by D T Dyllin
The pod banked to the left abruptly. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course I do. This is going to be easy— Shit,” Kade muttered.
My eyes flew open with alarm. “What? What is it?” Scooting up onto my knees, I peered at the control panel.
Kade waved a hand in my direction, his gaze remaining on what he was doing. “Nothing. It’s fine. Trust me.”
Clutching his arm, I leaned over farther in an attempt to figure out what he was hiding. “Trust you? We just met.”
“Look, I don’t need you distracting me right now. What I’m doing is kind of important,” he ground out.
One at a time, I peeled my fingers from his arm, and forced myself back down into the cradle of my seat. He was right. If I couldn’t be trusted to handle things at the moment, distracting him with my nerves wasn’t going to help either.
Air whistled past the pod, our descent faster than I would have liked. I squeezed my eyes shut. Please let us be okay. We both needed to be in top physical condition if we wanted to survive Zeffrin. Having an injury of any kind could mean death. The inhabitants of any prison planet weren’t known for being accommodating to unwanted guests.
With a crunch and a pop, metal groaned as the pod made contact with the surface of Zeffrin, skidding to a stop. I peeked out of one eye, cringing, expecting an explosion of some sort. At the very least fire.
“Well I’ll be damned,” Kade guffawed. “We made it.”
Hesitantly, I opened the other eye, peering over at Kade. “You sound surprised. I thought you had everything under control.”
He grinned. “I may have exaggerated slightly.”
Snorting, I unbuckled my harness. “Figures.”
“It all worked out in the end.”
What was it about bounty hunters? I was well aware that certain personality types, and therefore species, where attracted to specific jobs, but were all bounty hunters reckless? I was beginning to think the answer was indeed, yes. “This isn’t exactly the end. We simply landed in one piece. We still need to survive long enough to figure out a way off of Zeffrin.”
Kade flipped the switch to equalize pressure in the pod, causing my ears to pop. Shoving the hatch open, he climbed out awkwardly, his massive body nearly too big to fit out of the opening. He turned and offered me his hand. “Come on, the clock is ticking.”
Ignoring his offer of help, I climbed out of the pod to survey our surroundings. The landscape was lush and green, the sky above us clear and blue, three small suns heating my skin. Wildlife whooped and chirped from the confines of a nearby forest. No Zeffrin natives, also known as prisoners, appeared out of nowhere to attack us. The whole thing set me on edge. UGFS sanctioned prison planets were exactly what they sounded like. The scum of the Universe were assigned to various planets, and essentially forgotten. Once abandoned on a prison planet, most were never seen or heard from again. Rumors of the savagery that existed amongst the inhabitants of such places were legendary. Even the UFGS didn’t interfere, except to make sure their prisoners didn’t escape.
“I need a weapon.” My gaze slid down Kade’s leather encased body. None of his weapons were visible, but I knew he had them.
“Oh, no. I’m not in the habit of arming my bounties. Besides,” he winked, “you have me. I’ll protect you, Smurfette.”
Instant fury heated my blood, and before I realized what I was doing, my hand had already made contact with Kade’s neck. “You will give me a weapon to defend myself, and you will stop calling me Smurfette.”
Kade shuffled back a few steps, cupping the side of his neck. “Ow! Who slaps someone in the neck?”
“You’re too tall. I couldn’t reach your face,” I grumbled, turning away from him. But his surprised and offended expression was burned into my retinas. Thinking of it had the most unexpected effect on me. Laughter bubbled up from my chest, exploding from my mouth with severity, causing me to double over.
“It’s not funny. Why are you laughing?”
“I—don’t—know—why,” I sputtered out, clutching my side. I mean, sure, me hitting him in the neck and causing Kade to be offended was slightly amusing, but it wasn’t laugh out loud hilarious. It had to be because of my off-kilter emotions. It was the only explanation.
An earsplitting screech rent the air. Sobering instantly, I whirled towards the woods just as a small, blue, furry creature scurried across the field, large ears pinned back, and long, fluffy tail trailing behind it. Close on its heels was a large, orange reptilian creature, long fangs dripping with saliva.
Reaching into his leather vest, Kade produced a laser gun. With one precise shot, the reptilian creature dropped to the ground, dead. The small, furry creature continued its mad dash towards us, completely unaware.
Kade tilted his head. “You think I should kill it, too?”
“No!” Rushing forward, I knocked the gun out of his hand. “It was obviously running for its life! Plus, it’s cute.” Did I actually just say that? Cute was not a prerequisite for judging whether something was dangerous or not. My hand slid to the back of my neck, running over the metal plate. I need to get this thing off before I’m completely driven by emotions, and I get myself killed.
Dipping to pick up the gun, Kade muttered, “Cute things can be the nastiest of all sometimes.” He glanced at me with meaning before returning his gun to its hiding place.
“Stop being a baby,” I snapped, kneeling down as the furry creature came closer. It halted abruptly, spinning around to take in the unmoving reptilian carcass. It made a cooing sound as it spun back in our direction, trotting with its tail high in the air, large, luminous eyes fixated on me.
Kade backed up a few steps, crossing his arms over his chest. “Would serve you right if it bites your face off.”
The creature’s small, pink nose lifted in the air, sniffing, as it crept towards me. Its tiny body was lithe, but packed with muscle under smooth blue fur. Deep brown eyes that took up more than half its face studied me with curiosity, and ears as large as my hands swiveled back and forth.
Shuffling through images in my memory, I strained to remember the name of the tiny creature. “It’s a Xemur!” I exclaimed, snapping my fingers. “I knew it looked familiar! It was created on New Earth by splicing a lemur and a Xintinkasourcaka’s genes together. Most of Earth’s original animal population was destroyed, but the scientists of New Earth managed to save partial DNA samples to create hybrid animals to populate their new planet. It won’t hurt us.”
“New Earth? What the hell is it doing here on Zeffrin?”
Not taking my gaze from the Xemur, I snorted. “Seriously, you know how this kind of thing works. A few of them get onto a ship on New Earth, breed, and the next thing you know they’re showing up two galaxies over on a supply space station.”
“But this isn’t a supply space station, it’s a prison planet.”
“The same principles apply. There could have been a transport ship that docked at a supply space station that had a Xemur population explosion. The next thing you know—”
The Xemur leapt at me, and I opened my arms to catch it. Rumbling, cooing noises erupted from it as it nuzzled my neck and chest. I stroked its soft fur, enraptured by its loving nature.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Put that thing down, we have things to do. Remember? We just crashed on Zeffrin. We don’t have time to be standing around petting stray New Earth animals.”
I pressed my face into the Xemur, my words muffled. “What should we name it?”
“Name it?” Kade guffawed. “Didn’t you hear a damn word I just said? Give me that thing! You don’t know what kind of diseases it might have!”
I danced away, clutching the Xemur, who was hissing at Kade. “Xintinkasourcakas were chosen to be spliced with lemurs because they’re disease and infestation resistant. They even repel dirt. They’re actually perfect pets.”
Kade lunged again, stumbling when I skirted around him. Growling, he spun around,
expression thunderous. “I’m asking for more money if we get off this rock in one piece. You’re more trouble than any bounty I’ve ever encountered. And we’re not taking that thing with us.”
Me, more trouble than any other bounty he’s ever encountered? Either he only chooses easy targets, or he’s a big, fat liar. Either way, it lessened my respect for him a bit. Notching my chin up, I shot Kade a death glare. “Yes, we are taking Tinka with us. She’s already bonded with me, so I can’t just leave her.”
“Tinka? Bonded with you? And how do you know it’s a she?”
“Because she’s blue. The males are—”
“I don’t care what color the males are!” He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. Bring it. We just need to get moving. Now.”
Shifting Tinka to my shoulder, her tail curled around my neck. Kade stared at her with disbelief a moment before shaking his head slowly, and turning to stalk off towards the forest.
“I hope you know where you’re going!” I called after him.
No answer was forthcoming. He simply continued his trek across the field, coiled tension visible in his shoulders and back. Since I had no weapons and no other allies, I had no choice but to follow, something I was sure he was aware of.
“When this is all over, I might have to take a page out of Jane’s book and shoot him,” I muttered to Tinka.
She cooed her agreement.
“So hot,” I hissed, swiping at my brow with the back of my hand. Squinting up at the canopy of trees offering sparse shade, I stumbled over my own feet.
Kade grabbed my arm, keeping me upright. “We’ll stop soon to rest and to find supplies.”
Surprised, I glanced up at Kade from under my lashes. I’d expected him to mock me for being whiney. Admittedly, I wasn’t just melting from the heat, I was oozing into a puddle of slop from my careening emotional state. Normally, I was able to suppress such juvenile complaints because I knew intellectually that it was pointless to voice such things when nothing could be done about them. But the more time that passed with the damn plate in my head, the more I lost control over such urges. It was like watching someone else react to things, all the while I was shaking my head at the asinine behavior. Is this what it’s like to be part human, like Jane? Or even a Mazatimz like Tamzea?
Much to my chagrin and horror, tears welled up in my eyes. I blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling. “It’s okay, we need to keep going. Our luck with the natives might not hold out much longer.”
Kade’s thumb brushed at the corner of my left eye, collecting a bit of moisture before dipping it into his mouth. He sucked lightly, the corner of his lip kicking up. “Not sure why I did that. Maybe I thought a Galvraron’s tears were magic or something, since I’ve never heard of one crying before. Wouldn’t want to waste it.”
My lips twisted into a grin despite myself. “You’re an idiot. Galvrarons cry. We’re not robots. We feel things. And yes, deeply.” At least this Galvraron does.
“Could have fooled me.” He strode ahead, pushing some foliage out of the way.
“You’ve been tracking, and listening in to us for some time, so you can’t tell me you thought I didn’t display emotions … especially anger.”
“It’s why you intrigue me so much. You’re not like any Galvraron I’ve ever encountered, or heard of for that matter.”
My fingers stroked over Tinka lightly, the Xemur fast asleep as it clung to my shoulders. “You can’t have met too many of us. We tend to keep to ourselves.”
“I’ve had several … interactions with your family.”
“And I’m not like them.”
“No. Not at all.”
My mind conjured an image of my brother’s ice-cold stare. While I had an overabundance of emotions, he lacked them completely. He was the perfect Galvraron scientist, able to further studies beyond what any of us dreamt, all due to his complete lack of empathy and conscious. I’d often wondered if he’d been born without a soul. The things I’d seen him do—
I shuddered, pulling myself back to the present.
I plucked absently at the neck of my shirt. “I guess Telvin didn’t know who I was, or they wouldn’t have bothered with this damn thing.” I flicked the plate, my nail connecting to make a pinging sound, which reverberated in my head.
When Kade halted abruptly, I smashed my face into his back. “Hey! Give me some warning—”
His hand slapped over my mouth, and he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Shhh … I need you to be quiet.”
My eyes wide, I nodded once. He removed his hand, and slipped it in to retrieve his laser gun.
Hearts galloping at a breakneck pace, I strained to hear anything above my thunderous pulse. Tinka, sensing my alarm, puffed up her fur, a tiny growl rumbling against my back.
Kade dropped into a crouch, laser gun aimed just as something burst from the thicket on our right. I screamed, Tinka screeched, and Kade squeezed off several shots. Silence engulfed us; even the wildlife temporarily quieted.
I rocked up onto the balls of my feet to peer over Kade’s shoulder. Lying on the ground was another one of the orange reptilian creatures. I expelled a long breath. “Okay, don’t do that. I thought maybe we were about to be attacked by Zeffrin natives.”
Pulling himself up to his full height, Kade smirked. “Seems like these things are natives.” He pushed at the carcass with his boot. “Looks like dinner is served. We’ll set up camp here for the night.”
Glancing above me, I noticed that the three suns were indeed lower in the sky, signaling imminent darkness. Kade was right about stopping for the night, but there was no way I was eating unknown meat for dinner. “Umm … nope. I’ll pass. What’s option number two for food?”
“Option one is lizard meat, and option two is lizard meat.”
“Option three?” I squeaked. The suns were now setting quickly, dashing all hope of me finding vegetation in the dark that wasn’t poisonous.
Kade quirked one dark eyebrow. “Option three is … lizard meat.”
My stomach twisted. “How do you know it’s even edible? And what about Tinka? I can almost guarantee she won’t eat it.”
“Just sit down and rest. I’ll take care of everything.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he had already disappeared behind some trees. “Asshole,” I muttered.
“I heard that,” Kade called.
“Good.” A cool breeze rustled through the forest, causing goose bumps to erupt across my flesh. Tinka curled her tail tightly around my neck, cooing in my ear.
Fatigue weighed my eyelids down, and I slumped on the ground, leaning against the base of a tree. My emotional state hadn’t lent itself to me coming up with a solid plan on what I was going to do about my parents. They wouldn’t let me go easily once they got their claws into me again. Maybe I’d be able to convince Jane to pay off Kade to leave me alone. I needed to think of a foolproof plan. One that—
Exhaustion pulled me under.
Soft, lilting notes hung on the air, sweeping me from my dreamless sleep. My eyes fluttered open, focusing on Kade. Humming an unknown, yet familiar tune, he was hunched over a small fire, stoking it with a long stick, his dark skin burnished golden by the flames. My breath caught in my throat, my mouth dry. No matter the reasons why, I couldn’t ignore his masculine beauty, or the yearning his perfectly sculpted form conjured within me. I wanted to touch him, taste him, to know the weight of his body as he pressed down on me ...
Clearing my throat, I sat up straight. I’d fallen over while I’d slept, curling into a ball against the base of the tree. Tinka was still wrapped around my neck, offering me warmth. The suns had set, the temperature dropping noticeably, but it wasn’t unbearable, especially with my furry living scarf.
My gaze flitted back to Kade, drawn to him like a magnet. I nibbled my bottom lip, pushing away more images of my naked body writhing underneath his. Just because my emotions were now running the show didn’t mean I had to act like a savage. I could look and ad
mire Kade, even lust after him, but he never needed to know of my desires.
Meeting my gaze with mirth, Kade’s lips twisted into an already familiar smirk. “Done ogling me then?”
“I-I was not ogling you!” Damnit. How did he know?
“Please, I knew the moment you were awake because instantly the air filled with your lust. It was so thick I would have choked on it soon.”
My nostrils flared as I resisted the urge to sniff myself. “How can you— I wasn’t— I had a dream!” If Talsen had some unknown ability to ferret out pheromones, specifically lusty ones, then there was no point in me blatantly lying. I’d merely twist the truth a bit.
“Nice try.” Shifting, Kade stabbed a portion of lizard meet onto the stick he’d been using, and held it over the fire. “Food will be ready soon.”
“What about water?” I wasn’t in desperate need of hydration yet, but with all the moisture I’d lost in the past few hours from sweat, it wouldn’t be long before I was.
Reaching into his leather vest, Kade produced several small white pills, letting them sit in the center of his palm for me to see. “These will have to do for now.”
I recognized the offering as water tabs. They couldn’t replace the body’s lack of water, but for several days they could keep it balanced and hydrated. I pursed my lips. “Yeah, well, if it’s all we have then they will have to do.” Standing on shaky legs, I made my way closer to the fire, snatching the pills from Kade. I swallowed them in one go.
He snorted. “Good thing I already took some while you were sleeping.”
I opened and shut my mouth a few times before I found words. “Why didn’t you say they weren’t all for me?”
“Thought you’d be able to figure it out even with that plate in your head. Guess I was wrong.” He turned his focus back on the roasting lizard meat, which he’d been rotating the entire time with his other hand.
The stench of the roasting carcass clawed its way up my nostrils, causing me to gag. “I don’t think I can eat that. It smells wrong. How do you even know it’s okay to eat? It could be poison.”
