Page 7 of Xefe (Nozaroc Alien Warrior #1)

T ime slowed. All sounds muted. I existed from one millisecond to the next.

I gritted my teeth as my hand came down and shifted at the last second, aiming for Freckles’ ropy arm rather than his damp eye.

Not a killing shot but it would do some damage.

I knocked the baby pango out of his hands, and the furball collapsed to the floor.

Its tiny chest rose and fell far too slowly.

A shimmering wave of black and gold raced down the mountain to meet the unconscious animal. They hooted and screeched a song of relief, of hope.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. I saw Freckles clutch his arm as I braced my body to attack. Again, a plan of action emerged.

Jump up, backhand him in the squishy brain. Go for the kill shot…

My fist flew, inches from his vulnerable face.

Right before contact, I felt a vice lock around my throat.

Deadly, immovable. I hung in mid-air, but it wasn’t because of Freckles.

The alien asshole stood stock still with his drooly mouth open and his fetid dick-tongues hanging out. All three tiny tubes.

The grip on my neck came from behind. Can’t breathe. I was wrenched back and flung down to the floor. I gurgled something out; dust obscured my vision.

“Stay down.” Came a deep growl.

Something about his voice made me shiver. As the powdery dust cleared, I saw nothing but swirling sunset eyes. “Sunny,” I whispered.

It all came back, and something settled inside me.

It was as if I’d been waiting for him. The massive alien rumbled something.

It sounded like a chuckle, but by the look of his stony face, he was probably pissed.

He appeared exactly as I remembered. Dark leather enveloped his forehead like a mask.

The covering continued over his head and along his shoulders and crisscrossed his chest. Massive spikes lined his head and spine, and even the backs of his arms. I focused on his swirling sunset eyes.

His hand loosened, and his long fingers brushed my fluttering pulse.

I didn’t know why, but it was a comfort.

The adrenaline faded. The glow that had surrounded me, the superstar confidence, was gone.

The Oro had receded, and I was alone with my normal human strength.

Less than normal because I was tapped out.

I had no chance to kill Freckles now, and it made me want to scream. I’d been so close!

“What- what have we here?” A new voice boomed above me or maybe through me.

It sounded like it blasted through every inch of the mountain—oily, languid, and oh-so-entitled.

Had anyone who wasn’t an asshole ever uttered those words?

His voice screeched and crackled in an all too familiar way.

A glass-shattering tone I’d heard one too many times.

But now, unlike on the ship—I understood the alien language.

It was similar to Freckle’s language with a few differences.

“Don’t move, or I will kill you,” Sunny growled above me. His strong hand retreated slowly, and his long fingers caressing my cheek as he stepped back.

I shut my eyes for a moment, mourning the loss of the Oro flooding my veins, but really just wanting to avoid the voice of the asshat that approached. Eventually, I looked up and instantly knew I’d been right. This new alien… he reeked of power.

When he waved a long-fingered hand, Sunny came down on one knee and bowed his head. “Till death. Supreme first!”

The supreme? Carajo. This was bad. Very bad.

The alien stood about five and a half feet with spotted mossy skin. The plume of feathers running down his head and the back of his neck were vivid yellow. His cloak wasn’t any fancier than the other aliens I’d spied in the stands. What made him so special?

“Is it a female- male ? What species is it- it ?” After he spoke, five fat dick-tongues unrolled from his mouth and hung over his chin.

The size of his members dwarfed Freckles’ teeny-tiny tubes.

Everything clicked into place. Freckles was a giant pulsing asshole because he had Little Dicks Energy.

Unbelievable. It didn’t matter what part of the galaxy you were in—men never changed.

My eyes widened when I saw three new, huge , aliens circle the supreme. They were half gold and half turquoise, with shimmering hair flowing over their muscular backs. Glittering wings made of spiked blades, vibrated behind their backs.

They never left the supreme’s side. They must be his personal guards.

“Who is this- this ?” the supreme roared. Or maybe whispered, my brain had started to lock up. One by one, my senses shut down.

I need power , I whispered to the Oro . A brief shudder and a wave of ice smashed into my soul. Completely different than any other sensation I’d felt before by the Oro. They had no more to give. I got the sense it would hurt them to help.

Loxo came up behind me. Querida and Nieve’s arms were clasped in his large hands. “Forgive me, Supreme. Earthers run fast.” For once, he didn’t crack a smile.

“Earthers? Oh, yes, Tontoh’s pet project- ject . Why- why does she not speak? I will understand her inferior language. The Glrtsstlllloroggg makes it so- so .”

Sunny stepped forward. “Ask Tontoh why she cannot speak.” Sunny pointed his staff at Freckles, who’d been slinking away, his hopefully broken arm clutched in his hand.

Freckles straightened and rushed over. “She tried to kill me. Look at my arm. Give her to me. I demand it. I will make her pay.”

My eyes blurred, and it felt like my blood thickened like oil.

Things were going from bad to worse. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

My tongue was too thick to move. I was as helpless as when I’d first woken up.

The burst of energy had tapped me, and my greatest weapon, my big mouth, was rendered useless.

The supreme looked restless, obviously used to getting his way. If I didn’t do something soon, he might dispose of me.

“They have potential, Supreme. Look how quickly she almost killed Tontoh.” Sunny’s surprising support was buying me a little time.

Who’s a good talker? Nieve! I looked up and saw her huddled behind Loxo. With the last of my strength, I motioned her toward me.

Nieve shook her head.

Get your ass over here. I crooked my finger again. Querida pulled Nieve next to me.

“Earther- thers ? I had never seen one in person. You say? You say? I’m not impressed.

But I can’t judge a cell by its casing. Yes, yes ?

For all we know, their DNA might hold answers to life itself.

Or not- not .” The supreme swept his arms wide, and the entire stadium trilled.

Even to my human ears, it sounded like forced laughter mixed in with a tinge of desperation.

Is his voice attached to a megaphone? The whole stadium now watched.

“Too flea-ridden for the sex cages- ges . Too- too wild to mine. But maybe they have potential to compete as you say, my First. What say you, you ?” He motioned to the stands.

The arena erupted in squawks and shrieks.

Can’t tell if that’s good or bad.

“Look- look , two more. Just as filthy as the first- first .” The supreme’s plume of feathers snapped up and then settled. “You dare to stand in my presence- ence !”

Nieve and Querida stood with mouths agape before Nime tapped the back of their knees. They hit the floor and seemed to get the message, leaning in to grovel before the supreme.

With no energy to answer, I looked to Nieve.

This is our chance. Use your powers for good.

For once! Bullshit this supreme, and get us some perks—or else we’re dead.

I shut my eyes in frustration and thought of Valentina and talking to her.

Talking. My vid-phone. I looked at Nieve, tapped my palm, and then canted my head toward the supreme.

Nieve sat up on her knees. Hopefully, she could pull this off.

I lied fluently but usually ruined the ruse by doing something evil that gave me away.

Nieve, on the other hand, could interact seamlessly with commoners and kings.

Educated and spoiled, her beauty should have guaranteed a pampered life.

Her scarred hands and arms sent her to New Angeles, where she’d learned to race for her life like the rest of us commoners.

After the AI Wars, the population had almost been wiped out by disease and famine.

Geneticists glued the human race back together by gene splicing and intermingling DNA donated by all remaining humans.

It created stronger genes. Noone was any one ethnicity or race, but if you were lucky enough to win the genetic jackpot—like Nieve with her shining beauty—it was your ticket to fortune and prosperity.

“Perhaps I should use less difficult words. Yes, yes ? So, they comprehend. It- it is obvious they have no complex reasoning.” The supreme screeched, causing both humans and warriors to wince in pain. “Do- do you understand now? Yes- ssss ?

Nieve blinked and then seemed to get with the program. “Why, thank you, Your Excellence. Of course, I can understand now. Your speech is perfection.” Nieve bowed as if she were addressing Earth’s High Counsellor.

The alien supreme ate it up. “So true, so true . What are you called?”

“I am Nieve. This is Querida and Hera.” She pointed at me on the floor.

All feeling had left my body. My limbs felt as heavy as concrete—my mind heading toward a factory shut down. I had minutes before lights out.

“She runs fast- fast ? You run, too?” The supreme pranced around the stage, disregarding his bodyguards and me lying on the floor.

He stepped on my hair, twice , yet gave no sign of noticing.

Every once in a while, he’d whip out those rancid-smelling tongues to scent the air.

He seemed very interested in Nieve’s mouth.

“You run like the dead one on the floor- floor ?”

I tried not to take the dead thing personally. Instead, I silently urged Nieve to lie her ass off.

She responded with a quick smile. “We are all strong racers.”

The supreme’s feathers snapped up above his head. “Teeth? Disgusting- ing. ” He appeared mollified when she shut her mouth. “Perhaps this will not work.”

“Give them to me!” Freckles popped up out of nowhere, slowly inching toward me.

“No!” Loxo stepped forward, his red eye swirling.

“Calm, brother,” Sunny whispered to Loxo and blocked him from the supreme’s view. He addressed the leader. “They are the fastest I’ve seen. Perhaps we try them in the Great Race? That is what they were captured for, my Supreme. For your pleasure.”

“You- you support them, First?” The supreme’s shrewd gaze devoured Xefe.

Xefe tipped up his chin. The equivalent of an alien nod.

“Take- take them tomorrow to the training center and see if they’re worth the bother. I’m hoping they don’t disappoint me- me .” He ran his eyes over Nieve and winced. “But first, shave their heads- heads . They are infested- ed .”

“No,” my whispered word was directed at Nieve, but the supreme spun around.

“She- she speaks? Not as dead as I thought- thought ?”

With the last of my strength, I used two of my fingers as scissors and shook my head.

Nieve snapped out of her trance and bowed low, her curtsy flawless. “Oh, Powerful One. Please may I speak?”

The supreme narrowed his fiery eyes on her and looked to the crowds. “I will allow it- it .”

“The others,” she said, pointing at Nime, who scowled in that uniquely alien way—his rigid brows snapping down over his eyes, “tried to cut our hair. Please, I beg of you. You must not allow that to happen. I know only you can help us. Your power bleeds from you. I can feel it down to my pores.”

If I had the energy, I would have rolled my eyes, convinced she was way too far up his butt for him to believe her.

He tapped the tips of his fingers together as if to encourage her to continue. The roar of the crowd confirmed the meaning of the gesture by snapping their beaks. Clip, clip, clip.

Dios , he was lapping that shit up.

Work it, Nieve. I was so impressed I didn’t mind the foreign feeling of rooting for her instead of trying to maim her. Huh, it wasn’t as painful as I thought.

“Why- why would you want to be infested- ted ?”

Nieve looked around as if for inspiration. “Our strength… comes from our hair!” She blinked, and a wide, close-mouth smile spread across her face, clearly as impressed with the lie as I was.

“But- but the bugs. How will you remove them- em ?”

“We have ancient practices that will cleanse the bugs and allow our power to grow. We long to prove ourselves to you, and show you our devotion. To show all your people that we fight for you.” Nieve deferred to the supreme but kept an eye on the crowd, understanding we had to win them over as much as him.

He craved their adulation, so we needed their approval.

A spark lit his eyes when he heard the crowd react. “Power- wer from your hair? Is- is this a unique trait to all earthers? We- we will have to test your DNA specifically for this phenomenon. Very well- well .”

A kernel of hope unfurled in my chest as the supreme paused dramatically. Not a spark of sound could be heard anywhere.

I have about five seconds left before blackout.

He raised his hands. “I must see this reported strength that comes from your filthy locks. Oh yes, yes . Do- do not cut their hair.” The crowd erupted.

He raised his hand abruptly, clearly not finished, and the aliens shut up immediately.

“They- they will fight in the Great Race and complete work duties. I will not waste resources if their promises prove false- false .” He cut a conniving look at Nieve, his eyes tracing her face.

Work duties? I didn’t want to work .

Nieve put her head down and bowed.

Four seconds till blackout…

“This I decree- ree .” He dismissed us with a wave and was swarmed by women, no men, well, aliens who had all kinds of masks and equipment surrounding their mouths.

Maybe this was the alien equivalent of lingerie.

The closest one crawled toward him, and he roughly grasped her face and shoved all five of his tongues in her mouth.

The crowd clipped their beaks in approval as my muscles seized.

Three, two, one…

My eyes rolled back, and the world faded to black.