Ellie pulled out a foreign weapon and lifted it to shoulder level. Zee smiled, pleased she was prepared. He pulled out his own weapon, keeping it at the ready as they moved through the underbrush, silent and as invisible as possible.
As they approached the camp, finding decent cover became harder and harder. The underbrush grew thinner, the trees farther apart.
He didn’t like it.
He had no real opportunities to blend in, making him feel exposed. As he looked back, checking on Ellie, he admitted to himself that her gear was impressive, allowing her to blend every time she came to a stop. With gloves on and hood pulled down, he couldn’t even see her face as she stopped behind him. His armor, on the other hand, was designed for darkness, for night, like his people were.
Zee moved a bit farther, sidling up behind a tree and squinting in the bright light to see the camp, which had just become visible. His head pounded, but he ignored it as he’d been trained to. Soldiers didn’t always get the option of moving about at night, which meant headaches, poor vision, and the very real possibility of being seen. It felt like every element of this planet was conspiring against him. His armor must be like a beacon against the white bark and blue and green foliage.
He motioned Ellie to the side, her hood bobbing in confirmation. They took off, circling the camp. They stayed far enough away to not be seen, but that also meant they stayed far enough away they couldn’t see much either. He squatted down next to Ellie, so close his arm and shoulder touched her back. “What can you see?”
She frowned, leaning to the side to see around a tree, and shook her head. “Man, we really can’t get any closer, can we? There’s a large ship on the edge of the clearing on the side we haven’t reached yet, western side. Some temporary structures on the eastern side, and more of those small vehicles to the south. I can’t see beyond the temporary structures to the northern end of the camp.” She turned to him, then frowned again. “Are you okay? Can you not see that?”
Zee scratched his neck, hesitant to admit a weakness, but what choice did he have? As he cast his gaze to the camp again, he made out shapes, contrast, movement. He couldn’t make out any colors, couldn’t make out more than the general shapes of objects in front of him. Anything that reflected significant amounts of UV light, like the ship in the field, created halo effects in bright light, blurring his vision terribly. “My kind are night creatures. We can see in daylight, but not as well.”
She nodded. “Then we should wait until nightfall. With my shape-shifting, I can see just fine in the dark, and we’ll be much harder to detect.”
He nodded, agreeing with her assessment, grateful for the suggestion. Motioning her away, they headed back to where they’d stashed their vehicle.
Chapter Eleven
Zee was exhausted. It hit him all of a sudden as they were walking back. His people were nocturnal. They slept during the day, and the horus was growing late. He hadn’t slept since waking up after the battle.
And unconsciousness didn’t exactly count.
“You should get some sleep,” Ellie said as they stopped. “You look all done in.”
He frowned, taking a moment to process her words through his headache, but then he nodded and sat, leaning against the fallen tree. But he didn’t sleep. With lazy eyes, he observed Ellie as she sat across from him, wrapping her arms around her legs as she looked around herself, her gaze roving without alighting on anything.
“You should rest, too.”
She shrugged. “I’m not tired.”
“Yes, but we may be up all night. If you are accustomed to sleeping at night, that will leave you at less than your best.”
She nodded and sighed, leaning back, but then shifting as she tried to settle against the bark of a tree. She looked around and down, chewing her lip.
You can sleep on me. He shook himself, disgusted with the thought. It wasn’t the time or the place. Although, he very much wanted to feel her against him. He wanted to know what her skin felt like. What would the texture be?
Then he remembered she was a shape-shifter. What did that mean? The idea seemed so foreign to him. He was no scientist, but the mechanics behind it seemed impossible.
“Is this what you really look like?” The words spilled out of him, and he had an urge to lock his jaw, hold them in, even if it was already too late.
“What?” she said, looking up at him in surprise.
“You said you’re a shape-shifter. What does that mean? Can you change your appearance?” Of course, she could change her appearance. She’d mentioned another shape-shifter being a bear or looking like a bear?
Ellie frowned, gnawing on her lip even harder than before, a little drop of red beading on the surface. She shook her head. “No, this isn’t my natal shape.”
“Can I see it?” He held his breath, expecting her to say no.
She sighed, looking away from him. The change didn’t come about immediately. He didn’t notice at first. He’d expected something dramatic, but after a few seconds, she changed color. Her pale, pasty skintone receded as her bright red hair darkened from root to tip.
Within moments, her skin was a vibrant deep purple that set him in awe, with much darker purple hair that made him want to run his hands through it.
Before, she’d looked almost sickly, the pale skin stunning and eye-catching, but a shock that left him with mixed feelings. Now? Now, she was stunning, the bold, rich color locking his gaze to her. He simply couldn’t look away.
“Beautiful,” he breathed as his surroundings disappeared.
Her head jerked up, her almost glowing bright purple eyes wide in her face. He could still see her previous features in this new visage. She hadn’t worked to eradicate herself, just changing a few superficial elements. Probably to blend in with those she lived with. Was this the appearance of her mother’s people or her father’s?
“I’m not beautiful,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m a freak.”
He scoffed. “You’re not a freak. That ghastly mask you’ve been wearing was pitiful.”
She jerked up, hands fisted at her side, a high-pitched noise erupting from her throat. “It was not!”
He waited her out, her hands relaxing at her sides. Finally, she leaned against the tree at her back, crossing her arms over her chest.
He shook his head once more. “You are like a jewel. Why would you want to change that?”
She turned her face away again, her posture sagging. “Because children are cruel.”
Zee suspected it wasn’t just children. As he watched her, he was honestly surprised. From the moment he met her, when she fought him like a wild animal, he’d seen her as strong, both of body and mind, and yet she now showed a vulnerability he wouldn’t have expected. He froze, not sure what to do in the face of it.
He stood, but she didn’t notice. She sighed, but wouldn’t look at him. He walked to her, and she flinched as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to the unforgiving material of his chest armor. “The universe is cruel,” he said, stroking her back. “Life is cruel.”
She nodded against his chest, sighing again, but she didn’t lift her head.
Time passed and eventually, they settled on the ground, Zee’s arm around Ellie’s back as she leaned against his chest. Her breathing had settled into the even rhythm of sleep while Zee stayed awake, eyes closed but conscious.
He should sleep. Night would come soon enough, but for once in his life, his mind wouldn’t shut up. Usually, he could nod off even in a war zone. He’d had to more times than he could count. But today, his mind was filled with Ellie and his men.
When he tried to relax into sleep, the feel of her weight and heat against him, the taunting curves under his hand, the way her breath puffed out, teasing his neck, it all conspired to keep his body on high alert.
Then each time he finally managed to calm himself, to draw his focus away from her, his mind drifted to his men. Where were they? Had they been taken captive? Were they even now at t
hat camp or in the ship on the edge of the clearing? Were they lying dead somewhere, their bodies food for carrion eaters and scavengers?
He ground his teeth together in frustration. If only he’d been the communications officer. He could have called in reinforcements. If only this hadn’t been a drop ship mission. He could have reported back to the ship.
If only.
If only.
If only.
It was driving him mad.
As his mind finally drifted into oblivion, one more thought drifted through his head.
Why is everything always out of my control?
Ellie’s wrist buzzed, and she swatted at it sleepily, cuddling up tighter against the rock she’d fallen asleep against. She hiked her leg a little higher, her back kinking a bit at the awkward angle. She wiped a bit of drool from her lip, then sighed, relaxing back into that warm fuzzy state of almost-sleep.
Buzz. Buzz.
Her lips drew flat, annoyed at the interruption. With eyes slitted open, she checked her smart watch. Wake up call. She sighed, but sat up, rubbing her eyes awake. Opening them wide, she froze, arms still hovering at shoulder level. She hadn’t fallen asleep against a rock. She’d fallen asleep against Zee. And she’d drooled on his body armor. She groaned and wiped the wetness away, hoping he wouldn’t notice, then turned away from him, looking out at the darkening day around her.
The shadows below the trees had grown longer and thicker. A chill hung in the air, raising goose bumps on her arms in spite of her clothes. She rubbed the rough fabric, trying to encourage some warmth, then spoke into her watch. “Angus? Run another scan of the camp.”
The bot jerked into action next to her and scurried off, following her orders. It disappeared into the shadows within seconds, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She stared at her hands, at the purple skin tone she usually kept hidden, and the pointed claws currently in their resting state.
“Beautiful,” she whispered. That was what he’d said when he really saw her for the first time. It didn’t ring true to her, though. How could he see her as beautiful?
She looked down at him where he slept against a tree trunk. She hated to admit it, but he was beautiful. Strange, but beautiful. She wanted to run her fingers along those gray spots all over him. She wanted to see him again without the chest armor in the way. His tail twitched to her right, smacking against his leg at odd intervals. She wanted to grab it like she would hold a man’s hand and just run her thumb over it absently.
Ellie shook her head.
Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong person.
What business did she have lusting after some alien soldier she didn’t even trust? He would be in and out of her life in a matter of days, maybe even hours. Then she would be alone again.
Ellie sighed. She’d never thought of herself as lonely, but the idea of being stuck on that ship again with only Angus for company depressed her. Maybe she should visit her parents after this? She hadn’t gone to see them in a long time. Years, really. They would love having her visit, but would they be on Earth or Ara? She didn’t mind visiting her father’s people, but she hated going to Earth.
Looking down at her hands again, she scoffed. She was an imposter, a freak. She put on the costume, the pale skin, red hair, but it was just a costume, a mask. Too many people over the years had laughed at her, made fun of her. Shape-shifters were discriminated against. But aliens? They were shunned. It had been decades since the alien invasion, since the laws that protected shifters, but it didn’t matter. Humans hated and feared anyone who was different, and that would never change.
Chapter Twelve
Zee woke with his back aching. He sat up and stretched, his spine popping as he moved around. He shouldn’t have slept against that trunk. It was stupid. He knew better. That was a good way to hurt his back or neck, and then where would he be? Stuck in the wilderness, away from all medical care and unable to move.
But the pain and tightness eased as he stretched, and he opened his eyes to Ellie popping bits of food in her mouth. Her pack sat open in her lap. His stomach growled, and he looked at the food enviously.
She swallowed. “Angus is scanning the camp again.”
“Good,” he said, but his gaze bobbed back and forth as her hand lifted food to her mouth and dropped to get more.
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, then dug in her bag and threw a brown lump at his face. “I can’t vouch for the taste, but it’s food.”
“Thanks.” He mimicked her actions, pinching off a piece and popping it in his mouth. It was chewy and a little too sweet, but he managed to swallow it after chomping on it for a few moments. “You eat this?” he said with shock.
She shrugged. “It preserves well, is easy to carry, and doesn’t weigh too much. Perfect for travel.”
He popped another chunk in his mouth. Actually, if it weren’t so sweet, it would remind him of the Meh Ah Racht, or MAR for short, back home. MARs were standard military fare when away from a ship. Lightweight, they could easily pack days’ worth of rations using them. They tasted like stale grains and looked nearly inedible, but they kept a body going in hostile territory and, really, what else could you ask for?
“So, what’s the plan?” Ellie asked as she dusted her hands off and closed her bag. She leaned back against the tree trunk behind her, the bark bowing over her head where it was peeling away.
Zee swallowed his morsel. “How much will Angus be able to deduce from his scans?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a programmer. Cass is. Mostly, I try not to yell at him too much… and fail.” She rolled her eyes again.
He smiled, one of his fangs peaking out over his bottom lip.
Ellie’s face lit up, and she leaned forward. “You have fangs.”
“Yes.”
“I never noticed before.”
He shrugged. He didn’t see the fascination.
Her skin changed color as she leaned back into the tree, dipping her head and looking away. “Sorry.”
Was she embarrassed? She’d done something similar before showing him how she truly looked. “Let’s wait until Angus reports back then make a plan of attack.”
Her eyes rounded, and she sat up straight. “We’re going to attack? But we’re outnumbered!”
“No. We are just doing reconnaissance. Hopefully, we can gather intel and ascertain the location of my unit.”
She leaned forward. “You mentioned your unit before.” She looked away, thinking. “They were attacked.”
“Yes. I’ve been looking for them ever since.”
“That’s why you’re searching for these guys. You’re hoping it will lead you to your unit.”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I hope they’re okay.”
He did too, but he didn’t think fate would be that kind.
Ellie’s wrist buzzed, and she jerked in her seat. Zee stood and walked to her, leaning over to get a view of the report, which showed only a few heat signatures in the main section of the camp. Most of the heat bloomed in a big red blob off in one corner.
“This is good. They’ve mostly returned to the ship. We may be able to sneak in unnoticed.” His voice rumbled against the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
She nodded, shaking off the sensation. “Shall we go then?”
“Yes. Pack up.”
She nodded again, zipping up her bag and hefting it over her shoulder before pulling the active camouflage jacket closed overtop it. “Ready,” she said as she pulled the hood up. An apprehension filled her as she shifted in place. The situation weighed on her more since learning about Zee’s unit. This wasn’t just a lark, wasn’t just getting upset about someone shooting up her ship and wanting to know why. People’s lives were at stake, soldiers.
What did I get myself into?
Zee nodded and turned for the camp.
It didn’t take long to get there. The shadows in the forest continued to deepen as the sun set, and Ellie adjusted her eyes almost as a
reflex. She imagined if Zee turned around now, her eyes would shine in the darkness.
Ellie could barely see him in the gloom. He moved slowly, with a grace that spoke of how naturally this came to him. He was a night creature. She should have realized it. He blended into the dark as if he were part of it. She envied him that, wishing she could move with even a fraction of his athleticism.
Sure, she was a shifter, and shifters could optimize their bodies for maximum efficiency or strength. They could adapt themselves to any environment, but they couldn’t miraculously grant themselves skills they just didn’t have. Shifting didn’t give them muscle memory or confidence. It didn’t teach them moves they’d never learned. It gave them an edge, but it still required hard work and dedication to take full advantage of it.
Ellie, unfortunately, had always been more interested in hiding who she was. She’d learned enough self-defense to fight back and run if she had to. With her camo suit, she could hide fairly well, but it didn’t replace the skill Zee had. She felt like an idiot, an amateur playing at being a pro.
What was she even doing here? What on Earth had possessed her to drag herself out here to spy on what was probably a military installation?
Stupidity or insanity. That’s what.
She shook her head, but pulled her hood lower, hoping it would reduce the chances of being seen. Maybe I should shift my skin tone? Zee disappeared in the darkness. If she did that, maybe…
But no, she hadn’t brought enough food. It had already been stupid showing Zee her real face, using up precious energy. What if she got hurt? She needed food to heal.
Zee kneeled down in front of her, his hand rising in a staying motion. Ellie crouched at his side, waiting for instruction. Before them, the camp lay quiet, a gentle hum pervading the air. He pointed to a tent to the right. She nodded, following him as they skirted the tree line.
Stopping at the edge of a tent covered in a shimmering material that reminded her of her camo suit, Zee waited. What was he waiting for? Did he hear something? See something? Then he lifted the cloth from the ground and slipped in, holding it aloft for her to follow.
Shifting Cargo (A Shift in Space Book 1) Page 7