Fenix

Stolen Warriors Series

Ella Maven

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2021 by Ella Maven

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.

Copyedited by Del’s Diabolical Editing

Cover design by Natasha Snow

First edition: February 2021

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Ella Maven

Prologue

Fenix

I tried to cling to the deep voice. It sounded different than the one that kept me company in my head. This one was lower, softer. It didn’t scream at me over the pain.

But the hands… I couldn’t take the touch. Every time the heavy weight settled on my arm or shoulder, I cringed away and retreated further into the downy furs.

Time passed in a weird haze where I’d think I was back in the mines, but then I’d wake up facing a metal wall and that deep voice was there again. Sometimes I’d catch glimpses of white hair. One time my eyes focused on a blue face with a heavy brow. Something about it was familiar.

“Don’t leave me,” I whispered.

“I won’t.” The blue lips moved, but the sound was delayed. “We’ll get you back, Fenix. I promise.”

I formed the name with a hesitant tongue.

Fenix.

Later, more voices filled the room.

“They said you’re the best healer in this hemisphere. What can you do for him?”

“I don’t know Drixonian anatomy, I—” a loud crash sounded, and the voice continued, shaking. “I-I can try to ease his pain.”

“Then do it.”

Shuffling followed the order, and then something prodded my lips. I opened my mouth as a bitter flavor exploded on my tongue. The furious heat abated, and I slipped into the first non-fitful sleep I could remember.

When I woke again, the room was dark. I lay curled on my side and sitting in a chair near a window was a white-haired warrior. My brain was sluggish, but a few things were clearer than they’d been in many cycles. I was a Drixonian, and so was the warrior watching over me.

Slowly, his head turned, and violet eyes met mine. His widened before he pushed the chair next to where I lay so he could sit closer. Grabbing a canteen of qua, he held it to my lips so I could drink greedily to wash the bitter taste out of my mouth.

“Are you in pain?” he asked.

I could feel a dull ache somewhere in my bones, but the piercing, debilitating pain was absent. “Not right now.”

He sighed and place the canteen back on the floor. “Hungry?”

My hand drifted to my stomach. “Not really. Where am I?”

“Sadly, still on Vixlicin, but at least you aren’t in the mines.” He bowed his head. “I can’t believe the conditions you were in. Do you remember?”

“Sort of. The memory is hazy. I can’t…” I winced. “My mind isn’t right.”

He snorted. “Join the club.”

“What?”

He reached for me but thought better of it last minute. “I’m Rexor. You’re safe with me. We’ll take care of each other; how does that sound?”

I glanced at my hands which were a scarred and twisted mass of melted scales. “Fleck.”

Rexor reached for a pile of fabric and handed it to me. “You don’t have to wear these, but they might provide some protection for your hands.”

Sitting up, I pulled one glove on and flexed my hands. My orange hair flopped in my face and I blinked it out of my eyes. “You’re probably wondering what happened to me. I’m not… I’m not like you.” I flexed the palm of my ungloved hand, and a small flame flickered to life. I waited for the shock or disgust to cross his face, but he only glanced at the flame before meeting my eyes.

“No,” he sighed. “You’re not.” Clenching his jaw, he exhaled roughly. A creaking and a fluttering followed as a pair of large white wings stretched behind him. He flapped them once as blood dripped to the floor.

My mouth dropped opened. “What?”

“Our enemies gave you fire, and they gave me wings and an anger problem.” He gripped my neck, and only a small flare of pain followed his touch. Bringing our foreheads together, he said softly. “You have any plans? How does revenge sound?”

For the first time in as long as I could remember, a smile stretched across my face. “Revenge sounds great.”

One

Fenix

Every time I entered the market of Glint, a part of me died. Food was doled out with a tight fist by the Rogastix scum which ruled this town through fear and intimidation. The residents didn’t have many other options—this was a desert planet after all.

In Glint, there weren’t many Pliken guards—the species that took by force and colonized the planet Vixlicin. The Rogastix paid them to look the other way while they filled their coffers and their bellies on the backs of the working class of the village.

But the worst part was I wasn’t much better. I wasn’t doing a flecking thing to help anyone here, because I could barely help myself. Only adding to their problem, I contributed to the wealth of the Rogastix. With every step I took, the sabers tied to my belt rattled. That was the only payment the Rogastix took—Pliken sabers I had stolen from Pliken guards. And I had to pay. Because I needed what the Rogastix sold. I needed it even though it was killing me.

My skin itched, and I resisted scratching at it under the heavy hooded cloak. Any other village, and my blue skin would alert the guards, but not here.

Zecri walked next to me, because he refused to let me come alone, and that made me even more ashamed. He never complained, and his gaze constantly scanned the crowd for threats.

Vendors shouted at us to buy their wares, and the smell of smoked meat hung in the air. We walked by a jewelry stand, and the seller’s son—a small chit—reached for me with a beaded necklace. “Just your color, warrior!” he shouted.

I dodged his hand only to brush the entire side of my body against Zecri. Air left my lungs in a rush as pain flared up my body like flames. Stumbling, I gasped as my eyes watered while I fought to get myself under control.

“Fenix,” Zecri murmured. “I’m sorry—”

“Not your fault,” I groaned. “Tried to avoid the chit … not your fault.”

His hand hovered in the air between us, his jaw tight. He wanted to comfort me with his touch, but that would only cause me more pain which he knew. His breath hitched and his eyes darkened with anger before he dropped his hand. “Can you walk?”

“I’m fine.” The pain was receding. “Let’s keep going.”

I was grateful Zecri remained at my side. Once, it’d been four of us on this planet—the castoffs from our enemies failed experiments to turn us into super soldiers. Drixonian warriors were known to be close and loyal to each other, but the four of us were unique. No one had been through what we’d been through.

Rexor had been sold as a gladiator and forced to fight in an arena until he killed his owner and fled. Mikko had been thrown in the Pit with the planet’s criminals to rot, except he’d escaped. I’d been kept in the mines for fifty cycles, alone, as no guards would come near me. I’d nearly gone insane in the solitude with nothing to focus on but the work and the pain. And Zecri … he’d been sold to a pleasure house and still carried the mental and physical scars of his enslavement.

Together, we’d escaped and banded together to live on this planet and extract revenge on the Plikens. Until we were called to a higher mission. Both Rexor and Fenix had found human females and left the planet to keep them safe. Zecri and I wished every day they both had been successful. I liked to think they were on a lush planet right now, happy and healthy. Because if not, why did Fatas put them through all she had?

Zecri and I remained behind, the more damaged of the crew. I was chained to this planet by the invisible bonds of my Kixx addiction, and Zecri because of some personal mission he’d never divulged. He’d promised Mikko he’d never leave me, and I worried I wouldn’t be able to return that favor. What would end me first—my dangerous mission taking out Plikens, or the addiction I never wanted?

Once we were through the main section of the market, the crowd thinned. We walked past small buildings with chits playing out front between rows of drying, patchworked clothes. The food smell was rancid here, and vermin squeaked as they fought for scraps.

We came to our destination quickly at a nondescript building. A sign over the door marked it as a former racco shop where Plikens dried and assembled the popular sticks to smoke. That was before Bezmir took it over and inflated the prices of racco to line his own pockets.

I stopped outside the door and gazed at the sign before turning to Zecri. He stood with his back against the wall, observant gaze constantly taking in our surroundings. Zecri could have stayed on our home base, a crashed spaceship hidden in the red desert sands. But instead, he was here with me. “Thank you for coming.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

I exhaled as the smell of the place turned my stomach. “Maybe… maybe this will be it. The last supply I get.”

Zecri’s gaze cut to me. “And then what?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. I’d been there before, delirious with the chronic pain which was the result of the Uldani’s wicked experiments on my body. I’d nearly lost my mind in the mines, and even now my short-term memory was shet.

But the Kixx was slowly destroying my body. Even now, I had trouble keeping food down, and sometimes my heart sped up so fast I swore it would burst in my chest. So, how did I want to go? By losing my mind or destroying my body?

Zecri stepped as close to me as he dared. “I’ll support you in whatever you decide.”

I wasn’t sure why I’d brought this up today. Denial had been working for many cycles. No sense in messing with what worked. I shook my head. “Never mind. I’m just talking.” I grinned at him, trying to lighten the mood. “You just want to be rid of me. I’m always talking in your ear and annoying you.”

His eyes crinkled, and he let out the sound that was as close to a laugh as he usually got. “I’d miss your annoying voice.”

Leaving Zecri standing outside, I opened the door to a haze of smoke and the sizzling of cooking meat.

Bezmir, a Rogastix with a head of sleek white hair and adorned with heavy jewelry, sat at a table in the center with his loyal crew—Rogastix like him. At his feet, a grukel lifted its head and peeled back his teeth to growl at me. Normally, a grukel wouldn’t scare me, but Bezmir’s loyal pet was double the size of a normal one, with six massive, clawed paws, two rows of sharp teeth, and a barbed tail nearly as thick as mine.

“Quiet, Frix,” Bezmir said without looking up from the game of stones they were playing. “Can’t have you scaring away my most loyal customer.” He glanced up at me then, yellow eyes taking me in from head to toe.

I didn’t take off my hood. There were a few others in the shop I didn’t recognize, and my orange hair was too distinctive to reveal. The Plikens had a massive bounty on my head. Visiting Bezmir’s shop was the only time I dared stay in a Vixlicin village for long.

“Come, Drix,” Bezmir said. “You have my payment?”

Stepping forward, I drew the sabers from my cloak and dropped them in the center of their table. Stones went flying, disrupting their game, and a glass of some smelly brew spilled on the floor.

Bezmir sniffed. “That wasn’t nice.”

I didn’t want to make conversation, not with him. “Where’s my supply?”

He sighed and flicked his fingers to one of his crew, a bald Rogastix with a frayed coat. “Fifty jogs.”

“Fifty?” I balled my fists. “I brought you two sabers. That’s enough for two hundred. At least.”

Bezmir’s yellow eyes bored into mine. “The price increased.”

Anxiety pounded through my blood. “Why?”

“I’m having some trouble with my shipments. Until that’s resolved, this is the best I can do.”

“Fifty jogs will barely last me—”

“Is that my problem?” he snapped at me.

Fleck, I almost ripped my gloves off and blasted him right there, but I was out of Kixx, and I wouldn’t find another supplier in time. I hated him. I hated my body. I hated I was lonely. Touch and comfort were a distant memory.

The crew member returned with the familiar green packet of Kixx, but before I could reach for it, Bezmir snatched it away.

He held it carefully in his hand, rubbing the waxy paper. “But there might be an agreement we can come to.” He eyed me, and I waited impatiently. “I have something that needs delivered in exchange for a massive quantity of Kixx that will keep you and the rest of my customers happy for many, many cycles.”

Bezmir stood, and Frix rose at his side. “But this delivery is special. It needs protection because others will try to steal it. If you deliver this cargo and exchange it for my supply, I’ll give you a quarter of it. Almost a million jogs. How long would that last you, Drix?”

A long time. Maybe forever. But what was this cargo? “What do I have to do?”

He squinted at me, and then his thin lips twisted into a cruel smile.

“You’re a Drixonian, so you’re bound to protect females, right?”

Suddenly, all thoughts of Kixx fled and the fire in my veins cooled. A distant rattling reached my ears, and that was when I detected it—a distinct breathing pattern I recognized now.

My cora pounded as Bezmir stepped over to a small, fabric-covered box. Sound rushed through my ears as he lifted the tattered brown edge to reveal metal bars. My knees nearly buckled when he flicked the fabric away with a flourish to reveal a metal cage. Inside that cage, a rusty chain around her slim ankle, was a pale-skinned human female.

Anger bubbled and roiled in my gut, and the need to set this entire place on fire simmered in the skin under my palms. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her head down with long, straight black hair hanging down her back and around her face.

I knew she was human though. From her delicate hands and small feet to the discolored skin of her knees from what the humans called bruises.

She didn’t look up. She didn’t move at all, and I would have been concerned she wasn’t alive if it wasn’t for the rise and fall of her back and the distinct sound of raspy breathing.

“…do you think, Drix?” Bezmir was saying, unaware how close he was to going up in flames. “Get a little of your precious dignity back and do what you’re good at.”

He kicked the cage, and I jerked. The female startled, lifted her head, and the world fell away around me as I stared at the most perfect face I’d ever seen in my life. Deep brown eyes, a petite nose, and a small mouth with full pursed lips. Skin as smooth as a chit’s cheek.

Bezmir kicked the cage again, and the little human jerked back away from the bars as far as she could. Unbidden, a low rumble left my throat.

“You’re in luck, girl,” he told her in his smoke-filled voice. “This Drix is addicted to Kixx, but he’s the best thing I got to make sure you make it to the exchange point.”

The human’s brown gaze drifted to me, and she studied me carefully. Silently. I felt like the ground was moving beneath my feet. Here, in a cage, sat something so precious.

“So, what do you say?” Bezmir asked me. “Do we have a deal or not?”

I clenched my jaw as I took in the chain around her ankle. The skin there was red and raw. She had to be in pain. “Are you injured?” I asked her.

For a moment, she regarded me carefully before shaking her head.

I needed to know about her. I needed to know her. “What’s your name?”

She flinched, like the question hurt, and I felt my muscles go tight.

Bezmir let out a raspy laugh. “That’s the best part about her. She doesn’t make a sound.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “What do you mean?”

“When we arrived, she caught the rath virus. Her flesh broke out into a red rash and she felt like fire. We thought she died, but then she woke up one day.”

The rath virus was nasty, although not usually fatal to most of the species on this planet. I hadn’t thought about a human contracting it. “What does that have to do with her making sounds?”

Bezmir tapped his own throat. “The rath affected her voice. Poor thing can’t speak a word.”

Two

Jennie

Bezmir usually left me alone so I could retreat to my daydreams where I wasn’t locked in a cage. Daydreams where I could sing and laugh. But today he’d been on edge.

He’d peeked at me numerous times from under the smelly cloth he used to cover my cage. And now, he’d thrown it off altogether. I hated when he did this, because it always meant he wanted to show me off, and others gawking at me made my skin crawl.

I hadn’t been sure what to expect when I’d been revealed this time, but it wasn’t to be captivated by a set of deep violet eyes. Frozen, I took in his massive form, most of it hidden beneath a heavy cloak, but the breadth of his shoulders and height was unmistakable.

In his thick boots, he’d crouched on the balls of his feet, never once taking those vivid purple eyes off me. His skin was blue, with a distinct camouflage pattern. He had no eyebrows, and a series of nubs on the heavy ridge of his brow.

Horns curled out from the side of his head, making the hood of his cloak stick out a bit so I could just see a few strands of bright orange hair at the top of his head. He flexed his hands, which were covered in thick black gloves.

I was glad my parents couldn’t see me now. As second-generation Korean Americans, they wanted nothing but success for my sister and me. While she pursued her studies as an anesthetist, I entered the mental health field. I’d been in school for my doctorate when I’d been snatched from Earth in the middle of the night only to wake up on a spaceship. I’d been brought to this desert planet and given to a bunch of scary caped aliens before Bezmir had stolen me.

I barely remembered when I was sick. Bezmir had tossed me on a fur and left me there with a stale jug of drink. Covered in sweat, I’d drifted in and out of consciousness as my mind played tricks on me. I’d seen my parents in front of me clear as day, then my sister, and for what felt like days, flames licked at my feet and my hands, a comforting blaze that sometimes I begged to just take me.

Then I’d woken up and I hadn’t heard my own voice since.

As soon as Bezmir told the Drix I couldn’t talk, his eyes went pitch black before he rose to his feet with the fluidity of a cat and turned on Bezmir. His coat swirled around his thick legs as he took a step toward the smaller alien. “She lost her ability to speak?”

Bezmir’s crew shifted at his back as a flash of fear entered the alien’s eyes. “It’s not my fault she’s on this planet and caught the virus.”

“Humans are much more fragile, and—” The Drix cut himself off and closed his eyes before inhaling deeply and letting out with the breath on a slow exhale. “If you find her so valuable, you should have done a better job of protecting her.”

“Her voice has no value, so it doesn’t matter,” Bezmir snapped. Those words shouldn’t have cut me to the core, but they did, and my hands drifted to my throat as I tried to get one word out. Just one. Sometimes I managed a whisper, but today everything felt paralyzed.

“You have a deal,” the Drix’s voice was low and strong. “When do you need me?”

Bezmir walked toward the table and once again took his seat. He tapped a clawed finger on the surface and one of his servants hurried over with some mugs of brew. “Sit, we’ll talk about the details.”

The Drix seemed reluctant to leave me. His body swayed in the direction of the table before glancing back at me. With a heavy sigh, he turned away to take a seat at Bezmir’s table.

They spoke in low tones, and I couldn’t make out all their words. A few here and there, but nothing I could piece together. So, all I knew was based on what they’d said at my cage—that this Drix would deliver me to my next buyer in exchange for a large cut of Kixx.

He didn’t look like most of Bezmir’s customers. I didn’t judge most of the villagers who were hooked on Kixx. I’d heard enough to know that Bezmir preyed on all of them and made them think it was harmless like the racco sticks they all smoked. But Kixx wasn’t harmless, not at all, and the only saving grace I had was he hadn’t wanted to waste product on me, so he left me alone. I’d seen what Kixx withdrawals were like, and it wasn’t pretty.

This big blue alien seemed steady and sure. His eyes didn’t have that Kixx redness to them, and his skin was still vibrant, while the drug turned most into jaundiced shells. He flexed his fists on his thighs as he sat with Bezmir, and I wondered for a brief moment what lay beneath those black gloves.

Something about him rang genuine to me, and I wasn’t sure why. I’d always considered myself to be a good reader of people, and I always had a sixth sense of what lay in their soul—good, bad, or complicated. This Drix was definitely complicated but beneath that was something pure.

I wondered what Bezmir meant about the Drix being bound to protect females. Would he be kind to me? Would he treat me with humanity? But I stopped short of letting myself trust him. He was still in league with Bezmir and willing to trade me like property for his own self-interest.

I poked at my ankle. The scabs kept ripping off before the skin was healed, and I knew I’d have a permanent scar there if I was ever let off of this chain. It felt overkill since I was already stuck in a cage. At night, Bezmir locked me in a small room by myself where I had a bundle of furs to sleep with on the floor. It was better than, say, in bed with him, so I told myself I could always have it worse.

My body ached, and my stomach growled. I lifted my head to look out the grimy windows of the shop to get an idea of when my one mealtime of the day was, and just then a servant—a small alien with nearly white skin, a slimy lower body and two hands, shoved a thin covered tray between the bars of my cage before slinking off, leaving a trail of mucus in her wake.

Grimacing, I plucked off the lid, which also had mucus remnants on it, to reveal what I ate every day—a brown gruel that tasted as bad as it smelled. My stomach protested every time, but I ate it anyway. I refused to give up or go on some sort of hunger strike. Maybe it was foolish, but I held out hope I could outsmart one of these aliens and somehow get free. I didn’t have any illusion I’d ever get home, but there had to be some place on this planet … in this galaxy … where I could be happy, right?

As I picked up the lumpy gruel with my bare hands and shoved it into my mouth, I thought yeah, maybe I was foolish.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled, and I glanced up. The Drix was watching me, his eyes a nearly bottomless black, nostrils wide, and his body vibrating while Bezmir droned on. Anger rolled off him in waves, the emotion so powerful and evident in the tightness of his muscles I went still with fear. Was he angry with me? It was clear he didn’t like Bezmir, but what happened to make him this angry so suddenly?

I began to eat more hurriedly, worried something was going to happen and my food would disappear before I could fill my belly. And that only seemed to make the Drix angrier. A burning scent filled the air, like a snuffed-out candle, and Bezmir went very quiet as he eyed the Drix. “What’s going on?”

Finally, the Drix took his gaze off me to level it at Bezmir. “Why’s she eating that?”

Bezmir looked honestly bewildered. “Who?”

“The human,” the Drix said through gritted teeth.

“What’s wrong with podge?”

“It’s for chits and elders with no teeth.”

“It’s a perfectly acceptable meal.”

The Drix slammed his fists down on the table with so much force a leg cracked and bent, tilting the top so all the mugs and sabers on the surface crashed to the floor in a loud cacophony. He jumped to his feet, and his hood fell away to reveal a fiery orange mohawk on top of his head. “Why is she eating with her hands?” he roared.

The door flew open, and another Drix stepped into the room. This one had long straight black hair down to his waist and nasty scars at his neck and wrists. “Fenix?” He asked.

The orange haired Drix, who must have been Fenix, whirled on the new arrival. He didn’t speak, only pointed a claw-tipped finger at me. The long-haired Drix took in the room before letting his gaze fall on me. He made no reaction to my presence except for a thick swallow that made his Adam’s apple bob.

Bezmir now stood, a crew of his five most loyal men at his back. Hands on his hips, he puffed out his chest, but he was no match for the stature of Fenix and his friend. “Don’t do anything stupid, Drix. Either of you. You kill me, and you don’t get your Kixx supply. And if you think anyone else is going work with you after you kill your dealer, then you’re out of your mind. Think this through… Fenix,” he said the name on a hiss of warning. “And you don’t know where the handoff is. Only I do.”

“Fenix,” the long-haired Drix said in a low, patient tone.

His chest heaving, Fenix continued to glare at Bezmir, but made no move to advance on him. I sat completely still, my gruel tray empty. This fight… seemed to be over me, and I didn’t want to throw any more fuel on this fire.

Finally, Fenix took a step back. Just one. “I’ll be back tomorrow to do the job you’ve asked me to do. In the meantime, take her out of those chains and get her a proper meal, you flecker.”

With one last look at me, he turned on his heel and stomped out the door. The long-haired Drix remained behind for a long moment, his gaze on me before he nodded once at Bezmir and followed Fenix out the door.

As soon as the door closed, Bezmir kicked at a mug on the floor. “Clean this shet up!” he hollered. Three of the snail-like aliens came sliding into the room and quickly took care of the mess. Bezmir walked over to my cage, eyes a mean yellow and lips curled back. He hadn’t been very physical with me yet, other than locking me in a cage, but he’d never been this angry before either.

The flee instinct hit me hard, but I had nowhere to go, so I huddled into the corner of the cage. He dropped down to a crouch in front of my cage and gripped the bar with a scarred-knuckled hand. “You better be worth this, because if I don’t get what I think you’re worth, I’ll send you and that Drix out of the airlock without a moment’s hesitation. Do you hear me?”

I nodded. I heard him, but I had no idea how I could possibly do a thing to be … worth this.

“So far, you’ve cost me a lot. First, I had to steal you, then keep you while you almost died, feed you, and now I have to find a bodyguard because you’re too fragile.”

Or you’re too weak to protect me, I wanted to say.

“It’ll all be over soon. You’ll be the property of the wealthiest Rogastix clan in the galaxy, and I’ll be rich in Kixx.” He smiled, but nothing about it was friendly. “Just wait. You think I treat you bad? You’ll be begging for me to take you back once the Tristax clan gets a hold of you.” His tongue snaked out of his mouth to wet his thin lips. “I heard they like to play with their toys, and I know you’ll be their favorite.”

Three

Fenix

Every step I took away from the female felt like wading through mud. Zecri walked as close to me as he dared, frequently glaring at me out of the corner of his eyes, as if he expected me to turn tail and run. His suspicions were well-founded.

She’d been eating podge with her hands.

In a cage.

Chained.

The image of her wouldn’t leave my mind, when normally a memory like that would be fleeting. I almost wished to forget it, because with every beat of my cora, the anger in my gut festered.

My meager supply of Kixx felt too light in my pocket. I’d have to ration it more than usual, which meant more pain. More unbearable heat. More wishing to end it all. Except I had something to look forward to now. Seeing the female again.

“Do you think he unchained her?” I asked Zecri. “The skin of her ankle was torn. She looked thin. Had Rian been that thin?” Already the image of the female Mikko had saved was blurry in my mind. “She can’t live on podge. How long has it been since she had proper sustenance? What would she have said if she could have talked? Would she have been afraid of me?”

We reached the exit of the village and slipped out on our way to our small camp where we’d been staying since leaving our base.

I shoved off my hood and ran my gloved palm over my hair. “Do you—”

“I don’t know if he unchained her. Rian hadn’t been quite that thin. I don’t know how long it’s been since your female had proper food. If she talked, I’m sure she would have had a myriad of things to say. She probably would have been afraid of you, because you were quite angry in that room.” Zecri turned to me with his nubbed brow raised. “Did I answer your questions?”

His tone was patient, and I felt guilty. After Rexor and Mikko left, Zecri had been left with me, and I’d spent a majority of our time together talking what I felt was too much.

I couldn’t help myself. Sometimes I forgot someone was even listening. I’d spent so long hearing only my voice, I often couldn’t differentiate between my thoughts and what I said out loud. That got me in trouble a time or two with Mikko, since I tended to think he was an impulsive flecker. Despite that, I still missed him.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Thanks. And thanks for being the voice of reason back there. I almost took off Bezmir’s head.”

“Tell me more about this deal.”

I explained to him I had to protect the female during the journey in which she’d be exchanged for Kixx. I’d get a significant portion of the supply as payment. I pulled out the small packet of green powder. “This is all he had for me.”

Zecri eyed the contents. “That’s…” he swallowed and met my eyes. “That won’t last you long.”

I shook my head as I shoved it back in my pocket. My scales itched, and the heat bubbled below the surface, gaining strength with each passing yora. Soon, it would be crippling. “No, it won’t.”

We fell silent as we walked the rest of the way to camp. My mind whirled with thoughts and plans, and I knew I muttered a few things out loud, because Zecri would glance at me, but he left me alone to think and talk to myself.

A series of rock arches rose out of the red sand, and we walked under the lengthening shadows of the formations to the remnants of our last fire pit. There, we unrolled our packs and laid out our furs.

While Zecri prepared the meat he’d bought at the market, I sat on a rock and pulled off my gloves. I flexed my fingers, which was difficult with the tight, scarred skin and opened my palm. A small flame flickered, and I watched it for a moment, ignoring the smell of my melted scales and the pain zinging up my arm.

With a jerk of my wrist, a small fireball sailed into the pit, and a few dried grasses there ignited immediately. Closing my palm, the flame flickered out. Gritting my teeth at the smell and feel of my ruined scales, I slipped my gloves back on. Out of sight, out of mind. Except for the crippling pain part.

A piece of smoked meat appeared in front of my face. I took it from Zecri, and immediately bit into it, even if the food tasted a bit like ash. I never had much of an appetite after I used my fire. I chewed and swallowed anyway, knowing I needed the sustenance.

Zecri stared into the flames while eating his own meal. When he was finished, he drank some qua and leaned back while I poked at the fire.

“She couldn’t speak,” I suddenly spoke into the silence.

Zecri leaned closer. “What?”

I gestured to my throat. “She got the rath virus when she arrived, and it damaged her voice.” A shiver went down my spine, a reminder of the tens of cycles I’d spent alone.

Underground.

No company.

Nothing but me and the pain. My mind in flames while I raged to myself. I gritted my teeth. “She can’t speak, Z.”

He closed his eyes and hung his head. “Fleck.”

“He keeps her in the cage and feeds her podge she has to eat with her hands. She can’t tell him if she’s in pain, or hungry, anything.” I fisted my hands until my claws dug into the thick skin of my gloves. “I don’t know what kind of condition she’s in.” Warm brown eyes floated to the forefront of my thoughts. “She looked at me like she was searching for something.”

“A rescuer?” Zecri said softly.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “She’s looking at the wrong Drixonian.”

“Fenix,” he said sharply.

I leveled him with a hard glare. “I’m not Rexor. Or Mikko.” The words felt bitter in my mouth. “I’m not reliable. I’m dependent on a powder to get me through each rotation. What’s in my pocket won’t last long. I either keep taking it and eventually this shuts down.” I pounded my fist over where my cora beat.

“Or I stop taking it and lose this.” I jabbed a finger at my temple. “How am I any use to her? I can’t get her home without Kixx or I’ll lose my mind to the pain before we reach orbit. And in order to get more of the very thing that’s slowly killing me, I have to hand her over to a Rogastix clan.”

I kicked at the sand and sent a shower of red mist in the fire, which protested with a hiss and crackle. I dropped my head into my hands and fisted my hair. “Either way is a death sentence for us both.”

My mind twisted and writhed with the decision. I remembered back to my training days, when the elder Drixonians had ordered us to chant, “She is All,” until our throats were sore, and our voices were hoarse.

Even though our females had all been killed by a deadly virus, we were still sworn to protect females. It was why Rexor and Mikko had risked everything to save their humans. It wasn’t that I was unwilling to risk my life. It was that I didn’t know how long my mind and body would last. It felt like I was racing against time. I took out the packet of powder and flicked it with my finger. I knew what I should do. I just had no idea how to do it.

“Then we’ll work on a plan together.” Zecri’s voice startled me.

I jerked my head up to find him watching me. “What?”

“You said you knew what you should do but not how to do it.”

“Oh, I thought…” I shook my head. “I thought I said that to myself.”

“We’ll figure it out. When do you have to meet with Bezmir for the trip?”

“Tomorrow at sunset.”

“That gives us time.”

Zecri was already thinking.

I could tell by the firm set of his jaw. My cora beat rapidly and my blood fired with a different kind of heat. One of gratitude. “Good thing it wasn’t Mikko and me left. If we hadn’t already killed each other, we certainly wouldn’t have been making up a decent plan. You and Rexor were always the brains.”

Zecri huffed what might have been a laugh. “No, I’m just better at seeing another’s problems objectively. When it comes to plans for me…” he shrugged.

A random thought spiked its way the forefront of my brain. “Wait, I can’t leave you. You’ll come, right? I can talk Bezmir into letting us both come. I’m sure he’ll—”

“No.”

I clamped my jaw shut with a clack before turning on the rock to fully face him. Zecri sat on the sand with his knees drawn up, hands braced behind him. Flames flickered into his dark purple eyes. “Z,” I whispered. “But we promised—”

“I promised I wouldn’t leave you,” he said quietly. “But this is you leaving me, on the most important mission of your life, no matter how it ends.”

The thought of him alone on this planet broke me, but we’d all committed long ago not to question each other’s decision to remain on this planet rather than go home. Zecri still bore the physical scars from his time as a pleasure house slave, and I couldn’t begin to think what scars he bore mentally. “What will you do?”

“I’ll work harder on my own plan,” he whispered. He shook his head and sat up while dusting off his hands. “Enough about me.”

“Z—”

“Enough.” He barked, eyes firing at me.

I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t have to get mad about it.”

“I’m not mad.”

“You’re a little mad.”

A low growl rumbled in his throat. “I’m slightly irritated.”

I laughed, and even Zecri ducked his head to hide his smile. “All right, fine,” I said. “Slightly irritated. Sorry for caring about you. I’ll never make that mistake again, you big grumpy flecker.”

Zecri lifted his head and reached for me. This time, I didn’t jerk away, and he slowly brushed my hair with the tips of his fingers. My scalp tingled, but the pain never came. He smiled then, a rare Zecri smile that lightened up his eyes and drew deep grooves in his cheeks. “Thank you for caring. But I promise you I’ll be okay. You know I keep my promises.”

My throat felt tight when I nodded.

His smile faded as he drew his hand back. “Get some sleep. When the sun rises, we will work on that plan.”

Zecri retreated to his furs and was asleep quickly. The soothing sounds of his deep breaths mixed with the last gasps of the dying fire. I took the Kixx from my pocket and stared at it, wishing I could toss it into the fire and watch it burn. I didn’t want it. I never did. But it was the only thing that kept the pain at bay and beat back the fire that threatened to reduce my mind to ash.

With shaking hands, I opened the pack and slipped a finger inside. Coating the tip in the green powder, I lifted my finger to my mouth and spread it on the inside of my bottom lip.

Immediately, a coolness spread throughout my mouth, plunging down my throat to settle in my gut before winding out to every limb. The fiery pain subsided in a chill wash. With numb limbs, I crawled to my fur and collapsed on top of it. My head spun with an icy blast and I welcome the absence of heat as much as I loathed it.

I fell asleep with ice forming on my tongue and the image of a dark-haired female with brown eyes caressing my face. With her touch, there was no pain.

* * *

I’d been born on the planet Corin, but when our females were wiped out and our civilization left in ruins, the remaining males had traveled to our sister planet, Torin, to work for the Uldani. They ended up betraying us, but for fifty rotations, we’d lived in relative happiness working for them as security and law enforcement.

Corin and Torin were plentiful with game, such as the meaty antella. The aggressive predator salibris provided us thick furs. On Vixlicin, most of the game had been hunted into near extinction by the Plikens who hadn’t bothered to monitor the finite resource. The most plentiful game left was the yilkes, which were small animals about the size of my thigh. The meat was tough and a little bland, but enough seasoning left it relatively tasty.

When I’d first starting hunting, I’d tried to kill everything with fire, which only left me with a charred inedible mess. I was smarter now and had learned I could still use my fire while leaving the meat preserved.

I walked with a more confident bounce in my step as a half dozen dead yilkes hung on a string over my shoulder. Yilkes were mostly hairless with rope-like tails and long whiskers. They lived in the rock formations on the planet, feeding on insects and vegetation.

I’d left Zecri after our late afternoon meal to catch as many as I could, since they mostly emerged from their burrows as the sun was setting. While we had a decent stockpile of czens, we’d found the vendors at the market valued a bundle of dead yilkes a lot more. I had to make a few purchases before meeting with Bezmir.

Zecri was waiting for me beside our dying fire when I returned. The sun was low in the sky, and I needed to make the trip to the market soon.

He nodded to his bundled pack sitting as his side. “I’m ready.”

I dropped the bundle of yilkes and sat down on the rock beside him. “I need to go alone.”

It was hard to get a reaction out of Zecri, but I’d succeeded this time. He jerked, and he blinked a few times before cocking his head. “Why?”

“I don’t know what awaits, and I don’t want you drawn into this.”

“Fenix—”

“You have your own missions you want to accomplish on this planet, right?”

He didn’t answer, only watched me steadily.

“You’ve spent all this time worrying about Rexor, Mikko, and me. Helping us with our plans and being the brains. So now you can finally be free of the burden of us. Do what you need to do.”

He clasped his hands in front of him and leaned forward. “None of you were ever a burden.” His deep voice went hoarse. “Ever.”

“You might be the best of all of us,” I whispered.

He scoffed and looked away before shaking his head. “There is nothing left of me that’s the best of anything.” He met my eyes again. “But you? You were the heart of us all. Rexor was the leader. Mikko the fighter. And you were the conscience, binding us all together because we knew how much the brotherhood meant to you. You’d gone so long without it…” he flinched, as if the memory of my past pained him. “You don’t know what kind of state that female is in because of what she’s been through, but you of all Drixonians are capable of understanding silence.”

My breath stuttered in my chest.

“You told us that we saved your life,” Zecri said. “You thanked us many times. Now it’s your turn to save her life. This is your calling, Fenix. I know you know that.”

“I do,” I whispered.

He grabbed the back of my neck and slammed our foreheads together.

I panted through the pain which ignited down my spine. Because even though my skin crawled with the touch, I needed the comfort more than anything.

“You can do this,” he murmured. “We talked about what you need to do. You can adapt the plan as you go, but your end goal remains the same. Save the female. Save yourself. She is All.”

“I’m…” I licked my lips as my voice left in a shudder. “I’m scared of failing.”

“Rexor was too. So was Mikko. Every Drixonian who has ever lived has been scared of failing. Deep in your cora, what do you want to do?”

That answer was easy. I felt the calling deep in my bones. “I want to save her.”

He smiled. “Then you will, Fenix. You’ll get her to safety. You’ll see Mikko and Rexor again.” He pulled away, and although the pain faded without his touch, the absence of his comfort hit me hard. Picking up his pack, he rose to his feet. His long dark hair blew in the wind, and I let my gaze linger on the scars on his neck and wrists. The evidence of what he’d been through.

“Tell good stories about me when you’re together drinking spirits.” A slight tremor shook his voice.

“Z… maybe you’ll join us.”

He shook his head with a small smile. “Fatas has chosen a different destiny for me. Name a chit after me, huh?”

“A chit?” I let out a laugh. “I don’t know if that’s in my future, brother.”

“It is,” he whispered. “You, Rexor, and Mikko. Somewhere on some planet you’ll be chasing some screaming chits with your beautiful females at your side.”

“I like your dream,” I said.

“Not a dream.” He crossed his wrists at his neck and dipped his head once in the Drix greeting. “She is All.”

“She is All,” I echoed.

He turned and walked away, the marred skin of his back hidden beneath a worn vest.

I wondered if it was the last time I’d ever hear him say those words. I waited until he was nothing but a speck of blue on the horizon before I gathered my pack and the yilkes with a cracking, aching cora.

Four

Jennie

I woke to shouting and sat up so quickly I banged my head on the bars of my cage. Wincing, I pressed a hand to the swelling knot just as the cloth over my cage was ripped off. In the dim lantern light of the room, the first thing I saw was two glowing purple orbs.

The Drix—Fenix—stood over my cage, his entire body tense and his gloved hands fisted at his side. He wore big black boots, a pair of tan pants, and a long coat over his bare chest.

I caught sight of bulging muscles and looked away. Something about him was human yet … not, and it was a little disconcerting how very badly I wanted to stare at him for reasons I wasn’t ready to admit.

“I thought I told you to get her out of the cage and get her a decent meal,” Fenix growled at Bezmir.

My owner sat at a table with a pint of drink in front of him, seemingly unconcerned with the very angry Drix in the room. “And I don’t do what you tell me to do.”

Fenix twisted at the waist, and his coat swirled around his large calves. “You have no idea how to keep a human alive. You’ve already nearly killed her.”

The got Bezmir’s attention. “I didn’t nearly kill her. And she’s doing fine.” He gestured to me, but a flicker of unease passed over his face.

“How many humans have you met?” Fenix asked.

“One.”

“Not including her, you flecker.”

Bezmir muttered something under his breath before saying louder, “None.”

“And I’ve met several. She’s worth nothing in your exchange if she’s half-dead. You gave me a job, and I’m doing it. I’m keeping her alive.” He took a step toward Bezmir. “Now unchain her and get her out of this flecking cage or I’m going to start wrecking shet.”

That got Bezmir out of his chair. He grumbled as he swaggered forward, sending me a glare like this was my fault.

Fenix hovered over Bezmir’s back as he opened up the cage and reached in to undo the chain around my ankle. It fell to the stone floor with a clatter, and I immediately reached down to rub the tender skin.

Suddenly gloved hands reached inside the cage. Startled, I shied away, but Fenix didn’t hesitate as he reached inside and pulled me from the cage. He gave a short gasp, and his scales rippled as his jaw tightened. He set me on the floor, and I wobbled slightly, but was happy to walk under my own power, a freedom I’d been denied too much.

I still wore the pajamas I’d been in when I’d been taken from Earth—a pair of cotton plaid pants and a T-shirt from a college intramural softball tournament. They were now filthy, torn, and unbelievably smelly. I stunk too, and my hair was a greasy nest.

Bezmir had occasionally let me use a cleanser to clean myself, but it’d been a while since I’d last had the chance. I didn’t want to even count how long.

“Tonight, she rests in a room,” Fenix said shortly. “Give me one, or I’ll take her somewhere myself.”

Bezmir glared. “I don’t like your demands, Drix.”

“Humans need a varied diet. Plenty of qua, and that wound on her ankle could kill her. They can’t have torn skin for long. They need proper sleep, or they go feral. Did you know any of that? Or did you think she’d be fine eating podge for a flecking cycle while chained in a cage?”

Bezmir’s nostrils flared and he looked like he wanted to deck Fenix, but instead he turned to one of his crew. “Show them a room. Post two guards outside.”

The crew member, a mean and appropriately named Hirtz, said, “I’ll stay in the room with them.”

I began to shake at the thought of Hirtz anywhere near me. In a way, I’d felt safe in the cage. But in a room with Hirtz, where he could touch me? Oh hell no.

“She doesn’t like you,” Fenix said, and I glanced up at him. Had he sensed my fear? “You stay outside.”

Hirtz looked like he was going to argue, but Bezmir smacked him on the head. “Do what I said. Now.”

Hirtz shot me a look that promised retribution, and I ducked my head to avoid his hateful glare. He took us up a flight of rickety stairs, and the whole time Fenix held a hand a few inches from my back in case I fell. Even from that short distance, I could feel the heat from his hand warming my back and the steady beat of his heart. The familiarity comforted me. I found it interesting he seemed to avoid touching me, but then again, I was gross and smelly, so maybe that was it.

At the end of the hall, Hirtz opened a door, then stood at the side with his hands clasped in front of him. After we walked inside, Fenix slammed the door shut without another word. The room was sparse. A dirty pad sat in one corner which was most likely the bed. A kettle hung over a small fireplace, and one grimy window gave a distorted view of the street below. A large basin sat in the corner. A few chairs were scatted around the room, and Fenix directed me toward one where I sat down, embarrassed at being winded from a flight of stairs.

He knelt in front of me and shoved his hood off his head. I’d seen his hair before, but up close, it was mesmerizing. The mohawk was a bright orange which seemed to glow from within each thick strand.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, drawing me out of my thoughts. His eyes were on my ankle, but he didn’t touch me. “I’ll get you some qua, and you can bathe. The other human I met said she preferred to bathe in liquid. Is that true?”

His gaze lifted to mine.

A bath? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a bath. The cleanser was like a shower stall where a stream of purified air stripped my body and hair of dirt and grime. It worked, but I still missed the warmth and relaxation of a shower. I nodded and looked around, unsure how he planned to let me bathe. The basin in the corner was made of a tin-like material and was probably big enough for my body. But how would he heat that much qua?

Fenix strode to the door and opened it up. He said a few low words to someone in the hallway, and a short time later, a few of Bezmir’s crew members arrived with jugs of qua. Fenix pointed to the basin, and they marched inside. After dumping the qua in the basin to fill it about three-quarters full, they walked out. I stared at it, dreading sinking under some cold water, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Fenix showed me to a small door along one wall. “The expeller is in there,” he said, referring to what they called a toilet. “Go ahead and use that, and when you come out, you can bathe.”

He closed the door to give me privacy. There was no mirror in the small bathroom—nothing but the expeller and the cleanser. I did my business, happy to have something other than a bucket.

Noises came from the other room, and I emerged from the bathroom to find steam rising from the qua-filled basin. I stared at it in disbelief.

“I heated it up for you. So it’s like a hot spring,” Fenix had taken off his long coat. He stood wearing nothing but pants and a pair of boots. He swallowed as he looked between it and me, and for the first time, I saw a bit of nervousness in his posture. “Is this all right for you?”

Still a little stunned, I nodded. How had he warmed the water? I crept closer, and stuck a finger inside, nearly weeping at the feel of the hot-tub-like qua.

“I’ll turn around and give you privacy.” He pointed to a piece of fabric on a chair near the tub I hadn’t noticed yet. “When you get out, you can wrap yourself in that. I know humans’ skin absorbs water.”

I wanted to ask how he knew so much about humans. And like he knew what he was thinking, his lips tilted at the corners. “I made up some of that stuff to Bezmir. I have met humans before. Two of them. So, some was true. I just wanted him to doubt his knowledge and rely on me.” He gave me a little nod and then grabbed a chair. Turning it around to face the far wall, he sat down.

I waited a moment, still unsure about this whole situation. But the lure of the hot qua was too much. If this was bait to get me undressed, well I was taking it. I stripped out of my clothes and had just let my pants pool around my ankles when Fenix made a sound and stood as he turned around. I opened my mouth on a silent squeal as I grabbed for my shirt to cover what I could of my body.

He froze, eyes massive in his face, as he held out one gloved hand. For a moment, neither of us moved, and then he nearly tripped over his feet as he reached for the pack he’d left on the floor. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He ducked his head, actively avoiding looking at me as he dug through the bag. “Fleck, where is it? I know I got it.”

Suddenly he pulled his hand out with an ivory disk clutched in it. He held it aloft with a triumphant cry. “Here!” His gaze flickered to me before he looked down and away. He cleared his throat as he shuffled toward me while facing away. “This is, um, a wet cleansing bar. The vendor at the market said it’s to be used with qua. You get it wet and rub it and it makes a lather.”

Soap. He’d brought me soap. Such a simple thing, yet it meant so much to me and to my humanity. I felt the tears prick the back of my eyes a moment before one spilled out over my bottom lashes. I let out a sob that sounded more like a gasp, and Fenix forgot his embarrassment and looked directly at me.

He froze again, seemingly terrified. “Wait, did I...? Is this not…?” He stared at the disk as if it offended him. “Flecking vendor, she told me…” he made to throw the bar on the ground. Panicking at the thought of him destroying my gift, I stepped forward with my hand out, trying to give him the most pleading expression I could.

He frowned at me, then at the disk. “Do you want this?”

I nodded.

“But why are you…?”

I couldn’t explain why I was crying. So, I once again took a step forward with my arm out and shot him a teary smile.

He stared at my mouth for two beats before swallowing and delicately dropping the bar in my hand. Then he nodded and once again looked away. “I won’t turn around again. I’m sorry.” He returned to his seat facing the wall and fell silent.

I waited a beat to see if he’d remember something else and turn around, but in the end, the lure of the bath was too much. I dropped my clothes to the ground, leaving me nude, and approached the basin. I lifted a leg over the side and let out a happy puff of air at the feel of the water on my skin. When my other leg submerged, I hissed as my raw ankle burned.

Fenix’s head went up at the sound, and I saw him start to twist at the waist, but he stopped himself at the last minute before turning around. “Are you okay?”

I stood still in the middle of the basin with my arms crossed over my chest, unsure how to answer him.

“Um,” he scratched his head. “Knock on the basin once for yes, and twice for no. Are you okay?”

I reached down and rapped my knuckles on the outside once.

Fenix’s shoulders sagged. “If you need anything, knock twice.”

I knocked once again, and I could see just the edge of his smile. “All right,” he whispered.

Content now that we had some sort of rudimentary communication, I sank down into the water and let out a long, silent moan. It just felt so good, like all the days of being stuck in that cage were washed away. I didn’t know how long I had before the water cooled, so I quickly grabbed the soap and worked it into a lather.

It didn’t have a strong smell, but it had a hint of something floral. I worked it all over my body and piled my hair on top of my head in a bundle of suds. Then I sank down into the water up to my chin and closed my eyes.

I took a moment to daydream I was at the spa with my sister. We’d just gotten a facial, and now I soaked in a bubbled bath filled with moisturizing oils. It wasn’t that I needed to be pampered right now—it was that I wanted to pretend I had some sort of normalcy, that I wasn’t actually in a tin basin usually used for cooking, and that I was wholly dependent on the kindness of an alien who had no real reason to treat me well.

I glanced over at him, but he remained still while facing the wall. What was his story? Why was he being nice? I had no idea what morality was like on this planet, and so far, I’d seen nothing but cruelty. So, what made this Drix named Fenix different?

Eventually my skin pruned, and the water grew cold. I washed out my hair and soaped myself up one last time before rinsing and stepped out. The floor was cold, and I quickly grabbed for the fabric Fenix had provided. It was huge, and absorbent, not unlike a towel. I bundled myself up to my chin, and the ends dragged on the floor.

Fenix, probably hearing my exit, sat up straight.

“Can I turn around now?” he asked with a hopeful tone, which made my heart pump double time at the consideration.

I stomped once on the ground, and he turned around.

A slight smile curved his lips when he saw me standing in the middle of the room, bundled in the warm fabric. “I can see your skin more clearly now that you’re clean,” he murmured. He picked up his pack again and walked closer to me. Laying out a fur over the pad on the floor, he sat down on the edge and began pulling out packages. “I got a couple of things at the market for you in exchange for some yilkes I killed. I had to bargain, but I think I did okay.”

He dropped a bundle of materials wrapped in twine next to him. “Here is a pair of clothes, plus a spare.” Boots were next, a pair of black ones with a thick sole. “Shoes.” A heavy quilted bundle in a green khaki color topped the pile. “This is a heavy cloak. Nights can get cold here, and I don’t know how well you can handle the temperature on the cargo ship. This might be a little big, but I got them to hem the bottom.” He pointed to a series of stitches and frowned as he picked at them with a black claw. “They were in a hurry so this a little uneven.”

Even if I could have spoken, I wouldn’t have known what to say as he continued to pull out supplies. Another disk of soap, a crude comb, and last, but not least, a sealed packaged that he opened immediately. “Fresh meat stew. I just have to cook it for you.”

I could smell it immediately, a warm scent that reminded me of home. This time, I just barely held back the tears as I knelt and reached for the pile of clothes. My hands brushed the soft, thick cloak. I hadn’t had any clothes but my filthy, thin pajamas for weeks.

This creature, who didn’t know me, took it upon himself to purchase clothes and supplies. I glanced up at him as he watched me handle the clothes. I wished I could ask why. Was it out of guilt he would eventually be trading me to feed his addiction?

A voice shouted from outside followed by an answering voice, and Fenix glanced at the door. When the voices died down, he turned to me and leaned close. “I can’t explain right now. Not…” he glanced at the door again. “Not with them so close. But I promise I will take care of you. And it has nothing to do with Bezmir’s deal. Understand?”

I didn’t understand, not really. I reached for him, but as soon as my fingers came within an inch of his face, he jerked away and stood up so quickly he nearly fell over.

“Sorry, I…” He fluttered his hands at his face. “Anyway, go ahead and get dressed. I’ll start a fire and warm your food.” He bobbed his head, eyes dark, and turned away.

Five

Jennie

The clothes were made of a material which seemed to conform to my body when they touched the warmth of my skin. The shirt was a bit large in the neck and hung off my shoulder, but there was a tightness in the chest that made up for the lack of a bra. Not that my small B-cups had ever needed much anyway.

The pants were comfortable, and the boots, while a bit big in the sole, were easy to walk in. I felt … human, and I could barely believe I had actual clothes again. I ran the comb through my hair for a while, loving the familiar tug on my scalp. I brushed until my hair was almost dry and the black strands were shiny as they lay over my shoulders. I smelled like a human again, and I couldn’t stop inhaling the cleanliness of my skin.

I turned around to find Fenix with his back to me. He was fiddling around at the fireplace and when I approached, I saw he had started a fire. A kettle suspended by a spit over the flames contained the bubbling stew. My stomach rumbled, and I didn’t know if Fenix heard it or what, because he turned around. I smiled, wishing I could say thank you, because getting clean and putting on real clothes meant more than he could probably imagine.

His gaze traveled down my body, and he seemed to be happy about what he saw, as he smiled and rose to his feet. He pointed one of two chairs near the fire. “Sit.”

I did, wanting to laugh at how tall the chair was—clearly made for someone much bigger than me. Although even at five-foot-two, I was short for a human too. I swung my legs as he got to work pouring some stew into a bowl before handing me a scoop. I remembered then that he’d been outraged I’d been forced to eat the podge with my hands. I hadn’t liked it either, but it was either that or starve. I was insanely giddy to have a utensil again.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, and while the stew had a flavor that I’d certainly never tasted before, it actually had a taste, unlike the podge. The meat was a bit chewy, and the other chunks were … unidentifiable. It didn’t matter. It was edible, and by the time I was on my second bowl, I’d decided it was tasty. When I finished my last bowl, I leaned back, knowing I shouldn’t eat any more or I could be sick. He tried to offer me more, but I shook my head and rubbed my stomach.

Fenix seemed sad I wouldn’t eat anymore. Seeing as there was still some stew left in the kettle, I scooped it out and then handed him the bowl. He looked at it askance for a minute, as if he really wanted it, but wasn’t sure he should have it. Finally, he said with a hopeful voice, “I hadn’t planned on eating, but this won’t keep, so I should finish it, right?”

His rational was cute. I smiled and nodded. He polished off his bowl and what was left in the kettle in under a minute. I watched him eat, struck by the fangs and the flash of something shiny on his tongue. Was it … pierced? I couldn’t ask and felt weird staring at his mouth for so long, so I eventually looked away.

The window hadn’t provided much light anyway, as dirty as it was, but now I could clearly see the sun was set. The crackling fire was the only thing that provided light in the room. Now that I was clean with a fully belly, I couldn’t hold back the yawn. I had slept fitfully even when let out of the cage, and I didn’t think I’d had a decent REM cycle since I’d been on this planet.

Fenix dropped the bowl on the floor near the fire and stood up. “You must want to sleep, right? Has Bezmir given you bedding at all?”

I winced and shook my head. I’d slept on the floor with a thin fur with only my hand as a pillow.

His eyes went dark and he grumbled something under his breath as led me over to the pad. “I know this bedding isn’t the cleanest, but this fur is, so are you okay sleeping on that?”

I’d stayed in hotel rooms that cost nine hundred a night, but right now even this dirty pad felt like luxury. I nodded my head.

He gestured for me to lay down, and as soon as I was on my side, he covered me with another fur. “This one is clean too,” he reassured me. “I just purchased it in the market. It’s the warmest one they had.” He bit his lip as he studied me. “Wish I had a thick salibri fur, but this will have to do. Are you cold?”

I shook my head. When he only stared at me, I knocked twice on the wall over my head.

He smiled. “All right.”

When he made to stand up, I reached for him. At the last minute, I pulled back, remembering he’d flinched at my touch.

He caught the movement and stilled. “Are you okay?”

Where was he going to sleep? I patted the bed beside me.

He swallowed and gestured to the chair. “I’ll sleep there.”

No, he couldn’t. This pad was huge, easily big enough for the two of us to sleep without touching. Was he worried about that? I’d slept alone for weeks. He was the safest thing I’d encountered since I’d been on this planet and I selfishly wanted him as close as possible.

He seemed to be considering as his gaze drifted to the bed, as if analyzing how much room there was for both of us. Finally, he settled down beside me on his side. “I’ll lay here until you fall asleep. Is that okay?”

That was a good compromise. I knocked once on the wall over my head. Silence descended between us, and occasionally I heard voices outside our door or footsteps. Every once in a while, shouts rang out from the shop downstairs as Bezmir and his crew were surely drinking up a storm. The fire was still crackling, giving some light to the room.

I couldn’t seem to close my eyes, fascinated by Fenix’s features and unusual hair. Up close, I saw his face was scaled too, but the scales there were very small and tight knit, which was why his face resembled human skin. His lips look pillow-y soft, and his eyes were sharp and intelligent as they glowed with an inner warmth. As the scales traveled down his neck, they increased in size until they resembled a snake-like pattern on his chest. I wondered how they would feel if I touched them.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” He asked in the dark silence of the room. I shook my head.

“Sometimes the rath virus causes memory loss. Do you remember everything? Your life back on Earth?”

I felt tears gather in my eyes. I nodded and sniffed. The memories were hard. Sometimes I wished I could forget.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “If I could get you home… I’d do it.”

I believed him, which was maybe crazy. I kept second-guessing myself. Was he only being kind so I didn’t cause him issues and he could deliver me in peace?

“I never introduced myself. I’m Fenix.” He frowned. “I guess… you can’t really call me by my name, though.”

I didn’t know American Sign Language, but I could make my own. I pointed at him, and then held my hand, fingers splayed with my little finger facing him, on top of my head. My idea was to signify his mohawk. Then I pointed at him and made the gesture again. I mouthed his name.

He smiled. “Is that me?” He made the same gesture. I nodded, and he laughed with a light rasp. “Okay.” He shifted an inch closer. “I wish I knew your name.”

I hadn’t bothered trying to speak with Bezmir. But when I was alone, I tried to make my vocal cords move. I managed a whisper or two last time I’d tried. When I drew as close to him as I dared, he went still, and his eyes widened. I could feel his breath on my cheek as I opened my mouth by his ear to say the two syllables of my name. At first, nothing happened, only silence, until I managed to eke out a few sounds in a crackled whisper. “Jennie.”

He sucked in a breath as his head turned, and his gaze focused on my lips. “J-Jennie?”

Absolute bliss roared through my blood. My name. He’d said my name. I felt like a person again, after weeks of Bezmir calling me human or girl. I had a name. I was me. Jennie Kim of Texas. I nodded frantically and pounded on the wall once with my fist.

“Jennie,” he said again, and I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

I let out wordless sob and nodded again, and again, feeling like I had a bobblehead.

“Jennie,” he repeated, his voice cracking as he seemed unsure what to do with my overflowing emotions.

I swiped at my eyes, hating the tears. The Jennie I’d been on Earth wasn’t a crier, and I didn’t cry in front of Bezmir. But around Fenix, the tears of relief wouldn’t stop coming. I tried to remind myself Fenix was still part of the system—he was only using me to get something he wanted, but he didn’t need to be so kind… did he? What was his reasoning? If only I could ask him…

“Drix!” Bezmir’s shout came through the closed door muffled but loud.

A knock came at the door, which Fenix ignored until the knock turned into a series of pounding thuds and the locked doorknob rattled. With a growl, Fenix exited the bed and threw open the door.

Hirtz stood outside. “Bezmir needs you downstairs.”

“Why?”

“You’ll find out from him,” Hirtz sneered. He tried to look over Fenix’s shoulder at me, but he was blocked by Fenix’s big shoulder.

“I’ll be down in a moment.” Fenix shut the door without another word and turned to me. “I need you to lock this door after I leave. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”

I hadn’t planned on it. I nodded and made the signal for Fenix on the top of my head with my hand. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, but I could tell he was occupied with thoughts of whatever Bezmir wanted. “Good. I’ll be back soon.”

With only his pants, boots, and gloves on, he opened the door and stalked outside. I leapt from bed and hurried to lock it. Only when the bolt slipped into place did I hear his footsteps walking away.

And suddenly, I felt more alone than I had in weeks. When I was in the cage, I’d viewed my loneliness as a shield—it protected me as much as it kept me imprisoned. But in such a short time I’d grown used to Fenix’s presence and kindness. Would he be okay? Would he return soon? I fisted my hands at my sides. I had to get a grip. There would be a time soon I wouldn’t be able to depend on Fenix, so I better get used to it now. It felt a little cruel to have him introduced in my life only to know he’d be taken away.

I rubbed at my arms and turned on my heel to face the bed when a loud crash sounded from downstairs. A roar erupted, and then it sounded like all hell broke loose. Shouts and hollers followed by cries of agony. The floor seemed to shake with thuds and crashes. Alone in a room with no protection, panic seized hold of my muscles and wouldn’t let go.

I couldn’t move—all I could do was stand and listen to the fighting downstairs. When pounding footsteps ascended the stairs, my body finally went into protection mode. I looked around for something to block the door, but the only option was the basin of qua. I raced over to the side and began to push. Liquid sloshed over the sides as it moved inch by agonizing inch.

Outside, doors opened, and when one voice shouted,” She’s not in here!” my knees buckled. I hit the floor but immediately got back up and resumed pushing. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck. I had just pushed the basin in place in front of the door when the doorknob rattled.

I gasped and backed up when a triumphant voice came from the other side, sounding way too close through the thin paneled door. “This one is locked. She must be in here!”

Another roar sounded, this one from farther away, and the floor trembled beneath my feet. A piece of the wall came loose and crashed to the ground. I silently screamed and rushed to the window just as a fist plunged through the door. I banged on the window, crying, wishing I could yell and ask for help and for fuck’s sake, open this damn window, but the entire thing was bolted shut.

“In here!” A black eye peered through the fist-sized hole in the wall. “I see her!”

I picked up the heavy kettle that held the last drops of our stew. Swinging it a few times, I gathered up speed before sending it sailing through the window. Glass shattered into the street below just as the door caved in. A boot sent the basin toppling over and water splashed across the floor at my feet.

I peered out the window, wondering if I could make the fall without breaking any bones. Behind me, two massive green creatures with soulless black eyes and horns stomped into the room. My heart leapt into my throat as I placed a foot on the window ledge. More glass fell to the stones below. Gulping, hoping wherever Fenix was, he was okay, I jumped out the window.

Except I didn’t get far. A hand twisted in my hair as sharp claws dug into my scalp. With one strong pull, the hand yanked me back into the room with the terrifying green creatures. I landed on my back with a loud thud, and all the air left my lungs. I gasped for breath as I struggled to remain aware of my surroundings.

“There’s the human,” said one of the creatures, his voice garbled by a gigantic underbite and wicked fangs.

“Get her and let’s go,” said the other.

I scrambled backward on my hands and knees, but a giant green hand was coming at me, about to wring my neck. I let out a sob of defeat just as a figure, backlit by the surviving fire, appeared behind the green monsters.

“You’re not taking her anywhere,” growled a deep voice I recognized. Two blacked-gloved fists rose in the air, crossed at the wrist, and I caught the slightest flash of light glinting off a shiny black edge before they hacked downward.

The sound was unlike anything I’d heard before. A hiss and thunk. A dripping sound followed as dark liquid pooled at the feet of the green monsters. No life appeared in their eyes, and I watched with horror as slowly they crumbled to the ground, heads nearly severed from their thick necks.

Standing behind them, black blades jutting from his forearms and on top of his head from among his orange mohawk, stood Fenix.

Six

Fenix

I stepped over the bloodied bodies at my feet and reached for Jennie. Touching her with my gloved hands hadn’t caused me pain before, so I immediately pulled her to her feet.

She panted, and her gaze drifted from the dead ogrices to the machets on my forearms. Before I could retract them, she reached out one finger and touched the bloody, sharp tip. Slowly, I retracted them back under my scales, and her eyes went wide.

“They are called machets,” I said. “Drixonians use them in battle.”

She nodded, but her posture remained stiff and wary.

I had just nearly beheaded two ogrices in front of her, so it was likely she was scared. Of them. Of what happened. And maybe of me.

Footsteps pounded into the room and I whirled around, ready to fight more, but this time Bezmir stood in the doorway, two of his crew at his back. His gaze landed on Jennie and he sagged against the door frame. “Thank fleck. She’s alive.”

“No thanks to you,” I snarled. “I heard what they said. You’d shown her off to some gripes who are known to flap their mouths too much. Word got to the closest ogrice clan, and they came to take her with them. This is on you.” I pointed a clawed finger at him. “And I’m the reason she’s still alive.” I kicked an ogrice body at my feet. “So, from here on out, I’m in charge of her and only me. I’m surprised she’s stayed alive this long in your care.”

“Watch your mouth, Drix,” Bezmir hissed.

Of course, his pride wouldn’t accept my words. I didn’t give a fleck. Anger coursed through me, igniting my blood. I just barely kept my fire under control, and that was only because Jennie remained in my arms. “Then don’t question again what I say needs to be done for her care. You worry about everything else. Or you’ll never get your Kixx supply.”

The Rogastix’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t forget what stakes you have in this. You can act like her hero now, but you’re using her just as much as me. I might be the bad one, but so are you.” He glanced at his crew. “Take care of the bodies.”

To me, he ordered, “We leave now before the ogrices send another troop.”

My gut soured as he turned on a heel and walked out. His crew stalked in and I retreated to the bedding pad with Jennie as they dragged the bodies out the door, slamming it shut behind all. The room was a disaster. Glass littered the floor from the broken window, the basin was tipped over, and water dampened a corner of our once-clean furs. Jennie kept glancing at the pools of blood and streaks from the dragged bodies.

“Are you okay?” I ached to touch her, but I didn’t want to have to explain why doing so would cause me pain. “Did they hurt you?”

Her hand lifted to her scalp and she prodded it before shaking her head.

I didn’t like her expression, a mix between sadness and shock. “Jennie, look at me.”

She did, but her eyes weren’t focused.

“What do you need? What can I do?”

She shook her head and looked away before taking a deep breath. Her eyes closed briefly, and she clenched her fists on her thighs before exhaling loudly. Then she looked at me with a firm nod and stood. Wrapping the cloak I got her around her shoulders, she shook out her hair, and then got to work packing what little belongings we had.

Right, we were leaving. We had to. The ogrices would continue their attempt to steal her, as they considered her a resource they would resell. Which was what Bezmir was doing. Which was what I was doing.

I patted the front of my pants. Sewn into the lining was coded instructions for Zecri’s plan. I’d been terrified I’d forget it, and even now the memory of it was fuzzy. Once we were on the cargo ship heading to the exchange location, I’d take it out and study it. I knew the first step was keeping Jennie alive. The second was getting on that ship. I couldn’t remain on this planet with her. Rexor and Mikko had the same conclusion with their females—Vixlicin was no place for humans.

Jennie stepped in front of me holding the pack out. I grabbed it and tossed it over my back. “Thank you, sorry. I was thinking.”

She nibbled her lip and then bent at the waist. She brought her face so close to mine that I froze, unsure what she planned to do until she turned her head at the last minute, so her lips were right by my ear. And that was when I felt the softest puff of air and two rasping words. “Thank you.”

She lingered there for a moment, and when she pulled back, her cheek brushed mine.

I braced for the zing of pain, but none came. Stunned, I remained motionless as she looked me right in the eye before standing up. My cheek remained a small portion of my body that didn’t ache. What was it about her touch?

I rose to my feet and glanced around the room at what was left. “You’re welcome,” I murmured. “I’m sorry this happened. Bezmir called me downstairs to talk right before the ogrices came crashing in. We fought them but two slipped by and came up here searching for you.”

She nodded.

“Bezmir is an idiot,” I grumbled. “His stubborn boast over having you nearly got you taken. Flecker.”

Her smile returned. Maybe she liked when I cursed. I reached for her hood and, careful not to touch her, pulled it up over her head. Only her small face remained, dark eyes watching me. “Now let’s get off this planet.”

* * *

We made it outside the village largely undetected, moving in small groups in the dark.

Bezmir and his crew had a handful of caged hover vehicles that were fast and had decent protection. We loaded five of them with his crew and supplies before driving off in formation—his crew at the front, back, and sides with our vehicle in the middle. I sat on the back benches with Jennie, while Bezmir and Hirtz sat in the front seat. Frix, his pet, was left behind.

Low headlights lit our path across the red sand dunes. Large rock formations, backlit by the dim light of the moon, created pitch black shadows.

Jennie sat huddled in her long cloak with her head bent. I wished I could draw her into my arms, but I didn’t want to be distracted by the pain. I had to make the small amount of Kixx I had last as long as possible. Avoiding touch was the easiest way to hold the worst of the pain at bay.

I longed to comfort her by holding her. I had seen Mikko and Rexor do that with their females, but the Uldani had taken that ability from me, when they altered my body. I flexed my ruined hands in my gloves and clenched my jaw.

We rode up a dune and as we crested the top, the small docking station which was our destination could be seen on the horizon. Bezmir gripped the bars of the caged vehicle with his laser gun on his lap and peered into the distance.

I readied the pack on my back, wanting to be prepared to get on the cargo ship as soon as this vehicle stopped. I didn’t like how open and dark it was outside. Any enemy would be able to sneak up on us.

Just as the vehicle slowed down when we neared the station, Jennie’s head shot up with a jerk. Her eyes were wide, and I caught the reflection of a passing light in the brown depths. “What—?” I said out loud seconds before the vehicle in front of us exploded in a ball of fire.

Cursing, Hirtz spun the wheel of the vehicle wildly to avoid the burning vehicle just as another hiss of fire hit the sand right next to us.

Bezmir lifted his weapon just as shadows began to materialize out of the dark, shouting a rallying war cry. I recognized their forms immediately—more ogrices. Dozens of them. Bezmir’s remaining crew scattered from their vehicles. Inside, we were easy targets.

Bezmir and Hirtz fired well-placed shots with the laser guns, taking out any approaching ogrices. I hauled Jennie out of the back of the vehicle by the neck of her cloak and shoved her under a hover vehicle. A seek later, a crew of ogrices descended on me with blades and clubs. One got in a cheap shot to the side of my head before I unleashed my machets and began to carve a path in the enemy.

Hirtz and Bezmir were bellowing something, but I couldn’t hear them, too focused on saving my life and protecting Jennie’s hiding spot. Until I heard a victory cry in an ogrice’s rumble that stopped my beating cora.

I whirled around to find one of them holding Jennie aloft by her neck. She fought wildly, hood off, hair flying, fists pummeling. With a growl, I slashed at the last ogrice in my path and raced to her.

Hirtz and Bezmir were in their own battle, as well as the rest of the crew, but I had to get to Jennie. She managed to pry herself from the ogrices grip and hit the sand. He reached for her again, but from the sand she produced one of the blades. With her mouth open in what I could only imagine was a wordless roar, she plunged it straight into his neck. Blood spurted. The ogrice staggered, stumbled, and fell. She scrambled away from his body just as more ogrices closed in on her.

Now wasn’t the time for close combat. These ogrices had to die. And now. I ripped off my gloves and held out my palms. Flames flickered to life, and I set about making these fleckers pay.

* * *

Jennie

The green creature was dead. I was pretty sure. The blade had gone right into his neck and he lay motionless in the sand. I couldn’t quite believe I’d done it, as I felt like I was stabbing a rhinoceros hide—thick and tough.

I looked around frantically for another hiding spot, but the ogrices were everywhere. A group sprinted toward me, drawn by the body at my feet. Giving up on hiding, I chose fighting instead. Gripping the blade with my sweat-dampened palms, I sought to pull it from the body. But it wouldn’t budge. Not an inch. Sounds of battle raged from all around me. Laser fire pinged overhead, and yet the ogrices continued coming, undeterred by the fight.

I let out a soundless choking sob as I gave up on the blade. It was stuck in this creature’s neck and it wasn’t coming out. I had nothing to fight with but my own hands.

Suddenly, heat bloomed to the right of me, like a space heater was blasting me in the face, and an orange light spread across the sand. I turned and stared dumb struck as Fenix raced toward me, hands outstretched, and holding literal balls of fire in his palms.

I blinked, barely able to believe what I was seeing when he let out a yell and shot fire balls from his palms. They hit the first wave of ogrices, immediately lighting them up in flames. He didn’t stop there. With a thundering roar, he unleashed a stream of fire, igniting every vehicle until we were surrounded by a wall of flames. Until we, along with Bezmir’s crew, were separated by the attacking ogrices. By fire.

Closing his fists, the fire went out, and he ran to me. He picked me up by my cloak and hauled ass to the stairs of the docking station. “To the ship,” he shouted to the Rogastix crew. An ogrice hand reached in during a break in the flames to grab Bezmir, but Fenix lobbed a fireball at him. A cry sounded and the hand dropped Bezmir. The Rogastix leader stared at Fenix in wonder before stumbling after him.

Boots clattered up metal stairs. I tried to run beside Fenix, but mostly he held me in the air by my cloak, so all I had to do was hang there.

In the dark, I could barely make out the hulking shape of the cargo ship, but with a hiss, a door opened and lighting spilled out onto the grated walkway as we lunged inside. Shoving me behind him, Fenix turned and sent a few more fireballs down the closing ramp. Pained cries followed as the silhouettes of flaming bodies fell to the ground below.

I remained crouched on the ground, heart racing, the smell of smoke lingering in my nose, as the door shut. Behind me, Bezmir was hollering at his crew to get the cargo ship off the ground. Fenix, who hadn’t moved from his spot at the door, suddenly swayed on his feet, his head bobbing. I lurched forward just as his muscles seized, and he hit the ground with a thud. Sliding to the floor at his side, I checked his body for injuries. His eyes were closed, and his body shook with tremors.

I couldn’t see any visible wounds, but when I got the first look at Fenix ungloved, I gasped. His hands, wrists and forearms were a twisted mass of burned flesh. The scales were warped and blackened. Wisps of smoke still floated above his palms.

Oh Fenix, I thought to myself. What happened to you? What are you?

He was still breathing, and his eyeballs flickered below his closed lids. He was alive, his expression twisted into a painful grimace. I felt helpless, afraid to touch him as I didn’t know if that would cause him more pain.

A shadow fell over me. “Oh fleck!” Bezmir hollered. “The Drix is down. Mintzer, take him to a room.”

I scrambled to my feet as one of the crew began to drag Fenix by one arm down a narrow hallway. I hated how little care he was showing Fenix, but it wasn’t like I could lift him myself. I chased after them, my attention on Fenix.

Mintzer led us to a small room, not much bigger than a closet, which had a narrow pad with a packaged blanket on top. Bezmir followed us inside and pulled a small packet of Kixx out of his pocket. “Flecking flames,” he muttered to himself. “I could barely believe it. I’d heard rumors of a Drix firebrand, but…” he shook his head. “Figures he’d be the one who needs this to handle the pain.” He dipped his finger in the green powder and lowered Fenix’s lip to rub it on his gum. Immediately, Fenix’s body stopped shaking, and his head lolled back as his muscles relaxed.

Kneeling at his side, I held my hand over his mouth. When the hot puffs of his breath warmed my palm, only then did I feel like I could relax somewhat.

He was alive, and from the looks of it, no longer in pain. I glanced down his slowly rising and falling chest. Stuck in the front of his pants were his gloves. I drew them from his waistband and slowly worked them over his hands and arms, trying to touch him as little as possible. After what I’d been through, I understood dignity more than anything now. There was a reason Fenix always wore the gloves, and he deserved to reveal his hands again on his own terms.

I hadn’t imagined that whole thing, right? I pinched myself and welcomed the stab of pain. No, I wasn’t dreaming. Fenix had actually … shot flames from his hands. But his skin was ruined… Why would he do that if he clearly suffered and the entire act caused him pain? I had so many questions and no voice to ask them.

“Getting comfortable with him, girl?” Bezmir leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

I ignored him as I brushed Fenix’s hair off his forehead and picked out some charred bits from the strands.

“Do you think you can charm your way into him helping you?” He sneered. “He’s not going to. No matter how well he treats you, that’s only because he’s a Drixonian and it’s in his blood. But Kixx owns him.” He kicked out with his foot, catching me in the thigh.

I sucked in a breath at the pain and refused to look at him.

“Don’t bother trying to win him over. He’s always going to choose Kixx over you, female. Always.” He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

I stayed kneeling, Bezmir’s words echoing in my head as I watched Fenix breathe. I didn’t expect Fenix to choose me over Kixx. But there had to be more to his story, a reason for him to be stuck in the thrall of the drug. I didn’t expect my story to end well in this galaxy, but I also couldn’t deny that despite his flaws, Fenix had offered me nothing but kindness. I had to return it, or what was the point of anything?

Seven

Fenix

I came awake with a start, blinking my eyes at a metal-paneled ceiling. The pad I lay on seemed to vibrate beneath me. I lifted a hand to my head, but my movements were slow. I could feel the sour taste of Kixx in my mouth. Something soft brushed my arm, but the pain remained absent, thanks to the Kixx coursing through my body.

I glanced over to see a head of dark hair. “Jennie,” I whispered.

She lay half on the floor, her upper body resting on her arms on the bedding pad.

I couldn’t remember what had happened. Where were we? I gazed around the room, and realized the pad seemed to vibrate beneath me. In the distance, I could hear the dim hum of engines. We must have made it to the cargo ship … but how? The last thing I remembered was riding in the hover vehicles with Jennie. How we arrived on the ship was a big black hole in my memory. When had I taken Kixx?

“Fleck,” I murmured, struggling to sit up. I went still when I realized the scales of my hands felt tight. That always happened after … after I used my fire. I groaned, frustrated at my lack of memory. This seemed to happen sometimes after I used my fire, and it was worse the more fire I produced. With how much I couldn’t remember, I was terrified at what I’d done. Who had a I killed? At least Jennie was okay.

I reached out with a tentative hand and stroked her hair. I wished I could feel it on my bare skin. I longed to sift the strands through my fingers, but I didn’t dare touch her with my mangled hands. Besides, I couldn’t touch anything without my gloves or I’d be in pain.

Pain. It always came back to the pain. It ruled my flecking life.

Jennie stirred and lifted her head. I drew back my hand quickly. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, and when her gaze landed on me, she rose to her knees with a start. She lifted her hand to the top of her head with her fingers splayed. Fenix.

“That’s me,” I said. “Are you okay?” She nodded quickly and pointed to me. I gave her a nod. “I’m fine.”

Immediately, her eyes narrowed, and she pursed her lips. She shook her head and hopped to her feet. She pointed to herself and made a stabbing motion, then raised her hands in a victory. “You … stabbed someone? Who? Bezmir?”

She shook her head, then pointed at me. She mimed taking off a pair of invisible gloves and then held her hands out like I do when I have my fire. Making throwing motions, she opened her mouth in a silent roar before suddenly swaying, rolling her eyes into the back of her head and collapsing on the ground. She lifted her head and glared at me before patting her chest with a concerned expression.

“I used my fire? Why?”

Twisting her lips to the side, she thought for a moment before sticking her lower jaw out, baring her teeth, and bulking up her shoulders.

I frowned. “Ogrices? The ones who attacked us at Bezmir’s shop?”

She nodded.

“So, I…” She made the fire gesture again, and then a whooshing sound as she flailed her arms. I winced. “I burned a lot of stuff, didn’t I?” Another emphatic nod. “And then I collapsed?”

Taking careful steps forward in her bare feet—her boots lay discarded in a corner—she knelt on the bedding pad near my hip. Nodding, she again placed her hand over her heart, and gazed at me imploringly

“You… were worried?”

Her eyes filled with wetness and she swiped at them before leaning as close as she dared and whispering a raspy, “Yes.”

I swallowed down a lump of guilt in my throat. “I am sorry for worrying you.”

She shook her head and seemed agitated over something. Her hands reached for me, and she hesitated before briefly touching the back of my hand. “No sorry’s,” she rasped with a tightness around her eyes.

“Don’t speak if it hurts.” I glanced around for some qua, but there was nothing in this room except for the bedding pad we sat on. A thought occurred to me. “We’re on the cargo ship, right?”

She nodded.

“Bezmir and his crew are here?”

Another nod.

I blew out a breath. “Good thing I didn’t light them all on fire.”

She held up her hand, palm down and wiggled her hand with a pained smile.

I groaned. “Oh fleck, you mean I almost did?”

The door opened, slamming into the wall with a loud bang.

Jennie nearly jumped out of her skin, and I growled at the intrusion.

Bezmir sauntered in, a jug of qua in his hand and a package of food in the other. “You’re awake?”

“Clearly.” I snatched the jug from him and immediately handed it to Jennie. “Here, drink.”

She tried to hand it to me, but I shoved it back at her, until she finally relented and took small sips.

“So, you’re the firebrand Drix.” Bezmir leaned against the wall. “Maybe the hair should have been a giveaway.”

I ignored him as I dug into the food package and handed Jennie some jerky before shoving a few pieces in my mouth. I didn’t want Bezmir to know I couldn’t remember what happened.

“I gave you some Kixx after you collapsed, because I was honestly worried you weren’t going to live.”

“Thanks,” I muttered. That explained why I could taste it. I grabbed the jug of qua and took a gulp, swishing it in my mouth before swallowing.

“Seeing as you saved us from that attack, I’ll consider it a free dose.”

I glared at him. “Very generous.”

“I don’t have much on board, though, so don’t get any ideas about killing me. Only I know where the exchange location is to get you the rest of your supply.”

“Worried about me now that you know my abilities?”

Bezmir let out a husky laugh. “I’m not stupid. You can kill me with or without your fire. But then you’ll never get your Kixx, and you need it to function, right? I thought before you just liked how it made you feel, but now I realize… it’s about taking away the pain. I saw your hands.”

My cora racing, I clenched my fists and held back the wince as the tight skin pulled.

“Just remember who has the power here, Drix. I don’t care what you can do with your hands or what blades you produce from your body. I’m the only thing standing between you and a lifetime of agony. Next time you save the human before me, think about that. I’ll accept other bargains, but her… She’s only got one purpose.” He jerked his chin toward the food in my hands. “Eat up. You both have some work to do to keep this ship running now that I’m down a few of my crew.”

When the door closed, silence descended on the room. I didn’t know what to say, and Bezmir’s words rattled around in my head. I remembered what my life was like without Kixx, and it’d been one of pain and madness. I wouldn’t be worth anything to Jennie, or anyone, like that.

Frustration welled inside of me until I remembered the note in my pocket. The plan. I had a plan, and if I could stay in my right mind long enough to carry it out, I just might be able to save Jennie from a lifetime of Rogastix ownership. I tugged off the clasp for my pants and reached inside.

* * *

Jennie

One minute he looked ready to punch a hand through the wall, and the next he was… taking off his pants?

Warily, I backed away, but he ignored me. His hand dug into the front of his pants, joining the other bulge. I remained frozen, terrified he was going to burst my happy bubble and pull out… Well, pull out whoever it was that was in there. A big alien cock?

Except he didn’t do that. After a faint ripping sound, he pulled out a piece of well-worn leather and smoothed it out over his thigh. He studied it, and I leaned closer to see that there were faint marks on it. A language. He was reading.

He glanced up at me then, as if just remembering I was there. He shoved the leather back in his pants before reclasping the belt. He twisted at the waist to face me. “I have a plan written down, because my memory—” he clenched his jaw and looked down for a moment. “My memory fails me sometimes.”

I tilted my head in a questioning look. What plan?

“Jennie, I won’t hand you over the Rogastix. That was never a doubt in my mind. I’d kill them all and take over this ship right now, but there isn’t enough Kixx on board to last me until I can get us to safety.”

“Why?” I forced out. “Kixx?”

His gaze dropped to his gloved hands. “I wasn’t born with the ability to have fire. I’m a Drixonian from planet Torin. Shortly after I was born, before I can remember, a virus swept through our planet, killing all our females and most of our elder males. When our society collapsed under the loss, we left to rebuild on our sister planet while working for the Uldani, a race we thought were our allies. They were not. When we learned this and fought back, some of us were stolen and…” He pulled off his gloves to reveal his scarred hands. He flexed his fingers and a small flame burned in his palm. The scales under it melted and warped.

I reached out but pulled back quickly. I knew his fire would burn me, but also, he didn’t want to hurt me.

“…altered to create super soldiers. I woke up in agony, unable to control the fire. When they learned their experiment had gone bad, they sold me to the Plikens. For fifty cycles, I was sequestered alone in the deepest part of the mines, tasked with burning out tunnels. That was all I did. Alone.” He extinguished the flame.

“Alone?” My whisper cracked on the last syllable.

He nodded. “In pain, nearly out of my mind. When I managed to escape, I didn’t know who or what I was. You met Zecri, but there were two others altered and sold here as well that I know of—Rexor and Mikko. The three of them together helped me gain a part of me back, but the only way to keep away the pain—and keep me from losing my mind—is to take Kixx. Without it, I couldn’t protect you.”

I reached for him, but he drew back. “I can’t… I can’t be touched. Even with the Kixx, touch pains me. I can touch with my gloves on. In moderation.” He pulled them back on and rested his hands on his thighs. “I hate being dependent on it, because it’s killing me, too, eating me up from the inside.” He laughed wryly. “What do I want to lose first? My mind or my body?”

I reached for his hand, my heart aching at his story. My past on that damn planet hadn’t been that great either, but I’d largely been left unmolested. He’d had his body altered without his consent, leaving him in chronic pain and dependent on a drug that was killing him.

He let me take his hand, watching as I clasped our fingers together. He rotated his wrist, head cocked as he studied my small hand in his big gloved one. His nubbed brow lowered over his purple eyes. “This … feels okay. Nice even.”

I squeezed his hand and smiled through tears. He reached out and touched one as it rolled down my cheek. “What does this mean?”

“Sad.”

“Sad?”

“For you.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be sad for me. I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve had brotherhood in my life.” His fingers tightened on mine. “I won’t let the Rogastix have you. But I need to get my hands on that supply, or I’ll never be able to get you to safety.”

“Then … what?”

He blew out a breath. “Then I’ll have fulfilled the most important mission in my life. Whatever comes after that is what Fatas decides.”

More tears spilled out over my lower lashes, and I sniffed.

“Please don’t be sad.”

“Sad,” was all I could mutter. I pointed at him and managed one more word, “Friend.”

Even on Earth, I’d been so busy with school and work I hadn’t had much time for friends. I’d been close with my sister, but lately we hadn’t been able to get together for our standing monthly dinner date. I’d been working so hard toward a future that had vanished in thin air. I wished I’d spent more time with my sister. I wished I’d told my parents I loved them more frequently.

Fenix was my friend. I’d had a sense about him the first time I saw him that he’d change my life. I didn’t let myself think he was lying, because his actions backed up his words. He’d continually taken care of me, saved me first, treated me with care. I could see the pain in his eyes and hear it in his voice as he talked about what happened to him and his race.

I swiped at the tears on my face, feeling a little more emboldened. I’d always been described as shy and non-confrontational. I was a listener. But I’d successfully stabbed an orc thing in the chest to save myself. I wouldn’t sit around and let Fenix do all the work.

I pointed to myself. “Help?”

“You need help?”

“How … help?”

“You want to help?”

Of course, I wanted to shout. Instead, I just gave him a look.

A laugh rumbled up his chest. “Okay. When we are around the crew, make sure you listen.” He pointed at my ear. “They don’t choose their words carefully when you’re around, probably because they don’t think you can repeat anything. Do they know you can say a few words?”

I shook my head. That had been my secret. I was determined to be able to talk again. “Practice,” I whispered. “Secret.”

“Smart Jennie,” he said. “Practice in secret. And drink.” He handed me the canteen.

I took a few sips before handing it back. I wasn’t sure how much they would give us.

“I’m going to search the ship for weapons and anything else that will help us. I have a plan but…” he dug his fangs into his bottom lip. “I don’t know how this will all end yet.”

No, no end. “Begin.”

His tongue crept out to prod the corner of his lips as he studied our clasped hands. “Right,” he whispered. “A beginning. At least for you.”

Eight

Fenix

The next few rotations were spent at the beck and call of Bezmir. My job was to repair parts of the ship which had been damaged in our quick exit from the dock. So, I spent time in the hull, banging away at the dents and patching the weakened walls.

Jennie was put in charge of cooking, which she didn’t seem to mind. The best part was she had nearly become invisible to the crew. When they weren’t working, they relaxed in the kitchens, drinking spirits and playing games of chance. What followed was loose tongues.

When we were alone, she practiced speaking, and I was hopeful her voice was not beyond repair. She’d managed to develop a low tone in contrast to the raspy whisper she’d used when she first told me her name. I helped when I could, and with my fire I heated mugs of an herbed drink with a sweet syrup she said soothed her throat.

One night in our room, while the Rogastix crew was mostly passed out from drinking, I extinguished my flame and handed her the steaming mug.

She accepted it with a smile. “My bath.”

“What?”

“How you heated … my bath?”

I smiled. “Yes, I did it when you were in the expeller because I hadn’t wanted you to see my hands.”

“Why?”

I grimaced. “They’re ugly and a weakness.”

She shook her head. “You’ve made it…” Her voice cracked and she took a sip of the brew. “Strength.”

I hadn’t thought about it that way. I stared at my gloved hands.

“How did you … control?”

“How did I learn to control it?”

She nodded. “Well, when I first woke up, my hands were on fire. I felt like my entire body was burning from the inside out. I couldn’t throw my fire then, only watch as it melted the scales of my hands. They never burn up completely, just melt and remelt every time. So, when the Uldani couldn’t control me, they sedated me and sold me to the Plikens. When I woke up again, I was in a pit of the mines, in near darkness. A voice hollered at me that if I wanted food, I had to work. And that was what I did.”

Her eyes were pained, which was why I hated talking about this, but if she asked me a question, I had to answer. “How … stay alive?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I just… Stayed alive? I was too out of it to realize how miserable I was.”

“No,” she gulped her drink and set the mug on the floor at her feet. Twisting at the waist she faced me. “You have inner fire … nothing to do with flames. Inner fire to survive.”

She could barely speak, but her words each felt like she was shouting in my brain. “I want to believe that’s true.”

“Is.” She nodded.

I watched with trepidation as her fingers reached out. I braced for the pain of touch, but when she brushed my chest, only a gentle warmth flared where she made contact. That had happened before, when she touched my face. Without thinking, I reached out and snatched her wrist. She sucked in a breath, and her eyes darted to mine.

I swallowed and loosened my grip slightly. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I needed to know how far this went. It wasn’t the pain that scared me, it was the lack of touch I hated the most. The inability for me to gain comfort from others. Even my brothers could barely grasp my neck in the traditional Drixonian greeting without me gritting my teeth against the pain.

But with Jennie, there was something else. Not just the absence of pain, but a blooming … pleasure. “Please,” I murmured. “Please touch me again.”

Her eyelids fluttered. She cocked her head and queried, “Pain?”

“Not…” Fleck, I didn’t even want to voice it, in case this wasn’t true, in case I was imagining things. In case my hopes were smashed under the sharp bite of pain. “Not when you touch me.”

Her full lips parted, and her chest rose with a sharp spike. She flexed her wrist, and I let go immediately. Had I pushed her? Why had I assumed she wanted to touch me? “You don’t have to—”

Her fingers prodding my biceps cut me off.

I flinched, and she made a small sound. “Close,” she whispered as she pointed to her eyes.

“Close my eyes?” I didn’t like that. How would I be able to prepare myself for where she touched?

“Close,” she whispered again and then patted her chest. “Trust … me.”

Trust me. I could do that, couldn’t I? It’d been a long time since I trusted anyone but Rexor, Mikko, and Fenix. Still, this was Jennie, who’d been kind, gentle, and patient. She’d never once shied away in disgust from my scars or judged me for my reliance on Kixx.

With a nervous shudder, I closed my eyes. For a moment, I felt nothing, only the distant echo of pain in my limbs, covered by the small amount of Kixx in my body. Then light touches fluttered up my arm to my shoulder. There, her touch paused. “Pain?”

The wake of her touch was warm. No pain. I shook my head.

“Good,” she whispered, and kept going, across my collarbone to my neck. I swallowed and she tapped my Adam’s apple as she let out a puff of air I now knew as her giggle. I smiled and her hands froze.

I almost opened my eyes, concerned I’d done something wrong but then her touch continued. A tap on my chin. A slight scratch on my cheeks, and then the very slightest of a touch on my bottom lip.

This time I did open my eyes to find she’d shifted closer with her gaze on my mouth. Suddenly, my body felt much more than warmth. My libido, which had lain dormant all my life, flared to life in my lower gut with a spark.

Cock hardening, I could do nothing but stare as her fingers tugged gently at my lip. I’d never felt anything like this before. My blood heated, and my head spun with a giddy dizziness.

I opened my jaw and slowly unfurled my tongue from my lips. She made a small sound in her throat as I curled the tip around her finger. The ball piercings in the center of my tongue clicked against her fingernail. Her skin tasted like the herbal brew I made as she often dipped her finger in to test the temperature.

I licked at her finger, then her palm, and lapped at the inside of her wrist, all while keeping my eyes on her to gauge her reaction. Her cheeks were flushed a bright pink, and her eyes shone a golden brown.

Not wanting to push my good fortune, I pulled back. But she didn’t let me get far. With a small groan, she lunged forward and smashed our lips together. At first, I could barely believe it was happening, and I went still. My first reaction was always to brace for pain, and I waited for it to come.

But it didn’t.

Jennie yanked her head back, palm on her chest. “Sorry,” she rasped. “So sorry, I—”

I grabbed her face and hauled her against me, immediately delving my tongue into the hot recesses of her mouth.

She let out a small cry and gripped my shoulders—not pushing me away but pulling me closer. I licked into her mouth, tasting the tea and the flavor which was uniquely Jennie, this brave human who killed ogrices, dealt with the painful loss of her voice in an unknown world, and saw something in me I hadn’t thought was there.

This wasn’t right, I knew I shouldn’t be kissing her, not when my future was so uncertain and most likely short. But I couldn’t pull away, not when the pain in my fangs and throat was noticeably absent, not when nothing but warmth and pleasure bloomed where she gripped my shoulders.

Her fingers skidded up my neck, and I angled my head to kiss her deeper. Her small breasts brushed my chest through the thin layer of her shirt, and my cock kicked in my pants. I groaned, the unexpected hardness a strange feeling. It wanted heat—her heat—and I was two seeks away from ripping into her clothes when she broke the kiss to gaze at me with wide eyes.

“Fenix?”

I didn’t know the question. I could only stare.

“Hurt?”

Oh, I’d groaned, and she might have thought it was pain. I needed to touch my cock, but I was terrified she’d notice. Would she be scared? So, all I could do was shake my head and wish desperately I could adjust the rod in my pants that was currently draining all the blood from my head.

How had Mikko and Rexor gotten their females to safety without losing their minds? Or… Maybe they had, and I was next in line.

Suddenly her gaze dropped to my lap, and I shifted away as fast as I could, turning my back to her as I fought to get myself under control.

* * *

Jennie

I stared at his back, my lips still stinging from the kiss. His fang had caught on my lip, and I prodded the skin there.

Dating had never been a priority for me, and my parents had a lot of opinions about the perfect husband. I’d been waiting until I had my feet under me, my own place, my own money, and security.

Now I had… Well, I had nothing. Barely even a voice. Except I’d just had the most intense kiss of my life with a fire-starter alien who had horns and an orange mohawk. Not only that, but I was attracted to him.

Sure, he was muscled with great facial structure and kind eyes, but it was his inner strength that called to me. As cheesy as it sounded, I was attracted to who he was. The fact that he was still alive after all he’d been through, and still held onto his morals to take care of me—that was beyond admirable.

His scales shook with minor tremors and his shoulders heaved.

“F-Fenix?” I called.

He didn’t turn around, but he flinched when I called his name. Terrified I’d hurt him, I stood up and shuffled to see his face.

His eyes went wide, and he turned away from me again so quickly he nearly tumbled off the bed platform.

I skittered out of the way. “Wha—?”

He scrambled to his feet, one arm out and the other covering his groin. When my eyes drifted down, he yanked his hand away and turned around, but not before I saw the noticeable and very prominent bulge.

He was hard. And he didn’t want me to know. Why?

“Just give me a moment,” he grumbled. “At least … I think.”

He sounded so unsure. A little bit scared. But the lust was still there in his voice, weighing it down to a lower register.

I approached again, although hesitantly. I didn’t know everything about Drixonians, so it was wise to be careful. Still, there was something about the situation that seemed to need exploring.

When he felt me at his elbow, a shiver ran down his spine. “Jennie, please.”

“Don’t hide,” I murmured.

“I can’t seem to control myself, and this is an unusual feeling for me.”

“How?”

He swallowed, and I caught the slightest flicker of … shame? … in his expression. “I have not… I don’t…” He let out a loud breath. “When our females died, so did our libidos. I don’t know how to handle what I feel for you, and I don’t know why my cock seems to have its own plan as to how our alone time should go.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. The sound was more like a grating sound than an actual laugh, but Fenix jerked his head to face me with his rubbed brow lowered in a frown. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” I wormed my way between his body and the wall, and he was so tall I had to tilt my head way back to see his expression. Bracing his hand on the wall, he leaned down so our faces were close.

I waved my hand near his groin. “Is natural.”

His lips curved up. “I know that. But it’s new for me. And I didn’t want to scare you or think I planned to do anything you weren’t comfortable with.”

I nodded and took a deep breath to gather some strength. I was a little crazy, and a lot curious. But this damn spaceship could blow up tomorrow. Bezmir could decide to kill one of us. Everything could go to hell in a hand basket. Fenix deserved something good, and fuck it, so did I. With a tentative hand, I reached down to palm his cock through his pants. The girth alone made my insides clench. At my touch, his body jerked, and his eyelids fluttered. “I’m comfortable.”

“Jennie,” he whispered as his hips canted forward against my hand. “I can’t…”

I stroked him once and he let his head drop forward so his lips hovered near my temple. I unclasped his pants and reached inside. My fingers closed around the shaft of his cock, and he let out a pained moan as his body jerked against mine.

On a gasp, he slapped both of his palms on the wall beside my head. He craned his neck until he could meet me eyes. “How does this not hurt?” he said, almost to himself.

I squeezed and pulled, and he let out another moan, his actions so pure and untamed. He didn’t try to hold back or impress me with some sort of misguided definition alpha stamina. My touch felt good, and he showed me with eyes full of wonder. I peered down and my mouth dropped open.

The light blue head of his cock, now visible through the open gap in his pants, had a thick ring pierced through the tip. A copious amount of slick liquid dropped from his slit. I swiped my thumb over it and let the rest dribble down his shaft. Now lubricated, I continued to stroke him.

His soft skin shifted over the hardness of his erection, and I felt myself grow wet at the thought of him inside me. Muscles flexing gorgeously, he rolled his hips, fucking into my hand. A lock of orange hair fell into his eyes and he blinked through the bright strands, watching me as I took him in my hand.

“Your touch,” he marveled. “I can’t believe… how good it feels.”

I grinned at him, and his gaze fell to my mouth before he lunged forward and kissed me. His tongue no longer licked with a slow, tortuous rhythm. Now, he plundered me, and I was happy to let him.

Then suddenly, he wasn’t in front of me. I found myself staring at the opposite wall before hands on my thighs drew my attention. Fenix, hard cock glistening with his own lube, knelt at my feet. “Let me taste you. Please.”

Like I was going to say no? Not when a building pressure between my legs made me feel like I was going to combust. When I nodded, he gently tugged my pants down and off, leaving me naked from the waist down. Deciding to go for it, I tore my shirt off and tossed it on top of my pants.

I shifted, feeling exposed, but he gently pried one foot off the ground and hooked my knee over his shoulder. Completely open to his gaze, my entire weight balanced on one foot, I could only stare as he rubbed one thick finger through my wet folds. “Fenix,” I whispered, and he grinned widely before extending that wickedly long tongue and lapping at me. My head thunked back on the wall as he swirled the tip around my clit, and his piercings sent zings of pleasure shooting out to every extremity.

“Oh,” I said on a rough sigh, as I gripped his head for balance. With a subdued growl, he licked at me again, and again, before he delved in mouth first and ate at me like he was starved. With a constant barrage of low murmurs, he gripped my thighs and worked his tongue at my core until I was out of my mind.

When he gazed up at me with glowing purple eyes and speared his tongue inside of me, then started a steady vibration up his throat, I let out a silent scream. The spaceship ceased to exist. The planet, my past, the entire galaxy… It was all gone. The only thing present, that mattered here in this moment, was Fenix kneeling at my feet and worshipping me like I was his queen.

When he flicked my clit with the edge of his claw, I came on a gush, writhing into his mouth shamelessly as guttural sounds forced my damaged vocal cords to their limit. When my knees buckled and my body shook with the after-effects of that soul-defining orgasm, he carried me over to the bedding palette.

I reached for him with wobbly limbs, as his cock was now an angry purple, and the tip dripped with that slick liquid. But he shoved my hands away and swiped his hand through my drenched pussy. With that same hand, he squeezed his cock, and stroked furiously until he came with a roar. His release hit me on the inner thighs and stomach and pooled on my skin.

He fell forward, catching himself on his hands as his shoulders heaved. Looking more exhausted now than he had when he killed the ogrices in Bezmir’s shop, he peered at me through half-lidded eyes. “I’m sorry that I—” he swallowed. “Spent my release on your skin without asking. But seeing you marked with me…” he shook his head as a small smile curled his lips. “I can’t be sorry about that.”

Nine

Fenix

While I didn’t think Jennie was capable of it, I still worried her expression would twist into disgust. I waited to see if she’d reject me. Had I pushed this too far? I would have stopped if she’d asked, but I’d been so driven by the need to consume her and mark her, I hadn’t checked along the way.

So, when she smiled kindly and cupped my face, I thought my muscles would give out with relief. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Thank you” she rasped back.

I dropped to my hip at her side and drifted my hand to her stomach. I let my fingers drift through my release on her skin, and she sucked in a breath, her stomach contracting when I did so.

She watched me, her upper body propped up by her elbows behind her, as I took in her breasts. A dark circle around her nipples beckoned me, and I traced one with my finger. The nipple hardened and when I flicked it with the edge of a claw, she shivered. When I glanced at her face, she bit her lip and gave me an encouraging nod.

I leaned down, curious if my mouth would fit over the dark circle. Closing my lips around it, I flicked her nipple with my tongue, and she squirmed beneath me. Releasing her flesh with a pop, I pulled back to see I’d left behind moisture well outside the dark circle. Good, it fit then. And she liked the attention, I could tell because her arousal smell had renewed.

Fascinated by her body, and not willing to relinquish the touch yet, I prodded at the bones on her hips and dipped a claw in her bellybutton before petting the soft curls that surrounded her pretty cunt.

She’d tasted like nothing I’d ever had before, and I would have licked her more if I hadn’t felt like my cock was going to burst. Would she ever let me enter her with my cock? Even if she didn’t, or if we never got a chance, what she’d given me was enough. It would have to be enough.

Her body shifted, and I looked up to see she’d lain back on the bedding, her eyes half-closed. She had to be tired, but I was reluctant to move. Since we boarded the ship, I slept on the floor near her bedding pallet, and I made to rise to leave her to sleep when she stopped me with a hand on my neck. I glanced up, and she smiled softly. “Stay.”

She’d let me stay? Weak with relief, and grateful for the absence of pain for once in my flecking life, I let my body drift until I lay with my head cradled on her soft breast. Underneath my ear, her cora beat steady and strong. I wrapped an arm around her waist and let out a sigh.

Fingers combed through my hair and smoothed down my horns. And I began to do the one thing I never thought I’d do—prush. The vibration came without me calling for it. Maybe it was the contentment I felt or the need to make my mate feel safe.

Her hands stilled for a moment at the prushing, but then she resumed combing my hair.

“Meeting you is the best thing that has ever happened in my life,” I whispered, letting my eyes drift closed.

“Same,” she murmured.

“I’m sorry you were taken from your home, but I’m not sorry you’re here.”

I expected her to laugh, but she only managed a few raspy words. “I’m not sorry either.”

* * *

Voices outside the door woke me, and I had just enough time to tug on my pants and shove Jennie—along with her clothes—into the cleanser when the door opened. I blew my hair off my forehead as Bezmir loomed in the doorway with narrowed eyes.

The cleanser turned on, and his head tilted toward it before once again studying me. I fought not to react. If he knew that I’d grown attached to Jennie, that I’d in any way bonded to her, he’d get rid of me. I was sure of it.

The cleanser turned off and the door opened. Jennie stepped into the room, fully clothed and no longer smelling like me. While that made my skin itch, it was a good thing. I wasn’t sure how well a Rogastix could smell.

Bezmir jerked his chin at Jennie. “You’re needed in the kitchens, girl. I have a hungry crew.”

Her gaze flicked to me, and I gave her a nod. She slipped past Bezmir, putting as much distance between their bodies as possible. When she was out of sight, Bezmir crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway. “Didn’t think you’d be so cruel.”

I didn’t react as I straightened the bedding, needing something to do so I didn’t take off his head.

“She thinks you’re going to save her, doesn’t she?” He tutted. “I told her not to trust you, but I guess you found a way to suck her in, eh? Only to hand her over when it’s all said and done in exchange for a supply of Kixx to keep you numb.”

I balled my hands into fists and rose to my full height, facing away from Bezmir.

“Ahh, now I see.” His footsteps entered the room. “You don’t have her fooled, you have yourself fooled. You really think you’re going to be her savior, don’t you? That you’ll valiantly choose her over Kixx and get to… What’s your fantasy? Keep her?”

I ground my teeth together and bit down on my tongue until I tasted blood.

“Didn’t realize Drixonians were so soft,” he taunted. “That’s why you’re dying out. Unable to do anything but protect your females who died any—”

Whirling around, I gripped him around the throat and shoved him against the wall. His smile remained, a wicked smirk I wanted to tear off his face. “Oh, temper.” He gasped as I squeezed harder. “I got too close to the truth, didn’t I?” He let out a strangled laugh. “You’re no hero, Drix. When faced with constant pain until your brain boils in your skull or a life of numbness, you’re going to choose the Kixx.” Spit pooled at the corner of his lip as he struggled against my hold. “I know from experience. They. Always. Choose. Kixx.”

With a swipe of my arm, I sent him flying into the opposite wall. His back hit with a thud before he crumpled to the floor. Coughing and wiping at his mouth, he glared at me through bloodshot eyes. “Do that again, and I’ll take it out on the girl.”

“You won’t risk—”

“I won’t kill her. But they don’t need both her hands. Or her eyes. Or her tongue.” My head spun at the image of Jennie in pain. Bezmir stumbled to his feet and swayed before pointing a finger at me. “So, remember your place, Drix.”

* * *

Jennie

I’d left the room, but my mind was still back there—on the bedding with Fenix’s weight on my chest, his breath blowing across my skin. Butterflies floated around in my stomach, and I had the same feeling I did before the first day of college classes—a hopeful anticipation.

I knew it was dangerous to feel that way. I was in the least hopeful time in my life. In fact, I didn’t think things could get much worse. But Fenix’s presence was a solid foundation that let me build a meager house of hope. The house was made of straw and could go up in flames any moment, but that hadn’t stopped me from moving in and picking out carpet.

Standing over the fire pit, I stirred a soup that consisted of rehydrated vegetables and some tough freeze-dried meat that took forever to be edible. Leaving the ladle in the pot, I leaned against the wall.

Could Fenix really get us out of this? He had a plan, which was better than I had. I’d been focused on not getting killed or beaten. An actual rescue hadn’t even been within my wildest dreams.

And all that musing was why I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. If I would have seen him coming, I would have found a way to escape out into the dining area. But that didn’t happen. A solid heat hit my back, and I jumped a foot in the air before whirling around to find Hirtz looming over me.

I backed up into the wall behind me and tried to edge to the side, but he blocked my escape with his arm. The other way was the fire pit, so I was trapped with the wall at my back and Hirtz’s massive form inches from my chest.

“I think Bezmir has been too kind to you. He’s kept you under lock and key like something precious, when I know you’re just currency.” He tilted his head and dragged the index finger of his free hand down the side of my neck. “What’s got the Drix so hooked on you? I prefer a Rogastix female, but then … a slit is a slit, right?”

I shuddered, instinctively clenching my legs together. I inched toward the fire as his claw tapped my collarbone before descending down and stopping just at the top of my breast. I fought to keep my breathing under control, but my heart was pounding in my ears, and cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

He leaned forward and inhaled deeply. His tongue, a fat black thing with bumps like boils licked at the corner of his mouth. “You smell okay. Has the Drix gotten a piece of you, yet?” His lips tilted up. “Did you try to sell him that slit for your life? Because I hate to break it to you, human, he’s never going to choose you over enough Kixx to keep him comfortable for a hundred cycles.” His hand traveled lower, skimming my ribs until he hooked a finger in the waistband of my pants. I almost gagged

“But me?” He shrugged. “I could be persuaded. With payment of course.”

I reached out and my hand closed around the ladle handle. Without thinking, I yanked it out and slung the contents at Hirtz’s head. Burning hot soup splashed onto his face. He let out a scream that curdled my blood and stumbled away from me. His back hit the opposite table, sending mugs and plates clattering to the floor. Shouts from the dining hall sounded, and in seconds, crew members were peering into the dining hall.

Hirtz, having wiped most of the soup out his eyes, opened up his swollen lids and leveled a look at me that had my heart dropping to the floor. He lunged for me, and I ducked out of the way at the last minute. When I tried to scurry past the crew members, they blocked my path as Hirtz screamed, “Don’t let her leave!”

His hand tightened in my hair, and I had a flashback to the night at Bezmir’s when the ogrices attacked us.

I couldn’t scream for help then, and I couldn’t scream for help now. Fenix was most likely in the hull below fixing something. With a sharp tug, Hirtz tossed me against the wall. I slipped on the wet soup on the floor and fell to the floor on my hip.

“You want to know how hot that soup is?” He roared as he grabbed me around the wrist and dragged me toward the kettle. I began to shake my head frantically, and tugged on his grip, but he was too strong, and I couldn’t get my footing on the wet floor. “I’ll show you.” His mean eyes lit up with a cruel joy. “You can match your precious Drix with a melted hand.”

I tried to scream, but nothing came out but a whispered no. The heat of the soup touched my fingers, and I closed my eyes as tears squeezed out of the corners. Suddenly, a sharp light flared from behind my lids. Hirtz’s hand around my wrist let go, and I collapsed onto the floor. Scrambling away from the kettle, I glanced up.

Fenix stood in the center of the kitchen, his hands engulfed in flames and his lips peeled back in a snarl as he stared at a Hirtz who was slapping at the fire licking at the bottom of his pants.

“What’s going on?” Bezmir bellowed from behind Fenix. He shoved his way past his gathered crew to stop abruptly when he caught sight of the wrecked kitchen and Hirtz’s smoking clothes.

Hirtz stumbled to his feet, his expression a mask of rage that sent a bolt of fear slamming into my gut. He pointed at Fenix, but his words were directed at Bezmir. “He was a mistake. I told you that, and you ignored me.”

Bezmir crossed her arms over his chest and widened his stance. “Well, looks like he did the job I hired him to do.”

Hirtz’s nostrils flared. “He set me on fire.”

“That was a warning,” Fenix growled as he pulled his gloves on. “If I actually wanted you to go up in flames, you’d be ash right now.”

Hirtz lunged at Fenix, but Bezmir stepped between them, holding his second-in-command back.

Fenix, seemingly unconcerned at any threat to his safety, pulled me to my feet. “Are you okay?”

I tried to hide my wince, but when I put weight on my left foot, my hip flared in pain. Fenix pulled up the hem of my shirt and spotted the blooming flare of red on my skin. He made a hissing sound between his teeth, and I could feel the heat of his palms through his gloves. “I should have killed him.”

I waved him off. Sure, it hurt, but it was just a bad bruise. I’d live.

“See?” Hirtz shoved Bezmir off him. “He’s too close to her.”

“You worry too much,” Bezmir snarled at him. “I have this under control. I don’t need you causing problems. What were you doing in here with her anyway?”

Hirtz didn’t answer, and I… well, I couldn’t.

Fenix frowned as he shuffled his feet. “Why is there soup on the floor?”

Hirtz did answer that. “She threw a ladle full in my face.”

Bezmir gestured to his chin. “Ah yeah, you got some, uh…”

“What?” Hirtz asked.

Bezmir cleared this throat. “You have some herbs stuck to your chin.”

Hirtz swiped angrily at his face before stepping up to Bezmir. “I hope you know what you’re doing. We have a whole lot riding on this exchange being successful. We don’t need your little Drix experiment messing it up.”

Bezmir’s eyes darkened and his head slowly titled to the side as his shoulders bunched. “Are you questioning my choices?”

Hirtz’s jaw worked, and they held each other’s stare for a few tense moments. It was Hirtz who looked away first. With a savage kick, he sent the remnants of a bowl flying against the wall before he brushed past his leader and stalked out.

Bezmir remained stiff, facing away from us, until his shoulders dropped, and he turned. “Back to work,” he barked at his crew.

They scattered quickly, and when Fenix made to turn with me to walk away, Bezmir stopped him with a hissed, “Drix.”

Fenix glanced at him over his shoulder. “He was about to burn her hand. I’m doing what you asked me to do.”

“Sure, but remember what we said, or a burned hand is going to be the least of her problems. Understand?”

A muscle in Fenix’s jaw clenched, and his hand tightened around my wrist before he gritted out. “Understood.”

Ten

Fenix

The mark on Jennie’s hip darkened quickly, turning a swollen blue and purple. She explained in her halting rasp when we were alone that she’d be fine, but I hated she’d been hurt.

“That’s twice now you’ve successfully defended yourself,” I told her later that rotation while we ate alone in our small room.

“I’m a peaceful person,” she whispered.

I leaned back against the wall and braced my wrists on my bent knees. “Rexor was a warrior. He had the instincts and the inner drive to punish those who did wrong. It’s in his blood, I think. His brothers were the same. I don’t think he loved killing, but he believed in what he did. Mikko, though…” I chuckled to myself. “He loved a good fight. He was good at it too. One of the best fighters I’d ever seen.”

She shifted closer to me and laid a gentle hand on my leg. “You?”

“I never liked it.” I clenched my gloved hands, and the tight skin resisted the stretch. “I wanted to work on our aircrafts. Fix mechanical issues. Back when my memory was good, I wished to return to our home planet and help rebuild. I liked working with my hands…” I shook my head. I never forgot the reality of what was done to me, but I did forget I used to have dreams. “Anyway, I don’t like the fight. I do it because I have to. Just like you did what you had to do to stay alive.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I fight so hard…” she swallowed, and her eyes began to water. “…to survive.”

I snorted. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought the same thing.”

“But then I met you…” her cheeks flushed a pretty pink and she ducked her head so that her shiny black hair covered her face.

Gripping her chin, I titled her head back so she couldn’t hide. “I knew as soon as I saw you that Fatas kept me alive for you. You’re my purpose. So, you have to stay alive. What would I do without you?”

She smiled as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Okay. I’ll work on my soup flinging skills.”

Sobering, I warned her. “Stay away from Hirtz. I don’t trust him.”

A deep voice bellowed outside our door, and I bristled immediately. More shouts rang out, and then a thud shook the floor, followed by a pained groan. Alarmed, I turned to Jennie. “Stay here. I’m going to check out what’s going on.” Unleashing my machets, I ventured out to the main cabin of the cargo ship.

When I saw the scene before me, my blood ran hot, and my fists tingled with a burning heat. Hirtz stood with his back to the cockpit. The majority of the crew stood at his back. He held a laser gun trained on Bezmir, who sat slumped on the floor, bleeding from his mouth. Two of the crew lay dead at his side. The smell of laser gun fire hung in the air.

Bezmir coughed, and blood splattered on the ground. “This is a mistake, Hirtz.”

“I don’t think so. You’ve proven you can’t lead. You lost control of your crew, Bez, all because you chose the human and the Drix over us.”

Shaking his head, Bezmir sighed. “I explained my choices to you—”

“And I don’t believe your explanations!” Hirtz shouted, the laser gun wavering in his hand.

“There are some things you don’t understand—”

“No there are some things you don’t understand. This is the end for you.”

“Only I knew the exchange location—”

Hirtz bellowed a laugh. “I don’t care about that. What good is a supply of Kixx when most of your customers are dying? Your Drix is the longest-running customer, and you ask for his payment in Pliken blades!”

“I plan to sell them back to the Plikens—”

“No,” Hirtz said through gritted teeth. “You won’t. Because you’ll be dead. I have better offers for the human and the Drix”

Bezmir shifted, cradling a burned arm to his chest. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. I had him handled. I’m telling you, if you don’t listen to me, you’re going to get everyone on this cargo ship killed, plus many more.”

“Considering keeping you alive just so you can see when I prove you wrong. But you eat too much.” He fired his gun, hitting Bezmir right between the eyes. He fell back onto the floor, motionless, eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.

I took a step back, needing to get to Jennie because this entire situation had just gone from bad to flecked, but Hirtz swung the laser gun in my direction.

“No, I’ll handle him,” he muttered. Without blinking, he fired the gun. Pain seared through my thigh, and my leg buckled. I hit the floor on one knee and struggled to stand as footsteps approached. Burning flesh filled my nostrils, and I gasped as a fiery heat spread throughout my body.

I swallowed down the pain and rose to my feet, avoiding pressure on my shot leg. But all I saw was the end of the laser gun firing again. Agony seared through my shoulder and I hit the ground. Through the choking pain, I thought of Jennie. She needed to save herself. Shut in that room, she was going to be their next victim, and I wasn’t going to be able to save her. Passing in and out of consciousness, knowing I didn’t have much time, I inhaled deeply and shouted as loudly as I could, “Jennie, run!”

I barely felt the next shot. As my entire body boiled in searing pain, the last thing I heard before I passed out was Hirtz’s laugh. “See? Handled. Now get the female.”

* * *

Jennie

Fenix had told me to stay put, but I hadn’t obeyed. I’d crept out of the room and hid behind a wall as I listened to everything Hirtz had said. Panic gripped my tightly as I realized that up until now, my treatment could have been a lot worse. If Hirtz had anything to say about it… I wouldn’t make it off this ship without a whole lot of scars and maybe a missing hand.

Fenix stood rigid, but when the first laser fire hit his leg, I was suddenly very glad for my lost voice. My scream had been silent. I took a step forward, intending to throw myself in front of him—Hirtz still needed me, right? Maybe I could protect Fenix. I had to do something, and I’d taken one step away from the wall when Fenix’s pain-filled voice called out in a last gasp, “Jennie, run!”

I didn’t want to. I couldn’t bear to leave him, but when Hirtz fired his laser gun a third time, I let out a choked sob and turned away. This time, I obeyed. I took off down the hallway, away from the room Fenix and I had shared, with tears streaming down my face. When Hirtz ordered, “Get the female,” I was already turning the corner into the kitchen.

I’d spent a lot of time in there staring at the walls, the ceiling, picking at weak corners in the panels. Above the hearth, there was a steam vent. The opening was narrow—no way a Rogastix could do more than poke his head inside. But I wasn’t a Rogastix. I was a petite human who needed to hide. I grabbed a small bag of jerky and dried fruits as well as a tin of qua and shoved it down the front of my shirt to free my hands.

As footsteps pounded throughout the cargo ship, I pulled myself up onto the thin spit holding the kettle over the heating element. Tugging aside the panel, I hauled myself up and into the vent. My arms aching, my vision blurry with tears, I shoved myself into the small space and shoved the panel back into place. Seconds later, a shout sounded from inside the kitchen. I waited there, completely silent, barely daring to breathe.

I couldn’t see much in the dark, but eventually my eyes adjusted enough to see through the slits of the vent.

Hirtz was in the kitchen shoving tables and pots aside as he bellowed for me. “Come out, girl!” In the dining area beyond, chairs were flying as the crew tore the room apart. “You’re just wasting our time. For every rotation you stay missing, I’ll take off a finger.” Cursing under his breath, he stormed out of the kitchen. I heard him direct the crew to search the entire ship.

I shuddered and hugged myself tightly. What was I doing? Was there any point in delaying the inevitable? But Fenix had told me to run… Oh Fenix. My heart ached, pounding in my chest as images of his kind smile flitted in front of my eyes. My brave Drixonian who only wanted to tinker with machines but instead had been turned into a firebrand super soldier.

He couldn’t be dead, could he? And if he was still alive… well if he was still alive then I had to do everything I could to stay alive myself. He’d asked me to, and I wouldn’t let him down.

But Hirtz had shot him three times. I’d counted the shots. I’d heard him hit the floor. I had to believe that his words telling me to run weren’t the last I’d hear from him. If I gave up now, then his sacrifices for me would be all for nothing. Limbs shaking, I turned in the tight space. I lay in the duct-like tunnel, with the option to crawl right or straight ahead. I dug the food out of my shirt and took a sip of qua before crunching on a few nuts.

Cradling my head on my arm, I let myself cry. I shed tears over my fears, over Fenix’s pain, and over the slight happiness I’d felt with his head on my chest now being ripped away. I fell asleep before the tears dried on my face.

* * *

They tore the ship apart for three days. Twice, I risked detection by slipping down into the kitchen for more food. I slept fitfully and tried to do some exercises in the limited space, so I didn’t lose all range of motion in my limbs. I ventured down the two tunnels a short distance, but I was terrified I’d lose my way and wouldn’t be able to get back to the kitchens. I imagined myself lost in the bowels of the cargo ship, starving to death in a cramped tunnel until the smell of my dead, rotting body alerted Hirtz to my location.

On the fourth day, I woke up to the sound of low talking in the dining area. I rubbed my eyes and stretched as much as I could in the small space before creeping as close to the vent panel as I dared. Angling my head near the slits, I listened closely.

“…a mistake?”

“Hirtz has a plan.”

“So did Bez, and at least with his plan, the Drix wasn’t an immediate threat, and the human was actually contained.”

“We’ll find her.”

A snorted laugh. “You sound confident.”

“She has to be here. Quit your complaining. We have the easy shift. Sit here and wait to see if she shows up for food. She has to eat eventually.”

I patted my chest, where my meager food supply was stored. Luckily, I’d just filled up yesterday, but this wouldn’t last me forever. They had to know I’d been stealing food.

“…the Drix.”

I perked up again. What were they saying about Fenix?

“I’m not going in that room. I hope Hirtz knows what he’s doing with him.”

“He said he can be controlled with Kixx.”

The crew member blew out a breath. “If he says so. The Drix hasn’t cracked yet, and his skin feels like he’s been baked for a cycle.”

I dug my fingers into my palms as I processed their words. Fenix was alive. From the sounds of it he wasn’t in good shape. But he was alive. I glanced back at the tunnels. There was no more time to wait around like some damsel in a tower needing rescued. I had to find him.

Slowly, careful not to bump the sides of the duct and alert the crew to my presence, I tried to get my bearings. I had no idea where they were keeping him, but I had to search. It wasn’t like my schedule was full of anything else.

With my food and qua tucked into my shirt, I began a slow army crawl through the metal vent in the direction of what I thought was the main part of the ship. The surface was cool on my hands, and a steady cycle of air kept me from overheating or feeling too claustrophobic.

I crawled farther than I’d dared before, following the vent as it bent and curved. Sometimes I’d come to an intersection, so I’d place one quarter of a nut down to mark my way back. If I needed it.

When a voice filtered through the tunnel, I froze, convinced for a split second that they’d found me, until I realized the voices were floating up from a small grate in tunnel. Heading toward the small stream of light, I peered down into a room I’d never seen before.

A large pile of bedding took up a corner of the room, and beside it, sitting at a stretched desk littered with bottles of spirits, sat Hirtz. His eyes were glassy, and his legs were stretched out with his hands clasped over his belly. He burped loudly before waving the air in front of his mouth.

I wrinkled my nose as the stink of unwashed bodies invaded my duct sanctuary.

“Try again,” Hirtz barked.

I couldn’t see the other body in the room, but someone was there, because he answered. “I have tried. He won’t speak.”

“You told him he can have Kixx if he tells her to come out?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

A heavy sigh. “I think maybe we can break him, but it’s going to take time.”

Hirtz slammed his fist down on his desk. “How much time? We reach port in two rotations.” He jerked up and flashed his thumb and index finger. “Two!” Slumping back down, he rubbed his forehead. “Without them, I can’t pay the docking fee. They will take it out of my flesh and every crew member on this ship.”

“We have the Drix.”

“He’s not enough. We need her.” Hirtz slammed his fist down. “Try again.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Footsteps followed, a door opened, then shut. Hirtz threw a bottle against the door, where the sound of it shattering made me nearly jump out of my skin.

But I couldn’t stay and gawk at Hirtz or gloat over his pretty depressed state. I had to follow those footsteps. I could hear them below, and I crawled as fast and as silently as I could, hoping they led me to Fenix.

Eleven

Fenix

The effects of my last dose of Kixx wore off fast. Locked in a supply room in the hull with my arms chained to the wall with fireproof material, I could do nothing but lose myself in the pain. My mind had only started to crack, and while falling into the oblivion of nonsense would have been preferable to being aware of what was happening to me, I was grateful for the consciousness.

There was a reason I had to remain lucid, and her pretty face and soft black hair remained in the forefront of my thoughts as one rotation bled into two.

Several times a Rogastix came in and struck me—but their blows were inconsequential to the pain wracking my body. They told me she was hurt and hiding, and that if I would just help them find her, they’d give me a dose of Kixx. I growled at their lies and roared at them to leave me alone.

When two rotations bled into three, her image grew warped and by the fourth, I wasn’t quite sure of anything but the excruciating pain. I longed for the cool numbness of Kixx as I writhed on the floor in agony.

The door opened and a green figure walked in. I could barely see through the veil of pain over my eyes. I blinked at him from my slumped position on the floor and gasped out a hot breath. He crouched in front of me, and I couldn’t remember his name or what he was, but I knew he was the enemy. I hadn’t forgotten that much.

“All you have to do is call her name and tell her to come out. That’s it, Drix, and the pain will end. This doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to live like this.”

Kixx. The name alone brought peaceful memories—like dunking my head under a cool spray of qua. He said I could have that, but I had to… “What do I have to do?”

He blinked at me and then his lips tilted up. “Just call her name and tell her to come out of her hiding spot.”

I didn’t understand. “Why is she hiding?”

“Because she thinks we want to hurt her, and we don’t. We only want the best for her. And she’s going to get herself hurt running around alone on the ship.”

Hurt. She’ll be hurt. I don’t want her hurt, right?

He held a device up to my mouth. “Here, just speak into this and it’ll echo in the ship’s comm system. She’ll hear you.”

I stared into his eyes and tried so hard to concentrate. My stomach rolled and my throat felt like I’d swallowed glass. He said I could end this pain. When had I last been free of pain? I opened my mouth just as a memory slipped in through the flames of agony like a trickle of qua. Fingers clutching me, spreading warmth in their wake. Warm lips on mine. A divine tasted as I lapped eagerly with my tongue.

That was her. And they did want to hurt her.

I smiled as I remembered and coughed as my throat went into a spasm. I leaned into the device in the enemy’s hand and growled in a rasp, “Jennie, stay hidden.”

With a roar, he slammed the device into the side of my head. I barely felt the strike as I began to laugh, the sound echoing around the empty room as the enemy stood. Pulling back his foot, he slammed the toe into my thigh.

I kept laughing as he beat me because I barely felt his kicks and punches. I was all pain now, but at least Jennie was alive, and she’d tricked them. I felt something splash on my chest and I glanced down to see my blood splattered on my scales.

With one last vicious punch, he whipped my head to the side, and I fell over. I closed my eyes as I drifted in and out of consciousness while he stomped out of the door and slammed it behind him.

I coughed up more blood and watched as the drops landed on the metal floor. I wasn’t sure how long I had before I went mad. My plan had gone to shet because Hirtz had a thirst for power. I didn’t know what he intended to do with me or Jennie, but I knew it was worse than anything Bezmir had planned.

I had to stay alert. In the mines, I’d given into the madness, because it’d been easier. But here, I had to fight for every memory, every thought… I couldn’t forget. I couldn’t forget. I couldn’t forget….

* * *

I woke up to a soft touch on my forehead, and a low whisper. I blinked my eyes open and my vision swam as I tried to focus. I could barely see the outline of the face in front of me, but there was a familiarity to it that sent my cora pumping.

Something dripped on my face, and I thought it was more blood until a drop slipped between my lips. Salty. The figure in front of me sniffled and said in a soft voice. “I’m so sorry, Fenix. I’m so sorry.”

Her hands cradled my head, and everywhere she touched, the pain fled like it’d been washed away. A ripping sound reached my ears, followed by the feel of wet fabric being dabbed on my wounds. I didn’t care about those. I just needed her to keep touching me. Her smell surrounded me, and I inhaled deeply as I recognized my reason for this. I’d do it all again. I’d get shot by a laser gun fifty times over, if it meant she was okay. Which meant… why was she here?

I jerked in her hold in concern. “Told you … stay hidden.”

“They don’t know I’m here.” She pointed to a hole in the ceiling above our heads. “Hid in there.”

I couldn’t make sense of what she meant, but as long as they didn’t know she was in here, then that was okay. “Need to hide.”

“Not yet,” she whispered. “They are sleeping. Let me take care of you.” Her lip trembled. “There’s blood everywhere.”

“Can’t feel it,” I mumbled. “Pain from … no Kixx.”

Her shoulders bucked in a soundless sob as she continued to swipe at my scales. “I don’t know … how can I help?”

“Don’t stop touching me,” I murmured as I nuzzled into her hair as it brushed my face. “Please, don’t stop touching me.”

* * *

Jennie

Don’t stop touching me.

I tried to touch everywhere I could, but he was so big, and my hands were small. I wished there were three of me, or maybe more, so I could reach everywhere. Anything to relieve his pain. I’d heard everything the Rogastix had said to him as I’d huddled in the duct above the room, my ear pressed to the slits in the ceiling panel. For a moment, I’d nearly shown myself, so they’d let Fenix go, but I waffled. Would they kill him when they no longer needed him to find me? And then his agonizing shout of, “Jennie, stay hidden,” had nearly broken me.

I listened, just like I had before, because I trusted him. He hadn’t betrayed me, even though I wouldn’t have held it against him if he did. The pain he was in had to be immeasurable. His scales were nearly too hot to the touch, and his breath was steam-engine scalding.

And blood, so much blood. When the Rogastix had been beating him, I’d had to look away. The crunch of bone, the splatters of blood. I shuddered thinking about it as I wiped at his face and prodded at his ribs, which I worried were cracked.

He didn’t react to my touch with a grimace, but instead a small, blissed out smile, his eyes half-closed. His lip was split, and without thinking, I leaned forward, seeking to ease the pain of the wound.

Our lips touched, and for a moment he didn’t react, but then he opened his mouth and slipped his tongue inside mine. His ball piercings clicked against my teeth and I shifted closer, plastered my chest against his. When he circled his chained arms around me, deepening the kiss, I straddled his thighs. Immediately, his hands shifted down my back to cup my ass. He tugged me closer, until I felt the hard ridge of his cock between us.

I broke the kiss on a gasp. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

“I feel no pain,” he whispered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Not with you.”

This shouldn’t have been sexy. I shouldn’t have been turned on. But the memory of the last time we’d been intimate had never left. Even now, his hands gently squeezed, coaxing arousal from my body despite our perilous situation. I cupped his face and rubbed my thumbs at the corner of his lips. “Maybe I can do more than just touch you,” I murmured.

He nibbled on my chin. “How so?”

I pulled my shirt off, and his eyes went wide. After I maneuvered myself on his lap to take my pants off, I returned to straddling him, now completely naked. Exposed. Any of the Rogastix crew could walk in at any moment, but none of that seemed to matter now. Not with the way Fenix’s eyes took me in like I was the most precious thing in the galaxy. His gloved hands curved around to cup my breasts.

I took his hands in mine, and his brow dipped as I slowly withdrew the first glove. He jerked away at first, but I held firm until I revealed his scarred hand. When the other glove was removed, I gripped his wrists and brought his hands to my breasts once again. He resisted. “No, not with … not with these hands.”

“I want this. No gloves.” I held firm. “Touch me back, Fenix.”

“I haven’t…” he swallowed. “I haven’t touched anyone with my bare hands since I was altered by the Uldani.” The bunched muscles of his arms relaxed, and he reached out until the tips of his gnarled fingers touched my nipples. He flinched before doing it again, and I leaned into the heat of his touch.

He cupped them, flicking my nipples with his thumbs. They hardened beneath his ministrations. With a soft growl, he grasped me around the ribs and hauled me up his body so he could tug a nipple into his mouth. I cried out in a broken rasp as he nipped and sucked the sensitive flesh. The heat of his mouth was indescribable, almost too much, and I whined and bucked in his touch.

When he settled me back in his lap to once again kiss my mouth, I unclasped his pants and tugged down the front.

His cock was ready to go, leaking copious amounts of what he had told me was called libo, and the head was a blue-purple. It’d been a long time since I’d taken anyone in my body, and I panicked for a moment this wasn’t the right decision. But then Fenix gazed at me in in awe, and I didn’t hesitate. Grasping the root of his shaft, I held his cock in place while I sank down onto it. His girth filled me to the brim.

“Oh Fatas,” he moaned, his tongue snaking out to wet his lips. He shifted me back so he could gaze at where we were connected. “I never thought I’d see this. I never thought I could… bear to be touched.”

I cupped his face. “Just wait, it gets better.” Lifting with my thighs, I watched as his cock slipped from my body until only the tip remained inside, before I drove back down. His body jolted, and he groaned loudly, so loudly that I clapped a hand over his mouth with a silent giggle. “Not too loud.”

“Want to shout to the whole galaxy how you make me feel.” His muffled voice came from around my fingers.

I dropped my forehead to his. “Me too,” I whispered. “Me too.”

Picking up the pace, I rode his cock. He held my waist in a tight grip and rolled his hips to my rhythm.

“I can feel your cunt dropping down my cock. Soaking my balls.” He peeled back his lips to reveal his fangs.

I held onto his shoulder as I fucked down harder. “So full.”

With a flat palm on my back, he pressed our chests together and his nostrils flared. “Come on my cock, mate. I want to watch you fall apart. Wish I had time to eat your cunt too.”

“Jesus, Fenix,” I muttered. The pressure was building in my lower spine, spurred on by his clawed hand digging into my ass. Suddenly, I felt something latch onto my clit. When a slight suction started, I let out a gasp and looked between us.

The small node I’d noticed on top of his cock was… doing something. Like a built-in sex toy, it had latched onto my clit. Not quite as great as Fenix’s mouth, but pretty damn close. I cried out as it sucked harder, and my rhythm faltered as I bucked against him.

The orgasm exploded in my core and I opened my mouth on a silent scream as I mindlessly worked myself on his shaft.

“Yes,” he growled. “Just like that. So, flecking beautiful, Jennie. So perfect on my cock.”

“Fenix,” I rasped, and at the sound of his name he shoved his face into my neck where his roar was muffled. His cock pulsed inside of me, sending his heated release deep into me.

Limbs trembling, I clung to him as he panted against the damp skin of my neck. His hands continued to roam up and down my back, pausing occasionally to rub the muscles until I was a naked puddle of goo in his lap.

We didn’t move for a long time, content to remain connected to each other. I ran my hands up his chest and neck, and he made a soft purring sound, a deep vibration rumbling in his chest that nearly lulled me to sleep.

“If we could stay like this forever, I wouldn’t need Kixx. I wouldn’t need to be in pain. I could just be.” The longing in his voice squeezed my heart.

I gripped his cheeks and brought our foreheads together. “I wish. But the answer isn’t… trading your dependence on Kixx to a dependence on me.”

“I know.” He dropped his head and let it rest on my shoulder as I combed through his hair. “I just want to be free of it all.”

I closed my eyes, wishing I could permanently take his pain away, but I was only me. A mortal human who could barely speak above a whisper.

Suddenly, the ship’s floor shuddered, and shouts rang out from the cockpit. Fenix’s head went up. “We’re docking. Hurry and get dressed and hide.”

“But what’s going to happen to you?”

He looked at me with fierce eyes as I fixed his pants. “I don’t know. And I don’t care. They can’t catch you.”

My tears blurred my vision as I pulled my clothes on. “What’s the point of staying alive if they do something to you? I don’t want to be alone in this galaxy.”

Fenix’s mouth opened, and then closed. “Jennie,” he whispered. The door’s lever turned, and Fenix hoisted me up into the duct on the ceiling. I had just closed the panel when the door opened.

Twelve

Jennie

Six Rogastix stomped into the room, led by Hirtz. “He can’t call his fire, but he can break your bones by breathing, so be careful,” he barked. Three of the crew unchained Fenix’s left hand from the wall while the other worked on his right hand. Suddenly, Hirtz inhaled deeply, and his brows lowered.

“Smells like human in here,” he murmured.

I stopped breathing when he slowly lifted his head to the ceiling. Fenix, catching on, kicked out, catching Hirtz in the knee. He yelped and hit the ground just as Fenix stood with a roar and yanked hard on the chain on his right hand. Three Rogastix went flying with the chain and hit the wall in a jumble of limbs and grunts.

“Subdue him!” Hirtz hollered as he stumbled to his feet. His eyes met mine through the slits in the vent, and he grinned.

I let out a gasp and crawled backward, except I didn’t get far. Part of my clothing was caught on the sharp edge of a metal bolt. Frantically tugging, I let out a frustrated curse. The space was too small for me to maneuver to undress, or that would have been my next action.

In a beam of laser fire, the vent shattered, sending shards of metal flying in the small space. Instinctively covering my face with my arms, I muffled a cry of pain as a sharp fragment slashed at my shoulder. A hand reached up, and with a tearing sound that wrenched my shirt from the bolt, I was pulled through the hole. I hit the floor on my bad hip to find Fenix with his hands tied behind his back and his ankles hobbled with chains.

His eye was swelling, and his lip was bleeding again. As soon as he saw me, he dropped to his knees, defeat evident in every weary and pain-filled line on his body. “No,” he moaned, more pain in that one word than I’d ever felt in my life. I sobbed as Hirtz hauled me to my feet.

“Let’s see, you were hiding five rotations, so that’s five fingers, right? Maybe I’ll just take the whole hand.” He grasped my wrist as Fenix went wild, tugging against the six crew members holding him in place.

I went into a crocodile death roll, twisting and spitting to escape Hirtz’s hold. But he was three times the size of me and too strong. He withdrew a long, curved blade from his belt and licked the edge. A bead of blood dripped from his tongue and he grinned at me. “Which hand would you prefer to lose? Not sure I’ll obey your request, but it’s worth a try.”

I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to. My throat was clogged with tears and my vocal cords frozen in fear. Pulling back my free fist, I socked him in the crotch. With a howl, he released me. I didn’t think—I just turned and ran out the door.

“Run!” Fenix hollered after me, and I stumbled when I heard a meaty smack following his command.

Footsteps pounded behind me, but I kept running, pumping my arms as fast as I could as I sped through the cargo ship.

The Rogastix could have beat me in a flat foot race, but I was more agile, taking tight turns in the cargo hallways. As I neared the back of the cargo ship, I could just barely see a light and feel… air. Fresher air than what we had in the ship at least.

“She’s heading for the off-ramp!” Someone shouted behind me.

Maybe I could do this—get off this damn ship and then find someone, anyone who could help me save Fenix. I was his only hope.

Gasping at the wave of heated air, I tore down the ramp only to stop short at what lay before me. We were indeed docked on a new planet, but we were… underground. Before me lay a giant cave, lit by glowing orbs. Orderly rows of armored soldiers formed a square below, and standing on the metal grate of the dock, blocking my access to the cave below, was a line of at least a dozen helmeted guards, each dressed in thick chainmail that stretched over their massive chests and thick thighs.

I was trapped. If I went backward—I’d rejoin the ship with Hirtz and crew. But if I went forward… well, it didn’t look like I was going to get very far. I took another step forward just as voices shouted behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Hirtz, blade in hand, hurtling out of the ship, followed by his crew and a still-fighting Fenix.

When Hirtz saw the guards, he stopped so abruptly, he nearly fell over. So did the rest of the crew, and Fenix finally shook them off until he stood proudly despite the chains limiting his mobility. His body shook slightly, and his eyes were dull. He was in pain, and that made me want to grab Hirtz’s blade and shove it through his measly chest.

“Weapons stay on the ship.” The words came from a pair of feminine-sounding voices in perfect unison. The soldiers in front of me parted in the center and two creatures emerged. Tall and willowy, their skin glowed a light blue and their white hair sparkled as if covered in glitter.

A long skirt blew around their hooved feet, and they were topless—four large breasts swayed as they walked. They moved in perfect tandem with each other, and as they drew closer, I noticed their right and left hand were connected at the wrist and they shared that one three-fingered hand—like Siamese twins. Jewelry covered their bodies, from curling breast adornments to dozens of clinking bracelets. A massive glowing opal-like jewel hung from their necks.

“Sorry, Your Glazistries,” Hirtz muttered, tossing his blade behind him on the off-ramp of the ship. “I was forgetful.”

They ignored him and drew closer to me. I took a step back, eyeing them warily. Their eyes were very large and bulbous, so they stood out in their otherwise flat faces. They had no lips, just a mouth, and slits in their necks fluttered, which made me think those were for their breathing.

“Is she an ugly human or a pretty one?” They asked while surveying me like I was a piece of furniture.

“I am not sure,” Hirtz said with a small bow. “I would think she’s a little on the thin side.”

I wanted to snap at him that I’d been living on dried fruits in a spacecraft duct system for four days, but instead I ignored him.

“I expected more…” they waved their non-connected arms. “Just more.”

Seriously? What did they want me to do? I glared, but they didn’t seem phased. Their eyes drifted to Fenix, and suddenly they let out a shriek that sounded like a dog whistle. I grimaced and covered my ears. Clopping on hooves, they rushed past me to Fenix. As soon as they reached him, they began to caress his chest with their hands. He let out a wounded cry that pierced me. I swore I could feel the echo of his pain in my own body.

“This is who we want,” they cooed, fingering his hair and stroking his horns in a suggestive manor that made me nauseous.

While he sought to avoid their touch despite being hobbled by chains, I ignored Hirtz and the rest of the Rogastix and shoved myself between Fenix and the blue females. I bared my teeth, which wasn’t very effective as I didn’t have wicked fangs, but it was the only thing I could think of to show my displeasure.

Behind me, Fenix panted, bent double. His eye was cut, but healing fast, and his whole body shuddered, causing the chains to rattle ominously.

The women raised their joined hand as their eyes glowed a fierce red. “How dare you!” Bracing for the strike, I covered my face with my arms.

But the blow never came. I heard a smack and peeked through my arms to find Fenix’s fingers wrapped around their joined wrist.

“Don’t touch her,” he growled and shoved.

They stumbled back a step, mouth morphing into a black hole. Inhaling deeply, they leaned forward before emitting a scream like a million screeching birds. I covered my ears, head dizzy with the sound, as I collapsed to my knees. From their mouths wafted a gray smoke that began to form an image in front of me.

The image shifted, moving like a video, and it was a shot of me running. As the scream went on, I stared in horror as I was able to see who I was running toward—Fenix. He lay still and lifeless, and when I reached him, his eyes stared sightlessly at the sky. Throwing myself at his side, I picked up his head, crying and weeping, but he didn’t wake. He didn’t move. His heart was silent.

I opened my mouth to scream just as a hand passed through the smoke, breaking it into wisps of nothing just as the screams stopped. My ears rang, and I collapsed onto all fours as the image haunted me.

Fenix knelt at my side, rubbing the back of my neck. “Are you okay?”

I swallowed around my dry throat and gazed at him helplessly.

“They are glazers.” He rubbed at my sweat-damp forehead. “With their smoke, they show you your worst fear, but only you can see it.”

My worst fear was Fenix dying. I reached for him and he pulled me to his feet.

“You want me?” Fenix asked the glazers in a hoarse voice.

“Yes,” the women said, still glaring at me.

“Then don’t hurt her, and you can have me.” I squeezed him tightly as I shook my head, but he ignored me. “She remains alive and unharmed. And you can have me.”

The women turned their heads in unison and looked at each other before once again facing Fenix. “Done.”

“What about our payment?” Hirtz spoke up. The women turned assessing eyes on him. He managed a grin and ran a hand over his bald head.

“You brought a weapon onto our dock,” they said with a chin tilt.

Hirtz’s face drained of color. “Wait, but—”

They lifted their joined hand and inhaled deeply. I braced for another scream, but this time, no sound came out. They continued to inhale, way past the point of normal human lung capacity. Suddenly, orange cracks began to appear in fissures on Hirtz’s skin.

He held his hands in front of him, shaking his head as he began to gasp in a panicked, “No, no please!”

All around us, the soldiers rushed forward, slaying every Rogastix crew member with vicious stabs of their spears. But Hirtz… he seemed to burn in front of our eyes, and the glazers inhaled the smoke through the slits in their necks.

Hirtz’s hands went first, dissolving into smoky ash. His screams came next, screeches of pain and terror that horrified me to my core. I shivered against Fenix, who tucked my face against his chest. When the screams stopped, I finally lifted my head to find no trace of Hirtz. Not even a flake of ash.

The glazers fluttered their neck slits. “He was not fresh,” they said as they gazed around at the bodies of the fallen Rogastix. Then they pointed their joined hand at me. “Take her away.”

As the armored guards dragged me from Fenix, all I could hope was that the smoke image was only my imagination, and not a look into my future.

* * *

While Fenix and the Rogastix remained behind on the dock, I was led down a flight of deep stairs to the cave below. The ground was spongey beneath my feet and where I walked, little holes spouted small puffs of gray spores.

The air smelled musty, and I tried not to inhale too deeply, terrified the spores were poisonous or bad for my health. The armored soldiers didn’t touch me, but they formed a solid circle around me, preventing me from running away. Through a small crack in the bodies, I saw the large squad of soldiers part to reveal a path leading to a series of barred alcoves in the cave wall. I balked immediately, the bars reminding me of cramped days in a cage peeing in a bucket, but a hand shoved at my back, forcing me forward.

I swallowed, tears slipping down my cheeks. Glancing over my shoulder, I could only see a small blur of blue descending the steps. The faint rattle of chains reached my ears.

“Please unchain him,” I mouthed. I couldn’t stand to see my proud Fenix in chains. Already I missed him. His smile. His husky laugh. The reverent way he touched me with his bare, scarred hands. The warmth of his breath on my neck and the way he filled me.

I could still feel the echo of him inside my body. The press of his lips. I touched mine with shaking hands. How would I find him again? How long would they keep me alive but separated?

The glowing orbs lighting the cavern appeared to be some sort of flower, as the stamen shone through translucent petals. Other than the soldiers, there were no … people. Who lived here? How did they grow food? What was the planet surface like? Where the fuck were we?

A few soldiers fell away until only four walked with me—two at my front and two at my back. They led me up a set of narrow stairs carved into the stone wall. I couldn’t run back or forward, and if I ran off the side, I’d fall to my death.

Up and up, we traveled, occasionally passing a few barred alcoves where every once in a while, I caught the glimpse of glowing eyes or scuttling movement. Terrified of what was in the alcoves, I kept my hands clasped in front of me and my eyes downward to watch my step.

Finally, they stopped in front of an alcove. The soldiers in front opened the barred door and shoved me inside. I stumbled, managing to stay on my feet before whirling around. The doors were already closing. The click of the lock felt like a death knell. “Please,” I managed to whisper as I ran to the bars and wrapped my fingers around them.

“Two meals every sunrise,” the one said, before turning and walking away. And that was it. I could no longer see Fenix, or the glazers. The soldiers below marched to the side, and I watched as they entered some sort of lift in the side of the cavern. When the door closed, a mechanical sound filled the large space. The sound seemed to travel up and up until there remained only a dull vibration which eventually stopped. Had they traveled to the surface? Another level?

I tapped my forehead against the bars of my cell before turning around to take in my new living quarters for… well, maybe forever. For a cave cell, it could have been worse, I surmised. There was actually some sort of toilet which reminded me of a port-a-potty. I didn’t want to know where the waste was collected… Somewhere far below me, I hoped.

The walls and floor were covered with smooth tiles that were warm to the touch. A chest along one wall held what looked like clothes—I picked them out, horrified to find there were dresses, about my size, made in a sheer white material. Deciding to pretend they didn’t exist, I shoved them back into the chest. Along the back wall was the bed— a pad covered in decent furs.

I wondered why this cave seemed outfitted like this. I expected nothing… not even a bucket. But this provided a moderate amount of comfort. There was even a small bin full of a thick drink and a packet of something I assumed to be food. Despite my growling stomach, I didn’t eat, as I wasn’t sure what the jelly was. I didn’t want diarrhea in alien jail.

I collapsed on the bed, weary down to my bones. Covering myself with the fur, I closed my eyes and let fatigue take over. I’d figure out how to get out of this mess tomorrow. Today, I was going to sleep, and pretend Fenix and I were together.

Thirteen

Fenix

I knew very little about glazers, and the only reason I had heard of them was because I’d overheard some Pliken guards talking about them while I was waiting to steal their blades.

They were a secluded species who fiercely protected their planet. The surface of Viprix 2 was chaotic—frequent storms battered the land with wicked winds which could blow your hair off your scalp, lightning that could strike you dead on the spot, and massive waves that knocked over anything in their path. During a short time every year, the storms would abate so the inhabitants could visit the surface to collect whatever resources they could find.

So mostly, the glazers lived in large underground caverns. Their skin and eyes had adapted to the low light. The female glazers who currently walked ahead of me were the Glazestry, the title given to the ruling pair of the planet. Only a few connected twins were born every generation, and those competed in various tests until one pair remained standing.

I couldn’t understand why they’d requested to buy a human or why they were so interested in me. Right now, Jennie was locked behind bars—again—and I couldn’t do a thing about it. I hadn’t wanted to show my affection toward her, as I knew they’d use her against me, but I had been concerned they’d kill her on the spot. I had to make peace until I figured out a way to free her and get the fleck off this planet.

As the doors of the lift closed, I gazed across the cavern at the Pliken cargo ship, where Hirtz and his crew had met their end. I wondered what they planned to do with it, because as long as it stood there, I had hope it could take me away from here.

The doors closed and with a squad of soldiers and the Glazestry, we rose up. My skin itched and burned, the pain intensifying with every moment. Time felt like it was slipping away, and time was something I didn’t have. Without Kixx, or Jennie’s touch, it was only a matter of time before I lost myself to the fractured mind of my pain. And if that happened? There was no hope I’d get us out of here.

I let out a breath as the lift came to a stop. The doors opened, and the soldiers marched out with me in the midst.

We were still underground, but this level was like a whole other planet. My boots clomped on a hard flooring that coated the floor, sides, and ceiling, and contoured with the angles of the dug-out cavern. Most of the soldiers paired off to march down a hallway, while six remained behind, two in front of me, one at each side, and two behind me, while we followed the Glazistries.

Ornate carvings of nude glazers lined the hall, while colorful tapestries hung on the walls. Everything felt decadent in a way I hadn’t seen since I’d been in the home of an Uldani elite. Young glazers standing at attention along the walls came to life at the sight of their royalty, rushing forward with trays of food, which the Glazistries waved off.

And everywhere I looked, bulbous eyes stared at me. I might have been blue as well, but my tones were varied. I wore black gloves with my chest bare, and my orange hair was like a spotlight to the glazers. Many crept out from narrow hallways, wearing elaborate clothing, dyed in complicated patterns and bejeweled. Where did they get this wealth on this isolated planet with few resources?

Finally, the cavern narrowed into a hallway, and at the end were large doors, stretching high above me. They opened as we approached, and the Glazistries walked inside. The soldiers around me stopped, forcing me to do the same.

“Should we enter, your Glazistries?” said one of the soldiers.

“No, we’ll be fine alone with the Drixonian,” they said, accepting full glasses of red liquid from a servant. “He won’t do anything to harm the human, and if anything happens to us, you are ordered to kill her. Slowly.”

I bristled, and the Glazistries saw it. I had never been good with covering my emotions, a trait Mikko found amusing. Right now, I wished I’d been Zecri, who rarely let slip even one indication of his feelings.

“See?” The Glazistries laughed. I hated the sound, like the smashing of pottery.

The soldiers bowed and left, while the servants remained at the open door.

“Come,” said the Glazistries. “We will talk.”

I stepped inside, and the doors closed behind me with a solid thunk. The ceiling of the room stretched high above me, and the contents were plush. A large platform piled high with furs and other soft accessories. Large glowing orbs simulated windows, and the fur of an euphontain, an animal now believed to be extinct, covered the floor below a wide sitting bench.

I knew they wanted me to be impressed. Their expressions seemed smug and hopeful. I didn’t give a fleck about their stupid rare furs. “Will you feed the female? I told you she must be unharmed.”

They sipped their spirits at the same time and smiled at me. “Your concern is touching. As long as you remain obedient, she will be fed and unharmed.”

“I’ll need proof. You’ll have to let me see her.”

The cocked their heads. “You have affection for the female?” I remained silent, choosing instead to glare. They rested on the sitting bench and crossed their legs before beckoning to a servant with their joined hand. “Unchain him.”

I waited patiently while a servant, a small female, cut through my chains with shaking hands. As soon as she was finished, the links fell to the floor and she gathered them up before skittering away, never once making eye contact with me. I rubbed my neck and shook out my legs. I had enough pain without those flecking chains rubbing my scales raw.

“We know about you,” the Glazistries said. “The Rogastix had planned to kill you before you arrived, but when he told us he had a Drix on board who could call fire… Well, we were very interested in acquiring you.”

I resisted tearing off my gloves and razing the place. “What do you want with me?”

“How do you think we pay for everything here?” Their hands fluttered around the space. A shining statue of only a muscular butt was on prominent display on the table in front of the bench, carved out of a red gem I’d never seen before.

“I have no idea, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“We provide entertainment.” They looked at each other and laughed in unison.

“Entertainment?”

They gestured to a male servant, who stood along the wall next to a large flat black screen. “Turn it on, Sercho,” the Glazistries said.

Sercho tapped the screen, which glowed a bright blue. In the center, white markings flashed in a language I couldn’t read. He began to tap frantically as the words on the screen scrolled. “I-I’m sorry. Please hold.”

“What’s wrong?” The Glazistries asked in a sharp bark that caused the servant to jump and fumble with the screen.

“I think the signal is slow. It could be the recent storm.”

“Make it work!” They shrieked.

“I’m trying!” The servant quaked in his shoes.

“You’re ruining our reveal. We had this all planned. We had meetings about it!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t—”

I exhaled with a sigh. “Did you try turning it off and back on again?”

The servant froze and looked at me over his shoulder. “What?”

“Did you try. Turning it off. And turning. It. Back. On. Again,” I said slowly.

His lip trembled and he nodded sharply. “Right. That. I can do that.”

He tapped a button on the side, and the screen winked out. After shooting the Glazistries a weak grin, he turned it back on.

The screen came to life, and immediately showed an image of the cavern we’d first arrived in. In the distance I could make out the wall of barred alcoves where they’d taken Jennie. Then the image began to zoom in. I took a step closer to the screen as the servant stepped aside.

I could now make out who occupied some of the barred alcoves, and I could barely believe my eyes. In one was a small furry animal with reddish brown fur, bushy tail, and curved horns. It hissed through the bars before the imaged panned over.

I stared as it revealed more and more alcoves.

A small, clawed creature who sat hunched over. A bird with radiant wings who perched on a small faux tree. A family of hooved rodents.

And then, laying still with a fur pulled up to her chin, was Jennie. I rushed to the screen and touched it, but of course I couldn’t feel her, only the cool, smooth surface. She slept with her lips parted slightly. The fur covering her rose and fell with her breaths.

“What?” I whirled around. “What is this? Why do you have all of them locked behind bars?”

The Glazistries drained their wine. “Because citizens of this galaxy pay a lot of czens to travel here and observe the variety of creatures we have accumulated on this planet. They are entertainment.” They stood up and walked closely to me. I jerked away as they attempted to touch my face. Their laugh filled the space. “And you, firebrand Drix, are going to be our biggest draw yet.”

* * *

Jennie

A loud rattle woke me out of a fitful sleep. I jerked up to find a guard standing outside my door. He slid a covered tray through a small hatch in the bottom of the door before locking it and walking away.

I crept off the bed toward the tray, my stomach gnawing at itself. They said I’d only get two meals a day, so I had to eat, but I was almost afraid to look at the offering. I peered outside of the bars but could only hear murmurs of other prisoners eating as well as the occasional squawk or squeak.

The floor of the cavern was empty except for a few soldiers standing in an assembly line to hand out trays. Eyeing the tray, I picked it up gingerly, surprised at how heavy it was. Once I retreated back to my bed along the far wall, I sat cross-legged with the tray on my lap.

“Please taste good,” I whispered to myself before lifting the lid.

I gaped at the contents. First of all, the tray was brimming. I had expected what amounted to an elementary-school cafeteria serving, but this was… this was a lot. Maybe more than I could eat. Of course, I had no idea what anything was, but the smell was promising.

Vivid leaves in blues, purples, and greens sat in a bunch, drizzled with something that smelled sweet and fruity. A slice of what looked like meat, or a meat substitute, lay on a bed of a fluffy purple mash. Accompanying the meal was a sponge-y brown ball that looked like a dinner roll and a thick smoothie-like drink. Wrapped in a clear paper was a small pink square. When I opened it and sniffed it, a sweet, honey-like scent filled my nostrils.

“Wow,” I whispered. Then my stomach dipped. Those blue twins had thought I looked too skinny.

Were they … fattening me up to eat me? Oh God. I stared hopelessly at the tray, but even the thought of them eating my arm didn’t stop my stomach from rumbling. I was hungry and starving myself served no purpose. Fenix wouldn’t want that. He’d agreed to go with them willingly in exchange for my safety. As long as he was alive, then I would stay alive too, right?

Ignoring all my fears for now, I dug into the food. The flavors were unique, but nonetheless delicious. I especially loved the meat and purple mash. By the time I was full, the tray was nearly empty except for half of the roll and a little of the smoothie. My stomach protruded a bit, and I patted the tight skin. I hadn’t been this full since I arrived in this galaxy.

I replaced the tray in front of the hatch, used my toilet, and washed up with the small basin of water. Laying on the bed again, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the other prisoners. There were no cries of distress. Were they all fed as well as me? What were we doing here? I couldn’t imagine they were feeding us well out of the goodness of their hearts. We had to serve some sort of purpose. I just… didn’t know what it was.

I dozed off a little, my body sated on the meal, until a distinct scratching sound reached my ears. I opened my eyes and stared groggily at the ceiling before swiping the drool off the corner of my mouth. The sound grew louder, and I peered around me to try to find the source.

Suddenly a creature appeared outside my cell. Short, maybe four feet, with gray hair pulled back into a messy knot on top of their head. Their paws were tipped with long digger claws like a mole.

They scuttled forward, hunched over, wearing a long shirt that brushed their ankles.

“Hello?” I called out in a raspy whisper, my voice aching from disuse.

The creature let out a squeak of surprise. I caught a glimpse of big round eyes before they scrambled back the way they came out of sight.

I ran to the front of my cell and tried again. “Hello?” I managed again, this time with a little more tone to my voice. Smashing my face against the bars, I tried to get a glimpse of the creature. I cleared my throat. “Who’s there?”

My words were followed by silence. Eerie, careful, silence. But when I closed my eyes and listened hard enough, I could just make out the sound of rapid breathing.

“I won’t hurt you,” I whispered. “Please come back.”

Finally, after a few long moments, came the patter of small footsteps. Peering around the edge of the cell bars was a round face with massive gray eyes that took up half of their face. Silver threads were woven throughout the gray hair, and two little holes fluttered above a closed mouth. The creature held their clasped paws over their round belly.

“I’m Jennie,” I whispered.

“Heera,” the creature murmured in a high voice. “I’m a female hilbob.”

“I’m a female human,” I smiled at her, and she stretched her mouth into something that looked like a smile.

“I live two cells over,” she said and then hesitated as she rubbed her paws together, claws clicking.

“How did you get out?”

She held up her digger paws. “A tunnel.”

I blinked. “You what?”

“I leave my cell to steal a boralix bud when my old one dies. I … don’t like the dark.” Suddenly her face lit up. “Do you want one?”

“Um, I—”

“Let me get you one.”

She scuttled off out of sight before I could say another word. When I saw her again, she was in the cavern below, plucking two small orbs off the wall before shoving them into her shirt. On short legs, she raced back to the staircase. In moments, she returned to my cell. After squeezing the flexible flower bud through the bars of my cage, she instructed me to fluff it up like a pillow.

I did, and the glowing ball filled my small cell with a warm light.

“It’s so pretty. Thank you.” I reached through the bars to shake her paw, but she stared at my palm before nuzzling it with the top of her head. Giggling, I patted her soft, downy hair. “But if you can get out of your cell… why don’t you escape?” My throat ached, and I hoped it held out a little while longer so I could get some more information out of Heera. She was the first friendly face other than Fenix that I’d seen in ages.

“There’s nowhere to go. The surface of this planet is uninhabitable. And the glazers would find me no matter what level I dug to.”

“Level?”

“At least in the cell they feed me well, and the price for that isn’t so bad.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Could be worse.”

“Price?” I rasped. “What… what price?”

Heera blinked at me. “Don’t you—? Oh. I forgot, you just arrived. Well, —”

An alarm blared, sending my heart racing as the orb began to glow with a reddish tinge. “What—?”

“I have to go,” Heera said hurriedly. “They can’t catch me outside my cell.”

“But what—”

“Don’t worry,” she yelled as she hurried away. “Just do what they tell you to do.”

Who? I tried to scream after her, but my voice gave out completely. I wanted to scream, but there was no sound leaving my throat. The alarms continued, and I expected the cells to erupt with chaos, but over the blaring, all I could hear were some slight grumbles. Why was no one panicking?

Suddenly a disembodied voice said in a bored tone. “Please stand in the glowing circle of your cell and wait for ascension.”

Ascension? I whirled around to find a circle glowing on the tiles of my cell. Heera had said I was to do what I was told to do. With trembling legs, I walked toward the circle. The orbs all around the cavern began to flash, and with a deep breath, I placed my feet inside the circle.

“Ascension starting.”

I fisted my hands at my sides as the orbs glowed brightly before winking out completely. A clear film rose from the floor, surrounding me, seconds before the small circle of floor at my feet shot me upward with a belly-dipping force.

Fourteen

Jennie

I braced my hands on the side of the clear film, which remained firm beneath my palms. I tried to scream, but no sound came out, and all around me was the rush of air as I continued upward, feeling like Augustus Gloop sucked up from the chocolate river in Willy Wonka’s factory.

I passed underground levels at dizzying speeds, catching glimpses of families huddled together in drab clothing, then another level with a rug-covered hallway. Each level increased in decadence, until the floor under my feet began to slow its ascent.

We passed another large cavern, this one lined with sculptures made of shining jewels and decorated walls. Everything was bright and shiny. I pressed my nose to the clear film and met the gaze of a familiar set of twins—the joined hand and massive necklace gave them away. They smiled at me, and I shivered, glad when the platform continued up to take me out of their sight.

On the next level, the platform came to a smooth halt. The clear film around me dropped away. The ring in the floor glowed before fading away. And the robotic voice came. “You are now free to move about your enclosure.”

My enclosure?

After catching my breath, I gazed around. I was in some sort of clear box, about twelve-by-twelve feet. And inside the box with me was… furniture. Earth-like things, but clearly designed by someone who was not from Earth. A table and two chairs were completely off in proportion, as the chair seat was at the same height as the table surface. A comically large vase was placed in the center, stuffed with faux flowers that were unlike any Earth flower I’d ever seen.

A large fur covered a bed that was way too high for me to climb on. I tugged on the cover of the fur, and it tumbled down to the ground. Picking it up, I wrapped it around my shoulders and surveyed the rest of the room.

A blob of fur was in the corner, sitting on a plush pillow, and I gingerly stepped toward it, wondering if it was alive. Only when I crouched down did I realize it was not a living thing, but instead was a matted figure of fur with a collar resting on top. Was this supposed to be… my pet? It was cobbled together with the semblance of two legs and a head. Did they even know what a dog or cat looked like? Two crude eyes were carved into the round head-shape.

I backed away from the inanimate object as my skin began to crawl. Outside my box, I could see dozens of other boxes with singular creatures inside, all of us forming a giant circle. In the far distance, I spotted Heera watching me with her big eyes. Her box was piled high with dirt, and she’d already tunneled below to press her face up against the clear wall, reminding me of an ant farm.

Another bird-like creature was in a box with jungle-like massive leaves and branches, which it currently was perched on cleaning itself. Each box was different, the contents seeming to fit the habitat of said creature.

Large, floor-to-cavern ceiling doors opened on one end of the room and aliens—some blue, like the twins, but others in all shapes and sizes—entered. Some were alone, others seemed to be grouped in families, but they all wore jewelry and ornate clothes. As they stopped at each glass box to point and wave at the creature inside, I realized with a sick churn of my stomach what was happening.

“This is…” I murmured to myself, “an exhibit.” I choked sob left my throat. “We are the zoo.”

I huddled on the ground and tossed the fur over my head to hide. Suddenly a voice echoed in my box. “You must remain visible at all times. Correct this immediately.”

“Fuck off,” I muttered.

“Correct this immediately,” the voice said again.

I ignored it and shivered. Rubbing my hands together, I frowned as I realized the temperature in my box had dropped in temperature. Fast. Lifting the fur slightly, I exhaled, and my breath came out in a puff of white. I tossed the fur off my head. “What the—?”

“Correction made. Climate returning to normal.”

I mouth dropped open as the box warmed quickly. “Oh my God, they’ll punish me if I can’t be seen.”

Feeling helpless, I could only watch from my huddled position on the floor as a family of blue aliens stopped in front of me—the mother’s hair was piled on her head in a riot of curls and jeweled barrettes. The little girl standing in front of them tilted her head as she studied me. I resisted giving them all the finger. The last thing I needed was to be turned into a glacier.

“I heard they got a human,” the male said in a deep voice. “Apparently the trade didn’t go as planned because she’s a disappointment.”

They didn’t have to rub it in. I rolled my eyes and climbed up on one of the stupid chairs. Plucking at the fake flowers, I ignored the aliens outside my box.

“But the rumor is the Glazistries got something even better from the Rogastix.”

This got the male’s attention. And mine. “Is that right? Who did you hear that from?”

The female patted her head of curls. “Uberna told me while she did my hair. You know she’s a gossip. She heard from her sister who is dating one of the cousins of a Glazistries guard that a big foreigner in chains was delivered. That’s all I know.”

The little girl tapped on the glass. “Doesn’t it do anything?”

I turned with a glare and stuck my tongue out.

The little girl giggled and unfurled her black, forked tongue. “I think it likes me. See? We’re playing a game.”

“What’s wrong with its tongue?” the mother said. “Is she dying?”

I hated it here. I had checked every single box, and Fenix was nowhere to be found. Where was he? He had to be alive, but I was sure he was in great pain. My heart ached, and I wanted to cry.

I sat picking at the fake flowers until they were a scattered mess on the table. I ignored everyone else that came to gawk at me in my box. There were gray aliens with cat-like paws, and horned things that sneered at me with yellow eyes.

The contents of my box, so Earth-like but so not creeped me the hell out. I actually longed for the privacy of my cell where I could sleep in peace. I’d tried to lay down a few times and got another warning. I was dozing sitting up, feeling like I’d cheated the system, when increased chatter made me open my eyes.

The crowd began to gather toward the doors, and through the throng of bodies, I caught a glimpse of two familiar faces—the Glazistries, as they were called. I’d done enough eavesdropping to pick up some things.

Walking in front of the twins was a child. I couldn’t assume age, but he wore a pair of wide-leg shiny pants and a vest. His long white hair shone like lacquer and he wore a crown on his small head. He looked like a little prince. Was he their child?

The Glazistries, flanked by guards, waved to the crowd with their unjoined hands, chins held high with a regal air. Bored as hell, I waltzed around my box, doing the princess wave with my cupped hand and pretending like I was ordering around my people.

“Mildred, you comb Fluffy,” I murmured to myself. “And you, Gary, make my bed. I need some beauty rest before the ball tonight.”

The Glazistries started talking, and I didn’t really care what they had to say, but I did want to know if they said anything about Fenix.

“Thank you all for choosing to visit Viprix 2 for your entertainment. We hope you were able to see everything you wanted to see. If not, there will be some time at the end to do some more viewing. Right now, we wanted to announce a special acquisition we recently made, in celebration of Brokas’s tenth year.”

The prince in front smiled creepily.

I didn’t dislike children, but I definitely disliked this one.

The twins snapped the fingers of their joined hand, and the floor in the center of our circle dropped away. Rising up slowly was a clear box, and I gasped when the top of a black-horned head appeared with familiar orange hair.

I threw myself against the front of my box. “Fenix,” I whispered helpless as his box came to a halt on a higher platform. He stood inside next to a large tree with blue leaves. His boots trampled blue grass and green dirt. Next to him was a gray boulder he ignored. His eyes scanned the boxes, stopping on each one, until he found mine.

Our eyes met, held. I waved as a sob bubbled up my throat. Relieved he was alive, but sad as hell we were separated, I could only watch as he gave me one distinct nod. I searched his body for signs of trauma, but his eyes were clear, and he stood strong with his gloved hands loose at his sides.

The crowd, on the other hand, surged toward the platform, eager to get a look at what was inside.

“This is a Drixonian warrior from planet Corin,” the Glazistries announced. “Drixonian warriors are legendary fighters, lovers, and nearly impossible to capture alive. They have incredible defensive weapons with hidden bone blades in their forearms, head, and back, which are called machets.”

“Machets,” the crowd echoed together, like they were receiving an anatomy lesson.

A guard rapped on Fenix’s box. His nostrils flared a moment before he unleashed his machets. The crowd gasped as his black machets shone in the harsh light of his box.

“And this warrior,” the Glazistries said as drew closer to the box. “This warrior isn’t like all Drixonians. He is completely unique. During the battle with the Uldani… We have some Uldani here, don’t we?” A few titters rippled through the crowd before some scattered gray hands raised in the air. The Glazistries smiled. “Well during the Drixonian Uprising against the Uldani, some warriors were experimented on, and this warrior, my friends, is one of them, so he comes with extra abilities.” The crowd murmured, pressing closer to the platform.

“This warrior,” they said, their breasts swaying as they nearly vibrated with glee, “can call fire.”

* * *

Fenix

Jennie was alive, and that was the only reason I didn’t tear through this fucking box and lay waste to everyone in here. She was alive, and as long as she stayed breathing, I had to stay obedient.

For now.

I didn’t have the intention to stay here forever, separated from her as we were gawked at by a wide range of species in the galaxy. I’d vowed to protect her, but I wasn’t doing such a great job of it. She was once again locked away and treated like an object, while I couldn’t do a flecking thing about it. Pain ravaged my body, affecting my vision, but I’d recognize her form and jet-black hair anywhere. Her dark eyes beckoned me from across the large cavern. I would have given anything to feel her touch, to comfort her, to assure her I was still all in and would spend my every last conscious moment protecting her.

The Glazistries were talking, and I focused on them. I didn’t want them to know how on edge I was. It’d been so long since I’d had Kixx. The only relief I’d had to get my mind right was when I’d been alone with Jennie, our bodies connected. But now the pain was once again clouding my mind and my judgement. How long did I have before I was useless to either of us?

“Call your fire, Drixonian.” They placed their hands on the shoulders of their son, and he watched me with bulbous-eyed glee.

I’d spent so long covering my hands, first because the gloves blocked a lot of the pain when I touched others, but also because I hated the sight of my scarred, melted skin. I’d been so vain about it, and now… well who flecking cared anymore? Not me.

I tore off my gloves, ignoring the chorus of gasps, and called my fire. Flames burst in each hand, and I set my jaw as the heat spread throughout my limbs. The longer I kept the flames, the harder it was on my body. I glanced down at my fingers where the scales twisted and writhed in the flames.

The crowd pressed against the platform where my box sat, each trying to get a glimpse of the other. Several Uldani in the back shifted uncomfortably, faced with my ruined body, and I sneered at them as they cowered.

A pounding reached my ears as my head began to spin. The heat infested my mind, turning my thoughts into a cloudy mess. My female banged on the side of her box, tears streaming down her face. I watched as if in slow-motion as her mouth opened, but I couldn’t hear her words, I could only watch her distraught face until she lifted her hand on top of her head and made a gesture with her splayed fingers. My name. She was signing my name.

Suddenly a gray fog filled her box, and a light near her head blared. She dropped to a crouch, covering her arms, as the fog continued to pour in. “Jennie!” I screamed as her body swayed. When her head lolled to the side and she collapsed, I drove my fist into the box.

One punch. Then two. But nothing happened. Nothing splintered. The material held up despite my assault.

Furious, the image of her prone body flashing in my mind, I threw back my head and roared. Heat consumed me, flames curled in front of my eyes, and then everything went from bright orange to black.

Fifteen

Fenix

“The Rogastix wasn’t lying.”

“Apparently not.”

“We will need to pay for another import of Kixx.”

“I can get one next by next sunrise.”

“Do it.”

“Word is spreading. We can increase our hospitality prices. All to see the Drix.”

“Well then we have to keep him alive.”

I struggled to wake up, but my limbs were too heavy. The pain was barely there, only a dull ache in the base of my spine. I smacked my lips and the familiar sour taste of Kixx lingered on my tongue. I hated it as much as I welcomed it. If I could stave off the madness, I could maybe live long enough with my wits and a Kixx supply to get Jennie and I off this planet. But how much had they given me? I couldn’t move.

Their voices continued. The next question made me focus.

“And the human?”

“She’s sleeping off the gas.”

“She needs to behave. Tell her we can hurt the Drix in many ways that won’t kill him. That’s what will happen next time she acts out.”

“Yes, your Glazistries.”

There was a dual sigh. “What are they saying about her?”

“They found her boring in the box, but when she seemed panicked for the Drix… well we had a lot of interest in that.”

“They enjoyed her pitiful protest?”

“It was her willingness to risk punishment in order to call to the Drix, and his response to her falling. Everyone enjoys a good story.”

“A good story…” The Glazistries murmured.

I’d heard enough. With a groan, I lifted to a sitting position to find myself in a barred cage in their room.

Brokas, their son with a hand-picked male of their choosing, sat on a chair just outside my bars, watching me. Little flecking creep.

I lay on a soft bad, completely nude, and covered with a soft fur. Where had my pants gone? I made sure to cover myself, since they already stared at me in a lustful way that made me want to hurl. Noticing my wakefulness, they turned from their conversation with a high-ranking guard—if his uniform adornments were any indication—to waltz over to my cage, as if they hadn’t nearly destroyed my world.

The room spun a little and I clutched my head. They’d given me a higher dose of Kixx than I usually took. My stomach cramped, and I bent over with a sharp curse. Coughing, I choked back the bile which threatened to rise.

“You did well. Even your tantrum was appreciated,” said the Glazestries.

“Can I touch him?” Brokas asked.

“No, dearheart,” they said. “Not now.”

He pouted and I snarled at him. He didn’t seem fazed.

“Is Jennie all right?” I asked.

“She’s fine.”

“I want proof.”

Four bulbous eyes stared at me and they fluttered their neck vents in what seemed like annoyance. “You don’t trust us?”

I barked out a laugh that sent a sharp spike of pain into my skull. “No.”

“When she wakes up, we will show you.”

“She better wake up soon,” I growled.

“Tsk, watch your tone with us.”

I gritted my teeth and kept silent as I imagined all the ways I’d wring their necks given the chance.

“We can hear you plotting our demise, but one thing you have to understand is there is no way off this planet for you and the human except death. And even then, we’ll scatter your ashes on the surface to be torn apart by the winds.” They stepped closer and stretched their joined hand through the bars for me, but I shifted out of their reach. “You belong to us, and now we know we can keep you more docile with Kixx and holding the human over your head, you’ll make us even richer.”

“The Kixx will eventually kill me. You have to know that, right?”

“Sure, but it will take some time.”

I laughed again. “It will take less time than you think.”

That kept them quiet for a moment. “Well then, I guess we’ll have to be creative and use it sparingly.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

* * *

They kept me in the cage. I was allowed out to use the expeller and the cleanser. They gave me a pair of tight pants in a shiny black material, and a new pair of boots. A rotation passed, then another. Then… I was pretty sure another passed. I couldn’t remember. The pain lurked below the surface, barely held at bay by the scant amount of Kixx they doled out to me when I couldn’t stand.

When I tried to ask for more, the Glazistries told me I’d just had a dose, and I couldn’t remember if that was true or not. I had to take their word for it.

Sometimes, they’d stroke my face, and although their touch spiked my skin like needles, it reminded me of another touch in another time. A past life, maybe? This touch had been warm, and soft, and had made me happier than anything in my life.

So, I allowed it and listened as they cooed in their matching voices. When the pain became too much, I retreated to my furs and dreamt of another hand.

One day, they showed me a screen with a small figure on it. She was eating, her dark hair hanging in her face as she sat with her legs crossed on a fur.

“Why are you showing me this?” I asked.

The Glazistries liked that question. Their eyes bulged. “Just some entertainment. Do you enjoy looking at her?”

“Entertainment?” She looked familiar, and I reached for the screen, but they yanked it away. My head pounded. “I can’t… Are you sure? Who is she? I know her, right?”

“You don’t know her,” they said, leaning toward me. “You don’t know her at all.”

I knocked the heel of my palm into my temple. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. So, do you enjoy looking at her?”

She then lifted her head and stared straight at me through the screen. Those eyes. I knew them. I’d looked into them while I was inside of her. I knew it. “Jennie.” The word came to my tongue without thinking. “That’s Jennie.”

The screen went black and I surged forward, shoving my fingers through the bars to grab it. “Wait, wait!”

The Glazistries cursed. “Not yet.” They tossed the screen to a guard. “He will forget soon.”

I sank to the bottom of my cage, gripped my hair, and screamed. I couldn’t remember what I forgot. I couldn’t remember at all.

* * *

Jennie

My head throbbed and my stomach churned with what felt like a hangover from hell. Whatever gas they’d filled that box with had taken forever to wear off. When I came to, the guards informed me I’d lost three rotations.

Three.

Beside my head on my bed, I found a small orb, and at least that made me smile.

Heera must have retrieved one for me, so I’d have some pretty light when I woke up.

They gave me a sweet drink that calmed my stomach, and after that, I wolfed down a whole tray of food until I felt like my belly would burst. I’d badgered the guards about Fenix, but they refused to tell me anything about him other than he was alive.

I’d panicked because they made him use his fire too long. I could tell by the strain on his face, and the way his body had shook. I’d only wanted it all to stop and hadn’t considered they’d punish me for banging on the wall. It didn’t really matter though; I’d do it again even if I’d known.

After I passed out, I didn’t know what happened. Sometimes when I closed my eyes, I heard a dull roar, and my name screamed in a heated anguish.

Two more rotations passed, and I began to grow even more fretful. What was happening to Fenix? How much pain was he in? Did he know I was alive? I lay on my bed, picking at the edge of the fur as I stared at the ceiling. The orb had faded, leaving my cell dark and depressing. I practiced talking until my throat ached, but I felt confident my voice was stronger now.

A shuffle sounded outside my cell. Hopeful, I ran to the bars to find a small round face peering at me from the outside walkway.

“Heera.” I reached for the orb she stuffed it through the bars. Fluffing it like a pillow, I smiled at the soft light. “Thank you, friend, for leaving me an orb while I was sleeping.”

“I’m so glad you woke. I visited as often as I could and made sure you were breathing.”

“What happened after I passed out?”

Her face fell and she glanced down.

“What?” I gripped the bars with shaky hands. “Is Fenix okay?”

“I’m not sure,” she said softly. “H-he saw you pass out and he screamed your name. Then…” she shook her head. “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but his entire body went up in flames and then he collapsed.”

“No,” I whispered. “He never… he’ll be in so much pain.”

“I heard he’s the Glazistries personal pet. They keep him in their private room. I also heard a cargo ship came the next day with a supply of Kixx.”

I sighed as I sank down onto my knees. “Shit, he’ll be so defeated. He hates taking it. But it’s better than being in pain.” I bit my lip, remembering how he told me Kixx was killing him. How long could he hold on? Were they dosing him right? So much was out of my control, and I hated it.

“Heera,” I dropped my head into my hands. “I’m so worried about him.”

Tears streamed through my fingers as I sobbed. A paw stroked my hair, and Heera’s voice cut through my hysterics. “I know,” she whispered. “When my planet was overtaken by the Plikens, my whole clan was separated, sold to different areas in the galaxy. My friends, my family. I think about them every day. Are they alive? Are they in pain? Would they be better off dead?”

I swiped at my eyes as I gazed at her kind face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask what you’ve been through. I can’t imagine. I have some consolation that my family is safe back on Earth.”

She maintained her kind smile. “I’ve had longer to come to terms with this than you. It’s okay.”

“Why are you so kind to me?”

“Hilbobs are committing to defending the innocent. I could sense the good in you right away.”

I gripped her paw. “You’re a good soul, Heera. Tell me your story.”

She talked in soft, reverent tones about her resourceful home planet and close-knit clan. When they were torn apart, she despaired for many cycles as she was sold over and over again—she’d worked in the mines on Vixlicin before performing tricks on space stations until she’d been sold here, where she’d been for most of her life. “I can’t do anything I wanted to do in my life while here, but I can try to make a difference where I can. I help out the other creatures sometimes. But you… you seemed more loss than most.”

I let out a sob of laughter. “That’s an understatement.” Collecting myself, I asked, “So what is it you want to do, Heera?”

“I want to learn some healer abilities. I want to do good for others.” Her pale cheeks flushed. “And I want to become a mother. But I have no hope of finding mates.”

“Mates?”

“We mate two males to a female.”

I smiled. “That sounds tiring.”

She laughed. “Our males are very devoted. They form in pairs and pick a mate that suits them. I have dreamed of what my pair would be like many times.” She sighed wistfully. “But it is not to be.”

I leaned closer. “Heera, Fenix and I want off this planet. I still have hope. And when we leave, you’re coming with us.”

She patted my cheek. I could tell she didn’t believe me. “Okay, human Jennie.”

“I mean it.”

“I know you do.” Her eyes watered, and she blinked away the tears. “I know you mean it.”

“Where’s the hilbob?” shouted a guard, whose voice sounded way to close for comfort.

Heera slapped her paw over her mouth to muffle her panicked squeak. She plastered herself against the bars of my cell as if trying to squeeze through, but her body was too big for the narrow spaces.

I frantically gazed around my cell, wracking my brain for a way to distract the guards or hide Heera.

“Where is that little shet?” the guards murmured. “Brokas wants to see her.”

“I hate that little brat,” Heera muttered.

“What does he make you do?” I whispered in alarm.

“I have to dance for him. It could be worse.” Her large eyes darted around. “What am I going to do? They are outside my cell, and I can’t get back without them seeing me.”

Right now, she was hidden in the alcove of my cell in front of the bars, but as soon as they reached my cell, they’d see her.

A small crevice in the alcove caught my eye. It wasn’t large enough for her whole body, but it would provide some degree of cover. I shoved her into it. “Hide yourself as much as possible. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.”

She nodded and conformed her body into the crevice. Her eyes shone. “Shut your eyes, Heera. Damn those are luminous.”

Closing her eyes, she went completely still just as the guard’s footsteps drew closer. Pitching my voice as loud as I could, which strained my vocal cords nearly to their limit, I called out, “I need some supplies, please.”

“What?”

The footsteps kept coming.

Panicking, I spotted a sharp pointy rock on the wall. With a deep breath, I slammed my forearm into it. Pain shot up my arm. Heera made a small gasping sound.

“Human?”

“Please, hurry now. I cut myself, and I’m bleeding. Please, go now.”

“Shet,” said a deep voice. “The Glazistries need you alive. Let me—”

“I know how to treat this. I just need some ointment and wraps. Go get it now, please!”

A curse followed by pounding footsteps gradually faded as the guard took off to help treat my self-inflicted injury.

Heera peered around the corner and exhaled as the sound of the lift rattled the cavern. With her paw on her chest, she bent over and panted. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Friends help friends.” I grinned at her. “Now get back to your cell before they catch you.”

Her eyes dipped to my wound. “Will you be okay?”

“It’s fine. Just a cut.” Actually, the thing was bleeding like crazy, but I’d live. “Now go!”

With a wave of her clawed paw, she took off out of sight.

I leaned my back against the wall with slowly exhaled breath and slid to the floor, cradling my arm in my lap. As I waited for the guard to return, I marveled that it had taken me being transported to a new galaxy to find love and friendship.

Sixteen

Fenix

I was home. The blue leaf in front of me rippled as a breeze blew past. I listened for the sound of briggers chirping and smiled when I heard a low murmur of chattering. I shifted my weight, and green dirt squeezed out from under the sole of my boots. I inhaled, eager to smell the fresh grass, but the smell was… noticeably absent. Maybe I had eaten something that caused my head to clog with mucus. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

A rock beside me had a perfect ledge for sitting. When I flexed my back, I detected a slight pain at the base of my spine. It was dulled though, but it felt… covered over. Maybe I’d taken a pain relief drink the healer had given me. Why couldn’t I remember anything? I sank down, my knees cracking, and I rubbed them. When I smacked my lips, a lingering sour taste lurked on my tongue and made me frown.

I poked at the blue grass, but it didn’t bend like normal. Where was I? I tried to reason back to how I got here, but it was all … blank. I rubbed my forehead. Why couldn’t I remember? Mikko was probably looking for me.

I sighed as I reached up to rub the leaf. When I pulled my hand away, my gloved fingers were stained a dark blue. The leaf’s surface where I rubbed was a dark gray. “What the fleck?” I muttered.

Suddenly the sounds in the forest changed. Briggers weren’t chirping… these were voices. I peered in the distance and saw a number of curious faces peering at me. “What?” I shouted, rising to my feet. My head swam. “What do you want?”

The voices continued, warping into one sound that echoed in my head like a chant, over and over again. “Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire.”

Then I saw one face, pressed through a clear film. Something about the eyes scratched at the back of my mind like an itch. The long dark hair hung over the being’s shoulders. Slowly, she lifted one hand on top of her head as her eyes leaked a clear liquid. I didn’t understand her language, so I turned away.

“Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire.”

I knew what to do now. I tore my gloves off, called my fire, and let the heat consume me.

* * *

Jennie

When the platform returned me to my room, I collapsed on the floor in a flood of despair. Tears flowed down my cheeks, soaking my shirt.

Fenix hadn’t recognized me, but that hadn’t been the worst part. It had been the utterly blank look in his eyes. That hadn’t been him, not at all. What had they done to him? Was he in pain or completely drugged out?

I sobbed and clutched my chest, heart breaking into a thousand pieces on the floor of my cell. I’d never felt this alone. Before, knowing Fenix was here somewhere looking out for me had been a comfort I relied on. But now… it was just me. I would still do everything I could to protect him, but what could I do when he didn’t recognize me? I hated the Glazistries. I hated those blue bitches so much. Using all of us to outfit themselves in jewels and entertain their shit of a kid.

I screamed and pounded my fists on the floor until my voice went hoarse, until I couldn’t manage more than a weak whisper. I wouldn’t talk again until I got my Fenix back. What did it matter anyway?

Eventually, I collapsed onto the floor, exhausting from crying and screaming. My stomach ached and I cradled it as I rocked back and forth, staring at the small orb in my cell. It was new, placed there by Heera that morning before we’d been taken to the exhibit level.

I hadn’t realized how badly it hurt to have hope ripped from your chest. My heart pumped sluggishly until I fell sleep alone in the middle of my cell, laying in a puddle of my own tears.

* * *

A clatter woke me up. I opened my eyes to find a guard walking away and a tray of food on the floor in front of me. Despite my queasy stomach, I crawled to the tray and picked at few pieces, forcing myself to swallow. I had time to feel sorry for myself, and now I had to snap out of my pity party and do something. If Fenix wasn’t able to come up with a plan, then it was up to me.

I was convinced I could get him to recognize me, but I had to get closer. I had to touch him, and in order to do that I had to get out of this damn cell. Heera had said the Glazistries were keeping him in their private room. I lifted my gaze to the ceiling. How did I get there?

Long moments later, the sound of guards calling out to Heera drew my attention. “The Prinze wants to see you.”

She replied to them quietly, and I realized she would be going to visit him. Was his room near the Glazistries? If only I could see Fenix…

“He said to bring another one,” a guard said.

“Who?” the other guard asked.

“He said surprise him.”

This was just the break I was looking for. I tried to yell out, but my voice failed me. I picked up the tray and rattled it down the bars, up and down until the guards stomped over, one holding Heera by her collar. She stared at me with massive eyes. I looked right at the guards and pointed at myself.

They assessed me. “You want to go with this one to see the Prinze?”

I nodded. Did I seem too eager? Finally, the guards shrugged. “Put on the clothes in the chest. Let us know when you’re ready.”

I balked at the idea of changing, but as they turned their backs, I sucked it up and raced over to the chest. I tore off my clothes and pulled the dress over my head. The material was way too thin for my liking, but it covered up the important bits. Kinda. When I was finished, I banged on the bars again. Just like that, I was out of my cell and riding a lift on the way to another level. Hopefully to see Fenix.

Fingers slipped into mine, and I glanced down to see Heera giving a reassuring smile as she squeezed my hand. This small hilbob, who hadn’t been given much kindness in her life, was comforting me. I patted her hand and gave her a nod that I was okay. “Brokas isn’t so bad,” she said.

That was the Prinze’s name, and I’d only seen him through the glass walls of my box. Despite never having met him, I didn’t have a good impression of him. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the idea that he called us to his room to entertain him. Sure, his mothers had likely trained him not to see us as people with feelings, but anyone could look at Heera and see she was a sentient being.

The lift finally slowed to a halt, and once the doors opened, the guards led us down a hallway. I studied my surroundings carefully, hoping for any sort of sign of Fenix, but this level was full of art, statues, and a vulgar display of wealth.

By the time we reached a large set of ornate doors, I was steaming mad. But hope lit my blood. This had to be the Glazistries chambers. Eager to get inside and catch a glimpse of Fenix, I surged ahead and placed my hand on the handle.

The guard grabbed me and roughly tugged me in another direction. I yanked myself out of his grip as he shoved me toward a small door to the right. “This is the Prinze’s chambers.”

“Come on,” Heera said gently.

As the door opened, I looked back longingly at where I suspected Fenix was being held. How could I get in there? Were these two rooms connected somehow?

We stepped inside of Brokas’s chambers and I nearly gasped at the spacious room. Numerous screens were hung on the wall, displaying all kinds of entertainment from something that looked like a nature show to another where two aliens were beating the crap out of each other in front of a cheering crowd, like MMA matches back on Earth. Trays of half-eaten food covered a large table, and I winced at the waste.

The Prinze lounged in the corner on a fluffy pile of furs and pillows. He wore a set of what looked like pajamas, but they were the fanciest pair I’d ever seen—threaded with silver and accented with jeweled buttons.

He sat up as we entered. The guard remained behind, standing at attention at the door. Wondering what was going to happen next, I stood next to Heera in the middle of the room.

“The human!” Brokas clapped his hands together and climbed off the bed. His hooved feet clicked on the floor as he approached us.

I resisted leaning back as he got close. Did he have the same ability as his mothers—could he make me see my worst fears and inhale my soul like smoke? I shuddered as his beady eyes perused me. He looked young because of his height, but his eyes held a lot of knowledge and a little bit of cruelty which led me to believe he was far from a child mentally.

Seemingly content with what he saw, he relaxed on a cushion on the floor near the food and began to pick through the trays. “Is it true you don’t speak?”

Heera frowned, but I quickly nodded.

“The Rogastix did tell us that when they offered you for sale. I still don’t get why my mothers purchased a damaged human. Couldn’t they have found one with all its abilities?”

I just barely held back my death glare.

“What else can you do?” he asked, chewing a juicy piece of fruit.

I can wring your neck. I can pull your hair, you little brat. I can find Fenix and watch him destroy this entire place. Glancing around, I looked for something I could do to entertain him. Large doors—not the ones we entered—beckoned to me as I heard the muffled sound of voices. That was where the Glazistries had to be.

I waited for the deep rumble of another voice, but nothing came.

“Well?” asked the Prinze.

Oh right, I was supposed to be entertaining. I sighed and began to feel a little desperate when the large doors opened, and the twins sauntered inside. I craned to get a glimpse inside their room before the doors closed, but I only caught slightly the hint of a barred cage before they swung shut. I huffed in frustration. This plan wasn’t working. How could I get in that room?

“A private viewing of the human?”

“She’s boring,” pouted Brokas.

The Glazistries drew closer, and Heera pressed closer to my side. Her body trembled.

“She is,” they said as they studied my face. “And now that the Drix has no memory of her, I’m not sure why we bother to feed her.”

“The visitors like her, though,” Brokas said.

The Glazistries sighed. “She is a draw for some weird reason. We’ve gotten a lot of offers for her too. We will most likely sell her.”

I gritted my teeth as Heera made a small noise.

“Ah, and your hilbob,” they said, sneering down at her.

“I like her,” Brokas said on a whine. “Do your dance. Let my mothers see.”

With an audible gulp and a wobbly smile, Heera separated herself from me and performed a little jig. With closed eyes her smile turned serene, almost reverent, as if she transported herself to another time as her legs moved in a blur while her arms waved and flourished.

When she finished, she took a deep bow, and Brokas clapped his hands wildly. Heera’s eyes opened, focused, and her smile immediately dropped.

“See?” Brokas said to me. “What can’t you do something like that?”

I wasn’t a dancer or an entertainer. I was a psychologist for fuck’s sake. The only dancing I’d done was a Zumba class once or twice. I tried to recall the moves and moved my legs stiffly to an imaginary beat. By the distaste evident on Brokas’s face, he wasn’t impressed. I didn’t blame him.

He took a cup and whipped it at me in anger. The metal chalice hit me in the arm, and I gasped as pain shot through my biceps. I glared at him, thinking my dancing hadn’t been that bad.

Heera let out a shriek and ran to my side. In her hurry her foot kicked the discard chalice, sending it spinning across the floor to slam into Brokas’s shin. “Ow!” he cried.

The Glazistries let out a terrific scream and lunged for Heera. Every instinct in my body fired and I threw myself between them and the small hilbob. I didn’t doubt for one minute they wouldn’t kill her.

Suddenly Heera let out a wounded cry and I turned to find Brokas with a long thin reed in his hand. With a vicious snap of his wrist, he whipped Heera on her back. The resounding crack echoed in the room. Heera cried out in anguish.

I didn’t think. Not about me or the consequences, but only on protecting my friend. She was in this mess because of me. I tore the reed out of Brokas’s hand and shoved him. He flew back, his small body colliding with the table of food. Trays went everywhere, the boy cried out in pain, and suddenly, time seemed to slow to a halt.

I stood holding the reed. Heera cowered at my feet, staring up at me in awe. Brokas lay on the table cradling his arm. And the Glazistries… I slowly turned to find them frozen with their bulbous eyes firing at me with retribution.

Oh shit, I thought to myself.

“You’re not worth another meal!” They shrieked. Their joined hand rose and swooped toward me in a vicious arc. Pain exploded in my cheek, blood filled my mouth, and the last sound I heard before I hit the floor was a mighty roar and rattle of chains.

Seventeen

Jennie

The Glazistries were pissed. And I learned very quickly that when they were pissed, they also got excited, like anger fueled their cruelty. Which meant… well it meant pretty shitty things for me.

I hadn’t been able to talk since screaming my heart out in my cell, but it hadn’t mattered anyway. There was no defense. I’d made my choice to defend Heera, and I didn’t regret it. I’d live with this choice no matter how it ended… and judging by my current situation, that might be sooner rather than later.

After the disaster in Brokas’s room, they’d immediately had a set of guards usher me down to the lift. I was now tied to a rock in the cavern with a rope around my waist. I’d tried to pick at it with my nails, but it was no use. The bands were as thick as my neck. Heera stood next to Brokas, nearly shaking out of her skin. Her big doe eyes stared at me helplessly, and I tried to offer her a reassuring smile. It didn’t help. She only collapsed onto her knees and shook.

Brokas ignored her, instead making a big show of the sling on his arm. The little shit. I didn’t hate kids, but I sure hated that asshole.

A dozen guards stood in front of me, and I wondered if this was some sort of firing squad. I should have been more fearful of my immediate future, but all I could think about was Fenix. Would he wonder where I was? Would he think I let him down? I wanted to tell Heera to keep an eye on him and help him if she could, but I couldn’t speak. Even a small gasp felt like razorblades in my throat.

The Glazistries, after fussing with Brokas, waltzed over to me. They went all out for this—jewels around their throats, on their wrists, and a long shining skirt. Their breasts swayed as they walked, the jewels around their nipples twinkling in the light.

They lifted their joined hand to touch my cheek, and I jerked away. But I couldn’t exactly go anywhere, so I had to tolerate as they brushed my skin with their cool fingers. “We treated you well, fed you, and you repay us by hurting our only son!” The voices rose in intensity until I had to wince at the high-pitched shriek. Shaking themselves, they lowered their voice to a normal level. “You aren’t worth our time, and now that the Drix doesn’t remember you anymore… well…” They smiled, and their neck slits fluttered. “We’ll have him do the honors. His last memory of you will be killing you. What a way to fracture what is left of his mind, don’t you think?”

My stomach plummeted into my feet as the door to the lift opened. Fenix stood on the platform, flanked by two guards. His posture wasn’t right—he didn’t hold his head high—and when he walked, it was with unsure shuffled steps. Seeing him like that shredded the last of my heart and hope.

No, this couldn’t happen. I didn’t care about what happened to me anymore, but if Fenix ever came to his senses and knew he was responsible for my death… this was cruel. Even for the Glazistries.

I opened my mouth to talk, and the only sound was a gasping breath. Shaking, tears forming in my eyes, I tried to shout to Fenix, to curse the Glazistries, but he only continued toward me, chains around his wrists and ankles, as he stared ahead with deadened, dull eyes.

“Fenix,” I whispered with a sob, remembering the way he’d looked at me with those bright indigo eyes, when he’d shared the pain of his life, and how all he ever wanted was to just be free and work to rebuild his home planet. My vision blurred as the tears cascaded down my cheeks.

I shook my head, hair catching on my wet skin. I heaved against the ropes, muscles straining. Heera began to shout, but a guard pointed a spear at her neck until she fell silent. But her eyes spun wildly as she clicked her digger claws together in fear.

And still, Fenix came. Close, closer, until he stood about ten feet away. His gloves were off, and he rhythmically flexed his fists which caused the tight skin to pull and shift on his forearms. He’d hated being without his gloves, and they’d all but stripped him. He wore no shoes, only a pair of loose pants that hung low on his hips. His physique was as impressive as ever, so I knew they were feeding him.

I tried to meet his eyes, but his gaze remained fixed on a spot over my head. I tugged and strained on the ropes, waving my arms wildly in the air, but he completely ignored me.

In my head, I screamed. I screamed and despaired as the Glazistries walked over to him. With their joined hand, they reached out. I caught the slightest tenseness in his body at their touch, but his eyes didn’t flicker. Not even once.

“This property hurt us,” the Glazestries hissed with a delicate flutter and rattle of their bejeweled wrists. “Call your fire and eliminate her.”

They were going to burn me alive? Panic overwhelmed me, further paralyzing my vocal cords as my breath came hot and fast. I flailed more, but the ropes were tight across my chest. Fenix’s eyes flickered once at my face before he dropped his gaze to his hands. With a flex of his fists, flames burst to life on his palms.

Fenix! I screamed in my head.

Scuffling to the side drew my attention for a split second. Heera struggled with a guard. He held a hand over her mouth, but she clawed at him. With a flare of her nostrils, she opened up her mouth and bit down on his fingers, hard. He yelped and in the split second his hand left her mouth, she screamed one word, “Jennie!”

“Shut her up!” The Glazistries hissed, but I wasn’t paying attention to her. The fire in Fenix’s palms darkened for a split second, and his shoulders bunched. He rolled his neck from one side to the other.

“Burn her,” the Glazestries urged at his side. “Burn the enemy.”

A ball formed in the center of Fenix’s palms, just like the ones I’d seen when he fought the ogrices. I refused to close my eyes, but I braced for the first hot lick of pain to singe my skin. I hoped I passed out from smoke inhalation before I felt too much pain. Was there a worse way to die? I wasn’t sure. Sorry, teenage girls of Salem. This must have sucked, big time.

Fenix met my gaze over the flames, and I searched for one ounce of the soul I knew. Seeing nothing, I let out a soundless sob before mouthing, please, as I lifted my hand to the top of my head. Splaying my fingers, I moved my lips to say the last word I thought I’d ever say. Fenix.

He drew back his hand to throw his fire when suddenly he stopped. Frozen, flames licking at his skin, something flickered in his eyes. A muscle in his cheek twitched. He blinked, and then his hands slowly dropped to his sides.

“Burn her now, Drixonian!” shrieked the Glazistries.

Slowly he turned to face them, and I held my breath just as the corner of his mouth lifted into a wicked sneer. “Never,” he rasped as my heart pounded like a steam engine in my chest. “But I’ll burn down this entire place. Starting with you.”

Their bulbous eyes went wide, and they backed up hurriedly, their hooves clomping the ground. But they didn’t get far.

Fenix let loose. With a roar, fire burst from his palms in a solid stream like a flame-thrower. Screams lit up the cavern as he razed the guards who scrambled to form a wall in front of their royalty.

Heera, free from the guard who had been holding her, ran to my side and began to chew through my ropes with her sharp teeth.

I stared in awe as Fenix fought a one-sided battle. The entire cavern was filled with flames and smoke. An alarm went off, and the cell doors burst open, most likely an emergency mechanism in the case of fire. Which… Well, this was such a case. Guards on fire ran shrieking toward the lift before collapsing in blackened husks. A protective group huddled around the Glazistries, moving as quickly as they could toward the lift, but they were no match for Fenix, not like this.

With a scream of pain and frustration, Fenix formed a massive fireball between his two palms before tossing it at them overhand. It hit the group like an explosion. The last I ever saw of the Glazistries and their royal son was a few soot-stained hands reaching for fresh air before they disappeared into the pile of bodies.

Creatures crept out of their cells as Fenix slowly let the fire die in his palms. His body swayed, and he stumbled just as Heera chewed through the last thread of rope holding me in place. I rushed to his side, barely catching him before he hit the ground. He reeked of smoke, and his hands were a melted mess. I brushed my fingers on his pale cheeks and finally uttered one little whisper of a word, “Fenix.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Couldn’t… Remember. Not until… Not until you said my name.”

I never said it. But I’d signed it, and that got through to him. He craned his neck behind me, and I looked in the direction of his gaze. On the dock at the far side of the cavern, the Pliken cargo ship remained. He struggled in my arms. “Gotta get off…this planet.” He stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily on me. “Let’s go.”

I has questions, but not the voice to ask them, so I grabbed Heera’s hand and the three of us made our way, slowly toward the ship. We had ascended halfway up the stairs when the lift doors opened, and a fresh wave of guards flooded the cavern. One section gathered up the freed creatures, and I watched apologetically as they were led away, up the lift.

They were safe, but I’d wanted to save them. Not that they would all fit on the cargo ship, but… frustrated, I focused on the task at hand. Fenix was alive, and so was Heera. That was all I could do for now. I couldn’t rescue the whole world.

Guards were coming at us fast, and Fenix, with a long groan, turned around and formed a wall of fire. The guards skidded to a halt as he stood, feet braced apart, body shaking with pain. “Go,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Get on the ship.”

I opened my mouth, wishing I could protest, but he shook his head. “Go!”

Grabbing Heera, we ran up the stairs and down the dock toward the ship. The ramp was open, and we raced into the ship. I turned to find Fenix lumbering after us, the fire he’d created on the floor of the cavern holding the guards at bay… for a little bit. My wrists burned, and I glanced down, concerned I’d touched something hot, but instead I found a pair of black marks etched on my wrists like a bracelet. I rubbed at them, but they didn’t go away, and the pain intensified. Tearing off two strips of fabric from the bottom of my dress, I wrapped them around my wrists. I’d deal with the injury later.

As he staggered into the ship, he slammed his hand on a lever to close the ramp. I could hear shouts in the distance over the crackle of fire. “Cockpit,” he mumbled through gritted teeth. “Take me… there.”

Between Heera and I, we were able to get him to the cockpit in a chair. I stood by helplessly as his hands, nearly useless from the prolonged fire use moments ago, fumbled with the controls. But soon I heard the engine roar to life, the thrusters engaged, and despite the sounds of laser fire pinging off the cargo ship, we flew free from the dock into the encased tunnel.

Heera and I gazed out at the surface of the planet where winds whipped and rains pounded the ground, but we were in a contained modulated tunnel. It wasn’t until we left the atmosphere with a shudder and black space surrounded us that my knees gave out.

My head pounded, and I sucked in a sharp breath at the throbbing. It was probably from the smoke. Oh yeah and the near-death experience at the hands of an alien I’d fallen in love with. At least my wrists had stopped hurting.

Heera curled up in the co-pilot chair, large eyes staring out the front window in disbelief.

With a groan, Fenix slumped in his chair. His hazy eyes tried to focus on me, but his pupils were blown. “Can’t… remember. Had a plan.”

I cradled his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He made a rumbling sound in his chest before letting out a shaky sigh. “Don’t stop touching me, Jennie. Please.”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat and forced out one more word. “Never.”

Eighteen

Fenix

My memory was fuzzy. I tried to recall how I’d gotten in this cargo ship. Why was I on a bed of furs? Also where was the pain?

I rolled over, finding a sleeping Jennie next to me with her body plastered against mine. Outside the port window, nothing but black space and the occasional distant star was visible. I could hear the distant murmur of the engine.

Jennie stirred and lifted a hand to brush her hair off her face. Noticing bandages on her wrists, I yanked off the crude cloth strips to check her wounds. Except she didn’t have wounds. I stared at the marks on her wrists, confused as I wracked my brain. Between two golden bands that ran the circumference of her wrist was a delicate pattern.

I knew what those were, but the answer was hidden somewhere in my wreckage of memories. I ran my thumb over them, but the skin was as smooth as ever.

“What?” Jennie rasped. She tugged her hands from my grip and sat up. Rubbing her wrists, she blinked at them when the marks proved permanent. “I—” she cleared her throat and shook her head as she shot me a questioning look.

I reached for her again, and that was when I spotted my own wrists. Despite the scarred and melted skin, the same golden lines shone on my scales in the same pattern as Jennie’s. Her eyes went wide as she thrust our wrists together. “They… match?”

Her voice was scratchy, and it seemed most of the progress she’d made had been lost. What had happened? I remembered high-pitched voices. Chains. And lots of fire.

A sharp spike of pain seared my brain and I gasped as the room faded in and out. Hands reached for me—warm, soft hands that chased away the pain as quickly as it came. Suddenly the memories flooded back. Everyone. The glazers. The exhibits. Jennie tied to a rock as I stood in front of her with my flames.

I sat up and grabbed her suddenly by the shoulders. “Were you hurt?”

She shook her head and gave me a kind smile. “No.”

“I almost … fleck.”

“You didn’t,” she said. “Wouldn’t have blamed you … if you did.”

I grabbed a canteen of qua off the table beside our bed. “Drink, your voice is strained.” She gulped down a few sips. I looked to the door. “I should get to the cockpit. I didn’t even set a flight path.”

“Heera,” she rasped.

“What?”

“Heera, the hilbob. On our way to a space station to refuel.”

I exhaled. “That’s good. I can decide then how to get you two to safety.”

“Two?” she queried.

I sighed as I rubbed my head. “I won’t last long with no Kixx.”

She reached for me. “But I—”

I grasped her hands in mine. “Your touch is only temporary. And it’s okay. We got the fleck off that planet. I have time. Enough time to figure out how to keep you and Heera safe.”

“How long?” she whispered.

“Long enough.” I didn’t know if that was the right answer. I brushed her cheek with the back of my fingers. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get us out of that sooner. They gave me enough Kixx to get by, but not enough to keep my mind intact.”

“You remembered…” A tear spilled down her cheek. “When it mattered, you remembered.”

I tapped my fist on my chest. “You’re in here. My cora. My blood. My mind. Invaded every crevice. I’m sorry I made you doubt me.”

“I didn’t,” she whispered. “Even when I thought it was the end. I didn’t doubt you. You saved us.”

I shook my head. “No, you saved me. I don’t think I could have come back without you. The memory of you was too strong to be forgotten. I’d still be there, out of my mind as their weapon of destruction.”

“But you’re here…” she shifted closer and nuzzled her cheek with mine. “With me.”

“Back on the ship… before we were taken by the glazers. Did you… did you take me inside you to ease my pain. Or because you wanted to?”

She let out a small puff of air that warmed my face. “Fenix,” she whispered, her eyes filling again.

I dropped my gaze. “You don’t have to—”

“It was both,” she whispered. “But even if you hadn’t been in pain, I would have…” she coughed. “I would have wanted that moment with you.”

“And now?”

She smiled. “And now, we make the most of our freedom.”

Closing the distance between us, she pressed her lips to mine. Immediately a different kind of warmth spread throughout my body—not the biting heat of pain, but like turning my face to the sun.

I delved my tongue into her mouth, my tongue piercing clicking on her teeth and she let out a little laugh before pressing her chest against mine. After a quick stumble to the cleanser to wash the soot from our bodies we tumbled back into the furs naked. As she clutched my shoulders, I held her gaze as I ran my hand down over her pert breasts to her wet cunt. My fingers slipped through her folds, and she arched her back as I plunged two fingers inside her. She immediately opened for me, letting her legs fall to the side. Beneath me, she was pliant, wet, and ready, I sucked a nipple into my mouth and tortured the bud with my piercings as she writhed on the furs, held in place by my body and fingers stretching her.

“Fenix,” she gasped.

The intensity overwhelmed me, and my body felt like it had swelled as my head pounded with my want for her.

“Take me,” she murmured with hazy eyes. “Come inside me, Fenix.”

Cock in hand, I pressed until my entire shaft disappeared inside of her.

Her chest heaved and the veins in her neck bulged as her mouth opened and closed. “Yes,” she moaned in a fuller sound than I’d ever heard her make.

Pulling out, I plunged back into her.

Her body jolted on the furs, breasts bouncing.

I did it again, and again, the warmth now seeping into my blood, my bones, replacing the constant heat that lurked like a shadow.

My hips worked, slamming into her while the room filled with the sounds of our mating. Small cries left her lips, and her temples grew damp. My subcock latched onto her clit and her eyes went wide. Suddenly her body went stiff and then she let out a cry of pleasure that gripped hold of my balls and squeezed.

Spilling my release inside of her, something ruptured in my head with a shower of sparks. I opened my mouth on a silent scream just as rapture consumed me.

* * *

“Fenix,” came a whispered voice. “Fenix, please. Are you okay? Fenix!”

I opened my eyes to find I lay sprawled across a naked Jennie.

She shook me frantically. “What happened?”

I groaned as I rolled off her. Dizziness swamped me and clutched my head. I waited for the sick thread of pain to slice through me, but the ache never came. I frowned as I pulled my hands away. The marks on my wrists were still there, and this time, when I searched through the wreckage of my memories, I found it a whole fleck of a lot more organized.

There was the Uldani in one corner while Rex, Mikko, and Zecri hung out in another. Even the mines had their own place, dark as it was.

And there was no longer pain, but a soft melody that sounded like rainfall hitting leaves in the forest. I stared at Jennie as the melody continued, reminding me of when I used to stand in the rain as a chit, letting it hit my face as it played a rhythm on the foliage. I turned to Jennie, who rubbed at her temple almost in confusion. “What—?” she swallowed, and her brows dipped. “Why does my throat feel better?”

Her voice was still raspy, but the tone was markedly improved. I reached for her hands, comparing the marks on our wrists as I entered the room in my mind, the rainfall following me, where Drixonian legends were kept.

“I remember now,” I said softly. “These are loks.”

“Loks?”

“Fatas blesses us on rare occasions with cora-eternals. Our perfect mates. The loks are a symbol of that blessing and in here…” I tapped my head. “I feel you. You’re a soothing rainfall. A melody.”

“And you’re…” she let out a happy sob and rubbed her throat. “You’re like honey.”

“Honey?”

“I can feel it on my tongue, a sweetness. It’s a golden amber and it’s coating everything.”

“The pain,” I whispered. “It’s gone. And it’s not from your touch. Before I still felt it lurking to return. But this is… an emptiness. A good emptiness.”

“And I feel full. A sweet fullness.”

“Your voice…”

“It doesn’t sound back to normal, but it doesn’t hurt anymore at least.”

“So, we…”

“We have hope,” I said, barely able to believe it. “If I don’t need Kixx, then our future is wide open. I’ll make you a happy mate, Jennie, I promise.”

“You’ve already made me happy in more ways than you imagine,” she pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Now let’s go check on Heera. You made a lot of noises in here and she might be concerned.”

I sat on the edge of the furs as I pulled on my pants. “We weren’t noisy, were we?”

She snorted as she pulled her hair back into a tie. “Hey, I didn’t say we. You were the noisy one.”

I squinted at her. “When can we make more noises?”

She rolled her eyes as she tugged her shirt over her head and kissed my forehead. “Later.”

* * *

There weren’t many places we could refuel without proper travel documents, which none of us had. As we pulled into the dock of a sketchy station too close to Vixlicin for my liking, I wondered how the hell I was going to bribe the guards. There were some czens on board, but not enough to pay for fuel and bribes. On top of that, we needed supplies.

The high of escaping with Jennie hadn’t worn off yet, but it was stained with the uncertainty of our future. Once I had to start thinking practically about how we’d survive, reality hit. None of this was going to be easy. I wished I could talk to Rexor. Had he ever made it home safe? I could try returning to Torin, but the thought of seeing any Uldani again made my hands shake.

I patted my pocket, which held the few precious czens we had. It would have to do for now. I’d figure something out.

“Fenix?” Jennie’s voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to her with a smile, but her expression was concerned. I tended to forget she knew what I was thinking now. No hiding anything.

“I’m here.”

“What’s on your mind?”

I ran my fingers through her hair. It’d been about five rotations since we left Viprix 2, and I’d cherished every moment with her. “Nothing important.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, it was.”

I stood up and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Stay here with Heera. Don’t let anyone on the ship but me.”

“What a bummer, we wanted to send out party invites,” she deadpanned.

“What?”

“Never mind.” Gazing out the front window at the station, she bit her lip. “Are you sure this is safe?”

It was absolutely not safe, but then I was a Drixonian with the ability to call fire. “As soon as I step foot off this ship, I’m the most dangerous thing here.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “That’s some confidence.”

“It’s the truth.”

After giving her neck a squeeze, I opened the ramp and disembarked, hiding my distinctive hair with a hooded cloak, and covering my hands with my gloves. After making sure it shut behind me, I continued to the guard booth where a green waljura lounged with her slimy foot propped up on the window ledge. “Papers,” she toned in a low voice as she kept her one eye focused on the tablet in front of her.

I placed a few czens on the table at her side. She went still, and her eyeball shifted in its socket to take in the czens before lifting it to me. “Papers,” she said again.

“I don’t have them.”

“Then you need to leave before I call security.”

I placed down another few czens.

She remained nonplussed. “Papers.”

“Look, I don’t—”

“Papers.”

I blew out a breath and placed my hands on my hips. “Does it make a difference if I tell you that I can light this entire booth on fire with a flick of my fingers?” Her gaze darted to my hands before she reached for a button on the tablet.

“Wait—”

“A little short, Drix?” A deep voice boomed next to me. A blue-eyed bronze warrior with a spiked bat strapped to his back slapped down a bag on the table that landed with a heavy thunk. Abandoning her button, her face shifted to a bright yellow as she let out a squeal and ripped open the bag. Digging a curved claw inside, she stabbed a sticky cake and shoved it into her mouth. Chewing happily, she ignored us.

He beckoned me into the station with a jerk of his chin. “She doesn’t care about czens. She just wants velvups from Rinian I.”

I stared at him. “Thank you, but… do I know you?”

His blue eyes glowed as he grinned. His long white hair was pulled back into a braid and the sides of his head were shaved. White swirling tattoos covered his chest and neck. “I mean, I only saved you all from the Uldani. Kind of offended here, Drix.”

“Saved… what?”

His gaze drifted from my face down to my gloved hands before returning to my face. He cocked his head. “When’s the last time you were on Corin?”

“Corin? Not since I was born.”

He took a step closer to me. “You’re one of those aren’t you?”

“What?”

“You’re one of those stolen warriors they’re always talking about. Have you ever seen a warrior like me? Bronze skin, blue eyes, less good-looking. Goes by the name Kazel?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “It was worth a shot. Anyway, where are you heading?”

I didn’t know how much to trust this warrior, but he had helped me out. “I’m not sure.”

“Well, let me give you some information. Free of charge because I’m in a good mood, which is rare. The Drixonians resettled on Corin. Heard there’s a winged one, and a spiky one with a big mouth.” He turned and I grabbed for him. He glared at my hand on his arm, but I didn’t let go. “Who are you? How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

“You don’t know. All I can say is I’m not. And as for who I am—I’m Bosa, a Kaluma warrior.” He tossed me a bag and when I caught it, the contents clinked. “Get home quick. I heard they’re looking for a warrior with a terrible orange haircut.”

I reached up to feel that a lock of my hair had slipped out from under my hood. And then he… disappeared. One minute he was in front of me and the next minute he was gone. I heard retreating footsteps, but he was nowhere to be seen. Had I imagined him? When I opened the bag in my hand, a handful of czens spilled out in my palm. “That flecker,” I muttered.

Laughing to myself, I hurried to buy supplies. Jennie, Heera, and I were going to eat good. And then… well then, we were going home.

Nineteen

Jennie

“I love your hair!”

“Where did you get that dress?”

“Are you hungry?”

“She probably needs a drink. Doesn’t she look like she needs a drink? Where’s Xavy?”

“Ladies, get in your places! We have a greeting system now, remember?”

Heera, who had been hiding in the cargo ship until we knew the area was safe, emerged from her hiding spot and marched down the ramp, her little stomps admittedly kind of cute. The human women fell silent and the one in front, a petite brunette named Frankie, gasped.

Heera stopped in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest. “You’re overwhelming her, and she has trouble speaking because she got a virus on Vixlicin. She needs to get clean, eat, and sleep. In that order.” She ended her diatribe on a short nod.

The small group of human women were so silent that all I could hear was heavy breathing and a slight breeze ruffling the trees of Corin. We’d arrived on this planet to a small group of Drixonian warriors, none of whom Fenix recognized, and taken to this small village. Frankie, the mate of the leader of the village, said the rest of the warriors were on their way after getting word Fenix had arrived.

He stood at my back, shifting his weight from foot to foot and scanning the area, most likely eager to see Rexor and Mikko. We’d been greeted at the village by a group of women who were very friendly. Maybe even too much.

Right now, I was being ignored in favor of Heera. The women stared so long at the female hilbob that I began to grow nervous. I placed my hand protectively on Heera’s shoulder and drew her closer to me.

“What’s wrong?” Fenix asked, his arm coming around my shoulders until we stood like a little family.

“She’s…” Frankie’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

“…a hilbob,” said a dark-skinned woman with long braids.

A woman with a short black bob and tattoos let out a long, low whistle. “They’re going to shit themselves.”

A green-eyed redhead stood frozen, her lower lip quivering as she stared at Heera like she held the meaning of life. “This is the best day ever,” she whispered.

“What—?” I asked just as a low hum filled the air.

“They’re coming!” Frankie screeched, clapping her hands together. “Oh man, this is going to be the best one yet.”

“I don’t—” Fenix began just as a group of Drixonians on motorcycle-like vehicles that hovered above the ground sped into the village. A large Drixonian with long white hair leaped off his bike before it came to a stop. He raced toward Fenix who turned to face his friend. The white-haired Drixonian, who I knew as Rexor based on Fenix’s description, came to a stop a foot away from Fenix. His fingers twitched toward Fenix, but he kept his hands to himself. “Brother,” he whispered. “You’re home.”

A large smile split Fenix’s face. “I’m home.” He clasped Rexor around the back of his neck and brought their foreheads together.

Rexor jerked in his hold, seemingly uncertain. “You don’t have to—”

“I don’t hurt anymore.” Fenix spoke in a low whisper.

Rexor blinked rapidly. “You don’t?”

Fenix pulled back a fraction and held up the wrist of his free hand to show off his loks. He then let Rexor go just as another Drixonian, this one with machets lining his forearms and back, skidding to a halt at Rexor’s side. “Fenix,” he let out on a happy gasp. “Fleck, brother. You made it.”

“Hey there, Mikko. Miss me?”

“Not a bit.”

Fenix grinned and tugged me to his side. “This is Jennie. My cora-eternal.”

Rexor turned a kind smile to me. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I said.

“How do you put up with him all the time?” Mikko grinned. “This planet had been peaceful but I guess that’s changing now.”

Rexor shoved him. “Look who’s talking.”

“Who’s here?” A scratchy voice called out from behind a pack of Drixonian warriors.

“Wait your turn, York.”

“There are no turns. Come on, I want to see how orange his hair is.”

“Quit being rude.”

“How is that rude?”

“It just is.”

Two figures emerged from between a pair of Drixonian warriors. My knees wobbled. My head felt faint, and in front of me, Heera let out a whimper that cut me to the core.

Two male hilbobs, one bald and the other with long gray hair came to an abrupt stop as they spotted Heera. From somewhere behind me, I heard a muffled sob. Tears pricked my eyes as Heera took one tentative step forward. “C-Crife?” she managed in a shaky voice. “York?”

York stumbled and fell to one knee as his large eyes filled. Crife stared dumbfounded before lurching to Heera and wrapping her in his short arms. She clung to him with her digging claws while York managed to get to his feet. He fell against them, so they were now a murmuring, sobbing bundle of three hilbobs. It was a homecoming that touched me to my core. We might not have been able to save everyone on that damn planet, but we made a difference in these three lives, and that was more than I could have hoped for. Fenix’s hand slipped into mine, and I smiled up at him. “You did good, Jennie,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess we did,” I whispered. “I guess we did.”

* * *

Fenix

We learned later that York, Crife, and Heera had been childhood friends. For the next few rotations, they were inseparable. Rian, Mikko’s mate, couldn’t stop crying whenever she looked at them. Her and Mikko had met York and Crife in the Pit on Vixlicin, and the hilbobs were responsible for saving their lives. Heera had been there for Jennie when she’d had no one—not even me. There was a lot of bravery packed in the small hilbobs’ bodies.

With the absence of pain, I’d been able to dream again. I’d missed the hover bikes, and Daz, Rexor’s brother and leader of the village, immediately put me on the mechanical crew. By day, I worked on the bikes and did any other odd jobs that needed completed to restore the city of Granit. By night, I spent my night in Jennie’s arms and her body.

Her voice was getting stronger, and she made friends with the women, especially Daisy, Rexor’s mate, and Rian.

“Rian and Daisy both said they approve of me,” she said one night as we lay in the soft furs.

“Did you need their approval?” I pressed a kiss to her stomach.

She gave a soft laugh. “No, but they both were very fond of you. Rian said you helped her understand Mikko.”

“No one really understands Mikko,” I mutterd.

“Aw, I like him.”

“He’s an annoying flecker.”

She laughed again. I loved the sound now that it was less scratchy. “All right, whatever you say.” She sighed and ran her fingers through my hair. “Were you born with black hair?”

“Yes. It changed when the Uldani experimented on me.”

“Rexor’s too?”

“Yes.”

She continued fussing with the orange strands. “I’m happy, Fenix.”

I smiled against her skin. “I’m happy too.”

“D-do you think about Zecri?”

My stomach flipped. “Every rotation.”

“Do you think he’s okay?”

“I hope so.”

“He deserves to be happy too.”

“He does.” I lifted onto my elbow to look into her brown eyes. “But he has to realize he deserves to be happy. I didn’t until I met you. Until you showed me I could dare to dream again.”

“Real life is better than the dream now, don’t you think?”

“I do.” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “Stay in this real life with me, Jennie.”

“Always.”

Thank you so much for reading FENIX! If you aren’t caught up on the series, please check out REXOR and MIKKO.

Want a free book in the Stolen Warriors series? TRAWN can be downloaded HERE. It can be read before, during, or after any books in this series!

Curious about Daz, Frankie, and the rest of the Drixonian Crew on Corin? Check out my complete Drixonian Warrior series!

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about Zecri. His book, the last in the Stolen Warriors series, is next! Preorder here: ZECRI

I’d been prepared to die on this planet… but now I have something to live for.

Zecri: I’ve waited many cycles to carry out my rescue mission for a fellow warrior. But when I re-enter the misery I escaped to free him, I get more than I bargained for. Much more. A human female who’s as scarred as I am, and who’s willing to risk her life for the most precious thing on this desert planet.

Sybil: This place absolutely sucks, and I’ve been in some pretty terrible places. I would have run myself through with one of my captor’s blades long ago if it wasn’t for this innocent creature who’s dependent on me. I won’t let her down. I can’t. But I’m only a human on a planet full of monsters.

Until I meet the most deadly monster of them all. He’s scarred and wears an emotionless mask, but I can see the simmering rage and revenge underneath it all. I also see a soul needs me as much as I need him. But first, we have to get free. Maybe together… we can be heroes.

PREORDER ZECRI

Acknowledgments

I can’t believe how readers are responding to this series. I’m so grateful you all are loving my Stolen Warriors!

Thank you to Natasha Snow who really brought Fenix to life with this cover. You create amazing art and I don’t know what I’d do without you!

Thank you to my editor, Del, who always comes through for me.

And thank you to my readers, especially those in my Haven, who make this job the best job in the world. I hope my books give you a real world escape for a while. <3

About the Author

Ella Maven is the pen name for a multi-published USA Today Bestselling author who decided to finally unleash the alien world that had been living in her head for years. (Is that weird? Probably). Her books feature dominant, possessive aliens who are absolutely devoted to their humans.

She lives on the East Coast with her completely normal husband and two spawn who sure seem alien some days.

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Drixonian Warrior Series

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