Page 15 of Xefe (Nozaroc Alien Warrior #1)

W e huddled behind Loxo, shoving Querida next to him to ensure our safety. For once, she got with the program and clutched his arm.

“Greetings, brother.” Loxo puffed out his chest, clearly ecstatic that Querida was touching him.

“Loxo,” Nime said. “You found them. Thank the stars. If they had escaped their duties, it might have started a mutiny. Why must I always deal with these addled aliens?”

Loxo switched to his growly warrior language to respond, “Fear not, brother. They were with me the whole time. They simply wanted to watch our champions to better understand what they must endure. Surely you can understand their desire to learn?”

“I understand they are useless. And causing trouble in my kitchen! They are not able to do the simplest task assigned. They had to stir soup. Nothing else. They are far dumber than I ever could have imagined.”

I clenched my teeth to stop myself from mouthing off. Honestly, I was happy he underestimated us, but I was getting tired of hearing all these insults.

“Return them now.” Nime turned back toward the kitchen. “They will be punished for their actions.”

How was I going to get us out of this mess? Because who was I going to count on—Nieve and Querida? Nime was right about one thing. They were useless.

We stepped back in the room and returned to anarchy.

Nime turned his attention to us and slammed his staff. In broken English, he uttered, “You be punished. All!”

He spun away from us and singled out Nheenya. Mierda , I should have thought this through a little more. Nime had locked the innocent alien’s wrists behind her back with some sort of electric shackles.

“Wait!” I jumped out from behind Loxo. “This isn’t her fault.”

“No? Who’s fault?” Nime released Nheenya’s arm and looked at me. “Explain.”

Damn it. Why had I opened my mouth? Time to pull some BS out of my culo . “Think about it. It couldn’t have been Nheenya’s fault. She’s the best. The hardest worker, always happy and cheerful. You know she couldn’t have done this.”

“True.” Nime’s eyes narrowed on me. “Who did? Tell me.”

“Of course, I’ll tell you. As soon as you let her go. And then you can punish the real culprit appropriately.” I kept my gaze down, making myself as small and remorseful-looking as possible.

“Speak.” He manipulated the long staff and Nheenya’s cuffs uncoiled, the electric beams disappearing before us.

“It was her!” I point at the green bitch who was stupid enough to threaten me earlier.

“What? I did not.” Greenie scoffed. “No one believes you.”

I elbowed Nieve.

“Ow! You—” But she quickly recovered when she caught sight of Nime’s ire.

“Yes, I mean, of course it wasn’t Nheenya.

” Nieve looked around and used her powers to create a story out of nothing.

“It was definitely the green one. Just like Hera said. It’s her rancid energy.

I can feel it.” She paused dramatically before continuing.

“Don’t believe me? Ask around. They’ll agree. ”

“They wouldn’t dare.” Greenie flexed her impressive muscles, glaring at the entire room as they collectively shrunk back.

“Because you’ve scared everyone, intimidated them.

Look, Nime. See how they tremble.” I smiled and brought some of the other aliens closer.

“I’m sure if at least one— or all of you —explained who spilled the soup, Nime would take her away, and you’d never have to see her again .

Right? You’d reward everyone by protecting them so they can work even harder for you if they weren’t abused all the time by her.

” I looked at Nime. “Well, wouldn’t you? ”

“I…yes, if true. But—”

“Of course, it’s true.” I walked over to Nheenya and dramatically swept my hand over her like the badass showman I was. “The evidence is splattered all over her. The green alien pushed the soup onto Nheenya. She wouldn’t pull the soup onto herself. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“She yells at me a lot,” Nheenya whispered.

“She hit me in the back of the head!” someone croaked from the crowd.

“Yeah, and she smells.”

“See! She reeks! How are we supposed to work in those kinds of conditions?” Nieve nodded dramatically and carried on. “She’s a disease you need to cut out for the rest of us to function.”

“She has been abusive to the workers?” Loxo asked.

“Yes! Especially to Querida.” I utilized every arsenal in the pile to win this argument because Nime and Greenie looked apoplectic.

“These are lies! My sisters are champions. Soon, I will be fighting in the Great Race with them. I am not meant to stir soup . This is below me. But still, I spilled nothing!” Greenie was in full rant mode.

“Did she hurt you?” Loxo asked Querida, his broad shoulders swelling and growing—like a massive tree.

I held my breath, not sure how Querida would answer Loxo.

She rarely spoke, especially in front of strangers.

Her eyes took in his large form, and her nonchalance dropped away.

She stared intently at the changes sweeping over Loxo, at his clenched fists and massive size.

Eventually, Querida narrowed her eyes at Greenie and said, “Yes.”

“ Kill. ” Loxo’s voice dropped to a decibel so low it sounded like one long rumble. His red eye swirled maniacally.

“No!” Nime tackled Loxo. A few minutes before, Loxo had been half a foot shorter and leaner, but now he and Nime looked the same size. “Fools! Four and Five. Help me. Take the workers and place them in their quarters. Now!” The warriors guarding the door ran toward Loxo.

“Hell, that almost worked too well,” I whispered. We stood by Nheenya. She’d earned our loyalty.

“What the hell is happening to him?” Nieve asked.

“I don’t know,” Nheenya said.

Querida didn’t take her eyes off Loxo as ten super-fit and hot alien warriors surrounded the raging alien.

“Damn, chica. I didn’t know you had it like that,” Nieve said to Querida.

Querida smirked but kept her gaze riveted on Loxo, her mass of curly red hair a sharp contrast to her midnight eyes. Pure interest. None of the annoyance and nonchalance from before.

“Control yourself, or I will take you away from her!” Nime had his massive arms around Loxo as he screamed in his ear.

Loxo’s broad chest rose and fell. He shook his head like a wet dog. It took more than a few minutes but eventually, his body visibly shrunk before us. His swirling red eye calmed, but he kept his gaze on the green bitch, who appeared terrified. “Punish her.”

“It is already done, brother. Calm yourself. Or you will scare the earthers.”

What kind of hell is this?

Loxo shook off the guards. In seconds, his happy grin broke through. Back to normal, he walked up to us, like nothing had ever happened. “Ready to go?

“G-go where?” I asked, not sure who stood in front of me.

“For your training, of course. That was why I was sent here. To pick you up. Come.”

I looked at the girls, and they looked wide-eyed and confused. Eventually, Nieve shrugged. “You’re okay, now? You won’t kill us or anything, right?”

“Never!”

I smiled and hooked my arm into his. Anything was better than stirring soup. Worker, my ass. “Lead the way! And listen, I just want to say ahead of time, we would never intentionally do, or say, anything to piss you off.”