by Maven, Ella
“Wait, you let them…”
“I let them overpower me.”
“Why?”
“So, I could talk to you. Gain your trust. And decide how to get out of here. If I would have killed the guards and taken you last night, it would have been only moments before Wargo sent another legion after me. I’d like a better head start than that.”
“So, you’ll do it?” The human shuffled closer. “You’ll take care of Riven?”
I lifted a brow, and the words came out before I could even think about them. “And you.”
“I don’t—”
“And you,” I repeated. I told myself it was ingrained in me as a Drixonian I swore to protect the human. But there was something else about her that drew my attention. As long as I lived, I knew I’d never forget the way she curled her vulnerable body around Riven to protect her.
She pursed her lips. “Promise me, if you have to choose between us, you’ll choose Riven. Every time, you’ll choose her safety over mine.”
I studied Sibbie’s face, the earnestness in her pretty blue eyes. “I’d choose her safety over mine.”
“That’s not really the answer I was looking for.”
“That’s the only one you’re getting.”
She sat back on her haunches. “You’re just like Graven said you’d be.”
A pain pierced my cora, and I thought the reason was the mention of Graven until I found myself captivated by the look of affection on Sibbie’s face. The pain wasn’t from the loss of Graven. It was an emotion I’d never felt before, but all I could think about was what it would feel like for someone to feel that way about me.
Graven had been lucky. At least before he left this galaxy, he’d had companionship. A mate. And he deserved it. I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry you both lost him too.”
She rubbed her eyes and let out a long exhalation.
Riven watched her closely, and Sibbie gave her a smile as she patted her head.
“Did you get enough to eat?”
Riven nodded with a yawn.
“Why don’t you lie down? You didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
I noticed now the bedding pad had been moved closer to me. Had they slept there all night?
“I wanted to talk to Zecri,” Riven said softly.
“How about we let him rest a little too, okay?”
Riven nodded and crawled over to the bed before pulling the covers over her head. In moments, she was asleep and snoring slightly.
I wanted to talk to the chit, but I was still barely able to believe she was real. Looking at her was like looking into the sun. I could practically hear Graven telling me to talk to her, to get her to like me, but that had never been something I was good at.
Everyone loved Graven, but not me. And what really mattered was getting Riven to safety, not getting her emotionally involved with me. I wouldn’t be her surrogate father.
I watched the rise and fall of her back as she slept. “Did Graven… tell her about who she is?”
The human rocked back and forth. “My biggest regret, is he never got to hold her.”
“What?” I asked sharply.
“After she was born, there was so much blood… he could smell it. He went into a rage and they couldn’t get him to calm down so they… they had to put him down.”
“Why was there so much blood?”
Sibbie lifted her head as liquid flowed down her cheeks to drip off her chin. “Because Riven’s mother died in childbirth.”
Three
Zecri
I wasn’t sure I heard her right. “You’re not Riven’s mother?”
The human shook her head. “I didn’t give birth to her, but I’m the only mother she’s ever known.”
“But Graven…”
She smiled a sad smile. “He was my friend. He and his human mate, Beth. They forced them together to…” she swallowed. “To produce, but they ended up forming a strong bond. She cared about him so much if that makes you feel better. They were as happy as they could be in their situation. Graven was anxious about Riven’s birth, but we all had a plan to get free. Until… until Beth died and Graven was killed. I was all that was left. The last conversation I had with Graven was him asking me to take care of Beth and Riven if anything happened to him. He didn’t have to ask me though.” The human tucked her knees against her chest and dropped her chin on them. “I would have done it anyway. I love Riven as if she was my own.”
I’d known human females were special. I’d seen it when my brothers had met their mates, but this one was something else. She had a frail vulnerability about her that called to all my protective instincts, but she also had an inner strength and bravery that made me respect her. “Graven would be thankful,” I said softly.
She gave me a small smile. “You think? I don’t know that what I’m doing is all selfless. I need her as much as she needs me.”
“I’ve escaped once,” I said. “I’ll do it again with both of you.”
“And then what?” She kept her gaze on Riven. “Where can you take her to keep her safe?”
“I’ll take her home,” I said. “To more Drixonians who will protect her with their lives. Do you know our creed?”
“She is All,” she whispered.
“She is All,” I repeated.
“Good,” she said softly. “She deserves that.”
When I shifted positions, my chains rattled, and the human jerked to face me. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry about me.” I was suddenly eager to know more about her. “Your name is Sibbie?”
“Sybil. Riven calls me Sibbie or Sib.”
“How long have you been taking care of Riven?”
“About five cycles.”
“How long have you been on this planet?”
She started counting on her hands. “About ten cycles, I think.”
“How did you get here?”
“I don’t really know. I went to bed one night and woke up on a spaceship with one-eyed aliens. They brought me here and sold me to Kilzer.” One corner of her mouth tilted up. “I have to say, I don’t really like your galaxy.”
I let out a bark of laughter that sounded more like a cough. She immediately darted to my side and pressed her hand against my head. “Are you okay? Did you choke on something?”
I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and lowered it to our sides. “I’m fine. I just haven’t laughed in a while. The sound is a little rusty.”
Her gaze remained on where I gripped her wrist. Her fingers flexed, and I slowly loosened my grip. “Sorry, I—”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I haven’t… I haven’t trusted anyone but Riven to get this close to me in so long. I sort of forgot what it was like to be touched.” She let out a huff of laughter and pulled her arm from my grip. She ducked her head, so her yellow hair obscured her face. “I must be going crazy,” she muttered. She leaned against the wall next to me, her other hand circling her wrist where I’d held her.
We sat in silence for a while, the lingering feel of her skin fresh on my fingers. What had been that feeling in my chest when I’d touched her? My lungs had gotten tight. My cora raced. I shook my head. I couldn’t do this. I’d get her to safety and then let her choose if she wanted a mate. But that mate wouldn’t be me. I opened my mouth to tell her I’d never touch her again when Riven sat up in bed. The blanket fell away, revealing her messy hair and closed eyes.
“Sibbie,” she murmured, clutching a ragged fabric bundle to her chest.
“She’s sleep walking again,” Sybil muttered as she rose to her feet. But Riven had other ideas. Eyes still closed, she crawled off the bedding pad until she touched my leg, the warmth of her fingers immediately seeping through my pants.
I sucked in a breath at her touch, barely able to believe I was looking at—and being touched—by a Drixonian chit. Then with a small smile on her face, Riven crawled onto my lap and curled up. Snuggling against me, she let out a contented sigh before h
er breaths once again evened out.
Sybil sat beside me, her wide-eyed gaze on Riven.
I kept my hands fisted at my side, unsure what to do. While I was committed to getting Riven to safety, I had never intended to form a bond with her. Fatas had not deemed me to be a father, and while I’d never found peace about it, I’d managed to live without the knowledge crushing me.
But this… Graven’s child curled up in my lap, a child he never got to see or touch. This was too much for me. My lungs seized, and I panted as my head spun. So much pain. So much loss. So, flecking unfair.
Suddenly a soft hand settled on my shoulder. I blinked up into Sybil’s face as she knelt over us with a smile on her face. “She always sleeps better on me or next to me. I guess you’ve won that privilege now too.” She must have sensed my panic, because her expression changed, brows lowering in concern. “Are you okay?”
I had to get myself under control. I could not be undone by this, or it would be a long journey. “Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Her smile returned. “Is it okay if I rest, too?”
“Please,” I whispered.
She retreated to the bed padding and fell asleep quickly, but she moved in her sleep, coming closer and closer to Riven and I until her head rested on my thigh near Riven’s. One dark head of hair, one light head of hair. One blue face, one pale one. With shaking fingers, I touched both of their heads.
As much as I missed my brothers, I never craved their presence as much as I did now. I felt ungrounded, unmoored, and unprepared for what lay ahead. I’d always anticipated my final mission would be to rescue Graven, but instead I was now responsible for a human female who made my blood pound, and a small chit who had already wound her way around my cora. Instead of a physical fight, I had to earn their trust.
I hadn’t had to deal with feelings like these ever in my life, and they were overwhelming. My mission had become much more serious. If I couldn’t save Graven, I’d save these too. Even if in the end, it would break me to let them find their new family.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” I whispered to their sleeping faces. “Just don’t ask me to be something I can’t be.”
Riven snorted in her sleep.
* * *
Sybil
I woke to a strange feeling under my head, and realized I was no longer on the bed pad but instead curled up beside Zecri, my head on his hard thigh. Riven’s sleepy voice echoed in the silent room. “What was my Father like?”
“Did Syb tell you about him?” His voice was cautious.
“Yes, but… I want to hear from you too.”
When he spoke again, his tone had gentled. “Your Father was very kind. The kindest warrior I’d ever met. He was brave and honest. I admired him.”
I laid still, listening to them talk in soft voices.
“What did you think when you saw me?” Riven asked.
“I thought I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“Sybil said no Drixonian females exist, but I’m only half Drixonian.” I could hear the slight tremor in her words. “Is that… is that okay?”
My heart ached and I just barely held back tears. I hadn’t known Riven was self-conscious about that, but it made sense. I wondered why she had never said anything to me about it. Maybe she was worried she’d offend me, a human? Either way, my skin itched to jump to her defense, to tell her of course it was okay, but she didn’t want the answer from me.
She wanted it from Zecri.
I held my breath as I waited for his answer. Drixonian or not, I’d cut him if he hurt her.
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” he said quickly.
“Because… because I can’t replace the females who died.”
“No one can replace them.” Zecri’s thigh tensed. “You are who you are, and that makes you special. I’ve met a few human females, and I’ve admired their bravery and loyalty. You should be proud to have a human mother and Drixonian father.”
“Really?”
“You look up to Sybil, right? She’s protected you and cared for you.”
“Sibbie is the best person I know.” Riven’s voice had gone firm, and my heart pounded as my eyes pricked with tears.
I could hear the slight smile in Zecri’s voice. “Then be proud of who you are.”
“Okay, Zecri.”
“Say it.”
“What?”
“Say that you’re proud of who you are.”
Riven stirred and I imagined she puffed out her chest. “I’m proud of who I am.”
“Good,” he said softly. I shifted slightly and opened my eyes. Zecri cast a quick glance at me, then focused again on Riven. “Now tell me who this is.” He poked a finger at Teddy’s missing eye.
“This is Teddy.” Riven arranged his legs so he sat on her lap. “He’s a stuffy that Sybil made me.”
“What’s a stuffy?”
Riven repeated the words I’d told her many times. “A soft friend I can hug when I’m sad, mad, or scared.”
“Ah,” Zecri said. “Syb made this for you?”
“She said a lot of children on Earth have these.”
“Has Teddy helped you when you’ve been mad, sad, or scared?”
“Yes,” Riven said. “And I help him too. Sometimes he gets scared too.”
“Of course.” Zecri’s tone was serious, and it made my heart swell. “I think that was very nice of Sybil to make Teddy for you.”
“She always takes care of me.”
“Oh yeah?”
“She gives me the best food, the best bed spot, and never lets anyone else be alone with me.”
Zecri didn’t answer right away, and when he did, his voice was strained, eyes dark. “She’s a good mother.”
“The best.” Riven patted Teddy on the head and picked at a loose strand at a seam on his side.
Finally, Zecri’s gaze swung to me and held. I blinked at him as I sat up. “Hi.”
His hand lifted, and I thought he meant to touch me, but instead he dropped his palm back to his thigh. He leaned his head back against the wall and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
I didn’t answer, feeling uncomfortable at his direct gaze. So, I only nodded. “Riven,” I said, drawing her attention. “Do you need to use the expeller?”
She nodded and I used the excuse to go with her to avoid looking directly at Zecri. When we returned to the room, he sat quietly, seemingly deep in thought. He was so still and silent for such a large person. Or alien. He was bigger than Graven. More intimidating for sure.
Graven, despite his appearance, had been a total marshmallow inside. Right up until he lost it when his mate died.
The familiar pang of Beth and Graven’s loss knocked on my chest. I didn’t just miss them, but I also missed having others to depend on. We’d been a team for so long and then suddenly it was just me… with a helpless blue infant. But now there was Zecri in our lives, and it was a new feeling for me to have someone else to rely on.
I couldn’t believe how deep I’d slept, and it was because I no longer felt like I had to stir at the slightest sound. Subconsciously, my mind had surrendered trust to Zecri. Even without Graven’s words, I think I would have still felt this way toward the big Drixonian. Deep in my bones, he felt dependable, which terrified me. What if he ended up letting us down? Or worse, what if I let him and Riven down?
Riven and I crossed the room to his side just as a pounding came on the door before it flung open. I immediately shoved Riven behind me, and Zecri straightened his spine. The chains prevented him from standing.
Wargo stood in the doorway, flanked by a few Pliken guards. She had a creepy smile on her face that sent a chill down my spine. The atmosphere in the room felt charged, when just a minute ago it had been lazy. The soft words of the conversation minutes ago felt like years in the past as Wargo strode into the room. She wore a long skirt and a skin-tight top. A gaudy jeweled necklace jingled around her neck.
She cr
aned her neck to peer around me to get a look at Riven, but I shoved us into a corner and met Wargo’s gaze with a direct snarl.
Her lip curled in disdain before she ignored me in favor of the big chained Drixonian in the room. Her eyes lit up with what I could only describe as lust and my stomach churned.
“You returned.” She grinned at him as she knelt at his side. “I missed you. The clients missed you.” She reached out and when the tips of her fingers were an inch from Zecri’s forehead, he lashed out. With a growl, he slammed his forehead into hers with so much force I heard their skulls crack. Blood burst from Wargo’s nose, and she let out an unholy shriek.
Zecri remained poised with a rabid snarl on his face, waiting for the next attack, either from Wargo or from her Pliken guards. But that never came. After swiping her nose with the dirty sleeve of her shirt, she curled her lips into a bloody grin. “Ah, Zecri. I haven’t fought with you in a while. Did you miss me that much too?”
His nostrils flared, but his gaze remained fixed on the guards.
“This time is different,” she said. “You won’t be whipped for that.”
His eyes shifted to her and his body tensed further. She pointed a clawed finger at me. “This time, we take your punishment out on her.”
I didn’t even see the palm coming. One minute I was standing and the next I was on the floor, pain flowing like hot lava from my face down my neck. The heat spread throughout my body, and I stared at the floor, unable to believe that was my blood dripping on the wooden boards.
Chains rattled, snarls and growls surrounded me, but the ringing in my ears prevented me from distinguishing what was happening. “Wha—” I managed to say just as a hand tangled in my hair and hauled me upright.
“Leave her alone!” Zecri roared as he strained against the chains, muscles bulging, while Riven wept in the corner.
I tried to reach for her, but Wargo had a hold on my hair so tight I swore my scalp had been ripped off.
“Didn’t she tell you?” Wargo yelled. “Stupid human had one job to save herself and she didn’t even do it. Every time you misbehave, we take it out on her. Understand?”
