent, I consent. Isa confronted Tabby about it the following day, and Tabby claimed she was consenting to being taken on board her boyfriend’s spacecraft. Isa had laughed at it back then, as she had supposed that Tabby was just being her usual quirky self, but what if she actually believed in what she was saying or, even worse, what if she was telling the truth? Isa now felt sorry for not having taken her more seriously while she still had the chance.

The officer entered the room again, startling her a bit. All right, Isa, I think we are done here. Unless there is anything else you would like to add?

Isa felt uncomfortable sharing her strange musings with the officer, so she just shook her head and stood up.

As the officer led her outside, she reminded Isa, We will also need Tabby’s phone and a recent photograph of her. It’s fine if you bring it tomorrow morning. And could you please inform her parents? I suppose it would be better if they heard from you rather than us.

Isa’s heart ached at the thought of that poor couple, as she could only imagine the horror they would feel once they learned about their daughter’s disappearance. She noticed the officer was waiting for an answer so she cleared her throat and promised, Yes, of course. I will let them know.

The officer tried to comfort her. Don’t worry too much, okay? It hasn’t even been a full day yet, and most missing person reports are just false alarms anyway. Let’s hope this is the case.

Isa forced a smile. She then shook the officer’s hand, thanked her, and left the station. She was about to walk back to the apartment when she remembered there was an event that she and Tabby were planning to attend that afternoon. It was a lecture on Tabby’s new favorite book, The Secret History of Prague, discussing local excavations of ancient giant skeletons. Isa considered going anyway, mainly because a hopeful thought had crossed her mind: What if Tabby showed up at the lecture? No matter how slim a chance it was, she decided to take it.

On her way to the library, Isa entered a small street crammed with tourists. She was about to make her way through when suddenly a few people yelled, and the crowd started to push as if trying to escape some distant menace. Isa had to jump aside into the entrance of a nearby building to let the panicking people through. She pressed herself up against the door and kept looking around, trying to work out what had frightened them. Then she saw him: an otherworldly man eerily similar to the one from her recurring dream, only his white hair was shorter, barely grazing his shoulders. Isa was so stupefied that she didn’t even realize he was dangerous at first. Only when someone ahead of him fell to the ground, lifeless, did she notice that he had a weapon—something that resembled a metallic rod. At first, she thought she might have accidentally stumbled into a sci-fi movie set, but there were no lights, cameras, or crew.

The unusually tall, otherworldly man was searching the street as though looking for another victim. At that moment,