Simone loosened her embrace and stepped back. “Chozo, why did your parents send you away?”
Zar took her hand and pulled her behind him. She had no idea how he’d sensed her sudden uncertainty about Chozo. If it were anyone else, she would have been a little unnerved to be read so well, but it didn’t feel out of place to be protected by Zar.
It didn’t feel strange to be known by him.
And that should be troubling.
It was.
Kind of.
Right now, she had bigger things to worry about. Like keeping Chozo alive and away from Zar’s murderous intentions. And figuring out the truth. She could worry about her relationship status when she’d sorted all this out.
“Because of this.” Chozo’s voice broke. He unfurled his three fingers that looked like frog legs and revealed a tiny black device on his wrist.
Zar made a warning sound in his throat, eyeing the device. Simone placed a hand on his before he could rip through his skin with that spine dagger again. Zar remained tense, but at least he didn’t pounce.
Chozo’s device whirred and a bright light emitted from the center of it. Simone lifted her hand to shade her face from the glare. Soon the light shifted and revealed two fully-grown Heronas wearing face masks.
She glanced at Zar and saw the fury spur in him again. What was up with the blue alien? Just the sight of the Heronas made his blood boil.
The light snapped away as Chozo abruptly ended the projection before it really began.
She studied him. “Why did you stop?”
“The footage seems to be upsetting the Plutonian. Should I not continue?”
“Give us a minute.”
Chozo dipped his chin.
Simone faced Zar and cupped his square chin in her palms. “Hey,” she whispered, “I’m right here. Nothing’s going to happen to me or you right now. Okay? I’m going to protect you.”
Chozo translated her words.
Zar’s eyes softened with amusement and he swiped her knuckles with his thumb. In a low, intimate breath, he said something to her.
Her gaze inched toward Chozo.
The young alien cleared his throat. “He said that he is the one who will do the protecting, but you are welcome to compete.”
She laughed. “Why am I not surprised by that?”
Zar pressed a kiss to her temple and held her close. Nodding at Chozo, he gestured for the video to continue.
Chozo started the hologram up again. This time, Simone was prepared for the bright light and looked slightly away when the footage resumed. The video came into focus.
She studied the aliens who looked just like Chozo. Through the masks, she saw their eyes were lit with anxiety. They kept glancing behind their shoulders as if some monster was breathing down their necks and would pounce at any minute.
She didn’t understand their words, but Zar seemed to because his hold on her tightened as the green aliens said one last thing. A moment later, a bright red light shot out and consumed them. They turned to dust and the video went dead.
Simone gasped, appalled by the suddenness of their disintegration.
“Were those your parents?” she whispered.
Chozo nodded.
Simone wanted to hug him again. “You poor thing.”
“My father suspected…” His sobs tore through his words. “They sent me, so I was safe. They didn’t want… they were afraid…”
Simone grabbed his shoulders. “Chozo, you’re not making any sense.”
Zar grunted out his own demand.
Chozo responded to Zar in his tongue and Simone waited impatiently for the translation in English.
“Well?” She blinked intently. “What did your parents know?”
“The end,” Chozo said.
“The end?”
“Yes.” He licked his lips and peered up at the sky that was suddenly darkening. It was like someone had turned off the lights in an otherwise sunny day and pulled clouds, gloom and darkness in.
A foreboding scent curled through the air and made goosebumps pop up on her skin.
Chozo squeezed his eyes shut. “They are coming.”
Sixteen
Zar
Too many thoughts blazed through his head at once. Zar could not make sense of them as they pulsed and twisted in a storm that rivaled the one gathering above.
The Heronas offspring could be lying to them. His superiors could have manipulated the footage to make it seem like there was some grave danger about to tear through the planet. It could be a ploy to lure all Plutonians into a trap.
Zar glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds rolled in fast. A stiff breeze shook the leaves of the trees with such violence they nearly tore from the branches.
Danger was coming.
But he knew this enemy.
Nature.
A storm.
He needed to get Si-Moon to safety.
Grabbing her hand, he yanked her toward his zapten. “Si-moon, we must hurry.”
“Chozo!” She reached back and held on to the brood.
Zar frowned. “Neh. We are not taking him.”
As if she’d understood his words, Si-Moon pursed her lips and shot him a glare. “Yez, weh er.”
Chozo glanced up at the sky in terror. “I’m scared.”
Zar did not really care if the brood was frightened. There was no way he would let anyone of Heronas blood sit on the zapten that he’d built with his father. The machine was more than a powerful transport and an exoskeleton in battle. Garbas was a precious memory.
Many cycles ago, his father built this machine. Zar remembered his excitement whenever his father would work on the zapten’s electronics. He remembered how tightly he’d held the tools, feeling important and useful even though—in hindsight—he knew his father had only been giving him something to do to keep him out of the way.
He remembered the long conversations they had and the promise Zar made that he would one day build a zapten with his own brood.
After the Red Death, that promise could no longer be kept. The Plutonians could not bear young with any other species than their own. It was a reality that made the relationship between father and son all the more precious.
When one Plutonian perished, the entire species suffered.
But if the Healer perished, the entire species would die.
It was scum like Chozo, his species, that stole his father from him. Why would he desecrate his father’s memory by saving his enemy now?
Thunder clapped in the distance.
A warning shot.
If they did not leave now, they would all feel the sting of the rain that could singe the earth and melt the flowers like wax. A Plutonian’s skin could withstand a small onslaught, but Si-Moon’s fragile human skin would burn until there was nothing but bone.
Panic rocked his heras and made his eyes narrow to slits. Should he knock her out and carry her over his shoulder? Ordinarily, Zar would never consider hitting a female, but if he had to choose between hurting Si-Moon to save her life or losing her, he would choose the former.
Determination beaming in her dark eyes, Si-Moon walked behind Chozo and wrapped her arms around him. Holding the brood in front of her like a shield, she shrieked at him in her earthen tongue.
Thunder boomed again.
Zar growled at Chozo. “What did she say?”
The brood trembled.
“Tell me!”
“She said that I should go with you.” He blinked rapidly behind his mask. Sweat beaded on his neck and travelled the great length to his shoulders. “I go or she stays.”
Zar raked angry fingers through his hair.
This stubborn, unbelievable female…
He heard the patter of rain and the hiss of the earth crying out for mercy. The storm did not care who or what it destroyed—Plutonian, Heronas, Human. They meant nothing. The storm came to destroy and purify.
Zar imagined Si-Moon remaining with Chozo in the elements. In his mind’s eye,
he saw her trying to duck behind a plant or a tree, knowing nothing. He saw the wind blowing the rain toward her. He could hear her tortured screams as she died a slow, painful death.
His jaw muscles clenched.
Neh.
Never.
He would rather die first. He would take that pain on himself.
Even if his heras burned and corroded.
Zar’s gaze swung between the Heronas and his zapten. Gritting his teeth and pushing himself to move while he still had the resolve, he strode forward and grabbed the Heronas from Si-Moon’s arms.
Chozo cried out, trembling in fear. His breath hit the face mask rapidly, fogging up the window. Lifting the brood like he was carrying the trunk of a tree, Zar slapped him on top of Garbas. It was not the gentlest movement, but he did not care.
Zar turned to Si-Moon next. Despite the storm behind them, a small smile lifted her lips. He scowled back at her. Of course. She was happy with him now that she had gotten her own way.
Zar swung her aboard the zapten, placing her in front of the Heronas. He did not want that brood’s arms around him when they took off.
The Heronas travelled with them because of Si-Moon, but his life was not safe.
Not while Zar was still breathing.
The only thing separating Chozo from death was his female and his desperation to keep her safe from the storm.
Zar lifted off quickly. Si-Moon’s slender hands clamped around him, holding on tightly. He gritted his teeth, wishing he could have put her in front of him. That way, he could embrace her properly. This was not only for his pleasure, but for her safety. If she was encircled in his arms, Zar could protect her more thoroughly from the sleet. In the position she held behind him, he had less control. If the rain chomped down on their backs, Simone would feel the burn.
And if she ever let him go…
He glanced down, noting how far they were from the ground. She would not survive that fall.
Neh. He would not think about such dark things.
Si-Moon was smart and observant. Because of her, he had escaped the Heronas dungeons. She would not let him go. He had to believe that so he could focus on outrunning the storm.
Zar leaned the zapten sideways, trying his best to keep Si-Moon as far away from the rain as possible. Fortunately, the wind blew in the opposite direction and so they were mostly spared from the droplets that would reach farther and faster in the breeze.
The dark clouds made it hard to see and Zar had to ride for a long while before he spotted a small rock formation that would be suitable for them to hunker beneath. It rested against the base of a mountain and he immediately pointed his zapten in that direction.
By the time he landed, the acid rain was upon them. The rain slammed against his back with a vengeance as he ran beside Si-Moon and sheltered her. Tears stung Zar’s eyes, rising from the pain that shuddered through his entire body.
The rain had never been so hot and acidic before. He gritted his teeth to keep from bawling out. Focus. He must stay alert and keep Si-Moon safe. Then, when this was all over, the Healer would see to his injuries.
Grunting from the sharp sting of the drops, he hovered over Si-Moon who clutched Chozo to her chest. Moving briskly, he nudged her deeper beneath the rock slab roof, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the cavern was empty.
Once Si-Moon was safely wedged in, Zar returned outside for his zapten. He quickly tapped his interface, trigging the transformation feature and dragged a much smaller version of Garbas behind him.
“Are you alright?” Zar asked Si-Moon.
“Zar…” Her voice trembled and she brushed her fingers over his back. He winced. Even Si-Moon’s gentle touch seared his flesh and made him feel like he was being flogged with a hooked whip.
The world around him tilted and Zar stumbled to the side.
“Zar!” Si-Moon screamed.
He tried to hold his hand out to her, but there was suddenly two Si-Moons standing in front of him. Zar shook his head as his eyes slid to half-mast. Neh. Now there were four Si-Moons.
His body shuddered as it landed against the wall. Darkness crept into his vision and gravity pushed down on his shoulders, so he stumbled again.
Zar felt Si-Moon wrap her arms around him and the agony increased ten-fold. He struggled to stay awake. Leaving her alone with the Heronas brood was not an option. If he was knocked out, anything could happen to her. He would not be able to protect her.
“Neh…” He groaned as his vision came out of focus. “Si-Moon…”
“Zar!”
He snapped his fingers around hers, holding on as tightly as he could.
Thunder boomed once more.
Si-Moon shrieked in fright. It was the last thing Zar heard before his world flickered and turned completely black.
Seventeen
Simone
“Zar?” She scrambled over him. “Zar, wake up. Zar! Can you hear me?” Frantic, Simone swung to Chozo, her heart in her throat. “He passed out.”
Chozo inched closer. “The acid rain. It shouldn’t be that brutal.”
“What do you mean?”
“From what I’ve read, Plutonian skin is thick enough and strong enough to withstand the acid. But look at those burns.” He pointed one frog-finger at the gapes pooling in Zar’s skin. The sight made her shudder. It must hurt so much.
“He needs the Healer.”
“Who’s that?” Simone asked.
“He was a legend. A myth.” Chozo glanced up. “Until my species found out he was real.”
“Well, until we can find this Healer Guy, we need to do something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.” She sucked in deep gulps of air. “I don’t know, but we can’t leave him like this. He got hurt because he was protecting me.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “He was upset and frustrated, but he still took that pain.”
She couldn’t quite believe it. Did such a selfless love really exist? Simone had never encountered it before and to come face to face with that level of sacrifice now was hard to accept. Why would Zar put himself in mortal danger for someone like her? Someone ordinary. Someone hurt, broken and with only scars to offer. Only sharp pieces and shattered glass.
“Do not worry, human. We will help him.” Chozo patted her shoulder.
Simone flicked her tears away. “Of course.” She rose and stared at the rain. “I’m not going to let him die here.” She turned back. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Me?”
“You seem to know a lot about the Plutonians.”
“Yes, but—"
“Chozo,” she grabbed him desperately, “Zar needs your help. I need your help.”
“There is something, but I am not sure how effective it will be on a Plutonian.”
“What is it?”
He chewed on his bottom lip. “I don’t want to raise your hopes, but there is such a thing called Zahranian serum.”
“Zah… what?”
“Zahranians are a colony of healers. They have created a healing serum with immensely powerful properties. My kind used it since the ancient days, but it failed to protect us from the plague.”
“Do it.”
“It might not work.”
She stared at Zar, worrying her bottom lip. “We don’t have a choice.”
Chozo fiddled with the pouch at his side.
“Hurry,” Simone begged. Time was running out. The storm was lashing outside, but she didn’t really care. Zar’s health was the heaviest on her mind.
Because you need him to survive this planet or because you care about him?
She shoved that thought away.
“Here.” Chozo offered a vial filled with amber liquid. “It is injected.”
Simone accepted it. Dropping to her knees, she gently caressed Zar’s hand. “I know you’ll be mad at me later, but I believe this will work. It has to.”
His breathing became shallow and his blue skin turned pale.
She wa
s losing him!
Tearing the cap off with her teeth, Simone held the needle up. Her hands shook too much. She paused, twisted around and tried again. Still, her hand shook.
Simone turned away, unable to plunge the needle into Zar’s neck. She wasn’t a nurse and the nerve-racking thought of failure paralyzed her.
They had only one serum.
One shot.
Zar’s breathing had stilled and she knew in her heart that he wouldn’t make it if she didn’t get herself together. The pressure of the moment crashed in on her. Needles were her weakness.
Especially now.
The thought that she might hurt Zar in an effort to help him scared her. Simone’s hands couldn’t stop shaking.
“Do you want me to do it?” Chozo asked.
Simone looked at him. He was still, technically, Zar’s enemy. And they hadn’t really sifted out his intentions. Not before the acid rain fell.
Zar didn’t trust Chozo and though she did a little, she knew that it was prudent to be cautious. The rest of the Heronas definitely hated her and Zar. Would Chozo be any different?
“I will not hurt him,” Chozo promised quietly.
Simone stared into his eyes and went with her gut. Handing over the needle, she whispered, “Please.”
He took it from her. With still, almost clinical movements, he pressed his hand against Zar’s neck, found the vein, and stuck the needle in. Simone let out a little squeak at the sight, but she dug her fingers into the sand to ground herself.
The amber liquid went down, down, down.
Finally, there was not even a drop left.
Zar gasped, his eyes bursting open.
She glanced at Chozo as tears of relief ran down her face. The alien was smiling, his little lips tilted up and his hands holding tightly to the serum.
“Thank you.” Simone wrapped her fingers over his wrist.
“I know you do not trust me, human.” Chozo nodded at her. “And I know why the Plutonian hates me.” He stared at the ground and slipped his hand away from hers. “My species did many horrible things…”
The Alien Warrior's Heart : A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Plutonian Warriors Book 3) Page 8