by Maven, Ella
Zecri seethed, spit flying as his breath whistled from beneath his teeth. His eyes were a bottomless pitch black, and every muscle and vein stood out beneath his scaled blue skin.
Dazed, I went lax in Wargo’s grip. “It’s fine,” I murmured, my words slurred. “It’s fine. He’ll behave. So, will I.”
Wargo’s fingers tightened, and I winced. With a huff of laughter, she shoved me away and I hit the ground on my hip, hard. Swiping my face with the back of my hand, I brushed away blood and tears. This wasn’t the first time I’d been hit on this planet, but it had been the only time I’d been that blindsided by a hit. Usually, I could at least brace.
I spat on the ground as footsteps retreated and flinched when the door slammed shut. Chains shook and hands slapped the floor as little feet raced to my side. “Sibbie,” Riven sobbed. “Sibbie.”
She’d never seen me get hurt before. Not like this. “I’m fine.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Zecri’s booming question shook the floor beneath me. “I wouldn’t have struck her.”
I glanced up to see him still straining against the chains toward me. I shook my head and rubbed the back of my neck. “Because it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? You’re a human. She could have killed you from one blow.”
What I had to say I didn’t want to say in front of Riven. “Kilzer hits hard too.”
Zecri sucked in a breath as his nostrils flared. “Come here.”
“What?”
He gritted his teeth. “Come here.”
I frowned at him. “When you say it like that, I’m not sure what I want to. You’re kind of scary right now.”
He let out a long-suffering sigh, but his expression didn’t change from one of murder. “You know I would never hurt you.” His irritated growl was a direct contradiction to his words.
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
“Are we really having this conversation right after Wargo nearly took your head off?”
I huffed. “She didn’t nearly take my head off.”
His chest heaved. “There is a clump of your hair missing.”
I gasped and reached up to feel a small bald spot above my right ear. I hissed at the tender skin. “Shit. That bitch.” I glanced at Riven. “Don’t repeat that word. It’s not nice.” Riven only blinked at me. “On second thought, go ahead and use that word but only to describe Wargo. Okay?”
Riven nodded. “Okay.”
“Syb,” Zecri snapped. “Come here.”
“Okay, okay,” I muttered. Standing made me dizzy so I crawled toward him on my hands and knees until his big hands reached for me and deposited me neatly in his lap. I jerked in surprise, but he held me firm as he began to inspect my head.
“Can you get us some clean qua, Riven? There should be a bin of supplies in the expeller.”
Riven jumped to her feet but before she ran off, she thrust Teddy into my arms. “You said he helps when you feel hurt too, in your heart or body, right?”
And why did that make me want to cry more than the pain? I nodded with a lump in my throat and curled my arms around the stuffy.
Riven flashed me a grin and then ran off with an eager expression. She loved to be helpful.
I sat dutifully in Zecri’s lap while he prodded at my cheek and lip. My skin felt hot and tight, so I knew I was swelling up.
Zecri cupped my chin and his eyes met mine. His irises were back to his normal color, a cool purple, and the anger had mostly fled from the grooves in his features. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked softly as Riven could be heard puttering around in the expeller.
“I didn’t want their threat to me to hinder you in any way,” I said. “The priority is you and Riven getting free.”
His nostrils flared. “Why don’t you think you’re a priority?”
“Once you get her free and find the rest of your people, she’ll have plenty of caregivers and won’t need me.”
He swallowed, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. “First of all, you’re not just a caregiver that can be replaced. She’s bonded with you. You’re her mother. Second, protecting Riven isn’t the only reason for your existence.”
I barked out a dry laugh. “I’m a human on a planet full of aliens twice the size of me. The only reason I didn’t do something to make Kilzer kill me a long time ago was because of Riven. I haven’t seen another human since Beth died.”
His fingers tightened on my chin, and I sucked in a breath.
“I haven’t been touched with kindness by anyone other than Riven since then either.”
His grip loosened and his thumb brushed my bottom lip. His eyes swirled, the purple turning lighter as he held my gaze. His nubbed brows dipped and he blinked as if confused for a moment before gently pushing me from his lap.
He swallowed and stared at his hand where it lay in his lap. “I know where there are more human females in this galaxy. I can’t get you home to Earth, but I will get you to them.” He glanced up at me. “Will that be a sufficient enough reason to convince yourself to stay alive?”
Now that got my interest. I leaned forward. “What did you say? More women?”
“Three other warriors, Drixonians like me, rescued three women from this planet and took them to safety. I will take you there.”
My heart pounded. Sometimes I forgot what Beth’s smile looked like, or the way we’d steal moments to laugh together. I glanced at the door to the expeller. “Riven would have… aunts. I’d have… friends.”
“Yes,” he murmured.
“I got it!” Riven called out as she dropped a small bin in front of us.
“Thank you, little one,” Zecri said with a smile.
While Riven preened, I studied him, a momentary panic setting hold.
Would he… do something to Riven?
I knew the Drixonians were a dying race, as all their females had been killed in a virus. It was why Kilzer knew how valuable Riven was.
He would sell her once she came of age to bear children.
I must have stared longer than I realized, because Zecri’s voice burst through my thoughts. “Syb.”
“Yeah,” I jerked to see him studying me back. I cleared my throat as he slowly swiped a cleansing pad across the cut on my lip.
“I will protect you and Riven for the rest of my life,” he said softly.
Riven’s hands, which had been busy organizing the med kit, went still.
His eyes met mine. “That means from me, too.”
My stomach swooped. How had he known what I was thinking? “I-I didn’t—”
“You did,” he said as he dapped a cream on my cut. “And you should. You’re her mother.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. I had never really dreamed of being a mother. I hadn’t seen myself getting married either, but that was back on Earth when I had career plans and goals and… well those didn’t matter here. From the moment Riven had been placed in my arms, she’d been mine. “Okay.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up as he carefully taped a bandage to my cheek. “Get some rest. Riven and I are going to spend some time together.”
Riven’s face lit up, and a small pang opened in my chest. She finally had someone else. Someone who could understand the Drixonian side of her, just like I understood the human side of her.
I nodded and retreated to the bed padding where I gingerly laid my head on the pillow. With the blanket pulled up to my chin, I listened to their soft murmurings.
Four
Zecri
I knew the female wasn’t asleep, but I didn’t get the sense she was staying awake because she didn’t trust me with Riven. Maybe she was curious about how I’d treat the chit, so I didn’t draw attention to the fact I knew she was listening.
Riven sat beside me with her eyes taking in everything from my black horns to the tip of my tail. She reached up and prodded at her horn nubs. I wondered about her anatomy since she was half-human. Her horns were smaller t
han mine had been at her age.
“Will mine get as long as yours?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered her honestly. “But it doesn’t matter if they do or not.”
She glanced behind her. “I have a tail like you.”
“Yes.”
“And our skin…” she reached for my arm, but then quickly drew back her hand. “That’s the same.”
I carefully placed her hand on my forearm. “It is.”
Slowly, she squeezed my arm. “There are blades under your skin.”
“No Drixonian females had those,” I explained. With a smile, I tapped her temple. “Everything you need is here.” I pointed at her chest, over where her cora beat. “And here. That is the strength of the Drixonian female.” I risked a glance at the human. “And it’s the case for some human females too.”
“What if I want to fight?” She balled her little fists and jutted her chin out. Her violet eyes glowed, and every protective instinct I had in my body roared to the surface. I didn’t want her to ever have to fight for a thing, but I imagined she already had a rough life. I was sure Syb had sheltered her as best as she could, but there was only so much she could do on this planet.
“Some Drixonian females fought,” I explained, not wanting to discourage her. “Not many, but some were very talented with weaponry or marksmanship.” I lowered my head to meet her eyes. “Is that what you want to do? Learn to fight?”
Her eyes shifted to Sybil’s “sleeping” form before returning to me. “I just want to help Sibbie. She’s always had to do all the fighting herself.”
I heard the slightest intake of breath from Sybil. I placed a hand on Riven’s shoulder. “I’m sure you helped her as much as she helped you.”
“She always tells me I’m special, but I think she’s special too. Doesn’t She Is All apply to her too?”
My cora skipped a beat. “It does,” I responded, my voice suddenly going hoarse.
Riven nodded confidently. “I thought so.” My tail lay at my side, and she gently touched the scales. “You said we can go where there are more Drixonians. Any females like me?”
I swallowed. “I wish I could say there was, but I don’t think so. The virus—”
“I know,” she said. “Sibbie told me everything Father told her.” She pulled her knees up to her chest. “So, I’m special just because I’m female?”
“No,” I said quickly. “You’re special because you’re alive. I don’t know you well yet, but I think you’re probably special for a lot of other reasons too. I admire how loyal you are to Sybil and how much you want to fight for her. The good thing is that I’m here now, and I can fight for you both.”
“Are you happy you found us?” she asked in a small voice.
Happiness wasn’t an emotion I’d thought about in a long time, but I realized the warm glow lighting up my blood was something resembling happiness. “I am,” I answered her. “I’m very happy.”
“Will we get out of here?” she asked.
“As soon as possible.”
Sybil sat up, giving up on rest, and I fought not to react at her swollen face. She didn’t seem bothered by it though. “We should talk about a plan.”
I almost smiled at the determined glint in her eye. “I already have one.”
She tilted her head. “You do?”
“All I need is the key to get me out of these chains. My machets can’t slice through them, and they are soldered into the structure of the house or I’d tear them out of the wall. Wargo often kept the keys on hooks in her room, but she keeps it locked when she’s not inside.”
“The key,” Sybil muttered to herself. “I don’t know—”
“The Pliken with black hair,” Riven said quickly.
“What?” Sybil and I said in unison.
Riven nodded. “I saw him place the key on a ring on his belt after he chained you up. When they were just here. When Wargo…” she swallowed. “The ring was still on his belt.”
“I remember him,” I said. “He’s her lead guard, I think.”
“I remember him too, but I didn’t notice where he placed the key.” Sybil shifted closer to us and ruffled Riven’s hair. “Good job, Riv.”
The chit beamed. “I’m helpful, right?”
I tapped her head. “What did I tell you? Your strength is here.” I sighed. “Now how do we get it from him?”
“You can leave that up to me,” Sybil said. “You can’t do it for obvious reasons, and I won’t let Riven get that close, but I can do it.”
“How?”
“Plikens completely underestimate humans. They think we are weak and stupid, and I don’t do much to change that belief.” She patted her chest. “Trust me. I’ll get it tonight.”
* * *
Sybil
When Riven retreated to use the cleanser, Zecri leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Despite the murky sunlight filtering in through the dirty window, I was captivated by the lines of his face.
Graven had been my friend, my ally, and confidant. I’d never once looked at him as anything but that. But Zecri had a strong presence about him, a blast of masculinity and testosterone that speared me through the gut. I hated the way Wargo had looked at him with greedy lust.
“So, you and Graven… you used to live here?”
He let out a snort. “I wouldn’t call it living.” His eyes went a little hazy, as if casting his mind back to memories. “Graven and I were pleasure slaves here for many cycles.”
My heart sank into the floor and my stomach wobbled. I’d known Graven was a pleasure slave. A large part of me had hoped that wasn’t Zecri’s past as well. “I’m sorry.”
“Graven was sold and I escaped shortly after that.”
“Zecri—”
“It’s in the past. She might think I’m back, but that will never be my life again.” His jaw twitched and his hands fisted. “Never.”
I remembered Beth had told me that before her, Graven had never been touched by a female out of kindness. It was only to be used as an object of lust. Was that Zecri’s life too? How old had he been when the females of his life passed? “So, you… you came back here even though this place holds so many bad memories for you?”
He huffed a dry laugh. “Bad memories,” he murmured.
“What?”
“I returned to save Graven. I would have walked over hot rocks for many cycles to save him. And now, I’d do the same for you and Riven. My life is…” he shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What were you going to say?” I prodded.
He turned away. “I forgot.”
That was a lie.
“But what about what you want?” I shifted closer, creeping to his side until my knees brushed his leg. “Graven never thought you’d return to save him. He wanted you to escape on your own, and live happily—”
“Graven was a dreamer,” he said softly. “I am not.”
“So, you don’t have your own dreams?” I reached out tentatively and cupped his cheek.
His dark eyelashes fluttered, and he swallowed.
I tried to turn his head to face me, but he resisted as the veins in his neck bulged. “Z?” I whispered.
His eyes closed, and a flash of emotion creased his features so quickly I almost missed it. Finally, he loosened his muscles and let me turn his head. I stared into those purple eyes, so different from the warmth of Graven’s. But they weren’t flat, they were deep and dark. “What do you want?”
A strangled sound left his throat, and for a moment I thought he’d make some grand confession, but with a quick jerk, he broke my hold. Chains rattled, reminding me of our situation like a slap in the face. I dropped back onto my haunches as Zecri stared straight ahead with a cold stare. “Don’t mistake me for Graven.” His voice held no tone, and I shivered. “I will find you friends, and I’m sure a bevy of willing mates if you want. But I will be neither of those for you.”
My chest felt like he’d carved a hole
into it. “Then what will you be?”
“A rescuer.”
“What am I to you? What is Riven?”
He still didn’t look at me. “My mission.”
I felt like a fool. It’d been so long since I’d had anyone but Riven, that I’d placed too much on Zecri, a Drixonian I barely knew.
He was right—he wasn’t Graven, and it wasn’t fair to project that onto him. He was a warrior with a mission. And I should be grateful for that. He’d vowed to protect us. What more did I want? And why did my heart feel like it’d been cracked with a hammer?
We spent the rest of the day alternating between eating and sleeping. At one point, a few Plikens came in to unchain Zecri long enough to let him use the expeller and cleanser. I could see the resistance in his eyes when they handled him, but I gave him a firm head shake. We had a plan to sneak out of here without much attention being drawn to us. Fighting our way out wouldn’t get us far.
The sun was just beginning to set, and I was getting antsy thinking of how I was going to get the key, when the door flew open to reveal Wargo and a few Pliken guards. The one with black hair was there as always, standing right at her back like a sentry. “Bring him.”
Immediately, Riven leaped to her feet. “Where are you taking him?”
Wargo’s cool gaze slid to Riven and I instinctively stepped in front of her. Wargo’s lips thinned into something resembling a smile. “He’s back, and now it’s time for him to work.”
I could feel the chill coming off Zecri’s body. The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped thirty degrees. I frowned. “Work? You mean…” I let out a gasping sound like I’d been punched as the guards walked over to Zecri and began unhooking his chains from the wall. Panic lit a fire in my blood. “Wait, can’t you—? What about—?” But no one was listening to me. Wargo had turned her back and the guards were blocking my view of Zecri.
“Wait, please.” Tears pricked my eyes. I couldn’t do this. I would never be able to sit on my hands knowing he was suffering somewhere.