Page 11 of Xefe (Nozaroc Alien Warrior #1)

F inally, the truth. It rarely left the scheming earther’s mouth.

She was furious that she’d been abducted, and Xefe would not take that from her.

He should send her away, try with another alien, but his supreme had decreed it so.

And the idea of her vulnerable with any other warrior made him want to tear something apart.

Shaking off the ridiculous thought, he gave her one last chance.

“You may ask me any question between these walls.”

She carefully eyed the knife in his hand before swiveling her gaze to his own as if measuring his worth. After a few tics , she seemed to have decided and asked, “Where are we?”

“This planet is called Nozaroc. It is ruled by the Aavvee and protected by the supreme’s warriors. I am First.” He sat straight and wondered if the earther understood his title and the hard-fought battles to obtain it.

“Are there any other humans here?” Her small body tensed with this question, her hands fisting and then releasing. It seemed…important to her.

“Yes.”

Her gaze snapped up to his. “Where are they?”

“They have arrived recently, and are all over the planet.” He gripped his knife tighter, feeling the tension coming off the alien. But it didn’t feel like her usual manipulations, this almost felt desperate. “Why do you ask?”

“You want to take it easy with the knife, Sunny? It’s freaking me out, especially because we’re supposed to be talking . Sharing information, right?” She grabbed the sack and shoved it over her head, maneuvering so the blanket stayed in her hands.

Deflection. She hadn’t answered his question but he would let it pass, for now. He needed her calm to share her secrets, so he swapped his knife out for his staff, leaving the sharpened steel on the table.

“That’s better.” Her lips lifted and immediately shut. No smile. “Now we can talk without accidental decapitation.”

Truth. “What are your abilities?”

“Compared to what? You? How do I measure that?” Hermosa rose and cautiously studied his room, steering clear of his blade.

This pleased him. But he would remain vigilant in case she used her speed against him. Was she avoiding the question again? “How were you able to evade so many of my warriors? When you attacked Tontoh?”

“You tell me. Tontoh,” she spat out his name and continued, “injected me with a whole vial of that gold stuff. I call it Oro, and I almost died. You know that. You saw me.”

Truth. The idea of her death affected him strangely. He felt pressure in his chest that promised to roar into anger, but luckily, it soon faded. He shook off her words and said, “What were your skills on your planet?

“We’re racers. Our job is to feed the crowd and make them forget their horrible existence for a few minutes while we fight our way to the end.” Hermosa looked down at her hands. “We were competing when they took us.”

Truth. “Your kind may well be suited for the Great Race.”

Her gaze intensified, showing a level of interest she usually hid. “Tell me about it. I want to know every detail.”

“I will show you the course tomorrow and answer your questions then.”

She bobbed her head. In agreement? “How long do we have to prepare?”

“ Syads. Or roughly what you call days, but the length varies. This first trial is to see if you are able to participate in the Great Race.” He studied her earther physiology and didn’t have high hopes.

“Prequals. I get it.”

“Tell me of your speed.”

“Not much to tell. God and Oro given.” She smiled and then smacked a hand over her lips. “Ignore that.”

“How can I?”

“It’s a habit. I can’t control it.”

Lie. It didn’t take long for her to fall back on old patterns.

This behavior, her ability to tell untruths, reminded him of the Aavvee aristocracy, the ones with too much time who thought to seduce him and his warriors.

As if their supreme would allow divided loyalty—he had ensured they would never be tempted away from him.

The golden elixir, Glrtsstlllloroggg , was a gift and a curse.

It presented him with untold strength, yet chained his emotions.

Although he had never thought of it as a curse until he’d met this earther.

“What changes, exactly, did you feel after taking the Glrtsstlllloroggg ?”

Hermosa examined his possessions, running her hand along every surface.

Her proprietary behavior should have bothered him, but he found himself fascinated.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Long, tangled hair fell down her back.

Deep brown with golden highlights, it shone in the dim light.

Her limbs, surprisingly graceful, floated over his things.

“I’ve only been awake a few hours, so it’s hard to tell.” She didn’t quite meet his eyes.

He waited. This was not exactly lying, but she avoided the truth.

Hermosa peeked up between feathery hair protecting her eye sockets. “Not going for that, hmmm? Well, this time, Sunny, I’m not trying to hide anything. Not exactly.” She laughed as she had in the alien ship, but this time it was huskier. Deeper, richer…more sincere.

He remained silent.

“I really am processing things. When I woke up, I couldn’t speak, could barely understand you or anyone else. Now,” she sighed. “I don’t know how I’m different except…” She rubbed her shoulder. “I feel no pain.”

“You had been in pain from the craft?”

One of her hairy forehead ridges lifted.

What does that mean? So many varied expressions crossed her face at all times.

It was frustrating, yet it compelled him to want to understand every nuance.

Perhaps, she hadn’t heard his question, so he clarified, “In the craft. What was done to you after Tontoh administered the Glrtsstlllloroggg , and why were you given so much?”

She fisted her palms, and darkness shadowed her open face. “I won’t talk about him. Ever. I don’t care who you replace me with.”

A flare of anger shook him, making him fear it would overpower his safeguards.

It assailed him for several seconds. He surged onto his feet until, eventually, the fury floated away.

He’d never come so close to losing control.

But her statement only made his hatred for Tontoh grow.

It suddenly became unacceptable that he would mistreat her.

“I will ask you only one question. Did he hurt you?”

The small earther’s chest rose and fell rapidly. She sucked in deep breaths. “Don’t you touch him.” Hermosa looked him in the eye for the first time. No subterfuge. He saw only determination, and fire. “He’s mine .”

“I will have to stop you.” His supreme would not like this, but Xefe found himself saying, “But it is your due to try.”

Her head canted to the side, exposing her long neck. So vulnerable. “Why can’t I kill him?”

“He is valuable to my supreme.”

“And you do everything he asks? Your supreme?”

“I am First.” His eyes narrowed. “I would die for him. Kill in an instant.” Xefe tightened his hold on his staff. “Do you want to harm my supreme?”

“N-no!” Her eyes went wide. “No, no, no! Jesús Cristo. Your eyes are swirling like whirlpools.” She sat back on the bed abruptly. “You said I could ask questions, so I’m asking!”

Truth. For once, her words calmed him instead of enraging him. “Go on.”

“A-about my pain? All of my previous injuries from competing were gone.” She kept her distance, wearing what he could guess was a wary expression.

“It’s pretty amazing.” She rotated her left arm in a circle.

“Like the socket has been completely repaired or never injured in the first place. Is that weird?”

“It is not unusual. The Glrtsstlllloroggg is highly prized by all lifeforms for its healing attributes.”

The human sighed. “I know a ton of humans who would kill to be healed.”

“Many aliens as well. That is why my supreme needs us. His warriors protect the portals to this world. And we protect my supreme and his people from the beasts outside of this facility. All threats to him and the Glrtsstlllloroggg .”

“What does it do besides heal?” Hermosa chewed on her bottom lip, her square ineffectual teeth causing no harm. “Is it alive?” she whispered.

Clever earther. How had she divined something even his leaders were unwilling to admit? Because he had no answers, only suspicions, he said, “It has never been used on earthers.”

“Humans.”

“That is what I said.”

“ Okay. ” She raised his blanket to her face and took in deep breaths. “Smells so good,” she whispered to herself.

Strange.

“How is it that I’m feeling better now? I passed out earlier.”

Xefe hesitated to give too much information this early. He refused to tell her about the Glrtsstlllloroggg he kept for emergencies. Not willing to trust her, he asked another question, “Why haven’t you mentioned your other gift from the… what do you call it? Oro?”

She opened her mouth and shut it quickly as if warring with herself about what to say. “What do you mean?”

“Considering you’ve been speaking to me in my own language, on and off this whole conversation, I’d say there is more to tell.”

“Yeah, I’ve always had a way with words.”

“Earther!” He half stood, but she didn’t shrink back this time.

“I know you understood and speak my language. You understood every word spoken by my supreme. Do you speak his language as well? He is royalty. And his language is only to be spoken by the elite. I want true answers. I am running out of patience.”

“Well, so am I! Why should I have to tell you all my secrets? That information helps me survive. You know it’s a tactical advantage; one I want to keep to myself.”

He gripped his staff, realizing the weight of her words held meaning.

Depth. When she spoke, he didn’t feel the irritating pressure in his chest when she lied or exaggerated.

For this, she would be rewarded. “As long as you do not use this ability against my supreme or my warriors, I will keep your secrets.”

“Really?”

“Don’t get excited. I predict you are one who makes many enemies. Quickly.”

The crease between her brows denoted annoyance but not deceit. “Truth.”

“You will be interacting with many aliens and will need any advantage because of your floppy limbs and weak muscles.”

“Damn, just when I thought you were being nice.” Again, she returned to his blanket and inhaled deeply.

When she noticed him watching, she tossed it on his sleeping platform and adjusted her sack-dress.

“Focus, Hermosa,” she whispered and fanned herself with a strange five-fingered hand.

Missing a second thumb. Incredible. Even her fingers were deficient.

“How about you give me the rundown of what the supreme expects of me? Or, I guess, of us humans.”

“You will work, but you will also have a chance to compete. But you must impress the supreme.” Xefe had seen the look in his leader’s eye. These earthers, despite their filth and weakness, had caught his attention.

It didn’t matter how well they performed if they didn’t interest him.

Their lives rested on the whim of a fickle Aavvee.

Xefe could be killed if he shared these thoughts aloud.

But it made no difference. He had sworn to honor and obey the supreme above all others until he was returned to his home planet.

He would never dishonor his people. Would never dishonor his almax that awaited him on his planet.

His reward for a lifetime of service to his leader.